loose thy breath that yet but yongly bloweth Happie thrice happie who so loos'th his breath That life he gaineth by his godly death As Hastings heere Whom time and truth agree To engraue by fame in strong eternitie Who spareth not speaking with danger of his blood Yet loe this noble Lord did thinke it good To cleare the innocent not to spare to speake Although his shoulders with his blood should reake Worthie to liue who liu'd not for himselfe But prised his same more then this worldly pelfe Whose name and line if any yet preserue We wish they liue like honor to destrue Whether thou seeke by martiall prowese praise Or Pallas policie high thy name to raise Or trustie seruice honor to attaine Hastings foreled tracke heere his bloodie traine FINIS Master D. THE COMPLAINT OF HENRIE DVKE of Buckingham WHo trusts too much to honors highest throne And warily watch not slie dame Fortunes snares Or who in Court will beare the swing alone And wisely weigh not how to weild the care Behold he me and by my death beware Whom flattering Fortune falsely so beguilde That loe she slew where erst full smooth shee smilde And Sackuill sith in purpose now thou hast The wofull fall of Princes to descriue Whom Fortune both vplift and eke downe cast To shew thereby th' vnsuretie in this life Marke well my fall which I shall shew beliue And paint it forth that all estates may know Haue they the warning and be mine the woe For noble blood made me both Prince and Peere Yea peerelesse too had reason purchast place And God with gifts endow'd me largely heere But what auailes his gifts where failes his grace My mothers sire sprung of a kingly race And call'd was Edmund Duke of Sommerset Bereft of life ere time by nature set Whose faithfull heart to Henrie sixt so wrought That he him nere in weale or woe forsooke Till lastly he at Tewkesbury field was cought Where with an axe his violent death he tooke He neuer could King Edwards partie brooke Till by his death he voucht that quarrell good In which his Sire and Grand-sire spilt their blood And such was erst my fathers cruell chance Of Stafford Earle by name that Humfrey hight Who euer prest did Henries part aduance And neuer ceast till at Saint Albones fight He lost his life as then did many a Knight Where eke my Grandsire Duke of Buckingham Was wounded sore and hardly scapt vntane But what may boote to stay the Sisters three When Atropos perforce will cut the thred The dolefull day was come when you might see Northampton field with armed men orespred VVhere fate would algates haue my Grandsire dead So rushing forth amids the fiercest fight He liu'd and di'd there in his Masters right In place of whom as it befell my lot Like on a stage so stept I in straightway Enioying there but wofully God wot As he that had a slender part to play To teach thereby in earth no state may stay But as our parts abridge or length our age So passe we all while others fill the stage For of my selfe the dreerie fate to plaine I was sometime a Prince withouten peere VVhen Edward fift began his rufull raigne Ay me then I began that hatefull yeare To compasse that which I haue bought so deare I bare the swinge I and that wretched wight The Duke of Glocester that Richard hight For when the fates had reft that Roiall Prince Edward the fourth chiefe mirrour of that name The Duke and I fast ioined euer since In faithfull loue our secret dristes to frame VVhat he thought best to me so seem'd the same My selfe not bent so much for to aspire As to fulfill that greedy Dukes desire Whose restlesse minde sore thirsting after rule When that he saw his nephewes both to bin Through tender yeares as yet vnfit to rule And rather ruled by their Mothers kin There sought he first his mischiefe to begin To pluck from them their Mothers friends assinde For well he wist they would wistand his minde To follow which he ran so headlong swift With eagre thirst of his desired draught To seeke their deaths that sought to dash his drift Of whom the chiefe the Queenes allies he thought That bent thereto with mounts of mischiefe fraught He knew their liues would be so sore his let That in their deaths his onely help he set And I most cursed caitiffe that I was Seeing the state vnstedfast how it stood His chiefe complice to bring the same to passe Vnhappie wretch consented to their blood Yee Kings and Peeres that swim in worldly good In seeking bloud the end aduert you plaine And see if bloud ay aske not bloud againe Consider Cyrus in your cruell thought A matchlesse Prince in riches and in might And weigh in minde the bloudy deedes he wrought In sheading which he set his whole delight But see the guerdon lotted to this wight He whose huge power no man might ouerthrow Tamiris Queene with great despite hath slow His head dismembred from his mangled corps Her selfe she cast into a vessell fraught VVith clottered bloud of them that felt her force And with these words a iustreward she taught Drinke now thy fill of thy desired draught Loe marke the fine that did this Prince befall Marke not this one but marke the end of all Behold Cambises and his fatall day Where murders mischiefe mirrour like is left While he his brother Mergus cast to slay A dreadfull thing his wits were him bereft A sword he caught wherewith he pierced eft His bodie gor'd which he of life benoomes So iust is God in all his dreadfull doomes O bloodie Brutus rightly didst thou rue And thou O Cassius iustly came thy fall That with the sword wherewith thou Caesar slue Murdredst thy selfe and reft thy life withall A Mirrour let him be vnto you all That murdrers be of murder to your meed For murder cries out vengeance on your seed Loe Bessus he that arm'd with murdrers knife And traytrours heart against his royall King With bloodie hands bereft his masters life Aduert the fine his foule offence did bring And lothing murder as most lothly thing Behold in him the iust deserued fall That euer hath and shall betide them all What booted him his false vsurped raigne Whereto by murder he did so ascend When like a wretch led in an iron chaine He was presented by his chiefest friend Vnto the foes of him whom he had slaine That euen they should auenge so foule a gilt That rather sought to haue his blood yspilt Take heed ye Princes and ye Prelats all Of this outrage which though it sleepe a while And not disclos'd as it doth seld befall Yet God that suffereth silence to beguile Such guilts wherewith both earth and aire ye file At last descries them to your foule disgrace You see th' examples set before your face And deeply graue within your stony harts The dreerie dole that mightie Macedo With tears
vnfolded wrapt in deadly smarts VVhen he the death of Clitus sorowed so VVhom erst he murdred with the deadly blow Raught in his rage vpon his friend so deare For which behold loe how his pangs appeare The launced speare he writhes out of the wound From which the purple bloud spins in his face His heinous guilt when he returned found He throwes himselfe vpon the corps alas And in his armes how oft doth he imbrace His murdred friend and kissing him in vaine Forth flow the flouds of salt repentant raine His friends amaz'd at such a murder done In fearefull flocks begin to shrinke away And he therat with heapes of grief fordone Hateth himselfe wishing his latter day Now he likewise perceiued in like stay As is the wilde beast in the desert bred Both dreading others and him selfe adred He calles for death and loathing longer life Bent to his bane refuseth kindly food And plung'd in depth of death and dolours strife Had queld himselfe had not his friends withstood Loe he that thus hath shed the guiltlesse bloud Though he were King and Kesar ouer all Yet chose he death to guerdon death withall This Prince whose Peere was neuer vnder sunne Whose glistening fame the earth did ouerglide Which with his power welny the world had wonne His bloudy hands himselfe could not abide But folly bent with famine to haue dide The worthy Prince deemed in his regard That death for death could be but iust reward Yet we that were so drowned in the depth Of deepe desire to drinke the guiltlesse bloud Like to the Wolfe with greedy lookes that lepth Into the snare to feed on deadly food So we delighted in the state we stood Blinded so far in all our blinded traine That blind we saw not our destruction plaine We spared none whose life could ought forlet Our wicked purpose to his passe to come Foure worthy Knights we headed at Pomfret Guiltelesse God wot withouten law or dome My heart euen bleedes to tell you all and some And how Lord Hastings when he feared least Dispiteously was murdred and opprest These rocks vpraught that threatned most our wreck We seemd to saile much surer in the streame And Fortune faring as she were at becke Laid in our lap the rule of all the Realme The Nephues straight deposde were by the Eame And we aduanst to that we bought full deere He crowned King and I his chiefest Peere Thus hauing won our long desired pray To make him King that he might make me chiefe Downe throw we straight his silly Nephues tway From Princes pompe to wofull prisoners life In hope that now stint was all further strife Sith he was King and I chiefe stroke did beare Who ioied but we yet who more cause to feare The guiltles bloud which we vniustly shed The roiall babes deuested from their throne And we like traytours raigning in their stead These heauy burdens passed vs vpon Tormenting vs so by our selues alone Much like the felon that pursu'd by night Starts at ech bush as his foe were in sight Now doubting state now dreading losse of life In feare of wrack at euery blast of winde Now start in dreames through dread of murders knife As though euen then reuengement were assinde With restles thought so is the guilty minde Turmoild and neuer feeleth ease or stay But liues in feare of that which followes aye Well gaue that Iudge his doome vpon the death Of Titus Celius that in bed was slaine When euery wight the cruell murder laieth To his two sonnes that in his chamber laine The Iudge that by the proofe perceiueth plaine That they were found fast sleeping in their bed Hath deemd them guiltles of this bloud yshed He thought it could not be that they which brake The lawes of God and man in such outrage Could so forth with themselues to sleepe betake He rather thought the horrour and the rage Of such an heinous guilt could neuer swage Nor neuer suffer them to sleepe or rest Or dreadles breath one breth out of their brest So gnawes the griefe of conscience euermore And in the heart it is so deepe ygraue That they may neither sleepe nor rest therefore Ne thinke one thought but on the dread they haue Still to the death foretossed with the waue Of restles woe in terrour and despeare They lead a life continually in feare Like to the Deere that stricken with the dart Withdrawes himselfe into some secret place And feeling greene the wound about his hart Startles with pangs till he falt on the grasse And in great feare lies gasping there a space Forth braying sighes as though ech pang had brought The present death which 〈…〉 dread so oft So we deepe wounded with the bloodie thought And gnawing worme that grieu'd our conscience so Neuer tooke ease but as our heart out brought The stayned sighes in witnes of our woe Such restlesse cares our fault did well beknow Wherewith of our deserued fall the feares In euery place rang death within our eares And as ill graine is neuer well ykept So fared it by vs within a while That which so long with such vnrest we reapt In dread and danger by all wit and wile Loe see the fine when once it felt the whele Of slipper Fortune stay it might no stowne The wheele whurles vp but straight it whurleth downe For hauing rule and riches in our hand Who durst gaine say the thing that we auer'd Will was wisdome our lust for law did stand In sort so strange that who was not afeard When he the sound but of King Richard heard So hatefull waxt the hearing of his name That you may deeme the residue of the same But what auail'd the terrour and the feare Wherewith he kept his lieges vnder awe It rather wan him hatred euery where And fained faces forc'd by feare of law That but while Fortune doth with fauour blaw Flatter through feare for in their heart lurkes aye A secret hate that hopeth for a day Recordeth Dionysius the King That with his rigour so his Realme opprest As that he thought by cruell feare to bring His subiects vnder as him liked best But loe the dread wherewith himselfe was strest And you shall see the fine of forced feare Most Mirrour like in this proud Prince appeare All were his head with crowne of gold yspread And in his hand the royall scepter set And he with princely purple richly clad Yet was his heart with wretched cares orefret And inwardly with deadly feare beset Of those whom he by rigour kept in awe And fore opprest with might of tyrants law Against whose feare no heapes of gold and glie No strength of guard nor all his hired powre Ne proud high towres that preased to the skie His cruell heart of safetie could assure But dreading them whom he should deeme most sure Himselfe his beard with burning brand would seare Of death deseru'd so vexed him the feare This might suffice to represent the fine Of
to the morning mist And straight againe the teares how they down rold Alongst his cheekes as if the riuers hist Whose flowing streames ne were no sooner whist But to the stars such dreadfull shouts he sent As if the throne of mighty Ioue should rent And I the while with sprits welny bereft Beheld the plight and pangs that did him straine And how the bloud his deadly colour left And straight returnd with flaming red againe When suddenly amid his raging paine He gaue a sigh and with that sigh hee said Oh Banastaire and straight againe he staid Dead lay his corps as dead as any stone Till swelling sighs storming within his breast Vpraisd his head that downeward fell anon With lookes vpcast and sighs that neuer ceast Forth streamd the teares records of his vnrest When he with shrikes thus groueling on the ground Ybraied these words with shrill and dolefull sound Heauen and earth and ye eternall lamps That in the heauens wrapt will vs to rest Thou bright Phoebe that clearest the nights damps Witnesse the plaints that in these pangs opprest I wofull wretch vnlade out of my brest And let me yeeld my last words ere I part You you I call to record of my smart And thou Alecto feede mee with thy food Let fall thy serpents from thy snaky heare For such reliefe well fits mee in this mood To feede my plaint with horrour and with feare While rage afresh thy venomd worme areare And thou Sibylla when thou seest mee faint Addresse thy selfe the guide of my complaint And thou O Ioue that with the deepe fordoome Dost rule the earth and raigne aboue the skies That wreakest wrongs and giu'st the dreadful doome Against the wretch that doth thy name despise Receiue these words and wreake them in such wise As heauen and earth may witnesse and behold Thy heapes of wrath vpon this wretch vnfold Thou Banastaire gainst thee I clepe and call Vnto the Gods that they iust vengeance take On thee thy bloud thy stained stocke and all O Ioue to thee aboue the rest I make My humble plaint guide me that what I speake May be thy will vpon this wretch to fall On thee Banastaire wretch of wretches all O would to God the cruell dismal day That gaue me light first to behold thy face With foule eclipse had reft my sight away Th' vnhappy hower the time and eke the day The Sunne and Moone the Stars and all that was In their aspects helping in ought to thee The earth and aire and all accursed be And thou caitiffe that like a monster swarued From kind and kindnes hast thy master lorne Whom neither trueth nor trust wherein thou serued Ne his deserts could moue nor thy faith sworne How shall I curse but wish that thou vnborne Had beene or that the earth had rent in tway And swallowed thee in cradle as thou laie To this did I euen from thy tender youth Vouchsafe to bring thee vp did I herefore Beleeue the oth of thy vndoubted truth Aduance thee vp and trust thee euermore By trusting thee that I should die therfore O wretch and worse then wretch what shall I say But clepe and curse gainst thee and thine for aye Hated be thou disdaind of euery wight And pointed at where euer that thou goe A traiterous wretch vnworthy of the light Be thou esteemd and to encrease thy woe The sound be hatefull of thy name also And in this sort with shame and sharp reproch Lead thou thy life till greater griefe approch Dole and despaire let those be thy delight Wrapped in woes that cannot be vnfold To waile the day and weepe the weary night With rainy eine and sighes cannot be told And let no wight thy woe seeke to withhold But count thee worthy wretch of sorowes store That suffering much oughtst still to suffer more Deserue thou death yea be thou deem'd to die A shamefull death to end thy shamefull life A sight longed for ioifull to euery eye When thou shalt be arraigned as a theefe Standing at bar and pleading for thy life With trembling tongue in dread and dolours rage Lade with white lockes and fourscore yeares of age Yet shall not death deliuer thee so soone Out of thy woes so happy shalt not be But to th' eternall Ioue this is my boone That thou maist liue thine eldest sonne to see Reft of his wits and in a soule Bores stye To end his daies in rage and death distrest A worthy tombe where one of thine should rest Yet after this yet pray I more thou may Thy second sonne see drowned in a dike And in such sort to close his latter day As heard or seene erst hath not been the like Ystrangled in a puddle not so deepe As halfe a foot that such hard losse of life So cruelly chanst may be the greater griefe And not yet shall thy dolefull sorrowes cease Ioue shall not so withhold his wrath from thee But that thy plagues may more and more encrease Thou shalt still liue that thou thy selfe maist see Thy daughter strucken with the leprosie That she that erst was all thy whole delight Thou now maist loath to haue her come in sight And after that let shame and sorrowes griefe Feed forth thy yeares continually in woe That thou maist liue in death and die in life And in this sort forwaild and wearied so At last thy ghost to part thy bodie fro This pray I Ioue and with this latter breath Vengeance I aske vpon my cruell death This said he flung his retchlesse armes abroad And groueling flat vpon the ground he lay Which with his teeth he all to gnasht and gnaw'd Deepe grones he fet as he that would away But loe in vaine he did the death assay Although I thinke was neuer man that knew Such deadly paines where death did not ensue So stroue he thus a while as with the death Now pale as lead and cold as any stone Now still as calme now storming forth a breath Of smokie sighes as breath and all were gone But euery thing hath end so he anon Came to himselfe when with a sigh outbrayed With woefull cheere these woefull words he said Ah where am I what thing or whence is this Who rest my wits or how do I thus lie My limbes do quake my thought agasted is Why sigh I so or whereunto do I Thus groule on the ground and by and by Vprais'd he stood and with a sigh hath stai'd When to himselfe returned thus he said Sufficeth now this plaint and this regrete Whereof my heart his bottome hath vnfraught And of my death let Peeres and Princes were The worlds vntrust that they thereby be taught And in her wealth sith that such change is wrought Hope not too much but in the mids of all Thinke on my death and what may them befall So long as Fortune would permit the same I liu'd in rule and riches with the best And past my time in honor and in fame
