CHAP. XXVI.
Iohns
murther bred such murmure: But third Henry, Iohn his sonne,
Assisted chiefly by the Pope, his fathers Scepter wonne,
Who interdited Lewis till hee curst him into France,
And left to Henry prosperous raigne, till hapned this mischance.
A Parliament at Oxenford did derogate so much
From his prerogatiue as that the Quarrell grew to such
That ciuill warres betwixt the King and Barronage began,
Not ending, but with tragicke ends of many a worthy man,
Brother to brother, sire to sonne, and friend to friend was foe,
Allabouring (which they should vphold) their Countries ouerthrow:
Now was the King a Captiue, and the Barrons by and by
His Conquest, and the ciuill strife too fast begot supply:
My heart vn-apts mine hand to write the troth of it too trew,
Euen warres Idea, more then tong or eie can say or view:
But to conclude (which still concludes) the King he did subdue,
And shewes himselfe a gentle foe thus hauing wonne his peace,
And after liu'd in honour, and did happily decease:
Whose death (then warring with renowme in Syria) being knowne
To Edward, he resailed and possest his fathers Throne.
The hansell of the Scepter was, the Welchmen did rebell:
Of whom to Edward, though with losse, the victorie befell.
Then on the French he warred, and a Winner did resayle:
And for that Balioll (whom he made the King of Scots) did faile
His Homage, thence from Albanacke to England due and done,
Against the Scots he grieuous, but a glorious warre begun.
Not Barwicke, though for number bold vntill it flowed blood,
Nor any Scottish armes or hold, though infinite and good,
Might stay his awing prowesse, till he had their King his thrall,
And in that Land, by Conquest, made himselfe the Lord of all.
Then taking Scottish othes (which they did breake, and he reuenge)
With those exploits he French attempts as gloriously did menge.
Yea Paganes, French, Cambries, & Scots, remembring but his name,
Cannot forget their skares he made, though enuious of his Fame,
Matchles for Cheualrie, and yeat his iustice matcht the same:
Not partiall for the Prince his Sonne, a rash vnbridled youth,
Whom he imprison'd, hearing of his outrages the truth,
And vnto whom he, dying, spake words worth report and ruth.
My life (quoth he) a warfare right in body and in soule,
Resignes my robed carkasse to be rotted in the moule:
If well I did, well shall I doe, if ill, as ill and worse,
And therefore (Ned) worke as I will vpon my blesse or curse.
When thou becom'st an earthly God mens liues to ouersee,
Forget not that Eternall God that ouerlooketh thee.
The least part of a King is his, allowing him, and none
Lesse priuate then a Prince, the weale or woe of euery one:
He and his People make but one, a body weake or strong,
As doth the head the lims or lims the head assist or wrong.
Deriue thy lawes from wisest heads, to be vpholden still,
Not adding or abstracting as conceited Tier-braines will.
Be cheerfull, and in worke nor word be neither proud or hot:
No sincere loue, but seruile feare, or neither, so is got.
Encourage good Men by thy loue: reforme the bad by lawe:
Reserue an eare for either Plea: and borrow least of awe.
Oppresse not rich men, seeking so to please the poore, for neither
Is to be doomed, but as right or wrong is found in either.
To loyter well deserued gifts is not to giue but sell,
When to requite ingratitude were to doe euill well:
And (which, saue for the ill-mist ill, might else haue beene forgot)
Be choyse, but chuse, for wiuelesse haue each stranger, place, & shot,
Their heire, their home, & cost, which, saue the last, indeed are not.
Reforme thee euen to day, vnapt to day lesse apt to morrow,
Youth aptly offers vertues such as yeeres vnaptly borrow:
For he that plies the lappes and lippes of Ladies all his prime,
And falles to Armes, age failing Armes, then also looseth time.
Well haue I driuen out my date, and well thy daies shall runne,
If thou prooue not my Glories graue, nor I plauge in my Sonne
The ouer-weening of thy wits doth make thy Foes to smile,
Thy Friends to weepe, & Clawbacks thee with Soothings to beguile:
Yea, those thy Purses Parasites, vnworthie thine Estate,
Doe loue thee for themselues, nor will they leaue thee but too late:
I blesse thee; if thou banish them, and curse thee, if they bide,
My blisse and curse be at thy choyce: And so he shortly dide.
Forthwith as second Edward, sonne to Edward, wore the Crowne,
He to promote his Flatterers did put his Nobles downe:
So Robert Bruze, then King of Scots, found ingresse for his Armes,
Recouering Scottish forces, and did spoyle our men by swarmes:
Barwicke in fine and all erst wonne and more then all was lost,
Yeat of more multeous Armies we than Scotland were at cost.
No Land deuided in it selfe can stand, was found too true,
To worser then the wars abroad the home-bred Quarrels grew:
Grange-gotten Pierce of Gauelstone, and Spensers two like sort,
Meane Gentlemen, created Earles, of chiefe account and port,
Enuying all equalitie, contriue of many a Peere
The wrested death, those fewe that liue liu'd mal-contented heere.
Good Thomas Earle of Lancaster, on whom the rest relye,
The chiefe and grauest of the Peeres, did, ouer-watred, flye
Into the woods, whereas himselfe and state he did bewray
Vnto an Hermite, vnto whom he, sighing thus did say.
Happy are you sequestred thus: for (so I may deuine)
Our common wracke of common weale, for how it doth decline
Through wilde and wanton Guydes in part I feele, in part I aime,
By Presidents too like and fire too likely heere to flame,
Heare (if you haue not heard) what fire, our leisure fits the same.
