as much reverence feele Shaking his Rattle as his rod of steele I know 't was Henries principle for he Both out of valour and distrust would goe Himselfe in Person'gainst the Enemie The Turkish bounds were first extended so As some observe for their first Sultans tooke Some charge in every battaile that was strooke Besides their presence brings more clearely in Claime to the Glory of the victory Of which some Princes have so jealous bin That Constantine this Act did ratifie To us the Honour of the Conquest yeeld A hundred miles though distant from the field Lincolne makes to the King although no ayde As he had promis'd to himselfe appeard And though he saw his confidence betray'd He wisely did dissemble what he fear'd And lightning hopes were in his browes exprest Though loud despaire did thunder in his brest T was done like a Commander he must call Assurance to his most deplor'd occasion A Captaines passion 's Epidemicall And souldiers put it on by imitation A souldier will his Captaines colours weare Be they the Red of Ioy or Pale of Feare Lincolne encamp'd upon a hill so high His hopes were once but Henry in the plaine So was his Case Lincolne resolv'd to try His fortune presently march'd downe againe And from the hill descending to the vale Himselfe was his owne Emblem of his fall â—hen t was advis'd whether they should protract â—r suddenly upon the Rebels fall â—ut Henry willing that great chiefe to act â—ho by deferring nothing conquer'd all Calls for the fight and Politickes have cast In all defections Generals must make hast â—ut how they fought is told so nakedly â—s if the writers of those times had layd â— blanke in that part of the History â—o let the moderns guesse what should be sayd For Chronicles doe it so lamely tell As if t were sayd they came they fought they fell They say the Vangard where the King did lead Did onely to the fight assistance bring â—s if the King in charity would spread â—ome Princely lustre on this pretty thing Who would have beene a king though he were none Here was his Glory he had fought with one And Lovell feeling that the fight grew hot Thought of a cooler and would swimme the Trent But long before the other side he got Was swallow'd by the angry Element It seemes the streame out of a loyall sense Would nor support a Traytor to his Prince But valiant Swarts for terme of life did take Possession of the ground where he did stand And Lincolne too whom though his Hopes did make The sole Commander once of the whole land Measure him now and he 'le no more contest Give him sixe foote let who will take the rest There was the mock-king younker Simnell tooke Whose word was Regno when he did appeare On th' highest cog of Fortunes wheele but strooke To sine Regno now the lowest there Thus Honours Pyramid it selfe extends Into a Point then in a nothing ends But Henries scorne or pitty would not goe So farre as to his life rather thought fit To keepe him in his Kitchin for a show Where he should turne a Scepter to a spit And there the king whose right they did so boast Must be content to fit and rule the roast Nor would Augustus have that Puppit slaine That Alexander who was brag'd to be King Herods sonne but in a brave disdaine Enslav'd him in his Gallies so that he Who gloried at the Helme of State before Sate then degraded tugging at an Oare After the field was won Henry did fall To weede the rootes whence following wars might spronght As 't were to cancell the Originall Whence future discords might be copied out Had he left off when th' Enemie did flye He had but woo'd not wedded Victory He cut off all th' adherents that did stand For the late Rebells and each sparke bereave Of hope to reenflame it was a brand Stamp'd upon Caesars actions not to leave A warre halfe done From an unvanquish'd foe And yet provok'd the greatest dangers grow Now Henry look'd abroad and having here Dispell'd the sullen mists began to throw His lustre and his Influence elsewhere Like to a naturall Agent which doth show Its vertue in the Center first and thence Dilate it selfe to the circumference And it was time for now King Charles of France Aiming at Brittaigne in 's ambitious minde Quarrels the Duke for succouring Orleans Who had fled to him 'T is not hard to finde Pretenses when inferiours should be vext Give me but Pow'r I 'le finde out a pretext The French Embassadours to Henry sue Or to stand Neuter or their Master aide Against Brittaines Duke but Henry knew Should he doe either Brittaine were betray'd And in this Dutchie were the French invested We should by sea at pleasure be infested But this Dilemma was well neare above All Henries Logick Henry was so ty'd Both to this King and Duke that he must prove Ingrate to one ayding of either side He hath a Wolfe by th' Eares and doth not know Whether 'ts best to hold or let him goe He would not stand a Neuter like the Bat When Beasts and fowles in the feign'd Battaile fought And therefore curs'd to flye in darkenesse that Had Henries vertue into question brought For