As from the realme and crowne the king did pourge And me both from mine office frendes and wife From good report from honest death and life For Therle of Warwick through a cancard grudge Which to king Edward causeles he did beare Out of his realme by force did make him trudge And set king Henry agayne vpon his chaire And then all such as Edwardes louers were As traytours tane were greuously opprest But chiefly I because I loved him best And for my goodes and livinges wer not small The gapers for them bare the world in hand For ten yeres space that I was cause of all The exeenâ—ions done within the land For thys did such as did not vnderstand My enmies drift thinke all reportes wer true And so to hate me wurse than any Iewe. For seeldome shall a ruler lose his life Before false rumours openly be spred Wherby this proverbe is as true as rise That rulers rumours hunt about a head Frowne Fortune once all good report is fled For present shew doth make the mayny blind And such as see dare not disclose their mind Through this was I king Edwardes butcher named And bare the shame of all his cruell dedes I cleare me not I wurthely was blamed Though force was such I must obey him nedes With hyest rulers seldome wel it spedes For they ve ever nearest to the nip And fault who shall for all fele they the whip For whan I was by parliament attaynted King Edwardes evilles all wer counted mine No truth avaylde so lyes wer faste and paynted Which made the people at my life repine Crying Crucifige kill that butchers line That whan I should have gone to Blockaut feast I could not passe so sore they on me preast And had not bene the officers so strong I thinke they would have eaten me aliue Howbeit hardly haled from the throng I was in the Fleete fast shrowded by the shrive Thes one dayes life their malice did me give Which whan they knew for spite the next day after They kept them calme so suffeed I the slaughter Now tel me Baldwin what fault doest thou find In me that lustly should such death deserve None sure except desire of honour blind Which made me seke in offices to serve What minde so good that honors make not swerve So mayst thou see it only was my state That caused my death and brought me so in hate Warne therfore all men wisely to beware What offices they enterprise to beare The hyest alway most maligned are Of peoples grudge and princes hate in feare For princes faultes his faultors all men teare Which to auoyde let none such office take Save he that can for right his prince forsake THis Earles tragedy was not so soone finished but one of the cumpany had prouided for an other of a notable person lord Tiptoftes chiefe enemy concerning whom he sayd Lord god what trust is there in worldly chauÌ„ces what stay in any prosperity for see the Earle of Warwicke which caused the earle of Wurcester to be apprehended attaynted and put to death triumphing with his olde imprisoned and newe vnprisoned prince king Henry was by and by after and his brother with him flayne at Barnet field by kyng Edward whoÌ„ he had before time damaged divers wayes As first by his frendes at Banbury field where to revenge the death of his Cosin Harry Nevel Sir Iohn Conyers and Iohn Clappain his seruauntes slewe five thousand Welshemen and beheaded theyr captaynes the earle of Pen broke and syr Rychard Harbert his brother after they wer yelded prisoners of whom syr Rychard Harbert was â—he tallest gentleman both of his person and handes that ever I reade or heard of At which time also Robyn of Ridsdale a rebell of the earle of Warwyks raysing tooke the earle Rivers king Edwardes wifes father and his sonne Iohn at his manour of Grafion and caryed them to Northhampton there without cause or proces beheaded them Whych spites to requite king Edward caused the lord Stafford of Southwike one of Warwikes chyefe frendes to be taken at Brent march and headed at Budgewater This caused the Earle shortly after to raise his power to encounter the king which came agaynst him with an army beside Warwike at Wouluey wher he wan the field tooke the king prisoner and kept him a while at Yorkeshire in Middleham castel whence as sum say he released him agayne but other thinke he corrupted his kepers and so escaped Then through the lordes the matter was taken vp betwene them they brought to talk together but because they could not agree the earle raysed a new army wherof he made captayne the lord Welles sonne which broyle kinge Edward minding to appeace by pollicy fowly distayned his honor committing peruiry For he sent for the lord Welles his brother sir Thomas Dunocke vnder safeconduyte promising theÌ„ vpon his fayth to kepe theÌ„ harmles But after because the Lord Walles