University of Virginia Library

[The first chapter.]

After that deathe had triumphed in that face
Which often of me had tryumphed in lyke case
And that the sonne of our world was dead and past
This ougly and dispytefull beaste at the last
Pale and horrible and proude for to se
With hyr blacke baner awaye goeth she
When that she had extincte out quyte
Of perfyt beutye the very clere lyght
Then as I dyd loke about on euery part
Commyng towardes me there I dyd aduert
Hyr that mans lyfe for euer doth saue
And pulleth hym out alyue from his graue
This gloryous fayre Lady muche lyke was she
Unto that bryght starre that goeth trust me
In the orient or the cleare day appeare
Euen in lyke maner was this Ladyes chere
So that there is no mayster in no Scole
Can take vpon them to descrybe that Sole
That I go aboute with symple wordes to tell
So muche great in glory ths Lady dyd excell
That all the element about her dyd shyne
Not as a mortall but lyke a thyng deuyne
Grauen in theyr foreheades were the names
Of the honorable people whose hyghe fames
By valure and vertue can neuer dye
Folowynge this noble fame there sawe I
Many of those of whyche I tofore haue rehersed
That by loue (as sayd is) were sore oppressed
On her ryght hand there fyrst in my syght
Was Cesar and Scipion that honorable knyghte
But which of them twayne next to fame was
I do not remember but there they both dyd pas
The tone in vertue the tother in loue
Was taken though he semed somewhat aboue
And then forthwith was shewed vnto me
After these twayne captaynes that so excellent be
Men of hyghe valure armed full bryght
As vnto the capitall they went full ryghte
By that selfe waye that sacra called was
Or by via lata wherevnto they dyd passe
They came in suche an honest ordre as I saye
And had wrytten and graued this is no nay
Theyr excellent names in theyr foreheads on hie
And euen as I behelde them thus attentyfely
Their maner, their port, their chere & eueri thing
To these twayne most hyest in ordre folowyng
Ensued the tone his neuew to hym dere
The tother his sonne that neuer yet had pere
And those that thou seest with the swerd in ye hād
The twayn fathers & the sonnes that by him stād
Agaynst these enemies that Italy dyd inuade
Armed in bryght stele they no dreade hadde
Two there folowed fyrst, and twayne after past
But he that in ordre was semyng to be laste
In dede of the thre was worthyest of fame
And after these of excellent and renoumed name
Euen as the Ruby most oriently doth shyne
Went he with his hand and with his councel fyne
It was Claudius that with his wyse foresyght
As a'swyft byrde that taketh his flyght
So dyd he go to the fielde at Metaurus
And pulled vp the wede, this knyght gloryouse
He had eyes and tymes conuenient for to spy
And wynges as a byrde to execute it by and by
There folowed then after in that worthy race
The great old captayne that let not to byd bace
Unto the fierce captayne Hannibal and thervnto
Adioyned vnto hym was another Fabio
Twayne named Catones with these also went
And two noble Paulus wyse to all intent
Two Brutus and also twayne Marcellus
And one renowmed worthy captayne Regulus
That more truly layde Rome then I saye that he
Loued his owne selfe excedyng in degree
There was there also Curio and Fabricius
That with theyr wyse pouertie maruelouse
Were more prayse worthy then myde was
Or Crassus with all the great golde that he has
For golde made them vertue to expell
And pouertye these twayne in glory to excell
There folowed these twayne euen syde by syde
Cincinato to whom the Romaynes cryed
For helpe in theyr extreme daunger and nede
He was equall to the tother twayne in dede
Camillus ensued the noble valyaunt knyght
That had liuer dye for the maintenaunce of right
Then otherwise to do but as a vertuouse man
The fauour of heauen brought hym to Rome thā
Where enuy had banyshed hym from the towne
Home to his countrye this knight of high renoun
There was also the vallyaunt & fresh Torquatus
That slewe his owne welbeloued son Cheualerus
Rather then he would knyghtly ordre breake
He would be childles thus the olde stories speake
Both the twayne Decius were also in the place
That theyr cruell enemies cleane for to deface
Uowed them selfes alas, and that willingly
O cruell vowe them selfes forth with to dye
No lesse dyd he the vallyaunt hardy Curio
That entred vnto the great large hole so
