Poems: by Michaell Draiton Esquire

Queene Isabell to Richard the second.

The Argument.

Queene Isabel the daughter of Charles king of France) being the second wife of Richard the second, the son of Ed∣ward the Blacke Prince, the eldest sonne of King Edward the third; After the saide Richard her husband was de∣posed from his crowne and kingly dignitie, by Henry duke of Herford, the eldest son of Iohn of Gaunt duke of Lan∣caster, the fourth sonne of Edward the third, this Ladie being then very yong, was sent backe againe into Fraunce, without dowre, at what time the deposed King her husband was sent from the Tower of London (as a prisoner) vnto Pomfret Castle. Whether this poore Lady bewailing her husbands misfortunes writeth this Epistle from France.

AS dooth the yeerely Auger of the spring In deapth of woe, thus I my sorrow sing; Words tunde with sighes, teares falling oft among, A dolefull burthen to a heauy song: Words issue forth to finde my griefe some way, Teares ouertake them, and doe bid them stay; Thus whilst one striues to keepe the other backe, Both once too forward, now are both too slacke. If fatall Pomfret hath in former time. Nurrisht the griefe of that vnnaturall clime.

Thether I send my sorrowes to be sed, But, where first bo••ne, where fitter to be bred? They vnto France be aliens and vnknowne, England from her doth challenge these her owne. They say all mischiefe commeth from the North, It is too true, my fall doth set it forth; But why should I thus limite Griefe a place, When all the world is filld with our disgrace? And we in bounds thus striuing to containe it, The more resists, the more we doe restraine it. Oh how euen yet I hate these wretched eies, And in my glasse oft call them faithlesse spies (Preparde for Richard) that vnwares did looke Vpon that traitor Henry Bulingbrooke, But that excesse of ioy my sence bereau'd So much, my sight had neuer bin deceau'd. Oh how vnlike to my lou'd Lord was hee, Whom rashly I, sweet Richard tooke for thee, I might haue seene the Cou••sers selfe did lacke, That Princely rider should bestride his backe, He that (since Nature her great worke began) Shee made to be the mirrour of a man, That when she meant to forme some matchlesse lim, Still for a patterne, tooke some part of him, And iealous of her cunning, brake the mould, In his proportion done the best she could. Oh let that day be guiltie of all sinne, That is to come, or heeretofore hath bin, Wherein great Norffolkes forward course was staide, To prooue the treasons he to Hersord laide, When (with sterne furie) both these Dukes enragde,

Their warlike gloues at Couentry engag'd, When first thou didst repeale thy former grant, Seal'd to braue Mowbray, as thy Combatant, From his vnnumbred howres let time deuide it, Lest in his minutes he should hap to hide it; Yet on his brow continually to beare it, That when it comes, all other daies may feare it, And all ill-boding Planets by consent, That day may hold their dreadfull parlement, Be it in heauens decrees enroled thus, Blacke, dismall, fatall, inauspitious: Prowd Herford then, in height of all his pride, Vnder great Mowbraies valiant hand had dide; Nor should not thus from banishment retire, The fatall brand to set our Troy on fire. O why did Charles relieue his needy state? A vagabond and stragling runnagate; And in this Court, with grace did entertaine This vagrant exile, this abiected Caine, Who with a thousand mothers curses went, Mark'd with the brand often yeeres banishment. When thou to Ireland took'st thy last farewell, Millions of knees vpon the pauements fell, And euery where th'applauding ecchoes ring, The ioyfull showts that did salute a King; Thy parting hence, what pompe did not adorne? At thy returne, who laugh'd thee not to scorne? Who to my Lord a looke vouchsafde to lend, Then all too few on Herford to attend. Princes (like sunnes) be euermore in sight, All see the clowdes betwixt them and their light;

Yet they which lighten all downe from the skies, See not the clowdes offending others eyes, And deeme their noone-tide is desir'd of all, When all expect cleere changes by their fall. What colour seemes to shadow Herfords claime, When law and right his fathers hopes doth maime? Affirm'd by church-men (which should beare no hate) That Iohn of Gaunt was illegi••timate; Whom his reputed mothers tongue did spot, By a base Flemish Boore to be begot, Whom Edwards Eglets mortally did shun, Daring with them to gaze against the Sun. Where lawfull right and conquest doth allow, A triple crowne on Richards princely brow, Three kingly Lions beares his bloody field, No bastards marke doth blot his conquering shield, Neuer durst he attempt our haplesse shore, Nor set his foote on fatall Rauenspor••; Nor durst his slugging Hulkes approch the strand, Nor stoope a top as signall to the land, Had not the Percyes promisde aide to bring, Against their oath vnto their lawfull King, Against their faith vnto our crownes true heire, Their valiant kinsman, Edmond Mortimer; When I to England came, a world of eyes Like starres attended on my faire arise, At my decline, like angry Planets frowne, And all are set before my going downe; The smooth fac'd ayre did on my comming smile, But with rough stormes are driuen to exile; But Bullingbrooke deuis••e we thus should part,

Fearing two sorrowes should possesse one heart; To make affliction stronger, doth denie, That one poore comfort left our miserie, He had before diuorc'd thy crowne and thee, Which might suffice, and not to widdow mee, But that to proue the vtmost of his hate, To make our fall the greater by our state. Oh would Aumerle had suncke when he betraid The complot, which that holy Abbot laid. When he infring'd the oth which he first tooke, For thy reuenge on pe••iurde Bullingbrooke. And beene the ransome of our friends deere blood Vntimely lost, and for the earth too good; And we vntimely mourne our hard estate, They gone too soone, and we remaine too late. And though with teares I from my Lord depart, This curse on Horford fall, to ease my heart: If the fowle breach of a chaste nuptiall bed, May bring a curse, my curse light on his head; If murthers guilt with blood may deepely staine, Greene, Scroope, and Bushie, die his fault in graine; If periury may heauens pure gates debar, Damn'd be the oth he made at Dancaster; If the deposing of a lawfull King, The curse condemne him, if no other thing; If these disioynde, for vengeance cannot call, Let them vnited strongly curse him all. And for the Percyes, heauen may heare my prayre, That Bullingbrooke now placde in Richards chaire; Such cause of woe vnto their wiues may be, As those rebellious Lords haue beene to me.

