his voyage towards me did take Where he declar'd what promise I did make From which he said if once I sought to slide It would by dint of sword and blood be tride But if I would her take as erst I said And not this stranger chuse against his minde His helpe he promist at each time and aide To be so readie as I wisht to finde He further said my countrey did me binde To take such one as all my subiects knew Sith strangers to their foes are seldome true I waide his words and thought he wisht me well But yet because his stock should gaine thereby I reckt them lesse and yet the truth to tell I durst not dare my promise made denie For well I wist if once it came to trie It would both weaken all this noble land And doubtfull be who should haue th' vpper hand Thus needes perforce I must his daughter take And must leaue off to loue where I delight I was constraind contented to forsake The forme that most did captiuate my sight What luck had I on such a lot to light What ment you Gods that me such fortune gaue To cast my minde on her I might not haue To short my tale his Guendoline I tooke I was content against my will what then Nor quite for this mine Elstride I forsooke For why I wrought by skill of cunning men A Vault along vnder the ground a den Her companie wherein I vsed still There we accomplisht our vnhappie will There I begat my Sabrine sillie childe That virgin small mine Elstride bare to me Thus I my wife full often times beguilde Which afterward did beare a sonne to mee Nam'd Madan yet we neuer could agree And he that was the cause she was my Bride The while her father Corinaeus dide Which when I heard I had my hearts desire I crau'd no more there was my end of griefe At least I thought to quench Cupidoes fire And eke to worke my lusting loues reliefe I ment no more to stcale it like a thiefe But married Elstride whom I lou'd as life And for her sake I put away my wife Likewise my Elstride I as Queene ordain'd And tooke her as my lawfull wife by right But Guendoline that saw her selfe disdain'd Straight fled and mou'd the Cornish men to fight To them when she declar'd her piteous plight In hast they raisd an armie for to be Reuengers of my new made Queene and me And I likewise an armie did prepare I thought to quaile their courage all by force But to my cost I found too late beware There is no strength in armour men ne horse Can vaile if Ioue on wronged take remorce Sith he on whom the deadly dart doth light Can neuer scape by ransome friend or flight So when our armies met nigh Habrine streame The trumpets blew and I denide the peace I minded to expell them all the Realme Or else to make them euer after cease And they except I Elstride would release They said and take my Guendoline againe They would reuenge the wrong or else be slaine On this we met and valiantly we fought On either side and neither part did yeeld So equally they fell it was great doubt Which part should haue the better of the field But I too bold rusht in with sword and shield To breake their raies so hastie men get smart An arrow came and stroke me to the heart Thus was I brought to bale vnhappie there My bodie pierst that wicked life had led When I had raigned all out twentie yeare And had my corps with many pleasures fed The earth receiu'd my corps as cold as led And all my pompe my princely troupe and traine On earth no more shall see their Prince againe To all estates let this for wedlocke serue Beware of change it will not hold out long For * who so mindeth from his mate to swerue Shall sure at length receiue reuenge for wrong T is folly fight with God h 'is farre too strong For though yee colour all with coat of right No false deceit deceiues or dimmes his sight He guides the good and wrekes the wrongs of might HOW QVEENE ELSTRIDE THE Concubine and second wife of King Locrinus was miserablie drowned by Queene Guendoline the yeere before Christ 1064. ANd must I needs my selfe recite my fall Poore Princesse I must I declare my fate Must I the first of Queenes amongst vs all Shew how I thrice fell from my princely state And from the loftie seate on which I sate If needs I must then well content I will Lest here my place in vaine I seeme to fill I am that Elstride whom Locrinus lou'd A Prince his daughter came from Germanes land My fame of beautie many Princes mou'd To sue for grace and fauour at my hand Which bruite once blowne abroad in euery land One Humber King of Hunnes with all his traine To come to me a suiter was full faine What need I tell the gifts to me he gaue Or shew his suite or promise he me plight Sith well you know a Prince need nothing craue May nigh command each thing as t were his right For * as the fowle before the Eagles sight Euen so we fall submit and yeeld vs still At Prince his call obeysant to his will And for that time the Hunnes full mightie were And did encrease by martiall feats of warre Therefore our Germane Kings agast did beare Them greater fauour then was need by farre My father durst not Humbers hest debarre Nor I my selfe I rather was content In hope of crowne with Humber to consent Two Princely dames with me came then away He brag'd to win these countrie parts all three We Ladies rather were this Prince his pray Because he promist that we Queenes should be We came to cost these countrey coasts to see Sith he on whom our hope did wholly stand Was drown'd nam'd Humber waters lost the land For as you heard before when he suppos'd He had won all because he won a part Straightway he was againe thereof depos'd Constrain'd to flie and swim for life poore heart Loe heere the cause of all my dolefull smart This noble King with whom I came to raigne Was dreucht and drown'd vnto my grieuous paine Then were his souldiers taken slaine or spoild And well were they that could make suite for life Was neuer such an armie sooner foild O wofull warre that flowd'st in flouds of strife And card'st not whom thou cut'st with cruell knife So had not Venus fraught my face with hue I had no longer liu'd my forme to rue But as I came a captiue with the rest My countenance did shine as braue as Sunne Ech one that saw my natiue hue were prest To yeeld themselues by beames of beautie wonne My fame straight blowne to gaze on me they runne And said I past ech worldly wight as farre As Phoebus bright excels the morning starre Like as you see in night if light appeare Straightway to that ech
and creepe and bow Our hearts our heads we sauage were but now Yet by and by such was the good successe In fiery flames the truth we did professe Then flitting Fame the truth to testifie Against my wil at Rome made such report That Constatinus thence did hither hie And being come vnto my Britaine Court With louers lookes he striu'd to scale the Fort Of my good will but when it would not bee He sighing thus addrest his talke to me O Queene quoth he thy deeds deserue great fame The goodly gifts that God hath giu'n to thee Be such as I cannot thee greatly blame Though thou without desert disdainest me Who for thy sake doth lothe all crueltie But for thy loue with Mars his cruell knife I could command thy Realme and reaue thy life But out alas whil'st breath doth lend me life My heart shall hate to thrall thy happie state What though thou dost refuse to be my wife Thy hatred tho shall neuer cause me hate But whil'st I liue I will thee loue let Fate And Fortune fell powre on me all their spight To die for thee shall greatly me delight Then I repli'd O Duke without desert Thou dost me loue a little Ilands Queene I know thou to the Emperour heire art Thy valiant acts I diuers waies haue seene I like thy deeds most noble which haue been And thee I loue yet priuate pleasures lust May neuer make me throw my Realme to dust If thou quoth he wilt daine my Queene to be Thy Britaines shall to Rome no tribute yeeld You if you please to Rome may go with me Your mightie mate the world so wide may wield Or if you please I heere with you will bilde My biding place and in this little land I will remaine yours heere at your command His comely grace his friendly promise plight His famous actes his Noble royall race Some other things which heere I could recite The Romans heart within my brest did place And when my wit had weighed well the case Then for the chiefe of all my Realme I sent And thus I spake to know the whole intent My louing Lords and you my subiects see This Roman heire whom I indeed do loue He will restore your ancient libertie If I will bend my hest to his behoue Which benefits they chiefely do me moue To loue at last a man by whom you may Receiue a Shield to keepe you from decay Perhaps you thinke I loue because I see His comely shape and seemely sanguine face You be deceiu'd no outward brauery No personage no gallant courtly grace What though he be by birth of royall race I recke it not but this I do regard My Commonweale by him may be preseru'd For if he will from tribute set you free And end the worke which I haue well begonne That Christs Gospell preached still may bee God may by him send vnto me a sonne To you a King what wealth then haue you wonne What great renowne what honor will insue Speake you your minds these things me thinke be true O Queene quoth they the Lord preserue thy grace Do thou the thing that seemes to thee the best We do allow the match in euery case If by that meanes we may haue quiet rest With what great good shal this our Realme be blest Do thou therefore O noble Queene we pray The thing which best may keepe vs from decay The Roman Duke he nothing would deny But granted more then I could aske or craue So that there was proclaimed by and by A famous feast a banquet passing braue There to the Duke the Britaine crowne I gaue With sacred spousall rights as man and wife We wedded liu'd in loue for terme of life And whil'st we ment to rule this little I le A greater good vnlooked for befell Death did destroy his Sire with hateful hand For which we both at Rome must now go dwell And so we did things prospered passing well My Feere was made the Emperour Lord and king Of all and I the Queene of euery thing His mightie Mace did rule the Monarchie My wit did rule some writers say his Mace And to increase with ioy our merrie glie I brought him forth a babe of Royall race The boy he had an amiable face O Rome thou maist reioyce for this was he Which did at Rome erect Diuinitie Whil'st thus in blisse I did at Rome remaine A Britaine still my mind her care did cast For which I caus'd my husband to ordaine That euermore those ancient Lawes should last Which heretofore amongst them there I past And that to Rome no Britaine borne for aye Should taxe or toll or tenth or tribute pay Though there at Rome an Empresse life I led And had at hand what I could wish or craue Yet still me thought I was not wel bestead Because I was so farre from Britaine braue Which when my louing Lord did once perceiue He set a stay in all the Emperie To Britaine then he did returne with me We raign'd of yeeres thrice seuen with good successe Then Dolor and Debilitie did driue My louing Lord with fainting feeblenesse For vitall life with braying breath to striue He felt how death of life would him depriue He cal'd his Lords his child and me his wife And thus he spake euen as he left his life The haughtie Pines of loftie Libanus From earth to earth in tract of time returne So I whose spreading praise were maruellous Must now returne my flesh to filthie slime On Fortunes wheele I may no longer clime Therefore my Lords although my glasse be runne Yet take remorse on Constantine my sonne My Monarch Court my Kingdomes all O stately Rome farewell to them and thee Farewell my Lords which see my finall fall Farewell my child my wife more deare to mee Then all the world we must depart I see And must we needs depart O Fortune fie We must depart adue farewell I die Wherewith he sigh'd and senselesse did remaine Then I his death as women do did waile But when I view'd that weeping was but vaine I was content to beare that bitter bale As one who found no meanes for her auaile His corps at Yorke in Princely Tombe I laid When funerall sacred solemne rites were paid And when report his death about had blowne Maxentius then the triple crowne to weare Did challenge all the Empire as his owne And for a time that mightie Mace did beare Which when my sonne my Constantine did heare The youthfull Lad indeuour'd by and by To claime his right by Mars his crueltie I then his tender youthfull yeares to guide Went with my sonne to see his good successe He being Campt by fruitfull Tybers side To spoile his foe he did himselfe addresse He knew that God did giue all happinesse Therefore to God euen then the youth did pray With mightie hand to keepe him from decay Behold how God doth godly men defend And marke how he doth beate Vsurpers downe Maxentius now
do me loue Which when they answered him they lou'd their father more Then they themselues did loue or any worldly wight He praised them and said he would therefore The louing kindnesse they deseru'd in fine requite So found my sisters fauour in his sight By flatterie faire they won their fathers heart Which after turned him and me to smart But not content with this he asked me likewise If I did not him loue and honor well No cause quoth I there is I should your grace despise For nature so doth bind and dutie me compell To loue you as I ought my father well Yet shortly I may chance if Fortune will To find in heart to beare another more good will Thus much I said of nuptiall loues that ment Not minding once of hatred vile or ire And partly taxing them for which intent They set my fathers heart on wrathfull fire Shee neuer shall to any part aspire Of this my Realme quoth he among'st you twaine But shall without all dowrie aie remaine Then to Maglaurus Prince with Albany he gaue My sister Gonerell the eldest of vs all And eke my sister Ragan height to Hinniue to haue And for her dowrie Camber and Cornwall These after him should haue his kingdome all Betweene them both he gaue it franke and free But nought at all he gaue of dowrie mee At last it chanst a Prince of France to heare my fame My beautie braue my wit was blaz'd abroad each where My noble vertues praisde me to my fathers blame Who for I could not flatter did lesse fauour beare Which when this worthie Prince I say did heare He sent ambassage lik'd me more then life And soone obtained me to be his wife Prince Aganippus reau'd me of my woe And that for vertues sake of dowries all the best So I contented was to France my father fro For to depart and hopt t' enioy some greater rest Where liuing well belou'd my ioyes encreast I gate more fauour in that Prince his sight Then euer Princesse of a Princely wight But while that I these ioyes so well enioy'd in France My father Leire in Britaine waxt vnwealdie old Whereon his daughters more themselues aloft t' aduance Desir'd the Realme to rule it as they wold Their former loue and friendship waxed cold Their husbands rebels void of reason quite Rose vp rebeld bereft his crowne and right Betwixt their husbands twaine they causde him to agree To part the Realme and promist him a gard Of sixtie Knights that on him should attendant bee But in sixe moneths such was his hap too hard That Gonerell of his retinue bard The halfe of them she and her husband reft And scarce allow'd the other halfe they left As thus in his distresse he lay lamenting sates When as my sister so sought all his vtter spoile The meaner vpstart courtiers