Wales By Seuerne West I did inuade and burne Destroyed the townes in mountaines and in vales And rich in spoiles did home ward safe returne Was none so bold durst once against me spurne Thus prosperously doth Fortune forward call Those whom she minds to giue the sorest fall When same had brought these tidings to the King Although the Scots then vexed him right sore A mightie armie ' gainst me he did bring Where of the French King being warn'd afore Who mortall hate against King Henrie bore To grieue our foe he quickly to me sent Twelue thousand Frenchmen vnto the fight all bent A part of them led by the Earle of March Lord Iames of Burbon a renowned Knight Withheld by winds to Wales-ward forth to march Tooke land at Plimmouth priuily on night And when he had done all he durst or might After that many of his men were slaine He stole to ship and sailed home againe Twelue thousand moe in Milford did arriue And came to me then lying at Denbigh With armed Welchmen thousands double fiue With whom we went to Worcester well nigh And there encampt vs on a mount on high T' abide the King who shortly after came And pitched downe his field hard by the same There eight daies long our hosts lay face to face And neither others power durst assaile But they so stopt the passages the space That vitailes could not come to our auaile Where through constrain'd our hearts began to faile So that the Frenchmen shranke away by night And I with mine to 'th mountaines took our flight The King pursued greatly to his cost From hilles to woods from woods to valleyes plaine And by the way his men and stuffe he lost And when he saw he gained nought but paine He blew retreate and gate him home againe Then with my power I boldly came abroad Taken in my countrey for a very god Immediately there fell a iolly iarre Betweene the King and Percies worthie blouds Which grew at last vnto a deadly warre For like as drops engender mightie flouds And little seeds sprout forth great leaues and buds Euen so small strises if they be suffered run Breed wrath and warre and death or they be don The King would haue the ransome of such Scots As these the Percies tane had in the field But see how strongly Lucre knits her knots The King will haue the Percies will not yeeld Desire of goods some craues but granteth seeld Oh cursed goods desire of you hath wrought All wickednes that hath or can bee thought The Percies deemd it meeter for the King To haue redeemd their Cosin Mortimer Who in his quarell all his power did bring To fight with mee that tooke him prisoner Than of their pray to rob his souldier And therefore will'd him see some meane were found To quite forth him whom I kept vily bound Because the King misliked their request They came themselues and did accord with mee Complaining how the Kingdome was opprest By Henries rule wherefore wee did agree To plucke him downe and part the Realme in three The north part theirs Wales holy to be mine The rest to rest to th' Earle of Marches line And for to set vs hereon more agog A Prophet came a vengeance take them all Affirming Henry to be Gogmagog Whom Merline doth a Mould warpe euer call Accurst of God that must be brought in thrall By a Wolfe a Dragon and a Lion strong Which should diuide his Kingdome them among This crafty dreamer made vs three such beasts To thinke wee were the foresaid beastes indeed And for that cause our badges and our creasts Wee searched out which scarsly well agreed Howbeit the Herolds apt at such a need Drew downe such issues from old ancesters As prou'd these ensignes to bee surely ours Yee crafty Welehmen wherefore doe ye mocke The Noble men thus with your sained rimes Ye Noble men why flie yee not the flocke Of such as haue seduc'd so many times False Prophesies are plagues for diuers crimes Which God doth let the diuellish sort deuise To trouble such as are not godly wise And that appeard by vs three beasts indeed Through false perswasion highly borne in hand That in our feate we could not chuse but speed To kill the King and to enioy his Land For which exploit we bound our selues in band To stand contented ech man with his part So folly did assure our foolish hart But such they say as fish before the net Shall seldome surfet of the pray they take Of things to come the haps bee so vnset That none but fooles may warrant of them make The full assur'd successe doth oft forsake For Fortune findeth none so fit to flout As carelesse sots which cast no kinde of doubt How saist thou Henry Hotspur doe I lie For thou right manly gau'st the King a field And there wast slaine because thou wouldst not flie Thine vncle Thomas Percy forst to yeeld Did cast his head a wonder seene but seeld From Shrewsbury towne to 'th top of London Bridge Loe thus fond hope did both their liues abridge When Henry this great victory had wonne Destroid the Percies put their power to flight He did appoint Prince Henry his eldest sonne With all his power to meete me if he might But I discomfit through my partners fight Had not the heart to meete him face to face But fled away and he pursu'd the chase Now Baldwine marke for I cald Prince of Wales And made beleeue I should be he indeed Was made to fly among the hilles and dales Where all my men forsooke me at my need Who trusteth loiterers seeld hath luckly speed And when the Captaines courage doth him faile His souldiers harts a little thing may quaile And so Prince Henry chased me that loe I found no place wherein I might abide For as the dogges pursue the silly Doe The brache behinde the houndes on euery side So traste they me among the mountaines wide Whereby I found I was the hartles hare And not the beast the prophet did declare And at the last like as the little roach Must else be eat or leape vpon the shore When as the hungry picketell doth approach And there find death which it escapt before So double death assaulted me so sore That either I must vnto mine enmy yeeld Or starue for hunger in the barraine feeld Here shame and paine a while were at a strife Paine bad me yeeld shame bad me rather fast The one bad spare the other bad spend my life But shame shame haue it ouercame at last Then hunger gnew that doth the stone wall brast And made me eate both grauel durt and mud And last of all my dung my flesh and bloud This was mine end too horrible to heare Yet good enough for life that was so ill Where by O Baldwine warne all men to beare Their youth such loue to bring them vp in skill Bid Princes fly false prophets lying bill And not presume to climbe aboue
I was a King who ruled all by lust Forcing but light of Iustice right or Law Putting alwaies flatterers false in trust Ensuing such as could my vices claw By faithfull counsell passing not an haw As pleasure prickt so needs obey I must Hauing delight to feed and serue the gust Which to maintaine my people were sore pol'd With Fines Fifteenes and loanes by way of prest Blanke Charters oaths and shifts not knowne of old For which the Commons did me sore detest I also sold the noble towne of Brest My fault wherein because mine vncle told I found the meanes that he to death was sold None aide I lackt in any wicked deed For gaping Gulles whom I promoted had Would further all in hope of higher meed There can no King imagine ought so bad But shall find some that will performe it glad For sicknesse seldome doth so swiftly breed As humours ill do grow the griefe to feed My life and death the truth of this hath tri'd For while I fought in Ireland with my foes Mine vncle Edmund whom I left to guide My Realme at home rebelliously arose Percies to helpe which plied my depose And call'd from France Earle Bolenbroke whom I Exiled had for ten yeares there to lie For comming backe this sudden stur to stay The Earle of Worster whom I trusted most Whiles I in Wales at Flint my castle lay Both to refresh and multiplie mine host There in my hall in sight of least and most His staffe did breake which was my houshold stay Bad each make shift and rode himselfe away My Steward false thus being fled and gone My seruants slie shranke off on euery side Then caught I was and led vnto my fone Who for their Prince no Palace did prouide But prison strong where Henrie puft with pride Causde me resigne my Kingly state and throne And so forsaken left and post alone Yet some conspir'd their new King to put downe And to that end a solemne oath they swore To render me my royall seate and Crowne Whereof themselues depriued me before But late medcines can helpe no sothbind sore When swelling flouds haue ouerflowen the towne Too late it is to saue them that shall drowne For though the Peeres set Henrie in his state Yet could they not displace him thence againe And where they soone depriued me of late They could restore me by no manner paine Things hardly mend but may be mar'd amaine And when a man is fallen in froward fate Still mischiefes light one on anothers pate For when the King did know that for my cause His Lords in maske would kill him on a night To dash all doubts he tooke no farther pause But Pierce of Exton a cruell murdering Knight To Pomfret castle sent him armed bright Who causelesse kill'd me there against all lawes Thus lawlesse life to lawlesse death aye drawes G. Ferrers HOW OWEN GLENDOVR SEDVCED BY FALSE PROPHESIES tooke vpon him to be Prince of Wales and was by Henrie Prince of England chased to the Mountaines where he miserablie died for lacke of food An. 1401. I Pray thee Baldwine sith thou doest entend To shew the fall of such as climbe too hie Remember me whose miserable end May teach a man his vicious life to flie Oh Fortune Fortune out on thee I crie My liuely corps thou hast made leane and slender For lacke of food whose name was Owen Glendour A Welchman borne and of the Troian blood But ill brought vp whereby full well I find That neither birth nor linage make vs good Though it be true that Cat will after kind Flesh gendreth flesh but not the soule or mind They gender not but foulely do degender When men to vice from vertue them surrender Each thing by nature tendeth to the same Whereof it came and is disposed like Downe sinkes the mould vp mounts the fierie flame With horne the Hart with hoofe the Horse doth strike The Wolfe doth spoile the suttle Foxe doth pike And to conclude no fish flesh fowle or plant Of their true dame the propertie doth want But as for men sith seuerally they haue A mind whose maners are by learning made Good bringing vp all only doth them saue In honest acts which with their parents fade So that true gentrie standeth in the trade Of vertuouslife not in the fleshly line For blood is brute but gentrie is diuine Experience doth cause me thus to say And that the rather for my countrimen Which vaunt and boast themselues aboue the day If they may straine their stocke from worthie men Which let be true are they the better then Nay farre the worse if so they be not good For why they staine the beautie of their blood How would we mocke the burden-bearing mule If he would brag he were an horses son To presse his pride might nothing else him rule His boasts to proue no more but bid him run The horse for swiftnesse hath his glorie won The braging mule could nere the more aspier Though he should proue that Pegas was his sier Each man may crake of that which was his owne Our parents good is theirs and no whit ours Who therefore will of noble birth be knowne Or shine in vertue like his ancestours Gentrie consisteth not in lands and towers He is a churle though all the world were his Yea Arthurs heire if that he liue amis For vertuous life a Gentleman doth make Of her possessour all be he poore as Iob Yea though no name of elders he can take For proofe take Merlin fathered by an Hob. But who so sets his mind to spoile and rob Although he come by due descent from Brute He is a churle vngentle vile and brute Well thus did I for want of better wit Because my parents naughtly brought me vp For Gentlemen they said was nought so fit As to attast by bold attempts the cup Of conquests wine whereof I thought to sup And therefore bent my selfe to rob and riue And whom I could of lands and goods depriue Henrie the fourth did then vsurpe the Crowne Despoil'd the King with Mortimer the heire For which his subiects sought to put him downe And I while Fortune offered me so faire Did what I might his honor to appaire And tooke on me to be the Prince of Wales Entiste thereto by Prophesies and tales For which such mates as wait vpon the spoile From euery part of Wales vnto me drew For loytering youth vntaught in any toile Are readie aye all mischiefe to ensue Through helpe of these so great my glorie grew That I defied my King through loftie heart And made sharpe warre on all that tooke his part See lucke I tooke Lord Raynold Gray of Rithen And him enforst my daughter to espouse And so perforce I held him still and sithen In Wigmore land through battell rigorous I caught the right heire of the crowned house The Earle of March Sir Edmund Mortimor And in a dungeon kept him prisoner Then all the Marches longing vnto
