wisedome rather then to winne to saue For ofce who trustes to get a prince his trayne Would at the lengthe of beggers life be fayne This might the Hunne erste Humber well haue sayde And this my mother Elstride proufde to true When as his life by striuing streames was stayde And when the tyrauntes hir in waters threwe What I may saye my selfe reportes to you Which had more terrour shewde then twyce such twayne Blue care and iudge if I abode no payne First when my fathers corps-was stroken downe With deadly shafte I came to mourne and see And as he laye with bleding breste in sowne He caste asyde his watring eyes on mee Flye flye he said thy stepdame seekes for thee My wofull childe what flight maiste thou to take My Sabrine poore I must the nedes forsake See here 〈◊〉 ende beholde thy fathers fall Flye flye thy gelous stepdame seekes thy lyfe Thy mother eke or this is wrapte in thrall Farewell in woe you cannot scape hir knyfe Farewell my childe mine Elstride and my Wyfe Adew ê™ he I may no longer hyde And euen with that he gaspid thrise and dyede What birde can flye and sore if formes do rage What ship can sayle if once the myndes resiste What wight is that can force of warres aswage Or else what warre can bridle Fortunes liste What man is he that dare an hoaste resiste What woman only dare withstande a fielde If not what childe but must to enemies yelde My fathers souldiers 〈◊〉 away for feare As soone as once their Captaines death they seande The Queene proclaimde a pardon euery where To those would yelde and craue it at hir hande Excepting such as did her ay withstande For so the course alwayes of pardons goes As saues the souldiers and entrapps the foes Then wiste I flight could nothing me preuaile I feard her pardon would not saue my lyfe The storme was such I durst not beare a saile I durst not go t'lntreate my fathers wyfe Althoughe I neuer was the cause of strife For gelozye deuoyde of reasons raine With frensies fume enragde her restles braine But see the chaunce thus compast rounde with feare In broyles of bloud as in the field I stande I wishte to God my corps were any where As out of life or of this hatefull lande No sooner wisht but there was euen at hande A person vile in hast quoth he come on Queene Elstride wil before thou come be gon The rascall rude the rooge the clubfist gripe My litle arme and plucte me on in haste And with my robes the bloudy ground he sweept As I drue backe he halde me on full fast Under his arme my sclender corps he cast Sith that quoth he thou putst me to this paine Thou shalt thereby at length but litle gaine Thus through the 〈◊〉 he bare me to my bane And shewde the souldiers what a spoile he had Loke here quoth he the litle Princes tane And laught and ran as brutish butcher mad But my lamenting made the souldiers sad Yet nought preuailde the caytife as his pray Without all pity bare me still away Till at the length we came where we descride A nomber huge of folkes about the Queene As when you see some wonder great beside Or els the place wher some strauÌ„g sight hath beene So might you there the people standing seene And gazed all when as they see mee brought Then sure I demde I was not come for nought And in the 〈◊〉 some praisde my coinlye face Some said to Elstride she resembleth right Some said I loked like my fathers grace Some other said it was a piteous sight I should so dye the Queene mee pardon might Some said the thiefe mee 〈◊〉 did mee abuse And not so rudely ought a Princes vse But what did this redresse my wofull care You wot the Commons vse such prouerbs still And yet the captiues poore no better are It rather helpes their pained harts to kill To pity one in griefe doth worke him ill Bemone his woe and cannot ease his thrall It kills his hart but comforts nought at all Thus past me throw the prease at length we came Into the presence of the gelous Queene Who nought at all the rascall rudc did blame That bare me so but askte if I had seene My father slame that cause thereof had beene O Queene quoth I God knowes nice innocent To worke my fathers death I neuer ment With that I sawe the people looke asyde To 〈◊〉 a mourning voyce I heard thereby It was my wofull mother by that cryde Lo Sabrine hounde at brinke of death I lye What pen or tongue or teares with weeping eye Could tell my woes that sawe my mother bounde On waters shore wherein she should be drounde With that I fell before the Queene and praide For mercy but 〈◊〉 fiery 〈◊〉 she bent Hir browes on mee out vastar de bile she sain Thou worst not yet wherefore for thee I sent O Queene quoth I haue pity be content And if thou minde of mercy ought to show 〈◊〉 mee and let my mother harmelesse go For why she was a Prince his daughter borne In Germany and thence was brought away Perforce by Humber who by mattes forlorne Thy king as captiue toke hir for his pray Thou maiste