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
witchcraft and burned for the same and that Piers had bewitched the King Albania Gascoyne Cambria Ireland Albania Scotland so called of Albanact the seconde sonne of Brutus and Cambria Wales so called of Camber the third sonne the foure 〈◊〉 and Countries brought in subiection by Edward Longshanks When of our Princely iewells and our dowers We but enioy the least of what is ours A complaynt of the prodigalitie of King Edward giuing vnto Gaueston the iewells treasure which was left him by the auncient Kings of England and enriching him with the goodly Manor of Wallingforde assigned as parcell of the dower to the Queenes of this famous Ile And ioynd with the braue issue of our blood Alie our kingdome to theyr crauand brood Edward the second gaue to Piers Gaueston in marriage the daughter of Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester begot of the Kinges sister Ioane of Acres married to the said Earle of Gloster Should giue away all that his Father wonne To backe a stranger King Edward offered his right in Fraunce to Charles his brother in law and his right in Scotland to Robert Bruse to bee ayded against the Barrons in the quarrell of Piers Gaueston And did great Edward on his death-bed giue Edward Longshanks on his death-bed at Carlile commaunded young Edward his sonne on his blessing not to call backe Gaueston which for the misguiding of the Princes youth was before banished by the whole counsell of the land That after all this fearefull massaker The fall of Beuchamp Lasey Lancaster Thomas Earle of Lancaster Guy Earle of VVarwicke Henry Earle of Lincolne who had taken theyr oathes before the deceassed King at his death to withstand his sonne Edward if he should call Gaueston from exile beeing a thing which hee much feared now seeing Edward to violate his Fathers commaundement rise in Armes against the King which was the cause of the ciuile war and the ruine of so many Princes And gloried I in Gauestons great fall That nowe a Spenser should succeed in all The two Hugh Spensers the Father the sonne after the death of Gaueston became the great fauorites of the King the sonne being created by him Lord Chamberlaine and the Father Earle of Winchester And if they were yet Edward doth detaine Homage for Pontiu Guyne and Aquitaine Edward Longshanks did homage for those Citties and territories to the French King which Edward the second neglecting moued the French King by the subbornation of Mortimer to ceaze those Countries into his hands By auncient Wigmors honourable Crest Wigmore in the marches of Wales was the ancient house of the Mortimers that noble and couragious familie That still so long as Borrough beares that name The Queene remembreth the great ouerthrowe giuen to the Barrons by Andrew Herckley Earle of Carlill at Borrough bridge after the battaile at Burton And Torlton now whose counsells should direct Thys was Adam Torlton bishop of Herford that great polititian who so highly fauoured the faction of the Queene and Mortimer whose euill counsell afterward wrought the destruction of the King Mortimer to Queene Isabell. AS thy saluts my sorrowes doe adiourne So backe to thee their interest I returne Though not in so great bountie I confesse As thy heroicke princely lines expresse For how should comfort issue from the breath Of one condemn'd and long lodg'd vp in death From murthers rage thou didst me once repriue Now in exile my hopes thou doost reuiue Twice all was taken twice thou all didst giue And thus twice dead thou mak'st me twice to liue This double life of mine your onely due You gaue to mee I giue it backe to you Nere my escape had I aduentur'd thus As did the skye-attempting Daedalus And yet to giue more safetie to my flight Haue made a night of day a day of night Nor had I backt the proude aspyring wall vvhich held without my hopes within my fall Leauing the cordes to tell where I had gone For gazing eyes with feare to looke vpon But that thy beautie by a power diuine Breath'd a new life into this spirit of mine Drawne by the sunne of thy celestiall eyes vvith fiery wings made passage through the skyes The heauens did seeme the charge of me to take And sea and land be friend mee for thy sake Thames stopt hen tide to make me way to goe As thou had'st charg'd her that it should be so The hollow murmuring winds their due time kept As they had rock'd the world whilst all things slept One billow bore me and another draue mee This stroue to helpe me and that stroue to saue mee The brisling Reedes mou'd with the ayre