As from the realme and crowne the king did pourge And me both from mine office frendes and wife From good report from honest death and life For Therle of Warwick through a cancard grudge Which to king Edward causeles he did beare Out of his realme by force did make him trudge And set king Henry agayne vpon his chaire And then all such as Edwardes louers were As traytours tane were greuously opprest But chiefly I because I loved him best And for my goodes and livinges wer not small The gapers for them bare the world in hand For ten yeres space that I was cause of all The exeenâ—ions done within the land For thys did such as did not vnderstand My enmies drift thinke all reportes wer true And so to hate me wurse than any Iewe. For seeldome shall a ruler lose his life Before false rumours openly be spred Wherby this proverbe is as true as rise That rulers rumours hunt about a head Frowne Fortune once all good report is fled For present shew doth make the mayny blind And such as see dare not disclose their mind Through this was I king Edwardes butcher named And bare the shame of all his cruell dedes I cleare me not I wurthely was blamed Though force was such I must obey him nedes With hyest rulers seldome wel it spedes For they ve ever nearest to the nip And fault who shall for all fele they the whip For whan I was by parliament attaynted King Edwardes evilles all wer counted mine No truth avaylde so lyes wer faste and paynted Which made the people at my life repine Crying Crucifige kill that butchers line That whan I should have gone to Blockaut feast I could not passe so sore they on me preast And had not bene the officers so strong I thinke they would have eaten me aliue Howbeit hardly haled from the throng I was in the Fleete fast shrowded by the shrive Thes one dayes life their malice did me give Which whan they knew for spite the next day after They kept them calme so suffeed I the slaughter Now tel me Baldwin what fault doest thou find In me that lustly should such death deserve None sure except desire of honour blind Which made me seke in offices to serve What minde so good that honors make not swerve So mayst thou see it only was my state That caused my death and brought me so in hate Warne therfore all men wisely to beware What offices they enterprise to beare The hyest alway most maligned are Of peoples grudge and princes hate in feare For princes faultes his faultors all men teare Which to auoyde let none such office take Save he that can for right his prince forsake THis Earles tragedy was not so soone finished but one of the cumpany had prouided for an other of a notable person lord Tiptoftes chiefe enemy concerning whom he sayd Lord god what trust is there in worldly chauÌ„ces what stay in any prosperity for see the Earle of Warwicke which caused the earle of Wurcester to be apprehended attaynted and put to death triumphing with his olde imprisoned and newe vnprisoned prince king Henry was by and by after and his brother with him flayne at Barnet field by kyng Edward whoÌ„ he had before time damaged divers wayes As first by his frendes at Banbury field where to revenge the death of his Cosin Harry Nevel Sir Iohn Conyers and Iohn Clappain his seruauntes slewe five thousand Welshemen and beheaded theyr captaynes the earle of Pen broke and syr Rychard Harbert his brother after they wer yelded prisoners of whom syr Rychard Harbert was â—he tallest gentleman both of his person and handes that ever I reade or heard of At which time also Robyn of Ridsdale a rebell of the earle of Warwyks raysing tooke the earle Rivers king Edwardes wifes father and his sonne Iohn at his manour of Grafion and caryed them to Northhampton there without cause or proces beheaded them Whych spites to requite king Edward caused the lord Stafford of Southwike one of Warwikes chyefe frendes to be taken at Brent march and headed at Budgewater This caused the Earle shortly after to raise his power to encounter the king which came agaynst him with an army beside Warwike at Wouluey wher he wan the field tooke the king prisoner and kept him a while at Yorkeshire in Middleham castel whence as sum say he released him agayne but other thinke he corrupted his kepers and so escaped Then through the lordes the matter was taken vp betwene them they brought to talk together but because they could not agree the earle raysed a new army wherof he made captayne the lord Welles sonne which broyle kinge Edward minding to appeace by pollicy fowly distayned his honor committing peruiry For he sent for the lord Welles his brother sir Thomas Dunocke vnder safeconduyte promising theÌ„ vpon his fayth to kepe theÌ„ harmles But after because the Lord Walles sonne would not dissolve his army beheded theÌ„ both and weÌ„t with his power downe into Lincolnshire there fought with sir Robert Welless slewe ten thousand of his souldiers yet ran they away so fast that the casting of of