from olde auncestours As proued these ensignes to be surely oures Ye crafty Welshemen wherfore do you mocke The noble men thus with your fayned rymes Ye noble men why flye you not the flocke Of such as haue seduced so many times False Prophesies are plages for divers crymes Whych god doth let the divilish sorte devise To trouble such as are not godly wyse And that appered by vs thre beastes in dede Through false perswasion highly borne in hand That in our feat we could not chuse but spede To kyll the kyng and to enioye his land For which exployt we bound our selues in band To stand contented ech man with his part So fully folly assured our folysh hart But such they say as fysh before the net Shal seldome surfyt of the pray they take Of thinges to cum the haps be so vnset That none but fooles may warraÌ„t of them make The full assured succes doth oft forsake For Fortune findeth none so fyt to flout As suresby sots whych cast no kinde of doute How sayest thou Henry Hotspur do I lye For thou right manly gauest the king a feeld And there was slayn because thou wouldest not â—y Sir Thomas Percie thine vncle forst to yeeld Did cast his head a wunder seen but â—eâ—ld From Shrewsbury town to the top of LondoÌ„ bridge Lo thus fond hope did theyr both liues abridge Whan Henry king this victory had wunne Destroyed the Percies put their power to flyght He did appoynt prince Henry his eldest sunne With all his power to meete me if he might But I discumfit through my partners fight Had not the hart to mete him face to face But fled away and he pursued the chase Now Baldwin marke for I cald prince of Wales And made beleve I should be he in dede Was made to flye among the hilles and dales Where al my men forsooke me at my nede Who trusteth loyterers seeld hath lucky spede And whan the captaynes corage doth him fayle His souldiers hartes a litle thing may quayle And so Prince Henry chased me that loe I found no place wherin I might abide For as the dogges pursue the selly doâ— The brach behind the houndes on euery side So traste they me among the mountaynes wide Wherby I found I was the hartles hare And not the beast Colprophete did declare And at the last like as the litle roche Must eyther be eat or leape vpon the shore Whan as the hungry pickrel doth approch And there find death which it eskapte before So double death assaulted me so sore That eyther I must vnto my enmy yeeld Or statue for hunger in the baraynâ— feeld Here shame and payne a whyle were at a strife Payne prayed me yeeld shame bad me rather fast The one had spare the other spend my life But shame shame haue it ouercam at last Than hunger gnew that doth the stone wall brast And made me eat both gravell durt and mud And last of all my dung my fleshe and blud This was mine ende to horrible to heare Yet good ynough for a life that was so yll Wherby O Baldwin warne all men to beare Theyr youth such loue to bring them vp in skill Byd Princes flye Colprophetes lying byll And not presume to clime aboue their states For they be faultes that foyle men not their fates WHan starued Owen had ended his hungry exhortacion it was well inough liked Howbeit one found a dout wurth the mouing that concerning this title erle of March for as it appereth there wer .iii. men of .iii diuers nacions together in one time entitled by that honour Fyrst sir Edmund Mortimer whom Owen kept in prison an EnglishmaÌ„ the second the lord George of Dunbar a valiante Scot. banished out of his countrey well estemed of Henry the fowerth the third lord Iames of Burbon a frenchman sent by the french king to helpe Owen Glendour These thre men had this title all at once which caused him to aske how it was true that euery one of these could be Earle of Marche Wherto was aunswered that euery countrey hath Marches belonging vnto them and those so large that they were Earledomes the lordes therof intituled therby so that Lord Edmund Mortimer was Earle of Marche in Englande lord Iames of Burbon of the marches of Fraunce and Lord George of Dunbar erle of the marches in Scotland For otherwise nether could haue interest in others title Thys doubt thus dissolued mayster Ferrers sayde If no man haue affeccion to the Percies let vs pas the times both of Henry the fowerth the fifte and cum to Henrye the syxte in whose time fortune as she doth in the minoritie of princes bare a great stroke among the nobles And yet in HeÌ„ry the fourths time are exaÌ„ples which I would wish Baldvvin that you should not forget as the conspiracie made by the bishop of Yorke and the lorde Mowbray â–ª sonne of him whom you late treated of prycked forward by the earle of Northumberland father to sir Henry Hotspur who fled himselfe but his partners were apprehended and put to death with Baynton and Blinkinsops which could not see theyr duty to theyr King but tooke part with Percy that banished Rebell As he was proceding he was desired to stay by one whych had pondered the story of the Percies who briefly sayd To thende Baldvvin that you may know what to say of the Percyes whose story is not all out of my memory and it is a notable story I wyll take vpon me the person of lord Henry earle of Northumberland father of Henrye Hotspur in whose behalfe thys may be sayd Hovv Henry Percy Earle of Northhumberland vvas for his couetous and trayterous attempt put to death at Yorke O Morall Senec true find I thy saying That neyther kinsfolke ryches strength or fauour Are free from Fortune but are ay decaying No worldly welth is ought save doubtful labour Mans life in earth is like vnto a tabour Which now to mirth doth mildly men provoke And strayt to war with a more sturdy stroke All this full true I Percy find by proofe Which whilom was erle of Northumberland And therfore Baldwin for my Piers behoof To note mens falles sith thou hast tane in hand I would thou shouldest my state well vnderstand For fewe kinges were more then I redouted Through double Fortune lyfted vp and louted As for my kinne their noblenes is knowen My valiauntise were folly for to prayse Wherthrough the Scortes so oft were ouerthrowen That who but I was doubted in my dayes And that kyng Rychard found at all assayes For neuer Scottes rebelled in his rayne But through my force were eyther caught or slayne A brother I had was Erle of Worcester Alwayes in fauour and office with the king And by my wife Dame Elinor Mortimer I had a son which so the Scottes did sting That being yong and but a very spring Syr Henry Hotspur they gaue him to name And though I say it he did deserue the
same We thre tryumphed in king Richards time Til Fortune ought both him and vs a spite But chiefly me whom clere from any crime My king did banish from his favour quite And openly proclaymed trayterous knight Wherethrough false slaunder forced me to be That which before I did most deadly flee Let men beware how they true folke defame Or threaten on them the blame of vices nought For infamy bredeth wrath wreke foloweth shames Eke open slaunder oftentimes hath brought That to effect that erst was neuer thought To be misdemed men suffer in a sort But none can beare the griefe of misreport Because my king did shame me wrongfully I hated him and in dede became his foe And while he did at war in Ireland lye I did conspire to turne his weale to woe And through the duke of Yorke and other moe All royall power from him we quickely tooke And gaue the same to Henry Boleynbroke Neyther dyd we this alonely for this cause But to say truth force drave vs to the same For he dispising god and all good lawes Slew whom he would made sinne a very game And seing neither age nor counsayle could him tame We thought it wel done for the kingdomes sake To leaue his rule that did al rule forsake But whan sir Henry had attaynde his place He strayt becam in all poyntes wurse than he Destroyed the piers slewe kyng Rychards grace Agaynst his othe made to the lordes and me And seking quarelles how to disagre He shamelesly required me and my sonne To yeld him Scottes which we in field had wun My Nephew also Edmund Mortymer The very heyre apparaunt to the Crowne Whom Owen Glendour held as prisoner Uilely bound in dungeon depe cast downe He would not raunsum but did felly frowne Agaynst my brother and me that for him spake And him proclaymed traytour for our sake This sowle despite did cause vs to conspire To put him downe as we did Richard erst And that we might this matter set on fyre From Owens â—ayle our cosin we remerst And vnto Glendour all our griefes reherst Who made a bonde with Mortymer and me To pryue the king and part the realme in thre But whan king Henry heard of this devise Toward Owen Gleudour he sped him very quyck Mynding by force to stop our enterprise And as the deuell would then fell I sick Howbeit my brother sonne more politike Than prosperous with an oast fro ScotlaÌ„d brought Encountred him at Shrewsbury wher they fought The one was tane and kild the other slayne And shortly after was Owen put to flight By meanes wherof I forced was to fayne That I knew nothing of the former fight Fraude oft avayles more than doth sturdy might For by my fayning I brought him in belief I knew not that wherin my part was chief And while the king thus tooke me for his frend I sought all meanes my former wrong to wreake Which that I might bring to the sooner ende To the bishop of Yorke I did the matter breake And to Therle Marshall likewise did I speake Whose father was through Henries cause exyled The bishops brother with trayterous death defiled These strayt assented to do what they could So did lorde Hastinges and lord Fauconbridge Which altogether promised â—hey would Set all their power the kinges dayes to abridge But se the spite before the byrdes wer flidge The king had woord and seysoned on the nest Wherby alas my frendes wer al opprest The bluddy tyrant â—â—ought them all to ende Excepted me which into Scotland skapte To George of Dunbar therle of March my frend Who in my cause al that he could ey skrapte And when I had for greater succour gapte Both at the Frenchman and the Flemminges hand And could get none I toke such as I sand And with the helpe of George my very frend I did invade Northumberlande ful bold Whereas the folke drew to me stil vnend Bent to the death my party to vphold Through helpe of these ful many a fort and hold The which the king right manfully had manâ— I easely wunne and seysed in my hand Not so content for vengeaunce drave me on I entred Yorkeshire there to waste and spoyle But ere I had far in the countrey gon The shirif therof Rafe Rekesby did assoyle My troubled hoost of much part of our toyle For he assauting freshly tooke through power Me and lord Bardolph both at Bramham more And thence conueyed vs to the towne of Yorke Until he knew what was the kinges entent There loe Lord Bardolf kinder than the Storke Did lose his head which was to London sent With whom for frendshippe urine in like case went This was my hap my forâ—une or my fawte This life I led and thus I came to naught Wherfore good Baldwin wil the pyers take hede Of slaunder malyce and conspiracy Of couetise whence al the rest procede For couetise ioynt with contumacy Doth cause all mischief in mens hartes to brede Ad therfore this to Esperance my wurd Who causeth bludshed shall not skape the swurd BY that this was ended I had found out the storie of Richard earle of Cambridge and because it conteyned matter in it though not very notable yet for the better vnderstanding of the rest I thought it mete to touche it and therfore sayd as foloweth You haue sayd wel of the Percies and favourably For in dede as it should appere the chyefe cause of theyr conspiracie agaynst kyng Henry was for Edmund Mortimer theyr cosins sake whom the king very maliciously proclaymed to haue yelded hym selfe to Owen colourably whan as in deede he was takeÌ„ forcibly against his wil very cruelly ordered in prison And seing we are in haÌ„d with Mortimers matter I wyll take vppon me the person of Richard Plantagenet Earle of Cambridge who for his sake likewise died And therfore I let passe Edmund Holland erle of Kent whom Henry the fowerth made Admirall to skoure the Seas because the Buttons were abrode whiche Earle as many thynges happen in warre was slayne with an arrowe at the assaulte of Briake shortly after whose death thys king dyed and his sonne Henry the fyft of that name succeded in his place In the beginning of this Henry the fyfts rayne dyed this Rychard and with him Henry the lord Scrope others in whose behalfe this may be sayd Hovv Richard erle of Cambridge entending the kinges destruction vvas put to death at Southhampton HAst maketh wast hath commonly ben sayd And secrete mischiefe seeld hath lucky spede A murdering mind with proper pryze is wayd Al this is true I find it in my Crede And therfore Baldwin warne all states take hede How they conspire any other to betrappe Least mischiefe meant light in the miners lappe For I lord Richard heyre Planâ—agenet Was Erle of Cambridge and right fortunate If I had had the grace my wit to set To have content me with mine owne estate But o false honours broders of
