Three precious teares of blood, flowing from the wounded harts of three great French ladies In memory, of the vertues, complaint of the losse, and execration of the murther, of that thrice-worthy monarch, Henry the Great. Now shed againe in English. To three of the most excellent among the excellentest ladies of this little world, and of the greatest.

TO THE RIGHT HO∣NORABLE, THE LADY CLIFFORD.

MADAME.

I Must needes be faithfull to my grounds: Once I remember I chose you all for my Zodiacke, though but foure; yet foure such, whose light could not be lesse worth then for twelue: And wonderful great must that great light be indeed, whose glorious beames I haue seene euen from Fraunce, euen through mine eares, though mine eyes could not as yet be so happy, as to looke vpon your faces. I thanke God that accor∣ding to my wish, there hath been so brightfull a starr since added to your number, and so good an order taken for the filling vp of that want, which then I was bold to marke in that faire circle. No doubt but by these fortunate coniunctions, there will arise such a quantity of new Planets vpon our Orizon; of worthy Knights (no lesse then Castor and Pollux) of braue Lyons, of faire Virgins, and other bright shi∣ning

starres; as too farre exceeding one Zodiacke, they shall wander farre and wide from this English heauen through the remote clymes of this world, where your famous name and fame will shine for e∣uer. In the meane time ioying and wondering at so much light as there is, let this serue me towards you and to all the world, still for a witnes (though small) of my sincerest zeale (though hitherto but vaine and without fruit) how farre I am, or rather would be,

Your Honours Most humble and most to be commanded seruant Δ

Larme troisieme, EN EXECRATION DV MEVRTRE DV GRAND Roy, HENRY, IIII.

1

EXecrable Assas••in dont l'enfer avorta, Parricide public que Megere alaita, Horreur de la Nature; Organe de Satan retourne desormais An fons du mesme enfer, hurler à tout Iamais Pour telle forfaiture.

2

Que là tant de malheurs que vient sur nous versant Ton sacrilege bras, tant de larmes de sang Que tu nous fais repandre, En tes propres tourmens aillent se transformer, Sans que Iamais serpent se puisse r'animer,, De ta maudite cendre.

3

Par toi le Monde est veuf d'vn Roy, dont le Soleil Depuis qu'il fut creé n'a point veu de pareil Entre les grands & iustes; Qui de guerre & de Paiz a cultivé les ars, Plus magnifiquement que tous ces vieu•• Cesars, Qui sont les plus Augustes.

4

ROY, duquel la sagesse a de loin surpassé Tous les chefs couronnez qui l'avoient devancé; Dont la douceur immense Tousjours accompagna la grave Majesté, Seul semblable à soi-mesme, en Candeur, en Bonté, Foi, Valeur & Clemence.

5

Mais tu n'as seul commis cet ••nique forfait, Le mal, que trop souvent chacun de nou•• a fait, Et l'impie doctrine, De vous▪ qui les sujets des Princes seduisez, Et sans cesse contr'eus vos couteauz éguisez, Ont navré sa poitrine.

6

Encor pour augmenter nos extremes douleurs, Nos immortels regrets▪ nos excessifs malheurs, Sont aggravez d'un autre; Cest qu'a vos attentats trop bon il pardonna, Que par trop liberal son coeur il vous donna, Sans qu'il ait eu le votre.

7

Et que d'vn si grand Roy (sous lequel a tremblé De tous les plus grans Rois le pouvoir assemblé) La preciense vie, Qui rendoit bien-heureus tant & tant de mortels, Pour seruir de victime à vos sanglans aut••ls, Nous soit ainsi ravie,

8

RIONE, de qui le ciel tira le rameau d'or, Ce Prince, és yeuz duquel nous reuoyons encor L'Image vive & belle Du grand Roy votre epous, puissiez-vous bien garder Vos cotez & les siens, des cous que ••ait d••••der Cette secte cruelle.

9

N'approchant point de vous ces Hydres si hydeus, Et vos dens, & vos coeurs seront garentis d'eus, Leur venin si funeste, N'a pour contre-poison excellent, que le soin De s'en contre-garder en s'en tenant bien loin Ainsi que de la peste.

10

TVTRICE du Royaume, & du Roy, qui seruez De Mere à tous les deus, tous les deus preseruez De ce mal, sans attendre Que par vn coup troisiéme on nous aille egorger, Et qu'un dernier malheur nous venant saccager Mette l'Etat en cendre.

11

DIEV, qui de notre ROINE as le chef couronné, Qui de ta main l'as ointe, & qui lui as donné Des graces si parfaites; Ren sa gloire immortelle, en faisant que nos Rois Regnent à l'avenir surement par les lois Que sage elle aura faites.

