But er the perfect scill I learned had,_Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 1

(And yet mee thought I could doe passing well)

My subiects’ hearts with pleasaunt toyes to glad,

From Temple’s top, where did _Apollo_ dwell,

I 'sayd to flye, but on the Church I fell,

And broysed all to peeces lost[436] my life withall.

This was my race, mine exercise and fatall fall.[437]

23.

What vayner thing could any Prince deuise,

Than so himselfe a foolish fowle to showe:

Learne you by mee, that count your selues so wise,

The worst to doubt of thinges, what ere you know,

Fly not so high for feare you fall so lowe:

The massy wight is far to great for fethery downe to beare:

Below y^e happy man knowes when tis well, & can content him

there.[438]

24.

These curious artes alurementes haue alone,

They profer much in recompence of payne:

But yet among’st a thousand scarce is one

In practise, ought by them can saue or gayne.

You see perdy they are[439] but false and vayne

Sophisticall, deceiptfull, [endlesse] and vntrue,

That nothing haue them selues, and promise all to you.[440]

25.

I speake not of the rest that are in vse

Amongst the wiser sort, Philosophy,

Nor of the partes thereof, but of th’abuse

That comes by magicke arts of imagery,

By vile inchauntments, charmes, and pampestry,

All which I deeme (and they shall finde in proofe) as euill

That practise them, as is (by whom they deale) the diuell.[441]

26.

To make an end: you noble Kinges content

Your selues with studies seruing for the state:

You Lordes also with all your wits inuent

What way t’eschewe the Prynce and people’s hate.

Yee subiects loue your Prynce, eschewe debate.

I wish you all beware to clime, or flee, or soare to hie,

For feare you tomble downe, or slip, or fall, as erst did I.[442]

LENUOY.

Who so that takes in hand the aire to scale,

As _Bladud_ here did take on him to flie:

Or _Dedal’s_ sonne (as _Poets_ tell the tale)

Yong _Icarus_, that flew (they say) so hie:

Or else as _Simon Magus_ flew perdy:

Though nere so well his plumes and winges hee decke,

By sea h’is droun’d, by land hee breakes his necke.

On ground is surest place for men to goe,

But yet take heede and let your ground bee good:

The surest footing is perdy beloe,

Who styes the aire I count his dealing wood:

The slender buildings hauty, feoble stoode,

On high the tempests haue much powre to wrecke:

Then best to bide beneath, and surest for the necke.

King _Bladud_ yet might here commended bee,

For that hee loued learning all his daies:

Eke for hee built an Vniuersity

At _Staneford_ first, hee well deserued praise,

But now his nice _Cordila_ here assaies,

From bleeding breast, to tell her woefull wrecke,

With knife in hand her desperate death to decke.

How Qveene Cordila in dispaire slew her selfe,

The yeare before Christ, 800.

If any woefull wight haue cause to wayle her woe,

Or griefs are past do pricke vs Princes tell our fall:

My selfe likewise must needes constrayned eke doe so,

And shew my like misfortunes and mishaps withall.

Should I keepe close my heauy haps and thrall,

Then did I wrong: I wrong’d my selfe and thee,

Which of my facts a witnes true maist bee.

A woman yet must blush when bashfull is the case,

Though trueth bid tell the tale and story as it fell:

But sith that I mislike not audience, time, nor place,

Therefore I cannot keepe my woes in counsaile[443] well.

No greater ease of heart then griefes to tell,

It vaunteth all the dolours of our minde,

Our carefull hearts thereby great comfort finde.

For why to tell that may recounted bee agayne,

And tell it as our cares may compasse ease:

That is the salue and medicine of our payne,

Which cureth corsies all and sores of our disease:

It doth our pinching panges and paynes apease:

It pleads the part of an assured friend,

And tells the trade, like vices to amend.

Therefore if I more willing bee to tell my fall,

With my mishaps[444] to ease my burdened breast and minde:

Some[445] others haply may auoide and shunne the thrall,

And thereby for distresse more aide and comfort finde.

They keeping[446] measure, whereas I declin’d,

May bee as prompt to flie[447] like brute and blame

As I to tell, or thou to write the same.

Wherefore if thou wilt afterwards record[448]

What Queene _Cordila_ tells[449] to ease her inward smarte,

I will recite my story tragicall ech word,

To thee that geu’st an eare, and ready art.[450]

But lest I set the horse behinde the cart,

I minde to tell ech thing in order, so,

As thou maist see and shew whence sprang my woe.

My grandsire _Bladud_ hight, that found the bathes by skill,

A fethered King that practis’d highe to soare[451]

Whereby hee felt the fall, God wot against his will,

And neuer went, road, raygnd, nor spake, nor flew no more.

After whose death my father[452] _Leire_ therefore

Was chosen King, by right apparent heyre,

Which after built the towne of _Leircestere_.

Hee had three daughters, first and eld’st hight _Gonerell_,[453]

Next after her his yonger _Ragan_[454] was begot:

The third and last was I the yongest, nam’d _Cordell_.

Vs all our father _Leire_ did loue to well, God wot.[455]

But[456] minding her that lou’d him best to note,

Because hee had no sonne t’enioy his land,

Hee thought to guerdon most where[457] fauour most hee fand.

What though I yongest were, yet men mee iudg’d more wise

Then either _Gonerell_, or _Ragan_ more of age:[458]

And fairer farre: wherefore my sisters did despise

My grace and giefts, and sought my wrecke to wage.[459]

But yet though vice on[460] vertue dye with rage,

It can not keepe her vnderneath to drowne:

For still[461] shee flittes aboue, and reaps renowne.[462]

My father thought to wed vs vnto Princely peeres,[463]

And vnto them and theirs deuide and part the land.

For both my sisters first hee cal’d[464] (as first their yeares

Requir’d) their mindes, and loue, and fauoure t’vnderstand.

(Quoth hee) all doubts of duty to aband,

I must assay your frendly faithes to proue:

My daughters, tell mee how you doe mee loue.[465]

10.

Which when they aunswerd him they lou’d their father more[466]

Then they themselues did loue, or any worldly wight:

He praised them, and sayd hee would therefore[467]

The louing kindnes they deseru’d in fine requite.

So found my sisters fauour in his sight,

By flattery faire they won their father’s heart,

Which after turned hym and mee to smart.

11.[468]

But not content with this, hee asked mee likewise

If I did not him loue and honour well.

No cause (quoth I) there is I should your grace despise:

For nature so doth binde and duty mee compell,

To loue you, as I ought my father, well.

Yet shortely I may chaunce, if Fortune will,

To finde in heart to beare another more good will.

12.

Thus much I sayd of nuptiall loues’ that ment,

Not minding once of hatred vile or ire:

And partly taxing them, for which intent

They set my fathers heart on wrathfull fire.

“Shee neuer shall to any part aspire

Of this my realme (quoth hee) among’st you twayne:

But shall without all dowry aie remaine.”

13.

Then to _Maglaurus_ Prince, with _Albany_ hee gaue

My sister _Gonerell_, the eldest of vs all:

And eke my sister _Ragan_ to _Hinniue_ to haue,

And for her dowry _Camber_ and _Cornwall_.

These after him should haue his Kingdome all.

Betweene them both hee gaue it franke and free,

But nought at all hee gaue of dowry mee.

14.

At last it chaunst a Prince of _Fraunce_ to heare my fame.

My beauty braue, my wit was blaz’d abroad ech where.

My noble vertues prais’d mee to my father’s blame,

Who did for flattery mee lesse friendly fauour beare.[469]

Which when this worthy Prince (I say) did heare,

Hee sent ambassage lik’d mee more then life,

And soone obtayned mee to bee his wife.

15.

Prince _Aganippus_ reau’d mee of my woe,

And that for vertues sake, of dowryes all the best:

So I contented was to _Fraunce_ my father fro

For to depart, and hoapt t’enioy some greater rest.

Where liuing well belou’d, my ioyes encreast:

I gate more fauour in that Prince his sight,

Then euer Princesse of a Princely wight.

16.

But while that I these ioyes so well enioy’d in _Fraunce_,

My father _Leire_ in _Britayne_ waxt vnweldy old.

Whereon his daughters more themselues aloft t’aduaunce

Desir’d the Realme to rule it as they wolde.

Their former loue and friendship waxed cold,

Their husbands rebels voyde of reason quite

Rose vp, rebeld, bereft his crowne and right:

17.

Caus’d him agree they might in parts equall[470]

Deuide the Realme, and promist him a gard

Of sixty Knights on him attending still at call.[471]

But in six monthes such was his hap to hard,

That _Gonerell_ of his retinue barde

The halfe of them, shee and her husband reft:

And scarce alow’d the other halfe they left.

18.

Eke as in _Albany_ lay hee lamenting fates,[472]

When as my sister so sought all his vtter spoyle:

The meaner vpstart courtiers thought themselues his mates,

His daughter him disdayn’d and forced not his foyle.

Then was hee fayne for succoure his to toyle

With halfe his trayne to _Cornwall_, there to lie

In greatest neede, his _Ragan’s_ loue to try.

19.

So when hee came to _Cornwall_, shee with ioy

Receiued him, and Prince _Maglaurus_ did the like.

There hee abode a yeare, and liu’d without anoy:

But then they tooke all his retinue from him quite

Saue only ten, and shew’d him daily spite:

Which hee bewayl’d complayning durst not striue,

Though in disdayne they last alow’d but fiue.

20.

What more despite could deuelish beasts deuise,

Then ioy their fathers woefull days to see?

What vipers vile could so their King despise,

Or so vnkinde, so curst, so cruell bee?

From thence agayn hee went to _Albany_,

Where they bereau’d his seruaunts all, saue one,

Bad him content him selfe with that, or none.

21.

Eke at what time hee ask’d of them to haue his gard,

To gard his noble grace where so hee went:

They cal’d him doting foole, all his requests debard,

Demaunding if with life hee were not well content:

Then hee to late his rigour did repent

Gaynst mee, my sisters’ fawning loue that knew,

Found flattery false, that seem’d so faire in vew.

22.

To make it short, to _Fraunce_ hee came at last to mee,

And told mee how my sisters euell[473] their father vsde.

Then humbly I besought my noble King so free,

That he would aide my father thus by his abusde:

Who nought at all my humble hest refusde,

But sent to euery coast of _Fraunce_ for aide,

Whereby King _Leire_ might home bee well conueyde.

23.

The souldiours gathered from ech quarter of the land

Come at the length to know the noble Prince’s will:

Who did commit them vnto captaynes euery band,

And I likewise of loue and reuerent meere good will

Desir’d my Lord, hee would not take it ill,

If I departed for a space withall,

To take a part, or ease my father’s thrall.

24.

Hee graunted my request: Thence wee ariued here,

And of our _Britaynes_ came to aide likewise his right

Full many subiects, good and stout that were:

By martiall feats, and force, by subiects sword and might,

The _British_ Kings were fayne to yeeld our right:

Which wonne, my father well this Realme did guide

Three yeares in peace, and after that hee dyde.

25.

Then I was crowned Queene this Realme to hold,[474]

Till fiue yeares past I did this Island guyde:

I had the _Britaynes_ at what becke I would,[475]

Till that my louing King mine _Aganippus_ dide:

But then my seat it faltered on ech side,

My sisters sonnes[476] began with mee to iarre:

And for my crowne wagde with mee mortall warre.[477]

26.

The one hight _Morgan_ Prince[478] of _Albany_,

And _Conidagus_ King of _Cornwall_ and of Wales:

Both which at once prouided their artillery,

To worke mee woefull woe, and mine adherents bales

What neede I fill thine eares with longer tales?

They did preuaile by might and powre, so fast

That I was taken prisoner at last.

27.

In spitefull sorte they vsed then my captiue corse:

No favour shewde to mee, extinct was mine estate:

Of kinred, Prynces, bloud, or peere was no remorce,

But as an abiect vile, and worse, they did mee hate.

To lie in darkesome dungeon was my fate,

As t’were a thiefe, mine aunsweres to abide,

Gaynst right and justice, vnder Jailour’s guide.

28.

For liberty at length I su’d to subiects were:

But they kept mee in prison close, deuoide of trust:

If I might once escape, they were in dread and feare

Their fawning friends with mee would proue vntrue and iust.

They told mee take it patiently I must,

And bee contented that I had my life:

Sith with their mother’s I began the strife.

29.

Whereby I sawe might nothing mee preuaile to pray,

To pleade, or proue, defend, excuse, or pardon craue:

They heard mee not, despis’d my plaints, sought my decay,

I might no lawe, nor loue, nor right, nor justice haue.

No friends, no faith, nor pittie could mee saue:

But I was from all hope of freedome[479] bard,

Condem’d, my cause like neuer to bee heard.

30.

Was euer noble Queene so drencht in wrecks of woe,[480]

Depos’d[481] from Princely powre, bereft of liberty,

Depriu’d of all these worldly pompes her pleasures fro,

And brought from wealth to neede, distresse, and misery,

From Pallace proude in prison poore to lie,

From Kingdomes twayne, to dungeon one, no more,

From Ladies wayting, vnto vermine store?

31.

From light to darke, from holesome aire to lothsom smell,

From odoure sweete to smart, from ease to greeuous paine,

From sight of Princely Wights, to place where theues doe dwell,

From dainty beds of downe, to bed of strawe full fayne:

From bowres of heauenly hewe, to dennes of daine:

From greatest haps that worldly wights atchiue,

To more distresse then any wretch aliue?

32.

When first I left my friends in _Fraunce_ did me exalte,[482]

And eke my noble King, mine _Aganippus_ true:

And came to _England_, for their heynous facts and faulte,

Which from his right and kingdome quite our father threwe,

To take his[483] Realme: to raigne and treason knewe,

I thinke of all misfortunes was the worst:

Or else I deeme the causers al accurst.

33.

For marke my haplesse fall that fortune did me send,[484]

As thus in prison[485] vile on liue[486] I lingring lay,

When I had mourned long, but found no faythfull fren

That could me helpe, or ayde, or comfort any way,

Was seru’d at meate as those that[487] Kinges betray

With fare God wote was simple, bare, and thin,

Could not sustayne the corps it entred in.

