beames The sable cloudes of night in sunder cleaueth Enameling the earth with golden streames When he his crimson Canopie vpheaueth Such was my beauties pure translucent rayes Which cheerd the Sun cleerd the drouping dayes My lookes perswading orators of Loue My speech diuine infusing harmonie And euery worde so well could passion moue So were my gestures grac'd with modestie As where my thoughts intended to surprize I easly made a conquest with mine eyes A gracious minde a passing louely eye A hand that gaue a mouth that neuer vaunted A chaste desire a tongue that would not lye A lyons heart a courage neuer daunted A sweet conceit in such a cariage placed As with my gesture all my words were graced Such was the worke which nature had begonne As promised a gem of wondrous price This little star foretold a glorious sunne This curious plot an earthly paradice This globe of bewtie wherin all might see An after world of wonders here in mee As in the Autumnall season of the yeare Some death-presaging comet doth arise Or some prodigious mete or doth appeare Or fearfull Chasma vnto humaine eyes Euen such a wonder was I to behold Where heauen seem'd all her secrets to vnfold If cunning'st pensill-man that euer wrought By skilfull arte of secret sumetry Or the diuine Idea of the thought With rare descriptions of high poesy Should all compose a body and a mind Such a one seem'd I the wonder of my kind With this fayre bayte I fisht for Edwards loue My daintie youth so pleasd his princely eye Here sprang the league which time could not remoue So deeply grafted in our Infancie That frend nor foe nor life nor death could sunder So seldome seene and to the world a wonder O heauenly concord musicke of the minde Touching the heart-strings with such harmonie The ground of nature and the law of kinde Which in coniunction doe so well agree Whose reuolution by effect doth proue That mortall men are made diuine by loue O strong combining chaine of secrecie Sweet ioy of heauen the Angels oratorie The bond of faith the seale of sanctitie The soules true blisse youths solace ages glorie An endles league a bond thats neuer broken A thing diuine a word with wonder spoken With this fayre Bud of that same blessed Rose Edward surnam'd Carnaruan by his birth Who in his youth it seem'd that Nature chose To make the like whose like was not on earth Had not his lust and my lasciuious will Made him and me the instruments of ill With this sweete Prince the mirror of my blisse My souls delight my ioy my fortunes pride My youth enioyd such perfect happines Whil'st tutors care his wandring yeares did guide As his affections on my thoughts attended And with my life his ioyes began and ended Whether it were my beauties excellence Or rare perfections that so pleasd his eye Or some diuine and heauenly influence Or naturall attracting Sympathie My pleasing youth became his senses obiect Where all his passions wrought vpon this subiect Thou Arke of Heauen where wonders are inroled O depth of nature who can looke vnto thee O who is he that hath thy doome controuled Or hath the key of reason to vndoe thee Thy workes diuine which powers alone doe knowe Our shallow wittes too short for things belowe The soule diuine by her integritye And by the functious agents of the minde Cleer-sighted so perceiueth through the eye That which is pure and pleasing to her kinde And by hir powrfull motions apprehendeth That which beyond our humaine sence extendeth This Edward in the Aprill of his age Whil'st yet the Crowne sate on his fathers head My Ioue with me his Ganimed his page Frolick as May a lustie life we led He might commaund he was my Soueraigns sonne And what I saide by him was euer done My words as lawes Autentique he alloude Mine yea by him was neuer crost with no All my conceite as currant he auowde And as my shadowe still he serued so My hand the racket he the tennis ball My voyces echo answering euery call My youth the glasse where he his youth beheld Roses his lipps my breath sweete Nectar showers For sn my face was natures fayrest field Richly adornd with Beauties rarest flowers My breast his pillow where he laide his hed Mine eyes his booke my bosome was his bed My smiles were life and Heauen vnto his sight All his delight concluding my desier From my sweete sunne he borrowed all his light And as a flie play'd with my beauties fier His loue-sick lippes at euery kifsing qualme Cling to my lippes to cure their griefe with balme Like as the wanton Yuie with his twyne Whenas the Oake his rootlesse bodie warmes The straightest saplings strictly doth combyne Clipping the woodes with his laciuious armes Such our imbraces when our sporte begins Lapt in our armes like Ledas louely Twins Or as Loue-nursing Venus when she sportes With cherry-lipt Adonis in the shade Figuring her passions in a thousand sortes With sighes and teares or what else might perswade Her deere her sweete her ioy her life her loue Kissing his browe his cheeke his hand his gloue My bewtie was the Load-starre of his thought My lookes the Pilot to his wandring eye By me his sences all a sleepe were brought When with sweete loue I sang his lullaby Nature had taught my tongue her perfect time Which in his eare stroake duely as a chyme With sweetest speech thus could I syranize Which as strong Philters youthes desire could moue And with such