thriue He plagues the prowde preserues the good aliue FINIS The Authoure THen vanishte Humber and no sooner gon VVas he but straight in place before me came A princely wight had complet harnes on Though not so complet as they now do frame He seemde sometime t' aue bene of worthy fame In breste a shafte with bleeding wounde he bare And thus he tolde the cause of all his care Locrinus the eldest sonne of Brutus declareth his slaughter to haue happened for his euill life He died the yeare before Christe 1064. YF euer any noble prince might rewe His factes are paste long since the same may I That would to God it were not farre to true Or that I iustly could my faultes denye The truthe of thinges the ende or tyme doth trie As well by me is seen my haplesse fall Declares whence came my greate misfortunes all I am Locrinus seconde Britayne king The 〈◊〉 sonne of him that founde this lande Whose death to me my mischiefes all did bring And causde why first I tooke my death in bande He chiefly wylde me when he gaue this lande I should be rulde by all his counsayles will And vse their iudgmentes in my dealings still But what do I accuse my fathers heste What meane I here th'unfauty for to blame All he commaunded euen was for the beste Though in effecte of beste the worste became So thinges ofte times well mente vnfitly frame So often times the counsayle of your frende Apparent good fawles faulty in the eude For as he wisht I vsde his counsayles ayde In eache thing that I deemde was good for mee I neuer ought that they desirde denayde But did to all their mindes and hestes agree And Corinaeus sawe my harte so free By diuers meanes he sought this match to make That to my wife I might his daughter take But I that wiste not then what mariage ment Did straight agree his Guendoline to haue Yet afterwarde suspecting his intent My frendes to me this pointe of counsaile gaue That who so doth of Prince aliaunce craue He meanes thereby to worke some point of ill Or else to frame the prince vnto his will. It may well be he mente no euill at all But wise men alwayes vse to dreade the-worste And sithe it was the fountaine of my fall From whence the springe of all my sorowes burste I may well thinke was some of vs accurste For why the ende doth alwayes proue the facte By ende weiudge the meaning of the acte I made no haste to wed my spoused wyfe I wiste I could as yet without hir byde I had not tasted toyes of trayned life I dcemde them fooles by Cupides darte that dide I Venus vise and all hir force defide And liude at reste and rulde my land so well That men delighted of my factes to tell My brethren eke long weldid well their partes We feard no foes we thought our state would stand We gaue our selues to learned skilfull artes Wherin we other fruite or pleasur fand And we enioyde so fine a fruitfull land That fewe in earth might with our states compare We lyude so voyde of noysome carke and care But see the chaunce when least we thought of ill When we esteamde our state to be moste sure Than came a flawe to bridle all our will For straungers far gan vs to warre procure And euen when first they put their pranke in vre On Albane shores my brother there they slewe Whose death we after made the Hunnes to rue When he was dead they hopte to winne the reste And ouer Abi streame with haste did hie But I and eke my brother Camber dreste Our armies straight and came their force to trie We brake their rayes and forste their king to flie Into the arme of Sea they ouer came Where Humber brounde that waters tooke his name We ether slewe or tooke them captiues all Emongst the which O mischiefe great to tell The Gods to worke mine ouerthrow and fall Sent ladies three whose beauties did excell Of which because I liked one so well I tooke hir straight nor she did ought denie But eche thing graunted so she might not dye Thus Humber we this hatefull hungery king In Humber drenshte and him depriude of pride And of his loftie ladies he did bring He loste the praye and all his men beside And we the spoiles of all his hoaste deuide But I that thought I had the greatest share Had caught the cause of all my wofull care They calde this lady Elstride whome I tooke Whose bewty braue did so my wittes confounde That for hir sake my promise I for sooke Wherby I was to Gwendoline first bounde Me thought no lady went on earthely grounde That might alure me euer chaunge my minde So was I caught by snares of Cupide blynde Was neuer none before so likte mine eye 〈◊〉 hir more then I coulde loue my life Hir absence still me thought did cause me die I surely mente to take hir to my wife But see howe beauty breadeth deadly strife Lo here began my whole confusion here Sprang out the shaft frō which this wounde I beare For Corinaeus had no soner hearde That I did meane his daughter to forsake But straight as one that did nought else regarde In haste his voyage towardes me did take And come