Strikes England so yet this they comfort call Into the hands of man they shall not fall b Sad growes the time nor with her wonted cheare Or usuall dressing does the Spring appeare No cleansing gale of Zephyre moves the ayre While rising fogs obscure the welk in faire Without his showres contagious Auster blowes And painted Summer no kind fruit bestowes Nor does the Sunne as if inflam'd with ire Send out that wholesome and prolifique fire He us'd to doe but beames of mortall heat And from the bosome of the twins as great Combustion kindles here as if he then Vpon the Nemean Lion's backe had beene Within the farthest Easterne Lands from whence Day breakes breakes forth the fatall pestilence As if with rising Titan it begunne And follow'd thence the motion of the Sunne To Europe then does th hot contagion flye Raging through euery part of Italy And France that bled so late is forc'd to see Beside warres stroke a new mortality But most of all o're England's mourning face The sad infection spreads and Death apace In his pale Chariot rides through all the land No age nor sexe escape his vengefull hand Young men in prime of all their strength are strooke And yeeld The sucking Infant what he tooke From Nature soone is summon'd to repay From those soft limbs untimely fleets away The new-come Soule before it can be growne Acquainted with the tender mansion The aged man not because aged goes But onely ' cause he had a life to lose The mourning grave becomes a marriage bed To beauteous maids praeposterously dead One father wailes his sonne another all His houshold carries in one funerall And for so many deaths one mourning serves If one be left to mourne No care preserves Nor antidote can save from this disease Their greatest hope is but to dye in peace For oft the fiery sicknesse did invade Reasons coole seat and there prevailing made A strange distraction worse then losse of breath For which their friends wish'd as a cure their death The face oft burn'd no moisture had the eye Nor could by teares expresse their misery Some while their dearest friends they doe entombe Before that pious office done become Themselves a funerall Death makes him to be An hearse that came a mourning obsequy Nor does this venemous contagion Worke the destruction of mankind alone The sheepe and cattell perish as if growne On earth quite uselesse since the men are gone Wast lye the Lawnes the fields of tillage now Are desolate while the forsaken plow Nor men nor cattell scarce can exercise The Oxe in midst of all his labour dyes And leaves behind his mourning fellow now Dismist from toyle and service of the plow Who takes no comfort now in shady woods In flowery meadowes or cleare Chrystall floods That destiny alas for him remaines Although at rest The warrelike horse disdaines The pleasant streames and sicke forgetteth quite His food or th' honour of a race or fight Even Toads and Vipers dye acquainted growne With venome farre more mortall then their owne Twice through th' Horrizon had Hyperion runne Since first the fatall Pestilence begunne Before th' Almighty did his sword restraine And with his favour visit earth againe He now is pleas'd to cast a gracious eye On this distemper'd world her misery He cures and makes her former beauty come With kindly fruits he fills earth's fertile wombe And makes sweet blasts to move the wholesome ayre The people find at last their humble prayer Is heard and now the teares are wip'd away Due praise and thankes before his Altar pay Annotations upon the fourth Booke a Those that would see at large the actions of the Earle of Darby in Guyenne Aquitaine and Normandy let them read Froissard where they shall see them fully though not elegantly related This Earle of Darby a man of great worth and neere in blood to King Edward was afterwards by him created Duke of Lancaster the first Duke that ever was in England and left behind him no other issue but one daughter who being his sole heire was married to Iohn of Gaunt the Kings sonne and brought to him a large dowry together with the title of Duke of Lancaster b This wonderfull mortality which it pleased God in his wrath to send upon the wretched earth happened in the 22. yeare of King Edward immediately after the taking of Calleis a greater pestilence wee can scarce read of in any particular land or kingdome much lesse so great and with all so generall as this was For not onely England but France Italy and most of the Easterne and Southerne kingdomes were visited at that time and felt the rod most heavy and sad on them The fore-runner of this great sicknesse was immoderate raine for our Chronicles agree in generall that from Midsummer to Christmas it rained every day or night The yeare following it is noted that there dyed in London betweene Ianuary and the end of July seven and fifty thousand persons Other Cities and Townes suffered the like according to their proportions insomuch that some writers of those times were of opinion that halfe the inhabitants of the Land dyed for we must not beleeve Walsingham who sayes there was not above a tenth part of mankinde left