[Reprinted from the edition of 1578, col_Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 1

with that of 1610.]

]

THE PRINTER TO

THE FRIENDLY READER.

[Before the edition 1578.]

Gentle Reader, I trustyng in thy accustomed kyndnesse, haue

published this booke, entituled, _The Second part of the Mirrour for

Magistrates_, the authour whereof, is now beyond the seas, and wyl

marueile at his returne to find thys imprinted. For his intent was but

to profite and pleasure one priuate man, as by his Epistle may appeare.

But I fyndyng the copie by chaunce, shewing it vnto diuers men, both

learned and wise: and findyng a booke alredy in print, entituled _The

first and third part of the Mirrour for Magistrates_, I was moued

diuersly of diuers men, by printyng this latter woorke, to make perfite

the former booke. It may be (good reader) that the friendely acceptyng

hereof wyll encourage the authour to set thynges of greater price in

print: yet esteeme thou this as a lanterne, hauyng lyght sufficient to

guyde thy wandryng steppes, both vnto the happynesse of this worlde,

and of the world to come. Whiche happynesse God graunt wee all may

enioye.

THE AUTHOUR’S EPISTLE

VNTO HIS FRIENDE.

[Before the edition 1578.]

Sir, it woulde be too manifest an argument of a nature degeneratyng

from al gentrie, if I shoulde not consider of your request, you asking

and vrging both honest and profitable thyngs. I therfore to ensure

you, that I am not forgetful of your demaund, presumyng like blynd

_Bayard_ to this my boldnesse, haue not with _Apolloe’s_ pensile, but

with _Pan’s_ pleasantlesse pen, indeuoured to endite that which you

are so desirous to haue done. And although I once translated for you,

_Ouid, De remedio amoris_, as you said, to your contentation, we beyng

then in _Cambridge_, where aske helpe, and haue helpe, might be had:

yet nowe I wyl ensure you, lyke one amazed, I haue strayned my strength

vnto the vttermost, being desirous to finish this woorke. You know that

loue matters be agreeing with _Caliope’s_ quill; euery apprentise can,

of such matter, make a meter. But how hard a thing it is to compell

_Clio_, with her boysterous banners, to couch vnder the compasse of a

few metered lines, I referre you vnto the good _Turberuile_, who so

soone as he began to take the terrible treatise of _Lucan_ in hand, he

was inforst to vnyoke his steeres, and to make holy day.[1164] Shal I

then with _Bochas_ pen declare the falles of the vnfortunate Princes

of the olde worlde? O, intollerable presumption, that timorous _Tyro_

shoulde dare to deale with menasing _Mars_: or that a young infant

should offer to put on the buskins of _Hercules_: shall I then with

silence ceasse to accomplish your request? O, singuler ingratitude,

that any friend should refuse to sweate, to pleasure and profite his

friend. Doo you not consider, that al the fine wyts that England hath

inioyed these many yeres, haue busied their braynes very much, to make

an English _Mirrour for Magistrates_, which booke is left euen vnto

this day, like the vnperformed image of _Venus_, paynted by _Apelles_?

no man is able to finish the work, which they with _Homer’s_ hawtie

heroycal style haue begunne: and yet you woulde haue me (the least of

the poets,) to make trial what I am able to doo therin. But me thinke

I do heare you say, as you were woont, we being conuersant together:

“What meane al these wordes? thou knowest that the vayne of thy verse

doth most delight my humor. And seeing it is but for my priuate study,

what meane you to allege all these allegations, as though _Orestes_

were _Zoilus_?” Syr, I confesse al this to be true: yet this I speake,

to signifie vnto you, howe willyng the good wyl I doo beare vnto you

hath made me, being otherwise vnwillyng to beare a sayle in such rough

weather, where euery sea is ready to deuoure me. And when with sayles

and oares (as they say,) I with al my diligence endeuoured to compasse

the thing nowe accomplished, I founde myselfe euen in the myddest of

the matter, clapt close with _Theseus_, in a returnable labarinth, to

fight with despayre that miserable _Minotaur_: where, when I could

finde no _Ariadne_, to lende me a bottome of twist, I looked that

_Parcæ_ shoulde haue shread my twyne before my returne. Yet at the last

wandring _Erato_, with her sister _Terpsichore_ perceiuing me with such

diligence to trauise that maze, they willing to helpe the desyres of my

mynd, said thus vnto me:

Come forth thou wandring wight this way,

Doo followe vs outright:

We geue thee leaue, with poets’ penne,

On Princes’ falles to write.

Wherewith they leadyng me vnto the fountayne _Permestus_, I without

any further determination, gallopped through the rest, whiche when

leysure shall geue you leaue to reade, ceasse then to thinke on the L.

_Buchurst_, or _Sackuyll_,[1165] let _Gascon_ and _Churchyarde_ be

forgotten. And if you chaunce to see the meter, or matter, not so well

polished, as beseemeth, then remember that they whose falles I haue

here penned, were not of late tyme, but suche as lyued presently after

the incarnation of Christe: and I haue not thought it decent, that the

men of the olde worlde shoulde speake with so garnished a style, as

they of the latter tyme.

Moreouer, you may, if you please to consider that souldiers, of whiche

I am one by profession, wee be not alwayes lusking in our forte or

castle, but be as tyme and occasion wyll permyt, here to-day, wee knowe

least our selues where tomorrowe. And I wyll ensure you, the most part

of these my Princes dyd pleade their causes vnto me euen in the sea, a

place, in fayth, not meete to penne Tragedies. And as for bookes, I was

altogether destitute: for when I, to please my fantasie, trauayled (as

you knowe) I could not beare about with me a library: but for cariage

sake, contented myself with these foure: With the third _Decade of

Titus Liuye_, with _Bossewell’s Concordes of Armorie_, with _Monsignor

de Lange_, that notable warriour, and with the vnperfect _Mirrour for

Magistrates_: which bookes made nothing to this purpose. I had not

those Chronicles whiche other men had: my Memorie and Inuention were

vnto me in stead of _Grafton_, _Polidore_, _Cooper_, and suche like,

who dyd greatly ayde other men. And last of al you must consider,

that the other part of the miseries of those miserable Princes were

written, I sittyng on a rocke in the sea, not in Spaine, Italie,

Fraunce, Scotlande, or Englande, but in Garnzie Castle, where although

there be learned men, yet none whiche spende their tyme so vainely

as in Poetrie. So that the complaintes of these men were written (as

I say) where the want of helpe dyd diuersly daunt me with despayre.

You haue greatly requested me by your last letter, to make vnto you a

discourse of the Ile of Garnzie, and howe it is possible for the castle

to be a place so pleasaunt for habitation, as I haue reported it,

seeing it standeth in the Sea, separate from any lande. Good Syr, to

write thereof (so manyfolde be the commodities and thinges woorthy the

writyng of) woulde rather require a good volume, then a peece of an

epistle. Let it therefore suffice for this tyme, that I by writyng vnto

you some fewe lines of the Gouernour, I may briefely declare what the

gouernement and commodities be. The right woorshipful Maister Thomas

Leighton is her Maiesties Lieutenaunt there.

Syr, I doo remember, howe constant _Constantine the Great_ was in

religion, and howe that noble Emperour mynded the reformation thereof.

You knowe howe carefull _Licurgus_ and _Solon_ were, for making of

good lawes, and ministring of iustice. And histories doo recorde, howe

passing happye _Epaminundas_ was in al his affayres: but what a seemely

sight is it, to see al these vertues so to concurre in one man, that

hee who shoulde compare hym with them, should, I wyl ensure you, doo

hym great iniurie? for (that I may briefly conclude) vndoubtedly a few

such men as he is, being plaste at a Princes’ elbow, were sufficient to

keepe the most ruinous commonweale that is, from ruine and destruction.

And now iudge you the commodities of the countrey, by the goodnesse of

the Gouernour, for as Seneca sayeth:--

Where Gouernours be good, and rule their charge aright,

Without an ebbe there flowes the flood, which vertuous minds delight.

And heere I doo turne me from these thinges, vntill by talke with you,

I may dilate more at large therof, and returning myselfe vnto my former

purpose, I haue not thought it conuenient to write the complaynts of

these men, with so obscure a stile as some other haue done, but with so

playne an exposition, that he who doth reade them, shall not neede to

be an _Oedipus_, for euery playne _Dauus_ shall by reading them, easily

vnderstand the authour’s drift. And because _Diligence_ and _Memorie_

bee all the helpers that I haue, therefore I haue ordayned them, as the

chief workers of my wyll. _Higgins_ vsed (I know not what) _Morpheus_,

the god of dreames, but I dreamt not. The other had _Baldwine_ for

their hearer, but I haue diligent _Inquisition_, who can finde out al

things, and _Memorie_, who knoweth al thinges, for the arbiters of my

matter. Take you therefore, the fruites of these my idle howres, sent

vnto you with a good wyll, and according vnto the trust reposed in you,

keepe these trifles from the view of all men, and as you promysed, them

not raunge out of your priuate study. And thus wishing vnto you honour,

and long lyfe, I ende, the 15 daye of Maye, An. 1577.

Your Friende to vse.

THOMAS BLENER HASSET.

[[1166]THE INDUCTION.

“Diligent _Inquisition_,” saieth _Memorie_, “beholde in the bottom

lesse pyt of blind _Obliuion_: there remayneth as yet a multitude,

who although in their tyme, they were of all men most famous, and

euen in this our time, their ensamples be patternes passing singular,

to refourme the deformities of this age, notwithstanding they are so

couered and hidden with those mistie cloudes of fylthy forgetfulnes,

that if thou _Inquisition_ doest not with all dilygent inquiry, and I

_Memorye_, (who haue howrded vp in my treasury the knowledge of all

thinges) except wee with all our industrye, doo endeuour our selues,

they are not lyke euer to come into the light. For at what time those

barbarous nations, (I meane the _Gothes_, _Hunes_, and _Danes_) dyd

with so great outrage ouerrunne all the worlde: euen then the auncient

historyes and recordes of time, were by them vtterly defaced: so that

Princes before that time, how renowmed so euer they were, be at this

present, euen by their meanes, buryed so deepe in obliuion, that I

_Memorye_ cannot without a new inquirye of many most noble Princes,

repeate a few wordes: speake you therfore _Inquisition_, and declare

your mynde, how we mighte renew the decayed _Memory_ of those men.”

“See heere,” quoth _Inquisition_, “with great and diligent _Memorye_,

I haue founde out diuers, who with their continuall complayinges,

haue euen for conscience sake made me their procleare, to exhibite

vnto you in their behalfe a supplycation, in which they complayne

of the great iniurie they suffer, because they bee excluded out of

the English _Mirrour of Magistrates_: their only desire is that you

would once agayne, by celebrating their decayed names, with a fresh

memoryall geue them libertie to declare their estates themselues. Of

which, as fyrst though not chiefest _Guidericus_ the thyrde king of

the subdued _Brittaynes_: and the fyrst that refused to pay trybute

to _Rome_, desyreth to bee harde.” “Wee will,” sayth _Memory_, “assist

hym in what wee may, and not onely geue them leaue, but also intreate

them to declare their estates. But where is that _Guidericus_, the

exployts of whose lyfe were so passing singular, that had hee not

beene moued with two much boldnesse, euen hee had brought vnder his

rule the whole worlde: wee wyll heare hym wyllingly, for his death is

a great ensample of God’s vengeaunce, vnto all them which thinke by

their owne courage and abilitie, to compasse their desyres.” “Beholde,”

quoth _Inquisition_, “hee is euen heere, his body rent and torne dooth

declare, that great was his mishappe.” “Speake then, Syr Knight,”

quoth _Memory_, “and let vs heare what you wil saye.” Wherewith the

sorrowfull Prince sayde as followeth.]

[1167]THE COMPLAINT OF GUIDERICUS.

How Guidericus refused to paye tribute vnto Claudius Cæsar:

howe he subdued Galba: how hee became desyrous to winne

all the worlde: spoyled France, Germany, and a great

part of Italy: and lastly, how hee was miserably

slayne in a tempest of thunder, euen at what

time hee shoulde have dealt with Cæsar.

This History is a synguler ensample

of God’s vengeance against

pride and arrogancy.

On staylesse top of honour’s high renowne,

With busye brayne to builde a bower there,

Is donne to fall at fortune’s froward frowne,

Whose turning wheele, the hyest fyrst dooth feare,

And them below it vpwardes styl dooth reare.

Let them therefore for good estate that striue,

With sailes halfe hoyst in happy hauen arive.

I prest to tell my suddayne yll successe,

Amidst the meane which dyd not dayne to dwell,

To higher state whilst I dyd mee addresse,

By chaunging chance of fortune’s force, I fel

Euen suddaynly from heauen to hatefull hell:

From heauen (I saye,) I fell from that my blysse,

To hatefull hell, I meane, to wretchednesse.

_Guidericus_ which rul’de the _Brittayne_ lande,

I am the same, of _Simbaline_ the sonne,

_Cassiuelane_ my grandsyer dyd withstand

Sir _Cæsar’s_ force, tyll _Parcæ_ had vndone

The fatal knot and twist that they had sponne.

Euen then to soone the _Romanes_ did oppresse

This realme, which I to ryght did me addresse.

Which that I myght the better bring about,

The three estates in court to _parle_, I

In hast did call, amongst which royal route,

As one who ment for welthe of commonty,

Howe to restore their ancient libertie,

Pronounst the speache which here I shal recite,

Which moued much there manly mindes to fight.

The emperour of _Rome_ hath sent, you see,

Ambassatours, the tribute to obtayne,

Which _Theomant_ subdued, did agree

To pay, but I such greement do disdayne.

Shal I to _Rome_ a tribute slaue remayne,

Because they did subdue this realme of yore?

Shal we buy yoke with tribute euermore?

Shall we this badge of beastly blemishe beare?

Shall _Troians_ we to _Troians_ tribute yeelde?

Of _Brutus’_ bloude, a prince withouten peare,

We do descend, whose father fyrst dyd buylde

In _Italy_: he _Alba Longa_ fyl’de,

And furnishte fine with princely byldinges braue,

He was entombde next good _Aeneas’_ graue.

Then _Romulus_ of _Siluius_ did succeede,

And _Rome_ of hym (as _London_ tooke of _Lud_)

Her name which _Alba Longa_ was in deede,

Built at the first by good king _Brutus_ blood:

Dare they for guerdon of so great a good

Demaund of vs whose parentes patrons were

To them? to doo this deed, they doo not feare.

Let them demaunde vngrateful beastes they be,

Euen tribute of vs _Troians_ let them craue,

But wee in _Mars_ his feeldes wyl pay their fee,

If needes they must of vs a payment haue,

They shal ryght stoutly then themselues behaue,

We wil not feare to fyght it out in feelde,

Without reuenge we neuer al wyl yeelde.

Dyd _Cæsar’s_ princely prowesse so preuayle,

That _Britaynes_ were by _Romanes_ brought to bay?

Was _Cæsar’s_ valure of so great auayle,

That it coulde cause _Cassiuelayne’s_ decay?

Why should not then _Guidericus_ assay,

By furious force of _Mars_ his bloody feelde,

To make those roming _Romanes_ al to yeelde?

10.

By prowesse worne (who dooth not knowe) by skyl,

That he who once as victor wore the wreath,

By chaunged chaunce is forst agaynst his wyl,

That garlande gay and vitall lyfe to leaue?

Such ill mishappes misfortune still dooth heaue,

That he who dyd subdue but yesterday,

Is now subdude, and hath the lyke decaye.

11.

Which may appeare by kyng _Cassiuelayne_,

Whom _Cæsar_ thryce in fyght dyd fynd too strong,

Yet at the last, (the lewder chaunce was thine,

Thou litle Ile) he thurst in with a throng

Of mightie men, and dyd thee double wrong:

Thee then subdude, to _Rome_ he seruile made,

Which wrong to right, with this my bloudye blade,

12.

If you my subiectes wyll thereto consent,

I wil not cease, tyll I reuenge haue seene,

And them destroyed with dreadful diery dent

Of wrathful warre, and therefore now I meane

To byd the bace, and fetch them from their denne.

To sende them woorde, we owe no tribute we,

But we of them must recompenced be.

13.

