A briefe discourse of the most renowned actes and right valiant conquests of those puisant Princes, called the Nine worthies: WHEREIN IS DECLARED their seuerall proportions and dispositions, and what Armes euerie one gaue, as also in what time ech of them liued, and how at the length they ended their liues.
Compiled by RICHARD LLOYD Gentleman.
¶Imprinted at London by R. Warde, dwelling at the signe of the Talbot neere vnto Holburne Conduit. 1584.
THOMAS BROMLE.
To God giue honour due, feare him aboue all things:
He is the Lord of Lords, and onelie King of Kings.
Obey the Princes lawes, the poore do not denie:
Make peace where discord is, remember you must die.
Auoyde vnruled wrath, iudge iustlie to ech wight:
Set naught by worldly pelfe, in the respect of right.
Be stout vnto the proud, and gentle to the meeke:
Reproue the wicked sorte, reuengement do not seeke.
Of flattering toongs beware, let none your secrets kno:
Manie seeme a freend, yet proue a verie fo.
Looke you attempt nothing, but wey the end before:
Eschue ech vice, and loue ech vertue euermore.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND MY GOOD LORD and Maister Sir Thomas Bromley Knight, Lord Chauncellour of England, and one of hir highnes priuie counsell.
PErusing ouer sundry bookes of volumes large and great,
Which of the worthy feates of Fame, & Martial actes intreat,
Of mightie Princes of the world, accomplished of yore,
In diuers kingdomes vpon earth, and countreis heretofore.
I finde in auncient Histories, by learned men laid downe
The conquestes of the
Worthies nyne to be of most renowne:
Who are by famous Register enrowled in record
The greatest and mightiest conquerers, and
Worthies of the world:
As well for their couragiousnes, as magnanimities,
Their valiantnes, their wisdomes rare, and Princely pollicies:
As for the wonders maruelous, and miracles also
In their exploytes, and their affaires, which God for them did show.
How God exalted them on hie, to earthly dignitie,
And gaue them Kings and kingdomes by tryumphant victorie:
Appointing them to be his scourge, the wicked to confound,
And their vnrighteous seede vnroote, with sword from of the ground.
How God remained to the end, with them that godly weare,
And prospered all their attempts, which him did loue and feare.
How other were amid their pryde, in highest roome of all,
For that they had forgotten God, brought to a sodaine fall.
As for example:
Iosua the Iudge of
Israell,
The first of all these conquerers, in vertue did excell.
And doughtie
Dauid in like sort, in whom God did delight,
From shepheard being made a King, was righteous in Gods sight.
And noble
Iudas Machabeus, these three
Iewes by byrth,
And feared God continually, while they did liue on earth.
Wherfore the Lord wrought miracles vpon their enemies,
As shalbe afterwardes discust heere in these Histories.
And
Iulius Caesar painyms all, their God they did forgeat:
For which, amid their most estate, when they were highest of all,
Ambicion, Pride, and Auarice, gaue each of them a fall.
Then
Arthur, Charle-mayne and
Guy, were christians as I gesse,
The one was plagde in his most pompe, for his lasciuiousnesse:
The other two were godly men, wherfore they dyed well,
As in their seuerall Histories the Sequell plaine doth tell.
A briefe of all whose liues, I haue in meeter with my pen
Compiled out of sundry bookes of famous learned men.
And as I read of them also, according to my skill,
I haue all their proportions depainted with my quill:
And drawne the armes and cognisaunce in euery seuerall shield,
Which when they liued vpon the earth they bare vnto the field:
The yeare & time where they did raigne, and when & where they died,
And what they were enclined too, I haue herein discried:
Beseeching that your honour wil accept in gentle part
This litle booke which I present, to shew my faithfull hart.
And when your leasure so shall serue, vouchsafe I humbly craue,
To read it ouer once or twise, and where I erred haue,
That crime or fault committed so, let ignorance excuse,
Blame not the man that meaneth well, but blame his simple Muse.
Record the matter in your minde, although this style be base,
Then shall your Lordship plainly see before your present face,
A myrror of mans mortall life, by them compared right,
Which well may be a looking glasse, to euery liuing wight:
And chiefly to the higher sort, whom God shall please t'aduance,
In any wise here vpon earth to rule or gouernaunce:
To learne therby to know the Lord, who liues eternally,
Not to forget their owne estates, through pride nor surquedry:
To abandon wicked vice away, and vertue to embrace,
That to their latter end they may run out a happy race.
Thus humbly I do take my leaue, and hartily do pray,
That God will graunt you
Nestors yeares, in vertues honour ay.
Your humble Seruant, Richard Lloyd.
❧ A description of the bodily proportion of the Nine worthies, with what Armes euerie one of them gaue.
IOsua was of good stature, strong and hardy to endure,
In iudgement iust, godly, and wise, and cruell to his enemies:
Right fortunate and happy in fight, in vertue was his whole delight,
He bare sables into fielde, a
Batte displayed in his shield.
HEctor was indifferent tall, well compact and strong withall,
Courteous, quicke, and deliuere of might, in armes a very goodly Knight:
His head was white and curld I finde, his beard was white, he was sandblinde,
And somewhat he did lispe also, a gentler wight no man might know:
He bare two Lyons combatand, or in asure (I vnderstand.)
DAuid was but little of bone, in courage stout as any one,
Of his complexion browne was he, addicted vnto venerie:
With goodly eyes the scripture tell, this man in wisedome did excell,
And was both godly and fortunate, and courteous to euery estate:
He bare a harpe for his ensine, or in asure as bookes define.
ALexander (as I reade) of person was not tall in deed,
But made after the middle sort, and of a very princely port:
Quicke and nimble swift and light, valiant fearce, and happy in fight.
Of his complexion white and redde, on the left side bowing his head:
Very proud and liberall, and giuen much to wine withall:
This puisant prince and conqueror bare in his shield a Lyon or,
Which sitting in a chaire hent a battel axe in his paw argent.
IVdas Machabeus was strong, bigge of limbes, square and long,
Of noble courage, godly and wise, forward against his enemies,
Fortunate and happie in fight, meeke and gentle to each wight:
In field two Rauens he did beare, in pale proper which sables were.
IVlius Caesar sklender was, and leane likewise of body and face,
Pale and megre to beholde, wise and learned, stout and bolde:
Ambitious and hauty of minde, of nature courteous and kinde:
Displayed an Eagle he did beare, sables in or as may appeare:
ARthur was of body square, of visage grim, and full of haire:
Strong and bold, and liberall, of nature gentle ouer all,
And stout vnto his enemy, but giuen to adultery:
In martiall acts he did delight, and loued euery noble Knight:
He thirteene crownes did beare also, or in asure against his foe.
CHarles was well proportioned, strong and wise, and doughtie of deed:
Of learnings lore a fauourer, and very pollitike in warre:
Mercifull and fortunate, and gentle vnto euery estate:
This king bare the
Ierusalem shield, paid with the imperiall coat in field.
GVI was tall and large of limbe, none in his dayes were like to him:
Of good complexion, seemely of face, and liberall in euery place:
Valiant, strong, and venterous, godly, kind, and courteous:
He or and asure bookes discrie, a cheueron ermine bare checkie.
VTERE IVSTITIA SI VIR VIS IVSTVS HA [...]
THE HISTORIE OF THE conquests of the noble and vertuous Duke IOSVA.
I Am the worthie conquerour Duke
Iosua the great,
Whom God did ordeine and appoint to raigne in
Moises seate:
To lead his people Israel to the land of behest,
Which God to
Moises promised, as scriptures haue exprest.
When he dwelt in the wildernesse, and had miraculouslie
Escaped through the great red sea, from
Pharaos tyrannie.
Two thousand and two hundreth yéeres, with fiue and thirtie more:
After God had made the world I raigned: and before
The daie that Iesus Christ was borne, in bookes as plaine appeeres.
One thousand and seauen hundreth and seuen and twentie yeeres.
A Iewe I am by due discent, of such exceeding fame:
As through the world shall florish ay the honor of my name.
