this place vnseeming of the rest vvhere onely sacred solitude is blest 67 Her presence frees th' offender of his ill And as the Essence makes the place diuine VVhat strong Decree can countermaund the will That gaue to thee the power that now is thine And in her armes preseru'd in safety still As the most pure inviolable shrine Though thou thus irreligiously despise And daâ—'st prophane these hallowed liberties 68 But as when Illion fatally surpriz'd The Grecians issuing from the woodden horse Their rage and fury proudly exercis'd Opening the wide gates letting in their force Putting in act what was before deuis'd vvithout all sence of pitty or remorce vvith cryes shreekes rumors in confused sound vvords are broke of complaints abruptly drown'd 69 Dissolu'd to drops she followes him ô teares Elixar like turne all to pearle you touch To weepe with her the building scarse forbeares The sorrowes that she vttereth are such Able to wound th'impenitrabl'st eares Her plaints so piercing and her woes so much VVhen with th' abundance words would hardly come Her eyes in silence spake when lips were dumbe 70 Sweetsonne quoth she let not that blood be spilt Once priz'd so deare as did redeeme thy Crowne vvhose purity if taynted now with guilt The cause thereof efficiently thine owne That from the ruines of thy country built Raz'd with dissentions thy substanciall throne And broke those bounds thy kingdoms once confind Into large France to exercise thy mind 71 For the deere portion of that naturall blood vvhich lends thee heate and nutriment of life Be not a niggard of so small a good vvhere bounty should be plentifully rife Beg'd on those knees at which thou oft hast stood In those armes cercles might coniure this strife O God that breath from such a bosome sent Should thus in vaine be prodigally spent 72 VVhen in this vprore with the suddaine fright vvhilst eu'ry one for safety seekes about And none regarding to preserue the light vvhich beeing wasted sadly goeth out Now in the mid'st and terror of the night At the departutre of this Armed rout The Queene alone at least if any neâ—re Her wretched women yet halfe dead with feare 73 VVhen horror darknes and her present woe Begin to worke on her afflicted mind And eu'ry one his tyranny doth show Euen in the fulnes of his proper kind In such excesse her accusations flow This liberty vnto their power assignd Racking her conscience by this torture due It selfe t' accuse with what so ere it knew 74 O God to thinke that not an howre yet past Her greatnes freedome and her hopes so hie The sweet content wherein her thoughts were plac'd Her great respect in eu'ry humbled eye How now she is abused how disgrac'd Her present shame her after misery VVhen eu'ry woe could by dispaire be brought Presents his forme to her distracted thought 75 To London now a wretched prisner led London where oft he tryumph'd with the Queene And but for spight of no man followed Scarcely thought on who had for many beene Of all regard and state impoâ—'rished VVhere in excesse he often had beene seene vvhich at his fall doth make them wonder more vvho saw the pompe wherein he liu'd before 76 O misery where once thou doost infest How soone thy vile contagion alters kind That like a Circe meta morphisest The former habite of the humane mind That euen from vs doo'st seeme our selues to wrest Striking our fraile and fading glories blind And with thy vicious presence in a breath Chain'st vs as slaues vnto pale fainting death 77 At VVestminster a Parliment decreed To th'establishing the safety of the crowne vvhere to his end they finally proceede All laying hand to dig this Mountaine downe To which time wills they haue especiall heede Now whilst the Fates thus angerly doe frowne The blood of Edward and the Spensers fall For their iust vengeance hastily doe call 78 The death of Kent that foule and lothsome blot Th'assuming of the wards and liueries vvith Ione the Princesse maried to the Scot The summes oft seazed to his treasuries And that by this might well haue beene forgot The signe at Stanhope to the enemies Or what else rip'd from the records of time That any way might agrâ—uate his crime 79 O dire Reuenge when thou in time art rak'd From the rude ashes which preseru'd thee long In the dry cindars where it seem'd as slak'd Matter to feed it forc'd with breath of wrong How soone his hideous fury is awak'd From the small sparks what flames are quickly sprong And to that top doth naturally aspire vvhose weight and greatnes once represt his fire 80 And what auailes his aunswere in this case vvhich now the time doth generally distast vvhere iudgement lookes with so seuere a face And all his actions vtterly disgrac'd vvhat fainting bosome giues him any place From out the faire seate of opinion cast VVith pen and incke his sorowes to deceaue Thus of the fayre Queene takes his latest leaue 81 Most mighty Empresse s'daine not to peruse The Swan-like dirges of a dying man Vnlike those raptures of the fluent Muse In that sweet season when our ioyes began That did my youth with glorious fire infuse vvhen