had me succourd nerely being driuen As things to me that idely were not giuen What tongue so slow the tale shall not report Of hospitable Friscobald and mee And shew in how reciprocall a sort My thankes did with his curtesie agree When as my meanes in Italy were short That me relieu'd lesse great that would not bee When I of England Chancellor was made His former bounties librally repaid The maner briefly gentler Muse relate Since oft before it wisely hath been told The sudden change of vnauoided fate That famous Merchant reuerend Friscobald Grew poore and the small remnant of his state Was certaine goods to England he had sold Which in the hands of Creditors but bad Small hope to get yet lesser meanes he had Hither his wants him forcibly constrain'd Though with long trauell both by land and seas Led by this hope that only now remain'd Whereon his fortune finally he laies And if he found that friendship here were fain'd Yet at the worst it better should him please Farre out of sight to perish here vnknowne Then vnrelieu'd bee pitied of his owne It chanc'd as I toward VVestminster did ride Mongst the great concourse passing to and fro An aged man I happily espide Whose outward looks much inward griefe did show Which made me nere him and the more I ey'd Him me thought more precisely I should know Reuoluing long it came into my minde This was the man to me had been so kinde Was therewithall so ioyed with his sight With the deare sight of his so reuerend face That I could scarsely keepe me from t' alight And in mine armes him openly embrace Weighing yet well what some imagine might He being a stranger and the publike place Checkt my affection till some fitter hower On him my loue effectually might shower Neuer quoth I was fortune so vniust As to doe wrong vnto thy noble hart What man so wicked could betray the trust Of one so vpright of so good desart And though obey necessitie thou must As when the great'st the same to me thou art Let me alone the last be left of all That from the rest declin'd not with thy fall And calling to a Gentleman of mine Wise and discreete that well I knew to bee Shew'd him that stranger whose deiected eyne Fixt on the earth nere once lookt vp at mee Bid yonder man come home to me and dine Quoth I bespeake him reuerently you see Scorne not his habit little canst thou tell How rich a minde in those meane rags doth dwell He with my name that kindly did him greete Slowly cast vp his deadly-mouing eye That long time had been fixed on his feete To looke no higher then his miserie Thinking him more calamitie did greete Or that I had supposed him some Spye With a deepe sigh that from his heart he drew Quoth he his will accomplisht be by you My man departed and the message done He whose sad heart with strange impressions strooke To thinke vpon this accident begun And on himselfe suspitiously to looke Into all doubts he fearfully doth runne Oft himselfe cheering oft himselfe forsooke Strangely perplext vnto my house doth come Not knowing why iudg'd nor dreading yet his doome My seruants set his comming to attend That were therein not common for their skill Whose vsage yet the former did amend He hop'd not good nor guiltie was of ill But as a man whose thoughts were at an end Fortune quoth he then worke on me thy will Wiser then man I thinke he were that knew Whence this may come or what therof ensue His honoured presence so did me inflame That though being then in presence of my Peeres Daine not the lesse to meete him as he came That very hardly could containe my teares Kindly salute him call him by his name And oft together aske him how he cheeres With still along maintaining the extreame Yet thought the man he had been in a dreame At length t'wake him gently I began With this demaund if once he did not know One Thomas Cromwell a poore Englishman By him relieu'd when he was driuen low When I perceiu'd he my remembrance wan Yet with his teares it silently did show I wept for woe to see mine host distrest But he for ioy to see his happie guest Him to the Lords I publisht by my praise And at my table carefully him set Recounting them the many sundrie waies I was vnto this gentleman indebt How great he was in Florence in those daies With all that grace or reuerence him might get Which all the while yet silently he heares Moisting among his viands with his teares And to lend fulnes lastly to his fate Great summes I gaue him and what was his due Made knowne my selfe became his aduocate And at my charge his creditors I sue Recouering him vnto his former state Thus he the world began by me anew That shall to all posteritie expresse His honored bountie and my thankfulnesse But Muse recount before thou further passe How this great change so quickly came about And what the cause of this sad downfall was In euery part the spatious Realme throughout Being effected in so little space Leaue not thereof posteritie to doubt That with the world obscured else may bee If in this place reuealed not by thee If the whole land did on the