out this fountaine many mischiefes growe Hereof examples many may bee read In Chronicles of the English Princes dead This humour made King Harrold breake his oath Made unto William Duke of Normandy This made King Ruffus and young Beauclâ—arke bâ—t Their elder brother Robert to defie And Stephen to forget his loyalty To Maude the empresse and to hould in scorne The faithfull oath which hee to her had sworne This made young Henry crowned by his Sire Against his Father warrefarre to maintaine This made King Iohn the Kingdome to aspire Which to his nephue Arthur did pertaine And him in prison hardely to retaine And this made Bullingbrooke usurpe the Crowne Putting his lawfull Soveraigne Richard downe This made Edward the fourth at his returne To breake the oath which hee had lately sworne When hee from Burgondy to Yorke was come And rule the Realme in good King Henries roome This made the Tyrant Richard eake to doome His nephues death and ridde away his wife And so in bloud to end his wretched life A pretty plot in practize I did put Either to take a Queene without delay Or when the cards were shuffled and well cut To choose the King and cast the Knaves away Hee should bee cunning that great game would play Ill luck hath hee that no good game can make Where Princes play and crownes lie at the stake First I assay'd Queene El'zabeth to wed Whom divers Princes courted but in vaine When in this course unluckly I sped I sought the Scots Queene marriage to obtaine But when I reapt no profit for my paine I sought to match Denbigh my tender chil'd To Dame Arbella but I was beguil'd Even as Octavus with Marke Anthony And Lepidus the Romaine Empire shard That of the World then held the Soveraignty So I a new Triumverate prepar'd If cruell death young Denbighs life had spar'd The Grandame Vncle and the Father in law Might thus have brought all England under aw In the Low-Countries did my fame sore high When I was sent Lieutenant generall The Queenes proud foes I stoutly did defie And made them too some composition fall There I maintain'd a port Majesticall In pompe and triumph many dayes I spent From noble then my name grew excellent Then was my heart in height of her desire My mind puft up with sarquery and pride The vulgar sort my glory did admire Even as the Romans Ave Caesar cried When the Emperour to the Senate house did ride So did the Flemings with due reverence Like thunder say God save your excellence Few subjects before mee obtain'd this stile Vnlesse they were as viceroyes of this land The name of Lordship seem'd to base and vile To mee that govern'd such a Royall band And had a Princes absolute command Who did not of my pussiance stand in aw That might put him to death by Martiall law Lo what a Title hath my honour got An Excellency added to my name Can this injurious World so quickly blot A name so great out of records of fame Covering my glory with a vaile of shame Or will it now contemne mee being dead Whom living even with feare it honoured The Towne of Denborough I did besiege Which did on composition shortly yeeld I did good service to my gracious leige Till by ill Councellours I was beguil'd For such as were my Captaines in the field To whom I did at length chiefe charge commit Seduc'd mee to doe many things unfit When Sir Iohn Norris counsaile I refus'd Whose perfect skill in Armes I well knew By Rowland Yorkes devise I was abus'd Whereof some losse soone after did ensue Deventer Towne and Zutphen Sconse I rue By Yorke and Stanley without many bloes Where rendered up to mercy of the foes And that which to my heart might more griefe strike Hapned the death of that renowned Knight My nephew Sidney neere Coleston Dike Receiv'd his deadly wound through fortunes spight I sent no fresh supply to him out right I was not farre off with a mighty hoast So with his losse of life some fame I lost The Court of him lost a brave Courteour The Countrey lost a Guide their faults to mend The campe did loose an expert Souldiour The City lost an honourable friend The Schooles a Patron their rights to defend The Court the Countrey and the Schooles and City For Sydne is death doe sing a mournefull ditty Now while my Princely glory did abound Like rich Lucullus I great feasts did make And was for hospitality renown'd The use of Armes I quickly did forsake An easier taske I meant to undertake I tooke no joyes in wounds and broken pates But to