Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	father_n	king_n	year_n	9,652	5	5.2913	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08360	The tragedie of Gorboduc, whereof three actes were wrytten by Thomas Nortone, and the two laste by Thomas Sackuyle. Sett forthe as the same was shewed before the Quenes most excellent Maiestie, in her highnes court of Whitehall, the. xviij. day of Ianuary, anno Domini. 1561. By the Gentlemen of thynner Temple in London; Gorboduc	Norton, Thomas, 1532-1584.; Dorset, Thomas Sackville, Earl of, 1536-1608. aut	1565 (1565)	STC 18684; ESTC S111262	31,622	75

right Which time perhaps might end your time before Ferrex Is this no wrong saie you to reaue from me My natiue right to halfe so great a realme And thus to matche his yonger sonne with me In egall power and in as great degree Yea what sonne the sonne whose swellyng pryde Woulde neuer yelde one poinct of reuerence Whan I the Elder and apparaunt heire Stoode in the likelyhode to possesse the whole Yea and that sonne whiche from his childishe age Enuieth myne honour and doth hate my life What will he nowe do when his pride his rage The mindefull malice of his grudging harte Is armed with force with wealth and kingly state Hermon Was this not wrong yea yll aduised wrong To giue so mad a man so sharpe a sworde To so great perill of so great mishappe Wide open thus to set so large a waye Dordan Alas my Lorde what griefull thing is this That of your brother you can thinke so ill I neuer sawe him vtter likelie signe Whereby a man might see or once misdeme Suche hate of you ne suche vnyeldinge pride Ill is their counsell shamefull be their ende That raising suche mistrustfull feare in you Sowing the seede of suche vnkindly hate Trauaile by reason to destroy you both Wise is your brother and of noble hope Worthie to welde a large and mightie Realme So muche a stronger frende haue you therby Whose strēgth is your strēgth if you gree in one Hermon If nature and the Goddes had pinched so Their flowing bountie and their noble giftes Of Princelie qualyties from you my Lorde And powrde them all at ones in wastfull wise Vpon your fathers younger sonne alone Perhappes there be that in your preiudice Would saie that birth shuld yeld to worthines But sithe in eche good gift and Princelie Acte Ye are his matche and in the chiefe of all In mildenes and in sobre gouernauce Ye farre surmount And sithe there is in you Sufficing skill and hopefull towardnes To weld the whole and match you Elders praise I see no cause whie ye should loose the halfe Ne wold I wisshe you yelde to suche a losse Lest your milde sufferaunce of so great a wronge Be deemed cowardishe and simple dreade Whiche shall geue courage to the fierie head Of your yonge Brother to inuade the whole Whiles yet therfore stickes in the peoples mynde The lothed wronge of your disheritaunce And ere your Brother haue by settled power By guyle full cloke of an allurynge showe Got him some force and fauour in this Realme And while the noble Queene your mother lyues To worke and practice all for your auaile Attempt redresse by Armes and wreake your selfe Vpon his life that gaineth by your losse Who nowe to shame of you and griefe of vs In your owne kingdome triumphes ouer you Shew now your courage meete for kingly estate That thei which haue auowed to spēd their goods Their landes their liues honours in your cause Maye be the bolder to mainteine your parte Iohan thei do see that cowarde feare in you Shall not betraye ne saile their faithfull hartes If ones the death of Porrex ende the strife And paie the price of his vsurped Reigne Your Mother shall perswade the angry kynge The Lords your frends eke shall appease his rage For thei be wise and well thei can forsee That ere longe time your aged fathers death will brynge a time when you shall well requite Their frendlie fauour or their hatefull spite Yea or their slackenes to auaunce your cause Wise men do not so hange on passyng state Of present Princes chiefely in their age But they will further cast their reachinge eye To viewe and weigh the times reignes to come Ne is it lykely thoughe the kinge be wrothe That he yet will or that the Realme will beare Extreme reuenge vpon his onelye sonne Or if he woulde what one is he that dare Be ministre to suche an enterprise And here you be nowe placed in your owne Amyd your frendes your vassalles your strength We shall defende and kepe your person safe Tyll either counsell turne his tender minde Or age or sorowe ende his werie daies But if the feare of Goddes and secrete grudge Of Natures Lawe repynynge at the facte Withholde your courage from so great attempt Knowe ye that lust of kingdomes hath no Lawe The Goddes do beare and well allowe in kinges