Much fauour with the Lord I found, whose thundering voice full oft,
Appeared vnto me on earth from scarlet skies aloft:
Commanding me nothing to dread, but boldlie on to fight:
Assuring me the vpper hand of euerie liuing wight.
And not to part form me, where so I did my armie lead:
Yea, and to giue me all the lands whereon my feete should tread.
The great floud Iordan he dried vp for me and all my power:
And brought vs safelie through the same, and all within an hower.
Diuiding with his mightie arme the waues most woonderfullie:
On either side as we did passe, like hils or mountains hie.
The loftie walles of
Ierico fell at my praiers downe:
Through which I entred valiantly, and quite destroid the towne.
I put ech woman, man, and child, therein vnto the sword:
As I had incommandement by Gods most holie word.
No liuing soule escapt awaie out of that bloodie strife:
But
Rahab and hir familie, to whom I graunted life.
For that she in hir house did hide the men I sent to view
[Page] The Citie: and did them conuey from those that did pursue.
I sackt the citie of
Ay eke,
Bethoron and
Bethell:
And manie mightie cities more: which now were long to tell.
I slew there people more and lesse, with famine, sword, and fire:
For God appointed me his scourge, to accomplish his iust ire.
The Lord at my request did stay the sun amid the skie:
While I causd manie hundereths and thousands for to die.
Whose numbers were so infinite, that God did also raine
Great stones from heauen on their heads, and slue them on the plaine,
As they did flie before my face euen from
Bethoron,
Vntill they to
Esaka came, that few escapt or none.
I chased great and mightie kings to hide them on the earth
In caues: and there to curse the time of their vnhappie birth.
And burnt their cities, townes, and towers vnto the verie ground:
And they themselues I hangd on trées, in place where I them found.
And after threw their carcases into the caues againe:
And rouled thereunto great stones, where yet their bones remaine.
And at the water of
Merom I killed with my hands,
Thousands of mine enimies, whose number as the sands
Were gathered against Israell: but God the Lord of might,
Deliuered them all vnto me, not one but died in fight.
Their horses and their chariots eke I burned and destroide:
Their countries, townes, and cities all, which latelie they enioide.
Wherein were one and thirtie kings, all which with one accord,
Were enimies to the liuing Lord, and his precepts abhord.
Whose names, in the old testament the scripture plaine doth sho
In order written: the first was the King of
Ierico.
The kings of
Ay and
Ierimoth, of
Lachis and
Hebron:
The kings of
Ierusalem, of
Gaser and
Eglon.
The kings of
Dabir and of
Cred, of
Gader and
Horma,
Of
Magedo and
Makeda and the King of
Libna.
The kings of
Hepher and
Bethell, the kings of
Adolam:
The kings of
Apheck and
Thaphnah, the King of
Iackanam.
The kings of
Laseron and
Madam and the King of
Gilgall:
The King of
Simron Merom eke Ibrought to vtter thrall.
The kings of
Hasor and of
Dot, of
Cades and
Tenach:
The kings which raigned in
Ascaph, and the kings of
Thersach.
The
Enakites I ouercame which in the mountaines dwelled:
I put them all to cruell death, bicause they then rebelled.
[Page] Neither did I cease continually ech liuing wight to kill,
Till all the land of
Canaan was subiect to my will.
The confines of which coast doth reach, from the wide wildernesse
And desert wasts of
Libanon, to the floud of
Euphrates.
And also vnto the gréeke sea whereas the sun goeth downe:
These countries all I conquered vnto my high renowne.
And plast my people in the same, who did the land possesse:
And liued ioifully therein with rest and quietnesse.
Where I long raigned ouer them by the Lords onely grace,
In vertue, honour, and much fame, and led a happie race:
Instructing them in God his lawes, and offering sacrifice
Vnto the Lord of thankesgiuing, for his gifts manie wise.
At last vnweldie age approcht, and dreadfull death béeing prest,
Did bring my carcasse to my graue, where yet my bodie rests,
In mine owne Citie which I built, that
Thamnath Sereh hight:
Béeing fiue score yéeres and ten of age, my soule with Angels bright.
FINIS.
❧An Example of this former Historie.
BY this renowned prince we see, and by his life we vnderstand,
How vertuous men continuallie prosper in that they take in hand:
And how the godlie florish still, possessing all things at their will.
For in the scripture is discride the vertues like the planted tree,
Which groweth by the riuer side shall florish in prosperitie:
And God his Lord shall him defend in all his dooings to the end.
The lord the righteous shal vphold, for why: his waies to him are known
God shall him blesse a thousand fold, he shall be neuer ouerthrowne:
He shall for ay the land possesse, and liue therein in quietnesse.
His seede for euer shall endure, and their inheritance enioy,
What so the wicked do procure, shall worke the righteous no annoy:
For in ech perill God will see that he shall not confounded be.
And by these heathen kings also, whom he did conquer and destroie,
We find, as scriptures plainly sho, of wicked men the fading ioie:
Who like a floure, shall withered be, and blowen quite out of memorie.
And as the smoke consumes awaie, or as the fat of lambes do melt,
So the vngodlie shall decay, and all the places where they dwelt:
The sword shall pearce through their owne harts, which they prepared to others smarts.
And their vnrighteous seede likewise shall be vnrooted and out worne
From of the earth before mens eies, as though they neuer had bene born:
And all that they possesse or ought, like chaffe with wind shall weare to nought.
Wherefore, from euerie euill flie, abandon vice and wickednesse,
Do that is good, liue vertuouslie, and so thou shalt the land possesse
In happie state: and after thee thy children continually.
FINIS.
AGREDIARE NIHIL SVBITO SED PROSPICE FINEM
THE HISTORIE OF THE conquests of the mightie Prince and conquerour HECTOR.
I Am
Hector the peerelesse prince king
Priamus eldest sonne:
Manie a land through force of armes and prowesse, I haue wonne.
In
Paponie my puissance great I haue approoud in fight:
In
Greece and
Phrigia I haue slaine, and conquerd many a knight.
I am that martiall knight of fame, which slew so many a
Greeke,
When they were prest for
Helens rape to
Troie reuenge to seeke.
Being furnished with eleuen score sailes and fortie for the warre:
All full of armed soldiours, assembled from a farre.
And threescore noble kings and nine, which landed before
Troie:
With minds conspired all in one, the
Troians to destroie.
At whose arriuall first on shore I met them in the field:
Where, at one time with my owne hand, a thousand men I kild.
Beside the great and mightie King, which
Prothefilaus hight:
Whom I did cleaue vnto the chinne, in all the armies sight.
And six and twentie princes mo, during that ten yéeres strife:
When I did méete them daie by daie, I reaud them of their life:
As
Patroclus of
Phithia King, on
Galathee my stéed:
With deadlie speare through plate and maile, his hart bloud I did shéed.
And
Lufor, and
Boetes kings, and King
Archilogus:
And
Merion the King of
Creete, and King
Epistrophus.
And
Prothenor of
Boece King, and King
Lepedemon:
Deipeynor and
Phidippus fearce, the King of
Calcedon.
Dorius and
Polixenus, and King
Zantippus éeke:
And
Serpedon the famous prince, and much renowned Gréeke.
Leonteus of
Larissa King, and
Polybetes stout:
And
Alphinor a valiant wight, amongst the gréekish rout.
Philete
and Letabonis, Isideus
and Menon:
Humerus and
Maymentus eke, with péerelesse
Palamon.
Schedius King of
Phocis land, in open field I slew:
Whose suddaine death full manie a Gréeke with bléeding hart did rew.
King
Phillis and King
Octamen, I strake so mortallie:
[Page] With deadlie speare, that therewithall they died presentlie.
The mightie
Agamemnon king I threw vnto the ground:
And strong
Achilles felled oft with manie a mortall wound.
Proud
Diomed and
Aiax fierce, I met oft in this broile:
With manie Gréekish captaines more, and gaue them all the foile.
And so continued six yéeres space amongst my mortall foes,
Most like a valiant conquerour, still dealing deadlie bloes:
And chasing them with bloodie blade vnto the verie strand:
Where, some did leape into the seas, to shun my heauie hand.
