and creepe and bow Our hearts our heads we sauage were but now Yet by and by such was the good successe In fiery flames the truth we did professe Then flitting Fame the truth to testifie Against my wil at Rome made such report That Constatinus thence did hither hie And being come vnto my Britaine Court With louers lookes he striu'd to scale the Fort Of my good will but when it would not bee He sighing thus addrest his talke to me O Queene quoth he thy deeds deserue great fame The goodly gifts that God hath giu'n to thee Be such as I cannot thee greatly blame Though thou without desert disdainest me Who for thy sake doth lothe all crueltie But for thy loue with Mars his cruell knife I could command thy Realme and reaue thy life But out alas whil'st breath doth lend me life My heart shall hate to thrall thy happie state What though thou dost refuse to be my wife Thy hatred tho shall neuer cause me hate But whil'st I liue I will thee loue let Fate And Fortune fell powre on me all their spight To die for thee shall greatly me delight Then I repli'd O Duke without desert Thou dost me loue a little Ilands Queene I know thou to the Emperour heire art Thy valiant acts I diuers waies haue seene I like thy deeds most noble which haue been And thee I loue yet priuate pleasures lust May neuer make me throw my Realme to dust If thou quoth he wilt daine my Queene to be Thy Britaines shall to Rome no tribute yeeld You if you please to Rome may go with me Your mightie mate the world so wide may wield Or if you please I heere with you will bilde My biding place and in this little land I will remaine yours heere at your command His comely grace his friendly promise plight His famous actes his Noble royall race Some other things which heere I could recite The Romans heart within my brest did place And when my wit had weighed well the case Then for the chiefe of all my Realme I sent And thus I spake to know the whole intent My louing Lords and you my subiects see This Roman heire whom I indeed do loue He will restore your ancient libertie If I will bend my hest to his behoue Which benefits they chiefely do me moue To loue at last a man by whom you may Receiue a Shield to keepe you from decay Perhaps you thinke I loue because I see His comely shape and seemely sanguine face You be deceiu'd no outward brauery No personage no gallant courtly grace What though he be by birth of royall race I recke it not but this I do regard My Commonweale by him may be preseru'd For if he will from tribute set you free And end the worke which I haue well begonne That Christs Gospell preached still may bee God may by him send vnto me a sonne To you a King what wealth then haue you wonne What great renowne what honor will insue Speake you your minds these things me thinke be true O Queene quoth they the Lord preserue thy grace Do thou the thing that seemes to thee the best We do allow the match in euery case If by that meanes we may haue quiet rest With what great good shal this our Realme be blest Do thou therefore O noble Queene we pray The thing which best may keepe vs from decay The Roman Duke he nothing would deny But granted more then I could aske or craue So that there was proclaimed by and by A famous feast a banquet passing braue There to the Duke the Britaine crowne I gaue With sacred spousall rights as man and wife We wedded liu'd in loue for terme of life And whil'st we ment to rule this little I le A greater good vnlooked for befell Death did destroy his Sire with hateful hand For which we both at Rome must now go dwell And so we did things prospered passing well My Feere was made the Emperour Lord and king Of all and I the Queene of euery thing His mightie Mace did rule the Monarchie My wit did rule some writers say his Mace And to increase with ioy our merrie glie I brought him forth a babe of Royall race The boy he had an amiable face O Rome thou maist reioyce for this was he Which did at Rome erect Diuinitie Whil'st thus in blisse I did at Rome remaine A Britaine still my mind her care did cast For which I caus'd my husband to ordaine That euermore those ancient Lawes should last Which heretofore amongst them there I past And that to Rome no Britaine borne for aye Should taxe or toll or tenth or tribute pay Though there at Rome an Empresse life I led And had at hand what I could wish or craue Yet still me thought I was not wel bestead Because I was so farre from Britaine braue Which when my louing Lord did once perceiue He set a stay in all the Emperie To Britaine then he did returne with me We raign'd of yeeres thrice seuen with good successe Then Dolor and Debilitie did driue My louing Lord with fainting feeblenesse For vitall life with braying breath to striue He felt how death of life would him depriue He cal'd his Lords his child and me his wife And thus he spake euen as he left his life The haughtie Pines of loftie Libanus From earth to earth in tract of time returne So I whose spreading praise were maruellous Must now returne my flesh to filthie slime On Fortunes wheele I may no longer clime Therefore my Lords although my glasse be runne Yet take remorse on Constantine my sonne My Monarch Court my Kingdomes all O stately Rome farewell to them and thee Farewell my Lords which see my finall fall Farewell my child my wife more deare to mee Then all the world we must depart I see And must we needs depart O Fortune fie We must depart adue farewell I die Wherewith he sigh'd and senselesse did remaine Then I his death as women do did waile But when I view'd that weeping was but vaine I was content to beare that bitter bale As one who found no meanes for her auaile His corps at Yorke in Princely Tombe I laid When funerall sacred solemne rites were paid And when report his death about had blowne Maxentius then the triple crowne to weare Did challenge all the Empire as his owne And for a time that mightie Mace did beare Which when my sonne my Constantine did heare The youthfull Lad indeuour'd by and by To claime his right by Mars his crueltie I then his tender youthfull yeares to guide Went with my sonne to see his good successe He being Campt by fruitfull Tybers side To spoile his foe he did himselfe addresse He knew that God did giue all happinesse Therefore to God euen then the youth did pray With mightie hand to keepe him from decay Behold how God doth godly men defend And marke how he doth beate Vsurpers downe Maxentius now
and well apaid If women thus had walked in my time I had not stoopt vnto that painted lure Which did intice me to commit the crime Which to the pearch of leaudnesse ti'd me sure For her disport my Ladie could procure The wretched wings of this my muting mind Restlesse to seeke her emptie fist to find I thus arriu'd in Pleasures cursed court I lothed Mars I hated Mercurie It was me thought a passing pleasant sport Leauing the fields at Bacchus brauerie Sometime to sit vpon my mistresse knee Where that I might be at my pleasure plaste I sent the Duke away to warres in haste You which haue plaid with pleasures banding balles You know the life which lingring louers lead You know how sweet it is to scale the walles Of her good will who liu'd in feare and dread You know right well how well those wights haue sped Who haue at last by drifts of long delay Their hoped meed and wished pleasant pray Vnconquered beautie whence had'st thou that power To make stout Vter stoope to his owne shame That neuer stoopt to foes why for that flower Of sweete delight in Igren that faire Dame Did I forgoe the golden flower of fame Victorious beautie and base yeelding lust Did cast great Vters conquests in the dust Yet no such blame as writers do record Do I deserue for this vnhappie deed Proud Gorolus the bright-cheekt Igrens Lord Receiu'd no wrong but his owne merits meed When in the field I made his heart to bleed If thoughts of treason merit death and shame His trecherous deeds did well deserue the same His gracelesse treason he in act did show For when I sent him to Nathaliod hight In bloodie field against the Saxon foe He swolne in heart with enuie and despight Of his associates good did leaue the fight And leauing stout Nathaliod for a pray Vnto the foes from field he fled away By which enforc'd I was with Mars to rise From Venus bed and arme me for the field Where like a storme in thunder clad from skies Vpon my foes I fell they could not shield Themselues from death few scap't that did not yeeld Occa and Ossa both I downe did bring And led them captiue like a conquering King Againe I then gan thinke vpon my loue Vpon mine Igren deare against whose Lord I finding cause for that he late did proue Faithlesse to me did with my lust accord Gainst him as ' against my foe to draw my sword Whom by his castle called Dunilioc I slew with blade in battailes bloodie stroke Then did I take mine Igren as mine owne And crown'd her Queene in my Emperiall chaire On whom great Arthur I begot anone And after him my Anna hight the faire In seeming blisse I long liu'd void of care For thrice nine yeares with Igren I did raigne And ' gainst the Saxons did my state maintaine But for the rape of Gorolus his wife The heauens did powre downe vengeance on my head I by vntimely death did end my life My said soule hence enforc'd by poison fled By Saxons wrought who often wish'd me dead And left behind for all my deeds of fame Iust cause for writers pens to speake my shame Learne they which liue in high or low degree To flee the foile which I by folly felt Let them refraine those loftie Dames to see They know how loftie lookes with me haue delt You see how sight did make my honor melt Let all men know mans heart did neuer rue The thing which he with sight did neuer view But how may men the sight of Beautie shun In England at this present dismall day All void of veiles like Layes where Ladies run And rome about at euery feast and play They wandring walke in euery streete and way With loftie luring lookes they bounsing braue The highest place in all mens sight must haue With pride they pranke to please the wandring eye With garish grace they smile they iet they iest O English Dames your lightnesse verily The Curtizans of Rome do much detest In closets close to liue they count it best They giue not grace to euery wandring wight Your smiling cheere doth euery man delight The Poets gods Saturne and Iupiter To Beauties becke their highnesse did obay Pluto of hell did plead at Beauties bar And Phillis causde Demophoon to stay Pasiphäe a Bull brought to the bay So gods and diuels both men and beasts they all By womens wiles are slaues to Beauties thrall What gaine is got by light and wanton waies You reape