sinnes to repay New wayes man still inuenteth now his God for to offend And so God doth new plagues deuise to bring him to an ende Not new as though God shoulde haue néede new things for to inuent But new bicause man didnot trust as yet such punishment I therfore quoth Debilitie doe proue my selfe the best By whom mankinde in this his race is most of all opprest For sorow may be put away as cause thereof doth spring Of pensiue hart swéete instruments can ioye and solace bring To sorâ—e hart for poore estate a salue is to be had And that is money which forthwith reuiues and makes him glad If wo for lacke of fame or praise actiuitie comes in If grieude with wouÌ„ds the medicine streight his ease doth then begin But he that is to weakenesse brought Phisitions may take paine And minister by Art and skill to make him hole againe Yea cure his sicknesse as they may by knowledge euermore But yet his strength they will confesse God only must restore With that gan Dolor halfe distraught to fixe his speare on brest And straight Debilitie began likewise to be addrest Their words displeasant were to eche they were incenst with ire And so they gan to close amaine with strokes as hote as fire Assuredly like Champions stoute and valiant in the féelde It was not cowardnesse that coulde make either so to yéelde But pawsed and fought and pawsed againe so cruell was their fight And sure full deadly blowes were giuen on either part did light How likest thou this said Memorie sure saide I gracious Dame I neuer saw yet such conflict no worthier than the same It is but vaine quoth she certes for them thus to contende For sée where one doth sit in throne that shall their battell ende Why that is Attropos quoth I truth quoth she to mée And these two Champions to hir grace both but as seruants bée With that same worde I hearde a voyce and Attropos gan speake Wherwith these champions both at once their battell of did breake Hir iudgemeÌ„t was that Griefe or Paine or Weaknesse were but sent As Messengers of Attropos and for hir high entent Not for your selues quoth she that you to raging bée But that when eyther of you strike man might prepare for mée Your powre and strength is little worth except I be your guide The honor therfore sure is mine I fully haue it tride With that they stayde and flong their speares ech one out of his hand And cast their eyes to Attropos where as hir throne did stand And we rode by when all was done the furious battailes hot And through the Dale amaine we rode our horses for to trot But as we rode Dame Memorie gan talke as woont we were Of that same sight which we had séene whereof I was in fere So falling out and commoning as we rode on our waye Of many things she put in minde which she before did saye And eke how these two champions had ful many a Wight down cast And eke how man was but a flowre a bud or westerne blast And so among much other talke it came into my minde Talking of Princes and of Kings which yet was left behinde To aske hir who succéeded next after in Britaine lande That swéete comly Edward King whom Fortune did withstand Truly quoth she thou well hast spoke I had hir quite forgot Sith small desert of memorie she left behinde God wot Marie a bitter floure God knowes sprong of so swéete a trée Yet bright she was in splendent throne as any Quéene could bée Marie succéeded Edward sure a braunche of Henries blood Though that hir reigne with Hesperus did Britaine land smal good A noble Prince no doubt she was respecting reigne and crowne As reigning ouer such a lande as beares so high renowne And wise she was as such one coulde so left in brothers steade And wiser if she would haue sought to be the supreme heade But she cast downe that father raisde which brother eke made sure And set vp that which they cast downe of all things most vnpure Yet royally she ran hir race as fancie did hir guide And sure right godly was hir life if knowledge had bene tride A iust religious minde had she but wanting skill of truth Which caused in Britain land much wo much wailing paine ruth If thou wilt more said Memorie to me of Maries raigne The Actes and Monuments put forth of that time show thée plaine The tragicall discourse therof the bloudie slaughter fell Time will not serue me but that booke shall show thée verie well At last when she had raignde in pompe adioyned to such a throne Scarce willingly gaue place to death which Bellials sort did mone She séemed as yet to show a grace that fatalls to defie And with these Champions both she sought as time did them descrie But she alas was all to weake for all the pompe she had And all the helpe of Balams flocke which prayed as they were mad Which roared and bleared in euery route that she had lost hir life Bicause they knew if she were gone then would begin their strife Well yet at length Debilitie and Dolor so preuaylde That they of hir obtainde the price which they had long assaylde And Attropos when they had done cut off hir vitall thréede How grieuously and in what wise to show is more than néede And euen as Memorie had done this short discourse to mée Of this same Quéene hir raigne and end a Fort we gan to sée And eke a house or Mansion place as we rode vp the hill And vnderneath a