method could I rhetorize My musick plaied the measures to his loue In his faire brest such was my soules impression As to his eyes my thoughts made intercession Thus like an Eagle seated in the sunne But yet a Phenix in my soueraigns eye We act with shame our reuels are begunne The wise could iudge of our Catastrophe But we proceede to play our wanton prize Our mournfull Chorus was a world of eyes The table now of all delight is layd Seru'd with what banquets bewtie could deuise The Strens singe and false Calypso playd Our feast is grac'd with youthes sweete comoedies Our looks with smiles are sooth'd of euery eye Carrousing loue in boules of Iuorie Fraught with delight and safely vnder sayle Like flight-wing'd Faucons now we take our scope Our youth and fortune blowe a mery gale We loose the anchor of our vertues hope Blinded with pleasure in this lustfull game By ouersight discard our King with shame My youthfull pranks are spurs to his desire I held the raynes that rul'd the golden sunne My blandishments were fewell to his fyer I had the garland whosoeuer wonne I waxt his winges and taught him art to flye Who on his back might beare me through the skye Here first that sun-bright temple was defild Which to faire vertue first was consecrated This was the fruite wherewith I was beguild Heere first the deede of all my fame was dated O me euen heere from paradice
Peirs Gaueston EARLE OF CORNWALL His life death and fortune Effugiunt auidos carmina sola rogos AT LONDON Printed by I. R. for N. L. and Iohn Busby and are to be sold at the West doore of Paules To the vvorthy and honorable Gentleman Maister Henry Caundish Esquire TIme-enobled Gentleman and euer-honoured Ma. Caundish highly esteeming you in mine owne opinion amongst the number of those who for theyr rare deserts and excellencie of their minds in this world-declining age haue their names registred in the Catilogue of the most worthiest of this time as a kinde Maecenas to Schollers a fauourer of learning and Arts which shall engraue your name with the Diamond of Fame in the Christall mirror of Heauen I present to your iudiciall view the tragicall discourse of the life death and fortune of PEIRS GAVESTON whose name hath been obscured so many yeeres and ouer-past by the Tragaedians of these latter times assuring my selfe your honourable patronage shall protect him against the Art-hating humorists of this malicious time whose enuious thoughts like Quailes feed only on poyson snarling like doggs at euery thing which neuer so little disagreeeth from their owne Stoicall dispositions Thus confirming my selfe in your fauourable and gracious acceptance of my Muse which in my loue I euer consecrate to your honorable House I wish you that happines which is due to your own worth and good desart Your euer affectionate Michaell Drayton Peirs Gaueston FRom gloomy shaddowe of eternall night Where cole-black darknes keeps his lothsome cel And from those Ghostes whose eyes abhorre the light From thence I come a wofull tale to tell Prepare the Stage I meane to acte my parte Sighing the scenes from my tormented hart From Stygian lake to gracelesse soules assign'd And from the floud of burning Acheron Where sinfull spirites are by the fier refinde The fearefull Ghost of wofull Gaueston With black-fac'd furies from the graues attended Vntill the tenor of my tale be ended Wing-footed Fame now sommons me from death In Fortunes triumph to aduance my glorie The blessed Heauens againe doe lend me breath Whilst I reporte this dolefull Tragick storie That soule and bodie which death once did sunder Now meete together to reporte a wonder O purple-buskind Pallas most diuine Let thy bright fauchion lend me Cypresse bowes Be thou assistinge to this Poet of mine And with thy tragicke garland girte his browes Pitying my case when none would heare me weepe To tell my cares hath layde his owne to sleepe You mournfull maydens of the sacred nine You destinies which haunt the shades beneath To you fayre muses I my playnts resigne To you black spirits I my woes bequeath With sable pens of direfull ebonie To pen the processe of my tragedie Drawe on the lines which shall report my life With weeping words distilling from thy pen Where woes abound and ioyes are passing rife A verie meteor in the eies of men Wherein the world a wonder-world may see Of heauen-bred ioye and hell-nurst miserie Declare my ebs my often swelling tide Now tell my calmes and then report my showres My winters stormes and then my summers pride False fortunes smiles then her dissembling lowres The height wherto my glorie did ascend Then poynt the period where my ioyes did end When famous Edward wore the english crowne Victorious Long shankes flower of chiualrie First of his name that raignd in Albion Through worlds renownd to all posteritie My youth began and then began my blis Euen in his daies those blessed daies of his O daies no daies but little worlds of mirth O yeares no yeares time sliding with a trice O world no world a verie heauen on earth O earth no earth a verie paradice A King a man nay more then this was hee If earthly man more then a man might bee Such a one he was as Englands Beta is Such as she is euen such a one was he Betwixt her rarest excellence and his Was neuer yet so neare a Sympathy To tell your worth and to giue him his due I say my soueraigne he