blamefulnes of the persons passion in those poynts wherin the passion is blamefull Lastly such manifest diffrence being betwixt euery one of them where or howsoeuer they be marshalled how can I be iustly appeached of vnaduisement For the third because the worke might in trueth be iudged brainish if nothing but amorous humor were handled therein I haue enter-wouen matters historicall which vnexplaned might defraude the minde of much content as for example in Queene Margarites Epistle to William de la Poole My Daizie flower which once perfumde the aire Margarite in French signifies a Daizie which for the allusion to her name this Queene did giue for her deuise and this as others more haue seemed to me not worthy the explaning Now though no doubt I hadde neede to excuse other things beside yet these most especially the rest I ouerpasse to eschue tedious recitall or to speake as malicious enuy may for that in trueth I ouersee them If they be as harmelesly taken as I meant them it shall suffice to haue only touched the cause of the title of the Dedications and of the Notes whereby emboldned to publish the residue these not being accounted in mens opinions relishlesse I shall not lastly be afraide to beleeue and acknowledge thee a gentle Reader M. D. To M. Michaell Drayton HOw can he write that broken hath his penne Hath rent his paper throwne his incke away Detests the world and company of men Because they growe more hatefull day by day Yet with these broken reliques mated mind And what a iustly-grieued thought can say I giue the world to know I ne're could find A worke more like to liue a longer day Goe Verse an object for the prowdest eye Disdaine those which disdaine to reade thee ouer Tell them they know not how they should descry The secret passions of a wirty louer For they are such as none but those shall know Whom Beauty schooles to hold the blind Boies bow Once I had vowd O who can all vowes keep Henceforth to smother my vnlucky Muse Yet for thy sake she started out of sleepe Yet now she dies Then doe as kinsfolkes vse Close vp the eyes of my new-dying stile As I haue op'ned thy sweeet babes ere-while E. St. Gent. Duris decus omen To M. Michaell Drayton LOng haue I wisht and hopde my weaker Muse In nothing strong but my vnhappy loue Would giue me leaue my fortune to approue And view the world as named Poets vse But still her fruitlesse bosome doth refuse To blesse me with indifferencie of praise Not daring like to many to abuse That title which true worth should onely raise Thus bankerout and despairing of mine owne I set my wish and hope kind friend on thee Whose fruite approu'd and better fortune knowne Tells me thy Muse my loues sole heire must be So barren wombs embrace their neighbors yong So dumbe men speake by them that haue a tong Thomas Hassall Gent. To M. Michaell Drayton NOw I perceiue Pithagoras diuinde When he that mocked Maxim did maintaine That spirits once spoilde reuested were againe Though changde in shape remaining one in mind These loue sicke Princes passionate estates Who feeling reades he cannot but allow That Ouids soule reuines in Drayton now Still learnd in loue still rich in rare conceits This pregnant spirit affecting further skill Oft altring forme from vulgar wits retirde In diuers Ideoms mightily admirde Did prosecute that sacred study still While to a full perfection now attainde He sings so sweetly that himselfe is stainde William Alexander-Scotus ¶ To the excellent Lady Lucie Countesse of Bedford MAdam after all the admired wittes of this excellent age which haue labored in the sad complaints of faire and unfortunate Rosamond and by the excellencie of inuention haue sounded the depth of her sundry passions I present to your Ladiship this Epistle of hers to King Henry whome I may rather call her louer than beloued Heere must your Ladiship behold variablenes in resolution woes constantly grounded laments abruptly broken off much confidence no certainty words begetting teares teares confounding matter large complaintâ— in little papers and many deformed cares in one vniformed Epistle I striue not to effect singularitie yet would faine flie imitation prostrate mine owne wants to other mens perfections Your iudiciall eye must model forth what my pen hath layd together much would shee say to a King much would I say to a Countesse but that the method of my Epistle must conclude the modestie of hers which I wish may recommend my euer vowed seruice to your Honour Michaell Drayton The Epistle of Rosamond to King Henry the second The Argument Henry the second of that name King of England the son of Geffrey Plantaginet Earle of Anlow and Mawd the Empresse hauing by long sute and Princely gifts won to his vnlawfull desire faire Rosamond the daughter of the Lord Walter Clyfford and to auoyde the danger of Ellinor his iealous Queene had caused a Labyrinth to be made within his Pallace at Woodstocke in the centre wherof he had lodged his beauteous paramour Whilest the king is absent in his warres in Normandie this poore distressed Lady inclosed in this solitary place toucht with remorce of conscience writes to the king of her distresse and miserable estate vrging him by all meanes and perswasions to cleere himselfe of this infamie and her of the griefe of minde by taking away her wretched life IF yet thine eies great Henry may endure These tainted lines drawne with a hand impure Which fain would blush but feare keeps blushes back And therefore suted in dispairing black This in loues name O that these lips might craue But that sweete name vile I prophaned haue Punish my fault or pittie mine estate Reade 〈◊〉 for loue if not for loue for hate If with my shame thine eies thou faine wouldst feed Heere let them suâ—feit on my shame to reede This scribled paper which 〈◊〉 send to thee If noted rightly doth resemble mee As this pure ground whereon thâ—se letters stand So pure was I erâ—stained by thy hand Ere I was blotted with this foule offence So cleere and spotlesse was mine innocence Now like these marks which taint this hatefull scroule Such the blacke sinnes which spot my lâ—prous soule O Henry why by losse thus shouldst thou win To get by conquest to enrich with sinne Why on my name this slaunder doost thou bring To make my fault renowmed by a King Fame neuer stoopes to things but meane and poore The more our greatnes makes our fault the more Lights on the ground themselues doe lessâ—n farre But in the ayre each small sparke seemes a starre Why on a womans frailtie wouldst thou lay This subtile plot mine honour to betray Or thy vnlawfull pleasure shouldst thou buy With vile expence of kingly maiesâ—ie T' was not my minde consented to this ill Then had I beene transported by my will For what my body was inforcde to doe Heauen knowes my soule did not consent vnto For through mine eyes had she her liking seene Such
killing me each howre Onely to shew her beauties soueraigne powre Sonnet 51. CAlling minde since first my loue begunne Th'incertaine times oft varying in their course How things still vnexpectedly haue runne As please the fates by their resistlesse force Lastly mine eyes amazedly haue seene Essex great fall Tyroue his peace to gaine The quiet end of that long-liuing Queene This Kings faire entrance and our peace with Spaine We and the Dutch at length our selues to seuer Thus the world doth and euermore shall reele Yet to my goddesse am I constant euer How ere blind fortune turne her giddie wheele Though heauen earth proue both to me vntrue Yet am I still inuiolate to you An alusion to Dedalus and Icarus Sonnet 52. MY heart imprisoned in a hopelesse I le Peopled with Armies of pale jealous eyes The shores beset with thousand secret spies Must passe by ayre or else die in exile He framde him wings with feathers of his thought Which by their nature learnd to mount the skie And with the same he practised to flie Till he himselfe this Eagles Art had taught Thus soaring still not looking once below So neere thine eyes celestiall sunne aspired That with the raies his wafting pineons fired Thus was the wanton cause of his owne woe Downe fell he in thy beauties Ocean drenched Yet there he burnes in fire that 's neuer quenched Another to the Riuer Ankor Sonnet 53. CLeere Ankor on whose siluer-sanded shore My soule-shrin'd saint my faire Idea lies O blessed brooke whose milke-white swans adore That cristall streame refined by her eyes Where sweet mirth-breathing Zephire in the spring Gently distills his Nectar-dropping showers Where Nightingales in Arden sit and sing Amongst the daintie dew-impearled flowers Say thus faire Brooke when thou shalt see thy Queene Loe heere thy sheep heard spent his wandring yeeres And in these shades deere Nimph he oft hath beene And heere to thee he sacrifizde his teares Faire Arden thou my Tempe art alone And thou sweete Ankor art my Helicon Sonnet 54. YEt reade at last the story of my woe The drery abstracts of my endlesse cares With my like sorrow enterlined so Smokde with my sighes and blotted with my teares The sad memorialls of my miseries Pendâ—n the griefe of mine afflicted ghost My lifes complaint in dolefull Elegies With so pure loue as time could neuer boast Receiue the incence which I offer heere By my strong faith ascending to thy fame My zeale my hope my vowes my praise my praier My soules oblations to thy sacred name Which name my Muse to highest heauen shal raise By chaste desire true loue and vertues praise Sonnet 55. MY Faire if thou wilt register my loue More then worlds volumes shall thereof arise Preserue my teares and thou thy selfe shalt proue A second flood downe raining from mine eyes Note but my sighes and thine eyes shall behold The sun-beames smothered with immortall smoke And if by thee my praiers may be enrold They heauen and earth to pittie shall prouoke Looke thou into my breast and thou shalt see Chaste holy vowes for my soules sacrifice That soule sweete Maide which so hath honored thee Erecting Trophies to thy sacred eyes Those eyes to my hart shining euer bright When darkenes hath obscurde each other light An allusion to the Aeglâ—ts Sonnet 56. MY thoughts bred vp with Eagle-birds of loue And for their vertues I desirde to know Vpon the neast I set them forth to proue If they were of the Eagles kinde or no. But they no sooner sawe my sunne appeare But on her raies with gazing eyes they stoode Which proou'd my birds delighted in the aire And that they came of this rare kingly broode But now their plumes full summde with sweete desire To shew their kinde beganne to clime the skies Doe what I could my Eglets would aspire Strait mounting vp to thy celestiall eies And thus my Faire my thoughts away be flowne And from my breast into thine eies be gone Sonnet 57. YOu best discern'd of my interior eies And yet your graces outwardly diuine Whose deare remembrance in my bosome lies Too rich a relique for so poore a shrine You in whome Nature chose herselfe to view When she her owne perfection would admire Bestowing all her excellence on you At whose pure eies Loue lights his halowed fire Euen as a man that in some traunce hath seene More than his wondring vttrance can vnfolde That rapt in spirite in better worlds hath beene So must your praise distractedly be tolde Most of all short when I should shew you most In your perfections altogether lost Sonnet 58. IN former times such as had store of coyne In warres at home or when for conquests bound For feare that some their treasures should purloyne Gaue it to keepe to spirites within the ground And to attend it them so strongly tide Till they return'd home when they neuer came Such as by art to get the same haue tride From the strong spirite by no means get the same Neerer you come that further flies away Striuing to holde it strongly in the deepe Euen as this spirit so she alone doth play With those rich Beauties heauen giues her to keepe Pitty so left to coldenes of her blood Not to auaile her nor doe others good To Prouerb Sonnet 59. AS Loue and I late harbourde in one Inne With Proueths thus each other entertaine In loue there is no lacke thus I beginne Faire wordes makes fooles replieth he againe That spares to speake doth spare to speede quoth I As well saith he too forward as too slowe Fortune assistes the boldest I reply A hastie man quoth he ne're wanted woe Labour is light where loue quoth I doth pay Saith he light burthens heauy if farre borne Quoth I the maine lost cast the by away You haue spunne a faire thred he replies in scorne And hauing thus a while each other thwarted Fooles as we met so fooles againe we parted Sonnet 60. DEfine my loue and tell the ioyes of heauen Expresse my woes and shew the paines of hell Declare what fate vnluckie starres haue giuen And aske a world vpon my life to dwell Make knowne that faith vnkindnes could not moue Compare my worth with others base desart Let vertue be the tuch-stone of my loue So may the heauens reade wonders in my hart Beholde the cloudes which haue eclipsde my sunne And view the crosses which my course doth let Tell me if euer since the world begunne So faire a rising had so foule a set And by all meanes let foule vnkindnes proue And shew a second to so pure a loue Sonnet 61. WHen first I ended then I first beganne The more I trauell further from my rest Where most I lost there most of all I wanne Pined with hunger rising from a feast Me thinkes I flee yet want I legs to goe Wise in conceit in act a very sot Rauisht with ioy amidst a hell of woe What most I seeme that surest am I
not rules a Nation Onely the surfet of a vaine opinion What giues content giues what exceedes dominion When first mine eares were pierced with the fame Of Iane proclaimed by a Princesse name A suddaine fright my trembling heart appalls The feare of conscience entreth yron walls Thrice happy for our fathers had it beene If what we fearde they wisely had fore-seene And kept a meane gate in an humble path To haue escapde the heauens impetuous wrath The true-bred Eagle strongly beares the winde And not each bird that 's neere vnto their kinde That like a King doth from the clowdes command The fearefull fowle that moues but neere the Land Though Mary be from mighty Kings descended My blood not from Plantaginet pretended My gransire Brandon did our house aduance By princely Mary Dowager of France The fruit of that faire stocke which did combine And Yorkes sweete branch with Lancasters entwine And in one stalke did happily vnite The pure vermilion Rose with purer white I the vntimely slip of that rich stem Whose golden bud brings forth a Diadem But oh forgiue me Lord it is not I Nor do I boast of this but learne to die Whilst we were as our selues conioyned then Nature to nature now an alien The purest blood polluted is in blood Neerenes contemn'd if soueraignty withstood A Diadem once dazeling the eye The day too darke to see affinitie And where the arme is stretch'd to reach a Crowne Friendship is broke the deerest thing throwne downe For what great Henry most stroue to auoide The heauens haue built where earth would haue destroide And seating Edward on his regall throne He giues to Mary all that was his owne By death assuring what by life is theirs The lawfull claime of Henries lawfull heâ—res By mortall lawes the bound may be diuorc'd But heauens decree by no meanes can be forc'd That rules the case when men haue all decreed Who tooke him hence fore-saw who should succeed For we in vaine relie on humaine lawes WheÌ„ heauen stands forth to plead the righteous cause Thus rule the heauens in their continuall course That yeeldes to fate that doth not yeelde to force Mans wit doth build for time but to deuoure But vertue 's free from time and fortunes powre Then my kinde Lord sweete Gilford be not grieu'd The soule is heauenly and from heauen relieu'd And as we once haue plighted troth together Now let vs make exchange of mindes to either To thy faire breast take my resolued minde Armde against blacke dispaire and all her kinde And to my bosome breathe that soule of thine There to be made as perfect as is mine So shall our faith as firmely be approued As I of thee or thou of me beloued This life no life were thou not deere to mee Nor this no death were I not woe for thee Thou my deere husband and my Lord before But truely learne to die thou shalt be more Now liue by prayer on heauen fixe all thy thought And surely finde what e're by zeale is sought For each good motion that the soule awakes A heauenly figure sees from whence it takes That sweete resemblance which by power of kinde Formes like it selfe an image in the minde And in our faith the operations bee Of that diuinenesse which through that we see Which neuer erres but accidentally By our fraile fleshes imbecillitie By each temptation ouer-apt to slide Except our spirit becomes our bodies guide For as these Towers our bodies do inclose Their prisons so vnto our soules suppose Our bodies stopping that celestiall light As these do hinder our exterior sight Whereon death seasing doth discharge the debt And vs at blessed liberty doth set Then draw thy forces all vnto thy heart The strongest fortresse of this earthly part And on these three let thy assurance lie On faith repentance and humilitie By which to heauen ascending by degrees Persist in prayer vpon your bended knees Whereon if you assuredly be staide You neede in perill not to be distnaide Which still shall keepe you that you shall not fall For any perill that you can appall The key of heauen thus willâ— you you shall beare And grace you guiding giue you entrance there And you of those celestiall ioyes possesse Which mortal tongue 's vnable to expresse Then thanke the heauen preparing vs this roome Crowning our heads with glorious martiredome Before the blacke and dismall daies beginne The daies of all idolatry and sinne Not suffering vs to see that wicked age When persecution vehemently shall rage When tyranny nâ—w tortures shall inuent Inflicting vengeance on the innocent Yet heauen forbids that Maries wombe shall bring Englands faire Scepter to a forraigne King But vnto faire Elizabeth shall leaue it Which broken hurt and wounded shall receiue it And on her temples hauing placde the Crowne Roote out the dregs Idolatry hath sowne And Syons glory shall againe restore Laid ruine waste and desolate before And from blacke sinders and rude heapes of stones Shall gather vp the Martires sacred bones And shall extirpe the power of Rome againe And cast aside the heauie yoke of Spaine Farewell sweete Gilford know our end is neere Heauen is our home we are but strangers heere Let vs make haste to goe vnto the blest Which from these weary worldly labours rest And with these lines my deerest Lord I greete thee Vntill in heauen thy Iane againe shall meet thee ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie They which begâ—t vs did beget this siâ—ne SHewing the ambition of the two Dukes their Fathers whose pride was the cause of the vtter ouerthrow of their children At Durham Pallace where sweete Hymen sang The buildings c. The Lord Gilford Dudley fourth sonne to Iohn Dudley Duke of Northumberland married the Lady Iane Grey daughter to the Duke of Suffolke at Durham house in the Strand When first mine eares were pierced with the fame Of Iane proclaimed by a princes name Presently vpon the death of King Edward the Lady Iane was taken as Queene conueyed by water to the Tower of London for her safetie and after proclaimed in diuers parts of the realme as so ordained by king Edwards Letters-pattents and his will My Grandsire Brandon did our house aduaunce By princely Mary dowager of Fraunce Henry Gray duke of Suffolk married Frauncis the eldest daughter of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke by the French Queene by which Frauncis he had this Lady Iane this Mary the French Queene was daughter to king Henry the seuenth by Elizabeth his Queene which happie mariage conioyned the two noble families of Lancaster and Yorke For what great Henry most stroue to auoyde Noting the distrust that King Henry the eight euer had in the Princesse Mary his daughter fearing she should alter the state of Religion in the land by matching with a stranger confessing the right that King Henries issue had to the Crowne And vnto faire Elizabeth shall leaue it A prophecie of Queene Maries barrennesse and of the happie and
