surprisde King Edwards tent neare Wolney where the King Litle suspecting what his foe deuisde Securely slept but then oh piteous thing Hearing a noise he cald vnto his guard But they were slaine and he was clapt in ward And thence from Warwicke in the night conueyed To Midlam Castle where he did remaine There in the Bishops charge a while he stayed Vntill he did for want of aire complaine And by that meanes had leaue for pleasure sake To hawke or hunt the change of aire to take Which being once obtaind King Edward thought It was the high way to his libertie Plotting how this and that might best be wrought And not procure his keepers iealousie Ought to mistrust t is hard for to deuise A secret slight to circumuent the wise Whether the Bishop of himselfe did giue So large a scope vnto the captiue King Or Warwicks conscience inwardly did grieue That he had done so trecherous a thing And therefore will'd the Bishop let him haue What libertie soeuer he did craue I le not dispute how it did come to passe Though many thinke that Warwicke did consent To set him free but be it as it was All doubts to cleare the King did soone preuent The fury of his foes with heedfull care To tread the path that might escape the snare And by good fortune it did happen so Sir William Stanley with a troupe of men Met with the King as he to hunt did go It was in vaine to argue where or when He should be redeliuered for decree Had cleare resolu'd to set King Edward free And those that had the charge of his returne Vnto whose care the Bishop did commit The guarding of the King were loth to spurne Against the pricke accounting it no wit To offer force where such attempts were vaine Which rash resistance might procure their paine Determinately therefore they agreed With swiftest speed vnto their Lord to tell How euilly their sport that day did speed Which newes they knew would nothing please him well But well or ill there was no remedie The King was gone past their recouerie To Lancaster where then Lord Hastings lay The King made thither with all speed he might From thence assur'd of friends he tooke his way To London whence although his cause was right He was enforc'd to Lin to shape his course Of raging seas t' abide good hap or worse To Burgondie with wind and saile he plide There to recouer forces helpe and aide Of that great Duke now marke what did betide The boisterous waues and aduerse winds delayd His direct course the Easterlings at sea Thought to haue made K. Edwards ship their prey His ship being small with helpe of saile did beare Such forewind speed that in despite of foe It ranne so neare the shore at Alquemare Their ships drew deeper that they could not go So neare the towne but were compeld to ride At ancor there attending the next tide In the meane time Lord Gronture gouernor In humblest maner welcomed the King And charg'd the Easterlings to touch no shore Commanding them not to attempt the thing That to the English might offensiue be Thus was the King from dangerous foes set free But when the rumor through the land was blowne That Edward was inforc'd to flie the land And that the certaintie thereof was knowne O in what desperate state did all they stand That were his friends but vnto me his wife No hope was left of safetie friends or life Now to the hardest censure I appeale What world of woes opprest my soule with griefe How could I hide my sorrowes or conceale My horror for no hope of my reliefe On any side I no way could descrie But gloomy death and endlesse miserie Which sad prospect did threaten hard euent To wretched me of all good hap forsaken Despaire attended me no way I went But by sad thoughts my thoughts were ouertaken Pale death my master was and at my helme Stood terror all my ioyes to ouerwhelme In this red sea which was not nauigable My weather-beaten barke was runne aground I thought to find some place auaileable Where I might strike my saile and not be drownd The sanctuary a most sacred place I fled vnto hoping to find some grace Such grace I meane as to a wretched soule Yeelds comfort in extremes neare drownd in griefe There willingly my selfe I did inrole ' Mongst miserable soules voide of reliefe But that the reuerence of that holy place Was a protection to them in that case And in that place I had not long remaind But to the world Edward the fift I brought Where like a poore mans child I not disdaind To haue him Christned though so meane a thought Did nothing fit the mind of any Queene Who chuseth least of ils we wise esteeme The poorest man whose labour gets his pay Whose court a cottage is doth at such time More cost bestow on such a solemne day Then I had meanes to giue that child of mine The Gossips and chiefe credit of the troope Were th'Abbot Prior and the Lady Scroope Where was my cloth of state my canopie Ladies of honor to attend my will Where my rich hangings of rare tapestrie The stateliest banquets that deuice or skill Could set before vs where the songs of mirth To tell the world we ioyd a Princes birth My state and grace of all the world neglected Onely a naked name of Queene then left me My nearest friends arrested or suspected With traitors blot from which they were as free As new borne babes yet were they ouerthrowne Was euer such a cruell tyrant knowne The troope of gallants that once fawn'd on me My fortune-followers now they all are gone My pompe and complements for my degree Are vanisht cleane and I am cast vpon The rocke whereon alas I was vndone Before my prime of pleasure was begun O all was gone and I my selfe deiected From Court and Crowne to fatall miserie Of Lord nor Lady graced nor respected But headlong throwne into