declarde what promise I did make From whiche he saide if once I sought to slioe It should by dinte of sworde and bloud be tride But if I would hir take as erste I sayde And not this straunger choose against his minde His helpe he promiste at eache time and ayde To be so redy as I wishte to finde He furder sayde my contrey did me bynde To take such one as all my subiectes knewe Sithe straungers to their foes are neuer true I wayde his wordes and thought he wishte me wel But yet because his stocke should gaine therby I reckte them lesse and yet the truthe to tell I durste not dare my promise made denye For well I wiste if once it came to trye It would both weaken all this noble lande And doubtfull be who should ha th'upper hande Thus nedes perforce I must his daughter take And must leaue of to loue where I delighte I was constrainde contentio to forsake The forme that moste did captiuate my sighte What lucke had I on such a lote to lighte What ment you Goddes that me such fortune gane To caste my minde on hir I might not haue To shorte my tale his Guendoline I tooke I was contente against my will what then Nore quite for this myne Elstride I forsoke For why I wrought by skill of cunning men A vaulte along vnder the grounde a denne Hir companie wherin I vsed still There we acco mplishte our vnhappy will. There I begat my Sabrine sely childe That virgine sinall myne Elstride bare to mee Thus I my wife full often did beguilde Which after warde did beare a sonne to mee Namde Madan yet we neuer could agree And he
hir sisters spite Was they procurde hir and their fathers thrall Yet t was hir chaunce at length t' out liue them al Both sisters elder and hir father graue And eke at length the kingdome all to haue That time was I of Albany the kinge Calde Scotland now and eke my cosin then Of Cornewall and of VVales whom I did bringe To warre against Cordila and her men Wee said we would our title winne agen And that because our mothers had it yore Wee ment to get it ours againe therefore I must confesse I was the cause of warre I was not pleasde with that was looted mee Euen so our mindes Ambitious often ar And blinded that we cannot reason see Wee thincke no men but Gods on earth we bee Yet worse are we theÌ„ beasts which know their kinde For we haue nought but mischiefe oft in minde We thincke if so we may our willes attaine By right or wrong by might or malice wee Could neuer liue like Fortune for to gaine Or if on soes we once reuenged bee If that our ennemies fall we chaunce to see O then we ioy we lift our selues to skye And on the poore we crucifige crye I deemde if once I might put her adowne The kingdomes all were Conidags and mine And I could easly after winne the crowne If also I his state might vndermine I thought in deede to haue it all in fine By force or fraude I ment my purpose bring To passe I might be after Britaine king To speake in fewe we waged warre so longe Bainst hir at last we put hir vnto flight Wee nephewes for our aunt were farre to stronge Pursude and coke depriude her of hir right Wee thought it ours what so we wanne by might Cke so play 〈◊〉 traytours all do watch To get by spoile and count their owne they catch Not so contented were we with the pray But fearing lest she should recouer ayde I sent in hast to prison her away And all recourse of messengers densyde Thus when she sawe hir Maiesty decaide And that hir griefes and sorrowes daily grue In prison at the length hir selfe she slue O caytife vile should I constrainde a Queene That Iustice ment hir kingdome to forsake Nay traytour I as now by proofe is seene That would my selfe by bloudshed ruler make How could reuenge on me but vengeaunce take Before the seate of God hir bloud did call For vengeaunce and at length procurde my fall Lo here Gods iustice see my treason see Beholde and see to raigne was my delight And marke and make a myrour here of mee Which afterward was serude by iustice right Wee wan the crowne betweene vs both in fight And then because I was the elder sonne Of th' elder Queene I claimed all we wonne So were my dealings nought in peace and warre But for my force and fortunes vsde in fight I past that time the Britaynes all by farre I was of person fortitude and might Both comely tall stronge seemely eke in sight Whereby I wonne mens fauour glory wealth And puft with pride at length forgate my selfe I said it was my right the crowne to haue But Conidagus stoutly it denide Wherefore I went to VVales my right to craue With all mine army and to haue it tryde Where long we fought it stoutly on eche syde Till at the last vnto my wofull paine I was depriude of kingdome quite and slaine And for to keepe in memorye for aye That there vnfaithfull Morgan lost his life The place is cald Glamorgan to this daye There was I perst to death with fatall knife There was the ende of all my hatefull strife So Morgan where he thought to win the crowne Was at