carrouse and banquet with the States Not Heliogabilus whose dainty fare Did all the Roman Emperoars feasts exceed In cost and rarenes might with mine compare Though hee on braines of O stretches did feed And Phinicepteries and that insteed Of Oyle hous'd his lampes with Balme to fill Such was the pleasure of the Tyrants will To mee Count Egmonts Daughter did resort And such brave Dames as Flanders still did yeeld That it did rather seeme I came to court A gallant Lady then to pitch a field For I did lay aside the sword and shield At cards and dice I spent the vacant dayes And made great feasts insteed of Martiall frayes But whilst in games and love my time I spent Seeming secure as though I car'd for nought My Messengers abroad I dayly sent As instruments of my still working thought Whereby my purpose oft to passe I brought And compast what before I did devise At such a time as no man will surmise Thus great attempts I ost did enterprise Like a Magitian that with some fine wile Dazels the sight of the Spectatours eyes And with illusions doth their sence beguile Such polices my cunning did compile That I before mens eyes did cast a mist While I perform'd such matters as I list Yee that like apes doe imitate my deeds Hoping thereby like favour to obtaine Know that so high a Spirit never breds In a blunt Pesant or unnurtur'd swaine But in my heart imperious thoughts did raigne No flegmatique dull milke-sop can aspire But one compact of th' Element of fire Hee dayly must devise some stratageme Hee must bee rich stout liberall and wise The humours of base men hee must contemne Hee must bee gratious in the peoples eyes Hee should bee furnisht with rare qualities With learning judgement policy and wit And such like parts as for the times are fit For every froward fellow is not borne To bee a Scipio or a Maximus Vnlesse that wisedome doth his state adorne Or valour make his life more glorious Though hee bee base of birth as Marius Yet hee by vertues aid aloft may come Like him that was seven times Consull in Rome Ventillius name at first was meane and base Till he the Parthians host had overthrowne And Cicero came not of Noble race Borne at Arpinum a poore Countrey Towne Yet hee made Armes give place
My face well grast with smiles my purse with Crownes Houlding the raines of honour in my hand I manag'd all the State I did command My lookes with humble Majesty repleat Made some men wish mee a Kings royall seat Thus waxt I popular to purchase fame To mee the Common-peoples knees did bow I could my humour still so fittely frame To entertaine all men to outward show For few with inward love my heart did know And that I might not seeme puft up with pride Bare-headed oft through Cities I did ride While some cried out God save you gratious Lord Lord how they did my fame h'iperobolize My words and gesture did so well accord As with their hearts I seem'd to simpathize I charm'd their cares and did enchant their eyes Thus was I reckon'd their chiefe Potentate No poller but a piller of the State Then I was call'd the life and ô the Court And some I wot wisht I had beene the head I had so great a traine and such a port As did the pompe of Mortimer exceed Whom as in th' English Cronicles wee read When second Edward lost his Kingly rights Was waited on at onst with nine score Knights The Earle of March Sir Robert Mortimer Ruld the young King Queene mother and the Peeres I Robert Dudley Earle of Leycester Did sway in Court and all the English Shires His rule was short mine florisht many yeares Hee did his life with Ignominy loose I liv'd and triumpht ore my proudest foes As the Image of great Alexander dead Made King Cassander tremble at his sight Spying the figure of his Royall head Whose presence sometime did the World affright Or like as Caesar monarchizing spright Persude false Brutus at Phillippos field Till hee that slew his leige himselfe was kild So view yee petty Lords my Princely Ghost I speake to you whose heart is full of gall I whilst I liv'd was honour'd of the most And either fear'd for love of great and smale Or lov'd for feare of such as wisht my fall Behold my shadow representing State Whose person sometime did your pride abate Waigh what I was Knights Gentlemen and Peeres When my death threatning frownes did make you quake As yet there was not pass't not many yeares Since I you plumes pluckt lofty crests did shake Then tell mee