at Lord Stanley whose braine he had surely cleft Had he not downe beneath the table crept But Ely Yorke and I were taken straight Imprisoned they I should no longer wait But charged was to shriue me and shift with hast My Lord must dine and now midday was past The Bores first dish not the bores head should be But Hastings head the borish beast would see VVhy stay I his dinner vnto the chappel ioineth A greenish hil that body and soule oft twineth There on a blocke my head was stricken off As Baptists head for Herod bloudy gnoffe Thus liu'd I Baldwine thus dide I thus I fel This is the summe which al at large to tel VVould volumes fil whence yet these lessons note Ye noble Lords to learne and ken by rote By filthie rising feare your names to staine If not for vertues loue for dread of paine VVhom so the mindes vnquiet state vpheaues Be it for loue or feare when fancie reaues Reason her right by mocking of the wit If once the cause of this affection flit Reason preuailing on the vubridled thought Downe falth he who by fancie climbe aloft So hath the riser foule no staie from fall No not of those that raisd him first of all His suretie stands in mainteining the cause That heau'd him first which rest by reasons sawes Not onely falth he to his former state But liueth for euer in his princes hate And marke my Lords God for adulterie sleath Though ye it thinke too sweete a sinne for death Serue trulie your Prince and feare not rebels might On Princes halues the mightie God doth fight O much more then forsweare a forrein foe Who seeketh your realme and country to vndo Murther detest haue hands vnstaind with bloud Aie with your succour do protect the good Chace treason where trust should be wed to your frend Your heart and power to your liues last end Flie tickle credit shun alike distrust Too true it is and credit it you must The iealous nature wanteth no stormie strife The simple soule aye leadeth a sower life Beware of flatterers friends in outward show Best is of such to make your open foe What all men seeke that all men seeke to saine Some such to be some such to seeme them paine Marke Gods iust iudgements punishing sin by sinne And slipperie state wherein aloft we swimme The prouerbe all day vp if we ne fall Agreeth well to vs high heaued worldlings all From common sort vprais'd in honors weed We shine while Fortune false whom none erst feed To stand with stay and forsweare ticklenesse Sowseth vs in mire of durtie brittlenesse And learne ye Princes by my wronged sprite Not to misconster what is meant aright The winged words too oft preuent the wit When silence ceaseth afore the lips to sit Alas what may the words yeeld worthie death The words worst is the speakers stinking breath Words are but winde why cost they then so much The guiltie kicke when they too smartly touch Forth irreturnable flieth the spoken word Be it in scoffe in earnest or in bourd Without returne and vnreceiu'd it hangs And at the takers mercie or rigour stands Which if he sowerly wrest with wrathfull cheare The shiuering word turnes to the speakers feare If friendly courtefie do the word expound To the speakers comfort sweetly it doth redound Euen as the vapour which the fire repels Turnes not to earth but in mid aire dwels Where while it hangeth if Boreas frostie flawes With rigour rattle it not to raine it thawes But thunder lightnings ratling haile or snow Sends downe to earth whence first it rose below But if faire Phoebus with his countenance sweete Resolue it downe the dew or Manna sleete The Manna dew that in the Easterne lands Excell'th the labour of the bees small hands Else for her Memnon gray Auroras teares On the earth it stilleth the partener of her feares Or sendeth sweet showers to glad their mother earth Whence first they tooke their first inconstant birth To so great griefes ill taken words do grow Of words well taken such delights do flow This learned thus be heere at length an end What since ensued to thee I will commend Now farewell Baldwine shield my torne name From slanderous trumpe of blasting blacke defame But ere I part hereof thou record beare I claime no part of vertues reckoned heere My vice my selfe but God my vertues take So hence depart I as I entred nak'd Thus ended Hastings both his life and tale Containing all his worldly blisse and bale Happie he liued too happie but for sinne Happie he died whom right his death did bring Thus euer happie For there is no meane Twixt blissefull liues and mortall deaths extreame Yet feared not his foes to staine his name And by these slanders to procure his shame In rustie armour as in extreame shift They clad themselues to cloake their diuellish drift And forth with for substantiall citizens sent Declaring to them Hastings forged intent Was to haue slaine the Duke and to haue seised The Kings yong person slaying whom he had pleas'd But God of Iustice had withturn'd that fate Which where it ought light on his proper pate Then practised they by proclamation spread Nought to forget that mought defame him dead Which was so curious and so clerkely pend So long withall that when some did attend His death so yong they saw that long before The shroud was shaped then babe to die was bore So wonteth God to blind the worldly wise That not to see that all the world espies One hearing it cried out A goodly cast And well contriued foule cast away for hast Whereto another gan in scoffe replie First pend it was by enspiring prophecie So can God rip vp secret mischiefes wrought To the confusion of the workers thought My Lords the tub that dround the Clarence Duke Dround not his death not yet his deaths rebuke Your politique secrets gard with trustie loyaltie So shall they lurke in most assured secrecie By Hastings death and after fame ye learne The earth for murder crieth out vengeance sterne Flie from his faults and spare to hurt his fame The eager hounds forbeare their slaine game Dead dead auaunt Curs from the conquered chase Ill might he liue who loueth the dead to race Thus liued this Lord thus died he thus he slept Mids forward race when first to rest he stept Enuious death that bounceth as well with mace At Kesars courts as at the poorest gates When nature seem'd too slow by this sloape meane Conueighed him sooner to his liues extreame Happie in preuenting woes that after happ'd In slumber sweete his liuing lights he lapp'd Whose hastie death if it do any grieue Know he he liu'd to die and dide to liue Vntimely neuer comes the liues last met In cradle death may rightly claime his det Straight after birth due is the fatall beere By deaths permission the aged linger heere Euen in the swathbands out commission goeth To
friends a dew Diseases bad likewise and sicknesse sore Began to waxe and griefes about me grew I may full well my naughtie surfets rue Which pester'd so at length my drousie braine I could not scarce from sleeping ought refraine A sleepie sicknesse nam'd the Lethargie Opprest me sore till death tooke life away This was the guerdon of my gluttonie As with the candles light the flie doth play Though in the end it worke her liues decay So of the gluttons cup so long I drunke Till drown'd in it with shamefull death I sunke Physitians wise may take on them the cure But if Iehoua smite the Prince for sin As earst of me then is the helpe vnsure That 's not the way for health to enter in No potions then nor powders worth a pin But euen as we they must to die be faine Bid them in time from vices now refraine HOW KING FORREX WAS SLAINE by his brother King Porrex about the yeare before Christ 491. TO tell my storie on the tragicke stage Compeld I am amongst the rest that fell I may complaine that felt god Mars his rage Alas that fate to State should be so fell Had I been meaner borne I know right well There had no enuie vndermin'd my State Nor fortune foild the seat whereon I sate While that my Kingly Sire Gorbodug raign'd I had no care in honor I did liue Would God I had in that estate remain'd But what vs fortune wonted is to giue Good hap that holds as water in a siue She showes a glimpse of thousand ioyes and moe Which hides in it ten thousand seas of woe That hatefull hellish hag of vglie hue With rustie teeth and meygre corps misshape I meane that monstervile the worst in view Whom some call Discord enuie ire and hate She set my brother first with me at bate When we fiue yeares had raigned ioyntly well By her entisements foule at strife we fell We liu'd that space well in this noble I le Diuided well we ioyntly did enioy The Princely seat while Fortune faire did smile Without disdaine hate discord or anoy Euen as our father raign'd the noble Roy In wealth peace praise purport renowne and fame Without the blots of euerlasting blame But when ambition bleared both our eyes And hastie hate had brother-hood bereft We friendship faire and concord did despise And far a part from vs we wisdome left Forsooke each other at the greatest heft To rule the kingdome both we left and fell To warring iarring like two hounds of hell For bounds we banded first on either side And did incroach each one on others right T' inlarge the limits of our kingdome wide We would not sticke oft times in field to fight The wretched ground had so bewitcht our sight For why * the earth that once shall eate vs all Is th' only cause of many Princes fall * On th' earth we greeue the ground for filthie gaine On th' earth we close the earth t' inlarge our land In th' earth we moile with hunger care and paine We cut we dig thence siluer gold and sand Into her bowels by the force of hand With steele and iron we do dig profound Working her woe to make our ioyes abound For th' earth forget we God vnfaithfull fooles For ground forsake we faith and all our friends For th' earth we set our selues to subtill schooles Of ground like swine we seeke the farthest ends We spoile the ground that all our liuing lends Of ground to winne a plat a while to dwell We venter liues and send our soules to hell If we behold the substance of a man How he is made of Elements by kind Of earth of water aire and fire than We would full often call vnto our mind That all our earthly ioyes we leaue behind And when we passe to th' earth we turne to rot Our pompe our pride and glorie is forgot The fire first receiues his heate againe The aire the breath bereaues away by right The watrie and the earthly parts remaine Of Elements composed scarce so light And in the ground a place is for them dight The moistures drie the bones consume to dust The wormes with flesh suffice their greedie lust But we forget our composition old Both whence we came and whereunto we shall We scarce remember we be made of mould And how the earth againe consumeth all This great forgetfulnes breeds Princes thrall While present ioyes we gaze vpon meane while A fading blisse doth all our wits beguile All this I speake to th' end it may aduise All Princes great and noble peeres that are To learne by me the rather to be wise And to abandon hate and malice farre To banish all ambitious bloodie warre To liue content in peace with their estate For * mischiefe flowes from discord and debate And now I le tell what discord vile hath done To me King Forrex Thus the case it stood I thought indeed to haue some castles wonne And holds which were my brothers strong and good So might I intercept his vitailes forrage food Abate his pride obtaine the kingdome all Me thought the halfe a portion was too small Ther 's no man takes an enterprise in hand But he perswades himselfe it is not ill He hath of reasons eke in steed to stand As he supposeth framed wise by skill So I was led by reason rude to kill My brother if I caught him at the nicke Because the quarrell first he gan to picke And for because I was the elder Prince The elder sonne and heire vnto the crowne Me thought no law nor reason could conuince Me from the fact though I did beat him downe This was my way to winne and reape renowne I did prouide an armie strong for field Not farre from where I hop'd to cause him yeeld And sundrie sharpe assaults on each we gaue On purpose both enflamed for to fight We had in parle heard the counsell graue Of wise and worthie men perswading right It pitie was they said so foule a sight That brethren twaine both Princes of a land Should take at home such wofull warres in hand But where ambition dwelles is no remorce No countries loue no kindred holden kind No feare of God no sentence wise of force To turne the heart or mollifie the mind Good words are counted wasting of your wind The gaine proposde the crowne and scepter hie Are th' only things where at men gaze and prie At length my brother for to end the strife Thought best to worke the surest way to win He found the meanes to take away my life Before which time the warres could neuer lin How much might better both contented bin For * hope will slip and hold is hard to snatch Where blood embrues the hands that come to catch Thus our ambition bred our subiects smart Our broiles powr'd out their guiltlesse blood on ground Which vile deuice of mine ambitious heart Procured Ioue my purpose to confound Therefore beware ye wights whose
the East Redwallus rul'd as King Then Ethelbert was King of all the coast of Kent In Southsex Ethelwolfus wore the regall crowne Then Quincillinus was a Saxon King by West Of Martia in the mid'st King Penda was the Prince And Edwin in Northumberland did rule and raigne How did my Grandsire grand renowned Arthur he These seuen destroy with deadly field of wrackfull warre But Mordred made the meane that brought them in againe Vortiporus with warre almost consum'd them all Then Malgo he with peace restor'd againe their state Cariticus the sinne of ciuill strise did loue For which Gurmundus did the Britaines much annoy Then Cadwin out of Wales King Etheldred did spoile Cadwalline then did force King Penda to a foile And I Cadwallader at last did presse in place Then Lothar king of Kent in warre that wretch I slue And Ethiwolne the king of South saxons I spoilde The other fiue did me inuade with cruel fight With whom in diuers warres I diuersly did speed Somtime Bellona blew a blessed blast for me And changed chance somtime did force my men to flee Whilst thus I wag'd my warres in secret silent night The very voice of God it thus to me did speake Thou striu'st against the streame the tide doth beate thee back Strike thou thy sailes take ancor hold els must thou feele a wrack Which saying did indeed amaze me more by much Then all the force that man against my will might bend For who the will of God with weapons may resist And when as sinne hath sold a countrey to decay Then praier must preuaile for weapons will not help And when the end is come when all the glasse is runne Who can resist the force of Fate and destinies Who things forerun to fall from falling can refraine It passeth mortall might to bring such things about Let man content himselfe to do what best he may By trying too too much no man his God may tempt But mortall man must thinke that God the best doth know Who can depresse to dust and raise when best him please And as I thus amidst my musings did remaine I did resigne my crowne and deem'd al honours vaine And though it greeu'd me much to feele the fall I selt Yet was I well content I could not as I would For which I left my land my people and my place The Saxons they obtain'd the wage for which they war'd When I three yeares had raign'd without one day of rest Euen then in mourning robes at Rome I did arriue And there contemning all the world and worldly things I made