lay thee softly on her siluer teame And bring thee to me to the quiet shore That with her teares thou might'st haue some teares more VVhen suddainly doth rise a rougher gale vvith that me thinks the troubled waues looke pale And sighing with that little gust that blowes vvith this remembrance seemes to knit her browes Euen as this suddaine passion doth 〈◊〉 mee The cheerfull sunne breakes from a clowde to light mee Then doth the bottom euident appeare As it would tell mee that thou 〈◊〉 not there VVhen as the water flowing where I stand Doth seeme to tell mee thou 〈◊〉 safe on land Did Bulloyne once a festiuall prepare For England 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Nauarre VVhen Fraunce enuied those buildings onely blest Grac'd 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 girle-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 then I. VVhat doth auaile vs to be Princes heires vvhen we can boast our birth is onely theirs VVhen base dissembling flatterers shall deceaue vs Of all our famous Auncestors did leaue vs And of our princely iewels and our dowers vvee but enioy the least of what is ours when Minions heads must weare our Monarches crownes To raise vp dunghills with our famous townes VVhen beggers-brats are wrapt in rich perfumes And sore aloft impt with our Eagles plumes And ioynd with the braue issue of our blood Alie the kingdome to theyr crauand brood Did Longshanks purchase with his conquering hand Albania Gascoyne Cambria Ireland That young Carnaruan his vnhappy sonne Should giue away all that his Father wonne To backe a stranger proudly bearing downe The braue alies and branches of the crowne And did great Edward on his death-bed giue This charge to them which afterward should liue That that proude Gascoyne banished the land No more should tread vppon the English sand And haue these great Lords in the quarrell stood And seald his last will with their deerest blood That after all this fearefull massaker The fall of Beuchamp Lasey Lancaster Another faithlesse fauorite should arise To cloude the sunne of our Nobilities And gloried I in Gauestons great fall That nowe a Spenser should succeede in all And that his ashes should another breed vvhich in his place and Empire should succeed That wanting one a kingdoms wealth to spend Of what that left thys now should make an end To wast all that our father wonne before Nor leaue 〈◊〉 sword to conquer more Thus but in vaine we 〈◊〉 doe resist vvhere 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 VVhilst parliaments must still redresse their wrongs And we must 〈◊〉 for what to vs belongs Our wealth but fuell to theyr 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 〈◊〉 Homage for 〈◊〉 Guyne and Aquitaine And if not that yet hath he broke the truce Thus all accur to put backe all excuse The Sisters wrong ioyn'd with the Brothers right Me thinks might vrge him in this cause to fight Be all those people sencelesse of our 〈◊〉 vvhich for our Country oft haue manag'd Armes Is the braue Normans courage now forgot Or the bold Brittons lost the vse of shot The big-bon'd Almaines and stout Brabanders Their warlike Pykes and sharp edg'd Semiters Or doe the Pickards let theys 〈◊〉 lie Once like the Centaurs of olde Thessalie Or if a valiant Leader be theyr lack vvhere 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 auncient VVigmors honourable Crest The 〈◊〉 where all thy famous Grandsires rest Or if then these what more may thee approue Euen by those vowes of thy vnfained loue That thy great hopes may moue the Christian King By forraine Armes some comfort yet to bring To curbe the power of Traytors that rebell Against the right of princely Isabell. Vaine witlesse woman why should I desire To adde more spleene to thy immortall fire To vrge thee by the violence of hate To shake the pyllars of thine owne estate VVhen what soeuer we intend to doe To our misfortune euer sorts vnto And nothing els remaines for vs beside But teares and Coffins onely to prouide VVhen still so long as Burrough beares that name Time shall not blot out our deserued shame And whilst cleere Trent her wonted course shall keepe For our sad fall her christall drops shall weepe All see our ruine on our backs is throwne And to our selues our sorrowes are our owne And Tarlton now whose counsell should direct