sweare Forsworne in loue with louers oathes doth beare Loue causelesse still doth aggrauate his cause It is his law to violate all lawes His reason is in onely wanting reason And were vntrue not deepely tuch'd with treason Th'vnlawfull meanes doth make his lawfull gaine Hee speakes most true when he the most doth faine Pardon the faults that haue escapde by mee Against faire vertue chastitie and thee If Gods can their owne excellence excell Is it in pardoning mortalls that rebell When all thy trialls are enrol'd by fame And all thy sexe made glorious by thy name Then I a captiue shall be brought heereby To adorne the triumph of thy chastitie I sue not now thy Paramore to bee But as a husband to be linck'd to thee I am Englands heire I thinke thou wilt confesse Wert thou a Prince I hope I am no lesse But that thy birth doth make thy stocke diuine Else durst I boast my blood as good as thine Disdaine me not nor take my loue in scorne Whose brow a crowne heereafter may adorne But what I am I call mine owne no more Take what thou wilt and what thou wilt restore Onely I craue what ere I did intend In faithfull loue now happily may end Farewell sweete Lady so well maist thou fare To equall â—oy with measure of my care Thy vertues more then mortall tongue can tell A thousand thousand times farewell farewell Notes of the Chronicle history Receiue these papers from thy wofull Lord. BAndello by whoÌ„ this history was made famous being an ItaliaÌ„ as it is the peoples custom in that clime rather to faile somtime in the truth of circumstance then to forgoe the grace of their conceit n like manner as the Grecians of whom the Satyrist Et quicquid Graetia mendax Audet in historia Thinking it to be a greater triall that a Countesse should be sude vnto by a King then by the sonne of a King and conseqently that the honour of her chastitie should be the more hath caused it to be generally taken so but as by Polidore Fabian and Froisard appeares the contrarie is true Yet may Bandello be very well excused as being a stranger whose errors in the truth of our historie are not so materiall that they should neede an inuectiue lest his wit should bee defrauded of any part of his due which were not lesse were euery part a fiction Howbeit lest a common error should preuaile against a truth these Epistles are conceiued in those persons who were indeede the actors to wit Edward surnamed the Blacke 〈◊〉 not so much of his complexion as of the dismall battells which he fought in France in like sence as we may say a blacke day for some tragicall euent though the Sunne shine neuer so bright therein And Alice the Countesse of Salsburie who as it is certaine was beloued of Prince Edward so it is as certaine that many points now current in the receiued story can neuer hold together with likelihoode of such enforcement had it not beene shewed vnder the title of a King And when thou let'st downe that transparent lid Not that the lid is transparent for no part of the skin is transparent but for the gemme which at that closure is said to containt is transparent for otherwise how could the minde vnderstand by the eye should not the images slide through the same and replenish the stage of the phantasie But this belongs to Optickes The Latines call the eye lid cilium I will not say of celando as the eye brow supercilium and the haire on the eye lids palpebra perhaps quod palpitet all which haue their distinct and necessary vses Alice Countesse of Salsbury to the Blacke Prince AS one would grant yet gladly would deny Twixt hope and feare I doubtfully reply A womans weakenesse lest I should discouer Answering a Prince and writing to a louer And some say Loue with Reason doth dispence And wrest our plaine words to another sence Thinke you not then poore women had not neede Be well aduisde to write what men should reade When being silent moouing but awry Giues cause of scandall and of obloquy Whilst in our hearts our secret thoughts abide Th'inuenom'd tongue of slander yet is tide But if once spoke deliuered vp to Fame Hers the report but ours returnes the shame About to write yet newly entring in Me thinkes I end ere I can well begin When I would end then something makes me stay And then me thinkes I should haue more to say And some one thing remaineth in my breast For want of words that cannot be exprest What I would say as said to thee I faine Then in thy person I reply againe Then in thy cause vrge all I can obiect Then what againe mine honour must respect O Lord what sundry passions do I trie Striuing to hate you forcing contrarie Being a Prince I blame you not to proue The greater reason to obtaine your loue That greatnesse which doth challenge no deniall The onely rest that doth allow my triall Edward so great the greater were his fall And my offence