byd But he that myndes for rule another ryd Must not his handes with cruell bloud distayne For bloud doth alwayes cry for bloud agayne Eke Iustfull life that sleepes in sinkes of sinne Procures a plague fy fy on Venus vyle We litle wot the mischiefe is therein When we with poisons sweete our selues beguile The pleasures passe the ioyes indure but while And nought there by at all we get or gaine But dreadfull death and euerlasting paine Mee thincks thou lookist for to baue my name And musist what I am that thus do com I would or this haue tolde it but for shame Wherefore to giue example yet to som I will no longer faine my selfe so dom But sith I must as others tell their fall Take here my name my life my death and all I am Mempricius Madans eldest sonne Once king of Britaine that my brother slewe Whereby the crowne and kingdome all I won And after norisht vices moe that grewe Not natures lawes nor Gods nor mans I knew But liude in lust not recking any thing I demde was nought unlawfull for a king For when I had my brother brought on beare I thought in rest to keepe this kingdome longe And I was boyde of doubt I had no feare Was noue durst checke me did I right or wrong I liude at large and thought my powre so stronger There could no man preuaile against my will In steede of lawe that vsed rigor still So after that I fell to slouthfull ease A vice that breedes a nomber more besyde I waxt so testie none durst me displease And eke so puft with glory vaine and pride My sencelesse sence as ship without a guide Was tost with euery fancye of my braine Like Phoebus chariote vnder Phaetons raine I deemde them foes that me good counsaile gaue And those my chiefest frends could glose and lye I hated them that were so sage and graue And those I loude were lustye lewde and slye I did the wisest wittes as fooles defye Such sots knaues ruffians roisters I embrast As were vnwise vnhonest rude vnchast I lusted eke as lothsome lechers vse My subiects wiues and daughters at my will I did so often as me pleasde abuse Perforce I kept them at my pleasure still Thus gat I queanes and concubines at fill And for their sakes I put a way my wyfe Such was my lewdnes lust and lawlesse lyfe But shame for bids mee for to tell the rest It mee abhorres to shew what did insue And yet because it moueth in my brest Compunction still and was God wot to true I will declare whence my destruction grue To Sodomes sinne alas I fell and than I was despised both of God and man Could I long prosper thus do you suppose Might ought of euill exceede these vices told Thincke you ther 's any wight on ground that goes Might scape reuenge of vice so manifolde No sure who is in sianefulnes so bolde His vices fare like weedes they sproute so fast They kill the corps as weedes the corne at last My great outrage my heedelesse heade the life I beastly led could not continue soe My brothers bloud my leauing of my wife And working of my frendes and subiects woe Cride still to God for my fowle ouerthrne Which heares that wrōgd he heedes their careful case And at the length doth all their foes deface Yet I mistrusting no mishaps at hande Though I were worthy twenty times to dye I lewdly liude and did my wealth with stande I neuer thought my ende was halfe so nye For my disport I rode on hunting I In woodes the fearefull hart I chased fast Till quite I lost my company at last And or I wist to cost I found my foes By chaunce I came wher as the wolues they bred Which in a moment did me rounde inclose And mounted at my horse his throte and head Some on his hinder parts their paunches fed Yet fought I still to scape if it might bee Till they my fainted horse pulde downe with mee Then was I hopelesse to escape their iawes They fastned all their holders fast on mee And on my royall robes they set their clawes My Princely presence nor my highe degree Moude them no more obeysaunt for to bee Nor of my corps to take no more remorce Then did the greeuous groning of my horse But rauenously they rent my breast and throte Forsohe my steede came all at once and tare My tender corps from which they fleyde my coate And of my fleshe they made at all no spare They neuer left mee till my bones were bare Lo thus I sleme my brother left my wife Liude vilely and as vilely ended life Beware of bloudp broyles beware of wronge Embrace the counsaile of the wise and sage Trust not to powre though it be nere so stronge Beware of rashnes rude and coisters rage Eschew vile Venus toyes she cuttes of age And learne this lesson of and teach thy frende By pocks death sodaine 〈◊〉 harlots enne Finis The Authour ON this mee thought he vanishte quite avvay And I vvas left vvith Morpheus all alone VVhom I desyrde these gryzely ghostes to stay Till I had space to heare them one by one And euen vvith that vvas Somnus seruaunt gone VVhereby I slept and