by his owne sonne is sold For this the vnkind brother sells the brother For this one friend is often by an other Betray'd to death yea euen for this the wife Both sells her beauty and her husbands life And I ay me for this did worke thy fall By poysons helpe hauing this hope withall That great mens greatnes would haue boren out My crime though knowne against all dangers doubt But now too late my wretched ghoast doth proue That his all-seeing eye from heauen aboue To whom blacke darkenesse selfe is far more cleare Then the bright sunne makes guiltlesse blood appeare Out of our deepest plots to murthers shame Though greatest men doe seeke to hide the same Ye haplesse instruments of mighty men Ye spunges whom the hands of greatnes when That they by you haue wiped out the spot Of that disgrace which did their honour blot Do squeeze so long vntill that ye be drie And then as needlesse things doe cast ye by Where one of these your seruice would imploy Our makers heauenly image to destroy By violence of death in other men Thereby with blood to satisfie his spleen O do not trust the hopes of such a man Nor thinke his policie or power can Hoodwinke all-seeing heauen nor euer drowne The crie of blood which brings swift vengeance downe When many men but one mans life will spill Their liues for his heauen euermore doth will Offend in murder and in murder die No crime to heauen so loud as blood doth crie In other wrongs when man doth man offend We restitution may in part pretend But where the wrong is done by murthers knife No price for blood the Law sayes life for life The eye of wakefull iustice for a season May seeme to winke at murthers bloody treason Yet from the houre of so blacke a deede The worme of conscience on the soule doth feede And dreadfull furies whose imagin'd sight In euery place doth horribly affright The guilty man pursue the steps that flie While swift-wing'd vengeance makes the hue and crie Iustice to me did seeme to sleepe a while And with delay did all my hopes beguile But in short time now in my riper yeares When grauer age on my gray head appeares Death and reproach attach't my life and name To bring me to my graue with greater shame To you therefore that hunger after gold To you whom hope of great mens grace makes bold In any great offence henceforth let me For euermore a sad ensample be This said he sighing shrunke into the flood And in a moments space an other stood In the same place but such a one whose sight With more compassion moou'd the poysned Knight It seem'd that shee had been some gentle dame For on each part of her faire bodies frame Nature such delicacie did bestow That fairer obiect oft it doth not show Her chrystall eye beneath an yuorie brow Did shew what shee at first had been but now The roses on her louely cheekes were dead The earths pale colour had all ouer-spread Her sometimes liuely looke and cruell death Comming vntimely with his wintrie breath Blasted the fruit which cherrie-like in showe Vpon her dainty lips did whilome growe O how the cruell cord did mis-become Her comely necke and yet by Lawes iust doome Had been her death those locks like golden thred That wont in youth t'enshrine her globe-like head Hung carelesse downe and that delightfull limme Her snow-white nimble hand that wont to trimme Their tresses vp now spitefully did teare And rend the same nor did she now forbeare To beate that breast of more then lilly white Which sometimes was the lodge of sweete delight From those two springs where ioy did whilome dwell Griefes pearly droppes vpon her pale cheeks fell And after many fighes at last with weake And fainting voyce shee thus did silence breake Thou gentle Knight whose wrongs I now repent Behold a wofull wretch that did consent In thy sad death for I alas therefore By gold my seruant did suborne to pore That death into thy cup thy dish thy diet Whose paine too long did rob thy ghoast of quiet Yet neither thirst of gold nor hate to thee For iniuries receiu'd incensed me To seeke thy life but loue deare loue to those That were my friends and thy too deadly foes With them in Court my state I did support Ah that my state had neuer known the Court Vertue and vice I there together sawe But like the spider I was taught to drawe Foule poyson where sweet hony might bee had And how to leaue the good and chuse the bad At last through greedy going on in sinne Made senselesse by degrees I did beginne To rise from great to greater till at last Mine owne sinnes did mine owne destruction hast O heauy doome when heauen shall so decree That sinne in man the plague of sinne must bee But here let chastest beauties when they blame My follies most and blush to