friends a dew Diseases bad likewise and sicknesse sore Began to waxe and griefes about me grew I may full well my naughtie surfets rue Which pester'd so at length my drousie braine I could not scarce from sleeping ought refraine A sleepie sicknesse nam'd the Lethargie Opprest me sore till death tooke life away This was the guerdon of my gluttonie As with the candles light the flie doth play Though in the end it worke her liues decay So of the gluttons cup so long I drunke Till drown'd in it with shamefull death I sunke Physitians wise may take on them the cure But if Iehoua smite the Prince for sin As earst of me then is the helpe vnsure That 's not the way for health to enter in No potions then nor powders worth a pin But euen as we they must to die be faine Bid them in time from vices now refraine HOW KING FORREX WAS SLAINE by his brother King Porrex about the yeare before Christ 491. TO tell my storie on the tragicke stage Compeld I am amongst the rest that fell I may complaine that felt god Mars his rage Alas that fate to State should be so fell Had I been meaner borne I know right well There had no enuie vndermin'd my State Nor fortune foild the seat whereon I sate While that my Kingly Sire Gorbodug raign'd I had no care in honor I did liue Would God I had in that estate remain'd But what vs fortune wonted is to giue Good hap that holds as water in a siue She showes a glimpse of thousand ioyes and moe Which hides in it ten thousand seas of woe That hatefull hellish hag of vglie hue With rustie teeth and meygre corps misshape I meane that monstervile the worst in view Whom some call Discord enuie ire and hate She set my brother first with me at bate When we fiue yeares had raigned ioyntly well By her entisements foule at strife we fell We liu'd that space well in this noble I le Diuided well we ioyntly did enioy The Princely seat while Fortune faire did smile Without disdaine hate discord or anoy Euen as our father raign'd the noble Roy In wealth peace praise purport renowne and fame Without the blots of euerlasting blame But when ambition bleared both our eyes And hastie hate had brother-hood bereft We friendship faire and concord did despise And far a part from vs we wisdome left Forsooke each other at the greatest heft To rule the kingdome both we left and fell To warring iarring like two hounds of hell For bounds we banded first on either side And did incroach each one on others right T' inlarge the limits of our kingdome wide We would not sticke oft times in field to fight The wretched ground had so bewitcht our sight For why * the earth that once shall eate vs all Is th' only cause of many Princes fall * On th' earth we greeue the ground for filthie gaine On th' earth we close the earth t' inlarge our land In th' earth we moile with hunger care and paine We cut we dig thence siluer gold and sand Into her bowels by the force of hand With steele and iron we do dig profound Working her woe to make our ioyes abound For th' earth forget we God vnfaithfull fooles For ground forsake we faith and all our friends For th' earth we set our selues to subtill schooles Of ground like swine we seeke the farthest ends We spoile the ground that all our liuing lends Of ground to winne a plat a while to dwell We venter liues and send our soules to hell If we behold the substance of a man How he is made of Elements by kind Of earth of water aire and fire than We would full often call vnto our mind That all our earthly ioyes we leaue behind And when we passe to th' earth we turne to rot Our pompe our pride and glorie is forgot The fire first receiues his heate againe The aire the breath bereaues away by right The watrie and the earthly parts remaine Of Elements composed scarce so light And in the ground a place is for them dight The moistures drie the bones consume to dust The wormes with flesh suffice their greedie lust But we forget our composition old Both whence we came and whereunto we shall We scarce remember we be made of mould And how the earth againe consumeth all This great forgetfulnes breeds Princes thrall While present ioyes we gaze vpon meane while A fading blisse doth all our wits beguile All this I speake to th' end it may aduise All Princes great and noble peeres that are To learne by me the rather to be wise And to abandon hate and malice farre To banish all ambitious bloodie warre To liue content in peace with their estate For * mischiefe flowes from discord and debate And now I le tell what discord vile hath done To me King Forrex Thus the case it stood I thought indeed to haue some castles wonne And holds which were my brothers strong and good So might I intercept his vitailes forrage food Abate his pride obtaine the kingdome all Me thought the halfe a portion was too small Ther 's no man takes an enterprise in hand But he perswades himselfe it is not ill He hath of reasons eke in steed to stand As he supposeth framed wise by skill So I was led by reason rude to kill My brother if I caught him at the nicke Because the quarrell first he gan to picke And for because I was the elder Prince The elder sonne and heire vnto the crowne Me thought no law nor reason could conuince Me from the fact though I did beat him downe This was my way to winne and reape renowne I did prouide an armie strong for field Not farre from where I hop'd to cause him yeeld And sundrie sharpe assaults on each we gaue On purpose both enflamed for to fight We had in parle heard the counsell graue Of wise and worthie men perswading right It pitie was they said so foule a sight That brethren twaine both Princes of a land Should take at home such wofull warres in hand But where ambition dwelles is no remorce No countries loue no kindred holden kind No feare of God no sentence wise of force To turne the heart or mollifie the mind Good words are counted wasting of your wind The gaine proposde the crowne and scepter hie Are th' only things where at men gaze and prie At length my brother for to end the strife Thought best to worke the surest way to win He found the meanes to take away my life Before which time the warres could neuer lin How much might better both contented bin For * hope will slip and hold is hard to snatch Where blood embrues the hands that come to catch Thus our ambition bred our subiects smart Our broiles powr'd out their guiltlesse blood on ground Which vile deuice of mine ambitious heart Procured Ioue my purpose to confound Therefore beware ye wights whose
were killed before mine owne eies Or forced to yeeld or abandon the coast I need not of honor or dignitie boast Or tell of my triumphes or crake of my crowne * The vaunt of vsurpers is void of renowne HOW KING RVDACKE OF WALES WAS slaine by Mulmucius Donwallo about the yeare before Christ 441. RVde are the reuelles royaltie that rape Restlesse the raignes of rebels in the robe Reck lesse the rage where crueltie doth scrape Roundnesse esteem'd but little of the globe No man ambitious prudent with the probe Crownerape accounted but cunning and skill Bloodshead a blockehouse to beate away ill The rudenesse of rebels reaching the crowne May be compar'd to Bladhuds fond diuice Better sit still then fall so far adowne By my mishaps let other men be wise My selfe of climbing haue pai'd well the price That rudely in throne my selfe did install Aloft not regarding how low I might fall When Britaine was restlesse wanting a King For Forrex hight and Porrex both were slaine The land many peeres ambitious did wring Endeuouring each the Kingdome to gaine The heires to forsake it wrong did constraine The subiects were armed we nobles did striue At length we amongst vs diuision contriue Then recklesse we were when all was at rest And each had a kingdome allotted his part The vice of the subiects daily increast And iustice and right were laid quite apart The lawes ouerlashed by couine and craft And we that did gouerne did winke at this geare The worser thereby our faithfull friends were The ball that dame Fortune emparteth of blisse Is golden to gaze on but voluble round If once of your handfast in holding you misse Away then it roleth and you are on ground Of watchers thereon so many abound And catchers thereat with snatching therefore That if once you leese it you catch it no more A Chirurgian that taketh a wound for to cure If skilfull and carefull he searcheth it furst The sea-man doth sound to take the depth sure By wisdome well taught for feare of the worst But our vile ambition blind blockish accurst Not prouing the sore nor reckoning the sound Our ships and our science we sinke and confound Ambition out searcheth to glorie the greece The staire to estate the graple of grace But in her is hid of perill a peece Which all our attempts doth dimme and deface We do enioy her vaine ioyes but a space Short brittle as glasse false faire giuing light Not golden though glittring braue in the sight For when she hath brought vs vnto the throne And Fortune hath fraught vs with honor at fill Then there to sit stedie and rule all alone We racke our deuices and send with our skill We cut off occursions we prole pole and pill We bolster we band out to bribe banish slay The pillers of prudence that stand in our way Our race is then restles our sleeping vnsound Our waking is warfare our walking hath woe Our talking is trustles our cares doe abound Our fauners deemd faithfull and friendshippe a foe Which troubles our fancies so tost to and froo That scarcely wee neuer inioy any rest Tormented whom Fortune exalted and blest This thing can I witnesse what troubles ensue What cares doe vs compas enhaunsed aloft I therefore wish rebels to take better view Of the falles of iutruders recorded so oft Who climeth so high his fall is not soft If once hee doe stagger or falter aside He cannot recouer the rest for to guide When I who with others did thinke my selfe sure Here ruled the realme there fell out a flawe Donwallo did seeke the Crowne to procure Alleaging a title thereto by the lawe Who when to field our powers we did draw Came straight with an hoast prepared to fight With sword for to trie out whose title was right Our number was great our title vniust Our consciences guilty our soudiers agast Donwallo with honour had souldiers of trust And Fortune was friendly to them as they past They slew of our men by manhood full fast Or forst them to flie in the field wee were faine T' oppose them poore Princes and so we were slaine First Pinnar then Stater I Rudacke likewise At last was with number oppressed dispatcht Let Lordings beware how aloft they doe rise By Princes and commons their climing is watcht No sooner they haue at the scepter once snatcht But guilty themselues they deeme worthy to die And Gods powerfull iustice such sentence doth hie HOW THE NOBLE King Brennus after many triumphant victories at the siege of Delphos in Greece slew himselfe about the yeare before Christ 375. AMongst the noble martiall worthy men Renowned farre victorious great of fame Though Authors sound my praise eftsoones agen Amongst the Britaine Princes write the same I am that Britaine once that Brennus had to name My facts exploits in warre my conquests life and end Doe write as I recite when time doth leasure lend The mightie Monarch of this noble Ile Mulmucius who with conquering blade did free The Britans troubled state from tyrants vile Was father both to Belinus and me His noble acts and lawes commended bee This Belinus mine elder brother was his heire And Queene Corwenna was our mother wise and faire When after him my brother had the crowne Hee was content to make me eke a king He gaue mee Albany where with renowne I rulde a while by Iustice euery thing But at the last ambition made me bring An army thence against my brother for to fight Which rather ought t' haue honord him with homage right When Belinus perceiued mee approach Vnto his Realme an army hee addrest Hee warned me I should not seeke t'incroach That was not mine for hee was ready prest Me to repell hee wild mee bee at rest I marched on the armies met wee fearcely fought My souldiers slaine to saue my selfe by flight I fought To Norway then I fled for succour hence Where good Elsingus reignde the gentle King I told him what I was and eke of whence Desirde his aide me home againe to bring And he not only graunted me this thing But eke his daughter Samye faire to bee my wife With me in Albany to leade a Princely life But while we were prouiding ships and men The fame abroad of my returne was spread And Guthlake that was King of Denmarke then Prouided with a nauie mee forlead His eie on Samyes beautie had so fed That for her sake he must perforce my ships forlay By force of armes to beare the Lady faire away And when our nauies met hee wilde me yeelde This Lady straight or else defend the cause A thing quoth I requested erst but seelde Against of Gods and men the sacred lawes It hath not erst bene heard'mongst wise men sawes That any King should claime the like by strife Or make assault by wrong to winne a Princes wife From words to fight we fell on either side But on his side the conquest did appeare I yeelded her that listed
