Baldwine M. Ferrers and others the composers of these Tragedies who continuing their methode which was by way of dialogue or interlocution betwixt euery Tragedie gaue it onely place before the Duke of Buckinghams complaint which order I since hauing altered haue placed the Induction in the beginning with euery Tragedie following according to succession and the iust computation of time which before was not obserued and lest any one thinke me enuious of others deserts I haue subscribed the names of all such as I could heare of vnder such Tragedies as each one particularlie hath written which at the request of the Printer I haue briefely perused as the former In which friendly Reader if I haue done amisse I craue pardon for my ouersight hoping if paines will in stead of penance pacifie thee to yeeld thee satisfaction and content in my additions following to which I refer thee R. N. Mr. SACKVILS INDVCTION THe wrathfull winter hastning on apace With blustring blasts had all ybard the treene And old Saturnus with his frosty face With chilling cold had pearst the tender greene The mantles rent wherein enwrapped beene The gladsome groues that now lay ouerthrowne The tapets torne and euery tree downe blowne The soile that erst so seemly was to seene Was all despoyled of her beauties hew And soote fresh flowers wherewith the summers Queene Had clad the earth now Boreas blasts downe blew And small fowles flocking in their fong did rew The winters wrath wherewith ech thing defaste In woefull wise bewaild the summer past Hawthorne had lost his motley liuery The naked twigs were shiuering all for cold And dropping downe the teares abundantly Ech thing me thought with weeping eye me told The cruell season bidding mee with hold My selfe within for I was gotten out Into the fields whereas I walkt about When loe the night with mistie mantels spred Gan darke the day and dim the azure skies And Venus in her message Hermes sped To bloudy Mars to will him not to rise While she her selfe approcht in speedy wise And Virgo hiding her disdainfull brest With Thetis now had laid her downe to rest Whiles Scorpio dreading Sagittarius dart Whose bowe prest bent in fight the string had slipt Downe slide into the Ocean floud apart The Beare that in the Irish seas had dipt His grizly feet with speed from thence he whipt For Thetis hasting from the Virgins bed Pursude the Beare that ere she came was fled And Phaeton now neere reaching to his race With glistring beames gold streaming where they bent Was prest to enter in his resting place Erythius that in the cart first went Had euen now attain'd his iourneys stent And fast declining hid away his head While Titan coucht him in his purple bed And pale-fac'd Cinthea with her borowed light Beginning to supplie her brothers place Was past the Noonesteed sixe degrees in sight When sparkling starres amid the heauens face With twinkling light shone on the earth apace That while they brought about the nights black chare The darke had dim'd the day ere I was ware And sorrowing I to see the summer flowers The liuely greene the lusty lease forlorne The sturdie trees so shattred with the showers The fields so fade that florisht so beforne It taught me well all earthly things be borne To dye the death for nought long time may last The summers beautie yeelds to winters blast Then looking vpward to the heauens leames With nights bright starres thick powdred euery where Which erst so glistred with the golden streames That chearfull Phoebus spred downe from his sphere Beholding darke oppressing day so neere The sudden sight reduced to my mind The sundry changes that in earth we find That musing on this worldly wealth in thought Which coms and goes more faster then we see The flickering flame that with the fire is wrought My busie minde presented vnto me Such fall of Peeres as in the realme had be That oft I wisht some would their woes descriue To warne the rest whom Fortune left aliue And strait forth stalking with redoubled pace For that I saw the night drew on so fast In black all clad there fell before my face A piteous wight whom woe had all forewast Forth on her eyes the crystall teares out brast And sighing sore her hands she wrung and fold Tare all her haire that ruth was to behold Her body small forwithered and forespent As is the stalke that summers drought opprest Her wealked face with woeful teares be sprent Her colour pale at it seemed her best In woe and plaint reposed was her rest And as the stone that drops of water weares So dented were her cheekes with fall of teares Her eies full swollen with flowing streames aflote Where with her lookes throwne vp full piteously Her forcelesse hands together oft she smote With dolefull shrikes that eckoed in the skye Whose plaint such sighs did straight accompany That in my doome was neuer man did see A wight but halfe so woe begone as shee I stood agast beholding all her plight Tweene dread and dolour so distraind in hart That while my haires vpstarted with the sight The teares outstreamd for sorow of her smart But when I saw no end that could appart The deadly dole which shee so sore did make With dolefull voice then thus to her I spake Vnwrap thy woes what euer wight thou bee And stint in time to spill thy selfe with plaint Tell what thou art and whence for well I see Thou canst not dure with sorrow thus attaint And with that word of sorrow all forfaint She looked vp and prostrate as she lay With piteous sound lo thus she gan to say Alas I wretch whom thus thou seest distrain'd With wasting woes that neuer shall aslake Sorrow I am in endlesse torments pain'd Among the Furies in th' infernall lake Where Pluto God of Hell so grizly black Doth hold his throne and Laetheus deadly tast Doth reue remembrance of each thing forepast Whence come I am the drery destiny And lucklesse lot for to bemone of those Whom Fortune in this maze of misery Of wretched chance most wofull Mirors chose That when thou seest how lightly they did lose Their pomp their power and that they thought most sure Thou mayst soone deeme no earthly ioy may dure Whose rufull voice no sooner had out-brayed Those wofull words wherewith she sorrowed so But out alas she shright and neuer stayed Fell downe and all to dasht her selfe for wo. The cold pale dread my limmes gan ouergo And I so sorrowed at her sorrowes eft That what with griefe and feare my wits were reft I stretcht my selfe and straight my heart reuiues That dread and dolour earst did so appale Like him that with the seruent feuer striues When sicknesse seekes his castell health to scale With gathred sprites so forst I feare t'auale And rearing her with anguish all foredone My sprits return'd and then I thus begon Sorrow alas sith Sorrow is thy name And that
take reuengement of our mortall strife I longed long to bring thee to this day And thou likewise hast sought to suck my bloud Now art thou taken in my spoiles a pray For thee my life full long in daunger stood I will both teach thy selfe and others good To breake the bands of faithfull wedlocke plight And giue thee that which thou deseruest right O harlot whore why should I stay my hands O paynted picture shall thy lookes thee saue Nay bind her fast both hand and foote in bands And let her some straunge kinde of torments haue What strumpet think'st for that thou seemest braue Or for thy teares or sighes to scape my sight My selfe will rather vanquish thee by fight Thou rather should'st my vitall breath depriue Then euer scape if none were here but wee But now I will not file my hands to striue Or else to touch so vile a drab as she Come on at once and bring her after me With hand and feete as I commaunded bound And let mee see her here as Humber drown'd A thousand things beside she spake in rage While that a caitiffe did with cords me binde No teares nor sobs nor sighes might ought asswage The ielous Queene or mollifie her minde Occasions still her franticke head did finde And when she spake her eies did seeme as fire Shee lookt as pale as chalke with wrathfull ire Ne stood she still but fearcely me defide Raung'd vp and downe and oft her palmes shee strooke Locrinus now quoth she had not thus dide If such an harlot whore he had not tooke And therewithall shee gaue a Tigers looke That made me quake what lettes quoth she my knife To ridde this whore my husbands second wife H 'is dead I liue and shall I saue her life O Queene quoth I if pitie none remayne But I be slaine or drown'd as Humber was Then take thy pleasure by my pinching payne And let me hence as thou appointest passe But take some pitie on my childe alas Thou know'st the infant made no fault but hee That 's dead and I therefore reuenge on mee No bastards here shall liue to dispossesse My sonne she sayd but sith thou soughtest same I will prouide for her a kingdome lesse Which shall hereafter euer haue her name Thou know'st whereof the name of Humber came Euen so Sabrina shall this streame bee cal'd Sith Sabrine me as Humber Locrine thral'd With that my childe was Sabrine brought in sight Who when she saw mee there in bandes to lie Alas she cri'd what meanes this piteous plight And downe shee fell before the Queene with cry O Queene quoth shee let me more rather die Than she that 's guiltlesse should for why thy king Did as his captiue her to leaudnes bring Which when I saw the kindnes of the childe It burst my heart much more then doome of death Poore little lambe with countenance how milde See pleaded still and I for want of breath With woefull teares that lay her feete beneath Could not put foorth a word our liues to saue Or if therefore I might a kingdome haue Her piteous plaints did somwhat death withdraw For as shee long beheld the Queene with teares Quoth shee let me haue rigour void of law In whome the signe of all thy wrath appeares And let me die my fathers face that beares Sith he is dead and we are voide of stay Why should I thee for life or mercy pray My mother may to Germany returne Where shee was borne and if it please thy grace And I may well lie in my fathers tombe If thou wilt grant his childe so good a place But if thou think my bloud is farre too bace Although I came by both of princely line Then let me haue what shroud thou wilt assigne With that the Queene replied with milder cheere And sayd the childe was wonderous feate and wittie But yet shee would not her reuenge forbeare For why quoth shee the prouerbe sayes * that pittie Hath lewdly lost full many a noble Cittie Here Elstride now I le wreke my greefes on thee To die take leaue but talke no more to mee