Whose name atchieued by his fatall hand Called the Blacke Prince not so much of his complexion as of the famous battell he fought as is shewed before in the glosse vpon the Epistle of Edward to the Countesse of Salisbury And prooues our Actes of Parlement vniust In the text parlement after Richards resignation of the crown Henry caused to be annihilated all the lawes made in the Parliament called the wicked Parliament held in the twenty yeere of king Richards raigne Finis To sir Iohn Swinerton Knight and one of the Aidermen of the Citie of London VOrthy Sir so much mistrust I my owne abilitie to doe the least right to your vertues that I could gladly wish any thing that is truely mine were woorthy to beare your name so much reucrend Sir I esteeme you and so ample interest haue you in my loue To some honourable friends haue I deaicated these Poemes with whom I ranke you may I escape prejumption Like not this Britaine the worse though after some former Impressions he be lastly to 〈…〉 crated in this like an honest man that would part 〈…〉 his owne woorth before he would presume his 〈…〉 ronage with whom you shall euer commaund my 〈◊〉 and haue my best wishes That loue you truely Mich Drayton Queene Katharine to Owen Tudor The Argument After the death of that victorious Henry the fift Queene Katharine the Dowager of England and France daughter to Charles the French King holding her estate with Henry her sonne then the fixt of that name falleth in loue with Owen Tuder a Welchman a braue and gallant Gentleman of the Wardrobe to the yong King her son yet grently fearing if her loue shoulde be discouered the Nobilitie woulde crosse her purposed marriage or fearing that if her faire and princely promises should not assure his good successe this high and great attempt might perhappes daunt the forwardnesse of his modest and shamefast youth wherefore to breake the ice to her intent she writeth vnto him this Epistle following IVdge not a Princesse worth impeacht hereby That loue thus triumphs ouer maiestie Nor thinke lesse vertue in this royall hand Which now intreates that wonted to command For in this sort though humbly now it wooe The day hath beene thou wouldst haue kneeld vnto Not thinke that this submission of my state Proceedes from frailtie rather iudge it fate Alcides ne're more fit for warres sterne shocke Then when for loue sate spinning at the rocke Neuer lesse cloudes did Phoebus glory dim Then in a clownes shape when he couered him Ioues great commaund was neuer more obeyd Than when a Satyres anticke parts he playd He was thy king that sued for loue to mee Shee is thy Queene that sues for loue to thee When Henry was what 's Tuders now was his Whilst yet thou arte what 's Henries Tuders is My loue to Owen him my Henry giueth My loue to Henry in my Owen liueth Henry woode me whilst warres did yet increase I wooe my Tuder 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 Windsore first these eies of mine My Tuder iudgde for wit and shape diuine Henry abroade with pâ—issance and with force Tuder 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 Which glorious wreathe as Henries lawfull heire Henry the sixt vpon his brow doth beare At Troy in Champaine he did first enioy My Brydall rites to England brought from Troy In England now that honour thou shalt haue Which once in Champaine famous Henry gaue I seeke not wealth three kingdomes in my power If these suffice not where shall be my dower Sad discontent may euer follow her Which doth base pelfe before true loue prefer If titles still could our affections tie What is so great but Maiestie might buy As I seeke thee so Kings do me desire To what they would thou easily mai'st aspire That sacred fire once warmde my heart before The fuell fit the flame is now the more And meanes to quench it I in vaine do proue We 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 Wife daughter mother sister to a King Of grandsire father husband sonne and 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 line Nor stir the English blood the Sunne and Moone T'repine at Lorame Burbon A lansoon Nor do I thinke there is such different ods They should alone be numbred with the Gods Of Cadmus earthly issue reckoning vs And they from Ioue Mars Neptune Eolus Of great Latonas of-spring onely they And we the brats of wofull Niobe Our famous grandsires as their owne bestride That horse of fame that God begotten steede Whose bounding hoofe plow'd that Boetian spring Where those sweete maides of memory do sing Not onely Henries Queene but boast as well To be the childe of Charles and Isabell Nor do I know from whence their grief should grow They by this match should be disparag'd so When Iohn and Longshankes issue both affied And to the Kings of Wales in wedlocke tied Shewing the greatnesse of your blood thereby Your race and royall consanguinity And Wales as well as haughty England boasts Of Camilot and all her Penticosts A nephewes roome in great Pendragons race At Arthurs Table held a princely place If by the often conquest of your land They boast the spoiles of their victorious hand If these our antient Chronicles be true They altogether are not free from you When bloodie Rufus sought your vtter sacke Twice entring Wales yet twice was beatenbacke When famous Cambria wash'd her in the flood Made by th' effusion of the English blood And oft returnde with glorious victory From Worster Herford Chester Shrowesbury Whose power in euery conquest so preuailes As once expulsde the English out of Wales 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 wont Because in France that time my choice was scant When he had robde all Christendome of men And Englands flower remainde amongst vs then Gloster whose counsells Nestor-like assist Couragious Bedford that great martiallist Clarence for vertue honoured of his foes And Yorke whose fame yet daily greater growes Warwicke the pride of Neuels haughty race Great Salebury so fearde in euery place That valiant Poole whom no atchieuement
