late duke Humfries old alies With banisht Elnors base complices Attending their reuenge grow wondrous crouse And threaten death and vengeance to our house And I lone the wofull remnant am T' endure these stormes with wofull Buckingham I pray thee Poole haue care how thou doost passe Neuer the Sea yet halfe so dangerous was And one foretolde by Water thou shouldst die Ah! foule befall that foule tongues prophecie And euery night am troubled in my dreames That I doe see thee tosst in dangerous streames And oft-times shipwrackt cast vpon the land And lying breathlesse on the queachy sand And oft in visions see thee in the night Where thou at Sea maintainst a dangerous fight And with thy proued target and thy sword Beatst backe the pyrate which would come aboord Yet be not angry that I warne thee thus The truest loue is most suspitious Sorrow doth vtter what vs still doth grieue But hope forbids vs sorrovve to belieue And in my counsell yet this comfort is It can not hurt although I thinke amisse Then liue in hope in triumph to returne When cleerer dayes shall leaue in cloudes to mourne But so hath sorrow girt my soule about That that word Hope me thinks comes slowly out The reason is I know it heere vvould rest Where it vvould still behold thee in my breast Farewell sweete Pole faine more I would indite But that my teares doe blot as I do write ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie Or brings in Burgoyne to ayde Lancaster PHillip Duke of Burgoyne and his sonne were alwaies great fauorites of the house of Lancaster howbeit they often dissembled both with Lancaster and Yorke Who in the North our lawfull claime commends To win vs credite with our valiant friends The chiefe Lords of the North parts in the time of Henry the fixt withstood the Duke of Yorke at his rising giuing him two great ouerthrowes To that allegeance Yorke was bound by oth To Henries heires and safety of vs both No longer now he meanes Records shall beare it He will dispence with heauen and will vnsweare it The Duke of Yorke at the death of Henry the fift and at this Kings coronation tooke his oth to be true subiect to him and his heires for euer but afterward dispensing therewith claimed the crowne as his rightfull and proper inheritance If three sonnes faile shee 'le make the fourth a King The Duke of Yorke had foure sonnes Edward Earle of March that afterward was Duke of Yorke and King of England when he had deposed Henry the sixt and Edmund Earle of Rutland slaine by the Lord Clifford at the battel at Wakefield and George Duke of Clarence that was murthered in the Tower and Richard Duke of Gloster who was after he had murthered his brothers sonnes King by the name of Richard the third He that 's so like his Dam her yongest Dicke That fowle illfauored crookeback'd Stigmaticke c. Till this verse As though begot an age c. This Richard whom ironically she heere calls Dicke that by treason after his Nephewes murthered obtained the crowne was a man low of stature crooke-back'd the left shoulder much higher then the right and of a very crabbed and sower countenance his mother could not be deliuered of him hee was borne toothd with his feet forward contrary to the course of nature To ouershadow our vermilian Rose The red Rose was the badge of the house of Lancaster and the white Rose of Yorke which by the marriage of Henry the seauenth with Elizabeth indubitate heire of the house of Yorke was happily vnited Or who will muzzell that vnruly beare The Earle of Warwicke the setter vp and puller downe of Kings gaue for his Armes the white Beare rampant and the ragged staffe My Daisie flower which erst perfumde the ayre Which for my fauour Princes once did weare c. The Daisie in French is called Margaret which was Queene Margarets badge where-withall the Nobilitie and chiualrie of the Land at the first arriuall were so delighted that they wore it in their hats in token of honour And who be starres but Warwikes bearded staues The ragged or bearded staffe was a part of the Armes belonging to the Earledome of Warwicke Slandring Duke Rayner with base beggery Rayner Duke of Aniou called himselfe King of Naples Cicile and Ierusalem hauing neither inheritance nor tribute from those parts and was not able at the marriage of the Queene of his owne charges to send her into England though he gaue no dower with her which by the Dutchesse of Glocester was often in disgrace cast in her teeth A Kentish rebell a base vpslart groome This was Iacke Cade which caused the Kentish-men to rebell in the 28. yeere of King Henry the fixth And this is he the white Rose must prefer By Clarence daughter match'd to Mortimer This Iacke Cade instructed by the Duke of Yorke pretended to be descended from Mortimer which married Lady Phillip daughter to the Duke of Clarence And makes vs weake by strengthning Ireland The Duke of Yorke being made Deputy of Ireland first there began to practise his long pretended purpose strengthning himselfe by all meanes possible that hee might at his returne into England by open warre claime that which so long he had priuily gone about to obtaine Great Winchester vntimely is deceasde Henry Benford Bishop and Cardinall of Winchester sonne to Iohn of Gaunt begot in his age was a prowd and ambitious Prelate fauouring mightily the Queene and the Duke of Suffolke continually heaping vp innumerable treasure in hope to haue beene Pope as himselfe on his death-bed confessed With France t' vpbraide the valiant Somerset Edmund Duke of Somerset in the 24. of Henry the sixth was made Regent of France and sent into Normandie to desend the English territories against the French inuasions but in short time he lost all that King Henry the fifth won for which cause the Nobles and Commons euer after hated him T' endure these stormes with wofull Buckingham Humfrey Duke of Buckingham was a great fauorite of the Queenes faction in the time of Henry the sixt And one sore-told by water thou shouldst die The Witch of Eye receiued answer from her spirit that the Duke of Suffolke should take heede of water which the Queene forwarnes him of as remembring the Witches prophecie which afterwards came to passe Finis To the Right Worshipfull Sir Thomas Munson Knight SIR amongst many which most deseruedly loue you though I the least yet am loth to be the last whose endeuours may make knowne how highly they esteeme of your noble and kinde disposition Let this Epistle Sir I beseech you which vnworthily weares the badge of your worthy name acknowledge my zeale with the rest though much lesse deseruing which for your sake doe honour the house of the Mounsons I know true generositie accepteth what is zealously offred though not euer deseruingly excellent yet for loue of the Art from whence it receiueth resemblance The light Phrigian harmony
allow I should not neede to feare it For then my true nobilitie should beare it If counsell ayde that Fraunce will tell I know Whose townes lie waste before the English foe When thrice we gaue the conquered French the foile At Agincourt at Crauant and Uernoile If faith auaile these armes did Henry hold To claime his crowne yet scarcely nine months old If countries care haue leaue to speake for me Gray haires in youth my witnes then may be If peoples tongues giue splendor to my fame They adde a title to duke Humfries name If toyle at home French treason English hate Shall tell my skill in managing the state If forraine trauell my successe may try In Flaunders Almaine Boheme Burgundy That robe of Rome prowd Benford now doth weare In euery place such sway should neuer beare The Crosier staffe in his imperious hand To be the Scepter that controules the land That home to England despensations drawes Which are of power to abrogate our lawes That for those summes the wealthy church should pay Vpon the needy Commontie to lay His ghostly counsells onely doe aduise The meanes how Langlies progenie may rise Pathing young Henries vnaduised waies A Duke of Yorke from Cambridge house to raise which after may our title vndermine Grafted since Edward in Gaunts famous line Vs of succession safely to depriue which they from Clarence fainedly deriue Knowing the will old Cambridge euer bore To eateh the wreathe that famous Henry wore With Gray and Scroope when first he laide the plot From vs and ours the gaâ—land to haue got As from the Match-borne Mortimer to raigne Whose title Glendour stoutly did maintaine When the prowde Percies haughty March and hee Had sharde the Land by equall partes in three His Priesthoode now sterne Mowbray doth restore To stirre the fire that kindled was before Against the Yorkists shall their claime aduance To steele the poynt of Norffolkes sturdie lance Vpon the breast of Herfords issue bent In iust reuenge of antient banishment He dooth aduise to let our prisâ—er goe And doth enlarge the faithlesse Scottish foe Giuing our heires in marriage that their dowres May bring inuasion vpon vs and ours Ambitious Suffolke so the helme doth guide With Benfords damned policies supplide He and the Queene in counsell still conferre How to raise him who hath aduanced her But my deere heart how vainely do I dreame And flie from thee whose sorrowes are my theame My loue to thee and England thus diuided With the most parte how hard to be decided Or thee or that to whether I am loath So neere are you so deere vnto me both Twixt that and thee for equall loue I finde England in gratefull and my Elnor kind But though my country iustly I reproue For countries sake vnkinde vnto my loue Yet is thy Humfrey to his Elnor now As when fresh beauty triumpht on thy brow As when thy graces I admired most Or of thy fauours might the frankli'st boast Those beauties were so infinite before That in abundance I was onely poore Of which though time hath taken some againe I aske no more but what doth yet remaine Be patient gentle heart in thy distresse Thou arte a Princesse not a whit lesse Whilst in these breasts we beare about this life I am thy husband and thou arte my wife Cast not thine eie on such as mounted be But looke on those cast downe as lowe as we For some of them which prowdly pearch so hie Ere long shall come as lowe as thou or I. They weepe for ioy and let vs laugh in woe We shall exchange when heauen will haue it so We mourne and they in after time may mourne Woe past may once laugh present woe to scorne And worse than hath beene we can neuer taste Worse cannot come than is already past In all extreames the onely depth of ill Is that which comforts the afflicted still Ah would to God thou wouldst thy griefes denie And on my backe let all the burthen lie Or if thou canst resigne make thine mine owne Both in one carrige to be vndergone Till we againe our former hopes recouer And prosp'rous times blow these misfortunes ouer For in the thought of those forepassed yeares Some new resemblance of old ioy appeares Mutuall our care so mutuall be our loue That our affliction neuer can remoue So rest in peace where peace hath hope to liue Wishing thee more than I my selfe can giue ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie At Agincourâ— at Grauant and Vernoyle THe three famous battels fought by the Englishmen in France Agincourt by Henry the fift against the whole power of France Crauant fought by Montacute Earle of Salisburie and the Duke of Burgoyne against the Dolphine of France William Stuart Constable of Scotland Vernoile fought by Iohn Duke of Bedford against the Duke of Alanson and with him most of the Nobilitie of France Duke Humfrey an Especiall Councellour in all these expeditions In Flaunders Almain Boheme Burgundie Here remembring the auncient amitie which in his ambassaes he concluded betwixt the King of England and Sigismund Emperour of Almaine drawing the Duke of Burgoyne into the same league giuing himselfe as an hostage for the duke of saint Omers while the Duke came to Calice to confirme the league With his many other imployments to forraine Kingdoms That crosier staffe in his imperious hand Henry Beuford Cardinall of Winchester that proud haughtie Prelate receyued his Cardinals hat at Calice by the Popes Legate which dignitie Henry the fift his nephew forbade him to take vpon him knowing his haughtie and malicious spirit vnfit for that robe and calling The meanes how Langleis progenie may rise As willing to shew the house of Cambridge to bee descended of Edmund Langley Duke of Yorke a yonger brother to Iohn of Gaunt his Grand-father as much as in him lay to smother the title that the Yorkists made to the crowne from Lionell of Clarence Gaunts elder brother by the daughter of Mortimer His priesthood now sterne Mowbray doth restore Nothing the ancient grudge betweene the house of Lancaster and Norffolke euer since Mowbray duke of Norffolke was banished for the accusation of Henry duke of Herford after the king of England father to duke Humfrey which accusation hee came as a Combatant to haue made good in the Lists at Couentry And giues our heires in marriage that their dowers Iames Stuart King of Scots hauing bin long prisoner in England was released and tooke to wife the daughter of Iohn duke of Somerset sister to Iohn duke of Somerset neece to the Cardinall and the duke of Excester and coosin germain remooued to the King this King broke the oath he had taken and became after a great enemie to England FINIS ¶ To my Honored Mistris Mistris Elizabeth Tanfield the sole daughter and heire of that famous and learned Lawyer Lawrence Tanfield Esquire FAire and vertuous Mistres since first it was my good fortune to bee a witnesse of the many
