The funeralles of King Edward the sixt VVherin are declared the causers and causes of his death [by William Baldwin] |
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 | The funeralles of King Edward the sixt |  |
When this fel horseman with his griesly stede
Had passed Iseland, and made forth such spede,
That many Skots bad: Fule yle ta the Churle,
That slue their lambes and cattall with his whurle;
He passed Yorke, and came to London strayt,
And there alight to geve his horse a bayt.
Where ere he had three dayes in stable stood,
Be eat so much, the poore could get no wood,
Except they would pay after double price,
For Billet treble vnder common cise.
Had passed Iseland, and made forth such spede,
That slue their lambes and cattall with his whurle;
He passed Yorke, and came to London strayt,
And there alight to geve his horse a bayt.
Where ere he had three dayes in stable stood,
Be eat so much, the poore could get no wood,
Except they would pay after double price,
For Billet treble vnder common cise.
But Crasy cold lurkt al this while at court.
To watche his time when he the king might hourt:
And when he saw him on a morning, sweat,
And call for drinke to coole his tennis heat,
He slyly crept, and hid him in the cup:
And when the King, alas, had drunke him vp,
Into his stomacke downward he him got,
And there parceyving all the inwards hot,
And that eche part ful gredily did plucke
To save it selfe, all succour it might sucke,
He markt the chile that went vnto the Lounges,
And throwly myxt his vertue ther amonges:
And cooling it, so stopt the pipes therwith,
As to dissolve pure nature wanted pith?
To watche his time when he the king might hourt:
And when he saw him on a morning, sweat,
And call for drinke to coole his tennis heat,
He slyly crept, and hid him in the cup:
And when the King, alas, had drunke him vp,
Into his stomacke downward he him got,
And there parceyving all the inwards hot,
And that eche part ful gredily did plucke
To save it selfe, all succour it might sucke,
He markt the chile that went vnto the Lounges,
And throwly myxt his vertue ther amonges:
And cooling it, so stopt the pipes therwith,
As to dissolve pure nature wanted pith?
This doen, to London strait this fyend he came,
And there infected divers with the same:
Wherof most part not over charely tended,
Recovered well, and throwly are amended,
And sum whose nature phisicke overprest,
Are goen to God, and slepe in quyet rest.
And there infected divers with the same:
Wherof most part not over charely tended,
Recovered well, and throwly are amended,
And sum whose nature phisicke overprest,
Are goen to God, and slepe in quyet rest.
Whan Crasy cold this cruel feat had wrought,
He tooke his steede that had him thither brought.
And furth he rode to him that sent him hither,
And so forth home, or els I wot not whither.
He tooke his steede that had him thither brought.
And so forth home, or els I wot not whither.
Right sore ackrasde, within a day or twayne
The King gan sicke, and of his brest complayne.
The iuyce congelde that in his Lounges lay rawe,
Did stop the pipes, wherthrough the breth should drawe.
By meane wherof his stomacke waxed faynt,
Till nature holpe through medicinall constraynt,
Did make a way by purging part therof,
Wherof ensewed a sore and vehement cough,
Wyth reaching oft, as if the hart should breake,
Wherby the vitall blud becam to weake.
For helpe wherof phisicians did repayre,
And for his ayde did kepe him from the ayre:
But when the King awhile was mist abrode,
His louers mournde, the preachers layd on lode,
Who seing the prince plagde for the peoples sin,
Exhorted all amendment to begin.
Fore warning, if we would not turne in time,
His grace should dye, and we should beare the crime:
And after his death such cruell plages ensue,
As all should feele, and then to late, should rue.
The King gan sicke, and of his brest complayne.
The iuyce congelde that in his Lounges lay rawe,
Did stop the pipes, wherthrough the breth should drawe.
By meane wherof his stomacke waxed faynt,
Till nature holpe through medicinall constraynt,
Did make a way by purging part therof,
Wherof ensewed a sore and vehement cough,
Wyth reaching oft, as if the hart should breake,
Wherby the vitall blud becam to weake.
For helpe wherof phisicians did repayre,
And for his ayde did kepe him from the ayre:
But when the King awhile was mist abrode,
His louers mournde, the preachers layd on lode,
Who seing the prince plagde for the peoples sin,
Exhorted all amendment to begin.