allow I should not neede to feare it For then my true nobilitie should beare it If counsell ayde that Fraunce will tell I know Whose townes lie waste before the English foe When thrice we gaue the conquered French the foile At Agincourt at Crauant and Uernoile If faith auaile these armes did Henry hold To claime his crowne yet scarcely nine months old If countries care haue leaue to speake for me Gray haires in youth my witnes then may be If peoples tongues giue splendor to my fame They adde a title to duke Humfries name If toyle at home French treason English hate Shall tell my skill in managing the state If forraine trauell my successe may try In Flaunders Almaine Boheme Burgundy That robe of Rome prowd Benford now doth weare In euery place such sway should neuer beare The Crosier staffe in his imperious hand To be the Scepter that controules the land That home to England despensations drawes Which are of power to abrogate our lawes That for those summes the wealthy church should pay Vpon the needy Commontie to lay His ghostly counsells onely doe aduise The meanes how Langlies progenie may rise Pathing young Henries vnaduised waies A Duke of Yorke from Cambridge house to raise which after may our title vndermine Grafted since Edward in Gaunts famous line Vs of succession safely to depriue which they from Clarence fainedly deriue Knowing the will old Cambridge euer bore To eateh the wreathe that famous Henry wore With Gray and Scroope when first he laide the plot From vs and ours the gaâ—land to haue got As from the Match-borne Mortimer to raigne Whose title Glendour stoutly did maintaine When the prowde Percies haughty March and hee Had sharde the Land by equall partes in three His Priesthoode now sterne Mowbray doth restore To stirre the fire that kindled was before Against the Yorkists shall their claime aduance To steele the poynt of Norffolkes sturdie lance Vpon the breast of Herfords issue bent In iust reuenge of antient banishment He dooth aduise to let our prisâ—er 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 With Benfords damned policies supplide He and the Queene in counsell still conferre How to raise him who hath aduanced her But my deere heart how vainely do I dreame And flie from thee whose sorrowes are my theame My loue to thee and England thus diuided With the most parte how hard to be decided Or thee or that to whether I am loath So neere are you so deere vnto me both Twixt that and thee for equall loue I finde England in gratefull and my Elnor kind 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 beauty triumpht 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 Of which though time hath taken some againe I aske no more but what doth yet remaine Be patient gentle heart in thy distresse Thou arte a Princesse not a whit lesse Whilst in these breasts we beare about this life I am thy husband and thou arte my wife Cast not thine eie on such as mounted be But looke on those cast downe as lowe as we For some of them which prowdly pearch so hie Ere long shall come as lowe as thou or I. They weepe for ioy and let vs laugh in woe We shall exchange when heauen will haue it so We mourne and they in after time may mourne Woe past may once laugh present woe to scorne And worse than hath beene we can neuer taste Worse cannot come than is already past In all extreames the onely depth of ill Is that which comforts the afflicted still Ah would to God thou wouldst thy griefes denie And on my backe let all the burthen lie Or if thou canst resigne make thine mine owne Both in one carrige to be vndergone Till we againe our former hopes recouer And prosp'rous times blow these misfortunes ouer For in the thought of those forepassed yeares 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 Wishing thee more than I my selfe can giue ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie At Agincourâ— at Grauant and Vernoyle THe three famous battels fought by the Englishmen in France Agincourt by Henry the fift against the whole power of France Crauant fought by Montacute Earle of Salisburie and the Duke of Burgoyne against the Dolphine of France William Stuart Constable of Scotland Vernoile fought by Iohn Duke of Bedford against the Duke of Alanson and with him most of the Nobilitie of France Duke Humfrey an Especiall Councellour in all these expeditions In Flaunders Almain Boheme Burgundie Here remembring the auncient amitie which in his ambassaes he concluded betwixt the King of England and Sigismund Emperour of Almaine drawing the Duke of Burgoyne into the same league giuing himselfe as an hostage for the duke of saint Omers while the Duke came to Calice to confirme the league With his many other imployments to forraine Kingdoms That crosier staffe in his imperious hand Henry Beuford Cardinall of Winchester that proud haughtie Prelate receyued his Cardinals hat at Calice by the Popes Legate which dignitie Henry the fift his nephew forbade him to take vpon him knowing his haughtie and malicious spirit vnfit for that robe and calling The meanes how Langleis progenie may rise As willing to shew the house of Cambridge to bee descended of Edmund Langley Duke of Yorke a yonger brother to Iohn of Gaunt his Grand-father as much as in him lay to smother the title that the Yorkists made to the crowne from Lionell of Clarence Gaunts elder brother by the daughter of Mortimer His priesthood now sterne Mowbray doth restore Nothing the ancient grudge betweene the house of Lancaster and Norffolke euer since Mowbray duke of Norffolke was banished for the accusation of Henry duke of Herford after the king of England father to duke Humfrey which accusation hee came as a Combatant to haue made good in the Lists at Couentry And giues our heires in marriage that their dowers Iames Stuart King of Scots hauing bin long prisoner in England was released and tooke to wife the daughter of Iohn duke of Somerset sister to Iohn duke of Somerset neece to the Cardinall and the duke of Excester and coosin germain remooued to the King this King broke the oath he had taken and became after a great enemie to England FINIS ¶ To my Honored Mistris Mistris Elizabeth Tanfield the sole daughter and heire of that famous and learned Lawyer Lawrence Tanfield Esquire FAire and vertuous Mistres since first it was my good fortune to bee a witnesse of the many
