Emperour that Charles eldest sonne of the said Philip should marry the Ladie Mary daughter to King Henry when they came to age which agreement was afterward in the eight yeare of Henry the eight annihilated When he in triumph of his victorie Vnder a rich embrodered Canapie Entred proud Turney which did trembling stand c. Henry the 8. after the long siege of Turnay which was deliuered to him vpon composition entred the Citie in triumph vnder a Canapie of cloth of gold borne by foure of the chiefe and most noble Cittizens the king himselfe mounted vpou a gallant courser barbed with the Armes of England France and Ireland When Charles of Castile there to banquet came With him his sister that ambitious Dame Sauoys prowd Dutches The King being at Turnay there came to him the Prince of Castile and the Lady Margaret Dutches of Sanoy his sister to whom King Henry gaus great entertainment Sauoys proud Dutches knowing how long shee By her loue sought to win my loue from mee At this time there was speech of a marriage to be concluded betweene Charles Brandron then Lord Lâ—ste and the Dutches of Sauoy the Lord Lâ—sâ—e being highly fauoured and exceedingly beloued of the Dutches. When in King Henries Tent of cloth of gold The King caused a rich Tent of cloth of gold to bee erected where he feasted the Prince of Castile and the Dutches and entertained them with sumptuous maskes and banquets during their aboad When Maximillian to those wars addrest Were Englands Crosse on his imperiall breast Maximillian the Emperour with all his souldiers which serued vnder king Henry wore the Crosse of S. George with the Rose on their breasts And in our Armie let his Eagle flie The blacke Eagle is the badge imperiall which here is vsed for the displaying of his ensigne or standard And had his pay from Henries treasurie Henry the 8. at his wars in France retained the Emperor al his souldiers in wages which serued vnder him during those warres But this alone by Wolseys wit was wrought Thomas Wolsey the kings Almoner then Bishop of Lincolne a man of great authoritie with the king and afterward Cardinall was the chiefe cause that the Lady Mary was married to the old French King with whom the French had dealt vnder-hand to befriend him in that match When the proud Dolphin for thy valour sake Chose thee at tilt his Princely part to take Frauncis Duke of Valoyes and Dolphin of Fraunce at the mariage of the Lady Mary in honour thereof proclaimed a Iusts where he chose the Duke of Suffolke and the Marques Dorset for his aydes at all martiall exercises Galeas and Bounarme matchlesse for their might This Countie Galeas at the Iusts ran a course with a speare which was at the head fiue inches square on euery side and at the But nine inches square wherby he shewed his woÌ„drous force and strength This Bounarme a Gentleman of Fraunce at the same time came into the field armed at all poyntes with tenne Speares about him in each stirrop three vnder each thigh one one vnder his left arme and one in his hand and putting his horse to the careere neuer stopped him till he had broken euerie staffe Hall Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk to Mary the French Queene BVt that thy faith commaunds me to forbeare The fault thine owne if I vnpacient were Were my dispatch such as should be my speede I should want time thy louing lines to reede Heere in the Court Camelion-like I fare And as that creature feed vpon the ayre All day I waite and all the night I watch And starue mine eares to heare of thy dispatch If Douer were th'Abydos of my rest Or pleasant Cal 〈…〉 ce were my Maries Cest Thou shouldst not need faire Queene to blame me so Did not the distance to desire say no Noted ous night from trauell should be free Tâ—ll through the wanes with swimming vnto thee A snowy path I made vnto thy Bay So bright as is that Nectar-stained way The restlesse sunne by trauelling doth weare Passing his course to finish vp the yeare But Paris lockes my loue within the maine And London yet my Brandon doth detaine Of thy firme loue thou putst me still in minde But of my faith not one word can I finde When Longauile to Mary was affide And thou by him wast made King Lewes bride How oft I wisht that thou a prize mightst bee That I in armes might combate him for thee And in the madnesse of my loue distraught A thousand times his murther haue sore thought But that th'all-seeing powers which sit a 〈…〉 Regard not mad mens oathes nor faults in loue And haue confirmde it by the graunt of heauen That Louers sinnes on earth should be forgiuen For neuer than is halfe so much distrest As he that loues to see his loue possest Comming to Richmond after thy depart Richmond where first thou stolst away my heart Me thought it looke not as it did of late But wanting thee â—or loâ—ne and desolate In whose faire walkes thou often hast bin seene To sport with Katharine Henries beauteous Queene Astâ—nishing sad winter with thy sight As for thy sake the day hath put backe night That the smal birds as in the pleasant spring Forgot themselues and haue begun to sing So oft I go by Thames so oft returne Me thinkes for thee the riuer yet doth mourne Who I haue seene to let her streame at large Which like a hand-maid waited on thy Barge And if thou hapst against the flood to row Which way it ebd it presently would flow Weeping in drops vpon thy laboring oares For ioy that it had got thee from the shoares The Swans with musicke that the Roothers make Ruffing their plumes come gliding on the lake As the fleete Dolphins by Arionâ— strings Were brought to land with their sweete rauishings The flockes and hâ—irdes that pasture neere the flood To gaze vpon thee haue forborne their food And sate downe sadly mourning by the brim That they by nature were not made to swim Whenas the Post to Englands royall Court Of thy hard passage brought the true report How in a storme thy well rigd ships were tost And thou thy selfe in danger to be lost I knew t was Venus loath'd that aged bed Where beautie so should be dishonoured Or fearde the Sea-Nimphs haunting of the lake If thou but seene their Goddesse should forsake And whirling round her Doue-drawne Coach about To view the Nauie now in lanching out Her ayrie mantle loosely doth vnbinde Which fanning forth a rougher gale of winde Wafted thy sailes with speede vnto the land And runnes thy ship on Bullins harboring strand How should I ioy of thy arriue to heare But as a poore sea-faring passenger After long trauaile tempest-torne and wrack'd By some vnpitting Pirat that is sack'd Heare 's the false robber that hath stolne his wealth Landed in some safe harbour and in health Enriched with invaluable store For which he
deere friend his kinde and truest hart A gentâ—e warning friends thus may you see What t is to keepe a drunkard companie To the Moone Sonct 8 PHoebe looke downe and heere behold in mee The elements within thy sphere inclosed How kindely Nature plac'd them vnder thee And in my world see how they are disposed My hope is earth the lowest cold and dry The grosser mother of deepe melancholie Water my teares coolde with humidity Wan flegmaticke inclinde by Nature wholy My sighes the ayre hote moist ascending higher Subtile of sanguine dyde in my haâ—ts dolor My thoughts they be the element of fiâ—e Hote dry and piercing still inclinde to choler Thine eye the Orbe vnto all these from whence Proceedes th' effects of powerfull influence To Lunacie Sonnet 9. AS other men so I my selfe do muse Why in this sorte I wrest inuention so And why these giddy metaphors I vse Leauing the path the greater part do goe I will resolue you I am lunaticke And euer this in mad-men you shall finde What they last thoght on when the braine grew sicke In most distraction keepe that still in minde Thus talking idely in this bedlam fit Reason and I you must conceiue are twaine T is nine yeeres now since first I lost my wit Beare with me then though troubled be my braine With diet and correction men distraught Not too farre past may to their wits be brought Sonnet 10. TO nothing fitter can I thee compare Then to the sonne of some rich penny father Who hauing now brought on his end with care Leaues to his sonne all he had heap'd together This new rich nouice lauish of his chest To one man giues and on an other spends Then heere he riots yet amongst the rest Haps to send some to one true honest friend Thy gifts thou in obscuritie doost waste False friends thy kindenes borne but to deceiue thee Thy loue that is on the vnworthy plac'd Time hath thy beautie which with age will leaue thee Onely that little which to me was lent I giue thee backe when all the rest is spent Sonnet 11. YOu not alone when you are still alone O God from you that I could priuate be Since you one were I neuer since was one Since you in me my selfe since out of me Transported from my selfe into your being Though either distant present yet to either Sencelesse with too much ioy each other seeing And onely absent when we are together Giue me my selfe and take your selfe againe Deuise some meanes but how I may forsake you So much is mine that doth with you remaine That taking what is mine with me I take you You do bewitch me O that I could flie From my selfe you or from your owne selfe I. To the Soule Sonnet 12. THat learned father which so firmely proues The Soule of man immortall and diuine And doth the seuerall offices define Anima Giues her that name as she the body moues Amor Then is she loue imbracing Charitie Animus Mouing a will in vs it is the minde Mens Retaining knowledge still the same in kinde Memoria As intellectuall it is the memory Ratio In iudgeing Reason onely is her name Sensus In speedie apprehension it is sence Conscientia In right or wrong they call her conscience Spiritus The spirit wheÌ„ it to Godward doth inflame These of the soule the seuerall functions bee Which my heart lightned by thy loue doth see To the Shaddow Sonnet 13. LEtters and lines we see are soone defaced Mettells do waste and fret with cankers rust The Diamond shall once consume to dust And freshest colours with fowle staines disgraced Paper and incke can paint but naked words To write with blood offorce offends the sight And if with teares I finde them all too light And sighes and signes a seely hope affords O sweetest shadow how thou seru'st my turne Which still shalt be as long as there is sunne Nor whilst the world is neuer shall be done Whilst Moone shall shine or any fire shall burne That euery thing whence shadow doth proceede May in his shadow my loues story reede Sonnet 14. IF hee from heauen that filch'd that liuing fire Condemn'd by Ioue to end lesle torment be I greatly meruaile how you still go free That farre beyond Prometheus did aspire The fire he stole although of heauenly kinde Which from aboue he craftily did take Of liuelesse clods vs liuing men to make Againe bestow'd in temper of the minde â—ut vou brok into heauens immortall store Where vertue honour wit and beauty lay Which taking thence you haue escap'd away Yet stand as free as e're you did before But old Prometheus punish'd for his rape Thus poore theeues suffer when the greater scape Sonnet 15. VIewing the glasse of my youthes miseries I see the face of my deformed eares With withered browes all wrinckled with dispaires That for my youth the teares fall from mine eyes Then in these teares the mirrors of these eyes Thy fairest youth and be 〈…〉 y do I see Imprinted there by looking still on thee Thus midst my woes ten thousand ioyes arise Yet in these ioyes the shadowes of my good In this faâ—e limmed ground as white as snow Painted the blackest image of my woe With murthring hands imbrude in mine owne blood And in this image his darke clowdy eyes My life and loue I heere anatomiâ—e To the Phoeniae Sonnet 16. VVIthin the compasse of this spatious round Amongst all birds the Phoenix is alone Which but by you could neuer haue beene knowne None like to that none like to you is found Heape your owne vertues seasoned by their sunne On heauenly top of your diuine desire Then with your beautie set the same on fire So by your death your life shal be begunne Your selfe thus burned in this sacred flame With your owne sweetnes all the heauens perfuming And still encreasing as you are consuming Shall spring againe from th' ashes of your fame And mounting vp shall to the heauens ascend So may you liue past world past fame past end To Time Sonnet 17. STay stay sweete Time behold or e're thou passe From world to world thou long hast fought to see That wonder now wherein all wonders bee Where heauen beholds her in a mortall glasse Nay looke thee Time in this celestiall glasse And thy youth past in this suite mirrour see The first worlds beautie in the infancie What it was then what thou before it was Now passe on Time to afâ—r-worlds tell this And yet shalt tell but truely what hath beene That they may say what former time hath seene And heauen may ioy to thinke on past worlds blis Heere make a period Time and say for me She was whose like againe shall neuer be To the Celestiall numbers Sonnet 18. VNto the world to learning and to heauen Three nines there are to euerie one a nine One number of the earth the other both diuine One woman now makes three odde numbers euen Nine orders first of
Angells be in heauen Nine Muses do with learning still frequent These with the Gods are euer resident Nine worthy ones vnto the world were giuen My worthy one to these nine worthies addeth And my faire Muse one Muse vnto the nine And my good Angell in my soule diuine With one more order these nine orders gladdeth My Muse my worthy and my Angell then Makes euery one of these three nines a ten To Humour Sonnet 19. YOu cannot loue my pretty heart and why There was a time you told me that you would But now againe you will the same denie If it might pease you would to God you could What will you hate nay that you will not neither Nor loue nor hate how then what will you doe What will you keepe a meane then betwixt eyther Or will you loue me and yet hate me too Yet serues not this what next what other shift You will and will not what a coyle is heere I see your craft now I perceiue your drift And all this while I was mistaken there Your loue and hate is this I now do proue you You loue in hate by hate to make me loue you Sonnet 20. AN euill spirit your beautie haunts me still Wherewith alas I haue beene long possest Which ceaseth not to tempt me vnto ill Nor giues me once but one poore minutes rest In me it speakes whether I sleepe or wake And when by meanes to driue it out I trie With greater torments then it me doth take And tortures me in most extreamitie Before my face it laies all my dispaires And hastes me on vnto a suddaine death Now tempting me to drowne my selfe in teares And then in sighing to giue vp my breath Thus am I still prouokde to euery euill By this good wicked spirit sweete Angell diuell To the Spheares Sonnet 21. THou which doost guide this little world of loue Thy planets mansions heere thou maist behold My brow the spheare where Saturne still doth moue wrinckled with cares withered dry and cold Mine eyes the Orbe where Iupiter doth trace Which gently smile because they looke on thee Mars in my swartie visage takes his place Made leane with loue where furious conflicts bee Sol in my breast with his hote scorching flame But in my heart alone doth Venus raigne Mercury my hands the Organs of my fame Luna my wauering and vnconstant vaine The starry heauen thy praise by me exprest Thou the first mouer guiding all the rest To Folly Sonnet 22. WIth fooles children good discretion beares Then honest people beare with Loue me Nor older yet nor wiser made by yeares Amongst the rest of fooles and children be Loue 's still a baby places with gawdes and ioyes And like a wanton sports with euery feather And ideots still are running after boyes Then fooles and children fitt'st to go together He still as young as when he first was borne No wiser I then when as young as he You that be hold vs laugh vs not to scorne Giue Nature thankes you are not such as we Yet fooles and children sometimes tell in play Some wise in shew more fooles indeede then they Sonnet 23. LOue banish'd heauen in earth was held in scorne Wandring abâ—oad in neede and beggery And wanting friends though of a God desse borne Yet crau'de the almes of such as passed â—y I like a man douote and charitable Clothed the naked lodg'd this wandring guest With sighes and teares still furnishing his table With what might make the miserable blest But this vngratefull for my good desart Enticde my thoughts against me to conspire Who gaue consent to steale away my heart And set my breast his lodging on a fire Well well my friends when beggars grow thus bold No meruaile then though charity grow cold Sonnet 24. I Heare some say this man is not in loue Who can he loue a likely thing they say Reade but his verse and it will easly proue O iudge not rashly gentle Sir I pray Because I loosely trifle in this sort As one that fame his sorrows would beguile You now suppose me all this time in sport And please your felfe with this conceit the while You shallow censures sometime see you not In greatest perills some men pleasant be Where fame by death is onelie to be got They resolute so stands the case with me Where other men in depth of passion crie I laugh at Fortune as in jeast to die Sonnet 25. O Whie should nature niggardly restraine The Southerne nations rellish not our tongue Else should my lines glide on the waues of R 〈…〉 And crowne the Pirens with my liuing song But bounded thus to Scotland get you forth Thence take you wing vnto the Orcades There let my verse get glorie in the north Making my sighs to thawe the frozen seas And let the Bards within that Irish I le To whome my Muse with firiâ— wings shall passe Call backe the stiffe neckt rebells from exile And mollifie the slaughtring Galliglasse And when my flowing numbers they reherse Let wolues and beares be charmed with my verse To Despaire Sonnet 26. I Euer loue where neuer hope appeares Yet hope drawes on my neuer-hoping care And my lifes hope would die but for dispaire My neuer-certaine ioy breeds euer-certaine feares Vncertaine-dread giues wings vnto my hope Yet my hopes wings are loaden so with feare As they cannot ascend to my hopes spheare Yet feare giues them more than a heauenly scope Yet this large roome is bounded with dispaire So my loue is still fettered with vaine hope And libertie depriues him of his scope And thus am I imprisond in the aire Then sweet despaire a while holde vp thy head Or all my hope for sorrow will be dead To Fantasie Sonnet 27. I Gaue my faith to Loue Loue his to me That he and I sworne brothers should remaine Thus faith receiu'd faith giuen backe againe Who would imagine bond more sure could be Loue flies to her yet holdes he my faith taken As from my vertue raising my offence Making me guiltie by mine innocence And onelie bond by being so forsaken He makes her aske what I before had vow'd Giuing her that which he had giuen mee I bound by him and he by her made free Who euer so hard breach of faith allowd Speake you that should of right wrong discusse Was right ere wrongd or wrong ere righted thus Sonnet 28. TO such as saie thy loue I ouer-prise And doe not sticke to terme my praises follie Against these folkes that thinke themselues so wise I thus appose my force of reason wholie Though I giue more then well affords my state In which expense the most suppose me vaine Would yeeld them nothing at the casiest rate Yet at this price returnes me trebble gaine The value not vnskilfull how to vse And I giue much because I gaine thereby I that thus take or they that thus refuse Whether are these deceiued then or I In eu'rie thing I holde this maxime still
