King Edward the 2 surnamed Carnaruen was crouned att westminster at the 22 yere of his age the 24 of febru 1â—03 he Raigned 19 yere 6 monethes was deposed the 25 of Ianuvarius 1326 he was slayne in the Castle of barkley in the 43 yere of his age THE DEPLORABLE LIFE AND DEATH of EDWARD the Second KING of ENGLAND Together with the Downefall of the two Vnfortunate Fauorits GAVESTONE and SPENCER Storied in an Excellent Poëm LONDON Printed for Roger Michell 1628. THE DEPLORABLE Life and Death of Edward the Second KING of ENGLAND 1 I Sing thy sad disaster fatall King Carnarvan Edward second of that name Thy Minions pride thy State ill managing Thy Peeres reuolt the sequell of the same Thy Life thy Death I sing thy sinne thy shame And how thou were depriued of thy Crowne In highest Fortune cast by Fortune downe 2 Did I say Fortune nay by Folly rather By vnrespect vnto the rules of State For let a Prince assure himselfe to gather As he hath planted either Loue or Hate Contempt or Duty not the workes of Fate Much lesse of Fortune but of due respects Two causes which must needes produce effects 3 As if a Prince doe lay his platforme right And then with courage prosecutes the same His ends proue happy but by ouer-sight He that is weake wholy subuerts the frame Of his owne building and doth idly blame Fortune which wise men make to wait on them But for a way-ward Mistrisse fooles condemne 4 In which Discourse if I shall hap to touch Those faults that in our time are frequent growne Let not the gauld offender winch or grudge For I intend a priuate wrong to none Onely I would haue those same errours knowne By which the State did then to ruine runne That warn'd by theirs our age like sins might shun 5 Nor doe I meane to bound my selfe so much As onely for to tye me to those times The causes courses consequents I 'le touch Of latter ages and of their designes And if detractions breath doth blast my lines Be it for me I haue for my defence The priuy coate of harmlesse innocence 6 And thou great King that now dost weild our State Building on that which former times did square Oh let it not be thought to derogate From thy perfections admirable rare If I some errors of these times declare Sure neuer State was so precisely good But faults haue scap'd which could not be withstood 7 For men are not like God compleat Diuine Whom neither passions mooue nor errors blinde Who is not limitted with any time Nor tyde to meanes nor into place confinde But free in all no counter-check doth finde But worketh all in all and nothing ill To contradict the least part of his will 8 Whereas our humane actions are all mixt Men liue in motion so do their designes Nothing is simply good or firmely fixt All haue defects nature it selfe declines Darknesse oft clouds the clearest Sunne that shines Our purest streames are not without their mud And we mistake what oft we take for good 9 Besides Kings needs must see with others eies From whence mistaking cannot choose but spring And when th' offence from errors doth arise Why should men cast the enuy on the King And not on those that mis-informe the thing This is the gall most banes the Kingly Throne That of his faults the least part is his owne 10 For he himselfe is blamelesse oft God knowes Except it be because he doth not know The noted scandals that arise from those On whom he doth his fauours most bestow Which they abusing discontents may grow Against the Prince though not deseruing them So apr we are euen goodnesse to condemne 11 Nor must we with a coale straight marke or brand A Prince or State because of some defect Who can be free from Sulley if 't so stand But that same Prince or State deserues respect Whose actions doth in generall effect And ayme at good for in particulets None can be so compleate but often erres 12 And much are they deceiu'd that thinke to finde A State without a blemish or a stayne Conceite may cast Ideas in the minde And forge strange formes not practis'd in the braine But States consist of men and men retaine This natiue badge which vnto all doth cleaue That is to be deceiu'd and to deceiue 13 The warlike Trumpet sounding to the fight Commands the hearing more then doth the reed Each eye is fixed on the Eagles flight When little Wrens deserue not any heed The greatest men shall haue the greatest meed Marke who so list and they shall finde it tride That all mens eares to Princes tongues are tide 14 Then let