Strikes England so yet this they comfort call Into the hands of man they shall not fall b Sad growes the time nor with her wonted cheare Or usuall dressing does the Spring appeare No cleansing gale of Zephyre moves the ayre While rising fogs obscure the welk in faire Without his showres contagious Auster blowes And painted Summer no kind fruit bestowes Nor does the Sunne as if inflam'd with ire Send out that wholesome and prolifique fire He us'd to doe but beames of mortall heat And from the bosome of the twins as great Combustion kindles here as if he then Vpon the Nemean Lion's backe had beene Within the farthest Easterne Lands from whence Day breakes breakes forth the fatall pestilence As if with rising Titan it begunne And follow'd thence the motion of the Sunne To Europe then does th hot contagion flye Raging through euery part of Italy And France that bled so late is forc'd to see Beside warres stroke a new mortality But most of all o're England's mourning face The sad infection spreads and Death apace In his pale Chariot rides through all the land No age nor sexe escape his vengefull hand Young men in prime of all their strength are strooke And yeeld The sucking Infant what he tooke From Nature soone is summon'd to repay From those soft limbs untimely fleets away The new-come Soule before it can be growne Acquainted with the tender mansion The aged man not because aged goes But onely ' cause he had a life to lose The mourning grave becomes a marriage bed To beauteous maids praeposterously dead One father wailes his sonne another all His houshold carries in one funerall And for so many deaths one mourning serves If one be left to mourne No care preserves Nor antidote can save from this disease Their greatest hope is but to dye in peace For oft the fiery sicknesse did invade Reasons coole seat and there prevailing made A strange distraction worse then losse of breath For which their friends wish'd as a cure their death The face oft burn'd no moisture had the eye Nor could by teares expresse their misery Some while their dearest friends they doe entombe Before that pious office done become Themselves a funerall Death makes him to be An hearse that came a mourning obsequy Nor does this venemous contagion Worke the destruction of mankind alone The sheepe and cattell perish as if growne On earth quite uselesse since the men are gone Wast lye the Lawnes the fields of tillage now Are desolate while the forsaken plow Nor men nor cattell scarce can exercise The Oxe in midst of all his labour dyes And leaves behind his mourning fellow now Dismist from toyle and service of the plow Who takes no comfort now in shady woods In flowery meadowes or cleare Chrystall floods That destiny alas for him remaines Although at rest The warrelike horse disdaines The pleasant streames and sicke forgetteth quite His food or th' honour of a race or fight Even Toads and Vipers dye acquainted growne With venome farre more mortall then their owne Twice through th' Horrizon had Hyperion runne Since first the fatall Pestilence begunne Before th' Almighty did his sword restraine And with his favour visit earth againe He now is pleas'd to cast a gracious eye On this distemper'd world her misery He cures and makes her former beauty come With kindly fruits he fills earth's fertile wombe And makes sweet blasts to move the wholesome ayre The people find at last their humble prayer Is heard and now the teares are wip'd away Due praise and thankes before his Altar pay Annotations upon the fourth Booke a Those that would see at large the actions of the Earle of Darby in Guyenne Aquitaine and Normandy let them read Froissard where they shall see them fully though not elegantly related This Earle of Darby a man of great worth and neere in blood to King Edward was afterwards by him created Duke of Lancaster the first Duke that ever was in England and left behind him no other issue but one daughter who being his sole heire was married to Iohn of Gaunt the Kings sonne and brought to him a large dowry together with the title of Duke of Lancaster b This wonderfull mortality which it pleased God in his wrath to send upon the wretched earth happened in the 22. yeare of King Edward immediately after the taking of Calleis a greater pestilence wee can scarce read of in any particular land or kingdome much lesse so great and with all so generall as this was For not onely England but France Italy and most of the Easterne and Southerne kingdomes were visited at that time and felt the rod most heavy and sad on them The fore-runner of this great sicknesse was immoderate raine for our Chronicles agree in generall that from Midsummer to Christmas it rained every day or night The yeare following it is noted that there dyed in London betweene Ianuary and the end of July seven and fifty thousand persons Other Cities and Townes suffered the like according to their proportions insomuch that some writers of those times were of opinion that halfe the inhabitants of the Land dyed for we must not beleeve Walsingham who sayes there was not above a tenth part of mankinde left alive As great