sonne would not dissolve his army beheded theÌ„ both and weÌ„t with his power downe into Lincolnshire there fought with sir Robert Welless slewe ten thousand of his souldiers yet ran they away so fast that the casting of of their clothes for the more spede caused it to be called loose-coate fyeld tooke sir Robert other and put them to deth in the same place This misfortune forced the earle of Warwike to saile into FrauÌ„ce wher he was wel entertained of y t king a while and at last with such poore helpe as he procured ther of duke Rayner other he came unto England againe increased such a power in Kyng Henries name y t as the lord Tiptoft sayd in his tragedy king Edwarde vnable to abide him was faine to flye over the washes in Lincolnshire to get a ship to saile out of his kingdome to â—is brother in lawe the duke of Burgoyne So was king HeÌ„ry restored again to the kingdome Al these despites troubles the Earle wâ—ought agaynst king Edward but Henry was so â—nfortunate that ere halfe a yeare was expâ—red king Edwarde came backe agayne and imprisoned him and gave the erle a sielde wherein 〈◊〉 sâ—w both him and his brother I have recounted thus much before hande for the better opeâ—ing of the story which if it should have bene spoken in his tragedâ— would rather have madâ— a volume thaâ— a Pamphlete For I enteâ—de onelye to say in the tragedy what I have 〈…〉 the Earle of Warwycke person 〈…〉 other noble mâ—n wham I have by the waye touched should not be forgotten And therfore imagine that you see this Earle lying with his brother in Paules church in his coat armure with such a face countenaunce as he beareth in portrayture ouer the dore in Poules at the going downe to Iesus Chappell fro the south ende of the quier stayres and saying as foloweth Hovv sir Richard Nevell Earle of VVarvvike and his brother Iohn Lord Marquise Mountacute through their to much boldnes vver slayne at Barnet field
AMong the he any heape of happy knyghtes Whom Fortune stalde vpon her stayles stage Oft hoyst on hye oft pight in wretched plightes Behold me Baldwin a per se of my age Lord Richard Nevell Earle by mariage Of Warwike duchy of Sarum by discent Which erst my father through his mariage hent Wouldest thou beholde false Fortune in her kind Note well my life so shalt thou see her naked Ful fayre before but toto foule behind Most drowsy still whan most she semes awaked My fame and shame her shift full oft hath shaked By enterchaunge alowe and vp alofte The Luysard like that chaungeth hewe ful oft For while the Duke of Yorke in life remayned Mine vncle deare I was his happy hand In all attemptes my purpose I attayned Though King and Quene most Lordes of the land With all their power did often me withstand For god gaue Fortune and my good behaviour Did from their prince steale me the peoples fauour So that through me in feldes right manly fought By force mine vncle tooke king Harry twise And for my cosin Edward so I wrought When both our syers were slayne through rashe aduice That he atchieved his fathers enterprise For into Scotland King and Quene we chased By meane wherof the kingdome he embraced Which after he had enioyde in quiet peace For shortly after was king Henry take And put in prison his power to encreace I went to Fraunce and matched him with a make The French kinges doughter whom he did forsake For while with payne I brought his sute to passe He to a widowe rashly wedded was This made the French king shrewdly to suspecte That all my treaties had but yll pretence And whan I sawe my king so bent to lust That with his fayth he past not to dispence Which is a princes honors chiefe defence I could not rest 〈◊〉 I had found a meane To mend his misse or els to marre him cleane Wherfore I allyed me with his brother George Encensing him his brother to maligne Through many a tale I did agaynst him forge So that through power we did from Calays bring And found at home we frayed so the king That he to go to Freseland ward amayne Wherby king Henry had the crowne agayne Then put we the earle of Wurcester to death King Edwardes frend a man to fowle defamed And in the while came Edward into breath For with the duke of Burgoyne so he framed That with the power that he to him had named Unlooked for he came to England strayt And got to Yorke and tooke the towne by sleyte And after through the sufferans of my brother Which like a beast occasion fowly lost He came to London safe with many other And tooke the towne to good king Harries cost Which was through him from post to piller tost Til therle of Oxeford I and other more Assembled power his fredome to restore Wherof king Edward warned came with spede And camped with his oste at Barnet towne Where