our father won before Nor leaue our sonne a sword to conquer more Thus but in vaine we fondly do resist Where power can doe euen all things as it list And with vniust men to debate of lawes Is to giue power to hurt a rightfull cause Whilst Parlements must still redresse their wrongs And we must starue for what to vs belongs Our wealth but fuell to their fond excesse And we must fast to feast their wantonnesse Think'st thou our wrongs then insufficient are To moue our brother to religious warre 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 accurre to put backe all excuse The sisters wrong ioynde with the brothers right Me thinks might vrge him in this cause to fight Be all those people sencelesse of our harmes Which 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-bonde Almaines and stowt Brabanders Their warlike Pikes and sharpe-edg'd Semiters Or do the Pickards let their Crosse-bowes lie Once like the Centaurs of old Thessalie Or if a valiant Leader be their lacke Where thou art present who should driue them back I doe coniure thee by what is most deere By that great name of famous Mortimer By antient Wigmors honourable crâ—st The tombes where all thy famous grand-sires rest Or if than these what more may thee approue Euen by those vowes of thy vnfained loue That thy great hopes may moue the Christian King By forraigne armes some comfort yet to bring To curbe the power of traitors that rebell Against the right of princely Isabell Vaine witlesle woman why should I desire To adde more heate to thy immortall fire To vrge thee by the violence of hate To shake the pillars of thine owne estate When whatsoeuer we intend to doe To our misfortune euer sorts vnto And nothing else remaines for vs beside But teares and coffins onely to prouide When still so long as Burrough beares that name Time shall not blot out our deserued shame And whilst cleere Trent her wonted course shall keep For our sad fall her christall drops shall weepe All see our ruine on our backes 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 dang'rous things dissembled seldome are Which many eyes attend with busie care What should I say My griefes do 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 shiue to goe As accents issue forth griefes enter in And where I end me thinks I but begin Till then faire time some greater good affords Take my loues paiment in these ayrie words ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie O how I feard that sleepte drinke I sent Might yet want power to further thine intent MOrtimer being in the Tower and ordaining a feast in honor of his birth-day as he pretended and inuiting there-vnto Sir Stephen Segraue Constable of the Tower with the rest of the officers belonging to the same he gaue them a sleepie drinke prouided him by the Queene by which meanes he got liberue for his escape I steale to Thames as though to take the aire And aske the gentle streame as it doth glide Mortimer being got out of the Tower swamme 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 yeares Did Bulloyne once a festiuall prepare For England Almaine Cicile and Niuarrâ— Edward Cà rnaruan the first Prince of Wales of the English blood married Isabell daughter of Philip the Faire at Bulloine in the presence of the Kings of Almaine Nauarre and Cicile with the chiefe Nobilitie of France 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 and luxurious wantonnesse of Gaueston the Kings Minion his behauiour and attire euer so womanlike to please the eye of his lasciuious Prince That a fowle Witches bastard should thereby It was vrged by the Queene the Nobility in the disgrace of Piers Gauestone that his mother was conuicted of witchcraft and burned for the same and that Piers had bewitched the King Albania Gascoine Cambria Ireland Albania Scotland so called of Albanact the second son of Brutus and Cambria Wales so called of Camber the third sonne the foure Realmes and Countries brought in subiection by Edward Longshanks When of our princely Iewells and our dowers We but enioy the least of what is ours A complaint of the prodigalitie of King Edward giuing vnto Gauestone the jewels and treasure which was left him by the ancient Kings of England and enriching him with the goodly Manor of Wallingford assigned as parcell of the dower to the Queenes of this famous â—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 marriage the daughtet of Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester begot of the Kings sister lone of Acres married to the said Earle of Glocester Should giue away all that his father won To backe a stranger King Edward offered his right in France to Charles his brother in law and his right in Scotland to Robert Bruse to be aided against the Barrons in the quarrell of Piers Gaueston And did great Edward on his death-bed giue Edward Longshankes on his death-bed at Carlile commanded yong Edward his sonne on his blessing not to call backe Gaueston which for the mis-guiding 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 Warwicke and Henry Earle of Lincolne who had taken their oaths before the deceased King at his death to withstand his sonne Edward if he should call Gaueston froÌ„ exile being a thing which he much feared now seeing Edward to violate his fathers commandement rise in armes against the King which was the cause of the ciuill warre and the ruine of so many Princes And gloried I in Gauestons great fall That now a Spenser should succeede in all The two Hugh Spensers the father the son after the death of Gaueston became the great fauorites of the king the son being created by him lord Chamberlain the father Earl of Winchester And if they were yet Edward doth detaine Homage for Pontiu Guyne and Aquitaine Edward Longshankes 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 sease those Countries into his hands By antient Wigmors honourable Crest Wigmore in the marches of Wales was the antient