34.

And when the sighes, and teares, and playntes nigh burst my hart,

And place, and stenche, and fare nigh poysond euery pore:

For lacke of frends to tell my seas of giltlesse smart,

And that mine eyes had sworne to take sweete sleepe no more,

I was content, sith cares oppresse me sore,

To leaue my foode, take mourning, playnts, and crye,

And lay mee downe, let griefe and nature trye.

35.

Thus as I pining lay, my carcas coucht on strawe,[488]

And felt the payne erst neuer creature earthly knewe,

Mee thought by night a grizely ghost in darkes I sawe,

Eke nearer still to mee with stealing steps shee drewe:

Shee was of colour pale and deadly[489] hewe,

Her clothes resembled thousand kinds of thrall,

And pictures plaine of hastened deathes withall.

36.

I musing lay in paines, and wondred what shee was,

Mine eyes stood still, mine haire rose vp for feare an end,

My flesh it shoke and trembled: yet I cryde (alas)

What wight art thou, a foe or else what fawning frend?

If death thou art, I pray thee make an end.

But th’art not death. Art thou some fury sent,

My woefull corps, with paynes, to more torment?

37.

With that shee spake: “I am (quoth shee) thy frend _Despayre_,

Which in distresse each worldly wight with speede do ayde:

I rid them from their foes, if I to them repayre.

To long from thee by other caytiues was I stayde.

Now, if thou art to dye no whit afrayde,

Here shalt thou choose of Instruments (beholde)

Shall rid thy restlesse life, of this be bolde.”

38.

And therewithall shee threwe her garments lap aside,

Vnder the which a thousand thinges I sawe with eyes:

Both kniues, sharpe swordes, poynadoes[490] all bedyde

With bloud, and poysons prest which shee could well deuise.

“There is no hope (quoth shee) for thee to rise,

And get thy Crowne or Kyngdome refte agyne:[491]

But for to liue long lasting pyning payne.

39.

“Lo here (quoth shee) the blade that _Did’_ of _Carthage_ hight,

Whereby shee was from thousand panges of payne let passe:

With this shee slewe her selfe, after _Æneas’_ flight,

When hee to Sea from _Tyrian_ shoares departed was.

Doe choose of these thou seest from woes to passe,

Or bide the end, prolong thy paynfull dayes,

And I am pleasde from thee to packe[492] my wayes.”

40.

With that was I (poore wretche) content to take the knife,

But doubtfull yet to dye, and fearefull fayne would byde.

So still I lay in study with my selfe at bate and strife,

What thing were best of both these deepe extreames vntryde,

_Good Hope_[493] all reasons of _Despayre_ denyde:

And shee agayne replyde, to proue it best

To dye, for still in life my woes increast.

41.

Shee cal’d to minde the ioyes in _Fraunce_ I whilome had:

Shee told me what a troupe of Ladyes was my trayne:

And how the Lordes of _Fraunce_ and _Britaynes_, both were glad

Of late to wayte on mee, and subiects all were fayne:

She tolde I had bin Queene of Kingdomes twayne,

And how my kinesmen[494] had my seate and Crowne.

I could not rise, for euer fallen downe.

42.

A thousand thinges beside recited then _Despayre_:

Shee tolde the woes in warres, that I had heapt of late,

Rehearst the prison vile in steede of Pallace fayre,

My lodging lowe and mouldy meates my mouth did hate;

Shee shewde mee all the dongeon where I sate,

The dankish walles, the darkes, and bade mee smell,

And byde the sauour if I likt it well.

43.

Whereby I wretch deuoyd of comfort quite and hope,

And pleasures past comparde with present paynes I had,

For fatall knife slipt forth, my fearefull hand did grope:

_Despayre_ in this to ayde my senceles limmes was glad,

And gaue the blade: to end my woes she bad.

“I will (quoth I) but first with all my hart

Ile pray to Gods, reuenge my woefull smart.

44.

“If any wrong deserue the wrecke, I pray yon skyes,

And starres of light, (if you my plight[495] doe rue)

O _Phœbus_ cleere, I thee beseech and pray likewise,

Beare witnes of my playnts well knowne to Gods are true.

You see from whence these iniuryes they grue.

Then let like vengeaunce hap and light on those,

Which vndeserued were my mortall[496] foes.

45.

“God graunt immortall[497] strife betweene them both may fall,

That th’ one[498] the other may, without remorce, distroye:

That _Conidagus_ may his cosin _Morgan_ thrall,

Because hee first decreast my wealth, bereft my ioye.

I pray you Gods he neuer be a _Roy_:

But caytife may be payde with such a frend,

As shortly may him bring to sodayne end.

46.

“Farewell my Realme of _Fraunce_, farewell, _Adieu,_

_Adieu mes nobles tous_, and _England_ now farewell:

Farewell Madames my Ladyes, _car ie suis perdu,_

_Il me fault aler desespoir m’adonne conseil_

_De me tuer_, no more your Queene farewell.

My cousens[499] mee oppresse with mayne and might,

A captiue poore, gaynst Justice all and right.”

47.

And therewithall the sight did fayle my dazeling eyne,

I nothing sawe saue sole _Dispaire_ bad mee dispatch:

Whome I behelde: shee caught the knife from mee I weene,

And by hir elbowe carian death for me did watch.

“Com on (quod I) thou hast a goodly catch.”

And therewithall _Dispaire_ the stroke did strike,

Whereby I dyde, a damned creature like:

48.

Which I to late bewayle, let those a liue beware;[500]

Let not the losse of goods or honours them constrayne

To playe the fooles, and take such carefull carke and care;

Or to dispayre for any prison, pine, and payne;

If they be giltlesse let them so remayne;

Farre greater follye is it for to kill,

Themselues dispayring, then is any ill.

49.

Sith first thereby theyr enmyes haue that they desire,

By which they proue to deadly foes vnwares a frende:

And next they cannot liue, to former blisse t’spyre,

If God do bring theyr foes in time to sodayne ende.

They lastly, as the damned wretches, sende

Theyr soules thereby to darkesome _Stygian_ lake,

Which kill the corps that mighty _Ioue_ did make.[501]

LENUOY.

When as this desperate Queene had ended thus

Her tale, and tolde the haplesse grace she had:

As of her playnte som poyntes I did discusse,

Her sisters dealings were (mee thought) to bad.

Her cosens cruell both, for Kingdomes mad.

Her owne estate most pityfull to see,

A Queene by kinred captiue kepte to bee.

So wise a Queene, so fayre a Princesse wrongde,

So dutifull in parents plight of yore:

By rebells vile hir cousens to bee throngde,

Such hatred hir ambiciously that bore.

Who euer saw such cruelty before?

_Cordilaes_ state most pitifull to see,

By kinred cloce in prison kepte to bee.[502]

But next from _Wales_ in warlike armoure came

With wounded corps Morganus th’ Albane king,

In woefull wise his doubtfull tale to frame.

And of his auntes distresse reports each thing.

Hee from Glamorgan this for truth doth bring,

That who by slaughter seekes a prince to bee,

As traytoure falles beneath his first degree.

How King Morgan of Albany was slayne at Glamorgan,

in Wales, The yeare before Christ, 766.

I Wot not well what reasons I may vse,

To quit myselfe from lasting infamy:[503]

Wherefore I must perforce myselfe accuse:

I was[504] in fault I cannot it denye.

Remorce of conscience pricks my harte so nye,

And mee torments with panges of pinching payne,

I can no longer mee from speache refrayne.

I am that _Morgan_ sonne of _Gonerell_

Th’ungratefull daughter of hire father _Leire_:

Which from his Kingdome did him once expell,

As by the _British_ storyes may appeare.

_Ragan_ and shee conspirde (both sisters were)

But were subdude agayne and caus’d to yelde

Theyr fathers Crowne: _Cordila_ wan the field.

I need not heare the storyes all recite;

It were to long, but yet I briefly shall:

The cause _Cordila_ ought her sisters spite

Was, they procur’d her, and their father’s thrall.

Yet t’was her chaunce at length t’out liue them all,

Both sisters elder, and her father graue,

And eke at length the kingdome all to haue.

That time was I of _Albany_ the King,

Cal’d _Scotland_ now, and eke my cousin then,

Of _Cornewall_ and of _Wales_, whom I did bring

To warre, against _Cordila_ and her men:

Wee sayd wee would our title winne agen,

And that because our fathers[505] had it yore,

Wee ment to get it ours againe therefore.

I must confesse I was the cause of warre,

I was not pleas’d with that was lotted mee:

Euen so our mindes ambitious often are

And blinded, that wee cannot reason see.

Wee thinke no men, but God’s on Earth wee bee,

Yet worse are wee then beastes which knowe their kinde:

For wee haue nought but mischiefe oft in mind.

Wee thinke, if so wee may our willes attayne

By right or wrong, by might or malice, wee

Could neuer liue like Fortune for to gayne:

Or if one foes wee once reuenged bee,

If that our enemies[506] fall wee chaunce to see,

O then wee ioy, wee lift our selues to skie,

And on the poore wee _crucifige_ crye.

I deem’d if once I might put her adowne,[507]

The Kingdomes all were _Conidag’s_ and mine

And I could easly after winne the crowne,

If also I his state might vndermine.

I thought, in deede, to haue it all in fine:

By force or fraude I ment my purpose bring

To passe, I might bee after _Britayne_ King.[508]

To speake in fewe, wee waged warre so long

Gainst her, at last wee put her vnto flight:

Wee warriours[509] for our aunt were far to strong,

Pursude and tooke, depriu’d her of her right.

Wee thought it ours what so wee wanne by might:

Eke so play tyraunts, Traitours all doe watch

To get by spoile and count their owne they catch.

Not so contented were wee with the pray:

But fearing lest shee should recouer ayde,

I sent in hast to prison her away,

And all recourse of messengers denayd.

Thus when shee sawe her Maiesty decayd,

And that her griefes and sorowes daily grew,

In pryson at the length her selfe shee slewe.

10.

O caytife vile, should I constrain’d a Queene,[510]

That Iustice ment, her kingdome to forsake?

Nay traytour I, her cause of death haue bene,[511]

That would my selfe by bloudshed ruler make.

How could reuenge on mee but vengeaunce take?

Before the seat of God her bloud did call

For vengeaunce still, and so procur’d[512] my fall.

11.

Lo here God’s iustice see, my treason see:

Behold and see, to raygne was my delight:

And marke, and make a mirrour here of mee,

Which afterward was seru’d by iustice right.

Wee wan the crowne betweene vs both in fight:

And then because I was the elder sonne

Of th’elder Queene, I claymed all wee wonne.

12.

So were my dealings nought in peace and warre:

But by my force and fortunes v’sd in fight,

I past, that time, the _Britaynes_ all by farre:

I was of person, fortitude, and might,

Both comely, tall, strong, seemely eke in sight,

Whereby I wonne mens fauoure, glory, wealth

And, puft with pride, at length forgate my selfe.

13.

I sayd it was my right the crowne to haue

But _Conidagus_ stoutly it deni’d:

Wherefore I went to _Wales_, my ryght to craue,

With all mine army, and to haue it tri’d.

Where long wee fought it stoutly on eche side,

Till at the last, vnto my woefull payne,

I was depriu’d of Kingdome quite, and slayne.

14.

And for to keepe in memory for aye

That there vnfaythfull _Morgan_ lost his life,

The place is cal’d _Glamorgan_ to this daye.[513]

There was I perst to death with fatall knife:

There was the end of all my hatefull strife.

So _Morgan_, where hee thought to winne the Crowne,

Was at _Glamorgan_ traytour striken downe.

15.

Thus mayst thou tell how proude ambition proues,

What hap haue tyraunts, what wee Traytours haue:

What end hee hath that cruell dealing loues,

What subiects get the[514] Diademe doe craue.

Tis better, then to winne, thine owne to saue:

For so orethwartly trade of Fortune goes,

When win thou would’st, then art thou sure to lose.[515]

LENUOY.

How restlesse are the peeres aloft would ryse?

How vncontented are theyr hauty myndes?

How quiet is the simple setled wise,

Whom no desire of proud ambition blyndes?

I see no ease the seeke-throne thirsty findes.

Hee seekes all meanes to clime to catch the crowne,

Till for his haste _Ioue_ hurle him headlong downe.

The royall borne by birth, the time should stay

Till iust _Iehoua_ gaue to him the place:

And not the Lordes anoynted seeke to slay,

But as his Soueraigne serue him well the space.

If hee with bloud his noble birth abace,

I meane if hee by slaughter catch the crowne,

With foote _Iehoua_ castes him headlong downe.

If _Morgan_ hadnot wrought his aunt’s distresse

By dint of sword, by sword hee had not fell.

But who so shall by sword a Prince oppresse,

Shall of the sword therefore and slaughter smell.

Lo here the next, that came his tale to tell,

Was gieuen to vice when once hee ware the crowne,

Till slouth and sleepy sickenes cast hym downe.

How King Iago dyed of the Lethargy, about the

yeare before Christ, 612.[516]

Have I oreslept my selfe, or am I wake?

Or hadst thou late oreslept thy selfe that wrote?

Could’st thou not for the Letharge paynes to take:

And with the rest his sleepy life to note?

Was I amongst the wicked wights forgote?

Well then, awaked sith wee are both twayne,

To write my sleepy sinfull life take payne.

I am that _Iago_, once of _Britayne_ King,

That ruled all this noble _Britishe_ Ile:

No fame of mee the writers old doe bring,

Because my life and gouernement was vile.

Yet, _Higgins_, heere take paynes for mee a while:

Enregester my mirour to remaine,

That Princes may my vices vile refrayne.

At first, a while, I ruled well the land,

I vsed Iustice, right tooke regall place:

No wight but found iust iudgement at my hand,

And truth durst shew, without rebuke, her face.

I gaue my selfe to all good giftes of grace,

My subiects liu’d in rest within my raygne,

No cause of Prince compeld them to complaine.