I to the gods, which rule the rolling skyes,

Haue bowde a bowe, for countreye’s lybertie,

To die in feelde, or els that these mine eyes

Shall see you free from forrayne tyranny,

To which no doubt theyr goodnesse wil agree.

Nowe that you haue the whole of myne intent,

You knowe the cause why I for you haue sent.

14.

Al you therefore which compt this quarrell good,

By heaued handes let me them vnderstand:

My brother _Aruiragus_ by me stoode:

“I must not I,” (he sayde) “holde vp my hande,

Nor thee herein assist with any bande:

For sith we both haue sworne aleagance due,

To _Rome_, to _Rome_ I euer wil be true.

15.

“No feare of force, no hasarde, no mishappe,

Doth dant my mynde, I dare what dare be donne,

Though nowe we sit in lady fortune’s lappe.

By fayth defilde, no honour can be wonne:

The wrath of God men periurde cannot shun:

Do thou therefore what best thyselfe doth seeme,

Giue them their ryght, for that is best I deeme.”

16.

Sith all but you (my brother) do consent,

My counsayle and my commons do agree,

Yea all the force of this my realme is bent,

To liue and dye for countrie’s libertie:

Take you therefore this sentence in _boun gre_,

Because thou seemst a seruile lyfe to loue,

The towre a house is best for thy behoue.

17.

An othe constraynd is made to none auaile,

To breake such othe doth not the fayth defile,

Let them goe tel to _Claudius_ this tale,

We meane with force to furnishe this our ile,

Which force himselfe shal fede within a while,

For if he wyll not fetch his tribute here,

We then wyl goe and pay hym tribute there.

18.

Which when the Roman _Claudius_ had heard,

Though he at home had ciuile strife in hande,

And though he were by forrain foes debar’de,

And could not come him selfe, yet he a bande

Of thirtie thousand sent, for to withstand

My strength: which strength in the fyrst foughten feelde

They found so strong, that forst they al did yeelde.

19.

From _Galba_ then myselfe his shield did get,

In golden feelde which had the horse of fame,

Euen _Pegasus_ in seemely siluer set,

The curious skill of heraultes there did frame,

Th’asheument true, of auncient _Troy_ by name,

Imbordred braue with golden letters thus,

_Senatus, Populusque Romanus_.

20.

Wherewith as one prict foorth with good successe,

A great attempt I quickly did deuise,

I ment, O _Rome_, vpon thy walles to presse,

It easye seem’de to me in my surmise,

To compasse all that I did enterprise:

Me thought I could winne al the worlde in haste,

But fyrst I ment the _Romane_ state to waste.

21.

I did prepare in euery poynt my powre,

I sayl’d the seas, I spoyled them of _France_,

I made the _Germans_ and the _Lumbartes_ lowre,

Yea, good successe did so my state aduance.

In _Italy_ such was my luckye chaunce,

I did subdue, my souldiers had the spoyle,

Of all the chiefest cities in that soyle.

22.

See here howe roming rumor ranne about,

See how report did tel a truthlesse tale:

For _Hannibal_, the _Carthage_ duke so stout,

Renide, it sayd, would once agayn assayle

The _Roman_ state, and cause it nowe to quake:

Which false report did put them in such feare,

Cities would yeelde before my campe came neare.

23.

His former feates the fuming fancies fed,

That doubtful now affrighted sore with feare,

They tel howe at _Trisemenus_ they sped,

In _Cannas_ feeldes how they despoyled were,

They hate to tel, they lothe that hap to heare,

A bushel there he fyld (most true it is)

With golden ringes _equestriordinis_.

24.

And whilst their mindes on these mishaps do muse,

They wishe that nowe good _Graccus_ were not dead,

For _Fabius_, he who wysely would refuse

Forthwith to fight, they wish for such a head,

_Camillus_ nowe would stand them in great stead:

And some with sighes did wishe for _Scipio_,

Them to defend from me there deadly foe.

25.

But as the lion _passente_ once with feare,

_Gardante_, a mouing mollhil did beholde,

From whence he thought some wonder would appeare,

A little moule crepte from the mouing mould,

Which made the quaking lione then so bolde,

Feare set aside, that he for his delyght,

Playd with the moule, and kilde the strengthlesse wight.

26.

So nowe the campe of _Claudius_ did drawe neare,

Where he hymself was lord cheefe general,

Which greatly did delyght my hart to heare,

And caused me my captaynes then to call,

To whome I sayde, we two must striue for al

The world so wide: which if I chance to winne,

Then you yourselues haue ample part therein.

27.

Euen whilst I marcht my men in good aray,

A corsser post came praunsing in the fielde,

Who comming to my cabbin, thus dyd say,

“_Guidericus_, thy friendes at home be kilde,

Thy natiue soyle to forrayne force did yielde,

The _Romans_ they haue spoylde thee of eche thing,

Thy brother there _Aruiragus_ is kyng.”

28.

Which newes although they dyd amaze me much,

Yet I whose hart did neuer faynt for feare,

“Although,” sayd I, “their good successe be such,

Yet if we can subdue the _Romans_ here,

They shal I think buy _Britayne_ very deare,

Which out of doubt yf you as you haue donne,

Will fight like men, the fielde wil soone be wonne.”

29.

But they who hilde their wiues and children deare,

Could not digest the losse of that their lande,

For which they fledde, left me their chieftayne there,

When _Claudius_ host to fight was euen at hande,

Whose mightie force I could not then withstande,

Yea all my page, my footmen fled for feare,

And left me post alone, with heauy cheare.

30.

That cruell Queene of hel, _Proserpina_,

From foorth whose loynes this fury feare first fled,

_Megera’s_ sighes, no, no, nor _Medusa_,

Who hath ten thousand snakes about her head,

The fiery flames of hell doth not so dreade

The minde, as feare, which makes man’s hart we see,

To shake, and quake, like leafe of aspen tree.

31.

My martial knyghtes who once so valiant were,

That they the worlde, euen al the world would spoyle,

This fury fyerce, this feeble fayntyng feare,

Did causlesse cause them thus here to recoyle,

Her only force inforst me to this foyle,

Not _Cæsar’s_ force: no strength of _Roman_ power,

But feare, euen feare, dyd make me here to lower.

32.

Which feare (for trueth) dyd neuer me dismaye,

But too to soone my hartlesse men it made,

To shrinke, to flinche, to flee eche man his way,

And me a pray most fit for _Claudius_ blade,

They left alone: alas, what may be sayde,

What may be done, what fittes for mine auayle?

I wyl not flee, to fight cannot preuayle.

33.

What, must I then go crouche vnto my foe?

Fy on that fate, that I should sue for grace

To hym who is the worker of my woe,

Whose hart from foorth his brest for to displace,

I gladly woulde ten thousand deathes imbrace,

My lyfe (in faith) doth lothe to liue with shame,

By death therfore my lyfe shall purchase fame.

34.

For as I once did winne with courage stout,

In _Galba’s_ shielde, the praunsing _Pegasus_,

So with renowne I nowe will go about,

To see if _Claudius_ dare the cause discusse

With me alone, if couragious

Dare do that deed: that we in open feeld,

May try the case, then he or I must yeelde.

35.

And therewithal in armour bright I clad,

Myne arming swoorde, my targate I did take,

And on my helme, or burgonet, I had

My royal crowne, and so I dyd forsake,

The place, whereas my souldiers fled of late,

I marcht and met the scoute of _Claudius_,

To whom I dyd addresse my language thus.

36.

“The _Britayne_ kyng is come alone you see,

Conduct him then your Emprour to salute,

You for your paynes shal gayne a golden fee;

For why my grace to _Claudius_ hath a sute.”

The scurers they al silent, mumme, and mute,

Yet wel appayde of such a princely pray,

In hast they dyd to _Cæsar_ me conuay.

37.

With ten times twentie thousand men, I met,

Him marching there, to meete with me but one;

To whom I sayde: “Thy powre is passing great,

My force is fled: what, must I then bemone

My selfe to thee, not so but I alone,

Am come to knowe with magnanimitie,

If thou dost dare to wrecke thy wrath on me.

38.

“The crowne for which so many men be slayne,

Thy _Galba’s_ shield, with many iewels more,

Which vnto me do only appertayne;

For in the fielde I wonne them al of yore,

And vnto thee I wyl them not restore:

If thou, as I, canst winne them with renowne,

Then al is thine, both realme and royal crowne.

39.

“Why doost thou muse as though thou wert dismayde?

Doeth doubtful dreade nowe daunt thy _Roman_ mynde?

Faynt not for feare, thou needst not be afrayde,

A _Britayne_ borne thy selfe ryght well shalt fynde,

I am a man, and not a god by kinde.”

Wherewith to grounde a golden gauntlet, I

Dyd cast, and he at last dyd thus reply:

40.

“Thou mighty _Ioue_, which hast seemely seat

Aboue the sphere of _Mars_ and _Mercury_,

Thy fleshlesse eyes (my tongue can not repeate,

What syghtes they see) nothing is hid from thee:

Thy eyes, the hart, and secrete thoughts doo see,

Thou knowest, O _Ioue_, how iust my quarrel is,

Which here to proue, thou knowst I compt a blisse.

41.

“No god thou man: thou art no god in deede,

I faynt for feare: and doost thow thus me dare,

Thy gauntlet lo to take I doo not dreade,

Such courage though I fynde but very rare,

In pryncely brest, what though I wil prepare

Myselfe to feelde, where thou I hope shalt fynde,

Myselfe alone wyl cause thee curse thy kynd.

42.

“To deale with thee I _Cæsar_ might disdayne,

My tryple mace dooth rule the worlde you see,

Thou subiect art the meanest of the traine,

Whom conquest hath compeld to wayte on me:

A meaner knyght were meete to match with thee,

Yet, I myselfe, with al my hart doo dayne,

To reue thy life, and cause thee to complayne.”

43.

Then I whose hart was al beglarde with glee,

To _Cæsar_ sayd: “If fate hath framde my foyle,

If now the last of all my lyfe I see,

It shal delight that _Cæsar_ dyd me spoyle,

And that his blade did cause my bloudy broyle.”

And whilst I ment a longer speache to make,

A storme most straunge constraynd the earth to quake.

44.

Straunge sundry fightes, then sodaynly wer seene,

The lightsome day was turnde to lothsome night;

Then darknesse did affright me much with feare,

The seemly sunne did lose her louing lyght:

And that which would amaze eche worldly wight,

The thundring heauens constraynde the earth to quake,

The trees did daunce, the mighty mountes dyd shake.

45.

Haue here myne end, from threatning thunder clap,

A burning bolt did pearce my hart with payne,

Wherewith I cryed: “O _Cæsar_, my mishap

Is comme, for whilst I thought thee to haue slayne,

_Ioue’s_ vengeaunce iust hath torne my corps in twayne.”

This was my end, although some writers say,

That _Claudius_ blade did cause my last decay.

46.

To slip at first, such fall hath little foyle,

Greate ruth it is to lose a race forerunne,

And at the end by slipping suttle soyle,

Wagelesse too lose a race too wel begonne,

The turrets top let wise men wisely shunne,

Who falles from top, he mercilesse is slayne;

Who falles below, can quickly ryse agayne.

47.

I tel this tale who knowledge bought too deare,

I could not be content with meane estate;

Let them therefore which shal this story heare,

So loue the meane, extremitie so hate,

That they may liue in blesse without debate.

Who is content amidst the meane to dwel,

With perfite blysse he only dooth excell.

48.

With royal rule you kinges which runne your race,

Take heede, beware, flee fancies fonde delight,

Ambition blinde wyl moue you to imbrace,

A thousande euils, disdayne with al your might

Her luring lookes: she me a wretched wyght,

Transformde, and made with _Circe’s_ sorcerie,

A brutishe beast, and worse if worse may be.

49.

When _Thanatos_ had thus destroyed my dayes,

Then due desert my soule to hel conuayde:

I fearde not God, his name I did not prayse,

But foolishe fate and fortune stil me stayde:

For which, with pinching payne, I nowe am payde.

Fortune I finde is nowe of none auayle,

But God is he whose power dooth preuayle.

[THE INDUCTION.

“It was great pitie,” quoth _Memorie_, vnto _Inquisition_, “that thys

man liued in the tyme of blinde ignorance, when neyther vertue nor

religion were knowen. Beleeue me, if he coulde haue conteyned himselfe

within the limites of his owne countrey, or if too much courage had

not moued him to so great interpryses, surely euen he had restored the

_Britaines_ vnto auncient libertie, and might haue liued long without

paying any tribute.” “You haue said,” quoth _Inquisition_, “he might

haue had a very glorious day ouer the _Romans_, if he had not desired

_Rome_; for when _Claudius Cæsar_ had him abroade, he did not presently

incounter with _Guidericus_, as he supposed he woulde haue donne, but

remembring how _Scipio Africanus_ layd siege vnto _Carthage_, did

draw _Hannibal_ out of _Italy_, he imitating his grand chieftayne and

predecessor, fyrst brought _Britayne_ vnto his obedience, then he

inuaded _Guidericus_, with whom God being displeased, he was destroyed

as you haue harde. After whom the _Britaines_ were greeuously oppressed

by the _Romans_, and dayly inuaded by the _Scots_ and _Pictes_ whiche

_Lodrike_ their king brought out of _Scithia_, insomuch that at

this time the _Britaynes_ were compelled to sende vnto the Emperour

_Bassianus_ for aide; who sent vnto them the _Roman Seuerus_, with a

great power. And then how _Carassus_, a _Britayne_, not _nobilis_, but

altogeather _ignotus_, did both redeeme his countrey from the _Pictes_

and _Romans_, and also obteyned the crowne and raygned eight yeares,

thys story following shal declare: who although he felt the fall of his

own follie yet surely his story is very profitable, chiefly for all

such as doo suffer suspicion to seduce them, as the diligent noting of

the processe wyll declare.”]

THE COMPLAINT OF CARASSUS.

Howe Carassus, a Husbandman’s sonne, slewe Lodrike

the king of the Pictes, and howe the Emperour

made him a Captayne. Then howe he obtayned

the Britayne crowne, and howe suspition

brought him to decay.[1168]

Sith men be borne by nature naked all,

With their estates why are not men content?

Why doe they deeme the want of wealth a thral?

Why shoulde they lothe the lot, which God hath sent?

_Adam_ himselfe I finde, at fyrst was sent,

As one who did disdaine his poore estate,

To disobay, with God to be a mate.

Thou maist be made a god, (quoth satan than,)

If on the fruite forbidden thou wilt feede:

The senselesse wight, the feeble forcelesse man,

Did taste thereof, supposing that with speede

He shoulde in hast haue beene a god indeede:

He not content, hoping for hygher place,

Brought bitter bale to him and al his race.

And I the sonne of _Adam_ by descent,

Dyd seeke to set my selfe in princely seate,

With mine estate I could not be content,

For which I felt the force of hatred’s heat:

As at the first, my good successe was greate,

So at the last, by fansie’s fond desires,

I gropte for grapes amidst the bramble brires.

Let such as woulde by vertue them aduaunce,

Marke by what menes I did my selfe addresse,

To flye at first my poore alotted chaunce

By honest meanes: let them from wickednesse

Which fayne would flye, learne this by my distresse,

That he who doth from right and reason stray,

Destruction shall destroy him with decay.

For I by byrth borne next to beggers doore,

Was stayde aloft with staffe of high estate:

But whil’ste that I so hye a pitche did soore,

I left the meanes which made me ryse of late,

I vices lou’de, I did al vertues hate.

For which, _Carassus_ ranne a race in vayne,

And nothing got, but death and deepe disdayne.

When ciuile strife had _Bryttayne_ quite vndone,

So that her strength was now of none auayle,

The faythlesse _Scots_[1169] with ruth did ouerrunne

That royall realme: the _Pictes_ did so preuayle,[1170]

That sorrow did on euery side assayle

My natiue soyle: and being thus dismayde,

To _Rome_ we sent for succour, helpe, and ayde.

_Seuerus_ then by _Bassianus_ sent,

To bring this realme vnto some quiet stay,

The _Romans_ and the _Brittaynes_ both were bent,

To bring the _Scottes_ and _Pictes_[1171] to their decay,

Them to returne agayne to _Scithya_,

And at the last by good _Seuerus_ ayde,

We them destroyde when we were most afrayde.