shamefull death no earthly wight bemones For in thy life thy workes were hated so That euery man did wish thy ouerthro Wherefore I may though partiall now I am Curse euery cause whereof thy bodie came Woe worth the man that fathered such a child Woe worth the houre wherein thou wast begate Woe worth the brests that haue the world beguil'd To nourish thee that all the world did hate Woe worth the gods that gaue thee such a fate To liue so long that death deseru'd so oft Woe worth the chance that set thee vp aloft Yee Princes all and Rulers euery chone In punishment beware of hatreds ire Before yee scourge take heed looke well thereon In wroths ill will if malice kindle fire Your hearts will burne in such a hot desire That in those flames the smoke shall dim your sight Yee shall forget to ioyne your iustice right You should not iudge till things be well discerned Your charge is still to maintaine vpright lawes In conscience rules ye should be throughly learned Where clemencie bids wrath and rashnes pause And further saith strike not without a cause And when ye smite do it for iustice sake Then in good part each man your scourge wil take If that such zeale had mou'd this tyrants mind To make my plague a warrant for the rest I had small cause such fault in him to find Such punishment is vsed for the best But by ill will and powre I was opprest He spoil'd my goods and left me bare and poore And caused me to beg from dore to doore What fall was this to come from Princes fare To watch for crums among the blind and lame When almes were delt I had an hungrie share Because I knew not how to aske for shame Till force and need had brought me in such frame That starue I must or learne to beg an almes With booke in hand to say S. Dauids Psalmes Where I was wont the golden chaines to weare A paire of beads about my necke was wound A linnen cloth was lapt about my heare A ragged gowne that trayled on the ground A dish that clapt and gaue a heauie sound A staying staffe and wallet therewithall I bare about as witnesse of my fall I had no house wherein to hide my head The open streete my lodging was perforce Full oft I went all hungrie to my bed My flesh consum'd I looked like a corse Yet in that plight who had on me remorse O God thou know'st my friends forsooke me then Not one holpe me that succred many a man They froun'd on me that faun'd on me before And fled from me that followed me full fast They hated me by whom I set much store They knew full well my fortune did not last In euery place I was condemn'd and cast To pleade my cause at barre it was no boote For euery man did tread me vnder foote Thus long I liu'd all wearie of my life Till death approcht and rid me from that woe Example take by me both maid and wife Beware take heed fall not to follie so A mirour make by my great ouerthro Defie the world and all his wanton waies Beware by me that spent so ill her daies Tho. Churchyard HOW THOMAS WOLSEY DID ARISE VNTO GREAT authoritie and gouernment his manner of life pompe and dignitie and how he fell downe into great disgrace and was arrested of high treason Anno 1530. SHall I looke on when States step on the stage And play their parts before the peoples face Some men liue now scarce fourescore yeares of age Who in time past did know the Cardnals Grace A gamesome world when Bishops run at bace Yea get a fall in striuing for the gole And bodie lose and hazard silly sole Ambitious mind a world of wealth would haue So scrats and scrapes for scorfe and scornie drosse And till the flesh and bones be hid in graue Wit neuer rests to grope for mucke and mosse Fie on proud pompe and gilded bridles bosse O glorious gold the gaping after thee So blinds mine eyes they can no danger see Now note my birth and marke how I began Behold from whence rose all this pride of mine My father but a plaine poore honest man And I his sonne of wit and iudgement fine Brought vp at schoole and prou'd a good Diuine For which great gifts degree of schoole I had And Batchler was and I a little lad So tasting some of Fortunes sweete concaits I clapt the hood on shoulder braue as Son And hopte at length to bite at better baits And fill my mouth ere banquet halfe were don Thus holding on the course I thought to ron By many a feast my belly grew so big That Wolsey streight became a wanton twig Loe what it is to feed on daintie meate And pamper vp the gorge with suger plate Nay see how lads in hope of higher seate Rise early vp and studie learning late But he thriues best that hath a blessed fate And he speeds worst that world will nere aduance Nor neuer knowes what meanes good lucke nor chance My chance was great for from a poore mans son I rose aloft and chopt and chang'd degree In Oxford first my famous name begon Where many a day the scholers honor'd mee Then thought I how I might a courtier bee So came to Court and feathred there my wing With Henrie th' eight who was a worthie King He did with words assay me once or twice To see what wit and readie sprite I had And when he saw I was both graue and wise For some good cause the King was wondrous glad Then downe I lookt with sober countnance sad But heart was vp as high as hope could go That suttle fox might win some fauour so We worke with wiles the minds of men like wax The fawning whelp gets many a piece of bred We follow Kings with many cunning knacks By searching out how are their humours fed He haunts no Court that hath a doltish hed For as in gold the pretious stone is set So finest wits in Court the credit get I quickly learn'd to kneele and kisse the hand To wait at heele and turne like top about To stretch out necke and like an Image stand To taunt to scoffe and face the matter out To prease in place among the greatest rout Yet like a Priest my selfe did well behaue In faire long gowne and goodly garments graue Where Wolsey went the world like Beeswould swarme To heare my speech and note my nature well I could with tongue vse such a kind of charme That voice full cleare should sound like siluer bell When head deuis'd a long discourse to tell With stories strange my speech should spised be To make the world to muse the more on me Each tale was sweet each word a sentence waid Each eare I pleas'd each eye gaue me the view Each Iudgement markt and paused what I said Each mind I fed with matter rare and new Each day and houre my
refuse The rich and poore and eu'ry one may see Which way to loue and liue in due degree I wish them often well to reade it than And marke the causes why those Princes fell But let me end my tale that I began When I had read these Tragedies full well And past the winter euenings long to tell One night at last I thought to leaue this vse To take some ease before I chang'd my Muse Wherefore away from reading I me gate My heauie head waxt dull for want of rest I laid me downe the night was waxed late For lacke of sleepe mine eyes were sore opprest Yet fancie still of all their deaths encreast Me thought my mind from them I could not take So worthie wights as caused me to wake At last appeared clad in purple blacke Sweet Somnus rest which comforts each aliue By ease of mind that weares away all wracke That noysome night from wearie wits doth driue Of labours long the pleasures we atchieue Whereat I ioy'd sith after labours past I might enioy sweet Somnus sleepe at last But he by whom I thought my selfe at rest Reuiued all my fancies fond before I more desirous humblie did request Him shew th' vnhappie Albion Princes yore For well I wist that he could tell me more Sith vnto diuers Somnus erst had told What things were done in elder times of old Then straight he forth his seruant Morpheus call'd On Higins heere thou must quoth he attend The Britaine Peeres to bring whom Fortune thral'd From Lethean lake and th' ancient shapes them lend That they may shew why how they tooke their end I wil quoth Morpheus shew him what they were And so me thought I saw them straight appeare One after one they came in strange attire But some with wounds and blood were so disguis'd You scarcely could by reasons aid aspire To know what warre such sundrie deaths deuis'd And seuerally those Princes were surpris'd Of former state these States gaue ample show Which did relate their liues and ouerthrow Of some the faces bold and bodies were Distain'd with woad and Turkish beards they had On th' ouer lips mutchatoes long of haire And wilde they seem'd as men despairing mad Their lookes might make a constant heart full sad And yet I could not so forsake the view Nor presence ere their minds I likewise knew For Morpheus bad them each in order tell Their names and liues their haps and haplesse daies And by what meanes from Fortunes wheele they fell Which did them erst vnto such honors raise Wherewith the first not making moe delaies A noble Prince broad wounded brest that bare Drew neere to tell the cause of all his care Which when me thought to speak he might be bold Deepe from his brest he threw an vnquoth sound I was amaz'd his gestures to behold And blood that freshly trickled from his wound With echo so did halfe his words confound That scarce a while the sense might plaine appeare At last me thought he spake as you shall heare Faults escaped PAge 555. lin 17. browes reade bowes p. 566. l. 10. left r. let p. 579. l. 3. sh r. shore p. 583. l. 13. speele r. steele p. eadem l. 15 vaines flow r. vaines did flow p. 588. l. 3. nor r. not p. 599. l. 28. approth r. approch p. 600. l. 11. t' abate r. to abate p. 629. l. 23. this r. his p. 636. l. 5. foe r. woe p. 657. l. 16. soee r. loare p. 671. l 32. with Austrian r. with th' Austrian p. 682. l. 7. let r. le ts p. 683. l. 37. to obtaine r. t' obtaine p. 706. l. 15. I r. O. p. 728. l. 15. But r. Blunt in some copies p. 793. marg Anno Reg. 51. r. 15. p. 834. l. 13. recoil'd r. recoile p. 855. l. 30. throne r. chaire 866. l. 25. house tops r. houses tops HOW KING ALBANACT THE YOVNGEST SONNE OF BRVTVS AND FIRST KING OF Albany now called Scotland was slaine by king Humber the yeere before Christ 1085. SIth flattering Fortune slily could beguile Mee first of Britaine Princes in this land And yet at first on mee did sweetely smile Behold mee here that first in presence stand And when thou well my wounded corps hast scand Then shalt thou heare my hap to penne the same In stories called Albanactae by name Lay feare aside let nothing thee amaze Ne haue despaire ne scuse the want of time Leaue off on mee with fearefull lookes to gaze Thy pen may serue for such a tale as mine First I will tell thee of my fathers line Then why he flying from the Latin land Did saile the seas and found the Briton strand And last I minde to tell thee of my selfe My life and death a Tragedy so true As may approue your world is all but pelfe And pleasures sweete whom sorrowes aye ensue Hereafter eke in order comes a crue Which can declare of worldly pleasures vaine The price we all haue bought with pinching paine When Troy was sackt and brent and could not stand Aeneas fled from thence Anchises sonne And came at length to King Latinus land He Turnus slew Lauinia eke he wonne After whose death Ascanius next his sonne Was crowned King and Siluius then his heire Espoused to a Latine Lady faire By her had Siluius shortly issue eke A goodly Prince and Brutus was his name But what should I of his misfortune speake For hunting as he minded strike the game He strook his father that beyond it came The quarrell glaunst and through his tender fide It flew where through the noble Siluius dide Lo thus by chance though princely Brutus slew His father Siluius sore against his will Which came too soone as he his arrow drew Though he in chace the game did mind to kill Yet was he banisht from his countrey still Commanded thither to returne no more Except he would his life to lose therefore On this to Greece Lord Brutus tooke his way Where Troians were by Grecians captiues kept Helenus was by Pirrhus brought away From death of Troians whom their friends bewept Yet he in Greece this while no busines slept But by his facts and feates obtain'd such fame Seuen thousand captiue Troians to him came Assaracus a noble Grecian eke Who by his mother came of Troian race Because he saw himselfe in Greece too weake Came vnto him to aide him in this case For of his brother he could finde no grace Which was a Greeke by both his parents sides His Castles three the Troian Brutus guides While he to be their Captaine was content And as the Troians gathered to his band Ambassage to the Grecian King he sent For to entreate they might depart his land Which when King Pandrasus did vnderstand An armie straight he did therefore addresse On purpose all the Troians to suppresse So as King Pandrasus at Spartane towne Thought them in deserts by to circumuent The Troians with three thousand beate them downe Such fauour loe them Ladie Fortune
faithfull men so valiant bold and stout What pleasures more on earth could lightly be Then win an Ile and liue deuoid of doubt An Ile said I nay nam'd the world throughout Another world sith sea doth it diuide From all that wants not all the world beside What subiects eke more happie were then these Had such a King of such a noble heart And such a land enioyd and liu'd at ease Whereof ech man almost might chuse his part No feare of foes vnknowne was treasons art No faining friends no fauning Gnatoes skill No Thrasoes brags but bearing ech good will But as ech summer once receiues an end And as no State can stable stand for aye As course of time doth cause things bow and bend As euery pleasure hath her ending day As will can neuer passe the power of may Euen so my father happie daies that spent Perceiu'd he must by sicknesse last relent As doth the shipman well foresee the storme And knowes what danger lies in Syrtes of sand Eke as the husbandman prouides beforne When he perceiues the winter cold at hand Euen so the wise that course of things haue scand Can well the end of sicknes great presage When it is ioyn'd with yeeres of stooping age His sonnes and Counsell all assembled were For why he sent for vs and them with speed We came in hast this newes did cause vs feare Sith so he sent we thought him sick indeed And when we all approcht to him with speed Too soone alas his Grace right sick we found And him saluted as our duties bound And casting of his wofull eyes aside Not able well to moue his painfull head As silent we with teares his minnde abide He wild himselfe be reared in his bed Which done with sight of vs his eyes he fed Eke pausing so a while for breath he staid At length to them and vs thus wise he said No maruaile sure though you here with be sad You noble Britaines for your Brutus sake Sith whilom me your captaine stout you had That now my leaue and last farwell must take Thus nature willes me once an ende to make And leaue you here behinde which after mee Shall die as me depart before you see You wot wherefore I with the Grecians fought With dint of sworde I made their force to flie Antenors friends on Tuscane shores I sought And did them not my promist land denie By Martiall powre I made the Frenchmen flie Where you to saue I lost my faithfull frend For you at Tours my Turnus tooke his end I need not now recite what loue I bare My friendship you I trust haue found so well That none amongst you all which present are With teares doth not record the tale I tell Eke whom I found for vertues to excell To them I gaue the price thereof as due As they deseru'd whose facts I found so true Now must I proue if paines were well bestow'd Or if I spent my gratefull gifts in vaine Or if these great good turnes to you I ow'd And might not aske your loyall loues againe Which if I wist what tongue could tell my paine I meane if you vngratefull mindes doe beare What meaneth death to let me linger here For if you shall abuse your Prince in this The gods on you for such an hainous fact To take reuenge be sure will neuer misse And then too late you shall repent the act When all my Realine and all your wealths are sackt But if you shall as you begun proceed Of kingdomes fall or foes there is no dreed And to auoid contention that may fall Because I wish this Realme the Britans still Therefore I will declare before you all Sith you are come my whole intent and will Which if you keepe and wrest it not to ill There is no doubt but euermore with fame You shall enioy the Britans Realme and name You see my sonnes that after me must raigne Whom you or this haue lik'd and counsail'd well You know what erst you wisht they should refraine Which way they might all vices vile expell Which way they might in vertues great excell Thus if you shall when I am gone insue You shall discharge the trust repos'd in you Be you their fathers with your counsell wise And you my children take them euen as me Be you their guides in what you can deuise And let their good instructions teach you three Be faithfull all as brethren ought agree For* concord keepes a Realme in stable stay But discord brings all kingdomes to decay Record you this to th' eldest sonne I giue This middle part of Realme to hold his owne And to his heires that after him shall liue Also to Camber that his part be knowne I giue that land that lies welnigh oregrowne With woods Northwest and mountaines mightie hie By South whereof the Cornish sea doth lie And vnto thee my yongest sonne that art Mine Albanact I giue to thee likewise As much to be for thee and thine apart As North beyond the arme of sea there lies Of which loe heere a Mappe before your eies Loe heere my sonnes my kingdome all you haue For which remember nought but this I craue First that you take these fathers graue for me Imbrace their counsell euen as it were mine Next that betweene your selues you will agree And neuer one at others wealth repine See that yee bide still bound with friendly line And last my subiects with such loue retaine As long they may your subiects eke remaine Now faint I feele my breath begins to faile My time is come giue each to me your hand Farewell farewell to mourne will not preuaile I see with Knife where Atropos doth stand Farewell my friends my children and my land And farewell all my subiects farewell breath Farewell ten thousand times and welcome death And euen with that he turn'd himselfe aside Vpyeelding gasping gaue away the ghost Then all with mourning voice his seruants cri'd And all his subiects eke from least to most Lamenting fil'd with wailing plaints each coast And so the Britans all as nature bent Did for their King full dolefully lament But what auailes to striue against the tide Or else to driue against the streame and winde What booteth it against the Cliues to ride Or else to worke against the course of kind Sith Nature hath the end of things assign'd There is no nay we must perforce depart Gainst dint of death there is no ease by art Thus raign'd that worthie King that found this land My father Brutus of the Troian blood And thus he died when he full well had man'd This noble Realme with Britans fierce and good And so a while in stable state it stood Till we diuided had this Realme in three And I too soone receiu'd my part to mee Then straight through all the world gan Fame to flie A monster swifter none is vnder Sun Encreasing as in waters we descry The circles small of nothing that begun Which at
