A DVTIFVL INVECTIVE, Against the moste haynous Treasons of BALLARD and BABING­ton: with other their Adhe­rents, latelie executed. Together, vvith the horrible attempts and actions of the Q. of Scottes: and the Sentence pronounced against her at Fodderingay. Newlie compiled and set foorth, in English verse: For a Newyeares gifte to all loyall English subiects. by W. Kempe.

¶Imprinted at London by Richard Iones, dwelling at the signe of the Rose and crowne, neere Holborne bridge. 1587.

To the right honorable my ve­ry good Lord, George Barne, L. Maior of the Cittie of London: W. Kempe wisheth in this world al earthlie felicitie, and in the world to come the inestimable ioyes of Heauen.

BLame me not (right honorable, and my especiall good Lord) though my boldenes exceede the compasse of dis­cretion, and my rashnesse herein, surmount the limittes of rea­son: For though there be (vndoubtedlie) manie causes of great importance and efficacie, which may vtterlie extinguish all hope of your Lordships fauorable acceptance hereof, and chief­lie for that it wanteth such ornaments, as a work (worthie your reading) ought to be furnished withall: yet my good Lord, hauing a certaine and most assured knowledge, both of your Lordships most sincere, zealous, and loyall affection, you haue alwaies carried towardes her most excellent Maiestie, (whose happie daies I beseech the almightie may be innumerable) and also of the studious care you haue euer fostered, for the prosperitie of this florishing, common wealth, hath so animated my fearefull minde, that (casting away all doubtes which I might iustlye stumble at) I haue (most bayardlike) burst out into this boldenes, and presu­med to present vnto your Lordshippe, this vnlearned pamphlet or smal treatise, wherin I haue simply and plainly discouered the horrible and detestable tresons, late­ly practised by those graceles traitors and vnprofitable mēbers, which (thankes be to God) latelie suffered condigne punishment for their traiterous enterprises: and also made manifest the treacherous dealing of that vngodlie disposed woman, the Scot­tish Queene: with the sentence pronounced against her at Fodderingay, and cōfirmed by her Maiestie, And further, haue therein shewed, what rewardes they alwaies reape which attempt the like: and lastlie conclude with an exhortation to all her Ma­iesties liege people, to shunne such vngodlie and vnnaturall enterprises, together, with a praier for the preseruation of her Highnes most royall person, her honorable Counsaile, and the Commons of this Realme: humblie beseeching your Lordship (of your accustomed goodnes, and louing encouraging, you haue alwaies vsed to­wards euerie one, whome you see forward in weldoing) to vouchsafe to protect the first fruites of my labour, and whereas it (altogether) wanteth learning, to furnish it with your fauour, so shal your Lordship yeeld more then I dare desire or can deserue, and binde me foreuer, to rest at your honors commaund to the vttermost I may: not omitting my praier vnto the almightie, to sende your Lordship a happie new yeare and many: to his (onely) glorie, and the earnest desires of all your welwillers.

Your Lordships most readie, as it shall please you to vse me. W. Kempe.

A Ioyfull Nevv-yeares Guift to all loyall English subiectes.