Glamorgan traytour stricken downe Thus maist thou tell how proude ambition proues What hap haue tyraunts what we traitours haue What ende he hath that cruel dealing loues What subiects get the Diademe docraue T is better then to winne thine owne to saue For so orethwartly trade of Fortune goes When win thou wouldst then art thou sure to lose Finis The Authoure VVIth that Morganus quickly past away The night me thought likewise was far epast VVherby it weried me so long to staye But Morpheus bad me by de and see the last ê™ he the storyes passe awaye as fast As doth the time and sithe th' art nigh th' ende Thou nedste not grutche so short a space to spend And turning then him selfe from me asyde He calde the next which therwithall in sight Appearde and all his breste with bloud bedide VVhat chaunce ê™ I hath so thy corps bedight Thou worthy prince or what mishaps of fight I will ê™ he with all my hart vnfolde My fatall fall and therwithall he tolde Forrex declares howe hee mynding to kill his brother whiche ruled with him that he might therby raigne alone was by him slayne About the yeare before Christe 491. PRide moues the mindes of stately wightes Such hauty hartes to haue And causeth vs for glory hayne That is not ours to craue Pryde pluckes out reason forth hir place And planteth will in stede She puffes our mindes with vayne desires Our fancies foude to feede Wherby we growe so obstinate And so ambitious ill That vs at length our brauery bids In all thinges vse our will. Ambition thinkes that lawefull is Which likes hir fancie beste And demes she ought to haue hir forthe And swinge before the reste She loues no mates controlement shee And warning doth despise She demes her selfe in all hir deedes And actions wonders wise She hath desire of this and that To get by crouche or clawe By right or wronge she 〈◊〉 not She vseth will for lawe No kinde or countrey she regardes No mother father shee Nor wyfe or husbande kithe or kin But enuies eache degree For if thy hart Ambition haue Thy greedy mynde to fill Thou wilt not sticke thy dearest frende or nerest kin to kill But as the prouerbe sayes that Pryde Must needes at lengthe haue fall Though we suppose of strengthe and powre We haue the deuill and all Euen so I saye Ambition makes Us often clyme so hie At leng th we fall we come to nought And drownde in darkenes lye This may I Forrex well 〈◊〉 By proufe to true I finde Wherfore I praye the with the reste Do put my faultes in mynde My father olde hight Gorboduge Raignde three score yeares and three And at his death gaue all his lande Twene Porrex proude and mee Fyue yeares we helde it so in peace In reste me ruled well But at the last by pryde and wrathe Wee foule at discorde fell We eache encrotchte on others partes For rule we liude at strife And eache did seeke occasion aye To reaue the others life I made this counte I elder was By birthe the realme was myne By warre or wrong or bloud I mente To haue it all in fine And he although he yonger were Esteemde his state so sure As mine and thought it his if hee My death might
thē adioyned it is impossible for him that is endued with the aboue named vertues euer to fall into the vnfortunate snares of calamitie or misfortune But Ambition which is an immoderate desire of honore rule dominiō and superioritie the very destructiō of nobilitie and commune weales as among the Romains Silla Marius Carbo Cinna Cateline Pompey and Caesar are witnesses hath brought great decay also to our countrey and countreymen which Maister Baldwin hath so learnedly touched in his Epistle of the other volume of this booke that I nede not therewith deale any further Onely I would to God it were so ofte read and regarded of all Magistrates as the matter requireth I haue here right honorable in this booke which I am so bolde to dedicate to your honors only reproued foly in those which are heedelesse iniurie in extortioners rashnes in venterers and excesse in such as suppresse not vnruly affections And I trust you will so thinke of it although the stile deserue not like commendation as you thought of the other part which if you shall I doubt not but it maye pleasure some if not yet giue occasion to others which can do farre better either with eloquence to amende that is amisse in mine or else when they see these so rudely pende to publishe their own And thus wishing you Prudence to discerne what is meete for your callinges Iustice in the administrations of your functiōs Fortitude in the defence of your countrey and Temperance in moderation of all your affections with increase of honors and euerlasting felicitie I bid you in Christe Iesu fare well Your humble Iohn Higgins I. Higgins to the Reader AMongst diuers sondry Chronicles of many Nations I thincke there are none gentle reader so uncertaine briefe in the beginninge as ours at which I cannot but maruaile sith at all times oure Ilande had as learned writers some