this Goddesse she is renowmed more then sufficient O Memory quoth Inquisition this is not Diana no Diana no Gouzaga no Emila no Cariclia no Pallas no Iuno no not knowing Minerua may compare with her for the flourishing feature of her incomprehensible complexion for the comly composition of her Ladilike limmes being the perfectest peece of woorke that euer Nature created that euer earth nouryshed or that euer death destroyed for the passing great dexteritie of her ingenious Capacitie the very Phenix of women and the chiefest amoÌ„gst men that euer thou Memory didst celebrate for learning for knowledge of Tongs for the diuers gifts of the mind shee only dyd inhabite betwixt the wings of flitting Fame for a happye long quiet lyfe in this worlde she onely was fauoured by Fortune or rather singularly preserued by her maker For that shee neuer tasted in all her raigne any aduersytie shee is to bee esteemed immortall for that in all her actions shee had her hartes desyre shee may iustly bee esteemed a Goddesse or rather the very beloued of god Now I report me vnto you is there any Goddesse or Nimph inhabiting the Mount Helicon which maye compare with Queene Hellina not shee of Greece which brought finall destructton vnto the flourishing Troy but shee of Brittayne who redeemed her decaying Country from forraine tyrannye which made not onely a menes for the bodyes of her subiects to liue in quiet peace but she also prescribed vnto theÌ„ an order how they might saue their soules She planted religion amongst her subiects which were at that time sauage neither knowing God nor esteeming godlynesse she was Daughter vnto King Coell shee was Queene of Bryttayne Empresse of the worlde Wyfe vnto Constantius Mother to Constantine the Great Yet the descriptions of time I meane the Chronicles haue lefte so litle reporte of her that I founde her standyng betwixte Forgetfulnesse and Memory almost smothered with Obliuion If shee bee so renowmed as you haue spoken of sayde Memory we shoulde doo her great wrong to deny her a place in this Pageant Speake therefore good Madame Hellina with good leaue your minde and as other by their falles doo set downe examples very necessary for the auoyding of vice so let your history bee a meanes to incourage all men to imbrace vertue Then the good Queene although somewhat abashed yet glad to repeat her lyfe forerunne sayde as followeth ⧠The Lyfe of Queene Hellina How Queene Hellina was Empresse of all the Worlde This Storie dooth declare how happye they bee which liue in the feare and loue of God. MEns due desertes ech Reader may recite For men of men doo make a goodly show But womens workes can neuer come to light No mortall man their famous factes may knowâ— No writer wyll a litle time bestowe The worthy workes of women to repeate Though their renowme and due deserts be great For I by byrth to Coel Daughter deare King Lucy was my good Grandmothers sonne My Father dead I rulde his kyngdome heere And afterwarde the Worlde so wide I wonne â— Empresse was of all vnder the Sunne â— liued long I dyde with perfect blisse â—et writers will repeate no worde of this But now at last I haue obtayned leaue My spotlesse life to paynt in perfect white Though writers would al honour from me reaue Of al renowne they would depriue me quite Yet true report my deedes shal burnishe bright And rubbe the rust which did me much disgrace And set my name in her deserued place From Roman rule who Brittayne did redeme Who planted first Gods woorde in Brittayne land Who did so much virginitie esteme Who did the force of forrayne foes withstand Who al the world subdude without a band Of Martial men who did these noble actes I Hellina haue done these famous factes And now haue here the storye of my state The Brittayne Queene inheritage me crownde Euen then when Romans had so great debate Amongst them selues for Caracallas wounde An Emperour who highly was renownde As then at Rome whose death vndoutedly Diminishte much the Roman Emperie The Romans then were storde with ciuile strife And many Realmes against them did rebell There trouble turnd me to a quiet life My common weale did prosper passing well When al the worlde agreed like Deuils in hel Then I and myne be calmde from Hatreds blast In happy Hauen we harboured were at last Then I a mayd of tender youthful yeares Reporte did say of beutie fresh and fayre Refusde the sute of many noble Peeres Which dayly did vnto my court repayre What though there were vnto my Crowne no heyre Yet I who did regard my Comons good Refusde to linke my selfe with forrayne blood On forrayne Costes on Kingdomes to incroche With wrath of wrackful warres I did despise And fearing aye the ruth of rude reproche With carking care I dayly did deuise How I with peace myght make my kingdome rise And how by lawe of God and man I might Giue Caesar his and vnto God his right No