al my Realme proclame At which both Danes and Englishmen did meete Then secretely my friendes and I did frame That Englishmen the Danes shoulde friendly greete And at the feast that they shoulde doo their feate And that they might the better woorke their wyl They thus were plast according vnto skil Two before one and three before fyue Here two and there two and foure then beliue Here one and there one and three at a cast Then one and twice two and one at the last They mingled thus the watchworde wysely geuen And Englishmen with weapons wel bestead The Danes amidst their Cuppes were shauen shriuen Fiue hundred thousand in one day were dead Nowe note the ende of blood so beastly shed For Swane the king of Denmarke did ariue He for reuenge did me to Richard driue Marke here howe lawlesse policies preuaile Their good successe doo promise present payne What May mans vayne deuises ought auaile Dishonest deedes no honour can obtayne Al murthering Massacers be vile and vayne Such suttle slayghtes haue neuer good successe The proofe whereof with payne I here expresse For Swane with swoorde and fyre did destroye Both man and beast and euery earthly thing He did that noble London much annoy He wonne the Realme and was the Englishe king When tract of time him to his Beere did bring Canutus then his sonne did him succeede Whom to displace I did despatch with speede My brother Richarde Duke of Normandy Of Normans gaue to me a goodly bande By helpe of whom Canutus forst to flee I got agayne the kingdome of Englande But out alas what thing may fyrmely stande Whose vnder propt is of so litle might That want of strength dooth let thinges drop downright Canutus did from Denmarke nowe returne The wrathful wight appoynted passyng strong My subiectes slue my Cities he did burne Which when I hearde I liude not very long My faynting hart was thronged with a throng Of cares which broke it in my feareful brest And so at last death brought my bones to â—est Twice tenne and eight I ranne my ruthful race And then in Paules my cursed corps was layde Canutus did my common weale deface The Danes were kinges my kingdome was decayde This worlde is frayle and euery thing must fade But alwayes that which wanteth gouernment That fyrst dooth feele the force of dangers dent The Induction O Memory quoth Inquisition what dyd become of Edmunde Ironsyde of whom you made mention in your former induction That vertuous valiaunt Prince quoth Memory was miserably made away by an Earle By an Earle quoth Inquisition I haue here an Earle called Edricus who murthered a Kynge it maye bee that chaunce hath yeelded vntoo vs the factour vnlooked for He is euen the same sayd Memory and hys Tragedye is very necessarie for hee as thys woorthie Kyng was set on a Priuie to doo as nature and necessitie dooth constrayne caused hym miserably to bee thrust vp into the fundament wyth a Speare wherewith the good Prince ended hys dayes If we doo heare hym geue hym warnyng quoth Inquisition that hee be briefe for wee haue no tyme too bestowe in hearing the complayntes of those miserable Princes and yet wee muste needes heare one more besyde hym Let him therefore goe roundly to the purpose He shal not be tedious quoth Memory Wherewith the wretched man sayde as foloweth ⧠The Complaint of Edricus ¶ Howe Edricus destroyed the valiant king Edmunde Ironsyde hoping to haue greate preferment for his labour of Canutus the Dane and howe the same Canutus caused him to be headed for his labour A necessary example for al such as thinke by craft and deceite to increase their credite YOu hellish hagges of Limbo Lake belowe Which dayly doo my cursed corps torment Come forth come forth come forth I say and shewe Howe I on earth my dismal dayes haue spent And wil you not you wretched wightes assent To helpe me here to tell that drierie tale Which may amongst men liuing much preuayle O cursed ghost condemde to endelesse thral Sith they refuse to aide thee in this neede Doo thou declare and tel the truth of al That men aliue my wretched woorkes may reade And see the fruite of suttle Satans seede Auoyding vice and fancies fonde delight Note wel my tale the truth I shal recite When Etheldrede had geuen Canutus place Edmunde dis sonne surnamed Ironside Deuising howe he might his foe deface By wrath of warre the cause they did decide And in the ende the Realme they did deuide Edmunde had hâ—lfe Canutus had the rest Then they with peace and quietnesse were blest