did chide mee As they would tell me that they moant to hide mee The pale-fac'd night beheld thy heauie cheere And would not let one little starre appeare But ouer all her smoakie mantle hurl'd And in thick vapours muffled vp the world And the pure ayre became so calme and still As it had beene obedient to my will And euery thing disposd vnto my rest As when one Seas the Alcion buildes her nest And those rough waues which late with furie rusht Slide smoothlie on and suddainly are husht Nor Neptune lets his surges out so long As Nature is in bringing forth her yong Nor let the Spensers glory in my chaunce That thus I liue an exile now in Fraunce That I from England banished should be But England rather banished from me More were her want Fraunce our great blood shold beare Then Englands losse should be to Mortimer My Grandsire was the first since Authurs raigne That the Round-table lastly did ordaine To whose great Court at Kenelworth did come The peerlesse knighthood of all Christendome VVhose princely order honoured England more Then all the conquests shee atchiu'd before Neuer durst Scot set foote on English ground Nor on his backe did English beare a wound vvhilst VVigmore flourisht in our princely hopes And whilst our Ensigne march'd with Edwards troupes VVhilst famous Longshanks bones in Fortunes scorne As sacred reliques to the fielde were borne Nor euer did the valiant English doubt VVhilst our braue battailes guarded them about Nor did our wiues and wofull mothers mourne The English blood that stained Banocksburn VVhilst with his Minions sporting in his Tent VVhole dayes and nights in banquetting were spent Vntill the Scots which vnder safeguard stoode Made lauish hauock of the English blood And battered helmes lay scattered on the shore vvhere they in conquest had beene borne before A thousand kingdoms will we seeke from farre As many Nations wast with ciuill warre vvhere the disheuel'd gastly Sea-nymphe sings Or well-rigd shyps shall stretch theyr swelling wings And dragge theyr Ankors through the sandie foame About the world in euery Clime to roame And those vnchristned Countries call our owne vvhere scarce the name of England hath been knowne And in the Dead-sea sinck our houses fame From whose sterne waues we first deriu'd our Name Before foule black-mouth'd infamie shall sing That
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
returne And was I forc'd t'abridge his banish'd yeares vvhen they bedew'd his footsteps with theyr teares Yet could not see mine owne insuing fall Not seeing that which sauing that saw all Neuer our treasure stuft with greater store Neuer our strength neuer our power was more Neuer more large bounds to our Emperie Neuer more counsaile wisedome policie Neuer did all so suddainly decline But iustice is the heauens the fault is mine Kings pallaces stand open to let in The soothing Traytor and the guide to sin Many we haue in tryumphs to attend vs But few are left in perrill to defend vs Amongst the most the worst we best can chuse Tis easie to desire but hard to vse Oh famous Gloster thou fore-saw'st my end The curse that did my lawlesse youth attend His death is newe and I in sinne am old vvho my destruction Prophet-like fore-told And like Laocan crying from his tower Foreshow'd the horse which hid the Grecian power Is this the thing for which we toyle and sweat For which the great doe kneele vnto the great Is thys the thing in seeking to attaine All payne is pleasure and all losse is gaine Is thys the iewell which we prize so hie At heauen at fame at life at libertie And vnto thys in striuing to aspire Are we made slaues vnto our fond desire Yet on steepe Icie banks heere still we dwell And if we slip our fall is into hell Sweet Queene Ile take all counsell thou canst giue So that thou bid me neither hope nor liue Counsell that comes when ill hath done his worst Blesseth our ill but makes our good accurst Comfort is now vnpleasing to mine eare Past cure past care my bed is now my Beere Since thus misfortune keepes vs heere so long Till heauen be growne vnmindfull of our wrong VVe may in warre some-time take truce with foes But in dispaire we cannot with our woes O let this name of Richard neuer die Yet still be fatall to posteritie And let a Richard from our line arise To be the scourge of many families And let the Crowne be fatall that he beares And wet with sad lamenting mothers teares Thy curse on Percy heauen doth now preuent vvho hath not one curse left on me vnspent To scourge the world now borrowing of my store As rich in plagues as I