a death of Cattell happened both that and the yeere following Thie was the greatest but not the onely plague which happened during the reigne of this King Edward For twelve yeeres after England was visited with another which our Chronicles called the second great Plague In that many of the Nobility dyed and among the rest that noble Henry Duke of Lancaster a chiefe actor in all the warres and victories of Edward and a maine Pillar of the state at that time THE REIGNE OF KING EDWARD THE THIRD The fifth Booke Argument V. Prince Edward levyes forces to maintaine Against the French his right in Aquitaine The King wasts Scotland Poictiers field is fought From whence King Iohn of France is prisoner brought PHilip of France had left the earth and John The eldest Sonne as in his father's Throne So in his sad mis-fortunes does succeed Who what the Fates in vengeance had decreed Against his Realme by rashnesse hastens on And gainst all right on Charles his eldest sonne Conferres the stile of Duke of Aquitaine Great Edward bound in honour to maintaine His owne inheritance creates his Sonne Young Edward Prince of that Dominion Exhorts him bravely to defend his right And ' gainst the French for his just Title fight For which Prince Edward armes and with a traine Of valiant Lords prepares for Aquitaine Never did Fortune with more favour smile On any armes nor from this martiall Ile Did ever army crosse the Seas before That more triumphant did returne or wore A richer Garland from Bellona's tree There to maintaine young Edward's signiory Brave Warwicke armes who neare the Prince his side When Crescy field his mayden prowesse try'd Before had fought and Suffolke whose renowne
maiden prey A royall army would vouchsafe to take Nor is King Philip in her rescue slacke But for the late dishonourable blow Fill'd with revenge and fury thither now Is marching with a numerous hoast and brings Besides his French-men the two warlike Kings Navarre and Boheme nor will Edward rise From Tourneys siedge although too small a prize One Cities conquest now appeares to be For Edward's sword but Fortune lets him see That she to crowne his glorious hopes so nigh Had brought a warre of greater dignity And now the two incensed Kings are met And their great cause on one dayes tryall set As all beleeve all expectations neere Are drawne nor have they time to hope or feare The armies both stand rang'd in faire array And fierce Bellona proud of such a day As if it lay not in the power of chance That storme to scatter shakes her dreadfull lance For like two high-swoll'n seas on either side Whose meeting rage no Isthmos did divide But windes that from contrary quarters blow Together drive the two Battaliaes show But that Eternall God who from on high Surveys all hoasts disposes victory Call'd thence the Lord of hoasts and sets the times Of warre or peace as sinfull Nations crimes Provoke his justice did not thinke it good That cloud should yet dissolue in showres of blood But pleas'd to respite for a time the woes Of wretched France and for his purpose chose An instrument whose weaknesse might make knowne The power that reconcil'd them was his owne A veiled Nun alone could enterpose And stay the fury of these armed foes Jane de Valois a Princely Lady neere To one in blood as by alliance deere To tother Mother to great Edward's Queene And Philip's sister who of late had beene Since Heinaults death at Fontenelles vow'd A holy Nun She waken'd with the loud Alarmes of this so great so fear'd a blow Her quiet cloister had forsaken now Amidst their armed troopes her way she tooke And through the rudest breasts a reverence strooke Well did the fame of her chaste life before Become the sacred habit that she wore Pure innocence her snow-white veile profest Her blacke a sorrow silently exprest Grave was her comely face Devotion On beavties ruines with more beavty shone In all her gestures dwelt humility But temper'd with commanding Majesty As thus she passes to perswade the Kings Faire Peace descends and with her silver wings Cutting the ayre above the Princesse still Hangs gently hovering whose calme breath doth fill The changed Campes the Souldiers 'gan to feele A mildenesse seize their breasts all thoughts of steele Of blood and slaughter seemed to withdraw This gentle Nymph when fierce Bellona saw As she from heaven descended downe and knew Her hopes were now put off away she flew And left the field but with an angry looke Turn'd backe and proudly her plum'd helmet shooke Goe sluggish Nymph quoth she enjoy thy day Fates may deferre but cannot wipe away This Kingdomes wounds but 't is not their decree The fields of Tourney should renowned be To future times for such a glorious day In Crescy fields brave Edward shall display His conquering colours there the French shall fall And that poore Village now scarce nam'd at all Shall for the death of many thousands be A place of fame to all posterity There I shall reigne till then dull fields adieu And like a Dragon through the ayre she flew And now so well the Princesse did perswade Both Kings so powerfull he that sent her made Her