Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n
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A01382
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The famous historie of Albions queene VVherein is discoursed King Edwards ielosie, Queene Katherines chastetie, the Duke of Suffolkes loyaltie, and the Barron of Buckinghams treacherie.
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R. G., fl. 1600.
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1600
(1600)
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STC 11502; ESTC S105725
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44,266
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86
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being once entered into the mind neuer resteth till it penitrateth into the secret deapth of the hart The King thus catcht in a fooles net neclected honest trueth and was choaked with the sweete baight of flatterie and being vnable to discharge the boyling heate of his stomacke with exstreame outrage called for the Lord high Marshall of England and commaunded him to take a strong Garrison of best tryed marshall Souldiers and to apprehend the Queene and the Duke of Suffolke and keepe them both in safe custody vntill he knew his further pleasure which sharpe commaundement was presently put in execution by the Marshall who in hart greatly lamented the dishonour of so vertuous a Queene But now the King like one being scandalizde by his wiues infidelitie departed into his chamber where many a day he secluded him selfe from all company except the wicked Barron which continually encreased his Ielosie in which hell of lyfe we will leaue him for a space and speake of the Queenes extremitie being imprisoned vnder the Lord high Parshals guard CHAP. 2. ¶ How the three Earles of Westmerland Sommerset and Durham came to visite Queene Katherine being in Prison and what passed betwixt them THe Duke of Suffolke seeing himselfe so wrongfully imprisned and such false accusations layde against the honour of his reputation was stroken into such a sodaine amaze that he could not outwardly bewray his sorrow but as it were inwardly bleed teares of blood to cleare his conscience before the immortall Maiestie of God for such a crime On the other side the noble guiltlesse Queene oppressed with like woe and mortall mishappe beholding her selfe a spectacle of dishonour to the worlde although before the supernall Iudge most cleare and perfect in conscience without either staine or spot of defamation yet being perplexed plexed with sundry thoughtes of griefe procured by the furious frownes of her Husbandes hate in the time of her imprisonment writ these verses vpon the walles with the blood of her marriage finger The spightfull Barrons cursed flatterie Hath wrongd Queene Katherines spotlesse chastetie And leueld out his dartes of lasting shame Against the princely honours of her fame But Trueth in time shall conquer Enuies will Where Fayth shall spring and brightly floorish still Packe hence Dispaire sweete Ioy come ease my smart For constant Fayth doth harbour in my hart My Loue is true my spousall Promise iust Not staind with any crime of lawles lust Then princely EDWARD cease thy cruell hare For Falshood wronges my noble fame and state Deare Spouse despise not thus thy constant Queene Whose loyaltie doth glister bright and greene If euer you tooke pleasure in my youth Let sound beliefe be witnes of my truth No sooner had the Queene finished these bloody lines but there came into the Prison to comfort her three graue Counsellers of King Edwards Court whom she did most louingly entertaine and after some conference passed betwixt them she most kindly kissed her Husbandes liuely Picture which as then hanged about her necke by a faire chaine or rundle of Gold powring out many bitter teares to the wonderful griefe admiration of all that beheld her the which being done she humbly desired pardon of the Lords to vse some words in the defence of her chastetie so that she might not abuse their patience and as she hauing an innocent guiltlesse hart so she might freely discharge her conscience and cleare her selfe from all those vniust accusations layde against her This her vertuous request so highly pleased the three Lords that they presently consented to giue her free authoritie openly to honest her honorable and auncient credite The harmeles Queene in a most seueere and bolde countenance with sundry taire amiable syrtes in her checkes her browes beset like the maiestie of Diana her white iuorte trembling hands like the driuen snow her body euen framed and fashioned of the virgin waxe spake as foloweth If vnmeasurable griefe of hart Right honorable Lords or the noble blood of my predecessors may be sufficient to draw melting pittie from your mindes I doe not doubt but your wisedomes will accompt the