heare my shame Remember then best beauties are but fraile And how that strongest men do oft assaile Our weakest selues so may they pitty me And my sad fall may their fore-warning be Yee tender offspring of that rib refin'd By Gods owne finger and by him assign'd To be a helpe and not a hurt to man How is it possible your beauties can Be pure from blemish treading such vaine wayes As now you doe in these prophaner dayes Must flesh that is so fraile still feare to fall And ye the frailest flesh not feare at all Can ye ah can ye with vaine thoughts to please Your wanton soules on yuorie beddes of ease Spend pretious time and yet suppose in this Ye doe no ill nor thinke one thought amisse Can ye to catch the wandring thoughts of him Whom ye affect decke euery dainty lim Powder your haire and more to please the eye Refresh your paler cheekes with purer die Lay out your breasts and in the glasse thus drest Obserue what smile or frowne becomes yee best And yet not feare heau'ns iudgement in the end At least in this not thinke ye doe offend Can ye on wanton meates to mooue desire Though of your selues too full of Paphian fire Feede euery houre and when hot blood begins To hurrie you vnto those horrid sinnes That spots your beddes your bodies and your names Blot your blacke soules with many greater blames And yet not thinke ye doe deserue heauens hate At least to turne doe thinke no time too late O doe not sooth your selues in these foule crimes Heare not the tongue of these inchanting times Your too much idle ease which opes the gate To vitious thoughts I know is counted state Vpon your curious pride and vaine aray Fond men the name of cleanlines do lay Your lust whose sparkles in your eyes doe shine On wanton youth is called loue diuine Thus they that would for each foule fault excuse you And turne your vice to vertue doe abuse you But be ye not so blinded looke on
The base Scianus might enioy his bedde Who rais'd by Caesar from ignoble place In Liuiaes lustfull eie did finde more grace Then Drusus Caesars sonne a manly youth O who knowes how to feed a womans tooth In mischiefe I went on and did agree To be an actor in thy Tragedie Thou iniur'd ghoast yet was I but a mute And what I did was at an others suite Their plots I saw and silent kept the same For which my life did suffer death and shame For see ah see this cord about my necke Which time sometime with pretious things did decke Reuenge hath done and Iustice hath her due Let none then wrong the dead let all with you O gentle knight forget my great offence Which I haue purg'd with teares of penitence For thousand liuing eyes with teares could tell That from my eies true teares of sorrow fell Then iudge my cause with charitable minde Who mercie seekes with faith shall mercie finde This said she vanisht from before our sight I thinke to heauen and thinke I thinke aright She gone the poyson'd ghoast did seeme with teares To chide her fate but loe here straight appeares An other in her place who seem'd to be When he did liue some man of good degree Mongst men on earth one of so solemne looke As if true grauity that place had tooke To dwell vpon his person comely was His stature did the meaner size surpasse Well shapt in euery limme well stept in yeares As here and there appear'd by some gray haires When first he did appeare with wofull looke He view'd the Tower and his head he shooke As if from thence he did deriue his woe Which with a sigh he thus begun to show O thou sad building ominous to those Whom with thy fatall walls thou dost inclose For thee I haplesse man as for the ende Of my desire did falsly condiscend Vnto that plot by others heads begun Through which in thee such wrong was lately done Thou that didst poyson'd feele thy foes despight See here the ghoast of that vnhappy Knight Which whilome was Leiftenant of this place Though now a wretch thus haltred with disgrace I was alas what booâ—s it that I was Of good report and did with credit passe Through euery act of my liues tragedie Vpon this world the stage of vanity Till the last sceane of blood by others plotted Concluding ill my name and credit blotted I must confesse I did conniâ—e at those That were the ministers to thy proud foes Closely imploy'd by them thy life to spill By secret poyson though against my will Feare of their greatnesse and no hate to thee Inforst my coward conscience to agree When first to me this plot they did impart O what a tedious combate in my heart Vnto my soule did feelingly appeare T'wixt my sad conscience and a doubtfull feare Feare said that if I did reueale the same Those great ones great in grace would turne the shame Vpon my head but conscience said