debate The loue of you our lewde hartes doth allure To lese our sâ—lues by seking you vnsure Because my broâ—her Edmund Mortimer Whose eldest sister was my wedded wife I meane that Edmund that was prisoner In Wales so long through Owens busy strife Because I say that after Edmundes life His rightes and titles must by law be mine For he ne had nor could encrease his line Because the right of realme crowne was ours I serched meanes to helpe him thervnto And where the Henries held it by their powers I sought a shift their tenures to vndo Which being force sith force or sleyt must do I voyde of might because their power was strong Set privy sleyte agaynst theyr open wrong But sith the deathes of most part of my kâ—â—ne Did dash my hope throughout the fathers dayes I let it slip and thought it best beginne Whan as the sâ—nne shuld dred lest such assayes For force through spede sleyght spedeth through delayes And seeld doth treason time so fitly find As whan al dangers most be out of minde Wherfore while Henry of that name the fifte Prepared his army to go conquer Fraunce Lord Skrope and I thought to attempt a drifte To put him downe my brother to avaunce But werâ— it gods wil my luck or his good chaunce The king wist wholy wherabout we went The night before the king to shâ—pward bent Then were we strayt as traytours apprehended Our purpose spied the cause therof was hid And therfore loe a false cause we pretended Wherthrough my brother was fro daunger ryd We sayd for hier of the French kinges coyne we did Behight to kil the king and thus with shame We stayned our selves to save our frend fro blame Whan we had thus confest so foule a treason That we deserved we suffred by the lawe Se Baldwin see and note as it is reason How wicked dedes to wofull endes do drawe All force doth fayle no crafte is wurth a stra'â— To attayne thinges lost and therfore let them go For might ruleth right and wil though God say no. WHan stout Richarde had stoutly sayd his mind belike ê™ one this Rychard was but a litle man or els litle fauoured of wryters for our Cronicles speake very litle of him But seyng we be cum now to king Henries viage into Fraunce we can not lack valyant men to speake of for among so many as were led and sent by the Kyng out of thys realme thyther it can not be chosen but sum and that a great summe were â—layne among theym wherfore to speake of them all I thynke not nedefull And therfore to let passe Edwarde Duke of Yorke and the Earle of Suffolke slayne both at the battayle of Agine courte as were also many other Let vs ende the time of Henry the fyfth and cum to hys sunne Henry the syxt whose nonage brought Fraunce and Normandy out of bondage and was cause that fewe of our noble men died aged Of whom to let passe the numbre I wyll take vppon me the person of Thomas Mountague earle of Salysburye whose name was not so good at home and yet he was called the good erle as it was dreadful abrode who exclaming vpon the mutability of fortune iustly may say thus Hovv Thomas Montague the earle of Salysbury in the middes of his glory vvas chaunceably slayne vvith a piece of ordinaunce WHat fooles be we to trust vnto our strength Our wit our courage or our noble fame Which time it selfe must nedes deuour at length Though froward Fortune could not foyle the same But seing this Goddes gideth al the game Which still to chaunge doth set her onely lust Why toyle we so for thinges so hard to trust A goodly thing is surely good reporte Which noble hartes do seke by course of kinde But seen the date so doubtful and so short The wayes so rough wherby we do it find I can not chuse but prayse the princely minde That preaseth for it though we find opprest By soule defame those that deserve it best Concerning whom marke Baldwin what I say I meane the vertuous hindred of their brute Among which number reken wel I may My valiaunt father Iohn lord Montacute Who lost his life I iudge in iust pursute I say the cause and not the casual spede Is to be wayed in euery kinde of dede This rule obserued how many shall we find For vertues sake with infamy opprest How many agayn through helpe of fortune blind For yll attemptes atchiued with honour blest Succes is wurst ofttimes whan cause is best Therfore say I god send them sory happes That iudge the causes by their after clappes The ende in dede is iudge of euery thing Which is the cause or latter poynt of time The first true verdyct at the first may bryng The last is slow or slipper as the slime Oft chaunging names of innocence and crime Duke Thomas death was Iustice two yeres long And euer sence sore tiranny and wrong Wherfore I pray the Baldwin waye the cause And prayse my father as he doth deserue Because erle Henry king agaynst all lawes Endeuoured king Richard for to starve In iayle wherby the regal crowne might swarve Out of the line to which it than was due Wherby God knowes what euil might ensue My lord Iohn Holland duke of Excester Which was dere cosin to this wretched king Did mooue my father and the erle of Glocester With other lordes to ponder well the thyng Who seing the mischiefe that began to spring Did all consent this Henry to depose And to restore kyng Richard to the rose And while they did deuise a prety trappe Wherby to bring their purpose bettre about Which was in maske this Henry to haue slayne The duke of Awmerle blew their counsayâ—e out Yet was their purpose good there is no doubt What cause can be more wurthy for a knight Than save his king and helpe true heires to right For this with them my father was destroyed And buryed in the doungâ—â—l of defame Thus evil chaunce theyr glory did auoyde Wheras their cause doth clayme eternal 〈◊〉 Whan dedes therfore vnluckely do frame Men ought not iudge the authours to 〈◊〉 naught For right through might is often overraught And God doth suffer that it should be so But why my wit is feble to decise Except it be to heape vp wrath and wo Upon their heades that iniuries devise The cause why mischiefes many times arise And light on them that wold mens wronges redresse Is for the rancour that they beare I gesse God hateth rigour though it furder right For sinne is sinne how euer it be vsed And therfore suffereth shame and death to light To punish vice though it be wel abused Who furdereth right is not therby excused If through the same he do sum other wrong To every vice due guerdon doth belong What preach I now I am a man of warre And that my body I dare say doth professe Of cured woundes beset with many a
As from the realme and crowne the king did pourge And me both from mine office frendes and wife From good report from honest death and life For Therle of Warwick through a cancard grudge Which to king Edward causeles he did beare Out of his realme by force did make him trudge And set king Henry agayne vpon his chaire And then all such as Edwardes louers were As traytours tane were greuously opprest But chiefly I because I loved him best And for my goodes and livinges wer not small The gapers for them bare the world in hand For ten yeres space that I was cause of all The exeenâ—ions done within the land For thys did such as did not vnderstand My enmies drift thinke all reportes wer true And so to hate me wurse than any Iewe. For seeldome shall a ruler lose his life Before false rumours openly be spred Wherby this proverbe is as true as rise That rulers rumours hunt about a head Frowne Fortune once all good report is fled For present shew doth make the mayny blind And such as see dare not disclose their mind Through this was I king Edwardes butcher named And bare the shame of all his cruell dedes I cleare me not I wurthely was blamed Though force was such I must obey him nedes With hyest rulers seldome wel it spedes For they ve ever nearest to the nip And fault who shall for all fele they the whip For whan I was by parliament attaynted King Edwardes evilles all wer counted mine No truth avaylde so lyes wer faste and paynted Which made the people at my life repine Crying Crucifige kill that butchers line That whan I should have gone to Blockaut feast I could not passe so sore they on me preast And had not bene the officers so strong I thinke they would have eaten me aliue Howbeit hardly haled from the throng I was in the Fleete fast shrowded by the shrive Thes one dayes life their malice did me give Which whan they knew for spite the next day after They kept them calme so suffeed I the slaughter Now tel me Baldwin what fault doest thou find In me that lustly should such death deserve None sure except desire of honour blind Which made me seke in offices to serve What minde so good that honors make not swerve So mayst thou see it only was my state That caused my death and brought me so in hate Warne therfore all men wisely to beware What offices they enterprise to beare The hyest alway most maligned are Of peoples grudge and princes hate in feare For princes faultes his faultors all men teare Which to auoyde let none such office take Save he that can for right his prince forsake THis Earles tragedy was not so soone finished but one of the cumpany had prouided for an other of a notable person lord Tiptoftes chiefe enemy concerning whom he sayd Lord god what trust is there in worldly chauÌ„ces what stay in any prosperity for see the Earle of Warwicke which caused the earle of Wurcester to be apprehended attaynted and put to death triumphing with his olde imprisoned and newe vnprisoned prince king Henry was by and by after and his brother with him flayne at Barnet field by kyng Edward whoÌ„ he had before time damaged divers wayes As first by his frendes at Banbury field where to revenge the death of his Cosin Harry Nevel Sir Iohn Conyers and Iohn Clappain his seruauntes slewe five thousand Welshemen and beheaded theyr captaynes the earle of Pen broke and syr Rychard Harbert his brother after they wer yelded prisoners of whom syr Rychard Harbert was â—he tallest gentleman both of his person and handes that ever I reade or heard of At which time also Robyn of Ridsdale a rebell of the earle of Warwyks raysing tooke the earle Rivers king Edwardes wifes father and his sonne Iohn at his manour of Grafion and caryed them to Northhampton there without cause or proces beheaded them Whych spites to requite king Edward caused the lord Stafford of Southwike one of Warwikes chyefe frendes to be taken at Brent march and headed at Budgewater This caused the Earle shortly after to raise his power to encounter the king which came agaynst him with an army beside Warwike at Wouluey wher he wan the field tooke the king prisoner and kept him a while at Yorkeshire in Middleham castel whence as sum say he released him agayne but other thinke he corrupted his kepers and so escaped Then through the lordes the matter was taken vp betwene them they brought to talk together but because they could not agree the earle raysed a new army wherof he made captayne the lord Welles sonne which broyle kinge Edward minding to appeace by pollicy fowly distayned his honor committing peruiry For he sent for the lord Welles his brother sir Thomas Dunocke vnder safeconduyte promising theÌ„ vpon his fayth to kepe theÌ„ harmles But after because the Lord Walles sonne would not dissolve his army beheded theÌ„ both and weÌ„t with his power downe into Lincolnshire there fought with sir Robert Welless slewe ten thousand of his souldiers yet ran they away so fast that the casting of of their clothes for the more spede caused it to be called loose-coate fyeld tooke sir Robert other and put them to deth in the same place This misfortune forced the earle of Warwike to saile into FrauÌ„ce wher he was wel entertained of y t king a while and at last with such poore helpe as he procured ther of duke Rayner other he came unto England againe increased such a power in Kyng Henries name y t as the lord Tiptoft sayd in his tragedy king Edwarde vnable to abide him was faine to flye over the washes in Lincolnshire to get a ship to saile out of his kingdome to â—is brother in lawe the duke of Burgoyne So was king HeÌ„ry restored again to the kingdome Al these despites troubles the Earle wâ—ought agaynst king Edward but Henry was so â—nfortunate that ere halfe a yeare was expâ—red king Edwarde came backe agayne and imprisoned him and gave the erle a sielde wherein 〈◊〉 sâ—w both him and his brother I have recounted thus much before hande for the better opeâ—ing of the story which if it should have bene spoken in his tragedâ— would rather have madâ— a volume thaâ— a Pamphlete For I enteâ—de onelye to say in the tragedy what I have 〈…〉 the Earle of Warwycke person 〈…〉 other noble mâ—n wham I have by the waye touched should not be forgotten And therfore imagine that you see this Earle lying with his brother in Paules church in his coat armure with such a face countenaunce as he beareth in portrayture ouer the dore in Poules at the going downe to Iesus Chappell fro the south ende of the quier stayres and saying as foloweth Hovv sir Richard Nevell Earle of VVarvvike and his brother Iohn Lord Marquise Mountacute through their to much boldnes vver slayne at Barnet field
