wisedome rather then to winne to saue For ofce who trustes to get a prince his trayne Would at the lengthe of beggers life be fayne This might the Hunne erste Humber well haue sayde And this my mother Elstride proufde to true When as his life by striuing streames was stayde And when the tyrauntes hir in waters threwe What I may saye my selfe reportes to you Which had more terrour shewde then twyce such twayne Blue care and iudge if I abode no payne First when my fathers corps-was stroken downe With deadly shafte I came to mourne and see And as he laye with bleding breste in sowne He caste asyde his watring eyes on mee Flye flye he said thy stepdame seekes for thee My wofull childe what flight maiste thou to take My Sabrine poore I must the nedes forsake See here 〈◊〉 ende beholde thy fathers fall Flye flye thy gelous stepdame seekes thy lyfe Thy mother eke or this is wrapte in thrall Farewell in woe you cannot scape hir knyfe Farewell my childe mine Elstride and my Wyfe Adew ê™ he I may no longer hyde And euen with that he gaspid thrise and dyede What birde can flye and sore if formes do rage What ship can sayle if once the myndes resiste What wight is that can force of warres aswage Or else what warre can bridle Fortunes liste What man is he that dare an hoaste resiste What woman only dare withstande a fielde If not what childe but must to enemies yelde My fathers souldiers 〈◊〉 away for feare As soone as once their Captaines death they seande The Queene proclaimde a pardon euery where To those would yelde and craue it at hir hande Excepting such as did her ay withstande For so the course alwayes of pardons goes As saues the souldiers and entrapps the foes Then wiste I flight could nothing me preuaile I feard her pardon would not saue my lyfe The storme was such I durst not beare a saile I durst not go t'lntreate my fathers wyfe Althoughe I neuer was the cause of strife For gelozye deuoyde of reasons raine With frensies fume enragde her restles braine But see the chaunce thus compast rounde with feare In broyles of bloud as in the field I stande I wishte to God my corps were any where As out of life or of this hatefull lande No sooner wisht but there was euen at hande A person vile in hast quoth he come on Queene Elstride wil before thou come be gon The rascall rude the rooge the clubfist gripe My litle arme and plucte me on in haste And with my robes the bloudy ground he sweept As I drue backe he halde me on full fast Under his arme my sclender corps he cast Sith that quoth he thou putst me to this paine Thou shalt thereby at length but litle gaine Thus through the 〈◊〉 he bare me to my bane And shewde the souldiers what a spoile he had Loke here quoth he the litle Princes tane And laught and ran as brutish butcher mad But my lamenting made the souldiers sad Yet nought preuailde the caytife as his pray Without all pity bare me still away Till at the length we came where we descride A nomber huge of folkes about the Queene As when you see some wonder great beside Or els the place wher some strauÌ„g sight hath beene So might you there the people standing seene And gazed all when as they see mee brought Then sure I demde I was not come for nought And in the 〈◊〉 some praisde my coinlye face Some said to Elstride she resembleth right Some said I loked like my fathers grace Some other said it was a piteous sight I should so dye the Queene mee pardon might Some said the thiefe mee 〈◊〉 did mee abuse And not so rudely ought a Princes vse But what did this redresse my wofull care You wot the Commons vse such prouerbs still And yet the captiues poore no better are It rather helpes their pained harts to kill To pity one in griefe doth worke him ill Bemone his woe and cannot ease his thrall It kills his hart but comforts nought at all Thus past me throw the prease at length we came Into the presence of the gelous Queene Who nought at all the rascall rudc did blame That bare me so but askte if I had seene My father slame that cause thereof had beene O Queene quoth I God knowes nice innocent To worke my fathers death I neuer ment With that I sawe the people looke asyde To 〈◊〉 a mourning voyce I heard thereby It was my wofull mother by that cryde Lo Sabrine hounde at brinke of death I lye What pen or tongue or teares with weeping eye Could tell my woes that sawe my mother bounde On waters shore wherein she should be drounde With that I fell before the Queene and praide For mercy but 〈◊〉 fiery 〈◊〉 she bent Hir browes on mee out vastar de bile she sain Thou worst not yet wherefore for thee I sent O Queene quoth I haue