man directs his eye Euen so among my captiue mates that were When I did speake or make my plaints with crie Then all on me they stared by and by Bemoning of my fates and fortune so As they had bin partakers of my woe My forme did praise my plea my sighes they sued My teares enti'st their hearts some ruth to take My sobs in sight a seemely hue renew'd My wringing hands wan suiters shift to make My sober soothes did cause them for my sake Me to commend vnto their noble King Who wild they should me into presence bring T' whom when I came in cords as captiue bound O King quoth I whose power we feele too strong O worthie wight whose fame to skies doth sound Doe pitie me that neuer wisht thee wrong Release me one thy captiues all among Which frō my friends by fraud am brought away A Prince his daughter drown'd in deepe decay Now as thou art a Prince thy selfe of might And maist do more then I do dare desire Let me O King find fauour in thy sight Asswage somewhat thy deadly wrath and ire No part of knighthood t is for to require A Ladies death thee neuer did offend Sith that thy foe hath brought her to this end But let me rather safely be conuay'd O gratious King once home before I die Or let me liue thy simple wayting maid If it may please thy royall Maiestie Or let me ransome pay for libertie But if you mind reuenge of vnwraught ill Why spare you Britaines my deare blood to spill With that the King Good Ladie faire what i st Thou canst desire or aske but must obtaine Eke would to God with all my heart I wist Best way to ease thee of thy wofull paine But if thou wilt do heere with me remaine If not content conductors shalt thou haue To bring thee home and what thou else wilt crau◠O King quoth I the gods preserue thy grace The heauens requite thy mercie shew'd to me And all the starres direct thy regall race With happie course long length of yeares to see The earth with fertill fruits enrich so thee That thou maist still like Iustice heere dispose And euermore treade downe thy deadly foes The noble King commanded to vnbind Mine armes and giue me libertie at will With whom such fauour I did after find That as his Queene I was at elbow still And I enioy'd all pleasures at my fill So that they quite had quenched out my thrall And I forgat my former Fortunes all Thus loe by fauour I obtain'd my suite So had my beautie set his heart on fire That I could make Locrinus euen as mute Or pleasant as my causes did require And when I knew he could no way retire I prai'd he would his fauour so extend As I might not be blamed in the end For if quoth I you take me as your owne And eke my loue to you hath constant beene Then let your loue likewise againe be showne And wed me as you may your spoused Queene If since in me misliking you haue seene Then best depart betime before defame Begin to take from Elstride her good name No wauering heart said he Locrinus beares No fained flatterie shall thy faith deface Thy beautie birth fame vertue age and yeares Constraineth me mine Elstride to imbrace I must of force giue thy requests a place For as they do with reason good consent Euen so I grant thee all thy whole intent Then was the time appointed and the day In which I should be wedded to this King But in this case his Counsell causde a stay And sought out meanes at discord vs to bring Eke Corinaeus claim'd a former thing A precontract was made and full accord Between his daughter and my soueraigne Lord. And yet the King did giue me comfort still He said he could not so forsake my loue He euermore would beare me all good will As both my beautie and deserts did moue Yet faithlesse in his promise he did proue His Counsell at the last did him constraine To marrie her vnto my grieuous paine At which I could not but with hate repine It vexed me his mate that should haue beene To liue in hate a Prince his concubine That euer had such hope to be his Queene The steps of state are full of woe and teene For when we thinke we haue obtain'd the throne Then straight our pompe and pride is quite orethrowne Lo twice I fell from hope of Princely crowne First when vnhappie Humber lost his life And next I laid my peacocks pride adowne When I could not be King Locrinus wife But oft they say the third doth end the strife Which I haue prou'd therefore the sequell view * The third paies home this prouerbe is too true The King could not refraine his former minde But vsde me still and I my doubtfull yeares Did linger on I knew no shift to finde But past the time full oft with mourning teares * A concubine is neuer void of feares For if the wife her at aduantage take In rage reuenge with death she seekes to make Likewise I wist if once I sought to flie Or to intreat the King depart I might Then would he straight be discontent with me Yea if I were pursued vpon the flight Or came deflour'd into my fathers sight I should be taken kept perforce or slaine Or in my countrey liue in great disdaine In such a plight what might a Ladie doe Was euer Princesse poore in such a case O wretched wight bewrapt in webs of woe That still in dread wast tost from place to place And neuer foundest meane to end thy race But still in doubt of death in carking care Didst liue a life deuoid of all welfare The King perceiuing well my chaunged cheare To ease my heart with all deuis'd deceates By secret wayes I came deuoyde of feare In vaults by cunning Masons craftie feates Whereas we safely from the Queene her threats So that the King and I so vsde our art As after turn'd vs both to paine and smart By him I had my Sabrine small my childe And after that his wife her father lost I meane he died and she was strayght exilde And I made Queene vnto my care and cost For she went downe to Cornwall strayght in post Anc caused all her fathers men to rise With all the force and strength they might deuise My King and hers with me gainst her prepar'd An army strong but when they came to fight Dame Guendoline did wax at length too hard And of our King vs both deposed quight For from her campe an arrow sharp did light Vpon his brest and made him leaue his breath Lo thus the King came by vntimely death Then I too late began in vaine to flye And taken was presented to the Queene Who me beheld with cruell Tigers eie O queane quoth she that cause of warres hast beene And deadly hate the like was neuer seene Come on for these my hands shall ridde thy life And
happinesse At that they only fish with Fortunes hooke Ambition will not wisdomes counsell brooke Pride sets her thoughts on things that vade away Forsaking vertue which doth nere decay Mens vaine delights are wondrous to behold For that that reason nils nor nature sowes They take in hand on science far too bold Deceiu'd by suttle snares of diuelish showes From which attempts a floud of mischiefe flowes An heape of hurts a frie of foule decaies A flocke of feares and thrals a thousand waies If that the water fish forsake the streame Against his kind feeles he no hurt ensues Or if the brocke would learne to play the breame And leaue the lambes at land were this no newes A fethered fowle in th' earth a den to chuse Or flounder say to flie the larke to catch We might admire what monsters time did hatch But sith we see that nature hath assign'd The fowle to flie the aire as seemeth well The fish to swim the sea as fits his kind The earth for men and beasts to breed and dwell Of right a man which doth the rest excell Should euen so far surpasse in his degree As all the rest in wisdome weaker bee All this I speake to warne the rest that heare And eke to shew the blindnesse of delites Herein my folly vaine may plaine appeare What hap they heape which trie out cunning slights What hurt there hits at such vaine shewes and sights Where men for pleasure only take much paine To alter natures gifts for pleasure vaine Were not it strange thinke you a King to flie To play the tombler or some iugling cast To dresse himselfe in plumes as erst did I And vnder armes to knit on wings full fast A sport you thinke that might the wise agast But Magicke arte had taught me points of skill Which in the end did proue my future ill I deckt my corps with plumes I say and wings And had them set thou seest in skilfull wise With many feats fine poyseing equall things To aide my selfe in flight to fall or rise Few men did euer vse like enterprise Gainst store of wind by practise rise I could And turne and winde at last which way I would But ere the perfect skill I learned had And yet me thought I could do passing well My subiects hearts with pleasant toyes to glad From Temples top where did Apollo dwell I sayd to flie but on the Church I fell And in the fall I lost my life withall This was my race this was my fatall fall What vainer thing could any Prince deuise Then so himselfe a foolish fowle to show Learne you by me that count your selues so wise The worst to doubt of things what ere you know Flie not so high for feare you fall so low Be wise in artes exceed not wisdomes bound The depth of arte by wit may not be found These curious artes allurements haue alone They profer much in recompence of paine But yet among'st a thousand scarce is one In practise ought by them can saue or gaine In their effects they are but false and vaine Sophisticall deceitfull and vntrue That nothing haue yet promise all to you I speake not of the rest that are in vse Amongst the wiser sort Philosophie Nor of the parts thereof but of th' abuse That comes by magicke artes of Imagerie By vile inchauntments charmes and parnpestrie All which by nature are abhor'd as euill Practisde by fooles inuented by the diuell To make an end you noble Kings content Your selues with studies seruing for the State You Lords also with all your wits inuent What way t' eschew the Prince and peoples hate Yee Subiects loue your Prince eschew debate I wish you all beware of climing high Lest that you helpelesse fall as erst did I. HOW QVEENE CORDILA IN DESPAIRE SLEW her selfe the yeare before Christ 800. IF any wofull wight haue cause to waile her woe Or griefes are past do pricke vs Princes tell our fall My selfe likewise must needs constrained eke do so And shew my like misfortunes and mishaps withall Should I keepe close my heauie haps and thrall Then did I wrong I wrong'd my selfe and thee Which of my facts a witnesse true maistbee A woman yet must blush when bashfull is the case Though truth bid tell the tale and storie as it fell But sith that I mislike not audience time nor place Therefore I cannot keepe my woes in counsell well * No greater ease of heart then griefes to tell It daunteth all the dolours of our mind Our carefull hearts thereby great comfort find For why to tell that may recounted be againe And tell it as our cares may compasse ease That is the salue and med'cine of our paine Which cureth corsies all and sores of our disease It doth our pinching pangs and paines appease It pleads the part of an assured friend And telles the trade like vices to amend Therefore if I more willing be to tell my fall With my mishaps to ease my burdened breast and mind Some others haplie may auoid and shunne the thrall And thereby for distresse more aide and comfort find They keeping measure whereas I declin'd May be as prompt to flie like brute and blame As I to tell or thou to write the same Wherefore if thou wilt afterwards record What Queene Cordila telles to ease her inward smart I will recite my storie tragicall each word To thee that giu'st an eare and readie art But lest I set the horse behind the cart I mind to tell each thing in order so As thou maist see and shew whence sprang my woe My grandsire Bladud hight that found the bathes by skill A fethered King that practisde high to soare Whereby he felt the fall God wot against his will And neuer went road raign'd nor spake nor flew no more After whose death my father Leire therefore Was chosen King by right apparent heire Which after built the towne of Leircestere He had three daughters faire the first hight Gonerell Next after her his yonger Ragan was begot The third and last was I the yongest nam'd Cordell Vs all our father Leire did loue too well God wot But minding her that lou'd him best to note Because he had no sonne t' enioy his land He thought to guerdon most where fauour most he fand What though I yongest were yet men me iudg'd more wise Then either Gonerell or Ragan more of age And fairer farre wherefore my sisters did despise My grace and gifts and sought my wrecke to wage But yet though vice on vertue die with rage It cannot keepe her vnderneath to drowne For still she flittes aboue and reapes renowne My father thought to wed vs vnto Princely peeres And vnto them and theirs diuide and part the land For both my sisters first he call'd as first their yeares Requir'd their minds and loue and fauour t' vnderstand Quoth he all doubts of dutie to aband I must assay your friendly faithes to proue My daughters tell me how you
not trust his talke nor message sent beforne On this I expedition made the third and last For he did warrant me my purpose to obtaine I shipt my men and hide me thitherward full fast Had winde at will and came to see the shining shores againe And of my comming so the Earle was glad and faine We ioined hands and league and armies for the fight And sought and put Cassibellane the noble King to flight Yet he repaird his hoste againe that fiercely faught And oft assaid to slay or take the Earle or mee And when hee saw at length his labour vailed naught And Britanes with the Romanes linked so to bee Great griefe he had in them such treason for to see His losse in doubtfull war not grieu'd him halfe so sore His peoples base reuolt he chiefely did deplore To make it short the King was faine at length to yeeld The tribute granted was three thousand pound a yeere We bare away the price we wan the worthy field And made them friends againe that bought our fauour deere I need no longer stay to tell the story heere Nor yet to giue my friend the Earle of London blame Sith by his meanes I wan to Rome eternall fame From France I after sent to Rome reporting how Amongst the warlike Galles and Britaines I had sped I made request by friends I might be Consull now On my returne againe but Pompeyes hautie hed Did ioyne himselfe with Peeres and armies which he led Alledging plaine I meant the publique weale t' inuade They would represse my pride with might and dint of blade With speed I came and force which made them all to flie To Greece from Rome in haste where they prepared war For in Epyrus then with souldiers they did lie This Pompey proud that made the Romans with me iar He at Dyrrachium staid to which though it were far I led my conquering host I skirmisht often there But from the fight to flie we soone contented were On this he followed fast in hope to win the field To Thessalie he came where I did stay therefore Our armies met and fiercely faught not bent to yeeld Till fifteene hundred men were slaine in fight or more But in the end they fled we tooke of prisoners store They durst not dare t' abide the chance of Mars to trie But either fell in fight or from the field did flie Thence Pompey fled the field and into Egypt came To Ptolemie the King as then but yong of age Where of his slaughter foule Septimius hath the blame He was his end that did these warres against me wage Euen so by course we come to play vpon the stage Our trauels haue an end when we do feele the fall For all our life is but a race of miserie and thrall But Pompeyes friends and sonnes by might did oft assay When he was done to death to take reuenge on me And I by dint of sword repel'd their force away Gate offices of rule and gouern'd each degree At Caesars beck and call obeysant all they bee Enacted lawes directed each estate Emperially the first aloft I sate But glorie won the way to hold and keepe the same To hold good fortune fast a worke of cunning skill Who so with prudent art can stay that stately dame Which sets vs vp so high vpon her hautie hill And constant aye can keepe her loue and fauour still He wins immortall fame thrice blessed is the crowne If once misfortune kicke and cast the scepter downe For when in Rome I was alone Dictator chose And Emperour or Captaine sole to be for ay My glorie did procure me many secret foes Because aboue the rest I bare the soueraigne sway By sundrie meanes they sought my ruine and decay For why there could no thing in state determin'd be Vnlesse it likte me first and were approu'd by me This they enui'd at me that su'd aloft to clime As hautie Cassius which the Pretorship did craue And Brutus eke his friend which bare the chiefest crime Of my dispatch and death for they did first depraue My life mine acts my raigne and sought my blood to haue Full secretly amongst themselues conspir'd decreed To be attemptors of that cruell bloodie deed Yet I forewarned was by Capis fatall tombe His Epitaph my death did long before foreshow Cornelius Balbus saw mine horses headlesse ronne Without the guide of man forsaking food for woe Spurina warned me that sooth of things did know A little wren in beake with Laurell greene that flew Foreshew'd my dolefull death as after all men knew The night before my fall in slumber I did dreame I caried was from earth and flew the clouds aboue And somtime hand in hād I thought I walkt with Ioue supreame My wife Calphurnia Caesars only loue Did dreame she saw her crest of house to fall Her husband thrust through breast a sword withall Eke that same night her chamber dores thēselues flew open all These things did make me much that mourning to mislike And Iacrazed was and thought at home to stay But who is he can void deaths dart when he doth strike Where so great number seekes his life for to betray The traytor bloodie Brutus bad me not delay Nor yet to frustrate there so great assemblie sate At last I went and there did meet vntimely sate To Senate as I went behold a Roman stood Presenting me a scrole of euery traytors name And all their whole deuice that sought to spill my blood That presently decreed to execute the same But I blind wretch supposde that for some suite he came I heedlesse bare this scrole in my vnhappie hand For which I lost my life as you shall vnderstand Spurina as I came at sacrifices was Neere to the place where I was after slaine Of whose diuinings true I then did little passe To warne me of my death the Priest did seeke in vaine My hautie heart growne proud these warnings all disdaine Quoth I the Ides of March be come yet harme is none Quoth he the Ides of March be come yet th' are not gone Assoone as I was set the traytors all arose And one approched neere as to demand some thing To whom as I gaue eare at once my cruell foes Beset me round about their weapons hid they bring Then I too late perceiu'd my deaths approching sting O this quoth I is violence then Cassius pierst my brest And Brutus thou my sonne quoth I whom erst I loued best Yee Princes all and noble men beware of pride Wracke not the Commonwealth for wealthie kingdomes sake Be warn'd by me that see my selfe the world to guide Beware what bloodie warres for rule you vndertake Ere three and twentie wounds had made my heart to quake How many thousands fell for Pompeyes pride and mine How many valiant Knights did loued life resigne Full many nobie men to rule alone I slew And some themselues againe for griefe of heart did slay For they would neuer yeeld though I
