37 And in despight and mockery of a Crowne A wreathe of grasse they for his temples make Which when he felt as comming from a swoune And that his powers a little gan awake Fortune quoth he thou doost not alwaies frowne I see thou giu'st aswell as thou doost take That wanting naturall couert for my braine For that defect thou lend'st me this againe 38 To whom O heauen should I my griefes complaine Since thou art iust and prouident in all How should this body naturall strength retaine To suffer things so much innaturall My cogitations labour but in vaine Except thou be partaker in my fall And when at once so many mischiefes meete By change of sorrow mak'st my torment sweete 39 Wherefore my fate I should but fondly grutch T is vaine contention when with heauen we striue Which preordaines my miseries for such That by one woe another should suruiue To shew how it mortalitie can tutch My wretchednesse so strangely to contriue That all my comfort in mishaps should rest And else in nothing but misfortune blest 40 To Berckley thus they led this wretched King The place of horror that was long fore-thought What power should suffer so defilde a thing Or can behold this murther to be wrought That might the Nation into question bring But that your waies with iudgement still are fraught Thus art thou hap'd into thy earthly hell Now take thy leaue and bid the world farewell 41 Berekley whose faire seate hath beene famous long Let thy faire buildings shreeke a deadly sound And to the ayre complaine thy greeuous wrong Keeping the figure of King Edwards wound That as thou waxest old their shame still yong Their wretched foote-steps printed on the ground That when report shall lend their vile act breath All tongues may adde damnation to their death 42 The omenous Rauen with a dismall cheere Through his hoarse beake of following horror tells Begetting strange imaginarie feare With heauie ecchoes like to passing-bells The howling dogge a dolefull part doth beare As though they chimde his latest burying knells Vnder his caue the buzzing shreech-owle sings Beating his windowes with her fatall wings 43 And still affrighted in his fearefull dreames With raging fiends and goblins that he meetes Of falling downe from steepe Rockes into streames Of toombes of burialls and of winding-sheetes Of wandring helpelesse in far forraigne Realmes Of strong temptations by seducing sprites Wherewith awakde and calling out for aide His hollow voyce doth make himselfe afraide 44 Next comes the vision of his bloody raine Masking along with Lancasters sterne ghost Of Barrons twenty eight or hangd or slaine Attended with the ruefull mangled host That vnreuengde yet all this while remaine At Borough battell and at Burton lost Threatning with frownes and trembling eu'ry lim As though in peeces they would torture him 45 And if it chance that from the troubled skies The least small starre through any chincke giue light Straitwaies on heapes the thronging cloudes arise As though the heauen were angry with the night That it should lend that comfort to his eies Deformed shadowes glimpsing in his sight As darkenes for it would more darkened be Through those poore crannies forâ—de it selfe to see 46 When all th'affliction that they could impose Euen to the full and vtmost of their hate Aboue his torment yet his strength arose As Nature made a couenant with Fate When now his watchfull and two wary foes That cease not still his woes to aggrauate All further helps suspected to preuent To take his life to Berckley closely sent 47 And subtilly a letter fashioning Which in the wordes a double sence doth beare Which seemes to bid them not to touch the King Shewing withall how vile a thing it were But by false poynting is another thing And to dispatch him bids them not to feare which taught to find these murderers need no more For which they stood too ready long before 48 Whereas he haps a Chronicle to find Of former kings their raignes their deaths and deedes which some their lodgde forgotten had behind On which to passe the houres he falls to reede Thinking thereby to recreate his mind But in his breast this greater woe doth breede For when deepe sorrow on the fancie seaseth What ere we see our misery increaseth 49 First of great William Conquerour of this I le From whom hee 's tenth that in succession lies Whose power inforcde the Saxon to exile Planting new lawes and forraine subtilties Force and subiection so to reconcile The punishment of Harolds tyrannies which he applies with arguments so strong To the due course of his iust punisht wrong 50 Rufus his sonne duke Robert farre abroade Receiues the rule in weake infeebled state His fathers steps that euidently troade Depressing those who had beene conquerd late Wishing release of this their gricuous loade Vnder the guidance of their former fate The place for men that did to beasts intend A bestiall life had last a beastly end 51 Henry the yongst his brother William dead Taketh the Crowne from his vsurpfull hand Due to the eldest good duke Roberts head Bearing our Red Crosse in the Holy Land whose force farre off so much diminished That his returne disabled to withstand when those for whom th'unnaturall war was done The sea deuours he left without a sonne 52 To Mawd the Empresse he the Scepter leaues His onely daughter which by false pretext Stephen Earle of Bolloine forcibly bereaues Henries false nephew in succession next By which the Land a stranger warre receaues wherewith it grew so miserably vext Till Stephen failing and his issue reft T 'the heires of Mawd the regall Scepter left 53 The second Henry Mawd the Empresse sonne Of th' English line Plantagenet the first By Stephens death a glorious raigne begunne whose youth prolongd to make his age accurst By his sonne Henries coronation Which to his dayes much woe and sorrow nurst when those for whom he conquerd to make great Abroad his townes at home vsurpde his seate 54 Richard his sonne that after him succeedes Who not content with what was safely ours A man lift vp to great and glorious deedes Into the East transportes our valiant powres Where with his sworde whilst many a Pagan bleedes Relentlesse Fate hastes on vntimely howres And makes a period to this hopefull story Euen in the spring and blossome of his glory 55 When him succeedes his faithlesse brother Iohn Murthring yong Arthur by oppressefull might Climing by sorce to his vsurped throne Iustly with poyson was repayde his spight His life to all men is so hatefull growne Who grieues his wrongs that ne're did any right That on the Cleargie ryrannously fed Was by the Cleargie iustly punished 56 Henry his sonne now crowned very yong Who for the hate they to his father bare His state of raigning stoode in question long Or to be left vnto a strangers care With whom the Barrons insolent and strong For the old Charter in commotion are Which his
her philters exorcismes and charmes Thy presence hath repaired in one day What many yeeres and sorrowes did decay And made fresh beauties fairest branches spring From wrinkled furrowes of times ruining Euen as the hungry winter-starued earth When she by nature labours towards her birth Still as the day vpon the darke world creepes One blossome forth after another peepes Till the small flower whose roote is now vnbound Gets from the frostie prison of the ground Spreading the leaues vnto the powerfull noone Deck'd in fresh colours smiles vpon the sunne Neuer vnquiet care lodg'd in that breast Where but one thought of Rosamond did rest Nor thirst nor trauaile which on warre attend E're brought the long day to desired end Nor yet did pale Feare or leane Famine liue Where hope of thee did any comfort giue Ah what iniustice then is this of thee That thus the guiltlesse doost condemne for me When onely she by meanes of my offence Redeemes thy purenesse and thy innocence When to our wills perforce obey they must That iust in them what e're in vs vniust Of what we doe not them account we make The fault craues pardon for th' offenders sake And what to worke a Princes will may merit Hath deepst impression in the gentlest spirite I ft be my name that dooth thee so offend No more my selfe shall be mine owne names friend And â—ft be that which thou doost onely hate That name in my name lastly hath his date Say t is accuâ—st and fatall and dispraise it If written blot it if engrauen raze it Say that of all names t is a name of woe Once a Kings name but now t is not so And when all this is done I know â—vvill grieue thee And therfore svveet whie should I now belieue thee Nor shouldst thou thinke those eies with enuie lower Which passing by thee gaze vp to thy tower But rather praise thine owne which be so cleere Which from the Turret like tvvo staires appeare Aboue the sunne dooth shine beneath thine eie Mocking the heauen to make another skie The little streame which by thy tovver dooth glide Where oft thou spendst the wearie euening tide To view thee vvell his course would gladly stay As loath from thee to part so soone away And with salutes thy selfe would gladly greete And offer vp those small drops at thy feete But finding that the enuious banks restraine it T' excuse it selfe doth in this sort complaine it And therefore this sad bubling murmure keepes And in this sort within the channell weepes And as thou doost into the water looke The fish which see thy shadow in the brooke Forget to feede and all amazed lie So daunted with the lustre of thine eie And that sweet name which thou so much dost wrong In time shal be some famous Poets song And with the very sweetnes of that name Lions and tygers men shall learne to tame The carefull mother from her pensiue breast With Rosamond shall bring her babe to rest The little birds by mens continuall sound Shall learne to speake and pr 〈…〉 le Rosamond And when in Aprill they beginne to sing Wiâ—h Rosamond shall welcome in the spring And she in whom all raâ—ities are found Shall still be said to be a Rosamond The little flowers which dropping honied dew Which as thou writst doe weepe vpon thy shue Not for thy fault sweet Rosamond doe moane But weepe for griefe that thou so soone art gone For if thy foote â—uch Hemlocke as it goes That Hemlocke's made more sweeter than the Rose Of Ioue or Neptune how they did betray Nor speake of Iâ—o or Amimone when she for whome Ioue once became a Bull Comparde with thee had beene a tawny trull He a white Bull and she a whiter Cow Yet he nor she neere halfe so white as thou Long since thou knowst my care prouided for To lodge thee safe from iealous Ellenor The labyrinths conueyance guides thee so Which only Vaghan thou and I doe know If she doe guard thee with a hundred eies I haue an hundred subâ—ile Mercuries To watch that Argus which my loue doth keepe Vntill eie after eie fall all to sleepe Those starres looke in by night looke in to see Wondring what starre heere on the earth should be As oft the Moone amidst the silent night Hath come to ioy vs with her friendly light And by the curtaine helpt mine eie to see What 〈◊〉 night and darkenes hid from mee When I haue wisht that she might euer staâ— And other worl 〈…〉 might still enioy the day What should I say words â—eares and sighs be spent And want of 〈◊〉 doth further helps preuent My campe râ—sounds with fearefull shockes of warre Yet in my breast the worser conflicts are Yet is my signall to the battels sound The blessed name of beauteous Rosamond Accursed be that heart that tongue that breath Should thinke should speake or whisper of thy death For in one smile or lower from thy sweete eie Consists my life my hope my victorie Sweet Woodstocke where my Rosamond doth rest Blessed in her in whom thy King is blest For though in France a while my body be Sweete Paradice my heart remaines in thee Notes of the Chronicle Historie Am I at home pursued with priuate hate And warre comes raging to my Pallace gate RObert erle of Leicester who took part with yong king Henry entred into England with an armie of 3000. Flemmings and spoild the countries of Norsfolk and Susfolke being succored by many of the Kings priuate enimies And am I branded with the curse of Rome King Henry the second the first Plantaginet accused for the death of Tho. Becket archbishop of Canterbury staine in the cathedrall church was accursed by Pope Alexander although hee vrgde sufficient proofe of his innocencie in the same and offered to take vpon him any penance so he might escape the curse and interdiction of the Realme And by the pride of my rebellious sonne Rich Normandie with armies ouer-runne Henry the yong K. whom king Henry had caused to be crowned in his life as he hoped both for his owne good and the good of his Subiects which indeed turned to his owne sorow and the trouble of the Realme for he rebelled against him and raising a power by the meanes of Lewes king of France and William K of Scots who tooke part with him inuaded Normandie Vnkinde my children most vnkinde my wise Neuer king more vnfortunate then K Henry in the disobedience of his children first Henry then Gâ—ssrey then Richard then Iohn all at one time or other first or last vnnaturally rebelled against him then the iealousie of Elinor his Qu. who suspected his loue to Rosamond which grieuous troubles the deuout of those times attributed to happen to him iustly for refusin to take on him the gouernment of Ierusalem offred to him by the patriarke there which country was mightily afflicted by the Souldane Which onely Vaghan thou and I doe know This Vaghan was a Knight
dares And Vere so famous in the Irish warres Who though my selfe so great a Prince were borne The worst of these my equall neede not scorne But Henries rare perfections and his parts As conquering Kingdomes so he conquer'd hearts As chaste was I to him as Queene might bee But freed from him my chaste lone vow'd to thee Beautie doth fetch all fauour from thy face All perfect courtship resteth in thy grace If thou discourse thy lips such accents breake As loue a spirit forth of thee seemâ—d to speake The Brittish language which our vowels wants And iarres so much vpon harsh consonants Comes with such grace from thy mellifluous tongue As do the sweete notes of a well set song And runnes as smoothly from those lips of thine As the pure Tuskan from the Florentine Leauing such seasoned sweetenes in the eare As the voyce past yet still the sound is there In Nisus Tower as when Apollo lay And on his golden viall vsde to play Where sencelesse stones were with such musicke drownd As many yeares they did retaine the sound Let not the beames that greatnes doth reflect Amaze thy hopes with timerous respect Assure thee Tudor maiesty can be As kinde in loue as can the mean'st degree And the embraces of a Queene as true As theirs might iudge them much aduanc'd by you When in our greatnes our affections craue Those secret ioyes that other women haue So I a Queene be soueraigne in my choice Let others fawne vpon the publique voice Or what by this can euer hap to thee Light in respect to be belou'd of mee Let peeuish worldlings prate of right and wrong Leaue plaints and pleas to whom they do belong Let old men speake of chances and euents And Lawyers talke of titles and discents Leaue fond reports to such as stories tell And couenants to those that buy and sâ—ll Loue my sweete Tudor that becomes thee best And to our good suceesse referre the rest Notes of the Chronicle Historie Great Henry sought to accomplish his desire Armed c. HEnry the fift making claime to the Crowne of France first sought by Armes to subdue the French and after sought by marriage to confirme what he got by conquest the heate and furie of which inuasion is alluded to the sixion of Semele in Ouid which by the crafty perswasion of Iuno requested Ioue to come vnto her as he was wont to come vnto his wife Iuno who at her request hee yeelding vnto destroyed her in a tempest Incamp'd at Melans in wars hote alarmes First c. Neere vnto Melans vpon the Riuer of Scyne was the appointed place of parley betweene the two Kings of England and France to which place Isabell the Qucene of France and the Duke of Burgoyne brought the yong Princesse Katherine where King Henry first saw her And on my temples set a double Crowne Henry the fift and Queene Katherine were taken as King and Queene of France and during the life of Charles the French king Henry was called King of England and heire of France and after the death of Henry the fift Henry the sixt his sonne then being very yong was crowned at Paris as true and lawfull King of England and France At Troy in Champaine he did first enioy Troy in Champaine was the place where that victorious king Henry the fift married the Ptincesse Katherine in the presence of the chiefe nobilitie of the Realmes of England and France Nor these great tules vainely will I bring Wife daughter mother c. Few Queenes of England or France were euer more princely alied then this Queene as it hath beene noted by Historiographers Nor thinke so Tudor that this loue of mine Should wrong the Gaunt-borne c. Noting the discent of Henry her husband from Iohn Duke of Lancaster the fourth sonne of Edward the third which Duke Iohn was sirnamed Gaunt of the Cittie of Gaunt in Flanders where he was borne Nor stirre the English blood the Sunne and Moone Trepine c. Alluding the greatnes of the English line to Phoebus and Phoebe fained to be the children of Latona whose heauenly kind might seorne to be ioyned with any earthly progenie yet withall boasting the blood of France as not inferior to theirs And with this allusion followeth on the historie of the strife betwixt Iuno and the race of Cadmus whose issue was afflicted by the wrath of heauen The children of Niobe slaine for which the wofull mother became a rocke gushing forth continually a sountaine of teares And Iohn and Longshanks issue both affied Lheellin or Leolin ap Iorweth married Ioane daughter to king Iohn a most beautifull Lady Some Authors affirme that she was base borne Lhewellin ap Gryfith married Ellenor daughter to Simon Montfort Earle of Leicester and Cosin to Edward Long-shankes both which Lhewellins were Princes of Wales Of Camilot and all her Pentecosts A Nephewes roome c. Camilot the antient Pallace of King Arthur to which place all the Knightes of that famous order yeerely repaired at Penticost according to the law of the Table and most of the famous home-borne Knights were of that Country as to this day is perceiued by their antient monuments When bloody Rutus sought your vtter sacke Noting the ill successe which that William Rufus bad in two voyages he made into Wales in which a number of his chiefe Nobilitie were slaine And oft returnde with glorious victorie Noting the diuers sundry incursions that the Welchmen made into England in the time of Rufus Iohn Henry the second and Longshankes ⧠Owen Tudor to Queene Katherine WHen first mine eyes heheld your princely name And found from whence this friendly letter came As in excesse of ioy my selfe forgot Whether I saw it or I saw it not My panting heart doth bid mine eyes proceede My dazeled eye inuites my tongue to reede Mine eye should guide my tongue amazed mist it My lips which now should speak are dombe kist it And leaues the paper in my trembling hand When all my sences so amazed stand Euen as a mother comming to her childe Which from her presence hath been long exilde With tender armes his gentle necke doth straine Now kissing him now clipping him againe And yet excessiue ioy deludes her so As still she doubts if this be hers or no At length awak'ned from this pleasing dreame When passion somwhat leaues to be extreame My longing eyes with their faire obiect meete Where euery letter 's pleasing each word sweete It was not Henries conquests nor his Court That had the power to win me by report Nor was his dreadfull terror-striking name The cause that I from Wales to England came For Christian Rhodes and our religious truth To great atchieuements first had wonne my youth Before aduenture did my valour proue Before I yet knew what it was to loue Nor came I hether by some poore euent But by th' eternall Destinies consent Whose vncomprised wisedomes did fore-see That you in marriage should be linck'd to