full well her case with reason weye What coulde she do what more then she or I Thy 〈◊〉 now thine owne to line or dye Take pity then on Princely race O Queene Take pity if remorce may ought require Take pity on a captiue thrice hath beene Let pity pearce the rage of all thine ire But if thy breast burne with reuenging fire Then let my death quenche oute that fuming flame Sith of thy husbands bloud and hirs I came Much more I saide while teares out streaming went But nought of ease at all thereby I gainde My mother eke did as she lay lamente Where with my hart a Thousand folde she painde And though the Queene my plaints to fauour fainde Yet at the last she bade she should prepare Her selfe to dye and ende her course of care Than all her frends my mother Elstride namde And pleasures paste and bade them all adue Eke as she thus her last farewell had framde With losse of him from whom her sorowes grue At length to mee which made my hart to rue She said farewell my childe I feare thy fall Ten thousand times adewe my Sabrine small And as the cruel 〈◊〉 came to take 〈◊〉 vp to caste and drowne her in the sloud I fast mine armes about her clipt did make And cryde O Queene let mercy meeke thy moode Do rather reaue my hart of vitail bloude Then thus I liue with that they slachte my holde And 〈◊〉 my mother in the waters colde For loue to ayde her venter in would I That sawe my mother striue aloft for winde To lande she lookte and saide farewell Idye O let me go quoth I like fate to finde Said Guendoline come on likewise and binde This Sabrine
knewe For Morpheus wylde me by de and bad them tell Their names and lyues their haps and haples days And by what meanes from Fortunes globe they fel VVhich did them erste vnto such honours rayse VVherwith the first not making moe delayes A persone tall wyde woundes in breste that bare Drewe nere to tell the cause of all his care And as to speake he wiste he might be bolde Depe from his breste he threwe an vnked sounde I was amasde his gestures to beholde And bloud that freshly trickled from his wounde VVith Ecco so did halfe his wordes rebounde That scarce at first the sence might well appeare But thus me thought he spake as you shall heare Albanacte the yongest sonne of Brutus telles of the finding of this lande his fathers life and his owne infortunate fall He liued about the yeare before Christe 1074. SIthe flattering Fortune slyely could beguyle Me first of all the Princes of this lande And yet at firste on me did sweetely smyle Do marke me here that firste in presence stande And when thou wel my wouÌ„ded corps hast scande Then shalt thou see what tale I mynde to frame In stories called Albanacte by name So if thou liste to heare what I resite If thou intende to showe my fatall fall I praye thee take the paynes my tale to wryte As I in order here repeate it shall What nedste thou muse thou nedst not feare at al Sythe those that later liude their tales haue tolde Dur elder liues to wryte thou mayst be bolde Lay dreade aside let nothing thee amase We haue dispaire of so vncoutched ryme Leaue of on mee with fearfull lookes to gase Thy pen may serue for such a tale as myne First will I tell thee all my fathers Lyne Then hither warde why he with Troianes mande His boyadge made and founde this noble lande And last I minde to tell the of my selfe My life and death a Tragedye so true As may approue your world is all but pelse And pleasures sweete whom sorrowes aye ensue Hereafter eke in order coms a crue Which can declare of worldly pleasures vaine The price we all haue bought with greeuous paine Well now I see thou putst apart thy fright And giuste an care to heare not heard before I will declare the slorye all so right Thou shalt no whit haue neede t inquyre no more Do marke me well what I resite therefore And after write it and there with my name Let hardly mee receyue if ought be blame When Troy was sackt and brent could not stand A Eneas fled from thence Anchises sonne And came at length to king Latinus lande He Turnus slewe Lauinia eke he wonne And reignde 3. yeares Ascanius then his sonne Reignde next to him the Siluius was his heyre Begate my father of a Ladye fayre But when as Brutus fiftene yeares was olde for so they calde my father by his name With Siluius then an hunting goe he would And thinking for to strike in chare the game His father that by thaunce beyonde it came Receiude the glaunce and through his tender syde With deadly dint the shaft did swiftly slyde So thoughe by chaunce my father Brutus stewe My graundsyre Siluius sore against his will Which came by chaunce as be his arow drewe That thought the fearefull harte not him to kill Yet was he banisht from Italia still Commaunded neuer to retourne no more Excepte he would his life to leese therefore On this to Greece from thence he toke his waye Where Troians were by Grecians captiues