also tremble in feare of his mighty power but the Swearer though hee doth know and beleeue there is a God yet hee beleeues not his Word or feares or trembles at his Iudgements Besides these endlesse torments ordained in hell for odious Swearers God hath promised to afflict them in this life for he saith The plague shall neuer goe from the house of the Swearer Ecclesiasticus 23. So that the gaine of a Swearer is nothing but the eternall wrath of God the hatred of all good men the ill example to others and the vexation and discredit of himselfe his kindred and friends with a fearefull reward hereafter except true repentance obtaine mercy What a foolish absurditie is it for a man being crost in some wordly affaires or gaming or other businesse either materiall or triuiall to reuenge himselfe vpon God and blasphemously fly in the face of his Maker with Oathes and Excerations If wee did consider what God hath done for vs we would not so vnthankefully requite him if we called to mind his gracious promise of glory euerlasting to those that loue and feare him we should then hold his Name in such reuerence as becomes Christians if his fearefull threatnings against the takers of his Name in vaine could terrifie vs no doubt but we would be more carefull and circumspect in our liues and conuersations as that we would be allured by his mercies or restrained by his Iudgements GOd hath naturally placed and inclosed the tongue of man within the stone-walls of his teeth and without those walls there are also the two earthen Bulwarkes or Rampieres of his lippes he hath appointed Reason to be the tongues guide and guardian and he freely offers his Grace to be Reasons counsellour and gouernour wherefore let vs flee to the Throne of Grace and beseech the God of Grace that he will cause his sauing Grace to guide our Reason that our Reason may rule our tongues that Cursing may be cashiered Swearing suppressed that by Gods Spirit our lippes may bee opened that with our mouthes his Name may be praysed that Gods Name may be glorified and our sinfull soules eternally saued through the merits of our great and blessed Redeemer Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Blessed Spirit be all Honour Power Maiestie Glory Dominion and Thankesgiuing ascribed and rendred as is due of men and Angels both now and for euermore Amen Amen Against Swearing THou that these lines dost either heare or read Consider with thy selfe and take good heed Reade them and let them neuer be forgot They doe concerne thy soule then slight them not The a Iames. Fiends of Hell beleeue there is a God And feare and tremble at his angry Rod They doe confesse his glorious Excellence And his Almighty powers Omnipotence But Man his choisest and his chiefest Creature Is so rebellious against God and Nature That hee 'gainst Heau'n dare both blaspheme and sweare And worse then Fiends they not beleeue or feare So that the Earth doth breed feed and retaine Worse Monsters then there doth in Hell remaine If men beleeu'd the Word that God hath spoke They would belieue that Word shuld ne'er be broke In His enacted Law b Exodus 20. is one Decree That all who take his Name in vaine shall be Accounted guilty and his fearefull wrath Will hold them guilty of eternall death Againe 't is said Let the c Leuiticus 24. Blasphemer dye Let him be stoned for his blasphemy And euill tongues who dare to curse aduenter Shall into Heauens d 1 Cot. 6.10 blessednesse not enter And Christ when on the Earth he liued heere Forbade vs that at e Mat. 6 all we should not sweare And in th'leuenth of Deutoronomy againe We are commanded not to sweare in vaine The f God himselfe complaineth that men blaspheme him Esay 52. 5. The names of blasphemy are writ vpon the 10. heads of Antichrist Apoc 13. 1. Cursing iâ— so biddâ—n by the Apostle when hee saith Blesse I say and cursenâ— Rom. 12. 14. Our Sauiour commandeth vs to blesse them that curse vs Mat. 5. 44. Blesse them that curse you and pray for them which hurt you Luke 6. 28. Accustome not thy mouth to swearing for in it are many falls neither take vp for a custome the naming of the holy One for thou shalt not be vnpunished for such things Eocle 23. 9. The Plague shall neuer goe forth from the house of the swearer Id.m. Who so sweares falsely calls the God of truth to witnesse a lie Who so sweares as he thinks may be deceiued Who so sweares vnreuerendy dishonoureth God Whoso sweares deceitfully abuseth Christian sideâ—lity Whoso sweares idlely abuseth the credit of a faithfull oath Whoso sweares accustomably God will plague him E'fred an English Earle conspiring to put our K. Adelstancs eyes at Winebestes forsware the treason in St. Peters Church at Reeâ— and fell downe dead presently Godwin murthered Prince Aâ—â—â— brother to King Edward Confessor and being at dinner the King charged him with the murther then Godwin swore by bread prayed it might choak him if he were guilty and immediatly it choaked him in the place his lands also sunke into the sea and are called Godwin sands King Stephen forsware himselfe to King Henry 1. and liued in continuall trouble and dyed in