Church-yard commaunded that no man should relieue her which the tyrant did not so much for his hatred to sinne but that by making his brothers life odious he might couer his horrible treason the more cunningly May number Rumneys flowers or Isis fish Rumney is that famous Marsh in Kent at whose side Rie a Hauen towne dooth stand Hereof the excellent English Antiquarie Maister Camden and Maister Lambert in his preambulation doâ— make mention And Marishes are commonly called those low grounds which abut vpon the sea and from the Latine word are so denominated Isis is heere vsed for Thamesis by a Synecdochicall kind of speach or by a Poeticall libertie in vsing one for another for it is said that Thamesis is compounded of Tame and Isis making when they are met that renowmed water running by London a Cittie much more renowmed then that water which being plentifull of fish is the cause also why all things else are plentifull therein Moreouer I am perswaded that there is no riuer in the world beholds more stately buildings on either side cleane throgh then the Thames Much is reported of the Graund Canale in Venice for that the fronts on either side are so gorgeous That might intice some foule-mouth'd Mantuâ—n Mantuan a pastorall Poet in one of his Eglogs bitterly inueyeth agaynst woman-kind some of the which by way of an Appendex might be heere inserted seeing the fantasticke and insolent humours of many of that sexe deserue much sharper phisicke were it not that they are growne wiser then to amend for such an idle Poets speech as Mantuan yea or for Euripides himselfe or Senecas inflexible Hippolitus The circuite of the publike Theater Ouid a most fit Author for so desolute a Sectary calls that place Chastities shipwracke for though Shores wife wantonly pleade for liberty which is the true humour of a Curtizan yet much more is the praise of modesty then of such libertie Howbeit the Vestall Nunnes had seates assigned them in the Roman Theater whereby it should appeare it was counted no impeachment to modestie though they offending therein were buried quicke a sharpe law for them who may say as Shores wife doth When though abroad restraining vs to rome They very hardly keepe vs safe at home FINIS To the right VVorshipfull Sir Henry Goodere of Powlesworth Knight SIR this Poeme of mine which I imparted to you at my being with you at your lodging at London in Maie last brought at length to perfection emboldned by your wonted fauours I aduenture to make you Patron of Thus Sir you see I haue aduentured to the world with what like or dislike I know not â—if it please which I much doubt of I pray you then be partaker of that which I shall esteeme not my least good if dislike it shall lessen some part of my griefe if it please you to allow but of my loue howsoeuer I pray you accept it as kindely as I offer it which though without many protestations yet I assure you with much desire of your honour Thus vntill such time as I may in some more larger measure make knowne my loue to the happy and generous familie of the Gooderes to which I confesse my selfe to be beholding to for the most part of my education I wish you all happinesse Michaell Drayton Mary the French Queene to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke The Argument Mary the daughter of that renowned Prince King Henry the seauenth being very yong at her fathers death after by her brother King Henry the eight was giuen in marriage to Lewes King of France being a man olde and decrepit This faire and beautiful Lady long afore had plaâ—â—â—her affection on Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke a braue and couragious yong Gentleman and an especiall fauorite of the King her brother and a man raised vp by him King Lewes the husband of this beautifull Queene liued not long after he was married and Charles Brandon hauing commission from the King to bring her backe into England but being delaied by some sinister meanes the French Queene writeth this Epistle to hasten the Duke forward on his intended voyage to France SVch health from heauen my selfe may wish to mee Such health from France Queene Mary sends to thee Brandon how long mak'st thou excuse to stay And know'st how ill we women brooke delay If one poore channell thus can part vs two Tell me vnkinde what would an Ocean do Leander had an Hellespont to swim Yet this from Hero could not hinder him His barke poore soule his breast his armes his oares But thou a ship to land thee on our shores And opposite to famous Kent doth lie The pleasant fields of flowrie Picardie VVhere our faire Callice walled in her sands In kenning of the cliffie Douer stands Heere is no Beldame Nurse to powt or lower VVhen wantoning we reuell in my Tower Nor neede I top my Turret with a light To guide thee to me as thou swim'st by night Comparde with me wert thou but halfe so kinde Thy sighs should stuffe thy sailes though wanting wind But thy breast is becalmd thy sighs be slacke And mine too stiffe and blow thy broad sailes backe But thou wilt say that I should blame the flood Because the winde so full against thee stood Nay blame it not it did so roughly blow For it did chide thee for thou wast so slow For it came not to keepe thee in the Bay But came from me to bid thee come away But that thou vainely lett'st occasion slide Thou mightst haue wafted hether with the tide If when thou com'st I knit mine angry brow Blame me not Brandon thou hast broke thy vow Yet if I meant to frowne I might be dombe For this may make thee stand in doubt to come Nay come sweete Charles haue care thy ship to guide Come my sweete hart in faith I will not chide VVhenas my brother and his louely Queene In sad attire for my depart were seene The vtmost date expired of my stay when I from Douer did depart away Thou know'st what woe I suffered for thy sake How oft I fain'd of thee my leaue to take God and thou know'st with what a heauie hart I tooke my farewell when I should depart And being ship'd gaue signall with my hand Vp to the Cliffe where I did see thee stand Nor could reframe in all the peoples view But cried to thee sweete Charles adiew adiew Looke how a little infant that hath lost The things wherewith it was delighted most weary with seeking to some corner creepes And there poore soule it sits it downe and weepes And when the Nurse would faine content the mind Yet still it mournes for that it cannot find Thus in my carefull Cabin did I lie whenas the ship out of the roade did flie Think'st thou my loue was faithfull vnto thee vvhen yong Castile to England su'd for mee Be iudge thy selfe if it were not of power vvhen I refus'd an Empire for my dovver To Englands Court when
the subuersion of so many foes The murther of the miserable King And that which came as Epilogue to all Lastly his fearefull and so violent fall 67 Which to their hope giues time for further breath As the first pawse in this their great affaire That yet awhile deferr'd this threatning death Trusting this breach by leysure to repaire And heere a while this furie limetteth Whilst in this manner things so strangely fare Horror beyond the wonted bounds doth swell As the next Canto dreadfully shal tell The end of the first Canto ⧠The second Booke of the Barrons warres The Argument At Burton-bridge the puissant armies meâ— The forme and order of the doubtfull fight Whereas the King the victory doth get And the prowd Barrons lastly forcde to flight How they againe towardes Burrough forward set Where then the Lords are vanquished outright Lastly the lawes doe execute their power On those the sword before did not deuoure 1 THis chance of warre that dreadfully had swept So large a share from their full-reckned might Which their prowd hopes so carefully had kept Whilst yet their state stoode equally vpright That could at first so closely intercept That should haue seru'd them for a glorious fight Musters supplies of footemen and of horse To giue a new strength to their ruinde force 2 Th'inueterate griefe so deepe and firmely rooted Yet slightly curde by this short strengthelesse peace To assay t'remoue since it but vainely booted That did with each distemprature increase And being by euery offerd cause promooted Th' effect too firmely setled to surcease When each euasion sunday passions brought Strange formes of feare in euery troubled thought 3 And put in action for this publique cause Whilst euery one a party firmely stoode Taxt by the letter of the censuring lawes In the sharpe tainder of his honoured blood And he that 's free'st entangled by some clause Which to this mischiefe giues continuall food For where confusion gets so strongly hold Till all consumde can hardly be controlde 4 Where now by night euen when pale leaden sleepe Vpon their eie-lids heauily did dwell And step by step on euery sence did creepe Mischiefe that blacke inhabitant of hell Which neuer failes continuall watch to keepe Fearefull to thinke a horred thing to tell Entred the place where now these warlike Lordes Lay maild in armour girt with irefull swords 5 Mischiefe with sharpe sight and a meager looke And alwaies prying where she may do ill In which the fiend continuall pleasure tooke Her starued body Plenty could not fill Searching in euery corner euery nooke With winged feete too swift to worke her will Hung full of deadly instruments she went Of euery sort to hurt where ere she meant 6 And with a viall fild with banefull wrath Brought from Cocytus by this cursed spright Which in her blacke hand readily she hath And drops the poison vpon euery wight For to each one she knew the readie path Now in the midst and dead-time of the night Whose enuious force inuadeth euery Peere Striking with furie and impulsiue feare 7 The weeping morning breaking in the East When with a troubled and affrighted mind Each whom this venom lately did infest The strong effect soone inwardly do find And lately troubled by vnquiet rest To sad destruction euery one inclind Rumours of spoile through euery eare doth flye And fury sits in eu'ry threatning eye 8 This doone in haste vnto King Edward hies Which now growne proude vpon his faire successe The time in feasts and wantonnesse implies With crowned cups his sorrowes to redresse That on his fortune wholy now relies And in the bosome of his Courtly presse Vaunting the glory of this late wonne day Whilst the sick Land with sorrow pines away 9 Thether she comes and in a Minions shape Shee creepeth neere the person of the King Warm'd with the verdure of the swelling grape In which she poyson secretly doth wring Not the least drop vntaynted doth escape To which intent she all her store did bring Whose rich commixtuâ—e making it more strong Fills his hote veines with arrogance and wrong 10 And hauing both such courage and such might As to so great a businesse did belong Neuer considering their pretended right Should be inducement to a trebled wrong When misty error so deludes their sight Which still betwixt them and cleere reason hong By which opinion falsly was abusde As left all out of order all confusde 11 Now our Minerua tells of dreadfull Armes Inforc'd to sing of worse then ciuill warres Of Ambuscades stratagems alarmes Vnkind discentions fearfull massacars Of gloomy magiques and benumming charmes Fresh-bleeding wounds and neuer-healed skarrs And for the sock wherein she vsde to tread Marching in greaues a helmet on her head 12 Whilst hate and griefe their weakned sence delude The Barrons draw their forces to a head Whome Edward spur'd with vengeance still pursude By Lancaster and noble Herford led This long proceeding lastly to conclude Whilst now to meet both Armies freshly sped To Burton both incamping for the day With expectation for a glorious pray 13 Vpon the East from Needwoods bushy side There riseth vp an easie clyming hill At whose faire foote the siluer Trent doth glide With a deep murmure permanent and still With liberall storâ— of many Brooks supplide Th'â—nâ—atiate Meades continually doe fill Vpon whose streame a bridge of wondrous streÌ„gth Doth stretch it selfe in forty arches length 14 Vppon this Mount the Kings pauillion fixt And in the towne the foe intrench'd in sight When now the flood is risen so betwixt That yet a while prolong'd th'unturall fight With tributarie waters intermixt To stay the furie dooing all it might Things which presage both good and ill there bee Which heauen fore-shewes but mortals cannot see 15 The heauen euen mourning o're our heads doth sit As greeu'd to see the time so out of course Looking on them who neuer looke at it And in meere pittie melting with remorce Longer from teares that cannot stay a whit Whose confluence on euery lower sourse From the swolne fluxure of the clowdes doth shake A ranke Impostume vpon euery lake 16 O warlike Nation hold thy conquering hand Euen sencelesse things admonish thee to pawse That Mother soyle on whom thou yet doost stand That would restraine thee by all naturall lawes Canst thou vnkinde inuiolate that band When even the earth is angry with the cause Yet stay thy foote in mischiefes vglie gate Ill comes too soone repentance still too late 17 And can the clowdes weepe ouer thy decay And not one drop fall from thy droughtie eyes See'st thou the snare and wilt not shun the way Nor yet be warn'd by passed miseries T' is yet but early in this fatall day Let late experience learne thee to be wise Mischiefe foreseene may easly be preuented But hap'd vnhelp'd though nere enough lamented 18 Cannot the Scot of your late slaughter boast And are you yet scarce healed of the sore I' st not enough you
is the King encompasst by their skill A meane to worke what Herford doth deuise To thrust him on to draw them vp the hill That by his strength they might get powre to rise Thus they in all things are before him still This perfect steersman of their policies Hath cast to walke whilst Edward beares the light And take that aime that must direct his sight 66 And by th' allowance of his liberall will Supposde his safety furthering their intent Stands as a test to iustifie their ill Made sound and currant by this late euent And what yet wanting lastly to fulfill Things in their course to fall in true consent Giues full assurance of that happy end On which they now laboriously attend 67 Nor finding reason longer to protract Or in suspence their home-left friends to holde By being now so absolutely backt And thereby waxing confident and bold By their proceedings publishing their act whenas their powre was ripened as they would Now with an armed and erected hand To abet their faction absolutely stand 68 When now the fearefull fainting Exceter A man experiencde in their counsels long Whether himselfe thought his way to preferre Or moou'd in conscience with king Eawards wrong Or t' was his frailty forede him thus to erre Or other fatall accident among The onely first that backe to England flew And knowing all discouered all he knew 69 The plot of treason lastly thus disclosde And Torletons drift by circumstaunces found With what conueyance things had beene disposde The cunning vsde in casting of the ground The meanes and apt aduantages he chosde When better counsell coldely comes to sound Awakes the King to see his owne estate When the preuention comes too vaine and late 70 And whilst the time she daily dooth adjourne Charles as a brother by perswasions deales Edward with threates to hasten her returne And Iohn of Rome with Papall curse assaies T is but in vaine against her will to spurne Perswasions threats nor curses aught preuailes Charles Edward Iohn do th' vtmost of your worst The Queene fares best when she the most is curst 71 The subtile Spensers which French humors felt And with their Soueraigne had deuisde the draught with Prince and Peeres now vnder-hand had dealt with golden baites that craftily were caught whose flexed temper soone begins to melt On which they now by sleights so throwly wrought As with great summes now lastly ouer-waide The wretched Queene is desperate of aide 72 Nor can all this amaze this mighty Queene with all th'affliction neuer yet contrould Neuer such courage in her sex was seene Nor was she cast in other womens mould Nor can rebate the edge of her hie spleene But can endure warre trauell want and cold Strugling with Fortune ne're with griefe opprest Most cheerefull still when she was most distrest 73 And thus resolu'd to leaue ingratefull France And in the world her fortune yet to trie Changing the ayre hopes time may alter chance As one whose thoughts were eleuate more hie Her weakned state still seeking to aduance Her mighty minde so scorneth misery Yet ere she went her grieued heart to east Thus to the King this grieued Lady saies 74 Is this a King and brothers part quoth she And to this end did I my griefe vnfold Came I to heale my wounded heart to thee Where slaine outright I now the same behold Proue these thy vowes thy promises to mee In all this heate thy faith become so cold To leaue me thus forsaken at the worst My state more wretched than it was at first 75 My frailty vrging what my want requires To thy deere mercy should my teares haue tide Our bloods maintained by the selfe-same fires And by our fortunes as our birth alide My sute supported by my iust desires All arguments I should not be denide The grieuous wrongs that in my bosome be Should be as neere thy care as I to thee 76 Nature that easly wrought vpon my sex To thy vile pleasure thus mine honour leaues And vnder colour of thy due respects My settled trust disloyally deceaues That me and mine thus carelesly neglects And of all comfort wholy me bereaues Twixt recreant basenes and disordâ—nate will To expose my fortunes to the worst of ill 77 But for my farewell this I prophecie That from my wombe that glorious fruit doth spring Which shall deiect thy neere posteritie And leade a captiue thy succeeding King That shal reuenge this wretched iniury To fatall Fraunce I as a Sybel sing Her citties sackt the slaughter of her men When of the English one shall conquer ten 78 Bewmount in Fraunce that had this shuffling seene whose soule by kindnes Isabel had wonne For Henault now perswades the grieued Queene By full assurance what might there be done Now in the anguish of this tumerous spleene Offring his faire Neece to the Prince her sonne The lurest way to gaine his brothers might To backe yong Edward and vphold her right 79 This gallant Lord whose name euen filld report To whom the souldiers of that time did throng A man that fashiond others of his sort As that knew all to honour did belong And in his youth traind vp with her in Court And fully now confirmed in her wrong Crosst by the faction of th'emperiall part In things that sat too neerely to his hart 80 Sufficient motiues to inuite distresse To apprehend the least and poorest meane Against those mischiefes that so strongly presse Whereon their lowe dejected state to leaue And at this season though it were the lesse That might a while their sickely powre sustaine Till prosprous times by milde and temprate dayes Their drooping hopes to former height might raise 81 Where finding cause to breathe their restlesse state where welcome lookt with a more milder face From those dishonours she receiu'd of late Where now she wants no due officious grace Vnder the guidance of a gentler fate Where bounteous offers mutually embrace And to conclude all ceremonies past The Prince affies faire Philip at the last 82 All couenants signde with wedlockes sacred seale A lasting league eternally to binde And all proceeding of religious zeale And suting right with Henaults mighty minde That to his thoughts much honour dooth reueale What ease the Queene is like thereby to finde The sweete contentment of the louely Bride Yong Edward pleasde and ioy on euery side The end of the third Canto ⧠The fourth Booke of the Barrons warres The Argument The Queene in Henault mightie power doth winne In Harwich hauen safely is arriu'd Great troubles now in England new beginne The King of friends and safety is depriu'd Flieth to Wales at Neath receiued in Many strange acts and outrages contriu'd Edward betrayde deliu'red vp at Neath The Spensers and his friends are put to death 1 NOw seauen times Phoebus had his welked waine Vpon the top of all the Tropike set And seauen times descending downe againe His firy wheeles had with the fishes wet In the occurrents of this