kept Helenus was by Pirrhus brought awaye FroÌ„ death of those whose fall their frends bewept My father all this while no busines slepte But by his facts and feats obtainde such fame Seuen Thousande captiue Troians to him came A saracus a noble Greecian eke Who by his mother came of Troiane race Because be sawe my fathers powre not weke Came vnto him to ayde him in this case For that his brother thought him to deface Which was a Greeke by both his parents sydes His Castels three my father Brutus guides Thus hee to be their captaine was content And all the Troians gathered to his bande Hist post unto the Greecian kinge he sent For to entreat he might depart his laude Which when King Pandrasus did vnderstande An armye straight he did therefore addresse On purpose all the Troians to suppresse Then whyle king Pandrasus at Spartine towne Thought them in desertes by to circumuente My father with three thousande beate them downe Such fauoure loe him lady Fortune 〈◊〉 By Mars his force their rayes I ranckes he rente And tooke Antigonus the brother of their king With others mo as captiues home to bring The taken towne from which the king was fled My father with sire hundreth men did man Cache prisner was vnto his keper led To kepe in towne the noble Troianes wan My father vnto woodes conueyde him than Againe with his and kepte him there by nighte To quayle the Greecians if they came to fighte And when the king had calde to mynde his foyle His flighte and brother by the Troianes take The towne he loste and Brutus had the spoyle He thought not so the field and fight forsake But of his men a muster newe to make And so agayne for to vesiege the towne In hope reuenge or winne his loste renowne By night my father that his purpose knewe Came forth from woodes wheras he wayted by The Troianes all th'vnarmid Greecians slewe WeÌ„t through their 〈◊〉 could non their force deny Unto the tente where Pandrasus did lye Wheras my father tooke their king that night And saude his life as seemde a worthy wight Which victory when he had wisely won The Troiane victoure did a counsayle call To knowe what beste were with the king be don Now tell ê™ he what ransom aske we shall On which when none agreed scarce of all At lengthe Mempricius vp from seate did rise And silence made gaue thus his counsayle wyse I cannot Troianes but commend the facte Of this our noble captaine worthy praise Which thought as t' was a wicked he yuous acts T' abridge the Grecian king of vitall dayes Wee rather ought by clemency to rayse Our fame to sky then by a sauage guyse Sithe Gods and men both cruelty despise The cause we fought was for the freedome all Of Troianes taken we haue freedome won Wee haue our purpose and their king withall To whom of rygour nothing ought be don Though he the quarell with vs first began And though we owe the fall of Troies requite Yet let reuenge therof from Gods to light His subiectes all do wayle their ill pretence And weapons layde asyde for mercy crye They all confesse their plagues to come from thence Where first from faith of Gods they seemde to flye Their nobles dare not come the case to trye But euen for peace with all their hartes they sue And meekly grauute whence all their mischiefes grewe The lady faire his
vertues to excell To them I gaue the price therof as de we As they deserude whose factes I founde so true Nowe must I proue if paynes were well 〈◊〉 Or if I spente my gratefull giftes in bayne Or if these great good turnes to you I owde And might not aske your loyall loues agayne Which if I wist what tonge could tell my payne I meane if you vngratefull mindes do beare What meaneth death to let me linger here For if you shall abuse your prince in this The Goddes on you for such an heynous facte To take reuenge be sure will neuer misse And then to late you will repente the acte When all my realme and all your welthes are facte But if you shall as you begon procede Of kingdomes fall or fces there is no dreede And to auoyde contention that may fall Because I wishe this realme the Britaynes still Therefore I will declare before you all Sithe you are come my whole intent and will. Which if you kepe and wreste it not to ill There is no doubte but euermore with fame You shall enioye the Britaynes realme and name You see my somes that after me must raigne Whom you or this haue liekte and counsaylde well You know what erst you wisht they should refraine Which way they might all vices vile expell Which way they might in vertues great excell Thus if you shall when I am gone insue You shall discharge the truste reposde in you Be you their fathers with your counsayle wise And you my children take them euen as mee Be you their guydes in what you can deuise And let their good instructious teache you three Be faithfull all as brethren ought agree For concorde kepes a real me in stable staye But