ye bee Rulers and subiectes of every degree Whose horrible vices have moved the wrath Of God so to skourge vs as lately it hath By bringing our Souerayne to soone to his ende Repent your misliving and quickly amende For that was the cause of the Kings death in deede And will be his heires to without better heede Repent O ye Princes your gredy desyer Of honour and riches wherby set on fyer You rob vnder colour of Christen professson From Christ and his poore their right and possession You oppresse the people through sale of your lust Repent recompence to and learne to be iust For this was the cause of the Kings death in dede And will be the kingdomes without better hede Repent you prelates your seking promocion Your gredy gathering your lacke of deuocion Your to much care for your children and wives Your whorish abusing your wife lothing lives Your popishe errours your fowle dirogacion Of Christ his manhode his merites and passion For this was the cause of the Kings death in dede And wil be his heires to without better hede Repent O you subiectes your disobedience To God and good Rulers your great irreverence To true religion your elders and teachers Your mocking and skorning of gods holy preachers Your common swearing transgression of lawes Your troubling your neyghbours for every light cause For this was the cause of the Kings death in dede And will be the Quenes without better hede Repent you officers all the deceytes You vse in your paymentes and in your receytes Your bribe bought audites your subtile surueyinges Your thevish accompts made by crafty conueyings Your robbing the rulers that put you in trust Repent recompence to hence forward be iust For that was the cause of the Kings death in deede And will be his sisters without better heede Repent you false lawiers your racking and strayning To make all lawes serve to your gredy gayning Your robbing the riche your vndoing the poore Your making the law and iustice an whore Which no man enbrace may vntil she be solde For great mens fauours or hye heapes of golde For this was the cause of the kinges death in dede And wil be the kingdomes without better hede Repent you marchantes your straunge marchandises Of personages prebends auowsons of benefices Of landes of leases of office of fees Your monging of vitayles corne butter and cheese Your cariyng out good wares and bringing such in As sarve to no purpose save bredyng vp sin For this was the cause of the kinges death in dede And wil be his sisters without better hede Repent you caytifes your raysing of rent Your fines your incoms yet never at a stent Your turning of tillage so much into pasture That townes and towneships are ruyned past cure Your wasting of woods your ingrossing chepe wares To make dearth of plenty to encreace others cares For this was the cause of the Kings death in dede And wil be the kingdomes without better hede Repent you Iudges your parciall iudgementes Your quitting the giltye your quelling innocentes For mede for drede for spite or for pleasure Repent you Rufflers thabuse of your treasure Your othes your fury your els many a cryme Beside the expence of your bodyes and time For these wer a cause of the Kings death in dede And wil be the kingdomes without better hede Repent you Leachers your dissolute lives Your causeles divorsing your true wedded wives Your crafty alluring the silly to sinne Your bying of Orphans to wed to your kin Your forcing of widdowes vnwilling to mary To cause breth of wedlocke sith nedes they must vary For this was the cause of the kinges death in dede And wil be the kingdomes without better hede To conclude let eche man of every degree Bewayle his offences what so ever they be And aske God forgevenes and make recompens To those he hath harmed through any offence For sure if we do not such plagues wil ensewe As never cam yet vpon heathen nor Iewe. For our sins were the cause of the Kings death in dede And wil be the kingdomes without better hede Sith we all already are gilty of murder Ceas we all for Gods sake to sin any furder O sleys not our Soverayne our most noble Queen Whose match in vertue hath seldome be seen But pray the almighty her life to defend Repent recompence pray pay and amend For if our sins send her to her brother Swift vengeance wil folow let none looke for other †Syrach the .x. Because of vnrighteous dealing of wrong of blasphemies sundry deceytes a Realme shalbe translated from one people to an other An Epitaph ☞ The Death playnt or life prayse of the most noble and vertuous Prince King Edward the syxt THe noble hart which feare might never moove Wherin a minde with vertue fraught did rest A face whose chere allured vnto loove All hartes through tyes which pity whole possest The brayne which