valey faire but forth we rode on still Till we were come vnto the house where Memorie bade light There she constrained me to rest bicause it was nere night Here will we bide sayd she a while vntill the morow day And then of other matters straight I will to thée display At hir request I lighted downe and put our Stéedes to grasse Then went we in yet will we tell what after came to passe The Author and Memorie walking on foote beholdeth the auncient showe and Funerals of mightie Conquerours past Wherevpon the Author beholding the same desireth Memorie to show him the meaning thereof as earst to fore she â—ad begonne When clowdie night so darke and grim was paste then we arose Euen when Auroras comely hew gan mornings chéere disclose When Cinthias hornes were hid when Phaebus tooke his race In glittring Chariot through the skies fro Esterne throne apace Then sayde Dame Memory at once make spéede the day drawes on And so we tooke our curteous leaue and went to horse anon The pleasaunts Dame is Memory to ride or go withall She mooues the minde not to forget what after shall befall The chéerfulst Ladie on the way Dame Memory is sure That euer matched with Pilgrime tryde his fancies to alure Besides recouering vp the talke that we had ouer night The chéere the banquet and repast the
aunswere quickly therfore giue least after thou repent When he to me had sayde these words me thought I felt as still A remnant left of youthfull strength whereby I fearde no ill With that he gaue defiance stout wherby I set no store So gan the battaile much more fell than all the time before His Falcon houge did so me daunt my Speare then being broke Whereon was grounded all my might no more to giue a stroke When thus my force was broken cleane then gan I to dismay Yet fighting still the best I coulde while Courage did me stay And after this the easier to bring me to decaye Frome he tooke my shielde of hope without further delay By dent of Falcon valiant so sore did me pursue Without resistance at the length by state of age I grue Thus feeling in my selfe at length both very weake and faint Not able to continue so his strokes me did restraint To thinke vpon the youthfull race and now to Age must bowe With sobbing cares and inward thoughts to Age I made a vowe Requiring him to pardon me and take me as his thrall Thus faine was I my selfe to yéelde not knowing what would fall To striue with Age I thought it vaine then gan I straight to say Require of me what you thinke good I truely will it pay With that he did withdraw himselfe and ceased from the fight And tooke my Gauntlet of my hande as conquered by right Most louingly with semblant showe he tooke me by the hande And saide if I would ruled bée no foes should me withstande For as the seruant ought by right his Maisters words to kéepe So oughtest thou most faithfully no iot from this to fléete If that thou be then be thou sure not periured to bée Let Aurea king Pircus wife example be to thée When that she saw Béllepheron woulde not to hir consent She euer after sought by meanes a mischiefe to inuent And at the length she did complaine and tolde the King in déede That he accomplish would his will by force he had decréede But he like to a valiant knight hir mischiefe did preuent And so by Pircus was assignde to fulfill his intent Which was to kill a monster fell and then pardned to bée So forth he saylde the place to finde thus was their whole decree Thus euery faithfull Knight is bounde by iustice and by lawe To kéepe in minde and to fulfill and not to stand in awe All promyses with right to kéepe the truth to ayde with might For that pertaines as chiefe renoume to euery worthy knight No greater fame on earth may be then Truth to beare the swaye Therfore to Truth so bende thy minde that is the surest waye The promyse made by true aduice for no man doe forgoe Then be thou sure at all assayes to spoyle thy mortall foe Giue eare to mée and marke my wordes and so kepe them in 〈◊〉 That from henceforth thou prosper mayest therto thy selfe incline Such amorous and daintie Dames that venerie doth seeke From such sée thou in any wise no company doe kéepe And also those whereas their Lords by fraude their house doe kéepe With Flatterie and eke Deceit in no wise such doe gréete Arme thou thy selfe alwayes with Truth and thereto giue delight Then be thou sure froÌ„ such to scape which Truth alwayes doth spite There is no man that I accompt once reasonable to bée That dreadeth not such wicked thought as thou full well shalt sée Wherfore if that thou wilt attaine the state of worthie Age At all times sée thou doe refraine from Cerberus seruage The worthie state of wedlocke kéepe beware of Sathans snare If not be sure at length to wéepe and eke to féele great care For he that is desirous eyther Mayde or Wife to foyle Let him be well assurde that he in hell therfore shall broyle Let honest mariage thée suffice and be therwith content Then God will blesse both Youth Age with grace thée to frequent The Zodomites destroyde were bicause of filthy life With teares lament thy former dayes at such be still at strife Both deede and thought let still be pure from vice doe alwayes flie Cast vice away behinde thée so least in the ende