betray'd Her Ladyes life and while she doubting fear'd Too soone the fatall certainty appear'd For with her traine the wrathfull Queene was there Oh who can tell what cold and killing feare Through every part of Rosamund was strooke The rosie tincture her sweete cheekes forsooke And like an Ivory statue did she show Of life and motion reft had she beene so Transform'd in deede how kinde the fates had beene How pitifull to her nay to the Queene To free her guilty hand from such a cryme So sadd and foule as no succeeding time But shall with griefe condemne yet had she beene A Statue and look'd so the jealous Queene Perchance on that her cruelty had showne Least Henry should have turn'd Pygmalion And for a Stâ—…tues love her bed forsooke The Queenes attendants with remorse are strooke Even she herselfe did seeme to entertaine Some ruth but straight Revenge return'd againe And fill'd her furious breast Strumpet quoth She I neede not speake at all my sight may be Enough expression of my wrongs and what The consequence must proove of such a hate Heere take this poyson'd cup for in her hand A poyson'd cup she had and doe not stand To parley now but drinke it presently Or else by tortures be resolv'd to dye Thy doome is set pale trembling Rosamund Receives the cup and kneeling on the ground When dull amazement somewhat had forsooke Her breast thus humbly to the Queene she spoke I dare not hope you should so farre relent Great Queene as to forgive the punishment That to my foule offence is justly due Nor will I vainely plead excuse to shew By what strong arts I was at first betray'd Or tell how many subtle snares were lay'd To catch mine honour these though nere so true Can bring no recompence at all to you Nor just excuse to my abhorred crime Instead of suddaine death I crave but time Which shall be stil'd no time of life but death In which I may with my condemned breath While griefe and pâ—…nnance make me hourely dye Poure out my prayerâ—… for your pâ—…osperity Or take revenge on this offâ—…ding face That did procure your wrong and my disgrace Make poysonous leprosies orespread my skinne And punish that that made your Henry sinne Better content will such a vengeance give To you that he should loath me whilest I live Then that he should extend if thus I dye His lasting pity to my memory And you be forc'd to see when I am dead Those teares perchance which he for me will shed For though my worthlesse selfe deserue from him No teares in death yet when he weighs my crime Of which he knowes how great a part was his And what I suffer as a sacrifice For that offence t will grieve his soule to be The cause of such a double tragaedy No more reply'd the furious Queene have done Delay no longer least thy choyse be gone And that a sterner death for thee remaine No more did Rosamund entreat in vaine But forc'd to hard necessity to yeild Drunke of the fatall potion that she held And with it enter'd the grimme tyrant death Yet gave such respite that her dying breath Might begg forgivenesse from the heavenly throne And pardon those that her destruction Had doubly wrought forgive oh Lord said she Him that dishonour'd her that murder'd me Yet let me speake for truths sake angry Queene If you had spar'd my life I might have beene In time to come th' example of your glory Not of your shame as now for when the story Of haplesse Rosamund is read the best And holyest people as they will deteâ—…t My crime and call it foule they will abhorre And call unjust the rage of Elianor And in this act of yours it will be thought Hing Henry's sorrow not his love you sought And now so farre the venoms force assail'd Her vitall parts that lifâ—… with language fail'd That well built palace where the Graces made Their chiefe abode where thousand Cupids plai'd And cowch'd their shafts whose structure did delight Even natures selfe is now demolish'd quite Nere to be rais'd againe th' untimely stroake Of death that pretious Cabinet has broake That Henry's pleased heart so long had held With suddaine mourning now the house is fill'd Nor can the Queenes attendants though they feare Her wrath from weeping at that sight forbeare There well they could while that faire hearse thy view Believe the ancient embleme to be true And thinke pale death and winged Cupid now Their quivers had mistooke untimely so By rough North blasts doe blooming Roses fade So crushed falls the Lillyes tender blade Her hearse at Godstow Abbey they enterre Where sad and lasting monuments of her For many yeeres did to the world remaine Nought did the Queene by this dire slaughter gaine But more her Lords displeasure aggravate And now when he return'd in prosperous state This act was cause togeâ—…her with that crime Of raising his unnaturall sonnes 'gainst him That she so long in prison was detain'd And whilest he liv'd her freedome never gain'd But Henry's troubles finde not yet an end Whose cares beyond the English shores extend As if one kingdomes burden could not be Enough for his great magnanimity The yet-perplex'd affaires of Normandy Invite his presence next where fates decree Almost as easie peace shall be obtain'd As England late had