againe That if I did conceale it murders staine Would spot my soule as much for my consent As if at first it had bin my intent Feare said that if the same I did disclose The countenance of greatnes I should lose And be thrust out of office and of place But conscience said that I should lose that grace And fauour which my God to me had giuen And be perhaps thrust euer out of heauen Long these two champions did maintaine the field Till my weake conscience at the last did yeild O let those men that doe condemne my feare And follie most in their remembrance beare What certaine danger stood on either side As I should passe and how I should haue di'd In either way at least with some great fall For euer haue been crusht and thinke withall How prone our nature is in feare to rest Vpon those seeming hopes that promise best I speake not this to mitigate my sinne O no I wish my fall may others winne From the like feare and that my life may be A president to men of such degree To whom authoritie doth thinke it fit The trust of such a function to commit Let such men to remember still be moou'd That which by sad experience I haue proou'd T' is good to feare great men but yet 't is better Euer to feare God more since God is greater If Gods good Angel had imprinted this Into my thoughts I had not thought amisse Nor I vnhappie I should haue consented But all this mischeife I had then preuented Here some perhaps will thinke the former race Of my sad life t' haue beene debosht and base Because at last it had so base an ende But for our selues might modestie contend In opposition I might iustly say How many now liue glorious at this day Whose honour greater staines doe daily spot Then any which my former life did blot Yet those my crimes which did my God offend For which his finger did point out this ende Vnto my life I 'le shew though to my shame That others as from death may flie the same My Father from whose life my breath I drewe When sicke vpon his bed he lay and knewe That at his doore of flesh deaths hand did knocke And did perceiue weake nature would vnlocke To let him in did with his blessing giue This charge to me that I while I did liue Should neuer seeke for office at the Court But with that meanes be left my state support With reuerence his will I did obey Vntill O that I might not tell the day In which I did with greedy eie affect That place in this great Tower without respect To my dead Syres behest yet since it was A touch to conscience on I would not passe Vntill by some I was resolu'd amisse That as in other things so I in this Which in it selfe was of indifference And lawfull vnto others might dispence With my obedience to my Fathers will And that mine owne intent I might fulfill Yet one there is O euer may he be Belou'd of heau'n for his great loue to me Who by the light of truth did show the way Which I should goe but I did not obay Ambitious mist did blinde my weaker eyes I thought by this preferment I should rise Yet no desert but gold did gaine me grace Mine owne corruption purchas'd me that place For brib'rie in the soule a blemish makes Of him that giues as well as him that takes And bribing hands that giue must guiltie be Of their owne want of worth for who but hee That in himselfe the want of merit findes Will be the baude to base corrupted mindes Ye that neglect performance of the will Of your dead parents thinking it no ill To disobey their precepts now in me The curse of disobedience ye may see And yee whose golden fingers as in sport Like lime-twigges catch at offices in Court In which obtain'd ye euer after liue Corrupt in minde to gaine what ye did giue Behold
perhaps haue happy liu'd and long Did euer fortune pinch him with constraint That little wealth I had supply'd his want Did euer cares perplex his feeble braine What wit I had his weakenesse did sustaine Did euer error make him doe amisse What wisedome I had learn'd was euer his My wit my wealth and wisedome with good chaunce In his great honours May game lead the daunce I doe not falsly boast the gifts of mind Best wittes can iudge my Wife I left behind Vnto the world a witnesse may remaine I had no dull conceit no barren braine But as a dogge that at his pray doth ame Doth onely loue the water for his game Which once obtain'd he playing then no more Shakes off the water when he comes on shore So my great Friend no friend but my great Foe Safe swimming in that way which I did showe Through dangers waters after honours game Did shake me off when I had gain'd the same Vaine man too late thou do'st repent my wrong That huge great sayle of Honour was too strong For thy great boate wanting thy friend to steare In this thy weakenesse