But as in calme a storme wee nothing feare,

When as the Seas are milde and smoth as glasse:

And as in peace no thought of warres wee beare,

Which least suppose of mischeeues come to passe:

Euen so my still and rightfull raygning was.

The calme a tempest boads: the shine, a raine:

Long peace, a warre: and pleasure, pinching paine.

For rest and peace and wealth abounding thoe

Made mee forget my Iustice late well vsde:

Forsaking vertues, vices gan to floe,

And former noble acts I quite refusde.

My giftes, my treasures, wealth and will misusde,

Began all goodnes quite at length disdayn,

And did my facts with filthy vices staine.

Misgouern’d both my Kingdome and my life,

I gaue my selfe to ease, to sleepe, and sinne:

And I had clawbackes euen in Court full rife,

Which sought by mine outrages gaines to winne.[517]

For Kinges no sooner well or worse beginne,

But euen at hand the good or bad take payn,

For vertue’s sake, or meede, the Prince to trayne.

As vices grew encreasing more and more,

So vertues fled and bade their friends adieu:

Deseases bad likewise, and sicknesse sore

Began to wexe, and griefes about mee grew.

I may fullwell my naughty surfets rue,

Which pesterd so at length my drousy brayne,

I could not scarse from sleeping ought refrayne.

A sleepie sickenesse, nam’d the _Lethargye_,

Opprest me sore, and feauers fearce withall:

This was the guerdon of my glottonie,

_Iehoua_ sent my sleepie life this dwall.

So who so sleeping let sleepe Iustice shall,

Although he feele no whit such slumbring payne,

Yet may he write he hath not long to raygne.[518]

Physicions wise may take on them the cure,

But if _Iehoua_ smite the Prince for sinne,

As earst of me, then is the helpe vnsure,

That’s not the way for health to enter in.

No potions then, nor pouders worth a pin:

But euen as we, they must to die be fayne.

Bid them in time from vices now refrayne.

Who gouerns well, deserues with mighty _Ioue_ to raygne.[519]

LENUOY.

Remembrng with my selfe this story past,

When I agayne had tooke this worke in hand,

I tooke my pen and wrote the same at last,

Thereby to cause all Princes sloth aband.

When they his fall set downe so vnderstand,

They may beware: a warning this may be,

Against the slothfull sweames of sluggardye.

The stories tell of _Comodus_ the raygne,

A wise and noble Emperour at first:

He diligent to gouerne well tooke payne,

Till at the length him sloth in vice had nurst.

But see at last, see whereunto it burst:

He strangled was by wicked treacherie,

That gaue himselfe to sluggish libertie.

I may no longer on this sleeper byde,

Which for his slouthfull sinne was serued right:

Because himselfe to sluggishnes he plyde,

That plague of sickenesse dead on him did light.

But now beholde, next _Forrex_ came to sight,

Which in this sort beganne his life t’unfold:

Eftsoones thus wise, his slaughter there he tolde.

How King Forrex was slayne by his brother King Porrex,

about the yeere before Christ, 491.[520]

Complayne I may with tragiques on the stage,[521]

Compeld I am amongst the rest that fell:

I may complayne that felt of warres the wage,

Vntimely death I drewe, doth mee compell.

If I had not bin crowned king I had bene well:[522]

There had no enuie vndermin’d my state,

Nor fortune foil’d the seate whereon I sate.

What blisse enioyd I while my father raynd![523]

I had no care, in honour I did liue:

Would God I had in that estate remaynd,

But what vs fortune wonted is to giue,

Good happe that holds as water in a siue:

Shee showes a glimpse of thousand ioyes, and moe

Which hides in it tenne thousand seas of woe.

That hatefull hellish hagge of vgly hue,

With rustie teeth and meygre corps misshape,

I meane that monster vile, the worst in viewe,

Whome some call _Discorde_, _Enuie_, _Ire_, and _Hate_:

She set my brother first with me at bate:

When we fiue yeeres had raygned ioyntly well,

By her intisements, foule at strife we fell.

We liu’d that space well in this noble Ile,

Deuyded well wee ioyntly did inioye

The princely seate, while Fortune fayre did smile,

Without disdayne, hate, discorde or anoye:

Euen as our father raignd, the noble _Roy_,

In wealth, peace, prayse, purporte, renowne and fame,

Without the blots of euerlasting blame.

But when ambition bleared both our eyes,

And hasty hate had brother-hoode bereft:

Wee frendship fayre and concorde did dispise,

And far a part from vs wee wisedome left:

Forsooke each other at the greatest heft.

To rule the kingdome both wee left, and fell

To warring, iarring like two hounds of hell.

For bounds we banded first on either syde,

And did incroach each one on others right.

T’inlarge the limetes of our kingdome wide,

We would not sticke full oft to fray and fight.[524]

The wretched ground had so bewicht our sight.

For why, the earth that once shall eate vs all,

Is th’only cause of many Princes fall.

On th’earth wee greeue the grounde for filthy gayne,

On th’earth wee close the earth t’inlarge our land:

In th’earth wee moyle with honger, care, and payne,

Wee cut, wee dig thence Siluer, Gold, and Sand:

The bowels of the earth wee moyle with might of hand,

With Steele and Iron tearing vnder ground,

And rigging all the earth to make our ioyes abound.[525]

For th’earth forget wee God, (vnfaythfull fooles)

For grounde forsake wee fayth and all our frends:

For th’earth wee set our selues to subtile schooles,

Of grounde lyke swine wee seeke the farthest ends:

Wee spoyle the grounde that all our liuing lends:

Of grounde to winne a plat a while to dwell

Wee venter liues, and send our soules to hell.

If wee consider could the substance[526] of a man,

How hee composed is of Elements[527] by kinde,

Of earth, of water, ayre, and fire, than

Wee would full often call vnto our minde,

That all our earthly ioyes wee leaue behinde:

And when wee passe to th’earth wee turne to rot:

Our pompe, our pride, and glory is forgot.

10.

The fire first receaues his heate againe,

The ayre the breath bereaues away by right:

The watry and the earthly parts remaine,

Of elements composed scarce so light:

And in the ground a place is for them dight.

The moistures dry, the bones consume to dust,

The wormes with fleshe suffice their greedy lust.

11.

But wee forget our composition olde,

Both whence wee came, and whereunto wee shall:

Wee scarce remember wee bee made of mould,

And how the earth agayn consumeth all.

This great forgetfulnesse breedes Princes thrall.

While present ioyes wee gaze vppon, meane while

A fadeing blisse doth all our wits beguile.

12.

All this I speake to th’end it may aduise

All Princes great, and noble peeres that ar,

To learne by mee the rather to bee wise,

And to abandon hate and malice far:

To banishe all ambitious bloudy warre:

To liue content in peace, with their estate:

For mischiefe flowes from discord and debate.

13.

And now Ile tell what discord vile hath done

To mee King _Forrex_. Thus the case it stood.

I thought in deede to haue some castels wonne

And holds, which were my brother’s, strong and good.

So might I intercept his vitayles, forrage, food,

Abate his pride, obtaine the Kingdome all:

Mee thought the halfe a portion was to small.

14.

Ther’s no man takes an enterprise in hand,

But hee perswades him selfe it is not ill:

Hee hath of reasons eke in steede to stand,

As hee 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 quarell first hee gan to picke.

15.

And for because I was the elder Prince,

The elder sonne, and heyre vnto the crowne:

Me thought no lawe, nor reason could conuince

Mee from the fact, though I did beate him downe.

This was my way to winne and reape renowne.

I did prouide an army strong, encampte a fielde,[528]

Not far from where I hoapte to cause him yeelde.

16.

And sundry sharpe assautes on each wee gaue,

On purpose both enflamed for to fight:

Wee had in parle receaued counsayle[529] graue

Of wise and worthy men, perswading right.

'It pitie was (they sayd) so fowle a sight,

That brethren twayne, both Princes of a land,

Should take at home such woefull warres in hand.’

17.

But where ambition dwelles is no remorce,

No countrey’s loue, no kinred holden kinde,

No feare of God, no sentence wise of force

To turne the harte, or mollify the minde:

Good words are counted wasting of your wynde.

The gayne proposde, the crowne and scepter hye,

Are th’only thinges whereat men gaze and prye.

18.

At length my brother for to ende the strife,

Thought best to worke the surest way to winne:

He founde the meanes to take away my life,

Before which time the warres could neuer linne.

How much might better both contented binne!

For hope is sloape,[530] and hold is hard to snatche,

Where bloud embrues the hands that come to catch.

19.

Thus our ambition brewde[531] our subiects smart:

Our broyles pourde out their guiltlesse bloud on ground:

Which vile deuise of mine ambitious heart

Procured Ioue my purpose to confound.

Therefore beware yee wights whose wealths abound,

Content your selues in peace to spend your dayes,

By vertues good aloft in earth your names to rayse:

So shall you liue in Heauen with mighty loue alwayes[532].

LENUOY.

What cruell heartes had both these Princes then,

To raigne alone, which sought their brother’s life:

These tyrants were no perfect noble men,

But buchers rather raignyng all by knife:

A woefull thing to heare such brother strife,

Where loue aye lasting loyall should endure,

That crowne or kingdome bloudshed should procure.

And here you one thing chiefely haue to note,

That his pretence was punisht as the fact:

For hee no bloudshed wrought (as well you wote)

But purposde was to worke a bloudy act,

And that both time and place therefore hee lact:

Let such then know, as haue such thoughts in vre,

No murder stable Kingdome can procure.

For if _Iehoua_ did his purpose dint,

How much will hee the factours punish more:

Let noble men from such endeuours stint,

And loue embrace where hatred was before:

_Iehouae’s_ ioyfull impes embrace this lore:

For _Porrex_ here can tell, they may bee sure,

No murder stable kingdome can procure.

How King Porrex[533] which slewe his brother was

slayne by his owne mother and hir maydens,

about the yeare before Christ, 491.

Can cursed _Cayne_ that captiue scuse him selfe,

That slew his brother _Abel_ innocent:

Or _Typhon_ tell a reason for himselfe,

Why hee _Osiris_ downe[534] to _Lymbo_ pent?

King _Dardan_ then may doe the lyke perdy,[535]

They slewe their brethren each, and so did I.

The wicked witch _Medæa_ rent in peeces smalle

_Absirtus_ limmes her brother, did not shee?

Shee threw him in the way dismembred all,

That so hir father’s iourney stayde might bee:

_Orodes_ eke did sley his brother[536] _Mithridate_:

And so did I my brother [_Forrex_] in debate.

_Learchus_ slewe his brother for the Crowne,

So dyd _Cambyses_ fearing much the dreame:

_Antiochus_ [the great] of infamous renowne

His brother slewe, to rule alone the realme:

_Ardieus_ dyd the lyke for kingdome’s sake,

So dyd my selfe like wise away my brother take.[537]

_Mempricius_ lewde of lyfe likewise did kill

His brother _Manlius_, for the same intent:

These Princes vile were brother sleyers ill,

For kingdomes sake vnnaturally bent:

But reade the storyes, thou shalt finde it playne,

The bloudy wretches all were after slayne.

Euen so I _Porrex_ eke, which slewe my brother,

And ruled once the _Britayne_ land with him,

Vnkindly kilde was by my cruell mother,

Which with hir maydens chopt mee euery limme:

As I lay sleeping on my bed at rest,

Into my chamber full and whole they prest.

Apoynted well they were with weapons sharpe,

And boldly layde on me with all their might:

Oft quite and cleane they thrust me through the heart,

And on my corps each where theyr weapons light:

They chopt me small (I say) as flesh to pot,

And threwe mee out my limes yet trembling hot.

Can I complayne of this reuenge shee raught,

Sith I procurde hir wrath by slaughter[538] of hir sonne?

Can I excuse my selfe deuoyde of faut,

Which my deare Prince and brother had fordonne?

No; ’tis to true that, who so slayes a King,

Incurrs reproch, and slaughter bloud doth bring.

The traytours to their Prince haue alwayes binne

As sleyers of their parents, viper’s broode:

The killers of their brothers, frends, and kinne,

In like degree well nigh of treason stoode:

But what by this winne they, saue death, defame,

Distayne theyr bloud, and shroude themselues with shame.

Example take you Princes of the[539] land,

Beware of discord, shun ambitious pride:

By right take yee the scepter in your hand,

Let not your sword with soueraignes bloud be dide:

The mighty Ioue, that raignes eternall ay,

Cuts of the Kings that enter in that waye.

10.

Vsurpers may perswade themselues a while

There is no God, no lawes of sacred crowne,

No wrong they doe, no murther seemeth vile,

Nor no respect of princely high renowne:

But if they could consider well the case,

They nild exalt themselues to Princes place.[540]

11.

They would example take by _Lucifer_

That was cast downe, the father first of pride:

And al his impes how high so ere they were,

Vsurping Realmes and Kingdomes farre and wide:

From light to darke, from throne to thrall they fell,

From hap to hate, from life to death, from heauen to

hell.[541]

12.

Sufficient here is sayd to warne the wise,

For he by prudence oft forecasts the doubt:

The foole is bent all warnings to despise,

He runneth headlong with the rascall rout:

Then if thou cast to liue at rest a subiect good,

Touch not the Prince’s fame, crowne,[542] scepter,

nor his blood.[543]

LENUOY.

It lothed me a L’enuoy here to write

Of such a cruell, proude, ambitious beast:

But yet sith now his faultes he doth recite,

And warnes for murther’s venge aliue the rest,

Which had therefore againe his death addrest,

I will (though he deseru’d no tale to tell)

Set downe his fall for sample seruing well.[544]

The good deserue to haue their praises wrote,

To spread their fames, t’incourage those aliue:

Of wicked Princes wee the falls doe note,

A _Caueat_ for kingdomes where they striue:

To show that who so slaughters doth contriue,

(Though hee deserue agayne no tale to tell)

His tragique fall may serue ensample well.

These brethren quellers _Brutus_ bloud bereft,

Which were last Kings that fate of all his line:

Six hundreth yeares and sixteene, or they lefte,

They raygnde, and thus they spoilde themselues in fine.

The ciuill warres insued hereof long time.

About the crowne I list not here define.