AMong the he any heape of happy knyghtes Whom Fortune stalde vpon her stayles stage Oft hoyst on hye oft pight in wretched plightes Behold me Baldwin a per se of my age Lord Richard Nevell Earle by mariage Of Warwike duchy of Sarum by discent Which erst my father through his mariage hent Wouldest thou beholde false Fortune in her kind Note well my life so shalt thou see her naked Ful fayre before but toto foule behind Most drowsy still whan most she semes awaked My fame and shame her shift full oft hath shaked By enterchaunge alowe and vp alofte The Luysard like that chaungeth hewe ful oft For while the Duke of Yorke in life remayned Mine vncle deare I was his happy hand In all attemptes my purpose I attayned Though King and Quene most Lordes of the land With all their power did often me withstand For god gaue Fortune and my good behaviour Did from their prince steale me the peoples fauour So that through me in feldes right manly fought By force mine vncle tooke king Harry twise And for my cosin Edward so I wrought When both our syers were slayne through rashe aduice That he atchieved his fathers enterprise For into Scotland King and Quene we chased By meane wherof the kingdome he embraced Which after he had enioyde in quiet peace For shortly after was king Henry take And put in prison his power to encreace I went to Fraunce and matched him with a make The French kinges doughter whom he did forsake For while with payne I brought his sute to passe He to a widowe rashly wedded was This made the French king shrewdly to suspecte That all my treaties had but yll pretence And whan I sawe my king so bent to lust That with his fayth he past not to dispence Which is a princes honors chiefe defence I could not rest 〈◊〉 I had found a meane To mend his misse or els to marre him cleane Wherfore I allyed me with his brother George Encensing him his brother to maligne Through many a tale I did agaynst him forge So that through power we did from Calays bring And found at home we frayed so the king That he to go to Freseland ward amayne Wherby king Henry had the crowne agayne Then put we the earle of Wurcester to death King Edwardes frend a man to fowle defamed And in the while came Edward into breath For with the duke of Burgoyne so he framed That with the power that he to him had named Unlooked for he came to England strayt And got to Yorke and tooke the towne by sleyte And after through the sufferans of my brother Which like a beast occasion fowly lost He came to London safe with many other And tooke the towne to good king Harries cost Which was through him from post to piller tost Til therle of Oxeford I and other more Assembled power his fredome to restore Wherof king Edward warned came with spede And camped with his oste at Barnet towne Where we right fierce encountred him in dede On Easter day right early on the downe There many a man was slayne and striken downe On eyther side and neyther part did gayne Til I and my brother both at length were slayne For we to harten our overmatched men Forsooke our stedes and in the thickest throng Ran preacing furth on foote and fought so then That down we drave them wer they never so stroÌ„g But ere this inche had lasted very long With numbre and force we wer so fowlye cloyed And rescue fayled that quite we wer destroyed Now tell me Baldwin hast thou heard or read Of any man that did as I have done That in his time so many armies led And victory at every vyage wunne Hast thou ever heard of subiect vnder sonne That plaaste and baaste his soveraynes so oft By enterchaunge now low and than alost Perchaunce thou thinkest my doinges were not such As I and other do affirme they were And in thy minde I see thou musest much What meanes I vsed that should me so prefer Wherin because I wil thou shalt not erre The truth of all I wil at large recite The short is this I was no hippocrite I never did nor sayd save what I mente The common weale was still my chiefest care To priuate gayne or glory I was not bent I never passed vpon delicious fare Of nedeful foode my bourde was never bare No creditour did curs me day by day I vsed playnnes ever pitch and pay I heard olde soldiers and poore wurkemen whine Because their dutyes wer not duly payd Agayne I sawe howe people did repine At those through whom their paimentes wer delayd And proofe 〈◊〉 oft assure as scripture sayd That god doth wreke the wretched peoples griefes I sawe the polles cut of fro polling thevâ—s This made me alway iustly for to deale Which whan the people playnly vnderstoode Bycause they sawe me mind the common weale They still endeuoured how to do me good Ready to spend their substaunce life and blud In any cause wherto I did them move For suer they wer it was for their behove And so it was For whan the realme decayde By such as good king Henry sore abused To mende the state I gave his enmies ayde But whan king Edward sinful pranlâ—es stil vsed And would not mend I lâ—kewise him refused And holpe vp Henry the better of the twayne And in his quarel iust I thinke was slayne And therfore Baldwin teach by proofe of me That such as covet peoples love to get Must see their wurkes and wurdes in all agree Live liberally and kepe them out of det On common weale let al their care be set For vpright dealing dets payd poore sustayned Is meane wherby all hartes are throwly gayned ASsoone as the Erle had ended his admonicion sure ê™ one I thinke the Erle of Warwike although he wer a glorious man hath sayd no more of him selfe than what is true For if he had not had notable good vertues or vertuous qualities and vsed lawdable meanes in his trade of lyfe the people woulde never have loved him as they did But god be with him and send his soule rest for sure his bodye never had any And although he dyed yet ciuil warres ceased not For immediatlye after his death came Quene Margarete with a power out of Fraunce bringing with her her yoÌ„g sonne prince Edwarde and with such frendes as she found here gave king Edward a battel at Tewrbury where both she her sonne wer takeÌ„ prisoners with Edmund duke of Somerset her chiefe captayne whose sonne lord Iohn and the earle of Deuonshire were slayne in the fight and the duke him selfe with divers other immediatlye beheaded whose infortunes are wurthy to be remembred chiefely Prince Edwardes whom the king for speaking truth cruelly stroke with his gauntlet and his bretherne tirannously murdered But seinge the time so farre spente I will passe them over and with them Fawconbridge that ioly rover beheaded at
the charter â—â—lled Râ—gman That of the Skots he bribed pryuy gayne That through his meanes syr Edward of Carnaruan In Barkley castell trayterously was slayne That with his princes mother he had layne And fynally with pollyng at his pleasure Had robde the kyng and commons of theyr treasure For these thynges loe whiche erst were out of minde He was condemned and hanged at the last In whom dame Fortune fully shewed her kynde For whom she heaves she hurleth downe as fast If men to cum would learne by other past This cosen of myne myght cause them set asyde High clymyng brybyng murdring lust and pryde The fynall cause why I this processe tell Is that I may be knowen from this other My lyke in name vnlyke me though he fell Whiche was I thinke my graund sier or his brother To counte my kyn dame Philip was my mother Deare doughter and heyre of douty Lyonell The seconde sonne of a kyng that dyd excell My father hyght syr Edmunde Mortimer True erle of Marche whence I was after erle By iust discent these two my parentes wer Of whiche the one of knighthoode bare the ferle Of womanhoode the other was the perle Throughe theyr deserte so called of euery wight Tyll death them tooke and left in me theyr ryght For why the attaynder of my elder Roger whose shamefull death I tolde you but of late was founde to be vniust and passed ouer Agaynst the lawe by those that bare hym hate For where by lawe the lowest of free estate Should personally be heard ere iudgement passe They barred hym this where through distroyed he was wherfore by doome of courte in parlyament whan we had proued our cosen ordred thus The Kyng the Lordes and Commens of assent His lawles death vnlawfull dyd discus And both to blood and good restored vs. A Presydent most worthy shewed and left Lordes lyues to saue that lawles might be rest whyle Fortune thus dyd furder me amayne Kyng Rychardes grace the seconde of the name whose dissolute lyfe dyd soone abridge his rayne Made me his mate in earnest and in game The Lordes them selues so well allowed the same That throwe my tytles duely cummyng downe I was made heyre apparaunt to the crowne who then but I was euery where estemed well was the man that myght with me acquaynte whom I allowed as Lordes the people demed To what so euer folly had me bente To lyke it well the people dyd assente To me as prince attended great and small In hope a daye would cum to paye for all But seldome ioye continueth trouble voyde In greatest charge cares greatest do ensue The most possest are ever most anoyed In largest seas sore tempestes lyghtly brue The fresshest colours soonest fade the hue In thyckest place is made the depest wounde True proofe wherof my selfe to soone haue founde For whyles that Fortune lulde me in her lap And gaue me gyftes mo than I dyd requyre The subâ—yll qucan behynde me set a trap whereby to dashe and laye all in the myre The Iryshe men against me dyd conspyre My landes of Ulster fro me to haue reft whiche herytage my mother had me left And whyles I there to set all thinges in stay Omyt my toyles and troubles thitherwarde Among myne owne with my retinue lay The wylder men whom lytell I dyd regarde And had therefore the recheles mans rewarde When least I thought set on me in suche number That fro my corps my lyfe they rent a sunder Nought myght auayle my courage nor my force Nor strength of men whiche were alas to sewe The cruell folke assaulted so my horse That all my helpes in pieces they to hewe Our blood distayned the grounde as drops of dewe Nought myght preuayle to flee nor yet to yelde For whom they take they murdre in the fyelde They know no lawe of armes nor none wil lerne They make not warre as other do a playe The lorde the boye the Calloglas the kerne Yelde or not yelde whom so they take they slay They save no prysoners for raunsom nor for pay Theyr chiefest boote they counte theyr bodohs heade Theyr ende of warre to see theyr enmye deade Amongest these men or rather savage beastes I lost my lyfe by cruell murder slame And therfore Baldwin note thou well my geastes And warne all princes rashnes to refraine Bid them beware their enmies when they saine Nor yet presume vnequally to strive Had I thus done I had ben man alive But I dispysed the naked Iryshmen And for they flewe I feared them the lesse I thought one man ynough to matche with ten And through this careles vnadvisednesse I was destroyed and all my men I gesse At vnawares assaulted by our foen Whiche were in numbre fourty to vs one Se here the staye of fortunate estate The vayne assuraunce of this britell lyfe For I but yong proclaymed prince of late Right fortunate in children and in wife Lost all at once by stroke of bloody knife Wherby assurde let men them selues assure That welth and lyfe are doubtfull to endure AFter that this Tragedy was ended mayster Ferrers sayde seyng it is best to place eche person in his ordre Baldvvin take you the Chronicles and marke them as they cum for there are many wurthy to be noted though not to be treated of First the lord Morif a Scotishman who tooke his deathes wounde through a stroke lent him by the erle of Notingham whom he chalenged at the tilte But to omit him also the fatte Prior of Tiptre preaced to death with throng of people vpon London bridge at the Quenes entry I wil cum to the duke of Glocestre the kinges vncle a man muche mynding the common weale yet at length miserably made away In whose person yf ye wyll gyue eare ye shall heare what I thinke mete to be sayd Hovve syr Thomas of VVudstocke Duke of Glocester vncle to king Richarde the seconde vvas vnlavvfully murdred WHose state is stalysht in semyng most sure And so far from daunger of Fortunes blast As by the compas of mans coniecture No brasen pyller maye be fyxte more fast Yet wantyng the staye of prudent forecast Whan frowarde Fortune lyst for to frowne Maye in a moment tourne vpsyde downe In proofe whereof O Baldwin take payne To hearken awhyle to Thomas of Wudstocke Addrest in presence his fate to complayne In the forlorne hope of the Englysh flocke Extracte by discent from the royall stocke Sonne to kyng Edward third of that name And seconde to none in glory and fame This noble father to maynteyne my state With Buckyngham Erldom dyd me indowe Both Nature and Fortune to me were grate Denyeng nothing which they myght allowe Theyr sundry graces in me did so flowe As bewty strength high fauour and fame Who may of God more wysh than the same Brothers we were to the numbre of seuen I beyng the syxt and yongest but oneâ— A more royall race was not vnder heauen More stowte or more stately
