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The Mirror for Magistrates

Edited from original texts in the Huntington Library by Lily B. Campbell

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HOW DAME ELIANOR COBHAM Duchesse of Glocester for practising of witchcraft and Sorcery, suffred open penance, and after was banished the realme into the yle of Man.
 
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HOW DAME ELIANOR COBHAM Duchesse of Glocester for practising of witchcraft and Sorcery, suffred open penance, and after was banished the realme into the yle of Man.

If a poore lady damned in exyle
Amongst princes may bee allowed place
Then gentle Baldwin stay thy pen awhyle
And of pure pitty ponder wel my case,
How I a Duches, destitute of grace
Haue found by proofe, as many haue & shal
The prouerbe true, that pryde wil hauve a fall
A noble Prince extract of royal blood
Humfrey sometyme Protector of this land
Of Glocester Duke, for vertu cald (the good)
When I but base beneath his state did stande
Vouchsafte with me to ioyne in wedlockes bande
Hauing in Court no name of high degree
But Elinor Cobham as parents left to mee
And though by byrth of noble race I was,
Of Barons bloud, yet was I thought vnfitte,
So high to matche, yet so it came to passe,
Whyther by grace, good fortune, or by witte
Dame Venus lures so in myne eyes did sitte,
As this great Prince with out respect of state
Did worthy me to be his wedded mate

433

His wyfe I was, and he my true husband
Though for a whyle he had the company
Of lady Iaquet the Duchesse of holland
Beyng an heyre of ample patrimony
But that fel out, to be no matrimony
For after war, long sute in law and strife
She proued was the Duke of Brabants wife.
Thus of a Damsel a Duchesse I became,
My state and place aduanced next the Queene
Wherby me thought I felt no ground, but swam
For in the Court myne equall was not seene
And so possest with pleasure of the splene
The sparkes of pride so kyndled in my brest
As I in court, would shyne aboue the rest
Such gyftes of nature god in me hath graft
Of shape and stature, with other graces moo
That by the shot of Cupids fiery shafte
Which to the hart of this greate prince did goe
This mighty Duke, with loue was linked so
As he abasyng the height of his degree,
Sette his hole harte, to loue and honour mee
Grudge who so would, to him I was most deere
Aboue all Ladyes aduanced in degree
(The Quene except) no Princesse was my peere
But gaue me place, and lords with cap and knee
Dyd all honour and reuerence vnto me
Thus hoysted high vpon the rollinge wheele
I sate so sure, me thought I could not reele.
And weening least that fortune hath a turne,
I lookt aloft, and would not looke alow,

434

The brondes of pryde so in my breast did burne
As the hot sparkes, burst forth in open showe,
And more and more the fyre began to glowe,
Without quenching, and dayly did encrease,
Til fortunes blastes with shame did make it ceasse.
For (as tis sayde) Pryde passeth on afore,
And shame followes, for iust rewarde & meede
Wold god ladyes, both now and euermore
Of my hard hap, which shall the story reede
Wold beare in mynde, and trust it as their Crede:
That pryde of harte, is a most hateful vice,
And lowlines, a pearle of passing pryce.
Namely in Quenes, and Ladies of estate
Within whose myndes, all mekenes should abound
Since high disdayne, doth alwayes purchace hate.
Beyng a vyce, that most part doth redound
To their reproch, in whom the same is found.
And seeldome gets good fauour or good fame
But is at last, knit vp with worldly shame.
The proofe wherof I founde most true indede,
That pryde afore, hath shame to wayte behynde.
Let no man doubt, in whom this vice doth brede,
But shame for pryde by iustice is assynde,
Which I wel founde, for truely in my mynde
Was neuer none, whom pryde did more enflame,
Nor neuer none, receiued greatter shame.
For not content to be a Duchesse greate,
I longed sore to beare the name of Queene
Aspyring stil vnto an higher seate,
And with that hope my selfe did ouerweene

435

Sins there was none, which that tyme was betweene
Henry the king, and my good Duke his Eame
Heyre to the crowne and kingdome of this Realme.
So neare to be, was cause of my vayn hope
And long awayte when this fayre hap would fal.
My studies all were tending to that scope,
Alas, the whyle to councel I did call
Such as would seme, by skill coniectural
Of art Magicke and wicked Sorcery
To deeme and dyuine the princes desteny
Among which sort of those that bare most fame
There was a Beldame called the wytch of Ey,
Old mother Madge her neyghbours did hir name
Which wrought wonders in countryes by heresaye
Both feendes and fayries her charmyng would obay
And dead corpsis from graue she could vprere
Suche an Inchauntresse, as that tyme had no peere
Two pryestes also, the one hight Bolenbroke
The other Suthwell, great Clerkes in coniuration
These twoo Chapleins, were they that vndertooke
To cast and calke, the kinges constellation
And then to iudge by depe dyuination.
Of thinges to come, and who should next succede
To Englandes crowne, al this was true in deede.
And further sure they neuer did proceede
Though I confesse, that this attempt was ill,
But for my part, for any thing in dede
Wrought, or els thought, by any kynd of skill.
God is my iudge I neuer had the will
By any Inchauntment sorcery or charme
Or other wyse, to worke my princes harme.