we right fierce encountred him in dede On Easter day right early on the downe There many a man was slayne and striken downe On eyther side and neyther part did gayne Til I and my brother both at length were slayne For we to harten our overmatched men Forsooke our stedes and in the thickest throng Ran preacing furth on foote and fought so then That down we drave them wer they never so stroÌ„g But ere this inche had lasted very long With numbre and force we wer so fowlye cloyed And rescue fayled that quite we wer destroyed Now tell me Baldwin hast thou heard or read Of any man that did as I have done That in his time so many armies led And victory at every vyage wunne Hast thou ever heard of subiect vnder sonne That plaaste and baaste his soveraynes so oft By enterchaunge now low and than alost Perchaunce thou thinkest my doinges were not such As I and other do affirme they were And in thy minde I see thou musest much What meanes I vsed that should me so prefer Wherin because I wil thou shalt not erre The truth of all I wil at large recite The short is this I was no hippocrite I never did nor sayd save what I mente The common weale was still my chiefest care To priuate gayne or glory I was not bent I never passed vpon delicious fare Of nedeful foode my bourde was never bare No creditour did curs me day by day I vsed playnnes ever pitch and pay I heard olde soldiers and poore wurkemen whine Because their dutyes wer not duly payd Agayne I sawe howe people did repine At those through whom their paimentes wer delayd And proofe 〈◊〉 oft assure as scripture sayd That god doth wreke the wretched peoples griefes I sawe the polles cut of fro polling thevâ—s This made me alway iustly for to deale Which whan the people playnly vnderstoode Bycause they sawe me mind the common weale They still endeuoured how to do me good Ready to spend their substaunce life and blud In any cause wherto I did them move For suer they wer it was for their behove And so it was For whan the realme decayde By such as good king Henry sore abused To mende the state I gave his enmies ayde But whan king Edward sinful pranlâ—es stil vsed And would not mend I lâ—kewise him refused And holpe vp Henry the better of the twayne And in his quarel iust I thinke was slayne And therfore Baldwin teach by proofe of me That such as covet peoples love to get Must see their wurkes and wurdes in all agree Live liberally and kepe them out of det On common weale let al their care be set For vpright dealing dets payd poore sustayned Is meane wherby all hartes are throwly gayned ASsoone as the Erle had ended his admonicion sure ê™ one I thinke the Erle of Warwike although he wer a glorious man hath sayd no more of him selfe than what is true For if he had not had notable good vertues or vertuous qualities and vsed lawdable meanes in his trade of lyfe the people woulde never have loved him as they did But god be with him and send his soule rest for sure his bodye never had any And although he dyed yet ciuil warres ceased not For immediatlye after his death came Quene Margarete with a power out of Fraunce bringing with her her yoÌ„g sonne prince Edwarde and with such frendes as she found here gave king Edward a battel at Tewrbury where both she her sonne wer takeÌ„ prisoners with Edmund duke of Somerset her chiefe captayne whose sonne lord Iohn and the earle of Deuonshire were slayne in the fight and the duke him selfe with divers other immediatlye beheaded whose infortunes are wurthy to be remembred chiefely Prince Edwardes whom the king for speaking truth cruelly stroke with his gauntlet and his bretherne tirannously murdered But seinge the time so farre spente I will passe them over and with them Fawconbridge that ioly rover beheaded at
of stomacke and person Princes all pereles in eche condicion Namely syr Edwarde called the blacke prince Whan had Englande the lyke before eyther since But what of all this any man to assure In state vncarefull of Fortunes varyaunce Syth dayly and hourely we see it in vre That where most cause is of affyaunce Euen there is founde moste weake assuraunce â–ª Let none trust Fortune but folowe Reason For often we see in trust is treason This prouerbe in proofe ouer true I tryed Finding high treason in place of high trust And most faulte of fayth where I most affyed Beyng by them that should haue been iust Trayterously entrapt ere I coulde mystrust Ah wretched worlde what it is to trust thee Let them that wyll learne nowe hearken vnto mee After king Edwarde the thyrdes decease Succeded my Nephewe Rycharde to reyne Who for his glory and honors encrease With princely wagies dyd me enterteyne Agaynst the Frenchmen to be his Chyefreyne So passyng