of famous Willoughby Here Montacute rang'd his unconquer'd Band Here march'd we out and here we made a stand What should we sit to mourn and grieve all day For that which Time doth easily take away What Fortune hurts let Suff'rance only heal No wisdom with Extremities to deal To know our selves to come of humane Birth These sad Afflictions cross us here on Earth A punishment from the eternal Law To make us still of Heav'n to stand in awe In vain we prize that at so dear a rate Whose long'st assurance bear 's a Minutes date Why should we idly talk of our Intent When Heav'ns Decree no Counsel can prevent When our fore-sight not possibly can shun That which the Fates determine shall be don Henry hath Power and may my life depose Mine Honour 's mine that none hath power to lose Then be as chearful beautious Royal Queen As in the Court of France we oft have been * As when arriv'd in Porcesters fair Road Where for our coming Henry made aboad When in mine Arms I brought thee safe to Land And gave my Love to Henry's Royal Hand The happy Hours we passed with the King At fair Southampton long in Banqueting With such content as lodg'd in Henries Breast When he to London brought thee from the West Through golden Cheap when he in Pomp did ride To Westminster to entertain his Bride ANNOTATIONS on the Chronicle History Our Faulkons kind cannot the Cage endure HE alludes in these Verses to the Faulcon which was the ancient Device of the Pools comparing the greatness and haughtiness of his spirit to the nature of this Bird. This was the mean proud Warwick did invent To my disgrace c. The Commons at this Parliament through Warwicks means accused Suffolk of Treason and urged the Accusation so vehemently that the King was forced to exile him for five years That only I by yielding up of Main Should be the loss of fertile Aquitain The Duke of Suffolk being sent into France to conclude a Peace chose Duke Rayners Daughter the Lady Margaret whom he espoused for Henry the sixth delivering for her to her Father the Countries of Anjou and Main and the City of Mauns Whereupon the Earl of Arminack whose Daughter was before promised to the King seeing himself to be deluded caused all the Englishmen to be expulsed Aquitain Gascoyne and Guyne With the base vulgar sort to win him fame To be the Heir of good Duke Humphry's name This Richard that was called the great Earl of Warwick when Duke Humphry was dead grew into exceeding great favour with the Commons With Salisbury his vile ambitious Sire In York's stern Breast kindling long hidden fire By Clarence Title working to supplant The Eagle-Airy of great John of Gaunt Richard Plantaginet Duke of York in the time of Henry the Sixth claymed the Crown being assisted by this Richard Nevil Earl of Salisbury and Father to the great Earl of Warwick who favoured exceedingly the House of York in open Parliament as Heir to Lionel Duke of Clarence the third Son of Edward the Third making his Title by Ann his Mother Wife to Richard Earl of Cambridge Son to Edmund of Langley Duke of York Which Ann was Daughter to Roger Mortimer Earl of March which Roger was Son and Heir to Edmund Mortimer that married the Lady Philip Daughter and Heir to Lionel Duke of Clarence the third Son of King Edward to whom the Crown after King Richard the Seconds Death lineally descended he dying without Issue and not to the Heir of the Duke of Lancaster that was younger Brother to the Duke of Clarence Hall cap. 1. Tit. Yor. Lanc. Urg'd by these envious Lords to spend their breath Calling revenge on the Protectors death Humphry Duke of Glouster and Lord Protector in the five and twentieth year of Henry the Sixth by means of the Queen and the Duke of Suffolk was arrested by the Lord Beaumont at the Parliament holden at Bury and the same Night after murthered in his Bed If they would know who rob'd him c To this Verse To know how Humphry dy'd and who shall reign In these Verses he jests at the Protectors Wife who being accused and convicted of Treason because with John Hun a Priest Roger Bullenbrook a Necromancer and Margery Jordan called the Witch of Eye she had consulted by Sorcery to kill the King was adjudged to perpetual Imprisonment in the Isle of Man and to do Penance openly in three publick places in London For twenty years and have I serv'd in France In the sixth year of Henry the Sixth the Duke of Bedford being deceased then Lieutenant General and Regent of France this Duke of Suffolk was promoted to that Dignity having the Lord Talbot Lord Scales and the Lord Mountacute to assist him Against great Charles and Bastard Orleance This was Charles the Seventh who after the death of Henry the Fifth obtained the Crown of France and recovered again much of that his Father had lost Bastard Orleance was Son to the Duke of Orleance begotten of the Lord Cawnies Wife preferred highly to many notable Offices because be being a most valiant Captain was a continual Enemy to the Englishmen dayly infesting them with divers Incursions And have I seen Vernoyla's batful Fields Vernoyle is that noted place in France where the great Battle was fought in the beginning of Henry the Sixth his Reign where most of the French Chivalrie were overcome by the Duke of Bedford And from Aumerle withdrew my Warlike Powers Aumerle is that strong defenced Town in France which the Duke of Suffolk got after four and twenty great Assaults given unto it And came my self in person first to Tours Th'Embassadours for Truce to entertain From Belgia Denmark Hungary and Spain Tours is a City in France built by Brutus as he came into Brittain where in the one and twentieth year of the Reign of Henry the Sixth was appointed a great Diet to be kept whither came Embassadors of the Empire Spain Hungary and Denmark to intreat for a perpetual Peace to be made between the two Kings of England and France By true descent to wear the Diadem Of Naples Cicil and Jerusalem Rayner Duke of Anjou Father to Queen Margaret called himself King of Naples Cicily and Jerusalem having the Title alone of the King of those Countries A fifteenth Tax in France I freely spent The Duke of Suffolk after the Marriage concluded between King Henry and Margaret Daughter to Rayner asked in open Parliament a whole Fifteenth to fetch her into England Seen thee for England but imbarqu'd at Deep Deep is a Town in France bordering upon the Sea where the Duke of Suffolk with Queen Margaret took Ship for England As when arriv'd at Porchesters fair Rhoad Porchester a Haven Town in the South-West part of England where the King tarried expecting the Queens arrival whom from thence be conveyed to Southampton Queen MARGARET TO WILLIAM DE-LA-POOLE Duke of SUFFOLK WHat news sweet Pool look'st
ENGLAND'S Heroical Epistles WRITTEN In Imitation of the Stile and Manner OF OVID'S EPISTLES WITH ANNOTATIONS OF The Chronicle History By MICHAEL DRAYTON Esq Newly Corrected and Amended Licensed according to Order LONDON Printed for S. Smethwick in Dean's Court and R. Gilford without Bishops-Gate TO THE READER SEEING these Epistles are now to the World made publique it is imagined that I ought to be accountable of my private meaning chiefly for my own discharge lest being mistaken I fall in hazard of a just and universal Reprehension for Hae nugae seria ducent In mala derisum semel exceptumque sinistre Two Points are especially therefore to be explained first why I entitle this Work England's Heroical Epistles secondly why I have annexed Notes to every Epistles end For the first The Title I hope carrieth Reason in it self for that the most and greatest Persons herein were English or else that their Loves were obtained in England And though Heroical be properly understood of Demi-gods as of Hercules and Aeneas whose Parents were said to be the one Coelestial the other Mortal yet is it also transferred to them who for the greatness of Mind come near to Gods For to be born of a Coelestial Incubus is nothing else but to have a great and mighty Spirit far above Earthly weakness of Men in which sence Oâ—… whose Imitator I partly profess to be doth alâ—… use Heroical For the second because the Wâ—… might in truth be judged Brainish if nothing 〈◊〉 amorous Humor were handled therein I have interwoven Matters Historical which unexplained mighâ— defraud the mind of much Content as for Example in Queen Margarites Epistle to William De La-Pool My Daisie Flower which once perfum'd the Air Margarite in French signifies a Daisy which for the allusion to her Name this Queen gave for her Device and this as others more have seemed to me not unworthy the explaining By this mark * in the beginning of every Line thou art directed to the Annotations for an explanation of what is obscure Now though no doubt I had need to excuse other things beside yet these most especially the rest I over-pass to eschew tedious recital If they be as harmelesly taken as I mean them I shall not lastly be afraid to believe and acknowledge thee a gentle Reader M. DRAYTON On the Authour MICHAEL DRAYTON Esq and his Heroick Epistles SEe here Britannia's OVID whose soft Pen Transplants the Grecian Loves to English-men View his EPISTLES throughly and behold Our native Oar coin'd in a Roman Mould Yet all is Standard all Rose-noble Gold See here Britannia's LVCAN whose rich Vein In History does antient Times explain In our fore-Father's out-of-Fashion Dress He do's a Noble Gallantry express Equal to that of Rome and much above The little Fopperies of modern Love The English Hero's Soul is all divine As is the Beauty of the Heroine Howe'er they disagree in Clime or Name The Lover and the Brave are still the same The Muses Treasure and Delight of Fame J. W. On the Ingenious AUTHOUR occasioned by the present Edition of his HEROICAL EPISTLES HEre Reader 's One who when vouchsaft to Write Could both the Sexes of mankind delight â—n gentle Numbers and soft Lays he sings Th' alternate Loves of Subjects and of Kings The Theme he writes of and his Song agree Unequal Notes make up the Harmony Listen ye Wits to that Orphean strain Which charm'd even Ovid's Soul to Life again Tibullus Gallus and Propertius too All Caesar's Court in one sweet Poet view His English Heroes courteous and brave Unblemish'd bear their Honours to the Grave No light Incontinence their Glories stain They fixt and constant in their Loves remain Here no Penelope laments her Fate In her once kind but now inconstant Mate No poor forsaken Sappho can complain Of her too cruel Phaon's cold disdain Naso 't is true was perfect at Address But Drayton's Language only found success So fraught with Love all his EPISTLES came They warm'd the Answers into equal Flame Such was the Poet and his Wit so great Pent up in Earth it was releas'd by Fate Adorn'd with Fancy Innocence and Love His Book discovers that he 's blest above Thus active Stars that shoot along the Sky Leave glitt'ring Tracts to shew which way they fly B. C. A Dedication of These and the foregoing Verses to Mr. Drayton's Heroick Epistles ETernal Book to which our Muses flye In hopes of gaining Immortality Time has devour'd the Younger Sons of Wit Who liv'd when Chaucer Spencer Johnson writ Those lofty Trees are of their Leaves bereft And to a reverend Nakedness are left But the chief Glory of Apollo's Grove Drayton who taught his Daphne how to Love Drayton that sacred Lawrel seems to be From which each Sprig that falls must grow a Tree Our humble Lines eternal Book receive And order Fate to let the Suppliants live But if our Zeal no valued Merit brings And what you inspire must dye like common things Yet to attend the Triumphs of the Brave Contents the Soul and fits it for the Grave Besides near You an easie Fate we choose When by Neglect we Want our Beings loose In such pure Air gross Muses take no Breath Faint and in gentle Trances meet their Death Thus when in Honour of the Suns return Their imitating Lamps the Persians burn Before his Beams the glimmering Lights expire And Sacrifice themselves to the Coelestial Fire T. B. To the Stationer on this new and correcâ— Impression of England's Heroical Epistles By MICHAEL DRAYTON Esq GO on industriously and give Whilst Wit and Poesie shall live New Light to DRAYTON whose unequall'd Quâ—… Disdains all vain Essays of modern skill The Nine grown Housewives now do ne'er inspirâ— Such double Portions of aetherial Fire As once they did in those his days but since In scantier measures do their warmth dispence Forth then thou Objects of the Criticks Eye Beyond th' Efforts of all our Poesie Expose refin'd and various Delights And glut the nicest Readers Appetites Since the melodious Thracian Orpheus sung No Harp was ever better Touch'd or Strung His Angel-sounds methinks the blood more warms Than all the Pow'rs of Chast Matilda's Charms Could th' Royal Lover's Breast which whilst he sings Some Magick moves the mind 's internal Springs Edwine Sadleyr Baronet ENGLAND'S Heroical Epistles The Epistle of ROSAMOND TO King HENRY the Second The ARGUMENT Henry the Second of that Name King of England having by long Suit and Princely Gifts won to his unlawfull desire fair Rosamond the Daughter of the Lord Walter Clyfford and to avoid the danger of Ellinor his jealous Queen had caused a Labyrinth to be made within his Palace at Woodstock in the centre whereof he had lodged his beauteous Paramour Whilst the King is absent in his Wars in Normandy this poor distressed Lady inclosed in this solitary Place toucht with remorse of Conscience writes to the King of her Distress and miserable Estate urging him with all means and
History Am I at Home pursu'd with private Hate And War comes raging to my Palace Gate RObert Earl of Leicester who took part with young King Henry entred into England with an Army of three thousand Flemings and spoiled the Countries of Norfolk and Suffolk being succoured by many of the King 's private Enemies And am I branded with the Curse of Rome King Henry the Second the first Plantaginet accused for the Death of Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury slain in that Cathedral Church was accursed by Pope Alexander although he urged sufficient proof of his Innocency in the same and offered to take upon him any Pennance so he might avoid the Curse and Interdiction of his Realm And by the Pride of my rebellious Son Rich Normandy with Armies over-run Henry the young King whom King Henry had caused to be Crowned in his Life as he hoped both for his own good and the good of his Subjects which indeed turned to his own Sorrow and the trouble of the Realm for he rebelled against him and raising a Power by the means of Lewis King of France and William King of Scots who took part with him and invaded Normandy Unkind my Children most unkind Wife Never King more unfortunate then King Henry in the disobedience of his Children First Henry then Geoffrey then Richard then John all at one time or other first or last unnaturally rebelled against him then the Jealousie of Elinor his Queen who suspected his Love to Rosamond Which grievous troubles the Devout of those Times attributed to happen to him justly for refusing to take on him the Government of Jerusalem offered to him by the Patriarch there which Country was mightily afflicted by the Souldan Which only Vaughan thou and I do know This Vaughan was a Knight whom the King exceedingly loved who kept the Palace at Woodstock and much of the Kings Jewels and Treasure to whom the King committed many of his Secrets and in whom he reposed such trust that he durst commit his Love unto his Charge FINIS KING JOHN TO MATILDA The ARGUMENT After King John had assayed by all means possible to win the fair and chast Matilda to his unchast and unlawfull Bed and by unjust Courses and false accusation banish'd the Lord Robert Fitzwater her Noble Father and many other Allies who justly withstood the desire of this wanton King seeking the dishonour of his fair and vertuous Daughter This chast Lady still solicited by the lascivious King flies unto Dunmow in Essex where she becomes a Nun the King still persisting in his Suit sollicites her by this Epistle her Reply confirms her vow'd and invincible Chastity making known to the King her pure unspotted Thoughts WHen these my Letters thy bright Eyes shall view Think them not forc'd or feign'd or strange or new Thou know'st no way no means no course exempted Left now unsought unprov'd on unattempted All Rules Regards all secret Helps of Art What Knowledge Wit Experience can impart And in the old Worlds Ceremonies doted Good days for Love Times Hours Minute noted And where Art left Love teacheth more to find By signs in presence to express the Mind Oft hath mine Eye told thine Eye Beauty griev'd it And begg'd but for one Look to have reliev'd it And still with thine Eyes motion mine Eye mov'd Lab'ring for Mercy telling how it lov'd You blusht I blusht your Cheek pale pale was mine My Red thy Red my Whiteness answer'd thine You sigh'd I sigh'd we both one Passion prove But thy sigh is for Hate my sigh for Love If a word pass'd that insufficient were To help that word mine Eye let forth a Tear And if that Tear did dull or senseless prove My Heart would fetch a Throb to make it move Oft in thy Face one Favour from the rest I singled forth that pleas'd my Fancy best This likes me most another likes me more A third exceeding both those lik'd before Then one as Wonder were derived thence Then that whose rareness passeth excellence Whilst I behold thy Globe-like rowling Eye Thy lovely Cheek me thinks stands smiling by And tells me those are Shadows and Supposes But bids me thither come and gather Roses Looking on that thy Brow doth call to me To come to it if Wonders I will see Now have I done and then thy dimpled Chin Again doth tell me newly I begin And bids me yet to look upon thy Lip Lest wond'ring least the great'st Loverslip My gazing Eye on this and this doth sease Which surfeits yet cannot Desire appease Now like I Brown O lovely Brown thy Hair Only in Browness Beauty dwelleth there Then love I Black think Eye-ball black as Jet Which in a Globe pure Crystalline is set Then White but Snow nor Swan nor Ivory please Then are thy Teeth whiter by much then these In Brown in Black in Pureness and in White All Love all Sweets all Rareness all Delight Thus my stol'n Heart sweet Thief thou hence do'st carry And now thou fly'st into a Sanctuary Fie peevish Girl ingratefull unto Nature Was it for this she fram'd thee such a Creature That thou her Glory should'st encrease thereby And thou alone do'st scorn Society Why Heav'n made Beauty like her self to view Not to be lock'd up in a smoaky Mew A Rosie-tincted Feature is Heav'ns Gold Which all Men joy to touch all to behold It was enacted when the World begun So rare a Beauty should not live a Nun But if this Vow thou needs wilt undertake Oh were mine Arms a Cloyster for thy sake Still may his Pains for ever be augmented This Superstition idly that invented Ill might he thrive who brought this Custome hither That holy People might not live together A happy Time a good World was it then When holy Women liv'd with holy Men. But Kings in this yet priviledg'd may be I 'll be a Monk so I may live with thee Who would not rise to ring the Morning's Knell When thy sweet Lips might be the sacring Bell Or what is he not willingly would fast That on those Lips might feast his Lips at last Who to his Mattins early would not rise Might he but read by th' Light of thy fair Eyes On Worldly Pleasures who would ever look That had thy Curls his Beads thy Brows his Book Wert Thou the Cross to Thee who would not creep And wish the Cross still in his Arms to keep Sweet Girl I 'll take this holy Habit on me Of meer Devotion that is come upon me Holy Matilda Thou the Saint of mine I 'll be thy Servant and my Bed thy Shrine When I do offer be thy Breast the Altar And when I pray thy Mouth shall be my Psalter The Beads that we will bid shall be sweet Kisses Which we will number if one Pleasure misses And when an Ave comes to say Amen We will begin and tell them o'er again Now all good Fortune give me happy Thrift As I should joy t' absolve thee after Shrift But see