Sirs for old acquaintance sake Waxe yee not pale to heare of Leysters name Or to bakebite mee blush yee not for shame You say in dealings that I was unjust As if true Justice ballance yee could guide Had I dealt justly I had turn'd to dust Long before this your corps swolne up with pride Which now surviving doe my acts deride My fame yet lives though death abridg'd my dayes Some of you died that over liv'd your praise Are there not some among you Parasites Time-servers and observers of no measure Damn'd Machevillians given to lust and pleasure Church robbers beggers of the Princes treasure Prince-smothers people pleasure Hippocrites Truce-breakers Pirats Atheists Sycophants Can equity dwell here where conscience wants And yet you thinke none justly deales but you Divine Astrea up to Heaven is fled And turne to Libra there looke up to vâ—iew Her ballance in the zodiack figur'd Iust Aristldes onst was banished Where lives his match whom envy did persue Because men thought hee was too just and true Yee say ambition harbour'd in my braine I say ambition is no hainous sinne To men of state doe stately thoughts pertaine By basebred thoughts never can any winne Who ever did a great exploite beginne Before ambition mov'd him to the deed And hope of honour urg'd him to proceed Themistocles had never put to flight Xerxes hughe host nor tam'd the Persian pride Nor had King Pyrrus got by marshall sight The Romans spoiles with conquest on his fight If first ambition had not beene the guide Had not this humour their stout hearts allur'd To high attempts their fame had beene obscur'd The Eagle doth disdaine to catch smale flies The Lion with the Ape doth scorne to play The Dolphin doth the Whirle-pooles love despice Thus if Beasts Birds and Fishes beare such sway Much more should man whom reason doth adorne Bee noble minded and base fortune scorne Admit I could dissemble wittily This is no grievious sinne in men of State Dissembling is a point of policy Plaine dealing now growes stale and out of date Wherefore I oft conceald my privy hate Till I might find fit time though long I stay'd To wreake the wrath that in my heart I lai'd The ould proverbe saith plaine dealing is a Juell But hee that useth it a begger dies The World is now a dayes become so cruell That Courtiers doe plaine Country-men despice Quick wits and cunning heads doe quickly rise And to bee plaine yee shall plainely deale That office seekes in Court or Common-wealth Now Aristippus is in more request That knew the way to please a Monarch's mind Then that Cinique swad that us'd to jest At every idle Knave that hee could find To unkind friends you must not bee too kind This is a maxime which to you I give Men must dissemble or they cannot live Yee say I was a cowerd in the field I say that fits not such a Noble wight To whom his Countrey doth the title yeeld of Lord Lieutenant with full power and might To venture his owne person in the fight Let others die which as our vassailes serve Whilst heaven for better haps our hopes preserve How soone did Englands joy in France diminish When th' Earle of Salisbury at Orlâ—â—nâ—e By gunshot strooke his honours life did finish When Talbot that did often time advance The English Enfines in despite of France Was at the daâ—t Invironed and slaine Whose name the French-mens terrour doth remaine And what a fatall wound did Rome recieve By Crassus death whom faithlesse Parthians slue How did the Senate for Flaminius grieve And for Aemilius death and his stout crue Whom Hannibal at Cannes did subdue Cut off an arme yet life the heart may cherish Cut off the head and every part will perish Iphicrates th' Athenian usde to say Vaunt Currours are like hands to battaile prest The men of armes are feet whereon to stay The Foote-men as the stomack and the brest The Captaines as the head above the rest The head onst crased troubleth all the parts The Generall slaine doth kill ten thousand hearts Therefore a Lord Lieutenant should take care That hee in safety doe himselfe repose And should not hazard life at every dare But watch and ward so Fabius tir'd his foes When rash Minutius did the conquest loose If such in open danger will intrude It is fond rashnes and not fortitude You say I was lascivious in my love And that I tempted many a gallant Dame Not so content but I did also prove To winne their handmaids if I like the game Why Sirs you know love kindles such a flame As if wee may beleeve what Poets penne It doth inchant the
