Yet hee the worthyest Captaine euer was,_Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 1

Brought all in ray and fought agayne a new,

His skilfull souldiers hee could bring to passe

At once, for why his traynings all they knew:

No sooner I his noble corps did vewe,

But in I brake amongste the Captaynes band,

And there I fought with _Cæsar_ hand to hand.

23.

O God thou mightst haue giuen a _Britayne_ grace,

T’haue slayne the _Romayne Cæsar_ noble then,

Which sought his bloud the _Britaynes_[725] to deface,

And bring in bondage valiaunt worthy men,

Hee neuer should haue gone to _Rome_ agen,

To fight with _Pompey_, or his peeres to slay,

Or else to bring his Countrey in decay.

24.

It ioyde my harte, to strike on _Cæsar’s_ crest,

O _Cæsar_, that there had bene none but wee!

I often made my sword to try thy brest,

But Lady Fortune did not fauoure mee:[726]

I able was mee thought with _Cæsars_ three

To try the case: I made thy harte to quake,

When on thy crest with mighty stroke I strake.

25.

The strokes thou strookste mee hurt mee nought at all,

For why, thy strength was nothing in respect:

But thou hadst bath’d thy sword in poyson all,

Which did my wound, not deadly els, infect:

Yet was I or I parted thence bewreckte,

I gate thy sworde from thee for all thy fame,

And made thee flye for feare to eate the same.

26.

For when thy sword was in my target fast,

I made thee flye and quickely leaue thy hold,

Thou neuer wast in all thy life so gast,

Nor durst agayne bee euer halfe so bold:

I made a number _Romaynes_ hartes full cold:

Fight, fight, you noble _Britaynes_ now (quoth I)

Wee neuer all will vnreuenged die.

27.

What _Cæsar_ though thy prayse and mine bee od,

(Perdy the stories[727] scarce remember mee)

Though Poets all of thee doe make a God,

(Such simple fooles in making Gods they bee)

Yet if I might[728] my quarell try’d[729] with thee,

Thou neuer hadst retournde to _Rome_ agayne,

Nor of thy faithfull friends bin beastly slayne.

28.

A number _Britaynes_ mightst thou there haue seene

Death-wounded fight,[730] and spoile their spitefull foes:

My selfe maimde slewe and mangled mo (I weene)

When I was hurte then twenty more of those:

I made the _Romaynes_ harts to take their hose,[731]

In all the campe no _Romayne_ scarce I spide,

Durst halfe the[732] combate gainst a _Britayne_ byde.

29.

At length I met a noble man, they cald

Him _Labienus_, one of _Cæsar’s_ friends,

A Tribune erst[733] had many _Britaynes_ thrald,

Was one of _Cæsar’s_ legats, forth hee sends:

Well met (quoth I) I minde to make th’amends,[734]

For all thy frendships[735] to our Countrey crew:

And so with _Cæsar’s_ sword his friend I slew.

30.

What neede I name you euery _Britayne_ here,

As first the King, the nobles all besyde,

Full stout and worthy wights in warre that were,

As euer erst the stately _Romaynes_ tryde:

Wee fought so long they durst no longer bide:

Proude _Cæsar_ hee for all his bragges and boste

Flew backe to ships, with halfe his scattered hoste.

31.

If hee had bene a God (as sotts him nam’d)

Hee could not of vs _Britaynes_ taken foile,

The Monarche _Cæsar_ might haue bene asham’d

From such an Island with his ships recoyle,

Or else to flye and leaue behinde the spoile:

But life is sweete, hee thought it better flye,

Then byde amongste vs _Britaynes_, here[736] to die.

32.

I had his sword was named _Crocea mors_,

With which hee gaue mee in the head a stroke,

The venime of the which had such a force,

It able was to pearce the harte of oke:

No medcines might the poyson out reuoke,

Wherefore though scarce hee perced had the skin,

In fifteene dayes my braynes it rancled in.[737]

33.

And then to soone (alas) therefore I dyde,

Yet would to God hee had returnde agayne,

So that I might but once the dastard spyde,

Before hee went I had the serpent slayne.

Hee playde the coward cutthrote all to playne:

A beastly serpent’s harte that beaste detects,

Which, or hee fight, his sworde with bane infects.

34.

Well, then my death brought _Cæsar_ no renowne,

For both I gate thereby eternall fame,

And eke his sworde to strike his friends adowne:

I slewe therewith his _Labiene_ by name:

With Prince against my Countrey foes I came,

Was wounded yet did neuer faynt nor yeelde,

Till _Cæsar_ with his souldiers fled the fielde.

34.

Who would not venter life in such a case?

Who would not fight at Countrye’s whole request?

Who would not meeting _Cæsar_ in the place,

Fight for life, Prince, and Countrye, with the best?

The greatest courage is by facts exprest:

Then for thy Prince, with fortitude, as I,

And Realme’s defence,[738] is praise to liue or dy.

35.

Now write my life when thou hast leasure, and

Will all thy countrymen to learne by mee,

Both for their Prince and for their natiue land,

As valiaunt, bolde, and fearelesse for to bee.

A paterne playne of fortitude they see:

To which directly if themselues they frame,

They shall preserue their Countrye, fayth, and fame.

LENUOY.[739]

When noble _Nennius_ thus had ended talke,

Me thought he vanisht with so sweete a smell,[740]

As though the[741] graces all with him had walkte,

And what I heard of musicke did excell,

Like notes of instruments no tongue can tell,

In[742] harmony of such an heauenly noyes,

Me seemde they passed all our earthly ioyes.

Their tunes declarde the battayle all so right,

As if the _Britaynes_ and the _Romaines_ than

Had presently in hearing and in sight,

A fresh the bloudy battayle all began:

Me thought I heard the vertues of the man

By notes declarde, and _Cæsar’s_ daungers tolde

More plainely then with eyes I might beholde.

But when they came to tell of _Cæsar’s_ flight,

I saw the _Romaines_ fall me thought full fast,

And all the _Britaynes_ chace them euen till night:

Wherewith, the sound of _British_ trumpets blast

Made me so madde, amazed[743] at the last,

I lookt about for sworde or weapon, I

To runne with _Britaynes_ cryde, they flie, they flie.

Their flight to ships and foyle the trumpets sound,

And blewe the victours triumphes at returne:

The noyse well nigh my sences did confound,

And made my heart with all their loues to burne:

But when they gan the wounded _Britaynes_ mourne

With doubled wayling shrickes, such cryes they sente

And sobbes and sighes, wel nigh my heart they rente.

Eke chiefly they at noble _Nennius_ stayde,

They seemde with dolefull tunes their notes to riue:

And sodaynly his prayse againe they playde,

O worthie _Nennius_ for thy factes aliue!

The trumpe of fame was straightly chargde reuiue,

And keepe, maintaine and celebrate his prayse:

Which done, me thought they vanisht[744] quite their wayes.

On this in troubled traunce I lay a while,[745]

In ioy reioycing what a wight he was,

A worthie Duke,[746] that for this noble Ile

So fought it forth, a myrrour fayre,[747] a glasse

For those aliue: his vertues so surpasse,[748]

That[749] for his factes, fight, fortitude, and fame,

He well deserues[750] an euerlasting name.

At such a time and place is vertue tryde,

When manhood may both Prince and countrey please,

But such a brunt the valiant will abide,

And bende their force to worke their countreye’s ease:

They thinke no trauayle loste, by land, or Seas,

But venture fortune, goods, life, landes and heale,

To fight it out for Prince and publique weale.

You that haue heard or read the worthie factes

Of _Nennius_ here, (though[751] rudely pende by mee)

Learne so to fight, let so your[752] noble actes

By those that after come, recounted bee:

I may full well reioyce he spake to mee,

For if I had not stayde to heare him then,

I thinke he scarce had come to speake agen.[753]

But next me thought appeared plaine in sight

A noble Lorde, which once had lost his head,

Of person tall, well set, a comely wight,

Whome proude despite aliue to slaughter lead:

Thus wise he wilde me penne how earst he spead,

Perswading me, perdy, to write agen

His fall, amongst the _Britayne_ noble men.

Howe the Lord Irenglas cosen to king Cassibellane

was slayne by the Lord Elimine cosen to

Androgeus Earle of London, about the

yeere before Christ, 51.

Amongst the rest that whilome sate aloft,

Amongst the rest, that once had happie chaunce,

Amongst the rest, that had good Fortune oft,

Amongst the rest, that coulde themselues aduaunce,

Amongst the rest, that led in warres the staunce,[754]

And wanne the palme, the prayse, renowne, and fame,

[(Yet after fell in proofe to trye the same)]

Leaue in thy booke a place to put my name.

[Which, _Higgins_, if thou shalt, and write therein

This tale I tell, no doubt thou shalt me please;

Thy selfe likewise thereby maist profit win;

For why, who writes such histories as these,

Doth often bring the Readers hearts such ease,

And[755] when they sitte, and see what he doth note,

And lessons learne to saue his[756] armour coate,

Well fare his heart (say they) this worke that wrote.

Perhaps thou answere wilt and eke confesse,

They may in deede giue thankes, and that is all:

They can (saist thou) I thinke giue scarcely lesse,

For such a gifte a guerdon farre too small:

Well, yet doe write, content thy selfe withall,

Thou must the ende that God appoyntes abide:

Though they ingratefull be of reason wide,

Thou must not therefore this thy talent hide.

This I obiect not that I thinke is so,

But if it erst haue chaunced so to hitte,

Thou shouldst not therefore let these stories go,

Which may perchaunce so exercise thy witte,

And may so frame thy phrases fine and fitte,

Though now no other gifte then thankes thou haue:

Yet shall thy verses liue, thy name to saue,

And spread thy prayse, when thou art layde in graue.

But sure I thinke among so great a sort,

As shall thy workes and writinges chaunce to see,

Of courtzy all thou canst not finde them short,

But some must needes consider well of thee:

Though some doe pinche and saue, to thriue and thie,

And some doe polle and pill to get the pelfe,

And some haue layde vp all on leesing shelfe,

Yet some will well consider of thy selfe.

I had almost stept in with thee so farre,

To bid thee wryte and register my name,

(Because I fearde of late the _Romayne_ warre

Thou wrotste, had ended all thy former frame,

And I had beene excluded from the same)

That now I feare I wery thee with talke,

While from my purpose farre aloofe I stalke,

In steed of choyse, for cheese to giue thee chalke.][757]

Wherefore I will be briefe, and tell thee all

My minde, the cause why I doe now appeare.[758]

I will recite to thee my sodayne fall,

And what in life mine exercises were:

To which since I doe see thee set thine eare,

Marke now my tale, and beare it well away,

Marke what mee brought so sodayne in decaye,

[And marke of lusty life the vnstable staye.]

Let who so stands trust to a stedfast holde,

(Yf hee suppose hee may a steedy finde)

And then hee neede not stagger when hee nolde,

As I and others calde agayne to minde:

But trust not Fortune, shee is counted blinde,[759]

To prayse her prankes occasion giues no cause:

Doe wisely, or you prayse her take the pause,

[Else may you proue your selues at length but dawes.]

Some loue to boast what fortune they haue had,

Some other blame misfortune theyrs as fast,

Some tell of fortunes there bee good and bad,

Some fooles of fortune make themselues agast,

Some shewe of fortune comming, present, past,

And say there is a fate that ruleth all:

But sure it seemes theyr wisdome is but small,

[To talke so much of Lady Fortune’s ball.]

10.

No fortune is so bad our selues ne frame,[760]

There is no chaunce at all hath vs preseru’d,

There is no fate whom wee haue neede to blame,

There is no destiny but is deseru’d,

No lucke that leases vs safe or vnpreseru’d:

Let vs not then complayne of Fortune’s skill,

For all our good descends from God’s good will,

[And of our lewdnes springeth all our ill.]

11.

If so a man might stay on Fortune’s holde,

Or else on Prince, as piller of defence,

Then might my selfe t’haue done[761] the same bee bolde,

In euery perill, purpose, or pretence:

_Cassibellane_ as much as any Prince,

Lou’d mee his cosin[762] _Irenglas_ by name,

Both for my feats in armes, and fauour, fame,[763]

[And for because I of his linage came.]

12.

I came (by parents) of his regall race,

Liude happy dayes (if happy mortall bee)

Had (as I sayd) his fauour, bare the grace,

I was his loyall seruant[764] franke and free,

But what of this at all preuayled mee?

Yet furthermore the feates of armes I knew,

I fought in field, when mighty _Cæsar_ flewe,

[And of the _Romaynes_ came my part I slewe.]

13.

Shall I for this prayse Fortune ought at all?

Did Fortune ought in this? no whit bee sure:[765]

Or shall I blame her after for my fall,

That neuer could mee any hurte procure?

T’was glory vayne did sweetely mee allure,

Wherefore giue care, and then with pen disclose

[A tale which (though but rudely I dispose)

Who reades and heares it both, may pleasure those.[766]]

14.

Full happy were our Countrey men that dy’d,

And[767] noble _Nennius_, in the field wee[768] fought:

When first both _Britaynes_, and the _Romaynes_ tryd

With dint of sword, if titles theyrs were ought:

They dyed in theyr defence, no pompe they sought,

They liu’d to see their Countrey conquere still,

They dy’d before they felt of priuate ill,

[And bare eache other all their liues, good will.]

15.

When _Cæsar_ so with shamefull flight recoyl’d,

And left our _Britayne_ land vnconquer’d first,

Which only thought our Realme and vs t’haue spoyl’d,

Wee came to see (of all our field the worst)

Our souldiers slayne. O cruell _Cæsar_ curst

(Quoth wee) should all these giltlesse _Britaynes_ die[769]

[For thine ambition? fie, O _Cæsar_, fie,]

That durst not[770] byde but like a dastard flie.

16.

But then to see them in aray to lie,

And for to see them wounded all before,

Not one but in his place his life did trye,

To see the _Romaynes_ bloudy backes that bore

In field, flight, dead, and scattered[771] on the shore,

What thousand tongues (thinke you) could tell our ioy[772]

This made our hartes reuiue, this pleas’d our _Roy_,[773]

[And wee lesse fearde our enemies all annoy.]

17.

With trompets mourning tune, and wayling cries,

And drummes, and fluits, and shawmes, wee sound adieu,

And for our friends wee watred all our [weeping] eyes,

As loth to leese the liues of such a [noble] crew:

To th’earth wee bare them all in order dew,

According vnto each man’s noble name,

And as their byrth requirde and worthy fame,

[Euen so to honour them, with herce wee came.]

18.

Of noble triumphes after was no spare,

Wee _Britaynes_ erst were neuer halfe so glad,

That so wee made the _Romaynes_ hence to fare,

No tongue can tell the harty ioyes wee had:

Wee were therewith so myrry mooded mad,[774]

Our fingers tickled still, which came from fight,

Wee had before our eyes our enmyes flight,[775]

[And nought was seemely then but warlike might.][776]

19.

So fares it when the meaner giue the spoyle,

And make the mighty all theyr force reuoke:

So fares it when great victours feele the foyle,

And meaner sorts of count doe giue the stroke,[777]

That pearceth euen the hardest harte of oke,

For where the weaker win the wage of fame,

[And stronger leese their wonted noble name,]

The victours harts a thousand ioyes enflame.