perplexity of minde Edward the 4. brake his oath made at Yorke that he came not with intent to seaze the Kingdom and breaking that oath was punisht with a troublesome raigne his brethren and children all except one murthered and not any of his islue raigned after him Roger Mâ—â—tuner a great Peere of this land for breaking his oath to King Edward the II. was most ignominiâ—usly hanged boweld and quartred M. Fox in his booke of Martyrs declares of one Richard Long of Calice that forsware himselfe to accuse one Smith for eating flesh in Lentt after which oath Long went presently and drowned himselfe One Grâ—â—wood at Hitâ—hant in Sussolke forsware himselfe and his bowels buâ—st out One Widdow Barues for the like sinne cast herselfe out of her window in Cornhill and brake her necke Anne Auertis forsware herselfe in Woodstreet for six pounds of Towe desiting God â—â—â— might sinke downe which fearefully hapned One Lâ—a â—n Sunne-alley without Bishops-gate forsware himselfe and after ript out his guts Heathen to blaspheme their gods abhorr'd Yet Christians wilfully blaspheme the Lord. Who-euer to reuile the gods were knowne In Rome were from the Rock Tarpeius throwne Th'Egyptians Law was he should lose his head 'Mongst Scythians life and goods were forfeited These grieuous punishments did Pagant vse Against all them that did their gods abuse King Donald's Law in Scotland's not forgot Who burnt them through the lips with irons hot And when King Edmund here had Regall State All Swearers he did excommunicate And Philip King of France a Prince renown'd Ordain'd that Blasphemers should be drown'd The Emperour Maximilian did decree That all vaine Swearers
should beheaded be The Earle of Flanders Philip did ordaine Their losse of life and goods that swore in vaine Saint Lewis the King of France enacted there That for the first time any one did sweare Into imprisonment one month was cast And stand within the Pillory at last But if the second time againe they swore One with an iron hot their tongues did bore And who the third time in that fault did slip Were likewise boared through the vnder-lip For the fourth time most gricuous paines belongs He caus'd to be cut off their lips and tongues Henry the fift of England that good King His Court to such conformity did bring That euery Duke should forty shillings pay For euery Oath he swore without delay Each Baron twenty Knights or Squires offence Paid tenne and euery Yeoman twenty pence The Boyes and Pages all were whipt most fine That durst abuse the Maiestie diuine Thus Pagan Princes with sharp lawes withstood Profaning of their Gods of stone or wood And Christian Kings and Rulers formerly Haue most seuerely punisht blasphemy And shall a Heathen or an Infidell That knowes no ioyes of Heauen or paines of Hell More reuerence to his deuillish Idols show Then we doe to the true God whom we know If we remembred well but what we were And what we are we would not dare to sweare Poore trunks of earth fill'd with vncertaine breath By nature heires to euerlasting death Most miserable wretches most ingrate 'Gainst God that did elect vs and create Redeem'd conseru'd preseru'd and sanctifi'd And giues vs hope we shall be glorifi'd H' hath giuen vs being life sense reason wit Wealth and all things his Prouidence thinkes fit And for requitall we quite voyde of grace Curse sweare and doe blaspheme him to his face Oh the supernall patience of our God That beares with Man a sin polluted clod When halfe such treasons 'gainst an earthly King Would many a Traytor to confusion bring Suppose a man should take a Whelp and breed him And stroke him make much of him feed him How will that curre loue him beyond all other Neuer forsaking him to serue another But if he should most disobediently Into his Masters face or throat to fly Sure euery man that liues vpon the ground Would say a hanging's sit for such a hound And worser then so many dogges are they That 'gainst their God with oathes do barke bray And if repentance doe not mercy win They 'll hang in Hell like Hell-hounds for that sin Of all black crimes from Belzebubs damn'd treasure This swearing sin no profit yeelds or pleasure Nor gaines the swearer here but earths vexation With change of his saluation for damnation It is a sinne that yeelds vs no excuse For what excuse can be for Gods abuse And though our other faults by death doe end Yet Blasphemy doth after death extend For to the damn'd in Hell this curse is giuen They for their paines blaspheme the God of Heauen Examples on the earth haue many beene As late in sundry places haue beene seene At Mantua two braue Russians in their games Swore and blasphem'd our blessed Sauiours name Where Gods iust iudgement full of feare dread Caus'd both their eyes to drop from out their head In Rome a childe but fiue yeeres old that swore Was snatcht vp by the Deuill and seene no more And at Ragouse a Mariner did sweare As if he would Gods name in sunder teare When falling ouer-boord was drown'd and tost And nothing but his tongue was onely lost Remember this you sinfull sonnes of men Thinke how that Christ redeem'd you from