in this were capitall To men is granted priuiledge to tempt But in that charter women be exempt Men win vs not except we giue consent Against our selues except our selues are bent Who doth impute it is a fault to you You proue not false except we be vntrue It is your vertue being men to try And it is ours by vertue to deny Your fault it selfe serues for the faults excuse And makes it ours though yours be the abuse Beautie a beggar fie it is too bad When in it selfe sufficiencie is had Not made a Lure t' entice the wandring eye But an attire t' adorne sweete modestie If modestie and women once do seuer We may bid farewell to our fame for euer Let Iohn and Henry Edwards instance be Matilda and faire Rosamond for me A like both woo'd alike su'd to be wonne Th' one by the father th' other by the sonne Henry obtaining did our weakenesse wound And laies the fault on wanton Rosamond Matilda chaste in life and death all one By her deniall lâ—â—es the fault on Iohn By these we proue men accessary still But women only principalls of ill What praise is ours but what our vertues get If they be lent so much we be in debt Whilst our owne honours vertue doth defend All force too weake what euer men pretend If all the world else should suborne our fame T is we our selues that ouerthrow the same And howsoe're although by force you win Yet on our weakenes still returnes the sin A vertuous Prince who doth not Edward call And shall I then be guiltie of your fall Now God for bid yet rather let me die Then such a sin vpon my soule should lie Where is great Edward whither is he led At whose victorious name whole armies fled Is that braue spirit that conquerd so in France Thus ouercome and vanquisht with a glance Is that great hart that did aspire
lineaments of his Quoth he the man thee to the Crowne did bring Might at thy hands the least haue lookt for this And in this place vnseeming of the rest Where onely sacred solitude is blest 67 Her presence frees th' offender of his ill And as the essence makes the place diuine What strong Decree can countermaund the will That gaue to thee the power that now is thine And in her armes preseru'd in safety still As the most pure inuiolable shrine Though thou thus irreligiously despise And dar'st profane these halowed liberties 68 But as when Illion fatally surprisde The Grecians issuing from the woodden horse Their rage and fury prowdly exercisde Opening the wide gates letting in their force Putting in act what was before deuisde Without all sence of pitty or remorce With cries shreekes rumors in confused sound words are broken off complaints abruptly drownd 69 Dissolu'd to drops she followes him O teares Elixar like turne all to pearle you touch To weepe with her the building scarce forbeares The sorrowes that she vttereth are such Able to wound th'impenitrabl'st eares Her plaints so piercing and her woes so much when with th' abundance words wold hardly come Her eyes in silence spake when lips were dumbe 70 Sweete sonne quoth she let not that blood be spilt Once prizd so deere as did redeeme thy Crowne Whose purity if â—ainted now with guilt The cause thereof efficiently thine owne That from the ruines of thy country built Razde with dissentions thy substantiall throne And broke those bounds thy kingdomes once confinde Into large France to exercise thy minde 71 For the deere portion of that naturall blood Which lends thee heate and nutriment of life Be not a niggâ—rd of so small a good Where bounty should be plentifully rife Begg'd on those knees at which thou oft hast stood In those armes circles might co 〈…〉 re this strife O God! that breath from such a bosome sent Should thus in vaine be prodigally spent 72 When in this vproare with the sodaine fright Whilst eu'ry one for â—afety seekes about And none regarding â—o preserue the light Which being wasted sadly goeth out Now in the midst and terrour of the night At the departure of this armed rowt The Queene alone at least if any neare Her wretched women yet halfe dead with feare 73 When horror darkenes and her present woe Begin to worke on her afflicted minde And eu'ry one his tyranny doth show Euen in the fulnes of his proper kinde In such â—x 〈…〉 sse her accusations flow This liberty vnto their power assignde Racking her conscience by this torture due It selfe t' accuse with whatsoere it knew 74 O God to thinke that not an houre yet past Her greatnes freedome and her hopes so hie The sweet content wherein her thoughts were placde Her great respect in eu'ry humbled eye How now she is abused how disgracde Her present shame her after misery When eu'ry woe could by despaire be brought Presents his forme to her distracted thought 75 To London now a wretched prisner led London where oft he triumpht with the Queene And but for spite of no man