first Marques and after created Duke of Suffolke beeing sent into Fraunce by King Henry the sixt concludeth a marriage betweene the King his Maister and Margaret daughter to Rayner Duke of Aniou who onely â—ad the title of the King of Cicily and Ierusalem This marriage beeing made contrare to the lyking of the Lordes and Counsell of the Realme by reason of the yeelding vp Aniou and Maine into the Dukes hands which shortly after proued the losse of all Aquitaine they euer after continually hated the Duke and after by meanes of the Commons banished him at the parlement at Berry where after he had the iudgment of his exile beeing then ready to depart hee writeth backe to the Queene this Epistle IN my disgrace deere Queene rest thy content And Margarets health from Suffolkes banishment Not one day seemes fiue yeeres exile to mee But that so soone I must depart from thee VVhere thou not present it is euer night All be exil'd that liue not in thy sight Those Sauages which worship the suns rise vvould hate theyr God if they beheld thine eyes The worlds great light might'st thou be seene abroad vvould at our noone-â—tead euer make aboade And make the poore Antipodes to mourne Fearing least he would neuer more returne VVer 't not for thee it were my great'st exile To liue within this Sea-inuirond I le Poles courage brookes not limmitting in bands But that great Queene thy soueraignty commandsâ— Our Falcons kinde cannot the cage indure Nor buzzard-like doth stoope to euery lure Theyr mounting broode in open ayre doth roue Nor will with Crowes be coop'd within a groue VVe all doe breath vpon this earthly ball Likewise one heauen encompasseth vs all No banishment can be to him assign'd vvho doth retaine a true resolued minde Man in himselfe a little world doth beare His soule the Monarch euer ruling there vvhere euer then his body doth remaine He is a King that in himselfe doth raigne And neuer feareth Fortunes hot'st alarmes That beares against her Patience for his Armes This was the meane proude VVarwicke did inuent To my disgrace at Leister parlement That onely my base yeelding vp of Maine Should be the losse of fertile Aquitaine vvith the base vulgar sort to win him fame To be the heire of good Duke Humfreys name And so by treason spotting my pure blood Make this a meane to raise the Neuels brood VVith Salisbury his vile ambitious Syer In Yorkes sterne brest kindling long hidden fyer By Clarence title working to supplant The Eagle ayrie of great Iohn of Gaunt And to this end did my exile conclude Thereby to please the rascall multitude Vrg'd by these enuious Lords to spend theyr breath Calling reuenge on the Protectors death That since the old decrepit Duke is dead By me of force he must be murthered If they would know who rob'd him of his life Let them call home Dame Ellinor his wife vvho with a Taper walked in a sheet To light her shame at no one through London street And let her bring her Negromantick booke That foule â—ag Iordane Hun and Bullenbrooke And let them call the spirits from hell againe To know how Humfrey died and who shall raigne For twenty yeeres and haue I seru'd in Fraunce Against great Charles and bastard Orleance And seene the slaughter of a world of men Victorious now and conquered agen And haue I seene Vernoylas batfull fields Strew'd with ten thousand Helmes ten thousandâ— shields VVhere famous Bedford did our fortune try Or Fraunce or England for the victory The sad inuesting of so many Townes Scor'd on my brest in honourable wounds vvhen Mountacute and Talbot of such name Vnder my Ensigne both first won theyr fame In heate and cold all fortunes haue indur'd To rouze the French within their walls immur'd Through all my life these perrils haue I past And now to feare a banishment at last Thou know'st how I thy beauty to aduance For thee refusd the infant Queene of Fraunce Brake the contract Duke Humfrey first did make Twixt Henry and the Princesse Arminacke Onely sweet Queene thy presence I might gaine I gaue Duke Rayner Aniou Mauns and Maine Thy peerelesse beautie for a dower to bring To counterpoize the wealth of Englands King And from Aumerle with-drew my warlike powers And came my selfe in person first to Towers Th' Embassadors for truce to entertaine From Belgia Denmarke Hungarie and Spayne And telling Henry of thy beauties story I taught my tongue a Louers oratory As the report it selfe did so indite And make it rauish teares with such delight And when my speech did cease as telling all My lookes shew'd more that was Angelicall And when I breath'd againe and paused next I left mine eyes to comment on the text Then comming of thy modestie to tell In musicks numbers my voyce rose and fell And when I came to paint thy glorious stile My speech in greater cadenâ—es to file By true descent to weare the Diadem Of Naples Cicils and Ierusalem And from the Gods thou didst deriue thy birth If heauenly kinde could ioyne with broode of earth Gracing each title that I did recite vvith some mellifluous pleasing Epithete Nor left him not till he for loue was sicke Beholding thee in my sweet Rhetoricke A fifteenes taxe in Fraunce I freely spent In triumphs at thy nuptiall Tournament And solemniz'd thy marriage in a gowne Valu'd at more then was thy fathers Crowne And onely striuing how to honour thee Gaue to my King what thy loue gaue to mee Iudge if his kindnes haue not power to moue vvho for his louesâ— sake gaue away his loue Had he which once the prize to Greece did bring Of whom old Poets long agoe did sing Seene thee for England but imbarqu'd at Deepe vvould ouer-boord haue cast his golden sheepe As too vnworthy ballace to be thought To pester roome with such perfection fraught The briny seas which saw the ship enfold thee vvould vaute vp to the hatches to behold thee And falling backe themselues in thronging smother Breaking for griefe enuying one another vvhen the proud Barke for ioy thy steps to feele Scorn'd the salt waues should kisse her furrowing keele And trick'd in all her flags her selfe she braues Capring for ioy vpon the siluer waues vvhen like a Bull from the Phenician strand Ioue with Europa tripping from the land Vpon the bosome of the maine doth scud And with his swannish breast cleauing the floud Tow'rd the faire fields vpon the other side Beareth Agenors ioy Phenicias pride All heauenly beauties ioyne themselues in one To shew their glory in thine eye alone VVhich when it turneth that celestiall ball A thousand sweet starres rise a thousand fall VVho iustly saith mine banishment to bee vvhen onely Fraunce for my recourse is free To view the plaines where I haue seene so oft Englands victorious Engines raisd aloft vvhen this shall be my comfort in my way To see the place where I may boldly say Heere mightie Bedford forth the
his princely birth To manage Empires and to sit on thrones Frighting coy fortune when she stern'st appeares vvhich else scornes sighes and ieereth at our teares 46 VVhen now report with her fleet murmuring wing Tuch'd the still entrance of his listning eare A fleete prepar'd this royall Queene to bring And her arriuall still awaited neare vvhen eu'ry sound a note of loue doth sing The ioyfull thoughts that in his bosome were The soule in doubt to make her function lesse Denies the vtterance fully to expresse 47 Quoth he slide billowes gently for her sake vvhose sight can make your aged Nereus yong For her fairâ— passage euen allyes make On the sleeke waters waâ—t her sayles along And whilst she glydes vpon the pleasant lake Let the sweet Syrens rocke her with a song Though not Loues mother that doth passe this wayâ— Fairer then she that 's borne vpon the sea 48 You Sea-bred creatures gaze vpon her eye And neuer after with your kind make war O steale the accents from her lip that flie vvhich like the musicks of the Angels are And them vnto your amorous thoughts apply Compar'd with which Aryons did but iarre vvrap them in ayre and when blacke tempests rage Vse them as charmes the rough seas to asswage 49 Fraunce send to fetch her with full sholes of oares vvith which her fleet may eu'ry way be plyde And beeing landed on thy happy shoares As the vast nauie doth at Anck or ride For her departure when the wild sea roares Ship mount to heauen there brightly stellifide Next Iasons Argo on the â—urnish'd throne Assume thee there a constellation 50 Her person hence conuay'd with that delight vvhich best the languish of her iournies easd That to her pleasure doth it selfe inuite vvhereon her mind and subtill fancie ceasd And that most deare her liking might excite vvhich then this Lord naught more her presence pleasd vvhere when with state she fitt'st her time could take Thus the faire Queene her Mortimer bespake 51 O Mortimer great Mortimer quoth shee vvhat angry power did first this meane deuise To seperate Queene Isabell and thee vvhom loues eternall vnion strongly ties But if supposd this fault began by me For a iust pennance to my longing eyes Though guiltlesse they this punishment assignd To gaze vpon thee till they leaue me blind 52 T is strange sweet friend how thou art altred thus Since first in Court thou didst our fauours weare vvhose shape seem'd then not mortall vnto vs vvhen in our eye thy brow was beauties spheare In all perfection so harmonious A thousand seuerall graces moouing there But what then could'st thou be not now thou art An alien first last home-borne in my hart 53 That powerfull fate thy safety did inforce And from the worst of danger did thee free Still regular and constant in one course vvrought me a firme and euen path to thee Of our affections as it tooke remorce Our birth-fix'd starres so happily agree vvhose reuolusion seriously directs Our like proceedings to the like effects 54 New forme of counsaile in the course of things To our dissignement finds a neerer way That by a cleere and perfect managing Is that firme prop whereon we onely stay vvhich in it selfe th' authority doth bring That weake opinion hath no power to sway Confuting such whose sightlesse iudgement sit In the thicke ranke with euery vulgar-wit 55 Then since pleasd time our wish'd content assures Imbrace the blessings of our mutuall rest And whilst the day of our good hap endures And we as fauorites leane on fortunes brest vvhich doth for vs this vacansie procure In choise make free election of the best Nere feare the storme before thou feele the shower My sonne a King an Empire is my dower 56 Of wanton Edward when I first was woo'd vvhy cam'st thou not into the Court of France Thy selfe alone then in my grace had'st stood Deere Mortimer how good had beene thy chaunce My loue attempted in that youthfull mood I might haue beene thine owne inheritance vvhere entring now by force thou hold'st by might And art deseisor of anothers right 57 Honour thou Idole women so adore How many plagues doo'st thou retaine to grieue vs vvhen still we finde there is remaining more Then that great word of maiestie can giue vs vvhich takes more from vs then it can restore And of that comfort often doth depriue vs That with our owne selues sets vs at debate And mak'st vs beggers vnder our estate 58 Those pleasing raptures from her graces rise Strongly inuading his impressiue breast That soone entranced all his faculties Of the proud fulnesse of their ioyes possest And hauing throughly wrought him in this wise Like tempting Syrens sing him to his rest vvhen eu'ry power is passiue of some good Felt by the spirits of his high-rauish'd blood 59 Like as a Lute that 's tuch'd with curious skill In musicks language sweetly speaking plaine vvhen eu'ry string his note with sound doth fill Taking the tones and giuing them againe And the eare bath's in harmony at will A diapason closing eu'ry straine So their affections set in keyes so like Still fall in consort as their humors strike 60 VVhen now the path to their desire appeares Of which before they had beene long debar'd By desolution of some threatning feares That for destruction seem'd to stand prepar'd vvhich the smooth face of better safety beares And now protected by a stronger guard Giues the large scope of leysure to fore-cast Euents to come by things already past 61 These great dissignements setting easly oâ—t By due proportion measuring eu'ry pace T' auoyd the cumbrance of each hindring doubt That might distort the comlines and grace Comming with eu'ry circumstance about Sâ—rictly obseruing person time and place All ornaments in faire discretions lawes Could giue attyre to beautifie the cause 62 The Embassy in tearmes of equall height As well their state and dignitie might fit Apparrelling a matter of that weight In ceremony well beseeming it To carry things so steddy and so right vvhere wisdome with cleere maiestie might sit All things still seeming strictly to effect That loue commaunds and greatnes should respect 63 VVhos 's expedition by this faire successe That doth againe this ancient league combine VVhen Edward should by couenant release And to the Prince the Prouinces resigne vvith whom King Câ—arles renewes the happy peace Receauing homage due to him for Guyne And lastly now to consumate their speed Edwards owne person to confirme the deede 64 VVho whilst he stands yet doubtfull what to doe The Spensers chiefely that his counsels guide Nor with their Soueraigne into Fraunce durst goe Nor in his absence durst at home abide Now whilst the weake King stands perplexed so His listning eares with such perswasion pli'de As he at last to stay in England's wonne And in his place to send the Prince his sonne 65 Thus is the King encompast by their skill A meane to worke what Herford doth deuise To thrust him