not I build my hopes a world aboue the skie Yet with the Mole I creepe into the earth In plenty am I â—â—aru'd with penurie And yet I surffet in the greatest dearth I haue I want dispaire and yet desire Burn'd in a sea of ice and drown'd amidst a fire Sonnet 62. TRuce gentle Loue a parlee now I craue Me thinks t is long since first these warres begun Nor thou nor I the better yet can haue Bad is the match where neither party wonne I offer free conditions of faire peace My heart for hostage that it shall remaine Discharge our forces heere let malice cease So for my pledge thou giue me pledge againe Or if nothing but death will serue thy turne Still thirsting for subuersion of my state Doe what thou canst raze massacre and burne Let the world see the vtmost of thy hate I send defiance since if ouerthrowne Thou vanquishing the conquest is mine owne Certaine other Sonnets to great and worthy Personages To the high and mightie Prince Iames king of Scots Sonnet 61. NOt thy graue Counsells nor thy subiects loue Nor all that famous Scottish royaltie Or what thy soueraigne greatnes may approue Others in vaine doe but historifie When thine owne glory from thy selfe doth spring As though thou didst all meaner praises scornee Of Kings a Poet and the Poets King They Princes but thou Prophets doost adorne Whilst others by their Empires are renown'd Thou doost enrich thy Scotland with renowne And Kings can but with diadems be crown'd But with thy laurell thou doost crowne thy Crowne That they whose pens euen life to Kings do giue In thee a King shall seeke themselues to liue To Lucy Countesse of Bedford Son 61. GReat Lady essence of my chiefest good Of the most pure and finest tempred spirit Adorn'd with gifts ennobled by thy blood Which by descent true vertue doost inherit That vertue which no fortune can depriue Which thou by birth tak'st from thy gratious mother Whose royall mindes with equall motion striue Which most in honour shall excell the other Vnto thy fame my Muse herselfe shall taske Which rainst vpon me thy sweete golden showers And but thy selfe no subiect will I aske Vpon whose praise my soule shall spend her powers Sweet Lady yet grace this poore Muse of mine whose faith whose zeal whose life whose al is thine To the Lady Anne Harington Sonnet 62. MAdam my words cannot expresse my minde My zealous kindnes to make knowne to you When your deserts all seuerally I finde In this attempt of me do craue their due Your gratious kindenes first doth claime my hart Your bounty bids my hand to make it knowne Of me your vertues each doe challenge part And leaue me thus the least that is mine owne What should commend your modesty and wit Is by your wit and modesty commended And standeth dumbe in most admiring it And where it should begin is onely ended Returning this your praises onely due And to your selfe say you are onely you To the Lady L. S. Sonet 63. BRight starre of Beauty on whose cie-lids sit A thousand Nymph-like and enamoured graces The goddesses of memorie and wit which in due order take their seuerall places In whose deere bosome sweete delicious loue Layes downe his quiuer that he once did beare Since he that blessed Paradice did proue Forsooke his mothers lap to sport him there Let others striue to entertaine with wordes My soule is of another temper made I holde it vile that vulgar wit affords Deuouring time my faith shall not inuade Still let my praise be honoured thus by you Be you most worthie whilst I be most true To sir Anthonie Cooke Sonet 64. VOuchsafe to grace these rude vnpollisht rimes Which but for you had slept in sable night And come abroade now in these glorious times Can hardly brooke the purenes of the light But sith you see their destenie is such That in the world their fortune they must try Perhaps they better shall abide the tuch Wearing your name their gracious liuerie Yet these mine owne I wrong not other men Nor traffike further then this happy clime Nor filch from Portes not from Petrarchs pen A fault too common in this latter time Diuine sir Philip I auouch thy writ I am no picke-purse of anothers wit Finis The Legend of Robert Duke of Normandie WHat time soft night had silently begunne To steale by minutes on the long-liu'd daies The furious dogge pursuing of the sunne Whose noysome breath addes feruor to his raies That to the earth sends many a sad disease Which then inflam'd with his intemprate fires Her selfe in light habiliments attires When the rathe morning newly but awake Scarse with fresh beautie burnished her browes Her selfe beholding in the generall Lake To which she paies her neuer-ceasing vowes With the new day me willingly to rowze Downe to faire Thames I softly tooke my way Where the milde windes continually do play Striuing to fancie his chaste breast to moue Whereas all pleasures plentifully flowe When him along the wanton tide doth â—houe And to keepe backe they easily doe blow Still meete him comming thinking him too slowe He forcing waues to checke their hote imbrace They fanning breath vpon his cristall face Still forward sallying from his bounteous â—ource Along the shores lasciuioâ—sly doth straine And often times retreating in his course As to his fountaine he would backe againe Or turnde to looke vpon his siluer 〈◊〉 With coy regards the goodly soile he greetes Till with faire Medway happily he meetes Steering my compasse by the wandring streame whose flight might teach me 〈…〉 es ne'r-turning howrs Delighted thus as in a pretty dreame Where pleasure wholly had possest my powres Yet looking backe on Londons c 〈…〉 g Towres So Troy thought I her stately head did reare Whose crazed ribs the furrowing plow doth eire Wearie at length a willow-tree I found Which on the banke of this great torrent stood Whose roote with rich grasse greatly did abound Forc'd by the moisture of the surging flood Ordain'd it seemde to sport her Nimphish brood Whose curled top denied the heauens great eye To view the stocke he was maintained by The Larke that learnes obseruance to the Sunne Quauers her cleere notes in the quiet ayre That on the riuers murmuring base doth runne And the pl 〈…〉 sde heauens their fairest liuery ware The place such pleasure gently doth prepare The flowers my scent the flood my taste to steepe Each sence thus sâ—ted 〈…〉 ed me asleepe When in a dreame it seemed vnto me Triumphall musicke from the flood arose As when the Soueraigne we embargde do see And by faire London for his pleasure rowes whose tender welcome the glad Cittie showes The people swarming thicke vpon the shores And the curlde water ouer-spread with oaâ—es A troupe of Nimphs came suddainely on land In the full end of this triumphall sound And me incompast taking hand in hand Casting themselues about me in a round And so downe set
from your functions night doth you disseuer Seclude me now from worldly ioyes for euer They sawe no Sunne nor did they view the day Except a candle they beheld no light Strong walles before those blessings kept away What could be feard ' they could not hurt the night For then teares wholy hindred them of sight O then from whence should Henries hate arise Though I sawe nothing that I should haue eies The wretchedst thing the most despisedst beast Enioyes that sence as generally as wee The very Gnat or what than that is least Of sight by nature kindely is made free What thing hath mouth to feede but eies to see O that a tyrant then should me deprane Of that which else all liuing creatures haue Whilst yet the light did mittigate my moane Teares found a meane to sound my sorrowes deepe But now ay me that comfort being gone By wanting eies wherewith I erst did weepe My cares alas concealed I must keepe O God that blindenesse stealing my delight Should aboue all things giue my sorrow sight Where sometime stoode the beauties of this face Those lampes once lighted with the vestall flame Is now a dungeon a distressed place A harbour fit for infamy and shame Which but with horrour none can scarcely name Out of whose darke grates misery and griefe Starued for vengeance daily beg reliefe The day abhorres me and me still doth flie Night still me followes yet too long doth stay This neuer comes though it be euer nie And this in comming vanisheth away What now me booteth either night or day All 's one stil day or be it euer night Sith one to me the darkenesse and the light You wherewith once my comforts I did view Th'alcouering heauen and glory that it beares No more the same shall e're be seene of you That happy sight that euery mortall cheares No more to me for euer nowe appeares Betake you selues vnto your darkesome cell And bid the world eternally farewell His speech thus ending Fortune discontent Turning herselfe as she away would flie Playing with babes and fooles incontinent As neuer tutch'd with humane miserie As what she was herselfe to verifie And strait forgetting what she had to tell To other speech and girlâ—sh laughter fell When gracefull Fame conueying thence her charge With all these troupes that did to her resort Gaue me this booke wherein was writ at large His life set out in admirable sort T' amaze the world with this so true report But Fortune angry with her foe therefore Gaue me this gift that I should still be pore FINIS The Legend of Matilda IF yet a Muse there happily remaine That is by truth so diligently taught As vninstructed wantonly to faine Declareth but what modestlie she ought If this be such which I so long haue sought I craue by her my life may be reuealde By blacke obliuion enuiously concealde Oh if such fauour I might hope to finde Heere in this world yet once to liue agen As I yet lastly might expresse my minde By the endeuour of a powrefull pen In all my sorrowes happy were I then Three hundreth yeares by all men ouer-past Finding one friend to pitty me at last O you of him so happily elect Whom I intreat to prosecute my story Lady most deere most worthy all respect The worlds best jewell and your sexes glory It shall suffice me be Idea sory Reading my Legend sadly in his verse Which now alone must serue me for a herâ—◠〈◊〉 you the patterne by whose perfect view Like your faire selfe he wisely may me make For sure aliue none fitter is then you Whose forme vnspotted chastitie may take Be you propitious for whose onely sake For me I know hee 'le gladly do his best So you and I may equally be blest Bright Rosamond so highly that is graced Inroled in the register of same That in our saincted kalender is placed By him who striues to stellifie her name Yet will the modest say she was too blame Though full of state and pleasing be his rime Yet can his skill not expiate her crime The wife of Shore winnes generall applause Finding a pen laborious in her praise â—lstrâ—d reuiu'd to pleade her pittied cause After the enuie of so many daies Happie 's the man their glories high'st can raise Thus the loose wanton liked is of many Vice shall finde friends but vertue seldome any To vaunt of my Nobilitie were vaine Which were I know not bettered by the best Nor should beseeme an honourable straine And me a maiden fits not of the rest Nor worldly titles fondly will suggest A vertuous life I meane to boast alone Our birth our syres our vertues be our owne T' is shame to fetch our long descent from Kings If from the gods deriued thou shouldst be The old atchieuements of those wondrous things Which thou thy selfe then liuedst not to see What be their acts materiall vnto thee Staining that blood and honour that was theirs Which could not leaue their vertues to their heires Heauen powr'd downe more abundance on my birth Then it before had vsually bestow'd And was in me so bountifull to earth As though the fulnesse meaning to haue show'd On me it so immeasurably flow'd That such a shape with such a spirit inspir'd Did of the wisest make me most desir'd Vpon my brow sate Beautie in her pride Vnto the world as ministring her law And vnto all such riches did diuide As vnto her all generally did draw And yet mine eye did keepe them so in awe As that which onely could true vertues measure Ordainde by Nature to preserue her treasure My carrige such as might content the wise My speech such comely decenâ—â—e retaine As of the yonger was not deemde precise Nor of the aged was accounted vaine So well instructed to obserue the meane So well compact and natiue was cach good That did coherâ— with temper of my blood Nature in me did such perfections vary As that the least allow'd not of compare And yet so well did teach me them to carry That then themselues did make them seeme more rare As in my portion suffering none to share In her faire grace by placing me so hie That there should sit the darling of the skie When Fame beganne my beauty first to blaze That soone became too lauish of the same Hauing her trumpet laden with my praise That euery place was filled with my name For which report thou too much wert too blame But vnto thee is beautie subiect still Which I may say is causer of our ill This jealous monster hath a thousand eyes Her ayrie body hath as many wings Now about earth now vp to heauen she flies And heere and there with euery breath she flings Euen from the deepe her messages she brings Nothing so secret but to her appeareth As apt to credite euery thing she heareth And Princes eares as open to report As skill in blazing beauty to a King Subiect vnto the censure of the Court From
O nurse not factions flowing in excesse That with thy members shouldst their griefe condole In thee rests power this outrage to represse Which might thy zeale and sanctitie enrole Come thou in purenesse meekely with the word Lay not thy hand to the vnhalowed sword 7 Blood-thirsting warre arising first from hell And in progression seizing on this I le Where it before neere forty yeeres did dwell And with pollution horribly defile By which so many a woorthy English fell By our first Edward banished awhile Transferd by Fortune to the Scottish meare To ransacke that as it had rauinde heere 8 Where hovering still with inauspicious wings About the verge of these distempered climes Returning now new errour hether brings To stirre vs vp to these disastrous crimes Weakeneth our power by oft diminishings And taking holde on these vnsetled times Forcing our frailty sensually at length Crackt the stiffe nerves that knit our antient strength 9 Whose frightfull vision at the first approach With violent madnes strooke that desperate age So many sundry miseries abroach Giuing full speed to their vnbrideled rage That did our antient libertie encroach And in these strong conspiracies ingage The worthiest blood the subiects losse to bring By innaturall wrongs vnto their naturall king 10 When in the North whilst horror yet was yoong These dangerous seasons swiftly comming on Whilst o're our heads portentious meteors hung And in the skies sterne Comets brightly shone Prodigious births oft intermixt among Such as before to times had beene vnknowne In bloody issues forth the earth doth breake Weeping for vs whose woes it could not speake 11 When by the rankenes of contagious aire A mortall plague inuadeth man and beast Which soone disperst and raging every where In doubt the same too quickely should have ceast More to confirme the certaintie of feare By cruell famine haplesly enereast As though the heauens in their remisfull doome Tooke those best lou'd from worâ—er daies to come 12 The leuell course that we propose to goe Now to th' intent you may more plainely see And that we euery circumstance may show The state of things and truely what they be And with what skill or proiect we bestow As our accurrents happen in degree From these portents we now diuert our view To bring to birth the horrors that ensue 13 The calling backe of banisht Gaueston Gainst which the Barrons were to Longshanks sworne That insolent lascivious Minion A Soueraignes blemish and a countries scorne The signiories and great promotion Him in his lawlesse courses to suborne Stirres vp that hatefull and outragious strife That cost ere long so many an English life 14 O worthy Laâ—y hadst thou sparde that breath Which shortly after Nature thee denide To Lancaster deliuered at thy death To whom thy onely daughter was affide That this sterne warre too quickely publisheth To ayde the Barrons gainst that Minions pride Thy Earledomes lands and titles of renowne Had not so soone returnd vnto the Crowne 15 The Lordships Bruse vnto the Spensers past Crossing the Barrons vehement desire As from Ioues hand that fearefull lightning cast When fifty townes lay spent in enuious fire Alas too vaine and prodigall a waste The strong effect of their conceived ire Vrging the weake King with a violent hand T' abiure those false Lordes from the troubled land 16 When the faire Queene that progressing in Kent Lastly denide her entrance into Leedes Whom Badlesmere vnkindly dooth preuent Who gainst his Soueraigne in this course proceedes As adding further to this discontent One of the springs which this great mischiefe feedes Heaping on rage and horror more and more To thrust on that which went too fast before 17 Which more and more a kingly rage increast Moou'd with the wrongs of Gaueston disgraded Which had so long beene setled in his breast That all his powers it wholy had inuaded Giuing the Spensers an assured rest By whom his reasons chiefly are perswaded By whose lewd counsells he is onely led To leaue his true Queene and his lawfull bed 18 That now herselfe who while she stood in grace Applied her powers these discords to appease When yet confusion had not fully place Nor former times so dangerous as these A party now in theyr afflicted case A willing hand to his destruction layes That time whose soft palme heals the wound of war May cure the soare but neuer close the scar 19 In all this heate his greatnes first began The serious subiect of our sadder vaine Braue Mortimer that euer-matchlesse man Of the old Heroes great and God-like straine For whom invention dooing best it can His weight of honour hardly can sustaine Bearing his name immortaliz'd and hie When he in earth vnnumbred times shall lie 20 That vncle now whose name this Nephew bare The onely comfort of the wofull Queene Who from his cradle held him as his care In whom the hope of that great name was seene For this young Lord now wisely doth prepare Whilst yet this deepe hart-goaring wound is greene And on this faire aduantage firmely wrought To place him highly in her princely thought 21 At whose deliberate and vnusuall byrth The heauens were said to counsell to retire And in aspects of happinesse and mirth Breath'd him a spirit insatiatly t' aspire That tooke no mixture of the ponderous earth But all comprest of cleere ascending fire So well made vp that such an one as he Ioue in a man like Mortimer would be 22 The temper of that nobler moouing part With such rare purenesse rectified his blood Raising the powers of his resolued hart Too prowd to be lockt vp within a flood That no misfortune possibly could thwart Which from the natiue greatnesse where it stood Euen by the vertue of a piercing eye Shew'd that his pitch was boundlesse as the sky 23 Worthy the grand-child of so great a Lord Who whilst first Edward fortunately raign'd Reedified great Arthurs auncient boord The seate at goodly Kennelworth ordain'd The order of old Knighthood there restor'd To which a hundreth duely appertain'd With all the grace and beauties of a Court As best became that braue and martiall sport 24 The hart-swolne Lords with furie set on fire Whom Edwards wrongs to vengeance still prouoke With Lancaster and Hartfoord now conspire No more to beare the Spensers seruile yoke And thus whilst all a mutuall change desire The ancient bonds of their allegeance broke Resolu'd with blood their libertie to buy And in this quarrell vow'd to liue and dye 25 What priuiledge hath our free birth say they Or in our blood what vertue doth remaine To each lasciuious Minion made a pray That vs and our nobilitie disdaine Whilst they tryumphing boast of our decay Either those spirits we do not now retaine That were our fathers or by fate we fall Both from their greatnes liberty and all 26 Honour deiected from that soueraigne state From whence at first it challenged a being Now prostitute to infamy and hate As with it selfe in
