our father won before Nor leaue our sonne a sword to conquer more Thus but in vaine we fondly do resist Where power can doe euen all things as it list And with vniust men to debate of lawes Is to giue power to hurt a rightfull cause Whilst Parlements must still redresse their wrongs And we must starue for what to vs belongs Our wealth but fuell to their fond excesse And we must fast to feast their wantonnesse Think'st thou our wrongs then insufficient are To moue our brother to religious warre And if they were yet Edward doth detaine Homage for Pontiu Guyne and Aquytaine And if not that yet hath he broke the truce Thus all accurre to put backe all excuse The sisters wrong ioynde with the brothers right Me thinks might vrge him in this cause to fight Be all those people sencelesse of our harmes Which for our Country ought haue manag'd armes Is the braue Normans courage now forgot Or the bold Brittaines lost the vse of shot The big-bonde Almaines and stowt Brabanders Their warlike Pikes and sharpe-edg'd Semiters Or do the Pickards let their Crosse-bowes lie Once like the Centaurs of old Thessalie Or if a valiant Leader be their lacke Where thou art present who should driue them back I doe coniure thee by what is most deere By that great name of famous Mortimer By antient Wigmors honourable crâ—st The tombes where all thy famous grand-sires rest Or if than these what more may thee approue Euen by those vowes of thy vnfained loue That thy great hopes may moue the Christian King By forraigne armes some comfort yet to bring To curbe the power of traitors that rebell Against the right of princely Isabell Vaine witlesle woman why should I desire To adde more heate to thy immortall fire To vrge thee by the violence of hate To shake the pillars of thine owne estate When whatsoeuer we intend to doe To our misfortune euer sorts vnto And nothing else remaines for vs beside But teares and coffins onely to prouide When still so long as Burrough beares that name Time shall not blot out our deserued shame And whilst cleere Trent her wonted course shall keep For our sad fall her christall drops shall weepe All see our ruine on our backes is throwne And to our selues our sorrowes are our owne And Torlton now whose counsell should direct The first of all is slaundred with suspect For dang'rous things dissembled seldome are Which many eyes attend with busie care What should I say My griefes do still renew And but begin when I should bid adiew Few be my words but manifold my woe And still I stay the more I shiue to goe As accents issue forth griefes enter in And where I end me thinks I but begin Till then faire time some greater good affords Take my loues paiment in these ayrie words ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie O how I feard that sleepte drinke I sent Might yet want power to further thine intent MOrtimer being in the Tower and ordaining a feast in honor of his birth-day as he pretended and inuiting there-vnto Sir Stephen Segraue Constable of the Tower with the rest of the officers belonging to the same he gaue them a sleepie drinke prouided him by the Queene by which meanes he got liberue for his escape I steale to Thames as though to take the aire And aske the gentle streame as it doth glide Mortimer being got out of the Tower swamme the riuer of Thames into Kent whereof she hauing intelligence doubteth of his strength to escape by reason of his long imprisonment being almost the space of three yeares Did Bulloyne once a festiuall prepare For England Almaine Cicile and Niuarrâ— Edward Cà rnaruan the first Prince of Wales of the English blood married Isabell daughter of Philip the Faire at Bulloine in the presence of the Kings of Almaine Nauarre and Cicile with the chiefe Nobilitie of France and England which marriage was there solemnized with exceeding pompe and magnificence And in my place vpon his regall throne To set that girle-boy wanton Gaueston Noting the effeminacie and luxurious wantonnesse of Gaueston the Kings Minion his behauiour and attire euer so womanlike to please the eye of his lasciuious Prince That a fowle Witches bastard should thereby It was vrged by the Queene the Nobility in the disgrace of Piers Gauestone that his mother was conuicted of witchcraft and burned for the same and that Piers had bewitched the King Albania Gascoine Cambria Ireland Albania Scotland so called of Albanact the second son of Brutus and Cambria Wales so called of Camber the third sonne the foure Realmes and Countries brought in subiection by Edward Longshanks When of our princely Iewells and our dowers We but enioy the least of what is ours A complaint of the prodigalitie of King Edward giuing vnto Gauestone the jewels and treasure which was left him by the ancient Kings of England and enriching him with the goodly Manor of Wallingford assigned as parcell of the dower to the Queenes of this famous â—le And ioyn'd with the braue issue of our blood Alie our kingdome to their crauand brood Edward the second gaue to Piers Gaueston in marriage the daughtet of Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester begot of the Kings sister lone of Acres married to the said Earle of Glocester Should giue away all that his father won To backe a stranger King Edward offered his right in France to Charles his brother in law and his right in Scotland to Robert Bruse to be aided against the Barrons in the quarrell of Piers Gaueston And did great Edward on his death-bed giue Edward Longshankes on his death-bed at Carlile commanded yong Edward his sonne on his blessing not to call backe Gaueston which for the mis-guiding of the Princes youth was before banished by the whole counsell of the Land That after all this fearefull massaker The fall of Beuchamp Lasy Lancaster Thomas Earle of Lancaster Guy Earle of Warwicke and Henry Earle of Lincolne who had taken their oaths before the deceased King at his death to withstand his sonne Edward if he should call Gaueston froÌ„ exile being a thing which he much feared now seeing Edward to violate his fathers commandement rise in armes against the King which was the cause of the ciuill warre and the ruine of so many Princes And gloried I in Gauestons great fall That now a Spenser should succeede in all The two Hugh Spensers the father the son after the death of Gaueston became the great fauorites of the king the son being created by him lord Chamberlain the father Earl of Winchester And if they were yet Edward doth detaine Homage for Pontiu Guyne and Aquitaine Edward Longshankes did homage for those Citties and Territories to the French King which Edward the second neglecting moued the French King by the subornation of Mortimer to sease those Countries into his hands By antient Wigmors honourable Crest Wigmore in the marches of Wales was the antient