Harford and the faithfull assurance of his Victory Oh why did Charles relieve his needy state A Vagabond c. Charles the French King her Father received the Duke of Harford and relieved him in France being so nearly allied 〈◊〉 Cousin German to King Richard his Son in Law which he did simply little thinking that he should after return to England and dispossess King Richard of the Crown When thou to Ireland took'st thy last Farewell King Richard made a Voyage with his Army into Ireland against Onell and Mackmur who rebelled at what time Henry entred here at home and robbed him of all Kingly Dignity Affirm'd by Church-men which should bear no Hate That John of Gaunt was illegitimate William Wickham in the great Quarrel betwixt John of Gaunt and the Clergy of meer Spight and Malice as it should seem reported That the Queen confessed to him on her Death-Bed being then her Confessor That John of Gaunt was the Son of a Flemming and that she was brought to Bed of a Woman-Child at Gaunt which was smothered in the Cradle by mischance and that she obtained this Child of a poor Woman making the King believe it was her own greatly fearing his displeasure Fox ex Chron. Alban No Bastards Mark doth blot his conq'ring Shield Shewing the true and indubitate Birth of Richard his Right unto the Crown of England as carrying the Arms without Blot or Difference Against their Faith unto the Crowns true Heir Their valiant Kinsman c. Edmund Mortimer Earl of March son of Earl Roger Mortimer which was Son to Lady Philip Daughter to Lionel Duke of Clarence the third Son to King Edward the â—hird which Edmund King Richard going into Ireland was proclaimed Heir apparent to the Crown whose Aunt called Elinor this Lord Piercy had married Oh would Aumerl had sunk when he betray'd The Plot which once that Noble Abbot laid The Abbot of Westminster had plotted the Death of King Henry to have been done at a Tilt at Oxford Of which Confederacy there was John Holland Duke of Excester Thomas Holland Duke of Surrey the Duke of Aumerl Montacute Earl of Salisbury Spencer Earl of Gloucester the Bishop of Carlile Sir Thomas Blunt these all had bound themselves one to another by Indenture to perform it but were all betrayed by the Duke of Aumerl Scroop Green and Bushy dye his Fault in grain Henry going towards the Castle of Flint where King Richard was caused Scroop Green and Bushy to be executed at Bristow as vile Persons which had seduced the King to this lascivious and wicked life Damn'd be the Oath he made at Doncaster After Henries exile at his return into England he took his Oath at Doncaster upon the Sacrament not to claim the Croâ—… or Kingdom of England but only the Dukedome of Lancaster his own proper Right and the Right of his Wife And mourn for Henry Hotspur her dear Son As I for my c. This was the brave couragious Henry Hotspur that obtained so many Victories against the Scots which after falling 〈◊〉 right with the Curse of Queen Isabel was slain by Henry the Battel at Shrewsbury FINIS RICHARD the Second TO Queen ISABEL WHat can my Queen but hope for from this Hand That it should write which never could command A Kingdoms Greatness think how he should sway That wholesome Counsel never could obey Ill this rude Hand did guide a Scepter then Worse now I fear me it will rule a Pen. How shall I call my self or by what Name To make thee know from whence these Letters came Not from thy Husband for my hateful Life Makes thee a Widdow being yet a Wife Nor from a King that Title I have lost Now of that Name proud Bullenbrook may boast What I have been doth but this comfort bring No words so wofull as I was a King This lawless Life which first procur'd my Hate * This Tongue which then renounc'd my Regal State This abject Soul of mine consenting to it This Hand that was the Instrument to doe it All these be witness that I now deny All Princely Types all Kingly Soveraignty Didst thou for my sake leave thy Fathers Court Thy famous Country and thy Princely Port And undertook'st to travel dang'rous Ways Driven by aukward Winds and boyst'rous Seas * And left'st great Burbon for thy love to me Who su'd in Marriage to be link'd to thee Offering for Dower the Countries neighb'ring nigh Of fruitfull Almaine and rich Burgundie Didst thou all this that England should receive thee To miserable Banishment to leave thee And in my Down-fall and my Fortunes wrack Thus to thy Country to convey thee back When quiet Sleep the heavey Hearts Relief Hath rested Sorrow somewhat less'ned Grief My passed Greatness into mind I call And think this while I dreamed of my Fall With this Conceit my Sorrows I beguile That my fair Queen is but with drawn a while And my Attendants in some Chamber by As in the height of my Prosperity Calling a loud and asking who is there The Eccho answ'ring tels me Woe is there And when mine Arms would gladly thee enfold I clip the Pillow and the place is cold Which when my waking Eyes precisely view 'T is a true token that it is too true As many Minutes as in the Hours there be So many Hours each Minute seems to me Each Hour a Day Morn Noon-tide and a Set Each Day a Year with Miseries compleat A Winter Spring-time Summer and a Fall All Seasons varying but unseasoned all In endless Woe my thred of Life thus wears In Minutes Hours Days by Months to lingring Years They praise the Summer that enjoy the South Pomfret is closed in the Norths cold Mouth There pleasant Summer dwelleth all the Year Frost-starved-Winter doth inhabit here A place wherein Despair may fitly dwell Sorrow best suiting with a cloudy Cell * When Harford had his Judgement of Exile Saw I the People's murmuring the while Th' uncertain Commons touch'd with inward Care As though his Sorrows mutually they bare Fond Women and scarce-speaking Children mourn Bewayle his parting wishing his return * That I was forc'd t'abridg his banish'd Years When they be dew'd his Foot-steps with their Tears Yet by example could not learn to know To what his Greatness by their Love might grow * But Henry boasts of our Atchievements don Bearing the Trophies our great Fathers won And all the story of our famous War Must grace the Annals of Great Lancaster * Seven goodly Siens in their Spring did flourish Which one self-Root brought forth one Stock did nourish * Edward the top-Branch of that golden Tree Nature in him her utmost power did see Who from the Bud still blossomed so fair As all might judge what Fruit it meant to bare But I his Graft of ev'ry Weed o'er-grown And from our kind as Refuse forth am thrown * We from our Grandsire stood in one Degree But after Edward John the young'st of three Might Princely Wales beget a
Son so base That to Gaunt's Issue should give Soveraign place * He that from France brought John his Prisoner home As those great Caesars did their Spoyls to Rome * Whose Name obtained by his fatal Hand Was ever fearfull to that conquer'd Land His Fame encreasing purchas'd in those Wars Can scarcely now be bounded with the Stars With him is Valour from the base World fled Or here in me is it extinguished Who for his Vertue and his Conquests sake Posterity a Demy-god shall make And judge this vile and abject Spirit of mine Could not proceed from temper so divine What Earthly Humour or what vulgar Eye Can look so low as on our Misery When Bullenbrook is mounted to our Throne And makes that his which we but call'd our own Into our Counsels he himself intrudes And who but Henry with the Multitudes His Power desgrades his dreadfull Frown disgraceth He throws them down whom our Advancement placeth As my disable and unworthy Hand Never had Power belonging to Command He treads our sacred Tables in the dust * And proves our Acts of Parliment unjust As though he hated that it should be said That such a Law by Richard once was made Whilst I deprest before his Greatness lye Under the weight of Hate and Infamy My Back a Foot-stool Bullenbrook to raise My Looseness mock'd and hatefull by his praise Out-live mine Honour bury my Estate And leave my self nought but my Peoples Hate Sweet Queen I le take all Counsel thou canst give So that thou bidst me neither hope nor live Succour that comes when Ill hath done his worst But sharpens Grief to make us more accurst Comfort is now unpleasing to mine Eare Past cure past care my Bed become my Bier Since now Misfortune humbleth us so long Till Heaven be grown unmindfull of our Wrong Yet it forbid my Wrongs should ever dye But still remembred to Posterity And let the Crown be fatal that he wears And ever wet with wofull Mothers Tears Thy Curse on Percy angry Heavens prevent Who have not one Curse left on him unspent To scourge the World now borrowing of my store As rich of Woe as I a King am poor Then cease dear Queen my Sorrows to bewaile My Wound 's too great for Pity now to heale Age stealeth on whilst thou complainest thus My Grief be mortal and infectious Yet better Fortunes thy fair Youth may try That follow thee which still from me doth fly ANNOTATIONS on the Chronicle History This Tongue which then denounc'd my Regal State RIchard the Second at the Resignation of the Crown to the Duke of Harford in the Tower of London delivering the same with his own hand there confessed his disability to govern vtterly denouncing all Kingly Authority And left'st great Burbon for thy love to me Before the Princess Isabel was married to the King Lewes Duke of Burbon sued to have had her in Marriage which was thought he had obtained if this Motion had not fallen out in the mean time This Duke of Burbon sued again to have received her at her coming into France after the imprisonment of King Richard but King Charles her Father then crossed him as before and gave her to Charles son to the Duke of Orleans When Harford had his Judgement of Exile When the Combate should have been at Coventry betwixt Henry Duke of Harford and Thomas Duke of Norfolk where Harford was adjudged to Banishment for ten years the Commons exceedingly lamented so greatly was be ever favoured of the People Then being forc'd t' abridge his banish'd years When the Duke came to take his leave of the King being then at Eltham the King to please the Commons rather then for any love he bare to Harford repealed four years of his Banishment But Henry boasts of our Atchievements done Henry the eldest son of John Duke of Lancaster at the first Earle of Darby then created Duke of Harford after the death of Duke John his father was Duke of Lancaster and Hartford Earl of Darby Liecester and Lincoln and after he had obtained the Crown was called by the name of Bullenbrook which is a Town in Lincolnshire as vsually all the Kings of England bare the name of the place where they were born Seven goodly Siens in their Spring did flourish Edward the third had seven sons Edward Prince of Wales after called the Black-Prince William of Hatfield the second Lionel Duke of Clarence the third John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the fourth Edmund of Langley Duke of York the fifth Thomas of Woodstock Dukes of Glocester the sixt William of Windsor the seventh Edward the top-branch of that golden Tree As disabling Henry Bullenbrook being but Son of the fourth Brother William and Lionel being both before John of Gaunt He that from France brought John his Prisoner home Edward the Black-Prince taking John King of France Prisoner at the Battel of Poictiers brought him into England where at the Savoy he died Whose Name atchieved by his fatal hand Called the Black-Prince not so much of his Complexion as of the famous Battels he fought as is shewed before in the Gloss upon the Epistle of Edward to the Countess of Salisbury And proves our Acts of Parliament unjust In the next Parliament after Richard's Resignation of the Crown Henry caused to be annihilated all the Laws made in the Parliament called the Wicked Parliament held in the twentieth year of King Richards Reign FINIS Queen KATHERINE TO OWEN TUDOR The ARGUMENT After the Death of Henry the fifth Queen Katherine Dowager of England and France Daughter to Charles the French King holding her Estate with Henry her Son then Sixth of that name falleth in Love with Owen Tudor a Welchman a brave and gallant Gentleman of the Wardrobe to the young King her Son yet fearing if her Love should be discov'red the Nobility would cross her purposed Marriage or if her Princely promise should not assure his good success the high and great Attempt might perhaps daunt the forwardness of this modest and shamefull Youth She therefore writes to him this following Epistle JUdge not a Princes worth impeach'd hereby That Love thus triumphs over Majesty Nor think less Vertue in this Royal Hand That it intreats and wonted to command For in this sort tho' humbly now it woo The day hath been thou would'st have kneel'd unto Nor think that this submission of my State Proceeds from Frailty rather judge it Fate Alcides ne'r more fit for Wars stern Shock Then when with Women spinning at the Rock Never less Clouds did Phoebus glory dim Then in a Clowns shape when he covered him Joves great Command was never more obey'd Then when a Satyrs Antick parts he play'd He was thy King who su'd for love to me And she his Queen who sues for love to thee When Henry was my love was only his But by his death it Owen Tudors is My love to Owen him my Henry giveth My love to Henry in my Owen liveth Henry
woo'd me whilst Wars did yet increase I woo my Tudor in sweet calms of Peace To force Affection he did Conquest prove I come with gentle Arguments of Love * Incamp'd at Melans in Wars hot Alarms First saw I Henry clad in Princely Arms At pleasant Windsor First these Eyes of mine My Tudor judg'd for wit and shape divine Henry abroad with Puissance and with Force Tudor at home with Courtship and Discourse He then thou now I hardly can judge whether Did like me best Plantaginet or Tether A March a Measure Battel or a Dance A Courtly Rapier or a conqu'ring Launce His Princely Bed hath strength'ned my Renown * And on my Temples set a double Crown Which glorious Wreath as Henrys lawfull Heir Henry the sixth upon his Brow doth bear * At Troy in Champain he did first enjoy My Bridal Rites to England brought from Troy In England now that Honour thou shalt have Which once in Champain famous Henry gave I seek not Wealth three Kingdoms in my Power If these suffice not where shall be my Dower Sad Discontent may ever follow her Which doth base Pelf before true Love prefer If Titles still could our Affections tye What is so great but Majesty might buy As I seek thee so Kings doe me desire To what they would thou eas'ly may'st aspire That sacred Fire once warm'd my Heart before The Fuell fit the Flame is now the more And means to quench it I in vain doe prove We may hide Treasure but not hide our Love And since it is thy Fortune thus to gain it It were too late nor will I now restrain it * Nor these great Titles vainly will I bring Wife Daughter Mother Sister to a King Of Grandfire Father Husband Son and Brother More thou alone to me then all these other * Nor fear my Tudor that this love of mine Should wrong the Gaunt-born great Lancastrian Line * Or make the English Blood the Sun and Moon Repine at Lorain Burdon Alanson Nor doe I think there is such different ods They should alone be numbred with the Gods Of Cadmus Earthly Issue reck'ning us And they from Jove Mars Neptune Eolus Of great Latonas O'ff-spring onely they And wee the Brats of wofull Niobe Our famous Grandsires as their own bestrid That Horse of Fame that God-begotten Steed Whose bounding Hoof plow'd that Boetian Spring Where those sweet Maids of Memory doe sing I claim not all from Henry but as well To be the Child of Charles and Isabel Nor can I think from whence their Grief should grow That by this Match they be disparag'd so * When John and Longshanks Issue were affy'd And to the Kings of Wales in Wedlock ty'd Shewing the greatness of your Blood thereby Your Race and Royal Consanguinity And Wales as well as haughty England boasts * Of Camilot and all her Pentecosts To have precedence in Pendragons Race At Arthur's Table challenging the Place If by the often Conquest of your Land They boast the Spoiles of their victorious Hand If these our ancient Chronicles be true They altogether are not free from you * When bloody Rufus sought your Towns to sack Twice entring Wales yet twice was beaten back When famous Cambria wash'd her in the Flood Made by th' effusion of the English Blood * And oft return'd with glorious Victory From Worcester Her'ford Chester Shrewsbury Whose Power in ev'ry Conquest so prevails As once expuls'd the English out of Wales Although my Beauty made my Countries Peace And at my Bridal former Broils did cease More then his Power had not his Person been I had not come to England as a Queen Nor took I Henry to supply my want Because in France that time my choice was scant When it had robb'd all Christendom of Men And Englands Flower remain'd amongst us then Gluoster whose Counsels Nestor-like assist Couragious Bedford that great Martiallist Clarence for Vertue honour'd of his Foes And York whose Fame yet daily greater grows Warwick the pride