of Edmund Duke of Somerset slaine in the first battell at S. Albons in the 32. yeare of Henrie the sixt 350. 65 How Richard Plantagenet Duke of York was slaine through his rash boldnesse and his sonne the Earle of Rutland for his lacke of valiancie 360. 66 How the Lord Clifford for his strange and abominable crueltie came to as strange and sudden a death 365. 67 The infamous end of Lord Tiptoft Earle of Worcester for cruelly executing his Princes butcherly commandements 367. 68 How Sir Richard Neuil Earle of Warwicke and his brother Iohn Lord Marquesse Montacute through their too much boldnesse were slaine at Barnet 371. 69 How King Henry the sixt a vertuous Prince was after many other miseries cruelly murthered in the Tower of London 375. 70 How George Plantagenet third son of the Duke of Yorke was by his brother King Edward wrongfully imprisoned and by his brother Richard miserablie murthered 380. 71 How King Edward the fourth through his surfetting vntemperate life suddenly died in the midst of his prosperity 392. 72 How Sir Anthonie Wooduile Lord Riuers and Scales Gouernour of Prince Edward was with his nephew Lord Richard Grey and other causelesse imprisoned and cruelly murthered 394. 73 How the Lord Hastings was betraied by trusting too much to his euill counsellour Catesby and villanously murthered in the Tower of London by Richard Duke of Glocester 411. 74 The complaint of Henrie Duke of Buckingham 433. 75 How Colingborne was cruelly executed for making a Rime 455. 76 The wilfull fall of the Black-smith and the foolish end of the Lord Audley 463. 77 How the valiant Knight Sir Nicholas Burdet Chiefe Butler of Normandie was slaine at Pontoise 477. 78 How Shores wife King Edward the fourths Concubine was by King Richard despoiled of her goods and forced to do open penance 494. 79 How Thomas Woolsey did arise vnto great authoritie and gouernment his maner of life pompe and dignitie how he fell downe into great disgrace and was arrested of high treason 506. 80 How the Lord Cromwell exalted from meane estate was after by the enuie of the Bishop of Winchester and other his complices brought to vntimely end 520. The Additions 81 The life and death of King Arthur 561. 82 The life and death of King Edmund Ironside 585. 83 The life and death of Prince Alfred 603. 84 The life and death of Godwin Earle of Kent 617. 85 The life and death of Robert surnamed Curthose Duke of Normandie 631. 86 The life and death of King Richard the first surnamed Coeur de Lion 659. 87 The life and death of King Iohn 681. 88 The life and death of King Edward the second 703. 89 The life and death of the two yong Princes sonnes to Edward the fourth 736. 90 The life and death of King Richard the third 750. 91 The Poem annexed called Englands Eliza. 783. The end of the Contents THOMAS NEWTON TO THE Reader in the behalfe of this booke AS when an arming sword of proofe is made Both steele and iron must be tempred well For iron giues the strength vnto the blade And steele in edge doth cause it to excell As each good Blade-smith by his Art can tell For without iron brittle will it breake And without steele it will be blunt and weake So bookes that now their faces dare to show Must mettald be with nature and with skill For nature causeth stuffe enough to flow And Art the same contriues by learned quill In order good and currant method still So that if Nature frowne the case is hard And if Art want the matter all is mar'd The worke which heere is offred to thy view With both these points is full and fitly fraught Set forth by sundrie of the learned Crew Whose stately stiles haue Phoebus garland caught And Parnasse mount their worthy worke haue raught Their words are thundred with such maiestie As fitteth right each matter in degree Reade it therefore but reade attentiuely Consider well the drift whereto it tends Confer the times perpend the history The parties states and eke their dolefull ends With odde euents that diuine iustice sends For things forepast are presidents to vs Whereby we may things present now discusse Certes this world a Stage may well be call'd Whereon is plai'd the part of eu'ry wight Some now aloft anon with malice gal'd Are from high state brought into dismall plight Like counters are they which stand now in sight For thousand or ten thousand and anone Remoued stand perhaps for lesse then one Thomas Newtonus Cestreshyrius THE AVTHORS Induction WHen Sommer sweet with all her pleasures past And leaues began to leaue the shadie tree The winter cold encreased on full fast And time of yeare to sadnes moued me For moistie blasts not halfe so mirthfull be As sweet Aurora brings in spring-time faire Our ioyes they dimme as winter damps the aire The nights began to grow to length apace Sir Phoebus to th' Antarctique gan to fare From Libraes lance to th' Crab he tooke his race Beneath the line to lend of light a share For then with vs the daies more darkish are More short cold moist and stormie cloudie clit For sadnes more then mirths or pleasures fit Deuising then what bookes were best to reade Both for that time and sentence graue also For conference of friend to stand in stead When I my faithfull friend was parted fro I gate me straight the Printers shops vnto To seeke some worke of price I surely ment That might alone my carefull mind content Amongst the rest I found a booke so sad As time of yeare or sadnesse could require The Mirour nam'd for Magistrates he had So finely pen'd as heare could well desire Which when I read so set my heart on fire Eftsoones it me constrain'd to take the paine Not left with once to reade it once againe And as againe I view'd this worke with heed And marked plaine each partie paint his fall Me thought in mind I saw those men indeed Eke how they came in order Princely all Declaring well this life is but a thrall Sith those on whom for Fortunes gifts we stare Oft soonest sinke in greatest seas of care For some perdie were Kings of high estate And some were Dukes and came of regall race Some Princes Lords and Iudges great that sate In counsell still decreeing euery case Some other Knights that vices did embrace Some Gentlemen some poore exalted hie Yet euery one had plai'd his tragedie A Mirrour well it might be call'd a glasse As cleare as any crystall vnder Sun In each respect the Tragedies so passe Their names shall liue that such a worke begun For why with such Decorum is it done That Momus spight with more then Argus eies Can neuer watch to keepe it from the wise Examples there for all estates you find For Iudge I say what iustice he should vse The noble man to beare a noble mind And not himselfe ambitiously abuse The Gentleman vngentlenesse
of Yorke and other sought at home to put me downe Bellona rang the bell at home and all abroad With whose mishaps amaine fell Fortune did me load In France I lost my forts at home the foughten field My kinred slaine my friends opprest my selfe enforst to yeeld Duke Richard tooke me twice and forst me to resine My Crowne and titles due vnto my fathers line And kept mee as a ward did all things as him list Till that my wife through bloudy sword had tane me from his fist But though we slew the Duke my sorowes did not slake But like to Hydraes head still more and more awake For Edward through the aid of Warwicke and his brother From one field draue me to the Scots and toke me in another Then went my friends to wrack for Edward ware the Crowne For which for nine yeares space his prison held me downe Yet thence through Warwickes worke I was againe releast And Edward driuen fro the realme to seeke his friends by East But what preuaileth paine or prouidence of man To helpe him to good hap whom destiny doth ban Who moileth to remoue the rocke out of the mud Shall mire himselfe and hardly scape the swelling of the flud This all my friends haue found and I haue felt it so Ordain'd to be the touch of wretchednesse and woe For ere I had a yeare possest my seat againe I lost both it and liberty my helpers all were slaine For Edward first by stelth and sith by gathred strength Arriu'd and got to Yorke and London at the length Tooke me and tied me vp yet Warwicke was so stout He came with power to Barnet field in hope to helpe me out And there alas was slaine with many a worthy knight O Lord that euer such luck should hap in helping right Last came my wife and sonne that long lay in exile Defied the King and fought a field I may bewaile the while For there mine only sonne not thirteene yeares of age Was tane and murdred straight by Edward in his rage And shortly I my selfe to stint all further strife Stab'd with his brothers bloodie blade in prison lost my life Lo heere the heauie haps which hapned me by heape See heere the pleasant fruits that many Princes reape The painfull plagues of those that breake their lawfull bands Their meed which may and will not saue their friends from bloodie hands God grant my woful haps too grieuous to rehearce May teach all States to know how deepely dangers pierce How fraile all honors are how brittle worldly blisse That warned through my fearefull fate they feare to do amisse HOW GEORGE PLANTAGENET THIRD SONNE OF THE DVKE OF Yorke was by his brother King Edward wrongfully imprisoned and by his brother Richard miserably murdered the 11. of Ianuarie An. Dom. 1478. THe fowle is foule men say that files the nest Which makes me loth to speak now might I chuse But seeing time vnburdened hath her brest And fame blowne vp the blast of all abuse My silence rather might my life accuse Then shroud our shame though faine I would it so For truth will out although the world say no. And therefore Baldwine I do thee beseech To pause a while vpon my heauie plaint And vnneth though I vtter speedie speech No fault of wit nor folly makes me faint No headie drinkes haue giuen my tongue attaint Through quaffing craft Yet wine my wits confound Not that I dranke but wherein I was drown'd What Prince I am although I need not shew Because my wine bewrayes me by the smell For neuer man was soust in Bacchus dew To death but I through Fortunes rigour fell Yet that thou maist my storie better tell I will declare as briefely as I may My wealth my woe and causers of decay The famous house surnam'd Plantagenet Whereat Dame Fortune frowardly did frowne While Bolenbroke vniustly sought to set His Lord King Richard quite beside the Crowne Though many a day it wanted due renowne God so prefer'd by prouidence and grace That lawfull heires did neuer faile the race For Lionel King Edwards eldest child Both Eame and heire to Richard issulesse Begot faire Philip hight whom vndefil'd The Earle of March espous'd and God did blesse With fruit assign'd the kingdome to possesse I meane Sir Roger Mortimer whose heire The Earle of Cambridge maried Anne the faire This Earle of Cambridge Richard clept by name Was sonne to Edmund Langley Duke of Yorke Which Edmund was fift brother to the same Duke Lionel that all this line doth korke Of which two houses ioyned in a forke My father Richard Prince Plantagenet True Duke of Yorke was lawfull heire beget Who tooke to wife as ye shall vnderstand A mayden of a noble house and old Ralph Neuils daughter Earle of Westmerland Whose sonne Earle Richard was a Baron bold And had the right of Salisbury in hold Through mariage made with good Earle Thomas heire Whose earned praises neuer shall appaire The Duke my father had by this his wife Foure sonnes of whom the eldest Edward hight The second Edmund who did lose his life At Wakefield slaine by Clyfford cruell Knight I George am third of Clarence Duke by right The fourth borne to the mischiefe of vs all Was Glocesters Duke whom men did Richard call VVhen as our fire in sute of right was slaine VVhose life and death himselfe declared earst My brother Edward plied his cause amaine And got the Crowne as Warwicke hath rehearst The pride whereof so deepe his stomacke pearst That he forgot his friends despis'd his kin Of oath or office passing not a pin VVhich made the Earle of Warwicke to maligne My brothers state and to attempt a way To bring from prison Henrie sillie King To helpe him to the kingdome if he may And knowing me to be the chiefest stay My brother had he did me vndermine To cause me to his treasons to encline VVhereto I was prepared long before My brother had been to me so vnkind For sure no canker fretteth flesh so sore As vnkind dealing doth a louing mind Loues strongest bands vnkindnes doth vnbind It moueth loue to malice zeale to hate Chiefe friends to foes and brethren to debate And though the Earle of Warwicke subtill fire Perceiu'd I bare a grudge against my brother Yet toward his feate to set me more on fire He kindled vp one firebrand with another For knowing fancie was the forcing rother VVhich stirreth youth to any kind of strife He offered me his daughter to my wife Where through and with his craftie filed tongue He stole my heart that erst vnsteadie was For I was witlesse wanton fond and yongue Whole bent to pleasure brittle as the glasse I cannot lie In vino veritas I did esteeme the beautie of my bride Aboue my selfe and all the world beside These fond affections ioynt with lacke of skill Which trap the heart and blind the eyes of youth And pricke the mind to practise any ill So tickled me
Additions the falles of such Princes as were before omitted and my Poem or Hymne of the late dead Queene of famous memorie In all which I require no other gratification for my paines but a gentle censure of my imperfections THE CONTENTS of the booke HOw King Albanact the yongest sonne of Brutus and first King of Albanie now called Scotland was slaine by King Humber Pag. 1. 2 How Humber the King of Huns minding to conquer Britain was drowned in the arme of sea now called Humber 18. 3 How King Locrinus the eldest son of Brutus liued viciously and was slaine in battell by his wife Queene Guendoline 22. 4 How Queene Elstride the Concubine of King Locrinus was miserablie drowned by Queene Guendoline 27. 5 How the Ladie Sabrine daughter of King Locrinus and Elstride was drowned by Queene Guendoline 38. 6 How King Madan for his euill life was slaine by wolues 44. 7 How King Malin was slaine by his brother King Mempricius 47. 8 How King Mempricius giuen all to lust was deuoured by wolues 50. 9 How King Bladud taking on him to flie fell vpon the Temple of Apollo and brake his necke 53. 10 How Queene Cordila in despaire slew her selfe 59. 11 How King Morgan of Albany was slaine at Glamorgan in Wales 69. 12 How King Iago died of the Lethargie 72. 13 How King Forrex was slaine by his brother King Porrex 74. 14 How King Porrex which slew his brother was slaine by his owne mother and her maidens 78. 15 How King Pinnar was slaine in battell by Mulmucius Donwallo 80. 16 How King Stater was slaine in battell by Mulmucius Donwallo 82. 17 How King Rudacke of Wales was slaine in battell by Mulmucius Donwallo 83. 18 How the noble King Brennus after many triumphant victories at the siege of Delphos in Greece slew himselfe 86. 19 How King Kimarus was deuoured by wilde beasts 103. 20 How King Morindus was deuoured by a monster 106. 21 How King Emerianus for his tyrannie was deposed 110. 22 How King Cherinnus giuen to drunkennesse raigned but one yeare 111. 23 How King Varianus gaue himself to the lusts of the flesh 112. 24 How the worthie Britaine Duke Nennius encountred with Iulius Caesar and was vnfortunately slaine 114. 25 How the Lord Irenglas cosin to King Cassibellane was slaine by the Lord Elenine cosin to Androgeus Earle of London 123. 26 How Caius Iulius Caesar which first made this Realme tributorie to the Romans was slaine in the Senate house 129. 27 How Claudius Tiberius Nero Emperour of Rome was poisoned by Caius Caligula 139. 28 How Caius Caesar Caligula Emperour of Rome was slaine by Cherea and others 145. 29 How Guiderius King of Britaine the elder sonne of Cimbaline was slaine in battell by a Roman 146. 30 How Lelius Hamo the Romane Captaine was slaine after the slaughter of Guiderius 148. 31 How Claudius Tiberius Drusus Emperour of Rome was poisoned by his wife Agrippina 149. 32 How the Emperour Domitius Nero liued wickedly and tyrannously and in the end miserablie slew himselfe 152. 33 How Sergius Galba the Emperour of Rome giuen to slaughter ambition gluttony was slaine by the souldiers 155. 34 How the vicious Siluius Otho Emperour of Rome slew himselfe 157. 35 How Aulus Vitellius Emperour of Rome came to an vnfortunate end 159. 36 How Londricus the Pict was slaine by King Marius of Britaine 161. 37 How Seuerus the Emperour of Rome and Gouernour of Britaine was slaine at Yorke fighting against the Picts 163. 38 How Fulgentius a Scythian or Pict was slaine at the siege of Yorke 167. 39 How Geta the yonger sonne of the Emperour Seuerus once Gouernour of Britaine was slaine in his mothers armes by his brother Anthonie Emperour of Rome 170. 40 How Aurelius Antonius Bassianus Caracalla Emperour of Rome was slaine by one of his owne seruants 174. 41 How Carrassus a Husbandmans son and after King of Britaine was slaine in battell by Alectus a Romane 185. 42 How Queene Helena of Britaine maried Constantius the Emperour and much aduanced the Christian faith through the whole world 289. 43 How Vortiger destroyed the yong King Constantine and how he obtained the crowne how after many miseries he was miserablie burnt in his Castle by the brethren of Constantine 203. 44 How Vter Pendragon was inamoured on the wife of Gorolus Duke of Cornewal whom he slew and after was poysoned by the Saxons 213. 45 How Cadwallader the last King of the Britaines was expelled by the Saxons went to Rome and there liued in a religious house 219. 46 How Sigebert for his wicked life was thrust from his throne and miserablie slaine by an heardsman 225. 47 How Ladie Ebbe did flea her nose and vpper lip away to saue her virginitie 235. 48 How King Egelred for his wickednes was diuersly distressed by the Danes and lastly died for sorrow 239. 49 How King Harrold had continuall warre with the Danes with the Norway King with his brother Tostius and was at last slaine in battell by William the Conquerour 245. From the Conquest 50 M. Sackuils Induction 255. 51 How the two Rogers surnamed Mortimers for their sundrie vices ended their liues vnfortunately 271. 52 The fall of Robert Tresillian Chiefe Iustice of England and other his fellowes for misconstruing the Lawes and expounding them to serue the Princes affections 276. 53 How Sir Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Glocester vncle to King Richard the second was vnlawfully murthered 281. 54 How the Lord Mowbrey promoted by King Richard the second to the state of a Duke was by him banished the Realme and after died miserablie in exile 287. 55 How King Richard the second was for his euill gouernance deposed from his seat and murthered in prison 293. 56 How Owen Glendour seduced by false prophesies tooke vpon him to be Prince of Wales and was by Henrie Prince of England chased to the mountaines where he miserablie died for lacke of food 296. 57 How Henrie Percie Earle of Northumberland was for his couetous and trayterous attempt put to death at Yorke 303. 58 How Richard Plantagenet Earle of Cambridge intending the Kings destruction was put to death at Southhampton 307. 59 How Thomas Montague Earle of Salisburie in the middest of his glory was vnfortunately slaine at Oleance with a peece of Ordnance 309. 60 How Dame Eleanor Cobham Duchesse of Glocester for practising of Witchcraft and sorcerie Suffered open penance and afterward was banished the Realme into the I le of Man 317. 61 How Humfrey Plantagenet Duke of Glocester Protector of England during the minoritie of his nephew King Henrie the sixt commonly called the good Duke by practise of enemies was brought to confusion 327. 62 How Lord William de la Pole Duke of Suffolke was worthily banished for abusing his King and causing the destruction of the good Duke Humfrey 340. 63 How Iack Cade naming himselfe Mortimer trayterously rebelling against his King was for his treasons and cruell doings worthily punished 345. 64 The tragedie
