Poems: by Michaell Draiton Esquire

Queene Isabell to Mortimer.

The Argument.

Queene Isabel, (the wife of Edward the second, called Edward Carnaruan,) beeing the daughter of Philip de Beau, King of France, forsaken by the King her husband, who delighted onely in the company of Piers Gaueston, his minion and fauorite, and after his death seduced by the euil counsel of the Spencers. This Queene thus left by her hus∣band, euen in the glory of her youth, drew into her especiall fauour Roger Mortimer, Lord of Wigmore, a man of a mightie and inuincible spirit. This Lord Mortimer rising in armes against the King with Thomas Earle of Lancaster, and the Barons, was taken ere he could gather his power, & by the King committed to the tower of London. During his imprisonment, he ordained a feast in honor of his birth-day, to which he inuited Sir Stephen Segraue, Lieutenant of the Tower, and the rest of the officers, where, by meanes of a drinke prepared by the Queene, he cast them all into a hea∣uie sleepe, and with Ladders of coards being ready prepared for the purpose, he escapeth and flieth into Fraunce, whither she sendeth this Epistie, complaining her owne misfortunes, and greatly reioycing at his safe escape.

THough such sweet comfort comes not now from her As Englands Queene hath sent to Mortimer. Yet what that wants, which might my power approue If lines can bring, this shall supply with loue,

Me thinks affliction should not fright me so, No•• should resume these sundry shapes of woe; But when I faine would finde the cause of this, Thy absence shewes me where the errour is. Oft when I thinke of thy departing hence, Sad sorrow then possesseth eu'ry sence: But finding thy deere blood preseru'd thereby, And in thy life, my long-wisht liberty, With that sweet thought my selff I only please Amidst my griefe, which sometimes giues me case, Thus doe extreamest ills a ioy possesse, And one woe makes another woe seeme lesse. That blessed night, that milde-aspected howre, Wherein thou madst escape out of the Tower, Shall consecrated euermore remaine; What gentle Planet in that houre did raigne; And shall be happy in the birth of men, Which was chiefe lord of the Ascendant then. O how I feard that sleepy iuyce I sent, Might yet want power to further thine intent! Or that some vnseene mysterie might lu••ke, Which wanting order, kindly should not worke; Oft did I wish those dreadfull poysned lees, That closde the euer-waking Dragons eies, Or I had had those sence-ber••auing stalkes, That grow in shady Proserpines darke walkes; Or those blacke weedes on Lethe bankes below, Or Lunary that doth on Latmus flow; Oft did I feare this moist and soggy clime, Or that the earth, waxt barren now with time, Should not haue hearbes to help me in this case,

Such as do thriue on Indiaes parched face, That morrow, when the blessed Sunne did rise, And shut the liddes of all heauens lesser eies, Forth from my pallace by a secret staire, I steale to Thames, as though to take the ayre; And aske the gentle floud as it doth glide, Or thou didst passe or perish by the tide? If thou didst perish, I desire the streame To lay thee softly on her siluer teame, And bring thee to me to the quiet shore, That with hir tears thou mightst haue some tears more. When sodainely doth rise a rougher gale, With that (me thinkes) the troubled waues looke pale, And sighing with that little gust that blowes, With this remembrance seeme to knit their browes. Euen as this so daine passion doth affright me, The cheerfull Sunne breaks from a cloude to light me, Then doth the bottome euident appeere, As it would shew me, that thou wast not there, Whenas the water flowing where I stand, Doth seeme to tell me, Thou art safe on land. Did Bulloyne once a festiuall prepare, For England, Almaine, Cicile, and Nauarre? When France enuied those buildings (only blest) Gracde with the Orgies of my Bridall feast, That English Edward should refuse my bed, For that incestuous shamelesse Ganimed? And in my place, vpon his regall throne, To set that gerle-boy, wanton Gaueston. Betwixt the feature of my face and his, My glasse assures me no such difference is,