of Nevil's haughty Race Great Salisbury so fear'd in ev'ry place That valiant Pool whom no Atchievement dar's And Vere so famous in the Irish Wars Who though my self so great a Princess born The best of these my equal need not scorn But Henry's rare Perfections and his parts As conqu'ring Kingdoms so he conquer'd Hearts As chaste was I to him as Queen might be But freed from him my chaste love vow'd to thee Beauty doth fetch all Favour from thy Face All perfect Court-ship resteth in thy Grace If thou discourse my Lips such Accents break As Love a Spirit forth of thee seem'd to speak The Brittish Language which our Vowels wants And jarrs so much upon harsh Consonants Comes with such grace from thy mellifluous Tongue As the sweet Notes doe of a well-set Song And runs as smoothly from those Lips of thine As the pure Tuskan from the Florentine Leaving such seas'ned sweetness in the Ear That the Voyce past the sound abides still there In Nisus Tower as when Apollo lay And on his golden Viol us'd to play Where senceless Stones were with such Musick drown'd As many years they did retain the Sound Let not the Beams that Greatness doth reflect Amaze thy Hopes with timerous respect Assure thee Tudor Majesty can be As kind in love as can the mean'st degree And the embraces of a Queen as true As theirs which think them much advanc'd by you When in our Greatness our Affections crave Those secret Joyes that other Women have So I a Queen be soveraign in my choice Let others fawn upon the publick voice Or what by this can ever hap to thee Light in respect to be belov'd of me Let pevish Wordlings prate of Right and Wrong Leave Plaints and Pleas to whom they doe belong Let old Men speak of Chances and Events And Laywers talk of Titles and Descents Leave fond Reports to such as Stories tell And Covenants to those that buy and sell Love my sweet Tudor that becomes thee best And to our good success refer the rest ANNOTATIONS of the Chronicle History Incamp'd at Melans in Wars hot Alarms First c. NEar unto Melans upon the River of Seyne was the appointed place of Parley between the two Kings of England and France to which place Isabel the Queen of France and the Duke of Rurgoyne brought the young Princess Katherine where King Henry first saw her And on my Temples set a double Crown Henry the fifth and Queen Katherine were taken as King Queen of France and during the life of Charles the French King Henry was called King of England and Heir of France and after the death of Henry the fift Henry the fixth his son then being very young was crown'd at Paris as true and lawfull King of England and France At Troy in Champaine he did first enjoy Troy in Champaine was the place where that victorious King Henry the fift married the Princess Katherine in the presence of the chief Nobility of the Realms of
conquer'd France Yet if my Fortunes be thus rais'd by thee This may presage a further good to me And our Saint David in the Britains Right May joyn with George the Sainted English Knight * And old Caermarden Merlin's famous Town Not scorn'd by London though of such renown Ah would to God that Hour my Hopes attend Were with my Wish brought to desired end Blame me not Madam though I thus desire Many there be that after you enquire Till now your Beauty in Nights Bosome slept What Eye durst stir where awfull Henry kept Who durst attempt to sail but near the Bay Where that all-conqu'ring great Alcides lay Your Beauty now is set a Royal Prize And Kings repair to cheapen Merchandize If you but walk to take the breathing Ayre Orithia makes me that I Boreas fear If to the Fire Jove once in Lightning came And fair Egina makes me fear the flame If in the Sun then sad Suspicion dreams Phoebus should spread Lucothoe in his Beams If in a Fountain you do cool your Blood Neptune I fear which once came in a Floud If with your Maids I dread Apollo's Rape Who cous'ned Chion in an old Wives shape If you do banquet Bacchus makes me dread Who in a Grape Erigone did feed And if my self your Chamber-door should keep Yet fear I Hermes coming in a Sleep Pardon sweet Queen if I offend in this In these Delays Love most impatient is And Youth wants pow'r his hot Spleen to suppress When Hope already banquets in Excess Though Henry's Fame in me you shall not find Yet that which better shall content your mind But onely in the Title of a King VVas his advantage in no other thing If in his love more pleasure you did take Never let Queen trust Britain for my sake Yet judge me not from Modesty exempt That I another Phaetons Charge attempt My Mind that thus your Favours dare aspire Shews that 't is touch't with a celestial fire If I 'm in fault the more is Beauties blame VVhen she her self is author of the same All Men to some one quality incline Onely to Love is naturally mine Thou art by Beauty famous as by Birth Ordain'd by Heav'n to cheer the drooping Earth Add faithfull Love unto your greater State And be alike in all things fortunate A King might promise more I not deny But yet by Heav'n he lov'd not more then I. And thus I leave till time my Faith approve I cease to write but never cease to love ANNOTATIONS of the Chronicle History And that the Helm the Tudors antient Crest THE Arms of Tudor was three Helmets whereof he speaketh as a thing prophetically foretold of Merlin When in thy presence I was call'd to dance Owen Tudor being a courtly and active Gentleman commanded once to dance before the Queen in a Turn not being able to recover himself fell into her Lap as she sat upon a little Stool with many of her Ladies about her And yet with them in Wales that famous be Our learned Bards c. This Berdh as they call it in the Brittish Tongue or as we more properly say Bard or Bardus be their Poets which keep the Records of Pedigrees and Descents and sung in Odes and Measures to their Harps after the old manner of the Lyrick Poets And boast my Blood from great Cadwallader Cadwallader the last King of the Britains descended of the Noble and ancient Race of the Trojans to whom an Angel appeared commanding him to goe to Rome to Pope Sergius where he ended his Life From old Caer-Septon in Mount Palador Caer-Septon now called Shaftsbury at whose Building it was said an Eagle prophesied or rather one named Aquila of the fame of that Place and of the recovery of the Isle by the Britains bringing back with them the Bones of Cadwallader from Rome And from Encons Line the South-Wales King From Theodor c. This Encon was slain by the Rebels of Gwentland he was a notable and worthy Gentleman who in his life did many noble Acts and was Father to Theodor or Tudor Maur of whom descended the Princes of South-Wales From her great Grandam fair Gwenellian Gwenellian the daughter of Rees ap Grisseth ap Theodor Prince of South-Wales married Ednivet Vaughan Ancestor to Owen Tudor By true descent from Leolin the Great This is the Lowhelin called Leolinus Magnus Prince of North-Wales Nor that word Croggen Nick-name of disgrace In the Voyage that Henry the Second made against the Welshmen as his Souldiers passed Offas Ditch at Croggen Castle they were overthrown by the Welshmen which word Croggen hath since been used to the Welshmen's Disgrace which was at first begun with their Honour And kept our Native Language now thus long The Welshmen be those ancient Britains which when the Picts Danes and Saxons invaded here were first driven into those parts where they have kept their Language ever since the first without commixtion with any other And old Caer-Marden Merlins famous Town Caer-Marden or Merlin's Town so called of Merlin's being found there This was Ambrose Merlins whose Prophesies we have There was another of that Name called Merlin Sylvestris born in Scotland sirnamed Calidonius of the Forrest Calidon where he prophesied FINIS ELINOR COBHAM TO Duke HVMPHREY The ARGUMENT Elinor Daughter to the Lord Cobham of Sterborough and Wife to Humphrey Plantaginet Duke of Gloucester the Son of Henry the fourth King of England sirnamed Bullingbrook This noble Duke for his great wisdom and justice called the good was by King Henry the fifth Brother to the Duke at his Death appointed Protector of the Land during the nonage of Henry the sixth this Elinor Dutchess of Gloucester a Proud and Ambitious Woman knowing that if young Henry died without issue the Duke her Husband was the nearest of the blood Conspired with one Bullingbrook a Great Magitian Hun a Priest and Jourdan Witch of Eye by sorcery to make away the King and by conjuration to know who should succeed Of this being justly convicted she was adjudged to do pennance three several times openly in London and then to perpetual banishment to the Isle of Man from whence she writes this Epistle MEthinks not knowing who these Lines should send Thou straight turn'st over to the latter end Where thou my Name no sooner hast espy'd But in disdain my Letter casts aside Why if thou wilt I will my self deny Nay I 'll affirm and swear I am not I Or if in that thy shame thou do'st perceive For thy dear sake loe I my Name will leave And yet methinks amaz'd thou shouldst not stand Nor seem so much appalled at my Hand For my Misfortunes have inur'd thine Eye Long before this to Sights of Misery No no read on 't is I the very same All thou canst read is but to read my shame Be not dismay'd nor let my Name affright The worst it can is but t' offend thy sight It cannot wound nor doe thee deadly harm It is no dreadfull Spell
no Magick Charm If she that sent it love Duke Humphry so Is' t possible her Name should be his Foe Yes I am Elinor I am very she Who brought for Dower a Virgins Bed to thee * Though envious Beauford slander'd me before To be Duke Humphry's wanton Paramour And though indeed I can it not deny * To Magick once I did my self apply I won thee not as there be many think With poys'ning Philters and bewitching Drink Nor on thy Person did I ever prove Those wicked Potions so procuring Love I cannot boast to be rich Holland's Heir Nor of the Blood and Greatness of Baveire * Yet Elinor brought no forreign Armies in To fetch her back as did thy Jacomin Nor clam'rous Husband follow'd me that fled Exclaiming Humphry to defile his Bed Nor wast thou forc'd the Slander to suppress To send me back as an Adulteress * Brabant nor Burgoyne claimed me by force Nor su'd to Rome to hasten my Divorce Nor Belgia's Pomp defac'd with Belgia's Fire The just reward of her unjust desire * Nor Bedford's Spouse your noble Sister Ann That Princely-issued great Burgonian Need stand with me to move a Womans strife To yield the place to the Protector 's VVife If Cobham's Name my Birth can dignifie Or Sterborough renown my Family * VVhere 's Greenwich now thy Elinor's Court of late Where she with Humphry held a Princely State That pleasant Kent when I abroad should ride That to my pleasure laid forth all her Pride The Thames by Water when I took the air That danc'd my Barge in lanching from the stayre The anch'ring Ships which when I pass'd the Road Were wont to hang their chequ'red Tops abroad How could it be those that were wont to stand To see my Pomp so Goddess-like to Land Should after see me mayl'd up in a Sheet Do shamefull Pennance three times in the Street Rung with a Bell a Taper in my Hand Bare-foot to trudge before a Beadle's VVand That little Babes not having use of Tongue Stood pointing at me as I came along Where then was Humphrey where was his Command Wast thou not Lord Protector of the Land Or for thy Justice who could thee deny The Title of the good Duke Humphry What Bloud extract from famous Edward's Line Could boast it self to be so pure as thine Who else next Henry should the Realm prefer If it allow the Line of Lancaster But Rayner's Daughter must from France be set And with a vengeance on our Throne be set Mauns Main and Anjou on that Beggar cast To bring her home to England in such hast And what for Henry thou hadst laboured there To joyn the King with Arminack's rich Heir Must all be dash'd as no such thing had been Pool needs must have his Darling made a Queen How should he with our Princes else be plac'd To have his Earlship with a Dukedome grac'd And raise the Off-spring of his Blood so high As Lords of us and our Posterity O that by Sea when he to France was sent The Ship had sunk wherein the Traytor went Or that the Sands had swallow'd her before She e'er set foot upon the English Shore But all is well nay we have store to give What need we more we by her Looks can live All that great Henry by his Conquests heapt And famous Bedford to his glory kept Is given back to Rayner all in post And by this means rich Normandy is lost Those which have come as Mistresses of ours Have into England brought their goodly Dow'rs Which to our Coffers yearly Tribute brings The Life of Subjects and the strength of Kings The means whereby fair England ever might Raise Power in France to back her antient Right But she brings Ruine here to make aboad And cancels all our lawfull Claim abroad And she must recapitulate my Shame And give a thousand by-words to my Name And call me Beldam Gib Witch Night-mare Trot With all despight that may a Woman spot Oh that I were a Witch but for her sake Faith then her Queenship little Rest should take I 'd scratch that Face that may not feel the Air And knit whole Ropes of Witch-knots in her Hair O how I 'd Hag her nightly in her Bed And on her Brest sit like a lump of Lead And like a Fairy pinch that dainty Skin Her wanton Blood is now so cocker'd in Or take me some such known familiar shape As she my Vengeance never should escape Were I a Garment none should need the more To sprinkle me with Nessus poys'ned Gore It were enough if she once put me on To tear both Flesh and Sinews from the Bone Were I a Flower that might her Smell delight Though I were not the poys'ning Aconite I would send such a Fume into her Brow Should make her mad as mad as I am now * They say the Druides once lived in this Isle This fatall Man the place of my Exile Whose pow'rfull Charms such dreadfull Wonders wrought Which in the Gotish Island Tongue were taught Oh that their Spels to me they had resign'd Wherewith they rais'd and calm'd both Sea and Wind And made the Moon pawse in her paled Sphere Whilst her grim Dragons drew them through the Air Their Hellish Power to kill the Plow-mans Seed Or to fore-speak whole Flocks as they did feed To nurse a damned Spirit with humane Blood To carry them through Earth Air Fire and Floud Had I this skill that Time hath almost lost How like a Goblin I would haunt her ghost O pardon pardon my mis-govern'd Tongue A Womans strength cannot endure my Wrong * Did not the Heav'ns her coming in withstand As though affrighted when she came to Land The Earth did quake her coming to abide The goodly Thames did twice keep back his Tide Pauls shook with Tempests that mounting spire With Lightning sent from Heav'n was set on fire Our stately Buidings to the ground were blown Her Pride by these prodigious signs were shown More fearfull Visions on the English Earth Then ever were at any Death or Birth Ah Humphry Humphry if I should not speak My Breast would split my very Heart would break I that was wont so many to command Worse now than with a Clap-dish in my hand A simple Mantle covering me withal The very'st Leper of Cares Hospital That from my State a Presence held in awe Glad here to kennel in a Pad of Straw And like an Owl by Night to goe abroad Roosted all day within an Ivy Tod Among the Sea-Cliffs in the dampy Caves In Charnel-Houses fit to dwell in Graves Saw'st thou those Eyes in whose sweet cheerfull Look Duke Humphry once such joy and pleasure took Sorrow hath so despoil'd them all of grace Thou couldst not say this was my El'nors face Like a foul Gorgon whose dishevell'd Hair With every blast flyes glaring in the Air Some standing up like Horns upon my Head Even like Those Women that in Coos are bred My lank Breasts hang like Bladders
