that before their swords Did seize the French stood trembling thus an oke Shakes with that wind vshers the thunder stroke For they like thunder shot their furie through Where solidnes did most resistance make And crumble into dust what would not bow Whereon they stand and thence aduanced take Their stately flight on humbled backes we rise And on the wings of ruine conquest flies Thus Rome in a sedition was tooke VVhen Arnulph came there mutinies to quell His souldiers shoutings such amazements strooke That from the wall the startled Romans fell Their heapes were scaling ladders and their fall Made him the staires on which he clim'd the wall The Boheme King in head of all his men Encounters with dehruction and dares Death to a duell which did meete him then And with deepe cutts cancell his date of yeares Disarmd him not he still his weapon held As if his ghost should fight when he was kild Kings vpon whom many depend haue vs'd T' haue danger at a distance nor at all Tread within reach the Theban chiefe accusd Himselfe for being neere an arrows fall For Kings are those chiefe stones which arches knit Let one be dislocated all will flitt A loyall subiect hath nor life nor breath But what 's infus'd and breathed from the Prince Who if he rashly shall encounter death Stifles too cruellie his influeuce And 't is a problem whether thus to dye Or greater rashnes be or crueltie Leaders without disgrace haue sometimes fled He that did flye this day may next day fight Great Amurath had not beene vanquished Had not Huniades beene sau'd by flight Wherelife more than our death auailes the state Valour by flight may looke for better fate But where it doth not leaders must not moue But cope with danger here a Captaines flight Reads basenesse to his men and coward loue Of an ignoble life in such a flight A valliant Diomed will rather dye And scorne to stir though Nestor bids him flye Twice was the King of France beate off his horse By Henault movnted vp as oft did rise And acted to the height of single force He did so noblic fight so well aduise He seemd his armies hand and armies head He fought like Scaeua and like Cesar led The valliaut King still wrastles with his fate As if he would vntwist what that had weau'd Deeming the web of fate had beene like that VVith which the Grecian dame her loues deceiu'd Flesh cannot breake the threds the fates haue spun Like Narses web theirs cannot be vndone Nor Frances strength nor fortune can preuaile Fortune hath left no refuge but to flye The King turnd head and all his men turnd taile And leaue at once the field aud victorie Soone turnd the King the armie turnd as soone Thus a small rudder turnes a Galeone The King congratulates his sonne for this Faire earnest of his future victories And sealeth vp his language with a kisse VVith mute expressions the Prince replies Silence hath Rhetoricke and veiles are best To portrâ—â—â—t that which cannot be exprest Wars greater tempest had forgat to blow And horrors thicker clowdes were driu'n away But lighter mists and weaker blasts did now Appeare to dim the honour of the day Thus when a roring storme hath ceasd to raue A trembliug noyse still murmurs on the waue When the next morne had blusht to see the field Looke redder then her selfe in purple dight Some scatterd troopes as willing to be kild Came rather to a slanghter then a fight If the sound bodies of whole armes faile 'T is ruine for sore members to assaile For by the English breathing death they 're blowne Out of the field and day drawne out of night So many Lords of France were ouerthrowne That yet I ne'r could iudge if that I might Or a misfortune or an honour call That losse should alwaies on their nobles fall FINIS THE BATTAIE OF Poictiers vnder Edward Sirnanamed the Blacke Prince NOt in full orbe as yet his honour shines True honours orbs are fill'd by digits grow By orderlie addictions high designes Doe with Methodicall progression goe Tall Cedars by degrees aduance the top 'T is Mushrome honour in a night springs vp Nature the hand and instrument of heauen VVith sober pace aduanceth fairelie on Her peeces are produc'd by smooth and euen Degrees and grow by soft accession Nature by mediums workes leaps not at all And honour leapd to seemes vnnaturall But yet she stayes not but doth gently pace In her continued march and high borne sprights Worke 〈◊〉 Falcon to wring to her place Winns are by constant circlings not alights Macedoâ— heire could glory he did raise His name by expeditions not delayes Then on great Prince the eldest sonne of Fame Honours first borne continue still to add Items to vertues sum and weare a name Charg'd with more well-won titles than he had Contest for thy inheritance in fame More iust thy interest more faire thy claime France was the court wherein the case was try'd With title