discarde bringes all kingdomes to decape Recorde to this mine cldest sonne I giue This midle parte of realme to holde his owne And to his heyres that after him shall lyue Also to Camber that his parte be knowne I giue that laude that lies welnighe oregrowne With woodes Norwest mountaynes mighty bie Twene this and that the Stutiae streame doth lye And vnto the my yongest sonne that arte Myne Albanacte I giue to thee likewise As muche to be for thee and thine a parte As Northe beyende the arme of sea there lyes Of which loe here a map before your eyes Lo here my sonnes my kingdome all you haue For which I nought but this remember craue Firste that you take these fathers graue for mee Imbrace their counsaile euen as it were myne Next that betwene your selues you will agree And neuer one at others welthe repine See that ye byde still bounde with frendly lyne And laste my subiectes with such loue retayne As long they may your subiectes eke remayne Lo nowe I fele my breath beginnes to fayle My time is come giue eche to me your hande Farewell farewell to mourne will not preuayle I see with knife where Atropos doth stande Farewell my frendes my children and my lande And farewell all my subiectes farewell breathe Farewell ten thousand tymes and welcome deathe And euen with that he turnde himselfe a syde And gasped thryse and gaue a way the ghost Then all at once with mourning voyce they cryde And all his subiects cke from lest to most Lamenting fild with wayling teares ech coast Perdy the Britaynes all with one assent Did for their king full doulfully lament But what auayles to striue against the tyde Or els to sayle against the streame and winde What booteth it against the clyues to ryde Or els to worke against the course of kinde Sith nature hath the ende of thinges assiude There is no nay we must perforce departe Gainst dint of deaty there is no ease by arte As custome wild wee funerals preparde And al with moutning cloathes and there did come To laye this king on Beere we had regarde In Royal sort as did his corps become His Herce prepard we brought him to his tombe At Troynouant he built where he did dye Was he entombde his Royal corps doth lye Thus raignd that worthy king that found this land My father Brutus of the Troian blood And thus he dyed when he fulwell had mande This noble Realme with Britaynes fearce and good And so a while in stable state it stoode Till 〈◊〉 deuided had this realme in three And I to soone receiude my part to mee Then straight through all the world gan fame to flye A monster swifter none is vnder son Encreasing as in waters wee descrye The cyrcles small of nothing that begon Which at the length vnto such breadth do come That of a drop which from the skyes doth fall The cyrcles spread and hide the watersall So fame in flight increaseth more and more For at the first she is not scarcely knowne But by and by she 〈◊〉 from shore to shore To cloudes from th' earth her stature straight is growne There what soeuer by her trompe is blowne The sound that both by sea and land out flyes Reboundes againe and verberats the skyes They say the earth that first the giaunts bred For anger that the Gods did them dispatche Brought forth this sister of those monsters dead Full light of foote swift winges the winds to catch Such monster erst did Nature neuer hatche As manye plumes she hath from top to toe So many eyes them vnder watche or moe And tongues do speake so many eares do harke By night twene heauen she flyes and earthly shade And shreaking takes no quiet steepe by darke On houses rowfes or to wres as keeper made She sittes by day and Cities threats t' inuade And as she telles what thinges she sees by veme She rather shewes thats fained false then true This fame declarde that euen a people finall Had landed here and found this pleasaunt I le And how that now it was deuided all Into three parts and might within a while Be won by force by treason fraude or guile Wherefore she moues her frends to make assay To win the price aud beare our pompe away A thousand thinges beside she bruites and telles And makes the most of euery thing she heares Long time of us she talkes and nothinge els Eke what shee seeth abroade in hast she beares With tatling toyes and tickleth so their eares That needes they must to flattering Fame assent Though afterwards they do therefore lament By East from hence a countrey large doth lye Vngaria eke of Hunnes it hath to name And hath Danubius floud on South it by Deuiding quite from Austria the same From thence a king was named Humber came Du coastes of Albanie did he ariue In hope this lande of Britaine to achiue Which when by postes of subiects I did heare How enmies were ariued on my shore I gathered all my souldiers voyde of feare And backe the Hunnes by force and might I bore But in this battaile was I hurt so sore That in the field of mounds I had I dyde And left my men as flockes