illusions so in the honour of so rare a Gentleman as this Earle and therewithall so noble a Poet a quality by which his other titles receiue their greatest lustre inuention may make somewhat more bold with Agrippa aboue the barren truth That Lion set in our bright siluer bend The blazon of the Howards honorable armour was Gules betweene six crosselets Fitches abend Argent to which afterwards was added by atchieuement In the Canton point of the bend an escutcheon or within the Scottish tressure a Demi-lion rampant Gules c. as Maister Camden now Clerenceaulx from authoritie noteth Neuer shall time nor bitter enuie be able to obscure the brightnesse of so great a victory as that for which this addition was obtained The Historian of Scotland George Bucchanan reporteth that the Earle of Surrey gaue for his badge a Siluer Lion which from antiquitie belonged to that name tearing in peeces A Lion prostrate Gules and withall that this which he termes insolencie was punished in him and his posteritie as if it were fatall to the Conquerour to doe his Soueraigne such loyall seruice as a thousand such seuere censurers were neuer able to performe Since Scottish blood discoloured Floden field The batttle was fought at Bramstone neere Floden hill being a part of the Cheuiot a mountaine that exceedeth all the mountaines in the North of England for bignesse in which the wilfull periurie of Iames the fifth was punished from heauen by the Earle of Surrey being left by King Henry the eight then in France before Turwin for the defence of his Realme Nor beauteous Stanhope whom all tongues report To be the glory c. Of the beautie of that Lady he himselfe testifies in an Elegie which he writ of her refusing to daunce with him which hee seemeth to alegorize vnder a Lion and a Wolfe And of himselfe he saith A Lion saw I late as white as any snow And of her I might perceiue a Wolfe as white as Whales bone A fairer beast of fresher hue beheld I neuer none But that her lookes 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 doe witnesse besides certaine Encomions written by the Earle of Surrey vppon some of Dauids Psalmes by him translated What holy graue what worthy Sepulchre To Wyats Psalmes shall Christians purchase then And afterward vpon his death the said Earle writeth thus What vertues rare were tempred in thy breast Honour that England such a iewell bred And kisse the ground whereas thy corpes did rest At Honsdon where those sweete cel-stiall eyne It is manifest by a Sonnet written by this noble Earle 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 loue I do alleadge in diuers places of this glosse as proofes of what I write Of Hampton Court and Windsor where abound All pleasures c. That he enioyed the presence of his faire and vertuous Mistris in those two places by reason of Queene Katherines vsuall aboad there on whom this Lady Geraldine was attending I proue by these verses of his Hampton me tanght to wish her first for mine Windsor alas doth chase me from her sight And in another Sonnet following When Winsor walls sustainde my wearied arme My hand my chin to ease my restlesse head And that his delight might draw him to compare Winsor to Paradice an Elegy may proue where he remembreth his passed pleasures in that place With a Kings sonne my childish yeeres I pass'd In greater feast then Priams sonne of Troy And againe in the same Elegie Those large greene Courts where we were wont to roue With eyes cast vp vnto the maidens Tower With easie sighs such as men draw in loue And againe in the same The stately seates the Ladies bright of hue The dances short long tales of sweete delight And for the pleasantnesse of the place these verses of his may testifie in the same Elegie before recited The secret groues which we haue made resound With siluer drops the meads yet spread for ruth As goodly flowers from Thamisis doe growe c. I had thought in this place not to haue spoken of Thames being so oft remembred by mee before in sundry other places on this occasion but thinking of that excellent Epigram which as I iudge either to bee done by the said Earle or Sir Frauncis Brian for the worthinesse thereof I will heere insert which as it seemes to me was compiled at the Authors being in Spaine Tagus farewell which Westward with thy streames Turn'st vp the graines of gold already tride For I withspur and saile go seeke the Thames Against the Sunne that shewes her wealthy pride And to the towne that Brutus sought by dreames Like bended Moone that leanes her lusty side To seeke my Country now for whom I liue O mighty Ioue for this the windes me giue FINIS Geraldine to Henry Howard Earle of Surrey SVch greeting as the noble Surrey sends The same to thee thy Geraldine commends A maidens thoughts do checke my trembling hand On other termes or complements to stand Which might my speech be as my heart affords Should come attired in farre richer vvords But all is one my faith as firme shall proue As hers that makes the greatest shevv of loue In Cupids Schoole I neuer read those bookes vvhose lectures oftvve practise in our lookes Nor euer did suspitions riuall eye Yet lie in vvaite my fauours to espie My virgine thoughts are innocent and meeke As the chaste blushes sitting on my cheeke As in a feuer I do shiuer yet Since first my pen was to the paper set If I do erre you know my sexe is weake Feare proues a fault where maids are forc'd to speake Do I not ill ah sooth me not heerein O if I doe reproue me of my sin Chide me infaith or if my fault you hide My tongue will teach my selfe my selfe to chide Nay noble Surrey blot it if thou wilt Then too much boldnesse should returne my guilt For that should be euen from our selues concealde Which is disclosde if to our thoughts reuealde For the least motion more the smallest breath That may impeach our modestie is death The page that brought thy letters to my hand Me thinks should meruaile at my strange demand For till he blush'd I did not yet espie The nakednesse of my immodestie Which in my face he greater might haue seene But that my sanne I quickly put betweene Yet scarcely that my inward guilt could hide Feare seeing all feares it of all espide Like to a taper lately burning bright Now wanting matter to maintaine his light The blaze ascending forced by the smoke Liuing by that which seekes the same to choke The flame still hanging in the ayre doth burne Vntill drawne downe it backe againe returne Then cleere then dim then spreadeth then closeth Now getteth
her philters exorcismes and charmes Thy presence hath repaired in one day What many yeeres and sorrowes did decay And made fresh beauties fairest branches spring From wrinkled furrowes of times ruining Euen as the hungry winter-starued earth When she by nature labours towards her birth Still as the day vpon the darke world creepes One blossome forth after another peepes Till the small flower whose roote is now vnbound Gets from the frostie prison of the ground Spreading the leaues vnto the powerfull noone Deck'd in fresh colours smiles vpon the sunne Neuer vnquiet care lodg'd in that breast Where but one thought of Rosamond did rest Nor thirst nor trauaile which on warre attend E're brought the long day to desired end Nor yet did pale Feare or leane Famine liue Where hope of thee did any comfort giue Ah what iniustice then is this of thee That thus the guiltlesse doost condemne for me When onely she by meanes of my offence Redeemes thy purenesse and thy innocence When to our wills perforce obey they must That iust in them what e're in vs vniust Of what we doe not them account we make The fault craues pardon for th' offenders sake And what to worke a Princes will may merit Hath deepst impression in the gentlest spirite I ft be my name that dooth thee so offend No more my selfe shall be mine owne names friend And â—ft be that which thou doost onely hate That name in my name lastly hath his date Say t is accuâ—st and fatall and dispraise it If written blot it if engrauen raze it Say that of all names t is a name of woe Once a Kings name but now t is not so And when all this is done I know â—vvill grieue thee And therfore svveet whie should I now belieue thee Nor shouldst thou thinke those eies with enuie lower Which passing by thee gaze vp to thy tower But rather praise thine owne which be so cleere Which from the Turret like tvvo staires appeare Aboue the sunne dooth shine beneath thine eie Mocking the heauen to make another skie The little streame which by thy tovver dooth glide Where oft thou spendst the wearie euening tide To view thee vvell his course would gladly stay As loath from thee to part so soone away And with salutes thy selfe would gladly greete And offer vp those small drops at thy feete But finding that the enuious banks restraine it T' excuse it selfe doth in this sort complaine it And therefore this sad bubling murmure keepes And in this sort within the channell weepes And as thou doost into the water looke The fish which see thy shadow in the brooke Forget to feede and all amazed lie So daunted with the lustre of thine eie And that sweet name which thou so much dost wrong In time shal be some famous Poets song And with the very sweetnes of that name Lions and tygers men shall learne to tame The carefull mother from her pensiue breast With Rosamond shall bring her babe to rest The little birds by mens continuall sound Shall learne to speake and pr 〈…〉 le Rosamond And when in Aprill they beginne to sing Wiâ—h Rosamond shall welcome in the spring And she in whom all raâ—ities are found Shall still be said to be a Rosamond The little flowers which dropping honied dew Which as thou writst doe weepe vpon thy shue Not for thy fault sweet Rosamond doe moane But weepe for griefe that thou so soone art gone For if thy foote â—uch Hemlocke as it goes That Hemlocke's made more sweeter than the Rose Of Ioue or Neptune how they did betray Nor speake of Iâ—o or Amimone when she for whome Ioue once became a Bull Comparde with thee had beene a tawny trull He a white Bull and she a whiter Cow Yet he nor she neere halfe so white as thou Long since thou knowst my care prouided for To lodge thee safe from iealous Ellenor The labyrinths conueyance guides thee so Which only Vaghan thou and I doe know If she doe guard thee with a hundred eies I haue an hundred subâ—ile Mercuries To watch that Argus which my loue doth keepe Vntill eie after eie fall all to sleepe Those starres looke in by night looke in to see Wondring what starre heere on the earth should be As oft the Moone amidst the silent night Hath come to ioy vs with her friendly light And by the curtaine helpt mine eie to see What 〈◊〉 night and darkenes hid from mee When I haue wisht that she might euer staâ— And other worl 〈…〉 might still enioy the day What should I say words â—eares and sighs be spent And want of 〈◊〉 doth further helps preuent My campe râ—sounds with fearefull shockes of warre Yet in my breast the worser conflicts are Yet is my signall to the battels sound The blessed name of beauteous Rosamond Accursed be that heart that tongue that breath Should thinke should speake or whisper of thy death For in one smile or lower from thy sweete eie Consists my life my hope my victorie Sweet Woodstocke where my Rosamond doth rest Blessed in her in whom thy King is blest For though in France a while my body be Sweete Paradice my heart remaines in thee Notes of the Chronicle Historie Am I at home pursued with priuate hate And warre comes raging to my Pallace gate RObert erle of Leicester who took part with yong king Henry entred into England with an armie of 3000. Flemmings and spoild the countries of Norsfolk and Susfolke being succored by many of the Kings priuate enimies And am I branded with the curse of Rome King Henry the second the first Plantaginet accused for the death of Tho. Becket archbishop of Canterbury staine in the cathedrall church was accursed by Pope Alexander although hee vrgde sufficient proofe of his innocencie in the same and offered to take vpon him any penance so he might escape the curse and interdiction of the Realme And by the pride of my rebellious sonne Rich Normandie with armies ouer-runne Henry the yong K. whom king Henry had caused to be crowned in his life as he hoped both for his owne good and the good of his Subiects which indeed turned to his owne sorow and the trouble of the Realme for he rebelled against him and raising a power by the meanes of Lewes king of France and William K of Scots who tooke part with him inuaded Normandie Vnkinde my children most vnkinde my wise Neuer king more vnfortunate then K Henry in the disobedience of his children first Henry then Gâ—ssrey then Richard then Iohn all at one time or other first or last vnnaturally rebelled against him then the iealousie of Elinor his Qu. who suspected his loue to Rosamond which grieuous troubles the deuout of those times attributed to happen to him iustly for refusin to take on him the gouernment of Ierusalem offred to him by the patriarke there which country was mightily afflicted by the Souldane Which onely Vaghan thou and I doe know This Vaghan was a Knight