aduersitie Oh let no creature liue secure of state For Kings themselues are subiects vnto fate Let meane mens wiues imagine what it is To want things fitting them in such a case I of all princely ornaments did misse Was glad of such as seruile were and base Thus fortunes wheele some vp some downe doth tosse And I enforc'd perforce did beare this crosse O that I had a world of willing eares That patiently would heare my sorrowes told And in this sad discourse to lend me teares When they the map of my mishaps behold But ô the world shrowds in obliuion Their name and fame that to the earth are gone My King was fled my friends themselues did shrowd Vnder the couert of my enemies The new made gouerner insolent and proud Hatefull to me and all my progenie Ten thousand deaths yea trebled mischiefe fall Vpon his head that sowrd my sweet with gall Nay more then so that wrongd not onely me But to their King were instruments
Although too deare I haue my pleasure bought When it was bruted that the King affected And would without the liking of his Lords Espouse me seeing that he not respected Their discontent nor smooth intreating words But like a loyall and a royall King Would still make good his vowes in euery thing Then they deuisde against me to obiect My widowhood ô that was chiefly it Wherewith they thought me fouly to detect Alledging it was rare and farre vnfit A King should fancie such a one as I That was a widow and in pouertie But all in vaine they sought him to disswade He gaue his word and constantly did stand Vnto the oathes betwixt vs firmly made With interchange of hearts and gift of hand He did desire our marriage day to see And I did wish that time as much as he When the Kings mother thought it was in vaine To vse perswasions to her sonne the King A precontract she spared not to faine That he had made his honor so to bring Into reproch supposing that the way From marriage a while to cause him stay But then the King those cauils did disproue And we at Grafton married were with speed And there with holy rites did seale our loue Which God and man allow as sacred deed There were we ioyn'd in holy mariage state Which during life should be inuiolate Whether the King did keepe his plighted faith To me as marriage strictly doth require Or if it be that he it broken hath Which I to know or proue do not desire I liu'd and lou'd him in such duteous sort As let my life and actions make report Before the Earle made his returne from France Richard Neuil then Earle of Warwicke Being sent to treate a mariage for the King With Lady Bona time brought forth this chance The King was married which some say did bring The fall and ruine of King Edwards seed The vulgar peoples saying is no creed How dares a subiect contradict his King Must subiects wils limit their Princes loue It 's more then vaine yea a presumptuous thing Inferiors should such bold commanders proue To tie Kings thoughts to fancie none but them That please their subiects ô aspiring men What though things sorted to the Earles desire And Lewis Duke of Sauoy was content To grant as much as Warwicke did require Must princely Edward suffer banishment Or be obedient to his subiects frowne Or hazard all the glorie of a Crowne It was not this that causd the Earle rebell Nor was it conscience of King Henries right Another cause some histories do tell Enraged Warwicke and did cause him fight Against his King yet Kings can giue no cause Sufficient motiues for the breach of lawes O neuer let succeeding ages heare Vnto the staine of his nobilitie The wauering faith that Warwicke then did beare Constant in nothing but vnconstancie First fauouring one then changed to the other Faithfull to none although he were his brother Yet will I giue him being dead his due For sure it is a sinne to wrong the dead Though to his King he was vnkind vntrue His valour was by vanitie misled Who so him pleasd to raise vnto the Crowne And when he list by force to cast them downe A valiant Knight and fortunate in warre Vlysses-like for prudent policie Yet this did all his other vertues marre And was a blot to his posteritie That right or wrong he car'd not how it was But as he would so things should come to passe O no another fire the world doth know Betwixt the King and Warwicke kindled was Which I by no meanes to the world will show It was too much if so it was alas That such a blot should blemish such a King That was so royall else in euery thing I le nere beleeue that euer Edwards mind Would passe the limits of true honors name Although in histories you there may find Some things set downe that might empaire his fame I was his wife he lou'd me as I thought I paid his loue with dutie as I ought The next yeare after that we married were At Westminster I then was crowned Queene Attended there by many a noble Peere In such rare sort as at such times are seene My father and my friends he did aduance To greater place but more vnhappie chance And in this yeare into the world I brought A daughter which combin'd King Edwards loue In double knot with mine for sure t is thought The pleasingst ioy that man and wife do proue When of their honest loues such fruite they see As farre beyond all other treasures be But oh what pleasure euer lasteth long Some enuious fate maligning that our blisse Should long continue with iniurious wrong Did ouerthrow our mirth and forc'd vs misse The path that would haue led vs on to ioy And made vs tread the maze of all annoy To sowre our sweet lo what mishap befell An insurrection in Northamptonshire Robin of Redsdale cursed impe of hell Who like some furie with his hel-bred fire Enrag'd the madnes of the rebels