the subuersion of so many foes The murther of the miserable King And that which came as Epilogue to all Lastly his fearefull and so violent fall 67 Which to their hope giues time for further breath As the first pawse in this their great affaire That yet awhile deferr'd this threatning death Trusting this breach by leysure to repaire And heere a while this furie limetteth Whilst in this manner things so strangely fare Horror beyond the wonted bounds doth swell As the next Canto dreadfully shal tell The end of the first Canto ⧠The second Booke of the Barrons warres The Argument At Burton-bridge the puissant armies meâ— The forme and order of the doubtfull fight Whereas the King the victory doth get And the prowd Barrons lastly forcde to flight How they againe towardes Burrough forward set Where then the Lords are vanquished outright Lastly the lawes doe execute their power On those the sword before did not deuoure 1 THis chance of warre that dreadfully had swept So large a share from their full-reckned might Which their prowd hopes so carefully had kept Whilst yet their state stoode equally vpright That could at first so closely intercept That should haue seru'd them for a glorious fight Musters supplies of footemen and of horse To giue a new strength to their ruinde force 2 Th'inueterate griefe so deepe and firmely rooted Yet slightly curde by this short strengthelesse peace To assay t'remoue since it but vainely booted That did with each distemprature increase And being by euery offerd cause promooted Th' effect too firmely setled to surcease When each euasion sunday passions brought Strange formes of feare in euery troubled thought 3 And put in action for this publique cause Whilst euery one a party firmely stoode Taxt by the letter of the censuring lawes In the sharpe tainder of his honoured blood And he that 's free'st entangled by some clause Which to this mischiefe giues continuall food For where confusion gets so strongly hold Till all consumde can hardly be controlde 4 Where now by night euen when pale leaden sleepe Vpon their eie-lids heauily did dwell And step by step on euery sence did creepe Mischiefe that blacke inhabitant of hell Which neuer failes continuall watch to keepe Fearefull to thinke a horred thing to tell Entred the place where now these warlike Lordes Lay maild in armour girt with irefull swords 5 Mischiefe with sharpe sight and a meager looke And alwaies prying where she may do ill In which the fiend continuall pleasure tooke Her starued body Plenty could not fill Searching in euery corner euery nooke With winged feete too swift to worke her will Hung full of deadly instruments she went Of euery sort to hurt where ere she meant 6 And with a viall fild with banefull wrath Brought from Cocytus by this cursed spright Which in her blacke hand readily she hath And drops the poison vpon euery wight For to each one she knew the readie path Now in the midst and dead-time of the night Whose enuious force inuadeth euery Peere Striking with furie and impulsiue feare 7 The weeping morning breaking in the East When with a troubled and affrighted mind Each whom this venom lately did infest The strong effect soone inwardly do find And lately troubled by vnquiet rest To sad destruction euery one inclind Rumours of spoile through euery eare doth flye And fury sits in eu'ry threatning eye 8 This doone in haste vnto King Edward hies Which now growne proude vpon his faire successe The time in feasts and wantonnesse implies With crowned cups his sorrowes to redresse That on his fortune wholy now relies And in the bosome of his Courtly presse Vaunting the glory of this late wonne day Whilst the sick Land with sorrow pines away 9 Thether she comes and in a Minions shape Shee creepeth neere the person of the King Warm'd with the verdure of the swelling grape In which she poyson secretly doth wring Not the least drop vntaynted doth escape To which intent she all her store did bring Whose rich commixtuâ—e making it more strong Fills his hote veines with arrogance and wrong 10 And hauing both such courage and such might As to so great a businesse did belong Neuer considering their pretended right Should be inducement to a trebled wrong When misty error so deludes their sight Which still betwixt them and cleere reason hong By which opinion falsly was abusde As left all out of order all confusde 11 Now our Minerua tells of dreadfull Armes Inforc'd to sing of worse then ciuill warres Of Ambuscades stratagems alarmes Vnkind discentions fearfull massacars Of gloomy magiques and benumming charmes Fresh-bleeding wounds and neuer-healed skarrs And for the sock wherein she vsde to tread Marching in greaues a helmet on her head 12 Whilst hate and griefe their weakned sence delude The Barrons draw their forces to a head Whome Edward spur'd with vengeance still pursude By Lancaster and noble Herford led This long proceeding lastly to conclude Whilst now to meet both Armies freshly sped To Burton both incamping for the day With expectation for a glorious pray 13 Vpon the East from Needwoods bushy side There riseth vp an easie clyming hill At whose faire foote the siluer Trent doth glide With a deep murmure permanent and still With liberall storâ— of many Brooks supplide Th'â—nâ—atiate Meades continually doe fill Vpon whose streame a bridge of wondrous streÌ„gth Doth stretch it selfe in forty arches length 14 Vppon this Mount the Kings pauillion fixt And in the towne the foe intrench'd in sight When now the flood is risen so betwixt That yet a while prolong'd th'unturall fight With tributarie waters intermixt To stay the furie dooing all it might Things which presage both good and ill there bee Which heauen fore-shewes but mortals cannot see 15 The heauen euen mourning o're our heads doth sit As greeu'd to see the time so out of course Looking on them who neuer looke at it And in meere pittie melting with remorce Longer from teares that cannot stay a whit Whose confluence on euery lower sourse From the swolne fluxure of the clowdes doth shake A ranke Impostume vpon euery lake 16 O warlike Nation hold thy conquering hand Euen sencelesse things admonish thee to pawse That Mother soyle on whom thou yet doost stand That would restraine thee by all naturall lawes Canst thou vnkinde inuiolate that band When even the earth is angry with the cause Yet stay thy foote in mischiefes vglie gate Ill comes too soone repentance still too late 17 And can the clowdes weepe ouer thy decay And not one drop fall from thy droughtie eyes See'st thou the snare and wilt not shun the way Nor yet be warn'd by passed miseries T' is yet but early in this fatall day Let late experience learne thee to be wise Mischiefe foreseene may easly be preuented But hap'd vnhelp'd though nere enough lamented 18 Cannot the Scot of your late slaughter boast And are you yet scarce healed of the sore I' st not enough you
haue alreadie lost But your owne madnesse needsly make it more Will you seeke safety in a forraine Coast Your wiues and children pittied you before But when your own blood your own swords imbrue Who pitties them which once did pittie you 19 The neighbouring groues dispoiled of their trees For boates and timber to assay this flood Where men are laboring as the Summer bee Some hollowing truncks som binding heaps of wood Some on their breasts some working on their knees To winne the bancke whereon the Barrons stood Which o're this current they by strength must tew To shed that blood that many ages rew 20 Some sharpen swords some on their Murrians set The Greaues and pouldrons others riuet fast The archers now their bearded arrowes whet Whilst euery where the clamerous Drums are bra'st Some taking view where surest ground to get And euery one advantage doth fore-cast In ranks and fyles each plaine and meadow swarmes As though the land were clad in angry Armes 21 The crests and honours of the English name Against their owne opposed rudely stand As angry with th'atchieuements whence they came That to their vertues gaue the generous brand O you vnworthy of your ancient fame Against your selues to lift your conqu'ring hand Since forraine swords your height could not abate By your owne powre your selues to ruinate 22 Vpon his surcoate valiant Neuell bore A siluer saltoyre grac'd on martiall red A Ladies sleeue hie-spirited Hastings wore Ferrer his Taberd with rich verry spred Wel knowne in many a warlike match before A Rauen sate on Corbets warlike head Cou'ring his Helmet Culpepper inrayld On maiden Armes a bloodie bend engrayld 23 The noble Percy in this furious day With a bright Cressant in his guide-home came In his faire Cornet Verdoon dooth display A Geuly fret priz'd in this mortall game That had beene taskt in many a doubtfull fray His launces pennons stained with the same The angry horse chafde with the stubborne bit The ruinous earth with rage and horror smit 24 I could the summe of Staffords arming show What colours Courtney Rosse and Warren holde Each sundry blazon I could let you know And all the glorious circumstance haue tolde What all the Ensignes standing in arow But wailing in a Muse ah me thou arte controlde When in remembrance of this horred deede My pen for inke euen drops of blood doth sheede 25 Th' imperiall standard in this place is pitcht With all the hatchments of the English crowne Great Lancaster with all his power enricht Sets the same Leopards in his Colours downe O if with furie you be not bewitcht Haue but remembrance on your selfe you frowne A little note or difference is in all How can the same stand when the same dooth fall 26 Behold the Eagles Lyons Talbots Beares The badges of your famous ancestries And shall they now by their inglorious heires Stand thus oppos'd against their families More honoured markes no Christian nation weares Reliques vnworthie of their progenies Those beasts you beare do in their kindes agree O that than beasts more sauage men should bee 27 But whilst the king no course concluded yet In his directions variably doth houer See how misfortunes still her time can fit Such as were sent the Country to discouer As vp and downe from place to place they flit Had found a foord to land their forces ouer Ill newes hath wings and with the winde doth goe Comfort 's a Cripple and comes euer slow 28 When Edward fearing Lancasters supplies Prowd Richmond Surry and great Penbrooke sent On whose successe his chiefest hope relies Vnder whose conduct halfe his Army went The neerest way conducted by thespies And he himselfe and Edmond Earle of Kent Vpon the hill in sight of Burton lay Watching to take aduantage of the day 29 Stay Surry stay thou mai'st too soone be gone Pawse till this rage be somewhat ouer past Why runn'st thou thus to thy destruction Richmond and Penbrooke whither doe you haste You labour still to bring more horror on Neuer seeke sorrow for it comes too fast Why do you striue to passe this fatall flood To fetch new wounds and shed your natiue blood 30 Great Lancaster sheath vp thy angry sword On Edwards armes whose edge thou shouldst not whet Thy naturall kinsman and thy soueraigne Lord Are you not one both true Plantaginet Call but to mind thy once-engaged word Canst thou thy oath to Longshankes thus forget Consider well before all other things Our vowes be kept we make to Gods and Kings 31 The windes are hush'd no little breath doth blow Which seemes so still as though it listning stood With trampling crouds the verie earth doth bow And through the smoke the sunne appeares like blood What with the shout and with the dreadfull show The heirds and flockes runne bellowing to the wood When drums and trumpets giue the fearfull sound As they would shake the clowds vnto the ground 32 The Earles then charging with their power of horse Taking a signall when they should beginne Being in view of the imperiall force Which at the time assay'd the bridge to winne That now the Barrons change th' intended course T' auoide the danger they were lately in Which on the suddaine had they not fore-cast Of their blacke day this howre had beene the last 33 When from the hill the Kings maine power comes downe Which had Aquarius to their valiant guide Braue Lancaster and Herford from the towne Now issue forth vpon the other side Peere against peere the crowne against the crowne The one assailes the other munifide Englands red crosse vpon both sides doth flie Saint George the king S. George the Barrons crie 34 Like as an exhalation hote and dry Amongst the ayre-bred moistie vapors throwne Spetteth his lightning forth outragiously Rending the grosse clowdes with the thunder-stone Whose fierie splinters through the thin ayre flie That with the terror heauen and earth doth grone With the like clamor and confused woe To the dread shocke these desp'rate Armies goe 35 Now might you see the famous English Bowes So fortunate in times we did subdue Shoote their sharpe arrowes in the face of those which many a time victoriously them drew Shunning their aime as troubled in the loose The winged weapons mourning as they slew Cleaue to the string now in potent and slacke As to the Archers they would faine turne backe 36 Behold theremnant of Troyes auntient stocke Laying on blowes as Smiths on Anuils strike Grapling together in this fearefull shocke whereas the like incountreth with the like As firme and ruthlesse as th' obdurate Rocke Deadly opposed at the push of pike Still as the wings or battels brought together when Fortune yet giues vantage vnto neither 37 From battred caskes with euery enuious blow The scattred plumes flie loosly heere and there which in the ayre dooth seeme as drifts of snow which euery light breath on his wings dooth beare As they had sence and feeling of our woe And thus affrighted with
mortifie the patient by an houre The lifelesse coarse in such a slumber laide As though pale death did wholy it deuoure Nor for two dayes take benefite of eyes By all meanes Arte or Physicke could deuise 7 For which she Plantane and colde Lettice had The water Lilly from the marrish ground with the wanne Poppy and the Night-shade sad And the short mosse that on the trees is found The poysning Henbane and the Mandrake drad With Cypresse flowers that with the rest are pownd The braine of Cranes like purposely she takes Mixt with the blood of Dormise and of Snakes 8 Thus sits the great Enchauntresse in her Cell Strongly engiâ—t with ceremonious charmes Her cleansed body sensde with halowing smell With vestall fire her potent liquor warmes Hauing full heate vnto her busnes fell When her with Magicke instruments she armes And from the herbs the powrefull verdure wrong To make the medcine forcible and strong 9 The sundry doubts that incident arise Might be supposde her trembling hand to stay If she considred of the enterprise To thinke what perill in th'attempting lay The secret lurking of deceitfull spies That on her steps continually do pray But when they leaue off vertue to esteeme Those greatly erre which take them as they seeme 10 Their plighted faith for liberty they leaue Their loue is colde their lust hote hote their hate With smiles and teares they serpent-like deceaue In their desires they be insatiate There 's no restraint their purpose can bereaue Their will no bound nor their reuenge no date All feare exempt where they at ruine aime Couering their sinne with their discouered shame 11 The elder of the Mortimers this space That many sundry miseries had past So long restrainde within that healthlesse place Redeemde by death yet happily at last That much auailes the other in this case And from this Lord that imposition cast Which the deare safety of his vncles breath within the tower so strictly limiteth 12 Put there was more did on his death depend Than heauen was pleasde the foolish worlde shoulde know And why the Fates thus hasted on his end Thereby intending greater things to show Braue Lord in vaine thy breath thou didst not spend From thy corruption further matters grow And some beginning fruitfully to spring New formes of feare vpon the time to bring 13 All things preparde in readinesse and fit The Queene attends her potions powre to proue Their stedfast friends their best assisting it Their seruanâ—s seale their secrets vp in loue And he expresse his valure and his wit Whome of the rest it chiefly doth behoue Places resolu'd where guide and horses lay And where the ship him safely to conuay 14 As his large bounties liberally were heap't To all deseruing or to those that heede His solemne birth-dayes festiuall was kept At his free charge all in the Tower to feede which may suspition cleerely intercept A strong assistant in so great a neede VVhen midd'st their cates their furious thirst to quench Mixing their wine with this approoued drench 15 Which soone each sence and eu'ry power doth seize when he that knew the strength of euery warde And to the purpose sorting all his keyes His corded ladders readily preparde And lurking foorth by the most secret wayes Not now to learne his Compasse by the Carde To winne the walles couragiously doth goe which looke as scorning to be maistied so 16 They soundly sleepe whilst his quicke spirites awake Opposde to perill and the stern'st extreames Alcydes labours new to vndertake Of walls of gates of watches and of streames Through which his passage he is now to make And let them tell king Edward of their dreames For ere they rose out of the brainsicke fraunce He hopes to tell this noble jeast in Fraunce 17 The sullen night hath her blacke curtaines spred Lowring the day had tarried vp so long Whose faire eyes closing softly steales to bed When all the heauens with duskie clowdes are hung And Cynthia now pluckes in her horned head And to the West incontinently flung As she had long'd to certifie the sunne What in his absence in her Court was done 18 The glimmering lights like Sentinels in warre Behind the clowdes stand craftily to pry And through false loope-holes looking from afarre To see him skirmish with his desteny Not any fix'd nor any wandring starre As they had held a counsell in the skie And had before concluded with the night It should not looke for any cheerefull sight 19 In deadly silence all the shores are hush'd Onely the Skreech-howle sounds to the assault And Isis with a troubled murmure rush'd As if consenting and would hide the fault And as his foote the sand or grauell crush'd A little whisp'ring mou'd within the vault Made by the treading softly as he went Which seem'd to say it furthred his intent 20 This wondrous Queene whom care yet restlesse kept Now for his speede to heauen holds vp her hands A thousand strange thoughts in her bosome heap't As in her closet listning still she stands That many a sigh spent many a warme teare wept And though diuided as in sundry strands Most absent present in desires they bee Our mindes discerne where eyes do cease to see 21 The small clowdes issuing from his lips she saith Labouring so fast as he the ladder clame Should purge the ayre of pestilence and death And as sometime that filch'd Promethian flame Euen so the power and vertue of his breath New creatures in the elements should frame And to what part of heauen it happ'd to stray There should path out another milkie way 22 Attainde the top halfe spent a while to blow Now round about he casts his longing eyes The gentle earth salutes him from below And couered with the comfortable skies Viewing the way that he is now to goe Cheer'd with the beames of Isabels faire eyes Downe from the turret desperately doth slide Night be successefull fortune be his guide 23 With his descent her eye so still descends As feare had fix'd it to fore-warne his fall On whom her hope and fortune now depends When suddaine feare her sences doth appall For present aide her god-like hand extends Forgets herselfe and speedie aide doth call Silent againe if ought but good should hap She begs of heauen his graue may be her lap 24 Now she intreates the darke distempred ayre Then by strong Magicks she coniures the wind Then she inuokes the gloomie night by prayre Then with her spells the mortall sence to bind And fearing much lest these yet frustrate are Now by the burning tapers she diuin'd Intreating Thames to giue a friendly passe The deerest fraught ere on her bosome was 25 The rushing murmure stills her like a song But yet in feare the streame should fall in loue Suspects the drops that on his tresses hung And that the billowes for his beautie stroue To this faire body that so closely clong Which when in swimming with his breast he droue Palled with
