this Goddesse she is renowmed more then sufficient O Memory quoth Inquisition this is not Diana no Diana no Gouzaga no Emila no Cariclia no Pallas no Iuno no not knowing Minerua may compare with her for the flourishing feature of her incomprehensible complexion for the comly composition of her Ladilike limmes being the perfectest peece of woorke that euer Nature created that euer earth nouryshed or that euer death destroyed for the passing great dexteritie of her ingenious Capacitie the very Phenix of women and the chiefest amoÌ„gst men that euer thou Memory didst celebrate for learning for knowledge of Tongs for the diuers gifts of the mind shee only dyd inhabite betwixt the wings of flitting Fame for a happye long quiet lyfe in this worlde she onely was fauoured by Fortune or rather singularly preserued by her maker For that shee neuer tasted in all her raigne any aduersytie shee is to bee esteemed immortall for that in all her actions shee had her hartes desyre shee may iustly bee esteemed a Goddesse or rather the very beloued of god Now I report me vnto you is there any Goddesse or Nimph inhabiting the Mount Helicon which maye compare with Queene Hellina not shee of Greece which brought finall destructton vnto the flourishing Troy but shee of Brittayne who redeemed her decaying Country from forraine tyrannye which made not onely a menes for the bodyes of her subiects to liue in quiet peace but she also prescribed vnto theÌ„ an order how they might saue their soules She planted religion amongst her subiects which were at that time sauage neither knowing God nor esteeming godlynesse she was Daughter vnto King Coell shee was Queene of Bryttayne Empresse of the worlde Wyfe vnto Constantius Mother to Constantine the Great Yet the descriptions of time I meane the Chronicles haue lefte so litle reporte of her that I founde her standyng betwixte Forgetfulnesse and Memory almost smothered with Obliuion If shee bee so renowmed as you haue spoken of sayde Memory we shoulde doo her great wrong to deny her a place in this Pageant Speake therefore good Madame Hellina with good leaue your minde and as other by their falles doo set downe examples very necessary for the auoyding of vice so let your history bee a meanes to incourage all men to imbrace vertue Then the good Queene although somewhat abashed yet glad to repeat her lyfe forerunne sayde as followeth ⧠The Lyfe of Queene Hellina How Queene Hellina was Empresse of all the Worlde This Storie dooth declare how happye they bee which liue in the feare and loue of God. MEns due desertes ech Reader may recite For men of men doo make a goodly show But womens workes can neuer come to light No mortall man their famous factes may knowâ— No writer wyll a litle time bestowe The worthy workes of women to repeate Though their renowme and due deserts be great For I by byrth to Coel Daughter deare King Lucy was my good Grandmothers sonne My Father dead I rulde his kyngdome heere And afterwarde the Worlde so wide I wonne â— Empresse was of all vnder the Sunne â— liued long I dyde with perfect blisse â—et writers will repeate no worde of this But now at last I haue obtayned leaue My spotlesse life to paynt in perfect white Though writers would al honour from me reaue Of al renowne they would depriue me quite Yet true report my deedes shal burnishe bright And rubbe the rust which did me much disgrace And set my name in her deserued place From Roman rule who Brittayne did redeme Who planted first Gods woorde in Brittayne land Who did so much virginitie esteme Who did the force of forrayne foes withstand Who al the world subdude without a band Of Martial men who did these noble actes I Hellina haue done these famous factes And now haue here the storye of my state The Brittayne Queene inheritage me crownde Euen then when Romans had so great debate Amongst them selues for Caracallas wounde An Emperour who highly was renownde As then at Rome whose death vndoutedly Diminishte much the Roman Emperie The Romans then were storde with ciuile strife And many Realmes against them did rebell There trouble turnd me to a quiet life My common weale did prosper passing well When al the worlde agreed like Deuils in hel Then I and myne be calmde from Hatreds blast In happy Hauen we harboured were at last Then I a mayd of tender youthful yeares Reporte did say of beutie fresh and fayre Refusde the sute of many noble Peeres Which dayly did vnto my court repayre What though there were vnto my Crowne no heyre Yet I who did regard my Comons good Refusde to linke my selfe with forrayne blood On forrayne Costes on Kingdomes to incroche With wrath of wrackful warres I did despise And fearing aye the ruth of rude reproche With carking care I dayly did deuise How I with peace myght make my kingdome rise And how by lawe of God and man I might Giue Caesar his and vnto God his right No God of heauen no Christ my people knewe Wherefore to Rome for learned men I sent Kinge Lucies lawes decayde I did renewe