my selfe a Monke cease Memory to muse A Monke I made my selfe thou knowest it passing plaine Amongst the Friers there I led my lingring life And til my dying day I daily did deuise How by my meanes it might to all the world be knowne That mortall flesh is fraile and euery thing must fade And euen amongst those things which Nature doth create Nothing so vile as man amongst the rest is found Which made Heraclitus with ceaslesse sighes to waile He to his dying day did nothing els but weepe Affirming all the world vnder the heauen to be A path of penitence maze of misery What is the life of man but care and daily toile Bearing alwaies about a burthen of mishappes All his delights repentance daily doth pursue Nothing but death doth bring him peace and quiet rest Yet that which brings him blisse he most of all doth hate Which made Democritus with mirth to spend his daies He laughing aie did mocke the madnesse of mankinde Whose loue is long to liue and feareth much to die Death reaues vs from disease Death ends the feare of death When Midas did demaund Silenus what was best For mortall man to wish the Satyr thus did say Not to bee borne if borne not long our liues to lead For life I most doe lothe and death I least doe dread And how did Timon leade with sauage beasts his life How did that Hermite poore his lothsome life detest Affirming with the wise Aurelius Emperour That if a man should make a true discourse of all The wretched woes he felt from birth to dying day The feeble flesh would faint to feele so sharpe a fight The hart would quake to heare Dame Fortunes sharpe assaults And I Cadwallader a king can make report That nothing may content the minde of mortall man The more my selfe did eate the hungrier ay I was The more I dranke the more thirst did me stil distresse The more I slept the more I sluggish did remaine The more I rested me the more I wearied was The more of wealth I had the more I did desire The more I still did seeke the lesse I aye did finde And to conclude I found I neuer could obtaine The thing but in the end it causde me to complaine My present good successe did threaten thrall to come And changing chance did still with sorow me consume For which my royall robes my crowne I laid aside Meaning to proue by proofe the paines of pouertie Which pouertie I felt all riches to exceede It beareth much more blisse then high and courtly state Codrus and Irus poore for wealth did farre surpasse Midas and Croesus king for wealth who did surpasse And I amongst my mates the Romish Friers felt More ioy and lesse annoy then erst in Britaine braue For there I doubted still the Saxons subtile sleights I feared there the fall from royall regall seat But here at Rome I liu'd not fearing force of foe I had for mine estate what I could wish or craue And this I there did finde they of the Clergie be Of all the men that liue the least in misery For all men liue in care they carelesse do remaine Like buzzing Drones they eate the hony of the Bee They only do excell for fine felicitie The king must wage his warres he hath no quiet day The noble man must rule with care the common-weale The Countreyman must toile to till the barren soile With care the Merchant man the surging seas must saile With trickling droppes of sweat the handcrafts man doth thriue With hand as hard as boord the woorkeman eates his bread The souldier in the field with paine doth get his pay The seruing man must serue and crouch with cap and knee The Lawyer he must pleade and trudge from bench to barre Who Physicke doth professe he is not void of care But Churchmen they be blest they turne a leafe or two They sometime sing a Psalme and for the people pray For which they honour haue and sit in highest place What can they wish or seeke that is not hard at hand They labour not at all they know no kind of paine No danger doth with dread their happy liues distresse Cease you therefore to muse what madnesse made me leaue The Court and courtly pompe of wearing royal crowne No madnesse did that deed but wisedome wisht it so I gaind thereby the blisse which
Baldwine M. Ferrers and others the composers of these Tragedies who continuing their methode which was by way of dialogue or interlocution betwixt euery Tragedie gaue it onely place before the Duke of Buckinghams complaint which order I since hauing altered haue placed the Induction in the beginning with euery Tragedie following according to succession and the iust computation of time which before was not obserued and lest any one thinke me enuious of others deserts I haue subscribed the names of all such as I could heare of vnder such Tragedies as each one particularlie hath written which at the request of the Printer I haue briefely perused as the former In which friendly Reader if I haue done amisse I craue pardon for my ouersight hoping if paines will in stead of penance pacifie thee to yeeld thee satisfaction and content in my additions following to which I refer thee R. N. Mr. SACKVILS INDVCTION THe wrathfull winter hastning on apace With blustring blasts had all ybard the treene And old Saturnus with his frosty face With chilling cold had pearst the tender greene The mantles rent wherein enwrapped beene The gladsome groues that now lay ouerthrowne The tapets torne and euery tree downe blowne The soile that erst so seemly was to seene Was all despoyled of her beauties hew And soote fresh flowers wherewith the summers Queene Had clad the earth now Boreas blasts downe blew And small fowles flocking in their fong did rew The winters wrath wherewith ech thing defaste In woefull wise bewaild the summer past Hawthorne had lost his motley liuery The naked twigs were shiuering all for cold And dropping downe the teares abundantly Ech thing me thought with weeping eye me told The cruell season bidding mee with hold My selfe within for I was gotten out Into the fields whereas I walkt about When loe the night with mistie mantels spred Gan darke the day and dim the azure skies And Venus in her message Hermes sped To bloudy Mars to will him not to rise While she her selfe approcht in speedy wise And Virgo hiding her disdainfull brest With Thetis now had laid her downe to rest Whiles Scorpio dreading Sagittarius dart Whose bowe prest bent in fight the string had slipt Downe slide into the Ocean floud apart The Beare that in the Irish seas had dipt His grizly feet with speed from thence he whipt For Thetis hasting from the Virgins bed Pursude the Beare that ere she came was fled And Phaeton now neere reaching to his race With glistring beames gold streaming where they bent Was prest to enter in his resting place Erythius that in the cart first went Had euen now attain'd his iourneys stent And fast declining hid away his head While Titan coucht him in his purple bed And pale-fac'd Cinthea with her borowed light Beginning to supplie her brothers place Was past the Noonesteed sixe degrees in sight When sparkling starres amid the heauens face With twinkling light shone on the earth apace That while they brought about the nights black chare The darke had dim'd the day ere I was ware And sorrowing I to see the summer flowers The liuely greene the lusty lease forlorne The sturdie trees so shattred with the showers The fields so fade that florisht so beforne It taught me well all earthly things be borne To dye the death for nought long time may last The summers beautie yeelds to winters blast Then looking vpward to the heauens leames With nights bright starres thick powdred euery where Which erst so glistred with the golden streames That chearfull Phoebus spred downe from his sphere Beholding darke oppressing day so neere The sudden sight reduced to my mind The sundry changes that in earth we find That musing on this worldly wealth in thought Which coms and goes more faster then we see The flickering flame that with the fire is wrought My busie minde presented vnto me Such fall of Peeres as in the realme had be That oft I wisht some would their woes descriue To warne the rest whom Fortune left aliue And strait forth stalking with redoubled pace For that I saw the night drew on so fast In black all clad there fell before my face A piteous wight whom woe had all forewast Forth on her eyes the crystall teares out brast And sighing sore her hands she wrung and fold Tare all her haire that ruth was to behold Her body small forwithered and forespent As is the stalke that summers drought opprest Her wealked face with woeful teares be sprent Her colour pale at it seemed her best In woe and plaint reposed was her rest And as the stone that drops of water weares So dented were her cheekes with fall of teares Her eies full swollen with flowing streames aflote Where with her lookes throwne vp full piteously Her forcelesse hands together oft she smote With dolefull shrikes that eckoed in the skye Whose plaint such sighs did straight accompany That in my doome was neuer man did see A wight but halfe so woe begone as shee I stood agast beholding all her plight Tweene dread and dolour so distraind in hart That while my haires vpstarted with the sight The teares outstreamd for sorow of her smart But when I saw no end that could appart The deadly dole which shee so sore did make With dolefull voice then thus to her I spake Vnwrap thy woes what euer wight thou bee And stint in time to spill thy selfe with plaint Tell what thou art and whence for well I see Thou canst not dure with sorrow thus attaint And with that word of sorrow all forfaint She looked vp and prostrate as she lay With piteous sound lo thus she gan to say Alas I wretch whom thus thou seest distrain'd With wasting woes that neuer shall aslake Sorrow I am in endlesse torments pain'd Among the Furies in th' infernall lake Where Pluto God of Hell so grizly black Doth hold his throne and Laetheus deadly tast Doth reue remembrance of each thing forepast Whence come I am the drery destiny And lucklesse lot for to bemone of those Whom Fortune in this maze of misery Of wretched chance most wofull Mirors chose That when thou seest how lightly they did lose Their pomp their power and that they thought most sure Thou mayst soone deeme no earthly ioy may dure Whose rufull voice no sooner had out-brayed Those wofull words wherewith she sorrowed so But out alas she shright and neuer stayed Fell downe and all to dasht her selfe for wo. The cold pale dread my limmes gan ouergo And I so sorrowed at her sorrowes eft That what with griefe and feare my wits were reft I stretcht my selfe and straight my heart reuiues That dread and dolour earst did so appale Like him that with the seruent feuer striues When sicknesse seekes his castell health to scale With gathred sprites so forst I feare t'auale And rearing her with anguish all foredone My sprits return'd and then I thus begon Sorrow alas sith Sorrow is thy name And that
died Slaine at Saint Albanes in his Princes aide Against the Duke my heart for malice fried So that I could from wrecke no way be stayed But to auenge my fathers death assay'd All meanes I might the Duke of Yorke t'annoy And all his kin and friends for to destroy This made me with my bloodie dagger wound His guiltlesse sonne that neuer ' gainst me stor'd His fathers bodie lying dead on ground To pierce with speare eke with my cruell sword To part his necke and with his head to bord Enuested with a royall paper crowne From place to place to beare it vp and downe But crueltie can neuer scape the scourge Of shame of horror or of sudden death Repentance selfe that other sinnes may purge Doth flie from this so sore the soule it slayeth Despaire dissolues the tyrants bitter breath For sudden vengeance suddenly alights On cruell deeds to quite their cruell spights This find I true for as I lay in stale To fight with this Duke Richards eldest son I was destroy'd not far from Dintingdale For as I would my gorget haue vndone T'euent the heat that had me nigh vndone An headlesse arrow strake me through the throte Where through my soule forsooke his filthie cote Was this a chance no sure Gods iust award Wherein due iustice plainly doth appeare An headlesse arrow paid me my reward For heading Richard lying on his beare And as I would his child in no wise heare So sudden death bereft my tongue the power To aske for pardon at my dying hower Wherefore good Baldwine warne the bloodie sort To leaue their wrath their rigour to refraine Tell cruell Iudges horror is the port Through which they saile to shame and sudden paine Hell halleth tyrants downe to death amaine Was neuer yet nor shall be cruell deed Left vnrewarded with as cruell meed THE INFAMOVS END OF THE LORD TIPTOFT EARLE OF WORcester for cruelly executing his Princes butcherly commandements Anno Dom. 1470. THe glorious man is not so loth to lurke As the infamous glad to lie vnknowen Which makes me Baldwine disallow thy worke Where Princes faults so openly be blowen I speake not this alonly for mine owne Which were my Princes if that they were any But for my Peeres in number very many Or might report vprightly vse her tongue It would lesse grieue vs to augment the matter But sure I am thou shalt be forst among To wrench the truth the liuing for to flatter And other whiles in points vnknowen to smatter For time nere was nor nere I thinke shall bee That truth vnshent should speake in all things free This doth appeare I dare say by my storie Which diuers writers diuersly declare But storie writers ought for neither glorie Feare nor fauour truth of things to spare But still it fares as alway it did fare Affections feare or doubts that daily brue Do cause that stories neuer can be true Vnfruitfull Fabian followed the face Of time and deedes but let the causes slip Which Hall hath added but with double grace For feare I thinke lest trouble might him trip For this or that saith he he felt the whip Thus story writers leaue the causes out Or so rehearse them as they were in dout But seing causes are the chiefest things That should be noted of the story writers That men may learne what ends all causes brings They be vnworthy name of Chroniclers That leaue them cleane out of their registers Or doubtfully report them for the fruite Of reading stories standeth in the suite And therefore Baldwine either speake vpright Of our affaires or touch them not at all As for my selfe I way all things so light That nought I passe how men report my fall The truth whereof yet plainly shew I shall That thou maist write and others thereby reed What things I did whereof they should take heed Thou heardst of Tiptofts Earles of Worcester I am that Lord that liu'd in Edwards daies The fourth and was his friend and counsailour And butcher too as common rumor saies But peoples voice is neither shame nor praise For whom they would aliue deuour today Tomorow dead they'ill worship what they may But though the peoples verdit go by chance Yet was there cause to call me as they did For I enforst by meane of gouernance Did execute what ere my King did bid From blame herein my selfe I cannot rid But sie vpon the wretched state that must Defame it selfe to serue the Princes lust The chiefest crime wherewith men doe me charge Is death of th' Earle of Desmunds noble sonnes Of which the Kings charge doth me cleere discharge By strait commandement and iniunctions Th' effect whereof so rigorously runnes That or I must procure to see them dead Or for contempt as guiltie lose my head What would mine foemen doe in such a case Obay the King or proper death procure They may well say their fancy for a face But life is sweet and loue hard to recure They would haue done as I did I am sure For seldom will a wealthy man at ease For others cause his Prince in ought displease How much lesse I which was Lieutenant than In th' Irish Isle preferred by the King But who for loue or dread of any man Consents t' accomplish any wicked thing Although chiefe fault thereof from other spring Shall not escape Gods vengeance for his deed Who scuseth none that dare do ill for dreed This in my King and me may well appeere Which for our faults did not escape the scourge For when we thought our state most sure and clere The wind of Warwicke blew vp such a sourge As from the Realme and Crowne the King did pourge And me both from mine office friends and wife From good report from honest death and life For th' Earle of Warwicke through a cancard grudge Which to King Edward causelesse he did beare Out of his Realme by force did make him trudge And set King Henry againe vpon his chaire And then all such as Edwards louers were As traytours tane were grieuously opprest But chiefly I because I lou'd him best And for my goods and liuings were not small The gapers for them bare the world in hand For ten yeares space that I was cause of all The executions done within the land For this did such as did not vnderstand Mine enmies drift thinke all reports were true And so did hate me worse then any Iew. For seldome shall a ruler lose his life Before false rumours openly be spread Whereby this prouerbe is as true as rife That rulers rumours hunt about a head Frowne Fortune once all good report is fled For present shew doth make the many blind And such as see dare not disclose their mind Through this was I King Edwards butcher named And bare the shame of all his cruell deeds I cleare me not I worthily was blamed Though force was such I must obey him needs With highest rulers seldome well it speeds For they be euer neerest to