reproch a guerdon got thereby Men by your meanes do cause their owne decay And you your selues all soust in sinne must die Refraine therefore to please mans gazing eie Let men likewise the baited hookes refraine Of luring lookes their vanting vowes be vaine Thomas Blener Hasset HOW CADWALLADER THE LAST KING OF THE Britaines was expelled by the Saxons went to Rome and there liued in a religious house YOu mourning Muses all where euer you remaine Assist my sobbing soule this driery tale to tell You furious Furies fierce of Lymbo Lake below Helpe to vnlade my brest of all the bale it beares And you who felt the fall from honors high renowne From graues you grizlie ghosts send forth to helpe me mourne O Pallas giue thou place that mourning Clio may On Lute lamenting sound and sing my dolefull dumps Let riming meetered lines and pleasant musike cease Let Satyres solemne sound send forth the fall I felt And when the truth of all my Tragedie is knowne Let them that liue then learne all things must haue an end The Persian Monarch and the Medes it downe did fall That of Assyria in tract of time did end Yea Alexanders force in fight subdu'd them both And brought the world so wide into one Monarchie What though the fretting force of Fate did him dismay He felt at last the foile his vanting was in vaine He dead the world it was diuided as before The Roman Emperie came tumbling downe at last And where is Troy and Greece and mightie Macedon They flourisht for a time like this my little I le The Soldion brought them downe and did their states destroy Euen so the Saxons brought the Britaine 's to the bay Euen these mine eyes did see that hatefull hidious sight These feeble hands when long they labour'd had in vaine Did yeeld their interest then thus I did complaine Who can refraine the force of mightie mounting seas When billowes make a breach and beate the bankes adowne Doth not the saltish surge then beat the bankes adowne Then man may not withstand the rigor of their rage But wisdome would haue kept the waues within their bounds Counsell doth come too late when hope of helpe is past Such was my filthie fate my leaud and lothsome lucke I sought a salue to cure and helpe the helpelesse wound For long before my time seuen Kings were setled heere The Saxons such as dwelt by East Sibertus rul'd The Angles in
from the world thou get'st no land of mine And sith likewise of Gods we came a Nation free We owe no tribute aide or pledge to Rome or thee Retract thy will or wage thy warre as likes thee best We are to fight and rather then to friendship prest To saue our countrey from the force of forren strife Each Britaine heere is well content to venter life We feare not of the end or dangers thou dost tell But vse thy pleasure if thou maist thus fare thou well Cassibellane When Caesar had receiu'd his answere so It vext him much he thereupon decreed To wage vs warre and worke vs Britaines woe Wherefore he hasted hitherward with speed The Britaines eke prepar'd themselues with heed To meete the Romans all in warlike guise With all the force and speed they might deuise And heere the wiser deem'd it meeter much T' assaile them first at th' entry on this land Then for to giue arriuall heere to such Might with our victuals aide our selues withstand T' is better far the enemies t'aband Quite from thy borders to a forren soile Then he at home thee and thy countrie spoile Wherefore we met him at his entrie in And pitcht our camps directly in his way We minded sure to lose or else to win The praise before we past from thence away So when that both the armies were in ray And trumpets blast on euery side was blowne Our minds to either each were quickly knowne We ioyned battaile fiercely both we fought The Romanes to enlarge their Empires fame And we with all the force and might we mought To saue our countrie and to keepe our name O worthie Britaines learne to do the same We brake the rayes of all the Romane hoast And made the mightie Caesar leaue his boast Yet he the worthiest Captaine euer was Brought all in ray and fought againe a new His skilfull souldiers he could bring to passe At once for why his traynings all they knew No sooner I his noble corps did view But in I brake amongst the captaines band And there I faught with Caesar hand to hand O God thou might'st haue giuen a Britaine grace T' haue slaine the Roman Caesar noble then Which sought the noble Britaines to deface And bring in bondage valiant worthie men He neuer should haue gone to Rome agen To fight with Pompey or his peeres to slay Or else to bring his countrie in decay It ioy'd my heart to strike on Caesars crest O Caesar that there had been none but wee I often made my sword to trie thy brest But Ladie fortune did not fauour mee I able was me thought with Caesars three To trie the case I made thy heart to quake When on thy crest with mightie stroke I strake The strokes thou strook'st me hurt me nought at all For why thy strength was nothing in respect But thou had'st bath'd thy sword in poyson all Which did my wound not deadly else infect Yet was I or I parted thence bewreckt I gate thy sword from thee for all thy fame And made thee flie for feare to eate the same For when thy sword was in my target fast I made thee flie and quickly leaue thy hold Thou neuer wast in all thy life so gast Nor durst againe be euer halfe so bold I made a number Romans hearts ful cold Fight fight you noble Britaines now quoth I We neuer all will vnreuenged die What Caesar though thy praise and mine bee od The ancient stories scarce remember me Though Poets all of thee doe make a God Such simple fooles in making Gods they bee Yet if I had my quarell try'd with thee Thou neuer hadst returnde to Rome againe Nor of thy faithfull friends bin beastly slaine A number Britaine 's mightst thou there haue seene Wounded in fight and spoile their spitefull foes My selfe maimde slew and mangled mo I weene When I was hurt then twenty more of those I made the Romanes stout their courage lose In all the campe no Romane scarce I spide Durst halfe the combate gainst a Britaine bide At length I met a noble man they cald Him Labienus one of Caesars friends A Tribune erst had many Britaines thrald Was one of Caesars Legats forth he sends Well met quoth I I minde to make th' amends For all thy friendships to our Country crew And so with Caesars sword his friend I slew What neede I name you euery Britaine here As first the King the nobles all beside Full stout and worthy wights in warre that were As euer erst the stately Romanes tride We fought so long they durst no longer bide Proude Caesar he for all his bragges and boast Flew backe to ships with halfe his scattered hoast If he had bene a God as sots him nam'd He could not of vs Britaines taken foile The Monarch Caesar might haue been asham'd From such an Iland with his ships recoile Or else to flie and leaue behind the spoile But life is sweete he thought it better flie Then bide amongst vs Britaines here to die I had his sword was named Croceamors With which he gaue me in the head a stroke The venime of the which had such a force It able was to pierce the heart of oke No medcines might the poyson out reuoke Wherefore though scarce he pierced had the skin In fifteene daies my braines it ranckled in And then too soone alas therefore I dide Yet would to God he had returnde againe So that I might but once the dastard spide Before he went I had the serpent slaine He plaide the coward cutthrote all too plaine A beastly serpents heart that beasts detects Which or he fight his sword with bane infects Well then my death brought Caesar no ronowne For both I gate thereby eternall fame And eke his sword to strike his friends adowne I slew therewith his Labiene by name With Prince against my Countrey foes I came Was wounded yet did neuer faint nor yeeld Till Caesar with his souldiers fled the field Who would not venture life in such a case Who would not fight at Countries whole request Who would not meeting Caesar in the place Fight for life Prince and Countrey with the best The greatest courage is by facts exprest Then for thy Prince with fortitude as I And Realmes defence is praise to liue or dy Now write my life when thou hast leasure and Will all thy countrymen to learne by me Both for their Prince and for their natiue land As valiant bold and fearelesse for to be A paterne plaine of fortitude they see To which directly if themselues they frame They shall preserue their Countrey faith and fame HOW THE LORD IRENGLAS COSIN TO KING CASSIBELLANE was slaine by the Lord Elimine cosin to Androgeus Earle of London about the yeare before Christ 51. AMongst the rest that whilome sate aloft Amongst the rest that once had happie chance Amongst the rest that had good fortune oft Amongst the rest that could themselues aduance Amongst the rest that led in
these miracles wrought The King inflamed with in dignation That to such bondage he should be brought Suppressing the ire of his inward thought Studied nought else but how that he might Be highly reuenged of this high despite Aggreeu'd was also this latter offence With former matter his ire to renue For once at Windsore I brought to his presence The Maior of London with all his retinue To aske a reckoning of the Realmes reuenue And the souldiers of Brest by me were made bold Their wages to claime when the towne was sold These griefes remembred with all the remnant Hourded in his hart hate out of measure Yet openly in shew made he no femblant By word or by deed to beare displeasure But loue dayes dissembled do neuer indure And whoso trusteth a foe reconcild Is for the most part alwaies beguild For as fire ill quencht will vp at a start And sores not well salued doe breake out of new So hatred hidden in an irefull hart Where it hath had long season to brew Vpon euery occasion doth easily renew Not failing at last if it be not let To pay large vsury besides the due det Euen so it fared by this friendship fained Outwardly sound and inwardly rotten For when the Kings fauour in seeming was gained All old displeasures forgiuen and forgotten Euen then at a suddaine the shaft was shotten Which pierced my heart void of mistrust Alas that a Prince should be so vniust For lying at Plashey my selfe to repose By reason of sicknesse which held me full sore The King espying me apart from those With whom I confedered in band before Thought it not meete to tract the time more But glad to take me at such auantage Came to salute me with friendly visage Who hauing a band bound to his bent By colour of kindnesse to visite his Eame Tooke time to accomplish his cruell intent And in a small vessell downe by