the World attend King Edwards words The second Edward matter fit for moane Whose smiles gaue life whose frownes did wound like swords Whilst hee did sit vpon the Kingly Throne Not minded now nor mean'd by any one So time cuts downe we see with fatall blow Aswell proud Oakes as humble shrubs below 15 Imagine with your selues you see him come From forth the deepe darke cauerns of the earth Starued and pin'd nothing but skin and bone In Princely plenty suffering want and dearth As naked as an infant at his birth So pinching need doth pluck what pride doth plant And wastfull ryot is repayd with want 16 And thus poore Prince begins his Tragicke plaint Am I the same that was first Edwards sonne By nature borne to liue without restraint Were there for me so many Trophies won By Long-shankes and such great atchiuements done I am the same and he so great did leaue me As none I thought of greatnesse could bereaue me 17 But now I finde by proofe that one there is And well it is that there is such a one Who is not hood-winckt vnto our amisse And he can pull vs from our Kingly Throne For all our Guards our Forts our Walls of Stone Know King how great and powerfull thou be The King of Kings still ruleth ouer thee 18 I know that nature apt to ouer-weene May easly straine a Princes thoughts too high I know it is and euermore hath beene A common course to flatter Maiesty Greatnesse is apt to swim in Surcudrie Yet though like hils we ouer-looke low grounds All vertuous Kings confesse they haue their bounds 19 And therefore though we haue Prerogatiues Yet there are certaine limits to the same Which hinders Kings to be Superlatiues To sway as Gods Lieutenants this faire frame And those Aspirers merit Death and shame That do repine against those Supreame powers Whom God hath made his vnderlings not ours 20 And yet although their State be free from force That giues not Lawlesse liberty in all Kings must obserue a iust and rightfull course God is their King by whom they stand or fall And euery Act vnto account will call Their oath their vertue and their owne renowne Are Dyamantine chaines to tye a Crowne 21 And such as are not moou'd with these respects
my hearts desire Longshankes is dead his water ayre and fire Are turn'd to earth and earthly might he be That on the earth did keepe the Crowne for me 109 Yet in that sad dismaifull houre of dying No griefe did him more feelingly distresse Then that his vicious Sonne al vertue flying Should ruine that by ryot and excesse VVhich he had built with so great carefulnesse And therefore for to weane me from such sinnes These well tun'd Notes this dying Swan-beginnes 110 My Sonne quoth he for in that name of zeale My words may proue of more effectuall power VVhy shouldst thou so with thy sicke Father deale As to torment him in his parting houre VVhose life hath had his portion full of sowre And yet to make my measure fuller still My Sonne doth daily adde vnto my will 111 I know what 't is by many dire extreames To keepe the Crowne vpright vpon the head I know the troublous sleeps and frightfull dreames That houer still about a Princely bed The worme of greatnesse iealousie is bred Out of it selfe yet this I know withall Our powerfull sway doth sweeten all our gall 112 But for thy selfe and for my heart-breake griefe That out of thy sin-shipt-wracke youth doth grow No circumstance yeilds colour of reliefe The cause excuselesse limitlesse the woe That doth from thy full sea of follies flowe For foulest faults proceede from powerfull ill And subiects sort themselues to Princes still 113 Thou dost not onely by thy vicious liuing Bereaue thy soule of blisse which virtue winnes But also by thy ill example giuing Thou dost attract weake mindes vnto like sinnes For certainly the Subiect euer swims Iust with the streame so growing like to thee A generall deluge of all sinne will be 114 Much better had it beene thou hadst not beene Then that thy being should so ruine all Oh wherefore was thy birth-day euer seene If by thy life the State it selfe doth fall To those soule sinnes which wrath from Heauen do call By whose iust doome such States confounded are By Forraine fury or domesticke ware 115 For when the seed of sinne to ripenesse growes Then Iustice with a Sithe doth mowe it downe This that it is that Kingdomes ouer-throwes Layes wast the field vnpeoples euery towne Or if not so disorders yet the Crowne Although it prooue no generall