That horrybly was opened in Rome ye riall towē
Wyllyngly hymselfe therein he entred downe
Munnio Lenio went also in ordre there
And the good noble Attivio with a manly chere
Titus Flamius that the grekes dyd subdue
Most with gentle pytie there dyd he ensue
There was also there in the presse he that made
A great large circle in Syria with hys rode
And with his hardy and ferse loke & coūtenaunce
To his wyll & intent so was this romaines chaūce
He the great and pussaunt kyng so constrayned
That all his hole request thereby he obteyned
And by hym in good ordre ther was also he
That kept as he was armed most valliauntly
The hyll from his cruell enymies all
And after in that same place hym selfe had a fall
And with this company was ye most valiaunt man
That kept the brydge from all Toscan
And next in ordre vnto this hardy knyght
Stode that ferse warrear that in great dispyte
Burnte hys ryght hand because he fayled
To sley the king his enemie which he thē assayled
Euen in the mides of all his noble men
Thys was a merueylouse hardy dede there & thē
And I sawe also there in the hugh prese
He that fyrst vanquished on the great Seese
The Cathagines and scatred all abroade
By Cycell and Sardinia by euyll chanse al ye rode
I sawe among the others him with ye graue sight
Called Appius that with his forse and myght
Kept the men vulgar people in great dread & awe
So strayt and hard he bound pore men to a lawe
And after as all about I dyd cast myne eye
I dyd that person among other rest espye
That with his swete facyons vsyd hym soo
That next the fyrst in fame he myght goo
But that the ende turnyd vnto blame
Wherefore I may ryght well affirme the same
That often it is sene a long prolonged lyfe
Turneth good renowne into payne and stryfe
And certenly he was no lesse in fame and myght
But as Bacus and great Alcides by ryght
Or as to Thebus the good Impammunda was
Among the other nobly he dyd there pas
And after this great and worthy myghty man
I sawe folowing among the other than
Hym that in his yonge flowryng age
Had great lawde and prayse for his vassalage
And euen asmuch as thys ferse champion
Was terrible and cruell in his naturall regyon
He that folowed hym was as merciable
I know noo Duke to be more commendable
There went in ordre after by and by
He that wyth hys wysedome sapiently
The noble volumines he was there in the prese
Hys lawde is praysed and shall neuer sease
Cosso was there Philon and Rutilio
And the hardy captayne Lucio Dentato
With Marco, Sergio and Sceua the bolde
In armys as lyghtnyng one myght them behold
Their harnes brokē their shelde in twenty places
Persyde thorowe with swordes dartes & mases
The last of them that there was in dede
With no lytle fame the rest dyd succede
And after these noble men afore rehearsed
Dyd folowe ferse Marius which reuersyd
Ingurta of Numedy the myghty kyng
And the Cymbers that with them dyd brynge
The Almaynes in fury and in rage
Thys Marius dyd their great myght asswage
There went by the Marius by and by
Fuluius Faccus that with witty polecy
Destroyed those that at Rome dyd rebell
But he that folowed dyd farre passyng exell
It was Fuluio so was his very name
Well worthy among other to folowe fame
There was also one Romayne named Graccus
yt had among ye people much matter contrariouse
To his ruyne at the last in Rome towne
There was he thys knyght of high renowne
And he also that much fortunate semyde
Though by me he cannot so be demyde
Was there and after hym there came
The two worthy Marcelles in ordre than
That kept all close in theyr hartes I say
Theyr secretes they went aboute alway
These two had great prayse in Numyddia
In Macedon also and in the Yle of Creta
And in lyke maner in the Realme of Spayne
Three vallyaunt famouse Knyghtes for certayne
And I sawe also euen at that tyde
The good Uaspacian and by his famouse syde
His eldest sonne but not his cruell brother
He was not worthy to be amonge the other
And so folowed after in good ordre than
Narua the auncient and gentle Traian
Helio and Adrian and the mercifull Antonius
With fayre succession vnto Macronius
That were no more couetouse of croune imperial
Then desirous for to lyue in vertuous naturall
And whiles that I thus loked all aboute
I sawe fyue Kynges amonges that rowte
The syxte an euyll happe dyd hym take
As one that foloweth vice & vertue doth forsake

The seconde Chapiter of Fame.