for thy gloue at tylt I proudly ran VVhereas my startling Courser strongly seâ— Made fire to flie from Hartfords-Burgonet 82 The King your sonne which hastneth on my death Madam you know I tendred as myne owne And when I might haue grasped out his breath I set him gently on his Fathers throne vvhich now his power too quickly witnesseth vvhich to this height and maiestie is growne But our desert forgot and he forgiuen As after death we wish to liue in heauen 83 And for the sole rule whereon thus he stands Came bastard VVilliam but himselfe on shore Or borrowed not our fathers conqu'ring hands vvhich in the field our auncient Ensignes bore Guarded about with our well-ordred bands vvhich his proud Leopards for their safety wore Raging at Hastings like that omenous Lake From whose dread waues our glorious name we take 84 Had I beene charg'd vpon mine Armed horse As when I came vnto the walls of Gaunt Before the Belgick and Burgonian force There challenging my Countries Combattant Borne from my seate in some robustious course That of my spoiles the enemy might vaunt Or had I falne vnder my battered shield And lent mine honor to some conquered field 85 I haue not followed fortune like a slaue To make her bounty any whit the lesse By my desart her iudgement to depraue Nor lent me ought I freely not confesse And haue return'd with intrest what shee gaue A minde that suted with her mightinesse He twice offends which sinne in flattry beares Yet eu'ry howre he dies that euer feares 86 I cannot feare what forceth others quake The times and I haue tug'd together so vvonting my way through sword and fire to make So oft constrain'd against the streame to row To doubt with death a couenant to
liueth As smiles in teares and teares in gladnes giuethâ— Yet thinke not Iane that cowardly I faint As begging mercy by this sad complaint Or yet suppose my courage daunted so That thou shouldst stand betwixt me and my so That grim-aspected death should now controule And seeme so fearefull to my parting soule For were one life a thousand lifes to me Yet were all those too few to die with thee vvhen thou my woes so patiently dost beare As if in death no cause of sorrow were And no more doost lifes dissolution shunne Then if cold age his longest course had runne Thou which didst once giue comfort in my woe Now art alone becom my comforts foe Not that I leaue wherein I did delight But that thou art debarr'd my wished sight For if I speake and would complaine my wrong Straight-waies thy name doth come into my tongâ— And thou art present as thou still didst lye Or in my hart or in my lips or eye No euill plannet raigned at thy birth Nor was that houre prodigious heere on earth No fatall marke of froward destinie Could be diuin'd in thy natiuitie T is onely I that did thy fall deuise And thou by me art made a sacrifice As in those Countries where the louing wiues Doe with their husbands euer end their liues And crown'd with garlands in their brides attire Goe with their husbands to that holy fire And she vnworthy thought to liue of all vvhen feare of death or danger doth appall I boast not of Northumberlands great name Nor of Kets conquest which adornes the same vvhen he to Norfolke led his troupes from far And yok'd the rebels in the chaine of war vvhen our white Beare did furiously respireâ— The flames that sing'd their Villages with fire And brought sweet peace in safety to our doores Yet left our fame vpon the Easterne shores Nor of my princely brothers which might grace And plant true honour in the Dudleys race Nor of Grayes match my children borne by thee Alied to great Plantaginet should bee But of thy vertues proudly boast I dare That she is mine whom all perections are I crau'd no Kingdome though I thee did craue And hauing thee I wish'd no more to haue Yet let me say how euer it befell Me thinks a Crowne should haue becom'd thee well Me thinks thy wisedome was ordain'd alone To blesse a Scepter beautifie a throme Thy lips a sacred Oracle retaine vvherein all holy prophecies remaine More highly priz'd thy vertues were to me Then crownes then Kingdomes or then Scepters bâ— So chast thy loue so innocent thy life A wiued virgine and a mayded wife The greatest gifts that heauen could giue me heere Nothing on earth to me was halse so deere This was the ioy wherin we liu'd of late Ere worldly cares did vs excruciate Before these troubles did our peace confound By war by weapon massacre or wound Ere dreadfull Armies did disturbe our shores Or walls were shaken with the Cannons roares Suspect bewrayes our thoughts bewrayes our words One Crowne is guarded with a thousand swords To meane estate but common woes are showne But Crownes haue cares that euer be vnknowne And we by them are to those dangers led Of which the least we are experienced VVhen Dudley led his Armies to the East Of all the bosome of the land possest vvhat Earthly comfort was it that he lack'd That with a Counsels warrantie was back'd That had a Kingdome and the power of lawes Still to maintaine the iustnes of his cause And with the Clergies helpe the Commons