faithfull men so valiant bold and stout What pleasures more on earth could lightly be Then win an Ile and liue deuoid of doubt An Ile said I nay nam'd the world throughout Another world sith sea doth it diuide From all that wants not all the world beside What subiects eke more happie were then these Had such a King of such a noble heart And such a land enioyd and liu'd at ease Whereof ech man almost might chuse his part No feare of foes vnknowne was treasons art No faining friends no fauning Gnatoes skill No Thrasoes brags but bearing ech good will But as ech summer once receiues an end And as no State can stable stand for aye As course of time doth cause things bow and bend As euery pleasure hath her ending day As will can neuer passe the power of may Euen so my father happie daies that spent Perceiu'd he must by sicknesse last relent As doth the shipman well foresee the storme And knowes what danger lies in Syrtes of sand Eke as the husbandman prouides beforne When he perceiues the winter cold at hand Euen so the wise that course of things haue scand Can well the end of sicknes great presage When it is ioyn'd with yeeres of stooping age His sonnes and Counsell all assembled were For why he sent for vs and them with speed We came in hast this newes did cause vs feare Sith so he sent we thought him sick indeed And when we all approcht to him with speed Too soone alas his Grace right sick we found And him saluted as our duties bound And casting of his wofull eyes aside Not able well to moue his painfull head As silent we with teares his minnde abide He wild himselfe be reared in his bed Which done with sight of vs his eyes he fed Eke pausing so a while for breath he staid At length to them and vs thus wise he said No maruaile sure though you here with be sad You noble Britaines for your Brutus sake Sith whilom me your captaine stout you had That now my leaue and last farwell must take Thus nature willes me once an ende to make And leaue you here behinde which after mee Shall die as me depart before you see You wot wherefore I with the Grecians fought With dint of sworde I made their force to flie Antenors friends on Tuscane shores I sought And did them not my promist land denie By Martiall powre I made the Frenchmen flie Where you to saue I lost my faithfull frend For you at Tours my Turnus tooke his end I need not now recite what loue I bare My friendship you I trust haue found so well That none amongst you all which present are With teares doth not record the tale I tell Eke whom I found for vertues to excell To them I gaue the price thereof as due As they deseru'd whose facts I found so true Now must I proue if paines were well bestow'd Or if I spent my gratefull gifts in vaine Or if these great good turnes to you I ow'd And might not aske your loyall loues againe Which if I wist what tongue could tell my paine I meane if you vngratefull mindes doe beare What meaneth death to let me linger here For if you shall abuse your Prince in this The gods on you for such an hainous fact To take reuenge be sure will neuer misse And then too late you shall repent the act When all my Realine and all your wealths are sackt But if you shall as you begun proceed Of kingdomes fall or foes there is no dreed And to auoid contention that may fall Because I wish this Realme the Britans still Therefore I will declare before you all Sith you are come my whole intent and will Which if you keepe and wrest it not to ill There is no doubt but euermore with fame You shall enioy the Britans Realme and name You see my sonnes that after me must raigne Whom you or this haue lik'd and counsail'd well You know what erst you wisht they should refraine Which way they might all vices vile expell Which way they might in vertues great excell Thus if you shall when I am gone insue You shall discharge the trust repos'd in you Be you their fathers with your counsell wise And you my children take them euen as me Be you their guides in what you can deuise And let their good instructions teach you three Be faithfull all as brethren ought agree For* concord keepes a Realme in stable stay But discord brings all kingdomes to decay Record you this to th' eldest sonne I giue This middle part of Realme to hold his owne And to his heires that after him shall liue Also to Camber that his part be knowne I giue that land that lies welnigh oregrowne With woods Northwest and mountaines mightie hie By South whereof the Cornish sea doth lie And vnto thee my yongest sonne that art Mine Albanact I giue to thee likewise As much to be for thee and thine apart As North beyond the arme of sea there lies Of which loe heere a Mappe before your eies Loe heere my sonnes my kingdome all you haue For which remember nought but this I craue First that you take these fathers graue for me Imbrace their counsell euen as it were mine Next that betweene your selues you will agree And neuer one at others wealth repine See that yee bide still bound with friendly line And last my subiects with such loue retaine As long they may your subiects eke remaine Now faint I feele my breath begins to faile My time is come giue each to me your hand Farewell farewell to mourne will not preuaile I see with Knife where Atropos doth stand Farewell my friends my children and my land And farewell all my subiects farewell breath Farewell ten thousand times and welcome death And euen with that he turn'd himselfe aside Vpyeelding gasping gaue away the ghost Then all with mourning voice his seruants cri'd And all his subiects eke from least to most Lamenting fil'd with wailing plaints each coast And so the Britans all as nature bent Did for their King full dolefully lament But what auailes to striue against the tide Or else to driue against the streame and winde What booteth it against the Cliues to ride Or else to worke against the course of kind Sith Nature hath the end of things assign'd There is no nay we must perforce depart Gainst dint of death there is no ease by art Thus raign'd that worthie King that found this land My father Brutus of the Troian blood And thus he died when he full well had man'd This noble Realme with Britans fierce and good And so a while in stable state it stood Till we diuided had this Realme in three And I too soone receiu'd my part to mee Then straight through all the world gan Fame to flie A monster swifter none is vnder Sun Encreasing as in waters we descry The circles small of nothing that begun Which at
not trust his talke nor message sent beforne On this I expedition made the third and last For he did warrant me my purpose to obtaine I shipt my men and hide me thitherward full fast Had winde at will and came to see the shining shores againe And of my comming so the Earle was glad and faine We ioined hands and league and armies for the fight And sought and put Cassibellane the noble King to flight Yet he repaird his hoste againe that fiercely faught And oft assaid to slay or take the Earle or mee And when hee saw at length his labour vailed naught And Britanes with the Romanes linked so to bee Great griefe he had in them such treason for to see His losse in doubtfull war not grieu'd him halfe so sore His peoples base reuolt he chiefely did deplore To make it short the King was faine at length to yeeld The tribute granted was three thousand pound a yeere We bare away the price we wan the worthy field And made them friends againe that bought our fauour deere I need no longer stay to tell the story heere Nor yet to giue my friend the Earle of London blame Sith by his meanes I wan to Rome eternall fame From France I after sent to Rome reporting how Amongst the warlike Galles and Britaines I had sped I made request by friends I might be Consull now On my returne againe but Pompeyes hautie hed Did ioyne himselfe with Peeres and armies which he led Alledging plaine I meant the publique weale t' inuade They would represse my pride with might and dint of blade With speed I came and force which made them all to flie To Greece from Rome in haste where they prepared war For in Epyrus then with souldiers they did lie This Pompey proud that made the Romans with me iar He at Dyrrachium staid to which though it were far I led my conquering host I skirmisht often there But from the fight to flie we soone contented were On this he followed fast in hope to win the field To Thessalie he came where I did stay therefore Our armies met and fiercely faught not bent to yeeld Till fifteene hundred men were slaine in fight or more But in the end they fled we tooke of prisoners store They durst not dare t' abide the chance of Mars to trie But either fell in fight or from the field did flie Thence Pompey fled the field and into Egypt came To Ptolemie the King as then but yong of age Where of his slaughter foule Septimius hath the blame He was his end that did these warres against me wage Euen so by course we come to play vpon the stage Our trauels haue an end when we do feele the fall For all our life is but a race of miserie and thrall But Pompeyes friends and sonnes by might did oft assay When he was done to death to take reuenge on me And I by dint of sword repel'd their force away Gate offices of rule and gouern'd each degree At Caesars beck and call obeysant all they bee Enacted lawes directed each estate Emperially the first aloft I sate But glorie won the way to hold and keepe the same To hold good fortune fast a worke of cunning skill Who so with prudent art can stay that stately dame Which sets vs vp so high vpon her hautie hill And constant aye can keepe her loue and fauour still He wins immortall fame thrice blessed is the crowne If once misfortune kicke and cast the scepter downe For when in Rome I was alone Dictator chose And Emperour or Captaine sole to be for ay My glorie did procure me many secret foes Because aboue the rest I bare the soueraigne sway By sundrie meanes they sought my ruine and decay For why there could no thing in state determin'd be Vnlesse it likte me first and were approu'd by me This they enui'd at me that su'd aloft to clime As hautie Cassius which the Pretorship did craue And Brutus eke his friend which bare the chiefest crime Of my dispatch and death for they did first depraue My life mine acts my raigne and sought my blood to haue Full secretly amongst themselues conspir'd decreed To be attemptors of that cruell bloodie deed Yet I forewarned was by Capis fatall tombe His Epitaph my death did long before foreshow Cornelius Balbus saw mine horses headlesse ronne Without the guide of man forsaking food for woe Spurina warned me that sooth of things did know A little wren in beake with Laurell greene that flew Foreshew'd my dolefull death as after all men knew The night before my fall in slumber I did dreame I caried was from earth and flew the clouds aboue And somtime hand in hād I thought I walkt with Ioue supreame My wife Calphurnia Caesars only loue Did dreame she saw her crest of house to fall Her husband thrust through breast a sword withall Eke that same night her chamber dores thēselues flew open all These things did make me much that mourning to mislike And Iacrazed was and thought at home to stay But who is he can void deaths dart when he doth strike Where so great number seekes his life for to betray The traytor bloodie Brutus bad me not delay Nor yet to frustrate there so great assemblie sate At last I went and there did meet vntimely sate To Senate as I went behold a Roman stood Presenting me a scrole of euery traytors name And all their whole deuice that sought to spill my blood That presently decreed to execute the same But I blind wretch supposde that for some suite he came I heedlesse bare this scrole in my vnhappie hand For which I lost my life as you shall vnderstand Spurina as I came at sacrifices was Neere to the place where I was after slaine Of whose diuinings true I then did little passe To warne me of my death the Priest did seeke in vaine My hautie heart growne proud these warnings all disdaine Quoth I the Ides of March be come yet harme is none Quoth he the Ides of March be come yet th' are not gone Assoone as I was set the traytors all arose And one approched neere as to demand some thing To whom as I gaue eare at once my cruell foes Beset me round about their weapons hid they bring Then I too late perceiu'd my deaths approching sting O this quoth I is violence then Cassius pierst my brest And Brutus thou my sonne quoth I whom erst I loued best Yee Princes all and noble men beware of pride Wracke not the Commonwealth for wealthie kingdomes sake Be warn'd by me that see my selfe the world to guide Beware what bloodie warres for rule you vndertake Ere three and twentie wounds had made my heart to quake How many thousands fell for Pompeyes pride and mine How many valiant Knights did loued life resigne Full many nobie men to rule alone I slew And some themselues againe for griefe of heart did slay For they would neuer yeeld though I