their clothes for the more spede caused it to be called loose-coate fyeld tooke sir Robert other and put them to deth in the same place This misfortune forced the earle of Warwike to saile into FrauÌ„ce wher he was wel entertained of y t king a while and at last with such poore helpe as he procured ther of duke Rayner other he came unto England againe increased such a power in Kyng Henries name y t as the lord Tiptoft sayd in his tragedy king Edwarde vnable to abide him was faine to flye over the washes in Lincolnshire to get a ship to saile out of his kingdome to â—is brother in lawe the duke of Burgoyne So was king HeÌ„ry restored again to the kingdome Al these despites troubles the Earle wâ—ought agaynst king Edward but Henry was so â—nfortunate that ere halfe a yeare was expâ—red king Edwarde came backe agayne and imprisoned him and gave the erle a sielde wherein 〈◊〉 sâ—w both him and his brother I have recounted thus much before hande for the better opeâ—ing of the story which if it should have bene spoken in his tragedâ— would rather have madâ— a volume thaâ— a Pamphlete For I enteâ—de onelye to say in the tragedy what I have 〈…〉 the Earle of Warwycke person 〈…〉 other noble mâ—n wham I have by the waye touched should not be forgotten And therfore imagine that you see this Earle lying with his brother in Paules church in his coat armure with such a face countenaunce as he beareth in portrayture ouer the dore in Poules at the going downe to Iesus Chappell fro the south ende of the quier stayres and saying as foloweth Hovv sir Richard Nevell Earle of VVarvvike and his brother Iohn Lord Marquise Mountacute through their to much boldnes vver slayne at Barnet field
the charter â—â—lled Râ—gman That of the Skots he bribed pryuy gayne That through his meanes syr Edward of Carnaruan In Barkley castell trayterously was slayne That with his princes mother he had layne And fynally with pollyng at his pleasure Had robde the kyng and commons of theyr treasure For these thynges loe whiche erst were out of minde He was condemned and hanged at the last In whom dame Fortune fully shewed her kynde For whom she heaves she hurleth downe as fast If men to cum would learne by other past This cosen of myne myght cause them set asyde High clymyng brybyng murdring lust and pryde The fynall cause why I this processe tell Is that I may be knowen from this other My lyke in name vnlyke me though he fell Whiche was I thinke my graund sier or his brother To counte my kyn dame Philip was my mother Deare doughter and heyre of douty Lyonell The seconde sonne of a kyng that dyd excell My father hyght syr Edmunde Mortimer True erle of Marche whence I was after erle By iust discent these two my parentes wer Of whiche the one of knighthoode bare the ferle Of womanhoode the other was the perle Throughe theyr deserte so called of euery wight Tyll death them tooke and left in me theyr ryght For why the attaynder of my elder Roger whose shamefull death I tolde you but of late was founde to be vniust and passed ouer Agaynst the lawe by those that bare hym hate For where by lawe the lowest of free estate Should personally be heard ere iudgement passe They barred hym this where through distroyed he was wherfore by doome of courte in parlyament whan we had proued our cosen ordred thus The Kyng the Lordes and Commens of assent His lawles death vnlawfull dyd discus And both to blood and good restored vs. A Presydent most worthy shewed and left Lordes lyues to saue that lawles might be rest whyle Fortune thus dyd furder me amayne Kyng Rychardes grace the seconde of the name whose dissolute lyfe dyd soone abridge his rayne Made me his mate in earnest and in game The Lordes them selues so well allowed the same That throwe my tytles duely cummyng downe I was made heyre apparaunt to the crowne who then but I was euery where estemed well was the man that myght with me acquaynte whom I allowed as Lordes the people demed To what so euer folly had me bente To lyke it well the people dyd assente To me as prince attended great and small In hope a daye would cum to paye for all But seldome ioye continueth trouble voyde In greatest charge cares greatest do ensue The most possest are ever most anoyed In largest seas sore tempestes lyghtly brue The fresshest colours soonest fade the hue In thyckest place is made the depest wounde True proofe wherof my selfe to soone haue founde For whyles that Fortune lulde me in her lap And gaue me gyftes mo than I dyd requyre The subâ—yll qucan behynde me set a trap whereby to dashe and laye all in the myre The Iryshe men against me dyd conspyre My landes of Ulster fro me to haue reft whiche herytage my mother had me left And whyles I there to set all thinges in stay Omyt my toyles and troubles thitherwarde Among myne owne with my retinue lay The wylder men whom lytell I dyd regarde And had therefore the recheles mans rewarde When least I thought set