alive As great a death of Cattell happened both that and the yeere following Thie was the greatest but not the onely plague which happened during the reigne of this King Edward For twelve yeeres after England was visited with another which our Chronicles called the second great Plague In that many of the Nobility dyed and among the rest that noble Henry Duke of Lancaster a chiefe actor in all the warres and victories of Edward and a maine Pillar of the state at that time THE REIGNE OF KING EDWARD THE THIRD The fifth Booke Argument V. Prince Edward levyes forces to maintaine Against the French his right in Aquitaine The King wasts Scotland Poictiers field is fought From whence King Iohn of France is prisoner brought PHilip of France had left the earth and John The eldest Sonne as in his father's Throne So in his sad mis-fortunes does succeed Who what the Fates in vengeance had decreed Against his Realme by rashnesse hastens on And gainst all right on Charles his eldest sonne Conferres the stile of Duke of Aquitaine Great Edward bound in honour to maintaine His owne inheritance creates his Sonne Young Edward Prince of that Dominion Exhorts him bravely to defend his right And ' gainst the French for his just Title fight For which Prince Edward armes and with a traine Of valiant Lords prepares for Aquitaine Never did Fortune with more favour smile On any armes nor from this martiall Ile Did ever army crosse the Seas before That more triumphant did returne or wore A richer Garland from Bellona's tree There to maintaine young Edward's signiory Brave Warwicke armes who neare the Prince his side When Crescy field his mayden prowesse try'd Before had fought and Suffolke whose renowne
For heaven does justly warres successes guide Doe thou relate the fight The King had done When humbly bowing Copland thus begun Since you are pleas d dread Soveraigne to command For whose victorious brow the sacred hand Of heaven is weaving Garlands every where From me the meanest of your servants heare This battels great successe and what for you The same high hand has wrought in England now To Durham walls while farre his terror spread Among the people had King David led His royall army where those warrelike Peeres Of Scotland march'd that had for many yeeres Late past so well the English borders knowne That there so many strange exploits had done And wealthy pillage gain'd when to withstand That threatning force and guard their native land With noble spirits the English Lords prepare And draw their forces to this sudden warre Lord Percy Nevill Mowbray D' Eincourt there Humfrevile Mawley Musgrave Scroope appeare And many more of worthy note to whom The men at armes and nerved Archers come Nor in so great a danger was it thought Enough if onely usuall souldiers fought To save their Countryes universall harme The Churchmen fight the reverend Prelates arme The two Archbishops and grave Durham there Their Crosier-staves ' midst streaming Ensignes beare No cause they thought could make them to refuse So deare a warre no calling could excuse O're all the field doe armed Priests appeare And shaven Monkes unused helmets weare Such was that law the ancient Romans made When e're the furious Gaules did them invade No Priesthood from warres service then excus'd But that which into th' English breasts infus'd The noblest fire was that your vertuous Queene Great Sir among us was in person seene Nor could the Princely burden of her wombe Great as she was with childe detaine her from That gracious visit As along she rode On every ranke and squadron she bestow'd Words that inspir'd new life such seemed shee Such did her lookes and cheerefull Majesty Appeare to each adoring souldier As Poets fancy'd in the Trojan warre Majesticke Iuno when in all her state Shee would descend from heaven to animate The warrelike Greekes or Pallas come to lead Her wise Vlisses or stout Diomed. At Nevils Crofle a place not fam'd at all Till this great conflict and King David's fall The eager Armies meet to try their cause Our English Lords in foure Battalia's Bring on their forces but so furious growes In little time the fight so neare the blowes That soone no order we perceive at all For like one body closely move they all And thought the archers had at first begun The fight with wondrous happinesse and done So much as caus'd the future victory Yet now their arrowes scarce have roome to flye While swords and bils doe all while hand to hand The armies wrastling with each other stand Small ground and that alternately they gave As by a rivers side tall reeds doe wave Or when a field of lofty standing corne Two severall wayes by different gales is borne That if a man had from some hill survei'd The fight and seene what equall motion sway'd Both armies there he would have beene so farre From judging which should conquer in that warre As to have fear'd almost that all would dye And leave no conquest but one tragaedy No stratagem no foule default was show'd Nor could your servants tell to what they ow'd Vnlesse to justice of their cause it were That dayes hard conquest which 'gan then