Albions England A Continued Historie of the same Kingdome, from the Originals of the first Inhabitants thereof: With most the chiefe Alterations and Accidents theare hapning, vnto, and in the happie Raigne of our now most gracious Soueraigne, Queene Elizabeth: Not barren in varietie of inuentiue and historicall Intermixtures: First penned and published by William Warner: and now reuised, and newly inlarged by the same Author: Whereunto is also newly added an Epitome of the whole Historie of England |
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| XXVI. |
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| XXVII. |
CHAP. XXVII.
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| XXVIII. |
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CHAP. XXVII.
Albions England |  |
CHAP. XXVII.
To lose an Earledome, and to liue an exile what it is
I cannot tell, but not to haue what may be lost were blis.
I will not speake of Coiture, nor of Conception, naither
It fits I should, for neuer made I Grandsier of my Father:
But mine experience at our birth begins it birth, I speake
How than doe we no creature worlds lesse helpefull or more weake.
From birth our Infancy throughout we liue as not aliue,
To others diuersly a care, we sencelesse how we thriue.
No sooner we vncradell, be we females be we boyes,
But we affect so many, and (God wot) such foolish toyes,
And are so apt for dangers, and vnapt to shift the same,
As aptly vanities by terme of childishnes we blame.
Thence grow we to more strength and sence, still senceles howbeit
Of vice of vertue, bettring by correction, nor by wit,
Gamesome, not caring who takes care, nor can we saue or git.
Next but demies, nor boyes, nor men, our daungerous times succeede,
For vanities, erst aymed at, we shortly act in deede,
Wilde roysting, wanton loue, or else vnthriftie shots and game
Doe cuppell, ere we finde our fault, distresse vnto defame.
Perhaps, experience beating vs, doth bid vs lay to thriue,
The first degree to which say (some) is warely to wiue:
But, wiued, if our Sainct become (as not vnlike) a Shroe,
Then is that first degree to thrift the third degree in woe.
Or be it she be constant, wise, well intertayning, faire,
Doe graunt her silence, patience, and what vertues els be rare,
Yeat by how much more shee deserues so much more we desire
To please and profit such an one, for whom on hers we tire
Our selues and sences, yea perchance, labour the most we may,
Much labour is too little that should houshold charge defray.
We, aged, carke to liue and leaue an ouerplus in store:
Perhaps for Spendals: so amidst abundance liue we poore:
Our heires waxe sickishe of our health, too long our heere abod,
Meane while the neerer to our graues the further we from God:
Grippell in workes, testy in words, lothsome for most at length,
And such at fourescore as at foure for manners, witte, and strength.
Thus Infancie is feeble, and our lustie youth vnstayde,
Our manhood carking, and our age more lothed than obayde.
And thus from first to last our liues be fruiteles and vnqueate:
But you, perhaps, expect I should of nouelties intreate.
I haue no tales of Robin Hood, though mal-content was he
In better daies, first Richards daies, and liu'd in woods as we
A Tymon of the world: but not deuoutly was he soe,
And therefore praise I not the man: But for from him did groe
Words worth the note, a word or twaine of him ere hence we goe,
I cannot tell, but not to haue what may be lost were blis.
I will not speake of Coiture, nor of Conception, naither
It fits I should, for neuer made I Grandsier of my Father:
But mine experience at our birth begins it birth, I speake
How than doe we no creature worlds lesse helpefull or more weake.
From birth our Infancy throughout we liue as not aliue,
To others diuersly a care, we sencelesse how we thriue.
No sooner we vncradell, be we females be we boyes,
But we affect so many, and (God wot) such foolish toyes,
And are so apt for dangers, and vnapt to shift the same,
As aptly vanities by terme of childishnes we blame.
Thence grow we to more strength and sence, still senceles howbeit
Of vice of vertue, bettring by correction, nor by wit,
Gamesome, not caring who takes care, nor can we saue or git.
Next but demies, nor boyes, nor men, our daungerous times succeede,
For vanities, erst aymed at, we shortly act in deede,
Wilde roysting, wanton loue, or else vnthriftie shots and game
Doe cuppell, ere we finde our fault, distresse vnto defame.
132
The first degree to which say (some) is warely to wiue:
But, wiued, if our Sainct become (as not vnlike) a Shroe,
Then is that first degree to thrift the third degree in woe.
