did plainely appeare it would séeme incredible to be tolde and no lesse admirable how hee did abstaine from lasciuious liuing and auaritious desires in such time and estate of riches and prouoking youth In the time of losse he was no more sad then in the times of victory which cōstancy fewe Princes haue euer vsed To speake of his bounty and liberality no man could be more free gentle and liberall in bestowing rewardes vpon all persons according to their deserts sauing that hee did not regarde money to kéepe but to giue away and to spend What may besayd he was the Myrror of al Christendome and the glory of his Country the flower of Kings passed and the glasse of all succéeding Maiestie No Prince had lesse of his subiects no king conquered more whose fame by his death liuely florished as his acts in his life were séene and remembred The losse of such a Prince could not bée sufficiently lamented of his subiectes blaming fortune for taking away so precious a iewel so noble an ornament so sure a defence for no doubt so much hope as was taken away from the Englishmen the assured conquest of all France by his sodaine death so much trust was increased in the French nations stomackes to recouer their late losses againe as not many yeares after they did indéed Peeter Basset Esquier and one of his chamber affirmed that he dyed of a Pleurisy there were others that did astirme otherwise but the most likely was a Pleurisy indeed the nature of that disease being then vnknowen to Phisicians or to the world in those dayes especially This King raigned nine yeares fiue moneths and three and twenty dayes and liued not full thirty eight yeares he was of stature higher then the common sort of body leane singularly proportioned and strongly made of face bewtifull something long necked blacke haired stoute of stomacke eloquent of tongue in Martiall affaires a perfect maister and of chiualry the very peragon His body inbalmed and lapped in lead was layd in a chariot royall richly apparelled in cloth of golde vpon his corps was layde a representation of his person adorned with robes diademe scepter and ball like a king the which chariot was drawen with sixe horses richly trapped with seuerall armes the first with the armes of S. George the second with the armes of Normandy the third with the armes of king Arthur the fourth with the armes of S. Edward the fift with the armes of France the sixt with the armes of England and France On this Chariot gaue attendance Iames King of Scotland principall Mourner his Unkle Thomas duke of Exceter Richard Earle of Warwicke Edmond Earle of March Humfrey Earle of Stafford Edmond Earle of Mortaine The Lord Fitz Hugh Hugh L. Beufort Walt. L. Hungerford Sir Lewis Robsert Lord Bourchier Sir Iohn Cornwall Lord Fanhope and the Lord Cromwell were the mourners The Lord Louell the Lord Audley the Lord Zouch bare the banners of Saints the Baron of Dublin bare the standard The Earle of Longvile bare the banner The Hatchments were borne onely by Captaines to the number of twelue and round about the Chariot rode fiue hundred men at Armes all in black armour and their horses barbd with black carrying the but end of their spears vpwards The conuoy of this dolorous funerall was committed to Sir William Philips Treasurer of his househould to Sir William Porter his chiefe caruer and other mourners on each side the chariot were 300. men bearing long torches and Lords bearing banners baueroles and penons With this funerall pompe he was conuaied from Bois De Vincens to Paris and so to Roan to Abuill to Calis to Douer and so through London to Westminster where he was buried with such solemnities as to such a Prince appertained especially such lamenting of the Lords and such mourning of the Commons asn euer before those daies were seene in the Realme of England There is as I doe thinke an Epitaph fixed vpon his Tumbe at Westminster but I held it my dutie to continue my course in writing a simple one of my owne in honour of him c. His Epitaphe OHad I Homers pen and Virgills wit With Tullies Eloquence to prayse this Prince And would the Muses come and by me sit Yet pen and paper would my Muse conuince For who can write of this most famous King And shall not erre in many a worthy thing His life immaculate what doth that meane But that he conquered sinne the world the flesh Vnspotted sure O heart and body cleane Almost two hundred yeares agoe yet fresh The memorie of thee O King remaines Thy Tumbe like Crystall shines deuoyd of staines Prose be thy prayse which Holinshed hathpend And praysed be thy name O King for euer Thy owne pure prayse no mortall man can mend Thy name cannot forgotten be no neuer England and France ring forth thy famous praise Though thou raigne with the Ancient of all dayes Yet as a mirror or a looking glasse Thou mai'st remaine ô King amongst vs still Succeeding princes will not let thee passe To Heauen without administring thy Will Such testaments grant all thy