she smooth blew on this pleasant gale He was created Earle of March alas Whence enuy sprang which his destruction was For wealth breeds wrath in such as wealth doe want Pride folly breeds in such as it possesse Among a thousand shall you find one skant That can in wealth his lofty heart represse Which in this Earle due proofe did plaine expresse For whereas he was somewhat haut before His high degree hath made him now much more For now alone he ruleth as him lust Ne recks for reade saue of king Edwards mother Which forced enuy foulder out the rust That in mens hearts before did lie and smother The Peeres the people th' one as well as th' other Against him made so hainous a complaint That for a traytour he was soone attaint Then all such faults as were forgot afore They skowre afresh and somwhat to them adde For enuy still hath eloquence in store When Fortune bids to worse things meanly bad Fiue hainous crimes against him soone were had First that he caus'd the King to yeeld the Scot To make a peace townes that were from him got And therewithall the Charter call'd Ragman That of the Scots he bribed priuy gaine That through his meanes sir Edward of Carnaruan In Barkely Castle traiterously was slaine That with his Princes mother he had laine And finally with polling at his pleasure Had rob'd the King and Commons of their treasure For these things loe which erst were out of mind He was condemn'd and hanged at the last In whom Dame Fortune fully shewed her kind For whom she heaues she hurleth downe as fast If men to come would learne by other past My cosin then might cause them set aside High climing bribing murdering lust and pride The finall cause why I this processe tell Is that I may be knowen from this the other My like in name vnlike mee though he fell Which was I thinke my grandfire or his brother To count my kin dame Philip was my mother Daughter and heire of douty Lionell The third King Edwards sonne as stories tell My father hight sir Edmund Mortimer True Earle of March whence I was after Earle By iust descent these two my parents were Of which the one of Knighthood bare the fearle Of womanhood the other was the pearle Through their desert so cal'd of euery wight Till death them tooke and left mee in their right For why th' attainter of the elder Roger Whose shamefull death I told you but oflate Was found to bee vniust and passed ouer Against the law by those that bare him hate For where by law each one of free estate Should personally be heard ere iudgement passe They bard him this where through destroid he was Wherefore by doome of court in Parliament When we had prou'd our Cosin ordered thus The King the Lords and Commons of assent His lawlesse death vnlawfull did discusse And both to bloud and good restored vs. A preside at most worthy shewed and left Lords liues to saue that lawlesse might bee reft While Fortune vnto me her grace did deigne King Richards grace the second of that name Whose looser life did soone abridge his reigne Made me his mate in earnest and in game The Lords themselues so well allow'd the same That through my titles duely comming downe I was made heire apparent to the Crowne Who then but I was euery where esteemd Well was the man that might with me acquaint Whom I allow'd as Lords the people deemd To whatsoeuer folly had me bent To like it well the people did assent To mee as Prince attended great and small I hopte a day would come to pay for all But seldome ioy continueth trouble void In greatest charge cares greatest doe ensue The most possest are euer most annoid In largest seas sore tempests lightly brue The freshest colours soonest fade the hue In thickest place is made the deepest wound True proofe whereof my self too soone haue found For whilst faire Fortune Iuld mee in her lap And gaue me gifts more then I did require The subtile dame behind mee set a trap Whereby to dash and lay all in the mire The Irish men against mee did conspire My lands of Vlster from me to haue reft Which heritage my mother had mee left And whiles I there to set all things in stay Omit my toiles and trouble thitherward Among mine owne with my retinue lay The wilder men whom I did not regard And had therefore the reckles mans reward When least I thought set on mee in such number That from my corps my life they rent asunder Nought might auaile my courage nor my force Nor strength of men which were alas too few The cruell folke assaulted so my horse That all my helps in peeces they to hew Our bloud distaines the ground as drops of dew Nought might preuaile to flie nor yet to yeeld For whom they take they murder in the field They know no law of Armes nor none will learne They make not warre as other doe a play The Lord the boy the Gallowglas the Kerne Yeeld or not yeeld whom so they take they slay They saue no foes for ransome nor for pay Their chiefest boote is th' aduersaries head They end not wâ—â—â—e till th' enemie be dead Amongst these men or rather sauage beasts I lost my life by cruell murder slaine And therefore Baldwine note thou well my geasts And warne all Princes rashnes to refraine Bid them beware their foes when they doe faine Nor yet presume vnequally to striue Had I thus done I had been left aliue But I despis'd the naked Irish men And for they flew I feared them the lesse I thought one man enough to match with ten And through this carelesse vnaduisednes I was destroid and all my men I gesse At vnawares assaulted by our fone Which were in number forty to vs one See here the stay of fortunate estate The vaine assurance of this brittle life For I but yong-proclamed Prince of late Right fortunate in children and in wife Lost all at once by stroke of bloudy knife Whereby assur'd let men themselues assure That wealth and life are doubtfull to endure FINIS THE FALL OF ROBERT Tresilian chiefe Iustice of England and other his fellowes for misconstruing the Lawes and expounding them to serue the Princes affections Anno 1388. IN the sad register of mischiefe and mishap Baldwine we beseech thee with our names to begin Whom vnfriendly Fortune did train vnto a trap When as wee thought our state most stable to haue bin So lightly leese they all which all do weene to win Learne by vs ye Lawyers and Iudges of this Land Vpright and vncorrupt in doome alway to stand And print ye this president to remaine for euer Enroll and record it in Tables made of Brasse Engraue it in Marble that may be raced neuer Where Iudges of the Law may see as in a Glasse What guerdon is for guile and what our wages was Who for our Princes will
right may take his place without regard or meed Set apart all flatterie and vaine worldly dreed Set God before your eyes the most iust Iudge supreme Remember well your reckoning at the day extreme Abandon all affray be soothfast in your sawes Be constant and carelesse of mortals displeasure With eyes shut and hands close you should pronounce the lawes Esteeme not worldly goods thinke there is a treasure More worth then gold a thousand times in valure Reposed for all such as righteousnesse ensue Whereof you cannot faile the promise made is true If Iudges in our daies would ponder well in mind The fatall fall of vs for wresting Law and right Such statutes as touch life should not be thus defin'd By senses constrained against true meaning quite As well they might affirme the blacke for to be white Wherefore we wish they would our act and end compare And weighing well the case they will we trust beware G. Ferrers HOW SIR THOMAS OF WOODSTOCKE DVKE OF Glocester vncle to King Richard the second was vnlawfully murdered An. Dom. 1397. WHose state stablisht is in seeming most sure And so far from danger of Fortunes blasts As by the compasse of mans coniecture No brasen piller may be fixt more fast Yet wanting the stay of prudent forecast When froward Fortune list for to frowne May in a moment turne vpside downe In proofe whereof O Baldwine take paine To hearken a while to Thomas of Woodstocke Addresse in presence his fate to complaine In the forlorne hope of English flocke Extract by descent from the royall stocke Sonne to King Edward third of that name And second to none in glorie and fame This noble father to maintaine my state With Buckingham Earledome did me indow Both Nature and Fortune to me were great Denying me nought which they might allow Their sundrie graces in me did so flow As beautie strength high fauour and fame Who may of God more wish then the same Brothers we were to the number of seuen I being the sixt and yongest but one A more royall race was not vnder heauen More stout or more stately of stomacke and person Princes all peerelesse in each condition Namely Sir Edward call'd the blacke Prince When had England the like before or since But what of all this any man t' assure In state vncarefull of Fortunes variance Sith daily and hourely we see it in vre That where most cause is of affiance Euen there is found most weake assurance Let none trust Fortune but follow reason For often we see in trust is treason This prouerbe in proofe ouer true I tried Finding high treason in place of high trust And most fault of faith where I most affied Being by them that should haue been iust Trayterously entrapt ere I could mistrust Ah wretched world what it is to trust thee Let them that will learne now hearken to mee After King Edward the thirds decease Succeeded my nephew Richard to raigne Who for his glorie and honors encrease With princely wages did me entertaine Against the Frenchmen to be his Chieftaine So passing the seas with royall puissance With God and S. George I inuaded France Wasting the countrie with sword and with fire Ouerturning townes high castles and towers Like Mars god of warre enflamed with ire I forced the Frenchmen t' abandon their bowers Where euer we marcht I wan at all howers In such wise visiting both citie and village That alway my souldiers were laden with pillage With honor and triumph was my returne Was none more ioyous then yong King Richard Who minding more highly my state to adorne With Glocester Dukedome did me reward And after in mariage I was prefer'd To a daughter of Bohun an Earle honorable By whom I was of England high Constable Thus hoysed high on Fortunes wheele As one on a stage attending a play See'th not on which side the scaffold doth reele Till timber and poles and all flie away So fared it by me for day by day As honor encreased I looked still higher Not seeing the danger of my fond desier For Fortunes floud thus running with full streame And I a Duke descended of great Kings Constable of England chiefe officer of the Realme Abused with desperance in these vaine things I went without feete and flew without wings Presuming so far vpon my high state That dread set apart my Prince I would mate For whereas Kings haue counsell of their choice To whom they referre the rule of their Land With certaine familiars in whom to reioyce For pleasure or profit as the case shall stand I not bearing this would needs take in hand Maugre his will those persons to disgrace And for to settle others in their place But as an old booke saith who will assay About the Cats necke to hang on a bell Had first need to cut the Cats clawes away Lest if the Cat be curst and not tam'd well She with her nailes may claw him to the fell So putting the bell about the Cats necke I vnaduised caught a cruell checke Reade well the sentence of the Rat renown'd Which Pierce the plowman describes in his dreame And whoso hath wit the sense to expound Shall find that to curbe the Prince of a Reame Is euen as who saith to striue with the streame Note this all subiects and construe it well And busie not your braines 'bout the Cats bell But in that yee be Lieges learne t' obay Submitting your willes to your Princes Lawes It fits not a subiect t' haue his owne way Remember this prouerbe of the Cats clawes For Princes like Lions haue long large pawes That reach at randon and whom they once twitch They claw to the bone before the skin itch But to my purpose I being once bent Towards the atchieuing of my attemptate Foure bould Barons were of mine assent By oath and alliance fastly confederate First Henrie of Derby an Earle of estate Richard of Arundell and Thomas of Warwicke With Mowbray the Marshall a man most warlike At Ratecote Bridge assembled our band The Commons in clusters came to vs that day To dant Robert Veere then Duke of Ireland By whom King Richard was ruled alway We put him to flight and brake his array Then maugre the King his leaue or assent We by our power did call a Parlament Where not in Robes but with our Baslards bright We came to parle of the publique weale Confirming our quarell with maine and might With swords and no words we tried our appeale In stead of reason declaring out zeale And whom so we knew with the King in grace We plainly depriued of power and place Some with short processe were banisht the Land Some executed with capitall paine Whereof whoso list the whole t' vnderstand In the Parlament roll it appeareth plaine And further how stoutly we did the King straine The rule of his Realme wholly to resigne To the order of those whom we did assigne But note the sequele of such presumption After we had
their states For they bee faults that foile men not their fates Th. Phaer HOW HENRY PERCY Earle of NORTHVMBERLAND was for his couetous and traiterous attempt put to death at Yorke Anno 1407. O Morall Senec true finde I thy saying That neither kinne riches strength or fauour Are free from Fortune but are aie decaying No worldly wealth is ought saue doubtfull labour Mans life in Earth is like vnto a tabour Which now to mirth doth mildly men prouoke And straight to warre with a more sturdy stroke All this full true I Percy finde by proofe Which whilom was Earle of Northumberland And therefore Baldwine for our peeres behoofe To note mens falles sith thou hast tane in hand I would thou should my state well vnderstand For few there were that were so much redoubted Whom double Fortune lifted vp and louted As for my kinne their noblenesse is knowen My valiant acts were folly for to praise Where through our foes so oft were ouerthrowen That who but I was doubted in my daies And that King Richard found at all assaies For neuer foes rebelled in his raigne But through my force were either caught or slaine A brother I had was Earle of Worcester Alwaies in office and fauour with the King And by my wife Dame Elenor Mortimer A sonne I had which so the foes did sting That being yong and but a very spring Henry Hotspur they gaue him vnto name And though I say it he did deserue the same We three triumphed in King Richards time Till Fortune ought both him and vs a spite But chiefly mee whom cleere from any crime My King did banish from his fauour quite Proclaiming mee a most disloyall Knight Where through false slander forced mee to bee That which before I did most deadly flee Let men beware how they true folke defame Or threaten on them the blame of vices nought For infamy breedeth wrath wreke followeth shame Eke open slander often times hath brought That to effect that erst was neuer thought To bee misdeem'd men suffer in a sort But none can beare the griefe of misreport Because my King did shame mee wrongfully I hated him and soone became his foe And while he did at warre in Ireland lie I did conspire to turne his weale to woe And through the Duke of Yorke and other moe All royall power from him wee quickly tooke And gaue the same to Henry Bolenbrooke Neither did we this onely for this cause But to say truth force draue vs to the same For he despising God and all his lawes Slew whom hee would made sinne a very game And seeing nor age nor consell could him tame We thought it well done for the Kingdomes sake To leaue his rule that did all rule for sake But when Sir Henry had attaind his place Hee straight became in all points worse then he Destroied the Peeres and slew King Richards grace Against his oth made to the Lords and me And seeking quarrels how to disagree He shamelesly requir'd me and my sonne To yeeld him foes which we in field had wonne My nephew also Edmund Mortimer The very heire apparent to the crowne Whom Owen Glendour held as prisoner With chaines fast bound in dungeon deepe cast downe He would not ransome but did felly frowne ' Gainst Mortimer and me which for him spake And him proclaimed traytour for our sake Thus foule despite did cause vs to conspire To put him downe as we did Richard erst And that we might this matter set on fire From Owens Iaile our cosin we remerst And vnto Glendour all our griefes rehearst Who made a bond with Mortimer and mee To priue the King and part the Realme in three But when King Henrie heard of this deuice To Owen Glendour he sped him very quicke Minding by force to stop our enterprise And as the diuell would then fell I sicke Howbeit my brother and sonne more politicke Then prosperous with an host from Scotland brought Encountred him at Shrewesbury where they fought The one was tane and kill'd the other slaine And shortly after was Owen put to flight By meanes whereof I forced was to faine That I knew nothing of the former fight Fraud oft auailes more then doth sturdie might For by my faining I brought him in beliefe I knew not that wherein my part was chiefe And while the King thus tooke me for his friend I sought all meanes my former wrong to wreake Which that I might bring to the sooner end To the Bishop of Yorke I did the matter breake And to th' Earle Marshall likewise did I speake Whose father was through Henries cause exiled The Bishops brother with trayterous death defiled These straight assented to do what they could So did the Lord Hastings and Lord Faueonbridge Which altogether promised they would Set all their power the Kings daies to abridge But see the spite before the birds were flidge The King had word and seased on the nest Whereby alas my friends were all opprest The bloodie tyrant brought them all to end Excepted me which into Scotland fled To George of Dunbar th' Earle of March my friend Who in my cause with many more made head And when on hope of greater aid I fed Both at the Frenchmen and the Flemmings hand And could get none I tooke such as I fand And with the helpe of George my very friend I did inuade Northumberland full bold Whereas the folke drew to me still on end Bent to death my partie to vphold Through helpe of these full many a fort and hold The which the King right manfully had man'd I easely wonne and seased in my hand Not so content for vengeance draue me on I entred Yorkshire there to waste and spoile But ere I had far in the countrie gone The Shiriffe thereof Raph Rokesbie did assoile My troubled host of much part of our toile For he assaulting freshly tooke through power Me and Lord Bardolph both at Bramham moore And thence conueyed vs to the towne of Yorke Vntill he knew what was the Kings intent There loe Lord Bardolph kinder then the Storke Did lose his head which was to London sent With whom for friendship mine in like case went This was my hap my fortune or my faut This life I led and thus I came to naught Wherefore good Baldwine will the Peeres take heed Of slander malice and conspiracie Of couetise whence all the rest proceed For couetise ioynt with contumacie Doth cause all mischiefe in mens hearts to breed And therefore this to esperance my word Who causeth bloodshed shall not scape the sword HOW RICHARD PLANTAGENET EARLE OF CAMBRIDGE INTENding the Kings destruction was put to death at Southhampton Anno Dom. 1415. HAste maketh waste hath commonly been said And secret mischiefe selde hath luckie speed A murdering mind with proper poyze is way'd All this is true I find it in my creed And therefore Baldwine warne all states take heed How they conspire another to betrap Lest mischiefe ment light in