the streame Conueid me to Calis out of the Realme Where without processe or doome of my Peeres Not nature but murder abridged my yeeres This act was odious to God and to man Yet rigour to cloake in habit of reason By craftie compasse deuise they can Articles nine of right hainous treason But doome after death is sure out of season For who euer saw so strange a president As execution done before iudgement Thus hate harboured in depth of minde By sought occasion burst out of new And cruelty abused the law of kinde When that the Nephue the Vncle flew Alas King Richard sore mayst thou rue Which by this fact preparedst the way Of thy hard destiny to hasten the day For bloud axeth bloud as guerdon due And vengeance for vengeance is iust reward O righteous God thy iudgements are true For looke what measure we other award The same for vs againe is prepar'd Take heed ye Princes by examples past Bloud will haue bloud either first or last G. Ferrers HOW THE LORD MOWbrey promoted by King Richard the second to the state of a Duke was by him banished the Realme the yeare of Christ 1398. and after died miserablie in exile THough sorrow and shame abash me to rehearse My lothsome life and death of due deserued Yet that the paines thereof may other pearce To leaue the like lest they be likewise serued Ah Baldwine marke and see how that I swerued Dissembling enuy and flattery bane that bee Of all their hostes haue shew'd their power on mee I blame not Fortune though she did her part And true it is she can do little harme She guideth goods she hampreth not the heart A minde well bent is safe from euery charme Vice only vice with her stout strengthlesse arme Doth cause the heart from good to ill encline Which I alas doe finde too true by mine For where by birth I came of noble race The Mowbreys heire a famous house and old Fortune I thanke gaue me so good a grace That of my Prince I had what so I would Yet neither was to other greatly hold For I thought flattery wrong'd his want on youth And his fond trust augmented my vntruth He made me first the Earle of Notingham And Marshall of the Realme in which estate The Peeres and people iointly to me came With sore complaint against them that of late Bad officers had brought the King in hate By making sale of Iustice right and Lawe And liuing naught without all dread or awe I gaue them aid these euils to redresse And went to London with an army strong And caus'd the King against his will oppresse By cruell death all such as led him wrong The Lord chiefe Iustice suffered these among So did the Steward of his household head The Chancellor scapte for he afore had fled These wicked men thus from the King remou'd Who best vs pleas'd succeeded in their place For which both King and Commons much vs lou'd But chiefly I with all stood high in grace The King ensu'd my rede in euery case Whence selfe-loue bred for glory maketh prowd And pride aye seeks alone to be allow'd Wherefore to th' end I might alone inioy The Kings good will I made his lust my lawe And where of late I labour'd to destroy Such flattering folke as thereto stood in awe Now learned I among the rest to clawe For pride is such if it be kindly caught As stroyeth good and stirres vp euery naught Pride pricketh men to flatter for the pray Toppresse and poll for maint'nance of the same To malice such as match vneths it may And to be briefe pride doth the heart inflame To fire what mischiefe any fraud may frame And still at length the euils by it wrought Confound the worker and bring him to nought Behold in me due proofe of euery part For pride first forced me my Prince to flatter So much that whatsoeuer pleas'd his heart Were 't nere so ill I thought a lawfull matter Which causd the Lords afresh against him clatter Because he had his holds beyond sea sold And seene his souldiers of their wages pold Though vnto all these ils I were a frend Yet such was luck that each man deemed no The Duke of Glocester for me did send With other Lords whose hearts did bleede for woe To see the Realme so fast to ruine goe In fault whereof they said the two Dukes were The one of Yorke the other Lancaster On whose remoue from being about the King We all agreed and sware a solemne oth And whilst the rest prouided for this thing I flatterer I to win the praise of troth Wretch that I was brake faith and promise both For I bewraied to th' King their whole intent For which vnwares they all were tane and shent Thus was the warder of the Common weale The Duke of Gloster guiltlesse made away With other moe more wretch I so to deale Who through vntruth their trust did ill betray Yet by this meanes obtained I may pray Of King and Dukes I found for this such fauour As
of Yorke and other sought at home to put me downe Bellona rang the bell at home and all abroad With whose mishaps amaine fell Fortune did me load In France I lost my forts at home the foughten field My kinred slaine my friends opprest my selfe enforst to yeeld Duke Richard tooke me twice and forst me to resine My Crowne and titles due vnto my fathers line And kept mee as a ward did all things as him list Till that my wife through bloudy sword had tane me from his fist But though we slew the Duke my sorowes did not slake But like to Hydraes head still more and more awake For Edward through the aid of Warwicke and his brother From one field draue me to the Scots and toke me in another Then went my friends to wrack for Edward ware the Crowne For which for nine yeares space his prison held me downe Yet thence through Warwickes worke I was againe releast And Edward driuen fro the realme to seeke his friends by East But what preuaileth paine or prouidence of man To helpe him to good hap whom destiny doth ban Who moileth to remoue the rocke out of the mud Shall mire himselfe and hardly scape the swelling of the flud This all my friends haue found and I haue felt it so Ordain'd to be the touch of wretchednesse and woe For ere I had a yeare possest my seat againe I lost both it and liberty my helpers all were slaine For Edward first by stelth and sith by gathred strength Arriu'd and got to Yorke and London at the length Tooke me and tied me vp yet Warwicke was so stout He came with power to Barnet field in hope to helpe me out And there alas was slaine with many a worthy knight O Lord that euer such luck should hap in helping right Last came my wife and sonne that long lay in exile Defied the King and fought a field I may bewaile the while For there mine only sonne not thirteene yeares of age Was tane and murdred straight by Edward in his rage And shortly I my selfe to stint all further strife Stab'd with his brothers bloodie blade in prison lost my life Lo heere the heauie haps which hapned me by heape See heere the pleasant fruits that many Princes reape The painfull plagues of those that breake their lawfull bands Their meed which may and will not saue their friends from bloodie hands God grant my woful haps too grieuous to rehearce May teach all States to know how deepely dangers pierce How fraile all honors are how brittle worldly blisse That warned through my fearefull fate they feare to do amisse HOW GEORGE PLANTAGENET THIRD SONNE OF THE DVKE OF Yorke was by his brother King Edward wrongfully imprisoned and by his brother Richard miserably murdered the 11. of Ianuarie An. Dom. 1478. THe fowle is foule men say that files the nest Which makes me loth to speak now might I chuse But seeing time vnburdened hath her brest And fame blowne vp the blast of all abuse My silence rather might my life accuse Then shroud our shame though faine I would it so For truth will out although the world say no. And therefore Baldwine I do thee beseech To pause a while vpon my heauie plaint And vnneth though I vtter speedie speech No fault of wit nor folly makes me faint No headie drinkes haue giuen my tongue attaint Through quaffing craft Yet wine my wits confound Not that I dranke but wherein I was drown'd What Prince I am although I need not shew Because my wine bewrayes me by the smell For neuer man was soust in Bacchus dew To death but I through Fortunes rigour fell Yet that thou maist my storie better tell I will declare as briefely as I may My wealth my woe and causers of decay The famous house surnam'd Plantagenet Whereat Dame Fortune frowardly did frowne While Bolenbroke vniustly sought to set His Lord King Richard quite beside the Crowne Though many a day it wanted due renowne God so prefer'd by prouidence and grace That lawfull heires did neuer faile the race For Lionel King Edwards eldest child Both Eame and heire to Richard issulesse Begot faire Philip hight whom vndefil'd The Earle of March espous'd and God did blesse With fruit assign'd the kingdome to possesse I meane Sir Roger Mortimer whose heire The Earle of Cambridge maried Anne the faire This Earle of Cambridge Richard clept by name Was sonne to Edmund Langley Duke of Yorke Which Edmund was fift brother to the same Duke Lionel that all this line doth korke Of which two houses ioyned in a forke My father Richard Prince Plantagenet True Duke of Yorke was lawfull heire beget Who tooke to wife as ye shall vnderstand A mayden of a noble house and old Ralph Neuils daughter Earle of Westmerland Whose sonne Earle Richard was a Baron bold And had the right of Salisbury in hold Through mariage made with good Earle Thomas heire Whose earned praises neuer shall appaire The Duke my father had by this his wife Foure sonnes of whom the eldest Edward hight The second Edmund who did lose his life At Wakefield slaine by Clyfford cruell Knight I George am third of Clarence Duke by right The fourth borne to the mischiefe of vs all Was Glocesters Duke whom men did Richard call VVhen as our fire in sute of right was slaine VVhose life and death himselfe declared earst My brother Edward plied his cause amaine And got the Crowne as Warwicke hath rehearst The pride whereof so deepe his stomacke pearst That he forgot his friends despis'd his kin Of oath or office passing not a pin VVhich made the Earle of Warwicke to maligne My brothers state and to attempt a way To bring from prison Henrie sillie King To helpe him to the kingdome if he may And knowing me to be the chiefest stay My brother had he did me vndermine To cause me to his treasons to encline VVhereto I was prepared long before My brother had been to me so vnkind For sure no canker fretteth flesh so sore As vnkind dealing doth a louing mind Loues strongest bands vnkindnes doth vnbind It moueth loue to malice zeale to hate Chiefe friends to foes and brethren to debate And though the Earle of Warwicke subtill fire Perceiu'd I bare a grudge against my brother Yet toward his feate to set me more on fire He kindled vp one firebrand with another For knowing fancie was the forcing rother VVhich stirreth youth to any kind of strife He offered me his daughter to my wife Where through and with his craftie filed tongue He stole my heart that erst vnsteadie was For I was witlesse wanton fond and yongue Whole bent to pleasure brittle as the glasse I cannot lie In vino veritas I did esteeme the beautie of my bride Aboue my selfe and all the world beside These fond affections ioynt with lacke of skill Which trap the heart and blind the eyes of youth And pricke the mind to practise any ill So tickled me
