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
Supported with strong powre and victorie Was left vnto a Child ordain'd by fate To stay the course of what might growe too hie Here was a stop that Greatnesse did abate When powre vpon so weake a base did lie For least great fortune should presume too farre Such oppositions interposed are 22 Neuer this Iland better peopled stood Neuer more men of might and minds addrest Neuer more Princes of the royall blood If not too many for the publique Rest Nor euer was more treasure wealth and good Then when this Richard first the Crowne possest The second of that name in two accurst And well we might haue mist all but the first 23 In this mans Raigne began this fatal strife The bloudie argument where of we treate That dearely cost so many'a Prince his life And spoyld the weake and euen consum'd the great That wherein all confusion was so rife As Memory euen grieues her to repeat And would that time might now this knowledge lose But that t is good to learne by others woes 24 Edward the third being dead had left this child Sonne of his worthy sonne deceast of late The Crowne and Scepter of this Realme to wield Appointing the protectors of his State Two of his sonnes to be his better shield Supposing Vncles free from guile or hate Would order all things for his better good In the respect and honour of their bloud 25 Of these Iohn Duke of Lancaster was one Too great a Subiect growne for such a State The title of a King and glorie wonne In great exploits his mind did eleuate Aboue proportion kingdomes stand vpon Which made him push at what his issue gate The other Langley whose mild temperatness Did tend vnto a calmer quietnesse 26 With these did Woodstock interpose his part A man for action violently bent And of a spirit averse and ouer-thwart Which could not sute a peace-full gouernment Whose euer-swelling and tumultuous heart Wrought his owne ill and others discontent And these had all the manage of affayres During the time the King was vnder yeares 27 And in the first yeares of his gouernment Things past as first the warres in France proceed Though not with that same fortune and euent Being now not followed with such carefull heed Our people here at home growne discontent Through great exactions insurrections breed Priuate respects hindred the Common-weale And idle ease doth on the mighty steale 28 Too many Kings breed factions in the Court The head too weake the members growne too great Which euermore doth happen in this sort When Children 〈◊〉 the plague which God doth threat Vnto those Kingdomes which he will transport To other Lynes or vtterly defeat For the ambitious once inur'd to 〈◊〉 Canneuer brook a priuate state againe 29 And Kingdomes euer suffer this distresse Where one or many guide the infant King Which one or many tasting this excesse Of greatnesse command can neuer bring Their thoughts againe t' obay or to be lesse From hence these insolencies euer spring Contempt of others whom they seek to foyle Then follow leagues destruction 〈◊〉 spoyle 30 And whether they which vnder-went this charge Permit the King to take a youthfull vaine That they their priuate better might inlarge Or whether he himselfe would farther straine Thinking his yeeres sufficient to discharge The gouernment and so assum'd the raine Or howsoeuer now his eare he lends To youthfull counsell and his lustes attends 31 And Courts were neuer barren yet of those Which could with subtile traine and apt aduice Worke on the Princes weakenesse and dispose Of feeble frailtie easie to entice And such no doubt about this King arose Whose flatterie the dangerous nurse of vice Got hand vpon his youth to pleasures bent Which led by them did others discontent 32 For now his Vncles grew much to mislike These ill proceedings were it that they saw That others fauour'd did aspiring seeke Their Nephew from their counsels to withdraw Seeing him of nature flexible and weake Because they onely would keepe all in awe Or that 〈◊〉 they found the King and State Abus'd by such as now in office sate 33 Or rather else they all were in the fault Th' ambitious Vncles th'indiscreete young King The greedie Councell and the Minions naught And altogether did this tempest bring Besides the times with all iniustice fraught Concurr'd with such confus'd misgouerning That wee may truely say This spoyld the State Youthfull Counsaile priuate Gaine partiall Hate 34 And then the King besides his iealousies Which nourisht were had reason to be