Full of greate and infynyte maruayle
I stode beholding these noble Romaynes well
Whiche of al other hadde neuer no peere
And as I reuolued their famous actes cleere
Whiche I haue sene in bookes wrytten and tolde
More was there of them dyuers and manyfolde
Then I haue here in this place set in by name
Therfore I nowe for this tyme passe the same
To loke vpon straungers vertuous and excellēt
The fyrst was Hannybal that in ordre went
The next was he that syngyng made his men
To haue the vyctory, and there folowed then
Achylles the Greke, that in his hauynge dayes
Gate by his prowes a great laude and prayse
Twayne noble worthy Troyans were there also
And twayne hardy Persiens in ordre ther did go
Philip of Macedon, and his sonne Alexander
That dyd bryng downe ye Persiens great power
Unto subiection, as in olde bookes we fynde
And conquered thervnto al the regyon of Inde
After noble fame they passed in that place
And another named Alexander folowed a pace
Not farre from the tother that went before
But O fortune howe doest thou euermore
Dyuyde those that in the put theyr truste
From true honoure thou arte so vniuste
There ensued in ordre there by and by
The gloryouse captayne valyaunt and worthy
Of Thebes that ryall Citie of hygh renowne
There was also he that had the famous crowne
And twayne Achilles, and the wyse Ulixes
And the hardy valiaunt greke Dyomedes
Nestor the sage that lyued so many yeares
There was the olde kynge amonge his peeres
Agamenon the great and the kynge Menelaus
That both his two wyues to to vngracious
Muche hurt vnto the hole worlde dyd they
Folowed hardy Leonydes that purposed I saye
To his men a harde dyner, but hardyest of all
Was the supper whereto he dyd them call
With a fewe men he dyd a meruelouse dede
Amonge the other there this captayne yede
There was also the fayre knyght Alcibiades
That dyd straunge & great wonders in Athenes
With his fayre eloquent speche and fayre face
Amonge the rest he was there in that place
Melciedes was next that made all Grece free
His sonne folowed the example of pytye
That alyue and dead his father dyd ensue
And among the other in preace there I knewe
The nustoctes and the valyaunt Theseus
Arystides and the good faythfull Fabricius
Whiche theyr vnkynde countrey I do saye
Woulde not suffre theyr bodyes to lye in claye
Alas this was a foule and an vnkynde dede
So to reward them for theyr well doynge mede
The good Phocion folowed whom I did regard
For his good dedes they gaue hym lyke rewarde
And as I turned here and there my syght
I sawe Pyrrus that noble warlyke knyght
And the good gentle kynge Masinises
That semed angry because that doubtles
Amonge the Romaynes that he was not set
With hym I knewe Iero of Syracuse the greate
And cruell Amylcar deuyded from these twayne
It was he that yssued from the fyre and rayne
A manyfest token that nether helme nor shielde
Agaynst false fortune can neuer wynne the fyelde
There was Sciphas much after that rate & sorte
and Brennius for all his great pryde and porte
That was cast downe by Apollos temple syde
after the other in ordre there he hyde
In dyuers straunge garmentes and araye
Went this tryumphe onwarde on theyr waye
And I that chaunced to cast my loke asyde
I sawe a great huge number go and ryde
amonge them one that would Gods temple make
and he fyrst began it for his loue and sake
This was the fyrst I saye in all that rowte
But he that fynyshed that worke out of doubte
That holy buyldyng of whiche that I do meane
Was not inwarde so vertuouse nor so cleane
as the fyrst good kynge wheron I do saye
Nowe he that folowed him in that greate arraye
Was he that spake to God face to face
There was few or none that euer had such grace
And after hym in lyke order by and by
Came he that stayde the Sonne so wonderly
Tyll he his enemies had taken and slayne
O gentle trust most sure and certayne