O blinde beleefe O hope of higher hope Why did you moue my minde to meditate Howe I in woe king Edmunde might inwrap And howe I might depresse my kinges estate Thou blinde beleefe thou breeder of debate I wanting grace did let thee moue my minde Causlesse to kil a courteous king and kinde He being kilde I to Canutus went To whom I sayd See here a faythful friend I for thy loue with bloody blade haue bent And brought my king to his vntimely ende Thou by that meanes shalt rule thy realme with rest My friendly fist with happie good successe Hath thee inricht with blisse and happinesse Hast thou quoth he destroyde thy souerayn king Thou faythlesse fauning friende for loue of me Thou verlet vile and couldste thou doo the thing The which might more abridge my libertie O heynous acte O bloody crueltie But sith that loue did moue thee doo that deede Thou for thy paynes shalt be preferde with speede Wherwith in hast he to the hangman said Let this mans head the hyghest place obtayne On London walles wherewith I neuer stayde But on a blocke my necke was cut in twayne In all mens sighte my head did long remayne See here what wit the grape of hope dooth yeeld See on what sand such buste braynes do builde O hateful thing that fancies fonde delight The sense of mortal man should senselesse make When vices vaunts with vertues deedes dare fyght Then dooth the soule the hapyie heauens forsake Then man makes hast to Plutoes sothsome sake Why should man loue that sugered sowre sweete Which wisedoms lore to lothe hath thought most meete FINIS The Induction THe iust rewarde for so vile an offence dothe proue quoth Inquisition this Canutus to bee both a wise and a worthy Prince Yea saide Memory yf he had liued amoÌ„gst those pratling Poetes which made so muche tattle of Hector Hercules certaynely he should not haue been inferiour vnto eche of them This Canutus was king at one time of foure kingdomes as for Englande and Scotlande and Norway he held them by conquest By birth he was the kyng of Denmarke yea he so demeaned him selfe that duryng his lyfe all these foure kingdomes honoured him with the honoure due vnto a natiue king But not long after his death that good king Saint Edmunde the confessour obtayned agayne the rule of Englande but chiefely
through the helpe of his Nephewe William duke of Normandy to whom for that after his death he by liniall descent was next he promised the Crowne of Englande if that he dyed without issue Howe chaunced it then quoth Inquisition that the Duke made such sharpe warre vppon Harolde for the obteynyng thereof Howe dyd it chaunce quoth Memory that is necessarie too be knowne for that chaunce dyd not onely destroy the Danes but it brought both Harolde and the Englishmen to confusion and although nowe our idle houres be spent tyme and our affayres doo call vs from the further hearing these mens complayntes yet let vs as we may heare what thys Harolde wyll saye hys story wyll furnishe our woorke wyth a fit conclusion And for the better vnderstanding of this mans matter doo you imagine that you see this king comming from the conquest of the Danes euen sweating in hys armour to saye as followeth The Complaint of Harolde ¶ Howe King Harolde raygnyng but niene monthes had continuall warre with the Danes with the Norway Kyng with his brother Tosto and with Duke William who partely by hys strength but chiefly by policie ouercame hym and by killyng him in the feelde obteyned the kingdome of Englande Thys historie dooth declare that no manhoode nor courage can keepe the crowne from the right heyres head WOulde he haue warre and we to warre proclame O Bastarde Duke and dost thou dare to fyght My Noble men Come forth and purchase Fame Geue me my swoorde let me defende my right Steppe foorth with speede my Martiall men of myght With Bowes and Bylles let vs their course restrayne And teach them that their vaunting vowes be vayne But that we may with wysedome wisely woorke It vs behoues in Normandy to fight With hym and not to let his souldiers lurke Here in my Realme we shal thereby achiue No noble acte though hence we him do driue But if we deale with him in Normandy We shal receiue renowne and victorie It is the best with forraine foes to fyght Abroade as did the haughtie Hannibal And not at home to feele their hatefull spight Of all the rest it is the greatest thrall That foes ariude should spoyle our subiectes all And for a truth this alwayes hath bin found He