heare my prayre That Bullingbrooke now placde in Richards chaire Such cause of woe vnto their wiues may be As those rebellious Lords haue beene to me And that prowd Dame which now controlleth all And in her pompe triumpheth in my fall For her great Lord may water her sad eyne With as salt teares as I haue done for mine And mourne for Henry Hotspur her deere sonne As I for my sweete 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 When woe becomes a comforter to woe Yet much me thinkes of comfort I could say If from my hart pale feare were rid away Something there is which tells 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 voide 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 staid to behold his comming in little thinking to haue seene her husband thus ledde in triumph by his foe and now seeming to hate her eyes that so much had graced her mortall enemie Wherein great Norfolks forward course was staid She remembreth the meeting of two Dukes of Herford and Norfolke at Couentry vrging the iustnesse of Mowbrayes quarrell against the Duke of Herford and 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 being so neerely alied as Cosin german to king Richard his sonne in Law which he did simply little thinking that hee 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 and Mackemur which rebelled at what time Henry entred here at home and robd him of all kingly dignitie Affirmde by Church-men which should beare no hate That Iohn of Gaunt was illegitâ—imate 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 deathbed being then her Confessor that Iohn of Gaunt was the son of a Flemming and that shee was brought to bed of a woman childe at Gaunt which was smothered in the cradle by mischance that she obtained this childe of a poore woman making the king beleeue it was her owne greatly fearing his displeasure Fox eâ— Chron. Alban 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 their faith vnto the Crownes true heire Their noble kinsman 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 heire apparant to the Crowne whose Aunt called Ellinor this Lord Piercie had married O would Aumerle had suncke when he betrayd The complâ—t which that holy Abbot layd The Abbot of Westminster had plotted the death of King Henry to haue beene done at a Tilt at Oxford of which confederacie there was Iohn Holland Duke of Excester Thomas Holland Duke of Surrey the Duke of Aumerle Mountacute Earle of Salsbury 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 and Bushie to be executed at Bristow as vile persons which had seduced this King to this lasciuious and wicked life Damn'd be the oth he made at Doncaster After Henries exile at his returne into England he tooke his oth at Doncaster vpon the Sacrament not to claime the crowne or Kingdome of England but onely the Dukedome of Lancaster his owne 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 Shrewsbury Richard the second to Queene Isabell WHat may my Queene but hope for froÌ„ that hand Vnfit to write vnskilfull to coÌ„mand A Kingdomes greatnesse hardly can he sway That wholesome counsaile neuer did obay Ill this rude hand did guide a Scepter then Worse 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 prowd Bullingbroke may boast What I haue beene doth but this comfort bring That no woe is to say I was a King This lawlesse life which first procurde my hate This tongue which then denounc'd my regall state This abiect minde that did consent vnto it This hand that was the instrument to doe it All these be witnesse 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 waies Driuen by aukward windes and boist'rous seas And left 's great Burbon for thy loue to mee Who 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 receiue thee To miserable banishment to leaue thee And in my downefall and my fortunes wracke Forsaken thus to France to send thee backe When quiet sleepe the heauie hearts reliefe Hath rested sorrow somwhat lesned griefe My passed greatnes vnto minde I call And thinke this while I dreamed of my fall With this conceit my sorrowes I beguile That my faire Queene is but with-drawne a while And my attendants in some chamber by As in the height of my prosperitie Calling alowd and asking who is there The Eccho
37 And in despight and mockery of a Crowne A wreathe of grasse they for his temples make Which when he 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 O heauen should I my griefes complaine 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 meete By change of sorrow mak'st my torment sweete 39 Wherefore my fate I should but fondly grutch T is vaine contention when with heauen we striue Which preordaines my miseries for such That by one woe another should suruiue To shew how it mortalitie can tutch My wretchednesse so strangely to contriue That all my comfort in mishaps should rest And else in nothing but misfortune blest 40 To Berckley thus they led this wretched King The place of horror that was long fore-thought What power should suffer so defilde a thing Or can behold this murther to be wrought That might the Nation into question bring But that your waies with iudgement still are fraught Thus art thou hap'd into thy earthly hell Now take thy leaue and bid the world farewell 41 Berekley whose faire seate hath beene famous long Let thy faire buildings shreeke a deadly sound And to the ayre complaine thy greeuous wrong Keeping the figure of King Edwards wound That as thou waxest old their shame still yong Their wretched foote-steps printed on the ground That when report shall lend their vile act