did with cordes me binde No teares nor subbes nor sighes might ought aswage The gelous queene or molifie hir mynde Occasions still hir franticke head did finde And when shee spake hir cyes did leame as fire Shee lookte as pale as chalke with wrathfull Ire Ne stoode she still but with hir handes on syde Walkte vp and down ofte hir palmes she stroke My husbande nowe ê™ she had not thus dyde If such an harlote whore he had not tooke And there withall shee gaue me such a looke As made me quake what lettes ê™ she my knife To ridde this whore my husbandes second wife His dead I liue and shall I saue hir life O queene ê™ I if pitie none remayne But I be slayne or brounde as Humber was Then take thy pleasure by my pinching paine And let me hence as thou appointistc passe But take some pity on my childe alasse Thou knowste the infante made no faulte but hee That 's dead and I therfore reuenge on mee No basterds here shall liue to dispossesse My sonne she said but sithe thou soughtiste fame I will prouide for hir a kingdome lesse Whiche shall hereafter euer haue hir name Thou knowste wherof the name of Humber came Euen so Sabrina shall this streame be calde Sithe Sabrine me as Humber Locrine thralde With that my childe was Sabrine brought in sight And when she see me take in bandes to lie Alasse she cryde what meanes this pitious plight And downe she fell before the queene with crye O queene ê™ she let me more rather dye Then she that 's giltlesse should for why thy king Did as his captiue hir to lewdnes bring Which when I same the kindnes of the childe It burst my harte much more then dome of deathe Poore little lam be with countinance how milde She pleaded still and I for wante of breathe With wofull teares that laye hir feete beneathe Could not put forth a worde our liues to saue Or if therfore I might a kingdome haue Hir pitious plaintes did somwhat death withdrawe For as she long behelde the queene with teares ê™ she let me bane rigoure boyde of lawe In whome the signe of all thy wrath appeares And let me die my fathers face that beares Sithe be is dead and we are boyde of staye Why should I thee for life or mercy praye My mother may to Germanye retourne Where she was borne and if it please thy grace And I may well lye in my fathers tombe If thou wilt graunt his childe so good a place But if thou thinke my bloude is farre to bace Although I came by both of princly line Then let me haue what shroude thou wilt asigne With that the queene replide with milder there And saide the childe was wonders wise and wittie But yet shee would not hir reuenge forbeare For why ê™ she the prouerbe sayes that pitie Hath leudly loste full many a noble citie Then Elstride now prepare thy selfe therfore To die take leaue but talke to me no more On this my leaue I tooke and thus I sayde Farewell my countrey Germanye farewell Ade we the place from whence I was conueyde Farewell my father and my frendes there dwell My Humber drounde as I shal be farewell Adew Locrinus dead for thee I die Would God my corps might by thy coffine lie Adew my pleasures paste farewell adew Adew the cares and sorowes I haue had Farewell my frendes that earst for me did sue Adew that were to saue my life full glad Farewell the fauning frendes I lately bad And thou my beauty cause of death farewell As ofte as harte can thinke or tonge can tell A dewe you heauens my mortall eyes shall see No more your lightes and Planetes all farewell And chiefly Venus faire that paintedste mee When Mercurie his tale to me did tell Eke afterwardes when Mars with vs did dwell And nowe at laste thou cruell Mars adewe Whose darte my life and loue Locrinus sleme And must I nedes departe from thee my childe If nedes I muste ten thousand times fare well Poore little 〈◊〉 thy frendes are quite 〈◊〉 And much I feare thou shalt not long do well But if they so with boyling rancoureswell As thee to slea which neuer wroughtiste ill How can they staye my haynid corps to hill With that my Sabrines slender armes imbraiste 〈◊〉 rounde and would not let me so departe Let me ê™ she for hir the waters taste Or let vs both together ende our smarte Yea rather rippe you foorth my tender harte What should I liue but they the childe withdrew And mee into the raging streame they threm So in the waters as I striude to swimme And kepte my head aboue the waues for breath 〈◊〉 thought I same my childe would venter in Which cride a mayne O let me take like deathe The waters straight had drawne me vnderne the Where striuing vp at lengthe againe came I And sawe my childe aud cryde farewell I die Then as my strength was wasted down I went Eke so I plunged twice or thrice yet more My breath departed nedes I must relent The waters perst my mouth and eares so sore And to the botome with such force me bore That life and breath minde and sonce