And there were drenched in the waues most miserablie:
Wherefore the Gréeks among themselues complained secretlie,
What slaughter and occision I made vpon their men:
And for redresse thereof, they held a priuie counsell then.
Wherein they did conspire my death in this vnknightly wise:
That when I came into the field against mine enimies,
Achilles should with manie knights awaite me to oppresse:
When I were occupied in fight to bring me to distresse.
Affirming otherwise, while I in
Troie aliue did raigne,
Vnpossible it were for them the victorie to attaine.
Yet serud their treason, for a while to small effect or none:
I did distresse them (as before) and killed manie a one:
Till casually vpon a day I marched to the field
In former wonted guise: to proue my force with speare and shield:
Although forewarned by my wife, who by a dreame did sée,
That if I that day went to field, my life should ended be:
Where I like mightie
Mars himselfe slew downe on euerie side,
And brake their raies and renges all where I did go or ride:
And kild anone two mightie kings before
Achilles face,
Who: séeking to reuenge their death, I wounded in that place:
And forced him to withdraw himselfe to bind his mortall sore:
By this the fight with fierce assault increased more and more.
At last by chaunce I flew a King, whose armour for the nones
Was richly en brodred and set foorth with pearls and pretious stones.
The sight whereof did so inflame my hart with couetousnesse,
That for to spoile him of the same my selfe I did addresse:
Forecasting naught what might befall, nor hauing no regard
To shun the traine of my mischaunce, which was for me prepard:
Nor fearing thousands of my foes, nor waying anie frend,
Although the state of their welfare on me did all depend.
[Page] But hent him vp vpon my stéede, and rode out of the throng:
And for my better ease my shield vpon my backe I flong,
While I did spoile him of his wéedes, carelesse of anie wight,
My naked brest disarmed then,
Achilles had a sight
How I was busied: and therefore from couert where he laie,
Towards me him to reuenge he tooke the readie waie:
And sodainlie with fatall speare or that I might aduert,
He came vnwares behind my backe, and stroke me to the hart.
Thus died I through auarice, whom thousands could not kill,
Till mine owne onelie wilfulnesse my selfe did fondlie spill.
Whereby (alas) it came to passe, my countrie did it rue:
For shortlie after to them all destruction did ensue.
My bodie was brought into
Troie with wofull showts and cries,
With piteous plaints & gréeuous grones, whose eccho pearst the skies.
And in
Apollos temple enterd and closed déepe in claie
After the Paynims rites, beeing a Paynim in my laie.
Two thousand and seuen hundreth yéeres, adioining fifteene mo,
Since the creation of the world I raignd, as bookes do sho.
And before Christ Iesus birth one thousand full compleat,
Two hundreth fortie yeeres and seuen, this hapt in
Troie the great.
FINIS.
❧An Example of this former Historie.
THis historie doth plaine expresse, and witnesse vnto euerie wight
The wofull end of couetousnesse, and such as haue therein delight:
And sheweth both the harme & scath, which wicked auarice brings and hath.
And scriptures truly do record, who so at leasure them will scan,
Nothing to be more deeply abhord, nor yet worse than a couetous man:
Nothing so wicked, no vice such, as to loue money ouer much.
For he that loueth gold so well, in Ecclesiasticus I find,
For money hath his soule to sell, so auarice the hart doth blind:
Record of Diues, who denied, poore Lazarus what time he died.
Saint Paule writing to Timothie in his epistles, doth expresse
The wofull end and miserie of such as dwell in couetousnesse:
Which saith, he drowneth manie a one, in sorrow and destruction.
How manie vices do proceed from couetousnesse that wicked crime?
What Kings and kingdoms do we read to be destroid from time to time?
What bloody murther, what distresse, what enuie comes through couetousnesse?
What rigor, wrong, and periurie, what rauine, and what mortall strife,
What malice, and what crueltie, and finallie, what losse of life
Breeds couetousnes to euerie such, as loue this worldly mucke too much?
This noble prince and conquerour a good example well may be,
Whom couetousnes did quite deuoure, beeing drowned in this miserie:
But Gods iust iudgement hath prepard, for euerie sinne a due reward.
FINIS.
NON IN [...] [...]VSTVM NEC SEMEN EGENVM
THE HISTORIE OF THE conquests of the vertuous and valiant King DAVID.
I Am
Dauid most doughtie of déede, the King of
Israell:
By
Samuel the prophet great annointed there to dwell.
A Iew I am in
Bethlehem borne, and by Gods onelie grace
Promoted vp to regall rowme, though come but of meane race.
Next to
Saule I ware the crowne, I had continually
Seuen and thirtie mightie men as captaines vnder me.
Whose names in the old testament in the bookes of the Kings
At large are written, and set foorth with manie other things.
Peruse well the old testament, and marke the text aright:
Then thou shalt find that I am he in whom God did delight:
Of whom in pleased him to say, Behold in euerie part,
At last I haue found out a man according to my hart.
No prophet euer raignd on earth more greater than was I,
To whom the Lord did deigne to giue such spirit of prophesie:
Nor vnto whom my God vouchsafd so largelie to behight
Such ioifull promises: nor found more fauour in Gods sight.
First, in my childish yéeres when I a shepheard was,
I slew a Lion with my hands, as he my shéepe did chase:
And kild a great and vglie Beare, which came in rauenous wise
Out of the wildernesse to spoile my flocke before mine eies.
And béeing by my father sent my brothers food to bring,
Who serued then as soldiours in field with
Saule the King,
I slew the Giant
Goliath, most lothlie to behold,
Who was from the
Philistines sent on
Israelites to scold:
And proudlie stood betweene the hosts trusting vnto his might,
And called vpon
Israel to send him one to fight.
This man was captaine of their host, which then in
Socohe lay,
He ware a coat of maile, which did fiue thousand siccles way:
And was six cubits large in length, and on his legges did weare
Boots of brasse: and on his brest a brasen shield did beare.
[Page] And in his hand a speare he held, whose brasen head also
Did wey (as scriptures do declare) six hundred siccles mo.
Which thing, when
Saule the King beheld, he highlie estéemed me:
And brought me home vnto his house his seruant for to be:
And gaue me his daughter to wife, for whom I paid in fight
Two hundred foreskins of my foes, whom I slew through my might:
With manie a thousand mo beside, whereby my fame so sprung
Throughout the land of
Israel, that women on me sung
In all the cities where I past, dauncing most ioifullie,
With fiddles and timbrels well tund to aduaunce my victorie,
Saieng:
Dauid hath ten thousand kild, and
Saule one thousand slaine:
Wherefore, the King was woonderous wroth, that I did so attaine
To worthie honour and renowne: and for this did conspire
My death, by all the meanes he could in his outragious ire:
And often times he did attempt, when he tormented was
And vexed with the euill spirit, to slay me in the place:
But then I plaid vpon my harpe, and so I did expell
The wicked spirit, by Gods grace which in King
Saule did dwell.
And yet, as soone as I did cease, the spirit would him torment,
And then, to slay me as before againe he would attempt.
At last, to shun his wicked hand, by helpe of
Ionathas,
I fled vnto the wildernesse, where I in sorrow was
And déepe distresse for manie a day, opprest with hungers rage,
Vntill
Ahimelech the priest my hunger did asswage:
And after fled to
Achis King, thence to the desert caue
Of
Odolam: to
Mazphah thence my selfe from
Saule to saue.
To
Engedi and
Keilah, thence to the wildernesse
Of
Phran: thence to
Zikelege, where I brought to distresse
Thousands of
Philistiens: at last King
Saule was slaine:
And then, ouer all
Israel I was elect to raigne:
And ruled as their soueraigne King with famous victorie,
Subduing great and mightie Kings, and nations vnder me.
As the peruerse
Amalakites, which
Zikelege did burne:
Whom I pursued so narrowlie, that few did backe returne:
The
Syrians, and the
Edomites, the
Iebusites likewise,
The
Iesurites, and
Gersites that did against me rise:
The
Philistines and
Moabites, the tower of
Sion éeke,
And
Isboseth the sonne of
Saule, who did the kingdome séeke.