his treasons to encline Wherto I was prepared long before My brother had bene to me so vnkinde For sure no cankar fretteth fleshe so sore As vnkinde dealing doth a louing minde Loves strongest bandes vnkindnes doth vnbinde It moveth love to malice zele to hate Chiefe frendes to foes and bretherne to debate And though the Earle of Warwike subtile syer Perceyved I bare a grudge agaynst my brother Yet towarde his feat to set me more on fire He kindeled by one firebrand with another For knowing fansie was the forcing rother Which stiereth youth to any kinde of strite He offâ—red me his daughter to my wife Wherthrough and with his crafty filed tounge He stale my hart that erst vnstedy was For I was witlâ—s wanton fonde and younge Whole bent to pleasure brittle as the glas I can not lye In vino veritas I did esteme the beawty of my bryde Above my selfe and all the world beside These fond affeccions ioynt with lacke of skyll Which trap the hart and blinde the iyes of youth And pricke the minde to practise any yll So tickled me that voyd of kindly truth Which where it wantes all wickednes ensueth I stinted not to persecute my brother Till time he left his kingdome to an other Thus karnall love did quench the loue of kind Til lust were lost through fansy fully fed But whan at length I came vnto my minde I sawe how lewdly lightnes had me led To seeke with payne the peril of my hed For had king Henry once bene setled sure I was assured my dayes could not endure And therfore though I bound my selfe by othe To helpe king Henry al that ever I might Yet at the treaty of my bretherne both Which reason graunted to require but right I left his part wherby he perisht quite And reconsilde me to my bretherne twayne And so came Edward to the crowne againe This made my father in lawe to fret and fume To stampe and stare and call me false forsworne And at the length with all his power presume To helpe king Henry vtterly forlorne Our frendly profers stil he tooke in skorne Refused peace and came to Barnet field And there was kilde bicause he would not yeeld His brother also there with him was slayne Wherby decayed the kayes of chiualrie For never lived the matches of them twaine In manhode power and marciall pollicy In vertuous thewes and frendly constancy That would to god if it had bene his wil They might have turnde to vs and liued stil. But what shal be shal be there is no choyse Thinges nedes must drive as destiny decreeth For which we ought in all our haps reioyce Because the eye eterne all thing forseeth Which to no yll at any time agreeth For ylâ— to yll to vs be good to it So farre his skilles excede our reach of wiâ— The wounded man which must abide the smart Of stitching vp or â—earing of his sore As thing to bad reproves the Surgeons art Which notwithstanding doth his helth restore The childe likewise to science plied sore Countes knowledge yll his teacher to be wood Yet Surgery and sciences be good But as the pacientes griefe and Scholers payne Cause them deme bad such thinges as sure be best So want of wisedome causeth vs complayne Of every hap wherby we seme opprest The poore do pine for pelfe the rich for rest And whan as losse or sicknes vs assayle We curse our fate our Fortune we bewayle Yet for our good god wurketh every thing For through the death of those two noble peres My brother lived and raignde a quiet king Who had they lived perchaunce in course of yeares Would have delivered Henry from the breres Or holpe his sonne to enioye the careful crowne Wherby our lyne should have be quite put downe A careful crowne it may be iustly named Not only for the cares therto annext To see the subiect wel and duly framed With which good care few kinges are greatly vext But for the dread wherwith they are perplext Of losing lordship liberty or life Which woful wrackes in kingdomes happen rife The which to shun while sum to sore have soughâ— They have not spared all persons to suspect And to destroy such as they gilty thought Though no apparaunce proved them infact Take me for one of this wrong punisht sect Imprisoned first accused without cause And doen to death no proces had by lawes Wherin I note how vengeaunce doth acquite Like yll for yll how vices vertue quell For as my mariage love did me excite Against the king my brother to rebell So love to have his children prosper well Prouoked him against both lawe and right To murder me his brother and his knight For by his quene two goodly sonnes he had Borne to be punisht for their parenâ—es sinne Whose fortunes kalked made their father sad Such wofull haps were founde to be therin Which to auouch writ in a rotten skinne A prophecy was found which sayd a G Of Edwardes children should destruccion be Me to be G because my name was George My brother thought and therfore did me hate But woe be to the wicked heades that forge Such doubtful dreames to brede vnkinde debate For God a gleve a gibet grate or gate A Graye a Griffeth or a Gregory As well as George are written with a G. Such doubtfull riddles are no prophecies For prophecies in writing though obscure Are playne in sence the darke be very lyes What god forsheweth is euident and pure Truth is no Harold nor no Sophist sure She noteth not mens names their shildes nor creastes Though she compare them vnto birdes and beastes But whom she doth forshewe shal rule by force She termeth a Wâ—lfe a Dragon or a Beare A wilful Prince a raynles ranging horse A bolde a Lyon a coward much in feare A hare or hart a crafty pricked eare A lecherous a Bull a Goote a Foale An vnderminer a Moldwarp or a mole By knowen beastes thus truth doth playne declare What men they be of whom she speakes before And who so can mens properties compare And marke what beast they do resemble more Shall soone discerne who is the griefly bore For God by beastes expresseth mens condicions And not their badges haroldes supersticions And learned Merline whom God gave the sprite To know and vtter princes actes to cum Like to the Iewish prophetes did recite In shade of beastes their doinges all and sum Expressing playne by maners of the dum That kinges and lordes such properties should have As had the beastes whose name he to them gave Which while the folish did not well consider And seing princes gave for difference And knowledge of their issues myxt together All maner beastes for badges of pretence They tooke those badges to expres the sence Of Merlines minde and those that gave the same To be the princes noted by their name And hereof sprang the false namde prophecies That go by letters siphers armes or signes Which all be
foolish false and crafty lies Deuised by gesse or Guiles vntrue diuines For whan they sawe that many of many lines Gave armes alike they wist not which was he Whom Merline meant the noted beast to be For all the broode of Warwickes geve the Bear The Buckinghames do likewise geve the swan But which Bear bearer shoulde the lyon teare They wer as wise as Goose the â—ery man Yet in their skil they ceased not to skan And to be demed of the people wise Set furth their gloses vpon prophecies And whom they doubted openly to name They darkly termed or by sum letter meant For so they mought how ever the world did frame Preserve them selves from shame or being shent For howsoever contrary it went They might expound their meaning otherwise As haps in thinges should newly stil arise And thus there grew of a mistaken truth An arte so false as made the true suspect Wherof hath cum much mischiefe more the ruth That errours should our mindes so much infect True prophecies have fowly been reiect The false which brede both murder warre strife Belyved to the losse of many a goodmans life And therfore Baldwin teach men to discerne Which prophecies be false and which be true And for a ground this lesson let them learne That all be false which are deuised newe The age of thinges is iudged by the hue All Riddels made by letters names or armes Are yong and false for wurse than witches charmes I know thou musest at this lorâ— of mine How I no student should have learned it And doest impure it to the fume of wine That styrs the tounge and sharpeneth vp the wit But harke a frende did teache me every whit A man of mine in al good knowledge rife For which he giltles lost his learned life This man abode my servaunt many a day And stil in study set his hole delite Which taught me more than I could beare away Of every arte and by his searching sight Of thinges to cum he could forshew as right As I rehearce the pageantes that wer past Such perfectnes god gaue him at the last He knew my brother Richard was the Bore Whose tuskes should tears my brothers boyes me And gave me warning therof long before But wit nor warning can in no degree Let thinges to hap which are ordaynde to bee Witnes the paynted Lionesse which slue A prince imprisoned Lions to eschuâ— He tolde me to my youkefelow should dye Wherin would God he had bene no diuine And after her death I should woe earnestly A spouse wher at my brother should repine And finde the meanes she should be none of mine For which such malice should among vs rise As save my death no treaty should decise And as he sayd so all thinges came to passe For whan King Henry and his sonne wer slayne And every broyle so throughly quenched was That the King my brother quietly did rayne I reconsiled to his love agayne In prosperous health did leade a quiet life For five yeares space with honors laden rise And to augment the fulnes of my blisse Two lovely children by my wife I had But froward hap whose maner ever is In chiefest ioy to make the happy sad Bemixt my swete with bitternes to bad For while I swam in ioyes on every side My louing wife my chiefest iewel died Who sâ— lacks whan fâ—lâ— I had bewaylde a yeare The Duke of Burgoyues wise dame Margarete My louing sister willing me to chearâ— To mary againe did kindly 〈◊〉 intreat And wisht me matched with a mayden nete A stepdaughter of hers duke Charles his hapee A noble damesell yong discrete and fayer To whose desper because I did encline The King my brother doubting my degree Through prophecies against vs did repine And at no hande would to our willes agree For which such rancor pearst both him and me That face to face we fell to flat defiaunce But were appeased by frendes of our aliaunce Howbeit my mariage vtterly was dasht Wherein because my servaunt sayd his minde A meane was sought wherby he might be lasht And for they could no crime agaynst him finde They forged a fault the peoples lyts to blinde And tolde he should by sorceries pretende To bring the King vnto a spedy ende Of all which poyntes he was as innocent As is the babe that lacketh kindely breth And yet condemned by the Kinges assent Most cruelly put to a shamefull death This fierd my hart as soulder doth the heath So that I could not but exclame and crye Against so great and open an iniury For this I was commaunded to the tower The king my brother was so cruel harted And whan my brother Richard saw the hower Was cum for which his hart so sore had smarted He thought best take the time before it parted For he endeuoured to attayne the crowne FroÌ„ which my life must nedes have held him downe For though the king within a while had died As nedes he must he surfayted so oft I must have had his children in my gyde So Richard should beside the crowne have cost This made him plye the while the waxe was sofâ— â–ª To find a meane to bring me to an ende For realme rape spareth neither kin nor frend And whan he sawe how reason can asswage Through length of time my brother Edwardes yreâ— With forged tales he set him new in rage Til at the last they did my death conspire And though my truth sore troubled their desire For all the world did know mine innocence Yet they agreed to charge me with offence And covertly within the tower they called A quest to geve such verdite as they should Who what with fear and what with fauour thraide Durst nought pronounce but as my brethern would And though my false accusers never could Prove ought they sayd I giltles was condemned Such verdites passe where iustice is contemned This seat atchieved yet could they not for shame Cause me be kilde by any common way But like a wulfe the tirant Richard came My brother nay my butcher I may say Unto the tower when all men wer away Save such as wer provided for the â—eate Who in this wise did straungely me entreate His purpose was with a prepared string To strangle me but I bestird me so That by no force they could me therto bring Which caused him that purpose to forge Howbeit they bound me whether I would or no. And in a buâ—â—e of Malmesey standing by Newe Christned me because I should not crie Thus drounde I was yet for no due desert Except the zeale of Iustice be a crime False prophecies bewitched king Edwardes hert My brother Richard to the crowne wold clime Note these thre causes in thy ruful ryme And boldly say they did procure my fal And death of deathes most straunge and hard of al. And warne all princes prophecies to eschue That are to darke or doubtful to be knowen What God hath sayd that can not but ensue Though