20.

A Iusting then proclaymed was for those,

That turneis[778] would approatch themselues trye,

Amongst vs _Britaynes_ (not agaynst our foes)

Tweene th’Earle of _London’s_ cosin stout and I:

And both the partes wee both could make, perdy,

To winne the price, the prayse, the pompe consent,

And eke the fame of former warres wee ment,

But foolish was the end of our intent.[779]

21.

For why, when glory vayne stirres men to strife,

When hope of prayse prouokes them once to ire,

Then they at all regard no goods nor life,

From faithfull frendship rudely they retire,

They are so set with glorie’s gloze on fire,

That quite they rule and reason wrest awrye,

They turne away their friendly fuwting eye,[780]

[And others eache, as fixed foes defie.]

22.

O God that workest all the wonders wrought,

(And hast the powre to turne the hartes aliue)

Graunt grace to those that labour so for nought

But flitting fame, and titles hauty striue:

Let not ambition so the Earth depriue

Of worthy wightes, giue them some better grace,

That they may run for Countrye’s weale their race,

[And not their bloud with braynsicke brawles debace.]

23.

Let them not breake the bond of frendly loue

In broyles of bate, but frendly faults redresse,

Let not them so their manhood seeke to proue

By priuate hate, to worke their owne distresse,

So shall they neede their enemies feare[781] the lesse:

Perdy, foule forayne[782] foes themselues they make,

That in their Countrye, for vayne quarells sake,[783]

[Doe dare in hand reuenging weapons take.]

24.

But what neede I on those aliue to stay,

They haue examples good before their eyes,

By which (if they haue grace) beware they may,

The happiest men by others harmes are wise:

Let them not then our warning wordes despise,

Doe will them wisely of these thinges debate,

For why, the foolishe aye the[784] warning hate,

[Are neuer wise, or, had I wist, to late.][785]

25.

[Perhaps thou thinkste to long a time I stay,

And from that I proposed erst digresse,

Because that here (as it were by the way)

For warning’s sake, my conscience I professe:

Yet for my breache of compasse blame mee lesse,

In talke, sith that thou come to heare mee art,

Which seeme (as woemen vse) to reme my hart,

Before I come to open all my smart.]

26.

Wee spent the day in iusting (as I sayd,)

Appoynted erst among our selues before,

And all the feates of armes in fielde wee playd,

_Æneas_ taught our auncestours of yore,

What neede I fill thine eares with talking more,

My men and I had put those feates in vre,

And hee likewise (but nothing yet so sure,)

[Which did, at length, my haplesse end procure.]

27.

For as with fortune still I gaue the foyle,

To him that thought the glory all to haue,

When hee perceau’d hee coulde not keepe the coyle,

Nor yet with equall match himselfe to saue,

Occasion of dissention great hee gaue:

In stead of iest hee offred earnest play,

In lieu of sport hee spite did still[786] display,

[In stead of myrth, both malice and decay.]

28.

The traytour vile, the tyraunt (so hee prou’d)

With coward, canker’d, hatefull, hasty ire,

And caytife dealing, shewde how mee hee[787] lou’d,

When as hee could not to his hope aspire,

To winne the prayse of triumph, his desire,

Hee chalengde mee, and here began the broyle,

He thought with banding braue to keepe the coyle,

[Or else with flatts and facings mee to foyle.]

29.

And that because the[788] iudgment fauourde mee,

[Perdy,] report almost of all the route,[789]

Ran still that I was worthy praysde to bee,

And often times they gaue mee all a shoute:

This made mine enmies stare[790] and looke aboute,

And often wish them euill aloude that cryde,

Such is the nature still of naughty pryde,

[Can nothing worse[791] then others prayse abyde.]

30.

Wee twayne (quoth hee) betwene our selues will try

Alone our manhoods both, if thou consent:

Wee ought not breake the Prince his peace, quoth I,

His grace would not therewith bee well[792] content,

And sith no hurt was here nor malice ment,

You ought not so on choller take it ill,

Though I to win the price put forth my skill,

[But for my Knighthoode beare[793] mee more good will.]

31.[794]

With that quoth _Elenine_ (for so hee hight,)

That was the Earle his cosin, then[795] my foe,

I meane (quoth hee) to try the case in fight,

Before thou passe againe my presence froe,[796]

And euen with that hee raught to mee[797] a bloe:

My friends nor I could[798] not this wrong abide,

Wee drewe,[799] and so did those on th’other side

[That fearcely[800] fought, and other each defide.]

32.

But I was all the marke whereat hee[801] shotte,

The malice still hee[802] meant to none but mee,

At mee hee[803] cast, and drewe mee for the lotte,

Which should of all reuenge the ransom bee:

Wherefore hee set them at mee francke[804] and free,

Till mee they tooke, so compast rounde aboute,

As I coulde not scape from among them out:

[Was neuer Lord[805] betrayde with such a route.]

33.

To make it short: I singled was therefore,

Euen as the Dere to finde his fatall stroke:

I could not scape, in numbre they were more,

My pageaunt was in presence there bespoke:[806]

A pillowe they prepared mee of oke,

My hands they bounde, along my corps they led,

From of my shoulders quite they stroke my head,

[And with my death theyr cruell eyes they fed.]

34.

If euer man that seru’d his Prince with payne,

And well deserued of his publique weal:

If euer Knight esteemde it greatest gayne,

For Prince and Countrey in the warres to deale:

My selfe was such, which venterde life and heale

At all assayes, to saue my natiue soyle,

With all my labour, trauayle, payne and toyle,

[Both from the force of foes and foraine foyle.]

35.

Yet heere you see, at home I had my fall,

Not by my fearcest foes that came in warre,

But by my friend I gate this griping thrall,

When folly framde vs both at home to iarre.

Oh that my Countrey man[807] should raunge so farre,

From wisedome’s way, to wedde himselfe to will,

From reason’s rule, to wrest his wittes to ill,

[From friendship fast, his dearest friend to kill!]

36.

Well, bid the rest beware of triumphes such,

Bid them beware for titles vaine to striue,

Bid them not trust such sullayne friends to much,

Did them not so theyr honours high achieue:

For if they will preserue theyr names aliue,

There is no better way to worke the same

Then to eschue of tyrany defame:

[Meeke clemency deserues a noble name.][808]

LENUOY.

What griefe is this that such a worthy wight,

(Which meant to Prince and Countrey both so wel)

Should haue his death amongst his friendes adight,

Though he in noble feates did so excell:

But so full oft it falles (the trueth to tell)

Who best doth meane the publike weales defence,

By some mishap is soonest reaued thence.

Such _Nennius_ was (of whome I spake before)

Such diuers haue in ages all bene seene,

Such therefore still were enuide much the more,

Both of the proude, and such as hatefull beene:

For when they seeke the publique weales defence,

By some mishap th’are soonest reaued thence:

But what ensues such members reaft away?

The rest begin within themselues to striue,

Which when they doe, the body feeles decay,

It cannot long preserue it selfe aliue,

For when diseases bad good health depriue,

If once they reaue the vitall strength from thence,

Too late is sought for sicknesse sure defence.

Now next appeard on stage the _Romayne_ stoute,

Which made vs tribute first to Rome to pay,

The monarch _Iulius Cæsar_, halfe in doubte

In th’english tongue what he were best to say:

At length me thought, not making more delay,

His life, warres, death, to shewe he did commence,

Which first with hostage bare the conquest hence.

How Caivs Ivlivs Cæsar which first made this Realme

tributary to the Romaynes, was slayne in the

Senate house, about the yeare

before Christ, 42.

Although by _Bocas_ I haue whilom told my mind,

And _Lydgate_ haue likewise translated wel the same,

Yet sith my place in order here againe I find,

And that my factes deseru’d in _Brytayne_ worthy fame,

Let me againe renue to memory my name,

Recite my mind, which if thou graunt to mee,

Thou shalt therefore receiue a friendly fee,

[And for my tale perhaps commended thou shalt bee.

But least thou seeme to doubt what Prince thou seest appeare,

And wotst not well which way to winde or wrest his talke,

As may both sound to like a perfect _English_ eare,

And eke direct thy dreadfull pen which way to walke:

Lest thou on this shouldst long diuine, or muse, or calke,

I will the tell: but take in hand thy pen,

First set thy selfe to write my wordes, and then

A mirrour make yet more for Magistrates agen.]

If euer erst the fame of auncient _Romayne_ facts,

Haue come to pearce thine eares before this present time,

I thinke amongst the rest, likewise my noble actes

Haue shewde them selues in sight, as _Phœbus_ fayre in prime.

When first the _Romayne_ state began aloft to clime,

And wanne the wealth of all the worlde beside,

When first their force in warlike feates were tryde,

[My selfe was victour hee that did the _Romaynes_ guyde.]

I, _Caius Iulius Cæsar Consull_, had to name,

That worthie _Romayne_ borne, renownde with noble deedes,

What neede I here recyte the linage whence I came,

Or else in my great exploytes? perdy[809] t’s more then needes,

But onely this to tell of purpose now proceedes,

Why I a _Romayne_ Prince, no _Brytayne_, here

Amongst these _Britayne_ Princes now appeere,

[As if amongst the rest a _Britayne_ Prince I were.]

And yet because thou maist perceyue the story all

Of all my life, and so deeme better of the end,

I will againe the same to mind yet briefly call,

To tell thee how thou maist me prayse or discommend:

Which when thou hast, perdy,[810] as I recyte it, pend,

Thou shalt confesse that I deserued well,

Amongst them here my tragedie to tell,

[By conquest sith I wanne this Ile before I fell.]

What neede I first recite my petegrue well knowne?

No noble authour writes that can forget the same,

My prayse I know in print through all the worlde is blowne,

Ther’s no man scarce that writes, but he recytes my fame:

My worthie Father _Lucius Cæsar_ had to name,

_Aurelia_ eke[811] my mother also hight,

Of _Caius Cotta_ daughter borne by right,

[As fayre and wise a dame as euer saw the light.]

How I was trayned vp in youth what neede I tell?

Sith that my noble Aunt (that _Iulia_ hight) me taught,

Who could with morall doctrine good instruct[812] me well,

And sawe the frame in me that nature’s skill had wrought,

By her instructions aye I wit and fauour sought:

I was accounted comely of my grace,

I had by nature’s gift a Princely face,

[And wisedome high to wey and deeme of euery case.]

Of stature high and tall, of colour fayre and white,

Of body spare and leane yet comely made to see,

What neede I more of these impertinent recyte,

Sith _Plutarch_ hath at large describde it all to thee,

And eke thy selfe that think’st thou seest and hearest me,

Maist well suppose the rest, [or take the viewe

Thou maist by talke of those which erst me knewe,

And by my statures’ tell of my proportion true.][813]

In iourney swift I was and prompte and quicke of witte,

My eloquence was likte of all that hearde me pleade,

I had the grace to vse my tearmes and place them fitte,

My roling Rhetoricke stoode my Clients oft in steade:

No fine conueyance past the compasse of my heade,

I wan the spurres, I had the laud and prayse,

I past them all that pleaded in those dayes,

[I had of warlike knawledge, Keasar, all the keyes.]

10.

At seuenteene yeeres of age a _Flamin_ was I chose,

An office great in _Rome_ of priesthoode Princely hie,

I married eke _Cossutia_ whereof much mischiefe rose,

Because I was diuorc’st from her so speedily:

Diuorcement breeds despite,[814] defame is got thereby,

For such as fancies fond by chaunge fulfil,

Although they thinke it cannot come to ill,

[The wrong they shew doth cry to God for vengeance still.]

11.

Of these the stories tell what neede I more recyte,

Or of the warres I waged _Consul_ with the _Galles_,

The worthiest writers had desire of me to write,

They plac’st my life amongst the worthies and their falles:

So Fame me thinks likewise amids the _Britaynes_, calles

For _Cæsar_ with his sword, that bare [with them] the sway,

And for the cause that brought him into such decay,[815]

[Which by his noble acts did beare their freedome first away.]

12.

When I in _Fraunce_ had brought the _Galles_[816] to bende,

And made them subject all obaysant vnto mee,

Mee thought I had vnto the worlde his ende,

By west subdued the Nations whilome[817] free:

There of my warres[818] I wrot an historye

[By nights, at leisure times so from my Countrey far,]

I did describe the[819] places and [the] sequelles of my war

The Commentaryes calde of _Cæsar’s_ acts that ar.

13.

At length I did perceaue there was an Island yet,

By west of _Fraunce_ which in the _Ocean_ sea did lye,

And that there was likewise no cause or time to let,

But that I might with them the chance of Fortune trye:

I sent to them for hostage of assuraunce, I,

And wil’d them tribute pay vnto the _Romayne_ stoute,

Or else I woulde both put theyr liues and goods in doubte.

[And also reaue away the best of all theyr route.]

14.

But they a people fearce and recklesse of my powre

Abused those which brought th’ambassage that I sent,

Now sith (quoth they) the land and region here is oures,

Wee will not _Cæsar_ to thy rightlesse hestes assent:

By dome of frendly Goddes first this Ile wee hent,

Of _Priame’s_ bloud wee ar from _Greece_ we _Troianes_ came:

As _Brutus_ brought vs thence, and gaue this land his name,

[So for our fredome we will freely fight to keep the same.]

15.

This lande reported was full fertile for the soyle,

The wealthie warlike sorte of _Britaynes_ stout within,

Were rather able well to giue, then take the foyle,

To those which came by warres their freedom for to win:

My selfe made first assault with them I did begin,

Of all the _Romaynes_ first I waged with them warre,

And this I can report, they valiant people are,

[They feare no foes, they recke no fame, of people nere

or farre.]

16.

It was reported eke that[820] in my warres in _Fraunce_,

Some _Britaynes_ thether came amongst the _Galles_ to fight,

And that for pleasure sake to try of _Mars_ the chaunce,

And for to haue of _Romayne_[821] warres the sight:

That they no labour sparde by day nor yet by night,

In campe, in scoute, for hunger, heate, or colde:

But were in all attemptes of armes so stout[822] and bolde,

[As erst I neuer hearde of any nation tolde.]

17.

This fame enflamed me, displeasure eke I tooke,

That glory hopt to get so doughtie heartes to daunt,

On which with winds at wil, I _Gallia_ shoares forsooke,

Full minded for to make the _Britaynes_ tribute graunt,

Sith at my message sent they seemed so to taunt:

With armour, souldiers good, and of munition store,

[To strands and hauens and coastes of _Britayne_ shore]

I came[823] appointed wel, with fiftie sayles or more.

18.

But so the noble _Britaynes_ playde the valiaunt men,

By pollicies, and force to hurt my shippes and mee,

That I was forced after my returne agen,

To rigge my shippes: a wonders thing[824] to see:

For in the strands and in the seas, where landing places be,[825]

Sharpe postes they pight, whereon our shippes wee ron:[826]

[And at our enemies shoares, that woulde haue glory won,

In daunger both by land and sea were almost all vndone:[827]]

19.

And hardly[828] come to land, at length we met the hoast,

And sharpely fought with them, whose praises earst we herd,

I haue no cause of _Britayne_ conquest for to boast,

Of all the Regions first and last with whome I werd:

A people stout and strong, enduring chaunces herd,

And desperate, wilde and fearce, and recklesse found I then,

Not soone agast with dinte, or fright with fall of men,

[Nor brought to yeelde with blowes, but bent for life to

strike agen.]