so apparant proofes so cleare His plea for honour could not be deni'd By iustice brib'd nay if more worlds there were And Philips sonne had triumpht on them all His suit for honours birthright here should fall But he that would court honour in the field And wed her noblie to his vertue must Hold passion in on a firme basis build And know the causes of his war be iust Great actions if not founded deepe will reele The greatest ship must haue the strongest keele To procure peace or keepe a foe at bay By warding iniuries call a warre iust But not to hug reuenge and make a way For brutish feritie but that Kings must Keepe Kings in good opinion that they know What a wrong is and how to vse a foe T' enlarge the â—iâ—ts of Kingdomes and extend An Empires armes a war may authorize The Prince whom sacred leaues doe most commend And by the style of heau'n is writt most wise Made all the people tributarie bee Were from Euphrates to the midland sea Or to recouer what our right hath beene And what 's deteind vniustly to regaine Where iustice ends there iustlie warrs begin Our Edward thus did war in Aquitaine Thus fierce Camillus taught th' insulting Gaule To weigh the treasure and restore it all King Iohn had setled vpon Charles his sonne Aquitaines Dâ—rchie which did owe her state To Englands Edward who confirm'd it on The Prince with charge his right to vindicate Kings doe marke Kings proceedings and to eye Their waies is politicke necessitie This was that Charles whom the French stories writ First Dolphin Vinbert broken at the chance Of 's onely sonnes decease did giue his right Of Dolphinie to Phillip King of France But with this coution conferd the same They should the heire of Franee the Dolphin name Goe vindicate thy right a word what can Effect a wonder on lame cowardise And teach it moue but to the Prince a man To picture prowes by it doth but this
di'd and now none bleeds Troopes of that force that had they joind in one Had throwne a palenesse on the Turkish moone Coriolanus armd with fury dard Bid a defiance to vngratefull Rome And would haue humbled her proud hills nor feard Had the grim Father of Romes founder come His mothers louing prayers make him yeeld Her armes not Romes must make him quit the field Edward for England hasts puts out of pay His forreine aids he finds his treasuries Staru'd by his Offi'cers since be went away The Dutch shall not share in his victories The English onely shall partake in glory None else be quoted in their honourd storie Nor is it wisedome where no treasures are To hope for succours from a strange supply Mony 's the nerue and ligament of War It makes them fight and keepes from mutuny Leaders are soules Armies the bodies coine The vitall spirits that doe both combine Now Mars is chained in his iron caue And sterne Enyo hath set vp her lance They in more strict restreints more wildly raue And are made sharper by their abstinence Let fury take her course she will proue mild To stay her gallop will make fury wild But soone they quit their prison and reioyce To try in Brittaine wars vncertaine chance Edward for Mountford stands Phillip for Blois Who both plead right in that inheritance Weapons are drawne on both sides to cut out Their rights but are put vp before they fought And now two Cardinals a Nun before Strike a faire truce and are the shields of France As Fabius of Rome their words fence more Than armes but when the English next aduance And march to Cressey then the French shall know Their Church hoth not a gard for such a blow But hungry Mars once more to prison must And fast from blood nor dare once dreame of fight Their tooles of death for want of vse shall rust Whilst plowmen stewd in sweat make theirs looke bright Vnder a checkerd shadow Tytrus singes Whilst peace fans choller with her siluer wings Yet though their helmets gather rust and are The shops where spiders weaue their bowels forth Yet let not those braue heads that did them weare In rusty idlenesse entombe their worth The spirits are extinct and valour dyes Without their soueraigne diet exercise Which mou'd our second Arthur to erect A table least their Magnanimitie Should languish in dull coldnesse and neglect Of practising their armes and cheualrie For exercise and emulation are The parents that beget children for war Fam'd Arthur worthy of best pens but that Truth is so far before 't is out of sight Thy acts are made discourse for those that chat Of Hamptons cutthrote or the red-rose Knight Yet there is truth enough in thy faire storie Without false legends to enshrine thy glorie Some monkish pen hath giuen thy fame more blowes Then all the Saxons could thy body lend The hand a sacrifice to Vulcan owes That killd the truth by forgeries it pend When truth and falshood interlaced lye All are thought falshoods by posteritie Yet