The thinges they abhorre in rascall routes When kinges on sclender quarrels ron to warres And than in cruell and vnkindely wise Cōmaunde theftes rapes murder of Innocentes To spoile of townes reignes of mighty realmes Thinke you such Princes do suppresse them selues Subiect to Lawes of kinde and feare of Gods Yet none offence but decked with glorious name Of noble Conquestes in the handes of kinges Murders and violent theftes in priuate men Are heynous crymes and full of foule reproche But if you like not yet so hote deuise Ne list to take suche vauntage of the time But thoughe with great perill of your state You wil not be the first that shall inuade Assemble yet your force for your defence And for your safetie stande vpon your garde Dordan O heauen was there euer harde or knowen So wicked Counsell to a noble Prince Let me my Lorde disclose vnto your grace This heynous tale what mischiefe it conteynes Your fathers death your brothers and your owns your present murder and eternall shame Heare me O king and suffre not to sinke So highe a treason in your Princelie brest Ferrex The mightie Goddes forbyd that euer I Shuld once conceiue suche mischiefe in my harte Althoughe my Brother hath bereft my Realme And beare perhappes to me and hatefull minde Shall I reuenge it with his death therfore Or shall I so destroy my fathers lyfe That gaue me life the Gods forbyd I saye Cease you to speake so any more to me Ne you my friende with Aunswere once repeate So foule a tale in scilence let in die What Lorde or Subiect shall haue hope at all That vnder me they safely shall enioye Their goods their honours landes and liberties With whome neither one onely brother deare Ne father dearer coulde enioye their lyues But sithe I feare my younger brothers rage And sithe perhappes some other man may gyue Some like aduise to moue his grudging head At mine estate whiche counsell may perchaunce Take greater force with him than this with me I will in secrete so prepare my selfe As if his malice or his lust to reigne Breake forth with Armes or sodeine violence I may withstande his rage and kepe myne owne Dordan I feare the fatall time now draweth on When ciuyll hate shall ende the noble lyne Of famouse Brute and of his Royall seede Great Ioue defende the mischiefes nowe at hande O that the Secretaries wise aduise Had erst ben harde whan he besought the kynge Not to deuide his lande nor sende his sonnes To further partes from presence of his Courte Ne yet to yelde to

them his gouernaunce Lo suche are they nowe in the Royall throne As was rashe Phaeton in Phebus Carre Ne then the fiery stedes did drawe the flame With wilder randon through the kindled skies Then traiterous councell now will wherle about The youthfull heads of these vnskilfull kinges But I hereof their father will enforeme The reuerence of him perhappes shall staye The growing mischiefes while thei yet are grene If this helpe not then wo vnto them selues The Prince the people the deuided lande Actus secundus Scena secunda Porrex Tyndar Philander Porrex ANd is it thus And doth he so prepare Against his Brother as his mortall foe And nowe whyle yet his aged father lyues Neither regardes be him nor feares he me Warre would he haue and he shall haue it so Tyndar I sawe my selfe the great prepared store Of Horse of Armours and of weapons there Ne brynge I to my Lorde reported tales Without the ground of seene and serched trouthe Loe secrete quarrelles ronne about his Courte To bringe the name of you my Lorde in hate Eche man almost can nowe debate the cause And aske a reason of so great a wronge While he so noble and so wise a Prince Is as vnworthie rest his Heritage And whie the kinge mislead by craftie meanes Deuided thus his lande from course of right The wiser sorte holde downe their griefull heades Eche man withdrawes from talke and companie Of those that haue ben knowen to fauour you To hide the mischiefe of their meaninge there Rumours are spred of your preparynge here The Rascall nombres of the vnskilfull sorts Are filled with monsterous tales of you and yours In secrete I was counsailed by my friendes To hast me thence and brought you as you know Letters from those that both can truely tell And would not write vnlesse they knewe it well Philander My Lorde yet ere you nowe vnkindely warre Sende to your Brother to demaunde the cause Perhappes some trayterous tales haue filled his eares with false reports against your noble grace Which once disclosed shal ende the growing strife That els not staied with wise foresight in time Shall hazarde both your kingdomes your lyues Sende to your father eke he shall appeale Your kindled mindes and rid you of this feare Porrex Ridde me of feare I feare him not at all Ne will to him ne