heires to proue Then Englands glory neuer shall remoue Rest then ô Rex and rise vp with renowne VVestmonastery doth thy tombe possesse Succeeding Soueraigne doth enioy thy Crowne And Kingdomes all one more for whome we blesse Thy name great God who long prolong his dayes To Englands comfort and ay-lasting praise King Henry the sixt AFter that death had bereft the World of that noble Prince King Henry the fift his only sonne Prince Henry béeing of the age of nine moneths or thereabout with the sownde of Trumpets was openly proclaimed King of England and of France the thirtéenth day of August Anno. 1422. by the name of King Henry the sixt The custody of this young Prince was committed to the Duke of Exceter and to Henry Beuford Bishop of Winchester In the eight yeare of his raigne the same of his age he was with all solemnity crowned king at Westminster not long after which time he tooke the sea at Douer landed at Calis from thence to Roan and so to Paris whither attended on him his Uncle the Cardinall of VVinchester the Cardinall and Archbishop of Yorke the Dukes of Bedford Yorke and Norfolke the Earles of Warwicke Salisbury Oxford Huntington Ormond Mortaine and Suffolk of Gaskoines there were the Earles of Longvoile and March besides many Noble men of England Gwyen and Normandy and the chiefe of the French Nation were the Dukes of Burgundy Lewis of Luxenburgh Cardinall and Chauncelor of France for King Henry the Bishops of Bauiors and Noyom both Péeres of France the Bishop of Paris and diuers other Bishops the Earle of Vandemont with a great number of other Noble-men superfluous to be named And hee had a Guarde about his person of thrée hundred choyse Archers some on horsebacke and parte on foote With what tryumphes pageants riche and sumptuous shewes hee was
of his gracious grandmother the Countesse of Richmond and Darby such as he knew to be prudent indéed and the kings his father most deare and familiar friends some of whose names I thought good to insert for the especiall and singular effects which insued of their most honourable and graue counsels viz. Thomas Lord Haward Earle of Surrey and Treasurer of England George Lord Talbot Earle of Shrewsebury and Steward of the kings householde Charles L. Somerset Lord Chamberlaine after Earle of Worcester and others which wise and graue Counsellers séeing what aboundance of wealth this young king was now possessed of least it might incline his young yeares vnto riotousnesse and forgetting of himselfe for not to any King before him was left the like riches in ready coyne iewels and plate and excellent moueables as to him by his famous father King Henry the seauenth therefore those most honourable Counsellers did labour to attaine his Princely presence in their secret méetings and most honourable priuie counsels that by degrées they might win him to suruay at least the affaires of a kingly office and Princely gouernment Which also he slacked not to do for within lesse then 5. yeares after to wit the 20. of Iuly in the fift yeare of his reigne he entred into France with a puissant power and mighty army wan the strong Townes of Torney and Turwin had in pay as souldiers mercenary that most famous Emperour Charles the fift and also the Palsgraue of the Rhene which wore Saint Georges crosse in which time also was fought that famous battaile of Branxstone or Floden-field where the King and the flower of all his chiualry was conquered by the valiant hands of Norfolke and Hawardes In the sixt yeare of his raigne the Pope did send him a cappe of maintenance in those dayes the highest degrée of honour and the same Pope was mediatour to him for peace in the French Kings behalfe and for the confirmation thereof the French king married the kings yonger sister Mary and dyed shortly after In the twelfth yeare the king made a most famous pleasant and princely voyage into France with atriumphant traine of Nobles Ladies c. for an interuew betwéene him his Quéene and States on the one party which was performed in the valley of Andrean with many varieties of princely showes as the history thereof at large describeth that voyage And that in his way the Emperor Charles met his Maiestie at Canterburie kéeping Whitsontide there with the king In the fouretéenth yeare of his raigne he was by a Bull from Rome ordained or intitled the defender of the Christian faith which title was then giuen to him and his successors for euer The same yeare also he receaued into his Realme the forenamed Charles the fift Emperour againe into the Cittie of London with Great triumphes c. inuosted him with the Garter and habit of that most honourable order sware league and amity during both their liues In the 18. yeare he contracted league with the french K. to hold both those kings liues and one yeare after hee was also inuested with the coller and order of S. Michael and the French king with the Garter and order of S. George The twentie three yeare hee or the lawe for