But of intruders three[545] that after fell,

As came to fight in order next I tell.

How King Pinnar was slain in battayle by Mulmucius

Donwallo, about the yeare before

Christ, 441.[546]

Might often times ouer runnes right[547] to fast,

Right commeth after[548] and hopes to haue his owne:

And when [agayne] hee ouertakes might at the last,

Then is the truth of all the quarell knowne.

Men neuer reape no other then was sowne:

If good were the gayne,[549] the better commes the crop:

On vine growes the grape, and not the biter hop.[550]

2.[551]

Of this that I haue sayd I would this inferre:

A man by might a while may perforce withholde

A kingdome not his owne: but hee farre better were

To yeeld vnto the right, and then hee may bee bolde.

Good metall bides the touch that trieth out the gold:

When copper playne appeares, the counterfaite in cast

Is counted but as drosse, and called in at last.

3.[552]

I am that _Pinnar_ once a _Britayne_ King,

No pinner by my science for to make pinnes:

And yet I could well cast of thousands in a ring,

To catch the common wealth I made many ginnes.

Let him that learnes my science, tell mee what he winnes.

For tirrany, and robery, conspiracy, and wrong,

Prognosticats of rebells raigne, they cannot prosper long.

4.[553]

When I to mee had gote a rascall rable rude

Of roisters, ruffians, ronagats, and knaues,

I did my selfe at last into the throne intrude,

And was susteynd therein by billes, swords, and staues:

I made of them officers that were before but slaues:

Oppressing of the good and polleing of them still,

For to inriche the bad and mayntayne all their ill.

5.[554]

Duke _Cloten_ of _Cornwall_ was heire to the crowne.

But I, with other rebells, kept him from his right.

Though wee were conspiratours voide of all renowne,

Yet did wee raigne, and keepe him out by might.

But when his sonne _Donwallo_ came for to fight,

_Mulmucius_, that was in armes a worthy man,

With me and them to try the quarell hee began.

6.[555]

Hee brought of _Cornishmen_ a royall army good,

With other subiects late by me before opprest:

And made mee pay the price of pillage with my bloud,

As traitour slayn in field, example for the rest.

Euen so who euer shall from Prince the scepter wrest,

Vsurpe from him the crowne, or scale the throne of state,

Shall shortely feele the rod of God’s immortall hate.

LENUOYE.

Thus though vnorderly his tale hee tell,

As was his raygne, yet orderly it standes:

Euen such decorum deckes the person well,

Who in his life decorum due abandes.

No fyner fyled phrase could scape my handes,

When I began for him to pen the same:

Let _Pinnar_ then receiue thereof the blame.

And now you must suppose did next appeare

Another Prince, in warlike armour clad,

With bleeding woundes, as if newe slaine hee were:

Reciting first the hauty haps hee had,

And then his fall in fight, his Fortune bad.

If hee vnstatelike stammer out the same,

With staylesse staggering footed verse, by ame,

Let hardly him receiue thereof the blame:

Or geue the faute to th’ countrey whence hee came.

How King Stater of Scotland was slayne by Mulmucius

Donwallo, about the yeare before

Christ, 441.[556]

Stint not in stories truely for to tell[557]

The fall of vsurpers, the presidents[558] of pryde.

Recite of our treasons, and how that wee fell,

Intruders vntrusty the Realme for to guide:

Of wit and of reason recklesse and wide,

That tooke so vppon vs to rule all the land,

No Princes presumde yet with scepter in hand.

How stately I _Stater_, of _Scotland_ the King,

Did beare mee full stoutely when I had the crowne:

And what a great army of _Scots_ I did bring,

Against Lord _Donwallo_, of noble renowne.

A deemed dame Fortune would neuer so frowne,

Who made me a Prince, that Kingdome my pray,

Of late but a subiect and simple of sway.

But here now behold how steady the state

Of climbers aloft is aboue their degree,

And how they doe fall from fortune to fate,

Example are such as my fellow and me.

The fruite giues a taste of the sappe of the tree,

The seede of the herbe, the grape of the vine:

The worke wrayes the man, seeme he neuer so fine.

For when I had leuyed an armie to fight,

I ioyned with _Pinnar_, my power to preuayle:

And _Rudacke_ of _Wales_ came eke with his might,

_Mulmucius Donwallo_ the King to assayle.

Our purpose the Prince by prowes did quaile,

Which came out of _Cornwall_, vs vanquisht in fielde,

Our souldiers slayne, skard, taken, forced to yeelde.[559]

O fortune I blame thee, my selfe more vnwise:

Thou gau’st me a kingdome, and with life I it lost.

My souldiers were slayne fast before[560] mine owne eyes,

Or forced to flie, yeelde, and smell of the rost.[561]

I neede not of honour or dignitie boast,

Or tell of my triumphes, or crake of my crowne:

The vaunt of vsurpers is voyde of renowne.

LENUOY.

A worlde it is to see the meaner sort

Enhaunce themselues aboue their due degree:

To sit aloft they deeme a noble sport,

From whence they may the worlde and people see.

But so they speede as their deseruings bee.

Still triall telles, Iehoua tumbles downe

Such subiectes false as dare assume the crowne.

For if these Pagans proud so plagued were,

Which tooke on them ambitiously the sway,

Wil not th’almightie’s Iustice soone appeare,

When Christian men their Christian Kinges betray?

Yes: he (by whome all Princes raigne for aye)

Such subjectes smites, as dare assume the crowne,

And from the throne intruders tumbles downe.

But now beholde and marke this story well,

Which next in order seemes his tale to frame,

With bleeding woundes in fielde likewise that fell,

For so me thought in warlike sort he came,

The last of these that _Rudacke_ had to name,

Declaring how _Bellona_ strooke him downe,

Because he had vniustly caught the crowne.

Howe King Rvdacke of Wales was slayn by Mulmucius

Donwallo about the yeere before

Christ, 441.[562]

Rude are the reuelles royaltie that rape,

Restlesse the raygnes of rebels in the robe,

Reckles the rage where cruelty doth scrape,

Roundnesse regarded[563] but little of the globe,

No man ambitious prudent with the probe,

Crownerape accounted but cunning and skill,

Bloudshead a blockehouse to beate away ill.

The rudenesse of rebels reaching the crowne,

May be compared to _Bladhud’s_ deuise:[564]

[But] better sit still than fall so farre downe,[565]

If Lordes coulde by others hurt learne to be wise.[566]

My selfe of [high] climbing haue payde well the price,

That rudely in throne myselfe did install

Aloft, not regarding how low I might fall.

When _Britayne_ was restlesse, wanting a Kyng,

(For _Forrex_ and _Porrex_ the Princes were slayne)[567]

The land many peeres ambitious did wring,

Endeuouring each the kingdome to gayne.

The heires good apparent forsake it were fayne,

The subiects were armed, wee nobles did striue,

At length we amongst vs deuision contriue.

Then recklesse wee were when all was at rest,

And each had a kingdome aloted his part:

The vice of the subjects dayly increast,

And justice and right were layd quite apart.

The lawes ouerlashed by couine and craft,

And wee that did gouerne did winke at this geare:

The worser, perdy, our faythed frends were.[568]

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 grounde.

Of watchers thereon so many abounde,

And catchers thereat, with snatching therefore,

That if once you leese it, you catch it no more.

A Chirurgian that taketh a wounde for to cure,

If skilfull and carefully hee sercheth it furst:

The sea man doth sounde to take the deepth sure,

Ay wisedome well taught for feare of the worst.

But our vile ambition, blinde, blockish, accurst,

Not prouing the sore, nor reckoning the sounde,

Our shippes and our science we sinke and confounde.

Ambition out sercheth to glory the greece,

The staire to estate, the graple of grace:

But in her is hidde of perill a peece,

Which all our attempts doth dimme and deface.

Perdy shee gets vs vaine ioyes[569] but a space,

Short, britle as glasse: false fayre giueing light:

Not golden, though glittering braue in the sight.

For when see hath brought vs vnto the throne,

And Fortune hath fraught vs with honour at fill:

Then there to sit stedy and rule all alone

Wee racke our deuices, and scud with our scill.

Wee cutt off occursions, wee prole, pole, and pill:

Wee bolster, wee band out, to brybe, banish, sley,

The pillers of prudence that prop[570] in our wey.

Our race is then restles, our sleeping vnsounde:

Our wakeing is warfare, our walkeing hath woe:

Our talkeing is trustless, our cares doe abound:

Our fauners deemde faythfull, and frendshippe a foe.

Which troubles our fancies so tosse to and froe.

That scarcely wee neuer inioy any rest

Tormented, whome Fortune exalted and blest.

10.

This thing can I witnesse what troubles ensue,

What cares doe vs compass enhaunced aloft:

I therefore wish rebells to take better vewe

Of the falles of intruders, recorded so oft.

Who climeth so highe his fall is not soft.

If once hee doe stagger or falter aside,

Hee cannot recouer the rest for to guide.

11.

When I with my felowes (our selues which thought sure)[571]

Here ruled the realme, there fell out a flawe:

_Donwallo_ did seeke the Crowne to procure,

Alleadging a title thereto by the lawe.

He when him resisting in armes bright vs sawe,[572]

Came strayght with an hoaste prepared to fight,

With sworde for to trye out whose title was right.

12.

Our numbre was great, our title vniust:

Our consciences guilty, our souldiers agast:

Our enmy with honour[573] had souldiers of trust:

And Fortune was frendly to them as they past.

They slewe of our men by manhoode full fast,

Or forst them to flye: In the feelde wee were fayne

To resist[574] them (poore Prynces) and so wee were slayne.

13.

First _Pinnar_, then _Stater_, I _Rudacke_ likewise

At last was with number oppressed dispatcht,

Let Lordings beware how aloft they doe rise,

[For] by Princes and commons theyr climing is watcht.

No sooner they haue at the scepter once snatcht,

But guilty themselues they deeme worthy to die,

And God’s iustice such sentence [t’accomplish] doth hie.

LENUOY.

You see the end of rebelles here descride,

Entruders see whereto they haue to truste:

Their seat vnsure and slippery downe doth slide,

Their names are eaten out with cankerd ruste.

Theyr honours soone lay toumbling in the duste.

Wherefore I count them triple thrise and foure times blest,

Which prudently to serue their God and Prince are prest.

Sith stories all doe tell in euery age

How these crowne croachers come to shamefull ends,

And how they shortely winne the woefull wage,

Which for uvniustice _Ioua_ iustely sends:

Let hauty headstrong heede what hee pretends,

Sith hee aliue, in death, and after’s only blest,

Which prudently to serue his God and Prince is prest.

But now behold, from _Delphos_ next in place

A noble valiaunt _Britayne_ there I vewde,

Of stature tall, well sett, of comely grace,

With body broysde, and armoure all embrewde.

His wounded breast my woefull hart berewde:

Whose life and death may proue contented wights are blest,

Which prudently to serue their God and Prince are prest.

How the noble King Brennus, after many triumphant victories,

at the seege of Delphos in Greece slew him selfe,

about the yeare before Christ, 375.[575]

Amongste the noble martiall worthy men,

Renowned farre, victorious great of fame,

Though Autors sound my praise eftsoones agen

Emongst the _Britayne_ Princes write the same:

I am that _Britayne_ once that _Brennus_ had to name,

My facts, exployts in warre, my conquests life and end,

Doe write as I recite, when time doth leasure lend.

The mighty Monarche of this noble Ile

_Mulmucius_ (conquerde tyranne Princes three

They by intrusion rayning here long while)[576]

Was father both to _Belinus_ and mee.

His noble acts and lawes commended bee.

This _Belinus_ (mine elder brother) was his heire,

And Queene _Cornwenna_ was our mother wise and fayre.

When after him my brother had the crowne,

Hee was content to make mee eke a king:

Hee 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, agaynst my brother for to fight,

Which rather ought t’aue honorde him with homage right.

When _Belinus_ perceiued mee approach

Vnto his Realme, an army hee addrest:

He warned me I should not seek t’incroatch

That was not mine, for hee was ready prest

Mee to repell: hee wilde mee bee at rest,

I marched one, the armies met, wee fearcely fought,

My souldiers slayne, to saue my selfe by flight I sought.

To _Norwaye_ then I fledde for succour hence,

Where good _Elsingus_ reignde the gentle King:

I tolde him what I was, and eke of whence,

Desirde his ayde, me home agayne to bring,

And he not only graunted me this thing,

But eke his daughter _Samye_ fayre to be my wife,

With me to passe in _Albany_ for aye a Princely life.[577]

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:

The loue of _Samye_ so enragde his riuall head,[578]

That for her sake he must perforce my ships [and me] forlay,

To win by fight or take by might the[579] Lady faire away.

And when our nauies mette, he 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 harde amongst the wise men’s sawes,[580]

That any King should clayme the like with sword of stormie

strife,

Or make assaulte in warlike sorte to winne a Prince’s

wife.[581]

From wordes to fight we fell on eyther side,

But in the ende I was discomfit there,

And yeelded[582] 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 _Britayne_ cast,

Was fayne for tribute hostage giue to _Beline_ or he past.[583]

At Seas turmoylde fiue dayes with raging winde,

Sore wearied with the fight, the foyle and losse,

And casting with my selfe in woefull minde,

The cause why so God _Neptune_ did me tosse,

Why boyling Seas with surges so me sosse,[584]

I made a vowe to kill the man that causde me flye,

Or with my bloud the kingdome all from him to buy.

10.

The Seas alayde, at last my ships I found

And rigde againe, at seas met of our foes[585]

Some[586] wandring _Danes_, where we beset them round

In warlike sorte, we did them all inclose:

Euen so the wheele of Lady Fortune goes,

Abiects, castes downe, turnes topsie toruie quight,

The men of late extold with all her mayne and might.

11.

These ships my wants in some respect supplyde

With tacle, armour, vitayles and the rest

And so to _Britayne_ land apace I hyde,

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 _Euerwyke_ the towne.

12.

