with my boats they rowde to me alas And all they cri'd keep Humber keepe their King That to our Prince we may the traytor bring So with my boats beset poore Humber I Wist no refuge my wearie armes did ake My breath was short I had no power to crie Or place to stand while I my plaint might make The water colde made all my ioynts to shake My heart did beat with sorow griefe and paine And downe my cheeks salt tears they gusht amain O must thou yeeld and shall thy boats betray Thy selfe quoth I no mercie Britans haue O would to God I might escape away I wot not yet if pardon I may craue Although my deeds deserue no life to haue I will I nill death bondage beast am I In waters thus in forren soile to die With that I clapt my quauering hands abroad And held them vp to heauen and thus I said O Gods that know the paines that I haue bode And iust reuengement of my rashnes paid And of the death of Albanact betraid By me and mine I yeeld my life therefore Content to die and neuer greeue yee more Then straight not opening of my hands I bowde My selfe and set my head my armes betweene And downe I sprang with all the force I could So duckt that neither head nor foot were seene And neuer saw my foes againe I weene There was I drown'd the Britans to my fame Yet call that arme of sea by Humbers name Take heed by me let my presumption serue And let my folly fall and rashnesse be A glasse wherein to see if thou do swerue Thou mai'st thy selfe perceiue somewhat by me Let neither trust nor treason traine forth ye But be content with thine estate so shall No wrath of God procure thy haplesse fall If thou be forren bide within thy soile That God hath giuen to thee and thine to hold If thou oppression meane beware the foile Beare not thy selfe of thee or thine too bold Or of the feats thy elders did of old For God is iust iniustice will not thriue He plagues the proud preserues the good aliue HOW KING LOCRINVS the eldest son of Brutus liued vitiously and was slaine in battell by his wife Queene Guendoline the yeare before Christ 1064. IF euer any noble Prince might rue My haplesse deeds of yore the same may I That would to God it were not farre too true Or that I iustly could my faults denie * The truth of things the end or time doth trie As well by me is seene my haplesse fall Declares whence came my great misfortunes all I am Locrinus second Britaine King The eldest sonne of him that found this land Whose death to me my mischiefes all did bring And caus'd why first I tooke my death in hand He chiefely wil'd me when he gaue this land I should be rul'd by all his Counsels will And vse their iudgements in my dealings still But what do I accuse my fathers hest What meane I heere th' unfaultie for to blame All he commanded euen was for the best Though in effect of best the worst became So things oft times well ment vnfitly frame So often times the counsell of our frend Apparent good falles faultie in the end For as he wisht I vsde his Counsels aide In each thing that I deem'd was good for me I neuer ought that they desir'd denaide But did to all their minds and hests agree And Corinaeus saw my heart so 〈◊〉 By diuers meanes he sought the match to make That to my wife I might his daughter take So I that wist not then what mariage ment Did straight agree his Guendoline to haue Yet afterward suspecting his intent My friends to me this point of counsell gaue That * whoso doth of Prince alliance craue He meanes thereby to worke some point of ill Or else to frame the Prince vnto his will It may well be he ment no ill at all But * wise men alwaies vse to dread the worst And sith it was the fountaine of my fall From whence the spring of all my sorowes burst I may well thinke was some of vs accurst For why * the end doth alwaies proue the fact By end we iudge the meaning of the act I made no haste to wed my spoused wife I wist I could as yet without her bide I had not tasted ioyes of trained life I deem'd them fooles by Cupids dart that dide I Venus vile and all her feats defide I liu'd at rest and rul'd my land so well That men delighted of my facts to tell My brethren eke long weilded well their parts We fear'd no foes we thought our state would stand We gaue our selues to learned skilfull arts Wherein we either fruite or pleasure fand And we enioyd too fine a fertile land That few in earth might with our states compare We liu'd so void of noisome carke and care But see the chance when least we thought of ill When we esteem'd our state to be most sure Then came a flaw to bridle all our will For strangers farre gan vs to warre procure And euen when first they put their pranke in vre On Albaine shores my brother there they slew Whose death we after made the Hunnes to rue When he was dead they hop'd to winne the rest And ouer Aby streame with hast did hie But I and eke my brother Camber drest Our armies straight and came their force to trie We brake their raies and forc'd the King to flie Into the arme of sea they ouer came Where Humber drownde the waters tooke their name We either slew or tooke them captiues all Amongst the which O mischiefe great to tell The Gods to worke mine ouerthrow and fall Sent Ladies three whose beauties did excell Of which because I liked one so well I tooke her straight nor she did ought denie But ech thing granted so she might not die Thus Humber we this hatefull hungrie King In Humber drencht and him depriu'd of pride And of his louely Ladies he did bring He lost the pray and all his men beside And we the spoiles of all his host diuide But I that thought I had the greatest share Had caught the cause of all my wofull care They cal'd this Ladie Elstride whom I tooke Whose beautie braue did so my wits confound That for her sake my promise I forsooke Whereby I was to Guendoline first bound Me thought no Ladie else so high renound That might haue causde me change my conflate minde So was I caught by snares of Cupid blinde Was neuer none before so li'kd mine eye I lou'd her more then I could loue my life Her absence still me thought did cause me dye I surely ment to take her for my wife But see how beautie breedeth deadly strife Loe here began my whole confusion here Sprang out the shaft from whence this wound I beare For Corinaeus had no sooner heard That I did meane his daughter to forsake But straight as one that did nought else regard In hast
