The last part of the Mirour for magistrates wherein may be seene by examples passed in this realme, vvith howe greenous [sic] plagues, vyces are punished in great princes & magistrats, and hovv frayle and vnstable vvorldly prosperity is founde, where fortune seemeth most highly to fauour.

HOWE VVILLIAM DELA∣poole Duke of Suffolke was worthe∣lye banished for abusing his kinge, and procuringe the death of Duke Humfrey of Glocester, protector of England. Anno. 1450.

HEauye is the hap whereto all men be bound, I meane the death, which no estate may flye: But to be banisht, beheaded and than dround, In sincke of shame from top of honours hye, Was neuer man, so seru'd I thinke but I, Wherfore good Baldwin amongst the rest by right, I clayme of thee my woful case to wryte.

My onely lyfe in all ponintes may suffice, To shew how base al baytes of Fortune be, Which thawe lyke Ise, through heate of enuies eyes: Or vicious deedes which much possessed mee: Good hap with vice, long tyme cannot agree, Which bring best Fortunes to the basest fall, And happiest hap, to enuy to be thrall.

Called I was William Delapoole, Of Suffolke Duke in Queene Margarets dayes, That found the meane Duke Humfreyes bloud to coole, Whose worthy acts deserue eternal prayse, Whereby I note that Fortune cannot rayse Any one al oft, without some others wracke, Fluds drowne no fieldes, before they fynde a bracke.

But as the waters which do breake the walles Do lose their course, they had within the shore, And daylye rotting stincke within their stalles, For faule of mouing which they found before: Euen so the state that ouer high is bore, Doth loose the lyfe of Peoples loue it had, And rotts it selfe vntil it fall to bad.

For while I was but Earle, ech man was glad, To saye and do the best by me they might: And Fortune euer since I was a lad, Did smyle vpon me with a cherefull sight, For whan my king had dubbed me a knight, And sent me foorth to serue at warre in Fraunce, My luckye speede myne honour did enhaunce.

Where, to omit the many feates I wrought Vnder others guyde, I doe remember one, Which with my souldiers valiauntly was fought, None other Capitayne saue my selfe alone, I meane not now the apprinze of Pucel Ione In which attempt my trauayle was not small, Though the Duke of Bourbon had the prayse of al.

But the siege of Awmarle is the feate I prayse, A strōg built town, with castles, walles, & vaultes, With men and weapon armde at all assayes: To which I gaue nigh fyue times fiue assaultes, Til at the last they yelded it for naughts, Yet Lord Ramburs like a valiaunt knight, Defended it as long as ere he might

But what preuayled it these Townes to win, VVhich shortly after must be lost agayne? VVhereby I see there is more glory in The keepinge thinges than is in their attayne: To get and keepe not, is but losse of payne. Therefore ought men prouide to saue their winninges In all attemptes, els lose they their beginninges.

Because we could not keepe the Townes wee won, For they were more than we might easely wyeld One yeare vndid what wee in ten had don: For enuy at home, and treason abroade, did yelde Kinge Charles his realme of Fraunce, made barrain field: For bloudy warres had wasted all encrease, VVhich causde the Pope helpe pouerty sue for peace.

So that in Tourayn, at the towne of Toures Duke Charles, and other for their Prince appered, So did Lord Rosse, and I than Earle, for oures: And whan we shewed wherein ech other dered, VVe sought out meanes al Quarels to haue clered, VVherein the Lordes of Germany, of Spayne, Of Hungary, and Denmarke, tooke exceedinge payne.

But sith wee coulde no finall peace induce, For neyther would the others couenaūtes here, For Eighteene monethes wee did conclude a truce: And while as frendes wee lay together there, Because my Warrant did mee therein beare, To make a perfite peace, and through accord, I sought a mariage for my Soueraygne Lord.

And for the French Kinges Daughters were to small, A fancied most Dame Margaret his Niece, A louely Lady, Bewtifull, and Tall, Faire spoken, pleasaunt, a very Princely piece, In Wit, and learninge, matchlesse hence to Greece, Duke Rayners Daughter of Antow, Kinge by stile Of Naples, Ierusalem, and of Scycill Ile.

