Resplendant Iuno leaues her sacred throne Young Gaueston bewitcht great Edwards hart The minor Gods bewaile Saturnias mone Bohume and Beaumount takes the Marchers part And false Matreners stabbes Carnaruans hart For Caesars office Scipio striues in vaine And March too soone retells his triple gaine When that the Romane Eagles graspt of yore Scipio with auncient Lentulus did striue For Iulius priesthood whose deserts were more But when that Pompeys legions did not thriue They tasted gall within the honies hiue So Wigmore seekes in vaine to get a Crowne But by Lord Mountaoute is tumbled downe Terras proud issue tam'd immortall Ioue Rides in his Chariot through the azurde skie Adornd with Valure Mercy Peace and Loue So Caesar rode in Rome with maiesty Scipio would liue life Cato doth deny So Wigmores honor seekes but must not part Matreuers hand hath stabd Matreuers hart Warres thunderbolt with his Egiptian pearle Illustrious Venus and her martiall Bride Phillips faire sister with great Mercias Earle Submits to Henaults mounting-minded bride Vengeance and Fury scourge inhumane pride Egipt is lost and Authony must die March is immurde and twise he may not flie When Anthony did Cleopatra loue And did Augustas chamber-bed forgoe Bellona Caesars irefull minde did moue To worke reuenge on chaste Octauias foe Marcus is slaine he must his Loue forgoe As Anthony and Cleopatra were So is Queene Ifabel and Mortimer Depressed waters element some thinke Is downe supprest by powers most diuine Some iudge that Terra doth the moisture drinke Yet certes shall men see with mortall evne When deadly water shall with ayre combine Great Mortimer whose name from waters sprang Shall waue in waues of ayre and there shall hang. Vermilion collour'd clowdes of purple warre Are by the radiant beames of Edwards raigne Form Englands territors exiled farre But stay me thinkes Bellona soundes againe And calles forth Mars to fight in Aquitaine Stay Caesar stay let valiant Drusus goe Great Arthurs heire can vanquish Artois foe When that Tiberius did the Septer sway Of Albas Empire great Saturnias king Germanicus whose head was deckt with bay Fought still abroad and conquest home did bring So Edward did whose praise the Spanyards sing Let Beaumount witnes fearfull Phillips flight And Iohn which yeelded to the Gascoigne knight The wandring Planets of the burnisht skye Are by the vncomprised Spheare of loue Thrust here and there as men condemn'd to dye Heauen were nought if Heauen did not moue So nature taught so natures sonne did proue Like vnto these or like a Comet bright Through euery region Caesar sent his light The Zodiaks lamp in the Eclipticke line Twice vrgd his courser to a swift careere The Hitrurian sonne doth in the East decline In Europes West his praise did first appeere Oh Climatericall disaster yeere Caesar thy glory in the West did rise The poisoned East thy raine did deuise So siluer streames and toplesse Apenine Which doe confront terrestriall Paradise Must not great Edwards wandering Fame confine Mars and Bellona stratagems deuise That he with Honors wings should mount the skyes Exiled Peter doth implore his ayde Iberia quakes to see the crosse displayd Reuolting Henault and relenting Iohn Are terrified at Bruse and Balliols fall No Salike law can barre bold Phillips sonne His matchlesse valure caused a kingdomes thrall Whilst slothfull Charles immur'd him in a wall Germanias terror wan a glorious field So Cambrias monarch made a King to yeeld Carelesse of death like to a thunder-bolt Englands Crasinius with a massie lance And not vnlike a fierce vntamed Colt Glides like the siluer Rheine through yeelding France Blinded with age great Boheme falls by chance Caligula is borne the sinke of shame Richard misled deserues an endlesse blame The worldes faire mistresse Empresse of the earth Ordaines a triumph for Augustus heire So Gascoigne triumphes at young Gascoignes birth Wonder of Armes set in Victorias chaire To Troynouant with Tropheys doth repaire Romes Senators attended Albas starre So Albion Peeres did waite on Albious carre Two glorious sonnes rules the celestiall Globe Cheering the world with their transpearcing rayes Garnisht with Saphires and a Iasper robe Vntimely chaunce times wonder ends his dayes Aemilius