heare my prayre That Bullingbrooke now placde in Richards chaire Such cause of woe vnto their wiues may be As those rebellious Lords haue beene to me And that prowd Dame which now controlleth all And in her pompe triumpheth in my fall For her great Lord may water her sad eyne With as salt teares as I haue done for mine And mourne for Henry Hotspur her deere sonne As I for my sweete Mortimer haue done And as I am so succourlesse be sent Lastly to taste perpetuall banishment Then loose thy care where first thy crowne was lost Sell it so deerely for it deerely cost And sith they did of libertie depriue thee Burying thy hope let not thy care out-liue thee But hard God knowes with sorrow doth it goe When woe becomes a comforter to woe Yet much me thinkes of comfort I could say If from my hart pale feare were rid away Something there is which tells me still of woe But what it is that heauen aboue doth know Griefe to it selfe most dreadfull doth appeare And neuer yet was sorrow voide of feare But yet in death doth sorrow hope the best And with this farewell wish thee happy rest Notes of the Chronicle Historie If fatall Pomfret hath in former time POmfret Castle euer a fatall place to the Princes of England and most ominous to the blood of Plantaginet Oh how euen yet I hate these wretched eyes And in my glasse c. When Bullingbrooke returned to London from the West bringing Richard a prisoner with him the Queene who little knew of her husbands hard successe staid to behold his comming in little thinking to haue seene her husband thus ledde in triumph by his foe and now seeming to hate her eyes that so much had graced her mortall enemie Wherein great Norfolks forward course was staid She remembreth the meeting of two Dukes of Herford and Norfolke at Couentry vrging the iustnesse of Mowbrayes quarrell against the Duke of Herford and the faithfull assurance of his victorie O why did Charles relieue his needie state A vagabond c. Charles the French King her father receiued the Duke of Herford in his Court and releeued him in Fraunce being so neerely alied as Cosin german to king Richard his sonne in Law which he did simply little thinking that hee should after returne into England and dispossesse King Richard of the Crowne When thou to Ireland took'st thy last farewell King Richard made a voyage with his Armie into Ireland against Onell and Mackemur which rebelled at what time Henry entred here at home and robd him of all kingly dignitie Affirmde by Church-men which should beare no hate That Iohn of Gaunt was illegitâ—imate William Wickham in the great quarrell betwixt Iohn of Gaunt and the Clergy of meere spight and malice as it should seeme reported that the Queene confessed to him on her deathbed being then her Confessor that Iohn of Gaunt was the son of a Flemming and that shee was brought to bed of a woman childe at Gaunt which was smothered in the cradle by mischance that she obtained this childe of a poore woman making the king beleeue it was her owne greatly fearing his displeasure Fox eâ— Chron. Alban No bastards marke doth blot our conquering shield Shewing the true and indubitate birth of Richard his right vnto the Crowne of England as carrying the Armes without blot or difference Against their faith vnto the Crownes true heire Their noble kinsman c. Edmund Mortimer Earle of March sonne of Earle Roger Mortimer which was sonne to Lady Phillip daughter to Lionell Duke of Clarence the third sonne to King Edward the third which Edmund King Richard going into Ireland was proclaimed heire apparant to the Crowne whose Aunt called Ellinor this Lord Piercie had married O would Aumerle had suncke when he betrayd The complâ—t which that holy Abbot layd The Abbot of Westminster had plotted the death of King Henry to haue beene done at a Tilt at Oxford of which confederacie there was Iohn Holland Duke of Excester Thomas Holland Duke of Surrey the Duke of Aumerle Mountacute Earle of Salsbury Spenser Earle of Gloster the Bishop of Carlile Sir Thomas Blunt these all had bound themselues one to another by Indenture to performe it but were all betrayd by the Duke of Aumerle Scroope Greene and Bushie die his fault in graine Henry going towards the Castle of Flint where King Richard was caused Scroope Greene and Bushie to be executed at Bristow as vile persons which had seduced this King to this lasciuious and wicked life Damn'd be the oth he made at Doncaster After Henries exile at his returne into England he tooke his oth at Doncaster vpon the Sacrament not to claime the crowne or Kingdome of England but onely the Dukedome of Lancaster his owne proper right and the right of his wife And mourne for Henry Hotspur her deere sonne As I for my c. This was the braue couragious Henry Hotspur that obtained so many victories against the Scots which after falling out right with the curse of Queene Isabell was slaine by Henry at the battaile at Shrewsbury Richard the second to Queene Isabell WHat may my Queene but hope for froÌ„ that hand Vnfit to write vnskilfull to coÌ„mand A Kingdomes greatnesse hardly can he sway That wholesome counsaile neuer did obay Ill this rude hand did guide a Scepter then Worse now I feare me gouerneth a pen How shall I call my selfe or by what name To make thee know from whence these letters came Not from thy husband for my hatefull life Hath made thee widdow being yet a wife Nor from a King that title I haue lost Now of that name prowd Bullingbroke may boast What I haue beene doth but this comfort bring That no woe is to say I was a King This lawlesse life which first procurde my hate This tongue which then denounc'd my regall state This abiect minde that did consent vnto it This hand that was the instrument to doe it All these be witnesse that I doe denie All passed hopes all former soueraigntie Didst thou for my sake leaue thy fathers Court Thy famous Country and thy virgine port And vndertook'st to trauaile dangerous waies Driuen by aukward windes and boist'rous seas And left 's great Burbon for thy loue to mee Who su'd in marriage to be linck'd to thee Offring for dower the Countries neighbouring nie Of fruitfull Almaine and rich Burgundie Didst thou all this that England should receiue thee To miserable banishment to leaue thee And in my downefall and my fortunes wracke Forsaken thus to France to send thee backe When quiet sleepe the heauie hearts reliefe Hath rested sorrow somwhat lesned griefe My passed greatnes vnto minde I call And thinke this while I dreamed of my fall With this conceit my sorrowes I beguile That my faire Queene is but with-drawne a while And my attendants in some chamber by As in the height of my prosperitie Calling alowd and asking who is there The Eccho
answering tells me Woe is there And when mine armes 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 howres there be So many howres each minute seemes to me Each howre a day morne noone-tide and a set Each day a yeare with miseries complet A winter spring-time summer and a fall All seasons varying but vnseasoned all In endelesse woe my thrid of life thus weares By minutes howres daies months lingring yeares They praise the summer that enioy the South Pomfret is closed in the Norths cold mouth There pleasant summer dwelleth all the yeere Frost-starued-winter dooth inhabite heere A place wherein dispaire may fitly dwell Sorrow best suting with a cloudy Cell When Herford had his iudgement of exile Saw I the peoples murmuring the while Th' vncertaine Commons toucht with inward care As though his sorrowes mutually they bare Fond women and scarse speaking children mourne Bewaile his parting wishing his returne Then being forcde t' abridge his banisht yeeres When they bedewd his footsteps with their teares Yet by example could not learne to know To what his greatnes by this loue might grow Whilst Henry boasts of our atchiuements done Bearing the trophies our great fathers wonne And all the storie of our famous warre Now grace the Annales of great Lancaster Seauen goodly siens in their spring did flourish Which one selfe root brought forth one stock did noâ—ish Edward the top-branch of that golden tree Nature in him her vtmost power did see Who from the bud still blossomed so faire As all might iudge what fruite it meant to beare But I his graft of eu'ry weede ore-growne And from the kind as refuse forth am throwne From our braue Grandsire both in one degree Yet after Edward Iohn the yongst of three Might Princely Wales beget an impe so base That to Gaunts issue should giue soueraigne place That leading Kings from France returned home As those great Caesars brought their spoiles to Rome Whose name obtained by his fatall hand Was euer fearefull to that conquered land His fame increasing purchasde in those warres Can scarcely now be bounded with the starres With him is valour quite to heauen fled Or else in me is it extinguished Who for his vertue and his conquests sake Posteritie a demy god shall make And iudge this vile abiect spirit of mine Could not proceede from temper so diuine What earthly humor or what vulgar eie Can looke so lowe as on our misery When Bullingbrooke is mounted to our throne And makes that his which we but calld our owne Into our counsells he himselfe intrudes And who but Henry with the multitudes His power disgrades his dreadfull frowne disgraceth He throwes them downe whome our aduancement placeth As my disable and vnworthy hand Neuer had power belonging to command He treades our sacred tables in the dust And proues our acts of Parlament vniust As though he hated that it should be saide That such a law by Richard once was made Whilst I deprest before his greatnes lie Vnder the weight of hate and infamie My backe a footstoole Bullingbrooke to raise My loosenes mockt and hatefull by his praise Out-liu'd mine honour buried my estate And nothing left me but the peoples hate Sweet Queene I le take all counsell thou canst giue So that thou bidst me neither hope nor liue Succour that comes when ill hath done his worst But sharpens griefe to make vs more accurst Comfort is now vnpleasing to mine eare Past cure past care my Bed become my Beere Since now misfortune humbleth vs so long Till heauen be growne vnmindfull of our wrong Yet they forbid my wrongs shall euer die But still remembred to posteritie And let the crowne be fatall that he weares And euer wet with woefull mothers teares Thy curse on Percie angry heauens preuent Who haue not one curse left on him vnspent To scourge the world now borrowing of my store As rich of woe as I a King am poore Then cease deere Queene my sorrowes to bewaile My wounds too great for pittie now to heale Age stealeth on whilst thou complainest thus My griefes be mortall and infectious Yet better fortunes thy faire youth may trie That follow thee which still from me doth flie ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie Thiâ— tongue which first denounc'd my regall state RIchard the second at the resignation of the crowne to the duke of Herford in the Tower of London deliuering the same with his owne hand there confessed his disabilitie to gouerne vtterly denouncing all kingly authoritie And left'st great Burbon for thy love to me Before the Princesse Isabell was maried 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 meane time This Duke of Burbon sued againe to have received her at her comming into France after the imprisonment of king Richard but King Charles her Father then crost him as before and gave her to Charles sonne to the Duke of Orleans When Herford had his judgement of exile When the combate should have beene at Couentrie betwixt Henrie Duke of Herford and Thomas Duke of Norfolke where Herford was adiudged to banishment for ten yeares the commons exceedingly lamented so greatly was he ever favored of the people Then being forc'd t' abridge his banisht yeeres When the Duke came to take his leave of the King beeing then at Eltham the King to please the Commons rather then for any love he bare to Herford repleaded foure yeares of his banishment Whilest Henry boasts of our atchieuements done Henry the eldest Sonne to Iohn Duke of Lancaster at the first Earle of Darby then created Duke of Herford after the death of the Duke Iohn his father was Duke of Lancaster and Hereford Earle of Darby Leicester and Lincolne and after he had obtained the Crowne was called by the name of Bullingbrooke which is a towne in Lincolneshire as vsually all the Kings of England bare the name of the places where they were borne Seauen goodly syens in their spring did flourish Edward the third had seuen sonnes Edward Prince of Wales after called the blacke Prince William of Hatfield the second Lionell Duke of Clarence the third Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the fourth Edmund of Langley Duke of York the fifth Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Gloster the sixth William of Winsore the seuenth Edward the top-branch of that golden tree Truly boasting himselfe to be the eldest Sonne of Edward the blacke Prince Yet after Edward Iohn the yongst of three As disabling Henry Bullingbrooke being but the son of the fourth brother William and Lionell being both before Iohn of Gaunt That leading Kings from France returned home Edward the blacke Prince taking Iohn king of France prisoner at the battel of Poicters brought him into England where at the Sauoy he died
Whose name atchieued by his fatall hand Called the Blacke Prince not so much of his complexion as of the famous battell he fought as is shewed before in the glosse vpon the Epistle of Edward to the Countesse of Salisbury And prooues our Actes of Parlement vniust In the text parlement after Richards resignation of the crown Henry caused to be annihilated all the lawes made in the Parliament called the wicked Parliament held in the twenty yeere of king Richards raigne Finis To sir Iohn Swinerton Knight and one of the Aidermen of the Citie of London VOrthy Sir so much mistrust I my owne abilitie to doe the least right to your vertues that I could gladly wish any thing that is truely mine were woorthy to beare your name so much reucrend Sir I esteeme you and so ample interest haue you in my loue To some honourable friends haue I deaicated these Poemes with whom I ranke you may I escape prejumption Like not this Britaine the worse though after some former Impressions he be lastly to 〈…〉 crated in this like an honest man that would part 〈…〉 his owne woorth before he would presume his 〈…〉 ronage with whom you shall euer commaund my 〈◊〉 and haue my best wishes That loue you truely Mich Drayton Queene Katharine to Owen Tudor The Argument After the death of that victorious Henry the fift Queene Katharine the Dowager of England and France daughter to Charles the French King holding her estate with Henry her sonne then the fixt of that name falleth in loue with Owen Tuder a Welchman a braue and gallant Gentleman of the Wardrobe to the yong King her son yet grently fearing if her loue shoulde be discouered the Nobilitie woulde crosse her purposed marriage or fearing that if her faire and princely promises should not assure his good successe this high and great attempt might perhappes daunt the forwardnesse of his modest and shamefast youth wherefore to breake the ice to her intent she writeth vnto him this Epistle following IVdge not a Princesse worth impeacht hereby That loue thus triumphs ouer maiestie Nor thinke lesse vertue in this royall hand Which now intreates that wonted to command For in this sort though humbly now it wooe The day hath beene thou wouldst haue kneeld vnto Not thinke that this submission of my state Proceedes from frailtie rather iudge it fate Alcides ne're more fit for warres sterne shocke Then when for loue sate spinning at the rocke Neuer lesse cloudes did Phoebus glory dim Then in a clownes shape when he couered him Ioues great commaund was neuer more obeyd Than when a Satyres anticke parts he playd He was thy king that sued for loue to mee Shee is thy Queene that sues for loue to thee When Henry was what 's Tuders now was his Whilst yet thou arte what 's Henries Tuders is My loue to Owen him my Henry giueth My loue to Henry in my Owen liueth Henry woode me whilst warres did yet increase I wooe my Tuder in sweet calmes of peace To force affection he did conquest proue I fight with gentle arguments of loue Incampt at Melans in warres hote alarmes First saw I Henry clad in princely armes At pleasant Windsore first these eies of mine My Tuder iudgde for wit and shape diuine Henry abroade with pâ—issance and with force Tuder at home with courtship and discourse He then thou now I hardly can iudge whether Did like me best Plantaginet or Tether A march a measure battell or a daunce A courtly rapier or a conquering launce His princely bed hath strengthned my renowne And on my temples set a double crowne Which glorious wreathe as Henries lawfull heire Henry the sixt vpon his brow doth beare At Troy in Champaine he did first enioy My Brydall rites to England brought from Troy In England now that honour thou shalt haue Which once in Champaine famous Henry gaue I seeke not wealth three kingdomes in my power If these suffice not where shall be my dower Sad discontent may euer follow her Which doth base pelfe before true loue prefer If titles still could our affections tie What is so great but Maiestie might buy As I seeke thee so Kings do me desire To what they would thou easily mai'st aspire That sacred fire once warmde my heart before The fuell fit the flame is now the more And meanes to quench it I in vaine do proue We may hide treasure but not hide our loue And since it is thy fortune thus to gaine it It were too late nor will I now restraine it Nor these great titles vainely will I bring Wife daughter mother sister to a King Of grandsire father husband sonne and brother More thou alone to me then all the other Nor feare my Tudor that this loue of mine Should wrong the Gaunt-borne great Lancastrian line Nor stir the English blood the Sunne and Moone T'repine at Lorame Burbon A lansoon Nor do I thinke there is such different ods They should alone be numbred with the Gods Of Cadmus earthly issue reckoning vs And they from Ioue Mars Neptune Eolus Of great Latonas of-spring onely they And we the brats of wofull Niobe Our famous grandsires as their owne bestride That horse of fame that God begotten steede Whose bounding hoofe plow'd that Boetian spring Where those sweete maides of memory do sing Not onely Henries Queene but boast as well To be the childe of Charles and Isabell Nor do I know from whence their grief should grow They by this match should be disparag'd so When Iohn and Longshankes issue both affied And to the Kings of Wales in wedlocke tied Shewing the greatnesse of your blood thereby Your race and royall consanguinity And Wales as well as haughty England boasts Of Camilot and all her Penticosts A nephewes roome in great Pendragons race At Arthurs Table held a princely place If by the often conquest of your land They boast the spoiles of their victorious hand If these our antient Chronicles be true They altogether are not free from you When bloodie Rufus sought your vtter sacke Twice entring Wales yet twice was beatenbacke When famous Cambria wash'd her in the flood Made by th' effusion of the English blood And oft returnde with glorious victory From Worster Herford Chester Shrowesbury Whose power in euery conquest so preuailes As once expulsde the English out of Wales Although my beautie made my Countries peace And at my Bridall former broyles did cease Yet more then power had not his person beene I had not come to England as a Queene Nor tooke I Henry to supply my wont Because in France that time my choice was scant When he had robde all Christendome of men And Englands flower remainde amongst vs then Gloster whose counsells Nestor-like assist Couragious Bedford that great martiallist Clarence for vertue honoured of his foes And Yorke whose fame yet daily greater growes Warwicke the pride of Neuels haughty race Great Salebury so fearde in euery place That valiant Poole whom no atchieuement
dares And Vere so famous in the Irish warres Who though my selfe so great a Prince were borne The worst of these my equall neede not scorne But Henries rare perfections and his parts As conquering Kingdomes so he conquer'd hearts As chaste was I to him as Queene might bee But freed from him my chaste lone vow'd to thee Beautie doth fetch all fauour from thy face All perfect courtship resteth in thy grace If thou discourse thy lips such accents breake As loue a spirit forth of thee seemâ—d to speake The Brittish language which our vowels wants And iarres so much vpon harsh consonants Comes with such grace from thy mellifluous tongue As do the sweete notes of a well set song And runnes as smoothly from those lips of thine As the pure Tuskan from the Florentine Leauing such seasoned sweetenes in the eare As the voyce past yet still the sound is there In Nisus Tower as when Apollo lay And on his golden viall vsde to play Where sencelesse stones were with such musicke drownd As many yeares they did retaine the sound Let not the beames that greatnes doth reflect Amaze thy hopes with timerous respect Assure thee Tudor maiesty can be As kinde in loue as can the mean'st degree And the embraces of a Queene as true As theirs might iudge them much aduanc'd by you When in our greatnes our affections craue Those secret ioyes that other women haue So I a Queene be soueraigne in my choice Let others fawne vpon the publique voice Or what by this can euer hap to thee Light in respect to be belou'd of mee Let peeuish worldlings prate of right and wrong Leaue plaints and pleas to whom they do belong Let old men speake of chances and euents And Lawyers talke of titles and discents Leaue fond reports to such as stories tell And couenants to those that buy and sâ—ll Loue my sweete Tudor that becomes thee best And to our good suceesse referre the rest Notes of the Chronicle Historie Great Henry sought to accomplish his desire Armed c. HEnry the fift making claime to the Crowne of France first sought by Armes to subdue the French and after sought by marriage to confirme what he got by conquest the heate and furie of which inuasion is alluded to the sixion of Semele in Ouid which by the crafty perswasion of Iuno requested Ioue to come vnto her as he was wont to come vnto his wife Iuno who at her request hee yeelding vnto destroyed her in a tempest Incamp'd at Melans in wars hote alarmes First c. Neere vnto Melans vpon the Riuer of Scyne was the appointed place of parley betweene the two Kings of England and France to which place Isabell the Qucene of France and the Duke of Burgoyne brought the yong Princesse Katherine where King Henry first saw her And on my temples set a double Crowne Henry the fift and Queene Katherine were taken as King and Queene of France and during the life of Charles the French king Henry was called King of England and heire of France and after the death of Henry the fift Henry the sixt his sonne then being very yong was crowned at Paris as true and lawfull King of England and France At Troy in Champaine he did first enioy Troy in Champaine was the place where that victorious king Henry the fift married the Ptincesse Katherine in the presence of the chiefe