Strange Histories, or, Songes and Sonets, of Kings, Princes, Dukes, Lordes, Ladyes, Knights, and Gentlemen ::

After our royall King,
had foyld his foes in Fraunce,
And spent the pleasant spring,
his honour to aduance:
Into faire England he returnde,
with fame and victorie:
What time the subiectes of this land,
receiued him ioyfully.

But at his home returne,
his Children left he still
In Fraunce for to soiorne.
to purchase learned skill.
Duke William with his brother deare,
Lord Richard was his name,
Which was the Earle of Chester then,
who thirsted after fame.

The Kinges faire Daughter eke,
the Lady Mary bright:
With diuers noble Peeres:
and many a hardy Knight.
All those were left together there,
in pleasure and delight.
When that our King to England came,
after the bloody fight.

But when faire Flora had
drawne forth her treasure dry,
That winter cold and sad,
with horie head drew nie.
Those Princes all with one consent,
prepared all things meete,
To passe the Seas for faire England,
whose sight to them was sweete.

To England let vs hie,
thus euery one did say,
For Christmas draweth nie,
no longer let vs stay:
But spend the merry Christmas time
within our Fathers Court:
Where Lady Pleasure doth attend,
with many a Princely Sport.

To Sea these Princes went,
fulfilled with mirth and ioy:
But this their merriment,
did turue to deare annoy.
The Saylers and the Shipmen all,
through soule excesse of wine.
Were so disguisde that at the Sea,
they shewd themselues like Swine.

The Sterne no man could guide,
the Maister sleeping lay,
The Saylers all beside,
went reeling euery way.
So that the Ship at randome roode
vpon the foaming Flood:
Whereby in perill of their liues
the Princes alwaies stood.

Which made distilling teares
from their faire eyes to fall:
Their hearts were fild with feares,
no helpe they had at all.
They wisht themselues vpon the land
a thousand times and more:
And at the last they came in sight
of Englands pleasant shore.

Then euery one began
to turne their sighes to smiles:
Their colours pale and wan,
a chearefull looke exiles.
The princely Lords most louingly,
their Ladies do imbrace:
For now in England shall we bee,
quoth they in little space.

Take comfort now they sayd,
behold the land at last:
Then be no more dismayde,
the worst is gone and past.
But while they did thus ioyfull hope,
with comfort entertaine,
The goodly Shippe vpon a Rocke,
on suddaine burst in twaine.

With that a greeuous screeke
among them there was made,
And euery one did seeke
on something to be stayde:
But all in vaine such helpe they sought
the Shippe so soone did sinke,
That in the sea they were constraind:
to take their latest drinke.

There might you see the Lords,
and Ladyes for to lie
Amidst the salt sea foame,
with many a greeuous crie:
Still labouring for their liues defence
with stretched armes abroad:
And lifting vp their little hands
for helpe with one accord.

But as good fortune would,
the sweete young Duke did get
Into the Cock-boat then,
where safely he did sit.
But when he heard his Sister cry,
the Kings faire Daughter deare,
Hee turnd his Boat to take her in,
whose death did draw so neare.

But while he stroue to take
his sweete young sister in,
The rest such shift did make,
in Sea as they did swimme,
That to the Boate a number got:
so many, that at last
The Boate and all that were therein
was drownd and ouercast.

Of Lords and Gentlemen,
and Ladies faire of face:
Not one escaped then,
which was a heauie case:
Three score and ten were drownd in all,
and none escaped death,
But one poore Butcher, which had swome
himselfe quite out of breath.

This was most heauie newes,
vnto our comely King:
Who did all mirth refuse,
this word when they did bring:
For by this meanes no child he had
his Kingdome to succeed
Whereby his sisters Sonne was King,
as you shall plainely read.

University of Virginia Library

How King Henrie the first had his Children drowned in the Sea, as they came out of Fraunce.

Cant. 3.