lineaments of his Quoth he the man thee to the Crowne did bring Might at thy hands the least haue lookt for this And in this place vnseeming of the rest Where onely sacred solitude is blest 67 Her presence frees th' offender of his ill And as the essence makes the place diuine What strong Decree can countermaund the will That gaue to thee the power that now is thine And in her armes preseru'd in safety still As the most pure inuiolable shrine Though thou thus irreligiously despise And dar'st profane these halowed liberties 68 But as when Illion fatally surprisde The Grecians issuing from the woodden horse Their rage and fury prowdly exercisde Opening the wide gates letting in their force Putting in act what was before deuisde Without all sence of pitty or remorce With cries shreekes rumors in confused sound words are broken off complaints abruptly drownd 69 Dissolu'd to drops she followes him O teares Elixar like turne all to pearle you touch To weepe with her the building scarce forbeares The sorrowes that she vttereth are such Able to wound th'impenitrabl'st eares Her plaints so piercing and her woes so much when with th' abundance words wold hardly come Her eyes in silence spake when lips were dumbe 70 Sweete sonne quoth she let not that blood be spilt Once prizd so deere as did redeeme thy Crowne Whose purity if â—ainted now with guilt The cause thereof efficiently thine owne That from the ruines of thy country built Razde with dissentions thy substantiall throne And broke those bounds thy kingdomes once confinde Into large France to exercise thy minde 71 For the deere portion of that naturall blood Which lends thee heate and nutriment of life Be not a niggâ—rd of so small a good Where bounty should be plentifully rife Begg'd on those knees at which thou oft hast stood In those armes circles might co 〈…〉 re this strife O God! that breath from such a bosome sent Should thus in vaine be prodigally spent 72 When in this vproare with the sodaine fright Whilst eu'ry one for â—afety seekes about And none regarding â—o preserue the light Which being wasted sadly goeth out Now in the midst and terrour of the night At the departure of this armed rowt The Queene alone at least if any neare Her wretched women yet halfe dead with feare 73 When horror darkenes and her present woe Begin to worke on her afflicted minde And eu'ry one his tyranny doth show Euen in the fulnes of his proper kinde In such â—x 〈…〉 sse her accusations flow This liberty vnto their power assignde Racking her conscience by this torture due It selfe t' accuse with whatsoere it knew 74 O God to thinke that not an houre yet past Her greatnes freedome and her hopes so hie The sweet content wherein her thoughts were placde Her great respect in eu'ry humbled eye How now she is abused how disgracde Her present shame her after misery When eu'ry woe could by despaire be brought Presents his forme to her distracted thought 75 To London now a wretched prisner led London where oft he triumpht with the Queene And but for spite of no man followed Scarcely thought on who had for many beene Of all regard and state impou'rished Where in excesse he often had bin seene Which at his fall doth make them wonder more Who sawe the pompe wherein he liu'd before 76 O misery where â—nce thou doost infest How soone thy vile contagion alters kinde That like a Circe metamorphisest The former habite of the humane minde That euen from vs doost seeme our selues to wrest Striking our fraile and fading glories blinde And with thy vicious presence in a breath Chain'st vs as slaues vnto pale fainting Death 77 At Westminster a Parliment decreed To th'establishing the safetie of the Crowne Where to his end they finally proceede All laying hand to dig this mountaine downe To which Time wills they haue especiall heede Now whilst the Fates thus angerly doe frowne The blood of Edward and the Spensers fall For their iust vengeance hastily doe call 78 The death of Kent that foule and loathsome blot Th'assuming of the Wardes and Liueries With Ione the Princesse married to the Scot he summes oft seized to his treasuries And that by this might well haue beene forgot The signe at Stanhope to the enemies Or what else ript from the records of Time That any way might aggrauate his crime 79 O dire Reuenge when thou in time arte rakde From the râ—de ashes which preseru'd thee long In the dry cindars where it seemde as slakde Matter to feed it forcde with breath of wrong How soone his hideous fury is awakde From the small sparks what flames are quickly sprong And to that top dooth naturally aspire Whose weight and greatnes once represt his fire 80 And what auailes his answer in this case Which now the time doth generally distast Where iudgement lookes with so seuere a face And all his actions vtterly disgrac'd What fainting bosome giues him any place From out the faire seate of opinion cast With pen and incke his sorrowes to deceiue Thus of the faire Queene takes his latest leaue 81 Most mighty Empresse s'daine not to peruse The Swan like dirges of a dying man Vnlike those raptures of the fluent Muse In that sweete season when our ioyes began That did my youth with glorious fire infuse When for thy gloue at Tilt I prowdly ran Whereas my startâ—ing Courser strongly set Made fire to flie from Hartfords Burgoneâ— 82 The King your sonne which hastneth on my death Madam you know I tendred as mine owne And when I might haue grasped out his breath I set him gently on his fathers throne Which now his power too quickly witnesseth Which to this height and maiesty is growne But our desert forgot and he forgiuen As after death we wish to liue in heauen 83 And for the sole rule whereon thus he stands Came bastard William but himselfe on shore Or borrowed not our fathers conqu'ring hands Which in the field our ancient ensignes bore Guarded about with our well ordred bands Which his prowd Leopards for their safety wore Raging at Hastings like that ominous Lake From whose dread waues our glorious name we take 84 Had I beene chargde vpon mine armed horse As when I came vnto the walles of Gaunt Before the Belgike and Burgonian force There challenging my Countries Combattant Borne from my seate in some robustious course That of my spoiles the enemy might vaunt Or had I falne vnder my battered shield And lent mine honour to some conquered field 85 I haue not followed Fortun like a slaue To make her bounty any whit the lesse By my desert her iudgement to depraue Nor lent me aught I freely not confesse And haue returnd with intrest what she gaue A minde that suted with her mightinesse He twice offends which sinne in flattry beares Yet eu'ry houre he dies that euer feares 86 I cannot feare what forceth others quake The times and I haue