to my father sende If daunger were for one to tarye there Thinke ye it safely to retourne againe In mischiefes suche as Ferrex nowe intendes The wanted courteous Lawes to Messengeres Are not obserued whiche in iust warre they vse Shall I so hazarde any one of myne Shall I betraie my trustie friende to hym That hath disclosed his treason vnto me Let him entreate that feares I feare him not Or shall I to the kinge my father sende Yea and sende nowe while suche a mother lyues That loues my Brother and that hateth mee Shall I geue leasure by my fonde delayes To Ferrex to oppresse me at vnware I will not but I will inuade his Realme And seeke the Traitour Prince within his Court Mischiefe for mischiefe is a due rewarde His wretched head shall paie the worthie pryce Of this his Treason and his hate to me Shall I abide entreate and sende and praie And holde my yelden throate to Traitours knife While I with valiaunt minde conquering force Might rid my selfe of foes and winne a Realme Yet rather when I haue the wretches head Than to the king my father will I sende The booteles case may yet appease his wrath If not I will defend me as I maye Philander Loe here the ende of these two youthfull kings The fathers deth the reigne of their two realmes O most vnhappy state of Counsellours That light on so vnhappy Lordes and times That neither can their good aduise be harde Yet must thei beare the blames of yll successe But I will to the king their father haste Ere this mischiefe come to that likely ende That if the mindefull wrath of wrekefull Gods Since mightie Ilions fall not yet appeased With these poore remnant of the Troians name Haue not determinedlie vnmoued fate Out of this Realme to rase the Brutish Line By good aduise by awe of fathers name By force of wiser Lordes this kindled hate Maye yet be quentched ere it consume vs all Chorus Whan youth not bridled with a guyding staie fraie Is left to randon of their owne delight And welds whole Realmes by force of soueraigne Great is the daunger of vnmaistred might Lest skilles rage throwe downe with headlong fal Their lands their states their liues them selues all When growing pride doth fil the swelling brest And gredy lust doth raise the clymbynge minde Oh hardlie maye the perill be represt Ne feare of angrie Goddes ne Lawes kinde Ne Countrie care can fiered hartes restrayne Whan force hath armed Enuie and disdaine VVhan kinges of foreset wyll neglecte the rede Of best aduise and yelde to pleasinge tales That do their fansies noysome humour feede He reason nor regarde of right auailes Succedinge heapes of plagues shall teache to late To learne the mischiefes of misguydinge state Fowle fall the Traitour false that vndermines The loue of Brethrene to destroye them bothe Wo to the Prince that pliant eare enclynes And yeldes his minde to poysonous tale that floweth From flatterynge mouth wo to wretched lande That wasts it selfe with ciuyll sworde in hande Loe thus it is poyson in golde to take And holsome drinke in homely Cuppe forsake ¶ The order and signification of the dōme shewe before the thirde Act ¶ Firste the Musicke of Fluites began to playe during which came in vpon the Stage a companye of Mourners all clad in blacke betokeninge Death and sorowe to ensue vpon the yll aduised misgouernement and discention of Bretherne as befel vpon the Murder of Ferrex by his yonger Brother After the Mourners had passed thryse about the stage thei departed and than the Musicke ceased Actus tertius Scena prima Gorboduc Eubulus Arostus Philander Nuntius Gorboduc O Cruell fates O mindfull wrath of Goddes whose vēgeaūice neither Simois streined streames Flowing with blood of Troian Princes slaine Nor Phrygian fieldes made rancke with Corpses dead Of Asian kynges and Lordes can yet appease He slaughter of vnhappie Pryams race Nor Ilions fall made leuell with the soile Can yet suffice but still continued rage Pursue our lyues and from the farthest Seas Doth chast the issues of distroyed Troye Oh no man happie tyll his ende be seene If any flowyng wealth and seemynge Ioye In present yeres might make a happy wight Happie was Hecuba the wofullest wretche That euer lyued to make a Myrrour of And happie Pryam with his noble sonnes And happie I till nowe Alas I see And feele my most vnhappie wretchednes Beholde my Lordes reade ye this Letter here Loe it conteines the ruyne of our Realme If timelie speede prouide not hastie helpe Yet O ye Goddes if euer wofull kynge Might moue you kings of kinges