accusation of the wicked Barron to be vniust which he hath oppressed me withall who dayly seekes by flatterie to cut the sweete verdure and tender greenesse of my young yeeres therefore most noble Lordes for pitties sake arme me from his hurtes defende and guard me from his dreadfull conspiracies succour and support me with honourable iustice for he doth assault me with miserie he doth vsurpe tirannicall villanie against me he seeketh the ouerthrow of the Seigniorie of our Kingdome he setteth a deuiston betwixt my Lord and me and doth prepare an entraunce for himselfe But I wish a seperation of soule with a thousande tormentes of body if euer I ouerturned my spousall chastetie the which I haue alwayes carefully kept and without violation preterued it to my deare Lord and Husband If then these my wordes may mollefie your hartes to pleade in my behalfe to Kind Edward that he may with discretion consider my â—nnâ—cencie 〈◊〉 repute you mercifull men and sound searchers 〈◊〉 wherefore haue mercie vpon me I say haue mercie vpon a wronged Queene trayterously abused And in speaking this teares so abundantly flowed from the cundets of her eyes that she was forced to be silent These wordes of Queene Katherine so greeued their hartes that they were all perswaded of her vertuous lyfe and that her honourable fame was iniured through the bengance of the aspyring Barron who by flatterie had peruerted King Edwards noble minde therefore to comfort the greeued Queene the worthy Earle of Sommerset in the name of all the rest spake as followeth Your modestie most noble Queene quoth he shall inforce vs to prostrate our selues before his Maiestie that he may fauourably infranchize your lipertie and take you againe to his good grace and well likeing whose head no doubt is fraughted with many fantasies against you but yet since humilitie doth illustrate and aduance your cause with open trueth resolue this a comfort to your princely minde that your enemie which hath so mightely abused your reputation can neuer escape due punishment and the Gods I know will neuer forgiue so vile a wickednesse As for example Camera the Queene of Egypt hauing a hundred thousand sorrowes lodged in her chast minde being by rigorous iustice condemned to be torne a sunder by wilde Horses and so made a dolorous example vnto the worlde But now marke the iudgementes of God vpon the vile betrayers of this vertuous Queene for euen in the hower of her death an hoast or armie of angry Waspes with the sharpe stinges in their tayles in open view destroyed and subuerted her enemies an exployte of worthy warning against all false pertured accusers and sodaine seueritie against such as exercise by tyrranic all fury to flatter Princes eares Let not me forget the noble Egyptian Panteron which made a law that whosoeuer vowed a false oath should be led and
one that had lost his speach but yet after a great pause and long stay he spake in this maner I will not refuse sayd he the accomplishment of any thing commaunded by your Maiestie although your will and pleasure herein seemeth strange and vniust in that a true Subiecte should hazard his lyfe with a false Traytor The Barron sometimes silent sometimes ouer talcatiue sometimes lusty sometimes a coward so that standing betweene fraude and feare he fayntly represented an offer Vpon this the King procured a day of Combat and publyshed throughout the whole land this proclamation that followeth I EDWARD by long sufferance of diuine fortune King Prince and chiefe Ruler of all the partes of England c. Whereas the determined purpose of the noble and hardy Gentleman the Lord Barron of Buckingam is to defende himselfe against the miserable and condemned catiue the Duke of Suffolke a fable for the worlde to gaze vpon an infamous wretch of notable dishonour harbouring in his hart long Treasons against our Person Subiectes and dominion in excuse of his leawde lyfe for his best aduantage challengeth open warre against my good Subiect the Lord Barron vnto whose request in fauour of auntient prowesse I haue yeelded But as touching the trespasse of my Queene no Combat shall preuaile to acquite her disgrace nor no mortall benefites pardone her offences Thus fare you well Edward of England Thus did the King thinke no paynes ill bestowed that might bring her in hatred of the common people and also very much thirsted after her blood through the perswasion of his vnchast Curtizan faire Casiope that euery day sealed his lippes with so many kisses as her sute could neither-be frustrated nor at no time forgotten The Barron and he likewise roued in a vnetie of mischiefes and did priuely hyer a kitchen drudge named Trustie Thomas a slaue full of pouertie yet a lusty tall fellow glad to obtaine the Kinges fauour by accomplyshyng of any exployt for gayue who in receipt of a thousand Crownes tooke vpon him the name and person of the