hearts of Gods and men Iove lov'd the Daughter of a jealous Sire Dâ—nae a maid immur'd within a Towre Yet to accomplish the end of his desire Hee metamorphos'd to a goulden showre Fell in the lap of his faire pâ—ramour And being term'd a God did not disdaine To turned to man to beast to showre of raine Deere Lord when Cupid throwes his firie darts Doth none of them your tender bodies hit Doth Cytherea never charme your hearts Nor beauty trie your quintessentiall wit Perhaps you will say no fie it is unfit Now by my Garter and my George to boote The blind boy surely hits if hee doth shoote Whereas you doe object by magick charmes I sought to winne faire Dames to my desire T' is better so then strive by force of armes For forced love will quickely back retire If faire meanes cannot winne what wee require Some secret tricks and slights must be devised That love may even from hell bee exercised To you dull wits it seemes impossible By drinkes or charmes this worke to passe to bring Know then that Giges went invisible By turning of the sigill of his Ring Toward his palme and thereby slew the King Laie with his wife of any man unseene Lastely did raigne by marrying with the Queene King Solomon for magick naturall Was held a cunning man by some divines Hee wrote a booke of Science naturall To bind ill Spirits in their darke confines Hee had great store of wifes and concubines Yet was hee a sacred King this I inferre The wisest man that now doth live may eric Also yee said that when I waxed old When age and mispent time had made mee drie For ancient held in carnall lust is cold Natures defect with art I did supplie That so to helpe this imbecility I used strange drinkes and ointments of great price Whole tast or touch might make dead flesh arise To this I answer that this fine extraction Drammes and electuaries rarely made Serv'd not so much to helpe veneriall action As for to comfort nature that 's decay'd Which being with indifferent judgement way'd In Noble men may bee allow'd I trust As lending to their healths and not their justs What if I drunke nothing but liquid gold Lactrina Christall Pearle dissolv'd in wine Such as the Aegyptians full cuppes of did hold When Cleopatra with her Lord did dine A trifle care not for the cost was mine What if I gave Hypomiuâ—s in drinke To some faire Dames at smal faults yee must winke Yee say I was a Traytor to the Queene And that when Monsieur was in greatest grace I being out of favour mov'd with spleene To see a French-man frolique in the place Forth toward Berwick then did post a pace Minding to raise a rebellious rout To take my part in what I went about That I was then a Traytor I deny But I confesse that I was Monsieurs soe And sought to breake the league of amity Which then betwixt my Prince and him did growe Doubting Religion might be changed so Or that our lawes and customes were in danger To bee corrupt and alter'd by a stranger Therefore I did a faction strong maintaine Against the Earle of Suffex a stout Lord On Monsieurs side and then Lord Chamberlaine Who sought to make that nuptiall accord Which none may breake witnesse the sacred word But thus it chanced that hee striv'd in vaine To knit the Knolt which Heavens did not ordaine Thus did yee mis-enterpret my conceits That for disloyalty my deeds did blame Yet many men have layed their secret baites To entrape mee in such snares to worke my shame Whom I in time sufficiently did tame And by my Soveraignes favour bore them downe Proving my selfe true Liegeman to the Crowne Thinke yee I could forget my Soveraigne Lady That was to mee so gratious and so kind How many triumphes for her glory made I O I could never blot out of my mind What Characters of grace in her still shin'd But some of you which were by her prefer'd Have with her bones almost her name interr'd When shee was gone which of you all did weepe What mournefull song did Phylomela sing Alas when shee in cold deaths bed did sleepe Which of you all her dolefull knell did ring How long will yee now love your crowned King If yee forget so soone you ould Queene dead Which foure and fourtie yeares hath governed Yee say I fought by Muither to aspire And by strong poison many men to â—lay Which as yee thought might erosse my high desire And cloude my long expected golden day Perhaps I laid some blocks out