of your forefather Brute So your two sonnes it maye also suffice The moe the stronger if thei gree in one The smaller compasse that the Realme doth holde The easier is the swey therof to welde The nearer Iustice to the wronged poore The smaller charge and yet ynoughe for one And whan the Region is deuided so That Brethrene be the Lordes of either parte Such strength doth nature knit betwene the both In sondrie bodies by conioyned loue That not as two but one of doubled force Eche is to other as a sure defence The Noblenes and glorie of the one Doth sharpe the courage of the others mynde With vertuous enuie to contende for praise And suche an egalnes hath nature made Betwene the Brethren of one Fathers seede As an vnkindlie wronge it seemes to bee To throwe the other Subiect vnder feete Of him whose Peere he is by course of kinde And nature that did make this egalnes Ofte so repineth at so great a wronge That ofte she rayseth vp a grudgynge griefe In yonger Brethren at the elders state Wherby both townes kingdomes haue be rased And famous stockes of Royall blood distroied The Brother that should be the Brothers aide And haue a wakefull care for his defence Gapes for his death blames the lyngering yeres That brings not forth his ende with faster course And oft impacient of so longe delayes With hatefull slaughter he presentes the fates And keepes a iust rewarde for Brothers bloode With endles vengeaunce on his stocke for aye Suche mischiefes here are wisely mette withall If egall state maye nourishe egall loue Where none hath cause to grudge at others good But nowe the head to stoupe beneth them bothe Ne kinde ne reason ne good ordre beares And oft it hath ben seene that where Nature Hath ben preuerted in disordered wise When Fathers cease to know that thei shuld rule And Children cease to knowe they should obey And often our vnkindly tendrenes As Mother of vnkindly Stubbornes I speake not this in enuie or reproche As if I grudged the glorie of your sonnes Whose honour I beseche the Goddes to encrease Nor yet as if I thought there did remaine So filthie Cankers in their noble brestes Whome I esteme whiche is their greatest praise Vndoubted children of so good a kynge Onelie I meane to shewe my certeine Rules Whiche kinde hath graft within the mind of man That Nature hath her ordre and her course Whiche being broken doth corrupt the state Of myndes and thinges euen in the best of all My Lordes your sonnes may learne to rule of you Your owne example in your noble Courte Is fittest Guyder of their youthfull yeares If you desire to seeke some present Ioye By sight of their well rulynge in your lyfe See them obey so shall you see them rule Who so obeyeth not with humblenes Will rule without rage and with insolence Longe maye they rule I do beseche the Goddes But longe may they learne ere they begyn to rule If kinde and fates woulde suffre I would wisshe Them aged Princes and immortall kinges Wherfore most noble kynge I well assent Betwene your sonnes that you deuide your Realme And as in kinde so matche them in degree But while the Goddes prolongue your Royal life Prolongue your reigne for therto lyue you here And therfore haue the Goddes so longe forborne To ioyne you to them selues that still you might Be Prince and father of our cōmon weale They when they se your children ripe to rule Will make them roume will remoue you hence That yours in right ensuynge of your life Maye rightlie honour your mortall name Eubulus Your wonted true regarde of faithfull hartes Makes me O kinge the bolder to presume To speake what I conceiue within my brest Althoughe the same do not agree at all With that whiche other here my Lords haue said Nor whiche your selfe haue seemed best to lyke Pardon I craue and that my wordes be deemde To flowe from hartie zeale vnto your Grace And to the safetie of your cōmon weale To parte your Realme vnto my Lords your sōnes I thinke not good for you ne yet for them But worste of all for this our Natiue Lande For with one Lande one single rule is best Deuided Reignes do make deuided hartes But Peace preserues the Countrey the Prince Suche is in man the gredie minde to reigne So great is his desire to climbe alofte In worldly Stage the stateliest partes to beare That faith and Iustice and all kindly loue Do yelde vnto desire of Soueraigntie Where egall state doth raise an egall hope To winne the thing that either wold attaine Your grace remembreth howe in passed yeres The mightie Brute first Prince of all this Lande Possessed the same and ruled it well in one He thinking that the compasse did suffice For his three sonnes three kingdoms eke to make Cut it in three as you would nowe in twaine But how much Brutish blod hath sithence bē spilt To ioyne againe the sondred vnitie What Princes slaine before their timely honour What wast of townes and people in the Lande What Treasons heaped on murders on spoiles Whose iust reuenge euen yet is scarcely ceased Ruthefull remembraunce is yet had in minde The Gods forbyd