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A07484
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The legend of Humphrey Duke of Glocester. By Chr: Middleton
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Middleton, Christopher, 1560?-1628.
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1600
(1600)
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STC 17868; ESTC S120082
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18,980
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48
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fit To their desires it is mongst them thought meete Shee should doe open pennance in the streete 91 And after that perform'd be banisht hence Into the Isle of Man and there should liue A guiltlesse exile for a small offence Or none at all and who so ere did giue That vniust sentence hath ere this his doome Amongst th'condemn'd where comfort nere shall come 92 All this her husband saw but could not mend Saw his Sun-setting in a dusky cloude That did presage a darke and lowring end Of his olde dayes and he disdain'd to shroud His head in meaner shades whose vsurp'd power Might driue away that imminent foule shower 93 Yet hopes he that the King will not forget What his deserts had wonne and what he was Or at the least his honour would not let His deare friends and his neere allyance passe Through such a hell of vndeserued woes That nere deseru'd the penalties of lawes 94 And thus he mooues it whilst the flouds of griese Did Nilus-like oreflow the Di'mond shoare Of his wet eyes whose hope was not reliefe Of their sad case but rather wisht for more Aboundant sorrow by which they might be Drown'd in darke pitchy gulfes and nere more see 95 Men rather fast to death then they will take A poysoned nutriment a sicke mans heart Desires death rather then his health should make Way for a worse disease whose bitter smart Would worke his greater griefe euen they doe so Wish blindnesse before sight to see more woe 96 If pitty quoth he sit in Princes hearts As it should doe or mercy haue her seate By iudgements side to mittigate the smart Of punishment too heauy and too great Let these two gentle Gods looke then on mee That aske their help with teares in misery 97 Hatefull oppression hath vsurpt great King Thy place and wrung out of thy Royall hand The swoord of Iustice and stands mennacing Of cruell punishments vnto this land Whose guiltlesse eyes were nere open'd to see Since thou wert King the face of tyranny 98 T is not thy fault for thou art iust and kinde Witnes my selfe that doe complaine of wrongs I am opprest great King and yet I finde That thou art guiltlesse and dost what belongs Vnto a guiltlesse soule wish all were right But wishing helps not wrongs nor resists might 99 Remooue the Pillars on whose base doth stand A mighty building and all comes to thrall Take out the staffe from an olde mans weake hand And then his aged body must needs fall Take steeridge from a ship or do not guide it And on some Rocke the silly barke will split 100 The base whereon my aged frame hath stood The staffe whereon I stay'd my trembling arme The rudder that did guide me and with good And wholsome counsell kept my age from harme Is gone what then may I suspect to haue But so daine fall to an vntimely graue 101 Where would I were in peace for heere is none And lesse I feare will be which makes my minde Thinke happy are our Fathers that are gone Where sure they shall a better kingdome finde Truely said Ouid that no man should say His life was blest before his latest day 102 Against my wife God knowes a guiltlesse soule Is past a heauy iudgement vndeseru'd Which yet thy Royall power may controule And by that meanes their liues may be preseru'd That liues to doe thee good who were they gone I prophecie thy quiet raigne were done 103 Pitty speakes to thee for her guiltlesse case And mercy sayes the doome is all too great Iudgement it selfe would be content to cease If but thy sacred tongue vouchsafe t' intreate For t is most fit say they we should dispence With those that haue committed no offence 104 For lawes were made to punish euill men And cherish vp the good such as liue well This being so true as t is why doe they then Make equall iustice gainst her selfe rebell Keep it in order King for all men say That things brought out of course will soone decay 105 The King heauy to heare this sad discourse Descends his royall throane whereon he sate Takes vp his vncle and to make restraint Of his increasing griefe gins to intreate Him with good words and his desire is He could but doe that good which