singuler men excepted as any Nation under that Sunne Againe those which now are our best Chroniclers as they report haue great Antiquities but what they publish of late yeares may be enlarged in many places by Chronicles of other Nations whereby it is manifest they are either ignoraunt of the tōgues orels not giuen to the study of that which they most professe for if they were me thincks it were easye for them with such Antiquities as they brag they haue to fetch our Distories from the beginning make them as ample as the Chronicles of any other Country or Nation But they are faine in steede of other stuffe to talke of the Romaines Greekes Persians c. and to fill our Distoryes with their facts fables This I speake not to that end I would haue ours quite seperate from other without any mention of them but I would haue them ther onelye named wher th'affayres of both countryes by warre peace truce mariage trafique or some necessary cause or other is intermired I haue seene no auncient antiquities in writtē hand but two one was Galfridus of Munmouth which I lost by misfortune the other an old Chronicle in a kind of Englishe Verse beginning at Brute and endinge at the death of Humfrey Duke of Glocester in the which and diuers other good Chronicles I finde manye thinges not mentioned in that great tome engroced of late by Maister Grafton and that where he is most barraine and wantes matter But as the greatest heades the grayest heyres and best clarkes haue not most witte so the greatest Bookes titles and Tomes containe not most mater And this haue I spoken because in writinge the Tragedies of the first infortunate Princes of this 〈◊〉 I was often faine to vse mine owne simple inuention yet not swaruing from the matter because the Chronicles althoughe they wente out vnder diuers mens names in some suche places as I moste needed their ayde wrate one thing and that so brieflye that a whole Princes raigne life and death was comprised in three lines Yea and sometimes mine olde booke aboue mentioned holpe mee out when the rest forsoke mee as for Lanquet Stowe and Grafton were alwayes nighe of one opinion but the Floure of Histories somewhat larger some helpe had I of an olde Chronicle imprinted the yeare 1515. But surely mee thincks and so do most which delite in historyes it were worthily done if one Chronicle were drawne from the beginning in such perfect sort that all monuments of vertuous men to that eralting of Gods glorye and all punishments of vicious persons to that terrour of the wicked might be registred in perpetuall remēbraunce To which thing the right reuerende father in God Matthew Archbishoppe of Canterbury Metropolitane of Englande hath brought such ayde as well by printing as preseruinge the written Chronicles of this Realme that by his Graces studye and paines the labour in time to come wil be farre more easye to them shall take such trauaile in hande But to leaue with these and declare the cause of my purpose As I chaunced to reade the Mirour for Magistrates worke by all men wonderfully commended and full of fitte instructions for preseruation of eche estate takinge in hand the Chranicles and minding to conferre the times mee thoughte the liues of a nomber euen at the beginninge the like infortunate Princes offered themselues vnto mee as matter verye meete for imitation the like admonition miter and phrase and seing Baldwine by these woordes moued mee some what thereto It were sayth hee a goodly and a notable matter to search and discourse our whole story from the beginninge of the inhabiting of this Isle c. I read the storyes I considered of the Princes I noted their liues and therewith conferred theyr deathes On this I toke penne in hande mindinge nothinge lesse then to publishe them abroade but onelye to trye what I coulde do if neede were or time and leasure were giuen mee to bestow in such wise I wrote the two first euen as they now are and because I would not keepe secrete my first labours in this kinde of studye though I might well haue blushed at the basenes of my stile I shewed them to a freiude of mine desiring his bufayned iudgement in this matter which when he had read he neuer left intreating mee to write other til I had ended all to the byrth of CHRIST and yet not so content he desired meet'accomplish the residue til I came to the Conquest which were welnighe fiftye Cragedies but wearied with those which I had written I desired him pause on this till time and leasure were giuen mee Yet he makinge relation to other his frendes what I had done left mee not quiet till they likewise had seene them Whose perswasion as it seemed without any suspition of assentation or flatery so bath it made mee bolder at this present then before For although sayd they your Tragedies be simple and not comparable to those which the other before haue written yet when men consider that many wrote those but one these that they are graue writers
