euen all things as it list And with vniust men to debate of lawes Is to giue power to hurt a rightfull cause vvhilst parlements must still redresse theyr wrongs And we must starue for what to vs belongs Our wealth but fuell to theyr fond excesse And we must fast to feast theyr wantonnesse Think'st thou our wrongs then insufficient are To moue our brother to religious war And if they were yet Edward doth detaine Homage for Pontiu Guyne and Aquytaine And if not that yet hath he broke the truce Thus all accur to put backe all excuse The sisters wrong ioynd with the brothers right Me thinks might vrge him in this cause to fight Be all those people sencelesse of our harmes vvhich for our country ought haue manag'd armes Is the braue Normans courage now forgot Or the bold Brittaines lost the vse of shot The big-bon'd Almaines and stout Brabanders Theyr warlike Pikes and sharp-edg'd Semiters Or doe the Pickards let theyr Crosbowes lie Once like the Centaurs of old Thessalie Or if a valiant Leader be theyr Lacke vvhere thou art present who should driue them backe I doe coniure thee by what is most deere By that great name of famous Mortimer By auncient VVigmors honourable Crest The Tombes where all thy famous Grandsires rest Or if then these what more may thee approue Euen by those vowes of thy vnfained loue That thy great hopes may moue the Christian King By forraine Armes some comfort yet to bring To curbe the power of traytors that rebell Against the right of princely Isabell. Vaine vvitlesse woman why should I desire To adde more heate to thy immortall fire To vrge thee by the violence of hate To shake the pillers of thine owne estate vvhen whatsoeuer we intend to doe To our misfortune euer sorts vnto And nothing els remaines for vs beside But teares and coffins onely to prouide VVhen still so long as Burrough beares that name Time shall not blot out our deserued shame And whilst cleere Trent her wonted course shall keepe For our sad fall her christall drops shall weepe All see our ruine on our backs is throwne And to our selues our sorrowes are our owne And Torlton now whose counsell should direct The first of all is slaundred with suspect For dangerous things dissembled sildome are vvhich many eyes attend with busie care VVhat should I say my griefes doe still renew And but begin when I should bid adiew Few be my words but manifold my woe And still I stay the more I striue to goe As accents issue forth griefes enter in And where I end mee thinks I but begin Till then fayre time some greater good affoords Take my loues payment in these ayrie words Notes of the Chronicle Historie O how I feard that sleepie drinke I sent Might yet want power to further thine intent MOrtimer beeing in the Tower and ordayning a feast in honour of his byrth-day as hee pretended and inuiting there-vnto sir Stephen Segraue Constable of the Tower with the â—est of the officers belonging to the same he gaue them a sleepie drinke prouided him by the Queene by which meanes he got libertie for his escape I steale to Thames as though to take the ayre And aske the gentle streame as it doth glide Mortimer being got out of the Tower swam the riuer of Thames into Kent whereof she hauing intelligence doubteth of his strength to escape by reason of his long imprisonment being almost the space of three yeeres Did Bulloyne once a festiuall prepare For England Almaine Cicile and Naeuarre Edward Carnaruan the first Prince of Wales of the English blood married Isabell daughter of Phillip the faire at Bulloyne in the presence of the Kings of Almaine Nauarre and Cicile with the chiefe Nobilitie of Fraunce and England which marriage was there solemnized with exceeding pompe and magnificence And in my place vpon his regall throne To set that girle-boy wanton Gaueston Noting the effeminacie luxurious wantonnesse of Gaueston the Kings Minion his behauiour and attire euer so womanlike to please the eye of his lasciuious Prince That a foule Witches bastard should thereby It was vrged by the Queene and the Nobilitie in the disgrace of Piers Gauestone that his mother was conuicted of witchcraft burned for the same and that Piers had bewitched the King Albania Gascoyne Cambria Ireland Albania Scotland so called of Albanact the second sonne of Brutus and Cambria Wales so called of Camber the third son the foure Realmes countries brought in subiection by Edward Longshankes When of our princely Iewels and our dowers We but enioy the least of what is ours A complaint of the prodigalitie of King Edward giuing