thought themselues his mates His daughter him disdain'd and forced not his foile Then was he faine for succour his to toile With halfe his traine to Cornwall there to lie In greatest need his Ragans loue to trie So when he came to Cornwall she with ioy Receiued him and Prince Maglaurus did the like There he abode a yeare and liu'd without annoy But then they tooke all his retinue from him quite Saue only ten and shew'd him daily spite Which he bewail'd complaining durst not striue Though in disdaine they last allow'd but fiue What more despite could diuellish beasts deuise Then ioy their fathers wofull daies to see What vipers vile could so their King despise Or so vnkind so curst so cruell bee Fro thence againe he went to Albany Where they bereau'd his seruants all saue one Bad him content himselfe with that or none Eke at what time he ask'd of them to haue his gard To gard his noble grace where so he went They call'd him doting foole all his requests debard Demanding if with life he were not well content Then he too late his rigour did repent Gainst me my sisters fawning loue that knew Found flattery false that seem'd so faire in vew To make it short to France he came at last to mee And told me how my sisters ill their father vsde Then humblie I besought my noble King so free That he would aide my father thus by his abusde Who nought at all my humble hest refusde But sent to euery coast of France for aide Whereby King Leire might home be well conueide The souldiers gathered from each quarter of the land Came at the length to know the noble Princes will Who did commit them vnto captaines euery band And I like wise of loue and reuerent meere good will Desir'd my Lord he would not take it ill If I departed for a space withall To take a part or ease my fathers thrall He granted my request Thence we arriued here And of our Britaines came to aide likewise his right Full many subiects good and stout that were By martiall feats and force by subiects sword and might The British Kings were faine to yeeld our right Which wonne my father well this Realme did guide Three yeares in peace and after that he dide Then I was crowned Queene this Realme to hold Till fiue yeares past I did this Island guide I had the Britaines at what becke I would Till that my louing King mine Aganippus dide But then my seat it faltered on each side My sisters sonnes began with me to iarre And for my crowne wag'd with me mortall warre The one hight Morgan Prince of Albany And Conidagus King of Cornwall and of Wales Both which at once prouided their artillerie To worke me wofull woe and mine adherents bales What need I fill thine eares with longer tales They did preuaile by might and power so fast That I was taken prisoner at last In spitefull sort they vsed then my captiue corse No fauour shew'd to me extinct was mine estate Of kindred Princes blood or peere was no remorce But as an abiect vile and worse they did me hate To lie in darke some dungeon was my fate As t' were a thiefe mine answeres to abide Gainst right and iustice vnder Iailours guide For libertie at length I su'd to subiects were But they kept me in prison close deuoid of trust If I might once escape they were in dread and feare Their fawning friends with me would proue vntrue and iust They told me take it patiently I must And be contented that I had my life Sith with their mothers I began the strife Whereby I saw might nothing me preuaile to pray To plead or proue defend excuse or pardon craue They heard me not despisde my plaints sought my decay I might no law nor loue nor right nor iustice haue No friends no faith nor pitie could me saue But I was from all hope of freedome bard Condem'd my cause like neuer to be heard Was euer noble Queene so drencht in wrecks of woe Deposde from Princely power bereft of libertie Depriu'd of all these worldly pompes her
raise T' accomplish which they rusht on sudden out to feeld As bent to die or win the wanted food with praise And we as readie were for them at all assaies These eager impes whom food want feaz'd to fight amaine VVe forc'd them die fall flie to take their fort againe VVhere I in chase pursu'd them euen to the towne Tane prisoner was a while for ransome lay But then the worthie Duke the Regent of renowne Did for me quite disburse the price requir'd to pay The siege we rais'd from thence we went our way And I redeemed bare this blanke in mind Till of requite I might occasion find VVhich thus ere long befell to this a while giue eare VVhen Arthur Earle of Richmond to S. Iaques came De Beuuron where my selfe and other Captaines were VVhich had repared well and fortifi'd the same VVe made him flie to his immortall shame Euen thus to him and fortie thousand moe Fiue hundred English gaue the ouerthroe Long while he batterie laid against the wall Thereby to make a breach for them to enter in But well perceiuing still his shot to profit small And that we weigh'd not of his power a pin On euery side afresh he did th' assault begin Yet we so bare them off and beate them downe They durst not seaze or enter on the towne But wearied with the siege and fault they pausd a while Consulting what were best and so did we likewise They found the feate they thought should surely vs beguile And in an euening came t' accomplish th' enterprise A sharp assault they gaue Alarme my mates we rise On both the sides they scald the fort to gaine But from the scales and walkes we flang them downe amaine It was my charge that time to keepe a bulwarke bace Where Britons came along to enter by a strait T' was in a bottome low a pond was by the place By which they needes must passe vp to a posterne gate I meant to make them fish the poole without a bait Protesting ere they there should get the wall We would as English die or giue our foes the fall The trumpets sound tan tara tan tan tara right The guns were shot founce-founce-founce fomp-fum fow-powthow The drums went downe-dun downe the fluits fit-fite-fit-fite The weapons clish-clash and the captaines now-now now With billes we beat thē downe with shafts we shot them throw The gory ground did groane the smoky shot and cries Dimd all the aire and thundred through the skies S. Denise cride the French and Britons glahe-lahee S. George the English cride fight-fight-fight kill-kill-kill Fight-fight quoth I come on they flee they flee they flee And therewithall we vse a point of warlike skill We causd the men within to cry vnto vs still Fight Suffolke now fight-fight and Salsbury Fight fight you noble Earles the Britons flee they flee With that amazed all the Britons gan recoile Some drowned in the pond wherin they ran for feare And I pursu'd the flight to wrecke my captiue foile We paid them in the chase disordred as they were Seuen hundred slew tooke fifty prisners there Gaind eighteene standerds and one banner more Yet I and mine not fully were fourescore Of this exploit when th' Earle of Richmond heard Which gaue an hot assault on th' otherside the towne No lesse was he displeasde amazed then affeard To heare the names of those two Earles of high renowne His guilty courage quaild his heart was danted downe He causde the trumpets sound retrait away To scale our walles he durst no longer stay At midnight he dislodgd from siege he made depart The Constable of France late Earle of Richmond fled And toward Fougiers sped with such as tooke his part For haste perhaps with feare lest he should lose his head They left two hundred pipes of flowre and bisket bread Greate gunnes fourteene three hundred pipes of wine Two hundred frailes of figs and raisons fine Fiue hundred barrels they of herring left beside Of pouder for our gunnes full forty barrels more They fled without their tents the dasterds durst not bide For feare they could not stay to take away their store Haue you oft heard the like of cowards such before Those forty thousand Britons French and Scots Foure score them foiled made them flee like sots When this that noble man the Duke of Bedford heard How I did quit my selfe and seru'd my Prince so well He me procured of the King as great reward As my deserts could wish and more the truth to tell Chiefe Butlership of Normandy vnto me fell Reuenues eke in Normandy of lands A thousand crownes came yearely to my hands I after this was sent to make inrode Vpon the coast of Britaine for to bate their pride A band of horsemen tooke without abode The Duke of Sommerset made me their guide To many townes about their bounds we ride Set them on fire or made them ransom pay Tooke store of prisners wrought them much decay Returned victours safe to Normandy With good successe for why the cause was good And of our Prince were guerdond gratefully With laud and gifts as for our seruice stood This makes the Captaines venture life and blood And souldiers serue with heart in what they may Which are assur'd of honour praise and pay Yee worthy wights aliue which loue your Countreis weale And for your Princes port such warres doe vndertake Learne so for Countrey yours with forraine foes to deale See that of manhood good so great accounts ye make It nothing vailes in peace to sweare stur face or crake In warres he winnes the fame of noble wight Who warlike deales for Prince and publique right Yf you so pointed be to serue your Prince in war As erst was I and must before the muster take Retaine such souldiers as well made strong seemely ar Brought vp to labour hard of such account doe make These able are at neede to stand and keepe the stake When facing foisters fit for Tiburne fraies Are food-sick faint or hart-sicke run their waies At whom a man may find a number euery day Which weare their weapons still as all the world were war And keepe a coile to beare the best of blades away VVith bucklers braue at backs to shew what men they are In peace at home they sweare stare foist roist fight and iar But when abroad they feare of warres the smart Some better souldiers proue from driuing cart In warres to serue as we and weapons haue VVhen warlike stormes do rage beseemes a warlike man In pleasant peace who sets himselfe to banding braue And facing fares at home abroad doe nothing can Though nere so much he boast fie on him coward than For not in gauntlet sword targ oathes haire staring eyes But in the breast good courage vertue lies But here perhas you say I fall a note too low Beneath the persons of these worthy Peeres and me T is true indeed and yet such fruite hereof may grow As eke the meane hereby
faithfull men so valiant bold and stout What pleasures more on earth could lightly be Then win an Ile and liue deuoid of doubt An Ile said I nay nam'd the world throughout Another world sith sea doth it diuide From all that wants not all the world beside What subiects eke more happie were then these Had such a King of such a noble heart And such a land enioyd and liu'd at ease Whereof ech man almost might chuse his part No feare of foes vnknowne was treasons art No faining friends no fauning Gnatoes skill No Thrasoes brags but bearing ech good will But as ech summer once receiues an end And as no State can stable stand for aye As course of time doth cause things bow and bend As euery pleasure hath her ending day As will can neuer passe the power of may Euen so my father happie daies that spent Perceiu'd he must by sicknesse last relent As doth the shipman well foresee the storme And knowes what danger lies in Syrtes of sand Eke as the husbandman prouides beforne When he perceiues the winter cold at hand Euen so the wise that course of things haue scand Can well the end of sicknes great presage When it is ioyn'd with yeeres of stooping age His sonnes and Counsell all assembled were For why he sent for vs and them with speed We came in hast this newes did cause vs feare Sith so he sent we thought him sick indeed And when we all approcht to him with speed Too soone alas his Grace right sick we found And him saluted as our duties bound And casting of his wofull eyes aside Not able well to moue his painfull head As silent we with teares his minnde abide He wild himselfe be reared in his bed Which done with sight of vs his eyes he fed Eke pausing so a while for breath he staid At length to them and vs thus wise he said No maruaile sure though you here with be sad You noble Britaines for your Brutus sake Sith whilom me your captaine stout you had That now my leaue and last farwell must take Thus nature willes me once an ende to make And leaue you here behinde which after mee Shall die as me depart before you see You wot wherefore I with the Grecians fought With dint of sworde I made their force to flie Antenors friends on Tuscane shores I sought And did them not my promist land denie By Martiall powre I made the Frenchmen flie Where you to saue I lost my faithfull frend For you at Tours my Turnus tooke his end I need not now recite what loue I bare My friendship you I trust haue found so well That none amongst you all which present are With teares doth not record the tale I tell Eke whom I found for vertues to excell To them I gaue the price thereof as due As they deseru'd whose facts I found so true Now must I proue if paines were well bestow'd Or if I spent my gratefull gifts in vaine Or if these great good turnes to you I ow'd And might not aske your loyall loues againe Which if I wist what tongue could tell my paine I meane if you vngratefull mindes doe beare What meaneth death to let me linger here For if you shall abuse your Prince in this The gods on you for such an hainous fact To take reuenge be sure will neuer misse And then too late you shall repent the act When all my Realine and all your wealths are sackt But if you shall as you begun proceed Of kingdomes fall or foes there is no dreed And to auoid contention that may fall Because I wish this Realme the Britans still Therefore I will declare before you all Sith you are come my whole intent and will Which if you keepe and wrest it not to ill There is no doubt but euermore with fame You shall enioy the Britans Realme and name You see my sonnes that after me must raigne Whom you or this haue lik'd and counsail'd well You know what erst you wisht they should refraine Which way they might all vices vile expell Which way they might in vertues great excell Thus if you shall when I am gone insue You shall discharge the trust repos'd in you Be you their fathers with your counsell wise And you my children take them euen as me Be you their guides in what you can deuise And let their good instructions teach you three Be faithfull all as brethren ought agree For* concord keepes a Realme in stable stay But discord brings all kingdomes to decay Record you this to th' eldest sonne I giue This middle part of Realme to hold his owne And to his heires that after him shall liue Also to Camber that his part be knowne I giue that land that lies welnigh oregrowne With woods Northwest and mountaines mightie hie By South whereof the Cornish sea doth lie And vnto thee my yongest sonne that art Mine Albanact I giue to thee likewise As much to be for thee and thine apart As North beyond the arme of sea there lies Of which loe heere a Mappe before your eies Loe heere my sonnes my kingdome all you haue For which remember nought but this I craue First that you take these fathers graue for me Imbrace their counsell euen as it were mine Next that betweene your selues you will agree And neuer one at others wealth repine See that yee bide still bound with friendly line And last my subiects with such loue retaine As long they may your subiects eke remaine Now faint I feele my breath begins to faile My time is come giue each to me your hand Farewell farewell to mourne will not preuaile I see with Knife where Atropos doth stand Farewell my friends my children and my land And farewell all my subiects farewell breath Farewell ten thousand times and welcome death And euen with that he turn'd himselfe aside Vpyeelding gasping gaue away the ghost Then all with mourning voice his seruants cri'd And all his subiects eke from least to most Lamenting fil'd with wailing plaints each coast And so the Britans all as nature bent Did for their King full dolefully lament But what auailes to striue against the tide Or else to driue against the streame and winde What booteth it against the Cliues to ride Or else to worke against the course of kind Sith Nature hath the end of things assign'd There is no nay we must perforce depart Gainst dint of death there is no ease by art Thus raign'd that worthie King that found this land My father Brutus of the Troian blood And thus he died when he full well had man'd This noble Realme with Britans fierce and good And so a while in stable state it stood Till we diuided had this Realme in three And I too soone receiu'd my part to mee Then straight through all the world gan Fame to flie A monster swifter none is vnder Sun Encreasing as in waters we descry The circles small of nothing that begun Which at