appeare When those chiefe flowers of Scotlands noble blood Strew'd dead those places where before they stood There Murrey's Earle the noble Randolph sonne To that renowned Randolph that had done His native land such wondrous service falls Encircled not with vulgar funerals Alone but men of Scotlands greatest power Her Marshall Chamberlaine and Chancellour With many moe of note and dignity The King himselfe who with resolve as high As any souldier had maintain'd the fight Neere still where greatest danger did invite His forward sword and might for valiancy Deserve a conquest not captivity That through the thigh had with a lance bin strucke Besides two shafts that in his body stucke And lost much royall blood when he beheld His Army now discomfited in field Not yet dismay'd fought on when 't was my chance Your Graces meanest souldier to advance The next to him I humbly bade him there To yeeld himselfe King Edward's prisoner And gently came to take his hand but hee That sought for death before captivity And therefore strove our anger to provoke My face so fiercely with his Gauntlet strooke That two teeths loste can witnesse yet the blow Then with his sword though hurt and weary'd now He flyes among us while disdaine and ire Into his weary nerves new strength inspire That scarce could we his most unwilling foes Preserve that life which he desir'd to lose At last he fell by which our royall prey We seiz'd and bore him by maine strength away That fate the greatest Nobles of his land The Earles of Fife Menteith and Southerland With warrelike Douglas are enforc'd to take While all the rest that could escape the wracke Of that sad day forsake the tragicke fight And into Scotland take disordred flight King Edward pleas'd with this relation And what John Coplond in that fight had done Conferres on him beside revenues great The martiall honour of Knight Banneret And sends him backe for England with command To yeeld his prisoner to Queene Philip's hand Despaire had entred the besieged Towne Of Calleis now pale famine which alone Subdues the strongest forts had taken hold Vpon the wretched Citizens and gold Which reignes in humane breasts at other times Esteem'd a price even for the greatest crimes Is proved no just rate at all to beare Food only is of price and valu'd there All former hopes of their releefe were crost In vaine had Philip with a numerous hoast From Amiens marched Edward's siedge to raise And challeng'd him in vaine for all the wayes Of their approaching both by sea and land Were by the English kept each passage mann'd And now though late the governors were bent To yeeld to termes and to King Edward sent Who scornes t' accept of any termes but these That six the wealthiest of their Burgesses With halters on their neckes resolv'd to dye Should to his pleasure yeeld them presently And that their deaths his wrath should expiate That all conditions else should come too late And he no mercy on the Towne would take These sad conditions are returned backe And through all hearts had strucke a chilling feare In every visage did pale Death appeare For though destruction challeng'd but a few It threatned every head untill they knew What heads would suffer They despair'd to find Among the noblest ranke so brave a mind That would on that condition choose to dye As once for Rome devoted Decij In this amaze the weeping people throng Into the publike Market-place Among Their cryes confus'd and different
praise Then Marius triumphs or great Pompey's Bayes My ransom'd King home to his Kingdome send And these so bloody jarres and bootlesse end Strive not ' gainst Fate With that she vanished While Edward wak'd lay musing on his bed A messenger arrived at the tent That from his sister Scotland's Queene was sent Who su'd for her beloved Lord's release Great Edward gan relent and termes of peace Resolv'd t' embrace fates onely did ordaine That David there a prisoner should remaine Till he in woes a partner find and see A greater King in that captivity That weighing well the losse of potent France He may the more excuse warres fatall chance Past Touraine now the Prince of Wales was come And through Poictou to Burdeaux marching home After so many great atchievements done So many Townes and stately Cities wonne His men enrich'd the French endammag'd more Then all th'incursions that had beene before Could make them feele when th' open hand of warre Though uncontroll'd it let him passe so farre Beside Poictiers presents it selfe to stay This youthfull Lion and redeeme the prey Or else kind Fortune thought the prey to be Too meane for her blacke Edward's dignity Nor had the forts the Cities he had wonne As strong Narbon and stately Carcason With all the pillage gain'd in her esteme Or fame or danger great enough for him Vnlesse this wondrous battell had beene fought From which a captive Monarch should be brought With fame as great to him as e're before One field could give to any Conquerour Few were Prince Edward's troops King Iohn of France Arm'd with his kingdomes choycest puissance And all the flower of French Nobility With a resolve