Nobility should bear it If Counsel aid that France will tell I know Whose Towns lye wast before the English Foe When thrice we gave the conquer'd French the foil * At Agincourt at Cravant and Vernoyle If Faith avail these Arms did Henry hold To claym his Crown yet scarcely nine months old If Countries care have leave to speak for me Gray hairs in youth my witness then may be If peoples tongues give splendor to my Fame They add a Title to Duke Humphry's Name If Toyle at home French Treason English Hate Shall tell my skill in mannaging the State If forreign Travel my success may try * Then Flanders Almain Boheme Burgundie That Robe of Rome proud Beauford now doth wear In every place such sway should never bear * The Crosier staff in his imperious Hand To be the Scepter that controules the Land That home to England Dispensations draws Which are of power to abrogate our Laws And for those Sums the wealthy Church should pay Upon the needy Comm'nalty to lay His ghostly Counsels only do advise * The means how Langley's Progeny may rise Pathing young Henry's unadvised ways A Duke of York from Cambridge house to raise Which after may our Title undermine Grafted since Edward in Gaunts famous Line Us of Succession falsely to deprive Which they from Clarence fainedly derive Knowing the will old Cambridge ever bore To catch the Wreath that famous Henry wore With Gray and Scroop when first he layd the Plot From us and ours the Garland to have got As from the March-born Mortimer to reign Whose Title Glendour stoutly did maintain When the proud Percies haughty March and he Had shar'd the Land by equal parts in three * His Priesthood now stern Mowbray will restore To stir the fire that kindled was before Against the Yorkists that shall their Claim advance To steel the point of Norfolk's sturdy Lance. Upon the Breast of Harford's issue bent In just revenge of ancient Banishment He doth advise to let our Pris'ner go And doth inlarge the faithless Scotish Foe * Giving our Heirs in Marriage that their Dow'rs May bring invasion upon us and ours Ambitious Suffolk so the Helm doth guide With Beauford's damned Policies suppl'd He and the Queen in Counsel still confer How to raise him who hath advanced her But my dear Heart how vainely do I dream And fly from thee whose Sorrows are my Theam My love to thee and England thus divided Which hath the most how hard to be decided Or thou or that to censure I am loath So near are you so dear unto me both 'Twixt that and thee for equal love I find England ingrateful and my El'nor kind But though my Country justly I reprove Yet I for that neglected have my love Nevertheless thy Humphry's to the now As when fresh Beauty triumph'd on thy Brow As when thy Graces I admired most Or of thy Favours might the frankly'st boast Those Beauties were so infinite before That in abundance I was only poor Of which though Time hath taken some again I ask no more but what doth yet remain Be patient gentle Heart in thy distress Thou art a Princess not a whit the less Whilst in these Breasts we bear about this Life I am thy Husband and thou art my Wife Cast not thine eye on such as mounted be But look on those cast down as low as we For some of them which proudly pearch so hie Ere long shall come as low as thou or I. They weep for joy and let us laugh in Woe We shall exchange when Heav'n will have it so We mourn and they in after-time may mourn Woe past may once laugh present Woe to scorn And worse then hath been we can never tast Worse cannot come then is already past In all extream's the only depth of ill Is that which comforts the afflicted still Ah would to God thou couldst thy Griefs deny And on my back let all the Burthen lye Or if thou canst resign make them mine own Both in one Carriage to be undergone Till we again our former hopes recover And prosp'rous Times blow these Misfortunes over For in the thought of those fore-passed years Some new resemblance of old Joy appears Mutual our Care so mutual be our Love That our Affliction never can remove So rest in peace where peace hath hope to live Wishing thee more then I my self can give ANNOTATIONS of the Chronicle History At Agincourt at Cravant and Vernoyle THe three famous Battels fought by the Englishmen in France Agincourt by Henry the fifth against the whole Power of France Cravant fought by Montacute Earl of Salisbury and the Duke of Burgoyne against the Dolphin of France and William Stuart Constable of Scotland Vernoyle fought by John Duke of Bedford against the Duke of Alanson and with him most of the Nobility of France Duke Humphry an especial Counsellor in all these Expeditions Then Flanders Almaine Boheme Burgundy Here remembring the ancient Amity which in his Embassies he had concluded betwixt the King of England and Sigismund Emperor of Almain drawing the Duke of Burgoyne into the same League giving himself as an Hostage for the Duke at Saint Omers while the Duke came to Calice to confirm the League With his many other Imployments to forreign Kingdomes That Crosier staff in his imperious hand Henry Beauford Cardinal of Winchester that proud and haughty Prelate received the Cardinals Hat at Calice by the Popes Legate which dignity Henry the fifth his Nephew forbad him to take upon him knowing his haughty and malicious spirit unfit for that Robe and Calling The means how Langley's Progeny may rise As willing to shew the House of Cambridge to be descended of Edmund Langley Earl of York a younger Brother to John of Gaunt his Grandfather as much as in him lay to smother the Title that the Yorkists made to the Crown from Lionel of Clarence Gaunts elder Brother by the Daughter of Mortimer His Priesthood now stern Mowbray doth restore Noting the ancient Grudge between the House of Lancaster and Norfolk ever since Moubray Duke of Norfolk was banished for the Accusation of Henry Duke of Harford after that King of England Father to Duke Humphry Which Accusation he came as a Combatant to have made good in the Lists at Coventry Giving our Heirs in Marriage that their Dow'rs James Stuart King of Scots having been long Prisoner in England was released and took to Wife the Daughter of John Duke of Somerset Sister to John Duke of Somerset Neice to the Cardinal and the Duke of Excester and Cousin-German removed to the King This King broke the Oath he had taken and became afterward a great Enemy to England FINIS WILLIAM DE-LA-POOLE Duke of SUFFOLK TO Queen MARGARET The ARGUMENT William De-La-Pool first Marquess and after created Duke of Suffolk being sent into France by King Henry the Sixth concluded a Marriage between the King his Master and Margaret Daughter to Rayner Duke of Anjou who only had the
my Counsel yet this comfort is It cannot hurt although I think amiss Then live in hope in Triumph to return When clearer Days shall leave in Clouds to mourn But so hath Sorrow girt my Soul about That that word Hope me thinks comes slowly out The reason is I know it here would rest Where it might still behold thee in my Breast Farewel sweet Pool fain more I would indite But that my Tears do blot what I do write ANNOTATIONS of the Chronicle History Or brings in Burgoin to aid Lancaster PHilip Duke of Burgoine and his Son were always great Favorites of the House of Lancaster howbeit they often dissembled both with Lancaster and York Who in the North our lawful Claim commends To win us credit with our valiant Friends The chief Lords of the North parts in the time of Henry the Sixth withstood the Duke of York at his Rising giving him two great overthrows To that Allegeance York was bound by Oath To Henry's Heirs for safety of us both No longer now he means Records shall bear it He will dispence with Heaven and will unswear it The Duke of York at the death of Henry the Fifth and at this Kings Coronation took his Oath to be true subject to him and his Heirs for ever but afterward dispensing therewith claymed the Crown as his rightful and proper Inheritance If three Sons sail she 'l make the fourth a King The Duke of York had four Sons Edward Earl of March that afterward was Duke of York and King of England when he had deposed Henry the Sixth and Edmund Earl of Rutland slain by the Lord Clifford at the Battle at Wakefield and George Duke of Clarence that was murthered in the Tower and Richard Duke of Gloucester who was after he had murthered his Brothers Sons King by the Name of Richard the Third He that 's so like his Dam her youngest Dick That foul ill-favour'd crook-back'd Stigmatick c. Till this Verse As though begot an age c. This Richard whom ironically she calls Dick that by Treason after the murther of his Nephews obtained the Crown was a Man low of stature crook-back'd the left shoulder much higher than the right and of a very crabbed and sowr countenance His Mother could not be delivered of him he was born Toothed and with his Feet forward contrary to the course of Nature To over-shaddow our Vermilion Rose The Red Rose was the Badge of the House of Lancaster and the White Rose of York which by the marriage of Henry the Seventh with Elizabeth indubitate Heir of the House of York was happily united Or who will muzzle that unruly Bear The Earl of Warwick the setter up and puller down of Kings gave for his Arms the White Bear rampant and the Ragged Staff My daisy flower which once perfum'd the Air Which for my favour Princes dayn'd to wear Now in the dust lies c. The Daisy in French is called Margarite which was Queen Margarets Badge wherewithal the Nobility and Chivalry of the Land at her first arrival were so delighted that they wore it in their Hats in token of Honour And who be Stars but Warwicks bearded Staves The ragged and bearded Staff was a part of the Arms belonging to the Earldom of Warwick Sland'ring Duke Rayner with base Beggery Rayner Duke of Anjou called himself King of Naples Cicile and Jerusalem who had neither Inheritance nor reâ—eived any Tribute from those Parts and was not able at the Marriage of the Queen at his own Charge to send her into England though be gave no Dower with her Which by the Duchess of Gloucester was often in disgrace cast in her Teeth A Kentish Rebel a base upstart Groom This was Jack Cade which caused the Kentish Men to rebel in the eight and twentieth year of King Henry the Sixth And this is he the White Rose must prefer By Clarence Daughter match'd to Mortimer This Jack Cade instructed by the Duke of York pretended to be descended from Mortimer which married Lady Philip Daughter to the Duke of Clarence And makes us weak by strengthning Ireland The Duke of York being made Deputy of Ireland first there began to practise his long pretended purpose and strengthning himself hy all means possible that he might at his return into England by open War claim that which so long before he had privily gone about to obtain Great Winchester untimely is deceas'd Henry Beauford Bishop and Cardinal Wincester Son to John of Gaunt begot in his age was a proud and ambitious Prelate favouring mightily the Queen and the Duke of Suffolk continually heaping up innumerable Treasures in hope to have been Pope as himself on his deah-bed confessed With France t' upbraid the valiant Somerset Edmund Duke of Somerset in the four and twentieth year of Henry the Sixth was made Regent of France and sent into Normandy to defend the English Territories against the French Invasions but in short time he lost all that King Henry the Fifth won for which cause the Nobles and Commons ever after hated him T' indure these storms with woful Buckingham Humphry Duke of Buckingham was a great Favorite of the Queens Faction in the time of Henry the Sixth And one foretold by Water thou shouldst dye The Witch of Eye received answer from her Spirit That the Duke of Suffolk should take heed of Water Which the Queen fore-warns him of as remembring the Witches Prophesie which afterwards came to pass FINIS EDWARD the Fourth TO Mistress SHORE The ARGUMENT Edward the Fourth Son to Richard Duke of York after he had obtained quiet possession of the Crown by deposing Henry the Sixth which Henry was after murthered in the Tower by Crook'd-back Richard hearing by report of many the rare and wonderful Beauty of Mrs. Jane Shore so called of her Husband a Goldsmith in Lombard-Sreet cometh himself disguised to London to see her where after he had once beheld her he was so surprised with her admirable Beauty that not long after he robbed her Husband of his dearest Jewel but he first by this Epistle writeth to his beauteous Paramour TO thee the fair'st that ever breath'd this Air * From English Edward to thee fairest fair Ah would to God thy Title were no more That no remembrance might remain of Shore To countermand a Monarchs high desire And barr mine Eyes of what they most admire Oh! why should Fortune make the City proud To give that more than is the Court allow'd Where they like Wretches hoord it up to spare And do ingross it as they do their Ware When Fame first blaz'd thy Beauty hear in Court Mine Ears repuls'd it as a light Report But when mine Eyes saw what mine Ear had heard They thought Report too niggardly had spar'd And strucken dumb with wonder did but mutter Conceiving more than it had words to utter Then think of what thy Husband is possest When I malign the Wealth wherewith hee 's blest When much abundance makes the
his Princely part to take When as the Staves upon thy Cask did light Grieved therewith I turn'd away my sight And spake aloud when I my self forgot 'T is my sweet Charles my Brandon hurt him not But when I fear'd the King perceived this Good silly Man I pleas'd him with a Kiss And to extoll his valiant Son began That Europe never bred a braver Man And when poor King he simply praised thee Of all the rest I ask'd which thou shouldst be Thus I with him dissembled for thy sake Open confession now amends must make Whilst this old King upon a Pallat lies And only holds a combat with mine Eyes Mine Eyes from his by thy sight stoln away Which might too well their Mistress Thoughts bewray But when I saw thy proud unconquer'd Launce To bear the Prize from all the flow'r of France To see what pleasure did my Soul embrace Might eas'ly be discerned in my Face Look as the Dew upon a Damask Rose How through that liquid Pearl his blushing shows And when the gentle air breaths on his top From the sweet Leaves falls eas'ly drop by drop Thus by my Cheek distilling from mine Eyes One Tear for Joy anothers Room supplies Before mine Eye like Touch thy shape did prove Mine Eye condemn'd my too too partial Love But since by others I the same do try My Love condemns my too too partial Eye The precious stone most beautiful and rare When with it self we only it compare We deem all other of that kind to be As excellent as that we only see But when we judge of that with others by Too credulous we do condemn our Eye Which then appears more orient and more bright Having a Boyl whereon to shew its light Alanson a fine timb'red Man and tall Yet wants the shape thou art adorn'd withal Vandome good Carriage and a pleasing Eye Yet hath not Suffolk's Princely Majesty Couragious Burbon a sweet Manly Face Yet in his Looks lacks Brandon's Courtly Grace Proud Longavile suppos'd to have no Peer A man scarce made was thought whilst thou wast here The Count Saint-Paul our best at Arms in France Would yield himself a Squire to bear thy Lauce * Galleas and Bounarm matchless for their might Under thy towring Blade have couch'd in fight If with our Love my Brother angry be I 'le say to please him I first fancied thee And but to frame my liking to his mind Never to thee had I been half so kind Worthy my love the Vulgar judge no man Except a Yorkist or Lancastrian Nor think that my affection should be set But in the Line of great Plantaginet I mind not what the idle Commons say I pray thee Charles make hast and come away To thee what 's England if I be not there Or what to me is France if thou not here Thy absence makes me angry for a while But at thy presence I should gladly smile When last of me his leave my Brandon took He sware an Oath and made my Lips the Book He would make hast which now thou do'st denie Thou art forsworn O wilful Perjury Sooner would I with greater sins dispence Than by intreaty pardon this Offence But then I think if I should come to shrive thee Great were the Fault that I should not forgive thee Yet wert thou here I should revenged be But it should be with too much loving thee I that is all that thou shalt fear to taste I pray thee Brandon come sweet Charles make hast ANNOTATIONS of the Chronicle History The utmost date expired of my stay When I for Dover did depart away KIng Henry the Eight with the Queen and Nobles in the sixth year of his Reign in the Month of September brought this Lady to Dover where she took shipping for France Think'st thou my love was faithful unto thee When young Castile to England su'd for me It was agreed and concluded betwixt Henry the seventh and Philip King of Castile Son to Maximilian the Emperor That Charles eldest Son of the said Philip should marry the Lady Mary Daughter to King Henry when they came to age Which agreement was afterwards in the eight year of Henry the Eight annihilated When he in triumph of his Victory Under a rich imbroyd'red Canopy Entred proud Turney which did trembling stand c. Henry the Eight after the long Siege of Turney which was delivered to him upon composition entred the City in Triumph under a Canopy of Cloth of Gold born by four of the Chief and most Noble Citizens the King himself mounted upon a gallant Courser barbed with the Arms of England France and Ireland When Charles of Castile there to banquet came With him his Sister that ambitious Dame Savoy's proud Dutchess The King being at Turney there came to him the Prince of Castile and the Lady Margaret Dutches of Savoy his Sister to whom King Henry gave great intertainment Savoy's proud Dutchess knowing how long she All means had try'd to win my love from me At this time there was speech of a Marriage to be concluded between Charles Brandon then Lord Lisle and the Dutchess of Savoy the Lord Lisle being highly favoured and exceedingly beloved of the Dutchess When in King Henries Tent of Cloth of Gold The King caused a rich Tent of Cloath of Gold to be erected where he feasted the Prince of Castile and the Dutchess and entertained them with sumptuous Masks and Banquets during their abode When Maximilian to those Wars adrest Wore Englands Cross on his Imperial Breast Maximilian the Emperor with all his Souldiers which served under King Henry wore the Cross of Saint George with the Rose on their Breasts And in our Army let his Eagle flie The black Eagle is the Badge Imperial which here is used for the displaying of his Ensign or Standard That view'd our Ensigns with a wond'ring Eye Henry the Eighth at his Wars in France retained the Emperor and all his Souldiers in Wages which served under him during those Wars But this alone by Wolsey's wit was wrought Thomas Wolsey the Kings Almoner then Bishop of Lincoln a Man of great Authority with the King and afterward Cardinal was the chief cause that this Lady Mary was married to the old French King with whom the French had dealt under-hand to befriend him in that Match Where the proud Dolphin for thy Valour sake Chose thee at Tilt his Princely part to take Francis Duke of Valoys and Dolphin of France at the Marriage of the Lady Mary in honour thereof proclaimed a Justs where be chose the Duke of Suffolk and the Marquess of Dorset for his aids at all Martial Exercises Galeas and Bounarme matchless for their might This Count Galeas at the Justs ran a Course with a Spear which was at the Head five inches square on every side and at the But nine Inches square whereby be shewed his wondrous force and strength This Bounarm a Gentleman of France at the same time came into the field armed at all
