that was the cause she was my bryde This whyle hir father Corinaeus dyde Which when I hearde I had my hartes desire I craude no more there was my ende of griefe At leste I thought to quenche Cupidoes fire And eke to worke my lusting loues reliefe I mente no more to steale it like a thiefe But maried Elstride whom I loude as lyfe And for hir sake I put away my wyfe Likewise I causde was Elstride queene proclaimde And tooke hir as my lawfull wyfe by right But Gwendoline that sawe hir selfe sisoainde Straight fled and moude the Cornishe men to fight To them when she declarde hir pitious plighte In haste they 〈◊〉 an army for to bee Reueugers of my newe made queene and mee And I likewise an armie did prepare I thoughte to 〈◊〉 their courage all by force But to my coste I founde to late beware There is no strengthe in armoure man or horse Can vayle if loue on wronged take remorce For he on whom the deadly darte doth lighte Can neuer scape by ransome frende or flighte So when our armies met night Stura streame The trompettes 〈◊〉 and I denide the peace I minded to erpell them all the realme Or else to make them euer after cease And they except I Elstride would releace They sayde and take my Gwendoline againe They would reuenge the wrong or else be slayne On this we met and valiauntly we fought On eather side and nether parte did yelde So equaly they fell it was great doubtr Which part should haue the better of the fielde But I to boldr rushte in with sworde and sheelde To breake their rayes so hasty men get smarte An arrowe came and stroke me to the harte Then was I brought to Troynouant and there My body was enterrid as you reade When I had raigned all out twenty yere Lothus I liuve and thus became I deade Thus was my crowne depriued from my heade And all my pompe my princely troupe and trayne And I to earth and duste resolude agayne Now warne estates let this for wedlorke serue Beware of chaunge it will not holde out longe For who so mindeth from his make to swerue Shal sure at lengthe receiue reuenge for wrong T is foly fight with God h 'is farte to stronge For though ye colour all with coate of right Yet can no fained farde deceiue his sight Finis The Authour WIth that this king vvas vanisht quite and gone And as a miste dissolued into ayre And I vvas left vvith Morpheu all alone VVho represented straigt a Lady fayre Of frendes depriude and left in deepe dispaire As eke she spake all vvet in cordes fast bounde Thus tolde she hovv she vvas in vvaters drounde Elstride the concubine of Locrinus myserably drowned by Gwendoline his vvyfe declares her presumption lewde life and infortunate fall She suffered before Christe 1064. ANd must I needes my selfe resite my fall Poore woman I must I declare my fate Must I the first saue three amongste vs all Shew how I thrise fell from my Princely 〈◊〉 And from the loftye seate on which I sate If needes I must then well content I will Lest here my place in vaine I seeme to fill Locrinus loude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 daughter came frō Germaines land 〈◊〉 of beauty many Princes moude 〈◊〉 for grace and fauour at my hand Which bruite once blowne abrond in euery land One Humber king of Hunnes with al his traine To come to mee a suiter was full faine What neede I tell the giftes to mee he gaue Or shew his suite or promise he me plight Sith wel you know a Prince nede nothing craue May nigh 〈◊〉 ech thing as t were his right For as the fowle before the Eagles sight Euen so me fall submit and yeld vs still At Prince his call obeysaunt to his will. And for that time the Hunnes full mighty were And did increase by martiall feates of warre Therefore our Germaine kings agaste did beare Them greater fauour then was neede by farre My father durst not Humbers hest debarre Nor I my selfe I rather was content In hope of crowne with Humber to consent Two Princely Dames with me came then away He bragde to wiune these country partes all three We Ladies rather was this Priuce his pray Because he promist that we Queenes should bee We came to coste these country coasts to see Sith he on whom our hope did wholy stande Was drownd namde Humber waters lost the lande For as you heard before when he 〈◊〉 He had wonne all because he won a part Straight way he was againe thereof deposde Constrainde to flye and swim for life poore 〈◊〉 Loe here the cause of all my douleful smarte This noble king with whom I came to raigne Was 〈◊〉 drownde vnto my greuous paine Then were his souldiers taken slaine or spoilde And wel were they that could make suite for life Was neuer such an armye sooner foilde O wofull warre that flowste in floudes of strife And carst not whom thou cutste with cruell knife Or had not Venus fraught my face with hewe I had no longer liude my forme to rewe For as I came a captine with the reste My countenaunce did shewe as braue as Sunne Ech one that sawe my natiue hewe were preste To yelde themselues by beames of beauty won My fame straight blowne to gaze on mee they ron And said I paste eche worldly wight as farre As Phoebus 〈◊〉 the morning starre Like as you see in darkes if light appeare Straight way to thatech man directes his eye Euen so amongst my captiue mates that were When I did speake or make my plaints with cry Theu all on mee they stared by and by Bemoning of my fates and fortune soe As they had bin partakers of my woe My fourme did praise my plea my sighes they suide My teares entiste their hartes some ruth to take My sobbes in sight a seemely hewe reneude My wringing hands wan suiters shift to make My sober southes did cause them for my sake Mee to commende vnto their noble kinge Who wilde they should me into presence bringe Which when I came in cordes as captiue bounde O King quoth I whose power we feele to strong O worthy wighte whose Fame to skyes doth sounde Do pitie me that neuer wishte the wronge Release mee one thy captiues all amonge Which from my frends by fraude am brought away A Prince his daughter drounde in deepe decaye Now as thou art a Prince thy selfe of might And maist do more then I do dare desire Let me O Kinge finde fauour in thy sight Asswage somewhat thy deadly wrath and ire No part of manhode t is for to require A Ladyes death thee neuer did offende Sith that thy foe hath brought her to this ende But let me rather safely be conuaide O gracious king once home before I dye Or let me on thy Queene be wayting maide If it may please thy royal maiestye Or let me raunsome paye for libertye But if thou minde reuenge of