man directs his eye Euen so among my captiue mates that were When I did speake or make my plaints with crie Then all on me they stared by and by Bemoning of my fates and fortune so As they had bin partakers of my woe My forme did praise my plea my sighes they sued My teares enti'st their hearts some ruth to take My sobs in sight a seemely hue renew'd My wringing hands wan suiters shift to make My sober soothes did cause them for my sake Me to commend vnto their noble King Who wild they should me into presence bring T' whom when I came in cords as captiue bound O King quoth I whose power we feele too strong O worthie wight whose fame to skies doth sound Doe pitie me that neuer wisht thee wrong Release me one thy captiues all among Which frō my friends by fraud am brought away A Prince his daughter drown'd in deepe decay Now as thou art a Prince thy selfe of might And maist do more then I do dare desire Let me O King find fauour in thy sight Asswage somewhat thy deadly wrath and ire No part of knighthood t is for to require A Ladies death thee neuer did offend Sith that thy foe hath brought her to this end But let me rather safely be conuay'd O gratious King once home before I die Or let me liue thy simple wayting maid If it may please thy royall Maiestie Or let me ransome pay for libertie But if you mind reuenge of vnwraught ill Why spare you Britaines my deare blood to spill With that the King Good Ladie faire what i st Thou canst desire or aske but must obtaine Eke would to God with all my heart I wist Best way to ease thee of thy wofull paine But if thou wilt do heere with me remaine If not content conductors shalt thou haue To bring thee home and what thou else wilt crau◠O King quoth I the gods preserue thy grace The heauens requite thy mercie shew'd to me And all the starres direct thy regall race With happie course long length of yeares to see The earth with fertill fruits enrich so thee That thou maist still like Iustice heere dispose And euermore treade downe thy deadly foes The noble King commanded to vnbind Mine armes and giue me libertie at will With whom such fauour I did after find That as his Queene I was at elbow still And I enioy'd all pleasures at my fill So that they quite had quenched out my thrall And I forgat my former Fortunes all Thus loe by fauour I obtain'd my suite So had my beautie set his heart on fire That I could make Locrinus euen as mute Or pleasant as my causes did require And when I knew he could no way retire I prai'd he would his fauour so extend As I might not be blamed in the end For if quoth I you take me as your owne And eke my loue to you hath constant beene Then let your loue likewise againe be showne And wed me as you may your spoused Queene If since in me misliking you haue seene Then best depart betime before defame Begin to take from Elstride her good name No wauering heart said he Locrinus beares No fained flatterie shall thy faith deface Thy beautie birth fame vertue age and yeares Constraineth me mine Elstride to imbrace I must of force giue thy requests a place For as they do with reason good consent Euen so I grant thee all thy whole intent Then was the time appointed and the day In which I should be wedded to this King But in this case his Counsell causde a stay And sought out meanes at discord vs to bring Eke Corinaeus claim'd a former thing A precontract was made and full accord Between his daughter and my soueraigne Lord. And yet the King did giue me comfort still He said he could not so forsake my loue He euermore would beare me all good will As both my beautie and deserts did moue Yet faithlesse in his promise he did proue His Counsell at the last did him constraine To marrie her vnto my grieuous paine At which I could not but with hate repine It vexed me his mate that should haue beene To liue in hate a Prince his concubine That euer had such hope to be his Queene The steps of state are full of woe and teene For when we thinke we haue obtain'd the throne Then straight our pompe and pride is quite orethrowne Lo twice I fell from hope of Princely crowne First when vnhappie Humber lost his life And next I laid my peacocks pride adowne When I could not be King Locrinus wife But oft they say the third doth end the strife Which I haue prou'd therefore the sequell view * The third paies home this prouerbe is too true The King could not refraine his former minde But vsde me still and I my doubtfull yeares Did linger on I knew no shift to finde But past the time full oft with mourning teares * A concubine is neuer void of feares For if the wife her at aduantage take In rage reuenge with death she seekes to make Likewise I wist if once I sought to flie Or to intreat the King depart I might Then would he straight be discontent with me Yea if I were pursued vpon the flight Or came deflour'd into my fathers sight I should be taken kept perforce or slaine Or in my countrey liue in great disdaine In such a plight what might a Ladie doe Was euer Princesse poore in such a case O wretched wight bewrapt in webs of woe That still in dread wast tost from place to place And neuer foundest meane to end thy race But still in doubt of death in carking care Didst liue a life deuoid of all welfare The King perceiuing well my chaunged cheare To ease my heart with all deuis'd deceates By secret wayes I came deuoyde of feare In vaults by cunning Masons craftie feates Whereas we safely from the Queene her threats So that the King and I so vsde our art As after turn'd vs both to paine and smart By him I had my Sabrine small my childe And after that his wife her father lost I meane he died and she was strayght exilde And I made Queene vnto my care and cost For she went downe to Cornwall strayght in post Anc caused all her fathers men to rise With all the force and strength they might deuise My King and hers with me gainst her prepar'd An army strong but when they came to fight Dame Guendoline did wax at length too hard And of our King vs both deposed quight For from her campe an arrow sharp did light Vpon his brest and made him leaue his breath Lo thus the King came by vntimely death Then I too late began in vaine to flye And taken was presented to the Queene Who me beheld with cruell Tigers eie O queane quoth she that cause of warres hast beene And deadly hate the like was neuer seene Come on for these my hands shall ridde thy life And
heart of vitall blood Then thus I liue with that they slackt my hold And drencht my mother in the waters cold For loue to aide her venter in would I That saw my mother striue aloft for wind To land shee lookt and said farewell I die O let me go quoth I like fate to find Said Guendoline come on likewise and bind This Sabrine heere likewise for so shall she At once receiue her whole request of me Eke as I wish to haue in mind her fame As Humbers is which should her father been So shall this floud of Sabrine haue the name That men thereby may say a righteous Queene Heere drown'd her husbands child of concubine Therefore leaue Sabrine heere thy name and life Let Sabrine waters end our mortall strife Dispatch quoth she with that they bound me fast My slender armes and feet with little need And sau's all mercie me in waters cast Which drew me downe and cast me vp with speed And downe me drencht the Sabrine fish to feed Where I abode till now from whence I came And there the waters hold as yet my name Lo thus this ielous Queene in raging sort With bloodie hate bereft her husbands health And eke my mother Elstrides life God wot Which neuer ment to hurt this Common-wealth And me Locrinus child be got by stealth Against all reason was it for to kill The child for that her parents erst did ill But heere you see what time our pompe doth bide Hereby you see th' vnsteadie trust in warre Hereby you see the stay of States etride Hereby you see our hope to make doth marre Hereby you see we fall from bench to barre From bench quoth I yea from the Princely seate You see how soone vs Fortune downe doth beate And heere you see how lawlesse loue doth thriue Hereby you see how ielous folkes doe fare Heere may you see with wisdome they that wiue Need neuer recke Cupidoes cursed snare Heere may you see diuorcement breedeth care Heere seldome thriue the children may you see Which in vnlawfull wedlocke gotten be Declare thou then our fall and great mishap Declare the hap and glory we were in Declare how soone we taken were in trap When we supposde we had most safest bin Declare what losse they haue that hope to win * When Fortune most doth sweetly seeme to smile Then will she frowne she laughes but euen a while HOW KING MADAN FOR HIS EVILL LIFE was slaine by Wolues the yeare before Christ 1009. AMong'st the rest that sate in hautie seat And felt the fall I pray thee pen for me A Tragedie may some such wisdome geat As they may learne and some what wiser be For in my glasse when as themselues they see They may beware my fall from Fortunes lap Shall teach them how t' eschew the like mishap I am that Madan once of Britaine King The third that euer raigned in this land Marke well therefore my death as strange a thing As some would deeme could scarce with reason stand Yet when thou hast my life well throughly scand Thou shalt perceiue not halfe so strange as true * Ill life worse death doth after still ensue For when my mother Guendoline had raign'd In my nonage full 15. yeares she dide And I but yong not well in vertues train'd Was left this noble Iland for to guide Whereby when once my mind was puft with pride I past for nought I vsde my lust for law Of right or iustiee reckt I not a straw No meane I kept but ruled all by rage No bounds of measure could me compasse in No counsell could my meekelesse mind asswage When once to fume I fiercely did begin And I exceld in nothing else but sin So that my subiects all did wish my end Saue such to whom for vice I was a friend And pleasures plung'd I tooke my whole repast My youth mee led deuoide of compasse quite And vices were so rooted in at last That to recure the ill it past my might For * who so doth with will and pleasure fight Though all his force doe striue them to withstand Without good grace they haue the vpper hand * What licour first the earthen pot doth take It keepeth still the sauour of that same Full hard it is a Cramocke straight to make Or crooked Logges with wainscot fine to frame T is hard to make the cruell Tiger tame And so it fares with those haue vices caught * Naught once they say and euer after naught I speake not this as though it past all cure From vices vile to vertue to retire But this I say if vice bee once in vre The more you shall to quite your selfe require The more you plunge your selfe in fulsome mire As hee that striues in soakte quicke sirts of sand Still sinkes scarce euer comes againe to land The gifts of grace may nature ouercome And God may graunt the time when we repent But I did still in laps of lewdnes runne At last my selfe to cruelty I bent But who so doth with bloudy acts content His minde shall sure at last finde like againe And feele for pleasures thousands pangs of paine For in the midst of those vntrusty toyles When as I nothing fearde but all was sure With all my traine I hunting rode for spoiles Of those who after did my death procure These lewd delights did boldly me allure To follow stil and to pursue the chase At last I came into a desert place Beset with hils and monstrous rockes of stone My company behinde mee lost or stayde The place was eke with hautie trees oregrowne So vast and wilde it made mee halfe afraid And straight I was with rauening wolues betraid Came out of caues and dens and rockes amaine There was Irent in peeces kilde and slaine Woe worth that youth in vayne so vily spent Should euer cause a King to feele such smart Woe worth that euer I should here lament Or shew the hurt of my poore Princely heart I thinke the clowne that driues the mixen cart Hath better hap then Princes such as I No storme of Fortune casts him downe so hie A man by grace and wit may shun the snare T is sayd * a wise-man all mishap withstands For though by starres we borne to mischieues are Yet grace and prudence bayles our carefull bands * Each man they say his fate hath in his hands And what he marres or makes to leese or saue Of good or euill is euen selfe doe selfe haue This thing is seene by me that led my daies In vitious sort for greedy wolues a pray I wish and will that Princes guide their wayes Lo here by this eschew like chance they may And vices such as worke their whole decay Which if they doe full well is spent the time To warne to write and eke to shun the crime HOW KING MALIN WAS SLAINE BY HIS BROther King Mempricius the yeare before Christ 1009. IF Fortune were so firme as shee is fraile Or glosing glorie
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
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