Senses whilst the small Birds sing Lulled asleep with gentle murmuring Where light-foot Fairies sport at Prison-Base No doubt there is some Pow'r frequents the place There the soft Poplar and smooth Beech do bear Our Names together carved ev'ry where And Gordian Knots do curiously entwine The Names of Henry and Geraldine Oh let this Grove in happy times to come Be call'd The Lovers bless'd Elizium Whither my Mistress wonted to resort In Summers heat in those sweet shades to sport A thousand sundry names I have it given And call'd it Wonder-hider Cover-Heaven The Roof where Beauty her rich Court doth keep Under whose compass all the Stars do sleep There is one Tree which now I call to mind Doth bear these Verses carved in his Rinde When Geraldine shall sit in thy fair shade Fan her sweet Tresses with perfumed Air Let thy large Boughs a Canopy be made To keep the Sun from gazing on my Fair And when thy spreading branched Arms be sunk And thou no Sap nor Pith shalt more retain Ev'n from the dust of thy unwieldy Trunk I will renew thee Phoenix-like again And from thy dry decayed Root will bring A new-born Stem another Aesons Spring I find no cause nor judge I reason why My Country should give place to Lumbardy * As goodly Flow'rs on Thame's rich Banck do grow As beautifie the Banks of wanton Po As many Nymphs as haunt rich Arnus strand By silver Severn tripping hand in hand Our shad's as sweet though not to us so dear Because the Sun hath greater power there This distant place doth give me greater Woe Far off my Sighs the farther have to go Ah absence why thus should'st thou seem so long Or wherefore should'st thou offer Time such wrong Summer so soon to steal on Winters Cold Or Winters Blasts so soon make Summer old Love did us both with one-self Arrow strike Our Wound 's both one our Cure should be the like Except thou hast found out some mean by Art Some pow'rfull Med'cine to withdraw the dart But mine is fixt and absence being proved It sticks too fast it cannot be removed Adieu Adieu from Florence when I go By my next Letters Geraldine shall know Which if good fortune shall by course direct From Venice by some messenger expect Till when I leave thee to thy hearts desire By him that lives thy vertues to admire ANNOTATIONS of the Chronicle History From learned Florence long time rich in Fame FLorence a City of Tuscan standing upon the River Arnus celebrated by Dante Petrarch and other the most Noble Wits of Italy was the original of the Family out of which this Geraldine did spring as Ireland the place of her Birth which is intimated by these Verses of the Earl of Surrey From Tuscan came my Ladies worthy race Fair Florence was sometimes her ancient seat The Western Isle whose pleasant shore doth face Wild Cambers Cliffs did give her lively heat Great learn'd Agrippa so profound in Art Cornelius Agrippa a man in his time so famous for Magick which the Books published by him concerning that argument do partly prove as in this place needs no further remembrance Howbeit as those abstruse and gloomy Arts are but illusions so in the honour of so rare a Gentleman as this Earl and therewithal so Noble a Poet a quality by which his other Titles receive their greatest lustre Invention may make somewhat more bold with Agrippa above the barren truth That Lyon set in our bright silver Bend. The blazon of the Howards honourable Armour was Gules between six crosselets Fitchy a bend Argent to which afterwards was added by atchievement In the Canton point of the Bend an Escutcheon or within the Scotish tressure a Demi-lion-rampant Gules c. as Master Camden now Clerenceaux from authority noteth Never shall Time or bitter Envy be able to obscure the brightness of so great a Victory as that for which this addition was obtained The Historian of Scotland George Buchanan reporteth That the Earl of Surrey gave for his Badge a Silver Lion which from Antiquity belonged to that name tearing in pieces A Lion prostrate Gules and withall that this which he terms insolence was punished in him and his Posterity as if it were fatal to the Conquerour to do his Soveraign such Loyal service as a thousand such severe Censurers were never able to perform Since Scotish Blood discolour'd Floden Field The Battel was fought at Bramston near Floden Hill being a part of the Cheviot a Mountain that exceedeth all the Mountaines in the North of England for bigness in which the wilful Perjury of James the Fifth was punished from Heaven by the Earl of Surrey being left by King Henry the Eighth then in France before Turwin for the defence of this Realm Nor beautious Stanhope whom all Tongues report To be the glory c. Of the Beauty of that Lady he himself testifies in an Elegie which he writ of her refusing to dance with him which he seemeth to allegorize under a Lion and a Wolf And of himself he saith A Lion saw I late as white as any Snow And of her I might perceive a Wolf as white as a Whales Bone A fairer Beast of fresher hue beheld I never none But that her Looks were coy and froward was her Grace And famous Wyat who in Numbers sings Sir Thomas Wyat the Elder a most excellent Poet as his Poems extant do witness besides certain Encomions written by the Earl of Surrey upon some of Davids Psalms by him translated What holy Grave what worthy Sepulchre To Wyats Psalms shall Christians purchase then And afterward upon his Death the said Earl writeth thus What vertues rare were temp'red in thy Breast Honour that England such a Jewel bred And kiss the Ground whereas thy Corps did rest Of Hunsdon where those sweet celestial Eyne It is manifest by a Sonnet written by this Noble Earl that the first time he beheld his Lady was at Hunsdon Hunsdon did first present her to mine Eyne Which Sonnet being altogether a description of his Love I do alledge in divers places of this Gloss as proof of what I write Of Hampton Court and Windsor where abound All Pleasures c. That be enjoyed the presence of his fair and vertous Mistress in those two places by reason of Queen Katherines usual aboad there on whom this Lady Geraldine was attending I prove by these Verses of his Hampton me taught to wish her first for mine Windsor alas doth chase me from her sight And in another Sonnet following When Windsor Walls sustain'd my wearied Arm My Hand my Chin to ease my restless Head And that his delight might draw him to compare Windsor to Paradise an Elegie may prove where he remembreth his passed Pleasures in that place With a Kings Son my Childish years I pass'd In greater Feasts than Priams Son of Troy And again in the same Elegie Those large green Courts where we were wont to rove With Eyes cast up unto the
sev'ral Nation And nothing more than England hold in scorn So live as Strangers whereas they were born But thy return in this I do not read Thou art a perfect Gentleman indeed O God forbid that Howards Noble line From ancient Vertue should so far decline The Muses train whereof your self are chief Only to me participate their Grief To sooth their humors I do lend them ears He gives a Poet that his Verses hears Till thy return by hope they only live Yet had they all they all away would give The World and they so ill according be That Wealth and Poets never can agree Few live in Court that of their good have care The Muses friends are every-where so rare Some praise thy Worth that it did never know Only because the better sort do so Whose judgment never further doth extend Than it doth please the greatest to commend So great an ill upon desert doth chance When it doth pass by beastly ignorance Why art thou slack whilst no man puts his hand stand * To raise the mount where Surrey's Towers must Or Who the groundsil of that work doth lay Whilst like a Wand'rer thou abroad do'st stray Clip'd in the Arms of some lascivious Dame When thou shouldst rear an Ilion to thy Name When shall the Muses by fair Norwich dwell To be the City of the learned Well Or Phoebus Altars there with Incense heap'd As once in Cyrrha or in Thebe kept Or when shall that fair hoof-plow'd Spring distill From great Mount-Surrey out of Leonards Hill Till thou return the Court I will exchange For some poor Cottage or some Country Grange Where to our Distaves as we sit and Spin My Maid and I will tell what things have bin Our Lutes unstrung shall hang upon the Wall Our Lessons serve to wrap our Towe withal And pass the Night whiles Winter tales we tell Of many things that long ago befell Or tune such homely Carrols as were sung In Courtly Sport when we our selves were young In prety Riddles to bewray our Loves In questions purpose or in drawing Gloves The Noblest Spirits to Vertue most inclin'd These here in Court thy greatest want do find Others there be on which we feed our Eye * Like Arras-work or such like Image'ry Many of us desire Queen Kath'rines state But very few her Vertues imitate Then as Vlysses Wife write I to thee Make no reply but come thy self to me ANNOTATIONS on the Chronicle History Then Windsors or Fitz-Geralds Families THe cost of many Kings which from time to time have adorned the Castle at Windsor with their Princely Magnificence hath made it more Noble than that it need to be spoken of now as though obscure and I hold it more meet to refer you to your vulgar Monuments for the Founders and Finishers thereof than to meddle with matter nothing to the purpose As for the Family of the Fitz-Geralds of whence this excellent Lady was lineally descended the original was English though the Branches did spread themselves into distant Places and Names nothing consonant as in former times it was usual to denominate themselves of their Manours or Forenames as may partly appear in that which ensueth the light whereof proceeded from my learned and very worthy Friend Master Francis Thin Walter of Windsor the Son of Oterus had to Issue William of whom Henry now Lord Windsor is descended and Robert of Windsor of whom Robert the now Earl of Essex and Gerald of Windsor his third Son who married the Daughter of Rees the great Prince of Wales of whom came Nesta Paramour to Henry the First Which Gerald had Issue Maurice Fitz-Gerald Ancestor to Thomas Fitz-Maurice Justice of Ireland buryed at Trayly leaving Issue John his Eldest Son first Earl of Kildare Ancestor to Geraldine and Maurice his second Son first Earl of Desmond To raise the Mount where Surrey's Tow'rs must stand Alluding to the sumptuous House which was afterward builded by him upon Leonard's Hill right against Norwich which in the Rebellion of Norfolk under Ket in King Edward the Sixth's time was much defaced by that impure Rabble Betwixt the Hill and the City as Alexander Nevil describes it the River of Yarmouth râ—…s having West and South thereof a Wood and a little Village called Thorp and on the North the pastures of Mousholl which contain about six miles in length and breadth So that besides the stately greatness of Mount Surrey which was the Houses name the Prospect and Sight thereof was passing pleasant and commodious and no where else did that increasing evil of the Norfolk Fury enkennel it self then but there as it were for a manifest token of their intent to debase all high things and to profane all holy Like Arras-work or rather Imagery Such was he whom Juvenal taxeth in this manner Truncoque similimus Herme Nullo quippe alio vincis discrimine quam quod Illi marmorcum caput est tua vivit Imago Seeming to be born for nothing else but Apparel and the outward appearance intituled Complement with whom the ridiculous Fable of the Ape in Aesop sorteth fitly who coming into a Carver's House and viewing many Marble Works took up the Head of a Man very cunningly wrought who greatly in praising did seem to pity it that having so comely an outside it had nothing within like empty Figures walk and talk in every place at whom the Noble Geraldine modestly glanceth FINIS The Lady Jane Gray TO THE Lord GILFORD DVDLEY The ARGUMENT After the death of that vertuous Prince King Edward the Sixth the Son of that famous King Henry the Eighth Jane the Daughter of Henry Gray Duke of Suffolk by the consent of John Dudley Duke of Northumberland was proclaimed Queen of England being married to Gilford Dudley the fourth Son of the aforesaid Duke of Northumberland which Match was concluded by their ambitious Father who went about by this means to bring the Crown unto their Children and to dispossess the Princess Mary eldest Daughter of King Henry the Eighth Heir to King Edward her Brother Queen Mary rising in Arms to claim her rightful Crown taketh the said Jane Gray and the Lord Gilford her Husband being lodged in the Tower for their more safety which place being lastly their Pallace by this means becomes their Prison where being severed in sundry prisons they write these Epistles one to another MIne own dear Lord since thou art lock'd from me In this disguise my love must steal to thee Since to renue all Loves all kindness past This refuge scarcely left yet this the last My Keeper coming I of thee enquire Who with thy greeting answers my desire Which my tongue willing to return again Grief stops my words and I but strive in vain Where-with amaz'd away in hast he goes When through my Lips my Heart thrusts forth my Woes But then the doors that make a doleful sound Drive back my words that in the noise are drown'd Which somewhat hush'd the Eccho doth record And
That now a Spenser should succeed in all And that his Ashes should another breed Which in his Place and Empire should succeed That wanting One a Kingdoms Wealth to spend Of what that left this now shall make an end To waste all that our Father won before Nor leave our Son a Sword to conquer more Thus but in vain we fondly doe resist Where Pow'r can doe ev'n all things as it list And of our Right with Tyrants to debate Lendeth them means to weaken our Estate Whilst Parliaments must remedy their Wrongs And we must wait for what to us belongs Our Wealth but Fuel to their fond Excess And all our Fasts must feast their Wantonness Think'st thou our Wrongs then insufficient are To move our Brother to religious War * And if they were yet Edward doth detain Homage for Pontiu Guyne and Aquitain And if not that yet hath he broke the Truce Thus all accurr to put back all excuse The Sister 's Wrong joyn'd with the Brother 's Right Methinks might urge him in this cause to fight Are all those People senseless of our Harms Which for our Country oft have manag'd Arms Is the brave Normans Courage quite forgot Have the bold Britains lost the use of Shot The big-bon'd Almans and stout Brabanders Their Warlike Pikes and sharp-edg'd Scymiters Or do the Pickards let their Cross-bows lie Once like the Centaur's of old Thessaly Or if a valiant Leader be their lack Where Thou art present who should beat them back I do conjure Thee by what is most dear By that great Name of famous Mortimer * By ancient Wigmore's honourable Crest The Tombs where all thy famous Grandsires rest Or if then these what more may Thee approve Ev'n by those Vows of thy unfeigned Love In all thou canst to stir the Christian King By forreign Arms some Comfort yet to bring To curb the Pow'r of Traytors that rebell Against the Right of Princely Isabel Vain witless Woman why should I desire To add more heat to thy Immortal fire To urge thee by the violence of Hate To shake the Pillars of thine own Estate When whatsoever we intend to doe Our most Misfortune ever sorteth too And nothing else remains for us beside But Tears and Coffins onely to provide * When still so long as Burrough bears that name Time shall not blot out our deserved shame And whilst clear Trent her wonted course shall keep For our sad Fall she evermore shall weep All see our Ruin on our Backs is thrown And we too weak to bear it out are grown * Torlton that should our Business direct The general Foe doth vehemently suspect For dangerous Things get hardly to their End Whereon so many watchfully attend What should I say My Griefs do still renew And but begin when I should bid adieu Few be my Words but manifold my Woe And still I stay the more I strive to go Then till fair Time some greater Good affords Take my Loves-payment in these airey Words ANNOTATIONS of the Chronicle History Oh how I fear'd that sleepy Juyce I sent Might yet want power to further mine intent MOrtimer being in the Tower ordaining a Feast in honour of his Birth-day as he pretended inviting thereunto Sir Stephen Seagrave Constable of the Tower with the rest of the Officers belonging to the same he gave them a sleepy Drink provided by the Queen by which means he made his Escape I stole to Thames as though to take the Air And ask'd the gentle Floud as it doth glide Mortimer being got out of the Tower swam the River of Thames into Kent whereof she having intelligence doubteth of his strength to escape by reason of his long Imprisonment being almost the space of three years Did Bulloyn once a Festival prepare For England Almane Cicill and Navarre Edward Carnarvan the first Prince of Wales of the English Blood married Isabel Daughter of Phillip the Fair a Bulloine in the presence of the Kings of Almain Navarre and Cicill with the chief Nobility of France and England Which Marriage was there solemnized with exceeding Pomp and Magnificence And in my place upon his Regal Throne To set that Girl-boy wanton Gaveston Noting the effeminacy and luxurious wantonness of Gaveston the Kings Minion his Behaviour and Attire ever so Womanlike to please the Eye of his lascivious Master That a foul Witches Bastard should thereby It was urged by the Queen and the Nobility in the disgrace of Pierce Gaveston that his Mother was convicted of Witchcraft and burned for the same and that Pierce had bewitched the King And of our Princely Jewels and our Dowres Let us enjoy the least of what is ours A Complaint of the Prodigality of King Edward giving unto Gaveston the Jewels and Treasure which was left him by the ancient Kings of England and enriching him with the goodly Mannor of Wallingford assigned as parcel of the Dower to the Queen of this famous Isle And match'd with the brave Issue of our Blood Allie the Kingdom to their cravand Brood Edward the Second gave to Pierce Gaveston in Marriage the Daughter of Gilbert Clare Earl of Gloucester begot of the Kings Sister Joan of Acres married to the said Earl of Gloucester Albania Gascoign Cambria Ireland Albania Scotland so called of Albanact the second Son of Brutus and Cambria Wales so called of Camber the third Son The four Realms and Countries brought in subjection by Edward Longshanks Should give away all that his Father won To back a Stranger King Edward offered his Right in France to Charles his Brother in law and his Right in Scotland to Robert Bruce to be ayded against the Barons in the Quarrel of Pierce Gaveston And did great Edward on his Death-bed give Edward Longshankes on his Death-bed at Carlile commanded young Edward his Son on his Blessing not to call back Gaveston who for the misguiding of the Princes Youth was before banished by the whole Council of the Land That after all that fearfull Massacre The Fall of Beauchamp Lacy Lancaster Thomas Earl of Lancaster Guy Earl of Warwick and Henry Earl of Lincoln who had taken their Oath before the deceased King at his Death to withstand his Son Edward if he should call Gaveston from exile being a thing which he much feared now seeing Edward to violate his Fathers Commandment rise in Arms against the King which was the cause of the Civil War and the Ruin of so many Princes And gloried I in Gaveston's great Fall That now a Spenser should succeed in all The two Hugh Spensers the Father and the Son after the Death of Gaveston became the great Favourites of the King the Son being created by him Lord Chamberlain and the Father Earl of Winchester And if they were yet Edward doth detain Homage for Pontiu Guyne and Aquitain Edward Longshanks did Homage for those Cities and Territories to the French King which Edward the second neglecting moved the French King by the subornation of Mortimer to seize
