and more Besieg'd the Hold that could not long defend Consuming so al that resisting store Of those prouisions Nature daign'd to lend As that the walles 〈◊〉 thin permit the Minde To looke out thorow and his frailty finde 85 For now as if those vapors vanisht were Which heat of boyling bloud and health did breed To clowd the iudgement things do plaine appeare In their owne colours as they are indeede When-as th'illightned soule discouers cleere Th'abusing shewes of Sense and notes with heed How poore a thing is pride when all as slaues Differ but in their fetters not their Graues 86 And lying on his last afflicted bed Pale Death and Conscience both before him stand Th' one holding out a Booke wherein he read In bloudy lines the deedes of his owne hand The other shewes a glasse which figured Anougly forme of foule corrupted Sand Both bringing horror in the hiest degree With what he was and what he soone should be 87 Which seeing all trembling and confus'd with feare He lay a while amaz'd with this affright Atlast commands some that attending were To fetch the Crowne and set it in his sight On which with fixed eye and heauy cheere Casting a looke O God sayth he what right I had to thee I now in griefe conceiue Thee which with blood I held with horror leaue 88 And herewithall the soule rapt with the thought Of mischiefes past did so attentiue wey These present terrors whil'st as if forgot The dull oppressed body senselesse lay That he as breathlesse quite quite dead is thought When lo the sonne comes in and takes-away This fatall Crowne from thence and out he goes As if impatient longer time to lose 89 To whom call'd backe for this presumptuous deed The King return'd from out his extasie Began O sonne what needst thou make such speed To be before-hand with thy miserie Thou shalt haue time ynough if thou succeed To feele the stormes that beat on Dignitie And if thou 〈◊〉 but bee be any thing In 〈◊〉 then neuer be a King 90 Nay Father since your Fortune did attaine So high a Stand I meane not to descend Replyes the Prince as if what you did gaine I were of spirit vnable to defend Time will appease 〈◊〉 well who now complaine And ratifie our int'rest in the end What wrong hath not continuance quite out-worne Yeares make that right which neuer was so borne 91 If so God worke his pleasure sayd the King Yet thou must needs contend with all thy might Such euidence of vertuous deeds to bring That well may proue our wrong to be our right And let the goodnesse of the managing Raze out the blot of foul attaining quite That Discontent may all aduantage misse To wish it otherwise then now it is 92 And since my death my purpose doth preuent Touching this Holy warre I tooke in hand An action wherewithall my soule had ment T' appease my God and reconcile my Land To thee is left to finish my intent Who to be safe must neueridly stand But some great actions entertaine thou still To holde their mindes who else wil practise ill 93 Thou hast not that aduantage by my Raigne To ryotit as they whom long descent Hath purchas'tloue by custome but with paine Thou must contend to buy the worlds content What their birth gaue them thou hast yet to gaine By thine owne vertues and good gouernment So that vnlesse thy worth confirme the thing Thou neuer shalt be father to a King 94 Nor art thou borne in those calme dayes where Rest Hath brought asleepe sluggish Securitie But in tumultuous times where mindes addrest To factions are invr'd to mutinie A mischiefe not by force to be supprest Where rigor still begets more enmitie Hatred must be beguil'd with some new course Where States are stiffe and Princes doubt their force 95 This and much more Affliction would haue say'd Out of th' experience of a troublous Raigne For which his high desires had dearely pay'd The int'rest of an euer-toyling paine But that this all-subduing Power here stai'd His fault'ring tongue and paine r'inforc't againe Barr'd vp th' oppressed passages of breath To bring him quite vnder the state of Death 96 In whose possession I must leaue him now And now into the Ocean of new toyles Into the stormie Maine where tempestes growe Of greater ruines and of greater spoyles Setfoorth my course to hasten-on my vow Ov'rall the troublous Deepe of these turmoyles And if I may but liue t' attaine the shore Of my desired end I wish no more The ende of the fourth Booke THE FIFT BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Henry the fift cuts off his enemie The Earle of Cambridge that conspir'd his death Henry the sixt married vnluckily His and his Countryes glorie ruineth Suffolke that made the match preferd too hie Going to exile a Pirat murthereth VVhat meanes the Duke of Yorke obseru'd to gaine The worlds good-will seeking the Crowne t' attaine 1 CLose smothered lay the lowe depressed fire Whose after-issuing flames confounded all The whil'st victorious Henry did conspire The wracke of Fraunce that at his feete did fall Whil'st ioyes of gotten spoyles and new desire Of greater gaine to greater deeds did call His conquering