ayd In euery place the peopled Kingdome swayd But what alas can Parliaments auaile vvhen Maries right must Edwards acts repealeâ— VVhen suffolks power doth Suffolks hopes withstand Northumberland doth leaue Northumberland And those which should our greatnes vnder prop Raze our foundation ouerthrow our top Ere greatnes come we wish it with our hart But being come desire it would depart And indiscretly follow that so fast which when it comes brings perrill at the last If any man doe pittie our offence Let him be sure to get him far from hence Heere is no place no comfort heere at all For any one that shall bewaile our fall And we in vaine of mercy should but thinke Our briny teares the fullen earth doth drink O that all teares for vs should be forlorne And all should die so soone as they be borne Mothers that should their childrens fortunes rue Fathers in death too kindly bid adue Friends of their friends a kind farwell to take The faithful seruant mourning for our sake Brothers and sisters waiting on our Beere Mourners to tell what we were liuing heere Those eares are stopt which should bewaile our fall And wee the Mourners and the dead and all And that which first our Pallace was ordain'd The prison which our libertie restrain'd And where our Court we held in princely state There now alone are left disconsolate Thus then resolu'd as thou resolu'd am I. Die thou for me and I for thee will die And yet that heauen Elizabeth may blesse Be thou sweet Iane a faithfull Prophetesse VVith that health gladly resaluting thee VVhich thy kind farwell wish'd before to mee Notes of the Chronicle Historie Nor of Kets conquest which adornes the same IOhn Duke of Northumberland when before he was Earle of Warwicke in his expedition against Ket ouerthrew the rebels of Norfolk and suffolk encamped at Mount-Surrey in Norfolke Nor of my princely brothers which might grace Gilford Dudley as remembring in this place the towardnesse of his brothers which were all likely indeed to haue raised that house of the Dudleyes of which he was a fourth brother if not suppressed by their Fathers ouerthrow Nor of Grayes match my children borne by thee Noting in this place the alliance of the Ladie Iane Gray by her mother which was Frauncis the daughter of Charles Brandon by Mary the French Queene daughter to Henry the seuenth and sister to Henry the eight To blesse a Septer beautifie a threne Sildome hath it euer been known of any woman endued with such wonderfull gifts as was this Ladie both for her wisedome and learning of whose skill in the tongues one reporteth by this Epigram Miraris Ianam Graio sermone â—alere Quâ— primum nata est tempore Graia Fuit When Dudley led his armies to the East The Duke of Northumberland prepared his power at London for his expedition against the Rebels in Norfolke and making hast away appointed the rest of his forces to meete him at Newmarket Heath of whom this saying is reported that passing through Shorditch the Lord Gray in his company seeing the people in great numbers came to see him hee said the people presse to see vs but none bid God speede vs. That with the Counsels warranty was back'd Iohn Dudley Duke of Northumberland when he went out against Queene Mary had his Commission sealed for the generalship of the Armie by the consent of the whole Counsell of the Land
make vvhen I am growne familiar with my woe And nothing can th' afflicted conscience grieue But he can pardon that doth all forgiue 87 And thus thou most adored in my hart vvhose thoughts in death my humbled spirit doth raise Lady most fayre most deere of most desart VVorthy of more then any mortall praise Condemned Marcb thus lastly doth depart From her the greatest Empresse of her dayes Nor in the dust mine honor I inter Thus Caesar dy'd and thus dies Mortimer 88 To Nottingham this Letter brought vnto her vvhich is subscrib'd with her Emperious stile Puts her in mind how once that hand did wooe her vvith this short thought to please herselfe awhile Thus sorrow can so subtilly vndoe her That with such flattery doth her sence beguile To giue a sharper feeling to that paine vvhich her grieu'd hart was shortly to sustaine 89 Putting her fingers to vnrip the seale Cleauing to keepe those sorrowes from her eyes As it were loth the tydings to reueale vvhence griefe should spring in such varieties But strongly vrg'd doth to her will appeale vvhen the soft waxe vnto her touch implies Sticking vnto her fingers bloody red To shew the bad newes quickly followed 90 Thus by degrees she easâ—y doth begin As the small fish playes with the bayted hooke Then more and more to swallow sorrow in As threatning death at eu'ry little looke vvhere now she reads th'expences of her sin Sadly set downe in this blacke dreadfull booke And those deere summes were like to be defray'd Before the same were absolutely pay'd 91 An hoast of woes her suddainly assayle As eu'ry letter wounded like a dart As though contending which should most preuaile Yet eu'ry one doth piâ—rce her to the hart As eu'ry word did others case bewaile And with his neighbour seem'd to