pity be content And if thou minde of mercy ought to show 〈◊〉 mee and let my mother harmelesse go For why she was a Prince his daughter borne In Germany and thence was brought away Perforce by Humber who by mattes forlorne Thy king as captiue toke hir for his pray Thou maiste full well her case with reason weye What coulde she do what more then she or I Thy 〈◊〉 now thine owne to line or dye Take pity then on Princely race O Queene Take pity if remorce may ought require Take pity on a captiue thrice hath beene Let pity pearce the rage of all thine ire But if thy breast burne with reuenging fire Then let my death quenche oute that fuming flame Sith of thy husbands bloud and hirs I came Much more I saide while teares out streaming went But nought of ease at all thereby I gainde My mother eke did as she lay lamente Where with my hart a Thousand folde she painde And though the Queene my plaints to fauour fainde Yet at the last she bade she should prepare Her selfe to dye and ende her course of care Than all her frends my mother Elstride namde And pleasures paste and bade them all adue Eke as she thus her last farewell had framde With losse of him from whom her sorowes grue At length to mee which made my hart to rue She said farewell my childe I feare thy fall Ten thousand times adewe my Sabrine small And as the cruel 〈◊〉 came to take 〈◊〉 vp to caste and drowne her in the sloud I fast mine armes about her clipt did make And cryde O Queene let mercy meeke thy moode Do rather reaue my hart of vitail bloude Then thus I liue with that they slachte my holde And 〈◊〉 my mother in the waters colde For loue to ayde her venter in would I That sawe my mother striue aloft for winde To lande she lookte and saide farewell Idye O let me go quoth I like fate to finde Said Guendoline come on likewise and binde This Sabrine
vnwrought ill Why spare you Britaynes this my corps to kill With that the king good Lady fayre what iste Thou canst desire or aske but must obtaine Eke would to God with all my hart I wiste Best waye to ease thee of thy wofull paine But if thou wilt do here with mee remaine If not content conductours shalt thou haue To bring thee home and what thou els wilt craue As for my Queene as yet I none possesse Therefore thou rather maiste voutchsafe to take That place thy selfe then waite on her I gesse Whose beautye with thy face no match can make The Gods denye that I thy heste forsake I saue thy life eke God forbid that I Should euer cause so fayre a Ladye dye O King quoth I the Gods preserue thy grace The heauens requite thy mercy shewde to mee And all the starres direct thy regall race In happye course long length of yeares to see The earth with fertile fruites inriche so thee That thou maist still like Justice her dispose And euer more treade downe thy deadly foes The noble king commaunded to vnbinde Mine armes and let mee lewce and free at will And afterward such fauour did I finde That as his Queene I was 〈◊〉 still And I enioyde all pleasures at my 〈◊〉 So that they quite had quenched out my thrall And I forgate my former fortunes all Thus lo by fauoure I obtainde my suite So had my beauty set his brest on fire That I could make Locrinus euen as muite Or pleasaunt as my causes did require And when I knewe he could no way retyre I praide he would his fauour so extende As I might not be blamed in the ende For if quoth I you take me as your owne And eke my loue to you haue constant beene Then let your loue like wise againe be showne And wed me as you said your spouse and Queene If since in mee misliking you haue seene Then best depart betime before defame Begin to take from Elstride her good name No wauering hart said he Locrinus beares No sayned flatery shall thy fayth deface Thy beauty birth fame vertue age and yeares Constraine mee both thee and thy hestes imbrace I must of force giue thy requestes a place For as they do with reason good consent Euen so I graunt thee all thy whole inteut Then was the time appointed and the day In which I should be wedded to this kinge But in this case his counsaile causde a staye And sought out meanes at discord vs to bringe Eke Corinaeus claimde a former thing A precontract was made and full accorde Betweene his daughter and my soueraigne Lorde And yet the King did giue me comfort still He said he could not so forsake my loue Yet euermore would beare me all good will As both my beauty and desertes did moue But still the ende doth who is fauty proue His counsaile at the last did him constraine To marry her vnto my 〈◊〉 paine At which I coulde not but with hate repine It 〈◊〉 