vnwrought ill Why spare you Britaynes this my corps to kill With that the king good Lady fayre what iste Thou canst desire or aske but must obtaine Eke would to God with all my hart I wiste Best waye to ease thee of thy wofull paine But if thou wilt do here with mee remaine If not content conductours shalt thou haue To bring thee home and what thou els wilt craue As for my Queene as yet I none possesse Therefore thou rather maiste voutchsafe to take That place thy selfe then waite on her I gesse Whose beautye with thy face no match can make The Gods denye that I thy heste forsake I saue thy life eke God forbid that I Should euer cause so fayre a Ladye dye O King quoth I the Gods preserue thy grace The heauens requite thy mercy shewde to mee And all the starres direct thy regall race In happye course long length of yeares to see The earth with fertile fruites inriche so thee That thou maist still like Justice her dispose And euer more treade downe thy deadly foes The noble king commaunded to vnbinde Mine armes and let mee lewce and free at will And afterward such fauour did I finde That as his Queene I was 〈◊〉 still And I enioyde all pleasures at my 〈◊〉 So that they quite had quenched out my thrall And I forgate my former fortunes all Thus lo by fauoure I obtainde my suite So had my beauty set his brest on fire That I could make Locrinus euen as muite Or pleasaunt as my causes did require And when I knewe he could no way retyre I praide he would his fauour so extende As I might not be blamed in the ende For if quoth I you take me as your owne And eke my loue to you haue constant beene Then let your loue like wise againe be showne And wed me as you said your spouse and Queene If since in mee misliking you haue seene Then best depart betime before defame Begin to take from Elstride her good name No wauering hart said he Locrinus beares No sayned flatery shall thy fayth deface Thy beauty birth fame vertue age and yeares Constraine mee both thee and thy hestes imbrace I must of force giue thy requestes a place For as they do with reason good consent Euen so I graunt thee all thy whole inteut Then was the time appointed and the day In which I should be wedded to this kinge But in this case his counsaile causde a staye And sought out meanes at discord vs to bringe Eke Corinaeus claimde a former thing A precontract was made and full accorde Betweene his daughter and my soueraigne Lorde And yet the King did giue me comfort still He said he could not so forsake my loue Yet euermore would beare me all good will As both my beauty and desertes did moue But still the ende doth who is fauty proue His counsaile at the last did him constraine To marry her vnto my 〈◊〉 paine At which I coulde not but with hate repine It 〈◊〉 mee his mate that should haue beene To liue in bate a prince his concubine That euer had such hope to be his Queene The steppes of state are full of wo and teene For when wee thincke we haue atainde the throne Then straight our poÌ„pe pride is quite orethrone Lotwise I fell from hope of Princely crowne First when vnhappy Humber lost his life And next I laide my peacockes pride adowne When as I could not be Locrinus wife But oft they say the thirde doth ende the strife Which I haue proude therefore the sequel ve me The thirde payes home this prouerbe is to true This kinge could not refraine his former minde But vsde me still and I my doubtfull yeares Did linger on I knew no shift to finde But past the time full oft with mourning teares A concubine is neuer voyde of feares For if the wyfe her at aduauntage take In radge reuenge with death she seekes to make Likewise I wiste if once I sought to flye Or to entreate the kinge depart I might Then would he straight be discontent with mee Yea if I were pursued vpon the flight Or came deflourde into my parents sighte I should be taken kept perforce or slaine Or in my country liue in great disdaine In such a plight what might a woman doe Was euer Lady fayre in such a 〈◊〉 O wretched wight bewrapt in webbes of woe That still in dread wast tost from place to place And neuer foundest meane to ende thy race But still in doubt of death in carking care 〈◊〉 liue a life deuoyde of all welfare The king perceiuing well my chaunged cheare To case my hart withall deuisde deceats By secrete wayes I came deuoyde of feare In baultes by cunning Masons crafty feats Whereas wee safely from the Queene her threats Perdy the King and I so vsde our arte As after turnde vs both to paine and smarte By him I had my Sabrine small my childe And after that his wife her father loste I meane he dyed and she was straight exilde And I made Queene vnto my care and coste For she went downe to Cornevval straight in peste And caused all her fathers men to ryse With all the force and strengthe they might deuyse My king and hirs with me gainst hir preparde An army strong but when they came to fighte Dame Guendoline did war at length to harde And of our king vs both deposed quite For from hir campe an arrowe sharpe did lighte Upon his breste and made him leaue his breath Lo thus this king came by vntimely death Then I to late began in vayne to flye And taken was presented to the queene Who me behelde with cruell tigres eye O queene ê™ she that cause of warres haste bene And deadly hate the like was neuer seene Come on for these my bandes shall ridde thy life And take reuengement of our mortall strife I longed long to bring thee to this baye And thou likewyse hast sought to sucke my bloud Nowe arte thou taken in my spoyles a praye That causde my life full long in daunger stoode I wyll both teache thy selfe and others good To breake the bandes of faithfull wedlocke plight And giue thee that which thou deseruidste right O harlote whore why should I stay my handes O painted picture shall thy lookes thee saue Nay bynde hir faste both hande and foote in bandes And let hir some straunge kinde of tormentes haue What stroÌ„pet stues thinkste for thou seemist braue Dr for thy teares or sighes to scape my sight My selfe will rather banquishe thee by fight Thou rather shouldste my vitall breath depriue Then euer scape if none were here but wee But now I will not file my handes to striue Dr else to touche so vile a drabe as shee Come on at once and bring hir after mee With hande and feete as I commaunded bounde And let me see hir here as Humber drounde A thousand things beside she spake in rage While that a caytife
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
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