436

Yet netheles, when this case came to light,
By secrete spyes to Cayphas our Cardinal
Who long in hart had borne a priuy spyght,
To my good Duke his nephew naturall
Glad of the chance, so fitly forth to fall
His long hid hate, with iustice to color
Used this case with most extream rigor.
And caused me with my complyces all,
To be cyted by processe peremptory,
Before Iudges, in place Iudiciall
Whereas Cayphas, sytting in his glory
Would not allow my answer dilatory
Ne Doctor or Proctor, to allege the lawes.
But forced me to pleade in myne owne cause.
The kynges councel were called to the case
My husband than shut out for the season
In whose absence I found but little grace
For Lawiers turned our offence to treason
And so with rigor, without ruth or reason
Sentence was gyuen that I for the same
Should do penance, and suffer open shame.
Nay the lyke shame had neuer wight I weene
Duchesse, Lady, ne Damsel of degree,
As I that was, a Princesse next the Quene,
Wyfe to a Prince, and none so great as hee,
A Kinges vncle, Protector of his countrey,
With Taper burning, shrouded in a sheete
Three dayes a row, to passe the open streate.
Barelegd, and bare foote, to al the worldes wonder
Ye, and as though such shame did not suffise

437

With more despyte, then to part a sunder,
Me and my Duke, which Traytors did deuyse
By Statute law, in most vnlawful wise,
Fyrst sending me, with shame into exile.
Then murdryng him, by trechery and gyle.
Ye and besydes, this cruel banishment
Far from al frendes, to comfort me in care
And husbandes death: there was by Parliment
Ordaynd for me, a messe of courser fare.
For they to bring me to beggers state most bare
By the same acte, from me did then withdraw.
Such right of dower, as widowes haue by law.
Death (as tis sayd) doth set al thinges at rest,
Which fel not so in myne vnhappy case,
For sins my death, myne enmies made a Iest
In minstrels ryme myne honour to deface.
And then to bring my name in more disgrace
A song was made in manner of a laye
Which old wyues sing of me vnto this day.
Yet with these spytes, theyr malice did not end
For shortly after, my sorrowes to renew
My Loyal Lord, which neuer did offende
Was cald in hast, the cause he little knew
To a Parliament, without Sommons due
Whereas his death, was cruelly contryued
And I his wyfe of earthly ioyes depryued.

438

For al the while my Duke had life & breath
So long I stoode, in hope of my restore
But when I hard of his most causeles death
Then the best salue for my recureles sore
Was to dispayre of cure for euermore,
And as I could, my careful hart to cure.
With pacience, most paynful to indure.
O Traitors fel, which in your hartes could fynde
Like feendes of hel, the guiltles to betraye
But ye chefely, his kinsemen moste vnkynde
Which gaue consent to make him so away,
That vnto God, with al my hart I pray,
Vengeance may light on him that caused all,
Beaufort I meane, that cursed Cardinall.
Which Bastard preest of the house of Lancaster
Sonne to Duke John, surnamed John of Gaunt
Was first create, Byshop of Winchester,
For no learning, wher of he myght wel vaunt
Ne for vertue, which he did neuer haunt
But for his gold & Summes that were not small
Payd to the pope, was made a Cardinall.
Proude Lucifer, which from the heauens on hye
Downe to the pit of Hel below was cast,
And beyng ons an Aungell bright in sky
For his high pryde, in Hel is chayned fast
In depe darknes, that euermore shall last
More hault of hart was not before his fal
Then was this proud and pompos Cardinall
Whose lyfe good Baldwine paint out in his pickle,
And blase this Baal & Belligod most blinde,
An Hipocryte, all faythles false and fickle,
A wicked wretch, a kinseman most vnkynde,

439

A Deuil incarnate, all deuilishly enclynde
And to discharge my conscience all at ones
The Deuil him gnaw both body, blood and bones
The spyteful Preest would needes make me a Witch,
As would to god I had bene for his sake,
I would haue clawd him where he did not itche,
I would haue played the Lady of the Lake
And as Merlin was, cloasde him in a Brake,
Ye a Meridian, to Lul him by daylight
And a night mare to ryde on him by night.
The fiery feends with feuers hot and frenzye
The Ayery hegges with stench and carren sauours
And watry ghostes with gowtes, and with dropsie
The earthy Goblins, with Aches at all houres
Furyes & Fairies, with al infernal powers
I would haue stird from the darke dongeon
Of hell Centre, as depe as Demagorgon.
Or had I now the skil of dame Erichto
Whose dreadful charmes, as Lucane doth expresse
All feendes did feare, so far forth as Prince Pluto
Was at her cal for dread of more distresse
Then would I send of helhounds more and lesse,
A legion at least, at him to crye and yel.
And with that chyrme, herrie him downe to hell
Which neede not, for sure I thinke that hee
Who here in earth leades Epicurus lyfe,
As farre from god as possible may be
With whom all sinne and vices are most ryfe
Using at wil both widow mayd and wyfe
But that some Deuil his body doth possesse
His life is such, as men can iudge no lesse