the miners lap For I Lord Richard heire Plantagenet Was Earle of Cambridge and right fortunate If I had had the grace my wit to set To haue content me with mine owne estate But O false honors breeders of debate The loue of you our leaud hearts doth allure To lose our selues by seeking you vnsure Because my brother Edmund Mortimer Whose eldest sister was my wedded wife I meane that Edmund that was prisoner In Wales so long through Owens busie strife Because I say that after Edmunds life His rights and titles must by law be mine For he ne had nor could encrease his line Because the right of Realme and Crowne was ours I searched meanes to helpe him thereunto And where the Henries held it by their powers I sought a shift their tenures to vndoe Which being force sith force or sleight must doe I void of might because their power was strong Set priuie fleight against their open wrong But sith the death of most part of my kin Did dash my hope throughout the fathers daies I let it slip and thought it best begin When as the sonne should dread least such assayes For force through speed sleight speedeth through delayes And seeld doth treason time so fitly find As when all dangers most be out of mind Wherefore while Henrie of that name the fist Prepar'd his armie to go conquer France Lord Scroope and I thought to attempt a drift To put him downe my brother to aduance But wer 't Gods will my lucke or his good chance The King wist wholly whereabout we went The night before to shipward he him bent Then were we straight as traytours apprehended Our purpose spi'd the cause thereof was hid And therefore loe a false cause we pretended Where through my brother was from danger rid We said for hire of French Kings coine we did Behight to kill the King and thus with shame We stain'd our selues to saue our friend from blame When we had thus confest so foule a treason That we deseru'd we suffered by the law See Baldwine see and note as it is reason How wicked deeds to wofull ends do draw All force doth faile no craft is worth a straw To attaine things lost and therefore let them go For might rules right and will though truth say no. W. Baldwine HOW THOMAS MONTAGVE EARLE OF SALISBVrie in the middest of his glorie was chanceably slaine at Orleaunce with a piece of Ordinance the third of Nouember Anno Dom. 1428. WHat fooles be we to trust vnto our strength Our wit our courage or our noble fame Which time it selfe must needs deuour at length Though froward Fortune could not foile the same But seeing this Goddesse guideth all the game Which still to change doth set her only lust Why toile we so for things so hard to trust A goodly thing we deeme of good report Which noble hearts do seeke by course of kind But seeing the date so doubtfull and so short The way so rough whereby we do it find I cannot chuse but praise the Princely mind That preaseth for it though we find opprest By foule defame those that deserue it best Concerning whom marke Baldwine what I say I meane the vertuous hindred of their brute Among which number recken well I may My valiant father Iohn Lord Montacute Who lost his life I iudge through iust pursute I say the cause and not the casuall speed Is to be waighed in euery kind of deed This rule obseru'd how many shall we find For vertues sake with infamie opprest How some againe through helpe of Fortune blind For ill attempts atchieu'd with honor blest Successe is worst oft times when cause is best Therefore say I God send them sory haps That iudge the causes by their afterclaps The end indeed is Iudge of euery thing Which is the cause or latter point of time The first true verdict at the first may bring The last is slow or slipper as the slime Oft changing names of innocence and crime Duke Thomas death was Iustice two yeares long And euer since sore tyrannie and wrong Wherefore I pray thee Baldwine weigh the cause And praise my father as he doth deserue Because Earle Henry King against all lawes Endeuoured King Richard for to starue In iayle wherby the regall Crowne might swarue Out of the line to which it then was due Whereby God knowes what euill might ensue My Lord Iohn Holland Duke of Excester Which was deare cosin to this wretched King Did moue my Sire and th' Earle of Glocester With other Lords to ponder well the thing Who seeing the mischiefe that began to spring Did all consent this Henry to depose And to restore King Richard to the Rose And while they did deuise a prety traine Whereby to bring their purpose well about Which was in maske this Henry to haue slaine The Duke of Aumerle blew their counsaile out Yet was their purpose good there is no doubt What cause can be more worthy for a Knight Than saue his King and helpe true heires to right For this with them my father was destroid And buried in the dunghill of defame Thus euill chance their glory did auoid Whereas their cause doth claime eternall fame When deeds therefore vnluckily doe frame Men ought not iudge the authors to be naught For right through might is often ouerraught And God doth suffer that it should be so But why my wit is feeble to decise Except it be to heape vp wrath and we On wicked heads that iniuries deuise The cause why mischiefs many times arise And light on them that would mens wrongs redresse Is for the rancour that they beare I gesse God hateth rigour though it further right For sinne is sinne how euer it be vsed And therefore suffereth shame and death to light To punish vice though it bee well abused Who furthereth right is not therby excused If through the same he doe some other wrong To euery vice due guerdon doth belong What preach I now I am a man of warre And that my lims I dare say doth professe Of cured wounds beset with many a skarre My broken iaw vnheald can say no lesse O Fortune Fortune cause of all distresse My father had great cause thy fraud to curse But much more I abused ten times worse Thou neuer flatteredst him in all thy life But me thou dandledst like thy darling deare Thy gifts I found in euery corner rife Where ere I went I met thy smiling cheare Which was not for a day or for a yeare But through the raigne of three right worthy Kings I found thee forward in all kind of things The while King Henry conquered in France I sued the warres and still found victory In all assaults so happy was my chance Holds yeeld or won did make my enemies sory Dame Prudence eke augmented so my glory That in all treaties euer I was one When weighty matters were agreed vpon But when this King this mightie conquerour Through death vnripe was both
friend Which brought himselfe to an infamous end For when King Henrie of that name the fift Had tane my father in his conspiracie He from Sir Edmund all the blame to shift Was faine to say the French King Charles his alley Had hired him this trayterous act to trie For which condemned shortly he was slaine In helping right this was my fathers gaine Thus when the linage of the Mortimers Was made away by his vsurping line Some hang'd some slaine some pined prisoners Because the Crowne by right of law was mine They gan as fast against me to repine In feare alwaies lest I should stir some strife For guiltie hearts haue neuer quiet life Yet at the last in Henries dayes the sixt I was restored to my fathers lands Made Duke of Yorke where through my mind I fixt To get the Crowne and Kingdome in my hands For aide wherein I knit assured bands With Neuils stocke whose daughter was my make Who for no woe would euer me forsake O Lord what hap had I through mariage Foure goodly boyes in youth my wife she bore Right valiant men and prudent for their age Such brethren shee had and nephues in store As none had erst nor any shall haue more The Earle of Salisbury and his sonne of Warwicke Were matchlesse men from Barbary to Barwicke Through helpe of whom and Fortunes louely looke I vndertooke to claime my lawfull right And to abash such as against me tooke I raised power at all points prest to fight Of whom the chiefe that chiefly bare me spight Was Sommerset the Duke whom to annoy I alway sought through spite spite to destroy And maugre him so choice lo was my chance Yea though the Queene that all rul'd tooke his part I twice bare rule in Normandy and France And last Lieutenant in Ireland where my hart Found remedy for euery kinde of smart For through the loue my doings there did breed I had their helpe at all times in my need This spitefull Duke his silly King and Queene With armed hosts I thrice met in the field The first vnsought through treaty made betweene The second ioind wherein the King did yeeld The Duke was slaine the Queene enforst to shield Her selfe by flight The third the Queene did fight Where I was slaine being ouer matcht by might Before this last were other battailes three The first the Earle of Salisbury led alone And fought on Bloreheath and got victory In the next I with kinsfolke euery one But seeing our souldiers stale vnto our fone We warely brake our company on a night Dissolu'd our host and tooke our selues to flight This Boy and I in Ireland did vs saue Mine eldest sonne with Warwicke and his father To Calais got whence by the read I gaue They came againe to London and did gather An other host whereof I spake no rather And met our foes flewe many a Lord and Knight And took the King and draue the Queene to flight This done I came to England all in haste To make a claime vnto the Realme and Crowne And in the house while parliament did last I in the Kings seate boldly sate me downe And claimed it whereat the Lords did frowne But what for that I did so well proceed That all at last confest it mine indeed But sith the King had raigned now so long They would he should continue till he died And to the end that then none did me wrong In ech place heire apparant they me cried But sith the Queene and others this denied I sped me towards the North where then shee lay In minde by force to cause her to obay Whereof she warnd prepard a mighty powre And ere that mine were altogether ready Came swift to Sandale and besieged my bowre Where like a beast I was so rash and heady That out I would there could be no remedy With scant fiue thousand souldiers to assaile Foure times so many encampt to most auaile And so was slaine at first and while my child Scarce twelue yeare old sought secretly to part That cruell Clifford Lord nay Lorell wilde While th' infant wept and prayed him rue his smart Knowing what he was with dagger cloue his heart This done he came to th' campe where I lay dead Despoil'd my corps and cut away my head Which with a painted paper Crowne thereon He for a present sent vnto the Queene And she for spite commanded it anon To Yorke fast by where that it might be seene They placed it where other traytours beene This mischiefe Fortune did me after death Such was my life and such my losse ofbreath Wherefore see Baldwine that thou set it forth To th' end the fraud of Fortune may be knowen That eke all Princes well may weigh the worth Of things for which the seeds of warre be sowen No state so sure but soone is ouerthrowen No worldly good can counterpoize the prise Of halfe the paines that may thereof arise Better it were to lose a piece of right Then limbes and life in striuing for the same It is not force of friendship nor of might But God that causeth things to fro or frame Not wit but lucke doth wield the winners game Wherefore if we our follies would refraine Time would redresse all wrongs we void of paine Wherefore warne Princes not to wade in war For any cause except the Realmes defence Their troublous titles are vnworthie far The blood the life the spoile of innocence Of friends of foes behold my foule expence And neuer the neere best therefore tarie time So right shall raigne and quiet calme each crime HOW THE LORD CLIFFORD FOR HIS STRANGE and abominable crueltie came to as strange and sudden a death Anno 1461. OPen confession asketh open penance And wisdome would a man his shame to hide Yet sith forgiuenes commeth through repentance I thinke it best that men their crimes ascride For nought so secret but at length is spide For couer fire and it will neuer linne Till it breake forth in like case shame and sinne As for my selfe my faults be out so plaine And published abroad in euery place That though I would I cannot hide a graine All care is bootlesse in a curelesse case To learne by others griefe some haue the grace And therefore Baldwine write my wretched fall The briefe whereof I briefely vtter shall I am the same that slue Duke Richards child The louely babe that begged life with teares Whereby mine honor foully I defil'd Poore silly Lambes the Lion neuer teares The feeble mouse may lie among the beares But wrath of man his rancour to requite Forgets all reason ruth and vertue quite I meane by rancour the parentall wreake Surnam'd a vertue as the vicious say But little know the wicked what they speake In boldning vs our enmies kin to slay To punish sin is good it is no nay They wreake not sinne but merit wreake for sinne That wreake the fathers fault vpon his kinne Because my father Lord Iohn Clyfford
the nip And fault who shall for all feele they the whip For when I was by Parliament attainted King Edwards euils all were counted mine No truth auailed so lies were fast and painted Which made the people at my life repine Crying Crucifige kill that butchers line That when I should haue gone to Blockham feast I could not passe so sore they on me preast And had not been the officers so strong I thinke they would haue eaten me aliue Howbeit hardly haled from the throng I was in Fleet fast shrouded by the Shriue Thus one daies life their maliee did me giue Which when they knew for spite the next day after They kept them calme so suffered I the slaughter Now tell me Baldwine what fault dost thou find In me that iustly should such death deserue None sure except desire of honor blind Which made me seeke in offices to serue What mind so good that honors make not swerue So maist thou fee it only was my state That caus'd my death and brought me so in hate Warne therefore all men wisely to beware What offices they enterprise to beare The highest alway most maligned are Of peoples grudge and Princes hate in feare For Princes faults his faultors all men teare Which to auoid let none such office take Saue he that can for right his Prince forsake HOW SIR RICHARD NEVILL EARLE OF WARWICKE AND HIS BROTHER IOHN Lord Marquise Montacute through their too much boldnes were slaine at Barnet the 14. of Aprill Anno 1471. AMong the heauie heape of happie Knights VVhom Fortune stal'd vpon her staylesse stage Oft hoist on high oft pight in wretched plights Behold me Baldwine A perse of my age Lord Richard Neuill Earle by mariage Of VVarwicke Duchie of Sarum by descent Which erst my father through his mariage hent VVould'st thou behold false Fortune in her kind Note well my selfe so shalt thou see her naked Full faire before but too too foule behind Most drowsie still when most she seemes awaked My fame and shame her shift full oft hath shaked By enterchange alow and vp aloft The Lysard like that changeth hue full oft For while the Duke of Yorke in life remaind Mine vncle deare I was his happy hand In all attempts my purpose I attaind Though King and Queene and most Lords of the land With all their power did often me withstand For God gaue Fortune and my good behauiour Did from their Prince steale me the peoples fauour So that through me in fields right manly fought By force mine vncle tooke King Henry twice As for my cosin Edward I so wrought When both our fires were slaine through rash aduice That he atchieu'd his fathers enterprise For into Scotland King and Queene we chased By meane whereof the Kingdome he embraced Which after he had held in quiet peace For shortly after was King Henry take And put in hold his power to encrease I went to France and match him with a make The French Kinges daughter whom hee did forsake For while with paine I brought this sute to passe He to a widow rashly wedded was This made the French King shrewdly to mistrust That all my treaties had but ill pretence And when I saw my King so bent to lust That with his faith he past not to dispence Which is a Princes honours chiefe defence I could not rest till I had found a meane To mend his misse or els to marre him cleane I me allied with his brother George Incensing him his brother to maligne Through many a tale I did against him forge So that through power that we from Calais bring And found at home we fraied so the King That he did flie to Freeselandward amaine Whereby King Henry had the Crowne againe Then put we th' Earle of Worcester to death King Edwards friend a man loe foule defamed And in the while came Edward into breath For with the Duke of Burgoine so he framed That with the power that he to him had named Vnlooked for he came to England streight And got to Yorke and tooke the towne by sleight And after through the sufferance of my brother Which like a beast occasion foulely lost He came to London safe with many other And tooke the towne to good King Henries cost Who was through him from post to piller tost Till th' Earle of Oxford I and other more Assembled power his freedome to restore Whereof King Edward warned came with speed And camped with his host in Barnet towne Where we right fierce encountred him indeed On Easter day right earely on the downe There many a man was slaine and stricken downe On either side and neither part did gaine Till that I and my brother both were slaine For we to heart our ouermatched men Forsooke our steeds and in the thickest throng Ran preasing forth on foot and fought so then That downe we draue them were they nere so strong But we ere lucke had lasted very long With force and number were so foulely cloyed And rescue fail'd that quite we were destroyed Now tell me Baldwine hast thou heard or read Of any man that did as I haue done That in his time so many armies led And victorie at euery voyage won Hast thou ere heard of subiect vnder sun That plac'd and bac'd his Soueraignes so oft By enterchange now low and then aloft Perchance thou think'st my doings were not such As I and other do affirme they were And in thy mind I see thou musest much What meanes I vs'd that should me so prefer Wherein because I will thou shalt not erre The truth of all I will at large recite The short is this I was no Hypocrite I neuer did nor said saue what I ment The commonweale was still my chiefest care To priuate gaine or good was I nere bent I neuer past vpon delicious fare Of needfull food my boord was neuer bare No creditour did curse me day by day I vsed plainnesse euer pitch and pay I heard poore souldiers and poore workemen whine Because their duties were not truly pai'd Againe I saw how people did repine At those through whom their payment was delai'd And proofe did oft assure as Scripture said That God doth wreake the wretched peoples greeues I saw the polles cut off from polling theeues This made me alway iustly for to deale Which when the people plainly vnderstood Because they saw me mind the Commonweale They still endeuoured how to do me good Readie to spend their substance life and blood In any cause whereto I did them moue For sure they were it was for their behoue And so it was For when the Realme decayed By such as good King Henrie sore abused To mend the state I gaue his enemies aide But when King Edward sinfull prankes still vsed And would not mend I likewise him refused And holpe King Henrie better of the twaine And in his quarell iust I thinke was slaine And therefore Baldwine teach by proofe of mee That such as couet peoples loue
earnestly declar'd Because it is so seeld and slackly hard Th abuse and scorning of Gods ordinances Is chiefest cause of care and wofull chances Gods holy orders highly are abused When men do change their ends for strange respects They scorned are when they be cleane refused For that they cannot serue our fond affects The one our shame the other our sinne detects It is a shame for Christians to abuse them But deadly sinne for scorners to refuse them I meane not this alonely of degrees Ordaind by God for peoples preseruation But of his law good orders and decrees Prouided for his creatures conseruation And specially the state of procreation Wherein we here the number of them encrease Which shall in Heauen enioy eternall peace The only end why God ordained this Was for th' encreasing of that blessed number For whom he hath prepard eternall blisse They that refuse it for the care or cumber Being apt thereto are in a sinfull slumber No fond respect no vaine deuised vowes Can quit or bar what God in charge allowes It is not good for man to liue alone Said God and therefore made he him a make Sole life said Christ is granted few or none All seed-sheders are bound like wiues to take Yet not for lust for lands or riches sake But to beget and foster so their fruite That Heauen and Earth be stored with the suite But as the state is damnably refused Of many apt and able thereunto So is it likewise wickedly abused Of all that vse it as they should not doe Wherein are guilty all the greedy who For gaine for friendship lands or honours wed And these pollute the vndefiled bed And therfore God through iustice cannot cease To plague these faults with sundry sorts of whips As disagreement healths or wealths decrease Or lothing sore the neuer liked lips Disdiane also with rigour some times nips Presuming mates vnequally that match Some bitter leauen sowers the musty batch We worldly folke account him very wise That hath the wit most wealthily to wed By all meanes therefore alwaies we deuise To see our yssue rich in spousals sped We buy and sell rich orphanes babes scant bred Must marry ere they know what mariage meanes Boyes marry old trots old fooles wed yong queanes We call this wedding which in any wise Can bee no mariage but pollution plaine A new found trade of humane merchandise The diuels net a filthy fleshly gaine Of kinde and nature an vnnaturall staine A foule abuse of Gods most holy order And yet allow'd almost in euery border Would God I were the last that shall haue cause Against this creeping canker to complaine That men would so regard their makers lawes That all would leaue the leaudnesse of their braine That holy orders holy might remaine That our respects in wedding should not choke The end and fruite of Gods most holy yoke The Sage King Solon after that he saw What mischiefes follow missought mariages To barre all baits established this law No friend nor father shall giue heritages Coine cattell stuffe or other carriages With any maid for dowry or wedding sale By any meane on paine of banning bale Had this good law in England been in force My fire had not so cruelly been slaine My brother had not causelesse lost his corps Our mariage had not bred vs such disdaine My selfe had lack'd great part of grieuous paine VVe wedded wiues for dignitie and lands And left our liues in enuies bloodie hands My father hight Sir Richard Woduile he Espoused Bedford Duchesse and by her Had issue males my brother Iohn and me Call'd Anthony King Edward did prefer Vs far aboue the state wherein we were He ' spous'd our sister Elizabeth Whom Sir Iohn Gray made widow by his death How glad were we thinke you of this alliance So neerely coupled with so great a King VVho durst with any of vs be at defiance Thus made of might the mightiest to wring But fie what cares do highest honors bring VVhat carelesnesse our selues or friends to know VVhat spite and enuie both of high and low Because the King had made our sister Queene It was his honor to prefer her kin And sith the readiest way as wisest weene VVas first by wedding wealthie heires to win It pleas'd the Prince by like meane to begin To me he gaue the rich Lord Scales his heire A vertuous maid in my mind very faire He ioyned to my brother Iohn the old Duches of Northfolke notable of fame My nephew Thomas who had in his hold The honor and right of Marquise Dorsets name Espoused Cicelie a right wealthie dame Lord Bonuiles heire by whom he was possest In all the rights where through that house was blest The honours that my Sire attaind were diuers First Chamberlaine then Constable he was I doe omit the gainfullest Earle Riuers Thus glistred we to glory cleere as glasse Such miracles can Princes bring to passe Among their lieges whom they mind to heaue To honours false who all their guests deceiue Honours are like that cruell King of Thrace With new come guests that fed his hungry horses Or like the tyrant Busiris whose grace Offred his Gods all strangers strangled corses To forrenners so hard false honors force is That all her bourders strangers either geasts She spoiles to feede her Gods and greedy beasts Her Gods be those whom God by law or lot Or kinde by birth doth place in highest roomes Her beasts be such as greedily haue got Office or charge to guide the silly groomes These officers in law or charge are broomes Which sweep away the sweet from simple wretches And spoile th' enriched by their crafty fetches These plucke downe those whom Princes set aloft By wresting lawes and false conspiracies Yea Kings themselues by these are spoiled oft When wilfull Princes carelesly despise To heare th' oppressed peoples heauy cries Nor will correct their polling theeues then God Doth make those reues the reckles Princes rod. The second Richard is a proofe of this Whom crafty Lawyers by their lawes deposed Another patern good King Henry is Whose right by them hath diuersly beene glosed Good while he grew bad when he was vnrosed And as they sodred these and diuers other With like deceit they vsde the King my brother While he preuail'd they said he owed the Crowne All lawes and rights agreed with the same But when by drifts hee seemed to be downe All lawes and right extremely did him blame Nought saue vsurping traytour was his name So constantly the Iudges construe lawes That all agree still with the stronger cause These as I said and other like in charge Are honours horses whom shee feedes with gests For all whom Princes frankly doe enlarge With dignities these barke at in their brests Their spite their might their falsehood neuer rests Till they deuour them sparing neither bloud Ne lim ne life and all to get their good The Earle of Warwicke was a pransing courser The hauty heart
