grace From all disturbs to be so long kept free And with such glorie to discharge that place And therefore if by such a Power thou bee Sâ—opt of thy course reckon it no disgrace Sith shee alone being priuiledg'd from hie Hath this large Patent of her dignitie 48 This charge the Goddesse gaue when ready straight The subtill messenger accompayned With all her crew of Artes that on her wait Hastes to effect what she was counsailed And out she pours of her immense conceit Vpon such searching spirits as trauayled In penetrating hidden secrecies Who soone these meanes of miserie deuise 49 And boldly breaking with rebellious minde Into their mothers close-lockt Treasurie They Mineralls combustible do finde Which in stopt concaues placed cunningly They fire and fire imprisoned against kinde Teares out a way thrusts out his enemie Barking with such a horror as if wroth With man that wrongs himselfe and Nature both 50 And this beginning had this cursed frame Which Yorke now planted hath against his King Presuming by his powre and by the same His purpose vnto good effect to bring When diuers of the grauest Councell came Sent from the King to vnderstand what thing Had thrust him into these proceedings bad And what he sought and what intent he had 51 Who with words mildly-sharpe gently-seuere Wrought on those wounds that must be toucht with heed Applying rather salues of hope then feare Least corrasiues should desperat mischiefes breed And what my Lord sayd they should moue you here In this vnseemely manner to proceed Whose worth being such as all the Land admires Hath fairer wayes then these to your desires 52 Wil you whose means whose many friends whose grace Can worke the world in peace vnto your will Take such a course as shal your Blood deface And make by handling bad a good Cause ill How many hearts hazard you in this case That in all quiet plots would ayde you still Hauing in Court a Partie farre more strong Then you conceiue prest to redresse your wrong 53 Phy phy forsake this hatefull course my Lord Downe with these Armes that will but wound your Cause What Peace may do hazard not with the Sword Lay downe the force that from your force with-drawes And yeeld and we will mediate such accord As shal dispense with rigor and the lawes And interpose this solemne fayth of our Betwixt your fault and the offended Power 54 Which ingins of protests and proffers kinde Vrg'd out of seeming griefe and shewes of loue So shooke the whole foundation of his Minde As they did all his resolution moue And present seem'd vnto their course inclin'd So that the King would Sommerset remoue The man whole most intolerable pride Trode downe his worth and all good mens beside 55 Which they there vow'd should presently be done For what will not peace-louers willing graunt Where dangerous euents depend thereon And men vnfurnisht and the State in want And if with words the conquest will be won The cost is small and who holds breath so scant As then to spare though with indignitie Better descend then end in Maiestie 56 And here-upon the Duke dissolues his force Submits him to the King on publique vow The rather too presuming on this course For that his sonne the Earle of March was now With mightier powers abroad which would inforce His peace which else the King would not allow For seeing not all of him in him he hath His death would but giue life to greater wrath 57 Yet comming to the King in former place His foe the Duke of Sommerset he findes Whom openly reproching to his face Hee charg'd with treason in the highest kindes The Duke returnes like speeches of disgrace And fierie wordes bewray'd their flaming mindes But yet the triall was for them deferd Till fitter time allow'd it to be heard 58 At Westminster a Counsell sommoned Deliberates what course the Cause should end Of th' apprehended Duke of Yorke whose head Doth now on others doubtfull breath depend Law fiercely vrg'd his act and found him dead Friends fayl'd to speake where they could not defend Onely the King himselfe for mercy stood As prodigall of life niggard of blood 59 And as if angrie with the Lawes of death Ah! why should you sayd hee vrge things so far You that inur'd with mercenarie breath And hyred tongue so peremptorie are Brauing on him whom sorrow prostrateth As if you did with poore Affliction warre And prey on frayltie folly hath betray'd Bringing the lawes to wound neuer to ayd 60 Dispense sometime with sterne seueritie Make not the Lawes still trapâ— to apprehend