was like to you His court a schoole where artes were daily red And yet a campe where armes were exercised Vertue and learning here were nourished And stratagems by souldiers still deuised Heere skilfull schoolmen were his counsaylors Schollers his captaines captaines Senators Here sprang the roote of true gentilitie Vertue was clad in gold and crownd with honor Honor intitled to Nobilitie Admired so of all that looked on her Wisedome not wealth possessed wisemens roomes Vnfitting base insinuating groomes Then Machiuels were loth'd as filthie toades And good men as rare pearles were richly prized The learned were accounted little Gods The vilest Atheist as the plague despised Desert then gaynd that vertues merit craues And artles Pesants scorn'd as basest slaues Pride was not then which all things ouerwhelms Promotion was not purchased with gold Men hew'd their honor out of steeled helms In those dayes fame with bloud was bought and sold No petri-fogger pol'd the poore for pence These dolts these dogs as traytors banisht hence Then was the Souldier prodigall of bloud His deedes eternizd by the Poets pen Who would not dye to doe his countrey good When after death his fame yet liu'd to men Then learning liu'd with liberalitie And men were crownd with immortalitie Graunt pardon then vnto my wandring ghost Although I seeme lasciuious in my prayse And of perfection though I seeme to boast Whilst here on earth I troad this weary maze Whilst yet my soule in bodie did abide And whilst my flesh was pampred here in pride My valiant father was in Gascoygne borne A man at armes and matchles with his launce A Souldier vow'd and to King Edward sworne With whom he seru'd in all his wars in Fraunce His goods and lands he pawnd and layd to gage To follow him the wonder of that age And thus himselfe he from his home exil'd Who with his sword sought to aduance his fame With me his ioy but then a little child Vnto the Court of famous England came Whereas the King for seruice he had done Made me a page vnto the Prince his sonne My tender youth yet scarce crept from the shell Vnto the world brought such a wonderment That all perfection seem'd in me to dwell And that the heauens me all their graces lent Some sware I was the quintessence of nature And some an Angell and no earthly creature The heauens had lim'd my face with such a die As made the curiost eie on earth amazed Tempring my lookes with loue and maiestie A miracle to all that euer gazed So that it seem'd some power had in my birth Ordained me his Image here on earth O bewtious vernish of the heauens aboue Pure grain-dy'd colour of a perfect birth O fairest tincture adamant of loue Angell-hewd blush the prospectiue of mirth O sparkling luster ioying humaine sight Liues ioy hearts fire Loues nurse the soules delight As purple-tressed Titan with his
there I lost my head Loe heer the point and sentence of my time My liues full stop my last Catastrophe The stipend of my death-deserued cryme The Scene that ends my wofull tragedy My latest Vale knitting my conclusion Mine vtter ruine and my fames confusion Like as Adonis wounded with the Bore From whose fresh hurt the life-warme blood doth spin Now lyeth wallowing in his purple gore Stayning his faire and Alablaster skin My headles bodie in the blood is left Now lying breathles and of life bereft 〈◊〉 my Muse put on thy Eagles wings 〈◊〉 some comfort to my tired ghost 〈◊〉 with Apollos dolefull-tuned strings 〈◊〉 help at need for now I need thee most Sorrow posses my hart mine eyes myne ears My breath consume to sighs my braine to tears My soule now in the heauens eternall glass Beholds the scarrs and botches of her sin How filthy vglie and deformd shee was The lothsome dunghill that shee wallowed in Her pure Creator sitting in his glory With eyes of iustice to peruse her storie Like as a stagg at bay amongst the hounds The bloodie Mott still sounding in his ears Feeling his breath diminish by his wounds Poures downe his gummy life-preseruing tears Euen thus my soule now bayted by my sin Consuming shewes the sorrow shee is in Thus comfortles forsaken and alone All worldlie things vnstable and vnsure By true contrition flyes to him alone In whose compare the heauens are most impure By whose iust doome to blessed soules reuealed Shee gets her pasport to Elisia sealed And by repentance finds a place of rest Where passing to the faire Elisian plaine Shee is aloud her roome amongst the blest In those Ambrosian shadowes to remaine Till summond thus by Fame shee is procur'd To tell my life that hath been thus obscur'd This monster now this many-headed beast The people more vnconstant then the wind Who in my life my life did so detest Now in my death are of another mind And with the fountains from their teareful eyes Doe honor to my latest obsequies Star-holding heauen hath shut vp all her light Nature become a stepdam to her owne The mantled trouch-man of the Rauen-hued night In mournfull Sables clad the Horizon The sky-borne Planets seeming to conspire Against the ayre the water earth and fire Pearle-paued Auon in her streamfull course With heauy murmure floting on the stones Mou'd with lament to pitty and remorse Attempering sad musick to my moans Tuning her billowes to Zephyrus breath In watry language doth bewaile my death Oke-shadowed Arden fild with bellowing cries Resounding