mee his mate that should haue beene To liue in bate a prince his concubine That euer had such hope to be his Queene The steppes of state are full of wo and teene For when wee thincke we haue atainde the throne Then straight our poÌ„pe pride is quite orethrone Lotwise I fell from hope of Princely crowne First when vnhappy Humber lost his life And next I laide my peacockes pride adowne When as I could not be Locrinus wife But oft they say the thirde doth ende the strife Which I haue proude therefore the sequel ve me The thirde payes home this prouerbe is to true This kinge 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 voyde of feares For if the wyfe her at aduauntage take In radge reuenge with death she seekes to make Likewise I wiste if once I sought to flye Or to entreate the kinge depart I might Then would he straight be discontent with mee Yea if I were pursued vpon the flight Or came deflourde into my parents sighte I should be taken kept perforce or slaine Or in my country liue in great disdaine In such a plight what might a woman doe Was euer Lady fayre in such a 〈◊〉 O wretched wight bewrapt in webbes of woe That still in dread wast tost from place to place And neuer foundest meane to ende thy race But still in doubt of death in carking care 〈◊〉 liue a life deuoyde of all welfare The king perceiuing well my chaunged cheare To case my hart withall deuisde deceats By secrete wayes I came deuoyde of feare In baultes by cunning Masons crafty feats Whereas wee safely from the Queene her threats Perdy the King and I so vsde our arte As after turnde vs both to paine and smarte By him I had my Sabrine small my childe And after that his wife her father loste I meane he dyed and she was straight exilde And I made Queene vnto my care and coste For she went downe to Cornevval straight in peste And caused all her fathers men to ryse With all the force and strengthe they might deuyse My king and hirs with me gainst hir preparde An army strong but when they came to fighte Dame Guendoline did war at length to harde And of our king vs both deposed quite For from hir campe an arrowe sharpe did lighte Upon his breste and made him leaue his breath Lo thus this king came by vntimely death Then I to late began in vayne to flye And taken was presented to the queene Who me behelde with cruell tigres eye O queene ê™ she that cause of warres haste bene And deadly hate the like was neuer seene Come on for these my bandes shall ridde thy life And take reuengement of our mortall strife I longed long to bring thee to this baye And thou likewyse hast sought to sucke my bloud Nowe arte thou taken in my spoyles a praye That causde my life full long in daunger stoode I wyll both teache thy selfe and others good To breake the bandes of faithfull wedlocke plight And giue thee that which thou deseruidste right O harlote whore why should I stay my handes O painted picture shall thy lookes thee saue Nay bynde hir faste both hande and foote in bandes And let hir some straunge kinde of tormentes haue What stroÌ„pet stues thinkste for thou seemist braue Dr for thy teares or sighes to scape my sight My selfe will rather banquishe thee by fight Thou rather shouldste my vitall breath depriue Then euer scape if none were here but wee But now I will not file my handes to striue Dr else to touche so vile a drabe as shee Come on at once and bring hir after mee With hande and feete as I commaunded bounde And let me see hir here as Humber drounde A thousand things beside she spake in rage While that a caytife
hand and foote at once let see Her here receiue her whole request of mee Eke as I wishe to haue in minde her fame As Humbers is which should her father beene So shall this floud of Sabrine haue the name That men thereby may say a righteous Queene Here drownde her husbands childe of concubine Therefore leaue Sabrine here thy name and life Let Sabrine waters ende our mortall strife Dispatch quoth she with that they bound me fast My slender armes and feete which litle neede And sans all mercye me in waters caste Which drewe me downe cast me vp with speede And downe me drensht the Sabrine fishe to feede Where I abode till now from whence I came And there the waters holde as yet my name Lo thus this gelous Queene in raging sort With bloudy hate bereft her husbands health And eke my mother Elstrids life God wot Which neuer ment to hurt this common wealth And mee Locrinus child begot by stealth Against all reason was it for to kill The childe for that her parents erst did ill By this you see what time our pompe doth bide Hereby you see