The first of all is slaundred with suspect For dangerous things dissembled sildome are vvhich many eyes attend with busie care VVhat should I say my griefes doe still renew And but begin when I should bid adiew Few be my words but manifold my woe And still I staie the more I striue to goe As accents issue forth griefes enter in And where I end mee thinks I but begin Then till faire tyme some greater good affords Take my loues payment in these ayrie words Notes of the Chronicle historie O how I feard that sleepie drinke I sent Might yet want power to further thine intent MOrtimer beeing in the Tower and ordayning a feast in honour 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 hee gaue them a sleepie drinke prouided him by the Queene by which meanes hee got libertie for his escape I steale to Thames as though to take the ayre And aske the gentle streame as it doth glide Mortimer being gotte out of the Tower swamme the riuer of Thames into Kent whereof shee hauing intelligence doubteth of his strength to escape by reason of his long imprisonment being almost the space of three yeeres Did Bulloyne once a festiuall prepare For England Almaine Cicile and Naudrre Edward Carnaruan the first prince of Wales of the English blood married Isabell daughter of Phillip the faire at Bulloyne in the presence of the Kings of Almaine Nauarre and Cicile with the chiefe Nobilitie of Fraunce and Englande which marriage vvas there solemnized with exceeding pompe and magnificence And in my place vpon his regall throne To set that girle-boy wanton Gaucston Noting the effeminacie and luxurious wantonnes of Gaueston the Kings Minion his behauiour and attire euer so womanlike to please the eye of his lasciuious Prince That a foule witches bastard should thereby It was vrged by the Queene and the Nobilitie in the disgrace of Piers Gaueston that his mother was conuicted of
seemeth here to prophecie of the subuersion of the Lande 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 ceazeth the Prouinces which belonged to the King of England into his hands stirred the rather thereto by Mortimer who solicited her cause in Fraunce as is expressed before in the other Epistle in the Glosse vpon this poynt And those great Lords now after their attaints Canonized amongst the English Saints After the death of Thomas Earle of Lancaster at Pomfret the the people imagined great miracles to be done by his reliques as they did of the body of Bohun Earle of Herford slaine at Borough bridge FINIS ¶ To the Right Honourable and my very good Lord Edward Earle of Bedford THrice noble and my gracious 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 united hath long since deuoted my true and zealous affection to your honourable seruice and my Poems to the protection of my noble Lady your Countesse to whose seruice I was first bequeathed by that learned and accomplished Gentleman Sir Henry Goodere not long since deceased whose I was whilst he was whose patience pleased to beare with the imperfections of my beedlesse and vnstaied youth That excellent and matchlesse Gentleman was the first cherisher of my Muse which had been by his death left a poore Orphane to the worlde had hee not before bequeathed it to that Lady whom he so deerly loued Vouchsafe then my deere Lord to accept this Epistle which I dedicate as zealously as I hope you will patronize willingly vntill some more acceptable seruice may be witnes of my loue towards your honour Your Lordships euer Michaell Drayton Queene Isabell to Richard the second * The Argument Queene Isabell the daughter of Charles king of Fraunce being the second wife of Richard the second the sonne of Edward the blacke Prince the eldest sonne of King Edward the third After the said Richard her husband was deposed from his crowne and kingly dignitie by Henry Duke of Herford the eldest sonne of Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the fourth sonne of Edward the third this Lady beeing then very young was sent backe againe into Fraunce without dowre at what time the deposed King her husband was sent from the Tower of London as a prisoner vnto Pomfret Castle VVhether this poore Lady bewayling her husbands misfortunes writeth this Epistle from Fraunce AS doth the yeerely Augur of the spring In depth of woe thus I my sorrow sing VVords tun'd with