Church relie Hauing full power Kings to account to call That to the world read only policie Besides Heauens keyes to stop or let in all Let me but know from her supremacie How she should come so suddenly to fall T was more then chance sure put a hand thereto That had the power so great a thing to do Or ought there were had biding vnder Sunne Who would haue thought those edifices great Which first Religion holily begun The Church approu'd and wisdome richly seate Deuotion nourish'd faith allowance wonne And all that them might any way compleate Should in their ruines lastly buried lye But that begun and ended from the skye And the King late obedient to her lawes Against the Clerke of Germany had writ As he that first stird in the Churches cause Against him greatliest that oppugned it And wan from her so gratefull an applause Then in her fauour chiefly that did sit That as the prop whereon she only stai'th Him she instyl'd Defender of the faith But not their power whose wisdomes them did place In the first ranke the oracles of state Who that opinion strongly did embrace Which through the land receiued was of late Then ought at all preuailed in this case O powerfull doome of vnauoided fate Whose depth not weake mortality can know Who can vphold what heauen will ouerthrow When time now vniuersally did show The power to her peculiarly annex'd With most abundance then when she did flow Yet euery hower still prosp'rously she wex'd But the world poore did by loose riots grow Which serued as an excellent pretext And colour gaue to pluck her from her pride Whose only greatnes suffred none
TO THE DESERVING MEMORIE OF MY WORTHY PATRON Sir VValter Aston Knight of the honorable Order of the Bath I consecrate my short Poem TO THE READER TO thee that shalt peruse this Poem and not conuersant in the histories of those times I am perswaded these briefe Annotations shall not be altogether impertinent By reason the letter without my knowledge was chosen too large for the paper I am constrained to doe as men sometime preparing great bankets and deceiued of table roome to send in one dish what should haue serued to set out many as to put in this one preface what should haue been in marginall notes stuck in sundrie places against the stanzaes to which they are apropriate as this The 9. page the 2. stanza For hauing Boston businesse c. The towne of Boston sued to the Pope for the reauthorizing their Hauen which had been suspended from that Sea selecting one Chambers for that businesse who being on his way at Antwerpe finding Cromwell a man industrious and experienced made choyce of him as his assistant whom he wan to goe along with him to Rome The 11. page the 1. stanza Russell and Pace c. both great States men of that time and imployed by Henry the 8. in forraine Intelligence after both Secretaries and Russell by him created Earle of Bedford The 15. page the 3. stanza Where learned More and Gardiner c. For the former so famous as who knoweth not I hold him vnworthie to know the latter Stephen Gardiner after Bishop of Winchester a learned and politike Prelate and one that was in the end a chiefe instrument of Cromwels ouerthrow The 20. page the 2. stanza Bedford whose life c. This was that Russell as I haue said before by Henry the 8. created Earle of Bedford as in the same stanza And reuerend Hayles c. Sir Christopher Hayles Master of the Rolles a man in great grace with the King and an especiall fauourer of Cromwell The 23. page the 1. stanza line 2. Of hospitable Friscobald and mee c. This Friscobald a Florentine Merchant relieuing Cromwell being in great necessitie who after being Chancellor of England he honorably requited This storie containeth some 14. stanzaes The 28. page the 3. stanza And the King late obedient to her lawes against the Clerke of Germany c. King Henry the 8. wrote a booke against Luther which booke afterward Luther forgetting all kingly titles roughly answered The 34. page the 1. stanza Pierce the wise Plowman c. The morall of Contrition and the Frier the matter of which is Pierce Plowmans in his vision the workmanship therof wholly mine owne containing about 10. stanzaes FINIS TO MASTER MICHAEL DRAYTON his Friend I Would my verses could thy Booke aduance B'oue these two fiends Enuie and Ignorance Thy subiect of such worth thy pen so smooth Cannot escape the euer-sharpned tooth Of that first monster who himselfe deceiues Whil'st like a Cankar hid among the leaues He seekes to o'respread consume at least deface The beautie of thy Muse and Cromwels grace Such as haue been thy Apes and shall not bee Other then so shall idely carpe at thee So much hath lewdnes wonne vpon this Age Such the contempt the impudence the rage Of euery ragged Rymer who would be Within himselfe Monarch of Poesie But let them perish whil'st thy workes thee raise Vnto a greater fortune then mens praise I. Cooke To his worthily deare friend Master Michael Drayton HOw those great titles that imploy our breath To deck the marble where our ashes lie Are trophies