beare a part Reason of griefe eâ—ch sentence is to her And eu'ry line a true remembrancer 92 Greefe makes her reade yet straightwaies bids her leaue vvith which ore-charg'd shee neither sees nor heares Her sences now theyr Mistris so deceiue The words doe wound her eyes the sound her eares And eu'ry organe of the vse bereaues vvhen for a fescue she doth vse her teares That when some line she loosly ouer-past The drops doe tell her where she left the last 93 O now she sees was neuer such a sight And seeing curs'd her sorrow-seeing eye Yet thinks she is deluded by the light Or is abusd by the orthography And by some other t' is deuis'd for spight Or pointed false her schollership to try Thus when we fondly sooth our owne desires Our best conceits oft proue the greatest lyers 94 Her trembling hand as in a feuer shakes vvhere-with the paper doth a little stirre vvhich she imagines at her sorrow shakes And pitties it who she thinks pitties her Each small thing somewhat to the greater makes And to the â—umor some thing doth infer VVhich when so soone as shee her tongue could free O worthy Earle deere-loued Lord quoth shee 95 I will reserue thy ashes in some Vrne vvhich as a relique I will onely saue Mix'd with the teares that I for thee shall mourne vvhich in my deare breast shall theyr buriall haue From whence againe they neuer shall returne Nor giue the honor to another graue But in that Temple euer be preserued vvhere thou a Saint religiously art serued 96 VVhen she breakes out to cursing of her sonne But March so much still runneth in her mind That she abruptly ends what she begunne Forgets her selfe and leaues the rest behind From this she to another course doth runne To be reueng'd in some notorious kind To which shee deeply doth ingage her troth Bound by a strong vow and a solemne oth 97 For pen and incke she calls her mayds without And the Kings dealings will in griefe discouer But soone forgetting what she went about Shee now begins to write vnto her louer Heere she sets downe and there she blotteth out Her griefe and passion doe so strongly moue her vvhen turning backe to read what she had writ She teares the paper and condemns her wit 98 And thus with contrarieties araysed As waters chilnesse wakeneth from a swound Comes to her selfe the agony appeased VVhen colder blood more sharply feeles the wound And griefe her so incurably hath seaized That for the same no remedie is found As the poore refuge to her restlesse woes This of her griese she lastly doth dispose 99 That now vnkind King as thou art my sonne Leauing the world some legacie must giue thee My harts true loue the dying March hath wonne Yet that of all I will not quite bereaue thee The wrong and mischiefe to thy mother done I thee bequeath so bound that they out-liue thee That as my breast it hourely doth torment Thou maist enioy it by my Testament 100 Hence forth within this solitary place Abandoning for euer generall sight A priuate life I willingly embrace No more reioycing in the obuious light To consumaâ—e the weary lingering space Till death inclose me with continuall night Each small remembrance of delight to flie A conuertite and penitently die FINIS To the Reader SEeing these Epistles are now to the world made publique it is imagined that I ought to bee accountable of my priuate meaning cheefely for mine owne discharge least beeing misttaken I fall in hazard of a iust and vniuersall reprehension for Hae nugae feria ducent In mala derisum semel exceptumque sinistre Three poynts are especially therefore to be explained First why I entitle this worke Englands heriocall Epistles theÌ„ why I obserue not the persons dignitie in the dedication lastly why I haue annexed notes to euery Epistles end For the first the title I hope carrieth reason in it selfe for that the most and greatest persons herein were English or else that theyr loues were obtained in England And though heriocall be properly vnderstood of demi-gods as of Hercules and AEneas whose parents were said to be the one celestiall the other mortall yet is it also transferred to them who for the greatnes of mind come neere to Gods For to be borne of a celestiall Incubus is nothing else but to haue a great and mightie spirit farre aboue the earthly weakenesse of men in which sence Ouid whose imitator I partly professe to be doth also vse heroicall For the second seeing none to whom I haue dedicated any two Epistles but haue theyr states ouermatched by them who are made to speake in the Epistles how euer the order is in dedication yet in respect of their degrees in my deuotion and the cause before recited I hope they suffer no disparagement seeing euery one is the first in theyr particuler interest hauing in some sort sorted the complexion of the Epistles to the character of theyr iudgements to whom I dedicate theÌ„ excepting onely the blamefulnesse of the persons passion in those poynts wherein the passion is blamefull Lastly such manifest difference being betwixt euery one of them where or
