peerlesse Pearle appeare Duke Garelus wife whose gallant gate and grace Stealing myne harte my honour did deface When Vortiger my brother did oppresse In exile then my youthful yeares were spent At my retourne his fault he did confesse And from his crowne the crowne in haste I sent Then my delight was in the diery dent Of wrackful warre but nowe transformde I stande The auncient Oke must growe nowe lyke a wande I marueilde muche how Cireus songes might please But now I muse that Circes sorcery Doth not from euery man bereaue his ease Calipsoes cuppes with poysoned Trechery Can not so much abridge mans liberty As Circus songes and Circes suttle art Whose chaunting charmes inwrapt with wo my hart Vlisses sayling by the perilous place Where these to please the passours by did play Where Lady Loue doth vante with garishe grace Her daynty Damsels gallant Gyrles and gaye Intysyng trulles they causde the Greeke to say With Cables come and tye me to this Mast Lest I my selfe to Pleasures Court me cast Muse not therefore though feature fine of face Though comely corps and trim intysing cheere Made me obay Sir Cupids mightie Mace The force whereof Vlisses wise did feare He saild aloffe he from these bankes did beare His shaking shippe but other many moe Did there ariue and weaud the web of woe There Salomon did reape the croppe of care There Dauid loude as I Vrias wife There Samson strong was snarled in the snare There Paris liude euen there he lost his life There Helens hate brought Troy her final strife Alcides he the myghtie Herculus There to ariue did finde it dangerous And I did learne with losse of lyfe at laste That he who doth delyght in lawelesse loue Must play the foole eare al the partes be past And taste the sauce preparde for his behoue Let men take heed how they there fancies moue Let man beware where he doth cast his eie The lymed byrde doth proue in vayne to flye O ancient Rome thou didst ordayne of yore That women should no banqueting frequent At Rome she was esteemde a harlot whoore If from her house without her veyle she went Which lawes no doubt were made to good intent â–ª For why the beames of Beauties sanguynde sight Like Basilisco spoyles the gazing wyght Therefore the maydes and Roman Matrons all A shadowing veyle before there face did weare Their heauenly hewe did throwe no man to thrall They were content with playne and decent geare They husâ—e it not wyth paynted frisled heare The marryed wyfe the matron and the mayd They of there veyles were glad and wel apayde If women thus had walked in my time I had not stoopte vnto that paynted lure Which did intice me to committe the crime Which to the pearch of leudnesse tide me sure For her disport my Ladye coulde procure The wretched winges of this my muting minde Restlesse to seeke her emptie fiste to finde I thus ariude in Pleasures cursed Courte I lothed Mars I hated Mercury It was me thought a passing pleasant sporte Leauinge the feeldes at Bacchus brauery Sometime to sit vpon my Mistresse knee Where that I might be at my pleasure plaste I sent the noble Duke to warres in hast You which haue playd with pleasures banding bales You knowe the life which lingring louers lead You know how sweete it is to scale the walles Of her good wyl who liude in feare and dreade You know right wel how wel those wightes haue sped Who haue at last by driftes of long delay Their hoped meede and wished pleasant praye Which pray when I by tract of time obtaynde And had my wyl when best it did me please As I three monthes amidst my blesse remaynde The Dukes returne returnd me from my ease No promise myght his raging wrath appease But when he knewe the drâ—fte of my delayes To cause my death he sought an hundred wayes Then I the wrath of rash reuenge to flye Thinking that time myght mitigate his moode To Troynouant in hast I did me hye Which when the wrathful Duke once vnderstoode He raysde my Realme and by his myght and powre I lost my lyfe my Crowne and Princely bowre Learne they which liue in high or lowe degree To flee the foyle which I by Folly felt Let them refrayne those lofty Dames to see They know howe lofty lookes with me haue deâ—â— You se how sight did make my honor melte Let al men know mans hart did neuer rue The thing which he with sight did neuer vewe But how may men the sight of Beautie shunne In England at this present dismal daye All voyde of veyles like Layes where Ladyes runne And rome about at euerye feast and playe They wanderyng walke in euery streete and way With lofty luering lookes they bounsing braue The highest place in al mens sight must haue With pride they pranke to please the wandring eye With garishe grace they smyle they Iet they Iest O English Dames your lightnesse veryly The Curtizantes of Rome do much deteste In Closets close to liue they count it best They geue not grace to euery wandring wight Your smiling chere doth euery man delight The Poets goddes Saturne and Iupiter To Beauties becke