The Mirror for Magistrates Edited from original texts in the Huntington Library by Lily B. Campbell |
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THE LAMENTATION OF KING IAMES the fourth, King of Scots,
slayne at Brampton, in the fiuthe yeare of King Henry the eight,
Anno Christi, 1513. |
 | The Mirror for Magistrates |  |
483
THE LAMENTATION OF KING IAMES the fourth, King of Scots, slayne at Brampton, in the fiuthe yeare of King Henry the eight, Anno Christi, 1513.
As
I lay musing, my selfe alone,
In minde not stable, but wauering here & there,
Morpheus my frend espyed mee anone,
And as hee was wont, whistered in mine eare.
Shortly conuyede I was, I wist not where:
Mine eyes were closed fast, I could not see.
I hearde a man crying sore, trembling for feare:
Miserere mei Deus et salua mee.
In minde not stable, but wauering here & there,
Morpheus my frend espyed mee anone,
And as hee was wont, whistered in mine eare.
Shortly conuyede I was, I wist not where:
Mine eyes were closed fast, I could not see.
I hearde a man crying sore, trembling for feare:
Miserere mei Deus et salua mee.
484
Miserere mei Deus, oft hee did reporte,
With sorowfull sighes, as euer man herde.
For sorowe and pity, I gan nere to resorte:
His sore exclamations made mee afferde.
Mine eyes opened, I sawe his grim bearde:
I knewe not verely, who it should bee:
Hee cryde, as hee had beene stickt with a swerde:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
With sorowfull sighes, as euer man herde.
For sorowe and pity, I gan nere to resorte:
His sore exclamations made mee afferde.
Mine eyes opened, I sawe his grim bearde:
I knewe not verely, who it should bee:
Hee cryde, as hee had beene stickt with a swerde:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
Of Scotland (hee sayde) late I was King,
With Crowne on my head, and scepter in hand:
In wealth and honour, I wanted nothing:
In peaceable maner I ruled my land.
Full frendly and faythfull my subiects I fand.
Now am I exiled from life, land, and liberty:
King without realme, loe now where I stand:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
With Crowne on my head, and scepter in hand:
In wealth and honour, I wanted nothing:
In peaceable maner I ruled my land.
Full frendly and faythfull my subiects I fand.
Now am I exiled from life, land, and liberty:
King without realme, loe now where I stand:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
Thus for my folly, I feele I doe smart,
Both law, and nature doth me accuse
Of great vnkindnes: that I should take part
Against my brother, and his liege refuse.
I purposed war, yet I fayned truce.
This did I, frenche King, for the loue of thee,
Inordinate affection so did mee abuse:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
Both law, and nature doth me accuse
Of great vnkindnes: that I should take part
Against my brother, and his liege refuse.
I purposed war, yet I fayned truce.
This did I, frenche King, for the loue of thee,
Inordinate affection so did mee abuse:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
All this, King Lewis, I suffred for thy sake,
Wo be to the time that euer I thee knewe:
For thee am I put in a sorowfull brake,
Thy wilfull appetite, doth mee sore rewe.
This worlde is not stable, it chaungeth a newe.
Now am I bond, some time I was free:
Exiled from liberty, I am kept in a mewe:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
Wo be to the time that euer I thee knewe:
For thee am I put in a sorowfull brake,
Thy wilfull appetite, doth mee sore rewe.
This worlde is not stable, it chaungeth a newe.
Now am I bond, some time I was free:
Exiled from liberty, I am kept in a mewe:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
485
Moreouer for thee, and thy realme of Fraunce,
(Contrary to mine othe solemnly made)
Vnto King Henry I made defiaunce,
To follow thine appetite was all the grace I hade.
In most cruell wise, I did his realme inuade:
I troubled his subiects, by land and by sea:
My rewarde is no more, but the showle and spade:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
(Contrary to mine othe solemnly made)
Vnto King Henry I made defiaunce,
To follow thine appetite was all the grace I hade.
In most cruell wise, I did his realme inuade:
I troubled his subiects, by land and by sea:
My rewarde is no more, but the showle and spade:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
For my wilfull periury, thus am I brought
From high degree, to the lowest of all.
Whom should I blame? I found that I sought,
By mine owne foly, I had a great fall.
Wherefore I feare mee, that now I shall
Haue payne long lasting, for mine iniquity:
Lord full of mercy yet to thee I call,
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
From high degree, to the lowest of all.
Whom should I blame? I found that I sought,
By mine owne foly, I had a great fall.
Wherefore I feare mee, that now I shall
Haue payne long lasting, for mine iniquity:
Lord full of mercy yet to thee I call,
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
Vanquished in fielde I was to the rebuke
Of mee and all my realme: to our immortall shame.