In seruynge God as dyd this noble knyght
With symple worde to stay the heauenly lyght,
I sawe after hym where that there went
Our olde father whiche for good entent
God badde he shoulde his lande forsake
And he for that shoulde possesse and take
The place that was helthfull to all mankynde
Electe of God there dyd he that countre fynde
Folowed after this father his sonne moost dere
And his welbeloued neuew also he was there
Whiche had the yoke in hauynge wyues two
There was with hym the chast Ioseph also
That from his father went full many a daye
Thus here and there castynge myne eyes alwaye
I sawe the iuste and good kynge Ezechias
And Sampson that so stronge and myghtye was
And not farre distaunt from hym there went he
That made the great wonderfull shyppe of Noe
And he also that the great hygh towre began
Charged with synne and with errour than
The good valyaunt Iudas that noble knyght
He there folowed after in ordre ryght
That would not his holy godly lawe forsake
Alas he for Iustice the death dyd take
My desyre with seyng all these noble men
Was well nere fully satisfyed there and then
When that sodenly I dyd there espye
Of worthy ladyes a more gorgeous company
That pleased my syght as much or more
As all the syght that I had sene before
There sawe I goyng together in a bande
Antiope and Arithia well armyd stand
And fayre swete Ipolita sory and sadde
Because that no comforth of her sonne she had
And Manylipe that vanquished Hercules
And her Suster also was there in prese
The tone Hercules toke vnto hys wyfe
The tother with Theseus led her lyfe
There folowed the hardy wydowe that dyd se
Hyr dere sone slayne most constantly
And reuenged hys death vpon kyng Cyrus
It was a noble hardy acte and valerouse
She abatyd therby so his gloriouse fame
That wel nere it blotted his dedes & eke his name
There was also she her selfe that lost her ioye
By great mysfortune comming vnto Troye
And among other that bolde Lady of Italye
That domagid bi armes the Troiās maruelously
And euen by her went that hardy Lady
That halfe her fayre here bounde vp curiously
And let the tother for to hange besyde
Tyll she abatyd the babilonicall pryde
Cleopatra that was burnte with loues fyre
There she was with all her hote desire
And among the thickest of the prese
Was Xenobia which was doutelesse
Wondre fayre and swete for to beholde
Soo much of hardines her high harte dyd holde
That with her helme of stele on her hedde
She put in daunger in feare and eke in dreade
The high mightye Emperoure of Rome towne
Tyll fortune vnkynde dyd thrawe her downe
That at the last she was made I saye
Unto the Romaynes a great huge pray
And albeit that I do here forgete
Both men and women that wer highe and great
Yet the chast Iudeth wyll I call to mynde
That slewe dronken Holyferne in loue blynde
And dronken as he lay routing in his bedde
Wyth hys owne sworde she smote of his hedd
But alas why do I present her forget
That noble gentelman among the rest to sett
Which pride brought from his trone doūe opprest
To lyue seuen yeares as a brutyshe beste
Or why do I not remember in this place
Zorastro that the fyrst Inuentor was
Of arte magyke of Errour the ground
Or why art not thys twayne here founde
That passyd Euphrates and put Italye to sorow
Or Metridates that both euen and morowe
To the Romaynes was ennemie perpetuall
And wynter and somer fled ouer all
Great thynges in fewe wordes I do tell
Where is kyng Arthur that dyd excell
And the thre Cesares surnamed Augustus
One was of Aufryke a Prynce gloriouse
The tother he was of the Regyone of Spayne
And the thyrde of the country of Lorrayne
But setting this nobles for a whyle a syde
The good Godfrey after fame faste hyde
Surnamed Bulleyne that toke with his hand
Iherusalem the Cytie and eke the holy lande
Nowe alas I say a place neclecte of vs
Wherfore ryght well I may saye thus