Fore warning, if we would not turne in time,
His grace should dye, and we should beare the crime:
And after his death such cruell plages ensue,
As all should feele, and then to late, should rue.
The Magistrate was playnly tolde his fault.
The man of lawe was warned not to halte:
Request was made the church goodes to restore,
Or put to the vse that they wer taken for.
Leasmungring Landlords, such as raysed rent,
Wer moved to bate their Lands to auncient stent,
The waste, the fare, the vaynnes of attyre,
Extorcion, malice, covetous desyre,
All Papistry, with fruteles gospel boast,
Was cryed agaynst, and damnde as wicked most.
And to be briefe, fro the lowest to the hyest,
All wer desired to live the lawe of Christ.
With earnest threats, from God the living Lord,
In whose iust iye all sinne is sore abhord,
That if we did not these our faultes repent,
The King should dye, and we to late lament.
The man of lawe was warned not to halte:
Request was made the church goodes to restore,
Or put to the vse that they wer taken for.
Leasmungring Landlords, such as raysed rent,
Wer moved to bate their Lands to auncient stent,
The waste, the fare, the vaynnes of attyre,
Extorcion, malice, covetous desyre,
Was cryed agaynst, and damnde as wicked most.
And to be briefe, fro the lowest to the hyest,
All wer desired to live the lawe of Christ.
With earnest threats, from God the living Lord,
In whose iust iye all sinne is sore abhord,
That if we did not these our faultes repent,
The King should dye, and we to late lament.
But out alas, how wer these preachers heard?
The heades withdrew their presens, all afearde
Least sum good mocion might amend their minde.
By whose example, the people (nought by kinde)
Tooke hart of grasse the preachers to despise:
And slaundred them with shameles forged lyes,
Gods bytter threats they made a very mocke,
His prophetes eke a common iesting stocke,
As for amendment, none at al was sene,
But into wurs all yls were turned clene.
The heades withdrew their presens, all afearde
Least sum good mocion might amend their minde.
By whose example, the people (nought by kinde)
Tooke hart of grasse the preachers to despise:
And slaundred them with shameles forged lyes,
Gods bytter threats they made a very mocke,
His prophetes eke a common iesting stocke,
As for amendment, none at al was sene,
But into wurs all yls were turned clene.
Whan God had suffred all these thinges a space,
And saw at last how all refused his grace,
And that no threates might cause them to retyer,
To stay the stroke of his consuming ire,
He fully agreed to take this blessed childe:
For spede wherof, he vtterly exylde
All meanes by which he might recover force.
Than did his griefe so sore assault the corse
That euery vayne and muscle gan to swell,
Which bred a payne much like the panges of hell:
In which the piteous Prince a pining laye,
In hope all hopeles, many a wofull daye.
But God which sawe the terror of the payne
Wherin so long this innocent had layne,
Because he would for it provide an ayde,
He called Death, and thus to him he sayd:
Dispatch at ones, to Greenwich se thou hye,
Where my elect, King Edward, sicke, doth lye
In paynfull panges, wherin he hath be long,
Not for his owne, but for his peoples wrong:
Enforce thyne arme, and with thy cruell dart
Cleave me in twayne his vertuous godly hart.
What, wepest thou Death? Ceas foole, & hold thy toung:
What though he be both beawtifull and young,
So learnd a prince, so manly, and so meeke
As seldome had, nor eft shall have his like?
He is to good for that vngracious Realme:
Wherfore dispatch, go strike thy stroke extreme.
Take no compassion on his tender youth,
His wit, his vertue, or earnest zeale of truth.
But worst then what, let not thy fourme be such
An ougly shape, as to the worldly ruch
It oft appeares: But lovely, as it is
To such as long for euerlasting blisse.
With cumly shape, and smiling chere, I say,
Go lewse his soule, have done, and go thy way.
And saw at last how all refused his grace,
And that no threates might cause them to retyer,
To stay the stroke of his consuming ire,
He fully agreed to take this blessed childe:
For spede wherof, he vtterly exylde
All meanes by which he might recover force.