hath signde and sealed with his hand And where no farther processe he refers In blots set downe for others Characters This cannot blush although you doe refuse it Nor will reply how euer you shall vse it All one to this though you should bid dispaire This still intreates you this still speakes you faire Hast thou a liuing soule a humane sence To like dislike pâ—oue order and dispence The depth of reason soundly to aduise To loue things good things hurtfull to despise The tuch of iudgement which should 〈…〉 things proue And hast thou toucht yet not allowst my loue Sound moues his sound voyce doth beget his voyce One Ecâ—ho makes another to reioyce One well tunde string set truely to his like Strooke neere at hand doth make another strike How comes it then that our affections jarre What opposition doth beget this warre I know that Nature franckly to thee gaue That measure of her bounty that I haue And with that sence she likewise to vs lent Each one his organ each his instrument But euery one because it is thine owne Doth p 〈…〉 se it selfe vnto it selfe alone Thy d 〈…〉 y hand when it it selfe doth tuch That feeling tells it there was neuer such When in thy glâ—sse thine eie it selfe doth see That thinkes there 's none like to it selfe can be And euery one doth iudge it selfe diuine Because that thou doost challenge it for thine And each it selfe Narcissus like dooth smother And loues it selfe not like to any other Fie be not burnd thus in thine owne desire T is needlesse beauty should it selfe admire The Sunne by which all creatures lightned bee And seeth all it selfe yet cannot see And his owne brightnesse his owne foile is made And is to vs the cause of his owne shade When first thy beautie by mine eye was prou'd It saw not then so much to be belou'd But when it came a perfect view to take Each looke of one doth many beauties make In little circlets first it doth arise Then somewhat larger seeming in mine eyes And in this giâ—ing compasse as it goes So more and more the same in greatnes growes And as it yet at libertie is set The motion still doâ—h other formes beget Vntill â—t length looke any way I could Nothing there was but beautie to behold Art thou offended that thou art belou'd Remoue the cause th' effect is soone remou'd Indent with Beautie how farre to extend Set downe desire a limmit where to end Then charme thine eies their glances shal not wound And teach the sence the depth of loue to sound If thou do this nay then thou shalt do more And bring to passe what neuer was before Make anguish sportiue crauing all delight Mirth solemne sullen and inclinde to night Ambition lowly enuie speaking well Loue his reliefe of nigardize to sell Our war-like father did these forts deuise As surest holds against our enemies The safest places for our sexe to rest Feare soone is setled in a womans breast Thy breast is of another temper farre And then thy Castell fitter for the warre Thou doost not safely in thy Castell rest Thy Castell should be safer in thy breast That keepes out foes but doth thy friends inclose But thy breast keepes out both thy friends and foes That may be batterd or be vnderminde Or by strait siege for want of succour pinde But thy heart is inuincible to all And more defensiue then thy Castell wall Of all the shapes that euer Ioue did proue Wherewith he vsde to entertaine his loue That likes me best when in a golden shower He â—ainde himselfe on Danae in her Tower Nor did I euer enuie his command In that he beares the thunder in his hand But in that showrie shape I cannot bee And as he came to her I come to thee Thy Tower with foes is not begirt about If thou within they are besieg'd without One haire of thine more vigor doth retaine To binde thy foe then with an yron chaine Who might be gyu'd in such a golden string Would not be captiue though he were a King Hadst thou all India heap'd vp in thy fort And thou thy selfe besieged in that sort Get thou but out where they can thee espie They 'le follow thee and let the treasure lie I cannot thinke what force thy Tower should win If thou thy selfe doost guard the same within Thine eye retaines artillary at will To kill who euer thou desirâ—st to kill For that alone more deepely wounds their hearts Then they can thee though with a thousand darts For there entrenched little Cupid lies And from those turrets all the world defies And when thou letst downe that transparant lid Of entrance there an Armie doth forbid And as for Famine thou needes neuer feare Who thinkes of want when thou art present there Thy onely sight giues spirit vnto the blood And comforts life though neuer tasting foode And as thy souldiers keepe their watch and ward So chastitie thy inward breast doth guard Thy modest pulse serues as a latum bell Which watched by a wakefull Sentinell Is stirring still with euery little feare Warning if any enemy be neare Thy vertuous thought when all the others rest Like carefull Skowts passe vp and downe thy breast And still they round about that place doe keepe Whilst all the blessed garrison do sleepe But yet I feare if that the truth were told That thou hast robbde and flâ—st vnto this bolde I thought as much and didst this Fort deuise That thou in safety heere mightst tyrannize Yes thou hast robbde the heauen and earth of all And they against thy lawlesse theft doe call Thine eies with mine that wage continuall warres Borrow their brightnesse of the twinckling starres Thy breath for which mine still in sighes consumes Hath rob'd sweete flowres rich odors and perfumes Thy cheeke for which mine all this penance proues Steales the pure whitenes both from Swans doues Thy lips from mine that in thy maske be pent Haue filch'd the blushing from the orient O mighty Loue bring hether all thy power And fetch this heauenly theefe out of her Tower For if she may be suffred in this sort Heauens store will soone be hoarded in this fort When I arriu'd before that state of loue And saw thee on the battlement aboue I thought there was no other heauen but there And thou an Angel didst from thence appeare But when my reason did reproue mine eye That thou wert subiect to mortalitie I then excusde the Scot before had done No maruaile though he would the fort haue wonne Perceiuing well those enuious walls did hide More wealth then was in all the world beside Against thy foe I came to lend thee aide And thus to thee my selfe my selfe betraide He is besieg'd the siege that came to raise There 's no assault that not my breast assaies Loue growne extreame doth finde vnlawfull shifts The Gods take shapes and do allure with gifts Commanding Ioue that by great Stix doth
Whose name atchieued by his fatall hand Called the Blacke Prince not so much of his complexion as of the famous battell he fought as is shewed before in the glosse vpon the Epistle of Edward to the Countesse of Salisbury And prooues our Actes of Parlement vniust In the text parlement after Richards resignation of the crown Henry caused to be annihilated all the lawes made in the Parliament called the wicked Parliament held in the twenty yeere of king Richards raigne Finis To sir Iohn Swinerton Knight and one of the Aidermen of the Citie of London VOrthy Sir so much mistrust I my owne abilitie to doe the least right to your vertues that I could gladly wish any thing that is truely mine were woorthy to beare your name so much reucrend Sir I esteeme you and so ample interest haue you in my loue To some honourable friends haue I deaicated these Poemes with whom I ranke you may I escape prejumption Like not this Britaine the worse though after some former Impressions he be lastly to 〈…〉 crated in this like an honest man that would part 〈…〉 his owne woorth before he would presume his 〈…〉 ronage with whom you shall euer commaund my 〈◊〉 and haue my best wishes That loue you truely Mich Drayton Queene Katharine to Owen Tudor The Argument After the death of that victorious Henry the fift Queene Katharine the Dowager of England and France daughter to Charles the French King holding her estate with Henry her sonne then the fixt of that name falleth in loue with Owen Tuder a Welchman a braue and gallant Gentleman of the Wardrobe to the yong King her son yet grently fearing if her loue shoulde be discouered the Nobilitie woulde crosse her purposed marriage or fearing that if her faire and princely promises should not assure his good successe this high and great attempt might perhappes daunt the forwardnesse of his modest and shamefast youth wherefore to breake the ice to her intent she writeth vnto him this Epistle following IVdge not a Princesse worth impeacht hereby That loue thus triumphs ouer maiestie Nor thinke lesse vertue in this royall hand Which now intreates that wonted to command For in this sort though humbly now it wooe The day hath beene thou wouldst haue kneeld vnto Not thinke that this submission of my state Proceedes from frailtie rather iudge it fate Alcides ne're more fit for warres sterne shocke Then when for loue sate spinning at the rocke Neuer lesse cloudes did Phoebus glory dim Then in a clownes shape when he couered him Ioues great commaund was neuer more obeyd Than when a Satyres anticke parts he playd He was thy king that sued for loue to mee Shee is thy Queene that sues for loue to thee When Henry was what 's Tuders now was his Whilst yet thou arte what 's Henries Tuders is My loue to Owen him my Henry giueth My loue to Henry in my Owen liueth Henry woode me whilst warres did yet increase I wooe my Tuder in sweet calmes of peace To force affection he did conquest proue I fight with gentle arguments of loue Incampt at Melans in warres hote alarmes First saw I Henry clad in princely armes At pleasant Windsore first these eies of mine My Tuder iudgde for wit and shape diuine Henry abroade with pâ—issance and with force Tuder at home with courtship and discourse He then thou now I hardly can iudge whether Did like me best Plantaginet or Tether A march a measure battell or a daunce A courtly rapier or a conquering launce His princely bed hath strengthned my renowne And on my temples set a double crowne Which glorious wreathe as Henries lawfull heire Henry the sixt vpon his brow doth beare At Troy in Champaine he did first enioy My Brydall rites to England brought from Troy In England now that honour thou shalt haue Which once in Champaine famous Henry gaue I seeke not wealth three kingdomes in my power If these suffice not where shall be my dower Sad discontent may euer follow her Which doth base pelfe before true loue prefer If titles still could our affections tie What is so great but Maiestie might buy As I seeke thee so Kings do me desire To what they would thou easily mai'st aspire That sacred fire once warmde my heart before The fuell fit the flame is now the more And meanes to quench it I in vaine do proue We may hide treasure but not hide our loue And since it is thy fortune thus to gaine it It were too late nor will I now restraine it Nor these great titles vainely will I bring Wife daughter mother sister to a King Of grandsire father husband sonne and brother More thou alone to me then all the other Nor feare my Tudor that this loue of mine Should wrong the Gaunt-borne great Lancastrian line Nor stir the English blood the Sunne and Moone T'repine at Lorame Burbon A lansoon Nor do I thinke there is such different ods They should alone be numbred with the Gods Of Cadmus earthly issue reckoning vs And they from Ioue Mars Neptune Eolus Of great Latonas of-spring onely they And we the brats of wofull Niobe Our famous grandsires as their owne bestride That horse of fame that God begotten steede Whose bounding hoofe plow'd that Boetian spring Where those sweete maides of memory do sing Not onely Henries Queene but boast as well To be the childe of Charles and Isabell Nor do I know from whence their grief should grow They by this match should be disparag'd so When Iohn and Longshankes issue both affied And to the Kings of Wales in wedlocke tied Shewing the greatnesse of your blood thereby Your race and royall consanguinity And Wales as well as haughty England boasts Of Camilot and all her Penticosts A nephewes roome in great Pendragons race At Arthurs Table held a princely place If by the often conquest of your land They boast the spoiles of their victorious hand If these our antient Chronicles be true They altogether are not free from you When bloodie Rufus sought your vtter sacke Twice entring Wales yet twice was beatenbacke When famous Cambria wash'd her in the flood Made by th' effusion of the English blood And oft returnde with glorious victory From Worster Herford Chester Shrowesbury Whose power in euery conquest so preuailes As once expulsde the English out of Wales Although my beautie made my Countries peace And at my Bridall former broyles did cease Yet more then power had not his person beene I had not come to England as a Queene Nor tooke I Henry to supply my wont Because in France that time my choice was scant When he had robde all Christendome of men And Englands flower remainde amongst vs then Gloster whose counsells Nestor-like assist Couragious Bedford that great martiallist Clarence for vertue honoured of his foes And Yorke whose fame yet daily greater growes Warwicke the pride of Neuels haughty race Great Salebury so fearde in euery place That valiant Poole whom no atchieuement