by his presence gain'd Now did King Lewis and young King Henry lye Beseiging faithfull Roane in Normandy To whose reliefe the brave old Henry goes But first with care and prudence does dispose The setled state of England to his minde And loath to leave at liberty behinde So great a firebrand as his jealous Queene Fierce Elianor in this late warre had beene Commits her person to close custodie Then musters all his martiall company And Caesar-like transporting all his â—…tore Of great and princely prisoners crosses ore As if he went to triumph not to fight Nor proov'd it lesse indeede for even the sight Alone of so renown'd and fear'd a Chiefe As old King Henry was faire Roanes reliefe King Lewis of France no longer meant to stay Nor on the tryall of one doubtfull day To set his fortunes yet asham'd that he Should seeme to flye before his enemy And fearing that disgrace encamped lay Himselfe a while and first convey'd away From thence the sicke and weakest of his men And with the rest in order followed then For uncontroll'd had Henry enter'd Roane Set ope the gates and beate the rampiers downe Levell'd the trenches all that stopp'd the way And dar'd the French to tryall of the day But Lewis retir'de and weighing in sadd thought What small advantage his designes had wrought Or for himselfe or those whom he entended To aide now wish'd this bootelesse warre were ended And thoughts of peace he wholly entertain'd And since he knew a peace might be obtain'd As then it stood with ease from Englands King And love besides in labouring to bring The sonnes in too
Henry the 2d. surnam'd Short mantle King of England Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine Earle of Poicteres and Anjou Lord of Ireland c THE REIGNE OF KING HENRY THE SECOND Written in Seaven Bookes By his Majesties Command Invalidas vires Rex excitat juvat idem Qui jubet obsequium sufficit esse meum Auson LONDON Printed by A. M. for Benjamin Fisher dwelling in Aldersgate-streete at the signe of the Talbot 1633. TO THE SACRED MAIESTIE OF CHARLES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF GREAT BRITTAINE FRANCE AND IRELAND DEFENDER OF THE FAITH c. THIS HISTORICALL POEM BORNE BY HIS COMMAND AND NOT TO LIVE BVT BY HIS GRATIOVS ACCEPTATION IS HVMBLY DEDICATED BY THE AVTHOR His Majesties most obedient Subject and Servant THO. MAY. THE REIGNE OF King HENRY the Second The First Booke The Argument of the first Booke The happy part of Henry's reigne is showne His first Triumphant yeares and high renowne His peace and power Enyo grieves to see And to disturbe his long tranquillity Descending downe to Lucifer below She craves some Vices aide to overthrow The causes of it there those tragike times Of Stephens reigne and Englands civill crimes So lately past Enyo does relate And shewes with griefe King Henry's present state The Fiend foretells what suddaine change shall be Of Englands peace and his felicity THe Second Henry first Plantagenet The first of Englands royall Kings that set Victorious footing on the Irish-shore And taught that warrelike nation to adore A forreine Scepter sound ye Muses foorth Declare how much his high Heroike worth By stormes of spitefull fortune oft assail'd As oft'gainst fortunes spitefull stormes prevail'd His glorious reigne but wrapt in various fate And though triumphant yet unfortunate How his great Vertues were too saddly try'de By rebell Subjects by the Papall pride And his owne Childrens strange impiety By opposition to ecclipse his high And great Renowne or higher to advance The fame of his undaunted puissance Vouchsafe dread Soveraigne Charles with that most cleare And gracious eye with which you use to cheare Poore suppliants while destinyes attend Your royall doome to view these lines and lend Your favours influence which can infuse Vertue alone into an English Muse. Shee else would tremble to approach too nigh So pure a minde so great a Majesty Vouchsafe to read the actions of a King Your noble Ancestour and what we sing In Henry's reigne that may be true renowne Accept it Sr. as Prologue to your owne Vntill this Muse or some more happy strayne May sing your Vertues and unaequall'd Reigne Those civill swords that did so lately stayne The land with slaughter now were sheath'd againe The rents of State were clos'd the wounds were cur'de Peace by victorious Henry was secur'de And justice waited on his awfull throne Without controll all feares all faction That tooke beginning with King Stephen's reigne With him descended to the grave againe Stephen deceas'd the Crowne of England now Came by accord t'empale young Henry's brow Which was before by right of birth his due But he least England too too long should rue In blood and slaughter their ambitious strife Came to accords of peace and during life Of Stephen respited his royall right Now like bright Phaebus to the longing sight Of all the People did young Henry riâ—…e Before whose rayes all past calamities Like mists did vanish no sadd clouds accloy The aire of England with loud showtes of joy The People flock the Peeres their wealth display To grace his wish'd-for Coronation day His brave atchievements and that