Or be it she be constant, wise, well intertayning, faire,
Doe graunt her silence, patience, and what vertues els be rare,
Yeat by how much more shee deserues so much more we desire
To please and profit such an one, for whom on hers we tire
Our selues and sences, yea perchance, labour the most we may,
Much labour is too little that should houshold charge defray.
We, aged, carke to liue and leaue an ouerplus in store:
Perhaps for Spendals: so amidst abundance liue we poore:
Our heires waxe sickishe of our health, too long our heere abod,
Meane while the neerer to our graues the further we from God:
Grippell in workes, testy in words, lothsome for most at length,
And such at fourescore as at foure for manners, witte, and strength.
Thus Infancie is feeble, and our lustie youth vnstayde,
Our manhood carking, and our age more lothed than obayde.
And thus from first to last our liues be fruiteles and vnqueate:
But you, perhaps, expect I should of nouelties intreate.
I haue no tales of Robin Hood, though mal-content was he
In better daies, first Richards daies, and liu'd in woods as we
A Tymon of the world: but not deuoutly was he soe,
And therefore praise I not the man: But for from him did groe
Words worth the note, a word or twaine of him ere hence we goe,
Those daies begot some mal-contents, the Principall of whome
A County was, that with a troope of Yomandry did rome,
Braue Archers and deliuer men, since nor before so good,
Those tooke from rich to giue the poore, and manned Robin Hood.
He fed them well, and lodg'd them safe in pleasant Caues and bowers,
Oft saying to his merry men, what iuster life than ours?
Here vse we Tallents that abroad the Churles abuse or hide,
Their Coffers excrements, and yeat for common wants denide.
We might haue sterued for their store, & they haue dyc'st our bones,
Whose tongues, driftes, harts, intice, meane, melt, as Syrens, Foxes, stones,
Yea euē the best that betterd thē heard but aloofe our mones.
And redily the Churles could prie and prate of our amis,
Forgetfull of their owne, when their reproofes had proofe as this:
It was at midnight when a Nonne, in trauell of a childe,
Was checked of her fellow Nonnes for being so defilde:
The Lady Prioresse heard a stirre, and starting out of bed,
Did taunt the Nouasse bitterly, Who, lifting vp her hed,
Sayd, Madame, mend your hood (for why so hastely she rose,
That on her hed, mistooke for hood, she donde a Channons hose.)
I did amis, not missing friends that wisht me to amend:
I did amend, but missed friends when mine amis had end:
My friends therefore shall finde me true, but I will trust no frend.
Not one I knewe that wisht me ill, nor any workt me well,
To lose, lacke, liue, time, frends, in yncke, an hell, an hell, an hell:
Then happie we (quoth Robin Hood) in merry Sherwood that dwell.
Thus sayd the Out-lawe: But no more of him I list to tell.
Grammarian-like, in order wordes significant to speake,
Logitian-like, to reason pro and contra am I weake:
Rhetoricall I am not with a fluant tongue to ster:
Arithmaticke in numbring hath substracted me from her:
Geometric her Plattes, Bownes, and proportions passe my strayne:
Not Musick with her Concords or her Discords breakes my braine:
Nor yeat Astronomie, whose Globes doth Heauen and earth containe:
Let faire Mnemosine her broode their thrise-three-selues explaine.
Expect not here Anatomies of Lands, Seas, Hell, and Skyes,
Such length, bredth, depth, and height I balke: nor would I be so wise,
Least, knowing all things els, I should not knowe my selfe precise,
The Skyes containe the fierie Lights, Clowdes moysture, & the Aire
Windes, Birds & Vapors, men & Beasts the vpper Earth doth beare,
Her Bowels Wormes and Mettals, Seas o Fishes proper are:
Whom this Astrologie, and this Cosmographie mislike,
Beneath the Earth, beyond the Moone, further then farre must seeke.
Signes workings, Planets Iunctures, and the eleuated Poale,
With thousand toyes and tearmes wherein our curious Artists roale,
Be strangers to my Cell, yeat loe as sound a minde and heart
As theirs that calculate their times, eate, sleepe, and wake by arte.
What was the world before the world, or God ere he was God,
Why this he did, or doth not that, his bidden, or forbod,
I dare not thinke, or arrogate such Mysteries deuine,
Faith with her Fruites significant suffice these wits of mine,
To loue God, and our neighbour as our selfe is all in fine.
