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
griefe she turnes away her face Iealous that he the waters should embrace 26 This angry Lyon hauing slipp'd his chaine As in a feuer makes King Edward quake Which knew too well ere he was caught againe Deere was the blood must serue his thirst to stake Many the labours had beene spent in vaine And he inforc'd a longer course to take Saw further vengeance hanging in the wind That knew the pride and greatnes of his mind 27 The faction working in this lingring jarrâ— How for the Scot free passage might be made To lay the ground of a succesfull warre That hope might breede fresh courage to inuade And whilst our safetie standeth out so farre More dangerous proiects eu'ry where are layd That some in hand home troubles to enure Others in France do forraigne broiles procure 28 By these discentions that were lately sowne Inciting Charles to open Armes againe Who seazing Guyne pretended as his owne That Edward should vnlawfully detaine Proceeds to make a further title knowne T' our Lands in Pontieu and in Aquitaine When wanted homage hath desolu'd the truce Waking his wrongs by Isabels abuse 29 This plot concluded that was long in hand Which to this issue prosperously had thriu'd The Base whereon a mightie frame must stand With mickle Art yet with more fcare contâ—iu'd So strongly builded by this factious band As from the same their safetie is deriu'd Till their full-rooted and inueterate hate Getting more strength might deepely penetrate 30 When choise of such to sway this French affaire Which as a sharpelesse and vnweldie masse Might well imploy the strength of all their care So hard and perlous to be brought to passe Which it behooues them quickly to prepare That being now so setled as it was Craues a graue spirit whose eminence and powre Might like a stiffe gale checke this threatning showre 31 This must a Session seriously debate That depth of iudgement crau'd to be discust That so concernes the safetie of the state And in a case so plausible and iust As might haue quench'd all sparckes of former hate 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ight be thought euen pollicie might trust Could enuy master her distracted will Or apprehend sacietie in ill 32 Tarleton whose tongue mens eares in chaines could tie And as a fearefull thunder-bolt could pierce In which there more authoritie did lie Then in the Sybils sage propheticke verse Whose sentence was so absolute and hie As had the power a iudgement to reuerse On the Queenes part with all his might doth stand To lay this charge on her well-guiding hand 33 What helpes her presence to the cause might bring Being a wife a sister and a mother And in so great and pertinent a thing To right her lonne her husband and her brother Her gratious helpe to all distributing To take of her what they should holde of other Which colour serues t' effect in these extreames That which God knowes King Edward neuer dreames 34 Torleten is this thy spirituall pretence Would God thy thoughts were more spirituall Or lesse perswasiue were thy eloquence But O! thy actions are too temporall Opinion lends too great preheminence Thy reasons subtile and sophisticall Would all were true thy supposition saith Thy arguments lesse force or thou more faith 35 These suddaine broiles that were begun of late Still kept in motion by their secret sleight By false suggestions so interminate That as a ballast of some solide weight Betwixt these aduerse currents of debate Kept their proceeding in a course so streight As lends the Queene an ampler colour still By generall meanes to worke a generall ill 36 She which thus fitly found both wind and tyde And sees her leisure serue the howre so neare All her endeuours mutually apply'd Whilst for her purpose things so fitly were And thus aduantage quickly had espy'd As one whose fortunes taught the worst to feare Seeing the times so variously inclinde And eu'ry toy soone altring Edwards minde 37 Her followers such as friendlesse else had stood Suncke and deiected by the Spensers pride Who bare the brands of treason in their blood Which but with blood there was no way to hide Whose meane was weake whose will was but too good Which to effect did but the howre abide And knew all meanes that mischiefe could inuent That any way might further her intent 38 Whilst Mortimer which now so long hath laine From our iust course by fortune lately crosst In Fraunce now strugling how he might regaine That which before he had in England lost All present meanes doth gladly