followed Scarcely thought on who had for many beene Of all regard and state impou'rished Where in excesse he often had bin seene Which at his fall doth make them wonder more Who sawe the pompe wherein he liu'd before 76 O misery where â—nce thou doost infest How soone thy vile contagion alters kinde That like a Circe metamorphisest The former habite of the humane minde That euen from vs doost seeme our selues to wrest Striking our fraile and fading glories blinde And with thy vicious presence in a breath Chain'st vs as slaues vnto pale fainting Death 77 At Westminster a Parliment decreed To th'establishing the safetie of the Crowne Where to his end they finally proceede All laying hand to dig this mountaine downe To which Time wills they haue especiall heede Now whilst the Fates thus angerly doe frowne The blood of Edward and the Spensers fall For their iust vengeance hastily doe call 78 The death of Kent that foule and loathsome blot Th'assuming of the Wardes and Liueries With Ione the Princesse married to the Scot he summes oft seized to his treasuries And that by this might well haue beene forgot The signe at Stanhope to the enemies Or what else ript from the records of Time That any way might aggrauate his crime 79 O dire Reuenge when thou in time arte rakde From the râ—de ashes which preseru'd thee long In the dry cindars where it seemde as slakde Matter to feed it forcde with breath of wrong How soone his hideous fury is awakde From the small sparks what flames are quickly sprong And to that top dooth naturally aspire Whose weight and greatnes once represt his fire 80 And what auailes his answer in this case Which now the time doth generally distast Where iudgement lookes with so seuere a face And all his actions vtterly disgrac'd What fainting bosome giues him any place From out the faire seate of opinion cast With pen and incke his sorrowes to deceiue Thus of the faire Queene takes his latest leaue 81 Most mighty Empresse s'daine not to peruse The Swan like dirges of a dying man Vnlike those raptures of the fluent Muse In that sweete season when our ioyes began That did my youth with glorious fire infuse When for thy gloue at Tilt I prowdly ran Whereas my startâ—ing Courser strongly set Made fire to flie from Hartfords Burgoneâ— 82 The King your sonne which hastneth on my death Madam you know I tendred as mine owne And when I might haue grasped out his breath I set him gently on his fathers throne Which now his power too quickly witnesseth Which to this height and maiesty is growne But our desert forgot and he forgiuen As after death we wish to liue in heauen 83 And for the sole rule whereon thus he stands Came bastard William but himselfe on shore Or borrowed not our fathers conqu'ring hands Which in the field our ancient ensignes bore Guarded about with our well ordred bands Which his prowd Leopards for their safety wore Raging at Hastings like that ominous Lake From whose dread waues our glorious name we take 84 Had I beene chargde vpon mine armed horse As when I came vnto the walles of Gaunt Before the Belgike and Burgonian force There challenging my Countries Combattant Borne from my seate in some robustious course That of my spoiles the enemy might vaunt Or had I falne vnder my battered shield And lent mine honour to some conquered field 85 I haue not followed Fortun like a slaue To make her bounty any whit the lesse By my desert her iudgement to depraue Nor lent me aught I freely not confesse And haue returnd with intrest what she gaue A minde that suted with her mightinesse He twice offends which sinne in flattry beares Yet eu'ry houre he dies that euer feares 86 I cannot feare what forceth others quake The times and I haue
blamefulnes of the persons passion in those poynts wherin the passion is blamefull Lastly such manifest diffrence being betwixt euery one of them where or howsoeuer they be marshalled how can I be iustly appeached of vnaduisement For the third because the worke might in trueth be iudged brainish if nothing but amorous humor were handled therein I haue enter-wouen matters historicall which vnexplaned might defraude the minde of much content as for example in Queene Margarites Epistle to William de la Poole My Daizie flower which once perfumde the aire Margarite in French signifies a Daizie which for the allusion to her name this Queene did giue for her deuise and this as others more haue seemed to me not worthy the explaning Now though no doubt I hadde neede to excuse other things beside yet these most especially the rest I ouerpasse to eschue tedious recitall or to speake as malicious enuy may for that in trueth I ouersee them If they be as harmelesly taken as I meant them it shall suffice to haue only touched the cause of the title of the Dedications and of the Notes whereby