through her holts and hollow grounds To which the Eccho euer-more replies And to the fields sends forth her hideous sounds And in her Siluan rude vntuned songs Makes byrds and beasts for to express my wrongs The heauen-dyed flowers in this happy clyme Mantling the Medowes in their Summers pride As in the wofull frostie winter time Drouping with faintnes hold their heads aside The boystrous storms dispoile the greenest greues Stripping the Trees stark naked of their leaues Death clad in liueries of my louely cheeks Layd in those beds of Lillyes and of Roses Amaz'd with meruaile heere for wonders seeks Where he alone a Paradice supposes Grew malcontent and with himselfe at strife Not knowing now if hee were death or life And shutting vp the casements of those lyghts Which like two sunns so sweetly went to rest In those faire globes he saw those heauenly sights In which alone he thought him onely blest Cursing himselfe who had depriued breath From that which thus could giue a life in death With palenes touching that fayre rubied lip Now waxing purple like Adonis flower Where Iuory walls those rocks of Curral keep From whence did flow that Nectar-streaming shower There earth-pale Death refresht his tired limms Where Cupid bath'd hym in those Christall brimms And entring now into that house of glory That Temple with sweet Odors long perfumed Where nature had ingraued many a story In Letters which by death were not consumed Accursed now his crueltie he curst That Fame should liue when he had done hys worst Now when the King had notice of my death And that hee saw his purpose thus preuented In greeuous sighes hee now consumes his breath And into tears his very eyes relented Cursing that vile and mercy-wanting age And breakes into this passion in his rage O heauens quoth hee lock vp the liuing day Cease sunn to lend the world thy glorious light Starrs flye your course and wander all astray Moone lend no more thy siluer shine by night Heauens starrs Sunn Moone conioyne you all in one Reuenge the death of my sweet Gaueston Earth be thou helples in thy creaturs berth Sea break thou forth from thy immured bound Ayre with thy vapors poyson thou the earth Wind break thy Caue and all the world confound Earth sea ayre wind conioyne you all in one Bewaile the death of my sweet Gaueston You sauage beasts that haunt the way-less woods You Birds delighted in your Siluan sound You scaly Fish that swim in pleasant floods You hartless Wormes that creep vpon the ground Beasts birds fish wormes each in your kind alone Reuenge the death of my sweet Gaueston Faire Medowes be you withered in the prime Sun-burnt and bare be all the goodly Mountains Groues be you leaueless in the Summer time Pitchy and black be all the Christall Fountains All things on earth each in your kind alone Reuenge the death of my sweet Gaueston You damned Furies break your Stigian Cell You wandring spirits in water earth and ayre Lead-boyling ghosts that liue in lowest hell Gods diuels men vnto mine ayde repayre Come all at once conioyne you all in one Reuenge the death of my sweet Gaueston Eyes neuer sleep vntill you see reuenge Head neuer rest vntill thou plot reuenge Hart neuer think but tending to reuenge Hands neuer act but acting deep reuenge Iust-dooming heauens reuenge mee from aboue That men vnborne may wonder at my loue You peerles Poets of ensuing times Chanting Heroique Angel-tuned notes Or humble Pastors Nectar-filled lines Driuing your flocks with musick to their coats Let your hie-flying Muses still bemoane The wofull end of my sweet Gaueston My earth-pale body now enbalmd with tears To famous Oxford solemnly conuaid There buried by the ceremonious Friers Where for my soule was many a Trentall said With all those rites my obsequies behoued Whose blind deuotion time and truth reproued But ere two yeeres were out and fully dated This gracious King who still my fame respected My wasted bones to Langley thence translated And ouer mee a stately Tombe erected Which world-deuouring Time hath now out-worne As but for Letters were my name forlorne My ghost now hence to Ankor shall repayre Where once the same appeared vnto thee And vnto chaste Idea tell my care A sacrifice both for thy selfe and mee In whose sweet bosome all the Muses rest In whose aspect our Clyme is onely blest Thus hauing told my drery dolefull tale My time expir'd I now returne againe Where Carons Barge hoyst with a merrie gale Shall land mee on the faire Elisian plaine Where on the Trees of neuer dying fame There will I carue Ideas sacred name And thou sweet Dorus whose sole Phoenix Muse With Pegase wings doth mount vnto the sky Whose lines the gods are fittest to peruse My louelie Dorus lend thine humble eye To my harsh stile deer friend at my request In whose conceit my verse is onely blest My deer Maecenas lend thine eyes awhile From Meredian's sun-bred stately straine And from thy rare and lofty flying stile Looke downe into my low and humble vaine On this same babe my Muse hath now brought forth Till shee present thee with some lines of worth FINIS DIuers haue been the opinions of the byrth and first rysing of Gaueston amongst the VVriters of these latter times some omitting things worthy of memory some inferring things without probabilitie disagreeing in many particulars and cauelling in the circumstances of his sundry banishments