lawlesse exile now returnes with speed Not to defend his countrey but to kill And all the prisons dissolutely freed Both field and towne with wretchednes to fill London first author of our latest shame Soonst that repentst most plagued for the same 42 Whos 's giddy commons mercilesse and rude Let loose to mischiefe in this cursed day Their hands in blood of Edwards friends imbrude Neuer content till they were made away Th' implacable and wicked multitude On the Lieutenant Stapleton doe pray who dragg'd and torne by this tumultuous heape Cut off his head before the Crosse in Cheape 43 Reade wofull Citty on thy ruinde wall Thy sad destruction which is drawing nie Where on thy gates is charactered thy fall In mangled bodies thine Anatomy Now thy lewd errours to a reckning call Which may exstract teares from thy ruthlesse eye And if the thicke ayre dim thy hatefull sight Thy buildings are on fire to giue thee light 44 Thy chanels serue for incke for paper stones And on the ground write murther incest rape Aud for thy pennes a heape of dead mens bones Let euery letter besome monstrous shape Thy poynts and accents be departing groanes And let no vile nor desperate act escape And when with pride thou arte againe ore'gon Then take this booke and sadly looke thereon 45 Poore wretch dispoilde of thy late Virgins name Now for thy sinne what impious villaine shent Blacke is my incke but blacker thy defame Who shall reuenge whilst I thy state lament What might be done to remedy thy shame When now too late these mischieses to preuent Against these horrors thou doost idely striue Thou seest thy selfe deuoured yet aliue 46 Thou wantst redresse and tyrannie remorce To whom shouldst thou thy helples woes complaine But yeelde thy selfe to the adulterers force Thy wordes vntimely and returne in vaine The more thou grieu'st thy fault is still the worse This remedy there onely dooth remaine Dispoylde of fame be prodigall of breath And make thy life cleere by a resolute death 47 For worlds that were the present times complaine when men might haue beene buride when they di'de And children safely in their cradles laine And when the husband might enioy his bride when in some bounds ill could it selfe containe The sonne haue kneeld by 's fathers death-bed side The liuing wrongde the dead no right can haue The father sees his sonne to want a graue 48 But t is too late thy head-strong course t'recall Depriude all feeling of externall feare These deadly sounds by their continuall fall Settle confusion in thy deafned eare This is the last O would the worst of all Shreekes be the musicke thou delightst to heare Armes thy attire and wounds be all thy good Thy end consists in rapine and in blood 49 In glorious age of whom it should be said That all these mischieues should abound in thee That all these sinnes should to thy charge be laid From no calumnious nor vile action free O let not time vs with thy ills vpbrayd Lest feare what hath beene argue what may be And fashioning so a habite in the minde Make vs alone the haters of our kinde 50 O powrefull heauen in whose all-soueraigne raine Those thy pure bodies mooue in harmony And by a strong and euerlasting chaine Together linckt in sacred vnitie In which you doe continually remaine Stayd in one certaine course eternally Why his due motion keepeth eu'ry star Yet what they gouerne so irregular 51 Muse in the course of this vnnaturall warre Tell me from whence this height of mischiefe grew That in so short time spread it selfe so farre Whereon such strange calamities ensue The true occasions faithfully declare O men religious was the fault in you Which euen growne resty by your powre withdraw Your stifned neckes as free from ciuill awe 52 What wonder then the people grow prophane When Church mens liues giue lay-men leaue to fall Their former Doue-like humblenesse disdaine For coates of haire now clad in costly pall The holy Ephod made a cloke for gaine And what most cunning most cannonicall And blinde promotion shuns that dangerous road Which the old Prophets diligently troad 53 Hence ist that God so slightly is ador'd The rocke remoou'd whereon our faith is gounded Conscience esteemde but as an idle word Which weake before by vaine opinion wounded Professors liues so little fruit affoord And in her sects religion lies confounded The sacred things a merchandize become None talks of texts and prophecying dumbe 54 And of the former being thus possest Like to the venome of infectious ayre That hauing got into the secret breast Is not prescribde nor long times staies it there But from this ground to seize vpon the rest The rancke contagion spreading eu'ry where That ere this euill hath the vtmost done The solide body lastly ouer-runne 55 Cauells breake forth to cancell wholesome lawes And caching hold vpon the publique weale Where doubts should cease they rise in euery clawse The sword that wounds ordaind a salue to heale One mischeefe still another forward drawes Each striuiug others vilenesse to conceale By lewd corruptions in a needefull vse Right cloakes all wrong and couers all abuse 56 When now the King late taken to this hold And in this poore imprisned libertie Liuing a death in hunger want and cold Euen in depth of woe and miserie By hatefull treason secretly is sold Before he could the trecherous drift espy For when oppression's vp vnto the chin Who lends not hand to thrust him boldly in 57 In th'lucklesse fortunes of this wretched King whose person 's seised by th' inuading part Vnto his friends sad matters menacing VVith bloodlesse terror striking eu'ry hart All expectation now discouraging VVhen no euasion from the foe to start And that the clowd which threatned greatest feare Rose whence their hopes most brightest did appeare 58 Which breaking in now with a generall force On the two Spensers from whose onely hate This warre first sprung distracted in their course Their latest power confined by their fate Of whom there 's none takes pittie or remorce Which to avoide as cankers of the state The eldest first to death at Bristow led Where hangde to death his body quartered 59 Whenas the heire to Winchester late dead The bloody lot to th' Earle of Gloster fell Reding the Marshall marshald with the dead When soone succeedes the Earle of Arundell To pay the forfait of a reuerent head Then Muchelden and wofull Daniell Who followed him in his lasciuious waies Must go before him to his fatall daies 60 Euen like some pillar on whose goodly height A pondrous building onely doth depend Which when not able to sustaine the weight And that his strong backe hath begun to bend As quite depriued of his former might The massy load vnto the ground doth send Crushing the lesser props and murdring all That stand within the compasse of the fall 61 That state whereon the strength of Princes leanes Whose hie ascent we trembling do
our fulnes taking borrowed light which to your safeties alwayes firme and true Why thus repugne you by prepostrous might But what heauen lent me vertuously t' haue vsed Leaues to your power what weaknes hath abused 18 But heere I doe resigne it to your King Pawsing heereat as though his tongue offended with griping throwes seemes forth that word to bring Sighing a full point as he there had ended O how that sound his grieued heart doth wring Which he recalling gladly would haue mended Things of small moment we can scarcely holde But griefes that touch the heart are hardly colde 19 But being past he prosecutes in teares Calming that tempest with a shower of raine As he had stroue to keepe it from his eares Quoth he the liegeman to your Soueraigne O in his lippes how vile that word appeares Whereat ashamde doth sadly pawse againe Yes yes euen say so vnto him you beare it I ft be yong Edward that you meane shall weare it 20 Let him account his bondage from that day That he is with the Diademe inuested A glittering Crowne hath made this haire so gray Within whose circle he is but arrested To true content this not the certaine way With sweeter cates a meane estate is feasted And when his prowd feet scorne to tuch the mold His head a prisner in a gayle of golde 21 His subiects numbred numbring of his care And when with showts the people doe beginne Let him suppose th' applause but prayers are T' escape the danger that they see him in Wherein t'aduenture he so boldly dare The multitude hoth multitudes of sinne And he that 's first to cry God saue the King Is the first man doth newes of sorrow bring 22 Appeasing tumults hate cannot appease Soothde with deceits and fed with flatteries Thy selfe displeasing other sought to please Obeyd as much as hee shall tyrannize The least in safety being most at ease Feare forcing friends inforcing enemies And when hee fitteth in his greatst estate His foot-stoole danger and his chaire is hate 23 Raigne he alone whilst he no King was one Disarmde of power and heere deiected is By whose deposing he enioyes a throne Nor should I suffer that nor he doe this I must confesse th' inheritance his owne But whilst I liue it should be none of his The sonne climes vp to thrust the father downe And thus the crowned left without a Crowne 24 Hauing performd this hard constrained part His speech his raigne the day all ioyntly ended Strangely transformd not being what thou art Carde for of none vnlookt on vnattended Sadly departing with a heauy heart To his strong lodging straightly recommended Left to bemoane his miserable plight To the rude walls and solitarie night 25 Whilst things are thus disastrously decreed Seditious libels euery day are spred By such as like not of their violent deede That he by force should be deliuered Whether his wrong remorce in some did breede That him at last vntimely pittied Or else deuisde in pollicie by some To cloake that mischiefe afterward to come 26 And hate that each where hearkning stil doth lurke And yet suspitions Edward is not sure Thinking what blood with Leicester might wurke Or else what friends his name might him procure Which yet their thoughts continually doth yrke The time he should at Kenelworth endure Fore thinke some place t'which secretly conuaide Vnknowne his being be securde from aide 27 And though the great to hide their close intent Seeme ne're so cleare from knowing those know ill Not vnprouided of the instrument Which they keepe ready to performe their will Such haue th'in store to their damnation bent In villanie notorious for their skill Dishonest desperate mercilesse and rude To all vile actions ready to intrude 28 Matreuers and base Gurney are the men In this lewd act that must confedered be Whose hatefull names pollute our maiden pen But I intreate you be not grieu'd with mee To whome the same doe worthily pertaine Some bought grow crooked from the streightest tree Nor shall you be partakers of their shame The fault lies in their deede not in your name 29 These secretly to Killingworth dispatcht Fitted of all things that their hearts desire At such a time as few their purpose watcht After whose busnes none is to enquire Which by their warrant subtilly was matcht Onely to them knowne whither to retire Taking the King his guardian to acquit And to bestow him where they thought most fit 30 With a crew of ribalds villainous and nought As their coagents in this hatefull thing To th' earle of Leister their commission brought Commaunding the deliu'ry of the King which with much griefe they lastly froÌ„ him wrought About the Castell closely houering watching a time till silence and the night Might with conuenience priuiledge their flight 31 With shamefull scoffes and barbarous disgrace Him on a leane ill fauord jade they set In a vile garment beggarly and base Which it should seeme they purposely did get And in a wretched miserable case Bâ—numd and beaten with the colde and wet Depriu'd of all repose and naturall rest with thirst and hunger grieuously opprest 32 Yet still suspitious that he should be knowne They shaue away his ornament of haire The last thing his that he could call his owne Neuer left Fortune any wight so bare Such tyranny on king was neuer showne Thus voide of comfort were he voide of care No no our ioyes are shadowes and deceiue vs But till our death our sorrowes neuer leaue vs. 33 To which intent when farthest from resort Forcing him light from his poore wearie beast Vpon a mole-hill O most sad report With puddle-water him they lewdly drest Whilst at his woes and miseries they sport An yron skull the Bason like the rest VVhose lothing eyes in this more lothed glasse Well may discerne how much deformd he was 34 Th' abundant drops that from his eyes do fall A poole of teares still rising by this raine VVhich wrastling with the water and withall A troubled circle makes it to retaine His endlesse griefes vnto his minde might call Billowde with sighes like to a little maine water with teares contending whether should Make water warme or make the warme tears cold 35 Vile traitors hold off your vnhalowed hands His brow the state of maiestie still beares Dare you thus keepe your soueraigne Lord in bands How can your eyes behold th'annointeds teares Or if your sight thus all remorce with-stands Are not your harts euen pierced through your eares The minde is free what ere afflict the man Hee 's yet a King do Fortune what she can 36 Who 's he should take what God himselfe hath giuen Or spill that life his holy spirit infused All powers be subiect to the power of heauen Wrongs passe not vnreueng'd how ere excused If of all sense griefe hath thee not bereauen Rise maiestie when thou art thus abused O whither shall authoritie betake When in this sort it doth it selfe forsake
lineaments of his Quoth he the man thee to the Crowne did bring Might at thy hands the least haue lookt for this And in this place vnseeming of the rest Where onely sacred solitude is blest 67 Her presence frees th' offender of his ill And as the essence makes the place diuine What strong Decree can countermaund the will That gaue to thee the power that now is thine And in her armes preseru'd in safety still As the most pure inuiolable shrine Though thou thus irreligiously despise And dar'st profane these halowed liberties 68 But as when Illion fatally surprisde The Grecians issuing from the woodden horse Their rage and fury prowdly exercisde Opening the wide gates letting in their force Putting in act what was before deuisde Without all sence of pitty or remorce With cries shreekes rumors in confused sound words are broken off complaints abruptly drownd 69 Dissolu'd to drops she followes him O teares Elixar like turne all to pearle you touch To weepe with her the building scarce forbeares The sorrowes that she vttereth are such Able to wound th'impenitrabl'st eares Her plaints so piercing and her woes so much when with th' abundance words wold hardly come Her eyes in silence spake when lips were dumbe 70 Sweete sonne quoth she let not that blood be spilt Once prizd so deere as did redeeme thy Crowne Whose purity if â—ainted now with guilt The cause thereof efficiently thine owne That from the ruines of thy country built Razde with dissentions thy substantiall throne And broke those bounds thy kingdomes once confinde Into large France to exercise thy minde 71 For the deere portion of that naturall blood Which lends thee heate and nutriment of life Be not a niggâ—rd of so small a good Where bounty should be plentifully rife Begg'd on those knees at which thou oft hast stood In those armes circles might co 〈…〉 re this strife O God! that breath from such a bosome sent Should thus in vaine be prodigally spent 72 When in this vproare with the sodaine fright Whilst eu'ry one for â—afety seekes about And none regarding â—o preserue the light Which being wasted sadly goeth out Now in the midst and terrour of the night At the departure of this armed rowt The Queene alone at least if any neare Her wretched women yet halfe dead with feare 73 When horror darkenes and her present woe Begin to worke on her afflicted minde And eu'ry one his tyranny doth show Euen in the fulnes of his proper kinde In such â—x 〈…〉 sse her accusations flow This liberty vnto their power assignde Racking her conscience by this torture due It selfe t' accuse with whatsoere it knew 74 O God to thinke that not an houre yet past Her greatnes freedome and her hopes so hie The sweet content wherein her thoughts were placde Her great respect in eu'ry humbled eye How now she is abused how disgracde Her present shame her after misery When eu'ry woe could by despaire be brought Presents his forme to her distracted thought 75 To London now a wretched prisner led London where oft he triumpht with the Queene And but for spite of no man followed Scarcely thought on who had for many beene Of all regard and state impou'rished Where in excesse he often had bin seene Which at his fall doth make them wonder more Who sawe the pompe wherein he liu'd before 76 O misery where â—nce thou doost infest How soone thy vile contagion alters kinde That like a Circe metamorphisest The former habite of the humane minde That euen from vs doost seeme our selues to wrest Striking our fraile and fading glories blinde And with thy vicious presence in a breath Chain'st vs as slaues vnto pale fainting Death 77 At Westminster a Parliment decreed To th'establishing the safetie of the Crowne Where to his end they finally proceede All laying hand to dig this mountaine downe To which Time wills they haue especiall heede Now whilst the Fates thus angerly doe frowne The blood of Edward and the Spensers fall For their iust vengeance hastily doe call 78 The death of Kent that foule and loathsome blot Th'assuming of the Wardes and Liueries With Ione the Princesse married to the Scot he summes oft seized to his treasuries And that by this might well haue beene forgot The signe at Stanhope to the enemies Or what else ript from the records of Time That any way might aggrauate his crime 79 O dire Reuenge when thou in time arte rakde From the râ—de ashes which preseru'd thee long In the dry cindars where it seemde as slakde Matter to feed it forcde with breath of wrong How soone his hideous fury is awakde From the small sparks what flames are quickly sprong And to that top dooth naturally aspire Whose weight and greatnes once represt his fire 80 And what auailes his answer in this case Which now the time doth generally distast Where iudgement lookes with so seuere a face And all his actions vtterly disgrac'd What fainting bosome giues him any place From out the faire seate of opinion cast With pen and incke his sorrowes to deceiue Thus of the faire Queene takes his latest leaue 81 Most mighty Empresse s'daine not to peruse The Swan like dirges of a dying man Vnlike those raptures of the fluent Muse In that sweete season when our ioyes began That did my youth with glorious fire infuse When for thy gloue at Tilt I prowdly ran Whereas my startâ—ing Courser strongly set Made fire to flie from Hartfords Burgoneâ— 82 The King your sonne which hastneth on my death Madam you know I tendred as mine owne And when I might haue grasped out his breath I set him gently on his fathers throne Which now his power too quickly witnesseth Which to this height and maiesty is growne But our desert forgot and he forgiuen As after death we wish to liue in heauen 83 And for the sole rule whereon thus he stands Came bastard William but himselfe on shore Or borrowed not our fathers conqu'ring hands Which in the field our ancient ensignes bore Guarded about with our well ordred bands Which his prowd Leopards for their safety wore Raging at Hastings like that ominous Lake From whose dread waues our glorious name we take 84 Had I beene chargde vpon mine armed horse As when I came vnto the walles of Gaunt Before the Belgike and Burgonian force There challenging my Countries Combattant Borne from my seate in some robustious course That of my spoiles the enemy might vaunt Or had I falne vnder my battered shield And lent mine honour to some conquered field 85 I haue not followed Fortun like a slaue To make her bounty any whit the lesse By my desert her iudgement to depraue Nor lent me aught I freely not confesse And haue returnd with intrest what she gaue A minde that suted with her mightinesse He twice offends which sinne in flattry beares Yet eu'ry houre he dies that euer feares 86 I cannot feare what forceth others quake The times and I haue