glorious raigne of Queene Elizabeth her restoring of Religion the abolishing of the Romish seruitude and casting aside the yoke of Spaine ¶ Gilford Dudley to Iane Gray AS the Swanne singing at his dying howre So I reply from my imprisning towre O could there be that powre but in my verse To expresse the griefe my wounded heart doth pierce The very walles that straitly thee inclose Would surely weepe at reading of my woes Let your eies lend I le pay you euery teare And giue you intrest if you doe forbeare Drop for a drop and if you le needes haue lone I will repay you franckly two for one Perhaps you le thinke your sorrowes to appease That words of comfort fitter were than these True and in you when such perfection liueth As in most griefe most comfort alwaies giueth And thinke not Iane that cowardly I faint To begge mans mercy by my sad complaint That death so much my courage can controule At the departing of my liuing roule For if one life a thousand liues could bee All those too few to consummate with thee When thou this crosse so patiently doost beare As if thou wert incapable of feare And doost no more this desolution flie Than if long age constrained thee to die Yet it is strange thou arte become my foe And onely now add'st most vnto my woe Not that I loathe that most did me delight But that so long depriued of thy sight For when I speake and would complaine my wrong Straitwayes thy name possesseth all my tong As thou before me ouermore didst lie The present obiect to my longing eie No ominous starte did at thy birth tide shine That might of thy sad destiny diuine T is onely I that did thy fall perswade And thou by me a sacrifice arte made As in those countries where the louing wiues With their kinde husbands end their happy liues And crownd with garlands in their Brides attire Burne with his body in the funerall fire And she the worthiest reckned is of all Whome loast the perill seemeth to appall I boast not of Northumberland great name Nor of Ket conquered adding to our fame When he to Norffolke with his armies sped And thence in chaines the rebells captiue led And brought safe peace returning to our dores Yet soread his glory on the easterne shores Not of my brothers from whose naturall grace Vertue may spring to beautifie our Race Not of Grates match my children borne by thee Of the great blood indoubtedly to bee But of thy vertues onely doe I boast That wherein I may iustly glory most I crau'd no kingdomes though I thee did craue It might suffice thy onely selfe to haue Yet let me say how-euer it befell Me thinkes a Crowne should haue become thee well For sure thy wisedome merited or none To haue beene heard with wonder from a throne When from thy lippes the counsell to each deede Doth as from some wise oracle proceede And more esteemd thy vertues were to mee Then all that else might euer come by thee So chaste thy loue so innocent thy life As being a virgine when thou wert a wife So great a gift the heauen on me bestow'd As giuing that it nothing could haue ow'd Such was the good I did possesse of late Ere worldly cares disturbde our quiet state Ere trouble did in euery place abound And angry warre our former peace did wound This is all that ambition vs affordes One crowne is guarded with a thousand swords To meane estates meane sorrowes are out showne But crowns h 〈…〉 cares whose workings be vnknowne When Dudley led his armies to the east Of our whole forces generally possest What then was thought his enter prise could let Whome a graue counsell freely did abet That had the iudgement of the powrefull lawes In euery poynt to iustifie the cause The holy Church a helping hand that layde Who would haue thought that these could not haue swayde But what alas can parlements auaile Where Maries right must Edwards Act 〈…〉 When Suffolkes powre doth Suffolkes hopes withstand Northumberland doth leaue Northumberland And they that should our greatnes vndergoe Vs and our actions onely ouerthrow Ere greatnes gain'd we giue it all our hart But being once come could wish it would depart And indescreetly follow that so fast Which ouertaken punisheth our haste If any one doe pitty our offence Let him be sure that it be farre from hence Heere is no place for any one that shall So much as once commiserate our fall And we of mercy vainely should but thinke Our timelesse teares th' insatiate earth doth drinke All lamentations vtterly forlorne Dying before they fully can be borne Mothers that should their woefull children rue Fathers in death too kindely bid adue Friends their deare farewell louingly to take The faithfull seruant weeping for our sake Brothers and sisters waiting on our beere Mourners to tell what we were liuing heare But we alas depriued are of all So fatall is our miserable fall And where at first for safety we were shut Now in darke prison wofully are put And from height of our ambitious state Lie to repent our arrogance too late To thy perswasion thus I then reply Holde on thy course resolued still to die And when we shall so happily be gone Leaue it to heauen to giue the rightfull throne And with that health regreet I thee againe Which I of late did gladly entertaine Notes of the Chronicle Historie Not of Ket conquered adding to our fame IOhn Duke of Northumberland when before he was Earle of Warwike in his expedition against Ket ouerthrew the rebels of Norfolke and Suffolke encamped at Mount-Surrey in Norfolke Nor of my brothers from whose naturall 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 Dudleys 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 aliance of the Lady Iane Gray by her mother which was Francis the daughter of Charles Brandon by Mary the French Queene daughter to Henry the seuenth and sister to Henry the eight To haue beene heard with wonder from a throne Seldome hath it euer beene knowne of any woman endued with such wonderfull gifts as was this Ladie both for her wisdome and learning of whose skill in the tongues one reporteth by this Epigram Miraris Ianam Graio sermone valere Quo â—â—â—mum 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 haste away appoynted 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 companie seeing the people in great numbers came to see him he sayd the people presse to see vs but none bid God