But ere I could the graunt of her attayne: All that our Kinge had of her fathers landes, As Mountes the City, the county whole of Mayne, And most of A••iow Duc••y in our handes, I did release him by assured handes. And as for Dowry with her none I sought, I thought no peace could be to derely bought.

But whan this mariage throughly was agreed Although my kinge were glad of sutch a make His Vncle Humfrey abhorred it in deede, Because thereby his precontract he brake, Made with the heyre of the Earle of Arminacke, A noble Mayde with store of goods endowed, VVhich more than this with losse, the Duke allowed.

But loue, and bewty in the kinge so wrought, That neither profit, or promise hee regarded, But set his vncles counsayle still at nought: And for my gaynes, I highly was awarded. Thus vertue starues, but lust foode must bee larded, For I made Marquise, went to Fraunce agayne, And brought this Bryde vnto my Soueraygne.

At whom because Duke Humfrey ay repined. Calling their mariage aduoutrie (as it was) The Queene did moue me, erst thereto enclyned, To helpe to bring him to his Requiem masse, Which sith it could for no crime come to passe: His lyfe and doinges were so right and cleare, Through priuy murther we brought him to his Beere.

Thus righteousnesse brought Humfrey to rebuke, Because he should no wickednesse allow, But for my doinges I was made a Duke. So Fortune can both bend and smoth her brow On whom she list, not passing why or how. O Lord how high, how soone she did me rayse, How fast she fildime both with prayes and prayse.

The Lordes and Commons both of like assent, Be sought my soueraigne kneeling on their knees, To recorde my doinges in the Parliament, As deedes deseruing euerlasting fees, In which attempt they did no labour leese, For they set not my prayse so fast in flame, As hee was redy to reward the same.

But note the end, my deedes so worthy deemed Of King, of Lordes, and Commons altogether, Were shortlye after treasons false esteemed, And all men curst Queene Margets comming hyther, For Charles the French king in his feaces not lither, Whan we had rendered Rayner, Maunts, and Mayne, Found meanes to wynne al Normandy againe.

This made the Peopie curse the mariage, Esteeming it the cause of euery losse: Wherfore at mee with open mouth they rage, Affirming me to haue brought the realme to mosse•• Whan King and Queene saw things thus go a crosse To quiet al a Parliament they called, And caused mee in Prison to be thralled.

And shortlye after brought me foorth abroade, VVhich made the commons more than double wood And some with weapons would haue layd on loade, If their graund Captaine Blewberd in his moode, Had not in time with wisedome bene withstode: But though that he and more were executed, The people stil their worst against me bruted.

And so applied the Parliament with Bylles, Of haynous wronges and open trayterous crimes, The king and Queene were forst against their willes Fro place to place to adiourne it diuers times. For Princes power is like the sandy slymes, VVhich must perforce geeue place vnto the waue, Or sue the windye sourges when they raue.

Their lyfe was not more deare to them than I, VVhich made them search al shiftes to saue me stil, But aye my foes such faultes did on me trye, That to preserue me from a worser ill, The king was fayue ful sore against his wyl: For fyue yeares space to send me in exile, In hope to haue restorde me in a while.

But marke howe vengeaunce wayteth vpon vice, To shun this storme, in saylinge towardes Fraunce, A Pirates Barke, that was of little price, Encount••ed mee vppon the Seas by chaunce, VVhose Captayne there tooke mee as in a traunce, Let pass my shippes, with all their frait, and loade, And led mee backe agayne to Douer roade.

VVere, vnto me recountinge all my faultes, As murdringe of Duke Humfrey in his Bed, And how I, had brought all the Realme to naughtes, Causing the Kinge vnlawfully to wed, The••e was no grace, but I must loose my head, VVherefore he made me to shriue me in his boate, And on the brinke, my Necke in two he smoate.

This was myne ende: which was by reason due To me, and sutch as others deaths procure. Therefore be bold to write, for it is true, That who so doth sutch practise put in vre, Of due reward at last shalbe most sure, For God is iust, whose stroke delayed longe, Doth light at last, with payne more sharpe and stronge.

FINIS.

VV. B.