in wealth am pore Then cease deere Queene my sorrowes to bewaile My wounds too great for pittie now to heale Age stealeth on whilst thou complainest thus My griefes be mortall and infectious Yet better fortunes thy faire youth may trie That follow thee which still from me doth flie Notes of the Chronicle historie This tongue which first denounc'd my kingly state RIchard the second at the resignation of the Crowne to his Cosin Henry in the Tower of London at the deliuery of the same with his owne hand confessed himselfe to be vnable to gouerne denounced all kingly dignitie so that hee might onely haue his life And left'st great Burbon for thy loue to mee Who sued in marriage to be linck'd to thee Before the Princesse Isabell was married to Richard the second Lewes Duke of Burbon sued to haue had her in marriage which it was thought he had obtained if this motion had not 〈◊〉 out in the meane time this Duke of Burbon sued againe to haue receiued her at her comming into Fraunce after the imprisonment of King Richard but King Charles her Father then crost him as before and gaue her to Charles sonne to the Duke of Orleance Let Herford vaunt of our atchiuements done Henry the eldest sonne of Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster which at the first was Earle of Darbie then created Duke of Herford but after the death of Iohn of Gaunt his Father was Duke of Lancaster and Herford Earle of Darby Leicester and Lincolne and after he had obtained the Crowne was called by the name of Henry of Bullenbrooke which is a towne in Lincolne shiere as vsually all the Kings of England bare the name of the places where they were borne Of famous Cressy where his keene sword lopp'd The flowers of Fraunce which all had ouertopp'd Remembring the famous victory Edward the third their Grandfather obtained at Cressy where were almost slaine all the Nobilitie of Fraunce where the Frenchmen lost all their ancient glory And with their Flower-delices set the walke Where our c. Edward the third by the conquest of Fraunce ioyned the Lillies or Flower-delices which is the Armes of Fraunce with the Lyons the Armes of England which coate first came from Normandie by the Conquerer remaining in the right of his possession Seauen goodly syens from one stocke began Edward the third had seauen sonnes his eldest Edward Prince of Wales after called the blacke Prince William of Hatfielde his second Lionell Duke of Clarence the third Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the fourth Edmond of Langley Duke of Yorke the fift Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Gloster the sixt and William of Windsore the seauenth My princely Father was the straightest stem Truely boasting himselfe to bee the eldest sonne of the eldest Brother which was Edward the blacke Prince Yet after Edward Iohn the young'st of three By this disabling Henry Bullenbrooke beeing the sonne but of a fourth brother William Lionell being both before Iohn of Gaunt When that vsurping bastard sonne of Spayne Noting the courage of his Father which set Petro the King of Castile in his kingdome when hee was expulsed by his bastard brother A conquered King from Fraunce to England led The blacke Prince tooke King Iohn of Fraunce prysoner at the battaile of Poycters and brought him into England where hee dyed at the Sauoy And by a home-nurst begger ouer-borne By this reprouing his owne weakenes and cowardize who had suffered himselfe to be expulsed his kingdome by a subiect and one so much inferior to himselfe in greatnes And proues our acts of parliaments vniust In the first parliament that Henry called after Richard had resigned the Crowne hee anihilated all the lawes that were made in the parliament called the wicked parliament held in the 20. yeere of King Richards raigne Saw I the loue the Zeale the faith the care The Commons still c. When the Combat shoulde haue beene at Couentry betwixt Henry Duke of Herford and Mowbray Duke of Norfolke the Cōmons mourned exceedingly after they heard that Herford was adiuged by the King to be banished for tenne yeeres so greatlie was he alwaies fauoured of the people And was I forc'd to abridge his banish'd yeeres When Henry Duke of Herford came to Eltham to take his leaue of King Richard the King to please the Commons rather then for any loue he bare to Herford plucked backe foure yeeres of his banishment O famous Gloster thou fore-saw'st the end Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Gloster the Kings vnckle who had oftr reproued this youthfull Kings insolence was put to death at Callice by the commaundement of this Richard his vnnaturall
