University of Virginia Library

A BRIEFE REMEMBRANCE OF ALL THE ENGLISH MONARCHS, from the Normans Conquest, vntill this present.

TO THE HONOVRABLE AND TRVLY Noble, Sir Robert Carr, Knight, one of the Gentlemen of his Maiesties Royall Bed-chamber, &c.

Tis not in expectation of reward,
That I this booke vnto your hands doe tender;
But in my humble dutie, in regard
That I am bound my daily thanks to render.
And though my stile be harsh, my learning slender,
My Uerse defectiue, and my Accent rude;
Yet if your Patronage be my Defender,
J am defended 'gainst a multitude.
Thus (to auoyd Hell-hatch'd ingratitude,
My dutious Loue) my Lines, and Life shall be,
To you deuoted euer to conclude,
May you and your most vertuous Ladie see
Long happie dayes, in Honour still encreasing;
And after death, true Glorie neuer ceasing.

WILLIAM THE FIRST, Surnamed the Conqverovr; KING OF England, And DVKE OF NORMANDY.

By bloody Battels, Conquest, and by Fate,
Faire Englands Crown & Kingdome I surpris'd:
I topsie-turuy turn'd the English State,
And Lawes and Customes new and strange deuis'd.
And where I vanquisht, there I tyranniz'd,
In stead of peoples loue inforcing feare:
Extorting Tolls I daily exercis'd,
And Tributes, greater then the Land could beare,
Besides, (the Normans fame the more to reare)
The English I forbad the English tongue,
French Schooles of Grammer I ordayned here,
And 'gainst this Nation added wrong to wrong.
At last my Crown, Sword, Scepter, Cōquest braue
I left, I lost, scarce found an earthly Graue.

WILLIAM THE IJ, Surnamed Rvfvs, KING OF England, And DVKE OF NORMANDY.

VVhat my triumphant Father wan, I held,
I pill'd & poll'd this Kingdom more then he,
Great Tributes from my people I compeld:
No place in Church or Common-wealth was free,
But alwaies those that would giue most to me,
Obtain'd their purpose being wrong or right.
The Clergy I enforced to agree,
To sell Church-plate and Chalices out-right.
Vntill at last (by the Almighties might)
My Kingly power and force was forcelesse made,
My glorious pompe that seem'd t'eclips mens sight,
Did vanish by a glance, by chance, and fade:
For hunting in new-forrest (voyd of feare)
A Subiect slew me shooting at a Deere.

HENRY THE FIRST, Surnamed Beavclarke, KING OF England And DVKE OF NORMANDY.

My Father and my Brother Kings, both gone,
With acclamations Royall I was crown'd:
And hauing gain'd the Scepter and the Throne,
I with the name of Beauclarke was renown'd:
The English Lawes long lost, I did refound,
False waights and measures I corrected true,
The power of Wales in fight I did confound,
And Normandy my valour did subdue.
Yet I vnmindfull whence these glories grew,
My eldest Brother Robert did surprise,
Detain'd him, and vsurp'd his Royall due,
And most vnnat'rally pluckt out his eyes,
Kings liue like Gods, but yet like men they dye,
All must pay Natures due, and so did I.

STEPHEN, KING OF England, And DVKE OF NORMANDY

By wrested Titles and vsurping claime,
Thrugh storms & tempests of tumultuous wars,
The Crowne (my fairest marke and foulest ayme)
I wonne and wore, beleaguerd round with iars.
The English, Scots and Normæns all prepares
Their powers, exposing to oppose my powers,
Whilst this Land laden and o'rwhelm'd with cares,
Endures, whilst war, wo, want and death deuoures.
But as yeers, months, weeks, days decline by houres,
Houres into minutes, minutes into nought:
My painfull pompe decai'd like fading flowres,
And vnto nought was my Ambition brought.
Thus is the state of transitory things:
Ther's nothing can be permanent with Kings.

HENRY THE SECOND, KING OF England, DVKE OF NORMANDY, Guyen and Aquitaine, &c.

To th'Empresse Maud I was vndoubted Heyre,
And in her Right, my Title being iust,
By iustice I obtain'd the Regall Chayre.
Fayre Rosamond I soyled with foule lust,
For which Heauens Iustice (hating deeds vniust)
Stir'd vp my Wife and Sonnes to be my foes:
Who sought to lay my Glory in the dust,
And hem'd me round with cruell warres and woes.
They poys'ned my sweete beautious tainted Rose,
By Isabels deuice my furious Queene:
My very bowels 'gainst me did oppose:
Such fruit hath lust, such force hath iealous spleene.
My cursed crosses made me curse my birth,
With her I liu'd, raign'd, died, and turn'd to earth.