of the harmes that in our death Best doe expresse our golden miserie This Oracle thy Muse diuinely reades In Cromwels starres that could ambition see She would not wish their seeming-happie dreads That neerest Ioue and his proud thunder bee So short a period Fate hath limited To giddie power that breathes but grace and aire Soone cloy'd or those that all haue lauished Or they who full of getting more despayre But thy deare times whose happie Genius Breathes a new life to Cromwels dying name And his rent honors Enuie scattred thus Whiles in the booke of that great Herauld Fame Nought can them hurt nor times consuming rust Nor th' angry frowne that idely we adore This Pyramis shall stand when in the dust Their names are laid the Diadem that wore Henry Lucas TO HIS WORTHIE FRIEND Michael Drayton vpon his Poem TO thee true image of Eternitie Time that reuolues the grauen leaues of Fate Yet giu'st men Lethe sted of Memorie Because iniurious to all humane state Cromwell appeares apparelled in verse The fit'st and noblest ornament of fame The doome of Enuie grauely to reuerse That else to darknes had condemn'd his name For Time thou know'st it only is the Muse That Man to immortalitie can raise O Greatnes how thy selfe doest thou abuse With the slight soothing of poore verball praise Here shall you finde Factions which are the rent And disuniting of a league combin'd Make hauock in a ciuill gouerment The grace of Kings vnconstant as the winde For as corruptiue bodies doe depend On humorous matter motions and their pauses So States begin haue progresse and doe end Because they simpathize with naturall causes Here shall you finde like musick shifting moode How times doe change vicissitude and sway Of men and manners and by selfe decay How each thing liues force not the enuious broode Renowned friend but triumph in desart Iudgement hath led thy Pen and Truth thy Art Christopher Brooke THE LEGEND OF GREAT CROMVVEL A Wak'd and trembling betwixt rage and dread With the lowd slander by the impious time That of my actions euery where is spred Through which to honour falsely I should clime From the sad dwelling of th'vntimely dead To quit me of that execrable crime Cromwell appeares his wretched plight to show Much that can tell one much that once did know Roughly not made vp in the common mould That with the vulgar vilely I should die What thing so strange of Cromwell is not told What man more prais'd who more cōdemn'd then I That with the world when I am waxed old Most t' were vnfit that fame of me should lie With fables vaine my historie to fill Forcing my good excusing of my ill You that but hearing of my hated name Your ancient malice instantly bewray And for my sake your ill deserued blame Vpon my legend publikely shall lay Would you forbeare to blast me with defame Might I so meane a priuiledge but pray He that three ages hath endur'd your wrong Heare him a little that hath heard you long Since Romes sad ruine here by me began Who her Religion pluckt vp by the roote Of the false world such hate for which I wan Which still at me her poisned'st darts doth shoot That to excuse it doe the best I can Little I feare my labour me will boote Yet will I speake my troubled heart to ease Much to the minde her selfe it is to
please O powerfull number from whose stricter law Heart-mouing musicke did receiue the ground Which men to faire ciuilitie did draw With the brute beast when lawlesse he was found O if according to the wiser saw There be a high diuinitie in sound Be now abundant prosp'rously to aide The pen prepar'd my doubtful case to pleade Putney the place made blessed in my birth Whose meanest cottage simply me did shrowd To me as dearest of the English earth So of my bringing that poore village prou'd Though in a time when neuer lesse the dearth Of happie wits yet mine so well allow'd That with the best she boldly durst confer Him that his breath acknowledged from her Twice flow'd proud Thames as at my cōming wood Striking the wondring borderers with feare And the pale Genius of that aged flood Vnto my mother labouring did appeare And with a countenance much distracted stood Threatning the fruit her pained wombe should beare My speedie birth being added thereunto Seem'd to foretell that much I came to doe That was reserued for those worser daies As the great ebbe vnto so long a flow When what those ages formerly did raise This when I liu'd did lastly ouerthrow And that great'st labour of the world did seaze Only for which immedicable blow Due to that time me dooming heauen ordai'nd Wherein confusion absolutely raign'd Vainly yet noted this prodigious signe Often predictions of most fearfull things As plagues or warre or great men to decline Rising of Commons or the death of Kings But some strange newes though euer it diuine Yet forth them not immediatly it brings Vntill the'ffects men afterward did learne To know that me it chiefly did concerne Whil'st yet my father by his painfull trade Whose laboured Anuile only was his fee Whom my great