Woe, woe. yea treble woe, be vnto them appointed:
That goe about to ouerthrowe, the liuing Lords annointed.
WHat madnes hath so mazd mens minds, that they cānot forsée,
The wretched ends of catiues vile, which work by treacherie?
To ouerthrowe the blessed state, of happie common wealth,
or to depriue their soueraigne prince, of her long wished health.
If feare of God and of his lawes, were clearelie out of minde,
If feare of death (by Princes lawes) might not their dueties binde?
If vtter ruine of the Realme, and spoile of guiltlesse blood?
Might not suffice to stay the rage, of traitors cruell moode?
Yet, might they well consider, howe treasons come to nought,
And alwaies worke their ouerthrowe, by whom they first were wrought
And what they haue pretended, that should on others light,
Hath happened on their cursed corpes, and them confounded quight.
Examples many haue bene shewen, which plainly doe expresse,
How neuer traitor could preuaile, in that his wickednesse.
But still they haue by God himselfe most straungely bene preuented,
And their deuices still disclos'de, though secretly inuented:
Yet these ambitious wicked graftes, aspiring to growe hier,
And cherisht (as it seemes) by that most lewd Italian Frier,
I meane the Pope and cursed crue of Papists most vnkinde,
Who walking darckly in deceite, would faine haue all men blinde,
Not fearing God nor yet his lawes, nor hauing any care,
For to preserue the common wealth, or howe the commons fare.
Haue sought by all the subtile meanes, the Deuill coulde inuent,
To slay our Queene, confound the Realme, and kil the innocent.
But God, the searcher of all thoughts, who knewe their wicked minde:
And saw the platforme of their worke, whereto they were inclinde:
And likewise hauing special care how he might safe defende:
His seruant true (our soueraigne Queene) from such most cruel end:
And with his mercie louingly, beholding the estate,
Of vs his people here on earth, before his face prostrate: [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...]
[Page] Hath brought their treasons vnto light, and them hath ouer throwen
In their owne stones, whereby it is most plainely séene and knowne,
Our soueraigne Quéene to him is deare, and in her he is pleasde.
That for her sake these dangers great and troubles are appeasde.
O Ballard
Ballard.
thou that wast the first, and chiefe man in this acte,
What moued thee (so void of grace) for to attempt this fact?
Didst thou not know, that fluttering Birds wil treason stil bewray:
And heauen and earth doe still prouide, for traitors sharpe decay?
ANd Babington,
Babington.
thou cursed wretch, what did bewitch thy minde?
That to thy Prince and country déere, thou shouldst be so vnkinde,
Thou hopedst (belike) for better happe, then euer traitor had,
But now thou hast thy due desert, which maks our harts ful glad.
SAuadge
Sauadge.
also, thy name of right, vnto thee is assignde,
For what could be more sauadge-like, then beare a bloody mind,
against so gratious Quéene as this, who alway doth inuent,
How she her subiectes wealth and peace by al meanes may augment.
BUt Barnewell,
Barnewell.
thou of al the rest, most cursed maist thou be:
How could thy hardened Tygers hart, so wickedly agree,
For to beholde so good a Prince, and of her take a view:
How she might be depriu'd of life, by this most traiterous crue?
ANd Tichburn,
Tichburne.
thou which liu'dst so wel, & hadst great wealth at wil▪
what was the cause thou wentst about, the Quéene & realme to spil?
Was Pope and popish packe, so vile, now planted in thy minde:
That thou didst hope for this thy crime, pardon by them to finde?
ANd Tilney
Tilney.
thou, amongst the rest, most worthie art of blame,
That wouldst conspire th'vntimelie death, of such a péerelesse dame,
To whome (besides thy allegeance) thou specially didst sweare,
That during life, thou wouldst to her, a loyall duetie beare.
ANd Abington,
Abington.
what Circes charme, thy wicked mind bewicht,
Her for [...]o hate, who thée and thine, so largely had enricht:
Thy fathers wealth which thou possest, in court it was all gain [...]
But nowe, thy name (with losse of it,) for euer thou hast stainde.
ANd Salsburie,
Salsburie.
I marueile much, what gracelesse Feend thee led,
Or diuelish bagge of hateful hell, this mischiefe in thee bred:
Didst thou not knowe our gratious Queen, is placed here by God:
By iustice for to punish vice, with sharpe correcting rod:
ANd Iones,
Iones.
how fel thy, wittes away, that thou couldst not remember▪
That he which treasons doth conceale, or traitors actes doth tender,