One Law and Gospell was and is, and eithers drift is thus,
To shew vs how the law doth kill, and Gospell quicken vs:
Which Corasiue and Lenatiue of Simples made compound
Do rather cure, he kindly heales that also feeles his wound.
This is my rest: if more I knew I should but know too much,
Or build in my conceited brayne too high aboue my touch,
Or else against the haire in all prooue toyous: euen such
As be too many blockish Clerkes and bookish Clownes, extreeme
In all things, saue in honesty, that haue no zeale but seeme.
As for the Court it is, you know, become a skittish Coult,
Of wise men hardlier mannaged than of the glorious doult,
Vice rides on horse backe, vertue doth from out the saddell boult.
Theare all deformities in forme in some one man we see,
More garded than regarded, franke not to continue free,
When as the Marchants booke the Map of all his wealth shalbee.
The Muses bacely begge, or bibbe, or both, and must, for why?
They finde as bad Bestoe as is their Portage beggerly:
Yea now by melancholie walkes and thred-bare coates we gesse
At Clyents and at Poetes: none worke more and profit lesse,
None make to more, vnmade of more, the good of other men,
For those inrich our Gownests, these eternize with their pen:
Yeat, soothly, nodds to Poets now weare largisse, and but lost,
Since for the Noddant they obserue no pen-note worth the cost,
For pallace. Hermites liue secure obscure in roufes imbost.
Some few there be much honored (well woorthie of so much,
Once wanting, wealthie, then and now in either fortune such:
But many a bace-stoute blood there is more lordly than be Lords,
Who wheare himselfe once coucht & bowde nor cap or beck affords:
But should we sinne (God shield we should in smallest sinnes offend)
What smaller sinne then skoffe such fooles so skornefull to no end?
The Souldiers haue nor pay nor pray, but (if I may be bolde)
Themselues be prayed vpon by some that do it vncontroulde:
And whilst the same on shore or seas be ouer set or pine,
Or Cuppes on Cushions full secure we victorie define:
We cast what may be done, but keepe the helps meane time away,
And diet thriftily our friends to giue our foes a pray.
The Citizens, like ponned Pikes, the lessers feed the greate:
The rich for meate seeke stomackes, & the poore for stomacks meate:
And euery wheare no Gospell is more Gospelled than this,
To him that hath is giuen, from him that hath not taken is.
Court, Citie, Counttie, Campe, and I at ods, thus euen bee,
I intermeddle not with them, they intercept not mee,
For still I tether thence mine eyes, so heere my heart is free.
Beleeue mee, Sir, such is this world, this crosse-blisse world of ours
That Vertue hardly hides her selfe in poore and desart Bowres,
And such be best that seeme not best: Content exceeds a Crowne:
They may be richer, but more sweete my pennie than their powne:
For wrest they, cark they, build they, sport they, get they worlds together,
At first or last they die frō al, & passe they wot not whether:
Then comes their pelfe in plea, themselues not praysed at a feather:
And then (for so the Princes of great Alexander did,
Greedie of his, they stroue and let the dead-man stinke vnhid)
Then he that had a Countrie hath, perhaps, a Coffen now:
Perhaps lesse Cost, a Sheete and corse: perhaps, his heires allow
The toombe himselfe aliue had build, els toombles might he lye,
As, saue for fashion, rearelesse: And it matters not, for why?
Testators and Executors so giue and so receaue,
As doubtfull whethers ioy or griefe is more to take or leaue:
For, as do hogges their troughes to hounds, so these giue and get place,
Death, not the Dier, giues bequestes, and therefore but Graue-grace.
Nor all die testate: if they doe, yet wieles may wills preuent,
Or what by rigor was misgot, in ryote is mispent.
Then Churles, why are they Churles vnto themselues and others too,
The good that commeth of their goods is good themselues shall doo.
But men doe walke in shadoes, and disquiet themselues in vaine
To gather Riches, ignorant to whom they shall remaine.
The world thus brooding Vanities, and I obseruing it,
Here in the world, not of the world, such as you see me sit.
A County was, that with a troope of Yomandry did rome,
Braue Archers and deliuer men, since nor before so good,
Those tooke from rich to giue the poore, and manned Robin Hood.
He fed them well, and lodg'd them safe in pleasant Caues and bowers,
Oft saying to his merry men, what iuster life than ours?