rare perfections wherewith nature and education haue adorned you I haue beene forced since that time to attribute more admiration to your sexe then euer Petrarch could before perswade mee to by the praises of his Laura Sweete is the French tongue more sweete the Italian but most sweete are they both if spoken by your admired selfe If Poesie were praiselesse your vertues alone were a subiect sufficient to make it esteemed though among the barbarous Getes by how much the more your tender yeeres giue scarcely warrant for your more then womanlike wisedome by so much is your iudgement and reading the more to be wondred at The Graces shall haue one more sister by your selfe and England to her selfe shall adde one Muse more to Muses I rest the humble deuoted seruant to my deere and modest Mistresse to whom I wish the happiest fortunes I can deuise Michaell Drayton William de la Pole Duke of Suffolke to Queene Margaret The Argument William de la Pole first Marques and after created Duke of Suffolke being sent into France by King Henry the sixt concluded a marriage betweene the King his Master and Margaret daughter to Rayner Duke of Aniou who onely had the title of the King of Cicily and Ierusalem This marriage being made contrary to the liking of the Lords and Counsell of the Realme by reason of the yeelding vp of Aniou and Maine into the Dukes hands which shortly after proued the losse of all Aquitaine they euer after continually hated the Duke and after by meanes of the Commons banished him at the Parlement at Berry where after he had the iudgement of his exile being then ready to depart hee writeth backe to the Queene this Epistle IN my disgrace deere Queene rest thy content And Margarets health from Suffolkes banishment Not one day seemes fiue yeeres exile to mee But that so soone I must depart from thee Where thou not present it is euer night All be exilde that liue not in thy sight Those Sauages which worship the Sunnes rise Would hate their God if they beheld thine eyes The worlds great light might'st thou be seene abroad Would at our noone-stead neuer make aboad And make the poore Antipodes to mourne Fearing lest he would neuer more returne Wert not for thee it were my great'st exile To liue within this sea-inuirond I le Poles courage brookes not limmitting in bands But that great Queene thy soueraignty commands Our Falcons kinde cannot the cage endure Nor buzzard-like dooth stoope to euery lure Their mounting broode in open ayre doth roue Nor will with Crowes be coop'd within a groue We all do breath vpon this earthly ball Likewise one heauen encompasseth vs all No banishment can be to him assignde Who doth retaine a true resolued minde Man in himselfe a little world doth beare His soule the Monarch euer ruling there Where euer then his body doth remaine He is a King that in himselfe doth raigne And neuer feareth Fortunes hot'st alarmes That beares against her Patience for his Armes This was the meane prowd Warwicke did inuent To my disgrace at Leister Parlement That onely I by yeelding vp of Maine Should be the losse of fertile Aquitaine With the base vulgar sort to win him fame To be the heire of good Duke Humfreys name And so by treason spotting my pure blood Make this a meane to raise the Neuels brood With Salsbury his vile ambitions syre In Yorkes sterne breast kindling long hidden fire By Clarence title working to supplant The Eagle ayrie of great Iohn of Gaunt And to this end did my exile conclude Thereby to please the rascall multitude Vrg'd by these enuious Lords to spend their breath Calling reuenge on the Protectors death That since the old decrepit Duke is dead By me of force he must be murthered If they would know who rob'd him of his life Let him call home Dame Ellinor his wife Who with a taper walked in a sheete To light her shame at noone through London street And let her bring her Negromanticke booke That fowle hag Iordane Hun and Bullenbrooke And let them call the spirits from hell againe To know how Humfrey died and who shall raigne For twenty yeeres and haue I serude in France Against great Charles and bastard Orleance And seene the slaughter of a World of men Victorious now and conquered agen And haue I seene Vernoylas batfull fields Strew'd with ten thousand helms ten thousand shields Where famous Bedford did our fortune try Or France or England for the victory The sad innesting of so many Townes Scorde on my breast in honorable wounds When Mountacute and Talbot of such name Vnder my Ensigne both first won their fame In heate and cold all fortunes haue indurde To rowze the French within their walls immurde Through all my life these perrills haue I past And now to feare a banishment at last Thou knowst how I thy beauty to aduance For thee refusde the infant Queene of France Brake the contract Duke Humfrey first did make Twixt Henry and the Princesse Arminacke Onely sweete Queene thy presence I might gaine I giue Duke Rayner Aniou Mauns and Maine Thy peerelesse beutie for a dower to bring To counterpoize the wealth of Englands King And from Aumerle with-drew my warlike powers And came my selfe in person first to Towers Th' Ambassadors for truce to entertaine From Belgia Denmarke Hungary and Spaine And telling Henry of thy beauties story I taught my tongue a louers Oratory As the report it selfe did so indite And make it ravish teares with such delight And when my speech did cease as telling all My lookes shewde more that was Angelicall And when I breathde againe and pawsed next I left mine eyes dilating on the text Then comming of thy modesty to tell In musickes numbers my voyce rose and fell And when I came to paint thy glorious stile My speech in greater cadences to file By true descent to weare the Diadem Of Naples Cicils and Ierusalem And from the Gods thou didst deriue thy birth If heauenly kinde could ioyne with broode of earth Gracing each title that I did recite With some mellifluous pleasing Epethite Nor left him not till he for loue was sicke Beholding thee in my sweete Rhetoricke A fifteenes taxe in France I freely spent In triumphs at thy nuptiall tournament And solemnizde thy marriage in a gowne Valude at more then was thy fathers Crowne And onely striuing how to honour thee Gaue to my King what thy loue gaue to mee Iudge if his kindenesse haue not power to moue Who for his loues sake gaue away his loue Had he which once the prize to Greece did bring Of whom old Poets long agoe did sing Seene thee for England but imbarqu'd at Deepe Would ouer-boord haue cast his golden sheepe As too vnworthy ballace to be thought To pester roome with such perfection fraught The briny seas which saw the ship enfold thee Would vaut vp to the hatches to behold thee And falling backe themselues in thronging
course eftsoone to bring about That which long since the wiser sort did doubt For whilst the King doth seriously attend His long-hop'd voyage to the Holy-land For which his subiects mighty summes did leud Euen whilst this buisnes onely was in hand All on the suddaine happily doth fall The death of Edward quickely altred all Should I assay his vertues to report To do the honor due vnto his name My meane endeuours should come farre too short And I thereby should greatly wrong the same But leaue it to some sacred Muse to tell Vpon whose life a Poets pen might dwell His princely body scarsly wrapt in lead Before his mournefull obsequies were done But that the Crowne was set on Edwards head With whom too soone my happy daies begunne After blacke night like brightnesse of the day All former sorrowes vanished away When now Carnaruan calls within a while Whom Edward Long-shanks hated to the death He whom the father lately did exile Is to the sonne as precious as his breath What th' old inscrib'd the yonger forth did blot Kings wils perform'd and dead mens words forgot When the winde wafts me to that happy place And soone did set me safely on that shore From whence I seemde but banish'd for a space That my returne might honored be the more Vnto this new King happily to leaue me Whose princely armes were ready to receiue me Who would haue seene how that kinde Roman dame Oâ—e-come with ioy did yeelde her latest breath Hersonne returning laden with such fame When thankfull Rome had mourned for his death Might heere behold her personated right When I approached to the Princes sight My Ioue now Lord of the Ascendant is In an aspect that promisde happy speede Whilst in that luckie influence