mournes amidst his Tropheys praise Troies hope is dead and Priams Hector slaine Edward hath lost his sonne his sonne a raigne Impartiall death maskt in a sable weede Passeth the Romanes watch and Praetors guard And to Tiberius royall tent doth speede Phisicke resists and death by art is bard But art doth yeeld for death was too too hard He laid in graue his nephewes sonne doth raigne The scourge of Rome and Europes Empresse slaine So when that death of Edward made an end Essence of value substance of renowne Whome peace for iustice warres for rule commend Exalting vertue putting vices downe His bones entombd his worthy sonnes doe crowne Their nephew Richard second of that name The first though not the last disgrac't by fame Meâ—omene thou dismal muse appeare And moralize the Anthemes which I bring Richard misled by Bushy Poole andVere Ignoble Scroope in his new Empires spring Inchaunting charmes vnto his eares did sing Flattry corrupteth kings but good aduise Makes Counsellors gratious and the Princes wise When Neroes sonne was borne in Neroes campe Quirinus father Rheas valiant spouse In his red Spheare enlightned had his lampe Leauing his yron roabes and brazen house Did to Bellona cups of blood carowse Saturne then ioynd with Mars which did foretell That Neroes sonne for murther should excell Whom Brutus freed by death from Tarquines stroakes Princes of peace for warres admirde of all The worlds Arch monarches rent their chained yoakes Consulls and Tribunes do a Senate call Their voice is one Caligula must fall Nature doth swarue and from her limits passe The Imperious Lyon got an abiect Asse So when chaste Alice Richard forth shall bring In Edwards Campe Victorias sacred seate Prophets like starres ensuing harmes shall sing The Peeres like Albas knights were all repleate With wrath disdain was in a mightie sweate In working waies the king for to depose Which being done the Nobles Darby chose The Northerne Planet great Northumberland Whose peerles issue neuer shall decaie Till Nature doth confound both Sea and land And shapeles Chaos comes his part to play Vertue must liue though men be turnd to claye This glorious Moone true badge of Honor bright Disdaynes the Sunne and did not borow light Foreseeing Gaunt like to a carefull fire Seeing that lost by Sloth which Labour wonne Doth contermaund his Soueraignes hot desire And like a blast doth caulme the scorching Sunne Which by illuding Sycophantes is wonne Two Combatants on their earth threatning steedes Attend the trumpets sound in yron weedes The reuerent Consulls Yorke and Lancaster Doe conuocate a Senate of the Peeres And equalizing Woodstocke did preferre Due banishment to those ambitious Peeres The Barons ioynd to this the Champions sweares
Which do adumbrate sleepy rockes deceits Could not debarre his thoughts but he did goe To conquer France and Englands greatest foe Wolsey then liu'd high minded worthy Clarke VVhich did erect those glorious Towres of yore Learnings receptacle Religions parke Oh that some Eagle-mounting thought would so are To finish that which he began before Oh that some Prince for none but Princes can VVould perfect that that excellent worke of man The siluer Isis and the gliding Thame Whose billowes resalute the verdant strand Should warble Paans to his mightie name The leaden age is past which rulde the land Saturne is come and Saturne doth command VVhose hopes were dead rich students neuer feare Most rich in hope some will your turrets reare Nurse of ingenious spirits Athens praise Chiefe benefactor of what ere is mine O might I see some mightie Monarch raise Those halfe built walles and parted towres combine Then Christ might yet be iustly tearmed thine As Christ is best so should his houses bee And in perfection haue a sympathie Henries triumphant carkasse laid in graue Couered with gold in Caesars ancient towre Edward succeeds a Prince though yong yet graue The skye which whilome smilde begins to lowre And showres of sorrow on the land to powre He endes his life before it scarce began What is more short then shortest life of man When nature fram'd this Prince oh goodly creature Compos'd of pure and elementall fire Turnd in a heauenly mowld diuinest feature She saw her selfe deceiu'd and wroth with ire When