Whose force though twice the _Romans_ felt to strong,

Yet at the last we got a goodly day,

Euen by my meanes, who thrust into the throng

Of _Scots_ and _Pictes_,[1172] I desperate ther dyd play

The part of hym, whom feare did neuer fray.

And at the last to end this mortall strife,

I did depriue King _Lodrike_ of his life.

And when the _Pictes_ did see their king depriude

Of vitall life, Lord, how they fled the fielde!

They made me muse, to see how fast they striude,

With staylesse steppes, eche one his life to shielde,

Who could not flye, he there with care was kilde:

So by my meanes, my country did obtaine

Her auncient state, and liberty agayne.

10.

At my returne I to _Seuerus_ sayde,

See here how I with woundes am all bestead?

I cannot liue, I feele how lyfe doth fade,

_Lodrike_ himselfe did carue and cut my head,

For which my blade his lukewarme blood hath shed:

He cut my cap, and I haue got his crowne,

He lost his lyfe, and I haue found renowne.

11.

_Seuerus_ then vnto his surgion sayde,

“Heale hym, and bryng him safe and sound agayne,

Thou for thy paynes with poundes shalt wel be payd,

And he shall haue such honoure for his payne,

As vnto him for euer shal remayne:

For by the gods which rule the skies aboue,

His noble actes deserue eternal loue.”

12.

When by the skill of surgion’s curious arte,

My hurtes were heal’d, and holesome health ensude,

_Seuerus_ then reioycing at the harte,

Made me a lorde, with wealth he me indude,

Yea, he although my learning were but rude,

Sent me to _Rome_, as legate of this lande,

To make report how here our state did stande.

13.

My deedes at home[1173] inrichte me with renowne,

My talke abroad, with proper filed phrase,

Adornde my head euen with a _laurell_ crowne:

The emperour did much commend my wayes,

So that I was bedeckt with double prayse:

I could not reade, my lerning was but weake,

Yet they of _Rome_ did muse to heare me speake.

14.

As learned arte doth geue a goodly grace

To some: so some by nature’s giftes do get

Eternal fame, and purchase them a place

Aboue the place where learned men do sit.

We finde the fine dexteritye of wit

In them which be both wise and ful of skill:

Yet neuer striude to clime _Pernassus_ hill.

15.

So I with prayse a time at _Rome_ did stay,

And tract of time returnde me backe agayne,

The emperour, he gaue my ryght away

Within a while, which made me storme amayne:

I had great cause me thought for to complayne,

_Seuerus_, he was made the king of all:

The giftes he gaue to me were very small.

16.

I was but made the captayne of the coast,

From forrayne force to keepe my realme in rest,

_Seuerus_, he was crowned king in post,

Which did so boyle within my warrelike brest,

That I with griefe most strangely was distrest.

Shal hee (sayde I) thus reape the high renowne

Which I deserue? Shal he inioy the crowne?

17.

I wonne the wreath, and he wil weare the same:

I got the goale, and he will get the gayne.

For me in faith it were a deadly shame,

If I in this his regall royall raygne,

Without repulse should suffer him remaine:

Which if I do, then let the dreadfull darte

Of _Vulcan’s_ wrath, torment in twayne my hart.

18.

For why, I see what seruile seruitude

Shall then insue, if he may raigne in rest:

Shall _Bryttayn_ braue by _Romanes_ be subdude?

It shal no doubt, by _Romans_ be distrest,

Except my might against his might be prest,

My might as yet cannot his strength constraine,

Yet may my might compell him to complaine.

19.

The drainyng droppes doo make the marble yeeld

In time: the seas the cragged rockes do rende:

And courtly kinges by tearing time be kilde,

For time dooth make the mightie okes to bende,

And time dooth make the litle twigges ascende:

So I in time, such power may prepare,

As shal constraine _Seuerus_ death, with care.

20.

But whylst I did indeuour to destroy

_Seuerus’_ strength, the _Pictes_ were prickte with pride,

For theyr reuenge vs _Britaynes_ to annoy:

Which when I hard, in post I did prouide

A power great, then I in hast did ride,

And kept the coast so strong with men of warre,

That no man coulde ariue, to make or marre.

21.

The poore _Pictes_ preuented of their pray,[1174]

In waltering waues did bouse their bitter bayne,

They digde a diche, and caught theyr owne decay,

On rockes theyr barkes, in seas themselues were slaine:

The westerne windes with wo did them constrayne,

By _Britayne_ bankes to make so long delaye,

I, and the seas, brought them to their decay.

22.

By meanes whereof my credite did increase:

_Seuerus_ did esteeme me as his stay,

I from my fyrst deuises coulde not cease,

For aye I hopte to haue a happy day,

To bring the _Roman_ rule to their decay,

With fauning face good fortune smyled so,

I had my wyshe what might I hope for mo?

23.

For into _Spayne_ the _Roman_ souldiours sent,

I had at home the might him to depriue,

Then wisely I al perilles to preuent,

Prouided so that no man could ariue,

No _Pict_, nor _Scot_, nor _Roman_, then could striue

With me at home, then I the lordes with speede,

Of _Brittayne_ calde, and thus I did proceede.

24.

“The _Roman_ rule vs subiect slaues hath made,

You se, my lordes, a _Roman_ heere doth raigne,

Whome to destroy my power shal inuade,

I do indeede this seruile life disdayne:

And you your selues do much therof complayne.

If you with helpe wyl me assiste I sweare,

The _Roman_ rule shal haue no power here.”

25.

Then they most glad with one consent replide:

“We wyl assist thee with what myght we may,

And we our selues most wylling wyl prouide,

No _Britayne_ borne against thee shal display

His shielde, but al at the appoynted day,

As prest to please thy heste, shal thee assist:

Winne thou the crowne, and weare it at thy list.”

26.

Which when I hard them say with one consent,

Blame not though pride did then possesse my hart

For princely crowne: the dreadfull dierie dent

Of wrakful warre, who would not feele the smart

Of griping grefe? who would not feele the dart

Of dreadful death? or who regardeth payne?

If he a crowne and kingdome may obtayne?

27.

For gunne-hole grotes[1175] the countrie clowne doth care,

Restlesse with ruth, the rusticke gets his gayne:

The marchant man for welth doth send his ware

About the worlde, with perill and great payne:

And all the worlde for welth doth not disdayne,

Amidst the surge of mighty mounting seas,

To caste themselues their owne delightes to please.

28.

If to obtayne such triffles they do toyle,

And neuer ceasse to bring there driftes about:

Why should I feare the force of forrayne foyle?

Why should I not assay with courage stout,

To wreake my wrath vppon the _Romishe_ rout

Which heere remayne? whome to the bale to bringe

Were me to crowne my natiue countrie’s king.

29.

One thing there is which greatly doth me grieue,

_Seuerus_, he who did inhance my state,

He did in my distresse with life relieue

My dyinge dayes, he neuer did me hate:

Yet now with hym I must be at debate.

Euen hym with myght I greatly must disgrace,

Eare I can set my selfe in princely place.

30.

Vntimely death shall not destroy his dayes:

For if he wyl returne to _Rome_ agayne,

Or if he wil resigne his crowne with prayse,

Or if hee wyl amongst vs styl remayne.

If he can like of these, we wyl refrayne

From sheading bloude which if he dothe disdayne,

I then against my wyl, must woorke his paine.

31.

So foorth I past with all my power prest,

_Seuerus_ did at _Durham_ then delay,

Whereas I mente his state to haue distrest:

But some I thinke my secretes did bewray,

For he to _Yorke_ in hast did take his way:

Which when I had besiegde on euery side,

With care and griefe of mind, _Seuerus_ dide.

32.

Se heere the force of cruel fretting care?

Se heere how sorowe doth dismay the minde?

For when he harde _Carassus_ did prepare

To reue his crowne, he iudging me vnkinde,

With sobbing sighes of sorrowe, he resignde

Before his time his minde from manly breste:

Beholde with care how sorrowe reaues man’s rest.

33.

Thus he intombde in his vntimely chest,

It was decreed _Carassus_ shoulde be king,

The three estates of al my realme were prest,

With one consent they al to me did bring

The kingly crowne, then thus they al did singe,

“The due deserts of this renowmed wyght,

Deserues to be the _Britayne_ king by right.”

34.

Marke by what steppes I dyd the toppe obtayne,

With keeping sheepe my youthful yeares were spent:

Then with the whyp I plide the plowe amayne,

In _Mars_ his feeldes to fight my minde was bent,

As legate then to _Rome_ my selfe was sente,

I dubbed was a lorde of high renowne,

And now at laste I haue obtayn’d the crowne.

35.

The ende, the acte[1176] (the plaudite) dooth proue,

And all is well, whose endyng is not yll:

Who sittes aloft had neuer neede to moue,

For feare least he shoulde fall agaynst his wyll:

Though creepyng he dyd gayne the toppe with skil,

Yet at the last, by turning of his toe,

A suddayne fall may worke his wretched woe.

36.

Which fall I felt, and how? I here wyll showe:

When I as king dyd all the realme comaunde,

I fearefull dyd suspect mine ouerthrow:

The place (mee thought) did shake where I dyd stande:

Then for my garde I dyd prouide a bande

Of warlyke wights, to garde my noble grace,

I lastly dyd my noble men displace.

37.

From foorth the feeldes I for my father sent,

Hym of a clowne a noble man I made:

My brethren all euen for the same intent,

Lyke courtiers there in court with me they stayde,

And all my stock were glad and well apayde:

For they of late which rulde the paynefull plow,

Of _Brittayne_ land they bee the rulers now.

38.

From cart to court, a countrye man to call,

With braue attyre to decke a dunghyll Dycke,

Is lyke a paynted image in a wall,

Which dooth deceiue, and seemeth to bee quicke,

Though woorkmanship most trimly dooth it tricke,

Yet of a stone, a stone wyll still remayne:

A clowne cannot from clownish deedes refrayne.

39.

As hard it is of quarryed marble stone,

For man to make a liuely mouing wyght,

As of a lout, or els of such a one

Who dayly doth imploy his whole delyght

To digge and delue, it passeth mortal myght,

To make him serue the courte a kinge’s behest:

Turne hym to plowe, the cart for him is best.

40.

For though thou canst by cunninge art compell

Nature a tyme to leaue her wonted place,

She wyl returne, in spight of heauen or hell:

No alcumist dame nature can displace,

Except that God doth geue abundant grace:

The caske wyl haue a taste for euermore,

With that wherewith it seasoned was before.

41.

Why did I then my courtlesse court mayntayne

With _Hob_ and _Iohn_, _Rafe Royster_, and his mate?

Whose greedy iawes aye gaping after gayne,

Did polle, and pil, and bred bitter debate:[1177]

Men much vnmeete to mayntayne myne estate:

Why did I them so neare myne elbowe place?

Because my selfe by byrth was borne but bace.

42.

Like wyl to lyke, the mule doth claw her mate,

With horned beasts the Ienite cannot iest,

Those bauling houndes, the haughty harte doth hate,

With beares the beare in safetie countes her best:

So I amongst my lyke did looke for rest,

Their dedes by me were alwayes wel alowde,

By them likewyse my doinges were auow’d.

43.

But as you see the husbandman with care

From new sowne feeldes the rauening rookes to driue,

So dyd the gentrie of my realme prepare,

My countrie courte and mee for to depriue:

But gentlemen were then to weake to striue

With mee, and mine, for which they dyd prepare

A new founde snache, which dyd my feet insnare.

44.

In surgelesse seas of quiet rest, when I

Seauen yeares had sayl’d, a perrye did arise,

The blastes whereof abrig’d my liberty:

For whilste I dyd with busye brayne deuise

Them to destroy, which did my courte despise,

The boystrous blastes of hatred blewe a gale,

My cables crakte, my barke was bong’d with bale.

45.

For they (I meane the gentrie of my lande)

Both mee, and mine, theirs, and themselues had sold

Subiects to _Rome_, from whence a mighty bande

They had conuaide to make my courage cold:

Into my realme they could not be controlde,

But when they were ariude, they quickly brought

Both me and mine, and all the rest to nought.

46.

_Alectus_ then the chiefetayne of the rest,

Spoyling my friendes, he forst me to the feelde,

The daye was come, we both in fight were prest:

His trustelesse trayne, did seeme to me to yeelde,

But al the feeldes with great ambushmentes filde,

I coulde not flee, _Alectus_ had the day,

With his owne sworde for breath he made me bray.

47.

As due desert did force my shippe to flote,

So vices vile me drencht in waues of woes:

O false suspect, why did’st thou make me dote?

Fearing my fall, my friends I deem’d my foes:

Fearing the worst, the best I did depose,

And was deposde: let other learne heereby,

The crooked crabbe will alwayes walke awry.

48.

And let them know which do not lothe to learne,

That kinges in court, be combred most with care:

The pilote’s charge, who sitteth at the stearne,

Doth make him watche, when other do prepare

Themselues to sleep: so kinges distressed are

With doutful dread, and many other thinges,

The sheephearde’s life is better then the kinge’s.

[THE INDUCTION

_Carassus_ hauing thus finished his tragicall history, _Inquisition_

presented vnto _Memory_ the lady _Hellina_; but _Memorye_ hauing her

at the fyrst sight in great admiration, sayde as followeth: “Why haue

you brought before vs the goddesse of _Diana_? Our intent is to heare

the complayntes of them who are smothered with _Forgetfulnesse_: as

for this goddesse she is renowmed more then sufficient.” “O _Memory_,”

quoth _Inquisition_, “this is not _Diana_: no, _Diana_, no _Gouzaga_,

no _Emila_, no _Cariclia_, no _Pallas_, no _Iuno_, no not knowing

_Minerua_, may compare with her for the flourishing features of her

incomprehensible complexion for the comly composition of her ladilike

limmes, being the perfectest peece of woorke that euer nature created,

that euer earth nouryshed, or that euer death destroyed, for the

passing great dexteritie of her ingenious capacitie, the very _Phœnix_

of women, and the chiefest amongst men that euer thou _Memory_ didst

celebrate for learning, for knowledge of tongs, and for the diuers

gifts of the mind, shee only dyd inhabite betwixt the wings of flilling

fame, for a happye, long, quiet lyfe in this worlde, she onely was

fauoured by fortune, or rather singularly preserued by her maker. For

that shee neuer tasted in all her raigne any aduersytie, shee is to bee

esteemed immortall: for that in all her actions shee had her harte’s

desyre, shee may iustly bee esteemed a goddesse (or rather the very

beloued of God.) Now I report me vnto you is there any goddesse or

nimph inhabiting the mount _Helicon_, which maye compare with queene

_Hellina_, not shee of _Greece_ which brought finall destruction vnto

the flourishing _Troy_, but shee of _Brittayne_, who redeemed her

decaying country from forraine tyrannye, which made not onely a menes

for the bodyes of her subiects to liue in quiet peace, but she also

prescribed vnto them an order how they might saue their soules. She

planted religion amongst her subiects which were at that time sauage,

neither knowing God, nor esteeming godlynesse, she was daughter vnto

king _Coell_: shee was queene of _Bryttayne_, empress of the worlde,

wyfe vnto _Constantius_, mother of _Constantine_ the great. Yet the

descriptions of time, I meane the chronicles, haue lefte so litle

reporte of her that I founde her standyng betwixte _Forgetfulnesse_

and _Memory_, almost smothered with _Obliuion_.”[1178] “If shee bee

so renowmed, as you haue spoken of,” sayde _Memory_, “we shoulde doo

her great wrong to deny her a place in this pageant. Speake therefore,

good madame _Hellina_, with good leaue, your minde, and as other by

their falles doo set downe examples very necessary for the auoyding of

vice, so let your history bee a meanes to incourage all men to imbrace

vertue.” Then the good queene, although somewhat abashed, yet glad to

repeat her lyfe forerunne, sayde as followeth.]

THE LYFE OF QUEENE HELLINA.

How Queene Hellina was empresse of all the

worlde. This storie dooth declare how

happye they bee, which liue in the

feare and loue of God.[1179]

Men’s due desertes ech reader may recite,

For men of men doo make a goodly show,

But women’s workes can neuer come to light,

No mortall man their famous factes may know,

No writer wyll a litle time bestowe,

The worthy workes of women to repeate,

Though their renowne and due deserts be great.

For I by byrth to _Coel_ daughter deare,

King _Lucy_ was my good grand-mother’s sonne,

My father dead, I rulde his kyngdome heere,

And afterwarde the world so wide I wonne.