desolation Yet many dangers grow by innovation 116 When my Heauen-seeking soule shall leaue her Inne And this my flesh clos'd in a house of clay Then will my shame suruiue me in thy sinne And Babes vnborne will ban my births and say His wretched life gaue life to our decay And had no other ill by him bin done He sinn'd too much in getting such a sonne 117 Did I for this indure the dust and Sunne Dis-lodg'd at mid-night march in mid-day heate Where Turkish French and Scottish trophies wonne Was all my care imploy'd to make thee great That some might dispossesse thee of thy Seate Oh then I see that greatnesse soone is gone When God drawes not the plot men builds vpon 118 And my diuining soule doth sadly see Thy ruine in thy riot oh my Ned When I am gone a King then shalt thou be But if thou still beest with thy passions led Thou wilt not keep thy crown vpon thy head My soule now parting from the earthly cage Fore-tels thee so in her propheticke rage 119 Well Sonne I feele my faltring tongue doth faile Therefore this short abridgement I doe make Feare God loue virtue let the right preuaile Shunne suddaine courses Parasites forsake Dis-fauour not thy Peeres their Counsels take For thy designes reuoke not GÃ uestone For he will prooue the canker of thy throne 120 Pursue those Scottish warres I haue in hand And for because my soule did make a vow Vnto my God to serue in holy Land From which this sicknes interdicts me now Though Death disable me effect it thou Embowell me and thither heare my heart That I therein at last may haue some part 121 And you my Lords speaking vnto his Peâ—res Whose wealth and greatnesse I haue much increast Be Fathers to my sonnes vntuter'd yeares Loue him for me though Longshankes be deceast Let not Gauestones exile be releast Least his repeale occasion ciuill strife And so first Edward ends both speech and life 122 Thus Death that Herald that euen Kings doth summon The Purseuant that doth attach great Peeres The City Seriant whose arrest is common The errant-bayliffe that a Processe beares And no place bounds but serues it in all Shieres The generall Surueior of each one Did bring my Father to his longest home 123 The Obsequies and Ceremonies done Then I was Crown'd me thought the Sun did dance And that the Thames with siluer stteames did runne Likewise the Starres did all applaud my chance That did my State vnto a Crowne aduance Smile Starres dance Sunne and Riuer run with mirth Carnarvan Edward is a god on earth 124 But all the Starres to blazing Commets turn'd Whose sad vprise presag'd my dreiry fate The Riuers seem'd as if they wept and mourn'd The Sunne did neuer shine vpon my State Starres Streames and Sunne saw me vnfortunate Disastrous man so borne to suffer wracke As is the Aethiop to be alwayes blacke 125 Obserue the man whom Fates haue slau'd to griefe See how the wretch that 's destin'd Fortunes foe Wil be a rub to turne away reliefe Euen from himselfe and weaue his owne wrought woe Harme after him he after harme shall goe Forspoken man neuer but successelesse Himselfe his hurt and yet his hurt redresseksse 126 Nay euen those very meanes which he shall vse In good discretion to preuent the clap Shal be returned vnto his abuse And serue for pullies of his owne mishap So though he see he shall not shun the trap And if his ruine were not ripe before His owne designes shall hasten it the more 127 Thâ— King of Epire fearing death home Fore-warn'd thereof by formet Prophecie To Italy forth-with must needes begon So to preuent his fault by pollicy But still he 's follow'd by his destiny In Italy he findes an Acharon The fatall floud from which he would be gon 128 Fourth Henry was by some blinde Bard fore-told That he should neuer dye till he had seene Ierusalem fourth Henry wil be old Ierusalem for him shal be vnseene No he shal see it when he least doth weene He sounds at prayers and by religious men Is straight conuey'd vnto Ierusalem 129 For so the place was call'd where he was lay'd And shortly after did the Noble King In vaine men striue the heauens wil be obay'd We may fore-know but not preuent a thing Our selues will neuer cease till we do bring Our fates to full effect and all we do Shal be but lines to lead vs thereunto 130 For first I doe those Councellors remoue That in my Fathers raigne had borne most sway Whereby I did disarme me of their loue To practizes and discontents made way Expose