This Richard whom ironiacally shee heere calls Dicke that by treason after his Nephewes murthered obtained the Crowne was a man lowe of stature crooke-back'd the left shoulder much higher then the right and of a very crabbed and sower countenance his Mother could not be deliuered of him vncut and he was borne toothed and with his feete forward contrary to the course of nature To ouershadow our vermilion Rose The red Rose was the badge of the house of Lancaster and the white Rose of Yorke which by the marriage of Henry the seauenth with Elizabeth indubitate heire of the house of Yorke was conioyned and vnited Or who doth muzzle that vnruly Beare The Earle of Warwicke the setter vp and puller downe of Kings gaue for his Armes the white Beare rampant and the Ragged staffe His glorious conquest got at Agyncourt Agincourt is a Teritory in Fraunce where King Henry the fifth discomfited the whole French puissance beeing 60000. horsemen besides foote-men and Pages and slewe at the same battell 8000 of their Nobility Knights and Gentlemen And almost all the Princes of Fraunce besides such as were taken prisoners Who fill'd the ditches of besieged Caen With mangled bodies c. Caen is a meruailous strong Towne of Normandy which after long famine and extreame misery was yeelded vp to King Henry the fifth who fortified the Towne and Castle to the vse of the English My Daysie flower which erst perfum'd the ayre Which for my fauour Princes once did weare c. The Daysie in French is called Margarit which was Queene Margarits badge where-with all the Nobility and chiualry of the Land at the first ariuall were so delighted that they wore it in their Hats in token of honour And who be Starres but Warwicks bearded staues The ragged or bearded staffe was a part of the Armes belonging to the Earldome of VVarwicke Slaundering Duke Rayner with base beggery Rayner Duke of Aniou called himselfe King of Naples Cicile and Ierusalem hauing neither inheritance nor tribute from those parts and was not able at the marriage of the Queene of his owne charges to send her into England though he gaue no dower with her which by the Dutches of Glocester was often in disgrace cast in her teeth A Kentish Rebell a base vpstart Groome This was Iack Cade which caused the Kentish-men to rebell in the 28. yeare of Henry the 6. And this is he the white Rose must prefer By Clarence Daughter match'd to Mortimer This Iack Cade instructed by the Duke of Yorke pretended to be decended from Mortimer which married Lady Phillip Daughter to the Duke of Clarence And makes vs weake by strengthning Ireland The Duke of Yorke beeing made Deputy of Ireland first there began to practise his long pretended purpose strengthning himselfe by all meanes possible that he might at his returne into England by open warre to claime that which so long he had priuily gone about to obtaine Great Winchester vntimely is deceas'd Henry Beuford Bishop and Cardinall of Winchester Sonne to Iohn of Gaunt begot in his age was a proud and ambitious Prelat fauouring mightily the Queene and the Duke of Suffolke continually heaping vp innumerable treasure in hope to haue beene Pope as himselfe on his death-bed confessed With Fraunce t'vpbraide the valiant Somerset Edmond Duke of Somerset in the 24. of Henry the 6 was made Regent of Fraunce and sent into Normandy to defend the English Territories against the French inuasions but in short time he lost all that King Henry the fifth wone for which cause the Nobles and the Commons cuer after hated him T'endure these stormes with wofull Buckingham Humfrey Duke of Buckingham was a great fauorite of the Queenes Faction in the time of Henry the 6. And one foretold by water thou shouldst dye The Witch of Eye receaued aunswer by her spirit that the Duke of Suffolke should take heede of water which the Queene forwarnes him of as remembring the Witches prophecie which afterward came to passe FINIS To the Right Worshipfull Sir Thomas Mounson Knight SIR amongst many which most deseruedly loue you though I the least yet am loth to be the last whose endeuours may make knowne how highly they esteeme of your noble and kinde disposition let this Epistle Sir I beseech you which vnwoorthily weares the Badge of your woorthy name acknowledge my zeale with the rest though much lesse deseruing which for your sake doe honour the house of the Mounsons I knowe true generositie accepteth what is zelously offered though not euer deseruingly excellent yet for loue of the Art from whence it receiueth