happinesse At that they only fish with Fortunes hooke Ambition will not wisdomes counsell brooke Pride sets her thoughts on things that vade away Forsaking vertue which doth nere decay Mens vaine delights are wondrous to behold For that that reason nils nor nature sowes They take in hand on science far too bold Deceiu'd by suttle snares of diuelish showes From which attempts a floud of mischiefe flowes An heape of hurts a frie of foule decaies A flocke of feares and thrals a thousand waies If that the water fish forsake the streame Against his kind feeles he no hurt ensues Or if the brocke would learne to play the breame And leaue the lambes at land were this no newes A fethered fowle in th' earth a den to chuse Or flounder say to flie the larke to catch We might admire what monsters time did hatch But sith we see that nature hath assign'd The fowle to flie the aire as seemeth well The fish to swim the sea as fits his kind The earth for men and beasts to breed and dwell Of right a man which doth the rest excell Should euen so far surpasse in his degree As all the rest in wisdome weaker bee All this I speake to warne the rest that heare And eke to shew the blindnesse of delites Herein my folly vaine may plaine appeare What hap they heape which trie out cunning slights What hurt there hits at such vaine shewes and sights Where men for pleasure only take much paine To alter natures gifts for pleasure vaine Were not it strange thinke you a King to flie To play the tombler or some iugling cast To dresse himselfe in plumes as erst did I And vnder armes to knit on wings full fast A sport you thinke that might the wise agast But Magicke arte had taught me points of skill Which in the end did proue my future ill I deckt my corps with plumes I say and wings And had them set thou seest in skilfull wise With many feats fine poyseing equall things To aide my selfe in flight to fall or rise Few men did euer vse like enterprise Gainst store of wind by practise rise I could And turne and winde at last which way I would But ere the perfect skill I learned had And yet me thought I could do passing well My subiects hearts with pleasant toyes to glad From Temples top where did Apollo dwell I sayd to flie but on the Church I fell And in the fall I lost my life withall This was my race this was my fatall fall What vainer thing could any Prince deuise Then so himselfe a foolish fowle to show Learne you by me that count your selues so wise The worst to doubt of things what ere you know Flie not so high for feare you fall so low Be wise in artes exceed not wisdomes bound The depth of arte by wit may not be found These curious artes allurements haue alone They profer much in recompence of paine But yet among'st a thousand scarce is one In practise ought by them can saue or gaine In their effects they are but false and vaine Sophisticall deceitfull and vntrue That nothing haue yet promise all to you I speake not of the rest that are in vse Amongst the wiser sort Philosophie Nor of the parts thereof but of th' abuse That comes by magicke artes of Imagerie By vile inchauntments charmes and parnpestrie All which by nature are abhor'd as euill Practisde by fooles inuented by the diuell To make an end you noble Kings content Your selues with studies seruing for the State You Lords also with all your wits inuent What way t' eschew the Prince and peoples hate Yee Subiects loue your Prince eschew debate I wish you all beware of climing high Lest that you helpelesse fall as erst did I. HOW QVEENE CORDILA IN DESPAIRE SLEW her selfe the yeare before Christ 800. IF any wofull wight haue cause to waile her woe Or griefes are past do pricke vs Princes tell our fall My selfe likewise must needs constrained eke do so And shew my like misfortunes and mishaps withall Should I keepe close my heauie haps and thrall Then did I wrong I wrong'd my selfe and thee Which of my facts a witnesse true maistbee A woman yet must blush when bashfull is the case Though truth bid tell the tale and storie as it fell But sith that I mislike not audience time nor place Therefore I cannot keepe my woes in counsell well * No greater ease of heart then griefes to tell It daunteth all the dolours of our mind Our carefull hearts thereby great comfort find For why to tell that may recounted be againe And tell it as our cares may compasse ease That is the salue and med'cine of our paine Which cureth corsies all and sores of our disease It doth our pinching pangs and paines appease It pleads the part of an assured friend And telles the trade like vices to amend Therefore if I more willing be to tell my fall With my mishaps to ease my burdened breast and mind Some others haplie may auoid and shunne the thrall And thereby for distresse more aide and comfort find They keeping measure whereas I declin'd May be as prompt to flie like brute and blame As I to tell or thou to write the same Wherefore if thou wilt afterwards record What Queene Cordila telles to ease her inward smart I will recite my storie tragicall each word To thee that giu'st an eare and readie art But lest I set the horse behind the cart I mind to tell each thing in order so As thou maist see and shew whence sprang my woe My grandsire Bladud hight that found the bathes by skill A fethered King that practisde high to soare Whereby he felt the fall God wot against his will And neuer went road raign'd nor spake nor flew no more After whose death my father Leire therefore Was chosen King by right apparent heire Which after built the towne of Leircestere He had three daughters faire the first hight Gonerell Next after her his yonger Ragan was begot The third and last was I the yongest nam'd Cordell Vs all our father Leire did loue too well God wot But minding her that lou'd him best to note Because he had no sonne t' enioy his land He thought to guerdon most where fauour most he fand What though I yongest were yet men me iudg'd more wise Then either Gonerell or Ragan more of age And fairer farre wherefore my sisters did despise My grace and gifts and sought my wrecke to wage But yet though vice on vertue die with rage It cannot keepe her vnderneath to drowne For still she flittes aboue and reapes renowne My father thought to wed vs vnto Princely peeres And vnto them and theirs diuide and part the land For both my sisters first he call'd as first their yeares Requir'd their minds and loue and fauour t' vnderstand Quoth he all doubts of dutie to aband I must assay your friendly faithes to proue My daughters tell me how you
