were still permanent If no mishap mens doings did assayle Or that their acts and facts were innocent If they in hope no hurt nor hatred ment Or dealings aye were done with duty due They neuer neede their great misfortunes rue If pompe were paine and pride were not in price Or hautie seate had not the highest place If they could learne by others to be wise Or els eschew the daungers of their race If once they could the golden meane imbrace Or banish quite ambition from their breast They neuer neede to recke or reape vnrest But they doe thinke such sweetenes in renowne Vpon this earth is all the greatest hap They nothing feare the hurt of falling downe Or little roome in Lady Fortunes lap They giue no heede before they get the clap And then too late they wish they had bin wise When from the fall they would and cannot rise As if two twinnes or children at the teate Of nurce or mother both at once might bee And both did striue the better dugge to geat Till one were downe and slipt beside her knee Euen so it fares by others as by mee In fortunes lap they haue so little hold She cannot stay both striuing if shee would I am that Malm one of Madans sonnes Which thought to raigne and rule this noble I le And would so done but see what chaunce there comes Where bretheren loue and frendship quite exile * Who thinkes in trust no treason neither guile Is soonest cleane bereau'd of life and all In stead of rule hee reapes the crop of thrall My yongest brother then Mempricius hight Whose hautie minde and mine were still at square We euermore as foes hight other spite And deadly ire in hatefull hearts wee bare He sought all waies he might to worke mee care And each regarded others enuie so As after turned both to painfull woe Because my father lou'd him well therefore I fear'd my brother should obtaine my right Likewise on fauour boldned hee him bore And neither had in vertues wayes delight What neede I here our inward griefes recite Wee not as brethren liu'd in hatred still And sought occasion other each to kill I hauing hope for to preserue the crowne And hee for that he feard my title bred Such friendship as might alwaies keepe him downe And both depriue him of his crowne and head But when it chaunst our father once was dead Then straight appeared all his enuy plaine For he could not from his attempt refraine Some wisht we should diuide the realme in two And said my father eke was of that minde But neither of vs both that so would doe Wee were not each to other halfe so kinde And vile ambition made vs both so blinde We thought our raigne could not bee sure and good Except the ground thereof were laid with bloud At last a time of parle chosen was And truce concluded for our titles right Wherein I hoped might be brought to passe That I enioy in peace my kingdome might But secretly by policie and sleight He slew me with his sword before I wist Where crowne peace kingdome life and all I mist Thus was I by my wicked brother slaine Which with my death his cruell eyes did fill This oftentimes they vse to get and gaine That cannot shunne misfortune as they will Was neuer man pretended such an ill But God to him like measure shortly sent As he to others erst before had ment Vsurping wrong incurres the curse of heauen And blood cries out for vengeance at his hand Who still in care of humane good is giuen The good to aide and gracelesse to withstand If either vice or vertue we aband We either are rewarded as we serue Or else are plagued as our deeds deserue Let this my warning then suffice each sort Bid them beware example heere you see It passeth play t' is tragicall disport To clime the steps of stately high degree For though they thinke good fortune seru'd not mee Yet did she vse me as she vsde the rest And so full oft she serueth euen the best HOW KING Mempricius giuen to all lust was deuoured by VVolues the yeare before Christ 989. T Is often said a man should do likewise To other as he would to him they did * Do as thou would'st be done to saith the wise And do as conscience and as iustice bid Ther 's no man ought for Empire as I did His impious hands with cruell blood distaine For * blood doth alwaies crie for blood againe Eke lustfull life that sleepes in sinkes of sinne Procures a plague fie fie on Venus vile We little wot the mischiefes are therein When we with poisons sweet our selues beguile The pleasures passe the ioyes endure but while And naught thereby at all we get or gaine But dreadfull death and euerlasting paine Me thinkes thou harkenest for to heare my name And musest what I am that thus do come I would or this haue told it but for shame And yet to giue example heere to some I will no longer faine my selfe so dome But euen as others I will tell my fall Take heere my name my life my death and all I am Mempricius Madans yonger son Once King of Britaine that my brother slew Whereby the crowne and kingdome all I won And after nourisht vices moe that grew Not natures lawes nor Gods nor mans I knew But liu'd in lust not recking any thing I deemed all things lawfull for a King First when I had my brother brought on beare I thought in rest to keepe the Kingdome long I was deuoid of doubt I had no feare Was none durst checke me did I right or wrong I liu'd at large and thought my power so strong There could no man preuaile against my will I steede of law that vsed rigour still Then wickedly I fell to slothfull ease A vice that breeds a number moe beside I was so testie none durst me displease And eke so puft with glorie vaine and pride My sencelesse sence as ship without a guide Was tost with euery fancie of my braine Like Phoebus chariot vnder Phaëtons raigne I deem'd them foes that me good counsell gaue And those my chiefest friends could glose and lie I hated them that were so sage and graue And those I lou'd were lustie lewde and slie I did the wisest wits as fooles defie Such sots knaues ruffians roysters I embraste As were vnwise vnhonest rude vnchaste I lusted eke as lasie lechers vse My subiects wiues and daughters at my will I did so often as me pleasde abuse Perforce I kept them at my pleasure still Thus gate I queanes and concubines at fill And for their sakes I put away my wife Such was my lewdnesse lust and lawlesse life But shame forbids me for to tell the rest It me abhors to shew what did ensue And yet because it moueth in my breast Compunction still and was God wot too true I le farther tell whence my destruction grue To Sodome sinne I foulely fell and
immortall hate Your mothers teares nor woefull wailings moue Nor naked brests you suckt your malice slake Nor cause t' imbrace the sacred lore of loue O euerlasting Ioue that liu'st aboue Then I protest ere you doe fight the feelde this day You shall in field vngratefull sonnes your wofull mother slay Betweene you both you shall bereaue my life What woes my sonnes aliue shall I sustaine When I shall after this ambitious strife So many see of both your subiects slaine And you with brothers bloud your swords distaine I shall I say in th' end of fight take woefull vewe Of that my sonne which this my sonne his brother slewe O rather now my sonnes leaue off to iar Lay weapons both aside take truce a while If you doe loue to spend your time in war Destroy not here at home your natiue I le The present cause and quarell is too vile Ioine friendly both your armies faith and firme the same To take some conquest great in hand of lasting fame Therein you may with greater honour deale By this you shall defame your selues for aye Thereby you may enlarge your publique weale By this your selues and it shall quite decay Thereby you shall mine age with honour stay Thereby you shall most like your noble father bee Which ere he wore the crowne did conquer kingdomes three Once for my sake then ioine yet hands againe Let me enioy once both before I die I would to see you friends my sonnes bee faine And hope I haue you will not this denie I aske a thing shall neuer hurt perdy For if you now surcease and loue as brethren well Then all the world of this your concord aye shall tell And turning then to me thus wise she said Thou knowest my sonne how twice thou hast been foild Thou twice to scape with life wa st well apaide And since full farre to countries straunge hast toild If now thou shouldst of life and all bee spoilde When liue thou maist in Princely sort with peerelesse ioy What tongue can tell thy mothers griefe and great anoy I heare thou hast in France a Dukedome good Of subiects good thou hast an armie heere Thou hast a wife that came of noble blood Thou need'st at home no foes at all to feare What mean'st thou then such mortall hate to beare Against my sonne thy brother heere which gaue to thee His kingdome halfe the noble land of Albany Sith thine ambition first procur'd the strife Which did'st in armour rise against thy King Against thy brother lou'd thee more then life Thou did'st thy subiects his against him bring Think'st thou it was a wise or worthie thing If not thou hast good cause thy treason all confesse And though he draue thee hence to loue him ne're the lesse Thou shalt therefore submit thy selfe to me And take a truce a peace I will conclude Thy brother eke shall so contented be No quarrels old shall be againe renew'd These broiles haue oft my cheekes with teares bedew'd My heart is rent my hope bereau'd my ioyes are gone My life is lost if you conioyne not both in one Then turning vnto Belinus she spake My noble sonne quoth she thou twice hast quail'd Thy brothers power and mad'st him twice forsake His natiue land which I haue oft bewail'd What though thou haue so oft before preuail'd Think'st thou againe the third time eke to win the field Or art thou sure to slay my sonne or force him yeeld What glorie canst thou get thereby in th' end Will not the world of your foule slaughters tell Will not they all that