branches spring From wrinkled furrowes of times ruining Euen as the hungry vvihter-starued earth vvhen she by nature labours towards her birth Still as the day vpon the darke world creepes One blossome forth after another peepes Till the smal flower whose roote is now vnbound Gets from the frostie prison of the ground Spreading the leaues vnto the powerfull noone Deck'd in fresh colours smiles vpon the sunne Neuer vnquiet care lodg'd in that brest vvhere but one thought of Rosamond did rest Nor thirst nor trauaile which on warre attend Ere brought the long day to desired end Nor yet did pale Feare or leane Famine liue vvhere hope of thee did any comfort giue Ah what iniustice then is this of thee That thus the guiltlesse doost condemne for me vvhen onely she by meanes of my offence Redeemes thy purenes and thy innocence vvhen to our wills perforce obey they must That iust in them what ere in vs vniust Of what we doe not them account we make The fault craues pardon for th' offenders sake And what to worke a Princes will may merrit Hath deep'st impression in the gentlest spirit If 't be my name that doth thee so offend No more my selfe shall be mine owne names friend And if 't be that which thou doost onely hate That name in my name lastly hath his date Say t is accurst and fatall and dispraise it If written blot it if engrauen raze it Say that of all names t is a name of woe Once a Kings name but now it is not so And when all this is done I know t will grieue thee And therefore sweet why should I now belieue thee Nor should'st thou thinke those eyes with enuie lower vvhich passing by thee gaze vp to thy tower But rather praise thine owne which be so cleere vvhich from the Turret like two starres appeare Aboue the sunne doth shine beneath thine eye Mocking the heauen to make another skye The little streame which by thy tower doth glide vvhere oft thou spend'st the wearie euening tide To view thee well his course would gladly stay As loth from thee to part so soone away And with salutes thy selfe would gladly greete And offer vp those small drops at thy feete But finding that the enuious banks restraine it T' excuse it selfe doth in this sort complaine it And therefore this sad bubling murmur keepes And in this sort within the channell weepes And as thou doost into the water looke The fish which see thy shadow in the brooke Forget to feede and all amazed lye So daunted with the lustre of thine eye And that sweet name which thou so much doost wrong In time shall be some famous Poets song And with the very sweetnes of that name Lyons and Tygers men shall learne to tame The carefull mother from her pensiue brest vvith Rosamond shall bring her babe to rest The little birds by mens continuall sonnd Shall learne to speake and prattle Rosamond And when in Aprill they begin to sing vvith Rosamond shall welcome in the spring And she in whom all rarities are found Shall still be sayd to be a Rosamond The little flowers which dropping honied dew vvhich as thou writ'st doe weepe vpon thy shuâ— Not for thy fault sweet Rosamond doe mone But weepe for griefe that thou so soone art gone For if thy foote tuch Hemlock as it goes That Hemlock's made more sweeter then the Rose Of Ioue or Neptune how they did betray Nor speake of I-o or Amimone vvhen she for whom Ioue once became a Bull Compar'd with thee had beene a tawny trull He a white Bull and she a whiter Cow Yet he nor she neere halfe so white as thou Long since thou knowst my care prouided forâ— To lodge thee safe from iealous Ellenor The Labyrinths conueyance guides thee so vvhich onely Vahan thou and I doe know If she doe guard thee with a hundred eyes I haue an hundred subtile Mercuries To watch that Argus which my loue doth keepe Vntill eye after eye fall all to sleepe Those starres looke in by night looke in to see vvondring what star heere on the earth should be As oft the moone amidst the silent night Hath come to ioy vs with her friendly light And by the curtaine help'd mine eye to see vvhat enuious night and darknes hid from mee vvhen I haue wish'd that she might euer stay And other worlds might still enioy the day vvhat should I say vvords teares and sighes be spent And want of time doth further helps preuent My campe resounds with fearefull shocks of war Yet in my breast the worser conflicts are Yet is my signall to the battailes sound The blessed name of beautious Rosamond Accursed be that hart that tongue that breath Should thinke should speake or whisper of thy death For in one smile or lower from thy sweet eye Consists my life my hope my victorie Sweet VVoodstocke where my Rosamond doth rest Blessed in her in whom thy King is blest For though in Fraunce a while my bodie be Sweet Paradice my hart remaines in thee Notes of the Chronicle Historie Am I at home pursued with priuate hate And warre comes raging to my Pallace gate RObert Earle of Leicester who tooke part with young King Henry entred into England with an Armie of 3. thousand Flemmings spoiled the Countries of Norfolke and Suffolke being succoured by manie of the Kings priuate enemies And am I branded with the curse of Rome King Henry the second the first Plantaginet accused for the death of Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterburie slaine in the Cathedrall Church was accursed by Pope Alexander although hee vrg'd sufficient proofe of his innocencie in the same and offered to take vpon him any pennance so he might escape the curse and interdiction of the Realme And by the pride of my rebellious Sonne Rich Normandie with Armies ouer-runne Henry the young King whom King Henry had caused to be crowned in his life as he hoped both for his owne good and the good of his Subiects which indeede turned to his owne sorrowe and the trouble of the whole Realme for he rebelled against him and raising a power by the meanes of Lewes King of Fraunce and William king of Scots who tooke part with him inuaded Normandie Vnkind my children most vnkind my wife Neuer King more infortunate then King Henry in the disobedience of his children first Henry then Geffrey then Richard then Iohn all at one time or other first or last vnnaturally rebelled against him then the iealousie of Ellinor his Queene who suspected his loue to Rosamond which grieuous troubles the deuout of those times attributed to happen vnto him iustly for refusing to take vppon him the gouernment of Ierusalem offered vnto him by the Patriarcke there which country was mightilie afflicted by the Souldane Which onely Vahan thou and I doe know This Vahan was a Knight whom the King exceedingly loued who kept the Pallace at Woodstock much of the Kings iewels treasure to whom the
euen all things as it list And with vniust men to debate of lawes Is to giue power to hurt a rightfull cause vvhilst parlements must still redresse theyr wrongs And we must starue for what to vs belongs Our wealth but fuell to theyr fond excesse And we must fast to feast theyr wantonnesse Think'st thou our wrongs then insufficient are To moue our brother to religious war And if they were yet Edward doth detaine Homage for Pontiu Guyne and Aquytaine And if not that yet hath he broke the truce Thus all accur to put backe all excuse The sisters wrong ioynd with the brothers right Me thinks might vrge him in this cause to fight Be all those people sencelesse of our harmes vvhich for our country ought haue manag'd armes Is the braue Normans courage now forgot Or the bold Brittaines lost the vse of shot The big-bon'd Almaines and stout Brabanders Theyr warlike Pikes and sharp-edg'd Semiters Or doe the Pickards let theyr Crosbowes lie Once like the Centaurs of old Thessalie Or if a valiant Leader be theyr Lacke vvhere thou art present who should driue them backe I doe coniure thee by what is most deere By that great name of famous Mortimer By auncient VVigmors honourable Crest The Tombes where all thy famous Grandsires rest Or if then these what more may thee approue Euen by those vowes of thy vnfained loue That thy great hopes may moue the Christian King By forraine Armes some comfort yet to bring To curbe the power of traytors that rebell Against the right of princely Isabell. Vaine vvitlesse woman why should I desire To adde more heate to thy immortall fire To vrge thee by the violence of hate To shake the pillers of thine owne estate vvhen whatsoeuer we intend to doe To our misfortune euer sorts vnto And nothing els remaines for vs beside But teares and coffins onely to prouide VVhen still so long as Burrough beares that name Time shall not blot out our deserued shame And whilst cleere Trent her wonted course shall keepe For our sad fall her christall drops shall weepe All see our ruine on our backs is throwne And to our selues our sorrowes are our owne And Torlton now whose counsell should direct The first of all is slaundred with suspect For dangerous things dissembled sildome are vvhich many eyes attend with busie care VVhat should I say my griefes doe still renew And but begin when I should bid adiew Few be my words but manifold my woe And still I stay the more I striue to goe As accents issue forth griefes enter in And where I end mee thinks I but begin Till then fayre time some greater good affoords Take my loues payment in these ayrie words Notes of the Chronicle Historie O how I feard that sleepie drinke I sent Might yet want power to further thine intent MOrtimer beeing in the Tower and ordayning a feast in honour of his byrth-day as hee pretended and inuiting there-vnto sir Stephen Segraue Constable of the Tower with the â—est of the officers belonging to the same he gaue them a sleepie drinke prouided him by the Queene by which meanes he got libertie for his escape I steale to Thames as though to take the ayre And aske the gentle streame as it doth glide Mortimer being got out of the Tower swam the riuer of Thames into Kent whereof she hauing intelligence doubteth of his strength to escape by reason of his long imprisonment being almost the space of three yeeres Did Bulloyne once a festiuall prepare For England Almaine Cicile and Naeuarre Edward Carnaruan the first Prince of Wales of the English blood married Isabell daughter of Phillip the faire at Bulloyne in the presence of the Kings of Almaine Nauarre and Cicile with the chiefe Nobilitie of Fraunce and England which marriage was there solemnized with exceeding pompe and magnificence And in my place vpon his regall throne To set that girle-boy wanton Gaueston Noting the effeminacie luxurious wantonnesse of Gaueston the Kings Minion his behauiour and attire euer so womanlike to please the eye of his lasciuious Prince That a foule Witches bastard should thereby It was vrged by the Queene and the Nobilitie in the disgrace of Piers Gauestone that his mother was conuicted of witchcraft burned for the same and that Piers had bewitched the King Albania Gascoyne Cambria Ireland Albania Scotland so called of Albanact the second sonne of Brutus and Cambria Wales so called of Camber the third son the foure Realmes countries brought in subiection by Edward Longshankes When of our princely Iewels and our dowers We but enioy the least of what is ours A complaint of the prodigalitie of King Edward giuing vnto Gaueston the iewels treasure which was left him by the auncient Kings of England and enriching him with the goodly Manor of Wallingford assigned as parcel of the dower to the queens of this famous I le And ioyn'd with the braue issue of our blood Alie our kingdome to their crauand brood Edward the second gaue to Piers Gaueston in mariage the daughter of Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester begot of the Kings sister Ione of Acres maried to the said Earle of Glocester Should giue away all that his Father won To backe a stranger King Edward offered his right in Fraunce to Charles his brother in law and his right in Scotland to Robert Bruse to be ayded against the Barrons in the quarrell of Piers Gaueston And did great Edward on his death-bed giue Edward Longshanks on his death-bed at Carlile commanded yong Edward his sonne on his blessing not to call backe Gaueston which for the misguiding of the Princes youth was before banished by the whole counsell of the Land That after all this fearefull massaker The fall of Beuchamp Lasy Lancaster Thomas Earle of Lancaster Guy Earle of Warwick Henry Eaâ—le of Lincolne who had taken their oaths before the deceased King at his death to withstand his sonne Edward if hee should call Gauestone from exile being a thing which he much feared now seeing Edward to violate his Fathers coÌ„maundement rise in Armes against the king which was the cause of the ciuill war the ruine of so many Princes And gloried I in Gauestons great fall That now a Spenser should succeed in all The two Hugh Spensers the Father the sonne after the death of Gaueston became the great fauourites of the King the sonne beeing created by him lord Chamberlaine the father Earle of Winchester And if they were yet Edward doth detaine Homaage for Pontiu Guyne and Aquitaine Edward Longshanks did homage for those Citties and Territories to the French King which Edward the second neglecting moued the French King by the subornation of Mortimer to cease those Countries into his hands By auncient Wigmors honourable Crest Wigmore in the marches of Wales was the auncient house of the Mortimers that noble and couragious familie That still so long as Borrough beares that name The Queene remembreth the great
triumpheth in my fall For her great Lord may water her sad eyne vvith as salt teares as I haue done for mine And mourne for Henry Hotspur her deere sonne As I for my sweet Mortimer haue done And as I am so succourlesse be sent Lastly to taste perpetuall banishment Then loose thy care where first thy crowne was lost Sell it so deerely for it deerely cost And sith they did of libertie depriue thee Burying thy hope let not thy care out-liue thee But hard God knowes with sorrow doth it goe vvhen woe becomes a comfort to woe Yet much me thinks of comforter I could say If from my hart pale feare were rid away Some thing there is which tels me still of woe But what it is that heauen aboue doth know Griefe to it selfe most dreadfull doth appeare And neuer yet was sorrow voyde of feare But yet in death doth sorrow hope the best And with this farewell wish thee happy rest Notes of the Chronicle Historie If fatall Pomfret hath in former time POmfret Castle euer a fatall place to the Princes of England and most ominous to the blood of Plantaginet Oh how euen yet I hate these wretched eyes And in my glasse c. When Bullingbrooke returned to London from the West bringing Richard a prisoner with him the Queene who little knew of her Husbands hard successe stayd to behold his comming in little thinking to haue seene her Husband thus ledde in tryumph by his foe and nowe seeming to hate her eyes that so much had graced her mortall enemie Wherein great Norfolks forward course was stayd She remembreth the meeting of the two Dukes of Herforde and Norfolke at Couentry vrging the iustnes of Mowbrayes quarrell against the Duke of Herford the faithfull assurance of his victorie O why did Charles relieue his needie state A vagabond c. Charles the French King her father receiued the Duke of Herford in his Court and releeued him in Fraunce beeing so neerely alied as Cosin german to king Richard his sonne in Lawe which he did simply little thinking that he should after returne into England and dispossesse King Richard of the Crowne When thou to Ireland took'st thy last farewell King Richard made a voyage with his Armie into Ireland against Onell Mackemur which rebelled at what time Henry entred here at home and robd him of all kinglie dignitie Affirm'd by Church-men which should beare no hate That Iohn of Gaunt was illegitimate William Wickham in the great quarrell betwixt Iohn of Gaunt and the Clergy of meere spight and malice as it should seeme reported that the Queene confessed to him on her death-bed being then her Confessor that Iohn of Gaunt was the sonne of a Flemming that she was brought to bed of a woman child at Gaunt which was smothered in the cradle by mischaunce and that she obtained this chylde of a poore woman making the king belieue it was her own greatlie fearing his displeasure Fox ex Chron. Albanâ— No bastards marke doth blot our conquering shield Shewing the true and indubitate birth of Richard his right vnto the Crowne of England as carrying the Armes without blot or difference Against theyr fayth vnto the Crownes true heire Their noble kindsman c. Edmund Mortimer Earle of March sonne of Earle Roger Mortimer which was sonne to Lady Phillip daughter to Lionell Duke of Clarence the third sonne to king Edward the third which Edmund king Richard going