men that did Iehouaes sonne refuse The King of Iewes the Lord of life and health Were gouern'd thus Tiberius thus did vse The men that were the Gods in Commonwealth Forsaking so their heauenly sauing health The Emprour I which should their liues defend Sought all the meanes to bring their liues to end Yet to religion I was nothing bent Dissembled things that least I fauour'd still I neuer vsde to speake the things I ment But bare in mind the waies to worke men ill I seem'd to some to beare them great good will And those I tooke away as time did serue Inconstant vnto each yet seldome seem'd to swerue To drunkennesse and riot sports and ease And pleasure all I gaue my studie then Nought more then subtill shiftings did me please With bloodshed craftie vndermining men My Court was like a Lions lurking den The Iesters nam'd me Caldius Biberius Mero In stead of this my name Clandius Tiberius Nero. I will no more my life describe this time For why my facts at last deseru'd defame Infected with so many a fulsome crime As may not heere repeated be for shame I haue no cause the Ladie blind to blame But mine owne selfe who did abuse my place Which might full well haue vsde the gifts of grace Three things in fine I tell that wrought my fall First vile dissembling both with God and man For bloodshed then which hauocke made of all Blood cries to him that well reuenge it can For filthie life I much offended than Wherefore aliue thus poysoned with these three Caligula at last did poyson me To Princes this I say and worthie Peeres I wish them wisely weigh that heare me shall And poise my first exploits with latter yeeres And well consider one thing in my fall * Abuse of power abaseth Princes all In throne on earth a Prince as God doth sit And as a God no iustice should omit HOW CAIVS CAESAR CALIGVLA EMPEROVR OF Rome was slaine by Cherea and others the yeare of Christ 42. VNhappie Princes haue in wealth no grace To see how soone their vices bring them vnder But run vnruly reckelesse of their race Till at the length they make themselues a wonder When from aloft their traces fall asonder There is no hope to hold aright the trace They cannot keepe aloft th' Emperiall place Beholde my hap on whom the Romane rout With ioy did gaze when bloudy slaine I lay Here lies quoth they thrust thirtie times throughout The monster vile that beast Caligula Which did so many guiltlesse Romanes slay The nobles now the matrons need not doubt The worthy writers may their works set out I was I grant full leaudly led by lust I forced nought of vertue faith nor law In power I put my confidence and trust Regarding right nor Iustice strict a straw My facts infarst my life with many a flawe Did me to deedes of foule lust incest draw Which had of God nor natures hests the awe To make my selfe a God I did deuise That Iupiter to name my selfe did dare For incests vile which all good wights despise Nam'd Bacchus eke a drunken shrine I bare To call me God some flatterers did not spare By message I commanded them likevise My statue in the Temple to comprise I would not haue my slaughters here enrolde And murdrous mischieues mingled with the rest Without regard of sexe of yong or olde For which the Romanes did my life detest To vices vile my deedes were all addrest Which mine owne seruants loathing at the last With their owne hands my timelesse death did hast My life was naught and thus at last I dide My life procur'd both Gods and men my foes Let Princes then beware of pompe and pride And not themselues to vices such dispose The throne will soone a Princely minde disclose The tyrants heart at once in throne is tride The Princely robe no tyrant thoughts can hide HOW GVIDERIVS KING of Britaine and the elder son of Cimbaline was slaine in battaile by a Romane the yeare of Christ 44. or as some write 46. TAke Higgins now in hand thy pen for me Let not my death and story lie forgote Good cause there is I should remembred be If thou the falles of Britaine Princes note Aloft I sate in Princely place aflote I had the sword I bare the scepter right I was accounted aye a worthy wight Guiderius was my name the sonne of yore Of noble Cimbaline and after King The Romane tribute I would pay no more Me thought it was too base a seruile thing No Romane should me in subiection bring I stoutly did deny what they did claime Though many counseld me to yeeld the same When Claudius sent this tribute for to haue I sent him word againe I would not pay I would not graunt vniustly he did craue That might in time procure my Realmes decay He should not beare our freedome so away By force and fraude proud Caesar heere did raigne But now by might my right I would maintaine On this addrest himselfe in warlike sort The noble Claudius came to trie the case Which had before receiued high report Both of my wealth my force and noble grace So thinking well he might my fame deface From Rome he came to Britaine with his hoast And landed here vpon my Southerne coast Now marke my tale and hereby shalt thou know The subtill sleights of Romanes in their war The slie deceits of such doe make a show Whereby to trie the people what they are Note well such foes in dealing neere and far Amidst the field in scout or fight alone Of all the rest example take by one Amongst his men a Captaine stout he had With whom in fight I made my party good Hamonius men him cal'd who for his blade In single fight so often I withstood At last did worke a wile to shed my blood He clad himselfe as he a Britaine weare Like armour sword and target did he beare He marcht with vs as he a friend had been And when we came to fight he shew'd a face Of comfort and bold courage gainst his men And when they fled and we pursu'd the chace Pursue quoth he the Romans flie apace In British tongue he cride they flie they flie Our hostages had taught him so to crie As we pursude in me he thrust his blade Betweene my armour splints he gaue the wound And fast away for life to shift he made Thus by deceits my life hee did confound Of my decay this was the fatall ground Which thou must pen that I a miror be For men to shun the flights of trecherie HOW LAELIVS HAMO THE ROMANE CAPTAINE was slaine after the slaughter of Guiderius about the yeare of Christ 46. A Romane Captaine I in Britaine armour clad Disguisde therfore in field did slay their noble King I ventred in their host and I my purpose had To venture so for Countries sake a worthy thing But whoso weenes to win by slaughter high renowne Hath often
procure in th' end my fatall fall Maternian at Rome should search for all He should enquire my fate of all wise men And write hereof what was their mindes agen What he did write againe I wote not I From Carras I to Lunaes Temple went And for because it neere the Campe did lie To sacrifice with few was mine intent For why to towne from thence returne I ment And so from thence to Campe likewise againe I might retire without a greater traine Amongst the which one Martiall of my garde Whose brother not conuinst accusde I slew Thus wise my caytiue corps did watch to warde For when therefore conuenient time hee knew While I apart mee gate for natures due And bad the rest aside a space depart He came and stabde me stifly through the heart Seuerus seruants I corrupted oft Them fee'd to make their Lord my fire away With Getaes men the like attempts I wrought To bane their Lord and brother mine to slay How I the Alexandrians did betray And Parthians eke before to you I told Deseruing death for those a thousand fold But sith those faithfull seruants I did kill Which would not sley their noble Lords for gold I worthy was to haue a gard so ill As should to pierce my hatefull heart be bold The Iustice great of Ioua here behold * Vniustly who so seekes to slay the good The sword at length shall iustly shed his bloud FINIS HOW CARASSVS A HVSBANDMANS SONNE AND AFTER King of Britaine was slaine in battell by Alectus a Roman Anno Dom. 293. SIth men be borne by Nature naked all With their estates why are not men content Why doe they deeme the want of wealth a thral Why should they loath the lot which God hath sent Adam himselfe I finde at first was sent As one who did disdaine his poore estate To disobey with God to be a mate Thou maist be made a God quoth satan than If on the fruite forbidden thou wilt feede The senselesse wight the feeble forcelesse man Did taste thereof supposing that with speed He should in hast haue beene a God indeed He not content hoping for higher place Brought bitter bale to him and all his race And I the sonne of Adam by descent Did seeke to set my selfe in princely seate With mine estate I could not be content For which I felt the force of hatreds heat As at the first my good successe was great So at the last by fancies fond desires I groapt for grapes amidst the bramble briers Let such as would by vertue them aduance Marke by what meanes I did my selfe addresse To flie at first my poore allotted chance By honest meanes let them from wickednesse Which faine would flie learne this by my distresse That he who doth from right and reason stray Destruction shall destroy him with decay For I by birth borne next to beggers dore Was stai'd aloft with staffe of high estate But whil'st that I so high a pitch did sore I left the meanes which made me rise of late I vices lou'd I did all vertues hate For which Carassus ran a race in vaine And nothing got but death and deepe disdaine When ciuill strife had Britaine quite vndone So that her strength was now of none auaile The faithlesse Picts with ruth did ouerrunne That royall Realme and did so far preuaile That sorrow did on euery side assaile My natiue soile and being thus dismai'd To Rome we sent for succour helpe and aid Seuerus then by Bassianus sent To bring this Realme vnto some quiet stay The Romans and the Britaines both were bent To bring the barbarous Picts to their decay Them to returne againe to Scythia And at the last by good Seuerus aid We them destroi'd when we were most afraid Whose force though twice the Romans felt too strong Yet at the last we got a goodly day Euen by my meanes who thrust into the throng Of th' armed Picts I desperate there did play The part of him whom feare did neuer fray And at the last to end this mortall strife I did depriue King Lodricke of his life And when the Picts did see their king depriu'd Of vitall life Lord how they fled the field They made me muse to see how fast they striu'd With stailesse steppes ech one his life to shield Who could not flie he there with care was kilde So by my meanes my countrey did obtaine Her ancient state and liberty againe At my returne I to Seuerus said See here how I with woundes am all bestead I cannot liue I feele how life doth fade Lodricke himselfe did carue and cut my head For which my blade his luke warme blood hath shed He cut my cap and I haue got his crowne He lost his life and I haue found renowne Seuerus then vnto his Surgion said Heale him and bring him safe and sound againe Thou for thy paines with poundes shalt wel be paid And he shall haue such honour for his paine As vnto him for euer shal remaine For by the Gods which rule the skies aboue His noble acts deserue eternall loue When by the skill of Surgions curious art My hurts were heal'd and holesome health ensude Seuerus then reioicing at the hart Made me a Lord with wealth hee me indude Yea he although my learning were but rude Sent me to Rome as Legate of this land To make report how here our state did stand My deedes at Rome inricht me with renowne My talke abroad with proper filed phrase Adornd my head euen with a Laurell crowne The Emperour did much commend my waies So that I was bedeckt with double praise I could not reade my learning was but weake Yet they of Rome did muse to heare me speake As learned Art doth giue a goodly grace To some so some by natures gifts doe get Eternall fame and purchase them a place Aboue the place where learned men do sit We finde the fine dexteritie of wit In them which be both wise and ful of skill Yet neuer striu'd to clime Pernassus hill So I with praise a time at Rome did stay And tract of time returnd mee backe againe The Emperour he gaue my right away Within a while which made me storme amaine I had great cause me thought for to complaine Seuerus he was made the king of all The gifts hee gaue to me were very small I was but made the Captaine of the coast From Forraine force to keepe my realme in rest Seuerus he was crowned king in post Which did so boile within my warrelike brest That I with griefe most strangely was distrest Shall hee said I thus reape the high renowne Which I deserue Shall he enioy the Crowne I wonne the wreath and he wil weare the same I got the goale and he will get the gaine For me in faith it were a deadly shame If I in this his regall royall raigne Without repulse should suffer him remaine Which if I do then let the dreadfull dart Of Vulcans wrath torment in
th' other side the Knight doth work my wracke The other points with Pawnes be all possest And here the Rooke of ruth doth reaue my rest And beeing brought into this strange estate I do confesse my selfe to haue a mate Sith sorow so hath seasde vpon my bones That now too late I do lament my losse And sith no meanes may turne my gastfull grones To ioyfull glie sith trouble still doth tosse Me to and fro in waltring waues of woe Death is my friend and life I count my foe Which death though once my feeble flesh did feare Yet now I faine would feele his murdring speare In gurging gulfe of these such surging seas My poorer soule who drownd doth death request I wretched wight haue sought mine owne disease By mine owne meanes my state it was distrest For whilst I meant to make my lust a law Iustice me from my high estate did draw So that I find and feele it now with paine All worldly pompe al honour is but vaine Which honour I to fiery flames compare For when they flash and flourish most of all Then suddainely their flamings quenched are For proofe whereof to minde now let vs call Antigonus and Ptolemeus Great Caesar and Mithridate we may repeat With Darius and great Antiochus Cambises eke and conquering Pyrrhus And I the last might first haue had my place They all as I with flaming fierie show Were quenched quite Dame Fortune did deface Yea hatefull hap euen then did ouerthrow Vs most when most we had our hearts desire When most we flourisht like the flames of fire Euen then the seas of sorow did preuaile And made vs weare a blacke lamenting saile And heere before my death I will repeate To thee the thing which I of late did dreame That thou and all the world may see how great A care it is to rule a royall realme My dreame shal shew that blisse doth not consist In wealth nor want but he alone is blest Who is content with his assigned fate And neuer striues to clime to higher state When seemely Sol had rest his glittering gleames And night the earth did with her darkenesse vaile Dame Cinthia then with her bright burnisht beames The shadowed shades of darkenesse did assaile Then Somnus caus'd my senses all to quaile On carefull couch then being laid to rest With doubtfull dreames I strangely was distrest In cottage cold where care me thought did keepe With naked need and want of wherewithall Where pouertie next beggers doore did creepe And where expences were so passing small That all men deem'd that man forethrong'd with thrall Which there did dwell euen there from bondage free I view'd a man all void of miserie And whil'st I musde how he in bliue of blisse Could lead his life amid'st that caue of care From Princely Court proceeded ere I wist A man with whom there might no man compare His wealth his wit his courage were so rare That none before nor since were like to him Yet he me thought in waues of woe din swim This man had all that men could wish or craue For happie state yet nought he had in deed The other he had nought that men would haue Yet had he all beleeue it as thy Creed This saying of that happie man I reade That hauing nought yet all things so I haue That hauing nought I nothing more do craue The King me thought with all his Courtly traine Past to the place where pouertie did dwell With frowning face and with a troubled braine With woe and want his vexed veines did swell With mirth and ioy the poore man did excell And being come vnto his house ymade Of one poore hogshead thus to him he said Diogenes thou lead'st a lothsome life Me thinke thou might'st much better spend thy time Within my Court both thou and eke thy wife Thou by that meanes to high estate maist clime I haue the wealth and thou art void of crime And loe before thy face I heere am prest To giue thee that which thou shalt now request Stand backe Sir King thy vaunting vowes be vaine I nothing recke thy promise goods nor land And Titans stately streames would me sustaine With heate if thou from this my doore wouldst stand Thou takst away much more then thy commaund Can giue againe thy gifts so vile I deeme That none but fooles such follies do esteeme With conquest thou hast wone the world so wide And yet thou canst not win thy wandring wil Thou wouldest win an other world beside But tush that fact doth farre surpasse thy skill Thou neuer wilt of Conquest haue thy fill Til death with daunting dart hath conquer'd thee Then must thou leaue behind thy Monarchie With great assaults my selfe I haue subdude In all respects I haue my hearts desire With a contented minde I am endude To higher state I neuer wil aspire More like a Prince then any poore Esquire I leade my life and sith my state is such Aske thou of me for I can giue thee much All dasht with dread mee thought in fuming heate He said departing thence in hast with speede If I were not Alexander the Great I would become Diogenes indeed Who leades his life all void of wofull dread He hath the wealth which I cannot obtaine I haue the wealth which wise men do disdaine I liue in feare I languish all in dread Wealth is my woe the causer of my care With feare of death I am so ill bestead That restlesse I much like the hunted Hare Or as the canuist Kite doth feare the snare Ten hundred cares haue brought me to the baie Ten thousand snares for this my life men laie When Philip he of Macedon the King One Realme me left I could not be content Desier prickt mee to an other thing To win the world it was my whole intent Which done an other world to win I ment When least I had then most I had of blesse Now all the world and all vnquietnesse No woe to want of contentation No wealth to want of riches and renowne For this is seene in euery nation The highest trees be soonest blowen downe Ten kings do die before one clubbish Clowne Diogenes in quiet Tunne doth rest When Caesar is with carking care distrest Wherewith me thought he was departed quite And Morpheus that sluggish God of sleepe Did leaue my limmes wherewith I stood vpright Deuising long what profit I could reape Of this my dreame which plainly did expresse That neither want nor wealth doth make mans blesse Who hath the meane with a contented minde Most perfect blisse his God hath him assignde But I who liu'd a crowned King of late And now am forc'd of thee to beg my bread I cannot be content with this estate I lothe to liue I would I wretch were dead Despaier she doth feede me with decay And patience is fled and flowne away Doe thou therefore O Heardsman play thy part Take thou this blade and thrust it to my hart O