And that prowd Dame, which now controlleth all, And in her pompe triumpheth in my fall, For her great Lord may water her sad eyne, With as salt teares as I haue done for mine, And mourne for Henry Hotspur, her deere sonne, As I for my sweete Mortimer haue done; And as I am, so succourlesse be sent, Lastly, to taste perpetuall banishment. Then loose thy care, where first thy crowne was lost, Sell it so deerely, for it deerely cost; And sith they did of libertie depriue thee, Burying thy hope, let not thy care out-liue thee. But hard (God knowes) with sorrow doth it goe, When woe becomes a comforter to woe; Yet much me thinkes of comfort I could say, If from my hart pale feare were rid away: Something there is which tells me still of woe, But what it is, that heauen aboue doth know; Griefe to it selfe, most dreadfull doth appeare, And neuer yet was sorrow voide of feare; But yet in death, doth sorrow hope the best, And with this farewell wish thee happy rest.

Notes of the Chronicle Historie.

If fatall Pomfret hath in former time,

POmfret Castle, euer a fatall place to the Princes of England, and most ominous to the blood of Plantaginet.

Oh how euen yet I hate these wretched eyes, And in my glasse, &c.

When Bullingbrooke returned to London from the West, brin∣ging Richard a prisoner with him, the Queene, who little knew of her husbands hard successe, staid to behold his comming in, little thinking to haue seene her husband thus ledde in triumph by his foe, and now seeming to hate her eyes, that so much had graced her mortall enemie.

Wherein great Norfolks forward course was staid.

She remembreth the meeting of two Dukes of Herford and Norfolke at Couentry, vrging the iustnesse of Mowbrayes quarrell against the Duke of Herford, and the faithfull assurance of his victorie.

O why did Charles relieue his needie state? A vagabond, &c.

Charles the French King her father, receiued the Duke of Her∣ford in his Court, and releeued him in Fraunce, being so neerely alied, as Cosin german to king Richard his sonne in Law, which he did simply, little thinking that hee should after returne into England, and dispossesse King Richard of the Crowne.

When thou to Ireland took'st thy last farewell.

King Richard made a voyage with his Armie into Ireland, a∣gainst Onell and Mackemur, which rebelled, at what time Henry entred here at home, and robd him of all kingly dignitie.

Affirmde by Church-men (which should beare no hate) That Iohn of Gaunt was illegit••imate.

William Wickham, in the great quarrell betwixt Iohn of Gaunt and the Clergy, of meere spight and malice (as it should seeme) reported, that the Queene confessed to him on her deathbed, be∣ing then her Confessor, that Iohn of Gaunt, was the son of a Flem∣ming, and that shee was brought to bed of a woman childe at Gaunt, which was smothered in the cradle by mischance, & that she obtained this childe of a poore woman, making the king be∣leeue it was her owne, greatly fearing his displeasure. Fox e•• Chron. Alban.

No bastards marke doth blot our conquering shield.

Shewing the true and indubitate birth of Richard, his right vn∣to the Crowne of England, as carrying the Armes without blot or difference.

Against their faith vnto the Crownes true heire,

Their noble kinsman, &c.

Edmund Mortimer, Earle of March, sonne of Earle Roger Morti∣mer, which was sonne to Lady Phillip, daughter to Lionell Duke of Clarence, the third sonne to King Edward the third, which Edmund (King Richard going into Ireland) was proclaimed heire apparant to the Crowne, whose Aunt called Ellinor, this Lord Piercie had married.

O would Aumerle had suncke when he betrayd The compl••t which that holy Abbot layd.

The Abbot of Westminster had plotted the death of King Henry, to haue beene done at a Tilt at Oxford: of which confe∣deracie there was Iohn Holland, Duke of Excester, Thomas Holland, Duke of Surrey, the Duke of Aumerle, Mountacute, Earle of Sals∣bury, Spenser, Earle of Gloster, the Bishop of Carlile, Sir Thomas Blunt, these all had bound themselues one to another by Inden∣ture to performe it, but were all betrayd by the Duke of Au∣merle.

Scroope, Greene, and Bushie, die his fault in graine,

Henry going towards the Castle of Flint, where King Richard was, caused Scroope, Greene, and Bushie, to be executed at Bristow; as vile persons, which had seduced this King to this lasciuious and wicked life.

Damn'd be the oth he made at Doncaster.

After Henries exile, at his returne into England, he tooke his oth at Doncaster vpon the Sacrament, not to claime the crowne or Kingdome of England, but onely the Dukedome of Lancaster, his owne proper right, and the right of his wife.

And mourne for Henry Hotspur, her deere sonne, As I for my, &c.

This was the braue couragious Henry Hotspur, that obtained so many victories against the Scots, which after falling out right with the curse of Queene Isabell, was slaine by Henry, at the bat∣taile at Shrewsbury.