20.

For whan our armies mette, no daungers they forsooke,

But so behau’de themselues in euery place of fight,

As though to Martiall feates they onely had betooke

Themselues, and for the palme did all their dealinges dight:

Though with my _Romaynes_ I wagde all my warlike might,

I was not able there, to cause them yeelde or flee,

Or for a space to take a time of truce with mee,

[Thou shalt (quod they) perceiue our equall _Mars_ with

thee.]

21.

The toyles wee tooke to enter at the first on land,

And for to saue our shattered ships and armour brought,

To wey them out that else had bulgd themselves in sand,

Hereon before the fielde with might and mayne we wrought,

Beside at skirmish oft, vpon the shoare we fought;

These labours tyred so my men and me that tyde,

That we could not endure the battayles brunt t’abyde,

[But sound retrayte till better Fortune might vs guyde.]

22.

They followed harde the chace with scath and losse we scapt,

And shipt we hoysed sayles, to _Fraunce_ we made retyre:

Where for an armie newe another roade we shapt,

If winterr colde were past, to come agayne another yeere:[829]

And so wee did in deede, and bought our comming deere,

For they prouided had so well to fight, that I

With all mine armies stoute could finde no victorye,

[But fayne eftsoones with losse of men for life was forc’st

to flye.]

23.

Againe to shippe my mates I bad my Captaines sturre,

Eke from this people fearce with speede to shift away,

The chaunce of warre is hard and doubtfull for t’ assure,

Where th’ enemies neyther dint of death nor dangers fray:

They reckt not of their wealth, nor losse of goods decay,

But for their freedom fought, on Princes case they stood,

With ioyfull heartes they waged warlike life and blood:

[They counted rule at home, and rest, and ease, the greatest

good.]

24.

Almost I had no hope at all to make retourne,

The people were so fearce, so recklesse,[830] stout, and bold,

No time of rest I wrought amongst them to soiourne,

They could not by the _Romayne_ peeres bee ruled[831] nor

control’d:

They sayde they would vs pay no siluer, brasse, nor golde,

To our indictions sent they would not set their hand,

But for to trye the case with all their power to stand,

[And for to keepe by fight and force the freedome of their

land.]

25.

When to the coastes of _Gallia_ land againe with losse wee come,

That neuer erst with such repulse to foes did turne the backe,

The _Britaynes_ they reioyce with triumphes all and some,

And Fame doth [flye to] sound report, they make the _Romaynes_

packe:

Where we no men, no coyne, nor no munition lacke,

No captaines good, no arte, no vitayle, hearte to fight,

A goodly spoyle, the land a pray before our sight:

[We wanted wonted hap, we could not cut them out aright.]

26.

Now marke the hap wee had while I in _Gallia_ lay,

The _Britaynes_ past the time in triumphes and in feastes,

And for their second victory with sports[832] they spend the day,

Accounting vs in their respect but dastard coward beastes:

Amongst their other sport of Iusts and pleasant iestes,

A ciuill discorde fell betweene two worthie noble peeres,

Of courage both so good that neyther boasting feares,[833]

[And either bad the other come and dar’de him for his ears.]

27.

The one hight _Irenglas_, of kinred to the king,

A worthie wight in warre, and prudent, wise, and sage:

The other _Elenine_, whose prayse no stories bring

But stoutnesse in his fight, as ruled all by rage:

Yet both against the _Romaynes_ with the king did wadge

The _British_ warre full well, and serued as they ought,

Till time at home the prayse of triumphes vaine they sought,

[Which in the end brought all the former friendly fight to

nought.]

28.

This _Elenine_ did beare him high, for[834] he was neere of kin

Vnto _Androgeus_ which was the Earle of _London_ then,

And claimed eke the palm (they say) that he did win

In triumphes at the iustes amongst the noble men.

But as they went about to trye the line agen,

They fell from wordes to sharpe, and layde on loade amayne,

[And many blowes were tryde alone betweene them twayne:]

Till at the length, I wote not how, this _Irenglas_ was

slayne.[835]

29.

The King did send for _Elenine_ [in haste,] but he was fled

Vnto the Earle his cosin whence he would not come:

He feared least he should haue lost his hated head;

The guilty heart conceau’s before the iustice of his dome,[836]

He wiste if once he went there needed him no toome,

Wherefore he it refusde and th’earle was discontent,

Who message sharpe againe vnto the King had sent,

[That he his cosin for to saue and beare him out was bent.]

30.

_Cassibellane_ displeased much that subjectes shoulde

Both slay his friend and eke refuse to bide the lawe,

And also in rebellious wise endeuour what they coulde,

To cut themselues vniustly from the Princes awe,

Though it him greeu’d to see at home so foule a flawe,

He could not yet abide the iniuries were showne,

But armde himselfe and his, gainst subiects once his owne,

[In hope to take the Rebelles so, or haue them ouerthrowne.]

31.

When th’earle _Androgeus_ sawe that hee was farre too weake,

Against his Prince to wage rebellious warres begon,

He sent to me,[837] desiring helpe to wreake

The iniuries and wrong _Cassibellane_ had don:

He _Sceua_ sent in hostage eke for pledge,[838] his onely sonne,

And thirtie youthes beside of honour great well borne:

I would not trust his talke, nor message sent beforne,

[For feare I might (if fayne he did) by treason be forlorne.]

32.

On this I expedition made the thirde and laste,

(For he did warrant mee my pourpose to obtayne)

I shipt my men and hyed mee thetherward full fast,

Had wind at will and came to see the shining shoares agayne:

And of my comming so the Earle was glad and fayne:

Wee ioyned hands and leage and armyes for the fight,

[I was conducted well by day and darkesome night,]

And faught, and put _Cassibellane_ the noble King to flight.

33.

Yet hee repayrde his hoste agayne that fearcely faught,

And oft assayde to sley or take the Earle, or mee,

And when hee sawe at length his labour vayled naught,

And _Britaynes_ with the _Romaynes_ lynked so to bee,

Great griefe hee had in them such treason for to see:

His losse perdy in war[839] not greude him halfe so sore,

[As for to see his people liege erst subiects euermore,

To fight agaynst the royall king, which lou’d them so

before.[840]]

34.

To make it short: the King was faine at length to yeelde

The tribute graunted was three thousand pound a yere,

Wee bare away the price, wee wan the worthy feelde,

And made them frends agayne that bought our fauour dere:

I neede no longer staye to tell the story here,

Nor yet to gieue my friend the Earle of _London_ blame,

Sith by his meanes I wanne to _Rome_ eternall fame,

[Though he in _Britayne_ beare for aye a shrowding sheete

of shame.]

35.

From _Fraunce_ I sent[841] to _Rome_, reporting how

Amongst the _Galles_[842] and _Britaynes_ I had sped,

I made request by frends, I might be _Consull_ now

On my returne agayne, but _Pompeye’s_ hauty hed

Did ioyne him selfe with Peeres and armies which he led,

Alleadging playne I meant the publique weale t’nuade,

They would represse my pryde with might and dint of blade,

[And for to meete mee at retourne prouision greate they made.]

36.

With speede I came and force, which made them all to flye

To _Greece_ from _Rome_ in haste, where they prepared war:

For in _Epyrus_ then with souldiers they did lye,

This _Pompey_ proude that made the _Romaynes_ with mee iar,

Hee at _Dyrrachium_ stayde, to which (though it were far)

I led mine hoste,[843] I skirmisht often there,

[But hee so valiauntly in armes himselfe did beare,]

That from[844] the fight to flye wee soone contented were.

37.

On this hee followed fast, in hope to winne the feelde,

To _Thessaly_ hee came where I did stay therefore,

Our armies met and fearcely faught, not bent to yeelde,

Till fifteen hundred men were slayne, or more:[845]

But in the end they fled, wee tooke of prisoners store,

They durst not dare t’abide the chaunce of _Mars_ to trye,

But as they fell before the sworde, and flye,[846]

[O souldier holde thy hande, and saue theyr liues (quod I.)]

38.

Thence _Pompey_ fled the fielde and into _Ægipt_ came,

To _Ptolemy_ the king as then but yong of age,

Where of his slaughter foule _Septimius_ hath the blame,

Hee was his end that did these warres against mee wage:

Euen so by course wee come to play vpon the stage,

Our trauayles haue an end when wee doe feele the fall,

For sith our[847] life is but a race of misery and thrall,

[Death taketh at the length an order for vs all.]

39.

But _Pompeye’s_ friendes and sonnes did oft assaye,

When hee was deade[848] to take reuenge on mee,

And I by dint of sworde repelde theyr force awaye,

Gate offices of rule and gouernde eche degree,

At _Cæsar’s_ beck and call obeysaunt all they bee,

Enacted lawes, derected ech estate,

Emperially the first aloft I sate,

[That had not then in all the worlde a mate.]

40.

But glory won the way to holde and keepe the same,

To holde good Fortune fast a worke of skill,[849]

Who so with prudent arte can stay that stately dame,

Which sets vs vp so high vpon her hauty hill,

And constant aye can keepe her loue and fauour still,

He winnes immortall fame and high renowne:[850]

[But thrise vnhappy hee that weres the stately crowne,]

Yf once misfortune kicke and cast his[851] scepter downe.

41.

For when in _Rome_ I was[852] _Dictator_ chose,

And Emperour or Captayne sole[853] for aye,

My glory did procure mee secret[854] foes,

Because aboue the rest I bare the sway,[855]

By sundry meanes they sought my deepe decaye,[856]

For why, there coulde no _Consuls_ chosen bee,[857]

[No _Pretor_ take the place, no sentence haue decree,]

Vnlesse it likte mee first and were approude by mee.

42.

This they enuide that[858] sude aloft to clime,

As _Cassius_,[859] which the _Pretorship_ did craue,

And _Brutus_ eke his friende which bare the crime[860]

Of my dispatch,[861] for they did first depraue

My life, mine actes, and[862] sought my bloud to haue,

Full secretly amongst them selues conspirde, decreede

To bee attemptors of that cruell bloudy deede,

[When _Cæsar_ in the _Senate_ house from noble hart should

bleede.]

43.

But[863] I forewarned was by _Capis_ tombe,[864]

His _Epitaph_ my death did long before forshowe,

_Cornelius Balbus_ sawe mine horses headlesse ronne

Without a guide,[865] forsakeing foode for woe,

_Spurina_ warned mee that sooth of thinges did knowe,

A wrenne[866] in beake with Laurell greene that flewe

[From woods to _Pompey’s_ Court, whom birdes there slew,]

Forshowde my dolefull death, as after all men knew.

44.

The night before my slaughter[867] I did dreame

I caried was and[868] flewe the clouds aboue,

And sometime hand in hand with[869] loue supreame

[I walkte mee thought, which might suspitions moue:]

My wife _Calphurnia_, _Cæsar’s_ only loue,

Did dreame shee sawe her crest of house to fall,

Her husband thrust through breast a sword withall,

Eke that same night her chamber dores themselues flewe open all.

45.

These thinges did make mee doubte that morning much,[870]

And I accrazed was and thought at home to stay,

But who is hee can voyde of destnyes such,[871]

Where so great number seekes hym to betray:[872]

The traytour _Brutus_[873] bad mee not delay,

Nor yet to frustrate there, so great assembly sate,

[On which to heare the publique pleas I gate,

Mistrusting naught mine end and fatall fate.][874]

46.

There met mee by the way a _Romayne_ good[875]

Presenting mee a scrole of euery name,[876]

And all their whole deuise that sought my bloud,[877]

That presently would execute[878] the same:

But I supposde[879] that for some suit hee came,

I heedelesse bare this scrole in my left hand,[880]

[And others more till leasure, left vnscand,

Which in my pocket afterwards they fand.][881]

47.

_Spurina_ as I came, at sacrifizes was,

Nere to the place where I was after slayne:

Of whose diuinings I did[882] litle passe,

Though hee to warne mee oft before was fayne,[883]

My hauty hart these warnings all disdayne:

(Quoth I) the Ides of Marche bee come, yet harme is none,

(Quoth hee) the Ides of Marche be come, yet th’ar not gone,

[And reckelesse so to Court I went, and tooke my throne.]

48.

Assoone as I was set, the traytors all arose,

And one approached nere, as to demaund some thing,

To whom as I layd[884] eare, at once my foes[885]

Mee compast round,[886] their weapons hid they bring,

Then I to late perceiu’d the fatall sting:[887]

O this (quoth I) is violence: then _Cassius_ pearst my breast:

And _Brutus_ thou my sonne (quoth I) whom erst I loued best?

[Hee stabde mee in, and so with daggers did the rest.]

49.

You Princes all and noble men beware of pride,

And carefull will to warre for Kingdome’s sake,

By mee, that set my selfe aloft the world to guide,

Beware what bloudsheds you doe vndertake:

Ere three and twenty wounds had made my hart to quake,

What thousands fell for _Pompey’s_ pride and mine?

Of _Pompey’s_ life that cut the vital line,

Myselfe haue told what fate I found in fine.[888]

50.

Full many noble men to rule alone I slewe,

And some themselues for griefe[889] of hart did slay:

For they ne would mine Empyre stay to vewe,[890]

Some I did force to yeelde, some fled away,[891]

As loth to see[892] theyr Countrye’s quite[893] decay

The world in _Aphrike_, _Asia_,[894] distant far,

And _Europe_ knew[895] my bloudsheds great in war,

[Recounted yet through all the world that ar.]

51.

But sith my whole pretence was glory[896] vayne,

To haue renowne and rule aboue[897] the rest,

Without remorce of[898] many thousands slayne,

Which, for their owne defence, their warres addrest:[899]

I deeme[900] therefore my stony harte and brest

Receiu’d so many wounds for iust reuenge, they stood[901]

[By iustice right of _Ioue_, the sacred sentence good,]

That who so slayes hee payes, the price is[902] bloud for bloud.

How Clavdivs Tiberius Nero Emperour of Rome was

poysoned by Caius Caligula, The yeare

of Christ, 39.

What bootes it hawty hartes depend so muche

On high estate: auayles it ought thinke yee?

The gold is tryde when it is brought to tuche:

So tryall telles what worldly tryomphes bee.

When glory shines, no daungers deepe wee see,

Till wee at last finde true the prouerbe olde:

Not all that shynes is pure and perfect golde.

While valiaunt men so burne with hoat desire

Of royall rule, and thyrst so sore for seate,

No springes of _Pernasse_ mount can quench the fire,

Nor _Boreas_ blaste alay the hawty heate.

On high renowne so much theyr braynes they beate,

And toyle so much for fading flickering fame,

On earth for ay to leaue behinde a name.

But if they would marke Fortune’s double face,

And how shee turnes about the totering wheele:

How shee doth chaunge her minde and turne her grace,

How blinde of sight shee is, how light of heele:

They would not rew the fatall falles they feele,

They would not after blame her blindnesse so,

But looke before, and leape her lightnesse froe.

Euen all well neare doe proake for price and proy,[903]

And[904] prayse Dame Fortune first if they speede well:

But if thereby fall after some anoy,

They curse her then, as hatefull hagge of hell:

If Fortune firme had stoode, they had not fell.