warres the dance And wan the palme the praise renowne and fame Leaue in thy booke a place to put my name I will be briefe and truly tell thee all The cause why I from graue do now appeare I will recite to thee my sudden fall And what in life mine exercises were To which since I do see thee set thine eare Marke now my tale and beare it well away Marke what me brought so sudden in decay Let who so stands trust to a stedfast hold If stedfast hold he thinke that he may find Presume not on thy strength nay yet be bold On Fortunes gifts nay let her guide thy mind In hope of hap for she is counted blind To praise her prankes occasion giues no cause Do wisely or you praise her take the pause Some loue to boast what fortune they haue had Some other blame misfortune theirs as fast Some tell of fortunes there be good and bad Some fooles of fortune make themselues agast Some shew of fortune comming present past And say there is a fate that ruleth all But sure it seemes their wisdome is but small No fortune is so bad but we it frame There is no chaunce at all hath vs preseru'd There is no fate whom we haue need to blame There is no destiny but is deseru'd No lucke that leaues vs safe or vnpreseru'd Let vs not then complaine of Fortunes skill For all our good descends from Gods good will If so a man might stay on Fortunes holde Or else on Prince as pillar of defence Then might my selfe t' haue done the same be bolde In euery perill purpose or pretence Cassibellane as much as any Prince Lou'd me his Cosin Irenglas by name For feates in armes for fauour and for fame I came by parents of his regall race Liu'd happie daies if happy mortall be Had as I said his fauour bare the grace I was his loyall seruant franke and free But what of this at all preuailed mee Yet furthermore the feates of armes I knew I fought in field when mighty Caesar flew Shall I for this praise Fortune ought at all Did Fortune ought in this no whit be sure Or shall I blame her after for my fall That neuer could me any hurt procure T' was glory vaine did sweetely me allure Wherefore giue eare and then with pen disclose How seeming friends did prooue my chiefest foes Full happy were our Countrey men that dide As noble Nennius in the field that sought When first both Britaines and the Romanes tride With dint of sword if titles theirs were ought They dide in their defence no pompe they sought They liu'd to see their Countrey conquer still They dide before they felt of priuate ill When Caesar so with shamefull flight recoil'd And left our Britaine land vnconquer'd first Which only thought our Realme and vs t' haue spoil'd We came to see of all our field the worst Our souldiers slaine O cruell Caesar curst Quoth we by thee did all these Britaines die That durst not bide but like a dastard flie But then to see them in array to lie And for to see them wounded all before Not one but in his place his life did trie To see the Romans bloodie backes that bore Their wounds in flight all scattered on the shore What thousand tongues our ioy to light could bring This made our hearts reuiue this pleasde our King With trompets mourning tune and wayling cries And drums and fluits and shawmes we sound adieu And for our friends we watred all our eyes As loth to lose the liues of such a crew To th' earth we bare them all in order dew According vnto each mans noble name And as their birth requir'd and worthie fame Of noble triumphes after was no spare We Britaines erst were neuer halfe so glad That so we made the Romans hence to fare No tongue can tell the heartie ioyes we had We were therewith for battaile bent as mad Our fingers tickled still which came from fight We had before our eyes our foes foule flight So fares it when the meaner giue the spoile And make the mightie all their force reuoke So fares it when great victours feele the foile And men lesse deem'd do giue the conquering stroke That pierceth euen the hardest heart of oke For where the weaker win the wage of fame The victours hearts a thousand ioyes enflame A solemne Iusts proclaimed was for those Who would to win renowne their valour trie Where th' Earle of Londons cosin did expose Himselfe to purchase praise against whom I To win the prize did all my powers applie But fatall was the scope I did intend Th' effects bewray'd my folly in the end For why when glorie vaine stirres men to strife When hope of praise prouokes them once to ire Then they at all regard no goods nor life From faithfull friendship rudely they retire They are so set with glories glose on fire That quite they rule and reason wrest awrie They turne away their former friendly eie O God that workest all the wonder wrought And hast the power to turne the hearts aliue Grant grace to those that labour so for nought But flitting fame and titles hautie striue Let not ambition so the earth depriue Of worthie wights giue them some better grace That they may run for countries weale their race Let them not breake the bond of friendly loue In broiles of bate but friendly faults redresse Let not them so their manhood seeke to proue By priuate hate to worke their owne distresse So shall they need their foes to feare the lesse Friends worse then forren foes themselues do make That fall at oddes for fond vaine glories sake But what need I on those aliue to stay They haue examples good before their eyes By which if they haue grace beware they may * The happiest men by others harmes are wise Let them not then our warning words despise Do will them wisely of these things debate For why the foolish aye the warning hate We spent the day in iusting as I said Appointed erst among our selues before And all the feats of armes in field we plaid Aenaeas taught our ancestors of yore What need I fill thine eares with talking more My men and I had put those feats in vre And he likewise but nothing yet so sure For as with fortune still I gaue the foile To him that thought the glorie all to haue When he perceiu'd he could not keepe the coile Nor yet with equall match himselfe to saue Occasion of dissension great he gaue In stead of iest he offered earnest play In lieu of sport he spite did still display The traytour vile the tyrant so he prou'd With coward canker'd hatefull hastie ire And caytife dealing shew'd how me he lou'd When as he could not to his hope aspire To win the praise of triumph his desire He challeng'd me and heere began the broile He thought with banding braue to keep the coile And that because mens iudgement favour'd me
not trust his talke nor message sent beforne On this I expedition made the third and last For he did warrant me my purpose to obtaine I shipt my men and hide me thitherward full fast Had winde at will and came to see the shining shores againe And of my comming so the Earle was glad and faine We ioined hands and league and armies for the fight And sought and put Cassibellane the noble King to flight Yet he repaird his hoste againe that fiercely faught And oft assaid to slay or take the Earle or mee And when hee saw at length his labour vailed naught And Britanes with the Romanes linked so to bee Great griefe he had in them such treason for to see His losse in doubtfull war not grieu'd him halfe so sore His peoples base reuolt he chiefely did deplore To make it short the King was faine at length to yeeld The tribute granted was three thousand pound a yeere We bare away the price we wan the worthy field And made them friends againe that bought our fauour deere I need no longer stay to tell the story heere Nor yet to giue my friend the Earle of London blame Sith by his meanes I wan to Rome eternall fame From France I after sent to Rome reporting how Amongst the warlike Galles and Britaines I had sped I made request by friends I might be Consull now On my returne againe but Pompeyes hautie hed Did ioyne himselfe with Peeres and armies which he led Alledging plaine I meant the publique weale t' inuade They would represse my pride with might and dint of blade With speed I came and force which made them all to flie To Greece from Rome in haste where they prepared war For in Epyrus then with souldiers they did lie This Pompey proud that made the Romans with me iar He at Dyrrachium staid to which though it were far I led my conquering host I skirmisht often there But from the fight to flie we soone contented were On this he followed fast in hope to win the field To Thessalie he came where I did stay therefore Our armies met and fiercely faught not bent to yeeld Till fifteene hundred men were slaine in fight or more But in the end they fled we tooke of prisoners store They durst not dare t' abide the chance of Mars to trie But either fell in fight or from the field did flie Thence Pompey fled the field and into Egypt came To Ptolemie the King as then but yong of age Where of his slaughter foule Septimius hath the blame He was his end that did these warres against me wage Euen so by course we come to play vpon the stage Our trauels haue an end when we do feele the fall For all our life is but a race of miserie and thrall But Pompeyes friends and sonnes by might did oft assay When he was done to death to take reuenge on me And I by dint of sword repel'd their force away Gate offices of rule and gouern'd each degree At Caesars beck and call obeysant all they bee Enacted lawes directed each estate Emperially the first aloft I sate But glorie won the way to hold and keepe the same To hold good fortune fast a worke of cunning skill Who so with prudent art can stay that stately dame Which sets vs vp so high vpon her hautie hill And constant aye can keepe her loue and fauour still He wins immortall fame thrice blessed is the crowne If once misfortune kicke and cast the scepter downe For when in Rome I was alone Dictator chose And Emperour or Captaine sole to be for ay My glorie did procure me many secret foes Because aboue the rest I bare the soueraigne sway By sundrie meanes they sought my ruine and decay For why there could no thing in state determin'd be Vnlesse it likte me first and were approu'd by me This they enui'd at me that su'd aloft to clime As hautie Cassius which the Pretorship did craue And Brutus eke his friend which bare the chiefest crime Of my dispatch and death for they did first depraue My life mine acts my raigne and sought my blood to haue Full secretly amongst themselues conspir'd decreed To be attemptors of that cruell bloodie deed Yet I forewarned was by Capis fatall tombe His Epitaph my death did long before foreshow Cornelius Balbus saw mine horses headlesse ronne Without the guide of man forsaking food for woe Spurina warned me that sooth of things did know A little wren in beake with Laurell greene that flew Foreshew'd my dolefull death as after all men knew The night before my fall in slumber I did dreame I caried was from earth and flew the clouds aboue And somtime hand in hād I thought I walkt with Ioue supreame My wife Calphurnia Caesars only loue Did dreame she saw her crest of house to fall Her husband thrust through breast a sword withall Eke that same night her chamber dores thēselues flew open all These things did make me much that mourning to mislike And Iacrazed was and thought at home to stay But who is he can void deaths dart when he doth strike Where so great number seekes his life for to betray The traytor bloodie Brutus bad me not delay Nor yet to frustrate there so great assemblie sate At last I went and there did meet vntimely sate To Senate as I went behold a Roman stood Presenting me a scrole of euery traytors name And all their whole deuice that sought to spill my blood That presently decreed to execute the same But I blind wretch supposde that for some suite he came I heedlesse bare this scrole in my vnhappie hand For which I lost my life as you shall vnderstand Spurina as I came at sacrifices was Neere to the place where I was after slaine Of whose diuinings true I then did little passe To warne me of my death the Priest did seeke in vaine My hautie heart growne proud these warnings all disdaine Quoth I the Ides of March be come yet harme is none Quoth he the Ides of March be come yet th' are not gone Assoone as I was set the traytors all arose And one approched neere as to demand some thing To whom as I gaue eare at once my cruell foes Beset me round about their weapons hid they bring Then I too late perceiu'd my deaths approching sting O this quoth I is violence then Cassius pierst my brest And Brutus thou my sonne quoth I whom erst I loued best Yee Princes all and noble men beware of pride Wracke not the Commonwealth for wealthie kingdomes sake Be warn'd by me that see my selfe the world to guide Beware what bloodie warres for rule you vndertake Ere three and twentie wounds had made my heart to quake How many thousands fell for Pompeyes pride and mine How many valiant Knights did loued life resigne Full many nobie men to rule alone I slew And some themselues againe for griefe of heart did slay For they would neuer yeeld though I
one Prince preserued you Behold the same him loyall loue to him be iust and true For euen as Ioue aboue amongst the gods doth rule alone So he in earth the Empire all allottes and giues to one Thus hauing said aloud with irefull mood And bloodie countnance cast about the place Th' assemblie pale and trembling fearefull stood And I return'd to 'th Palace thence a space My brothers house and fame I did deface His friends his seruants all yong old and new And th' infants eke without respect I slew The Wrastlers and the Waggeners likewise Musitians players which did please his mind Of th' order of the Senators full wise In whom was noble blood or wealth to find Not one of Getaes friends I left behind Also my wife whom I exil'd away To Sicile I le I caused them to slay Lucilla eke that ancient noble Dame To Marcus wise the daughter sage and graue Of Commodus that sister great of fame Which honor much in Rome deseru'd to haue I say she did my deeds therein depraue Because to Getaes mother she wept sore For Getaes death I causde her die therefore Her sonne likewise I caused should be slaine And of th' Imperiall blood to make all sure I left not one aliue that might remaine Or vnto whom they might my place procure By night likewise I put like acts in vre For day and night I ceased not to slay Of Getaes friends to roote the rest away I Vestall virgins buried eke aliue And made the souldiers multitudes to kill Because I deem'd they were in words too bliue Against my coach wherein I trauell'd still The souldiers slew the men that thought no ill Or made them buy their liues with all they had Which were to scape with life alone full glad This done for feare from Rome with speede I gate The towne like life at home misliked me For why the City did my murders hate Where souldiers held their slaughters franke and free And were enricht by spoile of each degree I gate therefore with all my Martiall crew From Itayle land Danubian shores to view Where vnto hunting I applide my selfe To ride abroad in couch and giue them lawes In few dispacht their pleas about but pelfe Not giuen to heare long pleading plaints for strawes I counted such but cau'lling caitiue dawes As spent their substance time and goods in suite About such things as could not yeeld them fruit I clad my selfe much like the Germans then So trimde my haire chose them my guard to serue So framde my selfe to please these ruder men As might them cause of me full well deserue From labour none with them I seem'd to swerue To digge lift beare to grinde mould knead or bake In painfull sort and simple fare to take The Germans much reioyc'd my kind of life My sufferance great in during labours long The name of mate with vs was holden rife I seem'd a fellow souldier them among Of stature small yet was I wondrous strong So that few men which in mine armies were Could with like strength such weightie burthens beare When at Danubius I had placed strength To Thracia thence with speed apace I went There Monuments againe I made at length To Alexanders fame to Rome I sent Likewise of statues for the same intent In Capitole and Temples them to place For honour great of Alexanders grace I made me garments eke of Thracian guise And Captaines me to Alexander call To Pergame thence in Asia great that lies I gate Achilles tombe with honours all With eie to view as stories witnesse shall Whence order set to Antioch I farde Where my receit with honour was preparde To Alexandria then I fared fast For they had scoft full oft before at mee My mother they had named Queene Iocaste Achilles great and Alexander mee They smilde my folly great