drew the breath The bodies rest the quiet of the hart The trauailes ease the still nights feere was he And of our life in earth the better part Reuer of sight and yet in whom we see Things oft that tide and oft that neuer bee Without respect esteeming equally King Croesus pompe and Irus pouertie And next in order sad Old Age we found His beard all hoare his eyes hollow and blind With drouping cheere still poring on the ground As on the place where nature him assign'd To rest when that the sisters had vntwin'd His vitall thred and ended with their knife The fleeting course of fast declining life There heard we him with broke and hollow plaint Rew with himselfe his end approching fast And all for nought his wretched mind torment With sweete remembrance of his pleasures past And fresh delites of lustie youth forewast Recounting which how would he sob and shreek And to be yong againe of Ioue beseeke But and the cruell fates so fixed be That time forepast cannot returne againe This one request of Ioue yet prayed he That in such withred plight and wretched paine As eld accompanied with lothsome traine Had brought on him all were it woe and griefe He might a while yet linger forth his life And not so soone descend into the pit Where Death when he the mortall corps hath slaine With wretchlesse hand in graue doth couer it Thereafter neuer to enioy againe The gladsome light but in the ground ylaine In depth of darknesse waste and weare to nought As he had nere into the world been brought But who had seene him sobbing how he stood Vnto himselfe and how he would bemone His youth forepast as though it wrought him good To talke of youth all were his youth foregone He would haue musde and maruail'd much whereon This wretched Age should life desire so faine And knowes ful wel life doth but length his paine Crookebackt he was tooth shaken and blere eyde Went on three feete and sometime crept on foure With old lame bones that ratled by his side His scalpe all pil'd and he with eld forlore His withred fist still knocking at Deaths dore Fumbling and driueling as he drawes his breath For briefe the shape and messenger of Death And fast by him pale Maladie was plaste Sore sicke in bed her colour all foregone Bereft of stomacke sauour and of taste Ne could she brooke no meate but broths alone Her breath corrupt her keepers euery one Abhorring her her sicknesse past recure Detesting physicke and all physickes cure But oh the dolefull sight that then we see We turn'd our looke and on the other side A griesly shape of Famine mought we see With greedie lookes and gaping mouth that cried And roar'd for meate as she should there haue died Her bodie thin and bare as any bone Whereto was left nought but the case alone And that alas was gnawne on euery where All full of holes that I ne mought refraine From teares to see how she her armes could teare And with her teeth gnash on the bones in vaine When all for nought she faine would so sustaine Her staruen corps that rather seem'd a shade Then any substance of a creature made Great was her force whom stonewall could not stay Her tearing nailes snatching at all she saw With gaping iawes that by no meanes ymay Be satisfi'd from hunger of her mawe But eates her selfe as she that hath no law Gnawing alas her carcase all in vaine Where you may count each sinew bone and vaine On her while we thus firmely fixt our eyes That bled for ruth of such a driety sight Loe suddenly she shrinkt in so huge wise As made hell gates to shiuer with the might Wherewith a dart we saw how it did light Right on her brest and therewithall pale Death Enthrilling it to reaue her of her breath And by and by a dumbe dead corps we saw Heauie and cold the shape of death aright That dants all earthly creatures to his law Against whose force in vaine it is to fight Ne Peeres ne Princes nor no mortall wight No Towne ne Realmes Cities ne strongest Tower But all perforce must yeeld vnto his power His dart anon out of the corps he tooke And in his hand a dreadfull sight to see With great triumph eftsoones the same he shooke That most of all my feares affrayed mee His bodie dight with nought but bones perdie The naked shape of man there saw I plaine All saue the flesh the sinow and the vaine Lastly stood Warre in glittering armes yelad With visage grim sterne looks and blackely hewed In his right hand a naked sword he had That to the hilts was all with blood embrued And in his left that King and kingdomes rued Famine and fire he held and therewithall He raced townes and threw downe towers and all Cities he sackt and Realmes that whilome flowred In honor glorie and rule aboue the best He ouerwhelm'd and all their fame deuoured Consum'd destroy'd wasted and neuer ceast Till he their wealth their name and all opprest His face forehew'd with wounds and by his side There hung his targ with gashes deepe and wide In midst of which depainted there we found Deadly Debate all full of snakie heare That with a bloodie fillet was ybound Out breathing nought but discord euery where And round about were portrai'd heere and there The hugie hosts Darius and his power His Kings Princes his Peeres and all his flower Whom great Macedo vanquisht there in sight With deepe slaughter despoiling all his pride Pierst through his Realmes and danted all his might Duke Hannibal beheld I there beside In Cannas field victor how he did ride And wofull Romans that in vaine withstood And Consul Paulus couered all in blood Yet saw I more the fight at Trasimene And Treberie field and eke when Hannibal And worthie Scipio last in armes were sene Before Carthago gate to trie for all The worlds Empire to whom it should befall There saw I Pompey and Caesar clad in armes Their hosts allied and all their ciuill harmes With Conquerers hands forbath'd in their owne blood And Caesar weeping ouer Pompeyes head Yet saw I Scilla and Marius where they stood Their great crueltie and the deepe bloodshead Of friends Cyrus I saw and his host dead And how the Queene with great despite hath flong His head in blood of them she ouercome Xerxes the Persian King yet saw I there With his huge host that dranke the riuers drie Dismounted hilles and made the vales vprere His host and all yet saw I slaine perdie Thebes I saw all rac'd how it did lie In heapes of stones and Tyrus put to spoile With walles and towers flat euened with the soile But Troy alas me thought aboue them all It made mine eyes in very teares consume When I beheld the wofull werd befall That by the wrathfull will of God was come And Ioues vnmoued sentence and foredoome On Priam King and on his
towne so bent I could not lin but I must there lament And that the more fith dest'ny was so sterne As force perforce there might no force auaile But she must fall and by her fall we learne That cities towers wealth world and all shall quaile No manhood might nor nothing mought preuaile All were there prest full many a Prince and Peere And many a Knight that sold his death full deere Not worthie Hector worthiest of them all Her hope her ioy his force is now for nought O Troy Troy there is no boote but bale The hugie horse within thy walles is brought Thy turrets fall thy Knights that whilome fought In armes amid the field are slaine in bed Thy gods defil'd and all thy honor dead The flames vprising and cruelly they creepe From wall to roofe till all to cinders wast Some fire the houses where the wretches sleepe Some rush in heere some run in there as fast In euery where or sword or fire they tast The wals are torne the towers whurl'd to the ground There is no mischiefe but may there be found Cassandra yet there saw I how they haled From Pallis house with spercled tresse vndone Her wrists fast bound and with Greekes rout empaled And Priam eke in vaine how he did runne To armes whom Pyrrhus with despite hath done To cruel death and bath'd him in the baine Of his sonnes blood before the altar slaine But how can I describe the dolefull sight That in the shield so liuely faire did shine Sith in this world I thinke was neuer wight Could haue set forth the halfe not halfe so fine I can no more but tell how there is seene Faire Ilium fall in burning red gledes downe And from the soile great Troy Neptunus towne Here from when scarce I could mine eyes withdraw That fil'd with teares as doth the springing well We passed on so far forth till we saw Rude Acheron a lothsome lake to tell That boyles and bubs vp swelth as blacke as hell Where grieslie Charon at their fixed tide Still ferries ghosts vnto the farther side The aged God no sooner Sorrow spied But hasting straight vnto the bancke apace With hollow call vnto the rout he cried To swarue apart and giue the Goddesse place Straight it was done when to the shoare we pace Where hand in hand as wee then linked fast Within the boate wee are together plaste And forth we lanch full fraughted to the brinke When with th' vnwonted waight the rusty keele Began to cracke as if the same should sinke We hoise vp mast and saile that in a while We fet the shoare where scarsely we had while For to arriue but that we heard anone A three sound barke confounded all in one We had not long forth past but that we saw Blacke Cerberus the hideous hound of hell With bristles reard and with a three mouth'd Iaw Foredinning th' aire with his horrible yell Out of the deepe darke caue where he did dwell The Goddesse straight he knew and by and by He peast and couched while that we past by Thence come we to the horrour and the hell The large greate Kingdomes and the dreadful raigne Of Pluto in his throne where he did dwell The wide waste places and the hugie plaine The wailings shrikes and sundry sorts of paine The sighs the sobs the deepe and deadly groane Earth aire and all resounding plaint and moane Thence did we passe the three-fold emperie To th' vtmost bounds where Radamanthus raignes Where proud folke waile there woefull miserie Where dreadfull din of thousand dragging chaines And balefull shriekes of ghosts in deadly paines Tortur'd eternally are heard most brim Through silent shades of night so darke and dim From hence vpon our way we forward passe And through the groues and vncoth paths we goe Which leade vnto the Cyclops walles of brasse And where that maine-broad flood for aye doth floe Which parts the gladsome fields from place of woe Whence none shall euer passe t' Elizium plaine Or from Elizium euer turne againe With Sorrow for my guide as there I stood A troope of men the most in armes bedight In tumult clusterd 'bout both sides the flood ' Mongst whom who were ordaind t'eternall night Or who to blissefull peace and sweet delight I wot not well it seem'd that they were all Such as by deaths vntimely stroke did fall Some headlesse were some body face and hands With shamefull wounds despoil'd in euery part Some strangled some that dide in captiue bands Some smothred drown'd some stricken through the hart With fatall steele all drown'd in deadly smart Of hastned death with shrikes sobs sighs and teares Did tell the woes of their forepassed yeares We staid vs straight and with a rufull feare Beheld this heauie sight while from mine eies The vapored teares downe stilled here and there And Sorrow eke in far more wofull wise Tooke on with plaint vp heauing to the skies Her wretched hands that with her cry the rout Gan all in heapes to swarme vs round about Loe here quoth Sorrow Princes of renowne That whilome sate on top of Fortunes wheele Now laid full low like wretches whurled downe Euen with one frowne that staid but with a smile And now behold the thing that thou erewhile Saw only in thought and what thou now shalt heare Recount the same to Kesar King and Peere Then first came Henry Duke of Buckingham His cloake of blacke all pild and quite forworne Wringing his hands and Fortune oft doth blame Which of a Duke hath made him now her skorne With gastly lookes as one in maner lorne Oft spred his armes stretcht hands he ioines as fast With rufull cheare and vapored eyes vpcast His cloake he rent his manly brest he beat His haire all torne about the place it lay My heart so molt to see his griefe so great As feelingly me thought it dropt away His eyes they whurld about withouten stay With stormy sighes the place did so complaine As if his heart at each had burst in twaine Thrice he began to tell his dolefull tale And thrice the sighs did swallow vp his voice At each of which he shriked so withall As though the heauens riued with the noise Till at the last recouering his voice Supping the teares that all his brest beraind On cruell Fortune weeping thus he plaind FINIS HOW THE TWO ROgers surnamed Mortimers for their sundry vices ended their liues vnfortunately the one An. 1329. the other 1387. AMong the riders of the rolling wheele That lost their holds Baldwine forget not mee Whose fatall thred false Fortune needs would reele Ere it were twisted by the sisters three All folke be fraile their blisses brittle bee For proofe whereof although none other were Suffice may I Sir Roger Mortimer Not he that was in Edwards dayes the third Whom Fortune brought to boote and eft to bale With loue of whom the king so much she sturd That none but he was heard in any tale And whiles
she smooth blew on this pleasant gale He was created Earle of March alas Whence enuy sprang which his destruction was For wealth breeds wrath in such as wealth doe want Pride folly breeds in such as it possesse Among a thousand shall you find one skant That can in wealth his lofty heart represse Which in this Earle due proofe did plaine expresse For whereas he was somewhat haut before His high degree hath made him now much more For now alone he ruleth as him lust Ne recks for reade saue of king Edwards mother Which forced enuy foulder out the rust That in mens hearts before did lie and smother The Peeres the people th' one as well as th' other Against him made so hainous a complaint That for a traytour he was soone attaint Then all such faults as were forgot afore They skowre afresh and somwhat to them adde For enuy still hath eloquence in store When Fortune bids to worse things meanly bad Fiue hainous crimes against him soone were had First that he caus'd the King to yeeld the Scot To make a peace townes that were from him got And therewithall the Charter call'd Ragman That of the Scots he bribed priuy gaine That through his meanes sir Edward of Carnaruan In Barkely Castle traiterously was slaine That with his Princes mother he had laine And finally with polling at his pleasure Had rob'd the King and Commons of their treasure For these things loe which erst were out of mind He was condemn'd and hanged at the last In whom Dame Fortune fully shewed her kind For whom she heaues she hurleth downe as fast If men to come would learne by other past My cosin then might cause them set aside High climing bribing murdering lust and pride The finall cause why I this processe tell Is that I may be knowen from this the other My like in name vnlike mee though he fell Which was I thinke my grandfire or his brother To count my kin dame Philip was my mother Daughter and heire of douty Lionell The third King Edwards sonne as stories tell My father hight sir Edmund Mortimer True Earle of March whence I was after Earle By iust descent these two my parents were Of which the one of Knighthood bare the fearle Of womanhood the other was the pearle Through their desert so cal'd of euery wight Till death them tooke and left mee in their right For why th' attainter of the elder Roger Whose shamefull death I told you but oflate Was found to bee vniust and passed ouer Against the law by those that bare him hate For where by law each one of free estate Should personally be heard ere iudgement passe They bard him this where through destroid he was Wherefore by doome of court in Parliament When we had prou'd our Cosin ordered thus The King the Lords and Commons of assent His lawlesse death vnlawfull did discusse And both to bloud and good restored vs. A preside at most worthy shewed and left Lords liues to saue that lawlesse might bee reft While Fortune vnto me her grace did deigne King Richards grace the second of that name Whose looser life did soone abridge his reigne Made me his mate in earnest and in game The Lords themselues so well allow'd the same That through my titles duely comming downe I was made heire apparent to the Crowne Who then but I was euery where esteemd Well was the man that might with me acquaint Whom I allow'd as Lords the people deemd To whatsoeuer folly had me bent To like it well the people did assent To mee as Prince attended great and small I hopte a day would come to pay for all But seldome ioy continueth trouble void In greatest charge cares greatest doe ensue The most possest are euer most annoid In largest seas sore tempests lightly brue The freshest colours soonest fade the hue In thickest place is made the deepest wound True proofe whereof my self too soone haue found For whilst faire Fortune Iuld mee in her lap And gaue me gifts more then I did require The subtile dame behind mee set a trap Whereby to dash and lay all in the mire The Irish men against mee did conspire My lands of Vlster from me to haue reft Which heritage my mother had mee left And whiles I there to set all things in stay Omit my toiles and trouble thitherward Among mine owne with my retinue lay The wilder men whom I did not regard And had therefore the reckles mans reward When least I thought set on mee in such number That from my corps my life they rent asunder Nought might auaile my courage nor my force Nor strength of men which were alas too few The cruell folke assaulted so my horse That all my helps in peeces they to hew Our bloud distaines the ground as drops of dew Nought might preuaile to flie nor yet to yeeld For whom they take they murder in the field They know no law of Armes nor none will learne They make not warre as other doe a play The Lord the boy the Gallowglas the Kerne Yeeld or not yeeld whom so they take they slay They saue no foes for ransome nor for pay Their chiefest boote is th' aduersaries head They end not wâ—â—â—e till th' enemie be dead Amongst these men or rather sauage beasts I lost my life by cruell murder slaine And therefore Baldwine note thou well my geasts And warne all Princes rashnes to refraine Bid them beware their foes when they doe faine Nor yet presume vnequally to striue Had I thus done I had been left aliue But I despis'd the naked Irish men And for they flew I feared them the lesse I thought one man enough to match with ten And through this carelesse vnaduisednes I was destroid and all my men I gesse At vnawares assaulted by our fone Which were in number forty to vs one See here the stay of fortunate estate The vaine assurance of this brittle life For I but yong-proclamed Prince of late Right fortunate in children and in wife Lost all at once by stroke of bloudy knife Whereby assur'd let men themselues assure That wealth and life are doubtfull to endure FINIS THE FALL OF ROBERT Tresilian chiefe Iustice of England and other his fellowes for misconstruing the Lawes and expounding them to serue the Princes affections Anno 1388. IN the sad register of mischiefe and mishap Baldwine we beseech thee with our names to begin Whom vnfriendly Fortune did train vnto a trap When as wee thought our state most stable to haue bin So lightly leese they all which all do weene to win Learne by vs ye Lawyers and Iudges of this Land Vpright and vncorrupt in doome alway to stand And print ye this president to remaine for euer Enroll and record it in Tables made of Brasse Engraue it in Marble that may be raced neuer Where Iudges of the Law may see as in a Glasse What guerdon is for guile and what our wages was Who for our Princes will