knewe For Morpheus wylde me by de and bad them tell Their names and lyues their haps and haples days And by what meanes from Fortunes globe they fel VVhich did them erste vnto such honours rayse VVherwith the first not making moe delayes A persone tall wyde woundes in breste that bare Drewe nere to tell the cause of all his care And as to speake he wiste he might be bolde Depe from his breste he threwe an vnked sounde I was amasde his gestures to beholde And bloud that freshly trickled from his wounde VVith Ecco so did halfe his wordes rebounde That scarce at first the sence might well appeare But thus me thought he spake as you shall heare Albanacte the yongest sonne of Brutus telles of the finding of this lande his fathers life and his owne infortunate fall He liued about the yeare before Christe 1074. SIthe flattering Fortune slyely could beguyle Me first of all the Princes of this lande And yet at firste on me did sweetely smyle Do marke me here that firste in presence stande And when thou wel my wouÌ„ded corps hast scande Then shalt thou see what tale I mynde to frame In stories called Albanacte by name So if thou liste to heare what I resite If thou intende to showe my fatall fall I praye thee take the paynes my tale to wryte As I in order here repeate it shall What nedste thou muse thou nedst not feare at al Sythe those that later liude their tales haue tolde Dur elder liues to wryte thou mayst be bolde Lay dreade aside let nothing thee amase We haue dispaire of so vncoutched ryme Leaue of on mee with fearfull lookes to gase Thy pen may serue for such a tale as myne First will I tell thee all my fathers Lyne Then hither warde why he with Troianes mande His boyadge made and founde this noble lande And last I minde to tell the of my selfe My life and death a Tragedye so true As may approue your world is all but pelse And pleasures sweete whom sorrowes aye ensue Hereafter eke in order coms a crue Which can declare of worldly pleasures vaine The price we all haue bought with greeuous paine Well now I see thou putst apart thy fright And giuste an care to heare not heard before I will declare the slorye all so right Thou shalt no whit haue neede t inquyre no more Do marke me well what I resite therefore And after write it and there with my name Let hardly mee receyue if ought be blame When Troy was sackt and brent could not stand A Eneas fled from thence Anchises sonne And came at length to king Latinus lande He Turnus slewe Lauinia eke he wonne And reignde 3. yeares Ascanius then his sonne Reignde next to him the Siluius was his heyre Begate my father of a Ladye fayre But when as Brutus fiftene yeares was olde for so they calde my father by his name With Siluius then an hunting goe he would And thinking for to strike in chare the game His father that by thaunce beyonde it came Receiude the glaunce and through his tender syde With deadly dint the shaft did swiftly slyde So thoughe by chaunce my father Brutus stewe My graundsyre Siluius sore against his will Which came by chaunce as be his arow drewe That thought the fearefull harte not him to kill Yet was he banisht from Italia still Commaunded neuer to retourne no more Excepte he would his life to leese therefore On this to Greece from thence he toke his waye Where Troians were by Grecians captiues kept Helenus was by Pirrhus brought awaye FroÌ„ death of those whose fall their frends bewept My father all this while no busines slepte But by his facts and feats obtainde such fame Seuen Thousande captiue Troians to him came A saracus a noble Greecian eke Who by his mother came of Troiane race Because be sawe my fathers powre not weke Came vnto him to ayde him in this case For that his brother thought him to deface Which was a Greeke by both his parents sydes His Castels three my father Brutus guides Thus hee to be their captaine was content And all the Troians gathered to his bande Hist post unto the Greecian kinge he sent For to entreat he might depart his laude Which when King Pandrasus did vnderstande An armye straight he did therefore addresse On purpose all the Troians to suppresse Then whyle king Pandrasus at Spartine towne Thought them in desertes by to circumuente My father with three thousande beate them downe Such fauoure loe him lady Fortune 〈◊〉 By Mars his force their rayes I ranckes he rente And tooke Antigonus the brother of their king With others mo as captiues home to bring The taken towne from which the king was fled My father with sire hundreth men did man Cache prisner was vnto his keper led To kepe in towne the noble Troianes wan My father vnto woodes conueyde him than Againe with his and kepte him there by nighte To quayle the Greecians if they came to fighte And when the king had calde to mynde his foyle His flighte and brother by the Troianes take The towne he loste and Brutus had the spoyle He thought not so the field and fight forsake But of