the seas with royall puissaunce With God and S. George I inuaded Fraunce Wasting the countrey with swurde and with fyer Ouerturning townes high castels and towers Lyke Mars God of warre enflamed with yre I forced the Frenchmen tabaddon theyr bowers Where euer we matcht I wan at all howers In suche wyse visyting both Cytie and village That alway my soldiers were laden with pillage With honoure and triumph was my retourne Was none more ioyous than yong king Richarde Who minding more highly my state to adourne with Glocester Dukedome dyd me rewarde And after in mariage I was prefarde To a daughter of Bohan an earle honorable By whome I was of Englande high Constable Thus hoysted so high on Fortunes wheele As one on a stage attendyng a playe Seeth not on whiche syde the scaffolde doth reele Tyll tymber and poales and all flee awaye So fared it by mee for day by daye As honour encreased I loked styll hyer Not seyng the daunger of my fonde desyer For whan Fortunes slud ran with full streame I beyng a Duke descended of Kinges Constable of Englande chiefe officer in the realme Abused with esperaunce in these vaine thinges I went without feete and flewe without winges Presumyng so far vpon my high state That dread set aparte my prince I would mate For where as al kings haue counsel of their choyse To whom they refer the rule of theyr lande With certayne famyliers in whom to reioyce For pleasure or profyt as the case shall stande I not bearyng this would nedes take in hande Maulgree his wyll those persons to dysgrace And such as I thought fyt to appoynt in their place But as an olde booke sayth who so wyll assaye Aboute the Cats necke to hang on a bell Had fyrst nede to cut the Cats clawes awaye Least yf the Cat be curst or not tamed well She haply with her nayles may clawe him to the fell For doyng on the bell about the cats necke By beyng to busy I caught a sore checke Reade well the sentence of the Rat of renoune Which Pierce the plowman discribes in his dreame And who so hath wyt the sense to expoune Shall fynde that to bridle the prince of a realme Is euen as who sayeth to striue with the streame Note this all subiectes and construe it well And busy not your braine about the cats bell But in that ye be Lyeges learne to obaye Submytting your wylles to your princes lawes It sytteth not a subiecte to haue his owne waye Remember this bywurde of the Cats clawes For princes lyke Lyons haue long and large pawes That reache at raundon and whom they once twitch They clawe to the bone before the skyn itch But to my purpose I beyng once bent Towardes the atchiuyng of my attemptate Fower bolde Barrons were of myne assent By oth and allyaunce fastly confederate Fyrst Henry of Derby an Earle of estate Richarde of Arundell and Thomas of Warwicke With Mowbray erle Marshall a man most warlicke At Ratcote brydge assembled our bande The Commons in clusters cam to vs that day To daunce Robert Uere then Duke of Irelande By whom king Rycharde was ruled alway We put hym to flyght and brake his array Then maulgree the kyng his leaue or assent By Constables power we called a parlyament Where not in roabes but with bastardes bright We cam for to parle of the Publyke weale Confyrming our quarell with maine and with might With swurdes and no wurdes we tryed our appeale In stede of Reason declaryng our Zeale And whom so we knewe with the kyng in good grace Playnely we depriued him of power and of place Sum with shorte proces were banyshe the lande Sum executed with capytall payne Wherof who so lyst the whole to vnderstande In the parlyament roll it appeareth playne And furder howe stoutly we dyd the king strayne The Rule of his realme wholy to resygne To the order of those whom we dyd assygne But note the sequele of suche presumption After we had these myracles wrought The king enflamed with indignacion That to suche bondage he should be brought Suppressyng the yre of his inwarde thought Studyed nought els but howe that he myght Be highly reuenged of his high dispight Aggreued was also this latter offence with former matter his yre to renue For once at wyndsore I brought to his presence The Mayor of London with all his retinue To are a reckening of the Realmes reuenue And the soldiers of Brest were by me made bolde To clayme entertainment the towne being solde These griefes remembred with all the remnaunt Of hate in his hert hourded a treasure Yet openly in shewe made he no semblaunt By wurde nor by deede to beare displeasure But loue dayes dissembled do neuer endure And who so trusteth a foe reconcylde Is for the most parte alwayes begilde For as fyer yll quencht will vp at a starte And sores not well salued do breake out of newe So hatred