of stomacke and person Princes all pereles in eche condicion Namely syr Edwarde called the blacke prince Whan had Englande the lyke before eyther since But what of all this any man to assure In state vncarefull of Fortunes varyaunce Syth dayly and hourely we see it in vre That where most cause is of affyaunce Euen there is founde moste weake assuraunce â–ª Let none trust Fortune but folowe Reason For often we see in trust is treason This prouerbe in proofe ouer true I tryed Finding high treason in place of high trust And most faulte of fayth where I most affyed Beyng by them that should haue been iust Trayterously entrapt ere I coulde mystrust Ah wretched worlde what it is to trust thee Let them that wyll learne nowe hearken vnto mee After king Edwarde the thyrdes decease Succeded my Nephewe Rycharde to reyne Who for his glory and honors encrease With princely wagies dyd me enterteyne Agaynst the Frenchmen to be his Chyefreyne So passyng the seas with royall puissaunce With God and S. George I inuaded Fraunce Wasting the countrey with swurde and with fyer Ouerturning townes high castels and towers Lyke Mars God of warre enflamed with yre I forced the Frenchmen tabaddon theyr bowers Where euer we matcht I wan at all howers In suche wyse visyting both Cytie and village That alway my soldiers were laden with pillage With honoure and triumph was my retourne Was none more ioyous than yong king Richarde Who minding more highly my state to adourne with Glocester Dukedome dyd me rewarde And after in mariage I was prefarde To a daughter of Bohan an earle honorable By whome I was of Englande high Constable Thus hoysted so high on Fortunes wheele As one on a stage attendyng a playe Seeth not on whiche syde the scaffolde doth reele Tyll tymber and poales and all flee awaye So fared it by mee for day by daye As honour encreased I loked styll hyer Not seyng the daunger of my fonde desyer For whan Fortunes slud ran with full streame I beyng a Duke descended of Kinges Constable of Englande chiefe officer in the realme Abused with esperaunce in these vaine thinges I went without feete and flewe without winges Presumyng so far vpon my high state That dread set aparte my prince I would mate For where as al kings haue counsel of their choyse To whom they refer the rule of theyr lande With certayne famyliers in whom to reioyce For pleasure or profyt as the case shall stande I not bearyng this would nedes take in hande Maulgree his wyll those persons to dysgrace And such as I thought fyt to appoynt in their place But as an olde booke sayth who so wyll assaye Aboute the Cats necke to hang on a bell Had fyrst nede to cut the Cats clawes awaye Least yf the Cat be curst or not tamed well She haply with her nayles may clawe him to the fell For doyng on the bell about the cats necke By beyng to busy I caught a sore checke Reade well the sentence of the Rat of renoune Which Pierce the plowman discribes in his dreame And who so hath wyt the sense to expoune Shall fynde that to bridle the prince of a realme Is euen as who sayeth to striue with the streame Note this all subiectes and construe it well And busy not your braine about the cats bell But in that ye be Lyeges learne to obaye Submytting your wylles to your princes lawes It sytteth not a subiecte to haue his owne waye Remember this bywurde of the Cats clawes For princes lyke Lyons haue long and large pawes That reache at raundon and whom they once twitch They clawe to the bone before the skyn itch But to my purpose I beyng once bent Towardes the atchiuyng of my attemptate Fower bolde Barrons were of myne assent By oth and allyaunce fastly confederate Fyrst Henry of Derby an Earle of estate Richarde of Arundell and Thomas of Warwicke With Mowbray erle Marshall a man most warlicke At Ratcote brydge assembled our bande The Commons in clusters cam to vs that day To daunce Robert Uere then Duke of Irelande By whom king Rycharde was ruled alway We put hym to flyght and brake his array Then maulgree the kyng his leaue or assent By Constables power we called a parlyament Where not in roabes but with bastardes bright We cam for to parle of the Publyke weale Confyrming our quarell with maine and with might With swurdes and no wurdes we tryed our appeale In stede of Reason declaryng our Zeale And whom so we knewe with the kyng in good grace Playnely we depriued him of power and of place Sum with shorte proces were banyshe the lande Sum executed with capytall payne Wherof who so lyst the whole to vnderstande In the parlyament roll it appeareth playne And furder howe stoutly we dyd the king strayne The Rule of his realme wholy to resygne To the order of those whom we dyd assygne But note the sequele of suche presumption After we had these myracles wrought The king enflamed with indignacion That to suche bondage he should be brought Suppressyng the yre of his inwarde thought Studyed nought els but howe that he myght Be highly reuenged of his high dispight Aggreued was also this latter offence with former matter his yre to renue For once at wyndsore I brought to his presence The Mayor of London with all his retinue To are a reckening of the Realmes reuenue And the soldiers of Brest were by me made bolde To clayme entertainment the towne being solde These griefes remembred with all the remnaunt Of hate in his hert hourded a treasure Yet openly in shewe made he no semblaunt By wurde nor by deede to beare displeasure But loue dayes dissembled do neuer endure And who so trusteth a foe reconcylde Is for the most parte alwayes begilde For as fyer yll quencht will vp at a starte And sores not well salued do breake out of newe So hatred hydden in an yrefull harte Where it hath had long season to brewe Upon euery occasion doth easely renewe Not fayling at last yf it be not let To paye large vsury besides the due det Euin so it fared by this frendship fained Outwardly sounde and inwardly rotten For whan the kinges fauour in semyng was gained All olde dyspleasures forgyuen and forgotten Euin than at a sodayne the shaft was shotten Whiche pearced my harte voyde of mistrust Alas that a prince should be so vniust For lying at Plasshey my selfe to repose By reason of syckenes whiche helde me full sore The king espying me aparte from those with whom I confedered in bande before Thought it not meete to tract the tyme more But glad to take me at suche auauntage Came to salute me with friendly vysage Who hauyng a bande bounde to his bent By coulour of kyndenes to byset his Eame Tooke tyme to accomplysh his cruell intent And in a small vessell downe by the streame Conueyed me to Calays out of the realme where without proces or doome of my
yeres Not nature but murder abridged my yeres This acte was odious to God and to man Yet rygour to cloke in habyte of reason By crafty compas deuise they can Articles nyne of ryght haynous treason But doome after death is sure out of season For who euer sawe so straunge a presydent As execucion doen before iudgement Thus hate harboured in depth of mynde By sought occasyon burst out of newe And cruelty abused the lawe of kynde whan that the Nephewe the Uncle slewe Alas king Rycharde sore mayst thou rewe whiche by this facte preparedst the waye Of thy harde destynie to hasten the daye For blood axeth blood as guerdon dewe And vengeaunce for vengeaunce is iust rewarde O ryghteous God thy iudgementes are true For looke what measure we other 〈◊〉 The same for vs agayne is prepardâ— Take heed ye princes by examples past Blood wyll haue blood eyther fyrst or last WHan maister Ferrers had ended this fruytfull tragedye because no man was readye with another I hauyng perused the story whiche cam next sayd Because you shall not say my maisters but that I wyll in sumwhat do my parte I wyll vnder your correction declare the tragedy of the Lord Mowbray the chiefe wurker of the Dukes destruction who to admonysh all Counsaylers to beware of flattering princes or falsely enuying or accusyng theyr Peregalles may lament his vices in maner folowyng Hovve the Lorde Movvbray promoted by Kyng Richarde the seconde vvas by hym banyshed the Realme â–ª and dyed miserably in exyle THough sorowe and shame abash me to rehercâ— My