I ouercame
Iesby of
Nob, a Giant fierce and fell,
[Page] Who had six fingers on ech hand, as scriptures truely tell.
And
Saphon strong, whose fearefull lookes all
Israel did dreed,
The ghastlie Giant I subdued, and causd his men to bleed.
Adadasor the mightie King as prisoner I did hold,
Bereauing him in battell strong of manie a shield of gold.
Vnhappie
Absalon my sonne, who thought ambitiouslie
To conquer me (although his sire) was brought to miserie:
Yea vnto such a wofull end, that others iustlie may
Example take: and learne by him their parents to obay.
For as he through the woods did flie my soldiours force to shun,
Who fiersly him pursued behind the field when they had wun,
His locks béeing long, the trées being low, the boughs crauld in his haire,
And pluckt him from his foming stéed, and hangd him in the aire:
Where finally
Ioab him found, and piteouslie him slew
With manie of his confederates, whose death I much did rue.
This wofull slaughter brought to end, I raigned quietly
Amongst my people manie a day, and found no enemie:
For God my Lord was on my side, whose force than should I feare?
Thus raigned I in
Israel, and
Hebron fortie yeare.
And in my crooked extreme age my bodie fell on sleepe,
And in the citie of
Dauid lieth in earth inclosed deepe:
After the framing of the world two thousand and fiftéene,
Adding seuen hundreth yeres and ninetie, as I weene:
And one thousand yeeres also ere Iesus Christ was borne,
One hundreth fiftie yeeres and seuen expired out and worne.
FINIS.
❧An Example of this former Historie.
LO here behold a mirrour bright, wherein the reader well may find
Expressed, and set forth aright the vertues of a pacient mind:
And learne also himselfe thereby, both meekenes and humilitie.
Which vertues being duely waide, ech liuing wight ought to imbrace:
For in the scriptures it is saide, and writ at large in manie a place
By the old prophets long time since, what vertue is in patience.
By patience (saith Salomon) a prince may soone be pacified,
And patience is a iust token whereby mans wisedome is discried:
The patient man also (saith he) shall gouerne in prosperitie.
And Dauid this most vertuous King saith in his Psalms: The patient
Out of his troubles God shall bring, he will not suffer him be shent:
For patience commeth of the Lord, euen as the prophet doth record.
In Ecclesiasticus also the first chapter, the text doth say,
The patient will endure ech wo vntill the verie appointed day:
And then for him shall be prepard, for his meekenes, a due reward.
Saint Paule in his epistles writes of patience and humilitie,
And Iames thereof likewise endites in manie a text apparantlie:
Our sauiour Christ did patience teach, when he himselfe on earth did preach.
Saieng (in Matthew as I find) Learne ye of me humilitie,
Bicause I humble am of mind, and suffer ech thing patientlie:
Againe he saith, The humble wight, shal be exalted to much might.
And in Saint Luke is written eeke, He hath plucked the mightie low,
And exalted the humble and meeke, what neede I more hereof to show,
Since Christ himselfe hath left behind, examples of a patient mind.
Whose patience and humilitie ech christian ought to imitate,
For patience bringeth victorie, as proofe doth tell to euerie estate:
Record of this worthie of fame, whose patience declares the same.
FINIS.
NEMO BEATVS SEMPER ERIT FRAGILI FORTVNA
THE HISTORIE OF THE great and famous conquerour King ALEXANDER.
I Am the great and worthie King, the prince of péerelesse might,
The wide renowned conquerour which
Alexander hight:
Sonne to the prince of
Macedon, a man of noble fame,
Whom famous
Phillip men did call,
Olympias was my dame.
I was but twentie yéeres of age when first I ware the crowne,
And conquered the
Athenians vnto my high renowne:
The
Getes and
Lacedemonians, the
Argeans sterne and stout,
The
Thaulants and
Anterians strong on manie a hideous rout.
The
Tribals I compeld to yéeld, all
Greece I did subdew,
And thence I went to
Hellespont, beginning warres of new
In
Asia, where I did preuaile, and at one time did slay
Of
Persians twentie thousand and two hundreth in one day:
There got I cities manie a one, as
Sardes and
Lydia,
Magnesia, Phrygia, Ephylos, Pamphylia
and Caria,
Pysidia, Lycia,
and Gordyn, Helicarnasus
to,
Melyton and
Celenas eke, with manie cities mo:
As Ancyre
and Paphlagony, Solos
and Malon,
Lyrnesus, Islon, Cebestus,
with strong Castabulon.
Thence past I to
Cilicia, a countrie large and wide,
Where I subdued
Darius King for all his pompe and pride,
Tooke both his mother and his wife, put him to shamefull flight,
A hundreth thousand
Persians and mo, I slew in fight.
Strato King of
Arade I forst on bewed knée
With all the Kings of
Syria to yéeld themselues to me.
The citie of
Tyre I put to sacke, the strongest vnder sunne,
Which neuer to this day was got since first the world begunne.
Then into
Egypt forth I saild, from
Egypt ouer
Nyle:
From
Nyle to
Affricke, where I wan by conquest manie a mile.
I marched then to
Araby a fertill soile in sight,
Where great
Darius tooke his death with manie a worthie Knight:
So passing ouer
Euphrates and
Tiger spéedilie,
I came at length to
Babylon, which yéelden was to me.
And so vnto
Persepolis, thence to
Paralecene:
From thence into the
Mardons land I entred: where at length
That monsterous nation I subdude, & conquered through strength
The
Medes: the
Partthians and
Spartans, the
Thracians I subdude,
The
Achaians and
Boetians, the
Cannians nothing rude
Besyra, Nisa, Pysides, and manie mo with these
I conquered through force of armes, quite to the
Caspian seas.
And when at length I had atchieud
Lyrcanias furthest band,
I passed then to
Amason, and wan it with my hand.
From thence to
Dranga foorth I went, which countrie I destroid,
Compelling strong
Nabarzanes to
India thence to void.
The land of
Aracosia I causd to yéeld to me,
Rude
Acadera and
Bactria I sacked valiantly
The citie of
Cyroposis, all
Scithia and
Bub acen,
Basarians: Dahanes and
Maurians, all these became my men.
To
India then I tooke the waie, which erst was woon by none,
Nor entred in by any: but by
Hercules alone.
Thence went I to mount
Meroe, and thence to
Dedala,
Which countries all I brought to wracke, with rich
Amzaga.
Mount
Arum I besieged long, and wan it with much fame,
Yet
Hercules assaulted it, and could not sacke the same.
King
Omphis, Abiasares, and
Gamaxus kings of
Inde
Did humbly yéeld themselues and theirs to do what I assignde.
Then passed I
Hydaspis streames, where
Porus king did raigne,
Who through my force was ouercome, and all his power slaine.
From thence: through desarts foorth I went vnto the
Sobians land,
To
Sugdrians and
Mallians: whom I conquerd with my hand.
And thence vnto the
Oxidricans, where: at a siege alone
My selfe the citie entred in, and slue there manie one.
From thence vnto the
Musicanes, and thence to
Prestia cost:
From thence vnto
Pathalia I did conuay mine host.
Thus when I had the furthest bonds in all the
Orient kend,
And sawe my selfe a conquerer vnto the worlds end,
I sailed on the
Ocean sea, where no man erst had béene:
There manie strange & wonderous things by me were heard & séene.
Some countries strange there I did find, with nations rude to sée,
All which I forst through dent of sword, to yéeld themselues to mée.
And when at last the raging sea, my passage did denie:
Right as a worthy conquerour againe returned I.
[Page] And marched backe to
Babylon, triumphing as a God,
Where all the princes of the east for me made their abod.
There did I hold a paleament, almost of all the world:
For ouer all the orient I was the soueraigne Lord.
Wherefore I was so proud in hart, so pompous and elate,
That I did vtterlie forget my selfe, and my estate,
Onely attributing the fame of all my good successe,
And conquests in so short a space, to mine owne worthinesse,
And not contented yet therewith, did take presumptuouslie
Vpon my selfe the sonne of mightie
Ioue to be.