he all his force doth bend For to defend his Diadem and Crowne But froward Fate vpon the Prince did frowne For why his men were scattered euery where In Tyber he did drowne himselfe for feare To Rome then we and all our host did hie The Romans they with ioy did vs receiue To Constantine they gaue the Emperie But he of them most earnestly did craue That I the rule of all the world might haue It is quoth he my mothers right to raigne Till dreadfull death hath shred her twist in twaine I grant my sonne the Monarchie is mine For at his death thy father gaue it me For terme of life but let it now be thine I aged must go pay the earth her fee I am content to liue with lesse degree O louing sonne giue eare vnto my hest I will not rule that charge for thee is best And when he might not rule his mothers mind Against his will he willing did assent That all should be as I had then assign'd To rule the world he grieued was content And whil'st that there my happie daies I spent Reioycing much to see my sonnes successe I di'd and had a heauenly happinesse Thrice happie I who ran this royall race And in the end my wished Goale did get For by my meanes all people did embrace The faith of Christ the orders I did set They were obey'd with ioy which made me ier Euen in this blisse a better blisse befell I di'd and now my soule in heauen doth dwell So now you see the happie hap I had Learne then thereby to do as I haue done To praise Gods name let euery Prince be glad To persecute the truth let all men shunne By vertuous waies great honor may be wonne But he who doth to vices vile incline May be compar'd vnto a filthie swine Who doth not loue the plaine nor pleasant way He cannot feare to sleepe amidst the greene But in the mire he doth delight to lay So Princes such as vile and vidious beene Do tumble aye amidsta sinke of sinne Whose names on earth whose soules in hel remaine In infamie the other pincht with paine Let them that seeke for euerlasting fame Tread in the steps that I before haue trod And he who would auoid reprochfull shame And flee the smart of Plutoes ruthfull rod Let him not cease to learne the law of God Which only law mans stumbling steps doth guide Who walkes therein his feete can neuer slide HOW VORTIGER DESTROYED THE YONG KING CONSTANTINE and how hee obtained the Crowne and how after many miseries he was miserablie burnt in his Castle by the brethren of Constantine Anno Dom. 446. BY quiet peace of Ianus iollitie Their happie hauens some with forewinds haue By wrackfull warre of Mars his crueltie With much adoe some get the Goale they craue But subtill sleights and fetches bolstred braue My haplesse hand did hit with leuelled line The aimed marke the more mishap was mine By gifts of grace some men haue happy hap By blessed birth to Kingdomes borne some be Succession sets some men in Fortunes lap By wisedome wit and prudent policie Some clime aloft by trustlesse treacherie And courage doth a multitude aduance Drifts finely filde they did my state inhance I Vortiger by birth was borne a Lord King Constantine his Cosin did me call I cride amaine and clapt his crowne abord And for a time til Fortune forst my fall With restlesse blisse I sate in stately stall But men of warre of much more might then I For my desert my carefull corps did fry As furions force of fiery flashing fame With Cinders brought my body to decay So smuldering smokes of euerlasting shame Choakt my renowne and wipte my fflame away What may I more of my misfortune say I sigh to see I silent ccase to tell What me destroid and drownd my soule in hel Here to repeat the parts that I haue plaid Were to vnrippe a trusse of trumpery For me to shew how I aloft was staid Were to erect a schoole of Trechery Silence is best let no man learne by me Nor by my meanes how they by wicked waies From low estate aloft themselues may raise As good men can by wicked workes beware So wicked men by wicked workes be wise If ill men read my deedes which wicked were They by my meanes will compasse their surmise For wicked workers daily doe deuise To make examples vile and vitious To stand in stead to serue their lawlesse lust The Serpent thence his venim vile doth draw From whence the Bee her hony sweet doth get Leaud liuers learne to breake the written law By that whereby good men do learne much wit For wicked men each fetch is thought most fit To serue their turne therefore I count it best To leaue my faults and follies vnconfest Giue leaue therefore good Memory I may Not heere repeate my tedious Tragedie Inquirie let me now depart away My Commonweale subuerted was by me I leaudly liu'd and di'd in miserie And for my faults I felt disdainfull smart Let this suffice and let me now depart With that he seem'd as one that would away But Memory stay stay thy steps quoth she Let wicked men procure their owne decay We recke it not if warned once they be Let that suffice and let thy miserie Make iust report how vaine and vile a thing It is to liue as a vsurping King Sith needs I must repented faults forerunne Repeat and tell the fall and foile I felt Patience perforce to speake shame bids me shunne To thinke thereof doth make my heart to melt But sith I needs must shew how heere I delt I am content to tell the truth of all Let wise men learne to stand which reade my fall For first I causde the yong King Constantine Of faithlesse Scots and Picts to make his guard They by my meanes did kill their King in fine For which with speed I sent them all to ward And hang'd them all their cause was neuer heard So I who first did cause them kill their King To stop their mouthes the mall to death did bring Where Rancor rules where hatreds heate is hot The hurtlesse men with trouble be turmoil'd Where malice may send forth her Cannon shot There might is right there reasons rules are foil'd For ruthfull Rancor euermore hath boyl'd With griping griefe her smuldring smokes of spite Would gladly choke all iustice law and right So might not right did thrust me to the Throne I sixteene yeares did weare the royall Crowne In all which time with griefe I aye did grone As one who felt the fall from high renowne My Noble men deuisde to thrust me downe In all this time and many did protest I laid the King in his vntimely chest At last my foes my friends were made and I Had quiet peace and liu'd a happie King Yea God who rules the haughtie heauen a high Inricht my Realme with foyson of each thing Abundant store did make my people