for whoso did complaine Without respect or sentence more was slaine For pleasures sake to see the flames arise I causde that Rome should then on fire be set And for to feede therewith my gazing eyes On high Maecenas Tower to stand I get So sixe daies fire and seuen nights waste I let And sang there while beholding it with ioy The Iliades sweet of Grecians burning Troy Then I restrain'd that no man should resort To the ruines great when as the fire was past Nor should therefrom the reliques left transport But to my selfe reseru'd them all at last The Merchants causelesse from their goods I cast And Senatours depriu'd of all they had Some slaine the rest with life to scape were glad Still out the sword to slay all sorts I drew My mother could not scape amongst them free My brother deare and sisters eke I slew And of my wiues likewise a two or three My kinsemen eke I kil'd of each degree Reioycing in so heinous bloodshed still Nought else with Nero then but kill them kill And for that Seneca me counsaile gaue My tutour good in youth to leaue my vice I bad him choose what death him lik'd to haue Which now should pay for then my stripes the price In water warme to stand was his deuice And there to bleede a milde and gentle death Euen so I causde them reaue his vitall breath So with almightie Ioue I gan to warre The Christians good I did torment and flay Commanding all my subiects neere and farre Their liues and goods to spoile and take away Which they accomplisht straight without delay Both Paul and Peter Christs disciples twaine Th' Apostles both by mine edict were slaine But what endureth long that 's violent The thunder seemes some time to teare the skies At seas full oft the stormes are vehement To cloudes aloft the waues and waters rise Soone after th' aire is cleare the water lies Experience and the prouerbs olde doe showe * Each storme will haue his calme each tide his flowe For when I went for to destroy the state And all the Romanes noble fame t' obscure The Senate all and people did me hate And sought which way they might my death procure Mine outrage they no longer could endure They me proclaimed a foe to publique weale To saue my selfe away by night I steale The iudgement was such foes should pillered be By necke in forke made fastfull sure to bide And should with rods so long there beaten be Vntill therewith the wofull caytiues dide From this correction therefore fast I hide From Galba then proclaimed Emprour new For feare of death by deeds deserued due By night I say forsaken quite I fled And Sporus th' Eunuch most impure likewise With others three like filthy life that led To slay my selfe I desperate then deuise Whom all the world did so for sinne despise And thirsting sore in fight full faine I dranke The waters foule which in the ditches stanke At my request my friends would me not kill Haue I quoth I no foe nor yet no frend To reaue me from this feare of conscience ill Will no man make of Nero yet an end With that my brest to point of sword I bend With trembling hand which Sporus holpe to stay And on the same my selfe assai'd to slay With that of Galbaes seruants one drew nie With fained cheere as though he helpe me would Too late you come call you this helpe quoth I Is this the friendship firme and faith you hold My life was filthie vile for to behold My death more vile more filthie I depart So mine owne sword I ran quite through my hart HOW SERGIVS GALBA THE EMPEROVR OF ROME giuen to slaughter ambition and gluttonie was slaine by the souldiers the yeare of Christ 71. AMongst the hautie Emprours downe that fell I Sergius Galba may be placed heere Where who so sees and markes my dealings well To him may soone the fruits of fraud appeare All murders great are bought with price full deare Foule slaughters done procure as foule a fall As he deserues that workes the wofull thrall In Rome sometime I Pretour chosen was And then obtain'd of Spaine the Prouince faire To gouerne there I brought by friends to passe In hope to be the Emprour Neroes heire For when the Romans did of him despaire So bent at home to slaughter lust and vice By warres abroad I wan the praise and price To get the souldiers fauour I tooke paine For in the Emprours choice they gaue the stroke I therefore sought some spoiles for them to gaine Though thereby oft the lawes of armes I broke But who may words or actions done reuoke The staine abides where euill strikes the good And vengeance wrecks the waste of guiltlesse bloud In Lusitania while that time I lay I causde the people there assemble should Reporting I had somwhat for to say Which in effect procure them profit would To which they came as many neere as could Full thirtie thousand thinking nought of ill All which I causde the souldiers there to kill I sought by death to post proud Nero hence Not for his vicious life but for his place Although his vice were made the chiefe pretence Whom all good men accounted void of grace But yet I could not stay so long a space I causde in Spaine the souldiers me proclame Which straight they did and gaue me Caesars name To Rome I hide and Nero gate him thence He stole away for feare of sentence past A publique foe proclaim'd for negligence For slaughters done for fire of Rome the wast Eke for because he was of me agast He slew him selfe before my man could come Which slaughter else my seruants there had done When I my master thus subuerted had The Romanes eke began mislike with mee They said I was ambitious nigh so bad And cruell giuen to pride and gluttony How I was ruled all by Romanes three Cornelius Iulius Celius for the State My schoolemasters for which they did me hate And Siluius Otho sought the Empire then That vicious beast and coward varlet vile He dealt by gifts so with mine armed men That factions rose in campe within a while Which when I came them for to reconcile To Curtius lake neere which the armie lay Of Siluius friends the souldiers did me slay Strooke off my head and bare it to my foe Who causde it should be set vpon a speare So through the campe they bare it to and fro Saluting it now dead a sort there were Which late thereof aliue did doubt and feare O Galba ioifull daies the Gods thee giue God send thee Galba well long time to liue This was the guerdon of my hautie pride To haue mine head thus wise extold aloft Thus I the gaines of hasty climing tride To leese mine head and after haue it scoft A thing indeed that chaunceth wonders oft * Who thinkes that gaine is sweet by sheading blood In purple gore oft yeeldes like gainfull good HOW THE VICIOVS
for their blisse The souldiers stout of me account did make Let stories tell if I do faine in this Lest some suspect that I report amisse For what is he which is not counted vaine When for himselfe he speakes though nere so plaine In peace I prudent was and graue of grace In warres as stout but not so fierce withall Not forst with feare to turne from foes my face Nor bought with bribes to let Dame Iustice fall I not opprest the weaker sort with thrall But sought to pleasure all both neare and farre More prone to peace I was then bent to warre What heart so hard but will for pitie bleed To heare a Prince which meant to each so well Should haue such cause to liue in feare and dreed Of sword of bane of force or poison fell Not daring Emprour nere his brother dwell Whom Romans lou'd and strangers honor'd still But brothers treason caused all our ill Hight Antonine I hate his name and facts Sith he my butcher was as may appeare The world detests his vile and viprous acts And subtill shifts to kill his father deare So void of grace so void of honest feare He durst attempt the guard to bribe and fee That so by them his fire might poisoned bee This when our Sire Seuerus wist and saw How Antonine that bloodie beast was bent Against the order quite of natures law Eke how to take the Empire whole he ment For both of vs at Yorke he often sent Perswading vs true concord for to hold And of the fruits of discord oft he told Yet Antonine regarded nought his hest Nay yet the charge of warres he had in hand T' enlarge his power for th' Empire he addrest Which when Seuerus old did vnderstand All pleasures quite and ioyes he did aband Pursuing warre neere Yorke he tooke his end By sword of Picts or by some traytour friend Then Antonine made spoile of all his men Physitions nil'd before at his request Dispatch their Lord to death he put them then And so he seru'd of faithfull guard the rest What villanie was in this vipers brest Was not content with death of those he sought But after brings their friends likewise to nought I was foretold my life he thirsted sore And that the Empire sole he sought to haue As we to Rome did passe I feared more I from his courts and diets did me saue I knew my life and th' Empire he did craue Wherefore in Rome my court I kept likewise Apart from his that did my death deuise My seruants were allur'd by sundrie gifts By poyson to procure my lifes decay He tri'd to cut me off a thousand shifts What maruell since he sought his sire to slay He made his Fathers friends for spite away Because they would not to his will be wrought To bring them vnto death he daily sought His sleights for me could take no sure successe For still his traines and treasons were descri'd In danger I was forst to seeke redresse By like attempts but that likewise was spide * Pretended murder no man close can hide But out it flies the rumor runnes a pace The spot thereof all vertues else deface When this was knowne that I likewise assai'd His life to reaue though t' were my life to saue Not long to wrecke the same the butcher stai'd He had the thing so long he sought to haue Cause of reuenge the rumor small him gaue That in the euen he came to spill my blood As I vnarmed with my mother stood There she perceiuing him with sword approch In armes me caught to saue my life and blood But he deseruing all the worlds reproch No whit in doubt to end my slaughter stood She him besought as seem'd an Empresse good While he without remorse of her request Betweene her armes did run me through the brest These were the acts of that vile monster then For Empire sake to raigne alone aloft Despisde that was abhor'd of Gods and men And curst to hell by all good men so oft You see the fall of Geta milde and soft Whose line of life no longer fates could stretch Cut off by sword of Antonine that wretch Now maist thou deeme of my deserts and his He to his sire of sonnes was most vnkind His mothers ioyes he reau'd away her blisse That Dame which bare to both so milde a mind And let my dealings aye due fauour find Whose murder may giue plaine prospect and show What monster wrought his faithfull friends such woe HOW AVRELIVS AN TONIVS BASSIANVS CARACALLA Emperour of Rome was slaine by one of his owne seruants about the yeere of Christ 209. WHo thirsts to throng vnto the highest throne Ne wisely windes Dame Fortunes subtile snare Or who in Court would rule the rost alone And sees not what he heapes himselfe of care Let him well weigh my case and then beware Whom forth the stately seate did first allure Which after did my hastie death procure And Higgins here in purpose sith thou hast The haplesse hauen where Fortunes impes arriue A mirour make likewise of me thou maist If thou my life and dealings wilt discriue It may perhaps much profit some aliue Which when themselues plaine painted forth they see They may presage their fatall falles in me I am that Antonine Seuerus sonne That once of mightie Rome did beare the sway Which in my fathers life a strife begone With Geta thirsting often him to slay I sought to haue my father made away To raigne alone so great desire I had Nought but their deathes my wicked hart could glad My father oft exhorted both to peace Declar'd by stories olde what came by strife Dehorted both from ciuill discord cease But I sought meanes to rid him of his life I banisht to Sycilia Isle my wife Encreast mine host reckt not my British charge But how I might enioy the Empire large And first when as my father once was dead I gaue my selfe to all reuenge of foes The seruants late which stood mee not in stead And some who did my trecherie disclose Or such to saue their Prince themselues dispose Or reconcile vs brethren tooke sore paine I causde them all without respect be slaine The captaines all my friends I sought to make In Britaine then desiring them to chuse Me Emprour sole and Geta to forsake Which they to doe for duties sake refuse Our mother eke all meanes with vs did vse Perswading vs to loue and concord bend To which in shew I granted in the end We both in Empire like from Britaine passe A truce concluded there and hostage take His reliques shrinde as then the custome was To Rome therewith our voyage fast we make And yet the malice could not so aslake For in our iournies we durst neither trust But seuerall Courts and Diets keepe we must Both fearing poyson force or treason wrought Both crauing all the Empire to enioy Both working all the waies that might be sought To worke to each some secret great
and creepe and bow Our hearts our heads we sauage were but now Yet by and by such was the good successe In fiery flames the truth we did professe Then flitting Fame the truth to testifie Against my wil at Rome made such report That Constatinus thence did hither hie And being come vnto my Britaine Court With louers lookes he striu'd to scale the Fort Of my good will but when it would not bee He sighing thus addrest his talke to me O Queene quoth he thy deeds deserue great fame The goodly gifts that God hath giu'n to thee Be such as I cannot thee greatly blame Though thou without desert disdainest me Who for thy sake doth lothe all crueltie But for thy loue with Mars his cruell knife I could command thy Realme and reaue thy life But out alas whil'st breath doth lend me life My heart shall hate to thrall thy happie state What though thou dost refuse to be my wife Thy hatred tho shall neuer cause me hate But whil'st I liue I will thee loue let Fate And Fortune fell powre on me all their spight To die for thee shall greatly me delight Then I repli'd O Duke without desert Thou dost me loue a little Ilands Queene I know thou to the Emperour heire art Thy valiant acts I diuers waies haue seene I like thy deeds most noble which haue been And thee I loue yet priuate pleasures lust May neuer make me throw my Realme to dust If thou quoth he wilt daine my Queene to be Thy Britaines shall to Rome no tribute yeeld You if you please to Rome may go with me Your mightie mate the world so wide may wield Or if you please I heere with you will bilde My biding place and in this little land I will remaine yours heere at your command His comely grace his friendly promise plight His famous actes his Noble royall race Some other things which heere I could recite The Romans heart within my brest did place And when my wit had weighed well the case Then for the chiefe of all my Realme I sent And thus I spake to know the whole intent My louing Lords and you my subiects see This Roman heire whom I indeed do loue He will restore your ancient libertie If I will bend my hest to his behoue Which benefits they chiefely do me moue To loue at last a man by whom you may Receiue a Shield to keepe you from decay Perhaps you thinke I loue because I see His comely shape and seemely sanguine face You be deceiu'd no outward brauery No personage no gallant courtly grace What though he be by birth of royall race I recke it not but this I do regard My Commonweale by him may be preseru'd For if he will from tribute set you free And end the worke which I haue well begonne That Christs Gospell preached still may bee God may by him send vnto me a sonne To you a King what wealth then haue you wonne What great renowne what honor will insue Speake you your minds these things me thinke be true O Queene quoth they the Lord preserue thy grace Do thou the thing that seemes to thee the best We do allow the match in euery case If by that meanes we may haue quiet rest With what great good shal this our Realme be blest Do thou therefore O noble Queene we pray The thing which best may keepe vs from decay The Roman Duke he nothing would deny But granted more then I could aske or craue So that there was proclaimed by and by A