be for her sake as respecting only her honour more then his natiue Country and his owne fortunes And to withstand a tyrants lewd desire Beheld his Towers and Castles set on fire Knitting vp her Epistle with a great and constant resolution Though Dunmow giue no refuge heere at all Dunmow can giue my body buriall Finis ¶ To the vertuous Lady the Lady Anne Harrington wife to the honorable Gentleman sir Iohn Harrington Knight MY singuler good Lady your many vertues knowne in generall to all and your gracious fauors to my vnworthy selfe haue confirmed that in me which before I knew you I onlie saw by the light of other mens iudgements Honour seated in your breast findes her selfe adorned as in a rich Pallace making that excellent which makes her admirable which like the Sunne from thence begetteth most pretious things of this earthly world onely by the vertue of his rayes not the nature of the mould Worth is best discerned by the worthy deiected minds want that pure fire which should giue vigor to vertue I referre to your great thoughts the vnpartiall Iudges of true affection the vnfained zeale I haue euer borne to your honourable seruice and so rest your Ladiships humbly to commaund Mich Drayton Queene Isabell to Mortimer The Argument Queene Isabel the wife of Edward the second called Edward Carnaruan beeing the daughter of Philip de Beau King of France forsaken by the King her husband who delighted onely in the company of Piers Gaueston his minion and fauorite and after his death seduced by the euil counsel of the Spencers This Queene thus left by her husband euen in the glory of her youth drew into her especiall fauour Roger Mortimer Lord of Wigmore a man of a mightie and inuincible spirit This Lord Mortimer rising in armes against the King with Thomas Earle of Lancaster and the Barons was taken ere he could gather his power by the King committed to the tower of London During his imprisonment he ordained a feast in honor of his birth-day to which he inuited Sir Stephen Segraue Lieutenant of the Tower and the rest of the officers where by meanes of a drinke prepared by the Queene he cast them all into a heauie sleepe and with Ladders of coards being ready prepared for the purpose he escapeth and flieth into Fraunce whither she sendeth this Epistie complaining her owne misfortunes and greatly reioycing at his safe escape THough such sweet comfort comes not now from her As Englands Queene hath sent to Mortimer Yet what that wants which might my power approue If lines can bring this shall supply with loue Me thinks affliction should not fright me so Noâ— should resume these sundry shapes of woe But when I faine would finde the cause of this Thy absence shewes me where the errour is Oft when I thinke of thy departing hence Sad sorrow then possesseth eu'ry sence But finding thy deere blood preseru'd thereby And in thy life my long-wisht liberty With that sweet thought my selff I only please Amidst my griefe which sometimes giues me case Thus doe extreamest ills a ioy possesse And one woe makes another woe seeme lesse That blessed night that milde-aspected howre Wherein thou madst escape out of the Tower Shall consecrated euermore remaine What gentle Planet in that houre did raigne And shall be happy in the birth of men Which was chiefe lord of the Ascendant then O how I feard that sleepy iuyce I sent Might yet want power to further thine intent Or that some vnseene mysterie might luâ—ke Which wanting order kindly should not worke Oft did I wish those dreadfull poysned lees That closde the euer-waking Dragons eies Or I had had those sence-berâ—auing stalkes That grow in shady Proserpines darke walkes Or those blacke weedes on Lethe bankes below Or Lunary that doth on Latmus flow Oft did I feare this moist and soggy clime Or that the earth waxt barren now with time Should not haue hearbes to help me in this case Such as do thriue on Indiaes parched face That morrow when the blessed Sunne did rise And shut the liddes of all heauens lesser eies Forth from my pallace by a secret staire I steale to Thames as though to take the ayre And aske the gentle floud as it doth glide Or thou didst passe or perish by the tide If thou didst perish I desire the streame To lay thee softly on her siluer teame And bring thee to me to the quiet shore That with hir tears thou mightst haue some tears more When sodainely doth rise a rougher gale With that me thinkes the troubled waues looke pale And sighing with that little gust that blowes With this remembrance seeme to knit their browes Euen as this so daine passion doth affright me The cheerfull Sunne breaks from a cloude to light me Then doth the bottome euident appeere As it would shew me that thou wast not there Whenas the water flowing where I stand Doth seeme to tell me Thou art safe on land Did Bulloyne once a festiuall prepare For England Almaine Cicile and Nauarre When France enuied those buildings only blest Gracde with the Orgies of my Bridall feast That English Edward should refuse my bed For that incestuous shamelesse Ganimed And in my place vpon his regall throne To set that gerle-boy wanton Gaueston Betwixt the feature of my face and his My glasse assures me no such difference is That a foule witches bastard should thereby Be thought more worthy of his loue than I. What doth auaile vs to be Princes heires When we can boast our birth is onely theirs When base dissembling flatterers shall deceiue vs Of all our famous auncestors did leaue vs And of our princely iewels and our dowres We but enjoy the least of what is ours when minions heads must weare our monarks crowns To raise vp dunghills with our famous townes When beggars-brats are wrapt in rich perfumes Their buzzard wings impt with our Eagles plumes And matcht with the braue issue of our blood Alle the kingdome to their crauand brood Did Longshankes purchase with his conquering hand Albania Gascoyne Cambria Ireland That yoong Carnarnan his vnhappy sonne Should giue away all that his father wonne To backe a stranger prowdly bearing downe The brake alies and branches of the crowne And did great Edward on his death-bed giue This charge to them which afterwards should liue That that prowde Gascoyne banished the land No more should treade vpon the English sand And haue these great Lords in the quarrell stood And sealde his last will with their decrest blood That after all this fearefull massacre The fall of Beauchamp Lacy Lancaster Another faithlesse fauòrite should arise To cloude the sunne of our Nobilities And gloried I in Gauestons great fall That now a Spenser should succeede in all And that his ashes should another breed Which in his place and Empire should succeede That wanting one a kingdomes wealth to spend Of what that left this now shall make an end To waste all that
our father won before Nor leaue our sonne a sword to conquer more Thus but in vaine we fondly do resist Where power can doe euen all things as it list And with vniust men to debate of lawes Is to giue power to hurt a rightfull cause Whilst Parlements must still redresse their wrongs And we must starue for what to vs belongs Our wealth but fuell to their fond excesse And we must fast to feast their wantonnesse Think'st thou our wrongs then insufficient are To moue our brother to religious warre And if they were yet Edward doth detaine Homage for Pontiu Guyne and Aquytaine And if not that yet hath he broke the truce Thus all accurre to put backe all excuse The sisters wrong ioynde with the brothers right Me thinks might vrge him in this cause to fight Be all those people sencelesse of our harmes Which for our Country ought haue manag'd armes Is the braue Normans courage now forgot Or the bold Brittaines lost the vse of shot The big-bonde Almaines and stowt Brabanders Their warlike Pikes and sharpe-edg'd Semiters Or do the Pickards let their Crosse-bowes lie Once like the Centaurs of old Thessalie Or if a valiant Leader be their lacke Where thou art present who should driue them back I doe coniure thee by what is most deere By that great name of famous Mortimer By antient Wigmors honourable crâ—st The tombes where all thy famous grand-sires rest Or if than these what more may thee approue Euen by those vowes of thy vnfained loue That thy great hopes may moue the Christian King By forraigne armes some comfort yet to bring To curbe the power of traitors that rebell Against the right of princely Isabell Vaine witlesle woman why should I desire To adde more heate to thy immortall fire To vrge thee by the violence of hate To shake the pillars of thine owne estate When whatsoeuer we intend to doe To our misfortune euer sorts vnto And nothing else remaines for vs beside But teares and coffins onely to prouide When still so long as Burrough beares that name Time shall not blot out our deserued shame And whilst cleere Trent her wonted course shall keep For our sad fall her christall drops shall weepe All see our ruine on our backes is throwne And to our selues our sorrowes are our owne And Torlton now whose counsell should direct The first of all is slaundred with suspect For dang'rous things dissembled seldome are Which many eyes attend with busie care What should I say My griefes do still renew And but begin when I should bid adiew Few be my words but manifold my woe And still I stay the more I shiue to goe As accents issue forth griefes enter in And where I end me thinks I but begin Till then faire time some greater good affords Take my loues paiment in these ayrie words ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie O how I feard that sleepte drinke I sent Might yet want power to further thine intent MOrtimer being in the Tower and ordaining a feast in honor of his birth-day as he pretended and inuiting there-vnto Sir Stephen Segraue Constable of the Tower with the rest of the officers belonging to the same he gaue them a sleepie drinke prouided him by the Queene by which meanes he got liberue for his escape I steale to Thames as though to take the aire And aske the gentle streame as it doth glide Mortimer being got out of the Tower swamme the riuer of Thames into Kent whereof she hauing intelligence doubteth of his strength to escape by reason of his long imprisonment being almost the space of three yeares Did Bulloyne once a festiuall prepare For England Almaine Cicile and Niuarrâ— Edward Cà rnaruan the first Prince of Wales of the English blood married Isabell daughter of Philip the Faire at Bulloine in the presence of the Kings of Almaine Nauarre and Cicile with the chiefe Nobilitie of France and England which marriage was there solemnized with exceeding pompe and magnificence And in my place vpon his regall throne To set that girle-boy wanton Gaueston Noting the effeminacie and luxurious wantonnesse of Gaueston the Kings Minion his behauiour and attire euer so womanlike to please the eye of his lasciuious Prince That a fowle Witches bastard should thereby It was vrged by the Queene the Nobility in the disgrace of Piers Gauestone that his mother was conuicted of witchcraft and burned for the same and that Piers had bewitched the King Albania Gascoine Cambria Ireland Albania Scotland so called of Albanact the second son of Brutus and Cambria Wales so called of Camber the third sonne the foure Realmes and Countries brought in subiection by Edward Longshanks When of our princely Iewells and our dowers We but enioy the least of what is ours A complaint of the prodigalitie of King Edward giuing vnto Gauestone the jewels and treasure which was left him by the ancient Kings of England and enriching him with the goodly Manor of Wallingford assigned as parcell of the dower to the Queenes of this famous â—le And ioyn'd with the braue issue of our blood Alie our kingdome to their crauand brood Edward the second gaue to Piers Gaueston in marriage the daughtet of Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester begot of the Kings sister lone of Acres married to the said Earle of Glocester Should giue away all that his father won To backe a stranger King Edward offered his right in France to Charles his brother in law and his right in Scotland to Robert Bruse to be aided against the Barrons in the quarrell of Piers Gaueston And did great Edward on his death-bed giue Edward Longshankes on his death-bed at Carlile commanded yong Edward his sonne on his blessing not to call backe Gaueston which for the mis-guiding of the Princes youth was before banished by the whole counsell of the Land That after all this fearefull massaker The fall of Beuchamp Lasy Lancaster Thomas Earle of Lancaster Guy Earle of Warwicke and Henry Earle of Lincolne who had taken their oaths before the deceased King at his death to withstand his sonne Edward if he should call Gaueston froÌ„ exile being a thing which he much feared now seeing Edward to violate his fathers commandement rise in armes against the King which was the cause of the ciuill warre and the ruine of so many Princes And gloried I in Gauestons great fall That now a Spenser should succeede in all The two Hugh Spensers the father the son after the death of Gaueston became the great fauorites of the king the son being created by him lord Chamberlain the father Earl of Winchester And if they were yet Edward doth detaine Homage for Pontiu Guyne and Aquitaine Edward Longshankes did homage for those Citties and Territories to the French King which Edward the second neglecting moued the French King by the subornation of Mortimer to sease those Countries into his hands By antient Wigmors honourable Crest Wigmore in the marches of Wales was the antient
house of the Mortimers that noble and couragious familie That still so long as Borrough beares that name The Queene remembreth the great ouerthrow giuen to the Barrons by Andrew Herckley Earle of Carlil at Borrough bridge after the battaile at Burton And Torlton now whose counsells should direct This was Adam Torlton Bishop of Herford that great Polititiā who so highly fauored the faction of the Queene Mortimer whose euil counsel afterward wroght the destruction of the king Mortimer to Queene Isabell AS thy salutes my sorrowes do adiourne So backe to thee their interest I turne Though not in so great bounty I confesse As thy heroicke princely lines expresse For how should comfort issue from the breath Of one condemn'd and long lodg'd vp in death From murthers rage thou didst me once repriue Now in exile my hopes thou doost reuiue Twice all was taken twice thou all didst giue And thus twice dead thou mak'st me twice to liue This double life of mine your onely due You gaue to me I gaue it backe to you Ne're my escape had I aduentur'd thus As did the sky-attempting Daedalus And yet to giue more safetie to my flight Haue made a night of day a day of night Nor had I backt the prowd aspiring wall Which held without my hopes within my fall Leauing the cords to tell where I had gone For gazing eyes with feare to looke vpon But that thy beautie by a power diuine Breath'd a new life into this spirit of mine Drawne by the Sunne of thy celestiall eyes With fiery wings made passage through the skies The heauens did seeme the charge of me to take And sea and land be friend me for thy sake Thames stopt her tide to make me way to go As thou hadst charg'd her that it should be so The hollow marmuring windes their due time kept As they had rock'd the world while all things slept One billow bore me and another draue me This stroue to helpe me and that stroue to saue me The brisling reedes mou'd with the aire did chide me As they would tell me that they meant to hide me The pale-fac'd night beheld thy heauy cheere And would not let one little starre appeare But ouer all her smokie maptle hurl'd And in thicke vapors mu 〈…〉 d vp the world And the pure ayre became so calme and still As it had beene obedient to my will And euery thing disposde vnto my rest As when on Seas the Alcion buildes her nest When those rough waues which late with furie rusht Slide smoothely on and suddainely are husht Nor Neptune lets his surges out so long As Nature is in bringing forth her yong Nor let the Spencers glory in my chance That I should liue an exile heere in France That I from England banished should be But England rather banished from me More were her want France our great blood should beare Then Englands losse should be to Mortimer My grandsire was the first since Arthurs raigne That the Round-table rectifide againe To whose great Court at Kenelworth did come The peerelesse knighthood of all Christendome Whose princely order honoured England more Then all the Conquests she atchiu'd before Neuer durst Scot set foote in English ground Nor on his backe did English beare a wound Whilst Wigmore flourisht in our princely hopes And whilst our Ensigne march'd with Edwards troups Whilst famous Longshankes bones in Fortunes scorne As sacred reliques to the field were borne Nor euer did the