rather My hopefull Haruest proues but Thistles weedes And for the bloud I gaue my heart now bleeds 87 For oh how neere a touch doth Nature giue How searching are the sufferings of our bloud How much the Fathers soule doth ioy or grieue When he doth see his issue bad or good It 's hard of any to be vnderstood Except of those whose feelings bowels find What deepe impressions doe proceed from kind 88 Wise was the Prince who playing with his Sonne And teaching him to ride vpon a Reede To whom a great Ambassador did come And seem'd to blush at his so childish deede Doe not quoth he to iudgement yet proceed I onely craue a respit of thy doome Till thou thy selfe art Father of a Sonne 89 Inferring that there is a secret loue Which vntouch't hearts can hardly comprehend Would God the same reciprocall might proue Oh that kinde Nature would sometimes ascend Fathers too oft in indulgence offend But Sonnes more oft in duty proue defectiue These way ward times are growne so vnrespectiue 90 Nature so wrought that Cressus sonne cried out Who from his birth before had not spoke word When he did see a Souldier goe about To kill the King his Father with a sword Could Nature then such presidents afford Was she so powerfull then now weakned so That Sonnes themselues now work their Fathers woe 91 But foolish man why doe I blame my Sonne Whose yet vnknowing yeares by ill aduise Being led away a dangerous course doth runne For youths hot bloud forgets cold ages yee And whilst his hand is in doth throw the Dice At all that pleasure sets and thinkes to gaine If with the bye he can discharge the maine 92 Sweete Ned I blame not thee but Gauestone For he it is that sitteth at the Helme And steeres the Sterne at pleasure thou art blowne Nor will he leaue till he doth ouer-whelme In deepest gulfe thy selfe and all thy Realme For stirring spirits do troubl'd streames desire And then thriue best when all are set on fire 93 Obserue those wasted States that do decline How apt they are for innouation How much they doe 'gainst publick good repine And hopefully expect an alteration That whilst things are vnsetl'd out of fashion They may close vp the wounds they had before And by that meanes their priuate wants restore 94 Therefore let those that haue a grounded State And may liue well ioyne close in any wise Against all such as seeke to innouate If not in duty yet in good aduise To keep such downe as hope perhaps to rise Vpon their ruines whose reuenewes may Cut short their liues sure proue the spoilers pray 95 And with these linkes such spirits as would rise But are by former great ones still supprest And such do dangerous Stratagems deuise Not will their egar hopes afford them rest But mount they must who euer be deprest And little do they force the States confusion May they thereby to greatnesse make intrusion 96 And to this end they are obsequious still They sooth they fawne they seeme officious They fit themselues to their great mouers will Be 't good or bad iust or iniurious They serue euen turnes base and luxurious But I 'le prouide a wholesome Methridate So to preuent these poisons of the State 97 And firmely setled in this resolution By strict command was Gauestone exil'd I begg'd of him to stop th' execution But then my Father shak'd his head and smil'd Oh Ned quoth he how much art thou beguil'd To foster that which will thy downefall be And warme the Snake that will inuenome thee 98 I wish my selfe an Eccho at that word That I might then haue boldly answer'd thee For neuer was there sharpest edged sword That wounded more then that same wounded me But go he must that was the Kings decree And when he went then dy'd my bloudlesse heart So doth the body from my soule depart 99 The former times haue held it good aduise That some offender should abiure the Land But 't is a course both dangerous and vnwise And with no rules of Regiment can stand For if the matter be with iudgement scand It will appeare to men considerate That abiuration hurts both Prince and State 100 I do not meane of men that are not mist For who respects the humming of a Gnat Such Attomes may wander where they list Their muddy pates can neither frame the plat Nor feeble hands worke danger to the State Let men of note be mark'd and wary heed Be had of them that may disturbance breed 101 And 't is not safe to banish such a one As may finde meanes to worke his owne returne So Bullingbrooke stept in to Richards throne