THE BATTAILES OF CRESCEY and Poictiers vnder the leading of King Edward the Third of that name And his Sonne Edward Prince of Wales named the Blacke By Charles Allen sometime of Sidney Colledge in Cambridge Magnarum rerum etiamsi successus Non fuerit Honestus ipse conatus est Seneca LONDON Printed by Tho Purfoot for T. K. 1631. DOCTISSIMO AMICO SVO CAROLO ALEINO de nobili hoc Poemate SI quid victrices debebunt vatibus vmbrae Aevum mortali si dare musa potest Et decus aeternum praestare hos doctus honores Praestitit Alleinus Rex Edovarde tibi Gallorum domitor tibique inuictissime Princeps Cujus adhuc nomen saecula nostra colunt Felices animae laudes agnoscite vestras Carminaque eximios dignae sonare duces Maesta suas iterum lugebit Gallia clades Damnaque per calamum iam renovata tuum Sentiet infelix lugubria praelia damnans Temporaque Anglorum cum pharetrata cohrrs Rumperet hostiles horrenda strage catervas Gallaque Gallorum luxuriaret humus Sanguine pinguescens quae ne damnare tenebris Saecula vel possit perdere livor edax Hos patriae reddit meritos Alleinus honores Nec patitur regum fortia facta mori Thomas May. To his Friend Mr. Charles Allen vpon his learned Poeme THe noblest spurre vnto the sonnes of fame Is thirst of honour and to haue their name Enrold in faithfull History thus worth Was by a wise ambition first brought forth Blest Edward whom posterity shall know By this vnspotted worke to which we owe Our knowledge of thy Choisest deedes so iust Has bin my friend vnto thy reuerend dust Truth is the historians Crowne and art Squares it to stricter comelinesse each part Thou skilfully obseru'st whose learned slight Shall teach succeeding ages how to write Goe on t'improoue the world and scorne the harme That malice can find out desert's a charme Be fortunate as knowing may thy brayne Ioue-like bring forth valour and wit disdaine Those torturers of wit that stuffe these times With rude Composures and vnseason'd rimes It will be weakenesse to inlarge thy prayse Thy owne iudicious Poeme is thy bayes Iohn Hall To my Friend Mr. Charles Allen. CHarles by the muse Edward the Blacke seems faire The daring Sonne of an vndaunted Sire Liue not my hopes if I can iudge more rare Their Acts or thy expression To require An equall censure this with truth accords They giue thee matter thou afford'st them words John Lewis TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull and accomplished Sir John Spencer of Ofley Knight and Baronet Sir I Haue read said Cosmus a Duke of Florence that wee should forgiue our Enemies but no where that wee should forgiue our Friends It seemes by this Dukes doctrine that the transgression of an engaged obseruer is no veniall sinne Indeede the discontinuance of my seruice cries so loude that had I not much faith in your goodnesse I should not hope an attonement But your noble nature hath bespoke my confidence The figure of that deuotion long since set in my brest I heere delineate in this Dedication begging the noble charity of your construction that you would rather conceiue well of the patterne then too nearely examine the portraiture A diffidence wherof were an vnpardonable trespasse to your generous selfe to whom my study shall make good what your merits expect from the faith of his obseruance in whose Logicke to bee and to bee yours is conuertible Charles Allen. TO THE NOBLE and vertuous Ladie the Ladie Spencer of Ofley Madam IT may seeme a solecisme to match a Lady and a battaile for Trumpets and Fifes are harsh accents in a Ladies eare and a Battaile though but in arras is terrible But this makes the constuction good I see your virtue most Honourd Lady stand higher then your Sex and in that I know that the atcheiuements of actiue spirits are more welcome to a masculine vertue then a soft discourse Besides there hath euer beene a sympathie betwixt Ladies and Martialists and the Doues of Venus make their nests sometime in a Soldiers helmet Nay to passe true stories the bookes of Knight errantrie were but shrunken things if wee tooke out of them aduentures done for Ladies I hope the reconcilementis made if not your Ladiship is mercifull and though you detect an errour in my Iudgement you shall finde an infallibilitie in his deuotion who here laies his hand vpon your Altar for protection Charles Allen. THE BATTAILE OF CRESCEY T Is true my hand blacke Edward cann't enrowle In honors brasen leaues nor draw a line In his fam'd table vnlesse Homers soule Were made by wondrous transmigration mine I car'd not though Pythagoras did misse In all Philosophie if true in this Yet may I draw somenobler Genius forth Whose high-borne streines are privileg'd from time Who in the handling of a theame of worth Can drowne fames trumpet with a mighty rime And soaring notes impt with a muses wing High as the