those Countries into his hands By ancient Wigmore's honourable Crest Wigmore in the Marches of Wales was the ancient House of the Mortimers that Noble and Couragious Family When still so long as Burrough bears that name The Queen remembreth the great Overthrow given to the Barons by Andrew Herckley Earl of Carlile at Burrough Bridge after the Battel at Burton Torlton that should our Business direct This was Adam Torlton Bishop of Hereford that great Politician who so highly favoured the Faction of the Queen and Mortimer whose evil counsel afterward wrought the destruction of the King MORTIMER TO QUEEN ISABEL AS thy Salutes my Sorrows doe adjourn So back to thee their int'rest I return Though not in so great Bounty I confess As thy Heroick Princely Lines express For how should Comfort issue from the Breath * Of one condemn'd and long lodg'd up for Death From Murthers Rage thou didst me once repreive My Hopes in Exile now thou do'st revive * Twice all was taken twice thou all didst give And thus twice dead thou mak'st me twice to live This double life of mine your only due You gave to me I give it back to you Ne'er my Escape had I adventur'd thus As did the Skie-attempting Dedalus And yet to give more safetie to my flight Did make a Night of Day a Day of Night Nor had I backt the proud aspiring Wall Which held without my Hopes within my Fall Leaving the Cords to tell where I had gone For Gazers with much fear to look upon But that thy Beauty by a pow'r divine Breath'd a new Life into this Spirit of mine Drawn by the Sun of thy celestial Eyes With fiery Wings which bare me through the Skies The Heav'ns did seem the charge of me to take And Sea and Land befriend me for thy sake Thames stop'd his Tide to make me way to goe As thou hadst charg'd him that it should be so The hollow murm'ring Winds their due time kept As they had rock'd the World while all things slept One Billow bare me and another drave me This strove to help me and that strove to save me The brisling Reeds mov'd with soft Gales did chide me As they would tell me that they meant to hide me The pale-fac'd Night beheld thy heavie cheare And would not let one little Star appeare But over all her smoaky Mantle hurl'd And in thick Vapours muffled up the World And the sad Ayre became so calm and still As it had been obedient to my will And every thing dispos'd it to my Rest As on the Seas when th' Halcion builds her Nest When those rough Waves which late with Fury rush'd Slide smoothly on and suddenly are hush'd Nor Neptune let his Surges out so long As Nature is in bringing forth her Young * Ne'r let the Spensers glorie in my Chance In that I live an Exile here in France That I from England banished should be But England rather banished from me More were her want France our great Bloud should bear Then Englands loss can be to Mortimer * My Grandsire was the first since Arthurs raign That the Round-Table rectifi'd again To whose great Court at Kenelworth did come The peereless Knighthood of all Christendom Whose Princely Order honour'd England more Than all the Conquests she atchiev'd before Never durst Scot set foot on English Ground Nor on his Back did English bear a Wound Whilst Wigmore flourish'd in our Princely Hopes And whilst our Ensigns march'd with Edwards Troops * Whilst famous Longshanks Bones in Fortunes scorn As sacred Reliques to the Field were born Nor ever did the valiant English doubt Whilst our brave Battels guarded them about Nor did our Wives and wofull Mothers mourn * The English Bloud that stained Banocksbourn Whilst with his Minions sporting in his Tent Whole Days and Nights in Banquetting were spent Until the Scots which under safeguard stood Made lavish Havock of the English Blood Whose batt'red Helms lay scatt'red on the Shore Where they in Conquest had been born before A thousand Kingdoms will we seek from far As many Nations waste with Civil War Where the dishevell'd gastly Sea-Nymph sings Or well-rig'd Ships shall stretch their swelling Wings And drag their Anchors through the sandy Fome About the World in ev'ry Clime to rome And those unchrist'ned Countries call our own Where scarce the Name of England hath been known * And in the dead Sea sink our Houses Fame From whose vast Depth we first deriv'd our Name Before foul black-mouth'd Infamy shall sing That Mortimer e'er stoop'd unto a King And we will turn stern-visag'd Fury back To seek his Spoyl who sought our utter Sack And come to beard him in our Native Isle E'er he march forth to follow our Exile And after all these boyst'rous stormy Shocks Yet will we grapple with the chaulky Rocks Nor will we steal like Pyrats or like Thieves From Mountains Forrests or Sea-bord'ring Clifts But fright the Air with Terror when we come Of the stern Trumpet and the bellowing Drum And in the Field advance our plumey Crest And march upon fair Englands flowry Breast And Thames which once we for our Life did swim Shaking our dewy Tresses on his Brim Shall bear my Navy vaunting in her pride Falling from Tanet with the pow'rfull Tide Which fertile Essex and fair Kent shall see Spreading her Flags along the pleasant Lee When on her stemming Poop she proudly bears The famous Ensigns of the Belgick Peers And for that hatefull Sacrilegious Sin Which by the Pope he stands accursed in The Cannon Text shall have a common Gloss Receipts in Parcels shall be paid in Gross This Doctrine preach'd Who from the Church doth take At least shall treble Restitution make For which Rome sends her Curses out from far Through the stern Throat of Terror-breathing War Till to th' unpeopl'd Shores she brings Supplys * Of those industrious Roman Colonies And for his Homage by the which of old Proud Edward Guyne and Aquitan doth hold * Charles by invasive Arms again shall take And send the English Forces o'er the Lake When Edward's Fortune stands upon this Chance To lose in England or to forfeit France And all those Towns great Longshanks left his Son Now lost which one he fortunately won Within their strong Port-culliz'd Ports shal lye And from their Walls his Sieges shall defie And by that firm and undissolved Knot Betwixt their neighb'ring French and bord'ring Scot. Bruce shall bring on his Red-shanks from the Seas From th' Isled Orcads and the Eubides And to his Western Havens give free pass To land the Kern and Irish Galiglass Marching from Tweed to swelling Humber Sands Wasting along the Northern Nether-Lands And wanting those which should his Power sustain Consum'd with Slaughter in his Bloody Reign Our Warlike Sword shall drive him from his Throne Where he shall lye for us to tread upon * And those great Lords now after their Attaints Canonized amongst the English Saints And by the superstitious People
thought That by their Reliques Miracles are wrought And think that Floud much vertue doth retain Which took the Bloud of famous Bohun slain Continuing the remembrance of the thing Shall make the People more abhor their King Nor shall a Spenser be he ne'er so great Possess our Wigmore our renowned Seat To raze the ancient Trophies of our Race With our deserts their Monuments to grace Nor shall he lead our valiant Marchers forth To make the Spensers famous in the North Nor be the Guardants of the British Pales Defending England and preserving Wales At first our Troubles easily recall'd But now grown head-strong hardly to be rul'd Deliberate counsel needs us to direct Where not ev'n plainess frees us from suspect By those Mishaps our Errors that attend Let us our Faults ingenuously amend Then Dear repress all peremptory Spleen Be more than Woman as you are a Queen Smother those Sparks which quickly else would burn Till Time produce what now it doth adjourn Till when great Queen I leave you though a while Live you in rest nor pity my Exile ANNOTATIONS of the Chronicle History Of one condemn'd and long lodg'd up for Death ROger Mortimer Lord of Wigmore had stood publickly condemned for his Insurrection with Thomas Earl of Lancaster and Bohun Earl of Hereford the space of three Months and as report went the day of his Execution was determined to have been shortly which he prevented by his escape Twice all was taken twice thou all didst give At what time the two Mortimers this Roger Lord of Wigmore and his Uncle Roger Mortimer the elder were apprehended in the West the Queen by means of Torlton Bishop of Hereford and Beck Bishop of Duresme and Patriarch of Jerusalem being then both mighty in the State upon the submission of the Mortimers somewhat pacified the King and now secondly she wrought means for his escape Leaving the Cords to tell where I had gone With strong Ladders made of Cords provided him for the purpose be escaped out of the Tower which when the same were found fastened to the Walls in such a desperate Attempt they bred astonishment in the Beholders Ne'er let the Spencers glory in my chance The two Hugh Spencers the Father and the Son then being so highly favour'd of the King knew that their greatest safety came by his Exile whose high and turbulent Spirit could never brook any Corrival in Greatness My Grandsire was the first since Arthur's Reign That the Round Table rectified again Roger Mortimer called the great Lord Mortimer Grandfather to this Roger which was afterward the first Earl of March erected again the Round Table at Kenelworth after the antient Order of King Arthurs Table with the Retinue of an hundred Knights and an hundred Ladies in his House for the entertaining of such Adventurers as came thither from all parts of Christendome Whilst famous Longshank's Bones in Fortunes scorn Edward Longshanks willed at his Death that his Body should be boyled the Flesh from the Bones and that the Bones should be born to the Wars in Scotland which he was perswaded unto by a Prophecy which told That the English should still be fortunate in Conquest so long as his Bones were carried in the Feild The English Bloud that stained Banocksbourn In the great Voyage Edward the Second made against the Scots at the Battel at Striveling near unto the River of Banocksbourn in Scotland there was in the English Camp such Banquetting and Excess such Riot and Disorder that the Scots who in the mean time laboured for Advantage gave to the English a great Overthrow And in the Dead-Sea sink our Houses Fame From whose c. Mortimer so called of Mare Mortuum and in French Mortimer in English the Dead-Sea which is said to be where Sodom and Gomorrha once were before they were destroyed with fire from Heaven And for that hatefull Sacrilegious Sin Which by the Pope he stands accursed in Gaustellinus and Lucas two Cardinals sent into England from Pope Clement to appease the antient Hate between the King and Thomas Earl of Lancaster to whose Embassy the King seemed to yield but after their Departure he went back from his Promises for the which he was accursed at Rome Of those industrious Roman Colonies A Colony is a sort or number of People that come to inhabit a Place before not inhabited whereby he seems here to prophesie of the subversion of the Land the Pope joyning with the Power of other Princes against Edward for the breach of his Promise Charles by invasive Arms again shall take Charles the French King moved by the Wrong done unto his Sister seizeth the Provinces which belonged to the King of England into his hands stirred the rather thereto by Mortimer who sollicited her cause in France as is expressed before in the other Epistle in the Gloss upon this Point And those great Lords now after their Attaints Cannoniz'd among the English Saints After the death of Thomas Earl of Lancaster at Pomfret the People imagined great Miracles to be done by his Relicks as they did of the Body of Bohun Earl of Hereford slain at Burrough Bridge FINIS EDWARD The Black PRINCE TO ALICE Countess of Salisbury The ARGUMENT Alice Countess of Salisbury remaining at Roxborough Castle in the North in the absence of the Earl her Husband who was by the King's command sent over into Flanders and there deceased e'er his return This Lady being besieged in her Castle by the Scots Edward the Black Prince being sent by the King his Father to relieve the North Parts with an Army and to remove the Siege of Roxborough there fell in Love with the Countess when after she return'd to London he sought by divers and sundry means to win her to his youthfull Pleasures as by forcing the Earl of Kent her Father and her Mother unnaturally to become his Agents in his vain desires where after a long and assured tryal of her invincible Constancy he taketh her to his VVife to which end he only frameth this Epistle REceive these Papers from thy wofull Lord With far more Woes than they with Words are stor'd Which if thine Eye for rashness do reprove They 'll say they came from that imperious Love In ev'ry Line well may'st thou understand Which Love hath sign'd and sealed with his hand And where to farther process he refers In Blots set down to thee for Characters This cannot blâ—sh although you do refuse it Nor will reply however you shall use it All 's one to this though you should bid Despair This still entreats you this still speaks you fair Hast thou a living Soul a humane Sense To like dislike prove order and dispence The depth of Reason soundly to advise To love things good things hurtfull to despise The touch of Judgement which should all things prove Hast thou all this yet not allow'st my Love Sound moves a Sound Voice doth beget a Voice One Eccho makes another to rejoyce One well-tun'd String set
voyce did please her Babe so well As his did mine of you to hear him tell I have made short the Hours that Time made long And chain'd mine Ears to his most pleasing Tongue My Lips have waited on your Praises worth And snatcht his words e'er he could get them forth When he had spoke and something by the way Hath broke off that he was about to say I kept in mind where from his Tale he fell Calling on him the residue to tell Oft he would say How sweet a Prince is he When I have prais'd him but for praising thee And to proceed I would intreat and woe And yet to ease him help to praise thee too And must she now exclaim against the wrong Off'red by him whom she hath lov'd so long Nay I will tell and I durst almost swear Edward will blush when he his Fault shall hear Judge now that Time doth Youths desire asswage And Reason mildly quench the fire of Rage By upright Justice let my Cause be try'd And be thou judge if I not justly chide * That not my Father's grave and reverend years When on his Knee he beg'd me with his Tears By no perswasions possibly could win To free himself from prompting me to Sin The Woe for me my Mother did abide Whose sute but you there 's none would have deny'd Your lustfull Rage your Tyranny could stay Mine Honours Ruin further to delay Have I not lov'd you let the Truth be shown That still preserv'd your Honour with mine own Had your fond Will your foul Desires prevail'd When you by them my Chastity assail'd Though this no way could have excus'd my Fault True vertue never yielded to Assault Besides the Ill of you that had been said My Parents Sin had to your charge been laid * And I have gain'd my Liberty with shame To save my Life made Shipwrack of my Name Did Roxborough once vail her tow'ring Fanes To thy brave Ensigns on the Northern Plains And to thy Trumpets sounding from thy Tent Mine oft again thee hearty Welcome sent And did receive thee as my Soveraign Liege Coming to aid me thus me to besiege To raise a Foe that but for Treasure came To plant a Foe to take my honest Name Under pretence to have romov'd the Scot And would'st have won more then he could have got That did ingirt me ready still to flye But thou lay'dst Batt'ry to my Chastity O Modesty didst thou me not restrain How could I chide you in this angry vain A Princes Name Heav'n knows I do not crave To have those Honours Edward's Spouse should have Nor by Ambitious Lures will I be brought In my chast Breast to harbour such a Thought As to be worthy to be made a Bride A Piece unfit for Princely Edward's side Of all the most unworthy of that grace To wait on her that should enjoy that place But if that Love Prince Edward doth require Equal his Vertues and my chast desire If it be such as we may justly vaunt A Prince may sue for and a Lady grant If it be such as may suppress my Wrong That from your vain unbridled Youth hath sprung That Faith I send which I from you receive * The rest unto your Princely Thoughts I leave ANNOTATIONS of the Chronicle History Twice as a Bride I have to Church been led THE two Husbands of which she makes mention objecting Bigamy against her self as being therefore not meet to be married with a Batchelour-Prince were Sir Thomas Holland Knight and Sir William Mountague afterward made Earl of Salisbury That not my Fathers grave and rev'rend years A thing incredible that any Prince should be so unjust to use the Fathers means for the corruption of the Daughters Chastity though so the History importeth her Father being so honourable and a Man of so singular desert though Polydore would have her thought to be Jane the Daughter to Edmund Earl of Kent Uncle to Edward the third beheaded in the Protectorship of Mortimer that dangerous Aspirer And I have gain'd my Liberty with shame Roxborough is a Castle in the North mis-termed by Bandello Salisbury Castle because the King had given it to the Earl of Salisbury in which her Lord being absent the Countess by the Scots was besieged who by the coming of the English Army were removed Here first the Prince saw her whose Liberty had been gained by her shame had she been drawn by dishonest Love to satisfie his Appetite but by her most praise-worthy Constancy she converted that humour in him to an honourable purpose and obtained the true reward of her admired Vertues The rest unto your Princely Thoughts I leave Lest any thing be left out which were worth the Relation it shall not be impertinent to annex the Opinions that are uttered concerning her whose Name is said to have been Elips but that being rejected as a Name unknown among us Froisard is rather believed who calleth her Alice Polydore contrarywise as before is declared names her Jane who by Prince Edward had Issue Edward dying young and Richard the Second King of England though as he saith she was divorced afterward because within the degrees of Consangumity prohibiting to marry The truth whereof I omit to discuss Her Husband the Lord Mountague being sent over into Flanders by King Edward was taken Prisoner by the French and not returning left his Countess a Widow in whose Bed succeeded Prince Edward to whose last and lawful Request the rejoyceful Lady sends this loving Answer FINIS Queen ISABEL TO RICHARD the Second The ARGUMENT Queen Isabel the Daughter of Charles King of France being the second Wife of Richard the second Son of Edward the Black Prince Eldest Son of King Edward the third after the said Richard her Husband was deposed by Henry Duke of Hereford eldest Son of John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the fourth Son of Edward the third this Lady being then very young was sent back into France without Dowre at what time the deposed King her Husband was sent from the Tower of London is a Prisoner unto Pomfret Castle this poor Lady bewailing her Husband's Misfortunes writeeth this Epistle to him from France AS doth the yearly Augure of the Spring In depth of Woe thus I my Sorrow sing My Tunes with Sighs yet ever mixt among A dolefull Burthen to a heavy Song Words issue forth to find my Grief some way Tears overtake them and do bid them stay Thus whilst one strives to keep the other back Both once too forward soon are both too slack If fatal Pomfret hath in former time Nourish'd the Grief of that unnat'ral Clime Thither I send my Sorrows to be fed Than where first born where sitter to be bred They unto France be Aliens and unknown England from her doth challenge these her own They say all Mischief cometh from the North It is too true my Fall doth set it forth But why should I thus limit Grief a place When all the World is fill'd
