A pondrous building onely doth depend,
Which when not able to sustaine the weight,
And that his strong backe hath begun to bend,
As quite depriued of his former might,
The massy load vnto the ground doth send,
Crushing the lesser props, and murdring all
That stand within the compasse of the fall.
61
That state whereon the strength of Princes leanes,
Whose hie ascent we trembling do behold,
From whence by coynesse of their chaste disdaines,
Subiection is imperiously controld;
Their earthly weaknesse euermore explaines,
Exalting whom they please, not whom they should,
When their owne fall (showes how they •ondlyer’d)
Procur’d by those vnworthily prefer’d.
62
Merit goes vnregarded and vngrac’d,
When by his fauters ignorance held in,
And Parasites in wise mens roomes are plac’d,
Onely to sooth the great ones in their sin,
From such whose gifts, and knowledge is debac’d,
Theres many strange enormities begin,
Forging great wits into most factious tooles,
When mightiest men oft proue the mightiest fooles.
63
But why so vainely doe I time bestow,
The fowle abuse of th’wretched world to childe,
Whose blinded iudgement eu’ry howre doth show,
What follie weake mortalitie doth guide?
Wise was the man that laugh’d at all thy woe,
My subiect still more sorrow doth prouide,
And this late peace more matter still doth breede,
To hasten that which quickly must succeede.
The end of the fourth Canto.
THE FIFTH BOOKE OF THE BARRONS WARRES.
The Argument.
Th’imprisoned King his gouernement for sakes,
And to the Peeres his weakenesse so excused,
Who him ere long from Leisters keeping takes,
That with much woe his soueraigne Lord refused,
His torturers of him a mockery makes,
And basely, and reproachfully abused,
By secret waies to Berckley being led,
And cruelly in prison murthered.
1
THE wretched King vnnaturally betrayd,
By lewd coruption of his natiue Land,
From thence with speede to Kennelworth conuayd,
By th’Earle of Leister with a mightie band,
Some few his fauorers quickely ouer-wayd,
And now a present Parlement in hand,
To ratifie the generall intent,
His resignation of the gouernment.
2
Falne through the frailtie of intemperate will,
That with his fortunes it so weakely farde,
To vndergoe that vnexpected ill,
For his deserued punishment preparde,
The measure of that wretchednesse to fill,
To him alotted as a iust reward,
Armes all with malice, either lesse or more,
To strike at him that strooke at all before.
3
And being a thing the commons daily craue,
To which the great are resolutely bent,
Such forward helpes on eu’ry side to haue,
T’effect their strong and forcible intent,
Which now that speede vnto their action gaue,
That ratifi’d by generall consent,
Still hastned on to execute the thing,
Which for one ill, two worse should shortly bring.
4
Bishops, Earles, Abbots, and the Barrons all,
Each in due order as becomes the state,
Set by the Heraults in that goodly hall,
The Burgesses for places corporate,
Whom this great busnes at this time doth call,
For the Cinque-ports the Barrons conuocate,
And other Knights, for the whole body sent,
Both on the South, and on the North of Trent.
5
From his impris’ning chamber clad in blacke,
Before th’assembly sadly he is brought,
A dolefull hearse vpon a dead mans backe,
whose heauy lookes might tell his heauier thought,
In which there doth no part of sorrow lacke,
Nor fained action needes to grieue be taught:
His funerall solemniz’d in his cheere,
His eyes the mourners, and his legs the Beere.
6
Torleton, as one select to this intent,
The best experienc’d in this great affaire,
A man graue, subtile, stowt, and eloquent,
First with faire speech th’assembly doth prepare,
Then with a voyce austere and eminent,
Doth his abuse effectually declare,
As winnes each sad eye with a reuerent feare,
With due attention drawing eu’ry eare.
7
The great exactions raised by the King,
With whose full plenty he is Mineons fed,
Himselfe and subiects so impou’rishing,
And that deere blood he lauishly had shed,
Which desolation to the land should bring,
And the chiefe cause by his lewd riots bred;
The losse in warre sustained through his blame,
The during scandall to the English name.
8
Proceeding forward to the future good,
That their dissignements happily intend,
And with what vpright policie it stoode,
No after hopes their for tunes to amend,
The resignation to his proper blood,
That might the action lawfully defend,
The present neede that willd it strictly so,
Whose imposition they might not sorslowe.
9
Pardon me Art, that striuing to be short,
To this intent a speech deliuering,
And that at full I doe not heere report
Matters that tuch deposing of the King,
My faithfull Muse, O doe not thou exhort
The after times to so abhorr’d a thing,
To shew the reasons forcibly were laide,
Out of thy feelings what hee might haue saide.