so They like distracted men to Grafton go Where by the force of boisterous cursed hand My father then Earle Riuers they did take My brother Sir Iohn Woodvile did withstand The rebels force but oh he was too weake Farre ouermatch'd was sonne and fathers force For without law or iustice or remorse They in Northampton each did lose his head Nor Iudge nor Iurie had them ouerthrowne With cruell rigor was their sentence read It nothing booted them to make their mone Thus an oblation to that furious faction Their blouds were made ô most detested action Malicious Warwicke in a shew of loue Wrapt his displeasure at his Soueraignes match And gained leaue for health fresh aire to proue When Serpent-like he time and meanes did watch To plucke King Edward from his throne inuested That so the seeds of ciuill warre detested And subtilly with faire alluring words Did draw the hearts of all he could perswade Not to obey but to resist with swords Their lawfull King against the oath they made And so misled the people to attempt That which with losse of liues they did repent See here the fickle minds the common sort Of people beare that not respecting right Nor iust succession onely by report And light beliefe of others bend their might Hazard their liues and lands pollute their fame With shamefull blot of traitors hatefull name I grant my state was meane yet not so base Iustly to be reputed odious Nor did I spring from such a seruile race As might moue VVarwicke to be trecherous Vnto his King for oft it hath bene seene As meane a Lady hath bene made a Queene But when vile rancor boyld in Warwicks brest He gladly tooke the simplest shew of cause To leuie armes and neuer would giue rest Vnto his thoughts vntill against all lawes He raisd an armie gainst King Edwards force And by ill fortune gaue the King the worse For in the night he sodainly
What should I do or whither should I flie But still in danger of my mortall foe To wish for death the end of earthly woe Two yeares he reign'd in feare and bloudie strife In which meane time in Sanctuarie I Did shroud my selfe to saue my wretched life And linger out my dayes in miserie Though death farre better was in such a case My womans heart could hardly death embrace His breach of faith his odious cruelties First caused Buckingham to leuie armes And in the North it caused mutinies Men sought to ' venge the many grieuous harmes That wrongfully they saw him dayly do To all estates as well to friend as foe This made Earle Richmond find so many friends When he layd claime vnto the English Crowne Who doth not wish all tyrants speedie ends Who will not helpe to cast a tyrant downe The King of Kings that all mens acts doth see Will neuer let such men vnpunisht be Not long before Earle Richmond came to shore King Richard sent to me perswading men To make excuse for what was done before With promises of gracious proffers then They layd long siege vnto my weake defence With vowes and oaths to cleare him from offence With kindest promises of future good To me or any one that I could name I well considering in what case I stood Grew milder and at last did seeme to frame My selfe as pliant to their masters will Yet was my heart free from one thought of ill The Eagle towring in the loftie skie If he vnto his prey do kindnesse vse Vnder whose stroake their life or death doth lie Were it not madnesse in them to refuse His profferd fauour since they must obay His will because they cannot scape away Such was my case although not so considered He was the Eagle that was mounted hie I and my friends the prey discomforted Stood at his will to liue or else to die Our safeties he did proffer gold and loue I was content our better haps to proue He did desire but that I would conceiue A good opinion of his deeds to come And not my selfe so fondly to deceiue Mistaking things that then were past and done Alas I knew it was then in his power To date our liues one day or but an hower My secret foes if any such there were They knew or at the least they might haue knowne I wisht Earle Richmond well and ioyd to heare That Richards state should soone be ouerthrowne I did procure my friends with power and will To aide the Earle King Richards bloud to spill Which though in secret to my friends I said I durst not but seeme pleased to forgiue All former faults although in heart I praid That cruell Richard might no longer liue To bathe in bloud full oft on bended knee With teares I praid that I his death might see What should I hold you in a long discourse Faire words preuaild and I did giue consent Knowing our fortunes hardly could be worse I with my daughters to his pallace went Where he did giue cōmand and straightly charge Our welcome should be great our freedome large I knew the time was neare and then at hand That Henry Earle of Richmond meant to trie In warlike battell with a valiant band Either to winne the Crowne or else to die I knew what Noble men would take his part I gaind him friends and gaue to his my heart I ioyd to heare that Richard lost the field Who did not pray to see his ouerthrow He being slaine who did not freely yeeld Each man was glad and wisht it might be so Of Yorke and Lancaster then grew the vnion Whose former strife wrought many mens cōfusion The conquering King according to his oath Was married to my daughter presently Which to helpe forward no man seemed loth But all were aiders as fidelitie Did bind them to performe this being done I ioyd once more to haue a King my sonne Foole that I was to glorie in the thing Which prou'd to me vnpleasant in the end I like the swan before my death did sing As litle knowing what they did intend That