hydden in an yrefull harte Where it hath had long season to brewe Upon euery occasion doth easely renewe Not fayling at last yf it be not let To paye large vsury besides the due det Euin so it fared by this frendship fained Outwardly sounde and inwardly rotten For whan the kinges fauour in semyng was gained All olde dyspleasures forgyuen and forgotten Euin than at a sodayne the shaft was shotten Whiche pearced my harte voyde of mistrust Alas that a prince should be so vniust For lying at Plasshey my selfe to repose By reason of syckenes whiche helde me full sore The king espying me aparte from those with whom I confedered in bande before Thought it not meete to tract the tyme more But glad to take me at suche auauntage Came to salute me with friendly vysage Who hauyng a bande bounde to his bent By coulour of kyndenes to byset his Eame Tooke tyme to accomplysh his cruell intent And in a small vessell downe by the streame Conueyed me to Calays out of the realme where without proces or doome of my
skarre My broken Iaw vnheald can say no lesse O Fortune Fortune cause of all distresse My father had great cause thy fraude to cursse But much more I abused ten times wursse Thou neuer flatteredst him in all his life But me thou dandledst like thy darling deare Thy giftes I found in every corner rife Where ever I went I met thy smyling cheare Which was not for a day or for a yeare But through the rayne of thre right worthy kynges I found the forward in al kind of thinges The while king Henry conquered in Fraunce I sued the warres and still found victory In all assaultes so happy was my chaunce Holdes yelde or wunne did make my enmies sory Dame Prudence eke augmented so my glory That in all treaties ever I was one Whan weyghty matters were agreed vpon But whan this king this mighty conquerour Through death vnripe was both his realmes bereft His sely infant did receyue his power Pore litle babe ful yong in cradell left Where crowne and Scepter hurt him with the hefâ— Whose wurthy vncles had the governaunce The one at home the other abrode in Fraunce And I which was in peace and war wel skilled With both these rulers greatly was estemed Bare rule at home as often as they willed And fought in Fraunce whan thei it nedeful demed And every where so good my seruice semed That Englishmen to me great loue did beare Our foes the French my force fulfilled with feare I alwayes thought it fitly for a prince And such as haue the regiment of realmes His subiectes hartes with mildnes to convince Wyth iustice myxt auoyding all extremes For like as Phebus with his chearfull beames Doth freshly force the fragrant floures to florish So rulers mildnes subiectes loue doth norish This found I true for through my mild behauour Their hartes I had with me to liue and dye And in their speache for to declare their fauour They called me styll good earle of Salisbury The lordes confest the commons did not lye For vertuous life fre hart and lowly mind With high and low shal alwayes fauour find Which vertues chief becum a man of war Wâ—erof in Fraunce I founde experyence For in assaultes due mildnes passeth farre Al rigour force and sturdy violence For men wil stoutly sticke to their defence When cruel captaynes covet them to spoyle And so enforst oft geue their foes the foyle But when they know they shall be frendly vsed They hazard not their heades but rather yelde For this my offers neuer were refused Of any towne or surely very seelde But force and furies fyt be for the feelde And there in dede I vsed so the same My foes would flye if they had heard my name For whan lord Steward and erle Uantadore Had cruelly besieged Crauant towne Which we had wunne and kept long time before Which lieth in Awxer on the riuer Youne To rayse the siege the Regent sent me downe Where as I vsed all rigour that I might I killed all that were not saued by flight When the erle of Bedford then in Fraunce lord regent Knew in what sort I had remoued the syege In Brye and Champayne he made me vice gerent And Lieutenaunt for him and for my Lyege Which caused me go to Bry and ther besyege Mountaguillon with twenty wekes assant Which at the last was yelded me for naught And for the duke of Britayns brother Arthur Both erle of Richmonde and of Yvery Against his othe from vs had made departure To Charles the Dolphin our chief enemy I with the regent went to Normandy To take his towne of Yvery which of spight Did to vs dayly al the harme they might They at the first compounded by a day To yeeld if rescues did not cum before And whiles in hope to fight we at it lay The Dolphin gathered men two thousand skore With erles lordes and captaynes ioly store Of which the duke of Alanson was