37 And in despight and mockery of a Crowne A wreathe of grasse they for his temples make Which when he felt as comming from a swoune And that his powers a little gan awake Fortune quoth he thou doost not alwaies frowne I see thou giu'st aswell as thou doost take That wanting naturall couert for my braine For that defect thou lend'st me this againe 38 To whom O heauen should I my griefes complaine Since thou art iust and prouident in all How should this body naturall strength retaine To suffer things so much innaturall My cogitations labour but in vaine Except thou be partaker in my fall And when at once so many mischiefes meete By change of sorrow mak'st my torment sweete 39 Wherefore my fate I should but fondly grutch T is vaine contention when with heauen we striue Which preordaines my miseries for such That by one woe another should suruiue To shew how it mortalitie can tutch My wretchednesse so strangely to contriue That all my comfort in mishaps should rest And else in nothing but misfortune blest 40 To Berckley thus they led this wretched King The place of horror that was long fore-thought What power should suffer so defilde a thing Or can behold this murther to be wrought That might the Nation into question bring But that your waies with iudgement still are fraught Thus art thou hap'd into thy earthly hell Now take thy leaue and bid the world farewell 41 Berekley whose faire seate hath beene famous long Let thy faire buildings shreeke a deadly sound And to the ayre complaine thy greeuous wrong Keeping the figure of King Edwards wound That as thou waxest old their shame still yong Their wretched foote-steps printed on the ground That when report shall lend their vile act breath All tongues may adde damnation to their death 42 The omenous Rauen with a dismall cheere Through his hoarse beake of following horror tells Begetting strange imaginarie feare With heauie ecchoes like to passing-bells The howling dogge a dolefull part doth beare As though they chimde his latest burying knells Vnder his caue the buzzing shreech-owle sings Beating his windowes with her fatall wings 43 And still affrighted in his fearefull dreames With raging fiends and goblins that he meetes Of falling downe from steepe Rockes into streames Of toombes of burialls and of winding-sheetes Of wandring helpelesse in far forraigne Realmes Of strong temptations by seducing sprites Wherewith awakde and calling out for aide His hollow voyce doth make himselfe afraide 44 Next comes the vision of his bloody raine Masking along with Lancasters sterne ghost Of Barrons twenty eight or hangd or slaine Attended with the ruefull mangled host That vnreuengde yet all this while remaine At Borough battell and at Burton lost Threatning with frownes and trembling eu'ry lim As though in peeces they would torture him 45 And if it chance that from the troubled skies The least small starre through any chincke giue light Straitwaies on heapes the thronging cloudes arise As though the heauen were angry with the night That it should lend that comfort to his eies Deformed shadowes glimpsing in his sight As darkenes for it would more darkened be Through those poore crannies forâ—de it selfe to see 46 When all th'affliction that they could impose Euen to the full and vtmost of their hate Aboue his torment yet his strength arose As Nature made a couenant with Fate When now his watchfull and two wary foes That cease not still his woes to aggrauate All further helps suspected to preuent To take his life to Berckley closely sent 47 And subtilly a letter fashioning Which in the wordes a double sence doth beare Which seemes to bid them not to touch the King Shewing withall how vile a thing it were But by false poynting is another thing And to dispatch him bids them not to feare which taught to find these murderers need no more For which they stood too ready long before 48 Whereas he haps a Chronicle to find Of former kings their raignes their deaths and deedes which some their lodgde forgotten had behind On which to passe the houres he falls to reede Thinking thereby to recreate his mind But in his breast this greater woe doth breede For when deepe sorrow on the fancie seaseth What ere we see our misery increaseth 49 First of great William Conquerour of this I le From whom hee 's tenth that in succession lies Whose power inforcde the Saxon to exile Planting new lawes and forraine subtilties Force and subiection so to reconcile The punishment of Harolds tyrannies which he applies with arguments so strong To the due course of his iust punisht wrong 50 Rufus his sonne duke Robert farre abroade Receiues the rule in weake infeebled state His fathers steps that euidently troade Depressing those who had beene conquerd late Wishing release of this their gricuous loade Vnder the guidance of their former fate The place for men that did to beasts intend A bestiall life had last a beastly end 51 Henry the yongst his brother William dead Taketh the Crowne from his vsurpfull hand Due to the eldest good duke Roberts head Bearing our Red Crosse in the Holy Land whose force farre off so much diminished That his returne disabled to withstand when those for whom th'unnaturall war was done The sea deuours he left without a sonne 52 To Mawd the Empresse he the Scepter leaues His onely daughter which by false pretext Stephen Earle of Bolloine forcibly bereaues Henries false nephew in succession next By which the Land a stranger warre receaues wherewith it grew so miserably vext Till Stephen failing and his issue reft T 'the heires of Mawd the regall Scepter left 53 The second Henry Mawd the Empresse sonne Of th' English line Plantagenet the first By Stephens death a glorious raigne begunne whose youth prolongd to make his age accurst By his sonne Henries coronation Which to his dayes much woe and sorrow nurst when those for whom he conquerd to make great Abroad his townes at home vsurpde his seate 54 Richard his sonne that after him succeedes Who not content with what was safely ours A man lift vp to great and glorious deedes Into the East transportes our valiant powres Where with his sworde whilst many a Pagan bleedes Relentlesse Fate hastes on vntimely howres And makes a period to this hopefull story Euen in the spring and blossome of his glory 55 When him succeedes his faithlesse brother Iohn Murthring yong Arthur by oppressefull might Climing by sorce to his vsurped throne Iustly with poyson was repayde his spight His life to all men is so hatefull growne Who grieues his wrongs that ne're did any right That on the Cleargie ryrannously fed Was by the Cleargie iustly punished 56 Henry his sonne now crowned very yong Who for the hate they to his father bare His state of raigning stoode in question long Or to be left vnto a strangers care With whom the Barrons insolent and strong For the old Charter in commotion are Which his
long raine so carefully attends Granting his daies in peace securely ends 57 From him proceedes a Prince iust wise and sage In all things happy but in him his sonne For whom euen nature did herselfe engage More then in man in this Prince to haue done Whose happy raigne recur'd the former rage By the large bounds he to his Empire wonne As the first Edward had the second beene O what a flow of glory had we seene 58 Turning the leafe as finding vnawares What day yong Edward Prince of Wales was borne Which letters seeme like Magique Characters Or to despight him they were made in scorne Marking the paper like dis-figuring stars O let that name quoth he from bookes be torne Lest in that place the sad displeased earth Doe loath it selfe as slaundered with my birth 59 From thence heereafter humane birth exil'd By th' earth deuour'd or swallowed by the sea And fame enquiring for that lucklesse child Say t was abortiue or else stolne away And lest O Time thou be therewith defil'd In thy vnnumbred course deuoure that day Let all be done that power can bring to passe Onely forget that such there euer was 60 The troubled teares now standing in his eyes Through which as glasses he is forc'd to looke Make letters seeme as rondlets that arise By a stone cast into a standing brooke Appearing to him in such various wise And at one time such sundry fashions tooke Which like deluding monsters do affright And with their fowle shapes terrifie his sight 61 When on his saint bed falling downe at last His troubled spirit fore-telling danger nie When forth the doores a fearefull howling cast To let those in by whom a King should die Whereat he starts amazâ—d and agast These ruthlesse villaines all vpon him flie Sweete Prince alas in vaine thou call'st for aide By these accursed homicides betraide 62 O be not authors of so vile an act My blood on your posteritie to bring Which after times with horror shall distract When Fame euen hoarce with age your shame shall ring And by recounting of so vile a fact Mortalitie so much astonishing That they shal count their wickednesse scarce sinne To that which long before their time hath bin 63 And if your hate be deadly let me liue For that aduantage angry heauen hath left That except life takes all that it could giue But for iust vengeance should not quite bereft Me yet with greater misery to grieue Reserue a while this remnant of their theft That that which spent froÌ„ th' rest should interdict me Alone remaining doth withall afflict me 64 Thus spake this wofull and distressed Lord As yet his breath found passage to and fro With many a short pant many a broken word Many a sore grone many a grieuous throw whilst yet his spirit could any strength affoord Though with much paine disburdning of his woe Till lastly gasping by their maistâ—ring strength His kingly heart subiects it selfe at length 65 When twixt two beds they close his wearied corse Basely vncou'ring of his secret part Without all humane pittie and remorce With burning yron thrust him to the hart O that my Muse had but sufficient force T' explaine the torment in the which thou art Which whilst with words we coldy do expresse Thy paine made greater that we make it lesse 66 When those in dead and depth of all the night Good simple people that are dwelling neare From quiet sleepe whom care did now affright That his last shreeke and wofull cry do heare Euen pittying that miserable wight As twixt compassion and obedient feare Lift their sad eyes with heauy sleepe opprest Praying to heauen to giue the soule good rest 67 Still let the buildings sigh his bitter grones And euermore his sad complaints repeate And let the dull walls and the sencelesse stones By the impression of his torment sweate As wanting sounds wherewith to shew his mones With all sharpe paine and agony repleate That all may thether come that shall be told it As in a mirror cleerely to behold it 68 When now the Genius of this wofull place Beeing the guide to his affrightfull ghost With haire disâ—eued and a gastly face Shall haunt the prison where his life was lost And as the denne of horror and disgrace Let it be fearefull vnto all the coast That those heereafter that do trauell neere Neuer behold it but with heauy cheere The end of the fifth Canto ⧠The sixth Booke of the Barrons warres The Argument Lord Mortimer made Earle of March when he And the faire Queene rule all things by their might The pompe wherin at Nottingham they be The cost wherewith their amorous Court is dight Enuide by those their hatefull pride that see The King attempts the dreadfull caue by night Entring the Castell taketh him from thence And March at London dies for the offence 1 INforc'd of other accidents to sing Bearing faire showes of promised delight Somewhat to slacke this melancholie string That new occasions to our Muse excite To our conceit strange obiects fashioning Doth our free numbers liberally inuite Matter of moment much to be respected Must by our pen be seriously directed 2 And now the time more cuuningly redeeming These fraudfull courses fitly to contriue How ill so e're to beare the fairest seeming For which they now must diligently striue Casting all waies to gaine the same esteeming That to the world it prosprously might thriue This farre gone on now with the hand of might Vpon this wrong to build a lasting right 3 The pompous Synod of these earthly Gods At Salsbury selected by their King To set all euen that had beene atods And into fashion their dissignes to bring And strongly now to settle their abodes That peace might after from their actions spring Firmely t' establish what was well begunne Vnder which colour mighty things were done 4 When Mortimer pursuing his desire Whilst eu'ry engine had his temperate heate To b'Earle of March doth suddainely aspire T' increase the honor of his antient seate That his command might be the more entire Who now but onely Mortimer is great Who knew a kingdome as her lot was throwne Which hauing all would neuer starue her owne 5 Now stand they firme as those celestiall Poles Twixt which the starres in all their course do moue Whose strength this frame of gouernement vpholds An argument their wisedomes to approue Which way soe're the time in motion roles So perfect is the vnion of their loue For right is still most absolute alone Where power and fortune kindely meete in one 6 Whilst Edwards non-age giues a further speede To th' antient foe-man to renew the warre Which to preuent they must haue speciall heede Matters so strangely manag'd as they are Which otherwise if their neglect should breede Nothing yet made it might not easily marre Which with the most reseruing their estate Inforc'd to purchase at the deerest rate 7 So much t'release the homage as suffic'd Mongst which that
deed namde Ragman of renown By which the kings of Scotland had deuisde Their fealty vnto the English crowne With other Reliques that were highly prizde As that which forc'd the greatest part to frowne Th'blacke Crosse of Scotland men did omenous deeme Being a Relique of so hie esteeme 8 To colour which and to confirme the peace They make a marrige twixt the Scot and vs To giue more strength vnto this strange release Which vnto all men seemd so dangerous Whilst Roberts raigne and after his decease The league might euer be continued thus Dauid the Prince the Lady Iane should take which twixt the Realms a lasting bond shuld make 9 When th' Earle of Kent that being one of those Which in their actions had a powerfull hand Perceiuing them of matters to dispose To the subiection of so great a land Finding the inconuenience that growes Vnder the guidance of their wilfull hand To shake their power whilst he strangely doth cast His fatall end too violently doth haste 10 Which giuing out his brother yet to liue Long now supposed the deceased King Vnto his nephew might that scandall giue As into question might his title bring Ill this report beganne and worse it thriue Being so foule and dangerous a thing Which being the motiue of intestine strife The time not long ere it bereft his life 11 Whilst Edward takes what late their power did giue Whose non-age craues their bountifull protection Which know to rule whilst he must learne to liue From their experience taking his direction Which more and more their doubtfull hopes reuiue When borne to raigne yet crownd by their election Th' allegiance duely dooth to him belong Now makes their faction absolutely strong 12 Prouiding for protection of the king Men of most power and noblest of the Pecres That no distaste vnto the realme might bring For ripened iudgement or well seasoned yeeres With comelines all matters managing Yet whilst they row t is Mortimer that steeres wel might we think the man were worse than blind That wanted sea-roome and could rule the wind 13 To smoothe the path wherein this course was gone Which as a test might to their actions stand And giue more full possession of their owne In being receiued from a soucraine band Into their bosomes absolutely throwne Both for the good and safety of the land When their proceedings colourd with this care To the worlds eye so faire an out-side bare 14 All complement that appertainde to state By giuing greatnes eu'ry honored rite To feed those eies that did their houres avvaite And by all meanes to nourish their delight That entertaining loue they welcome hate And vvith free bounty equally inuite A Princes wealth in spending still doth spred Like to a brooke with many fountaines fed 15 To Nottingham the Norths emperious eye Which as a Pharus guardes the goodly soile And armd by Nature danger to defie There to repose him safely after toile Where treason least aduantage might espie Closely conuaies this great in-valued spoile That by residing from the publique sight He might more freely relish his delight 16 Nine score in checke attending in their court Whom honored Knighthood knitts in mutuall bands Men most select of speciall worth and sort Much might they doe that haue so many hands Who payes not tribute to this lordly port This hie-rearde Castell eu'ry way commands Thus like those Giants gainst great heauen they rise Which darted Rockes at the emperiall skies 17 It seemes in him Fame meanes hir power to show And twixt her wings to beare him through the skies He might more easly see the things below Hauing aboue them mounted him so hie Vnto whose will they meckely seeme to bow Vnder whose greatnes meaner powers doe â—e All things concurre with faire succeslefull chance To raise that man whom Fortune will aduance 18 Heere all along the flower enameld vales The siluer Trent on pearly sandâ— dooth slide And to the medowes telling wanton tales Her Cristall limbs lasciuiously in pride As rauished with the enamored gales with often turnings casts from side to side As loath she were the sweete soyle to for sake And cast her selfe into the German lake 19 Neare whom faire Sherwood wildely bent to roue Twines her loose armes about the flattering Towers By the milde shadowes of her scattered groue Lends winter shelter and giues ' summer bowers As with the flood in curtesie it stroue And by repulsing the sharpe Northerne showers Courts the prowd Castell who by turning to her Smiles to behold th'lasciuious wod-nymph wo hir 20 Who being retirde so strictly to this place To this faire sted the Princes person drawes When Fortune seemes their greatnes to embrace That as a working and especiall cause Effects each formall ceremonious grace As by her iust and necessary lawes That in the towne retaines his kingly seate With Marches Court the Castle is repleate 21 Occasiond where in counsels to debate And by the king conueniently is met So soueraigne and magnificent in state As might all eies vpon his greatnesse set Prizing his honour at that costly rate As to the same due reuerence might beget which as the obiect sundry passions wrought Stirring strange forms in many a wandring thoght 22 Could blind ambition find the meanest stay His disproportiond and vaine course to guide Tassure some safety in that slippery way Where the most worldly prouident doe slide Feeling the steep fall threatning sure decay Besotted in the wantonnesse of pride The minde assuming absoluter powres Might checke the fraile mortality of ours 23 But still in pleasure sitting with excesse His sauory junkett tasted with delight Ne're can that glutton appetite suppresse Where eu'ry dish inuites a licorish sight Nor hauing much is his desire the lesle Till tempted past the compasse of his might The pampered stomacke more than well suffizde Casts vp the surfet lately gurmundizde 24 And when som brook from th'ouer moistned ground By swelling waters prowdly ouer slowd Stoppeth his â—â—rrent shouldrrth downe his mownd And from his course dooth quite himselfe vnloade The bordring meddowes eu'ry where surrownd Dispersing his owne riches all abroade Spending the store he was maintained by Leaues his first channell desolate and dry 25 When now those few that many teares had spent And long had wept on murthered Edwards graue Muttring in corners grieud and discontent And finding some a willing care that gaue Stiâ— as they durst bewraying what they meant Tending his pride and greatnes to depraue Vrging withall what some might iustly do If things thus borne were rightly lookt into 26 Some giue it out that March by blood to rise Had cut off Kent the man might next succeed And his late treasons falsly did surmise As a meere colour to this lawlesse deede That his ambition onely did deuise In time the royall family to weede When in account there was but only one That kept him off from stepping to the throne 27 And those much busied in the former times Then credulous