his men a muster newe to make And so agayne for to vesiege the towne In hope reuenge or winne his loste renowne By night my father that his purpose knewe Came forth from woodes wheras he wayted by The Troianes all th'vnarmid Greecians slewe WeÌ„t through their 〈◊〉 could non their force deny Unto the tente where Pandrasus did lye Wheras my father tooke their king that night And saude his life as seemde a worthy wight Which victory when he had wisely won The Troiane victoure did a counsayle call To knowe what beste were with the king be don Now tell ê™ he what ransom aske we shall On which when none agreed scarce of all At lengthe Mempricius vp from seate did rise And silence made gaue thus his counsayle wyse I cannot Troianes but commend the facte Of this our noble captaine worthy praise Which thought as t' was a wicked he yuous acts T' abridge the Grecian king of vitall dayes Wee rather ought by clemency to rayse Our fame to sky then by a sauage guyse Sithe Gods and men both cruelty despise The cause we fought was for the freedome all Of Troianes taken we haue freedome won Wee haue our purpose and their king withall To whom of rygour nothing ought be don Though he the quarell with vs first began And though we owe the fall of Troies requite Yet let reuenge therof from Gods to light His subiectes all do wayle their ill pretence And weapons layde asyde for mercy crye They all confesse their plagues to come from thence Where first from faith of Gods they seemde to flye Their nobles dare not come the case to trye But euen for peace with all their hartes they sue And meekly grauute whence all their mischiefes grewe The lady faire his
that was the cause she was my bryde This whyle hir father Corinaeus dyde Which when I hearde I had my hartes desire I craude no more there was my ende of griefe At leste I thought to quenche Cupidoes fire And eke to worke my lusting loues reliefe I mente no more to steale it like a thiefe But maried Elstride whom I loude as lyfe And for hir sake I put away my wyfe Likewise I causde was Elstride queene proclaimde And tooke hir as my lawfull wyfe by right But Gwendoline that sawe hir selfe sisoainde Straight fled and moude the Cornishe men to fight To them when she declarde hir pitious plighte In haste they 〈◊〉 an army for to bee Reueugers of my newe made queene and mee And I likewise an armie did prepare I thoughte to 〈◊〉 their courage all by force But to my coste I founde to late beware There is no strengthe in armoure man or horse Can vayle if loue on wronged take remorce For he on whom the deadly darte doth lighte Can neuer scape by ransome frende or flighte So when our armies met night Stura streame The trompettes 〈◊〉 and I denide the peace I minded to erpell them all the realme Or else to make them euer after cease And they except I Elstride would releace They sayde and take my Gwendoline againe They would reuenge the wrong or else be slayne On this we met and valiauntly we fought On eather side and nether parte did yelde So equaly they fell it was great doubtr Which part should haue the better of the fielde But I to boldr rushte in with sworde and sheelde To breake their rayes so hasty men get smarte An arrowe came and stroke me to the harte Then was I brought to Troynouant and there My body was enterrid as you reade When I had raigned all out twenty yere Lothus I liuve and thus became I deade Thus was my crowne depriued from my heade And all my pompe my princely troupe and trayne And I to earth and duste resolude agayne Now warne estates let this for wedlorke serue Beware of chaunge it will not holde out longe For who so mindeth from his make to swerue Shal sure at lengthe receiue reuenge for wrong T is foly fight with God h 'is farte to stronge For though ye colour all with coate of right Yet can no fained farde deceiue his sight Finis The Authour WIth that this king vvas vanisht quite and gone And as a miste dissolued into ayre And I vvas left vvith Morpheu all alone VVho represented straigt a Lady fayre Of frendes depriude and left in deepe dispaire As eke she spake all vvet in cordes fast bounde Thus tolde she hovv she vvas in vvaters drounde Elstride the concubine of Locrinus myserably drowned by Gwendoline his vvyfe declares her presumption lewde life and infortunate fall She suffered before Christe 1064. ANd must I needes my selfe resite my fall Poore woman I must I declare my fate Must I the first saue three amongste vs all Shew how I thrise fell from my Princely 〈◊〉 And from the loftye seate on which I sate If needes I must then well content I will Lest here my place in vaine I seeme to fill Locrinus loude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 daughter came frō Germaines land 〈◊〉 of beauty many Princes moude 〈◊〉 for grace and fauour at my hand Which bruite once blowne abrond in euery land One Humber king of Hunnes with al his traine To come to mee a suiter was full faine