smother Breaking for griefe ennying one another When the prowd Barke for ioy thy steps to feele Scornd the salt waues shuld kisse her furrowing keele And trick'd in all her flags her selfe she braues Capring for ioy vpon the siluer waues When 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 Phâ—â—icias pride All heauenly beauties ioyne themselues in one To shew their glory in thine eye alone Which when it turneth that celestiall ball A thousand sweet starres rise a thousand fall Who iustly saith mine banishment to bee When onely France for my recourse is free To view the plaines where I haue seene so oft Englands victorious engines raisde aloft When this shall be my comfort in my way To see the place where I may boldly say Heere mighty Bedford forth the 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 Willoughbie Heere Mountacute rangde his conquering band Heere forth we march'd and heere we made a stand What should we stand to mourne and grieue all day For that which time doth easily take away What fortune hurts let patience onely heale No wisedome with extreamities to deale To know our selues to come of humane birth These sad afflictions crosse vs heere on earth A taxe imposde by heauens eternall law To keepe our rude rebellious will in awe In vaine we prize that at so deere a rate Whose best assurance is a fickle state And needelesse we examine our intent When with preuention we cannot preuent When we ourselues 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 beauteous royall Queene As in the Court of France we erst haue beene As when arriu'd in Porchesters faire road Where for our comming Henry made aboad When in mine armes I brought thee safe to land And gaue my loue to Henries royall hand The happy howres we passed with the King At faire South-hampton long in banquetting With such content as lodg'd in Henries breast When he to London brought thee from the West Through golden Cheape when he in pompe did ride To Westminster to entertaine his Bride Notes of the Chronicle Historie Our Falcons kinde cannot the cage indure HE alludes in these verses to the Falcon which was the antient deuice of the Poles comparing the greatnesse and hawtinesse of his spirit to the nature of this bird This was the meane prowd Warwicke did inuent To my disgrace c. The Commons at this Parlement through Warwicks meanes accused Suffolke of treason and vrged the accusation so vehemently that the king was forced to exile him for fiue yeeres That onely I by 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 Lady Margaret whom he espoused for Henry the sixt deliuering for her to her father the Countries of Aniou and Maine and the Citty of Mauns Whereupon the Earle of Arminach whose daughter was before promised to the King seeing himselfe to bee deluded caused all the Englishmen to be expulsed Aquitino Gascoyne and Guyen With the base vulgar sort to win him same To be the heyre 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 Salisburie his vile ambicious Sire In Yorks sterne breast kindling long hidden fire By Clarence title working to supplant The Eagle Ayrie of great Iohn of Gaunt Richard Plantagenet Duke of Yorke in the time of Henry the sixt claimed the Crowne being assisted by this Richard Neaâ—ll Earle of Salisburie and father to the great Earle of Warwicke who fauoured exceedingly the house of Yorke in open Parliament as heir 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 heire to Edmund Mortimer that married the Ladie Philip daughter and heire to Lionell Duke of Clarence the third sonne of King Edward to whom the crowne after King Richard the seconds death linealy descended he dying without issue And not to the heires of the Duke of Lancaster that was yonger 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 Lord Protector in the 25. yeare 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 iests at the Protectors wife who being accused conuicted of treason because with Iohn Hun a priest Roger Bullingbrooke a Negromancer Margery Iordan called the Witch of Eie she had consulted by sorcery to kil the king was adiudged to perpetuall prison in the I le of Man and to doe penance openly in three publique places in London For twentie yeares and haue I seru'd in Fraunce In the sixt yeare of Henry the sixt the Duke of Bedford being deceased then Lieutenant generall and Regent of Fraunce this Duke of Suffolke was promoted to that dignity hauing the Lord Talbot Lord Scales and the Lord Mountacute to assist him Against great Charles and bastard Orleance This was Charles the seauenth and after the death of Henry the fifth obtained the crowne of France 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 hee being a most valiant Captaine was continuall enemie to the Englishmen dayly infesting them with diuerse 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 Henrie the sixt his raigne where the most of the French Chiualrie were ouercome by the Duke of Bedford And from Aumerle with-drew my warlike powers Aumerle is that strong defenced towne in France 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 truce to entertaine From Belgia Denmarke Hungary and Spaine Towers is a Cittie in France built by Brutus as hee came into Britaine where in the twentie and one yeare of the raigne of Henry the sixt was appoynted a great
not and a death that dies not That hates vs most when most it speakes vs faire Doth promise all things alwaies paies with aire Yet sometime doth our greatest griefe appease To double sorrow after little ease Like that which thy lasciuious will doth craue Which if once had thou neuer more canst haue Which if thou get in getting thou doost waste it Taken is lost and perrish'd if thou hast it Which if thou gain'st thou ne're the more hast wonne I loosing nothing yet a 〈…〉 quite vndone And yet of that if that a King depraue me No King restores though he a kingdome gaue me Doost thou of father and of friends depriue me And tak'st thou from me all that heauen did giue me What Nature claimes by blood alies or neerenesse Or friendship challenge by regard or deerenesse Mak'st me an Orphan ere my father die A wofull widdow in virginitie Is thy vnbrideled lust the cause of all And now thy flattering tongue bewailes my fall The dead mans graue with fained teares to fill So the deuouring Crocodile doth kill To harbor hate in shew of