which hath bred some doubt amongst those who haue but slightly run ouer the History of his fortune seeing euery man roue by his owne ayme in this confusion of opinions Although most of thē concluding in generall of his exceeding credite with the King of the maner of his death and of the pompe wherin he lyued Except some of those VVriters who lyued in the tyme of Edward the second wherin he onely florisht or immediatly after in the golden raigne of Edward the third when as yet his memory was fresh in euery mans mouth whose authorities in myne opinion can hardlie be reproued of any the same beeing within the compasse of possibility and the Authors names extant auouching what they haue written On whom I onely relyed in the plot of my History hauing recourse to some especiall collections gathered by the industrious labours of Iohn Stow a diligent Chronigrapher of our time A man very honest exceeding painfull and ritch in the antiquities of this Ile yet omitting some small things of no moment feating to make his Tragedy more troublesome amongst so many currants as haue fallen out in the same framing my selfe to fashion a body of a hystorie without maime or deformitie VVhich if the same be accepted thankfully as I offer it willingly in contenting you I onely satisfie my selfe M. D.
prayse Sur-named now the wonder of our dayes Who euer sawe the kindest romane dame With extreame ioye yeeld vp her latest breath When from the warres her sonne triumphing came When stately Rome had mourned for his death Her passion here might haue exprest aright When once I came into the Princes sight Who euer had his Ladie in his armes That hath of loue but felt the miserie Touching the fire that all his sences warmes Now clips with ioy her blushing Iuorie Feeling his soule in such delights to melt Ther's none but he can tell the ioye we felt Like as when Phoebus darteth forth his rayes Gliding along the swelling Ocean streames Now whilst one billowe with another playes Reflecteth back his bright translucent beames Such was the conflict then betwixt our eyes Sending forth lookes as teares doe fall and rise It seem'd the ayre deuisde to please my sight The whistling winde makes musick to my tale All things on earth now feast me with delight The world to me sets all her wealth to sale Who now rules all in courte but I alone Who highly grac'd but onely Gaueston Now like to Mydas all I touch is gould The cloudes doe shower downe gould into my lap If I but winke the mightiest are controulde Plac'd on the turret of my highest hap My cofers now euen like to Oceans are To whom all floods by course doe still repayre With bountie now he franckly seales his loue And to my hands yeelds vp the Ile of Man By such a gifte his kingly minde to proue This was the earnest wherewith he began Then VValingford Queene Elnors stately dower With many a towne and many a goodly tower And all those sums his father had preparde By way of taxes for the holy land He gaue me francklie as my due rewarde In bountie thus it seemd he pleasd his hand Which made the worlde to wonder euery houre To see me drowned in this golden showre Determin'd now to hoyst my sayle amaine The Earle of Cornewall he created me Of England then the Lord high Chamberlaine Chiefe Secretarie to his Maiestie What I deuisd his treasure euer wrought His bountie still so answered to my thought Yet more to spice my ioyes with sweete delight bound by his loue aprentice to my pleasure Whose eyes still leuel'd how to please my sight Whose kindnes euer so exceeded measure Deuis'd to quench my thirst with such a drinke As from my quill drops Nectar to my inke O sacred Bountie mother of content Prop of renowne the nourisher of arts The Crowne of hope the roote of good euent The trumpe of Fame the ioye of noble harts Grace of the Heauens diuinitie in nature Whose excellence doth so adorne the creature He giues his Neece in mariage vnto me Of Royall blood for bewtie past compare Borne of his sister was this Bellamie Daughter to Gilbert thrice renowned Clare Chiefe of his house the Earle of Glocester For Princely worth that neuer had his peere Like Heauen-di'd Andromeda the fayre In her embrodered mantle richly dight With Starrie traine inthronis'd in the ayre Adorns the VVelken with her glittering light Such one she was which in my bosome rested With whose deare loue my youthful yeres were feasted As when fayre Ver dight in her flowrie rayle In her new-coloured liueries decks the earth And glorious Tytan spreads his sun-shine vaile To bring to passe her tender infants birth Such was her bewtie which I then possest With whose imbracings all my youth was blest Whose purest thoughts and spotles chaste desire To my affections still so pleasing were Neuer yet toucht with sparke of Venus fier As but her breast I thought no Heauen but there To none more like then fayre Idea she The very image of all chastitie O chastitie that guifte of blessed soul's Comfort in death a crowne vnto the life Which all the passions of the minde controul's Adornes the mayde and bewtifies the wife That grace the which nor death nor time attaints Of earthly creatures making heauenly Saints O Virtue which no muse can poetize Fayre Queene of England which with thee doth rest Which thy pure thoughts doe onely exercize And is impressed in thy royall breast Which in thy life disciphered