Poems: by Michaell Draiton Esquire

Richard the second to Queene Isabell.

WHat may my Queene, but hope for frō that hand, Vnfit to write; vnskilfull to cōmand? A Kingdomes greatnesse, hardly can he sway, That wholesome counsaile neuer did obay; Ill this rude hand did guide a Scepter then, Worse now (I feare me) gouerneth a pen; How shall I call my selfe, or by what name, To make thee know from whence these letters came? Not from thy husband, for my hatefull life Hath made thee widdow, being yet a wife; Nor from a King, that title I haue lost, Now of that name prowd Bullingbroke may boast: What I haue beene, doth but this comfort bring, That no woe is, to say, I was a King. This lawlesse life, which first procurde my hate, This tongue, which then denounc'd my regall state, This abiect minde, that did consent vnto it, This hand, that was the instrument to doe it; All these be witnesse, that I doe denie All passed hopes, all former soueraigntie. Didst thou for my sake leaue thy fathers Court, Thy famous Country and thy virgine port; And vndertook'st to trauaile dangerous waies, Driuen by aukward windes and boist'rous seas?

And left's great Burbon for thy loue to mee, Who su'd in marriage to be linck'd to thee, Offring for dower the Countries neighbouring nie. Of fruitfull Almaine, and rich Burgundie: Didst thou all this, that England should receiue thee, To miserable banishment to leaue thee? And in my downefall, and my fortunes wracke, Forsaken thus, to France to send thee backe. When quiet sleepe (the heauie hearts reliefe) Hath rested sorrow, somwhat lesned griefe, My passed greatnes vnto minde I call, And thinke this while I dreamed of my fall: With this conceit my sorrowes I beguile, That my faire Queene is but with-drawne a while, And my attendants in some chamber by, As in the height of my prosperitie. Calling alowd, and asking who is there, The Eccho answering, tells me Woe is there; And when mine armes would gladly thee enfold, I clip the pillow, and the place is cold, Which when my waking eyes precisely view, Tis a true token, that it is too true. As many minutes as in the howres there be, So many howres each minute seemes to me, Each howre a day, morne, noone-tide, and a set, Each day a yeare, with miseries complet. A winter, spring-time, summer and a fall, All seasons varying, but vnseasoned all: In endelesse woe my thrid of life thus weares, By minutes, howres, daies, months & lingring yeares, They praise the summer, that enioy the South,

Pomfret is closed in the Norths cold mouth: There pleasant summer dwelleth all the yeere, