Michael Drayton- Collected Poetical Works

by Michael Drayton

  This was one of the Articles that Duke Humfrey vrg’d against the Cardinall Beuford, that conspired the death of Henry the fift, by conuaying a villaine into his chamber, which in the night should haue murthered him: but what ground of truth he had for the same, I leaue to dispute.

  Duke Humfrey to Elinor Cobham.

  ME thinks thou should’st not doubt, I could forget

  Her whom so many doe remember yet;

  No, no, our ioyes away like shadowes slide,

  But sorrowes firme, in memory abide;

  Nay I durst answere, thou doo’st nothing lesse,

  But moou’d with passion, vrg’d by thy distresse;

  No Elnor no, thy wooes, thy greefe, thy wrong,

  Haue in my breast beene resident too long;

  Oh when report in euery place had spred,

  My Elnor was to sanctuarie fled,

  with cursed Onley, and the witch of Eye,

  As guilty, of their vile conspiracie;

  The dreadfull spirits, when they did inuocate,

  For the succession,, and the Realmes estate;

  when Henries Image, they in waxe had wrought,

  By which he should vnto his death be brought;

  That as his picture did consume away,

  His person so, by sicknes should decay;

  Griefe that before, could nere my thoughts controule,

  That instant tooke possession of my soule.

  Ah would to God I could forget thine ill,

  As for mine owne, let that instruct me still;

  But that before hath taken too sure hold,

  Forget it said I; would to God I could.

  Of any woe, if thou hast but one part,

  I haue the whole remaining in my hart;

  I haue no neede of others cares to borrow,

  For all I haue, is nothing else but sorrow.

  No my sweet Nell, thou took’st not all away,

  Though thou went’st hence, here still thy woes doe stay,

  Though from thy husband thou wert forst to goe,

  Those still remaine, they will not leaue me so;

  No eye bewailes my ill, moanes my distresse,

  Our greefe is more, but yet our debt is lesse;

  we owe no teares, no mourning daies are kept;

  For those that yet for vs haue neuer wept;

  we hold no obijts, no sad exequies

  Vpon the death-daies of vnweeping eyes.

  Alas good Nell, what should thy patience moue,

  T’vpbraid thy kind Lord, with a forraine loue;

  Thou might’st haue bidd all former ils adue,

  Forgot the old, we haue such store of new.

  Did I omit thy loue to entertaine

  with mutuall griefe to answere griefe againe?

  Or think’st thou I vnkindly did forbeare,

  To bandy woe for woe, and teare for teare?

  Did I omit, or carelesly neglect,

  Those shewes of loue, that Ladies so respect?

  In mournefull blacke, was I not seene to goe?

  By outward shewes to tell my inward woe:

  Nor drerie words, were wasted in lament,

  Nor clowdy brow, bewraid my discontent,

  Is this the cause, if this be it, know then,

  One griefe conceal’d, more grieuous is then ten?

  If in my breast those sorrowes sometimes were,

  And neuer vtter’d, still they must be there,

  And if thou know’st, they many were before,

  By time increasing, they must needs be more;

  England to me, can challenge nothing lent,

  Let her cast vp, what is receiu’d, what spent,

  If I her owne, can she from blame be free,

  If she but proue, a stepdame vnto me?

  That if I should, with that proud bastard striue,

  To plead my birth-right and prerogatiue;

  If birth alow, I should not need to feare it,

  For then my true nobility should beare it;

  If counsell ayde, that, Fraunce will tell (I know)

  whose townes lie wast before the English foe;

  when thrice we gaue the conquered French the foyle,

  At Agincourt, at Crauant, and Vernoyle,

  If faith auaile, these armes did Henry hold,

  To claime his crowne, yet scarcely nine month’s old.

  If Countries care haue leaue to speake for me,

  Gray haires in youth, my witnes then may be,

  If peoples tongues giue splendor to my fame,

  They adde a title to Duke Humfreys name;

  If toyle at home, French treason, English hate,

  Shall tell my skill in managing the state,

  If forraine trauell my successe may try,

  In Flaunders, Almaine, Boheme, Burgundy,

  That Robe of Rome, proud Beuford now doth weare,

  In euery place such sway should neuer beare.