To lande I came, and did menace my brother sore,[587]

But he an armie did with speede addresse,

Which mette me straight at th’entry on the shore,

Our battayles ioynd and fought with valiantnesse:

But I was put in th’end to such distresse,

To ships I flewe and tooke a fewe with me beside,

And hoysing sayles for hap to _Gallia_ strands I hyd.

13.

Ariued there, I trauayld 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 winne my noble kingdome or to wreacke the wrong

That I sustaynd, exilde from natiue soyle so long.

14.

When I had tolde the great mishaps I had

Vnto the Peeres of _Fraunce_, some ayde to craue,

I could obtaine no succour me to glad,

Nor men, munition, ships, ne vitayles haue:

I gate me thence to Duke _Seginus_ graue,

Of _Prouence_ then the Prince renowmed noble farre,

For prudence prompt in peace and wisdom great in warre.

15.

This worthie Duke receiued me with ioy,

(For of afflicted wights he had remorce)

He hearde me oft declare the great anoy

That I had felte, and of my brother’s force:

Howe _Guthlacke_ did my wife and me diuorce,

The broyles at Sea, the toyles I taken had at land,

Which neuer coulde the face of Fortune’s foyle withstand.

16.

Thou _Britayne_ 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 perceyue what fauour I thee owe;

’Tis Fortune’s vse t’exalte and ouerthrow;

My counsayle then is this expect her grace a while,

Till where she frownes she turne her frendly face and smile.

17.

So in his court he did me intertayne,

Where long I liu’d and bare my selfe full well:

Some times to play the captaine I was fayne,

To winne some praise as causes did compell,

For when his subiects eyther did rebell,

Or confines made inroads to spoyle or pray his land,

Then I was one that had the charge to take the warres in

hand.[588]

18.

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 trye,

Experience taught me what I vndertooke:

No payne, no toyle, nor daunger I forsooke,

That might content the noble Duke of _Sauoy’s_ minde,

Whose bountie me to honour him and serue his grace did

bind.[589]

19.

In peacefull 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 coulde both hunt and hawke, and court it braue:

Eke Fortunes past had made me sage and graue,

More heedy all attemptes to prosecute with skill,

Rash hastie men (by proofe I found) incurre the greatest

ill.[590]

20.

When Duke _Seginus_ sawe my humble harte,

A regall _Britayne_ Prince, of royall bloude,

How I employde my selfe and all my arte,

Mine actiue feates with grace and prowes good,

To serue and quayle his foes that him withstoode,

He gaue his daughter rich to me, a peerles [princely] dame,

His only heyre, and Dukedome[591] after him to guide the

same.

21.

By her (when hee was deade) I _Sauoye_ had,

A countrey fertile famous for the soyle;

With liberall giftes the souldiers hartes I glad,

To winne the restes good will I tooke some toyle,

By banquets, iewels, giftes, or warlike broyle:

Stil vsing all the meanes t’obeysaunce them to moue,

Eke all the wayes that might allure them me to loue.

22.

And settled so in honour greate at rest,

Without the feare of forayne foes, or nye:

I mused what for _Britayne_ warres was best,

Which way I might agayne my quarell trye:

Such restles heades haue they that sitte on hye!

O poore estate, how blest were thou that sitste below,

How happy, safe and sure, if thou thy state couldst know.

23.

A councill called for the same intent,

I told the Lordes my purpose for the warre,

How I to haue my kingdome here was bent,

They all agreed to levy nere and farre,

Such souldiers good and captaynes stoute that were,

They offered seruice eke themselues to fare with mee,

To winne the crowne by sworde or els reuenged bee.

24.

Concluding thus, a powre prouided was,

Munition good, and vitayles, shipping strong,

On voyage so with hoysed sayles wee passe,

Wee cut the seas and came apace along

To _Britayne_ shores in hope to wrecke the wrong

That oft before was done, or winne the land agayne

Whence whilome twice I was to fly with daunger fayne.

25.

When wee were landed here, I herolds sent

To claime my Kingdome at his hands, my right,

I had them, if hee were not so content,

To sound defiaunce, fyre, and sword, and fight:

But of my message hee esteemed light,

Hee brought an army strong, apointed was the day

Of battayle, then to try who beares the Crowne away.

26.

This when our mother sawe _Corwenna_ wise,

That mortall warres wee wadge for Kingdome sake

Shee with her selfe did many wayes deuise,

A peace betweene her Martiall sonnes to make,

And with the Lords full oft did counsaile take,

Yet all in vaine: there could no parle of peace preuayle,

But on wee marcht agreed each other to assayle.

27.

The feeldes once pight and time of battaile comme,

In place where should bee tryde this quarell sad,

In armour eke the souldiers all and somme,

With all the force that might so soone bee had,

We captaynes vsing speach our men to glad,

T’incourage them with promise proud of lasting fame:

Tweene th’armies both _Corwenna_ stood that noble dame.

And thus shee spake:

28.

“O out, ahlas! my sonnes, what meanes this broyle?

Will you in feelde 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 _Britayne_ hold you brethren twaine,

But needes by one of you his brother must bee slaine?

29.

“Cannot the feare of _Ioue’s_ immortall hate,

Your mother’s teares, nor woefull wailings moue?

Nor naked brests you suckte your malice slacke?

Nor cause t’imbrace the sacred lore of loue?

O euerlasting _Ioue_ that liu’st aboue!

Then I protest ere you doe fight the feelde this day,

You shall in field (vngratefull sonnes) your woefull mother slay.

30.

“Betweene you both you shall bereaue my life,

What woes (my sonnes) aliue shall I sustaine,

When I shall after this ambitious strife,

So many see of both your subiects slaine,

And you with brothers bloud your swords distayne,

I shall (I say) in th’end of fight take woefull vewe,

Of that my sonne, which this my sonne his [noble] brother slewe.

31.

“O rather now, my sonnes, leaue of to iar,

Lay weapons both aside take truce a while,

If you doe loue to spend your time in war,

Destroy not here at home your natiue Ile,

The present cause and quarell is to vile

Joyne friendly both your armies fayth, and firme the same

To take some conquest great in hand of [euer]lasting fame.

32.

“Therein you may with greater honour deale,

By this defame you shall[592] your selfes for aye:

Thereby you may enlarge your publique weale,

By this your selues and it shall quite decay:

Thereby you shall mine age with honour stay,

Thereby you shal [in warres] most like your noble father bee,

Which ere he wan[593] the crowne did conquere [Kings and]

kingdoms three.

33.

“Once for my sake then ioyne yet handes agayne,

Let mee enioy once both before I die,

I would to see you frends my sonnes bee faine,

And hope I haue you will not this denie,

I aske a thing shall neuer hurte perdy,

For if you now surcease [embrace,] and loue as brethren well,

Then all the world of this your [peace and] concord aye shall

tell.”

34.

And turneing then to mee, thus wise shee sayd:

“Thou knowst, my sonne, how twice thou hast bene foylde,

Thou twice to scape with life wast well apayde,

And since full farre to countryes straunge hast toyld:

If now thou shouldst of life and all bee spoilde,

(When liue thou maiste in Princely sort with peerelesse ioy)

What tong can tell thy mother’s griefe and great anoy.

35.

“I heare thou hast in _Fraunce_ a Dukedoome good,

Of subiects good thou hast an armie here,

Thou hast a wife that came of noble blood,

Thou need’st at home no foes at all to feare:

What mean’st thou then such mortall hate to beare

Against my sonne, thy brother here, which gaue to thee

His kingdome halfe, the noble land of _Albany_?

36.

“Sith thine ambition first procur’d the strife,

Which didst in armour rise against thy King,

Against thy brother lou’d thee more then life

Thou didst thy subiects his against him bring,

Think’st thou it was a wise or worthie thing?

If not, thou hast good cause thy treason all confesse,

And though he draue thee out therefore, to loue him ne’re

the lesse.

37.

“Thou shalt therefore submitte thy selfe to mee,

And take a truce a peace I will conclude,

Thy brother eke shall so contented bee,

No quarels olde shall be againe renewde,

These broiles haue oft my cheeks with teares bedewde,

My heart is rent, my hope bereau’d, my ioyes are gone,

My life is lost if you conioyne not [frendships] both in

one.”

38.

Then turning vnto _Belinus_ she spake:

“My noble sonne (quoth shee) thou twice hast quaylde

Thy brother’s power, and mad’st him twice forsake

His natiue land, which I haue oft bewaylde:

What though thou haue so oft before preuaylde,

Think’st thou againe the thirde time eke to winne the feelde?

Or art thou sure to slay my sonne, or force thy foes to

yeelde.[594]

39.

“What glory canst thou get thereby in th’end?

Will not the worlde of your foule slaughters tell?

Will not they all that liue, still discommend

The man that did his owne deare brother quell?

_Mempricius_ shamefull actes are knowne too well,

And _Porrex_, _Britayns_ both their noble brethren slew,

Confounded [shortly] after both examples good for you.

40.

“Nowe further this againe to both I say,

Doe not you rue these noble souldiers good?

Doe not you see how many you shall slay?

Haue you no care to shed their guiltlesse blood?

The state of tyraunts neuer stable stoode,

By bloudshed they doe founde, bace, builde, and prop their

state,

Raigne, liue and dye despisde, and heape themselues eternall

hate.[595]

41.

“You noble men, in briefe I speake to you,

And vnto all the Captains of your bands,

And eke to all you souldiers good and true,

Which haue the sway of bloudshed in your hands:

Consider well the state of both our lands:

You shall decrease your force, by ciuile discord, warres and

strife,

Distaine your blods, defame your selues, and reaue

_Cornwenna’s_ life.[596]

42.

“Then if that eyther _Ioue’s_ immortall ire,

(Which euer hated slaughters such as these)

Or feare of _Plutoe’s_ euerlasting fire,

Or daungers threatned both by land and seas,

Or mother’s minde (which both you ought to please)

Or countries loue, or sacred peace (which al are bound

t’imbrace)

May ought perswade, let my requests among you all haue

place.[597]

43.

“If not, loe here my naked breast, (quoth shee)

Which once you both did sucke in tender age,

Let both your swords in these first bathed bee,

Perhaps this slaughter shall your thirsts aswage:

It shall be counted euen as small outrage

To slay your mother pleading for your peace,

As wadge the wars which gods and men and nature wils

to cease.”[598]

44.

Much more she sayde which were too long to tell:

And proffered foorth to swordes her naked brest,

But when wee both considered had full well

Her woefull teares, her wise and graue request,

They so to peace our hautie hearts addrest,

We layde our weapons downe: we met, imbrac’st and kist,

More ioy in both the armies was then erst in wars I

wist.[599]

45.

We ioyned hands, our captaynes did the like,

And eke the souldiers linked all in loue,

There was not one that did our truce mislike,

Our peace did all to ioy and maruaile moue,

With many triumphes feates of armes we proue,

Our subiects all reioyce, in songs we sound _Cornewenna’s_

prayse,

Her fame to skies aloft with many showtes and cryes they

rayse.

46.

The _Galles_ and _Senons_ then supposing me

In _Britayne_ from my Dukedome hard at fight,

Thought great occasion offred them to be,

And set themselues in armes and order right:

My subiects eke of _Sauoy_ day and night

They did entice, perswade, solicite and constrayne,

To chuse another Duke at home with them to raigne.

47.

Whereof when I heard tell in _Britayne_ Isle,

Eke when my brother _Beline_ thereof knewe,

We layde aside our sports and playes a while,

And of our souldiers tooke a muster newe:

Of both our hoasts we chose a noble crewe:

We past the seas, as brethren ought, in concord knit,

And both our force in one to conquere _Fraunce_ we fit.

48.

Without resistance much we spoil’d the land

At th’entry in, and after many fights

We conquer’d all the Realme, my foes we fand,

Which were in armes stout, valiant, noble wights.

By sword they fell or flewe before our sights.

The _Germains_ force likewise that did them succour send,

We made to fall therefore and to our scepters bend.

49.

Three hundred thousand we in armour had,

An armie great renownde _Europa_ through:

The Kings and Princes of our peace were glad,

We were in fight so puissant fearce and rough,

Munition, vitayles, money eke enough,

We had of tributes store, of dueties in that came,

Through all the world of _Brenne_ and _Beline_ flew the fame.

50.

To vs came souldiers out of many parts,

And captaynes worthy for the fame of warre,

Of fearce _Bellona_ braue wee had the arts,

Whereof wee wanne the praise both neare and farre:

But not with this wee so contented arr,

As _Hercules_ to scale the _Alpes_ did first contend,

So wee agayne (a worke of toyle) the cloudy _Alpes_ ascend.

51.

Great mountaynes, craggy, high, that touch the skies,

Full steepe to climbe vnto, and penshot all,

The Seas allow doe rore, and foggy vapours rise,

And from the hills great streames of waters fall,

The pathes so strickte to passe the speede is small:[600]

The ise, snowe, cold, clouds, rombling stormes, and sights

aboue,

Are able constant harts with doubtfull feare to moue.

52.

For as you goe sometimes y’ar fayne to reatch,

And hang by handes, to wend aloft the way,

And then on buttockes downe an other breatch,

With elbowes and with heeles your selfe to stay,

Downe vnder well behold the streames you may,

And waters wilde which from the mountaynes faling flow:

Ore head the rockes hang down whence riuers rore of melting

snow.[601]

53.

When wee these _Alpes_ had past with daungers greate,

To _Clusium_ towne in _Tuscane_ land wee came:

They, as wee did prouide our forage vitayles meate,[602]

Did issue out [in armes] to intercept the same:

Ambassage to the _Romaines_ eke they frame,

Desiring aide against the _Galles_ (so vs they counted

theere)

Because I was of _Fraunce_ and _Frenchmen_ in our armies

were.[603]

54.

The _Romaines_ then, because that our successe

Reported was to them in warres before,

Euen for their owne safegard could doe no lesse,

But aide their neighbours now at neede the more:

To parle they sent for peace ambassadours therefore,

Wee aunswerde wee desirde but space wherein to [bide and]

dwell,

Because our peopled Countrye could not now contayne vs

well.[604]

55.