resemblance The light Phrigian harmony stirreth delight as well as the melancholy Doricke moueth passion both haue their motion in the spirit as the lyking of the soule moueth the affection Your kinde acceptance of my labour shall giue some life to my Muse which yet houers in the vncertaintie of the generall censure Michaell Drayton Edward the fourth to Shores wife * The Argument This Mistresse Shore King Edward the fourths beautious paramore was so called of her husband a Goldsmith awelling in Lumbard street Edward the fourth sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke after hee had obtained the Crowne by deposing Henry the sixt which Henry was after murthered in the Tower by Richard Crookebacke and after the battell fought at Barnet where that famous Earle of VVarwicke was slaine and that King Edward quietly possessed the Crowne hearing by report of many the rare and wonderfull beauty of the afore-said Shores wife commeth himselfe disguised to London to see her where after he had once bebeld her he was so surprised with her admirable beautie as not long after he robbed her husband of his deerest iewel but first by this Epistle he writeth vnto her VNto the fayr'st that euer breath'd thys ayre From English Edward to that fairest faire Ah would to God thy title were no more That no remembrance might remaine of Shore To countermaund a Monarchs high desire And barre mine eyes of what they most admire O why should Fortune make the Citty proude To giue that more then is the Court alow'd VVhere they like wretches hoard it vp to spare And doe engrosse it as they doe theyr ware VVhen fame first blaz'd thy beauty heere in Court Mine eares repulsd it as a light report But when mine eyes sawe what mine eare had hard They thought report too niggardly had spard And strooken dumbe with wonder did but mutter Conceiuing more then shee had words to vtter Then thinke of what thy husband is possest vvhen I enuy that Shore should so be blest vvhen much abundance makes the needy mad And hauing all yet knowes not what is had Into fooles bosoms thys good fortune creepes And wealth comes in the whilst the miser sleepes If now thy beauty be of such esteeme vvhich all of so rare excellencie deeme vvhat would it be and prized at what rate vvere it adorned with a kingly state vvhich beeing now but in so meane a bed Is
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
from this pleasing dreame vvhen passion some-what leaues to be extreame My longing eyes with theyr fayre obiect meet VVhere euery letter's pleasing each word sweet It was not Henries conquests nor his Court That had the power to winne mee by report Nor was his dreadfull terror-striking name The cause that I from VVales to England came For Christian Rhodes and our religious truth To great atcheeuements first had wonne my youth Before aduenture did my valour proue Before I yet knew what it was to loue Nor came I hether by some poore euent But by th'eternall Destinies consent vvhose vncomprised wisedoms did fore-see That thou in marriage should'st be linck'd to mee By our great Merlin was it not fore-told Amongst his holy prophecies enrold vvhen first he did of Tudors fame diuine That Kings and Queenes should follow in our line And that the Helme the Tudors auncient Crest vvith Lillies fetch'd from Fraunce should be possest And that our Leeke our Countries chiefe renowne Should grow with Roses in the English Crowne As Charles faire daughter thou the Lilly wear'st As Henries Queene the blushing Rose thou bear'st By Englands conquest and by Fraunce's oth Thou art the true made dowager of both Both in thy Crowne both in thy cheeke together Ioyne Tethers loue to thine and thine to Tether Then make no future doubts nor feare no hate vvhen it so long hath beene fore-told by Fate And by the all-disposing doome of heauen Before our births vnto one bed were giuen No Pallas heere nor Iuno is at all vvhen I to Venus giue the golden ball Nor when the Grecians wonder I enioy None in reuenge to kindle fire in Troy And haue not strange euents diuin'd to vs That in our loue we should be prosperous VVhen in thy presence I was call'd to daunce In loftie tricks whilst I my selfe aduaunce And in my turne my footing faild by hap vva'st not my chaunce to light into thy lap VVho would not iudge it Fortunes greatest grace Sith he must fall to fall in such a place His birth from heauen thy Tudor not deriues Nor stands on typ-toes in superlatiues Although the enuious English doe deuise A thousand iests of our hiperbolies Nor doe I claime that plot by auncient