scarce abide For she to him before did fauour beare By tempest then our nauies seuered were And he perforce by storme on shores of Britaine cast For tribute hostage gaue to Beline ere he past At seas turmoilde fiue daies with raging winde Sore wearied with the fight the foile and losse And casting with my selfe in woefull minde The cause why so God Neptune did me tosse And why false fortune my attempt did crosse I made a vowe to kill the man that causde me flye Or with my bloud the kingdome all from him to buy The Seas alaid at last my ships I found And rigde againe at seas we met our foes The wandring Danes where we beset them round In warlike sort we did them all inclose Euen so the wheele of Lady Fortune goes Abiects casts downe turnes topsie toruie quight The men of late extold with all her maine and might These ships my wants in some respect supplied With tackle armour vitailes and the rest And so to Britaine land apace I hide For kingdome lost to make againe request Or else by might and force away to wrest The scepter from my brother Beline and the crowne Which lay that time by North at Euerwike the towne To land I came and threatned Beline sore But he an armie did with speed addresse Which met me straight at th' entry on the shore Our battailes ioind and fought with valiantnesse But I was put in th' end to such distresse To ships I flew and tooke a few with me beside And hoising sailes for hap to Callia strands I hide Arriued there I trauaild long to see The nature of the Countrey and the men And for my purpose I disposed mee To please the Princes and the people then In hope to see my countrey once agen To win my noble kingdome or to wreacke the wrong That I sustaind exilde from natiue soile so long When I had tolde the great mishaps I had Vnto the Peeres of Fraunce some aide to craue I could obtaine no succour me to glad Nor men munition ships ne vittailes haue I gate me thence to Duke Seginus graue Of Prouence then the Prince renowned noble farre For prudence prompt in peace and wisdome great in warre This worthy Duke receiued me with ioy For of afflicted wights he had remorce He heard me oft declare the great anoy That I had felt and of my brothers force How Guthlacke did my wife and me diuorce The broiles at Sea the toiles I taken had at land Which neuer could the face of Fortunes foile withstand Thou Britaine tall quoth he I rue thy fate Thou noble Prince for so thou art in showe If I could now restore thee thine estate Thou shouldst perceiue what fauour I thee owe. T' is Fortunes vse t' exalt and ouerthrowe My counsaile then is this expect her grace a while Till where shee frownes shee turne her friendly face and smile So in his court he did me intertaine Where long I liu'd and bare my selfe full well Sometimes to play the captaine I was faine To win some praise as causes did compell For when his subiects either did rebell Or confines made inroads to spoile or pray his land Then appointed was to take the warre in hand In armour fearce and stout and strong was I God Mars me gaue a stearne and stormie looke With feates of armes by land or seas to try Experience taught me what I vndertooke No paine no toile nor daunger I forsooke That might content the noble Duke of Sauois minde Whose bounteous grace for aye my loue to him did bind In peace full milde I was of comely grace And wise in talke as time occasion gaue And though I say 't I had a Princely face I could both hunt and hawke and court it braue Eke Fortunes past had made me sage and graue More heedy all attempts to prosecute with skill Rashnes by poofe I found incurs the greatest ill When Duke Seginus saw my humble hart A regall Britaine Prince of royall bloud How I emploide my selfe and all my art Mine actiue feates with grace and prowes good To serue and quaile his foes that him withstood He gaue his Daughter vnto me a peerlesse dame With her his Dukedome after him to guide the same By her when hee was deade I Sauoye had A countrey fertile famous for the soile With liberall gifts the souldiers hearts I glad To winne the rests good will I tooke some toile By banquets iewels gifts or warlike broile Still vsing all the meanes t'obeisance thē to moue Eke all the wayes that might allure them me to loue And setled so in honour great at rest Without the feare of forraine foes or nie I mused what for Britaine warres was best Which way I might againe my quarell trie Such restles heades haue they that sit on hie O poore estate how blest were thou that sitst below How happy safe and sure if thou thy state couldst know A councell called for the same intent I told the Lords my purpose for the warre How I to haue my kingdome here was bent They all agreed to leuy neere and farre Such souldiers good and captaines stout that were They offered seruice eke themselues to fare with mee To winne the crowne by sword or els reuenged bee Concluding thus a powre prouided was Munition good and vitailes shipping strong On voiage so with hoised sailes wee passe We cut the seas and came apace along To Britaine shores In hope to wrecke the wrong That oft before was done or winne the land againe Whence whilome twice I was to fly with daunger faine When we were landed here I Herolds sent To claime my Kingdome at his hands my right I bad them if he were not so content To sound defiance fire and sword and fight But of my message hee esteemed light Hee brought an army strong appointed was the day Of battaile then to try who beares the Crowne away This when our mother sawe Corwenna wise That mortall warres we wage for kingdome sake Shee with her selfe did many waies deuise A peace betweene her Martiall sonnes to make And with the Lords full oft did counsell take Yet all in vaine there could no parle of peace preuaile But on we marcht agreed each other to assaile The feelds once pight and time of battaile come In place where should bee tride this quarell sad In armour eke the souldiers all and some With all the force that might so soone bee had We captaines vsing speech our men to glad T' incourage them with promise proud of lasting fame Tweene th' armies Corwenna stood that noble dame And thus shee spake O out alas my sonnes what meanes this broile Wil you in field my tender bowels harme What furies force you thus t'unkindly toile What meane your men for slaughter here to swarme Did not this wombe once both inclose you warme And cannot now all Britaine hold you brethren twaine But needes by one of you his brother must be slaine Cannot the feare of Ioues
Report almost of all the common rout Ran still that I was worthie praisde to be And often times they gaue me all a shout This made my foes to stare and looke about And often wish them ill aloude that cride * Such is the nature still of naughtie pride We twaine quoth he betweene our selues will trie Alone our manhoods both if thou consent We ought not breake the Prince his peace quoth I His grace would not therewith be well content And sith no hurt was heere nor malice ment You ought not so on choler take it ill Though I to win the prize put forth my skill With that quoth Elenine for so he hight That was the Earle his cosin then my foe I meane quoth he to trie the case in fight Before thou passe againe my presence froe And euen with that he raught to me a bloe My friends nor I could not this wrong abide We drew and so did those on th' other side But I was all the marke whereat he shot The malice still he meant to none but me At me he cast and drew me for the lot Which should of all reuenge the ransome bee Wherefore he set them at me franke and free Till me they tooke so compast round about As I could not scape from among them out To make it short I singled was therefore Euen as the Deere to find his fatall stroke I could not scape in number they were more My pageant was in presence there bespoke A pillow they prepared me of oke My hands they bound along my corps they led From off my shoulders quite they stroke my head If euer man that seru'd his Prince with paine And well deserued of his publique weale If euer Knight esteem'd it greatest gaine For Prince and Countrey in the warres to deale My selfe was such which venter'd life and heale At all assayes to saue my natiue soile With all my labour trauell paine and toile Yet heere you see at home I had my fall Not by my fiercest foes that came in warre But by my friend I gate this griping thrall When folly fram'd vs both at home to iarre Oh that my friend of yore should range so farre From wisdomes way to wed himselfe to will From reasons rule to wrest his wits to ill Well bid the rest beware of triumphes such Bid them beware for titles vaine to striue Bid them not trust such sullen friends too much Bid them not so their honours high atchieue For if they will preserue their names aliue There is no better way to worke the same Then to eschew of tyranny defame HOW CAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR which first made this Realme tributarie to the Romanes was slaine in the Senate house about the yeare before Christ 42. ALthough by Bocas I haue whilom told my mind And Lydgate haue likewise translated well the same Yet sith my place in order here againe I finde And that my facts deseru'd in Britaine worthy fame Let me againe renue to memory my name Recite my minde which if thou graunt to mee Thou shalt therefore receiue a friendly fee. If euer erst the fame of ancient Romane facts Haue come to pierce thine eares before this present time I thinke amongst the rest likewise my noble acts Haue shew'd themselues in sight as Phoebus faire in prime When first the Romane state began aloft to clime And wanne the wealth of all the world beside When first their force in warlike feates were tride I Caius Iulius Caesar Consull had to name That worthy Romane borne renownd with noble deeds What neede I here recite the linage whence I came Or else my greate exploites surelyt's more then needs But onely this to tell of purpose now proceedes Why I a Romane Prince no Britaine here Amongst these Britaine Princes now appeere And yet because thou maist perceiue the storie all Of all my life and so deeme better of the end I will againe the same to mind yet briefly call To tell thee how thou maist me praise or discommend Which when thou hast in briefe as I recite it pend Thou shalt confesse that I deserued well Amongst them heere my tragedie to tell What need I first recite my pedigree well knowne No noble author writes that can forget the same My praise I know in print through all the world is blowne Ther 's no man scarce that writes but he recites my fame My worthie father Lucius Caesar had to name Aurelia faire my mother also hight Of Caius Cotta daughter borne by right How I was trained vp in youth what need I tell Sith that my noble Aunt that Iulia hight me taught Who could with morall discipline instruct me well And saw the frame in me that natures skill had wrought By her instructions aye I wit and fauour sought I was accounted comely of my grace I had by natures gift a Princely face Of stature high and tall of colour faire and white Of bodie spare and leane yet comely made to see What need I more of these impertinent recite Sith Plutarch hath at large describ'd it all to thee And eke thy selfe that think'st thou seest and hearest me Maist well suppose the rest and write the truth Of all my noble actions from my youth In iourney swift I was and prompt and quicke of wit My eloquence was likte of all that heard me pleade I had the grace to vse my tearmes and place them fit My roling Rhetoricke stood my Clients oft in stead No fine conueyance past the compasse of my head I wan the spurres I had the laud and praise I past them all that pleaded in those daies At seuenteene yeares of age a Flamin was I chose An office great in Rome of Priesthood Princely hie I married eke Cossutia whereof much mischiefe rose Because I was diuorc'st from her so speedilie * Diuorcement breeds despite defame is got thereby For such as fancies fond by chance fulfill Although they thinke it cannot come to ill Of these the stories tell what need I more recite Or of the warres I waged Consul with the Galles The worthiest writers had desire of me to write They plac'st my life amongst the worthies and their falles So Fame me thinkes likewise amids the Britaines calles For Caesar with his sword that bare the sway And for the cause that wrought his swift decay When I in France had brought the valiant Galles to bend And made them subiect and obeysant vnto mee I then did thinke I had vnto the world his end By West subdued the Nations which were whilome free There of my famous warres I wrote an historie I did describe each places and sequels of my warre The Commentaries cal'd of Caesars acts that are At length I did perceiue there was an Island yet By West of France which in the Ocean sea did lie And that there was likewise no cause or time to let But that I might with them the chance of fortune trie I sent to them for hostage of assurance I And wil'd them