heart the aâ—uile where my thoughts do beate My words the hammers fashioning my desire My breast the forge including all the heate Loue is the fuell which maintaines the fire My sighes the bellowes which the same encreaseth Filling mine eares with noise and nightly groning Toiling with paine my labour neuer ceaseth In grieuous passions my woes still bemoning Mine eyes with teares against the fire striuing Whose scorching gleed my heart to cinders turneth But with those drops the flame againe reuiuing Still more and more vnto my torment burneth With Sisiphus thus do I role the stone And turne the wheele with damned Ixion Sonnet 41. WHy do I speake of ioy or write of loue When my heart is the very den of horror And in my soule the paines of hell I proue With all his torments and infernall terror What should I say what yet remaines to do My braine is drie with weeping all too long My sighes be spent in yttring of my woe And I want words wherewith to tell my wrong But still distracted in Loues lunacie And bedlam-like thus rauing in my griefe Now raile vpon her haire now on her eye Now call her Goddesse then I call her theefe Now I deny her then I do confesse her Now do I curse her then againe I blesse her Sonnet 42. SOme men there be which like my method well And do commend the strangenes of my vaine Some say I haue a passing pleasing straine Some say that in my humor I excell Some who not kindely relish my conceit They say as Poets doe I vse to faine And in bare words paint out my passions paine Thus sundry men their sundry mindes repeate I passe not I how men affected be Nor who commends or discommends my verse It pleaseth me if I my woes rehearse And in my lines if she my loue may see Onely my comfort still consists in this Writing her praise I cannot write amisso Sonnet 43. VVHy should your faire eyes with such soueraine grace Dispearse their raies on euery vulgar spirit Whilst I in darkenes in the selfe same place Get not one glance to recompence my merit So doth the plow-man gaze the wandring starre And onely rests contented with the light That neuer learnd what constellations are Beyond the bent of his vnknowing fight O why should beautie custome to obey To their grosse sence applie her selfe so ill Would God I were as ignorant as they When I am made vnhappy by my skill Onely compeld on this poore good to boast Heauens are not kind to the that know them most Sonnet 44. VVHilst thus my pen striues to eternize thee Age rules my lines with wrinckles in my face Where in the map of all my miserie Is modeld out the worlde of my disgrace Whilst in despight of tyrannizing times Medea-like I make thee yong againe Prowdly thou scorust my world-outwearing rimes And murther'st Vertue with thy coy disdaine And though in youth my youth vntimely perish To keepe thee from obliuion and the graue Ensuing ages yet my rimes shall cherish When I entomb'd my better part shall saue And though this earthly bodie fade and die My name shall mount vpon eternitie Sonnet 45. MVses which sadly sit about my chaire Drownd in the teares extorted by my lines With heauie sighes whilst thus I breake the aire Painting my passions in these sad dissignes Since she disdaines to blesse my happie verse The strong-built Trophies to her liuing fame Euer henceforth my bosome be your hearse Wherein the world shall now entombe her name Enclose my musicke you poore senselesse walls Sith she is deafe and will not heare my mones Soften your selues with euerie teare that falls Whilst I like Orpheus sing to trees and stones Which with my plaint seeme yet with pittie moued Kinder then she who I so long haue liued Sonnet 46. PLain path'd Experience the vnlearneds guide Her simple followers euidently shewes Sometime what schoolemen scarcely can decide Nor yet wise Reason absolutely knowes In making triall of a murther wrought If the yile actor of the heâ—nous deede Neere the dead bodie happily be brought Oft hath been prou'd the breathlesse coarse will bleed She comming neere that my poore hart hath slaine Long since departed to the world no more The auncient wounds no longer can containe But fall to bleeding as they did before But what of this should she to death be led It furthers iustice but helpes not the dead Sonnet 47. IN pride of wit when high desire of fame Gaue life and courage to my labouring 〈◊〉 And first the sound and vertue of my name Won grace and credite in the eares of men With those the througed Theaters that presse I in the circuite for the Lawrell stroue Where the full praise I freely must confesse In heate of blood and modest minde might moue With showts and claps at euerie little pawse When the prowd round on euerie side hath rung Sadly I sit vnmou'd with the applawse As though to me it nothing did belong No publique glorie vainely I pursue The praise I striue is to eternize you Sonnet 48. CUpid dumbe I doll peeuish faint of Loue No more shalt thou nor saint nor idoll be No god art thou Loues goddesse she doth proue Of all thine honour she hath robbed thee Thy bow olde broke is peecde with halfe desire Her bow is beautie with ten thousand strings And euery one of purest golden wire The least of force to conquer hoasts of Kings Thy shafts be spent and she to war appoynted Hides in those Cristall quiuers of her eyes More arrowes with hart-piercing mettle pointed Then there be starres at mid-night in the skies With these she steales mens harts for her releefe Yet happie he that 's robd of such a theefe Sonnet 49. THou leaden braine which censur'st what I write And saist my lines be dull and do not moue I maruaile not thou feel'st not my delight Which neuer feltst my fierie tuch of loue But thou whose pen hath like a Packe-horse seru'd Whose stomacke vnto gaule hath turnd thy food Whose senses like poore prisners hunger-staru'd Whose greefe hath parch'd thy body dride thy blood Thou which hast scorned life and hated death And in a moment mad sober glad and sorie Thou which hast bann'd thy thoughts and curst thy birth With thousand plagues more then in purgatory Thou thus whose spirit Loue in his fire refines Come thou and reade admire and plawd my lines Sonnet 50. AS in some Countries far remote from hence The wretched creature destined to die Hauing the iudgement due to his offence By Surgeons begg'd their Art on him to trie Which on the liuing worke without remorce First make incision on each maistring vaine Then stanch the bleeding then transperce the coarse And with their balmes recure the wounds againe Then poison and with Phisicke him restore Not that they feare the hopelesse man to kill But their experience to encrease the more Euen so my Mistresse works vpon my ill By curing me and
none not pitti'd now of any And for opposde by men of greatest might The King my danger that had wisely waide That did pursue me with such deadly spight Me into Ireland secretly conuaide Vntill he might my peace againe procure And his owne safety better might assure As one whose house remedilesly burning Seeing his goods now heapt together lost His griefe no whit disburthen'd by his mourning Taking some one thing that he loueth most To some remote place doth with that retire Leauing the rest to 'th mercie of the fire Yet he so much that still did me esteeme That euer stroue to couer my disgrace To make my absence otherwise to seeme And to the world to beare a fairer Face Lest my exile suggested by their hate Might ouerthrow my liuelihoode and estate By their neere councell that were him about His Deputy of Ireland doth me make And causde it each-where to be giuen out My iourney thither instantly to take To stop their mouthes that gladly would embrace Any report might tend to my disgrace There liu'd I in that honourable sort As to my high place purchased renowne vvith no lesse bountie managing a court Then hourely crau'd th'reuenues of a Crowne To me his loue such soueraigntie did bring That though he raignde I absolutely King Few weekes there went but some the channell crosst With some such present Princes holde in price Some jewell that him infinitely cost Or sumptuous roabe of excellent deuise When they that sawe what he vpon me cast Found that his treasure long time could not last And since the floud me followed in this wise His fulnes I as amply entertaine It might shew folly to be found precise That to refuse which fell as did the raine Such as no age before did euer winne And since his being yet hath neuer bin When now th'abated Baronry that found The cunning vsde for couering of my flight That me but shifted to a surer ground On which so vainely they bestow'd their might Perceiu'd farre off where greater perill rose Then they could finde how rightly to dispose Like those that striue to stop some violent sourse vvhose plenty Nature planted not for boundes Climes aboue all the opposers of his course Or let at large the neighboring plaine surrounds That in it selfe s'enated is bless'd That will the more be more it depress'd And fearing now the force I had abroade vvho knew the way the Irish harts to winne Fitter by farre at home to be bestow'd And to the State more safety found therein vvhere though my riots they could not preuent Yet might suruey the giddy course I went Whereof they scarsly entertain'd the thought And did thereto but seemingly descend But that his loue immediately it caught Nor cares he by it what they doe intend Plot what they could so he therby might gaine him That with delight which still did entertaine him O how thy presence maiestie commands That so seuerely humbleth euery eie vvhose onely selfe actes more than many handes In thee such vertue secretly doth lie Hauing about thee the high power of fate Art both emperious ouer loue and hate He that occasion neuer did neglect That aught vnto my happinesse might winne My buisnes did so carefully effect That euer was so fortunate therein As he to passe doth prouidently bring Before deemde so impossible a thing And Messengers immediately are sent Me into England instantly to call Authorizde by the generall consent Although not likde of inwardly of all Yet t was sufficient that it freedome gaue me But to be there where he desirde to haue me My sailes now swelling with a prosperous winde The boisterous seas do homage to mine eies That much aboue their vsuall course are kinde All lowring clouds abandoning the skies Nothing discern'd that any whit might feare me Fortune herselfe sittes at the helme to steare me What time the King his progresse then did take That part of Wales pretending now to see For which he forward instantly did make vvhich was indeede there but to meete with me with all the fauour that he could deuise To giue me honour in the publique eies Where for my landing long he did prouide That â—ought might want intending my delight And at each place as leasurely we ride Did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with some pleasing sight And vnto Lâ—ndon to the pompous Court Bring me in the magnificentest sort Which prou'd but spurres to my vntamde desire Giuing the 〈◊〉 to my 〈…〉 ious will â—ho let me forth vnto my full caâ—â—re On places slippeâ—y and my manage ill Small my forefight and ouermuch my haste That me alas infortunately cast The Princes eare that hauing at command That who would aught haue me must entertaine And yet before it passde my gripple hand Got the greatst share vnto my priuate gaine Nor carde I what from any I did wring Many thereby too much impouerishing And daily begging of Monopolies Taking the lands belonging to the Crowne 〈◊〉 â—ence transporting those commodities 〈◊〉 England vsefull comming of her owne And basely selling offices ere then The due reward of best deseruing men And being irrecouerably prowd Held all things vile that suted not my vaine Nothing might passe my iudgement not allow'd A great opinion to my wit to gaine Giuing vile termes and nicke-names of disgrace To men that sate in honourable place By which brake out that execrable rage That long before had boiled in their blood And for reuenge they boldly them ingage When lastly for their libertie they stood And in this quarrell open Armes they take Or to marre all or better it to make They durst affirme my mother was a witch And for the fact condemned burnt to be And I her sonne and rightly of her pitch She had bequeath'd her damned Art to me Vrging it an inseperable thing That I by Magicke wrought vpon the King And into France did charge me to conuay A goodly table that was massie gold A relique kept at Windsor many a day â—â—at to King Arthur did belong of old Vpon whose margent as they did surmise Merlin ingraued many prophecies And by appealing to the sea of Rome A Legat thence procuring to the land With malediction by the Churches doome On any one that on my part should stand The King suspending should he not consent And ratifie the generall intent Which they did but to prosperously effect Being so strong to counterprize his force The Clergy still being ready to direct Them the best way in all their restlesse course That at the last they strongly him procure By solemne oth me euer to abiure Th' vncertaine biding of each earthly thing Set out most liuely in my starre-crost state That doth remaine in Fortunes mannaging Appearing in my variable fate On me that frown'd and flattered me so oft Casting me downe and setting me aloft To Flanders then my present course I cast Which being the near'st lay fittest for my ease Safest the way the sooner it was past All not my friends that were abroad at
tuggd together so Wonting my way through sword and fire to make So oft constraind against the streame to rowe To doubt with Death a couenant to make When I am growne familiar with my woe And nothing can th' afflicted conscience grieue But he can pardon that doth all forgiue 87 And thus thou most adored in my heart Whose thoghts in death my humbled sprite doth raise Lady most faire most deere of most desart Worthy of more than any mortall praise Condemned March thus lastly doth depart From her the greatest Empresse of her dayes Nor in the dust mine honor I interre Thus Caesar dide and thus dies Mortimer 88 To Nottingham this Letter brought vnto her Which is subscribde with her Emperious stile Puts her in minde how once that hand did wooe her With this short thought to please herselfe a while Thus sorrow can so subtilly vndooe her That with such flattery doth her sence beguile To giue a sharper feeling to that paine Which her grieu'd heart was shortly to sustaine 89 Putting her fingers to vnrip the seale Cleaning to keepe those sorrowes from her eyes As it were loth the tidings to reueale Whence griefe should spring in such varieties But strongly vrg'd doth to her will appeale When the soft waxe vnto her touch implies Sticking vnto her fingers bloody red To shew the bad newes quickly followed 90 Thus by degrees she easly doth begin As the small fish plaies with the baited hooke Then more and more to swallow sorrow in As threatning death at eu'ry little looke Where now she reades th'expences of her sin Sadly set downe in this blacke dreadfull booke And those deere summes were like to be desray'd Before the same were absolutely pay'd 91 An hoast of woes her suddainely assaile As eu'ry letter wounded like a dart As though contending which should most preuaile Yet eu'ry one doth pierce her to the hart As eu'ry word did others case bewaile And with his neighbour seemde to beare a part Reason of griefe each sentence is to her And eu'ry line a true remembrancer 92 Greefe makes her reade yet straitwaies bids her leaue With which ore-charg'd she neither sees nor heares Her sences now their Mistris so deceiue The words do wound her eyes the sound her eares And eu'ry organe of the vse bereaues When for a fescue she doth vse her teares That when some line she loosely ouer-past The drops do tell her where she left the last 93 O now she sees was neuer such a sight And seeing curs'd her sorrow-seeing eye Yet thinkes she is deluded by the light Or is abusde by the orthography And by some other t' is deuisde for spight Or pointed false her schollership to try Thus when we fondly sooth our owne desires Our best conceits oft proue the greatest liers 94 Her trembling hand as in a feauer shakes Wherewith the paper doth a little stirre Which she imagines at her sorrow shakes And pitties it who she thinkes pitties her Each small thing somwhat to the greater makes And to the humor something doth infer Which when so soone as she her tongue could free O worthy Earle deere loued Lord quoth shee 95 I will reserue thy ashes in some Vrne Which as a relique I will onely saue Mixt with the teares that I for thee shall mourne Which in my deere breast shall their buriall haue From whence againe they neuer shall returne Nor giue the honor to another graue But in that Temple euer be preserued Where thou a Saint religiously art serued 96 When she breakes out to cursing of her sonne But March so much still runneth in her mind That she abruptly ends what she begunne Forgets her selfe and leaues the rest behind From this she to another course doth runne To be reuengde in some notorious kind To which she deepely doth ingage her troth Bound by a strong vow and a solemne oth 97 For pen and incke she calles her maides without And the kings dealings will in griefe discouer But soone forgetting what she went about She now begins to write vnto her louer Heere she sets downe and there she blotteth out Her griefe and passion doe so strongly moue her When turning backe to reade what she had writ She teares the paper and condemnes her wit 98 And thus with contrarieties araised As waters chilnesse wakeneth from a swownd Comes to her selfe the agony appeased When colder blood more sharpely feeles the wound And griefe her so incurably hath seized That for the same no remedie is found As the poore refuge to her restlesse woes This of her griefe she lastly doth dispose 99 That now vnkinde King as thou art my sonne Leauing the world some legacie must giue thee My harts true loue the dying March hath wonne Yet that of all I will not quite bereaue thee The wrong and mischiefe to thy mother done I thee bequeathe so bound that they out liue thee That as my breast it hourely doth torment Thou maist enjoy it by my Testament 100 Henceforth within this solitary place Abandoning for euer generall sight A priuate life I willingly embrace No more rejoycing in the obuious light To consumate the weary lingering space Till death inclose me with continuall night Each small remembrance of delight to flie A conuertite and penitently die Finis To the Reader SEing these Epistles are now to the world made publike it is imagined that I ought to be accountable of my priuate meaning chiefely for mine owne discharge lest being mistaken I fall in hazard of a inst and vniuersall reprehension for Hae nugae seria ducent In mala derisum semel exceptumque sinistre Three points are especially therefore to bee explained First why I entitle this worke Englands Heroicall Epistles then why I obserue not the persons dignitie in the dedication lastly why I haue annexed notes to euery Epistles end For the first the title I hope carrieth reason in it selfe for that the most and greatest persons heere in were English or else that their loues were obtained in England And though heroicall bee properly vnderstood of demi-gods as of Hercules and Aeneas whose parents were said to be the one celestall the other mortall yet is it also transferred to them who for the greatnesse of minde come neere to Gods For to bee borne of a celestiall Incubus is nothing else but to haue a great and mightie spirit farre aboue the earthly weaknesse of men in which sence Ouid whose imitator I partly professe to bee doth also vse Heroicall For the second seeing none to whom I haue dedicated any two Epistles but haue their states ouer-matched by them who are made to speake in the Epistles howeuer the order is in dedication yet in respect of their degrees in my deuotion and the cause before recited I hope they suffer no disparagement seeing euery one is the first in their particular interest hauing in some sort sorted the complexion of the Epistles to the character of their iudgements to whom I dedicate them excepting onely the