my Bridall bed How can that beauty yet be vndestroy'd That yeeres haue wasted and two men enioy'd Or should be thought fit for a Princes store Of which two subiects were possess'd before Let Spaine let Fraunce or Scotland so prefer Their infant Queenes for Englands dowager That blood should be much more then halfe diuineâ— That should be equall euery way with thine Yet Princely Edward though I thus reproue you As mine owne life so deerely do I loue you My noble husband which so loued you That gentle Lord that reuerend Mountague Nere mothers voice did please her babe so well As his did mine of you to heare him tell I haue made short the houres that time made long And chain'd mine eares vnto his pleasing tong My lips haue waited on your praises worth And snatch'd his words ere he could get them forth vvhen he hath spoke and somthing by the wayâ— Hath broke off that he was about to say I kept in mind where from his tale he fell Calling on him the residue to tell Oft he would say how sweet a Prince is hee vvhen I haue prais'd him but for praising thee And to proceed I would entreat and wooe And yet to ease him helpe and prayse thee too Must she be forc'd t'exclaime th'iniurious wrong Offred by him whom she hath lou'd so long Nay I will tell and I durst almost sweare Edward will blush when he his fault shall heare Iudge now that time doth youths desire asswage And reason mildly quench'd the fire of rage By vpright iustice let my cause be tride And be thou iudge if I not iustly chide That not my Fathers graue and reuerent yeeres His bending knee his cheeke-bedewing teares His prayers perswasions nor entreats could win To free himselfe as guiltlesse of my sin My mothers cries her shreeks her pittious mones Her deepe-fetch'd sighs her sad hart-breaking grones Thy lustfull rage thy tyranny could stay Mine honours ruine further to delay Haue I not lou'd you say can you say no That as mine owne preseru'd your honour so Had your â—ond will your foule desires preuail'd vvhen you by them my chastitie assail'd Though this no way could haue excus'd my fault True vertue neuer yeelded to assault Yet what a thing were this it should be said My parents sin should to your charge be laid And I haue gain'd my liberty with shame To saue my life made shipwrack of my name Did Roxborough once vaile her towring sane To thy braue ensigne on the Northerne plaine And to thy trumpet sounding from thy Tent Often replie with ioy and merriment And did receiue thee as my soueraigne liege Comming to ayde thou shouldst againe besiege To raise a foe but for my treasure came To plant a foe to take my honest name Vnder pretence to haue remou'd the Scot And wouldst haue wone more then he could haue got That did ingirt me readie still to flie But thou laid'st batterie to my chastitie O modestie didst thou me not restraine How I could chide you in this angrie vaine A Princes name heauen knowes I doe not craue To haue those honours Edwards spouse should haue Nor by ambitious lures will I be brought In my chast brest to harbour such a thought As to be worthy to be made a Bride An Empresse place by mighty Edwards side Of all the most vnworthy of that grace To waite on her that should enioy that place But if that loue Prince Edward doth require Equall his vertues and my chast desire If it be such as we may iustly vaunt A Prince may sue for and a Lady graunt If it be such as may suppresse my wrong That from your vaine vnbridled youth hath sprong That faith I send that I from you receaue The rest vnto your Princely thoughts I leaue Notes of the Chronicle Historie Twice as a Bride I haue to Church beene led THe two husbands of which she maketh mention obiecting Bigamay against her selfe as beeing therefore not meete to be maried with a Batcheler-Prince were Sir Thomas Holland Knight Sir William Mountague afterward made Earle of Salisburie That not my Fathers graue and reuerent yeeres A thing incredible that any Prince should be so vniust to vse the Fathers meanes for the corruption of the daughters chastitie though so the historie importeth her Father being so honourable and a man of so singuler desert though Polidore would haue her thought to be Iane the daughter to Edmund Earle of Kent Vncle to Edward the third beheaded in the Protectorship of Mortimer that daungerous aspirer And I haue gain'd my libertie with shame Roxborough is a Castle in the North mistermed by Bandello Salisburie Castle because the king had giuen it to the Earle of Salisburie in which her Lord being absent the Countesse by the Scots was besieged who by the coÌ„ming of the English Armie were remoued Heere first the Prince saw her whose liberty had been gained by her shame had she been drawne by dishonest loue to satisfie his appetite but by her most prayse-worthy constancie she conuerted that humor in him to an honourable purpose obtained the true reward of her admired vertues The rest vnto your princely thoughts I leaue Least any thing be left out which were worth the relation it shall not be impertinent to annex the opinions that are vttered concerning her whose name is said to haue been Aâ—lips but that beeing reiected as a name vnknowne among vs