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168
[FORREX]
Forrex declares howe hee mynding to kill his brother whiche ruled with him (that he might therby raigne alone) was by him slayne. About the yeare before Christe. 491.
Pride moues the mindes, of stately wightes
Such hauty hartes to haue,
And causeth vs for glory vayne,
That is not ours to craue.
Such hauty hartes to haue,
And causeth vs for glory vayne,
That is not ours to craue.
Pryde pluckes out reason forth hir place,
And planteth will in stede:
She puffes our mindes with vayne desires,
Our fancies fonde to feede.
And planteth will in stede:
She puffes our mindes with vayne desires,
Our fancies fonde to feede.
Wherby we growe so obstinate,
And so ambitious ill:
That vs at length our brauery bids,
In all thinges vse our will.
And so ambitious ill:
That vs at length our brauery bids,
In all thinges vse our will.
Ambition thinkes that lawefull is,
Which likes hir fancie beste:
And demes she ought to haue hir forthe,
And swinge before the reste.
Which likes hir fancie beste:
And demes she ought to haue hir forthe,
And swinge before the reste.
She loues no mates, controlement shee
And warning doth despise:
She demes her selfe in all hir deedes,
And actions wonders wise.
And warning doth despise:
She demes her selfe in all hir deedes,
And actions wonders wise.
169
She hath desire of this and that,
To get by crouche or clawe:
By right or wronge she forceth not,
She vseth will for lawe.
To get by crouche or clawe:
By right or wronge she forceth not,
She vseth will for lawe.
No kinde, or countrey she regardes,
No mother, father shee:
Nor wyfe, or husbande, kithe or kin:
But enuies eache degree.
No mother, father shee:
Nor wyfe, or husbande, kithe or kin:
But enuies eache degree.
For if thy hart Ambition haue,
Thy greedy mynde to fill:
Thou wilt not sticke thy dearest frende,
or nerest kin to kill.
Thy greedy mynde to fill:
Thou wilt not sticke thy dearest frende,
or nerest kin to kill.
But as the prouerbe sayes that Pryde,
Must needes at lengthe haue fall:
Though we suppose of strengthe and powre,
We haue the deuill and all.
Must needes at lengthe haue fall:
Though we suppose of strengthe and powre,
We haue the deuill and all.
Euen so I saye Ambition makes,
Vs often clyme so hie:
At length we fall, we come to nought,
And drownde in darkenes lye.
Vs often clyme so hie:
At length we fall, we come to nought,
And drownde in darkenes lye.
This may I Forrex well auouche,
By proufe to true I finde:
Wherfore I praye the with the reste,
Do put my faultes in mynde.
By proufe to true I finde:
Wherfore I praye the with the reste,
Do put my faultes in mynde.
My father olde hight Gorboduge,
Raignde three score yeares and three:
And at his death gaue all his lande,
Twene Porrex proude and mee.
Raignde three score yeares and three:
And at his death gaue all his lande,
Twene Porrex proude and mee.
170
Fyue yeares we helde, it so in peace,
In reste we ruled well:
But at the last by pryde and wrathe,
Wee foule at discorde fell.
In reste we ruled well:
But at the last by pryde and wrathe,
Wee foule at discorde fell.
We eache encrotchte on others partes,
For rule we liude at strife:
And eache did seeke occasion aye,
To reaue the others life.
For rule we liude at strife:
And eache did seeke occasion aye,
To reaue the others life.
I made this counte I elder was,
By birthe the realme was myne:
By warre, or wrong, or bloud I mente,
To haue it all in fine.
By birthe the realme was myne:
By warre, or wrong, or bloud I mente,
To haue it all in fine.
And he although he yonger were,
Esteemde his state so sure
As mine: and thought it his, if hee
My death might once procure,
Esteemde his state so sure
As mine: and thought it his, if hee
My death might once procure,
My mother eke, that loude me more,
Although he yonger was:
By diuers meanes did helpe me still,
To bring my feates to passe.
Although he yonger was:
By diuers meanes did helpe me still,
To bring my feates to passe.
Wherby I thought my selfe so sure,
To haue my purpose sped:
As I requirde if once I might,
Get of his crafty head.
To haue my purpose sped:
As I requirde if once I might,
Get of his crafty head.
See here what faith what frendship is,
What loue what fauoure wee:
Do shewe to any wight aliue,
If once alofte we bee
What loue what fauoure wee:
Do shewe to any wight aliue,
If once alofte we bee
171
To fathers, we are faithlesse ofte:
To brothers, butchers vile:
Of sisters smale accounte we make,
And wedded wyues exile.
To brothers, butchers vile:
Of sisters smale accounte we make,
And wedded wyues exile.
If any kithe, or kin, we haue,
By whom we vantage may:
We care not by what cruell meanes,
Their liues we take away.
By whom we vantage may:
We care not by what cruell meanes,
Their liues we take away.
But for to get the seate alone,
And for to wynne the crowne:
We care not whom, nor when, nor howe:
So we may get them downe.
And for to wynne the crowne:
We care not whom, nor when, nor howe:
So we may get them downe.
O brutishe beastes! nay worse then those,
For they are still contente:
With that they haue what euer them,
Hath God or Nature sente.
For they are still contente:
With that they haue what euer them,
Hath God or Nature sente.
But we do gape, and gaze for glore:
We prowle, and powle, and pill,
And sweare, and stare, and striue, & fighte,
And one an other kill.
We prowle, and powle, and pill,
And sweare, and stare, and striue, & fighte,
And one an other kill.
And all for pompe, and glorie great,
For name, renowne, estate:
Not caring of the commons crye,
Or Godes eternall hate.
For name, renowne, estate:
Not caring of the commons crye,
Or Godes eternall hate.
If I had had, the giftes of grace,
I neuer would haue sought:
By any meanes such worldly trashe,
With brothers bloud to boughte.
I neuer would haue sought:
By any meanes such worldly trashe,
With brothers bloud to boughte.
172
But as I ment euen so I sped,
So bloudy butchers thye:
When moste I deemde my purpose sure,
He was to good for me.
So bloudy butchers thye:
When moste I deemde my purpose sure,
He was to good for me.
For as I thought his bloud to shed,
I compaste was about,
So that for thousand kingdomes, I
Could not with life scape out.
I compaste was about,
So that for thousand kingdomes, I
Could not with life scape out.
He perste my hart, what skilles it sithe,
My minde was euen as bad:
For why what measure I him mente,
My selfe like measure had.
My minde was euen as bad:
For why what measure I him mente,
My selfe like measure had.
And so all such, as murder meane,
Intende, or treason vse:
Shall at the lengthe, like ende attayne,
Or worse they cannot chuse.
Intende, or treason vse:
Shall at the lengthe, like ende attayne,
Or worse they cannot chuse.
FINIS.
173
The Authour.
When as king Forrex thus had tolde his tale,Me thought he stayde no whit but went his way.
Then came a mangled corps as full of bale,
And or he nerer came made halfe a stay.
“(quoth Morpheus) come for shame thou nedste not stay,
“As bad as thou haue tolde their tales before,
“And so must thou and diuers other more.
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