liue still discommend The man that did his owne deare brother quell Mempricius shamefull acts are knowne too well And Porrex Britaines both their noble brethren slew Confounded after both examples good for you Now further this againe to both I say Do not you rue these noble souldiers good Do not you see how many you shall slay Haue you no care to shed their guiltlesse blood The state of tyrants neuer stable stood By bloodshed they do build and prop their tottering State Raigne liue and die despisde in neuer dying hate You noble men in briefe I speake to you And vnto all the Captaines of your bands And eke to all you souldiers good and true Which haue the sway of bloodshed in your hands Consider well the state of both our lands You shall decrease your force by discord and by strife Distaine your bloods and reaue Corwennas of her life Then if that either Ioues immortall ire Which euer hated slaughters such as these Or feare of Plutoes euerlasting fire Or dangers threatned both by land and seas Or mothers mind which both you ought to please Or countries loue or peace which all are bound t' imbrace May ought perswade then let my iust request haue place If not loe heere my naked breast quoth she Which once you both did sucke in tender age Let both your swords in these first bathed be Perhaps this slaughter shall your thirsts asswage It shall be counted euen as small outrage To slay your mother pleading for a righteous peace As wage the warres which gods commands you to surcease Much more she said which were too long to tell And proffred forth to swords her naked brest But when we both considered had full well Her wofull teares her wise and graue request They so to peace our hautie hearts addrest We laid our weapons downe we met and did imbrace All warre was set aside and Ladie peace tooke place We ioyned hands our captaines did the like And eke the souldiers linked all in loue There was not one that did our truce mislike Our peace did all to ioy and maruell moue With many triumphes feates of armes we proue Our subiects all reioyce in songs we sound Corwennas praise Her fame to skies aloft with many shouts and cries they raise The Galles and Senons then supposing me In Britaine from my Dukedome hard at fight Thought great occasion offred them to be And set themselues in armes and order right My subiects eke of Sauoy day and night They did entice perswade solicite and constraine To chuse another Duke at home with them to raigne Whereof when I heard tell in Britaine I le Eke when my brother Beline thereof knew We laid aside our sports and plaies a while And of our souldiers tooke a muster new Of both our hoasts we chose a noble crew We past the seas as brethren ought in concord knit And both our force in one to conquer France we fit Without resistance much we spoil'd the land At th' entrie in and after many fights We conquer'd all the Realme my foes we fand Which were in armes stout valiant noble wights By sword they fell or flew before our sights The Germans force likewise that did them succour send We made to fall therefore and to our scepters bend Three hundred thousand we in armour had An armie great renown'd Europa through The Kings and Princes of our
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
that void of kindly truth Which if it want all wretchednesse ensueth I stinted not to persecute my brother Till time he left his kingdome to another Thus carnall loue did quench the loue of kind Till lust were lost through fancie fully fed But when at length I came vnto my mind I saw how leaudly lightnes had me led To seeke with paine the perill of my head For had King Henrie once been setled sure I was assur'd my daies could not endure And therefore though I bound my selfe with oath To helpe King Henrie all that ere I might Yet at the treatie of my brethren both Which reason granted to require but right I left his part whereby he perisht quite And reconcil'd me to my brethren twaine And so came Edward to the Crowne againe This made my fire in law to fret and fume To stampe and stare and call me false forsworne And at the length with all his power presume To helpe King Henrie vtterly forlorne Our friendly profers still he tooke in scorne Refused peace and came to Barnet field And there was kill'd because he would not yeeld His brother also there with him was slaine Whereby decayed the keyes of chiualrie For neuer liu'd the matches of them twaine In manhood power and martiall policie In vertuous thewes and friendly constancie That would to God if it had been his will They might haue turn'd to vs and liued still But what shall be shall be there is no choyce Things needs must driue as destiny decreeth For which we ought in all our haps reioyce Because the eye eterne all things foreseeth Which to no ill at any time agreeth For il's too ill to vs be good to it So far his skilles exceed our reach of wit The wounded man which must abide the smart Of stitching vp or searing of his sore As thing too bad reproues the Surgeons art Which notwithstanding doth his health restore The child likewise to science plied sore Counts knowledge ill his teacher to be wood Yet Surgerie and sciences be good But as the patients griefe and schollers paine Cause them deeme bad such things as sure be best So want of wisdome causeth vs complaine Of euery hap whereby we seeme opprest The poore do pine for pelfe the rich for rest And when as losse or sickenesse vs assaile We curse our fate our fortune we bewaile Yet for our good God worketh euery thing For through the death of these two noble Peeres My brother liu'd and raign'd a quiet King Who had they liu'd perchance in course of yeares Would haue deliuered Henrie from the breares Or holpe his sonne t' enioy the carefull Crowne Whereby our line should haue been quite put downe A carefull Crowne it may be iustly named Not only for the cares thereto annext To see the subiect well and duly framed With which good care few Kings are greatly vext But for the dred wherwith they are perplext Of losing Lordship liberty or life Which wofull wracks in kingdoms happen rife The which to shun while some too sore haue sought They haue not sparde all persons to suspect And to destroy such as they guilty thought Though no apparance proued them infect Take me for one of this wrong punisht sect Imprisond first accused without cause And done to death no processe had by lawes Wherein I note how vengeance doth acquite Like ill for ill how vices vertue quell For as my mariage loue did me excite Against the King my brother to rebell So loue to haue his children prosper well Prouoked him against both law and right To murder me his brother and his knight For by his Queene two Pincelike sonnes he had Borne to be punisht for their parents sinne Whose Fortunes calked made the father sad Such wofull haps were found to be therin Which to auouch writ in a rotten skin A prophesie was found which said a G Of Edwards children should destruction be Me to be G because my name was George My brother thought and therefore did me hate But woe be to the wicked heads that forge Such doubtfull dreames to breed vnkind debate For God a Gleue a Gibbet Grate or Gate A Gray a Griffeth or a Gregory As well as George are written with a G. Such doubtfull riddles are no prophesies For prophesies in writing though obscure Are plaine in sense the darke be very lies What God foresheweth is euident and pure Truth is no Harold nor no Sophist sure She noteth not mens names their shields nor creasts Though she compare them vnto birds and beasts But whom she doth foreshew shall raigne by force She tearmes a Wolfe a Dragon or a Beare A wilfull Prince a rainelesse raging horse A bold a Lion a Coward much in feare A Hare or Hart a craftie pricked eare A leacherous a Bull a Goat a Foale An vnderminer a Moldwarpe or a Mole By knowen beasts thus truth doth plaine declare VVhat men they be of whom she speakes before And whoso can mens properties compare And marke what beast they do resemble more Shall soone discerne who is the griesly Bore For God by beasts expresseth mens conditions And not their badges Harolds superstitions And learned Merline whom God gaue the sprite To know and vtter Princes acts to come Like to the Iewish Prophets did recite In shade of beasts their doings all and some Expressing plaine by maners of the dome That Kings and Lords such properties should haue As haue the beasts whose name he to them gaue Which while the foolish did not well consider And seeing Princes gaue for difference And knowledge of their issues mixt together All maner beasts for badges of pretence There tooke those badges to expresse the sence Of Merlines mind and those that gaue the same To be the Princes noted by their name And hereof sprang the false nam'd prophesies That go by letters ciphers armes or signes VVhich all be foolish false and craftie lies Deuis'd by ghesse or guiles vntrue diuines For when they saw that some of many lines Giue armes alike they wist not which was he VVhom Merline meant the noted beast to be For all the brood of Warwickes gaue the Beare The Buckinghams do likewise giue the Swan But which Beare-bearer should the Lion teare They were as wise as Goose the ferry man Yet in their skill they seased not to scan And to be deemed of the people wise Setforth their gloses vpon prophesies And whom they doubted openly to name They darkely tearm'd or by some letter ment For so they thought how ere the world did frame To keepe themselues from shame or being shent For howsoeuer contrary it went They might expound their meaning otherwise As haps in things should newly still arise And thus there grew of a mistaken truth An art so false as made the true suspect Whereof hath come much mischiefe more the ruth That errors should our minds so much infect True Prophets haue oft foulely been reiect The false which breed both murder war and strife Beleeu'd to