th'unstedy trust in warre Hereby you see the stay of states etryde Hereby you see our hope to make doth marre Hereby you see we fall from benche to barre From bench quoth 〈◊〉 nay from the Princely seate You see how soone vs Fortune downe doth beate And here you see how lawlesse loue doth thriue Hereby you see how gelous folkes do fare Here may you see with wisedome they that wiue Neede neuer recke Cupidoes cursed snare Here may you see deuorcemente breedeth care Here may you see the children seldome thee Which in vnlawfull wedlocke goten bee Declare thou then our fall and great mishap Declare the hap and glory we were in Declare how soone we taken were in trap When we 〈◊〉 we had most safest bin Declare what losse they haue that hope to win Farewell and tell when Fortune most doth smile Then will she frowne she laughes but euen a while Finis The Authour WIth that the Lady Sabrine slinckt from sight I lookt about and then me thought againe Approched straight an other vvofull vvight It seemde as thoughe vvith doggs he had bin flaine The bloud from all his members torneamaine Ran dovvne his clothes vvere also torne and rente And from his bloudy throte these plaints he sente Madan shewes how for his euill life he was 〈◊〉 of Wolues the yeare before Christe 1009. AMongste the rest that sate in hauty seate And felt the fall I pray the pen for mee A Tragedy maye some such wisedome geate As they may learne and somewhat wiser bee For in my glasse when as themselues they see They may be ware my fall from 〈◊〉 lap Shal teach them how t' eschew the like mishay I am that Madan once that Britaine kings Was thirde that euer raigned in this lande Marke well therefore my death as straunge a thinge As some would deeme could scarce with reason stande Yet when thou hast my life well throughly scande Thou shalt perceiue not halfe so straunge as true All life worse death doth after still insue For when my mother Guendoline had raignde In my nonage full xv yeares she dyed And I but yonge not well in vertues trainde Was left this Realme of Britaynes for to guide Whereby when once my minde was puft with pride I past for nought I vsde my lust for lawe Of right or iustice reckte I not a strawe No meane I kept but ruled all by rage No boundes of measure could me compasse in Durst none aduenture anger mine t'aswage If once to freate and fume I did begin And I excelde in nothing els but sinne So that welnighe all men did wishe my ende Saue such to whom for vice I was a frende In pleasures pleasaunt was my whole repaste My youth me led deuoyde of compasse quite And vices were so rooted in at last That to recure the euill it past my might For who so doth with will and pleasure fight Though all his force do striue them to withstande Without good grace they haue the vpper hande What licoure first the earthen pot doth take It keepeth still the sauour of that same Full hard it is a cramocke straight to make Or crooked logges with wainscot fine to frame T is hard to make the cruel Tiger tame And so it fares with those haue vices caught Naught once they saye and euer after naught I speake not this as though it past all cure From bices vile to bertue to retire But this I saye if vice be once in vre The more you shall to quite your selfe requyre The more you plunge your selfe in fulsome myre As he that striues in soakte quicke sirtes of sande Still sinkes scarse neuer comes againe to lande The giftes of grace may nature 〈◊〉 And God may graunt both time and leaue repeute Yet I did more in laps of lewdnes run And last my time in tyrauntes trade I spente But who so doth with bloudy actes contente His minde shall sure at laste finde like againe And feele for pleasures thousand panges of paine For in the midste of those vntrusty toyles When as I nothing fearde but all was sure With all my trayne I hunting rode for spoyles Of them who after did my death procure Those lewde delightes did boldly me alure To folow still and to pursue the chase At laste I came into a deserte place Besette with hilles and monstrous rockes of stone My company behinde me lost or stayde The place was eke with hauty trees oregrowne So wiste and wylde it made me half afrayde And straight I was with rauening wolues betrayd Came out of caues and dennes and rockes a maint There was I rent in pieces kilde and slaine Alasse that youth in vayne so vyly spente Should euer cause a king to haue such ende Alasse that euer I should here lament Or else should teache vnto my cost my frende Alasse that fortune such mishap should sende But sithe it is to late for me to crie I wishe that others