had crackt And that my suite unto the Queene ill sped It chanced that I made a post-contract And did in sort the Lady Sheifield wed Of whom I had two goodly Children bred For the Lord Sheifeild died as I was sure Of a Catarchy which Physitians could not cure Some thinke the Rhume was artificiall Which this good Lord before his end did take Tush what I gave to him was naturall My plighted troth yet some amends did make Though her at length unkind I did forsake Shee must not blame mee for a higher reach Made my sure promise find a sudden breach The valiant Earle whom absent I did wrong In breaking Hymeneons i holy band In Ireland did protract the time too long Whil'st some in Englandâ—ugled under hand And at his comming homewards to this land Hee died with poison as they say infected Not without cause for vengance I suspected Because this fact notorious scandall bred And for I did his gallant wife abuse To salve this sore when this brave Lord was dead I for my selfe did this faire Lady choose And flesh is fraile deere Lady mee excuse It was pure love which made mee undertake This haplesse recontract with thee to make Now In Ioves Pallas that good Lord doth sup And drinke full bowles of Nectar in the skie Hâ—mnos his page that tasted of that cup Did onely loose his haire and did not die True noble Earle thy fame to Heaven did flie Hee doth repent his fault and pardon crave That mar'd thy bed and too soone made thy grave Thou did'st behind thee leave a matchlesse sonne A peerelesse patern for all Princely Peeres Whose sparkes of glory in my time begunne Kindled with hope flam'd highly in few yeares But death him struck and maim'd this land with feares His sonne doth live true Image of him dead To glad this soile where showres of reares were shed They were too blame that said the Queene should marry With mee her Horse-keeper for so they told mee But thou Throgmorton which this tale did carry From France to England hast more sharply gâ—ld mee Sith my good Queene in office high extol'd mee For I was Master of her highnesse Horse I scorn'd thy words which did my hate inforce But tell mee then how did'st thou like thy fare When I to supper last did thee invite If I did rid thee of a World of care By giving thee a sallet gentle Knight With gastely lookes doe not my soule affright Leycester I am whom England on'st did dread But now I am like thee Throgmorton dead My Lord of Sussex was too collerick That cald mee Traytor and a Traytours sonne But I serv'd him a fine Italian trick Had I not done so I had beene undone Now marke the end what conquest hee hath wonne A little scruple that to him I sent Did purge his choller till his life was spent Hee was a gallant Noble man indeed O but his life did still my life decrease Therefore I sent him with convenient speed To rest amongst his Ancestours in peace My rage was passifide at his decease And now I come to imbrace his love too late Whom dead I lov'd and living I did hate I came to visite as I chan'st to walke My Lady Lenox whom I found not well I tooke her by the hand had private talke And so departed a short tale to tell When I was gone unto a flux shee fell That never coast her company to keepe Till it had brought her to a sencelesse sleepe I dreamt shee had not many dayes to live And this my dreame did shortly fall out true So as her Ghostly father I did give Some comfort to her soule for well I knew That shee would shortly bid the World adue Some say I gave such physick as did spill her But I suppose that meere conceit did kill her Some will object perhaps I did pretend To meet the Earle of Ormond on a day In single fight our quarrell for to end But did command my servant Kyllagray To lie in ambush that stout Lord to slay But Heaven did not consent to worke his spoile Which was the glory of the Irish soile Perhaps I doubted that I was too weake And loth I was hee should the conquest winne If in this cause I did my promise breake I hope men will not count it for 〈◊〉 Is it not good to sleepe in a whole 〈◊〉 When Hanibal could not prevaile with blowes Hee used 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If I the death of Mounsieur Simâ—rs sought When he from France Embassadour was sent I had good cause to seeke it as I thought For towards meehee bore no good intent Had hee fled by times perhaps I meant To have sent him in Embasse for my pleasure To the black Fiend that keepes Avernus treasure For when no men about the Coasts durst speake That I the Lady Lettice married This pratling French man first the Ice did breake And to the Queene the fact discovered Which not without just cause the anger bred Thus th' ape did play his part contrould of none When hee espied the Beare from home was gone One Salvadore an Italian borne Having on'st watcht with mee till midst of night Was found slaine in his bed the next day morne Alas poore man I rue his wofull plight That did in nothing but in sinne delight Had hee to honest actions bent his wit Hee might have longer liv'd and scapt his fit But what reward should such a man expect Whom gold to any Lewdnes could entire On s turne on'st serv'd why should wee not reject So vile an instrument of damned vice What if hee were dispatched in a trice Was it not better this mans