Then preaching made my people so repent There former faultes that all incontinent Were baptized and they within a space The fayth of Christ so firmly did imbrace That nothing seemed currant in their sight But that which holye writers would alowe And that they would imbrace with all their might To shed their bloud the same for to avowe They did not feare at Verolane euen nowe Amidst the force of fiery flashing flame Albon the Protomartyr proude the same As careful marchaunt men do much reioyce When from those Iles Molocchi they haue brought There frayghted shippes for then they haue great choyce Of Marchandize which trafficke long hath sought To finde the ware which trial true hath taught Wyl get moste gayne which beeing got they giue And cast there care how they thereby may liue So I whom both Sir Neptunes surging Seas And Eoles windes euen God him selfe aboue Did fauoure much my labouring minde to please Geuing those thinges were best for my behoue Gods woorde I mene which al my men did loue The Pearles which Christ commaunded to be bought Muste here be found and no where els be sought Then they and I made haste post hast to leade Our sinful liues as Scripture did alowe We knowing God him loude with feare and dread Deuotion made vs crouche and creepe and bowe Our hartes our heades we sauage were but nowe Yet by and by such was the good successe In fiery flames the truth we did professe Then flittinge Fame the truth to testifie Against my wyl at Rome made such reporte That Constantinus thence dyd hether hye And being come vnto my Brittayne Court With louers lookes hee striude to scale the Fort Of my goodwyll but when it woulde not bee He sighing thus addrest his talk to mee O Queene quoth he thy deedes deserue great fame The goodly giftes that
twyst in twayne I graunt my sonne the Monarchie is myne For at his death thy father gaue it me For terme of life but let it nowe be thine I aged must goe pay the earth her fee I am content to liue with lesse degree O louing sonne geue eare vnto my hest I wyl not rule that charge for thee is best And when he myght not rule his mothers minde Agaynst his wyll he wylling did assent That al should be as I had then assignde To rule the worlde he greued was content And whilste that there my happie dayes I spent Reioycing much to see my sonnes successe I dyde and had a heauenly happinesse Thrice happye I who ranne this Royal race And in the ende my wished Goale did get For by my meanes al people did imbrace The fayth of Christ the orders I did set They were obayd with ioy which made me iet Euen in this blesse a better blesse befel I dyde and nowe my soule in heauen doth dwel So now you see the happye hap I had Learne then thereby to do as I haue done To prayse gods name let euery Prince be glad To persecute the truth let al men shunne By vertuous wayes great honor maye be wonne But he who doth to vices vile incline May be comparde vnto a filthie swine Who doth not loue the playne nor pleasant way He can not feare to sleepe amidst the greene But in the mire he doth delyght to lay So Princes such as vile and vicious beene Do tumble aye amidst a sinke of sinne Whose names on earth whose soules in hel remayne In infamye the other pincht with payne Let them that seeke for euerlasting fame Tread in the steppes that I before haue trod And he who would avoyd reprochful shame And flee the smart of Plutoes ruthful rod Let him not cease to learne the law of God Which onely lawe mans stumbling steppes doth 〈◊〉 Who walkes therein his feete can neuer slide The Induction BEholde quoth Memorye the effect of vertue and godlynesse If the contentatioÌ„ of the mind be perfecte happinesse as some Philosophers haue defynde it then no doubt this Queene was most happy and happp is hee who can imitate her in her happynesse But not long time after her there lyued a King named Vortiger who for his vice was as diuerslye afflicted as this Woman for her vertue was blessed I doo remember the wickednesse of this man was exceeding great Haue you founde hym out Inqusition is not this he good Memory quoth Inqusition I founde hym both sitting and sighing amongst the miserable and it would appeare that hee is ashamed to make rehearsall of thinges past It is euen he quoth Memorie you may know him by his fyry lookes for though it be long since hee liued yet he beareth about with hym the badge of his destruction Note you his story with dilygeÌ„ce good Inquisition for this is hee who subuerted the common weale of Brirtayne And you Sir Prince I doo coniure you by the duty you owe vnto mee who doo know all thinges that you doo heere repeate vnto vs the whole Story of your estate Wherewith he with smoking sighes greatly against his wyl saide as followeth ⧠The Complaynt of Vortiger ¶ How Vortiger destroyed the young kyng Constantine and howe he obteyned the Crowne howe the abusyng of his prosperitie brought hys Realme so lowe that he was constrayned to hyre souldyers to defend hym selfe from hys enimyes and howe