was gone And I as dead and colde as marble stone Lo thus you here the rare of all my life And how I paste the pikes of paynefull we Howe twise I thought to be a prince his wife And twise was quite depriude mine honour fro The third time queene and felt foule ouerthro Then warne all ladies that how much more die Then their degrees they clime 〈◊〉 daungers nye Bid them beware 〈◊〉 bewty them abuse Beware of pride for haue a fall it muste And will them fortunes flattery to refuse Hir turning whelt is boyde of stedy truste Who reckes no meane but leanith all to luste Shall finde my wordes as true as I them tell Then did be ware in time I wishe them well FINIS The Authoure VVIth that she flitted in the ayre abrode As t were a miste or smoke dissolued quite And or I long on this had made abode A virgine smale appearde before my sight For colde and wet eke scarsly moue she might As from the waters drownde she didering came Thus wise hir talem order did she frame Sabrine the base childe of Locrinus telles howe she was pitifully drowned by his wyfe Guendoline in reuenge of hir fathers adulterye The yeare before Christe 1064. BEholde me Sabrine orphane 〈◊〉 berefte Of all my frendes by cruell case of warre When as not one to treate for me was lefte But 〈◊〉 did all their powres debarre When as my father eke was playne in warre And when my mother euen before my sighte Was 〈◊〉 to death O wretche in wofull plighte Truste who so will the 〈◊〉 of hie estate And bring me worde what stay thereby you haue For why if Fortune once displeasure take She giues the foyle though lookes be nere so braue T is
hand and foote at once let see Her here receiue her whole request of mee Eke as I wishe to haue in minde her fame As Humbers is which should her father beene So shall this floud of Sabrine haue the name That men thereby may say a righteous Queene Here drownde her husbands childe of concubine Therefore leaue Sabrine here thy name and life Let Sabrine waters ende our mortall strife Dispatch quoth she with that they bound me fast My slender armes and feete which litle neede And sans all mercye me in waters caste Which drewe me downe cast me vp with speede And downe me drensht the Sabrine fishe to feede Where I abode till now from whence I came And there the waters holde as yet my name Lo thus this gelous Queene in raging sort With bloudy hate bereft her husbands health And eke my mother Elstrids life God wot Which neuer ment to hurt this common wealth And mee Locrinus child begot by stealth Against all reason was it for to kill The childe for that her parents erst did ill By this you see what time our pompe doth bide Hereby you see th'unstedy trust in warre Hereby you see the stay of states etryde Hereby you see our hope to make doth marre Hereby you see we fall from benche to barre From bench quoth 〈◊〉 nay from the Princely seate You see how soone vs Fortune downe doth beate And here you see how lawlesse loue doth thriue Hereby you see how gelous folkes do fare Here may you see with wisedome they that wiue Neede neuer recke Cupidoes cursed snare Here may you see deuorcemente breedeth care Here may you see the children seldome thee Which in vnlawfull wedlocke goten bee Declare thou then our fall and great mishap Declare the hap and glory we were in Declare how soone we taken were in trap When we 〈◊〉 we had most safest bin Declare what losse they haue that hope to win Farewell and tell when Fortune most doth smile Then will she frowne she laughes but euen a while Finis The Authour WIth that the Lady Sabrine slinckt from sight I lookt about and then me thought againe Approched straight an other vvofull vvight It seemde as thoughe vvith doggs he had bin flaine The bloud from all his members torneamaine Ran dovvne his clothes vvere also torne and rente And from his bloudy throte these plaints he sente Madan shewes how for his euill life he was 〈◊〉 of Wolues the yeare before Christe 1009. AMongste the rest that sate in hauty seate And felt the fall I pray the pen for mee A Tragedy maye some such wisedome geate As they may learne and somewhat wiser bee For in my glasse when as themselues they see They may be ware my fall from 〈◊〉 lap Shal teach them how t' eschew the like mishay I am that Madan once that Britaine kings Was thirde that euer raigned in this lande Marke well therefore my death as straunge a thinge As some would deeme could scarce with reason stande Yet when thou hast my life well throughly scande Thou shalt perceiue not halfe so straunge as true All life worse death doth after still insue For when my mother Guendoline had raignde In my nonage full xv yeares she dyed And I but yonge not well in vertues trainde Was left this Realme of Britaynes for to guide Whereby when once my minde was puft with pride I past for nought I vsde my lust for lawe Of right or iustice reckte I not a strawe No meane