earnestly declar'd Because it is so seeld and slackly hard Th abuse and scorning of Gods ordinances Is chiefest cause of care and wofull chances Gods holy orders highly are abused When men do change their ends for strange respects They scorned are when they be cleane refused For that they cannot serue our fond affects The one our shame the other our sinne detects It is a shame for Christians to abuse them But deadly sinne for scorners to refuse them I meane not this alonely of degrees Ordaind by God for peoples preseruation But of his law good orders and decrees Prouided for his creatures conseruation And specially the state of procreation Wherein we here the number of them encrease Which shall in Heauen enioy eternall peace The only end why God ordained this Was for th' encreasing of that blessed number For whom he hath prepard eternall blisse They that refuse it for the care or cumber Being apt thereto are in a sinfull slumber No fond respect no vaine deuised vowes Can quit or bar what God in charge allowes It is not good for man to liue alone Said God and therefore made he him a make Sole life said Christ is granted few or none All seed-sheders are bound like wiues to take Yet not for lust for lands or riches sake But to beget and foster so their fruite That Heauen and Earth be stored with the suite But as the state is damnably refused Of many apt and able thereunto So is it likewise wickedly abused Of all that vse it as they should not doe Wherein are guilty all the greedy who For gaine for friendship lands or honours wed And these pollute the vndefiled bed And therfore God through iustice cannot cease To plague these faults with sundry sorts of whips As disagreement healths or wealths decrease Or lothing sore the neuer liked lips Disdiane also with rigour some times nips Presuming mates vnequally that match Some bitter leauen sowers the musty batch We worldly folke account him very wise That hath the wit most wealthily to wed By all meanes therefore alwaies we deuise To see our yssue rich in spousals sped We buy and sell rich orphanes babes scant bred Must marry ere they know what mariage meanes Boyes marry old trots old fooles wed yong queanes We call this wedding which in any wise Can bee no mariage but pollution plaine A new found trade of humane merchandise The diuels net a filthy fleshly gaine Of kinde and nature an vnnaturall staine A foule abuse of Gods most holy order And yet allow'd almost in euery border Would God I were the last that shall haue cause Against this creeping canker to complaine That men would so regard their makers lawes That all would leaue the leaudnesse of their braine That holy orders holy might remaine That our respects in wedding should not choke The end and fruite of Gods most holy yoke The Sage King Solon after that he saw What mischiefes follow missought mariages To barre all baits established this law No friend nor father shall giue heritages Coine cattell stuffe or other carriages With any maid for dowry or wedding sale By any meane on paine of banning bale Had this good law in England been in force My fire had not so cruelly been slaine My brother had not causelesse lost his corps Our mariage had not bred vs such disdaine My selfe had lack'd great part of grieuous paine VVe wedded wiues for dignitie and lands And left our liues in enuies bloodie hands My father hight Sir Richard Woduile he Espoused Bedford Duchesse and by her Had issue males my brother Iohn and me Call'd Anthony King Edward did prefer Vs far aboue the state wherein we were He ' spous'd our sister Elizabeth Whom Sir Iohn Gray made widow by his death How glad were we thinke you of this alliance So neerely coupled with so great a King VVho durst with any of vs be at defiance Thus made of might the mightiest to wring But fie what cares do highest honors bring VVhat carelesnesse our selues or friends to know VVhat spite and enuie both of high and low Because the King had made our sister Queene It was his honor to prefer her kin And sith the readiest way as wisest weene VVas first by wedding wealthie heires to win It pleas'd the Prince by like meane to begin To me he gaue the rich Lord Scales his heire A vertuous maid in my mind very faire He ioyned to my brother Iohn the old Duches of Northfolke notable of fame My nephew Thomas who had in his hold The honor and right of Marquise Dorsets name Espoused Cicelie a right wealthie dame Lord Bonuiles heire by whom he was possest In all the rights where through that house was blest The honours that my Sire attaind were diuers First Chamberlaine then Constable he was I doe omit the gainfullest Earle Riuers Thus glistred we to glory cleere as glasse Such miracles can Princes bring to passe Among their lieges whom they mind to heaue To honours false who all their guests deceiue Honours are like that cruell King of Thrace With new come guests that fed his hungry horses Or like the tyrant Busiris whose grace Offred his Gods all strangers strangled corses To forrenners so hard false honors force is That all her bourders strangers either geasts She spoiles to feede her Gods and greedy beasts Her Gods be those whom God by law or lot Or kinde by birth doth place in highest roomes Her beasts be such as greedily haue got Office or charge to guide the silly groomes These officers in law or charge are broomes Which sweep away the sweet from simple wretches And spoile th' enriched by their crafty fetches These plucke downe those whom Princes set aloft By wresting lawes and false conspiracies Yea Kings themselues by these are spoiled oft When wilfull Princes carelesly despise To heare th' oppressed peoples heauy cries Nor will correct their polling theeues then God Doth make those reues the reckles Princes rod. The second Richard is a proofe of this Whom crafty Lawyers by their lawes deposed Another patern good King Henry is Whose right by them hath diuersly beene glosed Good while he grew bad when he was vnrosed And as they sodred these and diuers other With like deceit they vsde the King my brother While he preuail'd they said he owed the Crowne All lawes and rights agreed with the same But when by drifts hee seemed to be downe All lawes and right extremely did him blame Nought saue vsurping traytour was his name So constantly the Iudges construe lawes That all agree still with the stronger cause These as I said and other like in charge Are honours horses whom shee feedes with gests For all whom Princes frankly doe enlarge With dignities these barke at in their brests Their spite their might their falsehood neuer rests Till they deuour them sparing neither bloud Ne lim ne life and all to get their good The Earle of Warwicke was a pransing courser The hauty heart
friends can faine Not Synon sly whose fraud best fame rebukes VVas halfe so suttle as these double Dukes First to mine Inne commeth in my brother false Embraceth me well met good brother Scales And weepes withall the other me enhalse With welcome cosin now welcome out of Wales O happie day for now all stormie gales Of strife and rancour vtterly are swaged And we our owne to liue or die vnwaged This proferd seruice saust with salutations Immoderate might cause me to suspect For commonly in all dissimulations Th' excesse of glauering doth the guile detect Reason refuseth falsehood to direct The will therefore for feare of being spide Exceedeth meane because it wanteth guide This is the cause why such as faine to weepe Do houle outright or wailing crie ah ah Tearing themselues and straining sighes most deepe Why such dissemblers as would seeme to laugh Breath not tihhee but bray out hah hah hah Why beggers faining brauery are the proud'st Why cowards bragging boldnesse wrangle loud'st For commonly all that do counterfeat In any thing exceed the naturall meane And that for feare of failing in their feat But these conspirers couched all so cleane Through close demeanour that their wiles did weane My heart from doubts so many a false deuice They forged fresh to hide their enterprise They supt with me propounding friendly talke Of our affaires still giuing me the prayse And euer among the cups to me ward walke I drinke to you good Cuz each traytour sayes Our banquet done when they should go their waies They took their leaue oft wishing me good night As heartily as any creature might A noble heart they say is Lion like It cannot couch dissemble crouch nor faine How villanous were these and how vnlike Of noble stocke the most ignoble staine Their woluish hearts their trayterous foxly braine Or proue them base of rascall race engendred Or from hault linage bastard like degendred Such polling heads as praise for prudent policie False practises I wish were pact on poles I meane the bastard law-brood which can mollifie All kind of causes in their craftie noles These vndermine all vertue blind as Moles They bolster wrong they racke and straine the right And prayse for law both malice fraud and might These quench the worthie flames of noble kind Prouoking best borne to the basest vices Through crafts they make the boldest courage blind Disliking highly valiant enterprices And praysing vilely villanous deuices These make the Bore a Hog the Bull an Oxe The Swan a Goose the Lion a Wolfe or Foxe The Lawyer Catesby and his craftie feeres A rout that nere did good in any reame Are they that had transform'd these noble peeres They turn'd their blood to melancholike fleumes Their courage hault to cowardife extreame Their force and manhood into fraud and malice Their wit to wiles stout Hector into Paris These glauerers gone my selfe to rest I laid And doubting nothing soundly fell a sleepe But suddenly my seruants sore afraid Awaked me and drawing sighes full deepe Alas quoth one my Lord we are betrai'd How so quoth I the Dukes are gone their waies Th' haue bar'd the gates and borne away the kaies While he thus spake there came into my mind This fearefull dreame whereout I waked was I saw a riuer stopt with stormes of winde Where through a Swan a Bull and Bore