not trust his talke nor message sent beforne On this I expedition made the third and last For he did warrant me my purpose to obtaine I shipt my men and hide me thitherward full fast Had winde at will and came to see the shining shores againe And of my comming so the Earle was glad and faine We ioined hands and league and armies for the fight And sought and put Cassibellane the noble King to flight Yet he repaird his hoste againe that fiercely faught And oft assaid to slay or take the Earle or mee And when hee saw at length his labour vailed naught And Britanes with the Romanes linked so to bee Great griefe he had in them such treason for to see His losse in doubtfull war not grieu'd him halfe so sore His peoples base reuolt he chiefely did deplore To make it short the King was faine at length to yeeld The tribute granted was three thousand pound a yeere We bare away the price we wan the worthy field And made them friends againe that bought our fauour deere I need no longer stay to tell the story heere Nor yet to giue my friend the Earle of London blame Sith by his meanes I wan to Rome eternall fame From France I after sent to Rome reporting how Amongst the warlike Galles and Britaines I had sped I made request by friends I might be Consull now On my returne againe but Pompeyes hautie hed Did ioyne himselfe with Peeres and armies which he led Alledging plaine I meant the publique weale t' inuade They would represse my pride with might and dint of blade With speed I came and force which made them all to flie To Greece from Rome in haste where they prepared war For in Epyrus then with souldiers they did lie This Pompey proud that made the Romans with me iar He at Dyrrachium staid to which though it were far I led my conquering host I skirmisht often there But from the fight to flie we soone contented were On this he followed fast in hope to win the field To Thessalie he came where I did stay therefore Our armies met and fiercely faught not bent to yeeld Till fifteene hundred men were slaine in fight or more But in the end they fled we tooke of prisoners store They durst not dare t' abide the chance of Mars to trie But either fell in fight or from the field did flie Thence Pompey fled the field and into Egypt came To Ptolemie the King as then but yong of age Where of his slaughter foule Septimius hath the blame He was his end that did these warres against me wage Euen so by course we come to play vpon the stage Our trauels haue an end when we do feele the fall For all our life is but a race of miserie and thrall But Pompeyes friends and sonnes by might did oft assay When he was done to death to take reuenge on me And I by dint of sword repel'd their force away Gate offices of rule and gouern'd each degree At Caesars beck and call obeysant all they bee Enacted lawes directed each estate Emperially the first aloft I sate But glorie won the way to hold and keepe the same To hold good fortune fast a worke of cunning skill Who so with prudent art can stay that stately dame Which sets vs vp so high vpon her hautie hill And constant aye can keepe her loue and fauour still He wins immortall fame thrice blessed is the crowne If once misfortune kicke and cast the scepter downe For when in Rome I was alone Dictator chose And Emperour or Captaine sole to be for ay My glorie did procure me many secret foes Because aboue the rest I bare the soueraigne sway By sundrie meanes they sought my ruine and decay For why there could no thing in state determin'd be Vnlesse it likte me first and were approu'd by me This they enui'd at me that su'd aloft to clime As hautie Cassius which the Pretorship did craue And Brutus eke his friend which bare the chiefest crime Of my dispatch and death for they did first depraue My life mine acts my raigne and sought my blood to haue Full secretly amongst themselues conspir'd decreed To be attemptors of that cruell bloodie deed Yet I forewarned was by Capis fatall tombe His Epitaph my death did long before foreshow Cornelius Balbus saw mine horses headlesse ronne Without the guide of man forsaking food for woe Spurina warned me that sooth of things did know A little wren in beake with Laurell greene that flew Foreshew'd my dolefull death as after all men knew The night before my fall in slumber I did dreame I caried was from earth and flew the clouds aboue And somtime hand in hād I thought I walkt with Ioue supreame My wife Calphurnia Caesars only loue Did dreame she saw her crest of house to fall Her husband thrust through breast a sword withall Eke that same night her chamber dores thēselues flew open all These things did make me much that mourning to mislike And Iacrazed was and thought at home to stay But who is he can void deaths dart when he doth strike Where so great number seekes his life for to betray The traytor bloodie Brutus bad me not delay Nor yet to frustrate there so great assemblie sate At last I went and there did meet vntimely sate To Senate as I went behold a Roman stood Presenting me a scrole of euery traytors name And all their whole deuice that sought to spill my blood That presently decreed to execute the same But I blind wretch supposde that for some suite he came I heedlesse bare this scrole in my vnhappie hand For which I lost my life as you shall vnderstand Spurina as I came at sacrifices was Neere to the place where I was after slaine Of whose diuinings true I then did little passe To warne me of my death the Priest did seeke in vaine My hautie heart growne proud these warnings all disdaine Quoth I the Ides of March be come yet harme is none Quoth he the Ides of March be come yet th' are not gone Assoone as I was set the traytors all arose And one approched neere as to demand some thing To whom as I gaue eare at once my cruell foes Beset me round about their weapons hid they bring Then I too late perceiu'd my deaths approching sting O this quoth I is violence then Cassius pierst my brest And Brutus thou my sonne quoth I whom erst I loued best Yee Princes all and noble men beware of pride Wracke not the Commonwealth for wealthie kingdomes sake Be warn'd by me that see my selfe the world to guide Beware what bloodie warres for rule you vndertake Ere three and twentie wounds had made my heart to quake How many thousands fell for Pompeyes pride and mine How many valiant Knights did loued life resigne Full many nobie men to rule alone I slew And some themselues againe for griefe of heart did slay For they would neuer yeeld though I
did them subdue Some I did force to yeeld some trauail'd farre away As loth to stay and see their countries swift decay The world on Aphrike coasts and Asia distant farre And Europe also knew my bloodsheds great in warre But sith my whole pretence was nought but glorie vaine To haue renowne and rule ' mongst men aboue the rest Without remorce in mind of many thousands slaine Which for their owne defence their warres so oft addrest I iustly deeme therefore my stonie heart and brest Receiu'd so many wounds this sentence long hath stood That who so slayes he paies the price of blood for blood HOW CLAVDIVS TIBERIVS NERO EMPEROVR OF Rome was poisoned by Caius Caligula the yeare of Christ 39. WHat bootes it hautie hearts depend so much On high estate auailes it ought thinke yee The gold is tri'd when it is brought to tuch So triall telles what worldly triumphs bee When glorie shines no dangers deepe we see Till we at ast find true the prouerbe old * Not all th at shines is pure and perfect gold While valiant men so burne with hot desire Of royall rule and thirst so sore for seat No springs of Pernasse mount can quench the fire Nor Boreas blast allay the hautie heate On high renowne so much their braines they beate And toyle so much for fading flickering fame On earth for aye to leaue behind a name But if they would marke Fortunes double face And how she turnes about the tottering wheele How she doth change her minde and turne her grace How blinde of sight she is how light of heele They would not rue the fatall falles they feele They would not after blame her blindnesse so But looke before and leape her lightnesse fro All men that in affaires themselues imploy Doe praise Dame Fortune first if they speede well But if thereby fall after some annoy They curse her then as hatefull hagge of hell If Fortune firme had stoode they had not fell They ban her then and yet themselues were curst Which tooke her baite so freely at the first For while her idle impes doe bathe in blisse They count her gifts and pleasures all good hap But if at last she frowne as custome is And let them slip againe beside her lap They then confesse her baites did boad some trap As I haue prou'd what Fortune giues to men For pleasure each she brings displeasures ten Augustus great that good Octauius hight The Emperour which in peace did rule so long In whose good raigne was borne the Lord of light Nam'd Iesus Christ in power and works so strong Whom in my daies the Iewes opprest with wrong Of which good Christ anon I haue to tell But first vnto Augustus what befell This noble Emprour did my mother wed Which Liuia hight a faire and noble dame His daughter Iulia I likewise did bed And put away my wife of better fame Agrippa great with child the more my blame I was through this and th' Empresse Liuias skill Adopted Emprour by Augustus will When he was dead then I Tiberius raign'd Adopted thus and for my noble acts I was both vnto warre and peace well train'd Th' Illyrians must confesse my famous facts In three yeares space my power their pride subacts On them and Germanes triumpht neare and farre Saue Punike fight the greatest Roman warre Now for it was my hap a victour so To Rome returne a yeare before his end Throughout the world the fame of me did go The Romans all to fauour me did bend To them Augustus did my warres commend Adopted me and as I said for this The Romanes heapt on me all worldly blisse So when I had obtained my desire Who then but Caesar I did rule alone By nature proud presuming to aspire Dissembling that which afterward was knowne For when the fathers mind to me was showne Of their electing mine Emperiall place I seem'd to stay refusing it a space And thus to proue my friends before I did And eke to heare what euery one would say Which was the cause why some I after rid The best'mongst them I made as foes away By slaughter so I thought my throne to stay But otherwise then I had thought it fell As time doth trie the fruit of things full well Another griefe conceiu'd I will recite Which made me with the Senate discontent About that time did Pontius Pilate write His letters how the Iewes to malice bent Had put to death one Christ full innocent The Sonne of God of might of power no lesse Which rose from death as Christians all confesse Thus wise he wrote PONTIVS PILATE TO HIS LORD CLAVDIVS wisheth health OF late it chanst which I haue proued well The Iewes through wrath by cruell doome haue lost Themselues and all their ofspring that ensue For when their fathers promise had that God Would send to them from heauen his holy one That might deseruingly be nam'd their King And by a virgin him to th' earth to send Loe now when as the Hebrewes God was come And they him saw restore the blind to sight To cleanse the leapers cure the palsies eke To cast fiends out of men and raise the dead Command the winds on sea with drie feete walke And many maruels great beside to do When all men called him the Sonne of God The Priests in enuie brought him vnto me And bringing many forged fained faults Nam'd him a wisard 'gainst their lawes to do Which I belieuing whipt him for the cause And gaue him vp to vse as they thought best They crucifi'd him buried him his tombe They kept three daies with souldiers stout yet he The third day rose againe and came to life Which when they heard they brib'd the souldiers all And bad them say his corpes was stolne away The souldiers yet when they the money had Could not the truth keepe silent of the fact For they did witnesse he did rise againe And of the Iewes that they money taken had I write the truth if any otherwise Do bring report account it but vaine lies THe letters read I did thereon conferre Booh with the Fathers graue in high degree And with the nobles who of Senate were That Christ in Rome as God might counted bee To which they only did not disagree Because the letters came not first to them But by edict did punish Christen men To theiâ— accusers threaten death I did Although Seianus from my partie fell The Senate which the Christians sought to rid By me were after seru'd in order well For as Christs Godhead they would Rome expell And would not serue the God of meekenesse sent To pot apace their hautie heads were pent I banisht some and some to death I put And foure and twentie Fathers graue I chose From shoulders eke most of their heads I cut And left likewise aliue but twaine of those Seianus I did slay all Drusus deadly foes I eke Germanicus with poyson slew His sonnes likewise my poysons force well knew The