I empresse was of all vnder the sunne,

I liued long, I dyde with perfect blisse,

Yet writers will repeate no word of this.

But now at last I haue obtayned leaue,

My spotlesse life to paynt in perfect white:

Though writers would al honour from me reaue,

Of al renowne they would depriue me quite,

Yet true report my deedes shal burnishe bright,

And rubbe the rust which did me much disgrace,

And set my name in her deserued place.

From _Roman_ rule who _Brittayne_ did redeme?

Who planted first God’s woorde in _Brittayne_ land?

Who did so much virginitie esteme?

Who did the force of forrayn foes withstand?

Who al the world subdude without a band

Of martial men? who did these noble actes?

I _Hellina_, haue done these famous factes.

And now haue here the storye of my state:

The _Brittayne_ queene inheritage me crownde,

Euen then when _Romans_ had so great debate

Amongst themselues for _Caracalla’s_ wounde,

An emperour, who highly was renownde,

As then at _Rome_, whose death vndoutedly,

Diminishte much the _Roman_ emperie.

The _Romans_ then were storde with ciuile strife,

And many realmes against them did rebell,

Their trouble turn’d me to a quiet life,

My commonweale did prosper passing well,

When al the worlde agreed like deuils in hel,

Then I and myne becalmde from hatred’s blast

In happy hauen harboured were at last.

Then I a mayd of tender youthful yeares,

Reporte did say, of beutie fresh and fayre,

Refusde the sute of many noble peeres,

Which dayly did vnto my court repayre:

What though there were vnto my crowne no heire?

Yet I who did regard my comons good,

Refusde to linke my selfe with forrayne blood.

On forrayne costes, on kingdomes to incroche,

With wrath of wrackfull warres I did despise,

And fearing aye the ruth of rude reproche,

With carking care I dayly did deuise,

How I with peace myght make my kingdome rise,

And how by lawe of God and man, I might

Giue _Cæsar_ his, and vnto God his right.

No God of heauen, no Christ my people knewe:

Wherefore to _Rome_ for learned men I sent,

King _Lucie’s_ lawes decayde I did renewe,

Then preaching made my people so repent

Their former faultes, that all incontinent

Were baptized, and they[1180] within a space,

The fayth of Christ so[1181] firmly did imbrace.

10.

That nothing seemed currant in their sight,

But that which holye writers would alowe,

And that they would imbrace with all their might:

To shed their bloud, the same for to avowe

They did not feare, at _Verolane_ euen nowe,

Amidst the force of fiery flashing flame:

_Albion_ the protomartyr proude the same.

11.

As careful marchaunt men do much reioyce,

When from those iles _Molocchi_, they haue brought

There frayghted ships, for then they haue great choyce

Of marchandize, which trafficke long hath sought,

To finde the ware, which trial true hath taught

Wyl’get moste gayne, which beeing got, they giue

And cast there care, how they thereby may liue:

12.

So I, whom both Sir _Neptune’s_ surging seas,

And _Eole’s_ windes, euen God himselfe aboue

Did fauoure much, my labouring minde to please,

Geuing those thinges were best for my behoue,

God’s woorde I mene, which al my men did loue:

The pearles which Christ commaunded to be bought,

Muste here be found, and no where els be sought.

13.

Then they and I made haste, post hast, to leade

Our sinful liues as Scripture did alowe:

We knowing God, him loude with feare and dread,

Deuotion made vs crouche, and creepe, and bowe

Our hartes, our heades; we sauage were but nowe,

Yet by and by such was the good successe,

In fiery flames the truth we did professe.

14.

Then flittinge fame the truth to testifie,

Against my wyl, at _Rome_ made such reporte,

That _Constantinus_ thence dyd hether hye,

And being come vnto my _Brittayne_ court,

With louer’s lookes hee striude to scale the fort

Of my good wyll: but when it woulde not bee,

He sighing, thus addrest his talke to me:

15.

“O Queene (quoth he,) thy deedes deserue great fame.

The goodly giftes that God hath geuen to thee

Be such, as I cannot thee greatly blame,

Though thou without desert disdaynest me,

Who for thy sake doth lothe al crueltie:

But for thy loue, with _Mars_ his cruel knife,

I could commaund thy realme, and reaue thy life.

16.

“But (out alas) whilst breath doth lend me life,

My heart shal hate to thrall thy happy state,

What though thou dost refuse to be my wyfe,

Thy hatred tho, shal neuer cause me hate:

But whylste I liue, I wyl thee loue, let fate

And fortune fell, poure on me al their spight,

To die for thee shal greatly me delight.”

17.

Then I replide: “O Duke, without desert

Thou doste me loue, a little ilande’s Queene,

I know thou to the emperour heyre art,

Thy valiaunt actes I diuers wayes haue seene,

I like thy deedes, most noble which haue bene,

And thee I loue: yet priuate pleasures luste

May neuer make me throwe my realme to duste.”

18.

“If thou (quothe he) wylte dayne my Queene to be,

Thy _Bryttaynes_ shal to _Rome_ no tribute yeilde,

You if you please, to _Rome_ may go with me,

Your myghtie mate the world so wide may wielde,

Or if you please, I here wyth you wyl bylde

My byding place, and in this littell lande,

I wyl remayne yours, at your commaund.”[1182]

19.

His comely corps,[1183] his friendly promise plight,

His famous actes, his noble royall race,

Some other thinges which here I could recite,

The _Roman’s_ hart within my brest dyd place:

And when my wit had wayed well the case,

Then for the chiefe of all my realme I sent,

And thus I spake to know the whole intent.

20.

“My louing lordes, and you my subiects, see

This _Roman_ heyre, whom I indeede do loue,

He will restore your ancient lybertie,

If I wyll bende my hest to his behoue:

Which benefites they chiefely do mee moue,

To loue at last, a man by whom you may,

Receaue a shielde to keepe you from decay.

21.

“Perhaps you thinke I loue, because I see

His comely corps,[1184] and seemely sanguine face,

You be deceaude, no outward brauery,

No personage, no gallant courtly grace:

What though hee bee by birth of royall race?

I recke it not, but this I do regarde,

My commonweale by him may bee preserude.

22.

“For if hee wyll from tribute set you free,

And ende the worke which I haue well begonne,

That Christe’s gospell preached styll may bee,

God may by hym send vnto me a sonne,

To you a king: what wealth then haue you wonne?

What great renowne? what honor wyll insue?

Speake you your mindes, these thinges me think, be true.”

23.

“O Queene,” quoth they, “the Lord preserue thy grace:

Do thou the thinge that semes to thee the best,

We do alowe the matche in euery case:

If by that meanes we may haue quiet rest,

With what great good shal this our realme be blest?

Do thou therefore, O noble Queene, we pray,

The thing which best may keepe vs from decay.”

24.

The _Roman_ duke he nothing would denye,

But graunted more then I could aske or craue,

So that there was proclaymed by and by,

A famous feast, a banquet passing braue:

There to the duke the _Britayne_ crowne I gaue,

With sacred spousall ryghtes, as man and wyfe

We wedded, liude in loue, for terme of lyfe.

25.

And whylste we ment to rule this little ile,[1185]

A greater good vnlooked for befel,

Death did destroy his syre with hateful hand:

For which we both at _Rome_ must nowe go dwel,

And so we did: thinges prospered passyng wel,

My feere was made the emperour, lorde and king

Of al: and I the queene of euery thing.

26.

His myghtie mace did rule the monarchie,

My wyt did rule (some wryters say) his mace,

And to increase with ioy our mery glye,

I brought him forth a babe of royal race,

The boy he had an amiable face:

O _Rome_ thou maiste reioyce, for this was he,

Which did at _Rome_ erect diuinitie.

27.

Whilste thus in blesse I did at _Rome_ remayne,

On[1186] _Britaine_ still my mind her care did cast,

For which I causde my husband to ordayne,

That euermore those ancient lawes should last,

Which heretofore amongst them there I past,

And that to _Rome_ no _Brittayne_ borne, for aye,

Should taxe, or toll, or tenth, or tribute pay.

28.

Though there at _Rome_ an empresse life I led,

And had at hand what I could wishe or craue,

Yet stil me thought I was not wel bestead,

Because I was so farre from _Brittayne_ braue:

Which when my louing lorde did once perceiue,

He set a stay in al the emperye,

To _Brittayne_ then he did returne with me.

29.

We raygnde of yeares thrice seuen with good successe,

Then dolor and debilitie did driue

My louing lord with faynting feeblenesse,

For vitall life with braying breath to striue:

He felt, howe death of life would him depriue,

He calde his lordes, his childe, and me his wife,

And thus he spake, euen as he left his life:

30.

“The haughtye pines of loftye _Libanus_,

From earth, to earth, in tract of time returne:

So I whose spreading prayse were marueilous,

Must now returne my fleshe to filthy slime,

On fortune’s wheele I may no longer clime:

Therefore my lordes, although my glasse be runne,

Yet take remorse on _Constantine_ my sonne.

31.

“My monarche, court, my kingdomes all,

(O stately _Rome_) farewell to them, and thee,

Farewell my lordes, which see my finall fall,

Farewell my childe, my wyfe, more deare to mee

Then all the world, we must depart I see:

And must we needes depart? O Fortune fye,

We must depart, adue, farewell, I dye.”

32.

Wherewith he sighte and senselesse dyd remayne,

Then I his death as women doo, dyd wayle:

But when I view’d, that weeping was but vayne,

I was content to beare that bitter bale,

As one who founde no meanes for her auayle:

His corps at _Yorke_ in princely tombe I layde,

When funerall sacred solemne rights were payde.

33.

And when report his death about had blowne,

_Maxentius_ then the triple crowne to weare,

Did challenge all the empire as his owne,

And for a time that mighty mace dyd beare:

Which when my sonne, my _Constantine_ dyd heare,

The youthfull lad, indeuour’d by and by,

To claime his right by _Mars’_ his crueltie.

34.

I then his tender youthfull yeares to guyde,

Went with my sonne to see his good successe,

He being campt by fruitfull _Tyber’s_ side,

To spoyle his foe he dyd hymselfe addresse,

He knew that God dyd geue all happinesse:

Therefore to God, euen then the youth dyd pray,

With mightie hande to keepe hym from decay.

35.

Beholde how God doth godly men defend,

And marke how he doth beate vsurpers downe:

_Maxentius_ nowe he al his force dothe bende

For to defend his diademe and crowne:

But frowarde fate vpon the prince did frowne:

For why his men were scattered euery where,

In _Tyber_ he did drowne himselfe for feare.

36.

To _Rome_ then we and all our host did hie,

The _Romans_ they with ioy did vs receiue,

To _Constantine_ they gaue the emperie,

But he of them most earnestly did craue,

That I the rule of al the worlde myght haue:

“It is,” quoth he, “my mother’s ryght to rayne,

Til dreadful death hath shred her twyst in twayne.”

37.

“I graunt my sonne, the monarchie is myne,

For at his death thy father gaue it me

For terme of life: but let it nowe be thine,

I aged must go pay the earth her fee,

I am content to liue with lesse degree:

O louing sonne, geue eare vnto my hest,

I wyl not rule, that charge for thee is best.”

38.

And when he myght not rule his mother’s minde,

Agaynst his wyll he wylling did assent,

That al should be as I had then assignde,

To rule the worlde, he greued was content:

And whilste that there my happie dayes I spent,

Reioycing much to see my sonne’s successe,

I dyde and had a heauenly happinesse.

39.

Thrice happye I who ranne this royal race,

And in the ende my wished goale did get:

For by my meanes al people did imbrace

The fayth of Christ, the orders I did set

They were obay’d with ioy, which made me iet:

Euen in this blesse a better blesse befel,

I dyde, and nowe my soule in heauen doth dwel.

40.

So now you see the happye hap I had:

Learne then thereby to do as I haue done,

To prayse God’s name let euery prince be glad:

To persecute the truth let al men shunne,

By vertuous wayes great honor maye be wonne:

But he who doth to vices vile incline,

May be comparde vnto a filthie swine.

41.

Who doth not loue the playne nor pleasant way,

He cannot feare to sleepe amidst the greene,

But in the mire he doth delyght to lay:

So princes such as vile and vicious beene,

Do tumble aye amidst a sinke of sinne,

Whose names on earth, whose soules in hel, remayne

In infamye, the other pincht with payne.

42.

Let them that seeke for euerlasting fame,

Tread in the steps that I before haue trod,

And he who would avoyd reprochful shame,

And flee the smart of _Plutoe’s_ ruthful rod,

Let him not cease to learne the law of God,

Which onely law man’s stumbling steppes doth guyde

Who walkes therein, his feete can neuer slide.

[THE INDUCTION.

“Beholde,” quoth _Memorye_, “the effect of vertue and godlynesse. If

contentation of the mind be perfecte happinesse, as some philosophers

haue defynde it, then no doubt this queene was most happy, and happy is

hee who can imitate her in her happynesse. But not long time after her

there lyued a king, named _Vortiger_, who for his vice was as diuerslye

afflicted, as this woman for her vertue was blessed. I doo remember the

wickednesse of this man was exceeding great. Haue you found hym out,

_Inquisition_?” “Is not this he, good _Memory_?” quoth _Inquisition_,

“I founde hym both sitting and sighing amongst the misserable, and

it would appeare that hee is ashamed to make rehearsall of thinges

past.” “It is euen he,” quoth _Memorie_, “you may know him by his fyry

lookes; for though it be long since hee liued yet he beareth about with

hym the badge of his destruction. Note you his story with dilygence,

(good _Inquisition_,) for this is hee who subuerted the commonweale of

_Brittayne_. And you, sir prince, I doo coniure you, by the duty you

owe vnto me, who doo know all thinges, that you doo heere repeate vnto

vs the whole story of your estate.” Wherewith he with smoking sighes,

greatly against his wyl, saide as followeth.]

THE COMPLAYNT OF VORTIGER.

How Vortiger destroyed the young kyng Constantine, and howe he

obteyned the crowne: [howe the abusyng of his prosperitie

brought hys realme so lowe, that he was constrayned

to hyre souldyers to defend hymselfe from his

enimyes] and how after many miseries,

he was miserably burnt in his

castle, by the brethren of

Constantine.[1187]

By quiet peace of _Ianus_ ioylitie,

Their happy hauens with forewinds forst some haue,[1188]

By wrackful warres of _Mars_ his crueltie,

With much ado some get the goale they craue,

But subtyl sleightes, and fetches boulstred braue,

My haplesse hand dyd hyt with leueled lyne,

The aymed marke, the more mishap was myne.

By giftes of grace some men haue happy hap,

By blessed byrth to kyngdomes borne some be:

Succession sets some men in Fortune’s lap,

By wisedome, wyt, and prudent policie:

Some clyme aloft by trustlesse treacherie:

And courage dooth a multitude aduaunce,

Driftes finely filde they dyd my state inhaunce.

I _Vortiger_, by byrth was borne a lorde,

Kyng _Constantine_ his coosin did me call,

I cride amayne, and clapt his crowne aborde,

And for a tyme til fortune forst my fall,

With restlesse blesse I sate in stately stall:

But men of warre of much more might then I,

For my desert my carefull corpes did fry.

As furious force of fiery flashing fame,

With cinders brought my body to decay,

So smulderyng smokes of euerlasting shame

Reude[1189] my renowne, and wipte my fame away:

What may I more of my misfortune say?

I sigh to see, I silent ceasse to tell

What me destroied, and drownd my soule in hel.

Here to repeate the partes that I haue playd,

Were to vnrippe a trusse of trumpery,

For me to shew how I aloft was stayde,

Were to erect a schoole of trechery:

Silence is best, let no man learne by me

Nor by my meanes, how they by wicked waies,

From low estate, aloft themselues may rayse.

As good men can by wicked workes beware,

So wicked men by wicked workes be wise,

If ill men reade my deedes which wicked were,

They by my meanes will compassse their surmise:

For wicked workers dayly do deuise,

To make examples vile and vicious,

To stand in stead, to serue their lawlesse lust.

The serpent thence his venym vile dooth drawe,

From whence the bee her honny sweete dooth get,

Leawd liuers learne to breake the written lawe,

By that, whereby good men doo learne much wit:

For wicked men eche fetche is thought most fyt,

To serue their turne: therefore I compt it best,

To leaue my faultes and follyes vnconfest.