her philters exorcismes and charmes Thy presence hath repaired in one day What many yeeres and sorrowes did decay And made fresh beauties fairest branches spring From wrinkled furrowes of times ruining Euen as the hungry winter-starued earth When she by nature labours towards her birth Still as the day vpon the darke world creepes One blossome forth after another peepes Till the small flower whose roote is now vnbound Gets from the frostie prison of the ground Spreading the leaues vnto the powerfull noone Deck'd in fresh colours smiles vpon the sunne Neuer vnquiet care lodg'd in that breast Where but one thought of Rosamond did rest Nor thirst nor trauaile which on warre attend E're brought the long day to desired end Nor yet did pale Feare or leane Famine liue Where hope of thee did any comfort giue Ah what iniustice then is this of thee That thus the guiltlesse doost condemne for me When onely she by meanes of my offence Redeemes thy purenesse and thy innocence When to our wills perforce obey they must That iust in them what e're in vs vniust Of what we doe not them account we make The fault craues pardon for th' offenders sake And what to worke a Princes will may merit Hath deepst impression in the gentlest spirite I ft be my name that dooth thee so offend No more my selfe shall be mine owne names friend And â—ft be that which thou doost onely hate That name in my name lastly hath his date Say t is accuâ—st and fatall and dispraise it If written blot it if engrauen raze it Say that of all names t is a name of woe Once a Kings name but now t is not so And when all this is done I know â—vvill grieue thee And therfore svveet whie should I now belieue thee Nor shouldst thou thinke those eies with enuie lower Which passing by thee gaze vp to thy tower But rather praise thine owne which be so cleere Which from the Turret like tvvo staires appeare Aboue the sunne dooth shine beneath thine eie Mocking the heauen to make another skie The little streame which by thy tovver dooth glide Where oft thou spendst the wearie euening tide To view thee vvell his course would gladly stay As loath from thee to part so soone away And with salutes thy selfe would gladly greete And offer vp those small drops at thy feete But finding that the enuious banks restraine it T' excuse it selfe doth in this sort complaine it And therefore this sad bubling murmure keepes And in this sort within the channell weepes And as thou doost into the water looke The fish which see thy shadow in the brooke Forget to feede and all amazed lie So daunted with the lustre of thine eie And that sweet name which thou so much dost wrong In time shal be some famous Poets song And with the very sweetnes of that name Lions and tygers men shall learne to tame The carefull mother from her pensiue breast With Rosamond shall bring her babe to rest The little birds by mens continuall sound Shall learne to speake and pr 〈…〉 le Rosamond And when in Aprill they beginne to sing Wiâ—h Rosamond shall welcome in the spring And she in whom all raâ—ities are found Shall still be said to be a Rosamond The little flowers which dropping honied dew Which as thou writst doe weepe vpon thy shue Not for thy fault sweet Rosamond doe moane But weepe for griefe that thou so soone art gone For if thy foote â—uch Hemlocke as it goes That Hemlocke's made more sweeter than the Rose Of Ioue or Neptune how they did betray Nor speake of Iâ—o or Amimone when she for whome Ioue once became a Bull Comparde with thee had beene a tawny trull He a white Bull and she a whiter Cow Yet he nor she neere halfe so white as thou Long since thou knowst my care prouided for To lodge thee safe from iealous Ellenor The labyrinths conueyance guides thee so Which only Vaghan thou and I doe know If she doe guard thee with a hundred eies I haue an hundred subâ—ile Mercuries To watch that Argus which my loue doth keepe Vntill eie after eie fall all to sleepe Those starres looke in by night looke in to see Wondring what starre heere on the earth should be As oft the Moone amidst the silent night Hath come to ioy vs with her friendly light And by the curtaine helpt mine eie to see What 〈◊〉 night and darkenes hid from mee When I haue wisht that she might euer staâ— And other worl 〈…〉 might still enioy the day What should I say words â—eares and sighs be spent And want of 〈◊〉 doth further helps preuent My campe râ—sounds with fearefull shockes of warre Yet in my breast the worser conflicts are Yet is my signall to the battels sound The blessed name of beauteous Rosamond Accursed be that heart that tongue that breath Should thinke should speake or whisper of thy death For in one smile or lower from thy sweete eie Consists my life my hope my victorie Sweet Woodstocke where my Rosamond doth rest Blessed in her in whom thy King is blest For though in France a while my body be Sweete Paradice my heart remaines in thee Notes of the Chronicle Historie Am I at home pursued with priuate hate And warre comes raging to my Pallace gate RObert erle of Leicester who took part with yong king Henry entred into England with an armie of 3000. Flemmings and spoild the countries of Norsfolk and Susfolke being succored by many of the Kings priuate enimies And am I branded with the curse of Rome King Henry the second the first Plantaginet accused for the death of Tho. Becket archbishop of Canterbury staine in the cathedrall church was accursed by Pope Alexander although hee vrgde sufficient proofe of his innocencie in the same and offered to take vpon him any penance so he might escape the curse and interdiction of the Realme And by the pride of my rebellious sonne Rich Normandie with armies ouer-runne Henry the yong K. whom king Henry had caused to be crowned in his life as he hoped both for his owne good and the good of his Subiects which indeed turned to his owne sorow and the trouble of the Realme for he rebelled against him and raising a power by the meanes of Lewes king of France and William K of Scots who tooke part with him inuaded Normandie Vnkinde my children most vnkinde my wise Neuer king more vnfortunate then K Henry in the disobedience of his children first Henry then Gâ—ssrey then Richard then Iohn all at one time or other first or last vnnaturally rebelled against him then the iealousie of Elinor his Qu. who suspected his loue to Rosamond which grieuous troubles the deuout of those times attributed to happen to him iustly for refusin to take on him the gouernment of Ierusalem offred to him by the patriarke there which country was mightily afflicted by the Souldane Which onely Vaghan thou and I doe know This Vaghan was a Knight
be seene In sinks and vaults the vgly toades do dwell The diuels since most vgly they in hell Our mother Earth nere glorious in her fruite Till by the Sunne clad in her Tinsell sute Nor doth she euer smile him in the face Till in his glorious armes he her embrace Which proues she hath a soule sence and delight Of generations feeling appetite Well hypocrite in faith wouldst thou confesse What ere thy tongue say thy hart saith no lesse Note but this one thing if naught else perswade Nature of all things male and female made Shewing her selfe in our proportion plaine For neuer made she any thing in vaine For as thou art should any haue beene thus She would haue left ensample vnto vs. The Turtle that 's so true and chaste in loue Shewes by her mate something the spirit doth moue Th'arabian bird that neuer is but one Is onely chaste because she is alone But had our mother Nature made them two They would haue done as Doues Sparrowes doe But therefore made a Martire in desire And doth her pennance lastly in the fire So may they all be rosted quicke that bee Apostataes to Nature as is she Finde me but one so young so faire so free Woode sude sought by him that now seekes thee But of thy minde and heere I vndertake Strait to erect a Nunry for her sake O hadst thou tasted of these rare delights Ordainde each where to please great Princes sights To haue their beauties and their wits admirde Which is by nature of your sexe desirde Attended by our traines our pompe our port Like Gods adorde abroad kneâ—â—d to in Court To be saluted with the cheerefull cry Of highnes grace and soueraigne maiestie But vnto them that know not pleasures price Al 's one a prison and a Paradice If in a dungeon closde vp from the light There is no difference twixt the day and night Whose pallate neuer tasted daintie cates Thinkes homely dishes princely delicates Alas poore girle I pitty thine estate That now thus long hast liu'd disconsolate Why now at length let yet thy hart relent And call thy father backe from banishment And with those princely honours heere inuest him That aukward loue not hate hath dispossest him Call from exile thy deere alies and friends To whom the fury of my griefe extends And if thou take my counsaile in this case I make no doubt thou shalt haue better grace And leaue the Dunmow that accursed Cell There let blacke night and melancholie dwell Come to the Court where all ioyes shall receiue thee And till that howre yet with my griefe I leaue thee ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie THis Epistle of King Iohn to Matilda is much more poeticall then historicall making no mention at al of the occurrents of the time or state touching onely his loue to her and the extreamitie of his passions forced by his desires rightly fashioning the humor of this king as hath bin truely noted by the most authnticall Writers whose nature and disposition is truliest discerned in the course of his loue first iesting at the ceremonies of the seruices of those times then going about by all strong and probable arguments to reduce her to pleasures and delights next with promises of honour which he thinketh to be last and greatest meane and to haue greatest power in her sexe with promise of calling home of her friends which he thought might be a great inducement to his desires Matilda to King John NO sooner I receiu'd thy letters here Before I knew from whom or whence they were But suddaine feare my bloodlesse veines doth fill As though diuining of some future ill And in a shiuering extasie I stood A chilly coldnesse runnes through all my blood Opening thy letters I shut vp my rest And let strange cares into my quiet breast As though thy hard vnpittying hand had sent me Some new deuised torture to torment me Well had I hop'd I had beene now forgot Cast out with those things thou remembrest not And that prowd beautie which enforst me hether Had with my name now perished together But O I see our hoped good deceiues vs But what we would forgoe that seldome leaues vs Thy blamefull lines bespotted so with sin Mine eyes would clense ere they to reade begin But I to wash an Indian go about For ill so hard set on is hard got out I once determinde still to haue beene mute Onely by silence to refell thy sute But this againe did alter mine intent For some will say that silence doth consent Desire with small encouraging growes bold And Hope of euery little thing takes hold I set me downe at large to write my minde But now nor pen nor paper can I finde For dread and passion are so powerfull o're me That I discerne not things that stand before me Finding the pen the paper and the waxe This at command and now inuention lacks This sentence serues and that my hand out-strikes That pleaseth well and this as much mislikes I write indite I point I raze I quote I enterline I blot correct I note I hope dispaire take courage faint disdaine I make alleadge I imitate I faine Now thus it must be and now thus and thus Bold shame-fac'd fearelesse doubtfull timorous My faint hand writing when my full eye reedes From euery word strange passion still proceedes O! when the soule is fettered once in wo T' is strange what humors it doth force vs to A teare doth drowne a teare sigh sigh doth smother This hinders that that interrupts the other Th'ouer-watched weaknesse of a sicke conceit Is that which makes small beautie seeme so great Like things which hid in troubled waters lie Which crook'd seem straight if straight seem contrary And thus our vaine imagination shewes it As it conceiues it not as iudgement knowes it As in a Mirrhor if the same be true Such as your likenes iustly such are you But as you change your selfe it changeth there And shewes you as you are not as you were And with your motion doth your shadow moue If frowne or smile such the conceit of loue Why tell me is it possible the minde A forme in all deformitie should finde Within the compasse of mans face we see How many sorts of seuerall fauours be And that the chin the nose the brow the eye If great if small flat sharpe or if awry Alters proportion altereth the grace And makes a mighty difference in the face And in the world scarce two so likely are One with the other which if you compare But being set before you both together A iudging sight doth soone distinguish either How woman like a weaknesse is it then O what strange madnesse so possesseth men Bereft of sence such sencelesse wonders seeing Without forme fashion certaintie or being For which so many die to liue in anguish Yet cannot liue if thus they should not languish That comfort yeeldes not and yet hope denies not A life that liues
thou wert heere banished with me Humfrey adue farewell true noble Lord My wish is all thy Elnor can afford ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie I sought that dreadfull Sorceresse of Eye ELinor Cobham was accused by some that sought to withstand and mistiked her marriage with Duke Humsrey that she practised to giue him Philters and such poisoning potions to make him loue her as she was slandered by Cardinall Beuford to haue liued as the Dukes Lemman against the which Cardinall she exclaimeth in this Epistle in the verse before Though enuious Beuford slandered me before Noting the extreame hate he euer bore her Nor Elnor brought thee forraine Armies in To fetch her backe as did thy Iacomin This was the chiefe and onely thing that euer tutched the reputation of this good Duke that dotingly he married Iacomin or as some call her Iaquet daughter and heire to William Bauier Duke of Holland married before and lawfull wife to Iohn Duke of Brabant then liuing which after as it is shewed in this verse following Brabant nor Burgoyne claimed me by force Nâ—rsu'd to Rome to hasten my deuorce Caused great warres by reason that the Duke of Burgoyne tooke part with Brabant against the Duke of Glocester which being arbitrated by the Pope the Lady was adiudged to be deliuered backe to her former husband Nor Bedfords spouse your noble sister Anne That Princely issued braue Burgonian Iohn Duke of Bedfort that scourge of France and the glory of the Englishmen married Anne sister to the Duke of Burgundie a vertuous and beautifull Lady by which marriage as also by his victories attained in France he brought great strength to the English Nation Where 's Greenewich now thy Elnors Court of latâ— That faire and goodly pallace of Greenewich was first builded by that famous Duke whose rich and pleasant situation might remaine an assured monument of his wisedome if there were no other memory of the same They say the Druidesonce liued in this I le It would seeme that there were two Ilands both of them called Mona though now distinguished the one by the name of Man the other by the name of Anglesey both which were full of many infernall ceremonies as may appeare by Agricolaes voyage made into the hithermost Man described by his sonne in law Cornelius Tacitus And as superstition the daughter of barbarisme and ignorance so amongst those Northerly nations like as in America Magicke was most esteemed Druidae were the publicke ministers of their religion as throghly taught in all rites thereof their doctrine concerned the immortalitie of the soule the contempt of death and all other points which may conduce to resolution fortitude and magnanimitie their aboad was in groues and woods whereupon they haue their name their power extended it selfe to maister the soules of men deceased and to conferre with ghosts and other spirits about the successe of things Plutarch in his profound and learned discourse of the defect of Oracles reporteth that the outmost Brittish Iles were the prison of I wot not what Demi-gods but it shall not neede to speake any farther of the Drueda then that which Lucas doth Et 〈◊〉 barbaricus ritus moremque sinestrum Sacrorum Druidae positis repetistis ab armis Did not the heauens her comming in withstand Noting the prodigious and fearefull signes that were seene in England a little before her comming in which Elinor expresseth in this Epistle as fore-shewing the dangers which should ense vpon this vnlucky marriage The hallowing of the magique instruments The instruments which Bullenbrooke vsed in his coniurations according to the diuellish ceremonies and