Bards that Agincourt did sing Let Tourney quake great Edward's at her gate And like a meteor menaceth her walls Tourney may glory in her better fate If by the hand of Edward Tourney falls For 't is a comfort by great hands to die And thus to fall is next to victory But now the enemy is on his way Navar the French and the Bohemian King To take the hungry Lion from his prey Three Kings but named might some terrour bring But titles neuer were by iudgement feard Had all the hoast beene Kings he had not car'd And that the French might know his perso'nall worth Hee dard De Valois to a single fight And if not that to draw a hundred forth That fewer slaughters might decide the right A good King knowes cause all depend on him To loose a subiect is to loose a limbe I will not question if a leader should Be personally seene in such an action It is enough for me that Edward would His precedent is reall satisfaction A King 's a God on earth and this I 'le call Edwards divinity one dye for all But such defiances are vaine to those Who more their numbers than their valour trust Now armie armie all shall all oppose The French will haue it so the English must Edward appoints a day 't is brauely done To tell thy foman when thou wilt come on T was genuine valour in our grand-sires who Proclaimed when and what they meant to doe And scornd like theeues to steale vpon a foe A foe vnwarned is vnarmed too By sculking out to beat an enemy Doth pilfer honour and steale victory The cloud of war was ready to dissolue To showers of blood the ayre affrighted feard The blowes it should receiue now all resolue To goe or send to death but all is cleard What was presaged blacke proues a faire day A Ladies breath dispelld the storme away Sister to Phillip mother to Edwards wife The Ladie Iane De Valois interceedes A cloistered Nun sets period to the strife Or else whole troopes had
that before their swords Did seize the French stood trembling thus an oke Shakes with that wind vshers the thunder stroke For they like thunder shot their furie through Where solidnes did most resistance make And crumble into dust what would not bow Whereon they stand and thence aduanced take Their stately flight on humbled backes we rise And on the wings of ruine conquest flies Thus Rome in a sedition was tooke VVhen Arnulph came there mutinies to quell His souldiers shoutings such amazements strooke That from the wall the startled Romans fell Their heapes were scaling ladders and their fall Made him the staires on which he clim'd the wall The Boheme King in head of all his men Encounters with dehruction and dares Death to a duell which did meete him then And with deepe cutts cancell his date of yeares Disarmd him not he still his weapon held As if his ghost should fight when he was kild Kings vpon whom many depend haue vs'd T' haue danger at a distance nor at all Tread within reach the Theban chiefe accusd Himselfe for being neere an arrows fall For Kings are those chiefe stones which arches knit Let one be dislocated all will flitt A loyall subiect hath nor life nor breath But what 's infus'd and breathed from the Prince Who if he rashly shall encounter death Stifles too cruellie his influeuce And 't is a problem whether thus to dye Or greater rashnes be or crueltie Leaders without disgrace haue sometimes fled He that did flye this day may next day fight Great Amurath had not beene vanquished Had not Huniades beene sau'd by flight Wherelife more than our death auailes the state Valour by flight may looke for better fate But where it doth not leaders must not moue But cope with danger here a Captaines flight Reads basenesse to his men and coward loue Of an ignoble life in such a flight A valliant Diomed will rather dye And scorne to stir though Nestor bids him flye Twice was the King of France beate off his horse By Henault movnted vp as oft did rise And acted to the height of single force He did so noblic fight so well aduise He seemd his armies hand and armies head He fought like Scaeua and like Cesar led The valliaut King still wrastles with his fate As if he would vntwist what that had weau'd Deeming the web of fate had beene like that VVith which the Grecian dame her loues deceiu'd Flesh cannot breake the threds the fates haue spun Like Narses web theirs cannot be vndone Nor Frances strength nor fortune can preuaile Fortune hath left no refuge but to flye The King turnd head and all his men turnd taile And leaue at once the field aud victorie Soone turnd the King the armie turnd as soone Thus a small rudder turnes a Galeone The King congratulates his sonne for this Faire earnest of his future victories And sealeth vp his language with a kisse VVith mute expressions the Prince replies Silence hath Rhetoricke and veiles are best To portrâ—â—â—t that which cannot be exprest