after many miseries he was miserably burnt in his Castle by the brethren of Constantine BY quiet peace of Ianus ioylitie Their happy hauens with forewinds forst some haue By wrackful warres of Mars his crueltie With much adoo some get the Goale they craue By subtyl sleightes and fetches boulstred braue My haplesse hand dyd hyt with leueled lyne The aymed marke the more mishap was myne By gyftes of grace some men haue happy hap By blessed byrth to Kyngdomes borne some be Succession sets some men in Fortunes lap By wisedome wyt and prudent policie Some clyme aloft by trustlesse treacherie And courage dooth a multitude aduaunce Driftes finely filde they dyd my state inhaunce I Vortiger by byrth was borne a Lorde Kyng Constantine his Coosin did me call I cride amayne and clapt his crowne a borde And for a tyme til Fortune forst my fall With restlesse blesse I sate in stately stall But men of warre of much more might then I For my desert my carefull corpes did fry As furious force of fiery flashing flame With Cinders brought my body to decay So smulderyng smokes of euerlasting shame Reude my renowne and wipte my fame away What may I more of my misfortune say I sigh to see I silent ceasse to tell What me destroide and drownd my soule in hel Here to repeate the partes that I haue playd Were to vnâ—ippe a trusse of trumpery For me to shew how I aloft was stayde Were to erect a schoole of Trechery Silence is best let no man learne by me Nor by my meanes how they by wicked waies From low estate aloft them selues may rayse As good men can by wicked workes beware So wicked men by wicked workes be wise If ill men reade my deedes which wicked were They by my meanes will compasse their surmise For wicked workers dayly do deuise To make examples vile and vicious To stand in stead to serue their lawlesse lust The Serpent thence his venym vile dooth drawe From whence the Bee her honny sweete dooth get Leawd liuers learne to breake the written lawe By that whereby good men doo learne much wit. For wicked men eche fetche is thought most fyt To serue their turne therefore I compt it best To leaue my faultes and follyes vnconfest Geue leaue therefore good Memory I may Not here repeate my tedious Tragedy Inquiry let me nowe departe away My common weale subuerted was by me I leawdly liude and dyde in misery And for my faultes I felt disdayneful smarte Let this suffice and let me nowe departe With that he seemde as on that would away But Memory stay stay thy steppes quoth she Let wicked men procure their owne decay We recke it not if warned once they be Let that suffice and let thy misery Make iust report how vayne and vile a thing It is to liue as a vsurping King. Sith needes I must repented faultes forerunne Repeat and tel the fal and foyle I felt Patience perforce to speake shame bids me shunne To thinke thereof dooth make my harte to melte But sith I needes must shewe howe here I delt I am contente to tell the truth of al Let wise men learne to stande which reade my fal For first I causde the young king Constantine Of faythlesse Scots and Pictes to make his garde They by my meanes did kil their kyng in fine For which with speede I sent them al to warde And hangde them al their cause was neuer harde So I who fyrst did cause them kil their king To stop their mouthes them al to
mighty Ioue which hast thy seemely seat Aboue the sphere of Mars and Mercury Thy fleshlesse eyes my tongue can not repeate What syghtes they see nothing is hid from thee Thy eyes the hart and secrete thoughts doo see Thou knowest O Ioue how iust my quarrel is Which here to proue thou knowst I compt a blisse No God thou man thou art no God in deede I faynt for feare and doost thou thus me dare Thy gauntlet lo to take I doo not dreade Such courage though I fynde but very rare In pryncely brest what though I wil prepare My selfe to feelde where thou I hope shalt fynde My selfe alone wyl cause thee curse thy kynd To deale with thee I Caesar might disdayne My tryple Mace dooth rule the worlde you see Thou subiect art the meanest of the traine Whom conquest hath compeld to wayte on me A meaner knyght were meete to match with thee Yet I my selfe with al my hart doo dayne To reue thy life and cause thee to complayne Then I whose hart was al beglarde with glee To Caesar sayd If fate hath framde my foyle If now the last of all my lyfe I see It shal delight that Caesar dyd me spoyle And that his blade did cause my bloudy broyle And whilst I ment a longer speache to make A storme most straunge constraynd the earth to quake Straunge sundry sightes then sodaynly wer seene The lightsome day was turnde to lothsome night Then darknesse did affraight me much with feare The seemly Sunne did lose her louing lyght And that which would amaze eche worldly wight The thundring heauens constraynde the earth to quake The trees did daunce the mighty mountes dyd shake Haue here myne end from threatning thunder clap A burning bolt did pearce my hart with payne Wherwith I cryed O