bloud to spill Then let him live the World with sinne to fill I doubted least that Doughtie would bewray My Councell and with other party take Wherefore the sooner him to rid away I sent him forth to Sea with Captaine Drake Who knew how t entertains him for my sake Before he went his let by mee was cast His death was plotted and perform'd in hast Hee hoped well but I did so dispose That hee at Port-Saint-Gillian lost his head Having no time permitted to disclose The inward griefes that in his heart were bred Wee need not feare the biting of the dead Now let him goe transported to the Seas And tell my secrets to the Antipodes My servant Gates did speed as ill or worse To whom I did my close intents impart And at his need with money stuft his purse And will'd him still take courage at his heart Yet in the end hee felt the deadly smart Hee was inveiglde by some subtill witted To robbe so hee was taken and committed Of pardons I did put him still in hope When hee of felony was guilty found And so condemn'd till his last friend the rope Did him uphold from falling to the ground What hope of grace where vice doth so abound Hee was beguil'd like birds that use to gape At Zeuxes table for a painted
My face well grast with smiles my purse with Crownes Houlding the raines of honour in my hand I manag'd all the State I did command My lookes with humble Majesty repleat Made some men wish mee a Kings royall seat Thus waxt I popular to purchase fame To mee the Common-peoples knees did bow I could my humour still so fittely frame To entertaine all men to outward show For few with inward love my heart did know And that I might not seeme puft up with pride Bare-headed oft through Cities I did ride While some cried out God save you gratious Lord Lord how they did my fame h'iperobolize My words and gesture did so well accord As with their hearts I seem'd to simpathize I charm'd their cares and did enchant their eyes Thus was I reckon'd their chiefe Potentate No poller but a piller of the State Then I was call'd the life and ô the Court And some I wot wisht I had beene the head I had so great a traine and such a port As did the pompe of Mortimer exceed Whom as in th' English Cronicles wee read When second Edward lost his Kingly rights Was waited on at onst with nine score Knights The Earle of March Sir Robert Mortimer Ruld the young King Queene mother and the Peeres I Robert Dudley Earle of Leycester Did sway in Court and all the English Shires His rule was short mine florisht many yeares Hee did his life with Ignominy loose I liv'd and triumpht ore my proudest foes As the Image of great Alexander dead Made King Cassander tremble at his sight Spying the figure of his Royall head Whose presence sometime did the World affright Or like as Caesar monarchizing spright Persude false Brutus at Phillippos field Till hee that slew his leige himselfe was kild So view yee petty Lords my Princely Ghost I speake to you whose heart is full of gall I whilst I liv'd was honour'd of the most And either fear'd for love of great and smale Or lov'd for feare of such as wisht my fall Behold my shadow representing State Whose person sometime did your pride abate Waigh what I was Knights Gentlemen and Peeres When my death threatning frownes did make you quake As yet there was not pass't not many yeares Since I you plumes pluckt lofty crests did shake Then tell mee Sirs for old acquaintance sake Waxe yee not pale to heare of Leysters name Or to bakebite mee blush yee not for shame You say in dealings that I was unjust As if true Justice ballance yee could guide Had I dealt justly I had turn'd to dust Long before this your corps swolne up with pride Which now surviving doe my acts deride My fame yet lives though death abridg'd my dayes Some of you died that over liv'd your praise Are there not some among you Parasites Time-servers and observers of no measure Damn'd Machevillians given to lust and pleasure Church robbers beggers of the Princes treasure Prince-smothers people pleasure Hippocrites Truce-breakers Pirats Atheists Sycophants Can equity dwell here where conscience wants And yet you thinke none justly deales but you Divine Astrea up to Heaven is fled And turne to Libra there looke up to vâ—iew Her ballance in the zodiack figur'd Iust Aristldes onst was banished Where lives his match whom envy did persue Because men thought hee was too just and true Yee say ambition harbour'd in my braine I say ambition is no hainous sinne To men of state doe stately thoughts pertaine By basebred thoughts never can any winne Who ever did a great exploite beginne Before ambition mov'd him to the deed And hope of honour urg'd him to proceed Themistocles had never put to flight Xerxes hughe host nor tam'd the Persian pride Nor had King Pyrrus got by marshall sight The Romans spoiles with conquest on his fight If first ambition had not beene the guide Had not this humour their stout hearts allur'd To high attempts their fame had beene obscur'd The Eagle doth disdaine to catch smale flies The Lion with the Ape doth scorne to play The Dolphin doth the Whirle-pooles love despice Thus if Beasts Birds and Fishes beare such sway Much more should man whom reason doth adorne Bee noble minded and base fortune scorne