Beheaded vs before we were condemned My cosin Richard could not be content To leaue his life because he wist not why Good gentleman that neuer harme had ment Therefore he asked wherefore he should die The Priest his ghostly father did replie With weeping eyes I know one wofull cause The Realme hath neither righteous Lords not lawes Sir Thomas Vaughan chasing cried still This tyrant Glocester is the gracelesse G That will his brothers children beastly kill And lest the people through his talke might see The misciefes toward and thereto not agree Our tormentour that false periured Knight Bad stop our mouthes with words of high despight Thus di'd we guiltlesse processe heard we none No cause alleag'd no Iudge nor yet accuser No Quest empanel'd passed vs vpon That murdrer Ratcliffe law and rights refuser Did all to flatter Richard his abuser Vnhappie both that euer they were borne Through guiltlesse blood that haue their soules forlorne In part I grant I well deserued this Because I caus'd not speedie execution Be done on Richard for that murder of his When first he wrought King Henries close confusion Not for his brothers hatefull persecution These cruell murders painfull death deserued Which had he suffred many had been preserued Warne therefore all that charge or office beare To see all murdrers speedily executed And spare them not for fauour or for feare By guiltlesse blood the earth remaines polluted For lacke of Iustice kingdomes are transmuted They that saue murdrers from deserued paine Shall through those murdrers miserably be slaine HOW THE LORD HASTINGS WAS BETRAYED BY TRVSTING TOO MVCH to his euill Counseller Catesby and villanously murdered in the Tower of London by Richard Duke of Glocester the 13. of Iune Anno 1483. I Am that Hastings whose too hastie death They blame that know wherefore I lost my breath With others fearing lest my headlesse name Be wrong'd by partiall brute of flattering Fame Hearing O Baldwine that thou mean'st to pen The liues and falles of English Noblemen My selfe heere present do present to thee My life my fall and forced destinie Ne feare to staine thy credit by my tale In Laethes floud long since in Stigian vale Selfe loue I drown'd What time hath fin'd for true And ceaseth not though stale still to renue Recount I will whereof take this for proofe That blase I will my praise and my reproofe We naked ghosts are but the very man Nor of our selues more then we ought we scan The Heauens high and Earthly vale belowe Yet ring his Fame whose deedes so great did grow Edward the fourth ye know vnnam'd I meane Whose noble nature so to me did leane That I his staffe was I his onely ioy And euen what Pandare was to him of Troy VVhich mou'd him first to make me Chamberlaine To serue his sweets to my most sower paine VVherein to iustly prais'd for secretnesse For now my guilt with shriking I confesse To him too true too vntrue to the Queene Such hate I wan as lasted long betweene Our families Shores wife was my Nice cheat The holy whore and eke the wily peat I fed his lust with louely peeces so That Gods sharp wrath I purchast my iust wo. See here the difference of a noble minde Some vertue raiseth some by vice haue climde The first though onely of themselues begon Yet circlewise into themselues do ron VVithin themselues their force vnited so Both endlesse is and stronger gainst their foe For when end'th it that neuer hath begon Or how may that that hath no end b' vndone Th' other as by wicked meanes they grue And raigned by flatterie so soone they rue First tumbling step fro honours old is vice VVhich once stept downe some linger none arise To former type But they catch vertues spray VVhich raiseth them that climbe by lawfull way Beware to rise by seruing princely lust Surely to stand one meane is rising iust 〈◊〉 learne by me whom let it helpe t' excuse 〈◊〉 â—â—â—hfull now my selfe I do accuse 〈…〉 my Prince I euer pleas'd with such As harmed none and him contented much In vice some fauour or lesse hate let win That I ne wried to worser end my sin But vsde my fauour to the helpe of such As death in later warre to liue did grutch For as on durt though durtie shin'th the Sunne So euen amidst my vice my vertue shoane My selfe I spared with his cheate to staine For loue or reuerence so I could refraine Gisippus wife erst Titus would desire With friendships breach I quencht that brutish fire Manly it is to loth the pleasing lust Small vant to flie that of constraint thou must These faults except if so my life thou scan Lo none I hurt but furdred euery man My Chamber England was my staffe the law Whereby saunce rigour all I held in awe So kind to all and so belou'd of all As what ensued vpon my bloodie fall Though I ne felt yet surely this I thinke Full many a trickling teare their mouthes did drinke Disdaine not Princes easie accesse meeke cheare We know then Angels statelier port ye beare Of God himselfe too massie a charge for sprits But then my Lords consider he delights To vaile his grace to vs poore earthly wants To simplest shrubs and to the dunghill plants Expresse him then in might and mercies meane So shall ye win as now ye rule the Reame But all too long I feare I do delay The many meanes whereby I did bewray My zealous will to earne my Princes grace Lest thou defer to thinke me kind percase As nought may last so Fortunes changing cheare With pouting lookes gan lower on my sire And on her wheele aduanst high in his rome The Warwick Earle admir'd through Christendome Besides the tempting prowesse of the foe My Princes brother did him then forgoe The cause was lik'd I was his link'd allie Yet nor the cause nor brothers treacherie Nor enmies force nor band of mingled blood Made Hastings beare any other mind then good But tane and scap'd from Warwickes griping pawes With me he fled through Fortunes froward flawes To London come at large we might haue seemed Had not we then the Realme a prison deemed Each bush a bar each spray a banner splayed Each house a fort our passage to haue stayed To Lin we leape where while w'await the tide My secret friends in secret I suppli'd In mouth to further Henrie sixt their King And vse my best meanes Edward in to bring The restlesse tide to bar the emptie bay With waltring waues roames wambling forth Away The merrie Mariner hales The bragging boy To masts high top vp hies In signe of ioy The wauering flag is vanst The surging seas Their swelling cease to calmest euen peace Sinkes downe their pride With drunkennesse ' gainst all care The Seamen arm'd await their noble fare On bord we come The massie anchors wai'd One English ship two hulks of Holland aid In such a pinch So small though was the traine
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
soules thereby to darkesome Stygian lake Which kill the corps that mightie Ioue did make HOW KING MORGAN OF ALBANY was slaine at Glamorgan in Wales The yeare before Christ 766. I Wot not well what reason I may vse To quit my selfe from lasting infamie Wherefore I must perforce my selfe accuse I was in fault I cannot it denie Remorce of conscience prickes my heart so nie And me torments with pangs of pinching paine I can no longer me from speech refraine I am that Morgan sonne of Gonerell Th' vngratefull daughter of her father Leire Which from his kingdome did him once expell As by the British stories may appeare Ragan and she conspir'd both sisters were But were subdu'd againe and causde to yeeld Their fathers Crowne Cordila wan the field I need not heere the stories all recite It were too long but yet I briefly shall The cause Cordila ought her sisters spite Was they procur'd her and their fathers thrall Yet t' was her chance at length t' out liue them all Both sisters elder and her father graue And eke at length the kingdome all to haue That time was I of Albany the King Call'd Scotland now and eke my cousin then Of Cornwall and of Wales whom I did bring To warre against Cordila and her men We said we would our title winne agen And that because our fathers had it yore We ment to get it ours againe therefore I must confesse I was the cause of warre I was not pleasde with that was lotted mee Euen so our minds ambitious often are And blinded that we cannot reason see We thinke no men but Gods on earth we bee Yet worse are we then beasts which know their kind For we haue nought but mischiefe oft in mind We thinke if so we may our willes attaine By right or wrong by might or malice we Could neuer liue like Fortune for to gaine Or if on foes we once reuenged bee If that our foe-mens fall we chance to see O then we ioy we lift our selues to skie And on the poore we crucifige crie I deem'd if that I might once put her downe The Kingdomes all were Conidags and mine And I could easly after win the crowne If also I his state might vndermine I thought indeed to haue it all in fine By force or fraud I did intend alone To sit as King vpon the Britaine throne To speake in few we waged warre so long Gainst her at last we put her vnto flight We warriers for our Aunt were far too strong Pursude and tooke depriu'd her of her right We thought it ours what so we wan by might Eke so play tyrants Traitors all do watch To get by spoile and count their owne they catch Not so contented were we with the pray But fearing lest she should recouer aide I sent in hast to prison her away And all recourse of messengers denaid Thus when she saw her Maiestie decaid And that her griefes and sorowes daily grew In prison at the length her selfe she slew O caytife vile that did constraine a Queene That Iustice ment her kingdome to forsake Nay traytor I her cause of death haue been That would my selfe by bloodshed ruler make How could reuenge on me but vengeance take Before the seat of God her blood did call For vengeance still and so procur'd my