and my worth appeare O hadst thou kept the path by me begunne That other impious race thou hadst not runne In wayes of vice thy steps I did not guide Onely for vertue Ouerburie di'd But had in gratitude no further gone I had not wail'd with many a piteous grone These poysoned limbes O how will future times Blushing to heare such execrable crimes Beleeue report when then it shall be said Thou wast that man that man that me betray'd That sauage man that wanting meanes or heart Or rather both to meete with my desert Too cruell didst deuise to stop my breath To end thy care and my deare life by death Death oh no death but thousand deathes in one For had it bin but meere priuation Of loued life my greiued Ghoast had fled Without such paine and anguish to the dead O wretched foes why did yee take delight To excercise your hate with such despight Vpon a guiltlesse man what had I done But that yee might when as ye first begunne Your tragicke plot and did my life awaite With single death haue satisfied your hate Was it ah was it not enough to giue One poyson first and then to let me liue Till ye did please to giue an other then An other and an other but as men All made of flint to laugh my plaints to scorne And scoffe at me while I alas did mourne When in my chamber walls the very stones Sweat droppes for teares to heare my greiuous grones As sencelesse they would simpathize my woes Though my sad cries were musicke to my foes Let ages past vntill the worlds first day Shew all records of antique times and say If euer any did by poyson die That at his death had greater wrong then I. It was not one dayes space nor two nor three In which those cruell men tormented me Month after month they often did instill The diuers natures of that banefull ill Throughout these limbs inducing me to thinke That what I tooke in Physicke meate or drinke Was to restore me to my health when all Was but with lingring death to worke my fall Oh how my Ghoast doth quake when it suruayes This fatall house where I did end my daies And trembles as it suffered now againe Onely to thinke vpon that woefull paine When the slow poyson secretly did creepe Through all my veines and as it went did sweepe All ease with paine all rest with griefe away From euery corner of my house of clay Then did I loath my life but could not die Sometimes to God sometimes to men I crie To giue me ease of my tormenting hell Whose paine no pen can write no tongue can tell In vaine my tongue thou vtterd'st forth my cries To wicked men with teare-tormented eyes In vaine mine eies in you the teares did stand While I to heauen for helpe did lift my hand In vaine my hands were ye stretcht forth to heauen My time was set my life to death was giuen Tongue eyes and hands did often plead in vaine Nothing but death could ease me of my paine And death at last to my desire did yeeld Who with such furious force did take the field T' assayle my soule that 'gainst his matchlesse might In greater torment neuer man did fight With poison'd dart he at my life did strike The venome seazing on me vulture-like With torment tore my entrayles thence did runne Into my vaines and boyling there begunne A fresh assault which beeing a while withstood By natures force at last did seaze my blood Then victor-like possest of euery part It did assaile my yet not yeelding heart The soules cheife seate where hauing vanquisht all The powers of life while I to God did call For grace and mercy after sad sighs giuen With greiuous grones my soule fled hence to heauen O thou sad monument of Norman yoke Whose great foundation hee whose conquering stroke Did stoope our neckes to Norman rule first laid Looke thy records of those to death betray'd Within thy fatall chambers and there see If any murdered lost his life like mee Those royall roses of Plantaginest Which that white boare of Yorke that bloody beast Hath rooted vp within those walls of thine In death felt little paine compar'd to mine Thou knowest that King son to that kingly Knight Beneath whose sword in Agincourts great fight France fell vpon her knees thy flore did staine With his deare blood by bloody Richard slaine Thou didst looke on when Clarence blood was shed And didst behold how hee poore Duke halfe dead Yet bleeding fresh in Malmesie-but was dround Whose body sithence neuer could be found Thou sawst when Tirrels bloody slaues did smother This kingdomes vncrownd King and his young brother Those princely babes of Yorke thou heardst them crie When they betwixt the sheets did strangled die But to their paine death did swift end assigne Thou know'st their greifes were not so great as mine T' was not for naught that thy first builders