sweetest things So in the Rose the poisned serpent stings To lurke farre off yet lodge destruction by The Basiliske doth poison with the eye To call for aide and then to lie in wait So the Hiena murthers by deceit By sweete inticements suddaine death to bring So from the rockes th'alluring Mir-maides sing In greatest wants t' inflict the greatest woe This is the vtmost tyranny can doe But where I see the tempest thus preuailes What vse of ankors or what neede of sailes Aboue vs blustring windes and dreadfull thunder The waters gape for our destruction vnder Heere on this side the furious billowes flie There rocks there sands dang'rous whirl-poole lie Is this the meane that mightinesse approues And in this sort do Princes woo their loues Mildenesse would better sute with maiestie Then rash reuenge and rough seueritie O in what safety Temperance doth rest Obtaining harbor in a soueraigne breast Which if so praisefull in the meanest men In powerfull Kings how glorious is it then Alas and fled I hether from my so That innocence should be betraied so Is Court and Country both her enemy And no place found to shrowd in chastitie Each house for lust a harbour and an Inne And euery Cittie a receite for sinne And all do pittie beautie in distresse If beautie chaste then onely pittilesse Thus is she made a tempting stale to lust Or vnreleeued nedsly perrish must Lasciuious Poets which abuse the truth Which oft teach age to sinne infecting youth For the vnchaste make trees stones to mourne Or as they please to other shapes do turne Cinyras daughter whose incestuous minde Made her wrong Nature and dishonour Kinde Long since by them is turnde into a Mir Whose dropping liquor euer weepes for her And in a fountaine Biblis doth deplore Her fault so vile and monsterous before Silla which once her father did betray Is now a bird if all be true they say Shee that with Phoebus did the foule offence Now metamorphosde into frankencense Other to flowers to odors and to gumme At least Ioues leman is a starre become And more they faine a thousand fond excuses To hide their scapes and couer their abuses The virgine onelie they obscure and hide Whilst the vnchaste by them are deifide Yet if a Vestals name be once exprest She must be set together with the rest I am not now as when thou sawst me last That fauour soone is vanished and past That Rosie-blush lapt in a Lilly-vale Now with the morphew ouer-growne and pale And down my cheeks with showres of swelling tears Remaine the furrowes that continuance weares And in the circles of my withered eies In aged wrinckles Beautie buried lies And in my grace my presence gesture cheere Ruine distresse woe anguish doth appeere That breast that hand that cheeke that eie that brow Faded decayed fallen darkned wrinckled now Such was my beautie once now is it such Once thought most rare now altred more than much Nor I regarde all that thou canst protest My vovv is taken I a Nunne profest This vestall habite doth content me more Then all the robes that yet I euer wore Had Rosamond a recluse of our sort Taken our Cloister left the wanton Court Shadowing that beauty with a holy vale Which she alas too loosely set to sale She neede not like an vgly Minotaur Haue beene lookt vp from jealious Ellenor But bin as famous by thy mothers wrongs As by thy father subiect to all tongues To shadow sinne might can the most pretend Kings but the conscience all things can defend A stronger hand restraines our wilfull powres A will must rule aboue this will of ours Not following what our vaine desires doe wooe For vertues sake but what we only doe And hath my father chose to liue exilde Before his eyes should see my youth defilde And to withstand a tyrants lewd desire Beheld his towers and castles razde with fire Yet neuer tucht with griefe so only I Exempt from shame might with true honor die And shall this jewell which so deerly cost Now after all by my dishonour lost No no his reuerend words his holy teares Yet in my soule too deepe impression beares His latest farewell at his last depart More deepely is ingraued in my hart Nor shall that blot by me his name shall haue Bring his gray haires with sorrow to his graue Better his teares to fall vpon my tombe Then for my birth to curse my mothers wombe Though Dunmow giue no refuge heere at all Dunmow can giue my body buriall If all remorcelesse no teare-shedding eie My selfe will moane my selfe so liue so die Notes of the Chronicle history THis Epistle containeth no particular points of Historie more than the generality of the argument layeth open for after the banishment of the Lord Robert Fitzwater and that Matilda was become a Recluse at Dunmow from whence this reply is imagined to be written the King still earnestly persisting in his sute Matild 〈…〉 i th this chaste and constant deniall hopes yet at length to find some comfortable remedy and to rid her selfe of doubts by taking vpon her this monasticke habite and to shew that shee still beareth in minde his former cruelty bred by the impatience of his lust shee remembreth him of her fathers banishment and the lawlesse exile of her alies and friends Doost thou of father and of friends depriue me Then complaining of hir distresse that flying thether thinking there to find reliefe she sees herselfe most assaild where she hoped to haue found most safety Alas and fled I hether from my fo◠That c. After againe standing vpon the precise poynts of conscience not to cast off this habite she had taken My vow in taken I a Nunne profest And at last laying open more particularly the miseries sustaind by her father in England the burning of his Castles and houses which she prooueth to