twaine my hart For why I see what seruile seruitude Shall then insue if he may raigne in rest Shall Brittane braue by Romanes be subdude It shal no doubt by Romanes bee distrest Except my might against his might be prest My might as yet cannot his strength constraine Yet may my might compell him to complaine The draining drops do make the Marble yeeld In time the seas the cragged rockes do rend And Courtly Kings by tearing time be kil'd For time doth make the mightie Okes to bend And time doth make the little twigs ascend So I in time such power may prepare As shall constraine Seuerus death with care But whil'st I did endeuour to destroy Seuerus strength the Picts were prickt with pride For their reuenge vs Britaines to annoy Which when I heard in post I did prouide A power great then I in haste did ride And kept the coast so strong with men of warre That no man could arriue to make or marre The Picts preuented of their wished pray In waltering waues did bouse their bitter baine They dig'd a ditch and caught their owne decay On rocks their Barkes in seas themselues were slaine The Westerne winds with woe did them constraine By Britaine bankes to make so long delay I and the Seas brought them to their decay By meanes whereof my credit did encrease Seuerus did esteeme me as his stay I from my first deuices could not cease For aye I hop'd to haue a happie day To bring the Roman rule to their decay With fauning face good fortune smiled so I had my wish what might I hope for mo For into Spaine the Roman souldiers sent I had at home the might him to depriue Then wisely I all perils to preuent Prouided so that no man could arriue No Pict nor Scot nor Roman then could striue With me at home then I the Lords with speed Of Britaine call'd and thus I did proceed The Roman rule vs subiect slaues hath made You see my Lords a Roman heere doth raigne Whom to destroy my power shall inuade I do indeed this seruile life disdaine And you your selues do much thereof complaine If you with helpe will me assist I sweare The Roman rule shall haue no power heere Then they most glad with one consent repli'd We will assist thee with what might we may And we our selues most willing will prouide No Britaine borne against thee shall display His shield but all at the appointed day As prest to please thy hest shall thee assist Win thou the crowne and weare it at thy list Which when I heard them say with one consent Blame not though pride did then possesse my heart For Princely crowne the dreadfull diery dent Of wrackfull warre who would not feele the smart Of griping griefe who would not feele the dart Of dreadfull death or who regardeth paine If he a crowne and kingdome may obtaine For his gray grotes the countrie clowne doth care Restlesse with ruth the Rusticke gets his gaine The Merchant man for wealth doth send his ware About the world with perill and great paine And all the world for wealth doth not disdaine Amidst the surge of mightie mounting seas To cast themselues their owne delights to please If to obtaine such triffles they do toile And neuer cease to bring their drifts about Why should I feare the force of forren foile Why should I not assay with courage stout To wreake my wrath vpon the Romish rout Which heere remaine whom to the bale to bring Were me to crowne my natiue countries King One thing there is which greatly doth me grieue Seuerus he who did inhance my state He did in my distresse with life relieue My dying daies he neuer did me hate Yet now with him I must be at debate Euen him with might I greatly must disgrace Ere I can set my selfe in Princely place Vntimely death shall not destroy his daies For if he will returne to Rome againe Or if he will resigne his crowne with praise Or if he will amongst vs still remaine If he can like of these we will refraine From sheading blood which if he doth disdaine I then against my will must worke his paine So forth I past with all my power prest Seuerus did at Durham then delay Whereas I ment his state to haue distrest But some I thinke my secrets did bewray For he to Yorke in haste did take his way Which when I had besieg'd on euery side With care and griefe of mind Seuerus dide See heere the force of cruell fretting care See heere how sorow doth dismay the mind For when he heard Carassus did prepare To reaue his crowne he iudging me vnkind With sobbing sighes of sorrow he resign'd Before his time his mind from manly brest Behold with care how sorow reaues mans rest Thus he intomb'd in his vntimely chest It was decreed Carassus should be King The three estates of all my Realme were prest With one consent they all to me did bring The kingly crowne then thus they all did sing The due deserts of this renowned wight Deserues to be the Britaine King by right Marke by what steps I did the top obtaine With keeping sheepe my youthful yeares were spent Then with the whip I pli'd the plow amine In Mars his fields to fight my mind was bent As Legate then to Rome my selfe was sent I dubbed was a Lord of high renowne And now at last I haue obtain'd the Crowne The end of th' act the Plaudite doth proue And all is well whose ending is not ill Who sits aloft had neuer need to moue For feare lest he should fall against his will Though creeping he did gaine the top with skill Yet at the last by turning of his toe A sudden fall may worke his wretched woe Which fall I felt and how I heere will show When I as King did all the Realme command I fearefull did suspect mine ouerthrow The place me thought did shake where I did stand Then for my guard I did prouide a band Of warlike wights to guard my noble grace I lastly did my noble men displace From forth the fields I for my father sent Him of a clowne a noble man I made My Brethren all euen for the same intent Like Courtiers there in Court with me they stai'd And all my stocke were glad and well apai'd For they of late which rul'd the painfull plow Of Britaine land they be the Rulers now From cart to Court a countrie man to call With braue attire to decke a dunghill Dicke Is like a painted Image in a wall Which doth deceiue and seemeth to be quicke Though workmanship most trimly doth it tricke Yet of a stone a stone will still remaine A clowne cannot from clownish deeds refraine As hard it is of quarried Marble stone For man to make a liuely mouing wight As of a Lout or else of such a one Who daily doth imploy his whole delight To dig and delue it passeth mortall might To make him serue
Englishmen did meete Then secretly my friends and I did frame That Englishmen the Danes should friendly greete And at the feast that they should do their feate And that they might the better worke their will They thus were plast according vnto skill Two before one and three before fiue Here two and there two and foure then beliue Here one and there one and three at a cast Then one and twice two and one at the last They mingled thus the watch word wisely giuen And Englishmen with weapons well bestead The Danes amidst their cups were shauen and shriuen Fiue hundred thousand in one day were dead Now note the end of blood so heastly shead For Swane the king of Denmarke did arriue He for reuenge did me to Richard driue Marke here how lawlesse polices preuaile Their good successe do promise present paine What May mans vaine deuices ought auaile Dishonest deeds no honour can obtaine Al murthering Massacres be vile and vaine Such suttle slights haue neuer good successe The proofe whereof with paine I here expresse For Swane with sword and fire did here destroy Both man and beast and euery earthly thing He did that noble London much annoy He won the Realme and was the English king When tract of time him to his beare did bring Canutus then his sonne did him succeed Whom to displace I did dispatch with speed My brother Richard Duke of Normandy Of Normans gaue to me a goodly band By help of whom Canutus forst to flee I got againe the kingdome of England But out alas what thing may firmely stand Whose vnder-prop is of so little might That want of strength doth let things drop downright Canutus did from Denmarke now returne The wrathfull wight appointed passing strong My subiects slue my Cities he did burne Which when I heard I liu'd not very long My fainting heart was thronged with a throng Of cares which broke it in my fearfull brest And so at last death brought my bones to rest Twice tenne and eight I ranne my ruthfull race And then in Pauls my cursed corps was laid Canutus did my common-weale deface The Danes were kings my kingdome was decaid This world is fraile and euery thing must fade But alwaies that which wanteth gouernment That first doth feele the force of dangers dent Thomas Blener Hasset HOW EDRICVS EARLE OF MERCIA DESTROYED THE VALIANT KING EDMVND IRON side in hope of aduancement and how he was rewarded Anno Dom. 1018. YOu hellish hags of Limbo Lake below Which daily do my cursed corps torment Come forth come forth come forth I say and shew How I on earth my dismall daies haue spent And wil you not you wretched wights assent To helpe me here to tell that drierie tale Which may amongst men liuing much preuaile O cursed ghost condemn'd to endlesse thrall Sith they refuse to aid thee in this need Do thou declare and tel the truth af all That men aliue my wretched works may read And see the fruite of suttle Satans seed Auoiding vice and fancies fond delight Note well my tale the truth I shall recite When Etheldred had giuen Canutus place Edmund his sonne surnamed Ironside Deuising how he might his foe deface By wrath of warre the cause they did decide And in the end the Realme they did diuide Edmund had halfe Canutus had the rest Then they with peace and quietnesse were blest O blind beleefe O hope of higher hope Why did you moue my minde to meditate How I in woe king Edmund might in wrap And how I might depresse my kings estate Thou blind beleefe thou breeder of debate I wanting grace did let thee moue my mind Causelesse to kil a courteous king and kinde He being kild I to Canutus went To whom I sayd See here a faithfull friend I for thy loue with bloody blade haue hent And brought my King to his vntimely end Thou by that meanes shalt rule thy realme with rest My friendly â—ist with happie good successe Hath thee inricht with blisse and happinesse Hast thou quoth he destroy'd thy soueraigne King Thou faithlesse sawning friend for loue of me Thou verlet vile and could'st thou doe the thing The which might more a bridge my libertie O heinous act O bloodie crueltie But sith that loue did moue thee doe that deede Thou for thy paines shalt be preferd with speede Wherewith in haste he to the hangman said Let this mans head the highest place obtaine On London walles wherewith I neuer staid But on a block my neck was cut in twaine In all mens sight my head did long remaine See here what wit the grape of hope doth yeeld See on what sand such busie braines do build O hatefull thing that fancies fond delight The sense of mortall man should senselesse make When vices vaunts with vertues deeds dare fight Then doth the soule the happie heauens forsake Then man makes haste to Plutoes lothsome lake Why should man loue that sugred sowre sweet Which wisedoms lore to lothe hath thought most meet Thomas Blener Hasset HOW KING HAROLD RAIGNING BVT NINE MONETHS had continuall warre with the Danes with the Norway King with his brother TOSTIVS and was at last slaine in battell by William the Conquerer An. Dom. 1095. WOuld he haue warre and we to warre proclame O Bastand Duke and dost thou dare to fight My Noble men come forth and purchase fame Ciue me my sword let me defend my right Steppe forth with speed my Martiall men of might With Bowes and Billes let vs their course restraine And teach them that their vanting vowes be vaine But that we may with wisdome wisely worke It vs behoues in Normandie to fight With him and not to let his souldiers lurke Heere in my Realme we shall thereby atchiue No noble act though hence we him do driue But if we deale with him in Normandie We shall receiue renowne and victorie It is the best with forren foes to fight Abroad as did the haughtie Hannibal And not at home to feele their hatefull spight Of all the rest it is the greatest thrall That foes arriu'd should spoile our subiects all And for a truth this alwaies hath been found He speedeth best which fights on forren ground My men of warre were mustred out of hand But all my haste was then of none auaile My brother Tostius with his rebell band In euery place my subiects did assaile And euery where did cause their hearts to quaile Whose wretched state from farther spoile to shield I by my power did force him flie the field He fled to Norway whence a cloud did rise That did obscure the shine of my content When loe the Norman Duke did then deuise If I to yeeld my Scepter would assent For which betwixt vs to and fro there went Despightfull letters which I will recite Wherein he claimes and I defend my right WILLIAM DVKE OF NORMANDIE AND RIGHT heire to the English Crowne to Harold the Vsurper THough birthright cannot cause thee yeeld