vnto Gaueston the iewels treasure which was left him by the auncient Kings of England and enriching him with the goodly Manor of Wallingford assigned as parcel of the dower to the queens of this famous I le And ioyn'd with the braue issue of our blood Alie our kingdome to their crauand brood Edward the second gaue to Piers Gaueston in mariage the daughter of Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester begot of the Kings sister Ione of Acres maried to the said Earle of Glocester Should giue away all that his Father won To backe a stranger King Edward offered his right in Fraunce to Charles his brother in law and his right in Scotland to Robert Bruse to be ayded against the Barrons in the quarrell of Piers Gaueston And did great Edward on his death-bed giue Edward Longshanks on his death-bed at Carlile commanded yong Edward his sonne on his blessing not to call backe Gaueston which for the misguiding of the Princes youth was before banished by the whole counsell of the Land That after all this fearefull massaker The fall of Beuchamp Lasy Lancaster Thomas Earle of Lancaster Guy Earle of Warwick Henry Eaâ—le of Lincolne who had taken their oaths before the deceased King at his death to withstand his sonne Edward if hee should call Gauestone from exile being a thing which he much feared now seeing Edward to violate his Fathers coÌ„maundement rise in Armes against the king which was the cause of the ciuill war the ruine of so many Princes And gloried I in Gauestons great fall That now a Spenser should succeed in all The two Hugh Spensers the Father the sonne after the death of Gaueston became the great fauourites of the King the sonne beeing created by him lord Chamberlaine the father Earle of Winchester And if they were yet Edward doth detaine Homaage for Pontiu Guyne and Aquitaine Edward Longshanks did homage for those Citties and Territories to the French King which Edward the second neglecting moued the French King by the subornation of Mortimer to cease those Countries into his hands By auncient Wigmors honourable Crest Wigmore in the marches of Wales was the auncient house of the Mortimers that noble and couragious familie That still so long as Borrough beares that name The Queene remembreth the great
triumpheth in my fall For her great Lord may water her sad eyne vvith as salt teares as I haue done for mine And mourne for Henry Hotspur her deere sonne As I for my sweet Mortimer haue done And as I am so succourlesse be sent Lastly to taste perpetuall banishment Then loose thy care where first thy crowne was lost Sell it so deerely for it deerely cost And sith they did of libertie depriue thee Burying thy hope let not thy care out-liue thee But hard God knowes with sorrow doth it goe vvhen woe becomes a comfort to woe Yet much me thinks of comforter I could say If from my hart pale feare were rid away Some thing there is which tels me still of woe But what it is that heauen aboue doth know Griefe to it selfe most dreadfull doth appeare And neuer yet was sorrow voyde of feare But yet in death doth sorrow hope the best And with this farewell wish thee happy rest Notes of the Chronicle Historie If fatall Pomfret hath in former time POmfret Castle euer a fatall place to the Princes of England and most ominous to the blood of Plantaginet Oh how euen yet I hate these wretched eyes And in my glasse c. When Bullingbrooke returned to London from the West bringing Richard a prisoner with him the Queene who little knew of her Husbands hard successe stayd to behold his comming in little thinking to haue seene her Husband thus ledde in tryumph by his foe and nowe seeming to hate her eyes that so much had graced her mortall enemie Wherein great Norfolks forward course was stayd She remembreth the meeting of the two Dukes of Herforde and Norfolke at Couentry vrging the iustnes of Mowbrayes quarrell against the Duke of Herford the faithfull assurance of his victorie O why did Charles relieue his needie state A vagabond c. Charles the French King her father receiued the Duke of Herford in his Court and releeued him in Fraunce beeing so neerely alied as Cosin german to king Richard his sonne in Lawe which he did simply little thinking that he should after returne into England and dispossesse King Richard of the Crowne When thou to Ireland took'st thy last farewell King Richard made a voyage with his Armie into Ireland against Onell Mackemur which rebelled at what time Henry entred here at home and robd him of all kinglie dignitie Affirm'd by Church-men