life began his end she did desire What enuie so could thee proud Nature sting Nothing should make and marre the selfe same thing The Gods did enuie mans felicitie And therfore did to Nature condescend That this yong King great King of Maiestie In sixteene yeares his vitall course should spend His life hath end and all our ioyes haue end Nature doth hasten to the house of death And shee consents to steale away his breath Now Spayne and England ioynes that peace I loue That concord doth augment the common state Pray God it doth both firme and faithfull proue But for to match with Spayne oh cruell fate Could Mary so her countrey ruinate Guiltlesse shee was but those that made the match Vnder their wings did egges of Serpents hatch Oh now me thinkes I could in dismall blacke Shadow my lookes and neuer wish the light Writing red lines of blood more blacke then blacke The massacres of mans amazing sight After these duskie clouds comes elearest light Mary is dead Elizabeth doth raigne Her conscience cleare no corasiue could staine The losse of Elizabeth FAire Virgin Empresse royall Princely maide Sprung from the Damaske Rose the Roses bud T is true as truth it selfe which men haue saide The end is best though all the meanes be good She was the last and best of Henries blood Henry did well in all excell in this In getting of this Maide our greatest blisse He vanquisht Bolleine and strong Turnus towne And rode in tryumph through the English Pale Placing the Diademe of France that regall Crowne Vpon his sisters temples and withall Made the twelue Peeres to feare their finall fall But what of these if Bullain had not bin We all had liu'd for aye in endles sin Astronomers did dreame and fondly saide That twelue designed signes did rule a Spheare Virgo did guide the earth oh heauenly Maide But now sky-teachers wise men neuer feare To say she is in heauen for sure shee s there Oh she is gone with her our pleasures fled They liu'd in her they dide when she was dead Bright Gem of honor Albions glorious starre The Cynosure of Englands Hemispheare Princessse of peace Cytherian queene of warre Rides through the cloudes on her caelestiall beare Conquering deathes Ebon dart and sharpest speare Fathers of peace put on triumphant weedes A gratious King a gratious Queene succeedes Reasons first founder Natures eldest sonne The Stoikes prince did also erre in this Repugnant natures neuer raigne in one Perfect my griefe more perfect is my blis I smile with ioy yet teares my cheekes do kisse A present salue hath cured a pensiue sore Britaine is now what Britaine was of yore The wandring Brute who sprang from Priams kinde Though artlesse men with their malignant muse Still bearing burning enuie in their minde Britaines first Monarch warlike Brute abuse Of all the Northern world this Isle did chuse With fire and sword he did obtaine his sute With peace and ioy we chuse a second Brute Peace valure learning science hee did bring Thou feare of God whom thou doest onely feare Imperiall Monarche truth and concordes King No champion then did weild his fruitlesse speare No chaine did tye the milde vntamed Beare Saturne then liued no Sinon did amisse All men were free no slaue by Nature is Oh sacred age and blessed times of yore When iust Astraea rul'd this circled plaine Then each man liu'd alike and liu'd withstore No Persian blood did Salamina stayne No Vandals Rome nor Romane gouernd Spayne No Cannas chaunce did cause Saturnia mourne No sencelesse Nero wisht new Troy to burne No Manlius sought a Diademe to gaine No iust Papirius sude for Fabius bloud Claudius as then did not Virginia stayne No Consulls fell at Alias flaming flood Red Charea was not dewde with Fabys blood Albans and Romanes knew no single sight Saffetius did not yeeld to Martius might The vnspotted spowse of martiall Collatine Did not consent to Sextus lawlesse lust Each virgin was ybound with Vestas line Camillus needed not the Ardeans trust Nor Sceuola his hand in flames to thrust But see oh see how age doth follow age VVorse after worse as Actors on a stage Thrice happy Britaine strong vnited Ile Disioynted was by her first monarches fall Then Albanact was slaine by Humbers guile Caesar then conquer'd it who conquered all Hunes Pictes and Danes tryumph't in