toke mine ease that night And in the morninge rose their tales to vvrite Novve Reader if you thincke I mistemy marke In any thinge vvhilere but stories tolde You must consider that a simple clarke Hath not such skill thesfect of things t'unfolde But may vvith ease of vviser be controlde Eke vvho so vvrites as much the like as this May hap be demde likevvise as much to misse VVherefore if these may not content your minde As eche man cannot fauour all mens vaines I pray you yet let me this frendship finde Giue your good vvill I craue noughtels for paines VVhich if you grutch mee as to great a gaines Then is my loue to you and labour lost And you may learne take heede vvith greater cost But novv me thinckes I heare the carpers tell Saith one the vvriter vvanted vvordes to fill The next reproued the verse not couched vvell The thirde declares vvhere lackte a point of skill Some others say they like the myter ill But vvhat of this shall these dismay mee quite No sure I vvill not cease for such to vvrite For with more ease in other workes they finde A fault then take vpon themselues to pen So much and eke content eche readers minde How should my verse craue all their likings then Sith sondry are the sects of diuers men I must endeuoure only those to please VVhich like that comes so it be for their ease The rest I recke as they blame worthy bee For if the vvords I wrote for good intent Take other sence then they receiude of mee Be turnde to vvorse torne reached rackt or rent Or hackt and hewde not constred as I ment The blame is theirs which with my workes so mell Lesse faulty he that vvisht his
thriue He plagues the prowde preserues the good aliue FINIS The Authoure THen vanishte Humber and no sooner gon VVas he but straight in place before me came A princely wight had complet harnes on Though not so complet as they now do frame He seemde sometime t' aue bene of worthy fame In breste a shafte with bleeding wounde he bare And thus he tolde the cause of all his care Locrinus the eldest sonne of Brutus declareth his slaughter to haue happened for his euill life He died the yeare before Christe 1064. YF euer any noble prince might rewe His factes are paste long since the same may I That would to God it were not farre to true Or that I iustly could my faultes denye The truthe of thinges the ende or tyme doth trie As well by me is seen my haplesse fall Declares whence came my greate misfortunes all I am Locrinus seconde Britayne king The 〈◊〉 sonne of him that founde this lande Whose death to me my mischiefes all did bring And causde why first I tooke my death in bande He chiefly wylde me when he gaue this lande I should be rulde by all his counsayles will And vse their iudgmentes in my dealings still But what do I accuse my fathers heste What meane I here th'unfauty for to blame All he commaunded euen was for the beste Though in effecte of beste the worste became So thinges ofte times well mente vnfitly frame So often times the counsayle of your frende Apparent good fawles faulty in the eude For as he wisht I vsde his counsayles ayde In eache thing that I deemde was good for mee I neuer ought that they desirde denayde But did to all their mindes and hestes agree And Corinaeus sawe my harte so free By diuers meanes he sought this match to make That to my wife I might his daughter take But I that wiste not then what mariage ment Did straight agree his Guendoline to haue Yet afterwarde suspecting his intent My frendes to me this pointe of counsaile gaue That who so doth of Prince aliaunce craue He meanes thereby to worke some point of ill Or else to frame the prince vnto his will. It may well be he mente no euill at all But wise men alwayes vse to dreade the-worste And sithe it was the fountaine of my fall From whence the springe of all my sorowes burste I may well thinke was some of vs accurste For why the ende doth alwayes proue the facte By ende weiudge the meaning of the acte I made no haste to wed my spoused wyfe I wiste I could as yet without hir byde I had not tasted toyes of trayned life I dcemde them fooles by Cupides darte that dide I Venus vise and all hir force defide And liude at reste and rulde my land so well That men delighted of my factes to tell My brethren eke long weldid well their partes We feard no foes we thought our state would stand We gaue our selues to learned skilfull artes Wherin we other fruite or pleasur fand And we enioyde so fine a fruitfull land That fewe in earth might with our states compare We lyude so voyde of noysome carke and care But see the chaunce when least we thought of ill When we esteamde our state to be moste sure Than came a flawe to bridle all our will For straungers far gan vs to warre procure And euen when first they put their pranke in vre On Albane shores my brother there they slewe Whose death we after made the Hunnes