Hells den His mercy he hath giu'n in magnitude Requite him not with vile ingratitude He made the Eares and Eye and heares and sees The swearers execrable oathes and lyes The Godhead of the Father they contemne Against the Sonnes Redemption they blaspheme The Holy Spirit grieuously they grieue And headlong into Hell themselues they driue It is in vaine for mortall men to thinke Gods Iustice is asleepe although it winke Or that his arme is shortned in these times That he cannot reach home to punish crimes Oh thinke not so 't is but the Deuils illusion To draw vs desperately to our confusion Some say that 't is their anger makes them sweare And oathes are out before they are aware But being crost with losses and perplex'd They thinke no harme but sweare as being vex'd And some there are that sweare for complement Make oathes their grace and speeches ornament Their sweete Rhetoricall fine eloquence Their reputations onely excellence Their valour whom the Deuill doth inflame T' abuse their Makers and Redeemers Name Thinke but on this you that doe God forget Your poore excuses cannot pay this debt Remember that our sinfull soules did cost A price too great to be by swearing lost And blessed was our last good Parliament Who made an Act for swearers punishment And blest shall be each Magistrates good name That carefully doe execute the same Those that are zealous for Gods glory here No doubt in Heauen shall haue true glory there Which that we may haue humbly I implore Of Him that rules and raignes for euermore Th' Eternall Lord of Lords and King of Kings Before whose Throne blest Saints and Angels sings All power praise glory Maiesty thankesgiuing Ascribed be to him that 's euer liuing FINIS TO THE TRVELY GENEROVS AND NOBLE KNIGHT SIR IOHN MILLISSENT SERIEANT PORTER TO the Kings most Excellent Maiestie RIght worthy Knight when first this Booke I writ To You I boldely Dedicated it And hauing now enlarg'd both Prose and Rime To you I offer it the second time To whom should I these sorrowes recommend But vnto You the Cities Noble Friend I know you are much grieued with their Griefe And would aduenture Life for their reliefe To You therefore these Lines I Dedicate Wherein their Sorrowes partly I relate I humbly craue acceptance at your hand And rest Your Seruant euer at command IOHN TAYLOR TO THE PRINTER MY Conceit is that these are very lamentable Verses and will grieue many the reading they so expresse Death to Life and make mortalitie immortall I wish that as many as can make vse of such Lines had Copies the rest may want them Here and there a Verse may occasion a Teare then the Authour is a true VVater-Poet indeed but else-where there wants not a hand-kercheffe to dry that Teare So is the whole worke a * A Sweete-bitter or Bitter-sweet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and deserues an Approbation at least from IOHN TAYLOR of Oriell Colledge in Oxford THE PRAEFACE IN this lamentable time of generall Calamity our hainous sinnes prouoking Gods iust Indignation this heauy visitation and mortality I being attendant vpon the Queenes Maiestie at Hampton Court and from thence within two miles of Oxford with her Barge with much griefe remorse did see and heare miserable and cold entertainement of many Londoners which for their preseruation fled and
1009. VVHen forty yeers this King had rul'd this Ile As Stories say he died a death most vile The wide-mouth'd Wolfe and keene-tusk'd brutish Bore Did eate his Kingly flesh drinke his gore Madan was a vicious and wicked Prince the Sonne of Locrine and Guendoline Hee was a great Tyrant He built the Towne of Doncaster Hee had two Sonnes Mempricius and Manlius Mempricius raigned 20. yeeres 991. MEmpricius base his brother Manlius slew And got the Crowne by murder not as due Maids wiues and widdowes he by force destowr'd He liu'd a Beast and dy'd by a Beast deuour'd Hee killed his elder brother trecherously as hee was parlying with him Hee was eaten of Wolues at hee was hunting Hee was so beastly that he was taxed in histories to be a Sodomite with Beasts in his time Yeeres before Christ. Ebranke 989. King Dâ—â—uid â—â—â—â—â—â— At Edinburgh the Castle he did found Alcluid Tork he built new from the ground He builded Bambrough and reigned sixty yeeres Belou'd as it in Chronicles appeares Ebranke had 21. wiues by whom he had 20. Sonnes and 30. Daughters hee inuaded Gallia now Frâ—â—â— He was the Sonne of Mempricius In his Reigneâ—â—â—â— King Salomon Alcluid is Dumbreton in Scotland Brute the second 929. IF any noble act Brute Greeneeshield did Hee 's wrong'd because from Histories th' are hiâ—â—â— Twelue yeeres he rul'd that 's all I of him read And how at Yorke hee lyeth buried This Brute was the Sonne of Ebranke and some histories write doubtfully that he conquer'd France and thâ— after he receiued a great soyle in field by Brinchild Brinchillus Prince of Henoway or Henault Leil 917. LEil Carleile built and raign'd yeeres twenty fiue And as Fame still keepes dead mens acts aliue So Leil though dead shall euer liue by Fame He lyes at Carleile which himselfe did frame Leil was the Sonne of Brute Greeneshield It is â—â—â— written that he built the Citie of Chester Lud or Rud hudibras was the Sonne of Leil a religious Prince â—â—â— way of Paganisâ—â— for in those 3. Townes â—â— built hee erected 3. Temples and placed 3. â— Pagan Bishops in them Yeeres before Christ. Rudbudibrasse 892. His King built Canterbury Winchester And Shastbury he from the ground did reare â—â— after twenty nine yeeres reigne was past â—â— bester sore sicke he breath'd his last Bladud reign'd 20. 