They banne her then, and yet themselues were curst,

Which tooke her bayte so freely at the furst.

For while her idle impes doe bath in blisse,

They count her giftes and pleasures all good hap,

But if at last shee frowne (as custome is)

And let them slip agayne beside her lap,

They then confesse her baytes did boad some trap:

As I haue prou’d, what Fortune giues to men,

For pleasure eache, shee bringes displeasures ten.

_Augustus_ great that good _Octauius_ hight,

The Emprour which in peace did rule so long,

In whose good raigne was borne the Lord of light

Nam’d _Iesus Christ_, in powre and workes so strong,

Whom in my dayes the _Iewes_ opprest with wrong,

Of which good _Christ_ anone I haue to tell:

But of _Augustus_ first, and after how I fell.[905]

This noble Emprour did my mother wed,

Which _Liuia_ hight, a fayre and noble dame,

His daughter _Iulia_ I likewise did bed,

And put away my wife of better fame,

_Agrippa_, great with child, the more my blame:

I was through this and th’ Emprisse _Liuia’s_ skill,

Adopted Emprour by _Augustus_ will.

When hee was dead, then I _Tiberius_ raynde,

Adopted thus, and for my noble acts,

I was (perdy) to warre[906] and peace well traynde,

Th’_Illyrians_ must confesse my famous facts,

In three yeares space my powre their pride subacts:

On them and _Germaynes_ triompht neare and farre,

Saue _Punike_ fight the greatest _Romayne_ warre.

Now (for it was my hap a victoure soe

To _Rome_ returne a yeare before his end)

Throughout the world the fame of mee did goe,

The _Romaynes_ all to fauour mee did bend.

To them _Augustus_ did my warres commend,

Adopted mee, and (as I sayd) for this,

The _Romaynes_ bold and hee enbraued mee with blisse.[907]

10.

So when I had obtayned my desire,

Who then but _Cæsar_ I did rule alone,

By nature proude presuming to aspire,

Desembling that which afterwarde was knowne:

For when the fathers minde to me was showne,

Of their electing mine Emperiall place,

I seemde to stay, refusing it a space.

11.

And thus to proue my friendes before I did,

And eke to heare what euery one would say,

Which was the cause why some I after rid,

The best perdy[908] I made as foes away,

By slaughter so I thought my throne to stay,

But farre besides that I purposde it fell,[909]

As time doth trye the fruite of thinges full well.

12.

Another griefe conceau’d I will recyte,

Which made me with the _Senate_ discontent:

From _Iudæa_ did[910] _Pontius Pilate_ write

His letters how the _Iewes_, to malice bent,

Had put to death one _Christ_ full innocent,

The sonne of God, of might, of power no lesse,

Which rose from death, as _Christians_ all confesse.

Thus wise he wrote:

Pontius Pilate to his Lorde

Claudius wisheth health.

[Sidenote: This letter is in _Flores historiarum_, but you may not

thinke that I doe set it downe thereby to affirme that he wrate it.

For I am perswaded he would not write so well, and yet it appears by

Orosius and others that Claudius would haue made Christ to haue bene

taken in Rome for a God, and that the Senate and he fell so at variance

about the same matter.]

Of late it chaunst, which I haue proued well,

The _Iewes_ through wrath by cruell doome haue lost

Themselues, and all their offspring that ensue.

For when their fathers promise had that God

Would send to them from heauen his holy one,

That might deseruingly be namde their King,

And [promist] by a virgine him to th’earth to sende,

The same (I pronoste here) when th’_Hebrewes_[911] God was come,

And they him saw restore the blind to sight,

To cleanse the leapers, cure the palsies eke,

To cast diuelles[912] out of men, and rayse the dead,

Commaund the windes, on sea with dry feete walke,

And many maruayles great beside to doe,

When all the _Iewish_ people called[913] him the sonne of God,

The Chiefe Priestes enuying him deliuered him to mee,[914]

And bringing many forged fained faultes

Namde him a wisarde, and against[915] their lawes to doe:

And I beleeud it so to be, and whipt him[916] for the cause,

[Deliuering him to them to vse as they thought best.]

They crucifide him, buried him, [set keepers at] his tombe,

Yet he, while as my souldiers kept his graue,[917]

The third day rose againe, and came to life.

But so their hatreds bent, they[918] bribde the souldiers all,

And bad them say, that his disciples stale his corps away.[919]

The souldiers yet, when they the money [taken] had,

Could not the trueth keepe silent of the facte:

For both they witnessed that he was risen againe,

And of the _Iewes_, that [they so taken money had.

I therefore here so write to you, lest any othervvise

Some lye do bring, or thinke vve should beleeue of _Iewes_ the

lyes.[920]]

13.

These letters read, I did thereon conferre,

Both with the fathers graue in high degree,

And with the nobles of [the] _Senate_ were,

That _Christ_ in _Rome_ as God might counted bee,

To which they onely did not disagree,

(Because the letters came not first to them)

But by edicte [from _Rome_] did banish[921] Christen men.

14.

To th’ accusers of them threaten[922] death I did,

Although _Seianus_ from my party fell

The _Senate_ which the Christians sought to rid,

By me were after seru’d in order well:

For as Christ’s Godhead they would _Rome_ expell,

And would not serue the God of meekenesse sent,

To pot apace their hawty heads were pent.

15.

I banisht some, and some to death I put,

And foure and twenty fathers graue I chose,

From shoulders eke most of their heades I cut,

And left likewise aliue but twaine of those:

_Seianus_ I did slay, of _Drusus_ deadly foes:

I _Germanique_ adopted late, with poyson slewe,[923]

His sonnes likewise my poysons force well knewe.

16.

The men that did _Iehouae’s_ sonne refuse,

The King of _Iewes_, the Lorde of life and health,

Were gouern’de thus: _Tiberius_ thus did vse

The men that were the Gods in common wealth,

Forsaking so their heauenly sauing health:

The Emprour I, which shoulde their liues defende,

Sought all the meanes to bring their liues to ende.

17.

Yet to religion I was nothing bent,

Dissembled things that least I fauour’d still,

I neuer vsde to speake the thinges I meant,

But bare in minde the wayes to worke men ill:

I seem’de to some to beare them great good will,

And those I tooke away as time did serue,

Inconstant vnto each yet seeming seeld to swerue.

18.

To dronkennesse and ryote, sports and ease,

And pleasure all I gaue my studie then,

Nought more then subtile shiftings did me please,

With bloudshed, craftie, vndermining men:

My Courte was like a Lyon’s lurking den,

The Iesters namde mee _Caldius Biberius Mero_,

In stead of this my name, _Claudius Tiberius Nero_.

19.

I will no more my life describe this time,

For why, my factes at last deserude defame,

Infected with so many a fulsome crime,

As may not here repeated be for shame:

I haue no cause the Lady blinde to blame,

But blame my selfe I must, abusing place,[924]

Which might full well haue vsde the giftes of grace.

20.

Three things in fine I tell that wrought my fall,

First vile dissembling both with God and man,

For bloudshed then, which hauocke made of all,

Bloud cryes to him that well reuenge it can,

For filthie life I much offended than,

Wherefore aliue thus poysoned with these three,

_Caligula_ did find the fourth to bane vp mee.[925]

21.

To Princes this I say, and worthie Peeres,

I wish them wisely wey that heare me shall,

And poyse my first exploytes with later yeeres,

And well consider one thing in my fall,

Abuse of power abaseth Princes all:

In throne on earth, [as _Ioue_, the Prince he sits,

As _Ioue_ to iudge aright, he plyes his wits.

If not, then _Ioue_ whose Justice he omits,

With thunderbolt from sacred seate him hits.][926]

How Caivs Caesar Caligula Emperour of Rome was slayne

by Cherea and others, The yeare of Christ, 42.

Vnhappy Princes haue in wealth no grace,

To see how soone their vices ping them vnder,

But run vnruly, reckelesse of their race,

Till at the length they make themselues a wonder:

When from aloft theyr traces fall asonder,

There is no hope to hold aright the trace,

[_Fortuna_ once when shee beginnes to thunder.]

They cannot keepe aloft th’ Emperiall place:

[The Lady blynde, so blindly makes them blunder.]

Behold my hap, on whom the _Romayne_ rout

With ioy did gaze, when bloudy slayne I lay,

Here lyes (quoth they), thrust thirty times throughout,

The monster vile, that beast _Caligula_,

Which did so many giltlesse _Romaynes_ slay:

The nobles now the matrones neede not doubt,

[The virgins now retayne theyr vertues may:]

The worthy writers may their workes set out,

[They neede no longer feare theyr foule decay.]

I was (I graunt) full lewdely led by lust,

I forced nought of vertue, faith, nor lawe,

In powre I put my confidence and trust,

Regarding right nor Justice strickte a strawe:

My facts infarst my life with many a flawe,

[So Venus vile by dealings moste vniust,]

Did mee to deedes of deadly inceste[927] drawe:

[My sisters three accuse my rudenesse must,]

Which had of God nor nature’s hestes the awe.

To make my selfe a God I did deuise,

That _Iupiter_ to name my selfe did dare,

For incestes vile, which all good wights despise,

Nam’d _Bacchus_ eke a dronken shrine I bare;

To call mee God some flatterers did not spare.

By message I commaunded then likewise,

[_Petronius_ at _Ierusalem_ prepare]

By statue in the Temple to comprise,

[Of honours so, to haue an heauenly share.]

I would not haue my slaughters here enrolde,

And murders mischieues mingled with the rest,

Without regard of sexe, of yong or olde,

For which the _Romaynes_ did my life detest:

To vices vile my deedes were all addrest:

[Unfit they should bee here reherst or tolde:

Wherefore to rid mee _Cheria_ thought it best,

Some others eke t’accomplishe it were bolde,

In thirty steedes they stabde me through the brest.][928]

My life was naught, and thus at last I dyde,

My life procur’de both Gods and men my foes:

Let Princes then beware of pompe and pride,

And not themselues to vices such dispose:

The throne will soone a Princely minde disclose,

The tyraunt’s hart at once in throne is tryde,

[_Iehoua_ iust beholds both these and those,

T’abace the bad, the godly well to guide,

The good to gard, and godlesse downe depose.[929]]

How Gviderivs King of Britayne and the elder sonne

of Cimbaline was slayne in battayle by a

Romayne, The yeare of Christ, 44.

Or as some write, 46.

Take, Higins, now in hand thy pen for mee,

Let not my death and storye lye forgote,

Good cause there is I should remembred bee,

If thou the falles of _Britayne_ Princes note:

Aloft I sate in Princely place a flote,

I had the sword, I bare the scepter right,

I was accounted aye a worthy wight,

[And with the _Romaynes_ proud I waged warlike fight.]

_Guiderius_ was my name, of _Britayne_ yore,

The sonne of _Cimbaline_, and after King:

I tribute nild to _Romaynes_ payd before,[930]

Mee thought it was to bace a seruile thing:

No _Romayne_ should mee in subiection bring,

[I sayd I would not pay them tribute, I,

They did extort the same by force, perdy,

Agaynst all right, a charge without occasion why.][931]

When _Claudius_ [_Cæsar_] sent this tribute for to haue,

I sent him word agayn I would not pay,

I would not graunt, vniustly hee did craue,

That might in time procure my realme’s decay:

Hee should not beare our freedome so away,

[For as by treason _Cesar_ gate the fame,

And tribute, when to winne this Realme hee came:

So now I iustly might deny to pay the same.][932]

On this addreste him selfe in warlike sorte,

The noble _Claudius_ [_Cæsar_] came to trye the case,

Which had [perdy] before receaued high reporte,

Both of my wealth, my force and noble grace:

So thinking well hee might my fame [and mee] deface,

From _Rome_ hee came to _Britayne_ with his host,

And landed here vppon my Southerne cost,

[By martiall feates to try whom Fortune fauourde most.]

Now marke my tale, and hereby shalt thou knowe

The subtil slights of _Romaynes_ in their war:

The slye deceats of such doe make a showe,

Whereby to try the people what they ar:

Note well such foes in dealing neare and far,

Amidst the field, in scout, or fight alone,

Of all the rest example take by one,

[For vnder sunne of more despite a nation is there none.]

[Amongst his armies stout a Captayne fearce hee had,

With whom encountring oft I made my party good,

_Hamonius_ men hym cald, and hee was more then mad,

Because his might so often fearcely I withstood:

At last hee wrought a wyle which way to shed my bloud,][933]

Hee clad him selfe as hee a _Britayne_ [souldier] weare,

Like armour, sword, and target did hee beare,

[And bad the _Romaynes_ of the field to take no feare.]

[Amongst the rest hee road, perceauing nothing wee,

And made abought as t’were some _Britayne_ lost his place,

Or broken out of ray, hee spyde an oape at mee,

Which done, his men retyrde, and wee pursude the chace.

Come on my mates (quoth hee) the _Romaynes_ flye apace,

In _Britishe_ tongue hee spake, and sayd, They flye, they flye;

Our hostages him taught that time at _Rome_ did lye,

Whereby they deemde him all a _Britayne_, as did I.][934]

As wee pursude, in mee hee thrust [the fatall][935] blade,

Betweene my armour splints hee gaue the wound,

And fast away for life to shift hee made,

[Which did by this disceate my life and mee confound:

This was my fate, of my distresse the ground;

And so recite my last adieu, declare this fall of mee,

That men may shun the slights, and subtile wyles of foes

may see.

Who well takes heede of such may liue, and long the wiser

bee.][936]

How Laelivs Hamo the Romayne Captayne was slayne

after the slaughter of Guiderius, about

the yeare of Christ, 46.

A Romayne Captayne I in _Britayne_ armoure clad,[937]

Disguis’d therfore, in field did sley their noble King:

I ventred in their host, and I my purpose had

To venture so for Countrye’s sake a worthy thing;

But who so wenes to win by slaughter high renowne,

Hath often times the fate to fall by slaughter downe.

Euen so my selfe that slewe, short time my ioyes did last,

In flight I taken was, and hewde in pieces small;

Which downe the cleeues they did into the waters cast,

And by my name as yet the hauen and harbor call:

Who thinkes by slaughter’s prayse, to winne immortall fame

By treason vile perchaunce encurres a shrouding sheete of

shame.[938]

How Clavdivs Tiberius Drusus, Emperour of Rome,

was poysoned by his wife Agrippina,

the yeere of Christ, 56.

Say not the people well, that Fortune fauours fooles,

So well they say[939] which name her beetle blinde;

I neede not tell what[940] I haue learnde at schooles,

But may by proofe expresse my foolish minde:[941]

My mother by her prouerbs me a foole defyn’de,

Which often sayd when any foolishly had done,

In faith you are as wise as _Claudius_ my sonne.

It pleased her not onely so to name me sot,

But also me a monster[942] oft she nam’de,

Unperfect all, begun by nature, but begot,

Not absolute, not well, nor fully fram’de,[943]

Sith thus my mother often me defam’de,[944]

What meant the men of _Rome_, which so elected me,

A foole, a monster foule, their gouernour to be.

Th’Emperiall bloud perdy was[945] partely cause,

That I (vnfit therefore) attaynde the throne,[946]

And yet the _Senate_[947] tooke a while the pause,

Determin’de to abolish[948] euery one

Of _Cæsar’s_ linage,[949] as their mortall fone:

For why they could[950] receiue no quiet reste,

But still by vs were[951] cruelly oppreste.