on me in suche number That fro my corps my lyfe they rent a sunder Nought myght auayle my courage nor my force Nor strength of men whiche were alas to sewe The cruell folke assaulted so my horse That all my helpes in pieces they to hewe Our blood distayned the grounde as drops of dewe Nought myght preuayle to flee nor yet to yelde For whom they take they murdre in the fyelde They know no lawe of armes nor none wil lerne They make not warre as other do a playe The lorde the boye the Calloglas the kerne Yelde or not yelde whom so they take they slay They save no prysoners for raunsom nor for pay Theyr chiefest boote they counte theyr bodohs heade Theyr ende of warre to see theyr enmye deade Amongest these men or rather savage beastes I lost my lyfe by cruell murder slame And therfore Baldwin note thou well my geastes And warne all princes rashnes to refraine Bid them beware their enmies when they saine Nor yet presume vnequally to strive Had I thus done I had ben man alive But I dispysed the naked Iryshmen And for they flewe I feared them the lesse I thought one man ynough to matche with ten And through this careles vnadvisednesse I was destroyed and all my men I gesse At vnawares assaulted by our foen Whiche were in numbre fourty to vs one Se here the staye of fortunate estate The vayne assuraunce of this britell lyfe For I but yong proclaymed prince of late Right fortunate in children and in wife Lost all at once by stroke of bloody knife Wherby assurde let men them selues assure That welth and lyfe are doubtfull to endure AFter that this Tragedy was ended mayster Ferrers sayde seyng it is best to place eche person in his ordre Baldvvin take you the Chronicles and marke them as they cum for there are many wurthy to be noted though not to be treated of First the lord Morif a Scotishman who tooke his deathes wounde through a stroke lent him by the erle of Notingham whom he chalenged at the tilte But to omit him also the fatte Prior of Tiptre preaced to death with throng of people vpon London bridge at the Quenes entry I wil cum to the duke of Glocestre the kinges vncle a man muche mynding the common weale yet at length miserably made away In whose person yf ye wyll gyue eare ye shall heare what I thinke mete to be sayd Hovve syr Thomas of VVudstocke Duke of Glocester vncle to king Richarde the seconde vvas vnlavvfully murdred WHose state is stalysht in semyng most sure And so far from daunger of Fortunes blast As by the compas of mans coniecture No brasen pyller maye be fyxte more fast Yet wantyng the staye of prudent forecast Whan frowarde Fortune lyst for to frowne Maye in a moment tourne vpsyde downe In proofe whereof O Baldwin take payne To hearken awhyle to Thomas of Wudstocke Addrest in presence his fate to complayne In the forlorne hope of the Englysh flocke Extracte by discent from the royall stocke Sonne to kyng Edward third of that name And seconde to none in glory and fame This noble father to maynteyne my state With Buckyngham Erldom dyd me indowe Both Nature and Fortune to me were grate Denyeng nothing which they myght allowe Theyr sundry graces in me did so flowe As bewty strength high fauour and fame Who may of God more wysh than the same Brothers we were to the numbre of seuen I beyng the syxt and yongest but oneâ— A more royall race was not vnder heauen More stowte or more stately
same We thre tryumphed in king Richards time Til Fortune ought both him and vs a spite But chiefly me whom clere from any crime My king did banish from his favour quite And openly proclaymed trayterous knight Wherethrough false slaunder forced me to be That which before I did most deadly flee Let men beware how they true folke defame Or threaten on them the blame of vices nought For infamy bredeth wrath wreke foloweth shames Eke open slaunder oftentimes hath brought That to effect that erst was neuer thought To be misdemed men suffer in a sort But none can beare the griefe of misreport Because my king did shame me wrongfully I hated him and in dede became his foe And while he did at war in Ireland lye I did conspire to turne his weale to woe And through the duke of Yorke and other moe All royall power from him we quickely tooke And gaue the same to Henry Boleynbroke Neyther dyd we this alonely for this cause But to say truth force drave vs to the same For he dispising god and all good lawes Slew whom he would made sinne a very game And seing neither age nor counsayle could him tame We thought it wel done for the kingdomes sake To leaue his rule that did al rule forsake But whan sir Henry had attaynde his place He strayt becam in all poyntes wurse than he Destroyed the piers slewe kyng Rychards grace Agaynst his othe made to the lordes and me And seking quarelles how to disagre He shamelesly required me and my sonne To yeld him Scottes which we in field had wun My Nephew also Edmund Mortymer The very heyre apparaunt to the Crowne Whom