famous feast a banquet passing braue There to the Duke the Britaine crowne I gaue With sacred spousall rights as man and wife We wedded liu'd in loue for terme of life And whil'st we ment to rule this little I le A greater good vnlooked for befell Death did destroy his Sire with hateful hand For which we both at Rome must now go dwell And so we did things prospered passing well My Feere was made the Emperour Lord and king Of all and I the Queene of euery thing His mightie Mace did rule the Monarchie My wit did rule some writers say his Mace And to increase with ioy our merrie glie I brought him forth a babe of Royall race The boy he had an amiable face O Rome thou maist reioyce for this was he Which did at Rome erect Diuinitie Whil'st thus in blisse I did at Rome remaine A Britaine still my mind her care did cast For which I caus'd my husband to ordaine That euermore those ancient Lawes should last Which heretofore amongst them there I past And that to Rome no Britaine borne for aye Should taxe or toll or tenth or tribute pay Though there at Rome an Empresse life I led And had at hand what I could wish or craue Yet still me thought I was not wel bestead Because I was so farre from Britaine braue Which when my louing Lord did once perceiue He set a stay in all the Emperie To Britaine then he did returne with me We raign'd of yeeres thrice seuen with good successe Then Dolor and Debilitie did driue My louing Lord with fainting feeblenesse For vitall life with braying breath to striue He felt how death of life would him depriue He cal'd his Lords his child and me his wife And thus he spake euen as he left his life The haughtie Pines of loftie Libanus From earth to earth in tract of time returne So I whose spreading praise were maruellous Must now returne my flesh to filthie slime On Fortunes wheele I may no longer clime Therefore my Lords although my glasse be runne Yet take remorse on Constantine my sonne My Monarch Court my Kingdomes all O stately Rome farewell to them and thee Farewell my Lords which see my finall fall Farewell my child my wife more deare to mee Then all the world we must depart I see And must we needs depart O Fortune fie We must depart adue farewell I die Wherewith he sigh'd and senselesse did remaine Then I his death as women do did waile But when I view'd that weeping was but vaine I was content to beare that bitter bale As one who found no meanes for her auaile His corps at Yorke in Princely Tombe I laid When funerall sacred solemne rites were paid And when report his death about had blowne Maxentius then the triple crowne to weare Did challenge all the Empire as his owne And for a time that mightie Mace did beare Which when my sonne my Constantine did heare The youthfull Lad indeuour'd by and by To claime his right by Mars his crueltie I then his tender youthfull yeares to guide Went with my sonne to see his good successe He being Campt by fruitfull Tybers side To spoile his foe he did himselfe addresse He knew that God did giue all happinesse Therefore to God euen then the youth did pray With mightie hand to keepe him from decay Behold how God doth godly men defend And marke how he doth beate Vsurpers downe Maxentius now
she smooth blew on this pleasant gale He was created Earle of March alas Whence enuy sprang which his destruction was For wealth breeds wrath in such as wealth doe want Pride folly breeds in such as it possesse Among a thousand shall you find one skant That can in wealth his lofty heart represse Which in this Earle due proofe did plaine expresse For whereas he was somewhat haut before His high degree hath made him now much more For now alone he ruleth as him lust Ne recks for reade saue of king Edwards mother Which forced enuy foulder out the rust That in mens hearts before did lie and smother The Peeres the people th' one as well as th' other Against him made so hainous a complaint That for a traytour he was soone attaint Then all such faults as were forgot afore They skowre afresh and somwhat to them adde For enuy still hath eloquence in store When Fortune bids to worse things meanly bad Fiue hainous crimes against him soone were had First that he caus'd the King to yeeld the Scot To make a peace townes that were from him got And therewithall the Charter call'd Ragman That of the Scots he bribed priuy gaine That through his meanes sir Edward of Carnaruan In Barkely Castle traiterously was slaine That with his Princes mother he had laine And finally with polling at his pleasure Had rob'd the King and Commons of their treasure For these things loe which erst were out of mind He was condemn'd and hanged at the last In whom Dame Fortune fully shewed her kind For whom she heaues she hurleth downe as fast If men to come would learne by other past My cosin then might cause them set aside High climing bribing murdering lust and pride The finall cause why I this processe tell Is that I may be knowen from this the other My like in name vnlike mee though he fell Which was I thinke my grandfire or his brother To count my kin dame Philip was my mother Daughter and heire of douty Lionell The third King Edwards sonne as stories tell My father hight sir Edmund Mortimer True Earle of March whence I was after Earle By iust descent these two my parents were Of which the one of Knighthood bare the fearle Of womanhood the other was the pearle Through their desert so cal'd of euery wight Till death them tooke and left mee in their right For why th' attainter of the elder Roger Whose shamefull death I told you but oflate Was found to bee vniust and passed ouer Against the law by those that bare him hate For where by law each one of free estate Should personally be heard ere iudgement passe They bard him this where through destroid he was Wherefore by doome of court in Parliament When we had prou'd our Cosin ordered thus The King the Lords and Commons of assent His lawlesse death vnlawfull did discusse And both to bloud and good restored vs. A preside at most worthy shewed and left Lords liues to saue that lawlesse might bee reft While Fortune vnto me her grace did deigne King Richards grace the second of that name Whose looser life did soone abridge his reigne Made me his mate in earnest and in game The Lords themselues so well allow'd the same That through my titles duely comming downe I was made heire apparent to the Crowne Who then but I was euery where esteemd Well was the man that might with me acquaint Whom I allow'd as Lords the people deemd To whatsoeuer folly had me bent To like it well the people did assent To mee as Prince attended great and small I hopte a day would come to pay for all But seldome ioy continueth trouble void In greatest charge cares greatest doe ensue The most possest are euer most annoid In largest seas sore tempests lightly brue The freshest colours soonest fade the hue In thickest place is made the deepest wound True proofe whereof my self too soone haue found For whilst faire Fortune Iuld mee in her lap And gaue me gifts more then I did require The subtile dame behind mee set a trap Whereby to dash and lay all in the mire The Irish men against mee did conspire My lands of Vlster from me to haue reft Which heritage my mother had mee left And whiles I there to set all things in stay Omit my toiles and trouble thitherward Among mine owne with my retinue lay The wilder men whom I did not regard And had therefore the reckles mans reward When least I thought set on mee in such number That from my corps my life they rent asunder Nought might auaile my courage nor my force Nor strength of men which were alas too few The cruell folke assaulted so my horse That all my helps in peeces they to hew Our bloud distaines the ground as drops of dew Nought might preuaile to flie nor yet to yeeld For whom they take they murder in the field They know no law of Armes nor none will learne They make not warre as other doe a play The Lord the boy the Gallowglas the Kerne Yeeld or not yeeld whom so they take they slay They saue no foes for ransome nor for pay Their chiefest boote is th' aduersaries head They end not wâ—â—â—e till th' enemie be dead Amongst these men or rather sauage beasts I lost my life by cruell murder slaine And therefore Baldwine note thou well my geasts And warne all Princes rashnes to refraine Bid them beware their foes when they doe faine Nor yet presume vnequally to striue Had I thus done I had been left aliue But I despis'd the naked Irish men And for they flew I feared them the lesse I thought one man enough to match with ten And through this carelesse vnaduisednes I was destroid and all my men I gesse At vnawares assaulted by our fone Which were in number forty to vs one See here the stay of fortunate estate The vaine assurance of this brittle life For I but yong-proclamed Prince of late Right fortunate in children and in wife Lost all at once by stroke of bloudy knife Whereby assur'd let men themselues assure That wealth and life are doubtfull to endure FINIS THE FALL OF ROBERT Tresilian chiefe Iustice of England and other his fellowes for misconstruing the Lawes and expounding them to serue the Princes affections Anno 1388. IN the sad register of mischiefe and mishap Baldwine we beseech thee with our names to begin Whom vnfriendly Fortune did train vnto a trap When as wee thought our state most stable to haue bin So lightly leese they all which all do weene to win Learne by vs ye Lawyers and Iudges of this Land Vpright and vncorrupt in doome alway to stand And print ye this president to remaine for euer Enroll and record it in Tables made of Brasse Engraue it in Marble that may be raced neuer Where Iudges of the Law may see as in a Glasse What guerdon is for guile and what our wages was Who for our Princes will
made me Duke of Northfolke for my labour But see how pride and enuy iointly runne Because my Prince did more than me prefer Sir Henry Bolenbroke the eldest sonne Of Iohn of Gaunt the Duke of Lancaster Proud I that would alone be blasing starre Enuide this Duke for nought saue that the shine Of his deserts did glister more then mine To th' end therefore his light should be the lesse I slily sought all shifts to put him out But as the poize that would the palme represse Doth cause the bowes spred larger round about So spite and enuy causeth glory sprout And aye the more the top is ouertrod The deeper doth the sound roote spred abrode For when this Henry Duke of Herford saw What spoile the King made of the noble bloud And that without all Iustice cause or lawe To suffer him he thought not sure nor good Wherefore to me twofaced in one hood As touching this he fully brake his minde As to his friend that should remedy finde But I although I knew my Prince did ill So that my harte abhorred sore the same Yet mischiefe so through malice led my will To bring this Duke from honour vnto shame And toward my selfe my soueraigne to enflame That I bewraied his word vnto the King Not as a read but as a hainous thing Thus where my duty bound me to haue told My Prince his fault and wild him to refraine Through flattery loe I did his ill vphold Which turnd at length both him and me to paine Woe woe to Kings whose counsailours doe faine Woe woe to Realmes where such are put in trust As leaue the Law to serue the Princes lust And woe to him that by his flattering reed Maintaines a Prince in any kind of vice Woe worth him eke for enuy pride or meed That misreports an honest enterprise Because I beast in all these points was nice The plagues of all together on me light And due for ill ill doers doth acquite For when the Duke was charged with my plaint He flat denied that any part was true And claimd by armes to answere his attaint And I by vse that warlike feates well knew To his desire incontinently drew Wherewith the King did seeme right well content As one that past not much with whom it went At time and place appointed we appeard At all points armd to proue our quarels iust And when our friends on each part had vs cheard And that the Heralds bad vs doe our lust With speare in rest we tooke a course to iust But ere our horses had run halfe their way A shout was made the King commanded stay And for t' auoid the sheading of our bloud With shame and death which one must needes haue had The King through counsaile of the Lords thought good To banish both which iudgment straight was rad No maruell then though both were wroth and sad But chiefly I that was exilde for aye My enmie strang'd but for a ten yeares day The date expir'd when by this dolefull dome I should depart to liue in banisht band On paine of death to England not to come I went my way the King seasde in his hand Mine offices my honours goods and land To pay the due as openly he told Of mighty summes which I had from him pol'd See Baldwine see the solary of sinne Marke with that meed vile vices are rewarded Through enuy I did lose both kith and kinne And for my flattering plaint so well regarded Exile and shame are iustly me awarded My wife and heire lacke lands and lawfull right And me their Lord made Dame Dianaes Knight If these mishaps at home bee not enough Adioine to them my sorowes in exile I went to Almaine first a Land right rough In which I found such churlish folke and vile As made me lothe my life ech other while There lo I learnd what is to be a gest Abroad and what to liue at home in rest For they esteeme no one man more then each They vse as well the lackey as the Lord And like their maners churlish in their speech Their lodging hard their boord to be abhor'd Their pleyted garments therewith well accord All iag'd and frounst with diuers colours deckt They sweare they curse and drinke till they be fleckt They hate all such as these their manners hate Which reason would no wise man should allow With these I dwelt lamenting mine estate Till at the length they had got knowledge how I was exil'd because I did auow A false complaint against my trustie friend For which they nam'd me traytour still vnhend That what for shame and what for wearines I stole from thence and went to Venice towne Whereas I found more ease and friendlines But greater griefe for now the great renowne Of Bolenbroke whom I would haue put downe Was waxt so great in Britaine and in France That Vencie through each man did him aduance Thus loe his glorie grew through great despite And I thereby encreased in defame Thus enuie euer doth her most acquite With trouble anguish sorow smart and shame But sets the vertues of her foe in flame Like water waues which clense the muddie stone And soyles themselues by beating thereupon Or ere I had soiourn'd there a yeare Strange tidings came he was to England gone Had tane the King and that which touch'd him neare Imprisoned him with other of his fone And made him yeeld him vp his Crowne and throne When I these things for true by search had tried Griefe gripte me so I pin'd away and died Note heere the end of pride see flatteries fine Marke the reward of enuie and complaint And warne all people from them to decline Lest likely fault do find the like attaint Let this my life to them be a restraint By others harmes who listeth take no heed Shall by his owne learne other better reed T. Churchyard HOW KING RICHARD THE SECOND WAS FOR HIS euill gouernance deposed from his seate in the yeare 1399. and murdered in prison the yeare following HAppie is the Prince that hath in wealth the grace To follow vertue keeping vices vnder But woe to him whose will hath wisdomes place For whoso renteth right and law asunder On him at length all the world shall wonder High birth choice fortune force nor Princely mace Can warrant King or Keyser from the case Behold my hap see how the silly rout On me do gaze and each to other say See where he lieth but late that was so stout Lo how the power the pride and rich aray Of mightie Rulers lightly fade away The King which erst kept all the Realme in doubt The veriest rascall now dare checke and flout Me thinke I heare the people thus deuise Wherefore Baldwine sith thou wilt declare How Princes fell to make the liuing wise My lawlesse life in no point see thou spare But paint it out that Rulers may beware Good counsell law or vertue to despise For Realmes haue rules and Rulers haue a sise