of his Some praisde the course wherein I did proceede Yet it to some prodigiously appeares Telling the troubles of ensuing yeares When like to Midas all I touch'd was gold Powr'd as t' was once downe into Danaes lap For I obtained any thing I would Fortune had yet so lotted out my hap The chests of great men like to Oceans are To whom all floods by course do still repare The Isle of Man he first vnto me gaue To shew how high I in his grace did stand But fearing me sufficient not to haue I next receiued from his bounteous hand Faire Wallingford that antiently had beene The wealthy dower of many an English Queene The summes his father had beene leuying long By impositions for the warre abroad Other his princely benefits among At once on me he bounteously bestow'd When those which saw how much on me he cast Soone found his wealth sufficed not his waste He giues me then chiefe Secretaries place Thereby to traine me in affaires of state And those high roomes that I did hold to grace Me Earle of Cornwall franckly did create And that in Court he freely might pertake me Of England Lord high Chamberlaine did make me And that he would more strongly me alie To backe me gainst their insolent ambition Doth his faire Cosen vnto me affie A Lady of right vertuous condition which his deare sister prosperously bare To the Earle of Gloster blood-ennobled Clare O sacred bounty mother of content Fautresse and happy nourisher of Arts That giu'st successe to euery high intent The Conquerour of the most noblest harts High grace into mortalitie infused Pitty it is that e're thou wast abused When those that did my banishment procure Still in my bosome hated did abide And they before that could me not endure Are now much more impatient of my pride For emulation euer did attend Vpon the great and shall vnto th' end And into fauour closly working those That from meane places lifted vp by me And factious spirits being fittest to oppose Them that perhaps too powerfull else might be That euen gainst enuie raised by my hand Me must vphold to make themselues to stand And since the frame by fortune so contriu'd To giue protect to my ambitious waies Vrging thereby their hate to me deriu'd From those hie honours 〈◊〉 vpon me layes Drawing the King my courses to pertake Still to maintaine what he himselfe did make Thus doth my youth still exercise extreames My heed fond rashnes to forerunne my fall My wit meere folly and my hopes but dreames My councell serues my selfe but to inthrall That me abused with a vaine illusion When all I did intending my confusion And now the King to hasten his repaire Himselfe by marriage highly to aduance With Isabel a Princesse yong and faire As was her father Philip king of France When now the more to perfect my command Leaues vnto me protection of the land My power confirm'd so absolute withall That I dranke pleasure in a plenteous cup vvhen there was none me to account to call All to my hands so freely rendred vp That earth to me no greater blisse could bring Except to make me greater than a King When being now got as high as I could clime That the vaine world thus bountifully blest Franckly imbrace the benefite of time Fully t' enioy that freely I possest Strongly maintaining he was worse than mad Fondly to spare a Princes wealth that had Their counsells when continually I crosst As scorning their authoritie and blood And in those things concernd their honor 's most In those against them euer most I stoode And things most publique priuately extend To feede my riot that had neuer end When lastly Fortune like a treacherous foe That had so long attended on my fall In the plaine path wherein I was to goe Layes many a baite to traine me on withall Till by her skill she cunningly had brought me Vnto the place where at her will she caught me The mighty busines falling then in hand Triumphs ordain'd to welcome his returne Before the French in honour of the land vvith all my power I labourd to adiourne Till all their charge was lastly ouer throwne vvho likde t' haue seene no glory but mine owne Thus euery thing me forward still doth set Euen as an engine forcing by the slight One mischiefe thus a second doth beget And that doth leade th' other but to right Yet euery one himselfe employing wholy In their iust course to prosecute my folly Which when they found how still I did retaine Th' ambitious course wherein I first beganne And lastly felt that vnder my disdaine Into contempt continually they ranne Take armes at once to remedy their wrong vvhich their cold spirits had suffred but too long Me boldely charging to abuse the King A wastefull spender of his needefull treasure A secret thiefe of many a sacred thing And that I led him to vnlawfull pleasure That neuer did in any thing delight But what might please my sensuall appetite That as a scourge vpon the land was sent Whose hatefull life the cause had onely beene The State so vniuersally was rent Whose ill increasing euery day was seene I was reproached openly of many Who pitti'd
behold From whence by coynesse of their chaste disdaines Subiection is imperiously controld Their earthly weaknesse euermore explaines Exalting whom they please not whom they should When their owne fall showes how they â—ondlyer'd Procur'd by those vnworthily prefer'd 62 Merit goes vnregarded and vngrac'd When by his fauters ignorance held in And Parasites in wise mens roomes are plac'd Onely to sooth the great ones in their sin From such whose gifts and knowledge is debac'd There 's many strange enormities begin Forging great wits into most factious tooles When mightiest men oft proue the mightiest fooles 63 But why so vainely doe I time bestow The fowle abuse of th'wretched world to childe Whose blinded iudgement eu'ry howre doth show What follie weake mortalitie doth guide Wise was the man that laugh'd at all thy woe My subiect still more sorrow doth prouide And this late peace more matter still doth breede To hasten that which quickly must succeede The end of the fourth Canto ⧠The fifth Booke of the Barrons warres The Argument Th' imprisoned King his gouernement for sakes And to the Peeres his weakenesse so excused Who him ere long from Leisters keeping takes That with much woe his soueraigne Lord refused His torturers of him a mockery makes And basely and reproachfully abused By secret waies to Berckley being led And cruelly in prison murthered 1 THe wretched King vnnaturally betrayd By lewd coruption of his natiue Land From thence with speede to Kennelworth conuayd By th' Earle of Leister with a mightie band Some few his fauorers quickely ouer-wayd And now a present Parlement in hand To ratifie the generall intent His resignation of the gouernment 2 Falne through the frailtie of intemperate will That with his fortunes it so weakely farde To vndergoe that vnexpected ill For his deserued punishment preparde The measure of that wretchednesse to fill To him alotted as a iust reward Armes all with malice either lesse or more To strike at him that strooke at all before 3 And being a thing the commons daily craue To which the great are resolutely bent Such forward helpes on eu'ry side to haue T' effect their strong and forcible intent Which now that speede vnto their action gaue That ratifi'd by generall consent Still hastned on to execute the thing Which for one ill two worse should shortly bring 4 Bishops Earles Abbots and the Barrons all Each in due order as becomes the state Set by the Heraults in that goodly hall The Burgesses for places corporate Whom this great busnes at this time doth call For the Cinque-ports the Barrons conuocate And other Knights for the