Froisard is rather belieued who calleth her Alice Polidore contrariwise as before is declared names her Iane who by Prince Edward had issue Edward dying young and Richard the second King of England though as he saith she was deuorced afterwards because within the degrees of consanguinitie prohibiting to marrie the truth whereof I omit to discusse her husband the Lord Montague being sent ouer with the Earle of Suffolke into Flaunders by King Edward was taken prisoner by the French not returning left his Countesse a widow in whose bed succeeded Prince Edward to whose last and lawfull request the reioycefull Ladie sends this louing aunswere FINIS To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord Edward Earle of Bedford THrice noble and my gracious Lord the loue I haue euer borne to the illustrious house of Bedford and to the honourable familie of the Harringtons to the which by marriage your Lordship is happily vnited hath long since deuoted my true and zealous affection to your honourable seruice and my Poems to the protection of my noble Ladie your Countesse to whose seruice I was first bequeathed by that learned and accomplished Gentleman Sir Henry Goodere not long since deceased whose I was whilst hee was whose patience pleased to beare with the imperfections of my heedlesse and vnstated youth That excellent and matchlesse Gentleman was the first cherrisher of my Muse which had beene by his death left a poore Orphan to the world had hee not before bequeathed it to that Lady whoÌ„â—e so deerly loued Vouchsafe then my deere Lord
As many minutes as in the houres there be So many houres each minute seemes to me Each houre a day morne noone-tide and a set Each day a yeare with miseries complet A vvinter spring-time sommer and a fall All seasons varying but vnseasoned all In endlesse woe my thred of life thus weares By minutes houres dayes monthes and ling'ring yeares They praise the Sommer that enioy the South Pomfret is closed in the Norths cold mouth There pleasant Sommer dwelleth all the yeere Frost-starued-winter doth inhabite heere A place wherein dispaire may fitly dwell Sorrow best suting with a clowdie Cell VVhen Herford had his iudgement of exile Saw I the peoples murmuring the while Th' vncertaine Commons touch'd with inward care As though his sorrowes mutually they bare Fond women and scarse speaking children mourne Bewaile his parting wishing his returne Then being forc'd t' abridge his banish'd yeeres vvhen they bedew'd his footsteps with their teares Yet by example could not learne to know To what his greatnes by this loue might grow vvhilst Henry boasts of our atthieuements done Bearing the trophies our great fathers wone And all the storie of our famous warre Now grace the Annalls of great Lancaster Seuen goodly siens in their spring did flourish vvhich one selfe root brought forth one stocke did nourish Edward the top-braunch of that golden tree Nature in him her vtmost power did see vvho from the bud still blossomed so faire As all might iudge what fruit it meant to beare But I his graft of eu'ry weede ore-growne And from the kind as refuse forth am throwne From our braue Grandsire both in one degree Yet after Edward Iohn the young'st of three Might princely VVales beget an Impe so base That to Gaunts issue should giue soueraigne place That leading Kings from Fraunce returned home As those great Caesars brought their spoyles to Rome vvhose name obtayned by his fatall hand vvas euer fearefull to that conquered land His fame increasing purchasd in those warres Can scarcely now be bounded with the starres VVith him is valour quite to heauen fled Or else in me is it extinguished vvho for his vertue and his conquests sake Posteritie a demie God shall make And iudge this â—ile and abiect spirit of mine Could not proceed from temper so diuine VVhat earthly humor or what vulgar eye Can looke so low as on our miserie VVhen Bulling brook is mounted to our throne And makes that his which we but call'd our owne Into our Counsels he himselfe intrudes And who but Henry with the multitudes His power disgrad's his dreadfull frowne disgraceth He throwes them downe whom our aduancement placeth As my disable and vnworthie hand Neuer had power belonging to command He treads our sacred tables in the dust And proues our acts of Parlament vniust As thougâ— he hated that it should be said That such a law by Richard once was made VVhilst I depresd before his greatnes lie Vnder the waight of hate and infamie My back a foot-stoole Bulling brook to raise My loosenes mock'd and hatefull by his praise Out-liu'd mine honour buried my estate And nothing left me but the peoples hate Sweet Queene I le take all counsell thou canst giue So that thou bid'st me neither hope nor liue Succour that comes when ill hath done his worst But sharpens greefe to make vs more accurst Comfort is now vnpleasing to mine eare Past cure past care my bed become my Beere Since now misfortune humbleth vs so long Till heauen be growne vnmindfull of our wrong Yet they forbid my wrongs shall euer die But still remembred to posteritie