valiant English doubt Whilst our braue battailes guarded them about Nor did our wiues and wofull mothers mourne The English blood that stained Banocksburne Whilst with his Minions sporting in his Tent Whole daies and nights in banquetting were spent Vntill the Scots which vndersafegard stood Made lauish hauocke of the English blood And battered helmes lay scattered on the shore Where they in conquest had beene borne before A thousand kingdomes will we seeke from far As many Nations waste with ciuill war Where the disheuel'd gastly Sea-nimph sings Or well-rigd ships shall stretch their swelling wings And drag their ankors through the sandy fome About the world in euery clime to rome And those vnchristned Countries call our owne Where scarce the name of England hath bin knowne And in the dead-sea sinke our houses fame From whose sterne waues we first deriu'd our name Before fowle blacke-mouth'd infamy shall sing That Mortimer e're stoop'd vnto a King And we will turne sterne-visag'd furie backe To seeke his spoile who sought our vtter sacke And come to beard him in our natiue Ile E're he march forth to follow our exile And after all these boistrous stormie shockes Yet will we grapple with the chaulkie rockes Nor will we come like Pirates or like the eues From mountaines forrests or sea-bordering Cleeues But fright the ayre with terror when we come Of the sterne trumpet and the bellowing drum And in the field aduance our plumy Crest And march vpon faire Englands flowrie breast And Thames which once we for our life did swim Shaking our dewy tresses on her brim Shall beare my nauie vaunting in her pride Falling from Tanet with the powerfull tide Which fertile Essex and faire Kent shall see Spreading herflags along the pleasant lee When on her stemming poope she prowdly beares The famous Ensignes of the Belgicke Peeres And for the hatefull sacrilegious sinne Which by the Pope he stands accursed in The Canon text shall haue a common glosse Receits in parcels shall be paide in grosse This doctrine preachde who from the Church doth take At least shall trebble restitution make For which Rome sends her curses out from farre Through the sterne throte of terror-breathing warre Till to th' vnpeopled shores she brings supplies Of those industrious Roman Colonies And for his homage by the which of olde Prowd Edward Guyne and Aquitaine doth hold Charles by inuasiue armes againe shall take And send the English forces o're the lake When Edwards fortune stands vpon this chance To loose in England or expulsde from France And all those townes great Longshankes left his sonne Now lost againe which once his father wonne Within their strong percullizde Ports shall lie And from their walls his sieges shall defie And by that firme and vndissolued knot Betwixt their neighboring French and bordring Scot Bruse now shall bring his Red-shanks from the seas From th'Iled Oreads and the Hebrydes And to his westerne hauens giue free passe To land the warlike Irish Galiglasse Marching from Tweede to swelling Humber sands Wasting along the Northerne netherlands And wanting those which should his power sustaine Consumde with slaughter in his bloody raigne Our warlike sword shall driue him from his throne Where he shall lie for vs to treade vpon And those great lords now after their attaints Canonized amongst the English Saints And by the superstitious people thought That by their Reliques miracles are wrought And thinke that flood much vertue doth retaine Which tooke the blood of famous Bohun slaine Continuing
the remembrance of the thing To make the people more abhorre their King Nor shall a Spenser be he ne're so great Possesse our Wigmore our renowned seate To raze the antient Trophies of our race With our deserts their monuments to grace Nor shall he leade our valiant marchers forth To make the Spensers famous in the North Nor be the Gardants of the British pales Defending England and preseruing Wales At first our troubles easily reculde But now growne head-strong hardly to be rulde With grauest counsell all must be directed Where plainest shewes are openly suspected For where mis-hap our errour dooth assault There doth it eassiest make vs see our fault Then sweet represse all fond and wilfull spleene Two things to be a woman and a Queene Keepe close the cindars lest the fire should burne It is not this which yet must serue our turne And if I doe not much mistake the thing The next supply shall greater comfort bring Till when I leaue my Princesse for a while Liue thou in rest though I liue in exile Notes of the Chronicle Historie Of one condemnd and long lodgde vp in death ROger Mortimer Lord of Wigmore had stoode publikely condemned for his insurrection with Thomas erle of Lancaster and Bohune earle of Herford by the space of three months and as the report went the day of his execution was determined to haue bin shortly after which he preuented by his escape Twice all was taken twice thou all didst giue At what time the two Mortimers this Roger lord of Wigmore and his vncle Roger Mortimer the elder were apprehended in the west the Queene by meanes of Torlton Bishop of Hereford and Becke Bishop of Duresme and Patriarke of Ierusalem being then both mighty in the state vpon the submission of the Mortimers somewhat pacified the king and now secondly shee wrought meanes for his escape Leauing the cordes to tell where I had gone With strong ladders made of cords prouided him for the purpose he escaped out of the Tower which when the same were found fastned to the walles in such a desperate attempt they bred astonishment to the beholders Nor let the Spensers glory in my dâ—awe The two Hugh Spensers the father and the sonne then being so highly fauored of the King knew that their greatest safety came by his exile whose high and turbulent spirit could neuer brooke any corriuall in greatnes My grandsire was the first since Arthurs raigne That the Round-table rectifide againe Roger Mortimer called the great Lord Mortimer Grandfather to this Roger which was afterward the first Earle of March reeâ—ected againe the Round-table at Kenelwoorth after the ancient order of king Arthurs table with the retinue of a hudred knights and a hundred ladies in his house for the entertaining of such aduentures as came thither from all parts of Christendome Whilest famous Longshanks bones in Fortunes scorne Edward Longshanks willed at his death that his body should be boyled the flesh from the bones and that the bones should bee borne to the wars in Scotland which he was perswaded vnto by aprophecie which told that the English should still be fortunate in conquest so long as his bones were caried in the field The English blood that stained Banocksburne In the great voyage Edward the second made against the Scots at the battell at Striueling neere vnto the riuer of Banocksburne in Scotland where there was in the English campe such banketâ—ing and excesse such riot and misorder that the Scots who in the meane time laboured for aduauntage gaue to the English a great ouerthrow And in the Dead-sea sincke our horses fame From whose c. Mortimer so called of Mare mortuum and in French Mort mer in English the Dead-sea which is said to be where Sodom â—nd Go morra once were before they were destroyed by fire froÌ„ Heauen And for that hatefull sacrilegious sin Which by the Pope he stand◠〈…〉 ursed in Gaustelinus and Lucas two Cardinals sent into England from Pope Clement to appease the auncient hate betweene the King and Thomas Earle of Lancaster to whose Embassie the king seemed to yeeld but after their departure hee went backe from his promises for which he was accursed at Rome Of those industrious Roman Colonies A Colony is a sort or number of people that come to inhabite a place before not inhabited whereby he seemes here to prophecie of the subuersion of the land the Pope ioyning with the power of other Princes against Edward for the breach of his promise Charles by inuasiue Armes againe shall take Charles the French King mooued by the wrong done vnto his sister seiseth the Prouinces which belonged to the King of England into his hands stirred the rather thereto by Mortimer who solicited her cause in France as is expressed before in the other Epistle in the glosse vpon this poynt And those great Lords now after their attaints Canonized among the English Saints After the death of Thomas Earle of Lancaster at Pomfret the people imagined great myracles to be done by his reliques as they did of the body of Bohune earle of Hereford slaine at Borough bridge Finis ⧠To my worthy and honored friend Sir Walter Aston Knight of the Bath SIR though without suspition of flatterie I might in more ample and free tearmes intimate my affection vnto you yet hauing so sensible a taste of your generous and noble aisposition which without this habite of ceremony can estimate my loue I will rather affect bre 〈…〉 though it should seeme my fault than by my tedious complement to trouble mine owne opinion setled in your iudgement and discretion I make you the Patron of this Epistle of the Blacke-Prince which I pray you accept till more easie houres may offer vppe from mee some thing more worthy of your view and my trauell Yours truely deuoted Mich Drayton ¶ Edward the Blacke-Prince to Alice Countesse of Salisbury The Argument Alice Countesse of Salisbury remaining at Roxborough castle in the North in the absence of the earle her husband who was by the Kings commaund sent ouer into Flaunders and there deceased ere his returne This Lady being besieged in her castle by the Scots Edward the Blacke-Prince being sent by the King his father to relieue the north parts with an Armie and to remooue the siege of Roxborough there fell in loue with the Countesse when after she returned to London hee sought by diuers and sundry meanes to winne her to his youthfull pleasures as by forcing the Earle of Kent her father and her mother vnnaturally to become his Agents in his vaine desire where after a long and assured triall of her inuincible constancie hee taketh her to his wife to which end he only frameth this Epistle REceiue these papers from thy wofull Lord With farre more woes than they with wordes are storde Which if thine eie with rashnes do reproue Thei 'le say they came from that imperious loue In euery letter thou maist vnderstand Which loue
heare my prayre That Bullingbrooke now placde in Richards chaire Such cause of woe vnto their wiues may be As those rebellious Lords haue beene to me And that prowd Dame which now controlleth all And in her pompe triumpheth in my fall For her great Lord may water her sad eyne With as salt teares as I haue done for mine And mourne for Henry Hotspur her deere sonne As I for my sweete Mortimer haue done And as I am so succourlesse be sent Lastly to taste perpetuall banishment Then loose thy care where first thy crowne was lost Sell it so deerely for it deerely cost And sith they did of libertie depriue thee Burying thy hope let not thy care out-liue thee But hard God knowes with sorrow doth it goe When woe becomes a comforter to woe Yet much me thinkes of comfort I could say If from my hart pale feare were rid away Something there is which tells me still of woe But what it is that heauen aboue doth know Griefe to it selfe most dreadfull doth appeare And neuer yet was sorrow voide of feare But yet in death doth sorrow hope the best And with this farewell wish thee happy rest Notes of the Chronicle Historie If fatall Pomfret hath in former time POmfret Castle euer a fatall place to the Princes of England and most ominous to the blood of Plantaginet Oh how euen yet I hate these wretched eyes And in my glasse c. When Bullingbrooke returned to London from the West bringing Richard a prisoner with him the Queene who little knew of her husbands hard successe staid to behold his comming in little thinking to haue seene her husband thus ledde in triumph by his foe and now seeming to hate her eyes that so much had graced her mortall enemie Wherein great Norfolks forward course was staid She remembreth the meeting of two Dukes of Herford and Norfolke at Couentry vrging the iustnesse of Mowbrayes quarrell against the Duke of Herford and the faithfull assurance of his victorie O why did Charles relieue his needie state A vagabond c. Charles the French King her father receiued the Duke of Herford in his Court and releeued him in Fraunce being so neerely alied as Cosin german to king Richard his sonne in Law which he did simply little thinking that hee should after returne into England and dispossesse King Richard of the Crowne When thou to Ireland took'st thy last farewell King Richard made a voyage with his Armie into Ireland against Onell and Mackemur which rebelled at what time Henry entred here at home and robd him of all kingly dignitie Affirmde by Church-men which should beare no hate That Iohn of Gaunt was illegitâ—imate William Wickham in the great quarrell betwixt Iohn of Gaunt and the Clergy of meere spight and malice as it should seeme reported that the Queene confessed to him on her deathbed being then her Confessor that Iohn of Gaunt was the son of a Flemming and that shee was brought to bed of a woman childe at Gaunt which was smothered in the cradle by mischance that she obtained this childe of a poore woman making the king beleeue it was her owne greatly fearing his displeasure Fox eâ— Chron. Alban No bastards marke doth blot our conquering shield Shewing the true and indubitate birth of Richard his right vnto the Crowne of England as carrying the Armes without blot or difference Against their faith vnto the Crownes true heire Their noble kinsman c. Edmund Mortimer Earle of March sonne of Earle Roger Mortimer which was sonne to Lady Phillip daughter to Lionell Duke of Clarence the third sonne to King Edward the third which Edmund King Richard going into Ireland was proclaimed heire apparant to the Crowne whose Aunt called Ellinor this Lord Piercie had married O would Aumerle had suncke when he betrayd The complâ—t which that holy Abbot layd The Abbot of Westminster had plotted the death of King Henry to haue beene done at a Tilt at Oxford of which confederacie there was Iohn Holland Duke of Excester Thomas Holland Duke of Surrey the Duke of Aumerle Mountacute Earle of Salsbury Spenser Earle of Gloster the Bishop of Carlile Sir Thomas Blunt these all had bound themselues one to another by Indenture to performe it but were all betrayd by the Duke of Aumerle Scroope Greene and Bushie die his fault in graine Henry going towards the Castle of Flint where King Richard was caused Scroope Greene and Bushie to be executed at Bristow as vile persons which had seduced this King to this lasciuious and wicked life Damn'd be the oth he made at Doncaster After Henries exile at his returne into England he tooke his oth at Doncaster vpon the Sacrament not to claime the crowne or Kingdome of England but onely the Dukedome of Lancaster his owne proper right and the right of his wife And mourne for Henry Hotspur her deere sonne As I for my c. This was the braue couragious Henry Hotspur that obtained so many victories against the Scots which after falling out right with the curse of Queene Isabell was slaine by Henry at the battaile at Shrewsbury Richard the second to Queene Isabell WHat may my Queene but hope for froÌ„ that hand Vnfit to write vnskilfull to coÌ„mand A Kingdomes greatnesse hardly can he sway That wholesome counsaile neuer did obay Ill this rude hand did guide a Scepter then Worse now I feare me gouerneth a pen How shall I call my selfe or by what name To make thee know from whence these letters came Not from thy husband for my hatefull life Hath made thee widdow being yet a wife Nor from a King that title I haue lost Now of that name prowd Bullingbroke may boast What I haue beene doth but this comfort bring That no woe is to say I was a King This lawlesse life which first procurde my hate This tongue which then denounc'd my regall state This abiect minde that did consent vnto it This hand that was the instrument to doe it All these be witnesse that I doe denie All passed hopes all former soueraigntie Didst thou for my sake leaue thy fathers Court Thy famous Country and thy virgine port And vndertook'st to trauaile dangerous waies Driuen by aukward windes and boist'rous seas And left 's great Burbon for thy loue to mee Who su'd in marriage to be linck'd to thee Offring for dower the Countries neighbouring nie Of fruitfull Almaine and rich Burgundie Didst thou all this that England should receiue thee To miserable banishment to leaue thee And in my downefall and my fortunes wracke Forsaken thus to France to send thee backe When quiet sleepe the heauie hearts reliefe Hath rested sorrow somwhat lesned griefe My passed greatnes vnto minde I call And thinke this while I dreamed of my fall With this conceit my sorrowes I beguile That my faire Queene is but with-drawne a while And my attendants in some chamber by As in the height of my prosperitie Calling alowd and asking who is there The Eccho