lent By Mars his force their raies and rancks he rent And tooke the brother of the Grecian King With others moe as captiues home to bring The taken towne from which the King was fled Sir Brutus with sixe hundred men did man Ech prisoner was vnto his keeper led To keepe in towne the noble Troians wan And into woods the Troiane gate him than Againe with his he kept him there by night To quaile the Grecians if they came to fight The King which cal'd to minde his former foile His flight and brother deare by Troians take The towne he lost where Brutus gaue the spoile He thought not so the field and fight forsake But of his men a muster new to make And so againe for to besiege the towne In hope reuenge or winne his lost renowne By night the ambush that his purpose knew Came foorth from woods whereas they waited by The Troians all th' vnarmed Grecians slew Went through their campe none could their force denie Vnto the tent where Pandrasus did lie Whereas Lord Brutus tooke their King that night And sau'd his life as see'md a worthie wight This great exploite so wisely well at chiu'd The Troiane victour did a counsaile call Wherein might be for their estate contriu'd By counsaile graue the publike weale of all Now tell quoth he what ransome aske we shall Or what will you for our auaile deuise To which Mempricius answer'd graue and wise I cannot Brutus but commend thine act In this thou noble Captaine worthy praise Which deemest well it were an heinous fact T' abridge the Grecian king of vitall daies And that we ought by clemencie to raise Our fame to skie not by a sauage guise Sith Gods and men both cruelty despise The cause we fought was for the freedome all Of Troians taken we haue freedome won We haue our purpose and their king withall To whom of rigour nothing ought be done Though he the quarrell with vs first begon And though we owe the fall of Troyes requite Yet let reuenge thereof from gods to light His subiects now bewaile their proude pretence And weapons laide aside for mercy crie They all confesse their plagues to come from thence Where first from faith of Gods they seem'd to flie Their Nobles dare not come the case to trie But euen for peace with all their hearts they sue And meekely grant whence all their mischiefes grew The Princesse faire his daughter who surmounts For vertues rare for beautie braue and grace Both Helen fine of whom they made accounts And all the rest that come of Grecian race She for her father sues bewailes his case Implores desires thy grace and gods aboue Whose woes may them and thee to mercy moue Some Troians say he should deposed be From kingdome quite or else be slaine he should And we heere bide eke this misliketh me Nay rather while we stay keepe him in hold Or let him pay a ransome large of gold And hostage giue and homage do of right To thee that wonst the field by Martiall fight For kingdomes sake a captiue king to kill Our names for aye with foule defame would brand For vs in Greece to dwell were euen as ill The force of Greece we cannot still withstand Let vs therefore both cruelty aband And prudent seeke both gods and men to please So shall we find good lucke at land and seas Or sith the Grecians will thee for to take The noble Ladie Iunogen to wife If thou so please let him her dowrie make Of gold ships siluer corne for our reliefe And other things which are in Graecia rife That we so fraught may seeke some desert shore Where thou and thine may raigne for euermore This pleas'd both Brutus and the Troians all Who wil'd forthwith that Pandrasus the King Should reuerently be brought into the hall And present when they told him of this thing So griefe and sorow great his heart did sting He could not shew by countenance or cheere That he it lik'd but spake as you shall heare Sith that the wrath of gods hath yeelded me And eke my brother captiues to your hands I am content to do as pleaseth yee You haue my realme my life my goods and lands I must be needs content as Fortune stands I giue my daughter gold and siluer fine With what for dowrie else you craue is mine To make my tale the shorter if I may This truce concluded was immediately And all things else performed by a day The King restor'd that did in prison lie The Troians proud of spoiles and victorie Did hoise vp sailes in two daies and a night Vpon the I le of Lestrigons they light And leauing of their ships at roade to land They wandring went the countrey for to view Loe there a desert citie old they fand And eke a temple if report be true Where Dian dwelt of whom the Troian crew In sacrifice their captaine counsell gaue For good successe a seate and soile to craue And he no whit misliking their aduice Went forth and did before the altar hold In his right hand a cup to sacrifice Fild both with wine and white hinds blood scarce cold And then before her stature straight he told Deuoutly all his whole petition there In sort they say as is repeated heere O goddesse great in groues that putst wilde boares in fearefull feare And maist go all the compasse pathes of euery ayrie sphere Eke of th' infernall houses too resolue the earthly rights And tell what countrey in to dwell thou giu'st vs Troian wights Assigne a certaine seate where I shall worship thee for aye And where repleat with virgins I erect thy temples maye When nine times he had spoken this and went Foure times the altar round and staid agen He powr'd the wine and blood in hand he hent Into the fire O witlesse cares of men Such folly meere and blindnes great was then But if religion now bids toies farewell Embrace that 's good the vice of times I tell He laid him then downe by the altars side Vpon the white Hinds skin espred therefore It was the third houre of the night a tide Of sweetest sleepe he gaue himselfe the more To rest surelie Then seemed him before Diana chaste the goddesse to appeare And spake to him these words that you shall heare O Brute farre vnder Phoebus fall beyond of France that raigne An Iland in the Ocean is with sea t is compast maine An Iland in the Ocean is where Giants erst did dwell But now a desert place that 's fit will serue thy people well To this direct thy race for there shall be thy seat for aye And to thy sonnes there shall be built another stately Troye Here of thy progenie and stocke shall mightie Kings descend And vnto them as subiect all the world shall bow and bend On this he woke with ioyfull cheere and told The vision all and oracle it gaue So it reioyst their hearts a thousand fold To ships they got
woundes to smart I ioyed to feele the mighty monster start That roard and belcht and groande and plungde and cride And tost me vp and downe from side to side Long so in pangs hee plungde and panting lay And drew his winde so fast with such a powere That quite and cleane he drew my breath away Wee both were dead well nigh within an houre Lo thus one beastly monster did deuoure Another monster moodles to vs paine At once the realme was rid of monsters twaine Here maist thou see of fortitude the hap Where prudence iustice temperance hath no place How suddenly we taken are in trap When we despise good vertues to embrace Intemperance doth all our deeds deface And lets vs heedles headlong run so fast We seeke our owne destruction at the last For he that hath of fortitude and might And thereto hath a kingdome ioind withall Except he also guide himselfe aright His powre and strength prewaileth him but small He can not scape at length an haples fall You may perceiue a myrrour plaine by me Which may with wisdome well sufficient be HOW KING EMERIANVS FOR HIS TYRANNIE WAS DEPOSED ABOVT THE yeare before Christ 225. THe wofull wight that fell from throne to thrall The wretch that woue the web wherin he goes A dolefull blacke bad weede still weare hee shall In woefull sort and nothing blame his foes What neede such one at all his name disclose Except the rest of Britaine princes should Not here for shame resite his name he would I am Emeriane King that raign'd a space Scarce all one yeare in Britaine Isle long sence But for I was in maners voide of grace Fierce tyrannous and full of negligence Bloud thirsty cruell vaine deuoide of sence The Britaines me deposed from seate and crowne And reau'd me quite of riches and renowne I was despisde and banisht from my blisle Discountnanst faine to hide my selfe for shame What neede I longer stand to tell thee this My selfe was for my woefull fall too blame My raigne was short in few my fall I frame My life was lothsome soone like death that found Let this suffice a warning blast to sound HOW KING CHRINNVS GIVEN TO DRVNKENNES raigned but one yeare He died about the yeare before Christ 137. THough I my surfets haue not yet out slept Nor scarce with quiet browes begin my tale Let not my drowsy talke bee ouer leapt For though my belching sent of wine or ale Although my face be fallo puft and pale And legs with dropsy swell and panch resound Yet let me tell what vice did me confound Perhaps thou thinkst so grosse a blockhead blunt A sleepy swinish head can nothing say The greatest heads and smallest eke were wont To beare in them the finest wits away This thing is true thou canst it not denay And Bacchus eke ensharps the wits of some Foecundi calices quem non fecere desertum Yet sith long since both braines and all were spent And this in place amongst my mates I speake I trust thou wilt be herewithall content Although indeed my wits of talke are weake So old a vessell cannot chuse but leake A drunken sot whose faltering feete do slip Must pardon craue his tongue in talke will trip Chirinnus was my name a Britaine King But rulde short time Sir Bacchus was my let Erinnus eke my senses so did swing That reason could no seat amongst them get Wherefore the truth I pray thee plainely set I gaue my selfe to surfets swilling wine And led my life much like a dronken swine Diseases grew distemprance made me swell My parched liuer lusted still for baste My timpane sounded like a taber well And nought but wine did like my greedie taste This vice and moe my life and me defaste My face was blowne and blubd with dropsie wan And legs more like a monster then a man So not in shape I onely altered was My dispositions chang'd in me likewise For vices make a man a goate an asse A swine or horse as Poets can comprise Transforming into beasts by sundry wise Such men as keepe not onely shape of men But them mishapeth also now and then Wherefore let who so loues to liue long daies Without diseases strong in youthfull state Beware of Bacchus booth which all betraies The vaile of vices vaine the hauen of hate The well of weake delights the brand of bate By which I lost my health life Realme and fame And onely wonne the shrouding sheete of shame HOW KING VARIANVS GAVE HIMSELFE TO THE lustes of the flesh and dyed about the yeare before Christ 136. WHere no good gifts haue place nor beare the sway What are the men but wilful castaway Where gifts of grace doe garnish well the King There is no want the land can lacke nothing The Court is still well stor'd with noble men In Townes and Cities Gouernours are graue The common wealth doth also prosper then And wealth at will the Prince and people haue Perhaps you aske what Prince is this appeares What meanes his talke in these our golden yeares A Britaine Prince that Varianus hight I held sometime the Scepter here by right And though no need there be in these your daies Of states to tell or vertues good discriue Good counsaile yet doth stand in stead alwaies When time againe may vices olde reuiue If not yet giue me leaue amongst the rest Which felt their fall or had their deaths addrest My cause of fall let me likewise declare For * falles the deaths of vicious Princes are They fall when all good men reioice or see That they short time enioide their places hie For Princes which for vertues praised be By death arise extold they scale the skie I will be short because it may suffice That soone is said to warne the sage and wise Or if that they no warning need to haue This may perchance somewhat their labour saue With those that will not heare their faults them told By such as would admonish them for loue When they my words and warnings here behold They may regard and see their owne behoue About my time the Princes liu'd not long For all were giuen almost to vice and wrong My selfe voluptuous was abandond quite To take in fleshly lust my whole delite A pleasure vile that drawes a man from thrift and grace Doth iust desires and heauenly thoughts expell Doth spoile the corps defiles the soule and fame deface And brings him downe to Plutoes paines of hell For this my sinne my subiects hated mee Repining still my stained life to see As when the Prince is wholly giuen to vice And holdes the lewder sort in greatest price The land decaies disorder springs abroad The worser sort doe robbe pill pole and spoile The weaker force to beare the greatest loade And leese the goods for which they earst did toile How can Iehoua iust abide the wrong He will not suffer such haue scepter long As he did strike for sinfull life my seate And did
tribute pay vnto the Romane stout Or else I would both put their liues and goods in doubt But they a people fierce and recklesse of my powers Abused those which brought th' ambassage that I sent Now sith quoth they the land and region heere is ours We will not Caesar to thy rightlesse hestes assent By doome of friendly Gods this Iland first we hent Of Priames blood we are from Greece we Troians came As Brutus brought vs thence and gaue this land his name This land reported was full fertile for the soile The wealthie warlike sort of Britaines stout within Were rather able well to giue then take the foile To those which came by warres their freedome for to win My selfe made first assault with them I did begin Of all the Romanes first I waged with them warre And this I can report they valiant people are It was reported eke that in my warres in France Some Britaines thither came amongst the Galles to fight And that for pleasure sake to try of Mars the chance And for to haue in field of Romane warres the sight That they no labour sparde by day nor yet by night In campe in scoute for hunger heate or colde But were in all attempts of armes both stout and bolde This fame enflamed me displeasure eke I tooke That glory hopte to get so doughtie hearts to daunt On which with winds at wil I Gallia shores forsooke Full minded for to make the Britaines tribute graunt Sith at my message sent they seemed so to taunt With armour souldiers good and of munition store I went appointed wel with fiftie sailes or more But so the noble Britaines plaide the valiaunt men By policies and force to hurt my shippes and me That I was forced after my returne agen To rigge my shipppes againe a wondrous thing to see For in the strands and in the seas where hauens be Sharpe postes they pight whereon our shippes we ron When many diu'd the deepe before the land wee won Being hardly come to land at length we met the hoast And sharpely fought with them whose praises earst we hard I haue no cause of Britane conquest for to boast Of all the Regions first and last with whom I ward A people stout and strong enduring chances hard And desperate wilde and fearce and recklesse found I then Not soone agast with dint or fright with fall of men For when our armies met no dangers they forsooke But so behau'd themselues in euery place of fight As though to Martiall feates they onely had betooke Themselues and for the palme did all their dealings dight Though with my Romanes I wag'd all my warlike might I was not able there to cause them yeeld or flee Or for a space to take a time of truce with me The toiles wee tooke to enter at the first on land And for to saue our shattered ships and armour brought To wey them out that else had bulg'd themselues in sand Hereon before the fielde with might and maine we wrought Beside at skirmish oft vpon the shore we fought These labours tired so my men and me that tide That we could not endure the battailes brunt t' abide They followed hard the chace with scath and losse we scapte And shipt we hoised sailes to Fraunce we made retire Where for an armie new another roade we shapte If winter colde were past to come the following yeare And so we did indeed and bought our comming deere For they prouided had so well to fight that I With all mine armies stout could finde no victorie Againe to shippe my mates I bad my Captaines stur Eke from this people fearce with speede to shift away The chance of warre is hard and doubtfull for t' assure Where th' enemies neither dint of death nor dangers fray They reckt not of their wealth nor losse of goods decay But for their freedome fought on Princes case they stood With ioyfull hearts they waged warlike life and blood Almost I had no hope at all to make returne The people were so fearce so stubburne stout and bold No time of rest I wrought amongst them to soiurne They could not by our power bee ruled nor controld They said they would vs pay no siluer brasse nor gold To our indictions sent they would not set their hand But for to trie the case with all their power to stand When to the coasts of Gallia againe with losse we come That neuer erst with such repulse to foes did turne the backe The Britaines they reioyce with triumphes all and some And fame doth sound report they make the Romanes packe Where we no men no coine nor no munition lacke No captaines good no art no victuall hearte to fight A goodly spoile the land a pray before our sight Now marke the hap we had while I in Gallia lay The Britaines past the time in triumphes and in feasts And for our second flight with sports they spend the day Accounting vs in their respect but coward beasts Amongst their other sport of Iusts and pleasant iests A ciuill discord fell betweene two worthy peeres Of courage both so good that neither best appeares The one hight Irenglas of kinred to the king A worthy wight in warre and prudent wise and sage The other Elenine whose praise no stories bring But stoutnesse in his fight as ruled all by rage Yet both against the Romanes with the king did wage The British warre full well and serued as they ought Till time at home the praise of triumphes vaine they sought This Elenine was stout for he was neere of kin Vnto Androgeus which was th' Earle of London then And claimed eke the palme they say that he did win In triumphs at the iusts amongst the noble men But as they went about to trie the line agen They fell from words to sharpe and laide on loade amaine Vntill at length in fight hight Irenglas was slaine The King did send for Elenine but he was fled Vnto the Earle his cosin whence he would not come He feared lest he should haue lost his hated head ' The guilty heart conceau's before the Iudge doe doome He wist if once he went there needed him no toome Wherefore he it refused and th' Earle was discontent Who message sharpe againe vnto the King had sent Cassibellane displeased much that subiects should Both slay his friend and eke refuse to bide the lawe And also in rebellious wise endeuour what they could To cut themselues vniustly from the Princes awe Though it him greeu'd to see at home so foule a flawe He could not yet abide the iniuries were showne But armde himselfe and his gainst subiects once his owne When th' Earle Androgeus saw that he was far too weake Against his Prince to wage rebellious wars begon He sent to me in France desiring helpe to wreake The iniuries and wrong Cassibellane had don He also Sceua sent for pledge his onely sonne And thirtie youths beside of honour great well borne I would