thou my Lines should tell But like the toling of the doleful Bell Bidding the Deaths-man to prepare the Grave Expect from me no other news to have My Breast which once was Mirths imperial Throne A vast and desart Wilderness is grown Like that cold Region from the World remote On whose breem Seas the Icy Mountains flote Where those poor Creatures banish'd from the Light Do live impris'ned in continual Night No Object greets my Souls internal Eyes But Divinations of sad Tragidies And Care takes up her solitary Inn Where Youth and Joy their Court did once begin As in September when our year resignes The glorious Sun to the cold Wat'ry Signs Which through the Clouds looks on the Earth in scorn The little Bird yet to salute the Morn Upon the naked Branches sets her foot The Leaves then lying on the Mossy Root And there a silly chiripping doth keep As though she fain would sing yet fain would weep Praysing fair Summer that too soon is gon Or sad for Winter too fast coming on In this strange plight I mourn for thy depart Because that Weeping cannot ease my Heart Now to our aid who stirrs the neighb'ring Kings Or who from France a powerful Army brings Who moves the Norman to abet our War * Or brings in Burgoine to aid Lancaster * Who in the North our lawful Claim commends To win us Credit with our valiant Friends To whom shall I my secret Griefs impart Whose Breast shall be the Closet of my Heart The ancient Heroe's Fame thou do'st revive As from all them thy self thou didst derive Nature by thee both gave and taketh all Alone in Pool she was too prodigal Of so divine and rich a temper wrought As Heav'n for thee Perfections depth had sought Well knew King Henry what he pleaded for When he chose thee to be his Orator Whose Angel-eye by pow'rful influence Doth utter more than human Eloquence That if again Jove would his Sports have try'd He in thy shape himself would only hide Which in his love might be of greater pow'r Than was his Nymph his Flame his Swan his Show'r * To that allegiance York was bound by Oath * To Henry's Heirs for safety of us both * No longer now he means Record shall bear it * He will dispence with Heav'n and will unswear it He that 's in all the Worlds black sins forlorn Is careless now how oft he be forsworn And here of late his Title hath set down By which he makes his Claim unto our Crown And now I hear his hateful Dutchess chars And rips up their Descent unto her Brats And blesseth them as Englands lawful Heirs And tells them that our Diadem is theirs And if such hap her Goddess Fortune bring * If three Sons fail she 'l make the fourth a King * He that 's so like his Dam her youngest Dick * That foul ill-favour'd crook-back'd Stigmatick * That like a Carkass stoln out of a Tomb * Came the wrong way out of his Mothers Womb * With Teeth in 's Head his passage to have torn * As though begot an Age ere he was born Who now will curb proud York when he shall rise Or arm our Right against his Enterprise To crop that Bastard Weed which dayly grows * To over-shadowd our Vermilon Rose * Or who will muzzel that unruly Bear Whose presence strikes our peoples Hearts with fear Whilst on his knees this wretched King is down To save them labour reaching at his Crown Where like a mounting Cedar he should bear His plumed Top aloft into the Air And let these Shurbs sit underneath his Shrowds Whilst in his Arms he doth imbrace the Clouds O that he should his Fathers Right inherit Yet be an Alien to that mighty Spirit How were those pow'rs dispers'd or whither gone Should sympathise in Generation Or what opposed influence had force So much t' abuse and alter Natures course All other Creatures follow after kind But Man alone doth not beget the Mind * My daisy flower which once perfum'd the Air Which for my favour Princes deign'd to wear Now in the dust lies trodden on the ground And with York's Garland ev'ry one is crown'd When now his Rising waits on our Decline And in our Setting he begins to shine Now in the Skies that dreadful Comet waves * And who be Stars but Warwicks bearded Staves And all those Knees which bended once so low Grow stiff as though they had forgot to bow And none like them pursue me with dispite Which most have cry'd God save Queen Margarite When Fame shall brute thy Banishment abroad The Yorkist's Faction then will lay on load And when it comes once to our Western Coast O how that â—ag Dame Elinor will boast And labour straight by all the means she can To be call'd home out of the Isle of Man To which I know great Warwick will consent To have it done by Act of Parliament That to my Teeth my Birth she may defie * Sland'ring Duke Reyner with base Beggery The only way she could devise to grieve me Wanting sweet Suffolk which should most relieve me And from that Stock doth sprout another Bloom * A Kentish Rebel a base upstart Groom * And this is he the White-Rose must prefer * By Clarence Daughter match'd with Mortimer Thus by Yorks means this rascal Pesant Cade Must in all haste Plantaginet be made For that ambitious Duke sets all on work To sound what Freinds affect the Claim of York Whilst he abroad doth practice to command * And makes us weak by strength'ning Ireland More his own power still seeking to increase Than for King Henries good or Englands peace * Great Winchester untimely is deceas'd That more and more my Woes should be increas'd Beauford whose shoulders proudly bare up all The Churches Prop that famous Cardinal The Commons bent to mischief never let * With France t' upbraid that valiant Somerset Rayling in Tumults on his Souldiers loss Thus all goes backward cross comes after cross And now of late Duke Humphry's old Allies With banish'd El'nors base Accomplices Attending their Revenge grow wound'rous Crouse And threaten Death and Vengeance to our House And I alone the last poor remnant am * ' Tindure these storms with woful Buckingham I pray thee Pool have care how thou do'st pass Never the Sea yet half so dangerous was * And one fore-told by Water thou should'st dy Ah! foul befall that foul Tongues Prophesie Yet I by Night am troubled in my Dreams That I do see thee toss'd in dang'rous Streams And oft-times Ship-wrack'd cast upon the Land And lying breathless on the queachy Sand And oft in Visions see thee in the Night Where thou at Sea maintain'st a dang'rous Fight And with thy proved Target and thy Sword Beat'st back the Pyrat which would come aboard Yet be not angry that I warn thee thus The truest love is most suspicious Sorrow doth utter what it still doth grieve But Hope forbids us Sorrow to believe And in
to Modesty though they offending therein were buried quick A sharp Law for them who may say as Shores Wife does When though abroad restraining us to rome They very hardly keep us safe at home FINIS Mary the French Queen TO Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk The ARGUMENT Mary the Daughter of that Renowned Prince King Henry the Seventh being very young at her Fathers death was after by her Brother King Henry the Eight given in marriage to Lewis King of France being a man old and decrepit This fair and beautiful Lady long before had placed her Affections on Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk a brave and couragious young Gentleman and an especial Favorite of the King her Brother and a Man raised by him King Lewis the Husband of the beautiful Queen died not long after he was married and Charles Brandon having Commission from the King to bring her back to England but being delayed by some sinister means the French Queen writeth this Epistle to hasten the Duke forward on his intended voyage to France SUch health from Heav'n my self may wish to me Such health from France Queen Mary sends to thee Brandon how long mak'st thou excuse to stay And know'st how ill we Women brook delay If one poor Channel thus can part us two Tell me unkind what would an Ocean do Leander had an Hellespont to swim Yet this from Hero could not hinder him His Bark poor Soul his Breast his Arms his Oares But thou a Ship to land thee on our Shores And opposite to famous Kent doth lie The pleasant Fields of flowry Picardy Where our fair Callice walled in her Sands In kenning of the Cliffy Dover stands Here is no Bedlam Nurse to pout nor lour When wantoning we revel in my Towre Nor need I top my Turret with a Light To guide thee to me as thou swim'st by Night Compar'd with me wert thou but half so kind Thy Sighs should stuff thy Sails though wanting Wind But ah thy Breast's becalm'd thy Sighs be slack And mine too stiff and blow thy broad Sayls back Perhaps thou'lt say that I should blame the Flood Because the Wind so full against thee stood Nay blame it not that it did roughly blow For it did chide thee that thou wast so slow Think not it came to keep thee in the Bay T' was sent from me to bid thee come away But that thou vainly let'st occasion slide Thou might'st have wasted hither with the Tide If when thou com'st I knit mine angry Brow Blame me not Brandon thou hast broke thy Vow Yet if I meant to frown I might be dumb For this may make thee stand in doubt to come Nay come sweet Charles have care thy Ship to guide Come my sweet Heart in Faith I will not chide When as my Brother and his lovely Queen In sad Attire for my depart were seen * The utmost date expired of my stay * When I from Dover did depart away Thou know'st what Woe I suff'red for thy sake How oft I fain'd of thee my leave to take God and thou know'st with what an heavy heart I took my farwel when I should depart And being ship'd gave signal with my Hand Up to the Cliff where I did see thee stand Nor could refrain in all the peoples view But cry'd to thee Sweet Charles adieu adieu Look how a little Infant that hath lost The thing wherewith it was delighted most Weary with seeking to some corner creeps And there poor Soul it sits it down and weeps And when the Nurse would fain content the mind Yet still it mourns for that it cannot find Thus in my careful Cabbin did I lye When as the Ship out of the Road did flie * Think'st thou my Love was faithful then to thee When young Castle to England su'd for me Be judge thy self if it were not of power When I refus'd an Empire for my Dower To Englands Court when once report did bring How thou in France didst revel with the King * When he in triumph of his victory * Under a rich imbroid'red Canopy * Entred proud Tournay which did trembling stand To beg for mercy at his conqu'ring hand To hear of his endearments how I joy'd But see this calm was suddenly destroy'd * When Charles of Castile there to banquet came * With him his Sister that ambitious Dame * Savoy's proud Dutches knowing how long she * All means had try'd to win my love from me Fearing my absence might thy vows acquite To change thy Mary for a Margarite * When in King Henries Tent of Cloth of Gold She often did thee in her Arms enfold Where you were feasted more deliciously Than Cleopatra did Mark Anthony Where sports all day did intertain your sight And then in Masks you pass'd away the night But thou wilt say 't is proper unto us That we by nature all are jealous I must confess 't is oft found in our Sex But who not love not any thing suspects True love doth look with pale suspitious eye Take away love if you take jealousie Turwin and Turney when King Henry took For this great change who then did ever look * When Maximilian to those wars addrest * Wore Englands Cross on his Imperial breast * And in our Army let his Eagle flie * That view'd our Ensigns with a wond'ring Eye Little thought I when Bullen first was won Wedlock should end what angry War begun From which I vow I yet am free in thought * But this alone by Wolseies wit was wrought To his advice the King gave free consent That will I nill I I must be content My Virgins right thy state could not advance But now enriched with the Dower of France Then but poor Suffolk's Dutchess had I been Now the great Dowager the most Christian Queen But I perceive where all thy grief doth lie Lewis of France had my Virginity He had indeed but shall I tell thee what Believe me Brandon he had scarcely that Good feeble King he could not do much harm But Age must needs have something that is warm Small drops God knows do quench that heatless fire When all the strength is only in desire And I could tell if Modesty might tell There 's somewhat else that pleaseth Lovers well To rest his Cheek upon my softer Cheek Was all he had and more he did not seek So might the little Baby clip the Nurse And it content she never a whit the worse Then think this Brandon if that make thee frown He on my Head for Maydenhead set a Crown Who would not change a Kingdom for a Kiss Hard were the Heart that would not yield him this And time yet half so swiftly doth not pass Nor yet full five Months elder then I was When thou to France conducted wast by Fame With many Knights which from all Countries came To see me at Saint Dennis on my Throne Where Lewes held my Coronation * Where the proud Dolphin for thy valour sake * Chose thee at Tilt
boast And tell thee that which thou already know'st No sacred Queen my Valour I deny It was thy Beauty not my Chivalry One of thy tressed Curls there falling down As loath to be imprisoned in thy Crown I saw the soft Ayr sportively to take it And into strange and sundry forms to make it Now parting it to four to three to twain Now twisting it then it untwist again Then make the threads to dally with thine Eye A Sunny Candle for a golden Fly At length from thence one little tear it got Which falling down as though a Star had shot My up-turn'd Eye pursu'd it with my Sight The which again redoubled all my Might 'T is but in vain of my Descent to boast When Heav'ns Lamp shines all other Lights be lost Faulcons seem poor the Eagle sitting by Whose Brood surveyes the Sun with open Eye * Else might my blood find Issue from his force * Who beat the Tyrant Richard from his Horse On Bosworth Plain whom Richmond chose to wield His glorious Ensign in that conqu'ring Field And with his Sword in his dear Sov'reigns sight To his last breath stood fast in Henries Right Then beautious Empress think this safe delay Shall be the Even to a joyful Day Fore-sight doth still on all advantage lye Wise-men give place forc'd by necessity To put back ill our good we must forbear Better first fear then after still to fear 'T were over-sight in that at which we aim To put the Hazzard on an after-Game With patience then let us our Hopes attend And till I come receive these Lines I send ANNOTATIONS of the Chronicle History When Longavile to Mary was affy'd THe Duke of Longavile who was Prisoner in England upon the Peace to be concluded between England and France was delivered and married to the Princess Mary for Lewis the French King his Master How in a storm thy well-ri'd Ships were tost And thou c. As the Queen sayled for France a mighty storm arose at Sea so that the Navy was in great danger and was severed some driven upon the Coast of Flanders some on Brittain the Ship wherein the Queen was driven into the Haven at Bullen with very great danger When thou to Abvile held'st th' appointed day King Lewis met her by Abvile near to the Forrest of Arders and brought her into Abvile with great Solemnity Appeard'st unto him like the Queen of Light Expressing the sumptuous Attye of the Queen and her Train attended by the chief of the Nobility of England with six and thirty Ladies all in Cloth of Silver their Horses trapped with Crimson Velvet A criple King laid Bedrid long before King Lewis was a man of great years troubled much with the Gout so that he had long time before little use of his Legs When Marques Dorset and the valiant Grayes The Duke of Suffolk when the Proclamation came into England of Justs to be holden in France at Paris be for the Queens sake his Mistress obtained of the King to go thither With whom went the Marquess Dorset and his four Brothers the Lord Clinton Sir Edward Nevil Sir Giles Capel Thomas Cheyney which went all over with the Duke as his Assistants When thou in Triumph didst through Paris ride A true description of the Queens entring into Paris after her Coronation performed at St. Denis Then five great Dukes as did their Places fall The Dukes of Alanson Burbon Vandom Longavile Suffolk with five Cardinals That larg-lim'd Almain of the Giants Race Francis Valoys the Dolphin of France envying the glory that the English Men had obtained at the Tilt brought in an Almain secretly a Man thought almost of incomparable strength which inccuntred Charles Brandon at the Barriers but the Duke grappling with him so beat him about the Head with the Pummel of his Sword that the blood came out of the sight if his Caske Else might my Blood find issue from his force Who beat c. Sir William Brandon Standard bearer to the Earl of Richmond after Henry the Seventh at Bosworth-Field a brave and gallant Gentleman who was slain by Richard there this was Father to this Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk FINIS Henry Howard Earl of Surrey TO THE Lady GERALDINE The ARGUMENT Henry Howard that truly noble Earl of Surrey and excellent Poet falling in love with Geraldine descended of the Noble Family of the Fitzs-Gerarlds of Ireland a fair and modest Lady and one of the honourable Maids to Queen Catharine Dowager eternizeth her praises in many excellent Poems of rare and sundry inventions and after some few years being determined to see Italy that famous Source and Helicon of all excellent Arts first visiteth the renowned City of Floreoe from whence the Geralds challenge their descent from the anctient Family of the Geraldi there in honour of his Mistress he advanceth her Picture and challengeth to maintain her Beauty by deeds of Arms against all that durst appear in the Lifts where after the proof of his incomparable valour whose Arms crowned her Beauty with eternal Memory he writeth this Epistle to his dearest Mistress * FRom learned Florence long time rich in fame From whence thy Race thy noble Grandsiers came To famous England that kind Nurse of mine Thy Surrey sends to heav'nly Geraldine Yet let not Tuscan think I do it wrong That I from thence write in my Native Tongue That in these harsh-tun'd Cadences I sing Sitting so near the Muses sacred Spring But rather think it self adorn'd thereby That England reads the praise of Italy Though to the Tuscans I the smoothness grant Our Dialect no Majesty doth want To set thy praises in as high a Key As France or Spain or Germany or they That day I quit the Fore-land of fair Kent And that my Ship her course for Flanders bent With what regret and how heavy a look My leave of England and of thee I took I did intreat the Tide if it might be But to convey me one sigh back to thee Up to the Deck a Billow lightly skips Taking my sigh and down again it slips Into the Gulf it self it headlong throws And as a Post to England-ward it goes As I sate wondring how the rough Seas stir'd I might far off perceive a little Bird Which as she fain from Shore to Shore would flie Had lost her self in the broad vasty Skie Her feeble Wing beginning to deceive her The Seas of life still gaping to bereave her Unto the Ship she makes which she discovers And there poor fool a while for refuge hovers And when at lengeh her flagging Pinnion fails Painting she hangs upon the ratling Sails And being forc'd to loose her hold with pain Yet beaten off she strait lights on again And tos'd with flaws with storms with wind with weather Yet still departing thence still turneth thither Now with the Poop now with the Prow doth bear Now on this side now that now here now there Me thinks these Storms should be my sad depart