10
The strong deliu’ry of whose vehement speech,
Borne with a dauntlesse, and contracted brow,
That with such steme seueritie did teach,
His reasons more authentique to allow,
Which the more easly made the dang’rous breach,
By the remembrance of a generall vow:
To which they heere must openly contest,
When Edward comes to consumate the rest.
11
His faire cheeke couerd in pale sheets of shame,
And as a dumbe shew in a swowne began,
Where passion dooth such sundry habites frame,
As eu’ry sence a right Tragedian,
Truely to shew from whence his sorrow came,
Beyond the compasse of a common man,
where Nature seemes a practiser in Art,
Teaching Dispaire to act a liuely part.
12
Ah Pitty, dost thou liue, or wert thou not,
Mortalls by such sights haue to flint bin turned,
Or what men haue beene, hath their seed forgot,
Or was it neuer knowne that any mourned,
In what so strangely are we ouershot?
Against our owne selfe hath our frailtie spurned,
Or teares hence forth abandon humane eies,
And neuer-more to pit•y miseries.
13
He takes the Crowne yet scornefully vnto him,
With slight regarde, as scarcely thinking on it,
As though not
sencelesse that it should forgoe him,
And sildome casts a scornefull eie vpon it,
would seeme to leaue it, and would haue it woe him,
Then snatching it, as loath to haue forgone it,
Yet puts it from him, yet he will not so,
would faine retaine what faine he would forgoe.
14
In this confused conflict of the minde,
Teares drowning sighes, and sighs confounding teares,
Yet whenas neither libertie could finde,
Oppressed with the multitude of •eares,
Stands as a man affrighted from his kinde,
Griefe becomes senslesse when too much it beares,
whilst speech & silece striues which place shuld take
From his ful bosome thus his sorrowee brake.
15
If that my title rightfully be planted,
Vpon a true indubitate succession,
Confirmd by nations as by nature granted,
That freely hath deliuerd me possession,
Impute to heauen sufficiencie t’haue wanted,
which must deny it power, or you oppression,
which into question by due course may bring,
The grieued wrongs of an annointed King.
16
That halowed vnction by a sacred hand,
which once was powrde on this emperious head,
which wrought th’iudument of a strict command,
And round about me the rich verdure spred,
Either my right in greater stead must stand,
Or why in vaine was it so idely shed,
whose prophanation and vnreueret tuch,
Iust heauen hath often punisht alwayes much.
17
When from the bright beames of our soueraine due,
Descends the strength of your enated right,
And prosperously deriues it selfe to you,
As from our fulnes taking borrowed light,
which to your safeties alwayes firme and true,
Why thus repugne you by prepostrous might?
But what heauen lent me vertuously t’haue vsed,
Leaues to your power what weaknes hath abused.
18
But heere I doe resigne it to your King,
Pawsing heereat as though his tongue offended,
with griping throwes seemes forth that word to bring,
Sighing a full point as he there had ended,
O how that sound his grieued heart doth wring,
Which he recalling gladly would haue mended:
Things of small moment we can scarcely holde,
But griefes that touch the heart are hardly colde.
19
But being past, he prosecutes in teares,
Calming that tempest with a shower of raine,
As he had stroue to keepe it from his eares,
Quoth he, the liegeman to your Soueraigne?
O in his lippes how vile that word appeares,
Whereat ashamde doth sadly pawse againe,
Yes, yes, euen say so vnto him you beare it,
Ift be yong Edward that you meane shall weare it.
20
Let him account his bondage from that day
That he is with the Diademe inuested,
A glittering Crowne hath made this haire so gray,
Within whose circle he is but arrested,
To true content this not the certaine way,
With sweeter cates a meane estate is feasted,
And when his prowd feet scorne to tuch the mold,
His head a prisner in a gayle of golde.
21
His subiects numbred, numbring of his care,
And when with showts the people doe beginne,
Let him suppose th’applause but prayers are
T’escape the danger that they see him in,
Wherein t’aduenture he so boldly dare;
The multitude hoth multitudes of sinne,
And he thats first to cry, God saue the King,
Is the first man doth newes of sorrow bring.
22
Appeasing tumults hate cannot appease,
Soothde with deceits, and fed with flatteries,
Thy selfe displeasing, other sought to please,
Obeyd as much as hee shall tyrannize,
The least in safety being most at ease,
Feare forcing friends, inforcing enemies:
And when hee fitteth in his greatst estate,
His foot-stoole danger, and his chaire is hate.