yeres Not nature but murder abridged my yeres This acte was odious to God and to man Yet rygour to cloke in habyte of reason By crafty compas deuise they can Articles nyne of ryght haynous treason But doome after death is sure out of season For who euer sawe so straunge a presydent As execucion doen before iudgement Thus hate harboured in depth of mynde By sought occasyon burst out of newe And cruelty abused the lawe of kynde whan that the Nephewe the Uncle slewe Alas king Rycharde sore mayst thou rewe whiche by this facte preparedst the waye Of thy harde destynie to hasten the daye For blood axeth blood as guerdon dewe And vengeaunce for vengeaunce is iust rewarde O ryghteous God thy iudgementes are true For looke what measure we other 〈◊〉 The same for vs agayne is prepardâ— Take heed ye princes by examples past Blood wyll haue blood eyther fyrst or last WHan maister Ferrers had ended this fruytfull tragedye because no man was readye with another I hauyng perused the story whiche cam next sayd Because you shall not say my maisters but that I wyll in sumwhat do my parte I wyll vnder your correction declare the tragedy of the Lord Mowbray the chiefe wurker of the Dukes destruction who to admonysh all Counsaylers to beware of flattering princes or falsely enuying or accusyng theyr Peregalles may lament his vices in maner folowyng Hovve the Lorde Movvbray promoted by Kyng Richarde the seconde vvas by hym banyshed the Realme â–ª and dyed miserably in exyle THough sorowe and shame abash me to rehercâ— My lothsum lyfe and death of due deserued Yet that the paynes thereof may other perce To leaue the lyke least they be lykely serued Ah Baldwin marke I wil shew thee how I swarued Dyssemblyng Enuy and Flattery bane that â—e Of all their hostes haue shewed their power on me I blame not Fortune though she dyd her parte And true it is she can doo lytell harme She gydeth goods she hampreth not the harte A vertuous mynde is safe from euery charme Uyce onely vyce with her stoute strengthles arme Doth cause the harte to euyll to enclyne Whiche I alas doo fynde to true by myne For where by byrth I came of noble kynde The Mowbrayes heyre a famous house and olde Fortune I thanke her was to me so kynde That of my prince I had what so I wolde Yet neyther of vs was muche to other holde For I through flattery abused his wanton youth And his fonde trust augmented my vntruth He made me fyrst the earle of Notyngham And Marshall of the realme in whiche estate The Pâ—eâ—s and people sayntly to me came with sore complaynt against them that of late Made offycers had brought the king in hate By makynge sale of Iustice ryght and lawe And lyuyng nought without all dreede or awe I gaue them ayde these euyls to redresse And went to London with an army strong And caused the king against his wyll oppresse By cruell death all suche â—â—led hym wrong The lorde chiefe Iustice suffred these among So dyd the Stuarde of his housholde head The Chauncelour scapte for he aforehande fled These wicked men thus from the king remoued who best vs pleased succeded in theyr place For whiche both kyng and commons muche vs loued But chiefely I with all stoode high in grace The kyng ensued my rede in euery case whence selfe loue bred for glory maketh proude And pryde aye looketh alone to be allowde wherfore to thende I might alone enioyâ— The kinges good wyll I made his lust my lawe And where of late I laboured to destroye Suche flatryng folke as thereto stoode in awe Nowe learned I among the rest to clawe â–ª For pride is suche yf it be kindely caught As stroyeth good and styrreth vp every nought Pryde pricketh men to flatter for the pray To oppresse and pol for mayntenaunce of the same To malyce suche as matche vnâ—thes it may And to be briefe pride doth the harte enflame To fyer what myschief any fraude maye frame And euer at length the euyls by it wrought Confounde the wurker and bring him vnto nought Beholde in me due proofe of euerye parte For pryde fyrst forced me my prince to flatter So muche that what so euer pleased his harte Were it neuer so evyll I thought a lawfull matter Wâ—â—che caused the lordes afresh against him clatter Because he had his holdes beyonde sea â—olde And seen his souldiers of theyr wages polde Though all these yls were doen by my assent Yet suche was lucke that eche man deemed no For see the duke of Glocester for me sent With other lordes whose hartes did blede for wo To see the Realme so fast to ruyne go In faulte whereof they sayde the two dukes wer The one of Yorke the other of Lancaster On whose remove fro beyng aboute the king We all agreed and sware a solempne oth And whyle the rest prouyded for this thyng I flatter I to win the prayse of troth Wretche that I was brake fayth and promise both For I bewrayed the king theyr whole intent For whiche vnwares they all were tane and shent Thus was the warder of the common weale The Duke of Glocester gyltles made awaye With other moo more wretche I so to deale Who through vntruth their trust dyd yll betraye Yet by this meanes obteyned I my praye Of king and Dukes I founde for this suche fauour As made me Duke of Norfolke for my labour But see howe pride and envy ioyntly runne Because my prince dyd more than me preferre Syr Henry Bolenbroke the eldest sunne Of Iohn of Gaunte the Duke of Lancaster Proude I that would alone be blasyng sterre Envyed this Earle for nought saue that the shine Of his desertes dyd glyster more then mine To the ende therfore his lyght should be the lesse I slyly sought all shyftes to put it out But as the pryze that would the palme tree presse Doth cause the bowes sprede larger rounde about So spyte and enuy causeth glory sprout And aye the more the top is ouertrode The deper doth the sounde roote sprede abrode For when this Henry Erle of Harforde sawe What spoyle the kyng made of the noble blood And that without all Iustice cause or lawe To suffer him so he thought not sure nor good Wherfore to me two faced in a hood As touching this he fully brake his mynde As to his frende that should remedy fynde But I although I knewe my prince dyd yll So that my heart abhorred sore the same Yet myschief so through malyce led my wyll To bring this Earle from honour vnto shame And towarde my selfe my souerayne to enflame That I bewrayed his wurdes vnto the king Not as a rede but as a most haynous thyng Thus where my duty bounde me to have tolde My prince his fault and wylde him â—o refrayne Through flattery loe I dyd his yll vpholde whiche turnde at length both hym and me to payne Wo wo to kynges whose counsaylours do
fayne Wo wo to realmes where suche are put in trust As leave the lawe to serve the princes lust And wo to him that by his flatteryng rede Maynteyneth a prince in any kynde of vyce wo wurth hym eke for envy pryde or mede That mysreportes any honest enterpryse Because I beast in all these poyntes was nyce The plages of all together on me lyght And due for yll ylldoers doth acquite For when the Earle was charged with my playnt He flatte denyed that any parte was true And claymde by armes to aunswere his attaynt And I by vse that warly feates well knewe To his desyre incontinently drewe wherwith the king dyd seme ryght well content As one that past not muche with whom it went At tyme and place apoynted we apearde At all poyntes armde to proue our quarels iust And whan our frendes on eche parte had vs chearde And that the Haroldes had vs do our lust with spere in rest we tooke a course to iust But ere our horses had run halfe theyr way A shoute was made the kyng dyd byd vs stay And for to avoyde the sheddyng of our bloode with shame and death which one must nedes haue had The king through couÌ„saile of the lordes thought good To banysh both whiche iudgement strayt was rad No maruayle than though both were wroth and sad But chiefely I that was exylde for aye â–ª My enmy straunged but for a ten yeares daye The date expirde whan by this doulfull doome I should departe to lyve in banysht hande On payne of death to Englande not to coome I went my way the kyng seasde in his hande My offyces my honours goods and lande To paye the due as openly he tolde Of myghty summes whiche I had from hym polde See Baldwin see the salarye of synne Marke with what meede vile vyces are rewarded Through pryde and envy I lose both kyth and kynne And for my flattring playnte so well regarded Exyle and slaunder are iustly me awarded My wife and heyre lacke landes and lawful right And me theyr lorde made dame Dianaes knyght If these mishaps at home be not inough Adioyne to them my sorowes in exyle I went to Almayne fyrst a lande ryght rough In whiche I founde suche churlysh folke and vyle As made me loth my lyfe ech other whyle There loe I learned what it is to be a gest Abrode and what to lyve at home in rest For they esteme no one man more than eche They vse as well the Lackey as the Lorde And lyke theyr maners churlysh is theyr speche Their lodging hard their bourd to be abhord Their pleyted garmentes herewith well accorde All â—agde and frounst with diuers coloures dekt They swere they curse and drynke tyll they be â—lâ—kt They hate all suche as these their maners hate Which reason would no wise man should allow With these I dwelt lamenting mine estate Till at the length they had got knowledge how I was exilde because I dyd auow A false complaynt agaynst my trusty frende For which they named me traytour styl vnende That what for shame and what for werynes I stale fro thence and went to Uenise towne Where as I founde more ease and frendlynes But greater gryefe for now the great renowne Of Bolenbroke whom I would haue put downe Was warâ— so great in Britaine and in Fraunce That Uenise through ech man did him auaunce Thus loe his glory grew through great despyte And I therby increased in defame Thus enuy euer doth her host acquyte Wyth trouble anguysh sorow smart and shame But sets the vertues of her foe in flame To water lyke whych maketh clere the stone And soyles it selfe by running thervpon Or ere I had soiurned there a yere Strange tidinges came he was to England goen Had tane the king that which touched him nere Enprisoned him with other of his foen And made hym yelde hym vp his crowne and throne When I these thinges for true by serche had tryed Griefe griped me so I pined away and dyed Note here the ende of pride so Flateries fine Marke the reward of enuy and false complaint And warne all princes from them to declyne Lest likely fault do find tho like attaynt Let this my life be to them a restraynt By others harmes who lysteth take no hede Shall by his owne learne other better rede THis tragicall example was of all the cumpany well liked how be it a doubte was founde therin and that by meanes of the diuersity of the Chronicles â–ª for where as maister Hall whom in this storye we chiefely folowed maketh Mowbray accuser and Boleynbroke appellant mayster Fabian reporteth the matter quite contrary that by the reporte of good authours makyng Bokynbroke the accuser and Mowbray the appeliant Which matter sith it is more harde to desise than nedefull to our purpose which minde onely to diswade from vices and exalte vertue we referre to the determinacion of the Haroldes or such as may cum by the recordes and registers of these doinges contented in the mean while with the best allowed iudgement and which maketh most for our forshewed purpose This doubt thus let passe I would ê™ one of the cuÌ„panyâ— gladly say sumwhat for king Richard But his personage is so sore intangled as I thinke fewe beneâ—ices be at this day for after his imprisonment his brother and diuers other made a maske minding by Henries destruction to haue restored him which maskers matter so runneth in this that I doubt which ought to go before But seing no man is redy to say ought in their behalfe I will geue who so listeth leasure to thinke thervppon and in the meane time to further your enterprise I will in the kinges behalfe recount such part of his story as I thinke most necessary And therfore imagine Baldvvin that you see him al to be maÌ„gled with blew woundes lying pale and wanne al naked vpon the cold stones in Paules church â–ª the people standing round about him and making his moue in this sort Hovve kyng Richarde the seconde vvas for his euyll gouernaunce deposed from his seat and miserably murdred in prison HAppy is the prince that hath in welth the grace To folowe vertue keping vices vnder But wo to him whose will hath wisedomes place For who so renteth ryght and law a sunder On him at length loe al the world shall wunder Hygh byrth choyse fortune force nor Princely mace Can warrant King or Keysar fro the case Shame sueth sinne as rayne drops do the thunder Let Princes therfore vertuous life embrace That wilfull pleasures cause them not to blunder Beholde my hay see how the sely route Do gase vpon me and eche to other saye Se where he lieth for whome none late might route Loe howe the power the pride and riche aray Of myghty rulers lightly fade away The Kyng whych erst kept all the realme in doute The veryest rascall now dare checke and lowâ—e What moulde be Kynges made of but carayn clay