tuggd together so Wonting my way through sword and fire to make So oft constraind against the streame to rowe To doubt with Death a couenant to make When 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 heart Whose thoghts in death my humbled sprite doth raise Lady most faire most deere of most desart Worthy of more than any mortall praise Condemned March thus lastly doth depart From her the greatest Empresse of her dayes Nor in the dust mine honor I interre Thus Caesar dide and thus dies Mortimer 88 To Nottingham this Letter brought vnto her Which is subscribde with her Emperious stile Puts her in minde how once that hand did wooe her With this short thought to please herselfe a while Thus sorrow can so subtilly vndooe her That with such flattery doth her sence beguile To giue a sharper feeling to that paine Which her grieu'd heart was shortly to sustaine 89 Putting her fingers to vnrip the seale Cleaning to keepe those sorrowes from her eyes As it were loth the tidings to reueale Whence griefe should spring in such varieties But strongly vrg'd doth to her will appeale When 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 easly doth begin As the small fish plaies with the baited hooke Then more and more to swallow sorrow in As threatning death at eu'ry little looke Where now she reades th'expences of her sin Sadly set downe in this blacke dreadfull booke And those deere summes were like to be desray'd Before the same were absolutely pay'd 91 An hoast of woes her suddainely assaile As eu'ry letter wounded like a dart As though contending which should most preuaile Yet eu'ry one doth pierce her to the hart As eu'ry word did others case bewaile And with his neighbour seemde to beare a part Reason of griefe each sentence is to her And eu'ry line a true remembrancer 92 Greefe makes her reade yet straitwaies bids her leaue With which ore-charg'd she neither sees nor heares Her sences now their Mistris so deceiue The words do wound her eyes the sound her eares And eu'ry organe of the vse bereaues When for a fescue she doth vse her teares That when some line she loosely ouer-past The drops do 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 thinkes she is deluded by the light Or is abusde by the orthography And by some other t' is deuisde for spight Or pointed false her schollership to try Thus when we fondly sooth our owne desires Our best conceits oft proue the greatest liers 94 Her trembling hand as in a feauer shakes Wherewith the paper doth a little stirre Which she imagines at her sorrow shakes And pitties it who she thinkes pitties her Each small thing somwhat to the greater makes And to the humor something doth infer Which when so soone as she her tongue could free O worthy Earle deere loued Lord quoth shee 95 I will reserue thy ashes in some Vrne Which as a relique I will onely saue Mixt with the teares that I for thee shall mourne Which in my deere breast shall their buriall haue From whence againe they neuer shall returne Nor giue the honor to another graue But in that Temple euer be preserued Where thou a Saint religiously art serued 96 When 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 reuengde in some notorious kind To which she deepely doth ingage her troth Bound by a strong vow and a solemne oth 97 For pen and incke she calles her maides without And the kings dealings will in griefe discouer But soone forgetting what she went about She 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 When turning backe to reade what she had writ She teares the paper and condemnes her wit 98 And thus with contrarieties araised As waters chilnesse wakeneth from a swownd Comes to her selfe the agony appeased When colder blood more sharpely feeles the wound And griefe her so incurably hath seized That for the same no remedie is found As the poore refuge to her restlesse woes This of her griefe she lastly doth dispose 99 That now vnkinde 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 bequeathe so bound that they out liue thee That as my breast it hourely doth torment Thou maist enjoy it by my Testament 100 Henceforth within this solitary place Abandoning for euer generall sight A priuate life I willingly embrace No more rejoycing in the obuious light To consumate 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 SEing these Epistles are now to the world made publike it is imagined that I ought to be accountable of my priuate meaning chiefely for mine owne discharge lest being mistaken I fall in hazard of a inst and vniuersall reprehension for Hae nugae seria ducent In mala derisum semel exceptumque sinistre Three points are especially therefore to bee explained First why I entitle this worke Englands Heroicall Epistles then 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 heere in were English or else that their loues were obtained in England And though heroicall bee properly vnderstood of demi-gods as of Hercules and Aeneas whose parents were said to be the one celestall the other mortall yet is it also transferred to them who for the greatnesse of minde come neere to Gods For to bee borne of a celestiall Incubus is nothing else but to haue a great and mightie spirit farre aboue the earthly weaknesse of men in which sence Ouid whose imitator I partly professe to bee doth also vse Heroicall For the second seeing none to whom I haue dedicated any two Epistles but haue their states ouer-matched by them who are made to speake in the Epistles howeuer 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 their particular interest hauing in some sort sorted the complexion of the Epistles to the character of their iudgements to whom I dedicate them excepting onely the
answering tells me Woe is there And when mine armes would gladly thee enfold I clip the pillow and the place is cold Which when my waking eyes precisely view T is a true token that it is too true As many minutes as in the howres there be So many howres each minute seemes to me Each howre a day morne noone-tide and a set Each day a yeare with miseries complet A winter spring-time summer and a fall All seasons varying but vnseasoned all In endelesse woe my thrid of life thus weares By minutes howres daies months lingring yeares They praise the summer that enioy the South Pomfret is closed in the Norths cold mouth There pleasant summer dwelleth all the yeere Frost-starued-winter dooth inhabite heere A place wherein dispaire may fitly dwell Sorrow best suting with a cloudy Cell When Herford had his iudgement of exile Saw I the peoples murmuring the while Th' vncertaine Commons toucht 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 forcde t' abridge his banisht yeeres When they bedewd his footsteps with their teares Yet by example could not learne to know To what his greatnes by this loue might grow Whilst Henry boasts of our atchiuements done Bearing the trophies our great fathers wonne And all the storie of our famous warre Now grace the Annales of great Lancaster Seauen goodly siens in their spring did flourish Which one selfe root brought forth one stock did noâ—ish Edward the top-branch of that golden tree Nature in him her vtmost power did see Who from the bud still blossomed so faire As all might iudge what fruite 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 yongst of three Might Princely Wales beget an impe so base That to Gaunts issue should giue soueraigne place That leading Kings from France returned home As those great Caesars brought their spoiles to Rome Whose name obtained by his fatall hand Was euer fearefull to that conquered land His fame increasing purchasde in those warres Can scarcely now be bounded with the starres With him is valour quite to heauen fled Or else in me is it extinguished Who for his vertue and his conquests sake Posteritie a demy god shall make