some write in his sicknes last Said as it were by way of prophecie How that the Diuell a Darnell graine had cast Among his kin to encrease enmity Which should remaine in their posterity Till mischiefe and murder had spent them all Not leauing one to pisse against the wall And yet from him in order did succeed In England here of crowned Kings fourteene Of that surname and of that line and seed With Dukes and Earles and many a noble Queene The number such as all the world would weene So many impes could neuer so be spent But some heire male should be of that descent Which to be true if any stand in doubt Because I meane not further to digresse Let him pursue the histories throughout Of English Kings whom practise did oppresse And he shall find the cause of their distresse From first to last vnkindly to begin Alwaies by those that next were of the kin Was not Richard of whom I spake before A rebell plaine vntill his father died And Iohn likewise an enmy euermore To Richard againe and for a rebell tried After whose death it cannot be denied Against all right this Iohn most cruelly His brothers children caused for to die Arthur and Isabell I meane that were Ieffreies children then duke of Britaine Henries third sonne by one degree more neere Then was this Iohn as stories shew most plaine Which two children were famisht or els slaine By Iohn their Eame cald Saunzterre by name Of whose foule act all countries speake great shame Edward and Richard second both by name Kings of this Land fell downe by fatall fate What was the cause that Princes of such fame Did leese at last their honour life and state Nothing at all but discord and debate Which when it haps in kinred or in bloud Erynnis rage was neuer halfe so wood Be sure therefore ye Kings and Princes all That concord in Kingdoms is chiefe assurance And that your families doe neuer fall But where discord doth lead the doubtfull dance With busie brawles and turnes of variance Where malice is minstrel the pipe ill report The maske mischiefe and so ends the sport But now to come to my purpose againe VVhilst I my charge applied in England My brother in France long time did remaine Cardinal Beauford tooke proudly in hand In causes publique against me to stand VVho of great malice so much as he might Sought in all things to doe me despite VVhich proud prelate to me was bastard Eame Sonne to Duke Iohn of Gaunt as they did faine VVho being made high Chancellour of the Realme Not like a Priest but like a Prince did raigne Nothing wanting which might his pride maintaine Bishop besides of VVinchester he was And Cardinall of Rome which Angels brought to passe Not Gods Angels but Angels of old Gold Lift him aloft in whom no cause there was By iust desert so high to be extold Riches except whereby this golden asse At home and abroad all matters brought to passe Namely at Rome hauing no meane but that To purchase there his crimz in Cardinall hat Which thing the King my father him forbad Plainly saying that he could not abide Within his Realme a subiect to be had His Princes peere yet such was this mans pride That he forth with after my father di'd The King then yong obtained of the Pope That honor high which erst he could not hope Whose proud attempts because that I withstood My bound dutie the better to acquite This holy father waxed well neere wood Of meere malice deuising day and night To worke to me dishonor and despight Whereby there fell betweene vs such a iarre As in this land was like a ciuill warre My brother Iohn which lay this while in France Heard of this hurle and past the seas in haste By whose trauell this troublesome distance Ceased a while but nerethelesse in waste For rooted hate will hardly be displaste Out of high hearts and namely where debate Happeneth amongst great persons of estate For like as a match doth lie and smoulder Long time before it commeth to the traine But yet when fire hath caught in the poulder No art is able the flames to restraine Euen so the sparkes of enuie and disdaine Out of the smoke burst forth in such a flame That France and England yet may rue the same So when of two Realmes the regiment royall Betweene brothers was parted equally One placed in France for affaires Martiall And I at home for ciuill policie To serue the state we both did so applie As honor and same to both did encrease To him for the warre to me for the peace Whence enuie sprang and specially because This proud prelate could not abide a Peere Within the land to rule the state by lawes Wherefore sifting my life and acts most neere He neuer ceast vntill as you shall heare By practise foule of him and his allies My death was wrought in most vnworthie wise And first he sought my doings to defame By rumors false which he and his did sow Letters and billes to my reproch and shame He did deuise and all about bestow Whereby my troth in doubt should daily grow In England first and afterward in France Mouing all meanes to bring me to mischance One quarell was that where by common law Murder and theft been punisht all alike So as manslayers which bloodie blades do draw Suffer no more then he that doth but pike Me thought the same no order politike In setting paines to make no difference Betweene the lesser and greater offence I being seene somewhat in ciuill law The rules thereof reputed much bitter Wherefore to keepe offenders more in awe Like as the fault was smaller or greater So set I paines more easier or bitter Weghing the qualitie of euery offence And so according pronounced sentence Among'st my other Delicta Iuuentutis Whil'st rage of youth my reason did subdue I must confesse as the very truth is Driuen by desire fond fancies to ensue A thing I did whereof great trouble grew Abusing one to my no small rebuke Which wife was then to Iohn of Brabant Duke Called she was Ladie Iaquet the faire Delitefull in loue like Helene of Troy To the Duke of Bauier sole daughter and heire Her did I marrie to my great annoy Yet for a time this dame I did enioy With her whole lands withholding them by force Till Martin the Pope betweene vs made diuorce Yet all these blasts not able were to moue The anchor strong whereby my ship did stay Some other shift to seeke him did behoue Whereto ere long ill Fortune made the way Which finally was cause of my decay And cruell death contriued by my foes Which fell out thus as now I shall disclose Eleanor my wife my Duchesse only deare I know not how but as the nature is Of women all aye curious to enquire Of things to come though I confesse in this Her fault not small and that she did amisse By witches skill which
