University of Virginia Library

An Epytaphe of M. Shelley slayne at Musselbroughe.

VVan Mars had moued mortall hate
and forced fumysh heate
And hye Bellona had decreed,
to syt with Sworde in Seate,
The Scottes vntrue with fyghtynge hande,
theyr promys to denye,
Assembled fast, & England thought,
the trothe with them to trye.
Chose Musclebroughe theyr fyghtynge place
amyd those barrayne fyelds
Theyr breche of fayth, there not to try
with trothe, but trotheles Shyeldes
In battayle braue, and Armye strong
Encamped sure they laye,
Ten Scottes to one (a dredeful thyng
a dolfull fyghtyng daye.)
That Englysh men were all agaste,
with quakyng staues in hande.
To se theyr enemyes lye so neare,
and death with them to stande.
No other remedye there was,
but fyght it out or flye.
And who shuld fyrst the Onset gyue,
was sure therin to dye.
Thus al dismayde, and wrapt in feare
with doutfull mynde they stande,
If best it be, with flyght of foote,
to stryue or fyght of hande.
Tyll at the length, a Captayn stoute.
with hawtye mynde gan speake.
O Cowards all, and maydly men
of Courage faynt and weake,
Unworthye com of Brutus race,
is this your manhode gon,
And is there none you Dastardes all.
that dare them set vpon.
Then Shelley all inflamed with heate
with heate of valyaunt mynde,
No Cowardes we, nor maydly men,
ne yet of Dastards kynde,
I wold you wyste dyd euer com,
but dare be bolde to trye,
Our manhode heare, thoughe nought appeare
but deth to all mens eye
And with these wordes (O noble hart)
no longer there he stayde,
But forth before them all he sprang
as one no whyt dismayed
With charged staffe on fomyng horse
his Spurres with heeles he strykes,
And forewarde ronnes with swyftye race,
among the mortall Pykes
And in this race with famous ende,
to do his Countrey good,
Gaue Onset fyrst vpon his Foes,
and lost his vitall blud.