answering tells me Woe is there And when mine armes would gladly thee enfold I clip the pillow and the place is cold Which when my waking eyes precisely view T is a true token that it is too true As many minutes as in the howres there be So many howres each minute seemes to me Each howre a day morne noone-tide and a set Each day a yeare with miseries complet A winter spring-time summer and a fall All seasons varying but vnseasoned all In endelesse woe my thrid of life thus weares By minutes howres daies months lingring yeares They praise the summer that enioy the South Pomfret is closed in the Norths cold mouth There pleasant summer dwelleth all the yeere Frost-starued-winter dooth inhabite heere A place wherein dispaire may fitly dwell Sorrow best suting with a cloudy Cell When Herford had his iudgement of exile Saw I the peoples murmuring the while Th' vncertaine Commons toucht with inward care As though his sorrowes mutually they bare Fond women and scarse speaking children mourne Bewaile his parting wishing his returne Then being forcde t' abridge his banisht yeeres When they bedewd his footsteps with their teares Yet by example could not learne to know To what his greatnes by this loue might grow Whilst Henry boasts of our atchiuements done Bearing the trophies our great fathers wonne And all the storie of our famous warre Now grace the Annales of great Lancaster Seauen goodly siens in their spring did flourish Which one selfe root brought forth one stock did noâ—ish Edward the top-branch of that golden tree Nature in him her vtmost power did see Who from the bud still blossomed so faire As all might iudge what fruite it meant to beare But I his graft of eu'ry weede ore-growne And from the kind as refuse forth am throwne From our braue Grandsire both in one degree Yet after Edward Iohn the yongst of three Might Princely Wales beget an impe so base That to Gaunts issue should giue soueraigne place That leading Kings from France returned home As those great Caesars brought their spoiles to Rome Whose name obtained by his fatall hand Was euer fearefull to that conquered land His fame increasing purchasde in those warres Can scarcely now be bounded with the starres With him is valour quite to heauen fled Or else in me is it extinguished Who for his vertue and his conquests sake Posteritie a demy god shall make And iudge this vile abiect spirit of mine Could not proceede from temper so diuine What earthly humor or what vulgar eie Can looke so lowe as on our misery When Bullingbrooke is mounted to our throne And makes that his which we but calld our owne Into our counsells he himselfe intrudes And who but Henry with the multitudes His power disgrades his dreadfull frowne disgraceth He throwes them downe whome our aduancement placeth As my disable and vnworthy hand Neuer had power belonging to command He treades our sacred tables in the dust And proues our acts of Parlament vniust As though he hated that it should be saide That such a law by Richard once was made Whilst I deprest before his greatnes lie Vnder the weight of hate and infamie My backe a footstoole Bullingbrooke to raise My loosenes mockt and hatefull by his praise Out-liu'd mine honour buried my estate And nothing left me but the peoples hate Sweet Queene I le take all counsell thou canst giue So that thou bidst me neither hope nor liue Succour that comes when ill hath done his worst But sharpens griefe to make vs more accurst Comfort is now vnpleasing to mine eare Past cure past care my Bed become my Beere Since now misfortune humbleth vs so long Till heauen be growne vnmindfull of our wrong Yet they forbid my wrongs shall euer die But still remembred to posteritie And let the crowne be fatall that he weares And euer wet with woefull mothers teares Thy curse on Percie angry heauens preuent Who haue not one curse left on him vnspent To scourge the world now borrowing of my store As rich of woe as I a King am poore Then cease deere Queene my sorrowes to bewaile My wounds too great for pittie now to heale Age stealeth on whilst thou complainest thus My griefes be mortall and infectious Yet better fortunes thy faire youth may trie That follow thee which still from me doth flie ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie Thiâ— tongue which first denounc'd my regall state RIchard the second at the resignation of the crowne to the duke of Herford in the Tower of London deliuering the same with his owne hand there confessed his disabilitie to gouerne vtterly denouncing all kingly authoritie And left'st great Burbon for thy love to me Before the Princesse Isabell was maried to the king Lewes duke of Burbon sued to have had her in marriage which was thought he had obtained if this motion had not fallen out in the meane time This Duke of Burbon sued againe to have received her at her comming into France after the imprisonment of king Richard but King Charles her Father then crost him as before and gave her to Charles sonne to the Duke of Orleans When Herford had his judgement of exile When the combate should have beene at Couentrie betwixt Henrie Duke of Herford and Thomas Duke of Norfolke where Herford was adiudged to banishment for ten yeares the commons exceedingly lamented so greatly was he ever favored of the people Then being forc'd t' abridge his banisht yeeres When the Duke came to take his leave of the King beeing then at Eltham the King to please the Commons rather then for any love he bare to Herford repleaded foure yeares of his banishment Whilest Henry boasts of our atchieuements done Henry the eldest Sonne to Iohn Duke of Lancaster at the first Earle of Darby then created Duke of Herford after the death of the Duke Iohn his father was Duke of Lancaster and Hereford Earle of Darby Leicester and Lincolne and after he had obtained the Crowne was called by the name of Bullingbrooke which is a towne in Lincolneshire as vsually all the Kings of England bare the name of the places where they were borne Seauen goodly syens in their spring did flourish Edward the third had seuen sonnes Edward Prince of Wales after called the blacke Prince William of Hatfield the second Lionell Duke of Clarence the third Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the fourth Edmund of Langley Duke of York the fifth Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Gloster the sixth William of Winsore the seuenth Edward the top-branch of that golden tree Truly boasting himselfe to be the eldest Sonne of Edward the blacke Prince Yet after Edward Iohn the yongst of three As disabling Henry Bullingbrooke being but the son of the fourth brother William and Lionell being both before Iohn of Gaunt That leading Kings from France returned home Edward the blacke Prince taking Iohn king of France prisoner at the battel of Poicters brought him into England where at the Sauoy he died
Palador Caer-Septon now called Shaftsburie at whose building it was said an â—â—agle prophecied or rather one named Aquila of the fame of that place and of the recouerie of the I le of the Brytaines bringing backe with them the bones of Cadwallader from Rome And from Eneons line the South-wales King From Theodor c. This Eneon was slaine by the Rebels of Gwentsland he was a noble and worthie Gentleman who in his life did many noble acts and was father to Theodor or Tudor Maur of whom discended the Princes of South-wales From her great Grandam faire Guenelliam Guenelliam the daughter of Rees ap Griffeth ap Theodor Prince of South-wales maried Edniuet Vahan auncestor to Owen Tudor By true descent from Liolin the great This is tho Lewhelin called Liolinus Magnus Prince of North-wales Nor that word Croggen nick-name of disgrace In the voyage that Henry the second made against the Welchmen as his Souldiers passed Offas ditch at Croggen Castel they were ouerthrowne by the Welchmen which word Croggen hath since beene vsed to the Welchmens disgrace which was at first begun with their honour And old Caer-Merdin Merlins famous towne Caer-Merdin or Merlins Towne so called of Merlius beeing found there This was Ambrose Merlin whose prophecies wee haue There was another of that name called Merlin Siluestris borne in Scotland surnamed Calidonius of the Forrest Calidon where he prophecied And kept our natiue language now thus long The Welchmen bee those ancient Britaines which when the Picts Danes and Saxons inuaded heere were first driuen into those parts where they haue kept their language euer since the first without commixtion with any other language Finis To my worthy and deerly esteemed friend Maister Iames Huish SIR your own naturall inclination to vertue your loue to the Muses assure me of your kinde acceptance of my dedication It is seated by custome from which wee are now bolde to assume authoritie to beare the names of our friends vpon the fronts of our bookes as Gentlemen vse to set their Armes ouer their gates Some say this vse began by the Heroes braue spirits of the old world which were desirous to be thought to patronize learning and men in requitall honour the names of those braue Princes But I think some after put the names of great men in their bookes for that men should say there was some thing good only because indeed their names stood there But for mine owne part not to dissemble I find no such vertue in any of their great titles to do so much for any thing of mine and so let them passe Take knowledge by this I loue you and in good faith worthie of all loue I thinke you which I pray you may supply the place of further complement Yours euer M. Drayton Elinor Cobham to Duke Humfrey The Argument Elinor Cobham daughter to the Lord Cobham of Sterborough and wife to Humfrey Plantaginet duke of Glocester the sonne of Henry the fourth King of England surnamed Bullingbrooke This noble Duke for his great wisdome and iustice called the good was by King Henry the fift brother to this Duke at his death appointed Protector of the land during the nonage of Henry the sixt this Elinor Duches of Glocester a prowd and ambicious woman knowing that if young Henry died without issue the Duke her husband was the neerest of the bloud conspired with one Bullingbrooke otherwise called Onely a great Magitian Hun a priest and Iourdane witch of Eye by sorcerie to make away the King and by coniuration to know who should succeed Of this being iustly conuicted shee was adiudged to do penance three seuerall times openly in London and then to perpetuall banishment in the I le of Man from whence she writeth this Epistle ME thinks not knowing who these lines should send Thou straight turn'st ouer to the latter end Where thou my name no sooner hast espi'd But in disdaine my letters cast aside Why if thou wilt I will my selfe denie Nay I 'le affirme and sweare I am not I Orifin that thy shame thou doost perceiue I le leaue that name that name my selfe shall leaue And yet me thinkes amazd thou shouldst not stand Nor seeme so much appauled at my hand For my misfortunes haue invrde thine eie Long before this to sights of misery No no reade on t is I the very same All thou canst reade is but to reade my shame Be not dismaide nor let my name affright The worst it can is but t' offend thy sight It cannot wound nor doe thee deadly harme It is no dreadfull spell nor magique charme If shee that sent it loue duke Humfrey so I st possible her name should be his foe Yes I am Elnor I am verie shee Who brought for dower a virgins hed to thee Though enuious Beuford slaunderd me before To be duke Humfreis wanton Paramore And though indeede I can it not denie To Magique once I did my selfe apply I wonne thee not as there be many thinke With poisning Philters and bewitching drinke Nor on thy person did I euer proue Those wicked portions so procuring loue I cannot boast to be rich Hollands heire Nor of the bloud and greatnes of Bauire Yet Elnor brought no forraine armies in To fetch her backe as did thy Iacomin Nor clamorous husbands followed me that fled Exclayming Humfrey to defile his bed Nor wast thou forcde the slaunder to suppresse To send me backe as an adulteresse Brabant nor Burgoyne claimed me by force Nor su'd to Rome to hasten my deuorce Nor Belgias pompe defac'd with Belgias fire The iust reward of her vniust desire Nor Bedford spouse your noble sister Anne That princely-issued great Burgunnian Should stand with me to moue a womans strife To yeelde the place to the Protectors wife If Cobhams name my birth can dignifie Or Sterborough renowne my familie Where 's Greenewich now thy Elnors Court of late Where she with Humfrey held a princely state That pleasant Kent when I abroad should ride That to my pleasure laid forth all her pride The Thames by water when I tooke the ayre Danc'd with my Barge in lanching from the staire The ankoring ships that when I pass'd the road Were wont to hang their chequered tops abroad How could it be those that were wont to stand To see my pompe so goddesse-like on land Should after see me mayld vp in a sheete Doe shamefull penance three times in the streetâ— Rung with a bell a Taper in my hand Bare-foote to trudge before a Beedles wand That little babes not hauing vse of tongue Stood pointing at me as I came along Where 's Humfreys power where was his great command Wast thou not Lord-protector of the Land Or for thy iustice who can thee deny The title of the good Duke Humfrey Hast thou not at thy life and in thy looke The seale of Gaunt the hand of Bulling brooke What blood extract from famous Edwards line Can boast it selfe to be so pure as
smother Breaking for griefe ennying one another When the prowd Barke for ioy thy steps to feele Scornd the salt waues shuld kisse her furrowing keele And trick'd in all her flags her selfe she braues Capring for ioy vpon the siluer waues When like a Bull from the Phenician strand Ioue with Europa tripping from the land Vpon the bosome of the maine doth scud And with his swannish breast cleauing the floud Tow'rd the faire fields vpon the other side Beareth Agenors ioy Phâ—â—icias pride All heauenly beauties ioyne themselues in one To shew their glory in thine eye alone Which when it turneth that celestiall ball A thousand sweet starres rise a thousand fall Who iustly saith mine banishment to bee When onely France for my recourse is free To view the plaines where I haue seene so oft Englands victorious engines raisde aloft When this shall be my comfort in my way To see the place where I may boldly say Heere mighty Bedford forth the vaward led Heere Talbot charg'd and heere the Frenchmen fled Heere with our Archers valiant Scales did lie Heere stood the Tents of famous Willoughbie Heere Mountacute rangde his conquering band Heere forth we march'd and heere we made a stand What should we stand to mourne and grieue all day For that which time doth easily take away What fortune hurts let patience onely heale No wisedome with extreamities to deale To know our selues to come of humane birth These sad afflictions crosse vs heere on earth A taxe imposde by heauens eternall law To keepe our rude rebellious will in awe In vaine we prize that at so deere a rate Whose best assurance is a fickle state And needelesse we examine our intent When with preuention we cannot preuent When we ourselues fore-seeing cannot shun That which before with destinie doth run Henry hath power and may my life depose Mine honour mine that none hath power to lose Then be as cheerefull beauteous royall Queene As in the Court of France we erst haue beene As when arriu'd in Porchesters faire road Where for our comming Henry made aboad When in mine armes I brought thee safe to land And gaue my loue to Henries royall hand The happy howres we passed with the King At faire South-hampton long in banquetting With such content as lodg'd in Henries breast When he to London brought thee from the West Through golden Cheape when he in pompe did ride To Westminster to entertaine his Bride Notes of the Chronicle Historie Our Falcons kinde cannot the cage indure HE alludes in these verses to the Falcon which was the antient deuice of the Poles comparing the greatnesse and hawtinesse of his spirit to the nature of this bird This was the meane prowd Warwicke did inuent To my disgrace c. The Commons at this Parlement through Warwicks meanes accused Suffolke of treason and vrged the accusation so vehemently that the king was forced to exile him for fiue yeeres That onely I by yeelding vp of Maine Should be the losse of fertile Aquitaine The Duke of Suffolke being sent into France to conclude a peace chose Duke Rainers daughter the Lady Margaret whom he espoused for Henry the sixt deliuering for her to her father the Countries of Aniou and Maine and the Citty of Mauns Whereupon the Earle of Arminach whose daughter was before promised to the King seeing himselfe to bee deluded caused all the Englishmen to be expulsed Aquitino Gascoyne and Guyen With the base vulgar sort to win him same To be the heyre of good Duke Humfreys name This Richard that was called the great Earle of Warwicke when Duke Humfrey was dead grew into exceeding great fauour with the Commons With Salisburie his vile ambicious Sire In Yorks sterne breast kindling long hidden fire By Clarence title working to supplant The Eagle Ayrie of great Iohn of Gaunt Richard Plantagenet Duke of Yorke in the time of Henry the sixt claimed the Crowne being assisted by this Richard Neaâ—ll Earle of Salisburie and father to the great Earle of Warwicke who fauoured exceedingly the house of Yorke in open Parliament as heir to Lionell Duke of Clarence the third sonne of Edward the third making his title by Anne his Mother wife to Richard Earle of Cambridge sonne to Edmund of Langley Duke of Yorke which Anne was daughter to Roger Mortimer Earle of March which Roger was sonne heire to Edmund Mortimer that married the Ladie Philip daughter and heire to Lionell Duke of Clarence the third sonne of King Edward to whom the crowne after King Richard the seconds death linealy descended he dying without issue And not to the heires of the Duke of Lancaster that was yonger brother to the Duke of Clarence Hall cap. 1. Tit. Yor. Lanc. Vrg'd by these enuious Lords to spend their breath Calling reuenge on the Protectors death Humfrey Duke of Glocester Lord Protector in the 25. yeare of Henry the sixt by the meanes of the Queene and the Duke of Suffolke was arrested by the Lord Beumond at the Parliament holden at Berrie and the same night after murthered in his bed If they would know who robd him c. To this verse To know how Humfrey died and who shall raigne In these verses he iests at the Protectors wife who being accused conuicted of treason because with Iohn Hun a priest Roger Bullingbrooke a Negromancer Margery Iordan called the Witch of Eie she had consulted by sorcery to kil the king was adiudged to perpetuall prison in the I le of Man and to doe penance openly in three publique places in London For twentie yeares and haue I seru'd in Fraunce In the sixt yeare of Henry the sixt the Duke of Bedford being deceased then Lieutenant generall and Regent of Fraunce this Duke of Suffolke was promoted to that dignity hauing the Lord Talbot Lord Scales and the Lord Mountacute to assist him Against great Charles and bastard Orleance This was Charles the seauenth and after the death of Henry the fifth obtained the crowne of France and recouered againe much of that his father had lost Bastard Orleance was sonne to the Duke of Orleance begotten of the Lord Cawnies wife preferred highly to many notable offices because hee being a most valiant Captaine was continuall enemie to the Englishmen dayly infesting them with diuerse incursions And haue I seene Vernoyla's batfull fields Vernoyle is that noted place in Fraunce where the great battell was fought in the beginning of Henrie the sixt his raigne where the most of the French Chiualrie were ouercome by the Duke of Bedford And from Aumerle with-drew my warlike powers Aumerle is that strong defenced towne in France which the Duke of Suffolke got after 24. great assaults giuen vnto it And came my selfe in person first to Towers Th'Embassadours for truce to entertaine From Belgia Denmarke Hungary and Spaine Towers is a Cittie in France built by Brutus as hee came into Britaine where in the twentie and one yeare of the raigne of Henry the sixt was appoynted a great