lothsum lyfe and death of due deserued Yet that the paynes thereof may other perce To leaue the lyke least they be lykely serued Ah Baldwin marke I wil shew thee how I swarued Dyssemblyng Enuy and Flattery bane that â—e Of all their hostes haue shewed their power on me I blame not Fortune though she dyd her parte And true it is she can doo lytell harme She gydeth goods she hampreth not the harte A vertuous mynde is safe from euery charme Uyce onely vyce with her stoute strengthles arme Doth cause the harte to euyll to enclyne Whiche I alas doo fynde to true by myne For where by byrth I came of noble kynde The Mowbrayes heyre a famous house and olde Fortune I thanke her was to me so kynde That of my prince I had what so I wolde Yet neyther of vs was muche to other holde For I through flattery abused his wanton youth And his fonde trust augmented my vntruth He made me fyrst the earle of Notyngham And Marshall of the realme in whiche estate The Pâ—eâ—s and people sayntly to me came with sore complaynt against them that of late Made offycers had brought the king in hate By makynge sale of Iustice ryght and lawe And lyuyng nought without all dreede or awe I gaue them ayde these euyls to redresse And went to London with an army strong And caused the king against his wyll oppresse By cruell death all suche â—â—led hym wrong The lorde chiefe Iustice suffred these among So dyd the Stuarde of his housholde head The Chauncelour scapte for he aforehande fled These wicked men thus from the king remoued who best vs pleased succeded in theyr place For whiche both kyng and commons muche vs loued But chiefely I with all stoode high in grace The kyng ensued my rede in euery case whence selfe loue bred for glory maketh proude And pryde aye looketh alone to be allowde wherfore to thende I might alone enioyâ— The kinges good wyll I made his lust my lawe And where of late I laboured to destroye Suche flatryng folke as thereto stoode in awe Nowe learned I among the rest to clawe â–ª For pride is suche yf it be kindely caught As stroyeth good and styrreth vp every nought Pryde pricketh men to flatter for the pray To oppresse and pol for mayntenaunce of the same To malyce suche as matche vnâ—thes it may And to be briefe pride doth the harte enflame To fyer what myschief any fraude maye frame And euer at length the euyls by it wrought Confounde the wurker and bring him vnto nought Beholde in me due proofe of euerye parte For pryde fyrst forced me my prince to flatter So muche that what so euer pleased his harte Were it neuer so evyll I thought a lawfull matter Wâ—â—che caused the lordes afresh against him clatter Because he had his holdes beyonde sea â—olde And seen his souldiers of theyr wages polde Though all these yls were doen by my assent Yet suche was lucke that eche man deemed no For see the duke of Glocester for me sent With other lordes whose hartes did blede for wo To see the Realme so fast to ruyne go In faulte whereof they sayde the two dukes wer The one of Yorke the other of Lancaster On whose remove fro beyng aboute the king We all agreed and sware a solempne oth And whyle the rest prouyded for this thyng I flatter I to win the prayse of troth Wretche that I was brake fayth and promise both For I bewrayed the king theyr whole intent For whiche vnwares they all were tane and shent Thus was the warder of the common weale The Duke of Glocester gyltles made awaye With other moo more wretche I so to deale Who through vntruth their trust dyd yll betraye Yet by this meanes obteyned I my praye Of king and Dukes I founde for this suche fauour As made me Duke of Norfolke for my labour But see howe pride and envy ioyntly runne Because my prince dyd more than me preferre Syr Henry Bolenbroke the eldest sunne Of Iohn of Gaunte the Duke of Lancaster Proude I that would alone be blasyng sterre Envyed this Earle for nought saue that the shine Of his desertes dyd glyster more then mine To the ende therfore his lyght should be the lesse I slyly sought all shyftes to put it out But as the pryze that would the palme tree presse Doth cause the bowes sprede larger rounde about So spyte and enuy causeth glory sprout And aye the more the top is ouertrode The deper doth the sounde roote sprede abrode For when this Henry Erle of Harforde sawe What spoyle the kyng made of the noble blood And that without all Iustice cause or lawe To suffer him so he thought not sure nor good Wherfore to me two faced in a hood As touching this he fully brake his mynde As to his frende that should remedy fynde But I although I knewe my prince dyd yll So that my heart abhorred sore the same Yet myschief so through malyce led my wyll To bring this Earle from honour vnto shame And towarde my selfe my souerayne to enflame That I bewrayed his wurdes vnto the king Not as a rede but as a most haynous thyng Thus where my duty bounde me to have tolde My prince his fault and wylde him â—o refrayne Through flattery loe I dyd his yll vpholde whiche turnde at length both hym and me to payne Wo wo to kynges whose counsaylours do
mine vncle chiefly as he sayed Who in his mouth no other matter had Saue punish such as had my brother trayed The faut wherof epparantly he layed To good duke Murdo his elder brothers sonne Whose father dyed long ere this dede was doen. My cursed vncle â—lyer than the snake Which would by craft vnto the crowne aspier Because he sawe this Murdo was a stake That stayed vp the stop of his desier For his elder brother was Duke Murdoes fier He thought it best to haue him made away So was he suer I goen to haue his pray And by his craftes the traytour brought to passe That I destroyed Duke Murdo and his kin Poore innocentes my louing frendes alas O kinges and Princes what plight stand we in A trusted traytour shal you quickely winne To put to death your kin and frendes most iust Take hede therfore take hede whose rede ye trust And at the last to bring me hole in hate With god and man at home and eke abrode He counsayled me for surance of my state To helpe the Frenchmen then nye overtrode By Englishmen and more to lay on lode With power and force al England to invade Against the othe and homage that I made And though at first my conscience did grudge To breake the bondes of frendship knit by oth Yet after profe see mâ—schiefe I did iudge It madnes for a king to kepe his troth And semblably with all the world it goth Sinnes ofte assayed are thought to be no sinne So sinne doth soyle the soule it sinketh in But as diseases common cause of death Bring daunger most whan least they pricke smart Which is a signe they haue expulst the breth Of liuely heat which doth defende the hart Euen so such sinnes as felt are on no part Haue conquered grace and by their wicked vre So kild the soule that it can haue no cure And grace agate vice stil suceedeth vice And all to haste the vengeaunce for the furst I arede therfore all people to be wise And stoppe the bracke whan it begins to burst At taste no poyson vice is venim wurst It mates the mind beware eke of to much All kil through muchnes sum with only touche Whan I had learned to set my othe at nought And through much vse the sence of sinne exyled Agaynst king Henry what I could I wrought My fayth my othe vniustly foule defiled And while sly Fortune at my doinges smiled The wrath of God which I had wel deserued Fell on my necke for thus loe was I serued Ere I had raygned fully fiftene yere While time I laye at Pertho at my place With the Quene my wife children me to chere My murdring vncle with the double face That longed for my kingdome and my mace To sâ—ay me there suborned Robert Gram With whom his nephew Robert Stuart cam And whan they time fit for their purpose found Into my priuy chaumber they aâ—â—art Where with their sweardes they gave me many a wound And slue al such as stucke vnto my parte There loe my wife dyd shewe her louing harte Who to defende me felled one or twayne And was sore wounded ere I coulde be slayne See Baldwin Baldwin the vnhappy endes Of suche as passe not for theyr lawfull oth Of those that causâ—les leaue theyr fayth or frendes And murdre kynsfolke through their foes vntroth Warne warne all princes all lyke sinnes