"Faire maide,' quoth he, beleeue me faire

And all so faire thou art
"That, weare I Henry England's king,
Thou shouldst be England's queene:
But so must fayle, for Elenour
Already is betweene.

"He bod me buy thy loue, if so
It might be bought with golde,
If not, he bod me sweare he loues:
In fayth he loues, be bolde:
"He bod me aske, if so he came,
What should his welcome be,
And if, perhaps, he lated weare
If he should lodge with thee:
Protesting secreasie thereof
Fo all, vnlesse to me,

"With promise to performe at full
Each promise as I make it:
I promise loue, wealth, secresie,
Then promise thou to take it.'
"Content you, sir' (quoth Rosamund)
'You aime your markes amis:

I am not for his highnes, nor
For me his highnes is.

"And should he know (I shame he should)
Of this your brokage bace,

He would acquaint you what it weare
Your soueraigne to disgrace.

"Whoso you be, be still the same,

Or better if you may,

Think not lord Clifford's daughter will
Vn-maiden her fór pay,

But know, if Henry's selfe weere heere,
Himselfe should haue a nay.'

"Then know' (quoth he) which being knowen, Well maist thou know I loue thee,

I am the king, and for I am

The rather let it moue thee.

*In sooth, sweet wench, thou saiest nay
Thou knowest not whereto:
For, wheare my wish at work, lesse good
My wish than work would do.

"What, fearst thou shame? no shame to be Beloued of a king:

Or dread'st thou sinne? the pope for pay
Absolueth euery thing?

"Or doubt'st thou iealous Elenour?
I would remoue that doubt:

At Woodstock shall she finde thy bower,
But neuer finde thee out:

"Theare shalt thou passe a pleasant life,
Commanding me and mine:
Then loue, beloued Rosamund,
A king subiects him thine.'

"He kist, she blusht, and long it was
Ere loue from her he wroung,
For, whilst vp played in her heart,
It paused on her toung.

"Not Sibil's caue at Cuma, nor
The Labyrinth in Creat

Was like the bower of Rosamund,
For intricate and great.

"The pellicane theare neasts his bird
And sporteth oft with her,
Conducted by a clew of thread,
Els could he not but err.

"Henry,' quoth she, begonne, and he
Shall end my thoughts vnchast :'
Nor peach't she him, nor he, dismist,
Did hold himselfe disgrac'st.

"The king's three sons had notice of
Their father's leiman now,

So had the queene, and they of such
Corining disallowe.

"Came I from France queene dowager,
Quoth she, to pay so deere
For bringing him so great a wealth
As to be cuckquean'd here ?
"Am I so old a woman, he

So young a wanton growen,
As that I may not please, that pleas'd,
And still might with his owen?

"What is the drab, or tempting diuell?
Or wherefore doteth he?"

The French king once, himselfe euen now,
For faire preferred me.

"And hath he toyled vp his game?

And settels he to loue her?

Nor Heauen nor Hell shall crosse my course, But that I will remoue her.'

"Like Phrogne, seeking Philomel,

She seeketh for and found

The bower that lodg'd her husband's loue,
Built partly vnder ground:

"She entred, but so intricate

Weare turnings to and fro,
That welneere she had lost herselfe,
But could not find her foe:

"Yeat out she got, and backe she goes
With her attendants, who

Admire their furious mistresse, and
Mislike what she would doe.

"With her confederates oft she went,
Preuented of her will,

Howbeit, lastly did preuaile :

For hap did it so ill,

"That whilst the knight did issue out, Suspecting no assault,

He was assailed, and from him

His giding clewe they caught. "So wonne they vnto Rosamund: Whom when the queene did vew, Most brauely clad in rich attire, (Her selfe more rich of hew) "The beautie and the brauenes of The person and the place Amazed her and hers, who stoode

At gaze a certaine space.

"No maruell,' quoth the queene, that oft The court did mis the king,

Soone such an Hebe hither such

A lupiter might bring:

"Now, trust me, weare she not a whoore,

Or anie's whoore but his,

She should be pardon'd: but in faith
I must not pardon this.