gide And sent them downe to see if we would bide But they left vs and downe to Uernoile went And made their vaunt they had our army slayne And through that lye that towne from vs they hent Which shortly after turned to their payne For there both armies met vpon the plaine And we .viii. M. whom they flew not slewe before Did kil of them ten thousand men and more When we had taken Uernoile thus againe To driue the Dolphin vtterly out of Fraunce The Regent sent me to Aniowe and to Mayne Wher I besieged the warlik towne of Mawns Ther lord of Toysers Baldwins valiaunce Did well appere which wold not yeeld the towne Till all the towres walles wer battred downe But here now Baldwin take it in good part Though that I brought this Baldwin ther to yeeld The Lion searce for all his noble hart Being overmatched is forst to flye the feeld â–ª If Mars him selfe had there ben with his sheeld And in my sâ—ormes had stoutly me withstoode He should haue yeeld or els haue shed my bloode Thâ—s wurthy knight both hardy stout and wise Wrought well his feate as time and place require Whan fortune fayles it is the best advice To strike the sayle least al lie in the mire This have I sayd to thend thou take no yre For though no cause be found so nature frames Men haue a zeale to such as beare their names But to returne in Mayne wan I at length Such towns fortes as might either helpe or hurt I mannâ—d Mayon Suzans townes of strength Fort Barnarde Thanceaux S. Eales the curt With Lile sues Bolton standing in the durt Eke Gwerland Susâ—e Loupeland and Mountsure With Malicorne these wan I and kept full sure Besides al this I tooke nere forty holdes But those I razed even with the grounde And for these dedes as sely shepe in foldes Do shrinke for feare at every litle sound So fled my foes before my face ful round Was none so hardy durst abide the fight So Mars and Fortune furdered me their knight I tel no lye so gastful grewe my name That it alone discomfited an host The Scots and Frenchmen wil confesse the same Els wil the towne which they like cowardes lost For whan they sieged Bewron with great bost Being fourty M. Britayns French and Scottes Fiue hundred men did vanquish them like sottes For while the Frenchmen did assault them stil Our Englishmen came boldly furth at night Criyng sainct George Salisbury kil kil kil And offred freshly with their foes to fight And they as frenchly tooke them selves to flight Supposing surely that I had ben there Se how my name did put them all in feare Thus was the Dolphins power discomfited Fower M. slayne their campe tane as it stoode Wherby our towne and souldiers profited For there were vitayles plentifull and good This while was I in England by the rood To appeace a strife that was right foule befall Betwene Duke Humfrey and the Cardinall The Duke of Exceter shortly after died
Which of the king at home had gouernaunce Whose roume the earle of Warwike then supplied And I tooke his and sped me into Fraunce And hauing a zeale to conquer Orlyaunce With much a do I gat the regentes ayde And marched thither and siege about it layde But in the way I tooke the towne of Yayn Wher murdred wer for stoutnes many a man But Baugency I tooke with litle payne For which to shew them fauour I began This caused the townes of Mewne and Iargeman That stoode on Loyer to profer me the keyes Ere I came nere them welny by two dayes See here how Fortune forward can allure What baytes she layeth to bring men to their endes Who having hap like this but would hope sure To bring to bale what euer he entendes But soone is sowre the sweete that Fortune sendes Whan hope and hap whan helth and welth is hyest Than wo and wracke desease and nede be nyest For while I suing this so good successe Layd siege to Orlyaunce on the river syde The Bastard Cuckold Cawnyes sonne I gesse Tho thought the dukes who had the towne in gide Came fearcely forth when he his time espide To raise the siege but was beat backe agayne And hard pursued both to his losse and payne For there we wan the bulwarke on the bridge With a mighty tower standing fast therby Ah cursed tower that didst my dayes abridge Would god thou hadst bene furder eyther I. For in this tower a chamber standes on hie From which a man may view through al the towne By certayne windowes yron grated downe Where on a day now Baldwin note mine ende I stoode in vewing where the towne was weake And as I busily talked with my frend Shot fro the towne which al the grate did breake A pellet came and drove a mighty fleake Agaynst my face and tare away my checke For payne wherof I dyed within a wecke See Baldwin see the vncertaynty of glory How sodayne mischief dasheth all to dust And warne all