wit and wisedome made their chest Fulfyld with all good giftes that man may have Rest with a princely Carkas here in grave Whose vertuous giftes immixed with the minde As godly feare with constant zeale to truth Such skill of tounges and artes of every kinde Such manhode prudens iustice ioynd with ruth As age seeld hath though here they greed with youth Are from their wemles vndefiled hoast Goen hence to heaven with their godly goast Of which two partes belinkt in lace of life It pleased the Lord to lend vs late a king But out alas our sins they wer so rife And we so vnworthy of so good a thing That Atropos did knap in two the string Before her sisters sixtene whurles had spun Or we the gayne of seven yeres rayne through wun Wo wurth our sinnes our sinnes our sins I say The wreke wherof hath rest vs such a loan As never realme the like recover may In princely giftes the Phenix byrd alone Oh happy he but we full wo begoen Whose haynous sins have slayne the giltles gide Whose souls the heavē whose corse this herse doth hide Finis ¶ King Edward sickened the first day of February at Whitehall and on the syxte day of Iulye next folowing died he at Greenwich And was buryed in Westminster church Anno. 1553. †EDVARDVS SEXTVS GRACIA ANGLIE FRANCIE ET HIBERNIE REX ET C̄ AETATIS SVAE XV.
¶ The Funeralles of King Edward the sixt †VVherin are declared the causers and causes of his death †EDVARDVS SEXTVS GRACIA ANGLIE FRANCIE ET HIBERNIE REX ET C̄ AETATIS SVAE XV. †Wisedome .iiii. †He pleased God and was beloved of him and therfore hath God removed him from sinners among whom he lived Yea sodaynly was he taken awaye to the ende that wickednes should not alter his vnderstanding Though he dyed yong yet fulfilled he much time for his soule pleased God therfore hasted he to take him awaye from among the wycked ¶ William Baldwin to the Reader GReat hath been the doubt among many ever since the death of our late vertuous soverayne Lorde King Edward the syxt by what meane he dyed and what were the causes of his death This doubte is fully resolved in this booke penned before his corse was buryed endeuoured since by many meanes to have had been printed but such was the time that it could not be brought to passe Wherfore now at length good Reader it is set furth both to take away all doubt in this matter and to exhort thee to leave thy sinnes and noughty living Least that as they wer in part the vndoubted cause of that moost godly prynces death so they becum the destruction of our vertuous Queen his sister and the vtter ruyne of this whole realme For as thou shalt perceyue by this true Treatie our innumerable sinnes were the cheife yea the only cause why God so soone tooke good Kyng Edward from vs which surely if we do not spedely repent and amend I dare not declare with how grevous and heavy plages God him selfe will purge and punish them Wherfore I earnestly beseche thee as thou lovest the Queen the Realme yea thine owne body and soule amend thy life God graunt this may perswade thee Amen Love and live ¶ The Funeralles of the most noble and godly Prince Kyng Edward the syxt WHen bytter Wynter forced had the Sun Fro the horned Goat to Pisces ward to run And lively sap that greneth gardins soote To flye the stocke to save her nurse the roote And sleety Cech that blowth by North fro East Decayd the health and welth of man and beast The almighty minde that rayneth thre in one Disposing all thinges from his stable throne Beheld the earth and man among the rest Movde by the crye of such as wer opprest And when he had the maynland throughly vewed With Mahometrie and Idol blud embrewed Wherthrow his Law and Gospel wer defylde His love his awe his worship quite exilde He turnd his iyes from that so fowle a sight And toward the Iles he cast his looke a right In hope that where true knowledge did abound He should sum lovelyer sight have quickely found But when he sawe all vice most vile and naught Most rifely swarme where truth had most be taught In England chefe which he of speciall grace Had made his wurd and chosens resting place And had for that cause powrd on it such store Of welthy giftes as none could wishe for more Ioynt with a King of such a godly minde As seldome erst he elswhere had assinde All wo and wroth he flang away his face And to him selfe he thus bewayld the case To see this people should theyr sinnes forsake I haue lookt so long vntill mine eyes do ake To hide their mischiefes waring more and more I haue winkt so long till loe my bryes be sore My throte is horce my lippes haue lost theyr skinne Through feruent crye to fray them from theyr sinne Might gentlenes haue movde them to relent What have they wisht that hath not strait be sent Sith then they passe for neyther threats