did passe Franching the fish and frie with teeth of brasse The riuer dri'd vp saue a little streame Which at the last did water all the Reame Me thought this streame did drowne the cruell Bore In little space it grew so deepe and brode But he had kill'd the Bull and Swan before Besides all this I saw an vglie Tode Crale toward me on which me thought I trode But what became of her or what of mee My sudden waking would not let me see These dreames considered with this sudden newes So diuers from their doings ouer night Did cause me not a little for to muse I blest me rose in all the hast I might By this Aurora spred abroad the light Which from the ends of Phoebus beames he tooke Who then the Bulles chiefe gallery forsooke When I had open'd the window to looke out There might I see the streets each where beset My Inne on each side compassed about With armed watchmen all escapes to let Thus had these Neroes caught me in their net But to what end I could not throughly ghesse Such was my plainnes such their doublenesse My conscience was so cleare I could not doubt Their deadly drift which lesse apparant lay Because they caus'd their men returne the rout That rode toward Stonystratford as they say Because the Dukes will first be there to day For this thought I they hinder me in iest For guiltlesse minds do easely deeme the best By this the Dukes were come into mine Inne For they were lodged in another by I got me to them thinking it a sinne Within my chamber cowardly to lye And merrily I ask'd my brother why He vs'd me so he sterne in euill sadnes Cried out I arrest thee traytour for thy badnes How so quoth I whence riseth your suspicion Thou art a traytour quoth he I thee arrest Arrest quoth I why where is your commission He drew his weapon so did all the rest Crying yeeld thee traytour I so sore distrest Made no resistande but was sent to ward None saue their seruants signed to my gard This done they sped him to the King in post And after humble reuerence to him done They trayterously began to rule the rost They pickt a quarell to my sisters son Lord Richard Gray the King would not be won T' agree to them yet they against all reason Arrested him they said for hainous treason Sir Thomas Vaughan and Sir Richard Hault Two worthie Knights were likewise apprehended These all were guiltie in one kind of fault They would not like the practise then pretended And seeing the King was herewith sore offended Backe to Northampton they brought him againe And thence discharged most part of his traine There loe Duke Richard made himselfe Protector Of King and Realme by open proclamation Though neither King nor Queene were his elector Thus he presum'd by lawlesse vsurpation But will you see his deepe dissimulation He sent me a dish of dainties from his bord That day and with it this false friendly word Commend me to him all things shall be weil I am his friend bid him be of good cheere These newes I prayed the messenger go tell My Nephew Richard whom I lou'd full deere But what he ment by well now shall you heere He thought it well to haue vs quickly murdred Which not long after thorowly he furdred For straight from thence we closely were conueied From iayle to iayle Northward we wist not whither Where after a while we had in sunder staied At last we met at Pomfret all together Sir Richard Ratcliffe bade vs welcome thither Who openly all law and right contemned
happinesse At that they only fish with Fortunes hooke Ambition will not wisdomes counsell brooke Pride sets her thoughts on things that vade away Forsaking vertue which doth nere decay Mens vaine delights are wondrous to behold For that that reason nils nor nature sowes They take in hand on science far too bold Deceiu'd by suttle snares of diuelish showes From which attempts a floud of mischiefe flowes An heape of hurts a frie of foule decaies A flocke of feares and thrals a thousand waies If that the water fish forsake the streame Against his kind feeles he no hurt ensues Or if the brocke would learne to play the breame And leaue the lambes at land were this no newes A fethered fowle in th' earth a den to chuse Or flounder say to flie the larke to catch We might admire what monsters time did hatch But sith we see that nature hath assign'd The fowle to flie the aire as seemeth well The fish to swim the sea as fits his kind The earth for men and beasts to breed and dwell Of right a man which doth the rest excell Should euen so far surpasse in his degree As all the rest in wisdome weaker bee All this I speake to warne the rest that heare And eke to shew the blindnesse of delites Herein my folly vaine may plaine appeare What hap they heape which trie out cunning slights What hurt there hits at such vaine shewes and sights Where men for pleasure only take much paine To alter natures gifts for pleasure vaine Were not it strange thinke you a King to flie To play the tombler or some iugling cast To dresse himselfe in plumes as erst did I And vnder armes to knit on wings full fast A sport you thinke that might the wise agast But Magicke arte had taught me points of skill Which in the end did proue my future ill I deckt my corps with plumes I say and wings And had them set thou seest in skilfull wise With many feats fine poyseing equall things To aide my selfe in flight to fall or rise Few men did euer vse like enterprise Gainst store of wind by practise rise I could And turne and winde at last which way I would But ere the perfect skill I learned had And yet me thought I could do passing well My subiects hearts with pleasant toyes to glad From Temples top where did Apollo dwell I sayd to flie but on the Church I fell And in the fall I lost my life withall This was my race this was my fatall fall What vainer thing could any Prince deuise Then so himselfe a foolish fowle to show Learne you by me that count your selues so wise The worst to doubt of things what ere you know Flie not so high for feare you fall so low Be wise in artes exceed not wisdomes bound The depth of arte by wit may not be found These curious artes allurements haue alone They profer much in recompence of paine But yet among'st a thousand scarce is one In practise ought by them can saue or gaine In their effects they are but false and vaine Sophisticall deceitfull and vntrue That nothing haue yet promise all to you I speake not of the rest that are in vse Amongst the wiser sort Philosophie Nor of the parts thereof but of th' abuse That comes by magicke artes of Imagerie By vile inchauntments charmes and parnpestrie All which by nature are abhor'd as euill Practisde by fooles inuented by the diuell To make an end you noble Kings content Your selues with studies seruing for the State You Lords also with all your wits inuent What way t' eschew the Prince and peoples hate Yee Subiects loue your Prince eschew debate I wish you all beware of climing high Lest that you helpelesse fall as erst did I. HOW QVEENE CORDILA IN DESPAIRE SLEW her selfe the yeare before Christ 800. IF any wofull wight haue cause to waile her woe Or griefes are past do pricke vs Princes tell our fall My selfe likewise must needs constrained eke do so And shew my like misfortunes and mishaps withall Should I keepe close my heauie haps and thrall Then did I wrong I wrong'd my selfe and thee Which of my facts a witnesse true maistbee A woman yet must blush when bashfull is the case Though truth bid tell the tale and storie as it fell But sith that I mislike not audience time nor place Therefore I cannot keepe my woes in counsell well * No greater ease of heart then griefes to tell It daunteth all the dolours of our mind Our carefull hearts thereby great comfort find For why to tell that may recounted be againe And tell it as our cares may compasse ease That is the salue and med'cine of our paine Which cureth corsies all and sores of our disease It doth our pinching pangs and paines appease It pleads the part of an assured friend And telles the trade like vices to amend Therefore if I more willing be to tell my fall With my mishaps to ease my burdened breast and mind Some others haplie may auoid and shunne the thrall And thereby for distresse more aide and comfort find They keeping measure whereas I declin'd May be as prompt to flie like brute and blame As I to tell or thou to write the same Wherefore if thou wilt afterwards record What Queene Cordila telles to ease her inward smart I will recite my storie tragicall each word To thee that giu'st an eare and readie art But lest I set the horse behind the cart I mind to tell each thing in order so As thou maist see and shew whence sprang my woe My grandsire Bladud hight that found the bathes by skill A fethered King that practisde high to soare Whereby he felt the fall God wot against his will And neuer went road raign'd nor spake nor flew no more After whose death my father Leire therefore Was chosen King by right apparent heire Which after built the towne of Leircestere He had three daughters faire the first hight Gonerell Next after her his yonger Ragan was begot The third and last was I the yongest nam'd Cordell Vs all our father Leire did loue too well God wot But minding her that lou'd him best to note Because he had no sonne t' enioy his land He thought to guerdon most where fauour most he fand What though I yongest were yet men me iudg'd more wise Then either Gonerell or Ragan more of age And fairer farre wherefore my sisters did despise My grace and gifts and sought my wrecke to wage But yet though vice on vertue die with rage It cannot keepe her vnderneath to drowne For still she flittes aboue and reapes renowne My father thought to wed vs vnto Princely peeres And vnto them and theirs diuide and part the land For both my sisters first he call'd as first their yeares Requir'd their minds and loue and fauour t' vnderstand Quoth he all doubts of dutie to aband I must assay your friendly faithes to proue My daughters tell me how you