Admit I could dissemble wittily This is no grievious sinne in men of State Dissembling is a point of policy Plaine dealing now growes stale and out of date Wherefore I oft conceald my privy hate Till I might find fit time though long I stay'd To wreake the wrath that in my heart I lai'd The ould proverbe saith plaine dealing is a Juell But hee that useth it a begger dies The World is now a dayes become so cruell That Courtiers doe plaine Country-men despice Quick wits and cunning heads doe quickly rise And to bee plaine yee shall plainely deale That office seekes in Court or Common-wealth Now Aristippus is in more request That knew the way to please a Monarch's mind Then that Cinique swad that us'd to jest At every idle Knave that hee could find To unkind friends you must not bee too kind This is a maxime which to you I give Men must dissemble or they cannot live Yee say I was a cowerd in the field I say that fits not such a Noble wight To whom his Countrey doth the title yeeld of Lord Lieutenant with full power and might To venture his owne person in the fight Let others die which as our vassailes serve Whilst heaven for better haps our hopes preserve How soone did Englands joy in France diminish When th' Earle of Salisbury at Orlâ—â—nâ—e By gunshot strooke his honours life did finish When Talbot that did often time advance The English Enfines in despite of France Was at the daâ—t Invironed and slaine Whose name the French-mens terrour doth remaine And what a fatall wound did Rome recieve By Crassus death whom faithlesse Parthians slue How did the Senate for Flaminius grieve And for Aemilius death and his stout crue Whom Hannibal at Cannes did subdue Cut off an arme yet life the heart may cherish Cut off the head and every part will perish Iphicrates th' Athenian usde to say Vaunt Currours are like hands to battaile prest The men of armes are feet whereon to stay The Foote-men as the stomack and the brest The Captaines as the head above the rest The head onst crased troubleth all the parts The Generall slaine doth kill ten thousand hearts Therefore a Lord Lieutenant should take care That hee in safety doe himselfe repose And should not hazard life at every dare But watch and ward so Fabius tir'd his foes When rash Minutius did the conquest loose If such in open danger will intrude It is fond rashnes and not fortitude You say I was lascivious in my love And that I tempted many a gallant Dame Not so content but I did also prove To winne their handmaids if I like the game Why Sirs you know love kindles such a flame As if wee may beleeve what Poets penne It doth inchant the
hearts of Gods and men Iove lov'd the Daughter of a jealous Sire Dâ—nae a maid immur'd within a Towre Yet to accomplish the end of his desire Hee metamorphos'd to a goulden showre Fell in the lap of his faire pâ—ramour And being term'd a God did not disdaine To turned to man to beast to showre of raine Deere Lord when Cupid throwes his firie darts Doth none of them your tender bodies hit Doth Cytherea never charme your hearts Nor beauty trie your quintessentiall wit Perhaps you will say no fie it is unfit Now by my Garter and my George to boote The blind boy surely hits if hee doth shoote Whereas you doe object by magick charmes I sought to winne faire Dames to my desire T' is better so then strive by force of armes For forced love will quickely back retire If faire meanes cannot winne what wee require Some secret tricks and slights must be devised That love may even from hell bee exercised To you dull wits it seemes impossible By drinkes or charmes this worke to passe to bring Know then that Giges went invisible By turning of the sigill of his Ring Toward his palme and thereby slew the King Laie with his wife of any man unseene Lastely did raigne by marrying with the Queene King Solomon for magick naturall Was held a cunning man by some divines Hee wrote a booke of Science naturall To bind ill Spirits in their darke confines Hee had great store of wifes and concubines Yet was hee a sacred King this I inferre The wisest man that now doth live may eric Also yee said that when I waxed old When age and mispent time had made mee drie For ancient held in carnall lust is cold Natures defect with art I did supplie That so to helpe this imbecility I used strange drinkes and ointments of great price Whole tast or touch might make dead flesh arise To this I answer that this fine extraction Drammes and electuaries rarely made Serv'd not so much to helpe veneriall action As for to comfort nature that 's decay'd Which being with indifferent judgement way'd In Noble men may bee allow'd I trust As lending to their healths and not their justs What if I drunke nothing but liquid gold Lactrina Christall Pearle dissolv'd in wine Such as the Aegyptians full cuppes of did hold When Cleopatra with her Lord did dine A trifle care not for the cost was mine What if I gave Hypomiuâ—s in drinke To some faire Dames at smal faults yee must winke Yee say I was a Traytor to the Queene And that when Monsieur was in greatest grace I being out of favour mov'd with spleene To see a French-man frolique in the place Forth toward Berwick then did post a pace Minding to raise a rebellious rout To take my part in what I went