me downe aliue and cruellie Ript vp my panch and bulke to make me smart And lingred long ere they tooke out my hart Heere tyrant Richard plai'd the eager Hog His grashing tuskes my tender gristles shore His blood hound Louell plai'd the hungrie Dog His woluish teeth my guiltlesse carkasse tore His Rat and Cat did what they might and more Cat Catesby claw'd my guts to make me smart The Rat Ratcliffe gnawed me to the hart If Iewes had kill'd the iustest King aliue If Turkes had burnt vp Churches gods and all What greater paine could cruell hearts contriue Then that I suffred for this trespasse small I was no Prince nor Peere but yet my fall Is worthie to be thought vpon for this To see how cankard tyrants malice is To teach also all subiects to take heed They meddle not with Magistrates affaires But pray to God to mend them if it need To warne also all Poets that be strayers To keepe them close in compasse of their chayers And when they touch that they would wish amended To sauce them so that few need be offended And so to mixe their sharpe rebukes with mirth That they may pierce not causing any paine Saue such as followeth euery kindly birth Requited straight with gladnesse of the gaine A Poet must be pleasant not too plaine Faults to controule ne yet to flatter vice But sound and sweet in all things ware and wise The Greekes do paint a Poets office whole In Pegasus their fained horse with wings Whom shaped so Medusaes blood did foale Who with his feet strake out the Muses springs From flintie rockes to Helicon that clings And then flue vp into the starrie skie And there abides among the gods on hie For he that shall a perfect Poet be Must first be bred out of Medusaes bloud He must be chast and vertuous as was she Who to her powre the Ocean God withstood To th' end also his doome be iust and good He must as she looke rightly with one eye Truth to regard and write nothing awrie In courage eke he must be like a horse He may not feare to register the right What though some frowne there of he may not force No bit nor reine his tender iawes may twight He must be armde with strength of wit and sprite To dash the rocks darke causes and obscure Till he attaine the springs of truth most pure His hooues also must pliant be and strong To rieue the rocks of lust and errors blind In brainlesse heads that alway wander wrong These must he bruse with reasons plaine and kind Till springs of grace doe gush out of the mind For till affections from the fond be driuen In vaine is truth told or good counsell giuen Like Pegasus a Poet must haue wings To flie to heauen or where him liketh best He must haue knowledge of eternall things Almightie Ioue must harbour in his brest With worldly cares he may not be opprest The wings of wit and skill must heaue him hier With great delight to satisfie desier He must also be lusty free and swift To trauaile far to view the trades of men Great knowledge oft is gotten by this shift Things that import he must be quicke to pen Reprouing vices sharply now and then He must be swift when touched tyrants chafe To gallop thence to keepe his carkas safe If I had well these qualities considered Especially that which I touched last With speedie flight my feet should haue deliuered My feeble bodie from most boistrous blast They should haue caught me ere I had bin cast But too much trusting to a tyrants grace I neuer shrunke nor changed port or place I thought the Poets ancient liberties For pleas had been allowed at the bar I had forgot how new found tyrannies With truth and freedome were at open war That lust was law that might did make and mar That among tyrants t' is and euer was Sic volo sic iubeo stet pro ratione voluntas Where lust is law it booteth not to pleade No priuiledge nor liberties auaile But with the learn'd whom law and wisdome leade Although through rashnesse Poets hap to raile A plea of dotage may all quarels quaile Their old licence their writings to expound Doth quit them cleare from faults by Momus sound This freedome old ought not to be debard From any wight that speaketh ought or writeth The Authors meaning should of right be heard He knoweth best to what end he enditeth Words sometime beare more then the heart behiteth Admit therefore the Authors exposition If plaine for truth if forc'd for his submission In case of slander lawes require no more Saue to amend that seemed not well said Or to vnsay the slanders said afore And aske forgiuenesse for the hastie braid To Heretikes no greater paine is laid Then to recant their errours or retract And worse then these can be no writers act Yes quoth the Cat thy railing words be treason And treason is far worse then heresie Then must it follow by this awkeward reason That Kings be more then God in maiestie And soules be lesse then bodies in degree For heretikes both soules and God offend Traytours but seeke to bring mans life to end I speake not this t' abase the hainous fault Of trayterous acts abhor'd by God and man But to make plaine their iudgement to be naught That heresie for lesser sinne do ban I curse them both as deepe as any can And alway did yet through my foolish rime They stayned me with that most hatefull crime I neuer meant the King or Counsell harme Vnlesse to wish them safetie were offence Against their power I neuer lifted arme Nor pen nor tongue for any ill pretence The rime I made though rude was sound in sence For they therein whom I so fondly named So ruled all that they were foule defamed This was no treason but the very troth They ruled all none could deny the same What was the cause then why they were so wroth What is it treason in a riming frame To clip to stretch to adde or change a name And this reseru'd there is no rime nor reason That any craft can clout to seeme a treason For where I meant the King by name of Hog I only alluded to his badge the Bore To Louels name I added more our Dog Because most dogs haue borne that name of yere These metaphors I vs'd with other more As Cat and Rat the halfe names of the rest To hide the sense that they so wrongly wrest I pray you now what treason find you heere Enough you rub'd the guiltie on the gaule Both sense and names do note them very neere I grant that was the chiefe cause of my faule Yet can you find therein no treason at all There is no word against the Prince or State No harme to them whom all the Realme did hate But sith the guiltie alwaies are suspicions And dread the ruine that must sue by reason They cannot chuse but