On this my leaue I tooke and thus I sayd Farewell my countrey Germany farewell Adew the place from whence I was conueyd Farewell my father and friends there dwell My Humber drown'd as I shall be farewell Adew Locrinus dead for thee I die Would God my corps might by thy coffine lie Adew my pleasures past farewell adew Adew the cares and sorrowes I haue had Farewell my friends that earst for me did sue Adew that were to saue my life full glad Farewell my fauning friends I lately had And thou my beauty cause of death farewell As oft as heart can thinke or tongue can tell Adew you heauens my mortall eyes shall see No more your lights and planets all farewell And chiefly Venus faire that paintedst me When Mercury his tale to me did tell Eke afterwards when Mars with vs did dwell And now at last thou cruell Mars adew Whose dart my life and loue Locrinus slew And must I needes depart from thee my childe If needs I must ten thousand times farewell Poore little lambe thy friends are quite exilde And much I feare thou shalt not long doe well But if they so with boyling rancour swell As thee to slea which neuer wroughtest ill How can they stay my stayned corps to kill With that my Sabrines slender armes imbrast Me round and would not let me so depart Let me quoth she for her the waters tast Or let vs both together end our smart Yea rather rip you forth my tender heart What should I liue But they the child withdrew And me into the raging streame they threw So in the waters as I striu'd to swimme And kept my head aboue the waues for breath Me thought I saw my child would venter in Which cri'd amaine O let me take like death The waters straight had drawne me vnderneath Where diuing vp at length againe rose I And saw my child and cri'd farewell I die Then as my strength was wasted downe I went Eke so I plunged twice or thrice yet more My breath departed needs I must relent The waters pierst my mouth and eares so sore And to the bottome with such force me bore That life and breath and mind and sense was gone And I as dead and cold as marble stone Lo thus you heare the race of all my life And how I past the pikes of painfull woe How twice I thought to be a Princes wife And twice was quite depriu'd my honor fro The third time Queene and felt foule ouerthro Let Princely Ladies view mine historie Mine haps and woes and hatefull destinie Bid them beware lest beautie them abuse Beware of pride for haue a fall it must And bid them Fortunes flatterie refuse Her turned wheele is void of steadie trust Who reckes no meane but leaueth all to lust Shall find my words as true as I them tell Bid them beware
the East Redwallus rul'd as King Then Ethelbert was King of all the coast of Kent In Southsex Ethelwolfus wore the regall crowne Then Quincillinus was a Saxon King by West Of Martia in the mid'st King Penda was the Prince And Edwin in Northumberland did rule and raigne How did my Grandsire grand renowned Arthur he These seuen destroy with deadly field of wrackfull warre But Mordred made the meane that brought them in againe Vortiporus with warre almost consum'd them all Then Malgo he with peace restor'd againe their state Cariticus the sinne of ciuill strise did loue For which Gurmundus did the Britaines much annoy Then Cadwin out of Wales King Etheldred did spoile Cadwalline then did force King Penda to a foile And I Cadwallader at last did presse in place Then Lothar king of Kent in warre that wretch I slue And Ethiwolne the king of South saxons I spoilde The other fiue did me inuade with cruel fight With whom in diuers warres I diuersly did speed Somtime Bellona blew a blessed blast for me And changed chance somtime did force my men to flee Whilst thus I wag'd my warres in secret silent night The very voice of God it thus to me did speake Thou striu'st against the streame the tide doth beate thee back Strike thou thy sailes take ancor hold els must thou feele a wrack Which saying did indeed amaze me more by much Then all the force that man against my will might bend For who the will of God with weapons may resist And when as sinne hath sold a countrey to decay Then praier must preuaile for weapons will not help And when the end is come when all the glasse is runne Who can resist the force of Fate and destinies Who things forerun to fall from falling can refraine It passeth mortall might to bring such things about Let man content himselfe to do what best he may By trying too too much no man his God may tempt But mortall man must thinke that God the best doth know Who can depresse to dust and raise when best him please And as I thus amidst my musings did remaine I did resigne my crowne and deem'd al honours vaine And though it greeu'd me much to feele the fall I selt Yet was I well content I could not as I would For which I left my land my people and my place The Saxons they obtain'd the wage for which they war'd When I three yeares had raign'd without one day of rest Euen then in mourning robes at Rome I did arriue And there contemning all the world and worldly things I made my selfe a Monke cease Memory to muse A Monke I made my selfe thou knowest it passing plaine Amongst the Friers there I led my lingring life And til my dying day I daily did deuise How by my meanes it might to all the world be knowne That