whole body sent Both on the South and on the North of Trent 5 From his impris'ning chamber clad in blacke Before th' assembly sadly he is brought A dolefull hearse vpon a dead mans backe whose heauy lookes might tell his heauier thought In which there doth no part of sorrow lacke Nor fained action needes to grieue be taught His funerall solemniz'd in his cheere His eyes the mourners and his legs the Beere 6 Torleton as one select to this intent The best experienc'd in this great affaire A man graue subtile stowt and eloquent First with faire speech th' assembly doth prepare Then with a voyce austere and eminent Doth his abuse effectually declare As winnes each sad eye with a reuerent feare With due attention drawing eu'ry eare 7 The great exactions raised by the King With whose full plenty he is Mineons fed Himselfe and subiects so impou'rishing And that deere blood he lauishly had shed Which desolation to the land should bring And the chiefe cause by his lewd riots bred The losse in warre sustained through his blame The during scandall to the English name 8 Proceeding forward to the future good That their dissignements happily intend And with what vpright policie it stoode No after hopes their for tunes to amend The resignation to his proper blood That might the action lawfully defend The present neede that willd it strictly so Whose imposition they might not sorslowe 9 Pardon me Art that striuing to be short To this intent a speech deliuering And that at full I doe not heere report Matters that tuch deposing of the King My faithfull Muse O doe not thou exhort The after times to so abhorr'd a thing To shew the reasons forcibly were laide Out of thy feelings what hee might haue saide 10 The strong deliu'ry of whose vehement speech Borne with a dauntlesse and contracted brow That with such steme seueritie did teach His reasons more authentique to allow Which the more easly made the dang'rous breach By the remembrance of a generall vow To which they heere must openly contest When Edward comes to consumate the rest 11 His faire cheeke couerd in pale sheets of shame And as a dumbe shew in a swowne began Where passion dooth such sundry habites frame As eu'ry sence a right Tragedian Truely to shew from whence his sorrow came Beyond the compasse of a common man where Nature seemes a practiser in Art Teaching Dispaire to act a liuely part 12 Ah Pitty dost thou liue or wert thou not Mortalls by such sights haue to flint bin turned Or what men haue beene hath their seed forgot Or was it neuer knowne that any mourned In what so strangely are we ouershot Against our owne selfe hath our frailtie spurned Or teares hence forth abandon humane eies And neuer-more to pitâ—y miseries 13 He takes the Crowne yet scornefully vnto him With slight regarde as scarcely thinking on it As though not sencelesse that it should forgoe him And sildome casts a scornefull eie vpon it would seeme to leaue it and would haue it woe him Then snatching it as loath to haue forgone it Yet puts it from him yet he will not so would faine retaine what faine he would forgoe 14 In this confused conflict of the minde Teares drowning sighes and sighs confounding teares Yet whenas neither libertie could finde Oppressed with the multitude of â—eares Stands as a man affrighted from his kinde Griefe becomes senslesse when too much it beares whilst speech sileÌ„ce striues which place shuld take From his ful bosome thus his sorrowee brake 15 If that my title rightfully be planted Vpon a true indubitate succession Confirmd by nations as by nature granted That freely hath deliuerd me possession Impute to heauen sufficiencie t' haue wanted which must deny it power or you oppression which into question by due course may bring The grieued wrongs of an annointed King 16 That halowed vnction by a sacred hand which once was powrde on this emperious head which wrought th'iudument of a strict command And round about me the rich verdure spred Either my right in greater stead must stand Or why in vaine was it so idely shed whose prophanation and vnreueret tuch Iust heauen hath often punisht alwayes much 17 When from the bright beames of our soueraine due Descends the strength of your enated right And prosperously deriues it selfe to you As from
long raine so carefully attends Granting his daies in peace securely ends 57 From him proceedes a Prince iust wise and sage In all things happy but in him his sonne For whom euen nature did herselfe engage More then in man in this Prince to haue done Whose happy raigne recur'd the former rage By the large bounds he to his Empire wonne As the first Edward had the second beene O what a flow of glory had we seene 58 Turning the leafe as finding vnawares What day yong Edward Prince of Wales was borne Which letters seeme like Magique Characters Or to despight him they were made in scorne Marking the paper like dis-figuring stars O let that name quoth he from bookes be torne Lest in that place the sad displeased earth Doe loath it selfe as slaundered with my birth 59 From thence heereafter humane birth exil'd By th' earth deuour'd or swallowed by the sea And fame enquiring for that lucklesse child Say t was abortiue or else stolne away And lest O Time thou be therewith defil'd In thy vnnumbred course deuoure that day Let all be done that power can bring to passe Onely forget that such there euer was 60 The troubled teares now standing in his eyes Through which as glasses he is forc'd to looke Make letters seeme as rondlets that arise By a stone cast into a standing brooke Appearing to him in such various wise And at one time such sundry fashions tooke Which like deluding monsters do affright And with their fowle shapes terrifie his sight 61 When on his saint bed falling downe at last His troubled spirit fore-telling danger nie When forth the doores a fearefull howling cast To let those in by whom a King should die Whereat he starts amazâ—d and agast These ruthlesse villaines all vpon him flie Sweete Prince alas in vaine thou call'st for aide By these accursed homicides betraide 62 O be not authors of so vile an act My blood on your posteritie to bring Which after times with horror shall distract When Fame euen hoarce with age your shame shall ring And by recounting of so vile a fact Mortalitie so much astonishing That they shal count their wickednesse scarce sinne To that which long before their time hath bin 63 And if your hate be deadly let me liue For that aduantage angry heauen hath left That except life takes all that it could giue But for iust vengeance should not quite bereft Me yet with greater misery to grieue Reserue a while this remnant of their theft That that which spent froÌ„ th' rest should interdict me Alone remaining doth withall afflict me 64 Thus spake this wofull and distressed Lord As yet his breath found passage to and fro With many a short pant many a broken word Many a sore grone many a grieuous throw whilst yet his spirit could any strength affoord Though with much paine disburdning of his woe Till lastly gasping by their maistâ—ring strength His kingly heart subiects it selfe at length 65 When twixt two beds they close his wearied corse Basely vncou'ring of his secret part Without all humane pittie and remorce With burning yron thrust him to the hart O that my Muse had but sufficient force T' explaine the torment in the which thou art Which whilst with words we coldy do expresse Thy paine made greater that we make it lesse 66 When those in dead and depth of all the night Good simple people that are dwelling neare From quiet sleepe whom care did now affright That his last shreeke and wofull