Owen Glendour held as prisoner Uilely bound in dungeon depe cast downe He would not raunsum but did felly frowne Agaynst my brother and me that for him spake And him proclaymed traytour for our sake This sowle despite did cause vs to conspire To put him downe as we did Richard erst And that we might this matter set on fyre From Owens â—ayle our cosin we remerst And vnto Glendour all our griefes reherst Who made a bonde with Mortymer and me To pryue the king and part the realme in thre But whan king Henry heard of this devise Toward Owen Gleudour he sped him very quyck Mynding by force to stop our enterprise And as the deuell would then fell I sick Howbeit my brother sonne more politike Than prosperous with an oast fro ScotlaÌ„d brought Encountred him at Shrewsbury wher they fought The one was tane and kild the other slayne And shortly after was Owen put to flight By meanes wherof I forced was to fayne That I knew nothing of the former fight Fraude oft avayles more than doth sturdy might For by my fayning I brought him in belief I knew not that wherin my part was chief And while the king thus tooke me for his frend I sought all meanes my former wrong to wreake Which that I might bring to the sooner ende To the bishop of Yorke I did the matter breake And to Therle Marshall likewise did I speake Whose father was through Henries cause exyled The bishops brother with trayterous death defiled These strayt assented to do what they could So did lorde Hastinges and lord Fauconbridge Which altogether promised â—hey would Set all their power the kinges dayes to abridge But se the spite before the byrdes wer flidge The king had woord and seysoned on the nest Wherby alas my frendes wer al opprest The bluddy tyrant â—â—ought them all to ende Excepted me which into Scotland skapte To George of Dunbar therle of March my frend Who in my cause al that he could ey skrapte And when I had for greater succour gapte Both at the Frenchman and the Flemminges hand And could get none I toke such as I sand And with the helpe of George my very frend I did invade Northumberlande ful bold Whereas the folke drew to me stil vnend Bent to the death my party to vphold Through helpe of these ful many a fort and hold The which the king right manfully had manâ— I easely wunne and seysed in my hand Not so content for vengeaunce drave me on I entred Yorkeshire there to waste and spoyle But ere I had far in the countrey gon The shirif therof Rafe Rekesby did assoyle My troubled hoost of much part of our toyle For he assauting freshly tooke through power Me and lord Bardolph both at Bramham more And thence conueyed vs to the towne of Yorke Until he knew what was the kinges entent There loe Lord Bardolf kinder than the Storke Did lose his head which was to London sent With whom for frendshippe urine in like case went This was my hap my forâ—une or my fawte This life I led and thus I came to naught Wherfore good Baldwin wil the pyers take hede Of slaunder malyce and conspiracy Of couetise whence al the rest procede For couetise ioynt with contumacy Doth cause all mischief in mens hartes to brede Ad therfore this to Esperance my wurd Who causeth bludshed shall not skape the swurd BY that this was ended I had found out the storie of Richard earle of Cambridge and because it conteyned matter in it though not very notable yet for the better vnderstanding of the rest I thought it mete to touche it and therfore sayd as foloweth You haue sayd wel of the Percies and favourably For in dede as it should appere the chyefe cause of theyr conspiracie agaynst kyng Henry was for Edmund Mortimer theyr cosins sake whom the king very maliciously proclaymed to haue yelded hym selfe to Owen colourably whan as in deede he was takeÌ„ forcibly against his wil very cruelly ordered in prison And seing we are in haÌ„d with Mortimers matter I wyll take vppon me the person of Richard Plantagenet Earle of Cambridge who for his sake likewise died And therfore I let passe Edmund Holland erle of Kent whom Henry the fowerth made Admirall to skoure the Seas because the Buttons were abrode whiche Earle as many thynges happen in warre was slayne with an arrowe at the assaulte of Briake shortly after whose death thys king dyed and his sonne Henry the fyft of that name succeded in his place In the beginning of this Henry the fyfts rayne dyed this Rychard and with him Henry the lord Scrope others in whose behalfe this may be sayd Hovv Richard erle of Cambridge entending the kinges destruction vvas put to death at Southhampton HAst maketh wast hath commonly ben sayd And secrete mischiefe seeld hath lucky spede A murdering mind with proper pryze is wayd Al this is true I find it in my Crede And therfore Baldwin warne all states take hede How they conspire any other to betrappe Least mischiefe meant light in the miners lappe For I lord Richard heyre Planâ—agenet Was Erle of Cambridge and right fortunate If I had had the grace my wit to set To have content me with mine owne estate But o false honours broders of