"A queane coriuall with a queene?
Nay, kept at racke and manger?
A husband to his honest bed
Through her become a stranger?
Abide who list, abye she shall,
How so I buy the daunger.'
"Faire Rosamund surprised thus,
Eare thus she did suspect,
Fell on her humble knees, and did
Her fearefull hands erect:

"She blusht out beauty, whilst the teares

Did wash her pleasing face, And begged pardon, meriting

No lesse of common grace. "So farforth as it lay in me

I did,' quoth she, withstand, But what may not so great a king By meanes or force command?'

"And daerst thou, minion,' quoth the queene, 'Thus article to me?

That then wert non-plus when the king
Commenced lust to thee:

"Nay, best he take thee to the court,
Be thou his queene, doe call
Me to attendance, if his lust

May stand for law in all:

"I know it, strumpet, so harps he,

And thou doest hope the same: But loe I liue, and liue I will,

At least to marre that game.'
"With that she dasht her on the lippes,
So dyed double red:

Hard was the heart that gaue the blow,
Soft were those lips that bled.
"Then forc'st she her to swallow downe
(Prepar'd for that intent)

A poisoned potion: which dispatcht,

From whence they came they went,
"The wronged wench, the quintessence
Of beautie, and the same
(Saue that intised of a king)

Stoode free from all defame,
"Did forthwith sicken, so that helpe
For her might none be found,
When to the knight that garded her,
Then greeued of a wound,

"She sayd:

Weare it that Henry knew

His Rosamund weare thus,
No waightie busnes might withhold

But he would visit vs:

"Full well I lou'd and loue him still,
That should not loue him so,
And for I should not worthely
I labour of this woe.

"Ah, beauty! that betraies thy selfe
To euery amorous eye,

To trap thy proud possessors what

Is it but wantons trie?

"' Wheare-through it seldome haps the faire From meant deceits to flie:

At least the nicest faire aliue

Shall vanish once as I.
"Vaine beauty stoupe to vertue, for
This latter is for euer,
Whereas that former altreth

With euery ayre and feuer.

"I pray the queene of pardon, whom
I pardon from my hart:

Farewell, my present friends: but thou,
Sweet king, wheare so thou art,
"Ten thousand times farewell to thee:
My God, whom I offended,
Vouchsafe me mercy:' saying which,
Her life she sweetly ended.

"Thus did faire Rose (no longer rose,
Nor faire, in sent, or sight)
Whome pensiue Henry did inter,
And soone her wrong did right,
"The queene imprison'd, and his sonnes,
Rebelling, put to flight:

Thus wrought they sorrowes to themselues,
In wreaking of their spight,

"Nor lou'd the king thenceforth the queene, Or left to erre anew.

Now rests our other promis'd tale,
A common tale (if true)
"Like lesse had harmed Elenour,
And more may profite you :
Be bitter and it betters not,
Be patient and subdue :
"King Phillip is not gone but to
Returne, which when he shall,
Your maiestie must not exclaime
If so you would recall:

Impatience chaungeth smoke to flame,
But ielousie is Hell:

Some wines, by patience, haue reduc'st
Ill husbands to liue well,

As did this lady of an earle,
Of whom I now shall tell.

CHAP. XLII.

"An earle" (quoth he) "had wedded, lou'd, Was lon'd, and liued long

Full true to his fayre countesse, yeat
At last he did her wrong:
"Once hunted he, vntill the chace,
Long fasting, and the heate,

Did house him in a peakish graunge
Within a forrest great:

"Wheare, knowne, and welcom'd, (as the place And persons might afforde)

Browne bread, whig, bacon, curds, and milke, Were set him on the borde:

"A cushion made of lists, a stoole Half backed with a houpe,

Weare brought him, and he sitteth down

Besides a sorry coupe.

