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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| XX. |
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| XXI. |
CHAP. XXI
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| LXXIX. |
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CHAP. XXI
Albions England |  |
CHAP. XXI
This common murther of the Danes was common mirth to all
The English whom they did oppresse with slaueries not small,
Compelling men by grieuous Draught as beasts to plough their Land,
Of whom the thraled English as of Fiends, in terror stand.
The Husband durst not vse his Wife if liked of a Dane,
Not House nor Goods, nor ought he had, for who resists was slaine:
That frankes and feedeth daintily, This pines and fareth ill,
And of his sweat that hath the sweete, and is imperious still.
Each house maintained such a Dane, that so they might preuent
Conspiracies, if any were, and grope how mindes were bent:
Lord Dane the same was called then, to them a pleasing name,
Now odiously Lur-dane say we, when idle Mates we blame.
When Swaine the Dacia King did hear his Danes were murthered so,
With bitter vowes he shipt his men for Englands ouerthroe:
And landing, spar'd nor shrine, nor Saint, nor Sex, nor any State,
Not wanting Aiders English-men, that held their King in hate.
Especially false Earicus the Admirall deceiues
His King and Countrey oftentimes, and Bribes of Swaine receiues:
And Egelred his cowardisse incouraged the Foe,
Till Swaine at length, for Masses great, was bribed hence to goe.
But making short returne, the Peeres of England that disdaine
Th' indignities of such a King, that did so feebly raigne,
Submit them Subiects vnto Swaine: and Egelred did flie
Vnto the Father of his Queene, the Duke of Normandie:
And Swaine, possessed of the land, did shortly after die.
The English whom they did oppresse with slaueries not small,
Compelling men by grieuous Draught as beasts to plough their Land,
Of whom the thraled English as of Fiends, in terror stand.
The Husband durst not vse his Wife if liked of a Dane,
Not House nor Goods, nor ought he had, for who resists was slaine:
That frankes and feedeth daintily, This pines and fareth ill,
And of his sweat that hath the sweete, and is imperious still.
Each house maintained such a Dane, that so they might preuent
103
Lord Dane the same was called then, to them a pleasing name,
Now odiously Lur-dane say we, when idle Mates we blame.
When Swaine the Dacia King did hear his Danes were murthered so,
With bitter vowes he shipt his men for Englands ouerthroe:
And landing, spar'd nor shrine, nor Saint, nor Sex, nor any State,
Not wanting Aiders English-men, that held their King in hate.
Especially false Earicus the Admirall deceiues
His King and Countrey oftentimes, and Bribes of Swaine receiues:
And Egelred his cowardisse incouraged the Foe,
Till Swaine at length, for Masses great, was bribed hence to goe.
But making short returne, the Peeres of England that disdaine
Th' indignities of such a King, that did so feebly raigne,
Submit them Subiects vnto Swaine: and Egelred did flie
Vnto the Father of his Queene, the Duke of Normandie:
And Swaine, possessed of the land, did shortly after die.
His sonne Canutus, present here, had Seazen of the Crowne,
Till Egelred, returning back, by Armor puts him downe:
Who scarcely giueth breathing time, but that he back resailes
From Denmarke, and by force, by friends, and fortune here preuailes:
For in this Warre King Egelred did sicken and decease:
And then the broiles (Canutus king) did for a time decrease,
Till Edmund, sonne of Egelred, did interrupt that peace.
Conferring Armes to Edmonds age, when Egelred did lie
Till Egelred, returning back, by Armor puts him downe:
Who scarcely giueth breathing time, but that he back resailes
From Denmarke, and by force, by friends, and fortune here preuailes:
For in this Warre King Egelred did sicken and decease:
And then the broiles (Canutus king) did for a time decrease,
Till Edmund, sonne of Egelred, did interrupt that peace.
On death-bed, to his sonne he said: not quite forlorne am I,
Whose life hath had so much of griefe thus gratiously to dye.
Ad more, thy vertues glad my death, yeat two things greeue among,
To leaue my Kingdom so in Warres, and thee for Warres to young,
So may these troubles weare to none as thou doest waxe I pray,
And so possesse thy Fathers Seate that all approoue thy sway.
Not to be made a King (my Sonne) is so to make thee proude,
For Mildenes fitteth maiestie, high mindes are disaloude.