nobilitie of the Realmes of England and France Nor these great tules vainely will I bring Wife daughter mother c. Few Queenes of England or France were euer more princely alied then this Queene as it hath beene noted by Historiographers Nor thinke so Tudor that this loue of mine Should wrong the Gaunt-borne c. Noting the discent of Henry her husband from Iohn Duke of Lancaster the fourth sonne of Edward the third which Duke Iohn was sirnamed Gaunt of the Cittie of Gaunt in Flanders where he was borne Nor stirre the English blood the Sunne and Moone Trepine c. Alluding the greatnes of the English line to Phoebus and Phoebe fained to be the children of Latona whose heauenly kind might seorne to be ioyned with any earthly progenie yet withall boasting the blood of France as not inferior to theirs And with this allusion followeth on the historie of the strife betwixt Iuno and the race of Cadmus whose issue was afflicted by the wrath of heauen The children of Niobe slaine for which the wofull mother became a rocke gushing forth continually a sountaine of teares And Iohn and Longshanks issue both affied Lheellin or Leolin ap Iorweth married Ioane daughter to king Iohn a most beautifull Lady Some Authors affirme that she was base borne Lhewellin ap Gryfith married Ellenor daughter to Simon Montfort Earle of Leicester and Cosin to Edward Long-shankes both which Lhewellins were Princes of Wales Of Camilot and all her Pentecosts A Nephewes roome c. Camilot the antient Pallace of King Arthur to which place all the Knightes of that famous order yeerely repaired at Penticost according to the law of the Table and most of the famous home-borne Knights were of that Country as to this day is perceiued by their antient monuments When bloody Rutus sought your vtter sacke Noting the ill successe which that William Rufus bad in two voyages he made into Wales in which a number of his chiefe Nobilitie were slaine And oft returnde with glorious victorie Noting the diuers sundry incursions that the Welchmen made into England in the time of Rufus Iohn Henry the second and Longshankes ⧠Owen Tudor to Queene Katherine WHen first mine eyes heheld your princely name And found from whence this friendly letter came As in excesse of ioy my selfe forgot Whether I saw it or I saw it not My panting heart doth bid mine eyes proceede My dazeled eye inuites my tongue to reede Mine eye should guide my tongue amazed mist it My lips which now should speak are dombe kist it And leaues the paper in my trembling hand When all my sences so amazed stand Euen as a mother comming to her childe Which from her presence hath been long exilde With tender armes his gentle necke doth straine Now kissing him now clipping him againe And yet excessiue ioy deludes her so As still she doubts if this be hers or no At length awak'ned from this pleasing dreame When passion somwhat leaues to be extreame My longing eyes with their faire obiect meete Where euery letter 's pleasing each word sweete It was not Henries conquests nor his Court That had the power to win me by report Nor was his dreadfull terror-striking name The cause that I from Wales to England came For Christian Rhodes and our religious truth To great atchieuements first had wonne my youth Before aduenture did my valour proue Before I yet knew what it was to loue Nor came I hether by some poore euent But by th' eternall Destinies consent Whose vncomprised wisedomes did fore-see That you in marriage should be linck'd to
Palador Caer-Septon now called Shaftsburie at whose building it was said an â—â—agle prophecied or rather one named Aquila of the fame of that place and of the recouerie of the I le of the Brytaines bringing backe with them the bones of Cadwallader from Rome And from Eneons line the South-wales King From Theodor c. This Eneon was slaine by the Rebels of Gwentsland he was a noble and worthie Gentleman who in his life did many noble acts and was father to Theodor or Tudor Maur of whom discended the Princes of South-wales From her great Grandam faire Guenelliam Guenelliam the daughter of Rees ap Griffeth ap Theodor Prince of South-wales maried Edniuet Vahan auncestor to Owen Tudor By true descent from Liolin the great This is tho Lewhelin called Liolinus Magnus Prince of North-wales Nor that word Croggen nick-name of disgrace In the voyage that Henry the second made against the Welchmen as his Souldiers passed Offas ditch at Croggen Castel they were ouerthrowne by the Welchmen which word Croggen hath since beene vsed to the Welchmens disgrace which was at first begun with their honour And old Caer-Merdin Merlins famous towne Caer-Merdin or Merlins Towne so called of Merlius beeing found there This was Ambrose Merlin whose prophecies wee haue There was another of that name called Merlin Siluestris borne in Scotland surnamed Calidonius of the Forrest Calidon where he prophecied And kept our natiue language now thus long The Welchmen bee those ancient Britaines which when the Picts Danes and Saxons inuaded heere were first driuen into those parts where they haue kept their language euer since the first without commixtion with any other language Finis To my worthy and deerly esteemed friend Maister Iames Huish SIR your own naturall inclination to vertue your loue to the Muses assure me of your kinde acceptance of my dedication It is seated by custome from which wee are now bolde to assume authoritie to beare the names of our friends vpon the fronts of our bookes as Gentlemen vse to set their Armes ouer their gates Some say this vse began by the Heroes braue spirits of the old world which were desirous to be thought to patronize learning and men in requitall honour the names of those braue Princes But I think some after put the names of great men in their bookes for that men should say there was some thing good only because indeed their names stood there But for mine owne part not to dissemble I find no such vertue in any of their great titles to do so much for any thing of mine and so let them passe Take knowledge by this I loue you and in good faith worthie of all loue I thinke you which I pray you may supply the place of further complement Yours euer M. Drayton Elinor Cobham to Duke Humfrey The Argument Elinor Cobham daughter to the Lord Cobham of Sterborough and wife to Humfrey Plantaginet duke of Glocester the sonne of Henry the fourth King of England surnamed Bullingbrooke This noble Duke for his great wisdome and iustice called the good was by King Henry the fift brother to this Duke at his death appointed Protector of the land during the nonage of Henry the sixt this Elinor Duches of Glocester a prowd and ambicious woman knowing that if young Henry died without issue the Duke her husband was the neerest of the bloud conspired with one Bullingbrooke otherwise called Onely a great Magitian Hun a priest and Iourdane witch of Eye by sorcerie to make away the King and by coniuration to know who should succeed Of this being iustly conuicted shee was adiudged to do penance three seuerall times openly in London and then to perpetuall banishment in the I le of Man from whence she writeth this Epistle ME thinks not knowing who these lines should send Thou straight turn'st ouer to the latter end Where thou my name no sooner hast espi'd But in disdaine my letters cast aside Why if thou wilt I will my selfe denie Nay I 'le affirme and sweare I am not I Orifin that thy shame thou doost perceiue I le leaue that name that name my selfe shall leaue And yet me thinkes amazd thou shouldst not stand Nor seeme so much appauled at my hand For my misfortunes haue invrde thine eie Long before this to sights of misery No no reade on t is I the very same All thou canst reade is but to reade my shame Be not dismaide nor let my name affright The worst it can is but t' offend thy sight It cannot wound nor doe thee deadly harme It is no dreadfull spell nor magique charme If shee that sent it loue duke Humfrey so I st possible her name should be his foe Yes I am Elnor I am verie shee Who brought for dower a virgins hed to thee Though enuious Beuford slaunderd me before To be duke Humfreis wanton Paramore And though indeede I can it not denie To Magique once I did my selfe apply I wonne thee not as there be many thinke With poisning Philters and bewitching drinke Nor on thy person did I euer proue Those wicked portions so procuring loue I cannot boast to be rich Hollands heire Nor of the bloud and greatnes of Bauire Yet Elnor brought no forraine armies in To fetch her backe as did thy Iacomin Nor clamorous husbands followed me that fled Exclayming Humfrey to defile his bed Nor wast thou forcde the slaunder to suppresse To send me backe as an adulteresse Brabant nor Burgoyne claimed me by force Nor su'd to Rome to hasten my deuorce Nor Belgias pompe defac'd with Belgias fire The iust reward of her vniust desire Nor Bedford spouse your noble sister Anne That princely-issued great Burgunnian Should stand with me to moue a womans strife To yeelde the place to the Protectors wife If Cobhams name my birth can dignifie Or Sterborough renowne my familie Where 's Greenewich now thy Elnors Court of late Where she with Humfrey 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 tooke the ayre Danc'd with my Barge in lanching from the staire The ankoring ships that when I pass'd the road Were wont to hang their chequered tops abroad How could it be those that were wont to stand To see my pompe so goddesse-like on land Should after see me mayld vp in a sheete Doe shamefull penance three times in the streetâ— Rung with a bell a Taper in my hand Bare-foote to trudge before a Beedles wand That little babes not hauing vse of tongue Stood pointing at me as I came along Where 's Humfreys power where was his great command Wast thou not Lord-protector of the Land Or for thy iustice who can thee deny The title of the good Duke Humfrey Hast thou not at thy life and in thy looke The seale of Gaunt the hand of Bulling brooke What blood extract from famous Edwards line Can boast it selfe to be so pure as
thine Who else next Henry should the Realme prefer If it allow of famous Lancaster But Rayners daughter must from France be fet And with a vengeance on our throne be set Mauns Maine and Aniou on that begger cast To bring her home to England in such haste And what for Henry thou hast laboured there To ioyne the King with Arminacks rich heire Must all be dash'd as no such thing had beene Poole needes must haue his darling made a Queene How should he with our Princes else be plac'd To haue his Farleship with a Dukedome grac'd And raise the of-spring of his blood so hie As Lords of vs and our posteritie O that by sea when he to France was sent The ship had suncke wherein the traitor went Or that the sands had swallowed her before She e're set foote vpon the English shore But all is well nay we haue store to giue What neede we more we by her lookes can liue All that great Henry by his conquests heapt And famous Beaford to his glory kept Be giuen backe â—o Rayner all in post And by this meanes rich Normandy be lost Those which haue comen as Mistresses of ours Haue into England brought their goodly dowers Which to our Coffers yeerely tribute brings The life of subiects and the strength of Kings The meanes where by faire England euer might Raise power in France to backe our antient right But she brings ruine heere to make aboad And cancells all our lawfull claime abroad And she must recapitulate my shame And giue a thousand by words to my name And call me Beldam Gib Witch Night-mare Trot With all despight that may a woman spot O that I were a witch but for her sake I faith her Queeneship little rest should take I would scratch that face that may not feele the ayre And knit whole ropes of witch-knots in her haire O I would hag her nightly in her bed And on her breast sit like a lumpe of lead And like a Fayrie pinch that dainty skin Her wanton blood is now so cockered in Or take me some such knowne familiar shape As she my vengeance neuer should escape Were I a garment none should neede the more To sprinckle me with Nessus poisned gore It were enough if she once put me on To teare both flesh and sinewes from the bone Were I a flower that might her smell delight Though I were not the poisning Acenite I would send such a fume into her brow Should make her mad as mad as I am now They say the Druides once liu'd in this I le This fatall Man the place of my exile Whose powerfull charmes such dreadfull wonders wroght Which