made me Duke of Northfolke for my labour But see how pride and enuy iointly runne Because my Prince did more than me prefer Sir Henry Bolenbroke the eldest sonne Of Iohn of Gaunt the Duke of Lancaster Proud I that would alone be blasing starre Enuide this Duke for nought saue that the shine Of his deserts did glister more then mine To th' end therefore his light should be the lesse I slily sought all shifts to put him out But as the poize that would the palme represse Doth cause the bowes spred larger round about So spite and enuy causeth glory sprout And aye the more the top is ouertrod The deeper doth the sound roote spred abrode For when this Henry Duke of Herford saw What spoile the King made of the noble bloud And that without all Iustice cause or lawe To suffer him he thought not sure nor good Wherefore to me twofaced in one hood As touching this he fully brake his minde As to his friend that should remedy finde But I although I knew my Prince did ill So that my harte abhorred sore the same Yet mischiefe so through malice led my will To bring this Duke from honour vnto shame And toward my selfe my soueraigne to enflame That I bewraied his word vnto the King Not as a read but as a hainous thing Thus where my duty bound me to haue told My Prince his fault and wild him to refraine Through flattery loe I did his ill vphold Which turnd at length both him and me to paine Woe woe to Kings whose counsailours doe faine Woe woe to Realmes where such are put in trust As leaue the Law to serue the Princes lust And woe to him that by his flattering reed Maintaines a Prince in any kind of vice Woe worth him eke for enuy pride or meed That misreports an honest enterprise Because I beast in all these points was nice The plagues of all together on me light And due for ill ill doers doth acquite For when the Duke was charged with my plaint He flat denied that any part was true And claimd by armes to answere his attaint And I by vse that warlike feates well knew To his desire incontinently drew Wherewith the King did seeme right well content As one that past not much with whom it went At time and place appointed we appeard At all points armd to proue our quarels iust And when our friends on each part had vs cheard And that the Heralds bad vs doe our lust With speare in rest we tooke a course to iust But ere our horses had run halfe their way A shout was made the King commanded stay And for t' auoid the sheading of our bloud With shame and death which one must needes haue had The King through counsaile of the Lords thought good To banish both which iudgment straight was rad No maruell then though both were wroth and sad But chiefly I that was exilde for aye My enmie strang'd but for a ten yeares day The date expir'd when by this dolefull dome I should depart to liue in banisht band On paine of death to England not to come I went my way the King seasde in his hand Mine offices my honours goods and land To pay the due as openly he told Of mighty summes which I had from him pol'd See Baldwine see the solary of sinne Marke with that meed vile vices are rewarded Through enuy I did lose both kith and kinne And for my flattering plaint so well regarded Exile and shame are iustly me awarded My wife and heire lacke lands and lawfull right And me their Lord made Dame Dianaes Knight If these mishaps at home bee not enough Adioine to them my sorowes in exile I went to Almaine first a Land right rough In which I found such churlish folke and vile As made me lothe my life ech other while There lo I learnd what is to be a gest Abroad and what to liue at home in rest For they esteeme no one man more then each They vse as well the lackey as the Lord And like their maners churlish in their speech Their lodging hard their boord to be abhor'd Their pleyted garments therewith well accord All iag'd and frounst with diuers colours deckt They sweare they curse and drinke till they be fleckt They hate all such as these their manners hate Which reason would no wise man should allow With these I dwelt lamenting mine estate Till at the length they had got knowledge how I was exil'd because I did auow A false complaint against my trustie friend For which they nam'd me traytour still vnhend That what for shame and what for wearines I stole from thence and went to Venice towne Whereas I found more ease and friendlines But greater griefe for now the great renowne Of Bolenbroke whom I would haue put downe Was waxt so great in Britaine and in France That Vencie through each man did him aduance Thus loe his glorie grew through great despite And I thereby encreased in defame Thus enuie euer doth her most acquite With trouble anguish sorow smart and shame But sets the vertues of her foe in flame Like water waues which clense the muddie stone And soyles themselues by beating thereupon Or ere I had soiourn'd there a yeare Strange tidings came he was to England gone Had tane the King and that which touch'd him neare Imprisoned him with other of his fone And made him yeeld him vp his Crowne and throne When I these things for true by search had tried Griefe gripte me so I pin'd away and died Note heere the end of pride see flatteries fine Marke the reward of enuie and complaint And warne all people from them to decline Lest likely fault do find the like attaint Let this my life to them be a restraint By others harmes who listeth take no heed Shall by his owne learne other better reed T. Churchyard HOW KING RICHARD THE SECOND WAS FOR HIS euill gouernance deposed from his seate in the yeare 1399. and murdered in prison the yeare following HAppie is the Prince that hath in wealth the grace To follow vertue keeping vices vnder But woe to him whose will hath wisdomes place For whoso renteth right and law asunder On him at length all the world shall wonder High birth choice fortune force nor Princely mace Can warrant King or Keyser from the case Behold my hap see how the silly rout On me do gaze and each to other say See where he lieth but late that was so stout Lo how the power the pride and rich aray Of mightie Rulers lightly fade away The King which erst kept all the Realme in doubt The veriest rascall now dare checke and flout Me thinke I heare the people thus deuise Wherefore Baldwine sith thou wilt declare How Princes fell to make the liuing wise My lawlesse life in no point see thou spare But paint it out that Rulers may beware Good counsell law or vertue to despise For Realmes haue rules and Rulers haue a sise
the miners lap For I Lord Richard heire Plantagenet Was Earle of Cambridge and right fortunate If I had had the grace my wit to set To haue content me with mine owne estate But O false honors breeders of debate The loue of you our leaud hearts doth allure To lose our selues by seeking you vnsure Because my brother Edmund Mortimer Whose eldest sister was my wedded wife I meane that Edmund that was prisoner In Wales so long through Owens busie strife Because I say that after Edmunds life His rights and titles must by law be mine For he ne had nor could encrease his line Because the right of Realme and Crowne was ours I searched meanes to helpe him thereunto And where the Henries held it by their powers I sought a shift their tenures to vndoe Which being force sith force or sleight must doe I void of might because their power was strong Set priuie fleight against their open wrong But sith the death of most part of my kin Did dash my hope throughout the fathers daies I let it slip and thought it best begin When as the sonne should dread least such assayes For force through speed sleight speedeth through delayes And seeld doth treason time so fitly find As when all dangers most be out of mind Wherefore while Henrie of that name the fist Prepar'd his armie to go conquer France Lord Scroope and I thought to attempt a drift To put him downe my brother to aduance But wer 't Gods will my lucke or his good chance The King wist wholly whereabout we went The night before to shipward he him bent Then were we straight as traytours apprehended Our purpose spi'd the cause thereof was hid And therefore loe a false cause we pretended Where through my brother was from danger rid We said for hire of French Kings coine we did Behight to kill the King and thus with shame We stain'd our selues to saue our friend from blame When we had thus confest so foule a treason That we deseru'd we suffered by the law See Baldwine see and note as it is reason How wicked deeds to wofull ends do draw All force doth faile no craft is worth a straw To attaine things lost and therefore let them go For might rules right and will though truth say no. W. Baldwine HOW THOMAS MONTAGVE EARLE OF SALISBVrie in the middest of his glorie was chanceably slaine at Orleaunce with a piece of Ordinance the third of Nouember Anno Dom. 1428. WHat fooles be we to trust vnto our strength Our wit our courage or our noble fame Which time it selfe must needs deuour at length Though froward Fortune could not foile the same But seeing this Goddesse guideth all the game Which still to change doth set her only lust Why toile we so for things so hard to trust A goodly thing we deeme of good report Which noble hearts do seeke by course of kind But seeing the date so doubtfull and so short The way so rough whereby we do it find I cannot chuse but praise the Princely mind That preaseth for it though we find opprest By foule defame those that deserue it best Concerning whom marke Baldwine what I say I meane the vertuous hindred of their brute Among which number recken well I may My valiant father Iohn Lord Montacute Who lost his life I iudge through iust pursute I say the cause and not the casuall speed Is to be waighed in euery kind of deed This rule obseru'd how many shall we find For vertues sake with infamie opprest How some againe through helpe of Fortune blind For ill attempts atchieu'd with honor blest Successe is worst oft times when cause is best Therefore say I God send them sory haps That iudge the causes by their afterclaps The end indeed is Iudge of euery thing Which is the cause or latter point of time The first true verdict at the first may bring The last is slow or slipper as the slime Oft changing names of innocence and crime Duke Thomas death was Iustice two yeares long And euer since sore tyrannie and wrong Wherefore I pray thee Baldwine weigh the cause And praise my father as he doth deserue Because Earle Henry King against all lawes Endeuoured King Richard for to starue In iayle wherby the regall Crowne might swarue Out of the line to which it then was due Whereby God knowes what euill might ensue My Lord Iohn Holland Duke of Excester Which was deare cosin to this wretched King Did moue my Sire and th' Earle of Glocester With other Lords to ponder well the thing Who seeing the mischiefe that began to spring Did all consent this Henry to depose And to restore King Richard to the Rose And while they did deuise a prety traine Whereby to bring their purpose well about Which was in maske this Henry to haue slaine The Duke of Aumerle blew their counsaile out Yet was their purpose good there is no doubt What cause can be more worthy for a Knight Than saue his King and helpe true heires to right For this with them my father was destroid And buried in the dunghill of defame Thus euill chance their glory did auoid Whereas their cause doth claime eternall fame When