The Mirror for Magistrates Edited from original texts in the Huntington Library by Lily B. Campbell |
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How Richard Plantagenet duke of York was slayne
through his over rash boldnes, and his sonne the
earle of Rutland for his lack of valiauns. |
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 | The Mirror for Magistrates |  |
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How Richard Plantagenet duke of York was slayne through his over rash boldnes, and his sonne the earle of Rutland for his lack of valiauns.
Trust Fortune (quoth he) in whom was neuer trust,
O folly of men that haue no better grace,
All rest, renowne, and dedes lie in the dust
Of al the sort that sue her slipper trace.
What meanest thou Baldwin for to hide thy face?
Thou nedest not feare although I misse my head:
Nor yet to mourne, for this my sonne is dead.
O folly of men that haue no better grace,
All rest, renowne, and dedes lie in the dust
Of al the sort that sue her slipper trace.
What meanest thou Baldwin for to hide thy face?
Thou nedest not feare although I misse my head:
Nor yet to mourne, for this my sonne is dead.
The cause why thus I lead him in my hand,
His skin with blud and teares so sore bestaynd.
Is that thou mayst the better vnderstand
How hardly Fortune hath for vs ordaynde:
In whom her love and hate be hole contaynde.
For I am Richard prince Plantagenet,
The duke of Yorke in royall rase beget.
His skin with blud and teares so sore bestaynd.
Is that thou mayst the better vnderstand
How hardly Fortune hath for vs ordaynde:
In whom her love and hate be hole contaynde.
For I am Richard prince Plantagenet,
The duke of Yorke in royall rase beget.
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For Richarde erle of Cambridge, eldest sonne
Of Edmund Langley, third sonne of king Edward,
Engendred me of Anne, whose course did runne
Of Mortimers to be the issue garde:
For when her brother Edmund died a warde,
She was sole hayer by due discent of line,
Wherby her rightes and titles al wer mine,
Of Edmund Langley, third sonne of king Edward,
Engendred me of Anne, whose course did runne
Of Mortimers to be the issue garde:
For when her brother Edmund died a warde,
She was sole hayer by due discent of line,
Wherby her rightes and titles al wer mine,
But marke me now I pray thee Baldwin marke,
And see how force oft overbeareth right:
Waye how vsurpers tyrannously warke,
To kepe by murder that they get by might,
And note what troublous daungers do alight
On such as seke to reposses their owne,
And how through rigour right is overthrowen.
And see how force oft overbeareth right:
Waye how vsurpers tyrannously warke,
To kepe by murder that they get by might,
And note what troublous daungers do alight
On such as seke to reposses their owne,
And how through rigour right is overthrowen.
The earle of Herford, Henry Bolenbrooke,
Of whom duke Mowbray tolde thee now of late,
Whan voyde of cause he had King Richard tooke:
He murdred him, vsurped his estate,
Without all right or title, sauing hate
Of others rule, or love to rule alone:
These two excepted, title had he none.
Of whom duke Mowbray tolde thee now of late,
Whan voyde of cause he had King Richard tooke:
He murdred him, vsurped his estate,
Without all right or title, sauing hate
Of others rule, or love to rule alone:
These two excepted, title had he none.
The realme and crowne was Edmund Mortimers
Whose father Roger, was king Richardes hayre,
Which caused Henry and the Lancasters
To seeke all shiftes, our housholdes to appayre,
For sure he was to sit beside the chayre
Wer we of power to clayme our lawfull right,
Wherfore to stroye vs he did all he might.
Whose father Roger, was king Richardes hayre,
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To seeke all shiftes, our housholdes to appayre,
For sure he was to sit beside the chayre
Wer we of power to clayme our lawfull right,
Wherfore to stroye vs he did all he might.
His cursed sunne ensued his cruel path.
And kept my giltles cosin strayt in duraunce:
For whom my father hard intreated hath.
But liuing hopeles of his liues assuraunce
He thought it best by politik procuraunce,
To prive the king, and so restore his frend:
Which brought him selfe to an infamous ende.
And kept my giltles cosin strayt in duraunce:
For whom my father hard intreated hath.
But liuing hopeles of his liues assuraunce
He thought it best by politik procuraunce,
To prive the king, and so restore his frend:
Which brought him selfe to an infamous ende.
For whan king Henry of that name the fift,
Had tane my father in this conspiracy,
He from Sir Edmund all the blame to shift,
Was fayne to say the French king, his ally,
Had hyred him this trayterous act to trye,
For which condemned, shortly he was slayne.