RICHARD THE FIRST, Surnamed Cver De Lyon, KING OF ENGLAND, DVKE OF NORMANDY, Guyen and Aquitaine, &c.

Through my Creators mercy and his might,
Ierusalem I conquer'd and set free,
False mis-beleeuing Iewes, and Turkish spight,
From Iury force perforce I forc'd to flee.
The Realme of Cypresse was subdude by me.
Sicilia trembled at my prowesse bold.
King Tancred bought his peace, and did agree,
And paid me threescore ounces of fine gold:
Whilst I abroad won Honour manifold,
Aspiring Iohn (my brother) vext my Realme.
In Austria I was tane, and laid in hold:
Thus floods of griefe each way me ouer-whelme.
At last I home return'd, my ransome paid,
My earthly glory in a Graue was laid.

IOHN, KING OF ENGLAND, DVKE OF NORMANDY, Guyen and Aquitaine, LORD OF IRELAND, &c.

Romes mighty miter'd Metropolitan
I did oppose, and was by him depos'd:
He turn'd his cursed blessings to his ban,
And caus'd me round to be with cares inclos'd,
The English and the Normans me oppos'd,
And Lewis of France my Kingdome did molest,
Whilst I to all these miseries expos'd,
Consum'd my Kingly dayes in restlesse rest.
At last the Pope was pleas'd, and I reblest:
Peace was obtain'd, proclaim'd, I re-inthroan'd.
Thus was my raigne with woes opprest and prest,
Blest, curst, friends, foes, diuided and aton'd.
And after seuenteene yeeres were gone and past,
At Swinsted poys'ned, there I dranke my last.

HENRY THE THIRD, KING OF ENGLAND, Lord Of Jreland, DVKE OF NORMANDY, Guyen and Aquitaine, &c.

In toyle and trouble midst contentions broyles,
I seiz'd the Scepter of this famous Land,
Then being greatly wasted with the spoyles
Which Lewis had made with his French furious band:
But I with Peeres and people brauely mand,
Repeld, repulst, expulst insulting foes.
My Barons did my Soueraignty withstand,
And wrapt themselues and me in warres and woes:
But in each Battell none but I did lose,
I lost my Subiects liues on euery side:
(From Ciuill warres no better gaining growes)
Friends, foes, my people all, that fought or died.
My gaines was losse, my pleasure was my paine,
These were the triumphs of my troublous raigne.

EDVVARD THE FIRST, KING OF ENGLAND, Lord Of Ireland, DVKE OF AQVITAINE, &c.

My Victories, my Valour, and my strength,
My actions, and my neuer-conquer'd name,
Were spred throughout the world in bredth & lēgth
By mortall deeds, I want immortall Fame.
Rebellious Wales I finally did tame,
And made them Vassalls to my princely Sonne:
I entred Scotland fierce with Sword and Flame,
And almost all that Kingdome ouer-run.
Still where I fought, triumphantly I won,
Through Blood and Death my glory I obtain'd:
But in the end, when all my Acts were done,
A Sepulcher was all the gaine I gain'd.
For though great Kings contend for earthly sway,
Death binds them to the peace and parts the fray.

EDWARD THE IJ, KING OF ENGLAND, Lord Of Ireland, DVKE OF AQVITAINE, &c.

Soone after was my fathers corps inter'd,
Whilst Fate and Fortune did on me attend:
And to the Royall Throne I was prefer'd,
With Aue Ceaser, euery knee did bend,
But all these fickle ioyes did fading end,
Peirce Gaueston to thee my loue combind:
My friendship to thee scarce left me a friend,
But made my Queene, Peeres, People, all vnkind,
I tortur'd, both in body and in mind,
Was vanquisht by the Scots at Bannocks Bourne,
And I enforc'd by flight some safety find,
Yet taken by my Wife at my returne,
A red-hot Spit my Bowels through did gore,
Such misery, no slaue endured more.

EDWARD THE IIJ, KING OF ENGLAND, And FRANCE, Lord Of Ireland

In Peace and War, my Stars auspicious stood,
False Fortune stedfast held her wauering wheele;
I did reuenge my Fathers butcher'd blood,
I forced France my furious force to feele:
I warr'd on Scotland with triumphing Steele,
Afflicting them with slaughtering Sword and Fire:
That Kingdome then diuided needs must reele:
Betwixt the Bruces and the Balliols ire:
Thus daily still my glory mounted higher,
With black Prince Edward my victorious Sonne,
Vnto the top of honour wee aspire,
By manly Princely, worthy actions done.
But all my Triumphs, fortunes, strength and force,
Age brought to death, & death turn'd to a Coarse.

RICHARD THE IJ, KING OF ENGLAND, And France, LORD OF IRELAND, &c.