of my way Which hindred mee from coming to the bowre Where Cynthia shin'd like lampes in Pharohs Towre Alas I come not of a Tygers kind My hands with bloud I hated to defile But when by good experience I did find How some with fained love did mee beguile Perchance all pitty then I did exile And as it were against my will was prest To â—â—â—ke their deaths that did my life detest Lo then attend to heare a dolefull tale Of those whose deaths you doe suppose I wrought Yet wish I that the World beleeve not all That hath of mee by envious men beene wrot But when I for a Kingly fortune sought O pardon mee my selfe I might forget And cast downe some my state aloft to set My first wife fell downe from a paire of staires And brake her neck and so at Cromner died Whilst her true servants led with small affaires Vnto a faire at Abbington did ride This dismall hap unto my wife betide Whether yee call it chance or destinie Too true it is shee did untimely die O had I now a showre of teares to shed Lockt in the empty Circles of mine eyes Or could I shed in mourning for the dead That lost a spouse so young so faire so wife So faire a corps so foule a corse now lies My hope to have married with a famous Queene Drave pitty back and kept my teares unseene What man so fond that would not loose a Pearle To find a Diamand leave brasse for gold Or who would not for sake a gallant girle To winne a Queene great men in awe to hold To rule the State of none to bee controld O but the steps that lead unto a throne Are dangerous for men to tread upon The Cardinall Chatillian was my foe Whose death peradventure I did compact Because hee let Queene Elizabeth to know My false report given of a former act How I with her had made a precontract And the great Princes hope I hard thereby That sought to marry with her Majesty The Prelate had beene better hold his tongue And kist his Fathers holy feete in Rome A Masse the sooner for his soule was song But hee might thanke mee had hee stayed at home Or late or never hee to Heaven had come Therefore I sent him nimbly from the coasts Perhaps to supper with the Lord of hoasts When death by hap my first wifes neck
grape Yet did I to the man no injury I gave him time and leasure to repent And well hee knew hee had deserv'd too die Therefore all future mischiefe to prevent I let him slip away with my consent For his reprivall like a crasty Fox I sent no pardon but an empty Box Else as unfaithfull Banister betrayed The Duke of Buckingham his Master deere When hee of Richards tyranny affraid Fled to his servants house for succour there So might my man for gaine or forst for feare Have brought my corps with shame unto my grave By too much trusting to a pratling knave It seemes at mee great Norfolke Duke doth frowne Because hee thinkes I did his death contrive Perswading some hee aymed at the Crowne And that by Royall match hee meant to strive A Kingdome to his Lordship to revive Alas good Duke hee was too weake and mild And I too faithlesse that his trust beguild For that I found his favour first was bent To take the Scots captived Queene to wife I egg'd him on to follow his intent That by this meanes I might abridge his life And she a crowned Queene to stint all strife First finding Scotland lost to England fled Where shee in hope of succour lost her head O blessed Spirits live yee evermore In Heavenly Syon where your Maker raignes And give mee leave my fortunes to deplore That am fast fetterd with sinnes iron chaines Mans most sweet joyes are mixt with some soure paines And none doth live in high or low degree That can in life or death from Woe bee free And now my tongue growes weary to recite Such Massacres as have beene here exprest Whose sad remembrance doth affright my sprit Mee thinkes I see Legions of soules to rest In Abrahams bosome and my selfe oppest The burthen of my sinnes doe waigh mee downe At mee the Feinds doe laugh and Angels frowne My crimes I grant were great and manifold Yet not so hainous as men make report But flattering Parasites are growne so bold That they of Princes matters make a sport To please the humour of the vulgar sort And that poore peevish giddy-headed crew Are prone to credite any tale untrue Let those that live endeavour to live well Least after death like mine their guilt remaine Let no man thinke there is no Heaven nor Hell Or like the impious Saduces maintaine That after death no