troupes that could no thoughts retaine Saue thoughts of glorie all that actiue Raigne 2 Whome here me thinks as if hee did appeare Out of the clowdy darkenes of the night I do behold approche with Martiall cheere And with a dreadful and yet louely sight Whose eye giues courage and whose brow hath feare Both representing terror and delight And stayes my course and off my purpose breakes And in vp brayding words thus fiercely speakes 3 Vngrateful times that impiously neglect That worth that neuer times againe shall shew What merites all our toyle no more respect Or else standes Idlenesse asham'd to knowe Those wondrous Actions that do so obiect Blame to the wanton sinne vnto the slowe Can England see the best that she can boast Lie thus vngrac't vndeckt and almost lost 4 Why do you seeke for fained Palladines Out of the smoke of idle vanitie Who may giue glory to the true designes Of 〈◊〉 chier Talbot Neuile Willoughby Why should not you striue to fill vp your lines With wonders of your owne with veritie T' inflame their ofspring with the loue of good And glorious true examples of their Blood 5 What euerlasting matter here is found Whence new immortall Iliads might proceed That those whose happie graces do abound In blessed accents here may haue to feed Good thoughts on no imaginarie ground Of hungry shadowes which no profite breed Whence musicke-like instant delight may growe Yet when men all do knowe they nothing knowe 6 And why dost thou in lamentable verse Nothing but blood-shed treasons sinne and shame The worst of times th' extreame of ills rehearse To rayse olde staynes and to renew dead blame As if the mindes of th' euill and 〈◊〉 Were not farre sooner trained from the same By good
and on the shore Reacht yet vnto the centre of the Land Searcht all those humors that were bred before Shakes the whole frame whereon the State did stand Affection pittie fortune feare being more Farre off and absent then they are at hand Pittie becomes a traytor with th' opprest And many haue beene rays'd by being supprest 49 For they had left although themselues were gone Opinion and their memorie behinde Which so preuayles that nought could here be done But straight was knowne as soone as once design'd Court Councell-chamber Closet all were won To be reuealers of the Princes minde So false is Faction and so smooth a lyer As that it neuer had a side entire 50 Whereby th'exil'd had leasure to preuent And circumuent what-euer was deuiz'd Which made that Faulconbridge to Sandwich bent That Fortresse and the Gouernour surpriz'd Who presently from thence to Calais sent Had his vnguiltie blood there sacrifiz'd And Faulconbridge returning backe relates Th' affection here and zeale of all estates 51 Drawne with which newes and with a spirit that dar'd T' attempt on any likelihood of support They take th' aduantage of so great regard Their landing here secur'd them in such sort By Faulconbridge the fatall bridge prepar'd To be the way of blood and to transport Returning furie to make greater wounds Then euer England saw within her bounds 52 And but with fifteene hundred men do land Vpon a Land with many millions stor'd So much did high-presuming Courage stand On th' ayde home-disobedience would afford Nor were their hopes deceiv'd for such a hand Had Innouation ready for the sword As ere they neere vnto the Cittie drew Their powre beyond all former greatnesse grew 53 Muse what may we imagine was the Cause That Furie workes thus vniuersally What humor what affection is it drawes Sides of such powre to this Nobilitie Was it their Conscience to redresse the Lawes Or malice to a wrong-plac't Sov'raintie That caus'd them more then wealth or life desire Destruction ruine bloud-shed sword and fire 54 Or was the Powre of Lords thus inter-plac't Betwixt the height of Princes and the State Th' occasion that the people so imbrac't Their actions and attend on this Debate Or had their Greatnesse with their Worth imbas't The Touch of Royaltie to so lowe rate As their opinion could such tumults moue Then Powre and Virtue you contagious proue 55 And Perianders leuell'd Eares of Corne Shew what is fittest for the publique Rest And that the hyest Minions which adorne A Common-weale and doo become it best Are Zeale and Iustice Law and Customes borne Of hye descent that neuer do infest The Land with false suggestions claymes affrights To make men lose their owne for others rights 56 But now against this disproportion bends The feeble King all his best industrie And from abrode Skales Louell Kendall sends To hold the Cittie in fidelitie The Cittie which before for others ends Was wrought to leaue the part of Royaltie Where though the Kings commaund was of no powre Yet worke these Lords so that they tooke the Towre 57 And from thence labour to bring-in againe The out-let will of disobediencie Send terror threates intreaties but in vaine VVarwicke and March are with all iollitie And grace receiv'd The Citties loue did gaine The best part of a Crowne for whose defence And intertaining still stayes Salsburie