And let the crowne be fatall that he weares And euer wet with wofull mothers teares Thy curse on Percie angry heauens preuent vvho haue not one cuise left on him vnspent To scourge the world now horrowing of my store As rich of woe as I a King am poore Then cease deere Queene my sorrowes to bewaile My wounds too great for pittie now to heale Age stealeth on whilst thou complainest thus My greefes be mortall and infectious Yet better fortunes thy fayre youth may trie That follow thee which still from me doth flie Notes of the Chronicle Historie This tongue which first denounc'd my regall flate RIchard the second at the resignation of the Crowne to the Duke of Herford in the Tower of London deliuering the lame with his owne hand there confessed his disabilitie to gouerne vtterly denouncing all kingly dignitie And left'st great Burbon for thy loue to me Before the Princesse Isabell was married to the King Lewes Duke of Burbon sued to haue had her in mariage which was thought hee had obtained if this motion had not fallen out in the meane time This Duke of Burbon sued againe to haue receiued her at her comming into Fraunce after the imprisonment of King Richard but King Charles her Father then crost him as before and gaue her to Charles sonne to the Duke of Orleance When Herford had his iudgement of exile When the combate should haue beene at Couentrie betwixt Henâ—ie Duke of Herford and Thomas Duke of Norfolke where Herâ—ord was adiudged to banishment for tenne yeares the Commons exceeding lamented so greatly was he euer fauoured of the people Then being forc'd t' abridge his banish'd yeeres When the Duke came to take his leaue of the King being then at Eltham the King to please the Commons rather then for any louâ— he beare to Herford repleaded foure yeeres of his banishment Whilst Henry boasts of our atchieuements done Henry the eldest Sonne to Iohn Duke of Lancaster at the first Earle of Darby then created Duke of Herford after the death of the Duke Iohn his Father was Duke of Lancaster and Hereford Earle of Darby Leicester and Lincolne and after he had obtained the Crowne was called by the name of Bullingbrooke which is a towne in Lincolneshire as vsually all the Kings of England bare the name of the places where they were borne Seauen goodly syens in their spring did flourish Edward the third had seuen Sonnes Edward Prince of Wales after called the blacke Prince William of Hatfield the second Lionell Duke of Clarence the third Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the fourth Edmond of Langley Duke of Yorke the Fifth Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Gloster the sixth William of Windsore the seuenth Edward the top-branch of that golden tree Truly boasting himselfe to bee the eldest Sonne of Edward the blacke Prince Yet after Edward Iohn the young'st of three As disabling Henry Bullingbrooke being but the sonne of the fourth brother William and Lionell beeing both before Iohn of Gaunt That leading Kings from Fraunce returned home Edward the black Prince taking Iohn King of Fraunce prisoner at the battell of Poictâ—â—s brought him into England where at the Sauoy he died Whose name atchiued by his fatall hand Called the black Prince not so much of his complexion as of the famous battell hee fought as is shewed before in the Glosse vppon the Epistle of Edward
my counsell yet this comfort is It cannot hurt although I thinke amisse Then liue in hope in tryumph to returne vvhen cleerer dayes shall leaue in clowdes to mourne But so hath sorrow girt my soule about That that word hope me thinks comes slowly out The reason is I know it heere would rest vvhere it would still behold thee in my brest Farewell sweete Pole faine more I would indite But that my teares doe blot as I doe write Notes of the Chronicle Historie Or brings in Burgoyne to ayde Lancaster PHillip Duke of Burgoyne and his sonne were alwayes great fauorites of the house of Lancaster howbeit they often dissembled both with Lancaster and Yorke Who in the North our lawfull claime commends To win vs credite with our valiant friends The chiefe Lords of the North-parts in the time of Henry the 6. withstoode the Duke of Yorke at his risingâ— giuing him two great ouerthrowes To that allegeance Yorke was bound by oath To Henries heyres and safetie of vs both No longer now he meanes records shall beare it He will dispence with heauen and wil vnsweare it The duke of Yorke at the death of Henry the fift at this kings coronation tooke his oath to be true subiect to him and his heyres for euer but afterward dispensing therewith claymed the crowne as his rightfull and proper inhearitance If three sonnes faile shee 'le make the fourth a King The duke of Yorke had foure sonnes Edward Earle of March that afterward was duke of Yorke and king of England when he had deposed Henry the sixt and Edmond Earle of Rutland slaine by the lord Clifford at the battell at Wakefield George duke of Clarence that was murthered in the Tower and Richard duke of Glocester vvho was after he had murthered his brothers sonnes King by the