Win grace vpon the bad with clemencie Mercie may mend whom malice made offend Death giues no thankes but checkes authoritie And life doth onely Maiestie commend Reuenge dies not Rigor begets new wrath And blood hath neuer glorie Mercy hath 61 And for my part and my part should be chiefe I am most willing to restore his state And rather had I win him with reliefe Then lose him with despight and get more hate Pittie drawes loue blood-shed is natures griefe Compassion followes the vnfortunate And losing him in him I lose my power We rule who liue the dead are none of our 62 And should our rigor lessen then the same Which we with greater glorie should retaine No let him liue his life must giue vs fame The childe of mercie newly borne againe As often burials are Physicians shame So many deaths argue a Kings hard Raigne Why should we say The Law must haue her vigor The Law kills him but quits not vs of rigor 63 You to get more preferment by your wit Others to gaine the spoyles of miserie Labour with all your powre to follow it Shewing vs feares to draw-on crueltie You vrge th' offence not tell vs what is fit Abusing wrong-informed Maiestie As if our powre were onely but to slay And that to saue were a most dangerous way 64 Thus out of Pittie spake that holy King Whom milde affections led to hope the best When Sommerset began to vrge the thing With words of hotter temper thus exprest Deare soueraigne Lord the Cause in managing Is more then yours t'imports the publique rest We all haue part it toucheth all our good And life 's ill spar'd that 's spar'd to cost more blood 65 Compassion here is crueltie my Lord Pittie will cut our throates for sauing so What benefite enioy we by the sword If mischiefe shall escape to draw-on mo Why should we giue what Law cannot afford To be'accessaries to our proper wo Wisedome must iudge 'twixt men apt to amend And mindes incurable borne to offend 66 It is no priuat Cause I do protest That moues me thus to prosecute his deede Would God his blood and mine had well releast The dangers that his pride is like to breed Although at me hee seemes to haue addrest His spight 't is not the end hee hath decreed I am not he alone hee doth pursue But thorow
slaine and doubting his owne end Leapes vp into a chaire that lo was there The-whiles the King did all his courage bend Against those foure which now before him were Doubting not who behind him doth attend And plyes his hands vndaunted vnaffeard And with good heart and life for life he stird 77 And whiles he this and that and each mans blowe Doth eye defend and shift being layd-to sore Backward he beares for more aduantage now Thinking the wall would safegard him the more When lo with impious hand ô wicked thou That shamefull durst not come to strike before Behind him gav'st that lamentable wound Which layd that wretched Prince slat on the ground 78 Now proditorious wretch what hast thou done To make this barbarous base assassinate Vpon the person of a Prince and one Fore-spent with sorrow and all desolate What great aduancement hast thou hereby wonne By being the instrument to perpetrate So foule a deed where is thy grace in Corte For such a seruice acted in this sort 79 First he for whom thou dost this villanie Though pleas'd therewith will not auouch thy fact But let the weight of thine owne infamie Fall on thee vnsupported and vnbackt Then all men else will loath thy treacherie And thou thy selfe abhorre thy proper act So th' Wolfe in hope the Lyons grace to win Betraying other beastes lost his owne skinne 80 But now as this sweet Prince distended lay And him nor Life nor Death their owne could call For Life remouing rid not all away And Death though entring had not seis'd on all That short-tym'd motion had a little stay The mouer ceasing though it were but small As th' Organ-sound a time suruiues the stop Before it doth the dying note giue vp 81 When lo there streames a spring of bloud so fast From those deepe woundes as all imbru'd the face Of that accursed cay tiue as he past After the deed effected through the place And there withall those dying eyes did cast Such an vpbray ding looke on his disgrace Seeming to checke so cowardly a part As lest th' impression euen in his hart 82 And this one King most neere in bloud ally'd Is made th' oblation for the others peace Which peace yet was not hereby ratifi'd So as it could all future feares release For though the other did forth with prouide To haue the rumour run of his decease By drawing