into Ireland was proclaimed heyre apparant to the Crowne whose Aunt called Ellinor this Lord Fiercie had married O would Aumerle had suncke when he betrayd The complot which that holy Abbot layd The Abbot of Westminster had plotted the death of king Henry to haue been done at a Tylt at Oxford of which confederacie there was Iohn Holland Duke of Excester Thomas Holland Duke of Surrey the Duke of Aumerle Mountacute Earle of Salisbury Spenser Earle of Gloster the Bishop of Carlile Sir Thomas Blunt these all had bound themselues one to another by Indenture to performe it but were all betrayd by the Duke of Aumerle Scroope Greene and Bushie die his fault in graine Henry going towards the Castle of Flint where King Richard was caused Scroope Greene Bushie to be executed at Bristow as vile persons which had seduced this king to this lasciuious wicked life Damn'd be the oath he made at Doncaster After Henries exile at his returne into England he tooke his oath at Doncaster vpon the Sacrament not to claime the crown or kingdom of England but onely the Dukedome of Lancaster his own proper right and the right of his wife And mourne for Henry Hotspur her deere sonne As I for my c. This was the braue couragious Henry Hotspur that obtained so many victories against the Scots which after falling out right with the curse of Queene Isabell was slaine by Henry at the battaile at Shrewsburie Richard the second to Queene Isabell. WHat may my Queene but hope for from that hand Vnfit to write vnskilful to command A kingdoms greatnes hardly can he sway That wholesome counsaile neuer did obey Ill this rude hand did guide a Scepter then VVorse now I feare me gouerneth a pen How shall I call my selfe or by what name To make thee know from whence these letters came Not from thy husband for my hatefull life Hath made thee widdow being yet a wife Nor from a King that title I haue lost Now of that name proud Bulling brooke may boast vvhat I haue beene doth but this comfort bring That no woe is to say I was a King This lawlesse life which first pâ—ocur'd my hate This tong which then denounc'd my regall state This abiect mind that did consent vnto it This hand that was the instrument to doe it All these be witnes that I doe denie All passed hopes all former soueraigntie Didst thou for my sake leaue thy fathers Court Thy famous Country and thy virgine port And vndertook'st to trauaile dangerous waves Driuen by aukward winds and boyst'rous seas And left 's great Burbon for thy loue to me vvho su'd in marriage to be linck'd to thee Offring for dower the Countries neighbouring nie Of fruitfull Almaine and rich Burgundie Didst thou all this that England should receaue thee To miserable banishment to leaue thee And in my downfall and my fortunes wracke Forsaken thus to Fraunce to send thee backe VVhen quiet sleepe the heauie harts reliefe Hath rested sorrow somwhat lesned griefe My passed greatnes vnto minde I call And thinke this while I dreamed of my fall vvith this conceite my sorrowes I beguile That my fayre Queene is but with-drawne awhile And my attendants in some chamber by As in the height of my prosperitie Calling aloud and asking who is there The Eccho answering tells me VVoe is there And when mine armes would gladly thee enfold I clip the pillow and the place is cold vvhich when my waking eyes precisely view T is a true token that it is too true
As many minutes as in the houres there be So many houres each minute seemes to me Each houre a day morne noone-tide and a set Each day a yeare with miseries complet A vvinter spring-time sommer and a fall All seasons varying but vnseasoned all In endlesse woe my thred of life thus weares By minutes houres dayes monthes and ling'ring yeares They praise the Sommer that enioy the South Pomfret is closed in the Norths cold mouth There pleasant Sommer dwelleth all the yeere Frost-starued-winter doth inhabite heere A place wherein dispaire may fitly dwell Sorrow best suting with a clowdie Cell VVhen Herford had his iudgement of exile Saw I the peoples murmuring the while Th' vncertaine Commons touch'd with inward care As though his sorrowes mutually they bare Fond women and scarse speaking children mourne Bewaile his parting wishing his returne Then being forc'd t' abridge his banish'd yeeres vvhen they bedew'd his footsteps with their teares Yet by example could not learne to know To what his greatnes by this loue might grow vvhilst Henry boasts of our atthieuements done Bearing the trophies our great fathers wone And all the storie of our famous warre Now grace the Annalls of great Lancaster Seuen goodly siens in their spring did flourish vvhich one selfe root brought forth one stocke did nourish Edward the top-braunch of that golden tree Nature in him her vtmost power did see vvho from the bud still blossomed so faire As all might iudge what fruit it meant to beare But I his graft of eu'ry weede ore-growne And from the kind as refuse forth am throwne From our braue Grandsire both in one degree Yet after Edward Iohn the young'st of three Might princely VVales beget an Impe so base That to Gaunts issue should giue soueraigne place That leading Kings from Fraunce returned home As those great Caesars brought their spoyles to Rome vvhose name obtayned by his fatall hand vvas euer fearefull to that conquered land His fame increasing purchasd in those warres Can scarcely now be bounded with the starres VVith him is valour quite to heauen fled Or else in me is it extinguished vvho for his vertue and his conquests sake Posteritie a demie God shall make And iudge this â—ile and abiect spirit of mine Could not proceed from temper so diuine VVhat earthly humor or what vulgar eye Can looke so low as on our miserie VVhen Bulling brook is mounted to our throne And makes that his which we but call'd our owne Into our Counsels he himselfe intrudes And who but Henry with the multitudes His power disgrad's his dreadfull frowne disgraceth He throwes them downe whom our aduancement placeth As my disable and vnworthie hand Neuer had power belonging to command He treads our sacred tables in the dust And proues our acts of Parlament vniust As thougâ— he hated that it should be said That such a law by Richard once was made VVhilst I depresd before his greatnes lie Vnder the waight of hate and infamie My back a foot-stoole Bulling brook to raise My loosenes mock'd and hatefull by his praise Out-liu'd mine honour buried my estate And nothing left me but the peoples hate Sweet Queene I le take all counsell thou canst giue So that thou bid'st me neither hope nor liue Succour that comes when ill hath done his worst But sharpens greefe to make vs more accurst Comfort is now vnpleasing to mine eare Past cure past care my bed become my Beere Since now misfortune humbleth vs so long Till heauen be growne vnmindfull of our wrong Yet they forbid my wrongs shall euer die But still remembred to posteritie And let the crowne be fatall that he weares And euer wet with wofull mothers teares Thy curse on Percie angry heauens preuent vvho haue not one cuise left on him vnspent To scourge the world now horrowing of my store As rich of woe as I a King am poore Then cease deere Queene my sorrowes to bewaile My wounds too great for pittie now to heale Age stealeth on whilst thou complainest thus My greefes be mortall and infectious Yet better fortunes thy fayre youth may trie That follow thee which still from me doth flie Notes of the Chronicle Historie This tongue which first denounc'd my regall flate RIchard the second at the resignation of the Crowne to the Duke of Herford in the Tower of London deliuering the lame with his owne hand there confessed his disabilitie to gouerne vtterly denouncing all kingly dignitie And left'st great Burbon for thy loue to me Before the Princesse Isabell was married to the King Lewes Duke of Burbon sued to haue had her in mariage which was thought hee had obtained if this motion had not fallen out in the meane time This Duke of Burbon sued againe to haue receiued her at her comming into Fraunce after the imprisonment of King Richard but King Charles her Father then crost him as before and gaue her to Charles sonne to the Duke of Orleance When Herford had his iudgement of exile When the combate should haue beene at Couentrie betwixt Henâ—ie Duke of Herford and Thomas Duke of Norfolke where Herâ—ord was adiudged to banishment for tenne yeares the Commons exceeding lamented so greatly was he euer fauoured of the people Then being forc'd t' abridge his banish'd yeeres When the Duke came to take his leaue of the King being then at Eltham the King to please the Commons rather then for any louâ— he beare to Herford repleaded foure yeeres of his banishment Whilst Henry boasts of our atchieuements done Henry the eldest Sonne to Iohn Duke of Lancaster at the first Earle of Darby then created Duke of Herford after the death of the Duke Iohn his Father was Duke of Lancaster and Hereford Earle of Darby Leicester and Lincolne and after he had obtained the Crowne was called by the name of Bullingbrooke which is a towne in Lincolneshire as vsually all the Kings of England bare the name of the places where they were borne Seauen goodly syens in their spring did flourish Edward the third had seuen Sonnes Edward Prince of Wales after called the blacke Prince William of Hatfield the second Lionell Duke of Clarence the third Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the fourth Edmond of Langley Duke of Yorke the Fifth Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Gloster the sixth William of Windsore the seuenth Edward the top-branch of that golden tree Truly boasting himselfe to bee the eldest Sonne of Edward the blacke Prince Yet after Edward Iohn the young'st of three As disabling Henry Bullingbrooke being but the sonne of the fourth brother William and Lionell beeing both before Iohn of Gaunt That leading Kings from Fraunce returned home Edward the black Prince taking Iohn King of Fraunce prisoner at the battell of Poictâ—â—s brought him into England where at the Sauoy he died Whose name atchiued by his fatall hand Called the black Prince not so much of his complexion as of the famous battell hee fought as is shewed before in the Glosse vppon the Epistle of Edward
sencelesse stones were with such musick drownd As many yeeres they did retaine the sound Let not the beames that greatnes doth reflect Amaze thy hopes with timerous respect Assure thee Tudor maiestie can be As kinde in loue as can the mean'st degree And the embraces of a Queene as true As theyrs might iudge them much aduaunc'd by you vvhen in our greatnes our affections craue Those secret ioyes that other women haue So I a Queene be soueraigne in my choyse Let others fawne vpon the publique voyce Or what by this can euer hap to thee Light in respect to be belou'd of mee Let peeuish worldlings prate of right and wrong Leaue plaints and pleas to whom they doe belong Let old men speake of chaunces and euents And Lawyers talke of titles and discents Leaue fond reports to such as stories tell And couenaunts to those that buy and sell Loue my sweet Tudor that becomes thee best And to our good successe referre the rest Notes of the Chronicle Historie Great Henry sought to accomplish his desire Armed c. HEnry the fift making clayme vnto the Crowne of Fraunce first sought by Armes to subdue the French and after sought by marriage to confirme what he got by conquest the heate and furie of which inuasion is alluded to the fixtion of Semele in Ouid which by the craftie perswasion of Iuno requested Ioue to come vnto her as he was wont to come vnto his wife Iuno who at her request hee yeelding vnto destroyed her in a tempest Incamp'd at Melans in wars hote alarmes First c. Neere vnto Melans vpon the Riuer of Scyne was the appoynted place of parley betweene the two Kings of England and Fraunce to which place Isabell the Queene of Fraunce and the Duke of Burgoyne brought the young Princesse Katherine where King Henry first saw her And on my temples set a double Crowne Henry the fift and Queene Katherine vvere taken as King and Queene of Fraunce and during the life of Charles the French King Henry was called King of England and heire of Fraunce after the death of Henry the fift Henry the sixt his son then being very young was crowned at Paris as true and lawfull king of England Fraunce At Troy in Champaine he did first enioy Troy in Champayn was the place where that victorious king Henrie the fift maried the Princesse Katherine in the presence of the chiefe nobilitie of the Realmes of England and Fraunce Nor these great tytles vainely will I bring Wife daughter Mother c. Few Queenes of England or Fraunce were euer more princelie alied then this Queene as it hath been noted by Historiographers Nor thinke so Tudor that this loue of mine Should wrong the Gaunt-borne◠c. Noting the descent of Henry her husband frō Iohn Duke of Lancaster the fourth son of Edward the third which Duke Iohn was sirnamed Gaunt of the citty of Gaunt in Flaunders where he was borne Nor stir the English blood the sunne and Moone T'repine c. Alluding the greatnes of the English line to Phoebus Phoebe fained to be the children of Latona whose heauenly kind might scorne to be ioyned with any earthlie progenie yet withall boasting the blood of Fraunce as not inferiour to theirs And with this allusion followeth on the historie of the strife betwixt Iuno and the race of Cadmus whose issue was afflicted by the wrath of heauen The chyldren of Niobe slaine for which the wofull mother became a Rock gushing forth continually a fountaine of teares And Iohn and Longshanks issue both affied Lhewellin or Leolin ap Iorwerth married Ioane daughter to King Iohn a most beautifull Lady Some Authours affirme that shee was base borne Lhewellin ap Gryfith maried Ellenor daughter to Simon Montfort Earle of Leicester and Cosin to Edward Longshanks both which Lhewellins were Princes of Wales Of Camilot and all her Pentecosts A Nephewes roome c Camilot the auncient Pallace of King Arthur to which place all the Knights of that famous order yeerely repaired at Penticost according to the lawe of the Table and most of the famous home-borne Knights were of that Countrie as to this day is perceiued by theyr auncient monuments When bloody Rufus sought your vtter sacke Noting the ill successe which that William Rufus had in two voyages he made into Wales in which a number of his chiefe Nobilitie were slaine And oft return'd with glorious victorie Nothing the diuers sundry incursions that the Welchmen made into England in the time of Rufus Iohn Henry the second Longshankes Owen Tudor to Queene Katherine WHen first mine eyes beheld your princely name And found from whence this friendly letter came As in excesse of ioy my selfe forgot vvhether I saw it or I saw it not My panting hart doth bid mine eyes proceede My dazeled eye inuites my tongue to reede Mine eye should guide my tongue amazed mist it My lips which now should speake are dombe and kist it And leaues the paper in my trembling hand vvhen all my sences so amazed stand Euen as a mother comming to her child vvhich from her presence hath beene long exil'd vvith tender armes his gentle necke doth straine Now kissing him now clipping him againe And yet excessiue yoy deludes her so As still she doubts if this be hers or no At length awak'ned from this pleasing dreame vvhen passion som-what leaues to be extreame My longing eyes with their faire obiect meete vvhere euery letter 's pleasing each word sweete It was not Henries conquests nor his Court That had the power to win me by report Nor was his dreadfull terror-striking name The cause that I from VVales to England came For Christian Rhodes and our religious truth To great atchieuements first had wone my youth Before aduenture did my valour proue Before I yet knew what it was to loue Nor came I hether by some poore euent But by th' eternall Destinies consent vvhose vncomprised wisedomes did fore-see That you in marriage should be linck'd to mee By our great Merlin was it not fore-told Amongst his holy prophecies enrold vvhen first he did of Tudors fame diuine That Kings and Queenes should follow in our line And that the Helme the Tudors auncient Crest Should with the golden Flower-delice be drest And that the Leeke our Countries chiefe renowne Should grow with Roses in the English Crowne As Charles fayre daughter you the Lilly weare As Henries Queene the blushing Rose you beare By Fraunce's conquest and by Englands oth You are the true made dowager of both Both in your crowne both in your cheeke together Ioyne Tethers loue to yours and yours to Tether Then make no future doubts nor feare no hate vvhen it so long hath beene fore-told by Fate And by the all-disposing doome of heauen Before our births vnto one bed were giuen No Pallas heere nor Iuno is at all vvhen I to Venus giue the golden ball Nor when the Graecians wonder I enioy None in reuenge to kindle fire in