led To doubt his Vncles for their loyalties Since Iohn 〈◊〉 Gaunt as was discouered Had practised his death in secret wise And Gloster openly becomes the head Vnto a league who all in armes were bent T' oppose against the present gouernement 35 Pretending to remoue such men as were Accounted to abuse the king and State Of whome the chiefe they did accuse was Veere Made Duke of Ireland with great grace of late And diuers else who for the place they beare Obnoxious are and subiect vnto hate And these must be sequestred with all speed Or else they vow'd their swordes should doo the deed 36 The King was forc't in that next Parliament To grant them what he durst not well refuse For thither arm'd they came and fully bent To suffer no repulse nor no excuse And here they did accomplish their intent Where Iustice did her sword not Ballance vse For euen that 〈◊〉 place they violate Arresting all the Iudges as they sate 37 And here had many worthy men their ende Without all forme or any course of Right For still these broyles that publike good pretend Worke most iniustice being done through spight For those aggrieued euermore do bend Against such as they see of greatest might Who though they cannot helpe what will go ill Yet since they may doo wrong are thought they will 38 And yet herein I meane not to excuse The Iustices and Minions of the King Who might their office and their grace abuse But blame the course held in the managing For great-men ouer-grac't much rigor vse Presuming fauorits discontentment bring And disproportions harmonie do breake Minions too great argue a king too weake 39 Now that so much was granted as was sought A reconcilement made although not ment Appeas'd them all in shewe but not in thought Whilst euery one seem'd outwardly content Though hereby king nor peeres nor people got More loue more strength or easier gouernment But euery day things still succeeded worse For good from Kings is seldome drawne by force 40 And thus it loe continued till by chaunce The Queene which was the Emperours daughter di'de When-as the King t' establish peace with Fraunce And 〈◊〉 for home-quiet to prouide Sought by contracting marriage to aduance His owne affayres against his Vncles pride Tooke the young daughter of King Charles to wife Which after in the end rays'd greater strife 41
honor aboue Greatnes prise And so being full of what she did conceiue Desires to be dismist and takes her leaue 75 Here Mary Pembrooke by whose generous brow And noble graces I 〈◊〉 These shapes of others virtues could I showe In what a desperat and confus'd estate She left this disappointed King and how Loue and Ambition in their glory sate And tyranniz'd on his diuided hart Warring each other with a powrefull part 76 How first Loue vnderneath his Colours brought The strength of all her gracefull worthinesse And sets them in th' aduantage of his thought Vpon the side of Youth and Wantonnesse Then how Ambition that for glory wrought Comes with his State his Crowne and Powrfulnes And plants her on the side of prouidence To beat vnfit Affections off from thence 77 But I must ouer-goe these passages And hasten-on my way to ouer-take Mine endes in sad and grauer businesses Wherof I shall to you relation make And yet my zeale here forc't mee thus t' expresse Elizabeth forour Elizaes sake Who grac't the Muses which her Times became For they who giue them comfort must haue fame 78 And I must tell you now when this great fight Of counter-passions had beene throughly try'd How in the ende the victorie did light Vpon Loues forces as the stronger side And beat downe those respects of benefite Of honor greatnes strength and all beside And neuer graunted rest vnto his strife Till mariage rites had her confirm'd his wife 79 Which that place where he saw her first saw donne Ere he remov'd his foot for Loue is stil In haste and as a Lord that rules alone Admittes no Counseller in good norill For He and Kings gladly giue eare to none But such as smooth their wayes and sooth their will And who will not desire to giue his voyce Be what it will to prayse a Princes choyce 80 Which was indeed in virtue beautie grace And all but fortune worthy of his bed And in that too had hee but liv'd the space Thaue seene her plentious issue fully bred That they might haue collated strength and grace On her weake side which 〈◊〉 and maliced Lay-open vndefenc't apt to b'vndon By proud vsurping Powre when he was gon 81 But now when fame of this home-chosen Match Arriu'd in France for there