Britaines fal Vaile sorrowes roabes Ioues father comes againe The golden age begins with Iacobs raigne The Lords great Stuart Albions mightie King Our second Brute like to the morning starre To Englands Court doth light of comfort bring Now Concords boult doth Ianus temple barre Binding in chaines the sternest god of warre Vertue and valour triumph euermore Augustus liues adornd with Crassus store TO THE MAIESTIE OF King Iames Monarch of all Britayne ALl haile great Monarch of the greatest Ile The Northerne worlds vnited lawfull King Pardon my rudest reede vndecent stile Though I want Skill in thy new Empires spring Yet doe I loue and will thy prayses sing Me thinkes I do on Clarps Kingdome stand No maruaile for Apollo rules the land On true obedience knee I pardon aske Of thy diuine heroicke Maiestie It was thy merites great impos'd this taske On my weake pen badge of infirmitie Too weake indeede to prayse thy excellency Each Cherrils muse doth now salute thy grace Shall I alone be mute and hide my face Marâ— extold Augustus peacefull daies
A PROPHESIE of Cadwallader last King of the Britaines Containing a Comparison of the English Kings with many worthy Romanes from William Rufus till Henry the fift Henry the fift his life and death Foure Battels betweene the two Houses of Yorke and Lancanster The Field of Baubery The losse of Elizabeth The praise of King Iames. And lastly a Poeme to the yong Prince LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede for Roger Iackson and are to be solde at his shop in Fleetstreete ouer against the Conduit 1604. TO THE NO LESSE VERtuous then Honourable Gentleman Syr Philip Herbert Knight of the most noble order of the Bathe RIght worthy Sir the honor which I beare And euer will vnto your worthy line Makes me presume presumption cannot feare To tender you this litle Booke of mine Whose substance if your honor will approue My lines shall limits want so doth my loue That man of men whose fatall name you beare Of his vnnumbred worthes the chiefe were these Three glorious wreathes vpō his brow to weare Which said he loued learning warre and peace O aemulate this man the sonne of Fame Haue all his vertues though but halfe his name Pursue thy first designments noble Knight Affect thy Country and admire thy King The Epistle Dedicatorie Be as thou art sincere in all mens sight Do this and I thy praise will euer sing I smoothe not I nor do I hope for gaine Accept my loue and so requite my paine The admirer of your vertues whose life is deuoted to your loue William Harbert THE AVTHOR TO HIS Poeme TRace the wide stage of spight and proud disdaine And mount the steps of scornefull enuies staire Imperfect embrion of an idle braine Soare not aloft vse meane do not despaire The best way is betweene the sea and ayre Be like thy selfe be neither proud nor base One enuy gets the other gaynes disgrace Be not too huge in shew in strength a childe These imateriall Epithites eschew Be to the scornfull proud the humble milde Put not thy censure to an open view Speech enuy oft but Silence neuer knew When thou seest good then prayse when bad be blinde Then wit will beare with thee and fooles be kinde To the Reader I Which in silence nest so many dayes Smoothered the slight of my vnfeathered quill Because I knew it could not merit prayse Here where the Muses sang and shewd their skill For this did seeme to be Parnastus hill But this amaz'd my minde and grieu'd mine eye To see the Buzards with the Eagles flye To see a troupe of Souldiers neuer tride Besiege a fort by nature fenc'd on high I was asham'd to see the heires of pride Debase in vnexperienc'd Poetry The immortall vertues of great Maiestie I these are they that do the Muses staine One wanton pen makes all be iudged vaine I which securely on these errours gaz'd And safely stood vpon the silent shore When others Ships by enuies rockes were craz'd Loue me constrain'd as pride did them before To trust the rockes and leaue the silent shore The loue of friends not prayse did me perswade Against my will against the streames to wade Therefore to you whose iudgement is sincere If any fault as many faults there be Seeme harsh and iarring to a tuned eare Impute the blame to those and not to me Who made my pen shew his infirmitie If any