cry do heare Euen pittying that miserable wight As twixt compassion and obedient feare Lift their sad eyes with heauy sleepe opprest Praying to heauen to giue the soule good rest 67 Still let the buildings sigh his bitter grones And euermore his sad complaints repeate And let the dull walls and the sencelesse stones By the impression of his torment sweate As wanting sounds wherewith to shew his mones With all sharpe paine and agony repleate That all may thether come that shall be told it As in a mirror cleerely to behold it 68 When now the Genius of this wofull place Beeing the guide to his affrightfull ghost With haire disâ—eued and a gastly face Shall haunt the prison where his life was lost And as the denne of horror and disgrace Let it be fearefull vnto all the coast That those heereafter that do trauell neere Neuer behold it but with heauy cheere The end of the fifth Canto ⧠The sixth Booke of the Barrons warres The Argument Lord Mortimer made Earle of March when he And the faire Queene rule all things by their might The pompe wherin at Nottingham they be The cost wherewith their amorous Court is dight Enuide by those their hatefull pride that see The King attempts the dreadfull caue by night Entring the Castell taketh him from thence And March at London dies for the offence 1 INforc'd of other accidents to sing Bearing faire showes of promised delight Somewhat to slacke this melancholie string That new occasions to our Muse excite To our conceit strange obiects fashioning Doth our free numbers liberally inuite Matter of moment much to be respected Must by our pen be seriously directed 2 And now the time more cuuningly redeeming These fraudfull courses fitly to contriue How ill so e're to beare the fairest seeming For which they now must diligently striue Casting all waies to gaine the same esteeming That to the world it prosprously might thriue This farre gone on now with the hand of might Vpon this wrong to build a lasting right 3 The pompous Synod of these earthly Gods At Salsbury selected by their King To set all euen that had beene atods And into fashion their dissignes to bring And strongly now to settle their abodes That peace might after from their actions spring Firmely t' establish what was well begunne Vnder which colour mighty things were done 4 When Mortimer pursuing his desire Whilst eu'ry engine had his temperate heate To b'Earle of March doth suddainely aspire T' increase the honor of his antient seate That his command might be the more entire Who now but onely Mortimer is great Who knew a kingdome as her lot was throwne Which hauing all would neuer starue her owne 5 Now stand they firme as those celestiall Poles Twixt which the starres in all their course do moue Whose strength this frame of gouernement vpholds An argument their wisedomes to approue Which way soe're the time in motion roles So perfect is the vnion of their loue For right is still most absolute alone Where power and fortune kindely meete in one 6 Whilst Edwards non-age giues a further speede To th' antient foe-man to renew the warre Which to preuent they must haue speciall heede Matters so strangely manag'd as they are Which otherwise if their neglect should breede Nothing yet made it might not easily marre Which with the most reseruing their estate Inforc'd to purchase at the deerest rate 7 So much t'release the homage as suffic'd Mongst which that
be for her sake as respecting only her honour more then his natiue Country and his owne fortunes And to withstand a tyrants lewd desire Beheld his Towers and Castles set on fire Knitting vp her Epistle with a great and constant resolution Though Dunmow giue no refuge heere at all Dunmow can giue my body buriall Finis ¶ To the vertuous Lady the Lady Anne Harrington wife to the honorable Gentleman sir Iohn Harrington Knight MY singuler good Lady your many vertues knowne in generall to all and your gracious fauors to my vnworthy selfe haue confirmed that in me which before I knew you I onlie saw by the light of other mens iudgements Honour seated in your breast findes her selfe adorned as in a rich Pallace making that excellent which makes her admirable which like the Sunne from thence begetteth most pretious things of this earthly world onely by the vertue of his rayes not the nature of the mould Worth is best discerned by the worthy deiected minds want that pure fire which should giue vigor to vertue I referre to your great thoughts the vnpartiall Iudges of true affection the vnfained zeale I haue euer borne to your honourable seruice and so rest your Ladiships humbly to commaund Mich Drayton Queene Isabell to Mortimer The Argument Queene Isabel the wife of Edward the second called Edward Carnaruan beeing the daughter of Philip de Beau King of France forsaken by the King her husband who delighted onely in the company of Piers Gaueston his minion and fauorite and after his death seduced by the euil counsel of the Spencers This Queene thus left by her husband euen in the glory of her youth drew into her especiall fauour Roger Mortimer Lord of Wigmore a man of a mightie and inuincible spirit This Lord Mortimer rising in armes against the King with Thomas Earle of Lancaster and the Barons was taken ere he could gather his power by the King committed to the tower of London During his imprisonment he ordained a feast in honor of his birth-day to which he inuited Sir Stephen Segraue Lieutenant of the Tower and the rest of the officers where by meanes of a drinke prepared by the Queene he cast them all into a heauie sleepe and with Ladders of coards being ready prepared for the purpose he escapeth and flieth into Fraunce whither she sendeth this Epistie complaining her owne misfortunes and greatly reioycing at his safe escape THough such sweet comfort comes not now from her As Englands Queene hath sent to Mortimer Yet what that wants which might my power approue If lines can bring this shall supply with loue Me thinks affliction should not fright me so Noâ— should resume these sundry shapes of woe But when I faine would finde the cause of this Thy absence shewes me where the errour is Oft when I thinke of thy departing hence Sad sorrow then possesseth eu'ry sence But finding thy deere blood preseru'd thereby And in thy life my long-wisht liberty With that sweet thought my selff I only please Amidst my griefe which sometimes giues me case Thus doe extreamest ills a ioy possesse And one woe makes another woe seeme lesse That blessed night that milde-aspected howre Wherein thou madst escape out of the Tower Shall consecrated euermore remaine What gentle Planet in that houre did raigne And shall be happy in the birth of men Which was chiefe lord of the Ascendant then O how I feard that sleepy iuyce I sent Might yet want power to further thine intent Or that some vnseene mysterie might luâ—ke Which wanting order kindly should not worke Oft did I wish those dreadfull poysned lees That closde the euer-waking Dragons eies Or I had had those sence-berâ—auing stalkes That grow in shady Proserpines darke walkes Or those blacke weedes on Lethe bankes below Or Lunary that doth on Latmus flow Oft did I feare this moist and soggy clime Or that the earth waxt barren now with time Should not haue hearbes to help me in this case Such as do thriue on Indiaes parched face That morrow when the blessed Sunne did rise And shut the liddes of all heauens lesser eies Forth from my pallace by a secret staire I steale to Thames as though to take the ayre And aske the gentle floud as it doth glide Or thou didst passe or perish by the tide If thou didst perish I desire the streame To lay