23
Raigne he alone, whilst he no King, was one
Disarmde of power, and heere deiected is,
By whose deposing he enioyes a throne,
Nor should I suffer that, nor he doe this,
I must confesse th’inheritance his owne,
But whilst I liue it should be none of his,
The sonne climes vp to thrust the father downe,
And thus the crowned left without a Crowne.
24
Hauing performd this hard constrained part,
His speech, his raigne, the day all ioyntly ended,
Strangely transformd, not being what thou art,
Carde for of none, vnlookt on, vnattended,
Sadly departing with a heauy heart,
To his strong lodging straightly recommended,
Left to bemoane his miserable plight,
To the rude walls, and solitarie night.
25
Whilst things are thus disastrously decreed,
Seditious libels euery day are spred,
By such as like not of their violent deede,
That he by force should be deliuered,
Whether his wrong remorce in some did breede,
That him at last vntimely pittied,
Or else deuisde in pollicie by some,
To cloake that mischiefe afterward to come.
26
And hate that each where hearkning stil doth lurke,
And yet suspitions Edward is not sure,
Thinking what blood with Leicester might wurke,
Or else, what friends his name might him procure,
Which yet their thoughts continually doth yrke
The time he should at Kenelworth endure:
Fore thinke some place t’which secretly conuaide,
Vnknowne his being, be securde from aide.
27
And though the great to hide their close intent,
(Seeme ne’re so cleare from knowing those know ill)
Not vnprouided of the instrument,
Which they keepe ready to performe their will,
Such haue th’in store to their damnation bent,
In villanie notorious for their skill,
Dishonest, desperate, mercilesse, and rude,
To all vile actions ready to intrude.
28
Matreuers and base Gurney are the men
In this lewd act that must confedered be,
Whose hatefull names pollute our maiden pen,
But I intreate you, be not grieu’d with mee
To whome the same doe worthily pertaine,
Some bought grow crooked from the streightest tree:
Nor shall you be partakers of their shame,
The fault lies in their deede, not in your name.
29
These secretly to Killingworth dispatcht,
Fitted of all things that their hearts desire,
At such a time as few their purpose watcht,
After whose busnes none is to enquire,
Which by their warrant subtilly was matcht,
Onely to them knowne whither to retire:
Taking the King, his guardian to acquit,
And to bestow him where they thought most fit.
30
With a crew of ribalds, villainous, and nought,
As their coagents in this hatefull thing,
To th’earle of Leister their commission brough
t,
Commaunding the deliu’ry of the King
which (with much griefe) they lastly fro him wrought,
About the Castell closely houering,
watching a time till silence, and the night,
Might with conuenience priuiledge their flight.
31
With shamefull scoffes, and barbarous disgrace,
Him on a leane ill fauord jade they set,
In a vile garment, beggarly, and base,
Which, it should seeme, they purposely did get,
And in a wretched miserable case,
B•numd and beaten with the colde, and wet,
Depriu’d of all repose and naturall rest,
with thirst and hunger grieuously opprest.
32
Yet still suspitious that he should be knowne,
They shaue away his ornament of haire,
The last thing his that he could call his owne,
Neuer left Fortune any wight so bare;
Such tyranny on king was neuer showne,
Thus voide of comfort, were he voide of care:
No, no, our ioyes are shadowes, and deceiue vs,
But till our death our sorrowes neuer leaue vs.
33
To which intent, when farthest from resort,
Forcing him light from his poore wearie beast,
Vpon a mole-hill (O most sad report)
With puddle-water him they lewdly drest,
Whilst at his woes and miseries they sport,
An yron skull the Bason, like the rest,
Whose lothing eyes in this more lothed glasse,
Well may discerne how much deformd he was.
34
Th’abundant drops that from his eyes do fall,
A poole of teares still rising by this raine,
Which wrastling with the water, and withall,
A troubled circle makes it to retaine,
His endlesse griefes vnto his minde might call,
Billowde with sighes like to a little maine,
water with teares contending whether should
Make water warme, or make the warme tears cold.
35
Vile traitors, hold off your vnhalowed hands,
His brow the state of maiestie still beares,
Dare you thus keepe your soueraigne Lord in bands,
How can your eyes behold th’annointeds teares?
Or if your sight thus all remorce with-stands,
Are not your harts euen pierced through your eares?
The minde is free, what ere afflict the man,
Hee’s yet a King, do Fortune what she can.
36
Who’s he should take what God himselfe hath giuen,
Or spill that life his holy spirit infused,
All powers be subiect to the power of heauen,
Wrongs passe not vnreueng’d how ere excused,
If of all sense griefe hath thee not bereauen,
Rise maiestie when thou art thus abused,
O whither shall authoritie betake,
Michael Drayton- Collected Poetical Works Page 67