may take hede me by I might full well by wisdome shund this snare T is sayde a wiseman all mishap withstandes For though by starres we borne to mischieues are Yet prudence bayles vs quite from careful bandes Eche man they say his fate hath in his handes And what he makes or marres to lese or saue Of good or euill is euen selfe do selfe haue As here thou seest by me that led my dayes In vicious sorte for greedy wolues a 〈◊〉 Warne others wysely than to guide their wayes By myne example well eschue they may Suche vices as may worke their owne decay Which if they do full well is spent the time To warne to wryte and eke to reade this time FINIS The Authoure VVHen this was said no more was Madan sene If it were he but sure I halfe suspecte It was some other else so serude had bene For that all stories do not so detecte His
hir sisters spite Was they procurde hir and their fathers thrall Yet t was hir chaunce at length t' out liue them al Both sisters elder and hir father graue And eke at length the kingdome all to haue That time was I of Albany the kinge Calde Scotland now and eke my cosin then Of Cornewall and of VVales whom I did bringe To warre against Cordila and her men Wee said we would our title winne agen And that because our mothers had it yore Wee ment to get it ours againe therefore I must confesse I was the cause of warre I was not pleasde with that was looted mee Euen so our mindes Ambitious often ar And blinded that we cannot reason see Wee thincke no men but Gods on earth we bee Yet worse are we theÌ„ beasts which know their kinde For we haue nought but mischiefe oft in minde We thincke if so we may our willes attaine By right or wrong by might or malice wee Could neuer liue like Fortune for to gaine Or if on soes we once reuenged bee If that our ennemies fall we chaunce to see O then we ioy we lift our selues to skye And on the poore we crucifige crye I deemde if once I might put her adowne The kingdomes all were Conidags and mine And I could easly after winne the crowne If also I his state might vndermine I thought in deede to haue it all in fine By force or fraude I ment my purpose bring To passe I might be after Britaine king To speake in fewe we waged warre so longe Bainst hir at last we put hir vnto flight Wee nephewes for our aunt were farre to stronge Pursude and coke depriude her of hir right Wee thought it ours what so we wanne by might Cke so play 〈◊〉 traytours all do watch To get by spoile and count their owne they catch Not so contented were we with the pray But fearing lest she should recouer ayde I sent in hast to prison her away And all recourse of messengers densyde Thus when she sawe hir Maiesty decaide And that hir griefes and sorrowes daily grue In prison at the length hir selfe she slue O caytife vile should I constrainde a Queene That Iustice ment hir kingdome to forsake Nay traytour I as now by proofe is seene That would my selfe by bloudshed ruler make How could reuenge on me but vengeaunce take Before the seate of God hir bloud did call For vengeaunce and at length procurde my fall Lo here Gods iustice see my treason see Beholde and see to raigne was my delight And marke and make a myrour here of mee Which afterward was serude by iustice right Wee wan the crowne betweene vs both in fight And then because I was the elder sonne Of th' elder Queene I claimed all we wonne So were my dealings nought in peace and warre But for my force and fortunes vsde in fight I past that time the Britaynes all by farre I was of person fortitude and might Both comely tall stronge seemely eke in sight Whereby I wonne mens fauour glory wealth And puft with pride at length forgate my selfe I said it was my right the crowne to haue But Conidagus stoutly it denide Wherefore I went to VVales my right to craue With all mine army and to haue it tryde Where long we fought it stoutly on eche syde Till at the last vnto my wofull paine I was depriude of kingdome quite and slaine And for to keepe in memorye for aye That there vnfaithfull Morgan lost his life The place is cald Glamorgan to this daye There was I perst to death with fatall knife There was the ende of all my hatefull strife So Morgan where he thought to win the crowne Was at Glamorgan traytour stricken downe Thus maist thou tell how proude ambition proues What hap haue tyraunts what we traitours haue What ende he hath that cruel dealing loues What subiects get the Diademe docraue T is better then to winne thine owne to saue For so orethwartly trade of Fortune goes When win thou wouldst then art thou sure to lose Finis The Authoure VVIth