customes of these vnlawfull Artes were dedicated at a Masse in the Lodge in Harâ—sey Parke by Southwell Priest of Westminster Hauing procurde by hopes of golden gaine This was one of the Articles that Duke Humfrey vrgde against the Cardinall Beuford that conspired the death of Henry the fift by conuaying a villaine into his chamber which in the night should haue murthered him but what ground of trueth hee had for the same I leaue to dispute ¶ Duke Humfrey to Elinor Cobham ME thinks thou shuldst not doubt I could forget Her whom so many do remember yet No no our ioyes away like shadowes slide But sorrowes firme in memory abide Nay I durst answere thou doost nothing lesse But moou'd with passion vrgde by thy distresse No Elnor no thy woes thy griefe thy wrong Haue in my breast beene resident too long Oh when report in euery place had spred My Elnor was to sanctuarie fled With cursed Ouley and the witch of Eye As guiltie of their vile conspiracie The dreadfull spirits when they did inuocate For the succession and the realmes estate When Henries Image they in waxe had wrought By which he should vnto his death be brought That as his picture did consume away His person so by sicknes should decay Griefe that before could ne're my thoughts controule That instant tooke possession of my soule Ah would to God I could forget thine ill As for mine owne let that instruct me still But that before hath taken too sure hold Forget it said I would to God I could Of any woe if thou hast but one part I haue the whole remaining in my hart I haue no neede of others cares to borrow For all I haue is nothing else but sorrow No my sweete Nell thou tookst not all away Though thou wentst hence here stil thy woes do stay Though from thy husband thou wert forcde to go Those still remaine they will not leaue me so No eie bewailes my ill moanes my distresse Our griefe is more but yet our debt is lesse we owe no teares no mourning dayes are kept For those that yet for vs haue neuer wept we hold no obijts no sad exequies Vpon the death-daies of vnweeping eies Alas good Nell what should thy patience moue T' vpbraid thy kind Lord with a forraine loue Thou mightst haue bid all former ills adue Forgot the olde we haue such store of new Did I omit thy loue to entertaine with mutuall griefe to answere griefe againe Or thinkst thou I vnkindly did forbeare To bandie woe for woe and teare for teare Did I omit or carelesly neglect Those shewes of loue that Ladies so respect In mournefull blacke was I not seene to goe By outward shewes to tell my inward woe Nor drâ—rie words were wasted in lament Nor cloudy brow bewraid my discontent Is this the cause if this be it know then One griefe concealde more grieuous is than ten If in my breast those sorrowes sometimes were And neuer vtterd still they must be there And if thou knowst they many were before By time increasing they must needes be more England to me can challenge nothing lent Let her cast vp what is receiu'd what spent If I her owne can she from blame be free If she but proue a stepdame vnto mee That if I should with that prowd bastard striue To pleade my birth-right and prerogatiue If birth
allow I should not neede to feare it For then my true nobilitie should beare it If counsell ayde that Fraunce will tell I know Whose townes lie waste before the English foe When thrice we gaue the conquered French the foile At Agincourt at Crauant and Uernoile If faith auaile these armes did Henry hold To claime his crowne yet scarcely nine months old If countries care haue leaue to speake for me Gray haires in youth my witnes then may be If peoples tongues giue splendor to my fame They adde a title to duke Humfries name If toyle at home French treason English hate Shall tell my skill in managing the state If forraine trauell my successe may try In Flaunders Almaine Boheme Burgundy That robe of Rome prowd Benford now doth weare In euery place such sway should neuer beare The Crosier staffe in his imperious hand To be the Scepter that controules the land That home to England despensations drawes Which are of power to abrogate our lawes That for those summes the wealthy church should pay Vpon the needy Commontie to lay His ghostly counsells onely doe aduise The meanes how Langlies progenie may rise Pathing young Henries vnaduised waies A Duke of Yorke from Cambridge house to raise which after may our title vndermine Grafted since Edward in Gaunts famous line Vs of succession safely to depriue which they from Clarence fainedly deriue Knowing the will old Cambridge euer bore To eateh the wreathe that famous Henry wore With Gray and Scroope when first he laide the plot From vs and ours the gaâ—land to haue got As from the Match-borne Mortimer to raigne Whose title Glendour stoutly did maintaine When the prowde Percies haughty March and hee Had sharde the Land by equall partes in three His Priesthoode now sterne Mowbray doth restore To stirre the fire that kindled was before Against the Yorkists shall their claime aduance To steele the poynt of Norffolkes sturdie lance Vpon the breast of Herfords issue bent In iust reuenge of antient banishment He dooth aduise to let our prisâ—er goe And doth enlarge the faithlesse Scottish foe Giuing our heires in marriage that their dowres May bring inuasion vpon vs and ours Ambitious Suffolke so the helme doth guide With Benfords damned policies supplide He and the Queene in counsell still conferre How to raise him who hath aduanced her But my deere heart how vainely do I dreame And flie from thee whose sorrowes are my theame My loue to thee and England thus diuided With the most parte how hard to be decided Or thee or that to whether I am loath So neere are you so deere vnto me both Twixt that and thee for equall loue I finde England in gratefull and my Elnor kind But though my country iustly I reproue For countries sake vnkinde vnto my loue Yet is thy Humfrey to his Elnor now As when fresh beauty triumpht on thy brow As when thy graces I admired most Or of thy fauours might the frankli'st boast Those beauties were so infinite before That in abundance I was onely poore Of which though time hath taken some againe I aske no more but what doth yet remaine Be patient gentle heart in thy distresse Thou arte a Princesse not a whit lesse Whilst in these breasts we beare about this life I am thy husband and thou arte my wife Cast not thine eie on such as mounted be But looke on those cast downe as lowe as we For some of them which prowdly pearch so hie Ere long shall come as lowe as thou or I. They weepe for ioy and let vs laugh in woe We shall exchange when heauen will haue it so We mourne and they in after time may mourne Woe past may once laugh present woe to scorne And worse than hath beene we can neuer taste Worse cannot come than is already past In all extreames the onely depth of ill Is that which comforts the afflicted still Ah would to God thou wouldst thy griefes denie And on my backe let all the burthen lie Or if thou canst resigne make thine mine owne Both in one carrige to be vndergone Till we againe our former hopes recouer And prosp'rous times blow these misfortunes ouer For in the thought of those forepassed yeares Some new resemblance of old ioy appeares Mutuall our care so mutuall be our loue That our affliction neuer can remoue So rest in peace where peace hath hope to liue Wishing thee more than I my selfe can giue ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie At Agincourâ— at Grauant and Vernoyle THe three famous battels fought by the Englishmen in France Agincourt by Henry the fift against the whole power of France Crauant fought by Montacute Earle of Salisburie and the Duke of Burgoyne against the Dolphine of France William Stuart Constable of Scotland Vernoile fought by Iohn Duke of Bedford against the Duke of Alanson and with him most of the Nobilitie of France Duke Humfrey an Especiall Councellour in all these expeditions In Flaunders Almain Boheme Burgundie Here remembring the auncient amitie which in his ambassaes he concluded betwixt the King of England and Sigismund Emperour of Almaine drawing the Duke of Burgoyne into the same league giuing himselfe as an hostage for the duke of saint Omers while the Duke came to Calice to confirme the league With his many other imployments to forraine Kingdoms That crosier staffe in his imperious hand Henry Beuford Cardinall of Winchester that proud haughtie Prelate receyued his Cardinals hat at Calice by the Popes Legate which dignitie Henry the fift his nephew forbade him to take vpon him knowing his haughtie and malicious spirit vnfit for that robe and calling The meanes how Langleis progenie may rise As willing to shew the house of Cambridge to bee descended of Edmund Langley Duke of Yorke a yonger brother to Iohn of Gaunt his Grand-father as much as in him lay to smother the title that the Yorkists made to the crowne from Lionell of Clarence Gaunts elder brother by the daughter of Mortimer His priesthood now sterne Mowbray doth restore Nothing the ancient grudge betweene the house of Lancaster and Norffolke euer since Mowbray duke of Norffolke was banished for the accusation of Henry duke of Herford after the king of England father to duke Humfrey which accusation hee came as a Combatant to haue made good in the Lists at Couentry And giues our heires in marriage that their dowers Iames Stuart King of Scots hauing bin long prisoner in England was released and tooke to wife the daughter of Iohn duke of Somerset sister to Iohn duke of Somerset neece to the Cardinall and the duke of Excester and coosin germain remooued to the King this King broke the oath he had taken and became after a great enemie to England FINIS ¶ To my Honored Mistris Mistris Elizabeth Tanfield the sole daughter and heire of that famous and learned Lawyer Lawrence Tanfield Esquire FAire and vertuous Mistres since first it was my good fortune to bee a witnesse of the many
rare perfections wherewith nature and education haue adorned you I haue beene forced since that time to attribute more admiration to your sexe then euer Petrarch could before perswade mee to by the praises of his Laura Sweete is the French tongue more sweete the Italian but most sweete are they both if spoken by your admired selfe If Poesie were praiselesse your vertues alone were a subiect sufficient to make it esteemed though among the barbarous Getes by how much the more your tender yeeres giue scarcely warrant for your more then womanlike wisedome by so much is your iudgement and reading the more to be wondred at The Graces shall haue one more sister by your selfe and England to her selfe shall adde one Muse more to Muses I rest the humble deuoted seruant to my deere and modest Mistresse to whom I wish the happiest fortunes I can deuise Michaell Drayton William de la Pole Duke of Suffolke to Queene Margaret The Argument William de la Pole first Marques and after created Duke of Suffolke being sent into France by King Henry the sixt concluded a marriage betweene the King his Master and Margaret daughter to Rayner Duke of Aniou who onely had the title of the King of Cicily and Ierusalem This marriage being made contrary to the liking of the Lords and Counsell of the Realme by reason of the yeelding vp of Aniou and Maine into the Dukes hands which shortly after proued the losse of all Aquitaine they euer after continually hated the Duke and after by meanes of the Commons banished him at the Parlement at Berry where after he had the iudgement of his exile being then ready to depart hee writeth backe to the Queene this Epistle IN my disgrace deere Queene rest thy content And Margarets health from Suffolkes banishment Not one day seemes fiue yeeres exile to mee But that so soone I must depart from thee Where thou not present it is euer night All be exilde that liue not in thy sight Those Sauages which worship the Sunnes rise Would hate their God if they beheld thine eyes The worlds great light might'st thou be seene abroad Would at our noone-stead neuer make aboad And make the poore Antipodes to mourne Fearing lest he would neuer more returne Wert not for thee it were my great'st exile To liue within this sea-inuirond I le Poles courage brookes not limmitting in bands But that great Queene thy soueraignty commands Our Falcons kinde cannot the cage endure Nor buzzard-like dooth stoope to euery lure Their mounting broode in open ayre doth roue Nor will with Crowes be coop'd within a groue We all do breath vpon this earthly ball Likewise one heauen encompasseth vs all No banishment can be to him assignde Who doth retaine a true resolued minde Man in himselfe a little world doth beare His soule the Monarch euer ruling there Where euer then his body doth remaine He is a King that in himselfe doth raigne And neuer feareth Fortunes hot'st alarmes That beares against her Patience for his Armes This was the meane prowd Warwicke did inuent To my disgrace at Leister Parlement That onely I by yeelding vp of Maine Should be the losse of fertile Aquitaine With the base vulgar sort to win him fame To be the heire of good Duke Humfreys name And so by treason spotting my pure blood Make this a meane to raise the Neuels brood With Salsbury his vile ambitions syre In Yorkes sterne breast kindling long hidden fire By Clarence title working to supplant The Eagle ayrie of great Iohn of Gaunt And to this end did my exile conclude Thereby to please the rascall multitude Vrg'd by these enuious Lords to spend their breath Calling reuenge on the Protectors death That since the old decrepit Duke is dead By me of force he must be murthered If they would know who rob'd him of his life Let him call home Dame Ellinor his wife Who with a taper walked in a sheete To light her shame at noone through London street And let her bring her Negromanticke booke That fowle hag Iordane Hun and Bullenbrooke And let them call the spirits from hell againe To know how Humfrey died and who shall raigne For twenty yeeres and haue I serude in France Against great Charles and bastard Orleance And seene the slaughter of a World of men Victorious now and conquered agen And haue I seene Vernoylas batfull fields Strew'd with ten thousand helms ten thousand shields Where famous Bedford did our fortune try Or France or England for the victory The sad innesting of so many Townes Scorde on my breast in honorable wounds When Mountacute and Talbot of such name Vnder my Ensigne both first won their fame In heate and cold all fortunes haue indurde To rowze the French within their walls immurde Through all my life these perrills haue I past And now to feare a banishment at last Thou knowst how I thy beauty to aduance For thee refusde the infant Queene of France Brake the contract Duke Humfrey first did make Twixt Henry and the Princesse Arminacke Onely sweete Queene thy presence I might gaine I giue Duke Rayner Aniou Mauns and Maine Thy peerelesse beutie for a dower to bring To counterpoize the wealth of Englands King And from Aumerle with-drew my warlike powers And came my selfe in person first to Towers Th' Ambassadors for truce to entertaine From Belgia Denmarke Hungary and Spaine And telling Henry of thy beauties story I taught my tongue a louers Oratory As the report it selfe did so indite And make it ravish teares with such delight And when my speech did cease as telling all My lookes shewde more that was Angelicall And when I breathde againe and pawsed next I left mine eyes dilating on the text Then comming of thy modesty to tell In musickes numbers my voyce rose and fell And when I came to paint thy glorious stile My speech in greater cadences to file By true descent to weare the Diadem Of Naples Cicils and Ierusalem And from the Gods thou didst deriue thy birth If heauenly kinde could ioyne with broode of earth Gracing each title that I did recite With some mellifluous pleasing Epethite Nor left him not till he for loue was sicke Beholding thee in my sweete Rhetoricke A fifteenes taxe in France I freely spent In triumphs at thy nuptiall tournament And solemnizde thy marriage in a gowne Valude at more then was thy fathers Crowne And onely striuing how to honour thee Gaue to my King what thy loue gaue to mee Iudge if his kindenesse haue not power to moue Who for his loues sake gaue away his loue Had he which once the prize to Greece did bring Of whom old Poets long agoe did sing Seene thee for England but imbarqu'd at Deepe Would ouer-boord haue cast his golden sheepe As too vnworthy ballace to be thought To pester roome with such perfection fraught The briny seas which saw the ship enfold thee Would vaut vp to the hatches to behold thee And falling backe themselues in thronging