line O heedlesse trust vnware of harme to come O malice headlong swift to serue fond will Did euer madnesse man so much benome Of prudent forecast reason wit and skill As me blind Bayard consenting to spill The blood of my cosin my refuge and stay To my destruction making open way So long as the Duke bare the stroke and sway So long no Rebels quarels durst begin But when the post was pulled once away Which stood to vphold the King and his kin Yorke and his banders proudly preased in To challenge the Crowne by title of right Beginning with law and ending with might Abroad went bruits in countrey and towne That Yorke of England was the heire true And how Henrie had vsurped the Crowne Against all right which all the Realme might rue The people then embracing titles new Irkesome of present and longing for change Assented soone because they loue to range True is the text which wee in scripture read Va terra illi cuius rex est puer Woe to that land whereof a child is head Whether child or childish the case is one sure Where Kings bee yong we dayly see in vre The people awlesse by weakenes of their head Leade their liues lawlesse hauing none to dread And no lesse true is this text againe Beata terra cuius rex est nobilis Blest is the land where a stout King doth raine Where in good peace ech man possesseth his Where ill men feare to fault or do amisse Where a stout Prince is prest with sword in hand At home and abroad his enemies to withstand In case King Henry had beene such a one Hardy and stout as his fathers afore Long mought he haue sate in the royall throne Without any feare of common vprore But dayly his weakenesse shewed more and more Which boldnesse gaue to the aduersary band To spoile him at last both of life and land His humble heart was nothing vnknowen To the gallants of Yorke and their retinue A ground lying low is soone ouerflowen And shored houses cannot long continue Ioints cannot knit where as is no sinew And so a Prince not dread as well as loued Is from his place by practise soone remoued Well mought I see had I not wanted braine The worke begun to vndermine the state When the chiefe linke was loosed from the chaine And that some durst vpon bloud royall grate How tickle a hold had I of mine estate When the chiefe post lay flat vpon the flore Mought not I thinke my staffe then next the dore So mought I also dame Margaret the Queene By meane of whom this mischiefe first began Did she trow ye her selfe not ouer weene Death to procure to that most worthy man Which she and hers afterward mought well ban On whom did hang as I before haue said Her husbands life his honour and his ayd For whilst he liued which was our stable stay Yorke and his impes were kept as vnder yoke But when the Piller remoued was away Then burst out flame that late before was smoke The traytour couert then cast off his cloke And from his den came forth in open light With titles blind which he set forth for right But this to bring about him first behoued The King and his kin asunder for to set Who being perforce or practise remoued Then had they avoided the principall let Which kept the sought pray so long from the net The next point after was themselues to place In rule aboue the rest next vnto his Grace Therefore was I first whom they put out of place No cause pretending but the common-weale The Crowne of England was the very case Why to the Commons they burned so in zeale My faults were clokes their practise to conceale In counsaile hearing consider the intent For in pretence of truth treason oft is ment So their pretence was only to remoue Counsaile corrupt from place about the King But O ye Princes you it doth behoue This case to construe as no fained thing That neuer traytour did subdue his King But for his plat ere he could surder wade Against his friends the quarell first hee made And if by hap he could so bring about Them to subdue at his owne wish and will Then would hee wax so arrogant and stout That no reason his outrage might fulfill But to proceed vpon his purpose still Til King and counsaile brought were in one case Such is their folly to rebels to giue place So for the fish casting forth a net The next point was in driuing out the plat Commons to cause in rage to fume and fret And to rebell I cannot tell for what Requiring redresse of this and of that Who if they speed the stander at receit Grasp will the pray for which he doth await Then by surmise of some thing pretended Such to displace as they may well suspect Like to withstand their mischiefe intended And in their roomes their banders to elect The aduerse party proudly to reiect And then with reports the simple to abuse And when these helps faile open force to vse So this Dukes traines were couert and not seene Which ment no lesse that he most pretended Like to a Serpent couert vnder greene To the weale publique seemed wholly bended Zealous hee was and would haue all things mended But by that mendment nothing els he ment But to be King to that marke was his bent For had he beene plaine as he ment indeed Henry to depose from the royall place His haste had been waste and much worse his speed The King then standing in his peoples grace This Duke therefore set forth a goodly face As one that ment no quarell for the Crowne Such as bare rule he only would put downe But all for nought so long as I bare stroke Serued these drifts and proued all vaine The best help then was people to prouoke To make commotion and vprores amaine Which to appease the King himselfe was faine From Blacke Heath in Kent to send me to the Tower Such was the force of rebels in that hower The troublous storme yet therewith was not ceased For Yorke was bent his purpose to pursue Who seing how speedily I was released And ill successe of sufferance to ensue Then like Iudas vnto his Lord vntrue Esteeming time lost any longer to defarre By Warwickes ayd proclaimed open warre At S. Albanes towne both our hostes did meete Which to try a field was no equall place Forst we were to fight in euery lane and streete No feare of foes could make me shun the place There I and Warwicke fronted face to face At an Inne dore the Castle was the signe Where with a sword was cut my fatall line Oft was I warned to come in Castle none Hauing no mistrust of any common signe I did imagine a Castle built with stone For of no Inne I could the same diuine In Prophets skill my wit was neuer fine A foole is he that such vaine dreames doth dred And more foole he
that will by them be led My life I lost in that vnluckly place With many Lords that leaned to my part The stout Earle Percy had no better grace Clyfford couragious could not shun the dart Buckingham heir was at this mortall mart Babthorp th' Atturney with his skill in law In pleading heere appeared very raw King Henrie thus disarmed of his bands His friends and followers wanting assistence Was made a prey vnto his enemies hands Depriued of power and Princely reuerence And as a pupill void of all experience Innocent plaine and simplie witted Was as a Lambe vnto the Wolfe committed A Parliament then was called with speed A Parliament nay a plaine conspiracie When against right it was decreed That after the death of the sixt Henrie Yorke should succeed vnto the regaltie And in his life the charge and protection Of King and Realme at the Dukes direction And thus was Yorke declared Protectour Protectour said I nay Proditor plaine A rancke rebell the Princes directour A vassall to leade his Lord and Soueraigne What honest heart would not conceiue disdaine To see the foot surmount aboue the head A monster is in spite of nature bred Some happily heere will moue a farther doubt And as for Yorkes part alledge an elder right O brainelesse heads that so run in and out When length of time a state hath firmely pight And good accord hath put all strife to flight Were it not better such titles still to sleepe Then all a Realme about the triall weepe From the female came Yorke and all his seed And we of Lancaster from the heire male Of whom three Kings in order did succeed By iust descent this is no fained tale Who would haue thought that any storme or gale Our ship could shake hauing such anker hold None I thinke sure vnlesse that God so would After this hurle the King was faine to flee Northward in post for succour and releefe O blessed God how strange it was to see A rightfull Prince pursued as a theefe To thee O England what can be more repreefe Then to pursue thy Prince with armed hand What greater shame may be to any land Traytours did triumph true men lay in dust Reuing and robbing roifled euery where VVill stood for skill and law obeyed lust Might trode downe right of King there was no feare The title was tried only by shield and speare All which vnhaps that they were not foreseene Suffolke was in fault who ruled King and Queene Some heere perhaps do looke I should accuse My selfe of sleight or subtiltie vniust VVherein I should my Princes eares abuse Against the Duke to bring him in mistrust Some part whereof though needs confesse I must My fault only consisted in consent Leaning to my foes whereof I do repent If I at first when brands began to smoke The sparkes to quench by any way had sought Neuer had England felt this mortall stroke VVhich now too late lamenting helpeth nought Two points of wit too dearely haue I bought The first that better is timely to foresee Then after ouer late a counsellour to bee The second is not easily to assent To aduice giuen against thy faithfull friend But of the speaker ponder the intent The meaning full the point and finall end A Saint in shew in proofe is found a Feend The subtill man the simple to abuse Much pleasant speech and eloquence doth vse And so was I abus'd and other moe By Suffolkes sleights who sought to please the Queene Forecasting not the miserie and woe VVhich therefore came and soone was after seene VVith glosing tongue he made vs fooles to weene That Humfrey did to Englands Crowne aspire VVhich to preuent his death they did conspire VVhat should I more of mine vnhaps declare VVhereof my death at last hath made an end Not I alone was void of all this care Some besides me there were that did offend None I accuse nor yet my selfe defend Faults I know I had as none liues without My chiefe fault was folly I put thee out of doubt Folly was the chiefe the naughtie time was next VVhich made my Fortune subiect to the chiefe If England then with strife had not been vext Glorie might haue growen whereas ensued griefe Yet one thing is my comfort and reliefe Constant I was in my Princes quarrell To die or liue and spared for no parrell VVhat though Fortune enuious was my foe A noble heart ought not the sooner yeeld Nor shrinke abacke for any weale or woe But for his Prince lie bleeding in the feeld If priuie spight at any time me helde The price is paid and grieuous is my guerdon As for the rest me God I trust will pardon G. Ferrers HOW RICHARD PLANTAGENET DVKE OF YORKE was slaine through his ouer rash boldnes and his sonne the Earle of Rutland for his lacke of valiance An. Dom. 1460. TRust not in chance in whom was neuer trust Of foolish men that haue no better grace All rest renowne and deeds lie in the dust Of all the sort that sue her slipper trace What meanest thou Baldwine for to hide thy face Thou needest not feare although I misse my head Nor yet to mourne for this my sonne is dead The cause why thus I lead him in my hand His skin with blood and teares so sore bestain'd Is that thou maist the better vnderstand How hardly Fortune hath for vs ordain'd In whom her loue and hate be whole contain'd For I am Richard Prince Plantagenet The Duke of Yorke in royall race beget From Lionel the third begotten sonne Of Kingly Edward by descent I came From Philip hight his heire we first begun The crowne as due to vs by right to clame And in the end we did obtaine the same She was sole heire by due descent of line Whereby her rights and titles all were mine But marke me now I pray thee Baldwine marke And see how force oft ouerbeareth right Way how vsurpers tyrannously warke To keepe by murther that they get by might And note what troublous dangers do alight On such as seeke to repossesse their owne And how through rigour right is ouerthrowne The Duke of Herford Henrie Bolenbroke Of whom Duke Mowbray told thee now of late When void of cause he had King Richard toke He murdered him vsurped his estate Without all right or title sauing hate Of others rule or loue to rule alone These two excepted title had he none The Realme and Crowne was Edmund Mortimers Whose father Roger was King Richards heire Which caused Henrie and the Lancasters To seeke all shift our housholds to appaire For sure he was to sit beside the chaire Were we of power to claime our lawfull right Against vs therefore he did all he might His cursed sonne ensued his cruell path And kept my guiltlesse cosin strait in durance For whom my father hard entreated hath But liuing hopelesse of his liues assurance He thought it best by politike procurance To slay the King and so restore his
to get Must see their works and words in all agree Liue liberally and keepe them out of det On Commonwealth let all their care be set For vpright dealing debts paid poore sustained Is meane whereby all hearts are throwly gained HOW KING HENRIE THE SIXT A VERTVOVS PRINCE WAS AFter many other miseries cruelly murdered in the Tower of London the 22. of May Anno 1471. IF euer wofull wight had cause to rue his state Or by his ruefull plight to moue men mone his fate My piteous plaint may prease my mishap to rehearse Wherof the least most lightly heard the hardest hart may pierce What heart so hard can heare of innocence opprest By fraud in worldly goods but melteth in the brest When guiltlesse men be spoil'd imprisoned for their owne Who waileth not their wretched case to whom the case is knowen The Lion lickes the sores of silly wounded sheepe The dead mans corps may cause the Crocodile to weepe The waues that waste the rockes refresh the rotten reeds Such ruth the wracke of innocence in cruell creatures breeds What heart is then so hard but will for pitie bleed To heare so cruell lucke so cleare a life succeed To see a silly soule with woe and sorrow sounst A King depriu'd in prison pent to death with daggers dounst Would God the day of birth had brought me to my bere Then had I neuer felt the change of Fortunes chere Would God the graue had gript me in her greedie wombe When crowne in cradle made me King with oile of holy thombe Would God the rufull tombe had been my royall throne So should no Kingly charge haue made me make my mone O that my soule had flowen to heauen with the ioy When one sort cried God saue the King another Viue le Roy. So had I not been washt in waues of worldly wo My minde to quiet bent had not been tossed so My frends had been aliue my subiects not opprest But death or cruell destiny denied me this rest Alas what should we count the cause of wretches cares The starres do stirre them vp Astronomy declares Our humors saith the leach the double true diuines To 'th will of God or ill of man the doubtfull cause assignes Such doltish heads as dreame that all things driue by haps Count lacke of former care for cause of after claps Attributing to man a power fro God bereft Abusing vs and robbing him through their most wicked theft But God doth guide the world and euery hap by skill Our wit and willing power are poized by his will What wit most wisely wards will most deadly vrkes Though all our power would presse it down doth dash our warest workes Then destiny our sinne Gods will or else his wreake Doe worke our wretched woes for humours be too weake Except we take them so as they prouoke to sinne For through our lust by humours fed all vicious deeds beginne So sinne and they be one both working like effect And cause the wrath of God to wreake the soule infect Thus wrath and wreake diuine mans sinnes and humours ill Concurre in one though in a sort ech doth a course fulfill If likewise such as say the welkin Fortune warkes Take Fortune for our fate and Starres thereof the markes Then destiny with fate and Gods will all be one But if they meane it otherwise skath causers skies be none Thus of our heauy haps chiefe causes be but twaine Whereon the rest depend and vnder put remaine The chiefe the will diuine cald destiny and fate The other sinne through humours holpe which God doth highly hate The first appointeth paine for good mens exercise The second doth deserue due punishment for vice This witnesseth the wrath and that the loue of God The good for loue the bad for sinne God beateth with his rod. Although my sundry sinnes doe place me with the worst My haps yet cause me hope to be among the first The eye that searcheth all and seeth euery thought Is Iudge how sore I hated sinne and after vertue sought The solace of my soule my chiefest pleasure was Of worldly pomp of fame or game I did not passe My Kingdomes nor my Crowne I prised not a crum In Heauen were my riches heapt to which I sought to come Yet were my sorowes such as neuer man had like So diuers stormes at once so often did me strike But why God knowes not I except it were for this To shew by paterne of a Prince how brittle honour is Our kingdomes are but cares our state deuoid of stay Our riches ready snares to hasten our decay Our pleasures priuy pricks our vices to prouoke Our pompe a pumpe our fame a flame our power a smouldring smoke I speake not but by proofe and that may many rue My life doth cry it out my death doth try it true Whereof I will in briefe rehearse the heauy hap That Baldwine in his woefull warpe my wretchednesse may wrap In Windsore borne I was and bare my fathers name Who wonne by warre all France to his eternall fame And left to me the crowne to be receiu'd in peace Through mariage made with Charles his heire vpon his lifes decease Which shortly did ensue yet died my father furst And both the Realmes were mine ere I a yeare were nurst Which as they fell too soone so faded they as fast For Charles and Edward got them both or forty yeares were past This Charles was eldest sonne of Charles my father in law To whom as heire of France the Frenchmen did them draw But Edward was the heire of Richard Duke of Yorke The heire of Roger Mortimer slaine by the kerne of Korke Before I came to age Charles had recouered France And kild my men of warre so happy was his chance And through a mad contract I made with Raynerds daughter I gaue and lost all Normandy the cause of many a slaughter First of mine vncle Humfrey abhorring sore this act Because I thereby brake a better precontract Then of the flattering Duke that first the mariage made The iust reward of such as dare their Princes ill perswade And I poore silly wretch abode the brunt of all My mariage lust so sweet was mixt with bitter gall My wife was wise and good had she ben rightly sought But our vnlawfull getting it may make a good thing nought Wherefore warne men beware how they iust promise breake Lest proofe of painfull plagues doe cause them waile the wreake Aduise well ere they grant but what they grant performe For God will plague all doublenes although we feele no worme I falsly borne in hand beleeued I did well But all things bee not true that learned men doe tell My clergie said a Prince was to no promise bound Whose words to be no gospell tho I to my griefe haue found For after mariage ioind Queene Margaret and me For one mishap afore I dayly met with three Of Normandy and France Charles got away my Crowne The Duke