[Page] Of like and equal scorge shall tast, and haue such punishment,
As he that author is thereof, and doth the same inuent.
CHarnocke
Cha [...]
also, what furie fell, thy sencelesse heade did fraught,
With such vngodlie enterprise, which thee to shame hath brought,
Now maist thou sée what fruitles gaine, from Antechrist doth spring
And how to shamefull wretched end, the Pope his people bring.
DIstressed Dun,
Du [...]
thy dismal day, thou iustly hast deserued:
That wouldst consent her to destroy, who thee and vs preserued
In quiet peace from time to time, and alwaies doth deuise,
Gods trueth to raise within her Realme, and poperie doth despise.
ANd trusties Trauis,
Tra [...]
what meanst thou, this treason to conspire?
Thou thoughts by this to mend thy state, and thereby clime vp hier:
But now thy fall deseruedly, thy name hath more disgrac'd:
Then all the actes thou euer didst, in fauour had thee plac'd.
ANd gracelesse Gage,
Gag [...]
was feare of God and duetie so exilde:
That thou thy name with treason foule, so lewdly hast defilde?
Wel maist thou cu [...]ss [...] thy careles course thou tookst in this attempt
And wish thou hadst euen at thy birth, bene from the world exempt.
ANd Bellamie
Bell [...]
though last, not least, in this diuelish deuice:
What was the game thou hopst to haue, for this bad enterprise?
The Pope of like did promise thee, that thou shouldst saincted be.
But in meane time thou quartered art, a thing more fit for thee.
ONe other Bellamie there was, amongst this cursed crue.
What was the recompence, I pray, he should receiue in lue:
Of this his traiterous enterprise,
An [...] Bell [...]
perhaps he should be martred:
But if he had not hangd himselfe he (surely) had bene quartered.
Now may you see you faithles wights, what fruite from tresons spring
Now may you see what wretched end, your haples hope doth bring:
Now may you all with open crie, the hower and time both cursse
That euer you lent your listening eares, to her, whose words haue worse
Bewitcht your wretched senceles mindes, that you could not forsee
The guerdon alwaies incident, to workes of treacherie:
Then euer Circes wicked charmes, did anye wight enchaunt:
For God forbid, that traitor shoulde, of good successes vaunt.
THe Scottish Quéene,
The [...]tish Que [...]
with mischiefe scaught, for to perform the will
Of him (whose Pupil she hath bene) hath vsed all her skill:
By wordes most fair, and louing termes, & guifts of value great:
For to perswade your hollowe harts, your dueties to forgette; [Page] [...] [Page] [...]
[Page] And for to be assistant stil her treacheries to further,
Wherein she reckens it no sinne, though you commit great murther,
Such is hee haynous hateful minde, who long hath liued in hope,
By such her subtil lawles meanes (and helpe of cursed Pope)
Both to depriue our soueraigne Queene, of her imperiall crowne,
And true religion to expell, Gods gospell to put downe,
And though to collour this her fact, she onelie did pretend:
A title and her libertie, yet God will vs defend.
As plainelie doth and may appeare, by this his speciall care
He hath of this our soueraigne Queene, and of our happie fare.
Yet you be witched wretched wights, her Siren songes did hear,
And gaue such credite thereunto, as nothing you did feare,
But traiterously forgetting cleans, the duetie you did owe,
To this your gratious soueraigne, (as al the world did knowe)
Did giue consent, you would forthwith, by al the force you might,
Sake to depriue this péereles Prince, of Realme and regall right▪
Wherein you fully did conclude, that it could neuer be,
Except you first conspirde her death, by secret treacherie.
And thereupon consulted ofte, and sundry waies did seeke
For to performe this diuelish acte, which you so well did like.
Nexte vnto this your promise was, to lend your helpe and aide
With all the force and power you coulde, to foes that should inuade.
And thereby for to set at large, that Queene whome. I did name:
Who alwaie in her treacherous minde, doth nought but mischiefe frame.
These were the faithlesse partes you plaied, at instance of that Dame,
Who sought your endes and vtter spoile, with euerlasting shame:
For plainlie hath it fallen out, by sundrie proofes most true,
She was the onelie maintainer, of all this Traiterous crue:
For triall whereof we may see, how that our gratious Queene
Both hauing care the verie trueth, most plainely might be seene,
And she with honor might be tried in that she was a Prince
Did cause the chiefest peeres, her faults (by iustice) to conuince:
Who did assemble at her place (by name) call'd Fodderingay,