What neede I tell the giftes to mee he gaue Or shew his suite or promise he me plight Sith wel you know a Prince nede nothing craue May nigh 〈◊〉 ech thing as t were his right For as the fowle before the Eagles sight Euen so me fall submit and yeld vs still At Prince his call obeysaunt to his will. And for that time the Hunnes full mighty were And did increase by martiall feates of warre Therefore our Germaine kings agaste did beare Them greater fauour then was neede by farre My father durst not Humbers hest debarre Nor I my selfe I rather was content In hope of crowne with Humber to consent Two Princely Dames with me came then away He bragde to wiune these country partes all three We Ladies rather was this Priuce his pray Because he promist that we Queenes should bee We came to coste these country coasts to see Sith he on whom our hope did wholy stande Was drownd namde Humber waters lost the lande For as you heard before when he 〈◊〉 He had wonne all because he won a part Straight way he was againe thereof deposde Constrainde to flye and swim for life poore 〈◊〉 Loe here the cause of all my douleful smarte This noble king with whom I came to raigne Was 〈◊〉 drownde vnto my greuous paine Then were his souldiers taken slaine or spoilde And wel were they that could make suite for life Was neuer such an armye sooner foilde O wofull warre that flowste in floudes of strife And carst not whom thou cutste with cruell knife Or had not Venus fraught my face with hewe I had no longer liude my forme to rewe For as I came a captine with the reste My countenaunce did shewe as braue as Sunne Ech one that sawe my natiue hewe were preste To yelde themselues by beames of beauty won My fame straight blowne to gaze on mee they ron And said I paste eche worldly wight as farre As Phoebus 〈◊〉 the morning starre Like as you see in darkes if light appeare Straight way to thatech man directes his eye Euen so amongst my captiue mates that were When I did speake or make my plaints with cry Theu all on mee they stared by and by Bemoning of my fates and fortune soe As they had bin partakers of my woe My fourme did praise my plea my sighes they suide My teares entiste their hartes some ruth to take My sobbes in sight a seemely hewe reneude My wringing hands wan suiters shift to make My sober southes did cause them for my sake Mee to commende vnto their noble kinge Who wilde they should me into presence bringe Which when I came in cordes as captiue bounde O King quoth I whose power we feele to strong O worthy wighte whose Fame to skyes doth sounde Do pitie me that neuer wishte the wronge Release mee one thy captiues all amonge Which from my frends by fraude am brought away A Prince his daughter drounde in deepe decaye Now as thou art a Prince thy selfe of might And maist do more then I do dare desire Let me O Kinge finde fauour in thy sight Asswage somewhat thy deadly wrath and ire No part of manhode t is for to require A Ladyes death thee neuer did offende Sith that thy foe hath brought her to this ende But let me rather safely be conuaide O gracious king once home before I dye Or let me on thy Queene be wayting maide If it may please thy royal maiestye Or let me raunsome paye for libertye But if thou minde reuenge of
still to me with stealing steps she drewe She was of coloure pale a deadly hewe Hir clothes resembled thousand kindes of thrall And pictures playne of hastened deathes withall I musing lay in paynes and wondred what she was Mine eyne stode still mine haire rose vp for feare an ende My fleshe it shoke and trembled yet I cryde alasse What wight art thou a foe or else what fawning 〈◊〉 If death thou arte I praye thee make an ende But th' arte not death arte thou some fury 〈◊〉 My wofull corps with paynes to more 〈◊〉 With that she spake I am ê™ she thy frend Despaire Which in distresse eacue worldly wight with spede do ayde I rid them from their foes if I to them repayre To long from thee by other caytiues was I stayde Now if thou arte to die no whit affrayde Here shalt thou choose of instrumentes 〈◊〉 Shall ridde thy restlesse life of this be bolde And therwith all she spred her garmentes lap asyde Under the which a thousand thinges I sawe with eyes Both knyues sharpe swordes poynadees all bedyde With bloud and paysons prest which she could well deuise There is no hope ê™ she for thee to ryse And get thy crowne or libertie agayne But for to liue long lasting pining payne Loe here ê™ she the blade that Did ' of Carthage highte Whereby she was from thousande panges of payne let passes With this she 〈◊〉 hit selfe after Aeneas flighte When he to sea from Tyrian shores departed was Do chouse of these thou seest from woes to passe Or bid the ende prolonge thy paynefull dayes And I am pleasde from thee to get my wayes With that was I 〈◊〉 wretche content to take the knife But doubtfull yet to dye and fearefull faine would bide So still I lay in study with my