debate The loue of you our lewde hartes doth allure To lese our sâ—lues by seking you vnsure Because my broâ—her Edmund Mortimer Whose eldest sister was my wedded wife I meane that Edmund that was prisoner In Wales so long through Owens busy strife Because I say that after Edmundes life His rightes and titles must by law be mine For he ne had nor could encrease his line Because the right of realme crowne was ours I serched meanes to helpe him thervnto And where the Henries held it by their powers I sought a shift their tenures to vndo Which being force sith force or sleyt must do I voyde of might because their power was strong Set privy sleyte agaynst theyr open wrong But sith the deathes of most part of my kâ—â—ne Did dash my hope throughout the fathers dayes I let it slip and thought it best beginne Whan as the sâ—nne shuld dred lest such assayes For force through spede sleyght spedeth through delayes And seeld doth treason time so fitly find As whan al dangers most be out of minde Wherfore while Henry of that name the fifte Prepared his army to go conquer Fraunce Lord Skrope and I thought to attempt a drifte To put him downe my brother to avaunce But werâ— it gods wil my luck or his good chaunce The king wist wholy wherabout we went The night before the king to shâ—pward bent Then were we strayt as traytours apprehended Our purpose spied the cause therof was hid And therfore loe a false cause we pretended Wherthrough my brother was fro daunger ryd We sayd for hier of the French kinges coyne we did Behight to kil the king and thus with shame We stayned our selves to save our frend fro blame Whan we had thus confest so foule a treason That we deserved we suffred by the lawe Se Baldwin see and note as it is reason How wicked dedes to wofull endes do drawe All force doth fayle no crafte is wurth a stra'â— To attayne thinges lost and therfore let them go For might ruleth right and wil though God say no. WHan stout Richarde had stoutly sayd his mind belike ê™ one this Rychard was but a litle man or els litle fauoured of wryters for our Cronicles speake very litle of him But seyng we be cum now to king Henries viage into Fraunce we can not lack valyant men to speake of for among so many as were led and sent by the Kyng out of thys realme thyther it can not be chosen but sum and that a great summe were â—layne among theym wherfore to speake of them all I thynke not nedefull And therfore to let passe Edwarde Duke of Yorke and the Earle of Suffolke slayne both at the battayle of Agine courte as were also many other Let vs ende the time of Henry the fyfth and cum to hys sunne Henry the syxt whose nonage brought Fraunce and Normandy out of bondage and was cause that fewe of our noble men died aged Of whom to let passe the numbre I wyll take vppon me the person of Thomas Mountague earle of Salysburye whose name was not so good at home and yet he was called the good erle as it was dreadful abrode who exclaming vpon the mutability of fortune iustly may say thus Hovv Thomas Montague the earle of Salysbury in the middes of his glory vvas chaunceably slayne vvith a piece of ordinaunce WHat fooles be we to trust vnto our strength Our wit our courage or our noble fame Which time it selfe must nedes deuour at length Though froward Fortune could not foyle the same But seing this Goddes gideth al the game Which still to chaunge doth set her onely lust Why toyle we so for thinges so hard to trust A goodly thing is surely good reporte Which noble hartes do seke by course of kinde But seen the date so doubtful and so short The wayes so rough wherby we do it find I can not chuse but prayse the princely minde That preaseth for it though we find opprest By soule defame those that deserve it best Concerning whom marke Baldwin what I say I meane the vertuous hindred of their brute Among which number reken wel I may My valiaunt father Iohn lord Montacute Who lost his life I iudge in iust pursute I say the cause and not the casual spede Is to be wayed in euery kinde of dede This rule obserued how many shall we find For vertues sake with infamy opprest How many agayn through helpe of fortune blind For yll attemptes atchiued with honour blest Succes is wurst ofttimes whan cause is best Therfore say I god send them sory happes That iudge the causes by their after clappes The ende in dede is iudge of euery thing Which is the cause or latter poynt of time The first true verdyct at the first may bryng The last is slow or slipper as the slime Oft chaunging names of innocence and crime Duke Thomas death was Iustice two yeres long And euer sence sore tiranny and wrong Wherfore I pray the Baldwin waye the cause And prayse my father as he doth deserue Because erle Henry king agaynst all lawes Endeuoured king Richard for to starve In iayle wherby the regal crowne might