“Giue leaue therefore, good _Memory_, I may

Not here repeate my tedious tragedy,

_Inquiry_, let me nowe departe away.

My common weale subuerted was by me,

I leawdly liude, and dyde in misery,

And for my faultes I felt disdayneful smarte,

Let this suffice, and let me nowe departe.”

With that he seemde as on[1190] that would away,

But _Memory_: “Stay, stay thy steppes,” quoth she,

“Let wicked men procure their owne decay,

We recke it not, if warned once they be:

Let that suffice, and let thy misery

Make iust report, how vayne and vile a thing

It is, to liue as a vsurping king.”

10.

Sith needes I must repented faultes forerunne

Repeat, and tel the fal and foyle I felt,

Patience perforce, to speake shame bids me shunne,

To thinke thereof dooth make my harte to melte:

But sith I needes must shewe howe here I delt,

I am contente to tell the truth of al,

Let wise men learne to stande, which reade my fal.

11.

For first I causde the young king _Constantine_,

Of faythlesse _Scots_ and _Pictes_ to make his garde,

They by my meanes did kil their kyng in fine,

For which, with speede I sent them al to warde,

And hangde them al their cause was neuer harde:

So I who fyrst did cause them kil their king,

To stop their mouthes, them al to death did bring.

12.

Where rancor rules, where hatred’s heate is hot,

The hurtelesse men with trouble be turmoylde:

Where malice may send foorth her cannon shot,

There might is right, there reason’s rules are foylde:

For ruthful rancor euermore hath boylde

With griping griefe: her smuldring smokes of spite

Woulde gladly choke al iustice, lawe, and right.

13.

So might, not right, did thrust me to the throne,

I syxteene yeeres did weare the royal crowne,

In al which time with griefe I aye did grone,

As on[1191] who felt the fal from high renowne:

My noble men deuisde to thrust me downe

In al this time, and many did protest,

I layde the king in his vntimely chest.

14.

At last, my foes my friendes were made, and I

Had quiet peace, and liude a happy king:

Yea, God who rules the haughtie heauen a hygh,

Inricht my realme with foysen of eche thing,

Aboundant store did make my people syng:

As they of yore were prest with penury,

So nowe they hate their great fertilitie.

15.

My people had of corne and oyle such store,

That country men of tyllage left the toyle,

The riche man fed no better then the poore,

For all did reape the fatnesse of the soyle,

No man for meate nor mony then did toyle,

But al reioyce with ioyful iubily,

And al were soust with sinful gluttony.

16.

As cloudes dissolude fayre _Phœbus_ dooth deface,

So plague my plenty dim’d with darke disease:

For whilste my realme in ryot ran her race,

They playde, not prayed, and did their God displease:

For which they drownde in sorrowe’s surging seas,

Lyke rotten sheepe by thousands dide so thicke,

The deade coulde not be buried by the quicke.

17.

When thus the plague my people did oppresse,

That fewe were left alyue within my lande,

The _Scots_ and _Pictes_, with speede they them addrest,[1192]

Knowing their time, they raysde a mightie band,

They knewe right soone, howe heere my state did stand:

And to reuenge the wrong that earst I wrought,

They ment to bring both me and myne to nought.

18.

See howe abuse breedes blake and bitter bale,

Misuse dooth make of plenty, lothsome lacke,

Amidst his blesse with wo it makes man wale,

Onely abuse dooth woorke man’s wretched wracke:

Amidst my ioyes, from ioye it beate me backe:

For I and myne misusde our present blesse,

Which brought both me and mine to wretchednesse.

19.

We first misusde our present pleasaunt plentie,

For which we whipt in thrall with scourges three,

Had pestilence, which made my kingdome emptie,

It did destroy my men of eche degree,

Then faynting famine playde her tragedy,

_Bellona_ then that beastly bloody queene,

Did blowe her trumpe to dashe my courage cleene.

20.

When sickenesse had consumde my subiectes quite,

The _Pictes_ with pride did hast to spoyle my lande,

I had no men, nor meanes with them to fight,

For which I sent and did obtayne a bande

Of _Saxons_, such as did the _Scots_[1193] withstande:

Whose helpe that I when neede requirde might haue,

I gaue them _Kent_, a countrey passing braue.

21.

These _Saxons_ were a crewe of warrelike wightes,

They liude by spoyle, and had no byding place,

They were of truth a troupe of martial knyghtes,

Which serude for pay where _Mars_ extolde his mace:

_Saxons_ indeede they were of royal race,

They _Angli_ hight, a stocke of woorthy fame,

Of them this realme of _Englande_ tooke her name.

22.

These _Angli_ brought the _Britaynes_ to the bay,

We _Welchemen_ cal’d, to _Wales_ they did vs driue,

They brought syxe sortes of _Saxons_ to decay,

And got the goale for which they long did striue:

Of other stockes they left not one alyue,

They al this realme did plant with _Angli_ then,

And termde themselues of _Angli_, _Englishmen_.

23.

But howe they brought this enterprise about,

Marke well the sequel which I shal recite:

_Hengestus_ he the chieftayne of the route,

A suttle sir, an vndermining wight,

To feede my vaynes he tooke a great delight:

His craftie heade did deeme it the best way,

With pleasant baytes to make my crowne his pray.

24.

He me his king inuited to a feast,

A feast in fayth, which forst my final fall:

Where _Cupide’s_ curse constraynde me like a beast,

From _Pallas_ prince to geue the golden ball:

For _Venus_ vantes to _Helline_ threwe my thrall,

Whose heauenly hewe, whose beautie freshe and fayre,

Was burnishte bright like _Phœbus_ in the ayre.

25.

I being set at _Bacchus_ banquetting,

His daughter deckt with nature’s tapistrie,

And trimly trickte with euery other thing,

Which might delight a louer’s fantasie:

Why shoulde man’s mynde to loue thus subiect be?

I had a wyfe, a passing princely peece,

Which farre did passe that gallant gyrle of _Greece_.[1194]

26.

Yet from my wyfe (the woorthiest wench[1195] aliue,)

My fancies fell, I lothde her louely bed:

Howe I _Hengestus_ daughter might atchieue

Was al my care, I did this damsel wed,

My wife diuorste, I had her in the steede:

Her louely lookes, her pretie pleasant cheare,

Made me esteeme her onely loue most deare.

27.

I wore the crowne, her wyl dyd rule the rest,

And her demaunde I neuer did deny,

What she alow’d I did esteeme that best:

Which when her father _Hengest_ did espye,

He had the pray for which he long did prye:

He made his hay whilst weather fayer was,

And by her meanes he brought it thus to passe:

28.

That _Bryttaynes_ we with toyle shoulde till the ground,

The _Saxons_ woulde defende our wealth with warre:

Which graunted once, they did inhabite rownde

About my realme, and might both make and marre:

New _Saxons_ in my realme aryued were,

By meanes whereof my _Brittaynes_ did suspect

The _Saxons’_ slayghts, and did their deedes detect.

29.

Then they good men to me their king complain’d,

These men, quoth they, from vs our realme wil winne,

Except they from our frontiers be refrain’d:

Which when they told, my wife she was within,

“O husband deare, they be,” saide she, “my kin,

Cease of thy force thy faithful dreads to feare,

They meane no hurt, by _Ioue_ the iust, I sweare.”

30.

So I esteemed not my subiectes health,

That I might still my ladie’s loue enioye,

They vewde me carelesse of my common wealth,

To saue themselues they ment me to annoy,

Myne eldest sonne a proper prety boy,

They made their kyng, and me for my desert,

They did depriue: with paine which pincht my heart.

31.

Then _Vortiger_ my sonne and kyng pursude

The _Saxons_ sore, and dyd amaze them much,

For which my wyfe, his mother[1196] lawe, indude

With diuelish spite, agaynst the youth did grutche,

She him destroyde, her good successe was such:

When he seuen yeares had raygnde with great renowne,

With poyson she depriude him of his crowne.

32.

I to obtaine the seate from whence I fel,

With sacred oath I solemnly did sweare,

To end the woorke, which was begonne so wel,

And to subdue the _Saxons_ euery where:

The _Brittaines_ to my kingly crowne did reare

Me quickely then: I at the fyrst, by might

Defaste my foes in euery fray and fyght.

33.

Then lothsome lucke did turne her whurling wheele,

With treason trust intrapte did me betray,

Hateful mishappe she had me by the heele,

And clapte me close in dungeon of decay,

To _Hengest_ nowe I must a raunsome pay:

And if I loude my life and libertie,

I needes must graunt al he dooth aske of me.

34.

For chaunged chaunce of _Mars_ his warres, hath made

Me of a king a captayne’s prisoner,

To whom there must nowe foure sheares be payde,

_Northfolke_, _Southfolke_, _Southsexe_ and _Kent_ they were,

Me to release from out my caue of care:

Which being donne, I led my life in doute,

And fledde for feare to _Wales_ with al my route.

35.

Where, as I founde a place that pleasde me much,

The situation seemde so passing strong,

The worlde me thought might not annoy it much,

A castel there I builte: it were to long

Here to repeate, silence shall do no wrong

To _Marlayne_, he who wonders there hath wrought,

If auncient write to vs the truth hath taught.

36.

When I had buylt my princely bower there,

In bloody feeldes I meant no more to striue:

But true reporte did dashe my present cheere:

In _Totnesse_ hauen two brethren did ariue,

Which quickly would from that my forte me driue:

The brethren both of _Constantine_ the kyng,

_Peccaui_ they did meane to make me sing.

37.

From worse to worse, seldome is better seene,

Our present ioyes hereafter thralles do threate,

And he who now doth flourish freshe and greene,

Must fade and fal as _Hyems_ frosts doo frette:

Dame _Florae’s_ feeldes, or as the rayne with wet

In dropping dayes the pleasaunt playnes doth drowne,

So ruthfull men reaues vs from[1197] renowne.

38.

Men may therfore like _Marmaydes_ euer mourne,

The shining sunne who do so much delight,

That aye they waile like furies quite forlorne:

When _Sol_ doth shine, when _Titan’s_ beames be bright,

They feare the stormes that may hereafter light,

They weepe because they must the sunne forgoe,

When stormes do fal, they wayle their present woe.

39.

So mortal man with malice al bested,

When good successe dooth sounde a blessed blaste,

With brinishe teares then may they eate their bread:

For happy dayes from man dooth flee as fast,

As poulders force from peece dooth pellet cast:

And troubles tedious time with pacelesse staye,

Once wonne (alas) will neuer walke away.

40.

How I in maze of trouble here did toyle,

Iudge you which see me trauise in the same,

And howe I was inforst to final foyle,

Not nowe, for nowe although it dooth me shame,

I wyll declare, how I was fryde with flame.

For _Ambrose_ he and _Vter Pendragon_,

My castle brent, me and my men eche one.

41.

Then _Ambrose_ with his brother’s crowne was crown’d,

Which I from hym had reafte agaynst al right:

So nowe you see vppon what slipperie grounde

They stand, which doo extol themselues by might,

Their wandring feete doo walke as in the night,

Their stumbling steppes their giltie mindes doo feare,

They dayly see the blocke of bale appeare.

42.

With scalding sighes they doo themselues consume,

For feare to fal dooth yeelde none other fruite,

They rage with wrath, they dayly frette and fume,

Ruthful reuenge them alwayes hath in suite,

And right in time makes might both mum and mute:

For that which might by secret meanes hath wrought,

By tracte of tyme to open shewe is brought.

43.

Vsurpers then doo reape their right rewarde,

The foyle once felt, they feele how vile and vayne

It is, to be too high degrees preferde

By lawlesse meanes: they finde what pinching payne,

Amid’st the mindes of such men doo remayne,

They alwayes throngde with cruel thretting thrall,

Doo feede vppon none other foode but gall.

44.

A proofe whereof a plat, a patterne playne,

The ruthful race I _Vortiger_ haue runne,

Disciphers so, that man may see howe vayne

A thing it is his former fate to shunne:

Honour obteynde (alas) what haue we wonne?

A hidious heape of cruel carking care,

Which to consume man’s life dooth neuer spare.

[THE INDUCTION.

“What _Constantine_ was this,” quoth _Inquisition_, “that was made away

by this miserable _Vortiger_?” “Not _Helline’s_ sonne,” sayd _Memorie_,

“but an impe descended out of her loines, who for his soft spirit

was made a monke at _S. Swithens_ in _Winchester_; and afterward,

his eldest brother being dead, he was taken out and made king. He

made mention of two brethren,” sayd _Inquisition_, “who ariuing at

_Totnesse_ did binde the said _Vortiger_ for making away the younge

king, what were they, knowe you?” “Yea,” quoth _Memory_, “they were the

brethren of the vnfortunate _Constantine_, who fled out of the realme

for feare of that cruel _Vortiger_: and afterwarde obteyning succour

beyonde the sea came with a nauie and obteyned the reuenge of their

so deadly enemie. And when the eldest, called _Aurelius Ambrose_, had

raygned nienteene yeares, he dyed, as some wryte, by poyson, without

issue. Then the youngest, named _Vter Pendragon_, tooke vnto him the

rule of this realm.” “_Vter Pendragon_,” quoth _Inquisition_, “doo you

meane the great king _Arthur’s_ father? he is here, and hath sued vnto

me to be a meanes that his fall might be knowne vnto the worlde.” “Let

him,” saythe _Memory_, “speake his minde, for his story is exceedyng

necessary for this present time.” Wherewith he bearing still about with

hym his amorous lookes, said as foloweth.]

THE COMPLAINT OF VTER PENDRAGON.

Howe Vter Pendragon was inamoured with Duke Garelus wife,

and howe by lawelesse loue he lost his kingdome.

This example is most necessary for

the present time.[1198]

We leade our liues by fancies fonde delight,

For kingdomes some doo busy much theyr brayne,

But _Cupid’s_ curse that wretched litle wight,

That blinded boye vnto my pynching payne,

Dubde me a knight of dayntie _Venus’_ trayne,

Where beames of beautie brought me by and by,

To cast my care to please my ladye’s eye.

O beautie braue, thy gladsome glittering gleames,

With smilyng cheare and wildie winking eyes,

Doth drowne with dole amidst the surging streames

Of deepe despayre, the wightes which be most wyse:

Aye me, my wit, my penne cannot deuise

Of beautie braue to make a true discourse,

To thinke thereof I feele my selfe the woorse.

I _Pendragon_ of _Britaine_ crowned king,

The fretting force of beautie’s hateful hewe,

Those frying flames I felt, that hateful sting,

Which quickly me from crowne and kingdome threwe,[1199]

Whil’st with delight I did thy vaunting vewe,

I like the halke which sores in good estate,

Did spye a stale, I stoopte, and tooke a mate.

For at what tyme the _Saxons_ dyd assayle

My _Britane_ state, and tooke eche man a share,

My kindome they, euen for their best auayle,

Dyd then deuide: for which wyth carking care

Them thence to dryue, I did my powre prepare:

And beyng come to _Cornewal_ with my bande,

I ment to haue duke _Garelus_ helping hande.

[I knewe right wel the valure of his minde,

Me to my crowne his courage did aduaunce,

Him for my good most forwarde I did fynde,

He neuer fearde the force of chaunging chaunce:

Here I intrapte did stande as in a traunce,

Amazde I gazde, as one bewichte, my hart

Was wounded deep with _Cupid’s_ cruel dart.]

In sacred church[1200] I set to sacrifyce,

Those holy vowes, which victories require:

Euen whilst I did with al my harte deuise,

Howe to subdue my foes with swoorde and speare,

Euen then there did this peerlesse pearle appeare,

Duke _Garelus_ wife, whose gallant gate and grace,

Stealing myne heart, my honour did deface.

When _Vortiger_ my brother did oppresse,

In exile then my youthful yeares were spent,

At my retourne his fault he did confesse,

And from his crowne the crowne in haste I sent:

Then my delight was in the diery dent

Of wrackful warre, but nowe transformde I stande,

The auncient oke must growe nowe lyke a wande.

I marueilde muche how _Cireus_[1201] songes might please,

But now I muse that _Circes_ sorcery,

Doth not from euery man bereaue his ease:

_Calipsoe’s_ cuppes with poysoned trechery,

Cannot so much abridge man’s liberty,

As _Circus_[1202] songes, and _Circe’s_ suttle art,

Whose chaunting charmes inwrapt with wo my hart.