princes by my broken story The happiest Fortune chiefly to mistrust Was neuer man that alway had his lust Than such be fooles in fancy more then mad Which hope to haue that neuer any had THis straunge aduenture of the good erle drave vs al into a dumpne inwardly lamenting his wofull destynye out of which we wer awaked after this sort To what ende ê™ one muse we so much on this matter This Earle is neyther the first nor the last whom Fortune hath foundered in the heyth of their prosperitye For all through the raine of this vnfortunate king Henry we shall find many whych haue bene likewise serued whose chaunces sith they be marâ—â—â—l and therfore honorable may the better be omitted And therfore we wil let go the lordes Mâ—rlmes and Poyninges slayne both at the siege of Orleans shortly after the death of this earle Also the valiaunt earle of Arundle destroyed with a bowlet at the assault of Gerbory whose storyes nevertheles are wurth the hearyng And to quicken vp your spirites I wil take vpon me a tragicall person in deede I meane kyng Iamy slayne by his seruauntes in his pryvy chamber who although he be a Skot yet seing he was brought vp in Englande where he learned the language hys example also so notable it were not meete he shoulde be forgotten And therfore marke Baldwin what I thinke he may say Hovv king Iames the first for breaking his othes and bondes vvas by gods suffrauns miserably murdred of his ovvne subiectes IF for examples sake thou write thy booke I charge the Baldwin thou forget me not Whom Fortune alwayes frowardly forsooke Such waâ— my lucke my merite or my lot I am that Iames king Roberts sonne the Skot That was in England prisoner all his youth Through mine vncle Walters trayterous vntruth For whan my father through disease and age Unwieldy was to gouerne well his land Because his brother Walter semed sage He put the rule therof into his hand Than had my father you shall vnderstand Of lawfull barnes me and one only other Nempt Dauy Rothsay who was mine elder brother This Dauy was prince of Scotland and so take Till his aduoutry caused men complayne Which that he might by monyshment forsake My father prayed mine vncle take the payne To threaten him his vices to refrayne But be false traytour butcherly murdring wretch To get the crowne began to fetch a fetch And finding now a proffer to his pray Deuised meanes my brother to deuower And for that cause convayed him day by day â–ª From place to place from castell vnto tower To Faulkland fort where like a tormentour He starmd him and put to death a wife Whom through a reede he sukt to saue his life O wretched death â–ª fye cruel tiranny A prince in prison lost for fault of foode Was â—â—nce enmy wrought such villany A trusted brother stroye his brothers blood Wo wurth foe frendly fye on double hood Ah wretched father see thy sonne is lost Sterved by thy brother whom thou trustedst most Of whom whan sum began to find the fraud And yet the traytor made him selfe so clere That he should seeme to haue deserued laud So wofull did he for his death appeare My doubtful father louing me ful deere To auoyde all daunger that might after chaunce Sent me away but nine yeres olde to Fraunce But windes and wether wer so contrary That we wer driuen to the English coast Which realme with Skotland at that time did vary So that they tooke me prisoner not as oste For which my father fearing I wer lost Conceiued shortly such an inward thought As to the graue immediatly him brought Than had mine vncle all the regiment At home and I in England prisoner lay For to him selfe he thought it detryment For my releace any raunsum for to pay For as he thought he had possest his pray And therfore wisht I might in durauns dure Till I had dyed so should his rayne be sure But good king Henry seing I was a child And heyre by ryght vnto a realme and crowne Dyd bring me vp not lyke my brother wylde But vertuously in feates of high renowne In libeâ—all artes in instrumentall sowne By meane wherof whan I was after king I did my realme to ciuil order bring For ere I had been prisoner eyghtene yere In which short space two noble princes dyed Wherof the first in prudence had no peere The other in warre most valyant throwly tryed Whose rowme his sonne babe Henry eke supplyed The pyers of England which did gouerne all Did of their goodnes helpe me out of thrall They maried me to a cosin of their king The Duke of Somersets daughter rich fayre Releast my raunsome saue a trifling thing And after I had done homage to the hayer And sworne my frendship neuer should appayre They brought me kingly furnisht to my lande Which I recâ—yued at mine vncles hand Wherof my lordes and commons wer ful glad So was