emboldned to publish the residue these not being accounted in mens opinions relishlesse I shall not lastly be afraide to beleeue and acknowledge thee a gentle Reader M. D. To M. Michaell Drayton HOw can he write that broken hath his penne Hath rent his paper throwne his incke away Detests the world and company of men Because they growe more hatefull day by day Yet with these broken reliques mated mind And what a iustly-grieued thought can say I giue the world to know I ne're could find A worke more like to liue a longer day Goe Verse an object for the prowdest eye Disdaine those which disdaine to reade thee ouer Tell them they know not how they should descry The secret passions of a wirty louer For they are such as none but those shall know Whom Beauty schooles to hold the blind Boies bow Once I had vowd O who can all vowes keep Henceforth to smother my vnlucky Muse Yet for thy sake she started out of sleepe Yet now she dies Then doe as kinsfolkes vse Close vp the eyes of my new-dying stile As I haue op'ned thy sweeet babes ere-while E. St. Gent. Duris decus omen To M. Michaell Drayton LOng haue I wisht and hopde my weaker Muse In nothing strong but my vnhappy loue Would giue me leaue my fortune to approue And view the world as named Poets vse But still her fruitlesse bosome doth refuse To blesse me with indifferencie of praise Not daring like to many to abuse That title which true worth should onely raise Thus bankerout and despairing of mine owne I set my wish and hope kind friend on thee Whose fruite approu'd and better fortune knowne Tells me thy Muse my loues sole heire must be So barren wombs embrace their neighbors yong So dumbe men speake by them that haue a tong Thomas Hassall Gent. To M. Michaell Drayton NOw I perceiue Pithagoras diuinde When he that mocked Maxim did maintaine That spirits once spoilde reuested were againe Though changde in shape remaining one in mind These loue sicke Princes passionate estates Who feeling reades he cannot but allow That Ouids soule reuines in Drayton now Still learnd in loue still rich in rare conceits This pregnant spirit affecting further skill Oft altring forme from vulgar wits retirde In diuers Ideoms mightily admirde Did prosecute that sacred study still While to a full perfection now attainde He sings so sweetly that himselfe is stainde William Alexander-Scotus ¶ To the excellent Lady Lucie Countesse of Bedford MAdam after all the admired wittes of this excellent age which haue labored in the sad complaints of faire and unfortunate Rosamond and by the excellencie of inuention haue sounded the depth of her sundry passions I present to your Ladiship this Epistle of hers to King Henry whome I may rather call her louer than beloued Heere must your Ladiship behold variablenes in resolution woes constantly grounded laments abruptly broken off much confidence no certainty words begetting teares teares confounding matter large complaintâ— in little papers and many deformed cares in one vniformed Epistle I striue not to effect singularitie yet would faine flie imitation prostrate mine owne wants to other mens perfections Your iudiciall eye must model forth what my pen hath layd together much would shee say to a King much would I say to a Countesse but that the method of my Epistle must conclude the modestie of hers which I wish may recommend my euer vowed seruice to your Honour Michaell Drayton The Epistle of Rosamond to King Henry the second The Argument Henry the second of that name King of England the son of Geffrey Plantaginet Earle of Anlow and Mawd the Empresse hauing by long sute and Princely gifts won to his vnlawfull desire faire Rosamond the daughter of the Lord Walter Clyfford and to auoyde the danger of Ellinor his iealous Queene had caused a Labyrinth to be made within his Pallace at Woodstocke in the centre wherof he had lodged his beauteous paramour Whilest the king is absent in his warres in Normandie this poore distressed Lady inclosed in this solitary place toucht with remorce of conscience writes to the king of her distresse and miserable estate vrging him by all meanes and perswasions to cleere himselfe of this infamie and her of the griefe of minde by taking away her wretched life IF yet thine eies great Henry may endure These tainted lines drawne with a hand impure Which fain would blush but feare keeps blushes back And therefore suted in dispairing black This in loues name O that these lips might craue But that sweete name vile I prophaned haue Punish my fault or pittie mine estate Reade 〈◊〉 for loue if not for loue for hate If with my shame thine eies thou faine wouldst feed Heere let them suâ—feit on my shame to reede This scribled paper which 〈◊〉 send to thee If noted rightly doth resemble mee As this pure ground whereon thâ—se letters