Caesar my mishap Is comne for whilst I thought thee to haue slayne Ioues vengeaunce iust hath torne my corps in twayne This was my end although some writers say That Claudius blade did cause my last decay To slip at first such fall hath little foyle Greate ruth it is to lose a race forerunne And at the end by slipping suttle soyle Wagelesse too lose a race too wel begonne The Turrets top let wise men wisely shunne Who falles from top he mercilesse is slayne Who falles below can quickly ryse â–ª agayne I tel this tale who knowledge bought too deare I could not be content with meane estate Let them therefore which shal this story heare So loue the meane extremitie so hate That they may liue in blesse without debate Who is content amidst the meane to dwel With perfite blysse he onely dooth excell With royal rule you Kinges which runne your race Take heede beware flee fancies fonde delight Ambition blinde wyl moue you to imbrace A thousande euils disdayne with al your might Her luring lookes she me a wretched wyght Transformde and made with Circes sorcerie A brutishe beast and worse if worse may be When Thanatos had thus destroyed my dayes Then due desert my soule to hel conuayde I fearde not God his name I did not prayse But foolishe fate and fortune stil me stayde For which with pinching payne I nowe am payde Fortune I finde is nowe of none auayle But God is he whose power dooth preuayle The Induction IT was great pitie quoth Memorie vnto Inquisition that thys man liued in the tyme of blinde ignorance when neyther vertue nor religion were knoweÌ„ Beleeue me if he coulde haue conteyned him selfe within the limites of his owne Countrey or if too much courage had not moued him to so great interpryses surely eueÌ„ he had restored the Britaines vnto their auncient libertie might haue liued long without paying any tribute You haue said quoth Inquisition he might haue had a very glorious day ouer the Romans if he had not desired Rome For wheÌ„ Claudius Caesar had him abroade he did not presently incounter with Guidericus as he supposed he woulde haue donne but remembring how Scipio Africanus layd siege vnto Carthage did draw Hannibal out of Italy he imitating his grand Chieftayne and predecessor fyrst brought Britayne vnto his obedience then he inuaded Guidericus with whom God being displeased he was destroyed as you haue harde After whom the Britaines were greeuously oppressed by the Romans and dayly inuaded by the Scots and Pictes whiche Lodrike their King brought out of Scithia insomuch that at this time the Britaynes were compelled to sende vnto the Emperour Bassianus for aide who sent vnto them the Roman Seuerus with a great power And then how Carassus a Britayne not Nobilis but altogeather ignotus did both redeeme his countrey from the Pictes and Romans and also obteyned the crowne and raygned eight yeares thys story following shal declare who although he felt the fall of his owne follie yet surely his story is very profitable chiefly for all such as doo suffer suspition to seduce them as the diligent noting of the processe wyll declare ⧠The Complaint of Carassus ¶ Howe Carassus a Husbandmans sonne slewe Lodrike the King of the Pictes and howe the Emperour made him a Captayne Then howe he obtayned the Britayne Crowne and howe suspition brought him to decay SIth men be borne by Nature naked all With their estates why are not men content Why doo they deeme the want of wealth a thral Why shoulde they lothe the lot which God hath sent Adam him selfe I finde at fyrst was sent As one who did disdaine his poore estate To disobay with God to be a mate Thou maist be made a God quoth satan than If on the fruite forbidden thou wilt feede The senselesse wight the feeble forcelesse man Did caste thereof supposing that with speede He shoulde in hast haue beene a God in deede He not content hoping for hygher place Brought bitter bale to him and al his race And I the sonne of Adam by descent Dyd seeke to set my selfe in princely seate With mine estate I could not be content For which I felt the force of hatreds heat As at the first my good successe was greate So at the last by fansies fond desires I gropte for grapes amidst the bramble brires Let such as woulde by vertue them aduaunce Marke by what menes I did my selfe addresse To flye at first my poore alotted chaunce By honest meanes let them from wickednesse Which fayne would flye learne this by my distresse That he who doth from right and reason stray Destruction shall destroy him with decay For I by byrth borne next to beggers doore Was stayde aloft with staffe of high estate But whilste that I so hye a pitche did soore I left the meanes which made me ryse of late I vices loude I did al vertues hate For which Carassus ranne a race in vayne And nothing got but death and deepe disdayne When ciuile strife had Bryttayne quiâ—e vndone So that her strength was now of none auayle The faythlesse Scots with ruth did ouerrunne That royall realme the Pictes did so preuayle That