mortall flesh is fraile and euery thing must fade And euen amongst those things which Nature doth create Nothing so vile as man amongst the rest is found Which made Heraclitus with ceaslesse sighes to waile He to his dying day did nothing els but weepe Affirming all the world vnder the heauen to be A path of penitence maze of misery What is the life of man but care and daily toile Bearing alwaies about a burthen of mishappes All his delights repentance daily doth pursue Nothing but death doth bring him peace and quiet rest Yet that which brings him blisse he most of all doth hate Which made Democritus with mirth to spend his daies He laughing aie did mocke the madnesse of mankinde Whose loue is long to liue and feareth much to die Death reaues vs from disease Death ends the feare of death When Midas did demaund Silenus what was best For mortall man to wish the Satyr thus did say Not to bee borne if borne not long our liues to lead For life I most doe lothe and death I least doe dread And how did Timon leade with sauage beasts his life How did that Hermite poore his lothsome life detest Affirming with the wise Aurelius Emperour That if a man should make a true discourse of all The wretched woes he felt from birth to dying day The feeble flesh would faint to feele so sharpe a fight The hart would quake to heare Dame Fortunes sharpe assaults And I Cadwallader a king can make report That nothing may content the minde of mortall man The more my selfe did eate the hungrier ay I was The more I dranke the more thirst did me stil distresse The more I slept the more I sluggish did remaine The more I rested me the more I wearied was The more of wealth I had the more I did desire The more I still did seeke the lesse I aye did finde And to conclude I found I neuer could obtaine The thing but in the end it causde me to complaine My present good successe did threaten thrall to come And changing chance did still with sorow me consume For which my royall robes my crowne I laid aside Meaning to proue by proofe the paines of pouertie Which pouertie I felt all riches to exceede It beareth much more blisse then high and courtly state Codrus and Irus poore for wealth did farre surpasse Midas and Croesus king for wealth who did surpasse And I amongst my mates the Romish Friers felt More ioy and lesse annoy then erst in Britaine braue For there I doubted still the Saxons subtile sleights I feared there the fall from royall regall seat But here at Rome I liu'd not fearing force of foe I had for mine estate what I could wish or craue And this I there did finde they of the Clergie be Of all the men that liue the least in misery For all men liue in care they carelesse do remaine Like buzzing Drones they eate the hony of the Bee They only do excell for fine felicitie The king must wage his warres he hath no quiet day The noble man must rule with care the common-weale The Countreyman must toile to till the barren soile With care the Merchant man the surging seas must saile With trickling droppes of sweat the handcrafts man doth thriue With hand as hard as boord the woorkeman eates his bread The souldier in the field with paine doth get his pay The seruing man must serue and crouch with cap and knee The Lawyer he must pleade and trudge from bench to barre Who Physicke doth professe he is not void of care But Churchmen they be blest they turne a leafe or two They sometime sing a Psalme and for the people pray For which they honour haue and sit in highest place What can they wish or seeke that is not hard at hand They labour not at all they know no kind of paine No danger doth with dread their happy liues distresse Cease you therefore to muse what madnesse made me leaue The Court and courtly pompe of wearing royal crowne No madnesse did that deed but wisedome wisht it so I gaind thereby the blisse which
Vpon my legend publikely shall lay Would you forbeare to blast me with defame Might I so meane a priuiledge but pray He that three ages hath endur'd your wrong Heare him a little that hath heard you long Since Romes sad ruine heere by me began Who her Religion pluckt vp by the root Of the false world such hate for which I wan Which still at me her poisned'st darts doth shoot That to excuse it do the best I can Little I feare my labour me will boot Yet will I speake my troubled heart to ease Much to the mind her selfe it is to please O powerfull number from whose stricter law Heart-mouing musicke did receiue the ground Which men to faire ciuilitie did draw With the brute beast when lawlesse he was found O if according to the wiser saw There be a high diuinitie in sound Be now abundant prosp'rously to aide The pen prepar'd my doubtfull case to pleade Putney the place made blessed in my brith Whose meanest cottage simplie me did shrowd To me as dearest of the English earth So of my bringing that poore village prou'd Though in a time when neuer lesse the dearth Of happie wits yet mine so well allow'd That with the best she boldly durst confer Him that his breath acknowledged from her Twice flow'd proud Thames as at my comming wood Striking the wondring borderers with feare And the pale Genius of that aged flood Vnto my mother labouring did appeare And with a countenance much distracted stood Threatning the fruit her pained