I kept but ruled all by rage No boundes of measure could me compasse in Durst none aduenture anger mine t'aswage If once to freate and fume I did begin And I excelde in nothing els but sinne So that welnighe all men did wishe my ende Saue such to whom for vice I was a frende In pleasures pleasaunt was my whole repaste My youth me led deuoyde of compasse quite And vices were so rooted in at last That to recure the euill it past my might For who so doth with will and pleasure fight Though all his force do striue them to withstande Without good grace they haue the vpper hande What licoure first the earthen pot doth take It keepeth still the sauour of that same Full hard it is a cramocke straight to make Or crooked logges with wainscot fine to frame T is hard to make the cruel Tiger tame And so it fares with those haue vices caught Naught once they saye and euer after naught I speake not this as though it past all cure From bices vile to bertue to retire But this I saye if vice be once in vre The more you shall to quite your selfe requyre The more you plunge your selfe in fulsome myre As he that striues in soakte quicke sirtes of sande Still sinkes scarse neuer comes againe to lande The giftes of grace may nature 〈◊〉 And God may graunt both time and leaue repeute Yet I did more in laps of lewdnes run And last my time in tyrauntes trade I spente But who so doth with bloudy actes contente His minde shall sure at laste finde like againe And feele for pleasures thousand panges of paine For in the midste of those vntrusty toyles When as I nothing fearde but all was sure With all my trayne I hunting rode for spoyles Of them who after did my death procure Those lewde delightes did boldly me alure To folow still and to pursue the chase At laste I came into a deserte place Besette with hilles and monstrous rockes of stone My company behinde me lost or stayde The place was eke with hauty trees oregrowne So wiste and wylde it made me half afrayde And straight I was with rauening wolues betrayd Came out of caues and dennes and rockes a maint There was I rent in pieces kilde and slaine Alasse that youth in vayne so vyly spente Should euer cause a king to haue such ende Alasse that euer I should here lament Or else should teache vnto my cost my frende Alasse that fortune such mishap should sende But sithe it is to late for me to crie I wishe that others may take hede me by I might full well by wisdome shund this snare T is sayde a wiseman all mishap withstandes For though by starres we borne to mischieues are Yet prudence bayles vs quite from careful bandes Eche man they say his fate hath in his handes And what he makes or marres to lese or saue Of good or euill is euen selfe do selfe haue As here thou seest by me that led my dayes In vicious sorte for greedy wolues a 〈◊〉 Warne others wysely than to guide their wayes By myne example well eschue they may Suche vices as may worke their owne decay Which if they do full well is spent the time To warne to wryte and eke to reade this time FINIS The Authoure VVHen this was said no more was Madan sene If it were he but sure I halfe suspecte It was some other else so serude had bene For that all stories do not so detecte His
hir sisters spite Was they procurde hir and their fathers thrall Yet t was hir chaunce at length t' out liue them al Both sisters elder and hir father graue And eke at length the kingdome all to haue That time was I of Albany the kinge Calde Scotland now and eke my cosin then Of Cornewall and of VVales whom I did bringe To warre against Cordila and her men Wee said we would our title winne agen And that because our mothers had it yore Wee ment to get it ours againe therefore I must confesse I was the cause of warre I was not pleasde with that was looted mee Euen so our mindes Ambitious often ar And blinded that we cannot reason see Wee thincke no men but Gods on earth we bee Yet worse are we theÌ„ beasts which know their kinde For we haue nought but mischiefe oft in minde We thincke if so we may our willes attaine By right or wrong by might or malice wee Could neuer liue like Fortune for to gaine Or if on soes we once reuenged bee If that our ennemies fall we chaunce to see O then we ioy we lift our selues to skye And on the poore we crucifige crye I deemde if once I might put her adowne The kingdomes all were Conidags and mine And I could easly after winne the crowne If also I his state might vndermine I thought in deede to haue it all in fine By force or fraude I ment my purpose bring To passe I might be after Britaine king To speake in fewe we waged warre so longe Bainst hir at last we put hir vnto flight Wee nephewes for our aunt were farre to stronge Pursude and coke depriude her of hir right Wee thought it ours what so we wanne by might Cke so play 〈◊〉 traytours all do watch To get by spoile and count their owne they