him did confiscate Cardinall Wolsey a proude and wealthy Prelate in the statute of premunire had great treasure therby as also great fines of all the Clergie for defence of the Cardinals power Legatine and about the same time he took vpō him the title Supream head of the church c. For the which for the suppressiō of Abbeies immediatly after howsoeuer the Pope and his successors since haue presumed to curse him and his blessed succession his Daughter Mary only excepted Yet the Almighty hath blessed both him and them Edward and Elizabeth since and long O Lord vouchsafe to blesse the trewe and lineall descent of noble King Henry the seauenth But sure it was a wonderfull Kingly Maiestie in that valiant King who possessed but a part of great Britaine nor hauing fast friendship with the other part but many domestick and ciuill garboiles at home all or the maior parts of Christendome holding then Rome and her religion for Catholicke and vniuersall all which notwithstanding this most famous and mighty king did abolish and abandon to his euer immortall praise and wonder of the world How did God after this blesse his sonne although but with young yeares and short raigne yet with miraculous might and his second sister raigning almost forty and fiue yeares with immaculate happinesse And after this also he warred against the French king wonne the Tower of Bulloyne and many other partes on that side forced that Nation to composition brought home peace honor wealth and in the excéeding loue of his people he ended his life at his palace at White-hall the eight and twentieth day of January Anno 1546. when he had reigned thirty and seuen yeares nine moneths and odde dayes triumphantly and in great felicitie leauing the Issue before mentioned Edward Mary and Elizabeth His body according to his Will in that behalf was interred at Windsor with all funeral Pompe in the Chappel and Colledge of S. George Patron of the Garter whereof almost 38. yeeres hee had béene sole Souereigne His Description THis worthy Prince was right fortunate in all his doing◠so that except onely in his mariages all other his attempts had good successe as wel in matters of peace as of wars Of personage he was tall and mightie yet excéeding comely but towards his latter end grosse and as wee tearme it bourly in wit and memory very perfect of great Maiestie yet so tempered with gracious humanitie as best became so high an estate a great fauourer of Learning learned men and of himself not ignorant of diuine Learning nor morall literature and for his great magnificence and bountious liberality his renowne was spred throughout the World His Epitaphe EIght Worthies now are nominated here Eight Kings eight Britaines eight braue English men Eight such as in their times had no compeere Eight such as cannot be exprest with pen Eight such as neuer liu'd in time together King Dauids Worthies might not match them euer For Dauids Worthies were not crowned Kings Dauid was once anointed of the Lord His Psalmes great comfort to our conscience brings His vertues were according to the word Of God for all his treatises are true Prefiguring Christ he Beare and Lyon slew Prince Iosua Captaine of that mightie hoste Six hundred thousand did his campe containe His prayer stayed the Sunne amid the Coast Till he the Kings of Canaan had slaine He Israel their foes did all confound And raz'd proud Iericho downe to the ground Braue Iudas Machabeus with the best Of valure his thus bouldly may he boast The Iewes redeeming them with foes opprest And that with small and verie sober hoast A Worthie therefore of the Iewish Race Arm'd with that God disposer
THE NINE ENGLISH WORTHIES Or Famous and Worthy Princes of England being all of one name Beginning with King HENRIE the first and Concluding with Prince HENRY eldest Sonne to our Soueraigne Lord the King AT LONDON Imprinted by H. L. for John Harrison the yonger and are to be sold at his shop in Pater-noster rowe at the signe of the blue Anchor 1606. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE HENRY Eldest Sonne to our Souereigne the Kings most Excellent Maiestie RIght High Right Excellent and gracious sweete Prince in all humilitie I beseech your Highnesse to pardon me in that being one of the meanest among the King your Fathers seruants I haue presumed to Dedicate this simple small Treatise to your Excellencie the Subiect whereof is notwithstanding such and so great as may seeme vnmeete to bee tearmed a Subiect For it treateth onely of Kings and Princes all excellent Worthies a matter I confesse much vnbefitting my slender capacity and lesse learning to deale with In which regard I cannot but acknowledge the true Prouerbe most fitte to bee applied against me Blinde Bayard is the boldest horse in the Cart. Notwithstanding that which hath spurred me forward to commit the fault may I hope in some measure qualifie and excuse it to weet my seruent loue and zealous heart which cānot endure your