deeds therefore vnluckily doe frame Men ought not iudge the authors to be naught For right through might is often ouerraught And God doth suffer that it should be so But why my wit is feeble to decise Except it be to heape vp wrath and we On wicked heads that iniuries deuise The cause why mischiefs many times arise And light on them that would mens wrongs redresse Is for the rancour that they beare I gesse God hateth rigour though it further right For sinne is sinne how euer it be vsed And therefore suffereth shame and death to light To punish vice though it bee well abused Who furthereth right is not therby excused If through the same he doe some other wrong To euery vice due guerdon doth belong What preach I now I am a man of warre And that my lims I dare say doth professe Of cured wounds beset with many a skarre My broken iaw vnheald can say no lesse O Fortune Fortune cause of all distresse My father had great cause thy fraud to curse But much more I abused ten times worse Thou neuer flatteredst him in all thy life But me thou dandledst like thy darling deare Thy gifts I found in euery corner rife Where ere I went I met thy smiling cheare Which was not for a day or for a yeare But through the raigne of three right worthy Kings I found thee forward in all kind of things The while King Henry conquered in France I sued the warres and still found victory In all assaults so happy was my chance Holds yeeld or won did make my enemies sory Dame Prudence eke augmented so my glory That in all treaties euer I was one When weighty matters were agreed vpon But when this King this mightie conquerour Through death vnripe was both
are neare to cause that doth them shoue So soonest fall from that their highest extreame To th' other contrarie that doth want of meane So laughed he erst who laughed out his breath So laughed I when I laugh'd my selfe to death The pleasing'st meanes bode not the luckiest ends Not aye found treasure to like pleasure tends Mirth meanes not mirth all time thrice happie hire Of wit to shun the excesse that all desire But this I passe I hie to other like My palfrey in the plainest paued streete Thrice bowed his bones thrice kneeled on the flower Thrice shun'd as Balams asse the dreaded Tower What should thinke he had sense of after haps As beasts foreshow the drought or rainie drops As humours in them want or else abound By influence from the heauens or change of ground Or do we interpret by successe each signe And as we fancie of each hap diuine And make that cause that kin is to th' effect Not hauing ought of conse quence respect Bucephalus kneeling only to his Lord Shewed only he was Monarch of the world Why may not then the steed foreshew by fall What casuall hap the sitter happen shall Darius horse by braying brought a Realme And what letteth why he ne is as the asse Gods meane By speaking signe to shew his hap to come Who is dease hearer of his speaking dome But forward yet In Tower-street I stai'd Where could I haue seene loe Haward all bewrai'd For as I commond with a Priest I met Away my Lord quoth he your time is ne yet To take a Priest Lo Sinon might be seene Had not the Troians hares foolish forthright eyen But since the time was come that I should die Some grace it was to die with wimpled eye Nay was this all For euen at Tower-wharfe Neere to those walles within the which I starfe Where erst in sorow soust and deepe distresse I emparted all my pining pensiuenesse With Hastings so my Purseuant men call Euen there the same to meete it did me fall Who gan to me most dolefully renue The wofull conference had erst in that lieu Hastings quoth I according now they fare At Pomfret this day dying who caus'd that care My selfe haue all the world at my will With pleasures cloyed engorged with the fill God grant it so quoth he why doubtest thou tho Quoth I and all in chafe to him gan shew In ample wise our drift with tedious tale And entred so the Tower to my bale What should we thinke of srignes They are but haps How may they then be signes of afterclaps Doth euery chance foreshew or cause some other Or ending at it selfe extend'th no further As th' ouer flowing floud some mount doth choake But to his aide some other floud it yoake So if with signes thy sinnes once ioyne beware Else whereto chances tend do neuer care Had not my sinne deserued my death as wreake What might my mirth haue hurt or horses becke Or Hawards bitter scoffe or Hastings talke What meane then foole Astrologers to calke That twinckling starres fling downe the fixed fate And all is guided by the starrie state Perdy a certaine charge assign'd they haue To shine and times diuide not fate to graue But grant they somewhat giue it at one instant Of euery babe the birth in heauen so scand That they that restlesse roll and neuer stay Should in his life beare yet so violent sway That not his actions only next to birth But all his life and death he swayed therewith How may one motion make so sundrie affects Or one impression tend to such respects Some rule there is yet Else why were defer'd Till now these plagues so long ere now deseru'd If for they are trifles they ne seeme of care But toyes with God the stately scepters are Yet in them too plaine doth appeare foreset The certaine rule and fatall limits set Yet thinke we not this sure foresetting fate But Gods fast prouidence for each princely state And hath he erst restrain'd his prouidence Or is he nigard of his free dispence Or is he vncertaine foreset drifts to driue That not dame Chance but he all goods may giue A heathen god they hold whom Fortune keepe To deale them haps while god they weene asleepe Mocke-gods they are and many gods induce Who fortune faine to father their abuse How so it be it might haue warned me But what I could not that in me see ye Who run in race the honor like to win Whose fairest forme nought may deforme but sin Alas when most I did defie all dread By single haire deaths sword hung ouer my head For hearke the end and listen now my fall This is the last and this the fruit of all To Counsell chamber come a while we staid For him without whom nought was done or said At last he came and courteously excused That he so long our patience had abused And pleasantly began to paint his cheere And said My Lord of Elie would we had heere Some of the strawberries whereof you haue store The last delighted me so as nothing more Would what so you wish I might as well command My Lord quoth he as those And out of hand His seruant sendeth to Ely place for them Out goeth from vs the restlesse diuell againe Belike I thinke scarce yet perswaded full To worke the mischiefe that did mad his scull At last determin'd of his bloodie thought And force ordain'd to worke the wile he sought Frowning he enters with so changed cheare As for milde May had chopped foule Ianuere And lowring on me with the goggle eye The whetted tuske and fur'wed forehead hie His crooked shoulder bristlelike set vp With frothie iawes whose fome he chaw'd and sup'd With angrie lookes that flamed as the fire Thus gan at last to grunt the grimmest fire What merit they whom me the kingdomes stay Contriued haue counsell trayterously to slay Abashed all sate I thought I might be bold For conscience clearenesse and acquaintance old Their hire is plaine quoth I Be death the least To whoso seeketh your grace so to molest Withouten stay the Queene and the whore Shores wife By witchcraft quoth he seeke to waste my life Lo heere the withered and be witched arme That thus is spent by those two Sorceresse charme And bared his arme and shewed his swinish skin Such cloakes they vse that seeke to cloud their sin But out alas it serueth not for the raine To all the house the colour was too plaine Nature had giuen him many a maimed marke And it amongst to note her monstruous warke My doubtfull heart distracted this replie For th' one I cared not th' other nipt so nie That whist I could not but forthwith brake forth If so it be of death they are doubtlesse worth If traytour quoth he plai'st thou with ifs and ands I le on thy bodie auow it with these hands And there withall he mightly bounced the bord In rush'd his bil-men one himselfe bestird Laying
at Lord Stanley whose braine he had surely cleft Had he not downe beneath the table crept But Ely Yorke and I were taken straight Imprisoned they I should no longer wait But charged was to shriue me and shift with hast My Lord must dine and now midday was past The Bores first dish not the bores head should be But Hastings head the borish beast would see VVhy stay I his dinner vnto the chappel ioineth A greenish hil that body and soule oft twineth There on a blocke my head was stricken off As Baptists head for Herod bloudy gnoffe Thus liu'd I Baldwine thus dide I thus I fel This is the summe which al at large to tel VVould volumes fil whence yet these lessons note Ye noble Lords to learne and ken by rote By filthie rising feare your names to staine If not for vertues loue for dread of paine VVhom so the mindes vnquiet state vpheaues Be it for loue or feare when fancie reaues Reason her right by mocking of the wit If once the cause of this affection flit Reason preuailing on the vubridled thought Downe falth he who by fancie climbe aloft So hath the riser foule no staie from fall No not of those that raisd him first of all His suretie stands in mainteining the cause That heau'd him first which rest by reasons sawes Not onely falth he to his former state But liueth for euer in his princes hate And marke my Lords God for adulterie sleath Though ye it thinke too sweete a sinne for death Serue trulie your Prince and feare not rebels might On Princes halues the mightie God doth fight O much more then forsweare a forrein foe Who seeketh your realme and country to vndo Murther detest haue hands vnstaind with bloud Aie with your succour do protect the good Chace treason where trust should be wed to your frend Your heart and power to your liues last end Flie tickle credit shun alike distrust Too true it is and credit it you must The iealous nature wanteth no stormie strife The simple soule aye leadeth a sower life Beware of flatterers friends in outward show Best is of such to make your open foe What all men seeke that all men seeke to saine Some such to be some such to seeme them paine Marke Gods iust iudgements punishing sin by sinne And slipperie state wherein aloft we swimme The prouerbe all day vp if we ne fall Agreeth well to vs high heaued worldlings all From common sort vprais'd in honors weed We shine while Fortune false whom none erst feed To stand with stay and forsweare ticklenesse Sowseth vs in mire of durtie brittlenesse