to loth And chiefely suche as in my Realme be borne For God hates hyghly suche as are forsworne WHan this was sayd let King Iamy go ê™ mayster Ferrers returne we to our owne story se what broyls wer amoÌ„g the nobility in y e kinges minority How y e cardinal Bewford maligneth the estate of good duke HuÌ„frey the kinges vncle protector of y e realme by what driftes he first banisheth his wife froÌ„ him And lastly howe the good duke is murderously made away through conspiracy of Quene Margaret and other both whose tragedies I entend at leasure to declare for they be notable Do so I pray you ê™ another But take hede ye demurre not vpon them And I to be occupied the meane time will shewe what I haue noted in the duke of Suffolkes doinges one of the chiefest of duke Humfreyes destroyers who by the prouidens of God came shortly after in such hatred of the people that the King him selfe could not saue hym from astraunge and notable death which he may lament after this maner Hovv Lorde VVilliam Delapole Duke of Suffolke vvas vvorthily punyshed for abusing his Kyng and causing the destruction of good Duke Humfrey HEauy is the hap wherto all men be bound I meane the death which no estate may flye But to be banisht headed so and drownd In sinke of shame from top of honors hye Was never man so served I thinke but I And therfore Baldwin fro thy grave of griefe Reiect me not of wretched princes chiefe My only life in all poyntes may suffise To shewe howe base all baytes of Fortune be Which thaw like yse through heate of enuies eyes Or vicious dedes which much possessed me Good hap with vices can not long agree Which bring best fortunes to the basest fall And happiest hap to enuy to be thrall I am the prince duke William De la Poole That was so famous in Quene Margets dayes That found the meane Duke Humfreyes blud to coole whose vertuous paynes deserve eternal prayse Wherby I note that Fortune can not raise Any one aloft without sum others wracke Fluds drowne no fieldes before they find a bracke But as the waters which do breake their walles Do loose the course they had within the shore And dayly rotting stinke within their stalles For fault of moouing which they found before Euen so the state that over high is bore Doth loose the lyfe of peoples love it had And rots it selfe vntil it fall to bad For while I was but Erle eche man was glad To say and do the best by me they might And Fortune ever since I was a lad Did smile vpon me with a chereful sight For whan my Kyng had doubed me a Knight And sent me furth to serve at warre in Fraunce My lucky spede mine honor dyd enhaunce Where to omit the many feitâ—s I wrought Under others gyde I do remember one Which with my souldyers valiantly was fought None other captayne save my selfe alone I meane not now the apprinze of Pucel Ione In which attempte my travayle was not smal Though the Duke of Burgoyn had the prayse of al. But the siege of Awmarle is the â—eate I prayse A strong built towne with castes walles vaultes With men and weapon armed at al assayes To which I gave nâ—â— five times five assaultes Tyl at the last they yelded it for naughtes Yet Lord Rambures like a valiaunt Knight Defended it as long as euer he might But what prevayled it these townes to winne Which shortly after must be lost againe Wherby I see there is
more glory in The keping thinges than is in their attayne To get and kepe not is but losse of payne Therfore ought men prouide to saue their winnings In al attemptes els lose they their beginninges Because we could not kepe the townes we wunne For they were more then we might â—asely wyelde One yere vndyd what we in ten had doen For envy at home and treason abrode dyd yelde Kyng Charles his Realme of Fraunce made barain fielde For bluddy warres had wasted al encreace Which causde the Pope helpe pouerty sue for peace So that it Tourayne at the towne of Toures Duke Charles and other for their Prince appered So dyd Lord Rosse and I than Erle for oures And when we shewed wherein eche other dered We sought out meanes all quarels to haue clered Wherein the Lordes of Germany of Spayne Of Hungary and 〈…〉 paine But sith we could no final peaâ—e 〈◊〉 For neither would the others couenants heare For eightene monthes we dyd conclude a truce And while as frendes we lay together there Because my warrant dyd me therein beare To make a perfite peace and through accorde I sought a mariage for my soberaine Lorde And for the French kinges doughters wer to small I fancied most dame Margarete his niece A lovely lady beautifull and tall Fayre spoken â–ª pleasaunt a very princely piece In wit and learning matcheles hence to Grece Duke Rayners daughter of Aniow king by stile Of Naples Ierusalem and of Scicil yle But ere I could the graunt of her attayne All that our king had of her fathers landes As Mauntes the citee the county whole of Mayne And most of Aniow duchy in our handes I did release him by assured bandes And as for dowry with her none I sought I thought no peace could be to derely bought But whan this mariage throwly was agreed Although my king were glad of such a make His vncle Humfrey abhorred it in deed Because therby his precontract he brake Made with the heire of the erle of Arminake A noble maide with store of goodes endowed Which more than this with losse the duke allowed But love and beauty in the king so wrought That neither profite or promise he regarded But set his vncles counsayle still at nought And for my paynes I highly was rewarded Thus vertue starves but lust foode must be larded For I made Marquise went to Fraunce againe And brought this Bride vnto my soverayne At whom because Duke Humfrey aye repined Calling their mariage aduowtry as it was The Quene did move me erst therto enclined To helpe to bring him to his Requiem masse Which sith it could for no crime cum to passe His life and doinges were so right and clere Through privy murder we brought him to his beere Thus righteousnes brought Humfrey to rebuke Because he would no wickednes allowe But for my doinges I was made a duke So Fortune can both bend and smothe her browe On whom she list not passing why nor howe O lord how high how soone she did me raise How fast she filde me both with prayes and prayse The Lordes and Commons both of like assent Besought my soverayne kneling on their knees To recorde my doinges in the parliament As dedes deseruing everlasting foes In which attempt they did no labour leese For they set not my prayse so fast in flame As he was ready to reward the same But note the ende my dedes so wurthy demed Of Kinge of Lordes and Commons altogether Wer shortly after treasons false estemed And al men curst Quene Margets cumming hither For Charles the french king in his feaâ—es not lither Whan he had rendred Rayner Mauntes Mayne Found meane to winne all Normandy agayne This made the people curse the mariage Esteming it the cause of every losse Wherfore at me with open mouth they rage Affirming me to have brought the realme to mosse Whan king Quene sawe thinges thus go a crosse To quiet all a parliament they called And caused me in prison to be thralled And shortly after brought me furth abrode Which made the CoÌ„mons more than double wood And sum with weapons would have layed on lode If their graund captaine Blewberd in his moode Had not in time with wisedome bene withstoode â–ª But though that he and mo wer executed The people still their wurst against me bruted And so applyed the Parliament with billes Of haynous wronges and open traytrous crimes That king queene were forst against their willes Fro place to place to adiourne it divers times For princes power is like the sandy slymes Which must perforce geve place vnto the wave Or sue the windy sourges whan they rave Their life was not more dere to them than I Which made them search all shiftes to save me still But aye my foes such faultes did on me trye That to preserve me from a wurser yll The king was fayne ful sore agaynst his will For five yeres space to send me in exile In hope to have restored me in a while But marke howe vengeaunce wayteth vpon vice As I was sayling toward the coast of Fraunce The Earle of Deuonshires barke of litle price