to vying wonders dropping starres That if but some one beautie should incite Some sacred Muse some rauisht spirit to write Heere might he fetch that true Promethian fire As after ages should his lines admire Gathering the honny from the choisest flowers Scorning the wither'd weedes in Country bowers Heere in this garden onely springs the Rose In euery common hedge the Bramble growes Nor are we so turnde Neapolitan That might incite some fowle-mouth Mantuan To all the world to lay out our defects And haue iust cause to raile vpon our sexe To prancke old wrinckles vp in new attire To alter Natures course proue Time a lier Abusing fate and heauens iust doome reuerse On beauties graue to set a crimson hearse With a deceitfull foile to lay a ground To make a glasse to seeme a Diamond Nor cannot without hazard of our name In fashion follow the Vâ—netian Dame Nor the fantasticke French to imitate Attirde halfe Spanish halfe Italionate Nor wast nor curle body nor brow adorne That is in Florence or in Genoa borne But with vaine boasts how witlesse fond am I Thus to draw on mine owne indignitie And what though married when I was but yong Before I knew what did to loue belong Yet he which now 's possessed of the roome Cropt beauties flower when it was in the bloome And goes away enriched with the store Whilst others gleane where he hath reapt before And he dares sweare that I am true and iust And shall I then deceiue his honest trust Or what strange hope should make you to assaile Where strongest battery neuer could preuailt Belike you thinke that I repulst the rest To leaue a King the conquest of my breast Or haue thus long preserude my selfe from all A Monarch now should glory in my fall Yet rather let me die the vildest death Then liue to draw that sinne-polluted breath But our kinde hearts mens teares cannot abide And we least angry oft when most we chide Too well know men what our creation made vs And nature too well taught them to inuade vs. They know but too well how what when and where To write to speake to sue and to forbeare By signes by sighs by motions and by tears When vows shuld serue when oths when smiles when praiers What one delight our humors most doth moue Onely in that you make vs nourish loue If any naturall blemish blot our face You doe protest it giues our beautie grace And what attire we most are vsde to weare That of all other excellentst you sweare And if vve vvalke or sit or stand or lie It must resemble some one deitie And vvhat you knovve vve take delight to heare That are you euer sounding in our eare And yet so shamelesse vvhen you tempt vs thus To lay the fault on beautie and on vs. Romes vvanton Oâ—id did those rules impart O that your nature should be helpt vvith Arte. Who vvould haue thoght a King that cares to raigne Inforcde by loue so Poet-like should faine To say that Beauty Times sterne rage to shunne In my cheekes Lillies hid her from the Sunne And vvhen she meant to triumph in her Maie Made that her East and heere she broke her day And swearst that summer still is in my sight And but vvhere I am all the vvorld is night As though the fairst ere since the vvorld beganne To me a Sunne-burnt base Egyptian But yet I knovve more than I meane to tell O would to God you knew it not too well That women oft their most admirers raise Though publikely not flattering their owne praise Our churlish husbands which our youth enioy'd Who with our dainties haue their stomackes cloyd Do lothe our smooth hand with their lips to feele T' enrich our fauours by our beds to kneele At our command to waite to send to goe As euery howre our amorous seruants doe Which makes a stolne kisle often we bestow In earnest of a greater good we owe When he all day torments vs with a frowne Yet sports with Venus in a bed of dowlne Whose rude embracement but too ill beseemes Her span broad waste her white and dainty limmes And yet still preaching abstinence of meate When hee himselfe of euery dish will eate Blame you our husbands then if they denie Our publike walking our loose libertie If with exception still they vs debar The circuite of the publike Theater To heare the smooth-tongude Poets Syren vaine Sporting in his lasciuious Comicke scene Or the young wanton wits when they applawd The slie perswasions of some subtile Bawd Or passionate Tragedian in his rage Acting a loue-sicke passion on the stage When though abroad restraining vs to rome They very hardly keepe vs safe at home And oft are touch'd with feare and inward griefe Knowing rich prizes soonest tempt a theeefe What sports haue we whereon our mindes to set Our dogge our Parrat or our Marmuzet Or once a weeke to walke into the field Small is the pleasure that those toyes do yielde But to this griefe a medicine you applie To cure restraint with that sweete libertie And soueraignty O that bewitching thing Yet made more great by promise of a King And more that honour which doth most intice The holiest Nunne and she that 's ne're so nice Thus still we striue yet ouer-come at length For men want mercy and poore women strength Yet grant that we could meaner men resist when Kings once come they conquer as they list Thou art the cause Shore pleaseth not my sight That his embraces giue me no delight Thou art the cause I to my selfe am strange Thy comming is my full thy set my change Long winter nights be minutes if thou heere Short minutes if thou absent be a yeere And thus by strength thou art become my fate And mak'st me loue euen in the midst of hate ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie Would I had led an humble Sheep heards life Nor knowne the name of Shores admired wife TWo or three Poemes written by sundry men haue magnified this womans beautie whom that ornament of England and Londons more particular glory Sir Thomas Moore very highly hath praised for her beautie she being aliue in his time though being poore and aged Her stature was meane her haire of a dark yellow her face round ful her eie gray delicate harmony being betwixt each parts proportion each proportions colour her body fat white and smooth her countenance cheerefull and like to her condition That picture which I haue seen of hers was such as she rose out of her bed in the morning hauing nothing on but a rich mantle cast vnder one arme ouer her shoulder and sitting in a chaire on which her naked arme did lie What her fathers name was or where she was borne is not certainly known but Shore a yong man of right good person wealth and behauiour abandoned her bed after the king had made her his Concubine Richard the third causing her to do open penance in Paules
not rules a Nation Onely the surfet of a vaine opinion What giues content giues what exceedes dominion When first mine eares were pierced with the fame Of Iane proclaimed by a Princesse name A suddaine fright my trembling heart appalls The feare of conscience entreth yron walls Thrice happy for our fathers had it beene If what we fearde they wisely had fore-seene And kept a meane gate in an humble path To haue escapde the heauens impetuous wrath The true-bred Eagle strongly beares the winde And not each bird that 's neere vnto their kinde That like a King doth from the clowdes command The fearefull fowle that moues but neere the Land Though Mary be from mighty Kings descended My blood not from Plantaginet pretended My gransire Brandon did our house aduance By princely Mary Dowager of France The fruit of that faire stocke which did combine And Yorkes sweete branch with Lancasters entwine And in one stalke did happily vnite The pure vermilion Rose with purer white I the vntimely slip of that rich stem Whose golden bud brings forth a Diadem But oh forgiue me Lord it is not I Nor do I boast of this but learne to die Whilst we were as our selues conioyned then Nature to nature now an alien The purest blood polluted is in blood Neerenes contemn'd if soueraignty withstood A Diadem once dazeling the eye The day too darke to see affinitie And where the arme is stretch'd to reach a Crowne Friendship is broke the deerest thing throwne downe For what great Henry most stroue to auoide The heauens haue built where earth would haue destroide And seating Edward on his regall throne He giues to Mary all that was his owne By death assuring what by life is theirs The lawfull claime of Henries lawfull heâ—res By mortall lawes the bound may be diuorc'd But heauens decree by no meanes can be forc'd That rules the case when men haue all decreed Who tooke him hence fore-saw who should succeed For we in vaine relie on humaine lawes WheÌ„ heauen stands forth to plead the righteous cause Thus rule the heauens in their continuall course That yeeldes to fate that doth not yeelde to force Mans wit doth build for time but to deuoure But vertue 's free from time and fortunes powre Then my kinde Lord sweete Gilford be not grieu'd The soule is heauenly and from heauen relieu'd And as we once haue plighted troth together Now let vs make exchange of mindes to either To thy faire breast take my resolued minde Armde against blacke dispaire and all her kinde And to my bosome breathe that soule of thine There to be made as perfect as is mine So shall our faith as firmely be approued As I of thee or thou of me beloued This life no life were thou not deere to mee Nor this no death were I not woe for thee Thou my deere husband and my Lord before But truely learne to die thou shalt be more Now liue by prayer on heauen fixe all thy thought And surely finde what e're by zeale is sought For each good motion that the soule awakes A heauenly figure sees from whence it takes That sweete resemblance which by power of kinde Formes like it selfe an image in the minde And in our faith the operations bee Of that diuinenesse which through that we see Which neuer erres but accidentally By our fraile fleshes imbecillitie By each temptation ouer-apt to slide Except our spirit becomes our bodies guide For as these Towers our bodies do inclose Their prisons so vnto our soules suppose Our bodies stopping that celestiall light As these do hinder our exterior sight Whereon death seasing doth discharge the debt And vs at blessed liberty doth set Then draw thy forces all vnto thy heart The strongest fortresse of this earthly part And on these three let thy assurance lie On faith repentance and humilitie By which to heauen ascending by degrees Persist in prayer vpon your bended knees Whereon if you assuredly be staide You neede in perill not to be distnaide Which still shall keepe you that you shall not fall For any perill that you can appall The key of heauen thus willâ— you you shall beare And grace you guiding giue you entrance there And you of those celestiall ioyes possesse Which mortal tongue 's vnable to expresse Then thanke the heauen preparing vs this roome Crowning our heads with glorious martiredome Before the blacke and dismall daies beginne The daies of all idolatry and sinne Not suffering vs to see that wicked age When persecution vehemently shall rage When tyranny nâ—w tortures shall inuent Inflicting vengeance on the innocent Yet heauen forbids that Maries wombe shall bring Englands faire Scepter to a forraigne King But vnto faire Elizabeth shall leaue it Which broken hurt and wounded shall receiue it And on her temples hauing placde the Crowne Roote out the dregs Idolatry hath sowne And Syons glory shall againe restore Laid ruine waste and desolate before And from blacke sinders and rude heapes of stones Shall gather vp the Martires sacred bones And shall extirpe the power of Rome againe And cast aside the heauie yoke of Spaine Farewell sweete Gilford know our end is neere Heauen is our home we are but strangers heere Let vs make haste to goe vnto the blest Which from these weary worldly labours rest And with these lines my deerest Lord I greete thee Vntill in heauen thy Iane againe shall meet thee ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie They which begâ—t vs did beget this siâ—ne SHewing the ambition of the two Dukes their Fathers whose pride was the cause of the vtter ouerthrow of their children At Durham Pallace where sweete Hymen sang The buildings c. The Lord Gilford Dudley fourth sonne to Iohn Dudley Duke of Northumberland married the Lady Iane Grey daughter to the Duke of Suffolke at Durham house in the Strand When first mine eares were pierced with the fame Of Iane proclaimed by a princes name Presently vpon the death of King Edward the Lady Iane was taken as Queene conueyed by water to the Tower of London for her safetie and after proclaimed in diuers parts of the realme as so ordained by king Edwards Letters-pattents and his will My Grandsire Brandon did our house aduaunce By princely Mary dowager of Fraunce Henry Gray duke of Suffolk married Frauncis the eldest daughter of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke by the French Queene by which Frauncis he had this Lady Iane this Mary the French Queene was daughter to king Henry the seuenth by Elizabeth his Queene which happie mariage conioyned the two noble families of Lancaster and Yorke For what great Henry most stroue to auoyde Noting the distrust that King Henry the eight euer had in the Princesse Mary his daughter fearing she should alter the state of Religion in the land by matching with a stranger confessing the right that King Henries issue had to the Crowne And vnto faire Elizabeth shall leaue it A prophecie of Queene Maries barrennesse and of the happie and
whence Fame carries thither she doth bring And which soeuer she doth lowdly ring Thither ah me vnhappily she brought Where I my barre vnfortunately caught There stood my beautie boldly for the prize Where the most cleere and perfectst iudgements be And of the same the most iudiciall eyes Did giue the gole impartially to me So did I stand vnparaleld and free And like a comet in the euenings skie Strooke with amazement euery wondring eye This t' was possest the breast of princely Iohn This on his hart-strings endlesse musicke made This wholy wonne him vnto it alone And fully did his faculties inuade From which not reason euer could disswade This taught his eyes their due attendance still Holding the reines which rulde his princely will When yet my father fortunate in Court And by his blood ranck'd equall with the best Hauing his quicke eare touch'd with this report Which yet the newes but hardly could digest And on my youth his onely care did rest Straitly pursues it by those secret spies As still in Courts attend on Princes eyes And he thus while who seemed but to sleepe Till he the Princes purposes could sound And to himselfe yet secretly did keepe What he but late had prouidently found So well that wise Lord could conceale his wound That well fore-saw how daugerous it would proue To crosse the course of his impatient loue When hauing found how violent a flame Vnbrideled will had kindled in the King If on the suddaine he should stop the same A greater inconuenience might bring Which being knowne so dangerous a thing Me doth bethinke him fittest to perswade E're for my safety further means he made Deare girle quoth he thou seest who doth await T' intrap that beautie bred to be thy foe Being so faire and delicate a bait Tempting all eyes themselues there to bestow Whose power the King is taught too soone to know Of his desire that what the end may bee Thy youth may feare my knowledge doth fore-see And for thou liuest publiquely in Court Whose priuiledge doth euery meane protect Where the ensample of the greatest sort Doth more then opportunitie effect None thriuing there that dwell vpon respect Being a lottery where but few do winne Falshood th' aduenture and the prize but sinne Subt'ly opposing to thy longing sight What may to pleasure possibly prouoke And fitly fashioned vnto thy delight That with the grauest strikes too great a stroke Hauing withall emperious power thy cloke With such strong reasons on her part propounded As may leaue vertue seemingly confounded Many the waies inducing to thy fall And to thy safety none is left to guide thee And when thy danger greatest is of all Euen then thy succour soonest is denide thee So sundry meanes from vertue to diuide thee Hauing with all mortalitie about thee Frailty with in temptation set without thee The leachers tongue is neuer voide of guile Nor wants he teares when he would winne his pray The subtilst tempter hath the smoothest stile Sirens sing sweetely when they would betray Lust of it selfe had neuer any stay Nor to containe it bounds could haue deuisde That when most fild is least of all suffisde With euery meane and maiestie is fraught That all things hath contained in his power And who wil conquer leaues no meane vnsaught Soft golden drops did pierce the brazen Tower Watching th' aduantage of each passing hower Time offering still each howre to doe amisse Thy banefull poison spiced with thy blisse And when this heady and vnseasned rage Which in his blood doth violently raigne Time that the heate shall peceably asswage Shall shew the more apparently thy staine Which vnto ages euer shall remaine Sinne in a chaine leades on her sister shame And both in gyues fast fettered to defame Kings vse their loues as garments they haue worne Or as the meate whereon they fully fed The Saint once gone who doth the shrine adorne Or what is Nectar carelesly if shed vvhat Princes vvealth redeemes thy maidenhead vvhich should be held as pretious as thy breath vvhose desolution consumates thy death The stately Eagle on his height dooth stand And from the maine the fearefull fowle doth smite Yet scornes to tuch it lying on the land When he hath felt the sweete of his delight But leaues the same a prey to euery kite With much we surffet plenty makes vs poore The vvretched Indian spurnes the golden ore When now he points the periode with a teare vvhich in my bosome made so great a breach As euery precept firmely fixed there And still his councel vnto me did preach A father so effectually should teach That then his words I after euer found Written on so immaculate a ground The youthfull king deluded but the while That in his breast did beare this quenchlesse fire Whilst flattring hope his sences doth beguile That with fresh life still quickned his desire And gone so farre now meant not to retire Thinkes if that aptly winning him but place By loue or power to purchase him my grace Which still deferring found he still did faile Nor to his minde aught kindely tooke effect Couragiously resoluing to assaile That other meanes doth vtterly neglect In spite what feare could any way obiect And finding time not booting to be mute Thus to me lastly did preferre his sute Deare maide quoth he when Nature had ordained Thee to the world her workemanship to bring All other creatures knowing she had stained By so diuine and excellent a thing Onely therefore to gratifie a King Seal'd thee the Charter dated at thy birth Mirrour of heauen the wonder of the earth Hoord not thy beautie heauen doth giue thee store Pittie such treasure should lie idely dead Which being imparted shall increase the more And by the interest euermore be fed To be mans comfort that was onelie bred vvhich of it selfe is of such povver and might As like the sunne ioyes all things with the sight From those bright stars such streams of lightning glide As through the eies doe wound the very hart Whose vertues may be sundrie waies applide Hurting and healing like Achilles dart Such bountie Nature did to them impart Those lampes two planets clearer then the seauen That with their splendor light the world to heauen Had Art such colours as could truly show Each rare perfection rightly in his kinde And on each one sufficiently bestowe Vnto the glory properly assignde Painting the beauties aptly to the minde But O alone thy excellence is such As words though many lessen worth so much He is thy king who is become thy subiect Sometimes thy Lord now seruant to thy loue Thy gracefull features be his onely obiect Who for thy sake a thousand deaths durst proue A Princes prayer should some compassion moue Let woolues and beares be cruell in their kindes But women meeke and haue relenting mindes Daine deare to looke vpon these brimfull eyes With tides of teares continually frequented Where hope without foode hunger-staruen lies which to