And iudge this vile abiect spirit of mine Could not proceede from temper so diuine What earthly humor or what vulgar eie Can looke so lowe as on our misery When Bullingbrooke is mounted to our throne And makes that his which we but calld our owne Into our counsells he himselfe intrudes And who but Henry with the multitudes His power disgrades his dreadfull frowne disgraceth He throwes them downe whome our aduancement placeth As my disable and vnworthy hand Neuer had power belonging to command He treades our sacred tables in the dust And proues our acts of Parlament vniust As though he hated that it should be saide That such a law by Richard once was made Whilst I deprest before his greatnes lie Vnder the weight of hate and infamie My backe a footstoole Bullingbrooke to raise My loosenes mockt 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 bidst me neither hope nor liue Succour that comes when ill hath done his worst But sharpens griefe 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 woefull mothers teares Thy curse on Percie angry heauens preuent Who haue not one curse left on him vnspent To scourge the world now borrowing 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 griefes be mortall and infectious Yet better fortunes thy faire youth may trie That follow thee which still from me doth flie ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie Thiâ— tongue which first denounc'd my regall state RIchard the second at the resignation of the crowne to the duke of Herford in the Tower of London deliuering the same with his owne hand there confessed his disabilitie to gouerne vtterly denouncing all kingly authoritie And left'st great Burbon for thy love to me Before the Princesse Isabell was maried to the king Lewes duke of Burbon sued to have had her in marriage which was thought he had obtained if this motion had not fallen out in the meane time This Duke of Burbon sued againe to have received her at her comming into France after the imprisonment of king Richard but King Charles her Father then crost him as before and gave her to Charles sonne to the Duke of Orleans When Herford had his judgement of exile When the combate should have beene at Couentrie betwixt Henrie Duke of Herford and Thomas Duke of Norfolke where Herford was adiudged to banishment for ten yeares the commons exceedingly lamented so greatly was he ever favored of the people Then being forc'd t' abridge his banisht yeeres When the Duke came to take his leave of the King beeing then at Eltham the King to please the Commons rather then for any love he bare to Herford repleaded foure yeares of his banishment Whilest 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 Edmund of Langley Duke of York the fifth Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Gloster the sixth William of Winsore the seuenth Edward the top-branch of that golden tree Truly boasting himselfe to be the eldest Sonne of Edward the blacke Prince Yet after Edward Iohn the yongst of three As disabling Henry Bullingbrooke being but the son of the fourth brother William and Lionell being both before Iohn of Gaunt That leading Kings from France returned home Edward the blacke Prince taking Iohn king of France prisoner at the battel of Poicters brought him into England where at the Sauoy he died
late duke Humfries old alies With banisht Elnors base complices Attending their reuenge grow wondrous crouse And threaten death and vengeance to our house And I lone the wofull remnant am T' endure these stormes with wofull Buckingham I pray thee Poole haue care how thou doost passe Neuer the Sea yet halfe so dangerous was And one foretolde by Water thou shouldst die Ah! foule befall that foule tongues prophecie And euery night am troubled in my dreames That I doe see thee tosst in dangerous streames And oft-times shipwrackt cast vpon the land And lying breathlesse on the queachy sand And oft in visions see thee in the night Where thou at Sea maintainst a dangerous fight And with thy proued target and thy sword Beatst backe the pyrate which would come aboord Yet be not angry that I warne thee thus The truest loue is most suspitious Sorrow doth vtter what vs still doth grieue But hope forbids vs sorrovve to belieue And in my counsell yet this comfort is It can not hurt although I thinke amisse Then liue in hope in triumph to returne When cleerer dayes shall leaue in cloudes 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 vvould rest Where it vvould still behold thee in my breast Farewell sweete Pole faine more I would indite But that my teares doe blot as I do write ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie Or brings in Burgoyne to ayde Lancaster PHillip Duke of Burgoyne and his sonne were alwaies 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 fixt withstood the Duke of Yorke at his rising giuing him two great ouerthrowes To that allegeance Yorke was bound by oth To Henries heires and safety of vs both No longer now he meanes Records shall beare it He will dispence with heauen and will vnsweare it The Duke of Yorke at the death of Henry the fift and at this Kings coronation tooke his oth to be true subiect to him and his heires for euer but afterward dispensing therewith claimed the crowne as his rightfull and proper inheritance 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 Edmund Earle of Rutland slaine by the Lord Clifford at the battel at Wakefield and George Duke of Clarence that was murthered in the Tower and Richard Duke of Gloster who was after he had murthered his brothers sonnes King by the name of Richard the third He that 's so like his Dam her yongest Dicke That fowle illfauored crookeback'd Stigmaticke c. Till this verse As though begot an age c. This Richard whom ironically she heere calls Dicke that by treason after his Nephewes murthered obtained the crowne was a man low of stature crooke-back'd the left shoulder much higher then the right and of a very crabbed and sower countenance his mother could not be deliuered of him hee was borne toothd with his feet forward contrary to the course of nature To ouershadow our vermilian Rose The red 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 heire of the house of Yorke was happily vnited Or who will muzzell that vnruly beare The Earle of Warwicke the setter vp and puller downe of Kings gaue for his Armes the white Beare rampant and the ragged staffe My Daisie flower which erst perfumde the ayre Which for my fauour Princes once did weare c. The Daisie in French is called Margaret which was Queene Margarets badge where-withall the Nobilitie and chiualrie of the Land at the first arriuall were so delighted that they wore it in their hats in token of honour And who be starres but Warwikes bearded staues The ragged or bearded staffe was a part of the Armes belonging to the Earledome of Warwicke Slandring Duke Rayner with base beggery Rayner Duke of Aniou called himselfe King of Naples