_Vlisses_ sayling by the perilous place,

Where these to please the passours by, did play,

Where lady _Loue_ doth vante with garishe grace,

Her daynty damsels, gallant gyrles, and gaye

Intycing trulles, they causde the Greeke to say:

“With cables come and tye me to this mast,

Lest I my selfe to pleasures court me cast.”

10.

Muse not therefore though feature fine of face,

Though comely corps, and trim intysing cheere,

Made me obay sir _Cupid’s_ mightie mace:

The force whereof _Vlisses_ wise did feare:

He sail’d aloffe, he from these bankes did beare

His shaking shippe, but other many moe

Did there ariue, and weau’d the web of woe.

11.

There _Salomon_ did reape the croppe of care,

There _Dauid_ loude as I, _Vrias’_ wife,

There _Samson_ strong was snarled in the snare,

There _Paris_ liude, euen there he lost his life,

There _Helen’s_ hate, brought _Troy_ her final strife,

_Alcides_ he the myghtie _Herculus_,

There to ariue, did finde it dangerous.

12.

And I did learne with losse of lyfe at laste,[1203]

That he who doth delyght in lawelesse loue,

Must play the foole eare al the partes be past,

And taste the sauce preparde for his behoue:

Let men take heed how they their fancies moue,

Let man beware where he doth cast his eie,

The lymed byrde doth proue in vayne to flye.

13.

O ancient _Rome_, thou did’st ordayne of yore,

That women should no banqueting frequent,

At _Rome_ she was esteemde a harlot whoore,

If from her house without her veyle she went,

Which lawes no doubt were made to good intent,

For why the beames of beautie’s sanguynde sight,

Like _Basilisco_ spoyles the gazing wyght.[1204]

14.

Therefore the maydes, and _Roman_ matrons all,

A shadowing veyle before their face did weare,

Their heauenly hewe did throwe no man to thrall,

They were content with playne and decent geare,

They hufte it not wyth paynted frisled heare:

The marryed wyfe, the matron, and the mayd,

They of there veyles were glad and wel apayde.

15.

If women thus had walked in my time,

I had not stoopte vnto that paynted lure,

Which did intice me to committe the crime,

Which to the pearch of leudnesse tide me sure,

For her disport my ladye could procure

The wretched winges of this my muting minde,

Restlesse to seeke her emptie fiste to finde.

16.

I thus ariude in pleasure’s cursed courte,

I lothed _Mars_, I hated _Mercury_,

It was me thought a passing pleasant sporte,

Leauinge the feeldes at _Bacchus_ brauery,

Sometime to sit vpon my mistresse knee,

Where that I might be at my pleasure plaste,

I sent the noble duke to warres in hast.[1205]

17.

You which haue playd with pleasure’s banding bales,

You knowe the life which lingring louers lead,

You know how sweete it is to scale the walles

Of her good wyl, who liude in feare and dreade,

You know right wel how wel those wightes haue sped,

Who haue at last by driftes of long delay,

Their hoped meede, and wished pleasant praye.

18.

[Which pray when I by tract of time obtaynde,

And had my wyl when best it did me please,

As I three monthes amidst my blesse remaynde,

The duke’s returne, return’d me from my ease,

No promise myght his raging wrath appease:

But when he knewe the drifte of my delayes,

To cause my death he sought an hundred wayes.

19.

Then I the wrath of rash reuenge to flye,

Thinking that time myght mitigate his moode:

To _Troynouant_ in haste I did me hye:

Which when the wrathful duke once vnderstoode,[1206]

He raysde my realme, and by his myght and powre

I lost my lyfe, my crowne, and princely bowre.][1207]

20.

Learne they which line in high or lowe degree,

To flee the foyle which I by folly felt:

Let them refrayne those lofty dames to see,

They know howe lofty lookes with me haue delt,

You se how sight did make my honor melte:

Let al men know man’s heart did neuer rue

The thing which he with sight did neuer vewe.

21.

But how may men the sight of beautie shunne,

In _England_, at this present dismal daye?

All voyde of veyles (like layes) where ladyes runne

And rome about at euerye feast and playe,

They wanderyng walke in euery streete and way:

With loftie luering lookes they bounsing braue,

The highest place in al men’s sight must haue.

22.

With pride they pranke to please the wandring eye,

With garishe grace they smyle, they iet, they iest:

O _English_ dames, your lightnesse veryly,

The curtizantes of _Rome_ do much deteste,

In closets close to liue they count it best:

They geue not grace to euery wandring wight,

Your smiling chere doth euery man delight.

23.

The poet’s goddes _Saturne_, and _Iupiter_,

To beautie’s becke their highnesse did obay,

_Pluto_ of hel did plead at beautie’s barre,

And _Phillis_ causde _Demophoon_ to stay:

_Pasiphäe_ a bull brought to the baye:

So goddes and diuilles, both men and beastes, they all

By women’s wyles are slaues to beautie’s thrall.

24.

What gayne is got by lyght and wanton wayes?

You reape reproche, a guerdon got thereby:

Men by your meanes do cause their owne decay,

And you your selues al souste in sinne muste die:

Refrayne therefore to please man’s gazing eie,

Let men likewise the bayted hookes refrayne

Of luering lookes, their vaunting vowes be vayne.

[THE INDUCTION.

“Verye well sayde,” quoth _Memory_, “I would I had habilitie to redeeme

this prince’s soule out of _Lymbo-lake_: I wyl insuer you the shorte

tragedie of this man’s life hath made a long discourse of the present

estate of _England_, in which ther be more by three parts which serue,

like carpite knightes, _Venus_ and her darlinges, then God and their

prince: who I feare are so fast seazed vpon beautie’s fiste, that this

example wyl be little auailable vnto them. But let it be as it wil,

warned folkes may liue, and happie are they whome other men’s harme

do make to be ware. But, good _Inquisition_, whome haue you there?

What haue you brought vs in steede of a prince, a priest? It woulde

appeare by his shauen crown that he hath bin a monke, or a frier. What,

shal we alowe tippet wearers to pleade amongst princes? Me thinke by

the deformitie of his apparel, he shoulde not be of the _religion_,

nor of the reformed church: yea, I wyl insuer you, his precise lookes

maketh me to suspect that he is one of them which do cry out, 'O these

indifferent thinges do not edifye.’ Speake therfore, _Inquisition_, if

he be one of that precise order he get no place here.” “O _Memorie_,”

quoth _Inquisition_, “they of the reformed church be the most zelous

pastoures of the world, moste of them both godly good liuers, and

wise: and in my fancye, in many poyntes, greatly deseruing the name of

reformed. But this man was both a prince and a prelate, whome I refused

oftentimes to heare, because he looked so deuoutly, yet he being

importunate, did ouercome me with his prayers: and when I gaue eare

vnto him I reioyced: and not without a cause, good _Memorye_, for it is

euen he whom you sent me to seeke.” “Let me see,” quoth _Memorie_, “is

it _Cadwallader_? In good time, it is euen he in deede. O se what the

alteration of apparel doth! In good fayth, I had almost forgotten the

man. He was the last king of the _Brittaynes_, and when thinges would

not fal out after his desire, he went to _Rome_, and there he became a

_frier_. But we wyl not accuse him of anye thing, let him do the thing

that he commeth for; you may perswade your selfe that seing he is of

the church, his conscience wyl constrayne him in euery thing to tel the

truth.” Then he stepped forthe, booted and spurde, al in blacke, with a

long prieste’s gowne, a square cappe, a _scala cœli_ in his hande, and

a longe payre of beades by his side: then he sighing, proceeded vnto

his purpose, and said, as followeth.

THE COMPLAYNT OF CADWALLADER.

How Cadwallader the last king of the Brittaynes, after

he had behaued himselfe very valiantly against

the Saxons, resigned his crowne, and went

to Rome, where he liued in a religious

house. This storye contayneth in it

the estate of al estates.[1208]

You mourning muses al, where euer you remayne,

Assist my sobbing soule this drierye tale to tell:

You furious furies fearce of lymbo lake belowe,

Helpe to vnlade my brest of al the bale it beares:

And you who felte the falle from honor’s high renowne:

From graues you grizie[1209] ghosts send forth, to helpe me mourn.

O _Pallas_, geue thou place, that mourning _Clio_ may,

On lute lamenting, sound and sing my doleful dumpes:

Let riming metered lines and pleasant musike cease:

Let satyres solome sound sende forth the fall I felt:

And when the truth of al my tragedie is knowne,

Let them that liue then learne, al things must haue an end,

The _Persian_ monarch and _Medes_[1210] it downe did fal,

That of _Assiria_, in tracte of time did end:

Yea _Alexander’s_ force in fight subdude them both,

And brought the worlde so wide into one monarchie:

What though the fretting force of fate did him dismay?

He felt at laste the foyle, his vaunting was in vayne,

He dead, the worlde it was deuided as before:

The _Roman_ emperie came tumbling downe at last:

And where is _Troy_, and _Greece_, and mightie _Macedon_?

They flourishte for a tyme like this my little ile:

The _Soldion_ brought them downe, and did theyr states destroy:

Euen so the _Saxons_ brought the _Britayns_ to the bay,

Euen these mine eyes did see, that hateful hidious sight,

These feeble handes, when long they labourde had in vaine,

Dyd yeeld their interest: then thus I did complayne:

Who can refrayne the force of mightye mounting seas?

When bellowes make a breache and beate the banckes adown,

Doth not the saltish surge then beate the bankes adown?

Then man may not withstand the rigor of their rage:

But wisedome would haue kept the waues within their boundes:

Counsayle doth come to late, when hope of helpe is past:

Such was my filthye fate, my lewde and lothsome lucke,

I sought a salue to cure and helpe the helpelesse wound:

For long before my tyme, seuen kings were setled here.

The _Saxons_ such as dwelt by east, _Sibertus_ rulde,

The _Angles_ in the east, _Redwallus_ rulde as king,

Then _Ethelbert_ was king of all the coast of _Kent_,

In _Southsex Ethelwolfus_ wore the regall crowne:

Then _Quincillinus_ was a _Saxon_ king by west,

Of _Martia_ in the midst king _Penda_ was the prince,

And _Edwin_ in _Northumberland_ did rule and raygne,

How dyd my grandsire, grand renowmed _Arthur_, he

These seuen destroye, with deadly field of wrackfull warre?

But _Mordred_ made the meane, that brought them in agayne:

_Vortiporus_ wyth warre almost consumde them all:

Then _Malgo_ he with peace restorde agayne their state,

_Cariticus_ the synne of ciuil stryfe did loue,

For which _Gurmundus_ did the _Britaynes_ much annoy:

Then _Cadwin_ out of _Wales_ kyng _Etheldred_ did spoyle,

_Cadwalline_ then did force king _Penda_ to a foyle.

And I _Cadwallader_ at last did presse in place,

Then _Lothar_ king of _Kent_ in warre that wretch I slue:

And _Ethiwolne_ the king of _Southsaxons_ I spoylde,

The other fiue did me inuade with cruel fight,

With whom in diuers warres, I diuersly did speed:

Somtime _Bellona_ blewe a blessed blaste for me,

And changed chaunce somtime did force[1211] my men to flee:

While thus I wagde my warres in secrete silent night,

The very voyce of God, it thus to me did speake:

Thou striu’st agenst the streame, the tide doth beate thee [backe,]

Strike thou thy sailes, take ancor hold, els must thou feele a

[wracke.]

Which saying did indeede amaze me more by muche,

Then al the force that man against my wil might bende:

For who the wyll of God with weapons may resist?

And when as sinne hath solde a countrye to decay,

Then prayer must preuayle, for weapons will not helpe:

And when the end is come, when all the glasse is runne,

Who can resist the force of fate and destinies?

Who things forerunne to fal from falling can refraine?

It passeth mortall might to bring such thinges about:

Let man content himselfe to do what best he may,

By trying too to much, no man his God may tempte,

But mortall man must thinke that God the best doth knowe,

Who can depresse to dust and rayse when best him please:

And as I thus amidst my musinges did remayne,

I did resigne my crowne, and deemde al honoures vayne:

And though it greeude me muche to feele the fall I felte,

Yet was I well content, I could not as I would:

For which I left my lande, my people, and my place.

The _Saxons_ they obtaynde the wage for which they warrde:

When I three yeares had raygn’d, without one day of rest,

Euen then in mourning robes at _Rome_ I did ariue,

And there contemning all the worlde, and worldly thinges,

I made my selfe a monke, (ceasse _Memory_ to muse)

A monke I made my selfe, thou knowst it passing playne:

Amongste the friers there, I led my lyngring life:

And tyl my dying day I daily did deuise,

How by my meanes it might to all the worlde be knowne,

That mortall flesh is frayle, and euery thing must fade:

And euen amongst those thinges which nature doth create,

Nothing so vile as man amongst the rest is founde,

Which made _Heraclitus_ with ceasslesse sighes to wayle,

He to hys dying day did nothing els but weepe,

Affirming all the worlde vnder the heauen, to be

A path of penitence, [a] maze of misery:

What is the life of man but care and daily toyle,

Bearyng alwayes about a burthen of mishappes?

All his delightes repentaunce dayly dothe[1212] pursue:

Nothing but death doth bryng hym peace and quiet rest:

Yet that which bringes hym blesse, he most of all doth hate,

Which made _Democritus_ with myrth to spende his dayes;

He laughing aye, did mocke the madnesse of mankynde,

Whose loue is long to liue, and feareth much to dye:

Death reaues vs from desease, death endes the feare of death:

When _Midas_ did demaunde _Silenus_ what was best

For mortall man to wishe, the satyre thus did say:

“Not to bee borne, if borne, not long our liues to leade,

For life I most do lothe, and death I least doo dread.”

And how did _Timon_ leade with sauage beastes his lyfe?

How did that _Hermite_ poore, his lothsome life detest?

Affirming with the wise _Aurelius_ emperour,

That if a man shoulde make a true discourse of all

The wretched woes he felt, from birth to dying day,

The feeble fleshe would faynt to feele so sharpe a fight,

The hart would quake to heare dame fortune’s sharpe assaults:

And I _Cadwallader_, a king, can make report,

That nothing may content the mind of mortall man:

The more my selfe did eate, the hungryer ay I was,

The more I dranke, the more thirst did me stil distresse,

The more I slept, the more I sluggishe did remayne,

The more I rested me, the more I wearyed was,

The more of wealth I had, the more I dyd desire,

The more I still did seeke, the lesse I aye did finde:

And to conclude, I founde I neuer coulde obtayne

The thing, but in the ende it caused me to complayne:

My present good successe, did threaten thrall to come,

And changing chaunce did still with sorowe me consume.

For which my royall robes, my crowne I layd aside,

Meaning to proue by proofe the paynes of pouertye,

Which pouertie I felt all ryches to exceede.

It beareth much more blesse then hygh and courtly state,

_Codrus_ and _Irus_ poore for wealth did farre surpasse:

_Midas_ and _Crœsus_ king, for wealth who did surpasse:

And I amongst my mates the _Romishe_ fryers, felt

More ioye and lesse anoye, then erst in _Britaine_ braue:

For there I doubted still, the _Saxon’s_ subtile sleyghtes,

I feared there the fall from royall regall seat:

But here at _Rome_ I liude not fearing force of foe,

I had for myne estate what I coulde wish or craue.

And this I there did finde: they of the cleargye be,

Of all the men that liue the leste in misery.

For all men liue in care, they carelesse do remayne:

Like buzzing drones they eate the hony of the bee,

They only doo excel for fine felicitie:

The king must wage his warres, he hath no quiet day,

The noble man must rule with care the common-weale,

The countreyman must toyle to tyll the barren soyle,

With care the marchant man the surging seas must sayle,

With trickling droppes of sweat the handcraftes man doth thriue:

With hand as hard as bourde the woorkeman eates his bread,

The souldiour in the fielde with paine doth get his pay,

The seruing man must serue and crouch with cap and knee,

The lawier he must pleade and trudge from bentch to barre,

Who phisicke doth professe, he is not voyde of care:

But churchmen they be blest, they turne a leafe or two,

They sometime sing a psalme, and for the people pray,

For which they honour haue, and sit in highest place:

What can they wishe or seeke, that is not hard at hande?