That a foule witches bastard should thereby Be thought more worthy of his loue than I. What doth auaile vs to be Princes heires, When we can boast our birth is onely theirs? When base dissembling flatterers shall deceiue vs, Of all our famous auncestors did leaue vs; And of our princely iewels and our dowres, We but enjoy the least of what is ours; when minions heads must weare our monarks crowns To raise vp dunghills with our famous townes; When beggars-brats are wrapt in rich perfumes, Their buzzard wings impt with our Eagles plumes; And matcht with the braue issue of our blood, Alle the kingdome to their crauand brood. Did Longshankes purchase with his conquering hand, Albania, Gascoyne, Cambria, Ireland? That yoong Carnarnan (his vnhappy sonne) Should giue away all that his father wonne? To backe a stranger, prowdly bearing downe The brake alies and branches of the crowne? And did great Edward on his death-bed giue This charge to them which afterwards should liue, That that prowde Gascoyne banished the land, No more should treade vpon the English sand? And haue these great Lords in the quarrell stood, And sealde his last will with their decrest blood, That after all this fearefull massacre, The fall of Beauchamp, Lacy, Lancaster, Another faithlesse fauòrite should arise, To cloude the sunne of our Nobilities? And gloried I in Gauestons great fall,

That now a Spenser should succeede in all? And that his ashes should another breed, Which in his place and Empire should succeede; That wanting one a kingdomes wealth to spend, Of what that left, this now shall make an end; To waste all that our father won before, Nor leaue our sonne a sword to conquer more. Thus but in vaine we fondly do resist, Where power can doe (euen) all things as it list, And with vniust men to debate of lawes, Is to giue power to hurt a rightfull cause; Whilst Parlements must still redresse their wrongs, And we must starue for what to vs belongs; Our wealth but fuell to their fond excesse, And we must fast to feast their wantonnesse. Think'st thou our wrongs then insufficient are, To moue our brother to religious warre? And if they were, yet Edward doth detaine Homage for Pontiu, Guyne, and Aquytaine; And if not that, yet hath he broke the truce, Thus all accurre, to put backe all excuse. The sisters wrong, ioynde with the brothers right, Me thinks might vrge him in this cause to fight. Be all those people sencelesse of our harmes, Which for our Country ought haue manag'd armes? Is the braue Normans courage now forgot? Or the bold Brittaines lost the vse of shot? The big-bonde Almaines, and stowt Brabanders, Their warlike Pikes, and sharpe-edg'd Semiters? Or do the Pickards let their Crosse-bowes lie, Once like the Centaurs of old Thessalie?

Or if a valiant Leader be their lacke, Where thou art present, who should driue them back? I doe coniure thee by what is most deere, By that great name of famous Mortimer, By antient Wigmors honourable cr••st, The tombes where all thy famous grand-sires rest; Or if than these, what more may thee approue, Euen by those vowes of thy vnfained loue, That thy great hopes may moue the Christian King, By forraigne armes some comfort yet to bring, To curbe the power of traitors that rebell, Against the right of princely Isabell. Vaine witlesle woman, why should I desire. To adde more heate to thy immortall fire? To vrge thee by the violence of hate, To shake the pillars of thine owne estate, When whatsoeuer we intend to doe, To our misfortune euer sorts vnto; And nothing else remaines for vs beside, But teares and coffins (onely) to prouide, When still so long as Burrough beares that name, Time shall not blot out our deserued shame; And whilst cleere Trent her wonted course shall keep, For our sad fall, her christall drops shall weepe. All see our ruine on our backes is throwne, And to our selues our sorrowes are our owne. And Torlton now whose counsell should direct, The first of all is slaundred with suspect; For dang'rous things dissembled seldome are, Which many eyes attend with busie care. What should I say? My griefes do still renew,

And but begin when I should bid adiew, Few be my words, but manifold my woe, And still I stay, the more I shiue to goe. As accents issue forth, griefes enter in, And where I end, me thinks I but begin; Till then faire time some greater good affords, Take my loues paiment in these ayrie words.

¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie.

O how I feard that sleepte drinke I sent, Might yet want power to further thine intent.

MOrtimer being in the Tower, and ordaining a feast in honor of his birth-day, as he pretended, and inuiting there-vnto Sir Stephen Segraue, Constable of the Tower, with the rest of the officers belonging to the same he gaue them a sleepie drinke, pro∣uided him by the Queene, by which meanes he got liberue for his escape.