hand Did temper blood with burned lime and sand So to conglutinate thy stony masse And bring the Conquerours will and worke to passe Well may it be thy walls with blood were built Where so much guiltlesse blood hath since bin spilt But here an end of all my paine and woe Death shuts vp all our greatest greifes for so All men would thinke but past all thought of minde My greatest greife alas is yet behind Oh why should fiercest beast of all the wood When hee hath slaine his foe and lickt his blood End hate in death and man with man in strife Not end his malice with the ende of life Can they be men and lords of beasts that beare Their Makers image and will yet not feare That ill which beasts abhorre in brutish minde Men O no men but monsters against kind Such monsters were my tyger-hearted foes Who
vnremorsefull of my forepast woes When from their cruell hands my soule was fled Did with their tongues pursue me beeing dead And yet not dead for heauen such grace doth giue My soule in heauen my name on earth doth liue My name as great Apollo's flowring bay Lookes greene when winter clads the earth in gray Did flourish blowne vpon by fames faire breath In euery eye long time before my death When my proud foes of great and glorious name Were blasted by the breath of foule defame At good report that on her golden wings Did beare my name their tongue like adder-stings Did shoot foule slanders poyson so to spill The same with foule defame as they did kill My body with foule death that men might loath My liuing name and my dead body both False rumour that mad monster who still beares More tongues about with her then men haue eares With scandall they did arme and sent her out Into the world to spread those lies about That those loath'd spots marks of their poysning sinne Which di'd with vgly marble paint the skinne Of my dead body were the marks most iust Of angry heau'ns fierce wrath for my foule lust O barbarous cruelty oh more then shame Of shamelesse foes with lust to blast my name When wonder t' was heauens iudgement did not seaze Their wanton bodies with that great disease Since death to me by poyson they did giue That they in am'rousiolity might liue Now when false rumours breath throughout the court And citty both had blowne this false report Many that oft before approu'd my name With praise for vertue blusht as if the shame Of my supposed vice thus giuen forth Did argue their weake iudgement of my worth My friends look't pale with anger and my foes Did laugh to see too light beleefe cause those That lou'd me once to loath that little dust I left behind me as a lumpe of lust O most inhumane wrong O endlesse greefe O sad redresse where sorrowes best releefe Is but dead hope that helpe may chance be found With those that liue to cure my credits wound For this my restlesse ghoast hath left the graue And stole through couert snades of night to craue Thy pens assistance O thou mortall wight Whose mournefull Muse but whilome did recite Our Brittaine Princes and their wofull fates In that true Mirrour for our Magistrates O let thy pen paint out my tragicke woe That by thy Muse all future times may know My stories truth who hearing thy sad song At least may pitty Ouerburies wrong This said the grieued ghoast with sighs did cease His rufull plaints and as in deepe distresse Vnder the Towers gate with me he stood This accident befell on Thames great flood South by this house where on the wharfe fast by Those thundering Canons euer ready lie A docke there is which like a darkesome caue Archt ouer-head le ts in Thames flowing waue Vnder whose Arch oft haue condemned men As through the Stygian lake transported been Into this fatall house which euermore For treason hoards vp torturing racks in store At landing of this place an yron gate Locks vp the passage and still keeping straite The guilty prisoners opens at no time But when false treason or some horrid crime Knocks at the same from whence by lawes iust doome Condemned men but sieldome backe do come What'ere thou art may chance to passe that way And view that place vnto thy selfe thus say God keepe me faithfull to my Prince and state That I may neuer passe this yron gate There in the docke the flood that seem'd to gape Did suddenly giue vp a dreadfull shape A man of megar lookes deuoy'd of blood Vpon whose face deaths pale complexion stood Of comely shape and wel compos'd in limme But slender made of visage sterne and grimme The haires vpon his head and grisly beard With age growne hoarie here and there appear'd Times iron hand with many a wrinckled fret The marks of age vpon his front had set Yet as it did appeare vntimely death For some foule fact had