stand So pure was I erâ—stained by thy hand Ere I was blotted with this foule offence So cleere and spotlesse was mine innocence Now like these marks which taint this hatefull scroule Such the blacke sinnes which spot my lâ—prous soule O Henry why by losse thus shouldst thou win To get by conquest to enrich with sinne Why on my name this slaunder doost thou bring To make my fault renowmed by a King Fame neuer stoopes to things but meane and poore The more our greatnes makes our fault the more Lights on the ground themselues doe lessâ—n farre But in the ayre each small sparke seemes a starre Why on a womans frailtie wouldst thou lay This subtile plot mine honour to betray Or thy vnlawfull pleasure shouldst thou buy With vile expence of kingly maiesâ—ie T' was not my minde consented to this ill Then had I beene transported by my will For what my body was inforcde to doe Heauen knowes my soule did not consent
dares And Vere so famous in the Irish warres Who though my selfe so great a Prince were borne The worst of these my equall neede not scorne But Henries rare perfections and his parts As conquering Kingdomes so he conquer'd hearts As chaste was I to him as Queene might bee But freed from him my chaste lone vow'd to thee Beautie doth fetch all fauour from thy face All perfect courtship resteth in thy grace If thou discourse thy lips such accents breake As loue a spirit forth of thee seemâ—d to speake The Brittish language which our vowels wants And iarres so much vpon harsh consonants Comes with such grace from thy mellifluous tongue As do the sweete notes of a well set song And runnes as smoothly from those lips of thine As the pure Tuskan from the Florentine Leauing such seasoned sweetenes in the eare As the voyce past yet still the sound is there In Nisus Tower as when Apollo lay And on his golden viall vsde to play Where sencelesse stones were with such musicke drownd As many yeares they did retaine the sound Let not the beames that greatnes doth reflect Amaze thy hopes with timerous respect Assure thee Tudor maiesty can be As kinde in loue as can the mean'st degree And the embraces of a Queene as true As theirs might iudge them much aduanc'd by you When in our greatnes our affections craue Those secret ioyes that other women haue So I a Queene be soueraigne in my choice Let others fawne vpon the publique voice Or what by this can euer hap to thee Light in respect to be belou'd of mee Let peeuish worldlings prate of right and wrong Leaue plaints and pleas to whom they do belong Let old men speake of chances and euents And Lawyers talke of titles and discents Leaue fond reports to such as stories tell And couenants to those that buy and sâ—ll Loue my sweete Tudor that becomes thee best And to our good suceesse referre the rest Notes of the Chronicle Historie Great Henry sought to accomplish his desire Armed c. HEnry the fift making claime to the Crowne of France first sought by Armes to subdue the French and after sought by marriage to confirme what he got by conquest the heate and furie of which inuasion is alluded to the sixion of Semele in Ouid which by the crafty perswasion of Iuno requested Ioue to come vnto her as he was wont to come vnto his wife Iuno who at her request hee yeelding vnto destroyed her in a tempest Incamp'd at Melans in wars hote alarmes First c. Neere vnto Melans vpon the Riuer of Scyne was the appointed place of parley betweene the two Kings of England and France to which place Isabell the Qucene of France and the Duke of Burgoyne brought the yong Princesse Katherine where King Henry first saw her And on my temples set a double Crowne Henry the fift and Queene Katherine were taken as King and Queene of France and during the life of Charles the French king Henry was called King of England and heire of France and after the death of Henry the fift Henry the sixt his sonne then being very yong was crowned at Paris as true and lawfull King of England and France At Troy in Champaine he did first enioy Troy in Champaine was the place where that victorious king Henry the fift married the Ptincesse Katherine in the presence of the chiefe nobilitie of the Realmes of England and France Nor these great tules vainely will I bring Wife daughter mother c. Few Queenes of England or France were euer more princely alied then this Queene as it hath beene noted by Historiographers Nor thinke so Tudor that this loue of mine Should wrong the Gaunt-borne c. Noting the discent of Henry her husband from Iohn Duke of Lancaster the fourth sonne of Edward the third which Duke Iohn was sirnamed Gaunt of the Cittie of Gaunt in Flanders where he was borne Nor stirre the English blood the Sunne and Moone Trepine c. Alluding the greatnes of the English line to Phoebus and Phoebe fained to be the children of Latona