the like to chaunce againe And you O king geue not the cause therof My Lorde Ferrex your elder sonne perhappes Whome kinde and custome geues a rightfull hope To be your Heire and to succede your Reigne Shall thinke that he doth suffre greater wronge Than he perchaunce will beare if power serue Porrex the younger so vnpaised in state Perhappes in courage will be raised also If Flatterie then whiche sayles not to assaile The tendre mindes of yet vnskilfull Youthe In one shall kindle and encrease disdaine And Enuie in the others harte enflame This fire shall waste their loue their liues their land And rutheful ruine shal destroy them both A wisshe not this O kyng so to befall But feare the thing that I do most abhorre Geue no beginning to so dreadfull ende Kepe them in order and obedience And let them both by nowe obeyinge you Learne suche behauiour as beseemes their state The Older myldenes in his gouernaunce The younger a yeldyng contentednes And kepe them neare vnto your presence still That they restreined by the awe of you Maye liue in compasse of well tempred staie And passe the perilles of their youthfull yeares Your aged life drawes on to febler tyme Wherin you shall lesse able be to beare The trauailes that in youth you haue susteined Both in your persons and your Realmes defence If planting nowe your sonnes in furder partes You sende them furder from your present reache Lesse shal you know how they thē selues demaund Traiterous corrupters of their pliant youthe Shall haue vnspied a muche more free accesse And of ambition and inflamed disdaine Shall arme the one the other or them bothe To ryuill warre or to vsurpinge pride Late shall you rue that you

and raise in Armour there All power I can and here my secrete friendes By secrete practise shall sollicite still To seeke to wynne to me the peoples hartes Actus quintus Scena secunda Eubulus Clotyn Mandud Gwenard Arostus Nuntius Eubulus O Ioue Howe are these peoples hartes abusde what blind Furie thus headlong caries thē That though so many bokes so many rolles Of Auncient time recorde what greuous plagues Light on these Rebelles aye and thoughe so ofte Their eares haue hard their aged fathers tell What iust rewarde these Traitours still receyue Yea though them selues haue sene depe death and blod By strangling cord slaughter of the sword To suche assigned yet can they not beware Yet can they not staie their rebellious handes But suffring to fowle treason to distaine Their wretched myndes forget their loyall harte Reiecte all trueth and rise against their Prince A ruthefull case that those whome duties bounde Whome grafted Lawe by nature trueth and faith Bounde to preserue their Coūtrey and their king Borne to defende their Cōmon wealth Prince Euen they shulde geue consent thus to subuerte The Brittaine Land from the wombe shuld bring O natyue soile those that will nedes destroye And ruyne thee and eke them selues in fine For lo when ones the Duke had offred Grace Of pardon sweete the multitude mislead By traiterous fraude of their vngracious heades One sorte that sawe the daungerous successe Of stubborne standynge in rebellious warre And knewe the difference of Princes power From headles nombre of tumultuous routes Whom cōmen Countreies care and priuate feare Taught to repent the terrour of their rage Laide handes vpon the Captains of their bande And brought them bound vnto the mightie Dukes An other sorte not trusting yet so well The trueth of Pardon or mistrusting more Their owne offence than that thei could conceiue Suche hope of pardon for so foule misdede Or for that they their Captaines could not yeld Who fearinge to be yelded flead before Stale home by scilence of the secrete night The thirde vnhappie and vnraged sorte Of desperate harts who stained in Princes blood From trayterous furour could not be withdrawen By loue by lawe by grace ne yet by feare By proffered lyfe ne yet by threatened Death With mindes hopeles of liefe dreadles of Deathe Careles of Countrey and aweless of God Stoode bente to fighte as Furies did them moue With violent death to close their traiterous lyfe These all by power of Horsemen were opprest And with reuenging sworde slayne in the fielde Or with the strangling Cord hanged on the trees Where yet the carryen Carcases do proche The fruites that Rebelles reape of their vproars And of the murder of their sacred Prince But loe where do approche the noble Dukes By whom these tumults haue ben thus appeasde Clotyn I thinke the worlde wyll now at length beware And feare to put on armes agaynst their Prince Mandud If not those trayterous hartes that dare rebell Let them beholde the wide and hugie fieldes With bloode bodie spread with rebelles slayne The lustie trees clothed with