thou die On thy left hande doe thou it leaue account it none of thine And to my wordes haue good regarde away from vice decline From following of diuerse Courtes I likewise doe thée warne For where much people doe resort there lightly bréedeth harme The olde Prouerbe is certaine sure after dâ—ibling commeth durt So where much people doe resort in some doth mischiefe lurke A number sure haue bene decayde whose youthfull yeares haue spent And all to get renowmed fame in Age awaye are sent Though one among a hundreth a fléece haue got by paine A thousand to that one I saye in base estate remaine Climbe thou therfore so for renowme with Reason and with Time Therby to ioy in that thou hast and voyde thy selfe from crime For he that wades for dead mens shoes may chance at length go bare And when he thinkes to haue his fill on bare walles he may stare Where extréeme pouertie doth dwell there dolefull dayes are stoâ—â— Prouide therfore in time doe thou that thou mayst haue the more Of meate and drinke and clothing eke thy state for to supply For pouertie abhorred is and naught of rich set by Beholde the forrest of Lost time take héede thou come not there Nor enter not in any wise therof be thou in feare For he that loyrers all his life and mindes no art to learne Shall beare the bob in Disserds schoole and grind in Moâ—us querne To Idlenesse haue no desire some practise put in vre And minde to liue as I haue taught by Sapience sage demure In any wise Gods lawes obey the better shalt thou liue To put in vre that I haue sayde as Truth doth counsell giue Those things that yong men take in hande concerning great renoune Is of their owne both cost and charge if they in welth aboune The gallant gréene and youthfull mindes desires to bring to passe Aduenturing so long till some therfore doe crie alasse Take héede in time the best way séeke the more shall be thy gaine Thy bodie eke in strength shall grow so lesse will be thy paine When that thou shalt haue cause to deale in combats sharpe and fell Thou mayst thereby be able then thy foes full soone to quell If so it chaunce that thou decrease not able to withstande Yet faint not thou in any wise giue not distrust thy hande With feruent zeale and constant faith thy selfe so yéelde in time That thou therby thy soule mayst saue and so be rid from crime Though all the fierie furies were with Plutos rage in place And Osmodeus ready dight yet naught could they deface What got the furious serpent fell when he iust Iob did paine Could he therby obtaine his will no no this is certaine The
shoe With Speare in hande to giue thassault as séemed vnto mée A Harolde then went from the king most gorgeous for to sée And did ambassage from his Grace vnto the Champion stout Whose chalenge was to fight as séemed by trauising about Then asâ—te I Memorie what he meant and of the plaine by name And full curteously forthwith to me did show the same The fielde quoth Memorie so bare is wildernesse of Death Where euery mortall wight is forste to leaue his vitall breath The bony corps that thou doest sée is Death that puissant Prince Which with his finall Scepter doth all earthly things conuince The Champion that before him is Defiance sure is hight Who vilipendeth all estates for Death his Maister right The king quoth he in harnesse set so bolde in lyuely grace Is Henry stoute of Englande king the eyght of name and place Which wan such valyant battailes strong forrein townes laid wast Which rulde by prudent skill so well and pollitique forecast Which brought all nations vnder feare of his high maiestie Which made all forrein powers to quake through magnanimitie Which first began as Iosua did Gods foes for to dispoyle The same is he which first of all gaue Antichrist the foyle Which brake the neck of Papistrie and gaue a deadly wound Unto the Masse that romishe Hell that did our soules confound The same is he which first set to to breake the romishe clowde And first to sounde the Trumpet blast of Gods true worde alowde Which first defied the banning Pope and all his Bulles of lead And he which first denied the Pope to be the supreme head Which wanne himselfe preheminence by courage stoute and bolde And first began the Romishe clayme and tytle to withholde And did by Target bright of faith the Popes high cursse receaue And washing of the same gan first on Christes truth to cleaue Which staide the Popes reuenues here and puld the Abbeys downe And spoylde the Romishe lubbers all which lurckte in euery towne The same is he which did commaunde Gods pastors for to preache And gaue them leaue in Popes despite Gods holye worde to teache The same is Henry sure the eyght whose fame is fixt in skie Whose trumpe victoriously doth sound whose conquest can not die The Wight before him is quoth shée Debilitie by name The Champion stout of Death so pale it is the verie same He makes the way and winnes the fielde by weakenesse in his kinde Death doth triumph by his great force as daily we may finde The Harolde of the King to him is Valiauncie in déede Who goeth to know the Champions minde what he hath decréede Whose aunswere is that he must néedes for all his fame relent And vnto Death with all the reast as first to be content I sure am he