swarve Out of the line to which it than was due Wherby God knowes what euil might ensue My lord Iohn Holland duke of Excester Which was dere cosin to this wretched king Did mooue my father and the erle of Glocester With other lordes to ponder well the thyng Who seing the mischiefe that began to spring Did all consent this Henry to depose And to restore kyng Richard to the rose And while they did deuise a prety trappe Wherby to bring their purpose bettre about Which was in maske this Henry to haue slayne The duke of Awmerle blew their counsayâ—e out Yet was their purpose good there is no doubt What cause can be more wurthy for a knight Than save his king and helpe true heires to right For this with them my father was destroyed And buryed in the doungâ—â—l of defame Thus evil chaunce theyr glory did auoyde Wheras their cause doth clayme eternal 〈◊〉 Whan dedes therfore vnluckely do frame Men ought not iudge the authours to 〈◊〉 naught For right through might is often overraught And God doth suffer that it should be so But why my wit is feble to decise Except it be to heape vp wrath and wo Upon their heades that iniuries devise The cause why mischiefes many times arise And light on them that wold mens wronges redresse Is for the rancour that they beare I gesse God hateth rigour though it furder right For sinne is sinne how euer it be vsed And therfore suffereth shame and death to light To punish vice though it be wel abused Who furdereth right is not therby excused If through the same he do sum other wrong To every vice due guerdon doth belong What preach I now I am a man of warre And that my body I dare say doth professe Of cured woundes beset with many a
skarre My broken Iaw vnheald can say no lesse O Fortune Fortune cause of all distresse My father had great cause thy fraude to cursse But much more I abused ten times wursse Thou neuer flatteredst him in all his life But me thou dandledst like thy darling deare Thy giftes I found in every corner rife Where ever I went I met thy smyling cheare Which was not for a day or for a yeare But through the rayne of thre right worthy kynges I found the forward in al kind of thinges The while king Henry conquered in Fraunce I sued the warres and still found victory In all assaultes so happy was my chaunce Holdes yelde or wunne did make my enmies sory Dame Prudence eke augmented so my glory That in all treaties ever I was one Whan weyghty matters were agreed vpon But whan this king this mighty conquerour Through death vnripe was both his realmes bereft His sely infant did receyue his power Pore litle babe ful yong in cradell left Where crowne and Scepter hurt him with the hefâ— Whose wurthy vncles had the governaunce The one at home the other abrode in Fraunce And I which was in peace and war wel skilled With both these rulers greatly was estemed Bare rule at home as often as they willed And fought in Fraunce whan thei it nedeful demed And every where so good my seruice semed That Englishmen to me great loue did beare Our foes the French my force fulfilled with feare I alwayes thought it fitly for a prince And such as haue the regiment of realmes His subiectes hartes with mildnes to convince Wyth iustice myxt auoyding all extremes For like as Phebus with his chearfull beames Doth freshly force the fragrant floures to florish So rulers mildnes subiectes loue doth norish This found I true for through my mild behauour Their hartes I had with me to liue and dye And in their speache for to declare their fauour They called me styll good earle of Salisbury The lordes confest the commons did not lye For vertuous life fre hart and lowly mind With high and low shal alwayes fauour find Which vertues chief becum a man of war Wâ—erof in Fraunce I founde experyence For in assaultes due mildnes passeth farre Al rigour force and sturdy violence For men wil stoutly sticke to their defence When cruel captaynes covet them to spoyle And so enforst oft geue their foes the foyle But when they know they shall be frendly vsed They hazard not their heades but rather yelde For this my offers neuer were refused Of any towne or surely very seelde But force and furies fyt be for the feelde And there in dede I vsed so the same My foes would flye if they had heard my name For whan lord Steward and erle Uantadore Had cruelly besieged Crauant towne Which we had wunne and kept long time before Which lieth in Awxer on the riuer Youne To rayse the siege the Regent sent me downe Where as I vsed all rigour that I might I killed all that were not saued by flight When the erle of Bedford then in Fraunce lord regent Knew in what sort I had remoued the syege In Brye and Champayne he made me vice gerent And Lieutenaunt for him and for my Lyege Which caused me go to Bry and ther besyege Mountaguillon with twenty wekes assant Which at the last was yelded me for naught And for the duke of Britayns brother Arthur Both erle of Richmonde and of