Encountred me vpon the seas by chaunce Whose captaine tooke me by his valiaunce Let passe my shippes with all the frayt and loade But led me with him into Dover roade Where whan he had recounted me my faultes As murdring of Duke Humfrey in his bed And howe I had brought all the realme to naughtes In causing the King vnlawfully to wed There was no grace but I must loose my head Wherfore he made me shrive me in his boate On the edge wherof my necke in two he smoat A piteous ende and therfore Baldwin warne All pyers and princes to abhorre vntroth For vicious grayne must cum to fowlendes barne Who brueth breach of lawful bond or oth God wil ere long cause all the world to loth Was never prince that other did oppresse Unrighteously but died in distresse WHan this was sayd Every man reioyced to heare of a wicked man so maruaylously well punished For though Fortune in many poyntes be iniurius to Princes yet in this and such lyke she is moost righteous And only deserveth the name of a Goddes whan she prouideth meanes to punish distroye Tyrantes And whan we had a whyle considered the driftes of the King and Quene to haue saued this Duke and yet they could not It is wurth the labour sayd one to way the workes and iudgementes of God which seyng they are knowen most euidently by comparyng contraryes I wyll touche the story of Iacke Kade in order next folowynge Whome Kynge Henrye with all his puissauns was no more able for a while to destroy yet was he his rebellious enemie than he was to preserve the Duke of Suffolke his derest frend by whiche two examples doeth appere howe notably God dysposeth all thinges and that no force stretcheth farther than it pleaseth him to suffer For this Cade beinge but base borne of
AMong the he any heape of happy knyghtes Whom Fortune stalde vpon her stayles stage Oft hoyst on hye oft pight in wretched plightes Behold me Baldwin a per se of my age Lord Richard Nevell Earle by mariage Of Warwike duchy of Sarum by discent Which erst my father through his mariage hent Wouldest thou beholde false Fortune in her kind Note well my life so shalt thou see her naked Ful fayre before but toto foule behind Most drowsy still whan most she semes awaked My fame and shame her shift full oft hath shaked By enterchaunge alowe and vp alofte The Luysard like that chaungeth hewe ful oft For while the Duke of Yorke in life remayned Mine vncle deare I was his happy hand In all attemptes my purpose I attayned Though King and Quene most Lordes of the land With all their power did often me withstand For god gaue Fortune and my good behaviour Did from their prince steale me the peoples fauour So that through me in feldes right manly fought By force mine vncle tooke king Harry twise And for my cosin Edward so I wrought When both our syers were slayne through rashe aduice That he atchieved his fathers enterprise For into Scotland King and Quene we chased By meane wherof the kingdome he embraced Which after he had enioyde in quiet peace For shortly after was king Henry take And put in prison his power to encreace I went to Fraunce and matched him with a make The French kinges doughter whom he did forsake For while with payne I brought his sute to passe He to a widowe rashly wedded was This made the French king shrewdly to suspecte That all my treaties had but yll pretence And whan I sawe my king so bent to lust That with his fayth he past not to dispence Which is a princes honors chiefe defence I could not rest 〈◊〉 I had found a meane To mend his misse or els to marre him cleane Wherfore I allyed me with his brother George Encensing him his brother to maligne Through many a tale I did agaynst him forge So that through power we did from Calays bring And found at home we frayed so the king That he to go to Freseland ward amayne Wherby king Henry had the crowne agayne Then put we the earle of Wurcester to death King Edwardes frend a man to fowle defamed And in the while came Edward into breath For with the duke of Burgoyne so he framed That with the power that he to him had named Unlooked for he came to England strayt And got to Yorke and tooke the towne by sleyte And after through the sufferans of my brother Which like a beast occasion fowly lost He came to London safe with many other And tooke the towne to good king Harries cost Which was through him from post to piller tost Til therle of Oxeford I and other more Assembled power his fredome to restore Wherof king Edward warned came with spede And camped with his oste at Barnet towne Where we right fierce encountred him in dede On Easter day right early on the downe There many a man was slayne and striken downe On eyther side and neyther part did gayne Til I and my brother both at length were slayne For we to harten our overmatched men Forsooke our stedes and in the thickest throng Ran preacing furth on foote and fought so then That down we drave them wer they never so stroÌ„g But ere this inche had lasted very long With numbre and force we wer so fowlye cloyed And rescue fayled that quite we wer destroyed Now tell me Baldwin hast thou heard or read Of any man that did as I have done That in his time so many armies led And victory at every vyage wunne Hast thou ever heard of subiect vnder sonne That plaaste and baaste his soveraynes so oft By enterchaunge now low and than alost Perchaunce thou thinkest my doinges were not such As I and other do affirme they were And in thy minde I see thou musest much What meanes I vsed that should me so prefer Wherin because I wil thou shalt not erre The truth of all I wil at large recite The short is this I was no hippocrite I never did nor sayd save what I mente The common weale was still my chiefest care To priuate gayne or glory I was not bent I never passed vpon delicious fare Of nedeful foode my bourde was never bare No creditour did curs me day by day I vsed playnnes ever pitch and pay I heard olde soldiers and poore wurkemen whine Because their dutyes wer not duly payd Agayne I sawe howe people did repine At those through whom their paimentes wer delayd And proofe 〈◊〉 oft assure as scripture sayd That god doth wreke the wretched peoples griefes I sawe the polles cut of fro polling thevâ—s This made me alway iustly for to deale Which whan the people playnly vnderstoode Bycause they sawe me mind the common weale They still endeuoured how to do me good Ready to spend their substaunce life and blud In any cause wherto I did them move For suer they wer it was for their behove And so it was For whan the realme decayde By such as good king Henry sore abused To mende the state I gave his enmies ayde But whan king Edward sinful pranlâ—es stil vsed And would not mend I lâ—kewise him refused And holpe vp Henry the better of the twayne And in his quarel iust I thinke was slayne And therfore Baldwin teach by proofe of me That such as covet peoples love to get Must see their wurkes and wurdes in all agree Live liberally and kepe them out of det On common weale let al their care be set For vpright dealing dets payd poore sustayned Is meane wherby all hartes are throwly gayned ASsoone as the Erle had ended his admonicion sure ê™ one I thinke the Erle of Warwike although he wer a glorious man hath sayd no more of him selfe than what is true For if he had not had notable good vertues or vertuous qualities and vsed lawdable meanes in his trade of lyfe the people woulde never have loved him as they did But god be with him and send his soule rest for sure his bodye never had any And although he dyed yet ciuil warres ceased not For immediatlye after his death came Quene Margarete with a power out of Fraunce bringing with her her yoÌ„g sonne prince Edwarde and with such frendes as she found here gave king Edward a battel at Tewrbury where both she her sonne wer takeÌ„ prisoners with Edmund duke of Somerset her chiefe captayne whose sonne lord Iohn and the earle of Deuonshire were slayne in the fight and the duke him selfe with divers other immediatlye beheaded whose infortunes are wurthy to be remembred chiefely Prince Edwardes whom the king for speaking truth cruelly stroke with his gauntlet and his bretherne tirannously murdered But seinge the time so farre spente I will passe them over and with them Fawconbridge that ioly rover beheaded at