that honour was his end And by the hate they bare to others crimes Did not his faults so carefully attend Perceiuing how he desolutely climes Hauing thus brought his purpose to an end With a seuere eye now more strictly looke Into the course that his ambition tooke 28 All fence the tree that serueth for a shade Whose large growne body doth repulse the winde Vntill his wastefull branches do inuade The straighter plants and them in prison binde And as a tyrant to the weaker made When like a foule deuourer of his kinde Vnto his roote all put their hands to hew Whose romth but hinders others that would grow 29 Thus at his ease whilst he securely sate And to his will these things assured were With a wel gouernd and contented fate Neuer so much freed from suspitious feare Wel fortifide and in so good estate As not admits of danger to be neare But still we see before a sodaine shower The sunne shines hotst and hath the greatest power 30 Within the Castle hath the Queene deuisde A chamber with choice rarities so frought As in the same she had imparadizde Almost what man by industrie hath sought where with the curious pensill was comprizde what could with colours by the Arte be wrought In the most sure place of the Castle there which she had namde the Tower of Mortimer 31 An orball forme with pillers small composde Which to the top like paralels doe beare Arching the compasse where they vvere inclosde Fashioning the faire roofe like the hemisphere In whose partitions by the lines disposde All the cleere Northerne Asterismes were In their corporeall shapes with starres inchased As by th' old Poets they in heauen were placed 32 About which lodgings towards the vpper face Ran a fine bordure circularly led As equall twixt the hi'st point and the base That as a Zone the waste ingirdled That lends the sight a breathing or a space Twixt things neere view and those farre ouer head Vnder the which the Painters curious skill In liuely formes the goodly roome did fill 33 Heere Phoebus clipping Haycinthus stood whose liues last drops his snowie breast imbrew The ones teares mixed with the others blood That shoul't be blood or teares no sight could view So mix'd together in a little flood Yet heere and there they seu'rally with-drew The pretty wood-nimphs chafing him with balme To bring the sweete boy from his deadly qualme 34 With the Gods Lire his quiuer and his bow His golden mantle cast vpon the ground T' expresse whose geiefe Art euen her best did show The sledge so shadowed still seem'd to rebound To counterfet the vigor of the blow As still to giue new anguish to the wound The purple flowre sprung from the blood that run That opneth since and closeth with the Sun 35 By which the heyfer Io Ioues faire rape Gazing her new tane figure in a brooke The water shadow'd to obserue the shape In the same forme that she on it doth looke So cunningly to clowde the wanton scape That gazing eyes the portrature mistooke By prospectiue deuisde beholding now This way a maiden that way â—t seemde a Cow 36 Swist Mercury like to a Sheepheards boy Sporting with Hebe by a fountaine brim with many a sweete glance many an amorous toy He sprinckling drops at her and she at him wherein the Painter so explainde their ioy As though his skill the perfect life could lim Vpon whose browes the water hung so cleere As throgh the drops the faire skin might appeare 37 And Ciffy Cynthus with a thousand birds whose freckled plumes adorne his bushy crowne Vnder whose shadow graze the stragling heards Out of whose top the fresh springs trembling downe Dropping like fine pearle through his shaggy beards With mosse and climing Ivie ouer-growne The Rocke so liuely done in eu'ry part As Nature could be paterned by Art 38 The naked Nimphs some vp and downe descending Small scattering flowers at one another flung With nimble turnes their limber bodies bending Cropping the blooming branches lately sprung Vpon the briers their coloured mantles rending Which on the Rockes grew heere and there among Some combe their haire some making garlands by As with delight might satisfie the eye 39 There comes prowde Phaeton tumbling through the clowdes Cast by his Palfraies that their raines had broke And setting fire vpon the welked shrowdes Now through the heauen run madding from the yoke The elements together thrust in crowdes Both Land and Sea hid in a reeking smoke Drawne with such life as some did much desire To warme themselues some frighted with the fire 40 The riuer Po that him receiuing burnde His seauen sisters standing in degrees Trees vnto women seeming to be turnde As the gods turnde the women into trees Both which at once so mutually that mournde Drops from their boughs or tears fell from their eyes The fire seemde to be water water flame Such excellence in shewing of the same 41 And to this lodging did the light inuent That it should first a naturall course reflect Through a short roome into the window sent Whence it should come expressiuely direct Holding iust distance to the lineament And should the beames proport onably proiect And being thereby condensated and graue To eu'ry figure a sure colour gaue 42 In part of which vnder a golden Vine Whose broad leau'd brauches cou'ting ouer all Stood a rich bed spred with this wanton twine Doubling themselues in their lasciuious fall Whose rip'ned clusâ—ers seeming to decline VVhereas among the naked Cupids sprawle Some at the sundry coloured birds do shute Some swaruing vp to plucke the purple fruite 43 On which a Tissue counterpoint was cast Arachnes web the same did not surpasse Wherein the story of his fortunes past In liuely pictures neatly handled was How he escap'd the Tower in France how grac'd with stones embroyd'red of a wondrous masse About the border in a curious fret Emblems Empresas Hâ—â—oglifiques set 44 This flattering calme congeales that thickned shower Which the full clowdes of poisnous enuy fed whose desolution waits th vnhappy hower To let the fury on his hatefull head which now was of that violence and power As his delights yet not imagined when men suppose in safety most to stand Then greatest dangers are the neer'st at hand 45 Yet finding the necessitie is such To execute what he doth vndertake And that his crowne it did so neerely tuch If they too soone his sleeping power awake Th' attempt was great the danger was as much Must secretly prouide some course to take By which he might th' enterprise effect And most offend where he might least suspect 46 A deepe blacke caue low in the earth is found whose duskie entrance like pale Morpheus Cell with strange Meanders windeth vnder ground where sooty darkenes euermore doth dwell That with such dread and horror doth abound As might be deemde an entrance into hell which Architects to serue the Castell made Whenas the Dane this Iland did inuade 47
her philters exorcismes and charmes Thy presence hath repaired in one day What many yeeres and sorrowes did decay And made fresh beauties fairest branches spring From wrinkled furrowes of times ruining Euen as the hungry winter-starued earth When she by nature labours towards her birth Still as the day vpon the darke world creepes One blossome forth after another peepes Till the small flower whose roote is now vnbound Gets from the frostie prison of the ground Spreading the leaues vnto the powerfull noone Deck'd in fresh colours smiles vpon the sunne Neuer vnquiet care lodg'd in that breast Where but one thought of Rosamond did rest Nor thirst nor trauaile which on warre attend E're brought the long day to desired end Nor yet did pale Feare or leane Famine liue Where hope of thee did any comfort giue Ah what iniustice then is this of thee That thus the guiltlesse doost condemne for me When onely she by meanes of my offence Redeemes thy purenesse and thy innocence When to our wills perforce obey they must That iust in them what e're in vs vniust Of what we doe not them account we make The fault craues pardon for th' offenders sake And what to worke a Princes will may merit Hath deepst impression in the gentlest spirite I ft be my name that dooth thee so offend No more my selfe shall be mine owne names friend And â—ft be that which thou doost onely hate That name in my name lastly hath his date Say t is accuâ—st and fatall and dispraise it If written blot it if engrauen raze it Say that of all names t is a name of woe Once a Kings name but now t is not so And when all this is done I know â—vvill grieue thee And therfore svveet whie should I now belieue thee Nor shouldst thou thinke those eies with enuie lower Which passing by thee gaze vp to thy tower But rather praise thine owne which be so cleere Which from the Turret like tvvo staires appeare Aboue the sunne dooth shine beneath thine eie Mocking the heauen to make another skie The little streame which by thy tovver dooth glide Where oft thou spendst the wearie euening tide To view thee vvell his course would gladly stay As loath from thee to part so soone away And with salutes thy selfe would gladly greete And offer vp those small drops at thy feete But finding that the enuious banks restraine it T' excuse it selfe doth in this sort complaine it And therefore this sad bubling murmure keepes And in this sort within the channell weepes And as thou doost into the water looke The fish which see thy shadow in the brooke Forget to feede and all amazed lie So daunted with the lustre of thine eie And that sweet name which thou so much dost wrong In time shal be some famous Poets song And with the very sweetnes of that name Lions and tygers men shall learne to tame The carefull mother from her pensiue breast With Rosamond shall bring her babe to rest The little birds by mens continuall sound Shall learne to speake and pr 〈…〉 le Rosamond And when in Aprill they beginne to sing Wiâ—h Rosamond shall welcome in the spring And she in whom all raâ—ities are found Shall still be said to be a Rosamond The little flowers which dropping honied dew Which as thou writst doe weepe vpon thy shue Not for thy fault sweet Rosamond doe moane But weepe for griefe that thou so soone art gone For if thy foote â—uch Hemlocke as it goes That Hemlocke's made more sweeter than the Rose Of Ioue or Neptune how they did betray Nor speake of Iâ—o or Amimone when she for whome Ioue once became a Bull Comparde with thee had beene a tawny trull He a white Bull and she a whiter Cow Yet he nor she neere halfe so white as thou Long since thou knowst my care prouided for To lodge thee safe from iealous Ellenor The labyrinths conueyance guides thee so Which only Vaghan thou and I doe know If she doe guard thee with a hundred eies I haue an hundred subâ—ile Mercuries To watch that Argus which my loue doth keepe Vntill eie after eie fall all to sleepe Those starres looke in by night looke in to see Wondring what starre heere on the earth should be As oft the Moone amidst the silent night Hath come to ioy vs with her friendly light And by the curtaine helpt mine eie to see What 〈◊〉 night and darkenes hid from mee When I haue wisht that she might euer staâ— And other worl 〈…〉 might still enioy the day What should I say words â—eares and sighs be spent And want of 〈◊〉 doth further helps preuent My campe râ—sounds with fearefull shockes of warre Yet in my breast the worser conflicts are Yet is my signall to the battels sound The blessed name of beauteous Rosamond Accursed be that heart that tongue that breath Should thinke should speake or whisper of thy death For in one smile or lower from thy sweete eie Consists my life my hope my victorie Sweet Woodstocke where my Rosamond doth rest Blessed in her in whom thy King is blest For though in France a while my body be Sweete Paradice my heart remaines in thee Notes of the Chronicle Historie Am I at home pursued with priuate hate And warre comes raging to my Pallace gate RObert erle of Leicester who took part with yong king Henry entred into England with an armie of 3000. Flemmings and spoild the countries of Norsfolk and Susfolke being succored by many of the Kings priuate enimies And am I branded with the curse of Rome King Henry the second the first Plantaginet accused for the death of Tho. Becket archbishop of Canterbury staine in the cathedrall church was accursed by Pope Alexander although hee vrgde sufficient proofe of his innocencie in the same and offered to take vpon him any penance so he might escape the curse and interdiction of the Realme And by the pride of my rebellious sonne Rich Normandie with armies ouer-runne Henry the yong K. whom king Henry had caused to be crowned in his life as he hoped both for his owne good and the good of his Subiects which indeed turned to his owne sorow and the trouble of the Realme for he rebelled against him and raising a power by the meanes of Lewes king of France and William K of Scots who tooke part with him inuaded Normandie Vnkinde my children most vnkinde my wise Neuer king more vnfortunate then K Henry in the disobedience of his children first Henry then Gâ—ssrey then Richard then Iohn all at one time or other first or last vnnaturally rebelled against him then the iealousie of Elinor his Qu. who suspected his loue to Rosamond which grieuous troubles the deuout of those times attributed to happen to him iustly for refusin to take on him the gouernment of Ierusalem offred to him by the patriarke there which country was mightily afflicted by the Souldane Which onely Vaghan thou and I doe know This Vaghan was a Knight
house of the Mortimers that noble and couragious familie That still so long as Borrough beares that name The Queene remembreth the great ouerthrow giuen to the Barrons by Andrew Herckley Earle of Carlil at Borrough bridge after the battaile at Burton And Torlton now whose counsells should direct This was Adam Torlton Bishop of Herford that great Polititiā who so highly fauored the faction of the Queene Mortimer whose euil counsel afterward wroght the destruction of the king Mortimer to Queene Isabell AS thy salutes my sorrowes do adiourne So backe to thee their interest I turne Though not in so great bounty I confesse As thy heroicke princely lines expresse For how should comfort issue from the breath Of one condemn'd and long lodg'd vp in death From murthers rage thou didst me once repriue Now in exile my hopes thou doost reuiue Twice all was taken twice thou all didst giue And thus twice dead thou mak'st me twice to liue This double life of mine your onely due You gaue to me I gaue it backe to you Ne're my escape had I aduentur'd thus As did the sky-attempting Daedalus And yet to giue more safetie to my flight Haue made a night of day a day of night Nor had I backt the prowd aspiring wall Which held without my hopes within my fall Leauing the cords to tell where I had gone For gazing eyes with feare to looke vpon But that thy beautie by a power diuine Breath'd a new life into this spirit of mine Drawne by the Sunne of thy celestiall eyes With fiery wings made passage through the skies The heauens did seeme the charge of me to take And sea and land be friend me for thy sake Thames stopt her tide to make me way to go As thou hadst charg'd her that it should be so The hollow marmuring windes their due time kept As they had rock'd the world while all things slept One billow bore me and another draue me This stroue to helpe me and that stroue to saue me The brisling reedes mou'd with the aire did chide me As they would tell me that they meant to hide me The pale-fac'd night beheld thy heauy cheere And would not let one little starre appeare But ouer all her smokie maptle hurl'd And in thicke vapors mu 〈…〉 d vp the world And the pure ayre became so calme and still As it had beene obedient to my will And euery thing disposde vnto my rest As when on Seas the Alcion buildes her nest When those rough waues which late with furie rusht Slide smoothely on and suddainely are husht Nor Neptune lets his surges out so long As Nature is in bringing forth her yong Nor let the Spencers glory in my chance That I should liue an exile heere in France That I from England banished should be But England rather banished from me More were her want France our great blood should beare Then Englands losse should be to Mortimer My grandsire was the first since Arthurs raigne That the Round-table rectifide againe To whose great Court at Kenelworth did come The peerelesse knighthood of all Christendome Whose princely order honoured England more Then all the Conquests she atchiu'd before Neuer durst Scot set foote in English ground Nor on his backe did English beare a wound Whilst Wigmore flourisht in our princely hopes And whilst our Ensigne march'd with Edwards troups Whilst famous Longshankes bones in Fortunes scorne As sacred reliques to the field were borne Nor euer did the valiant English doubt Whilst our braue battailes guarded them about Nor did our wiues and wofull mothers mourne The English blood that stained Banocksburne Whilst with his Minions sporting in his Tent Whole daies and nights in banquetting were spent Vntill the Scots which vndersafegard stood Made lauish hauocke of the English blood And battered helmes lay scattered on the shore Where they in conquest had beene borne before A thousand kingdomes will we seeke from far As many Nations waste with ciuill war Where the disheuel'd gastly Sea-nimph sings Or well-rigd ships shall stretch their swelling wings And drag their ankors through the sandy fome About the world in euery clime to rome And those vnchristned Countries call our owne Where scarce the name of England hath bin knowne And in the dead-sea sinke our houses fame From whose sterne waues we first deriu'd our name Before fowle blacke-mouth'd infamy shall sing That Mortimer e're stoop'd vnto a King And we will turne sterne-visag'd furie backe To seeke his spoile who sought our vtter sacke And come to beard him in our natiue Ile E're he march forth to follow our exile And after all these boistrous stormie shockes Yet will we grapple with the chaulkie rockes Nor will we come like Pirates or like the eues From mountaines forrests or sea-bordering Cleeues But fright the ayre with terror when we come Of the sterne trumpet and the bellowing drum And in the field aduance our plumy Crest And march vpon faire Englands flowrie breast And Thames which once we for our life did swim Shaking our dewy tresses on her brim Shall beare my nauie vaunting in her pride Falling from Tanet with the powerfull tide Which fertile Essex and faire Kent shall see Spreading herflags along the pleasant lee When on her stemming poope she prowdly beares The famous Ensignes of the Belgicke Peeres And for the hatefull sacrilegious sinne Which by the Pope he stands accursed in The Canon text shall haue a common glosse Receits in parcels shall be paide in grosse This doctrine preachde who from the Church doth take At least shall trebble restitution make For which Rome sends her curses out from farre Through the sterne throte of terror-breathing warre Till to th' vnpeopled shores she brings supplies Of those industrious Roman Colonies And for his homage by the which of olde Prowd Edward Guyne and Aquitaine doth hold Charles by inuasiue armes againe shall take And send the English forces o're the lake When Edwards fortune stands vpon this chance To loose in England or expulsde from France And all those townes great Longshankes left his sonne Now lost againe which once his father wonne Within their strong percullizde Ports shall lie And from their walls his sieges shall defie And by that firme and vndissolued knot Betwixt their neighboring French and bordring Scot Bruse now shall bring his Red-shanks from the seas From th'Iled Oreads and the Hebrydes And to his westerne hauens giue free passe To land the warlike Irish Galiglasse Marching from Tweede to swelling Humber sands Wasting along the Northerne netherlands And wanting those which should his power sustaine Consumde with slaughter in his bloody raigne Our warlike sword shall driue him from his throne Where he shall lie for vs to treade vpon And those great lords now after their attaints Canonized amongst the English Saints And by the superstitious people thought That by their Reliques miracles are wrought And thinke that flood much vertue doth retaine Which tooke the blood of famous Bohun slaine Continuing
hath signde and sealed with his hand And where no farther processe he refers In blots set downe for others Characters This cannot blush although you doe refuse it Nor will reply how euer you shall vse it All one to this though you should bid dispaire This still intreates you this still speakes you faire Hast thou a liuing soule a humane sence To like dislike pâ—oue order and dispence The depth of reason soundly to aduise To loue things good things hurtfull to despise The tuch of iudgement which should 〈…〉 things proue And hast thou toucht yet not allowst my loue Sound moues his sound voyce doth beget his voyce One Ecâ—ho makes another to reioyce One well tunde string set truely to his like Strooke neere at hand doth make another strike How comes it then that our affections jarre What opposition doth beget this warre I know that Nature franckly to thee gaue That measure of her bounty that I haue And with that sence she likewise to vs lent Each one his organ each his instrument But euery one because it is thine owne Doth p 〈…〉 se it selfe vnto it selfe alone Thy d 〈…〉 y hand when it it selfe doth tuch That feeling tells it there was neuer such When in thy glâ—sse thine eie it selfe doth see That thinkes there 's none like to it selfe can be And euery one doth iudge it selfe diuine Because that thou doost challenge it for thine And each it selfe Narcissus like dooth smother And loues it selfe not like to any other Fie be not burnd thus in thine owne desire T is needlesse beauty should it selfe admire The Sunne by which all creatures lightned bee And seeth all it selfe yet cannot see And his owne brightnesse his owne foile is made And is to vs the cause of his owne shade When first thy beautie by mine eye was prou'd It saw not then so much to be belou'd But when it came a perfect view to take Each looke of one doth many beauties make In little circlets first it doth arise Then somewhat larger seeming in mine eyes And in this giâ—ing compasse as it goes So more and more the same in greatnes growes And as it yet at libertie is set The motion still doâ—h other formes beget Vntill â—t length looke any way I could Nothing there was but beautie to behold Art thou offended that thou art belou'd Remoue the cause th' effect is soone remou'd Indent with Beautie how farre to extend Set downe desire a limmit where to end Then charme thine eies their glances shal not wound And teach the sence the depth of loue to sound If thou do this nay then thou shalt do more And bring to passe what neuer was before Make anguish sportiue crauing all delight Mirth solemne sullen and inclinde to night Ambition lowly enuie speaking well Loue his reliefe of nigardize to sell Our war-like father did these forts deuise As surest holds against our enemies The safest places for our sexe to rest Feare soone is setled in a womans breast Thy breast is of another temper farre And then thy Castell fitter for the warre Thou doost not safely in thy Castell rest Thy Castell should be safer in thy breast That keepes out foes but doth thy friends inclose But thy breast keepes out both thy friends and foes That may be batterd or be vnderminde Or by strait siege for want of succour pinde But thy heart is inuincible to all And more defensiue then thy Castell wall Of all the shapes that euer Ioue did proue Wherewith he vsde to entertaine his loue That likes me best when in a golden shower He â—ainde himselfe on Danae in her Tower Nor did I euer enuie his command In that he beares the thunder in his hand But in that showrie shape I cannot bee And as he came to her I come to thee Thy Tower with foes is not begirt about If thou within they are besieg'd without One haire of thine more vigor doth retaine To binde thy foe then with an yron chaine Who might be gyu'd in such a golden string Would not be captiue though he were a King Hadst thou all India heap'd vp in thy fort And thou thy selfe besieged in that sort Get thou but out where they can thee espie They 'le follow thee and let the treasure lie I cannot thinke what force thy Tower should win If thou thy selfe doost guard the same within Thine eye retaines artillary at will To kill who euer thou desirâ—st to kill For that alone more deepely wounds their hearts Then they can thee though with a thousand darts For there entrenched little Cupid lies And from those turrets all the world defies And when thou letst downe that transparant lid Of entrance there an Armie doth forbid And as for Famine thou needes neuer feare Who thinkes of want when thou art present there Thy onely sight giues spirit vnto the blood And comforts life though neuer tasting foode And as thy souldiers keepe their watch and ward So chastitie thy inward breast doth guard Thy modest pulse serues as a latum bell Which watched by a wakefull Sentinell Is stirring still with euery little feare Warning if any enemy be neare Thy vertuous thought when all the others rest Like carefull Skowts passe vp and downe thy breast And still they round about that place doe keepe Whilst all the blessed garrison do sleepe But yet I feare if that the truth were told That thou hast robbde and flâ—st vnto this bolde I thought as much and didst this Fort deuise That thou in safety heere mightst tyrannize Yes thou hast robbde the heauen and earth of all And they against thy lawlesse theft doe call Thine eies with mine that wage continuall warres Borrow their brightnesse of the twinckling starres Thy breath for which mine still in sighes consumes Hath rob'd sweete flowres rich odors and perfumes Thy cheeke for which mine all this penance proues Steales the pure whitenes both from Swans doues Thy lips from mine that in thy maske be pent Haue filch'd the blushing from the orient O mighty Loue bring hether all thy power And fetch this heauenly theefe out of her Tower For if she may be suffred in this sort Heauens store will soone be hoarded in this fort When I arriu'd before that state of loue And saw thee on the battlement aboue I thought there was no other heauen but there And thou an Angel didst from thence appeare But when my reason did reproue mine eye That thou wert subiect to mortalitie I then excusde the Scot before had done No maruaile though he would the fort haue wonne Perceiuing well those enuious walls did hide More wealth then was in all the world beside Against thy foe I came to lend thee aide And thus to thee my selfe my selfe betraide He is besieg'd the siege that came to raise There 's no assault that not my breast assaies Loue growne extreame doth finde vnlawfull shifts The Gods take shapes and do allure with gifts Commanding Ioue that by great Stix doth