which Philip slue and Alexander bothe Darius and that Ptholome though they were very lothe So forth we went and she with chéere bade harken to hir talke For she would show me more than this quoth she as we do walke Then spurres I set to Will my horse our iourney to passe on What chaunced after this I shall declare to you anon To haste on waye apace we rode till at the length we came Into that vale of restlesse time which so is callde by name That King in courage was so stoute against that Champion bolde That scarce he could the chalenge made his fingars from him hold For he was not afraide to passe the seas with all his hoste And bid his foes the battell stoute in their owne lande and coste He feared not to pitche his Campe in hart of forreine lande And battell wage with enimies force yea euen hand to hande At last Dame Memorie lookte back and straight she bade me stay And there I saw a worthy fight as truth I will display Debilitie the chalenge gaue and Death in iudgement sat But yet this worthy King did showe no blushing face thereat Then came Defiance with a scroule thou king sayd he take héede Debilitie shall thée conuince and vanquishe thée with spéede Though many Kings thou hast dismayde with that thy manly face And made thy foes abashed oft in presence of thy grace Yet thinke thou not vs to withstande yéelde therfore if thou wilt Least hap contemning long thy dayes with wearinesse be spilt The Champion now Debilitie or Weakenesse is by name At this triumphantly reioyste as glad to heare the same Then sent the King stoute Valiauncie ambassage for to tel That he wel knew their courage bold should not his power yet quel Ne yet will yéelde at thy prowde boast though hored heares he haue It is not thou with all thy bragges that canst him yet depraue With that the Champion made his course eke the King him met Then was the sight full cruelly betwéene them fiercely set Their fierie strokes and dreadfull blowes abasht my fearefull eyes I thinke the sounde of them was hearde abeue the lower skyes At last they paused for breath well nie both being quite dismayde Till iudgement came from Thanatos a while they stoutly stayde The sentence definite was this as I could vnderstande The winde so bare away the sounde that it could scarce be scande Omnia mortali mutantur lege creata All things created must chaunged be by mortall law no doute Therfore in vaine thou valiant King art thou so highe and stoute Abase thy selfe he must conuince yet now these words descrie Mori non turpe est sed turpiter mori It is not filthie for to die his file must cut the thréede But filthily to die that same is filthinesse in déede When as the King had heard these wordes he gan for to recite His noble actes which he had done that might him then requite No might sayde he no strength ne fame triumph nor victorie Can me resist which am the Prince of fatall destinie With that the King began againe a stroke or two to fight But soone he was by weakenesse spoylde and voide of courage quite Lo sayde Dame Memorie to me this Pageant didst thou vew All Wightes must suffer this conflict by destinie most trew First Age then eke Debilitie and Death must sure extende As of this King so of the rest in time to make an ende Dispaire not thou quoth she to me for yet I will thée show Of mo that suffred haue this fight whom thou didst truely know Make spéede quoth she and ride apace and so we did no doute Till we the sight of the bare fielde had wholy passed oute And then I askte Dame Memorie if I might make report Of that Combat which I had séene there tride in such a sort Yea quoth she feare it not to tell for doubtlesse this is trew King Henrie was a King full stoute as all men then well knew Which raigned thirtie seauen yeares as Chronicles doe tell And did in Marciall prowes then all other farre excell And yet at last with Dauid King and Salomon his
sonne With Iosaphat and Iosias his strength must néedes be donne And so must all mankinde likewise sayd she there is no way Of fatall stroke there is a meane to make a perfite stay Though long they liue as Nestor did or as Methusalye Yet once the time approches neare wherein they néedes must dye And therfore sayd she thinke thou still on Death and on thine ende And thou shalt kéepe thy life so straight that thou shalt not offende This talke we had as we did ride with much more I confesse Which were to long it to recite if I shoulde it expresse When we on way had iournayed long in Times most pleasant féelde To other talke Dame Memorie addrest hir selfe to yéelde Approching neare vnto a plaine of goodly pasture gréene Where many thinke of right good praise were plainly to be séene But when we were now entring in she bade me then prepare To sée and heare the chaunce and truth wherof I now declare The Author and Memorie riding forwarde in the fielde called Time stayeth in the middest therof beholding euery state there assembled The valiaunt Prince and King addressed with Valiancie his Harolde to biâ— defiance against Dolor and Debilitie Thanatos being iudge LOrde Thanatos in Throne I sawe as Prince of deadly chéere And eke defiaunce still him by as playnely did appéere Then asked I of Memory what ment him there to bée He ruleth all the earth