for those sums the wealthy Church should pay Vpon the needie Commentie to lay His ghostly counsels onely doe aduise The meanes how Langleys progenie may rise Pathing young Henries vnaduised waies A Duke of Yorke from Cambridge house to raise vvhich after may our title vndermine Grafted since Edward in Gaunts famous line Vs of succession falfely to depriue vvhich they from Clarence fainedly deriue Knowing the will old Cambridge euer bore To catch the wreath that famous Henrie wore VVith Gray and Scroope when first he laid the plot From vs and ours the garland to haue got As from the march-borne Mortimer to raigne vvhose title Glendour stoutly did maintaine vvhen the proud Percies haughtie March and he Had shar'd the Land by equall parts in three His Priesthood now sterne Mowbray doth restore To stir the fire that kindled was before Against the Yorkists shall their claime aduaunce To steele the poynt of Norfolks sturdie Launce Vpon the brest of Herfords issue bent In iust reuenge of auncient banishment He doth aduise to let our prisoner goe And doth enlarge the faithlesse Scottish foe Giuing our heires in marriage that their dowres May bring inuasion vpon vs and ours Ambitious Suffolke so the helme doth guide vvith Beufords damned policies supplide He and the Queene in counsell still confer How to raise him who hath aduanced her But my deare hart how vainely do I dreame And flie from thee whose sorrowes are my theamâ— My loue to thee and England thus deuided vvhich the most part how hard to be decided Or thee or that to whether I am loth So neere are you so deere vnto me both Twixt that and thee for equall loue I finde England ingratefull and my Elnor kinde But though my Country iustly I reproue For Countries sake vnkinde vnto my loue Yet is thy Humfrey to his Elnor now As when fresh beautie triumph'd on thy brow As when thy graces I admired most Or of thy fauours might the frankli'st boast Those beauties were so infinite before That in abundance I was onely poore Or which though time hath taken some againe I aske no more but what doth yet remaine Be patient gentle hart in thy distresse Thou art a Princesse not a whit the lesse VVhilst in these breasts we beare about this life I am thy husband and thou art my wife Cast not thine eye on such as mounted be But looke on those cast downe as low as we For some of them which proudly pearch so hie Ere long shall come as low as thou or I. They weepe for ioy and let vs laugh in woe vve shall exchange when heauen will haue it so VVe mourne and they in after time may mourne vvoe past may once laugh present woe to scorne And worse then hath beene we can neâ—er â—ast vvorse cannot come then is already past In all extreames the onely depth of ill Is that which comforts the afflicted still Ah would to God thou would'st thy grieâ—â—s denie And on my backe let all the burthen lie Or if thou canst resigne make thine mine owne Both in one carridge to be vndergone Till we againe our former hopes recouer And prosperous times blow these misfortunes ouer For in the thought of those forepassed yeeres Some new resemblance of old ioy appeares Mutuall our care so mutuall be our loue That our affliction neuer can remoue So rest in peace where peace hath hope to liue vvishing thee more then I my selfe can giue Notes of the Chronicle Historie At Agincourt at Crauant and Vernoyle THe three famous battels fought by the English men in Fraunce Agincourt by Henry the fift against the whole power of Fraunce Grauant fought by Mountacute Earle of Salisburie and the Duke of Burgoyne against the Dolphine of Fraunce William Stuart Constable of Scotland Vernoyle fought by Iohn Duke of Bedford against the Duke of Alanson and with him most of the Nobilitie of Fraunce Duke Humfry an especiall Counsellour in all these expeditions In Flaunders Almaine Boheme Burgundie Heere remembring the auncient amitie which in his Embassics he concluded betwixt the King of England and Sigismond Emperour of Almaine drawing the Duke of Burgoyne into the same league gyuing himselfe as an hostage for the Duke of Saint Omers while the Duke came to Calice to confirme the league With his many otheâ— imployments to forraine kingdoms That crosier staffe in his imperious hand Henry Beuford Cardinall of Winchester that proude and haughty Prelate receiued his Cardinals haâ—te at Calice by the Popes Legate which dignitie Henry the fift his nephewe forbad him to take vpon him knowing his haughtie and malicious spirit vnfit for that robe and calling The meanes how Langleys progenie may rise As willing to shew the house of Cambridge to bee descended of Edmund Langley Duke of York a yonger brother to Iohn of Gaunt his Grandfather as much as in him lay to smother the title that the Yorkists made to the crowne from Lâ—onell of Clarence Gaunts â—lder brother by the daughter of Mortimer His priesthood now sterne Mowbray doth restore Noting the ancient grudge betweene the house of Lancaster and Norfolke euer since Mowbray Duke of Norfolke was banished for the accusation of Henry Duke of Herford after the King of England Father to Duke Humfry which accusation he came as a Combatant to haue made good in the Lists at Couentry And giues our heiresin marriage that their dowers Iames Stuart King of Scots hauing beene long prisoner in England was released and tooke to wife the daughter of Iohn Duke of Sommerset sister to Iohn Duke of Somerset neeâ—e to the Cardinall and the Duke of Excester and Cosin germaine remou'd to the king this King broke the oath he had taken and became after a great enemie to England FINIS To my honoured Mistres Mistres Elizabeth Tanfelde the sole daughter and heyre of that famous and learned Lawyer Lawrence Tanfelde Esquire FAire and vertuous Mistres since first it was my good fortune to be a witnes of the many rare perfections wherewith nature and education â—aue adorned you I haue been forced since that time to attribute more admiration to your sexe then euer Petrarch could before perswade mee to by the prayses of his Laura Sweet is the Frâ—â—ch tongue more sweet the Italian but most sweet are they both if spoken by your admired selfe If poesie were praiselesse your vertues alone were a subiect sufficient to make it esteemed though among the barbarous Getes by how much the more your tender yeres giue scarcely warrant for your more then woman-like wisedome by so much is your iudgment and reading the more to be wondred at The Graces shall haue one more Sister by your selfe and England to herselfe shall adde one Muse more to the Muses I rest the humble deuoted seruaunt to my deere and modest Mistresse to whom I wish the happiest fortunes I can deuise Michaell Drayton William de la Pole Duke of Suffolke to Queene Margaret ¶ The Argument VVilliam de la Pole
vaward led Heere Talbot charg'd and heere the Frenchmen fled Heere with our Archers valiant Scales did lie Heere stood the Tents of famous VVilloughbie Heere Mountacute rang'd his vnconquered band Heere forth we march'd and heere we made a stand VVhat should we stand to mourne and grieue all day For that which time doth easily take away VVhat fortune hurts let patience onely heale No wisedome with extremities to deale To know our selues to come of humane birth These sad afflictions crosse vs heere on earth A taxe imposd by heauens eternall law To keepe our rude rebellious will in awe In vaine we prise that at so deere a rate vvhose best assurance is a fickle state And needlesse we examine our intent vvhen with preuention we cannot preuent vvhen we our selues fore-seeing cannot shun That which before with destinie doth run Henry hath power and may my life depose Mine honour mine that none hath power to lose Then be as cheerefull beautious royall Queene As in the Court of Fraunce we erst haue beene As when arriu'd in Porchesters faire roade vvhere for our comming Henry made aboad vvhen in mine armes I brought thee safe to land And gaue my louâ— to Henries royal hand The happy houres we passed with the King At faire South-hampton long in banquetting vvith such content as lodg'd in Henries brest vvhen he to London brought thee from the VVest Through golden Cheape when he in pompe did ride To VVestminster to entertaine his Bride Notes of the Chronicle Historie Our Faeulcons kinde cannot the Cage indure HE alludes in these verses to the Faulcon which was the ancient deuice of the Poles comparing the greatnes and hautines of his spirit to the nature of this bird This was the meane proud Warwickâ— did inuent To my disgrace c. The Commons at this Parliament through Warwickâ— meanes accused Suffolk of treason and vrged the accusation so vehemently that the king was forced to exile him for fiue yeares That onely my base yeelding vp of Maine Should be the losse of fertile Aquitaine The Duke of Suffolke being sent into France to conclude a peace chose Duke Rainers daughter the Ladie Margaret whom he espoused for Henry the sixt deliuering for her to her Father the Countries of Aniou and Maine and the Citie of Mauns Wherevpon the Earle of Arminach whose daughter was before promised to the King seeing himselfe to be deluded caused all the Englishmen to be expulsed Aquitaine Gascoyne and Guyen With the base vulgar sort to win him fame To be the heire of good Duke Humfreys name This Richard that was called the great Earle of Warwicke when Duke Humfrey was dead grew into exceeding great fauour with the Commons With Salisbury his vile ambitious Sire In Yorks sterne breast kindling long hidden fire By Clarence title working to supplant The Eagle Ayrie of great Iohn of Gaunt Richard Plantaginet Duke of Yorke in the time of Henry the sixt claimed the Crowne being assisted by this Richard Neuell Earle of Salisburie and father to the great Earle of Warwicke who fauoured exceedingly the house of Yorke in open Parliament as heire to Lionell Duke of Clarence the third Sonne of Edward the third making his title by Anne his Mother wife to Richard Earle of Cambridge Sonne to Edmund of Langley Duke of Yorke which Anne was daughter to Roger Mortimer Earle of March which Roger was sonne and heire to Edmund Mortimer that married the Lady Phillip daughter and heire to Lionell Duke of Clarence the third sonne of King Edward to whom the Crowne after Richard the seconds death lineally descended he dying without issue And not to the heires of the Duke of Lancaster that was younger brother to the Duke of Clarence Hall cap. 1. Tit. Yor. Lanc. Vrg'd by these enuious Lords to spend their breath Calling reuenge on the Protectors death Humfrey Duke of Glocester and Lord Protector in the 25. yeere of Henry the sixt by the meanes of the Queene and the Duke of Suffolke was arrested by the Lord Beumond at the Parliament holden at Berrie and the same night after murthered in his bed If they would know who robd him c. To this verse To know how Humfrey died and who shall raigne In these verses he iestes at the Protectors wife who being accused and conuicted of treason because with Iohn Hun a Priest Roger Bullenbrooke a Negromancer and Margerie Iordane called the Witch of Eye shee had consulted by sorcâ—rie to kill the King was adiudged to perpetuall prison in the I le of Man to do penance openly in three publique places in London For twentie yeeres and haue I seru'd in Fraunce In the sixt yeere of Henry the sixt the Duke of Bedford being deceased then Lieuetenant generell and Regent of Fraunce this Duke of Suffolke was promoted to that dignitie hauing the Lord Talbot Lord Scales and the Lord Mountacute to assist him Against great Charles and bastard Orleance This was Charles the seauenth that after the death of Henry the fifth obtained the crowne of Fraunce and recouered againe much of that his father had lost Bastard Orleance was sonne to the Duke of Orleance begotten of the Lord Cawnies wife preferred highly to many notable offices because he being a most valiant Captaine was continuall enemie to the Englishmen daily infesting them with diuers incursions And haue I seene Vernoyla's batfull fields Vernoyle is that noted place in Fraunce where the great battell was fought in the beginning of Henry the sixt his raigne where the most of the French Cheualry were ouercome by the Duke of Bedford And from Aumerle with-drew my warlike powers Aumerle is that strong defenced towne in Fraunce which the Duke of Suffolke got after 24. great assaults giuen vnto it And came my selfe in person first to Towers Th'Embassadours for truâ—e to entertaine From Belgia Denmarke Hungary and Spaine Towers is a Citie in Fraunce built by Brutus as he came into Brittaine where in the twentie and one yeere of the raigne of Henry the sixt was appointed a great diet to be kept whether came the Embassadours of the Empire Spaine Hungary and Denmarke to intreat for a perpetuall peace to be made betweene the two Kings of England and France By true descent to weare the Diadem Of Naples Cicile and Ierusalem Rayner Duke of Aniou Father to Queene Margaret called himselfe King of Naples Cicily and Ierusalem hauing the title alone of King of those Countries A fifteenes taxe in Fraunce I freely spent The Duke of Suffolke after the marriage concluded twixt King Henry and Margarit daughter to Duke Rayner asked in open Parliament a whole fifteenth to fetch her into England Seene thee for England but imbaqu'd at Deepe Deepe is a Towne in Fraunce bordering vpon the Sea where the Duke of Suffolk with Queene Margaret tooke ship for England As when arriu'd in Porchesters faire Roadel Porchester a Hauen Towne in the South-west part of England where the King tarried expecting the Queenes arriuall whom from thence