863. BLathe was by Bladud to perfection brought By Necromanticke Arts to flye hee sought â— from a Towre he thought to scale the Sky â— brake his necke because he soar'd too high This Bladud had beene a Student in Athens from â—â— hee brought many learned men bee built Stamâ—â— a Colledge I thinke the first in England striuing to â—â—â— the foule or the foole he brake his necke on the Temâ—â—â— of Apollo in Troynouant Leire 844. LEire as the Story saies three daughters had The youngest good the other two too bad â—et the old King lou'd theÌ„ that wrong'd him most â—e that lou'd him he banisht from his Coast. â—â—â—â—â— and Ragan he betweene â—â—â— the Kingdome making each a Queene But young Cordeilla wedded was by chance To Aganippus King of fertile France The eldest Daughters did reiect their Sire For succour to the young'st hee did retire By whose iust aide the Crowne againe he gain'd And dyed when he full forty yeeres had reign'd Leire built Leicester and was a good Prince At Leycester he built a Temple to Iames Bifrons or Iames with two faces Yeeres before Christ. Qu. Cordeilla 805. MAd Morgan an vnmanner'd Cunedagus Their AuÌ„t Cordeilla with fierce war did plagues They vanquish'd her and her in Prison threw And hauing reign'd fiue yeeres her selfe she flew She reigned with her Husband Aganippus till he dyed and then in her widowhead her cruell kinsmen opprest her Shee stabb'd her selfe in prison being tyrannously vsed in despaire of her liberty Morgan Cunedagus 800. THen Morgan did 'gainst Cunedagus contend And at Glamorgan Morgan had his end Then Cunedagus sole King did abide Full three and thirty yeeres and then he dyed Morgan was the Sonne of Gonorel Leires eldest Daughter and Cunedagus his kinsman was the Sonne of Ragan The Prophet Esay prophefied about this time Yeeres before Christ. Riuallo before Christ 766. THree daies it rain'd blood when Riuallo reign'd And great mortalitie the Land sustain'd Hee forty six yeeres rul'd in Kingly State And then surrendred to all humane Fate This Land in this Kings reigne was almost vnpeopled with dearth death and desolation In his time Rome was builded 356. yeeres after Brute Innumerable multitudes of Horse-flyes or Hornets spring out of the blood thus raind which flyes strong many people to death Riuallo was buried as Yorke Gurgustus 721. Scicillius 684. A Common Drunkard was this wicked King Which vice did many other vices bring Yeeres thirty eight the Diadem he wore Scicillius next raignd nine and forty more Gurgustus and Scicillius were bretbrâ—n I finde little mentioned of any good they did though they rsigned long They were both the Sonnes of Riuallo Iago 636. Kimmaâ—m 612. OF these two Kings small mention I doe finde They left bare Names for memorie behinde One twentie fiue yeares th' other fifty foure Had in this Land Commanding Regall power Iugo was a kinsman to Gurgustus and by his vicious life he got asleepy disease called the Lethargy â—â—â—â— dyed These two Kings were both buried at Yorke Yeeres before Christ. Gorbodug 559. GOrbodug next did in the Throne succeed Was sixty three yeeres King and last decâ—â—â—â—â— 'Twixt his two Sonnes this Kingdome to diuide â— At Yorke hee 's buried where in peace hee dy'd Some write that he reigned but 42. years and â—â—â—â— he was buried at Troynouant Ferex and Porex 496. POrex in Fight his brother Ferex kil'd For which their mother Porex heart blâ—d sâ—â— These murthers mercilesse did quite deâ—ace These Princes last of Royall Brutus Race Ferex and Porex were the sonnes of Corâ—odâ—â— Their mother and her maides chopped Porex in â—â—â—â—â— reuenge of her sonne Ferex they reigned fiue yeeres â—â—â— whose death the Land was a long time diuided â—â—â— Kingdomes Mulmutius Donwallo 441. THe Land vnguided Kinglesse did remaine Till great Mulmutius did the Wreathe â—â—â—â—â— Yeeres before Christ. He builded Temples made Lawes Ploughs high-waies And 40. yeeres he liu'd infame and praise Mulmutius â—lew Pinnar Slater and Rudack three Kings of seuerall parts of this I le and at last brought the â—â— Kingdome to his sole obedience He was the Sonne of â—â—â—â—ten Duke of Cornewall He was the first of all the Kings of this Land that wore a crowne of Gold Bellinus and Brennus reigned 26. yeeres 401. THese brethren did diuide the Realme in twaine But Kings can brooke no partnership in reigne They fell at oddes and Brennâ—s fled subdude With slaughter of his warlike multitude To France he scap'd and was receiu'd in State In London Belline builded Bellinsgate â—â—â—ane Brennus conquer'd Italy and Rome Bellinus lies heere in an honour'd Tombe Brennus slew himselfe