The souldiers which me founde where I me hid[952]

In place obscure,[953] vnfit for _Cæsar’s_ grace,

They brought me forth,[954] there me proclayme they did,

Because I seemde[955] much meekenesse to embrace,

And could dissemble [eke to serue the place,

Whereby the warriours were to me enclin’de,

Supposing I was meeke, of gentle minde:

But they herein and Fortune both were blinde.][956]

The wilely Foxe that seekes to sley the sheepe,[957]

Doth fayne himselfe to beare[958] a simple eye;

The rauening Wolfe would[959] take of Lambes the keepe,

If he condemne the Mastiues might to dye;[960]

The Crocadile will fayne[961] to weepe and crye;

But if the sheepe, her young, or wandring man be caught,

The Foxe, the Wolfe, and Crocadile,[962] haue euen the pray

they sought.

So I could fayne,[963] as though I did refuse

To take the Empire’s sway, a charge too greate,[964]

But well I wiste,[965] if th’armie did me chuse,

The _Senate_ could not thereof me defeate;[966]

They could not stay me[967] from the hautie seate:

Thus though I seem’d at first so simple, meeke and plaine;

Yet was I subtile, slye, and glad of glory vaine.

But after this, I gaue[968] my selfe to ease,

To wyne, to woemen eke, and belly chere,[969]

And fearefull[970] was my wife for to displease,

_Messalina_,[971] whose maners homely were;

She made not onely me the horne[972] to beare,

But also did allure good matrones vnto vice,

And virgines chaste to sinne, or made them pay the price.

For if that eyther they abhor’d the facte,[973]

Or men detested present for to bee,[974]

Some crime[975] was fayn’de or else some haynous acte,

Not they[976] nor theirs from slaughter could be free;

My seruants were preferde in place of mee,[977]

Their wealth was more then mine: the prouerbe went as then,

I neede no treasure want, if I would please my men.

On this I caused her be[978] made away,

And made a vowe no more for aye to wedde,[979]

Because my wiues[980] sought eyther me to slay,

Or else with whoredome to defile my bedde,[981]

But at the length, s’enraged was my head,[982]

_Agrippina_ my[983] brother’s daughter braue,

Incestuously I chose, for spoused wife to haue.

10.

So leading then my life in slouth and sinne,[984]

I gaue my selfe to ryote, cardes[985] and dice:

And I so skilfull was at length therein,[986]

I wrote of dicing arte a worke[987] of price:

This may declare[988] if I were graue and wise;

[Suspicious, doubtfull, fearefull so was I,

To euery corner sent some secret spie.][989]

11.

So cruell, credulous, eache light offence[990]

Was cause[991] to take away th’offender’s life:

And so forgetfull, such[992] my negligence,

I would eftsoones enquire for those full rife,[993]

As for _Messalina_ of late[994] my wanton wife:

Eke for such others I enquir’de agayne,[995]

As I before commaunded shoulde be slayne.[996]

12.

And I extol’de[997] the meaner sort of men,

Adorning them with titles[998] of estate,

Euen such perdy as seru’d[999] my dyet then,

Amongst the auncient fathers often sate.[1000]

For this the noble _Romaynes_ did me hate.[1001]

And for the cruell beastly[1002] life I lead,

Full often times they wish’t that I were dead.[1003]

13.

_Agrippina_ perswaded me t’adopt her sonne,[1004]

That after me the[1005] Empire he might haue;

Which when at length[1006] I had vnwisely donne

At her request,[1007] as she the same did craue,

In recompence to me she poyson[1008] gaue,

Whereof I dyed:[1009] this was my life and ende,

Let so my factes and fatall fall be pen’de.[1010]

How the Emperovr Domitius Nero liued wickedly and

tyrannously, and in the ende miserably slewe

himselfe, the yeere of Christ, 70.

Must I that lead so loose a life speake here,

Amongst the wreckes whom Fortune’s tempestes tore;

Wel then I see I must, the case is clere,

But blame I must my onely selfe therefore,

I am that _Nero_ rule in _Rome_ that bore,

_Agrippina_ my mother wrought that feate for mee,[1011]

Her husband poisned, I might Emprour bee.

A while I gaue my selfe to gouerne well,

As _Senecke_ graue instructed me thereto;

But after, I to shamelesse dealings fell,

At randome liu’de in lust as Lechers doe,

To slaughters fell, of friendes and kinred to,

Not sparing those in fleshly lustes desire,

Whome nature’s impes dombe beasts will not require.

A shame it were to tell my hatefull life,

But he that wanted shame, whose face was brasse,

That spared neyther men, mayde, virgine, wife,

Not mother, sister, kinde, nor kin that was,

Whose factes both care and shame did alwayes passe:

What shoulde be shame to doe, speake, thinke, or say,

Which all his life cast bashfull shame away?

For wantonnesse, I past the filthy stues;

For glutony, I had no where my peere;

No kinde of crueltie but I did vse,

No wickednesse from which my life was cleere:

My pride did passe them all, both farre and neere;

Against the trade of kind in shamelesse life,

One man for bride me had, another for bridewife.[1012]

With golden nets in ryot I would fishe,

And purple lines to drawe my nets I had;

I vsed eke for pleasures many a dishe,

And was with naught but lust and mischiefe glad:

Though these thinges made the _Romaynes_ hartes full sad,

They durst not speake: for who so did complayne,

Without respect or sentence more, was slayne.

For pleasures sake to see the flames arise,

I causde that _Rome_ should then on fire bee set,

And for to feede therewith my gazing eyes,

On high _Mæcenas_ Towre to stand I get:

So, sixe dayes fire and seauen nights waste I let,

And sang there while, beholding it with ioy,

The _Iliades_ sweete of _Græcians_ burning _Troy_.

Then I restraynd that no man should resort

To th’ ruines great, when as the fire was past;

Nor should therefrom the reliques left transport,

But to my selfe reserude them all at last:

The marchaunts causelesse from their goods I cast,

And _Senatours_ depriude of all that ere they had,[1013]

Some slaine, the rest with life alone to scape[1014] were glad.

Still out the sword to slay all sortes I drewe,

My mother could not scape amongst them free;

My brother deare, and sisters eke I slewe,

And of my wiues likewise a two or three:

My kinsemen eke I kild of each degree,

Reioysing in so heynous bloudshed still,

Nought else with _Nero_ then but, kill, them kill.

And for that _Seneca_ mee counsayle gaue,

(My tutour good in youth) to leaue my vice,

I bad him choose what death him likte to haue,

Which now should pay, for then, my stripes the price:

In water warme to stand was his deuice,

And there to bleede a milde and gentle death,

Euen so I causde them reaue his vitall breath.

10.

So with almighty _Ioue_ I gan to warre,

The Christians good I did torment and sley,

Commaunding all my subiects neare and farre,

Their liues and goods to spoyle and take away;

Which they accomplisht strayght without delay,

Both _Paul_ and _Peter_, Christe’s disciples twayne,

Th’Apostles, both by mine edict were slayne.

11.

But what endureth long that’s violent?

The thunder seemes some time to teare the skies,

At seas full oft the stormes are vehement,

To cloudes alofte the wales[1015] and waters rise,

Soone after th’ayre is cleare, [and calme] the water lyes:

Experience eke the same and prouerbes[1016] old doe showe,

Eache storme will haue his calme, [and spring tide, ebbe

full lowe.][1017]

12.

For when I went about to stroy[1018] the state,

And all the _Romaynes_ noble fame t’obscure;

The _Senate_ all, and people did mee hate,

And sought which way they might my death procure:

I could no longer mine outrage endure,[1019]

They mee proclaymde a foe to publique weale,

By night forsooke of all, was forst away to steale.[1020]

13.

The iudgement was, such foes should pillered bee

By necke, in forke made fast full sure to byde;

And should with rods so long there beaten bee,

Untill therewith the woefull captiues dyde;

From this correction therefore fast I hyde,

And eke from _Galba_ then proclaymed Emprour newe,

For feare of [doomed] death, by deedes deserued due.

14.

By night (I say) forsaken quite, I fled,

And _Sporus_ th’eunuche most impure likewise,

With others three, like filthy life that led:

To slay my selfe I desperate then deuise,

Whom all the world did so for sinne despise;

And thirsting sore in flight, full fayne I [sweetly] dranke

The waters foule, which standing long in diches stanke.[1021]

15.

My seruaunts would not mee requested kill:[1022]

Haue I (quoth I) no foe, nor yet no frend,

To reaue mee from this feare of conscience ill?

Will no man make of _Nero_ naught[1023] an end?

With that my brest to poynt of sword I bend,

With trembling hand, which _Sporus_ holpe to stay,

And on the same my selfe assayde to slay.

16.

With that, of _Galbae’s_ seruaunts one drewe nie,

With fayned cheere, as though hee helpe mee would:

To late you come, call you this helpe (quoth I)?

Is this the friendshippe firme and fayth you holde?

My life was filthy, vile for to beholde,

My death more vile shall bee, more filthy I departe:

With that I fell on sword, which ran me through the harte.[1024]

How Sergivs Galba the Emperour of Rome (gieuen to slaughter,

ambition, and glotony) was slayne by the souldiers,

The yeare of Christ, 71.

Amongst the hawty Emprours downe that fell,

I _Sergius Galba_ may bee placed here,

Where who so sees and markes my dealings well,

To him may soone the fruites of fraude appeare;

All murders great are bought with price full deare;

Foule slaughters donne, procure as fowle a fall,

As hee deserues that workes the woefull thrall.

In _Rome_ some time I _Prætour_ chosen was,

And then obtaynde of _Spayne_ the prouince fayre,

To gouerne there, I brought by friends to passe,

In hope to be the Emprour _Neroe’s_ heyre.

For when the _Romaynes_ did of him dispaire,

So bent at home to slaughter, lust and vice,

By warres abroad I wan the prayse and price.

To get the souldiers fauour I tooke payne,

For in the Emprour’s choise they gaue the stroke;

I therefore sought some spoyles for them to gayne,

Though thereby oft the lawes of armes I broke,

But who may wordes or actions donne reuoke?

The stayne abides, where staylesse[1025] strikes the good,

And vengeaunce wreckes the waste of giltlesse bloud.

In _Lusitania_ while that time I lay,

I causde the people there assemble shoulde,

Reporting I had somwhat for to say,

Which in effect procure them profite would;

To which they came as many nere as could,

Full thirty thousand, thinking naught of ill,

All which I causde the souldiers there to kill.

I sought some meanes that _Nero_ might abye,[1026]

Not for his vicious life, but for his place;

Although pretence were made his vice, perdy,[1027]

Whom all good men accounted voyde of grace:

But yet I could not stay so long a space,

I causde in _Spayne_ the souldiers mee proclame,

Which strayght they did, and gaue mee _Cæsar’s_ name.

To _Rome_ I hyde, and _Nero_ gate him thence,

Hee stale away for feare of sentence past,

A publique foe proclaymde for negligence,

For slaughters donne, for fire of _Rome_ the wast:

Eke for because hee was of mee agast,

Hee slewe him selfe before my man could comme,

Which slaughter else my seruaunts there had donne.

When I my maister thus subuerted had,

The _Romaynes_ eke began mislike with mee:

They sayd I was ambitious, nygh so bad

And cruell, giuen to pride and glotony;

Now I was ruled all by _Romaynes_ three,

_Cornelius_, _Iulius_, _Celius_, for the state

My schoolmaisters, for which they did mee hate.

And _Siluius Otho_ sought the Empire then,

That vicious beast, and coward verlet vile,

Hee delte by gyftes so with mine armed men,

That factious rose in campe within a while;

Which when I came them for to reconcile,

To _Curtius_ lake, nere which the armie lay,

Of _Siluius_ friendes the souldiers did me slay.

Strooke of my head, and bare it to my foe,

Who causde it should bee set vpon a speare;

So through the campe they bare it to and froe,

Saluting it, now dead, a sorte there were,

Which late thereof, aliue, did doubt and feare;

O _Galba_, ioyfull dayes the Gods thee giue,

God send thee _Galba_ well long time to liue.

10.

This was the guerdon of my hawty pryde,

To haue mine head thus wise extold aloft:

Thus I the gaynes of hasty climing tride,

To leese mine head, and after haue it scoft:

A thing perdy that[1028] chaunceth wonders oft.

Who thinkes the gayne is sweete [he gets] by sheeding bloud,

In purple yeeldes like gaine, to doe like people good.[1029]

How the Viciovs Siluius Otho, Emperour of Rome,

slew hym selfe, The yeare of Christ 71.

Like will to like (for so the Prouerbe sayes)

Such are the men, as those with whom they vse:

The Goate with [the] Goate togeather is alwayes,

The Wolfe not of Wolfe doth fellowship refuse:[1030]

The crafty Foxe of Foxe the company doth chuse:[1031]

And euery liuing creature loues [of] his kinde,

As well as in shape, in qualityes of minde.[1032]

And yet all men that come in company,

Are not embued with qualities alike;

One loues song ma chaunce and melody,[1033]

Another is perhaps Melancholike,

Another fumishe is and Cholerike,

Another dull and sottishe in his sence,

And all (in some what) full of negligence.

Now then Complexion is somewhat in [the] case,

Concerning cheefe the disposition;

But yet the learned writers haue a place,

What maners alter our Complexion;

So some say also of correction:

And sure I thinke if that they say bee true,

I after was the worse for _Nero_ and his crue.[1034]

His Courtisane brought mee in fauour furst,

Into his Court and fellowship I came;

To mee recount his vilanyes hee durst,

Not fit to tell, hee thought which had no shame;

I will no more recite of his defame:

The day was curst to mee which brought mee in,

At _Neroe’s_ house, such infamy to winne.

But yet another did mee more infect,

_Seleucus_ seene in _Mathematiques_ well;

Hee of my birth a figure did erect,

Of many haps and chaunces hee did tell,

Incyted mee 'gaynst _Galba_ to rebell,

Which[1035] warraunt if I would enuade the throne,

I might aloft with scepter sit alone.

Reuenge eke of _Neroe’s_ death[1036] likewise,

Incyted mee his enemy to kill;

Then with my souldiers[1037] I did deuise,

The way t’accomplishe mine endeuour still,

Whom well I might perswade almost to any ill:

Eke so in deede the souldiers did him slay,

And brought to mee his head with them away.

I caused them to set it on a speare,

About the campe to beare it as a show,

To put the rest mine enemies in feare;

So they before their punishment might know;

Great giftes amongste the souldiers I bestow,

Wherewith they all in campe, with one assent,

To choose mee for their _Cæsar_, were content.

But now to hold it fast a worke of skill,

[The scepter caught, the same to hold, perdy,

Doth aske much arte, and labour aske it will,][1038]

_Non minor est virtus, quam quærere, parta tueri_.

The hawty seate hath many a greedy eye.

The election was mislikte, and in short space,

_Vitellius_ sought to vndermine my grace.

In armes wee were, and hee mee batayle gaue,

First at _Placentia_, where I had the foyle;

Fro _Bebriaque_ by force hee nexte mee draue,

And did mine army vanquishe quite, and spoyle:

There I not able farder to recoyle,

Dispayring quite, I wist to flye no way,

As _Nero_ erst, with sword my selfe I slay:

[Such is the holde whereby false traytours stay.