the corps to London where it was Layd three dayes to be seene with open face 83 Yet so great was this execrable deed As men would searce therein belieue their eyes Much lesse their eares and many sought to feed The easie creditours of nouelties By voycing him aliue how hee was freed By strange escape out of his miseries And many did conspire now to relieue Him dead who had forsaken him aliue 84 And many suffred for his Cause when now He had none many wisht for him againe When they perceiv'd th' exchange did not allow Their hopes so much as they did looke to gaine By traffiquing of kings and all saw how Their full exspectances were in the wane They had a King was more then him before But yet a king where they were nought the more 85 And sure this murthred Prince though weake he was He was not ill nor yet so weake but that He shew'd much Martiall valour in his place Aduentring oft his person for the State And might amongst our better Princes passe Had not the flatterie rapine and debate Of factious Lords and greedie Officers Disgrac't his actions and abus'd his yeares 86 Nor is it so much Princes weakenesses As the corruption of their Ministers Wherby the Common-wealth receiues distress For they attending their particulars Make imperfections their aduantages To be themselues both Kings and Councellors And sure this Common-wealth can neuer take Hurt by weake kings but such as we doo make 87 Besides he was which people much respect In Princes and which pleases vulgarly Of goodly personage and of sweete aspect Of milde accesle and liberalitie And feastes and shewes and triumphs did affect As the delights of youth and iollitie But here the great profusion and expence Of his reuences bred him much offence 88 And gaue aduantage vnto enmitie This grieuous accusation to prefer That he consum'd the common Treasurie Whereof he being the simple vsager But for the State not in proprietie Did alien at his pleasure and transfer The same t' his minions and to whome hee list By which the Common-wealth was to subsist 89 Whereby sayd they the poore concussed State Shall euer be exacted for supplyes Which accusation was th' occasion that His successour by order nullifies Many his Patents and did reuocate And reassume his liberalities And yet for all these wasles these gifts and feasts He was not found a Bankrupt in his chests 90 But they who tooke to Syndicque in this sorte The Actions of a Monarch knew those things Wherein the accoumpts were likely to fall short Betweene the State of Kingdomes and their Kings Which president of pestilent import Had not the heauens blest thy indeuourings Against thee Henry had beene likewise brought Th' example made of thy example wrought 91 For though this bountie and this liberalness A glorious vertue be it better fits Great men then kings who giuing in excesse Giue not their owne but others benefits Which calles-vp manies hopes but pleasures lesse Destroying far more loue then it begets For Iustice is their Virtue that alone Makes them sit sure and glorifies the Throne The ende of the third Booke THE FOVRTH BOOKE THE ARGVMENT King Henrie his excuses publishes For Richards death and truce doth intertaine With France The Scots aggrieu'd for wrongs address Themselues to warre and are appeas'd againe The Welsh rebell The Percies practises To part the State are stopt in battell slaine Continuall troubles still afflict this King Till Death an end doth to his trauailes bring 1 THe bounds once ouer-gone that hold men in They neuer stay but on from bad to worse Wrongs do not leaue off there where they begin But still beget new mischiefes in their course Now Henrie thou hast added to thy sinne Of vsurpation and intruding force A greater crime which makes that gone before T' appeare more then it did and noted more 2 For now thou art inforc't t'apologise With forraine States for two enormious things Wherein thou dost appeare to scandalise The publike Right and common Cause of Kings Which though with all the skill thou canst deuise Thou ouerlay'st with fayrest colourings Yet th'vnder-worke transparent shewes too plaine Where open acts accuse th' excuse is vaine 3 And these defences are but complement◠To dallie with confining Potentates Who busied in their proper gouernments Do seldome tend th' affaires of other States Their wisedome which to present powre consents Liue-dogges before dead Lyons estimates And no man more respects these publike wrongs Then so much as t' his priuate state belongs 4