yeeres after the cities of York Rochester and Bathe were burnt Hee reigned 18. yeeres 10 moneths and was buried at Feuersham Henry the second An Dom. 1154. THis King vnto the Empresse Maud was Heyre And lawfully obtain'd the Regall Chayre He was couragious and yet most vnchaste Which Vice his other Vertues all defac'd He lou'd faire Rosamond the worlds faire Rosâ— For which his wife and children turn'd his foes He made his sonne Copartner in his Crowne Who rais'd strong warres to put his Father downe Faire Rosamond at Woodstock by the Queene Was poyson'd in reuengefull iealous spleene In toyle and trouble with his Sonnes and Peereâ— The King raign'd almost fiue and thirty yeeres Hee neere his death did curse his day of birth Hee curst his Sonnes and sadly leâ—t the earth Hee at Founteuerard in his Tombe was laid And his Son Richard next the Scepter swaâ—d Henry the 2. In the 12. yeer of this King an earthquâ—â—â— in Norfolk Suffolk and Eiye that made â—â—â—â—â—â— shaking the sleeples and ouerthrew men that stood on this feete Nicholas Breakespeare an English man was â—â—ope of Rome and was named Adrian the fourth hee gaue â—â—â— Lord-shippe of Ireland to King Henry Richard Cordelion An. Dom. 1189. THis braue victorious Lyon-hearted Prince The foes of Christ in â—â—â—y did conuince Whilst at Ierusalem he wan Renowne His Brother Iohn at home vsurp'd his Crowne And as he home return'd his owne to gaine By Austria's Duke the King was Prisoner â—ane His ransome was an hundred thousand pound Which paid in England he againe was crown'd Yet after nine full yeeres and 9. months raigne Hee with a Shot was kild in Aquitâ—ne His buriall at Founteuerard was thought meet At his dead Fathers second Henries feet Richard the 1. he conquered the kingdome of Cypresse and he tooke from the Infidels the Cities of Acon Ioppa and deliuered them to Christians In his 2. yeere the â—â—s of the renowned King Arthur were found at Glastenbury King Richards bowels were buried at Chalne Castle in Aquitane his heart at Roane and his body at Founteuerard King Iohn An. Dom. 1199. IOhn Earle of Morton tooke the regall Seate His state his toyle his pompe his cares all great The French the Welsh the Scotsh all prou'd his foes The Pope King Iohn did from his Crowne depose His Lords rebel'd from France the Dolphin came And Wasted England much with sword and flame And after seuenteene yeeres were full expir'd King Iohn being poysoned to his graue retir'd King Iohn In the 8. yeere many men Women and cattell â— slainâ— with thunder and many houses burnt and the â—â—â—â— was beaten downe with haile as bigge as goose egges Some say the King was poyson'd by a monke and others â—rite that he died of a surfeit at Newark but his life was full of troubles and after his death he was by base villaines â—â—â—d and lâ—â—t naked without any thing to couer the corpes hee was buried at Worcester Henry the third An. Dom. 1216. Wars bloody wars the French in England made Strong holds Towns Towres Castles they inuade â—â—t afterwards it was K. Henries chance By force perforce to force them backe to France Great discord 'twixt the King and Barons were â—nd factions did the Realme in pieces teare A world of mischiefes did this Land abide And fifty sixe yeeres raign'd the King and dy'd Henry the 3. This King was born at Winchester crowned at Glocester buried at Westminster In the 17. of his reigne on the 8. of Aprill 1233. there were 5 Sonnes in the firmament and the naturall Sun was as red as blood Edward Long-â—hanks An. Dom. 1271. THis was a hardy wise Victorious King The Welshmen he did to subiection bring He Scotland wan and brought from thence by fate Their Crowne their Scepter Chaire and Cloth of state That Kingdome with oppression sore he brusde Much tyranny and bloodshed there he vsde When thirty fiue yeeres he the Crowne had kept At Westminster he with his Father slept Edward the 1. In the 13. yeere his sonne Edward was borne at Carnaruan who was the first sonne of any King of England that was Prince of Wales Edward of Carnaruan An. Dom. 1307. THe hard mis-haps that did this King attend The wretched life and lamentable end Which he endur'd the like hath ne'r bin seene Depos'd and poyson'd by his cruell Queene Which when the poyson had no force to kill Another way she wrought her wicked will Into his Fundament a red hot Spit Was thrust which made his Royall heart to split In his 8. yeere such a death that dogges and horses were good food many ate their owne children and old prisoners tore such as were newly committed in pieces and deuoured them halfe liuing The King reigned 19. yeeres 6. moneths Edward the third An. Dom. 1326. IN Peace and warre this King was right good He did reuenge his murdred Fathers blood Hee and the blacke Prince his most valiant Sonne The Field at Cressle and at Poytiers wonne At first and last in his victorious raigne Of French and Scots were six score thousand slaine And more his glory further to aduance He tooke the Kings of Scotland and of France The noble order of the Garter he At Windsor instituted caus'd to be When fifty yeeres this Land had him obaid