A Sunshine Morne, precedes a showry day,
A Calme at Sea ofttimes foreruns a storme:
All is not gold that seemes so glistring gay;
Foule Vice is fairest features Canker-worme,
So I that was of blood, descent and forme,
The perfect jmage of a Royall Stock,
Vnseason'd young aduice did me deforme,
Split all my hopes against despaires blacke rock,
My Regall name and power was made a mock,
My Subiects madly in rebellion rose,
Mischiefe on mischiefe all in troopes did flock,
Oppos'd, depos'd, expos'd, inclos'd in woes,
With wauering fortunes troublously I raign'd,
Slaine by foule murther, peace and rest I gain'd.

HENRY THE IV, KING OF England, And FRANCE, LORD OF IRELAND, &c.

From right (wrong-doing) Richard I did wrest
His Crowne mis-guided, but on me mis-plac'd:
Vnciuill Ciuill warres my Realme molest,
And English men did England spoyle and wast,
The Sire, the Son, the Son the Father chas'd,
Vndutifull, vnkind, vnnaturall,
Both Yorke and Lancaster were rais'd and rac'd,
As Conquest did to either Faction fall.
But still I grip'd the Scepter and the Ball,
And what by wrong I won, by might I wore:
For Prince of Wales I did my Son install,
But as my Martiall Fame grew more and more,
By fatall Fate my vitall threed was cut:
And all my Greatnesse in a graue was put.

HENRY THE FIFTH, KING OF ENGLAND, And France, LORD OF IRELAND.

From my Lancastrian Sire successiuely,
I Englands glorious golden Garland got:
I temper'd Iustice with mild clemency,
Much blood I shed, yet blood-shed loued not,
Time my Sepulchre and my bones may rot,
But Time can neuer end my endlesse fame.
Obliuion cannot my braue acts out blot,
Or make Forgetfulnesse forget my name.
I plaid all France at Tennise such a game,
With roaring Rackets, bandied Balls and Foyles:
And what I plaid for, still I won the same,
Triumphantly transporting home the spoyles.
But in the end grim death my life assail'd,
And as I liu'd, I dy'd, belou'd, bewail'd.

HENRY THE VI, KING OF ENGLAND, And France, Lord Of Jreland.

Great England Mars (my Father being dead)
I, not of yeares, or yeare; but eight months old:
The Diadem was plac't vpon my head,
In Royall Robes the Scepter I did hold:
But as th'Almighties workes are manifold,
Too high for mans conceit to comprehend:
In his eternall Register enrold
My Birth, my troublous Life, and tragicke End.
'Gainst me the house of Yorke their force did bend,
And Peeres and People weltred in their gore:
My Crown and Kingdome they from me did rend,
Which I, my Sire, and Grandsire kept and wore.
Twice was I crown'd vncrown'd, oft blest, oft crost,
And lastly, murdred, life and Kingdome lost.

EDWARD THE IIIJ, KING OF ENGLAND, And France, LORD OF IRELAND, &c.

I Yorkes great heire (by fell domesticke Warre)
Inthroaned was, vn-King'd, and re-inthroan'd:
Subiecting quite the house of Lancaster,
Whilst wofull England ouer-burthen'd, groan'd:
Old Sonlesse Sires, and Childlesse Mothers moan'd,
These bloody broyles had lasted threescore years,
And till the time we were in peace attoan'd,
It wasted fourescore of the Royall Peeres:
But age and time all earthly things out-weares,
Through terrours, horrors, mischiefe and debate,
By trust, by treason, by hopes doubts and feares,
I got, I kept, I left and lost the State.
Thus as disposing heauens doe smile or frowne,
So Cares or Comforts wait vpon a Crowne.

EDWARD THE V, KING OF England, And France, LORD OF IRELAND.

If birth, if beauty, innocence and youth,
Could make a Tyrant feele one sparke of grace,
My crooked Vncle had beene mou'd to ruth,
Beholding of my pitty-pleading face.
But what auailes to spring from royall Race?
What snerty is in beauty, strength, or wit?
What is command, might, eminence and place,
When Treason lurkes where Maiesty doth sit?
My haplesse selfe had true false proofe of it:
Nipt in my bud, and blasted in my bloome:
Depriu'd of life by murther, most vnfit,
And for three Kingdoms could not haue one tombe:
Thus Treason all my glory ouer-topt,
And ere the Fruit could spring, the Tree was lop't.

RICHARD THE IIJ, KING OF ENGLAND, And France, LORD OF IRELAND, &c.

Ambition's like vnto a quenchlesse thirst:
Ambition Angels threw from Heauen to Hell,
Ambition (that infernall Hag) accurst,
Ambitiously made me aspire, rebell:
Ambition, that damned Necromanticke Spell,
Made me clime proud, with shame to tumble down.
By bloody murther I did all expell,
Whose right, or might, debard me from the Crown.
My smiles, my gifts, my fauours, or my frowne,
Were fain'd, corrupt, vile flattry, death and spite.
By cruell Tyranny I gat renowne,
Till Heau'ns iust Iudge me iustly did requite.
By blood I won, by blood I lost the throne.
Detested liu'd; dy'd; lou'd, bewail'd of none.