herein to see Which though I were a dwarfe of stature small Durst take the name of Captaines great and tall Ne Getaes murder spared oft to spread As is their nature giuen to taunt and iest Wherefore as though Religion had me lead I offred sacrifice with solemne feast At Alexanders tombe where most and least Of all the youth were present to behold The offerings great I brought and gifts of gold This done I wil'd the youth should all prepare To shew themselues in field for I would chuse A band by Alexanders name to fare As erst in Thrace and Sparta I did vse They came reioicing all to heare the newes Where I with souldiers come to take the view Them compast in and all the people slew The valley all did swimme with streames of bloud So great that time a slaughter was there made It stainde the mightie mouthes of Nilus floud And on the shores you might bloud wetshod wade My piners eke were prest with showle and spade Tinterre the dead a monstrous trench that fill And on them dead they reard a mightie hill But then desiring glorie more to get By Parthian name which erst my father had I sent to Artabane without of let Ambassage great with gifts his minde to glad And for his daughter them perswade I bad Desiring him to giue her me to wife The cause of lasting loue and end of strife By this both ioind in one we might for ay Of all the world the Diademe possesse And might to each in all attempts be stay In fight our foes by firmer force suppresse When they my message thus did there expresse At first he feard deceit againe I sent Wherewith he was at last full well content By gifts I wrought and plight my faith withall For truth to him and for his daughters loue And he began me sonne in lawe to call Which new report did all the Parthians moue Vs to receiue our friendships firme t' approue Reioycing now such league at last to see Whereby they might from Romane warres be free And so I entred Parthia as mine owne The Parthians me receiued with triumphs great When mine approch to Artabane was knowne In plaine before the City of his seat He came to meete mee with a number great Ware garlands gay in golden vestures clad With all the ioy and triumphs might be had So when great multitudes assembled were Their horses left behind and bowes laid downe Amongst their cups deuoide of force the feare By numbers great the chiefe of all the towne Which came to see the bridemans high renowne Disorderly vnarm'd as so they stand I gaue my souldiers signe to vse their hand And downe by sword they fell they could not flie The King scarse scap'd conueid by horse away Their solemne garments long their flight did tie A slaughter great of Parthians was that day We sackte their Townes and noble men did slay From thence I past t'Azamia after this To hunt and gaue my selfe to bathe in blisse Thus hauing runne my recklesse race vnkinde And doubting both of treason and my thrall I sought by curious arts of sprites to finde Who should
Totnesse hauen two brethren did arriue Which quickly would from that my fort me driue The brethren both of Constantine the King Peccaui they did meane to make me sing From worse to worse seldome is better seene Our present ioyes hereafter thralles do thret And he who now doth flourish fresh and greene Must fade and fall as Hyems frosts do fret Dame Floraes fields or as the raine with wet In dropping daies the pleasant plains doth drowne So ruthfull men bereaue vs of renowne Men may therefore like Marmaids euer mourne The shining Sunne who do so much delight That aye they waile like Furies quite forlorne When Sol doth shine when Titans beames be bright They feare the stormes that may hereafter light They weepe because they must the Sunne forgo When stormes do fall they waile their present wo. So mortall man with malice all bested When good successe doth sound a blessed blast With brinish teares then may they eate their bread For happie daies from man doth flee as fast As powders force from peece doth pellet cast And troubles tedious time with paselesse stay Once wonne alas will neuer walke away How I in maze of trouble heere did toile Iudge you which see me trauise in the same And how I was inforst to finall foile Not now for now although it doth me shame I will declare how I was fri'd with flame For Ambrose he and Vter Pendragon My castle burnt me and my men each one Then Ambrose with his brothers crowne was crown'd Which I from him had reaft against all right So now you see vpon what slipperie ground They stand which do extoll themselues by might Their wandring feete do walke as in the night Their stumbling steps their guiltie minds do feare They daily see the blocke of bale appeare With scalding sighes they do themselues consume For feare to fall doth yeeld none other fruit They rage with wrath they daily fret and fume Ruthfull reuenge them alwaies hath in sute And right in time makes might both mum and mute For that which might by secret meanes hath wrought By tract of time to open shew is brought Vsurpers then do reape their right reward The foile once felt they feele how vile and vaine It is to be to high degrees prefer'd By lawlesse meanes they find what pinching paine Amid'st the minds of such men do remaine They alwaies throng'd with cruell thretting thrall Do feed vpon none other food but gall A proofe whereof a plat a paterne plaine The ruthfull race I Vortiger haue run Desciphers so that man may see how vaine A thing it is his former Fate to shun Honor obtain'd alas what haue we won A hidious heape of cruell carking care Which to consume mans life doth neuer spare Thomas Blener Hasset HOW VTER PENDRAGON WAS INAMOVRED ON the wife of Gorolus Duke of Cornewall whom he slew and after was poisoned by the Saxons Anno Dom. 500. WE leade our liues by fancies fond delight For kingdomes some do busie much their braine But Cupids curse that wretched little wight That blinded boy vnto my pinching paine Dub'd me a Knight of daintie Venus traine Where beames of Beautie brought me by and by To cast my care to please my Ladies eye O Beautie braue thy gladsome glittering gleames With smiling cheare and wildie winking eyes Doth drowne with dole amidst the surging streames Of deepe despaire the wights which be most wise Aye me my wit my pen cannot deuise Of Beautie braue to make a true discourse To thinke thereof I feele my selfe the worse I Pendragon of Britaine crowned King The fretting force of Beauties hatefull hew Those frying flames I felt that hatefull sting That wounds my fame which now too late I rew Whil'st with delight I did thy vanting view I like the Hauke which soares in good estate Did spie a Stale I stoopt and tooke a Mate For at what time the Saxons did assaile My Britaine state and tooke each man a share My kingdome they euen for their best auaile Did then diuide for which with carking care Them thence to driue I did my powre prepare And being come to Cornewall with my band I ment to haue Duke Gorolus helping hand There in the Church I set to sacrifice Those holy vowes which victories require Euen whil'st I did with all my heart deuise How to subdue my foes with sword and speare Euen then there did this peerelesse Pearle appeare Duke Gorolus wife whose gallant gate and grace Stealing mine heart my honor did deface When Vortiger my brother did oppresse In exile then my youthfull yeares were spent At my returne his fault he did confesse And from his crowne the crowne in haste I sent Then my delight was in the dierie dent Of wrackfull warre but now transform'd I stand The ancient Oke must grow now like a wand I maruail'd much how Syrens songs might please But now I muse that Circes forcerie Doth not from euery man bereaue his ease Calipsoes cups with poisoned treacherie Cannot so much abridge mans libertie As Syrens songs and Circes suttle art Whose chaunting charmes inwrapt with wo my heart Vlysses sayling by the perillous place Where these to please the passers by did play Where Lady Loue doth vant with garish grace Her daintie Damsels gallant Girles and gay Inticing trulles they causde the Greeke to say With cables come and tie me to this Mast Lest I my selfe to pleasures Court me cast Muse not therefore though feature fine of face Though comely corps and trim inticing cheere Made me obey Sir Cupids mightie Mace The force whereof Vlysses wise did feare He sail'd aloofe he from these bankes did beare His shaking ship but other many moe Did there arriue and weau'd the web of woe There Salomon did reape the crop of care There Dauid lou'd as I Vrias wife There Samson strong was snarled in the snare There Paris liu'd euen there he lost his life There Helens hate brought Troy her finall strife Alcides he the mightie Hercules There to arriue did find it dangerous I learn'd with losse of my renowne at last That he who doth delight in lawlesse loue Must play the foole ere all the parts be past And taste the sauce prepar'd for his behoue Let men take heed how they their fancies moue Let man beware where he doth cast his eie The limed bird doth proue in vaine to flie O ancient Rome thou did'stordaine of yore That women should no banquetting frequent At Rome she was esteem'd a harlot whore If from her house without her veile she went Which lawes no doubt were made to good intent For why the beames of beauties sanguin'd sight Like Basiliske doth spoile the gazing wight Therefore the maids and Roman matrons all A shadowing veile before their face did weare Their heauenly hue did throw no man to thrall They were content with plaine and decent geare They huft it not with painted frisled heare The married wife the matron and the maid They of their veiles were glad
his Realmes berest His silly infant did receiue his power Poore little babe full yong in cradle left Where Crowne and Scepter hurt him with the heft Whose worthie vncles had the gouernance The one at home the other abroad in France And I which was in peace and warre well skilled With both these Rulers greatly was esteemed Bare rule at home as often as they willed And fought in France when they it needfull deemed And euery where so good my seruice seemed That English men to me great loue did beare Our foes the French my force fulfill'd with feare I alwaies thought it fitly for a Prince And such as haue the regiment of Realmes His subiects hearts with mildnes to conuince With Iustice mixt auoiding all extreames For like as Phoebus with his cheerefull beames Doth freshly force the fragrant flowres to florish So rulers mildnesse subiects loue doth norish This found I true for through my milde behauiour Their hearts I had with me to liue and die And in their speech be wrayer of their fauour They call'd me still good Earle of Salisburie The Lords confesse the Commons did not lie For vertuous life free heart and lowly mind With high and low shall alwaies fauour find Which vertues chiefe become a man of warre Whereof in France I found experience For in assaults due mildnes passeth farre All rigour force and sturdie violence For men will stoutly sticke to their defence When cruell Captaines couet after spoile And so enforst oft giue their foes the foile But when they know they shall be friendly vsed They hazard not their heads but rather yeeld For this my offers neuer were refused Of any towne or surely very seeld But force and furies fit be for the field And there indeed I vsed so the same My foes would flie if they but heard my name For when Lord Steward and Earle Vantadors Had cruelly besieged Crauant towne Which he had won and kept long time before Which lieth in Awxer on the Riuer Youne To raise the siege the Regent sent me downe Whereas I vsde all rigour that I might I killed all that were not sau'd by flight When th' Earle of Bedford then in France Lord Regent Knew in what sort I had remoued the siege In Brye and Champaine he made me Vicegerent And Lieutenant for him and for my Liege Which causde me go to Brye and there besiege Mountaguillon with twentie weekes assaut Which at the last was yeelded me for naught And for the Duke of Britaines brother Arthur Both Earle of Richmond and of Yuerie Against his oath from vs had made departure To Charles the Dolphin our chiefe enemie I with the Regent went to Normandie To take his towne of Yuerie which of spight Did to vs daily all the harme they might They at the first compounded by a day To yeeld if rescues did not come before And while in hope to fight we at it lay The Dolphin gathered men two thousand score With Earles with Lords and Captaines iolly store Of which the Duke of Alanson was guide And sent them downe to see if we would bide But they left vs and downe to Vernoile went And made their vaunt they had our armie slaine And through that lie that towne from vs they hent Which shortly after turned to their paine For there both armies met vpon the plaine And we eight thousand whom they flew before Did kill of them ten thousand men and more When we had taken Vernoile thus againe To driue the treacherous Dolphin out of France The Regent sent me t' Aniow and to Mayne Where I besieg'd the warlike towne of Mawns There Lord of Toysers Baldwins valiance Did well appeare which would not yeeld the towne Till all the Towres and walles were battered downe But heere now Baldwine take it in good part Though that I brought this Baldwine there to yeeld The Lion fierce for all his noble heart Being ouermatch'd is forst to flie the field If Mars himselfe there had been with his shield And in my stormes had stoutly me withstood He should haue yeeld or else haue shed my blood This worthie Knight both hardie stout and wise Wrought well his feat as time and place require When Fortune failes it is the best aduise To strike the saile lest all lie in the mire This haue I said to th' end thou take no ire For though no cause be found so nature frames Men haue a zeale to such as beare their names But to returne in Mayne wan I at length Such townes and sorts as might or helpe or hurt I manned Mayne and Suzans towne of strength Fort Barnard Thanceaur and S. Cales the curt With Lile sues Bolton standing in the durt Eke Gwerland Suze Loupeland and Mount sure With Malycorne these wan I and kept full sure Besides all this I tooke neere fortie holds But those I raced euen with the ground And for these deeds as sillie sheepe in folds Do shrinke for feare at euery little sound So fled my foes before my face full round Was none so hardie durst abide the fight So Mars and Fortune furthered me their Knight I tell no lie so gastfull grew my name That it alone discomfited an host The boldest Frenchmen well confesse the same Else will the towne which they like cowards lost For when they sieged Beauron with great boast Being fortie thousand well arm'd in field Fiue hundred men enforced them to yeeld For while the Frenchmen fresh assaulted still Our Englishmen came boldly forth at night Crying Saint George Salisbury kill kill And offered freshly with their foes to fight And they as Frenchly tooke themselues to flight Supposing surely that I had been there See how my name did put them all in feare Thus was the Dolphins power discomfited Foure thousand slaine their Campetane as it stood Whereby our towne and souldiers profited For there were vitailes plentifull and good This while was I in England by the rood T' appease a strife that was right foule befall Betweene Duke Humfrey and the Cardinall The Duke of Exeter soone after died Which of the King at home had gouernance Whose roome the Earle of Warwicke then supplied And I tooke his and sped me into France Where in good hope to conquer Orliance With much adoe I got the Regents aid And marched forth and siege about it laid But in the way I tooke the towne of Yaine Where murdered were for stoutnes many a man But Baugencey I tooke with little paine For which to shew them fauour I began This causde the townes of Mewne and Iargeman That stood on Loyer to profer me the keyes Ere I came neere them welnigh by two daies See heere how Fortune froward can allure What baits she layeth to bring men to their ends Who hauing hap like this but hopeth sure To bring to bale what euer he entends But soone is sower the sweet that Fortune sends When hope and hap when health and wealth is highest Then woe and wracke disease and need