But they forgetting quite of armes the lawe

Did arme them selues, ambassadours full stoute,

With _Clusians_ came to bring vs all in awe,

Without respect of any further doute:

Whereon the seige from _Clusium_ walles aboute

Wee raysed strayght, in speede alarme at _Rome_ wee cry,

There to reuenge th’ambassadours outrage and iniury.[605]

56.

Yet first wee thought it best ambassage send,

To haue truce breakers such deliuered vs,

By lawe of armes as ought no weapons wend,

And yet against the lawes came armed thus:

They sayd wee were a people barbarous,

They neither punishe would nor yeeld those _Romaines_ good,

But honour them, they came of _Fabius_ noble bloud.

57.

Full swiftely on wee marched then in haste,

And towardes _Rome_ with all our powre wee hyde;

At _Alia_ floud gan forty thousand taste

Of _Romaines_ that vs met what might betyde:

Wee slewe them fast, the rest durst not abide,

Wee had the spoyle, to _Rome_ wee came, the Citye wee

possesse:[606]

A thousand waight of gold [wee make] the _Romaines_ pay[607]

for peace.

58.

_Pannonia_ eke with broiles of warres wee tame,

And many yeares wee kept them vnder yoke,

The Princes all about that herde our noble fame

Desired peace with vs, before wee came to stroke:[608]

Wee _Britaynes_ made _Europa_ all to smoke:

To part our armies then in twayne wee tooke [at all]

no doubte,

And seuerall conquests tooke in hand as [valiaunt]

captaines stoute.

59.

To _Macedony Beline_ tooke the way,

Where raigned _Ptolome_ the tyraunt fell,

Which did his sisters sonnes vniustly slay

Before their mother’s face, and her expell,

_Arsinoe_, that vsde him earst so well,

Yea, though before the Gods[609] hee sware to take her

to his wife,

And loue her sonnes, [hee her expeld,] and them[610]

bereft of life.

60.

Euen so that wicked king at first refusde

To purchase peace with price, or hostage sende,

That had before the fayth of Gods abusde,

Was destinate to haue a naughty ende:

Let Princes well beware what they pretende,

For who for kingdomes sake breakes fayth, and murders foule

commits,[611]

Let him bee[612] sure to [haue a] fall on slipery throne

hee sits.

61.

Our custome was that time to send each where

Our Herouldes offering peace for tribute golde,

But _Ptolome_ to _Beline_ bad him message beare,

Conditions take of peace ne tribute[613] pay hee woulde,

Ne frendship would admit[614] (as hee the herouldes tolde)

Except the enmies layde downe weapons, them submit,

No truce with them, no peace there were, nor no agreement

fit.[615]

62.

King _Beline_ smilde to heare the heedelesse King,

Rash witted so selfe wild, and after this

The _Dardanes_ offered twenty thousand bring

Of souldiers armde for ayde, to ioyne with his:

Quoth _Ptolome_, now lost[616] all _Macedony_ is,

Yf we once conquerde [all the East] by _Alexander’s_ hande,

Neede we the _Dardanes_ ayde these straungers to withstande?

63.

Wee haue (quoth hee) some souldiers, sonnes of those

Which serude in pay with them that vanquisht all,

And for our selues wee nothing feare our foes,

Although our army seeme to _Dardane_ smalle:

This when th’ambassadours related all

To good king _Dardane_: Then this noble realme (quoth hee)

By this yong princox pryde will all be lost and conquerde

bee.[617]

64.

With that alarme they crye, and armies ioyne,

Where _Britaynes_ sley the _Macedonian_ crewe,

And haue for spoyle theyr vitayles, armour, coyne,

Tooke _Ptolomey_ theyr king and him they slewe.

His heade aboue the campe they beare for vewe

On speare, to make the rest of _Greekes_ in doubt to stand,

Before they enterprice to take such [woefull] wars in hand.

65.

One this the fame of _Britaynes_ far was spred,

All _Macedony_ held theyr countrey spoylde

To _Alexander_ (erst theyr armies led)

And vnto _Philip_, Princes neuer foylde,

As vnto Gods they cry in warres tormoylde:

O helpe (quoth they) our countrey falls, and we are [all]

vndonne,

Without your aydes whose noble actes erst all the world

haue won.[618]

66.

But _Sosthenes_, a worthy _Macedonian_ stoute,

When as the _Britaynes_ bathed in theyr blisse,

Gate vnto him a warlike worthy route

And set agayne on _Beline_ there; and his

Put him to foyle, for all his worthynes

Wheron when as the souldiers would haue made him all theyr

roye:

By captaynes name hee tooke theyr oth theyr enmies to

distroye.[619]

67.

When this in _Greece_ I herde, and theyr successe,

First of the feelde they wonne, and folly then

Enrichte with spoyles, giuen all to idlenes

Which were before approued valiaunt men:

I sounde retracte and backwardes gate agen,

With seuen score and ten thousand footemen for the fight,

And fifteene thousand horsemen good of manhoode and of

might.[620]

68.

With these apoynted well my frends to ayde

The _Britaynes_ good, and _Beline_ in that case,

To _Macedone_ I marcht, with souldiers well apayde,

Both for my brother’s sake and riches of the place:

Whereto when as wee came, in litle space

We wan the feelde, we tooke the spoyles of all the land at

will,[621]

In pleasures plungde we had of wealth, [renowne,] and fame,

our fill.[622]

69.

So I that had all _Macedoyne_ in awe,

With spoyle of mortall men was not content,

I past not of these conquests all a strawe,

The temples of the gods to spoile I ment,

And towards _Delphos_ with mine army went:

Whereas on hyghe the temple[623] stoode most glorious to

beholde,

And god _Apollo’s_ shrine enrichte with mighty masse of

gold.[624]

70.

The riche and welthy gods (quoth I) may lende

To mortall men some of theyr treasures great,

They haue no neede thereof for to dispende

For clothing, vitayles, armour, drinke or meate:[625]

But yet wee must therefore theyr priests intreate,

There is enough for them, [and vs,] and many moe beside,

Of offerings greate from Princes brought of all the world

so wide.[626]

71.

This _Delphos_ is on mount _Parnasus_ fayre,

In _Greece_, wel fenst with rising rockes about,

By nature plaest aloft in pleasaunt ayre,

So high to scale they neede no enmies doubt,[627]

No watch, no warde they keepe the walles about:

So strong steepe pendent are the rockes whereon it

[stately] stands,

As not the like could euer yet be made[628] With

mortall hands.

72.

When in this city shoutes aloude they make,

Or when the trompets sounde therein is herde,

The _Ecchoes_ shrill so cause the skies to shake,

That straungers staring stand and muse afferde:

The wordes and tunes resounde agayne so harde,

So often times aboute from euery rocke so playne,

As if to one that cryde a thousand cryde[629] to him agayne.

73.

This made the men that came from farre to maze,

To maruayle much, to feare and wonder still,

And at the syte thereof to stare and gaze,

Deuising ofte the stately high and mighty hill,

A building founded first by heauenly skill,

In citye [fayrely] builte and costly grande with worke

of hande,

_Apolloe’s_ temple highe [to heauen] aboue the rest

doth stande.

74.

’Tis rownde theater wise so braue within,

And large aloft without, pendant vpright,

So high it seemes impossible to winne,

With comely forme the gazers to delight,

The maiesty whereof [(I weene)] did them inuite

That chose that seate, to dedicate a temple[630] in the same,

Whereof for Oracles was spred through all the world the

fame.[631]

75.

Amidste the height of this _Parnasus_ mount,

A turning wey there is, and in the playne

A denne through rockes for deepenesse doth surmount,

And turning vaults far in, whence aunsweres vayne

The priests receiue from sprits to tell agayne

When any come for counsayle there of things to [come to]

knowe:

Th’insensate priests the aunsweres of deluding sprits doe

showe.[632]

76.

Wherefore the Kings and peoples offerings brought,

From all the world and coasts of nations far

Which many gifts of gold and siluer wrought,

The statures of the Gods and iewells rich there wer.[633]

To _Delphos_ all they runne in any doubte which ar,[634]

This was the madnesse tho[635] that mortall men bewicht

Whereby _Apolloe’s_ temple was and _Delphos_ so inricht.[636]

77.

Low nowe [in fewe,] I tell at _Delphos_ what I did,

For towardes it as with my mates I went,

Them bee of courage good and nothing feare I bid,[637]

I told them, with the spoile,[638] them to reward I ment:

But now I askte how they would giue consent

The captaynes _Euridane_ and _Thessalone_ companions in the

pray,[639]

Where it were good [straight now] to scale, or else a while

to stay.

78.

The Captaynes counsaile was alarme [at once] to call,

Before the _Græcians_ were prouided for defence,[640]

And straight to scale with skill the mighty wall,

Before the city knewe of our pretence:

The souldiers stout abroad encamped thence,

And sayd they must refreshe their weried limmes a space,

Vnable else to scale, or meete their enmyes in the face.[641]

79.

The _Græcians_ them commaunde that dwelt by hip

In villages, to make[642] no spare of wine:

The _Britayne_ souldiers fell thereon to sip,

Forgate their feats of warre and playd the swine,

Against their captaynes eke they gan repine:

So that full long it was or wee could them perswade

To flye from _Bacchus_ bouthes, and fall agayne to blade.

80.

Of souldiers thousands sixty fiue I had,

But of our enmies fourteene[643] thousand were

The stately towne they see their harts to glad,

I bad them not at all to stand in [doubt or] feare:

Behold (quoth I) what doth in sight [aloft] appeare,

Those charets glittering braue and statures stout in

founded gold[644]

Of sollid masse, more [weighty] riche then glorious

to behold.

81.

For on the Temple stoode a sort of golden[645] shapes,

And in the walles thereof their pictures shone,

Not one of these (quoth I) the _Britaynes_ scapes,

Wee souldiers shall possesse them euery one,

Let vs therefore not linger here vpon,

But geue th’assaulte for here in hand wee haue for spoiles

a peece,[646]

In price of gold, [of perle] and gemmes surmounts the wealth

of _Greece_.[647]

82.

Wee haue or this the wealth of men possest

(Yet worthy Princes all) of mortall men,

But here the treasures of the Gods are prest

To looke for vs, shall wee refuse them then?

Wee shall not so bee profered ofte agen

Within the walles hereof are greater [offerings] farre

by odds,

Th’attyre, crownes, scepters, statures, plate and garnish

of the Gods.

83.

Wee sound Alarme th’assaute the rockes assayes,

Our souldiers brainesicke heedelesse vp ascend,

The _Delphos_ men had fenste the easiest wayes,

So that against the rockes our force wee bend:

With stones the scaleing _Britaynes_ downe they hend,

An earthquake eke by vowes [and cries] the sacrificers reare,

Which on my souldiers downe [to fall] a mighty rocke did teare.

84.

The ground did shake, and rent, and tempests rise,

The haylestones mighty fall, the thunders rore

The lightnings flasheing dazled all our eyes,

The _Britaynes_ from th’assaute were ouer bore,[648]

My souldiers slayne discomfit mee before,

And I sore wounded, foule amazde, orecome with [toile and]

smart,

T’escape the _Greekishe_ sword [and shame] did perce my selfe

to th’harte.[649]

85.

You noble captaynes now that know my facts,

Learne valiauntly in warres the sword to wend,

Let fame extoll your wise and warlike acts,

And let report your fortitude commend:

But let your warfares haue a wiser end,

And let what _Bochas_ writes and _Higgins_ here doth pen,

As myrours shew what good[650] wee gate, to warre with

_Delphos_ men.

LENUOY.

Great ruth that such a noble conqueroure,

Should haue so hard and infamous an end,

Which of the worlde might haue bene Emperour,

If all be true that storyes him commend:

But where is Fortune permanent a frend?

Shee blyndely baytes and bathes her Impes in blisse,

Who trustes her still I count ill fortune his.

_Galerius_ and _Florianus_ stoute,

And _Iulian_ of _Rome_ the Emperours,

And _Diocesiane_ of _Constantine_ in doubte,

Though in their times full worthy warriours,

So counted often noble conquerours,

They slewe themselues, abated from their blisse:

Which who so doth I count ill fortune his.

_Cordila_ slewe her selfe in prison pent,

And _Dido_ for _Æneas_ flight away,

That _Iudas_ which betrayde the innocent,

And _Pontius Pilate_ wrought their owne decay:

What neede I here on desperate captiues staye?

Sith who so bathes in flickering Fortune’s blisse,

Without God’s grace I count ill fortune his.

The warres haue prosperde well with Princes oft,

Yet best with such who vertue sought alone,

The rest, which onely werde to wende aloft,

Were euer foylde confounded by their fone:

But here I cease, the next full woe begone,

With rented corps appeard deuoyde of blisse;

Recounting thus that haplesse ende of his.

How King Kimarvs was deuoured by wilde beastes

the yeere before Christ 321.

No place commendes the man vnworthie prayse.

No title of estate[651] doth stay vp vices fall,

No wicked wight to woe can make delayes,

No loftie lookes preserue the proud at all,

No brags or boast, no stature high and tall,

No lustie[652] youth, no swearing staring stout,

No brauery, banding, cogging, cutting out.

Then what auayles to haue a Princely place,

A name of honour or an high degree,

To come by kinred of a noble race?

Except we princely, worthie, noble be!

The fruite declares the goodnes of the tree,

Do brag no more of birth or linage than,

For vertue,[653] grace, and manners make the man.

My selfe might bragge, and first of all begin,

_Mulmucius_ made and constituted lawes,

And _Belinus_ and _Brenne_ his sonnes did win

Such prayse, their names to be immortall cause.[654]

_Gurgunstus Readbeard_ with his sober sawes,

The sonne of _Beline_ and my Grandsyre grand,

Was fortunate what ere he tooke in hand.

His sonne my grandsire _Guintheline_ did passe

For vertue’s praise, and _Martia_ was his wife,

A noble Queene that wise and learned was,

And gaue her selfe to study all her life,

Deuising lawes, discust the ends of strife

Amongst the _Britaynes_ to her endlesse fame:

Her statutes had of _Martian_ lawes the name.[655]

My father eke was sober, sage, and wise,

_Cicilius_ hight, King _Guintheline_ his sonne,

Of noble Princes then my stocke did rise,

And of a Prince of _Cornwall_ first begonne:

But what thereby of glory haue I wonne?