he doth wish 106 My Noble Aunte quoth he suffers these ills Without my priuity and they haue got Such strong Commissions for to worke their wils Vnder out seales that rightly can I not Recall the worke nor will they licence me To pardon her pretended traytory 107 Good vncle well you know I haue giuen ouer All gouernment and haue discharg'd my soule Of worldly cares and cannot well recouer That right againe and if I should controule What they haue done t'wold sure stir vp their wrath To execute my ruyne and your death 108 Gloster with this amaz'd that he should heare His Kingly Cousin giue him no reliefe What he would gladly speake he doth for-beare His mouth is lockt and the grim porter griefe Keeps in the sad words that he faine would speake Controules his tongue makes her powers too weake 109 Thus the King sorry he cannot releeue him Comforts his griefe with teares and so they part The woes that Gloster hath doe no lesse grieue him Then the good Duke and cleaues as neere his heart True friends haue seeling of each others woe And when ones heart is sad all theirs is so 110 The Duke lookt vp and saw the King was gone And the roome empty time and place affoords A fit occasion for a man to moane And quiet silence licenses his words To talke to woode and stones and empty ayre For to his plaints no man would lend his eare 111 For want quoth he of witnes I must make You sencelesse things recorders of my woe Friends and acquaintance flye and will not seeke Redresse for wrongs the lawes are altered so That men which of all creatures should liue best Are of all law and iustice dispossest 112 Would you quoth he could vtter what I say That the remembrance of my teares might last To vn-borne ages and when you decay You could tell your succession what hath past In these ill times then would I tell a tale Of so much ruth that flint and steele should waile 113 I prophecy a time shall shortly be And well is me I shall not see the day When all too late with sorrow they shall see What t is to doe iniustice and to sway The swoord awry for next to tyranny Comes warres dissentions ciuill mutiny 114 Once did Astrea leaue the world before Because the world grew weary to doe well Once gone againe I feare shee 'l nere come more Nor set her helping hand for to refell These growing mischiefes but let them increase Till men haue quite forgot the name of peace 115 When as the Sunne forsakes his cristal spheare How darke and vgly is the gloomy skye And in his place ther 's
THE LEGEND OF HVMPHREY DVKE OF GLOCESTER By Chr Middleton LONDON Printed by E. A. for Nicholas Ling and are to be solde at his shop at the west doore of S. Paules Church 1600. TO THE RIGHT VVOORshipfull Sir Iaruis Clifton Knight SIR the ancient ememy to learning ignorance hath left off his old liuerye russet Ierkins leather hose to deceiue the world like Esops Asse in a Lions skin thrusts in him selfe sometimes like a Gentleman sometime like a souldiour sometimes like a Lawyer and like Catterpillers at the springe bites off blossomes of Trees and corruptes the buddes of flowers And although the young fruites of my labours grewe not by the banks of Hellicon nor were euer watred at Aganippies welles yet simple as they are loath I was a greate while to turne them abroad into the world without armour against this enemy and almost in dispaire I was by a Gentleman your Woorships wel-willer and my very good freind perswaded to shrowde these simple lynes vnder your shadow who being your selfe dayly conuersant in the histories of ancient times are alwayes willing ready to countenance support the poore remnants of depressed learning that are left for our times would like the seauen folde shield of Aiax retort such dartes to them that throw them whereupon I am bolde to presume vpon your Wor. fauour for my defence which I doubt not but to find and when more leasure giues liberty to my penne I will indeuour painfully to requite this curtesie which so impudently I now craue Your Wo in all duty to command Chr. Middleton Ad Christopherum Middletonum Hexastichon Illustri Humphredi genio tua musa parentās Vera refert generosa canit memoranda reuoluit Virtuti et laudi statuam dans dat simul ips◠Non opus est vestrae musae tum carmine nostro Nec opis est nostroe radijs inuoluere Phoebum Quid satis ornatam mus am phalerare iuuabit Rob Allott To his friend Master Chr. M. his Booke LIke as a man on some aduenture bound His honest friendes their kindnes to expresse T' incourage him of whome the maine is own'd Some venture more and some aduenture lesse That if the voyage happily be good They his good fortune freely