catch Not so contented were we with the pray But fearing lest she should recouer ayde I sent in hast to prison her away And all recourse of messengers densyde Thus when she sawe hir Maiesty decaide And that hir griefes and sorrowes daily grue In prison at the length hir selfe she slue O caytife vile should I constrainde a Queene That Iustice ment hir kingdome to forsake Nay traytour I as now by proofe is seene That would my selfe by bloudshed ruler make How could reuenge on me but vengeaunce take Before the seate of God hir bloud did call For vengeaunce and at length procurde my fall Lo here Gods iustice see my treason see Beholde and see to raigne was my delight And marke and make a myrour here of mee Which afterward was serude by iustice right Wee wan the crowne betweene vs both in fight And then because I was the elder sonne Of th' elder Queene I claimed all we wonne So were my dealings nought in peace and warre But for my force and fortunes vsde in fight I past that time the Britaynes all by farre I was of person fortitude and might Both comely tall stronge seemely eke in sight Whereby I wonne mens fauour glory wealth And puft with pride at length forgate my selfe I said it was my right the crowne to haue But Conidagus stoutly it denide Wherefore I went to VVales my right to craue With all mine army and to haue it tryde Where long we fought it stoutly on eche syde Till at the last vnto my wofull paine I was depriude of kingdome quite and slaine And for to keepe in memorye for aye That there vnfaithfull Morgan lost his life The place is cald Glamorgan to this daye There was I perst to death with fatall knife There was the ende of all my hatefull strife So Morgan where he thought to win the crowne Was at Glamorgan traytour stricken downe Thus maist thou tell how proude ambition proues What hap haue tyraunts what we traitours haue What ende he hath that cruel dealing loues What subiects get the Diademe docraue T is better then to winne thine owne to saue For so orethwartly trade of Fortune goes When win thou wouldst then art thou sure to lose Finis The Authoure VVIth that Morganus quickly past away The night me thought likewise was far epast VVherby it weried me so long to staye But Morpheus bad me by de and see the last ê™ he the storyes passe awaye as fast As doth the time and sithe th' art nigh th' ende Thou nedste not grutche so short a space to spend And turning then him selfe from me asyde He calde the next which therwithall in sight Appearde and all his breste with bloud bedide VVhat chaunce ê™ I hath so thy corps bedight Thou worthy prince or what mishaps of fight I will ê™ he with all my hart vnfolde My fatall fall and therwithall he tolde Forrex declares howe hee mynding to kill his brother whiche ruled with him that he might therby raigne alone was by him slayne About the yeare before Christe 491. PRide moues the mindes of stately wightes Such hauty hartes to haue And causeth vs for glory hayne That is not ours to craue Pryde pluckes out reason forth hir place And planteth will in stede She puffes our mindes with vayne desires Our fancies foude to feede Wherby we growe so obstinate And so ambitious ill That vs at length our brauery bids In all thinges vse our will. Ambition thinkes that lawefull is Which likes hir fancie beste And demes she ought to haue hir forthe And swinge before the reste She loues no mates controlement shee And warning doth despise She demes her selfe in all hir deedes And actions wonders wise She hath desire of this and that To get by crouche or clawe By right or wronge she 〈◊〉 not She vseth will for lawe No kinde or countrey she regardes No mother father shee Nor wyfe or husbande kithe or kin But enuies eache degree For if thy hart Ambition haue Thy greedy mynde to fill Thou wilt not sticke thy dearest frende or nerest kin to kill But as the prouerbe sayes that Pryde Must needes at lengthe haue fall Though we suppose of strengthe and powre We haue the deuill and all Euen so I saye Ambition makes Us often clyme so hie At leng th we fall we come to nought And drownde in darkenes lye This may I Forrex well 〈◊〉 By proufe to true I finde Wherfore I praye the with the reste Do put my faultes in mynde My father olde hight Gorboduge Raignde three score yeares and three And at his death gaue all his lande Twene Porrex proude and mee Fyue yeares we helde it so in peace In reste me ruled well But at the last by pryde and wrathe Wee foule at discorde fell We eache encrotchte on others partes For rule we liude at strife And eache did seeke occasion aye To reaue the others life I made this counte I elder was By birthe the realme was myne By warre or wrong or bloud I mente To haue it all in fine And he although he yonger were Esteemde his state so sure As mine and thought it his if hee My death might
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