not trust his talke nor message sent beforne On this I expedition made the third and last For he did warrant me my purpose to obtaine I shipt my men and hide me thitherward full fast Had winde at will and came to see the shining shores againe And of my comming so the Earle was glad and faine We ioined hands and league and armies for the fight And sought and put Cassibellane the noble King to flight Yet he repaird his hoste againe that fiercely faught And oft assaid to slay or take the Earle or mee And when hee saw at length his labour vailed naught And Britanes with the Romanes linked so to bee Great griefe he had in them such treason for to see His losse in doubtfull war not grieu'd him halfe so sore His peoples base reuolt he chiefely did deplore To make it short the King was faine at length to yeeld The tribute granted was three thousand pound a yeere We bare away the price we wan the worthy field And made them friends againe that bought our fauour deere I need no longer stay to tell the story heere Nor yet to giue my friend the Earle of London blame Sith by his meanes I wan to Rome eternall fame From France I after sent to Rome reporting how Amongst the warlike Galles and Britaines I had sped I made request by friends I might be Consull now On my returne againe but Pompeyes hautie hed Did ioyne himselfe with Peeres and armies which he led Alledging plaine I meant the publique weale t' inuade They would represse my pride with might and dint of blade With speed I came and force which made them all to flie To Greece from Rome in haste where they prepared war For in Epyrus then with souldiers they did lie This Pompey proud that made the Romans with me iar He at Dyrrachium staid to which though it were far I led my conquering host I skirmisht often there But from the fight to flie we soone contented were On this he followed fast in hope to win the field To Thessalie he came where I did stay therefore Our armies met and fiercely faught not bent to yeeld Till fifteene hundred men were slaine in fight or more But in the end they fled we tooke of prisoners store They durst not dare t' abide the chance of Mars to trie But either fell in fight or from the field did flie Thence Pompey fled the field and into Egypt came To Ptolemie the King as then but yong of age Where of his slaughter foule Septimius hath the blame He was his end that did these warres against me wage Euen so by course we come to play vpon the stage Our trauels haue an end when we do feele the fall For all our life is but a race of miserie and thrall But Pompeyes friends and sonnes by might did oft assay When he was done to death to take reuenge on me And I by dint of sword repel'd their force away Gate offices of rule and gouern'd each degree At Caesars beck and call obeysant all they bee Enacted lawes directed each estate Emperially the first aloft I sate But glorie won the way to hold and keepe the same To hold good fortune fast a worke of cunning skill Who so with prudent art can stay that stately dame Which sets vs vp so high vpon her hautie hill And constant aye can keepe her loue and fauour still He wins immortall fame thrice blessed is the crowne If once misfortune kicke and cast the scepter downe For when in Rome I was alone Dictator chose And Emperour or Captaine sole to be for ay My glorie did procure me many secret foes Because aboue the rest I bare the soueraigne sway By sundrie meanes they sought my ruine and decay For why there could no thing in state determin'd be Vnlesse it likte me first and were approu'd by me This they enui'd at me that su'd aloft to clime As hautie Cassius which the Pretorship did craue And Brutus eke his friend which bare the chiefest crime Of my dispatch and death for they did first depraue My life mine acts my raigne and sought my blood to haue Full secretly amongst themselues conspir'd decreed To be attemptors of that cruell bloodie deed Yet I forewarned was by Capis fatall tombe His Epitaph my death did long before foreshow Cornelius Balbus saw mine horses headlesse ronne Without the guide of man forsaking food for woe Spurina warned me that sooth of things did know A little wren in beake with Laurell greene that flew Foreshew'd my dolefull death as after all men knew The night before my fall in slumber I did dreame I caried was from earth and flew the clouds aboue And somtime hand in hād I thought I walkt with Ioue supreame My wife Calphurnia Caesars only loue Did dreame she saw her crest of house to fall Her husband thrust through breast a sword withall Eke that same night her chamber dores thēselues flew open all These things did make me much that mourning to mislike And Iacrazed was and thought at home to stay But who is he can void deaths dart when he doth strike Where so great number seekes his life for to betray The traytor bloodie Brutus bad me not delay Nor yet to frustrate there so great assemblie sate At last I went and there did meet vntimely sate To Senate as I went behold a Roman stood Presenting me a scrole of euery traytors name And all their whole deuice that sought to spill my blood That presently decreed to execute the same But I blind wretch supposde that for some suite he came I heedlesse bare this scrole in my vnhappie hand For which I lost my life as you shall vnderstand Spurina as I came at sacrifices was Neere to the place where I was after slaine Of whose diuinings true I then did little passe To warne me of my death the Priest did seeke in vaine My hautie heart growne proud these warnings all disdaine Quoth I the Ides of March be come yet harme is none Quoth he the Ides of March be come yet th' are not gone Assoone as I was set the traytors all arose And one approched neere as to demand some thing To whom as I gaue eare at once my cruell foes Beset me round about their weapons hid they bring Then I too late perceiu'd my deaths approching sting O this quoth I is violence then Cassius pierst my brest And Brutus thou my sonne quoth I whom erst I loued best Yee Princes all and noble men beware of pride Wracke not the Commonwealth for wealthie kingdomes sake Be warn'd by me that see my selfe the world to guide Beware what bloodie warres for rule you vndertake Ere three and twentie wounds had made my heart to quake How many thousands fell for Pompeyes pride and mine How many valiant Knights did loued life resigne Full many nobie men to rule alone I slew And some themselues againe for griefe of heart did slay For they would neuer yeeld though I
Englishmen did meete Then secretly my friends and I did frame That Englishmen the Danes should friendly greete And at the feast that they should do their feate And that they might the better worke their will They thus were plast according vnto skill Two before one and three before fiue Here two and there two and foure then beliue Here one and there one and three at a cast Then one and twice two and one at the last They mingled thus the watch word wisely giuen And Englishmen with weapons well bestead The Danes amidst their cups were shauen and shriuen Fiue hundred thousand in one day were dead Now note the end of blood so heastly shead For Swane the king of Denmarke did arriue He for reuenge did me to Richard driue Marke here how lawlesse polices preuaile Their good successe do promise present paine What May mans vaine deuices ought auaile Dishonest deeds no honour can obtaine Al murthering Massacres be vile and vaine Such suttle slights haue neuer good successe The proofe whereof with paine I here expresse For Swane with sword and fire did here destroy Both man and beast and euery earthly thing He did that noble London much annoy He won the Realme and was the English king When tract of time him to his beare did bring Canutus then his sonne did him succeed Whom to displace I did dispatch with speed My brother Richard Duke of Normandy Of Normans gaue to me a goodly band By help of whom Canutus forst to flee I got againe the kingdome of England But out alas what thing may firmely stand Whose vnder-prop is of so little might That want of strength doth let things drop downright Canutus did from Denmarke now returne The wrathfull wight appointed passing strong My subiects slue my Cities he did burne Which when I heard I liu'd not very long My fainting heart was thronged with a throng Of cares which broke it in my fearfull brest And so at last death brought my bones to rest Twice tenne and eight I ranne my ruthfull race And then in Pauls my cursed corps was laid Canutus did my common-weale deface The Danes were kings my kingdome was decaid This world is fraile and euery thing must fade But alwaies that which wanteth gouernment That first doth feele the force of dangers dent Thomas Blener Hasset HOW EDRICVS EARLE OF MERCIA DESTROYED THE VALIANT KING EDMVND IRON side in hope of aduancement and how he was rewarded Anno Dom. 1018. YOu hellish hags of Limbo Lake below Which daily do my cursed corps torment Come forth come forth come forth I say and shew How I on earth my dismall daies haue spent And wil you not you wretched wights assent To helpe me here to tell that drierie tale Which may amongst men liuing much preuaile O cursed ghost condemn'd to endlesse thrall Sith they refuse to aid thee in this need Do thou declare and tel the truth af all That men aliue my wretched works may read And see the fruite of suttle Satans seed Auoiding vice and fancies fond delight Note well my tale the truth I shall recite When Etheldred had giuen Canutus place Edmund his sonne surnamed Ironside Deuising how he might his foe deface By wrath of warre the cause they did decide And in the end the Realme they did diuide Edmund had halfe Canutus had the rest Then they with peace and quietnesse were blest O blind beleefe O hope of higher hope Why did you moue my minde to meditate How I in woe king Edmund might in wrap And how I might depresse my kings estate Thou blind beleefe thou breeder of debate I wanting grace did let thee moue my mind Causelesse to kil a courteous king and kinde He being kild I to Canutus went To whom I sayd See here a faithfull friend I for thy loue with bloody blade haue hent And brought my King to his vntimely end Thou by that meanes shalt rule thy realme with rest My friendly â—ist with happie good successe Hath thee inricht with blisse and happinesse Hast thou quoth he destroy'd thy soueraigne King Thou faithlesse sawning friend for loue of me Thou verlet vile and could'st thou doe the thing The which might more a bridge my libertie O heinous act O bloodie crueltie But sith that loue did moue thee doe that deede Thou for thy paines shalt be preferd with speede Wherewith in haste he to the hangman said Let this mans head the highest place obtaine On London walles wherewith I neuer staid But on a block my neck was cut in twaine In all mens sight my head did long remaine See here what wit the grape of hope doth yeeld See on what sand such busie braines do build O hatefull thing that fancies fond delight The sense of mortall man should senselesse make When vices vaunts with vertues deeds dare fight Then doth the soule the happie heauens forsake Then man makes haste to Plutoes lothsome lake Why should man loue that sugred sowre sweet Which wisedoms lore to lothe hath thought most meet Thomas Blener Hasset HOW KING HAROLD RAIGNING BVT NINE MONETHS had continuall warre with the Danes with the Norway King with his brother TOSTIVS and was at last slaine in battell by William the Conquerer An. Dom. 1095. WOuld he haue warre and we to warre proclame O Bastand Duke and dost thou dare to fight My Noble men come forth and purchase fame Ciue me my sword let me defend my right Steppe forth with speed my Martiall men of might With Bowes and Billes let vs their course restraine And teach them that their vanting vowes be vaine But that we may with wisdome wisely worke It vs behoues in Normandie to fight With him and not to let his souldiers lurke Heere in my Realme we shall thereby atchiue No noble act though hence we him do driue But if we deale with him in Normandie We shall receiue renowne and victorie It is the best with forren foes to fight Abroad as did the haughtie Hannibal And not at home to feele their hatefull spight Of all the rest it is the greatest thrall That foes arriu'd should spoile our subiects all And for a truth this alwaies hath been found He speedeth best which fights on forren ground My men of warre were mustred out of hand But all my haste was then of none auaile My brother Tostius with his rebell band In euery place my subiects did assaile And euery where did cause their hearts to quaile Whose wretched state from farther spoile to shield I by my power did force him flie the field He fled to Norway whence a cloud did rise That did obscure the shine of my content When loe the Norman Duke did then deuise If I to yeeld my Scepter would assent For which betwixt vs to and fro there went Despightfull letters which I will recite Wherein he claimes and I defend my right WILLIAM DVKE OF NORMANDIE AND RIGHT heire to the English Crowne to Harold the Vsurper THough birthright cannot cause thee yeeld
to me my Crowne Yet haue thou some respect of honor and renowne For thou by oath did'st sweare to yeeld to me my right When as I thee prefer'd and stal'd thee there by might Mine vncle Edward he thy fathers faithfull friend Gaue me his Crowne and thou thereto did'st condescend Yet now thou wouldest faine defeate me of my right And proue thy selfe forsworne of former promise plight Shall Harold haue his hest shall Godwines sonne be guide Shall William want his will and haue his right deni'd Well Harold if thou canst with warres determine so I am content if not prouide I am thy foe My sonnes and all my kinne shall neuer stint to striue To plucke thee from thy place whil'st one is left aliue But if thou wilt bewise to me my right resigne And thou shalt haue the place belonging to thy line If not with fire and sword I meane thy Realme to spoile I neuer thence will start till I haue forst thy foile And now thou know'st my will determine for the best Thou maist haue warres and if thou wilt thou maist haue rest WILLIAM Duke of Normandy THese letters were of little might to make My manly mind to grant him his request For which I did to Fortune me betake To wage new warres with him I deem'd it best So from his fist his threatning blade to wrest But see the force of Fortunes changing cheare Another cloud before me did appeare My brother Tostius who from me was fled Did now returne and brought the Norway King They did deuise to haue from me my head Which made me to indite another thing Vnto the Duke then plaine and true meaning I gaue him hope of that I neuer ment These were the lines which to the Duke I sent HAROLD THE ENGLISH KING TO THEE WILLIAM Duke of Normandy HArold the English King thee William Duke doth greete Thy letter being read I haue not thought it meete Without a Parlament to do so great a thing As of a forren Duke to make an English King But if my three estates will follow my aduice Thou shalt receiue the Crowne and beare away the price Therefore delay a time thou shortly shalt receiue With full consent the thing which now thou seek'st to haue HAROLD I Arm'd in haste all danger to auoid For why I heard my brother Tostius traine Two of my Earles had in the North destroy'd And many a thousand men he there had slaine But when we met his triumph was in vaine For I and mine the Norway King there kilte And I my selfe my brothers blood there spilte Now when the Duke my friendly lines had read And heard how I my men did muster new There lies a Snake within this greene grasse bed Quoth he therefore come forth my warlike crew We will not stay to see what shall ensue By long delayes from forren coasts he may Procure an aide to scourge vs with decay But when he heard with whom I had to deale Well done quoth he let him go beate the bush I and my men to the lurch line will steale And plucke the Net euen at the present push And one of them we with decay will crush For he who doth the victor there remaine Shall neuer rest till he hath dealt with twaine So I in vaine who had the victorie Within few daies was forst againe to fight My strength halfe spoil'd my wounded men were wearie His campe was comne vnwares within my sight There was no hope to flee by day nor night I Harold then a Harauld sent in haste To know the plot where he his campe had plaste He sent me word my ifs and ands were vaine And that he knew the drifts of my delay For which he said he would yet once againe Make triall who should beare the crowne away If I would yeeld he said his men should stay If not he then was present presently To trie the cause by Mars his crueltie Which when I heard and saw him march amaine His Trumpets did defie me to my face In haste I did appoint my very traine And souldier-like I all my men did place I neuer su'd nor pray'd nor gapte for grace For hauing plaste my men in battellray I with loude voice to them these words did say My mates in armes see heere the last assault Win now the field and be you euer blest This Bastard base borne Duke shall he exalt Himselfe so high giue eare vnto my hest This day no doubt we shall haue quiet rest For good successe shall set vs free from feare Or hatefull hap shall bring vs to our beare Euen heere at hand his power doth appeare March forth my men we must no longer stay Let euery man abandon fainting feare And I as guide will lead you on your way Euen I my selfe the formost in the fray Will teach you how you shall abate his pride Fight fight my men your King shall be your guide His Cros-bow men my Archers did assaile With three to one yet were they all too weake And when his forlorne hope could not preuaile Them to assist his Horsemen out did breake Three troopes I sent on them the wrath to wreake And by and by the battel 's both did ioyne With many a thrust and many a bloodie foine Of three maine battels he his armie made I had but one and one did deale with three Of which the first by me were quite dismaide The other two they did discomfort me Not yeelding but in yeelding blowes we be With losse of life constrain'd at last to yeeld The crowne the kingdome and the foughten field Note now the lot which on my limmes did light Nine monthes no more I wore the English Crowne In euery month I in the field did fight In euery fight I wonne a fresh renowne Yet at the last my strength was beaten downe And heere before you now I do protest I neuer had one day of quiet rest To the Reader HAuing hitherto continued the storie gentle Reader from the first entrance of Brute into this Iland with the falles of such Princes as were neuer before this time in one volume comprised I now proceed with the rest which take their beginning from the Conquest whose pen-men being many and diuers all diuerslie affected in the method of this their Mirror I purpose only to follow the intended scope of that most honorable personage who by how much he did surpasse the rest in the eminence of his noble condition by so much he hath exceeded them all in the excellencie of his heroicall stile which with a golden pen he hath limmed out to posteritie in that worthy obiect of his minde the Tragedie of the Duke of Buckingham and in his preface then intituled Master Sackuils induction This worthie President of learning intending to perfect all this storie himselfe from the Conquest being called to a more serious expence of his time in the great State-affaires of his most royall Ladie and Soueraigne left the dispose thereof to M.