Such his constraint that now that one with paine Command he might who late might many moe Then ghastly Greekes erst brought to Tenedo So nought is ours that we by hap may lose What nearest seemes is farthest off in woes As banished wights such ioyes we might haue made Eas'd of aye threatning death that late we drade But once our countries sight not care exempt No harbour shewing that might our feare relent No couert caue no shrub to shroud our liues No hollow wood no flight that oft depriues The mightie his prey no sanctuarie left For exil'd Prince that shrouds each slaue for theft In prison pent whose woodie walles to passe Of no lesse perill then the dying was With th' Ocean moated battred with the waues As chain'd at oares the wretched galley slaues At mercie sit of sea and enmies shot And shun with death that they with flight may not But greenish waues and heauie lowring skies All comfort else forclosed our exiled eies Lo lo from highest top the slauish boy Sent vp with sight of land our hearts to ioy Descries at hand a fleete of Easterlings As then hot enmies of the British Kings The Mouse may sometime helpe the Lion in need The bittle Bee once spilt the Aegles breed O Princes seeke no foes In your distresse The earth the seas conspire your heauinesse Our foe descried by flight we shun in hast And laid with canuas now the bending mast The ship was rackt to trie her sailing then As Squirels climbe the troupes of trustie men The steersman seekes a readier course to run The souldier stirs the Gunner hies to gun The Flemmings sweate the English ship disdaines To wait behind to beare the Flemmings traines Forth flieth the Barke as from the violent Goone The pellet breakes all staies and stops eftsoone And swift she swindg'th as oft in Sunnie day The Dolphin fleetes in seas in merrie May. As we for liues so th' easterlings for gaine Thwack on the sailes and after make amaine Though heauie they were and of burthen great A King to master yet what Swine nold sweat So mid the vale the Greyhound seeing start The fearefull Hare pursueth before she flert And where she turn'th he turn'th her there to beare The one prey pricketh th' other safeties feare So were we chas'd so fled we 'fore our foes Bet flight then fight in so vneuen close I end Some thinke perhaps too long he staieth In perill present shewing his fixed faith This ventred I this dread I did sustaine To trie my truth my life I did disdaine But loe like triall ' gainst his ciuill foe Faiths worst is triall which reserues to woe I passe our scape and sharpe returning home Where we were welcom'd by our wonted fone To battell maine descends the Empires right At Barnet ioyne the hosts in bloodie fight There ioyn'd three battels ranged in such array As might for terror Alexander fray What should I stay to tell the long discourse Who wan the Palme who bare away the worse Sufficeth say by my reserued band Our enemies fled we had the vpper hand My iron armie held her steadie place My Prince to shield his feared foe to chase The like successe befell in Tewkesbury field My furious force their force perforc'd to yeeld My Princes foe and render to my King Her only sonne lest he more bate might bring Thus hast a mirrour of a Subiects mind Such as perhaps is rare againe to find The caruing cuts that cleaue the trusty steele My faith and due allegeance could not feele But out alas what praise may I recount That is not stain'd with spot that doth surmount My greatest vaunt bloudy for VVarre to feete A Tiger was I all for peace vnmeete A souldiers hands must oft be died with goare Lest starke with rest they finewd waxe and hoare Peace could I win by VVarre but peace not vse Few daies liue he who VVarlike peace doth chuse VVhen Crofts a Knight presented Henries Heiro To this our Prince in furious moode enquere Of him he gan what folly or phrensy vaine With Arms forst him t' inuade his Realme againe Whom answering that he claim'd his fathers right With Gauntlet smit commanded from his sight Glocester Clarence I and Dorset slewe The guilt whereof we shortly all did rue Clarence as Cyrus drown'd in bloud like Wine Dorset I furthered to his speedy pine Of me my selfe am speaking president Nor easier fate the bristled Boare is lent Our blouds haue paid the vengeance of our guilt His bones shall broile for bloud which he hath spilt O deadly murther that attaint'th our fame O wicked Traytours wanting worthy name Who as mischieuously of men deserue As they merit well who doe mens liues preserue If those therefore we recken heauenly wights These may we well deeme Feendes and damned Sprits And while on earth they walke disguised deuils Sworne foes of vertue factours for all euils Whose bloudy hands torment their goared harts Through bloudsheds horrour in sound sleepe he starts O happy world were the Lions men All Lions should at least be spared then No suerty now no lasting league is bloud A meacocke is he who dreadth to see bloud shed Old is the Practise of such bloudy strife While ij weare Armies ij the Issues of first Wife With armed hart and hand the one bloudy brother With cruell chase pursueth and murdreth th' other Which who abhorreth not yet who ceaseth to sue The bloudy Caines their bloudy sire renue The horror yet is like in common fraies For in ech murther brother brother slaies Traytours to nature countrey kin and kinde Whom no band serueth in brothers loue to bind O simple age when slaunder slaughter was The tongues smal euil how doth this mischief passe Hopest thou to cloake thy couert mischiefe wrought Thy conscience Caitif shal proclaime thy thought A vision Chaucer sheweth difcloasd thy crime The Foxe descrie the crowes and chattring pien And shal thy fellow felons not bewray The guiltelesse death whom guiltie hands do slay Vnpunished scaped for hainous crime some one But vnaduenged in minde or body none Vengeance on minde the freating furies take The sinful corps like earth quake agues shake Their frowning lookes their troubled minds bewray In hast they runne and mids their race they staie As gidded Roe Amids their speech they whist At meate they muse No where they may persist But some feare netleth them Ay hang they so So neuer wanteth the wicked murtherer wo. An infant rent with Lions ramping pawes Why slaunder I Lions They feare the sacred lawes Of royall bloud Ay me more brute then beast With infants sides Lycaons pie to feast O tyrant Tigers O insaciate woolues O English courtesie monstrous mowes and gulfes Onely because our Prince displeas'd we saw With him we slue him straight before all law Before our Prince commanded once his death Our bloudie swords on him we did vnsheath Preuenting law and euen our Princes hest We hid our weapons in the young
lings brest Whom not desire of raigne did driue to field But mothers pride who longd the Realme to wield But straight my death shall shew my worthie meed If first to one other murther I proceed VVhile Edward liued dissembled discord lurked In double hearts yet so his reuerence worked But when succeeding tender feeble age Gaue open gap to tyrants rushing rage I holpe the Boare and Bucke to captiuate Lord Riuers Gray sir Thomas Vaughan and Hawte If land would helpe the sea well earnd that ground It selfe to be with conquering waues surround Their speedie death by priuie dome procured At Pomfret tho my life short while endured My selfe I slue when them I damned to death At once my throate I riued and reft them breath For that selfe day before or neere the hower That withred Atropos nipt the springing flower VVith violent hand of their forth running life My head and body in Tower twinde like knife By this my paterne all ye peeres beware Oft hangth he himselfe who others weenth to snare Spare to be each others butcher Feare the Kite VVho soareth aloft while frog and mouse do fight In ciuil combat grappling void of feare Of forreine foe at once al both to beare Which plainer by my pitied plaint to see A while anew your listning lend to mee Too true it is two sundrie assemblies kept At Crosbies place and Baynards Castle set The Dukes at Crosbies but at Baynards we The one to crowne a king the other to be Suspicious is secession of foule frends When eithers drift to th' others mischief tends I fear'd the end my Catesbies being there Discharg'd all doubts Him held I most entire Whose great preserment by my meanes I thought Some spurre to pay the thankfulnesse hee ought The trust he ought me made me trust him so That priuie he was both to my weale and wo. My hearts one halfe my chest of confidence Mine only trust my ioy dwelt in his presence I lou'd him Baldwine as the apple of mine eye I loath'd my life when Catesby would me die Flie from thy chanel Thames forsake thy streames Leaue the Adamant Iron Phoebus lay thy beames Cease heauenly Sphears at last your weary warke Betray your charge returne to Chaos darke At least some ruthlesse Tiger hang her whelp My Catesby so with some excuse to help And me to comfort that I alone ne seeme Of all dame natures workes left in extreeme A Golden treasure is the tried frend But who may Gold from Counterfaits defend Trust not too soone nor yet too soone mistrust With th' one thy selfe with th' other thy friend thou hurt'st VVho twin'th betwixt and steareth the golden meane Nor rashly loueth nor mistrusteth in vaine In friendship soueraigne it is as Mithridate Thy friend to loue as one whom thou maist hate Of tickle credit ne had bin the mischiefe What needed Virbius miracle doubled life Credulity surnamed first the Aegean Seas Mistrust doth reason in the trustiest raise Suspicious Romulus stain'd his Walls first reard With brothers bloud whom for light leape he feard So not in brotherhood ielousie may be borne The ielous Cuckold weares the Infamous Horne A beast may preach by triall not foresight Could I haue shund light credit nere had light The dreaded death vpon my guilty head But Fooles aye wont to learne by after read Had Catesby kept vnstaind the truth he plight Yet had yet enioied me and I yet the light All Derbies doubts I cleared with his name I knew no harme could hap me without his blame But see the fruites of tickle light beleefe The ambitious Dukes corrupt the Traitor theefe To grope mee if allured I would assent To bin a Partner of their cursed intent Whereto when as by no meanes friendship vail'd By Tyrant force behold they me assail'd And summond shortly a Counsell in the Tower Of Iune the fifteenth at appointed hower Alas are Counsels wried to catch the good No place is now exempt from sheading bloud Sith counsels that were carefull to preserue The guiltelesse good are meanes to make them starue VVhat may not mischiefe of Mad man abuse Religious cloake some one to vice doth chuse And maketh God Protectour of his crime Omonstrous world well ought we wish thy fine The fatall skies roll on the blackest day VVhen doubled bloudshed my bloud must repay Others none forceth To me sir Thomas Haward As spurre is buckled to prouoke me froward Derbie who feared the parted sittings yore Whether much more he knew by experience hoare Or better minded clearelier truth could see At midnight darke this message sends to mee Hastings away in sleepe the gods foreshow By dreadfull dreame fell fates vnto vs two Me thought a Bore with tuske so raced our throate That both our shoulders of the blood did smoake Arise to horse straight homeward let vs hie And seeth our foe we cannot match O flie Of Chanteclere you learne dreames sooth to know Thence wisemen construe more then the cock doth crow While thus he spake I held within mine arme Shores wife the tender piece to keepe me warme Fie on adulterie fie on leacherous lust Marke in me ye Nobles all Gods iudgements iust A Pander Murderer and Adulterer thus Only such death I die as I ne blush Now lest my dame might thinke appall'd my hart With eager mood vp in my bed I start And is thy Lord quoth I a Sorcerer A wiseman now become a dreame reader What though so Chanteclere crowed I reck it not On my part pleadeth as well dame Partelot Vniudg'd hang'th yet the case betwixt them tway Nay was his dreame cause of his hap I say Shall dreaming doubts from Prince my seruing slack Nay then might Hastings life and liuing lacke He parteth I sleepe my mind surcharg'd with sinne As Phoebus beames by mistie cloud kept in Ne could misgiue ne dreame of my mishap As blocke I tumbled to mine enemies trap Securitie causelesse through my fained frend Reft me foresight of my approching end So Catesby clawed me as when the Cat doth play Dallying with Mouse whom straight she meanes to slay The morow come the latest light to me On Palfray mounted to the Tower I hie Accompanied with that Haward my mortall foe To slaughter led thou God didst suffer so O deepe dissemblers honoring with your cheare Whom in hid heart you trayterously teare Neuer had Realme so open signes of wrack As I had shewed me of my heauie hap The vision first of Stanley late descried Then mirth so extreame that neare for ioy I died Were it that Swanlike I foresong my death Or merrie mind foresaw the losse of breath That long it coueted from this earths annoy But euen as siker as th' end of woe is ioy And glorious light to obscure night doth tend So extreame mirth in extreame mone doth end For why extreames are haps rackt out of course By violent might far swinged forth perforce Which as they are piercing'st while they violent'st moue For that they
at Lord Stanley whose braine he had surely cleft Had he not downe beneath the table crept But Ely Yorke and I were taken straight Imprisoned they I should no longer wait But charged was to shriue me and shift with hast My Lord must dine and now midday was past The Bores first dish not the bores head should be But Hastings head the borish beast would see VVhy stay I his dinner vnto the chappel ioineth A greenish hil that body and soule oft twineth There on a blocke my head was stricken off As Baptists head for Herod bloudy gnoffe Thus liu'd I Baldwine thus dide I thus I fel This is the summe which al at large to tel VVould volumes fil whence yet these lessons note Ye noble Lords to learne and ken by rote By filthie rising feare your names to staine If not for vertues loue for dread of paine VVhom so the mindes vnquiet state vpheaues Be it for loue or feare when fancie reaues Reason her right by mocking of the wit If once the cause of this affection flit Reason preuailing on the vubridled thought Downe falth he who by fancie climbe aloft So hath the riser foule no staie from fall No not of those that raisd him first of all His suretie stands in mainteining the cause That heau'd him first which rest by reasons sawes Not onely falth he to his former state But liueth for euer in his princes hate And marke my Lords God for adulterie sleath Though ye it thinke too sweete a sinne for death Serue trulie your Prince and feare not rebels might On Princes halues the mightie God doth fight O much more then forsweare a forrein foe Who seeketh your realme and country to vndo Murther detest haue hands vnstaind with bloud Aie with your succour do protect the good Chace treason where trust should be wed to your frend Your heart and power to your liues last end Flie tickle credit shun alike distrust Too true it is and credit it you must The iealous nature wanteth no stormie strife The simple soule aye leadeth a sower life Beware of flatterers friends in outward show Best is of such to make your open foe What all men seeke that all men seeke to saine Some such to be some such to seeme them paine Marke Gods iust iudgements punishing sin by sinne And slipperie state wherein aloft we swimme The prouerbe all day vp if we ne fall Agreeth well to vs high heaued worldlings all From common sort vprais'd in honors weed We shine while Fortune false whom none erst feed To stand with stay and forsweare ticklenesse Sowseth vs in mire of durtie brittlenesse And learne ye Princes by my wronged sprite Not to misconster what is meant aright The winged words too oft preuent the wit When silence ceaseth afore the lips to sit Alas what may the words yeeld worthie death The words worst is the speakers stinking breath Words are but winde why cost they then so much The guiltie kicke when they too smartly touch Forth irreturnable flieth the spoken word Be it in scoffe in earnest or in bourd Without returne and vnreceiu'd it hangs And at the takers mercie or rigour stands Which if he sowerly wrest with wrathfull cheare The shiuering word turnes to the speakers feare If friendly courtefie do the word expound To the speakers comfort sweetly it doth redound Euen as the vapour which the fire repels Turnes not to earth but in mid aire dwels Where while it hangeth if Boreas frostie flawes With rigour rattle it not to raine it thawes But thunder lightnings ratling haile or snow Sends downe to earth whence first it rose below But if faire Phoebus with his countenance sweete Resolue it downe the dew or Manna sleete The Manna dew that in the Easterne lands Excell'th the labour of the bees small hands Else for her Memnon gray Auroras teares On the earth it stilleth the partener of her feares Or sendeth sweet showers to glad their mother earth Whence first they tooke their first inconstant birth To so great griefes ill taken words do grow Of words well taken such delights do flow This learned thus be heere at length an end What since ensued to thee I will commend Now farewell Baldwine shield my torne name From slanderous trumpe of blasting blacke defame But ere I part hereof thou record beare I claime no part of vertues reckoned heere My vice my selfe but God my vertues take So hence depart I as I entred nak'd Thus ended Hastings both his life and tale Containing all his worldly blisse and bale Happie he liued too happie but for sinne Happie he died whom right his death did bring Thus euer happie For there is no meane Twixt blissefull liues and mortall deaths extreame Yet feared not his foes to staine his name And by these slanders to procure his shame In rustie armour as in extreame shift They clad themselues to cloake their diuellish drift And forth with for substantiall citizens sent Declaring to them Hastings forged intent Was to haue slaine the Duke and to haue seised The Kings yong person slaying whom he had pleas'd But God of Iustice had withturn'd that fate Which where it ought light on his proper pate Then practised they by proclamation spread Nought to forget that mought defame him dead Which was so curious and so clerkely pend So long withall that when some did attend His death so yong they saw that long before The shroud was shaped then babe to die was bore So wonteth God to blind the worldly wise That not to see that all the world espies One hearing it cried out A goodly cast And well contriued foule cast away for hast Whereto another gan in scoffe replie First pend it was by enspiring prophecie So can God rip vp secret mischiefes wrought To the confusion of the workers thought My Lords the tub that dround the Clarence Duke Dround not his death not yet his deaths rebuke Your politique secrets gard with trustie loyaltie So shall they lurke in most assured secrecie By Hastings death and after fame ye learne The earth for murder crieth out vengeance sterne Flie from his faults and spare to hurt his fame The eager hounds forbeare their slaine game Dead dead auaunt Curs from the conquered chase Ill might he liue who loueth the dead to race Thus liued this Lord thus died he thus he slept Mids forward race when first to rest he stept Enuious death that bounceth as well with mace At Kesars courts as at the poorest gates When nature seem'd too slow by this sloape meane Conueighed him sooner to his liues extreame Happie in preuenting woes that after happ'd In slumber sweete his liuing lights he lapp'd Whose hastie death if it do any grieue Know he he liu'd to die and dide to liue Vntimely neuer comes the liues last met In cradle death may rightly claime his det Straight after birth due is the fatall beere By deaths permission the aged linger heere Euen in the swathbands out commission goeth To