thou wert heere banished with me Humfrey adue farewell true noble Lord My wish is all thy Elnor can afford ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie I sought that dreadfull Sorceresse of Eye ELinor Cobham was accused by some that sought to withstand and mistiked her marriage with Duke Humsrey that she practised to giue him Philters and such poisoning potions to make him loue her as she was slandered by Cardinall Beuford to haue liued as the Dukes Lemman against the which Cardinall she exclaimeth in this Epistle in the verse before Though enuious Beuford slandered me before Noting the extreame hate he euer bore her Nor Elnor brought thee forraine Armies in To fetch her backe as did thy Iacomin This was the chiefe and onely thing that euer tutched the reputation of this good Duke that dotingly he married Iacomin or as some call her Iaquet daughter and heire to William Bauier Duke of Holland married before and lawfull wife to Iohn Duke of Brabant then liuing which after as it is shewed in this verse following Brabant nor Burgoyne claimed me by force Nâ—rsu'd to Rome to hasten my deuorce Caused great warres by reason that the Duke of Burgoyne tooke part with Brabant against the Duke of Glocester which being arbitrated by the Pope the Lady was adiudged to be deliuered backe to her former husband Nor Bedfords spouse your noble sister Anne That Princely issued braue Burgonian Iohn Duke of Bedfort that scourge of France and the glory of the Englishmen married Anne sister to the Duke of Burgundie a vertuous and beautifull Lady by which marriage as also by his victories attained in France he brought great strength to the English Nation Where 's Greenewich now thy Elnors Court of latâ— That faire and goodly pallace of Greenewich was first builded by that famous Duke whose rich and pleasant situation might remaine an assured monument of his wisedome if there were no other memory of the same They say the Druidesonce liued in this I le It would seeme that there were two Ilands both of them called Mona though now distinguished the one by the name of Man the other by the name of Anglesey both which were full of many infernall ceremonies as may appeare by Agricolaes voyage made into the hithermost Man described by his sonne in law Cornelius Tacitus And as superstition the daughter of barbarisme and ignorance so amongst those Northerly nations like as in America Magicke was most esteemed Druidae were the publicke ministers of their religion as throghly taught in all rites thereof their doctrine concerned the immortalitie of the soule the contempt of death and all other points which may conduce to resolution fortitude and magnanimitie their aboad was in groues and woods whereupon they haue their name their power extended it selfe to maister the soules of men deceased and to conferre with ghosts and other spirits about the successe of things Plutarch in his profound and learned discourse of the defect of Oracles reporteth that the outmost Brittish Iles were the prison of I wot not what Demi-gods but it shall not neede to speake any farther of the Drueda then that which Lucas doth Et 〈◊〉 barbaricus ritus moremque sinestrum Sacrorum Druidae positis repetistis ab armis Did not the heauens her comming in withstand Noting the prodigious and fearefull signes that were seene in England a little before her comming in which Elinor expresseth in this Epistle as fore-shewing the dangers which should ense vpon this vnlucky marriage The hallowing of the magique instruments The instruments which Bullenbrooke vsed in his coniurations according to the diuellish ceremonies and customes of these vnlawfull Artes were dedicated at a Masse in the Lodge in Harâ—sey Parke by Southwell Priest of Westminster Hauing procurde by hopes of golden gaine This was one of the Articles that Duke Humfrey vrgde against the Cardinall Beuford that conspired the death of Henry the fift by conuaying a villaine into his chamber which in the night should haue murthered him but what ground of trueth hee had for the same I leaue to dispute ¶ Duke Humfrey to Elinor Cobham ME thinks thou shuldst not doubt I could forget Her whom so many do remember yet No no our ioyes away like shadowes slide But sorrowes firme in memory abide Nay I durst answere thou doost nothing lesse But moou'd with passion vrgde by thy distresse No Elnor no thy woes thy griefe thy wrong Haue in my breast beene resident too long Oh when report in euery place had spred My Elnor was to sanctuarie fled With cursed Ouley and the witch of Eye As guiltie of their vile conspiracie The dreadfull spirits when they did inuocate For the succession and the realmes estate When Henries Image they in waxe had wrought By which he should vnto his death be brought That as his picture did consume away His person so by sicknes should decay Griefe that before could ne're my thoughts controule That instant tooke possession of my soule Ah would to God I could forget thine ill As for mine owne let that instruct me still But that before hath taken too sure hold Forget it said I would to God I could Of any woe if thou hast but one part I haue the whole remaining in my hart I haue no neede of others cares to borrow For all I haue is nothing else but sorrow No my sweete Nell thou tookst not all away Though thou wentst hence here stil thy woes do stay Though from thy husband thou wert forcde to go Those still remaine they will not leaue me so No eie bewailes my ill moanes my distresse Our griefe is more but yet our debt is lesse we owe no teares no mourning dayes are kept For those that yet for vs haue neuer wept we hold no obijts no sad exequies Vpon the death-daies of vnweeping eies Alas good Nell what should thy patience moue T' vpbraid thy kind Lord with a forraine loue Thou mightst haue bid all former ills adue Forgot the olde we haue such store of new Did I omit thy loue to entertaine with mutuall griefe to answere griefe againe Or thinkst thou I vnkindly did forbeare To bandie woe for woe and teare for teare Did I omit or carelesly neglect Those shewes of loue that Ladies so respect In mournefull blacke was I not seene to goe By outward shewes to tell my inward woe Nor drâ—rie words were wasted in lament Nor cloudy brow bewraid my discontent Is this the cause if this be it know then One griefe concealde more grieuous is than ten If in my breast those sorrowes sometimes were And neuer vtterd still they must be there And if thou knowst they many were before By time increasing they must needes be more England to me can challenge nothing lent Let her cast vp what is receiu'd what spent If I her owne can she from blame be free If she but proue a stepdame vnto mee That if I should with that prowd bastard striue To pleade my birth-right and prerogatiue If birth
allow I should not neede to feare it For then my true nobilitie should beare it If counsell ayde that Fraunce will tell I know Whose townes lie waste before the English foe When thrice we gaue the conquered French the foile At Agincourt at Crauant and Uernoile If faith auaile these armes did Henry hold To claime his crowne yet scarcely nine months old If countries care haue leaue to speake for me Gray haires in youth my witnes then may be If peoples tongues giue splendor to my fame They adde a title to duke Humfries name If toyle at home French treason English hate Shall tell my skill in managing the state If forraine trauell my successe may try In Flaunders Almaine Boheme Burgundy That robe of Rome prowd Benford now doth weare In euery place such sway should neuer beare The Crosier staffe in his imperious hand To be the Scepter that controules the land That home to England despensations drawes Which are of power to abrogate our lawes That for those summes the wealthy church should pay Vpon the needy Commontie to lay His ghostly counsells onely doe aduise The meanes how Langlies progenie may rise Pathing young Henries vnaduised waies A Duke of Yorke from Cambridge house to raise which after may our title vndermine Grafted since Edward in Gaunts famous line Vs of succession safely to depriue which they from Clarence fainedly deriue Knowing the will old Cambridge euer bore To eateh the wreathe that famous Henry wore With Gray and Scroope when first he laide the plot From vs and ours the gaâ—land to haue got As from the Match-borne Mortimer to raigne Whose title Glendour stoutly did maintaine When the prowde Percies haughty March and hee Had sharde the Land by equall partes in three His Priesthoode now sterne Mowbray doth restore To stirre the fire that kindled was before Against the Yorkists shall their claime aduance To steele the poynt of Norffolkes sturdie lance Vpon the breast of Herfords issue bent In iust reuenge of antient banishment He dooth aduise to let our prisâ—er goe And doth enlarge the faithlesse Scottish foe Giuing our heires in marriage that their dowres May bring inuasion vpon vs and ours Ambitious Suffolke so the helme doth guide With Benfords damned policies supplide He and the Queene in counsell still conferre How to raise him who hath aduanced her But my deere heart how vainely do I dreame And flie from thee whose sorrowes are my theame My loue to thee and England thus diuided With the most parte how hard to be decided Or thee or that to whether I am loath So neere are you so deere vnto me both Twixt that and thee for equall loue I finde England in gratefull and my Elnor kind But though my country iustly I reproue For countries sake vnkinde vnto my loue Yet is thy Humfrey to his Elnor now As when fresh beauty triumpht on thy brow As when thy graces I admired most Or of thy fauours might the frankli'st boast Those beauties were so infinite before That in abundance I was onely poore Of which though time hath taken some againe I aske no more but what doth yet remaine Be patient gentle heart in thy distresse Thou arte a Princesse not a whit lesse Whilst in these breasts we beare about this life I am thy husband and thou arte my wife Cast not thine eie on such as mounted be But looke on those cast downe as lowe as we For some of them which prowdly pearch so hie Ere long shall come as lowe as thou or I. They weepe for ioy and let vs laugh in woe We shall exchange when heauen will haue it so We mourne and they in after time may mourne Woe past may once laugh present woe to scorne And worse than hath beene we can neuer taste Worse cannot come than is already past In all extreames the onely depth of ill Is that which comforts the afflicted still Ah would to God thou wouldst thy griefes denie And on my backe let all the burthen lie Or if thou canst resigne make thine mine owne Both in one carrige to be vndergone Till we againe our former hopes recouer And prosp'rous times blow these misfortunes ouer For in the thought of those forepassed yeares Some new resemblance of old ioy appeares Mutuall our care so mutuall be our loue That our affliction neuer can remoue So rest in peace where peace hath hope to liue Wishing thee more than I my selfe can giue ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie At Agincourâ— at Grauant and Vernoyle THe three famous battels fought by the Englishmen in France Agincourt by Henry the fift against the whole power of France Crauant fought by Montacute Earle of Salisburie and the Duke of Burgoyne against the Dolphine of France William Stuart Constable of Scotland Vernoile fought by Iohn Duke of Bedford against the Duke of Alanson and with him most of the Nobilitie of France Duke Humfrey an Especiall Councellour in all these expeditions In Flaunders Almain Boheme Burgundie Here remembring the auncient amitie which in his ambassaes he concluded betwixt the King of England and Sigismund Emperour of Almaine drawing the Duke of Burgoyne into the same league giuing himselfe as an hostage for the duke of saint Omers while the Duke came to Calice to confirme the league With his many other imployments to forraine Kingdoms That crosier staffe in his imperious hand Henry Beuford Cardinall of Winchester that proud haughtie Prelate receyued his Cardinals hat at Calice by the Popes Legate which dignitie Henry the fift his nephew forbade him to take vpon him knowing his haughtie and malicious spirit vnfit for that robe and calling The meanes how Langleis progenie may rise As willing to shew the house of Cambridge to bee descended of Edmund Langley Duke of Yorke a yonger brother to Iohn of Gaunt his Grand-father as much as in him lay to smother the title that the Yorkists made to the crowne from Lionell of Clarence Gaunts elder brother by the daughter of Mortimer His priesthood now sterne Mowbray doth restore Nothing the ancient grudge betweene the house of Lancaster and Norffolke euer since Mowbray duke of Norffolke was banished for the accusation of Henry duke of Herford after the king of England father to duke Humfrey which accusation hee came as a Combatant to haue made good in the Lists at Couentry And giues our heires in marriage that their dowers Iames Stuart King of Scots hauing bin long prisoner in England was released and tooke to wife the daughter of Iohn duke of Somerset sister to Iohn duke of Somerset neece to the Cardinall and the duke of Excester and coosin germain remooued to the King this King broke the oath he had taken and became after a great enemie to England FINIS ¶ To my Honored Mistris Mistris Elizabeth Tanfield the sole daughter and heire of that famous and learned Lawyer Lawrence Tanfield Esquire FAire and vertuous Mistres since first it was my good fortune to bee a witnesse of the many
Emperour that Charles eldest sonne of the said Philip should marry the Ladie Mary daughter to King Henry when they came to age which agreement was afterward in the eight yeare of Henry the eight annihilated When he in triumph of his victorie Vnder a rich embrodered Canapie Entred proud Turney which did trembling stand c. Henry the 8. after the long siege of Turnay which was deliuered to him vpon composition entred the Citie in triumph vnder a Canapie of cloth of gold borne by foure of the chiefe and most noble Cittizens the king himselfe mounted vpou a gallant courser barbed with the Armes of England France and Ireland When Charles of Castile there to banquet came With him his sister that ambitious Dame Sauoys prowd Dutches The King being at Turnay there came to him the Prince of Castile and the Lady Margaret Dutches of Sanoy his sister to whom King Henry gaus great entertainment Sauoys proud Dutches knowing how long shee By her loue sought to win my loue from mee At this time there was speech of a marriage to be concluded betweene Charles Brandron then Lord Lâ—ste and the Dutches of Sauoy the Lord Lâ—sâ—e being highly fauoured and exceedingly beloued of the Dutches. When in King Henries Tent of cloth of gold The King caused a rich Tent of cloth of gold to bee erected where he feasted the Prince of Castile and the Dutches and entertained them with sumptuous maskes and banquets during their aboad When Maximillian to those wars addrest Were Englands Crosse on his imperiall breast Maximillian the Emperour with all his souldiers which serued vnder king Henry wore the Crosse of S. George with the Rose on their breasts And in our Armie let his Eagle flie The blacke Eagle is the badge imperiall which here is vsed for the displaying of his ensigne or standard And had his pay from Henries treasurie Henry the 8. at his wars in France retained the Emperor al his souldiers in wages which serued vnder him during those warres But this alone by Wolseys wit was wrought Thomas Wolsey the kings Almoner then Bishop of Lincolne a man of great authoritie with the king and afterward Cardinall was the chiefe cause that the Lady Mary was married to the old French King with whom the French had dealt vnder-hand to befriend him in that match When the proud Dolphin for thy valour sake Chose thee at tilt his Princely part to take Frauncis Duke of Valoyes and Dolphin of Fraunce at the mariage of the Lady Mary in honour thereof proclaimed a Iusts where he chose the Duke of Suffolke and the Marques Dorset for his aydes at all martiall exercises Galeas and Bounarme matchlesse for their might This Countie Galeas at the Iusts ran a course with a speare which was at the head fiue inches square on euery side and at the But nine inches square wherby he shewed his woÌ„drous force and strength This Bounarme a Gentleman of Fraunce at the same time came into the field armed at all poyntes with tenne Speares about him in each stirrop three vnder each thigh one one vnder his left arme and one in his hand and putting his horse to the careere neuer stopped him till he had broken euerie staffe Hall Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk to Mary the French Queene BVt that thy faith commaunds me to forbeare The fault thine owne if I vnpacient were Were my dispatch such as should be my speede I should want time thy louing lines to reede Heere in the Court Camelion-like I fare And as that creature feed vpon the ayre All day I waite and all the night I watch And starue mine eares to heare of thy dispatch If Douer were th'Abydos of my rest Or pleasant Cal 〈…〉 ce were my Maries Cest Thou shouldst not need faire Queene to blame me so Did not the distance to desire say no Noted ous night from trauell should be free Tâ—ll through the wanes with swimming vnto thee A snowy path I made vnto thy Bay So bright as is that Nectar-stained way The restlesse sunne by trauelling doth weare Passing his course to finish vp the yeare But Paris lockes my loue within the maine And London yet my Brandon doth detaine Of thy firme loue thou putst me still in minde But of my faith not one word can I finde When Longauile to Mary was affide And thou by him wast made King Lewes bride How oft I wisht that thou a prize mightst bee That I in armes might combate him for thee And in the madnesse of my loue distraught A thousand times his murther haue sore thought But that th'all-seeing powers which sit a 〈…〉 Regard not mad mens oathes nor faults in loue And haue confirmde it by the graunt of heauen That Louers sinnes on earth should be forgiuen For neuer than is halfe so much distrest As he that loues to see his loue possest Comming to Richmond after thy depart Richmond where first thou stolst away my heart Me thought it looke not as it did of late But wanting thee â—or loâ—ne and desolate In whose faire walkes thou often hast bin seene To sport with Katharine Henries beauteous Queene Astâ—nishing sad winter with thy sight As for thy sake the day hath put backe night That the smal birds as in the pleasant spring Forgot themselues and haue begun to sing So oft I go by Thames so oft returne Me thinkes for thee the riuer yet doth mourne Who I haue seene to let her streame at large Which like a hand-maid waited on thy Barge And if thou hapst against the flood to row Which way it ebd it presently would flow Weeping in drops vpon thy laboring oares For ioy that it had got thee from the shoares The Swans with musicke that the Roothers make Ruffing their plumes come gliding on the lake As the fleete Dolphins by Arionâ— strings Were brought to land with their sweete rauishings The flockes and hâ—irdes that pasture neere the flood To gaze vpon thee haue forborne their food And sate downe sadly mourning by the brim That they by nature were not made to swim Whenas the Post to Englands royall Court Of thy hard passage brought the true report How in a storme thy well rigd ships were tost And thou thy selfe in danger to be lost I knew t was Venus loath'd that aged bed Where beautie so should be dishonoured Or fearde the Sea-Nimphs haunting of the lake If thou but seene their Goddesse should forsake And whirling round her Doue-drawne Coach about To view the Nauie now in lanching out Her ayrie mantle loosely doth vnbinde Which fanning forth a rougher gale of winde Wafted thy sailes with speede vnto the land And runnes thy ship on Bullins harboring strand How should I ioy of thy arriue to heare But as a poore sea-faring passenger After long trauaile tempest-torne and wrack'd By some vnpitting Pirat that is sack'd Heare 's the false robber that hath stolne his wealth Landed in some safe harbour and in health Enriched with invaluable store For which he