be nighest For while I suing this so good successe Laid siege to Orliaunce on the Riuer side The Bastard Cuckold Cawnies sonne I gesse Tho thought the Dukes who had the towne in guide Came fiercely forth when he his time espi'd To raise the siege but was bet backe againe And hard pursued both to his losse and paine For there we wan the Bulwarke on the bridge With a mightie tower standing fast thereby Ah cursed tower that didst my daies abridge Would God thou had'st been further either I For in this tower a chamber stands on hie From which a man may view through all the towne By certaine windowes iron grated downe Where on a day now Baldwine note mine end I stood in viewing where the towne was weake And as I busily talked with my friend Shot from the towne which all the grate did breake A pellet came and droue a mightie fleake Against my face and tare away my cheeke For paine whereof I died within a weeke See Baldwine see the most vncertaine glorie How sudden mischiefe dasheth all to dust And warne all Princes by my broken storie The happiest fortune chiefly to mistrust Was neuer man that alway had his lust Then mortall fooles in fancie more then mad Which hope to haue that neuer any had W. Baldwine HOW DAME ELEANOR COBHAM DVCHESSE OF GLOCESTER FOR PRACtising of Witchcraft and Sorcery suffred open penance and after was banished the Realme into the I le of Man IF a poore Ladie damned in exile Amongst Princes may be allowed place Then gentle Baldwine stay thy pen a while And of pure pitie ponder well my case How I a Duchesse destitute of grace Haue found by proofe as many haue and shall The prouerbe true that pride will haue a fall A noble Prince extract of royall blood Humfrey sometime protector of this Land Of Glocester Duke for vertue call'd the good When I but base beneath his state did stand Vouchsaft with me to ioyne in wedlockes band Hauing in Court no name of high degree But Eleanor Cobham as parents left to mee And though by blith of noble race I was Of Barons blood yet was I thought vnfit So high to match yet so it came to passe Whether by grace good fortune or by wit Dame Venus lures so in mine eyes did sit As this great Prince without respect of state Did worthie me to be his wedded mate His wife I was and he my true husband Though for a while he had the company Of Lady Iaquet Dutchesse of Holland Being an heire of ample patrimony But that fell out to be no matrimonie For after warre long sute in law and strife She proued was the Duke of Brabants wife Thus of a Damsell Dutchesse I became My state and place aduanced next the Queene Whereby me thought I felt no ground but swam For in the Court mine equall was not seene And so possest with pleasure of the spleene The sparkes of pride so kindled in my brest As I in Court would shine aboue the rest Such gifts of nature God in me had graft Of shape and forme with other graces mo That by the shot of Cupids fiery shaft Which to the heart of this great Prince did go This mightie Duke with loue was kindled so As he abasing th' height of his degree Set his whole heart to loue and honor mee Grudge whoso would to him I was most deere Aboue all Dames aduanced in degree The Queene except no Princesse was my peere But gaue me place and Lords with cap and knee Did all honor and reuerence vnto mee Thus hoisted high vpon the rolling wheele I sate so sure me though I could not reele And weening least that Fortune hath a turne I look'd aloft and would not looke alow The brands of pride so in my brest did burne As the hot sparkes burst forth in open show And more and more the fire began to glow Without quenching and daily did encrease Till Fortunes blasts with shame did make it cease For as t is said pride passeth on afore And shame followes for iust reward and meed Would God Ladies both now and euermore Of my hard hap which shall the storie reede Would beare in mind and trust it as their Creed That pride of heart is a most hatefull vice And low linesse a pearle of passing price Namely in Queenes and Ladies of estate Within whose minds all meeknes should abound Since high disdaine doth alwaies purchase hate Being a vice that most part doth redound To their reproch in whom the same is found And seldome gets good fauour or good fame But is at last knit vp with worldly shame The proofe whereof I found most true indeed That pride afore hath shame to wait behind Let no man doubt in whom this vice doth breed But shame for pride by iustice is assign'd Which I well found for truly in my mind Was neuer none whom pride did more enflame Nor neuer none receiued greater shame For not content to be a Dutchesse great I longed sore to beare the name of Queene Aspiring still vnto an higher seat And with that hope my selfe did ouerweene Since there was none which that time was betweene Henrie the King and my good Duke his Eame Heire to the crowne and kingdome of this Realme So neare to be was cause of my vaine hope And long await when this faire hap would fall My studies all were tending to that scope Alas the while to counsell I did call Such as would seeme by skill coniecturall Of art Magique and wicked Sorcerie For to diuine the Princes destinie Among which sort of those that bare most fame There was a Beldame call'd the Witch of Ey Old mother Madge her neighbours did her name Which wrought wonders in countries by here-say Furies and feends her charming would obay And dead corps from graue she could vpreare Such an Inchantresse that time had no peere Two Priests also the one hight Bolenbroke The other Suthwel Clerkes in coniuration These two Chaplaines were they that vndertooke To cast and calke the Kings true constellation And then to iudge by deepest diuination Of things to come and who should next succeed To Englands Crowne all this was true indeed And further sure they neuer did proceed Though I confesse that this attempt was ill But for my part for any thing in deed Wrought or else thought by any kind of skill God is my iudge I neuer had the will By any inchantment Sorcerie or charme Or otherwise to worke my Princes harme Yet nerethelesse when this case came to light By secret spies to Caiphas our Cardinall Who long in heart had borne a priuie spight To my good Duke his nephew naturall Glad of the chance so fitly forth to fall His long hid hate with Iustice to color Vsed this case with most extreame rigor And caused me with my complices all To be cited by processe peremptorie Before Iudges in place Iudiciall Whereas Caiphas sitting in his glorie Would not allow my answere
dilatorie Ne Doctor or Proctor to alledge the lawes But forced me to plead in mine owne cause The Kings counsell were called to the case My husband then shut out for the season In whose absence I found but little grace For Lawyers turned our offence to treason And so with rigor without ruth or reason Sentence was giuen that I for the same Should doe penance and suffer open shame Nay the like shame had neuer wight I weene Duches Lady ne Damsel of degree As I that was a Princesse next the Queene Wife to a Prince and none so great as hee A Kings vncle Protector of his countrey With Taper burning shrouded in a sheete Three dayes a row to passe the open streete Barelegd and bare foote to all the worlds wonder Yea and as though such shame did not suffise With more despite then to part asunder Me and my Duke which Traitors did deuise By Statute lawe in most vnlawfull wise First sending me with shame into exile Then murdring him by trechery and guile Yea and besides this cruell banishment Far from all friends to comfort mee in care And husbands death there was by Parliament Ordaind for me a messe of courser fare For they to bring me to beggers state most bare By the same act from mee did then withdraw Such right of dower as widowes haue by law Death as t' is said doth set all things at rest Which fell not so in mine vnhappy case For since my death mine enmies made a Iest In minstrels rimes mine honour to deface And then to bring my name in more disgrace A song was made in manner of a laic Which old wiues sing of mee vnto this day Yet with these spites their malice could not end For shortly after my sorowes to renue My loiall Lord which neuer did offend VVas cald in haste the cause he litle knew To a Parlement without sommons due VVhereas his death was cruelly contriued And I his wife of earthly ioyes depriued For all the while my Duke had life and breath So long I stood in hope of my restore But when I heard of his most causles death Then the best salue for my recureles sore VVas to despaire of cure for euermore And as I could my carefull heart to cure VVith patience most painfull to endure O Traitors fell which in your hearts could find Like feends of hell the guiltles to betray But ye chiefly his kinsmen most vnkind VVhich gaue consent to make him so away That vnto God with all my heart I pray Vengeance may light on him that caused all Beaufort I meane that cursed Cardinall VVhich bastard Priest of th' house of Lancaster Sonne to Duke Iohn surnamed Iohn of Gaunt VVas first create Bishop of VVinchester For no learning whereof he might well vaunt Ne for vertue which he did neuer haunt But for his Gold and summes that were not small Paid to the Pope was made a Cardinall Proud Lucifer which from the heauens on high Downe to the pit of hell below was cast And being once an Angell bright in sky For his pride in hell is chained fast In deepe darkenes that euermore shall last More haut of heart was not before his fall Then was this proud and pompous Cardinall VVhose life good Baldwine paint out in his pickle A and blase this Baal and Belligod most blind An hypocrite all faithles false and fickle A wicked wretch a kinsman most vnkind A Diuell incarnate all diuellishly enclind And to discharge my conscience all at once The Diuell him gnaw both body bloud and bones The spitefull Priest would needes make me a VVitch As would to God I had been for his sake I would haue clawd him where he did not itch I would haue plaid the Lady of the Lake And as Merline was closde him in a brake Ye a Meridian to lull him by day light And a night mare to ride on him by night The fiery feends with feuers hot and frenzy The Airy hegges with stench and carren sauoures The watry ghosts with gowtes and with dropsy The earthly Goblines with Aches at all houres Furies and Fairies with all infernall powers I would haue stird from the darke dungeon Of hell Centre as deepe as Demagorgon Or had I now the skill of dame Erichto Whose dreadfull charmes as Lucan doth expresse All feends did feare so far forth as Prince Pluto VVas at her call for dread of more distresse Then would I send of helhownds more and lesse A legion at least at him to cry and yell And with that charme herrie him downe to hell VVhich need not for sure I thinke that he VVho here in earth leades Epicurus life As farre from God as possible may be VVith whom all sinne and vices are most rife Vsing at will both widow maid and wife But that some Diuell his body doth possesse His life is such as men can iudge no lesse And God forgiue my wrath and wreakefull mind Such is my hate to that most wicked wretch Die when he shall in heart I could well finde Out of the graue his corps againe to fetch And racke his limmes as long as they would stretch And take delight to listen euery day How he could sing a masse of welaway The I le of Man was the appointed place To penance me for euer in exile Thither in haste they posted me apace And doubting scape they pind me in a Pile Close by my selfe in care alas the while There felt I first poore prisoners hungry fare Much want things skant and stone walles hard and bare The change was strange from silke and cloth of gold To rugged frize my carcas for to cloath From Princes fare and dainties hot and cold To rotten fish and meates that one would loath The diet and dressing were much alike boath Bedding and lodging were all alike fine Such Downe it was as serued well for swine Neither doe I mine owne case thus complaine Which I confesse came partly by desert The only cause which doubleth all my paine And which most neere goeth now vnto my heart Is that my fault did finally reuert To him that was least guilty of the same Whose death it was though I abode the shame VVhose fatall fall when I doe call to minde And how by me his mischiefe first began So oft I cry on Fortune most vnkinde And my mishap most vtterly doe banne That euer I to such a noble man Who from my crime was innocent and cleare Should be a cause to buy his loue so deare Oh to my heart how grieuous is the wound Calling to mind this dismall deadly case I would I had been doluen vnder ground When he first saw or looked on my face Or tooke delight in any kind of grace Seeming in me that him did stir or moue To fancie me or set his heart to loue Farewell Greenewich my Palace of delight Where I was wont to see the Christall streames Of royall Thames most pleasant to my sight And farewell Kent right