in the gotish Island tongue were taught O that their spels to me they had resignde Wherewith they raisde and calmde both sea winde And made the Moone pawse in her paled spheare Whilst her grim Dragons drew them throgh the aire Their hellish power to kill the Plow-mans seede Or to fore-speake the flockes as they did seede To nurse a damned spirit with humaine blood To carry them through earth ayre fire and flood Had I this skill that time hath almost lost How like a Goblin I would haunt her ghost O pardon pardon my mis-gouernde tongue A womans strength cannot endure my wrong Did not the heauens her comming in withstand As though affrighted when she came to land The earth did quake her comming to abide The goodly Thames did twice keepe backe her tide Pauls shooke with tempests and that mounting spire With lightning sent from heauen was set on fire Our stately buildings to the ground were blowne Her pride by these prodigious signes were showne More fearefull visions on the English earth Than euer were at any death or birth Ah Humfrey Humfrey if I should not speake My breast would split my very heart would breake I that was wont so many to command Worse now then with a clapdish in my hand A simple mantle couering me withall A very leaper of Cares hospitall That from my state a presence held in awe Glad heere to kennell in a pad of straw And like an Owle by night to goe abroad Roosted all day within an Iuy tod Among the sea-cliffes in the dampy caues In charnall houses or among the graues Saw'st thou those eies in whose sweet cheereful looke Duke Humfrey once such ioy and pleasure tooke Sorrow hath so dispoyl'd me of all grace Thou couldst not say this was my Eluors face Like a fowle Gorgon whose disheuel'd haire With euery blast flies glaâ—ing in the ayre Some standing vp like hornes vpon my head Euen like those women that in Coos are bred My lanke breasts hang like bladders left vnblowne My skin with lothsome laundize ouer growne So pinde away that if thou long'st to see Ruines true picture onely looke on mee Sometime in thinking of what I haue had Euen in a suddaine extasie am mad Then like a Bedlam forth thy Elnor runnes Like one of Bacchus raging franticke Nunnes Or like a Tartar when in strange disguise Preparde vnto a dismall sacrifice That Prelate Beuford a fowle ill befall him Prelate said Iâ— nay diuell I should call him Ah God forgiue me if I thinke amisse His very name me thinks my poison is Ah that viâ—e Iudas our professed foe My curse pursue him where so e're he goe That to my iudgement when I did appeare Laid to my charge those things which neuer were I should pertake with Bullingbrookes intents The hallowing of his magique instruments That I procured Southwell to assist Which was by order consecrate a Priest That it was I should couer all they did That but for him had to this day beene hid Ah that vile bastard that himselfe dare vaunt To be the sonne of thy braue grandsire Gaunt Whom he but fatherd of meere charity To rid his mother of that infamy Who if report of Elder times be true Vnto this day his father neuer knew He that by murthers blacke and odious crime To Henries throne attempted once to clime Hauing procurde by hope of golden gaine A fatall hand his soueraigne to haue slaine Who to his Chamber closely he conuaide And for that purpose fitly there had laide Vpon whose sword that famous Prince had died If by a dogge he had not beene discried But now the Queene her Minion Poole and he As it please them so now must all things be England's no place for any one beside All is too little to maintaine their pride What of a King hath Henry but the name And now scarce that so publike his defame And I pray God I do not liue the day To see thy ruine and thy Realmes decay And yet as sure as Humfrey seemes to stand He be preseru'd from that vile traytors hand From Glosters seate I would thou wert estrang'd Or would to God that Dukedomes name were chang'd For it portends no goodnes vnto vs Ah Humfrey Humfrey it is ominous Yet rather then thy hap so hard should be I would
rare perfections wherewith nature and education haue adorned you I haue beene forced since that time to attribute more admiration to your sexe then euer Petrarch could before perswade mee to by the praises of his Laura Sweete is the French tongue more sweete the Italian but most sweete are they both if spoken by your admired selfe If Poesie were praiselesse your vertues alone were a subiect sufficient to make it esteemed though among the barbarous Getes by how much the more your tender yeeres giue scarcely warrant for your more then womanlike wisedome by so much is your iudgement and reading the more to be wondred at The Graces shall haue one more sister by your selfe and England to her selfe shall adde one Muse more to Muses I rest the humble deuoted seruant to my deere and modest Mistresse to whom I wish the happiest fortunes I can deuise Michaell Drayton William de la Pole Duke of Suffolke to Queene Margaret The Argument William de la Pole first Marques and after created Duke of Suffolke being sent into France by King Henry the sixt concluded a marriage betweene the King his Master and Margaret daughter to Rayner Duke of Aniou who onely had the title of the King of Cicily and Ierusalem This marriage being made contrary to the liking of the Lords and Counsell of the Realme by reason of the yeelding vp of Aniou and Maine into the Dukes hands which shortly after proued the losse of all Aquitaine they euer after continually hated the Duke and after by meanes of the Commons banished him at the Parlement at Berry where after he had the iudgement of his exile being then ready to depart hee writeth backe to the Queene this Epistle IN my disgrace deere Queene rest thy content And Margarets health from Suffolkes banishment Not one day seemes fiue yeeres exile to mee But that so soone I must depart from thee Where thou not present it is euer night All be exilde that liue not in thy sight Those Sauages which worship the Sunnes rise Would hate their God if they beheld thine eyes The worlds great light might'st thou be seene abroad Would at our noone-stead neuer make aboad And make the poore Antipodes to mourne Fearing lest he would neuer more returne Wert not for thee it were my great'st exile To liue within this sea-inuirond I le Poles courage brookes not limmitting in bands But that great Queene thy soueraignty commands Our Falcons kinde cannot the cage endure Nor buzzard-like dooth stoope to euery lure Their mounting broode in open ayre doth roue Nor will with Crowes be coop'd within a groue We all do breath vpon this earthly ball Likewise one heauen encompasseth vs all No banishment can be to him assignde Who doth retaine a true resolued minde Man in himselfe a little world doth beare His soule the Monarch euer ruling there Where euer then his body doth remaine He is a King that in himselfe doth raigne And neuer feareth Fortunes hot'st alarmes That beares against her Patience for his Armes This was the meane prowd Warwicke did inuent To my disgrace at Leister Parlement That onely I by yeelding vp of Maine Should be the losse of fertile Aquitaine With the base vulgar sort to win him fame To be the heire of good Duke Humfreys name And so by treason spotting my pure blood Make this a meane to raise the Neuels brood With Salsbury his vile ambitions syre In Yorkes sterne breast kindling long hidden fire By Clarence title working to supplant The Eagle ayrie of great Iohn of Gaunt And to this end did my exile conclude Thereby to please the rascall multitude Vrg'd by these enuious Lords to spend their breath Calling reuenge on the Protectors death That since the old decrepit Duke is dead By me of force he must be murthered If they would know who rob'd him of his life Let him call home Dame Ellinor his wife Who with a taper walked in a sheete To light her shame at noone through London street And let her bring her Negromanticke booke That fowle hag Iordane Hun and Bullenbrooke And let them call the spirits from hell againe To know how Humfrey died and who shall raigne For twenty yeeres and haue I serude in France Against great Charles and bastard Orleance And seene the slaughter of a World of men Victorious now and conquered agen And haue I seene Vernoylas batfull fields Strew'd with ten thousand helms ten thousand shields Where famous Bedford did our fortune try Or France or England for the victory The sad innesting of so many Townes Scorde on my breast in honorable wounds When Mountacute and Talbot of such name Vnder my Ensigne both first won their fame In heate and cold all fortunes haue indurde To rowze the French within their walls immurde Through all my life these perrills haue I past And now to feare a banishment at last Thou knowst how I thy beauty to aduance For thee refusde the infant Queene of France Brake the contract Duke Humfrey first did make Twixt Henry and the Princesse Arminacke Onely sweete Queene thy presence I might gaine I giue Duke Rayner Aniou Mauns and Maine Thy peerelesse beutie for a dower to bring To counterpoize the wealth of Englands King And from Aumerle with-drew my warlike powers And came my selfe in person first to Towers Th' Ambassadors for truce to entertaine From Belgia Denmarke Hungary and Spaine And telling Henry of thy beauties story I taught my tongue a louers Oratory As the report it selfe did so indite And make it ravish teares with such delight And when my speech did cease as telling all My lookes shewde more that was Angelicall And when I breathde againe and pawsed next I left mine eyes dilating on the text Then comming of thy modesty to tell In musickes numbers my voyce rose and fell And when I came to paint thy glorious stile My speech in greater cadences to file By true descent to weare the Diadem Of Naples Cicils and Ierusalem And from the Gods thou didst deriue thy birth If heauenly kinde could ioyne with broode of earth Gracing each title that I did recite With some mellifluous pleasing Epethite Nor left him not till he for loue was sicke Beholding thee in my sweete Rhetoricke A fifteenes taxe in France I freely spent In triumphs at thy nuptiall tournament And solemnizde thy marriage in a gowne Valude at more then was thy fathers Crowne And onely striuing how to honour thee Gaue to my King what thy loue gaue to mee Iudge if his kindenesse haue not power to moue Who for his loues sake gaue away his loue Had he which once the prize to Greece did bring Of whom old Poets long agoe did sing Seene thee for England but imbarqu'd at Deepe Would ouer-boord haue cast his golden sheepe As too vnworthy ballace to be thought To pester roome with such perfection fraught The briny seas which saw the ship enfold thee Would vaut vp to the hatches to behold thee And falling backe themselues in thronging