12

Et comme tu as pu d'invisibles aimans Convertir en amour d••s divers Elemens La discorde ancienne; D'indissolubles noeus ••train les volontez, Et tous les coeurs Francois envers leurs Magestez, O•• nous voyons la tienne.

13

Afin qu à ce deuoir tous nos voeus addressez Iamais en cet Etat nous ne soyons poussez. De passions contraires; Mais qu'en notre patrie, aus Spartains ressemblans, Nous allions en un coeur tous nos coeurs rassemblans Ainsi que plusieurs freres.

14

Et que tout ce qui reste aujourd'huy de bon sang Dans cette Monarchie, en vn se ramassant Plus genereuz, ne cesse (Vangeant d'vn si bon Roy le cher sang repandu) De mieuz garder son coeur, puis qu'il nous l'a rendu. En ce fis qu'il nous laisse.

15

Auquel tant de vertus, croissantes à l'envi Rendront incessamment si fort sujette à lus La fortune prospere, Qu'en peu d'ans & par tout sa dextre plantera Les triomphans lauriers, que sans fin produira Le tombeau de son Pere.

The third teare, IN EXECRATION OF THE MVRTHER of that great King, HENRY the fourth.

1

DAmn'd murtherer, ô ••els abortiue curst, Parricide of vs all, by ••uries nurst, Horror of Nature, hence; Instrument of Sathan, forthwith returne To thy first depth, where euer howling mourne For thy hainous offence.

2

As many plagues as here thy false hand powers On vs, as many teares of bloud in showers As still thou mak'st vs spend, Fall to thy torments there; in such a wise As from thy cursed ashes neuer rise Another such a fend.

3

Thou rob'st the world of such a King, whose peare For Iustice and for power did nere appeare Vnder the sunnes faire eye; Such an Artist as well in peace and warre, Beyond the bruit of those old Cesars, ••arre Of famous memory.

4

A King whose worth no little doth surpas All their crown'd heads, whose raigne before his was; Whose wonderfull meeknes, Went still combin'd with Royall Maiesty, Like his braue selfe alone, in purity, Truth, faith, valor, goodnes.

5

Yet this foule part thou actest not alone, The sins by each to often done, And that most impious ground Of you, that subiects harts from Kings seduce, Whetting your kniues to breake that loyall truce, His royall breast did wound.

6

More to augment our harts extreamely bleeding, Our neuer dying sorrowes, greefes exceeding, This added is to ours; That he, to kinde, must your attempts forgiue, By much to kind, his hart to you must giue, Yet neuer could haue yours.

7

That this great King (vnder whose pow'r did quake The greatest pow'r the greatest Kings could make) His life so highly prised; That life which hath so many happy made, Should on your bloody altars now be laide, Thus to be sacrificed.

8

Deare Queene, from whom heau'n pluck't this branch of Gold Our Prince, in whose eyes yet we faire behold Those worthy liuing parts Of that great King your husband, O protect Your sides and his, from that so cruell sect, To expect at these darts.

9

Those Hidraes must not come where you reside, So shall your teeth and harts at rest abide, Their poison will infest▪ Without your care, there's no such Antitode As is to keepe your selues alwaies remote From them as from the pest.

10

Our Kingdome and Kings Guardian, you that serue As mother to them both, then both preserue From mischiefe without staying; Least by a third stroake we, our state and all, Vnhappily at length to ruine fall By your to kind delaying.

11

O God, which with thy hand vpon her head Hast set her Crowne, and thine oyle on her shed, Granting her so great grace; Make her name liue, as she shall be the cause Our Kings may raigne in peace by her wise lawes, When thou bring'st them in place.

12

And as thou hast by adamants vnknowne Drawne Elements from Enemies to one, As we see them agree; So Lord, vnite each Frenchmans hart and minde, That fast their loue to their kings they may binde, In whose face thine we see.

13

That to this end all our endeauours tending, Our wils may neuer in this realme be bending To any factious passion; But Spartan-like our Country vndeuided All our harts knit may as one hart be guided, In a brotherly fashion.

14

And that the rest of all our gen'rous blood, Within this Realme may now become one flood Not stopping, till we find Meanes to reuenge our good Kings deare blood shed, And keepe his hart more safe (restor'd though dead) In this sonne left behind.

15

In whom such vertue doth already grow, As it shall make proude fortune stoope and know Subiection to his worth; And thus in time his planting hand shall fill The world with those victorious bayes, which still His fathers tombe brings forth.

FINIS.