Beholde his woundes howe blew they be about Whych whyle he lived thought neuer to decay Me thinke I heare the people thus deuise And therfore Baldwin sith thou wilt declare How princes fell to make the liuing wise My vicious story in no poynt see thou spare But paynt it out that rulers may beware Good counsayle lawe or vertue to despyse For realmes haue rules and rulers haue a syse Which if they kepe not doubtles say I dare That eythers gryefes the other shall agrise Till the one be lost the other brought to care I am a Kyng that ruled all by lust That forced not of vertue ryght or lawe But alway put false Flatterers most in trust Ensuing such as could my vices clawe By faythful counsayle passing not a strawe What pleasure pryckt that thought I to be iust I set my minde to feede to spoyle to iust Three meales a day could skarce content my mawe And all to augment my lecherous minde that must To Uenus pleasures alway be in awe For mayntenannce wherof my realme I polde Through Subsidies sore fines loanes many a prest Blanke charters othes shiftes not knowen of olde For whych my Subiectes did me sore detest I also made away the towne of Brest My fault wherin because mine vncle tolde For Prynces vyces may not be controlde I found the meanes his bowels to vnbrest The Piers and Lordes that did his cause vphold With death exile or greuous sines opprest Neyther lakt I ayde in any wicked dede For gaping Gulles whom I promoted had Woulde furder all in hope of higher mede A king can neuer imagine ought so bad But most about him will perfourme it glad For sickenes seldome doth so swiftely brede As vicious humors growe the griefe to feede Thus kinges estates of all be wurst bastad Abusde in welth abandoned at nede And nerest harme whan they be least adrad My life and death the truth of this can trye For while I fought in Ireland with my foes Mine vncle Edmunde whom I left to gide My realme at heme right trayteously arose To helpe the Percies plying my depose And cald fro Fraunce Erle Bolenbroke whom I Condemned ten yeres in eryle to lye Who cruelly did put to death all those That in myne ayde durst looke but once awry Whose number was but slender I suppose For whan I was cum back this stur to stay The Erle of Worcester whom I trusted moste Whiles we in Wales at Flint our castell lay Both to refresh and multiply mine oste Did in my hall in â—ight of least and moste Be breake his staffe my houshold office stay Bad eche man shiâ—te and rode him selfe away See princes see the power wherof we boste Whome most we trust at nede do vs betray Through whose false faith my land and life I lost For whan my trayterous Stuard thus was goen My seruauntes shranke away on euery side That caught I was and caryed to my foen Who for theyr prince a prison dyd provide And therin kept me til duke Henryes pride Dyd cause me yeld him vp my crowne and throne Whych shortly made my frendly foes to grene For Henry seing in me their falshode tryde Abhorde them all and would be rulde by none For whych they sought to stoppe him strayt a tyde The chiefe conspirde by death to drive him down For which exployte a solemne othe they swore To render me my libertie and crown Wherof them selues deprived me before But salues helpe seeld an overlong suffred sore To stoppe the brech no boote to runne or rowne When swelling fluds have overflowen the town Til sailes be spred the ship may kepe the shore The Ankers wayed though al the frayte do frowne With streame and steere perforce it shalbe bore For though the piers set Henry in his state Yet could they not displace him thence agayne And where they easily put me downe of late They could restore me by no maner payne Thinges hardly mende but may be mard amayne And whan a man is falne in froward fate Still mischeves light one in anothers pate And wel meant meanes his mishaps to restraine Ware wretched moues wherby his ioyes abate Due proofe wherof in me appereth playne For whan king Henry knew that for my cause His lordes in maske would kil him if they might To dash all dowtes he tooke no farther pause But sent sir Pierce of Erton a traytrous knight To Pomfret Castell with other armed light Who causeles kild me there agaynst all lawes Thus lawles life to lawles deth ey drawes Wherfore byd Kynges be rulde and rule by right Who wurketh his wil shunneth wisedomes sawes In flateries clawes shames foule pawes shal light WHan he had ended this so wofull a tragedy and to all Princes a ryght wurthy instruction we paused hauing passed through a miserable time full of piteous tragedyes And seing the reyne of Henry the fourth ensued a man more ware prosperous in hys doynges although not vntroubled with warres both of outforth and inward enemies we began to serch what Piers were fallen therin wherof the number was not small and yet because their examples were not much to be noted for our purpose we passed ouer all the Maskers of whom King Richardes brother was chiefe which were all slayne and put to death for theyr trayterous attempt And finding Owen Glendour next one of fortunes owne whelpes and the Percyes his confederates I thought them vnmete to be over passed and therfore sayde thus to the silent cumpany what my maysters is euery man at once in a browne study hath no man affeccion to any of these storyes you minde so much sum other belyke that these do not move you And to say the troth there is no speciall cause why they should Howbeit Owen Glendour because he was one of fortunes darlinges rather than he should be forgotten I wil tel his tale for him vnder the priuilege of Martine Hundred whych Owen cumming out of the wilde mountaynes like the Image of death in all poyntes his dart onely excepted so sore hath famine and hunger consumed hym may lament his folly after thys maner Hovve Ovven Glendour seduced by false prophesies tooke vpon him to be prince of VVales and vvas by Henry then prince therof chased to the mountaynes vvhere he miserably dyed for lacke of foode I Pray the Baldwin sith thou doest entend To shewe the fall of such as clymbe to hye Remember me whose miserable ende May teache a man his vicious life to flye Oh Fortune Fortune out on her I crye My body and fame she hath made leane and slender For I poore wretch am steruen Owen Glendour A Welshman borne and of a gentle blud But ill brought vp wherby full wel I find That neither birth nor linage make vs good Though it be true that Cat wil after kinde Fleshe gendreth fleshe so doeth not soule or minde They gender not but fowly do degender When men to vice from vertue them do surrender Ech thing by nature
tendeth to the same Wherof it came and is disposed like Downe sinkes the mold by mountes the fiery flame With horne the hart with hoofe the horse doth strike The Wulfe doth spoyle the suttle For doth pyke And generally no fish flesh fowle or plant Doth any property that their dame had want But as for men sith seuerally they haue A mind whose maners are by learning made Good bringing vp alonly doth them save In vertuous dedes which with their parentes fade So that true gentry standeth in the trade Of vertuous life not in the fleshly line For blud is Brute but Gentry is diuine Experience doth cause me thus to say And that the rather for my countreymen Which vaunt and boast their selues aboue the day If they may strayne their stocke for wurthy men Which let be true are they the better than Nay farre the wurse if so they be not good For why they steyne the bewty of theyr blood How would we mocke the burden bearing mule If he would brag he wer an horses sunne To presse his pride might nothing els him rule His boast to proue no more but byd him runne The horse for swiftenes hath his glory wunne To which the mule could neuer the more aspier Though he should prove that Pegas was his sier Ech man may crake of that which is his own Our parentes vertues theirs are and not oures Who therfore wil of noble kind be knowen Ought shine in vertue like his auncestors Gentry consisteth not in landes and towers He is a Churle though all the world be his He Arthurs heyre if that he liue amys For vertuous lyfe doth make a gentleman Of her possessour all be he poore as Iob Yea though no name of elders shewe he can For proofe take Merlyn fathered by an Hob. But who so settes his mind to spoyle and rob Although he cum by due discent fro Brute He is a Chorle vngentle vile and brute Well thus dyd I for want of better wyt Because my parentes noughtly brought me vp For gentle men they sayd was nought so sy As to attaste by bolde attemptes the cup Of conquestes wyne wherof I thought to sup And therfore bent my selfe to rob and ryue And whome I could of landes and goodes depryue For Henry the fourth did then vsurpe the crowne Despoyled the kyng with Mortimer the heyre For whych his subiectes sought to put him downe And I whyle Fortune offred me so fayre Dyd what I myght his honour to appeyre And toke on me to be the prynce of Wales Entiste therto by many of Merlines tales For whych such Idle as wayte vpon the spoyle From euery parte of Wales vnto me drew For loytring youth vntaught in any toyle Are redy aye all mischiefe to ensue Through help of these so great my glory grew That I defyed my Kyng through lofty hart And made sharp warre on all that tooke his part See lucke I tooke lord Reynolde Grey of Rythen And him enforst my doughter to espouse And so vnraunsomed held him still and sithen In Wygmore land through battayle rygorous I caught the ryght heyre of the crowned house The Erle of March syr Edmund Mortymer And in a dungeon kept hym prysoner Then al the marches longyng vnto Wales By Syverne west I did inuade and burne Destroyed the townes in mountaynes and in vales And riche in spoyles did homward safe retourne Was none so bold durst once agaynst me spurne Thus prosperously doth Fortune forward call Those whom she mindes to geue the forest fall Whan fame had brought these tidinges to the king Although the Skots than vexed him ryght sore A myghty army agaynst me he dyd bryng Wherof the French Kyng beyng warned afore Who mortall hate agaynst kyng Henry bore To greve our foe he quyckely to me sent Twelve thousand Frenchmen armed to war bent A part of them led by the Erle of Marche Lord Iames of Burbon a valiaunt tryed knyght Withheld by winds to Wales ward sorth to marche Tooke lande at Plymmouth pryuily on a nyght And when he had done al he durst or myght After that a mayny of his men were slayne He stole to shyp and sayled home agayne Twelve thousand moe in Mylford dyd aryue And came to me then lying at Denbygh With armed Welshmen thousandes double fiue With whom we went to wurcester well nigh And there encampte vs on a mount on high To abide the kyng who shortly after came And pitched his feild on a Hyll hard by the same Ther eyght dayes long our hostes lay face to face And neyther durst the others power assayle But they so stopt the passages the space That vitayles coulde not cum to our auayle Wherthrough constrayned our hartes began to fayle So that the Frenchmen shrancke away by night And I with mine to the mountaynes toke our flight The king pursued vs greatly to his cost From Hyls to wuds fro wuds to valeyes playne And by the way his men and stuf he lost And whan he see he gayned nought saue payne He blewe retreat and got him home agayne Then with my power I boldly came abrode Taken in my cuntrey for a very God Immediatly after fell a Ioly Iarre Betwene the king and Percies worthy bluds Which grew at last vnto a deadly warre For like as drops engendre mighty fluds And litle seedes sprut furth great leaves and buds Euen so small strifes if they be suffred â—un Brede wrath and war and death or they be don The kyng would haue the raunsum of such Scots As these the Percyes had â—ane in the feeld But see how strongly Luker knits her knottes The king will haue the Percies wil not yeeld Desire of goodes soone craves but graunteth seeld Oh cursed goodes desire of you hath wrought All wyckednes that hath or can be thought The Percies deemed it meter for the king To haue redeemed theyr cosin Mortymer Who in his quarel all his power did bryng To fight with me that tooke him prisoner Than of their pray to rob his Souldier And therfore willed him see sum mean wer found To quit furth him whom I kept vily bound Because the king misliked their request They came them selves and did accord with me Complayning how the kyngdome was opprest By Henries rule wherfore we dyd agre To put him downe and part the realme in three The North part theirs Wales wholy to be mine The rest to rest to therle of Marches line And for to set vs hereon more agog A prophet came a vengeaunce take them all Affirming Henry to be Gogmagog Whom Merlyn doth a Mouldwarp euer call Accurst of god that must be brought in thrall By a wulf a Dragon and a Lyon strong Which should deuide his kingdome them among This crafty dreamer made vs thre such beastes To thinke we were these foresayd beastes in deede And for that cause our badges and our creastes We searched out whych scarcely wel agreed Howbeit the Haroldes redy at such a neede Drew downe such issues