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Nor thinke that euerie King hath hap to die a happie death.
Let nature for perfection molde a Paragon each way,
Yeat death at last on finest lumps of liuing flesh will pray:
For nature neuer framed it, that neuer shall decay.
The brauest are as blossomes, and the longest Liuer dies,
And dead, the louelest Creature as the lothsom'st Carrion lies.
Then thinke not but that kings are men, and as the rest miscarrie,
Saue that their fame or infamie continually doth tarry.
Deeme past Examples Sentences, and (which did fayle in me)
Make vse of those not now in vse, for now will cease to be.
Attempt not things beyond thy reach, ioyne fortune to thy will:
Least Phœbus Chaire do else surcharge rath Phaeton his skill.
If Fortune helpe whom thou would'st hurt, fret not at it the more:
When Aiax stormed, then from him the Prize Vlysses bore.
Try friends by touch, a feeble friend may proue thy strōngest Foe:
Great Pompeis head to Cæsars hand it was betrayed so.
Admit thou hadst Pactolion waues, to land thee Golde at will,
Know Cræsus did to Cyrus kneele, and thou maist speed as ill.
Abandon lust, if not for sinne, yeat to auoid the shame:
So Hogges of Ithacus his men the Latian Witch did frame.
Be not to moody in thy wrath, but pause though fist be bent:
Oft Philips Sonne did rashly strike, and leisurely repent.
Content thee with vnthreatned Meane, and play not AEsops Dogge:
The Golde that gentle Bacchus gaue did greedy Mydas clogge.
Be valiant, not too ventrous, but fight to fight againe:
Euen Hercules did hold it ods for one to striue with twaine.
Be not ambitiously a King, nor grudgingly decline:
One God did roote out Cis his stock, and raise vp Iesses line.
Iest not with edge tooles, suffer Saints, let mightie Fooles be mad
Note, Seneca by Neroes doome for Precepts pennance had
Haue care to whom, of whom, & what to speak, though speech be trew;
That Misse made Phœbus contrary his Rauens Swan-like hew.
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Perillus was by Phalaris adiudg'd to self-taught paine.
Prayse not the beautie of thy Wife, though she of forme be sped:
For Gyges, moued so, did graft on Candaules his head,
Shunne Ielousie that heart-breake loue, if Cat will will goe to kind,
Be sure that Io hath a meanes that Argus shall be blind.
Commit not Treasure with thy Child to greedy minded men:
Thou leauest Polydor a spoyle to Polymnestor then.
Occurrants giue occasions still of like, in which be sure
To serue thy God, to saue thy selfe, and well to all procure.
Be vertuous, and assure thy selfe thou canst not then but thriue:
In onely vertue it is said, that men themselues suruiue.
As for the vicious such they are as is the heedlesse Flye,
That killes it selfe, and hurts his sight that hath her in his eye.
Farewell my Sonne, England farewell, thy neuer happy Prince
Doth take his leaue, an happy leaue, if taken so long since.
And, Edmond (burying not with me thy vertues, nor my speech)
I blesse thee in his blested Name whom I of blesse beseech,
Said Egelred: and shortly gaue a quiet gaspe or twaine,
And being dead, his noble Sonne succeeded him in Raigne.
This like himselfe, euen Knight like and an English-man indeed,
Did quickē Englands quailing Prowes, & Mars-like did proceed.
Abrauer Captaine than was he not any band might haue:
And yeat a Mars did match this Mars, Canutus was as braue.
These wonders of that age for Armes, and Diris of those daies,
Did often battell, equally to eithers losse and praies.
Now, after many bloody Fields, when none might estimate
The better or the worser part, a Knight that saw the state.
Then present, and by likelyhoods presaged what might fall,
Said (hearing it, the differing Kings and Souldiers almost all:)
We euer warre, and neuer winne, Edmund hath Fortitude,
Canutus Fortune, neither thus of other is subdude.
Death feares not vs, nor for their liues our Contraries doe care:
It followes then, that all must die wheare all so desprat are.
If all be slaine, then who shall serue our Princes that suruiue,
Or fence out Forrens? better one, then none of both should thriue.
To thriue therefore, were not a-misse, that seeing one of twaine
Will Owner all, that onely they the quarrell doe maintaine
Or if Combattensie not please, the Land is rich and large,
And they Copernicers may liue, and vs of death discharge.