in the raigne of this first sonne of Mars All is not sternely rugged some delights Sweete amorous sports to sweeten tarter-wars And then a dance began the garter Knights They swell with loue that are with vallour fild And Venus doues may in a head peice build As Sarum beauteous Countesse in a dance Her loosened garter vnawares let fall Renouned Edward tooke it vp by chance Which gaue that order first originall Thus saying to the wondring standers by There shall be honour to this silkenty Some the beginning from first Richard bring Counting too meanelie of this pedegree When he at Acon tyde a leather string About his Soldiers legges whose memorie Might stir their vallour vp yet choose you whether You 'll Edwards silke prefer or Richards leather But they take not a scruple of delight More than 's by nature giuen torellish paine At once your welcome pleasure and good night Before 't is settled 't is expelled againe As dogs of Nilus drinke a snatch and gone Sweets must be tasted and not glutted on By this time France is ranke her vaines are full And ripe to be let blood deaths instruments Are keene edged which before were dull And fit to execute the mindes intents The furies rowsed from their loathed shelues For former fastings now may glut themselues The sword the shield the battaile axe the speare Are taken from the well-stor'd armory And that which iustly shall beget most feare The well experienc'd English archery Who knew to conquer Parthiae cann't show Such high-raisd trophies as our English bow Tall ships are rig'd and with provision stord Stay but a while till a faire wind shall rise Young Iason had not such with him a board When bound to Colchos for the golden prize The very ships when they were lanching forth Did seeme to dance to haue in them such worth The sailes as if with child grew big with wind And long to haue flown ore the briny ford The rising waues for feare themselues declind Supposing they were Neptunes were a bord Or else for feare Neptune kept downe the maine Least seeing them it would haue changd the reigne The vessels are vnlading of their fraight Richer than euer cross'd the seas before The earth with longing did appeare to waite As proud to haue their foot-steps on the shore But the displeased sea growne angry now Vext for this losse fretted her wrincked brow Bnt if wise nature had inform'd the earth That all her vert should into gules be turnd Or of that blood she should teeme such a birth As shee had of the Giants she had mournd Or else suncke downe vnder the brinie flood Then had they fought in a red sea of blood Some thirty thousand foot great Edward led With these were ioynd twentie fiue hundred horse The French the fields with fiue such numbers spred Yet heated by their wrongs he beards their force Not Clements mediation can asswage The iust incensed flame of Edwards rage Their hosts before twice did their weapons shake Twice did their hosts returne without a stroke They truce at Tourney and at Malstroict make A truce twice made the French as often broke Th' vnmanlie for fee of fidelitie Is worst eclipse in spheare of Maiestie Euils are link'd together now he spills Baccos and Cliffons blood in Normandie Nor can one place confine his rage he kills Edwards approued friend in Picardie Our friends are parts make vs entirelie one What 's left of vs is lame when they are gone But that which most aggreeued Edward strooke And to his honour seem'd the greatest staine Philip too hautily the homage tooke Which Edward did to him for Aquitaine When you depresse great spirits that aspire You throw down balls to make thē rise the higher It is a trespasse against martiall right To take vp wrongs on trust and not repay When beareing old ones new ones doe inuite There Clement cannot Edwards feruour stay Since he
sooner giue Valour and mercy are the fixed poles On which the spheare of Edwards honor rowles Kings are Gods pictures and their mercy lend Best life vnto the Peeces clemency And moderation doe best commend Their actions and their fortunes beautifie These glorious lustres are the varnish cast Which makes their acts not onely shine but last Mercy declard vnto a foe doth show W' are cit'zens of this world and would not be Cut off by ferity and le ts men know No sepâ—ratists are in humanity Here we maintaine communion for our hearts Are continents not Iles from other parts King Iohn with humble state is entertaind Not dealt with roughly as an enemy Edward by valour his first conquest gaind And wins a second by his courtesie Base wolues and beares still vrge a yeelding foe Edward's a Lion and he cann't doe soe In midst of triumph here the crier say Remember thou art man to moderate Thy fortune on a steep descent wee stay Our selues and horse thus in a high-raisd state We vse a moderation and begin On fortunes steepe