and land See beauties all thy waste thy foote thy hand vvhere he may find the more that hee doth view Such rare delights as are both strange and new And other worlds of beauty more and more Which neuer were discouered before And to thy rare proportion to apply The lines and circles in Geometry Vsing alone Arithmetickes strong ground Numbring the vertues that in thee are found And when these all haue done what they can doo For thy perfections all too little too When from the East the dawne hath broken out And gone to seeke thee all the world about Within thy Chamber hath she fixt her light Where but that place the world hath all beene night Then is it fit that euery vulgar eie Should see Loue banquet in her maiestieâ— We deeme those things our sight doth most frequent To be but meane although most excellent For strangers still the streetes are swept and strowd Few looke on such as daily come abroade Things much restraind doth make vâ— much desire theÌ„ And beauties seldome seene makes vs admire them Nor is it fit a cittie shop should 〈…〉 de The worlds delight and natures onely pride But in a Princes sumptuous gallery Hung all with tissue floorde with tapestrieâ— Where thou shalt sit and from thy state shalt see The tiltes and triumphs that are done for thee Then know the diffrence if thou list to proue Betwixt a vulgar and a kingly loue And when thou findst as now thou doubtst the troth Be thou thy selfe vnpartiall Iudge of both Where hearts be knit what helps if not enioy Delayes breedes doubts no cunning to be coy Whilst lazie Time his turne by tariance serues Loue still growes sickly and hope dayly sterues Meane while receiue that warrant by these lines which princely rule and soueraintie resignes Till when these papers by their Lords commaundâ— By me shall kisse thy sweete and daintie hand ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie THis Epistle of Edward to Shores wife and of hers to him being of vnlawfull affection ministreth small occasion of historicall notes for had he mentioned the many battels betwixt the Lancastrian faction and him or other warlike daungers it had beene more like to Plautus boasting Souldier then a kingly Courtier Notwithstanding it shall not be amisse to annexe a line or two From English Edward to the fairest faire Edward the fourth was by nature very chiualrous and very amorous applying his sweet amiable aspect to attaine his wanton appetite the rather which was so well knowne to Lewes the French king who at their interuiew inuited him to Paris that as Comineus reports being taken at his word hee notwithstanding brake off the matter fearing the Parisian Dames with their witty conuersation would detaine him longer then should bee for his benefit by which means Edwad was disapointed of his iorny and albeit Princes whilst they liue haue nothing in them but what is admirable yet we need not mistrust the flatterie of the Court in those times fot certain it is that his shape was excellent his haire drew neare to a black making his faces fauor to seeme more delectable Though the smalnes of his eies full of a shining moisture as it tooke away some comelinesse so it argued much sharpnes of vnderstanding and cruelty mingled togither And indeed George Buccanan that imperious Scot chargeth him and other Princes of those times with affectation of tyranny as Richard the third manifestly did When first attracted by thy heauenly eyes Edwards intemperate desires with which he was wholy ouer-come how tragically they in his of-spring were punished is vniuersally knowne A mirrour representing their ouersight that rather leaue their children what to possesse then what to imitate How seely is the Polander and Dane To bring vs Cristall from the frozen maine Alluding to their opinions who imagin Cristall to be a kind of Ice and therefore it is likely they who come from the frozen parts should bring great store of that transparent stone which is thought to be congealed with extreame colde Whether Cristall be Ice or some other liquor I omit to dispute yet by the examples of Amber and Corall there may be such an induration for Solinus out of Plinie mentioneth that in the Northerly Region a yellow jelly is taken vp out of the sea at two tides which he cals Succinum we Amber so likewise out of the Ligusticke deepe a part of the Meridian Sea a greenish stalk is gathered which hardned in the ayre becomes to be Corrall either white or red Amber notwithstanding is thought to drop out of trees as appeares by Martials Epigram Et latet lucet Phaethonide condita gutta Vt vidcatur apis nectare clausa suo Dignum tantorum pretium tulit ille laborum Credibile est ipsam sic voluisse mors To behold a Bee inclosed in Electrum is not so rare as that a boyes throat should be cut with the fal of an Ice-sicle the which Epigram is excellent the 18. li. 4 He cals it Phaethontis Gâ—tta because of that fable which Ouid rehearseth concerning the Heliades or Phaetons sisters metamorphosed into those trees whose Gum is Amber where flies alighting are often times tralucently imprisoned ¶ The Epistle of Shores wife to king Edward the fourth AS the weake child that from the mothers wing Is taught the Lutes delicious fingering At euery strings soft touch is mou'd with feare Noting his maisters curious listning eare whose trembling hand at euery straine bewraies In what doubt he his new set lesson plaies As this poore child so sit I to indite At euery word still quaking as I write VVould I had led an humble shepheards life Nor knowne the name of Shores admired wife And liu'd with them in Countâ—ie fields that range Nor seene the golden Cheape nor glittering Change To stand a Comet gaz'd at in the skies Subiect to all tongues obiect to all eyes Oft haue I heard my beautie praisd of many But neuer yet so much admir'd of any A Princes Eagle eye to find out that which vulgar sights do seldome wonder at Makes me to thinke affection flatters sight Or in the obiect some thing exquisite To housed beautie seldome stoop's report Fame must attend on that which liues in Court VVhat Swan of great Apollos brood doth sing To vulgar loue in courtly Sonetting Or what immortall Poets sugred pen Attends the glory of a Cittizen Oft haue I wondred what should blinde your eye Or what so far seduced Maiesty That hauing choice of beauties so diuine Amongst the most to choose this least of mine More glorious sunnes adorne faire Londons pride Then all rich Englands continent beside Who takes in hand to make account of this May number Rumneys flowers or Isis fish Who doth frequent our Temples walkes and streets Noting the sundry beauties that he meetes Thinkes not that Nature left the wide world poore And made this place the Chequer of her store As heauen and earth were lately falne at iarres And growne
once report did bring How thou in Fraunce didst reuell with the king vvhen he in triumph of his victorie Vnder a rich imbrodered Canapie E 〈…〉 d proud Tournay which did trembling stand Toâ—eg for mercie at his conquering hand To heare of his enderements how I ioy'd But see this calme vvas suddenly destroy'd When Charles of Castile there to banquet came With him his sister that ambitious dame Sauoyes prowd dutchesle knowing how long she By her â—oue sought to win my loue from me Fearing my absence might thy vowes acquite To change thy Mary for a Margarite When in king Henries tent of cloth of gold She often did thee in her armes enfold vvhere you were feasted more deliciously Than Cleopatra did Marke Anthony Where sports all day did entertaine your sight And then in maskes you passde away the night But thou wilt say t is proper vnto vs That we by nature all are iealous I must confesse t is oft found in our sex But who not loue not any thing suspects True loue dooth looke with pale suspitious eie Take away loue if you take iealousie Turwin and Turney when King Henry tooke For this great change who then did euer looke When Maximilian to those warres addrest Ware Englands Crosle on his imperiall breast And in our armie let his Eagle flie That viewd our ensignes with a wondring eie Little thought I when Bullen first was wonne VVedlocke should end what angry warre begunnâ— From which I vow I yet am free in thought But this alone by Wolseis wit was wrought To his aduise the King gaue free consent That will I nill I I must be content My virgins right my state could not aduance But now enriched with the dower of France Then but poore Suffolkes Dutchesse had I beene Now the great Dowager the most Christian Qucent But I perceiue where all thy griefe doth lie Lewes of France had my virginitie He had indeede but shall I tell thee what Beleeue me Brandon he had scarcely that Good feeble King he could not do much harme But age must needes haue something that is warme Small drops God knowes do quench that heaâ—lesse fire When all the strength is onely in desire And I could tell if modesly might tell There 's somewhat else that pleaseth louers well To rest his cheeke vpon my softer cheeke Was all he had and more he did not seeke So might the little babie clip the nurse And it content she neuer awhit the worse Then thinke this Brandon if that makes thee frowne For may denhead he on my head set a Crowne who would exchange a kingdome for a kisse Hard were the hart that would not yeeld him this And time yet halfe so swiftly doth not passe Not full fiue months yet elder than I was When thou to Fraunce conducted was by fame With many knights which from all countries came Installed at Saint Dennis in my throne Where Lewes held my coronation Where the prowd Dolphin for thy valour sake Chose thee at tilt his princely part to take Whenas the staues vpon thy caske did light Grieued there with I turnd away my sight And spake alowd when I my selfe forgot T' is my sweeâ—e Charles my Brandon hurt him not But when I fearde the King perceiued this Good seely man I pleasde him with a kisse And to extoll his valiant sonne began That Europe neuer bred a brauer man And when poore King he simply praised thee Of all the rest I ask'd which thou shouldst bee Thus I with him dissembled for thy sake Open confession now amends must make Whilst this old King vpon a pallet lies And onely holds a combat with mine eyes Mine eyes from his by thy sight stolne away Which might too wel their Mistres thoughts bewray But when I saw thy prowd vnconquered Launce To beare the prize from all the flower of France To see what pleasure did my soule imbrace Might easily be discerned in my face Looke as the dew vpon a damaske Rose How through that liquide pearle his blushing showes And when the sost aire breathes vpon his top From the sweet leaues falles easily drop by drop Thus by my cheeke distilling from mine eyes One teare for ioy anothers roome supplies Before mine eie like touch thy shape did proue Mine eie condemn'd my too too partiall loue But since by others I the same doe â—rie My loue condemnes my too too partiall eie The pretious stone most beautifull and rare When with it selfe we onely doe compare Wee deeme all other of that kinde to be As excellent as that we onely see But when we iudge of that with others by Too credulous we doe condemne our eie Which then appeares more orient and more bright As from their dimnesse borrowing great light Alansoon a fine timbered man and tall Yet wants the shape thou arte adornd withall Vandon good carriage and a pleasing eie Yet hath not Suffolkes princely maiestie Couragious Burbon a sweete manly face But yet he wants my Brandons courtly grace Prowd Longauile our Court iudgde had no peere A man scarce made was thoght whilst thou wast here County S. Paule brau'st man at armes in Fraunce Would yeeld himselfe a Squire to beare thy launce Galleas and Bounearme matchlesse for their might Vnder thy towring blade haue cowcht in fight If with our loue my brother angry be I le say to please him I first fancied thee And but to frame my liking to his minde Neuer to thee had I beene halfe so kinde Worthy my loue the vulgar iudge no man Except a Yorkist or Lancastrian Nor thinke that my affection should be set But in the line of great Plantaginet I passe not what the idle Commons say I pray thee Charles make haste and come away To thee what 's England if I be not there Or what to me is Fraunce if thou not here Thy absence makes me angry for a while But at thy presence I must needsly smile When last of me his leaue my Brandon tooke He sware an oath and made my lips the booke He would make hast which now thou doo'st denie Thou art forsworne ô wilfull periuricl Sooner would I with greater sinnes dispence Then by entreatie pardon this offence But yet I thinke if I should come to shriue thee Great were the fault that I should not forgiue thee Yet wert thou heere I should reuenged bee But it should be with too much louing thee I that is all that thou shalt feare to tast I pray thee Brandon come sweete Charles make hast Notes of the Chronicle-Historie The vtmost date expired of my stay When I for Douer did depart away KIng Henry the 8. with the Queene and Nobles in the 6. yeare of his raigne in the moneth of September brought this Ladie to Douer where she tooke shipping for Fraunce Think'st thou my loue was faithfull vnto thee When yong Castile to England su'd for me It was agreed and concluded betwixt Henry the seuenth and Philip King of Castile sonne to Maximilian the
at Bosworth field a braue and gallant Gentleman who was slaine by Richard there this was father to this Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke FINIS To my most deere friend Maister Henry Lucas sonne to Edward Lucas Esquire SIR to none haue I beene more beholding then to your kinde parents for I must truly confesse aboue the measure of my deserts Many there be in England of whom for some particularity I might iustly chalenge greater merit had I not beene borne in so euill an howre as to be poisoned with that gaule of ingratitude to your selfe am I ingaged for many more curtesies then I imagined could euer haue beene found in one of so few yeeres nothing doe I more desire then that those hopes of your toward and vertuous youth may proue so pure in the fruit as they are faire in the bloome long may you liue to their comfort that loue you most and may I euer wish you the encrease of all good fortunes Yours euer Mich Drayton Henry Howard Earle of Surrey to Geraldine The Argument Henry Howard that true noble Earle of Surrey and excellent Poet falling in loue with Geraldine descended of the noble family of the Fitzgeralds of Ireland a faire and modest Lady and one of the honourable maides to Queene Katherine Dowager eternizeth her praises in many excellent Poemes of rare and sundry inuentions and after some few yeares being determined to see that famous Italy the source and Helicon of all excellent Arts first visiteth that renowned Florence from whence the Geralds challenge their descent from the antient family of the Geraldi there in honour of his Mistresse be aduanceth her picture and challengeth to maintaine her beautie by deedes of Armes against all that durst appeare in the lists where after the proofe of his braue and incomparable valour whose arme crowned her beauty with eternall memory he writeth this Epistle to his deerest Mistresse FRom learned Florence long time rich in fame From whence thy race thy noble grandsires came To famous England the kinde nurse of mine Thy Surrey sends to heauenly Geraldine Yet let not Thuscan thinke I do her vvrong That I from thence write in my natiue tongue That in these harsh-tun'd cadences I sing Sitting so neare the Muses sacred spring But rather thinke her selfe adorn'd thereby That England reades the praise of Italie Though to the Thuscan I the smoothnes grant Our dialect no Maiestie doth want To set thy prayses in as hie a key As Fraunce or Spaine or Germanie or they That day I quit the Fore-land of faire Kent And that my ship her course for Flanders bent Yet thinke I with how many a heauie looke My leaue of England and of thee I tooke And did intreat the tide if it might be But to conuey me one sigh backe to thee Vp to the decke a billow lightly skips Taking my sigh and downe againe it slips Into the gulfe it selfe it headlong throwes And as a post to England-ward it goes As I sit wondring how the rough seas stird I might farre off perceiue a little bird Which as she faine from shore to shore would flie Hath lost her selfe in the broad vastie skie Her feeble wing beginning to deceiue her The sâ—aâ— of life still gaping to bereaue her Vnto the ship she makes which she discouers And there poore foole a while for refuge houers And when at length her flagging pinion failes Panting she hangs vpon the ratling sailes And being forc'd to loose her hold with paine Yet beaten off she straight lights on againe And tosst with flaws with storms with wind with wether Yet still departing thence stil turneth thether Now with the poope now with the prow doth beare Now on this side now that now here now there Me thinkes these stormes should be my sad depart The seely helplesse bird is my poore bart The ship to which for succour it repaires That is your selfe regardlesse of my cares Of euery surge doth fall or waue doth rise To some one thing I sit and moralize When for thy loue I left the Belgicke shore Diuine Erasmus and our famous Moore Whose happy presence gaue me such delight As made a minute of a winters night With whom a while I staide at Roterdame Now so renowned by Erasmus name Yet euery houre did seeme a world of time Till I had seene that soule-reuiuing clime And thought the foggy Netherlands vnfit A watry soyle to clogge a fiery wit And as that wealthy Germany I past Comming vnto the Emperours court at last Great learnd Agrippa so profound in Art Who the infernall secrets doth impart When of thy health I did desire to know Me in a glasse my Geraldine did shew Sicke in thy bed and for thou couldst not sleepe By a waxe tapâ—r set thy light to keepe I doe remember thou didst reade that Ode Sent backe whilst I in Thanet made abode Where as thou cam'st vnto the word of loue Euen in thine eies I sawe how passion stroue That snowy lawne which couered thy bed Me thought lookt white to see thy cheeke so red Thy rosie cheeke oft changing in my sight Yet still was red to see the lawne so white The little Taper which should giue thee light Me thought waxt dim to see thy eie so bright Thine eie againe supplies the Tapers turne And with his beames doth make the taper burne The shrugging ayre about thy Temple hurles And wraps thy breath in little clowded curles And as it doth ascend it strait doth ceaze it And as it sinks it presently doth raise it Canst thou by sicknes banish beautie so Which if put from thee knowes not where to goe To make her shift and for her succour seeke To euery riueld face each bankrupt cheeke If health preseru'd thou beautie still doost cherish If that neglected beauty soone doth perish Care drawes on care woe comforts woe againe Sorrow breeds sorrow one griefe brings forth twaine If liue or die as thou doost so doe I If liue I liue and if thou die I die One hart one loue one ioy one griefe one troth One good one ill one life one death to both If Howards blood thou holdst as but too vile Or not esteemst of Norsfolkes Princely stile If Scotlands coate no marke of fame can lend That Lion placde in our bright siluer bend Which as a trophie beautifies our shield Since Scottish bloud discoloured Floden field When the prowd Cheuiot our braue Ensigne beare As a rich iewell in a Ladies haire And did faire Bramstons neighbouring valies choke With clouds of Canons fire disgorged smoke Or Surreys Earledom insufficient be And not a dower so well contenting thee Yet am I one of great Apollos heires The sacred Muses chalenge me for theirs By Princes my immortall lines are sung My flowing verses grac'd with euery tung The little children when they learne to go By painfull mothers daded to and fro Are taught by sâ—gred numbers to â—â—heaâ—sâ— And haue their sweet-lips season'd with my verse When heauen