the miners lap For I Lord Richard heire Plantagenet Was Earle of Cambridge and right fortunate If I had had the grace my wit to set To haue content me with mine owne estate But O false honors breeders of debate The loue of you our leaud hearts doth allure To lose our selues by seeking you vnsure Because my brother Edmund Mortimer Whose eldest sister was my wedded wife I meane that Edmund that was prisoner In Wales so long through Owens busie strife Because I say that after Edmunds life His rights and titles must by law be mine For he ne had nor could encrease his line Because the right of Realme and Crowne was ours I searched meanes to helpe him thereunto And where the Henries held it by their powers I sought a shift their tenures to vndoe Which being force sith force or sleight must doe I void of might because their power was strong Set priuie fleight against their open wrong But sith the death of most part of my kin Did dash my hope throughout the fathers daies I let it slip and thought it best begin When as the sonne should dread least such assayes For force through speed sleight speedeth through delayes And seeld doth treason time so fitly find As when all dangers most be out of mind Wherefore while Henrie of that name the fist Prepar'd his armie to go conquer France Lord Scroope and I thought to attempt a drift To put him downe my brother to aduance But wer 't Gods will my lucke or his good chance The King wist wholly whereabout we went The night before to shipward he him bent Then were we straight as traytours apprehended Our purpose spi'd the cause thereof was hid And therefore loe a false cause we pretended Where through my brother was from danger rid We said for hire of French Kings coine we did Behight to kill the King and thus with shame We stain'd our selues to saue our friend from blame When we had thus confest so foule a treason That we deseru'd we suffered by the law See Baldwine see and note as it is reason How wicked deeds to wofull ends do draw All force doth faile no craft is worth a straw To attaine things lost and therefore let them go For might rules right and will though truth say no. W. Baldwine HOW THOMAS MONTAGVE EARLE OF SALISBVrie in the middest of his glorie was chanceably slaine at Orleaunce with a piece of Ordinance the third of Nouember Anno Dom. 1428. WHat fooles be we to trust vnto our strength Our wit our courage or our noble fame Which time it selfe must needs deuour at length Though froward Fortune could not foile the same But seeing this Goddesse guideth all the game Which still to change doth set her only lust Why toile we so for things so hard to trust A goodly thing we deeme of good report Which noble hearts do seeke by course of kind But seeing the date so doubtfull and so short The way so rough whereby we do it find I cannot chuse but praise the Princely mind That preaseth for it though we find opprest By foule defame those that deserue it best Concerning whom marke Baldwine what I say I meane the vertuous hindred of their brute Among which number recken well I may My valiant father Iohn Lord Montacute Who lost his life I iudge through iust pursute I say the cause and not the casuall speed Is to be waighed in euery kind of deed This rule obseru'd how many shall we find For vertues sake with infamie opprest How some againe through helpe of Fortune blind For ill attempts atchieu'd with honor blest Successe is worst oft times when cause is best Therefore say I God send them sory haps That iudge the causes by their afterclaps The end indeed is Iudge of euery thing Which is the cause or latter point of time The first true verdict at the first may bring The last is slow or slipper as the slime Oft changing names of innocence and crime Duke Thomas death was Iustice two yeares long And euer since sore tyrannie and wrong Wherefore I pray thee Baldwine weigh the cause And praise my father as he doth deserue Because Earle Henry King against all lawes Endeuoured King Richard for to starue In iayle wherby the regall Crowne might swarue Out of the line to which it then was due Whereby God knowes what euill might ensue My Lord Iohn Holland Duke of Excester Which was deare cosin to this wretched King Did moue my Sire and th' Earle of Glocester With other Lords to ponder well the thing Who seeing the mischiefe that began to spring Did all consent this Henry to depose And to restore King Richard to the Rose And while they did deuise a prety traine Whereby to bring their purpose well about Which was in maske this Henry to haue slaine The Duke of Aumerle blew their counsaile out Yet was their purpose good there is no doubt What cause can be more worthy for a Knight Than saue his King and helpe true heires to right For this with them my father was destroid And buried in the dunghill of defame Thus euill chance their glory did auoid Whereas their cause doth claime eternall fame When deeds therefore vnluckily doe frame Men ought not iudge the authors to be naught For right through might is often ouerraught And God doth suffer that it should be so But why my wit is feeble to decise Except it be to heape vp wrath and we On wicked heads that iniuries deuise The cause why mischiefs many times arise And light on them that would mens wrongs redresse Is for the rancour that they beare I gesse God hateth rigour though it further right For sinne is sinne how euer it be vsed And therefore suffereth shame and death to light To punish vice though it bee well abused Who furthereth right is not therby excused If through the same he doe some other wrong To euery vice due guerdon doth belong What preach I now I am a man of warre And that my lims I dare say doth professe Of cured wounds 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 fraud to curse But much more I abused ten times worse Thou neuer flatteredst him in all thy life But me thou dandledst like thy darling deare Thy gifts I found in euery corner rife Where ere I went I met thy smiling cheare Which was not for a day or for a yeare But through the raigne of three right worthy Kings I found thee forward in all kind of things The while King Henry conquered in France I sued the warres and still found victory In all assaults so happy was my chance Holds yeeld or won did make my enemies sory Dame Prudence eke augmented so my glory That in all treaties euer I was one When weighty matters were agreed vpon But when this King this mightie conquerour Through death vnripe was both
of Yorke and other sought at home to put me downe Bellona rang the bell at home and all abroad With whose mishaps amaine fell Fortune did me load In France I lost my forts at home the foughten field My kinred slaine my friends opprest my selfe enforst to yeeld Duke Richard tooke me twice and forst me to resine My Crowne and titles due vnto my fathers line And kept mee as a ward did all things as him list Till that my wife through bloudy sword had tane me from his fist But though we slew the Duke my sorowes did not slake But like to Hydraes head still more and more awake For Edward through the aid of Warwicke and his brother From one field draue me to the Scots and toke me in another Then went my friends to wrack for Edward ware the Crowne For which for nine yeares space his prison held me downe Yet thence through Warwickes worke I was againe releast And Edward driuen fro the realme to seeke his friends by East But what preuaileth paine or prouidence of man To helpe him to good hap whom destiny doth ban Who moileth to remoue the rocke out of the mud Shall mire himselfe and hardly scape the swelling of the flud This all my friends haue found and I haue felt it so Ordain'd to be the touch of wretchednesse and woe For ere I had a yeare possest my seat againe I lost both it and liberty my helpers all were slaine For Edward first by stelth and sith by gathred strength Arriu'd and got to Yorke and London at the length Tooke me and tied me vp yet Warwicke was so stout He came with power to Barnet field in hope to helpe me out And there alas was slaine with many a worthy knight O Lord that euer such luck should hap in helping right Last came my wife and sonne that long lay in exile Defied the King and fought a field I may bewaile the while For there mine only sonne not thirteene yeares of age Was tane and murdred straight by Edward in his rage And shortly I my selfe to stint all further strife Stab'd with his brothers bloodie blade in prison lost my life Lo heere the heauie haps which hapned me by heape See heere the pleasant fruits that many Princes reape The painfull plagues of those that breake their lawfull bands Their meed which may and will not saue their friends from bloodie hands God grant my woful haps too grieuous to rehearce May teach all States to know how deepely dangers pierce How fraile all honors are how brittle worldly blisse That warned through my fearefull fate they feare to do amisse HOW GEORGE PLANTAGENET THIRD SONNE OF THE DVKE OF Yorke was by his brother King Edward wrongfully imprisoned and by his brother Richard miserably murdered the 11. of Ianuarie An. Dom. 1478. THe fowle is foule men say that files the nest Which makes me loth to speak now might I chuse But seeing time vnburdened hath her brest And fame blowne vp the blast of all abuse My silence rather might my life accuse Then shroud our shame though faine I would it so For truth will out although the world say no. And therefore Baldwine I do thee beseech To pause a while vpon my heauie plaint And vnneth though I vtter speedie speech No fault of wit nor folly makes me faint No headie drinkes haue giuen my tongue attaint Through quaffing craft Yet wine my wits confound Not that I dranke but wherein I was drown'd What Prince I am although I need not shew Because my wine bewrayes me by the smell For neuer man was soust in Bacchus dew To death but I through Fortunes rigour fell Yet that thou maist my storie better tell I will declare as briefely as I may My wealth my woe and causers of decay The famous house surnam'd Plantagenet Whereat Dame Fortune frowardly did frowne While Bolenbroke vniustly sought to set His Lord King Richard quite beside the Crowne Though many a day it wanted due renowne God so prefer'd by prouidence and grace That lawfull heires did neuer faile the race For Lionel King Edwards eldest child Both Eame and heire to Richard issulesse Begot faire Philip hight whom vndefil'd The Earle of March espous'd and God did blesse With fruit assign'd the kingdome to possesse I meane Sir Roger Mortimer whose heire The Earle of Cambridge maried Anne the faire This Earle of Cambridge Richard clept by name Was sonne to Edmund Langley Duke of Yorke Which Edmund was fift brother to the same Duke Lionel that all this line doth korke Of which two houses ioyned in a forke My father Richard Prince Plantagenet True Duke of Yorke was lawfull heire beget Who tooke to wife as ye shall vnderstand A mayden of a noble house and old Ralph Neuils daughter Earle of Westmerland Whose sonne Earle Richard was a Baron bold And had the right of Salisbury in hold Through mariage made with good Earle Thomas heire Whose earned praises neuer shall appaire The Duke my father had by this his wife Foure sonnes of whom the eldest Edward hight The second Edmund who did lose his life At Wakefield slaine by Clyfford cruell Knight I George am third of Clarence Duke by right The fourth borne to the mischiefe of vs all Was Glocesters Duke whom men did Richard call VVhen as our fire in sute of right was slaine VVhose life and death himselfe declared earst My brother Edward plied his cause amaine And got the Crowne as Warwicke hath rehearst The pride whereof so deepe his stomacke pearst That he forgot his friends despis'd his kin Of oath or office passing not a pin VVhich made the Earle of Warwicke to maligne My brothers state and to attempt a way To bring from prison Henrie sillie King To helpe him to the kingdome if he may And knowing me to be the chiefest stay My brother had he did me vndermine To cause me to his treasons to encline VVhereto I was prepared long before My brother had been to me so vnkind For sure no canker fretteth flesh so sore As vnkind dealing doth a louing mind Loues strongest bands vnkindnes doth vnbind It moueth loue to malice zeale to hate Chiefe friends to foes and brethren to debate And though the Earle of Warwicke subtill fire Perceiu'd I bare a grudge against my brother Yet toward his feate to set me more on fire He kindled vp one firebrand with another For knowing fancie was the forcing rother VVhich stirreth youth to any kind of strife He offered me his daughter to my wife Where through and with his craftie filed tongue He stole my heart that erst vnsteadie was For I was witlesse wanton fond and yongue Whole bent to pleasure brittle as the glasse I cannot lie In vino veritas I did esteeme the beautie of my bride Aboue my selfe and all the world beside These fond affections ioynt with lacke of skill Which trap the heart and blind the eyes of youth And pricke the mind to practise any ill So tickled me