long hath trauailed before When thou to Abuile heldst th' appointed day We heard how Lewes met thee on the way Where thou in glittering Tissue strangely dight Appear'dst vnto him like the Queene of light In cloth of siluer all thy virgin traine In beautie sumptuous as the Northerne waine And thou alone the formost glorious star Which lead'st the teame of that great Wagoner What could thy thought be but as I do thinke When thine eyes tasted what mine eares did drinke A cripple King laid bed-rid long before Yet at thy comming crept out of the doore T' was well he rid he had no legs to goe But this thy beautie forc'd his body to For whom a cullice had more fitter beene Then in a golden bed a gallant Queene To vse thy beautie as the miser gold Which hoards it vp but onely to behold Still looking on it with a iealous eye Fearing to lend yet louing vsurie O Sacriledge if beautie be diuine The prophane hand shuld touch the halowed shrine To 〈◊〉 sicknesse on the sound mans diet To rob content yet still to liue vnquiet And hauing all to be of all beguild And yet still longing like a little child When Marques Dorset and the valiant Graies To purchase fame first crost the narrow Seas With all the Knights that my associates went In honour of thy nuptiall turnament Thinkst thou I ioy'd not in thy beauties pride When thou in triumph didst through Paris ride Where all the streetes as thou didst pace along With Arras Bisse and Tapestry were hung Ten thousand gallant Cittizens prepar'd In rich atâ—ire thy princely selfe to guard Next them three thousand choise 〈…〉 igious men In golden vestments followed on agen And in procession as they came along With Hymeneus sang thy marriage song Then fiue great Dukes as did their places fall To each of these a princely Cardinall Then thou on thy imperiall Chariot set Crown'd with a rich imperled Coronet Whilst the Persian dames as thy traine past Their pretious incence in abundance cast As Cinthia from the waue-embatteld shrowdes Opening the West comes streaming through the clowds With shining troupes of siluer-tressed stars Attending on her as her torch-bearers And all the lesser lights about her throne With admiration stand as lookers on Whilst she alone in height of all her pride The Queene of light along her spheare doth glide When on thy tilt my horse like thunder came No other signall had I but thy name Thy voyce my trumpet and my guide thine eyes And but thy beautie I esteemde no prize That large 〈…〉 d Almaine of the Giants race Which bare strength on his breast feare in his face Whose sinewde armes with his steele-temperd blade Through plate and male such open passage made Vpon whose might the Frenchmens glory lay And all the hope of that victorious day Thou sawe'st thy Brandon beate him on his knee Offring his shield a conquerd spoile to thee But thou wilt say perhaps I vainely boast And tell thee thee which thou already know'st No sacred Queene my valour I denie It was thy beautie not my chiualrie One of thy tressed curles which falling downe As loth to be imprisoned in thy crowne I saw the soft ayre sportiuely to take it To diuers shapes and sundry formes to make it Now parting it to foure to three to twaine Now twisting it and then vntwist againe Then make the thrids to dally with thine eye A sunny candle for a golden flie At length from thence one little teare it got Which falling downe as though a star had shot My vp-turnde eye pursues it with my sight The which againe redoubleth all my might T is but in vaine of my descent to boast When heauens lampe shines all other lights be lost Faulcons gaze not the Eagle sitting by Whose broode suruaies the sunne with open eye Else might my blood finde issue from his force In Bosworth plaine beate Richard from his horse Whose puissant armes great Richmond chose to wield His glorious colours in that conquering field And with his sword in his deere Soueraignes fight To his last breath stood fast in Henries right Then beauteous Empresse thinke this safe delay Shall be the euen to a ioyfull day Fore-sight doth still on all aduantage lie Wise-men must giue place to necessitie To put backe ill our good we must forbeare Better first feare then after still to feare T' were ouer-sight in that at which we aime To put the hazard on an after-game With patience then let vs our hopes attend And till I come receiue these lines I send ¶ Notes of the Chronicle-Historie When Longauile to Mary was affied THe Duke of Longauile which was prisonet in England vpon the peace to be concluded betweene England and France was deliuered and married the Princesse Mary for Lewes the French King his Maister How in a storme thy well rigg'd ships were tost And thou c. As the Queene sailed for France a mighty storme arose at sea so that the Nauy was in great danger and was seuered some driuen vpon the coast of Flanders some on Brittaine the ship wherein the Queene was was driuen into the hauen at Bullen with very great danger When thou to Abuile heldst th' appointed day King Lewes met her by Abuile neere to the Forrest of Arders and brought her into Abuile with great solemnitie Appear'dst vnto him like the Queene of light Expressing the sumptuous attire of the Queene her train attended by the chiefe of the Nobility of England with 36. Ladies al in cloth of siluer their horses trapped with crimson veluet A cripple King laid bed-rid long before King Lewes was a man of great yeeres troubled much with the gowt so that he had long time before little vse of legs When Marques Dorset and the valiant Graies The Duke of Suffolke when the proclamation came into England of iusts to be holden in France at Paris he for the Queenes sake his Mistris obtained of the King to go thither with whom went the Marquesse Dorset and his foure brothers the Lord Clinton Sir Edward Neuell Sir Giles Chappell Tho Cheyney which went all ouer with the Duke as his assistants When thou in triumph didst through Paris ride A true description of the Queenes entring into Paris after her coronation performed at S. Dennis Then fiue great Dukes as did their places fall The Dukes of Alansoon Burbon Vandome Longauile Suffolke with fiue Cardinalls That large-limd Almaine of the Giants race Francis Valoys the Dolphin of France enuying the glory that the Englishmen had obtained at the Tilt brought in an Almaine secretly a man thought almost of incomparable strength which encountred Charles Brandon at Barriers but the Duke grapling with him so beate him about the head with the pumell of his sword that the blood came out of the sight of his Caske Else might my blood finde issue from his force In Bosworth c. Sir William Brandon Standard-bearer to the Earle of Richmond after Henry the 7.
speed vs. Whom a graue Councell freely did abet Iohn Dudley Duke of Northumberland when he went out against Queene Mary had his commission sealed for the generalship of the Army by the consent of the whole Councell of the land insomuch that passing through the Councell chamber at his departure the Earle of Arundell wished that hee might haue gone with him in that expedition and to spend his blood in the quarrell When Suffolks power doth Suffolks hopes withstand Northumberland doth leane Northumberland The Suffolke men were the first that euer resorted to Queene Mary in her distresse repayring to her succours whilst shee remained both at Keningall and at Fermingham Castell still increasing her aydes vntill the Duke of Northumberland was lest forsaken at Cambridge Finis THE worlds faire Rose and Henries frostie fire Iohns tiranny and chaste Matilda's wrong Th' inraged Queene and furious Mortimer The scourge of Fraunce and his chaste loue I song Deposed Richard Isabell exil'd The gallant Tudor and faire Katherine Duke Humfrey and old Cobhams haplesse child Couragious Pole and that braue spritfull Queene Edward and the delicious London Dame Brandon and that rich dowager of Fraunce Surrey with his faire paragon of fame Dudleys mishap and vertuous Grayes mischaunce Their seuerall loues since I before haue showne Now giue me leaue at last to sing mine owne To the Reader of his Poems Sonet 1. INto these loues who but for passion lookes At this first sight heere let them lay them by And seeke else-where in turning other bookes Which better may his labour satisfie No far-fetch'd sigh shall euer wound my breast Loue from mine eye a teare shall neuer wâ—ing Nor in ah-mees my whining Sonnets drest A Libertine fantastickly I sing My verse is the true image of my mind Euer in motion still desiring change The choise of all varietie inclin'd And in all humors sportiuely I range My actiue Muse is of the worlds right straine That cannot long one fashion entertaine The second to the Reader Sonet 2 MAny there be excelling in this kind Whose wel trick'd rimes with al inuention swel Let each commend as best shall like his mind Some Sidney Constable some Daniell That thus their names familiarly I sing Let none thinke them disparaged to be Poore men with reuerence may speake of a King And so may these be spoken of by me My wanton verse nere keepes one certaine stay But now at hand then seekes inuention far And with each little motion runnes astray Wilde madding iocund and irregular Like me that lust my honest merry rimes Nor care for Criticke nor regard the times IDEA Sonnet 1. THine eies taught me the alphabet of loue To kon my crosse-row ere I learnd to spell For I was apt a Scholler like to proue Gaue me sweete lookes whenas I learned well Vowes were my vowells when I then begunne At my first lesson in thy sacred name My consonants the next when I had done Words consonant and sounding to thy fame My liquids then were liquide cristall teares My cares my mutes so mute to craue reliefe My dolefull dipthongs were my lifes dispaires Redoubling sighs the accents of my griefe My loues Schoole-mistris now hath taught me so That I can reade a storie of my woe Sonnet 2. MY hart was slaine and none but you and I who should I thinke the murther should coÌ„mit Since but your selfe there was no creature by But onely I guiltlesse of murthring it It slew it selfe the verdict on the view Doe quit the dead and me not accessary Well well I feare it will be prou'd by you The euidence so great a proofe doth carry But O see see we neede enquire no further Vpon your lips the scarlet drops are found And in your eye the boy that did the murther Your cheeks yet pale since first they gaue the wound By this I see how euer things be past Yet heauen will still haue murther out at last Sonnet 3. TAking my penne with words to cast my woes Duely to count the summe of all my cares I finde my griefe innumerable growes The recknings rise to millions of dispaires And thus diuiding of my fatall houres The payments of my loue I reade and crosse Substracting set my sweets vnto my sowers My ioyes arerage leades me to my losse And thus mine eyes a debtour to thine eye Which by extortion gaineth all their lookes My heart hath payd such grieuous vsurie That all his wealth lies in thy beauties bookes And all is thine which hath beene due to mee And I a Bankrupt quite vndone by thee An allusion to Narcissus Sonnet 4. BEautie sometime in all her glorie crowned Passing by that cleare fountaine of thine eye Her sun-shine face there chauncing to espie Forgot herselfe deeming she had beene drowned And thus whilest beautie on her beautie gazed Whothen yet liuing thought she had beene dying And yet in death some hope of life espying With her owne rare perfections so amazed Twixt ioy and griefe yet with a smiling frowning The glorious sun-beames of her eyes bright shining And she on her owne destenie diuining Cast her selfe to saue herselfe by drowning The well of Nectar pau'd with pearle and gold Where she remaines for all eyes to behold Sonnet 5. NOthing but no and I and I and no How falls it out so strangely you reply I tell ye Faire I le not be aunswered so With this affirming no denying I I say I loue you slender aunswere I I say you loue you pule me out a no I say I die you eccho me with I Saue me I cry you sigh me out a no Must woe and I haue naught but no and I No I am I if I no more can haue Aunswere no more with silence make reply And let me take my selfe what I do craue Let no and I with I and you be so Then aunswere no and I and I and no. To Harmonie Sonnet 6. LOue once would daunce within my Mistresse eye And wanting musique fitting for the place Swore that I should the instrument supply And sodainely presents me with her face Straitwaies my pulse play liuely in my vaines My panting breath doth keepe a meaner time My qâ—au'ring artires be the tenours straines My trembling sinewes serue the counterchime My hollow sighs the deepest bâ—se doe beare True diapason in distincted sound My panting hart the trebble makes the aire And deskenâ—s fineliâ— on the musikes ground Thus like a Luteor Viall did I he Whilst he prowd slaue dauncde galliards in her eie Sonnet 7. LOue in an humor plaide the prodigall And bids my sences to a solemne feast Yet more to grace the companie withall Inuitâ—s my haâ—t to be the chiefest guest No other drinke would serue this gluttons turne But pretious teares distilling from mine eine Which with my sighs this Epicure doth burne Quaffing carowses in this costly wine Where in his cups o'recome with foule excesse Beginnes to play a swaggering ruffins part And at the banquet in his drunkennes S 〈…〉 my
deere friend his kinde and truest hart A gentâ—e warning friends thus may you see What t is to keepe a drunkard companie To the Moone Sonct 8 PHoebe looke downe and heere behold in mee The elements within thy sphere inclosed How kindely Nature plac'd them vnder thee And in my world see how they are disposed My hope is earth the lowest cold and dry The grosser mother of deepe melancholie Water my teares coolde with humidity Wan flegmaticke inclinde by Nature wholy My sighes the ayre hote moist ascending higher Subtile of sanguine dyde in my haâ—ts dolor My thoughts they be the element of fiâ—e Hote dry and piercing still inclinde to choler Thine eye the Orbe vnto all these from whence Proceedes th' effects of powerfull influence To Lunacie Sonnet 9. AS other men so I my selfe do muse Why in this sorte I wrest inuention so And why these giddy metaphors I vse Leauing the path the greater part do goe I will resolue you I am lunaticke And euer this in mad-men you shall finde What they last thoght on when the braine grew sicke In most distraction keepe that still in minde Thus talking idely in this bedlam fit Reason and I you must conceiue are twaine T is nine yeeres now since first I lost my wit Beare with me then though troubled be my braine With diet and correction men distraught Not too farre past may to their wits be brought Sonnet 10. TO nothing fitter can I thee compare Then to the sonne of some rich penny father Who hauing now brought on his end with care Leaues to his sonne all he had heap'd together This new rich nouice lauish of his chest To one man giues and on an other spends Then heere he riots yet amongst the rest Haps to send some to one true honest friend Thy gifts thou in obscuritie doost waste False friends thy kindenes borne but to deceiue thee Thy loue that is on the vnworthy plac'd Time hath thy beautie which with age will leaue thee Onely that little which to me was lent I giue thee backe when all the rest is spent Sonnet 11. YOu not alone when you are still alone O God from you that I could priuate be Since you one were I neuer since was one Since you in me my selfe since out of me Transported from my selfe into your being Though either distant present yet to either Sencelesse with too much ioy each other seeing And onely absent when we are together Giue me my selfe and take your selfe againe Deuise some meanes but how I may forsake you So much is mine that doth with you remaine That taking what is mine with me I take you You do bewitch me O that I could flie From my selfe you or from your owne selfe I. To the Soule Sonnet 12. THat learned father which so firmely proues The Soule of man immortall and diuine And doth the seuerall offices define Anima Giues her that name as she the body moues Amor Then is she loue imbracing Charitie Animus Mouing a will in vs it is the minde Mens Retaining knowledge still the same in kinde Memoria As intellectuall it is the memory Ratio In iudgeing Reason onely is her name Sensus In speedie apprehension it is sence Conscientia In right or wrong they call her conscience Spiritus The spirit wheÌ„ it to Godward doth inflame These of the soule the seuerall functions bee Which my heart lightned by thy loue doth see To the Shaddow Sonnet 13. LEtters and lines we see are soone defaced Mettells do waste and fret with cankers rust The Diamond shall once consume to dust And freshest colours with fowle staines disgraced Paper and incke can paint but naked words To write with blood offorce offends the sight And if with teares I finde them all too light And sighes and signes a seely hope affords O sweetest shadow how thou seru'st my turne Which still shalt be as long as there is sunne Nor whilst the world is neuer shall be done Whilst Moone shall shine or any fire shall burne That euery thing whence shadow doth proceede May in his shadow my loues story reede Sonnet 14. IF hee from heauen that filch'd that liuing fire Condemn'd by Ioue to end lesle torment be I greatly meruaile how you still go free That farre beyond Prometheus did aspire The fire he stole although of heauenly kinde Which from aboue he craftily did take Of liuelesse clods vs liuing men to make Againe bestow'd in temper of the minde â—ut vou brok into heauens immortall store Where vertue honour wit and beauty lay Which taking thence you haue escap'd away Yet stand as free as e're you did before But old Prometheus punish'd for his rape Thus poore theeues suffer when the greater scape Sonnet 15. VIewing the glasse of my youthes miseries I see the face of my deformed eares With withered browes all wrinckled with dispaires That for my youth the teares fall from mine eyes Then in these teares the mirrors of these eyes Thy fairest youth and be 〈…〉 y do I see Imprinted there by looking still on thee Thus midst my woes ten thousand ioyes arise Yet in these ioyes the shadowes of my good In this faâ—e limmed ground as white as snow Painted the blackest image of my woe With murthring hands imbrude in mine owne blood And in this image his darke clowdy eyes My life and loue I heere anatomiâ—e To the Phoeniae Sonnet 16. VVIthin the compasse of this spatious round Amongst all birds the Phoenix is alone Which but by you could neuer haue beene knowne None like to that none like to you is found Heape your owne vertues seasoned by their sunne On heauenly top of your diuine desire Then with your beautie set the same on fire So by your death your life shal be begunne Your selfe thus burned in this sacred flame With your owne sweetnes all the heauens perfuming And still encreasing as you are consuming Shall spring againe from th' ashes of your fame And mounting vp shall to the heauens ascend So may you liue past world past fame past end To Time Sonnet 17. STay stay sweete Time behold or e're thou passe From world to world thou long hast fought to see That wonder now wherein all wonders bee Where heauen beholds her in a mortall glasse Nay looke thee Time in this celestiall glasse And thy youth past in this suite mirrour see The first worlds beautie in the infancie What it was then what thou before it was Now passe on Time to afâ—r-worlds tell this And yet shalt tell but truely what hath beene That they may say what former time hath seene And heauen may ioy to thinke on past worlds blis Heere make a period Time and say for me She was whose like againe shall neuer be To the Celestiall numbers Sonnet 18. VNto the world to learning and to heauen Three nines there are to euerie one a nine One number of the earth the other both diuine One woman now makes three odde numbers euen Nine orders first of