But in my most prosperitie I had a soddaine fall,
I was by them betraied, whom I trusted best of all.
Casander, Phillip, and
Iolla, these thrée did worke my fine
In
Thesalus Medius house, with poison mixt in wine.
Thus died I through treasons traine of those I loued most:
Thus were my conquests latelie wonne within a moment lost.
Thus spiteful enuie threw me downe from fortunes statelie stage
Bereft of life, béeing but two and thirtie yéeres of age:
My bodie was from
Babylon to
Memphis forth conuaide,
And thence to
Alexandria by
Ptolomeus aide:
Euen in the yéere of the world foure thousand, saue eight score,
And before that Christ was borne, one hundreth and two more:
A Paynim I am in beléefe, a Paynim eke by birth,
Accounted sonne to
Iupiter, and now consumd to earth.
FINIS.
❧An Example of this former Historie.
WHere pride infected hath the hart of anie wight what so he be,
All vertue in him is laid apart, so great is prides peruersitie,
As witnesseth this worthie King, whose pride vntimely death did bring.
For pride through false presumption made him so loftie and elate,
Beeing puffed with promotion, that he knew not his owne estate:
Nor tooke regard to anie wight, but trusted onelie in his might.
The honour due to God on hie he attributed to his owne name,
And in his swelling surquedrie the Lord he robbed of the same:
Wherefore amid his most renowne, God for his folly threw him downe.
For by the prophet Ieremie the Lord himselfe euen thus doth say,
I will to none giue my glorie: and eke by the prophet Esay,
The haughtie I will pull downe low, and cause the meeke harted to bow.
To Moises eke in Exodus, A ielous God saith he, am I:
The prophet Sophony writeth thus, I will visite ech arrogancie:
In Ecclesiasticus I reede, Thy selfe exalt not in thy deede.
The eight of Iohn doth beare record, No man can anie thing receiue
But it proceedeth from the Lord, who euerie perfect gift doth giue:
And if ech gift from him proceed, to glorie than what haue we need?
All flesh is hay, and as a flower his glorie all away shall passe,
The prophet saith, and in one houre (as Iob doth tell) consume to grasse:
All pride (as Salomon doth write) is abhominable in Gods sight.
Lucifer once an angell bright, for pride was throwen downe to hell:
Antiochus for all his might, Herod who did in pride excell,
Through pride with plagues most miserably, tormented were or they did sdie.
Nabuchodonozar the King God plucked downe from regall seate,
And for his pride in euerie thing became a beast, and grasse did eate:
And manie mightie Kings beside, the Lord hath plagued for their pride.
Abandon then this wicked pride which God himselfe doth so abhorre,
Or els it cannot be denide but God will plague vs heeretofore:
For euerie gift giue God the fame, and honor still his holie name.
FINIS.
NON HOMINVM CONSTAT TVRBA SED NVMINE PALMA
THE HISTORIE OF THE conquests of the vertuous conquerour IVDAS MACHABEVS.
I Am
Iudas Machabeus, in might surpassing all,
I found not yet in Israell for strength my peregall:
A Lion fierce I was in field, as holie scriptures say,
And as a raging Lions whelpe that roreth at his pray:
An enimie to wicked men, a frend vnto the good:
A plague and scourge to euerie such as shed the guiltlesse bloud.
A Iew I am of noble birth, I saw the liuing God,
For feare of me the heathen fled as children from the rod:
I am the same which did redeeme all Israell from thrall,
Euen he whom God the Lord did raise,
Antiochus pride to appall:
Who had the land of Israell most cruellie opprest,
The citie of
Ierusalem both sacked and distrest:
The temples robbed and destroide, and thousands piteouslie
Murthered, and led away into captiuitie:
And placed wicked officers throughout the land likewise,
His heathenish lawes to maintaine, and Gods lawes to despise:
As
Phillip in
Ierusalem a cruell man of mind,
Andromichus, and
Menelaus at garrison assignd:
And
Apollonius a prince of
Syria also,
With two and twentie thousand men, who wrought the Iewes much wo,
And murthered them in wilfull wise without desert or cause,
Compelling such as did remaine to obey his wicked lawes:
Whose bloodie hand to euitate, I was constraind to flie
Vnto the woods and wildernesse, in desart caues to lie,
With manie of my brethren mo, where we consulted long
Amongst our selues what we should do for to redresse this wrong:
At last, with one consent we agréed couragiouslie to stand
Against the wicked heathen sort, who then possest the land:
And béeing about six thousand men I tooke the charge on me,
By one accord chose and elect their captaine chiefe to be,
To fight it out with manlie hart, and after praiers made
[Page] I marched forward with my folke the heathen to inuade:
And met with
Apolonius, and slew him with my hand,
And all his people more and lesse, which then with me did stand:
His sword I tooke amid the strife perforce from him away,
And therewith fought during my life in manie a bloodie fray.
The citie of
Ierusalem I wan from them againe,
And slew the heathen vpon heaps which did therein remaine.
I tooke the temple, and did clense and purifie the same,
I did destroy the altars which they builded there with shame:
And since erected altars new, as they had béene of yore,
And offered thereon sacrifice, and incense, as before.
I ouercame
Seron in fight, with thousands of his traine,
By me eight hundreth of his men were in one battell slaine.
Gorgias the captaine great I put to shamefull flight,
And slew there thousands with the sword, and by Gods onely might,
Who sent his angels from aboue armed in glistering gold
On horsebacke with a speare in hand, most terrible to behold.
The valiant captaine
Lysias of King
Antiochus,
With thréescore thousand in one troupe, though it be woonderous,
I conquered, and put to flight, and slew fiue thousand tho,
Yet had I to encounter them ten thousand and no mo.
In
Idumea I did kill of heathens manie a man:
At
Arabathan in like sort great slaughter I began.
Gazer, Maspha and
Casbon I did destroy with fire,
Mageth, Bosor: for they did gainst
Israel conspire.
The gate of
Iamnia I did burne, and manie a ship therein,
And all that dwelt in
Ioppa I plagued for their sin.
Timotheus with his
Asia troupe I met, and through Gods aide
Which he from heauen sent to me, my foes were so dismaide
And confounded with such darkenesse of lightning on them throwen,
And fierie darts of present death, that therewith they fell downe
For feare: where twentie thousand men and fiue hundreth were slaine
Of footemen and of horsemen more six hundreth on the plaine:
And
Timotheus béeing fled, and in a corner found,
With
Cereas his brother hid, I slew with manie a wound.
Ephron and
Carnaym eke strong cities I did sacke,
And euerie male therein with sword did bring to vtter wracke:
Yea, so great a multitude, that euerie stréet therein
Was couerd with dead carcases, so God did plague their sin.
With altars, idols, images, which heathen did adorne.
The puisant King
Antiochus I met with all his traine,
And slew six hundreth of his men (as scripture telleth plaine:)
His captaine
Nican or also I kild at
Bethoron,
And all his soldiours in one day, there scaped neuer a one:
His head and hand I did cut off, béeing of the Iewes abhord,
His toong I cast vnto the fowles, which did blaspheme the Lord.
Thus ruled I in
Israel with honor and renowne,
And wan the palme of victorie in countrie, field, and towne.
At last it was my fatall lot amid my foes to die,
Euen as the Lord decréeed had vpon my destinie
For secret causes to him knowen, which must be accomplished:
My death was this, as you may
[...]nd in scripture if you reed.
When King
Demetrius vnderstood how
Nicanor was slaine,
He sent his captaine
Bachydes to
Iuda land againe
With two and twentie thousand men well furnished to fight,
With whom, my countrie to defend, I met as it was right,
Accompanied but with a few, thrée thousand and no mo,
Whereof the most part stole away or I to fight did go,
And left me there all desolate, but with eight hundreth men:
For which, my doubtfull mind was tost with extreme trouble then:
Yet chusing rather losse of life than cowardlie to flie,
I gaue the onset on my foes, and fought it valiantlie
From morning vntill it was night, where I slew manie a one,
But what against so great an host could I preuaile alone?