And he had leasure afterwards to mourne His foolish fault such Med'cines may adiourne The present paine a while but makes the sore To raue more selly then it did before 102 Mild drugs may stirre the humors that abound But will not quite expell the growing ill The roote and body both remaining sound Although the Tree be lopt yet thriues it still But when thou hast the Axe to vse at will Strike at the roote and fell it to the ground Rather then pare the boughes and branches round 103 For 't is lost labour to beginne with them They needes must wither if the other die And do not feare though vulgar breath condemne Thy carriage in such courses whose weake eie Lookes at the present only and thereby Values the rest do thou make good thy end The common sort will euer be thy friend 104 Wise Longshankes yet in this thou wert vnwise If thou hadst tooke the head of Gauestone Those subsequent disasters that did rise From him had beene preuented euery one Thy Sonne had not beene shouldred from his Throne Thy Peeres not slaine nor Realmes to ruine brought But so God workes till all his will be wrought 105 My Gauestone thus driuen into Exile My selfe committed like a Captiue thrall For so my Father kept me short a while VVith bitter curses I did ban them all I dranke my teares and fed vpon my gall I chaf'd and fround yet could I not preuaile Needs must wil be faine would doth often faile 106 Then were my colours turn'd to mournfull blacke I did put on the liuery then of care Like to the hopelesse Sea-man in a wracke That sees the greedy waues deuoure his share No otherwise did thoughtfull Edward fare When sad remembrance in my soule did plant His lot my losse his woe my pleasures want 107 The chiefest Cordiall of my grieuedsoule The one and onely period of my paine Was this that Death admitting no controule Would end my Fathers wrath his Life his Raigne And then thought I Ned will haue Pierce againe When Englands Crowne shall make a Ioue of me Then Gaueston my Ganimed shal be 108 As I did hope so had my hopes successe For shortly after did my Noble Sire VVhilst he prepar'd the Scots for to suppresse Loe now quoth I I haue
teach and we beleiue aright Yet mindes vnsetled sooner will be bent When they shall see your words and workes consent And therefore let your liues your faith expresse And preone by practise what you doe professe 420 Whilst I and my Queene and Tarleton plaild The Pageant thus the Current went so swift That I thought fit vntill the fury stai'd In some close priuate place a while to shift And for the Land seem'd crosse vnto my drift I did resolue by sea to seeke some clime Where I might harbour till some happier time 421 And so I left the land and tooke the seas But sea and land conspir'd vnto my taking For neither plaints nor prayers could appease The windes and waues which far'd as they were making Sharpe war betwixt themselues whilst I stood quaking For feare least I the subiect of their strife Should end their warre by ending of my life 422 And yet thrice happy had poore Edward beene If death had ended then his wearie dayes But cast on shoare in Wales I liu'd vnseene In pathes in woods in vnfrequented waies With those few friends which whilom I did raise Balduck and Redding young Spencer and no more Who in my fall their ruine did deplore 423 Of all the swarmes that follow'd kingly raigne Of all the friends that fawn'd on awfull pride Loe only this poore remnant did remaine A true loue knot with sad affliction tide Who suffering and who sorrowes were t' abide For wretched men compassionate each other And kinde compassion is afflictions mother 424 Oh see what quick sands honour treads vpon How Icie is the way that greatnes goes A mightie Monarch late attended on With supple hammes smooth browes submissiue shewes For many followers he hath many foes False fawning friends from falling fortunes runne As Persians vse to curse the setting Sunne 425 When Ioue had made the chiefe of all his Creatures Whom we call man a litle world indeede The gods did praise his well proportiond features Each in their functions seruing others neede But prying Momus taking better heed Obseru'd at last one error in his Art Because he made no windowes in his heart 426 Oh that the glorious Architect of man Had made transparent glasses in the brest What place should be for Politicians then How should dissembling growe in such request And Matchiauillian Atheisme prosper