pious Eloquence that all their hate Seem'd banish'd Philip of Valois forgate His thirst of vengeance for the fatall blow France tooke in that great Navall overthrow Edward relented too content to cease His royall clayme a while a sudden peace Is for three yeeres concluded to remaine The dreadfull colours folded up againe The threatning swords are sheath'd not stained yet In blood at all and all those Princes met To make the tryall of so great a day Depart againe King Edward takes his way By Flanders home and with his dearest Queene That royall pledge that for two yeeres had beene Left there by him the honour of their clime And there had brought within that happy time His royall family a faire increase Two Princely Sonnes to England crost the Seas But soone Wars flame that had a while in vaine Beene by the Truce deprest broke out againe And higher blaz'd but by degrees it came Nor did the royall quarrell and great claime That Edward laid to France begin the jarre But to draw on this great and fatall Warre Collaterall causes are found out by fates And first in aide of their confoederates Abovt the question'd right of Brittaines Lands Th'engaged Princes by their servants hands And meaner strengths begin to blow the flame To England Montford's widow'd Dutchesse came And here from Edward noble succours gain'd Gainst Charles of Bloys whom Philip's power sustain'd The Earles of Suffolke Pembrooke Salisbury And Stafford flowers of English chevalry Bourchier and Spencer Lords and many moe Of honour'd name with her to Brittaine goe With them went Robert of Artois who first In Edward kindled that ambitious thirst And fir'd his active spirit to advance His owne high honour by the woes of France At Vannes siedge so fate ordain'd he tooke His mortall wound but ere the soule forsooke Her earthly reliques thence to Englands ground Transported backe a quiet grave he found Her Souldier England willingly entomb'd His native France that by his meanes was doom'd So many following mischiefes to endure Bestow'd his death but not his sepulture Vannes and other little townes are won And lost but no important action This warre produces where the threats are high Save that the two great foes are drawne so nigh Though timely truces doe againe prevent The fatall blow great Edward not content To send in Montford's aide those forces ore Arrives himselfe upon the Brittaine shore To whom Prince Iohn the Duke of Normandy With forty thousand men approached nigh In Bloys his right the armies both prepare To give the blow Neere was the stroke of warre And Brittaine Vannes had almost beheld What was decreed to Crescyes fatall field The royall powers of England and of France In Brittaines cause to try their puissance Before their owne great quarrell they maintaine But Brittaines Dutchie must not hope to gaine So great an honour here cleere growes the day Without a showre this cloud is blowne away The warre is done two Cardinals attone As earst a Ladies gentle breath had done The royall Armies and so well perswade Truce is againe 'twixt France and England made Sterne Mars a while from deeds of blood restrain'd Strove still to whet his rage and entertain'd That breathing space in pastimes to prepare His cruell forces for th' ensuing warre For like a Campe showes Edwards marshall Court To which the Knights of greatest fame resort From every land their prowesse there to try And gaine renowne by active Chevalry
bright Princesse and in words declares How just a cause excites him to the warres Besides the honour he from thence may gaine That Pedro is the true-borne Lord of Spaine And crowned Monarch that no vice what-e're Can wash away that sacred Character That Subjects may not put their Soveraigne downe Nor give Don Henry title to their Crowne But ought to leave that power to God alone Who can revenge at full what he has done Or else so clense him from the greatest crimes That Pedro's penitence in after-times May all his former impious reigne redeeme Like King Manasses in Ierusalem That it concern'd a true-borne Prince his right To take that part lest other Nations might Hereafter from a president so bad Vsurpe more freedome than they justly had Then taking leave of his deare wife he went To that which after prov'd by accident A fatall warre to England Where though he Obtain'd a great and glorious victory And present honour through all Europe gate Yet most unhappy to his future state The voyage was his treasures wast which cost Sad tumults and his French Dominions lost Besides his losse of health All which was sent Perchance to Edward as a punishment For ayding such a monster though true heire Nor long held Pedro his recover'd chaire Soone after th'English went from thence againe Depos'd and by victorious Henry slaine Thus all their punishments did undergoe Castile Don Pedro and Prince Edward too The Tyrant Pedro for his impious reigne Edward for lifting up the fiend againe And all Castile by England's conquering sword Scourg'd for deposing of their lawfull Lord. With noble Edward to this Spanish warre Young Iohn of Gaunt the Duke of Lancaster His brother marches to