haue had by th'ouerthrowne And th'wounds we make might not haue beene our owne 44 Yet since that other mens iniquitie Calles-on the sword of wrath against my will And that themselues exact this crueltie And I constrayned am this bloud to spill Then on braue followers on courageously True-harted subiects against traytors ill And spare not them who seeke to spoyle vs all Whose foul confused end soone see you shal 45 Forth-with began these fury-mouing sounds The notes of wrath the musicke brought from Hell The ratling Drums which trumpets voyce confounds The cryes th'incouragements the shouting shrill That all about the beaten ayre rebounds Confused thundring-murmurs horrible To robbe all sense except the sense to fight Well hands may worke the minde hath lost his sight 46 O warre begot in pride and luxurie The child of malice and reuengeful hate Thou impious good and good impietie That art the foul refiner of a State Vniust-iust scourge of mens iniquitie Sharpe-easer of corruptions desperate Is there no meanes but that a sin-sicke Land Must be let bloud with such a boysterous hand 47 How well mightst thou haue here beene spar'd this day Had not wrong-counsaild Percy beene peruerse Whose forward hand inur'd to woundes makes way Vpon the sharpest fronts of the most fierce Where now an equall furie thrusts to stay And backe-repell that force and his disperse Then these assaile then those re-chase againe Till stayd with new-made hils of bodies slaine 48 There lo that new-appearing glorious starre Wonder of Armes the terror of the field Young Henrie laboring where the stoutest are And euen the stoutest forceth backe to yeeld There is that hand boldned to bloud and warre That must the sword in wondrous actions wield Though better he had learnd with others bloud A lesse expence to vs to him more good 49 Yet here had he not speedy succour lent To his indangered father neere opprest That day had seene the full accomplishment Of all his trauailes and his finall rest For Mars-like Dowglas all his forces bent T' incounter and to grapple with the best As if disdayning any other thing To doo that day but to sub due a King 50 And three with fierie courage he assailes Three all as kings adornd in royall wise And each successiue after other quailes Still wondring whence so many Kings should rise And doubting lest his hand or eye-sight fayles In these confounded on a fourth hee flyes And him vnhorses too whom had hee sped He then all Kings in him had vanquished 51 For Henrie had diuided as it were The person of himselfe into foure parts To be lesse knowne yet known euery where The more to animate his peoples harts Who cheered by his presence would not spare To execute their best and worthyest parts By which two special things effected are His safetie and his subiects better care 52 And neuer worthy Prince a day did quit With greater hazard and with more renowne Then thou didst mightie Henry in this fight Which onely made thee owner of thine owne Thou neuer proov'dst the Tenure of thy right How thou didst hold thy easie-gotten Crown Till now and now thou shew'st thy selfe Chiefe Lord By that especial right of kings the Sword 53 And deare it cost and much good bloud is shed To purchase thee a sauing victorie Great Stafford thy high Constable lyes dead With Shorly Clifton Gawsell Caluerly And many more whose braue deathes witnessed Their noble valour and fidelitie And many more had left their dearest bloud Behind that day had Hotspur longer stood 54 But he as Dowglas with his furie ledde Rushing into the thickest woods of speares And brakes of swordes still laying at the Head The life of th' Army whiles he nothing feares Or spares his owne comes all inuironed With multitude of powre that ouer-beares His manly worth who yeeldes not in his fall But fighting dyes and dying kils withall 55 What Arke what trophey what magnifence Of glory Hot-spurre hadst thou purchas 't here Could but thy Cause as fayre as thy pretence Be made vnto thy Country to appeare Had it beene her protection and defence Not thy ambition made thee sell so deare Thy selfe this day shee must haue here made good An euerlasting Statüe for thy bloud 56 Which thus misspent thy Army presently As if they could not stand when thou wert downe Disperst in rout betooke them all to flie And Dowglas faint with wounds ouer-throwne Was taken who yet wonne the enemie Which tooke him by his noble valour showne In that dayes mighty worke and was preserv'd With all the grace and honor he