Can this suffice to aunswere eke for mee,

I came by parents of an high degree?

Or shall I say, I was forsooth the King?[656]

Then might I liue as lewdely as I lust,

No sure, I cannot so auoide the sting

Of shame that prickes such Princes are vniust.

Wee rather should vnto our vertues trust,

For vertue of the auncient bloud or kinne,

Doth onely praise the parties shee’s within.[657]

And nobles onely borne (of this bee sure)

Without the vertues of their noble race,

Doe quite and cleane themselues thereby obscure,

And their renowne and dignities deface:

They doe their birth and linage all deface,

For why, in deede they euer ought so well

In vertues graue, as titles braue excell.

But oft (God wot) they fare as erst did I,

They thinke if once they come of Princely stocke,

Then are they placed safe and sure, so hie

Aboue the rest, as founded on a rocke:

Of wise mens warnings all they make a mocke:

They counsayles graue as abiect reedes despise,

And count the braue men gratious, worthy, wise.

This kingdome came to mee by due discent,

For why my father was before mee King,

But I to pleasure all and lust was bent,

I neuer reckte of Iustice any thing,

What purpose I did meane to passe to bring,[658]

That same t’accomplish I with all my might

Endeuourde euer, were it wrong or right.

10.

I deemde the greatest ioyes in earthly hap,

I thought my pleasures euer would abide,

I seemde to sit in Lady Fortune’s lap,

I reckte not all the world mee thought beside:

I did by lust my selfe and others guide,

Whereby the fates to worke my bane withall,

And cut mee of, thus wise procurde my fall.

11.

As I was alwayes bent to hunting still,

(Yet hunting was no vice to those I had)

When I three yeares had ruld this Realme at will,

In chace a chaunce did make my heart ful sad:

Wilde cruell beasts as desperate and mad

Turnde backe on mee, as I them brought to bay,

And in their rage my sinfull corps did slay.[659]

12.

A iust reward for so vniust a life,

No worse a death then I deserued yore,

Such wrecks in th’end to wretches all are rife,

Who may and will not call for grace before:

My wilfull deedes were nought, what wilt thou more?

For wanton wildenesse, witlesse, hedelesse toyes

The brutishe beasts bereaude mee of my ioyes.[660]

LENUOY.

By this appeares that time in _Britayne_ were

Aboundant store of wolues, and vices rife:

_Mempricius_ tale the like doth witnesse beare,

And so doth _Madan’s_ mangled end of life:

These though they scaped stout _Bellonae’s_ knife,

Yet in the end for vices foule they fell

By Wolues deuourde, mine Author so doth tell.

The glory vaine that fades and flits away,

Makes men so blinde, they looke not on the end:

Allurde to losse, on earthly pompe they stay,

But fewe to scale the vertue towres contend:

Fewe seeke, by Christ, the heauenly way to wend;

The onely causes why these Princes fell,

Are vices vile, as auncient authors tell.

Next after this, on stage a Prince appearde,

With slimye glere, and bloud beraide that came,

In hand a dagger drawne his foe that dearde

Hee bare perdy, and showde mee eke the same:

And thus his tale in order hee did frame

As shall ensue, so hee mee thought did tell

How hee was slaine, and slewe a monster fell.

How King Morindus was deuoured by a monster, the

yeare before Christ, 303.

Let mee likewise declare my facts and fall,

And eke recite what means this slimy glere!

You neede not faine so quaynte a looke at all,

Although I seeme so fulsome euery where:

This blade in bloudy hand, perdy, I beare,[661]

And all his gore bemingled with this glue,

In witnes I my deadly enmy slewe.[662]

Then marke my tale, beware of rashnes vile,

I am _Morindus_ once was _Britayne_ King,

On whom did sweetely[663] Lady Fortune smile,

Till shee mee to her top of towres did bring:[664]

My fame both farre and neare shee made to ring,

And eke my praise exalted so to skye,

In all my time more famous none then I.

Some say I was by birth a bastard bace,

Begotten of the Prince his concubine,

But what I was declared well my grace,

My fortitude and stature Princely mine.

My father eke that came of Princely lyne,

King _Danius_ gaue not so bace degree,

Nor yet the noble _Britaynes_ vnto mee.

For feats of armes and warlike poynts I past,

In courage stoute there liu’de not then my peere,

I made them all that knewe my name agaste,

And heard how great my enterprices were,

To shrinke, and slinke, and shift aside for feare:

All which at length did mee such glory bring,

My father dead, the _Britaynes_ made mee King.

But see how blinde wee are, when Fortune smiles,

How senceles wee when dignities increase,

Wee euer vse our selues discretely whiles

Wee litle haue, and loue to liue in peace:

Smale fauters facts with mercy wee release:[665]

Wee vse no rigoure, rancoure, rapine, such

As after when wee haue our willes to much.

For while that I a subiect was, no King,

While I had nothing but my facts alone:

I studied still in euery kinde of thing

To serue my prince, and vnderfang his fone:

To vse his subiects friendly euerychone,

And for them all aduentures such to take,

As might them all my person fauoure make.

But when I once attained had the Crowne,

I waxed cruell tyranous and fell,

I had no longer minde of my renowne,

I vsde my selfe to ill, the trueth to tell:

O bace degree in happie case full well!

Which art not puft with pride, vaineglory, hate

But art beneath content to bide thy fate.

For I aloft, when once my heate was in,

Not rain’d by reason ruled all by might,

Ne prudence reckt, right, strength, or meane a pin,

But with my friendes in anger all would fight,

I strooke, kilde, slewe who euer were in sight,

Without respect, remorce, reproufe, regard,

And like a madde man in my fury far’d,

I deemde my might and fortitude was such,

That I was able thereby conquere all,

High kingdome’s seate encreast my pompe so much,

My pryde me thought impossible to fall:

But God confoundes our proude deuices all,

And brings that thing wherein we most doe trust,

To our destruction by his iudgement iust.

10.

For when three yeares I ruled had this Ile,

Without all rule as was my rulesse life,[666]

The rumour ranne abroade within a while,

And chiefly in the Norwest Countrey rife,

A monster came from _Th’irish_ seas, brought griefe

To all my subiectes, in those coastes did dwell,

Deuouring man and beast, a monster fell.

11.

Which when I knewe for trueth, I straight prepard

In warlike wise my selfe to trye the case,

My haste thereto a courage bold declard,

For I alone would enter in the place:

At which,[667] with speare on horse I fet my race,

But on his scales it enter could no more,

Then might a bulrush on a brasen dore.

12.

Agayne I prou’d yet, nought at all preuaylde,

To breake my speare and not to pearce his syde:

With that the roring monster me assaylde,

So terrifide my horse I coulde not ride,

Wherewith I lighted, and with sworde I tride

By strokes and thrustes to finde some open in,

But of my fight hee neuer past a pin.[668]

13.

And when I weried was and spent with fight,

That kept my selfe with heede his daunger fro,

As last almost ashamde I wanted might,

And skil to worke the beastly monster wo,

I gate me nerer with my sworde him to,

And thought his flankes or vnder partes to wounde,

Yf there for scales[669] might any place bee founde.

14.

But frustrate of my purpose, finding none,

And eke within his daunger entring quite,

The grizely beast straight seasoned[670] mee vpon,

And let his talauntes on my corpes to light,

Hee gript my shoulders, not resist I might,

And roaring with a greedy rauening looke,

At once in iawes my body whole hee tooke.

15.

The way was large, and downe he drewe mee in,

A monstrous paunche for rowmth, and wondrous wide,

But (for I felt more softer there the skinne)

At once I drewe a dagger by my side:

I knewe my life no longer coulde abide,

For rammish stench, bloude, poyson, slimy glere,

That in his body so aboundant were.

16.

Wherefore I labouring to procure his death,

While first my dagger digde aboute his harte,

His force to cast mee welnigh drewe my breath,

But as hee felt within his woundes to smarte,

I ioyde to feele the mighty monster starte,

That roard, and belcht, and groande, and plungde, and cryde,

And tost mee vp and downe from syde to syde.

17.

Long so in panges hee plungde and panting lay,

And drewe his wynde so fast with such a powre,

That quite and cleane hee drewe my breath away,

Wee both were deade well nigh within an howre.

Lo thus one beastly monster did deuoure

An other monster moodeles to his[671] payne:

At once the realme was rid of monsters twayne.[672]

18.

Here mayst thou see of fortitude the hap,

Where prudence, iustice, temperaunce hath no place,

How sodaynly wee taken are in trap,

When wee dispise good vertues to embrace,

Intemperaunce doth all our deedes deface,

And letts vs heedeles headlong run so fast,

Wee seeke our owne destruction at the last.

19.

For hee that hath of fortitude and might,

And thereto hath a kingdom ioynde withall,

Except hee also guide him selfe aright,

His powre and strength preuayleth him but small,

Hee cannot scape at length an haples fall:

You may perceiue a myrrour playne by me,

Which may with wisdome well sufficient bee.[673]

LENUOY.

Wee reade the valiaunt actes of _Hercules_,

His mighty labours all and woefull end,

But _Samson’s_ conquests of his enemies,

The holy histories to vs commend.

Yet who so shal on fortitude depend,

Still trusting to obtayne the victory,

Let him beholde _Morindus’_ history.

Or of the death of _Theseus_ they tell,

The fall of _Brennus_ and his woefull end,

Though hee in force and powre bee nere so fell,

Hee cannot still on fortitude depend:

Tis vertue sole that all the wise commend:

Shee still obtaynes for aye the victory,

By true reporte of euery history.

Strength, beauty, wealth, facts, fauoure, fearcenesse fell,

All earthly pleasures feele a paynefull end,

Then happy thrice is hee (the truth to tell)

That onely can on heauenly powre depend:

But now I must to you the next commend,

In blacke, mee thought, appearing mournefully,

Declaring thus his woefull misery.

How King Emerianus for his tirany was deposed,

about the yeare before Christ, 235.[674]

The wofull wight that fell from throne to thrall,

The wretch that woue the web wherein hee goes,

A dolefull blacke bad weede still weare hee shall

In woefull sorte, and nothing blame his foes:

What neede such one at all his name disclose?

Except the haplesse rest of _Britaynes_ should,[675]

Not here for shame recite his name hee would.

I am _Emeriane_ King that raignde a space,

Scarce all one yeare,[676] in _Britayne_ Isle long sence,

But for I was in maners voide of grace,

Ferce, tyranous, and full of negligence,

Bloud thirsty, cruell, vaine, deuoide of sence;

The _Britaynes_ mee deposde, from seat and crowne,

And reaude mee quite of riches and renowne.

I was despisde and banisht from my blisse,

Discountnaunste, fayne to hide my selfe for shame:

What neede I longer stand to tell thee this?

My selfe was for my woefull fall to blame:

My raygne was short, in fewe my fall I frame,

My life was lothsome, soone like death that found,

Let this suffice a warning blaste to sound.

LENUOY.

The cause why here this Prince is briefe in talke

Is, for the stories scarce remembre such,

What neede I then with them more farder walke?

Sith this perhaps may seeme, is sayd to much,

I must but briefly these vnworthy tutch:

The next approaching pufte with dropsie wanne,

Thus wise, mee thought, his yexeing[677] tale beganne.

How King Chirinnus giuen to dronkennesse raygned

but one yeare. Hee died about the yeare

before Christ, 137.[678]

Though I my surfets haue not yet out slept,

Nor scarce with quiet browes begin my tale,

Let not my drousy talke bee ouer leapt,

For though my belching sent of wine or ale,

Although my face bee falloe, puft, and pale,

And legges with dropsy swell, and panche resound,

Yet let mee tell what vice did mee confound.

Perhaps thou thinkste so groase a blockhead blunt,

A sleepy swinishe head can nothing say:

The greatest heads and smalest eke were wont

To beare in them the finest wits away:

This thing is true thou canst it not denay,

And _Bacchus_ eke ensharps the wits of some:

_Fœcundi calices quem non fecere disertum?_

Yet sith long since both braynes and all were spent,

And this in place amongste my mates I speake,

I trust thou wilt bee here withall content,

Although in deede my wits of talke are weake:

So old a vessayle cannot chuse but leake,

A drousy nole[679] that lyes on drinke a sleepe so long,

May pardon craue, although his tongue trip twifold wrong.[680]

_Chirinnus_ was my name a _Britayne_ King,

But rulde short time, Sir _Bacchus_ was my let:

_Erinnys_[681] eke my sences so did swing,

That reason could no seat amongst them get:

Wherefore the truth I pray thee playnly set,

I gaue my selfe to surfets swilling wine,

And led my life much like a dronken swine.

Deseases grewe, distempraunce made mee swell,

My parched liuer lusted still for baste,

My tympane sounded like a taber well,

And nought but wine did like my greedy taste,

This vice and moe my life and mee defaste,

My face was blowne and blubd with dropsy wanne,

And legges more like a monster then a man.

So not in shape [and shewe] I onely altered was,

My dispositions chaunged mee[682] likewise,

For vices make a man [a bull,] a goate, an asse,

A swine or horse, (as Poets can comprise)

Transforming into beasts by sundry wise

Such men as keepe not onely shape of men,

But them mishapeth also now and then.

Wherefore let who so loues to liue long dayes

Without deseases, strong in youthfull state,

Beware of _Bacchus’_ booth which all betrayes,

The vayle of vices vayne, the hauen of hate,

The well of weake delightes, the brande of bate,

By which I loste my health, life, realme and fame,

[My wealth, my crowne, my scepter, sheelde and name:]

And only wan the shrowding sheete of shame.

LENUOY.

Of this bad vice who shall embrace the loue,

And not refraine him selfe there from by grace,

Let him bee sure it shall his sence remoue,

His beauty reaue, his facts and fame deface,

His wealth, strength, health, shall waste and were apace,

Hee cannot liue in health till hee bee olde,

Nor purchase health and sober fame againe with sowes[683]

of golde.