HENRY THE VIJ, KING OF ENGLAND, And FRANCE, Lord Of Ireland.

I was the man (by Gods high grace assign'd)
That for this restlesse Kingdome purchas'd rest:
I York and Lancaster in one combin'd,
That sundred had each other long opprest,
My strength and policy th'Almighty blest.
With good successe from first vnto the last:
And high Iehouah turned to the best,
A world of perills which my youth o're past.
The white and red Rose I conioyned fast,
In sacred Marriages coniugall band:
I Traytors tam'd, and treason stood agast
At me; strong guarded by my Makers hand.
In glory and magnificence I raign'd,
And fame, loue, and a tombe was all I gain'd.

HENRY THE VIIJ, KING OF England, And France, LORD OF IRELAND.

To both the Royall Houses I was Heyre;
I made but one, of long contending, twaine:
This Realme diuided drooping in despaire,
I did rebind in my auspicious Raigne.
I banisht Romish Vsurpation vaine.
In France I Bullen, Turwin, Turney wan:
The Stile of Faiths Defender I did gaine.
Sixe wiues I had, three An's, two Kates, one Iane.
In my expences Royall, beyond measure,
Striuing in Noble Actions to exceede;
Accounting Honour as my greatest Treasure:
Yet various fancies did my frailty feede,
I made and marr'd, I did, and I vndid,
Till all my Greatnesse in a Graue was hid.

EDWARD THE VI, KING OF England, FRANCE and IRELAND, Defender of the Faith, &c.

I seem'd in wisedome aged in my youth,
A Princly patterne; I reform'd the time:
With zeale and courage I maintain'd Gods truth,
And Christian faith 'gainst Antichristian crime.
My Father did begin; I, in my prime,
Both Baal and Beliall from this Kingdome droue,
With concords true harmonious heauenly chime,
I caus'd be said and sung Gods truth and loue.
From vertue vnto vertue still I stroue,
I liu'd beloued both of God and men:
My soule vnto her Maker soar'd aboue,
My earthly part return'd to earth agen.
Thus Death, my faire proceedings did preuent,
And Peeres and People did my losse lament.

MARY, QUEENE OF England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.

No sooner I possest the Royall Throne,
But true Religion straight was dispossest:
Bad Councell caus'd Rome, Spaine and I, as one,
To persecute, to martyr, and molest
All that the vnstain'd truth of God profest:
All such as dar'd oppugne the pow'rfull Pope,
With grieuous tortures were opprest and prest,
With Axes, Fire, and Faggot, and the Rope.
Scarce any Land beneath the Heau'nly Cope,
Afflicted was, as I caus'd this to bee:
And when my Fortunes were in highest hope,
Death at the fiue yeeres end arrested mee.
No Bale would serue, I could command no ayd,
But I in prison in my graue was laid.

ELIZABETH, QVEENE OF England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.

The griefes, the feares, the terrors and the toiles,
The sleights, tricks, snares, that for my life were laid
Popes, prisons, poysons, pistols, bloody broyles,
All these incompast me (poore harmelesse Mayd)
But I still trusting in my Makers ayde,
Was still defended by his power diuine:
My glory and my greatnesse was displai'd
As farre as Sunne and Moone did euer shine.
Gods mingled Seruice I did re-refine,
From Romish rubbish, and from humane drosse.
I yearely made the pride of Spaine decline:
France and all Belgia I sau'd from losse:
I was Arts patterne, t'Armes I was a Patron;
I liu'd and dyed a Queene, a Maid, a Matron.

IAMES, Of that Name The First, And I. Monarch of the whole Iland of Great Britaine, &c.

VVere all the flatt'ry of the world in me,
Great King of hearts & Arts, great Britaines King
Yet all that flattery could not flatter thee:
Or adde to thy renowne the smallest thing.
My Muse (with truth and freedome) dares to sing,
Thou wert a Monarch lou'd of God and Men.
Two famous Kingdomes thou to one didst bring,
And gau'st lost Britaines name her name agen.
Thou causedst Doctors with their learned pen,
The sacred Bible newly to translate.
Thy wisdome found the damned powder'd Den,
That hell had hatcht to ouerthrow thy state.
And all the world thy Motto must allow,
The peace makers are blest; and so art thou.

CHARLES, Of that Name The First, And II. Monarch of the whole Iland of GREAT BRITAINE. KING of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Gods immediate VICEGERENT, Supreame Head, &c.