Grace should passe by me without some little testimony of my great ioy zeale and bounden duety howsoeuer in the maner of expressing it my discretion may perhaps be worthily taxed and my insufficiencie layed open to the world But to proceede on The Worthies here recorded are nine in number all Henries al mighty Potentates eight of which haue already been Souereigne Kings of this renowmed Nation seuen of them excelling in Martiall valour and conquest one of them namely King Henry the sixt in vertue and pietie the conquest of sinne and himselfe and none of them much inferiour to some of the ancient nine Worthies Now your Highnesse being of the same name with them and Heire apparant to the same Dominions which those eight Worthies your glorious Ancestors sometime held and the blessed sonne of a mighty Monarch the eye of the World is vpon you and lookes for a transparent passage of their vertues into you and a reflexion from you the ioy and comfort of this famous Realme of Great Britaine aswell in Church as Common wealth is set and settled in and vpon you next to our King and present sauing Gouernour And their hopefull expectation hath already installed you the ninth Worthy as being likely in time I say not to equall the eight but euen to surmount and exceed them For as the ages since theirs haue been illustrated with more learning Religion and diuine wisedom so besides your gifts of Nature who in perfections hath not been niggardly towards you your Highnesse taking also your princely and happie education in a time of peace and that vnder the wings and eyes of the most learned King your father vertuous Queene mother and such a Councel of settled and deep wisedom as not the like in Europe your Highnesse I say hath herein meanes examples and leasure to heare learne behold and obserue the singular goodnesse of God in that which hereafter shall be your owne greatnesse and happinesse And here I may not forget your chiefest honour nobilitie and worthinesse that you are descended of the eldest and highest house of the blood royall of Heauen the child and sonne of God and consequently coheire with Christ our great Lord to the immortall Crowne Now the same God your heauenly Father who hitherto in rich mercie hath showred downe abundantly his graces vpon you vouchsafe to continue and increase them in you guiding al your princely affections and actions to the glorie of his name the benefit of the Church the good of this whole Monarchie the vnspeakeable ioy of your royall Parents and blesse both them and you as with much health long life and glory here so with eternall happinesse hereafter July the 4. Your GRACES most humbly deuoted ROBERT FLETCHER TO THE RIGHT HOnorable my very good Lords the Earles of Oxenford and Essex with my Lord Vicount Cranborne and the other yong Lords Knights and Gentlemen attending the Princes Highnesse health honour and happinesse NObles and Gentlemen Please yee to peruse the Chronicles of this Realme you may therein reade of many your famous and worthy Progenitors who some of them by Valour the rest by Wisedome and their other vertues haue growen great in Souereignes fauour been preferred to high Place in Common wealth liued and died in much glorie leauing an ouer-plus of honour and dignitie by many descents to you their children The consideration hereof may and I doubt not wil incite and egge you on who are already well entred the way to tread the same steps of honour by imitating those your worthy Ancestors in their vertuous actions For your tender yeeres are not ignorant that The readiest way to get and surest to hold true honour is to deserue it and consequently that Vertue onely which first began Nobilitie must still maintaine it whereas contrariwise by degenerate and base conditions many forfeit their Nability ere they come at it For who knowes not that Nobilitie without Vertue is but apocryphate Gentry and that therefore as it began in vertuous Ancestors so it endeth in their wicked progenie We see The strongest wine becomes the sharpest vineger and The most Noble by nature are made most vile by negligence Of which Ranke and sort are chiefly such as hold learning in scorne and the attaining of knowledge not worth the while In reproofe of whom truely and eloquently was it long since written by M. Ascham The fault is in your selues ye Noble-mens sonnes and therefore ye deserue the greater blame that commonly the meaner mens children come to be the wisest Counsailors greatest dooers in the weighty affaires of this Realme and why For God will haue it so by his prouidence because yee will haue it no otherwise by your negligence And againe It grieueth me to say but it helpeth not to hide what euery man sees T is seldome seene that the sonne of an excellent man prooues excellent I graunt that in excellent men Nature must frame the chiefest parts but learning addeth a further ornament groundeth a deeper iudgement and formeth perfection and excellencie in shorter time The best learned are best aduised And No man is deceiued but in those things whereof he is ignorant In a word What soeuer may bee saydin dispraise of Ignorance is the praise of Learning and Knowledge Wherefore I trust your Honours and the rest wil thinke it as great shame which also are M. Aschams words to be valiant and Courtly without Learning as to be studious and bookish without Valour My seruent prayers to almighty God shall be so to direct your generous hearts to the studie of good literature with the loue of vertue and true valour that you alwayes not onely in time