wombe should beare My speedie birth being added thereunto Seem'd to foretell that much I came to do That was reserued for those worser daies As the great ebbe vnto so long a flow VVhen what those ages formerly did raise This when I liu'd did lastly ouerthrow And that great'st labour of the world did seaze Only for which immedicable blow Due to that time me dooming heauen ordain'd VVherein confusion absolutely raign'd Vainly yet noted this prodigious signe Often predictions of most fearefull things As plagues or warre or great men to decline Rising of Commons or the death of Kings But some strange newes though euer it diuine Yet forth them not immediatly it brings Vntill th' effects men afterward did learne To know that me it chiefly did concerne VVhil'st yet my father by his painfull trade VVhose laboured Anuile only was his fee VVhom my great towardnesse strongly did perswade In knowledge to haue educated mee But death did him vnluckily inuade Ere he the fruits of his desire could see Leauing me yong then little that did know How me the heauens had purpos'd to bestow Hopelesse as helpelesse most might me suppose Whose meannesse seem'd their abiect breath to draw Yet did my breast that glorious fire inclose VVhich their dull purblind ignorance not saw VVhich still is setled vpon outward showes The vulgars iudgement euer is so raw VVhich the vnworthiest sottishly do loue In their owne region properly that moue Yet me my fortune so could not disguise But through this cloud were some that did me know VVhich then the rest more happie or more wise Me did relieue when I was driuen low Which as the staier by which I first did rise When to my height I afterward did grow Them to requite my bounties were so hie As made my fame through euery eare to flie That height and Godlike puritie of minde Resteth not still where titles most adorne With any nor peculiarly confinde To names and to be limited doth scorne Man doth the most degenerate from kinde Richest and poorest both alike are borne And to be alwaies pertinently good Followes not still the greatnes of our blood Pitie it is that to one vertuous man That marke him lent to gentrie to aduance Which first by noble industrie he wan His baser issue after should inhance And the rude slaue not any good that can Such should thrust downe by what is his by chance As had not he been first that him did raise Nere had his great heire wrought his grandsires praise How weake art thou that makest it thy end To heape such worldly dignities on thee When vpon Fortune only they depend And by her changes gouerned must bee Besides the dangers still that such attend Liuel'est of all men purtraied out in mee When that for which I hated was of all Soon'st from me fled scarse tarrying for my fall You that but boast your ancestors proud stile And the large stem whence your vaine greatnes grew When you your selues are ignorant and vile Nor glorious thing dare actually pursue That all good spirits would vtterly exile Doubting their worth should else discouer you Giuing your selues vnto ignoble things Base I proclaime you though deriu'd from Kings Vertue but poore God in this earth doth place Gainst the rude world to stand vp in his right To suffer sad affliction and disgrace Not ceasing to pursue her with despight Yet when of all she is accounted base And seeming in most miserable plight Out of her power new life to her doth take Least then dismai'd when all do her forsake That is the man of an vndaunted spirit For her deare sake that offereth him to dye For whom when him the world doth disinherit Looketh vpon it with a pleased eye What 's done for vertue thinking it doth merit Daring the proudest menaces defie More worth then life how ere the base world rate him Belou'd of heauen although the earth doth hate him Iniurious time vnto the good vniust O how may weake posteritie suppose Euer to haue their merit from the dust Gainst them thy partialitie that knowes To thy report ô who shall euer trust Triumphant arches building vnto those Allow'd the longest memorie to haue That were the most vnworthie of a graue But my cleere mettle had that powerfull heat As it not turn'd with all that Fortune could Nor when the world me terriblest did threat Could that place win which my hie thoughts did hold That waxed still more prosperously great The more the world me stroue to haue control'd On my owne Columnes constantly to stand Without the false helpe of anothers hand My youthfull course thus wisely did I steere T' auoid those rockes my wracke that else did thret Yet some faire hopes from farre did still appeere If that too much my wants me did not let Wherefore my selfe aboue my selfe to beare Still as I grew I knowledge stroue to get To perfect that which in the Embryon was Whose birth I found time well might bring to passe But when my meanes to faile me I did finde My selfe to trauell presently betooke As much distastfull to my noble minde That the vile world into my wants should looke And of my selfe industriously inclinde To measure others actions with my booke I might my iudgement rectifie thereby In matters that were difficult and hie When loe it hapt that fortune as my guide Of me did with such prouidence dispose That th' English Merchants then who did reside At Antwerpe me their