  The crosier staffe, in his imperious hand,

  To be the Scepter that controules the land;

  That home to England, despensations drawes,

  which are of power to abrogate our lawes,

  That for those sums, the wealthy Church should pay,

  Vpon the needie Commentie to lay,

  His ghostly counsels onely doe aduise,

  The meanes how Langleys progenie may rise,

  Pathing young Henries vnaduised waies,

  A Duke of Yorke from Cambridge house to raise,

  which after may our title vndermine,

  Grafted since Edward, in Gaunts famous line

  Vs of succession falfely to depriue,

  which they from Clarence, fainedly deriue,

  Knowing the will old Cambridge euer bore,

  To catch the wreath that famous Henrie wore.

  With Gray, and Scroope, when first he laid the plot

  From vs, and ours, the garland to haue got,

  As from the march-borne Mortimer to raigne,

  whose title Glendour stoutly did maintaine,

  when the proud Percies, haughtie March and he,

  Had shar’d the Land by equall parts in three.

  His Priesthood now sterne Mowbray doth restore,

  To stir the fire that kindled was before;

  Against the Yorkists shall their claime aduaunce,

  To steele the poynt of Norfolks sturdie Launce,

  Vpon the brest of Herfords issue bent,

  In iust reuenge of auncient banishment.

  He doth aduise to let our prisoner goe,

  And doth enlarge the faithlesse Scottish foe,

  Giuing our heires in marriage, that their dowres

  May bring inuasion vpon vs and ours.

  Ambitious Suffolke so the helme doth guide,

  with Beufords damned policies supplide

  He and the Queene in counsell still confer,

  How to raise him who hath aduanced her;

  But my deare hart, how vainely do I dreame,

  And flie from thee, whose sorrowes are my theam•

  My loue to thee, and England thus deuided,

  which the most part, how hard to be decided,

  Or thee, or that, to whether I am loth,

  So neere are you, so deere vnto me both,

  Twixt that and thee, for equall loue I finde,

  England ingratefull, and my Elnor kinde.

  But though my Country, iustly I reproue,

  For Countries sake, vnkinde vnto my loue,

  Yet is thy Humfrey to his Elnor, now

  As when fresh beautie triumph’d on thy brow,

  As when thy graces I admired most,

  Or of thy fauours might the frankli’st boast;

  Those beauties were so infinite before,

  That in abundance I was onely poore,

  Or which though time hath taken some againe,

  I aske no more but what doth yet remaine,

  Be patient gentle hart, in thy distresse,

  Thou art a Princesse,
not a whit the lesse.

  Whilst in these breasts we beare about this life,

  I am thy husband, and thou art my wife;

  Cast not thine eye on such as mounted be,

  But looke on those cast downe as low as we;

  For some of them which proudly pearch so hie,

  Ere long shall come as low as thou or I.

  They weepe for ioy, and let vs laugh in woe,

  we shall exchange when heauen will haue it so.

  We mourne, and they in after time may mourne,

  woe past, may once laugh present woe to scorne,

  And worse then hath beene, we can ne•er •ast,

  worse cannot come, then is already past.

  In all extreames, the onely depth of ill,

  Is that which comforts the afflicted still;

  Ah would to God thou would’st thy grie••s denie,

  And on my backe let all the burthen lie.

  Or if thou canst resigne, make thine mine owne,

  Both in one carridge to be vndergone,

  Till we againe our former hopes recouer,

  And prosperous times, blow these misfortunes ouer,

  For in the thought of those forepassed yeeres,

  Some new resemblance of old ioy appeares.

  Mutuall our care, so mutuall be our loue,

  That our affliction neuer can remoue,

  So rest in peace, where peace hath hope to liue,

  wishing thee more, then I my selfe can giue.

  Notes of the Chronicle Historie.