Kings in Kingly armors clad Were beaten downe by the Earle Dowglas hand To see them fall it seem'd his heart to glad To rise againe he sayd ô powerfull land That valiant harts withstanding fortunes checke Three Kings to rise each one in others necke King Henry the fift THe Prince of Wales son and heire to king Henry the fourth was born at Mounmouth in Wales vpon the riuer of Wy after his Father was departed this life he tooke on him the regiment of the Realme of England the 20. day of March and beeing proclaimed King by the name of Henry the fift the yeare of our Lord 1413 such great hope good expectation was had of this kings fortunate successe to follow that within sowre dayes after his Fathers departure diuers Noble men and honourable personages did to him homage and sware to him due obedience which had not béen séen done to any his predecessors kings of this Realme till they had been possessed of the Crowne Hee was crowned the ninth day of Aprill beeing Palme-sonday and béeing a very fierce and cruell day for variety of fowle weather men diuined and déemed diuersely what might insue of such a beginning But whatsoeuer mens fantasies might or did coniecture yet this was the King that according to the prouerbe did shewe and declare indéede how trewe and new honor ought to make exchange of old and euill manners For no sooner was he inuested king and had receiued the Crowne but hee did put vpon him the shape of a newe man turning insolency and wildenesse into grauity and sobernesse and whereas hee had passed his youth with wanton and dissolute wild yong gentlemen who had led him into all excesse of ryot in so much as one of his youthfull traine beeing committed by the Lord chiefe Iustice for misdemeanour the youthfull Prince did strike the Lord chiefe Iustice vpon the face who also presently committed the Prince to straite and close prison The King his Father mainetained the Lorde chiefe Iustice banished the Prince from his presence and Courte did remoue him from the Counsell Table and woulde not readmit him into fauour vntill with submission extraordinary hee obtained the same But as before beeing placed in the seate Royall hee called these Gallants before him toulde them of his and their owne faultes banished them from his presence not vnrewarded nor yet vnpreferred inhibiting them vpon a great payne not once to approach lodge or soiourne within ten myles of his Courte or Mansions And then hee made choise of graue wise and politicke Counsellors by whose high wisdomes and prudent aduertisements he might at all times rule to his honour and gouerne to his profit And considering with himself what charge hee had in hand and what appertained to his duty and office he trusted not too much to his owne wisedome Iudgement and directions but as is aforesayde he called to his Counsell such honourable personages as might assist him in the gouernmēt of so weighty a charge to instruct him with such good reasons and fruitefull perswasions as that thereby he might shewe himselfe to his subiects a Mirror of vertue and an example of iust and vpright dealing And hauing first laid the foundations of his gouernment sure he did prouidently forecast and consider in his Princely minde that euery good gifte and euery perfect gifte commeth downe from the Father of lightes He determined withall to begin with something most acceptable to his diuine Maiestie And therfore cōmanded the Clergy sincerely truly to preach the Word of God and liue accordingly that they might be as they ought to be and their profession required lanternes of light to the temporaltie The Lay men he commanded to serue God and obey their Prince prohibiting them aboue all things the breach of matrimony the fowle abuse of swearing chiefely of wilfull periury and to that end he ordained good holesome lawes and presently summoned a Parliament in the which in honor of the most noble order of the garter he ordained the day of S. George euer after to be kept with a double feast in this his first parliament he propounded matters of questiō touching the hierarchy of Churchgouernment that time but was answered with the iust and lawful title which he had to the kingdome of France Which when he had conceiued to pursue the Dolphin of France a valiant yong prince sent vnto his Maiesty a barrel of tennis bals as if he would haue sayd these are fit instruments