deserv'd 57 VVorc'ster who had escap't vnhappily His death in battel on a Scaffold dyes The next day after in the company Of other chiefest of that enterprise And so the tempest of this mutinie Became allay'd and those great ieoperdies Blowne-ouer in this sort the Coasts well cleer'd But for one threatuing cloud that yet appear'd 58 Northumberland recouered still out-stands The principall of this great family And faction hauing Berwike in his hands With other holdes strong by confed'racie With Scotland mighty by his owne command And likely now his vtmost powre to trie T' auenge him on the ruine of his Bloud And ioyne with Wales which yet vndanted stood 59 Which mov'd the king who had too much indur'd In this dayes worke to hazard new againe By all the aptest meanes could be procur'd To lay to draw him in by any traine And write he did and vow'd and him assur'd Vpon his princely word to intertaine With former grace if hee would but submit And come to yeeld th' obedience that was fit 60 The Earle be'ing now by this defeat dismay'd And fearing his confederates would fayle With Fortune and betray rather then ayde Those who are downe being for their owne auayle Relying on his Sov'raignes oath obay'd Which with his tender griefs did much preuaile And in hee came and had no detryment But for a shew some short imprisonment 61 The Parlement that afterward insu'd Restor'd him t' all his dignities and landes And now none but the Welsh seem'd to seclude The king from hauing wholly in his hands All peace within and them he had pursu'd Whiles this braue army with these ready bands Were yet on foot could he but haue got pay To hold them and his charge of war defray 62 But that hee could not gaine though all the wayes That might be wrought he labours to procure Meanes to effect the same But those delayes And long protraction which he must indure By way of Parlement so much betrayes The opportunitie that might secure His vndertaking as the occasion lost Draue both the State and him to greater cost 63 For now the Rebell thus forborne growes strong Both in his reputation and successe For hauing with his powre held out so long Many aduenture with more forwardnesse To yeeld him ayd and to support his wrong And forraine Princes in his businesse Whom hee sollicites
ment And must be wrought at once to rid it cleere And put it to the fortune of th' euent Then by long doing to be long in feare When in such courses of high punishment The deed and the attempt like daunger beare And oft things done perhaps do lesse annoy Then may the doing handled with delay 85 And so they had it straight accomplished For next day after his commitment he Is dead brought forth being found so in his bed Which was by sodaine sickenesse sayd to bee That had vpon his sorrowes newly bred As by apparant tokens men might see And thus ô Sickenesse thou art oft beli'd When death hath many wayes to come beside 86 Are these the deedes high forraine wittes inuent Is this that Wisedome whereof they so boast Well then I would it neuer had beene spent Heere amongst vs nor brought from out their coast Let their vile cunning in their limits pent Remaine amongst themselues that like it most And let the North they count of colder blood Be held more grosse so it remaine more good 87 Let them haue fairer citties goodlier soyles And sweeter fieldes for beautie to the eye So long as they haue these vngodly wyles Such detestable vile impietie And let vs want their Vines their Fruites the-whyles So that wee want not fayth and honestie We care not for those pleasures so we may Haue better hearts and stronger hands then they 88 Neptune keepe-out from thy imbraced Ile This foul contagion of iniquitie Drowne all corruptions comming to defile Our faire proceedings ordred formally Keepe vs meere English let not craft beguile Honor and Iustice with strange subtiltie Let vs not thinke how that our good can frame Which ruin'd hath the Authors of the same 89 But by this impious meanes that worthy man Is brought vnto this lamentable end And now that Current with maine furie ran The stop remov'd that did the course defend Vnto the full of mischiefe that began T' a vniuersall ruine to extend That Isthmus fayling which the Land did keep From the intire possession of the Deepe 90 And now the King alone all open lay No vnder prop of Blood to stay him by None but himselfe stands weakely in the way Twixt Yorke and the affected sov'raignty Gone is that barre that would haue beene the stay T' haue kept