Barron of Buckingam to fight the combat with the Duke of Suffolke being of equall proportion and stature This Trustie Thomas had free libertie to make choyce in the Kinges Armorie fitting him selfe best for his defence in the surest coate of Steele and the like passage into the Kinges Stable for the choyce of the most couragious Courser Thus furnished in most seemely order for the gayne of money was content to commit himselfe to the mallice of fortunes hate The Duke of Suffolke on the other side as well furnished in all respectes nothing doubted the good successe of his aduenture being borne of a Noble famelie valiant and well exercised in the feates of Armes reputed for the goodlyest Gentleman in the vniuersall countrey of England so laying aside his courtly delightes vsed in the blooming time of his youth and putting on inuincible firme and approued magnanimitie of body he came the nyght before the Combat should be tryed to Queene Katherines chamber window being both prisoners in one Tower nothing but a wall betweene their seberall lodginges where as the Duke of Suffolke sung thefe verses folowing Reuenge ring out thy knell let trueth appeare To change my bitter Springes to Waters cleare Goe packe Dispaire thy sight I doe disdaine My Knightly deedes bright Honour shall obtaine Faint Feare dislodge thee from my noble brest Thou art no friende of mine nor wished guest For coward Captaines wins no stately Fortes Nor rotten Barke arriues in pleasant Portes Assurance tels the secrets of my hart That Falsehood shall receaue his due desart Proud Enuie then shall not obscure the light Of Honours brightnesse with his hatefull spight Oh sacred Heauens accomplish my desier That I may quench the heate of enuies fier Whereby my sad and discontented minde May gentle solace and sweete comfort finde This sorrowfull Songue stroke such a passion to the Queenes hart like one despising this vaine lyfe that she desired dolefull death hastely to finish her callamities but yet bearing a Princely minde in some measure to requite the Dukes curtesie she answered hun with these Verses following Queene Katherines Song to the Duke of Suffolke Good lucke conduckt thy minde vnto content To conquer him that is so lewdly bent To set deuision betwixt my Lord and me In spoyling of my blooming chastetie Stay stately Pride climbe vp thy steps no higer But soone disgorge thy hot ambitious fier For if Queene Katherine euer lyued so Let grauelled Graue be cradle for her woe Suspition leaue to vexe such worthy wightes Which spendes their dayes in vertues sweete delightes Nor let the crucltie of spightfull foes Plant vp a Docke vnroote a smelling Rose Victorious pome will shortly seeke to crowne Thy princely browes with garlandes of renowne Which euermore shall spring and florish greene For thus defending of a wronged Queene In this or such lyke maner spent they the night away to the exceeding comfort of each other vntyll the radient beautie of the next morning began to glifter in the easterne worlde which caused them then to take leaue of each other for at that same instant the Lord high Marshall in soueraigne iustice called foorth the Duke of Suffolke to auow his prize of Combat hauing ten olde sage Fathers going before him in mourning Gownes and white Wandes in their handes lyke one that went to fetch away the golden Garland of renowne and comming to the place appoynted he met Trustie Thomas as defendant in stead of the proude Barron vnto whom with a boulde courage he spake as followeth Ah thou false Traytor spoyler of true honour thou vnshamefast butcher of innocent blood Can nothing quench thy insatiate thirst of flatterie but the guyltlesse blood of Queene Katherine and my lyfe I doubt not but thou hast purchased a iust reuenge for thy infamous wickednesse thou at this present seekest after honorable fame but the Gods I hope will cast thy corpes vnto the most vnworthyest vermine of the earth to pray vpon Thou feedest thy selfe with false honour but perpetuall shame shal be thy best reward Doth not thy hart throbbe at this enterprize And doth not thy conscience declare thy impietie It would be a most seemely thing before any blow passe betwixt vs that thou with sharpe penaunce reconcile thy selfe vnto the Gods to haue a comfortable ioy after this lyfe for there is such inumcible manhood sealed in my hart that the reuenge of thy blood shall acquite thy villanie The simple slaue in hearing this knightly resolution was so amazed that with more willingnesse he was ready to deliuer vp his Marshals staffe then defend the enterprise taken in hand But the Duke with valtant magnanimitie hastely bucklde on his enemie blessing him with sound blowes as if he should say now is the time eyther of winning or loosing honour now eyther the spot of dishonour shall blurre me or the shyning light of renowne cleare me for euer Within sixe blowes