Cicile and Ierusalem hauing neither inheritance nor tribute from those parts and 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 Dutchesse of Glocester was often in disgrace cast in her teeth A Kentish rebell a base vpslart groome This was Iacke Cade which caused the Kentish-men to rebell in the 28. yeere of King Henry the fixth 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 began to practise his long pretended purpose strengthning himselfe by all meanes possible that hee 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 deceasde Henry Benford Bishop and Cardinall of Winchester sonne to Iohn of Gaunt begot in his age was a prowd and ambitious Prelate fauouring mightily the Queene and the Duke of Suffolke continually heaping vp innumerable treasure in hope to haue beene Pope as himselfe on his death-bed confessed With France t' vpbraide the valiant Somerset Edmund Duke of Somerset in the 24. of Henry the sixth was made Regent of France and sent into Normandie to desend the English territories against the French inuasions but in short time he lost all that King Henry the fifth won for which cause the Nobles and Commons euer after hated him T' endure these stormes with wofull Buckingham Humfrey Duke of Buckingham was a great fauorite of the Queenes faction in the time of Henry the sixt And one sore-told by water thou shouldst die The Witch of Eye receiued answer from her spirit that the Duke of Suffolke should take heede of water which the Queene forwarnes him of as remembring the Witches prophecie which afterwards came to passe Finis To the Right Worshipfull Sir Thomas Munson Knight SIR amongst many which most deseruedly loue you though I the least yet am loth to be the last whose endeuours may make knowne how highly they esteeme of your noble and kinde disposition Let this Epistle Sir I beseech you which vnworthily weares the badge of your worthy 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 offred though not euer deseruingly excellent yet for loue of the Art from whence it receiueth resemblance The light Phrigian harmony
Forth of my lap I powre aboundant blisse All good proceedes from my all-giuing hand By me man happy or vnhappy is For whom I sticke or whom I doe with stand And it is I am friendships onely band And vpon which all greedily take hold VVhich being broke loue suddainely growes cold Pawsing she frownes when suddainely withall A fearefull noise ariseth from the stood As when a tempest furiously doth fall within the thicke waste of some antient wood That in amazement euery mortall stoode As though her words such powerfulnesse did beare That euery thing her minaces did feare VVhen fame yet smiling mildely thus replies Alas quoth she what labor thou hast lost what wond'rous mists thou casts before our eyes Yet will the gaine not countervaile the cost what wouldst thou say if thou hadst cause to boast which sett'st thy state forth in such wond'rous sort VVhich but thy selfe none euer could reportâ— A thing constrained onely by euent Breeding in some a transitory terror A what men will that comes by accident And onely named to excuse their error What then is Fortune or who doth preferre her Or who to thee so foolish is to leane Which weake tradition onely doth maintain A toy whereon the doting world doth dreame Soothed by that vncertaine obseruation Of all attempts that being the extreame Fastneth thereby on weake imagination Yet notwithstanding all this vsurpation Vnto thy selfe art incidently loathing Most when thou woldst be that art rightly nothing That slightly by insinuating thus And vnder so allowable pretence Closely incroacheth on mans Genius In good and euill taking refidence And hauing got some small preheminence Vnto thy selfe a being that wouldst frame Findes in conclusion only but a name Those ignorant which made a god of Nature And Natures God diuinely neuer knew Were those to Fortune did direct a stature From whom thy worship ignorantly grew Which being adored foolishly by few Grounded thy looser and vncertaine lawes Vpon so weake and indigent a cause First stouth did beare thee in her sleepy cell And thee with ease dishonourably fed Deliuering thee with Cowardice to dwell Which with base thoughts continually thee bred By superstition idely being led A lewd imposture after did thee make Whom for a goddesse fooles doe onely take And as thy followers nothing doost forecast And as thou arte improuident as light And this the chiefest property thou hast That against vertue thou bendst all thy might With whom thou wagest a continuall fight The yeelding spirite in fetters thou doost binde But weake and slauish to the constant minde Such is thy froward and malignant kinde That thou doost all things crossely in despight Thou art inamored of a barbarous hinde Whome thou doost make thy onely fauorite None but the base in basenesse doth delight For wert thou heauenly thou in loue wouldst bee with that which neerest doth resemble thee But I alone the herauld am of heauen Whose spacious kingdome shetcheth farre and wide To euery coast as swift as lightning driuen And on the sunne-beames gloriously I ride Now mount I vp now downe againe I slide I register the worlds eternall howres That know the hid will of th' immortall powres Men to the starres me guiding them do clime That all dimensions perfectly expresse And I alone the vanquisher of time Bearing that sweere that cures deaths bitternesse That doe all labour plentifully blesse That all obstruse profundities impart Leading man through the tedious wayes of Arte. My pallace placed betwixt earth and skies Which many a Tower ambitiously vpheares Whereof the windowes are composde of eies The walles as strongly edifide of eares where euery thing in heauen and earth appeares Nothing so softly whispered in the round But through my pallace presently doth sound And vnder-foote floor'd all about with drummes The rafters trumpets admirably cleere Sounding alowde each name that thither comes The crannies tongues and talking euery where And all things past doe in remembrance beare The doores vnlocke with euery little breath And open wide with euery word man saith And throwout hung with armes conquer'd spoiles The postes whereon the goodly roofe doth stand Are Pillars grauen with Herculian toiles Th'atchieuements great of many a warrelike hand Both in the christen'd and in heathen land Done by those Nobles that are most renown'd Which there by me immortally are crown'd Here in the bodies likenes whilst it liues Appeare the thoughts proceeding from the minde To which the place a glorious habite giues When vnto me they freely are resignde To be preseru'd there by my power refinde That when the body by plae death doth perish Then doth this place the minds true Image cherish My beautie neuer Fades but as new borne As yeares increase so euer waxing yong My strength is not diminished nor worne What weakeneth all things makes me onely strong Nor am I subiect