stopt his vitall breath With that great shame which giues offence the checke The fatall rope that hung about his necke Trembling vpon his knees in great affright When he fast by beheld the poysned Knight He humbly fell and with sad greife opprest Wringing his hands and beating on his breast While sorrowes droppes vpon his cheekes did run To vtter forth these words he thus begun O worthy Knight behold the wretched man Who thy sad Tragedies first sceane began Through whose each act vnto this last blacke deede With bloody minde vnblest I did proceede My hands alas did mixe the poisned food Which kindled cruell fire in thy blood Mine eares did heare thy lamentable grones When the slow-working-poyson wrackt thy bones Mine eies without one droppe of sorrow shed Beheld thee dying and beheld thee dead For which both hands eyes eares and euery part Haue suffered death and conscience bitter smart I was that instrument alas the while By thy great foes instructed to beguile Thy lingring hopes their mighty state did whet Mee on in mischeife and their bounty set A golden edge vpon my dull consent At once to worke thy fall and their content The doctrine of that Whoore that would dispence With subiects for the murther of a Prince Taught me that lust and blood were slender crimes And he that serues his turne must serue the times Oh had I neuer knowne that Doctors house Where first of that Whoores cup I did carouse And where disloyalty did oft conceale Romes frighted rattes that ouer seas did steale My thoughts perhaps had then not giuen way Thy life for gold with poyson to betray But yee that doe and who doe not condem My blacke offences when yee thinke on them In such imaginations ponder too What with weake man the power of gold may doe Ye seruile sycophants whose hopes depend On great mens wills what is the vtmost end At which ye aime why doe ye like base curres Vpon your Patron fawne why like his spurres Will ye be euer ready at his heeles With pleasing words to clawe him where he feels The humour itch or why will ye so waite As to lie downe and kisse the feete of state And oft expose your selues to wretched ends Loosing your soules to make great men your friends Is it not wealth yee seeke and doth not gold Ingenuous wittes ofttimes in bondage hold The stout sea-rangers on the fearefull flood That hunt about through Neptunes waterie wood And o're a thousand rockes and sands that lie Hid in the deepe from pole to pole doe flie Who often when the stormy Ocean raues Fights with fierce thunders lightnings winds and waues Hauing but one small inch of boord to stand Betwixt them and ten thousand deaths at hand Expose themselues to all this woe and paine To quench the greedy thirst of golden gaine O strong inchauntment of bewitching gold For this the Syre
vntimely deaths disgracefull come About this necke my bribing hands reward Before this suddaine and vnlookt for faâ—e Did fall thus heauy on me when my staâ—e Did flourish among men to mind I call An accident of note which then did fall Bewitcht with loue to that too common vice In this our age of hazardy and dice I loosing once my coine for few thereby Haue euer gainers beene did wish that I When I againe did vse the dice might come To die this shamefull death which by the doome Of righteous heau'n againe I vsing game As I had wisht to mee vnlook't for came Vaine gamesters that too commonly vse Strange deprecations when ye doe abuse Your selues in game by my sad fall take heede And let your word be euer as your deede Least your hand meete mine in the selfe-same dish For heau'n doth often heare when men doe wish But of no sinne had my most sinnefull soule Beene euer sicke yet this one sinne most foule This act of poyson to my house a staine With future times for euer shall ramaine The die of blood on murderers hand doth stay No teares no time can wipe the same away But if true teares of forrow may with you As all true sorrowes teares with heauen may doe Mooue pittifull regard of my sad fall Ye then remembring how I fell withall Will out of charity with lesser blame Censure my fault when ye shall heare the same Thus quit by death from doome of Law and heauen Out of free mercy hauing me forgiuen Let all calumnious tongues their mallice cease That so my soule may euer liue in peace O let the world abate her sharpned tongue And since I haue done pennance for thy wrong Thou wronged Knight what can thy ghoast now craue Grieue thee no more goe rest thee in thy graue Thy foes decline proud Gaueston is downe No wanton Edward weares our Englands crowne This said he vanisht and an other stood In the same place midway aboue the flood Whose strange demeanour with amazement strooke