to rue When he was dead they hopte to winne the reste And ouer Abi streame with haste did hie But I and eke my brother Camber dreste Our armies straight and came their force to trie We brake their rayes and forste their king to flie Into the arme of Sea they ouer came Where Humber brounde that waters tooke his name We ether slewe or tooke them captiues all Emongst the which O mischiefe great to tell The Gods to worke mine ouerthrow and fall Sent ladies three whose beauties did excell Of which because I liked one so well I tooke hir straight nor she did ought denie But eche thing graunted so she might not dye Thus Humber we this hatefull hungery king In Humber drenshte and him depriude of pride And of his loftie ladies he did bring He loste the praye and all his men beside And we the spoiles of all his hoaste deuide But I that thought I had the greatest share Had caught the cause of all my wofull care They calde this lady Elstride whome I tooke Whose bewty braue did so my wittes confounde That for hir sake my promise I for sooke Wherby I was to Gwendoline first bounde Me thought no lady went on earthely grounde That might alure me euer chaunge my minde So was I caught by snares of Cupide blynde Was neuer none before so likte mine eye 〈◊〉 hir more then I coulde loue my life Hir absence still me thought did cause me die I surely mente to take hir to my wife But see howe beauty breadeth deadly strife Lo here began my whole confusion here Sprang out the shaft frō which this wounde I beare For Corinaeus had no soner hearde That I did meane his daughter to forsake But straight as one that did nought else regarde In haste his voyage towardes me did take And come declarde what promise I did make From whiche he saide if once I sought to slioe It should by dinte of sworde and bloud be tride But if I would hir take as erste I sayde And not this straunger choose against his minde His helpe he promiste at eache time and ayde To be so redy as I wishte to finde He furder sayde my contrey did me bynde To take such one as all my subiectes knewe Sithe straungers to their foes are neuer true I wayde his wordes and thought he wishte me wel But yet because his stocke should gaine therby I reckte them lesse and yet the truthe to tell I durste not dare my promise made denye For well I wiste if once it came to trye It would both weaken all this noble lande And doubtfull be who should ha th'upper hande Thus nedes perforce I must his daughter take And must leaue of to loue where I delighte I was constrainde contentio to forsake The forme that moste did captiuate my sighte What lucke had I on such a lote to lighte What ment you Goddes that me such fortune gane To caste my minde on hir I might not haue To shorte my tale his Guendoline I tooke I was contente against my will what then Nore quite for this myne Elstride I forsoke For why I wrought by skill of cunning men A vaulte along vnder the grounde a denne Hir companie wherin I vsed still There we acco mplishte our vnhappy will. There I begat my Sabrine sely childe That virgine sinall myne Elstride bare to mee Thus I my wife full often did beguilde Which after warde did beare a sonne to mee Namde Madan yet we neuer could agree And he
once procure My mother eke that loude me more Although he yonger was By diuers meanes did helpe me still To bring my feates to passe Wherby I thought my selfe so sure To haue my purpose sped As I requirde if once I might Get of his crafty head See here what faith what frendship is What loue what fauoure wee Do shewe to any wight aliue If once alofte me bee To fathers we are faithlesse ofte To brothers butchers vile Of sisters smale accounte we make And wedded wyues exile If any kithe or 〈◊〉 we haue By whom we vantage may We care not by what cruell meanes Their liues we take away But for to get the seate alone And for to wynne the crowne We care not whom nor when nor home So we may get them downe O brutishe beastes nay worse then those For they are still concente With that they haue what euer them Hath God or Nature sente But we do gape and gaze for glore We prowle and powle and pill And sweare and stare and striue fighte And one another kill And all for pompe and glorie great For name renowne estate Not caring of the commons crye Or Godes eternall hate If I had had the giftes of grace I neuer would haue sought By any meanes such worldly trashe With brothers bloud to boughte But as I ment euen so I sped So bloudy butchers thye When moste I deemde my purpose sure He was to good for me For as I thought his bloud to shed I compaste was about So that for thousand kingdomes I Could not with life scape out He perste my hart what skilles it sithe My minde was euen as bad For why what measure I him mente My selfe like measure had And so all such as murder meane Intende or treason vse Shall at the lengthe