is alone Whose name shall want a fit Epitheton The Heauens now seeme to frolick at my feaste The Stars as handmayds seruing my desiers Now loue full fed with bewtie takes his rest To whom content for saftie thus retiers The grounde was good my footing passing sure My dayes delightsome and my life secure Loe thus ambition creepes into my breast Pleasing my thoughts with this emperious humor And with this diuell being once possest Mine eares are fild with such a buzzing rumor As onely pride my glorie doth awaite My sences sooth'd with euerie selfe-conceite Selfe-loue prides thirst vnsatisfied desier A flood that neuer yet had any boundes Times pestilence thou state-consuming fier A mischiefe which all common weales confoundes O Plague of plagues how many kingdomes rue thee O happie Empiers that yet neuer knew thee And now reuenge which had been smoothered long Like piercing lightning flasheth from mine eyes This word could sound so sweetely on my tonge And with my thoughts such Stratagems deuise Tickling mine eares with many a pleasing storie Which promist wonders and a world of glorie For now began the bloodie-rayning broyles Betweene the barons of the land and me Labouring the state with Ixion-endles toyles Twixt my ambition and their tyrannie Such was the storme this diluge first begun With which this Ile was after ouerrun O cruell discord foode of deadly hate O mortall corsiue to a common weale Death-lingring consumption to a state A poysoned sore that neuer salue could heale O foule contagion deadly killing feuer Infecting oft but to be cured neuer By courage now imboldned in my sinne Finding my King so surely linkt to me By circumstance I finely bring him in To be an actor in this tragedie Perswading him the Barons sought his blood And on what tearmes these earth-bred giants stood And so aduancing to my Princes Grace The baser sorte of factious qualitie As being raised vnto such a place Might counterpoyse the proude Nobilitie And as my agents on my part might stand Still to support what ere I tooke in hand Suborning gesters still to make me mirth Vile Sycophants at euery word to sooth me Time-fawning Spaniels Mermaydes on the earth Trencher-fed fools with flattering words to smooth me Base Parasites these elbowe-rubbing mates A plague to all lasciuious wanton states O filthie monkies vile and beastly kinde Foule pratling Parats berds of Harpie broode A corasiue to euery noble minde Vipers that suck your mothers deerest blood Mishapen monster worst of any creature A foe to art an enemy to nature His presence grac't what ere I went about His chiefe content was that which liked mee What ere I did his power still bare mee out And where I was there euer-more was hee By byrth my Soueraigne but by loue my
saw it was but folly to be nice That chaunceth once that seldome haps againe I knew such bounty had been seldom seen And since his time I think hath neuer been And now the Barrons which repynd before Because I was too lauish of the treasure And saw my wast consuming ten times more Which doth so far exceed all bonds of measure This as a knife theyr very hart-strings cuts And gnawes them like the Collick in the guts Thus all in vaine they seek to stop the source For presently it ouer-flowes the bounds Yet well perceiue if thus it held his course No question then the Common wealth it drowns And thus lyke men that tread an endlesse Maze Whilst Fortune sports the world stands at a gaze Like Souldiers in a Towne surpriz'd by night Ouer their heads the houses set on fire Sure to be slayne in issuing out to fight Or els be burned if they doe retyre Some curse the time some other blame their fortune Whilst black Dispaire their deaths doth thus importune This gracious King which seemd to sleep the while Finding the yron thus fully had his heat VVith sweet perswasions fitly frames his stile Which in theyr wits doth such a temper beate VVith kindest lookes and sweetest vowes of loue As were of force a Rock of flint to moue His clowdy frownes be turnd to sun-shine smyles And those on whom he lowerd he friendly graces Theyr moody cheer with sporting he beguiles His Lyons lookes be turnd to sweet imbraces That with his will theyr thoughts seeme to accord Such is the loue of subiects to their Lord. And hauing found his kindnes tooke effect He followeth on the quest with hote pursute Nor day nor night he doth the same neglect Vntil the graff was growne to bring forth fruite And that the Barrons all with might and maine Now condiscend to call me home againe O frayle and slyding state of earthly things Blind Fortune chance worlds mutability Aduauncing pesants and debasing Kings Od hap good luck or star-bred destinie Which stil doest fawne and flatter me so oft Novv casts me downe then sett'st me vp aloft In all post-hast the King to Ireland sent His Princely Letters for my safe returne To England now I must in continent It seemes that time all malice hath out-worne The Coast is cleer occasion cals away The gale stands right and driues me from the Bay My whistling sayles make musick with the wind The boystrous waues doe homage to mine eyes The brutish sort of Eols Imps seeme kind And all the clowdes abandoning the skyes Now louely Laedas egg-borne twins appeare Towards Albyons cliues faire Fortune guides my steere The King is come to Chester where he lyes The Court prepared