their highnesse did obay Pluto of hel did plead at Beauties barre And Phillis causde Demophoon to stay Pasiphae a Bull brought to the baye So Goddes and Diuilles both men and beastes they all â–ª By womens wyles are slaues to Beauties thrall What gayne is got by lyght and wanton wayes You reape reproche a guerdon got thereby Men by your meanes do cause their owne decay And you your selues al souste in sinne muste die Refrayne therefore to please mans gazing eie Let men like wise the bayted hookes refrayne Of luering lookes their vaunting vowes be vayne The Induction VErye well sayde quoth Memory I would I had habilitie to redeeme this princes soule out of Lymbo lake I wyl insuer you the shorte Tragedie of this mans life hath made along discourse of the present estate of EnglaÌ„d in which ther be more by three parts which serue like Carpite Knightes Venus her darlinges then god and their Prince who I feare are so fast seazed vpon Beauties fiste that this example wyl be little auailable vnto them But let it be as it wil warned folkes may liue and happie are they whome other mens harmes do make to beware But good Inquisition whome haue you there what haue you brought vs in steede of a Prince a Prieste It woulde appeare by his shauen Crown that he hath bin a Monke or a Frier What shal we alowe tippet wearers to pleade amongst Princes me thinke by the deformitie of his apparel he shoulde not be of the Religion nor of the reformed Church yea I wyl insuer you his precise lookes maketh me to suspect that he is one of them which do cry out O these indifferent thinges do not edifye Speake therfore Inquisition if he be one of that precise order he get no
God hath geuen to thee Be such as I can not thee greatly blame Though thou without desert disdaynest me Who for thy sake doth lothe al crueltie But for thy â—oue with Mars his cruel knife I could commaund thy Realme and reaue thy life But out alas whilst breath doth lend me life My hart shal hate to thrall thy happy state What though thou dost refuse to be my wyfe Thy hatred tho shal neuer cause me hate But whylâ—te I liue I wyl thee loue let Fate And Fortune fell poure on me al their spight To die for thee shal greatly me delight Then I replide O Duke without desert Thou doste me loue a little Ilandes Queene I know thou to the Emperour heyre art Thy valiaunt actes I diuers wayes haue seene I like thy deedes most noble which haue bene And thee I loue yet priuate pleasures luste May neuer make me throwe my Realme to duste If thou quothe he wylte dayne my Queene to be Thy Bryttaynes shal to Rome no tribute yeilde You if you please to Rome may go with me Your myghtie mate the world so wide may wielde Or if you please I here wyth you wyl bylde My byding place and in this littell lande I wyl remayne yours at your commaund His comely corps his friendly promise plight His famous actes his Noble royall race Some other thinges which here I could recite The Romans hart within my brest dyd place And when my wit had wayed well the case Then for the chiefe of all my Realme I sent And thus I spake to know the whole intent My louing Lordes and you my subiects see This Roman heyre whom I indeede do loue He will restore your ancient lybertie If I wyll bende my hest to his behoue Which benifites they chiefely do mee moue To loue at last a man by whom you may Receaue a Shielde to keepe you from decay Perhaps you think I loue because I see His comely corps and seemely sanguine face You be deceaude no outward brauery No personage no gallant courtly grace What though hee bee by birth of Royall race I recke it not but this I do regarde My common weale by him may bee preserude For if hee wyll from tribute set you free And ende the worke which I haue well begonne That Christes Gospell preached styll may bee God may by hym sende vnto me a sonne To you a King what wealth then haue you wonne What great renowme what honour wyll insue Speake you your mindes these thinges me think be true O Queene quoth they the Lorde preserue thy grace Do thou the thinge that semes to thee the best We do alowe the matche in euery case If by that meanes we may haue quiet rest With what great good shal this our Realme be blest Do thou therefore O noble Queeene we pray The thing which best may keepe vs from decay The Roman Duke he nothing would denye But graunted more then I could aske or craue So that there was proclaymed by and by A famous feast a banquet passing braue There to the Duke the Britayne Crowne I gaue With sacred spousall ryghtes as man and wyfe We wedded liude in loue for terme of lyfe And whylste we ment to rule this little I le A greater good vnlooked for befel Death did destroy his Syre with hateful hande For which we both at Rome must nowe go dwel And so we did thinges prospered passyng wel My Feere was made the Emperour Lorde and King Of al and I the Queene of euery thing His myghtie Mace did rule the Monarchie My wyt did rule some wryters say his Mace