which should beare no hate That Iohn of Gaunt was illegitimate William Wickham in the great quarrell betwixt Iohn of Gaunt and the Clergy of meere spight and malice as it should seeme reported that the Queene confessed to him on her death-bed being then her Confessor that Iohn of Gaunt was the sonne of a Flemming that she was brought to bed of a woman child at Gaunt which was smothered in the cradle by mischaunce and that she obtained this chylde of a poore woman making the king belieue it was her own greatlie fearing his displeasure Fox ex Chron. Albanâ— No bastards marke doth blot our conquering shield Shewing the true and indubitate birth of Richard his right vnto the Crowne of England as carrying the Armes without blot or difference Against theyr fayth vnto the Crownes true heire Their noble kindsman c. Edmund Mortimer Earle of March sonne of Earle Roger Mortimer which was sonne to Lady Phillip daughter to Lionell Duke of Clarence the third sonne to king Edward the third which Edmund king Richard going into Ireland was proclaimed heyre apparant to the Crowne whose Aunt called Ellinor this Lord Fiercie had married O would Aumerle had suncke when he betrayd The complot which that holy Abbot layd The Abbot of Westminster had plotted the death of king Henry to haue been done at a Tylt at Oxford of which confederacie there was Iohn Holland Duke of Excester Thomas Holland Duke of Surrey the Duke of Aumerle Mountacute Earle of Salisbury Spenser Earle of Gloster the Bishop of Carlile Sir Thomas Blunt these all had bound themselues one to another by Indenture to performe it but were all betrayd by the Duke of Aumerle Scroope Greene and Bushie die his fault in graine Henry going towards the Castle of Flint where King Richard was caused Scroope Greene Bushie to be executed at Bristow as vile persons which had seduced this king to this lasciuious wicked life Damn'd be the oath he made at Doncaster After Henries exile at his returne into England he tooke his oath at Doncaster vpon the Sacrament not to claime the crown or kingdom of England but onely the Dukedome of Lancaster his own proper right and the right of his wife And mourne for Henry Hotspur her deere sonne As I for my c. This was the braue couragious Henry Hotspur that obtained so many victories against the Scots which after falling out right with the curse of Queene Isabell was slaine by Henry at the battaile at Shrewsburie Richard the second to Queene Isabell. WHat may my Queene but hope for from that hand Vnfit to write vnskilful to command A kingdoms greatnes hardly can he sway That wholesome counsaile neuer did obey Ill this rude hand did guide a Scepter then VVorse now I feare me gouerneth a pen How shall I call my selfe or by what name To make thee know from whence these letters came Not from thy husband for my hatefull life Hath made thee widdow being yet a wife Nor from a King that title I haue lost Now of that name proud Bulling brooke may boast vvhat I haue beene doth but this comfort bring That no woe is to say I was a King This lawlesse life which first pâ—ocur'd my hate This tong which then denounc'd my regall state This abiect mind that did consent vnto it This hand that was the instrument to doe it All these be witnes that I doe denie All passed hopes all former soueraigntie Didst thou for my sake leaue thy fathers Court Thy famous Country and thy virgine port And vndertook'st to trauaile dangerous waves Driuen by aukward winds and boyst'rous seas And left 's great Burbon for thy loue to me vvho su'd in marriage to be linck'd to thee Offring for dower the Countries neighbouring nie Of fruitfull Almaine and rich Burgundie Didst thou all this that England should receaue thee To miserable banishment to leaue thee And in my downfall and my fortunes wracke Forsaken thus to Fraunce to send thee backe VVhen quiet sleepe the heauie harts reliefe Hath rested sorrow somwhat lesned griefe My passed greatnes vnto minde I call And thinke this while I dreamed of my fall vvith this conceite my sorrowes I beguile That my fayre Queene is but with-drawne awhile And my attendants in some chamber by As in the height of my prosperitie Calling aloud and asking who is there The Eccho answering tells me VVoe is there And when mine armes would gladly thee enfold I clip the pillow and the place is cold vvhich when my waking eyes precisely view T is a true token that it is too true