not asserting Justice which must be Faire on one side upon necessitie At last concludes for Brittaine for he should At once be Charles his friend and his owne foe Should he ayde France and no injunctions hold Man to such offices as man undoe The strictest Moralist will set me free Where my owne gratitude would ruine me Henry indeede by a Particular tye Had beene much bound to France but he was more Bound to preserve his subjects liberty Which had beene hazzarded were Brittaine lost The greater Bond thus making voyde the lesse Who can implead him of ingratefulnesse Then was the Action mov'd in Parliament To feele the People who of their innate Envie to France did promise to resent The case of Brittaine their confederate Were Brittaine swallow'd first they stood perplext 'T were a preparative to take England next And that the succours might be more compleat By joyning Gold to Steele they give the King A subsidie Henry did seldome treate Of any warre but did some treasure bring The coursest Ore he wisely could refine And digge his Gold out of warres Iron Mine That time without commission from the King The hot Lord Woodvile in the Brittons ayde Levied foure hundred men a desperate thing And Introduction to have a state betray'd To Private men this Priviledge afford You arme the Subject 'gainst his nat'rall Lord. But as if fortune had resolv'd to tell The world his act was rash he lost his blood And though his Cause was just yet justly fell In th' Action for to make a quarrell good 'T is requisite the Combatant should show Both a just Cause and Deputation too Soone as the newes of this defeate did land So soone the English succours
discipline Who would the Body of an Armie make Must the beginning at the Belly make Then men were rais'd and ammunition brought Monie's indeed the sinew of all warre But sinewes of the Armes and Armes are thought By Machiavell to be preferred farre Thus Solon deem'd when he that Monarch told The better Iron would have all the Gold For leaders of these men he did assigne Bedford and Oxford so they us'd to be His choyse had in it something of Divine Fix'd with a kinde of fatall Constancie None from his Grace but Stanly fell away He was the onely State Apostata He would not their Election decline Their fortunes did for their election call Felicity is an egregious signe And proper Marke to choose a Generall Let judgement valour in the Van appeare T is nought if Fortune bring not up the Reare But Henries Agents now to Henry sent That Maximilian could no succour be Henry so cover'd this advertisment That none perceiv'd he saw what he did see Like to the Opticke vertue in the eyes Vnseene it selfe yet all things else discries His weakenesse did Originally rise From 's Flemmings who indocile to obey Did contumeliously their Prince despise Which made him once in jesting earnest say That other Kings were Kings of men but He Was King of Kings who would no subjects be So true was that which Machiavell once spake On Maximilian who so e'r despends Shall from his freindship no more succour take Than the Campanians brought unto their friends Who being small in strength and great in Fame Vnto their aydes brought nothing but a name Then Henry ship'd his men meaning to be Alone in th' Action and the Honour too He had so soone pass'd the obedient sea As if it had profess'd what our Lawes doe 'T was under his dominion and his owne As of the Ligeance of the English crowne Then march'd to Bulloine and already took 't In their capacious thoughts with threatning eye They look'd upon it as Gonsalvo look'd On Naples when he vow'd rather to dye With one foote forward in a noble heate Than live an age with halfe a footes retreate But sudainely coole Aires of Peace did breath Lord Cordes did negotiate that Peace Whose Spirit once breath'd onely warre and death Treates now that all hostility may cease The Fabled Clowne would wonder to behold One like his Satyre blowing hot and cold And here was Henries wisedome not to heare Peaces soft tunes before the Drummes had strooke A low'd defiance when his forces there Might force his owne Condition to be tooke That 's the brave Peace whose Articles are made Vnder a shield and written with a blade This Peace pleas'd Henry which the Frenchmen bought With more than th' English gave unto the warre But yet the People seeing he did nought With all the Money were enrag'd so farre That to a dangerous Proverbe they presum'd Himselfe he feather'd and his people plumd But our young gallants had most neede of blackes Who to be bravely furnish'd paund their lands In hope of these French warres and on their backes Brought so much English ground to Callis sands That they left none A strange Armoriall shield That they should beare their Armes without a field He therefore meant to make the peace be thought His Councels act and suffer'd them to take Rich presents as with which the Peace was bought Vnder their shapes Henry this Peace did make Examine Iove and looke upon his scapes The Poets make them done in