good as small there is you see Reape you the profit yeeld but thankes to me A PROPHESIE OF Cadwallader last King of the Britaines SItting with Clio by the gliding Thame neere to her siluer girt the verdant strand I saw Rhamusis so adornd by fame Dauncing in measures on the farther sand Holding a Ball of gold within her hand She stood on that that neuer stood but went So must all those that trust her gouernment Then did this Queene her wandring coach ascend Whose wheeles were more inconstant then the winde A mighty troope this Empresse did attend There might you Caius Marius caruing find And martiall Scylla courting Venus kind Times alter and in times we changed bee Chaunce onely constant is in leuitie There might you see how Archimedes art As a strong bulwarke guarded Syracuse How Scipio fought and Cato stabd his hart How Anthony did wrong the sacred muse And Cleopatras body did abuse How Mago fell in Spaine and Hanniball Did pitch his tents before Saturnias wall His stratagems his snares vnequall fightes Scipio Sempronius and Flaminius slaine Aemilius dead amidst his wounded knights How chance his youth with praise did entertaine And in his age how Fortune wrought this paine All this shee did oh man her fraude perceiue And trust her not for shee will thee deceiue How Alexander rose at Darius fall Lysimachus within the Lyons den How Scypio did besiedge Numantias wall And many thousands more which scape my pen Amongst this fatall troope of Fortunes men I saw an aged king except I erre That cleaped was the high Cadwallader He was the last saue three of Fortunes trayne Those were a Danea Saxon and a Norman king Hengist the first next was Denmarkes swayne The last was Normanes bastard which did bring Plenty of Ioy whose praise the English sing William whose valure mixt with happy fate Brought bondage to the Iuthes and Augles state The Britaine Monarch ware a simple Crowne Hauing small beades of Amber by his side A siluer Crosse a Friers white frize gowne Vpon an humble Asse this King did ride As white as snow or as the siluer tide One hand a staffe the other held a booke On which his eyes continually did looke Wherein were charactred in lines of gold Locrinus warres and Humbers tragedy The King himselfe by Gwendoline controld The Scythians paramour of Germany Estrilda drownd the praise of Hungary Sabrina thrust in Seuerns flowing maine Poore Madan by the curres of Ireland slaine The Britaine Manlius not the Romane knight Thinking to slay Mempricius Madans sonne Himselfe was by his brother slaine in fight And he by wolues as Madan was vndone For Sodomes gilt to lust his mind had wonne The foremost booke did Britaines raigne relate The next of Swayne the third of Saxens state The fourth and last did write of Williams raigne In which there was an ancient prophesie Written of yore confirmd by Merlins twaine What should ensue to Williams progeny Was there at large expainde in poetry The warres of England for the crowne of France There many battels with their mournfull chance The ciuill warres of Yorke and Lancaster The Cambrian helmet changde for Englands crowne How true discent did Tudors blood preferre The brow of peace dispearced Mars his frowne The land of warre is rulde by iustice gowne These shall haue end then shall arise a King Which plenty shall conduct in concords string He with vnnumbred linkes of reasons chaine Shall three in one and one in three vnite Britaine should be the name for Brute doth raigne A King commands no Princes
The Liricke Poet sung Mecenas fame Ennius did Scipio Affricanus praise If all they liu'd and saw thy sacred name Each verse they made should sure containethe same But if they reade thy gift oh Princely worke For shame they would in vntrode desarts lurke If Englands Load-starre pride of Poesie Could the firme Centers regiment transpearse And formalize his peerlesse ingeny Thy all-surpassing vertues to rehearse A Princely matter fitts a princely verse Yet were his wit too weake thy deeds to praise Which brought vs ioyes in our most mournfull daies Could Lidgat passe the tower of Proserpine And like to Virbius liue a double age Penning thy Trophies in a golden skrine Yet could he not thy mertis equipage Admiring most would vse a tapinage Bocchas and Gowre the Virgils of