drew the breath The bodies rest the quiet of the hart The trauailes ease the still nights feere was he And of our life in earth the better part Reuer of sight and yet in whom we see Things oft that tide and oft that neuer bee Without respect esteeming equally King Croesus pompe and Irus pouertie And next in order sad Old Age we found His beard all hoare his eyes hollow and blind With drouping cheere still poring on the ground As on the place where nature him assign'd To rest when that the sisters had vntwin'd His vitall thred and ended with their knife The fleeting course of fast declining life There heard we him with broke and hollow plaint Rew with himselfe his end approching fast And all for nought his wretched mind torment With sweete remembrance of his pleasures past And fresh delites of lustie youth forewast Recounting which how would he sob and shreek And to be yong againe of Ioue beseeke But and the cruell fates so fixed be That time forepast cannot returne againe This one request of Ioue yet prayed he That in such withred plight and wretched paine As eld accompanied with lothsome traine Had brought on him all were it woe and griefe He might a while yet linger forth his life And not so soone descend into the pit Where Death when he the mortall corps hath slaine With wretchlesse hand in graue doth couer it Thereafter neuer to enioy againe The gladsome light but in the ground ylaine In depth of darknesse waste and weare to nought As he had nere into the world been brought But who had seene him sobbing how he stood Vnto himselfe and how he would bemone His youth forepast as though it wrought him good To talke of youth all were his youth foregone He would haue musde and maruail'd much whereon This wretched Age should life desire so faine And knowes ful wel life doth but length his paine Crookebackt he was tooth shaken and blere eyde Went on three feete and sometime crept on foure With old lame bones that ratled by his side His scalpe all pil'd and he with eld forlore His withred fist still knocking at Deaths dore Fumbling and driueling as he drawes his breath For briefe the shape and messenger of Death And fast by him pale Maladie was plaste Sore sicke in bed her colour all foregone Bereft of stomacke sauour and of taste Ne could she brooke no meate but broths alone Her breath corrupt her keepers euery one Abhorring her her sicknesse past recure Detesting physicke and all physickes cure But oh the dolefull sight that then we see We turn'd our looke and on the other side A griesly shape of Famine mought we see With greedie lookes and gaping mouth that cried And roar'd for meate as she should there haue died Her bodie thin and bare as any bone Whereto was left nought but the case alone And that alas was gnawne on euery where All full of holes that I ne mought refraine From teares to see how she her armes could teare And with her teeth gnash on the bones in vaine When all for nought she faine would so sustaine Her staruen corps that rather seem'd a shade Then any substance of a creature made Great was her force whom stonewall could not stay Her tearing nailes snatching at all she saw With gaping iawes that by no meanes ymay Be satisfi'd from hunger of her mawe But eates her selfe as she that hath no law Gnawing alas her carcase all in vaine Where you may count each sinew bone and vaine On her while we thus firmely fixt our eyes That bled for ruth of such a driety sight Loe suddenly she shrinkt in so huge wise As made hell gates to shiuer with the might Wherewith a dart we saw how it did light Right on her brest and therewithall pale Death Enthrilling it to reaue her of her breath And by and by a dumbe dead corps we saw Heauie and cold the shape of death aright That dants all earthly creatures to his law Against whose force in vaine it is to fight Ne Peeres ne Princes nor no mortall wight No Towne ne Realmes Cities ne strongest Tower But all perforce must yeeld vnto his power His dart anon out of the corps he tooke And in his hand a dreadfull sight to see With great triumph eftsoones the same he shooke That most of all my feares affrayed mee His bodie dight with nought but bones perdie The naked shape of man there saw I plaine All saue the flesh the sinow and the vaine Lastly stood Warre in glittering armes yelad With visage grim sterne looks and blackely hewed In his right hand a naked sword he had That to the hilts was all with blood embrued And in his left that King and kingdomes rued Famine and fire he held and therewithall He raced townes and threw downe towers and all Cities he sackt and Realmes that whilome flowred In honor glorie and rule aboue the best He ouerwhelm'd and all their fame deuoured Consum'd destroy'd wasted and neuer ceast Till he their wealth their name and all opprest His face forehew'd with wounds and by his side There hung his targ with gashes deepe and wide In midst of which depainted there we found Deadly Debate all full of snakie heare That with a bloodie fillet was ybound Out breathing nought but discord euery where And round about were portrai'd heere and there The hugie hosts Darius and his power His Kings Princes his Peeres and all his flower Whom great Macedo vanquisht there in sight With deepe slaughter despoiling all his pride Pierst through his Realmes and danted all his might Duke Hannibal beheld I there beside In Cannas field victor how he did ride And wofull Romans that in vaine withstood And Consul Paulus couered all in blood Yet saw I more the fight at Trasimene And Treberie field and eke when Hannibal And worthie Scipio last in armes were sene Before Carthago gate to trie for all The worlds Empire to whom it should befall There saw I Pompey and Caesar clad in armes Their hosts allied and all their ciuill harmes With Conquerers hands forbath'd in their owne blood And Caesar weeping ouer Pompeyes head Yet saw I Scilla and Marius where they stood Their great crueltie and the deepe bloodshead Of friends Cyrus I saw and his host dead And how the Queene with great despite hath flong His head in blood of them she ouercome Xerxes the Persian King yet saw I there With his huge host that dranke the riuers drie Dismounted hilles and made the vales vprere His host and all yet saw I slaine perdie Thebes I saw all rac'd how it did lie In heapes of stones and Tyrus put to spoile With walles and towers flat euened with the soile But Troy alas me thought aboue them all It made mine eyes in very teares consume When I beheld the wofull werd befall That by the wrathfull will of God was come And Ioues vnmoued sentence and foredoome On Priam King and on his
Such his constraint that now that one with paine Command he might who late might many moe Then ghastly Greekes erst brought to Tenedo So nought is ours that we by hap may lose What nearest seemes is farthest off in woes As banished wights such ioyes we might haue made Eas'd of aye threatning death that late we drade But once our countries sight not care exempt No harbour shewing that might our feare relent No couert caue no shrub to shroud our liues No hollow wood no flight that oft depriues The mightie his prey no sanctuarie left For exil'd Prince that shrouds each slaue for theft In prison pent whose woodie walles to passe Of no lesse perill then the dying was With th' Ocean moated battred with the waues As chain'd at oares the wretched galley slaues At mercie sit of sea and enmies shot And shun with death that they with flight may not But greenish waues and heauie lowring skies All comfort else forclosed our exiled eies Lo lo from highest top the slauish boy Sent vp with sight of land our hearts to ioy Descries at hand a fleete of Easterlings As then hot enmies of the British Kings The Mouse may sometime helpe the Lion in need The bittle Bee once spilt the Aegles breed O Princes seeke no foes In your distresse The earth the seas conspire your heauinesse Our foe descried by flight we shun in hast And laid with canuas now the bending mast The ship was rackt to trie her sailing then As Squirels climbe the troupes of trustie men The steersman seekes a readier course to run The souldier stirs the Gunner hies to gun The Flemmings sweate the English ship disdaines To wait behind to beare the Flemmings traines Forth flieth the Barke as from the violent Goone The pellet breakes all staies and stops eftsoone And swift she swindg'th as oft in Sunnie day The Dolphin fleetes in seas in merrie May. As we for liues so th' easterlings for gaine Thwack on the sailes and after make amaine Though heauie they were and of burthen great A King to master yet what Swine nold sweat So mid the vale the Greyhound seeing start The fearefull Hare pursueth before she flert And where she turn'th he turn'th her there to beare The one prey pricketh th' other safeties feare So were we chas'd so fled we 'fore our foes Bet flight then fight in so vneuen close I end Some thinke perhaps too long he staieth In perill present shewing his fixed faith This ventred I this dread I did sustaine To trie my truth my life I did disdaine But loe like triall ' gainst his ciuill foe Faiths worst is triall which reserues to woe I passe our scape and sharpe returning home Where we were welcom'd by our wonted fone To battell maine descends the Empires right At Barnet ioyne the hosts in bloodie fight There ioyn'd three battels ranged in such array As might for terror Alexander fray What should I stay to tell the long discourse Who wan the Palme who bare away the worse Sufficeth say by my reserued band Our enemies fled we had the vpper hand My iron armie held her steadie place My Prince to shield his feared foe to chase The like successe befell in Tewkesbury field My furious force their force perforc'd to yeeld My Princes foe and render to my King Her only sonne lest he more bate might bring Thus hast a mirrour of a Subiects mind Such as perhaps is rare againe to find The caruing cuts that cleaue the trusty steele My faith and due allegeance could not feele But out alas what praise may I recount That is not stain'd with spot that doth surmount My greatest vaunt bloudy for VVarre to feete A Tiger was I all for peace vnmeete A souldiers hands must oft be died with goare Lest starke with rest they finewd waxe and hoare Peace could I win by VVarre but peace not vse Few daies liue he who VVarlike peace doth chuse VVhen Crofts a Knight presented Henries Heiro To this our Prince in furious moode enquere Of him he gan what folly or phrensy vaine With Arms forst him t' inuade his Realme againe Whom answering that he claim'd his fathers right With Gauntlet smit commanded from his sight Glocester Clarence I and Dorset slewe The guilt whereof we shortly all did rue Clarence as Cyrus drown'd in bloud like Wine Dorset I furthered to his speedy pine Of me my selfe am speaking president Nor easier fate the bristled Boare is lent Our blouds haue paid the vengeance of our guilt His bones shall broile for bloud which he hath spilt O deadly murther that attaint'th our fame O wicked Traytours wanting worthy name Who as mischieuously of men deserue As they merit well who doe mens liues preserue If those therefore we recken heauenly wights These may we well deeme Feendes and damned Sprits And while on earth they walke disguised deuils Sworne foes of vertue factours for all euils Whose bloudy hands torment their goared harts Through bloudsheds horrour in sound sleepe he starts O happy world were the Lions men All Lions should at least be spared then No suerty now no lasting league is bloud A meacocke is he who dreadth to see bloud shed Old is the Practise of such bloudy strife While ij weare Armies ij the Issues of first Wife With armed hart and hand the one bloudy brother With cruell chase pursueth and murdreth th' other Which who abhorreth not yet who ceaseth to sue The bloudy Caines their bloudy sire renue The horror yet is like in common fraies For in ech murther brother brother slaies Traytours to nature countrey kin and kinde Whom no band serueth in brothers loue to bind O simple age when slaunder slaughter was The tongues smal euil how doth this mischief passe Hopest thou to cloake thy couert mischiefe wrought Thy conscience Caitif shal proclaime thy thought A vision Chaucer sheweth difcloasd thy crime The Foxe descrie the crowes and chattring pien And shal thy fellow felons not bewray The guiltelesse death whom guiltie hands do slay Vnpunished scaped for hainous crime some one But vnaduenged in minde or body none Vengeance on minde the freating furies take The sinful corps like earth quake agues shake Their frowning lookes their troubled minds bewray In hast they runne and mids their race they staie As gidded Roe Amids their speech they whist At meate they muse No where they may persist But some feare netleth them Ay hang they so So neuer wanteth the wicked murtherer wo. An infant rent with Lions ramping pawes Why slaunder I Lions They feare the sacred lawes Of royall bloud Ay me more brute then beast With infants sides Lycaons pie to feast O tyrant Tigers O insaciate woolues O English courtesie monstrous mowes and gulfes Onely because our Prince displeas'd we saw With him we slue him straight before all law Before our Prince commanded once his death Our bloudie swords on him we did vnsheath Preuenting law and euen our Princes hest We hid our weapons in the young
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