Beholde his woundes howe blew they be about Whych whyle he lived thought neuer to decay Me thinke I heare the people thus deuise And therfore Baldwin sith thou wilt declare How princes fell to make the liuing wise My vicious story in no poynt see thou spare But paynt it out that rulers may beware Good counsayle lawe or vertue to despyse For realmes haue rules and rulers haue a syse Which if they kepe not doubtles say I dare That eythers gryefes the other shall agrise Till the one be lost the other brought to care I am a Kyng that ruled all by lust That forced not of vertue ryght or lawe But alway put false Flatterers most in trust Ensuing such as could my vices clawe By faythful counsayle passing not a strawe What pleasure pryckt that thought I to be iust I set my minde to feede to spoyle to iust Three meales a day could skarce content my mawe And all to augment my lecherous minde that must To Uenus pleasures alway be in awe For mayntenannce wherof my realme I polde Through Subsidies sore fines loanes many a prest Blanke charters othes shiftes not knowen of olde For whych my Subiectes did me sore detest I also made away the towne of Brest My fault wherin because mine vncle tolde For Prynces vyces may not be controlde I found the meanes his bowels to vnbrest The Piers and Lordes that did his cause vphold With death exile or greuous sines opprest Neyther lakt I ayde in any wicked dede For gaping Gulles whom I promoted had Woulde furder all in hope of higher mede A king can neuer imagine ought so bad But most about him will perfourme it glad For sickenes seldome doth so swiftely brede As vicious humors growe the griefe to feede Thus kinges estates of all be wurst bastad Abusde in welth abandoned at nede And nerest harme whan they be least adrad My life and death the truth of this can trye For while I fought in Ireland with my foes Mine vncle Edmunde whom I left to gide My realme at heme right trayteously arose To helpe the Percies plying my depose And cald fro Fraunce Erle Bolenbroke whom I Condemned ten yeres in eryle to lye Who cruelly did put to death all those That in myne ayde durst looke but once awry Whose number was but slender I suppose For whan I was cum back this stur to stay The Erle of Worcester whom I trusted moste Whiles we in Wales at Flint our castell lay Both to refresh and multiply mine oste Did in my hall in â—ight of least and moste Be breake his staffe my houshold office stay Bad eche man shiâ—te and rode him selfe away See princes see the power wherof we boste Whome most we trust at nede do vs betray Through whose false faith my land and life I lost For whan my trayterous Stuard thus was goen My seruauntes shranke away on euery side That caught I was and caryed to my foen Who for theyr prince a prison dyd provide And therin kept me til duke Henryes pride Dyd cause me yeld him vp my crowne and throne Whych shortly made my frendly foes to grene For Henry seing in me their falshode tryde Abhorde them all and would be rulde by none For whych they sought to stoppe him strayt a tyde The chiefe conspirde by death to drive him down For which exployte a solemne othe they swore To render me my libertie and crown Wherof them selues deprived me before But salues helpe seeld an overlong suffred sore To stoppe the brech no boote to runne or rowne When swelling fluds have overflowen the town Til sailes be spred the ship may kepe the shore The Ankers wayed though al the frayte do frowne With streame and steere perforce it shalbe bore For though the piers set Henry in his state Yet could they not displace him thence agayne And where they easily put me downe of late They could restore me by no maner payne Thinges hardly mende but may be mard amayne And whan a man is falne in froward fate Still mischeves light one in anothers pate And wel meant meanes his mishaps to restraine Ware wretched moues wherby his ioyes abate Due proofe wherof in me appereth playne For whan king Henry knew that for my cause His lordes in maske would kil him if they might To dash all dowtes he tooke no farther pause But sent sir Pierce of Erton a traytrous knight To Pomfret Castell with other armed light Who causeles kild me there agaynst all lawes Thus lawles life to lawles deth ey drawes Wherfore byd Kynges be rulde and rule by right Who wurketh his wil shunneth wisedomes sawes In flateries clawes shames foule pawes shal light WHan he had ended this so wofull a tragedy and to all Princes a ryght wurthy instruction we paused hauing passed through a miserable time full of piteous tragedyes And seing the reyne of Henry the fourth ensued a man more ware prosperous in hys doynges although not vntroubled with warres both of outforth and inward enemies we began to serch what Piers were fallen therin wherof the number was not small and yet because their examples were not much to be noted for our purpose we passed ouer all the Maskers of whom King Richardes brother was chiefe which were all slayne and put to death for theyr trayterous attempt And finding Owen Glendour next one of fortunes owne whelpes and the Percyes his confederates I thought them vnmete to be over passed and therfore sayde thus to the silent cumpany what my maysters is euery man at once in a browne study hath no man affeccion to any of these storyes you minde so much sum other belyke that these do not move you And to say the troth there is no speciall cause why they should Howbeit Owen Glendour because he was one of fortunes darlinges rather than he should be forgotten I wil tel his tale for him vnder the priuilege of Martine Hundred whych Owen cumming out of the wilde mountaynes like the Image of death in all poyntes his dart onely excepted so sore hath famine and hunger consumed hym may lament his folly after thys maner Hovve Ovven Glendour seduced by false prophesies tooke vpon him to be prince of VVales and vvas by Henry then prince therof chased to the mountaynes vvhere he miserably dyed for lacke of foode I Pray the Baldwin sith thou doest entend To shewe the fall of such as clymbe to hye Remember me whose miserable ende May teache a man his vicious life to flye Oh Fortune Fortune out on her I crye My body and fame she hath made leane and slender For I poore wretch am steruen Owen Glendour A Welshman borne and of a gentle blud But ill brought vp wherby full wel I find That neither birth nor linage make vs good Though it be true that Cat wil after kinde Fleshe gendreth fleshe so doeth not soule or minde They gender not but fowly do degender When men to vice from vertue them do surrender Ech thing by nature
tendeth to the same Wherof it came and is disposed like Downe sinkes the mold by mountes the fiery flame With horne the hart with hoofe the horse doth strike The Wulfe doth spoyle the suttle For doth pyke And generally no fish flesh fowle or plant Doth any property that their dame had want But as for men sith seuerally they haue A mind whose maners are by learning made Good bringing vp alonly doth them save In vertuous dedes which with their parentes fade So that true gentry standeth in the trade Of vertuous life not in the fleshly line For blud is Brute but Gentry is diuine Experience doth cause me thus to say And that the rather for my countreymen Which vaunt and boast their selues aboue the day If they may strayne their stocke for wurthy men Which let be true are they the better than Nay farre the wurse if so they be not good For why they steyne the bewty of theyr blood How would we mocke the burden bearing mule If he would brag he wer an horses sunne To presse his pride might nothing els him rule His boast to proue no more but byd him runne The horse for swiftenes hath his glory wunne To which the mule could neuer the more aspier Though he should prove that Pegas was his sier Ech man may crake of that which is his own Our parentes vertues theirs are and not oures Who therfore wil of noble kind be knowen Ought shine in vertue like his auncestors Gentry consisteth not in landes and towers He is a Churle though all the world be his He Arthurs heyre if that he liue amys For vertuous lyfe doth make a gentleman Of