speedeth best which fightes on forrayne grounde My men of warre were mustered in hast But hast to late was then of none auayle The Duke ariude he in my Realme was plaste He euery where my subiectes did assayle And euery where he caused them to quayle For which I bode hym battaile by and by Where equall warres gaue neither victorye For both our strengthes were weakned in such wise We both for breath to pause were wel content Euen then the Duke he wisely did deuise How here to yeeld my crowne I might be bent For whiche to me a Pursiphaunt he sent With letters suche as here I shall recite Wherein he claimes the Birttayne Crowne his right ⧠William Duke of Normandie and ryght heyre to the Englyshe Crowne to Harolde the Vsurper Though birthright cannot cause thee yeeld to me my crown Yet haue thou some respect of honour and renowne For thou by oth didst sweare to yeeld to me my right When as I thee preferd and stalde thee there bymight Mine vncle Edwarde he thy fathers faythfull freende Gaue me his crowne and thou thereto didst condescend Yet now thou wouldest fayne defeate me of my right And proue thy selfe forsworne of former promise plight Shall Harold haue his hest shal Godwines sonne here guide Shall William want his wyl and haue his ryght denide ▪ Wel Harolde if thou canst with warres determine so I am content if not prouide I am thy foe My sonnes and al my kinne shal neuer stint to striue To plucke thee from thy place whilst one is left aliue But if thou wylt be wise to me my right resigne And thou shalt haue the place belonging to thy line If not with fyre and swoorde I meane thy Realme to spoyle I neuer hence wyll starte till I haue forst thy foyle And now thou knowste my wyl determine for the best Thou maist haue warres and if thou wylt thou maist haue rest Willyam Duke of Normandy THese letters were of little might to make My manly minde to graunt hym his request For which I did to Fortune me betake To wage new warres with hym I deemde it best So from his fist his threatning blade to wrest But see the force of Fortunes changing cheare An other cloude before me did appeare My brother Tosto who from me was flead Did now returne and brought the Norway kyng They did deuise to haue from me my head Which made me to indite an other thing Unto the Duke then playne and true meaning I gaue him hope of that I neuer meant These were the lines which to the Duke I sent Harolde the English king to thee William Duke of Normandie HArold the English king thee William Duke doth greete Thy letter being read I haue not thought it meete Without a parliament to do so great a thing As of a forrayne Duke to make an Englshe kyng But if my three estates will follow mine aduise Thou shalt receiue the crowne and beare away the price Therfore delay a time thou shortly shalt receiue With full consent the thing which now thou seekst to haue Harolde Then I in hast my power did prepare For why I hearde my brother Tostoes trayne Two of my Earles by North he had destroyd And manye a thousand men he there had slayne But when we met his triumphe was in vayne For I and myne the Norway king there kilte And I my selfe my brothers blood there spilte Now when the Duke my friendly lines had read And heard how I my men did muster newe There lies a Snake within this greene grasse bed Quoth he therefore come forth my warrelike crewe We will not staye to see what shall insue By long delayes from Forrain coastes he may Procure an ayde to scourge vs with decay But when he heard with whom I had to deale Well donne quoth he let hym go beate the bushe I and my men to the lurche line will steale And plucke the Net euen at the present push And one of them we with decaye will crushe For he who doth the victor there remaine Shall neuer rest till he hath dealt with twaine So I in vaine who had the victorie Within fewe dayes was forst againe to fight My strength halfe spoylde the rest wounded and wearie His campe was comne vnwares within my sight There was no hope to flee by day nor night I Harolde then a Harande sent in haste To know whither the Duke his campe had plaste He sent me woorde my yfs and ands were vaine And that he knewe the driftes of my delay For which he sayde he woulde yet once agayne Make trial who shoulde beare the crowne away If I would yeelde he sayd his men should stay If not he then was present presently