to receiue me there In all the pompe that wit could well deuise As since that time was seldome seene elswhere Where setting once my dainty foote on land He thought him blest that might but kisse my hand In pleasures there we spend the nights and dayes And with our reuels entertaine the time With costly Banquets Masks and stately Playes Painting our loues in many a pleasing rime With rarest Musick and sweet-tuned voyces In which the soule of man so much reioyces Like as the famous braue Egiptian Queene Feasted the Romane great Mark Anthony With Pearl-disolu'd carouses seldom seene Seru'd all in vessell of ritch Iuory Such was the sumptuous banquets he prepard In which no cost or curious thing was spard Or like the Troyan Pryam when as he Beheld his long-lost sonn returne to Troy Tryumphing now in all his iolitie Proud Ilion smokes with th'orges of his ioy Such are our feasts and stately tryumphs heer Which with applauses sound in euery eare Departing thence from Chesters pleasant side Towards London now we trauel with delight VVher euery Citty likewise doth prouide To entertaine vs with some pleasing sight Tyl all our trayne at length to London comes Wher naught is hard but Trumpets bels and drums As when Paulus Aemilius entred Roome And like great Ioue in starlike tryumph came Honored in Purple by the Senats doome Laden with gold and crowned with his fame Such seems our glory now in all mens eyes Our friendship honored with applaudities Or when old Phillips time still-wondred son In his worlds conquest surfetting with spoiles The scourge of Kings returns to Babilon To sport and banquet after all his toiles Such is our glory in our London Court Whereto all Nations dailie make resort And thus blind Fortune lulls mee in her lap And rocks mee still with many a Syrens song Thus plac'd mee on the Atlas of my hap From which shee means to cast mee downe ere long Black vgly fiend O foule mishapen euill In shew an Angel but in deed a diuel Euen as a Lyon got into his pawes The silly Lambe seems yet a while to play Till seeking to escape out of his iawes This beastly King now tears it for his pray Thus hauing got mee in her armes so fast Determins now to feed on mee at last Or as the slaughter-man doth fat the beast Which afterward he meaneth shall be slayne Before prouided to some solemne feast The more therby he may increase his gaine Loe thus proud Fortune feeds mee for the knife For which it seems shee had prepard my life For thus ere long between the King and mee As erst before our reuels now begin And now the Barrons taste theyr misery Opening theyr eyes which makes them see theyr sin The plague once past they neuer felt the sores Till thus againe it haps within theyr dores Like as a man made drunk with foule excess Drowning his soule in thys vile lothly vice Once being sober sees his beastliness Buying repentance with so deer a price Thus they perceiue the bondage they possest In condiscending to the King request The damned Furies heer vnbong the source From whence the Lethe of my vertues burst The black-borne Fates heere labour in that course By which my lyfe and fortune came accurst My death in that star-guiders doome concealed Now in the browes of heauen may be reuealed My youth spurrs on my fraile vntam'd desire Yeelding the raynes to my lasciuious will Vpon the Ise I take my ful careire The place too slippery and my manidge ill Thus like a Colt in danger to be cast Yet still runn on the diuel driues so fast Now wandring in a Laborinth of error Lost in my pride no hope of my returne Of sin and shame my life a perfect mirror No spark of vertue once is seen to burne Nothing there was could be discernd in me But beastly lust and censualitie Black He cate chaunts on her night-spell charmes Which cast me first into this deadly sleep Whilst fier-eyd Ate clips me in his armes And hayles me down to dark Herebus deep Foule sleep-god Morpheus curtains vp the light And shuts my fame in euerlasting night The fixed starrs in their repugnacie Had full concluded of these endles iarrs And nature by some strange Antipathy Had
back a little bagg of stuffe Like to a Souldier that in Campe of late Had been imployd in seruice with the state And safely landed on thys blessed shore Towards VVindsor thus disguis'd I tooke my way Wheras I had intelligence before My wife remaind and there my Edward lay My deerest wife to whom I sent my ring Who made my comming known vnto the King As when old-youthful Eson in his glass Saw from his eyes the cheerfull lightning sprung When as Art-spell Medea brought to pass By hearbs and charms againe to make him young Thus stood King Edward rauisht in the place Fixing his eyes vpon my louely face Or as Muse-meruaile Hero when she clips Her deer Leanders byllow-beaten limms And with sweet kisses seazeth on his lips When for her sake deep Hellespont he swimms Might by our tender-deer imbracings proue Fayre Heros kindnes and Leanders loue Or like the twifold-twynned Geminy In their star-gilded gyrdle strongly tyed Chayn'd by their saffrond tresses in the sky Standing to guard the sun-coche in his pride Like as the Vine his loue the Elme imbracing With nimble armes our bodies interlacing The Barrons hearing how I was arriued And that my late abiurement naught preuailed By my returne of all their hope depriued Theyr bedlam rage no longer now concealed