their time Could not vnfold thy prayse in antique rime If these foure Poets liu'd like Lions foure They should thy famous Coach of glory drawe From Vertures temple to true honours towre Each should a kingdome haue thy foes should know Thy might and feare their finall ouerthrow But what should muses sing the world doth see And seeing feares vnited Britany Still liuing Sidney Caesar of our land Whose neuer daunted valure princely minde Imbellished with Art and Conquests hand Did expleiten his high aspiring kinde An Eagles hart in Crowes we cannot finde If thou couldst liue and purchase Orpheus quill Our Monarches merits would exceed thy skill Albions Maeonian Homer natures pride Spenser the Muses sonne and sole delight If thou couldst through Dianas kingdome glide Passing the Palace of infernall night The Sentinels that keepes thee from the light Yet couldst thou not his retchlese worth comprise Whose minde containes a thousand purities What fatall chance is this and lucklesse fate That none can aptly sing thy glorious prayse And tell the happinesse of Englands state O barren time and temporizing dayes Fowle Ignorance on sacred Learning prayes But now I doe a Diapazon see None but thy selfe great King can sing of thee That Macedonian starre first Prince of Greece Sent for that wandring learned Stagirite To teach his Sonne knowledge of knowledges His sword was keene his sense could ill indite Thy sworde is shape and who can better write He had another to instruct his sonne What he by others did thy selfe hath done Some Caesar deemde the happiest mortall wight That breath'd the ayre or did ascend the skye For conquering Scipios force and Pompeis might Some did Augustus iudge more happy why Because the vanquisht Aegypts Anhtony Romes holy Prince said Nerua did surpasse For leauing such a sonne as Traian was If those olde Wisards which of yore did sing Read with impartiall eyes thy peerlesse deeds Great Prince of warre of peace thrice happie King Concord should reconcile their striuing reeds And sensures ioyne which censures enuy breeds Caesars acts Augustus peace good Neruas kinde In thee alone in non but thee we finde The siluer Moone plac'd in her circle round At her encrease her equall distant hornes Vpwards ascends as scorning abiect ground So when the worlds great honour first was borne That fayre arising Sunne cleere faced morne Her mounting thoughts did to the heauens Towre Scorning the earth or any terrene Bowre But when that Virgins Goddesse doth decrease Her picked forkes their course to Terra bend So when our Englands Lunas light did cease The Artike Clime an Vnicorne did send VVhose radiant Iusture night shall neuer end Phoebes cleere light seemes darke whilst he doth shine He borrowes perfect light of God diuine Those that do reade the secrets of the skie Whose iudgement is in heauen conuersant Which portraiture the signes in heauenly die Might asseuere that Virgo was on high I sawe a starre of late from heauen flie Why cannot this starre then faire Virgo bee A starre more chaste I thinke we cannot see O now my thoughts can diue into the deepe Our all ships guiding starre was fixed there And when Eliza did with honor sleepe Mounted vpon her praise deseruing beare She did obtaine of him she lou'd so deare That she might haue his seate he rule the land Which she of late as Empresse did commaund The Anatomizers of our learned daies Affirme that Virgo do the belly guide No wonder then that Albions wondrous praise That Virgin Queene which here on earth did bide So nourisht each poore hunger-bitten side Now she is dead oh who will them reliue The present starre doth present comfort giue I heard an aged woman often say That she did see a starre from heauen descend Which was as true me thought as trees did bray For she alledg'd the same and did commend A certaine Crowe whose wit she did defend Pardon me Age for now mine eyes do see A starre on earth more bright than starre can bee To whom shall I this Northerne starre compare To Caesar which did first subdue the state To Horsus who no limbe of Christ did spare Damming his soule this land to ruinate Great Williams conquest and the Normanes hate Thus doth my Muse all wanting art begin To sing thy vertues and to shewe their sin Caesar was twice