nor love Nor easy plages wherby I do them prove What els remayns but to destroy them all The yong the old the myghty with the small Chryst hearing this and moved with the teares Of vertuous folke for whose sake God forbeares The wicked sort although their sinnes be great For his elect on this sort gan intreat If Iustice due dere father should haue place I knowe it booteth not to sewe for grace But though their sins all measure far excede Yet stay thy wrath haue mercy on our nede And sith through fayth a mayny of them be mine Graunt leave this once to water this thy vine That doen if so their fruytes do not amend As barrayne brambles bryng them to an end When Chryst our sauiours merciful request Was sonke into his fathers tender brest He neyther graunted it nor yet denayd But fatherlike thus to his sonne he sayd To sewe for mercy I maruayle what ye meane For such a sort as haue reiect vs cleane Behold the heades what els do they deuise Saue in our name to cloke their couetise Thine herytage they have thee whole bereft Except thy shurt let see what haue they left Thy golde thy plate thy lodgyng yea thy landes That are the poores are in the richest handes They waste they spoyle they spill vpon their pride That which was geven the nedy corse to hide And thou lyest naked starving at their gates While they consume thy substaunce with theyr mates As for theyr lawe wherby men should haue right Is ruled hole by money and by might And where the riche the nedy should relive They do their best to beggry all to drive What titles forge they falsely to their landes Untill they wrongly wring them from their handes How ioyne they house to house how farme to farme How lease to lease the selly sort to harme How rayse they rents what incoms yea what fines Exact they still though all the world repines How suffer they theyr grayne to rot and hore To make a dearth when I geue plenty store And where they brag they do thy word auaunce Have they not spoyld or fliste all mayntenaunce That therto servde what kinde of Clergy lande Or fee is free now from the Lay mans hande What gentleman what marchant yea what swayne But hath or may have a personage or twayne I loth to name the vilenes of the rest So sore my hart theyr robbry doth detest Is this the way our Gospell to defend No no we see to well what they entend But passe we this and marke their godly lives How do they kepe theyr promys with theyr wides For what respect do they theyr mariage make Save riches honour or promocion sake Alas how are our Orphans bought and solde Our widowes forst to mary where they nould What vowe what oth what bond most strongly knit Doth hold where gayne may growe by breaking it And when our preachers tell them ought hereof What do they then save eyther threat or skof Which causeth such as would thy manhode spoyle And rob from thee the merite of thy royle To hate thy word and count our prophetes evill Wyshing them both together at the devill Are these thy vine thy flocke canst thou them call That steale thy landes thy goodes thy glory
beare the crime And after his death such cruell plages ensue As all should feele and then to late should rue The Magistrate was playnly tolde his fault The man of lawe was warned not to halte Request was made the church goodes to restore Or put to the vse that they wer taken for Leasmungring Landlords such as raysed rent Wer moved to bate their Lands to auncient stent The waste the fare the vaynnes of attyre Extorcion malice covetous desyre All Papistry with fruteles gospel boast Was cryed agaynst and damnde as wicked most And to be briefe fro the lowest to the hyest All wer desired to live the lawe of Christ. With earnest threats from God the living Lord In whose iust iye all sinne is sore abhord That if we did not these our faultes repent The King should dye and we to late lament But out alas how wer these preachers heard The heades withdrew their presens all afearde Least sum good mocion might amend their minde By whose example the people nought by kinde Tooke hart of grasse the preachers to despise And slaundred them with shameles forged lyes Gods bytter threats they made a very mocke His prophetes eke a common iesting stocke As for amendment none at al was sene But into wurs all yls were turned clene Whan God had suffred all these thinges a space And saw at last how all refused his grace And that no threates might cause them to retyer To stay the stroke of his consuming ire He fully agreed to take this blessed childe For spede wherof he vtterly exylde All meanes by which he might recover force Than did his griefe so sore assault the corse That euery vayne and muscle gan to swell Which bred a payne much like the panges of hell In which the piteous Prince a pining laye In hope