entertaine No jote dismaide in all these tempests tosst Nor his great minde can thus be ouerthrowne All men his friends all countries are his owne 39 And Muse transported by thy former zeale Led in our progresse where his fortune lies To thy faire ayde I seriously appeale To sing this great man his magnanimous guise The auntient Heroes vnto me reueale whose worths may raise our nobler faculties That in my verse transparent nete and cleere His character more liuely may appeere 40 Such one he was of him we boldely say In whose rich soule all soueraigne powres did sute In whome in peace th' elements all lay So mixt as none could soueraignty impute As all did gouerne yet all did obey His liuely temper was so absolute That t'seemde when heauen his modell first began In him it shewd perfection in a man 41 So throughly seasond and so rightly set As in the leuell of cleere iudgements eye Time neuer tuch't him with deforming fret Nor had the powre to wrap him once awry Whose stedfast course no crosse could euer let His eleuation was so heauenly hie Those giddy tempests that the base world proue State vnder where he Planet like did moue 42 Which this faire Queene that had a knowing spirite And sawe the beauties resting in his minde One that had throughly lookt into his merit Aboue the value of the vulgar kinde That rightly did his Grandsires deedes inherit When now the ages in their course declinde when the old world being weake began to bow To th' effeminate basenes that it rests at now 43 What weighs he wealth or what his Wigmore left Let needlesse heapes things momentary stand He counts not his that can be rapde by theft Man is the sole Lord both of sea and land And still is rich of these that is not reft Who of all creatures hath an vpright hand And by the starres is onely taught to know That as they progresse heauen he earth should do 44 Wherefore wise Nature forcde this face of ground And through the deeps shewd him the secret way That in the flouds her iudgements might be found Where she for safety did her treasure lay Whose store that he might absolutely sound Shee gaue him courage for her onely kay That he alone of all her creatures free Her glory and her wondrous works should see 45 Let wretched worldlings sweate for mud and earth whose groueling bosomes licke the recreant stones And pesants
lineaments of his Quoth he the man thee to the Crowne did bring Might at thy hands the least haue lookt for this And in this place vnseeming of the rest Where onely sacred solitude is blest 67 Her presence frees th' offender of his ill And as the essence makes the place diuine What strong Decree can countermaund the will That gaue to thee the power that now is thine And in her armes preseru'd in safety still As the most pure inuiolable shrine Though thou thus irreligiously despise And dar'st profane these halowed liberties 68 But as when Illion fatally surprisde The Grecians issuing from the woodden horse Their rage and fury prowdly exercisde Opening the wide gates letting in their force Putting in act what was before deuisde Without all sence of pitty or remorce With cries shreekes rumors in confused sound words are broken off complaints abruptly drownd 69 Dissolu'd to drops she followes him O teares Elixar like turne all to pearle you touch To weepe with her the building scarce forbeares The sorrowes that she vttereth are such Able to wound th'impenitrabl'st eares Her plaints so piercing and her woes so much when with th' abundance words wold hardly come Her eyes in silence spake when lips were dumbe 70 Sweete sonne quoth she let not that blood be spilt Once prizd so deere as did redeeme thy Crowne Whose purity if â—ainted now with guilt The cause thereof efficiently thine owne That from the ruines of thy country built Razde with dissentions thy substantiall throne And broke those bounds thy kingdomes once confinde Into large France to exercise thy minde 71 For the deere portion of that naturall blood Which lends thee heate and nutriment of life Be not a niggâ—rd of so small a good Where bounty should be plentifully rife Begg'd on those knees at which thou oft hast stood In those armes circles might co 〈…〉 re this strife O God! that breath from such a bosome sent Should thus in vaine be prodigally spent 72 When in this vproare with the sodaine fright Whilst eu'ry one for â—afety seekes about And none regarding â—o preserue the light Which being wasted sadly goeth out Now in the midst and terrour of the night At the departure of this armed rowt The Queene alone at