Church-yard commaunded that no man should relieue her which the tyrant did not so much for his hatred to sinne but that by making his brothers life odious he might couer his horrible treason the more cunningly May number Rumneys flowers or Isis fish Rumney is that famous Marsh in Kent at whose side Rie a Hauen towne dooth stand Hereof the excellent English Antiquarie Maister Camden and Maister Lambert in his preambulation doâ— make mention And Marishes are commonly called those low grounds which abut vpon the sea and from the Latine word are so denominated Isis is heere vsed for Thamesis by a Synecdochicall kind of speach or by a Poeticall libertie in vsing one for another for it is said that Thamesis is compounded of Tame and Isis making when they are met that renowmed water running by London a Cittie much more renowmed then that water which being plentifull of fish is the cause also why all things else are plentifull therein Moreouer I am perswaded that there is no riuer in the world beholds more stately buildings on either side cleane throgh then the Thames Much is reported of the Graund Canale in Venice for that the fronts on either side are so gorgeous That might intice some foule-mouth'd Mantuâ—n Mantuan a pastorall Poet in one of his Eglogs bitterly inueyeth agaynst woman-kind some of the which by way of an Appendex might be heere inserted seeing the fantasticke and insolent humours of many of that sexe deserue much sharper phisicke were it not that they are growne wiser then to amend for such an idle Poets speech as Mantuan yea or for Euripides himselfe or Senecas inflexible Hippolitus The circuite of the publike Theater Ouid a most fit Author for so desolute a Sectary calls that place Chastities shipwracke for though Shores wife wantonly pleade for liberty which is the true humour of a Curtizan yet much more is the praise of modesty then of such libertie Howbeit the Vestall Nunnes had seates assigned them in the Roman Theater whereby it should appeare it was counted no impeachment to modestie though they offending therein were buried quicke a sharpe law for them who may say as Shores wife doth When though abroad restraining vs to rome They very hardly keepe vs safe at home FINIS To the right VVorshipfull Sir Henry Goodere of Powlesworth Knight SIR this Poeme of mine which I imparted to you at my being with you at your lodging at London in Maie last brought at length to perfection emboldned by your wonted fauours I aduenture to make you Patron of Thus Sir you see I haue aduentured to the world with what like or dislike I know not â—if it please which I much doubt of I pray you then be partaker of that which I shall esteeme not my least good if dislike it shall lessen some part of my griefe if it please you to allow but of my loue howsoeuer I pray you accept it as kindely as I offer it which though without many protestations yet I assure you with much desire of your honour Thus vntill such time as I may in some more larger measure make knowne my loue to the happy and generous familie of the Gooderes to which I confesse my selfe to be beholding to for the most part of my education I wish you all happinesse Michaell Drayton Mary the French Queene to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke The Argument Mary the daughter of that renowned Prince King Henry the seauenth being very yong at her fathers death after by her brother King Henry the eight was giuen in marriage to Lewes King of France being a man olde and decrepit This faire and beautiful Lady long afore had plaâ—â—â—her affection on Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke a braue and couragious yong Gentleman and an especiall fauorite of the King her brother and a man raised vp by him King Lewes the husband of this beautifull Queene liued not long after he was married and Charles Brandon hauing commission from the King to bring her backe into England but being delaied by some sinister meanes the French Queene writeth this Epistle to hasten the Duke forward on his intended voyage to France SVch health from heauen my selfe may wish to mee Such health from France Queene Mary sends to thee Brandon how long mak'st thou excuse to stay And know'st how ill we women brooke delay If one poore channell thus can part vs two Tell me vnkinde what would an Ocean do Leander had an Hellespont to swim Yet this from Hero could not hinder him His barke poore soule his breast his armes his oares But thou a ship to land thee on our shores And opposite to famous Kent doth lie The pleasant fields of flowrie Picardie VVhere our faire Callice walled in her sands In kenning of the cliffie Douer stands Heere is no Beldame Nurse to powt or lower VVhen wantoning we reuell in my Tower Nor neede I top my Turret with a light To guide thee to me as thou swim'st by night Comparde with me wert thou but halfe so kinde Thy sighs should stuffe thy sailes though wanting wind But thy breast is becalmd thy sighs be slacke And mine too stiffe and blow thy broad sailes backe But thou wilt say that I should blame the flood Because the winde so full against thee stood Nay blame it not it did so roughly blow For it did chide thee for thou wast so slow For it came not to keepe thee in the Bay But came from me to bid thee come away But that thou vainely lett'st occasion slide Thou mightst haue wafted hether 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 frowne I might be dombe For this may make thee stand in doubt to come Nay come sweete Charles haue care thy ship to guide Come my sweete hart in faith I will not chide VVhenas my brother and his louely Queene In sad attire for my depart were seene The vtmost date expired of my stay when I from Douer did depart away Thou know'st what woe I suffered for thy sake How oft I fain'd of thee my leaue to take God and thou know'st with what a heauie hart I tooke my farewell when I should depart And being ship'd gaue signall with my hand Vp to the Cliffe where I did see thee stand Nor could reframe in all the peoples view But cried to thee sweete Charles adiew adiew Looke how a little infant that hath lost The things wherewith it was delighted most weary with seeking to some corner creepes And there poore soule it sits it downe and weepes And when the Nurse would faine content the mind Yet still it mournes for that it cannot find Thus in my carefull Cabin did I lie whenas the ship out of the roade did flie Think'st thou my loue was faithfull vnto thee vvhen yong Castile to England su'd for mee Be iudge thy selfe if it were not of power vvhen I refus'd an Empire for my dovver To Englands Court when
once report did bring How thou in Fraunce didst reuell with the king vvhen he in triumph of his victorie Vnder a rich imbrodered Canapie E 〈…〉 d proud Tournay which did trembling stand Toâ—eg for mercie at his conquering hand To heare of his enderements how I ioy'd But see this calme vvas suddenly destroy'd When Charles of Castile there to banquet came With him his sister that ambitious dame Sauoyes prowd dutchesle knowing how long she By her â—oue sought to win my loue from me Fearing my absence might thy vowes acquite To change thy Mary for a Margarite When in king Henries tent of cloth of gold She often did thee in her armes enfold vvhere you were feasted more deliciously Than Cleopatra did Marke Anthony Where sports all day did entertaine your sight And then in maskes you passde away the night But thou wilt say t is proper vnto vs That we by nature all are iealous I must confesse t is oft found in our sex But who not loue not any thing suspects True loue dooth looke with pale suspitious eie Take away loue if you take iealousie Turwin and Turney when King Henry tooke For this great change who then did euer looke When Maximilian to those warres addrest Ware Englands Crosle on his imperiall breast And in our armie let his Eagle flie That viewd our ensignes with a wondring eie Little thought I when Bullen first was wonne VVedlocke should end what angry warre begunnâ— From which I vow I yet am free in thought But this alone by Wolseis wit was wrought To his aduise the King gaue free consent That will I nill I I must be content My virgins right my state could not aduance But now enriched with the dower of France Then but poore Suffolkes Dutchesse had I beene Now the great Dowager the most Christian Qucent But I perceiue where all thy griefe doth lie Lewes of France had my virginitie He had indeede but shall I tell thee what Beleeue me Brandon he had scarcely that Good feeble King he could not do much harme But age must needes haue something that is warme Small drops God knowes do quench that heaâ—lesse fire When all the strength is onely in desire And I could tell if modesly might tell There 's somewhat else that pleaseth louers well To rest his cheeke vpon my softer cheeke Was all he had and more he did not seeke So might the little babie clip the nurse And it content she neuer awhit the worse Then thinke this Brandon if that makes thee frowne For may denhead he on my head set a Crowne who would exchange a kingdome for a kisse Hard were the hart that would not yeeld him this And time yet halfe so swiftly doth not passe Not full fiue months yet elder than I was When thou to Fraunce conducted was by fame With many knights which from all countries came Installed at Saint Dennis in my throne Where Lewes held my coronation Where the prowd Dolphin for thy valour sake Chose thee at tilt his princely part to take Whenas the staues vpon thy caske did light Grieued there with I turnd away my sight And spake alowd when I my selfe forgot T' is my sweeâ—e Charles my Brandon hurt him not But when I fearde the King perceiued this Good seely man I pleasde him with a kisse And to extoll his valiant sonne began That Europe neuer bred a brauer man And when poore King he simply praised thee Of all the rest I ask'd which thou shouldst bee Thus I with him dissembled for thy sake Open confession now amends must make Whilst this old King vpon a pallet lies And onely holds a combat with mine eyes Mine eyes from his by thy sight stolne away Which might too wel their Mistres thoughts bewray But when I saw thy prowd vnconquered Launce To beare the prize from all the flower of France To see what pleasure did my soule imbrace Might easily be discerned in my face Looke as the dew vpon a damaske Rose How through that liquide pearle his blushing showes And when the sost aire breathes vpon his top From the sweet leaues falles easily drop by drop Thus by my cheeke distilling from mine eyes One teare for ioy anothers roome supplies Before mine eie like touch thy shape did proue Mine eie condemn'd my too too partiall loue But since by others I the same doe â—rie My loue condemnes my too too partiall eie The pretious stone most beautifull and rare When with it selfe we onely doe compare Wee deeme all other of that kinde to be As excellent as that we onely see But when we iudge of that with others by Too credulous we doe condemne our eie Which then appeares more orient and more bright As from their dimnesse borrowing great light Alansoon a fine timbered man and tall Yet wants the shape thou arte adornd withall Vandon good carriage and a pleasing eie Yet hath not Suffolkes princely maiestie Couragious Burbon a sweete manly face But yet he wants my Brandons courtly grace Prowd Longauile our Court iudgde had no peere A man scarce made was thoght whilst thou wast here County S. Paule brau'st man at armes in Fraunce Would yeeld himselfe a Squire to beare thy launce Galleas and Bounearme matchlesse for their might Vnder thy towring blade haue cowcht in fight If with our loue my brother angry be I le say to please him I first fancied thee And but to frame my liking to his minde Neuer to thee had I beene halfe so kinde Worthy my loue the vulgar iudge no man Except a Yorkist or Lancastrian Nor thinke that my affection should be set But in the line of great Plantaginet I passe not what the idle Commons say I pray thee Charles make haste and come away To thee what 's England if I be not there Or what to me is Fraunce if thou not here Thy absence makes me angry for a while But at thy presence I must needsly smile When last of me his leaue my Brandon tooke He sware an oath and made my lips the booke He would make hast which now thou doo'st denie Thou art forsworne ô wilfull periuricl Sooner would I with greater sinnes dispence Then by entreatie pardon this offence But yet I thinke if I should come to shriue thee Great were the fault that I should not forgiue thee Yet wert thou heere I should reuenged bee But it should be with too much louing thee I that is all that thou shalt feare to tast I pray thee Brandon come sweete Charles make hast Notes of the Chronicle-Historie The vtmost date expired of my stay When I for Douer did depart away KIng Henry the 8. with the Queene and Nobles in the 6. yeare of his raigne in the moneth of September brought this Ladie to Douer where she tooke shipping for Fraunce Think'st thou my loue was faithfull vnto thee When yong Castile to England su'd for me It was agreed and concluded betwixt Henry the seuenth and Philip King of Castile sonne to Maximilian the