440

And god forgeue my wrath and wreakful mynde
Such is my hate to that most wicked wretch
Dye when he shal, in hart I could wel fynd
Out of the graue his corps againe to fetch
And racke his lymmes as long as they would stretch
And take delyte to listen euery daye
How he could sing a masse of welawaye
The yle of Man was the appointed place
To penance mee for euer in exile
Thither in hast they poasted me apace,
And doubtinge skape, they pind me in a Pyle
Close by my selfe in care, alas the whyle
There felt I fyrst pore prisoners hungry fare,
Much want, thinges skant, and stone walls hard and bare
The change was strange, from silke and cloth of Gold
To rugged fryze my carcas for to cloathe,
From princes fare, and dayntyes hot and cold,
To rotten fish, and meates that one would loathe
The dyet and dressing were mutch a lyke boath
Bedding and lodging were all alike fyne,
Such Down it was, as serued wel for swyne.
Neither do I myne owne case thus complayne
Which I confesse came partly by deserte
The onely cause which doubleth al my payne
And which most nere goeth now vnto my harte.
Is that my fault, dyd finally reuerte
To him that was least gilty of the same
Whose death it was, though I abode the shame.
Whose fatal fall, when I do call to mynde,
And how by me his mischiefe fyrst began
So oft I cry on fortune most vnkinde
And my mishap most bitterly do banne,

441

That euer I to such a noble man,
Who from my cryme was innocent and cleare,
Shoulde be a cause to buy his loue so deare
Oh to my hart how greuous is the wounde
Calling to mynd this dismal deadly case
I would I had bene doluen vnder ground.
When he first saw, or loked on my face,
Or tooke delight in any kynd of grace
Seming in mee, that him did stirre or moue
To fancy me, or set his hart to loue.
Farewel Grenewych my Palace of delyght,
Where I was wont to see the Cristal streames,
Of royall Thames most pleasant to my syght
And farewel Kent, right famous in all realmes
A thousand tymes I mynd you in my dreames
And when I wake most grefe it is to me
That neuer more agayne I shall, see you
In the night tyme when I should take my rest
I weepe, I wayle, I weat my bed with teares
And when dead sleape my spirites hath opprest
Troubled with dreames, I fantazy vayne feares
Myne husbands voyce then ringeth at myne eares
Crying for help, O saue me from the death
These villaynes here do seeke to stop my breath.
Ye and somtymes me thinkes his drery ghost
Appeares in sight, and shewes me in what wyse,
Those fel tyrantes, with tormentes had emboost
His wynd and breath, to abuse peoples eyes

442

So as no doubt or question should aryse
Amonges rude folke which little vnderstande,
But that his death came onely by gods hand
I playne in vayne, where eares be none to heare
But roaring Seas, & blustring of the wynd
And of redresse am near a whit the neere
But with wast woordes to feede my mournful mynde,
Wishing ful oft, the Parcas had vntwynde
My vital stringes, or Atropos with knife,
Had cut the lyne of my most wretched lyfe.
Oh that Neptune, and Eolus also,
Thone God of Seas, the other of weather
Ere myne Arriual, into that yle of woe
Had suncke the ship wherin I sayled thether
(The shipmen saued) so as I togeather
With my good Duke, mought haue bene dead afore
Fortune had wroken her wrath on vs so sore.
Or els that God when my first passage was
Into exile along Saynt Albanes towne
Had neuer let me further for to passe,
But in the Streat with death had strucke me downe
Then had I sped of my desyred bowne
That my pore corps mought there haue lien with his
Both in one graue, & so haue gone to blysse.
But I alas, the greatter is my greefe
Am past that hope to haue my sepulture
Nere vnto hym, which was to me most leefe
But in an yle, and country most obscure,
To pyne in payne, whilst my poore life will dure
And beyng dead, all honorles to lye
In simple graue, as other poore that dye.

443

My tale is tolde, and tyme it is to ceasse
Of troubles past, al which haue had their ende
My graue I trust, shal purchasse me good peace
In such a world, where no wight doth contend
For highest place, whereto all flesh shal wend
And so I end, vsyng on word for all,
As I Began, that pryde wil haue a fall