"The poore old couple wish't their bread

Were wheat, their whig were perry, Their bacon beefe, their milk and curds Weare creame, to make him mery. "Meane while (in russet neatly clad, With linnen white as swanne,

Her selfe more white, saue rosie wheare

The ruddy colour ranne,
"Whom naked nature, not the aydes
Of art, made to excell)

The good man's daughter sterres to see
That all were feat and well:

The earle did marke her, and admire
Such beautie there to dwell.

"Yeat fals he to their homely fare,
And hild him at a feast:
But as his hunger slaked, so

An amorous heat increast.

"When this repast was past, and thanks
And welcome too, he sayd
Vnto his oste and ostesse, in

The hearing of the mayde:

"Ye know' (quoth he) that I am lord
Of this and many townes,

I also know that you be poore,
And I can spare you pownes,

"So will I, so yee will consent
That yonder lasse and I

May bargaine for her loue, at least
Doe giue me leane to trie:

Who needs to know it? Nay, who dares
Into my doings prie?'

"First they mislike, yeat at the length

For lucar were mislead,

And then the gamesome earle did wowe
The damsel for his bead.

"He tooke her in his armes, as yet
So coyish to be kist

As mayds that know themselues belou'd,
And yeeldingly resist :

"In few, his offers were so large,

She lastly did consent,

With whome he lodged all that night,
And early home he went.

"He tooke occasion often times
In such a sorte to hunt,
Whome when his lady often mist,
Contrary to his wont,

"And lastly was informed of

His amorous haunt elsewhere, It greeu'd her pot a little, though She seem'd it well to beare.

"And thus she reasons with her selfe:

'Some fault perhaps in me, Some what is done that so he doth: Alas! what may it be?

"How may I winne him to my selfe?

He is a man, and men

Haue imperfections: it behooues

We pardon nature then,

"To checke him weare to make him checke, Although hee now were cha'ste:

A man controuled of his wife

To her makes lesser haste.

"If duetie then or daliance may
Preuayle to alter him,

I will be duetifull, and make
My selfe for daliance trim.'
"So was she, and so louingly
Did entertaine her lord,

As fayrer or more faultles none

Could be for bed or bord.

"Yet still be loues his leiman, and
Did still pursue that game,
Suspecting nothing lesse than that
His lady knew the same:

Wherefore, to make him know she knew,
She this deuise did frame.

"When long she had been wrong'd, and sought The fore sayd meanes in vaine,

She rideth to the simple graunge,
But with a slender traine:

"She lighteth, entreth, greets them well,
And then did looke about her:
The guiltie houshold, knowing her,
Did wish themselues without her,
Yeat, for she looked merily,

The lesse they did misdoubt her.
"When she had seene the beautious wench,
(Than blushing fairnes fairer)

Such beautie made the countesse hold
Them both excus'd the rather.

"Who wold not bite at such a bait?'

(Thought she) and who (though loth) So poore a wench, but gold might tempt? Sweet errors lead them both:

"Scarse one of twentie that hath brag'd
Of proffer'd gold denied,

Or of such yeelding beautie baulkt,
But (tenne to one) hath lied.'
"Thus thought she: and she thus declares
Her cause of comming thether:
'My lord, oft hunting in these partes,
Through trauell, night, or wether,
"Hath often lodged in your house,
I thanke you for the same,
For why it doth bim iolly ease
To lie so neere his game:
"But for you haue not furniture,
Beseeming such a guest,

I bring his owne, and come my selfe
To see his lodging drest.'

"With that two sumpters were discharg'd, '
In which were hangings braue,
Silke couerings, curtens, carpets, plate,
And all such turns should haue:
"When all was handsomly dispos'd,
She prayes them to haue caer

That nothing hap in their default
That might his health impaer.

"And, damsell,' quoth she, (for it seemes This houshold is but three,

And for thy parents' age that this
Shall chiefely rest on thee)

"Doe me that good, else would to God

He hither come no more.'

So tooke she horse, and ere she went
Bestowed gould good store.

"Full little thought the countie that
His countesse had done so,

Who, now return'd from farre affaires,
Did to his sweet-heart go.

"No sooner set he foote within
The late deformed cote,

But that the formall change of things
His woondring eies did note:

"But when he knew those goods to be
His proper goods (though late,
Scarce taking leaue) he home returnes
The matter to debate.