felt as comming from a swoune And that his powers a little gan awake Fortune quoth he thou doost not alwaies frowne I see thou giu'st aswell as thou doost take That wanting naturall couert for my braine For that defect thou lend'st me this againe 38 To whom ô heauen should I my griefes complainâ— Since thou art iust and prouident in all How should this body naturall strength retaine To suffer things so much innaturall My cogitations labour but in vaine Except thou be partaker in my fall And when at once so many mischiefes meet By change of sorrow mak'st my torment sweet 39 VVherefore my fate I should but fondly grutch T is vaine contention when with heauen we striue vvhich preordaines my miseries for such That by one woe another should suruiue To shew how it mortalitie can â—uch My wretchednes so strangely to contriue That all my comfort in mishaps should rest And else in nothing but misfortune blest 40 To Berckley thus they lead this wretched King The place of horror that was long fore-thought vvhat power should suffer so defil'd a thing Or can behold this murther to be wrought That might the Nation into question bring But that your wayes with iudgment still are fraught Thus art thou hap'd into thy earthly hell Now take thy leaue and bid the world farewell 41 Berckley whose faire seate hath beene famous long Let thy faire buildings shreeke a deadly sound And to the ayre complaine thy grieuous wrong Keeping the figure of King Edwards wound That as thou waxest old theyr shame still yong Their wretched footsteps printed on the ground That when report shall lend their vile act breath All tongues may ad damnation to their death 42 The omenous Rauen with a dismall cheere Through his hoarce beake of following horror tells Begetting strange imaginary feare vvith heauy eccho's like to passing Bells The howling dogge a dolefull part doth beare As though they chym'd his latest burying knells Vnder his eaue th buzzing shreechowle sings Beating his windowes with her fatall wings 43 And still affrighted in his fearefull dreames with raging fiends and goblins that he meets Of falling downe from steepe Rocks into streames Of tombes of burialls and of winding sheets Of wandring helplesse in farre forraine Realmes Of strong temptations by seducing sprites VVherewith awak'd and calling out for ayde His hollow voyce doth make himselfe afraid 44 Next comes the vision of his bloody raine Masking along with Lancasters steme ghost Of Barrons twenty eyght or hang'd or slaine Attended with the rufull mangled host That vnreueng'd yet all this while remaine At Borough battell and at Burton lost Threatning with frownes and trembling eu'ry lim As through in peeces they would torture him 45 And if it chaunce that from the troubled skies The least small starre through any chincke giue light Straightwaies on heapes the thronging cloudes arise As though the heauen were angry with the night That it should lend that comfort to his eyes Deformed shadowes glimpsing in his sight As darknes for it would more darkned be Through those poore crannies forc'd it selfe to see 46 VVhen all th'affliction that they could impose Euen to the full and vtmost of their hate Aboue his torment yet his strength arose As nature made a couenaunt with fate vvhen now his watchfull and two wary foes That cease not still his woes to aggrauate All further helps suspected to preuent To take his life to Berckley closely sent 47 And subtilly a letter fashioning vvhich in the words a double sence doth beare vvhich seemes to bid them not to touch the King Shewing withall how vile a thing it were But by false poynting is another thing And to dispatch him bids them not to feare vvhich taught to finde these murtherers neede no more For which they stood too ready long before 48 VVhere as he haps a Chronicle to finde Of former Kings their raignes their deaths and deedes vvhich some their lodg'd forgotten had behind On which to passe the howers he falls to reede Thinking thereby to recreate his mind But in his breast this greater woe doth breed For when deepe sorrow on the fansie seaseth vvhat ere we see our misery increaseth 49 First of great VVilliam conqueror of this I le From whom hee 's tenth that in succession lies vvhose power inforc'd the Saxon to exile Planting new lawes and forraine subtilties Force and subiection so to reconcile The punishment of Harolds tyrannies vvhich he applies with arguments so strong To the due course of his just punish'd wrong 50 Rufus his sonne Duke Robert farre abroad Receaues the rule in weakeinfeebled state His fathers steps that euidently troad Depressing those who had beene conquer'd late vvishing release