Whil'st March and VVarwicke other fortunes try 58 Conducting their fresh troupes against their King Who leaues a woman to supply his steed And neere Northhampton both imbattailing Made now the very heart of England bleed Where what strange resolutions both sides bring And with what deadly rancour they proceed Witnesse the blood there shed and fowlly shed That cannot but with sighes be registred 59 There Buckingham Talbot and Egremont Bewmont and Lucy parts of Lancaster Parts most important and of chiefe account In this vnhappy day extinguisht are There the Lord Grey whose fayth did not amount Vnto the trust committed to his care Betrayes his King borne to be strangely tost And late againe attain'd againe is lost 60 Againe is lost this out-side of a King Ordain'd for others vses not his owne Who to the part that had him could but bring A feeble body onely and a Crowne But yet was held to be the dearest thing Both sides did labor-for so much to crowne Their Cause with the apparency of might From whom and by whom they must make their Right 61 When he himselfe as if he nought esteem'd The highest Crowne on earth continues one Weake to the world which his Religion deem'd Like to the breath of man vaine and soone gone 〈◊〉 the stout Queene by speedy flight redeem'd The safety of her selfe and of her Sonne And with her Sommerset to Durham fled Her powres supprest her heart vnuanquished 62 So much for absent Yorke is acted here Attending English hopes on th' Irish coast Which when vnlookt-for they related were Ambition still on horse-backe comes in poast And seemes with greater glory to appeare As made the more by be'ing so long time lost And to the Parlement with state is led Which his associates had fore-summoned 63 And com'n into the Chamber of the Peeres He sets himselfe downe in the chayre of State Where such an vnexpected face appeares Of an amazed Court that gazing sate With a dumbe silence seeming that it feares The thing it went about t'effectuate As if the Place the Cause the Conscience giue Barres to the words their forced courso should haue 64 T is strāge those times which brought such hāds for blood Had not bred tongues to make good any side And that no prostituted conscience stood Any iniustice to haue iustifid As men of the forelone hope onely good In desperatest acts to be imploy'd And that none in th' assembly there was found That would t'ambitious descant giue a ground 65 That euen himselfe forc't of necessitie Must be the Orator of his owne Cause For hauing viewd them all and could espie None proff'ring once to speake all in a pause On this friend lookes with an inuiting eye And then on that as if he woo'd applause Holding the cloth of State still in his hand The signe which he would haue them vnderstand 66 But se'ing none moue with an imperiall port Gath'ring his spirits he ryses from his seat Doth with such powre of wordes his Cause support As seemes all others Causes to defeat And sure who workes his Greatnesse in that sort Must haue more powres then those that are borne great Such Reuolutions are not wrought but when Those spirits doe worke which must be more then men 67 He argues first his Right so long with-held By th'vsurpation of the Lancasters The Right of a direct Line alwayes held The sacred course of Blood our Ancestors Our Lawes our reuerent Customes haue vp-held With holy hands Whence when disorder crres What horrors what confusion do we see Vntill it be reduc't
doe is done 108 And nothing now but to confirme him king Remaines which must not long remaine to do The present heate doth strait dispatch the thing With all those solemne rites that long thereto So that what Yorke with all his trauay ling Force and intrusion could not get vnto Is now thus freely layd vpon his sonne Who must make faire what 〈◊〉 was begunne 109 Whos 's end attayn'd had it here made an end Of foule destruction and had stay'd the bloud Which Towton Exham Tewksbury did spend With desp'rate hands and deeper wounds with stood And that none other Crowne brought to contend With that of his had made his seeme lesse good How had this long-afflicted Land been blest Our sighes had ended and my Muse had rest 110 Which now but little past halfe her long way Stands trembling at the horrors that succeed Weary with these embroylements faine would stay Her 〈◊〉 course vnwilling to proceed And faine to see that glorious holy-day Of Vnion which this discord reagreed Knowes not as yet what to resolue vpon Whether to leaue-off here or else go-on The end of the seauenth Booke THE EIGHTTH BOOKE THE ARGVMENT King Edward Powre against King Henry led And hath at Towton-field the victory From whence King Henry into Scotland fled Where he attempts his States recouery Steales into England is discouered Brought Prisoner to the Towre disgracefully And Edward whiles great Warwick doth assay A Match in France marries the Lady Grey 1 ON yet sad Verse though those bright 〈◊〉 from whence Thou hadst thy light are set for euermore And that these times do not like grace dispense To our indeuours