count their counsell vicious That note their faults and therefore call it treason All grace and goodnesse with the leaud is geason This is the cause why they good things do wrest Whereas the good take ill things to the best And therefore Baldwine boldly to the good Rebuke their fault so shalt thou purchase thankes As for the bad thou shalt but moue their mood Though pleasantly thou touch their naughty prankes Warne Poets all no wise to passe the bankes Of Helicon but keepe within the bound So shall their freedome to no harme redound THE WILFVLL FALL OF THE BLACK-SMITH AND THE foolish end of the Lord Awdeley in Iune Anno Dom. 1496. WHo is more bold then is the Bayard blind Where is more craft then in the clouted shone Who catch more harme then do the bold in mind Where is more guile then where mistrust is none No plaisters helpe before the griefe be knowne So seemes by me who could no wisdome leare Vntill such time I bought my wit too deare Who being boystrous stout and brainlesse bold Puft vp with pride with fire and furies fret Incenst with tales so rude and plainly told Wherein deceit with double knot was knit I trapped was as silly fish in net Who swift in swimming carelesse of deceit Is caught in gin wherein is laid no bait Such force and vertue hath this dolefull plaint Set forth with sighes and teares of Crocodile Who seemes in sight as simple as a Saint Hath laid a baite the warelesse to beguile And as they weepe they worke deceit the while Whose rufull cheere the rulers so relent To worke in haste that they at last repent Take heed therefore yee Rulers of the Land Be blind in sight and stop your other care In sentence slow till skill the truth hath scand In all your doomes both loue and hate forbeare So shall your iudgement iust and right appeare It was a southfast sentence long agoe That hastie men shall neuer lacke much woe Is it not truth Baldwine what saiest thou Say on thy mind I pray thee muse no more Me thinke thou star'st and look'st I wot not how As though thou neuer saw'st a man before Belike thou musest why I teach this lore Else what I am that heere so boldie dare Among the prease of Princes to compare Though I be bold I pray thee blame not mee Like as men sow such corne needs must they reape And nature planted so in each degree That Crabs like Crabs will kindly crawle and creepe The suttle Fox vnlike the silly sheepe It is according to my education Forward to prease in rout and congregation Behold my coate burnt with the sparkes of fire My leather apron fild with horse shooe nailes Behold my hammer and my pinsers here Behold my lookes a marke that seldome failes My cheekes declare I was not fed with quailes My face my cloathes my tooles with all my fashion Declare full well a Prince of rude creation A Prince I said a Prince I say againe Though not by birth by crafty vsurpation Who doubts but some men princehood do obtaine By open force and wrongfull domination Yet while they rule are had in reputation Euen so by me the while I wrought my feate I was a Prince at least in my conceite I dare the bolder take on me the name Because of him whom here I leade in hand Tychet Lord Awdley one of birth and fame Which with his strength and power seru'd in my band I was a Prince while that I was so mand His Butterfly still vnderneath my shield Displaied was from Welles to Blackeheath field But now behold he doth bewaile the same Thus after wits their rashnes do depraue Behold dismaid he dare not speake for shame He lookes like one that late came from the graue Or one that came forth of Trophonius caue For that in wit he had so litle pith As he a Lord to serue a traytour Smith Such is the courage of the noble hart Which doth despise the vile and baser sort He may not touch that sauours of the cart Himlisteth not with each Iack lout to sport He lets him passe for pairing of his port The iolly Eagles catch not litle flees The courtly silkes match seeld with homely frees But surely Baldwine if I were allow'd To say the troth I could somewhat declare But clerkes will say this Smith doth waxe too proud Thus in precepts of wisdome to compare But Smiths must speake that Clerkes for feare ne dare It is a thing that all men may lament When Clerkes keepe close the truth lest they be shent The Hostler Barbar Miller and the Smith Heare of the sawes of such as wisdome ken And learne some wit although they want the pith That Clerkes pretend and yet both now and then The greatest Clerkes proue not the wisest men It is not right that men forbid should bee To speake the truth all were he bond or free And for because I vs'd to fret and some Not passing greatly whom I should displease I dare be bold a while to play the mome Out of my sacke some others faults to lease And let mine owne behind my backe to pease For he that hath his owne before his eie Shall not so quicke anothers fault espie I say was neuer no such wofull case As is when honor doth it selfe abuse The noble man that vertue doth embrace Represseth pride and humblenes doth vse By wisdome workes and rashnesse doth refuse His wanton will and lust that bridle can Indeed is gentle both to God and man But where the Nobles want both wit and grace Regard no rede care not but for their lust Oppresse the poore set will in reasons place And in their words and doomes be found vniust Wealth goeth to wracke till all lie in the dust There Fortune frownes and spite begins to grow Till high and low and all be ouer throw Then fith that vertue hath so good reward And after vice so duely waiteth shame How hap'th that Princes haue no more regard Their tender youth with vertue to inflame For lacke whereof their wit and will is lame Infect with folly proue to lust and pride Not knowing how themselues or theirs to guide Whereby it hapneth to the wanton wight As to a ship vpon the stormie seas Which lacking sterne to guide it selfe aright From shore to shore the winde and tide to tease Finding no place to rest or take his ease Till at the last it sinke vpon the sand So fare they all that haue no vertues scand The plowman first his land doth dresse and tourne And makes it apt or ere the seed he sow Whereby he is full like to reape good corne Where otherwise no seed but weed would grow By which ensample men may easely know When youth haue wealth before they can well vse it It is no wonder though they do abuse it How can he rule well in a commonwealth Which knoweth not himselfe in rule to frame How should he rule himselfe in