it did arriue Ere they could heere attend to make dispatch T' impart the same to Warwick or contriue Some colour that in any sort might fetch Him fayrely off and no dishonor giue It so much stird the humors in those parts As marr'd the whole complexion of their hearts 82 The French King scornes such an indignity VVarwick disdaines imployment in this case The Queene inrag'd with extreame vehemency Stormes at her sisters and her owne disgrace The Lady Bona takes most tenderly To be so mockt with hope of such a Place And all blame Warwick and his fraud condem Whil'st he himself deceiu'd suffers with them 83 And could not by all meanes might be deuiz'd Vntaste them of this violent disgust But that they still held something lay disguis'd Vnder this treaty So that now he must Bring-home his reputation cauteris'd With th' idle marke of seruing others lust In friuolous imployments or be sent Out of the way to colour some intent 84 Which to himselfe made him with griefe inueigh Against distemp'red kings who often are Ill warrants for their owne affaires and waigh Their lusts more then their dignity by far And what a miserie they haue that sway Their great designes what danger and what care And often must be forc't be'ing at their becks To crack their reputation or their necks 85 How their high fauours like as fig-trees are That growe vpon the sides of rocks where they Who reach their fruit aduenture must so far As t' hazard their deep down-fall and decay Their grace not fixt but as a blazing star Burnes out the present matter and away And how the world could too wel witnesse 〈◊〉 That both their loues and hates like dangerous were 86 Thus he complaynes and makes his home-retire All disappointed of his purposes For hoping by this Match to hold intire That Lady with her great alliances And haue the King more 〈◊〉 to his desire By managing of both their bus'nesses He by this Match thus made without his mean Comes barr'd from al those tying int'rests cleane 87 For well he knew that all his seruice past Was past and would not be a future tye To hold him in vnlesse that he could cast To introduce some neerenecessity Of his imployment that were like to last And shut-out all other concurrency Without which nor his Greatnes nor his Wits Could ward him from the Kings vnconstant fits 88 Which more perplext him and in neerer sort Then what France might by his ambassage ghesse Or England deeme But being arriu'd at Cort He drawes a Trauerse 'twixt his greeuances Lookes like the time his eye made not report Of what he felt within nor was he lesse Then vsually he was in euery part Wore a cleere face vpon a clowdy hart 89 Congratulates the Queene commends the King For his rare choice protesting her to be Far beyond all the world beside could bring To fit his liking and that he did see The Lady Bona was a peeuish thing Sullayne and proud and would in no degree Haue pleas'd his humor or in any sort Haue satisfi'd the Ladies of this Cort. 90 And after hauing finisht all the rite Of complement and interuisiting He humbly craues 〈◊〉 that he might Retyre a while t' attend the managing And setting of his country-bus'nesse right Whereby the better to attend the King From whom he parts and neuer seem'd more deere More 〈◊〉 nor yet himselfe offre'er cheere 91 First VVarwick-Castle that had seldome knowne The Maister there he visits and from thence Goest ' other goodly Mannours of his owne Where seene with ioy with loue with reuerence King of him selfe he findes that there is show'n The vse of life the true magnificence 〈◊〉 his Greatnesse which at Corte in vaine Mentoyle-for and yet neuer doo attaine 92 Which his religious Confessor who best Could cast with what a violent accesse This seuer of Ambition did molest His still-sick minde takes hold-on to addresse Vpon th' aduantage of this little rest Some lenitiues t' allay the firynesse Of this disease which as a maladie Seiz'd in the Spirits hath seldom remedy 93 And thus sets on him See my Lord how heere Th' eternall Prouidence of God hath brought You to the Shore of safetie out of feare From all the waues of misery that wrought To ouer-whelm you and hath set you cleare Where you would bee with hauing which you sought Through all these hazards of distresse a King Of your owne making and establishing 94 And now my Lord I trust you will sit downe And rest you after all this passed thrall And be your selfe a Prince within your owne Without aduent'ring any more at all Your state in others Bottomes hauing knowne