selfe at bate and strife What thing were best of both these deepe extreames vntride My hope all reasons of dispayre denide And the againe replide to proue it best To dye for still in life my woes increast She calde to minde the ioyes in Fraunce I whilom had She tolde me what a troupe of Ladies was my traine And howe that Lords of Fraunce and Britaynes both were glad Of late to waite on mee and subiects all were faine She could I had bin Queene of kingdomes twaine And how my nephewes had my seate and crowue I could not rise for euer fallen downe A thousand thinges beside resited then dispaire She could the woes in warres that I had heapt of late Rehearst the prison bile in steede of Pallas faire My lodging lowe and mouldy meates my mouth did hate She shewde mee all the dongeon where I sate The dankeishe 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 and had me smell And bide the sauourif I like it well Whereby I wretch 〈◊〉 of comfort quite and hope And pleasures past comparde with present paines I had For fatall my fearefull hand did grope Dispaire in this to ayde my 〈◊〉 limmes was glad And gaue the blade to ende my woes she had I will quoth I but first with all my hart I le pray the Gods reuenge my wofull smart If any wronge deserue the wrecke I pray you skyes And starres of light if you my wofull plight do rue O Phoebus cleare I thee beseech and pray like wise Beare witnes of my plaints well knowne to Gods are true You see from whence these iniuries they grue Then let like vengeaunce hap and light on those Which vndeserued were my deadly foes God graunt a mortall strife betwene them both may fall That one the other may without remorse distroye That Conidagus may his cosin Morgan thrall Because he first decreast my wealth bereft my ioye I pray you Gods he neuer be a Roy. But caitife may be payde with such a frende As shortly may him bring to sodaine ende Farewell my Realme of Fraunce farewell Adieu Adieu mes nobles tous and England now farewell Farewell Madames my Ladyes car ie suis pardu Il me fault aler desespoir m'a donne confeil Demetuer no more your Queene farewell My nephewes mee oppresse with maine and might A captiue poore gainst iustice all and right And therewithall the sight did faile my dazeling eyne I nothing same saue sole Dispayrebad mee dispatch Whom I 〈◊〉 she caught the knife from mee I weene And by hir elbowe carian death for mee did watch Come on quoth I thou hast a goodly catch And therewithal Dispayre the stroke did strike Whereby I dyde a damned creature like Which I alasse lament bid those aliue beware Let not the losse of goodes or honour them constrasne To play the fooles and take such carefull carke and care Or to dispaire for any prison pine or paine If they be giltlesse let them so remaine Farre greater follye is it for to kill Themselues dispayring then is any ill Sith first thereby their enmyes haue that they desyre By which they prone to deadly foes vnwares a 〈◊〉 And next they cannot liue to former blisse t'aspyre If God do bring their foes in time to sodaine ende They lastly as the damned wretches sende Their soules to hell when as they vndertake To kill a corps which God did liuely make Finis The Authour NOw when this desperate Queene had ended thus Hir tale and told what haplesse grace she had As of her talke some pointes I did discusse In slomber fallen I waxed wondrous sad Hir nephewes dealings were me thought to bad VVhich greude mee much but Morpheus bad let bee And therewithal presented one to mee Of stature tall a worthy princely wight In countenaunce he soemde yet mourning still His complet harnesse not so brauein sight Nor sure as ours made now adayes by skill But clampt together ioynts but ioyned ill Vnfit vnhandsome heauy houge and plaine Vnweldy wearing ratling like a chaine VVherethroughe he had receiude a deadly stroake By sworde or other instrument of warre And downe his thighes the bloud by sithes did soake VVhich I perceiued as he came a farre Now sith quoth he to heare you present are I will declare my name life factes and fall And therewith thus he gan to tell it all Morgan telles how he wadgeing warre with his cosin Conidagus was slaine at the place yet called Glamorgan the yeare before Christe 766. I Wot not well what reasons I may vse To quite my selfe from blame blame worthy I Wherefore I must perforce my selfe accuse I am in fault I can it not denye Remorse of conscieuce prickes my hart so nye And me torments with panges of pinching paine I can no longer me from speach refraine I am that Morgan sonne of Gonerell Th' ungrateful daughter of her father Leire Which from his kingdome did him once expell As by the Brytishe stories may appeare Regan and shee conspirde both sisters were But were subdude againe and causde to yeld Their fathers crowne Cordila wan the field I neede not here the storyes all recyte It were to longe but yet I briefely shall The cause Cordila ought