towardnes strongly did perswade In knowledge to haue educated mee But death did him vnluckily inuade Ere he the fruites of his desire could see Leauing me yong then little that did know How me the heauens had purpos'd to bestow Hopelesse as helplesse most might me suppose Whose meannesse seem'd their abiect breath to draw Yet did my breast that glorious fire inclose Which their dull purblind ignorance not saw Which still is setled vpon outward showes The vulgars iudgement euer is so raw Which the vnworthiest sottishly doe loue In their owne region properly that moue Yet me my fortune so could not disguise But through this cloud were some that did me know Which then the rest more happie or more wise Me did relieue when I was driuen low Which as the staier by which I first did rise When to my height I afterward did grow Them to requite my bounties were so hie As made my fame through euery eare to flie That height and Godlike puritie of minde Resteth not still where titles most adorne With any nor peculiarly confinde To names and to be limited doth scorne Man doth the most degenerate from kinde Richest and poorest both alike are borne And to be alwaies pertinently good Followes not still the greatnes of our blood Pitie it is that to one vertuous man That marke him lent to gentrie to aduance Which first by noble industrie he wan His baser issue after should inhance And the rude slaue not any good that can Such should thrust downe by what is his by chance As had not he been first that him did raise Nere had his great heire wrought his grandsires praise How weake art thou that makest it thy end To heape such worldly dignities on thee When vpon fortune only they depend And by her changes gouerned must bee Besides the dangers still that such attend Liuel'est of all men purtraied out in mee When that for which I hated was of all Soon'st from me fled scarse tarrying for my fall You that but boast your ancestors proud stile And the large stem whēce your vaine greatnes grew When you your selues are ignorant and vile Nor glorious thing dare actually pursue That all good spirits would vtterly exile Doubting their worth should else discouer you Giuing your selues vnto ignoble things Base I proclaime you though deriu'd from Kings Vertue but poore God in this earth doth place Gainst the rude world to stand vp in his right To suffer sad affliction and disgrace Not ceasing to pursue her with despight Yet when of all she is accounted base And seeming in most miserable plight Out of her power new life to her doth take Least then dismai'd when all doe her forsake That is the man of an vndaunted spirit For her deare sake that offereth him to dye For whom when him the world doth disinherit Looketh vpon it with a pleased eye What 's done for vertue thinking it doth merit Daring the proudest menaces defie More worth then life how ere the base world rate him Belou'd of heauē although the earth doth hate him Iniurious time vnto the good vniust O how may weake posteritie suppose Euer to haue their merit from the dust Gainst them thy partialitie that knowes To thy report O who shall euer trust Triumphant arches building vnto those Alowd the longest memorie to haue That were the most vnworthie of a graue But my cleere mettle had that powerfull heate As it not turn'd with all that fortune could Nor when the world me terriblest did threat Could that place winne which my hie thoughts did hold That waxed still more prosperously great The more the world me stroue to haue control'd On my owne Columes constantly to stand Without the false helpe of anothers hand My youthfull course thus wisely did I steere T' auoid those rocks my wrack that else did thret Yet some faire hopes from farre did still appeare If that too much my wants me did not let Wherefore my selfe aboue my selfe to beare Still as I grew I knowledge stroue to get To perfect that which in the Embryon was Whose birth I foūd time well might bring to passe But when my meanes to faile me I did finde My selfe to trauell presently betooke As much distastfull to my noble minde That the vile world into my wants should looke And of my selfe industriously inclinde To measure others actions with my booke I might my iudgement rectifie thereby In matters that were difficult and hie When loe it hapt that fortune as my guide Of me did with such prouidence dispose That th' English Merchants then who did reside At Antwerpe me their Secretarie chose As though in me to manifest her pride Whence to those principalities I rose To pluck me downe whence afterward she fear'd Beyond her power that almost she had rear'd When first the wealthie Netherlands mee train'd In wise commerce most proper to the place And from my countrie carefully me wain'd That with the world did chiefly winne me grace Where great experience happily I gain'd Yet here I seem'd but tutor'd for a space For hie imployment otherwise ordain'd Till which the time I idely entertain'd For hauing Boston businesse in hand The charge thereof on Chambers being laid