as those did before Yet on since She whose beames do reincense This sacred fire seemes as reseru'd in store To raise this Worke and here to haue my last Who had the first of all my labours past 2 On with her blessed fauour and relate With what new bloud-shed this new chosen Lord Made his first entry to th' afflicted State Past his first Act of publique with the sword Ingor'd his new-worne Crowne and how he gat Possession of affliction and restor'd His Right vnto a Royall miserie Maintained with as bloudy dignitie 3 Shew how our great Pharsalian Field was fought At Towton in the North the greatest day Of ruine that 〈◊〉 euer brought Vnto this Kingdom where two Crownes did sway The worke of slaughter two Kings Causes wrought Destruction to our People by the waie Of their affections and their loyalties As if one for these ills could not suffise 4 Where Lancaster and that couragious side That noble constant Part came furnished With such a Powre as might haue terrifi'd And ouer-run the earth had they been led The way of glory where they might haue tri'd For th' Empire of all Europe as those did The Macedonian led into the East Their number being double at the least 5 And where braue Yorke comes as compleatly mand With courage valour and with equall might Prepar'd to trie with a resolued hand The metall of his Crown and of his Right Attended with his fatall fier-brand Of Warre Warwicke that blazing starre of fight The Comet of destruction that portends Confusion and distresse what way he tends 6 What rage what madness England do we see That this braue people in such multitude Run to confound themselues and all to be Thus mad for Lords and for meere Seruitude What might haue been if Roman-like and free These gallant Spirits had nobler ends pursu'd And strayn'd to points of glory and renowme For good of the Republique and their owne 7 But here no Cato with a Senate stood For Common-wealth nor here were any sought T'emancipate the State for publique good But onely headlong for their faction wrought Here euery man runs-on to spend his bloud To get but what he had already got For whether Pompey or a Caesar wonne Their state was euer sure to be all one 8 And first before these fatall Armies met Had forward Warwicke lay'd the passage free At Ferry Brigges where the Lord Clifford set With an aduentrous gallant companie To guard that streight Yorkes farther march to let Began the Scene to this great Tragedie Made the first entrance on the Stage of blood Which now set wide for wounds all open stood 9 When Edward to exhort his men began With words where to both spirit and Maiestie His pers'nage gave for-that he was a man Besides a King whose Crowne sate gracefully Com'n is the day sayd he wherin who can Obtaine the best is Best this day must try Who hath the wrong and whence our ills haue beene And t is our swords must make vs honest men 10 For though our Cause by God and men allow'd Hath in it honor right and honestie Yet all as nothing is to be avow'd Vnless withall we haue the victorie For Iustice is we see a virtue proud And leanes to powre and leaues weake miserie And therefore seeing the case we now stand in We must resolue either to dy or winne 11 So that if any here doth finde his heart To fayle him for this noble worke or stands Irresolute this day let him depart And leaue his Armes behind for worthier hands I knowe e now will stay to doo their part Here to redeeme themselues 〈◊〉 children landes And haue the glory that thereby shall rise To free their Country from these miseries 12 But here what needed wordes to blowe the fire In flame already and inkindled so As when it was proclaym'd they might retire Who found vnwillingnes to vnder-goe That ventrous worke they all did so conspire To stand out Fortune that not one would goe To beare away a hand from bloud not one Defraud the Field of th' euill might be done 13 Where VVarwicke too producing in their sight An argument whereby he did conclude There was no hope of 〈◊〉 but by fight Doth sacrifize his horse to Fortitude And thereby did the least conceipt of flight Or any succour by escape exclude Se'ing in the streight of a necessitie The meanes to win is t' haue no meanes to flye 14 It was vpon the twi-light of that day That peacefull day when the Religious beare The Oliue-branches as they go to pray And we in lieu the blooming Palmes vse here When both the Armies ready in array Forth ' early sacrifize of blood appeare Prepar'd formischiefe ere they had full light To see to doo it and to doo it right 15 Th' aduantage of the time and of the winde Which both with Yorke seeme as retayn'd in pay Braue Faulconbridge takes hold-on and assign'd The Archers their flight-shafes to shoote away Which th' aduerse side with sleet and dimnesse blinde Mistaken in the distance of the way Answere with their sheafe-arrowes that came short Of their intended ayme and did no hurt 16 But gath'red by th'on-marching Enemy Returned were like clowdes of steele which powre Destruction downe and did new-night the sky As if the Day had fayl'd