In helping right this was my fathers gayne.
Had tane my father in this conspiracy,
He from Sir Edmund all the blame to shift,
Was fayne to say the French king, his ally,
Had hyred him this trayterous act to trye,
For which condemned, shortly he was slayne.
In helping right this was my fathers gayne.
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Thus whan the linage of the Mortimers
Were made away by this vsurping line,
Sum hanged, sum slayne, sum pined prisoners:
Because the crowne by right of law was mine,
They gan as fast agaynst me to repine:
In feare alwayes least I should sturre them strife.
For gilty hartes have never quiet life.
Were made away by this vsurping line,
Sum hanged, sum slayne, sum pined prisoners:
Because the crowne by right of law was mine,
They gan as fast agaynst me to repine:
In feare alwayes least I should sturre them strife.
For gilty hartes have never quiet life.
Yet at the last in Henryes dayes the sixt,
I was restored to my fathers landes,
Made duke of Yorke, wherthrough my minde I fixt,
To get the crowne and kingdome in my handes.
For ayde wherin I knit assured bandes
With Nevels stocke, whose doughter was my make
Who for no wo would ever me forsake.
I was restored to my fathers landes,
Made duke of Yorke, wherthrough my minde I fixt,
To get the crowne and kingdome in my handes.
For ayde wherin I knit assured bandes
With Nevels stocke, whose doughter was my make
Who for no wo would ever me forsake.
O lord what happe had I through mariage,
Fower goodly boyes in youth my wife she boore.
Right valiaunt men, and prudent for their age.
Such bretherne she had and nephewes stil in store,
As none had erst, nor any shal haue more:
The erle of Salisbury, and his sonne of Warwike,
Wer matchles men from Barbary to Barwike.
Fower goodly boyes in youth my wife she boore.
Right valiaunt men, and prudent for their age.
Such bretherne she had and nephewes stil in store,
As none had erst, nor any shal haue more:
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Wer matchles men from Barbary to Barwike.
Through helpe of whom and Fortunes lovely looke
I vndertooke to clayme my lawful right,
And to abash such as agaynst me tooke,
I raysed power at all poyntes prest to fight:
Of whom the chiefe that chiefly bare me spite,
Was Somerset the Duke, whom to annoy
I alway fought, through spite, spite to distroy.
I vndertooke to clayme my lawful right,
And to abash such as agaynst me tooke,
I raysed power at all poyntes prest to fight:
Of whom the chiefe that chiefly bare me spite,
Was Somerset the Duke, whom to annoy
I alway fought, through spite, spite to distroy.
And maugre him, so choyse loe was my chaunce,
Yea though the quene that all rulde tooke his part,
I twise bare stroke in Normandy and Fraunce,
And last liuetenant in Ireland, where my hart
Found remedy for euery kind of smart.
For through the love my doinges there did brede,
I had their helpe at all times in my nede.
Yea though the quene that all rulde tooke his part,
I twise bare stroke in Normandy and Fraunce,
And last liuetenant in Ireland, where my hart
Found remedy for euery kind of smart.
For through the love my doinges there did brede,
I had their helpe at all times in my nede.
This spiteful duke, his silly king and quene,
With armed hostes I thrise met in the field,
The first vnfought through treaty made betwene,
The second ioynde, wherin the king did yeeld,
The duke was slayne, the quene enforst to shylde
Her selfe by flight. The third the quene did fight,
Where I was slaine being overmacht by might.
With armed hostes I thrise met in the field,
The first vnfought through treaty made betwene,
The second ioynde, wherin the king did yeeld,
The duke was slayne, the quene enforst to shylde
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Where I was slaine being overmacht by might.
Before this last were other battayles three,
The first the erle of Salisbury led alone,
And fought on Bloreheth, and got the victory:
In the next was I and my kinsfolke euerychone.
But seing our souldiers stale vnto our foen,
We warely brake our cumpany on a night,
Dissolved our hoaste, and tooke our selues to flight.
The first the erle of Salisbury led alone,
And fought on Bloreheth, and got the victory:
In the next was I and my kinsfolke euerychone.
But seing our souldiers stale vnto our foen,
We warely brake our cumpany on a night,
Dissolved our hoaste, and tooke our selues to flight.
This boye and I in Ireland did vs save,
Mine eldest sonne with Warwicke and his father,
To Caleys got, whence by the reade I gave
They came againe to London, and did gather
An other hoast, wherof I spake not rather:
And met our foes, slew many a lord and knight,
And tooke the King, and drave the Queene to flight.