Beheaded vs before we were condemned My cosin Richard could not be content To leaue his life because he wist not why Good gentleman that neuer harme had ment Therefore he asked wherefore he should die The Priest his ghostly father did replie With weeping eyes I know one wofull cause The Realme hath neither righteous Lords not lawes Sir Thomas Vaughan chasing cried still This tyrant Glocester is the gracelesse G That will his brothers children beastly kill And lest the people through his talke might see The misciefes toward and thereto not agree Our tormentour that false periured Knight Bad stop our mouthes with words of high despight Thus di'd we guiltlesse processe heard we none No cause alleag'd no Iudge nor yet accuser No Quest empanel'd passed vs vpon That murdrer Ratcliffe law and rights refuser Did all to flatter Richard his abuser Vnhappie both that euer they were borne Through guiltlesse blood that haue their soules forlorne In part I grant I well deserued this Because I caus'd not speedie execution Be done on Richard for that murder of his When first he wrought King Henries close confusion Not for his brothers hatefull persecution These cruell murders painfull death deserued Which had he suffred many had been preserued Warne therefore all that charge or office beare To see all murdrers speedily executed And spare them not for fauour or for feare By guiltlesse blood the earth remaines polluted For lacke of Iustice kingdomes are transmuted They that saue murdrers from deserued paine Shall through those murdrers miserably be slaine HOW THE LORD HASTINGS WAS BETRAYED BY TRVSTING TOO MVCH to his euill Counseller Catesby and villanously murdered in the Tower of London by Richard Duke of Glocester the 13. of Iune Anno 1483. I Am that Hastings whose too hastie death They blame that know wherefore I lost my breath With others fearing lest my headlesse name Be wrong'd by partiall brute of flattering Fame Hearing O Baldwine that thou mean'st to pen The liues and falles of English Noblemen My selfe heere present do present to thee My life my fall and forced destinie Ne feare to staine thy credit by my tale In Laethes floud long since in Stigian vale Selfe loue I drown'd What time hath fin'd for true And ceaseth not though stale still to renue Recount I will whereof take this for proofe That blase I will my praise and my reproofe We naked ghosts are but the very man Nor of our selues more then we ought we scan The Heauens high and Earthly vale belowe Yet ring his Fame whose deedes so great did grow Edward the fourth ye know vnnam'd I meane Whose noble nature so to me did leane That I his staffe was I his onely ioy And euen what Pandare was to him of Troy VVhich mou'd him first to make me Chamberlaine To serue his sweets to my most sower paine VVherein to iustly prais'd for secretnesse For now my guilt with shriking I confesse To him too true too vntrue to the Queene Such hate I wan as lasted long betweene Our families Shores wife was my Nice cheat The holy whore and eke the wily peat I fed his lust with louely peeces so That Gods sharp wrath I purchast my iust wo. See here the difference of a noble minde Some vertue raiseth some by vice haue climde The first though onely of themselues begon Yet circlewise into themselues do ron VVithin themselues their force vnited so Both endlesse is and stronger gainst their foe For when end'th it that neuer hath begon Or how may that that hath no end b' vndone Th' other as by wicked meanes they grue And raigned by flatterie so soone they rue First tumbling step fro honours old is vice VVhich once stept downe some linger none arise To former type But they catch vertues spray VVhich raiseth them that climbe by lawfull way Beware to rise by seruing princely lust Surely to stand one meane is rising iust 〈◊〉 learne by me whom let it helpe t' excuse 〈◊〉 â—â—â—hfull now my selfe I do accuse 〈…〉 my Prince I euer pleas'd with such As harmed none and him contented much In vice some fauour or lesse hate let win That I ne wried to worser end my sin But vsde my fauour to the helpe of such As death in later warre to liue did grutch For as on durt though durtie shin'th the Sunne So euen amidst my vice my vertue shoane My selfe I spared with his cheate to staine For loue or reuerence so I could refraine Gisippus wife erst Titus would desire With friendships breach I quencht that brutish fire Manly it is to loth the pleasing lust Small vant to flie that of constraint thou must These faults except if so my life thou scan Lo none I hurt but furdred euery man My Chamber England was my staffe the law Whereby saunce rigour all I held in awe So kind to all and so belou'd of all As what ensued vpon my bloodie fall Though I ne felt yet surely this I thinke Full many a trickling teare their mouthes did drinke Disdaine not Princes easie accesse meeke cheare We know then Angels statelier port ye beare Of God himselfe too massie a charge for sprits But then my Lords consider he delights To vaile his grace to vs poore earthly wants To simplest shrubs and to the dunghill plants Expresse him then in might and mercies meane So shall ye win as now ye rule the Reame But all too long I feare I do delay The many meanes whereby I did bewray My zealous will to earne my Princes grace Lest thou defer to thinke me kind percase As nought may last so Fortunes changing cheare With pouting lookes gan lower on my sire And on her wheele aduanst high in his rome The Warwick Earle admir'd through Christendome Besides the tempting prowesse of the foe My Princes brother did him then forgoe The cause was lik'd I was his link'd allie Yet nor the cause nor brothers treacherie Nor enmies force nor band of mingled blood Made Hastings beare any other mind then good But tane and scap'd from Warwickes griping pawes With me he fled through Fortunes froward flawes To London come at large we might haue seemed Had not we then the Realme a prison deemed Each bush a bar each spray a banner splayed Each house a fort our passage to haue stayed To Lin we leape where while w'await the tide My secret friends in secret I suppli'd In mouth to further Henrie sixt their King And vse my best meanes Edward in to bring The restlesse tide to bar the emptie bay With waltring waues roames wambling forth Away The merrie Mariner hales The bragging boy To masts high top vp hies In signe of ioy The wauering flag is vanst The surging seas Their swelling cease to calmest euen peace Sinkes downe their pride With drunkennesse ' gainst all care The Seamen arm'd await their noble fare On bord we come The massie anchors wai'd One English ship two hulks of Holland aid In such a pinch So small though was the traine
lings brest Whom not desire of raigne did driue to field But mothers pride who longd the Realme to wield But straight my death shall shew my worthie meed If first to one other murther I proceed VVhile Edward liued dissembled discord lurked In double hearts yet so his reuerence worked But when succeeding tender feeble age Gaue open gap to tyrants rushing rage I holpe the Boare and Bucke to captiuate Lord Riuers Gray sir Thomas Vaughan and Hawte If land would helpe the sea well earnd that ground It selfe to be with conquering waues surround Their speedie death by priuie dome procured At Pomfret tho my life short while endured My selfe I slue when them I damned to death At once my throate I riued and reft them breath For that selfe day before or neere the hower That withred Atropos nipt the springing flower VVith violent hand of their forth running life My head and body in Tower twinde like knife By this my paterne all ye peeres beware Oft hangth he himselfe who others weenth to snare Spare to be each others butcher Feare the Kite VVho soareth aloft while frog and mouse do fight In ciuil combat grappling void of feare Of forreine foe at once al both to beare Which plainer by my pitied plaint to see A while anew your listning lend to mee Too true it is two sundrie assemblies kept At Crosbies place and Baynards Castle set The Dukes at Crosbies but at Baynards we The one to crowne a king the other to be Suspicious is secession of foule frends When eithers drift to th' others mischief tends I fear'd the end my Catesbies being there Discharg'd all doubts Him held I most entire Whose great preserment by my meanes I thought Some spurre to pay the thankfulnesse hee ought The trust he ought me made me trust him so That priuie he was both to my weale and wo. My hearts one halfe my chest of confidence Mine only trust my ioy dwelt in his presence I lou'd him Baldwine as the apple of mine eye I loath'd my life when Catesby would me die Flie from thy chanel Thames forsake thy streames Leaue the Adamant Iron Phoebus lay thy beames Cease heauenly Sphears at last your weary warke Betray your charge returne to Chaos darke At least some ruthlesse Tiger hang her whelp My Catesby so with some excuse to help And me to comfort that I alone ne seeme Of all dame natures workes left in extreeme A Golden treasure is the tried frend But who may Gold from Counterfaits defend Trust not too soone nor yet too soone mistrust With th' one thy selfe with th' other thy friend thou hurt'st VVho twin'th betwixt and steareth the golden meane Nor rashly loueth nor mistrusteth in vaine In friendship soueraigne it is as Mithridate Thy friend to loue as one whom thou maist hate Of tickle credit ne had bin the mischiefe What needed Virbius miracle doubled life Credulity surnamed first the Aegean Seas Mistrust doth reason in the trustiest raise Suspicious Romulus stain'd his Walls first reard With brothers bloud whom for light leape he feard So not in brotherhood ielousie may be borne The ielous Cuckold weares the Infamous Horne A beast may preach by triall not foresight Could I haue shund light credit nere had light The dreaded death vpon my guilty head But Fooles aye wont to learne by after read Had Catesby kept vnstaind the truth he plight Yet had yet enioied me and I yet the light All Derbies doubts I cleared with his name I knew no harme could hap me without his blame But see the fruites of tickle light beleefe The ambitious Dukes corrupt the Traitor theefe To grope mee if allured I would assent To bin a Partner of their cursed intent Whereto when as by no meanes friendship vail'd By Tyrant force behold they me assail'd And summond shortly a Counsell in the Tower Of Iune the fifteenth at appointed hower Alas are Counsels wried to catch the good No place is now exempt from sheading bloud Sith counsels that were carefull to preserue The guiltelesse good are meanes to make them starue VVhat may not mischiefe of Mad man abuse Religious cloake some one to vice doth chuse And maketh God Protectour of his crime Omonstrous world well ought we wish thy fine The fatall skies roll on the blackest day VVhen doubled bloudshed my bloud must repay Others none forceth To me sir Thomas Haward As spurre is buckled to prouoke me froward Derbie who feared the parted sittings yore Whether much more he knew by experience hoare Or better minded clearelier truth could see At midnight darke this message sends to mee Hastings away in sleepe the gods foreshow By dreadfull dreame fell fates vnto vs two Me thought a Bore with tuske so raced our throate That both our shoulders of the blood did smoake Arise to horse straight homeward let vs hie And seeth our foe we cannot match O flie Of Chanteclere you learne dreames sooth to know Thence wisemen construe more then the cock doth crow While thus he spake I held within mine arme Shores wife the tender piece to keepe me warme Fie on adulterie fie on leacherous lust Marke in me ye Nobles all Gods iudgements iust A Pander Murderer and Adulterer thus Only such death I die as I ne blush Now lest my dame might thinke appall'd my hart With eager mood vp in my bed I start And is thy Lord quoth I a Sorcerer A wiseman now become a dreame reader What though so Chanteclere crowed I reck it not On my part pleadeth as well dame Partelot Vniudg'd hang'th yet the case betwixt them tway Nay was his dreame cause of his hap I say Shall dreaming doubts from Prince my seruing slack Nay then might Hastings life and liuing lacke He parteth I sleepe my mind surcharg'd with sinne As Phoebus beames by mistie cloud kept in Ne could misgiue ne dreame of my mishap As blocke I tumbled to mine enemies trap Securitie causelesse through my fained frend Reft me foresight of my approching end So Catesby clawed me as when the Cat doth play Dallying with Mouse whom straight she meanes to slay The morow come the latest light to me On Palfray mounted to the Tower I hie Accompanied with that Haward my mortall foe To slaughter led thou God didst suffer so O deepe dissemblers honoring with your cheare Whom in hid heart you trayterously teare Neuer had Realme so open signes of wrack As I had shewed me of my heauie hap The vision first of Stanley late descried Then mirth so extreame that neare for ioy I died Were it that Swanlike I foresong my death Or merrie mind foresaw the losse of breath That long it coueted from this earths annoy But euen as siker as th' end of woe is ioy And glorious light to obscure night doth tend So extreame mirth in extreame mone doth end For why extreames are haps rackt out of course By violent might far swinged forth perforce Which as they are piercing'st while they violent'st moue For that they
are neare to cause that doth them shoue So soonest fall from that their highest extreame To th' other contrarie that doth want of meane So laughed he erst who laughed out his breath So laughed I when I laugh'd my selfe to death The pleasing'st meanes bode not the luckiest ends Not aye found treasure to like pleasure tends Mirth meanes not mirth all time thrice happie hire Of wit to shun the excesse that all desire But this I passe I hie to other like My palfrey in the plainest paued streete Thrice bowed his bones thrice kneeled on the flower Thrice shun'd as Balams asse the dreaded Tower What should thinke he had sense of after haps As beasts foreshow the drought or rainie drops As humours in them want or else abound By influence from the heauens or change of ground Or do we interpret by successe each signe And as we fancie of each hap diuine And make that cause that kin is to th' effect Not hauing ought of conse quence respect Bucephalus kneeling only to his Lord Shewed only he was Monarch of the world Why may not then the steed foreshew by fall What casuall hap the sitter happen shall Darius horse by braying brought a Realme And what letteth why he ne is as the asse Gods meane By speaking signe to shew his hap to come Who is dease hearer of his speaking dome But forward yet In Tower-street I stai'd Where could I haue seene loe Haward all bewrai'd For as I commond with a Priest I met Away my Lord quoth he your time is ne yet To take a Priest Lo Sinon might be seene Had not the Troians hares foolish forthright eyen But since the time was come that I should die Some grace it was to die with wimpled eye Nay was this all For euen at Tower-wharfe Neere to those walles within the which I starfe Where erst in sorow soust and deepe distresse I emparted all my pining pensiuenesse With Hastings so my Purseuant men call Euen there the same to meete it did me fall Who gan to me most dolefully renue The wofull conference had erst in that lieu Hastings quoth I according now they fare At Pomfret this day dying who caus'd that care My selfe haue all the world at my will With pleasures cloyed engorged with the fill God grant it so quoth he why doubtest thou tho Quoth I and all in chafe to him gan shew In ample wise our drift with tedious tale And entred so the Tower to my bale What should we thinke of srignes They are but haps How may they then be signes of afterclaps Doth euery chance foreshew or cause some other Or ending at it selfe extend'th no further As th' ouer flowing floud some mount doth choake But to his aide some other floud it yoake So if with signes thy sinnes once ioyne beware Else whereto chances tend do neuer care Had not my sinne deserued my death as wreake What might my mirth haue hurt or horses becke Or Hawards bitter scoffe or Hastings talke What meane then foole Astrologers to calke That twinckling starres fling downe the fixed fate And all is guided by the starrie state Perdy a certaine charge assign'd they haue To shine and times diuide not fate to graue But grant they somewhat giue it at one instant Of euery babe the birth in heauen so scand That they that restlesse roll and neuer stay Should in his life beare yet so violent sway That not his actions only next to birth But all his life and death he swayed therewith How may one motion make so sundrie affects Or one impression tend to such respects Some rule there is yet Else why were defer'd Till now these plagues so long ere now deseru'd If for they are trifles they ne seeme of care But toyes with God the stately scepters are Yet in them too plaine doth appeare foreset The certaine rule and fatall limits set Yet thinke we not this sure foresetting fate But Gods fast prouidence for each princely state And hath he erst restrain'd his prouidence Or is he nigard of his free dispence Or is he vncertaine foreset drifts to driue That not dame Chance but he all goods may giue A heathen god they hold whom Fortune keepe To deale them haps while god they weene asleepe Mocke-gods they are and many