vnto worldly wrong The rape of time I carelesly defie Nor am I awde by all his tyrannie The brow of heauen my monuments containe which is the mighty register of Fame which there in firie characters remaine The gorgeous seeling of th' immortall frame The Constellations publishing my name where my memorialls euermore abide In those pure bodies highly glorifide F 〈…〉 hauing ended Fortune next beganne Further to vrge what she before had said when loe quoth she duke Robert is the man which as my prisners I in bondes do leade For whome thou comst against me heere to pleade Whome I alone deprined of his crowne Who can raise him that Fortune will haue downe A fitter instance Fame replying none Then is Duke Robert Fortune do thy worst Greater to man thy might was neuer showne Doing on him what euer Fortune durst And since thy turne allotted thee the first Proceede see which the Norman Duke shall haue Whether that Fame or Fortune and the graue Quoth Fortune then I found th'vnstedfast starre Whose lucklesse working limited his fate That mark'd his sad natiuitie with warre And brothers most vnnaturall debate Publique sedition and with priuate hate And on that good his father him begunne Grounded the wracke and downe fal of this sonne What bounteous nature franckly did bestow Wherein her best she strained her to trie Thereby himselfe I made him ouerthrow Aboue you both so powerfull am I His breast to all so openly did lie Iudg'd from his fashion differing so farre For peace too milde too mercifull for warre And yet the courage that he did inherit And from the greatnesse of his blood did take Though shrowded in so peaceable a spirit When now his wrong so roughly did awake Forthwith such furie violently brake As made the world impartially to see All humane actions managed by mee That till reuenge was wholly him bereâ—t Opposde against so absolute a powre And him to leane on nothing being left when danger most him threatned to deuoure Vnto the period of the vtmost howre Him flattering still with promise of my loue Did make him all extreamities to proue That whilst his
darts do warre The Scot so much delighting in his horse The English Archer of a Lions force The valiant Norman most his troupes among With the braue Britton wonderfully strong Remote from comfort in this colder clime To other Countries kindely doth you bring And wisely teach you to redeeme the time Whence your eternall memory might spring Vnto the place whereas the heauenly King Your deare redemption happily beganne Liuing on earth which was both God and man Poore Ilanders which in the Oceans chaine Too long imprisoned from the cheerefull day Your warlike leader brings you to the maine Which to my Court doth shew the open way And his victorious hand becomes the key Vnto so high aduentures that you beares Glory to you and honour to your heires And doth thereto so zealously proceede As those faire lockes his temples that adorne Vntill the great Ierusalem were freed He made a vow should neuer more be shorne Which since they so religiously were worne In euery eye did beautifie him more Then did the Crowne of Normandie before Whilst he still on his vpright course doth hold As we the sequell briefely shall relate Bearing himselfe as worthily he could And best became his dignitie and state Teaching how his themselues should moderate Not following life so with his chance content Nor flying death so truly valient So did he all his faculties bestow That euery thing exactly might be done That due fore-sight before the act might goe Others grosse errors happily to shunne Wisely to finish well that was begunne Iustly directed in the course of things By the straight rule from sound experience springs Idle regards of greatnes that did scorne Carelesse of pompe magnificent to bee That man reputing to be noblest borne That was the most magnanimous and free In honor so impartiall was hee Esteeming titles meritlesse and nought Vnlesse with danger absolutely bought Giuing the souldier comfortable words And oft imbalmes his well-receiued wound To him that needed maintenance affords To braue attempts encouraging the sound Neuer dismaide in any perrill found His Tent a seate of iudgement to the greeu'd And as a Court to those should be releeu'd So perfect vvas that rarifying fire That did compose and rectifie his minde Vnto that place that raised his desire Aboue the vsuall compasse of his kinde And from the world so cleerely him refinde As him did wholy consecrate to glorie A subiect fit whereon to build a storie VVho in ambassage to the Emperour sent Passing along through Macedon and Thrace Neuer did sleepe but onely in his tent Till he reviewd that famous Godfreis face Nor till hee came vnto that halowed place Ne're did repose his bodie in a bed Such were the cares possess his troubled head O wherefore then great singer of thy daies Renovvned Tasso in thy noble storie Shouldst thou be tax'd as partiall in his praise And yet so much shouldst set forth others glorie Me thinkes for this thou shouldst be inly sorie That thou shouldst leaue another to recite That which so much thou didst neglect to write There was not found in all the christian hoste Any than he more forward to the field Nor their battallions could another boast To beare himselfe more brauely with his shield So well his armes this noble Duke could wield As such a one he properly should be Thatâ— I did meane to consecrate to me Of so approoued and deliuer force Charging his launce or brandishing his blade Whether on foote or managing his horse That open passage through the ranckes he made At all assaies so happy to inuade That were he absent in the charge or chase It was supposde the day did loose the grace In doubtfull fights where danger soon'st did fall He would be present euer by his will And where the Christians for supplies did call Thither through perill Robert pressed still To help by valour or relieue by skill To euery place so prouidently seeing As power in him had absolutely being When in the morne his Courser he bestrid He seemd composde essentially of fire But from the field he euer drowping rid As he were vanquisht onely to retire Neerest his rest the furth'st from his desire And in the spoiles his souldiers share the crownes They rich in golde he only rich in wounds And when the faire Ierusalem was wonne And king thereof they gladly him would make All worldly titles he so much doth shunne As he refusde the charge on him to take One the vaine world that cleerely did forsake So farre it was from his religious minde To mixe things vile with those of heauenly kinde No triumph did his victories adorne But his high praise for sinfull man that dide Nor other marke of victory is worne But that red Crosse to tell him crucifide All other glories that himselfe denide A holy life so willingly he leades In dealing almes and bidding of his beades Thus a poore Pilgrime he returnes againe For glittring armes in Palmers homely gray