unfortunate though high Pursu'd the Prince to make him that sad day A deare account for all his voyage pay His passages they cut off every way In hope to seize what they esteem'd their prey But prov'd too strong for their weake armes to hold So when Getulian hunters too too bold A furious Lion round about beset And will not let him scape they vainly whet The beast's high courage whose collected ire To them as deadly as enclosed fire Breakes forth at last his danger anger moves And fatall onely to the hunters proves Not farre from Poictiers towne brave Edward was And there encamp'd nor further could he passe Nor longer shun the battels fatall stroke Him there King Iohn's huge army overtooke His wisely seated campe on every side Was both by paines and Nature fortifi'd Thicke Vines and bushes round had fenc'd the place Hard for the French Cavallery to passe With poore eight thousand there entrench'd he lyes Against six times as many enemies And disadvantag'd so a courage shew'd As great as was the fortune that ensu'd Men knew not which to wonder at that he With such a strength durst hope for victory Or that he gain'd it that he stood the blow Or that he gave so great an overthrow The Cardinall of Perigortin vaine Had strived long by treaties to detaine King Iohn's resolved fury from the fight As much bewailing Edward's wofull plight In vaine had Edward offred to restore All townes and forts that he had gain'd before And satisfie for all the dammage done But Fate to worke his fall had blinded Iohn No other termes will be accepted now But that Prince Edward with a hundred moe His chiefest Knights and noblest in the field Should to his hands themselves as prisoners yeeld These base conditions Edward scornes to take And to the King returnes defiance backe His valiant troops agree resolv'd to dye Or spite of a odds to gaine a victory Whom thus their most undaunted Prince bespake Brave Countreymen if I have skill to take Presage of future fortune when I see Your lookes your not despairing industry Which all the time that our vaine treaties were About your campe could worke with such a cheare Me thinkes I swell with hopes nor could be sad If twice as many that proud army had But that I know their numbers fright not you I could brave souldiers by example show How uselesse thronging numbers prove in warre Then why should Iohn presume on that so farre To make such proud conditions as that we For feare of him should choose captivity And yeeld our selves as prisoners to the foe Before the chance of warre have made us so By which our honour we had quite forgone Honour our Countries Iewell not our owne By her entrusted to us which when I Forget to keepe let me unvalu'd dye How great a price is on this battell set If we subdue no army ever yet In all the books of fame was honour'd more A richer Bayes no Nation ever wore But if we dye those conquering souldiers Whom bleeding France has often selt and feares Survive in England our revenge to take But God that gives all victories can make Our owne swords do 't There is no souldier here But does already some French trophee weare Here fight those armes who from the Norman warres From Brittaines conquest brought victorious scarres Those noble names whom Crescy field renown'd And Sluce before with Navall Garlands crown'd Then by such armed friends environ'd why Should I at all despaire of victory The Prince had done th' undanted souldiers show By cheerefull signes they dare abide the foe Too confident of victory King John In three large battels drawes his army on On fire to charge nor could his heat forbeare When he that led the first Battalia there His brother Orleance with sage advice Thus spake oh Sir forbeare your enemies A while deferre the dayes uncertaine chance And let this conquest cost no blood of France We need not fight at all the famish'd foe Our strengths environ round he cannot goe To forrage now nor fetch provision in To feele that want already they begin It will become their wish on swords to dye And mix their ruine with our tragaedy But why should we against a Christian hoast Refuse that conquest that no blood will cost And rather hasten in their tragicke fall To beare a part without a wound at all The captive Prince shall be at your command Then why should you with danger thrust your hand To quench that flame that would it selfe expire And battell more than victory desire Sound was the Dukes advice brave Edward's day In midd'st of Fates had vanished away Nor so had headlesse France beene over-runne Had that beene follow'd but unhappy Iohn Whom Fate had blinded thus in wrath replyes Does that poore handfull of the enemies Affright your courage brother can you weigh ' Gainst such a prize the danger to what day Should France her fortune ever trust if here She should misdoubt her swords and feeding feare By such flye courses seeke to steale renowne Not take it boldly as our Nation Have ever us'd if famine not the sword Should here to us a victory afford The boasting English who so oft of late ' Gainst us have prov'd in battell fortunate Even in our kingdomes bosome would not