secretly conspir'd to worke my fall And sodainly did turne my sweete to gall Henry the 7. The second yeare of this King Henries raigne The Councell did decree that wretched I The more to aggrauate my griefe and paine Should lose my lands and liue in penurie Because I did accept in outward show Of Richards kindnesse They did litle know How easily a captiuated man Will yeeld to him that is his conqueror And gladly please in any thing he can The fury of a sauage tormenter Especially in such a case as this Where wil might hurt but could not help my wish I had too lately knowne his bloudy mind I was vnable to withstand his force I knew no place of safetie where to find My state was like to grow from bad to worse Which made me willingly accept the good That he did vow to me and to my blood Alas what could a silly woman do My female frailtie might haue colourd this I feard to taste the furie of my foe Because my strength was all too weake for his I timorously did feare the bloudie slaughters That he might do to me and to my daughters What hurt or danger to Earle Richmonds plot Could my dissembled peace with Richard be What face so faire but that a fault or spot A partiall Iudge will say he there doth see It 's better die and not to liue at all Then be so weake with euery blast to fall When I was grac'd with fauour of my King Whilst he did liue that did support and stay Those whom I pleasde into his grace to bring All then was iust that I would do or say He being gone and that I was declining At my estate how many were repining Had I bene cruell couetous or strange When poore distressed suters to me cride From good conceit to bad then might they change Had I the needy naked soule denide Of any helpe that then was in my power Then had I liu'd too long if but an hower But if my heart did pitie widowes teares The fatherlesse if I did helpe to right And set the needie free from many feares Wherewith they were opprest by men of might To all estates since I was then a friend Why should their gratefulnesse so quickly end And more then so not onely to forget Good turnes once done but to requite them ill That well deseru'd of all in each respect So farre so blindly to be led by will Or vile ingratitude the filthiest sinne That euer humane creatures liued in If this had hapned in a land vnknowne Where I had neuer liued as a Queene Had this bene done by any but my owne My griefes should lesse in all respects haue beene What made the mightie Caesar wish to die The griefe that Brutus was his enemie I thought all stormes of misery were past My daughter being married to the King I thought my pleasures then would euer last I neuer lookt for any change of thing My innocencie would not let me feare The grieuous censure that was then so neare Bermondsey Abbey in Southwarke neare London With wounded heart the remnant of my dayes In th'Abbey of Bermondsey in teares I spent Still death I wisht and hated those delayes That fearfull frailtie did to me present I cald for death and weary was to liue For well I knew life could no pleasures giue And when the end of all my griefes drew nie And that my date of life was neare expired With willing heart I was content to die And Atropos I earnestly desired To cut the threed that did prolong my life Because in me all sorrowes were so rife My corps being dead to Windsor was conuaid And there interred fitting my degree Euen in that place where my deare Lord was laid There at this day the tombe is yet to see Vnto which place now I my griefes haue told I must returne and shroud my selfe in mold Then did this Queene returne vnto her rest And vanisht leauing to my memorie Here to relate what she to me rehearst In which recitall if infirmitie Cause me forget that which I should haue spoken Imagine that which I haue now forgotten If such the world in former times hath beene That highest states most subiect were to fall How true said she that late was Englands Queene When she her selfe at that time was in thrall Loe yonder milk-maid liues more merrily It was the saying of Queene Elizabeth when she was prisoner in the time of Queen Mary Then I that am of noble progenie Not to be great is therefore to be sure From fortunes wracke for this we dayly see The highest trees do sharpest stormes endure When those that planted in the valley be Do seldome feare and neuer feele the frowne Of boisterous stormes that others doth cast downe A vertuous life suruiues when cruell death Hath soule from earthly body seuered And hath bereft vs of our vitall breath Yet worthy deeds should be remembered Succeeding ages should them deifie Whose liues and deaths were full of pietie But what auaileth it to haue bene great Or what to haue bene friendly vnto many When they shall come to sit in sorrowes seate Themselues shall seldome be relieu'd by any For misery hath many lookers on And some that pitie but adiutors none This Queene was by descent of noble blood Of vertuous life yet in obliuions graue How long hath she in darke obscurenesse stood Shall good deserts such cold requitall haue Vngratefull minds that were by dutie bound Her name and fame vnto the world to sound Queenes Colledge which of her did take the name In Cambridge as a monument doth stand A worthy deed deseruing endlesse fame VVhich to maintaine she gaue sufficient land And some which in that Colledge haue bene bred Might wel haue raisd her fame though she be dead Thus haue you heard although abruptly pend The fortunes of this Queene and of her friends Princes as well as beggers do depend On the Almighties will what ere he sends None can preuent or alter his decree So firme so sure his secret iudgements be FINIS