At Westminster he in his tombe was laid In his 12. yeere he quartered the Armes of England and France as they are at this day Henry Pichard Vintuer in his Moralâ—y feasted at once Edward King of England Dauid King of Scotland Iohn King of France the King of Cypres the Prince of Wales the Dolphin of France with many other great Personages of Honour and Worship Richard the second An. Dom. 1377. YOng King rash coâ—sell lawes right neglected The good put downe the bad in State erected The Court with knaues flat'rers here did swarm The Kingdome like a Farme was let to Farme The Commons tost in Armies Routes and throngs And by soule treason would redresse soule wrongs In this Kings raigne began the Ciuill warre Vnnaturally 'twixt Yorke and Lancaster Oppression on oppression breedes Confusion Bad Prologue bad Proceeding bad Conclusion King Richard twenty two yeeres raign'd misse-led Deposed and at Poâ—â—râ—s knock'd ith'head This King was Grandchild to Edward the 3. and sonne to the black Prince he was borne at Burdeux in France and was but 11. yeeres old when he was crowned so that all his miserable Calamity may be imputed to him not hauing or not regarding good counsell Henry the fourth An. Dom. 1399. THe Crown wrong got froÌ„ the wrong'doing king More griefe then ioy did to King Henry bring France England Scotland Wales arose in Armes And menac'd Henry with most fierce Alarmes Hot Percy Dowglas Mortimer Glendowre At Shrewsbury the King orethrew their power He fourteene yeeres did raigne and then did dye At Canterbury buried he doth lye Henry the 4. Hee began his reigne the 29. of September 1399. and the 14.
eldest daughter to Henry the 7. from whom our graciâ—â—â— soueraigne is â—ineally descended Henry the eight An. Dom. 1509. FRom both the Lines and both the Ioynes did spring Of York Lancaster this mighty King Katherine that was his brothers wife of late He tooke to wife and crown'd her Queene in state Empson and Dudley lost their heads at Tower For racking the poore Commons by their power Warres dreadfull wars arose 'twixt vs and French Lord Edward Howard drowned by mis-chance At Brest he was high Admirall in fight Cast ouerboord dy'd like a valiant Knight In England Suffolks Duke did lose his head The King to Turwin did an army lead Turney he wonne with his victorious blade King Iames of Scotland England did inuade But Surries Earleâ— the Scotsh King ouercame Who lost life there but wonne immortall fame Now Cardinall Wolsey in the Kings high Grace Was rais'd to honours from great place to place Lordship on Lordship laid vpon his backe Vntill the burthen was the bearers wracke The Duke of Buckingham his head did lose And Laâ—ber stoutly did the Pope oppose â—â—finde ignorance that long had look'd awry Began to see Truth with a clearer eye And then the King inspir'd with seruent Zeale Reformed both the Church and Common weale â—â—â—â—â— with his power Omnipotent Did make this King his gracious Instrument â—â—T'vnmaske his Truth from Antichristian fables And purge this wofull Land from Babels bables This king at Boloigne was victorious â—â— peace and warre Magnifique Glorious â—â— his rage bounty he did oft expresse His Liberality to bee excesse â—â—â— Reuels Iusts and Turnies he spent more Then fiue of his Fore-fathers did before His Auarice was all for Noble fame Amongst the Worthies to inrole his Name A valiant Champion for the Faiths defence Was the great Title of this mightie Prince â—â—â—â— wiues he had 3 Kates 2. Aunes one Iane Two were diuorc'd two at the blocke were slaine One sonne and two faire daughters he did leaue Who each from other did the Crowne receiue The first was Edward Mary next whose death Left State and Realme to Queene Elizabeth He thirty eight yeeres kept this Royall Roome At windsor hee 's enter'd without a Tombe Lâ—â—th Edenbourgh and diuers other parts of Scotland were spoyled by Sir Iohn Dudley Lord Viscount â—sle Lord high Admirall of England with a Navy of 200 tall Ships Anno 1544. King Henry went to Boloigne hee â—â—â—â— France the 13. of Iuly and into Boloigne the 25. of September in which yeere were taken 300. French â—hips for prices Edward the sixt An. Dom. 1546. HAd this Kings reigne bin long as it was good Religion in a peaceable state had stood What might haue his age bin when his blest youth â—o valiantly aduanc'd Gods sacred truth At nine yeeres age the Crowne on him hee tooke And ere sixteene he Crowne and life for sooke Too good for earth th' Almighty tooke his spirit And Westminster his Carkas doth inherit In his 5. yeere a strange Earth-quake did much harmâ— in diuers places of Surry and a sweating sicknesse generally ouer England that dispatched those that were in good health in 12. houres or 24. at the most In one weeke there dyed of it in London 806. the most of them being men of best strength Queene Mary An. Dom. 1553. AFter a while this Queene had worne the Crown Idolatry was rais'd and Truth put downe The Masse the Images the Beades and Altars By tyrannie by fire and sword and Halters Th'vngodly bloudy Antichristian sway Men were force perforce forced to obey Now burning Bonner