Here vse we Tallents that abroad the Churles abuse or hide,
133
We might haue sterued for their store, & they haue dyc'st our bones,
Whose tongues, driftes, harts, intice, meane, melt, as Syrens, Foxes, stones,
Yea euē the best that betterd thē heard but aloofe our mones.
And redily the Churles could prie and prate of our amis,
Forgetfull of their owne, when their reproofes had proofe as this:
It was at midnight when a Nonne, in trauell of a childe,
Was checked of her fellow Nonnes for being so defilde:
The Lady Prioresse heard a stirre, and starting out of bed,
Did taunt the Nouasse bitterly, Who, lifting vp her hed,
Sayd, Madame, mend your hood (for why so hastely she rose,
That on her hed, mistooke for hood, she donde a Channons hose.)
I did amis, not missing friends that wisht me to amend:
I did amend, but missed friends when mine amis had end:
My friends therefore shall finde me true, but I will trust no frend.
Not one I knewe that wisht me ill, nor any workt me well,
To lose, lacke, liue, time, frends, in yncke, an hell, an hell, an hell:
Then happie we (quoth Robin Hood) in merry Sherwood that dwell.
Thus sayd the Out-lawe: But no more of him I list to tell.
Grammarian-like, in order wordes significant to speake,
Logitian-like, to reason pro and contra am I weake:
Rhetoricall I am not with a fluant tongue to ster:
Arithmaticke in numbring hath substracted me from her:
Geometric her Plattes, Bownes, and proportions passe my strayne:
Not Musick with her Concords or her Discords breakes my braine:
Nor yeat Astronomie, whose Globes doth Heauen and earth containe:
Let faire Mnemosine her broode their thrise-three-selues explaine.
Expect not here Anatomies of Lands, Seas, Hell, and Skyes,
Such length, bredth, depth, and height I balke: nor would I be so wise,
Least, knowing all things els, I should not knowe my selfe precise,
The Skyes containe the fierie Lights, Clowdes moysture, & the Aire
Windes, Birds & Vapors, men & Beasts the vpper Earth doth beare,
Her Bowels Wormes and Mettals, Seas o Fishes proper are:
134
Beneath the Earth, beyond the Moone, further then farre must seeke.
Signes workings, Planets Iunctures, and the eleuated Poale,
With thousand toyes and tearmes wherein our curious Artists roale,
Be strangers to my Cell, yeat loe as sound a minde and heart
As theirs that calculate their times, eate, sleepe, and wake by arte.
What was the world before the world, or God ere he was God,
Why this he did, or doth not that, his bidden, or forbod,
I dare not thinke, or arrogate such Mysteries deuine,
Faith with her Fruites significant suffice these wits of mine,
To loue God, and our neighbour as our selfe is all in fine.
One Law and Gospell was and is, and eithers drift is thus,
To shew vs how the law doth kill, and Gospell quicken vs:
Which Corasiue and Lenatiue of Simples made compound
Do rather cure, he kindly heales that also feeles his wound.
This is my rest: if more I knew I should but know too much,
Or build in my conceited brayne too high aboue my touch,
Or else against the haire in all prooue toyous: euen such
As be too many blockish Clerkes and bookish Clownes, extreeme
In all things, saue in honesty, that haue no zeale but seeme.
As for the Court it is, you know, become a skittish Coult,
Of wise men hardlier mannaged than of the glorious doult,
Vice rides on horse backe, vertue doth from out the saddell boult.
Theare all deformities in forme in some one man we see,
More garded than regarded, franke not to continue free,
When as the Marchants booke the Map of all his wealth shalbee.
The Muses bacely begge, or bibbe, or both, and must, for why?
They finde as bad Bestoe as is their Portage beggerly:
Yea now by melancholie walkes and thred-bare coates we gesse
At Clyents and at Poetes: none worke more and profit lesse,
None make to more, vnmade of more, the good of other men,
For those inrich our Gownests, these eternize with their pen:
Yeat, soothly, nodds to Poets now weare largisse, and but lost,
135
For pallace. Hermites liue secure obscure in roufes imbost.
Some few there be much honored (well woorthie of so much,
Once wanting, wealthie, then and now in either fortune such:
But many a bace-stoute blood there is more lordly than be Lords,
Who wheare himselfe once coucht & bowde nor cap or beck affords:
But should we sinne (God shield we should in smallest sinnes offend)
What smaller sinne then skoffe such fooles so skornefull to no end?