sighs teares falling oft among A dolefull burthen to a heauie song VVords issue forth to finde my griefe some way Teares ouer-take them and doe bid them stay Thus whilst one striues to keepe the other backe Both once too forward now are both too slack O how I flatter griefe and doe intreate it Griefe flatters me so oft as I repeate it And to it selfe hath sorrow chang'd mee so That woe is turn'd to mee I turn'd to woe If fatall Pomfret hath in former times Nourish'd the griefe begot in hoter Clymes Thether I send my woes there to be fed But where first borne where fitter to be bred They vnto Fraunce be aliens and vnknowne England from her doth challenge these her owne They say all mischife commeth from the North It is too true my fall doth set it forth And where bleake winters stormes do euer rage There should my sighes finde surest anchorage Except that breeme ayre holds the Northerne part Doe freese that Aetna which so burnes my hart But why should I thus limmit griefe a place vvhen all the world is fild with our disgrace And we in bounds thus striuing to containe it The more abounds the more we doe restraine it O how euen yet I hate my loathed eyes And in my glasse oft call them faythlesse spyes That were so haplesse with one louing looke To grace that Traytour periur'd Bullenbrooke But that of sence ioy had all sence bereau'd They neuer should haue beene so much deceau'd Proude was the Courser which my Lord bestrid vvhen Richard like his conquering Grandsire rid For all the world in euery looke alike The Rosie Ilands in his Lilly cheeke His silken Amber curles so would he tie So carried he his princely Eagle eye From top to toe his like in euery lim All looke on Edward that did looke on him The perfit patterne Nature chose alone VVhen at the first shee fram'd proportion Reseru'd till then that all the world should view it And praise th'insample by the which she drew it O let that day be guiltie of all sin That is to come or euer yet hath bin VVherein great Norfolks forward course was staid To proue the treasons he to Herford layd VVhen with sterne furie both these Dukes enrag'd Their gauntlets then at Couentry engag'd vvhen first thou didst repeale thy former grant Seal'd to braue Mowbray as thy Combatant From tymes vnnumbred howers let time deuide it Least in his minutes he should hap to hide it Yet on his browes let wrinckled age still beare it That when it comes all other howers may feare it And all ill-boading Planets by consent That day may hold their wicked parliament And in heauens large Decrees enrole it thus Blacke dismall fatall inauspitious For then should he in height of all his pride Vnder great Mowbrays valiant hand haue died Nor should not nowe from banishment retire The fatall brand to set our Troy on fire O why did Charles relieue his needy state A vagabond and stragling runnagate And in his Court with grace did entertaine This vagrant exile this abiected Caine That with a thousand mothers curses went Mark'd with the brands of ten yeeres banishment VVhen thou to Ireland took'st thy last farewell Millions of knees vpon the pauements fell And euery where th'applauding ecchoes ring The ioyfull shouts that did salute a King Thou went'st victorious crown'd in triumph borne But cam'st subdu'd vncrown'd and laugh'd to scorne And all those tongues which tit'led thee theyr Lord Grace Henries glorious stile with that great word And all those eyes dyd with thy course ascend Now all too few on Herford to attend Princes like sunnes be euermore in sight All see the clowdes which doe eclipse their light Yet they which lighten all downe from their skyes See not the clowdes offending others eyes And deeme their noone-tide is desir'd of all VVhen all expect cleere changes by theyr fall VVhat colour seemes to shadow Herfords claime vvhen law and right his Fathers hopes doth maime Affirm'd by Church-men which should beare no hate That Iohn of Gaunt was illigittimate vvhom his reputed mothers tongue did spot By a base Flemish Boore to be begot vvhom Edwards Eglets mortally did shun Daring with them to gaze against the