whose heauenly kind might seorne to be ioyned with any earthly progenie yet withall boasting the blood of France as not inferior to theirs And with this allusion followeth on the historie of the strife betwixt Iuno and the race of Cadmus whose issue was afflicted by the wrath of heauen The children of Niobe slaine for which the wofull mother became a rocke gushing forth continually a sountaine of teares And Iohn and Longshanks issue both affied Lheellin or Leolin ap Iorweth married Ioane daughter to king Iohn a most beautifull Lady Some Authors affirme that she was base borne Lhewellin ap Gryfith married Ellenor daughter to Simon Montfort Earle of Leicester and Cosin to Edward Long-shankes both which Lhewellins were Princes of Wales Of Camilot and all her Pentecosts A Nephewes roome c. Camilot the antient Pallace of King Arthur to which place all the Knightes of that famous order yeerely repaired at Penticost according to the law of the Table and most of the famous home-borne Knights were of that Country as to this day is perceiued by their antient monuments When bloody Rutus sought your vtter sacke Noting the ill successe which that William Rufus bad in two voyages he made into Wales in which a number of his chiefe Nobilitie were slaine And oft returnde with glorious victorie Noting the diuers sundry incursions that the Welchmen made into England in the time of Rufus Iohn Henry the second and Longshankes ⧠Owen Tudor to Queene Katherine WHen first mine eyes heheld your princely name And found from whence this friendly letter came As in excesse of ioy my selfe forgot Whether I saw it or I saw it not My panting heart doth bid mine eyes proceede My dazeled eye inuites my tongue to reede Mine eye should guide my tongue amazed mist it My lips which now should speak are dombe kist it And leaues the paper in my trembling hand When all my sences so amazed stand Euen as a mother comming to her childe Which from her presence hath been long exilde With tender armes his gentle necke doth straine Now kissing him now clipping him againe And yet excessiue ioy deludes her so As still she doubts if this be hers or no At length awak'ned from this pleasing dreame When passion somwhat leaues to be extreame My longing eyes with their faire obiect meete Where euery letter 's pleasing each word sweete It was not Henries conquests nor his Court That had the power to win me by report Nor was his dreadfull terror-striking name The cause that I from Wales to England came For Christian Rhodes and our religious truth To great atchieuements first had wonne my youth Before aduenture did my valour proue Before I yet knew what it was to loue Nor came I hether by some poore euent But by th' eternall Destinies consent Whose vncomprised wisedomes did fore-see That you in marriage should be linck'd to
thou wert heere banished with me Humfrey adue farewell true noble Lord My wish is all thy Elnor can afford ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie I sought that dreadfull Sorceresse of Eye ELinor Cobham was accused by some that sought to withstand and mistiked her marriage with Duke Humsrey that she practised to giue him Philters and such poisoning potions to make him loue her as she was slandered by Cardinall Beuford to haue liued as the Dukes Lemman against the which Cardinall she exclaimeth in this Epistle in the verse before Though enuious Beuford slandered me before Noting the extreame hate he euer bore her Nor Elnor brought thee forraine Armies in To fetch her backe as did thy Iacomin This was the chiefe and onely thing that euer tutched the reputation of this good Duke that dotingly he married Iacomin or as some call her Iaquet daughter and heire to William Bauier Duke of Holland married before and lawfull wife to Iohn Duke of Brabant then liuing which after as it is shewed in this verse following Brabant nor Burgoyne claimed me by force Nâ—rsu'd to Rome to hasten my deuorce Caused great warres by reason that the Duke of Burgoyne tooke part with Brabant against the Duke of Glocester which being arbitrated by the Pope the Lady was adiudged to be deliuered backe to her former husband Nor Bedfords spouse your noble sister Anne That Princely issued braue Burgonian Iohn Duke of Bedfort that scourge of France and the glory of the Englishmen married Anne sister to the Duke of Burgundie a vertuous and beautifull Lady by which marriage as also by his victories attained in France he brought great strength to the English Nation Where 's Greenewich now thy Elnors Court of latâ— That faire and goodly pallace of Greenewich was first builded by that famous Duke whose rich and pleasant situation might remaine an assured monument of his wisedome if there were no other memory of the same They say the Druidesonce liued in this I le It would seeme