London Bishop he Was from the Maâ—sâ—al-sea againe â—â— free Iohn Dudley great Duke of Northumberland And Sir Iohn Gates dyed by the Headsmans hand With them Sir Thomas Palmer likewise dy'd Hoping for heau'n through â—â—â—â—â— Crucified In Latine Seruice must be sung and said Because men should not know for what they praâ—'d The Emp'rors sonne great Philip King of Spaine A marriage with Queene Mary did obtaine Against which match Sir Thomas Wyat rose With powers of Kent the Spaniards to oppose But Wyat was or'throwne his armie fled And on the Tower hill after lost his head Lord Gray the Duke of Suffolke also dy'd An Axe his Corps did from his head diuide A little after the Lord Thomas Gray The Dukes owne brother went that headlesse way A Millers sonne assum'd King Edwardâ— name And falsely in that name the Crowne did claime But he was tane and iustly whip'd and tortur'd And claiming it once more was hang'd quarterd King Philip won Saint Quintins with great cost But after to our shame was Callice lost Callice was lost which threescore yeeres and ten Had beene a Garrison for Englishmen Thus by Gods mercy Englands Queene did dye And England gain'd much ease and rest thereby Fiue yeeres and 4. months was her bloudy reigne And all her glory doth one graue containe Though of her selfe this Queene was well inclin'd Bad-minded counsell altred much her minde She married Philip King of Spaine on Saint Iames his day 1554. at Winchester Callice was won by Edward the 3. in the 21. of his reigne 1347. and it was lost the I. of Ianuary 1557. after the English-men had possest it 210. yeeres August 7. 1558. a tempest neere Nottingham beat downe 2. Townes and Churches and cast the Bels to the further side of the Church-yard threw whole sheetes of Lead 400. foot into the fields where they were crumpled together like burns parchment the streame and mud of the Riuer of Trent was blowne a-land a quarter of a mile a childe blowne out of a mans hand 100. foot and kild there fell hayle 15. Inches about Queene Elizabeth An. Dom. 1558. A Debora a Iudith a Susanna A Virgin a Virago a Diana Couragious Zealous Learned Wise and Chasle With heauenly earthly gifts adorn'd and grac'd Victorious glorious bountious gracious good And one whose vertues dignifi'd her bloud That Muses Graces Armes and liberall Arts Amongst all Queens proclaim'd her Queen of hearts She did repurifie this Land once more From the infection of the Romish whore Now Abbies Abbots Fri'rs Monks Nuns Stews Masses and Masse-priests that mens soules abuse Were all cast downe Lamps Tapers Relikes Beads And Superstitions that mans soule misse-leads All Popish pardons Buls Consessions With Crossings Cristening bels Saints Intercessions The Altars Idols Images downe cast All Pilgrimage and Superstitious Fast Th'acknowledging the Pope for supreme head The holy water and the god of bread The mumbling Mattins and the pickpurse Masse These bables this good Queene did turne to grasse She caus'd Gods seruice to be said and sung In our owne vnderstanding English tongue In Scotland and in France fierce warres she held The Irish she subdu'd when they rebeld The Netherlands her name doe still admire And Spaine her like againe doth not desire When forty foure yeers reigne was past and gone She chang'd her earthly for a heauenly Throne At Greenwich she was borne at Richmond dy'd At
alterations from time to time and chiefly by Paper How should we know the change of Monarchies Th'Assyrian and the Persian Emperies Great Alexanders large small lasting glory Or Romes High Casars often changing story How should Chronologies of Kings be knowne Of eyther other Countries or our owne Phylosophers Hystorians Chronographers Poets ancient and moderne the best foâ— mentioned But that Iosephus and Sueronius Possedore Virgil and Orâ—â—lius Seneca and Cornelins Tacitus With Scaâ—â—ger and Quintus Curticus Piutarch Guichiardiue Gallobelgicus Thomasio and Hector Boetius Fox Cooper Froysard Grafton Fabiaâ— Hall Houe den Lanquit Sleiden Buchanan The Reuerend learned Cambden Selaen Stowe With Polychronicon and Speed and Howe With Parris Malâ—â—â—bury and many more Whose Workes in Paper are yet extant store Philemon Holland famous for translation Hath with our owne tongue well inricht our Nation Esope and Aristotle Plinse Plato Pythagoras and Cicero and Cato Du Bartas Ariostâ— Martial Tasso Plaâ—â—â—us and Homer Terence Virgil Naso Franciscus Petrark Horace Iuâ—enal Philosophers and exc'lent Poets all Or Orators Hystorians euery one In Paper made their worthy studies knowne Who euer went beyond our famous King Whoseâ—â—â—â— throughout the spacious world doth ring Such a Diuine and Poet that each State Admires him whom they cannot imitate In Paper many a Poet now suruiues Or else their lines hed perish'd with their lines Old Chaucer Goâ—er and Sir Thomas More Sir Philip Sidney who the Lawrell worâ— Spencer and Shakespeare did in Arâ— excell Sir Edward Dyâ—â—â— Grâ—â—â— Naso Daniel Silnester Beâ—â—â—â—â— Sir Iohn Harington Forgetfulnesse their workes would ouer ruâ— But that in Paper they immortally Doe liue in spight of Death and cannot