him backe from mounting vp so hie But see ah I see What state stand these men in That cannot liue without nor with their kin 91 The Queene hath yet by this her full desire And now she with her Minion Suffolke raigns Now she hath hath all authoritie intire And all affayres vnto her selfe retains And onely Suffolke is aduaunced hier He is the man rewarded for his pains He that did her in stead most chiefly stand And more aduanc't her then hee did the Land 92 Which when they saw who better did expect Then they began their error to descry And well perceiue that onely the defect Was in their iudgements passion-drawne awry Found formall rigor fitter to direct Then pride and insolent inconstancie Better seueritie that 's right and iust Then impotent affections led with lust 93 And thereupon in sorrow thus complaine What wondrous inconuenience do they feele Where as such imbecillitie doth raigne As so neglects the care of Common-weale Where euer one or other doth obtaine So high a grace thus absolute to deale The-whilst th'aggreeued subiect suffers stil The pride of some predominating will 94 And euer one remov'd a worse succeedes So that the best that we can hope is Warre Tumults and stirres that this disliking breedes The sword must mend what Insolence doth marre For what rebellions and what bloody deedes Haue euer followed where such courses are What oft-remoues what death of Counsailers What murder what exile of Officers 95 Witnesse the Spencers Ganestone and Vere The mighty Minions of our feeblest Kings Whoeuer Subiects to their subiects were And onely the procurers of these things When worthy Monarchs that hold honour deare Maister themselues and theirs vvhich euer brings That vniuersall reuerence and respect For who waighes him that doth himselfe neglect 96 And yet our case is like to be farre worse Hauing a King though not so bent to ill Yet so neglecting good that giuing force By giuing leaue doth all good order kill Suffring a violent Woman take her course To manage all according to her will Which how she doth begin her deedes expresse And what will be the end our selues may ghesse 97 Which after followed euen as they did dread When now the shamefull losse of Fraunce much grieues Which vnto Suffolke is attributed As who in all mens sight most hatefull liues And is accus'd that he with lucre led Betraies the State and secret knowledge giues Of our designes and all that we did hold By his corruption is or lost or sold. 98 And as hee deales abroad so likewise here He robs at home the Treasurie no lesse Here where he all authorities doth beare And makes a Monopoly of Offices He is inricht His rais'd and placed neare And onely he giues counsaile to oppresse Thus men obiect whil'st many vp in Armes Offer to be reuenged of these harmes 99 The Queene perceiuing in what case she stoode To lose her Minion or ingage her State After with long contention in her blood Loue and Ambition did the Cause debate Shee yields to Pride and rather thought it good To sacrifice her Loue vnto their hate Then to aduenture else the losse of all Which by maintaining him was like to fall 100 Yet seeking at the first to temporize Shee tries if that some short Imprisonment Would calme their heat when that would not suffize Then to exile him she must needs consent Hoping that time would salue it in such wise As yet at length they might become content And shee againe might haue him home at last When this first furie of their rage was past 101 But as he to his iudged exile went Hard on the shore he comes incountered By some that so farre off his Honour sent As put his backe-returne quite out of dread For there he had his rightfull punishment Though wrongly done and there he lost his head Part of his blood hath Neptune part the Sand As who had mischiefe wrought by sea and land 102 Whos 's death when swift-wingd Fame at full conuaid To this disturbed Queene misdoubting nought Despight and Sorrow such affliction laid Vpon her soule as wondrous passions wrought And art thou Suffolke thus said she betraid And haue my fauours thy destruction brought Is this their gaine whom Highnesse fauoureth Who chiefe preferd stand as preferd to death 103 O fatall grace without which men complaine And with it perish what preuailes that we Must weare the Crowne and other men must raigne And cannot stand to be that which we be Must our owne Subiects limit and constraine Our fauours wher-as they themselues decree Must we our loue at their appointment place Do we