gaine the mightie men when they be dead By all the spoile and blood that they haue shed The loftie towre where honor hath his seat Is high on rockes more slipper then the ice VVhere still the whirling winde doth roare and beat VVhere sudden qualmes and perils still arise And is beset with many sundrie vice So strange to men when first they come thereat They be amas'd and do they wot not what He that preuailes and to the towre can clime VVith toile and care must needs abridge his daies And he that slides may curse the houre and time He did attempt to giue so fond assaies And all his life to griefe and shame obaies Thus slide he downe or to the top ascend Assure himselfe repentance is the end Baldwine therefore do thou record my name For president to such as credit lies Or thirst to suck the sugred cup of fame Or do attempt against their Prince to rise And charge them all to keepe within their sise VVho doth assay to wrest beyond his strength Let him be sure he shall repent at length At my request admonish thou all men To spend the talent well which God hath lent He that hath one let him not toile for ten For one's too much vnlesse it be well spent I haue had proofe therefore I now repent Thrice happie are those men yea blest is hee VVho can contented serue in his degree M. Cauil HOW THE VALIANT KNIGHT SIR NICHOLAS Burdet Chiefe Butler of Normandie was slaine at Pontoise Anno Dom. 1441. IF erst in Kings affaires we counted were of trust To fight in waged warres as Captaines gainst the foes And might therefore aliue receiue the guerdon iust Which aye his Maiestie employ'd on those Why should we so keepe silence now and not disclose Our noble acts to those remaine aliue T' encourage them the like exploits t' atchiue For if when as we warr'd for Prince and publike weale We might to each for both haue time and place to speake Then why not now if we to both appeale Sith both well know our dealings were not weake We claime as right in truth our minds to breake The rather eke we thinke to speake we franchiz'd are Because we seru'd for peace and di'd in Princes warre VVhich granted so and held deserued due I may full well on stage supplie the place a while Till I haue plainly laid before your view That I haue cause as these to plaine of Fortunes guile VVhich smirking though at first she seeme to smooth and smile If Fortune be who deem'd themselues in skies to dwell She thirleth downe to dread the gulfes of gastly hell But heere I let a while the Ladie Fortune stay To tell what time I liu'd and what our warres were then The great exploits we did and where our armies lay Eke of the praise of some right honorable men VVhich things with eyes I saw call'd now to mind agen VVhat I performed present in the fight I will in order and my fall recite In youth I seru'd that roiall Henry fift the King Whose praise for martiall feats eternall fame reteines When he the Normanes stout did in subiection bring My selfe was vnder then his ensignes taking paines With loial hart I fought pursu'd my Prince his gaines There dealt I so that time my fame to raise French writers yet my name and manhood praise And erst as Burdets diuers warlike wights In Warwicke shire their lands in Arrow ar Were for good seruice done made worthy Knights Whose noble acts be yet recounted far Euen so my selfe well fram'd to peace or war Of these the heire by due discent I came Sir Nicholas Burdet Knight which had to name That time the noble Iohn of Bedford Duke bare sway And feared was in France for courage stout and fell He lou'd me for my fight and person though I say And with reuenues me rewarded yearely well I plaid the faithfull subiects part the truth to tell And was accounted loiall constant still Of stomack worship great and warlike skill But then O greefe to tell ere long this peerelesse King When he restored had his right vnto the Crowne The Duchie all of Normandy eke subiect bring The Frenchemen all and set Lieutenants in each towne High Regent made of France then Fortune gan to frowne He then departed life too soone alas Some men suppose his grace empoisond was Thou Fortune slie what meanst thou thus these prancks to play False Fortune blere ey'd blind vnsteady startling still What meanst thou turning thus thy flattering face away Inconstant where thou bearest most good will Is it thy nature then or i st thy wonted skill It cost thee nought they say it comes by kind As thou art bisme so are thine actions blind I nothing doubt then thou thy selfe shalt fall I trust to see the time when thou shalt be forgot For why thy pride and pompe and power must vanish all Thy name shall die for aye and perish quite I wot And when thou shalt be counted but a sot The noble wights which liu'd and dide in worthy fame In heauen and earth shall find an euerlasting name But words of course are these of Fortune had When vnto Princes haps chance good or ill God sends to euery sort these tempests sad VVhen from his word they swarue and heauenly will Men must endeuour then to please his goodnesse still And then come life or death come ioy come smart No Fortunes frowne can daunt the doughty hart The famous King so dead his son but nine months old Henry the sixt of England was proclaimed King And then the Frenchmen waxt more stout and bold His youth occasion gaue them to conspire the thing Which might them all from due subiection bring On which the Counsell cald a Parliament Of French that might the treasons high preuent VTherein the Duke of Bedford my good Lord and frend VVas Regent made the Prince his deputy in France The Duke of Glocester Protectour was to th' end To rule in cases such at home might hap to chance They chose to gard the Prince in honour to aduance Henry Benford Bishop of VVinchester And Thomas the noble Duke of Excester But here before those things could well be setled sure As great affaires of Kingdomes longer time doe take The Frenchmen did by treason force and coine procure Some townes which English were in France their faith forsake A long discourse it were of all recitall make But of my chance that time recite will I VVhich seru'd in warres my Prince in Normandy Before the Mount S. Michael as in siege I lay In confines of the Normans and the Britons land From townesmen famisht nigh we vitailes kept away And made them oft in danger of dis-Mounting stand But it being strong and also stoutly man'd Euen by our losses they gate heart of grasse And we declining saw what Fortune was Yet nerethelesse we thought by famine make them yeeld Eke they by fight or succours hopte the siege to