Vs that beheld him for with startled looke And haire stiffe standing as a man agast He star'd vpon the Knight from whom in hast Into the flood he would haue shrunke away Had not I thinke that fury forst his stay Which while he liu'd his guilty soule pursu'd Till he his owne offence had freely shew'd A man he was of stature meanely tall His bodies lineaments true shap't and all His limbes compacted well and strongly knit Natures kind hand no errour made in it His beard was ruddie hewe and from his head A wanton locke it selfe did downe dispread Vpon his backe to which while he did liue Th' ambiguous name of Elfe-locke he did giue And now fantasticke frenzie as before When he did liue did seeme to vex him sore The shamefull rope which 'bout his shoulders hung Hither and thither carelesly he dung And as a catiffe of that cursed crewe Whom sad despaire doth after death pursue Howling and yelling while the teares did run Downe by his cheekes at last he thus begun Since that slie serpent of soule-slaying-sin Which feedes vpon the guiltie minde within Each wicked breast doth force me to reueale Vnto my shame what I did long conceale Giue eare ye cursed Atheists all that been Ye vnbeleeuing dogges in shape of men That thinke the name of God and his great Lawe But things deuis'd to keepe the world in awe Who mocke the times last dreadfull day to come Which at the length your wicked deeds shall doome And ye blasphemous Exorcists that are With Plutoes factors so familiar Here vpon earth that ye each day doe deal For transportation of blind soules to hell Whom fooles doe wisemen call giue eare to me And in my wretched fate your follies see I was aye me that still I was not so When Aprill buddes of youth themselues did show Vpon my chin a Student in the Law From which fantasticke thoughts my minde did drawe To the more pleasing studie of that art Of Physicke to the which though little part Of learning gaue me helpe yet strong desire To know that worthy science set on fire The fond affection of my forward will To search the secrets of that noble skill But he who from that facultie shall fall To which ineuitable fate did call Him at the first forsakes that happie way Which he should go and haplesse runnes astray Diseas'd with vanities fantasticke fiâ—tes Which ague-like doth vex our English wittes Who thinke at home all homely and doe plough Deepe furrowes vpon Neptunes waterie browe From forreine shoares to bring the worst of bad And in exchange leaue there what good they had The seas I past to helpe out my weake skill In th' Aromatike Art but O the ill Which there our ignorant English oft do finde Did first corrupt my vncorrupted minde O vaine conceit of those that doe repute In euery Art the most admired fruite Of any braine if of domesticke wit But base and triuiall if compar'd to it Of forreine heads that onely vs can please And such hath beene our Englands old disease There did I finde O neuer had I found Murthers close way to kill my foe the ground Of that deuise thou wronged Knight whereby Thou most vntimely wert inforst to die There was I taught with vaine words to command The spirits from below who still at hand Will ready bee as seeming to obay Those soule-blind men whom they doe most betray Thus hauing as I thought my minde enricht With deepest knowledge and with pride bewitcht To blow that vaine blast on the trumpe of fame Which through the world I thought might bear my name I backe return'd for England there to showe That wondrous skill which I would seeme to knowe There as the Fowler doth with whistle call The silly birds vntill they hap to fall Into his net so did my name each day Once blowne abroad lead simple fooles away From helpfull heauen to seeke aduise in hell And there for toyes themselues and soules to sell But in this path long thus I did not tread Which downe vnto the house of death doth lead Before that old slie serpent did beginne T' entice me to that selfe-accusing sinne Of horrid murther shewing me the way By art of poyson closely to betray What life to death I would nor did he leaue Vntill my soule he did so farre bereaue Of euery feeling sense that wicked I Did closely poyson her that vs'd to lie In mine owne bosome that shee beeing dead Might to me liuing leaue an empty bed After this fact that to my gultie soule It might not as it was seeme vgly foule My subtile foe did whisper in my eare These seeming happy newes how fame did beare My name vpon her wings with loud report Of my strange deedes as farre as to the Court Where hauing beene employ'd I with all skill Apply'd my selfe to please no damned ill I did refuse not making any doubt While greatnesse wings did compasse