thee softly on her siluer teame And bring thee to me to the quiet shore That with hir tears thou mightst haue some tears more When sodainely doth rise a rougher gale With that me thinkes the troubled waues looke pale And sighing with that little gust that blowes With this remembrance seeme to knit their browes Euen as this so daine passion doth affright me The cheerfull Sunne breaks from a cloude to light me Then doth the bottome euident appeere As it would shew me that thou wast not there Whenas the water flowing where I stand Doth seeme to tell me Thou art safe on land Did Bulloyne once a festiuall prepare For England Almaine Cicile and Nauarre When France enuied those buildings only blest Gracde with the Orgies of my Bridall feast That English Edward should refuse my bed For that incestuous shamelesse Ganimed And in my place vpon his regall throne To set that gerle-boy wanton Gaueston Betwixt the feature of my face and his My glasse assures me no such difference is That a foule witches bastard should thereby Be thought more worthy of his loue than I. What doth auaile vs to be Princes heires When we can boast our birth is onely theirs When base dissembling flatterers shall deceiue vs Of all our famous auncestors did leaue vs And of our princely iewels and our dowres We but enjoy the least of what is ours when minions heads must weare our monarks crowns To raise vp dunghills with our famous townes When beggars-brats are wrapt in rich perfumes Their buzzard wings impt with our Eagles plumes And matcht with the braue issue of our blood Alle the kingdome to their crauand brood Did Longshankes purchase with his conquering hand Albania Gascoyne Cambria Ireland That yoong Carnarnan his vnhappy sonne Should giue away all that his father wonne To backe a stranger prowdly bearing downe The brake alies and branches of the crowne And did great Edward on his death-bed giue This charge to them which afterwards should liue That that prowde Gascoyne banished the land No more should treade vpon the English sand And haue these great Lords in the quarrell stood And sealde his last will with their decrest blood That after all this fearefull massacre The fall of Beauchamp Lacy Lancaster Another faithlesse fauòrite should arise To cloude the sunne of our Nobilities And gloried I in Gauestons great fall That now a Spenser should succeede in all And that his ashes should another breed Which in his place and Empire should succeede That wanting one a kingdomes wealth to spend Of what that left this now shall make an end To waste all that
the remembrance of the thing To make the people more abhorre their King Nor shall a Spenser be he ne're so great Possesse our Wigmore our renowned seate To raze the antient Trophies of our race With our deserts their monuments to grace Nor shall he leade our valiant marchers forth To make the Spensers famous in the North Nor be the Gardants of the British pales Defending England and preseruing Wales At first our troubles easily reculde But now growne head-strong hardly to be rulde With grauest counsell all must be directed Where plainest shewes are openly suspected For where mis-hap our errour dooth assault There doth it eassiest make vs see our fault Then sweet represse all fond and wilfull spleene Two things to be a woman and a Queene Keepe close the cindars lest the fire should burne It is not this which yet must serue our turne And if I doe not much mistake the thing The next supply shall greater comfort bring Till when I leaue my Princesse for a while Liue thou in rest though I liue in exile Notes of the Chronicle Historie Of one condemnd and long lodgde vp in death ROger Mortimer Lord of Wigmore had stoode publikely condemned for his insurrection with Thomas erle of Lancaster and Bohune earle of Herford by the space of three months and as the report went the day of his execution was determined to haue bin shortly after which he preuented by his escape Twice all was taken twice thou all didst giue At what time the two Mortimers this Roger lord of Wigmore and his vncle Roger Mortimer the elder were apprehended in the west the Queene by meanes of Torlton Bishop of Hereford and Becke Bishop of Duresme and Patriarke of Ierusalem being then both mighty in the state vpon the submission of the Mortimers somewhat pacified the king and now secondly shee wrought meanes for his escape Leauing the cordes to tell where I had gone With strong ladders made of cords prouided him for the purpose he escaped out of the Tower which when the same were found fastned to the walles in such a desperate attempt they bred astonishment to the beholders Nor let the Spensers glory in my dâ—awe The two Hugh Spensers the father and the sonne then being so highly fauored of the King knew that their greatest safety came by his exile whose high and turbulent spirit could neuer brooke any corriuall in greatnes My grandsire was the first since Arthurs raigne That the Round-table rectifide againe Roger Mortimer called the great Lord Mortimer Grandfather to this Roger which was afterward the first Earle of March reeâ—ected againe the Round-table at Kenelwoorth after the ancient order of king Arthurs table with the retinue of a hudred knights and a hundred ladies in his house for the entertaining of such aduentures as came thither from all parts of Christendome Whilest famous Longshanks bones in Fortunes scorne Edward Longshanks willed at his death that his body should be boyled the flesh from the bones and that the bones should bee borne to the wars in Scotland which he was perswaded vnto by aprophecie which told that the English should still be fortunate in conquest so long as his bones were caried in the field The English blood that stained Banocksburne In the great voyage Edward the second made against the Scots at the battell at Striueling neere vnto the riuer of Banocksburne in Scotland where there was in the English campe such banketâ—ing and excesse such riot and misorder that the Scots who in the meane time laboured for aduauntage gaue to the English a great ouerthrow And in the Dead-sea sincke our horses fame From whose c. Mortimer so called of Mare mortuum and in French Mort mer in English the Dead-sea which is said to be where Sodom â—nd Go morra once were before they were destroyed by fire froÌ„ Heauen And for that hatefull sacrilegious sin Which by the Pope he stand◠〈…〉 ursed in Gaustelinus and Lucas two Cardinals sent into England from Pope Clement to appease the auncient hate betweene the King and Thomas Earle of Lancaster to whose Embassie the king seemed to yeeld but after their departure hee went backe from his promises for which he was accursed at Rome Of those industrious Roman Colonies A Colony is a sort or number of people that come to inhabite a place before not inhabited whereby he seemes here to prophecie of the subuersion of the land the Pope ioyning with the power of other Princes against Edward for the breach of his promise Charles by inuasiue Armes againe shall take Charles the French King mooued by the wrong done vnto his sister seiseth the Prouinces which belonged to the King of England into his hands stirred the rather thereto by Mortimer who solicited her cause in France as is expressed before in the other Epistle in the glosse vpon this poynt And those great Lords now after their attaints Canonized among the English Saints After the death of Thomas Earle of Lancaster at Pomfret the people imagined great myracles to be done by his reliques as they did of the body of Bohune earle of Hereford slaine at Borough bridge Finis ⧠To my worthy and honored friend Sir Walter Aston