away loue if you take iealousie VVhen Henry Turwin and proud Turnay won Little thought I the end when this begun vvhen Maximilian to those wars adrest vvare Englands Crosse on his imperiall brest And in our Armie let his Eagle flie And had his pay from Henries treasurie Little thought I when first began these wars My marriage day should end those bloody iars From which I vow I yet am free in thought But this alone by VVoolseys wit was wrought To his aduise the King gaue free consent That will I nill I I must be content My virgins right my state could not aduance But now enriched with the dower of Fraunce Then but poore Suffolkes Dutches had I beene Now the great Dowager the most Christian Queene But I perceiue where all thy griefe doth lie Lewes of Fraunce had my virginitie He had indeed but shall I tell thee what Beleeue me Brandon he had scarcely that Good feeble King he could not doe much harme But age must needs haue something that is warme Smal drops God knowes doe quench that heatlesse fire vvhen all the strength is onely in desire And I could tell if modesty might tell There 's somewhat else that pleaseth Louers well To rest his cheeke vpon my softer cheeke vvas all he had and more he did not seeke So might the little babie clip the nurse And it content she neuer a whit the worse Then thinke this Brandon if that makes thee frowne For mayden-head he on my head set a Crowne vvho would exchaunge a Kingdome for a kisse Hard were the hart that would not yeeld him this And time yet halfe so swiftly doth not passe Not full fiue months yet elder then I was VVhen thou to Fraunce conducted was by fame vvith many Knights which from all Countries came Installed at S. Dennis in my throne vvhere Lewes held my coronation VVhere the proud Dolphin for thy valour sake Chose thee at tilt his princely part to take vvhen as the staues vpon thy caske did light Greeued there-with I turn'd away my sight And spake aloud when I my selfe forgot T is my sweet Charles my Brandon hurt him not But when I fear'd the King perceiued this Good silly man I pleas'd him with a kisse And to extoll his valiant sonne began That Europe neuer bred a brauer man And when poore King he simply praised thee Of all the rest I ask'd which thou should'st be Thus I with him dissembled for thy sake Open confession now amends must make VVhilst this old King vpon a pallet lies And onely holds a combat with mine eyes Mine eies from his by thy sight stolne away vvhich might too well their Mistres thoughts bewray But when I saw thy proud vnconquered Launce To beare the prize from all the flower of Fraunce To see what pleasure did my soule imbrace Might easily be discerned in my face Looke as the dew vpon a Damaske-Rose How through that clearest pearle his blushing showes And when the soft ayre breathes vpon his top From those sweet leaues falls easilly drop by drop Thus by my cheeke downe rayning from mine eyes One teare for ioy anothers roome supplies Before mine eye like touch thy shape did proue Mine eye condemn'd my too too partiall loue But since by others I the same doe trie My loue condemnes my too too partiall eye The precious stone most beautifull and rare vvhen with it selfe we onely doe compare vvee deeme all other of that kind to be As excellent as that we onely see But when we iudge of that with others by Too credulous we doe condemne our eye vvhich then appeares more orient more bright As from their dimnes borrowing great light Alansoon a fine timbered man and tall Yet wants the shape thou are adornd withall Vandon good carriage and a pleasing eye Yet hath not Suffolkes Princely maiestie Couragious Burbon a sweet manly face But yet he wants my Brandons courtly grace Proud Long auile our Court iudg'd had no peere A man scarce made was thought whilst thou wast heere County S. Paule brau'st man aâ— armes in Fraunce vvould yeeld himselfe a Squire to beare thy Launce Galleas and Bounearme matchlesse for their might Vnder thy towring blade haue coucht in fight If with our loue my brother angrie bee I le say for his sake I first loued thee And but to frame my liking to his mind Neuer to thee had I beene halfe so kind Should not the sister like as doth the brother The one of vs should be vnlike the other VVorthy my loue the vulgar iudge no man Except a Yorkist or Lancastrian Nor thinke that my affection should be set But in the line of great Plantaginet I passe not what the idle Commons say I pray thee Charles make hah and come away To thee what 's England if I be not there Or what to me is Fraunce if thou not heere Thy absence makes me angry for a while But at thy presence I must needlsy smile VVhen last of me his leaue my Brandon tooke He sware an oath and made my lips the booke He would make hast which now thou doo'st deny Thou art forsworne ô wilfull periury Sooner would I with greater sinnes dispence Then by intreaty pardon this offence But yet I thinke if I should come to shriue thee Great were the fault that I should not forgiue thee Yet wert thou heere I should reuenged be But it should be with too much louing thee I that is all that thou shalt feare to tast I pray thee Brandon come sweet Charles make hast Notes of the Chronicle Historie The vtmost date expired of my stay When I for Douer did depart away KIng Henry the 8. with the Queene and Nobles in the 6. yeere of his raigne in the moneth of September brought this ladie to Douer where she tooke shipping for Fraunce Think'st thou my loue was faithfull vnto thee When young Castile ' to England su'd for me It was agreed and concluded betwixt Hen. the 7. and Phillip King of Castile Sonne to Maximilean the Emperour that Charles eldest sonne of the said Phillip should marry the Lady Mary daughter to King Henry when they came to age which agreement was afterward in the 8. yeere of Henry the 8. annihilated When he in triumph of his victory Vnder a rich embrodered Canapy Entred proud Turney which did trembling stand c. Henry the 8. after thâ— long siege of Turnay which was deliuered to him vpon composition entred the Citty in triumph vnder a Canâ—py of cloth of gold borne by foure of the chiefe and most noble Citizens the King himselfe mounted vpon a gallant courser barbed with the Armes of England Fraunce and Ireland When Charles of Castile there to baâ—quet came With him his sister that ambitious Dame Sauoys proud Dutches. The King beeing at Tournay there came to him the Prince of Castile the Lady Margaret Dutches of Sauoy his sister to whom King Henry gaue great entertainment Sauoys proude Dutches knowing how long shee By her
Lyon hauing slipp'd his chaine As in a feuer makes King Edward quake vvhich knew too well ere he was oaught againe Deere was the blood must serue his thirst to slake Many the labours had been spent in vaine And he inforc'd a longer course to take Saw further vengeance hanging in the wind That knew the pride and greatnes of his mind 27 The faction working in this lingering iarre How for the Scot free passage might be made To lay the ground of a succesfull warre That hope might breede fresh courage to inuade And whilst our safety standeth ouâ— so farre More dangerous proiects eu'ry where are layd That some in hand home troubles to enâ—re Others in Fraunce doe forraine broyles pâ—ocure 28 By these discentions that were lately sowne Incyting Charles to open Armes againe vvho seazing Guyne pretended as his owne That Edward should vnlawfully detaine Proceeds to make a further title knowne T' our Lands in Pontieu and in Aquitaine vvhen wanted homage hath desolu'd the truce vvaking his wrongs by Isabels abuse 29 This plot concluded that was long in hand vvhich to this issue prosperously had thriâ—'d The Base whereon a mighty frame must stand vvith mickle art yet with more feare contriu'd So strongly builded by this factious band As from the same their safety is deriu'd Till theyr full-rooted and inuetterate hate Getting more strength might deeply penetrate 30 VVhen choise of such to sway this French affaire vvhich as a shapelesse and vnweldy masse Might well imploy the strength of all their care So hard and per'lous â—o be brought to passe vvhich it behooues them quickly to prepare That beeing now so setled as it was Craues a graue spirit whose eminence and power Might like a stiffe gale check this threatning showâ—e 31 This must a Session seriously debate That depth of iudgment crau'd to be discust That so concernes the safety of the state And in a case so plausible and iust As might haue quench'd all sparcks of former hate And might be thought euen pollicy might trust Could enuy maister her distracted will Or apprehend saciety in ill 32 Torleton whose tongue mens eares in chaynes could tie And as a fearefull thunderbolt could pierce In which there more authority did lie Then in the Sybils sage propheticke verse VVhose senâ—ence was so absolute and hie As had the power a iudgment to reuerse On the Queenes part with all his might doth stand To lay this charge on her well-guiding hand 33 VVhat helps her presence to the cause might bring Beeing a wife a sister and a mother And in so great and pertinent a thing To right her sonne her husband and her brother Her gracious helpe to all distributing To take of her what they should hold of other vvhich colour serues t' effect in these extreames That which God knowes King Edward neuer dreamesâ— 34 Torleton is this thy spirituall pretence VVould God thy thoughts were more spirituall Or lesse perswasiue were thy eloquence But ô thy actions are too temporall Opinion lends too great preheminence Thy reasons subtile and sophisticall vvould all were true thy supposition saith Thy arguments lesse force or thou more faith 35 These suddaine broyles that weare begun of late Still kept in motion by their secret sleight By false suggestions so interminate That as a ballast of some solid weight Betwixt these aduerse currents of debate Kept theyr proceeding in a course so streight As lends the Queene an ampler colour still By generall meanes to worke a generall ill 36 Shee which thus fitly found both wind and tyde And sees her leysure serue the howre so neare All her endeuours mutually apply'd vvhilst for her purpose things so fitly weare And this aduantage quickly had espy'd As one whose fortunes taught the worst to feare Seeing the times so variously inclind And eu'ry toy soone altring Edwards mind 37 Her followers such as friendlesse else had stood Sunck and deiected by the Spensers pride vvho bare the brands of treason in their blood vvhich but with blood there was no way to hide vvhose meane was weake whose will was but too good vvhich to effect did but the howre abide And knew all meanes that mischiefe could inuent That any way might further her intent 38 VVhilst Mortimer which now so long hath laine From our iust course by fortune lately crost In Fraunce now strugling how he might regaine That which before he had in England lost All present meanes doth gladly entertaine No iot dismayde in all these tempests tost Nor his great minde can thus be ouerthrowne All men his friends all countries are his owne 39 And Muse transported by thy former zeale Led in our progresse where his fortune lyes To thy fayre ayde I seriously appeale To sing this great man his magnanimous guise The auncient Heroes vnto me reueale vvhose worths may raise our nobler faculties That in my verse transparent nete and cleere His character more liuely may appeere 40 Such one he was of him we boldly say In whose rich soule all soueraigne powers did sute In whom in peace th' elements all lay So mix'd as none could soueraignty impute As all did gouerne yet all did obey His liuely temper was so absolute That t'seemd when heauen his modell first began In him it showd perfection in a man 41 So throughly season'd and so rightly set As in the leuell of cleere iudgements eye Time neuer tuch'd him with deforming fret Nor had the power to warpe him once awry vvhose stedfast course no crosse could euer let His eleuation was so heauenly hie Those giddy tempests that the base world proue Sate vnder where he planet like did moue 42 vvhich this faire Queene that had a knowing spirit And saw the beauties resting in his mind One that had throughly look'd into his merit Aboue the value of the vulgar kind That rightly did his Grandâ—ires deedes inherit vvhen now the ages in theyr course declin'd vvhen the old world beeing weake began to â—ow To th' effeminate basenes that it rests at now 43 vvhat waies he wealth or what his VVigmore left Let needlesse heapes things momentary stand He counts not his that can be rap'd by theft Man is the sole Lord both of sea and land And still is rich of these that is not reft vvho of all creatures hath an vpright hand And by the starres is onely taught to know That as they progresse heauen he earth should doe 44 VVherefore wise Nature forc'd this face of ground And through the deeps shew'd him the secreâ— way That in the floods her iudgments might be found vvhere she for safety did her treasure lay vvhose store that he might absolutly sound Shee gaue him courage for her onely kay That he alone of all her creatures free Her glory and her wondrous works should see 45 Let wretched worldlings sweat for mud and earth vvhose groueling bosoms licke the recreant stones And pesants carke for plenty and for dearth Fame neuer lookes vpon these prostrate drones Man is allotted at
