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286
[VARIANUS]
How King Varianus gaue himselfe to the lustes of the flesh, and dyed about the yeare before Christ. 136.
Where no good giftes haue place, nor beare the sway,
What are the men, but wilful castaway?
Where gifts of grace doe garnish well the King,
There is no want, the land can lacke no thing.
The Court is stil well stor'd with noble prudent men,
In Townes and Cities Gouernours are graue:
The lands are tild, the common wealth doth prosper then,
And wealth at will the Prince and people haue.
What are the men, but wilful castaway?
Where gifts of grace doe garnish well the King,
There is no want, the land can lacke no thing.
The Court is stil well stor'd with noble prudent men,
In Townes and Cities Gouernours are graue:
The lands are tild, the common wealth doth prosper then,
And wealth at will the Prince and people haue.
Perhaps you aske, what Prince is this appeares?
What meanes his talke in these our golden yeares?
A Britayne Prince that Varianus hight,
I helde some time the crowne and scepter here by right.
And though no neede there be in these your golden dayes
Of states to tell, or vertues good discriue,
Good counsayle yet may after stand in stead alwayes,
When time agayne may vices olde reuiue.
What meanes his talke in these our golden yeares?
A Britayne Prince that Varianus hight,
I helde some time the crowne and scepter here by right.
And though no neede there be in these your golden dayes
Of states to tell, or vertues good discriue,
Good counsayle yet may after stand in stead alwayes,
When time agayne may vices olde reuiue.
If not: yet giue me leaue amongst the rest
Which felt the fall, or had their deaths addrest:
My cause of fall let me likewise declare,
For falles the deathes of vicious Princes are.
They fal, when all good men reioyce to heare or see
That they short time enioyde their places hie.
For Princes which for princely vertues praysed bee,
By death arise, extold they scale the skie.
Which felt the fall, or had their deaths addrest:
My cause of fall let me likewise declare,
For falles the deathes of vicious Princes are.
They fal, when all good men reioyce to heare or see
That they short time enioyde their places hie.
For Princes which for princely vertues praysed bee,
By death arise, extold they scale the skie.
I will be short, because it may suffice
That soone is sayde, to warne the sage and wise.
Or if that they no warning neede to haue,
This may perchaunce somewhat their labour saue
With yonger heads, that will not heare their faultes them tolde,
By such as would admonish them for loue:
When they my words and warnings here of vice beholde,
They may regarde and see their owne behoue.
That soone is sayde, to warne the sage and wise.
Or if that they no warning neede to haue,
This may perchaunce somewhat their labour saue
287
By such as would admonish them for loue:
When they my words and warnings here of vice beholde,
They may regarde and see their owne behoue.
About my time the Princes liu'de not long,
For all were giuen almost to vice and wrong:
My selfe voluptuous was abandond quite,
To take in fleshly lust my whole delite:
A pleasure vile, that drawes a man from all good thrifte & grace,
Doth iust desires, and heauenly thoughtes expell:
Decayes the corps, defiles the soule, the factes and fame deface,
And pinges him downe to Plutoes paynes of hell.
For all were giuen almost to vice and wrong:
My selfe voluptuous was abandond quite,
To take in fleshly lust my whole delite:
A pleasure vile, that drawes a man from all good thrifte & grace,
Doth iust desires, and heauenly thoughtes expell:
Decayes the corps, defiles the soule, the factes and fame deface,
And pinges him downe to Plutoes paynes of hell.
For this my sinne my subiectes hated mee,
Repining still my stayned life to see.
As when the Prince is wholy giuen to vice,
And holdes the lewder sort in greatest price,
The land decayes, disorder sprouts and springes abroade,
The worser sort do robbe, pille, polle, and spoyle,
The weaker are constraynd to beare the greatest loade,
And leese the goodes for which full sore they erst did toyle.
Repining still my stayned life to see.
As when the Prince is wholy giuen to vice,
And holdes the lewder sort in greatest price,
The land decayes, disorder sprouts and springes abroade,
The worser sort do robbe, pille, polle, and spoyle,
The weaker are constraynd to beare the greatest loade,
And leese the goodes for which full sore they erst did toyle.
How can Iehoua iust abide the wrong:
He will not suffer such haue scepter long.
As he did strike for sinfull life my seate,
And did me downe from royall kingdome beate:
So hath he done for aye, examples are in stories rife,
No wicked wight can gouerne long in rest:
For eyther some the like bereaues him of his life,
Or downe his throne and kingdome is deprest.
Bid Princes then and noble Peeres the like delights detest.
There is no way the iudgement high and wrath of Ioue to wrest.
He will not suffer such haue scepter long.
As he did strike for sinfull life my seate,
And did me downe from royall kingdome beate:
So hath he done for aye, examples are in stories rife,
No wicked wight can gouerne long in rest:
For eyther some the like bereaues him of his life,
Or downe his throne and kingdome is deprest.
Bid Princes then and noble Peeres the like delights detest.
There is no way the iudgement high and wrath of Ioue to wrest.
288
Lenuoy.
What should I longer on such Princes stay,
Whose factes vnworthie were to be enrolde:
The cause why thence I make more speede away,
Is for his sake, whose fame hath farre bene tolde,
That noble Nennius Duke, a captaine bolde,
Of royall bloud, to Prince and countrey kinde,
Whose fame a place aboue the skies shall finde.
Whose factes vnworthie were to be enrolde:
The cause why thence I make more speede away,
Is for his sake, whose fame hath farre bene tolde,
That noble Nennius Duke, a captaine bolde,
Of royall bloud, to Prince and countrey kinde,
Whose fame a place aboue the skies shall finde.
When he the feates of armes had learned well,
And coulde encounter with the best aliue:
Hee not to treason nor to falshode fell,
Nor with his ciuill friendes at home to striue:
But hence the landed Romaynes out to driue.
Which sith he did, to Prince and countrey kinde,
His fame a place aboue the skies shall finde.
And coulde encounter with the best aliue:
Hee not to treason nor to falshode fell,
Nor with his ciuill friendes at home to striue:
But hence the landed Romaynes out to driue.
Which sith he did, to Prince and countrey kinde,
His fame a place aboue the skies shall finde.
Eke sith the rest, as were their liues obscure,
Haue tolde their tales, but simply as you see:
To helpe my style, the Muses most demure,
For Nennius sake, gaue greater grace to mee.
Or else I thinke, frend Reader t'was for thee,
That when thou readst of Nennius noble minde,
Thou maist be so to Prince and countrey kinde.
Haue tolde their tales, but simply as you see:
To helpe my style, the Muses most demure,
For Nennius sake, gaue greater grace to mee.
Or else I thinke, frend Reader t'was for thee,
That when thou readst of Nennius noble minde,
Thou maist be so to Prince and countrey kinde.
I will no longer thee from reading stay,
But wish thee marke howe he exhorteth all:
Do learne by him for countreyes sake to fray,
In peace no broyles of warres at home to brall.
And thinke thou seest that noble captayne tall
Thus wise display his warlike noble minde,
Duke Nennius, so to Prince and countrey kinde.
But wish thee marke howe he exhorteth all:
Do learne by him for countreyes sake to fray,
In peace no broyles of warres at home to brall.
And thinke thou seest that noble captayne tall
Thus wise display his warlike noble minde,
Duke Nennius, so to Prince and countrey kinde.
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