repulst ere he could see This litle world from all the world remote Before we sawe thy face we sent to thee As to a Pilot for to guide our boate Which did in Seas of suddaine sorrow floate He lost his sword before he conquest wan We yeeld thee all our hearts and all we can Horsus by cruell tyrant trechery Subdude Ambrosius that wise Prince of peace Witnesse the hidden kniues at Salisbury He trauaile brought but thou doest bring vs ease Thy true descent makes greedy warres to cease A Wolfe possest his heart a Lyon thine He worse then man thou better more diuine William was fierce in warre and so art thou In counsell sage thou doest him aequalize His sword forc't foes their trembling knees to bowe Thou conquerst hearts by thy hearts winning eyes By force he wan by merits thou doest rise He brought subiection thou doest freedome bring He loued warre but thou of peace art King Rufus was rude thou ciuill gentle kinde He was austere thy browes hath mercies frowne He had a Neros hart thou Caesars minde He hunting lou'd for pleasure tumbled downe Many a Castle fayre and stately Towne Thou lou'st the chase yet Cities doest adorne Thou wert for all the worlds great profit borne Henry was grac't with artes thou doest excell Children did blesse his age but soone did dye Children thou hast in health and perfect well God prosper them with pure prosperitie Adorne their harts with louing pietie He was a worthy King thou worthier farre Thou art our Northerne-Pole harts-guiding starre Soare humble thoughts and let my abiect pen Touch the high mounted Artike Northerne starre And there compare this man excelling men VVe should compare the things that equall are And who is like this light this lampe this starre Mine eyes distill sweete teares the teares of ioy To see Troyes issue raigne
fauorite This he intreates for this his penne doth write Cease to command learne subiects to obay Reason where iustice rules beares greatest sway Is it not peerlesse praise with peace to gaine That for the which our fathers spent their blood And neuer age but ours could reobtaine O happy men if that you saw such good But will is masked still with errors hood Let ture obeisans vp this diet breake So Caesar wils so Cicero doth speake The fect was this the prophesie was such Which he had read with carefull industry And quoted euery line with iudgments touch A midst his study casting vp his eye Seeing his mistresse Fortune was not nye His booke he sleightly set into his gowne Which on the yellow sand fell quickly downe Thence posted he on his maiestique Asse Like some slow rider pacing to the race Than Isis siluer channell did I passe And thither went where as mine eyes might gaze On that faire booke clad in a golden case I past the Annales for it pleasde mine eye To muse vpon that sacred prophesie When I had read vnto the latter lyne I saw the aged king returne with speede Kind Syr quoth he saw you a booke of mine I Syr quoth I if this be he indeed I gaue it him he gaue me thankes for meed He posted thence I to my study went Where on this matter many houres I spent At last I was resolu'd for to relate In Poetry the things mine eyes did see Which was the vncertainety of humane state To paint the things a right with equitie I did implore the ayde of memorie Which she denide Oh worthies pardon mee If ought I write amisse which you shall see Not Orpheus trees and birds inchanting quill Nor Homers art heere Reader shalt thou see Expect not Ouids verse nor Maroes skill For if you doe you shall deceiued bee If bad it is pray gentles beare with mee Say it is meane thou dost mee much commend I 'de haue it meane because I meane to mend Mistake mee not I liue in hope to please Dispraise mee not before thou knowest mee well Maugre sweete not reuenge my lines loue peace Doe not my shame before thou seest it tell Marke euery line and each wordes nature spell Ere thou beginst to reade looke beare in minde Of whom I write yea how and in what kind Faire Englands Peeres with Romanes I compare Their warres their spoiles their fightes and victory Their filthy vices with their vertues rare Their laud dispraise their praise and infamy Their conquests triumphes with their treachery Then doth our muse declare intestine warres Kings conquering fields and Princes