that Morganus quickly past away The night me thought likewise was far epast VVherby it weried me so long to staye But Morpheus bad me by de and see the last ê™ he the storyes passe awaye as fast As doth the time and sithe th' art nigh th' ende Thou nedste not grutche so short a space to spend And turning then him selfe from me asyde He calde the next which therwithall in sight Appearde and all his breste with bloud bedide VVhat chaunce ê™ I hath so thy corps bedight Thou worthy prince or what mishaps of fight I will ê™ he with all my hart vnfolde My fatall fall and therwithall he tolde Forrex declares howe hee mynding to kill his brother whiche ruled with him that he might therby raigne alone was by him slayne About the yeare before Christe 491. PRide moues the mindes of stately wightes Such hauty hartes to haue And causeth vs for glory hayne That is not ours to craue Pryde pluckes out reason forth hir place And planteth will in stede She puffes our mindes with vayne desires Our fancies foude to feede Wherby we growe so obstinate And so ambitious ill That vs at length our brauery bids In all thinges vse our will. Ambition thinkes that lawefull is Which likes hir fancie beste And demes she ought to haue hir forthe And swinge before the reste She loues no mates controlement shee And warning doth despise She demes her selfe in all hir deedes And actions wonders wise She hath desire of this and that To get by crouche or clawe By right or wronge she 〈◊〉 not She vseth will for lawe No kinde or countrey she regardes No mother father shee Nor wyfe or husbande kithe or kin But enuies eache degree For if thy hart Ambition haue Thy greedy mynde to fill Thou wilt not sticke thy dearest frende or nerest kin to kill But as the prouerbe sayes that Pryde Must needes at lengthe haue fall Though we suppose of strengthe and powre We haue the deuill and all Euen so I saye Ambition makes Us often clyme so hie At leng th we fall we come to nought And drownde in darkenes lye This may I Forrex well 〈◊〉 By proufe to true I finde Wherfore I praye the with the reste Do put my faultes in mynde My father olde hight Gorboduge Raignde three score yeares and three And at his death gaue all his lande Twene Porrex proude and mee Fyue yeares we helde it so in peace In reste me ruled well But at the last by pryde and wrathe Wee foule at discorde fell We eache encrotchte on others partes For rule we liude at strife And eache did seeke occasion aye To reaue the others life I made this counte I elder was By birthe the realme was myne By warre or wrong or bloud I mente To haue it all in fine And he although he yonger were Esteemde his state so sure As mine and thought it his if hee My death might
once procure My mother eke that loude me more Although he yonger was By diuers meanes did helpe me still To bring my feates to passe Wherby I thought my selfe so sure To haue my purpose sped As I requirde if once I might Get of his crafty head See here what faith what frendship is What loue what fauoure wee Do shewe to any wight aliue If once alofte me bee To fathers we are faithlesse ofte To brothers butchers vile Of sisters smale accounte we make And wedded wyues exile If any kithe or 〈◊〉 we haue By whom we vantage may We care not by what cruell meanes Their liues we take away But for to get the seate alone And for to wynne the crowne We care not whom nor when nor home So we may get them downe O brutishe beastes nay worse then those For they are still concente With that they haue what euer them Hath God or Nature sente But we do gape and gaze for glore We prowle and powle and pill And sweare and stare and striue fighte And one another kill And all for pompe and glorie great For name renowne estate Not caring of the commons crye Or Godes eternall hate If I had had the giftes of grace I neuer would haue sought By any meanes such worldly trashe With brothers bloud to boughte But as I ment euen so I sped So bloudy butchers thye When moste I deemde my purpose sure He was to good for me For as I thought his bloud to shed I compaste was about So that for thousand kingdomes I Could not with life scape out He perste my hart what skilles it sithe My minde was euen as bad For why what measure I him mente My selfe like measure had And so all such as murder meane Intende or treason vse Shall at the lengthe like ende attayne Or worse they cannot chuse FINIS The Authour WHen as king Forrex thus had tolde his tale Me thought he stay de no whit but went his way Then came a mangled corps as full of bale And or he nerer came made halfe a stay ê™ Morpheus come for