And to increase with ioye our merye glye I brought him forth a babe of Royal race The boy he had an amiable face O Rome thou maiste reioyce for this was he Which did at Rome erect Diuinitie Whilste thus in blesse I did at Rome remayne On Britaine stil my mind her care did cast For which I causde my husband to ordayne That euermore those ancient Lawes should last Whiâ—h heretofore amongst them there I past And that to Rome no Brittayne borne for aye Should taxe or toll or tenth or tribute pay Though there at Rome an Empresse life I led And had at hand what I could wishe or craue Yet stil me thought I was not wel bestead Because I was so farre from Brittayne braue Which when my louing Lorde did once perceiue He set a stay in al the Emperye To Brittayne then he did returne with me We raygnde of yeares thrice seuen with good successe Then Dolor and Debilitie did driue My louing Lord with faynting feeblenesse For vitall life with braying breath to striue He felt howe death of life would him depriue He calde his Lordes his childe and me his wife And thus he spake euen as he left his life The haughtye Pynes of loftye Libanus From earth to earth in tracte of time returne So I whose spreading prayse were marueilous Must now returne my fleshe to filthy slime On Fortunes wheele I may no longer clime Therefore my Lordes although my glasse be runne Yet take remorse on Constantine my sonne My Monarche Court my Kingdomes all O stately Rome farewell to them and thee Farewell my Lordes which see my finall fall Farewell my Childe my Wyfe more deare to mee Then all the world we must depart I see And must we needes depart O Fortune fye We must depart adue farewell I dye Wherewith he sighte and senslesse dyd remayne Then I his death as women doo dyd wayle But when I viewd that weeping was but vayne â–ª I was content to beare that bitter bale As one who founde no meanes for her auayle His corps at Yorke in Princely Tombe I layde When Funerall sacred solemne rights were payde And when report his death about had blowne Maxentius then the triple Crowne to weare Dyd challenge all the Empire as his owne And for a time that mighty Mace dyd beare Which when my Sonne my Constantine dyd heare The youthfull Lad indeuourd by and by To Claime his right by Mars his crueltie I then his tender youthfull yeares to guyde Went with my sonne to see his good successe He being Campt by fruitfull Tybers side To spoyle his foe he dyd hymselfe addresse Hee knew that God dyd geue all happinesse Therefore to God euen then the Youth dyd pray With mightie hande to keepe hym from decay Beholde how God doth godly men defend And marke how he doth beate Usurpers downe Maxentius nowe he al his force dothe bende For to defend his Diade me and Crowne But frowarde Fate vpon the Prince did frowne For why his men were scattered euery where In Tyber he did drowne him selfe for feare To Rome then we and all our host did hie The Romans they with ioy did vs receiue To Constantine they gaue the Emperie But he of them most earnestly did craue That I the rule of al the worlde myght haue It is quoth he my mothers ryght to rayne Til dreadful death hath shred her
this Goddesse she is renowmed more then sufficient O Memory quoth Inquisition this is not Diana no Diana no Gouzaga no Emila no Cariclia no Pallas no Iuno no not knowing Minerua may compare with her for the flourishing feature of her incomprehensible complexion for the comly composition of her Ladilike limmes being the perfectest peece of woorke that euer Nature created that euer earth nouryshed or that euer death destroyed for the passing great dexteritie of her ingenious Capacitie the very Phenix of women and the chiefest amoÌ„gst men that euer thou Memory didst celebrate for learning for knowledge of Tongs for the diuers gifts of the mind shee only dyd inhabite betwixt the wings of flitting Fame for a happye long quiet lyfe in this worlde she onely was fauoured by Fortune or rather singularly preserued by her maker For that shee neuer tasted in all her raigne any aduersytie shee is to bee esteemed immortall for that in all her actions shee had her hartes desyre shee may iustly bee esteemed a Goddesse or rather the very beloued of god Now I report me vnto you is there any Goddesse or Nimph inhabiting the Mount Helicon which maye compare with Queene Hellina not shee of Greece which brought finall destructton vnto the flourishing Troy but shee of Brittayne who redeemed her decaying Country from forraine tyrannye which made not onely a menes for the bodyes of her subiects to liue in quiet peace but she also prescribed vnto theÌ„ an order how they might saue their soules She planted religion amongst her subiects which were at that time sauage neither knowing God nor esteeming godlynesse she was Daughter vnto King Coell shee was Queene of Bryttayne Empresse of the worlde Wyfe vnto Constantius Mother to Constantine the Great Yet the descriptions of time I meane the Chronicles haue