A miroure here of mee behold you may,

Which for my pride, a purple price did pay:

By bloud who rose, by treason caught decay.]

How Avlvs Vitellius Emperour of Rome came to an infortunate end,

The yeare of Christ, 71.

To treade the staire to state, who takes in hand,

And thereon enters first by bribes or bloud;

On slippery ground hee cannot firmely stand,

Ne fixte is hee, his hold is nothing good,

Though he knew erst how firme on ground he stood,

And thinke to fixe his seat with better hold;

Hee cannot scape yet schotfree vncontrol’d.

To see before his face the fall of such

As climbe vp so, and cannot yet take heede,

But must of force th’imperiall title tuch,

Wherein so many doubts of daunger breede:

A poynt of peeuishe pride, a rage in deede

By blindnesse blunt, a sottishe sweame hee feeles:

With ioyes bereapte[1039] when death is hard at heeles.

Hence Fortune well tooke name, accounted blind,

Because men fortunate vnfitly see;

To pleasures sweete and honoures all enclynde,

Without respect the most addicted bee,

Regarding nought but titles of degree,

Whereby mishaps, infortunes of their race,

In high prospects of vew can take no place.

This blindnesse is not of the eyes alone,

But of the minde a dimnesse and a mist;

For when they shift to sit in hawty throne,

With hope to rule the scepter as they list,

Ther’s no regard nor feare of had-I-wist:

The present pleasure, glory, wealth, and ioy

Bereaues their gaze, the feare of all anoy.

The trade of men is such too late th’are wise;

Too late they knowe which way mischaunces fell;

At first the _Phrygians_ counsayle did despise,

At last they knewe the way t’haue holpe it well,

When _Græcians_ did their noble Princes quell,

Had fierde and sackt their Towne of worthie fame,

When they too late knewe howe t’haue sau’de the same.

Our _Cæsar_ sawe too late his cause of fall,

And _Drusus_ poisned had as fortune ill;

_Domitius Nero_ hated most of all,

Eke _Galba_, which his master sought to kill,

So _Siluius Otho_ whose bloud I did spill,

And I _Vitellius_ may affirme with these,

_Illud verum, Serio sapiunt Phryges_.

We all assaylde and gate the throne by sworde,

So each we sawe how they before vs spead;

The onely fruite which treason hath t’afforde,

Is losse of pleasures, goods, lands, life or head;

The gayne we get, stands vs small time in stead,

The Fame we craue, becomes defame and shame,

And rusts for aye deuouring our good name.

Of slaughters mine what neede I here discry,

Or how the _Romaynes_ reft away my life,

When I seuen monthes had raygned wickedly,

Which entred in by bloud and ciuill strife;

But this I finde too late a sequell rife,

Who takes by sworde from Prince the scepter’s guide,

By sworde from him the scepter so shall slide,

[He cannot long himselfe from _Iouae’s_ Justice hide,

When loyall loue thy Prince, let treason trudge beside.]

Londricvs the Picte slayne by King Marius of Britayne,

about the 80. yeere of Christ, giues

his verdit of Fortune.

Fortune erst was wont to lift aloft her children high,[1040]

And giue them kingdoms great and conquests at her will,

And place them, as they thought, aboue the gods welnigh,

She blindly leades them forth as is her custome still,

With pleasures all a while she doth their fancies fill,

And at the last doth let them fall in foule despite againe.[1041]

Shee sets aloft and pulles them downe with might and maine;

[Such is of Fortune blind the use to plague her impes with

pinching paine.]

When wee the glory see of those that come to great renowne,[1042]

We are enflamed straight the like attempts to make;

But when we see mischaunce againe to driue them downe,

We are not able yet example there to take;

The stormes of enuie blacke the hawtiest housen shake,

The basest sort contend with all their force t’aspire;

The meaner persons eke the loftie roomes require,

[And equalles heartes doe burne with hatefull brands of

burning ire.]

Then is the meane estate commended well for meaner sorte[1043]

And golden meane is best in euery trade of life:

For though a countrey clowne doe[1044] keepe a stately porte,

[And in expenses great, and idle charge is rife;

Although he brauely builde his house and proudly paint his wife,

Yet is he but a clowne, and makes (in deede) himselfe a scorne:

Full hard it is to make such one a gentill borne,

Except some noble gifts of grace his gentill minde adorne.][1045]

So though a noble borne could get an higher seate

By conquest, or by weale, by fauour, or by fight,

And would from mighty _Ioue_ his petegrue repeate,

Yet ought hee not aduaunce him selfe aboue his height,

Hee ought not make a clayme to that hee hath no right,

Or trust to Fortune so (although shee seeme to smyle)

As though shee did not turne her selfe within a while:

[For whom shee fauours most of all, shee soonest doth beguyle.]

When with my _Picts_ I came first to the _Scotish_ shore,

I bare my selfe in hand that I could _Brytayne_ win,

Because that _Scithes_ of whome I came, by conquests wan

before[1046]

Right many noble Realmes, which they had entred in:

Yet I no sooner could my conquest here begin,

But strayght King _Marius_ came with all his bande,

And met with mee and mine in _Westmerlande_,[1047]

[Where both our armies met, and fought it hande to hande.][1048]

I trusted sure that Fortune woulde mee guide so well

As erste shee had,[1049] in batayles whilome faught:

But proofe doth teache mee nowe the trueth[1050] to tell

What I by Fortune’s flattery fayre haue caught.[1051]

Whom shee setts vp,[1052] shee bringeth soone to naught.

[As when I had the _Britaynes_ in disdayne,

And thought by batayle all theyr lande to gayne:

In fielde both I and mine were vanquisht, taken, slayne.][1053]

T’is foly or the ende, for men to prayse theyr chaunce,

Or brag what luck they haue, or tell theyr fate,[1054]

Or boaste how Lady Fortune doth theyr deedes aduaunce:

For Fortune at the last doth vse to gieue the mate.[1055]

Whom first shee loues, shee afterwarde doth hate,

She flings them headlong downe, whom erste shee made excell,

Shee makes them bare and poore, whom erst shee placed well,[1056]

[And those which thinke to scale the skies, she hurleth downe

to hell.]

How Seuerus the Emperour of Rome, and Gouernour of Britayne,

was slaine at Yorke, fighting against the Pictes,

about the yeere after Christ, 206,

after others, 213.

The stay of stately throne is nothing sure,

Where great estates on brybes or blodshed build;

As _Didius Iulian_ put for proofe in vre,

Th’emperiall seate he bought, and soone was kild:

So _Niger_ after him by armes assayde the same,

_Albinus_ then, from _Britayne_ armed came,

[For Empire sake they lost their heades and fame.]

These three stoode in my way to high estate,

Which I sore thirsted for, but yet at last

I made thereto, by bloudshed bold, a gate,

And letlesse so vnto[1057] the throne I past:

The souldiers _Iulian_ slewe, for insufficient pay:

My seruants eke at _Antioch Niger_ slay:

[At _Lyons_ siege they tooke _Albinus_ head away.]

Then was my seate, me thought, assurde to bide,

There could no tempest teare my sayles adowne:

No showre could cause my fixed foote to slide,

Nor vnder creeper crooke[1058] from me the Crowne

Which had the guyde of all _Europae’s_ [wealth and] might,

He, needed not to feare the force of fight,

[Nor yet the ire of any worldly wight.]

Encouraged with loue of lasting fame,

I entred with an armie into th’East,

_Armenia_ can full well reporte the same,

Whereas my warlike glory first increast.

_Angarus_ I subdude by fight the noble King,

And bid his sonnes to _Rome_ for hostage bring,

[For which my fame through all the worlde did ring.]

_Arabia Fælix_ felt my force likewise,

Although those warres had not so good successe:

Yet made I them with bowes (good archers) rise,

Or else they had bene driue to great distresse.

Their [fethered] shaftes from _Arras_ shot, made vs to smarte,

They poysoned of my men by policy and arte,

[And forced mee afflicted sore, with souldiers to departe.]

To _Parthia_ thence, agaynst of armes the lawe,[1059]

Wee gate, forgot the truce before was plight:

And when occasion fit to serue therefore wee sawe,[1060]

King _Artabane_ w’assaylde, and put him thence to flight.[1061]

With fire and sword wee brent, [turmoylde,] and spoylde his land,

Tooke captiues, slewe the men that did vs ought with-stand,[1062]

[Enritcht with boetyes thence retournde, whereof great store

we fand.]

To _Rome_ I came, and caused chartes[1063] bee drawne

Of iourneys mine, by land and seas the plats:

Not erst before such expedition sawne,

Nor of those Countryes seene so perfect mapps.

The worlde did wonder at my heaps of haps,

The _Romaynes_ honourde mee[1064] with triomphes when I came,

They vnto mee of _Parthique_ gaue to name,

[And Poets pennes perpetuate my prowes, facts, and fame.]

But when can Princes best assure themselues?

What state without the stormes of strife doth stand?

What barke beares sayle in tempeste on the shelues?

What blisse abides and lasts, by sea or land?

Who takes to raygne the scepter in his hand,

Is like to him in sterne to stirre that sits,

Commaunding all the rest, theyr race hee fits,

[Mishandling there the helme with losse of all on rockes

hee hits.]

For while that I abroade for glory hunt,

My sonnes at home in pleasures spent the time:

And as their father erst before was wont,

Endeuourde howe aloft they both might clime.

The elder fearce and cruell _Antonine_,

The yonger _Geta_ gentle more and milde[1065] then hee,

Could not at any time in peace agree,

[Desiring both t’inioy the empire after mee.]

10.

So I endeuourde to appeaze the strife,

But nought at all I could therein preuaile:

This made mee woe and wery of my life,

Which erst so many kingdomes did assaile.

I had the hap mine enmyes force to quaile,

To rule the _Romaynes_ well, and all the rest:

But for to rule my sonnes, which should bee best,[1066]

[I could no counsayle finde, nor haue the hurte redrest.]

11.

Perceiuing then some persons lewde there were,

Which counsailde ofte my sonnes embracing vice,

(As still is seene in court enueaglers are,

Procurers of despite, contemners of the wise,[1067]

That flatery hold for gayne a gift of price)

I causde them[1068] put to death those _Thrasoes_ vile,

And some were sent or banishte to exile:

[But yet the griefe encreased all this while.]

12.

Mine[1069] elder sonne did thinke my life to long,

The yonger lou’d the elder’s life as ill:

They studied both to make their parties strong,

Which griefe my griped harte well nere did kill.

Such are the mischieues of the stately still.

In _Britayne_ eke the _Pictes_ rebelling rose,

Some _Britaynes_ there became our secret foes,

[Wherfore in age my selfe againe to warres I did despose.]

13.[1070]

First to bee absent from the force at home,

And partly greater glory to attayne,

My children sought, perdy, my death[1071] in _Rome_,

[Without of lawes or _Senate_ house the dome.]

But chiefly _Antonine_ tooke herein payne,

I should by gard or Phisicke drugges bee slayne,

That so the Empire might to hym remayne.[1072]

14.

Yet no man would accomplishe his intent,

For my Phisitions bare mee loyall hartes:

My seruaunts eke full true no treason ment,

But playde in eache respect their faithfull partes.

They knewe themselues so bound by due desertes,

They ought not, seruaunts, such a Lord betray,

That gaue so great rewardes and giftes alway;

[To pleasure him, that sought his father’s owne decay.]

15.

To _Britayne_ I addrest an army great, perdy,[1073]

To quaile the _Pictes_ that rufled in that Ile:

And for to cops the _Britaynes_ tributes that deny,[1074]

Which were withheld from _Romaynes_ there a while,

And to bee absent from my sonnes so vile.

But see what haps befall vs in the end,

Which so to clime aloft, to raygne[1075] alone contend:

[Marke whereunto our laboures great and bloudsheds bend.]

16.

For when I was to _Britayne_ come that [famous] land,

Where people stout, vntamde, vnuanquisht dwelt:

Although once _Cæsar_ Fortune’s fauour fand,

That erst before their valiaunt valure felt:

I found the people nothing prest to pelt,

To yeeld, or hostage geue, or tributes [due to] pay,

Or couenaunts to accept, or fearefully to fray:

[But bade by war to win the price, and beare the palme away.]

17.

They sayde that we did tributes sore exacte,

Whereby their Isle empouerisht greately was:

The _Pictes_ likewise them robde, and spoyle, and sackte,

Whereof the _Romaynes_ seemed naught to pas.

Wee ought (they sayd) to tame the _Galloglasse_,

The ranging _Scythian Picte_ that them did spoyle,

[Empouerishing their people, them to foyle:]

If wee would reape a taxe or tribute[1076] of their toyle.

18.

On which at length, I did conclude a peace,

And ioynde with them in league[1077] agaynst the _Picte_:

But yet the wilfull people did not cease,

My _Britaynes_ good [and mee] by inroades to afflicte:

Whereon to wall them out I did my force addicte[1078]

Long sixe score miles and twelue,[1079] the [_Scotishe_]

banke I made

From sea to sea, that _Pictes_ should not [them so] inuade:

[Till yet the signes thereof are seene, for neuer thence to

vade.]

19.

By helpe of this, I chaste the _Pictes_ away,

And draue them into _Albany_ to dwell:

Whereon _Fulgentius Scythian_ sans delay[1080]

To _Scythia_ sayld, an army new to tell:[1081]

Which gathered great of _Pictes_[1082] apoynted well,

Hee did retourne with speede to _Britayne_ strand:

(That time I lay by North to guide the land,

[Which holpe the _Britaynes_ erst the _Scythians_ to withstand.)]

20.

At length to _Yorke_ with all his host hee came,

Beseegeing it full sharpe assaultes hee gaue:

Where I likewise for to defend the same,

And from our foes the castell good to saue

Came with my powre, as destnyes on mee draue:

But in that fielde it was my chaunce to fall,

I tooke my deadly wound, there ended all

[Renowned lyfe, my warres, my tryomphes, and my thrall.]

21.

The _Scythian_ eke receiude a deadly wounde,

Which came to conquere vs, and lost his feelde:

Thus Fortune fares her children to confounde,

Which on her wheele their bastiles brauely beelde.

Let noble Princes then to reason yeelde,

The daynefull ladie daintie and demure,

Dame Fortune’s fauour fickle is vnsure,[1083]

[Her ioyes and triomphes tickle, timelesse to endure.]

22.

Some say that I retournde to _Rome_ agayne,

Sore troubled with the gowte, desiring death:

And that I would haue taken poyson fayne,

Which me denyde, to reaue my vitall breath

I tooke a surfet great, which wrought my death.

The _Britaynes_ say, at _Yorke_ my bones doe lye,

The _Romaynes_ say at _Rome_ in _Italy_:

[But where so ere they be, I nothing recke them I.]

23.

But this I wish, all noble wights to viewe

Howe I by slaughter gate the throne at furst,

My souldiers noble men for empire slewe,

This way to rise of all I proued wurst:

For why, his hand of gods and men is curst,

To rise aloft that layes the ground with bloud:

The states of such vnstable still haue stood,

[Despisde of mighty _Ioue_, that loues the gentle, meeke,

and good.]