raise T' accomplish which they rusht on sudden out to feeld As bent to die or win the wanted food with praise And we as readie were for them at all assaies These eager impes whom food want feaz'd to fight amaine VVe forc'd them die fall flie to take their fort againe VVhere I in chase pursu'd them euen to the towne Tane prisoner was a while for ransome lay But then the worthie Duke the Regent of renowne Did for me quite disburse the price requir'd to pay The siege we rais'd from thence we went our way And I redeemed bare this blanke in mind Till of requite I might occasion find VVhich thus ere long befell to this a while giue eare VVhen Arthur Earle of Richmond to S. Iaques came De Beuuron where my selfe and other Captaines were VVhich had repared well and fortifi'd the same VVe made him flie to his immortall shame Euen thus to him and fortie thousand moe Fiue hundred English gaue the ouerthroe Long while he batterie laid against the wall Thereby to make a breach for them to enter in But well perceiuing still his shot to profit small And that we weigh'd not of his power a pin On euery side afresh he did th' assault begin Yet we so bare them off and beate them downe They durst not seaze or enter on the towne But wearied with the siege and fault they pausd a while Consulting what were best and so did we likewise They found the feate they thought should surely vs beguile And in an euening came t' accomplish th' enterprise A sharp assault they gaue Alarme my mates we rise On both the sides they scald the fort to gaine But from the scales and walkes we flang them downe amaine It was my charge that time to keepe a bulwarke bace Where Britons came along to enter by a strait T' was in a bottome low a pond was by the place By which they needes must passe vp to a posterne gate I meant to make them fish the poole without a bait Protesting ere they there should get the wall We would as English die or giue our foes the fall The trumpets sound tan tara tan tan tara right The guns were shot founce-founce-founce fomp-fum fow-powthow The drums went downe-dun downe the fluits fit-fite-fit-fite The weapons clish-clash and the captaines now-now now With billes we beat thē downe with shafts we shot them throw The gory ground did groane the smoky shot and cries Dimd all the aire and thundred through the skies S. Denise cride the French and Britons glahe-lahee S. George the English cride fight-fight-fight kill-kill-kill Fight-fight quoth I come on they flee they flee they flee And therewithall we vse a point of warlike skill We causd the men within to cry vnto vs still Fight Suffolke now fight-fight and Salsbury Fight fight you noble Earles the Britons flee they flee With that amazed all the Britons gan recoile Some drowned in the pond wherin they ran for feare And I pursu'd the flight to wrecke my captiue foile We paid them in the chase disordred as they were Seuen hundred slew tooke fifty prisners there Gaind eighteene standerds and one banner more Yet I and mine not fully were fourescore Of this exploit when th' Earle of Richmond heard Which gaue an hot assault on th' otherside the towne No lesse was he displeasde amazed then affeard To heare the names of those two Earles of high renowne His guilty courage quaild his heart was danted downe He causde the trumpets sound retrait away To scale our walles he durst no longer stay At midnight he dislodgd from siege he made depart The Constable of France late Earle of Richmond fled And toward Fougiers sped with such as tooke his part For haste perhaps with feare lest he should lose his head They left two hundred pipes of flowre and bisket bread Greate gunnes fourteene three hundred pipes of wine Two hundred frailes of figs and raisons fine Fiue hundred barrels they of herring left beside Of pouder for our gunnes full forty barrels more They fled without their tents the dasterds durst not bide For feare they could not stay to take away their store Haue you oft heard the like of cowards such before Those forty thousand Britons French and Scots Foure score them foiled made them flee like sots When this that noble man the Duke of Bedford heard How I did quit my selfe and seru'd my Prince so well He me procured of the King as great reward As my deserts could wish and more the truth to tell Chiefe Butlership of Normandy vnto me fell Reuenues eke in Normandy of lands A thousand crownes came yearely to my hands I after this was sent to make inrode Vpon the coast of Britaine for to bate their pride A band of horsemen tooke without abode The Duke of Sommerset made me their guide To many townes about their bounds we ride Set them on fire or made them ransom pay Tooke store of prisners wrought them much decay Returned victours safe to Normandy With good successe for why the cause was good And of our Prince were guerdond gratefully With laud and gifts as for our seruice stood This makes the Captaines venture life and blood And souldiers serue with heart in what they may Which are assur'd of honour praise and pay Yee worthy wights aliue which loue your Countreis weale And for your Princes port such warres doe vndertake Learne so for Countrey yours with forraine foes to deale See that of manhood good so great accounts ye make It nothing vailes in peace to sweare stur face or crake In warres he winnes the fame of noble wight Who warlike deales for Prince and publique right Yf you so pointed be to serue your Prince in war As erst was I and must before the muster take Retaine such souldiers as well made strong seemely ar Brought vp to labour hard of such account doe make These able are at neede to stand and keepe the stake When facing foisters fit for Tiburne fraies Are food-sick faint or hart-sicke run their waies At whom a man may find a number euery day Which weare their weapons still as all the world were war And keepe a coile to beare the best of blades away VVith bucklers braue at backs to shew what men they are In peace at home they sweare stare foist roist fight and iar But when abroad they feare of warres the smart Some better souldiers proue from driuing cart In warres to serue as we and weapons haue VVhen warlike stormes do rage beseemes a warlike man In pleasant peace who sets himselfe to banding braue And facing fares at home abroad doe nothing can Though nere so much he boast fie on him coward than For not in gauntlet sword targ oathes haire staring eyes But in the breast good courage vertue lies But here perhas you say I fall a note too low Beneath the persons of these worthy Peeres and me T is true indeed and yet such fruite hereof may grow As eke the meane hereby
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
I could the King perswade And make him pause and take therein a breath Till I with suite the faultors peace had made I knew what way to vse him in his trade I had the art to make the Lion meeke There was no point wherein I was to seeke If I did frowne who then did looke a wrie If I did smile who would not laugh outright If I but speake who durst my words denie If I pursude who would forsake the flight I meane my powre was knowne to euery wight On such a height good hap had built my bowre As though my sweete should nere haue turnd to sowre My husband then as one that knew his good Refusde to keepe a Princes Concubine Forseeing th' end and mischiefe as it stood Against the King did neuer much repine He saw the grape whereof hee dranke the wine Though inward thought his heart did still torment Yet outwardly he seemd he was content To purchase praise and win the peoples zeale Yea rather bent of kinde to do some good I euer did vphold the common weale I had delight to saue the guiltlesse blood Each suters cause when that I vnderstood I did prefer as it had bene mine owne And help them vp that might haue been orethrowne My powre was prest to right the poore mans wrong My hands were free to giue where need required To watch for grace I neuer thought it long To do men good I need not bee desired Nor yet with gifts my heart was neuer hired But when the ball was at my foote to guide I plaid to those that Fortune did abide My want was wealth my woe was ease at will Ny robes were rich and brauer then the sunne My Fortune then was far aboue my skill My state was great my glasse did euer runne My fatall threed so happely was spunne That then I sate in earthly pleasures clad And for the time a Goddesse place I had But I had not so soone this life possest But my good hap began to slip aside And Fortune then did me so sore molest That vnto plaints was turned all my pride It booted not to row against the tide Mine oares were weake my heart and strength did saile The winde was rough I durst not beare a saile What steps of strife belong to high estate The climing vp is doubtfull to endure The seat it selfe doth purchase priuie hate And honors fame is fickle and vnsure And all she brings is flowres that be vnpure Which fall as fast as they do sprout and spring And cannot last they are so vaine a thing We count no care to catch that we do wish But what we win is long to vs vnknowen Till present paine be serued in our dish We scarce perceiue whereon our griefe hath growen What graine proues well that is so rashly sowen If that a meane did measure all our deeds In steed of corne we should not gather weeds The setled mind is free from Fortunes power They need not feare who looke not vp aloft But they that climbe are carefull euery hower For when they fall they light not very soft Examples haue the wisest warned oft That where the trees the smallest branches bere The stormes do blow and haue most rigour there Where is it strong but neere the ground and roote Where is it weake but on the highest sprayes Where may a man so surely set his foote But on those bowes that groweth low alwayes The little twigs are but vnstedfast stayes If they breake not they bend with euery blast Who trusts to them shall neuer stand full fast The winde is great vpon the highest hilles The quiet life is in the dale below Who treads on ice shall slide against their willes They want not cares that curious arts would know VVho liues at ease and can content him so Is perfect wise and sets vs all to schoole VVho hates this lore may well be call'd a foole VVhat greater griefe may come to any life Then after sweete to taste the bitter sowre Or after peace to fall at warre and strife Or after mirth to haue a cause to lowre Vnder such props false Fortune builds her bowre On sudden change her flittering frames be set Where is no way for to escape the net The hastie smart that Fortune sends in spite Is hard to brooke where gladnesse we embrace She threatens not but suddenly doth smite Where ioy is most there doth she sorow place But sure I thinke this is too strange a case For vs to feele such griefe amid our game And know not why vntill we taste the same As erst I said my blisse was turn'd to bale I had good cause to weepe and wring my hands And shew sad cheare with countenance full pale For I was brought in sorowes wofull bands A pirrie came and set my ship on sands What should I hide or colour care and noy King Edward di'd in whom was all my ioy And when the earth receiued had his corse And that in tombe this worthie Prince was laid The world on me began to shew his force Of troubles then my part I long assai'd For they of whom I neuer was afrai'd Vndid me most and wrought me such despite That they berest me from my pleasure quite As long as life remain'd in Edwards brest Who was but I who had such friends at call His bodie was no sooner put in chest But well was he that could procure my fall His brother was mine enmie most of all Protector then whose vice did still abound From ill to worse till death did him confound He falsely fain'd that I of counsell was To poison him which thing I neuer ment But he could set thereon a face of brasse To bring to passe his leaud and false intent To such mischiefe this tyrants heart was bent To God ne man he neuer stood in awe For in his wrath he made his will a law Lord Hastings blood for vengeance on him cries And many moe that were too long to name But most of all and in most wofull wise I had good cause this wretched man to blame Before the world I suffred open shame Where people were as thick as is the sand I penance tooke with taper in my hand Each eye did stare and looke me in the face As I past by the rumours on me ran But patience then had lent me such a grace My quiet lookes were prais'd of euery man The shamefast blood brought me such colour than That thousands said which saw my sober cheere It is great ruth to see this woman heere But what preuail'd the peoples pitie there This raging wolfe would spare no guiltlesse blood Oh wicked wombe that such ill fruit did beare Oh cursed earth that yeeldeth forth such mud The hell consume all things that did thee good The heauens shut their gates against thy spreete The world tread downe thy glorie vnder feete I aske of God a vengeance on thy bones Thy stinking corps corrupts the aire I know Thy