these miracles wrought The King inflamed with in dignation That to such bondage he should be brought Suppressing the ire of his inward thought Studied nought else but how that he might Be highly reuenged of this high despite Aggreeu'd was also this latter offence With former matter his ire to renue For once at Windsore I brought to his presence The Maior of London with all his retinue To aske a reckoning of the Realmes reuenue And the souldiers of Brest by me were made bold Their wages to claime when the towne was sold These griefes remembred with all the remnant Hourded in his hart hate out of measure Yet openly in shew made he no femblant By word or by deed to beare displeasure But loue dayes dissembled do neuer indure And whoso trusteth a foe reconcild Is for the most part alwaies beguild For as fire ill quencht will vp at a start And sores not well salued doe breake out of new So hatred hidden in an irefull hart Where it hath had long season to brew Vpon euery occasion doth easily renew Not failing at last if it be not let To pay large vsury besides the due det Euen so it fared by this friendship fained Outwardly sound and inwardly rotten For when the Kings fauour in seeming was gained All old displeasures forgiuen and forgotten Euen then at a suddaine the shaft was shotten Which pierced my heart void of mistrust Alas that a Prince should be so vniust For lying at Plashey my selfe to repose By reason of sicknesse which held me full sore The King espying me apart from those With whom I confedered in band before Thought it not meete to tract the time more But glad to take me at such auantage Came to salute me with friendly visage Who hauing a band bound to his bent By colour of kindnesse to visite his Eame Tooke time to accomplish his cruell intent And in a small vessell downe by the streame Conueid me to Calis out of the Realme Where without processe or doome of my Peeres Not nature but murder abridged my yeeres This act was odious to God and to man Yet rigour to cloake in habit of reason By craftie compasse deuise they can Articles nine of right hainous treason But doome after death is sure out of season For who euer saw so strange a president As execution done before iudgement Thus hate harboured in depth of minde By sought occasion burst out of new And cruelty abused the law of kinde When that the Nephue the Vncle flew Alas King Richard sore mayst thou rue Which by this fact preparedst the way Of thy hard destiny to hasten the day For bloud axeth bloud as guerdon due And vengeance for vengeance is iust reward O righteous God thy iudgements are true For looke what measure we other award The same for vs againe is prepar'd Take heed ye Princes by examples past Bloud will haue bloud either first or last G. Ferrers HOW THE LORD MOWbrey promoted by King Richard the second to the state of a Duke was by him banished the Realme the yeare of Christ 1398. and after died miserablie in exile THough sorrow and shame abash me to rehearse My lothsome life and death of due deserued Yet that the paines thereof may other pearce To leaue the like lest they be likewise serued Ah Baldwine marke and see how that I swerued Dissembling enuy and flattery bane that bee Of all their hostes haue shew'd their power on mee I blame not Fortune though she did her part And true it is she can do little harme She guideth goods she hampreth not the heart A minde well bent is safe from euery charme Vice only vice with her stout strengthlesse arme Doth cause the heart from good to ill encline Which I alas doe finde too true by mine For where by birth I came of noble race The Mowbreys heire a famous house and old Fortune I thanke gaue me so good a grace That of my Prince I had what so I would Yet neither was to other greatly hold For I thought flattery wrong'd his want on youth And his fond trust augmented my vntruth He made me first the Earle of Notingham And Marshall of the Realme in which estate The Peeres and people iointly to me came With sore complaint against them that of late Bad officers had brought the King in hate By making sale of Iustice right and Lawe And liuing naught without all dread or awe I gaue them aid these euils to redresse And went to London with an army strong And caus'd the King against his will oppresse By cruell death all such as led him wrong The Lord chiefe Iustice suffered these among So did the Steward of his household head The Chancellor scapte for he afore had fled These wicked men thus from the King remou'd Who best vs pleas'd succeeded in their place For which both King and Commons much vs lou'd But chiefly I with all stood high in grace The King ensu'd my rede in euery case Whence selfe-loue bred for glory maketh prowd And pride aye seeks alone to be allow'd Wherefore to th' end I might alone inioy The Kings good will I made his lust my lawe And where of late I labour'd to destroy Such flattering folke as thereto stood in awe Now learned I among the rest to clawe For pride is such if it be kindly caught As stroyeth good and stirres vp euery naught Pride pricketh men to flatter for the pray Toppresse and poll for maint'nance of the same To malice such as match vneths it may And to be briefe pride doth the heart inflame To fire what mischiefe any fraud may frame And still at length the euils by it wrought Confound the worker and bring him to nought Behold in me due proofe of euery part For pride first forced me my Prince to flatter So much that whatsoeuer pleas'd his heart Were 't nere so ill I thought a lawfull matter Which causd the Lords afresh against him clatter Because he had his holds beyond sea sold And seene his souldiers of their wages pold Though vnto all these ils I were a frend Yet such was luck that each man deemed no The Duke of Glocester for me did send With other Lords whose hearts did bleede for woe To see the Realme so fast to ruine goe In fault whereof they said the two Dukes were The one of Yorke the other Lancaster On whose remoue from being about the King We all agreed and sware a solemne oth And whilst the rest prouided for this thing I flatterer I to win the praise of troth Wretch that I was brake faith and promise both For I bewraied to th' King their whole intent For which vnwares they all were tane and shent Thus was the warder of the Common weale The Duke of Gloster guiltlesse made away With other moe more wretch I so to deale Who through vntruth their trust did ill betray Yet by this meanes obtained I may pray Of King and Dukes I found for this such fauour As
made me Duke of Northfolke for my labour But see how pride and enuy iointly runne Because my Prince did more than me prefer Sir Henry Bolenbroke the eldest sonne Of Iohn of Gaunt the Duke of Lancaster Proud I that would alone be blasing starre Enuide this Duke for nought saue that the shine Of his deserts did glister more then mine To th' end therefore his light should be the lesse I slily sought all shifts to put him out But as the poize that would the palme represse Doth cause the bowes spred larger round about So spite and enuy causeth glory sprout And aye the more the top is ouertrod The deeper doth the sound roote spred abrode For when this Henry Duke of Herford saw What spoile the King made of the noble bloud And that without all Iustice cause or lawe To suffer him he thought not sure nor good Wherefore to me twofaced in one hood As touching this he fully brake his minde As to his friend that should remedy finde But I although I knew my Prince did ill So that my harte abhorred sore the same Yet mischiefe so through malice led my will To bring this Duke from honour vnto shame And toward my selfe my soueraigne to enflame That I bewraied his word vnto the King Not as a read but as a hainous thing Thus where my duty bound me to haue told My Prince his fault and wild him to refraine Through flattery loe I did his ill vphold Which turnd at length both him and me to paine Woe woe to Kings whose counsailours doe faine Woe woe to Realmes where such are put in trust As leaue the Law to serue the Princes lust And woe to him that by his flattering reed Maintaines a Prince in any kind of vice Woe worth him eke for enuy pride or meed That misreports an honest enterprise Because I beast in all these points was nice The plagues of all together on me light And due for ill ill doers doth acquite For when the Duke was charged with my plaint He flat denied that any part was true And claimd by armes to answere his attaint And I by vse that warlike feates well knew To his desire incontinently drew Wherewith the King did seeme right well content As one that past not much with whom it went At time and place appointed we appeard At all points armd to proue our quarels iust And when our friends on each part had vs cheard And that the Heralds bad vs doe our lust With speare in rest we tooke a course to iust But ere our horses had run halfe their way A shout was made the King commanded stay And for t' auoid the sheading of our bloud With shame and death which one must needes haue had The King through counsaile of the Lords thought good To banish both which iudgment straight was rad No maruell then though both were wroth and sad But chiefly I that was exilde for aye My enmie strang'd but for a ten yeares day The date expir'd when by this dolefull dome I should depart to liue in banisht band On paine of death to England not to come I went my way the King seasde in his hand Mine offices my honours goods and land To pay the due as openly he told Of mighty summes which I had from him pol'd See Baldwine see the solary of sinne Marke with that meed vile vices are rewarded Through enuy I did lose both kith and kinne And for my flattering plaint so well regarded Exile and shame are iustly me awarded My wife and heire lacke lands and lawfull right And me their Lord made Dame Dianaes Knight If these mishaps at home bee not enough Adioine to them my sorowes in exile I went to Almaine first a Land right rough In which I found such churlish folke and vile As made me lothe my life ech other while There lo I learnd what is to be a gest Abroad and what to liue at home in rest For they esteeme no one man more then each They vse as well the lackey as the Lord And like their maners churlish in their speech Their lodging hard their boord to be abhor'd Their pleyted garments therewith well accord All iag'd and frounst with diuers colours deckt They sweare they curse and drinke till they be fleckt They hate all such as these their manners hate Which reason would no wise man should allow With these I dwelt lamenting mine estate Till at the length they had got knowledge how I was exil'd because I did auow A false complaint against my trustie friend For which they nam'd me traytour still vnhend That what for shame and what for wearines I stole from thence and went to Venice towne Whereas I found more ease and friendlines But greater griefe for now the great renowne Of Bolenbroke whom I would haue put downe Was waxt so great in Britaine and in France That Vencie through each man did him aduance Thus loe his glorie grew through great despite And I thereby encreased in defame Thus enuie euer doth her most acquite With trouble anguish sorow smart and shame But sets the vertues of her foe in flame Like water waues which clense the muddie stone And soyles themselues by beating thereupon Or ere I had soiourn'd there a yeare Strange tidings came he was to England gone Had tane the King and that which touch'd him neare Imprisoned him with other of his fone And made him yeeld him vp his Crowne and throne When I these things for true by search had tried Griefe gripte me so I pin'd away and died Note heere the end of pride see flatteries fine Marke the reward of enuie and complaint And warne all people from them to decline Lest likely fault do find the like attaint Let this my life to them be a restraint By others harmes who listeth take no heed Shall by his owne learne other better reed T. Churchyard HOW KING RICHARD THE SECOND WAS FOR HIS euill gouernance deposed from his seate in the yeare 1399. and murdered in prison the yeare following HAppie is the Prince that hath in wealth the grace To follow vertue keeping vices vnder But woe to him whose will hath wisdomes place For whoso renteth right and law asunder On him at length all the world shall wonder High birth choice fortune force nor Princely mace Can warrant King or Keyser from the case Behold my hap see how the silly rout On me do gaze and each to other say See where he lieth but late that was so stout Lo how the power the pride and rich aray Of mightie Rulers lightly fade away The King which erst kept all the Realme in doubt The veriest rascall now dare checke and flout Me thinke I heare the people thus deuise Wherefore Baldwine sith thou wilt declare How Princes fell to make the liuing wise My lawlesse life in no point see thou spare But paint it out that Rulers may beware Good counsell law or vertue to despise For Realmes haue rules and Rulers haue a sise
of a dreame Halfe waked all naked in bed as I lay What time strake the chime of mine houre extreame Opprest was my rest with mortall affray My foes did vnclose I know not which way My chamber dores and boldly in brake And had me fast before I could wake Thou lookest now that of my secret murther I should at large the maner how declare I pray thee Baldwine aske of me no further For speaking plaine it came so at vnware As I my selfe which caught was in the snare Scarcely am able the circumstance to shew Which was kept close and knowne but vnto few But be thou sure by violence it was And no whit bred by sicknesse or disease That felt it well before my life did passe For when these wolues my bodie once did sease Vsed I was but smally to mine ease With torments strong which went so neere the quicke As made me die before that I was sicke A Palsie they said my vitall spirits opprest Bred by excesse of melancholie blacke This for excuse to lay them seemed best Lest my true friends the cause might further racke And so perhaps discouer the whole packe Of my false foes whom they might well suspect For causes great which after tooke effect Dead was I found by such as best did know The maner how the same was brought to passe And then my corps was set out for a show By view whereof nothing perceiued was Whereby the world may see as in a glasse Th' vnsure state of them that stand most hie Which then dread least when danger is most nie And also see what danger they are in Which next their King are to succeed in place Since Kings most part be iealous of their kin Whom I aduise forewarned by my case To beare low saile and not too much embrace The peoples loue for as Senec saith truly O quà m funestus est fauor populi G. Ferrers HOW LORD WILLIAM DELAPOLE Duke of Suffolke was worthily banished for abusing his King and causing the destruction of the good Duke Humfrey Anno Dom. 1450. HEauie is the hap whereto all men be bound I meane the death which no estate may flie But to be banisht headed and then drown'd In sinke of shame from top of honors hie Was neuer man so seru'd I thinke but I. Wherefore Baldwine amongst the rest by right I claime of thee my wofull case to write My only life in all points may suffice To shew how base all baits of Fortune be Which thaw like yee through heate of enuies eyes Of vicious deeds which much possessed me Good hap with vice long time cannot agree Which bring best Fortunes to the basest fall And happiest hap to enuie to be thrall Called I was William De la Poole Of Suffolke Duke in Queene Margarets daies That found the meane Duke Humfreys blood to coole Whose worthie acts deserue eternall praise Whereby I note that Fortune cannot raise Any aloft without some others wracke Flouds drowne no fields before they finde bracke But as the waters which doe breake the walles Doe lose their course they had within the shore And daily rotting stinke within their stalles For fault of mouing which they found before Euen so the state that ouer high is bore Doth lose the life of peoples loue it had And rots it selfe vntill it fall to bad For while I was but Earle ech man was glad To say and doe the best by me they might And Fortune euer since I was a lad Did smile vpon me with a chearefull sight For when my King had doubed me a Knight And sent me forth to serue at warre in France My luckly speed mine honour did enhance Where to omit the many feates I wrought Vnder others guide I do remember one Which with my souldiers valiantly was fought None other Captaine saue my selfe alone I meane not now th' apprinze of Pucell Ione In which attempt my trauaile was not small Though Burgoyne Duke had then the praise of all The siege of Awmarie is the feat I praise A strong built Towne with castels walles and vaults With men and weapon armd at all assaies To which I gaue nigh fiue times fiue assaults Till at the last they yeelded it for naughts Yet Lord Ramburs most like a valiant Knight Defended it as long as ere he might But what preuailed it these townes to winne Which shortly after must be lost againe Whereby I see there is more glory in The keeping things then is in their attaine To get and keepe not is but losse and paine Therfore ought mē prouide to saue their winnings In all attempts else lose they their beginnings Because we could not keepe the townes we won For they were more then we might easily weeld One yeare vndid what we in ten had done Enuie at home treason abroad did yeeld King Charles his Realme of France made barren field For bloodie warres had wasted all encrease Which caus'd the Pope help need to sue for peace So that in Touraine at the towne of Tours Duke Charles and other for their Prince appered So did Lord Rosse and I then Earle for ours And when we shewed wherein each other dered We sought out meanes all quarels to haue clered Wherein the Lords of Germanie of Spaine Of Hungarie and Denmarke tooke great paine But sith we could no finall peace induce For neither would the others couenants heare For eighteene months we did conclude a truce And while as friends we lay together there Because my warrant did me therein beare To make a perfit peace and through accord I sought a mariage for my soueraigne Lord. And for the French Kings daughters were too small I fancied most Dame Margaret his niece A louely Ladie beautifull and tall Faire spoken pleasant and a Princely piece In wit and learning matchlesse hence to Greece Duke Rayners heire of Aniow King by stile Of Naples Ierusalem and Sicil I le But ere I could the grant of her attaine All that our King had of her fathers lands As Maunts the towne the countie whole of Maine And most of Aniow duchie in our hands I did release him by assured bands And as for do wire with her none I sought I thought no peace could be too deerely bought And when this mariage throwly was agreed Although my King was glad of such a make His vncle Humfrey hated it indeed Because thereby his precontract he brake Made with the heire of the Earle of Arminacke A noble maid with store of goods endowed Which more then this with losse the Duke allowed But loue and beautie in the King so wrought That neither gaine or promise he regarded But set his vncles counsell still at nought And for my paines I highly was awarded Thus vertue starues but lustfood must be larded For I made Marquesse went to France againe And brought this bride vnto my Soueraigne At home because Duke Humfrey aye repined Calling their match aduoutrie as it was The Queene did moue me erst thereto enclined