seeing it standeth in the Sea separate from any lande Good Syr to write thereof so manyfolde be the commodities and thinges woorthy the writyng of woulde rather require a good volume then a peece of an Epistle Let it therefore suffice for this tyme that I by writyng vnto you some fewe lines of the Couernour I may briefely declare what the gouernement and commodities be The right woorshipful Maister Thomas Leighton is her Maiesties Lieutenaunt there Syr I doo remember howe constant Constantine the Great was in Religion and howe that noble Emperour mynded the Reformation thereof You knowe howe carefull Licurgus and Solon were for making of good Lawes and ministring of iustice And Histories doo recorde howe passing happye Epaminundas was in al his affayres But what a seemely sight is it to see al these vertues so to concurre in one man that hee who shoulde compare hym with them should I wyl ensure you doo hym great iniurie for that I may briefly conclude vndoubtedly a few such men as he is being plaste at a Princes elbow were sufficient to keepe the most ruinous common weale that is from ruine and destruction And now iudge you the commodities of the Countrey by the goodnesse of the Gouernour for as Seneca sayeth Where Gouernours be good and rule their charge aright Without an ebbe there flowes the flood which vertuous minds delight And heere I doo turne me from these thinges vntill by talke with you I may dilate more at large therof and returning my selfe vnto my former purpose I haue not thought it conuenient to write the complaynts of these men with so obscure a stile as some other haue done but with so playne an exposition that he who doth reade them shal not neede to be Oedipus for euery playne Dauus shall by reading them easely vnderstand the Authours drift And because Diligence and Memorie bee all the helpers that I haue therefore I haue ordayned them as the chiefe workers of my wyll Higgins vsed I know not what Morpheus the God of dreames But I dreame not the other had Baldwine for their hearer but I haue diligent Inquisition who can finde out al things and Memorie who knoweth al thinges for the Arbiters of my matter Take you therefore the fruites of these my idle howres sent vnto you with a good wyll and according vnto the trust reposed in you keepe these trifles from the view of all men and as you promysed let them not raunge out of your priuate Study And thus wishing vnto you honour and long lyfe I ende the .15 daye of Maye An. 1577. Your Friende to vse Thomas Blener Hasset ¶ The Table of the Contents of this seconde Booke of the Mirrour for Magistrates HOw Guidericus refused to pay tribute vnto Claudius Caesar how he subdued Galba howe he being desirous to winne all the worlde spoyled Fraunce Germany and a great part of Italy and lastly how he was miserably slayne in a tempest of thunder euen at what time he shoulde haue dealt with Caesar. This historie is a singuler example of Gods vengeance against pride and arrogancye Fol. 2 Howe Carassus a husbandmans sonne slewe Lodriâ—e the King of the Pictes and how the Emperour made him a Captayne Then howe he obteyned the Brittayne Crowne and how suspition brought hym to Decaye Fol. 10. How Queene Hellina was Empresse of al the world This Storye dooth declare howe happye they bee which liue in the feare and loue of God. Fol. 18. How Vortiger destroyed the young King Constantine and howe hee obtayned the Crowne Howe the abusing of his prosperitie brought him and his Realme so lowe that hee was constrayned to hyre souldiours to defende himselfe from his enimies and howe after many miseries hee was miserably burnte in his Castell by the brethren of Constantine Fol. 24. Howe Vter Pendragon was inamoured with Duke Garelus wife and howe by lawlesse loue he lost his kingdom This example is most necessarye for the present time Fol. 31. How Cadwallader the last King of the Brittaynes after he had behaued himselfe very valiauntly against the Saxons resigned his Crowne and went to Rome where he liued in a Religious house This Story containeth in it the estate of al estates Fol. 36. How Sigebert was thrust from his Throne and miserably slayne by a Heardman This Tragedie dooth teache both Prince and Subiect his duty at large Fol. 41. How Lady Ebbe dyd flea her Nose and vpper Lyppe away to saue her Virginitie Fol 48. How Alurede was brought vnto disease and vnto vntimely death being inclyned vnto the sinne of the flesh By his example we may learne that one vice is sufficient to deface a hundred Vertues Fol. 51. How Egelrede for