The Souldiers haue nor pay nor pray, but (if I may be bolde)
Themselues be prayed vpon by some that do it vncontroulde:
And whilst the same on shore or seas be ouer set or pine,
Or Cuppes on Cushions full secure we victorie define:
We cast what may be done, but keepe the helps meane time away,
And diet thriftily our friends to giue our foes a pray.
The Citizens, like ponned Pikes, the lessers feed the greate:
The rich for meate seeke stomackes, & the poore for stomacks meate:
And euery wheare no Gospell is more Gospelled than this,
To him that hath is giuen, from him that hath not taken is.
Court, Citie, Counttie, Campe, and I at ods, thus euen bee,
I intermeddle not with them, they intercept not mee,
For still I tether thence mine eyes, so heere my heart is free.
Beleeue mee, Sir, such is this world, this crosse-blisse world of ours
That Vertue hardly hides her selfe in poore and desart Bowres,
And such be best that seeme not best: Content exceeds a Crowne:
They may be richer, but more sweete my pennie than their powne:
For wrest they, cark they, build they, sport they, get they worlds together,
At first or last they die frō al, & passe they wot not whether:
Then comes their pelfe in plea, themselues not praysed at a feather:
And then (for so the Princes of great Alexander did,
Greedie of his, they stroue and let the dead-man stinke vnhid)
Then he that had a Countrie hath, perhaps, a Coffen now:
Perhaps lesse Cost, a Sheete and corse: perhaps, his heires allow
The toombe himselfe aliue had build, els toombles might he lye,
136
Testators and Executors so giue and so receaue,
As doubtfull whethers ioy or griefe is more to take or leaue:
For, as do hogges their troughes to hounds, so these giue and get place,
Death, not the Dier, giues bequestes, and therefore but Graue-grace.
Nor all die testate: if they doe, yet wieles may wills preuent,
Or what by rigor was misgot, in ryote is mispent.
Then Churles, why are they Churles vnto themselues and others too,
The good that commeth of their goods is good themselues shall doo.
But men doe walke in shadoes, and disquiet themselues in vaine
To gather Riches, ignorant to whom they shall remaine.
The world thus brooding Vanities, and I obseruing it,
Here in the world, not of the world, such as you see me sit.
The Earle did well allow his words, and would haue liu'd his life,
Durst he haue stayd, for whom pursute in euery place was rife:
He reconuenting armes therefore, and taken Prisnor so,
Died to his Countries friends a friend, and to her foes a foe.
Nor might that Queene & Kings owne Son escape the Spencers pride,
Durst he haue stayd, for whom pursute in euery place was rife:
He reconuenting armes therefore, and taken Prisnor so,
Died to his Countries friends a friend, and to her foes a foe.
But, fearing, fled to France, & there as banished abide:
Till thence supplanted, safetie at Henaude they prouide.
Iohn, brother to the Earle, a Knight of Chiualrie the chiefe,
With little, but a luckie band, was shipte for their reliefe.
No sooner had the Zealand ships conuaide their men ashore,
But English Succors daily did increase their Standerds more.
Yeat first the Queene, Prince Edward, and the Nobles humbly craue
Theirs and theirs Countries enemies, but no redresse might haue:
And then Sir Iohn of Henaude shewed himselfe a warrior braue.
The King, his wicked Councellors, his big Vpstarts, and all
Were ouercome: So Spencers both from heauen to hell did fall,
Put to a fowle and shamefull death: with others that misled
The King in Out-rages more great than earst in England bred.
137
Nor was an ancient English Peere vnbanisht or aliue:
Yea forraine and domesticke Swords, Plague, Famine, and Exile,
Did more than tythe, yea tythe of men within this Ile.
Of Baldricks, Hoodes, Tabrides, and Furres, from Knights disgraded tore,
Attaintures of Nobility, and Armes reuersed store,
So many Spurres hewen off the heeles, and Swords broke ouer head,
Were through a King so light and lewd a Councell neuer read.
The King in prison and depos'd, tyrannised, he dide
By Trecheries of Mortimer that ruld the Roste that tide,
Whilst Edward, in Minoritie, his Fathers throne supplide.
|
CHAP. XXVII.
Albions England | |