her possessour all be he poore as Iob Yea though no name of elders shewe he can For proofe take Merlyn fathered by an Hob. But who so settes his mind to spoyle and rob Although he cum by due discent fro Brute He is a Chorle vngentle vile and brute Well thus dyd I for want of better wyt Because my parentes noughtly brought me vp For gentle men they sayd was nought so sy As to attaste by bolde attemptes the cup Of conquestes wyne wherof I thought to sup And therfore bent my selfe to rob and ryue And whome I could of landes and goodes depryue For Henry the fourth did then vsurpe the crowne Despoyled the kyng with Mortimer the heyre For whych his subiectes sought to put him downe And I whyle Fortune offred me so fayre Dyd what I myght his honour to appeyre And toke on me to be the prynce of Wales Entiste therto by many of Merlines tales For whych such Idle as wayte vpon the spoyle From euery parte of Wales vnto me drew For loytring youth vntaught in any toyle Are redy aye all mischiefe to ensue Through help of these so great my glory grew That I defyed my Kyng through lofty hart And made sharp warre on all that tooke his part See lucke I tooke lord Reynolde Grey of Rythen And him enforst my doughter to espouse And so vnraunsomed held him still and sithen In Wygmore land through battayle rygorous I caught the ryght heyre of the crowned house The Erle of March syr Edmund Mortymer And in a dungeon kept hym prysoner Then al the marches longyng vnto Wales By Syverne west I did inuade and burne Destroyed the townes in mountaynes and in vales And riche in spoyles did homward safe retourne Was none so bold durst once agaynst me spurne Thus prosperously doth Fortune forward call Those whom she mindes to geue the forest fall Whan fame had brought these tidinges to the king Although the Skots than vexed him ryght sore A myghty army agaynst me he dyd bryng Wherof the French Kyng beyng warned afore Who mortall hate agaynst kyng Henry bore To greve our foe he quyckely to me sent Twelve thousand Frenchmen armed to war bent A part of them led by the Erle of Marche Lord Iames of Burbon a valiaunt tryed knyght Withheld by winds to Wales ward sorth to marche Tooke lande at Plymmouth pryuily on a nyght And when he had done al he durst or myght After that a mayny of his men were slayne He stole to shyp and sayled home agayne Twelve thousand moe in Mylford dyd aryue And came to me then lying at Denbygh With armed Welshmen thousandes double fiue With whom we went to wurcester well nigh And there encampte vs on a mount on high To abide the kyng who shortly after came And pitched his feild on a Hyll hard by the same Ther eyght dayes long our hostes lay face to face And neyther durst the others power assayle But they so stopt the passages the space That vitayles coulde not cum to our auayle Wherthrough constrayned our hartes began to fayle So that the Frenchmen shrancke away by night And I with mine to the mountaynes toke our flight The king pursued vs greatly to his cost From Hyls to wuds fro wuds to valeyes playne And by the way his men and stuf he lost And whan he see he gayned nought saue payne He blewe retreat and got him home agayne Then with my power I boldly came abrode Taken in my cuntrey for a very God Immediatly after fell a Ioly Iarre Betwene the king and Percies worthy bluds Which grew at last vnto a deadly warre For like as drops engendre mighty fluds And litle seedes sprut furth great leaves and buds Euen so small strifes if they be suffred â—un Brede wrath and war and death or they be don The kyng would haue the raunsum of such Scots As these the Percyes had â—ane in the feeld But see how strongly Luker knits her knottes The king will haue the Percies wil not yeeld Desire of goodes soone craves but graunteth seeld Oh cursed goodes desire of you hath wrought All wyckednes that hath or can be thought The Percies deemed it meter for the king To haue redeemed theyr cosin Mortymer Who in his quarel all his power did bryng To fight with me that tooke him prisoner Than of their pray to rob his Souldier And therfore willed him see sum mean wer found To quit furth him whom I kept vily bound Because the king misliked their request They came them selves and did accord with me Complayning how the kyngdome was opprest By Henries rule wherfore we dyd agre To put him downe and part the realme in three The North part theirs Wales wholy to be mine The rest to rest to therle of Marches line And for to set vs hereon more agog A prophet came a vengeaunce take them all Affirming Henry to be Gogmagog Whom Merlyn doth a Mouldwarp euer call Accurst of god that must be brought in thrall By a wulf a Dragon and a Lyon strong Which should deuide his kingdome them among This crafty dreamer made vs thre such beastes To thinke we were these foresayd beastes in deede And for that cause our badges and our creastes We searched out whych scarcely wel agreed Howbeit the Haroldes redy at such a neede Drew downe such issues
from olde auncestours As proued these ensignes to be surely oures Ye crafty Welshemen wherfore do you mocke The noble men thus with your fayned rymes Ye noble men why flye you not the flocke Of such as haue seduced so many times False Prophesies are plages for divers crymes Whych god doth let the divilish sorte devise To trouble such as are not godly wyse And that appered by vs thre beastes in dede Through false perswasion highly borne in hand That in our feat we could not chuse but spede To kyll the kyng and to enioye his land For which exployt we bound our selues in band To stand contented ech man with his part So fully folly assured our folysh hart But such they say as fysh before the net Shal seldome surfyt of the pray they take Of thinges to cum the haps be so vnset That none but fooles may warraÌ„t of them make The full assured succes doth oft forsake For Fortune findeth none so fyt to flout As suresby sots whych cast no kinde of doute How sayest thou Henry Hotspur do I lye For thou right manly gauest the king a feeld And there was slayn because thou wouldest not â—y Sir Thomas Percie thine vncle forst to yeeld Did cast his head a wunder seen but â—eâ—ld From Shrewsbury town to the top of LondoÌ„ bridge Lo thus fond hope did theyr both liues abridge Whan Henry king this victory had wunne Destroyed the Percies put their power to flyght He did appoynt prince Henry his eldest sunne With all his power to meete me if he might But I discumfit through my partners fight Had not the hart to mete him face to face But fled away and he pursued the chase Now Baldwin marke for I cald prince of Wales And made beleve I should be he in dede Was made to flye among the hilles and dales Where al my men forsooke me at my nede Who trusteth loyterers seeld hath lucky spede And whan the captaynes corage doth him fayle His souldiers hartes a litle thing may quayle And so Prince Henry chased me that loe I found no place wherin I might abide For as the dogges pursue the selly doâ— The brach behind the houndes on euery side So traste they me among the mountaynes wide Wherby I found I was the hartles hare And not the beast Colprophete did declare And at the last like as the litle roche Must eyther be eat or leape vpon the shore Whan as the hungry pickrel doth approch And there find death which it eskapte before So double death assaulted me so sore That eyther I must vnto my enmy yeeld Or statue for hunger in the baraynâ— feeld Here shame and payne a whyle were at a strife Payne prayed me yeeld shame bad me rather fast The one had spare the other spend my life But shame shame haue it ouercam at last Than hunger gnew that doth the stone wall brast And made me eat both gravell durt and mud And last of all my dung my fleshe and blud This was mine ende to horrible to heare Yet good ynough for a life that was so yll Wherby O Baldwin warne all men to beare Theyr youth such loue to bring them vp in skill Byd Princes flye Colprophetes lying byll And not presume to clime aboue their states For they be faultes that foyle men not their fates WHan starued Owen had ended his hungry exhortacion it was well inough liked Howbeit one found a dout wurth the mouing that concerning this title erle of