his wickednesse was diuersly distressed by the Danes and lastly dyed for sorrow seing himselfe not able to deale with Canutus Fol. 55. How Edricus destroyde the valiaunt King Edmunde Ironside hoping to haue great preferment for his labour of Canutus the Dane and how the same Canutus caused him to be headed for his labour A necessary example for all such as thinke by crafte and deceit to increase theyâ— credit Fol. 59. How King Harolde raigning but nine monethes had continuall warre with the Danes with the Norway King with his Brother Tosto and with Duke William â–ª who partly by his strength but chiefly by policy ouercame him and by kylling hym in the feeld obtayned the kingdome of Englande This History dooth declare that no manhod nor courage can keepe the Crowne from the right Heyres head Fol. 62 FINIS The Induction DIligent Inquisition saieth Memorie beholde in the bottomlesse â—â—yt of blind Obliuion there remayneth as yet a multitude who although in their tyme they were of all men most famous and euen in this our time their ensamples be patternes passing singular to refourme the deformities of this age notwithstanding they are so couered and hidden with those mistie cloudes of fylthy forgetfulnes that if thou InqusitioÌ„ doest not with all dilygent inquiry and I Memorye who haue howrded vp in my treasury the knowledge of all thinges except wee with all our industrye doo endeuour our selues they are not lyke euer to come into the light For at what time those barbarous nations I meane the Gothes Hunes and Danes dyd with so great outrage ouerrunne all the worlde euen then the auncient Historyes and Recordes of time were by them vtterly defaced so that Princes before that time how renowmed so euer they were be at this present euen by their meanes buryed so deepe in obliuion that I Memorye cannot without a new inquirye of many most Noble Princes repeate a few wordes speake you therfore Inquisition and declare your mynde how we might renew the decayed Memory of those men See heere quoth Inquisition with great and diligent Memorye I haue founde out diuers who with their continuall complayninges haue euen for conscience sake made me their procleare to exhibite vnto you in their behalfe a Supplycation in which they complayne of the great iniurie
the same What though to buyld vp Abbies I did bend My selfe and prayd that God his worde would send Though these good deedes did honor much my name Yet these defaste with deedes of foule defame Be of no price for filthie fleshly luste Destroyd them al and layd them in the duste For as you see dissolued clowdes with rayne The beames of Phebus do deface Euen so one sinne did al my vertues race They blemished myne honor with disdayne So that I finde al vertue is in vayne If vices be with vertue linkt in place On vice an hundred vertues doth disgrace Therefore the man who hopeth for renowme Must fight with flesh and beate al vices downe And hee who can his raging wyl resiste Is much more strong then Alexander greate Who wâ—nne the worlde yet had he not the feate With conquest to compel his lawlesse liste To do the thing whereby he might be bliste But they who hope to haue a heauenly seate Their lust and fleshly fancies downe must beate And here by me you may perceiue at large The thinges which God committeth to mans charge The Induction IT is requisite quoth Memory that now you seeke for Edmund Ironsides Father I meane Egelrede of some Writers called Etheldrede who as his Predecessor Alurede had but one vice so hee had neuer a vertue In whose time the Danes dyd more then ouerrunne Englande for they ruled and raigned ouer the whole Realme and although a very valiant impe proceeded out of his raynes who for his ablenesse to indure paynes and trauayle was surnamed Ironside yet had not William Duke of Normandy Nephew vnto the saide Edmunde made a conquest therof the Danes no doubte had ruled it euen vnto this day It is necessary therfore that we heare this mans Complaynt I haue hym here quoth Inquisition but I haue no minde to heare him speake for seeing he dyd dispise all vertue and learnyng it is to be thought that hee wyll tell a crooked tale such a one as wil I feare except it be fyled after him deforme all the rest But I wyl take paynes to polish that which he roughly doth frame Not at all quoth Memorie the browne Byl is a goodly weapon and let it suffise if the matter wyll beate downe vice let the meeter delight as it may Seeing you