dye And many there are liuing at this day Which doe in paper their true worth display As Dauis Drayton and learned Dâ—â— Iohnson and Chapman Marston Middâ—â—ton With Rowley Fletcher Withers Massinger Heywood and all the rest where e're they are Must say their lines but for the paper sheete Had scarcely ground whereon to set their feete Acts Statutes Lawes would be consum'd and last All right and order topsy-â—â—â—uy tost Oppression wrong destruction and confusion Wer 't not for Paper were the worlds conclusion Negotiation and Embassages Maps Chartes discoueries of strange passages Leagues truces combinations and contracts Ecelefiasticke monuments and acts Lawes Nat'rall Morall Ciuill and Diuine T' instruct reproue correct inlarge confine All Memorandums of forepassed ages Sayings and sentences of ancient Sages Astronomy and Phisicke much renownd The lib'rall Arts rules maxicmes or ground The glory of Apolloes Radient shine Supporter of the Sacred Sisters Nine The Atlas that all Histories doth beare Throughout the world here there and euery where How many line byst being Paper All this and more is paper and all this From fruitfull Hempseea still produced is Were 't not for rags of this admired Lint Dead were the admirable Art of Print Nor could the Printers with their formes proofes Worke for their owne and other mens beâ—â—oofeâ— Octano Quarto Folie or sixteene Twelues nor yet sixty foure had ere beene seene Nor could thier Pages be the meanes to feed And cloth them and their families at need The Stationer that liues and gaineth well And doth the word of God both buy and sell I know not which way he could liue and eate It printed paper did not yeeld him meat Some foolish knaue I thinke at first began The â—â—â—der that three Taylers are one man When many a Taylers boy I know hath beene â—â—â— made tall men much fearefull to be seene The boy hath had no weapon nor no skill â—â— armed with a Taylers Paper-bill Which being edgd with Items stiffnings facings With Bumbast cottons linenings and with laccings The boy hath made a man his head to hide And not the bare sight of the Bill abide When boyes with paper Bils frights men so sore â—â—â—is doubtlesse but their Masters can doe more And many millions both of boyes and men â—â—â— onely liue and flourish with the pen Yet though the pen be through the world renown'd â—â—were nothing except paper were the ground All Lawyers from the high'st degree or marke Vnto the lowest Barrester or Clarke How could they doe if paper did not beare The memory of what they speake or heare And justice Clarkes could hardly make strong warrants For Theeues or Baudes or whores or such like arrants â—â—â— that in Paper 't is their onely vse To write and right the Common-wealths abuse Thus much of Paper here my Muse hath said â—â— yet if all its profits were displaid â—en paper Mils could not affoord enough To write vpon in praise of writing stuffs A Uoyage in a Paper-boat from London to Quinborough I therefore to conclude this much will note How I of Paper lately made a Boat And how in forme of Paper I did row From London vnto Quinborough I le show I and a Vintner Roger Bird by name A man whom Fortune neuer yet could tame Tooke ship vpon the vigill of Saint Iames And boldly ventur'd downe the Riuer Thames Leiuing and cutting through each raging billow In such a Boat which neuer had a fellow Hauing no kinde of mettall or no wood To helpe vs eyther in our Ebbe or Flood For as out boat was paper so our Oares Were Stock-fish caught neere to the Island shores Stock-fishes vnbeaten bound fast to two Canes with packthread Thus being Oar'd and shipt away we went Driving 'twixt Effex Calues and sheepe of Kent Our Boat a female vessell gan to leake Being as female vessels are most weake Yet was shee able which did greeue me sore To downe Hodge Bird and I and forty more The water to the Paper being gâ—t In one halfe houre our boat began to rot The Thames most lib'rall fild her to the halues Whilâ—t Hodge and I sate liquor'd to the calues In which extremity I thought it fit To put in vso a â—â—ratagem of wit Which was eight Bullocks bladders we had bought Pust stifly full with wind bound fast and tought Which on our Boat within the Tide we ty'de Of each side foure vpon the outward side The water still role higher by degrees In three miles going almost to our knees Our rotten bottome ali to tatters fell And left our boat as bottomlesse as Hell And had not bladders horne vs stifly vp We there had tasted of deaths fatall cup. And now to make some sport I le make it knowne By whose strong breath my bladders all were blown One by a châ—uerell conscienc'd Vsurer Another by a drunken Bag piper The third a Whore the fourth a Pander blew The fist a Cutpurse of the Cursed crew The sixt apost-knight that for fiue groats gaine Would sweare for foure groats forsweare't agine The seauenth was an Informer one that can By informations begger any man The eight was blowne vp by a swearing Royster That would cut throats as soone as eate an Oyster We had more winds then the Compasse for we had eight seuerall winds in our bladders and the