fall Lo heere Gods iustice see my treason see Behold and see to raigne was my delight And marke and make a mirrour heere of me Which afterward was seru'd by iustice right We wan the crowne betweene vs both in fight And then because I was the elder sonne Of th' elder Queene I claimed all we wonne So were my dealings nought in peace and warre But by my force and fortunes vsde in fight I past that time the Britaines all by farre I was of person fortitude and might Both comely tall strong seemely eke in sight Whereby I won mens fauour glorie wealth And puft with pride at length forgate my selfe I said it was my right the crowne to haue But Conidagus stoutly it deni'd Wherefore I went to Wales my right to craue With all mine armie and to haue it tri'd Where long we fought it stoutly on each side Till at the last vnto my wofull paine I was depriu'd of kingdome quite and slaine And for to keepe in memorie for aye That there vnfaithfull Morgan lost his life The place is call'd Glamorgan to this daye There was I pierst to death with fatall knife There was the end of all my hatefull strife So Morgan where he thought to win the crowne Was at Glamorgan traytor striken downe Thus maist thou tell how proud ambition proues What hap haue tyrants what we Traytours haue What end he hath that cruell dealing loues What subiects get that Diademe do craue T is better then to winne thine owne to saue For so orethwartly trade of Fortune goes When win thou would'st then art thou sure to lose HOW KING IAGO DIED OF THE LETHARGIE about the yeare before Christ 612. HAue I oreslept my selfe or am I wake Or had'st thou late oreslept thy selfe that wrote Could'st thou not for the Letharge paines to take And with the rest his sleepie life to note Was I amongst the wicked wights forgote Well then awaked sith we are both twaine To write my sleepie sinfull life take paine I am that Iago once of Britaine King That ruled all this noble British Ile No fame of me the writers old do bring Because my life and gouernment was vile Yet Higgins heere take paines for me a while Enregester my mirrour to remaine That Princes may my vices vile refraine At first a while I ruled well the land I vsed iustice right tooke regall place No wight but found iust iudgement at my hand And truth durst shew without rebuke her face I gaue my selfe to all good gifts of grace My subiects liu'd in rest within my raigne No cause of Prince compel'd them to complaine But as in calme a storme we nothing feare When as the seas are milde and smooth as glasse And as in peace no thought of warres we beare Which least suppose of mischiefes come to passe Euen so my still and rightfull raigning was The calme a tempest boads the shine a raine Long peace a warre and pleasure pinching paine For rest and peace and wealth abounding thoe Made me forget my Iustice late well vsde Forsaking vertues vices gan to floe And formernoble acts I quite refusde My gifts my treasures wealth and will misusde Began all goodnes quite at length disdaine And did my facts with filthie vices staine Misgouern'd both my Kingdome and my life I gaue my selfe to ease to sleepe and sinne And I had clawbackes euen at Court full rife Which sought by outrage golden gaines to winne For * Kings no sooner well or worse beginne But euen at hand the good or bad take paine For vertues sake or meede the Prince to traine As vices grew encreasing more and more So vertues fled and bad their
friends a dew Diseases bad likewise and sicknesse sore Began to waxe and griefes about me grew I may full well my naughtie surfets rue Which pester'd so at length my drousie braine I could not scarce from sleeping ought refraine A sleepie sicknesse nam'd the Lethargie Opprest me sore till death tooke life away This was the guerdon of my gluttonie As with the candles light the flie doth play Though in the end it worke her liues decay So of the gluttons cup so long I drunke Till drown'd in it with shamefull death I sunke Physitians wise may take on them the cure But if Iehoua smite the Prince for sin As earst of me then is the helpe vnsure That 's not the way for health to enter in No potions then nor powders worth a pin But euen as we they must to die be faine Bid them in time from vices now refraine HOW KING FORREX WAS SLAINE by his brother King Porrex about the yeare before Christ 491. TO tell my storie on the tragicke stage Compeld I am amongst the rest that fell I may complaine that felt god Mars his rage Alas that fate to State should be so fell Had I been meaner borne I know right well There had no enuie vndermin'd my State Nor fortune foild the seat whereon I sate While that my Kingly Sire Gorbodug raign'd I had no care in honor I did liue Would God I had in that estate remain'd But what vs fortune wonted is to giue Good hap that holds as water in a siue She showes a glimpse of thousand ioyes and moe Which hides in it ten thousand seas of woe That hatefull hellish hag of vglie hue With rustie teeth and meygre corps misshape I meane that monstervile the worst in view Whom some call Discord enuie ire and hate She set my brother first with me at bate When we fiue yeares had raigned ioyntly well By her entisements foule at strife we fell We liu'd that space well in this noble I le Diuided well we ioyntly did enioy The Princely seat while Fortune faire did smile Without disdaine hate discord or anoy Euen as our father raign'd the noble Roy In wealth peace praise purport renowne and fame Without the blots of euerlasting blame But when ambition bleared both our eyes And hastie hate had brother-hood bereft We friendship faire and concord did despise And far a part from vs we wisdome left Forsooke each other at the greatest heft To rule the kingdome both we left and fell To warring iarring like two hounds of hell For bounds we banded first on either side And did incroach each one on others right T' inlarge the limits of our kingdome wide We would not sticke oft times in field to fight The wretched ground had so bewitcht our sight For why * the earth that once shall eate vs all Is th' only cause of many Princes fall * On th' earth we greeue the ground for filthie gaine On th' earth we close the earth t' inlarge our land In th' earth we moile with hunger care and paine We cut we dig thence siluer gold and sand Into her bowels by the force of hand With steele and iron we do dig profound Working her woe to make our ioyes abound For th' earth forget we God vnfaithfull fooles For ground forsake we faith and all our friends For th' earth we set our selues to subtill schooles Of ground like swine we seeke the farthest ends We spoile the ground that all our liuing lends Of ground to winne a plat a while to dwell We venter liues and send our soules to hell If we behold the substance of a man How he is made of Elements by kind Of earth of water aire and fire than We would full often call vnto our mind That all our earthly ioyes we leaue behind And when we passe to th' earth we turne to rot Our pompe our pride and glorie is forgot The fire first receiues his heate againe The aire the breath bereaues away by right The watrie and the earthly parts remaine Of Elements composed scarce so light And in the ground a place is for them dight The moistures drie the bones consume to dust The wormes with flesh suffice their greedie lust But we forget our composition old Both whence we came and whereunto we shall We scarce remember we be made of mould And how the earth againe consumeth all This great forgetfulnes breeds Princes thrall While present ioyes we gaze vpon meane while A fading blisse doth all our wits beguile All this I speake to th' end it may aduise All Princes great and noble peeres that are To learne by me the rather to be wise And to abandon hate and malice farre To banish all ambitious bloodie warre To liue content in peace with their estate For * mischiefe flowes from discord and debate And now I le tell what discord vile hath done To me King Forrex Thus the case it stood I thought indeed to haue some castles wonne And holds which were my brothers strong and good So might I intercept his vitailes forrage food Abate his pride obtaine the kingdome all Me thought the halfe a portion was too small Ther 's no man takes an enterprise in hand But he perswades himselfe it is not ill He hath of reasons eke in steed to stand As he supposeth framed wise by skill So I was led by reason rude to kill My brother if I caught him at the nicke Because the quarrell first he gan to picke And for because I was the elder Prince The elder sonne and heire vnto the crowne Me thought no law nor reason could conuince Me from the fact though I did beat him downe This was my way to winne and reape renowne I did prouide an armie strong for field Not farre from where I hop'd to cause him yeeld And sundrie sharpe assaults on each we gaue On purpose both enflamed for to fight We had in parle heard the counsell graue Of wise and worthie men perswading right It pitie was they said so foule a sight That brethren twaine both Princes of a land Should take at home such wofull warres in hand But where ambition dwelles is no remorce No countries loue no kindred holden kind No feare of God no sentence wise of force To turne the heart or mollifie the mind Good words are counted wasting of your wind The gaine proposde the crowne and scepter hie Are th' only things where at men gaze and prie At length my brother for to end the strife Thought best to worke the surest way to win He found the meanes to take away my life Before which time the warres could neuer lin How much might better both contented bin For * hope will slip and hold is hard to snatch Where blood embrues the hands that come to catch Thus our ambition bred our subiects smart Our broiles powr'd out their guiltlesse blood on ground Which vile deuice of mine ambitious heart Procured Ioue my purpose to confound Therefore beware ye wights whose