lefte so litle reporte of her that I founde her standyng betwixte Forgetfulnesse and Memory almost smothered with Obliuion If shee bee so renowmed as you haue spoken of sayde Memory we shoulde doo her great wrong to deny her a place in this Pageant Speake therefore good Madame Hellina with good leaue your minde and as other by their falles doo set downe examples very necessary for the auoyding of vice so let your history bee a meanes to incourage all men to imbrace vertue Then the good Queene although somewhat abashed yet glad to repeat her lyfe forerunne sayde as followeth ⧠The Lyfe of Queene Hellina How Queene Hellina was Empresse of all the Worlde This Storie dooth declare how happye they bee which liue in the feare and loue of God. MEns due desertes ech Reader may recite For men of men doo make a goodly show But womens workes can neuer come to light No mortall man their famous factes may knowâ— No writer wyll a litle time bestowe The worthy workes of women to repeate Though their renowme and due deserts be great For I by byrth to Coel Daughter deare King Lucy was my good Grandmothers sonne My Father dead I rulde his kyngdome heere And afterwarde the Worlde so wide I wonne â— Empresse was of all vnder the Sunne â— liued long I dyde with perfect blisse â—et writers will repeate no worde of this But now at last I haue obtayned leaue My spotlesse life to paynt in perfect white Though writers would al honour from me reaue Of al renowne they would depriue me quite Yet true report my deedes shal burnishe bright And rubbe the rust which did me much disgrace And set my name in her deserued place From Roman rule who Brittayne did redeme Who planted first Gods woorde in Brittayne land Who did so much virginitie esteme Who did the force of forrayne foes withstand Who al the world subdude without a band Of Martial men who did these noble actes I Hellina haue done these famous factes And now haue here the storye of my state The Brittayne Queene inheritage me crownde Euen then when Romans had so great debate Amongst them selues for Caracallas wounde An Emperour who highly was renownde As then at Rome whose death vndoutedly Diminishte much the Roman Emperie The Romans then were storde with ciuile strife And many Realmes against them did rebell There trouble turnd me to a quiet life My common weale did prosper passing well When al the worlde agreed like Deuils in hel Then I and myne be calmde from Hatreds blast In happy Hauen we harboured were at last Then I a mayd of tender youthful yeares Reporte did say of beutie fresh and fayre Refusde the sute of many noble Peeres Which dayly did vnto my court repayre What though there were vnto my Crowne no heyre Yet I who did regard my Comons good Refusde to linke my selfe with forrayne blood On forrayne Costes on Kingdomes to incroche With wrath of wrackful warres I did despise And fearing aye the ruth of rude reproche With carking care I dayly did deuise How I with peace myght make my kingdome rise And how by lawe of God and man I might Giue Caesar his and vnto God his right No God of heauen no Christ my people knewe Wherefore to Rome for learned men I sent Kinge Lucies lawes decayde I did renewe Then preaching made my people so repent There former faultes that all incontinent Were baptized and they within a space The fayth of Christ so firmly did imbrace That nothing seemed currant in their sight But that which holye writers would alowe And that they would imbrace with all their might To shed their bloud the same for to avowe They did not feare at Verolane euen nowe Amidst the force of fiery flashing flame Albon the Protomartyr proude the same As careful marchaunt men do much reioyce When from those Iles Molocchi they haue brought There frayghted shippes for then they haue great choyce Of Marchandize which trafficke long hath sought To finde the ware which trial true hath taught Wyl get moste gayne which beeing got they giue And cast there care how they thereby may liue So I whom both Sir Neptunes surging Seas And Eoles windes euen God him selfe aboue Did fauoure much my labouring minde to please Geuing those thinges were best for my behoue Gods woorde I mene which al my men did loue The Pearles which Christ commaunded to be bought Muste here be found and no where els be sought Then they and I made haste post hast to leade Our sinful liues as Scripture did alowe We knowing God him loude with feare and dread Deuotion made vs crouche and creepe and bowe Our hartes our heades we sauage were but nowe Yet by and by such was the good successe In fiery flames the truth we did professe Then flittinge Fame the truth to testifie Against my wyl at Rome made such reporte That Constantinus thence dyd hether hye And being come vnto my Brittayne Court With louers lookes hee striude to scale the Fort Of my goodwyll but when it woulde not bee He sighing thus addrest his talk to mee O Queene quoth he thy deedes deserue great fame The goodly giftes that