Forth of my lap I powre aboundant blisse All good proceedes from my all-giuing hand By me man happy or vnhappy is For whom I sticke or whom I doe with stand And it is I am friendships onely band And vpon which all greedily take hold VVhich being broke loue suddainely growes cold Pawsing she frownes when suddainely withall A fearefull noise ariseth from the stood As when a tempest furiously doth fall within the thicke waste of some antient wood That in amazement euery mortall stoode As though her words such powerfulnesse did beare That euery thing her minaces did feare VVhen fame yet smiling mildely thus replies Alas quoth she what labor thou hast lost what wond'rous mists thou casts before our eyes Yet will the gaine not countervaile the cost what wouldst thou say if thou hadst cause to boast which sett'st thy state forth in such wond'rous sort VVhich but thy selfe none euer could reportâ— A thing constrained onely by euent Breeding in some a transitory terror A what men will that comes by accident And onely named to excuse their error What then is Fortune or who doth preferre her Or who to thee so foolish is to leane Which weake tradition onely doth maintain A toy whereon the doting world doth dreame Soothed by that vncertaine obseruation Of all attempts that being the extreame Fastneth thereby on weake imagination Yet notwithstanding all this vsurpation Vnto thy selfe art incidently loathing Most when thou woldst be that art rightly nothing That slightly by insinuating thus And vnder so allowable pretence Closely incroacheth on mans Genius In good and euill taking refidence And hauing got some small preheminence Vnto thy selfe a being that wouldst frame Findes in conclusion only but a name Those ignorant which made a god of Nature And Natures God diuinely neuer knew Were those to Fortune did direct a stature From whom thy worship ignorantly grew Which being adored foolishly by few Grounded thy looser and vncertaine lawes Vpon so weake and indigent a cause First stouth did beare thee in her sleepy cell And thee with ease dishonourably fed Deliuering thee with Cowardice to dwell Which with base thoughts continually thee bred By superstition idely being led A lewd imposture after did thee make Whom for a goddesse fooles doe onely take And as thy followers nothing doost forecast And as thou arte improuident as light And this the chiefest property thou hast That against vertue thou bendst all thy might With whom thou wagest a continuall fight The yeelding spirite in fetters thou doost binde But weake and slauish to the constant minde Such is thy froward and malignant kinde That thou doost all things crossely in despight Thou art inamored of a barbarous hinde Whome thou doost make thy onely fauorite None but the base in basenesse doth delight For wert thou heauenly thou in loue wouldst bee with that which neerest doth resemble thee But I alone the herauld am of heauen Whose spacious kingdome shetcheth farre and wide To euery coast as swift as lightning driuen And on the sunne-beames gloriously I ride Now mount I vp now downe againe I slide I register the worlds eternall howres That know the hid will of th' immortall powres Men to the starres me guiding them do clime That all dimensions perfectly expresse And I alone the vanquisher of time Bearing that sweere that cures deaths bitternesse That doe all labour plentifully blesse That all obstruse profundities impart Leading man through the tedious wayes of Arte. My pallace placed betwixt earth and skies Which many a Tower ambitiously vpheares Whereof the windowes are composde of eies The walles as strongly edifide of eares where euery thing in heauen and earth appeares Nothing so softly whispered in the round But through my pallace presently doth sound And vnder-foote floor'd all about with drummes The rafters trumpets admirably cleere Sounding alowde each name that thither comes The crannies tongues and talking euery where And all things past doe in remembrance beare The doores vnlocke with euery little breath And open wide with euery word man saith And throwout hung with armes conquer'd spoiles The postes whereon the goodly roofe doth stand Are Pillars grauen with Herculian toiles Th'atchieuements great of many a warrelike hand Both in the christen'd and in heathen land Done by those Nobles that are most renown'd Which there by me immortally are crown'd Here in the bodies likenes whilst it liues Appeare the thoughts proceeding from the minde To which the place a glorious habite giues When vnto me they freely are resignde To be preseru'd there by my power refinde That when the body by plae death doth perish Then doth this place the minds true Image cherish My beautie neuer Fades but as new borne As yeares increase so euer waxing yong My strength is not diminished nor worne What weakeneth all things makes me onely strong Nor am I subiect vnto worldly wrong The rape of time I carelesly defie Nor am I awde by all his tyrannie The brow of heauen my monuments containe which is the mighty register of Fame which there in firie characters remaine The gorgeous seeling of th' immortall frame The Constellations publishing my name where my memorialls euermore abide In those pure bodies highly glorifide F 〈…〉 hauing ended Fortune next beganne Further to vrge what she before had said when loe quoth she duke Robert is the man which as my prisners I in bondes do leade For whome thou comst against me heere to pleade Whome I alone deprined of his crowne Who can raise him that Fortune will haue downe A fitter instance Fame replying none Then is Duke Robert Fortune do thy worst Greater to man thy might was neuer showne Doing on him what euer Fortune durst And since thy turne allotted thee the first Proceede see which the Norman Duke shall haue Whether that Fame or Fortune and the graue Quoth Fortune then I found th'vnstedfast starre Whose lucklesse working limited his fate That mark'd his sad natiuitie with warre And brothers most vnnaturall debate Publique sedition and with priuate hate And on that good his father him begunne Grounded the wracke and downe fal of this sonne What bounteous nature franckly did bestow Wherein her best she strained her to trie Thereby himselfe I made him ouerthrow Aboue you both so powerfull am I His breast to all so openly did lie Iudg'd from his fashion differing so farre For peace too milde too mercifull for warre And yet the courage that he did inherit And from the greatnesse of his blood did take Though shrowded in so peaceable a spirit When now his wrong so roughly did awake Forthwith such furie violently brake As made the world impartially to see All humane actions managed by mee That till reuenge was wholly him bereâ—t Opposde against so absolute a powre And him to leane on nothing being left when danger most him threatned to deuoure Vnto the period of the vtmost howre Him flattering still with promise of my loue Did make him all extreamities to proue That whilst his
whence Fame carries thither she doth bring And which soeuer she doth lowdly ring Thither ah me vnhappily she brought Where I my barre vnfortunately caught There stood my beautie boldly for the prize Where the most cleere and perfectst iudgements be And of the same the most iudiciall eyes Did giue the gole impartially to me So did I stand vnparaleld and free And like a comet in the euenings skie Strooke with amazement euery wondring eye This t' was possest the breast of princely Iohn This on his hart-strings endlesse musicke made This wholy wonne him vnto it alone And fully did his faculties inuade From which not reason euer could disswade This taught his eyes their due attendance still Holding the reines which rulde his princely will When yet my father fortunate in Court And by his blood ranck'd equall with the best Hauing his quicke eare touch'd with this report Which yet the newes but hardly could digest And on my youth his onely care did rest Straitly pursues it by those secret spies As still in Courts attend on Princes eyes And he thus while who seemed but to sleepe Till he the Princes purposes could sound And to himselfe yet secretly did keepe What he but late had prouidently found So well that wise Lord could conceale his wound That well fore-saw how daugerous it would proue To crosse the course of his impatient loue When hauing found how violent a flame Vnbrideled will had kindled in the King If on the suddaine he should stop the same A greater inconuenience might bring Which being knowne so dangerous a thing Me doth bethinke him fittest to perswade E're for my safety further means he made Deare girle quoth he thou seest who doth await T' intrap that beautie bred to be thy foe Being so faire and delicate a bait Tempting all eyes themselues there to bestow Whose power the King is taught too soone to know Of his desire that what the end may bee Thy youth may feare my knowledge doth fore-see And for thou liuest publiquely in Court Whose priuiledge doth euery meane protect Where the ensample of the greatest sort Doth more then opportunitie effect None thriuing there that dwell vpon respect Being a lottery where but few do winne Falshood th' aduenture and the prize but sinne Subt'ly opposing to thy longing sight What may to pleasure possibly prouoke And fitly fashioned vnto thy delight That with the grauest strikes too great a stroke Hauing withall emperious power thy cloke With such strong reasons on her part propounded As may leaue vertue seemingly confounded Many the waies inducing to thy fall And to thy safety none is left to guide thee And when thy danger greatest is of all Euen then thy succour soonest is denide thee So sundry meanes from vertue to diuide thee Hauing with all mortalitie about thee Frailty with in temptation set without thee The leachers tongue is neuer voide of guile Nor wants he teares when he would winne his pray The subtilst tempter hath the smoothest stile Sirens sing sweetely when they would betray Lust of it selfe had neuer any stay Nor to containe it bounds could haue deuisde That when most fild is least of all suffisde With euery meane and maiestie is fraught That all things hath contained in his power And who wil conquer leaues no meane vnsaught Soft golden drops did pierce the brazen Tower Watching th' aduantage of each passing hower Time offering still each howre to doe amisse Thy banefull poison spiced with thy blisse And when this heady and vnseasned rage Which in his blood doth violently raigne Time that the heate shall peceably asswage Shall shew the more apparently thy staine Which vnto ages euer shall remaine Sinne in a chaine leades on her sister shame And both in gyues fast fettered to defame Kings vse their loues as garments they haue worne Or as the meate whereon they fully fed The Saint once gone who doth the shrine adorne Or what is Nectar carelesly if shed vvhat Princes vvealth redeemes thy maidenhead vvhich should be held as pretious as thy breath vvhose desolution consumates thy death The stately Eagle on his height dooth stand And from the maine the fearefull fowle doth smite Yet scornes to tuch it lying on the land When he hath felt the sweete of his delight But leaues the same a prey to euery kite With much we surffet plenty makes vs poore The vvretched Indian spurnes the golden ore When now he points the periode with a teare vvhich in my bosome made so great a breach As euery precept firmely fixed there And still his councel vnto me did preach A father so effectually should teach That then his words I after euer found Written on so immaculate a ground The youthfull king deluded but the while That in his breast did beare this quenchlesse fire Whilst flattring hope his sences doth beguile That with fresh life still quickned his desire And gone so farre now meant not to retire Thinkes if that aptly winning him but place By loue or power to purchase him my grace Which still deferring found he still did faile Nor to his minde aught kindely tooke effect Couragiously resoluing to assaile That other meanes doth vtterly neglect In spite what feare could any way obiect And finding time not booting to be mute Thus to me lastly did preferre his sute Deare maide quoth he when Nature had ordained Thee to the world her workemanship to bring All other creatures knowing she had stained By so diuine and excellent a thing Onely therefore to gratifie a King Seal'd thee the Charter dated at thy birth Mirrour of heauen the wonder of the earth Hoord not thy beautie heauen doth giue thee store Pittie such treasure should lie idely dead Which being imparted shall increase the more And by the interest euermore be fed To be mans comfort that was onelie bred vvhich of it selfe is of such povver and might As like the sunne ioyes all things with the sight From those bright stars such streams of lightning glide As through the eies doe wound the very hart Whose vertues may be sundrie waies applide Hurting and healing like Achilles dart Such bountie Nature did to them impart Those lampes two planets clearer then the seauen That with their splendor light the world to heauen Had Art such colours as could truly show Each rare perfection rightly in his kinde And on each one sufficiently bestowe Vnto the glory properly assignde Painting the beauties aptly to the minde But O alone thy excellence is such As words though many lessen worth so much He is thy king who is become thy subiect Sometimes thy Lord now seruant to thy loue Thy gracefull features be his onely obiect Who for thy sake a thousand deaths durst proue A Princes prayer should some compassion moue Let woolues and beares be cruell in their kindes But women meeke and haue relenting mindes Daine deare to looke vpon these brimfull eyes With tides of teares continually frequented Where hope without foode hunger-staruen lies which to
minde Such a one was I the mirrour of my kinde This was the baite was laide for Edwards loue That bred the league of amitie thereby That no misfortune after could remoue vvhen she the vtmost of her force did trie Nor death it selfe retained power to sunder Friendship seld seene and in the world a wonder Heere on this earth th' onely meane thou art Whereby we hold intelligence with heauen And it is thou that onely doost impart All good can to mortalitie be giuen That 〈…〉 red boâ—d that neuer canst be broken O word diuine to be with reu'râ—nce spoken With this sweete Prince in height of worldly blisse vvhilst Tutors care his wandering eares did guide I liu'd enioying whatsoe're was his vvho ne're my pleasures any thing denide Whose deare affection still me so attended As on my ioyes his happines depended Whether that it my rare perfections were That wonne my youth such fauour in his eie Or that the heauens to whom I seemde so deare On me downe showr'd this blessing from the skie I cannot tell but well it did direct That could produce such wonderfull effect Thou Arke of heauen where wonders are enrouled O depth of Nature who can looke vnto thee What might he be that hath thy doome controuled Or hath the key of Reason to vndoe thee Thy workes diuine which thine alone doe know Shallow mans wit too short for things below The soule her liking subt'ly doth espie In the high power that is to her assignde By the cleere sight discouering through the eie The thing agreeing aptliest with her kinde And by each motion quickely apprehendeth That which it selfe past humane sense extendeth This Edward in the April of his age Whilst yet the crowne sate on his fathers head Like that great loue with his rap'd Phrigian page Me with Ambrosiall delicacies fed He might command that was the Soueraignes son And what I said that onelie must be done My will a lawe autentically past My yea by him was neuer crossd with no Who in affection chained was so fast He as my shadow still with me did goe To me this Prince so pliant was in all Still as an eccho answering to my call My smiles his life his heauen was in my sight And his delight confinde by my desire Who from my cleere eies borrowed all his light As pal 〈…〉 I de Cinthia from her brothers fire My cheeke the pillow where he laide his head My brow his booke my bosome was his bed Like faire Idalia bent to amorous sportes With yong Adonis in the wanton shade Figuring her passions in as sundry sortes As he to her indeerements to perswade Eithers affections happily to moue With all the tender daliances of loue The table thus of our delight was laid Scru'd with what dainties pleasure coulde deuise And many a Syren musicke sweetely plaid O that youth had vs wherewith to suffice whilst we on that vnsatiately doe feede Which our confusion afterwards did breed For still I spurd his violent desire Holding the reines wherewith he rulde the sunne My blandishment the fuell to the fire In which to frie already he begunne waxing his wings taught him Art to flie Who on his back might beare me through the skie Whilst the vaine world vpon vs still did winne Inticde his flatteries stedfastly to trust Loosing the clew which led vs safely in Are lost within this Labyrinth of lust For when the flesh is nussed once in vice The sweete of sinne makes hell a paradice Who thy deceits vile world yet euer told In thee what is that 's not extreamely ill A shop where poison's onely to be sold whose very entrance instantly doth kill where all deformed wickednesse do dwell And all thy waies guide head long into hell The King that saw his hopefull sonne betraide That like young Phaeton ventred on the skies Perceiu'd his course with danger hardly staide For he was graue and prouidently wise That wanting skill to maister youthes desire Might by misguidance set his throne on fire This was a corsiue to King Edwards daies That without ceasing fed vpon his bones That in the day bereau'd him of his case Breaking his night-sleepe with vnquiet grones That did depresse and burthened him downe More then the weight that sate vpon his Crowne When now their iudgement that seuerely tride The matter whence this malladie first grew Likewise must now a remedie prouide To preuent the perill likely to ensue The cause must end e're the effect could cease Else well of one there many might encrease When such in Court my opposites as were On all aduantage that could wisely play Who did to me inuetterate malice beare That for their purpose found so faire a way On this their forces instantly did ground My name and fame perpetually to wound And the time fit for venting their vntruth Me into hate more forcibly to bring Sticke not to charge the loosenesse of my youth T' offend euen in th'vnnaturalest thing And olde fore-passed outrages awake With all that me contemptible might make Wherefore the Prince to priuacie bestow'd In Realmes remote I banished to rome Censured of all men fitst to be abroad That had betraide my honest trust at home A diudg'd to die if after I were found The day prescrib'd vpon the English ground So much astonish'd with the suddaine blow That I became insensible of paine Vntill awak'd with sharpnesse of my woe I saw the wound which open did remaine By which my ioyes still fainted more and more No hope at all me euer to restore Euen as a Turtle for her faithfull make Whose youth her deare virginitie enioyde Sits shrowded in some solitary brake With melancholy pensiuenesse annoide Thus without comfort sit I all alone From the sweete Prince infortunately gone My beauty once which sdainde the summers sight Beaten with bleake and chilly winter stormes Those tender limbes must trauell day and night So often hug'd in Edwards princely Armes Those eyes oft viewing pleasure in her pride With fearefull obiects euery way supplide And whilst these stormes me strangely thus did tosse where I my selfe confined yet in France Thwarted the while with many a greeuous crosse Inseperables to my sad mischance Others that stem'd the current of the time By which I fell prou'd afterwards to clime Camelion-like the world doth alter hue And as false Proteus puts on sundrie shapes One change scarce gone another doth ensue This fild that likewise for promotion gapes Thus did they swarme like Bees about the brim Some drownd and some as dang'rously swim And some on whom the higher powres look'd faire Yet of the season little seemde to vaunt For there were clowdes hung in the troubled ayre which shew'd something to their desire did want That forc'd them stoope which otherwise would flie Whilst with much care they fading honor buy When restlesse Time that neuer turnes againe Whose winged feete are sliding with the sunne By the fleete howres attending on his traine His resolution fatally begunne In a iust