like ende attayne Or worse they cannot chuse FINIS The Authour WHen as king Forrex thus had tolde his tale Me thought he stay de no whit but went his way Then came a mangled corps as full of bale And or he nerer came made halfe a stay ê™ Morpheus come for shame thou nedste not stay As bad as thou haue tolde their tales before And so must thou and diuers other more Porrex recites howe for the slaughter of his brother he was slayne by his owne mother and hir maydens as he laye sleeping About the yeare before Christe 491. FRom darkesome deunes where cruell Cayne And others like do lye Whose bloudie blades were bathde in bloud Poore caytiue thence come I. Where Typhon is his brother slewe Osiris in despite And where their sister Isis is Did him againe requite Wher Dardanus to rule alone His brother made away Etheoclus Polinicus At once did others sley Where Helenus king Priams son His brother Theon kilde Medea eke in bloudy wyse Hir brothers bloud that spilde Where Tydeus is in hunting shote His brother through the side Polytes eke his brothers harte With sworde that opened wyde And where as that Cambyses is His syster once that slewe And Polipontes king that made His brother treason rewe And cruell where Odores is Which mercy did deny To Mithridate his brother deare That did for pardon crie Eke where Learchus is that did His brother sicke destroy With poyson deadly hoping so To make him selfe a Roy. And where that wretche Mamertes lyes His brothers sonnes that spilte And Sisapho tormenting him For such an heynous 〈◊〉 Where Rhesus and Caduidus are with shaftes their brethren slewe And Philadelphus Ptolomae his brothers death did brewe Where Philopater Ptolome his father made away And after that his brother with his dearist frendes did slay And where Ardieus tyraunt vile his aged father stroyde And after that his elder bro. ther kingdomes to enioyde Where Mithridatus beastly king of Pontus feeles anoye Which mother his and brother eke sixe children did destroye Where is Antiochus the great His brother brought to graue That he might onely raigne alone and all the kingdome haue Where Romulus that Remus stew of Romaines first had fall Though 〈◊〉 brother first he were presumde to scale the wall And where Mempricius lewde doth lye a Britaine Prince that slue His brother Manlius fearing lest he were to him vntrue Where Iugurth eke that basterde is his brethren brought to graue That after them Numidia he might for kingdome haue And where a Thousande are beside which were to longe to tell Their parents deare and brethren slue and now in darkenes dwell From thence I came a Britaine yore namde Porrex once a kinge Againe to shewe what vices mee To sodaine death did bringe Now list a while and then do write what I thee tell that others may Themselues in such attempts as these from bloudy acts as brethren stay My brother Forrex fiue yeares space and I this kingdome helde Betweene 〈◊〉 both the common weale wee scace did wisely welde At length we fondly fell at 〈◊〉 so Princes bide no mate Nor make nor partners with to raigne but beare their equals hate The heire because I yongest was thought his by right the crowne But I esteemde the halfe was mine and all if he were downe VVhereby O brothell butcher eke not brother I did stay My brother for to haue it all and get his right away Such are the acts of delesse youthes Such are their studies still VVhich care not what offence they make So they their fancies still But as it is vniustice and an haynous acte to vse Such murder slaughter paricide and Iustice all refuse So Ioue the iust at length requites our deedes and makes vs rewe VVee euer were to God or man or natures 〈◊〉 vntrue For when I deemde the crowne was mine which had my brother slaine O griefe to tell my mother and hir maydens wrought my paine Both for my fault and for she loude my brother Forrex still With all hir maides she came by night my sleeping corps to kill And I that slombring sleeping lay though many dreames fortolde My haplesse fall could neuer wake the meaning to vnfolde But last supposing with my selfe I cruel Tigres sawe With rauening fearcenes rent theyr 〈◊〉 against dame Natures lawe She came on mee to fill my dreame before my eyes could wake And with a dagger reft my life for Forrex slaughters sake Much like Agaue and hir mates shee and hir maidens got Them tooles therefore and hewde my corse as small as fleshe to pot Or Progne Queene hir children slue and he wde their membres small In wrathfull ite made Tereus feede and fill himselfe withall Or like Medea monster Queene hir Iasons sonnes that kilde Because she was forsaken when his purpose was fulfilde Like these was shee nay worse for why this ended Brutus line Brought mee to ende and hir to shame Though first the fault were mine Bid those beware that weene to winne by bloudy acts the crowne Lest from