wounding iarres Then doth she mount the ayre with Eagles winges Then to the North shee goes and passeth Twidet And sings his praise which endles glory bringes Who like a Pilot doth this Island guide Which like a barke within the Sea doth ride This land is seated like to Venice state The waues the walles and euery ship a gate Least that my Gates be wider then my towne And that Diogines my folly see My proems prologue I le set quickly downe And bend my muse vnto the Prophesie Where you may reade art mixt with industry Needs must I erre to erre all men are bent To perseuere is a bad beasts intent The Comparison O What a sea of blood shall England spill When Normans Prince and Palastinas friend With burgonets of steele our fieldes doth fill Brothers must striue as did Seuerus kind Enuious ambition makes iust nature blind Arunce and Brutus dead Alarums cease Publicola doth liue and loueth peace When Brutus dide Valerius then did raigne When Arunce fell the Tuscan Emperour fled When Tirrolls shaft shall enter Rufus braine When Henries life with Roberts lightes are fled When all these sleepe in natures earthly bed Norfolke shall giue to Stephen Henries due Peace then shall be but warre shall soone ensue Flora is fled stout Hiems weares her crowne Attir'd like Mars in furniture of steele Aniow and Blois striue for the Imperiall Crowne A griefe surpassing griefe doth England feele Whilst doubtfull Fortune turns her doubtfull wheele Camillus comes the Frenchmen feare his voice Alba is freed and Albion hath her choice When Rome was sackt Camillus ended strife And made Bellinus brother to dispaire When Germanes Empresse Mawd shall end her life Henry shall claime the crowne as lawfull heire His Eame in graue but he in regall chaire Is plac't and rules his princely Peeres with peace His sonnes rebell and concord gins to cease Now springs the plant from hence our ioy shall spring Victorious Aniow crownd in regall state Liuing adopts an heir inuests a King Vagratefull child spurd by a womans hate Sturd forraine foes the land to ruinate Romes sword is Consul foe-men tribute paies Both Henries dead Christs friend the Septer swaies Marcellus which did Syracusa burne Made Affricks praise to praise his matchles minde And place his ashes in a golden vrne So Aibious lyon sprung from lyons kinde When death the king and prince in cords shall binde Hee le spend his treasure for Iehouas good But woe alas a slaue shall spill his blood Designed Iohn disuests young Britaines Duke But Antichristians prince our sauiours foe Bringes Lewis in and doth him straight rebuke Egles of England yeeld to Swans of Poe A Monarch falles by Monkes fates wills it so Titus suruiues though flames Flaminius burne Worster is safe and Lewis doth returne At Thrasimenus valiant Titus fell In Prusias Court his sonne reuengde his death Form happie heauen though Iohn to haples hell Headlong did slide his sonne shall weare the wreath The Dolphen flyes and Mars begins to breath Tempestuous whitle-windes breake the Temple gate Of Peace the peers the king the prince the Baron hate Ciuill dissention and dislovall armes Cleerly declares Clares hidden enmitie A fatall starre foretelleth future harmes The legions meete each doth the other spye Eccho resounds S. George S. George both cry Gracchus is stabd young Scipio peace maintaines The Barrons tam'd all conquering Longshanckes raignes Romes enuious Tribunes that ignoble Tribe The vitious issue of a vertuous dame Did the base mindes of poore Plebeians bribe To gaine them honour with their Countries shame They dead the world did ring with Romanes faine So Clare and Mountford shall who being slaine Edward shall vanquish Calidonias plaine Acon is tane and Tunis feares his stroakes He loued peace yet bare a warriors shield Cambria disdain'd to weare her sisters yoake The Ensignes spred both striue to win the field The bridge is past and Leoline must yeeld Marius departs Proscriptioâ—s gin to cease The Prince of warre shall end his dayes in peace Destruction graz'd on fertill Italy Till Syllas legions vanquisht Marius might So ciuill warres shall feed on Britany Till Leolinus that all daring Knight Is tane by Edward in vnequall fight When Marius fell Concordia gan to smile So Wales will amplify faire Englands stile