deedes vvhere Phoebus pastures his fire-breathing steeds Nor doe I boast my God-made Grandsires skarres Nor Giants trophies in the Tytans warres Nor faine my birth your princely eares to please By three nights getting as was Hercules Nor doe I forge my long decent to runne From aged Neptune or the glorious sunne And yet in VVales with them most famous bee Our learned Bards doe sing my pedigree And boast my birth from great Cadwallader From faire Cair-Septon in Mount Palador And from Eneons line the South-wales King From Theodor the Tudors name doe bring My royall mothers princely stocke began From her great Grandame faire Gwenellian By true decent from Leolin the great As well from North-wales as faire Powslands seate Though for our princely Genealogie I doe not stand to make Apologie Yet who with iudgments true vnpartiall eyes Shall looke from whence our name at first did rise Shall find that Fortune is to vs in debt And why not Tudor as Plantaginct Nor that terme Croggen nick-name of disgrace Vsd as a by-word nowe in euery place Shall blot our blood or wrong a VVelchmans name vvhich was at first begot with Englands shame Our valiant swords our right did still maintaine Against that cruell proude vsurping Dane And buckled in so many dangerous fights vvith Norwayes Swethens and with Muscouits And kept our natiue language now thus long And to this day yet neuer chang'd our tongue vvhen they which now our nation faine would tame Subdu'd haue lost theyr Country and theyr name Nor neuer could the Saxons swords prouoke Our Brittaine necks to beare theyr seruile yoke vvhere Cambrias pleasant Countries bounded bee vvith swelling Seuerne and the holy Dee And since great Brutus first arriu'd haue stood The onely remnant of the Troyan blood To euery man is not alotted chaunce To be the glorious conqueror of Fraunce Yet if my titles may be raisd by thee If heauen say this heauen saith yet more may be And our S. Dauid in the Brittaines right May ioyne with George the sainted English Knight And old Caer-marden Merlins famous towne Not scorn'd by London though of such renowne Ah would to God that howre my hopes attend vvere with my wish brought to desired end Blame mee not Madame though I thus desire vvhen Kings doe wonder what I doe admire Should'st thou but touch swart Melas with thy hand His Ietty grauell would be Tagus sand Nature to shew more skill in thy curles stroue Then did Arachne in the web shee woue VVhere thou wilt sit vnto thy Lute to sing There shall another faire Pirene spring The Gods wish Hebe had no other Cup But thy sweet lip for Nectar when they sup The sweet calme odor thy breath doth respire Might coole that all which Phaeton set on fire VVonder not Madam though all eyes doe gaze vvhen such a Comet doth begin to blaze Till now your beauty in nights bosome slept vvhat eye durst looke where awfull Henry kept VVho durst attempt to saile but neere the bay vvhere that all-conquering great Alcides lay But beauty now is set a Princes prize And kings now come to cheapen merchandize If thou but walke to take the breathing ayre Orithia makes mee that I Boreas feare If to the fire loue once in lightning came And fayre Egina makes me feare the flame If in the sunne then sad suspition dreames Phoebus should spred Lucothoe in his beames If in a Fountaine thou doost coole thy blood Neptune I feare which once came in a flood If with thy maides I dread Apollos rape vvho cusned Chion in an old vviues shape If thou doost banquet Bacchus makes me dread vvho in a Grape Erigone did feede And if my selfe thy Chamber doore should keepe Yet feare I Hermes comming in a sleepe Pardon sweet Queene if I offend in thys In these delayes loue most impatient is And youth wants power his hote spleene to suppresse vvhen hope already banquets in excesse Though Henries fame in me you shall not find Yet that which better shall content your mind VVhat helps a Crownes adorning of the head vvhen comfort wanteth in a princely bed But onely in the title of a King vvas his aduantage in no other thing If in his loue more pleasure you did take Neuer let Queene trust VVelchman for my sake Yet iudge mee not from modestie exempt That I another Phaetons charge attempt My mounting thoughts which thus to heauen aspire Shewes that my spirit's tuch'd with celestiall fire For had it been of grosse and earthly mud It neuer durst presume to such a good If loue a fault the more is beauties shame vvhen she herselfe is Author of the same All men to one peculiar vice incline Onely to loue is naturally mine Thou art by beauty famous as by