There was I killed in the field, yet to my lasting fame:
Far better is to die renownd, than for to liue in shame.
Thus in defence of God his lawes I shed my vitall blood,
Wherein (I trust) I pleasd the Lord, and did my countrie good.
My mangled corps conueied was, out of the bloodie field,
And to the citie of
Modin brought his due to earth to yéeld:
Whereas the same enterred was after the world was made
Foure thousand saue one hundreth yéeres (in authors as I reade:)
And before Christs birth also about two and threescore,
When I was dead all
Israel was in a great vprore.
FINIS.
❧An Example of this former Historie.
THe wisedome, wit, nor pollicy, the courage, strength, nor worthines,
The might, nor magnanimitie, the manlie force, nor valiantnes
Of anie wight, but litle may
Preuaile, if God be not his stay.
A vaine thing is a horse (god wot) to saue mans life, the speare nor shield,
Nor thundering cracks of cannon shot rare or neuer winnes the field,
Except the Lord God present be,
Who giueth euerie victorie.
What doth preuaile the Elephant, so fierce and terrible in sight,
Or numbers great of men to daunt the enimy through their own might,
Since victorie scripture concludes,
Confisteth not in multitudes?
But in the Lord the God of hosts, who made the earth and heauen hie,
And onely ruleth in all costs, and giueth euerie victorie:
As by examples permanent
Vnto this day is euident.
Senacharib of Assyria King, manie thousands in one rout
Of the Assyrians did bring, King Hezekiah to roote out:
But for that he blasphemed God,
He sharpelie felt his heauie rod.
For in one night the Lord did slay an hundreth fourescore fiue thousand
Of the Assyrians, which then lay of purpose to inuade the land,
And draue Senacharib againe
To Niniueh where he was slaine.
King Pharao with a mightie host the Israelits pursued apace,
But in the seas his life he lost, and all his people in the chase:
[Page] Yet Israel through it did passe,
For God the Lord their leader was.
The great Antiochus also (as plaine this historie doth expresse)
With thousands and with millions mo, this worthie Iudas did distresse:
And onely with six thousand men,
For why, the Lord fought for him then.
Bicause his onely quarrell was in the defence of God his lawes,
For which, it after came to passe that God did helpe them in ech cause:
And gaue him victorie with fame,
Which purchast him a lasting name.
Wherefore you worthie warriors all, no quarrell take but it be right:
Learne warilie by others fall, to serue the conquerour of might,
Who doth reward most liberallie
His soldiours with victorie.
Fight valiantly in the defence of his pure lawes and ordinance:
The kingdome shall not be long hence, whereto the Lord shall you aduance.
For euermore in blisse to dwell,
The ioies whereof no toong can tell.
FINIS.
MORI QVAM VITAM DEGRE PBRO PR [...] [...]E
THE HISTORIE OF THE conquests of the famous conquerour IVLIVS CAESAR.
I Am the worthie conquerour, the prince of high renowne:
Who first by name of Emperour, did weare the
Roman crowne:
And
Iulius Caesar is my name, well knowne both farre and néere:
A Painim I am in beléefe, I reigned in the yéere
Since the creation of the world, foure thousand fully told,
Deducting fourescore yéeres and two by count of writers old,
And fortie yéeres before Christs birth. I am the verie same,
Which wan great victories in
Spaine to my perpetuall fame:
And conquered most valiantly the people all and summe
Where I did passe: euen vnto the sea
Oceanum,
And marched into
Gallia, which now is called
France:
And into
Germanie also mine henor to aduance.
And conquered the
Heluetians and
Latobrigians,
Tulingians and
Rauratians, with warlike
Boyans:
And ouercame the
Marcomans, the strong
Seducians,
The
Haruds, Tribocks, Vangians and the
Sueuians:
The
Nemets, Sedunes, Veragrines: the
Ambiliats and
Venets:
The
Diablinters, Digerons: the
Tarbels and
Naunets:
The
Osisenes and
Tarrusats: the
Vocats and
Pretians:
The
Flustrats, Garites, and
Garumnes, the famous
Ansians,
The
Sibuzsates and
Cocosats, the
Aulerks fierce in field:
And did compell
Viridouix, their captaine stout to yéeld,
And slue in numbers infinite, the
Morines, and
Treuires,
Menapians and
Lexobians, and burnt their townes with fires.
And strong
Induciomarus kild the captaine with my hand,
The
Belgies, Neruians, Aduaticks, and chased them from their land.
And
Acco prince of the
Senons, did kill in knightlie wise
Condrosies, Segnies, Eburons, which did against me rise.
And ouercame the
Brittons fierce, to my perpetuall fame:
And causd
Caslibelan their King pay tribute for the same.
[Page] And forced
Catiuulcus king, for feare, with poisons force
By drinke to worke his fatall fine to worke his trembling corse:
And vanquished
Lytauicus, a valiant man in fight:
The citie of
Genabum eke did sacke through my great might.
The citie
Valaundunum, and
Nouiodunum too
I causd to yéeld vp vnto me, my will with them to doo:
And battered
Auaricum vnto the verie ground,
And fortie thousand slew therein with manie a mortall wound.
King
Theutomatus I subdued
Camalogenus kild
Eporidorix, Cotus, Canarill, tooke prisoners in the field,
Sedulius prince of
Lemouix, I at
Alexia slew,
Vergassilaunus tooke aliue, and causd thousands to rew:
Thréescore banners and fourtéene at one conflict I wan
With twentie thousand prisoners, and manie a noble man,
The captaine of
Bellouocans a man of worthy fame:
In marshall wise I conquered which
Corbey had to name:
Drapes, Surus, Suturuate, renowmed captaines all,
With bloody sword I ouercame, and made their men to thrall.
Luctarius a valiant prince, I chast so narrowlie,
That he through famine was constraind for want to food to die.
And versing
Etorix also a great and famous king:
His owne soldiers, I forst to me as prisoners to bring.
And
Pompei proud the Romane prince in manie a bloodie broile:
I chast abroad from place to place and gaue him manie a foile.
And at
Pharsalia in fight I killed in one daie
Manie thousandes of his men where he in poore aray
Out of the campe conueyed him selfe in Egypt finally
Through treasons traine, his life he lost most miserably.
The King of
Aegypt I subdued, and in his seate did place
His sister
Cleopatra Quéene, who in my fauour was
And
Pharnases of
Pontus King I chased from his land,
And
Iuba King of
Africa I conquered with my hand.
And tooke strong cities in the same, whose names at large appeare,
Where diuerse of mine enemies did kill themselues for feare.
The sonnes of
Pompei with their power I ouercame in field,
Séeking to venge their fathers death with many a speare and shield.
I came vnto the gates of
Rome, which were shut me againe
And for I should not enter in I made my passage playne:
And battered them vnto the ground, and made the townes men thrall,
[Page] Who yéelded them on trembling knées, to be my liege men all,
Whereas I gouerned in peace, and ruled as I would,
Of
Europe all, as soueraigne Lord, as
Mars in battell bould.
Hauing subdued with my might, in
Gaule and
Germanie
Eight hundred statelie townes at least, and conquered valiantlie
Thrée hundred seuerall nations, in lesse than ten yéeres space,
So highlie I estéemed was, in fawning fortunes grace.
But lo, whom millions could not match, nor all
Europa staine:
Not
Mars himselfe, were he aliue the same hath enuie slaine,
Whose secret traines, and hidden traps, vnwares preuented mée
With sodaine death, by foes conspird amid my iolitée.
For as I in the Senate sat, with many other mo,
By
Cassius and
Brutus hands, there I was murthered tho,
With bodkins, kniues, and daggers sharpe, when I did déeme no ill
They fell vpon me sodainlie, and thus they did me kill,
My carcase after
Painims rites, in
Rome enterred was:
Lo, thus the glorie of the world doth were awaie, and passe.
FINIS.
❧An Example of this former Historie.
THe hautie and ambitious mind desireth daily to aspire:
Vaine glorie doth his eies so blind, and set his hart on such a fire,
Till enuie come and plucke him downe, and rifle him of his renowne.