twice or thrice reiterates my word When like an adverse wind in Isis course Against the Tide bending his boistrous force But when the floud hath wrought it self about He following on doth headlong thrust it out Thus strive my sighs with tears er'e they begin And breaking out again sighs drive them in A thousand forms present my troubled thought Yet prove abortive ere they forth are brought The depth of Woe with words we hardly sound Sorrow is so insensibly profound As tears do fall and rise sighs come and go So do these numbers ebb so do they flow These briny tears do make my Ink look pale My Ink Cloaths tears in this sad mourning vail The Letters Mourners weep with my dim Eye The Paper pale griev'd at my misery Yet miserable our selves why should we deem Since none are so but in their own esteem Who in distress from resolution flies Is rightly said to yield to miseries * They which begot us dld beget this sin They first begun what did our grief begin We tasted not 't was they which did rebel Not our offence but in their fall we fell They which a Crown would to my Lord have link'd All hope of life and liberty extinct A Subject born a Soveraign to have been Hath made me now nor Subject nor a Queen Ah vile Ambition how do'st thou deceive us Which shew'st us Heaven and in Hell do'st leave us Seldom untouch'd doth innocence escape When errour cometh in good counsels shape A lawful title counterchecks proud might The weakest things become strong props to right Then my dear Lord although affliction grieve us Yet let our spotless innocence relieve us Death but an acted passion doth appear Where truth gives courage and the conscience clear And let thy comfort thus consist in mine That I bear part of whatso'ere is thine And when we liv'd untouch'd with these disgraces When as our Kingdom was our sweet embraces At Durham Pallace where sweet Hymen sang Whose buildings with our Nuptial Musick rang When Prothalamions prais'd that happy day Wherein great Dudley match'd with noble Gray When they devis'd to link by Wedlocks band The House of Suffolk to Northumberland Our fatal Dukedom to your Dukedom bound To frame this building on so weak a ground For what avails a lawless Usurpation Which gives a Sceptre but not rules a Nation Only the surfeit of a vain opinion What gives content gives what exceeds Dominion * When first my ears were pierced with the same Of Jane proclaimed by a Princess name A suddain fright my trembling Heart appalls The fear of Conscience entreth Iron Walls Thrice happy for our Fathers had it been If what we fear'd they wisely had foreseen And kept a mean Gate in an humble path To have escap'd the Heav'ns impetuous wrath The true bred Eagle strongly stems the wind And not each Bird resembling their brave kind He like a King doth from the Clouds command The fearful Fowl that moves but near the Land Though Mary be from mighty Kings descended My Bloud not from Plantaginet pretended * My Grandsire Brandon did our House advance By Princely Mary Dowager of France The fruit of that fair stock which did combine And York's sweet branch with Lancaster's entwine And in one stalk did happily unite The pure vermilion Rose and purer white I the untimely slip of that rich Stem Whose golden Bud brings forth a Diadem But oh forgive me Lord it is not I Nor do I boast of this but learn to die Whilst we were as our selves conjoyned then Nature to Nature now an Alien To gain a Kingdom who spares their next blood Nearness contemn'd if Sov'raignty withstood A Diadem once dazeling the Eye The day's too dark to see Affinity And where the Arm is stretch'd to reach a Crown Friendship is broke the dearest things thrown down * For what great Henry most strove t' avoid The Heav'ns have built where Earth would have destroy'd And seating Edward on his Regal Throne He gives to Mary all that was his own But death assuring what by life is theirs The lawfull claim of Henry's lawfull Heirs By mortal Laws the bond may be divorc'd But Heav'ns decree by no means can be forc'd They rule the case when men have all decreed Who took him hence foresaw who should succeed For we in vain relie on humane Laws When Heaven stands forth to plead the righteous cause Thus rule the Skies in their continual Course That yields to Fate that doth not yield to force Mans Wit doth build for Time but to devour Vertues free from Time and Fortunes pow'r Then my kind Lord sweet Gilford be not griev'd The Soul is Heav'nly and from Heav'n reliev'd And as we once have plighted troth together Now let us make exchange of minds to either To thy fair breast take my resolved mind Arm'd against black Despair and all her kind Into my bosome breath that Soul of thine There to be made as perfect as is mine So shall our Faiths as firmly be approv'd As I of thee or thou of me belov'd This life no life wert thou not dear to me Nor this no death were I not woe for thee Thou my dear Husband and my Lord before But truly learn to die thou shalt be more Now live by prayer on Heaven fix all thy thought And surely find what ere by zeal is sought For each good motion that the Soul awakes A Heavenly figure sees from whence it takes That sweet resemblance which by power of kind Forms like it self an Image in the mind And in our Faith the operations be Of that divineness which through that we see Which never errs but accidentally By our frail Fleshes imbecillity By each temptation over-apt to slide Except our spirit becomes our bodies guide For as these Towers our bodies do inclose So our Souls prisons verily are those Our Bodies stopping that Celestial Light As these do hinder our exteriour sight Whereon death seizing doth discharge the debt And us at blessed liberty doth set Then draw thy forces all up to thy heart The strongest fortress of this Earthly part And on these three let thy assurance lie On Faith Repentance and Humility By which to Heaven ascending by degrees Persist in Prayer upon your bended Knees Whereon if you assuredly be staid You need in peril not to be dismaid Which still shall keep you that you shall not fall For any peril that can you appall The Key of Heav'n thus with you you shall bear And Grace you guiding get you entrance there And if you these Celestial Joys possess Which mortal Tongue 's unable to express Then thank the Heaven preparing us this Room Crowning our heads with glorious Martyrdom Before the black and dismal days begin The days of Idolatry and Sin Not suffering us to see that wicked Age When Persecution vehemently shall rage When Tyranny new Torture shall invent Inflicting vengeance on the Innocent Yet Heaven forbids that Mary's Womb should bring England's fair Scepter to a
forreign King * But unto fair Elizabeth shall leave it Which broken hurt and wounded shall receive it And on her Temple having plac'd the Crown Root out the Dregs Idolatry hath sown And Sion's Glory shall again restore Laid ruine wast and desolate before And from Cinders and rude heap of Stones Shall gather up the Martyrs sacred Bones And shall extirp the power of Rome again And cast aside the heavy yoke of Spain Farewell sweet Gilford know our end is near Heaven is our home we are but Strangers here Let us make haste to go unto the blest Which from these weary worldly labours rest And with these lines my dearest Lord I greet thee Until in Heaven thy Jane again shall meet thee ANNOTATIONS of the Chronicle History They which begot us did beget this sin SHewing the ambition of the two Dukes their Fathers whose pride was the cause of the utter overthrow of their Children At Durham Pallace where sweet Hymen sang The buildings c. The Lord Gilford Dudley fourth Son to John Dudley Duke of Northumberland married the Lady Jane Gray Daughter to the Duke of Suffolk at Durham house in the Strand When first mine ears were pierced with the same Of Jane proclaimed by a Princess name Presently upon the death of King Edward the Lady Jane was taken as Queen conveyed by Water to the Tower of London for her safety and after proclaimed in divers places of the Realm as so ordained by King Edward's Letters-Patents and his Will My Grandsire Brandon did our House advance By Princely Mary Dowager of France Henry Gray Duke of Suffolk married Frances the eldest Daughter of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk by the French Queen by which Frances he had this Lady Jane This Mary the French Queen was Daughter to King Henry the Seventh by Elizabeth his Queen which happy Marriage conjoyned the Noble Families of Lancaster and York For what great Henry most strove to avoid Noting the distrust that King Henry the Eighth ever had in the Princess Mary his Daughter fearing she should alter the state of the Religion in the Land by matching with a Stranger confessing the right that King Henry's Issue had to the Crown * But unto fair Elizabeth shall leave it A Prophesie of Queen Mary's Barrenness and of the happy and glorious Reign of Queen Elizabeth her restoring of Religion the abolishing of the Romish Servitude and casting aside the Yoke of Spain The Lord Gilford Dudley TO The Lady JANE GRAY AS the Swan singing at his dying hour So I reply from my imprisoning Tow'r Oh could there be that pow'r in my Verse T' express the grief which my sad Heart doth pierce The very Walls that straitly thee inclose Would surely weep at reading of my Woes Let your Eyes lend I l'e pay you ev'ry tear And give you interest if you do forbear Drop for a drop and if you 'll needs have lone I will repay you frankly two for one Perhaps you 'll think your sorrows to appease That words of Comfort fitter were than these True and in you when such perfection liveth As in most grief me now most comfort giveth But think not Jane that cowardly I faint To beg man's mercy by my sad complaint That Death so much my Courage can controle At the departing of my living Soul For if one life a thousand lives could be All those too few to consummate with thee When thou this cross so patiently dost bear As if thou wert incapable of fear And do'st no more this dissolution fly Than if long Age constrained thee to dye Yet it is strange thou art become my Foe And only now add most unto my Woe Not that I loath what most did me delight But that so long depriv'd I'm of thy sight For when I speak complaining of my wrong Straightways thy name possesseth all my Tongue As thou before me evermore did'st lie The present Object to my longing Eye No ominous Star did at thy Birth-tide shine That might of thy sad destiny divine 'T is only I that did thy fall perswade And thou by me a Sacrifice art made As in those Countries where the loving Wives With their kind Husbands end their happy lives And crown'd with Garlands in their Brides Attire Burn with his body in the fun'ral fire And she the worthiest reck'ned is of all Whom least the peril seemeth to appall I boast not of Northumberland's great name * Nor of Ket conquer'd adding to our fame When he to Norfolk with his Armies sped And thence in chains the Rebels Captive led And brought safe peace returning to our dores Yet spread his glory on the Eastern Shores * Nor of my Brothers from whose natural grace Vertue may spring to beautifie our Race * Nor of Gray's match my Children born by thee Of the great bloud undoubtedly to be But of thy Virtue only do I boast That wherein I may justly glory most I crav'd no Kingdoms though I thee did crave It me suffic'd thy only self to have Yet let me say however it befell Methinks a Crown should have become thee well For sure thy Wisdom merited or none * To have been heard with wonder from a Throne When from thy Lips the Counsel to each deed Doth as from some wise Oracle proceed And more esteem'd thy Vertues were to me Than all that else might ever come by thee So chast thy love so innocent thy life As being a Virgin when thou wast a Wife So great a gift the Heav'n on me bestow'd As giving that it nothing could have ow'd Such was the good I did possess of late Er'e worldly care disturb'd our quiet state Er'e trouble did in ev'ry place abound And angry War our former Peace did wound But to know this Ambition us affords One Crown is guarded with a thousand swords To mean Estates mean sorrows are but show'n But Crowns have cares whose workings be unknown * When Dudley led his Armies to the East Of our whole Forces gen'rally possest What then was thought his enterprise could let * Whom a grave Council freely did abet That had the judgment of the pow'rful Laws In ev'ry point to justifie the cause The holy Church a helping hand that laid Who would have thought that these could not have swaid But what alas can Parliaments avail Where Mary's Right must Edward's Acts repeal * When Suffolk's pow'r doth Suffolk's hopes withstand Northumberland doth leave Northumberland And they that should our greatness undergo Us and our Actions only overthrow Er'e greatness gain'd we give it all our heart But being once come we wish it would depart And indiscreetly follow that so fast Which overtaken punisheth our hast If any one do pity our offence Let him be sure that he be far from hence Here is no place for any one that shall So much as once commiserate our fall And we of mercy vainly should but think Our timeless tears th' insatiate Earth doth drink All Lamentations utterly forlorn Dying before they fully can be born Mothers that should their wofull Children rue Fathers in death so kindly bid adieu Friends their dear farewell lovingly to take The faithfull Servant weeping for our sake Brothers and Sisters waiting on our Bier Mourners to tell what we were living here But we alas deprived are of all So fatal is our miserable fall And where at first for safety we were shut Now in dark prison wofully are put And from the height of our ambitious state Lie to repent our arrogance too late To thy perswasion thus I then rely Hold on thy course resolved still to dy And when we shall so happily begone Leave it to Heav'n to give the rightful Throne And with that Health I thee regreet again Which I of late did gladly entertain ANNOTATIONS of the Chronicle History Nor of Ket conquer'd adding to our fame JOhn Duke of Northumberland when before he was Earl of Warwick in his expedition against Ket overthrow the Rebels of Norfolk and Suffolk encamped at Mount Surrey in Norfolk Nor of my Brothers from whose natural grace Gilford Dudley as remembring in this place the towardness of his Brothers which were all likely indeed to have raised that House of the Dudleys of which he was a Fourth Brother if not suppressed by their Fathers overthrow Nor of Gray's Match my Children born by thee Noting in this place the Alliance of the Lady Jane Gray by her Mother which was Frances the Daughter of Charles Brandon by Mary the French Queen Daughter to Henry the Seventh and Sister to Henry the Eighth To have been heard with wonder from a Throne Seldom hath it ever been known of any woman endued with such wonderful gifts as was this Lady both for her Wisdom and Learning of whose skill in Tongues one reporteth by this Epigram Miraris Janam Graio sermone valere Quo primum nata est tempore Graia fuit When Dudley led his Army to the East The Duke of Northumberland prepared his power at London for his expedition against the Rebels in Norfolk and making hast away appointed the rest of his forces to meet him at New-Market-Heath of whom this saying is reported that passing through Shoreditch the Lord Gray in his company seeing the people in great numbers came to see him he said The people press to see us but none bid God speed us Whom a grave Council freely did abet John Dudley Duke of Northumberland when he went out against Queen Mary had his Commission sealed for the Generalship of the Army by the consent of the whole Council of the Land insomuch that passing through the Council-Chamber at his departure the Earl of Arundel wished that he might have gone with him in that expedition and spend his bloud in the quarrel When Suffolk's pow'r doth Suffolk's hopes withstand Northumberland doth leave Northumberland The Suffolk men were the first that ever resorted to Queen Mary in her distress repairing to her succors whilst she remained both at Keningal and at Fermingham Castle still increasing her Aids until the Duke of Northumberland was left forsaken at Cambridge FINIS