best But temporising is the way to clime There is no musick without keeping time 427 I shall not doe amisse if I do sing Those heauy Anthemes our sad consort made Whilst they did warble with their wretched king As we did sorrowing sit in silent shade The sudden downfall reeling greatnes had Balducke quoth I out of Philosophie Extract some medicine for our miserie 428 Deere Prince quoth he whom late our eies beheld In greatest glorie that the world could see Whilst thou with awfull maiestie didst wield The publicke State let it no wonder be If some few Stars proue opposite to thee Since in their fauour none so firmly stood But they haue giuen griefe as well as good 429 Do but obserue the fauorite of Chance Her chiefest Mynion highest in her Grace Philips great sonne whom shee did so aduance Who did subdue the East in litle space Vnto whose Armes th' amazed world gaue place Whose actions are the subiâ—ct of all stories He poyson'd dies amids the world of Glories 330 I list not wade in telling tragick tales Sufficeth this all greatnes is vnsure Stormes rage more fiercely on the hills then dales Shrubs better then high Cedars winds indure Those Collours soonest staine that are most pure Oh let him graspe the Clouds and span the skies That can assure himselfe felicities 431 In all that this same massie world doth hold There is a certaine mixture to be found Either of drie or moist or hot or cold Of which if any one too much abound The bodie oft afflicted proues vnsound But being kept in iust proportion They do maintaine a happy vnion 432 So fares it in our fortune and our State Nothing is simply sweet or simply sower Our wealth is mixt with woe our loue with hare Our hope with feare and weaknes with our power Bright moones breed mists the fairest morne a showre And as there is an Autumne and a spring So change by course is seene in euerie thing 433 The winde that 's now at South will change to Nore The greenest Groues will turne to witherd hay The Seas both ebbe and flow at euery shore The Moone doth wax and waine yet not decay Day drawes on night and night drawes on the day Our selues once babes now men then old straight none Do plainly proue a change in euery one 434 Wise Politicians and deepe sighted sages That haue discourst of Common wealths with care Both of our time and of precedent ages Obserue in them a birth when first they are A grouth which oft extendeth verie far A state wherein they stand so change withall And then at last a dismall fatall fall 435 Rome had her being first from Romulus Her growth from Consulls that were Annuall Her State most flourish'd in Octauius Many conuersions these most principall From kings to Consulls last Emperiall And who sees not she is novv ruined And in her Ruines now lies buried 436 The greatest and best grounded Monarchie Hath had a period and an ouer throw There is no constant perpetuitie The streame of things is carried to and fro And doth in euer-running Channells goe If then great Empires are to changes bending We weaker States are warned from their ending 437 Ruines of kingdomes and their fatall harmes From one of these same causes do arise From Ciuill furie and from sorren Armes Or from some plague doom'd from the angrie skies Or worne by wasting time dissolued dies For as the fruit once ripe falls from the tree So common wealths by age subuerted be 438 If these be rocks that shipwrack Monarchies Are priuate States exempted from the same Where liues the man hath such immunities 'T is hard to scape vnscorch'd in common flame Or parts to stand when ruin'd is the frame Those publike harmes that Empires do decay In priuate states do beare a greater sway 439 Fiue hundred yeeres some that are curious wise Would haue the period of a publike State And they appoint for priuat families Some six or seauen discents the vtmost date I dare not so precisely calculate But without doubt there is a fixed time In which all states haue both their set and prime 440 Let these be motiues oh deiected great one To calme the tempest of thy stormie care And though I must confesse it well may fret one The past and present fortunes to compare Yet since in all things changes common are Think eb'd estats may grow and thinke withall What happs to one to euerie one may fall 441 Thus Baldocke chas'd and Reading thus began But first his eyes dewd downe a weeping raine Oh thou once glorious now eclipsed sunne Now thou art clouded yet