God of heauen no Christ my people knewe Wherefore to Rome for learned men I sent Kinge Lucies lawes decayde I did renewe Then preaching made my people so repent There former faultes that all incontinent Were baptized and they within a space The fayth of Christ so firmly did imbrace That nothing seemed currant in their sight But that which holye writers would alowe And that they would imbrace with all their might To shed their bloud the same for to avowe They did not feare at Verolane euen nowe Amidst the force of fiery flashing flame Albon the Protomartyr proude the same As careful marchaunt men do much reioyce When from those Iles Molocchi they haue brought There frayghted shippes for then they haue great choyce Of Marchandize which trafficke long hath sought To finde the ware which trial true hath taught Wyl get moste gayne which beeing got they giue And cast there care how they thereby may liue So I whom both Sir Neptunes surging Seas And Eoles windes euen God him selfe aboue Did fauoure much my labouring minde to please Geuing those thinges were best for my behoue Gods woorde I mene which al my men did loue The Pearles which Christ commaunded to be bought Muste here be found and no where els be sought Then they and I made haste post hast to leade Our sinful liues as Scripture did alowe We knowing God him loude with feare and dread Deuotion made vs crouche and creepe and bowe Our hartes our heades we sauage were but nowe Yet by and by such was the good successe In fiery flames the truth we did professe Then flittinge Fame the truth to testifie Against my wyl at Rome made such reporte That Constantinus thence dyd hether hye And being come vnto my Brittayne Court With louers lookes hee striude to scale the Fort Of my goodwyll but when it woulde not bee He sighing thus addrest his talk to mee O Queene quoth he thy deedes deserue great fame The goodly giftes that
God hath geuen to thee Be such as I can not thee greatly blame Though thou without desert disdaynest me Who for thy sake doth lothe al crueltie But for thy â—oue with Mars his cruel knife I could commaund thy Realme and reaue thy life But out alas whilst breath doth lend me life My hart shal hate to thrall thy happy state What though thou dost refuse to be my wyfe Thy hatred tho shal neuer cause me hate But whylâ—te I liue I wyl thee loue let Fate And Fortune fell poure on me al their spight To die for thee shal greatly me delight Then I replide O Duke without desert Thou doste me loue a little Ilandes Queene I know thou to the Emperour heyre art Thy valiaunt actes I diuers wayes haue seene I like thy deedes most noble which haue bene And thee I loue yet priuate pleasures luste May neuer make me throwe my Realme to duste If thou quothe he wylte dayne my Queene to be Thy Bryttaynes shal to Rome no tribute yeilde You if you please to Rome may go with me Your myghtie mate the world so wide may wielde Or if you please I here wyth you wyl bylde My byding place and in this littell lande I wyl remayne yours at your commaund His comely corps his friendly promise plight His famous actes his Noble royall race Some other thinges which here I could recite The Romans hart within my brest dyd place And when my wit had wayed well the case Then for the chiefe of all my Realme I sent And thus I spake to know the whole intent My louing Lordes and you my subiects see This Roman heyre whom I indeede do loue He will restore your ancient lybertie If I wyll bende my hest to his behoue Which benifites they chiefely do mee moue To loue at last a man by whom you may Receaue a Shielde to keepe you from decay Perhaps you think I loue because I see His comely corps and seemely sanguine face You be deceaude no outward brauery No personage no gallant courtly grace What though hee bee by birth of Royall race I recke it not but this I do regarde My common weale by him may bee preserude For if hee wyll from tribute set you free And ende the worke which I haue well begonne That Christes Gospell preached styll may bee God may by hym sende vnto me a sonne To you a King what wealth then haue you wonne What great renowme what honour wyll insue Speake you your mindes these thinges me think be true O Queene quoth they the Lorde preserue thy grace Do thou the thinge that semes to thee the best We do alowe the matche in euery case If by that meanes we may haue quiet rest With what great good shal this our Realme be blest Do thou therefore O noble Queeene we pray The thing which best may keepe vs from decay The Roman Duke he nothing would denye But graunted more then I could aske or craue So that there was proclaymed by and by A famous feast a banquet passing braue There to the Duke the Britayne Crowne I gaue With sacred spousall ryghtes as man and wyfe We wedded liude in loue for terme of lyfe And whylste we ment to rule this little I le A greater good vnlooked for