other shapes The course he us'd might prejudiciall prove By winning of his Councels hearts to France For Mutianus thus pretending love To Antonine did all his friends advance But Mutian by this Practise did so please Antonine lost all his dependances Yet Henry had faire Glosses for this Peace Which did his Honour with his subjects save T' exhaust no blood and to imburse th' increase Of yearely Tributs satisfaction gave None bled but the French treasure and the King Open'd that veine for Physicke every spring The End of this French warre was to rewinne Brittaigne which was past all Eviction gone And Maximilians aides which should have beene Meanes to acquire this End came never on No Agent doth his purpose more extend Which is defective both in meanes and end But this was his best Argument he heard That Burgundy was making of a King Out of a Duke of Yorke and justly fear'd The stormes which follow'd For this twice-born thing Like to the twice-borne Bacchus at his Birth Amaz'd with Thunder the affrighted Earth The linkes of causes set in Homers chaine Not closer joyn'd nor more continued are Than the affaires of Kings no Interreigne Is in their State nor Vacuum in their Care The sweating sickenesse in his Dayes so great Was a Presage that he should Reigne in sweate He having not respir'd since he last did Strive with a King in Substance falls at Oddes With a Phantasme an Idoll King will bid Henry defiance Kings are Earthly Gods And this prov'd Henry one that he should see So many Idols tempt his Deitie Burgundies Dutchesse knew imposture could As the best Ingen torture Henry most Therefore sh' had Spials for such Boyes as should Make Dukes of Yorke at last on one they crost So apt to take a forme that if there were A Rellicke of the Chaos it was there And this that Perkin was that Errant Knight Henries Landloper Ape of Majestie Sonne of a Jew who was a Convertite Oweing to England his nativitie And out of zeale the Dutchesse now will doe Her best to make the Sonne a convert too But this was pretty our fourth Edward did Christen the Boy and hence suspition feignes Some of that wanton Princes blood was hid To make him something Yorke in Perkins veines And this might well the Boyes ambition touch God-father had a sillable too much This is that metall must trans-changed be By leaving its first nature others doubt If Gold can be produc'd by Alchymie But I 'le presume this metall had come out If Henries starres did not the worke restreine As faire a peece as any Soveraigne Let Paracelsus glory that he can Make Artificiall men she will doe more And by a resurrection bring a man To ' a Naturall life which he had lost before Who in so neere a likenesse did survive As that he pos'd the clearest Perspective Soone as her Art this Bullion had refind She stamp'd him with the face of majestie And soone as she had this Rose Noble coyn'd She sent him from her least the mystery Might be discover'd and suspition should Thinke he were cast in a Burgundian mold Hot from her shop to Portugall he goes To waite a fit Conjuncture which must be When France and England are declared foes Soone as they had this opportunitie This Peece was vented on the Irish shore Where one as false was currant once before From thence King Charles sent for him into France Where he a guard and Princely service had So great an invitation might
enhance His price For greatnesse and great men doe adde Opinion and the most adulterate stone Will be thought true if worne by such an one But when this little Cockatrice did heare That France with England an accord did strike This Ghost of Yorke durst walke no longer there But fled it as a Circle Peace was like An Incantation and the very smell Of a Peace-offring did this spright expell Then like a Body which returnes into Its Principles he to the Dutchesse went And constant to himselfe did nothing doe Wherein he did not bravely represent A Prince and though by Nature he wâ—re none Custome that second Nature made him one The Dutchesse made it strange in company Where she would sift hm and with questions prove At length receiv'd him like some Prodigie She seem'd to imitate the Birds of Iove Which at the Sunne their doubtfull aiery view Nor till they thinke it false will thinke it true This newes our Commons swallow'd greedily Whose custome 't is to loath the present state Affecting change which is the quality That from their mother they doe propagate And as the Spaniards say there cannot goe A needles point betweene their J and No. He lively set the Peoples Humors forth Who drew a silly Asse and drew him clad In furniture of an unvalued worth Who though these rich habilliments he had Lothing his Golden saddle cast his eye Vpon an other base one that lay by Ill Humours then secretly gather'd head Whence to breake forth Thus doth the Earth dispense Her hidden waters till they finde a bed Where their collected streames may lodge and thence With struggling murmurs they a Passage teare And make a bubbling insurrection there The Lord Fitzwater