about That I was then a Traytor I deny But I confesse that I was Monsieurs soe And sought to breake the league of amity Which then betwixt my Prince and him did growe Doubting Religion might be changed so Or that our lawes and customes were in danger To bee corrupt and alter'd by a stranger Therefore I did a faction strong maintaine Against the Earle of Suffex a stout Lord On Monsieurs side and then Lord Chamberlaine Who sought to make that nuptiall accord Which none may breake witnesse the sacred word But thus it chanced that hee striv'd in vaine To knit the Knolt which Heavens did not ordaine Thus did yee mis-enterpret my conceits That for disloyalty my deeds did blame Yet many men have layed their secret baites To entrape mee in such snares to worke my shame Whom I in time sufficiently did tame And by my Soveraignes favour bore them downe Proving my selfe true Liegeman to the Crowne Thinke yee I could forget my Soveraigne Lady That was to mee so gratious and so kind How many triumphes for her glory made I O I could never blot out of my mind What Characters of grace in her still shin'd But some of you which were by her prefer'd Have with her bones almost her name interr'd When shee was gone which of you all did weepe What mournefull song did Phylomela sing Alas when shee in cold deaths bed did sleepe Which of you all her dolefull knell did ring How long will yee now love your crowned King If yee forget so soone you ould Queene dead Which foure and fourtie yeares hath governed Yee say I fought by Muither to aspire And by strong poison many men to â—lay Which as yee thought might erosse my high desire And cloude my long expected golden day Perhaps I laid some blocks out of my way Which hindred mee from coming to the bowre Where Cynthia shin'd like lampes in Pharohs Towre Alas I come not of a Tygers kind My hands with bloud I hated to defile But when by good experience I did find How some with fained love did mee beguile Perchance all pitty then I did exile And as it were against my will was prest To â—â—â—ke their deaths that did my life detest Lo then attend to heare a dolefull tale Of those whose deaths you doe suppose I wrought Yet wish I that the World beleeve not all That hath of mee by envious men beene wrot But when I for a Kingly fortune sought O pardon mee my selfe I might forget And cast downe some my state aloft to set My first wife fell downe from a paire of staires And brake her neck and so at Cromner died Whilst her true servants led with small affaires Vnto a faire at Abbington did ride This dismall hap unto my wife betide Whether yee call it chance or destinie Too true it is shee did untimely die O had I now a showre of teares to shed Lockt in the empty Circles of mine eyes Or could I shed in mourning for the dead That lost a spouse so young so faire so wife So faire a corps so foule a corse now lies My hope to have married with a famous Queene Drave pitty back and kept my teares unseene What man so fond that would not loose a Pearle To find a Diamand leave brasse for gold Or who would not for sake a gallant girle To winne a Queene great men in awe to hold To rule the State of none to bee controld O but the steps that lead unto a throne Are dangerous for men to tread upon The Cardinall Chatillian was my foe Whose death peradventure I did compact Because hee let Queene Elizabeth to know My false report given of a former act How I with her had made a precontract And the great Princes hope I hard thereby That sought to marry with her Majesty The Prelate had beene better hold his tongue And kist his Fathers holy feete in Rome A Masse the sooner for his soule was song But hee might thanke mee had hee stayed at home Or late or never hee to Heaven had come Therefore I sent him nimbly from the coasts Perhaps to supper with the Lord of hoasts When death by hap my first wifes neck
out this fountaine many mischiefes growe Hereof examples many may bee read In Chronicles of the English Princes dead This humour made King Harrold breake his oath Made unto William Duke of Normandy This made King Ruffus and young Beauclâ—arke bâ—t Their elder brother Robert to defie And Stephen to forget his loyalty To Maude the empresse and to hould in scorne The faithfull oath which hee to her had sworne This made young Henry crowned by his Sire Against his Father warrefarre to maintaine This made King Iohn the Kingdome to aspire Which to his nephue Arthur did pertaine And him in prison hardely to retaine And this made Bullingbrooke usurpe the Crowne Putting his lawfull Soveraigne Richard downe This made Edward the fourth at his returne To breake the oath which hee had lately sworne When hee from Burgondy to Yorke was come And rule the Realme in good King Henries roome This made the Tyrant Richard eake to doome His nephues death and ridde away his wife And so in bloud to end his wretched life A pretty plot in practize I did put Either to take a Queene without delay Or when the cards were shuffled and well cut To choose the King and cast the Knaves away Hee should bee cunning that great game would play Ill luck hath hee that no good game can make Where Princes play and crownes lie at the stake First I assay'd Queene El'zabeth to wed Whom divers Princes courted but