Michael Drayton- Collected Poetical Works
Page 63
In brakes and bushes falling heere and there,
Proouing each couert, euery secret place,
Yet by the hounds recouered euery where,
with eager yearning in the sented trace;
Hem’d on each side with hornes rechating blast,
Headlong themselues into the toyles doe cast.
53
Ensigne beards ensign, sword genst sword doth shake,
Wing against wing, and ranke doth ranke oppose,
In, on each other furiously they brake,
And death in earnest to his bus’nesse goes,
A generall hauocke as disposde to make,
And with destruction dooth them all inclose,
Dealing it selfe impartially to all,
Friend by his friend, and foe by foe doth fall.
54
This parte of life which yet they did respire,
In spite of Fortune, as they stood preparde,
With courage chargde, with comelinesse retire,
Make good their ground, & then relieue their guarde,
Withstand the entrer, then pursue the flier,
New forme their battell, shifting euery warde,
As your hie courage; but were your quarrell good,
O noble spirits, how deare had bin your blood?
55
The Northerne bands th’ ambitious Herckley led
On the weake Barrons mangled so before,
That now towards Burrough make a puissant head,
Incouraging th’ emperiall power the more;
O day so fatall, and so full of dread,
When ere shall time thy ruinous waste restore,
Which to amend although thou shalt perseuer,
Thou still maist promise, but performe it neuer.
56
Pale death beyond all wonted bounds doth swell,
Caruing prowd flesh in cantells now at large,
As leaues in Autumne, so the bodies fell
Vnder rough steele at euery boystrous charge,
O what sad pen can the destruction tell,
Where scalps lay beaten as the battred targe;
And euery one he claimeth as his right,
That not prouides t’ escape away by flight.
57
Those ensignes erst, that in the glittring field
With their curld foreheads threat th’ ambitious foe,
Like wetherd foule the drowping pinions yeeld,
Stouping their prowde heads to the dust below,
There sits a helmet, and there lies a shield,
O ill did fate these noble Armes bestow,
Which as a quarry on the soilde earth lay,
Seizde on by conquest as a glorious pray.
58
Heere noble Bohune that braue, issued peere,
Herford so hie in euery gracious heart,
Vnto his country so receiude, and deere,
Wounded by treason in the lower part.
(As o’re the bridge his men returning were)
Through those ill-ioynd planckes by an enuious dart:
But Lancaster, whose lot not yet to die,
Taken, reseru’d to greater infamie.
59
O subiect for some sadder Muse to sing,
Of fiue great Earledomes happily possest,
Of the direct line of the English king,
with fauours friends, and earthly honours blest,
If so that all these happinesse could bring,
Or could endow assurednes of rest;
But what estate stands free from fortunes powre?
The Fates haue guidance of our time and howre.
60
Some few themselues in sanctuaries hide,
In mercie of that priuiledged place,
Yet are their bodies so vnsanctifide,
As scarce their soules can euer hope for grace;
Whereas they still in want and feare abide,
A poore dead life this draweth out a space,
Hate stands without, and horror sits within,
Prolonging shame, but pard’ning not their sinne.
61
Here is not death contented with the dead,
As though of some thing carelesly denide,
Till which might firmely be accomplished
His vtmost fully were not specifide,
That all exactly might be perfected
A further torment vengeanec dooth prouide,
That dead men should in misery remaine,
To make the liuing die with greater paine.
62
You soueraine Citties of th’ afflicted Ile,
In Cipresse wreathes, and widowed attire,
Prepare yee now to build the funerall pile;
Lay your pale hands vnto this latest fire,
All mirth and comfort from your streetes exile,
Till you be purgde of this infectious ite,
The noblest blood yet liuing to be shed,
That euer dropt from your rebellious dead.
63
When this braue Lord great Lancaster, who late
This pu•ssant force had now thus long retainde,
As the first Agent in this strange debate
At fatall Pomfret for those facts arraignde;
whom of all things they articulate,
To whom these factions chiefly appertainde:
Whose proofes apparant so directly sped,
As from his body reft a reuerent head.
64
Yet Lancaster, it is not thy deere breath
Can ransome backe the safety of the Crowne,
Nor make a league of so great powre with death,
To warrant what is rightfully our owne,
But they must pay the forfait of their faith,
Which sondly broke with their ambition,
when now reuenge vnto the vtmost rackt,
The Agents iustly suffer with the act.
65
Euen in that place where he had lately led,
As this darke path vnto the rest to show,
It was not long ere many followed,
In the same steps that he before did goe;
London, thy freedom is prohibited,
The first in place (O would the first in woe)
Others in blood did not excell thee farre,
That now deuoure the remnant of this warre.