his Towers and Castles set on fire Knitting vp her Epistle with a great and constant resolution Though Dunmow giue no refuge heere at all Dunmow can giue my body buriall FINIS To the vertuous Lady the Lady Anne Harrington wife to the honourable Gentleman Sir Iohn Harrington Knight MY singuler good Lady your many vertues knowne in generall to all and your gracious fauours to my vnwoorthy selfe haue confirmed that in mee which before I knew you I onelie sawe by the light of other mens iudgements Honour seated in your breast findes herselfe adorned as in a rich pallace making that excellent which makes her admirable which like the Sunne from thence begetteth most precious things of this earthly worlde onely by the vertue of his rayes not the nature of the mould VVorth is best discerned by the worthie deiected mindes want that pure fire which should giue vigor to vertue I referre to your great thoughts the vnpartiall Iudges of true affection the vnfained zeale I haue euer borne to your honorable seruice and so rest your Ladiships humbly to commaund Mich Drayton Queene Isabell to Mortimer ¶ The Argument Queene Isabell the wife of Edward the second called Edward Carnaruan beeing the daughter of Phillip de Beau King of Fraunce forsaken by the King her husband who delighted onely in the companie of Piers Gaueston his minion and fauorite and after his death seduced by the euill counsaile of the Spensers This Queene thus left by her husband euen in the glory of her youth drewe into her especiall fauour Roger Mortimer Lorde of VVigmore a man of a mightie and inuinsible spirit This Lord Mortimer rising in armes against the King with Thomas Earle of Lancaster and the Barons was taken ere he could gather his power and by the King committed to the Tower of London During his imprisonment he ordained a feast in honour of his birth-day to which he inuited Sir Stephen Segraue Lieutenant of the Tower and the rest of the officers where by meanes of a drinke prepared by the Queene hee cast them all into a heauie sleepe and with Ladders of cords beeing ready prepared for the purpose he escapeth and flieth into Fraunce whether shee sendeth this Epistle complaining her owne misfortunes and greatly reioycing at his safe escape THough such sweet comfort comes not now from her As Englands Queene hath sent to Mortimer Yet what that wants which might my power approue If lines can bring thys shall supply with loue Me thinks affliction should not fright me so Nor should resume these sundry shapes of woe But when I faine would find the cause of this Thy absence shewes me where the errout is Oft when I thinke of thy departing hence Sad sorrow then posseth ' euery sence But finding thy deere blood preseru'd thereby And in thy life my long-wish'd libertie vvith that sweet thought my selfe I onely please Amidst my griefe which somtimes giues me ease Thus doe extreamest ils a ioy possesse And one woe makes another woe seeme lesse That blessed night that milde-aspected howre vvherein thou mad'st escape out of the Tower Shall consecrated euer-more remaine VVhat gentle Planet in that howre did raigne And shall be happy in the birth of men vvhich was chiefe Lord of the Ascendant then O how I feard that sleepy iuyce I sent Might yet want power to further thine intent Or that some vnseene misterie might lurke vvhich wanting order kindly should not worke Oft did I wish those dreadfull poysoned lees That clos'd the euer-waking Dragons eyes Or I had had those sence-bereauing stalkes That grow in shady Proserpines darke walkes Or those blacke weedes on Lethe bankes below Or Lunary that doth on Latmus flow Oft did I feare this moist and foggie clime Or that the earth waxt barraine now with time Should not haue hearbes to help me in this case Such as doe thriue on Indias parched face That morrow when the blessed sunne did rise And shut the lids of all heauens lesser eyes Forth from my pallace by a secret stayre I steale to Thames as though to take the ayre And aske the gentle flood as it doth glide Or thou didst passe or perrish by the tide If thou didst perrish I desire the streame To lay thee softly on her siluer teame And bring thee to me to the quiet shore That with her teares thou might'st haue some teares more VVhen suddainly doth rise a rougher gale vvith that me thinks the troubled waues looke pale And sighing with that little gust that blowes vvith this remembrance seeme to knit theyr browes Euen as this suddaine passion doth affright me The cheerefull sunne breakes from a clowde to light mee Then doth the bottome euident appeare As it would shew me that thou wast not there VVhen as the water flowing where I stand Doth seeme to tell me thou art safe on land Did Bulloyne once a festiuall prepare For England Almaine Cicile and Nauarre vvhen Fraunce enuied those buildings onely blest Grac'd with the Orgies of my bridall feast That English Edward should refuse my bed For that incestuous shameles Ganimed And in my place vpon his regall throne To set that girle-boy wanton Gaueston Betwixt the feature of my face and his My glasse assures me no such difference is That a foule witches bastard should thereby Be thought more worthy of his loue then I. VVhat doth auaile vs to be Princes heyres vvhen we can boast câ—r birth is onely theyrs vvhen base dissembling flatterers shall deceiue vs Of all our famous Auncestors did leaue vs And of our princely iewels and our dowers vvee but enioy the least of what it ours vvhen Minions heads must weare our Monarchs crownes To raise vp dunghils with our famous townes vvhen beggers-brats are wrapt in rich perfumes Their buzzard wings impt with our Eagles plumes And match'd with the braue issue of our blood Alie the kingdome to theyr crauand brood Did Longshanks purchase with his conquering hand Albania Gascoyne Cambria Ireland That young Caernaruan his vnhappy sonne Should giue away all that his Father wonne To backe a stranger proudly bearing downe The braue alies and branches of the crowne And did great Edward on his death-bed giue This charge to them which afterwards should liue That that proude Gascoyne banished the Land No more should tread vpon the English sand And haue these great Lords in the quarrell stood And seald his last will with theyr deerest blood That after all this fearefull massaker The fall of Beauchamp Lasy Lancasterâ— Another faithlesse fauorite should arise To cloude the sunne of our Nobilities And gloried I in Gauestons great fall That now a Spenser should succeede in all And that his ashes should another breed vvhich in his place and empire should succeede That wanting one a kingdoms wéalth to spend Of what that left thys now shall make an end To wast all that our Father won before Nor leaue our sonne a sword to conquer more Thus but in vaine we fondly doe resist vvhere power can doe
ouerthrowe giuen to the Barrons by Andrew Herckley Earle of Carlill at Borrough bridge after the battaile at Burton And Torlton now whose counsels should direct This was Adam Torlton Bishop of Herford that great Polititian who so highly fauoured the faction of the Queene and Mortimer whose euill counsell afterward wrought the destruction of the King Mortimer to Queene Isabell. AS thy salutes my sorrowes doe adiourne So backe to thee their interest I returne Though not in so great bountie I confesse As thy heroicke princely lines expresse For how should comfort issue from the breath Of one condemn'd and long lodg'd vp in death From murthers rage thou didst me once repriue Now in exile my hopes thou doost reuiue Twice all was taken twice thou all didst giue And thus twice dead thou mak'st me twice to liue This double life of mine your onely due You gaue to me I giue it back to you Nere my escape had I aduentur'd thus As did the skie-attempting Daedalus And yet to giue more safety to my flight Haue made a night of day a day of night Nor had I backt the proud aspiring wall vvhich held without my hopes within my fall Leauing the cords to tell where I had gone For gazing eyes with feare to looke vpon But that thy beauty by a power diuine Breath'd a new life into this spirit of mine Drawne by the sunne of thy celestiall eyes vvith fiery wings made passage through the skies The heauens did seeme the charge of me to take And sea and land befriend me for thy sake Thames stopt her tide to make me way to go As thou hadst charg'd her that it should be so The hollow murmuring winds their due time kept As they had rock'd the world whilst all things slept One billow bore me and another draue me This stroue to helpe me and that stroue to saue me The brisling Reedes mou'd with the ayre did chide me As they would tell me that they meant to hide me The pale-fac'd night beheld thy heauie cheere And would not let one little starre appeare But ouer all her smokie mantle hurl'd And in thick vapours muffled vp the world And the pure ayre became so clame and still As it had beene obedient to my will And euery thing disposd vnto my rest As when on Seas the Alcâ—on builds her nest VVhen those rough waues which late with fury rusht Slide smoothly on and sodainly are husht Nor Neptune lets his surges our so long As Nature is in bringing forth her yong Nor let the Spensers glory in my chance That I should liue an exile heere in France That I from England banished should be But England rather banished from me More were her want France our great blood should beare Then Englands losse should be to Mortimer My Grandsire was the first since Arthurs raigne That the Round-table rectifi'd againe To whose great Court at Kenelworth did come The peerelesse knighthood of all Christendome vvhose Princely order honoured England more Then all the conquests she atchiu'd before Neuer durst Scot set foote on English ground Nor on his backe did English beare a wound vvhilst VVigmore flourisht in our Princely hopes And whilst our Ensigne march'd with Edwards troupes vvhilst famous Longshanks bones in fortunes scorne As sacred reliques to the field were borne Nor euer did the valiant English doubt vvhilst our braue battailes guarded them about Nor did our wiâ—es and wofull mothers mourne The English blood that stained Banocksburne vvhilst with his Minions sporting in his Tent vvhole dayes and nights in banquetting were spent Vntill the Scots which vnder safegard stood Made lauish hauocke of the English blood And battered helmes lay scattered on the shore vvhere they in conquest had beene borne before A thousand Kingdoms will we seeke from far As many Nations wast with ciuill war vvhere the disheuel'd gastly Sea-nimph sings Or well-rigd ships shall stretch their swelling wings And drag their ankors through the sandy foame About the world in euery Clime to roame And those vnchristned Countries call our owne vvhere scarce the name of England hath beene knowne And in the dead-sea sinke our houses fame From whose sterne waues we first deriu'd our Name Before foule black-mouth'd infamie shall sing That Mortimer ere stoop'd vnto a King And we will turne sterne-visag'd furie backe To seeke his spoile who sought our vtter sacke And come to beard him in our natiue Ile Ere he martch forth to follow our exile And after all these boistrous stormie shocks Yet will we grapple with the chaulkie Rocks Nor will we come like Pyrats or like theeues From mountaine Forrests or sea-bordering Cleeues But fright the ayre with terror when we come Of the sterne trumpet and the bellowing drum And in the field aduance our plumy Crest And martch vpon faire Englands flowrie brest And Thames which once we for our life did swim Shaking our dewy tresses on her brim Shall beare my Nauie vaunting in her pride Falling from Tanet with the powerfull tide vvhich fertile Essex and faire Kent shall see Spreading her flags along the pleasant lee vvhen on her stemming poope she proudly beares The famous Ensignes of the Belgicke peeres And for the hatefull sacreligious sin vvhich by the Pope he stands accursed in The Cannon text shall haue a common glosse Receits in parcels shall be paid in grosse This doctrine preach'd who from the Church doth take At least shall treble restitution make For which Rome sends her curses out from farre Through the sterne throate of terror-breathing warre Till to th' vnpeopled shores she brings supplies Of those industrious Romaine Colonies And for his homage by the which of old Proud Edward Guyne and Aquitaine doth hold Charles by inuasiue armes againe shall take And send the English forces o're the Lake vvhen Edwards fortune stands vpon this chaunce To loose in England or expuls'd from Fraunce And all those townes great Longshanks left his son Now lost againe which once his father won VVithin their strong perculliz'd Ports shall lie And from their walls his sieges shall defie And by that firme and vndissolued knot Betwixt the neighbouring French and bordering Scot Bruse now shall bring his redshanks from the seas From th'Iled Orcad's and the Hebrydes And to his VVesterne Hauens giue free passe To land the vvarlike Irish Galiglasse Marching from Tweede to swelling Humber sands vvasting along the Northerne netherlands And wanting those which should his power sustaine Consum'd with slaughter in his bloody raigne Our warlike sword shall driue him from his throne vvhere he shall lie for vs to tread vpon And those great Lords now after theyr attaints Canonized amongst the English Saints And by the superstitious people thought That by their Reliques miracles are wrought And thinke that flood much vertue doth retaine vvhich tooke the blood of famous Bohun slaine Continuing the remembrance of the thing To make the people more abhor theyr King Nor shall a Spenser be he nere so great Possesse our VVigmore
my Bridall bed How can that beauty yet be vndestroy'd That yeeres haue wasted and two men enioy'd Or should be thought fit for a Princes store Of which two subiects were possess'd before Let Spaine let Fraunce or Scotland so prefer Their infant Queenes for Englands dowager That blood should be much more then halfe diuineâ— That should be equall euery way with thine Yet Princely Edward though I thus reproue you As mine owne life so deerely do I loue you My noble husband which so loued you That gentle Lord that reuerend Mountague Nere mothers voice did please her babe so well As his did mine of you to heare him tell I haue made short the houres that time made long And chain'd mine eares vnto his pleasing tong My lips haue waited on your praises worth And snatch'd his words ere he could get them forth vvhen he hath spoke and somthing by the wayâ— Hath broke off that he was about to say I kept in mind where from his tale he fell Calling on him the residue to tell Oft he would say how sweet a Prince is hee vvhen I haue prais'd him but for praising thee And to proceed I would entreat and wooe And yet to ease him helpe and prayse thee too Must she be forc'd t'exclaime th'iniurious wrong Offred by him whom she hath lou'd so long Nay I will tell and I durst almost sweare Edward will blush when he his fault shall heare Iudge now that time doth youths desire asswage And reason mildly quench'd the fire of rage By vpright iustice let my cause be tride And be thou iudge if I not iustly chide That not my Fathers graue and reuerent yeeres His bending knee his cheeke-bedewing teares His prayers perswasions nor entreats could win To free himselfe as guiltlesse of my sin My mothers cries her shreeks her pittious mones Her deepe-fetch'd sighs her sad hart-breaking grones Thy lustfull rage thy tyranny could stay Mine honours ruine further to delay Haue I not lou'd you say can you say no That as mine owne preseru'd your honour so Had your â—ond will your foule desires preuail'd vvhen you by them my chastitie assail'd Though this no way could haue excus'd my fault True vertue neuer yeelded to assault Yet what a thing were this it should be said My parents sin should to your charge be laid And I haue gain'd my liberty with shame To saue my life made shipwrack of my name Did Roxborough once vaile her towring sane To thy braue ensigne on the Northerne plaine And to thy trumpet sounding from thy Tent Often replie with ioy and merriment And did receiue thee as my soueraigne liege Comming to ayde thou shouldst againe besiege To raise a foe but for my treasure came To plant a foe to take my honest name Vnder pretence to haue remou'd the Scot And wouldst haue wone more then he could haue got That did ingirt me readie still to flie But thou laid'st batterie to my chastitie O modestie didst thou me not restraine How I could chide you in this angrie vaine A Princes name heauen knowes I doe not craue To haue those honours Edwards spouse should haue Nor by ambitious lures will I be brought In my chast brest to harbour such a thought As to be worthy to be made a Bride An Empresse place by mighty Edwards side Of all the most vnworthy