befel Death did destroy his Syre with hateful hande For which we both at Rome must nowe go dwel And so we did thinges prospered passyng wel My Feere was made the Emperour Lorde and King Of al and I the Queene of euery thing His myghtie Mace did rule the Monarchie My wyt did rule some wryters say his Mace And to increase with ioye our merye glye I brought him forth a babe of Royal race The boy he had an amiable face O Rome thou maiste reioyce for this was he Which did at Rome erect Diuinitie Whilste thus in blesse I did at Rome remayne On Britaine stil my mind her care did cast For which I causde my husband to ordayne That euermore those ancient Lawes should last Whiâ—h heretofore amongst them there I past And that to Rome no Brittayne borne for aye Should taxe or toll or tenth or tribute pay Though there at Rome an Empresse life I led And had at hand what I could wishe or craue Yet stil me thought I was not wel bestead Because I was so farre from Brittayne braue Which when my louing Lorde did once perceiue He set a stay in al the Emperye To Brittayne then he did returne with me We raygnde of yeares thrice seuen with good successe Then Dolor and Debilitie did driue My louing Lord with faynting feeblenesse For vitall life with braying breath to striue He felt howe death of life would him depriue He calde his Lordes his childe and me his wife And thus he spake euen as he left his life The haughtye Pynes of loftye Libanus From earth to earth in tracte of time returne So I whose spreading prayse were marueilous Must now returne my fleshe to filthy slime On Fortunes wheele I may no longer clime Therefore my Lordes although my glasse be runne Yet take remorse on Constantine my sonne My Monarche Court my Kingdomes all O stately Rome farewell to them and thee Farewell my Lordes which see my finall fall Farewell my Childe my Wyfe more deare to mee Then all the world we must depart I see And must we needes depart O Fortune fye We must depart adue farewell I dye Wherewith he sighte and senslesse dyd remayne Then I his death as women doo dyd wayle But when I viewd that weeping was but vayne â–ª I was content to beare that bitter bale As one who founde no meanes for her auayle His corps at Yorke in Princely Tombe I layde When Funerall sacred solemne rights were payde And when report his death about had blowne Maxentius then the triple Crowne to weare Dyd challenge all the Empire as his owne And for a time that mighty Mace dyd beare Which when my Sonne my Constantine dyd heare The youthfull Lad indeuourd by and by To Claime his right by Mars his crueltie I then his tender youthfull yeares to guyde Went with my sonne to see his good successe He being Campt by fruitfull Tybers side To spoyle his foe he dyd hymselfe addresse Hee knew that God dyd geue all happinesse Therefore to God euen then the Youth dyd pray With mightie hande to keepe hym from decay Beholde how God doth godly men defend And marke how he doth beate Usurpers downe Maxentius nowe he al his force dothe bende For to defend his Diade me and Crowne But frowarde Fate vpon the Prince did frowne For why his men were scattered euery where In Tyber he did drowne him selfe for feare To Rome then we and all our host did hie The Romans they with ioy did vs receiue To Constantine they gaue the Emperie But he of them most earnestly did craue That I the rule of al the worlde myght haue It is quoth he my mothers ryght to rayne Til dreadful death hath shred her
through the helpe of his Nephewe William duke of Normandy to whom for that after his death he by liniall descent was next he promised the Crowne of Englande if that he dyed without issue Howe chaunced it then quoth Inquisition that the Duke made such sharpe warre vppon Harolde for the obteynyng thereof Howe dyd it chaunce quoth Memory that is necessarie too be knowne for that chaunce dyd not onely destroy the Danes but it brought both Harolde and the Englishmen to confusion and although nowe our idle houres be spent tyme and our affayres doo call vs from the further hearing these mens complayntes yet let vs as we may heare what thys Harolde wyll saye hys story wyll furnishe our woorke wyth a fit conclusion And for the better vnderstanding of this mans matter doo you imagine that you see this king comming from the conquest of the Danes euen sweating in hys armour to saye as followeth The Complaint of Harolde ¶ Howe King Harolde raygnyng but niene monthes had continuall warre with the Danes with the Norway Kyng with his brother Tosto and with Duke William who partely by hys strength but chiefly by policie ouercame hym and by killyng him in the feelde obteyned the kingdome of Englande Thys historie dooth declare that no manhoode nor courage can keepe the crowne from the right heyres head WOulde he haue warre and we to warre proclame O Bastarde Duke and dost thou dare to fyght My Noble men Come