Yvery Against his othe from vs had made departure To Charles the Dolphin our chief enemy I with the regent went to Normandy To take his towne of Yvery which of spight Did to vs dayly al the harme they might They at the first compounded by a day To yeeld if rescues did not cum before And whiles in hope to fight we at it lay The Dolphin gathered men two thousand skore With erles lordes and captaynes ioly store Of which the duke of Alanson was gide And sent them downe to see if we would bide But they left vs and downe to Uernoile went And made their vaunt they had our army slayne And through that lye that towne from vs they hent Which shortly after turned to their payne For there both armies met vpon the plaine And we .viii. M. whom they flew not slewe before Did kil of them ten thousand men and more When we had taken Uernoile thus againe To driue the Dolphin vtterly out of Fraunce The Regent sent me to Aniowe and to Mayne Wher I besieged the warlik towne of Mawns Ther lord of Toysers Baldwins valiaunce Did well appere which wold not yeeld the towne Till all the towres walles wer battred downe But here now Baldwin take it in good part Though that I brought this Baldwin ther to yeeld The Lion searce for all his noble hart Being overmatched is forst to flye the feeld â–ª If Mars him selfe had there ben with his sheeld And in my sâ—ormes had stoutly me withstoode He should haue yeeld or els haue shed my bloode Thâ—s wurthy knight both hardy stout and wise Wrought well his feate as time and place require Whan fortune fayles it is the best advice To strike the sayle least al lie in the mire This have I sayd to thend thou take no yre For though no cause be found so nature frames Men haue a zeale to such as beare their names But to returne in Mayne wan I at length Such towns fortes as might either helpe or hurt I mannâ—d Mayon Suzans townes of strength Fort Barnarde Thanceaux S. Eales the curt With Lile sues Bolton standing in the durt Eke Gwerland Susâ—e Loupeland and Mountsure With Malicorne these wan I and kept full sure Besides al this I tooke nere forty holdes But those I razed even with the grounde And for these dedes as sely shepe in foldes Do shrinke for feare at every litle sound So fled my foes before my face ful round Was none so hardy durst abide the fight So Mars and Fortune furdered me their knight I tel no lye so gastful grewe my name That it alone discomfited an host The Scots and Frenchmen wil confesse the same Els wil the towne which they like cowardes lost For whan they sieged Bewron with great bost Being fourty M. Britayns French and Scottes Fiue hundred men did vanquish them like sottes For while the Frenchmen did assault them stil Our Englishmen came boldly furth at night Criyng sainct George Salisbury kil kil kil And offred freshly with their foes to fight And they as frenchly tooke them selves to flight Supposing surely that I had ben there Se how my name did put them all in feare Thus was the Dolphins power discomfited Fower M. slayne their campe tane as it stoode Wherby our towne and souldiers profited For there were vitayles plentifull and good This while was I in England by the rood To appeace a strife that was right foule befall Betwene Duke Humfrey and the Cardinall The Duke of Exceter shortly after died
Which of the king at home had gouernaunce Whose roume the earle of Warwike then supplied And I tooke his and sped me into Fraunce And hauing a zeale to conquer Orlyaunce With much a do I gat the regentes ayde And marched thither and siege about it layde But in the way I tooke the towne of Yayn Wher murdred wer for stoutnes many a man But Baugency I tooke with litle payne For which to shew them fauour I began This caused the townes of Mewne and Iargeman That stoode on Loyer to profer me the keyes Ere I came nere them welny by two dayes See here how Fortune forward can allure What baytes she layeth to bring men to their endes Who having hap like this but would hope sure To bring to bale what euer he entendes But soone is sowre the sweete that Fortune sendes Whan hope and hap whan helth and welth is hyest Than wo and wracke desease and nede be nyest For while I suing this so good successe Layd siege to Orlyaunce on the river syde The Bastard Cuckold Cawnyes sonne I gesse Tho thought the dukes who had the towne in gide Came fearcely forth when he his time espide To raise the siege but was beat backe agayne And hard pursued both to his losse and payne For there we wan the bulwarke on the bridge With a mighty tower standing fast therby Ah cursed tower that didst my dayes abridge Would god thou hadst bene furder eyther I. For in this tower a chamber standes on hie From which a man may view through al the towne By certayne windowes yron grated downe Where on a day now Baldwin note mine ende I stoode in vewing where the towne was weake And as I busily talked with my frend Shot fro the towne which al the grate did