Go ye proude and wreched christen men
And consume the tone the tother then
And care not for shame among you at all
Though dogges possesse the sepulcre royall
Alas why do you suffer it for pitie
But after these as farre as I coulde se
Fewe or none was that deserued fame
Sauing that behynde there went by name
One Sarracene that dyd much payne and wo
To christen men it is euen playnely soo
and Saladyne after dyd folowe a great pase
and one Duke of Lancaster after there was
That with sheilde, and swerde, and bowe & launce
Was a sharpe scourge vnto the realme of fraunce
and thus marueylyng as I lokte all aboute
as one that was desyrouse amongest the route
To se more of these valliaunt men
At the last I dyd behold there and then
Twayne worthy men that lately alas dyd dye
There they went in that honorably companye
The good kyng Robert of Cecyll he was there
That with his wyse syght sawe fare and nere
and my good Columnes went in that arraye
Uallyaunt and free and constant alway.

The thirde Chapiter of Fame.

I coulde not in noo wyse away put my syght
From these greate honorable men of myght
When as me thoughte one to me dyd saye
Loke on the lefte hande there see thou may
The dyuyne Plato that goeth I say full nye
Unto the marke of fame euen by and by
Next vnto Plato Aristotle there he is
Pytagoras foloweth that mekely calde Iwys
Phylosophy he dyd geue it that name
Socrates and Xenophontes folowed the same
And that fyery olde auncient man
To whome the musys were so fraudely than
That dyscryued Argo Micena and Troye
Howe that for Helene they lost all their ioye
And he dyd wryte of Laertes sonne also
And of Achilles that was the Troyanes woo
He was the fyrst paynter it is so tolde
Of the auncient and venerable actes olde
There went with hym in that place hand in hand
The Mantuan poete I do well vnderstand
Stryuyng which of them should goo before
And there folowed after in hast more and more
He that as he passyde in that noble passe
It semed the flowres dyd spryng on the grasse
It is he the most eloquent Marcus Tullius
The selfe same eyes and the tunge gloriouse
Unto all the Latynes there there was he
And after hym there came Demostyne
That semyd to be not very well content
Because he was not accompted most excellent
To goo hymselfe next vnto worthy fame
He toke it to be to hym great wrong and shame
He semyd to be a lyghtnyng all one fyre
But next vnto hym all full of grete desyre
Went Eschyues which myght perceaue and se
Howe vnmete he was vnto Demostyne
I cannot saye in ordre nether wryte nor tell
Of one and other that dyd there exell
Nor howe I dyd them se nor when
Nor who went foremost nor hynmost then
For it were so to do to great a wondre
They went not fare these clarkes a sondre
But so thycke that both eye and mynd
In lokyng on them theyr names I could not find
But well I knowe that Solon he was there
That planted soo good holsome frute to bere
And yet to lytle effect at length it was
With hym the syx wyse sage grekes dyd pas
Which Grece doth boste of for theyr wyt
In one bande together they were knyt
and I dyd with these also well beholde
Uarro which all our nacione had enrolde
As theyr Duke the thyrde in place was he
Of all the Romaynes in that high degree
The more that I lokte vpon hym there
The more his face semed fayre and clere
Crispo Salustius went with him hande in hande
And Tytus Liuius by hym dyd there stande
Scant contented but lokyng very sadde
Because the fyrst honoure there he ne had
And as I loked fast on this Tytus Liuius
Came by me the excellent naturall Pluuius
Quick in wrytyng but quycker to the death
To muche boldenes dyd stoppe alas his breath
I sawe after hym the great clarcke Plotinus
That wenyng by hys lyfe solytariouse
To haue preuented his harde chaunce & destenye
yet fell he therin for truth this is no lye
His sage foresyght dyd profyt hym nothyng
When necessitie therto dyd hym brynge