that will by them be led My life I lost in that vnluckly place With many Lords that leaned to my part The stout Earle Percy had no better grace Clyfford couragious could not shun the dart Buckingham heir was at this mortall mart Babthorp th' Atturney with his skill in law In pleading heere appeared very raw King Henrie thus disarmed of his bands His friends and followers wanting assistence Was made a prey vnto his enemies hands Depriued of power and Princely reuerence And as a pupill void of all experience Innocent plaine and simplie witted Was as a Lambe vnto the Wolfe committed A Parliament then was called with speed A Parliament nay a plaine conspiracie When against right it was decreed That after the death of the sixt Henrie Yorke should succeed vnto the regaltie And in his life the charge and protection Of King and Realme at the Dukes direction And thus was Yorke declared Protectour Protectour said I nay Proditor plaine A rancke rebell the Princes directour A vassall to leade his Lord and Soueraigne What honest heart would not conceiue disdaine To see the foot surmount aboue the head A monster is in spite of nature bred Some happily heere will moue a farther doubt And as for Yorkes part alledge an elder right O brainelesse heads that so run in and out When length of time a state hath firmely pight And good accord hath put all strife to flight Were it not better such titles still to sleepe Then all a Realme about the triall weepe From the female came Yorke and all his seed And we of Lancaster from the heire male Of whom three Kings in order did succeed By iust descent this is no fained tale Who would haue thought that any storme or gale Our ship could shake hauing such anker hold None I thinke sure vnlesse that God so would After this hurle the King was faine to flee Northward in post for succour and releefe O blessed God how strange it was to see A rightfull Prince pursued as a theefe To thee O England what can be more repreefe Then to pursue thy Prince with armed hand What greater shame may be to any land Traytours did triumph true men lay in dust Reuing and robbing roifled euery where VVill stood for skill and law obeyed lust Might trode downe right of King there was no feare The title was tried only by shield and speare All which vnhaps that they were not foreseene Suffolke was in fault who ruled King and Queene Some heere perhaps do looke I should accuse My selfe of sleight or subtiltie vniust VVherein I should my Princes eares abuse Against the Duke to bring him in mistrust Some part whereof though needs confesse I must My fault only consisted in consent Leaning to my foes whereof I do repent If I at first when brands began to smoke The sparkes to quench by any way had sought Neuer had England felt this mortall stroke VVhich now too late lamenting helpeth nought Two points of wit too dearely haue I bought The first that better is timely to foresee Then after ouer late a counsellour to bee The second is not easily to assent To aduice giuen against thy faithfull friend But of the speaker ponder the intent The meaning full the point and finall end A Saint in shew in proofe is found a Feend The subtill man the simple to abuse Much pleasant speech and eloquence doth vse And so was I abus'd and other moe By Suffolkes sleights who sought to please the Queene Forecasting not the miserie and woe VVhich therefore came and soone was after seene VVith glosing tongue he made vs fooles to weene That Humfrey did to Englands Crowne aspire VVhich to preuent his death they did conspire VVhat should I more of mine vnhaps declare VVhereof my death at last hath made an end Not I alone was void of all this care Some besides me there were that did offend None I accuse nor yet my selfe defend Faults I know I had as none liues without My chiefe fault was folly I put thee out of doubt Folly was the chiefe the naughtie time was next VVhich made my Fortune subiect to the chiefe If England then with strife had not been vext Glorie might haue growen whereas ensued griefe Yet one thing is my comfort and reliefe Constant I was in my Princes quarrell To die or liue and spared for no parrell VVhat though Fortune enuious was my foe A noble heart ought not the sooner yeeld Nor shrinke abacke for any weale or woe But for his Prince lie bleeding in the feeld If priuie spight at any time me helde The price is paid and grieuous is my guerdon As for the rest me God I trust will pardon G. Ferrers HOW RICHARD PLANTAGENET DVKE OF YORKE was slaine through his ouer rash boldnes and his sonne the Earle of Rutland for his lacke of valiance An. Dom. 1460. TRust not in chance in whom was neuer trust Of foolish men that haue no better grace All rest renowne and deeds lie in the dust Of all the sort that sue her slipper trace What meanest thou Baldwine for to hide thy face Thou needest not feare although I misse my head Nor yet to mourne for this my sonne is dead The cause why thus I lead him in my hand His skin with blood and teares so sore bestain'd Is that thou maist the better vnderstand How hardly Fortune hath for vs ordain'd In whom her loue and hate be whole contain'd For I am Richard Prince Plantagenet The Duke of Yorke in royall race beget From Lionel the third begotten sonne Of Kingly Edward by descent I came From Philip hight his heire we first begun The crowne as due to vs by right to clame And in the end we did obtaine the same She was sole heire by due descent of line Whereby her rights and titles all were mine But marke me now I pray thee Baldwine marke And see how force oft ouerbeareth right Way how vsurpers tyrannously warke To keepe by murther that they get by might And note what troublous dangers do alight On such as seeke to repossesse their owne And how through rigour right is ouerthrowne The Duke of Herford Henrie Bolenbroke Of whom Duke Mowbray told thee now of late When void of cause he had King Richard toke He murdered him vsurped his estate Without all right or title sauing hate Of others rule or loue to rule alone These two excepted title had he none The Realme and Crowne was Edmund Mortimers Whose father Roger was King Richards heire Which caused Henrie and the Lancasters To seeke all shift our housholds to appaire For sure he was to sit beside the chaire Were we of power to claime our lawfull right Against vs therefore he did all he might His cursed sonne ensued his cruell path And kept my guiltlesse cosin strait in durance For whom my father hard entreated hath But liuing hopelesse of his liues assurance He thought it best by politike procurance To slay the King and so restore his
died Slaine at Saint Albanes in his Princes aide Against the Duke my heart for malice fried So that I could from wrecke no way be stayed But to auenge my fathers death assay'd All meanes I might the Duke of Yorke t'annoy And all his kin and friends for to destroy This made me with my bloodie dagger wound His guiltlesse sonne that neuer ' gainst me stor'd His fathers bodie lying dead on ground To pierce with speare eke with my cruell sword To part his necke and with his head to bord Enuested with a royall paper crowne From place to place to beare it vp and downe But crueltie can neuer scape the scourge Of shame of horror or of sudden death Repentance selfe that other sinnes may purge Doth flie from this so sore the soule it slayeth Despaire dissolues the tyrants bitter breath For sudden vengeance suddenly alights On cruell deeds to quite their cruell spights This find I true for as I lay in stale To fight with this Duke Richards eldest son I was destroy'd not far from Dintingdale For as I would my gorget haue vndone T'euent the heat that had me nigh vndone An headlesse arrow strake me through the throte Where through my soule forsooke his filthie cote Was this a chance no sure Gods iust award Wherein due iustice plainly doth appeare An headlesse arrow paid me my reward For heading Richard lying on his beare And as I would his child in no wise heare So sudden death bereft my tongue the power To aske for pardon at my dying hower Wherefore good Baldwine warne the bloodie sort To leaue their wrath their rigour to refraine Tell cruell Iudges horror is the port Through which they saile to shame and sudden paine Hell halleth tyrants downe to death amaine Was neuer yet nor shall be cruell deed Left vnrewarded with as cruell meed THE INFAMOVS END OF THE LORD TIPTOFT EARLE OF WORcester for cruelly executing his Princes butcherly commandements Anno Dom. 1470. THe glorious man is not so loth to lurke As the infamous glad to lie vnknowen Which makes me Baldwine disallow thy worke Where Princes faults so openly be blowen I speake not this alonly for mine owne Which were my Princes if that they were any But for my Peeres in number very many Or might report vprightly vse her tongue It would lesse grieue vs to augment the matter But sure I am thou shalt be forst among To wrench the truth the liuing for to flatter And other whiles in points vnknowen to smatter For time nere was nor nere I thinke shall bee That truth vnshent should speake in all things free This doth appeare I dare say by my storie Which diuers writers diuersly declare But storie writers ought for neither glorie Feare nor fauour truth of things to spare But still it fares as alway it did fare Affections feare or doubts that daily brue Do cause that stories neuer can be true Vnfruitfull Fabian followed the face Of time and deedes but let the causes slip Which Hall hath added but with double grace For feare I thinke lest trouble might him trip For this or that saith he he felt the whip Thus story writers leaue the causes out Or so rehearse them as they were in dout But seing causes are the chiefest things That should be noted of the story writers That men may learne what ends all causes brings They be vnworthy name of Chroniclers That leaue them cleane out of their registers Or doubtfully report them for the fruite Of reading stories standeth in the suite And therefore Baldwine either speake vpright Of our affaires or touch them not at all As for my selfe I way all things so light That nought I passe how men report my fall The truth whereof yet plainly shew I shall That thou maist write and others thereby reed What things I did whereof they should take heed Thou heardst of Tiptofts Earles of Worcester I am that Lord that liu'd in Edwards daies The fourth and was his friend and counsailour And butcher too as common rumor saies But peoples voice is neither shame nor praise For whom they would aliue deuour today Tomorow dead they'ill worship what they may But though the peoples verdit go by chance Yet was there cause to call me as they did For I enforst by meane of gouernance Did execute what ere my King did bid From blame herein my selfe I cannot rid But sie vpon the wretched state that must Defame it selfe to serue the Princes lust The chiefest crime wherewith men doe me charge Is death of th' Earle of Desmunds noble sonnes Of which the Kings charge doth me cleere discharge By strait commandement and iniunctions Th' effect whereof so rigorously runnes That or I must procure to see them dead Or for contempt as guiltie lose my head What would mine foemen doe in such a case Obay the King or proper death procure They may well say their fancy for a face But life is sweet and loue hard to recure They would haue done as I did I am sure For seldom will a wealthy man at ease For others cause his Prince in ought displease How much lesse I which was Lieutenant than In th' Irish Isle preferred by the King But who for loue or dread of any man Consents t' accomplish any wicked thing Although chiefe fault thereof from other spring Shall not escape Gods vengeance for his deed Who scuseth none that dare do ill for dreed This in my King and me may well appeere Which for our faults did not escape the scourge For when we thought our state most sure and clere The wind of Warwicke blew vp such a sourge As from the Realme and Crowne the King did pourge And me both from mine office friends and wife From good report from honest death and life For th' Earle of Warwicke through a cancard grudge Which to King Edward causelesse he did beare Out of his Realme by force did make him trudge And set King Henry againe vpon his chaire And then all such as Edwards louers were As traytours tane were grieuously opprest But chiefly I because I lou'd him best And for my goods and liuings were not small The gapers for them bare the world in hand For ten yeares space that I was cause of all The executions done within the land For this did such as did not vnderstand Mine enmies drift thinke all reports were true And so did hate me worse then any Iew. For seldome shall a ruler lose his life Before false rumours openly be spread Whereby this prouerbe is as true as rife That rulers rumours hunt about a head Frowne Fortune once all good report is fled For present shew doth make the many blind And such as see dare not disclose their mind Through this was I King Edwards butcher named And bare the shame of all his cruell deeds I cleare me not I worthily was blamed Though force was such I must obey him needs With highest rulers seldome well it speeds For they be euer neerest to
is no more but pray for me all Thus say I Edward that late was your King And twentie two yeares ruled this Imperiall Some vnto pleasure and some to no liking Mercie I aske of my misdoing What auaileth it friends to be my foe Sith I cannot resist nor amend your complaining Quia ecce nunc in puluere dormio I sleepe now in mould as it is naturall As earth vnto earth hath his reuerture What ordained God to be terrestriall Without recourse to the earth by nature Who to liue euer may himselfe assure What is it to trust to mutabilitie Sith that in this world nothing may endure For now am I gone that was late in prosperitie To presume thereupon it is but vanitie Not certaine but as a cherie faire full of wo. Raigned not I of late in great prosperitie Et ecce nunc in puluere dormio Where was in my life such an one as I While Lady Fortune had with me continuance Granted not she me to haue victorie In England to raigne and to contribute France She tooke me by the hand and led me a dance And with her sugred lips on me she smiled But what for dissembled countenance I could not beware till I was beguiled Now from this world she hath me exiled When I was lothest hence for to go And am in age who saith but a child Et ecce nunc in puluere dormio I had enough I held me not content Without remembrance that I should die And moreouer to encroch readie was I bent I knew not how long I should it occupie I made the Tower strong I wist not why I knew not to whom I purchased Tartersoll I mended Douer on the mountaine high And London I prouoked to fortifie the wall I made Notingham a place full royall Windsore Eltam and many other mo Yet at the last I went from them all Et ecce nunc in puluere dormio Where is now my conquest and victorie Where is my riches and royall array Where be my coursers and my horses hie Where is my mirth my solace and my play As vanitie to nought all is withered away O Lady Bes long for me may you call For I am departed vntill domes day But loue you that Lord that is Soueraigne of all Where be my Castles and buildings royall But Windsore alone now haue I no moe And of Eton the prayers perpetuall Et ecce nunc in puluere dormio Why should a man be proud or presume high Saint Bernard thereof nobly doth treate Saying a man is but a sacke of stercorie And shall returne vnto wormes meat Why what became of Alexander the great Or else of strong Sampson who can tell Were not wormes ordain'd their flesh to freat And of Salomon that was of wit the Well Absolon preferred his haire for to sell Yet for his beautie wormes eat him also And I but late in honors did excell Et ecce nunc in puluere dormio I haue played my pageant now am I past Ye wot well all I was of no great elde Thus all things concluded shall be at the last When death approcheth then lost is the field Then seeing the world me no longer vpheld For nought would conserue me heere in this place In manus tuas Domine my spirit vp I yeeld Humblie beseeching thee O God of thy grace O you courteous Commons your hearts embrace Benignely now to remember me also For right well you know your King I was Et ecce nunc in puluere dormio HOW SIR ANTHONY WODVILE Lord Riuers and Scales gouernour of Prince EDVVARD was with his Nephew Lord Richard Gray and other causelesse imprisoned and cruelly murdered Anno 1483. AS silly suiters letted by delayes To shew their Prince the meaning of their mind That long haue bought their brokers yeas and nayes And nere the nigher do daily wait to find The Princes grace from waightie affaires vntwind Which time attain'd by attending all the yeare The wearied Prince will then no suiters heare My case was such not many daies ago For after bruite had blazed all abroad That Baldwine through the aide of other mo Of fame or shame fall'n Princes would vnload Out from our graues we got without abode And preased forward with the rufull rout That sought to haue their doings boulted out But when I had long tended for my turne To tell my tale as diuers other did In hope I should no longer while soiourne But from my suits haue speedily been rid When course and place both orderly had bid Me shew my mind and I prepar'd to say The hearers paus'd arose and went their way These doubtfull doings draue me to my dumpes Vncertaine what should moue them so to do I feared lest affections lothly lumpes Or inward grudge had driuen them thereto Whose wicked stings all stories truth vndo Oft causing good to be reported ill Or drown'd in suds of Laethes muddie swill For hitherto slie writers wilie wits Which haue engrossed Princes chiefe affaires Haue been like horses snaffled with the bits Of fancie feare or doubts full deepe despaires Whose raines enchained to the chiefest chaires Haue so been strain'd of those that bare the stroke That truth was forst to chow or else to choke This caused such as lothed loud to lie To passe with silence sundrie Princes liues Lesse fault it is to leaue then leade awrie And better droun'd then euer bound in giues For fatall fraud this world so fondly driues That whatsoeuer writers braines may brue Be it neuer so false at length is tane for true What harme may hap by helpe of lying pens How written lies may leaudly be maintain'd The lothly rites the diuellish idoll dens With guiltlesse blood of vertuous men bestain'd Is such a proofe as all good hearts haue plain'd The taly grounds of stories throughly tries The death of Martyrs vengeance on it cries The freshest wits I know will soone be wearie In reading long what euer booke it bee Except it be vaine matter strange or merrie Well saust with lies and glared all with glee VVith which because no graue truth may agree The closest stile for stories is the meetest In rufull meanes the shortest forme is sweetest And seeth the plaints alreadie by thee pen'd Are briefe enough the number also small The tediousnesse I thinke doth none offend Saue such as haue no lust to learne at all Regard none such no matter what they brall Warne thou the warie lest they hap to stumble As for the carelesse care not what they mumble My life is such as if thou note it well May cause the wittie wealthie to beware For their sakes therefore plainly will I tell How false and cumbrous worldly honors are How cankred foes bring carelesse folke to care How tyrants suffered and not quell'd in time Do cut their throats that suffer them to clime Nor will I hide the chiefest point of all VVhich wisest Rulers least of all regard That was and will be cause of many a fall This cannot be too
friends can faine Not Synon sly whose fraud best fame rebukes VVas halfe so suttle as these double Dukes First to mine Inne commeth in my brother false Embraceth me well met good brother Scales And weepes withall the other me enhalse With welcome cosin now welcome out of Wales O happie day for now all stormie gales Of strife and rancour vtterly are swaged And we our owne to liue or die vnwaged This proferd seruice saust with salutations Immoderate might cause me to suspect For commonly in all dissimulations Th' excesse of glauering doth the guile detect Reason refuseth falsehood to direct The will therefore for feare of being spide Exceedeth meane because it wanteth guide This is the cause why such as faine to weepe Do houle outright or wailing crie ah ah Tearing themselues and straining sighes most deepe Why such dissemblers as would seeme to laugh Breath not tihhee but bray out hah hah hah Why beggers faining brauery are the proud'st Why cowards bragging boldnesse wrangle loud'st For commonly all that do counterfeat In any thing exceed the naturall meane And that for feare of failing in their feat But these conspirers couched all so cleane Through close demeanour that their wiles did weane My heart from doubts so many a false deuice They forged fresh to hide their enterprise They supt with me propounding friendly talke Of our affaires still giuing me the prayse And euer among the cups to me ward walke I drinke to you good Cuz each traytour sayes Our banquet done when they should go their waies They took their leaue oft wishing me good night As heartily as any creature might A noble heart they say is Lion like It cannot couch dissemble crouch nor faine How villanous were these and how vnlike Of noble stocke the most ignoble staine Their woluish hearts their trayterous foxly braine Or proue them base of rascall race engendred Or from hault linage bastard like degendred Such polling heads as praise for prudent policie False practises I wish were pact on poles I meane the bastard law-brood which can mollifie All kind of causes in their craftie noles These vndermine all vertue blind as Moles They bolster wrong they racke and straine the right And prayse for law both malice fraud and might These quench the worthie flames of noble kind Prouoking best borne to the basest vices Through crafts they make the boldest courage blind Disliking highly valiant enterprices And praysing vilely villanous deuices These make the Bore a Hog the Bull an Oxe The Swan a Goose the Lion a Wolfe or Foxe The Lawyer Catesby and his craftie feeres A rout that nere did good in any reame Are they that had transform'd these noble peeres They turn'd their blood to melancholike fleumes Their courage hault to cowardife extreame Their force and manhood into fraud and malice Their wit to wiles stout Hector into Paris These glauerers gone my selfe to rest I laid And doubting nothing soundly fell a sleepe But suddenly my seruants sore afraid Awaked me and drawing sighes full deepe Alas quoth one my Lord we are betrai'd How so quoth I the Dukes are gone their waies Th' haue bar'd the gates and borne away the kaies While he thus spake there came into my mind This fearefull dreame whereout I waked was I saw a riuer stopt with stormes of winde Where through a Swan a Bull and Bore did passe Franching the fish and frie with teeth of brasse The riuer dri'd vp saue a little streame Which at the last did water all the Reame Me thought this streame did drowne the cruell Bore In little space it grew so deepe and brode But he had kill'd the Bull and Swan before Besides all this I saw an vglie Tode Crale toward me on which me thought I trode But what became of her or what of mee My sudden waking would not let me see These dreames considered with this sudden newes So diuers from their doings ouer night Did cause me not a little for to muse I blest me rose in all the hast I might By this Aurora spred abroad the light Which from the ends of Phoebus beames he tooke Who then the Bulles chiefe gallery forsooke When I had open'd the window to looke out There might I see the streets each where beset My Inne on each side compassed about With armed watchmen all escapes to let Thus had these Neroes caught me in their net But to what end I could not throughly ghesse Such was my plainnes such their doublenesse My conscience was so cleare I could not doubt Their deadly drift which lesse apparant lay Because they caus'd their men returne the rout That rode toward Stonystratford as they say Because the Dukes will first be there to day For this thought I they hinder me in iest For guiltlesse minds do easely deeme the best By this the Dukes were come into mine Inne For they were lodged in another by I got me to them thinking it a sinne Within my chamber cowardly to lye And merrily I ask'd my brother why He vs'd me so he sterne in euill sadnes Cried out I arrest thee traytour for thy badnes How so quoth I whence riseth your suspicion Thou art a traytour quoth he I thee arrest Arrest quoth I why where is your commission He drew his weapon so did all the rest Crying yeeld thee traytour I so sore distrest Made no resistande but was sent to ward None saue their seruants signed to my gard This done they sped him to the King in post And after humble reuerence to him done They trayterously began to rule the rost They pickt a quarell to my sisters son Lord Richard Gray the King would not be won T' agree to them yet they against all reason Arrested him they said for hainous treason Sir Thomas Vaughan and Sir Richard Hault Two worthie Knights were likewise apprehended These all were guiltie in one kind of fault They would not like the practise then pretended And seeing the King was herewith sore offended Backe to Northampton they brought him againe And thence discharged most part of his traine There loe Duke Richard made himselfe Protector Of King and Realme by open proclamation Though neither King nor Queene were his elector Thus he presum'd by lawlesse vsurpation But will you see his deepe dissimulation He sent me a dish of dainties from his bord That day and with it this false friendly word Commend me to him all things shall be weil I am his friend bid him be of good cheere These newes I prayed the messenger go tell My Nephew Richard whom I lou'd full deere But what he ment by well now shall you heere He thought it well to haue vs quickly murdred Which not long after thorowly he furdred For straight from thence we closely were conueied From iayle to iayle Northward we wist not whither Where after a while we had in sunder staied At last we met at Pomfret all together Sir Richard Ratcliffe bade vs welcome thither Who openly all law and right contemned