breake A pellet came and drove a mighty fleake Agaynst my face and tare away my checke For payne wherof I dyed within a wecke See Baldwin see the vncertaynty of glory How sodayne mischief dasheth all to dust And warne all princes by my broken story The happiest Fortune chiefly to mistrust Was neuer man that alway had his lust Than such be fooles in fancy more then mad Which hope to haue that neuer any had THis straunge aduenture of the good erle drave vs al into a dumpne inwardly lamenting his wofull destynye out of which we wer awaked after this sort To what ende ê™ one muse we so much on this matter This Earle is neyther the first nor the last whom Fortune hath foundered in the heyth of their prosperitye For all through the raine of this vnfortunate king Henry we shall find many whych haue bene likewise serued whose chaunces sith they be marâ—â—â—l and therfore honorable may the better be omitted And therfore we wil let go the lordes Mâ—rlmes and Poyninges slayne both at the siege of Orleans shortly after the death of this earle Also the valiaunt earle of Arundle destroyed with a bowlet at the assault of Gerbory whose storyes nevertheles are wurth the hearyng And to quicken vp your spirites I wil take vpon me a tragicall person in deede I meane kyng Iamy slayne by his seruauntes in his pryvy chamber who although he be a Skot yet seing he was brought vp in Englande where he learned the language hys example also so notable it were not meete he shoulde be forgotten And therfore marke Baldwin what I thinke he may say Hovv king Iames the first for breaking his othes and bondes vvas by gods suffrauns miserably murdred of his ovvne subiectes IF for examples sake thou write thy booke I charge the Baldwin thou forget me not Whom Fortune alwayes frowardly forsooke Such waâ— my lucke my merite or my lot I am that Iames king Roberts sonne the Skot That was in England prisoner all his youth Through mine vncle Walters trayterous vntruth For whan my father through disease and age Unwieldy was to gouerne well his land Because his brother Walter semed sage He put the rule therof into his hand Than had my father you shall vnderstand Of lawfull barnes me and one only other Nempt Dauy Rothsay who was mine elder brother This Dauy was prince of Scotland and so take Till his aduoutry caused men complayne Which that he might by monyshment forsake My father prayed mine vncle take the payne To threaten him his vices to refrayne But be false traytour butcherly murdring wretch To get the crowne began to fetch a fetch And finding now a proffer to his pray Deuised meanes my brother to deuower And for that cause convayed him day by day â–ª From place to place from castell vnto tower To Faulkland fort where like a tormentour He starmd him and put to death a wife Whom through a reede he sukt to saue his life O wretched death â–ª fye cruel tiranny A prince in prison lost for fault of foode Was â—â—nce enmy wrought such villany A trusted brother stroye his brothers blood Wo wurth foe frendly fye on double hood Ah wretched father see thy sonne is lost Sterved by thy brother whom thou trustedst most Of whom whan sum began to find the fraud And yet the traytor made him selfe so clere That he should seeme to haue deserued laud So wofull did he for his death appeare My doubtful father louing me ful deere To auoyde all daunger that might after chaunce Sent me away but nine yeres olde to Fraunce But windes and wether wer so contrary That we wer driuen to the English coast Which realme with Skotland at that time did vary So that they tooke me prisoner not as oste For which my father fearing I wer lost Conceiued shortly such an inward thought As to the graue immediatly him brought Than had mine vncle all the regiment At home and I in England prisoner lay For to him selfe he thought it detryment For my releace any raunsum for to pay For as he thought he had possest his pray And therfore wisht I might in durauns dure Till I had dyed so should his rayne be sure But good king Henry seing I was a child And heyre by ryght vnto a realme and crowne Dyd bring me vp not lyke my brother wylde But vertuously in feates of high renowne In libeâ—all artes in instrumentall sowne By meane wherof whan I was after king I did my realme to ciuil order bring For ere I had been prisoner eyghtene yere In which short space two noble princes dyed Wherof the first in prudence had no peere The other in warre most valyant throwly tryed Whose rowme his sonne babe Henry eke supplyed The pyers of England which did gouerne all Did of their goodnes helpe me out of thrall They maried me to a cosin of their king The Duke of Somersets daughter rich fayre Releast my raunsome saue a trifling thing And after I had done homage to the hayer And sworne my frendship neuer should appayre They brought me kingly furnisht to my lande Which I recâ—yued at mine vncles hand Wherof my lordes and commons wer ful glad So was