for such a young gentleman to play withall as you the King of England is not at these years to forecast the conquest or rather a Reconquest of the noble and renowned kingdome of France which the King my Father and I the Dolphin doe and will possesse mauger the power of England But this redoubted king magnanimous wise graue and settled to all kingly resolutions sendeth the Dolphin this mild and sober answere Go tell that gallant yong gentleman your Master that I doe thanke him for his present and will with all speed prepare to send him in requitall such store of London bals as shall batter the strongest holdes make stoops the most bewtifull Towers and make flat the chimnies and roufes of houses about his and his Fathers eares that are contained in the realme confines of France For I will make the highest crowne to stoop and the proudest miter to kneele down yea and that before one yeare doe passe me by the power of God Which thing to make good he slacked no time omitted no occasiō lost no opportunitie but made preparation both by sea and land to execute the full of his intended purposes Being furnished for the expedition of the fleet ready for his Maiestie and Armies to saile forth for the intire conquest of all France behold a conspiracy was practized against this immaculate king by the Earle of Cambridge and others at Sowthhampton vpon whom he commanded though sore against his wil as some Authors do affirme execution to be done vpon his going to shipborde making it knowen by a most louing and princely Oration how vnwilling hee was to haue taken life away or to haue left the noble Earle of Camebridge deade and sequestred from his then victorious voyage Yet had he seene or foreséene at that time to haue shewed the like vpon the Earle of March Richard Duke of Yorke had not claimed afterward as he did nor confounded the state and gouernement of this kings onely sonne nor wrought his owne end at Wakefield as he did but the Almighty is and euer wil be all in all This his first and honourable voyage into France his warlike proceedings there his conquest of many particulars his battaile or most famous victorie at Agincourt where hee slewe and subiected to himselfe as prisoners and captiues al the flower and chiualry of France his returne againe into England his second voyage backe againe his second conquest of all France the Homages of Philip duke of Burgundy with other estates of
of all grace Great Alexander Macedonian Prince Whom the earths continent could not content Philippe his father Nations did conuince For which his sonne with teares did sorelament Saying with sighes his fathers Captaines to My father will leaue nothing me to doo Hector of Troy a valiant Champion tri'd Gainst factious foes did oft r'enforce the field Enforcing them their faces else to hide Or plead for mercy and like suppliants yeeld Not any of our Henries wanted power To haue subdued him in his sternest stower If Iulius Caesar could haue beene a King With conquest which his Romaine Legions made By blody bodkins he should not the sting Haue felt of death in powrefull Senates shade Brutus his sonne nor Cassius had conspir'd His death had he not kingly state requir'd Arthur of Britaine most renowned king Sixe of the nine were not his equall peeres Full thirty king domes he to his did bring Yet was his life not many moe in yeares Braue Britaine then take place among the best And midst our worthie Henries take thy rest Next Charlemaine of France a Monarch great So called great and Emperour he was French Chronicles his actions all do treat He for a Christian Worthy wel may passe Yet Henry ours the eight as good as he Shall for a Christian King compared be Godfrey de Bulleigne was a Prince of fame He wore vpon his helme a crowne of thorne Hefreed all Christian captiues where he came And not forsooke them till in peeces torne He left their foes laid groueling on the ground That durst attempt a Christian to confound See then nine Worthies in their ranke and place Three of which number gouerned the Iewes Great Iosua is formost of that race But for king Dauid brought vs better newes I place him first and do withall compare Henry the eight a worthie King most rare Henry the eight gaue vs our primier taste Of milke which is most meete for infants foode Edw. and Eliza. stronger meates imbrac't And fed vs till we better vnderstood The word of God which Rome had vs bereft This grace to England gracious Henry left Three more of Worthies by their names to call Great Aloxander was the Graeciaus ioye And Iulius Caesar mighty Romane shall Be second here then Hector stout of Troy Threee mighty Princes peerelesse in their dayes Whose worthy valour won them endlesse praise Three Worthies more of Christians beare the name Arthur of Britaine Charlemaine of France And he that freed all Christians where he came Wearing a crowne of thorne the name t' aduance Godfrey de Bulloyne worthie Christians three Nine no lesse worthie