How Fvlgentivs a Scythian, or Picte, was slayne at the seege of

Yorke, about the yeare of Christ, 206, or 213.

I am that valiaunt _Scythian_ Prince the Picte,

That vanquisht oft the _Britaynes_ in this Ile:

Against the noble _Romaynes_ powre I kikte,

And kept them play in _Britayne_ both long while,

I forst them make a wall aboue an hundreth mile,[1084]

From sea to sea, with towres to [watch and] keepe me out,

Which of vs _Pictes_ [in prowesse proud] did daily stand

in doubt.

Our auncient race (although th’ambitious _Romaynes_ nill)[1085]

Had right by due discent to clayme this [noble] land:

Of which repeate some proofe therefore I will,

That so thou maist our title vnderstand.

When all mankinde felt _Iehoue’s_[1086] almighty hand,

That drensht all nations quite, for their rebellious sinne,[1087]

Then strayght [eftsoones] in _Scythia_ did the world [by

_Noah_] beginne.

Th’ _Ægyptians_ hold forsooth that they restord

The world agayne, but, how vnlikely, see:

For _Scythiae’s_ site is high as all accord,

From vs the fountaynes great’ste deriued bee.

The auncient writers all likewise agree,

That on _Armenia_ mount the Arke [of _Noah_] did rest,

Till [heauenly] _Ioue_ againe the earth with drowth addrest.

But they alleage agayne their _Zone_ is milde,

And fertile, temperate, meete to foster men:

Our _Scythian_ hilles (they say) are frosty, wilde,

Which cannot breede but ruder people then.

To which I may well aunswere make agen,

[That as _Iehoua_ made the _Zones_ both hot, and milde, and cold,

Euen so to them hee fitly made like men the same to hold.][1088]

They say wee are nigh neighbours to the _Pole_,

Or frozen poynt: more nere the fire are they:

What poysons breede with them, and _Libians_ sole

In parcheing sands the writers wise display.

Can nature frame mankinde more deepe decay?

[Perdy] where parching heat, where serpents vgly breede,

A Clyme most fit from whence mankinde should[1089] first

proceede.

But now ile tell why _Scythians_ should possesse

This noble Isle: first, Lord _Neptunus_ gaue

The Islandes to his sonnes, both more and lesse,

Eke _Albion_ first of all this Isle should haue:

Hee not with this content, the firme did craue.

Wherefore in _Fraunce_ him _Hercules_ dispacht,

When as hee would a kingdome there haue catcht.

Now as from _Noah_ [first] (of _Scythia_) by descent,

Downe vnto _Albion’s_ time they held the land:

From _Scythe_ to _Scythian_ as of right it went,

And after him no _Scythian_ Prince it fand,

When as vsurpers tooke the raygne in hand,

Was it not [right and] reason wee should vndertake,

This noble Realme our owne agayne to [_Scythia_ subiect] make?

The _Romaynes_ this deny, but euen themselues likewise

(If they from vertue stray as reckelesse vse,[1090]

And doe _Iehouae’s_ lawes and hestes despise,

And right, and trueth, and iustice so refuse)

Shall finde how much their Scepture they misuse.

The _Scythian_ shall [likewise] their lofty seat assaile,

The [barbarous] Prince of _Pictes_ against them shall preuaile.

But softe lay here a strawe, _Seuerus_[1091] now I tell,

When hee the wall had made and pingde mee out,[1092]

To _Scythia_ hence I saylde, and stoarde mee well

With men, munition good, a warlike route,

Of youthfull _Pictes_ full strong in armour stoute

A Nauy good I brought, and entred on the land,[1093]

[A mighty worke,] of stately _Yorke_ I tooke the seege in hand.

10.

The Emprour great _Seuerus_, _Parthique_ proude,

With _Romaynes_, _Galles_, and _Britayne_ souldiers came:

To make me rayse the siege of _Yorke_ he vowde,

And I likewise to winne and raze the same.

To winne the prize we both our armies frame:

But he was [olde and] slie, his souldiers skilfull traynde,

My men to flie by ambush, [scoute, and skirmish] he constraynde.

11.

Agayne to fight wee fell afresh, the battayle grewe,

Aboute I brought my winges, and now they sounde

Tantara teares alarme, the fluits fight, fight anewe,

And there awhile the _Romaynes_ fell to grounde:

The trompet blasts, cryes, stroakes and shoutes to skyes

resounde,[1094]

They fall, fall, fly, the fluits; downe, downe, the drommes

doe cry:

Where on the _Romaynes_ sounde retrayte, and fayne

[themselues] to fly.

12.

My souldiers all to rashe had broake araye,

The _Romayne_ reare warde cast aboute with speede,

And both theyr winges enclosed vs eache waye,

Theyr mayne likewise to keepe aray gaue heede.

Which when I sawe, it made my hearte to bleede,

And to _Seuerus_ selfe I wounded made at length a wey,[1095]

Where or retourne wee _Scythian Pictes_ the _Romayne

Parthique_ sley.[1096]

13.

So when the Emprour fell, a showte arose,

The _Romaynes_ blancke, amazed, woefull were;

_Fulgentius_ fast recoylde, death wounded goes,

And of my crewe a troupe to ayde mee there:

I bought my _Britishe_ conqueste all to deare,

No conqueste yet: [for as my sworde the kingdome sought,

My vitall bloude _Seuerus_ death at _Yorke_ to dearly bought.][1097]

14.

You noble men, yee see what truste there is

In Fortune’s feages,[1098] how mischiefe makes the martes,

And howe our hoped haps in warres doe misse,

When backe the braue and blinded lady starts.

High reaching heades swimme ofte in seas of smartes.

The [setled] man [reposde,] content, is bleste and best at ease,

Which [hath decreede] in meane [e]state both God and man

to[1099] please.

How Geta the Yonger sonne of th’Emperour Seuerus once gouernour

of Britayne, was slayne in his mother’s armes by his

brother Antonine, Emperour of Rome, about

the yeare of Christ, 214.

If euer Prince [opprest] had cause his state to rue,

Or by his [ruful] end might moue men mone his chaunce,

My woefull tale may shewe the like to you,

Whom Fortune erst, and birth did highe aduaunce.

In _Rome_ [perdy] in _Britayne_, _Spayne_,[1100] and _Fraunce_

I fauour had, I honourde was, I bare the sway,[1101]

I Emprour was [with _Antonine_:] what neede I more to say.

In _Britayne_ while my father waeged fight

By North agaynst the _Pictes_, I rulde the South:

_Seuerus_ so apoynted mee to iudge them right,[1102]

And _Britayne_ justice well receaude from[1103] _Getae’s_ mouth:

I gaue not then my selfe to [giftes, nor] idle slouth,

But mildly made an end in causes[1104] great of strife,

With dome so [right and] iust, that men reioyste my life.

The _Senate_ honourde mee [at home] for vertue’s sake,

Abroade the _Britaynes_ blest mee for their blisse,

The souldiers stout [in armes] of mee account did make.

Let stories truely tell where I doe halte in this:[1105]

Lest some suspect, that I reporte amisse.

For what is hee, which is not counted [partiall] vayne,

When for himselfe hee speakes, though [plea bee] nere so playne.

In peace I [wise and] prudent was, and graue of grace,

In warres of courage good, but[1106] not so fearce withall:

Not forste with feare to turne from foes my face,

Nor bought with bribes to let Dame Justice fall,

I lou’de not, I, to throng the weaker sort[1107] with thrall,

But sought to pleasure eache at neede, both[1108] neare and

farre:

More proane to sacred peace I was, then bent to [broyles of]

warre.

What hearte [is then] so harde but will for pity bleede,

To heare a [giltlesse] Prince which meant to each so well.

Should haue such cause to liue in feare and dreede

Of sworde, of bane, of force, or poyson fell,

Not daring Emprour nere his brother dwell,

Whom [both the] _Romaynes_ lou’d, and straungers honourde

still,

In peace moe bruntes abydes at home, then erste abroade

of ill.[1109]

But _Antonine_[1110] I hate his [hatefull] name and factes,

Sith hee my bucher was, my brother though hee were:[1111]

The worlde detestes his vile and viprous actes,

And subtile shiftes to bane[1112] his father deare:

So voyde of grace, so voyde of honeste [dreede or] feare,

Hee durst attempte the [nerest] gardes to bribe and fee,

By them theyr Lord his father might the Emprour poysoned

bee.[1113]

This when _Seuerus_ wiste our aged syre, and saw[1114]

How _Antonine_ that beaste was tiranously bent,[1115]

Agaynst the order quite of nature’s [noble] law,

Eke, how to take the empire whole hee ment;

For both of vs at _Yorke_ hee often sent,

Perswading vs to peace, to loue, and concorde bolde,[1116]

And of the fruites of discorde [foule, and ciuill

warres][1117] hee tolde.

Yet _Antonine_ regarded naught his [Father’s] heste,

Ne yet the charge of [_British_] warres hee had in hande:

Hee to enlarge his powre for th’Empire him addrest.[1118]

Which when _Seuerus_ olde did vnderstand,

All pleasures quite and ioyes hee did aband,

And to the warres him gate: nere _Yorke_[1119] he tooke his ende

By sworde of _Pictes_, or by some traytour [fauning] frende.

Then _Antonine_ made spoyle of all his [father’s] men,

Phisitions nilde before at his requeste

Dispatch theyr Lorde, to death hee put them then,

And so hee serude of faythfull garde the reste.

What vilany was in this [monstrous] viper’s breaste:

Was not content with death [and goodes] of those hee sought,

But after [them] bringes [all] theyr friendes likewise to nought.

10.

I warned was by diuers eke my life[1120] hee thirsted sore,

And that the empire sole [alone] hee sought to haue,

[Whereon] as wee to _Rome_ did passe I feared more,

I from his courtes and diets did mee saue:

I knew my life and th’empire he did [croach and] craue,

Wherefore in _Rome_ my court I kepte [alone] likewise

From his aparte, that did ful ofte to murder mee deuise.[1121]

11.

My cookes and butlers were allurde[1122] by sundry giftes

To poyson mee, and some for mee in ambush lurking lay:[1123]

Hee tryde to cut mee off a thousand shiftes,

What maruayle, since hee sought his syre to slay?

Hee made his father’s [dearest] friendes for spite away,

[Because they nilde consent to his vile treasons wrought,

Hee slewe the men, to saue his father’s life that sought.][1124]

12.

[But all] his sleights for mee coulde take no sure successe,

For still his traynes and treasons were descride:

And I in daunger greate was forste[1125] to seeke redresse

By like attemptes [at laste,] but that likewise was spyde.

Pretended murder no man close can [keepe or] hyde,

But out it flyes abroade, the rumor runnes apace,

The only spot thereof [doth] all [the] vertues else deface.

13.

When this was knowne [to him,] that I likewise assayde

His life to reaue (though t’were my [only] life to saue)

No longer time to wrecke[1126] the same the bucher stayde,

Hee had the thing so long [before] hee sought to haue,

[Such] cause of [iust] reuenge the rumor small him gaue,

[That in the euening hee came on mee or I knew,

In cruell sorte to reaue my life before our mother’s vewe.][1127]

14.

There she perceiuing him with [naked] sworde approache,

In armes mee caught to saue my life and bloud,

But hee deseruing all the worlde’s reproache,

No whit in doubte to end my slaughter stoode.

My mother him besought[1128] (as seemde an empresse good)

While he [in rage] without remorce [or ruth] of her request,

Betwene her armes [that bare vs both] did run me through the

breste.

15.

These were the [cruell] actes of that vile monster then

For Empire sake, to raigne alone aloft:

Despisde that was, [contemnde,] abhord of gods and men,

And curst to hell by all good men so oft,

You see the fall of _Geta_, [gentle,] milde, and soft,

Whose line of life no longer _Lachesis_[1129] could stretch,

Cut off by sworde of _Antonine_, th’unkindely captiue

wretch.[1130]

16.

Let now the world both deeme[1131] of my desertes and his,

For to his father he was most, of sonnes, vnkinde:[1132]

His mother’s ioyes he reaude away her blisse,

That [noble] dame which bare to both so mylde a minde:

And let my dealings aye due [doome and] fauour finde,

Whose murder may giue playne prospect and show

What monster gaue his faythfull frends such ouerthrow.[1133]

How Aurelius Antonius Bassianus Caracalla, Emperour of Rome,

was slayne by one of his owne seruauntes,

about the yeere of Christ, 209.

Who thirstes to thring[1134] vnto the highest throne,

Ne wisely windes Dame Fortune’s subtile snare:

Or who in courte would rule the rost alone,

And sees not what he heapes himselfe of care,

Let him well wey my case, and then beware:

Whome foorth the stately seate did first allure,

Which after did my hastie death procure.

And, _Higins_, here in purpose sith thou hast

The haplesse hauen where Fortune’s impes ariue,

A mirour make likewise of me thou mayst,

If thou my life and dealings wilt discriue.

It may perhaps much profit some aliue:

Which when themselues playne paynted forth they see,

They may presage their fatall falles in mee.

I am that _Antonine_, _Seuerus_ sonne,

That once of mighty _Rome_ did beare the swaye,

Which in my father’s life a stryfe begone

With _Geta_, thyrsting often him to slay:

I sought to haue my father made away,

To raigne alone so great desire I had,

Naught but theyr deathes indueste my hart to glad.[1135]

My father oft exhorted both to peace,

Declarde by stories olde what came by strife,

Dehorted both from ciuill discord cease,

But I sought meanes to rid him of his life.

I banisht to _Sycilia_ isle my wife,

Encreast mine hoste, reckt not my _British_ charge,

But how I might enioy the empire large.

And first when as my father once was dead,

I gaue my selfe to all reuenge of foes,

The seruants late which stoode me not in stead,

And some physicions which my treasons did disclose,[1136]

Or such to saue their prince themselues dispose,

Or reconcile vs brethren tooke sore payne,

I causde them all without respect be slayne.

The captaines all likewise I brybed well,[1137]

In _Britayne_ then desiring them to chuse

Mee Emprour sole, and _Geta_ to repell:[1138]

Which they to doe for dueties sake refuse.

Our mother eke all meanes with vs did vse,

Perswading vs to loue and concorde bende,

To which dissemblingly I graunted[1139] in the ende.

Wee both in empire like from _Britayne_ passe,

A truce concluded there, and hostage take:

His reliques shrinde (as then the custome was)

To _Rome_ therewith our voyage fast we make.

And yet the malice could not so aslake:

For in our iourneyes wee durst neyther trust,

But seuerall courts and dyets keepe we must.

Both fearing poyson, force or treason wrought,

Both crauing all the empire to enioy,

Both working all the wayes that might be sought,

To worke to each some secret great anoy,

Both seeking how his partner to destroy.

The brother which to brother should be stay,

Endeuours how to make him quite away.

And those that bare of dignities degree,

The officers, were diuersly distracte:

Some fauourde _Geta_, some did fauour mee,

In him no poynt of courtesie there lackte.

He was of maners milde, of doome exact,

To studies good addict, of comely grace,

In warres and peace discharging well the place.

10.

But I was rough, and violent, and fearce,

Of fiery _Mars_ affected all to bloud:

What neede I more my qualities rehearce,

Which were so farre vnlike my brother’s good.