all hopeles many a wofull daye But God which sawe the terror of the payne Wherin so long this innocent had layne Because he would for it provide an ayde He called Death and thus to him he sayd Dispatch at ones to Greenwich se thou hye Where my elect King Edward sicke doth lye In paynfull panges wherin he hath be long Not for his owne but for his peoples wrong Enforce thyne arme and with thy cruell dart Cleave me in twayne his vertuous godly hart What wepest thou Death Ceas foole hold thy toung â–ª What though he be both beawtifull and young So learnd a prince so manly and so meeke As seldome had nor eft shall have his like He is to good for that vngracious Realme Wherfore dispatch go strike thy stroke extreme Take no compassion on his tender youth His wit his vertue or earnest zeale of truth But wotst thou what let not thy fourme be such An ougly shape as to the worldly ruch It oft appeares But lovely as it is To such as long for euerlasting blisse With cumly shape and smiling chere I say Go lewse his soule have done and go thy way Whan doutful Death had heard this hard devise He trymd him selfe in his most cumly guyse Like Mercury in euery kinde of grace Save that he had a much more lovely face And forth he flewe and got him to the bed Wherin the King lay neyther quicke nor dead But in a traunce for why his deadly griefe And nature strave to prove who should be chiefe But when weke nature had consumde her best She yelded her and so the struggle ceast Wherby the King cam to him selfe agayne And seing death he turnd away amayne For why his yongth and yet vnfloured breth Could not consent to so vnripe a death Drye Death him selfe with pity moved thoe Had much to do to hide his inward woe And seing the lovely prince so sore afrayd With smiling there to cumfort him he sayd Most noble King abashe not but assent Nor God the almightye hath me hither sent Who much lamenting this your wofull case Would have you cum to solas with his grace In life in blisse in everlasting glory From worldly thinges all vile and transitory From this your state vncertayne and vnsure Unto a Raygne that shall for ay indure No sooner had our Soverayne heard of this But loe his goast which long had longd for blisse Would nedes away Howbeit his carefull minde For this his realme which he should leave behind Did move his grace to pray death stay awhile To thend he might him selfe both reconcile To God his king and also recommende His realme to him for ever to defend And while that Death for this cause gladly stayed He set him vp and thus to God he prayed HAve mercy on me father dere O Lord and God of truth O let thy mercy hide the sins and fraylty of my youth I have transgrest thy lawe to oft full woe is me therfore But for thy sonne my saviours sake my selly soule restore My flesh doth crave to kepe the life ful loth to loose the lyght But Lorde do thou as shal seme best to thine almighty sight And whan thou hast receyved my soule which troubles overwhelm Be mercifull most mercifull to this my wretched Realme Preserve thy truth mayntayne thy word powre plenty of thy grace On all such hartes as thou shalt set to governe in my place Thus Lorde I render to thy handes my selfe my flocke my seat Do with them all thy blessed will for Christes sake I entreat Amen ê™ death and with his percing dart He strake in twayne the kinges yet praying hart But Lord how glad the goast was of the stroke For when it sawe the prison gate was broke Fast furth it flewe and vp to heaven went To rest with God in ioyes that never stent The soulles body about the bed did sprall While they about it on the King did call Adawing him as if he wer in swound But all for nought he had his deadly wound And when the blud that went to helpe the hart Had sweltred it and left eche other part Than waxt his face and handes all pale and wan And when the bludles partes to coole began To heavenward his handes and iyes he cast Downe fell his iawes his hart stringes all to brast And still he lay for lively heat was past Thus dyed this King this giltles blessed childe In body and soule a virgin vndefilde The sixtenth yere of his vnperfect age Wo wurth vs men whose sins let run at rage Have murdred him wo wurth vs wretches all On whom the wreke of righteous bloud must fall Wo wurth our sins for they alas have slayne The noblest prince that dyd or eft shall rayne Sapien .iiii. ☞ Thus the righteous which is dead condemneth the vngodly which are liuing and the youth that is soone brought to an ende the long life of the vnrighteous ¶ An exhortacion to the repentaunce of sinnes and amendment of life vvhich were the cause of the kinges death wil be the destruction of the Realme if God be not the more mercifull vnto vs. ALl Englishe people what so ever