Knight of the Bath SIR though without suspition of flatterie I might in more ample and free tearmes intimate my affection vnto you yet hauing so sensible a taste of your generous and noble aisposition which without this habite of ceremony can estimate my loue I will rather affect bre 〈…〉 though it should seeme my fault than by my tedious complement to trouble mine owne opinion setled in your iudgement and discretion I make you the Patron of this Epistle of the Blacke-Prince which I pray you accept till more easie houres may offer vppe from mee some thing more worthy of your view and my trauell Yours truely deuoted Mich Drayton ¶ Edward the Blacke-Prince to Alice Countesse of Salisbury The Argument Alice Countesse of Salisbury remaining at Roxborough castle in the North in the absence of the earle her husband who was by the Kings commaund sent ouer into Flaunders and there deceased ere his returne This Lady being besieged in her castle by the Scots Edward the Blacke-Prince being sent by the King his father to relieue the north parts with an Armie and to remooue the siege of Roxborough there fell in loue with the Countesse when after she returned to London hee sought by diuers and sundry meanes to winne her to his youthfull pleasures as by forcing the Earle of Kent her father and her mother vnnaturally to become his Agents in his vaine desire where after a long and assured triall of her inuincible constancie hee taketh her to his wife to which end he only frameth this Epistle REceiue these papers from thy wofull Lord With farre more woes than they with wordes are storde Which if thine eie with rashnes do reproue Thei 'le say they came from that imperious loue In euery letter thou maist vnderstand Which loue
so hie So soone transpersed with a womans eie He that a king at Poictiers battell tooke Himselfe led captiue with a wanton looke Twice as a Bride to church I haue bin led Twice haue two Lords enjoyd my Bridale bed How can that beauty yet be vndestroyd That yeeres haue wasted and two men enioyd Or should be thought fit for a Princes store Of which two subiects were possest before Let Spaine let France or Scotland so preferre Their infant Queenes for Englands dowager That bloud should be much more than halfe diuine That should be equall euery way with thine Yet princely Edward though I thus reproue you As mine owne life so deerely doe I loue you My noble husband which so loued you That gentle Lord that reuerend Mountague Nere mothers voyce did please her babe so well As his did mine of you to heare him tell I haue made short the houres that time made long And chaind mine eares vnto his pleasing tong My lips haue waited on your praises worth And snatcht his words ere he could get them forth When he hath spoke and something by the way Hath broke off that he was about to say I kept in minde where from his tale he fell Calling on him the residue to tell Oft he would say how sweet a Prince is he When I haue praisde him but for praising thee And to proceede I would intreate and wooe And yet to ease him help to praise thee too Must she be forcde t'exclaime th'iniurious wrong Offred by him whom she hath lou'd so long Nay I will tell and I durst almost sweare Edward will blush when he his fault shall heare Iudge now that time doth youths desire asswage And reason mildely quencht the fire of rage By vpright iustice let my cause be tride And be thou iudge if I not iustly chide That not my fathers graue and reuerend yeeres When on his knee he beggd me with his teares By no perswasions possibly could winne To free himselfe as guiltlesse of my sinne The woe for me my mother did abide Whose sute but you there 's none would haue denide Your lust full rage your tyranny could stay Mine honours ruine further to delay Haue I ot lou'd you let the truth be showne That still preseru'd your honour with mine owne Had your fond will your foule desires preuailde When you by them my chastitie assailde Though this no way could haue excusde my fault True vertue neuer yeelded to assault Yet what a thing were this it should be said My parents sin should to your charge be laide And I haue gainde my libertie with shame To saue my life made ship wracke of my name Did Roxborough once vaile her towring fane To thy braue ensigue on the Northerne plaine And to thy trumpet sounding from thy tent Often replide as to my succor sent And did receiue thee as my souâ—raigne liege Comming to ayde thou shouldst againe besiege To raise a foâ— but for my treasure came To plant a foe to take my honest name Vnder pretence to haue remou'd the Scot And wouldst haue won more than he could haue got That did ingirt me ready still to flie But thou laidst batt'ry to my chastitie O modestie didst thou me not restraine How I could chide you in this angry vaine A Princes name heauen knowes I doe not craue To haue those honours Edwardâ— spouse should haue Nor by ambitious lures will I be brought In my chaste breast to harbour such a thought As to be worthy to be made a Bride An Empresse place by mighty Edwards side Of all the most vnworthy of that grace To waite on her that should enioy that place But if that loue Prince Edward doth require Equall his vertues and my chaste desire If it be such as we may iustly vaunt A Prince may sue for and a Lady graunt If it be such as may suppresse my wrong That from your vaine vnbrideled youth hath sprong That faith I send that I from you receaue The rest vnto your Princely thoughts I leaue ¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie Twice as a Bride I haue to Church beene led THe two husbands of which she makes mention obiecting bigamy against herselfe as being therefore not meet to be married with a batcheller-Prince were sir Thomas Holland knight sir Willlam Montague afterward made Earle of Salisbury That not my fathers graue and reuerend yeeres A thing incredible that any Prince should be so vniust to vse the fathers meanes for the corruption of the daughters chastitie though so the historie importeth her father being so honourable and a man of so singular desert though Polidore would haue her thought to be Iane the daughter to Edmund earle of Kent vncle to Edward the third beheaded in the Protectoriship of Mortimer that dangerous aspirer And I haue gainde my libertie with shame Roxborough is a castle in the North mis-termed by Bandello Salisbury castle because the king had giuen it to the Earle of Salisbury in which her Lorde being absent the Countesse by the Scots was besieged who by the comming of the English Armie were remoued Here first the Prince saw her whose libertie had bin gained by her shame had shee bin drawne by dishonest loue to satisfie his appetite but by her most praise-worthy constancie she conuerted that humor in him to an honourable purpose and obtained the true reward of her admired vertues The rest vnto your princely thoughts I leaue Lest any thing be left out which were woorth the relation it shall not be impertinent to annex the opinions that are vttered concerning her whose name is said to haue bin Aclips but that being rejected as a name vnknowne among vs Froisard is rather beleeued who calleth her Alice Polidore contrariwise as before is declared names her Iane who by Prince Edward had issue Edward dying yong and Richard the second king of England thogh as he saith she was diuorced afterwards because within the degrees of consanguinitie prohibiting to many the trueth whereof I omit to discusse her husband the Lord Montague being sent ouer into Flaunders by king Edward was taken prisoner by the French and not returning left his Countesse a widow in whose bed succeeded Prince Edward to whose last and lawsull request the reioycesull Lady sends this louing answere Finis ¶ To the right Honourable and my very good Lord Edward Earle of Bedford THrice noble and my gratious Lord the loue I haue euer borne to the illustrious house of Bedford and to the honourable familie of the Harringtons to the which by marriage your Lordship is happily vnited hath long since deuoted my true and zealous affection to your honourable seruice and my Poems to the protection of my noble Ladie your Countesse to whose seruice I was furst bequeathed by that learnd accomplisht gentleman sir Henry Goodere not long since deceased whose I was whilst hee was whose patience pleased to beare with the imperfections of my heedles and vnstaied youth That excellent and