wealths abound Content your selues in peace to spend your daies By vertues good aloft your names to raise HOW KING PORREX WHICH SLEW HIS brother was slaine by his owne mother and her maidens about the yeare before Christ 491. CAn cursed Caine that caitiue scuse himselfe That slew his brother Abel innocent Or Typhon who for state and worldly pelfe His deare Osiris downe to Lymbo sent King Dardan then to do the like may trie They slew their brethren each and so did I. The witch Medaea rent in pieces small Absirtus limbes her brother did not she She threw him in the way dismembred all That so her fathers iourney stai'd might be Orodes slew his brother Mithridate And so did I my brother in debate Learchus slew his brother for the Crowne So did Cambrses fearing much the dreame Antiochus of infamous renowne His brother slew to rule alone the Realme Ardieus did the like for Kingdomes sake So I my brothers life away did take Mempricius Iewde of life likewise did kill His brother Manlius for the same intent These Princes vile were brother slayers ill For kingdomes sake vnnaturally bent But reade the stories thou shalt find it plaine The bloodie wretches all were after slaine Euen so I Porrex eke which slew my brother And ruled once the Britaine land with him Vnkindly kil'd was by my cruell mother Which with her maideus chopt me euery limme As I lay sleeping on my bed at rest Into my chamber full and whole they prest Appointed well they were with weapons sharpe And boldly laid on me with all their might Oft quite and cleane they thrust me through the hart And on my corps each where their weapons light They chopt me small I say as flesh to pot And threw me out my limbes yet trembling hot Can I complaine of this reuenge she raught Sith I procur'd the slaughter of her sonne Can I excuse my selfe deuoid of faut Which my deare Prince and brother had fordonne No t is too true that * who so slayes a King Incurres reproch and slaughter blood doth bring The traytors to their Prince haue alwaies bin As slayers of their parents vipers brood The killers of their brothers friends and kin In like degree well nigh of treason stood But what by this win they saue death defame Distaine their blood and shroud themselues with shame Example take you Princes of this land Beware of discord shun ambitious pride By right take ye the scepter in your hand Let not your sword with soueraignes blood be dide The mightie Ioue that raignes eternall aye Cuts off the Kings that enter in that waye Vsurpers may perswade themselues a while There is no God no lawes of sacred crowne No wrong they do no murther seemeth vile Nor no respect of Princely high renowne But if they could consider well the case They would not so aspire to Princes place They would example take by Lucifer That was cast downe the father first of pride And all his impes how high so ere they were Vsurping Realmes and Kingdomes far and wide From light to darke from throne to thrall they fell From bale to blisse and downe from heauen to hell Sufficient heere is said to warne the wise For he by prudence oft forecasts the doubt The foole is bent all warnings to despise He runneth headlong with the rascall rout Then if thou cast to liue at rest a subiect good Touch not the Prince crowne scepter nor his blood HOW KING PINNAR WAS SLAINE IN BATtaile by Mulmucius Donwallo about the yeare before Christ 441. MIght oftentimes right ouerrunnes too fast Right after comes and hopes to haue his owne And when he ouertakes might at the last Then is the truth of all the quarrell knowne Men neuer reape no other then was sowne If good be gaine the better comes the crop The grape growes on the vine and not the hop Of this now spoken this would I inferre Men may by might a kingdome long withhold Not due to them but they far better were To yeeld vnto the right what reason would Good mettals bides the touch which tries the gold When copper counted counterfeit in cast Is deem'd but drosse and called in at last I am that Pinnar who when Brutus blood Extincted was in bloodie Porrex raigne Amongst the Princes in contention stood Who in the Britaine throne by right should raigne Mongst whom by might a part I did obtaine That part of Albion call'd Logria hight I did long time vsurpe against all right Stater who stept into the Scottish throne And Rudacke that vsurpt the Cambrian crowne Their minds to mine did frame and ioyn'd in one To keepe the Cornish Prince stout Cloten downe Twixt whom and vs in fighting for renowne Faire Ladie Albion Europes wondred Ile Rob'd of her beautie was alas the while Duke Cloten though a man of worthie praise Who claim'd the crowne as due to him by right Could not preuaile till death did end his daies His sonne Mulmucius that vndaunted Knight Pursu'd his fathers claime with all his might And meeting vs in many a bloodie field At length in manly fight did make vs yeeld He Lion-like himselfe with his tall troope Of nimble Cornish met vs on the way And to his conquering arme did cause vs stoope The price of treason I with blood did pay My wrong deem'd right appear'd in my decay Who so by violence scales the throne of State Seldome sits sure but falles by violent fate HOW KING STATER OF SCOTLAND was slaine by Mulmucius Donwallo about the yeare before Christ 441. DEsist not in histories truly to tell The fall of vsurpers the mirrours of pride Recite of our treasons and how that we fell Intruders vntrustie the Realme for to guide Of wit and of reason recklesse and wide That tooke so vpon vs to rule all the land No Princes presum'd yet with scepter in hand How stately I Stater of Scotland the King Did beare me full stoutly when I had the crowne And what a great armie of Scots I did bring Against Lord Donwallo of noble renowne I deemed dame Fortune would neuer so frowne Who made me a Prince that kingdome my pray Of late but a subiect and simple of sway But heere now behold how steadie the state Of climbers aloft is aboue their degree And how they do fall from fortune to fate Example are such as my fellow and me The fruit giues a taste of the sap of the tree The seed of the herbe the grape of the vine The worke wrayes the man seeme he neuer so fine For when I had leuied an armie to fight I ioyned with Pinnar my power to preuaile And Rudacke of Wales came eke with his might Mulmucius Donwallo the King to assaile Our purpose the Prince by prowes did quaile Which came out of Corne wall vs vanquisht in field Our souldiers were slaughterd or forced to yeeld O fortune I blame thee my selfe more vn wise Thou gau'st me a kingdome with life I it lost My souldiers
vertues trust For * vertue of the ancient blood or kin Doth only praise the men that vertuous bin And nobles only borne of this be sure Without the vertues of their noble race Do quite and cleane themselues thereby obscure And their renowne and dignities deface They do their birth and linage all deface For why indeed they euer ought so well In vertues graue as titles braue excell But oft God wot they fare as erst did I They thinke if once they come of Princely stocke Then are they placed safe and sure so hie Aboue the rest as founded on a rocke Of wise mens warnings all they make a mocke They counsels graue as abiectreeds despise And count the braue men gratious worthie wise This Kingdome came to me by due discent For why my father was before me King But I to pleasure all and lust was bent I neuer reckt of Iustice any thing What purpose I to passe did meane to bring That same t' accomplish I with all my might Endeuour'd euer were it wrong or right I deem'd the greatest ioyes in earthly hap I thought my pleasures euer would abide I seem'd to sit in Lady Fortunes lap I reckt not all the world me thought beside I did by lust my selfe and others guide Whereby the fates to worke my bane withall And cut me off thus wise procur'd my fall As I was alwaies bent to hunting still Yet hunting was no vice to those I had When I three yeares had rul'd this Realme at will In chace a chance did make my heart full sad Wilde cruell beasts as desperate and mad Turn'd backe on me as I them brought to bay And in their rage my sinfull corps did slay A iust reward for so vniust a life No worse a death then I deserued yore Such wreckes in th' end to wretches all are rife Who may and will not call for grace before My wilfull deeds were nought what wilt thou more For wanton wildenesse witlesse heedlesse toyes The brutish beasts bereau'd me of my ioyes HOW KING MORINDVS WAS DEuoured by a monster the yeare before Christ. 