Emperour that Charles eldest sonne of the said Philip should marry the Ladie Mary daughter to King Henry when they came to age which agreement was afterward in the eight yeare of Henry the eight annihilated When he in triumph of his victorie Vnder a rich embrodered Canapie Entred proud Turney which did trembling stand c. Henry the 8. after the long siege of Turnay which was deliuered to him vpon composition entred the Citie in triumph vnder a Canapie of cloth of gold borne by foure of the chiefe and most noble Cittizens the king himselfe mounted vpou a gallant courser barbed with the Armes of England France and Ireland When Charles of Castile there to banquet came With him his sister that ambitious Dame Sauoys prowd Dutches The King being at Turnay there came to him the Prince of Castile and the Lady Margaret Dutches of Sanoy his sister to whom King Henry gaus great entertainment Sauoys proud Dutches knowing how long shee By her loue sought to win my loue from mee At this time there was speech of a marriage to be concluded betweene Charles Brandron then Lord Lâ—ste and the Dutches of Sauoy the Lord Lâ—sâ—e being highly fauoured and exceedingly beloued of the Dutches. When in King Henries Tent of cloth of gold The King caused a rich Tent of cloth of gold to bee erected where he feasted the Prince of Castile and the Dutches and entertained them with sumptuous maskes and banquets during their aboad When Maximillian to those wars addrest Were Englands Crosse on his imperiall breast Maximillian the Emperour with all his souldiers which serued vnder king Henry wore the Crosse of S. George with the Rose on their breasts And in our Armie let his Eagle flie The blacke Eagle is the badge imperiall which here is vsed for the displaying of his ensigne or standard And had his pay from Henries treasurie Henry the 8. at his wars in France retained the Emperor al his souldiers in wages which serued vnder him during those warres But this alone by Wolseys wit was wrought Thomas Wolsey the kings Almoner then Bishop of Lincolne a man of great authoritie with the king and afterward Cardinall was the chiefe cause that the Lady Mary was married to the old French King with whom the French had dealt vnder-hand to befriend him in that match When the proud Dolphin for thy valour sake Chose thee at tilt his Princely part to take Frauncis Duke of Valoyes and Dolphin of Fraunce at the mariage of the Lady Mary in honour thereof proclaimed a Iusts where he chose the Duke of Suffolke and the Marques Dorset for his aydes at all martiall exercises Galeas and Bounarme matchlesse for their might This Countie Galeas at the Iusts ran a course with a speare which was at the head fiue inches square on euery side and at the But nine inches square wherby he shewed his woÌ„drous force and strength This Bounarme a Gentleman of Fraunce at the same time came into the field armed at all poyntes with tenne Speares about him in each stirrop three vnder each thigh one one vnder his left arme and one in his hand and putting his horse to the careere neuer stopped him till he had broken euerie staffe Hall Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk to Mary the French Queene BVt that thy faith commaunds me to forbeare The fault thine owne if I vnpacient were Were my dispatch such as should be my speede I should want time thy louing lines to reede Heere in the Court Camelion-like I fare And as that creature feed vpon the ayre All day I waite and all the night I watch And starue mine eares to heare of thy dispatch If Douer were th'Abydos of my rest Or pleasant Cal 〈…〉 ce were my Maries Cest Thou shouldst not need faire Queene to blame me so Did not the distance to desire say no Noted ous night from trauell should be free Tâ—ll through the wanes with swimming vnto thee A snowy path I made vnto thy Bay So bright as is that Nectar-stained way The restlesse sunne by trauelling doth weare Passing his course to finish vp the yeare But Paris lockes my loue within the maine And London yet my Brandon doth detaine Of thy firme loue thou putst me still in minde But of my faith not one word can I finde When Longauile to Mary was affide And thou by him wast made King Lewes bride How oft I wisht that thou a prize mightst bee That I in armes might combate him for thee And in the madnesse of my loue distraught A thousand times his murther haue sore thought But that th'all-seeing powers which sit a 〈…〉 Regard not mad mens oathes nor faults in loue And haue confirmde it by the graunt of heauen That Louers sinnes on earth should be forgiuen For neuer than is halfe so much distrest As he that loues to see his loue possest Comming to Richmond after thy depart Richmond where first thou stolst away my heart Me thought it looke not as it did of late But wanting thee â—or loâ—ne and desolate In whose faire walkes thou often hast bin seene To sport with Katharine Henries beauteous Queene Astâ—nishing sad winter with thy sight As for thy sake the day hath put backe night That the smal birds as in the pleasant spring Forgot themselues and haue begun to sing So oft I go by Thames so oft returne Me thinkes for thee the riuer yet doth mourne Who I haue seene to let her streame at large Which like a hand-maid waited on thy Barge And if thou hapst against the flood to row Which way it ebd it presently would flow Weeping in drops vpon thy laboring oares For ioy that it had got thee from the shoares The Swans with musicke that the Roothers make Ruffing their plumes come gliding on the lake As the fleete Dolphins by Arionâ— strings Were brought to land with their sweete rauishings The flockes and hâ—irdes that pasture neere the flood To gaze vpon thee haue forborne their food And sate downe sadly mourning by the brim That they by nature were not made to swim Whenas the Post to Englands royall Court Of thy hard passage brought the true report How in a storme thy well rigd ships were tost And thou thy selfe in danger to be lost I knew t was Venus loath'd that aged bed Where beautie so should be dishonoured Or fearde the Sea-Nimphs haunting of the lake If thou but seene their Goddesse should forsake And whirling round her Doue-drawne Coach about To view the Nauie now in lanching out Her ayrie mantle loosely doth vnbinde Which fanning forth a rougher gale of winde Wafted thy sailes with speede vnto the land And runnes thy ship on Bullins harboring strand How should I ioy of thy arriue to heare But as a poore sea-faring passenger After long trauaile tempest-torne and wrack'd By some vnpitting Pirat that is sack'd Heare 's the false robber that hath stolne his wealth Landed in some safe harbour and in health Enriched with invaluable store For which he
the light whereof proceeded from my learned and verie 〈◊〉 friend Maister Francis Thinne Walter of Windsor the â—onne of Oterus had issue William of whom Henry now Lord Windsor is discended and Robert of Windsor of whom Robert the now Earle of Essex and Gerald of Windsor his third sonne who married the daughter of Râ—es the great Prince of Wales of whom came Nesta paraâ—our to Henry the first Which Gerald had issue Maurice Fitz-gerald auncestor to Thomas Fitz-maurice Iustice of Ireland buried at Trayly leauing issue Iohn his eldest sonne first Earle of Kildare ancestor to Geraldine and Maurice his second sonne first earle of Desâ—oond To raisethe mount where Surreys Towers must stand Alludeth to the sumptuous house which was afterward builded by him vpon Leonards hill right against Norwich which in the rebellion of Norffolke vnder Ket inking Edward the 6. time was much defaced by that impure rabble Betvvixt the hil and the Citie as Alexander Neuill describes it the riuer of Yarmouth runs hauing West and South thereof a wood and a little Village called Thorpe and on the North the pastures of Mousholl which containes about sixe miles in length and breadth So that besides the stately greatnes of Mount-Surrey which was the houses name the prospect and site thereof was passing pleasant and commodious and no where else did that encreasing euill of the Norffolke furie enkâ—nnell it selfe but then there as it were for a manifest token of their intent to debase all high things and to prophaneall holy Like Arras worke or other imagerie Such was he whom â—â—uenall taxeth in this manner truncoque similimus Hermae Nullo quippe alâ—o vineis discrimine quamquod Illi marmoreum caput est tua vâ—â—it image Being to be borne for nothing else but apparell and the outward appearance intituled Complement with whom theridiculous fable of the Ape in Esope sorteth fitly who comming into a Caruers house and viewing many Marble workes tooke vp the head of a man very cunningly wrought who greatly in praysing did seeme to pittie it that hauing so comely an outside it had nothing within like emptie figures walke and talke in euery place at whom the noble Geraldine modestly glanceth Finis To the virtuous Lady the Lady Francis Goodere wife to sir Henry Goodere Knight MY very gratious and good Mistris the loue and duety I bare unto your father whilst he liued now after his decease is to your hereditarie to whome by the blessing of your birth he left his vertues Who bequeathed you those which were his gaue you whatsoeuer good is mine as deuoted to his he being gone whome I honoured so much whilest he liued which you may iustly challenge by all lawes of thankefulnesse My selfe hauing beene a witnesse of your excellent education and milde disposition as I may say euer from your Cradle dedicate this Epistle of this vertuous and godly Lady to your selfe so like her in all perfection both of wisedome and learning which I pray you accept till time shall enable me to leaue you some greater monument of my loue M. Drayton The Lady Jane Gray to the Lord Gilford Dudley The Argument After the death of that vertuous young Prince King Edward the sixt the sonne of that famous King Henry the eight Iane the daughter of Henry Gray Duke of Suffolke by the consent of Iohn Dudley Duke of Northumberland was proclaimed Queene of England being married to Gilford Dudley the fourth sonne of the fore-said Duke of Northumberland which match was concluded by their ambitious fathers who went about by this meanes to bring the Crowne vnto their children and to dispossesse the Princesse Mary eldest daughter to King Henry the eight heire to King Edward her brother Queene Mary rising in Armes to claime her rightfull Crowne taketh the saide Iane Gray and the Lord Gilford her husband being lodged in the Tower for their more safetie which place being lastly their Pallace by this meanes became their prison where being seuered in sundry prisons they write these Epistles one to another MIne own deere Lord sith thou art lockt froÌ„ mee In this disguise my loue must steale to thee Since to renue all loues all kindnesse past This refuge scarcely left yet this the last My Keeper comming I of thee enquire Who with thy greeting answers my desire Which my tongue willing to returne againe Griefe stops my words and I but striue in vaine Wherewith amazde away in haste he goes When throgh my lips my hart thrusts forth my woes Whenas the dores that make a dolefull sound Driue backe my words that in the noise are drownd Which somewhat hush'd the Eccho doth record And twice or thrice reiterates my word When like an aduerse winde in Isis course Against the tide bending his boistrous force But when the flood hath wrought it selfe about He following on doth head-long thrust it out Thus striue my fighes with teares e're they begin And breaking out againe sighes driue them in A thousand formes present my troubled thought Yet proue abortiue when they forth are brought The depth of woe with words wee hardely sound Sorrow is so insensibly profound As teares do fall and rise sighes come and goe So do these numbers ebbe so do they flow These briny teares do make my incke looke pale My incke clothes teares in this sad mourning vaile The letters mourners weepe with my dim eye The paper pale grieu'd at my misery Yet miserable our selues why should we deeme Sith none is so but in his owne esteeme Who in distresse from resolution flies Is rightly said to yeelde to miseries They which begot vs did beget this sin They first begun what did our griefe begin we tasted not t' was they which did rebell Not our offence but in their fall we fell They which a crowne would to my Lord haue linckt All hope of life and liberty extinct A subiect borne a Soueraigne to haue beene Hath made me now nor subiect nor a Queene Ah vile ambition how doost thou deceiue vs which shew'st vs heauen and yet in hell doost leaue vs Seldome vntouch'd doth innocence escape when error commeth in good counsailes shape A lawfull title countercheckes prowd might The weakest things become strong props to right Then my deere Lord although affliction grieue vs Yet let our spotlesse innocence relieue vs. Death but an acted passion doth appeare where truth giues courage and the conscience cleere And let thy comfort thus consist in mine That I beare part of whatsoe're is thine As when we liude vntouch'd with these disgraces whenas our kingdome was our deere embraces At Durham Pallace where sweete Hymen sang whose buildings with our nuptiall musicke rang when Prothalamions praisde that happy day wherein great Dudley match'd with noble Gray when they deuisde to lincke by wedlockes band The house of Suffolke to Northumberland Our fatall Dukedome to your Dukedome bound To frame this building on so weake a ground For what auailes a lawlesse vsurpation which giues a Scepter but