They labour not at al, they knowe no kinde of payne,

No daunger dooth with dreade their happy liues distresse,

Ceasse you therefore to muse what madnesse made me leaue

The courte and courtly pompe of wearing royal crowne,

No madnesse did that deede, but wisedome wisht it so,

I gayn’d thereby the blesse which few before me felt:

I niene yeares led my life, and neuer felt annoy:

And certaynely if nowe I might be king agayne,

Refusing all that pompe, I woulde become a priest,

A deacon, or a deane, prebende, or minister:

For these men leade their liues with liuings two or three.

Some haue their substitutes in vniuersities,

Some leade the brauest liues that any man may haue,

They feede vppon the fleece, they force not of the flocke:

Three houres in the yere, with beastly bosomde stuffe

They spend, and that is all that lawe of them requires:

Muse not though many thrust and shoulder for degrees,

For happy man is he, who hath a preacher’s fees:

But let me nowe returne vnto my _Romishe_ rout,

Who fed like bacon fat, did nought but play and pray.

With whom for niene yeares space, when I my life had led,

I songe my _requiem_, and payde the earth her fee.

Then in Saint _Peter’s_ church at _Rome_ they did me lay,

Booted and spur’d, euen as you see me here this day:

So now you haue the whole of al my tragedye:

Of _Brutus_ bloode the last I liude that rulde as king:

My _Britaines_ driuen to _Wales_ they _Welchmen_ then were calde,

And I at _Rome_ their king, a mumbling monke instal’d:

The _Saxons_ had the day, for which they longed long:

They _England_ calde the ile of _Brute_, which tooke her name.

Some men be borne to blisse, and some to hatefull happe:

Who would haue thought, that I in warre a raging kyng,

Should by the force of fate, at _Rome_ haue dide a monke?

Let al the worlde then know, that nothing is so sure,

That can affoorde and say, I thus wyl aye indure:

For that which seemeth best, is soonest brought to naught,

Which playnely doth appeare by that which I haue taught:

The worthiest in the worlde, princes, philosophers,

Will teach that I haue taught, and proue it passing playne:

_Paulus Aemilius_ did dye but wretchedly:

And was not _Scipio_ euen to his dying day

Constraynde, to helpe his neede, the painfull plowe to plye?

_Cæsar_ and _Silla_ both, did not they tast the whyppe?

And made not _Hannibal_ a miserable end?

And how was _Socrates_ before his tyme destroyed,

And _Anaxagoras_ inprisoned long with paine?

For cruel beastly coyne diuine _Plato_ was soulde,

And _Aristotle_ sent to exile, where he dyde:

And so was _Solon_ sage, and that _Licurgus_ wise,

And many more, which here I could at large repeat:

But let these fewe suffice to teach for certaine truth,

That al the men that liue, are subiectes al to ruth:

And seeing so it is, then let them learne the meane,

That if the barke do breake, they safe may swimme to land.

[THE INDUCTION.

“The greate desire,” quoth _Inquisition_, “whiche we haue had to heare

this man hath made vs to ouerpasse king _Arthur_ and _Cariticus_; the

one no lesse famous for his noble actes then the other for his vices

and wretchednes infamous.” “Yea,” said _Memory_, “so haue we forgot

two or three other, whose examples would haue been goodly lanternes to

lighten wandryng pylgrimes. But it is not much amisse, for of _Arthur_

there be whole volumes, and of the rest ther be the like ensamples both

in _Bochas_ and _Baldwin_. Let vs therefore passe them ouer, and speake

somwhat of some of the _Saxons_: for seeing they were made of fleshe

and blood, no doubte some of them stumbled also. But fyrst tell me,

_Inquisition_, wyll you penne this man’s meterlesse tragedy, as he hath

pronounst it?” “Good _Memory_, geue me your aduise, for it agreeth very

wel with the _Roman_ verse, called _Iambus_, which consisteth on sixe

feete, euery foote on two syllables, one short and an other long; so

proper for the _Englishe_ toung that it is greate maruaile that these

ripe witted gentlemen of _England_ haue not left of their gotish kinde

of ryming, (for the rude _Gothes_ brought that kind of writing fyrst,

and imitated the learned _Latines_ and _Greekes_.) O what braue beames

and goodly tymber might be found amongst _Churchyarde’s Chippes_, if

he had not affected the ryming order of his predecessors, which meeter

made not onely hym inferiour vnto _Horace_, but it also made a great

inequalitie to be betwixt _Buchurst_ and _Homer_, betwixt _Phaer_ and

_Virgill_, betwixte _Turberuile_ and _Tibullus_, betwixt _Golding_ and

_Ouid_, betwixt _George Gascon_ and _Seneca_; for al these comming

neare vnto _Marot_, whom they did imitate, did put a great distance

betwixt them and the _Latines_, wyth whom they might haue binne equall,

euen wyth as litle labour, and with much more prayse and renowne.”

“Truely,” quoth _Memory_, “let be as it is, you shall see good sport

shortly. I smyle to see how _Zoilus_ and _Momus_ will crie out: 'O

vayne glorious heade, whiche now for a singularitie dooth indeuour to

erect a newe kinde of poetrie in _England_.’ What needest thou care,

_Inquisition_, these laboures wil get thee no liuing, and these be

but the trifles of thy idle houres, yet such as be in many respectes

of great value. I promise you I woulde the rest of your princes would

proceede in the lyke order. But how shal we goe forward wyth the seuen

_Saxon_ kings? Which waye shall we turne vs? Where, or wyth whom shal

we begynne?” “Wyth the west _Saxons_,” quoth _Inquisition_, “for they

subdued the other six, and returned the realme into one monarchie. And

surely _Ewe_, their first king, were worthy the speaking of, who for

hys wife _Eheldreda’s_ pleasure, gaue ouer al his royalties, and then

went to _Rome_, like a begger, in pilgrimage. But we wyl not spende

our time in hearing these deuout men. Let vs (if you please) see what

this meaneth: behold a heardman doth holde in his hand a headlesse

body, who by his apparel would seeme to be some forlorne thing: shall

I inquire of the man what the matter meaneth?” “No,” quoth _Memory_,

“you neede not, for I see he wyl doo it without request.” Wherewyth the

heardman lamenting both his harde happe and his good successe, sayde as

followeth.]

THE COMPLAINT OF SIGEBERT.

How Sigebert was thrust from his throne, and miserably

slayne by a heardman. This tragedie dooth teach

both prince and subject his

duetie at large.[1213]

Two parts in one a heardman here must play,

My tale must tende eche prince’s lyfe to mende,

And this my talke most playnely must displaye,

How farre a subiect may himselfe defende

Agaynst his liege,[1214] his souerayne lorde and king,

If his default his commonweale dooth bring

To miserie: therefore a litle while

Attende, and knowe the tenoure of my stile.

A subiect I of base and lowe degree,

This headlesse corps of lyfe I did depriue,

(King _Sigebert_ it was) with crueltie:

Whose lust was lawe, whilst he was here aliue,

To feele my force it was his destinie:

Then crueltie I wrackt with crueltie,

And to reuenge the wrong that earst he wrought,

With losse of lyfe his lawlesse lust he bought.

This _Sigebert_ the _Saxons_ rulde by west,

Their auncient lawes he at his lyst did chaunge,

For which his commons did him much detest:

The duke of _Cornwell_ woulde not let him raunge

Thus at his wyll, but wisht him like a friend,

To mende his faultes, or els his life to ende:

Then he in rage this duke my master’s lyfe,

His cruel handes bereaude with blooddy knife.

A lawelesse life to lawlesse death dooth hale,

When witlesse wil wyl passe the powere of may:

Then il mishappe dooth drowne in dolour’s dale

The peruerse prince, whose wit doth beare the sway:

Iust _Abel’s_ blood to God for vengeance calde,

For blood with blood the bloodsheader is thralde,

And him whom here before you I present,

For sheading bloode, my blade his lyfe hath hent.

As he three yeares his people did oppresse,

Then they whose backe that burden coulde not beare,

With one consent they did his state distresse,

To reaue him of his crowne they did not feare,

They him desposde from honour and renowne:

His hateful happe so frowardly did frowne,

That he who had a kingdome but of late,

Forlorne he nowe must begge from gate to gate.

Doo nothing muse at his deserued happe,

For many more as he their liues haue led:

_Ioue’s_ vengeance iust such wretches dooth inwrappe

With change most strange, when he their blood will shed:

Of _Dionise_ of _Syracusia_,

Of _Neroe’s_ death of _Phalaris_ decay,

Who list to reade, he passing plaine shal finde,

That he of heauen their sorrow hath assignde.

And out of doubte God did ordayne the fal

Of him, whom here I headlesse haue in hand,

Who wandring in a wood amidst his thral

I mette by chaunce, of whom I did demaund

His name, and place: who thus replide with feare:

“O friende, I am for meate nowe staruen wel neare,

Giue me therefore I thee beseech and pray

Some meate to keepe my carkasse from decay.”

Some pilgrime poore, or wayfaring man him straight

I iudgde, and gaue him what my scrippe would yeelde;

And whilst we both thus on a banke dyd baite,

From sighes and sobbes himselfe he coulde not wielde,

Which made me aske agayne his name and place,

But silent he did mourne with frowning face:

Yet at the last by vrging too and fro,

He thus declarde the cause of al his woe.

“O miser I, more wretch then thee by much,

I neuer coulde compare with thine estate,

This hearde of swine against thee neuer grutch;

I kept a hearde, which did their heardman hate,

A hateful heard of murmuring men I meane,

Which dyd depriue me of my[1215] honour cleane:

And now I leade my lothsome life you see,

Impalde amidste a maze of misery.

10.

“With chaunged chaunce (aye me) I chased am,

And frowning fate such sorrowe hath assignde,

That lothing life, most like a quiet lambe,

My naked necke to blocke of bale I binde:

With cruell knife (O care) come shread my twist,

So shall my soule by corps decay be blist:

But sith that care nor fate wil doo this deed,

Doo thou the same I thee beseech, with speede.

11.

“First hatefull hope with flattering face did faune,

With dreade when deepe despaier would me haue drownde,[1216]

Then chaunged chaunce did checke me with the paune

Of woful want, when good successe did sound

A blessed blast: and nowe (to tel the truth)

I haue the mate, by raging rooke of ruth:[1217]

Lo thus I liue, which dayly wishe to dye,

And life (alas) dooth make my misery.

12.

“If lothsome life (of this my corps) the king

Dooth moue one way, the bishope bids me backe:

If to that poynt the queene me backe doth bring,

On th’other side, the knight dooth woorke my wracke,

The other poyntes with paunes be al possest,

And here the rooke of ruth dooth reaue my rest:

And being brought into this strange estate,

I do confesse my selfe to haue a mate.

13.

“Sith sorrowe so hath seasde vpon my bones,

That nowe too late I doo lament my losse,

And sith no meanes may turne my gastfull grones

To ioyfull glye, sith trouble still doth tosse

Me to and fro, in walteryng waues of woe:

Death is my friend, and life I compt my foe:

Which death though once my feeble fleshe did feare,

Yet now I fayne would feele his murdring speare.

14.

“In gurging gulfe of these such surging seas,

My _pouer_ soule who drown’d you wil request,[1218]

I wretched wight haue sought mine owne disease,

By myne owne meanes my state it was distrest:

For whilst I meant to make my lust a lawe,

Iustice me from my high estate did drawe:

So that I fynde, and feele it nowe with payne,

Al worldly pompe, al honour is but vayne.

15.

“Which honour I to fiery flames compare,

For when they flash and flourishe most of all,

Then suddaynely their flamings quenched are:

For proofe whereof, to minde nowe let vs cal

_Antigonus_, and _Ptollemeus_ great,

_Cæsar_ and _Mithridate_, we may repeat,

With _Darius_, and great _Antiochus_,

_Cambises_ eke, and conquering _Pyrrhus_.

16.

“And I the last myght fyrst haue had my place,

They al as I with flaming fierie showe,

Were quenched quite: dame fortune did deface,

Yea hatefull happe, euen then did ouerthrowe

Vs most, when most we had our harte’s desire:

When most we flourisht like the flames of fyre,

Euen then the seas of sorowe did preuayle,

And made vs weare a blacke wamenting[1219] sayle.

17.

“And here before my death, I wyl repeate

To thee the thing which I of late did dreame,

That thou and al the worlde may see, how great

A care it is to rule a royal realme:

My dreame shal showe, that blisse doth not consist

In wealth nor want: but he alone is blest,

Who is content with his assigned fate,

And neuer striues to clime to higher state.

18.

“When seemely _Sol_ had rest his glittering gleames,

And _Nox_ the earth with darkenesse did imp[a]le:[1220]

Dame _Sinthia_ then with her bright burnishte beames,

The shadowed shades of darkenesse did assayle,

Then _Somnus_ causde my senses al to quayle:

On careful couche then being layde to rest,

With doubtful dreames I strangely was distrest.

19.

“In cottage colde where care me thought did keepe,

With naked neede and want of wherewithal:

Where pouertie next begger’s doore did creepe,

And where expences were so passing smal,

That al men deemde that man forethrong’d with thral,

Which there did dwel, euen there from bondage free,

I viewde a man al voyde of miserie.

20.

“And whilst I musde how he in bliue of blisse

Coulde leade his life amidst that caue of care,

From princely court proceeded eare I wist,

A man, with whom there might no man compare:

His wealth, his wit, his courage were so rare,

That none before nor since were like to him:

Yet he mee thought in waues of woe did swimme.

21.

“This man had al that men could wyshe or craue

For happy state, yet nought he had in deede:

The other, he had nought that men would haue,

Yet had he al, beleeue it as thy creede:

This saying of that happy man I reade,

That hauing nought, yet al thinges so I haue,

That hauing nought, I nothing more doo craue.

22.

“The king mee thought with al his courtly trayne,

Past to the place where pouertie did dwel,

With frowning face and with a troubled brayne,

With woe and want, his vexed vaynes did swell,

With myrth and ioy the poore man did excel:

And being come vnto his house ymade

Of one poore hogsheadde, thus to him he sayde.

23.

“'_Diogenes_, thou lead’st a lothsome life,

Me thinke thou might’st much better spend thy time

Within my court, both thou and eeke thy wife:

Thou by that meanes to high estate maist clime:

I haue the wealth, and thou art voyde of crime,

And loe, before thy face, I here am prest

To geue thee that, which thou shalt nowe request.’

24.

“'Stand backe (sir kyng) thy vaunting vowes be vaine,

I nothing recke, thy promise, goodes, nor lande,

And _Titan’s_ stately streames would me sustayne

With heate, if thou from thys my doore wouldst stande:

Thou tak’st away much more then thy commaunde

Can geue agayne: thy giftes so vile I deeme,

That none but fooles such follies do esteeme.

25.

“'With conquest thou hast wonne the worlde so wide,

And yet thou canst not winne thy wandring wyll:

Thou wouldest winne an other worlde beside:

But tushe, that facte doth farre surpasse thy skyll:

Thou neuer wilt of conquest haue thy fyll,

Til death with daunting darte hath conquer’d thee,

Then must thou leue behynd, thy monarchie.

26.

“'With greate assaultes my selfe I haue subdude,

In all respectes, I haue my harte’s desyre,

With a contented minde I am endude,

To hygher state I neuer will aspire:

More like a prince then any pore esquire,

I leade my life: and sith my state is such,

Aske thou of me, for I can geue thee muche.’

27.

“All dasht with dreade me thought in fuming heate,

He sayd, departing thence in hast with speede:

'If I were not _Alexander_ the great,

I would become _Diogenes_ indeed,

Who leades his life al voyd of woeful dread:

He hath the welth which I cannot obtayne,

I haue the welth which wise men do disdayne.

28.

“'I liue in feare, I languishe al in dreade,

Welth is my woe, the causer of my care,

With feare of death I am so il bestead,

That restlesse I much like the hunted hare,

Or as the canuiste kite, doth feare the snare:

Ten hundred cares haue brought me to the baye,

Ten thousand snares for this my lyfe men laye.

29.

“'When _Philip_ he of _Macedon_ the king,

One realme me lefte, I could not be content,

Desier prickte me to an other thing,

To winne the worlde it was my whole intent,

Which donne, another worlde to winne I ment:

When least I had, then most I had of blesse,

Now, al the worlde, and al vnquietnesse.