March for as it appereth there wer .iii. men of .iii diuers nacions together in one time entitled by that honour Fyrst sir Edmund Mortimer whom Owen kept in prison an EnglishmaÌ„ the second the lord George of Dunbar a valiante Scot. banished out of his countrey well estemed of Henry the fowerth the third lord Iames of Burbon a frenchman sent by the french king to helpe Owen Glendour These thre men had this title all at once which caused him to aske how it was true that euery one of these could be Earle of Marche Wherto was aunswered that euery countrey hath Marches belonging vnto them and those so large that they were Earledomes the lordes therof intituled therby so that Lord Edmund Mortimer was Earle of Marche in Englande lord Iames of Burbon of the marches of Fraunce and Lord George of Dunbar erle of the marches in Scotland For otherwise nether could haue interest in others title Thys doubt thus dissolued mayster Ferrers sayde If no man haue affeccion to the Percies let vs pas the times both of Henry the fowerth the fifte and cum to Henrye the syxte in whose time fortune as she doth in the minoritie of princes bare a great stroke among the nobles And yet in HeÌ„ry the fourths time are exaÌ„ples which I would wish Baldvvin that you should not forget as the conspiracie made by the bishop of Yorke and the lorde Mowbray â–ª sonne of him whom you late treated of prycked forward by the earle of Northumberland father to sir Henry Hotspur who fled himselfe but his partners were apprehended and put to death with Baynton and Blinkinsops which could not see theyr duty to theyr King but tooke part with Percy that banished Rebell As he was proceding he was desired to stay by one whych had pondered the story of the Percies who briefly sayd To thende Baldvvin that you may know what to say of the Percyes whose story is not all out of my memory and it is a notable story I wyll take vpon me the person of lord Henry earle of Northumberland father of Henrye Hotspur in whose behalfe thys may be sayd Hovv Henry Percy Earle of Northhumberland vvas for his couetous and trayterous attempt put to death at Yorke O Morall Senec true find I thy saying That neyther kinsfolke ryches strength or fauour Are free from Fortune but are ay decaying No worldly welth is ought save doubtful labour Mans life in earth is like vnto a tabour Which now to mirth doth mildly men provoke And strayt to war with a more sturdy stroke All this full true I Percy find by proofe Which whilom was erle of Northumberland And therfore Baldwin for my Piers behoof To note mens falles sith thou hast tane in hand I would thou shouldest my state well vnderstand For fewe kinges were more then I redouted Through double Fortune lyfted vp and louted As for my kinne their noblenes is knowen My valiauntise were folly for to prayse Wherthrough the Scortes so oft were ouerthrowen That who but I was doubted in my dayes And that kyng Rychard found at all assayes For neuer Scottes rebelled in his rayne But through my force were eyther caught or slayne A brother I had was Erle of Worcester Alwayes in fauour and office with the king And by my wife Dame Elinor Mortimer I had a son which so the Scottes did sting That being yong and but a very spring Syr Henry Hotspur they gaue him to name And though I say it he did deserue the
Southhampton whose commocion made in Kent was cause of sely Henries destruccion And seing king Henrye him selfe was cause of the destruccion of many noble princes being of all other most vnfortunate him selfe I will declare what I have noted in his vnlucky lyfe who wounded in prison with a dagger maye lament his wretchedues in maner falowing Hovv king Henry the syxt a vertuous prince vvas after many other miseries cruelly murdered in the Tovver of London IF ever woful wight had cause to rue his state Or by his rufull plight to move men moane his fate My piteous playnt may preace my mishaps to rehearce wherof the least most lightly heard the hardest hart may pearce What hart so hard can heare of innocens opprest By fraude in worldly goodes but melteth in the brest Whan giltles men be spoylde imprisoned for theyr owne who wayleth not their wretched case to whoÌ„ the cause is knoweÌ„ The Lyon licketh the sores of selly wounded shepe The deadmans corse may cause the Crocodile to wepe The waves that waste the rockes refresh the rotten redes Such ruth the wracke of innocens in cruel creature bredes What hart is than so hard but wyl for pitye blede To heare so cruell lucke so cleare a life succede To see a silly soule with woe and sorowe souste A king deprived in prison pente to death with daggars doust Woulde god the day of birth had brought me to my beere Than had I never felt the chaunge of Fortunes cheere Would god the grave had gript me in her gredy woumbe Whan crowne in cradle made mâ—king w t 〈…〉 Would god the rufull toumbe had bene my royall trone So should no kingly charge have made me make my mone O that my soule had flowen to heaven with the ioy When one sort cryed God save the king another Vive le roy So had I not been washt in waves of worldly woe My mynde to quyet bent had not bene tossed so My frendes had bene alyve my subiectes vnopprest But death or cruell destiny denyed me this rest Alas what should we count the cause of wretches cares The starres do styrre them vp Astronomy declares Or humours sayth the leache the double true divines To the will of god or yll of man the doubtfull cause assignes Such doltish heades as dreame that all thinges drive by haps Count lack of former care for cause of afterclaps Astributing to man a power fro God bereft Abusing vs and robbing him through their most wicked theft But god doth gide the world and every hap by skyll Our wit and willing power are paysed by his will What wyt most wisely wardes and wil most deadly vrkes Though al our power would presse it downe doth dash our warest wurkes Than destiny our sinne Gods wil or els his wreake Do wurke our wrethed woes for humours bâ— to weake Except we take them so as they prouoke to sinne For through our lust by humours fed al vicious dedes beginne So sinne and they be one both wurking like effect And cause the wrath of God to wreake the soule infect Thus wrath and wreake divine mans sinnes and humours yll Concur in one though in a sort ech doth a course fulfill If likewise such as say the welken fortune warkes Take Fortune for our fate and sterres therof the markes Then destiny with fate and Gods wil al be one But if they meane it otherwise skath causers skyes be none Thus of our heavy happes chiefe causes be but twayne Wheron the rest depende and vnderput remayne The chiefe the wil diuine called destiny and fate The other sinne through humours holpe which god doth highly hate The first appoynteth payne for good mens exercise The second doth deserve due punishment for vice This witnesseth the wrath and that the love of God The good for love the bad for sinne God beateth with his rod. Although my sundry sinnes do place me with the wurst My happes yet cause me hope to be among the furst The eye that searcheth all and seeth every thought Doth know how sore I hated sinne and after vertue sought The solace of the soule my chiefest pleasure was Of wordly pompe of fame or game I did not pas My kingdomes nor my crowne I prised not a crum In heaven wer my rytches heapt to which I sought to cum Yet wer my sorowes such as never man had like So divers stormes at once so often did me strike But why God knowes not I except it wer for this To shew by patarne of a prince how britle honour is Our kingdomes are but cares our state deuoyde of stay Our riches redy snares to hasten our decay Our pleasures priuy prickes our vices to prouoke Our poÌ„pe a pumpe our fame a flame our power a smouldring smoke I speake not but by proofe and that may many rue My life doth crie it out my death doth trye it true Wherof I will in briefe rehearce my heavy hap That Baldwin in his woful warpe my wretche dues may wrap In Windsore borne I was â–ª and bare my fathers name Who wanne by war all Fraunce to his eternall fame And left to me the crowne to be receyued in peace Through mariage made with Charles his haire vpon his lifes