least if any neare Her wretched women yet halfe dead with feare 73 When horror darkenes and her present woe Begin to worke on her afflicted minde And eu'ry one his tyranny doth show Euen in the fulnes of his proper kinde In such â—x 〈…〉 sse her accusations flow This liberty vnto their power assignde Racking her conscience by this torture due It selfe t' accuse with whatsoere it knew 74 O God to thinke that not an houre yet past Her greatnes freedome and her hopes so hie The sweet content wherein her thoughts were placde Her great respect in eu'ry humbled eye How now she is abused how disgracde Her present shame her after misery When eu'ry woe could by despaire be brought Presents his forme to her distracted thought 75 To London now a wretched prisner led London where oft he triumpht with the Queene And but for spite of no man followed Scarcely thought on who had for many beene Of all regard and state impou'rished Where in excesse he often had bin seene Which at his fall doth make them wonder more Who sawe the pompe wherein he liu'd before 76 O misery where â—nce thou doost infest How soone thy vile contagion alters kinde That like a Circe metamorphisest The former habite of the humane minde That euen from vs doost seeme our selues to wrest Striking our fraile and fading glories blinde And with thy vicious presence in a breath Chain'st vs as slaues vnto pale fainting Death 77 At Westminster a Parliment decreed To th'establishing the safetie of the Crowne Where to his end they finally proceede All laying hand to dig this mountaine downe To which Time wills they haue especiall heede Now whilst the Fates thus angerly doe frowne The blood of Edward and the Spensers fall For their iust vengeance hastily doe call 78 The death of Kent that foule and loathsome blot Th'assuming of the Wardes and Liueries With Ione the Princesse married to the Scot he summes oft seized to his treasuries And that by this might well haue beene forgot The signe at Stanhope to the enemies Or what else ript from the records of Time That any way might aggrauate his crime 79 O dire Reuenge when thou in time arte rakde From the râ—de ashes which preseru'd thee long In the dry cindars where it seemde as slakde Matter to feed it forcde with breath of wrong How soone his hideous fury is awakde From the small sparks what flames are quickly sprong And to that top dooth naturally aspire Whose weight and greatnes once represt his fire 80 And what auailes his answer in this case Which now the time doth generally distast Where iudgement lookes with so seuere a face And all his actions vtterly disgrac'd What fainting bosome giues him any place From out the faire seate of opinion cast With pen and incke his sorrowes to deceiue Thus of the faire Queene takes his latest leaue 81 Most mighty Empresse s'daine not to peruse The Swan like dirges of a dying man Vnlike those raptures of the fluent Muse In that sweete season when our ioyes began That did my youth with glorious fire infuse When for thy gloue at Tilt I prowdly ran Whereas my startâ—ing Courser strongly set Made fire to flie from Hartfords Burgoneâ— 82 The King your sonne which hastneth on my death Madam you know I tendred as mine owne And when I might haue grasped out his breath I set him gently on his fathers throne Which now his power too quickly witnesseth Which to this height and maiesty is growne But our desert forgot and he forgiuen As after death we wish to liue in heauen 83 And for the sole rule whereon thus he stands Came bastard William but himselfe on shore Or borrowed not our fathers conqu'ring hands Which in the field our ancient ensignes bore Guarded about with our well ordred bands Which his prowd Leopards for their safety wore Raging at Hastings like that ominous Lake From whose dread waues our glorious name we take 84 Had I beene chargde vpon mine armed horse As when I came vnto the walles of Gaunt Before the Belgike and Burgonian force There challenging my Countries Combattant Borne from my seate in some robustious course That of my spoiles the enemy might vaunt Or had I falne vnder my battered shield And lent mine honour to some conquered field 85 I haue not followed Fortun like a slaue To make her bounty any whit the lesse By my desert her iudgement to depraue Nor lent me aught I freely not confesse And haue returnd with intrest what she gaue A minde that suted with her mightinesse He twice offends which sinne in flattry beares Yet eu'ry houre he dies that euer feares 86 I cannot feare what forceth others quake The times and I haue