the remembrance of the thing To make the people more abhorre their King Nor shall a Spenser be he ne're so great Possesse our Wigmore our renowned seate To raze the antient Trophies of our race With our deserts their monuments to grace Nor shall he leade our valiant marchers forth To make the Spensers famous in the North Nor be the Gardants of the British pales Defending England and preseruing Wales At first our troubles easily reculde But now growne head-strong hardly to be rulde With grauest counsell all must be directed Where plainest shewes are openly suspected For where mis-hap our errour dooth assault There doth it eassiest make vs see our fault Then sweet represse all fond and wilfull spleene Two things to be a woman and a Queene Keepe close the cindars lest the fire should burne It is not this which yet must serue our turne And if I doe not much mistake the thing The next supply shall greater comfort bring Till when I leaue my Princesse for a while Liue thou in rest though I liue in exile Notes of the Chronicle Historie Of one condemnd and long lodgde vp in death ROger Mortimer Lord of Wigmore had stoode publikely condemned for his insurrection with Thomas erle of Lancaster and Bohune earle of Herford by the space of three months and as the report went the day of his execution was determined to haue bin shortly after which he preuented by his escape Twice all was taken twice thou all didst giue At what time the two Mortimers this Roger lord of Wigmore and his vncle Roger Mortimer the elder were apprehended in the west the Queene by meanes of Torlton Bishop of Hereford and Becke Bishop of Duresme and Patriarke of Ierusalem being then both mighty in the state vpon the submission of the Mortimers somewhat pacified the king and now secondly shee wrought meanes for his escape Leauing the cordes to tell where I had gone With strong ladders made of cords prouided him for the purpose he escaped out of the Tower which when the same were found fastned to the walles in such a desperate attempt they bred astonishment to the beholders Nor let the Spensers glory in my dâ—awe The two Hugh Spensers the father and the sonne then being so highly fauored of the King knew that their greatest safety came by his exile whose high and turbulent spirit could neuer brooke any corriuall in greatnes My grandsire was the first since Arthurs raigne That the Round-table rectifide againe Roger Mortimer called the great Lord Mortimer Grandfather to this Roger which was afterward the first Earle of March reeâ—ected againe the Round-table at Kenelwoorth after the ancient order of king Arthurs table with the retinue of a hudred knights and a hundred ladies in his house for the entertaining of such aduentures as came thither from all parts of Christendome Whilest famous Longshanks bones in Fortunes scorne Edward Longshanks willed at his death that his body should be boyled the flesh from the bones and that the bones should bee borne to the wars in Scotland which he was perswaded vnto by aprophecie which told that the English should still be fortunate in conquest so long as his bones were caried in the field The English blood that stained Banocksburne In the great voyage Edward the second made against the Scots at the battell at Striueling neere vnto the riuer of Banocksburne in Scotland where there was in the English campe such banketâ—ing and excesse such riot and misorder that the Scots who in the meane time laboured for aduauntage gaue to the English a great ouerthrow And in the Dead-sea sincke our horses fame From whose c. Mortimer so called of Mare mortuum and in French Mort mer in English the Dead-sea which is said to be where Sodom â—nd Go morra once were before they were destroyed by fire froÌ„ Heauen And for that hatefull sacrilegious sin Which by the Pope he stand◠〈…〉 ursed in Gaustelinus and Lucas two Cardinals sent into England from Pope Clement to appease the auncient hate betweene the King and Thomas Earle of Lancaster to whose Embassie the king seemed to yeeld but after their departure hee went backe from his promises for which he was accursed at Rome Of those industrious Roman Colonies A Colony is a sort or number of people that come to inhabite a place before not inhabited whereby he seemes here to prophecie of the subuersion of the land the Pope ioyning with the power of other Princes against Edward for the breach of his promise Charles by inuasiue Armes againe shall take Charles the French King mooued by the wrong done vnto his sister seiseth the Prouinces which belonged to the King of England into his hands stirred the rather thereto by Mortimer who solicited her cause in France as is expressed before in the other Epistle in the glosse vpon this poynt And those great Lords now after their attaints Canonized among the English Saints After the death of Thomas Earle of Lancaster at Pomfret the people imagined great myracles to be done by his reliques as they did of the body of Bohune earle of Hereford slaine at Borough bridge Finis ⧠To my worthy and honored friend Sir Walter Aston Knight of the Bath SIR though without suspition of flatterie I might in more ample and free tearmes intimate my affection vnto you yet hauing so sensible a taste of your generous and noble aisposition which without this habite of ceremony can estimate my loue I will rather affect bre 〈…〉 though it should seeme my fault than by my tedious complement to trouble mine owne opinion setled in your iudgement and discretion I make you the Patron of this Epistle of the Blacke-Prince which I pray you accept till more easie houres may offer vppe from mee some thing more worthy of your view and my trauell Yours truely deuoted Mich Drayton ¶ Edward the Blacke-Prince to Alice Countesse of Salisbury The Argument Alice Countesse of Salisbury remaining at Roxborough castle in the North in the absence of the earle her husband who was by the Kings commaund sent ouer into Flaunders and there deceased ere his returne This Lady being besieged in her castle by the Scots Edward the Blacke-Prince being sent by the King his father to relieue the north parts with an Armie and to remooue the siege of Roxborough there fell in loue with the Countesse when after she returned to London hee sought by diuers and sundry meanes to winne her to his youthfull pleasures as by forcing the Earle of Kent her father and her mother vnnaturally to become his Agents in his vaine desire where after a long and assured triall of her inuincible constancie hee taketh her to his wife to which end he only frameth this Epistle REceiue these papers from thy wofull Lord With farre more woes than they with wordes are storde Which if thine eie with rashnes do reproue Thei 'le say they came from that imperious loue In euery letter thou maist vnderstand Which loue