gods induce Who fortune faine to father their abuse How so it be it might haue warned me But what I could not that in me see ye Who run in race the honor like to win Whose fairest forme nought may deforme but sin Alas when most I did defie all dread By single haire deaths sword hung ouer my head For hearke the end and listen now my fall This is the last and this the fruit of all To Counsell chamber come a while we staid For him without whom nought was done or said At last he came and courteously excused That he so long our patience had abused And pleasantly began to paint his cheere And said My Lord of Elie would we had heere Some of the strawberries whereof you haue store The last delighted me so as nothing more Would what so you wish I might as well command My Lord quoth he as those And out of hand His seruant sendeth to Ely place for them Out goeth from vs the restlesse diuell againe Belike I thinke scarce yet perswaded full To worke the mischiefe that did mad his scull At last determin'd of his bloodie thought And force ordain'd to worke the wile he sought Frowning he enters with so changed cheare As for milde May had chopped foule Ianuere And lowring on me with the goggle eye The whetted tuske and fur'wed forehead hie His crooked shoulder bristlelike set vp With frothie iawes whose fome he chaw'd and sup'd With angrie lookes that flamed as the fire Thus gan at last to grunt the grimmest fire What merit they whom me the kingdomes stay Contriued haue counsell trayterously to slay Abashed all sate I thought I might be bold For conscience clearenesse and acquaintance old Their hire is plaine quoth I Be death the least To whoso seeketh your grace so to molest Withouten stay the Queene and the whore Shores wife By witchcraft quoth he seeke to waste my life Lo heere the withered and be witched arme That thus is spent by those two Sorceresse charme And bared his arme and shewed his swinish skin Such cloakes they vse that seeke to cloud their sin But out alas it serueth not for the raine To all the house the colour was too plaine Nature had giuen him many a maimed marke And it amongst to note her monstruous warke My doubtfull heart distracted this replie For th' one I cared not th' other nipt so nie That whist I could not but forthwith brake forth If so it be of death they are doubtlesse worth If traytour quoth he plai'st thou with ifs and ands I le on thy bodie auow it with these hands And there withall he mightly bounced the bord In rush'd his bil-men one himselfe bestird Laying
loose thy breath that yet but yongly bloweth Happie thrice happie who so loos'th his breath That life he gaineth by his godly death As Hastings heere Whom time and truth agree To engraue by fame in strong eternitie Who spareth not speaking with danger of his blood Yet loe this noble Lord did thinke it good To cleare the innocent not to spare to speake Although his shoulders with his blood should reake Worthie to liue who liu'd not for himselfe But prised his same more then this worldly pelfe Whose name and line if any yet preserue We wish they liue like honor to destrue Whether thou seeke by martiall prowese praise Or Pallas policie high thy name to raise Or trustie seruice honor to attaine Hastings foreled tracke heere his bloodie traine FINIS Master D. THE COMPLAINT OF HENRIE DVKE of Buckingham WHo trusts too much to honors highest throne And warily watch not slie dame Fortunes snares Or who in Court will beare the swing alone And wisely weigh not how to weild the care Behold he me and by my death beware Whom flattering Fortune falsely so beguilde That loe she slew where erst full smooth shee smilde And Sackuill sith in purpose now thou hast The wofull fall of Princes to descriue Whom Fortune both vplift and eke downe cast To shew thereby th' vnsuretie in this life Marke well my fall which I shall shew beliue And paint it forth that all estates may know Haue they the warning and be mine the woe For noble blood made me both Prince and Peere Yea peerelesse too had reason purchast place And God with gifts endow'd me largely heere But what auailes his gifts where failes his grace My mothers sire sprung of a kingly race And call'd was Edmund Duke of Sommerset Bereft of life ere time by nature set Whose faithfull heart to Henrie sixt so wrought That he him nere in weale or woe forsooke Till lastly he at Tewkesbury field was cought Where with an axe his violent death he tooke He neuer could King Edwards partie brooke Till by his death he voucht that quarrell good In which his Sire and Grand-sire spilt their blood And such was erst my fathers cruell chance Of Stafford Earle by name that Humfrey hight Who euer prest did Henries part aduance And neuer ceast till at Saint Albones fight He lost his life as then did many a Knight Where eke my Grandsire Duke of Buckingham Was wounded sore and hardly scapt vntane But what may boote to stay the Sisters three When Atropos perforce will cut the thred The dolefull day was come when you might see Northampton field with armed men orespred VVhere fate would algates haue my Grandsire dead So rushing forth amids the fiercest fight He liu'd and di'd there in his Masters right In place of whom as it befell my lot Like on a stage so stept I in straightway Enioying there but wofully God wot As he that had a slender part to play To teach thereby in earth no state may stay But as our parts abridge or length our age So passe we all while others fill the stage For of my selfe the dreerie fate to plaine I was sometime a Prince withouten peere VVhen Edward fift began his rufull raigne Ay me then I began that hatefull yeare To compasse that which I haue bought so deare I bare the swinge I and that wretched wight The Duke of Glocester that Richard hight For when the fates had reft that Roiall Prince Edward the fourth chiefe mirrour of that name The Duke and I fast ioined euer since In faithfull loue our secret dristes to frame VVhat he thought best to me so seem'd the same My selfe not bent so much for to aspire As to fulfill that greedy Dukes desire Whose restlesse minde sore thirsting after rule When that he saw his nephewes both to bin Through tender yeares as yet vnfit to rule And rather ruled by their Mothers kin There sought he first his mischiefe to begin To pluck from them their Mothers friends assinde For well he wist they would wistand his minde To follow which he ran so headlong swift With eagre thirst of his desired draught To seeke their deaths that sought to dash his drift Of whom the chiefe the Queenes allies he thought That bent thereto with mounts of mischiefe fraught He knew their liues would be so sore his let That in their deaths his onely help he set And I most cursed caitiffe that I was Seeing the state vnstedfast how it stood His chiefe complice to bring the same to passe Vnhappie wretch consented to their blood Yee Kings and Peeres that swim in worldly good In seeking bloud the end aduert you plaine And see if bloud ay aske not bloud againe Consider Cyrus in your cruell thought A matchlesse Prince in riches and in might And weigh in minde the bloudy deedes he wrought In sheading which he set his whole delight But see the guerdon lotted to this wight He whose huge power no man might ouerthrow Tamiris Queene with great despite hath slow His head dismembred from his mangled corps Her selfe she cast into a vessell fraught VVith clottered bloud of them that felt her force And with these words a iustreward she taught Drinke now thy fill of thy desired draught Loe marke the fine that did this Prince befall Marke not this one but marke the end of all Behold Cambises and his fatall day Where murders mischiefe mirrour like is left While he his brother Mergus cast to slay A dreadfull thing his wits were him bereft A sword he caught wherewith he pierced eft His bodie gor'd which he of life benoomes So iust is God in all his dreadfull doomes O bloodie Brutus rightly didst thou rue And thou O Cassius iustly came thy fall That with the sword wherewith thou Caesar slue Murdredst thy selfe and reft thy life withall A Mirrour let him be vnto you all That murdrers be of murder to your meed For murder cries out vengeance on your seed Loe Bessus he that arm'd with murdrers knife And traytrours heart against his royall King With bloodie hands bereft his masters life Aduert the fine his foule offence did bring And lothing murder as most lothly thing Behold in him the iust deserued fall That euer hath and shall betide them all What booted him his false vsurped raigne Whereto by murder he did so ascend When like a wretch led in an iron chaine He was presented by his chiefest friend Vnto the foes of him whom he had slaine That euen they should auenge so foule a gilt That rather sought to haue his blood yspilt Take heed ye Princes and ye Prelats all Of this outrage which though it sleepe a while And not disclos'd as it doth seld befall Yet God that suffereth silence to beguile Such guilts wherewith both earth and aire ye file At last descries them to your foule disgrace You see th' examples set before your face And deeply graue within your stony harts The dreerie dole that mightie Macedo With tears
fire that is crept in the straw The thirstie drinkes there is no other shift Perforce is such that need obeyes no law Thus bound we are in worldly yokes to draw And cannot stay nor turne againe in time Nor learne of those that sought too high to clime My selfe for proofe loe heere I now appeare In womans weed with weeping watred eyes That bought her youth and her delights full deare Whose loud reproch doth sound vnto the skies And bids my corse out of the graue to rise As one that may no longer hide her face But needs must come and shew her pitious case The sheete of shame wherein I shrowded was Did moue me oft to plaine before this day And in mine cares did ring the trumpe of brasse Which is defame that doth each thing bewray Yea though full dead and low in earth I lay I heard the voice of me what people said But then to speake alas I was afraid And now a time for me I see prepar'd I heare the liues and falles of many wights My tale therefore the better may be har'd For at the torch the little candle lights Where pageants be small things fill out the sights Wherefore giue eare good Churchyard do thy best My tragedie to place among the rest Because the truth shall witnes well with thee I will rehearse in order as it fell My life my death my dolefull destinie My wealth my woe my doing euery deale My bitter blisse wherein I long did dwell A whole discourse by me Shores wife by name Now shalt thou heare as thou hadst seene the same Of noble blood I cannot boast my birth For I was made out of the meanest mold Mine heritage but seuen foot of th' earth Fortune ne gaue to me the gifts of gold But I could brag of nature if I wold Who fil'd my face with fauour fresh and faire Whose beautie shone like Phoebus in the aire My shape some said was seemely to each sight My countenance did shew a sober grace Mines eyes in lookes were neuer proued light My tongue in words was chast in euery case Mine eares were deafe and would no louers place Saue that alas a Prince did blot my brow Loe there the strong did make the weake to bow The maiesty that Kings to people beare The stately port the awfull cheere they show Doth make the meane to shrink and couch for feare Like as the hound that doth his master know What then since I was made vnto the bow There is no cloke can serue to hide my fault For I agreed the fort he should assault The Eagles force subdues ech bird that flies What metall may resist the flaming fire Doth not the Sun dazell the clearest eies And melt the ice and make the frost retire Who can withstand a puissant Kings desire The stiffest stones are pierced through with tooles The wisest are with Princes made but fooles If kinde had wrought my forme in common frames And set me forth in colours blacke and browne Or beautie had beene percht in Phoebus flames Or shamefast waies had pluckt my fethers downe Then had I kept my fame and good renowne For natures gifts were cause of all my griefe A pleasant prey entiseth many a thiefe Thus woe to thee that wrought my peacocks pride By clothing me with natures tapestry Woe worth the hew wherein my face was dide Which made me thinke I pleased euery eye Like as the starres make men behold the skie So beauties shew doth make the wise full fond And brings free harts full oft to endlesse bond But cleare from blame my frends can not be found Before my time my youth they did abuse In mariage a prentise was I bound Then that meere loue I knew not how to vse But wel away that cannot me excuse The harme is mine though they deuisde my care And I must smart and sit in slandrous snare Yet giue me leaue to plead my cause at large If that the horse do run beyond his race Or any thing that keepers haue in charge Do breake their course where Rulers may take place Or meat be set before the hungries face Who is in fault th' offender yea or no Or they that are the cause of all this wo. Note well what strife this forced mariage makes What lothed liues do come where loue doth lacke What scratching breers do grow vpon such brakes What common weales by it are brought to wracke What heauie loade is put on patients backe What strange delights this branch of vice doth breed And marke what graine springs out of such a seed Compell the hauke to sit that is vnman'd Or make the hound vntaught to draw the Deere Or bring the free against his will in band Or moue the sad a pleasant tale to heere Your time is lost and you no whit the neere So loue ne learnes of force the knot to knit She serues but those that feele sweet fancies fit The lesse defame redounds to my dispraise I was entist by traines and trapt by trust Though in my powre remained yeas and nayes Vnto my friends yet needs consent I must In euery thing yea lawfull or vniust They brake the boughes and shakte the tree by sleight And bent the wand that might haue growne full streight What helpe in this the pale thus broken downe The Deere must needs in danger run astray At me therefore why should the world so frowne My weaknesse made my youth a Princes pray Though wisdome should the course of nature stay Yet trie my case who list and they shall proue The ripest wits are soonest thralles to loue What need I more to cleare my selfe so much A King me wan and had me at his call His royall state his princely grace was such The hope of will that women seeke for all The ease and wealth the gifts which were not small Besieged me so strongly round about My powre was weake I could not hold him out Duke Hannibal in all his conquest great Or Caesar yet whose triumphs did exceed Of all their spoiles which made them toile and sweat Were not so glad to haue so rich a meed As was this Prince when I to him agreed And yeelded me a prisner willingly As one that knew no way away to flie The Nightingale for all his merry voyce Nor yet the Larke that still delights to sing Did neuer make the hearers so reioyce As I with words haue made this worthie King I neuer iar'd in tune was euery string I tempred so my tongue to please his eare That what I said was currant euery where I ioyn'd my talke my gestures and my grace In wittie frames that long might last and stand So that I brought the King in such a case That to his death I was his chiefest hand I gouern'd him that ruled all this Land I bare the sword though he did weare the Crowne I strake the stroke that threw the mightie downe If iustice said that iudgement was but death With my sweete words