corpses dead That strangled with the corde do hange therin Arostus A iust rewarde suche as all tymes before Haue euer lotted to those wretched folkes Gwenard But what meanes he that cōmeth here so fast Nuntius My Lords as duetie and my trouth doth moue And of my Countrey worke and care in mee That if the spendynge of my breath auaile To do the Seruice that my harte desires I would not shunne to imbrace a present death So haue I nowe in that wherein I thought My trauayle mought perfourme some good effects Ventred my liefe to bringe these tydinges here Fergus the mightie Duke of Albanye Is nowe in Armes and lodgeth in the fielde With twentie thousand men hether he bendes His spedie marcke minds to inuade the Crowne Dayly he gathereth strength and spreads abrode That to this Realme no certeine Heire remaines That Brittayne Lande is left without a guyde That he the Scepter seekes for nothing els But to preserue the people and the Lande Whiche now remaine as ship without a Sterne Loe this is that whiche I haue hereto saide Clotyn Is this his fayth and shall he falsely thus Abuse the vauntage of vnhappie times O wretched Lande if his outragious pride His cruell and vntempred wilfulnes His deepe dissemblinge shewes of false pretence Should once attaine the Crowne of Brittayn lande Let vs my Lords with tymely force resist The newe attempt of this our cōmon foe As we would quenche the flames of cōmen fire Mandud Though we remaine without a certayn Prince To weld the Realme or guide the wandring rule Yet nowe the cōmen Mother of vs all Our Natiue Lande our Countrey that conteines Our wiues children kyndred our selues and all That euer is or maye be deare to man Cries vnto vs to helpe our selues and her Let vs aduaunce our powers to represse This growynge foe of all our liberties Gwenard Yea let vs so my Lordes with hastie spede And ye O Goddes sende vs the welcome death To shed our bloode in fielde and leaue vs not In lothe some life to lenger out our lyues To see the hugie heapes of these vnhappes That nowe roll downe vpon the wretched Lande Where emptie place of Princelie gouernaunce No certayne staie nowe left of doubtles heire Thus leaue this guidelesse Realme an open pray To endlesse stormes and wast of ciuyll warre Arostus That ye my Lordes do so agree in one To saue your Countrey from the violent reigne And wrongfullie vsurped Tirrannie Of him that threatens conquest of you all To saue your realme in this realme your selues From forreyne thraldome of so proude a Prince Muche do I praise and I beseche the Goddes With happie honour to requite it you But O my Lords sithe now the Heauens wrath Hath reft this Lande the issue of their Prince Sithe of the body of our late Soueraine Lorde Remaines no mo since the yong kinges be slaine And of the Title of the discended Crowne Vncerteynly the diuerse mindes do thinke Euen of the Learned sorte and more vncertainlye Will perciall fancie and affection deeme But most vncertenlye wyll clymbynge pride And hope of Reigne withdrawe frō sondrie partes The doubtfull right and hopefull lust to reigne When ones this noble seruice is atchieued For Brittayne Lande the Mother of ye all When ones ye haue with armed force represt The proude attemptes of this Albanyan Prince That threatens thraldome to your Natiue Lande When ye shall vanquishers retourne from fielde And finde the Princely state an open praye To gredie lust and to vsurping power Then then my Lordes if euer kindely care Of auncient Honour of your auncestoures Of present wealth and noblesse of your stockes Yea of the lyues and safetie yet to come Of your deare wyues your children your selues Might moue your noble hartes with gentle ruthe Then then haue pytie on the torne estate Then helpe to salue the well neare

hopeles sore Whiche ye shall do if ye your selues with holde The sleayng knife from your own mothers throte Her shall you saue and you and yours in her If ye shall all with one assent forbeare Ones to laye hande or take vnto your selues The Crowne by colour of pretended right Or by what other meanes so euer it be Tyll first by cōmen counsell of you all In Parliament the Regall Diademe Be set in certayne place of gouernaunce In whiche your Parliament and in your choise Preserve the right my Lordes without respecte Of strenght of frendes or what so euer cause That maye set forwarde any others parte For right will last and wrong can not endure Right meane I his or hers vpon whose name The people rest by meane of Native lyne Or by the vertue of some former Lawe Alreadie made their title to aduaunce Suche one my Lordes let be your chosen kynge Suche one so borne within your Natyue Lande Suche one preferre and in no wise admitte The heauie yoke of forreine gouernaunce Let forreine