may pertake If otherwise it perrish in the flood Yet like good freinds theirs perish'd for his sake On thy returne I put this little forth My chaunce with thine indifferently to proue Which though I knowe not fitting with thy worth Accept it yet since it proceedes from loue And if thy fortune prosper I may see I haue some share though most returne to thee Mich Drayton To the Author c. OFT haue I seene in some seign'd Historie Of loftie Knights or lowly shepheards writ Whereas Inuention runnes at libertie Arte iudgement reading spirit show'n and wit Yet in a Legend like Duke Humphreys knowne Where wittes inuiron'd in with veritie Sildome haue seen more art or iudgment showne More reading spirit wit and Poetrie But Orpheus with his harpe melodicall In Canzonets and heauens azure frame For heau'ns historie most hermonicall In Spheres sweet musicke sings yet of thy name Thē heu'ns him I wrong thei 'l giue thee merit For iudgement wit for reading art spirit Another of the same To Duke Humphreyes attendants YEE dayly wayters on Duke Humphreys table And hourly walkers by D. Humphreys shrine If that for meager famine yee be able Right to peruse a wel-pend wittye line Wait walk no more on 's table by his shrine But with D. Humphreys Legēd Gentles dine Iohn Weeuer The Legend of Humphrey Duke of Glocester 1 YE powers Diuine directors of our wits Send some small current from those siluer springs By whose faire banks the heauen-borne muses sits And to the bubling streames sweet Ditties singes Following whose course my meanor Muse may see How she shall write this famous History 2 Doe not direct her in those muddy streames Where now swims many wits whose worth affoords Sinfull foule subiects detestable theames Set foorth in worse and more detested words Whose sound euen sinfull men refuse to heare As obiectes farre vnfit for any eare 3 But in a better vaine direct my verse Obscure not her intent with such a blot Since she indeuours truely to rehearse A story of times past now neere forgot Grace her with words then of no meaner worth Then was the man whose story she sets foorth 4 So shall his name by your assistance rays'd From darke obliuion shew it selfe againe As one deseruing better to be prays'd Then some whose liues recorded now remaine For meaner vertues mightily renown'd Whilst his great workes in ruyne are nye drown'd 5 What time this land disquieted with broyles Wearied with wars and spent for want of rest Sawe her adioyning neighbours free fromth'spoyles Wherewith her selfe her selfe had disposest Of peace and plenty which men most desire And in their steeds brought famine sword and fire 6 Labouring now to restore her great decayes Like to a sea-beate Barke new com'd to shoare Seekes for a quiet harbour where they may Mend and repayre what they had lost before So fares it with this land that thus distrest Was almost left vn-peopled vnpossest 7 But that the fortunes of a blessed King Embalm'd and cur'd the woundes it had fustain'd As when the sonne accompaning the spring Brings life to the dead earth in which remain'd No hope of summer for in killing frost Were all her powers decayd her vertues lost 8 Henry the first-borne to his countryes good After he had relieu'd this ruin'd state Fighting against the French that had withstood The right his Auncestors had wone of late Cropt in his chiefest time dyes this faire King Preuenting th'haruest of so sweet a spring 9 And in his Kingdome now growne great againe Almost too mighty for to be controwlde By a young King that did retayne the name Of his dead Father yet scarse twelue months olde Too heauy was God knowes for such a hand The Scepter that did sway this head-strong land 10 But yet supported by his vncles care Humfrey Glosters Duke for so they call him To ryper yeares sprung vp our kingdomes heyre Protected from all harmes that might befall him During his nonage by the carefull heed Of watchfull Gloster borne for this good deed 11 Whose holy life good workes and vertuous deedes I leaue as subiects fit for greater wits For greater are the vertues that proceedes From Kings then meaner men and better fits A loftier stile whose wit and iudgement ripe Then an vnlearned Shepheards oaten Pipe 12 O were my penne but able to set downe Great Glosters vertues as indeed they were How would the world bewitch'd with his renowne In immitation striue for to come neere His worthy deedes whereof who were possest Themselues might iustly thinke were haply blest 13 Looke as the starres when as the worlds great light Rowses him from his mleancholie bed Drawing the duskie Curtaines of the night Wherein the