to get Must see their works and words in all agree Liue liberally and keepe them out of det On Commonwealth let all their care be set For vpright dealing debts paid poore sustained Is meane whereby all hearts are throwly gained HOW KING HENRIE THE SIXT A VERTVOVS PRINCE WAS AFter many other miseries cruelly murdered in the Tower of London the 22. of May Anno 1471. IF euer wofull wight had cause to rue his state Or by his ruefull plight to moue men mone his fate My piteous plaint may prease my mishap to rehearse Wherof the least most lightly heard the hardest hart may pierce What heart so hard can heare of innocence opprest By fraud in worldly goods but melteth in the brest When guiltlesse men be spoil'd imprisoned for their owne Who waileth not their wretched case to whom the case is knowen The Lion lickes the sores of silly wounded sheepe The dead mans corps may cause the Crocodile to weepe The waues that waste the rockes refresh the rotten reeds Such ruth the wracke of innocence in cruell creatures breeds What heart is then so hard but will for pitie bleed To heare so cruell lucke so cleare a life succeed To see a silly soule with woe and sorrow sounst A King depriu'd in prison pent to death with daggers dounst Would God the day of birth had brought me to my bere Then had I neuer felt the change of Fortunes chere Would God the graue had gript me in her greedie wombe When crowne in cradle made me King with oile of holy thombe Would God the rufull tombe had been my royall throne So should no Kingly charge haue made me make my mone O that my soule had flowen to heauen with the ioy When one sort cried God saue the King another Viue le Roy. So had I not been washt in waues of worldly wo My minde to quiet bent had not been tossed so My frends had been aliue my subiects not opprest But death or cruell destiny denied me this rest Alas what should we count the cause of wretches cares The starres do stirre them vp Astronomy declares Our humors saith the leach the double true diuines To 'th will of God or ill of man the doubtfull cause assignes Such doltish heads as dreame that all things driue by haps Count lacke of former care for cause of after claps Attributing to man a power fro God bereft Abusing vs and robbing him through their most wicked theft But God doth guide the world and euery hap by skill Our wit and willing power are poized by his will What wit most wisely wards will most deadly vrkes Though all our power would presse it down doth dash our warest workes Then destiny our sinne Gods will or else his wreake Doe worke our wretched woes for humours be too weake Except we take them so as they prouoke to sinne For through our lust by humours fed all vicious deeds beginne So sinne and they be one both working like effect And cause the wrath of God to wreake the soule infect Thus wrath and wreake diuine mans sinnes and humours ill Concurre in one though in a sort ech doth a course fulfill If likewise such as say the welkin Fortune warkes Take Fortune for our fate and Starres thereof the markes Then destiny with fate and Gods will all be one But if they meane it otherwise skath causers skies be none Thus of our heauy haps chiefe causes be but twaine Whereon the rest depend and vnder put remaine The chiefe the will diuine cald destiny and fate The other sinne through humours holpe which God doth highly hate The first appointeth paine for good mens exercise The second doth deserue due punishment for vice This witnesseth the wrath and that the loue of God The good for loue the bad for sinne God beateth with his rod. Although my sundry sinnes doe place me with the worst My haps yet cause me hope to be among the first The eye that searcheth all and seeth euery thought Is Iudge how sore I hated sinne and after vertue sought The solace of my soule my chiefest pleasure was Of worldly pomp of fame or game I did not passe My Kingdomes nor my Crowne I prised not a crum In Heauen were my riches heapt to which I sought to come Yet were my sorowes such as neuer man had like So diuers stormes at once so often did me strike But why God knowes not I except it were for this To shew by paterne of a Prince how brittle honour is Our kingdomes are but cares our state deuoid of stay Our riches ready snares to hasten our decay Our pleasures priuy pricks our vices to prouoke Our pompe a pumpe our fame a flame our power a smouldring smoke I speake not but by proofe and that may many rue My life doth cry it out my death doth try it true Whereof I will in briefe rehearse the heauy hap That Baldwine in his woefull warpe my wretchednesse may wrap In Windsore borne I was and bare my fathers name Who wonne by warre all France to his eternall fame And left to me the crowne to be receiu'd in peace Through mariage made with Charles his heire vpon his lifes decease Which shortly did ensue yet died my father furst And both the Realmes were mine ere I a yeare were nurst Which as they fell too soone so faded they as fast For Charles and Edward got them both or forty yeares were past This Charles was eldest sonne of Charles my father in law To whom as heire of France the Frenchmen did them draw But Edward was the heire of Richard Duke of Yorke The heire of Roger Mortimer slaine by the kerne of Korke Before I came to age Charles had recouered France And kild my men of warre so happy was his chance And through a mad contract I made with Raynerds daughter I gaue and lost all Normandy the cause of many a slaughter First of mine vncle Humfrey abhorring sore this act Because I thereby brake a better precontract Then of the flattering Duke that first the mariage made The iust reward of such as dare their Princes ill perswade And I poore silly wretch abode the brunt of all My mariage lust so sweet was mixt with bitter gall My wife was wise and good had she ben rightly sought But our vnlawfull getting it may make a good thing nought Wherefore warne men beware how they iust promise breake Lest proofe of painfull plagues doe cause them waile the wreake Aduise well ere they grant but what they grant performe For God will plague all doublenes although we feele no worme I falsly borne in hand beleeued I did well But all things bee not true that learned men doe tell My clergie said a Prince was to no promise bound Whose words to be no gospell tho I to my griefe haue found For after mariage ioind Queene Margaret and me For one mishap afore I dayly met with three Of Normandy and France Charles got away my Crowne The Duke
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
of his could beare no mate Our wealth through him waxt many a time the worser So cankardly he had our kin in hate He troubled oft the Kings vnsteady state And that because he would not be his ward To wed and worke as he should list award He spited vs because we were preferd By mariage to dignities so great But craftily his malice he deferd Till traytorously he found meanes to entreate Our brother of Clarence to assist his feate Whom when he had by mariage to him bound Then wrought he straight our linage to confound Through slanderous brutes he brued many a broile Throughout the Realme against the King my brother And raised trayterous rebels thirsting spoile To murder men of whom among all other Robin of Kiddesdale many a soule did smother His rascall rable at my father wroth Tooke sire and sonne and quicke beheaded both This heynous act although the King detested Yet was he faine to pardon for the rout Of rebels all the Realme so sore infested That euery way assaild he stood in doubt And though he were of courage high and stout Yet he assaid by faire meanes to asswage His enemies ire reueld by rebels rage But Warwicke was not pacified thus His constant rancour causeles was extreme No meane could serue the quarell to discus Till he had driuen the King out of the Realme Nor would he then be waked from his dreame For when my brother was come and plac'd againe He stinted not till he was stoutly slaine Then grew the King and Realme to quiet rest Our stocke and friends still stying higher and higher The Queene with children fruitfully was blest I gouernd them it was the Kings desier This set their vncles furiously on fier That we the Queenes bloud were assignd to gouern The Prince not they the Kings owne bloud and brethren This causde the Duke of Clarence so to chafe That with the King he brainelesse fell at bate The Counsaile warily to keepe him safe From raising tumults as he did of late Imprisoned him where through his brothers hate He was condemnd and murdered in such sort As he himselfe hath truly made report Was none abhord these mischiefs more then I Yet could I not be therewith discontented Considering that his rancour toucht mee ny Els would my conscience neuer haue consented To wish him harme could he haue beene contented But feare of hurt for sauegard of out state Doth cause more mischiefe then desert or hate Such is the state that many wish to beare That or we must with others bloud be staind Or leade our liues continually in feare You mounting mindes behold here what is gaind By coumbrous honour painfully attaind A damned soule for murdring them that hate you Or doubtfull life in danger lest they mate you The cause I thinke why some of high degree Do deadly hate all seekers to ascend Is this The clowne contented can not be With any state till time he apprehend The highest top for therto climers tend Which seldome is attaind without the wracke Of those betweene that stay and beare him back To saue themselues they therfore are compeld To hate such climers and with wit and power To compasse meanes where through they may be queld Ere they ascend their honours to deuoure This causd the Duke of Clarence frowne and lowre At me and other whom the King promoted To dignities wherein he madly doted For seeing we were his deare allied frends Our furtherance should rather haue made him glad Then enmy-like to wish our wofull ends We were the neerest kinsfolk that he had We ioyed with him his sorow made vs sad But he esteem'd so much his painted sheath That he disdaind the loue of all beneath But see how sharply God reuengeth sinne As he maligned me and many other His faithfull friends and kindest of his kin So Richard Duke of Glocester his owne brother Maligned him and beastly did him smother A diuellish deed a most vnkindly part Yet iust reuenge for his vnnaturall hart Although this brother-queller tyrant fell Enuide our state as much and more then he Yet did his cloaking flattery so excell To all our friends ward chiefly vnto mee That he appear'd our trustie stay to bee For outwardly he wrought our state to furder Where inwardly hee minded nought saue murder Thus in appearance who but I was blest The chiefest honours heaped on my head Belou'd of all enioying quiet rest The forward Prince by me alone was led A noble impe to all good vertues bred The King my Liege without my counsaile knowne Agreed nought though wisest were his owne But quiet blisse in no state lasteth long Assailed still by mischief many waies Whose spoyling battrie glowing hote and strong No flowing wealth no force nor wisdome staies Her smoakles powder beaten souldiers slaies By open force foule mischiefe oft preuailes By secret sleight she seeld her purpose failes The King was bent too much to foolish pleasure In banqueting he had so great delight This made him grow in grossenesse out of measure Which as it kindleth carnall appetite So quencheth it the liuelines of sprite Whereof ensue such sicknes and diseases As none can cure saue death that all displeases Through this fault furdered by his brothers fraud Now God forgiue me if I iudge amisse Or through that beast his ribald or his baud That larded still these sinfull lusts of his He sodainely forsooke all worldly blisse That loathed leach that neuer welcome death Through Spasmous humours stopped vp his breath That time lay I at Ludloe Wales his border For with the Prince the King had sent me thither To stay the robberies spoile and foule disorder Of diuers outlawes gathered there together Whose banding tended no man wist well whither VVhen these by wisdome safely were suppressed Came wofull newes our soueraigne was deceassed The griefe whereof when reason had asswaged Because the Prince remained in my guide For his defence great store of men I waged Doubting the stormes which at such time betide But while I there thus warely did prouide Commandement came to send them home againe And bring the King thēce with his houshold traine This charge sent from the Counsell and the Queene Though much against my minde I beast obayed The diuell himselfe wrought all the drift I weene Because he would haue innocents betraied For ere the King were halfe his way conuayed A sort of traytors falsly him betrapt I caught afore and close in prison clapt The Duke of Glocester that in carnate deuill Confedred with the Duke of Buckingham VVith eke Lord Hastings hasty both to euill To meete the King in mourning habit came A cruell VVolfe though clothed like a Lambe And at Northampton where as then I baited They toke their Inne as they on me had waited The King that night at Stonystratford lay A towne too small to harbour all his traine This was the cause why he was gone away VVhile I with other did behind remaine But will you see how falsly
loose thy breath that yet but yongly bloweth Happie thrice happie who so loos'th his breath That life he gaineth by his godly death As Hastings heere Whom time and truth agree To engraue by fame in strong eternitie Who spareth not speaking with danger of his blood Yet loe this noble Lord did thinke it good To cleare the innocent not to spare to speake Although his shoulders with his blood should reake Worthie to liue who liu'd not for himselfe But prised his same more then this worldly pelfe Whose name and line if any yet preserue We wish they liue like honor to destrue Whether thou seeke by martiall prowese praise Or Pallas policie high thy name to raise Or trustie seruice honor to attaine Hastings foreled tracke heere his bloodie traine FINIS Master D. THE COMPLAINT OF HENRIE DVKE of Buckingham WHo trusts too much to honors highest throne And warily watch not slie dame Fortunes snares Or who in Court will beare the swing alone And wisely weigh not how to weild the care Behold he me and by my death beware Whom flattering Fortune falsely so beguilde That loe she slew where erst full smooth shee smilde And Sackuill sith in purpose now thou hast The wofull fall of Princes to descriue Whom Fortune both vplift and eke downe cast To shew thereby th' vnsuretie in this life Marke well my fall which I shall shew beliue And paint it forth that all estates may know Haue they the warning and be mine the woe For noble blood made me both Prince and Peere Yea peerelesse too had reason purchast place And God with gifts endow'd me largely heere But what auailes his gifts where failes his grace My mothers sire sprung of a kingly race And call'd was Edmund Duke of Sommerset Bereft of life ere time by nature set Whose faithfull heart to Henrie sixt so wrought That he him nere in weale or woe forsooke Till lastly he at Tewkesbury field was cought Where with an axe his violent death he tooke He neuer could King Edwards partie brooke Till by his death he voucht that quarrell good In which his Sire and Grand-sire spilt their blood And such was erst my fathers cruell chance Of Stafford Earle by name that Humfrey hight Who euer prest did Henries part aduance And neuer ceast till at Saint Albones fight He lost his life as then did many a Knight Where eke my Grandsire Duke of Buckingham Was wounded sore and hardly scapt vntane But what may boote to stay the Sisters three When Atropos perforce will cut the thred The dolefull day was come when you might see Northampton field with armed men orespred VVhere fate would algates haue my Grandsire dead So rushing forth amids the fiercest fight He liu'd and di'd there in his Masters right In place of whom as it befell my lot Like on a stage so stept I in straightway Enioying there but wofully God wot As he that had a slender part to play To teach thereby in earth no state may stay But as our parts abridge or length our age So passe we all while others fill the stage For of my selfe the dreerie fate to plaine I was sometime a Prince withouten peere VVhen Edward fift began his rufull raigne Ay me then I began that hatefull yeare To compasse that which I haue bought so deare I bare the swinge I and that wretched wight The Duke of Glocester that Richard hight For when the fates had reft that Roiall Prince Edward the fourth chiefe mirrour of that name The Duke and I fast ioined euer since In faithfull loue our secret dristes to frame VVhat he thought best to me so seem'd the same My selfe not bent so much for to aspire As to fulfill that greedy Dukes desire Whose restlesse minde sore thirsting after rule When that he saw his nephewes both to bin Through tender yeares as yet vnfit to rule And rather ruled by their Mothers kin There sought he first his mischiefe to begin To pluck from them their Mothers friends assinde For well he wist they would wistand his minde To follow which he ran so headlong swift With eagre thirst of his desired draught To seeke their deaths that sought to