Leauing his Lords to leade his warrelike traine Whilst he alone comes sadly on the way Dealing abroad his lately purchasde pray An aged staffe his carefull hand doth hold That with a launce his heathen foe controlde But now to end this long continued strife Henceforth thy mallice takes no further place The hate thou bar'st him ended with his life By thee his spirite can suffer no disgrace Now in mine armes his vertues I embrace His body thine his crosses witnes bee But mine his minde that from thy powre is free Thou gau'st vp rule when he gaue vp his breath And where thou end'st eu'n there did I beginne Thy strength was buried in his timelesse death when as thy Conquerour lastly came I in That all thou gotst from thee againe did winne To whom thy right thou wholy didst resigne That all thou hadst was absolutely mine To the base world then Fortune get thee backe The same with drery tragedies to fill There by thy power bring all things vnto wracke And on weake mortalles onely worke thy will And since so much thou doost delight in ill Heare his complaint who wanting eies to see May giue thee sight which arte as blinde as hee At her great words amazed whilst they stand The Prince which looked dreadfully and grimme Bearing his eies in his distressefull hand Whose places stoode with blood vnto the brimme In the great anguish shaking euery limme After deepe sighes and lamentable throwes Thus gan at length to vtter forth his woes Saith he farewell the lights are now put out And where they were is buried all my ioy That are with darkenes compassed about Which tiranny did wilfully destroy To breed my more perpetuall annoy That euen that sense I onely might forgoe That could alone giue comfort to my woe You which beheld faire Palestine restorde And from prophane hands of the Pagans freed The Sepulchre of that most gratious Lord And seen the mount where his deere wounds did bleed That with these sights my zealous soule did feede Sith
so hie So soone transpersed with a womans eie He that a king at Poictiers battell tooke Himselfe led captiue with a wanton looke Twice as a Bride to church I haue bin led Twice haue two Lords enjoyd my Bridale bed How can that beauty yet be vndestroyd That yeeres haue wasted and two men enioyd Or should be thought fit for a Princes store Of which two subiects were possest before Let Spaine let France or Scotland so preferre Their infant Queenes for Englands dowager That bloud should be much more than halfe diuine That should be equall euery way with thine Yet princely Edward though I thus reproue you As mine owne life so deerely doe I loue you My noble husband which so loued you That gentle Lord that reuerend Mountague Nere mothers voyce 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 chaind mine eares vnto his pleasing tong My lips haue waited on your praises worth And snatcht his words ere he could get them forth When he hath spoke and something by the way Hath broke off that he was about to say I kept in minde where from his tale he fell Calling on him the residue to tell Oft he would say how sweet a Prince is he When I haue praisde him but for praising thee And to proceede I would intreate and wooe And yet to ease him help to praise thee too Must she be forcde 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 mildely quencht 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 reuerend yeeres When on his knee he beggd me with his teares By no perswasions possibly could winne To free himselfe as guiltlesse of my sinne The woe for me my mother did abide Whose sute but you there 's none would haue denide Your lust full rage your tyranny could stay Mine honours ruine further to delay Haue I ot lou'd you let the truth be showne That still preseru'd your honour with mine owne Had your fond will your foule desires preuailde When you by them my chastitie assailde Though this no way could haue excusde 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 laide And I haue gainde my libertie with shame To saue my life made ship wracke of my name Did Roxborough once vaile her towring fane To thy braue ensigue on the Northerne plaine And to thy trumpet sounding from thy tent Often replide as to my succor sent And did receiue thee as my souâ—raigne liege Comming to ayde thou shouldst againe besiege To raise a foâ— 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 won more than he could haue got That did ingirt me ready still to flie But thou laidst batt'ry to my chastitie O modestie didst thou me not restraine How I could chide you in this angry vaine A Princes name heauen knowes I doe not craue To haue those honours Edwardâ— spouse should haue Nor by ambitious lures will I be brought In my chaste breast 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 chaste 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 vnbrideled 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 makes mention obiecting bigamy against herselfe as being therefore not meet to be married with a batcheller-Prince were sir Thomas Holland knight sir Willlam Montague afterward made Earle of Salisbury That not my fathers graue and reuerend 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 singular 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 Protectoriship of Mortimer that dangerous aspirer And I haue gainde my libertie with shame Roxborough is a castle in the North mis-termed by Bandello Salisbury castle because the king had giuen it to the Earle of Salisbury in which her Lorde being absent the Countesse by the Scots was besieged who by the comming of the English Armie were remoued Here first the Prince saw her whose libertie had bin gained by her shame had shee bin drawne by dishonest loue to satisfie his appetite but by her most praise-worthy constancie she conuerted that humor in him to an honourable purpose and obtained the true reward of her admired vertues The rest vnto your princely thoughts I leaue Lest any thing be left out which were woorth the relation it shall not be impertinent to annex the opinions that are vttered concerning her whose name is said to haue bin Aclips but that being rejected as a name vnknowne among vs Froisard is rather beleeued who calleth her Alice Polidore contrariwise as before is declared names her Iane who by Prince Edward had issue Edward dying yong and Richard the second king of England thogh as he saith she was diuorced afterwards because within the degrees of consanguinitie prohibiting to many the trueth whereof I omit to discusse her husband the Lord Montague being sent ouer into Flaunders by king Edward was taken prisoner by the French and not returning left his Countesse a widow in whose bed succeeded Prince Edward to whose last and lawsull request the reioycesull Lady sends this louing answere Finis ¶ To the right Honourable and my very good Lord Edward Earle of Bedford THrice noble and my gratious 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 furst bequeathed by that learnd accomplisht gentleman sir Henry Goodere not long since deceased whose I was whilst hee was whose patience pleased to beare with the imperfections of my heedles and vnstaied youth That excellent and