Titles yelde to Publike wealthe And with that hart wherewith ye nowe prepare Thus to withstande the proude inuadynge foe With that same harte my Lordes kepe out also Vnnaturall thraldome of straungers reigne Ne suffre you against the rules of kinde Your Mother Lande to serue a Forreine Prince Eubulus ¶ Loe here the ende of Brutus royall Lyne And loe the entrie to the wofull wracke And vtter ruyne of this noble Realme The royall kinge and eke his sonnes are slaine No Ruler restes within the Regall Seate The Heire to whō the Scepter longs vnknowen That to eche force of Forreine Princes power Whome vauntage of your wretched state By sodaine Armes to gaine so riche a Realme And to the proude and gredie minde at home Whom blinded lust to reigne leades to aspire Loe Brittaine Realme is left an open praye A present spoile by Conquest to ensue Who seeth not nowe howe many risyng mindes Do feede their thoughts with hope to reach a Realm And who will not by force attempt to winne So great a gaine that hope perswades to haue A simple colour shall for title serue Who winnes the Royal crown wil want no right Nor suche as shall displaye by longe discent A lyneall race to proue him selfe a kynge In the meane while these ciuyll armes shall rage And thus a thousande mischiefes shall vnfolde And farre neare spread thee O Brittayne Lande All right and Lawe shall cease and he that had Nothyng to daye to morowe shall enioye Great heapes of good he that flowed in wealth Leo he shall be reft of lyfe and all And happiest he that than possesseth least The wyues shall suffre rape the maydes defloured And children fatherles shall weepe and wayle With fire sworde thy Natiue folke shal perisshe One kinsman shall bereaue an other life The father shall vnwittynge slaye the sonne The sonne shall slea the sire and knowe it not Women and maides the cruell Souldiours sword Shall perse to death and sillie children loe That playinge in the streates fieldes are founde By violent hande shall close their latter daye Whome shall the ferce and bloudie Souldiour Reserue to liefe whome shall he space from death Euen thou O wretched mother half alyue Thou shalt beholde thy deare and onely childe Slaine with the sworde while he yet suckes thy brest Loe giltles bloode shall thus eche where be shed Thus shall the wasted soile yelde forth no fruite But derth and famyne shal possesse the Lande The Townes shal be consumed brent with fire The peopled Cities shall ware desolate And thou O Brittaine Land whilom in renowme Whilome in wealth and fame shalt thus be torne Dismembred thus and thus be rent in twayne Thus wasted and defaced spoiled and destroied These be the fruits your ciuill warres wil bring Hereto it cōmes when kinges will not consent To graue aduise but folow wilfull wyll This is the ende when in yonge Princes hartes Flattery preuayles and sage rede hath no place These are the plages when murder is the meane To make newe Heires vnto the Royall Crowne Thus wreke the Gods whē the the mothers wrath Nought but the blood of her owne child may swage These mischiefes springs whē Rebelles wil arise To worke reuenge and iudge their Princes facte This this ensues when noble men do faile In loyall trouthe and subiectes will be kinges And this doth growe when loe vnto the Prince Whome death or sodene happe of liefe bereaues No certayne Heire remaines suche certentie As not all onely is the rightfull Heire But to the Realme is so made vnknowen to be And trouth therby vested in Subiectes hartes To owe faith there where right is knowen to rest Alas in Parliament what hope can bee When is of Parliament no hope at all Whiche thoughe it be assembled by consent Yet is it not likely with consent to ende While eche one for him selfe or for his frende Against his foe shall trauaile what he maye While nowe the state left open to the man That shall with greatest force inuade the same Shall fill ambicious minds with gapynge hope When will they ones with yelding harts agree Or in the while howe shall the Realme he vsed No no then Parliament should haue ben holden And certaine Heires appoynted to the Crowne To staie their title of establisshed righte And plant the people in obedience While yet the Prince did liue whose name and power By lawfull Sōmons and auctorytie Might make a Parliament to be of force And might haue set the state in quiet staye But nowe O happie man whome spedie death Depriues of lyfe ne is enforced to see These hugie mischiefes and these miseries These ciuyll wars these murders these wrongs Of Iustice yet must Ioue in fyne restore This noble Crowne vnto the lawfull Heire For right will alwayes liue and rise at lengthe But wronge can neuer take deepe roote to last ¶ The ende of the Tragedie of Kynge Gorboduc