decease Which shortly did ensue yet died my father furst And both their realmes were mine ere I a yere were nurst Which as they fell to soone so faded they as fast For Charles and Edward got them both or fortye yeres were past Thiâ— Charles was eldest sonne of Charles my father in law To whom as heire of Fraunce the Frenchmen did them draw But Edward was the heire of Richard duke of Yorke The hayer of Roger Mortimer slayne by the kerne of Korke Before I came to age Charles had recovered Fraunce And kilde my men of warre so lucky was his chaunce And through a mad contract I made with Rayners daughter I gave and lost all Normandy the cause of many a slaughter First of mine vncle Humfrey abhorring sore this acte Because I therby brake a better precontracte ThaÌ„ of the flattring duke that first the mariage made The iust rewarde of such as dare their princes yll perswade And I poore sely wretche abode the brunt of all My mariage iust so swete was 〈…〉 My wife was wise and good had 〈…〉 Wherfore warne men beware how they iust promise breake Least proofe of paynful plagues do cause them waile the wreke Aduise wel ere they graunt but what they graunt perfourme For god wil plage all doublenes although we feele no wourme I falsly borne in hand beleved I did wel But al thinges be not true that learned men do tell My cleargy sayd a prince was to no promis bounde Whose wordes to be no gospel tho I to my griefe haue found For after mariage ioynde Quene Margarete and me For one mishap afore I dayly met with three Of Normandy and Fraunce Charles got away my crowne The Duke of Yorke other sought at home to put me
downe Bellona rang the bell at home and all abrode With whose mishaps amayne fel Fortune did me lode In Fraunce I lost my fortes at home the soughten fielde My kindred slaine my frendes opprest my selfe enforste to yelde Duke Richard tooke me twise and forst me to resigne My crowne and titles due vnto my fathers ligne And kept me as a warde did all thinges as him list Til time my wife through bluddy sword had â—ane me from his fyst But though she slew the duke my sorowes did not slake But like to hiders head stil more and more awake For Edward through the ayde of Warwick and his brother From one field drave me to the Skots and toke me in another Then went my freÌ„des to wracke for Edward ware the crowne For which for nine yeres space his prison held me downe Yet thence through Warwikes wurke I was againe releast And Edward driven fro the realme to seke his frendes by East But what prevayleth payn or prouidens of man To helpe him to good hap whom destiny doth ban Who moyleth to remove the rocke out of the mud Shall myer him selfe hardly skape the swelling of the flud This al my frendes have found and I have felt it so Ordayned to be the touche of wretchednes and woe For ere I had a yeare possest my seat agayne I lost both it and liberty my helpers all were slayne For Edward first by stelth and sith by gadered strength Arrived and got to Yorke and London at the length Tooke me and tyed me vp yet Warwike was so stout He came with power to Barnet fyelde in hope to helpe me out And there alas was slayne with many a wurthy knight O Lord that ever such luck should hap in helping right Last came my wife and sonne that long lay in exyle Defyed the King and fought a fyelde I may bewalle the whsle For there mine only sonne not thirtene yere of age Was tane and murdered strayte by Edward in his rage And shortly I my selfe to stynt al furder strife Stabbed with his brothers bluddy blade in prison lost my life Loe here the heauy happes which happened me by heape See here the pleasaunt fruytes that many princes reape The payneful plagues of those that breake their lawful bandes Their mede which may wil not save their frendes fro bluddy handes God graunt my woful haps to greuous to rehearce May teache all states to know how depely daungers pearce How frayle al honours are how brittle worldly blisse That warned through my feareful fate they feare to do amys THis tragedy ended an other said eyther you or king Henry are a good philosopher so narowly to argue the causes of misfortunes but ther is nothing to experience which taught or might teach y e king this lesson but to procede in our matter I finde mencion here shortly after y e death of this king of a duke of Excester found dead in the sea betwene Dover and Calays but what he was or by what adventure he died master Fabian hath not shewed and master Hall hath overskipped him so that excepte we bee frendlier vnto him he is like to be double drowned both in the sea and in the gulfe of forgetfulnes About this matter was much talke but because one tooke vppon him to seeke out that story that charge was coÌ„mitted to him And to be occupied the meane while I found the storye of one drowned likewise and that so notably though priuily that al the world knew of it wherfore I sayd because night approcheth and that we wil lose no time ye shall heare what I have noted concerning the duke of Clarens king Edwardes brother who al to be washed in wine may bewayle his infortune after this maner Hovv George Plantagenet third sonne of the Duke of Yorke vvas by his brother King Edvvard vvrongfully imprisoned and by his brother Richard miserably murdered THe foule is fowle men say that files the nest which maketh me loath to speak now might I chuse But seing time vnburdened hath her brest And fame blowen vp the blast of all abuse My silence rather might my life accuse Than shroud our shame though fayne I would it so For truth wil out though all the world say no. And therfore Baldwin hartely I the beseche To pause awhile vpon my heauy playnt And though vnneth I vtter spedy spech No fault of wit or folly maketh me saynt No heady drinkes have geven my tounge attaynâ—e Through quaffing craft yet wine my wits confouÌ„d Not which I dranke of but wherin I dround What prince I am although I nede not shewe Because my wine bewrayes me by the smell For never was creature sowst in Bacchus dewâ— To death but I through Fortunes rigour fel Yet that thou mayst my story better tell I will declare as briefly as I may My welth my woe and causers of decay The famous house sournamed Plantagenet Wherat dame Fortune frowardly did frowne White Bolenbroke vniustly sought to set His lord king Richard quite beside the crowne Though many a day it wanted due renowne God so preserved by prouidens and grace That lawful heires did never faile the race For Lionell king Edwardes elder childe Both vncle and haire to Richard yssulesse Begot a doughter Philip whom vnfilde The earle of March espousde and god did blesse With fruyte assinde the kingdome to possesse I mean sir Roger Mortimer whose hayer The earle of Cambridge maried Anne the fayer This earle of Cambridge Richard clept by name Was sonne to Edmund Langley duke of Yorke Which Edmund was fift brother to the same Duke Lyonel that al this line doth korke Of which two houses ioyned in a forke My father Richard prince Plantagenet True duke of Yorke was lawful heire beget Who tooke to wife as you shal vnderstand A mayden of a noble house and olde Raulfe Nebels daughter Earle of Westmerland Whose sonne Earle Richard was a baron bolde Aâ—d had the right of Salysbury in bolde Through mariage made with good Earle Thomas hayer Whose earned prayses never shal appaire The duke my father had by this his wife Fower sonnes of whom the eldest Edward hight The second Iohn who lost in youth his life At wakefield slayne by Clifford cruell knight I George am third of Clarence duke by right The fowerth borne to the mischiefe of vs all Was duke of Glocester whom men Richard call Whan as our syer in sute of right was slayne Whose life and death him selfe declared curst My brother Edward plyed his cause amayne And got the crowne as Warwick hath rehearst The pride wherof so depe his stomacke pearst That he forgot his frendes dispisde his kin Of oth or office passing not a pinne Which made the earle of Warwike to maligne My brothers state and to attempt a waye To bring from prison Henry selly king To helpe him to the kingdome if he may And knowing me to be the chiefest staye My brother had he did me vndermine To cause me to