Wars greater tempest had forgat to blow And horrors thicker clowdes were driu'n away But lighter mists and weaker blasts did now Appeare to dim the honour of the day Thus when a roring storme hath ceasd to raue A trembliug noyse still murmurs on the waue When the next morne had blusht to see the field Looke redder then her selfe in purple dight Some scatterd troopes as willing to be kild Came rather to a slanghter then a fight If the sound bodies of whole armes faile 'T is ruine for sore members to assaile For by the English breathing death they 're blowne Out of the field and day drawne out of night So many Lords of France were ouerthrowne That yet I ne'r could iudge if that I might Or a misfortune or an honour call That losse should alwaies on their nobles fall FINIS THE BATTAIE OF Poictiers vnder Edward Sirnanamed the Blacke Prince NOt in full orbe as yet his honour shines True honours orbs are fill'd by digits grow By orderlie addictions high designes Doe with Methodicall progression goe Tall Cedars by degrees aduance the top 'T is Mushrome honour in a night springs vp Nature the hand and instrument of heauen VVith sober pace aduanceth fairelie on Her peeces are produc'd by smooth and euen Degrees and grow by soft accession Nature by mediums workes leaps not at all And honour leapd to seemes vnnaturall But yet she stayes not but doth gently pace In her continued march and high borne sprights Worke 〈◊〉 Falcon to wring to her place Winns are by constant circlings not alights Macedoâ— heire could glory he did raise His name by expeditions not delayes Then on great Prince the eldest sonne of Fame Honours first borne continue still to add Items to vertues sum and weare a name Charg'd with more well-won titles than he had Contest for thy inheritance in fame More iust thy interest more faire thy claime France was the court wherein the case was try'd With title so apparant proofes so cleare His plea for honour could not be deni'd By iustice brib'd nay if more worlds there were And Philips sonne had triumpht on them all His suit for honours birthright here should fall But he that would court honour in the field And wed her noblie to his vertue must Hold passion in on a firme basis build And know the causes of his war be iust Great actions if not founded deepe will reele The greatest ship must haue the strongest keele To procure peace or keepe a foe at bay By warding iniuries call a warre iust But not to hug reuenge and make a way For brutish feritie but that Kings must Keepe Kings in good opinion that they know What a wrong is and how to vse a foe T' enlarge the â—iâ—ts of Kingdomes and extend An Empires armes a war may authorize The Prince whom sacred leaues doe most commend And by the style of heau'n is writt most wise Made all the people tributarie bee Were from Euphrates to the midland sea Or to recouer what our right hath beene And what 's deteind vniustly to regaine Where iustice ends there iustlie warrs begin Our Edward thus did war in Aquitaine Thus fierce Camillus taught th' insulting Gaule To weigh the treasure and restore it all King Iohn had setled vpon Charles his sonne Aquitaines Dâ—rchie which did owe her state To Englands Edward who confirm'd it on The Prince with charge his right to vindicate Kings doe marke Kings proceedings and to eye Their waies is politicke necessitie This was that Charles whom the French stories writ First Dolphin Vinbert broken at the chance Of 's onely sonnes decease did giue his right Of Dolphinie to Phillip King of France But with this coution conferd the same They should the heire of Franee the Dolphin name Goe vindicate thy right a word what can Effect a wonder on lame cowardise And teach it moue but to the Prince a man To picture prowes by it doth but this
sooner giue Valour and mercy are the fixed poles On which the spheare of Edwards honor rowles Kings are Gods pictures and their mercy lend Best life vnto the Peeces clemency And moderation doe best commend Their actions and their fortunes beautifie These glorious lustres are the varnish cast Which makes their acts not onely shine but last Mercy declard vnto a foe doth show W' are cit'zens of this world and would not be Cut off by ferity and le ts men know No sepâ—ratists are in humanity Here we maintaine communion for our hearts Are continents not Iles from other parts King Iohn with humble state is entertaind Not dealt with roughly as an enemy Edward by valour his first conquest gaind And wins a second by his courtesie Base wolues and beares still vrge a yeelding foe Edward's a Lion and he cann't doe soe In midst of triumph here the crier say Remember thou art man to moderate Thy fortune on a steep descent wee stay Our selues and horse thus in a high-raisd state We vse a moderation and begin On fortunes steepe to reine our