Which of the king at home had gouernaunce Whose roume the earle of Warwike then supplied And I tooke his and sped me into Fraunce And hauing a zeale to conquer Orlyaunce With much a do I gat the regentes ayde And marched thither and siege about it layde But in the way I tooke the towne of Yayn Wher murdred wer for stoutnes many a man But Baugency I tooke with litle payne For which to shew them fauour I began This caused the townes of Mewne and Iargeman That stoode on Loyer to profer me the keyes Ere I came nere them welny by two dayes See here how Fortune forward can allure What baytes she layeth to bring men to their endes Who having hap like this but would hope sure To bring to bale what euer he entendes But soone is sowre the sweete that Fortune sendes Whan hope and hap whan helth and welth is hyest Than wo and wracke desease and nede be nyest For while I suing this so good successe Layd siege to Orlyaunce on the river syde The Bastard Cuckold Cawnyes sonne I gesse Tho thought the dukes who had the towne in gide Came fearcely forth when he his time espide To raise the siege but was beat backe agayne And hard pursued both to his losse and payne For there we wan the bulwarke on the bridge With a mighty tower standing fast therby Ah cursed tower that didst my dayes abridge Would god thou hadst bene furder eyther I. For in this tower a chamber standes on hie From which a man may view through al the towne By certayne windowes yron grated downe Where on a day now Baldwin note mine ende I stoode in vewing where the towne was weake And as I busily talked with my frend Shot fro the towne which al the grate did breake A pellet came and drove a mighty fleake Agaynst my face and tare away my checke For payne wherof I dyed within a wecke See Baldwin see the vncertaynty of glory How sodayne mischief dasheth all to dust And warne all princes by my broken story The happiest Fortune chiefly to mistrust Was neuer man that alway had his lust Than such be fooles in fancy more then mad Which hope to haue that neuer any had THis straunge aduenture of the good erle drave vs al into a dumpne inwardly lamenting his wofull destynye out of which we wer awaked after this sort To what ende ê™ one muse we so much on this matter This Earle is neyther the first nor the last whom Fortune hath foundered in the heyth of their prosperitye For all through the raine of this vnfortunate king Henry we shall find many whych haue bene likewise serued whose chaunces sith they be marâ—â—â—l and therfore honorable may the better be omitted And therfore we wil let go the lordes Mâ—rlmes and Poyninges slayne both at the siege of Orleans shortly after the death of this earle Also the valiaunt earle of Arundle destroyed with a bowlet at the assault of Gerbory whose storyes nevertheles are wurth the hearyng And to quicken vp your spirites I wil take vpon me a tragicall person in deede I meane kyng Iamy slayne by his seruauntes in his pryvy chamber who although he be a Skot yet seing he was brought vp in Englande where he learned the language hys example also so notable it were not meete he shoulde be forgotten And therfore marke Baldwin what I thinke he may say Hovv king Iames the first for breaking his othes and bondes vvas by gods suffrauns miserably murdred of his ovvne subiectes IF for examples sake thou write thy booke I charge the Baldwin thou forget me not Whom Fortune alwayes frowardly forsooke Such waâ— my lucke my merite or my lot I am that Iames king Roberts sonne the Skot That was in England prisoner all his youth Through mine vncle Walters trayterous vntruth For whan my father through disease and age Unwieldy was to gouerne well his land Because his brother Walter semed sage He put the rule therof into his hand Than had my father you shall vnderstand Of lawfull barnes me and one only other Nempt Dauy Rothsay who was mine elder brother This Dauy was prince of Scotland and so take Till his aduoutry caused men complayne Which that he might by monyshment forsake My father prayed mine vncle take the payne To threaten him his vices to refrayne But be false traytour butcherly murdring wretch To get the crowne began to fetch a fetch And finding now a proffer to his pray Deuised meanes my brother to deuower And for that cause convayed him day by day â–ª From place to place from castell vnto tower To Faulkland fort where like a tormentour He starmd him and put to death a wife Whom through a reede he sukt to saue his life O wretched death â–ª fye cruel tiranny A prince in prison lost for fault of foode Was â—â—nce enmy wrought such villany A trusted brother stroye his brothers blood Wo wurth foe frendly fye on double hood Ah wretched father see thy sonne is lost Sterved by thy brother whom thou trustedst most Of whom whan sum began to find the fraud And yet the traytor made him selfe so clere That he should seeme to haue deserued laud So wofull did he for his death appeare My doubtful father louing me ful deere To auoyde all daunger that might after chaunce Sent me away but nine yeres olde to Fraunce But windes and wether wer so contrary That we wer driuen to the English coast Which realme with Skotland at that time did vary So that they tooke me prisoner not as oste For which my father fearing I wer lost Conceiued shortly such an inward thought As to the graue immediatly him brought Than had mine vncle all the regiment At home and I in England prisoner lay For to him selfe he thought it detryment For my releace any raunsum for to pay For as he thought he had possest his pray And therfore wisht I might in durauns dure Till I had dyed so should his rayne be sure But good king Henry seing I was a child And heyre by ryght vnto a realme and crowne Dyd bring me vp not lyke my brother wylde But vertuously in feates of high renowne In libeâ—all artes in instrumentall sowne By meane wherof whan I was after king I did my realme to ciuil order bring For ere I had been prisoner eyghtene yere In which short space two noble princes dyed Wherof the first in prudence had no peere The other in warre most valyant throwly tryed Whose rowme his sonne babe Henry eke supplyed The pyers of England which did gouerne all Did of their goodnes helpe me out of thrall They maried me to a cosin of their king The Duke of Somersets daughter rich fayre Releast my raunsome saue a trifling thing And after I had done homage to the hayer And sworne my frendship neuer should appayre They brought me kingly furnisht to my lande Which I recâ—yued at mine vncles hand Wherof my lordes and commons wer ful glad So was
mine vncle chiefly as he sayed Who in his mouth no other matter had Saue punish such as had my brother trayed The faut wherof epparantly he layed To good duke Murdo his elder brothers sonne Whose father dyed long ere this dede was doen. My cursed vncle â—lyer than the snake Which would by craft vnto the crowne aspier Because he sawe this Murdo was a stake That stayed vp the stop of his desier For his elder brother was Duke Murdoes fier He thought it best to haue him made away So was he suer I goen to haue his pray And by his craftes the traytour brought to passe That I destroyed Duke Murdo and his kin Poore innocentes my louing frendes alas O kinges and Princes what plight stand we in A trusted traytour shal you quickely winne To put to death your kin and frendes most iust Take hede therfore take hede whose rede ye trust And at the last to bring me hole in hate With god and man at home and eke abrode He counsayled me for surance of my state To helpe the Frenchmen then nye overtrode By Englishmen and more to lay on lode With power and force al England to invade Against the othe and homage that I made And though at first my conscience did grudge To breake the bondes of frendship knit by oth Yet after profe see mâ—schiefe I did iudge It madnes for a king to kepe his troth And semblably with all the world it goth Sinnes ofte assayed are thought to be no sinne So sinne doth soyle the soule it sinketh in But as diseases common cause of death Bring daunger most whan least they pricke smart Which is a signe they haue expulst the breth Of liuely heat which doth defende the hart Euen so such sinnes as felt are on no part Haue conquered grace and by their wicked vre So kild the soule that it can haue no cure And grace agate vice stil suceedeth vice And all to haste the vengeaunce for the furst I arede therfore all people to be wise And stoppe the bracke whan it begins to burst At taste no poyson vice is venim wurst It mates the mind beware eke of to much All kil through muchnes sum with only touche Whan I had learned to set my othe at nought And through much vse the sence of sinne exyled Agaynst king Henry what I could I wrought My fayth my othe vniustly foule defiled And while sly Fortune at my doinges smiled The wrath of God which I had wel deserued Fell on my necke for thus loe was I serued Ere I had raygned fully fiftene yere While time I laye at Pertho at my place With the Quene my wife children me to chere My murdring vncle with the double face That longed for my kingdome and my mace To sâ—ay me there suborned Robert Gram With whom his nephew Robert Stuart cam And whan they time fit for their purpose found Into my priuy chaumber they aâ—â—art Where with their sweardes they gave me many a wound And slue al such as stucke vnto my parte There loe my wife dyd shewe her louing harte Who to defende me felled one or twayne And was sore wounded ere I coulde be slayne See Baldwin Baldwin the vnhappy endes Of suche as passe not for theyr lawfull oth Of those that causâ—les leaue theyr fayth or frendes And murdre kynsfolke through their foes vntroth Warne warne all princes all lyke sinnes to loth And chiefely suche as in my Realme be borne For God hates hyghly suche as are forsworne WHan this was sayd let King Iamy go ê™ mayster Ferrers returne we to our owne story se what broyls wer amoÌ„g the nobility in y e kinges minority How y e cardinal Bewford maligneth the estate of good duke HuÌ„frey the kinges vncle protector of y e realme by what driftes he first banisheth his wife froÌ„ him And lastly howe the good duke is murderously made away through conspiracy of Quene Margaret and other both whose tragedies I entend at leasure to declare for they be notable Do so I pray you ê™ another But take hede ye demurre not vpon them And I to be occupied the meane time will shewe what I haue noted in the duke of Suffolkes doinges one of the chiefest of duke Humfreyes destroyers who by the prouidens of God came shortly after in such hatred of the people that the King him selfe could not saue hym from astraunge and notable death which he may lament after this maner Hovv Lorde VVilliam Delapole Duke of Suffolke vvas vvorthily punyshed for abusing his Kyng and causing the destruction of good Duke Humfrey HEauy is the hap wherto all men be bound I meane the death which no estate may flye But to be banisht headed so and drownd In sinke of shame from top of honors hye Was never man so served I thinke but I And therfore Baldwin fro thy grave of griefe Reiect me not of wretched princes chiefe My only life in all poyntes may suffise To shewe howe base all baytes of Fortune be Which thaw like yse through heate of enuies eyes Or vicious dedes which much possessed me Good hap with vices can not long agree Which bring best fortunes to the basest fall And happiest hap to enuy to be thrall I am the prince duke William De la Poole That was so famous in Quene Margets dayes That found the meane Duke Humfreyes blud to coole whose vertuous paynes deserve eternal prayse Wherby I note that Fortune can not raise Any one aloft without sum others wracke Fluds drowne no fieldes before they find a bracke But as the waters which do breake their walles Do loose the course they had within the shore And dayly rotting stinke within their stalles For fault of moouing which they found before Euen so the state that over high is bore Doth loose the lyfe of peoples love it had And rots it selfe vntil it fall to bad For while I was but Erle eche man was glad To say and do the best by me they might And Fortune ever since I was a lad Did smile vpon me with a chereful sight For whan my Kyng had doubed me a Knight And sent me furth to serve at warre in Fraunce My lucky spede mine honor dyd enhaunce Where to omit the many feitâ—s I wrought Under others gyde I do remember one Which with my souldyers valiantly was fought None other captayne save my selfe alone I meane not now the apprinze of Pucel Ione In which attempte my travayle was not smal Though the Duke of Burgoyn had the prayse of al. But the siege of Awmarle is the â—eate I prayse A strong built towne with castes walles vaultes With men and weapon armed at al assayes To which I gave nâ—â— five times five assaultes Tyl at the last they yelded it for naughtes Yet Lord Rambures like a valiaunt Knight Defended it as long as euer he might But what prevayled it these townes to winne Which shortly after must be lost againe Wherby I see there is