virginitie He had indeede but shall I tell thee what Beleeue mee Brandon he had scarcely that Good feeble King he could not doe much harme But age must needes haue some-thing that is warme Small drops God knowes doe quench that heatles fire vvhen all the strength is onely in desire And I could tell if modestie might tell There's some-what else that pleaseth Louers well To rest his cheeke vpon my softer cheeke vvas all he had and more he did not seeke So might the little babie clip the nurse And it content shee neuer a whit the worse Then thinke thys Brandon if that make thee frowne For mayden-head hee on my head set a Crowne vvho would exchange a kingdome for a kisse Hard were the hart that would not yeeld him this And time yet halfe so swiftly doth not passe Not full fiue months yet elder then I was VVhen thou to Fraunce conducted was by fame vvith many Knights which from all Countries came Installed at S. Dennis in my throne vvhere Lewes held my coronation vvhere the proude Dolphin for thy valure sake Chose thee at tilt his princely part to take vvhen as the staues vpon thy caske did light Grieued there-with I turn'd away my sight And spake aloude when I my selfe forgot 〈◊〉 my sweet Charles my Brandon hurt him not But when I fear'd the King perceiued this Good silly man I pleasd him with a kisse And to extoll his valiant sonne began That Europe neuer bred a brauer man And when poore King he simply praysed thee Of all the rest I ask'd which thou should'st be Thus I with him dissembled for thy sake Open confession now a mends must make VVhilst this old King vpon a pallet lyes And onely holds a combat vvith mine eyes Mine eyes from his by thy sight stolne away vvhich might too well theyr Mistres thoughts bewray But vvhen I savv thy proude vnconquered Launce To beare the prize from all the flower of Fraunce To see vvhat pleasure did my soule imbrace Might easily be discerned in my face Looke as the devv vpon a Damaske-Rose Hovv through that cleerest pearle his blushing showes And when the soft ayre breathes vppon his top From those svveet leaues falls easily drop by drop Thus by my cheeke downe rayning from mine eyes One teare for ioy anothers roome supplies Before myne eye like Touch thy shape did proue Mine eye condemn'd my too too partiall loue But since by others I the same doe try My loue condemns my too too partiall eye The precious stone most beautifull and rare vvhen vvith it selfe vve onely doe compare vvee deeme all other of that kinde to be As excellent as that we onely see But vvhen vve iudge of that with others by Too credulous wee doe condemne our eye vvhich then appeares more orient and more bright As from their dimnes borrowing greater light Alansoon a fine timbered man and tall Yet wants the shape thou art adorn'd withall Vandom good carridge and a pleasing eye Yet wants my Suffolks Lyons maiestie Couragious Burbon a sweet manlie face But yet he wants my Brandons courtly grace Proude Longauile our Court iudg'd had no peere A man scarce made was thought whilst thou wast heere Countie S. Paule brau'st man at Armes in Fraunce vvould yeeld himselfe a Squire to beare thy Launce Galleas and Bounarme matchlesse for theyr might Vnder thy towring blade haue couch'd in fight If with our loue my Brother angry be Ile say for his sake I first loued thee And but to frame my liking to his minde Neuer to thee had I beene halfe so kind Should not the sister like as doth the brother The one of vs should be vnlike the other VVorthy my loue the vulgar iudge no man Except a Yorkist or Lancastrian Nor thinke that my affection should be set But in the line of great Plantaginet I passe not what the idle Commons say I pray thee Charles make hast and come away To thee what's England if I be not there Or what to mee is Fraunce if thou not here Thy absence makes me angry for a while But at thy presence I must needsly smile VVhen last of mee his leaue my Brandon tooke Hee sware an oath and made my lyps the booke Hee would make hast which now thou doost denie Thou art for sworne ô wilfull periurie Sooner would I with greater sinnes dispence Then by intreatie pardon thys offence But yet I thinke if I should come to shriue thee Great were the fault that I should not forgiue thee Yet wert thou here I should reuenged be But it should be with too much louing thee The vtmost date expired of my stay When I from Douer did depart away KIng Henry the 8. with the Queene and Nobles in the 6. yeare of his raigne in the month of September brought this Lady to Douer where she tooke shipping sor Fraunce Think'st