she sayde as playnely thou shalt sée And there in iudgement is he set and iudgement to display Twixt two Champions that thou didst beholde this other day With that I harde a deadly sounde as séemed of Trumpets blast The noyse whereof euen dullde my spirites and made me sore agast Faint not quoth Memory to me ne dread this deadly sounde For now preparing is for fight as I did earst expounde At last out of an hollow Caue came one so stoute and braue As though he would within an houre all mortall Wightes depraue On sturdy stéede in harnesse bright and Helmet deckt with plume His countenaunce showde that he would soone all humaine strength consume His loftie gate made me to thinke on him I sawe before This same is he quoth Memory muse thou on it no more This same is stoute Debilitie that Champion blythe and strong Which thou shalt sée to winne the field before that it be long And lo sayde she cast vp thine eye on thother side the hill Forthwith approched straight in sight the glymce of speare and bill Then lookte I vp and sawe a farre a Prince both yong and fayre In complet harnesse bright and cléere resembling Marsis heyre About a seuentene yeres of age of comely stature true It did me good his Princely grace and personage to vewe In bewtie like Narcissus sure Dame Iunos comely face Begot of Iupiter he was I déemed by his grace And after him a goodly trayne of puissaunt men of might All so preparde in armor cléere and readie for to fight Then as we rode our iourney on and still sawe them draw néere I prayd y â— Memory would then make playne their names appéere That princely childe saide she that king that yong Narcissus faire Whose valiaunt hart showes him no lesse then worthy Henries heire That same is young Iosias tried the sixth Edward quoth shée That found Gods booke in brokeÌ„ walles and made it preachte to bée The same is he which read himselfe Gods booke with loftie sound And sent the preachers through his land it plainely to expound Helchias this king did estéeme as high Priest of his lande By whome all Arguments of truth should be with power scande This worthie Priest loued Zaphan well the Scribe aprooude in wit Which two did alwayes with the king in regall counsell sit By whose great wyt and pollicie and by this kings consent All false Idolatrie was quite out of his Region rent The hill Alters and groues in woodes and Priestes of Baall ech one Were sone broke downe they cast out from presence of his throne The lyuing God Iehouah he did worship and obaye All superstition that stoode vp he soone conuayde awaye The booke of Deutronomy pure he openly did réede And so commaunded as his lande in truth for to procéede In fine as earst his genitor king Henry had begoon By him the Romishe rable was quite ransackt and vndoon As noble Sire by noble minde had layde foundation sure So he that building finished his raigne for to endure The Pope he cléerely banished and named as supreme head He vtterly defied the Masse and all his Bulles of lead He brake downe all Balles Images and Pilgrimages vaine All Trentals Diriges â—riftes and rites of Rome he did dismayne He tooke the slyng of truth in hande and stone of zeale that flent And gaue the Pope Goliah sure a wounde and deadly dent He threwe his pardons out the dore his power he full defied And cast his care on Iesus Christ that Lambe which for him died Then this done he when Antichrist had lost his title cleane His honor and his power vsurpe which was not worth a beane By counsayle of that Zaphan wise this king erected right By Helchias the Priestes aduise in Antichristes dispight New lawes and institution within his realme and lande And purged the Englishe Church therwith of Popery out of hande He threw the Alters downe with force which made vs like the Iewes And set up Tables by and by as Christ himselfe did vse The bookes of God he made be read I meane Christes Testament Quoth she which Antichrist the Pope had hid long time and rent And made them playne in mother tongue translated for to be And made the people serue the Lorde in truth and veritie He rulde his lande seuen yeres quod she in such aduised wise As Fame therefore doth sounde his prayse euen to the starrie skies But whether rydes he now quoth I and all those Wightes so braue To age desert with spéede quoth shee as Natures course doth craue But range thy horse sayde Memory stande still be not afrayde For ere he come at Age byhalfe his iourney shall be stayde With that comes one euill fauored wight all deckte in straunge aray And crept among his sturdie wightes as they rode on their way Séest him quoth Memory to me I sée him well quoth I Thou shalt sée more of his vnhap quoth she euen by and by The same is he which sure will worke the fall of that same â—ing And him before the time of age vnto destruction bring Infortunate that is his name a wight most fierce and fell As thou shalt sée quoth she anone I néede not thee to tell With that I sawe an other wight Debilitie he hight Which crossing came another way vnto this yong king right And then I sawe before this king Dame Fortune shyning cléere With hir most glittering siluered bushe vnkemd as might appéere Which couered all hir face and brest it was so thick and long Me thought