follow in degree Henry the first Henry the second eke Henry the third Henry the fourth and fiue Henry the sixt whose match is farre to seeke Except King Iames do match him none aliue With that sweet King may well compared be For trew and perfect magnanimity Henry the seuenth a prudent worthy Prince Whose wisedome ioyn'd with perfect policy With red Rose and with white he did conuince Domestike foes and foraine that durst try For title state preheminence or place Eld'st Daughter his is now great Britaines grace Henry the eight eight Worthies more hath made The ninth remaines in Henry Prince of Wales The eight do rest in fresh Elysian shade The ninth need feare no blaste of winter gales So long as worthiest of all Worthies liues King Iames to whome all Eighteen Worthies giues Their Scepters Crownes their Diadems and power Their places and preheminence likewise Th' Almighty hold his mighty hand each hower Vpon his head that caused him to rise Like Phoebus when our Cynthia lately set Paying to God and nature all her debt This Epitaph in Henry eight shall end And Henry Prince of Wales may here beginne To imitate for that he doth descend Such Worthies eight such honour may he winne Long life good health all graces from aboue With Subiects praise and kingly Fathers loue FINIS Henrie the ninth Prince of Great Britaine The Author in honour of the last ninth Worthie EIght famous Kings precedents to a Prince Whose valiant acts are registred with fame Eight Henries and all those the conquest since As Worthies all haue iustified their name Eight such as all the King domes of the earth Cannot exceed for Title State and Birth What makes men Noble Birth and parentage Adornd with gifts and beautified with grace Then Britaine boast that neuer any age Brought the like Prince a thousand yeares in space For birth for vertue and for expectation Prince of Great Britaine ouerpeer's each Nation Ninth Worthie then O Prince possesse in peace That worthy Title best befitting fame Let prudence fortitude and all increase That vertue addes and doth adorne your name Let Princes all and spite it selfe confesse In forraine Lands Prince Henry is peerelesse Of all the World our mirror then of might Our Paragon most rare and worthie praise Our Comet and our rising Starre most bright Grant mightie Ioue that long and happie dayes He may enioy and we reioyce and sing For this Ninth Worthie first for Iames our King Your famous father and Great Britaines Ioy Your glorie also guyder of your youth Whose carefull Counsell to preuent annoy Most like a King he pend in perfect truth You to direct and all young Gentlemen Your followers are aduis'd by Kingly Pen. The Prince his Bien-venue or welcome to all the famous Worthies of the World BRaue Britaines beautie and faire Englands Ioy Cambers Commander Irelands lamp of light Cornwales faire Duke and Chester from annoy Count Palatine for to defend with might Whole Europes Comet and Saint Georges Knight Grant Lord the George and Garter long he weare To King and Countries comfort as true heire Welcome sweet Prince into our company Which we from heauen with cheerefulnesse behold We had our times our period was to die But yours to liue and registred in gould Whose powerful parent cannot be contrould Because he knowes and feares the Lord aboue Liues in his Lawes and hath his peoples loue But had your praise beene limd with learned pen Of Princely Surrey once a Poet sweet Sir Thomas Wyat or like gentlemen They on this Theame discoursers had beene meet But this alas hath earthen hands and feet And yet for that we in our Tumbes do rest Let 's be content to see and and say the best This poore beginning may much better proue The fairest tops and architectures stand On lowe laide morter beautie shines aboue Foundations first are laied with mirie hand Timber glasse stone lead iron gould on sand Are seated and more subiect to decay Then that beneath whereon their State doth stay From hence may happe some Builders take a frame And reare with Beautie sumptuous stately Towers The worthie Poets Daniell by name Syluester Drayton can build sumptuous Bowers And many moe bedewd with heauenly showers And though who now this taske doth vndertake Did neuer to the Muses homage make The more vnfit to fawne vpon them then In crauing of their aide without desart And to inuite them with a rusticke pen Fetching his cunning onely from the Cart Yet yet giue leaue to euerie loyall hart For all are not indewed with learnings skill And he writes wel of States that writes no ill Then take in gree all what proceedes of loue Of dutie and of true obedience And whosoere he be doth faithfull proue In seruices and shall without offense Whistle or pipe sans hope of recompense And onely to expresse a ioyfull heart At Princes good O let him Act his part FINIS Nota. Counterfait kings Nota. Nota. Nota. Nota 〈…〉 uid 〈…〉 ua 〈…〉 as acha 〈…〉 us Alex 〈…〉 der 〈…〉 ector 〈…〉 lius 〈…〉 sar 〈…〉 rthur Charlemaine Godfrey Cynthia