moue To take vpon me a religious state The holy Cloister none might violate Where after all these stormes I did endure There yet at last might hope to liue secure Wherefore to Dunmow secretly conuaide Vnto a house that sometime was begunne By Iuga of our ancestry a maide At whose great charge this Monastry was done In which she after did become a Nunne And kept her order strictly with the rest Which in that place virginitie profest Where I my selfe did secretly bestow From the vaine world which I too long had tride One whom affliction taught my selfe to know My youth and beautie gently that did chide And me instructing as a skilfull guide Printed with all such coldnesse in my blood That it might so perpetuate my good The King who with an enuious eye did see His power deluded strongly discontent who thence his power not possibly could free Which his sad breast doth grieuously torment which since that I so wilfully was bent And he past hope now euer to enioy me Resolues by some meanes lastly to destroy me And he that knew one fit for such a fact To whom he durst his secret thoughts impart One that for him would any thing enact And in performance wanted not his Art That had a strong hand a relentlesse hart On him the King in madnesse so enrag'd Imposde my death himselfe thereto that gag'd Who making haste the fatall deede to do Thither repaires but not as from the King One that did well know what belong'd thereto Nor therein needed any tutoring But as one sent vpon some needefull thing with a smooth countenance and with setled browes Obtaines to get in where I paide my vowes Where I alone and to his tale exposde As one to him a willing eare that lent Aye me too soone himselfe to me disclosde And who it was that him vnto me sent From point to point relating his intent Which whil'st I stoode strooke dumbe with this invasion He thus pursues me strongly with perswasion Saith he but heare how greatly thou doost erre Fondly to doat vpon thine owne perfection Whenas the King thee highly will preferre And that his power desireth thy protection So indiscreetly sort not thy election To shut vp in a melancholy cell That in the Court ordained was to dwell How dangerous is so bountifull an offer If thy neglect do retchlesly abuse it who was it euer that did see a coffer Filled with gold and proffered did refuse it Greater thy fault the more thou doost excuse it Thy selfe condemning in thine owne good hap Refusing treasure cast into thy lap Wrong not thy faire youth nor the world depriue Of that great riches Nature freely lent Pitty t' were they by niggardize should thriue whose wealth by waxing craueth to be spent For which thou after iustly shalt be shent Like to some rich churle burying his pelfe Both to wrong others and to starue himselfe What is this vaine this idle reputation which to the shew you seemingly respect Onely the weakenesse of imagination which in conclusion worketh no effect Lesse then that can the worshippers protect That onely standeth vpon fading breath And hath at once the being and the death A feare that grew from doting superstition To which still weake credulitie is prone And onely since maintained by tradition Into our eares impertinently blowne By follie gathered as by error sowne Which vs still threatning hindreth our desires Yet all it shewes vs be but painted fires Thee let it like this Monastry to leaue Which youth and beautie iustly may forsake Do not the Prince of those high ioyes bereaue Which happy him eternally may make Which sends me else thy life away to take For dead to him if needsly thou wilt proue Die to thy selfe and buried with his loue Rage that resumde the colour of his face Whose eye seemde as the Basalisks to kill The horror of the solitary place Being so fit wherein to worke his will Each good omitted euery present ill Which all doe seeme my ouerthrow to further By feare disswaded menaced by murther In this so great and peremptory triall With strong temptations grieuously afflicted With many a yeelding many a deniall Oft times acquitted oftentimes conuicted Whilst feare before me liuely stands depicted And at the instant by a little breath Giues me my life or sends me vnto death When nowe my soule that gathred all her powres Which in this neede might friendly giue her aide The resolution of so manie howres whereon herselfe she confidently staide In this distresse their helpe together laide Making the state which she maintained good Expeld the feare vsurping on by blood The which my tongue did modestly enlarge From those strict limits terror it confinde My greeued bosome sadly to discharge And my lost spirites did liberally vnbinds To my cleere eyes their residence resignde And strongly there mine honour to maintaine Check'd his presumption with a chaste disdaine Finding me thus inuiolably bent He for my death that onely did abide Hauing a poison murdring by the seent Vnto the organ of that sense applide which for the same when fittest time he spide Vnto my nosthrills forcibly did straine Which at an instant wrought my deadly baine With his rude tuch my vaile disordered then My face discouering whose delitious checke Tinckted with crimson fading soone agen with such a sweetenes as made death euen meeke Seeming to him beholding it euen like Vnto a sparke extinguish'd to the eye Breakes forth in fire e're suddainely it die And whilst thereat amazed he doth stand wherein he such an excellencie saw Ruing the spoile done by his fatall hand whom nothing else my beauty now did awe And from his eyes would force him teares to draw Of which depriu'd and setled euen as dead Greeuing for me that it had none to shed When life retreating gently towards the hart On whom cold death inuasion now did make winning by little euery outward part As more and more her succours her forsake To this last fort enforc'd her to betake To him whom sadly yet did me behold Thus with milde speech my greefe I did vnfold Is this the gift the King on me bestowes which in this sort he sends thee to present me I am his friend what giues he to his foes If this in token of his loue be sent me His pleasure thus it must not discontent me Yet after sure a proucrhe this shall proue The gift King Iohn bestow'd vpon his loue When all that race to memory are set And by their statues their atchieuements done which wonne abroad and which at home did get From sonne to syre from syre vnto the sonne Grac'd with the spoiles that gloriously they wonne O that of him it onely should be said This was that King the murtherer of a maid O keepe it safely from the eares of Fame That none do heare of this vnhalowed deede To him be secret and conceale his shame Lest after ages hap the same to reede And in their eyes the very letters
bleede O let the graue my innocency hold Ere of a King so heynous sinne be told Vttering my minde my sorrow to asswage The heauy burthen of my pensiue breast The poison now that inwardly did rage The present vigor forcibly exprest Me no way suffering to declare the rest Longer for him t' was now no time to stay And death call'd on to hasten me away Thus in my closet being left alone Vpon the floore vncomfortably lying The deede committed and the murtherer gone Almost arriued at the point of dying Some of the sisters me by chance espying Calls all the rest that in most wofull plight Came to behold this miserable sight Where like a rose by an vnkindly blast Mongst many buds that round about it grow The withered leaues improsp'rously doth cast Yet all the rest their soueraigne beauties show Amidst this goodly sisterhood euen so Nipt with cold death vntimely did I fade Whilst they about me pitteous wailing made When as my poore soule in hir suddaine flight Neglects the organ of each severall sense with all that horror could the same affright Being disturbed in her parting hence Onely constrained for her best defence Vnto her spotlesse innocence to take her Which her not leaues when all the rest forsake her VVhen all our pleasures are but childrens toyes And as meere shadowes presently do passe As yeares encreasing waning are our ioyes As we forget our fauours in a glasse Euen as a tale of that which neuer was Death our delights continually doth seuer Vertue alone abandoneth vs neuer And now my spirit thus liberally enlargde By gently flitting from this earthly roome The debt to Nature faithfully dischargde And at the howre conditiond on my toombe Such is the heauens ineuitable doombe Me Baynards Castle to the earth did bring D 〈…〉 againe my place of burying Now scarsly was my breathlesse body cold But euery where my tragedy was spred For tatling Fame in euery place had told My resolution being lately dead Ruing my blood so prodigally shed And to my father flies with this mischance Which then remained in the Court of Frarce His losse too great to be bewailde with teares Nor were there found wordes to expresse his woe Terror it selfe so settled in his eares No more might enter nothing out might goe O while againe should griefe distract me 〈◊〉 Enough of sorrow is already showne And telling his renewing of mine owne Me t' shall suffise my fortunes to relate And beare the burthen of my proper ill If I expresse my pittifull estate T is all I aske and I obtaine my will For whie true sorrow needes not others skill It is too much the bitternesse we taste vvithout remembrance when the same is past Somesaie the King repentant for this deede vvhenas remorce to thoughts thereof him draue Poorely disguised in a Pilgrimes weede Offered his teares on my vntimely graue For which no doubt but heauen his sinne forgaue And did thereby my grieued spirite appease Hâ—â—â—â—ing contrite I happly at ease Thus tolde my storie I my state deuise To you sweete Madam fitt'st with you to râ—st vvhich do my vertues daily exercise That be impressed in your patient breast By whome alone I rightliest am exprest For whom my praise it grieues me is too scant Whose happie name an Epethite shall want Then most deere Lady for a maidens sake To shead one teare if gently you but daine For all my wrongs it full amends may make And be my passe to the Elizian plaine In your chastâ— eies such powre there doth remainâ— As can th' afflicted prosprously deliuer Happy be they may looke vpon them euer FINIS The Legend of Pierce Gaueston FRom gloomy shadowes of eternall night Shut vp in darkenes where I long did dwell O heere beholde me miserable wight Lastly inuokt my tragedie to tell Giue me then leaue my sorrowes to impart Somewhat to ease my poore afflicted hart Goddesse of Artes and Armes Pallas diuine Let thy bright fawchion lend me Cipresse bughes Be thou assisting to this Poet of mine With funerall wreathes incompassing his browes Pittying my case when none would heare me weep To tell my sorrowes layes his owne to sleepe And mournefulst maiden of the sacred Nine That balefull sounds immoueably doost breathe With thy swolne visage and thy blubbred eine I vnto thee my sad complaints bequeathe Matter that yeelds sufficient for thy glorie If thou exactly prosecute my storie Tell how the starres my wandring state did guide Th'unconstant turnes of euerie changing houre Of manie a lowe ebbe manie as high a tide Manie a smoothe calme manie a stormie showre The height whereto I lastly did ascend My strange beginning and my fatall end When Edward sate vpon the English throne Long-shankes that so victoriously did raigne First of that name and second vnto none In all to knighthoode euer did pertaine My life begunne and then begunne my blisse Euen in those daies those happie daies of his So much did vertue gratious harts inflame Promotion then not purchased with golde And in those times he that desired fame Bought it of them that it full deerely solde Hatefull excesse so much did not deuoure Lawes had lesse force and honesty more powre And since that time so violently prayes Vpon those ages that euen holiest bee Let me remember those more happie daies In these sad houres my grieued eies doe see With greater griefe that makes me these deplore When I doe thinke of those that were before And Muse to thee I sadly then appeale Since thou my life wilt needâ—ly haue me show That I by thee may faithfully reueale Euen what the most inquisitiue would know Whilst that my soule heere bodied did abide In the vaine world that pampred mein pride From Gascony our name and our descent Of which my father naturally was borne In all his warres that with king Edward went To him a 〈…〉 ege man and a souldier sworne And in his country ventred his estate To follow him that seemd to gouerne fate Whose trust that great king highly did imploy And neare his person tooke him for the same Who with my selfe but then a little boy Vnto the Court of famous England came Whereas the King for seruice he had done Made me a page vnto the Prince his sonne In me what shape that man 's did not excel Where euery part such harmony did beate As in this modell Nature seemd to tell T' was not perfection if it were not there As euery age reseru'd his rarest feature Thereof to make so excellent a creature My lookes the powrefull adamants to loue Which vnto them attracted euery sight With which the same was fixed or did moue As svmpathizing naturally delight That where my thoughts intended to surprise I at my pleasure conqu'red with mine eies If euen the best in Paintings curious art In some rare peece his workemanship should show Imag 〈…〉 on helping with her part vvâ—â—n th' hand had done the vtmost it could doe Vnto that bodie modelling a
course eftsoone to bring about That which long since the wiser sort did doubt For whilst the King doth seriously attend His long-hop'd voyage to the Holy-land For which his subiects mighty summes did leud Euen whilst this buisnes onely was in hand All on the suddaine happily doth fall The death of Edward quickely altred all Should I assay his vertues to report To do the honor due vnto his name My meane endeuours should come farre too short And I thereby should greatly wrong the same But leaue it to some sacred Muse to tell Vpon whose life a Poets pen might dwell His princely body scarsly wrapt in lead Before his mournefull obsequies were done But that the Crowne was set on Edwards head With whom too soone my happy daies begunne After blacke night like brightnesse of the day All former sorrowes vanished away When now Carnaruan calls within a while Whom Edward Long-shanks hated to the death He whom the father lately did exile Is to the sonne as precious as his breath What th' old inscrib'd the yonger forth did blot Kings wils perform'd and dead mens words forgot When the winde wafts me to that happy place And soone did set me safely on that shore From whence I seemde but banish'd for a space That my returne might honored be the more Vnto this new King happily to leaue me Whose princely armes were ready to receiue me Who would haue seene how that kinde Roman dame Oâ—e-come with ioy did yeelde her latest breath Hersonne returning laden with such fame When thankfull Rome had mourned for his death Might heere behold her personated right When I approached to the Princes sight My Ioue now Lord of the Ascendant is In an aspect that promisde happy speede Whilst in that luckie influence of his Some praisde the course wherein I did proceede Yet it to some prodigiously appeares Telling the troubles of ensuing yeares When like to Midas all I touch'd was gold Powr'd as t' was once downe into Danaes lap For I obtained any thing I would Fortune had yet so lotted out my hap The chests of great men like to Oceans are To whom all floods by course do still repare The Isle of Man he first vnto me gaue To shew how high I in his grace did stand But fearing me sufficient not to haue I next receiued from his bounteous hand Faire Wallingford that antiently had beene The wealthy dower of many an English Queene The summes his father had beene leuying long By impositions for the warre abroad Other his princely benefits among At once on me he bounteously bestow'd When those which saw how much on me he cast Soone found his wealth sufficed not his waste He giues me then chiefe Secretaries place Thereby to traine me in affaires of state And those high roomes that I did hold to grace Me Earle of Cornwall franckly did create And that in Court he freely might pertake me Of England Lord high Chamberlaine did make me And that he would more strongly me alie To backe me gainst their insolent ambition Doth his faire Cosen vnto me affie A Lady of right vertuous condition which his deare sister prosperously bare To the Earle of Gloster blood-ennobled Clare O sacred bounty mother of content Fautresse and happy nourisher of Arts That giu'st successe to euery high intent The Conquerour of the most noblest harts High grace into mortalitie infused Pitty it is that e're thou wast abused When those that did my banishment procure Still in my bosome hated did abide And they before that could me not endure Are now much more impatient of my pride For emulation euer did attend Vpon the great and shall vnto th' end And into fauour closly working those That from meane places lifted vp by me And factious spirits being fittest to oppose Them that perhaps too powerfull else might be That euen gainst enuie raised by my hand Me must vphold to make themselues to stand And since the frame by fortune so contriu'd To giue protect to my ambitious waies Vrging thereby their hate to me deriu'd From those hie honours 〈◊〉 vpon me layes Drawing the King my courses to pertake Still to maintaine what he himselfe did make Thus doth my youth still exercise extreames My heed fond rashnes to forerunne my fall My wit meere folly and my hopes but dreames My councell serues my selfe but to inthrall That me abused with a vaine illusion When all I did intending my confusion And now the King to hasten his repaire Himselfe by marriage highly to aduance With Isabel a Princesse yong and faire As was her father Philip king of France When now the more to perfect my command Leaues vnto me protection of the land My power confirm'd so absolute withall That I dranke pleasure in a plenteous cup vvhen there was none me to account to call All to my hands so freely rendred vp That earth to me no greater blisse could bring Except to make me greater than a King When being now got as high as I could clime That the vaine world thus bountifully blest Franckly imbrace the benefite of time Fully t' enioy that freely I possest Strongly maintaining he was worse than mad Fondly to spare a Princes wealth that had Their counsells when continually I crosst As scorning their authoritie and blood And in those things concernd their honor 's most In those against them euer most I stoode And things most publique priuately extend To feede my riot that had neuer end When lastly Fortune like a treacherous foe That had so long attended on my fall In the plaine path wherein I was to goe Layes many a baite to traine me on withall Till by her skill she cunningly had brought me Vnto the place where at her will she caught me The mighty busines falling then in hand Triumphs ordain'd to welcome his returne Before the French in honour of the land vvith all my power I labourd to adiourne Till all their charge was lastly ouer throwne vvho likde t' haue seene no glory but mine owne Thus euery thing me forward still doth set Euen as an engine forcing by the slight One mischiefe thus a second doth beget And that doth leade th' other but to right Yet euery one himselfe employing wholy In their iust course to prosecute my folly Which when they found how still I did retaine Th' ambitious course wherein I first beganne And lastly felt that vnder my disdaine Into contempt continually they ranne Take armes at once to remedy their wrong vvhich their cold spirits had suffred but too long Me boldely charging to abuse the King A wastefull spender of his needefull treasure A secret thiefe of many a sacred thing And that I led him to vnlawfull pleasure That neuer did in any thing delight But what might please my sensuall appetite That as a scourge vpon the land was sent Whose hatefull life the cause had onely beene The State so vniuersally was rent Whose ill increasing euery day was seene I was reproached openly of many Who pitti'd