whose future state Castile shall prove a name more fortunate Who by the marriage of Don Pedro's heire The Royall title of that land shall weare With large revenues thence The Duke commands One of the three Battalia's with him stands Brave Sir Iohn Chandois who in warre before Had ever beene Prince Edward's Counsellor Now set to guide the youth of Princely Iohn With him young Beauchamp noble Warwick's sonne And stout Lord Dalbert with a gallant traine Of Gentlemen and Knights of Aquitaine The Prince of Wales himselfe commands the maine And middle Battell Pedro King of Spaine For whom the warre is made by Edward's side There marches on and English Chieftaines try'd In many a Battell then esteem'd to be The very flowers of Europes Chevalry With many Lords of high account and name That from Poictou from Maine and Guyenne came A Monarch leads the third Battalia on Iames of Mallorques King that in renowne Like th' ancient Caesars might blacke Edward stand And Kings not scorne to serve in his command There th' Earle of Arminacke leads on his power And English Knolls that expert warriour Thither the Lords of Dalbreth Piergort And many noble Knights and Squires resort With all his army thirty thousand strong The Prince sets forth from France to passe along The famous streights of Roncevall and through The kingdome of Navarre gets leave to goe By which with faithfull guides they passe as farre Before they meet th'approach of any warre As faire Victoria on the bounds of Spaine There some fore-runners of King Henry's traine Descry'd gave notice that the blow was neere But thrice as many as Prince Edward's were The troops that Henry of Castile had brought Besides the natives of the Land that fought To guard their new-elected King and free Themselves from Pedro's future tyranny Th'expertest souldiers of the Realme of France Come to encrease King Henry's puissance And Saracens from our invasions free Beare here a part in Christian enmity And ' gainst Don Pedro guard his brothers throne In three great bodies comes that army on The first and noblest where the French-men stand Is under Bertram of Cleâ—quy's command The greatest body in the midd'st the King Himselfe drawes up the last his brothers bring And now beside the towne of Naveret In faire array are both the battel 's set Renowned Edward to his men declares Th' undoubted justice of their present warres And that no odds of numbers he can feare When he beholds those men those Leaders there Who but ' gainst odds did never battell try Yet never fought without a victory As those that Sluces navall fight had seene That had in Crescy field and Poictiers beene And bids them now maintaine that old renowne They in so many honour'd fields had wonne As much does Bertram his French troops excite And briefly tells them they not onely fight King Henry's Crowne and honour to maintaine And winne fame there but to redeeme againe That dearest honour ' gainst the English hoast Which France of late had to that Nation lost But when King Henry whose great cause was try'd In that dayes hazard saw the English side Were marching on against him in array And that the warre admitted no delay He thus bespeakes his souldiers If a cause Of such great weight as to this battell drawes Your farre-engaged hands could need at all Th' inciting language of a Generall The wrongs of Spaine and brutish cruelty Our foe has us'd afford a scope to me Too large too sad to play the Oratour But well I know your Countries love has power Enough to raise your highest courages And bring you forward were our army lesse Than theirs in number as the odds is ours Vnlesse this battell make us Conquerors There can no people be so low as we No land so wretched as Castile will be T is not our wealth alone or lawes we lose Nor to be quite o're-runne by forreine foes Though every Nation have esteemed those The worst but Spaine must suffer greater woes ' Gainst her so fierce no forreine sword can be As her restored tyrants cruelty His who was once depos'd when to a mind Before so bloody sterne revenge is joyn'd If Spaine before could not endure his yoke How will she beare it now if by warres stroke Our conquering hands make not the action good Better the tyrant undisturb'd had stood What made old Marius when returned home With so much slaughter fill the streets of Rome Marius whose hand was once her best defence But that himselfe had beene exil'd from thence The prisons stinch the shackles that he bore The bread he begg'd on wasted Affrick's shore Which he himselfe before had overcome Made his returne so sad to wretched Rome And can we here feare lesse than Marius brought On Rome or than the Butcher Sylla wrought When not in warres but executions So many thousands were destroy'd at once If in this battell Pedro should o'recome But God avert from Spaine so sad a doome What sights would all her mourning Cities see But racks and gibbets blood and cruelty The land no place in such a peace could yeeld More safe from slaughter than this fighting field And tortur'd wretches that were left in Spaine Would call us happy who in warre were slaine But such a