of this theyr grieuous load Vnder the guidance of their former fate The place for men that did to beasts intend A bestiall life had last a beastly end 51 Henry the yong'st his brother VVilliam dead Taketh the crowne from his vsurpfull hand Due to the eldest good Duke Roberts head Bearing our Red-crosse in the Holy Land vvhose force farre off so much diminished That his returne disabled to withstand vvhen those for whom th' vnnaturall warre was done The sea deuours he left without a sonne 52 To Maude the Empresse he the scepter leaues His onely daughter which by false pretext Stephen Earle of Bullaine forcibly bereaues Henries false nephew in succession next By which the Land a stranger warre receaues vvherewith it grew so miserably vext Till Stephen fayling and his issue reft T 'the heyres of Maude the regall scepter left 53 The second Henry Maude the Empresse sonne Of th' English line Plantaginet the first By Stephens death a glorious raigne begunne vvhose youth prolong'd to make his age accurst By his sonne Henries corronation vvhich to his dayes much woe and sorrow nurst vvhen those for whom he conquer'd to make great Abroade his townes at home vsurp'd his seate 54 Richard his sonne that after him succeedes vvho not content with what was safely ours A man lift vp to great and glorious deedes Into the East transports our valiant powers vvhere with his sword whilst many a Pagan bleedes Relentlesse fate hasts on vntimely howres And makes a period to this hopefull story Euen in the spring and blossome of his glory 55 VVhen him succeedes his faithlesse brother Iohn Murth'ring young Arthur by oppresfull might Climing by force to his vsurped throne Iustly with poyson was repay'd his spight His life to all men is so hatefull growne vvho greeues his wrongs that nere did any right That on the Cleargie tyrannously fed vvas by the Cleargie iustly punished 56 Henry his sonne now crowned very yong vvho for the hate they to his Father bare His state of raigning stood in question long Or to be left vnto a strangers care vvith whom the Barrons insolent and strong For the old Charter in commotion are vvhich his long raine so carefully attends Granting his dayes in peace securely ends 57 From him proceedes a Prince
his Towers and Castles set on fire Knitting vp her Epistle with a great and constant resolution Though Dunmow giue no refuge heere at all Dunmow can giue my body buriall FINIS To the vertuous Lady the Lady Anne Harrington wife to the honourable Gentleman Sir Iohn Harrington Knight MY singuler good Lady your many vertues knowne in generall to all and your gracious fauours to my vnwoorthy selfe haue confirmed that in mee which before I knew you I onelie sawe by the light of other mens iudgements Honour seated in your breast findes herselfe adorned as in a rich pallace making that excellent which makes her admirable which like the Sunne from thence begetteth most precious things of this earthly worlde onely by the vertue of his rayes not the nature of the mould VVorth is best discerned by the worthie deiected mindes want that pure fire which should giue vigor to vertue I referre to your great thoughts the vnpartiall Iudges of true affection the vnfained zeale I haue euer borne to your honorable seruice and so rest your Ladiships humbly to commaund Mich Drayton Queene Isabell to Mortimer ¶ The Argument Queene Isabell the wife of Edward the second called Edward Carnaruan beeing the daughter of Phillip de Beau King of Fraunce forsaken by the King her husband who delighted onely in the companie of Piers Gaueston his minion and fauorite and after his death seduced by the euill counsaile of the Spensers This Queene thus left by her husband euen in the glory of her youth drewe into her especiall fauour Roger Mortimer Lorde of VVigmore a man of a mightie and inuinsible spirit This Lord Mortimer rising in armes against the King with Thomas Earle of Lancaster and the Barons was taken ere he could gather his power and by the King committed to the Tower of London During his imprisonment he ordained a feast in honour of his birth-day to which he inuited Sir Stephen Segraue Lieutenant of the Tower and the rest of the officers where by meanes of a drinke prepared by the Queene hee cast them all into a heauie sleepe and with Ladders of cords beeing ready prepared for the purpose he escapeth and flieth into Fraunce whether shee sendeth this Epistle complaining her owne misfortunes and greatly reioycing at his safe escape THough such sweet comfort comes not now from her