Vpon my legend publikely shall lay Would you forbeare to blast me with defame Might I so meane a priuiledge but pray He that three ages hath endur'd your wrong Heare him a little that hath heard you long Since Romes sad ruine heere by me began Who her Religion pluckt vp by the root Of the false world such hate for which I wan Which still at me her poisned'st darts doth shoot That to excuse it do the best I can Little I feare my labour me will boot Yet will I speake my troubled heart to ease Much to the mind her selfe it is to please O powerfull number from whose stricter law Heart-mouing musicke did receiue the ground Which men to faire ciuilitie did draw With the brute beast when lawlesse he was found O if according to the wiser saw There be a high diuinitie in sound Be now abundant prosp'rously to aide The pen prepar'd my doubtfull case to pleade Putney the place made blessed in my brith Whose meanest cottage simplie me did shrowd To me as dearest of the English earth So of my bringing that poore village prou'd Though in a time when neuer lesse the dearth Of happie wits yet mine so well allow'd That with the best she boldly durst confer Him that his breath acknowledged from her Twice flow'd proud Thames as at my comming wood Striking the wondring borderers with feare And the pale Genius of that aged flood Vnto my mother labouring did appeare And with a countenance much distracted stood Threatning the fruit her pained wombe should beare My speedie birth being added thereunto Seem'd to foretell that much I came to do That was reserued for those worser daies As the great ebbe vnto so long a flow VVhen what those ages formerly did raise This when I liu'd did lastly ouerthrow And that great'st labour of the world did seaze Only for which immedicable blow Due to that time me dooming heauen ordain'd VVherein confusion absolutely raign'd Vainly yet noted this prodigious signe Often predictions of most fearefull things As plagues or warre or great men to decline Rising of Commons or the death of Kings But some strange newes though euer it diuine Yet forth them not immediatly it brings Vntill th' effects men afterward did learne To know that me it chiefly did concerne VVhil'st yet my father by his painfull trade VVhose laboured Anuile only was his fee VVhom my great towardnesse strongly did perswade In knowledge to haue educated mee But death did him vnluckily inuade Ere he the fruits of his desire could see Leauing me yong then little that did know How me the heauens had purpos'd to bestow Hopelesse as helpelesse most might me suppose Whose meannesse seem'd their abiect breath to draw Yet did my breast that glorious fire inclose VVhich their dull purblind ignorance not saw VVhich still is setled vpon outward showes The vulgars iudgement euer is so raw VVhich the vnworthiest sottishly do loue In their owne region properly that moue Yet me my fortune so could not disguise But through this cloud were some that did me know VVhich then the rest more happie or more wise Me did relieue when I was driuen low Which as the staier by which I first did rise When to my height I afterward did grow Them to requite my bounties were so hie As made my fame through euery eare to flie That height and Godlike puritie of minde Resteth not still where titles most adorne With any nor peculiarly confinde To names and to be limited doth scorne Man doth the most degenerate from kinde Richest and poorest both alike are borne And to be alwaies pertinently good Followes not still the greatnes of our blood Pitie it is that to one vertuous man That marke him lent to gentrie to aduance Which first by noble industrie he wan His baser issue after should inhance And the rude slaue not any good that can Such should thrust downe by what is his by chance As had not he been first that him did raise Nere had his great heire wrought his grandsires praise How weake art thou that makest it thy end To heape such worldly dignities on thee When vpon Fortune only they depend And by her changes gouerned must bee Besides the dangers still that such attend Liuel'est of all men purtraied out in mee When that for which I hated was of all Soon'st from me fled scarse tarrying for my fall You that but boast your ancestors proud stile And the large stem whence your vaine greatnes grew When you your selues are ignorant and vile Nor glorious thing dare actually pursue That all good spirits would vtterly exile Doubting their worth should else discouer you Giuing your selues vnto ignoble things Base I proclaime you though deriu'd from Kings Vertue but poore God in this earth doth place Gainst the rude world to stand vp in his right To suffer sad affliction and disgrace Not ceasing to pursue her with despight Yet when of all she is accounted base And seeming in most miserable plight Out of her power new life to her doth take Least then dismai'd when all do her forsake That is the man of an vndaunted spirit For her deare sake that offereth him to dye For whom when him the world doth disinherit Looketh vpon it with a pleased eye What 's done for vertue thinking it doth merit Daring the proudest menaces defie More worth then life how ere the base world rate him Belou'd of heauen although the earth doth hate him Iniurious time vnto the good vniust O how may weake posteritie suppose Euer to haue their merit from the dust Gainst them thy partialitie that knowes To thy report ô who shall euer trust Triumphant arches building vnto those Allow'd the longest memorie to haue That were the most vnworthie of a graue But my cleere mettle had that powerfull heat As it not turn'd with all that Fortune could Nor when the world me terriblest did threat Could that place win which my hie thoughts did hold That waxed still more prosperously great The more the world me stroue to haue control'd On my owne Columnes constantly to stand Without the false helpe of anothers hand My youthfull course thus wisely did I steere T' auoid those rockes my wracke that else did thret Yet some faire hopes from farre did still appeere If that too much my wants me did not let Wherefore my selfe aboue my selfe to beare Still as I grew I knowledge stroue to get To perfect that which in the Embryon was Whose birth I found time well might bring to passe But when my meanes to faile me I did finde My selfe to trauell presently betooke As much distastfull to my noble minde That the vile world into my wants should looke And of my selfe industriously inclinde To measure others actions with my booke I might my iudgement rectifie thereby In matters that were difficult and hie When loe it hapt that fortune as my guide Of me did with such prouidence dispose That th' English Merchants then who did reside At Antwerpe me their
thereon his wearied selfe to breath Whil'st euen the greatest farre sat him beneath Where learned More and Gardiner I met Men in those times immatchable for wit Able that were the dullest spirit to whet And did my humour excellently fit Into their ranke that worthily did get There as their proud competitor to sit One excellence to many is the mother Wit doth as creatures one beget another This Founder of the palaces of Kings Whose veines with more then vsuall spirit were fild A man ordained to the mighti'st things In Oxford then determining to build To Christ a Colledge and together brings All that thereof the great foundation wills There me imploies whose industrie he found Worthie to worke vpon the noblest ground Yet in the entrance wisely that did feare Coyne might fall short yet with this worke on fire Wherefore such houses as Religious were Whose being no necessitie require But that the greater very well might beare From Rome the Card'nall cunningly did hire Winning withall his Soueraigne to consent Both colouring with so holy an intent This like a symptome to a long disease Was the forerunner to this mightie fall And but too vnaduisedly did sease Vpon the part that ruinated all Which had the worke been of so many daies And more againe recouer hardly shall But loe it sunke which time did long vphold Where now it lies euen leueld with the mould Thus thou great Rome here first wast ouerthrowne Thy future harmes that blindly couldst not se And in this worke they only were thine owne Whose knowledge lent that deadly wound to thee Which to the world before had they not showne Nere had those secrets been descri'd by mee Nor by thy wealth so many from the plow Worne those hie types wherein they florish now After when as the Cardinall againe Into hie fauour with the King mee brought VVith whom my selfe so well I did demeane As that I seem'd to exercise his thought And his great liking strongly did retaine With what before my Master me had taught From whose example by those Cels were small Sprang the subuersion lastly of them all Yet many a let was cast into the way VVherein I ran so steddily and right And many a snare my aduersaries lay Much wrought they with their power much with their slight Wisely perceiuing that my smallest stay Fully requir'd the vtmost of their might To my ascendant hasting me to clime There as the first predomining the time Knowing what wealth me earnestly did wooe VVhich I through Wolsey hapned had to finde And could the path most perfectly vntoo The King thereafter earnestly inclin'd Seeing besides what after I might doe If so great power mee fully were assign'd By all their meanes against me strongly wrought Lab'ring as fast to bring their Church to nought Whil'st to the King continually I sue And in this businesse faithfully did stirre Strongly t' approue my iudgement to be true Gainst those who most supposed me to erre Nor the least meanes which any way I knew Might grace me or my purposes preferre Did I omit till wonne I had his eare Most that me mark'd when least he seem'd to heare This wound to them thus violently giuen Enuie at me her sharpest darts doth roue Affecting the supremacie of heauen As the first Giants warring against Ioue Heap'd hils on hils the Gods till they had driuen The meanest shapes of earthly things to proue So must I shift from them against me rose Mortall their hate as mightie were my foes But their great force against me wholly bent Preuail'd vpon my purposes so farre That I my ruine scarsely could preuent So momentarie worldly fauours are That till the vtmost of their spight was spent Had not my spirit maintain'd a manly warre Risen they had when laid I had been low Vpon whose ruine after I did grow When the great King their strange reports that tooke That as pernitious as they potent were Which at the faire growth of my fortune strooke Whose deadly malice blame me not to feare Me at the first so violently shooke That they this frame were likely downe to beare If resolution with a setled brow Had not vpheld my peremptorie vow Yet these encounters thrust me not awry Nor could my courses force me to forsake After this shipwrack I againe must trie Some happier voiage hopefull still to make The plots that barren long we see did lie Some fitting season plentifully take One fruitfull haruest frankly doth restore What many winters hindred had before That to account I strictly call my wit How it this while had managed my state My soule in counsell summoning to sit If possible to turne the course of fate For waies there be the greatest things to hit If men could find the peremptorie gate And since I once was got so neere the brinke More then before t' would grieue me now to sinke Bedford whose life some said that I had sau'd In Italy one me that fauoured most And reuerend Hayles who but occasion crau'd To shew his loue no lesse that I had cost VVho to the King perceiuing me disgrac'd VVhose fauour I vnluckily had lost Both with him great a foot set in withall If not to stay to qualifie my fall High their regard yet higher was their hap Well neere quite sunke recouer me that could And once more get me into Fortunes lap VVhich well my selfe might teach me there to hold Escap'd out of so dangerous a trap VVhose praise by me to ages shall be told As the two props by which I only rose VVhen most supprest most trod on by my foes This me to vrge the premunire wonne Ordain'd in matters dangerous and hie In t'which the heedlesse Prelacie were runne That backe vnto the Papacie did flie Sworne to that sea and what before was done Due to the King dispensed were thereby In t'which first entring offred me the meane That to throw downe alreadie that did leane This was to me that ouerflowing fourse From whence his bounties plentifully spring VVhose speedie current with vnusuall force Bare me into the bosome of the King By putting him into that readie course VVhich soone to passe his purposes might bring Where those which late emperiously control'd me Pale strooke with feare stood trembling to behold me When state to me those ceremonies show'd That to so great a fauorite were due And Fortune still with honors did me load As though no meane she in my rising knew Or heauen to me more then to man had ow'd What to the world vnheard of was and new And was to other sparing of her store Till she could giue or aske I could no more Those high preferments he vpon me laid Might make the world me publikely to know Such as in iudgement rightly being wai'd Seemed too great for me to vndergo Nor could his hand from powring on be stai'd Vntill I so abundantly did flow That looking downe whence lately I was cloame Danger bid feare if further I should roame For first from