of that grace To waite on her that should enioy that place But if that loue Prince Edward doth require Equall his vertues and my chast desire If it be such as we may iustly vaunt A Prince may sue for and a Lady graunt If it be such as may suppresse my wrong That from your vaine vnbridled youth hath sprong That faith I send that I from you receaue The rest vnto your Princely thoughts I leaue Notes of the Chronicle Historie Twice as a Bride I haue to Church beene led THe two husbands of which she maketh mention obiecting Bigamay against her selfe as beeing therefore not meete to be maried with a Batcheler-Prince were Sir Thomas Holland Knight Sir William Mountague afterward made Earle of Salisburie That not my Fathers graue and reuerent yeeres A thing incredible that any Prince should be so vniust to vse the Fathers meanes for the corruption of the daughters chastitie though so the historie importeth her Father being so honourable and a man of so singuler desert though Polidore would haue her thought to be Iane the daughter to Edmund Earle of Kent Vncle to Edward the third beheaded in the Protectorship of Mortimer that daungerous aspirer And I haue gain'd my libertie with shame Roxborough is a Castle in the North mistermed by Bandello Salisburie Castle because the king had giuen it to the Earle of Salisburie in which her Lord being absent the Countesse by the Scots was besieged who by the coÌ„ming of the English Armie were remoued Heere first the Prince saw her whose liberty had been gained by her shame had she been drawne by dishonest loue to satisfie his appetite but by her most prayse-worthy constancie she conuerted that humor in him to an honourable purpose obtained the true reward of her admired vertues The rest vnto your princely thoughts I leaue Least any thing be left out which were worth the relation it shall not be impertinent to annex the opinions that are vttered concerning her whose name is said to haue been Aâ—lips but that beeing reiected as a name vnknowne among vs Froisard is rather belieued who calleth her Alice Polidore contrariwise as before is declared names her Iane who by Prince Edward had issue Edward dying young and Richard the second King of England though as he saith she was deuorced afterwards because within the degrees of consanguinitie prohibiting to marrie the truth whereof I omit to discusse her husband the Lord Montague being sent ouer with the Earle of Suffolke into Flaunders by King Edward was taken prisoner by the French not returning left his Countesse a widow in whose bed succeeded Prince Edward to whose last and lawfull request the reioycefull Ladie sends this louing aunswere FINIS To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord Edward Earle of Bedford THrice noble and my gracious Lord the loue I haue euer borne to the illustrious house of Bedford and to the honourable familie of the Harringtons to the which by marriage your Lordship is happily vnited hath long since deuoted my true and zealous affection to your honourable seruice and my Poems to the protection of my noble Ladie your Countesse to whose seruice I was first bequeathed by that learned and accomplished Gentleman Sir Henry Goodere not long since deceased whose I was whilst hee was whose patience pleased to beare with the imperfections of my heedlesse and vnstated youth That excellent and matchlesse Gentleman was the first cherrisher of my Muse which had beene by his death left a poore Orphan to the world had hee not before bequeathed it to that Lady whoÌ„â—e so deerly loued Vouchsafe then my deere Lord
to accept this Epistle which I dedicate as zealously as I hope you will patronize willingly vntill some more acceptable seruice may be witnesse of my loue to your honour Your Lordships euer Michaell Drayton Queene Isabell to Richard the second ¶ The Argument Queene Isabell the daughter of Charles King of Fraunce being the second wife of Richard the second the sonne of Edward the blacke Prince the eldest sonne of King Edward the third After the said Richard her husband was deâ—osed from his crowne and kingly dignitie by Henry Duke of Herford the eldest sonne of Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lankaster the fourth sonne of Edward the third this Lady beeing then very young was sent backe againe into Fraunce without dowre at what time the deposed King her husband was senâ— from the Tower of London as a prisoner vnto Pomfret Castle VVhether this poore Lady bewailing her husbands misfortunes writeth this Epistle from Fraunce AS doth the yeerely Auger of the spring In depth of woe thus I my sorrow sing vvords tun'd with sighs teares falling oft among A dolefull burâ—hen to a heauie song VVords issue forth to finde my griefe some way Teares ouertake them and doe bid them stay Thus whilst one striues to keepe the other back Both once too forward now are both too slack If fatall Pomfret hath in former time Nurrish'd the griefe of that vnnaturall Clime Thether I send my sorrowes to be fed But where first borne where fitter to be bred They vnto Fraunce be aliens and vnknowne England from her doth challenge these her own They say al mischiefe commeth from the North It is too true my fall doth set it forth But why should I thus limmit griefe a place vvhen all the world is fild with our disgrace And we in bounds thus striuing to containe it The more resists the more we doe restraine it Oh how euen yet I hate these wretched eyes And in my glasse oft call them faithlesse spies Prepard for Richard that vnwares did looke Vpon that traytor Henry Bollingbrooke But that excesse of ioy my sence bereau'd So much my sight had neuer been deceau'd Oh how vnlike to my lou'd Lord was hee vvhom rashly I sweet Richard tooke for thee I might haue seene the Coursers selfe did lack That princely rider should bestride his back Hee that since nature her great work began Shee made to be the mirrhor of a man That when she ment to forme som matchles lim Still for a patterne tooke some part of him And ielous of her cunning brake the mould In his proportion done the best she could Oh let that day be guiltie of all sin That is to come or heeretofore hath bin vvherein great Norfolkes forward course was staid To proue the treasons he to Herford layd vvhen with sterne furie both these Dukes enrag'd Theyr vvarlike gloues at Couentry engag'd vvhen first thou didst repeale thy former grant Seal'd to braue Mowbray as thy Combatant From his vnnumbred houres let time deuide it Least in his minutes he should hap to hide it Yet on his brow continually to beare it That when it comes all other dayes may feare it And all ill-boding Planets by consent That day may hold theyr dreadfull parlement Be it in heauens Decrees enroled thus Blacke dismall fatall inauspitious Proude Herford then in height of all his pride Vnder great Mowbrayes valiant hand had dy'de Nor should not thus from banishment retyre The fatall brand to set our Troy on fire O why did Charles relieue his needie state A vagabond and stragling runnagate And in his Court with grace did entertaine This vagrant exile this abiected Caine VVho with a thousand mothers curses went Mark'd with the brands of ten yeeres banishment VVhen thou to Ireland took'st thy last farewell Millions of knees vpon the pauements fell And euery where th' applauding ecchoes ring The ioyfull shouts that did salute a King Thy parting hence what pompe did not adorne At thy returne who laugh'd thee not to scorne VVho to my Lord a looke vouchsaf'd to lend Then all too few on Herford to attend Princes like sunnes be euermore in sight All see the clowdes betwixt them and their light Yet they which lighten all downe from theyr skies See not the cloudes offending others eyes And â—eeme their noone-tide is desir'd of all VVhen all expect cleere changes by theyr fall VVhat colour seemes to shadow Herfords claime vvhen law and right his Fathers hopes doth maime Affirm'd by Church-men which should beare no hate That Iohn of Gaunt was illegittimate vvhom his reputed Mothers tongue did spot By a base Flemish Boore to be begot vvhom Edwards Eglets mortally did shun Daring with them to gaze against the sun VVhere lawfull right and conquest doth allow A triple crowne on Richards princely brow Three kingly Lyons beares his bloody field No bastards marke doth blot his conquering shield Neuer durst hee attempt our haplesse shore Nor set his foote on fatall Rauenspore Nor durst his slugging Hulkes approch the strand Nor stoope a top as signall to the land Had not the Percyes promisd ayde to bring Against theyr oath vnto theyr lawfull King Against theyr faith vnto our Crownes true heyre Theyr valiant kinsman Edmond Mortimer VVhen I to England came a world of eyes Like starrs attended on my faire arise At my decline like angry Planets frowne And all are set before my going downe The smooth-fac'd aâ—re did on my comming smile But with rough stormes are driuen to exile But Bullingbrooke deuisd we thus should part Fearing two sorrowes should possesse one hart To make affliction stronger doth denie That one poore comfort left our misery He had before diuorc'd thy crowne and thee vvhich might suffice and not to widow mee But that to proue the vtmost of his hate To make our fall the greater by our state Oh would Aumeâ—le had sunck when he betraid The complâ—t which that holy Abbot layd vvhen he infring'd the oath which he first tooke For thy reuenge on periur'd Bullingbrooke And been the raunsome of our friends deere blood Vntimely lost and for the earth too good And we vntimely mourne our hard estate They gone too soone and we remaine too late And though with teares I from my Lord depart This curse on Herford fall to ease my hart If the foule breach of a chast nuptiall bed May bring a curse my curse light on his head If muâ—thers guilt with blood may deeply staine Greene Scroope and Bushie die his fault in graine If periurie may heauens pure gates debar Damn'd be the oath he made at Doncaster If the deposing of a lawfull King Thy curse condemne him if no other thing If these disioynd for vengeance cannot call Let them vnited strongly curse him all And for the Percyes heauen may heare my prayer That Bullingbrooke now plac'd in Richards chaire Such cause of woe vnto theyr wiues may be As those rebellious Lords haue beene to me And that proude Dame which now controlleth all And in her pompe
to the Countesse of Salisburie And proues our acts of Parlement vniust In the next Parlement after Richards resignation of the Crowne Henry caused to be annihilated all the lawes made in the Parlament called the wicked Parlement helde in the twenty yeere of king Richards raigne FINIS Queene Katherine to Owen Tudor The Argument After the death of that victorious Henry the fift Queene Katherine the dowager of England and Fraunce daughter to Charles the French King holding her estate with Henrie her sonne then the sixt of that name falleth in loue with Owen Tuder a VVelshman a braue and gallant Gentleman of the VVardrope to the young King her son yet greatlie fearing if her loue shoulde bee discouered the Nobilitie would crosse her purposed marriage or fearing that if her faire princely promises should not assure his good successe this high and great attempt might perhaps daunt the forwardnesse of his modest and shamefast youth wherefore to breake the Ice to her intent shee writeth vnto him this Epistle following IVdge not a Princesse worth impeach'd heereby That loue thus tryumphs ouer maiestie Nor thinke lesse vertue in this royall hand vvhich now intreats that wonted to commaund For in this sort though humbly now it wooe The day hath beene thou would'st haue kneeld vnto Nor thinke that this submission of my state Proceedes from frailty rather iudge it fate Alcides nere more fit for wars sterne shock Then when for loue sate spinning at the rock Neuer lesse clowdes did Phoebus glory dim Then in a clownes shape when he couered him â—oues great commaund was neuer more obey'd Then when a Satyres anticke parts he plai'd He was thy King that sued for loue to mee Shee is thy Queene that sues for loue to thee VVhen Henry was what 's Tudors now was his vvhilst vet thou art what 's Henries Tudors is My loue to Owen him my Henry giueth My loue to Henry in my Owen liueth Henry woo'd me whilst wars did yet increase I wooe my Tudor in sweet calmes of peace To force affection he did conquest proue I fight with gentle arguments of loue Incampt at Melans In warres hote alarmes First saw I Henry clad in princely Armes At pleasant VVindsore first these eyes of mine My Tudor iudg'd for wit and shape diuine Henry abroade with puissance and with force Tudor at home with courtship and discourse He then thou now I hardly can iudge whether Did like me best Plantaginet or Tether A march a measure battell or a daunce A courtly rapier or a conquering Launce His princely bed hath strengthned my renowne And on my temples set a double crowne vvhich glorious wreath as Henries lawfull heire Henry the sixt vpon his brow doth beare At Troy in Champaine he did first enioy My bridal-rites to England brought from Troy In England now that honour thou shalt haue vvhich once in Champaine famous Henry gaueâ— I seeke not wealth three kingdoms in my power If these suffise not where shall be my dower Sad discontent may euer follow her vvhich doth base pelfe before true loue prefer If â—itles still could our affections tie vvhat is so great but maiestie might buy As I seeke thee so Kings doe me desire To what they would thou easily mai'st aspire That sacred fire once warm'd my hart before The fuell fit the flame is now the more And meanes to quench it I in vaine doe proue vve may hide treasure but not hide our loue And since it is thy fortune thus to gaine it It were too late nor will I now restraine it Nor these great titles vainely will I bring vvife daughter mother sister to a King Of grandsire father husband sonne brother More thou alone to me then all the other Nor feare my Tudor that this loue of mine Should wrong the Gaunt-borne great Lancastrian linâ— Nor stir the English blood the Sunne and Moone T'repine at Loraine Burbon Alansoon Nor doe I thinke there is such different ods They should alone be numbred with the Gods Of Cadmus earthly issue reckoning vs And they from â—oue Mars Neptune Eolus Of great Latonas of-spring onely they And we the brats of wofull Niobe Our famous Grandsires as theyr owne bestrid That horse of fame that God-begotten steed vvhose bounding hoofe plow'd that Boetian spring vvhere those sweet maides of memory doe sing Not onely Henries Queene but boast as well To be the childe of Charles and Isabell. Nor doe I know from whence their griefe should grow They by this match should be disparag'd so vvhen Iohn and Longshanks issue both affied And to the Kings of VVales in wedlocke tyed Showing the greatnes of your blood thereby Your race and royall consanguinitie And VVales as well as haughty England boasts Of Camilot and all her Penticosts A nephewes roome in great Pondragons race At Arthurs table held a princely place If by the often conquest of your land They boast the spoyles of theyr victorious hand If these our auncient Chronicles be true They altogether are not free from you VVhen bloody Rufus fought your vtter sack Twice entring VVales yet twice was beaten back VVhen famous Cambria wash'd her in the flood Made by th' effusion of the English blood And oft return'd with glorious victorie From VVorster Herford Chester Shrowesbury vvhose power in euery conquest so preuailes As once expuls'd the English out of VVales Although my beautie made my Countries peace And at my bridall former broyles did cease Yet more then power had not his person beene I had not come to England as a Queene Nor tooke I Henry to supply my want Because in Fraunce that time my choise was scant vvhen we had robd all Christendome of men And Englands flower remain'd amongst vs then Gloster whose counsels Nestor-like assist Couragious Bedford that great martiallist Clarence for vertue honoured of his foes And Yorke whose fame yet daily greater growes VVarwicke the pride of Neuels haughtie race Great Salisburie so fear'd in euery place That valiant Poole whom no atchiuement dares And Vere so famous in the Irish warres vvho though my selfe so great a Prince were borne The worst of these my equall neede not scorne But Henries rare perfections and his parts As conquering kingdoms so he conquer'd harts As chast was I to him as Queene might bee But freed from him my chast loue vow'd to thee Beautie doth fetch all fauour from thy face All perfect courtship resteth in thy grace If thou discourse thy lips such accents breake As loue a spirit foorth of thee seem'd to speake The Brittish language which our vowels wants And iarrs so much vpon harsh consonants Comes with such grace from thy mellifluous tongâ—e As doe the sweet notes of a well set song And runnes as smoothly from those lips of thine As the pure Thuskan from the Florantine Leauing such seasoned sweetnes in the eare As the voyce past yet still the found is there In Nisus Tower as when Apollo lay And on his golden viall vs'd to play vvhere