early fame Which he in France had gain'd had made his name Already lov'd in England and admir'd Him all the people for their Lord desir'd And now possest of him take faire presage Such youth would end in a triumphant age Then as when once the charriot of the Sunne Had beene misguided by bold Phaëton Iove walk'd the round and veiw'd with carefull eye If heaven were safe then from the starry sky Descending downe survey'd the scorched ground And there repair'd the ruines that he found To their dry channells he call'd backe the floods And with fresh verdure cloath'd the seindged woods Renew'd the herbage and redresse ordain'd For all that wronged Nature had sustein'd So Henry stablish'd in the Regall throne Iove-like surveyes his large dominion To see what parts of state might be decay'd What rents so long a civill warre had made With physicke fit he purges from the State Those humours that did stirre and swell so late Digests the reliques and by Princely arts And policy corroborates the parts And first of all those troopes of forreiners That from all parts during the civill warres Resorted hither to seeke spoyle and prey He banishes that at th' appoynted day Within the coasts no strangers did remaine Restoring England to it selfe againe And least the Crowne should want for that expence That must support the high magnificence Of such a Monarchy into his hands He boldly seizes all the royall lands Which either greatest men did uncontroll'd In those tumultuous times unjustly hold Or else King Stephen to support so badd And weake a title as they knew he had Had given freely as rewards to tye Their truth to him against their loyalty Nor did King Henry vindicate alone The state and wealth of his Imperiall Crowne But the just power and with a puissant hand Setled that sure obedience through the land That to his awfull Scepter did belong The greatest Peeres that were before too strong To be commanded he by force compell'd To yeild to him the Castles that they held And all the midland forts he rased downe The strength of nothing but rebellion Nor though as yet presumptuous Mortimer Had not forgot the late licentious warre But strove to guard against his Soveraigne By lawlesse armes the strength that he had tane Could he resist the King enforc'd to yeild To him those three strong Castles that he held Well did this reformation suite the thought Of such a great Heroike King who brought Besides his persons worth and true esteeme So lov'de a title to the Crowne with him Not from the Norman Conquerour did he Deduce alone his royall pedegree But from the ancient Saxon Kings beside As lineall heire to Edmund Ironside And in his happy birth did so conjoyne The conquering Norman and old Saxon line Which hearty love and reverence to his throne From all the English people justly wonne Who now forgate pleas'd with his lawfull power That they were servants to a Conquerour Great Grand-childe by the Femall side was he To Margaret the Queene of Scotland she Daughter to Edward sonne to Ironside Whose royall birth and blood was dignify'd By twenty faire descents of Saxon Kings All which the happy birth of Henry brings The more to England to endeare his reigne And heere your selfe most Gracious Soveraigne Your ancient right to Englands Crowne may see In Scotlands royall blood your pedegree Is farther drawne and no knowne king as you
So long a title to two Crownes can show Then to the North with puissant Armes he makes A prudent Voyage and by Conquests takes To keepe entire his kingdomes ancient bounds From Malcolme King of Scotland all those grounds That to the Crowne of England did belong No Cities could withstand no forts so strong But yeild to Henryes force there with the rest Newcastle Carleill he againe possest But least injustice any staine should be To his great deedes in thankefull memory Of what King Malcolme in the warres had done For th' Empresse Mawde he gives him Huntingdon A midd-land County rich and fitter farre For the bâ—…hoofe of both from whence no warre Nor troubles could arise and which before Had beene possess'd by Malcolmes Ancestor Yet did one deed with sad injustice blot The reputation he before had gott Whilest too must thirsting for encrease of lands He seiz'd out of his brothers Geoffrey's hands The Earldome of Aniou forgetting both The sacred tyes of Nature and of Oath That Oath which once so solemnly he swore His Father Geoffry Anious Earle before Knowing that Henry was by birth to be Both Englands King and Duke of Normandy Had given that Earldome to his second sonne Geoffrey and put him in possession Of three the strongest Castles in the Land But falling sicke when deaths approching hand He felt mistrusting that hiâ—… eldest Sonne The potent Henry might when he was gone Dissâ—…ize young Geoffrey made his Barons sweare For at his death Prince Henry was not there That his dead corps should not enterred be Till Henry had beene sworne to ratify His will Prince Henry though unwillingly Yet rather then his fathers hearse should lye Vnbury'd still that Oath bâ—…fore them tooke Which afterward when Englands King he broke And though possessed of so many lands And large