On threatnings, force, and feare, my Empire stood,

Whereby in deede of fauning friends I had,

For feare or gayne were of my fauour glad.

11.

Our mother long perswading vs to peace,

And both perceiuing our attempts but vaine,

Did both agree our discordes to surcease,

And for to part the empire into twaine:

My selfe should holde of _Europe_ all the maine

With th’isles thereof, and _Geta_ all the East,

Of _Asia_ all the [realmes and] islands most and least.

12.

As thus we parle amongst the counsayle all,

And so decree, full purposed thereto,

The _Senate_, which foresawe mishaps might fall,

Still sadly sate, durst nothing say nor doe:

But _Iulia_ then the mother of vs two,

When she perceiude the _Senate_ pause for feare,

Arose to speake, and sayd as you shall heare.

13.

“The sea and land (quoth she) my sonnes you get,

You finde a way how you may them deuide:

The _Pontique_ floud betweene you both is set

For boundes of both, it buts on eyther side:

But how will you your mother now deuide?

How shall my haplesse corps be parted, put

Betweene you both, shall I likewise be cut?

14.

“If needes in twayne you part this empire must,

I see what discorde after may betyde:

How empire makes men guiltlesse bloud to thrust,

What noble peeres for this betrayde, haue dyde.

T’were better both, the _Romaynes_ well to guyde,

Then separate farre, without so firme a stay,

Your seuered force some treason should decay.

15.

“One man himselfe may much by wit foresee,

But twaine may more perceiue perdy then one:[1140]

One friendly man by fauour much may bee,

But two in friendship knit, neede feare no fone.

Two brethren then to rule the world alone

As brethren shoulde, and liue in faithfull sorte,

The worlde their loue and honours will reporte.

16.

“But if deuide the Empire all you will,

First ere you goe for to enioy your raigne,

My woefull corps I pray you here to kill,

And it deuide betweene you both in twaine,

That I may eke with both of you remayne.

Doe burie each a parte so distant farre,

Deuided as your seates, selues, kingdomes are.”

17.

So when she spoken had, with teares shee came,

And sobbes, beseeching both, embracing vs,

And wil’d we should our selues to friendship frame,

Not bearing hate in hart, and enuie thus:

On which the _Senate_ nothing durst discusse,

But all arose, departing did lament,

Which vew’de our thirsting sore, to bloudshed bent.

18.

Our hatred still encreased more and more,

For when that captaines newe elected were,

Or officers in place we did restore,

In these, our mindes to all men playne appeare,

We diuersly affected fauour beare:

Of right in sentence eke, of diuers mindes,

As hatefull oft the eyes of justice blindes.

19.

Our owne we sought, and not the publique weale,

Yet both the publique wealth alone to haue:

We nothing reckt to hap the publique heale,

But to enioy the publique wealth we straue.

To cookes and butlers giftes of price we gaue,

To poyson each: when yet not these proceede,

I hired some by force to doe the deede.

20.

When this likewise had not successe aright,

My selfe, to slay my brother, I addrest:

I rusht into his chamber euen or night,

While of my force I thinke he feared lest:

There with my sworde I strake him through the brest.

Eke while our mother’s lap his wonndes embrewe,

Her _Geta_ deare betweene her armes I slewe.

21.

Which done, I flew the palace straight, and cald the garde,

Cryde treason, told I scarce escapte vnslayne,

Commaunding souldiers well to watch and warde,

And me conuey vnto the campe amayne,

Where I might safe from violence remayne:

I sayd, I should be made away, perdie,[1141]

If in the court I longer time did lye.

22.

So they supposing all was trueth I tolde,

(Not weeting what was done to _Geta_ than)

Made speede to runne with me vnto the holde:

The people hearing this, to flocke began,

Enquiring why the prince and souldiers ran:

In tent I kneeld encampt, the gods to prayse

With promist vowes, which had prolong’de my dayes.

23.

The souldiers all amazde resorted to the tent,[1142]

Where I the gods with honour serued thoe:

On which I forth amongste them boldly went,

Told them great daungers I had scaped fro,

And of mine enmyes fall and ouerthroe.

By Fortune’s gifte (quoth I) the enmye’s slayne,[1143]

And th’empyre wholy doth to mee remayne.

24.

I promist then the souldiers if they would,[1144]

My empire stablishe sure, and safty see,

Each [fiue and] twenty hundred _Attique_ grotes haue should,[1145]

More corne then earst by halfe alow’de shoulde bee,

The temples welth and treasures shoulde bee free

For them to vse at large, whereby that onely day[1146]

_Seuerus_ pile of eighteene yeare I spoylde away.[1147]

25.

The souldiers so allurde, perceiuing all my minde,[1148]

(And slaughter blazde by those in house that fled)

I was by them proclaymde and th’Emprour[1149] sole assinde,

And hee an enmy namde that now was deade.

All night in temple forth with vowes I led,

Next day to _Senate_ house with th’ [armed] hoste I gate,

And seruice done, thus wise in [th’empire] throne I spake:

“I know right well (quoth I) domestique slaughters hatefull seeme,

And euen the name thereof makes men full euill[1150] of parties

deeme:

For why, th’vnhappy slayne moues milder men to mercy still,

And noble Peeres are enui’de when compel’de theyr foes they kill,

The vanquisht iniur’de seeme, and victours deem’de vniustly ill.

But who so euer shall this case it selfe with trueth perpende

Not partially that deemes, ensearching what hee did pretend:

Hee shall perceiue and finde it better farre and needefull more

To wrecke the wrong, then wincke thereat, and after smarte

therfore.

For, to the slayne beside his woe, there comes a dastarde’s name,

The victour hath beside his health, of fortitude the fame.

But certis how by poysons hee, and all meanes sought my spoile,

You may right soone by tortures try without of farder toyle,

And therefore I commaunded all his seruaunts present bee.

That you the trueth may know when their confessions plain you see:

While I was at my mother’s house, he brought with swords his

traine,

Forwarnd, so armde, by fight my foe, I haue mine enmy slain.

Sith hee about a mischiefe went, no brother’s harte that bore,

To take reuenge on such, is due: as custome telles of yore.

The founder right of _Rome_, not with his brother flouting bare:

I leaue to speake what _Germanique_ and _Titus_ erst did dare,

And _Marcus_ wise and milde his daughter’s husband did not spare.

But I, for mee when poysons were and swords to slay mee drest,

Reueng’de my foe, (of foe the name his workes assign’de him best)

Therefore thanke you the gods, that they one prince preserued you,

Beholde the same, him loyall loue, to him bee iust and true:

For euen as loue aboue, amongst the gods doth rule alone,

So hee in earth the empire all, alottes and giues to one.”

26.

Thus hauing sayde alowde, with irefull moode,

And bloudy countnaunce cast about the place,

Th’assembly pale and trembling, fearefull stoode,

And I retourn’de to th’pallace thence a space.

My brother’s householde then I made a way a pace,[1151]

His friends, his seruaunts all, young, olde, and new,

And th’infantes eke, without respect I slewe:

27.

The wrastlers and the waggeners likewise,

Musitians, players, which did please his minde:

Of th’order of the _Senatours_ full wise,

In whome was noble bloud or wealth to finde.

Not one of _Getae’s_ friends I left behinde:

Also my wife whome I exilde away

To _Sicile_ Ile, I caused them to slay.

28.

_Lucilla_ eke, that auncient noble Dame,

To _Marcus_ wise the daughter sage and graue,

Of _Commodus_ that sister great of fame,

Which honour much in _Rome_ deseru’de to haue,

I say, shee did my deedes therein depraue,

Because to _Getae’s_ mother shee wept sore,

For _Getae’s_ death: I causde her die therefore.

29.

Her sonne likewise, I caused should bee slayne,

And of th’imperiall bloud (to make all sure)

I left not one aliue, that might remayne,

Or vnto whom they might my place procure.

By night likewise I put like acts in vre:

For day and night I ceased not to slay,

Of _Getae’s_ friendes to roote the rest away.

30.

I vestall virgins buried eke aliue,

And made the souldiers multitudes to kill

Because I deemde they were in wordes to blyue.

Against my couche[1152] wherein I trauailde still,

The souldiers slewe the men that thought no ill,

Or made them buy their liues with all they had,

Which were, to scape with life alone, full glad.

31.

This donne, for feare from _Rome_ with speede I gate,

The townelike life at home misliked mee:

For why the citty did my murders hate,

Where souldiers held their slaughters franke and free,

And were enricht by spoile of each degree.

I gate therefore with all my Martiall crewe

From _Itayle_ land, _Danubian_ shoares to vewe.

32.

Where, vnto hunting I applyde my selfe,

To ride abroade in couche, and giue them lawes:

In fewe dispacht their pleas about but pelfe,

Not gieuen to heare long pleading playnts for strawes.

I counted such but cafling[1153] captiue dawes

As spent their substaunce, time, and goods in suite,

About such things as could not yeelde them fruite.

33.

I clad my selfe much like the _Germanes_ then,

So trimde my haire, chose them my garde to serue:

So framde my selfe to please these ruder men,

As might them cause of mee full well deserue,

From labour none with them I seemde to swerue:

To digge, lifte, beare, to grinde, moulde, knead or bake,

In painfull sort and simple fare to take.

34.

The _Germanes_ much reioyste my kinde of life,

My sufferaunce great in during labours long:

The name of mate with vs was holden rife,

I seemde a fellowe souldier them among:

Of stature small, yet was I wondrous strong,

So that the stoutest men[1154] which in mine armies were,

Durst not with mee great burdens dare to beare.[1155]

35.

When at _Danubius_ I had placed strength,

To _Thracia_ thence with speede apace I went:

Where monuments agayne I made at length

To _Alexander’s_ fame: to _Rome_ I sent

Likewise of statues for the same intent,

In _Capitole_ and temples them to place,

For honour great of _Alexander’s_ grace.

36.

I made mee garments eke of _Thracian_ guise,

And captaynes mee to _Alexander_ call;

To _Pergame_ thence in _Asia_ great that lies

I gate, _Achilles_ tombe with honours all

To vewe perdy,[1156] as stories witnesse shall:

Whence (order set) to _Antioche_ I farde,

Where my receyte with honour was preparde.

37.

To _Alexandria_ then I fared faste,

For they had scofte full oft before at mee:

My mother they had named Queene _Iocaste_,

_Achilles_ great and _Alexander_ mee.

They smil’de my folly great herein to see,

Which though I were a dwarfe of stature small,

Durst take the name of captaynes great and tall,

38.

Ne _Getae’s_ murder spared oft to spread,

As is their nature gieuen to taunt and iest:

Wherefore as though Religion had mee lead,

I offred sacrifice with solemne feast

At _Alexander’s_ tombe, where most and least

Of all the youth were present to behold

The offerings great I brought, and giftes of gold.

39.

This donne, I wil’d the youth should all prepare

To showe themselues in field: for I would choose

A band by _Alexander’s_ name to fare,

As erst in _Thrace_ and _Sparta_ I did vse.

They came reioysing all, to heare the newes:

Where I with souldiers come to take the vewe,

Them compast in, and all the people slewe.

40.

The valley all did swimme with streames of bloud,

So great that time a slaughter was there made:

It staynde the mighty mouthes of _Nilus_ floud,

And on the shoares you might bloud wetshod wade:

My piners eke were prest with showle and spade

T’interre the dead, a monstrous trench that fill,

And on them [scarce all] dead, they rearde a mighty hill.

41.

But then desiring glory more to get

By _Parthian_ name, which erst my father had,

I sent to _Artabane_, without of let,

Ambassage great, with giftes his minde to glad:

And for his daughter them perswade I bad,

Desiring him to giue the Princesse mee to wife,[1157]

The cause of lasting loue, an end of [mortall] strife.

42.

By this both ioynde in one, wee might for ay

Of all the world the diademe possesse:

And might to each in all attempts be stay,

In fight our foes by firmer force suppresse.

When they my message thus did there expresse,

At first hee fearde deceyte: agayne I sent:

Wherewith hee was at last full well content.

43.

By giftes I wrought, and plight my fayth withall

For truth to him, and for his daughter’s loue,

And hee began mee sonne in lawe to call:

Which new reporte did all the _Parthians_ moue

Us to receiue, our frendships firme t’approue,

Reioysing now such league at last to see,

Whereby they might from _Romayne_ warres bee free.

44.

And so I entred _Parthia_ as mine owne,

The _Parthians_ mee receiu’de with triomphes great:

When mine approache to _Artabane_ was knowne,

In playne before the city of his seat,

Hee came to meete me with a nomber great,

Ware garlands gay, in golden vestures clad,

With all the ioy and triomphes might bee had.

45.

So when great multitudes assembled were,

Their horses lefte behinde and bowes layd downe,

Amongst their cups deuoyde of force the feare,

By nombers great the chiefe of all the towne,

Which came to see the brideman’s highe renowne,

Disorderly vnarmde as so they [gazing] stand,

I gaue my souldiers signe, to take the blade in hand.[1158]

46.

And downe by sword they fell, they could not flye,

The king escaped scarce,[1159] conuey’de by horse away:

Their solemne garments long, theire flight did tye,

A slaughter great of _Parthians_ was that day,

Wee sackte their Townes, and noble men did slay.

From thence I past t’_Azamia_, after this

To hunt, and gaue my selfe [a while] to bath in blisse.

47.

Thus hauing runne my reckelesse race vnkinde,

And doubting both of treason and my thrall,

I sought by curious artes of sprites to finde

Who should procure in th’end my fatall fall:

_Materniane_ at _Rome_ should search for all,

Hee should enquire my fate, of all the skillfull men,[1160]

And write hereof [with speede] what was their mindes agen.

48.

What hee rewrate agayne,[1161] I wote not I,

From _Carras_ I to _Lunae’s_ temple went:

And for because it neare the campe did lye,

To sacrifice with fewe was mine intent:

For why to towne from thence retourne I ment,

And so from thence to th’campe[1162] likewise agayne

I might [mee thought] retyre, without a greater trayne.

49.

Amongst the which, one _Martiall_ of my garde,

Whose brother (not conuinste, accusde) I slewe,

Thus wise my captiue corps did watch to warde,

(For when therefore conuenient time hee knewe,

While I aparte me gate for nature’s due,

And bade the rest aside a space departe)

Hee came and stabde mee stifly through the harte.

50.

_Seuerus_ seruaunts I corrupted ofte,

Them feeid to make their Lorde my syre away;

With _Getae’s_ men the like attempts I wrought,

To bane their lord, and brother mine to slay:

How I the _Alexandrians_ did betray,

And _Parthians_ eke, before to you I tolde,

Deseruing death for those a thousand folde.

51.

But sith those faithfull seruaunts I did kill,

Which would not sley their noble lordes for golde,

I worthy was to haue a gard so ill,

As shoulde to perce my hatefull harte bee bolde:

The justice great of _Ioua_ here beholde,

Uniustly who so seekes to slay the [iust and] good,

The sword at length shall take his false and traytours

bloud.[1163]

END OF THE FIRST PART.

[Illustration:

THE

_Mirrour for Magistrates_,

_conteining the falles_

of the

infortunate Princes of this

_Lande_:

From the conquest of CÆSAR,

vnto the comyng of

DUKE WILLIAM the CONQUEROR.

PART II.

By THOMAS BLENER-HASSET.