"The countesse was a bed, and he

With her his lodging tooke:

'Sir, welcome home,' (quoth she) 'this night For you I did not looke.'

"Then he did question her of such

His stuffe bestowed so.

"For sooth,' (quoth she) because I did

Your loue and lodging knoe,

"Your loue to be a proper wench,

Your lodging nothing lesse,

I hild it for your health the house
More decently to dresse.

"Well wot I, notwithstanding her,
Your lordship loueth me,
And greater hope to hold you such
By queat then brawles I see:
"Then for my duetie, your delight,

And to retaine your fauour,
All done I did, and patiently

Expect your better hauour.'

"Her patience, witte, and aunswere wrought

His gentle teares to fall,

When (kissing her a score of times)

Amend, sweete wife, I shall,'

He said, and did it: and your grace
May Phillip so recall."

But he (whoso he was) that thus

Had dubled tales to cease

Queene Marie's griefe, for Phillip's guile,
As well had hild his peace:

Her no perswading might disswade
From pensiuenes of hart,

Vntill that his vnkindnes in

Her death's scene acts its part.

But howsoere or whatsoere

Her cause of death might seeme,

Her death did many a good man's life
From tyrannie redeeme :

For, as in passion, so was she
In papistrie extreame.
And were not the abodement bad

At her to end our theame,
Our cattell vnto stronger draughts
We should and would voteame,
But to the head land shall our plough,
Vnles we breake our beame.

Yet ere we eare to it (for it

Shall be our holly-day)

Of somewhat sayd and somewhat scapt
Rests thus much by the way.

CHAP. XLIII.

BEFORE we toucht (and little els) What courses hapt at home, But now, in few, at forren aets Of natiue kings we rome:

Of British and of English kings,
More famous than the rest,
This sparing catalogue énsewes:
Whose deedes we thus digest.
Eneas' off-spring famous Brate,
Did set from Greekish thrall
Sixe thousand Phrygian knights: by him
Did Guyan Guffer fall:

He, conquering this ile, his name
Vnto his conquest gaue:

And of his Cornish Cambries men
Couragious yet we haue.

Yorke's builder, Ebranke, that subdu'de
The Cimbrians and the Gawles,
And built the best of Scottish townes,
Next in our nomber falls.
When Brennus and Belynus had

Eight spacious kingdomes wonne,
Had slaine two consulls, sacked Rome,
And matchles armes had done,
And built ten cities, best that be
In Italie this day,

Those kinglie brothers, as must all,
Their debt to nature pay.
Gurguinus slew the Dacian king:

Wonne tribute: and the same
Gaue Spanish exiles Ireland, whence
Our Scottish nation came.
Cassibelane did twice beate backe
From Brittish seas and shore
The worthie Cæsar, that but then
Was victor euermore:

And thirdly had preuailed, but
For Lud's reuolted sonne,
When as braue Nennius hand to hand
Of Cæsar honor wopne.

Guydar and Aruiragus wonne

Of Claudius Cæsar spoyle:
The former in a second field
Did stout Vaspasian foyle.

When as the wandring Scots and Pichts
King Marius had subdude,

He gaue the livers dwellings, lesse
Than where they since intru'de.
Constantius, wedding Coyl's heyre,
I Was monarke of the west,
Who, with this island's scepter, of
Rome's empire was possest.
Great Constantine, that worthely
A worthie might be said,
The Brittish Romaine emperour,
Throughout the world obayd,
He made his siege Bizantium, that
Retaines his name ere since,
And made (but so vnwitting marde)
The priest of Rome a prince.
Maximian, as emperiall and
As valerous as any,
With Brittish armour did subdue

Both kings and kingdomes many.
What speake we of great Arthur, of
His chiualrie or court?
Precelling all, sole president

Of vertue prow's and port,
A king of many kings, his knights
In all exploits were seene,

He was indeede a worthie, and

The worthiest of the neene. Fiue crownes king Malgo prized, and In battells fiftie fiue Against the miscreants valiantly Did king Alured thriue:

Rollo (whose seede should conquer vs),

He hence did brauely beate: That, mauger Fraunce, in Normandie His Scythian troopes did seate. He that re-monarchiz'd our ile, King Athelstone, did say

Sixe kings, twelue dukes, and countlesse tale

Of heathen, in one day:

The one of nyne, his knight sir Guy,

We touch but by the way:

Omitting other kings and knights,
Too long in few to say,

Of Brittish race a many, and

Of Saxon princes some,

Whose blood by Normaine mixture now
Is tripartite become :

Or (for, perhaps, from such consort
The Brutes casseerd will be)
Three blended blouds of nations three
Hath giuen vs natures three,
The Saxon prowesse, Danish pompes,
And Normaine policie:

And of the Romanes and the Pichts
We are no portion small:
Foure of which nations Scythia bred,
We thriving in them all.

KING William, England's conquerour,
From Rollo sixt, with pray

Of twice fiue hundred townes in Fraunče
Vn-fo-met sayld away.

Henry the Second, vpon whom

The Scotch-king tendant was,

(Which Scots their often ouerthrowes

We henceforth ouerpasse,

Who to our kings, lords parramounts,
Not warres but vprores bring)

Spoylde Fraunce, wonne Ireland, and deceast

Of Iuda chosen king.

Next Lion-harted Richard, he
Wonne Cypris, Siria, and
Ierusalem, debelling quite
The sowldan from his land:

He skalde the strong Ægyptian oste,
And king'd his sister's sonne,
And plagued Fraunce and Austrich for
The wrongs they had him don.
First Edward made the Turks, Sauoies,
The French, and Flemings tremble.
The third so nam'd to them and moe

Did Mars himselfe resemble:

Whose knights, in second Richard's dayes,
So tickled France and Spaine,
And parts Lugdinian, that no king

But Richard seem'd to raine :
Ten thousand were his housholde Scotch
Digests we heré disdayne.

The fourth and fifth of Henties were
As actious as the rest:
Especially the latter was

The formost with the best.
Nor yet fourth Edward's honor from
His ancestors digrest.

On these doo vulgar eares and eyes
So brimlie waite and gaze,`
As they distaske our priuate penne
Notorious laudes to blaze.
Our catalogue omitteth some
For artes and justice good,
Some natur'de well, aduised ill,
Some worthie Læthe flood:

Not one fore-cited but deserues
At least an Homer's Muse,
Although with Agamemnon's vaile
Apelles' shift I vse:

But colours to that painter, art
Vnto that poet none

So good, to paint and prayse at ful
Our following crowns, saue one,
Since Tuder's seede, Henry the Seauenth,
Ariued England's throne.

NOR superstitiously I speake,
But H. the letter still
Might be obserued ominous
To England's good or ill.
First, Hercules, Hesione,

And Hellen, were the cause
Of warre to Troy, Æneas' seede
Becomming so out-lawes.

Humbar the Hunn with forren armes
Did first the Brutes inuaide.
Hellen to Rome's emperiall throne
The Brittish crowne conuaide.
Hengest and Horsus first did plant
The Saxons in this ile.

Hungar and Hubba first brought Danes,
That swayed heere long while.

At Harold had the Saxon erde:

At Hardiknought, the Dane.
Henries the First and Second did

Restore the English raine.
Fourth Henrie first to Lancaster
Did England's crowne obtaine.
Henry litigious Lancaster

And Yorke vnites in peace.--
Henrie the Eight did happelie
Rome's irreligion cease:
The father of our mother nurse,
Our common ioye's increase.
Which double H. and H. H. heere

Our homely poeme's lee,

He saue that salueth all our sinnes:
And, God, voutsafe thon me

A prosperous course in sayling through
The ocean deep and large

Of her now-highnes' scepter, for

I heere assume that charge.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE LORD

SIR GEORGE CAREY, KNIGHT, BARON OF HUNSDON, &c. THOUGH late I wright, too soone I wot, I heere occasion take,