that there were two Ilands both of them called Mona though now distinguished the one by the name of Man the other by the name of Anglesey both which were full of many infernall ceremonies as may appeare by Agricolaes voyage made into the hithermost Man described by his sonne in law Cornelius Tacitus And as superstition the daughter of barbarisme and ignorance so amongst those Northerly nations like as in America Magicke was most esteemed Druidae were the publicke ministers of their religion as throghly taught in all rites thereof their doctrine concerned the immortalitie of the soule the contempt of death and all other points which may conduce to resolution fortitude and magnanimitie their aboad was in groues and woods whereupon they haue their name their power extended it selfe to maister the soules of men deceased and to conferre with ghosts and other spirits about the successe of things Plutarch in his profound and learned discourse of the defect of Oracles reporteth that the outmost Brittish Iles were the prison of I wot not what Demi-gods but it shall not neede to speake any farther of the Drueda then that which Lucas doth Et 〈◊〉 barbaricus ritus moremque sinestrum Sacrorum Druidae positis repetistis ab armis Did not the heauens her comming in withstand Noting the prodigious and fearefull signes that were seene in England a little before her comming in which Elinor expresseth in this Epistle as fore-shewing the dangers which should ense vpon this vnlucky marriage The hallowing of the magique instruments The instruments which Bullenbrooke vsed in his coniurations according to the diuellish ceremonies and customes of these vnlawfull Artes were dedicated at a Masse in the Lodge in Harâ—sey Parke by Southwell Priest of Westminster Hauing procurde by hopes of golden gaine This was one of the Articles that Duke Humfrey vrgde against the Cardinall Beuford that conspired the death of Henry the fift by conuaying a villaine into his chamber which in the night should haue murthered him but what ground of trueth hee had for the same I leaue to dispute ¶ Duke Humfrey to Elinor Cobham ME thinks thou shuldst not doubt I could forget Her whom so many do remember yet No no our ioyes away like shadowes slide But sorrowes firme in memory abide Nay I durst answere thou doost nothing lesse But moou'd with passion vrgde by thy distresse No Elnor no thy woes thy griefe thy wrong Haue in my breast beene resident too long Oh when report in euery place had spred My Elnor was to sanctuarie fled With cursed Ouley and the witch of Eye As guiltie of their vile conspiracie The dreadfull spirits when they did inuocate For the succession and the realmes estate When Henries Image they in waxe had wrought By which he should vnto his death be brought That as his picture did consume away His person so by sicknes should decay Griefe that before could ne're my thoughts controule That instant tooke possession of my soule Ah would to God I could forget thine ill As for mine owne let that instruct me still But that before hath taken too sure hold Forget it said I would to God I could Of any woe if thou hast but one part I haue the whole remaining in my hart I haue no neede of others cares to borrow For all I haue is nothing else but sorrow No my sweete Nell thou tookst not all away Though thou wentst hence here stil thy woes do stay Though from thy husband thou wert forcde to go Those still remaine they will not leaue me so No eie bewailes my ill moanes my distresse Our griefe is more but yet our debt is lesse we owe no teares no mourning dayes are kept For those that yet for vs haue neuer wept we hold no obijts no sad exequies Vpon the death-daies of vnweeping eies Alas good Nell what should thy patience moue T' vpbraid thy kind Lord with a forraine loue Thou mightst haue bid all former ills adue Forgot the olde we haue such store of new Did I omit thy loue to entertaine with mutuall griefe to answere griefe againe Or thinkst thou I vnkindly did forbeare To bandie woe for woe and teare for teare Did I omit or carelesly neglect Those shewes of loue that Ladies so respect In mournefull blacke was I not seene to goe By outward shewes to tell my inward woe Nor drâ—rie words were wasted in lament Nor cloudy brow bewraid my discontent Is this the cause if this be it know then One griefe concealde more grieuous is than ten If in my breast those sorrowes sometimes were And neuer vtterd still they must be there And if thou knowst they many were before By time increasing they must needes be more England to me can challenge nothing lent Let her cast vp what is receiu'd what spent If I her owne can she from blame be free If she but proue a stepdame vnto mee That if I should with that prowd bastard striue To pleade my birth-right and prerogatiue If birth