name of Richard the third 〈◊〉 that 's so like his Dam her youngest Dicke That foule â—fauoured crookback'd Stigmaticke c. Till this verse As though begot an age c. This Richard whom ironically she here calls Dicke that by treason after his Nephewes murthered obtained the crowne was a man low of stature crookeback'd the left shoulder much higher then the right of a very crabbed sower countenaunce his mother could not be deliuered of him he was borne toothed with his feete forward contrarie to the course of nature To ouershadow our vermilian Rose The redde Rose was the badge of the house of Lancaster and the white Rose of Yorke which by the marriage of Henry the seauenth with Elizabeth indubitate heyre of the house of Yorke was happilie vnited Or who will muzzell that vnrulie beare The Earle of Warwicke the setter vp and puller downe of Kings gaue for his Armes the white Beare rampant the ragged staffe My Daysie flower which erst perfum'd the ayre Which for my â—auour Priâ—â—â—es once did were c. The Daysie in French is called Margaret which was Queene Margarets badge where-withall the Nobilitie and chiualrie of the Lande at the first arriuall were so delighted that they wore it in theyr Hats in token of honour And who be starres but Warwicks bearded slaues The ragged or bearded staffe was a part of the Armes belonging to the Earledome of Warwick Slaundring Duke Rayner with base baggary Rayner Duke of Aniou called himselfe King of Naples Cicile and Ierusalem hauing neither inhearitance nor tribute from those parts was not able at the marriage of the Queene of his owne charges to send her into England though he gaue no dower with her which by the Dutches of Glocester was often in disgrace cast in her teeth A Kentish Rebell a base vpstart Groome This was Iacke Cade which caused the Kentish-men to rebell in the 28. yeere of Henry the sixth And this is he the white Rose must prefer By Clarence daughter match'd to Mortimer This Iacke Cade instructed by the Duke of Yorke pretended to be descended from Mortimer which married Lady Phillip daughter to the Duke of Clarence And makes vs weake by strengthning Ireland The Duke of Yorke being made Deputy of Ireland first there beganne to practise his long pretended purpose strengthning himselfe by all meanes possible that he might at his returne into England by open warre claime that which so long he had priuily gone about to obtaine Great Winchester vntimely is deceas'd Henry Beuford Bishop and Cardinall of Winchester sonne to Iohn of Gaunt begot in his age was a proude ambitious Prelate fauouring mightily the Queene the Duke of Suffolke continually heaping vp innumerable treasure in hope to haue beene Pope as himselfe on his death bed confessed With Fraunce t' vpbrayd the valiant Somerset Edmund Duke of Somerset in the 24. of Henry the sixt was made Regent of Fraunce and sent into Normandie to defend the English territories against the French inuasions but in short time hee lost all that King Henry the fifth won for which cause the Nobles and the Commons euer after hated him T' endure these stormes with wofull Buckingham Humfry duke of Buckingham was a great fauorite of the Queenâ— Faction in the time of Henry the sixt And one fore-told by water thou should'st die The Witch of Eye receiued aunswer by her spirit that the duke of Suffolke should take heede of water which the Queene forwarnes him of as remembring the Witches prophecie which afterward came to passe FINIS To the Right Worshipfull Sir Thomas Munson Knight SIR amongst many which most deseruedly loue you though â— the least yet am loth to be the last whose endeuours may make knowne howe highly they esteeme of your noble and kind disposition Let this Epistle Sir I beseech you which vnworthily weares the badge of your woorthy name acknowledge my zeale with the rest though much lesse deseruing which for your sake doe honour the house of the Mounsons I know true generositie accepteth what is zealously offered though not euer deseruingly excellent yet for loue of the Art froÌ„ whence it receiueth resemblance The light Phrigian harmony stirreth delight as well as the melancholy Doricke moueth passion both haue theyr motion in the spirit as the liking of the soule moueth the affection Your kinde acceptance of my labourâ— shall giue some life to my Muse which yet â—ouers in the vncertainetie of the generall censure Mich Drayton Edward the fourth to Shores wife ¶ The Argument This Mistres Shore king Edward the fourths beautious paramour was so called of her husband a Goldsmith dwelling in Lombard streete Edward the fourth sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke after hee had obtained the crowne by deposing Henry the sixth which Henry was after murthered in the Tower by Richard Crookeback after the battel fought at Barnet where the famous Earle of VVarwicke was slaine and that King Edward quietly possessed the crowne hearing by report of many the rare and wonderfull beautie of the aforesaid Shores wife commeth himselfe disguised to London to see her where after he had once beheld her he was so