breath All tongues may adde damnation to their death 42 The omenous Rauen with a dismall cheere Through his hoarse beake of following horror tells Begetting strange imaginarie feare With heauie ecchoes like to passing-bells The howling dogge a dolefull part doth beare As though they chimde his latest burying knells Vnder his caue the buzzing shreech-owle sings Beating his windowes with her fatall wings 43 And still affrighted in his fearefull dreames With raging fiends and goblins that he meetes Of falling downe from steepe Rockes into streames Of toombes of burialls and of winding-sheetes Of wandring helpelesse in far forraigne Realmes Of strong temptations by seducing sprites Wherewith awakde and calling out for aide His hollow voyce doth make himselfe afraide 44 Next comes the vision of his bloody raine Masking along with Lancasters sterne ghost Of Barrons twenty eight or hangd or slaine Attended with the ruefull mangled host That vnreuengde yet all this while remaine At Borough battell and at Burton lost Threatning with frownes and trembling eu'ry lim As though in peeces they would torture him 45 And if it chance that from the troubled skies The least small starre through any chincke giue light Straitwaies on heapes the thronging cloudes arise As though the heauen were angry with the night That it should lend that comfort to his eies Deformed shadowes glimpsing in his sight As darkenes for it would more darkened be Through those poore crannies forâ—de it selfe to see 46 When 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 couenant with Fate When 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 Which in the wordes a double sence doth beare Which 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 which taught to find these murderers need no more For which they stood too ready long before 48 Whereas he haps a Chronicle to find Of former kings their raignes their deaths and deedes which some their lodgde forgotten had behind On which to passe the houres he falls to reede Thinking thereby to recreate his mind But in his breast this greater woe doth breede For when deepe sorrow on the fancie seaseth What ere we see our misery increaseth 49 First of great William Conquerour of this I le From whom hee 's tenth that in succession lies Whose power inforcde the Saxon to exile Planting new lawes and forraine subtilties Force and subiection so to reconcile The punishment of Harolds tyrannies which he applies with arguments so strong To the due course of his iust punisht wrong 50 Rufus his sonne duke Robert farre abroade Receiues the rule in weake infeebled state His fathers steps that euidently troade Depressing those who had beene conquerd late Wishing release of this their gricuous loade 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 yongst his brother William dead Taketh the Crowne from his vsurpfull hand Due to the eldest good duke Roberts head Bearing our Red Crosse in the Holy Land whose force farre off so much diminished That his returne disabled to withstand when those for whom th'unnaturall war was done The sea deuours he left without a sonne 52 To Mawd the Empresse he the Scepter leaues His onely daughter which by false pretext Stephen Earle of Bolloine forcibly bereaues Henries false nephew in succession next By which the Land a stranger warre receaues wherewith it grew so miserably vext Till Stephen failing and his issue reft T 'the heires of Mawd the regall Scepter left 53 The second Henry Mawd the Empresse sonne Of th' English line Plantagenet the first By Stephens death a glorious raigne begunne whose youth prolongd to make his age accurst By his sonne Henries coronation Which to his dayes much woe and sorrow nurst when those for whom he conquerd to make great Abroad his townes at home vsurpde his seate 54 Richard his sonne that after him succeedes Who not content with what was safely ours A man lift vp to great and glorious deedes Into the East transportes our valiant powres Where with his sworde whilst many a Pagan bleedes Relentlesse Fate hastes on vntimely howres And makes a period to this hopefull story Euen in the spring and blossome of his glory 55 When him succeedes his faithlesse brother Iohn Murthring yong Arthur by oppressefull might Climing by sorce to his vsurped throne Iustly with poyson was repayde his spight His life to all men is so hatefull growne Who grieues his wrongs that ne're did any right That on the Cleargie ryrannously fed Was by the Cleargie iustly punished 56 Henry his sonne now crowned very yong Who for the hate they to his father bare His state of raigning stoode in question long Or to be left vnto a strangers care With whom the Barrons insolent and strong For the old Charter in commotion are Which his
minde Such a one was I the mirrour of my kinde This was the baite was laide for Edwards loue That bred the league of amitie thereby That no misfortune after could remoue vvhen she the vtmost of her force did trie Nor death it selfe retained power to sunder Friendship seld seene and in the world a wonder Heere on this earth th' onely meane thou art Whereby we hold intelligence with heauen And it is thou that onely doost impart All good can to mortalitie be giuen That 〈…〉 red boâ—d that neuer canst be broken O word diuine to be with reu'râ—nce spoken With this sweete Prince in height of worldly blisse vvhilst Tutors care his wandering eares did guide I liu'd enioying whatsoe're was his vvho ne're my pleasures any thing denide Whose deare affection still me so attended As on my ioyes his happines depended Whether that it my rare perfections were That wonne my youth such fauour in his eie Or that the heauens to whom I seemde so deare On me downe showr'd this blessing from the skie I cannot tell but well