There faught agaynst mee neyther King, nor Duke,
Prince, ne Marquise, ne many Lords of name.
One valiaunt Earle, our power ouercame:
Yet were wee in nomber, to his one, three:
Lord whom thou fauourest, winneth the game:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
Of mee and all my realme: to our immortall shame.
There faught agaynst mee neyther King, nor Duke,
Prince, ne Marquise, ne many Lords of name.
One valiaunt Earle, our power ouercame:
Yet were wee in nomber, to his one, three:
Lord whom thou fauourest, winneth the game:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
I was th'only author, of myne owne woe;
But yet I began it by wicked counsell,
Of my Lords spirituall and temporall also:
Which for their merits in fielde with mee fell.
I was curst (in deede) the truth for to tell,
And could not (by falshoode) eyther thriue or thie;
To assist my brothers foe I did not well,
Miserere mei Deus et salua mee.
But yet I began it by wicked counsell,
Of my Lords spirituall and temporall also:
Which for their merits in fielde with mee fell.
I was curst (in deede) the truth for to tell,
And could not (by falshoode) eyther thriue or thie;
To assist my brothers foe I did not well,
Miserere mei Deus et salua mee.
486
Christes commaundements, I did all refuse:
The breatch of myne oathe, I did not regarde:
Therfore I am domed as faythlesse as the Iewes.
Sore is the sentence, and cruell is the swerde:
Excepte thy mercy helpe, O Lord, I am marde:
Saue mee; for whom thou suffredst on a tree,
To thy mercye I appeale for my sauegarde:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
The breatch of myne oathe, I did not regarde:
Therfore I am domed as faythlesse as the Iewes.
Sore is the sentence, and cruell is the swerde:
Excepte thy mercy helpe, O Lord, I am marde:
Saue mee; for whom thou suffredst on a tree,
To thy mercye I appeale for my sauegarde:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
Herafter (by mee) my successours may beware,
An ensample take by my wretched ruyne:
Lest in lykewyse they bee taken with the snare,
As I am nowe: and pay the lyke fyne.
Vanquished wee were, by power devyne:
For by mannes power it seemed not to bee.
Here now I ly, in an homely shrine,
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
An ensample take by my wretched ruyne:
Lest in lykewyse they bee taken with the snare,
As I am nowe: and pay the lyke fyne.
Vanquished wee were, by power devyne:
For by mannes power it seemed not to bee.
Here now I ly, in an homely shrine,
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
I am a spectacle also in lyke case,
To the frenche King, yf hee list to take heede,
I feare that hee cannot for lacke of grace,
The King and hee, bee not yet agreede.
Therefore let him looke, for a lyke speede,
As wee had that were of his leage and vnity,
I trow hee doth neither God loue, nor dreede,
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
To the frenche King, yf hee list to take heede,
I feare that hee cannot for lacke of grace,
The King and hee, bee not yet agreede.
Therefore let him looke, for a lyke speede,
As wee had that were of his leage and vnity,
I trow hee doth neither God loue, nor dreede,
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
Who euer knew Christian King in such a case,
As I wretched creature that cannot haue
In Churche or in Churchyard any maner place,
Emong Christen people to lye in a graue:
The earth mee abhorreth, all men mee depraue,
My frends forsake mee, and haue no pity,
The worlde taketh from mee all that hee mee gaue:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
As I wretched creature that cannot haue
In Churche or in Churchyard any maner place,
Emong Christen people to lye in a graue:
The earth mee abhorreth, all men mee depraue,
My frends forsake mee, and haue no pity,
The worlde taketh from mee all that hee mee gaue:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
487
There is no more now, I must take my leaue,
In this wretched worlde I may no longer dwell:
But one thing there is doth mee sore greaue,
I not where to rest, in heauen or in hell,
None else thereof but only God can tell:
Adieu, this worlde is full of vanity,
I may no longer be with thee, farewell:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
In this wretched worlde I may no longer dwell:
But one thing there is doth mee sore greaue,
I not where to rest, in heauen or in hell,
None else thereof but only God can tell:
Adieu, this worlde is full of vanity,
I may no longer be with thee, farewell:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
Farewell my Queene, sweete lady Margaret:
Farewell my Prince, with whom I vsde to play:
I wot not where wee shall together meete:
Farewell my Lords, and Commons eke for aye:
Adieu, ye shall no ransom for mee pay:
Yet I beseeche you of your charity,
To the high lorde mercifull that yee pray:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
Farewell my Prince, with whom I vsde to play:
I wot not where wee shall together meete:
Farewell my Lords, and Commons eke for aye:
Adieu, ye shall no ransom for mee pay:
Yet I beseeche you of your charity,
To the high lorde mercifull that yee pray:
Miserere mei Deus & salua mee.
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