But as hote coles once puffed with the wind Into a flame outbreaking by their kind Like to a man whose foote doth hap to light Into the nest where stinging Hornets ly Vext with the spleen and rising with despight About his head these winged spirits fly Thus rise they vp with mortall discontent By death to end my life and banishment Or like to souldiers in a Towne of war When Sentinell the enemy discries Affrighted with this vnexpected iar All with the fearefull Larum-bell arise Thus muster they as Bees doe in a hyue The idle Drone out of their combes to dryue It seemd the earth with heauen grew malecontent Nothing is hard but warrs and Armors ringing New stratagems each one doth now inuent The Trumpets shril their warlike poynts be singing Each souldiour now his crested plume aduances They manidge horses and they charge their launces As when vnder a vast and vaulty roofe Some great assembly happily appears A man from thence that standeth out a loofe A murmuring confused rumor hears Such is the noyse from earth to heauen rebounding With shrikes and clamors euery where resounding Lyke as the Ocean chafing with hys bounds With raging billowes flyes against the Rocks And to the shore sends forth his hydeous sounds Making the earth to tremble with his shocks Euen thus the murmure flyes from shore to shore Lyke to the Canons battering fearefull rore By day and night attended still with spyes The Court become the cause of al our woes The Country now a Campe of enemies The Citties all be-peopled with our foes Our very beds are snares made to enwrap vs Our surest guard as Traytors doe intrap vs. Like to a cry of roring-mouthed hounds Rouzing the long-liu'd stagg out of his layre Pursue the chase through vastie forrest grounds So lyke a thunder ratling in the ayre Thus doe they hunt vs still from coast to coast Most hated now of those we loued most Thys gracious Prince loe thus becomes my guide And with a Conuoy of some chosen friends Brings mee to Yorke where being fortified To Balioll the King of Scots hee sends And to the Welchmen crauing both their ayde That by their help the Barrons might be stayd But they which in their busines neuer slept And as it seemd had well fore-seen thys thing Cause all the Ports and Marches to be kept That none should enter once to ayde the King And by disswasiue Letters still deuise To stay theyr neighbors from this enterprize Loe in this sort the King and I betrayd And to their wills thus left as wofull thralls And finding now no further hope of ayde We shut vs vp within Yorkes aged walls Vntill we knew the Barrons full intent And what all this rude hurly burly meant This gracious King for want of wonted rest Fallen in these passions to an extasie With grieuous sicknes is so sore opprest And grown in time to such extreamity As he is forced to depart away To take the ayre awhile vpon the Sea From Bedford now the synod of their shame The counsell house of all their villany These bloody Barrons with an Army came Downe vnto York where they besieged mee That now not able to resist their might Am forst perforce to flye away by night To Scarborough with speed away I post With that small force the Citty then could lend me The strongest Castell there in all the coast And as I thought the surest to defend me Where as I might withstand them by my power Hoping the Kings returning euery howre But now like to a sousing suddaine raine Forc'd by a strong and sturdy easterne blast Or like a hayle-storme downe they come amaine And in the Castell gert me now so fast No way to scape nor hope for mee to flie My choyce was hard or yeeld my selfe or die Away thus like a prysoner am I led My costly robes in peeces rent and torne Bound hand and foote my haire disheuiled Naked and bare as euer I was borne Saue but for shame to stop the peoples cryes With griefe am clothed of mine enemies Along the Land toward Oxford they conuay mee Like bauling currs they all about mee houle With words of foule reproch they now repay mee Wondring my shame as byrds doe at an Owle Cursing my life my manners and my birth A scourge of God ordaind to plague the earth The King now hearing how I was arested And knew my quarrell cause of all this strife He writes he sends he sues he now requested Vsing all means he could to saue my life With vowes and othes that all should be amended If that my death alone might be suspended And being brought to Dedington at last By Aymer Valence Earle of Pembrook then Who towards King Edward rode in all the hast And left mee guarded safelie by his men This gentle Earle with meer compassion moued For Edwards sake whom hee so deerly loued But now Guy Beuchampe whom I feared still The Earle of VVarwick whom I called curr Hauing fit time to execute his will The Foxe thus caught he vowes to teare my furr And he for whom so oft he sett the trap By good ill luck is fallen into his lap This bloody Beuchampe I may tearme him so For this was he that onely sought my blood Now at the vp-cast of mine ouer-throw And on the chaunce wheron my fortune stood To Dedington hee came where as I lay And by his force hee tooke mee thence away To VVarwick thus along hee doth mee bring And keeps me guarded in the Castell there And doubting now my succour from the King Hee rayseth vp the power of VVarwick-shiere Thus from the Towne to Blacklow I was led And on a Scaffold