matchlesse Gentleman was the first cherisher of my Muse which had beene by his death left a poore Orphan to the world had he not before bequeathed it to that Lady whom he so deerely liued Vouchsafe then my deere Lord to accept this epistle which I dedicate as zealously as I hope you will patronize willingly vntill some more acceptable seruice may be witnesse of my loue to your honour Your Lordships euer Michaell Drayton Queene Isabell to Richard the second The Argument Queene Isabel the daughter of Charles king of France being the second wife of Richard the second the son of Edward the Blacke Prince the eldest sonne of King Edward the third After the saide Richard her husband was deposed from his crowne and kingly dignitie by Henry duke of Herford the eldest son of Iohn of Gaunt duke of Lancaster the fourth sonne of Edward the third this Ladie being then very yong was sent backe againe into Fraunce without dowre at what time the deposed King her husband was sent from the Tower of London as a prisoner vnto Pomfret Castle Whether this poore Lady bewailing her husbands misfortunes writeth this Epistle from France AS dooth the yeerely Auger of the spring In deapth of woe thus I my sorrow sing Words tunde with sighes teares falling oft among A dolefull burthen to a heauy song Words issue forth to finde my griefe some way Teares ouertake them and doe bid them stay Thus whilst one striues to keepe the other backe Both once too forward now are both too slacke If fatall Pomfret hath in former time Nurrisht the griefe of that vnnaturall clime Thether I send my sorrowes to be sed But where first boâ—ne where fitter to be bred They vnto France be aliens and vnknowne England from her doth challenge these her owne They say all mischiefe commeth from the North It is too true my fall doth set it forth But why should I thus limite Griefe a place When all the world is filld with our disgrace And we in bounds thus striuing to containe it The more resists the more we doe restraine it Oh how euen yet I hate these wretched eies And in my glasse oft call them faithlesse spies Preparde for Richard that vnwares did looke Vpon that traitor Henry Bulingbrooke But that excesse of ioy my sence bereau'd So much my sight had neuer bin deceau'd Oh how vnlike to my lou'd Lord was hee Whom rashly I sweet Richard tooke for thee I might haue seene the Couâ—sers selfe did lacke That Princely rider should bestride his backe He that since Nature her great worke began Shee made to be the mirrour of a man That when she meant to forme some matchlesse lim Still for a patterne tooke some part of him And iealous of her cunning brake the mould In his proportion done the best she could Oh let that day be guiltie of all sinne That is to come or heeretofore hath bin Wherein great Norffolkes forward course was staide To prooue the treasons he to Hersord laide When with sterne furie both these Dukes enragde Their warlike gloues at Couentry engag'd When first thou didst repeale thy former grant Seal'd to braue Mowbray as thy Combatant From his vnnumbred howres let time deuide it Lest in his minutes he should hap to hide it Yet on his brow continually to beare it That when it comes all other daies may feare it And all ill-boding Planets by consent That day may hold their dreadfull parlement Be it in heauens decrees enroled thus Blacke dismall fatall inauspitious Prowd Herford then in height of all his pride Vnder great Mowbraies valiant hand had dide Nor should not thus from banishment retire The fatall brand to set our Troy on fire O why did Charles relieue his needy state A vagabond and stragling runnagate And in this Court with grace did entertaine This vagrant exile this abiected Caine Who with a thousand mothers curses went Mark'd with the brand often yeeres banishment When thou to Ireland took'st thy last farewell Millions of knees vpon the pauements fell And euery where th' applauding ecchoes ring The ioyfull showts that did salute a King Thy parting hence what pompe did not adorne At thy returne who laugh'd thee not to scorne Who to my Lord a looke vouchsafde to lend Then all too few on Herford to attend Princes like sunnes be euermore in sight All see the clowdes betwixt them and their light Yet they which lighten all downe from the skies See not the clowdes offending others eyes And deeme their noone-tide is desir'd of all When all expect cleere changes by their fall What colour seemes to shadow Herfords claime When law and right his fathers hopes doth maime Affirm'd by church-men which should beare no hate That Iohn of Gaunt was illegiâ—timate Whom his reputed mothers tongue did spot By a base Flemish Boore to be begot Whom Edwards Eglets mortally did shun Daring with them to gaze against the Sun Where lawfull right and conquest doth allow A triple crowne on Richards princely brow Three kingly Lions beares his bloody field No bastards marke doth blot his conquering shield Neuer durst he attempt our haplesse shore Nor set his foote on fatall Rauensporâ— Nor durst his slugging Hulkes approch the strand Nor stoope a top as signall to the land Had not the Percyes promisde aide to bring Against their oath vnto their lawfull King Against their faith vnto our crownes true heire Their valiant kinsman Edmond Mortimer When I to England came a world of eyes Like starres attended on my faire arise At my decline like angry Planets frowne And all are set before my going downe The smooth fac'd ayre did on my comming smile But with rough stormes are driuen to exile But Bullingbrooke deuisâ—e we thus should part Fearing two sorrowes should possesse one heart To make affliction stronger doth denie That one poore comfort left our miserie He had before diuorc'd thy crowne and thee Which might suffice and not to widdow mee But that to proue the vtmost of his hate To make our fall the greater by our state Oh would Aumerle had suncke when he betraid The complot which that holy Abbot laid When he infring'd the oth which he first tooke For thy reuenge on peâ—iurde Bullingbrooke And beene the ransome of our friends deere blood Vntimely lost and for the earth too good And we vntimely mourne our hard estate They gone too soone and we remaine too late And though with teares I from my Lord depart This curse on Horford fall to ease my heart If the fowle breach of a chaste nuptiall bed May bring a curse my curse light on his head If murthers guilt with blood may deepely staine Greene Scroope and Bushie die his fault in graine If periury may heauens pure gates debar Damn'd be the oth he made at Dancaster If the deposing of a lawfull King The curse condemne him if no other thing If these disioynde for vengeance cannot call Let them vnited strongly curse him all And for the Percyes heauen may