so hie So soone transpersed with a womans eie He that a king at Poictiers battell tooke Himselfe led captiue with a wanton looke Twice as a Bride to church I haue bin led Twice haue two Lords enjoyd my Bridale bed How can that beauty yet be vndestroyd That yeeres haue wasted and two men enioyd Or should be thought fit for a Princes store Of which two subiects were possest before Let Spaine let France or Scotland so preferre Their infant Queenes for Englands dowager That bloud should be much more than halfe diuine That should be equall euery way with thine Yet princely Edward though I thus reproue you As mine owne life so deerely doe I loue you My noble husband which so loued you That gentle Lord that reuerend Mountague Nere mothers voyce 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 chaind mine eares vnto his pleasing tong My lips haue waited on your praises worth And snatcht his words ere he could get them forth When he hath spoke and something by the way Hath broke off that he was about to say I kept in minde where from his tale he fell Calling on him the residue to tell Oft he would say how sweet a Prince is he When I haue praisde him but for praising thee And to proceede I would intreate and wooe And yet to ease him help to praise thee too Must she be forcde 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 mildely quencht 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 reuerend yeeres When on his knee he beggd me with his teares By no perswasions possibly could winne To free himselfe as guiltlesse of my sinne The woe for me my mother did abide Whose sute but you there 's none would haue denide Your lust full rage your tyranny could stay Mine honours ruine further to delay Haue I ot lou'd you let the truth be showne That still preseru'd your honour with mine owne Had your fond will your foule desires preuailde When you by them my chastitie assailde Though this no way could haue excusde 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 laide And I haue gainde my libertie with shame To saue my life made ship wracke of my name Did Roxborough once vaile her towring fane To thy braue ensigue on the Northerne plaine And to thy trumpet sounding from thy tent Often replide as to my succor sent And did receiue thee as my souâ—raigne liege Comming to ayde thou shouldst againe besiege To raise a foâ— 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 won more than he could haue got That did ingirt me ready still to flie But thou laidst batt'ry to my chastitie O modestie didst thou me not restraine How I could chide you in this angry vaine A Princes name heauen knowes I doe not craue To haue those honours Edwardâ— spouse should haue Nor by ambitious lures will I be brought In my chaste breast 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 chaste 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 vnbrideled 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 makes mention obiecting bigamy against herselfe as being therefore not meet to be married with a batcheller-Prince were sir Thomas Holland knight sir Willlam Montague afterward made Earle of Salisbury That not my fathers graue and reuerend 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 singular 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 Protectoriship of Mortimer that dangerous aspirer And I haue gainde my libertie with shame Roxborough is a castle in the North mis-termed by Bandello Salisbury castle because the king had giuen it to the Earle of Salisbury in which her Lorde being absent the Countesse by the Scots was besieged who by the comming of the English Armie were remoued Here first the Prince saw her whose libertie had bin gained by her shame had shee bin drawne by dishonest loue to satisfie his appetite but by her most praise-worthy constancie she conuerted that humor in him to an honourable purpose and obtained the true reward of her admired vertues The rest vnto your princely thoughts I leaue Lest any thing be left out which were woorth the relation it shall not be impertinent to annex the opinions that are vttered concerning her whose name is said to haue bin Aclips but that being rejected as a name vnknowne among vs Froisard is rather beleeued who calleth her Alice Polidore contrariwise as before is declared names her Iane who by Prince Edward had issue Edward dying yong and Richard the second king of England thogh as he saith she was diuorced afterwards because within the degrees of consanguinitie prohibiting to many the trueth whereof I omit to discusse her husband the Lord Montague being sent ouer into Flaunders by king Edward was taken prisoner by the French and not returning left his Countesse a widow in whose bed succeeded Prince Edward to whose last and lawsull request the reioycesull Lady sends this louing answere Finis ¶ To the right Honourable and my very good Lord Edward Earle of Bedford THrice noble and my gratious 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 furst bequeathed by that learnd accomplisht gentleman sir Henry Goodere not long since deceased whose I was whilst hee was whose patience pleased to beare with the imperfections of my heedles and vnstaied youth That excellent and
Church-yard commaunded that no man should relieue her which the tyrant did not so much for his hatred to sinne but that by making his brothers life odious he might couer his horrible treason the more cunningly May number Rumneys flowers or Isis fish Rumney is that famous Marsh in Kent at whose side Rie a Hauen towne dooth stand Hereof the excellent English Antiquarie Maister Camden and Maister Lambert in his preambulation doâ— make mention And Marishes are commonly called those low grounds which abut vpon the sea and from the Latine word are so denominated Isis is heere vsed for Thamesis by a Synecdochicall kind of speach or by a Poeticall libertie in vsing one for another for it is said that Thamesis is compounded of Tame and Isis making when they are met that renowmed water running by London a Cittie much more renowmed then that water which being plentifull of fish is the cause also why all things else are plentifull therein Moreouer I am perswaded that there is no riuer in the world beholds more stately buildings on either side