There was in lykewyse among the rest also
Crasso, Antonio, and sage Hortensio
Sergius, Galba, and the disdayning Licinius
Whiche were to muche proude and to to curiouse
For with theyr tunges vntrue and vniuste
They sclaūdered Cicero they were ye lesse to trust
There folowed after Lucides in that pres
That ordeyned wt wisedome the howres doutles
And wrote of the battels & wher they were done
And Herodotus with his style holesome
And he beganne the crafty sciense of Geometre
The triangle and the rounde Arball in degre
And of the quadrant fyrme and fast also
The Sophisticall Porphirus next hym dyd go
And falsely dysputed agaynst our religion
And he of soo that with his disputacion
Made muche matter in his Amphorisomis
Apollo and Esculapius with hym is
Howbeit they were so auncyent and olde
That scant I could decerne what they would
There was one in that preace of Pargamo
His science is now past it is verye so
But in his tyme it was muche set by
Anaxarco without dread most hardye
And Denocrates more fyrme then a stone
So that there coulde no euyll temptation
Moue hym to any thinge that was vyle
Or by vnclennes his chast body defyle
There folowed hym self there Archemenides
With sadde regarde he stode in that pres
And the pensyfe Democryte next in ordre there
Blynde of both his eyes he had no pere
There was Hyppia also of great auncient age
That durst affyrme that he was so wyse and sage
That he knewe and vnderstode all thynge
Archisilao ensued not much vnlyke such rekening
That he accompted by hys scyence playne
All thynge to be doubtfull and certayne
I sawe Heraclito with wordes couert and close
And Diogenes folowyng his sensual purpose
That lytle shamed his desyre to ensue
Amonge the other this straunge clerke I knewe
And he that shewed a gladde mery chere
When al his landes were lost and other gere
There was also Dicearco the curyouse
Quintilian, Sceneke, and Plutarke the famouse
And after these excellent and connynge men
I sawe a great number together then
Disputinge of dyuers sundry cases
Not to knowe but to fynde secret places
One contrarye vnto the tother alwayes
That it semed there clateryng was lyke iayes
With a romblynge as the shyppes that be
In a raygne tempest vpon the large see
Euen as Lyons and serpentes hurle together
Withoute profyte nowe hyther nowe thyther
Was there disputation and after these than
Wyttye Carneades that well lerned man
That coulde with speach a case so fyle
That were it true or false hys subtyll style
It was harde his craft to knowe and discerne
He lyued longe without all syknes and harme
Tyll false enuy agaynst hym dyd soo aryse
That he coulde not although he were wyse
Resyst the fury of them that hym hatyd
Nor the veneme that agaynst hym was debatyd
There was also the bablynge Epicurus
That agaynst Cirus was greatlye contrariouse
That affirmed oure soules neuer to dye
This Epycure cleene contrary dyd denye
And sayd that our soules were very mortall
And perysshes as best soules do with the body all
Wherby he deserued to haue reproue and blame
And scant worthy for to folowe fame
I sawe dyuers other folowinge thys secte
Lyppo and Metrodorus and Aristippus ye electe
For theyr excellent conninge that they then hade
Praysed greatly though theyr saynges were bad
There was also that Phylozopher yt in very dede
Spune the subtle and wonderouse crafty threde
Hys wyt was so excellent and his learning so fine
That he semed to haue a knowledge deuyne
zemone the father of the Stoykes secte
Aboue the rest he was best electe
Well declared he as he dyd there stande
By the palme and closyng of his hande
Howe the truth was in eche season and case
For he so declared it with his wyse face
The vayne argumentes from the true euen so
That many after hym dyd ensue and go
Here I do leue to speake more of the rest
And nowe wyll tell of that thyng which is best.