There to examine out the trueth, and heare what she could say:
And to that end did then direct, to them a large commission
For to examine euery one, in whome they found suspition.
Who meeting at that place, it plainlie did appeare,
Howthat she was the chiefest cause, of al our troubles heare,
[Page] And that shée by perswasions did seeke for to withdrawe,
The subiects heartes, from this our Quéene, who [...]arst had liu'd in awe.
And that the treasons nam'd before, were al by her consent:
And that she author was thereof, and did the same inuent,
Whereto her answere was so light, and to so small effect,
As that the weakenesse of the same, her treasons did detect.
And therevpon, these Peeres of state, hauing a due regarde,
To what she could obiect thereto, and likewise nothing sparde.
(by circumstance) to search out trueth, did forthwith then pronounce,
That she was guiltie of these crimes, and could them not renounce.
Which sentence so by them declarde, was by our Queenes consent,
Plainelie reueal'd to all estates in court of Parliament:
And was by them considered off, who there did all agree
To ioyne in sute vnto her grace, the same to ratifie.
Where to our Quene with wonted grace and mercie beinge moued
Was lothe to yealde consent thereto, for that shee well her loued
And if it coulde haue bene deuised, howe shee mighte safe remaine
From such like trecherous attemptes, then is it moste certaine,
She woulde not haue agreed thereto, but sought some milder way,
To deale with her, although she sought, her Graces sharpe decay.
But seeing there could no way be knowne, how any trust might bee
Reposde in one that had so ofte, practised most traiterously
The ouerthrowe of this estate, and sought her Graces death.
She was resolued at the length though with a fainting breath
For to confirme that sentence iust, was by her Péeres decreede,
And that the same should stand in force as her own acte and deed.
Commaunding since in publique sorte, for open declaration,
That it should notified be. by publique proclamation.
This is the end the Lorde appoints, for those that seeme to frowne:
Gainst his annointed, whom he hath indued with regal crowne.
Fie on such fond and faithles wightes in whom no trueth doth dwell,
Who both alleageance, duet [...]e, loue, and conscience doth expell.
Could any Christian fearing God or bearing any zeale,
To good religion, christian faith, or state of publique weale:
Finde in his heart for to deuise how he might darke a light:
That like the Ortent Sun doth shine thorowout the world most bright.
[...]ath not her Graces gouernment this eight and twentie yeares:
[...]ene had in admiration of al that thereof heares.
[Page] The fruite whereof doth plainely proue, she is the Lords annointed:
Plast here by God for to performe, what is by him appointed.
Such sencelesse sottes, and dreaming doltes, which at her state do spurne,
Doe seeme with Cieues (by labour strong) the riuers swift to turne.
Or els doe shoote against the skie, and when their arrowes fall:
They light vppon their cursed corpes, and kill themselues withall.
Liege people to so good a Quéene, example take hereby,
Feare God, in [...]hiefe, obey your Prince, and loue her zealously.
Good englishmen and loyall heartes, lift vp your mindes with mée:
Stretch out your handes, bow down your knées, vnto our, God most hie:
And with incessant voice, thus crie, O Lord of might and power,
Preserue our Quéene from traitors force, who séeke her to deuoure.
Cut off such gracelesse wicked graftes, grub vp and roote their stocke.
Driue out such rauening wolues (O Lord) from out thy seely flocke,
Prolong her daies we pray thée Lord, and if it be thy will:
Let vs not ouerliue her raigne, but let vs haue her still.
Unto her Counsell (likewise) graunt, thy wisedome from aboue:
That with al loyall faithful hearts, they firmely may her loue.
Let al their counsailes euer tend, her person to protect:
From rage of foe, and popish crue, that are with mischiefe dect.
Upon the commons Lord also, poure downe thy heauenly grace:
That in all states a perfect loue and duetie may take place,
Towards this péereles Prince of price, who alwaies doth delight,
To haue thy praises beautified, and glory brought to light.
Amen: thereto, let all men say, with ioy of inward heart,
And they that will not say, Amen: the Lord them soone conuert:
Or spéedely confound at least, and bring to shamefull end:
That (by their fall) al others may, their traiterous liues amend.
W. Kempe.
Finis.

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