cleane throgh then the Thames Much is reported of the Graund Canale in Venice for that the fronts on either side are so gorgeous That might intice some foule-mouth'd Mantuâ—n Mantuan a pastorall Poet in one of his Eglogs bitterly inueyeth agaynst woman-kind some of the which by way of an Appendex might be heere inserted seeing the fantasticke and insolent humours of many of that sexe deserue much sharper phisicke were it not that they are growne wiser then to amend for such an idle Poets speech as Mantuan yea or for Euripides himselfe or Senecas inflexible Hippolitus The circuite of the publike Theater Ouid a most fit Author for so desolute a Sectary calls that place Chastities shipwracke for though Shores wife wantonly pleade for liberty which is the true humour of a Curtizan yet much more is the praise of modesty then of such libertie Howbeit the Vestall Nunnes had seates assigned them in the Roman Theater whereby it should appeare it was counted no impeachment to modestie though they offending therein were buried quicke a sharpe law for them who may say as Shores wife doth When though abroad restraining vs to rome They very hardly keepe vs safe at home FINIS To the right VVorshipfull Sir Henry Goodere of Powlesworth Knight SIR this Poeme of mine which I imparted to you at my being with you at your lodging at London in Maie last brought at length to perfection emboldned by your wonted fauours I aduenture to make you Patron of Thus Sir you see I haue aduentured to the world with what like or dislike I know not â—if it please which I much doubt of I pray you then be partaker of that which I shall esteeme not my least good if dislike it shall lessen some part of my griefe if it please you to allow but of my loue howsoeuer I pray you accept it as kindely as I offer it which though without many protestations yet I assure you with much desire of your honour Thus vntill such time as I may in some more larger measure make knowne my loue to the happy and generous familie of the Gooderes to which I confesse my selfe to be beholding to for the most part of my education I wish you all happinesse Michaell Drayton Mary the French Queene to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke The Argument Mary the daughter of that renowned Prince King Henry the seauenth being very yong at her fathers death after by her brother King Henry the eight was giuen in marriage to Lewes King of France being a man olde and decrepit This faire and beautiful Lady long afore had plaâ—â—â—her affection on Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke a braue and couragious yong Gentleman and an especiall fauorite of the King her brother and a man raised vp by him King Lewes the husband of this beautifull Queene liued not long after he was married and Charles Brandon hauing commission from the King to bring her backe into England but being delaied by some sinister meanes the French Queene writeth this Epistle to hasten the Duke forward on his intended voyage to France SVch health from heauen my selfe may wish to mee Such health from France Queene Mary sends to thee Brandon how long mak'st thou excuse to stay And know'st how ill we women brooke delay If one poore channell thus can part vs two Tell me vnkinde what would an Ocean do Leander had an Hellespont to swim Yet this from Hero could not hinder him His barke poore soule his breast his armes his oares But thou a ship to land thee on our shores And opposite to famous Kent doth lie The pleasant fields of flowrie Picardie VVhere our faire Callice walled in her sands In kenning of the cliffie Douer stands Heere is no Beldame Nurse to powt or lower VVhen wantoning we reuell in my Tower Nor neede I top my Turret with a light To guide thee to me as thou swim'st by night Comparde with me wert thou but halfe so kinde Thy sighs should stuffe thy sailes though wanting wind But thy breast is becalmd thy sighs be slacke And mine too stiffe and blow thy broad sailes backe But thou wilt say that I should blame the flood Because the winde so full against thee stood Nay blame it not it did so roughly blow For it did chide thee for thou wast so slow For it came not to keepe thee in the Bay But came from me to bid thee come away But that thou vainely lett'st occasion slide Thou mightst haue wafted hether with the tide If when thou com'st I knit mine angry brow Blame me not Brandon thou hast broke thy vow Yet if I meant to frowne I might be dombe For this may make thee stand in doubt to come Nay come sweete Charles haue care thy ship to guide Come my sweete hart in faith I will not chide VVhenas my brother and his louely Queene In sad attire for my depart were seene The vtmost date expired of my stay when I from Douer did depart away Thou know'st what woe I suffered for thy sake How oft I fain'd of thee my leaue to take God and thou know'st with what a heauie hart I tooke my farewell when I should depart And being ship'd gaue signall with my hand Vp to the Cliffe where I did see thee stand Nor could reframe in all the peoples view But cried to thee sweete Charles adiew adiew Looke how a little infant that hath lost The things wherewith it was delighted most weary with seeking to some corner creepes And there poore soule it sits it downe and weepes And when the Nurse would faine content the mind Yet still it mournes for that it cannot find Thus in my carefull Cabin did I lie whenas the ship out of the roade did flie Think'st thou my loue was faithfull vnto thee vvhen yong Castile to England su'd for mee Be iudge thy selfe if it were not of power vvhen I refus'd an Empire for my dovver To Englands Court when