ouerthrowne by the Welchmen which word Croggen hath since beene vsed to the Welchmens disgrace which was at first begun with their honour And old Caer-Merdin Merlins famous towne Caer-Merdin or Merlins Towne so called of Merlins beeing found there This was Ambrose Merlin whose prophecies weâ— haue There was another of that name called Merlin Siluestris borne in Scotland surnamed Calidonius of the Forrest Calidon where he prophecied And kept our natiue language now thus long The Welchmen be those auncient Brittaines which when the Picks Danes and Saxons inuaded heere were first diuen into those parts where they haue kept their language euer fince the first without commixion with any other language FINIS To my worthy and deerely esteemed Friend Maister Iames Huish SIR your owne naturall inclination to vertue your loue to the Muses assure mee of your kinde acceptance of my dedication It is seated by custome from which wee are now bolde to assume authoritie to beare the names of our friends vpon the fronts of our bookes as Gentlemen vse to set theyr Armes ouer theyr gates Some say this vse beganne by the Heroes and braue spirits of the old world which were desirous to bee thought to patronize learning and men in requitall honour the names of those braue Princes But I thinke some after put the names of great men in their bookes for that men shoulde say there was some thing good onely because indeed their names stoode there But for mine owne part not to dissemble I find no such vertue in any of theyr great titles to doe so much for anie thing of mine and so let them passe Take knowledge by this I loue you in good faith worthy of all loue I thinke you which I pray you may supply the place of further complement Yours euer M. Drayton Elinor Cobham to Duke Humfrey The Argument Elinor Cobham daughter to the Lord Cobham of Sterborough and wife to Humfry Plantaginet Duke of Glocester the son of Henry the fourth King of England sirnamed Bullingbrooke This noble Duke for his great wisedome and iustice called the good was by King Henry the fift brother to this Duke at his death appointed Protector of the Land during the nonage of Henry the sixt this Elinor Duches of Glocester a proud and ambitious woman knowing that if young Henry died without issue the duke her husband was the neerest of the blood conspired with one Bullenbrooke otherwise called Onely a great Magitian Hun a priest and Iourdane witch of Eye by sorcery to make away the king by coniuration to know who should succeede Of this beeing iustly conuicted she was adiudged to do penance three seuerall times openly in London then to perpetuall banishment in the I le of Man from whence she writeth this Epistle ME thinks not knowing who these lines should send Thou straight turn'st ouer to the latter end VVhere thou my name no sooner hast espi'd But in disdaine my letters casts aside VVhy if thou wilt I will my selfe denie Nay I 'le affirme and sweare I am not I Or if in that thy shame thou doost perceiue I le leaue that name that name my selfe shall leaue And yet me thinks amaz'd thou shouldst not stand Nor seeme so much appauled at my hand For my misfortunes haue inur'd thine eye Long before this to sights of misery No no read on t is I the very same All thou canst read is but to reade my shame Be not dismaid nor let my name afright The worst it can is but t' offend thy sight It cannot wound nor doe thee deadly harme It is no dreadfull spell nor magique charme If shee that sent it loue Duke Humfrey so I st possible her name should be his foe Yes I am Elnor I am very shee vvho brought for dower a virgins bed to thee Though enuious Beuford slaunder'd me before To be Duke Humfreys wanton Paramore And though indeed I can it not denie To magique once I did my selfe apply I won thee not as there be many thinke vvith poysoning Philters and betwitching drinke Nor on thy person did I euer proue Those wicked potions so procuring loue I cannot boast to be rich Hollands heyre Nor of the blood and greatnes of Bauier Yet Elnor brought no forraine Armies in To fetch her backe as did thy Iacomin Nor clamorous husbands folowed me that fled Exclaiming Humfrey to defile his bed Nor wast thou forc'd the slaunder to suppresse To send me backe as an adulteresse Brabant nor Burgoyne claimed me by force Nor su'd to Rome to hasten my deuorce Nor Belgias pompe defac'd with Belgias fire The iust reward of her vniust desire Nor Bedfords spouse your noble sister Anne That princely-issued great Burgunnian Should stand with me to moue a womans strife To yeeld the place to the Protectors wife If Cobhams name my birth can dignifie Or Sterborough renowne my familie VVhere 's Greenewich now thy Elnors Court of late vvhere she with Humfrey held a princely state That pleasant Kent when I abroade should ride That to my pleasure layd forth all her pride The Thames by water when I tooke the ayre Daunc'd with my Barge in lanching from the stayre The anchoring ships that when I pass'd the roade vvere wont to hang their chequered tops abroad How could it be those that were wont to stand To see my pompe so goddesse-like on land Should after see mee mayld vp in a sheete Doe shamefull penance three times in the streete Rung with a bell a Taper in my hand Bare-foote to trudge before a Beedles wand That little babes not hauing vse of tongue Stoode poynting at me as I came along VVher 's Humfreys power where was his great command vvast thou not Lord-protector of the Land Or for thy iustice who can thee denie The title of the good Duke Humfrey Hast thou not at thy life and in thy looke The seale of Gaunt the hand of Bullingbrooke VVhat blood extract from famous Edwards line Can boast it selfe to be so pure as thine vvho else next Henry should the Realme prefer If it allow of famous Lancaster But Rayners daughter must from Fraunce be fet And with a vengeance on our throne be set Mauns Maine and Aniou on that begger cast To bring her home to England in such hast And what for Henry thou hast laboured there To ioyne the King with Arminacks rich heyre Must all be dash'd as no such thing had been Poole needs must haue his darling made a Queen How should he with our Princes else be plac'd To haue his Earleship with a Dukedome grac'd And raise the ofspring of his blood so hie As Lords of vs and our posteritie O that by Sea when he to Fraunce was sent The ship had sunck wherein the traytor went Or that the sands had swallowed her before Shee ere set foote vpon the English shore But all is well nay we haue store to giue vvhat need we more we by her lookes can liue All that great Henries conquests
euer Michaell Drayton Henry Howard Earle of Surrey to Geraldine The Argument Henry Howard that true noble Earle of Surrey and excellent Poet falling in loue with Geraldine descended of the noble family of the Fitzgeralds of Ireland a faire modest Lady and one of the honourable maids to Quene Katherine Dowager eternizeth her prayses in many excellent Poems of rare and sundrie inuentions and after some few yeares beeing determined to see that famous Italy the source and Helicon of all excellent Arts first visiteth that renowned Florence from whence the Geralds challence their descent from the ancient familie of the Geraldi there in honour of his mistresse be aduanceth her picture and challengeth to maintaine her beauty by deeds of Armes against all that durst appeare in the lists where after the proofe of his braue and incomparable valour whose arme crowned her beauty with eternall memorie he writeth this Epistle to his deerest Mistres FRom learned Florence long time rich in same From whence thy race thy noble Grandsires came To famous England that kind nurse of mine Thy Surrey sends to heauenly Geraldine Yet let not Thuscan thinke I doe her wrong That I from thence write in my natiue tongue That in these harsh-tun'd cadences I sing Sitting so neere the Muses sacred spring But rather thinke her selfe adorn'd thereby That England reads the praise of Italy Though to the Thuscans I the smoothnes grant Our dialect no maiestie doth want To set thy prayses in as hie a key As Fraunce or Spaine or Germany or they That day I quit the Fore-land of faire Kent And that my ship her course for Flandersbent Yet thinke I with how many a heauy looke My leaue of England and of thee I tooke And did intreat the tide if it might be But to conuey me one sigh backe to thee Vp to the decke a billow lightly skips Taking my sigh and downe againe it slips Into the gulfe it selfe it headlong throwes And as a Post to England-ward it goes As I sit wondring how the rough seas stird I might far off perceiue a little bird vvhich as she faine from shore to shore would flie Hath lost her selfe in the broad vastie skie Her feeble wing beginning to deceiue her The seas of life still gaping to bereaue her Vnto the ship she makes which she discouers And there poore foole a while for refuge houers And when at length her flagging pineon failes Panting she hangs vpon the ratling failes And being forc'd to loose her hold with paine Yet beaten off she straight lights on againe And tost with flawes with stormes with wind with wether Yet still departing thence still turneth thether Now with the Poope now with the Prow doth beare Now on this side now that now heerâ— now there Me thinks these stormes should be my sad depart The silly helpelesse bird is my poore bart The ship to which for succour it repaires That is your selfe regardlesse of my cares Of euery surge doth fall or waue doth rise To some one thing I sit and moralize VVhen for thy loue I left the Belgick shore Diuine Erasmus and our famous Moore vvhose happy presence gaue me such delight As made a minute of a winters night vvith whom a while I stai'd at Roterdame Now so renowned by Erasmus name Yet euery houre did seeme a world of time Till I had seene that soule-reuiuing clime And thought the foggy Netherlands vnfit A watry soyle to clog a fiery wit And as that wealthy Germany I past Comming vnto the Emperors Court at last Great learn'd Agrippa so profound in Art vvho the infernall secrets doth impart vvhen of thy health I did desire to know Me in a glasse my Geraldine did shew Sicke in thy bed and for thou couldst net sleepe By a watch Taper set thy light to keepe I doe remember thou didst read that Ode Sent backe whilst I in Thanet made abode vvhere as thou cam'st vnto the word of loue Euen in thine eyes I saw how passion stroue That snowy Lawne which couered thy bed Me thought look'd white to see thy cheeke so red Thy rosie cheeke oft changing in my sight Yet still was red to see the Lawne so white The little Taper which should giue thee light Me thought wax'd dim to see thy eye so bright Thine eye againe supplies the Tapers turne And with his beames doth make the Taper burne The shrugging ayre about thy Temple hurles And wraps thy breath in little clouded curles And as it doth ascend it straight doth ceaze it And as it sinks it presently doth raise it Canst thou by sicknes banish beauty so VVhich if put from thee knowes not where to goe To make her shift and for her succour seeke To euery riueld face each bankrupt cheeke If health preseru'd thou beauty still doost cherish If that neglected beauty soone doth perish Care drawes on care woe comforts woe againe Sorrow breeds sorrow one griefe brings forth twaine If liue or die as thou doost so doe I If liue I liue and if thou die I die One hart one loue one ioy one griefe one troth One good one ill one life one death to both If Howards blood thou hold'st as but too vile Or not esteem'st of Norfolks Princely stile If Scotlands coate no marke of fame can lend That Lion plac'd in our bright siluer bend vvhich as a Trophy beautifies our shield Since Scottish blood discoloured Floden field VVhen the proud Cheuiot our braue Ensigne beare As a rich iewel in a Ladies haire And did faire Bramstons neighbouring valies choke vvith clouds of Canons fire disgorged smoke Or Surreys Earldome insufficient be And not a dower so well contenting thee Yet am I one of great Apollos heires The sacred Muses challenge me for theirs By Princes my immortall lines are sung My flowing verses grac'd with euery tung The little children when they learne to goe By painefull mothers daded to and fro Are taught my sugred numbers to rehearse And haue their sweet lips season'd with my verse vvhen heauen would striue to doe the best it can And put an Angels spirit into a man The vtmost power in that great worke doth spend vvhen to the world a Poet it doth intend That little difference twixt the Gods and vs By them confirm'd distinguish'd onely thus vvhom they in birth ordaine to happie daies The Gods commit their glory to our praise To eternall life when they dissolue that breath vve likewise share a second power by death VVhen time shall turne those Amber curles to gray My verse againe shall guild and make them gay And trick them vp in knotted curles anew And in the autumne giue a sommers hue That sacred power that in my Inke remaines Shall put fresh blood into thy wither'd vaines And on thy red decay'd thy whitenes dead Shall set a white more white a red more red VVhen thy dim sight thy glasse cannot discry Thy crazed mirrhor cannot see thine eye My verse to tell what eye what mirrhor was Glasse to