Thwaites and Mountfort were The chiefe and Stanly who at Bosworth fought As Henries Guardian Angell will be here His Malus genius now as if he thought To tell the world that as he could create A King so he could one annihilate Henrie to make the world this juggling see Prov'd that the tender Princes had beene slaine And did evince infallibly that he Could not be Yorke unlesse they would mainteine His resurrection and beleeve his Tombe Had giv'n him up before the Day of Doome When Perkins lineage and himselfe were made Naked as truth Henry this course did hold To trip him up he with his traines essayd His followers and dependants They that would Blow up a Castle will beginne the Mine Some distance from the place which they designe If he can make but Perkins friends retreate He will by consequence Perkin oppresse To ' anticipate the wayes which make one great Is the compendious way to make one lesse When Causes stop effects doe make a Pause And perish in the ruine of their cause First Clifford from this Ignis fatuus flies Which shew'd but light to shew men how to erre And as the meteor is observ'd to rise From places where we doe our dead interre So the dead Duke gave matter to this flame And from his grave this Ignis fatuus came Their Towring Edifice began to shake So soone as Clifford their great prop was gone So Arches threaten ruine if you take Out of the Fabricke but a single stone And Henry now did all their secrets spye For Clifford was both Cabinet and Key Now having thus made their materialls like Sand without lime Henry the Archduke prayes â—o chase him out of Flanders so to strike â—he very ground where he his frame did raise Some ground to stand on was the onely thing The Ingener ask'd the Sicilian King The Embassadors which from our Henry went The foulenesse of the crime before him set That with more Zeale he might the fact resent A King but in his coine to counterfeit Is treason but to counterfet a King In 's Person is a more nefarious thing They tell his Birth like that the Tartars say Now of their Cinchis whom a widdow bore Without the ayde of man some hidden way Such was his Birth but when all else give o're Children this Dutchesse then such striplings brings As at their Birth give Battaile unto Kings Therefore they doe request him that he would Abandon Perkin and discard the Knave Out of the Packe since no Impostours should Or can in right any Protection have Vnder what Title can he be supply'd Who is not Yorke and Perkin hath deny'd The Answere they receiv'd was cold and short That th' Arch-Duke would not the Pretender ayde Which did not Answere Henries hopes nor sort With his desires for by the Rule which sayd If not against him with him Henry spy'd That he was secretly of Perkins side Therefore in point of Honour he commands No entertrafficke be with Flanders made Henry knew well that they would quit their hands Of one that should so damnifie their trade And did presume Flanders would bid adieu To this false coyne 'fore she would lose the true Advertis'd then that the disease did lye Both in the Realme and from the Realme did come The Plaster to the sore he did apply By cutting of Conspiratours at home These sharpe proceedings will annull their plots For swords are fittest for such Gordian Knots Take them away you reunite the State As when a Sweating Hinde with weighty stroke And blustring Hem which doth the sprits dilate And force with more contention cleaves an Oke And teares the Knotty trunke with labour'd blowes Remove the wedge the gaping rent will close Mountfort and Ratliffe first with Purple flood The scaffold dy'd The Gentiles to appease Their Idols offer'd up their Childrens blood An expiating sacrifice but these Were to a more devout observance growne Who to this Idoll offer'd up their owne Next Stanly comes his last accounts to yeeld Which cannot be made up without his head His purer blood stream'd forth at Bosworth field But the corrupt was on a scaffold shed Blood-letting never such a wonder had That the good blood should come before the bad How oft doe men advanc'd prove treacherous How soone the Graces of their Prince forget Thus Seian Plautian and Perennius So true is that the Florentine hath writ Great benefits as well as injuries Have beene the motives to conspiracies Knowing that nothing but a crowne can adde The last perfection to their power and state They reach at that and here more meanes are had Whereby they may their plot facilitate Their Princes love and freedome of accesse Make their strength more and their suspition lesse Henry was clos'd at Bosworth and the foe Had hem'd him in his toiles Stanly forbad Deaths and the foes surprise and sav'd him so This Stanly did yet this hard fortune had Was there no way to gratifie but this To take his life from him who gave him his Nay thinking this his service too to low For his so high intentions he did bring The Crowne and set it upon Henries brow And at once sav'd a man and made a King Was it not stange he that did set a crowne Vpon his