As Englands Queene hath sent to Mortimer Yet what that wants which might my power approue If lines can bring thys shall supply with loue Me thinks affliction should not fright me so Nor should resume these sundry shapes of woe But when I faine would find the cause of this Thy absence shewes me where the errout is Oft when I thinke of thy departing hence Sad sorrow then posseth ' euery sence But finding thy deere blood preseru'd thereby And in thy life my long-wish'd libertie vvith that sweet thought my selfe I onely please Amidst my griefe which somtimes giues me ease Thus doe extreamest ils a ioy possesse And one woe makes another woe seeme lesse That blessed night that milde-aspected howre vvherein thou mad'st escape out of the Tower Shall consecrated euer-more remaine VVhat gentle Planet in that howre did raigne And shall be happy in the birth of men vvhich was chiefe Lord of the Ascendant then O how I feard that sleepy iuyce I sent Might yet want power to further thine intent Or that some vnseene misterie might lurke vvhich wanting order kindly should not worke Oft did I wish those dreadfull poysoned lees That clos'd the euer-waking Dragons eyes Or I had had those sence-bereauing stalkes That grow in shady Proserpines darke walkes Or those blacke weedes on Lethe bankes below Or Lunary that doth on Latmus flow Oft did I feare this moist and foggie clime Or that the earth waxt barraine now with time Should not haue hearbes to help me in this case Such as doe thriue on Indias parched face That morrow when the blessed sunne did rise And shut the lids of all heauens lesser eyes Forth from my pallace by a secret stayre I steale to Thames as though to take the ayre And aske the gentle flood as it doth glide Or thou didst passe or perrish by the tide If thou didst perrish I desire the streame To lay thee softly on her siluer teame And bring thee to me to the quiet shore That with her teares thou might'st haue some teares more VVhen suddainly doth rise a rougher gale vvith that me thinks the troubled waues looke pale And sighing with that little gust that blowes vvith this remembrance seeme to knit theyr browes Euen as this suddaine passion doth affright me The cheerefull sunne breakes from a clowde to light mee Then doth the bottome euident appeare As it would shew me that thou wast not there VVhen as the water flowing where I stand Doth seeme to tell me thou art safe on land Did Bulloyne once a festiuall prepare For England Almaine Cicile and Nauarre vvhen Fraunce enuied those buildings onely blest Grac'd with the Orgies of my bridall feast That English Edward should refuse my bed For that incestuous shameles Ganimed And in my place vpon his regall throne To set that girle-boy wanton Gaueston Betwixt the feature of my face and his My glasse assures me no such difference is That a foule witches bastard should thereby Be thought more worthy of his loue then I. VVhat doth auaile vs to be Princes heyres vvhen we can boast câ—r birth is onely theyrs vvhen base dissembling flatterers shall deceiue vs Of all our famous Auncestors did leaue vs And of our princely iewels and our dowers vvee but enioy the least of what it ours vvhen Minions heads must weare our Monarchs crownes To raise vp dunghils with our famous townes vvhen beggers-brats are wrapt in rich perfumes Their buzzard wings impt with our Eagles plumes And match'd with the braue issue of our blood Alie the kingdome to theyr crauand brood Did Longshanks purchase with his conquering hand Albania Gascoyne Cambria Ireland That young Caernaruan his vnhappy sonne Should giue away all that his Father wonne To backe a stranger proudly bearing downe The braue alies and branches of the crowne And did great Edward on his death-bed giue This charge to them which afterwards should liue That that proude Gascoyne banished the Land No more should tread vpon the English sand And haue these great Lords in the quarrell stood And seald his last will with theyr deerest blood That after all this fearefull massaker The fall of Beauchamp Lasy Lancasterâ— Another faithlesse fauorite should arise To cloude the sunne of our Nobilities And gloried I in Gauestons great fall That now a Spenser should succeede in all And that his ashes should another breed vvhich in his place and empire should succeede That wanting one a kingdoms wéalth to spend Of what that left thys now shall make an end To wast all that our Father won before Nor leaue our sonne a sword to conquer more Thus but in vaine we fondly doe resist vvhere power can doe