The Poets painted _Bacchus_ naked, bare,

Because hee doth all secrets deepe disclose,

In woemen’s weede because men feebled are,

Effeminate them selues to wine dispose,

Like wanton childe likewise they faine hee goes,

As dronkerds wanton were though nere so olde,

Not wonne to sage and sober life with sowes of golde.

But naked therefore I suppose hee’s faynde,

Because hee makes men naked, poore, and bare:

By him they waste away the wealth they gaynde,

And plunge them selues in seas of woefull care,

Or naked then of vertues all they are,

When they to _Bacchus_ bend, both yong and olde,

Not wonne to sage and sober life, with sowes of gold.

Who loues to liue a wise and godly life,

Let him refuse such naked gods to serue:

So shall he saue his fame auoyding strife,

And right report of all good men deserue.

But from my purpose lest I seeme to swerue:

There next me thought a Prince I did behold

Of vicious life, and thus his fates he did vnfold.

How King Varianvs gaue himselfe to the lustes of

the flesh, and dyed about the yeare

before Christ, 136.[684]

Where no good giftes haue place, nor beare the sway,

What are the men but wilful castaway?

Where gifts of grace doe garnish well the King,

There is no want, the land can lacke no thing:

The Court is stil well stor’d with noble [prudent] men,

In Townes and Cities Gouernours are graue:

[The lands are tild,] the common wealth doth prosper[685] then,

And wealth at will the Prince and people haue.

Perhaps you aske, what Prince is this appeares?

What meanes his talke in these our golden yeares?

A _Britayne_ Prince that _Varianus_ hight,

I helde some time the [crowne and] scepter here by right:

And though no neede there be in these your [golden] dayes

Of states to tell, or vertues good discriue,

Good counsayle yet may after stand[686] in stead alwayes,

When time agayne may vices olde reuiue.

If not: yet giue me leaue amongst the rest

Which felt the[687] fall, or had their deaths addrest:

My cause of fall let me likewise declare,

For falles the deathes of vicious Princes are:

They fal, when all good men reioyce to heare or see

That they short time enioyde their places hie,

For Princes which for [princely] vertues praysed bee,

By death arise extold, they scale the skie.

I will be short because it may suffice

That soone is sayde, to warne the sage and wise:

Or if that they no warning neede to haue,

This may perchaunce somewhat their labour saue

With yonger heads, that will[688] not heare their faultes

them tolde,

By such as would admonish them for loue:

When they my words and warnings here [of vice] beholde,

They may regarde and see their owne behoue.

About my time the Princes liu’de not long,

For all were giuen almost to vice and wrong:

My selfe voluptuous was abandond quite,

To take in fleshly lust my whole delite:

A pleasure vile, that drawes a man from [all good] thrifte

and grace,

Doth iust desires, and heauenly thoughtes expell:

Decayes the corps,[689] defiles the soule, [the factes]

and fame deface,

And bringes him downe to _Plutoe’s_ paynes of hell.

For this my sinne my subiectes hated mee,

Repining still my stayned life to see:

As when the Prince is wholy giuen to vice,

And holdes the lewder sort in greatest price,

The land decayes, disorder [sprouts and] springes abroade,

The worser sort do robbe, pille, polle, and spoyle,

The weaker are constraynd to[690] beare the greatest loade,

And leese the goodes for which [full sore] they erst did

toyle.

How can _Iehoua_ iust abide the wrong?

He will not suffer such haue scepter long.

As he did strike for sinfull life my seate,

And did me downe from royall kingdome beate,

So hath be done for aye, examples[691] are in stories rife,

No wicked wight can gouerne long in rest:

For eyther some [the like] bereaues him of his life,

Or downe his throne and kingdome is deprest.

Bid Princes then and noble Peeres the like delights detest.

There is no way the [iudgement high and] wrath of _Ioue_

to wrest.

LENUOY.

What should I longer on such Princes stay,

Whose factes vnworthie were to be enrolde:

The cause why thence I make more speede away,

Is for his sake, whose fame hath farre bene tolde,

That noble _Nennius’_ Duke, a captaine bolde,

Of royall bloud, to Prince and countrey kinde,

Whose fame a place aboue the skies shall finde.

When he the feates of armes had learned well,

And coulde encounter with the best aliue,

Hee not to treason nor to falshode fell,

Nor with his ciuill friendes at home to striue:

But hence the landed _Romaynes_ out to driue.

Which sith he did, to Prince and countrey kinde,

His fame a place aboue the skies shall finde.

Eke sith the rest, as were their liues obscure,

Haue tolde their tales, but simply as you see:

To helpe my style, the _Muses_ most demure,

For _Nennius’_ sake, gaue greater grace to mee,

Or else I thinke, frend Reader, t’was for thee,

That when thou readst of _Nennius’_ noble minde,

Thou maist be so to Prince and countrey kinde.

I will no longer thee from reading stay,

But wish thee marke howe he exhorteth all:

Do learne by him for countreye’s sake to fray,

In peace no broyles of warres at home to brall:

And thinke thou seest that noble captayne tall

Thus wise display his warlike noble minde,

Duke _Nennius_, so to Prince and countrey kinde.

Howe the worthie _Britaine_ Duke Nennius as a valiaunt souldier and

faithfull subiecte encountred with Iulius Cæsar, was by him

death wounded: yet naytheles[692] he gate Cæsar’s sworde,

put him to flight, slewe therewith Labianus a Tribune

of the Romaynes, endured fight till his countreymen

wanne the field, and now encourageth all good

subiectes, to defende their countrey from

the power of forraine and entruding

enemies. He was slaine about the

yeere before Christ, 52.

I may by right some later writers blame,

Of stories olde, as rude or negligent:

Or else I may them wel vnlearned name,

Or heedlesse in those thinges about they went:

Some time on me as well they might haue spent,[693]

As on such traytours, tyrants, harlots, those

Which to their countreyes were the deadliest foes.[694]

Ne for my selfe I would not[695] this recite,

(Although I haue occasion good thereto)

But sure, me thinkes it is too great despite

These men to others and their countreyes do,[696]

For there are _Britaynes_, neyther one or two,

Whose names in stories scarcely once appeare:

And yet their liues examples worthie were.

T’s worthie prayse (I graunt) to write the endes

Of vicious men, and teach the like beware:

For what hath he of vertue that commendes

Such persons lewde, as naught of vertue’s care:

But for to leaue out those prayse-worthie are,

Is like as if a man had not the skill

To prayse the good, but discommend the ill.

I craue no prayse, although my selfe deseru’d

As great a laude as any _Britayne_ yore:[697]

But I would haue it tolde how well I seru’d

My Prince and Countrye, Fayth to both I bore:

All noble hearts hereby with courage more

May both their forayne foes in fight[698] withstand,

And of their enmies haue[699] the vpper hand.

Agayne, to shewe how valiaunt then wee were

(You _Britaynes_ good) to moue your hearts thereby,

All other nations lesse in fight to feare,

And for your countrye rather so to die

With valiaunt hauty courage, as did I,

Then liue in bondage, seruice, slauery, thrall

Of forayne powres, which hate your manhood all.

Doe giue mee leaue to speake but euen a while,

And marke, and write the story I thee tell:

By North from _London_ more then fifty mile,

There lies the Isle of _Ely_ knowne full well,

Wherein my father built a place to dwell:

And for because hee liked well the same,

Hee gaue the place hee _Ely_ hight his name.[700]

7.[701]

’Tis namde the Isle of _Ely_ yet, perdy

My father namde it so: yet writers misse,

Or if I may bee bolde to say, they ly

Of him, which tell that farre vntruth like is:

What truth (I pray you) seemes to bee in this

Hee _Ely_ lou’d, a goodly place built there,

Most it delited, raygnde not full a yeare.[702]

Hee raygned forty yeares, as other tell,

Which seemes (as ’tis) a tale more true by farre.[703]

By Iustice guided hee his subiects well,

And liude in peace, without the broyles of warre.

His childrens noble acts in stories are,

In vulgar tongue: but nought is sayd of mee,

And yet I worthy was the yongste of three.

His eldest sonne and heyre was after King,

A noble Prince and hee was named _Lud_,

Full politicke and wise in euery thing,

And one that wil’d his Countrey alwayes good:

Such vses, customes, statutes hee withstood,

As seemde to bring the publique weales decay,

And them abolisht, brake, repealde away.

10.

So hee the walles of _Troy_ the new renewde,

Them fortified with[704] forty Towres about:

And at the west side of the wall hee vewde

The Towre o’th[705] gate to keepe[706] the enmyes[707] out,

That made hee prisons for the poore bankrout,

Namde Ludgate yet, for free men debters, free

From hurt, till with their creditours they gree.

11.

Some say the City also tooke the name

Of _Lud_ my brother: for hee it reparde:

And I must needes as true confesse the same,

For why that time no cost on it hee sparde:

He still increast and peopled euery warde,

And bad them aye _Kaerlud_, the City call,

Or _Ludstone_, now you name it _London_ all.

12.

At length hee died, his children vnder age,

The elder named was _Androgeus_:

Committing both vnto my brother’s charge,

The yonger of them hight _Tennancius_:

The _Britaynes_ wanting aged rulers thus,

Choose for that time _Cassibellane_ their King,

My brother Iustice ment in euery thing.

13.

The _Romayne_ then the mighty _Cæsar_ fought

Agaynst the _Galles_, and conquerde them by might:

Which done, hee stoode on shoares where see hee mought

The _Ocean_ Seas, and _Britayne_ clieues full bright.

(Quoth hee) what region lyes there in my sight?

Mee thinkes some Iland in the Seas I see,

Not yet subdued, nor vanquist yet by mee.

14.

With that they told him wee the _Britaynes_ were,

A people stout, and fearce in feates of warre:

(Quoth hee) the _Romaynes_ neuer yet with feare

Of nation rude were daunted of so farre,

Wee therefore mind to proue them what they are.

And therewithall hee[708] letters hither sent,

By those ambassage brought, and thus they went.[709]

C. IVLIVS CÆSAR

Consull of Rome, to Cassibellane

King of Britayne, sendeth greeting.

Sith that the Gods haue giuen vs all the West,

As subiects to our _Romayne_ Empire hie,

By warre, or as it seemed _Ioue_ the best,

Of whom wee _Romaynes_ came, and chiefly I:

Therefore to you which in the _Ocean_ dwell,

(As yet not vnderneath subiection due)

Wee send our letters greeting: wete yee well

In warlike cases thus wee deale with you,

First, that you, as the other regions, pay

Vs tribute yearely, _Romaynes_ wee require:

Then, that you will with all the force you may

Withstand our foes as yours, with sword and fire:

And thirdly, that by these you hostage[710] send

T’assure the couenaunts once agreed by you:

So with your daunger lesse our warres may end

Else bid wee warre. _Cassibellane_ adieu.

CÆSAR.

15.

No sooner were these[711] _Cæsar’s_ letters seene,

But straight the King for all his nobles sent,

Hee shewde them what their auncestours had beene,

And prayde them tell in this their whole intent:

Hee told them whereabout the _Romaynes_ went,

And what subiection was, how seruile they

Should bee if _Cæsar_ bare their pompe away.

16.

And all the _Britaynes_ euen as set on fire,

(My selfe not least enflamed was to fight)

Did humbly him in ioyfull wise desire,[712]

That hee his letters would to _Cæsar_ write,

And tell him playne wee past not of his spite:

Wee past as litle of the _Romaynes_, wee,

And lesse then they of vs, if lesse might bee.

17.

Wherefore the ioyfull King agayne replide,

Through counsaile wise of all the nobles had:

By letters hee the _Romaynes_ hests denide,

Which made the _Britaynes_ hauty harts full glad:

And eke the _Romayne_ Consull proude as mad[713]

To heare these letters written: thus they went,

Which hee agayne to mighty _Cæsar_ sent.

CASSIBELLANE

King of Britayne to C. Iulius

Cæsar Consull of Rome.

As thou, O _Cæsar_, writste the Gods haue geuen to thee

The west: so I replye, they gaue this Island[714] mee.

Thou sayst you _Romaynes_ and thy selfe of Gods discend,

And darst thou then to spoile our _Troian_ bloud pretend?

Againe, though Gods haue giu’n thee all the world as thine,

That’s parted from the world, thou getst no land of mine.

And sith likewise of Gods wee came a Nation free,

Wee owe no tribute, ayde, or pledge to _Rome_, or thee:

Retracte thy will, or wage thy warre, as likes thee best:

Wee are to fight, and rather then to frendship, prest.

To saue our Countrye from the force of foraine strife,

Eche _Britayne_ here is well content to venter life.

Wee feare not of the end or daungers thou doest tell,

But vse thy pleasure if thou maist, thus fare thou well.

CASSIBELLANE.

18.

When _Cæsar_ had receau’d his aunswere so,

It vext him much hee thereupon decreede[715]

To wage vs warre, and worke vs _Britaynes_ woe:

Wherefore[716] hee hasted hitherwarde with speede.

Wee _Britaynes_ eke preparde our selues[717] with heede

To meete the _Romaynes_, all in warlike guise,

With all the force, and speede wee[718] might deuise.

19.

And here the wiser deemde[719] it meeter much

T’assayle them first[720] at th’entry on this land,

Then for to giue aryuall here[721] to such,

Might with our victualls ayde[722] our selues withstand:

’Tis better far thy enmy to aband[723]

Quite from thy borders, to a forayne[724] soyle,

Then hee at home thee and thy Countrye spoile.

20.

Wherefore wee met him at his entry in,

And pitche our camps directly in his way:

Wee minded sure to leese, or else to winne

The praise, before wee past from thence away:

So when that both the armies were in ray,

And trumpets blaste on euery side was blowne,

Our mindes to either eche were quickly knowne.

21.

Wee ioyned battayle, fearcely both wee fought,

The _Romaynes_ to enlarge their Empyre’s fame:

And wee with all the force and might wee mought,

To saue our Countrye and to keepe our name:

O, worthy _Britaynes_! learne to doe the same:

Wee brake the rayes of all the _Romayne_ hoast,

And made the mighty _Cæsar_ leaue his boast.

22.