into France the succours small and slackly came Not only Paris then was lost within few daies That famous flowre of France of far renowned fame The French I say not onely gat and kept the same But by this meanes in France we daily felt such smart As might with pitie pierce an adamantine hart O great mishap the noble Duke of Bedford once being dead Our wealth went backe by discords foule despite we lost Not only townes in France and Captaines armies led But many souldiers eke with labour spence and cost And though full oft we made the French men smell of the rost Yet in the end we gaine of fight the fame And they by craft and treason gate the game What resteth more it were perdie too long to tell Of battels great and broiles which happened daily still The stories eke declare aduentures which befell Although God wot the writers wanted points of skill Of whom to speake a while digresse againe I will And partly shew what one he ought to be Which takes on him to write an Historie A Chronicler should well in diuers tongues be seene And eke in all the arts he ought to haue a sight Whereby he might the truth of diuers actions deeme And both supplie the wants correct that is not right He should haue eloquence and full and fitly write Not mangle stories snatching heere and there Nor glose to make a volume great appeare He should be of such countenance and wit As should giue witnesse to the Histories he writes He should be able well his reasons so to knit As should continue well the matter he recites He should not praise dispraise for fauour or despites But should so place each thing in order due As might approue the stories to be true But this may haps the time may seeke at length redresse And then such stories now and noble acts as die May come againe to light at least defaced lesse If from the Britaines first antiquities they trie In great defects if they the truth supplie Then shall the readers fuller stories find And haue whereby to recreate the mind But now returne I must and briefly heere declare Before my death what sundrie haps we had In warres right variously the states of Captaines fare Now well now woe now ioyfull now right sad But who well ends though all his haps were bad Let him erst sinke or swim lose win be slaine die fall If he die well h 'is thrice and foure times blest of all In France eight leagues from Paris Pontoise stands Tweene that and Roane which we had won before And so we held it English safely in our hands For to our Prince the men allegeance swore And they remain'd obedient euermore Till from their neckes to reaue the English yoke They might find meanes by whom to strike the stroke When these saw Paris lost and cities moe beside And what in France and Normandie reuolts had done They thought no longer subiect to abide But sought occasion how they might by French be won As of our losse reports did daily to them run So with King Charles th' agreed when to betray the towne And force the English flee or yeeld or beate them downe For why the powre of France could not with mightie host Performe to win by force from vs th' assaulted towne Them scaling often from the walles we tost On euery side full fast we flang the French men downe Our noble acts before had gotten such renowne And Fortune erst had past with vs so farre They had small hope to win our forts by warre Wherefore King Charles assai'd the secret saut Not by his force of French but by his golden fee Corrupting diuers Burgeses to make the faut Whereby an entrie should to his oppugning bee And they as erst is said were willing to agree Like periur'd theeues conspir'd by secret fine deuice Gaue Pontoise vp and tooke the promist price But in Nouember next when it was sharpe and cold And daily frost had dri'd and parched hard the ground We were in hope againe to get of Pontoise hold Which erst the townesmen sold for gaine of many a pound The snow fell fast lay thicke and couered well the ground And ditches were so hard about the towne befrore That on the ice by euery side we safely might get ore The Lord Iohn Clifford was chiefe Captaine then Which with vs Captaines did this policie deuise That we in clothing white and souldiers euery man Should in our armour finely vs disguise The next night so we should to the assault arise And passe the frozen ditch vnto the wall With ladders scale and kill the watchmen all We so prepar'd our selues as time occasion gaue And drest in white coats trim it ioy'd our hearts to see How fine we past the ditch what good successe we haue How on the walles we find the watch nigh frozen bee As noble Greekes on Troy on Pontoise season'd wee We slew the watch we beat the souldiers downe Some prisners tooke and tooke withall the towne Of stately Captaines French was Iohn de Villers one Within the taken towne and Narrabon a Knight Burgunion yet they fled away they gate them gone They durst not bide against the blanched boyes to fight We paid the periur'd knaues the Burgesses that night And gat as much of honor and renowne As they gat shame and losse which bought and sold the towne Marke well the French mens foiles in all our worthie warre In these two regall Henries times and you shall see How we surpast the French in valour farre And bend for Prince and Realme so valiant for to bee Which if ye shall and deale in seruice as did wee I nothing doubt renowne and fame shall say That noble England beares for warres the palme away But When King Charles had heard how Pontoise men had sped His armie straight assembled he therefore againe Wherewith to win this towne afresh th' assault he led He piners set to trench and vndermine amaine Made bastiles for defence yet all this toile was vaine For batterie of our walles he spent his powder still Made freshly French assaults but did no ill The noble Duke of Yorke discharged late before When now the Earle of Warwicke chanst at Roane to die Being Regent chosen once againe of France as yore Th' Earle of Warwicke Regent was two yeares perdie Arriu'd in France to rouse the French King he did hie Which lay besieging Pontoise as I said VVith him to fight and eke to bring vs aide The French King fled for haste he left his store behind VVhen he was once assur'd the Duke of Yorke drue neare He durst not stay to bide the time or place assign'd To fight our Regent with but fled away for feare By these assaies you see what men in France they were Discourag'd oft slaine put to flight and fall By sight force fight and names of numbers small There when the Duke had fortifi'd our Pontoise towne Then he pursu'd the