in vaine When in this course unluckly I sped I sought the Scots Queene marriage to obtaine But when I reapt no profit for my paine I sought to match Denbigh my tender chil'd To Dame Arbella but I was beguil'd Even as Octavus with Marke Anthony And Lepidus the Romaine Empire shard That of the World then held the Soveraignty So I a new Triumverate prepar'd If cruell death young Denbighs life had spar'd The Grandame Vncle and the Father in law Might thus have brought all England under aw In the Low-Countries did my fame sore high When I was sent Lieutenant generall The Queenes proud foes I stoutly did defie And made them too some composition fall There I maintain'd a port Majesticall In pompe and triumph many dayes I spent From noble then my name grew excellent Then was my heart in height of her desire My mind puft up with sarquery and pride The vulgar sort my glory did admire Even as the Romans Ave Caesar cried When the Emperour to the Senate house did ride So did the Flemings with due reverence Like thunder say God save your excellence Few subjects before mee obtain'd this stile Vnlesse they were as viceroyes of this land The name of Lordship seem'd to base and vile To mee that govern'd such a Royall band And had a Princes absolute command Who did not of my pussiance stand in aw That might put him to death by Martiall law Lo what a Title hath my honour got An Excellency added to my name Can this injurious World so quickly blot A name so great out of records of fame Covering my glory with a vaile of shame Or will it now contemne mee being dead Whom living even with feare it honoured The Towne of Denborough I did besiege Which did on composition shortly yeeld I did good service to my gracious leige Till by ill Councellours I was beguil'd For such as were my Captaines in the field To whom I did at length chiefe charge commit Seduc'd mee to doe many things unfit When Sir Iohn Norris counsaile I refus'd Whose perfect skill in Armes I well knew By Rowland Yorkes devise I was abus'd Whereof some losse soone after did ensue Deventer Towne and Zutphen Sconse I rue By Yorke and Stanley without many bloes Where rendered up to mercy of the foes And that which to my heart might more griefe strike Hapned the death of that renowned Knight My nephew Sidney neere Coleston Dike Receiv'd his deadly wound through fortunes spight I sent no fresh supply to him out right I was not farre off with a mighty hoast So with his losse of life some fame I lost The Court of him lost a brave Courteour The Countrey lost a Guide their faults to mend The campe did loose an expert Souldiour The City lost an honourable friend The Schooles a Patron their rights to defend The Court the Countrey and the Schooles and City For Sydne is death doe sing a mournefull ditty Now while my Princely glory did abound Like rich Lucullus I great feasts did make And was for hospitality renown'd The use of Armes I quickly did forsake An easier taske I meant to undertake I tooke no joyes in wounds and broken pates But to carrouse and banquet with the States Not Heliogabilus whose dainty fare Did all the Roman Emperoars feasts exceed In cost and rarenes might with mine compare Though hee on braines of O stretches did feed And Phinicepteries and that insteed Of Oyle hous'd his lampes with Balme to fill Such was the pleasure of the Tyrants will To mee Count Egmonts Daughter did resort And such brave Dames as Flanders still did yeeld That it did rather seeme I came to court A gallant Lady then to pitch a field For I did lay aside the sword and shield At cards and dice I spent the vacant dayes And made great feasts insteed of Martiall frayes But whilst in games and love my time I spent Seeming secure as though I car'd for nought My Messengers abroad I dayly sent As instruments of my still working thought Whereby my purpose oft to passe I brought And compast what before I did devise At such a time as no man will surmise Thus great attempts I ost did enterprise Like a Magitian that with some fine wile Dazels the sight of the Spectatours eyes And with illusions doth their sence beguile Such polices my cunning did compile That I before mens eyes did cast a mist While I perform'd such matters as I list Yee that like apes doe imitate my deeds Hoping thereby like favour to obtaine Know that so high a Spirit never breds In a blunt Pesant or unnurtur'd swaine But in my heart imperious thoughts did raigne No flegmatique dull milke-sop can aspire But one compact of th' Element of fire Hee dayly must devise some stratageme Hee must bee rich stout liberall and wise The humours of base men hee must contemne Hee must bee gratious in the peoples eyes Hee should bee furnisht with rare qualities With learning judgement policy and wit And such like parts as for the times are fit For every froward fellow is not borne To bee a Scipio or a Maximus Vnlesse that wisedome doth his state adorne Or valour make his life more glorious Though hee bee base of birth as Marius Yet hee by vertues aid aloft may come Like him that was seven times Consull in Rome Ventillius name at first was meane and base Till he the Parthians host had overthrowne And Cicero came not of Noble race Borne at Arpinum a poore Countrey Towne Yet hee made Armes give place