As by example may appeere of this most puissant conquerer,
Who for his conquests far and neere was in his daies the onlie flower:
Yet such was his ambition, to clime vp to promotion.
That he enuied at other men, who were in rule and dignitie:
Seeking to suppresse them then, for feare of coequalitie.
For hautinesse doth euer hate, the fellowship of any mate.
And onlie this procured the iar of mortall war, and deadlie strife
Betweene Pompeius and Caesar, which was the losse of manie a life.
And brought to ruine vtterlie, the state of the whole monarchie.
For Pompei died most miserablie, as you haue heard declared before:
Caesar for all his victorie through enuie also was forlore.
The measure he to others gaue, the same did shape his fatall graue.
Thus may you see where enuie is what mortall plagues therwith ensue:
How fickle is the vading blisse of enuious men appeereth true.
And how vnhappie is the land, where enuie hath the vpper hand.
Through enuie Herod long ago did manie a harmelesse infant kill.
Enuie procured Saule also to seeke king Dauid for to spill.
Through enuie eeke was Abel slaine, and murdered by wicked Caine.
Through enuie Christ our sauior accused was, and put to death.
Through enuie Satan did procure, to mortall man the losse of breath.
What plague on earth is greater then, where enuie reigneth amongst men.
FINIS.
HONORE MORI QVAM VITAM DEFERE PBRO PRESTAT
THE HISTORIE OF THE conquests of the noble conquerour ARTHVR.
OF
Brutus blood in
Brittaine borne I
Arthur am by name:
Through christendome & heathenes well knowne is my fame.
In Iesus Christ I do beléeue, I am a Christian borne:
The father, sonne, and holie ghost, one God, I do adorne.
In the foure hundreth ninetie yéere ouer
Brittaine I did raigne,
After Christ my sauiours birth, what time I did maintaine
The fellowship of the table round, so famous in those daies,
Whereat a hundreth noble knights and fiftie sate alwaies:
Who for their fame in martiall feats (as yet bookes do record)
Amongst all kind of nations were feared through the world.
In the castell of
Tintagill King
Vter me begate
On
Igrayne the beautifull, a Ladie of high estate.
And when I was fiftéene yéeres old, then was I crowned King,
All
Brittaine béeing in vprore I did to quiet bring,
And draue the
Saxons from the realme, who did vsurpe the land,
And conquered through manly mart all
Scotland with my hand.
The
Orcades eke I ouercame, and Ilands all about,
Which on the
Ocean seas do lie, with manie nations stout:
Ireland, Norway, and
Denmarke, these countries wan I all:
Gutland, and
Island also, and made their Kings my thrall.
King
Bladulfe, and King
Collegrine, both two I slew in fight:
And forst
Cheldrike of
Almayne King to take his death by flight:
And
Lot the King of
Orkeney I brought to déepe distresse,
With manie a valiant knight with him, which came me to suppresse.
I conquered all
Gallia, which now is called
Fraunce,
And slew the hardie
Froll in field my honour to aduaunce.
The ouglie Giant
Dinabus so horrible to vew,
Which in Saint
Bernards mount did lie, through force of arms I slew.
And
Lucius the Emperour great of
Rome, I brought to wracke,
With thousands mo, whom feare of death had forst to turne their backe
[Page] Fiue Kings of Painims I did kill amid that bloodie strife,
Beside the Emperour himselfe, who also lost his life:
Whose carcase I did send to
Rome, clad poorelie in a béere,
And after I did passe
Mount loy: the next approching yéere
I came to
Rome, where I was met right as a conquerour,
By all the Senate solemnlie, and crowned Emperour.
One winter there I made abode, then word to me was brought,
How
Mordred had vsurpt the crowne, what treason he had wrought
At home in
Brittaine with my Quéene, wherefore, I came with spéed
To
Brittaine backe with all my power, to quite that traiterous déed:
And as at
Sandwich I did land, there
Mordred me withstood,
Yet landed I at length, but with effusion of much blood:
For there my nephew
Gawin died, béeing wounded on that sore,
Which
Launcelot du lake in fight had giuen him before.
Thence chased I
Mordred away, he fled to
London right:
From
London to
Winchester: thence, to
Cornewal tooke his flight.
And still I did pursue with spéed, till at the last we met,
Where by accord the day of fight appointed was, and set
Betwene vs both, and at the time we encountred in the field
With manie a noble knight to trie it out, with speare and shield:
Where we did fight so mortallie of life ech to depriue,
That of an hundreth thousand men scarce one was left on liue.
There all the traitors men were slaine, not one escapt away,
There died all my valiant knights (alas the dolefull day:)
There all the noble chiualrie of
Brittaine tooke their end:
Sée how vncertaine is their state, which do on fate depend.
There slew I
Mordred with my hands, the causer of this strife,
And there my selfe receiud the wound which tooke away my life:
But yet I went from thence aliue to be cured againe,
To the vale of
Auillion (as Chronicles write plaine.)
And afterwards was neuer séene, nor what became of mét
Was neuer knowen vnto this day, for anie certaintée.
I raigned two and twentie yéeres in honour and much fame,
And thus by death am sodainlie depriued of the same.
FINIS.
❧An Example of this former Historie.
THe liking of vnlawfull lust, whereto this worthie was inclind,
Depriued him by iudgment iust, from life and kingdome (as I find)
And threw him downe most sodainlie, amid his fame and victorie.
Whereby Gods plague and punishment vpon adulterers is seene,
Whom sodainly he doth preuent with sharpe correction in his teene:
The proofe thereof no lesse doth tell, of his incest, beeing wayed well.
For Mordred his fatall fo, he did beget incestuously,
Vnto his vtter ouerthrow, on his owne sister wickedly:
And thus the father was forlorne, through his sons force in incest borne.
A good example to bewray the due reward of euerie vice,
Thy sinnes (the scriptures plainly say) shal thee condemne before thine eies:
And likewise he the death shal die, who doth commit adulterie.
Was not the world once ouerflowen for this offence of lauish lust?
Sodom and Gomor ouerthrowen with fire and brimstone vnto dust?
Was not Sichem through lust destroide, and all his cittie sore annoide?
Died not Ammon through his incest? and was not Absalon eke spilt
Through lecherie, (as is exprest?) and died not Abner through this gilt?
And what incestuous seed by Lot, vpon his daughters was begot?
Lewd lust did Hollofernes kil, through lust the Iudges lost their life,
Bicause they might not haue their wil accomplisht on Ioakims wife:
What plagues did fal on Beniamin, onely through lust that filthie sin?
Thus may you see, of lecherie the punishment and due reward,
Then flie far from such miserie, and therevnto take no regard:
Gods plague is sore if he begin, and death is the reward of sin.
FINIS.
SPLINDIDA CRVDELEM POST MORTEM FAMA MANEBIT
THE HISTORIE OF THE conquests of the mightie conquerour CHARLES the great.
I Am the Emperour
Charlemaine, surnamed
Charles the great.
I reigned six and fortie yéeres as King in roiall seat.
Both King and Emperour also of kingdoms manie one:
I am a Christian, and beléeue in Iesus Christ alone.
The Father and the holie Ghost, one God in Trinitie,
Which made both heauen and the earth, and liueth eternallie.
My fathers name
Pipinus was, in
Inglehem also,
In the countie of
Palatine my mother bare me tho,
But little from the citie
Meutz, My fame and woorthinesse
Is knowne well through Christendome, and also heathenesse.
I warred against the
Sarracens in
Gascoine manie a daie,
And caused them to yéeld and turne vnto the Christian laie.
The
Saxons fierce I did pursue for thirtie winters space,
And at the last constrained them on knées to sue for grace:
And to my Empire to obey, and christian faith to take,
And eke their
Painims false beleefe, for euer to forsake.
King
Desiderius I subdued, with many a
Lumbard mo,
As he was marching towards
Rome, to worke
Italians wo,
And saued
Rome and
Italy, from danger of the fire:
Whose spoile, this king of
Lumbards did malitiouslie conspire.