it did direct That could produce such wonderfull effect Thou Arke of heauen where wonders are enrouled O depth of Nature who can looke vnto thee What might he be that hath thy doome controuled Or hath the key of Reason to vndoe thee Thy workes diuine which thine alone doe know Shallow mans wit too short for things below The soule her liking subt'ly doth espie In the high power that is to her assignde By the cleere sight discouering through the eie The thing agreeing aptliest with her kinde And by each motion quickely apprehendeth That which it selfe past humane sense extendeth This Edward in the April of his age Whilst yet the crowne sate on his fathers head Like that great loue with his rap'd Phrigian page Me with Ambrosiall delicacies fed He might command that was the Soueraignes son And what I said that onelie must be done My will a lawe autentically past My yea by him was neuer crossd with no Who in affection chained was so fast He as my shadow still with me did goe To me this Prince so pliant was in all Still as an eccho answering to my call My smiles his life his heauen was in my sight And his delight confinde by my desire Who from my cleere eies borrowed all his light As pal 〈…〉 I de Cinthia from her brothers fire My cheeke the pillow where he laide his head My brow his booke my bosome was his bed Like faire Idalia bent to amorous sportes With yong Adonis in the wanton shade Figuring her passions in as sundry sortes As he to her indeerements to perswade Eithers affections happily to moue With all the tender daliances of loue The table thus of our delight was laid Scru'd with what dainties pleasure coulde deuise And many a Syren musicke sweetely plaid O that youth had vs wherewith to suffice whilst we on that vnsatiately doe feede Which our confusion afterwards did breed For still I spurd his violent desire Holding the reines wherewith he rulde the sunne My blandishment the fuell to the fire In which to frie already he begunne waxing his wings taught him Art to flie Who on his back might beare me through the skie Whilst the vaine world vpon vs still did winne Inticde his flatteries stedfastly to trust Loosing the clew which led vs safely in Are lost within this Labyrinth of lust For when the flesh is nussed once in vice The sweete of sinne makes hell a paradice Who thy deceits vile world yet euer told In thee what is that 's not extreamely ill A shop where poison's onely to be sold whose very entrance instantly doth kill where all deformed wickednesse do dwell And all thy waies guide head long into hell The King that saw his hopefull sonne betraide That like young Phaeton ventred on the skies Perceiu'd his course with danger hardly staide For he was graue and prouidently wise That wanting skill to maister youthes desire Might by misguidance set his throne on fire This was a corsiue to King Edwards daies That without ceasing fed vpon his bones That in the day bereau'd him of his case Breaking his night-sleepe with vnquiet grones That did depresse and burthened him downe More then the weight that sate vpon his Crowne When now their iudgement that seuerely tride The matter whence this malladie first grew Likewise must now a remedie prouide To preuent the perill likely to ensue The cause must end e're the effect could cease Else well of one there many might encrease When such in Court my opposites as were On all aduantage that could wisely play Who did to me inuetterate malice beare That for their purpose found so faire a way On this their forces instantly did ground My name and fame perpetually to wound And the time fit for venting their vntruth Me into hate more forcibly to bring Sticke not to charge the loosenesse of my youth T' offend euen in th'vnnaturalest thing And olde fore-passed outrages awake With all that me contemptible might make Wherefore the Prince to priuacie bestow'd In Realmes remote I banished to rome Censured of all men fitst to be abroad That had betraide my honest trust at home A diudg'd to die if after I were found The day prescrib'd vpon the English ground So much astonish'd with the suddaine blow That I became insensible of paine Vntill awak'd with sharpnesse of my woe I saw the wound which open did remaine By which my ioyes still fainted more and more No hope at all me euer to restore Euen as a Turtle for her faithfull make Whose youth her deare virginitie enioyde Sits shrowded in some solitary brake With melancholy pensiuenesse annoide Thus without comfort sit I all alone From the sweete Prince infortunately gone My beauty once which sdainde the summers sight Beaten with bleake and chilly winter stormes Those tender limbes must trauell day and night So often hug'd in Edwards princely Armes Those eyes oft viewing pleasure in her pride With fearefull obiects euery way supplide And whilst these stormes me strangely thus did tosse where I my selfe confined yet in France Thwarted the while with many a greeuous crosse Inseperables to my sad mischance Others that stem'd the current of the time By which I fell prou'd afterwards to clime Camelion-like the world doth alter hue And as false Proteus puts on sundrie shapes One change scarce gone another doth ensue This fild that likewise for promotion gapes Thus did they swarme like Bees about the brim Some drownd and some as dang'rously swim And some on whom the higher powres look'd faire Yet of the season little seemde to vaunt For there were clowdes hung in the troubled ayre which shew'd something to their desire did want That forc'd them stoope which otherwise would flie Whilst with much care they fading honor buy When restlesse Time that neuer turnes againe Whose winged feete are sliding with the sunne By the fleete howres attending on his traine His resolution fatally begunne In a iust