shame thou nedste not stay As bad as thou haue tolde their tales before And so must thou and diuers other more Porrex recites howe for the slaughter of his brother he was slayne by his owne mother and hir maydens as he laye sleeping About the yeare before Christe 491. FRom darkesome deunes where cruell Cayne And others like do lye Whose bloudie blades were bathde in bloud Poore caytiue thence come I. Where Typhon is his brother slewe Osiris in despite And where their sister Isis is Did him againe requite Wher Dardanus to rule alone His brother made away Etheoclus Polinicus At once did others sley Where Helenus king Priams son His brother Theon kilde Medea eke in bloudy wyse Hir brothers bloud that spilde Where Tydeus is in hunting shote His brother through the side Polytes eke his brothers harte With sworde that opened wyde And where as that Cambyses is His syster once that slewe And Polipontes king that made His brother treason rewe And cruell where Odores is Which mercy did deny To Mithridate his brother deare That did for pardon crie Eke where Learchus is that did His brother sicke destroy With poyson deadly hoping so To make him selfe a Roy. And where that wretche Mamertes lyes His brothers sonnes that spilte And Sisapho tormenting him For such an heynous 〈◊〉 Where Rhesus and Caduidus are with shaftes their brethren slewe And Philadelphus Ptolomae his brothers death did brewe Where Philopater Ptolome his father made away And after that his brother with his dearist frendes did slay And where Ardieus tyraunt vile his aged father stroyde And after that his elder bro. ther kingdomes to enioyde Where Mithridatus beastly king of Pontus feeles anoye Which mother his and brother eke sixe children did destroye Where is Antiochus the great His brother brought to graue That he might onely raigne alone and all the kingdome haue Where Romulus that Remus stew of Romaines first had fall Though 〈◊〉 brother first he were presumde to scale the wall And where Mempricius lewde doth lye a Britaine Prince that slue His brother Manlius fearing lest he were to him vntrue Where Iugurth eke that basterde is his brethren brought to graue That after them Numidia he might for kingdome haue And where a Thousande are beside which were to longe to tell Their parents deare and brethren slue and now in darkenes dwell From thence I came a Britaine yore namde Porrex once a kinge Againe to shewe what vices mee To sodaine death did bringe Now list a while and then do write what I thee tell that others may Themselues in such attempts as these from bloudy acts as brethren stay My brother Forrex fiue yeares space and I this kingdome helde Betweene 〈◊〉 both the common weale wee scace did wisely welde At length we fondly fell at 〈◊〉 so Princes bide no mate Nor make nor partners with to raigne but beare their equals hate The heire because I yongest was thought his by right the crowne But I esteemde the halfe was mine and all if he were downe VVhereby O brothell butcher eke not brother I did stay My brother for to haue it all and get his right away Such are the acts of delesse youthes Such are their studies still VVhich care not what offence they make So they their fancies still But as it is vniustice and an haynous acte to vse Such murder slaughter paricide and Iustice all refuse So Ioue the iust at length requites our deedes and makes vs rewe VVee euer were to God or man or natures 〈◊〉 vntrue For when I deemde the crowne was mine which had my brother slaine O griefe to tell my mother and hir maydens wrought my paine Both for my fault and for she loude my brother Forrex still With all hir maides she came by night my sleeping corps to kill And I that slombring sleeping lay though many dreames fortolde My haplesse fall could neuer wake the meaning to vnfolde But last supposing with my selfe I cruel Tigres sawe With rauening fearcenes rent theyr 〈◊〉 against dame Natures lawe She came on mee to fill my dreame before my eyes could wake And with a dagger reft my life for Forrex slaughters sake Much like Agaue and hir mates shee and hir maidens got Them tooles therefore and hewde my corse as small as fleshe to pot Or Progne Queene hir children slue and he wde their membres small In wrathfull ite made Tereus feede and fill himselfe withall Or like Medea monster Queene hir Iasons sonnes that kilde Because she was forsaken when his purpose was fulfilde Like these was shee nay worse for why this ended Brutus line Brought mee to ende and hir to shame Though first the fault were mine Bid those beware that weene to winne by bloudy acts the crowne Lest from