And laid him, his children, and his wife in prison strong,
At
Liege the citie great, whereas they all remained long.
I tooke all
Lumbardie by force with famous victorée,
And placed officers therein to gouerne vnder mée.
Tassilo, Duke of
Baiarland, I conquered in fight,
His men of wars I ouerthrew: his sonne (a noble knight)
Renowmed through his manlie acts, and feats of chiualrie,
I ouercame with mine owne hands in battell valiantlie.
The bishop
Leo I restord vnto the dignitée,
Whom
Romans had exiled
Rome, when he fled vnto mée.
All
Italie I brought perforce to my obeisiance,
[Page] Where I slew manie doughtie knights, with dent of deadlie launce.
Eight yéeres I warred in
Hungarie against those nations stout,
And ceased not till finallie I rooted them all out.
From whence I brought abundance great of gold and siluer bright:
And therewith highlie did aduance and prefer manie a knight,
Lecho king of
Behemie, I vanquished in field
Both he, and all his subiects did to my subiection yéeld.
All
France I had vnder my power, all
Germanie was myne:
And all the countries that doelie vpon the riuer
Rhyne.
In
France I held long wars and great against foure kings of fame,
Who were the Duke of
Dordons sonnes, at last I did them tame.
In
Rome I was crownd Emperour, whereby the monarchie
Translated was from
Rome vnto my countrey
Germanie.
I was both King and Emperour of all the west empire,
And brought the same to quiet state, what should I more desire?
All the kings through Christendome I might command at will:
It laie in me as souereigne Lord to pardon or to spill.
When I had thus triumphantlie obtained what I would:
I was content to liue at rest, bicause I waxed old.
And then I led in quietnesse the last part of my life,
Redressing wrong, maintaining peace, suppressing euerie strife.
In which time I did build and found thrée Vniuersities
Of fame, in
Italie and
France, whose seuerall names be these:
Bononie and
Padua, which lie in
Italie,
And
Paris the chiefe towne of
France, these founded were by me.
In fine as euerie mortall wight to death must yéeld his due,
At
Aken so I changed life, I could it not eschue.
When I had liued seuentéene yeres and two accounted iust:
My bodie was enterd in earth, where it consumes to dust:
In the yéere after Christ his birth eight hundered and mo
By true account of authors old, full seuentie and two.
FINIS.
❧An Example of this former Historie.
THe blisse and long felicitie, which here this worthie did enioie
Through palme of famous victory raining most like a princely boy,
Foresheweth vnto euery wight, the vertues of this noble knight.
The zeale he bare to learnings lore, his life also declares the same,
And God aduanced him therefore, with much increase of daily fame,
And held him vp in his renown, that no foes forse could pluck him down
For God will alwaies his defend, and them direct in euery cause:
He giues long life and happie end to such as doe obserue his lawes:
In whom he doth good workes begin, he wil continue them therein.
FINIS.
QVI FAMAM QVERIT VIGILET [...] IVVENILIBVS ANNIS
THE HISTORIE OF THE conquests of the puissant conquerour GVY.
I Am
Guy the Barron bold, of déede the doughtiest knight
That in my daies in
England was, with shield or speare in fight.
An English man I am by birth, in faith a Christian true:
The wicked lawes of Infidels I vtterlie eschue.
Nine hundreth twentie yéeres and one after Christ his birth,
When King
Athelstone ware the crowne, I liued vpon earth.
Sometime I was of
Warwicke Earle, and (for to say the truth)
A Ladies loue did me constraine to trauell in my youth
To win me fame in feats of armes, in strange and sundrie lands,
Where I atchieued for hir sake great conquests with my hands.
First I said to
Normandie, and there I wan in fight
The Emperours daughter of
Almaine from manie a worthie knight.
Also in
Lumbardie my selfe, with thrée knights and no more,
Slew sixtéene
Lumbards beeing ambusht to murder me before,
Through false Duke
Ottons trecherie, who bare me mortall hate,
Cause of the wound I gaue to him in
Normandie of late.
Then passed I the seas to
Greece, to helpe the Emperour right
Against the mightie
Souldans host of
Persia to fight:
Where I did kill of
Sarracens and
Painims manie a man,
And slew the
Souldans cousin eke, who had to name
Coldran.
And
Eskeldart a famous knight to death I did pursew:
And
Elman King of
Tire also, most horrible to vew.
I went vnto the
Souldans host, vpon ambassage sent,
And brought his head away with me, hauing kild him in his tent.
There was a Dragon in that land, which also I did slay,
As he a Lion did pursue most fiercely by the way.
To
Almaine thence I did retire, and thence to
Loraine right,
Where I the Duke of
Painie kild, his treason to requight.
Then into
England I did saile to wed
Phelis the bright,
For loue of whom I trauelled so far, to trie my might.
And when I had espoused hir, I staide but fortie daies,
[Page] Vntill I left the Ladie faire, and went from hir my waies,
Vnto the seas in pilgrime sort my voyage for to take,
Euen vnto the holie land for Iesus Christ his sake.
Where I Earle
Ionas did redéeme, and all his sonnes fiftéene:
Who with the cruell
Sarisins in prison long had béene.
I slew the Giant
Amerant, in battell hand to hand:
And doughtie
Barnard killed eke, and Duke of
Painie land.
And sithens came into
England, and there with
Colbrand fought:
An vglie Giant whom the
Danes, had for their champion sought,
And ouercame him in the field, and siue him valiantlie:
And thereby did release the land from tribute vtterlie.
And afterwards did offer vp the weapon solemnlie
In
Winchester, wherewith I fought in sight of manie an eie.
In
Windsor forrest I did kill a
Bore of passing strength,
Whose like in
England neuer was for highnes, breadth, and length.
Some of his bones in
Warwicke yet, within the castle lie:
One of his shields vnto this daie doth hang in
Couentrie.
I slew also in
Dunsmore heath a monsterous wild beast,
Cald the Dun cow of
Dunsmore, which manie men opprest:
Hir bones also in
Warwicke lie yet, for a monument,
Which vnto euerie looker on a woonder may present.
And in
Northumberland I did a Dragon fell destroie,
Which did both men and beasts oppresse and countrey sore annoie.
And then to
Warwicke came againe, but there I was not knowne:
Wherefore I led an Hermits life, a mile out of the towne.
Where with my hands I hewed a house, out of a rocke of stone,
And liued as a Palmer poore within that caue alone:
And dailie came to seeke my food vnto my castell gate,
Not knowne of my louing wife, which mourned for hir mate,
Till at the last I fell sore sicke, and found that I must die,
I sent to hir a ring, by which she knew me presentlie:
And so repairing to the caue, before I gaue the ghost,
She closed vp my dieng eies, whom once I loued most.
Thus dreadfull death did me arrest, and laid my corps in graue,
Thus as a Pilgrime died I, and all my soule to saue.
My bodie in
Warwicke lieth yet, though now consumed to mould:
My stature there engrand in stone this day you may behould.
FINIS.
❧An Example of this former Historie.
THe affection of impatient loue procurd this knight to take
His manlie forse, & might to proue, in many a strang & forren land:
Whereby it came to passe that he, aduanced was exceedinglie.
For through his warlike feates of fame, and marshall magnanimitie,
He wan to wife a passing dame, being borne of high nobilitie.
With Earledoms two which by hir right, descended to this noble knight.
But see in him example rare, when he the ladie wedded had:
With hir the storie doth declare, but fortie daies his life he lad,
Till leauing all in poore araie, on pilgrimage he tooke the waie
Towards Ierusalem to obtaine remission for his sinfull life,
Bicause he had so manie slaine, for loue of hir which was his wife,
And not for Iesus Christ his sake, for which he thoght amends to make.
With punishing his bodie so, as then it was the wonted vse,
Which of repentance plain doth sho a token, thogh through great abuse,
For want of knowledge of the truth, of holie scriptures: the more ruth.
And afterwards at his returne, all worldly pleasures he defied,
In pouertie he did bemourne his youthfull daies, and so he died:
All these declare a contrite hart, which God accepted in good part.
Finis huius libri.