I steale to Thames, as though to take the aire, And aske the gentle streame as it doth glide,

Mortimer being got out of the Tower, swamme the riuer of Thames into Kent, whereof she hauing intelligence, doubteth of his strength to escape, by reason of his long imprisonment, being almost the space of three yeares.

Did Bulloyne once a festiuall prepare, For England, Almaine, Cicile and Niuarr••?

Edward Càrnaruan, the first Prince of Wales of the English blood, married Isabell, daughter of Philip the Faire at Bulloine, in the presence of the Kings of Almaine, Nauarre, and Cicile, with the chiefe Nobilitie of France and England: which marriage was there solemnized with exceeding pompe and magnificence.

And in my place, vpon his regall throne, To set that girle-boy, wanton Gaueston.

Noting the effeminacie and luxurious wantonnesse of Gaue∣ston, the Kings Minion, his behauiour and attire euer so woman∣like, to please the eye of his lasciuious Prince.

That a fowle Witches bastard should thereby.

It was vrged by the Queene & the Nobility, in the disgrace of Piers Gauestone that his mother was conuicted of witchcraft, and burned for the same, and that Piers had bewitched the King.

Albania, Gascoine, Cambria, Ireland.

Albania, Scotland, so called of Albanact, the second son of Bru∣tus, and Cambria; Wales, so called of Camber the third sonne, the foure Realmes and Countries, brought in subiection by Edward Longshanks.

When of our princely Iewells and our dowers. We but enioy the least of what is ours.

A complaint of the prodigalitie of King Edward, giuing vnto Gauestone the jewels and treasure which was left him, by the ancient Kings of England; and enriching him with the goodly Manor of Wallingford, assigned as parcell of the dower, to the Queenes of this famous ••le.

And ioyn'd with the braue issue of our blood, Alie our kingdome to their crauand brood.

Edward the second, gaue to Piers Gaueston in marriage, the daughtet of Gilbert Clare, Earle of Glocester, begot of the Kings sister, lone of Acres, married to the said Earle of Glocester.

Should giue away all that his father won, To backe a stranger.

King Edward offered his right in France, to Charles his brother in law, and his right in Scotland to Robert Bruse, to be aided a∣gainst the Barrons, in the quarrell of Piers Gaueston.

And did great Edward on his death-bed giue.

Edward Longshankes, on his death-bed at Carlile, commanded yong Edward his sonne on his blessing, not to call backe Gaueston, which (for the mis-guiding of the Princes youth) was before ba∣nished by the whole counsell of the Land.

That after all this fearefull massaker, The fall of Beuchamp, Lasy, Lancaster.

Thomas, Earle of Lancaster, Guy, Earle of Warwicke, and Henry Earle of Lincolne, who had taken their oaths before the deceased King at his death, to withstand his sonne Edward if he should call Gaueston frō exile, being a thing which he much feared: now see∣ing Edward to violate his fathers commandement, rise in armes

against the King, which was the cause of the ciuill warre, and the ruine of so many Princes.

And gloried I in Gauestons great fall, That now a Spenser should succeede in all.

The two Hugh Spensers, the father & the son, after the death of Gaueston, became the great fauorites of the king, the son being cre∣ated by him lord Chamberlain, & the father Earl of Winchester.

And if they were, yet Edward doth detaine Homage for Pontiu, Guyne, and Aquitaine.

Edward Longshankes, did homage for those Citties and Terri∣tories to the French King, which Edward the second neglecting, moued the French King, by the subornation of Mortimer, to sease those Countries into his hands.

By antient Wigmors honourable Crest.

Wigmore in the marches of Wales, was the antient house of the Mortimers, that noble and couragious familie.

That still so long as Borrough beares that name.

The Queene remembreth the great ouerthrow giuen to the Barrons, by Andrew Herckley, Earle of Carlil, at Borrough bridge, after the battaile at Burton.

And Torlton now whose counsells should direct.

This was Adam Torlton, Bishop of Herford, that great Polititiā, who so highly fauored the faction of the Queene & Mortimer, whose euil counsel afterward wroght the destruction of the king.