tyrants force their feares and their vnrest But heare this one although my heart repine To let the sound once sinke within my brest Of fell Phereus that aboue the rest Such crueltie vpon his people wrought As oh alas I tremble with the thought Some he encased in the coats of Beares Among wilde beasts deuoured so to be And some for prey vnto the hunters speares Like sauage beasts withouten ruth to die Sometime t' encrease his horrid crueltie The quicke with face to face engraued hee Each others death that each might liuing see Loe what more cruell horror might be found To purchase feare if feare could stay his raigne It booted not it rather strake the wound Of feare in him to feare the like againe And so he did full oft and not in vaine As in his life his cares could witnesse well But most of all his wretched end doth tell His owne deare wife whom as his life he loued He durst not trust nor proch vnto her bed But causing first his slaue with naked sword To go before himselfe with trembling dread Straight followeth fast and whurling in his head His rolling eyne he searched heere and there The danger deepe that he so sore did feare For not in vaine it ran still in his brest Some wretched hap should hale him to his end And therefore alway by his pillow prest Had he a sword and with that sword he wend In vaine God wot all perils to defend For loe his wife foreirking of his raigne Sleeping in bed this cruell wretch hath slaine What should I more now seeke to say in this Or one iot further linger forth my tale With cruell Nero or with Phalaris Caligula Domitian and all The cruell rout or of their wretched fall I can no more but in my name aduert All earthly powres beware of tyrants heart And as our state endured but a throw So best in vs the stay of such a state May best appeare to hang on ouer throw And better teach tyrants deserued hate Then any tyrants death tofore or late So cruell seem'd this Richard third to me That loe my selfe now loth'd his crueltie For when alas I saw the tyrant King Content not only from his nephewes twaine To riue worlds blisse but also all worlds being Sauns earthly guilt ycausing both be slaine My heart agrieud that such a wretch should raigne Whose bloodie breast so sauag'd out of kind That Phalaris had nere so foule a mind Nay could I brooke him once within my brest But with the thought my teeth would gnash withall For though I erst were his by sworne behest Yet when I saw mischiefe on mischiefe fall So deepe in blood to murder Prince and all Aye then thought I alas and welaway And to my selfe thus mourning would I say If neither loue kindred nay knot of blood His owne allegeance to his Prince of due Nor yet the state of trust wherein he stood The worlds defame nor nought could forme him true Those guiltlesse babes could they not make him rue Nor could their youth nor innocence withall Moue him from reauing them their life and all Alas it could not moue him any iot Nay make him once to rue or wet his eye Stir'd him no more then that that stirreth not But as the rocke or stone that will not plie So was his heart made hard with crueltie To murder them alas I weepe in thought To thinke on that which this fell wretch hath wrought That now when he had done the thing he sought And as he would complisht and compast all And saw and knew the treason he had wrought To God and man to slay his Prince and all Then seem'd he first to doubt and dread vs all And me in chiefe whose death all meanes he might He sought to worke by malice and by might Such heapes of harmes vpharbar'd in his brest With enuious heart my honor to deface And knowing he that I which wotted best His wretched drifts and all his wretched case If euer sprang within me sparke of grace Must needs abhorre him and his hatefull race Now more and more gan cast me out of grace Which sudden change when I by secret chance Had well perceiu'd by proofe of enuious frowne And saw the lot that did me to aduance Him to a King that sought to cast me downe Too late it was to linger any stowne Sith present choice lay cast before mine eye To worke his death or I my selfe to die And as the Knight in field among his foes Beset with swords must slay or there be slaine So I alas lapt in a thousand woes Beholding death on euery side so plaine I rather chose by some sly secret traine To worke his death and I to liue therby Then he to liue and I of force to dye Which heauy choice so hastened me to chose That I in part agrieu'd at his disdaine In part to wreake the dolefull death of those Two tender babes his silly nephewes twaine By him alas commanded to be slaine With painted cheere humbly before his face Straight tooke my leaue and rode to Brecknocke place And there as close and couert as I might My purposde practise to his passe to bring In secret drifts I lingred day and night All how I might depose this cruell King That seemd to all so much desirde a thing As therto trusting I emprisde the same But too much trusting brought me to my bane For while I now had Fortune at my becke Mistrusting I no earthly thing at all Vnwares alas least looking for a checke She mated me in turning of a ball When least I feard then neerest was my fall And when whole Hosts were prest to stroy my fone She changed her cheare and left me post alone I had vprais'd a mightie band of men And marched forth in order of array Leading my power amid the forrest Dene Against the tyrant banner to display But loe my souldiers basely shranke away For such is Fortune when she list to frowne Who seemes most sure him soonest whurles she downe O let no Prince put trust in Commontie Nor hope in faith of giddie peoples mind But let all noble men take heed by me That by the proofe too well the paine do find Loe where is truth or trust or what could bind The vaine people but they will swerue and sway As chance brings change to driue and draw that way Rome thou that once aduanced vp so hie Thy stay Patron and flowre of excellence Hast now throwne him to depth of miserie Exiled him that was thy whole defence Nay count'st it not an horrible offence To reuen him of honor and of fame That wan it thee when thou hadst lost the same Behold Camillus he that erst reuiued The state of Rome that dying he did find Of his owne state is now alas depriued Banisht by them whom he did thus debt-bind That cruell folke vnthankfull and vnkind Declared well their false vnconstancie And Fortune eke her mutabilitie And
the miners lap For I Lord Richard heire Plantagenet Was Earle of Cambridge and right fortunate If I had had the grace my wit to set To haue content me with mine owne estate But O false honors breeders of debate The loue of you our leaud hearts doth allure To lose our selues by seeking you vnsure Because my brother Edmund Mortimer Whose eldest sister was my wedded wife I meane that Edmund that was prisoner In Wales so long through Owens busie strife Because I say that after Edmunds life His rights and titles must by law be mine For he ne had nor could encrease his line Because the right of Realme and Crowne was ours I searched meanes to helpe him thereunto And where the Henries held it by their powers I sought a shift their tenures to vndoe Which being force sith force or sleight must doe I void of might because their power was strong Set priuie fleight against their open wrong But sith the death of most part of my kin Did dash my hope throughout the fathers daies I let it slip and thought it best begin When as the sonne should dread least such assayes For force through speed sleight speedeth through delayes And seeld doth treason time so fitly find As when all dangers most be out of mind Wherefore while Henrie of that name the fist Prepar'd his armie to go conquer France Lord Scroope and I thought to attempt a drift To put him downe my brother to aduance But wer 't Gods will my lucke or his good chance The King wist wholly whereabout we went The night before to shipward he him bent Then were we straight as traytours apprehended Our purpose spi'd the cause thereof was hid And therefore loe a false cause we pretended Where through my brother was from danger rid We said for hire of French Kings coine we did Behight to kill the King and thus with shame We stain'd our selues to saue our friend from blame When we had thus confest so foule a treason That we deseru'd we suffered by the law See Baldwine see and note as it is reason How wicked deeds to wofull ends do draw All force doth faile no craft is worth a straw To attaine things lost and therefore let them go For might rules right and will though truth say no. W. Baldwine HOW THOMAS MONTAGVE EARLE OF SALISBVrie in the middest of his glorie was chanceably slaine at Orleaunce with a piece of Ordinance the third of Nouember Anno Dom. 1428. WHat fooles be we to trust vnto our strength Our wit our courage or our noble fame Which time it selfe must needs deuour at length Though froward Fortune could not foile the same But seeing this Goddesse guideth all the game Which still to change doth set her only lust Why toile we so for things so hard to trust A goodly thing we deeme of good report Which noble hearts do seeke by course of kind But seeing the date so doubtfull and so short The way so rough whereby we do it find I cannot chuse but praise the Princely mind That preaseth for it though we find opprest By foule defame those that deserue it best Concerning whom marke Baldwine what I say I meane the vertuous hindred of their brute Among which number recken well I may My valiant father Iohn Lord Montacute Who lost his life I iudge through iust pursute I say the cause and not the casuall speed Is to be waighed in euery kind of deed This rule obseru'd how many shall we find For vertues sake with infamie opprest How some againe through helpe of Fortune blind For ill attempts atchieu'd with honor blest Successe is worst oft times when cause is best Therefore say I God send them sory haps That iudge the causes by their afterclaps The end indeed is Iudge of euery thing Which is the cause or latter point of time The first true verdict at the first may bring The last is slow or slipper as the slime Oft changing names of innocence and crime Duke Thomas death was Iustice two yeares long And euer since sore tyrannie and wrong Wherefore I pray thee Baldwine weigh the cause And praise my father as he doth deserue Because Earle Henry King against all lawes Endeuoured King Richard for to starue In iayle wherby the regall Crowne might swarue Out of the line to which it then was due Whereby God knowes what euill might ensue My Lord Iohn Holland Duke of Excester Which was deare cosin to this wretched King Did moue my Sire and th' Earle of Glocester With other Lords to ponder well the thing Who seeing the mischiefe that began to spring Did all consent this Henry to depose And to restore King Richard to the Rose And while they did deuise a prety traine Whereby to bring their purpose well about Which was in maske this Henry to haue slaine The Duke of Aumerle blew their counsaile out Yet was their purpose good there is no doubt What cause can be more worthy for a Knight Than saue his King and helpe true heires to right For this with them my father was destroid And buried in the dunghill of defame Thus euill chance their glory did auoid Whereas their cause doth claime eternall fame When deeds therefore vnluckily doe frame Men ought not iudge the authors to be naught For right through might is often ouerraught And God doth suffer that it should be so But why my wit is feeble to decise Except it be to heape vp wrath and we On wicked heads that iniuries deuise The cause why mischiefs many times arise And light on them that would mens wrongs redresse Is for the rancour that they beare I gesse God hateth rigour though it further right For sinne is sinne how euer it be vsed And therefore suffereth shame and death to light To punish vice though it bee well abused Who furthereth right is not therby excused If through the same he doe some other wrong To euery vice due guerdon doth belong What preach I now I am a man of warre And that my lims I dare say doth professe Of cured wounds beset with many a skarre My broken iaw vnheald can say no lesse O Fortune Fortune cause of all distresse My father had great cause thy fraud to curse But much more I abused ten times worse Thou neuer flatteredst him in all thy life But me thou dandledst like thy darling deare Thy gifts I found in euery corner rife Where ere I went I met thy smiling cheare Which was not for a day or for a yeare But through the raigne of three right worthy Kings I found thee forward in all kind of things The while King Henry conquered in France I sued the warres and still found victory In all assaults so happy was my chance Holds yeeld or won did make my enemies sory Dame Prudence eke augmented so my glory That in all treaties euer I was one When weighty matters were agreed vpon But when this King this mightie conquerour Through death vnripe was both
his Realmes berest His silly infant did receiue his power Poore little babe full yong in cradle left Where Crowne and Scepter hurt him with the heft Whose worthie vncles had the gouernance The one at home the other abroad in France And I which was in peace and warre well skilled With both these Rulers greatly was esteemed Bare rule at home as often as they willed And fought in France when they it needfull deemed And euery where so good my seruice seemed That English men to me great loue did beare Our foes the French my force fulfill'd with feare I alwaies thought it fitly for a Prince And such as haue the regiment of Realmes His subiects hearts with mildnes to conuince With Iustice mixt auoiding all extreames For like as Phoebus with his cheerefull beames Doth freshly force the fragrant flowres to florish So rulers mildnesse subiects loue doth norish This found I true for through my milde behauiour Their hearts I had with me to liue and die And in their speech be wrayer of their fauour They call'd me still good Earle of Salisburie The Lords confesse the Commons did not lie For vertuous life free heart and lowly mind With high and low shall alwaies fauour find Which vertues chiefe become a man of warre Whereof in France I found experience For in assaults due mildnes passeth farre All rigour force and sturdie violence For men will stoutly sticke to their defence When cruell Captaines couet after spoile And so enforst oft giue their foes the foile But when they know they shall be friendly vsed They hazard not their heads but rather yeeld For this my offers neuer were refused Of any towne or surely very seeld But force and furies fit be for the field And there indeed I vsed so the same My foes would flie if they but heard my name For when Lord Steward and Earle Vantadors Had cruelly besieged Crauant towne Which he had won and kept long time before Which lieth in Awxer on the Riuer Youne To raise the siege the Regent sent me downe Whereas I vsde all rigour that I might I killed all that were not sau'd by flight When th' Earle of Bedford then in France Lord Regent Knew in what sort I had remoued the siege In Brye and Champaine he made me Vicegerent And Lieutenant for him and for my Liege Which causde me go to Brye and there besiege Mountaguillon with twentie weekes assaut Which at the last was yeelded me for naught And for the Duke of Britaines brother Arthur Both Earle of Richmond and of Yuerie Against his oath from vs had made departure To Charles the Dolphin our chiefe enemie I with the Regent went to Normandie To take his towne of Yuerie which of spight Did to vs daily all the harme they might They at the first compounded by a day To yeeld if rescues did not come before And while in hope to fight we at it lay The Dolphin gathered men two thousand score With Earles with Lords and Captaines iolly store Of which the Duke of Alanson was guide And sent them downe to see if we would bide But they left vs and downe to Vernoile went And made their vaunt they had our armie slaine And through that lie that towne from vs they hent Which shortly after turned to their paine For there both armies met vpon the plaine And we eight thousand whom they flew before Did kill of them ten thousand men and more When we had taken Vernoile thus againe To driue the treacherous Dolphin out of France The Regent sent me t' Aniow and to Mayne Where I besieg'd the warlike towne of Mawns There Lord of Toysers Baldwins valiance Did well appeare which would not yeeld the towne Till all the Towres and walles were battered downe But heere now Baldwine take it in good part Though that I brought this Baldwine there to yeeld The Lion fierce for all his noble heart Being ouermatch'd is forst to flie the field If Mars himselfe there had been with his shield And in my stormes had stoutly me withstood He should haue yeeld or else haue shed my blood This worthie Knight both hardie stout and wise Wrought well his feat as time and place require When Fortune failes it is the best aduise To strike the saile lest all lie in the mire This haue I said to th' end thou take no ire For though no cause be found so nature frames Men haue a zeale to such as beare their names But to returne in Mayne wan I at length Such townes and sorts as might or helpe or hurt I manned Mayne and Suzans towne of strength Fort Barnard Thanceaur and S. Cales the curt With Lile sues Bolton standing in the durt Eke Gwerland Suze Loupeland and Mount sure With Malycorne these wan I and kept full sure Besides all this I tooke neere fortie holds But those I raced euen with the ground And for these deeds as sillie sheepe in folds Do shrinke for feare at euery little sound So fled my foes before my face full round Was none so hardie durst abide the fight So Mars and Fortune furthered me their Knight I tell no lie so gastfull grew my name That it alone discomfited an host The boldest Frenchmen well confesse the same Else will the towne which they like cowards lost For when they sieged Beauron with great boast Being fortie thousand well arm'd in field Fiue hundred men enforced them to yeeld For while the Frenchmen fresh assaulted still Our Englishmen came boldly forth at night Crying Saint George Salisbury kill kill And offered freshly with their foes to fight And they as Frenchly tooke themselues to flight Supposing surely that I had been there See how my name did put them all in feare Thus was the Dolphins power discomfited Foure thousand slaine their Campetane as it stood Whereby our towne and souldiers profited For there were vitailes plentifull and good This while was I in England by the rood T' appease a strife that was right foule befall Betweene Duke Humfrey and the Cardinall The Duke of Exeter soone after died Which of the King at home had gouernance Whose roome the Earle of Warwicke then supplied And I tooke his and sped me into France Where in good hope to conquer Orliance With much adoe I got the Regents aid And marched forth and siege about it laid But in the way I tooke the towne of Yaine Where murdered were for stoutnes many a man But Baugencey I tooke with little paine For which to shew them fauour I began This causde the townes of Mewne and Iargeman That stood on Loyer to profer me the keyes Ere I came neere them welnigh by two daies See heere how Fortune froward can allure What baits she layeth to bring men to their ends Who hauing hap like this but hopeth sure To bring to bale what euer he entends But soone is sower the sweet that Fortune sends When hope and hap when health and wealth is highest Then woe and wracke disease and need