  At Agincourt, at Crauant, and Vernoyle,

  THE three famous battels, fought by the English men in Fraunce: Agincourt by Henry the fift, against the whole power of Fraunce, Grauant fought by Mountacute, Earle of Salisburie, and the Duke of Burgoyne, against the Dolphine of Fraunce, & William Stuart, Constable of Scotland: Vernoyle, fought by Iohn Duke of Bedford, against the Duke of Alanson, and with him most of the Nobilitie of Fraunce, Duke Humfry an especiall Counsellour in all these expeditions.

  In Flaunders, Almaine, Boheme, Burgundie.

  Heere remembring the auncient amitie which in his Embassics he concluded betwixt the King of England and Sigismond Emperour of Almaine, drawing the Duke of Burgoyne into the same league, gyuing himselfe as an hostage for the Duke of Saint Omers, while the Duke came to Calice to confirme the league. With his many othe• imployments to forraine kingdoms.

  That crosier staffe in his imperious hand.

  Henry Beuford, Cardinall of Winchester, that proude and haughty Prelate, receiued his Cardinals ha•te at Calice by the Popes Legate, which dignitie, Henry the fift his nephewe, forbad him to take vpon him, knowing his haughtie and malicious spirit vnfit for that robe and calling.

  The meanes how Langleys progenie may rise.

  As willing to shew the house of Cambridge to bee descended of Edmund Langley Duke of York, a yonger brother to Iohn of Gaunt, his Grandfather (as much as in him lay) to smother the title that the Yorkists made to the crowne (from L•onell of Clarence, Gaunts•lder brother) by the daughter of Mortimer.

  His priesthood now; sterne Mowbray doth restore.

  Noting the ancient grudge betweene the house of Lancaster and Norfolke, euer since Mowbray Duke of Norfolke was banished for the accusation of Henry Duke of Herford, (after the King of England Father to Duke Humfry,) which accusation he came as a Combatant, to haue made good in the Lists at Couentry.

  And giues our heiresin marriage that their dowers.

  Iames Stuart, King of Scots, hauing beene long prisoner in England, was released, and tooke to wife the daughter of Iohn Duke of Sommerset, sister to Iohn Duke of Somerset, nee•e to the Cardinall and the Duke of Excester, and Cosin germaine remou’d to the king, this King broke the oath he had taken, and became after a great enemie to England.

  FINIS.

  To my honoured Mistres, Mistres Elizabeth Tanfelde, the sole daughter and heyre of that famous and learned Lawyer, Lawrence Tanfelde Esquire.

  FAIRE and vertuous Mistres, since first it was my good fortune to be a witnes of the many rare perfections wherewith nature and education •aue adorned you, I haue been forced since that time to attribute more admiration to your sexe, then euer Petrarch could before perswade mee to by the prayses of his Laura. Sweet is the Fr••ch tongue, more sweet the Italian, but most sweet are they both if spoken by your admired selfe. If poesie were praiselesse, your vertues alone were a subiect sufficient to make it esteemed, though among the barbarous Getes: by how much the more your tender yeres giue scarcely warrant for your more then woman-like wisedome, by so much is your iudgment and reading the more to be wondred at. The Graces shall haue one more Sister by your selfe, and England to herselfe shall adde one Muse more to the Muses. I rest the humble deuoted seruaunt, to my deere and modest Mistresse, to whom I wish the happiest fortunes I can deuise.

  Michaell Drayton.

  William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolke, to Queene Margaret.

  THE ARGUMENT.

  William de la Pole, first Marques, and after created Duke of Suffolke, beeing sent into Fraunce by King Henry the sixt, concludeth a marriage betweene the King his Maister, and Margaret, daughter to Rayner Duke of Aniou; who onely •ad the title of the King of Cicily and Ierusalem. This marriage beeing made contrare to the lyking of the Lordes and Counsell of the Realme (by reason of the yeelding vp Aniou and Maine into the Dukes hands, which shortly after proued the losse of all Aquitaine,) they euer after continually hated the Duke, and after (by meanes of the Commons) banished him at the parlement at Berry; where after he had the iudgment of his exile, beeing then ready to depart, hee writeth backe to the Queene this Epistle.