Mine eldest sonne with Warwicke and his father,
To Caleys got, whence by the reade I gave
They came againe to London, and did gather
An other hoast, wherof I spake not rather:
And met our foes, slew many a lord and knight,
And tooke the King, and drave the Queene to flight.
This done came I to England all in haste.
To make my claime vnto the realme and crowne:
And in the house while parliament did last,
I in the kinges seat boldly sat me downe,
And claymed it: wherat the lordes did frowne,
But what for that, I did so wel procede,
That al at last confest it mine in dede.
To make my claime vnto the realme and crowne:
And in the house while parliament did last,
I in the kinges seat boldly sat me downe,
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But what for that, I did so wel procede,
That al at last confest it mine in dede.
But sith the king had rayned now so long,
They would he should continue til he died,
And to the ende that than none did me wrong,
Protectour and heire apparant they me cryed:
But sith the Quene and others this denied,
I sped me toward the North, where than she lay,
In minde by force to cause her to obey.
They would he should continue til he died,
And to the ende that than none did me wrong,
Protectour and heire apparant they me cryed:
But sith the Quene and others this denied,
I sped me toward the North, where than she lay,
In minde by force to cause her to obey.
Wherof she warnde prepared a mighty power,
And ere that mine were altogether ready,
Came bold to Boswurth, and besieged my bower,
Where like a beast I was so rashe and heady,
That out I would, there could be no remedy,
With skant fiue thousand souldiers, to assayle
Fower times so many, encampt to most avayle.
And ere that mine were altogether ready,
Came bold to Boswurth, and besieged my bower,
Where like a beast I was so rashe and heady,
That out I would, there could be no remedy,
With skant fiue thousand souldiers, to assayle
Fower times so many, encampt to most avayle.
And so was slayne at first: and while my childe
Skarce twelve yere olde, sought secretly to part,
That cruell Clifford, lord, nay Lorell wilde,
While the infant wept, and praied him rue his smart
Knowing what he was, with his dagger clave his hart:
This doen he came to the campe where I lay dead,
Dispoylde my corps, and cut away my head.
Skarce twelve yere olde, sought secretly to part,
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While the infant wept, and praied him rue his smart
Knowing what he was, with his dagger clave his hart:
This doen he came to the campe where I lay dead,
Dispoylde my corps, and cut away my head.
And whan he had put a paper crowne theron,
As a gawring stocke he sent it to the Queen,
And she for spite, commaunded it anon
To be had to Yorke: where that it might be seen,
They placed it where other traytours been.
This mischiefe Fortune did me after death,
Such was my life, and such my losse of breath.
As a gawring stocke he sent it to the Queen,
And she for spite, commaunded it anon
To be had to Yorke: where that it might be seen,
They placed it where other traytours been.
This mischiefe Fortune did me after death,
Such was my life, and such my losse of breath.
Wherfore see Baldwin that thou set it furth
To the ende the fraude of Fortune may be knowen,
That eke all princes well may way the wurth:
Of thinges, for which the sedes of warre be sowen:
No state so sure but soone is overthrowen.
No worldly good can counterpeyze the prise,
Of halfe the paynes that may therof arise.
To the ende the fraude of Fortune may be knowen,
That eke all princes well may way the wurth:
Of thinges, for which the sedes of warre be sowen:
No state so sure but soone is overthrowen.
No worldly good can counterpeyze the prise,
Of halfe the paynes that may therof arise.
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Farre better it wer to loose a piece of right,
Than limmes and life in sousing for the same.
It is not force of frendship nor of might,
But god that causeth thinges to fro or frame.
Not wit, but lucke, doth wield the winners game.
Wherfore if we our follies would refrayne,
Time would redres all wronges, we voyd of payne.
Than limmes and life in sousing for the same.
It is not force of frendship nor of might,
But god that causeth thinges to fro or frame.
Not wit, but lucke, doth wield the winners game.
Wherfore if we our follies would refrayne,
Time would redres all wronges, we voyd of payne.
Wherfore warne princes not to wade in warre,
For any cause, except the realmes defence:
Their troublous titles are vnwurthy farre,
The blud, the life, the spoyle of innocence.
Of frendes and foes behold my foule expence.
And never the nere: best therfore tary time,
So right shall raigne, and quiet calme ech crime.
For any cause, except the realmes defence:
Their troublous titles are vnwurthy farre,
The blud, the life, the spoyle of innocence.
Of frendes and foes behold my foule expence.
And never the nere: best therfore tary time,
So right shall raigne, and quiet calme ech crime.
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