30.

“'No woe to want of contentation,

No welth to want of riches and renowne,

For this is seene in euery nation,

The highest trees be sonest blowen downe,

Ten kinges do dye before one clubbishe clowne:

_Diogenes_ in quiet tunne doth rest,

When _Cæsar_ is with carking care distrest.’

31.

“Wherewith me thought he was departed quite,

And _Morpheus_ that sluggishe god of sleepe,

Did leaue my limmes, wherewith I stoode vpright,

Deuising long what profite I could reape

Of this my dreame, which playnly did expresse

That neyther want nor wealth doth make man’s blesse:

Who hath the meane with a contented minde,

Most perfect blesse his God hath him assignde.

32.

“But I, who liude a crowned king of late,

And nowe am forste of thee to begge my bread,

I cannot be content with this estate,

I lothe to liue, I would I wretch were deade,

Despayer she doth feede me with decay,

And pacience is fled and flowne away:

Doe thou therefore, O heardeman, play thy parte,

Take thou this blade, and thrust it to my harte.”

33.

“O Sir,” I sayd, “the goddes defend that I

Should causelesse kil a man in myserye,

Tel me thy name and place, then by and by

I wyl prouide for thyne aduersitie:”

Then he replide: “My name is _Sigeberte_,

I am the man which wrought thy master’s smart:

I rulde of late this realme euen at my liste,

Take thou reuenge with that thy friendly fiste.”

34.

“And wel content: I wyl reuenge with speede,

The death of him whome causelesse thou didst kill:

King _Sigebert_, and art thou he indeede?

Sith he thou art, dispacth and make thy wyl;

For to my lorde this day I wyl present

Thy head: therefore thy former faultes repent,

Thou seest the blocke on which thy lyfe must ende,

Call thou for grace that God may mercie send.”

35.

Wherewith he kneelyng by the blocke of bale,

“Dispatch,” quoth he, “and do that friendly deede:

O welcome death, and farewel fortune fraile,

Dispatch good friende, dispatch my lyfe with speede.”

Wherewith, on blocke he stretcht his necke outright,

And sayd no more, but praying me to smite:

I gaue the stroke which ended al his care,

A blouddie stroke, which did my death prepare.

36.

For I who hopte to haue some great rewarde

For killing of my maister’s father’s foe:

Was hanged strayght, my cause was neuer hearde,

Such was my chance and wel deserued woe:

For when my lord had heard me tel the tale,

Howe I his king and myne did there assayle,

His frowning face did put me in great feare,

He sighte and sobde, and sayd as you shal heare.

37.

“O caitife vile, O impe of Satan’s seede,

And hast thou kylde our soueraigne lorde and kyng?

His due deserte deserueth death indeede,

Yet what made thee to doo so vile a thinge?

What though he dyd my father causelesse kyll?

What though he rulde the realme with lawlesse wyll?

Shall we therefore, with cruel bloudy knyfe,

Depriue our lorde and king of vitall lyfe?

38.

“O filth fye, may[1221] subiects false surmise,

With murthering mindes their gouernour resiste?

That may not be: for _Tully_ wonderous wyse,

_Plato_, in whom true knowledge dooth consiste,

They both agreed that no man ought to kyll

A tyrant, though he hath hym at his wyll:

Yet thou (thou wretche) this bloudy deed hast donne,

The like was neuer seene vnder the sunne.

39.

“When God wyl plague the people for their sinne,

Them then to scourge he doth a tyrant sende,

We should therefore that subiectes be, begin

With earnest minde our former faultes t’amende;

Which if we do, it is to great auaile,

Man’s force is fonde, fighting cannot preuayle:

And he who doth resist the magistrate,

Resisteth God, repenting al to late.

40.

“If subiects be by peruerse prince opprest,

They then must pray that God the change maye make:

Which God no doubt rebellion doth detest,

No subiect may his sword nor[1222] armoure take

Against his prince, whom God hath placed there:

Yet hath this wretch al voyde of subiecte’s feare,

Destroyde a king whome God did thrust from throne:

Alas, poore king, thy death I do bemone.

41.

“But he who hath thy lyng’ring lyfe destroyde,

Shal be destroyd, and finde it passing playne,

That no man may a prince’s lyfe anoye:

Although the prince desiers to be slayne,

Yet subiectes must from sheading bloud refrayne:

From which, seeing that this wretch could not abstayne,

Let him be hangde as I before decreed,

A iust rewarde for his so vile a deed.”

42.

Then I forthwith to end my lyfe was led,

I hopte to haue preferment for my deede,

I was preferde, and hangde al saue the head:

Did euer man the lyke example read?

Not one I thinke: therefore, good _Memorie_,

In register inrolle thou this for mee,

That they who liue and read the fall I felt,

May finde how fate most strangely with me delte.

43.

Yet my desert doubt dyd death deserue,

Though hatred dyd not make mee kyll my kyng,

Yet lucre lewde dyd force my feete to swarue,

That hatefull hap mee to this bale dyd bring:

Let them then learne that heedlesse liue by hope,

Her hatefull hestes wyll bring them to the rope:

And happy he, who voyde of hope can leade

A quiet lyfe, all voyd of fortune’s dread.

44.

_Perillus_, he who made the bull of brasse,

Lyke him I hopte to haue some great rewarde,

But he in brasen belly broyled was,

And to a skarfe of hempe I was preferde:

So they that meane by other’s harmes to rise,

Their dying day shall ende with dolefull cries:

And here I ende, approuing that most true,

From wicked workes no goodnesse can insue.

[THE INDUCTION.

“This heardman,” quoth _Inquisition_, “dooth make me cal to minde

_Pan’s_ preachers. I meane _Maroe’s_ shepherds, _Siluanus_, _Candidus_,

and such lyke, who with their oten pipes dyd often times disclose

very intricate mysteries, reasoning _pro et con_ of many high poynts

belonging vnto the common weale. And I know not with what knowledge

they dyd decide doubtfull matters, accordyng vnto the opinyon of the

best philosophers. Surely, _Memorie_, I maruel much at the men of

the olde worlde, for I read of many who hauing many passing great

giftes of learning and knowledge, were content with the base estate of

heardmen. In these our dayes, none bee heardmen but fooles, and euery

man, though his witte be but meane, yet he cannot liue with a contented

mind except he hath the degree of a lorde.” “It is moste true,” sayde

_Memorye_, “for heretofore men did not raunge vntryed in such a worlde

of libertye as they doo nowe; then the wisest was best content with

the lowest estate: yea, reason so bridled the affections of men, that

_Apollo_, whome poetes do faygne to be the verye god of wisedom, what

was he but a shepehearde, and that verye poore as it woulde seeme, for

he kepte _Admetus’_ hearde in _Thessalie_. And _Argus_, who for the

sharpnesse of his wit was reported to haue an hundred eies, he also was

content to be a cowheard. And were not _Bacchus_, _Saturne_, and mighty

_Iupiter_, delighted in husbandrie? But he who is most wyse in these

our dayes doth approue himselfe most folish, by thrusting himselfe vnto

his owne destruction, which this heardman hath declared sufficiently

in this storie of _Sigebert_. But let vs nowe proceede, and let vs,

by examples, teach what fruit vertue and vice, contentation and

ambition, doth yeeld. Then let them of this world choose, whether lyke

the wise mariners they wil auoyd those dangerous rocks, or willingly

cast themselues away. Proceede therefore, good _Inquisition_, and

let vs see whom you haue here.” “Shee will declare her selfe,” quoth

_Inquisition_, “what she is: but for the better vnderstanding of her

talke you must think that you see fifty-one nunnes, al ladies by birth,

hauing all their noses and vpper lippes flead of, al flaming in a fire,

being shut into a church: then do you imagine that you see this lady,

the mistris and gouerner of the rest, standing dismembred and burning

amongst the rest, to say as foloweth.”]

THE LYFE OF LADYE EBBE.

How Lady Ebbe dyd flea her nose and vpper lippe away,

to saue her virginitie.[1223]

Do nothing muse at my deformed face,

For nature it in perfect moulde dyd make:

And when your wits haue wayed well the case,

You wyll commende me much for vertue’s sake:

With these my handes which from my face dyd take

Mine ouer-lippe, and eke my seemely nose,

So to auoyde the rage of all my foes.

For I by byrth a prince’s daughter borne,

An abbiesse by my profession,

Of which estate I neuer thought it scorne,

It greatly did delight me to be one,

Which might erect diuine religion:

At _Collingam_ I tooke this charge in hand,

And fiftie more of chaste _Dianae’s_ bande.

Al ladies borne by birth of high degree,

Which there did vowe with me their liues to leade,

And to auoyd carnall fragilitie,

We al did vowe as you ryght wel may reade,

With single liues to liue in feare and dreade

Of God our lorde, so to refrayne the vice

Of fleshly luste, which doth to sinne intice.

Then did the _Danes_ the _Saxon_ state inuade,

And they who did the _Brittayne_ state destroy,

To sue for grace were glad and wel apayd,

So strangely did the _Danes_ vs then annoye,

That _Saxons_ like the men of broyling _Troy_,

Amazde, they gazde, not knowing what was best,

So strayghtly were the _Saxons_ then distrest.

These dreadful _Danes_ they had no feare of God,

But sauage, they did make their lust a lawe,

Whome God did send for a reuenging rod,

To make vs _Saxons_ liue in feare and awe

Of him, who did from seruile bondage drawe

Vs out, and made vs liue at libertie,

When as we serude with cruel slauerie.

Not much vnlike the murmuryng _Israelites_,

Sometyme we serude our Lorde with feare and dread

In trouble we imployde our whole delightes,

To fast and pray: but when we quiet were,

We restlesse led our liues, all voyde of care,

Forgetting him who did in ech distresse,

With helping hande vs blesse with good successe.

See here the fruit of health and good successe,

It maketh man both proude and insolent:

In health we hate the God who hath vs blest,

Trouble doth make vs mortall men repent

Our former faultes: in sickenesse we be bent

To fast and pray, and in aduersitye,

To pray to God, is man’s felicitye.

And for this fault abusing this our blesse,

The _Danes_ with ruth our realme did ouerrunne,

Their wrath inwrapte vs all in wretchednesse,

There was no sinne from which those men did shunne:

By them the commonweale was quite vndonne:

They did destroy the state of euery towne,

They churches burnt, they pluckt the abbies downe.

Yet not content, vs nunnes they did annoy,

O cruel deede, our beltes they did vnbynde,

With rapine they dyd rauishe and destroy,

Deflowring al that euer they could finde:

I seeing then what sorrow was assignde

To me and mine, my vowed virgines I

Did call, then thus I spake with weeping eye:

10.

“Alas! alas! my louing ladies all,

These harde mishappes doo presse vs too to neare:

What shall we do? how may we scape the thrall

Which hath destroyde the nunneries euery where?

Alas, my feeble fleshe doth quake for feare:

Alas, howe shall we scape their cruelties,

Which thus be plast amidst extremities?

11.

“For if we do their hatefull heastes deny,

Then dreadfull death shall presently insue:

And if we graunt vnto their villany,

Our sinfull soules in hell that deed shall rue:

Beleeue me then, my ladies, this is true,

Much better twer for vs to dye with fame,

Then long to liue, with euerlasting shame.

12.

“And for because the face’s forme doth moue

With beautie’s beames and comly countenaunce,

The minde of man to lust and lawlesse loue,

I haue deuizde my honour to aduaunce,

With face deformde to trye my hard mischaunce:

For these my handes from this my face shall rippe,

Euen with this knife, my nose and ouerlippe.

13.

“They which will flye reprochfull infamye,

To do the like will them beseeme the best,

You shal preserue your vowde virginitie

Therby, and liue perhappes with quiet rest:

My daughters deare, geue eare vnto my hest.”

Wherewith, with rasors sharpe, I first, then they,

Eche one her nose, and lippe did flea away.

14.

Whilste thus we liu’d deformde to outwarde showe,

Yet vessels garnisht gaye before God’s sight,

The _Danes_ did vs inuade, who strayght did knowe

Our feate, them to defeate of their delight:

For which they wrackt on vs their wicked spight:

With fiery flames they burnt our nunnery,

And vs therein: O wretched crueltie![1224]

15.

The eare of man the like hath neuer hearde,

No penne, nor tounge the like hath euer tolde,

Had euer man a hart that was so harde,

That with his yron brest durst be so bolde,

To do the like agaynst the femine kinde?

Not on in fayth that euer I coulde heare,

But these all voyde of mercye, loue, and feare.

16.

Thus we content to leaue this present life,

In hope to haue hereafter’s better blesse,

Were brent and broyld, and so did stint the strife

Which might haue made vs liue in wretchednesse:

We gaynde therby a heauenly happinesse:

Which happinesse they doubtlesse shall obtayne,

Which do from sinne and wickednesse abstayne.

[THE INDUCTION.

“O _Diana_,” quoth _Memory_, “bryng foorthe your damosels, let vs

se if any of your court haue donne the like deuoier to saue theyr

virginities. But seeing that writers haue made mention of none that

might compare wyth her, both for the goodnesse of the cause, and the

valiaunt goyng through with the quarrel, mee thinke shee shoulde rather

be esteemed a goddesse then thou, and her trayne rather the ladies of

chastity then thine. Geue thou place, therfore, and let this lady haue

thy seate. But (good _Inquisition_) this woman liued in the golden

worlde; let vs enquire, in this our yron age, yf there be any which do

come any thyng neare vnto her.” “Alas, not one,” quoth _Inquisition_,

“for as shee, in her time, did dismember her wel membred body to

preserue the iewel which she esteemed of so greate a price, so now a

multitude may be founde who furnishe theyr vnperfite personages with

all kinde of foolishe fylthy furnitures, to bestowe that on euery he

who wil haue it, which she was so desyrous to keepe. But let vs nowe

heare this man’s matter: it is _Alurede_, who if he had not beene geuen

vnto one kinde of vice had passed _Arthur_ for warres, and _Lucy_

for godlinesse.” “What vice was that?” quoth _Memory_. “You neede

not enquire,” quoth _Inquisition_, “for he is euen now repeating his

history:” wherewith he sayd as foloweth.]

[THE COMPLAYNT OF ALUREDE.[1225]

Howe Alurede was brought vnto disease and vnto vntimely

death, being inclined vnto the sinne of the fleshe.

By hys example we may learne that one vice is

sufficient to deface a hundred vertues.

My wrinckled cheeks bedeawde with drops of dole,

My visage pale, my wan and withered face,

Do wel declare how I haue runne my race:

And sith I must my doinges here inrolle,

The liues of them which liue for to controlle,

I am content my cruel wretched case

Shall teach the way, how all men may imbrace

The knowledge how they honour may obtayne,

And how they may from falling there remayne.

Though many clime by many meanes a hye,

Yet few on toppe can sit in suer seate:

For euery storme an ouerthrowe doth threate

To them, who get the toppe by crueltie;

Whose suddayne fall doth tell their trechery:

But they who will their heades for honour beate,

And flye the fall, the greefe whereof is greate,

Let them renowne their former factes with fame,

And shunne the path which leades man’s life to shame.

Who walketh in this wildernesse of woe,

And loue’s aloft on flitting fame to flee,

Must pace the pathes of mother mysery:

That man through gastfull greefe must goe,

By thousande thickes which wrapped are with wo:

By daunger’s denne where lucking she dooth lye,

By hatred’s house, where spite wil thee espye,

By caue of care, by wofull crye, alas,

His manly minde with courage stout must passe.

By plesaunt playne where pleasure doth place

Her princely pallace paynted passing fine,

To gazing eyes where glitteryng glasse doth shine

Of beautie’s blaze, where feature fine of face,

Where ladye loue doth vaunte with garishe grace,

Where vayne delight doth drawe that lothsome line,

Which maketh man from vertue to decline:

Be wise and ware, and lothe theyr luering lookes,

Least craftye _Cupide_ catch thee in his hookes.

To pleasure’s court a company doth come,

Euen fame to finde, the losse I do lament,

For flitting fame, them rumor rud hath hent,

Which doth declare their dole til day of dome:

With tooth and nayle which trauaile, there be some

Vertue to finde, where when some time is spent

Her to obtayne, and that with good intent,

They weary by the way do stay their race,

And rest them in this pleasaunt bitter place.

[Reprinted from the edition of 1578, collated