pnssions in So many pris'ners at this battaile tooke Who did into the armes of mercy yeeld As might haue taken vs at the first looke They seemd enough to win againe the field Saue that these odds did for the English stand One keeper can ten prisoners command So many Noble Lords did write with blood And seale with wounds that France did loue her King As if the Nobles did not thinke it good The commons should their testimonie bring To ratifie that truth themselues will be Th' onely subscribers to this veritie Edward the heau'ns doth humblie gratifie Whose starrs had for him in their courses fought And leade him by the hand to victorie And like sure conuoies through his dangers brought Timotheus thriues not after he denies A share to fortune in his victories Then he bestowes rich larges on his men T' enflame their minds that if they did not loue Vertue for her owne selfe rewards should then Win their loues to her and their dulnesse moue Reward is the great pillar of a state Which doth support as strongly as her fate Then heightens them with commendations praise Is the reflexion doth from vertue rise These faire encomiums doe vertue raise To higher acts to praise is to aduise Telling men what they are we let them see And represent to them what they should be And they were worthy of it Rome ne'r saw An armie yet to which this hoast would yeeld Nor brauer Chiefe than Edward er'e did draw Her powerfull legions into the field Edward shall mate the proudest He of Rome Let Caesars selfe her great dictator come When Rome had conquerd all the world beside Then and but then she durst attempt the Gaules Gaules who before her powers did deride And oft had scourged her at her owne walls Rome neuer durst the stubborne Gaul defie Till she had not another enemie But England had another powerfull foe The hardy Scot to threaten from the North Incursions yet then did Edward goe From home and lead with him an army forth And spight of Oracle a conquest win Which said we should with Scotland first begin Victorious Cesar bed ezperienc'd men Custom'd as well to conquests as to fights Those whom heroicke Wales conducted then Were but meere nouices in Mars his rites New chang'd the whip for sword the share for sheild And Ceres fat for Mars his bloodie field The Gaules indeed were resolute in war Whom Cesar with his legions vanquished Yet were those Gaules inferiour by far Vnto the French for the French conquered The Gaules who could not then themselues defeÌ„d Eue'n when that Rome did them assistance lend Ariouistus with his Germans had The Gaules in slauerie a great allay To the best temperd spirits and had made Factions to take their soueraignetie away Seditions are the rills which at the length Weaken the current and maine streame of strength But now the French were free a setled state And fixt in the obedience to one Lord A King for fame and fortune wondred at Vnder his colours Kings did draw the sword A King for whom one did himselfe bereaue Of rule for loue and one for money leaue Against a state so strong and setled thus Edward durst come with an vnpractisd few The French had more aduantages of vs â—han Cesar of those Gaules he ouerthrew And yet there were more markes of valour madâ— In France by th' English than the Roman blade Then why hath history so copious beene In old Romes strength as if it meant to say Not what should win beliefe but wonder win Thus Alexander left in India So great an armour which should rather be T' amaze than to informe posteritie Mighty third Edward thou didst propagate Strength in thy children though we often see Their seed degen'rous and t is thought a fate The sons of Heroes should a blemish bee Pure was the graine when it at first was sowne But it hath many huskes when it is growne Who hath in vertues Zenith seated beene Swerues farthest in his fall a mighty spright Highly sublim'd is stranger to a meane Nor is it foild in sinne but falls downe right And for the sinnes which such great sires haue don The heau'ns haue oft tooke vengeance on the son And sometime too great men vxorious are So was Themistocles and let their wiues With too indulgent education mar The hoped fortunes of their childrens liues Children like water on a table spilt Are easely drawne into what shape thou wilt But noble Edwards fortitude descends Downe to his sonnes this royall Eagle breeds An airie of true Eaglets not commends Doues to the world a valiant race succeeds This valliant father ne'r could Heros vaunt Of two such mighty sonnes as Wales and Gaunt Now farewell Lords who seeme t' haue thrown despaire VpoÌ„ the world which feares while it shal last It hardly shall be crownd with such a paire For nature lost the moulds where they were cast Or else in making them she spent such store That she hath scarse materialls for more FINIS