66
O parents ruthfull, and hart-renting sight,
To see that sonne thy tender bosome fed,
A mothers ioy, a fathers sole delight,
That with much cost, yet with more care was bred;
A spectacle euen able to affright
Th’ most sencelesse thing, and terrifie the dead;
His blood so deere vpon the cold earth powr’d,
His quarter’d coarse of birds and beasts deuour’d.
67
But t’is not you that heere complaine alone,
Or to your selues this fearefull portion share,
Heere’s choice, and strange variety of moane,
Poore childrens teares with widdowes mixed are;
Many a friends sigh, many a maidens grone,
So innocent, so simply, pure, and rare;
As though euen Nature that long silent kept,
Burst out in plaints, and bitterly had wept.
68
O wretched age, had not these things beene done,
I had not now in these more calmer times
Into the search of former troubles runne;
Nor had my virgine impolluted rimes,
Altred the course wherein they first begunne,
To sing these bloodie and vnnaturall crimes,
My layes had still beene to Ideas bowre,
Of my deere Ankor, or her loued Stoure.
69
Or for our subiect your faire worth to chuse,
Your birth, your vertue, and your hie respects,
That gently daine to patronize our Muse,
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Who our free soule ingeniously elects
To publish your deserts, and all your dues
Maugre the Momists, and Satyricke sects,
Whilst my great verse eternally is sung,
You still may liue with me in spight of wrong.
70
But greater things reserued are in store,
Vnto this taske my armed Muse to keepe,
Still offering me occasion as before,
Matter whereof my tragicke verse may weepe;
And as a vessell being neere the shore,
By aduerse windes enforced to the deepe,
Am driuen backe from whence I came of late,
Vnto the bus’nes of a troubled state.
The end of the second Canto.
THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE BARRONS WARRES.
The Argument.
By asleepie potion that the Queene ordaines,
Lord Mortimen escapes out of the Tower,
And by false slights, and many subtile traines,
Shee gets to France to raise aforraigne power;
The French King leaues his sister; neede constraines
The Queene to Henault in a happie hower:
Edward her sonne to Philip is affide,
And for inuasion presently prouide.
1
SCARCE had these passed miseries their ends,
When other troubles instantly begunne,
As (still) new matter mischiefe apprehends,
By things that inconsid’rately were done;
And further yet this insolence extends,
Whilst all not yeelded that the sword had wonne;
For some there were that secretly did lie,
That to this bus’nes had a watchfull eye.
2
Whenas the King (whilst things thus fairely went)
Who by this happy victory grew strong,
Sommons at Yorke a present Parlement,
To plant his right, and helpe the Spensers wrong,
By which he thinkes t’establish his intent,
Whence (more & more) his Minions greatnes sprong,
Whose counsells still in all proceedings crossde
Th’inraged Queene, whom all misfortunes tossde.
3
When now the eldst, a man extreamely hated,
Whom yet the King not aptly could preferre,
The edge of their sharpe insolence abated,
This Parlement makes Earle of Winchester,
Where Herckley Earle of Carlell is created,
And Baldocke likewise is made Chancellor,
On whom the king had for his purpose wrought,
A man as subtile, so corrupt, and nought.
4
When now mishaps that seldome come alone,
Thicke in the necks of one an other fell,
The Scot pretends a new inuasion,
And France doth thence our vse-full powre expell,
Treasons suspected to attend his throne,
The grieued Commons euery day rebell,
Mischiefe on mischiefe, curse doth follow curse,
One ill scarce past, when after comes a worse.
5
For Mortimer this winde yet fitly blew,
Troubling their eyes which else perhaps might see,
Whilst the wise Queene, who all aduantage knew,
Is closly plotting his deliuery,
(Which now she dooth with all her powres pursue)
Aptly continu’d by her deepe policie,
Against opinion, and the course of might,
To worke her will, euen through the jawes of spite.
6
A sleepy drinke she secretly hath made,
Whose operation had such wondrous powre,
As with cold numnesse could the sense inuade,
And mortifie the patient by an houre,
The lifelesse coarse in such a slumber laide,
As though pale death did wholy it deuoure:
Nor for two dayes take benefite of eyes,
By all meanes Arte or Physicke could deuise.
7
For which she Plantane and colde Lettice had,
The water Lilly from the marrish ground,
with the wanne Poppy, and the Night-shade sad,
And the short mosse that on the trees is found,
The poysning Henbane, and the Mandrake drad,
With Cypresse flowers that with the rest are pownd;
The braine of Cranes like purposely she takes,
Mixt with the blood of Dormise, and of Snakes.