belike you mind our matters very much So I do in dede ê™ I For I dreame of them And whan I had rehearced my dreame we had long talke concerning the natures of dreames which to stint and to bring vs to our matter againe thus sayde one of them I am glad it was your chaunce to dreame of Duke Richard for it had bene pity to have overpassed him And as coÌ„cerning this lord Clyfford whych so cruelly killed his sonne I purpose to geve you notes who as he welde served came shortly after to a sodayne death yet to good for so cruell a tiraunt Wherfore as you thought you sawe and heard the headles duke speake thorow his necke so suppose you see this lord Clifford all armed save his head with his brest plate all gore bloud running from his throte wherin an hedles arrow sticketh thrugh which wound he sayeth thus Hovv the lord Clyfford for his straunge and abhominable cruelty came to as straunge and sodayne a death OPen confession areth open penaunce And wisedome would a maÌ„ his shame to hide Yet sith forgeuenes cummeth through repentaunce I thinke it best that men their crimes ascried For nought so secrete but at length is spied For couer fire and it wil neuer linne Til it breake furth in like case shame and sinne As for my selfe my faultes be out so playne And published so brode in every place That though I would I can not hide a grayne All care is bootles in a cureles case To learne by others griefe sum haue the grace And therfore Baldwin write my wretched fall The brief wherof I briefly vtter shall I am the same that slue duke Richardes childe The louely babe that begged life with teares Wherby my honour fowly I defilde Poore selly lambes the Lyon neuer teares The feble mouse may lye among the beares But wrath of man his rancour to requite Forgets all reason ruth vertue quite I mean by rancour the parentall wreke Surnamde a vertue as the vicious say But litle know the wicked what they speake In boldning vs our enmyes kin to slay To punish sinne is good it is no nay They wreke not sinne but merit wreke for sinne That wreke the fathers faultes vpon his kyn Because my father lord Iohn Clifford died Slayne at S. Albons in his princes ayde Agaynst the duke my hart for malyce fryed So that I could from wreke no way be stayed But to avenge my fathers death assayde All meanes I might the duke of Yorke to annoy And all his kin and frendes to kill and stroy This made me with my bluddy daggar wound His giltles sunne that never agaynst me sturde His fathers body lying dead on ground To pearce with speare eke with my cruell swurd To part his necke and with his head to bourd Envested with a paper royal crowne From place to place to beare it vp and downe But cruelty can never skape the skourge Of shame of horror and of sodayne death Repentaunce selfe that other sinnes may pourge Doth flye scâ—oâ—â— this so sore the soule it slayeth Dispayre dissolves the tirauntes bitter breath â–ª For sodayne vengeaunce sodaynly alightes On cruell heades to quite thier cruel spightes The infamous ende of Lord Iohn Tiptoft Earle of VVurcester for cruelly executing his princes butcherly commaundementes THe glorious man is not so loth to lurke As the infamous glad to lye vnknowen Which maketh me Baldwin disalow thy wurke Where princes faultes so openly be blowen I speake not this alonely for mine owne Which wer my princes if that they wer any But for my Pyers in numbre very many Or might report vprightly vse her tong It would lesse greve vs to augment thy matter But suer I am thou shalt be forst among To frayne the truth the living for to â—atter And otherwhiles in poyntes vnknowen to smatter For time never was nor ever I thinke shall be That truth vnshent should speake in all thinges fre This doeth appere I dare say by my story Which divers writers diversly declare But story writers ought for neyther glory Feare nor favour truth of thinges to spare But still it fares as alway it did fare Affection feare or doubtes that dayly brue Do cause that stories never can be true Unfruytfull Fabyan folewed the face Of time and dâ—des but let the causes â—ip Whych Hall hath added but with double grace For feare I thinke least trouble might him trip For this or that sayeth he he felt the whip Thus story writers leave the causes out Or so rehears them as they wer in dout But seing causes are the chiefest thinges That should be noted of the story wryters That men may learne what endes al causes bringes They be vnwurthy the name of Croniclers That leave them cleane out of their registers Or doubtfully report them for the fruite Of reading stories standâ—th in the suite And therfore Baldwin eyther speake vpright Of our affayres or touche them not at all As for my selfe I waye al thinges so light That nought I passe how men report my fall The truth wherof yet playnly shew I shall That thou mayst write and other therby rede What thinges I did wherof they should take hede Thou hast heard of Tiptoftes erfes of Wurcester I am that Iohn that lived in Edwardes dayes The fourth and was his frend and counsayler And Butcher to as common rumor sayes But peoples voyce is neyther shame nor prayse For whom they would alive devour to day To morow dead they wil wurship what they may But though the peoples â—erdit go by chauneâ— Yet was there cause to cal me as they did For I enforst by meane of gouernaunce Did execute what euer my king did byd From blame herein my selfe I can not ryd But fye vpon the wretched state that must Defaine it selfe to serue the princes lust The chiefest crime wherwith men do me charge Is death of the Earle of Desmundes noble sonnes Of which the kinges charge doth me clere discharge By strayt commaundement and Iniunctions Theffect wherof so rigorously runnes That eyther I must procure to se them dead Or for contempt as a traytour lose my head What would mine enemies do in such a case Obey the king or proper death procure They may wel say their fancy for a face But life is swete and love hard to recure They would haue doen as I did I am sure For seldome wil a welthy man at ease For others cause his prince in ought displease How much lesse I which was lieutenant than In the Irishe yle preferred by the king But who for love or dread of any man Consentes to accomplish any wicked thing Although chiefe fault therof from other spring Shall not eskape Gods vengeaunce for his dede Who sauseth none that dare do yl for drede This in my king and me may wel appere Which for our faultes did not eskape the scourge For whan we thought our states most sure and clere The wind of Warwick blew vp such a sourge
downe Bellona rang the bell at home and all abrode With whose mishaps amayne fel Fortune did me lode In Fraunce I lost my fortes at home the soughten fielde My kindred slaine my frendes opprest my selfe enforste to yelde Duke Richard tooke me twise and forst me to resigne My crowne and titles due vnto my fathers ligne And kept me as a warde did all thinges as him list Til time my wife through bluddy sword had â—ane me from his fyst But though she slew the duke my sorowes did not slake But like to hiders head stil more and more awake For Edward through the ayde of Warwick and his brother From one field drave me to the Skots and toke me in another Then went my freÌ„des to wracke for Edward ware the crowne For which for nine yeres space his prison held me downe Yet thence through Warwikes wurke I was againe releast And Edward driven fro the realme to seke his frendes by East But what prevayleth payn or prouidens of man To helpe him to good hap whom destiny doth ban Who moyleth to remove the rocke out of the mud Shall myer him selfe hardly skape the swelling of the flud This al my frendes have found and I have felt it so Ordayned to be the touche of wretchednes and woe For ere I had a yeare possest my seat agayne I lost both it and liberty my helpers all were slayne For Edward first by stelth and sith by gadered strength Arrived and got to Yorke and London at the length Tooke me and tyed me vp yet Warwike was so stout He came with power to Barnet fyelde in hope to helpe me out And there alas was slayne with many a wurthy knight O Lord that ever such luck should hap in helping right Last came my wife and sonne that long lay in exyle Defyed the King and fought a fyelde I may bewalle the whsle For there mine only sonne not thirtene yere of age Was tane and murdered strayte by Edward in his rage And shortly I my selfe to stynt al furder strife Stabbed with his brothers bluddy blade in prison lost my life Loe here the heauy happes which happened me by heape See here the pleasaunt fruytes that many princes reape The payneful plagues of those that breake their lawful bandes Their mede which may wil not save their frendes fro bluddy handes God graunt my woful haps to greuous to rehearce May teache all states to know how depely daungers pearce How frayle al honours are how brittle worldly blisse That warned through my feareful fate they feare to do amys THis tragedy ended an other said eyther you or king Henry are a good philosopher so narowly to argue the causes of misfortunes but ther is nothing to experience which taught or might teach y e king this lesson but to procede in our matter I finde mencion here shortly after y e death of this king of a duke of Excester found dead in the sea betwene Dover and Calays but what he was or by what adventure he died master Fabian hath not shewed and master Hall hath overskipped him so that excepte we bee frendlier vnto him he is like to be double drowned both in the sea and in the gulfe of forgetfulnes About this matter was much talke but because one tooke vppon him to seeke out that story that charge was coÌ„mitted to him And to be occupied the meane while I found the storye of one drowned likewise and that so notably though priuily that al the world knew of it wherfore I sayd because night approcheth and that we wil lose no time ye shall heare what I have noted concerning the duke of Clarens king Edwardes brother who al to be washed in wine may bewayle his infortune after this maner Hovv George Plantagenet third sonne of the Duke of Yorke vvas by his brother King Edvvard vvrongfully imprisoned and by his brother Richard miserably murdered THe foule is fowle men say that files the nest which maketh me loath to speak now might I chuse But seing time vnburdened hath her brest And fame blowen vp the blast of all abuse My silence rather might my life accuse Than shroud our shame though fayne I would it so For truth wil out though all the world say no. And therfore Baldwin hartely I the beseche To pause awhile vpon my heauy playnt And though vnneth I vtter spedy spech No fault of wit or folly maketh me saynt No heady drinkes have geven my tounge attaynâ—e Through quaffing craft yet wine my wits confouÌ„d Not which I dranke of but wherin I dround What prince I am although I nede not shewe Because my wine bewrayes me by the smell For never was creature sowst in Bacchus dewâ— To death but I through Fortunes rigour fel Yet that thou mayst my story better tell I will declare as briefly as I may My welth my woe and causers of decay The famous house sournamed Plantagenet Wherat dame Fortune frowardly did frowne White Bolenbroke vniustly sought to set His lord king Richard quite beside the crowne Though many a day it wanted due renowne God so preserved by prouidens and grace That lawful heires did never faile the race For Lionell king Edwardes elder childe Both vncle and haire to Richard yssulesse Begot a doughter Philip whom vnfilde The earle of March espousde and god did blesse With fruyte assinde the kingdome to possesse I mean sir Roger Mortimer whose hayer The earle of Cambridge maried Anne the fayer This earle of Cambridge Richard clept by name Was sonne to Edmund Langley duke of Yorke Which Edmund was fift brother to the same Duke Lyonel that al this line doth korke Of which two houses ioyned in a forke My father Richard prince Plantagenet True duke of Yorke was lawful heire beget Who tooke to wife as you shal vnderstand A mayden of a noble house and olde Raulfe Nebels daughter Earle of Westmerland Whose sonne Earle Richard was a baron bolde Aâ—d had the right of Salysbury in bolde Through mariage made with good Earle Thomas hayer Whose earned prayses never shal appaire The duke my father had by this his wife Fower sonnes of whom the eldest Edward hight The second Iohn who lost in youth his life At wakefield slayne by Clifford cruell knight I George am third of Clarence duke by right The fowerth borne to the mischiefe of vs all Was duke of Glocester whom men Richard call Whan as our syer in sute of right was slayne Whose life and death him selfe declared curst My brother Edward plyed his cause amayne And got the crowne as Warwick hath rehearst The pride wherof so depe his stomacke pearst That he forgot his frendes dispisde his kin Of oth or office passing not a pinne Which made the earle of Warwike to maligne My brothers state and to attempt a waye To bring from prison Henry selly king To helpe him to the kingdome if he may And knowing me to be the chiefest staye My brother had he did me vndermine To cause me to