  IN my disgrace (deere Queene) rest thy content,

  And Margarets health from Suffolkes banishment;

  Not one day seemes fiue yeeres exile to mee,

  But that so soone I must depart from thee;

  Where thou not present, it is euer night,

  All be exil’d that liue not in thy sight.

  Those Sauages which worship the suns rise,

  would hate theyr God, if they beheld thine eyes,

  The worlds great light, might’st thou be seene abroad,

  would at our noone-•tead euer make aboade;

  And make the poore Antipodes to mourne,

  Fearing least he would neuer more returne.

  Wer’t not for thee, it were my great’st exile

  To liue within this Sea-inuirond Ile.

  Poles courage brookes not limmitting in bands,

  But that (great Queene) thy soueraignty commands•

  Our Falcons kinde cannot the cage indure,

  Nor buzzard-like doth stoope to euery lure;

  Theyr mounting broode in open ayre doth roue,

  Nor will with Crowes be coop’d within a groue;

  We all doe breath vpon this earthly ball,

  Likewise one heauen encompasseth vs all,

  No banishment can be to him assign’d,

  who doth retaine a true resolued minde.

  Man in himselfe, a little world doth beare,

  His soule the Monarch euer ruling there,

  where euer then his body doth remaine,

  He is a King that in himselfe doth raigne,

  And neuer feareth Fortunes hot’st alarmes,

  That beares against her, Patience for his Armes.

  This was the meane proude Warwicke did inuent

  To my disgrace at Leister parlement,

  That onely my base yeelding vp of Maine,

  Should be the losse of fertile Aquitaine,

  with the base vulgar sort to win him fame,

  To be the heire of good Duke Humfreys name;

  And so by treason spotting my pure blood,

  Make this a meane to raise the Neuels brood.

  With Salisbury his vile ambitious Syer,

  In Yorkes sterne brest, kindling long hidden fyer,

  By Clarence title working to supplant,

  The Eagle ayrie of great Iohn of
Gaunt.

  And to this end did my exile conclude,

  Thereby to please the rascall multitude;

  Vrg’d by these enuious Lords to spend theyr breath,

  Calling reuenge on the Protectors death,

  That since the old decrepit Duke is dead,

  By me of force he must be murthered.

  If they would know who rob’d him of his life,

  Let them call home Dame Ellinor his wife,

  who with a Taper walked in a sheet,

  To light her shame at no one through London street;

  And let her bring her Negromantick booke,

  That foule •ag Iordane, Hun, and Bullenbrooke,

  And let them call the spirits from hell againe,

  To know how Humfrey died, and who shall raigne.

  For twenty yeeres and haue I seru’d in Fraunce,

  Against great Charles, and bastard Orleance?

  And seene the slaughter of a world of men,

  Victorious now, and conquered agen;

  And haue I seene Vernoylas batfull fields.

  Strew’d with ten thousand Helmes, ten thousand• shields,

  Where famous Bedford did our fortune try,

  Or Fraunce or England for the victory?

  The sad inuesting of so many Townes,

  Scor’d on my brest in honourable wounds;

  when Mountacute and Talbot of such name,

  Vnder my Ensigne, both first won theyr fame;

  In heate and cold all fortunes haue indur’d,

  To rouze the French, within their walls immur’d?

  Through all my life, these perrils haue I past,

  And now to feare a banishment at last?

  Thou know’st how I (thy beauty to aduance,)

  For thee refusd the infant Queene of Fraunce,

  Brake the contract Duke Humfrey first did make

  Twixt Henry, and the Princesse Arminacke;

  Onely (sweet Queene) thy presence I might gaine,

  I gaue Duke Rayner, Aniou, Mauns, and Maine,

  Thy peerelesse beautie for a dower to bring,

  To counterpoize the wealth of Englands King;

  And from Aumerle with-drew my warlike powers,

  And came my selfe in person first to Towers,

  Th’ Embassadors for truce to entertaine,

  From Belgia, Denmarke, Hungarie, and Spayne,

  And telling Henry of thy beauties story,

  I taught my tongue a Louers oratory,

  As the report it selfe did so indite,

  And make it rauish teares with such delight;

  And when my speech did cease (as telling all)