If Combat nor Partition be, then will his Warre reuiue,
Till one, suruiuing all of vs, wants one with whom to striue.
This said, the Kings did marke and make a profit of the same,
And did conclude by Combacye to winne or loose the Game.
Did quickē Englands quailing Prowes, & Mars-like did proceed.
Abrauer Captaine than was he not any band might haue:
And yeat a Mars did match this Mars, Canutus was as braue.
These wonders of that age for Armes, and Diris of those daies,
Did often battell, equally to eithers losse and praies.
Now, after many bloody Fields, when none might estimate
The better or the worser part, a Knight that saw the state.
Then present, and by likelyhoods presaged what might fall,
Said (hearing it, the differing Kings and Souldiers almost all:)
We euer warre, and neuer winne, Edmund hath Fortitude,
Canutus Fortune, neither thus of other is subdude.
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It followes then, that all must die wheare all so desprat are.
If all be slaine, then who shall serue our Princes that suruiue,
Or fence out Forrens? better one, then none of both should thriue.
To thriue therefore, were not a-misse, that seeing one of twaine
Will Owner all, that onely they the quarrell doe maintaine
Or if Combattensie not please, the Land is rich and large,
And they Copernicers may liue, and vs of death discharge.
If Combat nor Partition be, then will his Warre reuiue,
Till one, suruiuing all of vs, wants one with whom to striue.
This said, the Kings did marke and make a profit of the same,
And did conclude by Combacye to winne or loose the Game.
Within a little Island neare (round which the Armies stand)
The Kingly Champions trie their Force, by fighting hand to hand:
They spur their Horses, breake their Speares, and beat at Barriers long
And then, dismounting, did renew a Battell braue and strong.
Whil'st eyther King thus Martially defends, and did offend,
They breathing, King Canutus said: we both I see shall end,
Ere Empire shall begin to one, then be it at thy choyce
To fight, or part. With it their Knights, crie out with common voyce,
Deuide, most valiant Kings, deuide, enough ye haue of Fight:
And so the Champions did embrace, forgetting malice quite.
The Kingly Champions trie their Force, by fighting hand to hand:
They spur their Horses, breake their Speares, and beat at Barriers long
And then, dismounting, did renew a Battell braue and strong.
Whil'st eyther King thus Martially defends, and did offend,
They breathing, King Canutus said: we both I see shall end,
Ere Empire shall begin to one, then be it at thy choyce
To fight, or part. With it their Knights, crie out with common voyce,
Deuide, most valiant Kings, deuide, enough ye haue of Fight:
And so the Champions did embrace, forgetting malice quite.
Partition equally was made betwixt these Princes twaine,
And Brother-like they liue and loue: till by a deu'lish traine,
Earle Edricus, a Traytor to the Father and the Sonne,
Did murther Edmund: and his head (supposing to haue wonne
The fauour of Canutus so) presenting said (O King)
For loue of thee I thus haue done. Amazed at the thing,
Canutus said, and for that thou hast headed him for me,
Thy head aboue all English heads exalted it shall be:
The Earle was headed, & his head poold vp for all to see.
And Brother-like they liue and loue: till by a deu'lish traine,
Earle Edricus, a Traytor to the Father and the Sonne,
Did murther Edmund: and his head (supposing to haue wonne
The fauour of Canutus so) presenting said (O King)
For loue of thee I thus haue done. Amazed at the thing,
Canutus said, and for that thou hast headed him for me,
Thy head aboue all English heads exalted it shall be:
The Earle was headed, & his head poold vp for all to see.
Of England, Danske, and Norway then Canut was perfect Lord,
And in this triple Regiment all with vertue did accord.
Harold & Hards-knought his Sonnes each th' other did succeed:
Of either which small certaine Fame of well or ill we reed,
Saue by their Raignes to English-men did grieuous thraldom breed.
But after Hardi-knought his death the Danes were chased hence,
Not intermedling with the state of England euer since.
And in this triple Regiment all with vertue did accord.
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Of either which small certaine Fame of well or ill we reed,
Saue by their Raignes to English-men did grieuous thraldom breed.
But after Hardi-knought his death the Danes were chased hence,
Not intermedling with the state of England euer since.
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CHAP. XXI
Albions England | |