thou my loue was faithfull vnto thee When young Castile to England sued for me It was agreed and concluded twixt Hen. the 7 and Phillip King of Castile Sonne to Maximilian the Emperour that Charles eldest Sonne of the said Phillip should marry the Lady Mary Daughter to King Henry when they came to age which agreement was afterward in the 8. yeare of Hen. the 8. annihilated When he in tryumph of his victory Vnder a rich embrodred Canapy Entred proud Turnay which did trembling stand c. Henry the 8. after the long seege of Turnay which was deliuered to him vpon composition entred the Citty in tryumph vnder a Canapy of cloth of gold borne by foure of the cheefe and most noble Cittizens the King himselfe mounted vppon a gallant Courser barded with the Arms of England Fraunce and Ireland When Charles of Castile there to banquet came With him his Sister that ambitious Dame Sauoys proud Dutches. The King beeing at Turnay there came to him the Prince of Castile and the Lady Margarit Dutches of Sauoy his Sister to whom King Hen. gaue great entertainment Sauoys proud Dutches knowing how long she By her loue sought to winne my loue from 〈◊〉 At this time there was speech of a marriage to be concluded betweene Charles Brandon then L. Lisle the Dutches of Sauoy the L. Lisle being highly fauored and exceedingly beloued of the Dutches. When in King Henryes Tent of cloth of gold The King caused a ritch Tent of cloth of gold to be erected where he feasted the Prince of Castile and the Dutches and entertayned them with sumptuous maskes and banquets during their aboade When Maximilian to those warres adrest Wore Englands Crosse on his imperiall brest The Emperour Maximilian with all his Souldiours which serued vnder King Henry wore the crosse of Saint George with the Rose on their breasts And in our Army let his Eagle flye The blacke Eagle is the badge imperiall which heere is vsed for the displaying of his ensigne or standard And had his pay from Henries treasurie Henry the 8 at his warres in Fraunce retayned the Emperour and all his Souldiours
modesty then of such liberty Howbeit the Vestall Nuns had seats assigned them in the Roman Theater whereby it should appeare it was counted no impeachment to modestie though they offending therein were buried quicke a sharpe lawe for them who may say as Shores wife dooth When though abroad restraining vs to rome They very hardly keepe vs safe at home FINIS To the Right Worshipfull Henrie Goodere of Powlesworth Esquire SIR this Poeme of mine which I imparted to you at my beeing with you at your lodging at London in May last brought at length to perfection emboldened by your wonted fauours I aduenture to make you Patron of Thus Sir you see I haue aduentred to the worlde with what like or dislike I know nor if it please which I much doubt of I pray you then be pertaker of that which I shall esteeme not my least good if dislike it shall lessen some part of my griefe if it please you to alow but of my loue howsoeuer I pray you accept it as kindly as I offer it which though without many 〈◊〉 yet I assure you with much desire of your honour Thus vntill such time as I may in some more larger measure make knowne my loue to the happy generous family of the Gooderes to which I confesse my selfe to be beholding to for the most part of my education I wish you all happines Michaell Drayton Marie the French Queene to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke * The Argument Mary the daughter of that renowned Prince King Henry the seauenth beeing very young at her Fathers death after by ber Brother King Henry the eyght was giuen in marriage to Lewes King of Fraunce being a man old and decrepite This faire and beautifull Lady long before had placed her affection on Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke a braue and couragious young Gentleman and an especiall fauorite of the King her Brother and a man raised by him King Lewes the husband of this beautifull Queene lyued not long after bee was married and Charles Brandon hauing commission from the King to bring her backe to England but beeing delayed by some sinister meanes the French Queene writeth this Epistle to hasten the Duke forward on his intended voyage to Fraunce SVch health from heauen my selfe may wish to mee Such health fro Fraunce Queene Mary sends to thee