dash his drift Of whom the chiefe the Queenes allies he thought That bent thereto with mounts of mischiefe fraught He knew their liues would be so sore his let That in their deaths his onely help he set And I most cursed caitiffe that I was Seeing the state vnstedfast how it stood His chiefe complice to bring the same to passe Vnhappie wretch consented to their blood Yee Kings and Peeres that swim in worldly good In seeking bloud the end aduert you plaine And see if bloud ay aske not bloud againe Consider Cyrus in your cruell thought A matchlesse Prince in riches and in might And weigh in minde the bloudy deedes he wrought In sheading which he set his whole delight But see the guerdon lotted to this wight He whose huge power no man might ouerthrow Tamiris Queene with great despite hath slow His head dismembred from his mangled corps Her selfe she cast into a vessell fraught VVith clottered bloud of them that felt her force And with these words a iustreward she taught Drinke now thy fill of thy desired draught Loe marke the fine that did this Prince befall Marke not this one but marke the end of all Behold Cambises and his fatall day Where murders mischiefe mirrour like is left While he his brother Mergus cast to slay A dreadfull thing his wits were him bereft A sword he caught wherewith he pierced eft His bodie gor'd which he of life benoomes So iust is God in all his dreadfull doomes O bloodie Brutus rightly didst thou rue And thou O Cassius iustly came thy fall That with the sword wherewith thou Caesar slue Murdredst thy selfe and reft thy life withall A Mirrour let him be vnto you all That murdrers be of murder to your meed For murder cries out vengeance on your seed Loe Bessus he that arm'd with murdrers knife And traytrours heart against his royall King With bloodie hands bereft his masters life Aduert the fine his foule offence did bring And lothing murder as most lothly thing Behold in him the iust deserued fall That euer hath and shall betide them all What booted him his false vsurped raigne Whereto by murder he did so ascend When like a wretch led in an iron chaine He was presented by his chiefest friend Vnto the foes of him whom he had slaine That euen they should auenge so foule a gilt That rather sought to haue his blood yspilt Take heed ye Princes and ye Prelats all Of this outrage which though it sleepe a while And not disclos'd as it doth seld befall Yet God that suffereth silence to beguile Such guilts wherewith both earth and aire ye file At last descries them to your foule disgrace You see th' examples set before your face And deeply graue within your stony harts The dreerie dole that mightie Macedo With tears
fire that is crept in the straw The thirstie drinkes there is no other shift Perforce is such that need obeyes no law Thus bound we are in worldly yokes to draw And cannot stay nor turne againe in time Nor learne of those that sought too high to clime My selfe for proofe loe heere I now appeare In womans weed with weeping watred eyes That bought her youth and her delights full deare Whose loud reproch doth sound vnto the skies And bids my corse out of the graue to rise As one that may no longer hide her face But needs must come and shew her pitious case The sheete of shame wherein I shrowded was Did moue me oft to plaine before this day And in mine cares did ring the trumpe of brasse Which is defame that doth each thing bewray Yea though full dead and low in earth I lay I heard the voice of me what people said But then to speake alas I was afraid And now a time for me I see prepar'd I heare the liues and falles of many wights My tale therefore the better may be har'd For at the torch the little candle lights Where pageants be small things fill out the sights Wherefore giue eare good Churchyard do thy best My tragedie to place among the rest Because the truth shall witnes well with thee I will rehearse in order as it fell My life my death my dolefull destinie My wealth my woe my doing euery deale My bitter blisse wherein I long did dwell A whole discourse by me Shores wife by name Now shalt thou heare as thou hadst seene the same Of noble blood I cannot boast my birth For I was made out of the meanest mold Mine heritage but seuen foot of th' earth Fortune ne gaue to me the gifts of gold But I could brag of nature if I wold Who fil'd my face with fauour fresh and faire Whose beautie shone like Phoebus in the aire My shape some said was seemely to each sight My countenance did shew a sober grace Mines eyes in lookes were neuer proued light My tongue in words was chast in euery case Mine eares were deafe and would no louers place Saue that alas a Prince did blot my brow Loe there the strong did make the weake to bow The maiesty that Kings to people beare The stately port the awfull cheere they show Doth make the meane to shrink and couch for feare Like as the hound that doth his master know What then since I was made vnto the bow There is no cloke can serue to hide my fault For I agreed the fort he should assault The Eagles force subdues ech bird that flies What metall may resist the flaming fire Doth not the Sun dazell the clearest eies And melt the ice and make the frost retire Who can withstand a puissant Kings desire The stiffest stones are pierced through with tooles The wisest are with Princes made but fooles If kinde had wrought my forme in common frames And set me forth in colours blacke and browne Or beautie had beene percht in Phoebus flames Or shamefast waies had pluckt my fethers downe Then had I kept my fame and good renowne For natures gifts were cause of all my griefe A pleasant prey entiseth many a thiefe Thus woe to thee that wrought my peacocks pride By clothing me with natures tapestry Woe worth the hew wherein my face was dide Which made me thinke I pleased euery eye Like as the starres make men behold the skie So beauties shew doth make the wise full fond And brings free harts full oft to endlesse bond But cleare from blame my frends can not be found Before my time my youth they did abuse In mariage a prentise was I bound Then that meere loue I knew not how to vse But wel away that cannot me excuse The harme is mine though they deuisde my care And I must smart and sit in slandrous snare Yet giue me leaue to plead my cause at large If that the horse do run beyond his race Or any thing that keepers haue in charge Do breake their course where Rulers may take place Or meat be set before the hungries face Who is in fault th' offender yea or no Or they that are the cause of all this wo. Note well what strife this forced mariage makes What lothed liues do come where loue doth lacke What scratching breers do grow vpon such brakes What common weales by it are brought to wracke What heauie loade is put on patients backe What strange delights this branch of vice doth breed And marke what graine springs out of such a seed Compell the hauke to sit that is vnman'd Or make the hound vntaught to draw the Deere Or bring the free against his will in band Or moue the sad a pleasant tale to heere Your time is lost and you no whit the neere So loue ne learnes of force the knot to knit She serues but those that feele sweet fancies fit The lesse defame redounds to my dispraise I was entist by traines and trapt by trust Though in my powre remained yeas and nayes Vnto my friends yet needs consent I must In euery thing yea lawfull or vniust They brake the boughes and shakte the tree by sleight And bent the wand that might haue growne full streight What helpe in this the pale thus broken downe The Deere must needs in danger run astray At me therefore why should the world so frowne My weaknesse made my youth a Princes pray Though wisdome should the course of nature stay Yet trie my case who list and they shall proue The ripest wits are soonest thralles to loue What need I more to cleare my selfe so much A King me wan and had me at his call His royall state his princely grace was such The hope of will that women seeke for all The ease and wealth the gifts which were not small Besieged me so strongly round about My powre was weake I could not hold him out Duke Hannibal in all his conquest great Or Caesar yet whose triumphs did exceed Of all their spoiles which made them toile and sweat Were not so glad to haue so rich a meed As was this Prince when I to him agreed And yeelded me a prisner willingly As one that knew no way away to flie The Nightingale for all his merry voyce Nor yet the Larke that still delights to sing Did neuer make the hearers so reioyce As I with words haue made this worthie King I neuer iar'd in tune was euery string I tempred so my tongue to please his eare That what I said was currant euery where I ioyn'd my talke my gestures and my grace In wittie frames that long might last and stand So that I brought the King in such a case That to his death I was his chiefest hand I gouern'd him that ruled all this Land I bare the sword though he did weare the Crowne I strake the stroke that threw the mightie downe If iustice said that iudgement was but death With my sweete words
grace and credit grew So that the King in hearing of this newes Deuised how he might my seruice vse He made me then his Chaplaine to say Masse Before his grace yea twice or thrice a weeke Now had I time to trim my selfe by glasse Now found I meane some liuing for to seeke Now I became both humble milde and meeke Now I appli'd my wits and senses throw To reape some corne if God would speed the plow Whom most I saw in fauour with the King I follow'd fast to get some hap thereby But I obseru'd another finer thing That was to keepe me still in Princes eye As vnder wing the hawke in winde doth lie So for a prey I prowled heere and there And tried friends and fortune euery where The King at length sent me beyond the seas Embastour then with message good and great And in that time I did the King so pleas By short dispatch and wrought so fine a feat That did aduance my selfe to higher seat The Deanrie then of Lincolne he me gaue And bountie shew'd before I gan to craue His Amner too he made me all in haste And threefold gifts he threw vpon me still His counsler straight likewaies was Wolsey plaste Thus in short time I had the world at will VVhich passed far mans reason wit and skill O hap thou hast great secrets in thy might VVhich long lie hid from wily worldlings sight As shewres of raine fall quickly on the grasse That fading flowres are soone refresht thereby Or as with Sun the morning dew doth passe And quiet calme makes cleare a troubled skie So Princes powre at twinkling of an eye Sets vp aloft a fau'ret on the wheele When giddy braines about the streets doe reele They are but blind that wake where Fortune sleepes They work in vaine that striue with streame and tide In double gard they dwell that destny keepes In simple sort they liue that lacke a guide They misse the marke that shoot their arrowes wide They hit the pricke that make their flight to glance So neere the white that shaft may light on chance Such was my lucke I shot no shaft in vaine My bow stood bent and brased all the yeere I waited hard but neuer lost my paine Such wealth came in to beare the charges cleere And in the end I was the greatest peere Among them all for I so rulde the land By Kings consent that all was in my hand Within on yeare three Bishoprickes I had And in small space a Cardnall I was made With long red robes rich Wolsey then was clad I walkt in Sun when others sate in shade I went abroad with such a traine and trade With crosses borne before me where I past That man was thought to be some God at last With sonnes of Earles and Lords I serued was An hundred chaines at least were in my traine I daile dranke in gold but not in glas My bread mas made of finest flowre and graine My dainty mouth did common meates disdaine I fed like Prince on fowles most deare and strange And bankets made of fine conceits for change My hall was full of Knights and Squires of name And gentlemen two hundred told by pole Tale yeomen too did hourely serue the same Whose names each weeke I saw within check role All went to church when seruice bell did knole All dinde and supt and slept at Cardnals charge And all would wait when Wolsey tooke his barge My household stuffe my wealth and siluer plate Might well suffice a Monarke at this day I neuer fed but vnder cloth of state Nor walkt abroad till Vshars cleard the way In house I had musitions for to play In open streete my trumpets loud did sound Which pearst the skies and seem'd to shake the ground My men most braue marcht two and two in ranke Who held in length much more then halfe a mile Not one of these but gaue his master thanke For some good turne or pleasure got some while I did not feed my seruants with a smile Or glosing words that neuer bring forth fruite But gaue them gold or els preferd their suite In surety so whiles God was pleasd I stood I knew I must leaue all my wealth behinde I saw they lou'd me not for birth or blood But seru'd a space to try my noble minde The more men giue the more indeed they finde Of loue and troth and seruice euery way The more they spare the more doth loue decay Iioide to see my seruants thriue so well And go so gay with little that they got For as I did in honour still excell So would I oft the want of seruants note Which made my men on master so to dote That when I said let such a thing be done They would indeed through fire and water ronne I had in house so many off'cers still Which were obaid and honourd for their place That carelesse I might sleepe or walke at will Saue that sometime I weigh'd a poore mans case And salu'd such sores whose griefe might breed disgrace Thus men did wait and wicked world did gaze On me and them that brought vs all in maze For world was whist and durst not speake a word Of that they saw my credit curbd them so I waded far and passed ore the foord And minded not for to returne I troe The world was wise yet scarce it selfe did knoe When wonder made of men that rose by hap For Fortune rare fals not in each mans lap I clim'd the clouds by knowledge and good wit My men sought chance by seruice or good lucke The world walkt low when I aboue did sit Or downe did come to trample on this mucke And I did swim as dainty as a ducke When water serues to keepe the body braue And to enioy the gifts that Fortune gaue And though my pompe surpast all Prelates now And like a Prince I liu'd and pleasure tooke That was not fure so great a blur in brow If on my workes indiffrent eyes doe looke I thought great scorne such â—â—uings heere to brooke Except I built some houses for the poore And order tooke to giue great almes at doore A Colledge faire in Oxford I did make A sumptuous house a stately work indeede I gaue great lands to that for learning sake To bring vp youth and succour scholers neede That charge of mine full many a mouth did feede When I in Court was seeking some good turne To mend my torch or make my candell burne More houses gay I built then thousands do That haue enough yet will no goodnes shoe And where I built I did maintaine it to With such great cost as few bestowes I troe Of buildings large I could rehearse a roe That by mischance this day haue lost my name Whereof I do deserue the only fame And as for sutes about the King was none So apt as I to speake and purchase grace Though long before some say Shores wife was one That oft kneeld downe before the
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