estates out of his brother's hands That Earledome tooke by force of armes away And did in lieu a yearely pension pay But though the King could for that oath obtaine A disâ—…ensation from Pope Adrian A higher power it seem'd would not dispense But afterward in kinde did recompence â—…hat foule misdeede for when King Henry meant To Iohn his yongest sonne the governement Of those three Castles thence his eldest sonne Tooke first pretence for that rebellion Against his father so what injury Impiety had wrought Impiety Reveng'd and scourg'd by an unnaturall sonne What was 'gainst nature by a brâ—…ther done Yet could not Henry's deedes of highest fame Teach stubborne Wales to tremble at his name Or feare t' offend him by rebellious warre Till she had felt him there a conquerer And beene herselfe enforced to implore His grace and favour with one triumph more T'enâ—…ich his conquering head not all her great Rough woods could yeild her souldiers safe retreat Nor could those high and craggy mountaines bee Of proofe 'gainst Henry's magnanimity Although the Welsh rely'd not on the aide Of hills and woods their Prince was not afraide To joyne in battell with the English strength Where though stout Owen and his powers at length Subdâ—…'de did yeild themselves yet so they fought That they true fame to Henry's conquest brought Who now triumphant backe to England goes And leaves strong forts to aw rebellious foes â—…o guard the coasts and marches and appeare â—…e lasting trophees of his conquests there Those large dominions which he held in France The fame alone of his great puissance Preserv'd from tumults from rebellions free Or feare of any forreine enemy King Lewis himselfe was there too weake a foe To doe him damage or his power orethrow Beyond the seas yet though each neighbouring state With envy trembled at the prosperous fate Of Englands King such moderation hee Had shew'd so rul'd his power with equity Seeking no lawlesse and unjust encrease That Europe then possest a happy peace This peace when feirce Enyo had beheld And saw all seedes of warre and faction quel'd She sigh'd and wept for nought could pleasing bee To that dire mayde but warres calamity Nought but dissention did to her seeme good No sights but feilds and rivers stain'd with blood Were her delightsome prospects into aire She mounts and fill'd with fury and despaire Shakes as she flyes her now-extinguish'd brand Which gives no blaze at all then taking stand Above the shore of fruitfull Normandy Vpon a lofty cliffe viewes from on high Great Henry's large dominions that extend From Scotland Northward to the Southerne end Of spatious rance which those high mountaines bound Nam'd from Pirenes death ore all that ground She sees and gnashes for disdaine to see No streaming Ensignes no hostility The murdrous swords to sythes were turn'd againe And cheerefull plowmen till the fertile plaine The heardsmen heare their bullocks gently lough And their owne folds the fearelesse shepheards know Am I then banish'd quite shall Peace quoth she Boast through these lands so great a victory Over Enyo will no power orethrow These nations quiet rest if heaven allow This lethargy and still would have it so I will descend and see what hell can doo A spatious cave there was not oft before Descry'd by mortall eye within that shore Which wealthy France doth to the North display And Brittaines Ocean bounds thither they say The wise Dulichyan Heroe by adviâ—…e Of beautious Circe came to sacrifice And there restor'd by blood of bullocks slaine To silent ghosts the use of speech againe Through that darke vault did Phoebus nere shoot ray Nor ever glided beame of cheerefull day The grove of Proserpine oreshadow'd quite That dismall shore and damps of drery night Condens'd the aire no birds those boughs did grace Nor with sweet musicke cheer'd the balefull place No Tritons play'd nor did blew Proteus feede His scaly â—…locke nor faire Halcyon breede Beneath the shelter of so sadd a shore But greisly fiends and furyes evermore In hideous shapes did to the cave repaire And ghosts sadâ—… murmurs did afright the aire Who in unnumber'd companies attend Thither the feirce Enyo did descend And all her strongest arts and charmings bring To hold converse with Hells infernall king The Feind himselfe was busy farre below And ranne with gnashing envy too and fro To finde out plotts of ruine and survey His Master-vices who fast chained lay In adamantine cavernes and from thence So pleas'd the great Creators providence To curbe their might for mankindes sake least all The world should in a quicke confusion fall With all their force at once and licens'd power They cannot goe for soone they would devoure All states all lands and worke more tragicke woe Then earthquakes fires or pestilence can doe Within their severall denns the Vices lay And ore the doores proud pictures did display What severall feates and conquests they had wrought What States what kingdomes they to ruine brought For of destroying housholds or the fall Of private men they made no boast at all And as sterne Aeolus is forc'd to locke The boistrous winds in caves of strongest rocke By Ioves