with whom he is offended If God giue victorie to whom he liketh best Why looke they for it whom God doth most detest For treason is hatefull and abhor'd in Gods sight Example of Iudas that most wicked wight Which is the chiefe cause no treason preuailes For ill must he speed whom Gods wrath assailes Let traytours and rebels looke to speed then VVhen Gods mightie power is subiect to men Much might be said that goeth more neere the pith But this sufficeth for a rurall Smith Baldwine when thou hear'st reason in this case Belike thou think'st I was not very wise And that I was accurst or else wanted grace Which knowing the end of my fond enterprise VVould thus presume against my Prince to rise But as there is a cause that moueth euery woe Somewhat there was whereof this sore did grow And to be plaine and simple in this case The cause why I such matter tooke in hand VVas nothing else but pride and lacke of grace Vaine hope of helpe and tales both false and fond By meane whereof I did my Prince withstand Deni'd the taxe assest by conuocation To maintaine warre against the Scottish nation VVhereat the Cornish men did much repine For they of gold and siluer were full bare And liued hardly digging in the mine They said they had no money for to spare Gan first to grudge and then to sweare and stare Forgot their due obeysance and rashly fell to rauing And said they would not beare such polling and such shauing They first accus'd the King as author of their griefe And then the Bishop Morton and Sir Reinold Bray For they then were about the King most chiefe Because they thought the whole fault in them lay They did protest to rid them of the way Such thanke haue they that rule aboue a Prince They beare the blame of other mens offence VVhen I perceiu'd the Commons in a rore Then I and Flamoke both agreed together To whom the people resorted more and more Lamenting and crying helpe vs now or neuer Breake bondage now then are we free for euer VVhereat inflam'd in hope to purchase fame To be their captaines tooke on vs the name Then might you heare the people make a shout God saue the captaines and send vs all good speed Then he that fainted counted was a lout The ruffians ran to sow seditious seed To call for company there was no need For euery man his brother did entice To be partaker of his wicked vice Then all such newes as made for our auaile Was brought to me but such as sounded ill VVas none so bold to speake or yet bewaile Each one so wedded was vnto his will That forth they cri'd with bowes with sword and bill And what the rufler spake the lout tooke for a verdite For there the best was worst worst best regarded For when men rebell there still the viler sort Conspire together and will haue all the sway And be it well or ill they beare the port As they will do the rest must needs obay They prattle and prate as doth the Popingay They crie vnto the rest to keepe th' array Whiles they may range and rob for spoile and pray And when we had prepared euery thing VVe went to Tawnton with all our prouision And there we slew the Prouost of Peniyn For that he there did sit in high Commission He was not wise nor yet of great discretion That durst approch his enmies in their rage VVhen wit nor reason could their ire asswage From thence we went to Wels and were receiued Of this Lord Awdely as our chiefe captaine He had the name but yet he was deceiued For I indeed did rule the clubbish traine My cartly Knights true honour did disdaine For like doth loue his like t' will be none other A chorle will loue a chorle before he will his brother From Wels and Winchester to Blackheath field And there encamped looking for more aid But when none came we thought our selues beguild Such Cornishmen as knew they were betraid From vs by night away together straid There might we learne how vaine it is to trust Our fained friends in quarels so vniust But we that thought our power was strong Were bent to try what euer should betide We were the bolder for the King so long Deferred fight which so increast our pride That sure we thought the King himselfe did hide Within the City and with courage hault We did intend the City to assault But he contrary to our expectation Was fully bent to let vs run our race Till we were farthest from our habitation Where that of aid or succour was no place And then be plagu'd as it should please his grace All doubtfull plaints how euer they did sound To our best vaile we alway did expound When that the King saw time with courage bold He sent a power to circumuent vs all Where we enclosd as simple sheepe in folde Were slaughtered all as beasts in butchers stall The King himselfe what euer might befall VVas strongly arm'd within Saint Georges field And there abode till that he heard vs yeeld Then downe we kneeld and cride to saue our life It was too late our folly to bewaile There were we spoild of armour coate and knife And we which thought the City to assaile Were led as prisners naked as my naile Of vs two thousand they had slaine before And we of them three hundred and no more My Lord and we the Captaines of the West Took Inne at Newgate fast in fetters tide Where after doome we had but litle rest My Lord through London was drawne on a slide To Tower hill where with an axe he dide Clad in his armour painted all in paper Torne and reuers'd in spite of his behauer With Flamoke I and other of our bent As traytours at Tiburne our iudgement did obay The people lookt I should my fault lament To whom I spake that for my fond assaie I should haue fame that neuer should decay Wherby ye may perceiue vaine glory doth enflame As well the meaner sort as men of greater name But as the fickle patient sometime hath desire To tast the things that Physick hath denide And hath both paine and sorrow for his hire The same to mee right well may be applide Which while I raught for fame on shame did slide And seeking fame brought forth my bitter bane As he that fierd the temple of Diane I tell thee Baldwine I muse oft to see How euery man for wealth and honour gapeth How euery man would climbe aboue the skie How euery man th' assured meane so hateth How froward Fortune oft their purpose mateth And if they hap their purpose to obtaine Their wealth is woe their honour care and paine VVe see the seruant happier then his Lord VVe see him liue when that his Lord is dead He sleepeth sound is merry at his bord No sorow in his heart doth vex his head Happie is he that pouertie can wed VVhat
into France the succours small and slackly came Not only Paris then was lost within few daies That famous flowre of France of far renowned fame The French I say not onely gat and kept the same But by this meanes in France we daily felt such smart As might with pitie pierce an adamantine hart O great mishap the noble Duke of Bedford once being dead Our wealth went backe by discords foule despite we lost Not only townes in France and Captaines armies led But many souldiers eke with labour spence and cost And though full oft we made the French men smell of the rost Yet in the end we gaine of fight the fame And they by craft and treason gate the game What resteth more it were perdie too long to tell Of battels great and broiles which happened daily still The stories eke declare aduentures which befell Although God wot the writers wanted points of skill Of whom to speake a while digresse againe I will And partly shew what one he ought to be Which takes on him to write an Historie A Chronicler should well in diuers tongues be seene And eke in all the arts he ought to haue a sight Whereby he might the truth of diuers actions deeme And both supplie the wants correct that is not right He should haue eloquence and full and fitly write Not mangle stories snatching heere and there Nor glose to make a volume great appeare He should be of such countenance and wit As should giue witnesse to the Histories he writes He should be able well his reasons so to knit As should continue well the matter he recites He should not praise dispraise for fauour or despites But should so place each thing in order due As might approue the stories to be true But this may haps the time may seeke at length redresse And then such stories now and noble acts as die May come againe to light at least defaced lesse If from the Britaines first antiquities they trie In great defects if they the truth supplie Then shall the readers fuller stories find And haue whereby to recreate the mind But now returne I must and briefly heere declare Before my death what sundrie haps we had In warres right variously the states of Captaines fare Now well now woe now ioyfull now right sad But who well ends though all his haps were bad Let him erst sinke or swim lose win be slaine die fall If he die well h 'is thrice and foure times blest of all In France eight leagues from Paris Pontoise stands Tweene that and Roane which we had won before And so we held it English safely in our hands For to our Prince the men allegeance swore And they remain'd obedient euermore Till from their neckes to reaue the English yoke They might find meanes by whom to strike the stroke When these saw Paris lost and cities moe beside And what in France and Normandie reuolts had done They thought no longer subiect to abide But sought occasion how they might by French be won As of our losse reports did daily to them run So with King Charles th' agreed when to betray the towne And force the English flee or yeeld or beate them downe For why the powre of France could not with mightie host Performe to win by force from vs th' assaulted towne Them scaling often from the walles we tost On euery side full fast we flang the French men downe Our noble acts before had gotten such renowne And Fortune erst had past with vs so farre They had small hope to win our forts by warre Wherefore King Charles assai'd the secret saut Not by his force of French but by his golden fee Corrupting diuers Burgeses to make the faut Whereby an entrie should to his oppugning bee And they as erst is said were willing to agree Like periur'd theeues conspir'd by secret fine deuice Gaue Pontoise vp and tooke the promist price But in Nouember next when it was sharpe and cold And daily frost had dri'd and parched hard the ground We were in hope againe to get of Pontoise hold Which erst the townesmen sold for gaine of many a pound The snow fell fast lay thicke and couered well the ground And ditches were so hard about the towne befrore That on the ice by euery side we safely might get ore The Lord Iohn Clifford was chiefe Captaine then Which with vs Captaines did this policie deuise That we in clothing white and souldiers euery man Should in our armour finely vs disguise The next night so we should to the assault arise And passe the frozen ditch vnto the wall With ladders scale and kill the watchmen all We so prepar'd our selues as time occasion gaue And drest in white coats trim it ioy'd our hearts to see How fine we past the ditch what good successe we haue How on the walles we find the watch nigh frozen bee As noble Greekes on Troy on Pontoise season'd wee We slew the watch we beat the souldiers downe Some prisners tooke and tooke withall the towne Of stately Captaines French was Iohn de Villers one Within the taken towne and Narrabon a Knight Burgunion yet they fled away they gate them gone They durst not bide against the blanched boyes to fight We paid the periur'd knaues the Burgesses that night And gat as much of honor and renowne As they gat shame and losse which bought and sold the towne Marke well the French mens foiles in all our worthie warre In these two regall Henries times and you shall see How we surpast the French in valour farre And bend for Prince and Realme so valiant for to bee Which if ye shall and deale in seruice as did wee I nothing doubt renowne and fame shall say That noble England beares for warres the palme away But When King Charles had heard how Pontoise men had sped His armie straight assembled he therefore againe Wherewith to win this towne afresh th' assault he led He piners set to trench and vndermine amaine Made bastiles for defence yet all this toile was vaine For batterie of our walles he spent his powder still Made freshly French assaults but did no ill The noble Duke of Yorke discharged late before When now the Earle of Warwicke chanst at Roane to die Being Regent chosen once againe of France as yore Th' Earle of Warwicke Regent was two yeares perdie Arriu'd in France to rouse the French King he did hie Which lay besieging Pontoise as I said VVith him to fight and eke to bring vs aide The French King fled for haste he left his store behind VVhen he was once assur'd the Duke of Yorke drue neare He durst not stay to bide the time or place assign'd To fight our Regent with but fled away for feare By these assaies you see what men in France they were Discourag'd oft slaine put to flight and fall By sight force fight and names of numbers small There when the Duke had fortifi'd our Pontoise towne Then he pursu'd the
of his could beare no mate Our wealth through him waxt many a time the worser So cankardly he had our kin in hate He troubled oft the Kings vnsteady state And that because he would not be his ward To wed and worke as he should list award He spited vs because we were preferd By mariage to dignities so great But craftily his malice he deferd Till traytorously he found meanes to entreate Our brother of Clarence to assist his feate Whom when he had by mariage to him bound Then wrought he straight our linage to confound Through slanderous brutes he brued many a broile Throughout the Realme against the King my brother And raised trayterous rebels thirsting spoile To murder men of whom among all other Robin of Kiddesdale many a soule did smother His rascall rable at my father wroth Tooke sire and sonne and quicke beheaded both This heynous act although the King detested Yet was he faine to pardon for the rout Of rebels all the Realme so sore infested That euery way assaild he stood in doubt And though he were of courage high and stout Yet he assaid by faire meanes to asswage His enemies ire reueld by rebels rage But Warwicke was not pacified thus His constant rancour causeles was extreme No meane could serue the quarell to discus Till he had driuen the King out of the Realme Nor would he then be waked from his dreame For when my brother was come and plac'd againe He stinted not till he was stoutly slaine Then grew the King and Realme to quiet rest Our stocke and friends still stying higher and higher The Queene with children fruitfully was blest I gouernd them it was the Kings desier This set their vncles furiously on fier That we the Queenes bloud were assignd to gouern The Prince not they the Kings owne bloud and brethren This causde the Duke of Clarence so to chafe That with the King he brainelesse fell at bate The Counsaile warily to keepe him safe From raising tumults as he did of late Imprisoned him where through his brothers hate He was condemnd and murdered in such sort As he himselfe hath truly made report Was none abhord these mischiefs more then I Yet could I not be therewith discontented Considering that his rancour toucht mee ny Els would my conscience neuer haue consented To wish him harme could he haue beene contented But feare of hurt for sauegard of out state Doth cause more mischiefe then desert or hate Such is the state that many wish to beare That or we must with others bloud be staind Or leade our liues continually in feare You mounting mindes behold here what is gaind By coumbrous honour painfully attaind A damned soule for murdring them that hate you Or doubtfull life in danger lest they mate you The cause I thinke why some of high degree Do deadly hate all seekers to ascend Is this The clowne contented can not be With any state till time he apprehend The highest top for therto climers tend Which seldome is attaind without the wracke Of those betweene that stay and beare him back To saue themselues they therfore are compeld To hate such climers and with wit and power To compasse meanes where through they may be queld Ere they ascend their honours to deuoure This causd the Duke of Clarence frowne and lowre At me and other whom the King promoted To dignities wherein he madly doted For seeing we were his deare allied frends Our furtherance should rather haue made him glad Then enmy-like to wish our wofull ends We were the neerest kinsfolk that he had We ioyed with him his sorow made vs sad But he esteem'd so much his painted sheath That he disdaind the loue of all beneath But see how sharply God reuengeth sinne As he maligned me and many other His faithfull friends and kindest of his kin So Richard Duke of Glocester his owne brother Maligned him and beastly did him smother A diuellish deed a most vnkindly part Yet iust reuenge for his vnnaturall hart Although this brother-queller tyrant fell Enuide our state as much and more then he Yet did his cloaking flattery so excell To all our friends ward chiefly vnto mee That he appear'd our trustie stay to bee For outwardly he wrought our state to furder Where inwardly hee minded nought saue murder Thus in appearance who but I was blest The chiefest honours heaped on my head Belou'd of all enioying quiet rest The forward Prince by me alone was led A noble impe to all good vertues bred The King my Liege without my counsaile knowne Agreed nought though wisest were his owne But quiet blisse in no state lasteth long Assailed still by mischief many waies Whose spoyling battrie glowing hote and strong No flowing wealth no force nor wisdome staies Her smoakles powder beaten souldiers slaies By open force foule mischiefe oft preuailes By secret sleight she seeld her purpose failes The King was bent too much to foolish pleasure In banqueting he had so great delight This made him grow in grossenesse out of measure Which as it kindleth carnall appetite So quencheth it the liuelines of sprite Whereof ensue such sicknes and diseases As none can cure saue death that all displeases Through this fault furdered by his brothers fraud Now God forgiue me if I iudge amisse Or through that beast his ribald or his baud That larded still these sinfull lusts of his He sodainely forsooke all worldly blisse That loathed leach that neuer welcome death Through Spasmous humours stopped vp his breath That time lay I at Ludloe Wales his border For with the Prince the King had sent me thither To stay the robberies spoile and foule disorder Of diuers outlawes gathered there together Whose banding tended no man wist well whither VVhen these by wisdome safely were suppressed Came wofull newes our soueraigne was deceassed The griefe whereof when reason had asswaged Because the Prince remained in my guide For his defence great store of men I waged Doubting the stormes which at such time betide But while I there thus warely did prouide Commandement came to send them home againe And bring the King thēce with his houshold traine This charge sent from the Counsell and the Queene Though much against my minde I beast obayed The diuell himselfe wrought all the drift I weene Because he would haue innocents betraied For ere the King were halfe his way conuayed A sort of traytors falsly him betrapt I caught afore and close in prison clapt The Duke of Glocester that in carnate deuill Confedred with the Duke of Buckingham VVith eke Lord Hastings hasty both to euill To meete the King in mourning habit came A cruell VVolfe though clothed like a Lambe And at Northampton where as then I baited They toke their Inne as they on me had waited The King that night at Stonystratford lay A towne too small to harbour all his traine This was the cause why he was gone away VVhile I with other did behind remaine But will you see how falsly