illusions so in the honour of so rare a Gentleman as this Earle and therewithall so noble a Poet a quality by which his other titles receiue their greatest lustre inuention may make somewhat more bold with Agrippa aboue the barren truth That Lion set in our bright siluer bend The blazon of the Howards honorable armour was Gules betweene six crosselets Fitches abend Argent to which afterwards was added by atchieuement In the Canton point of the bend an escutcheon or within the Scottish tressure a Demi-lion rampant Gules c. as Maister Camden now Clerenceaulx from authoritie noteth Neuer shall time nor bitter enuie be able to obscure the brightnesse of so great a victory as that for which this addition was obtained The Historian of Scotland George Bucchanan reporteth that the Earle of Surrey gaue for his badge a Siluer Lion which from antiquitie belonged to that name tearing in peeces A Lion prostrate Gules and withall that this which he termes insolencie was punished in him and his posteritie as if it were fatall to the Conquerour to doe his Soueraigne such loyall seruice as a thousand such seuere censurers were neuer able to performe Since Scottish blood discoloured Floden field The batttle was fought at Bramstone neere Floden hill being a part of the Cheuiot a mountaine that exceedeth all the mountaines in the North of England for bignesse in which the wilfull periurie of Iames the fifth was punished from heauen by the Earle of Surrey being left by King Henry the eight then in France before Turwin for the defence of his Realme Nor beauteous Stanhope whom all tongues report To be the glory c. Of the beautie of that Lady he himselfe testifies in an Elegie which he writ of her refusing to daunce with him which hee seemeth to alegorize vnder a Lion and a Wolfe And of himselfe he saith A Lion saw I late as white as any snow And of her I might perceiue a Wolfe as white as Whales bone A fairer beast of fresher hue beheld I neuer none But that her lookes were coy and froward was her grace And famous Wyat who in numbers sings Sir Thomas Wyat the elder a most excellent Poet as his Poems extant doe witnesse besides certaine Encomions written by the Earle of Surrey vppon some of Dauids Psalmes by him translated What holy graue what worthy Sepulchre To Wyats Psalmes shall Christians purchase then And afterward vpon his death the said Earle writeth thus What vertues rare were tempred in thy breast Honour that England such a iewell bred And kisse the ground whereas thy corpes did rest At Honsdon where those sweete cel-stiall eyne It is manifest by a Sonnet written by this noble Earle that the first time he beheld his Lady was at Hunsdon Hunsdon did first present her to mine eyne Which Sonnet being altogether a description of his loue I do alleadge in diuers places of this glosse as proofes of what I write Of Hampton Court and Windsor where abound All pleasures c. That he enioyed the presence of his faire and vertuous Mistris in those two places by reason of Queene Katherines vsuall aboad there on whom this Lady Geraldine was attending I proue by these verses of his Hampton me tanght to wish her first for mine Windsor alas doth chase me from her sight And in another Sonnet following When Winsor walls sustainde my wearied arme My hand my chin to ease my restlesse head And that his delight might draw him to compare Winsor to Paradice an Elegy may proue where he remembreth his passed pleasures in that place With a Kings sonne my childish yeeres I pass'd In greater feast then Priams sonne of Troy And againe in the same Elegie Those large greene Courts where we were wont to roue With eyes cast vp vnto the maidens Tower With easie sighs such as men draw in loue And againe in the same The stately seates the Ladies bright of hue The dances short long tales of sweete delight And for the pleasantnesse of the place these verses of his may testifie in the same Elegie before recited The secret groues which we haue made resound With siluer drops the meads yet spread for ruth As goodly flowers from Thamisis doe growe c. I had thought in this place not to haue spoken of Thames being so oft remembred by mee before in sundry other places on this occasion but thinking of that excellent Epigram which as I iudge either to bee done by the said Earle or Sir Frauncis Brian for the worthinesse thereof I will heere insert which as it seemes to me was compiled at the Authors being in Spaine Tagus farewell which Westward with thy streames Turn'st vp the graines of gold already tride For I withspur and saile go seeke the Thames Against the Sunne that shewes her wealthy pride And to the towne that Brutus sought by dreames Like bended Moone that leanes her lusty side To seeke my Country now for whom I liue O mighty Ioue for this the windes me giue FINIS Geraldine to Henry Howard Earle of Surrey SVch greeting as the noble Surrey sends The same to thee thy Geraldine commends A maidens thoughts do checke my trembling hand On other termes or complements to stand Which might my speech be as my heart affords Should come attired in farre richer vvords But all is one my faith as firme shall proue As hers that makes the greatest shevv of loue In Cupids Schoole I neuer read those bookes vvhose lectures oftvve practise in our lookes Nor euer did suspitions riuall eye Yet lie in vvaite my fauours to espie My virgine thoughts are innocent and meeke As the chaste blushes sitting on my cheeke As in a feuer I do shiuer yet Since first my pen was to the paper set If I do erre you know my sexe is weake Feare proues a fault where maids are forc'd to speake Do I not ill ah sooth me not heerein O if I doe reproue me of my sin Chide me infaith or if my fault you hide My tongue will teach my selfe my selfe to chide Nay noble Surrey blot it if thou wilt Then too much boldnesse should returne my guilt For that should be euen from our selues concealde Which is disclosde if to our thoughts reuealde For the least motion more the smallest breath That may impeach our modestie is death The page that brought thy letters to my hand Me thinks should meruaile at my strange demand For till he blush'd I did not yet espie The nakednesse of my immodestie Which in my face he greater might haue seene But that my sanne I quickly put betweene Yet scarcely that my inward guilt could hide Feare seeing all feares it of all espide Like to a taper lately burning bright Now wanting matter to maintaine his light The blaze ascending forced by the smoke Liuing by that which seekes the same to choke The flame still hanging in the ayre doth burne Vntill drawne downe it backe againe returne Then cleere then dim then spreadeth then closeth Now getteth
strength and now his brightnesse loseth As well the best discerning eye may doubt Whether it yet be in or whether out Thus in my cheeke my diuers passions shew'd Now ashy pale and now againe it glow'd If in your verse there be a power to moue It 's you alone who are the cause I loue It 's you bewitch my bosome by mine eare Vnto that end I did not place you there Ayres to asswage the bloody souldiers minde Poore women we are naturally kinde Perhaps you 'le thinke that I these termes enforce For that in Court this kindenesse is of course Or that it is that honny-steeped gall We oft are said to bait our loues withall That in one eye we carry strong desire The other drops which quickly quench the fire Ah what so false can Enuy speake of vs But shall finde some too vainely credulous I do not so and to adde proofe thereto I loue in faith in faith sweete Lord I do Nor let the enuie of enuenom'd tongues Which still is grounded on poore Ladies wrongs Thy noble breast diasterly possesse By any doubt to make my loue the lesse My house from Florence I do not pretend Nor from Giraldi claime I to descend Nor hold those honours insufficient are That I receiue from Desmond or Kyldare Nor adde I greater worth vnto my blood Than Irish milke to giue me infant food Nor better ayre will euer boast to breathe Then that of Lemster Mounster or of Meathe Nor craue I other forraine farre alies Then Windsor or Fitz-geralds families It is enough to leaue vnto my heires If they will but acknowledge me for theires To what place euer did the Court remoue But that the howse giues matter to my loue At Windsor still I see thee sit and walke There mount thy Courser there deuise there talke The roabes the garter and the state of Kings Into my thoughts thy hoped greatnes brings Non such the name imports me thinks so much None such as thou nor as my Lord none such In Hamptons great magnificence I finde The liuely image of thy princely minde Faire Richmonds Towers like goodly pillars stand Rearde by the power of thy victorious hand White-halls triumphing galleries are yet Adornde with rich deuises of thy wit In Greenewich yet as in a glasse I view Where last thou badst thy Geraldine adiew VVith euery little gentle breath that blowes How are my thoughts confusde with ioyes woes As through a gate so through my longing eares Passe to my hart whole multitudes of feares O in a map that I might see thee show The place where now in danger thou doost goe VVhilst we discourse to trauaile with our eye Romania ruscaine and faire Lumbardy Or with thy pen exactly to set downe The modell of that Tempell or that Towne And to relate at large where thou hast beene And there and there and what thou there hast seene Or to describe by figure of thy hand There Naples lies and there doth Florence stand Or as the Grecians finger dip'd in wine Drawing a Riuer in a little line And with a drop a gulfe to figure out To modell Venice moted round about Then adding more to counterfet a Sea And draw the front of stately Genoa These from thy lips were like harmonious tones Which now do found like Mandrakes dreadful grones Some trauell hence t' enrich their mindes with skill Leaue heere their good and bring home others ill VVhich seeme to like all Countries but their owne Affecting most where they the least are knowne Their leg their thigh their back their neck their head As they had been in seuerall Countries bred In their attire their jesture and their gate Fond in each one in all Italionate So well in all deformitie in fashion Borrowing a limbe on euery seuerall Nation And nothing more then England hold in scorne So liue as strangers where as they were borne But thy returne in this I do not reede Thou art a perfect Gentleman indeede O God forbid that Howards noble line From ancient vertue should so farre decline The Muses traine whereof your selfe are chiefe Onely with me participate their griefe To sooth their humors I do lend them eares He giues a Poet that his verses heares Till thy returne by hope they onely liue Yet had they all they all avvay would giue The world and they so ill according be That wealth and Poets neuer can agree Few liue in Court that of their good haue care The Muses friends are euery where so rare Some praise thy worth that it did neuer know Onely because the better sort doe so Whose iudgement neuer further doth extend Then it doth please the greatest to commend So great an ill vpon desert doth chaunce When it doth passe by beastly ignoraunce Why arte thou slacke whilst no man puts his hand To raise the mount vvhere Surreys tovvers must stand Or who the groundsill of that worke doth lay Whilst like a wandrer thou abroade doost stray Clipt in the armes of some lasciuious dame When thou shouldst reare an â—â—on to thy name When shall the Muses by faire Norwhich dvvell To be the Cittie of the learned VVell Or Phoebus altars there with incense heapt As once in Cyrrha or in Thebe kept Or vvhen shall that faire hoofe-plowd spring distill From great mount Surrey out of Leonards hill Till thou returne the Court I will exchange For some poore cottage or some countrey Grange Where to our distaues as we sit and spin My maide and I will tell of things haue bin Our Lutes vnstrung shall hang vpon the wall Our lessons serue to wrap our Towe withall And passe the night whiles winter tales we tell Of many things that long ago befell Or tune such homely Carrols as were sung In Countrey sports when we our selues were yung In prettie Râ—ddles to bewray our loues In questions purpose or in drawing gloues The nob est spirits to vertue most inclind These heere in Court thy greatest want do find Other there be on which we feede our eye Like Arras worke or such like Imagerie Many of vs desire Queene Katherines state â—ut very few her vertues imitate Then as Vlyffes wife vvrite I to thee Make no reply but come thy selfe to me ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie Then Windsore or Fitzgeralds families THE cost of many Kings which from time to time haue adorned the Castle at Windsor with their princely magnificence â—atâ— made it more noble then that it need to hee spoken of now as though obscure and I hold it more meet to referre you to our 〈◊〉 monuments for the founders and finishers thereof then to meddle with matter nothing neere to the purpose As for the family of the Fitz-gerald of whence this excellent Lady was lineâ—lly discended the original was English though the branches did prâ—â—d themselues into distant places names nothing coÌ„sonant 〈◊〉 in former times it was vsual to denominate themselues of their â—nanours oâ—â—orenames as may partly appeare in that which enâ—uâ—th
The circumstance doth make it good or ill To the Sences Sonnet 29. WHen conqu'ring loue did first my hart assaile Vnto mine aide I sommond euerie sence Doubting if that prowde tirant should preuaile My hart should suffer for mine eies offence But he with beautie first corrupted sight My hearing bribde with her tongues harmonie My taste by her sweete lippes drawne with delight My smelling wonne with her breaths spicerie But when my touching came to plaie his part The King of sences greater than the rest He yeeldes loue vp the keis vnto my hart And tells the other how they should be blest And thus by those of whome I hopde for aide To cruell loue my soule was first betraide To the Vestalls Sonnet 30. THose Priests which first the Vestall fire begun Which might be borrowed from no earthly flame Deuisde a vesâ—ell to receiue the Sunne Being stedfastly opposed to the same Where with sweete wood laide curiously by Arâ—â— Whereon the Sunne might by reflexion beate Receiuing strength from euerie secret part The fuell kindled with colestiall heate Thy blessed eies the Sunne which lights this fire My holie thoughts they be the Vestall flame The precious odours be my chaste desire My breast the fuell which includes the sa Thou arte my Vesta thou my goddesse art Thy halowed temple one lie is my hart Sonnet 31. ME thinkes I see some crooked Mimicks jeere And â—axe my Muse with this fantasticke grace Turning my papers askes what haue we heere Making withall some filthie anâ—ike face I feare no censure nor what thou canst say Nor shall my spirit one joâ—e of vigor lose Thinkst thou my wit shall keepe the packe-horse way That eu'rie dâ—dgen lowe inuention goes Since Sonnets thus in bundles are imprest And eu'rie drudge doth dull our saâ—iate eâ—re Thinkst thou my Loue shall in those ragges be drest That eu'rie dowdie eu'rie tâ—ull doth weaâ—e Vnto my pitch no common iudgement flies I scorne all earthlie dung-bred scarabies To the riuer Ankor Sonnet 32. OVr floudes Queene Thames for ships swans is crowned And stately Seuerne for her shoares is praised The cristall Trent for Foords and Fish renowned And Anons fame to Albions cliues is raised Carlegion Chester vaunts her holie Dee Yorke manie wonders of her Owse can tell The Peake her Doue whose bankes so fertile bee And Kent will saie her Medway doth excell Cotswold commends her Isis and her Tame Our northerne borders boast of Tweedes faire floud Our westerne parts extoll her Wilis fame And olde Legea brags of Danish bloud Ardens sweete Ankor let thy glorie bee That faire Idea she doth liue by thee To Imagination Sonnet 33. WHilst yet mine eies doe surfet with delight My wofull hart imprisond in my