flesh shall rise againe Let no man trust to fortunes fickle wheele The guerdon due for sinne I partly feele Know that the Prince of Heavenly Seraphines When hee against his Creatour did rebell Was tumbled downe for his presumptuous sinne Sathan that onst was blest like lightening fell From the highest Heaven to the deepest Hell And all those Angels that his part did take Have now their portions in the burning lake Of mighty heapes of treasure I could vaunt For I reapt profit out of every thing I could the Prince and peoples hearts inchant With my faire words and smoth fac'd flattering Yea out of drosse pure gould I oft did wring For though the meanes to winne bee oft unmeet The smell of lucre ever smelleth sweet So I sometime had very much good hap Great suites of my dread Soveraigne to obtaine Prodigall fortune powr'd downe from her lap Angels in gold as thick as drops in raine Such was my luck to find the golden vaine Likewise with mee it seemed nothing strange Both rent and lands oft with my Prince t' exchange I had another way to enrich my selfe By getting Licenses for mee alone For wine oyle velvet cloath and such like pelfe Also by Licenses of Alienation By raising rents and by oppression By claiming forrests pastures commons woods And forfeiture of lands of life and goods By this strange course I also greatly thriv'd In falling out with my deere Soveraigne For I the plot so cunningly contriv'd That reconsilement soone was made againe And by this meanes great gifts I did obtaine For that I might my purse the better fill I begg'd great suites as pledge of new good will Besides sometimes I did enerease my store By benefits that I from Oxford tooke Electing heads of houses heretofore I lov'd their money and they lov'd there booke Some poorer though more learned I forsooke For in those dayes charity waxed cold Little was done for love but much for gold Doubtles my Father was a worthy Peere In Edward the sixt dayes when hee was sent Agrainst Rebels that did rise in Norfolke shire And after that when hee to Scotland went Vnder the Lord Protectours regiment By notable exploit against the Scot Eternall glory to himselfe hee got Truly ambition was his greatest fault Which commonly in noble hearts is bred Hee thought hee never could his State exalt Till the good Duke of Somerset was dead Who by my Fathers meanes did loose his head So ill the race of Dudleis could endure The Seymoures lives which did their fame obscure When onst King Edward at the butte had shot My Father said your grace shootes neere the marke The King repli'd but not so neere I wot As when you shot my Vncles head off quite The Duke my Father knew the King said right And that hee meant this matter to debate If ere hee liv'd to come to mans estate It seemes my Father in times past had beene A skilfull Archer though no learned clearke So strange a chance as this is seldome seene I doe suppose hee shot not in the darke That could so quickly hite so faire a marke Nor have I mist my aime nor worse have sped When I shot off the Duke off Norfolkes head Now when the Duke of Somerset was dead My Father to the French did Bulloigne sell As pleased him the King hee governed And from the privy Counsell did depell Th' Earles of Southampton and of Arundell Thus while he rulde and controuled all The wise young King extreamely sick did fall Who having languisht long of life depriv'd Not without poison as it was suspected The Counsaile through my Fathers meanes contriv'd That Suffolkes Daughter should be Queene elected The sisters of King Edward were rejected My brother Gilford to Iane Gray was wedded Too high preferr'd that was so soone beheaded This Lady Iane that onst was term'd a Queene Greater in fame then fortune was put downe Had not King Henries Daughters living beene Might for her vertues have deserv'd a Crowne Fortune on her at onst did smile and srowne Her wedding garment for a Princes meet Was quickly changed for a winding sheet For I was jumpe of Iulius Caesars mind That could no one superiour Lord endure Nay I to rule my Soveraigne was enclin'd And bring the Common-people to my lure Accompting that my fortunes was obscure And that I lived in a wofull plight If any one Ecclipst my graces light The love to raigne makes many men respect Neither their friend their kindred nor their vow The love to raigne makes many men neglect The duty which to God and man they owe From