forth and purchase Fame Geue me my swoorde let me defende my right Steppe foorth with speede my Martiall men of myght With Bowes and Bylles let vs their course restrayne And teach them that their vaunting vowes be vayne But that we may with wysedome wisely woorke It vs behoues in Normandy to fight With hym and not to let his souldiers lurke Here in my Realme we shal thereby achiue No noble acte though hence we him do driue But if we deale with him in Normandy We shal receiue renowne and victorie It is the best with forraine foes to fyght Abroade 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 ariude should spoyle our subiectes all And for a truth this alwayes hath bin found He speedeth best which fightes on forrayne grounde My men of warre were mustered in hast But hast to late was then of none auayle The Duke ariude he in my Realme was plaste He euery where my subiectes did assayle And euery where he caused them to quayle For which I bode hym battaile by and by Where equall warres gaue neither victorye For both our strengthes were weakned in such wise We both for breath to pause were wel content Euen then the Duke he wisely did deuise How here to yeeld my crowne I might be bent For whiche to me a Pursiphaunt he sent With letters suche as here I shall recite Wherein he claimes the Birttayne Crowne his right ⧠William Duke of Normandie and ryght heyre to the Englyshe Crowne to Harolde the Vsurper Though birthright cannot cause thee yeeld to me my crown Yet haue thou some respect of honour and renowne For thou by oth didst sweare to yeeld to me my right When as I thee preferd and stalde thee there bymight Mine vncle Edwarde he thy fathers faythfull freende Gaue me his crowne and thou thereto didst condescend Yet now thou wouldest fayne defeate me of my right And proue thy selfe forsworne of former promise plight Shall Harold haue his hest shal Godwines sonne here guide Shall William want his wyl and haue his ryght denide ▪ Wel Harolde if thou canst with warres determine so I am content if not prouide I am thy foe My sonnes and al my kinne shal neuer stint to striue To plucke thee from thy place whilst one is left aliue But if thou wylt be wise to me my right resigne And thou shalt haue the place belonging to thy line If not with fyre and swoorde I meane thy Realme to spoyle I neuer hence wyll starte till I haue forst thy foyle And now thou knowste my wyl determine for the best Thou maist haue warres and if thou wylt thou maist haue rest Willyam Duke of Normandy THese letters were of little might to make My manly minde to graunt hym his request For which I did to Fortune me betake To wage new warres with hym I deemde it best So from his fist his threatning blade to wrest But see the force of Fortunes changing cheare An other cloude before me did appeare My brother Tosto who from me was flead Did now returne and brought the Norway kyng They did deuise to haue from me my head Which made me to indite an other thing Unto the Duke then playne and true meaning I gaue him hope of that I neuer meant These were the lines which to the Duke I sent Harolde the English king to thee William Duke of Normandie HArold the English king thee William Duke doth greete Thy letter being read I haue not thought it meete Without a parliament to do so great a thing As of a forrayne Duke to make an Englshe kyng But if my three estates will follow mine aduise Thou shalt receiue the crowne and beare away the price Therfore delay a time thou shortly shalt receiue With full consent the thing which now thou seekst to haue Harolde Then I in hast my power did prepare For why I hearde my brother Tostoes trayne Two of my Earles by North he had destroyd And manye a thousand men he there had slayne But when we met his triumphe was in vayne For I and myne 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 newe There lies a Snake within this greene grasse bed Quoth he therefore come forth my warrelike crewe We will not staye to see what shall insue By long delayes from Forrain coastes he may Procure an ayde to scourge vs with decay But when he heard with whom I had to deale Well donne quoth he let hym go beate the bushe I and my men to the lurche line will steale And plucke the Net euen at the present push And one of them we with decaye will crushe 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 fewe dayes was forst againe to fight My strength halfe spoylde the rest wounded and wearie His campe was comne vnwares within my sight There was no hope to flee by day nor night I Harolde then a Harande sent in haste To know whither the Duke his campe had plaste He sent me woorde my yfs and ands were vaine And that he knewe the driftes of my delay For which he sayde he woulde yet once agayne Make trial who shoulde beare the crowne away If I would yeelde he sayd his men should stay If not he then was present presently