brest Wisheth to be transformed in my sight That it like those by looking might be blest But whilst mine eies thus greedily doe gaze Finding their obiects ouer-soone departe These now the others happines doe praise Wishing themselues that they had bin my hart That eies were hart or that the hart were eies As couetous the others vse to haue But finding reason their request denies This to each other mutually they craue That since the one cannot the other bee That eies could thinke or that my hart could see To Admiration Sonnet 34. MAruell not Loue though I thy power admire Rauisht a world beyond the farthest thought That knowing more than euer hath bin taught That I am onelie staâ—u'd in my desire Maruell not Loue though I thy power admire Aiming at things exceeding all perfection To wisedomes selfe to minister direction That I am onelie staru'd in my desire Maruell not Loue though I thy power admire Though my conceit I further seeme to bend Than possibly inuention can extend And yet am onelie staru'd in my desire If thou wilt wonder heere 's the wonder Loue That this to me doth yet no wonder proue To Miracle Sonnet 35. SOme misbelieuing and prophane in loue When I doe speake of miracles by thee May say that thou art flattered by mee Who onelie write my skill in verse to proue See miracles ye vnbeleeuing see A dumb-borne Muse made to expresse the minde A cripple hand to write yet lame by kinde One by thy name the other touching thee Blinde were mine eies till they were seene of thine And mine eares deafe by thy fame healed be My vices curde by vertues sprung from thee My hopes reuiu'd which long in graue had liue All vncleane thoughts foule spirits cast out in mee Onely by vertue that proceedes from thee To Wonder Sonnet 36. REading sometime my sorrowes to beguile I finde olde Poets hills and floods admire One he doth wonder monster breeding Nyle Another maruells sulphure Aetnâ—es fire Now broad-brimd Indus then of Pindus height Peâ—ion and Ossa frostie Caucâ—se olde The Delian Cinthus then Olympus weight Slow Arrer franticke Gallus Cydnus colde Some Ganges Ister and of Tagus tell Some whirle-poole Po and sliding Hypasis Some olde Pernassus where the Muses dwell Some Helicon and some faire Simois A fooles thinke I had you Idea seene Poore brookes and bankes had no such woonders beene Sonnet 37. DEere why should you commaund me to my 〈◊〉 When now the night doth sommon all to sleepe Me thinkes this time becommeth Louers best Night was ordaind together friends to keepe How happie are all other liuing things Which though the daie disjoyne by seuerall flight The quiet euening yet together brings And each returnes vnto his loue at night O thou that artâ— so cuâ—â—eous vnto all Whie shouldst thou Night abuse me onelie thus That euerie creaâ—ure to his kinde doost call And yet t is thou doost onelie seuer vs Well could I wish it would be euer daie If when night comes you bid me goe awaie Sonnet 38. SItting alone Loue bids me goe and write Reason pluckes backe commanding me to staie Boasting that she dooth stil direct the waie Or else loue were vnable to indite Loue growing angrie vexed at the spleene And scorning Reasons maimed argument Strait taxeth Reason wanting to inuent Where she with Loue conuersing hath not beene Reason reproched with this coy disdaine Dispiteth Loue and laugheth at her follie And Loue contemning Reasons reason wholie Thought it in weight too light by manie a graine Reason put backe doth out of sight remoue And Loue alone findes reason in my loue Sonnet 39. SOme when in time they of their loues doe tell With flames and lightning their exordiums paint Some call on heauen some inuocate on hell And Fates and Furies with their woes acquaint Elizium is too high a seate for me I will not come in Stix or Phlegiton The thriee three Muses but too wanton be Like they that lust I care not I wil none Spitefull Errinis frights me with her lookes My manhoode dares not with foule Ate mell I quake to looke on Heccats charming bookes I stil feare bug-beares in Apolloes Cell I passe not for Minorua nor Astrea Onelie I call vpon diuine Idea Sonnet 40. MY
killing me each howre Onely to shew her beauties soueraigne powre Sonnet 51. CAlling minde since first my loue begunne Th'incertaine times oft varying in their course How things still vnexpectedly haue runne As please the fates by their resistlesse force Lastly mine eyes amazedly haue seene Essex great fall Tyroue his peace to gaine The quiet end of that long-liuing Queene This Kings faire entrance and our peace with Spaine We and the Dutch at length our selues to seuer Thus the world doth and euermore shall reele Yet to my goddesse am I constant euer How ere blind fortune turne her giddie wheele Though heauen earth proue both to me vntrue Yet am I still inuiolate to you An alusion to Dedalus and Icarus Sonnet 52. MY heart imprisoned in a hopelesse I le Peopled with Armies of pale jealous eyes The shores beset with thousand secret spies Must passe by ayre or else die in exile He framde him wings with feathers of his thought Which by their nature learnd to mount the skie And with the same he practised to flie Till he himselfe this Eagles Art had taught Thus soaring still not looking once below So neere thine eyes celestiall sunne aspired That with the raies his wafting pineons fired Thus was the wanton cause of his owne woe Downe fell he in thy beauties Ocean drenched Yet there he burnes in fire that 's neuer quenched Another to the Riuer Ankor Sonnet 53. CLeere Ankor on whose siluer-sanded shore My soule-shrin'd saint my faire Idea lies O blessed brooke whose milke-white swans adore That cristall streame refined by her eyes Where sweet mirth-breathing Zephire in the spring Gently distills his Nectar-dropping showers Where Nightingales in Arden sit and sing Amongst the daintie dew-impearled flowers Say thus faire Brooke when thou shalt see thy Queene Loe heere thy sheep heard spent his wandring yeeres And in these shades deere Nimph he oft hath beene And heere to thee he sacrifizde his teares Faire Arden thou my Tempe art alone And thou sweete Ankor art my Helicon Sonnet 54. YEt reade at last the story of my woe The drery abstracts of my endlesse cares With my like sorrow enterlined so Smokde with my sighes and blotted with my teares The sad memorialls of my miseries Pendâ—n the griefe of mine afflicted ghost My lifes complaint in dolefull Elegies With so pure loue as time could neuer boast Receiue the incence which I offer heere By my strong faith ascending to thy fame My zeale my hope my vowes my praise my praier My soules oblations to thy sacred name Which name my Muse to highest heauen shal raise By chaste desire true loue and vertues praise Sonnet 55. MY Faire if thou wilt register my loue More then worlds volumes shall thereof arise Preserue my teares and thou thy selfe shalt proue A second flood downe raining from mine eyes Note but my sighes and thine eyes shall behold The sun-beames smothered with immortall smoke And if by thee my praiers may be enrold They heauen and earth to pittie shall prouoke Looke thou into my breast and thou shalt see Chaste holy vowes for my soules sacrifice That soule sweete Maide which so hath honored thee Erecting Trophies to thy sacred eyes Those eyes to my hart shining euer bright When darkenes hath obscurde each other light An allusion to the Aeglâ—ts Sonnet 56. MY thoughts bred vp with Eagle-birds of loue And for their vertues I desirde to know Vpon the neast I set them forth to proue If they were of the Eagles kinde or no. But they no sooner sawe my sunne appeare But on her raies with gazing eyes they stoode Which proou'd my birds delighted in the aire And that they came of this rare kingly broode But now their plumes full summde with sweete desire To shew their kinde beganne to clime the skies Doe what I could my Eglets would aspire Strait mounting vp to thy celestiall eies And thus my Faire my thoughts away be flowne And from my breast into thine eies be gone Sonnet 57. YOu best discern'd of my interior eies And yet your graces outwardly diuine Whose deare remembrance in my bosome lies Too rich a relique for so poore a shrine You in whome Nature chose herselfe to view When she her owne perfection would admire Bestowing all her excellence on you At whose pure eies Loue lights his halowed fire Euen as a man that in some traunce hath seene More than his wondring vttrance can vnfolde That rapt in spirite in better worlds hath beene So must your praise distractedly be tolde Most of all short when I should shew you most In your perfections altogether lost Sonnet 58. IN former times such as had store of coyne In warres at home or when for conquests bound For feare that some their treasures should purloyne Gaue it to keepe to spirites within the ground And to attend it them so strongly tide Till they return'd home when they neuer came Such as by art to get the same haue tride From the strong spirite by no means get the same Neerer you come that further flies away Striuing to holde it strongly in the deepe Euen as this spirit so she alone doth play With those rich Beauties heauen giues her to keepe Pitty so left to coldenes of her blood Not to auaile her nor doe others good To Prouerb Sonnet 59. AS Loue and I late harbourde in one Inne With Proueths thus each other entertaine In loue there is no lacke thus I beginne Faire wordes makes fooles replieth he againe That spares to speake doth spare to speede quoth I As well saith he too forward as too slowe Fortune assistes the boldest I reply A hastie man quoth he ne're wanted woe Labour is light where loue quoth I doth pay Saith he light burthens heauy if farre borne Quoth I the maine lost cast the by away You haue spunne a faire thred he replies in scorne And hauing thus a while each other thwarted Fooles as we met so fooles againe we parted Sonnet 60. DEfine my loue and tell the ioyes of heauen Expresse my woes and shew the paines of hell Declare what fate vnluckie starres haue giuen And aske a world vpon my life to dwell Make knowne that faith vnkindnes could not moue Compare my worth with others base desart Let vertue be the tuch-stone of my loue So may the heauens reade wonders in my hart Beholde the cloudes which haue eclipsde my sunne And view the crosses which my course doth let Tell me if euer since the world begunne So faire a rising had so foule a set And by all meanes let foule vnkindnes proue And shew a second to so pure a loue Sonnet 61. WHen first I ended then I first beganne The more I trauell further from my rest Where most I lost there most of all I wanne Pined with hunger rising from a feast Me thinkes I flee yet want I legs to goe Wise in conceit in act a very sot Rauisht with ioy amidst a hell of woe What most I seeme that surest am I
minde Such a one was I the mirrour of my kinde This was the baite was laide for Edwards loue That bred the league of amitie thereby That no misfortune after could remoue vvhen she the vtmost of her force did trie Nor death it selfe retained power to sunder Friendship seld seene and in the world a wonder Heere on this earth th' onely meane thou art Whereby we hold intelligence with heauen And it is thou that onely doost impart All good can to mortalitie be giuen That 〈…〉 red boâ—d that neuer canst be broken O word diuine to be with reu'râ—nce spoken With this sweete Prince in height of worldly blisse vvhilst Tutors care his wandering eares did guide I liu'd enioying whatsoe're was his vvho ne're my pleasures any thing denide Whose deare affection still me so attended As on my ioyes his happines depended Whether that it my rare perfections were That wonne my youth such fauour in his eie Or that the heauens to whom I seemde so deare On me downe showr'd this blessing from the skie I cannot tell but well it did direct That could produce such wonderfull effect Thou Arke of heauen where wonders are enrouled O depth of Nature who can looke vnto thee What might he be that hath thy doome controuled Or hath the key of Reason to vndoe thee Thy workes diuine which thine alone doe know Shallow mans wit too short for things below The soule her liking subt'ly doth espie In the high power that is to her assignde By the cleere sight discouering through the eie The thing agreeing aptliest with her kinde And by each motion quickely apprehendeth That which it selfe past humane sense extendeth This Edward in the April of his age Whilst yet the crowne sate on his fathers head Like that great loue with his rap'd Phrigian page Me with Ambrosiall delicacies fed He might command that was the Soueraignes son And what I said that onelie must be done My will a lawe autentically past My yea by him was neuer crossd with no Who in affection chained was so fast He as my shadow still with me did goe To me this Prince so pliant was in all Still as an eccho answering to my call My smiles his life his heauen was in my sight And his delight confinde by my desire Who from my cleere eies borrowed all his light As pal 〈…〉 I de Cinthia from her brothers fire My cheeke the pillow where he laide his head My brow his booke my bosome was his bed Like faire Idalia bent to amorous sportes With yong Adonis in the wanton shade Figuring her passions in as sundry sortes As he to her indeerements to perswade Eithers affections happily to moue With all the tender daliances of loue The table thus of our delight was laid Scru'd with what dainties pleasure coulde deuise And many a Syren musicke sweetely plaid O that youth had vs wherewith to suffice whilst we on that vnsatiately doe feede Which our confusion afterwards did breed For still I spurd his violent desire Holding the reines wherewith he rulde the sunne My blandishment the fuell to the fire In which to frie already he begunne waxing his wings taught him Art to flie Who on his back might beare me through the skie Whilst the vaine world vpon vs still did winne Inticde his flatteries stedfastly to trust Loosing the clew which led vs safely in Are lost within this Labyrinth of lust For when the flesh is nussed once in vice The sweete of sinne makes hell a paradice Who thy deceits vile world yet euer told In thee what is that 's not extreamely ill A shop where poison's onely to be sold whose very entrance instantly doth kill where all deformed wickednesse do dwell And all thy waies guide head long into hell The King that saw his hopefull sonne betraide That like young Phaeton ventred on the skies Perceiu'd his course with danger hardly staide For he was graue and prouidently wise That wanting skill to maister youthes desire Might by misguidance set his throne on fire This was a corsiue to King Edwards daies That without ceasing fed vpon his bones That in the day bereau'd him of his case Breaking his night-sleepe with vnquiet grones That did depresse and burthened him downe More then the weight that sate vpon his Crowne When now their iudgement that seuerely tride The matter whence this malladie first grew Likewise must now a remedie prouide To preuent the perill likely to ensue The cause must end e're the effect could cease Else well of one there many might encrease When such in Court my opposites as were On all aduantage that could wisely play Who did to me inuetterate malice beare That for their purpose found so faire a way On this their forces instantly did ground My name and fame perpetually to wound And the time fit for venting their vntruth Me into hate more forcibly to bring Sticke not to charge the loosenesse of my youth T' offend euen in th'vnnaturalest thing And olde fore-passed outrages awake With all that me contemptible might make Wherefore the Prince to priuacie bestow'd In Realmes remote I banished to rome Censured of all men fitst to be abroad That had betraide my honest trust at home A diudg'd to die if after I were found The day prescrib'd vpon the English ground So much astonish'd with the suddaine blow That I became insensible of paine Vntill awak'd with sharpnesse of my woe I saw the wound which open did remaine By which my ioyes still fainted more and more No hope at all me euer to restore Euen as a Turtle for her faithfull make Whose youth her deare virginitie enioyde Sits shrowded in some solitary brake With melancholy pensiuenesse annoide Thus without comfort sit I all alone From the sweete Prince infortunately gone My beauty once which sdainde the summers sight Beaten with bleake and chilly winter stormes Those tender limbes must trauell day and night So often hug'd in Edwards princely Armes Those eyes oft viewing pleasure in her pride With fearefull obiects euery way supplide And whilst these stormes me strangely thus did tosse where I my selfe confined yet in France Thwarted the while with many a greeuous crosse Inseperables to my sad mischance Others that stem'd the current of the time By which I fell prou'd afterwards to clime Camelion-like the world doth alter hue And as false Proteus puts on sundrie shapes One change scarce gone another doth ensue This fild that likewise for promotion gapes Thus did they swarme like Bees about the brim Some drownd and some as dang'rously swim And some on whom the higher powres look'd faire Yet of the season little seemde to vaunt For there were clowdes hung in the troubled ayre which shew'd something to their desire did want That forc'd them stoope which otherwise would flie Whilst with much care they fading honor buy When restlesse Time that neuer turnes againe Whose winged feete are sliding with the sunne By the fleete howres attending on his traine His resolution fatally begunne In a iust