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Caput. VI.

Argument.

The armie marches to Achai,
Encamps on Phocis plaine
Grodane seeks peace at Sigismund
Who answers with disdame
Bœotia stayes their garisone
For Grodans help they sue
Penardo goes to their releef
With all the Aenean crew.

1

O Amitie the worlds onlie lyfe
Without the which this great & woundrous frame
Of heaun & earth should so be wrapt in stryfe
That contrare motion's wold cōfund the same
It seem's frome mightie Ioue thow art descended.
He send the doun when this great work was ended.

2

Of man thow art the staff and only guyde
Without the, man should walk in darkest night
Thow art the stay, and ioy of his abyde
The worlds lamp her lanterne and her light
Of Gods elect the sacred flamme alone
Kindled in heaune before his mercies throne.

3

The Nurse of true societie humane
Piller of staitts and policies for aw
Nor any els saue Tyrans the disdane
For wheir thow art their is no neid of law:
Law is a second mein deuysd to be
And serus for nought but their wheirs want of the.

4

Trew freind ship reulls desyre and the affects
The hert, the toung, the mynd, the will, and all
But lay the yock of justice on their necks
For aw of punishment, and fear of thrall
They ar constraind their duetie for to doo
Which freind ship wold most willinglie go too.

5

Thus Amitie the sacred flamme has beine
That fosters truethe, to duetie geuing lyfe
Which in this following historie is seine
By Grodane who had wrapt him self in stryfe
In him true Amitie hade sole dominione
Which gaue no place to wordlie base opinione.

6

For lo his counsell wold this way proceid
They could not thus procur so great a foe
Except the King Heyre to Achai succeed
Great fools ar they that threatning dangers knoe
And rune but hope but help aduyse, delay
Headlongs to wrack, to ruine, to decay.

7

This seem'd to grie with reasone but the King
Who feard not, caird not, sought not, gaine to craue
True vertue, glorye, amitie did rigne
In him who could not, should not, wold not leaue
His freinds in strait, in danger, in distress
His ayde, they sought and they should find no less.

8

Wheirat the legatts (falling one their face)
Did weep for verie ioy before them all
And reuerentlie againe they thank his grace
All Thessaly for armes began to call
The Kings will, pleasure, and command declar'd
Bands, legions, troups, & squadrons wer prepar'd,

9

Thus throgh the mightie land of Thessalye
Theirs nothing hard but murther, bloode, and wear
Such tumolts did aryss that presentlye
All nighbour nationes gann his force to fear
Fame fil their ears eune babling fame too nimble
All feard his name, and fearing all did tremble.

10

So feard is Nilus proud and mightie raige
That fertill Aegipts land does ouerfloe
When by the hatcheing Crocadills presage
They know how farr the Princelie stream will goe
When ower his bancks he spreds his azure wings
All faints, all fears, all flies the force he brings.

11

Then while the floure of Thessally repaird
Before Eregon on a pleasant plaine
Whoes panting hearts appeald their pow're prepaird
To gield their glistring armes with glorious gaine
To wrath they yeild, wrath, them to warre commands.
Wrath arm'd their heart's, their harts has arm'd their hands.

12

This great and mightie armie was as much
One horse and foote as feftie thousaud strong
Wheirof wer threttie thousand footemen such
As any was all Christiandome among
The horsemen all wer Princes, Lords, and Knights
Great wonders wrought their valours, strētghs & mights

13

In Thessaly the Aeneans did dwell
Of all the Greicks those were the most renound
In martiall featts of armes they did excell
Their pedegre from braue Achilles found
Of those ten thousand to this warre was sent
Most braue, most stronge, most fearce, most valient,

14

Those guardes the persone of this mightie King
And called his Caualarie alwheir
Thus well prouyded all of euerie thing
This armie martch'd in goodlie ordour their
And being come vnto the frontiers end
Grodane his legat to the Datian send.

15

Requiring him from such attemps to cease
And let the Græcians brook their natiue soyle
Restoiring back their cities and with peace
Depart but trouble, pillage, pray, or spoyle
And be not proud of Fortuns plesant howres
Whoes smyls ar mixt with frouns whoes sweitts with sorwes

16

Altho his Sone Prince Tropolance was slaine
Him self too weell reueng'd his death before
For he the Prince Phelarnon kild againe
The law of armes prouyds reuenge no more
Then should he not triumphe and tyrannize
Thus in their fall, their wrack, their miseries.

17

Eune as a staitlie ship (her foes to urge)
Furth slyds vpon the restles, rolling waw
Imperiouslye she cutts the azure surge
One Thetis back she ryds with galant shaw
But when the angrie Seas begins to roare
Waues beats her doune, that beat the waues before,

18

So hie vpone the tope of Fortuns wheell
Must neids be throwne doune heidlongs at a bloe
In pryd he said he wold make Grodane feell
The force of datian arms before he goe
Altho his Sone had els reuengd his death
That kingdome skair slie could suffeice his wrath.

19

And sure (quod he) if I had knowne the platt
That Grodane made this warre to take in hand
I wold haue keipt his glorie in for that
Yea and perhaps his furie still with stand
For eune before the walls of Eregone
My armie ther in armour should haue shoone,

20

Soone after those disdain full speeches past
The armie martch'd sum tuentie leggs that so
Thay being heir to Phocis at the last
Grodane direct'd ane herauld for to show
(By sound of trumpet) that he wild them yeild
But they refuis'd, wheirfore he man'd the feild.

21

When he haid laid his seige vnto the citie
His Skoutts brought in a Messinger in hast
Who prayd his Maiestie to tak some pitie
Vpon Bieotia that was lost almaist
Tuo dayes ago they slew their garysone
And maid reuolt frome wicked Sigismune.

22

And lo of Transyluania the Prince
(Cald strong Phelaston) comes to raze their wall
And kill them selfs, their, Enfants but defence
Leaueing no memorie of them at all,
This Prince indeid of all the Pagane camps
Was most renound and feard for braue attempts

23

Of manly courage stout of body strong
Bold was his hart and valorous his hand
Crewell his mind enuyous full of wrong
Disdaine, pryde, raige, yea furie in him fand
A duelling fitt (and last to show him right)
Feareles of God, cairles of hells despight.

24

Wheirfore Penardo neids wold show him sell
And falling one his kneis before his Syre
Desyr'd that he might haue the chairge to quell
The furie of that princelie Paganes ire
His trembling voice, pale face, and fyrie breath
Showes his true valour and his furious wrath.

25

So does a gentle Lyon meik and myld
(For Princes pleasour team'd with teacher true)
If mou'd to raige and wrath he growes so wyld
His wonted courage in his breist renew
His taill he lifts a loft and ruffs his heir.
Shoots surth his flamming toung, & pawes to teare.

26

Loath was his father he should vndergoe
So greatt a charge in these his tender yeirs
Yet knowing courage did his breist ore floe
In him strength, might, and valour weell appeirs
Whoes sune of glorie can no cloud ow'r vaill
Whoes day no night, nor darknes, may assayle,

27

To him he gaue this great and mightie charge
And with him sent three Princes stout and bold
Whoes name fame, praise, worth, valor shall at large
Be showen aboue the notherne stars' enrold
And with him went those warrelyk Aenean bands
Terror of earth, and strength of Græciane lands.
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