the light whereof proceeded from my learned and verie 〈◊〉 friend Maister Francis Thinne Walter of Windsor the â—onne of Oterus had issue William of whom Henry now Lord Windsor is discended and Robert of Windsor of whom Robert the now Earle of Essex and Gerald of Windsor his third sonne who married the daughter of Râ—es the great Prince of Wales of whom came Nesta paraâ—our to Henry the first Which Gerald had issue Maurice Fitz-gerald auncestor to Thomas Fitz-maurice Iustice of Ireland buried at Trayly leauing issue Iohn his eldest sonne first Earle of Kildare ancestor to Geraldine and Maurice his second sonne first earle of Desâ—oond To raisethe mount where Surreys Towers must stand Alludeth to the sumptuous house which was afterward builded by him vpon Leonards hill right against Norwich which in the rebellion of Norffolke vnder Ket inking Edward the 6. time was much defaced by that impure rabble Betvvixt the hil and the Citie as Alexander Neuill describes it the riuer of Yarmouth runs hauing West and South thereof a wood and a little Village called Thorpe and on the North the pastures of Mousholl which containes about sixe miles in length and breadth So that besides the stately greatnes of Mount-Surrey which was the houses name the prospect and site thereof was passing pleasant and commodious and no where else did that encreasing euill of the Norffolke furie enkâ—nnell it selfe but then there as it were for a manifest token of their intent to debase all high things and to prophaneall holy Like Arras worke or other imagerie Such was he whom â—â—uenall taxeth in this manner truncoque similimus Hermae Nullo quippe alâ—o vineis discrimine quamquod Illi marmoreum caput est tua vâ—â—it image Being to be borne for nothing else but apparell and the outward appearance intituled Complement with whom theridiculous fable of the Ape in Esope sorteth fitly who comming into a Caruers house and viewing many Marble workes tooke vp the head of a man very cunningly wrought who greatly in praysing did seeme to pittie it that hauing so comely an outside it had nothing within like emptie figures walke and talke in euery place at whom the noble Geraldine modestly glanceth Finis To the virtuous Lady the Lady Francis Goodere wife to sir Henry Goodere Knight MY very gratious and good Mistris the loue and duety I bare unto your father whilst he liued now after his decease is to your hereditarie to whome by the blessing of your birth he left his vertues Who bequeathed you those which were his gaue you whatsoeuer good is mine as deuoted to his he being gone whome I honoured so much whilest he liued which you may iustly challenge by all lawes of thankefulnesse My selfe hauing beene a witnesse of your excellent education and milde disposition as I may say euer from your Cradle dedicate this Epistle of this vertuous and godly Lady to your selfe so like her in all perfection both of wisedome and learning which I pray you accept till time shall enable me to leaue you some greater monument of my loue M. Drayton The Lady Jane Gray to the Lord Gilford Dudley The Argument After the death of that vertuous young Prince King Edward the sixt the sonne of that famous King Henry the eight Iane the daughter of Henry Gray Duke of Suffolke by the consent of Iohn Dudley Duke of Northumberland was proclaimed Queene of England being married to Gilford Dudley the fourth sonne of the fore-said Duke of Northumberland which match was concluded by their ambitious fathers who went about by this meanes to bring the Crowne vnto their children and to dispossesse the Princesse Mary eldest daughter to King Henry the eight heire to King Edward her brother Queene Mary rising in Armes to claime her rightfull Crowne taketh the saide Iane Gray and the Lord Gilford her husband being lodged in the Tower for their more safetie which place being lastly their Pallace by this meanes became their prison where being seuered in sundry prisons they write these Epistles one to another MIne own deere Lord sith thou art lockt froÌ„ mee In this disguise my loue must steale to thee Since to renue all loues all kindnesse past This refuge scarcely left yet this the last My Keeper comming I of thee enquire Who with thy greeting answers my desire Which my tongue willing to returne againe Griefe stops my words and I but striue in vaine Wherewith amazde away in haste he goes When throgh my lips my hart thrusts forth my woes Whenas the dores that make a dolefull sound Driue backe my words that in the noise are drownd Which somewhat hush'd the Eccho doth record And twice or thrice reiterates my word When like an aduerse winde in Isis course Against the tide bending his boistrous force But when the flood hath wrought it selfe about He following on doth head-long thrust it out Thus striue my fighes with teares e're they begin And breaking out againe sighes driue them in A thousand formes present my troubled thought Yet proue abortiue when they forth are brought The depth of woe with words wee hardely sound Sorrow is so insensibly profound As teares do fall and rise sighes come and goe So do these numbers ebbe so do they flow These briny teares do make my incke looke pale My incke clothes teares in this sad mourning vaile The letters mourners weepe with my dim eye The paper pale grieu'd at my misery Yet miserable our selues why should we deeme Sith none is so but in his owne esteeme Who in distresse from resolution flies Is rightly said to yeelde to miseries They which begot vs did beget this sin They first begun what did our griefe begin we tasted not t' was they which did rebell Not our offence but in their fall we fell They which a crowne would to my Lord haue linckt All hope of life and liberty extinct A subiect borne a Soueraigne to haue beene Hath made me now nor subiect nor a Queene Ah vile ambition how doost thou deceiue vs which shew'st vs heauen and yet in hell doost leaue vs Seldome vntouch'd doth innocence escape when error commeth in good counsailes shape A lawfull title countercheckes prowd might The weakest things become strong props to right Then my deere Lord although affliction grieue vs Yet let our spotlesse innocence relieue vs. Death but an acted passion doth appeare where truth giues courage and the conscience cleere And let thy comfort thus consist in mine That I beare part of whatsoe're is thine As when we liude vntouch'd with these disgraces whenas our kingdome was our deere embraces At Durham Pallace where sweete Hymen sang whose buildings with our nuptiall musicke rang when Prothalamions praisde that happy day wherein great Dudley match'd with noble Gray when they deuisde to lincke by wedlockes band The house of Suffolke to Northumberland Our fatall Dukedome to your Dukedome bound To frame this building on so weake a ground For what auailes a lawlesse vsurpation which giues a Scepter but