Than did his griefe so sore assault the corse
That euery vayne and muscle gan to swell,
Which bred a payne much like the panges of hell:
In which the piteous Prince a pining laye,
In hope all hopeles, many a wofull daye.
Wherin so long this innocent had layne,
Because he would for it provide an ayde,
He called Death, and thus to him he sayd:
Dispatch at ones, to Greenwich se thou hye,
Where my elect, King Edward, sicke, doth lye
In paynfull panges, wherin he hath be long,
Not for his owne, but for his peoples wrong:
Enforce thyne arme, and with thy cruell dart
Cleave me in twayne his vertuous godly hart.
What, wepest thou Death? Ceas foole, & hold thy toung:
What though he be both beawtifull and young,
So learnd a prince, so manly, and so meeke
As seldome had, nor eft shall have his like?
He is to good for that vngracious Realme:
Wherfore dispatch, go strike thy stroke extreme.
Take no compassion on his tender youth,
His wit, his vertue, or earnest zeale of truth.
But worst then what, let not thy fourme be such
An ougly shape, as to the worldly ruch
It oft appeares: But lovely, as it is
To such as long for euerlasting blisse.
With cumly shape, and smiling chere, I say,
Go lewse his soule, have done, and go thy way.
Whan doulful Death had heard this hard devise,
He trymd him selfe in his most cumly guyse,
Like Mercury in euery kinde of grace,
Save that he had a much more lovely face:
And forth he flewe, and got him to the bed,
Wherin the King lay neyther quicke nor dead,
But in a traunce: for why his deadly griefe,
And nature strave, to prove who should be chiefe.
But when weke nature had consumde her best,
She yelded her, and so the struggle ceast.
Wherby the King cam to him selfe agayne,
And seing death, he turnd away amayne:
For why his yongth, and yet vnfloured breth,
Could not consent to so vnripe a death.
Drye Death him selfe with pity moved thoe,
Had much to do to hide his inward woe:
And seing the lovely prince so sore afrayd,
With smiling chere to comfort him, he sayd.
Most noble King, abashe not, but assent,
Nor God the almightye hath me hither sent:
Who much lamenting this your wofull case,
Would have you cum to solas with his grace,
In life, in blisse, in everlasting glory,
From worldly thinges all vile and transitory,
From this your state vncertayne and vnsure,
Unto a Raygne that shall for ay indure.
He trymd him selfe in his most cumly guyse,
Like Mercury in euery kinde of grace,
Save that he had a much more lovely face:
And forth he flewe, and got him to the bed,
Wherin the King lay neyther quicke nor dead,
And nature strave, to prove who should be chiefe.
But when weke nature had consumde her best,
She yelded her, and so the struggle ceast.
Wherby the King cam to him selfe agayne,
And seing death, he turnd away amayne:
For why his yongth, and yet vnfloured breth,
Could not consent to so vnripe a death.
Drye Death him selfe with pity moved thoe,
Had much to do to hide his inward woe:
And seing the lovely prince so sore afrayd,
With smiling chere to comfort him, he sayd.
Most noble King, abashe not, but assent,
Nor God the almightye hath me hither sent:
Who much lamenting this your wofull case,
Would have you cum to solas with his grace,
In life, in blisse, in everlasting glory,
From worldly thinges all vile and transitory,
From this your state vncertayne and vnsure,
Unto a Raygne that shall for ay indure.
No sooner had our Soverayne heard of this,
But loe, his goast (which long had longd for blisse)
Would nedes away: Howbeit his carefull minde
For this his realme, which he should leave behind,
Did move his grace to pray death stay awhile,
To thend he might him selfe both reconcile
To God his king, and also recommende
His realme to him for ever to defend.
And while that Death for this cause gladly stayed,
He set him vp, and thus to God he prayed.
But loe, his goast (which long had longd for blisse)
Would nedes away: Howbeit his carefull minde
For this his realme, which he should leave behind,
Did move his grace to pray death stay awhile,
To thend he might him selfe both reconcile
To God his king, and also recommende
His realme to him for ever to defend.
And while that Death for this cause gladly stayed,
He set him vp, and thus to God he prayed.
| The funeralles of King Edward the sixt | |