to reine our pnssions in So many pris'ners at this battaile tooke Who did into the armes of mercy yeeld As might haue taken vs at the first looke They seemd enough to win againe the field Saue that these odds did for the English stand One keeper can ten prisoners command So many Noble Lords did write with blood And seale with wounds that France did loue her King As if the Nobles did not thinke it good The commons should their testimonie bring To ratifie that truth themselues will be Th' onely subscribers to this veritie Edward the heau'ns doth humblie gratifie Whose starrs had for him in their courses fought And leade him by the hand to victorie And like sure conuoies through his dangers brought Timotheus thriues not after he denies A share to fortune in his victories Then he bestowes rich larges on his men T' enflame their minds that if they did not loue Vertue for her owne selfe rewards should then Win their loues to her and their dulnesse moue Reward is the great pillar of a state Which doth support as strongly as her fate Then heightens them with commendations praise Is the reflexion doth from vertue rise These faire encomiums doe vertue raise To higher acts to praise is to aduise Telling men what they are we let them see And represent to them what they should be And they were worthy of it Rome ne'r saw An armie yet to which this hoast would yeeld Nor brauer Chiefe than Edward er'e did draw Her powerfull legions into the field Edward shall mate the proudest He of Rome Let Caesars selfe her great dictator come When Rome had conquerd all the world beside Then and but then she durst attempt the Gaules Gaules who before her powers did deride And oft had scourged her at her owne walls Rome neuer durst the stubborne Gaul defie Till she had not another enemie But England had another powerfull foe The hardy Scot to threaten from the North Incursions yet then did Edward goe From home and lead with him an army forth And spight of Oracle a conquest win Which said we should with Scotland first begin Victorious Cesar bed ezperienc'd men Custom'd as well to conquests as to fights Those whom heroicke Wales conducted then Were but meere nouices in Mars his rites New chang'd the whip for sword the share for sheild And Ceres fat for Mars his bloodie field The Gaules indeed were resolute in war Whom Cesar with his legions vanquished Yet were those Gaules inferiour by far Vnto the French for the French conquered The Gaules who could not then themselues defeÌ„d Eue'n when that Rome did them assistance lend Ariouistus with his Germans had The Gaules in slauerie a great allay To the best temperd spirits and had made Factions to take their soueraignetie away Seditions are the rills which at the length Weaken the current and maine streame of strength But now the French were free a setled state And fixt in the obedience to one Lord A King for fame and fortune wondred at Vnder his colours Kings did draw the sword A King for whom one did himselfe bereaue Of rule for loue and one for money leaue Against a state so strong and setled thus Edward durst come with an vnpractisd few The French had more aduantages of vs â—han Cesar of those Gaules he ouerthrew And yet there were more markes of valour madâ— In France by th' English than the Roman blade Then why hath history so copious beene In old Romes strength as if it meant to say Not what should win beliefe but wonder win Thus Alexander left in India So great an armour which should rather be T' amaze than to informe posteritie Mighty third Edward thou didst propagate Strength in thy children though we often see Their seed degen'rous and t is thought a fate The sons of Heroes should a blemish bee Pure was the graine when it at first was sowne But it hath many huskes when it is growne Who hath in vertues Zenith seated beene Swerues farthest in his fall a mighty spright Highly sublim'd is stranger to a meane Nor is it foild in sinne but falls downe right And for the sinnes which such great sires haue don The heau'ns haue oft tooke vengeance on the son And sometime too great men vxorious are So was Themistocles and let their wiues With too indulgent education mar The hoped fortunes of their childrens liues Children like water on a table spilt Are easely drawne into what shape thou wilt But noble Edwards fortitude descends Downe to his sonnes this royall Eagle breeds An airie of true Eaglets not commends Doues to the world a valiant race succeeds This valliant father ne'r could Heros vaunt Of two such mighty sonnes as Wales and Gaunt Now farewell Lords who seeme t' haue thrown despaire VpoÌ„ the world which feares while it shal last It hardly shall be crownd with such a paire For nature lost the moulds where they were cast Or else in making them she spent such store That she hath scarse materialls for more FINIS