303. LEt me likewise declare my facts and fall And eke recite what meanes this slimie glere You need not faine so quaint a looke at all Although I seeme so fulsome euery where This blade in bloodie hand which I do beare And all his gore bemingled with this glew In witnesse I the dreadfull monster slew Then marke my tale beware of rashnes vile I am Morindus once a Britaine King On whom long time did Ladie Fortune smile Till to her wheeles steepe top she did me bring My fame both far and neare she made to ring And eke my praise exalted so to skie In all my time more famous none then I. Some say I was by birth a bastard bace Begotten of the Prince his concubine But what I was declared well my grace My fortitude and stature Princely mine My father eke that came of Princely line King Danius gaue not so bace degree Nor yet the noble Britaines vnto mee For feats of armes and warlike points I past In courage stout there liu'd not then my peere I made them all that knew my name agast And heaâ— thow great mine enterprises were To shrinke and slinke and shift aside for feare All which at length did me such glorie bring My father dead the Britaines made me King But see how blind we are when Fortune smiles How sencelesse we when dignities increase We euer vse our selues discreetly whiles We little haue and loue to liue in peace Subiected thoughts doth wicked pride suppresse We vse no rigour rancour rapine such As after when we haue our willes too much For whiles that I a subiect was no King While I had nothing but my facts alone I studied still in euery kind of thing To serue my Prince and vnderfang his fone To vse his subiects friendly euerychone And for them all aduentures such to take As might them all my person fauour make But when I once attained had the Crowne I waxed cruell tyrannous and fell I had no longer minde of my renowne I vsde my selfe too ill the truth to tell O bace degree in happie case full well Which art not puft with pride vaine-glorie hate But art beneath content to bide thy fate For I aloft when once my heate was in Not raind by reason ruled all by might Ne prudence reckt right strength or meane a pin But with my friends in anger all would fight I stroke kild slew who euer were in sight Without respect remorce reproofe regard And like a mad man in my furie far'd I deem'd my might and fortitude was such That I was able thereby conquer all High kingdomes seat encreast my pompe so much My pride me thought impossible to fall But God confounds our proud deuices all And brings that thing wherein we most do trust To our destruction by his iudgement iust For when three yeares I ruled had this I le Without all law as was my lawlesse life The rumour ran abroad within a while And chiefly in the Norwest countrie rife A monster came from Th' irish seas brought griefe To all my subiects in those coasts did dwell Deuouring man and beast a monster fell Which when I knew for truth I straight prepar'd In warlike wise my selfe to trie the case My haste thereto a courage bold declar'd For I alone would enter in the place At which with speare on horse I fet my race But on his scales it enter could no more Then might a bulrush on a brasen dore Againe I prou'd yet nought at all preuail'd To breake my speare and not to pierce his side With that the roring monster me assail'd So terrifi'd my horse I could not ride Wherewith I lighted and with sword I tri'd By strokes to find a passage to his life But now I found in vaine was all my strife And when I wearied was and spent with fight That kept my selfe with heed his danger fro At last almost asham'd I wanted might And skill to worke the beastly monster wo. I gate me neerer with my sword him to And thought his flanckes or vnder parts to wound If there for scales might any place be found But frustrate of my purpose finding none And eke within his danger entring quite The grizely beast straight seazed me vpon And let his talants on my corps to light He gript my shoulders not resist I might And roting with a greedie rauening looke At once in iawes my bodie whole he tooke The way was large and downe he drew me in A monstrous paunch for roomth and wondrous wide But for I felt more softer there the skin At once I drew a dagger by my side I knew my life no longer could abide For rammish stench bloud poison slimy glere That in his body so aboundant were Wherefore I labouring to procure his death While first my dagger digde about his hart His force to cast me welnigh drewe my breath But as he felt within his
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
the Court a Kings behest Turne him to plow the cart for him is best For though thou canst by cunning art compell Nature a time to leaue her wonted place She will returne in spight of heauen or hell No Alcumist Dame Nature can displace Except that God doth giue abundant grace The Caske will haue a taste for euermore With that where with it seasoned was before Why did I then my courtlesse court maintaine With Hob and Iohn Ralph Royster and his mate Whose greedie iawes aye gaping after gaine Did pole and pill and bred such sterne debate Men much vnmeet to maintaine mine estate Why did I them so neere mine elbow place Because my selfe by birth was borne but bace Like will to like the Mule doth claw her mate With horned beasts the Ienite cannot iest Those bauling Hounds the haughtie Hart doth hate With Beares the Beare in safetie counts her best So I amongst my like did looke for rest Their deeds by me were alwaies well allow'd By them likwise my doings were auow'd But as you see the Husbandman with care From new sowne fields the rauening rookes to driue So did the Gentrie of my Realme prepare My countrie Court and me for to depriue But Gentlemen were then too weake to striue With me and mine for which they did prepare A new found snach which did my feet insnare In surgelesse seas of quiet rest when I Seuen yeares had sail'd a perrie did arise The blasts whereof abrig'd my libertie For whil'st I did with busie braine deuise Them to destroy which did my Court despise The boistrous blasts of hatred blew a gale My cables crakt my Barke was bong'd with bale For they I meane the Gentrie of my land Both me and mine theirs and themselues had sold Subiects to Rome from whence a mightie band They had conuey'd to make my courage cold Into my Realme they could not be controld But when they were arriu'd they quickly brought Both me and mine and all the rest to nought Alectus then the Chiefetaine of the rest Spoiling my friends he forst me to the field The day was come we both in fight were prest His trustlesse traine did seeme to me to yeeld But all the fields with great ambushments fill'd I could not flee Alectus had the day With his owne sword for breath he made me bray As due desert did force my ship to flote So vices vile me drencht in waues of woes O false suspect why did'st thou make me dote Fearing my fall my friends I deem'd my foes Fearing the worst the best I did depose And was deposde let other learne hereby The crooked Crab will alwaies walke awry And let them know which do not lothe to learne That Kings in Court be combred most with care The Pilots charge who sitteth at the stearne Doth make him watch when other do prepare Themselues to sleepe so Kings distressed are With doubtfull dread and many other things The sheepheards life is better then the Kings By Thomas Blener Hasset HOW QVEENE HELENA OF BRITAINE MARried CONSTANTIVS the Emperour and much aduanced the Christian faith through the whole world An. Dom. 289. MEns due deserts each Reader may recite For men of men do make a goodly show But womens workes can neuer come to light No mortall man their famous facts may know No writer will a little time bestow The worthy workes of women to repeat Though their renowne and due deserts be great For Iby birth to Coel daughter deere King Lucy was my good Grand-mothers sonne My father dead I rull'd his kingdome heere And afterward the World so wide I wonne I Empresse was of all vnder the Sunne I liued long I di'd with perfect blisse Yet writers will repeate no word of this But now at last I haue obtained leaue My spotlesse life to paint in perfect white Though writers would all honor from me reaue Of all renowne they would depriue me quite Yet true report my deeds shall burnish bright And rub the rust which did me much disgrace And set my name in her deserued place From Roman rule who Britaine did redeeme Who planted first Gods word in Britaine land Who did so much virginitie esteeme Who did the force of forren foes withstand Who all the world subdu'd without a band Of Martiall men who did these noble acts I Helena haue done these famous facts And now haue heere the storie of my state The Britaine Queene inheritage me crown'd Euen then when Romans had so great debate Amongst themselues for Caracallas wound An Emperour who highly was renown'd As then at Rome whose death vndoubtedly Diminisht much the Roman Emperie The Romans then were stor'd with ciuill strife And many Realmes against them did rebell Their trouble turn'd me to a quiet life My Commonweale did prosper passing well When all the world agreed like diuels in hell Then I and mine becalm'd from hatreds blast In happie hauen harboured wee at last Then I a maid of tender youthfull yeares Report did say of beautie fresh and faire Refusde the sute of many noble Peeres Which daily did vnto my court repaire What thought there were vnto my crowne no heire Yet I who did regard my Commons good Refusde to linke my selfe with forren blood On forren coasts on kingdomes to incroch With wrath of wrackfull warres I did despise And fearing aye the ruth of rude reproch With carking care I daily did deuise How I with peace might make my kingdome rise And how by law of God and man I might Giue Caesar his and vnto God his right No God of heauen no Christ my people knew Wherefore to Rome for learned men I sent King Lucies lawes decay'd I did renew Then preaching made my people so repent Their former faults that all incontinent Were baptised and so within a space The faith of Christ they firmely did embrace That nothing seemed currant in their sight But that which holie writers would allow And that they would imbrace with all their might To shed their bloud the same for to auow They did not feare at Verolane euen now Amidst the force of fiery flashing flame Albon the Protomartyr prou'd the same As carefull merchant men do much reioice When from those Iles Molocchi they haue brought Their fraighted ships for then they haue great choice Of Merchandize which trafficke long hath sought To finde the ware which trial true hath taught Wil get most gaine which being got they giue And cast their care how they thereby may liue So I whom both Sir Neptunes surging Seas And Eoles windes euen God himselfe aboue Did fauour much my labouring minde to please Giuing those things were best for my behoue Gods word I meane which all my men did loue The Pearles which Christ commanded to be bought Must 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 allow We knowing God him lou'd with feare and dreade Deuotion made vs crouch