8
Thus sits the great Enchauntresse in her Cell,
Strongly engi•t with ceremonious charmes,
Her cleansed body sensde with halowing smell,
With vestall fire her potent liquor warmes,
Hauing full heate, vnto her busnes fell,
When her with Magicke instruments she armes:
And from the herbs the powrefull verdure wrong,
To make the medcine forcible and strong.
9
The sundry doubts that incident arise,
Might be supposde her trembling hand to stay,
If she considred of the enterprise,
To thinke what perill in th’attempting lay,
The secret lurking of deceitfull spies,
That on her steps continually do pray:
But when they leaue off vertue to esteeme,
Those greatly erre which take them as they seeme.
10
Their plighted faith for liberty they leaue,
Their loue is colde, their lust hote, hote their hate,
With smiles and teares they serpent-like deceaue,
In their desires they be insatiate,
There’s no restraint their purpose can bereaue,
Their will no bound, nor their reuenge no date,
All feare exempt where they at ruine aime,
Couering their sinne with their discouered shame.
11
The elder of the Mortimers this space,
(That many sundry miseries had past,)
So long restrainde within that healthlesse place,
Redeemde by death, yet happily at last
That much auailes the other in this case,
And from this Lord that imposition cast:
Which the deare safety of his vncles breath
within the tower so strictly limiteth.
12
Put there was more did on his death depend,
Than heauen was pleasde the foolish worlde shoulde know,
And why the Fates thus hasted on his end,
Thereby intending greater things to show;
Braue Lord, in vaine thy breath thou didst not spend,
From thy corruption further matters grow,
And some beginning fruitfully to spring,
New formes of feare vpon the time to bring.
13
All things preparde in readinesse, and fit,
The Queene attends her potions powre to proue,
Their stedfast friends, their best assisting it,
Their seruan•s seale their secrets vp in loue;
And he expresse his valure and his wit,
Whome of the rest it chiefly doth behoue,
Places resolu’d where guide and horses lay,
And where the ship him safely to conuay.
14
As his large bounties liberally were heap’t
To all deseruing, or to those that heede,
His solemne birth-dayes festiuall was kept
At his free charge, all in the Tower to feede,
which may suspition cleerely intercept,
A strong assistant in so great a neede,
When midd’st their cates, their furious thirst to quench,
Mixing their wine with this approoued drench.
15
Which soone each sence, and eu’ry power doth seize,
when he that knew the strength of euery warde
,
And to the purpose sorting all his keyes,
His corded ladders readily preparde;
And lurking foorth by the most secret wayes
Not now to learne his Compasse by the Carde,
To winne the walles couragiously doth goe,
which looke as scorning to be maistied so.
16
They soundly sleepe whilst his quicke spirites awake,
Opposde to perill, and the stern’st extreames,
Alcydes labours new to vndertake,
Of walls, of gates, of watches, and of streames,
Through which his passage he is now to make,
And let them tell king Edward of their dreames:
For ere they rose out of the brainsicke fraunce,
He hopes to tell this noble jeast in Fraunce.
17
The sullen night hath her blacke curtaines spred,
Lowring the day had tarried vp so long,
Whose faire eyes closing softly steales to bed,
When all the heauens with duskie clowdes are hung,
And Cynthia now pluckes in her horned head,
And to the West incontinently flung;
As she had long’d to certifie the sunne,
What in his absence in her Court was done.
18
The glimmering lights, like Sentinels in warre,
Behind the clowdes stand craftily to pry,
And through false loope-holes looking from afarre,
To see him skirmish with his desteny;
Not any fix’d, nor any wandring starre,
As they had held a counsell in the skie;
And had before concluded with the night,
It should not looke for any cheerefull sight.
19
In deadly silence all the shores are hush’d,
Onely the Skreech-howle sounds to the assault,
And Isis with a troubled murmure rush’d,
As if consenting, and would hide the fault;
And as his foote the sand or grauell crush’d,
A little whisp’ring mou’d within the vault,
Made by the treading softly as he went,
Which seem’d to say, it furthred his intent.
20
This wondrous Queene whom care yet restlesse kept,
Now for his speede to heauen holds vp her hands,
A thousand strange thoughts in her bosome heap’t,
As in her closet listning still she stands,
That many a sigh spent, many a warme teare wept,
And though diuided, as in sundry strands,
Most absent, present in desires they bee,
Our mindes discerne where eyes do cease to see.
21
The small clowdes issuing from his lips she saith,
Labouring so fast, as he the ladder clame,
Should purge the ayre of pestilence and death;
And as sometime that filch’d Promethian flame,
Euen so the power and vertue of his breath,