And learne ye Princes by my wronged sprite Not to misconster what is meant aright The winged words too oft preuent the wit When silence ceaseth afore the lips to sit Alas what may the words yeeld worthie death The words worst is the speakers stinking breath Words are but winde why cost they then so much The guiltie kicke when they too smartly touch Forth irreturnable flieth the spoken word Be it in scoffe in earnest or in bourd Without returne and vnreceiu'd it hangs And at the takers mercie or rigour stands Which if he sowerly wrest with wrathfull cheare The shiuering word turnes to the speakers feare If friendly courtefie do the word expound To the speakers comfort sweetly it doth redound Euen as the vapour which the fire repels Turnes not to earth but in mid aire dwels Where while it hangeth if Boreas frostie flawes With rigour rattle it not to raine it thawes But thunder lightnings ratling haile or snow Sends downe to earth whence first it rose below But if faire Phoebus with his countenance sweete Resolue it downe the dew or Manna sleete The Manna dew that in the Easterne lands Excell'th the labour of the bees small hands Else for her Memnon gray Auroras teares On the earth it stilleth the partener of her feares Or sendeth sweet showers to glad their mother earth Whence first they tooke their first inconstant birth To so great griefes ill taken words do grow Of words well taken such delights do flow This learned thus be heere at length an end What since ensued to thee I will commend Now farewell Baldwine shield my torne name From slanderous trumpe of blasting blacke defame But ere I part hereof thou record beare I claime no part of vertues reckoned heere My vice my selfe but God my vertues take So hence depart I as I entred nak'd Thus ended Hastings both his life and tale Containing all his worldly blisse and bale Happie he liued too happie but for sinne Happie he died whom right his death did bring Thus euer happie For there is no meane Twixt blissefull liues and mortall deaths extreame Yet feared not his foes to staine his name And by these slanders to procure his shame In rustie armour as in extreame shift They clad themselues to cloake their diuellish drift And forth with for substantiall citizens sent Declaring to them Hastings forged intent Was to haue slaine the Duke and to haue seised The Kings yong person slaying whom he had pleas'd But God of Iustice had withturn'd that fate Which where it ought light on his proper pate Then practised they by proclamation spread Nought to forget that mought defame him dead Which was so curious and so clerkely pend So long withall that when some did attend His death so yong they saw that long before The shroud was shaped then babe to die was bore So wonteth God to blind the worldly wise That not to see that all the world espies One hearing it cried out A goodly cast And well contriued foule cast away for hast Whereto another gan in scoffe replie First pend it was by enspiring prophecie So can God rip vp secret mischiefes wrought To the confusion of the workers thought My Lords the tub that dround the Clarence Duke Dround not his death not yet his deaths rebuke Your politique secrets gard with trustie loyaltie So shall they lurke in most assured secrecie By Hastings death and after fame ye learne The earth for murder crieth out vengeance sterne Flie from his faults and spare to hurt his fame The eager hounds forbeare their slaine game Dead dead auaunt Curs from the conquered chase Ill might he liue who loueth the dead to race Thus liued this Lord thus died he thus he slept Mids forward race when first to rest he stept Enuious death that bounceth as well with mace At Kesars courts as at the poorest gates When nature seem'd too slow by this sloape meane Conueighed him sooner to his liues extreame Happie in preuenting woes that after happ'd In slumber sweete his liuing lights he lapp'd Whose hastie death if it do any grieue Know he he liu'd to die and dide to liue Vntimely neuer comes the liues last met In cradle death may rightly claime his det Straight after birth due is the fatall beere By deaths permission the aged linger heere Euen in the swathbands out commission goeth To
French King erst that fled To Poyssy where he lay with Lords of French renowne Before which towne the Duke his noble armie led The French King durst not out of Poyssy put his head And yet there came to skirmish out French gentlemen Of which some slaine foure tane the rest retir'd agen The Duke to bid him battell did pretend If he could there encounter with him tho But forth againe he durst not come nor send For feare he should receiue the foile and ouerthro On which the Duke dislodg'd departing Poyssy fro To Maunt and Roane from thence his grace did hie T' appease the broiles of strife in Normandie But then the French King calling vnto mind his losse His charges in the siege his bastiles trenches made How erst we did them thence sans bag and bagage tosse Eke how from siege he durst not stay the store to lade And how their Fortunes oft in fight went retrograde How neighbours ill to Paris we of Pontoise were He cast aside his French and fainting feare The rather yet for why Parisiens aye did raile They said he wanted courage good he durst not fight He lackt no souldiers good his feeble heart did faile Le Roy quoth they du France les Anglois point nennit Le Roy ne ose pas pour Pontoise faire pour suit Le Roy est Lourd sans cueur car peu de gens Fait nostre Roy pais faire grande dispens On this King Charles return'd with mightie host To vindicate this great reproch and shame And vnto Pontoise gaue assault in post Full hotly when we feared least the same Whereon to fight against him all our force we frame But number great at th' entrie got such hand We could not forth againe their force aband VVith trumpets sounding tan tan-tar'aloud The larum bell we rung our selues to trie dispose To make them pay the price of our distresse we vow'd Before we would possession got of Pontoise lose In euery street we met the strength of all our foes And made them passe by deadly dint away VVhich ventured first our English mates to slay VVhy now my friends for England fight I cri'd If euer English hearts your noble brests possest I promise you to make them flinch if I may bide Mates follow me Amongst my foes I rusht before the rest O heere come on quoth I now fight we for the best And therewithall I vs'd such courage force and might As made my foes to fall and souldiers fitly fight If we do leese quoth I the French men shall not gaine So if we win t is worth the while to keepe array If ye stand stifly to 't wee le make them peaze the paine And leade with losse of liuely limbes the laud away Although they fiercely fight in hope vs all to slay Loe sixe to one they fall and dead they lie We English men in triumph fight and honor die With bloodie broiles of warre the haplesse towne did smoke The children saw their fathers deare to bleed their last The wiues be wailed much the fatall stroke Which forst their husbands bleed fall die so fast Helas the women cri'd the wofull streets that past When so they saw the channels bloodie streame What plague is this that pesters so our Reame Is no remorce of life but kill kill kill he lasse Kill kill the English ctie and valiantly they fight What hap had we to see these mischiefes come to passe Helas le sang de nous amis la mort helas The maidens crie the widowes waile and aged mourne With wringing hands vplift and wish themselues vnborne Of vs one thousand English men within the towne Sustain'd the force the powre and puissance of their King And of the French that fought we beate three thousand downe We slew no lesse for all the number he did bring If this vntrue shall seeme disere dit mine to ring A French Historian writing for themselues shall say Three thousand French men there were slaine that day Foure hundred English men that time were slaine in fight My selfe was one with losse they wan the towne perdie But if I might haue liu'd t' haue tri'd our right With one for euery seuen by ods as we did die I doubt not so the rest would done their parts as I. But that King Charles his Lords nor all his men Should scarce haue tane the towne of Pontoise then VVhat need I more debate of these things here In England was the fault though we did feele the smart VVhile they at home at bate and strife for honors were They lost abroad of Normandie the greater part To thinke on this torments againe my wounded hart That Lords at home should striue about the name And lose abroad their countries weale and fame Let English Peeres abandon such contentious strife It hurts the publike weale decayes the State It reaues the yeares too soone of longer life It frets the brest with rust of baend debate It giues the checke to him that giues the mate Then thus I end that wight of all is blest VVhich liues in loue with God his Prince and countrie best So Higins if thou write how this my fall befell Place it in Baldwines Mirrour with the rest From crazed scull sith heere my mind I tell Sith bleeding heart these rufull rimes exprest This mangled tale beseemes my person best Do so quoth he and let it passe euen thus Viuit quoth I post funer a virtus Iohn Higins HOW SHORES WIFE KING EDWARD THE FOVRTHS CONCVBINE WAS by King Richard despoiled of all her goods and forced to doe open penance AMong the rest by Fortune ouerthrowne I am not least that most may waile her fate My fame and brute abroad the world is blowne VVho can forget a thing thus done so late My great mischance my fall and heauie state Is such a marke whereat each tongue doth shoot That my good name is pluckt vp by the root This wandring world bewitched me with wiles And won my wits with wanton sugred ioyes In Fortunes frekes who trusts her when she smiles Shall find her false and full of fickle toyes Her triumphes all but fill our eares with noise Her flattring gifts are pleasures mixt with paine Yea all her words are thunders threatning raine The fond desire that we in glorie set Doth thirle our hearts to hope in slipper hap A blast of pompe is all the fruit we get And vnder that lies hid a sudden clap In seeking rest vnwares we fall in trap In groping flowres with nettles stung we are In labring long we reape the crop of care Oh darke deceit with painted face for sho Oh poisned bait that makes vs eager still Oh fained friend deceiuing people so Oh world of thee we cannot speake too ill Yet fooles we are that bend so to thy skill The plague and scourge that thousands daily feele Should warne the wise to shun thy whirling wheele But who can stop the streame that runnes full swift Or quench the