he all his force doth bend For to defend his Diadem and Crowne But froward Fate vpon the Prince did frowne For why his men were scattered euery where In Tyber he did drowne himselfe 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 all the world might haue It is quoth he my mothers right to raigne Till dreadfull death hath shred her twist in twaine I grant my sonne the Monarchie is mine For at his death thy father gaue it me For terme of life but let it now be thine I aged must go pay the earth her fee I am content to liue with lesse degree O louing sonne giue eare vnto my hest I will not rule that charge for thee is best And when he might not rule his mothers mind Against his will he willing did assent That all should be as I had then assign'd To rule the world he grieued was content And whil'st that there my happie daies I spent Reioycing much to see my sonnes successe I di'd and had a heauenly happinesse Thrice happie I who ran this royall race And in the end my wished Goale did get For by my meanes all people did embrace The faith of Christ the orders I did set They were obey'd with ioy which made me ier Euen in this blisse a better blisse befell I di'd and now my soule in heauen doth dwell So now you see the happie hap I had Learne then thereby to do as I haue done To praise Gods name let euery Prince be glad To persecute the truth let all men shunne By vertuous waies great honor may be wonne But he who doth to vices vile incline May be compar'd vnto a filthie swine Who doth not loue the plaine nor pleasant way He cannot feare to sleepe amidst the greene But in the mire he doth delight to lay So Princes such as vile and vidious beene Do tumble aye amidsta sinke of sinne Whose names on earth whose soules in hel remaine In infamie the other pincht with paine Let them that seeke for euerlasting fame Tread in the steps that I before haue trod And he who would auoid reprochfull shame And flee the smart of Plutoes ruthfull rod Let him not cease to learne the law of God Which only law mans stumbling steps doth guide Who walkes therein his feete can neuer slide HOW VORTIGER DESTROYED THE YONG KING CONSTANTINE and how hee obtained the Crowne and how after many miseries he was miserablie burnt in his Castle by the brethren of Constantine Anno Dom. 446. BY quiet peace of Ianus iollitie Their happie hauens some with forewinds haue By wrackfull warre of Mars his crueltie With much adoe some get the Goale they craue But subtill sleights and fetches bolstred braue My haplesse hand did hit with leuelled line The aimed marke the more mishap was mine By gifts of grace some men haue happy hap By blessed birth to Kingdomes borne some be Succession sets some men in Fortunes lap By wisedome wit and prudent policie Some clime aloft by trustlesse treacherie And courage doth a multitude aduance Drifts finely filde they did my state inhance I Vortiger by birth was borne a Lord King Constantine his Cosin did me call I cride amaine and clapt his crowne abord And for a time til Fortune forst my fall With restlesse blisse I sate in stately stall But men of warre of much more might then I For my desert my carefull corps did fry As furions force of fiery flashing fame With Cinders brought my body to decay So smuldering smokes of euerlasting shame Choakt my renowne and wipte my fflame away What may I more of my misfortune say I sigh to see I silent ccase to tell What me destroid and drownd my soule in hel Here to repeat the parts that I haue plaid Were to vnrippe a trusse of trumpery For me to shew how I aloft was staid Were to erect a schoole of Trechery Silence is best let no man learne by me Nor by my meanes how they by wicked waies From low estate aloft themselues may raise As good men can by wicked workes beware So wicked men by wicked workes be wise If ill men read my deedes which wicked were They by my meanes will compasse their surmise For wicked workers daily doe deuise To make examples vile and vitious To stand in stead to serue their lawlesse lust The Serpent thence his venim vile doth draw From whence the Bee her hony sweet doth get Leaud liuers learne to breake the written law By that whereby good men do learne much wit For wicked men each fetch is thought most fit To serue their turne therefore I count it best To leaue my faults and follies vnconfest Giue leaue therefore good Memory I may Not heere repeate my tedious Tragedie Inquirie let me now depart away My Commonweale subuerted was by me I leaudly liu'd and di'd in miserie And for my faults I felt disdainfull smart Let this suffice and let me now depart With that he seem'd as one that would away But Memory stay stay thy steps quoth she Let wicked men procure their owne decay We recke it not if warned once they be Let that suffice and let thy miserie Make iust report how vaine and vile a thing It is to liue as a vsurping King Sith needs I must repented faults forerunne Repeat and tell the fall and foile I felt Patience perforce to speake shame bids me shunne To thinke thereof doth make my heart to melt But sith I needs must shew how heere I delt I am content to tell the truth of all Let wise men learne to stand which reade my fall For first I causde the yong King Constantine Of faithlesse Scots and Picts to make his guard They by my meanes did kill their King in fine For which with speed I sent them all to ward And hang'd them all their cause was neuer heard So I who first did cause them kill their King To stop their mouthes the mall to death did bring Where Rancor rules where hatreds heate is hot The hurtlesse men with trouble be turmoil'd Where malice may send forth her Cannon shot There might is right there reasons rules are foil'd For ruthfull Rancor euermore hath boyl'd With griping griefe her smuldring smokes of spite Would gladly choke all iustice law and right So might not right did thrust me to the Throne I sixteene yeares did weare the royall Crowne In all which time with griefe I aye did grone As one who felt the fall from high renowne My Noble men deuisde to thrust me downe In all this time and many did protest I laid the King in his vntimely chest At last my foes my friends were made and I Had quiet peace and liu'd a happie King Yea God who rules the haughtie heauen a high Inricht my Realme with foyson of each thing Abundant store did make my people
corrupt with meed and awe Gainst Iustice wretchedly did wrest the sense of Lawe A change more new or strange when was there euer seene Then Iudges from the Bench to come downe to the Barre And Counsellours that were most nigh to King and Queene Exiled their Countrie from Court and Counsell farre But such is Fortunes play which can both make and marre Exalting to most high that was before most low And turning taile againe the loftie downe to throw And such as late afore could stoutly speake and plead Both in Court and Countrey carelesse of the triall As mummers mute do stand without aduice or read All to seeke of shifting by trauerse or deniall Which haue seene the day when for a golden Ryall By finenes and cunning could haue made blacke seeme white And most extorted wrong to haue appeared right Whilst thus on bench aboue we had the highest place Our reasons were too strong for any to confute But when at barre beneath we came to plead our case Our wits were in the wane our pleading very brute Hard it is for prisoners with Iudges to dispute When all men against one and none for one shall speake Who weenes himself most wise may chance be too too weake To you therefore that sit these few words will I say That no man sits so sure but he may haply stand Wherefore whilst you haue place and beare the swing and sway By fauour without force let points of Law be skand Pity the poore prisoner that holdeth vp his hand Ne lade him not with law who least of law hath knowne Remember ere ye die the case may be your owne Behold me one vnfortunate amongst this flocke Tresilian cald sometime chiefe Iustice of this Land A gentleman by birth no staine was in my stocke Locketon Holte Belknap with other of my band Which the Law and Iustice had wholly in our hand Vnder the second Richarda Prince of greate state To whom and vs also blind Fortune gaue the mate In all our Common Lawes our skill was so profound Our credit and autority such and so high esteemd That what wee did conclude was taken for a ground Allowed was for Law what so to vs best seemd Both life death lands and goods and all by vs was deemd Whereby with easie paine great gaine we did in fet And euery thing was fish that came vnto our net At Sessions and Sises we bare the stroke and sway In patents and commission of Quorum still chiefe So that to whether side soeuer we did way Were it by right or wrong it past without repriefe The true man we let hang some whiles to saue a thiefe Of Gold and of Siluer our hands were neuer empty Offices Farmes and Fees fell to vs in great plenty But what thing may suffice vnto the greedie man The more he hath in hold the more he doth desire Happie and twice happie is he that wisely can Content himselfe with that which reason doth require And moileth for no more then for his needfull hire But greedinesse of mind doth seldome keepe the sise To whom enough and more doth neuer well suffice For like as dropsie patients drinke and still be drie Whose vnstanch'st greedie thirst no liquor can allay And drinke they nere so much yet thirst they by and by So catchers and snatchers do toile both night and day Not needie but greedie still prolling for their pray O endlesse thirst of gold corrupter of all lawes What mischiefe is on mould whereof thou art not cause Thou madest vs forget the saith of our profession When Sergeants we were sworne to serue the common law Which was that in no point we should make digression From approued principles in sencence nor in sawe But we vnhappie wights without all dread