the light whereof proceeded from my learned and verie 〈◊〉 friend Maister Francis Thinne Walter of Windsor the â—onne of Oterus had issue William of whom Henry now Lord Windsor is discended and Robert of Windsor of whom Robert the now Earle of Essex and Gerald of Windsor his third sonne who married the daughter of Râ—es the great Prince of Wales of whom came Nesta paraâ—our to Henry the first Which Gerald had issue Maurice Fitz-gerald auncestor to Thomas Fitz-maurice Iustice of Ireland buried at Trayly leauing issue Iohn his eldest sonne first Earle of Kildare ancestor to Geraldine and Maurice his second sonne first earle of Desâ—oond To raisethe mount where Surreys Towers must stand Alludeth to the sumptuous house which was afterward builded by him vpon Leonards hill right against Norwich which in the rebellion of Norffolke vnder Ket inking Edward the 6. time was much defaced by that impure rabble Betvvixt the hil and the Citie as Alexander Neuill describes it the riuer of Yarmouth runs hauing West and South thereof a wood and a little Village called Thorpe and on the North the pastures of Mousholl which containes about sixe miles in length and breadth So that besides the stately greatnes of Mount-Surrey which was the houses name the prospect and site thereof was passing pleasant and commodious and no where else did that encreasing euill of the Norffolke furie enkâ—nnell it selfe but then there as it were for a manifest token of their intent to debase all high things and to prophaneall holy Like Arras worke or other imagerie Such was he whom â—â—uenall taxeth in this manner truncoque similimus Hermae Nullo quippe alâ—o vineis discrimine quamquod Illi marmoreum caput est tua vâ—â—it image Being to be borne for nothing else but apparell and the outward appearance intituled Complement with whom theridiculous fable of the Ape in Esope sorteth fitly who comming into a Caruers house and viewing many Marble workes tooke vp the head of a man very cunningly wrought who greatly in praysing did seeme to pittie it that hauing so comely an outside it had nothing within like emptie figures walke and talke in euery place at whom the noble Geraldine modestly glanceth Finis To the virtuous Lady the Lady Francis Goodere wife to sir Henry Goodere Knight MY very gratious and good Mistris the loue and duety I bare unto your father whilst he liued now after his decease is to your hereditarie to whome by the blessing of your birth he left his vertues Who bequeathed you those which were his gaue you whatsoeuer good is mine as deuoted to his he being gone whome I honoured so much whilest he liued which you may iustly challenge by all lawes of thankefulnesse My selfe hauing beene a witnesse of your excellent education and milde disposition as I may say euer from your Cradle dedicate this Epistle of this vertuous and godly Lady to your selfe so like her in all perfection both of wisedome and learning which I pray you accept till time shall enable me to leaue you some greater monument of my loue M. Drayton The Lady Jane Gray to the Lord Gilford Dudley The Argument After the death of that vertuous young Prince King Edward the sixt the sonne of that famous King Henry the eight Iane the daughter of Henry Gray Duke of Suffolke by the consent of Iohn Dudley Duke of Northumberland was proclaimed Queene of England being married to Gilford Dudley the fourth sonne of the fore-said Duke of Northumberland which match was concluded by their ambitious fathers who went about by this meanes to bring the Crowne vnto their children and to dispossesse the Princesse Mary eldest daughter to King Henry the eight heire to King Edward her brother Queene Mary rising in Armes to claime her rightfull Crowne taketh the saide Iane Gray and the Lord Gilford her husband being lodged in the Tower for their more safetie which place being lastly their Pallace by this meanes became their prison where being seuered in sundry prisons they write these Epistles one to another MIne own deere Lord sith thou art lockt froÌ„ mee In this disguise my loue must steale to thee Since to renue all loues all kindnesse past This refuge scarcely left yet this the last My Keeper comming I of thee enquire Who with thy greeting answers my desire Which my tongue willing to returne againe Griefe stops my words and I but striue in vaine Wherewith amazde away in haste he goes When throgh my lips my hart thrusts forth my woes Whenas the dores that make a dolefull sound Driue backe my words that in the noise are drownd Which somewhat hush'd the Eccho doth record And twice or thrice reiterates my word When like an aduerse winde in Isis course Against the tide bending his boistrous force But when the flood hath wrought it selfe about He following on doth head-long thrust it out Thus striue my fighes with teares e're they begin And breaking out againe sighes driue them in A thousand formes present my troubled thought Yet proue abortiue when they forth are brought The depth of woe with words wee hardely sound Sorrow is so insensibly profound As teares do fall and rise sighes come and goe So do these numbers ebbe so do they flow These briny teares do make my incke looke pale My incke clothes teares in this sad mourning vaile The letters mourners weepe with my dim eye The paper pale grieu'd at my misery Yet miserable our selues why should we deeme Sith none is so but in his owne esteeme Who in distresse from resolution flies Is rightly said to yeelde to miseries They which begot vs did beget this sin They first begun what did our griefe begin we tasted not t' was they which did rebell Not our offence but in their fall we fell They which a crowne would to my Lord haue linckt All hope of life and liberty extinct A subiect borne a Soueraigne to haue beene Hath made me now nor subiect nor a Queene Ah vile ambition how doost thou deceiue vs which shew'st vs heauen and yet in hell doost leaue vs Seldome vntouch'd doth innocence escape when error commeth in good counsailes shape A lawfull title countercheckes prowd might The weakest things become strong props to right Then my deere Lord although affliction grieue vs Yet let our spotlesse innocence relieue vs. Death but an acted passion doth appeare where truth giues courage and the conscience cleere And let thy comfort thus consist in mine That I beare part of whatsoe're is thine As when we liude vntouch'd with these disgraces whenas our kingdome was our deere embraces At Durham Pallace where sweete Hymen sang whose buildings with our nuptiall musicke rang when Prothalamions praisde that happy day wherein great Dudley match'd with noble Gray when they deuisde to lincke by wedlockes band The house of Suffolke to Northumberland Our fatall Dukedome to your Dukedome bound To frame this building on so weake a ground For what auailes a lawlesse vsurpation which giues a Scepter but