Brandon how long mak'st thou excuse to stay And know'st how ill we women brooke delay If one poore Channell thus can part vs two Tell mee vnkinde what would an Ocean doe Leander had an Hellespont to swim Yet thys from Hero could not hinder him His Barke poore soule his brest his armes his oars But thou a shyp to land thee on our shores And opposite to famous Kent doth lie The pleasant fields of famous Pickardie vvhere our 〈◊〉 Callice walled in her sands In kenning of the cliffie Douer stands Heere is no Beldame nurse to pout or lower vvhen wantonning we reuell in my Tower Nor neede I top my Turret with a light To guide thee to mee as thou swimm'st by night Compar'd with mee wert thou but halfe so kind Thy sighes should stuffe thy sayles though wanting wind But thy breast is becalm'd thy sighes bee slack And mine too stiffe and blow thy broade sayles back But thou wilt say that I should blame the flood Because the winde so full against thee stood Nay blame it not it did so roughly blow For it did chyde thee for thou wast so slow For it came not to keepe thee in the Bay But came from mee to bid thee come away But that thou vainely lett'st occasion slide Thou might'st haue wasted hether with the tyde If when thou com'st I knit mine angry brow Blame me not Brandon thou hast broke thy vow Yet if I meant to frowne I might be dombe For this may make thee stand in doubt to come Nay come sweet Charles haue care thy ship to guide Come my sweet hart in faith I will not chide VVhen as my Brother and his louely Queene In sad attire for my depart were seene The vtmost date expired of my stay vvhen I from Douer did depart away Thou know'st what woe I suffred for thy sake How oft I fain'd of thee my leaue to take God and thou know'st with what a heauie hart I tooke my farewell when I should depart And being shypp'd gaue signall with my hand Vp to the Cliffe where I did see thee stand Nor could refraine in all the peoples view But cried to thee sweet Charles adiew adiew Looke how a little infant that hath lost The thing where-with it was delighted most vveary with seeking to some corner creepes And there poore soule it sits it downe and weepes And when the Nurse would faine content the mind Yet still it mourns for that it cannot finde Thus in my carefull Cabin did I lye vvhen as the shyp out of the roade did flie Think'st thou my loue was faythfull vnto thee vvhen young Castile to England su'd for mee Be iudge thy selfe if it were not of power vvhen I refusd an Empyre for my dower To Englands Court when once report did bring How thou in Fraunce didst reuell with thy King vvhen hee in tryumph of his victorie 〈◊〉 a rich imbrodered Canapie 〈◊〉 proude Tournay which did 〈◊〉 stand To beg for mercy at his conquering hand To heare of his enderements how I ioy'd But see this calme was suddainly destroy'd VVhen Charles of Castile there to banquet came vvith him his sister that ambitious Dame Sauoys proude Dutches knowing how long shee By her loue sought to winne my loue from mee Fearing my absence might thy vowes acquite To change thy Mary for a Margarite VVhen in King Henries Tent of cloth of gold Shee often did thee in her armes enfold vvhere you were feasted more diliciously Then Cleopatra did Marke Anthonie vvhere sports all day did entertaine your sight And then in Masks you pass'd away the night But thou wilt say It proper is vnto vs That we by nature all are iealious I must confesse t'is oft found in our sexe But who not loue not any thing suspects True loue doth looke with pale suspitions eye Take away loue if you take iealousie VVhen Henry Turwyn and proude Tournay wonne Little thought I the end when thys begunne VVhen Maximilian to those warrs adrest vvare Englands Crosse on his imperiall brest And in our Armie let his Eagle flie And had his pay from Henries treasurie Little thought I when first beganne these warrs My marriage day should end these bloody iarrs From which I vow I yet am free in thought But thys alone by VVoolseys wit was wrought To hys aduise the King gaue free consent That will I nill I I must be content My virgins right thy state could not aduaunce But now enriched with the dower of Fraunce Then but poore Suffolks Dutchesse had I beene Now the great Dowger the most Christian Queene But I perceiue where all thy griefe doth lie Lewes of Fraunce had my