and awe Of the Iudge eternall for worlds vaine promotion More to man then God did beare our whole deuotion The Lawes we did interpret and statutes of the Land Not truly by the text but newly by a glose And words that were most plaine when they by vs were skand We turned by construction to a Welchmans hose Whereby many a one both life and land did lose Yet this we made our meane to mount aloft on mules And seruing times and turnes peruerted lawes and rules Thus climing and contending alway to the top From high vnto higher and then to be most hie The hony dew of Fortune so fast on vs did drop That of King Richards counsell we came to be most nie Whose fauour to attaine we were full fine and flie Alway to his profit where any thing might sound That way all were it wrong the lawes we did expound So working Law like waxe the subiect was not sure Of life of land nor goods but at the Princes will Which caused his kingdome the shorter time to dure For claiming power absolute both to saue and spill The Prince thereby presumed his people for to pill And set his lusts for Law and will had reasons place No more but hang and draw there was no better grace Thus the King outleaping the limits of his Law Not raigning but raging as youth did him entice Wise and worthie persons from Court did daily draw Sage counsell set at naught proud vanters were in price And roysters bare the rule which wasted all in vice Of riot and excesse grew scarcitie and lacke Of lacking came taxing and so went wealth to wracke The Barons of the Land not bearing this abuse Conspiring with the Commons assembled by assent And seeing neither reason nor treatie could induce The King in any thing his rigour to relent Maugre his Kingly might they call'd a Parlament Franke and free for all men without checke to debate As well for weale publique as for the Princes state In this high assemblie great things were proponed Touching the Princes state his regaltie and crowne By reason that the King which much was to be moued Without regard at all of honor or renowne Misled by ill aduice had turn'd all vpside downe For suretie of whose state them thought it did behoue His Counsellours corrupt by reason to remoue Among whom Robert Veer call'd Duke of Ireland With Michael Delapole of Suffolke new made Earle Of Yorke also then Archbishop dispatcht out of hand With Brembre of London a full vncurteous churle Some learned in the Law in exile they did hurle But I poore Tresilian because I was the chiefe Was damned to the gallowes most vilely as a thiefe Lo the fine of falshood stipend of corruption The fee of double fraud the fruits it doth procure Yee Iudges vpon earth let our iust punition Teach you to shake off bribes and keepe your hands still pure Riches and promotion be vaine things and vnsure The fauour of a Prince is an vntrustie stay But Iustice hath a fee that shall remaine alway What glorie can be greater before God or man Then by paths of Iustice in iudgement to proceed So duely and so truly the Lawes for to scan That
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 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
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
were killed before mine owne eies Or forced to yeeld or abandon the coast I need not of honor or dignitie boast Or tell of my triumphes or crake of my crowne * The vaunt of vsurpers is void of renowne HOW KING RVDACKE OF WALES WAS slaine by Mulmucius Donwallo about the yeare before Christ 441. RVde are the reuelles royaltie that rape Restlesse the raignes of rebels in the robe Reck lesse the rage where crueltie doth scrape Roundnesse esteem'd but little of the globe No man ambitious prudent with the probe Crownerape accounted but cunning and skill Bloodshead a blockehouse to beate away ill The rudenesse of rebels reaching the crowne May be compar'd to Bladhuds fond diuice Better sit still then fall so far adowne By my mishaps let other men be wise My selfe of climbing haue pai'd well the price That rudely in throne my selfe did install Aloft not regarding how low I might fall When Britaine was restlesse wanting a King For Forrex hight and Porrex both were slaine The land many peeres ambitious did wring Endeuouring each the Kingdome to gaine The heires to forsake it wrong did constraine The subiects were armed we nobles did striue At length we amongst vs diuision contriue Then recklesse we were when all was at rest And each had a kingdome allotted his part The vice of the subiects daily increast And iustice and right were laid quite apart The lawes ouerlashed by couine and craft And we that did gouerne did winke at this geare The worser thereby our faithfull friends were The ball that dame Fortune emparteth of blisse Is golden to gaze on but voluble round If once of your handfast in holding you misse Away then it roleth and you are on ground Of watchers thereon so many abound And catchers thereat with snatching therefore That if once you leese it you catch it no more A Chirurgian that taketh a wound for to cure If skilfull and carefull he searcheth it furst The sea-man doth sound to take the depth sure By wisdome well taught for feare of the worst But our vile ambition blind blockish accurst Not prouing the sore nor reckoning the sound Our ships and our science we sinke and confound Ambition out searcheth to glorie the greece The staire to estate the graple of grace But in her is hid of perill a peece Which all our attempts doth dimme and deface We do enioy her vaine ioyes but a space Short brittle as glasse false faire giuing light Not golden though glittring braue in the sight For when she hath brought vs vnto the throne And Fortune hath fraught vs with honor at fill Then there to sit stedie and rule all alone We racke our deuices and send with our skill We cut off occursions we prole pole and pill We bolster we band out to bribe banish slay The pillers of prudence that stand in our way Our race is then restles our sleeping vnsound Our waking is warfare our walking hath woe Our talking is trustles our cares doe abound Our fauners deemd faithfull and friendshippe a foe Which troubles our fancies so tost to and froo That scarcely wee neuer inioy any rest Tormented whom Fortune exalted and blest This thing can I witnesse what troubles ensue What cares doe vs compas enhaunsed aloft I therefore wish rebels to take better view Of the falles of iutruders recorded so oft Who climeth so high his fall is not soft If once hee doe stagger or falter aside He cannot recouer the rest for to guide When I who with others did thinke my selfe sure Here ruled the realme there fell out a flawe Donwallo did seeke the Crowne to procure Alleaging a title thereto by the lawe Who when to field our powers we did draw Came straight with an hoast prepared to fight With sword for to trie out whose title was right Our number was great our title vniust Our consciences guilty our soudiers agast Donwallo with honour had souldiers of trust And Fortune was friendly to them as they past They slew of our men by manhood full fast Or forst them to flie in the field wee were faine T' oppose them poore Princes and so we were slaine First Pinnar then Stater I Rudacke likewise At last was with number oppressed dispatcht Let Lordings beware how aloft they doe rise By Princes and commons their climing is watcht No sooner they haue at the scepter once snatcht But guilty themselues they deeme worthy to die And Gods powerfull iustice such sentence doth hie HOW THE NOBLE King Brennus after many triumphant victories at the siege of Delphos in Greece slew himselfe about the yeare before Christ 375. AMongst the noble martiall worthy men Renowned farre victorious great of fame Though Authors sound my praise eftsoones agen Amongst the Britaine Princes write the same I am that Britaine once that Brennus had to name My facts exploits in warre my conquests life and end Doe write as I recite when time doth leasure lend The mightie Monarch of this noble Ile Mulmucius who with conquering blade did free The Britans troubled state from tyrants vile Was father both to Belinus and me His noble acts and lawes commended bee This Belinus mine elder brother was his heire And Queene Corwenna was our mother wise and faire When after him my brother had the crowne Hee was content to make me eke a king He gaue mee Albany where with renowne I rulde a while by Iustice euery thing But at the last ambition made me bring An army thence against my brother for to fight Which rather ought t' haue honord him with homage right When Belinus perceiued mee approach Vnto his Realme an army hee addrest Hee warned me I should not seeke t'incroach That was not mine for hee was ready prest Me to repell hee wild mee bee at rest I marched on the armies met wee fearcely fought My souldiers slaine to saue my selfe by flight I fought To Norway then I fled for succour hence Where good Elsingus reignde the gentle King I told him what I was and eke of whence Desirde his aide me home againe to bring And he not only graunted me this thing But eke his daughter Samye faire to bee my wife With me in Albany to leade a Princely life But while we were prouiding ships and men The fame abroad of my returne was spread And Guthlake that was King of Denmarke then Prouided with a nauie mee forlead His eie on Samyes beautie had so fed That for her sake he must perforce my ships forlay By force of armes to beare the Lady faire away And when our nauies met hee wilde me yeelde This Lady straight or else defend the cause A thing quoth I requested erst but seelde Against of Gods and men the sacred lawes It hath not erst bene heard'mongst wise men sawes That any King should claime the like by strife Or make assault by wrong to winne a Princes wife From words to fight we fell on either side But on his side the conquest did appeare I yeelded her that listed