saye so quoth Inquisition I am content that by the example of his death he may admonish all the worlde to flee the fall which he felt wherewith he stepped forth and saide as foloweth The Complaynt of Egelrede ¶ How Egelrede for his wickednesse was diuerslye distressed by the Danes and lastly dyed for sorrow seeing him selfe not able to deale with Canutus THe minde and not the Man dooth make or marre For as the Stearne dooth guide the Argocy So by their mindes all men they guyded are From out the minde proceedeth fantasie All outwarde actes vertue or vanitie Not from the man but from the minde proceede The minde dooth make the man to do eache deede For Phalaris with beastly bloudy minde And Nero dyd in murther much delight To mercy Antoninus was inclinde Midas for Golde extended all his might For worldly pompe how dyd Pompeius fight The mountyng minde of Alexander made Hym winne the worlde his fame can neuer fade How dyd the minde moue Calicratides Xerses Cirus and Argantonius Philip of Macedon Theramines Aiax Iason and Aurilianus Achilles and the olde King Priamus Hector and Hercules with false Sino Their mindes dyd make them weaue the web of woe The Twig dooth bende as Boreas blastes dooth blow So man dooth walke euen as his minde dooth moue Then happy hee who hath a minde to know Such thinges as be the best for his behoue No doubt the minde which vertuous actes dooth loue Dooth make a man euen Caesar to surpasse For Noble deedes who Prince of prowesse was But he who hath his minde to mischiefe bent All his delight from vertue dooth decline Lyke mee to late hee shall his faultes repent â–ª His sinfull soule shall feele the fall in fine That I haue felte which makes me to repine Against my minde for Nature dyd her parte My euil inclyned minde dyd spoyle my hart What though I were of comely personage Ioyntly my ioyntes were ioynde with perfect shape Adorned eke with so sweete a visage That neuer yet from Natures handes dyd scape A worke ymade of such a perfect shape But what of that these giftes for want of grace Deformed quite the feature of my face For why my minde to ruthful ruine hent I did delyght in lothsome lecherie I neuer did my odious deedes repent In drunkennesse in extreme crueltie I did delight in euerye villannye As for delyght in princely exercise â–ª The feates of armes I did them most despise By meanes whereof my subiectes did me hate And forrayne 〈◊〉 to burne my Realme were bolde With warre 〈◊〉 Danes did alter strayght the state Fyrst Fortune did my common weale vnfolde Then pestilence did make my courage colde And last of al the dreadful diuelish Danes Dyd make me pay them tribute for theyr paynes Euen nowe the Realme of Englande dyd decaye For when the Danes theyr tribute had consumde Forthwith they made vs greater summes to paye From ten to fifteene thousand they presumde Of poundes to make vs pay so I redeemde With money bagges my careful common wealth The onely meanes reserued for my health When thus the wante of courage on my parte Had geuen my foes so sure footing here And when disease with her destroying Darte Had wypte away my subiects euerywhere Euen then to late my wisemen did appeare Whome heretofore I alwayes did detest There counsayle graue at last they thus exprest O Egelrede the fruite of fearfulnesse Of riote thou the right reward dost reape But if thou wilt auoyde this wretchednesse Be wise and looke about before you leape Of hatefull happes you see a hidiouse heape Before your face therefore in time geue eare And wisely way the wordes which thou shalt heare That nobel Duke Richarde of Normandy â–ª A sister hath whom then we wishe to weâ— By meanes whereof from this captiuity We may be brought and that without bloodshed For why these Danes these Normans so do dread That yf from thence an ayde we can procure Thy foes no doubte can neuer long endure The mayd she may a princes fancye please Her brother is a man of greate renowne This way O king may make thy subiectes ease It may restore the freedome of thy Crowne This onely way will force thy foes to frowne If thou thy Crowne and common weale dost loue Do thou the thing so much for thy behoue So by their meanes I maried the mayde She Emma hight the floure of Normandie Of whom I was so glad and wel apayde That al the world with my prosperitie Could not compare and in that Iolitye I did deuise by traynes of secrete treason To bring the Danes to death in a good season I did a feast through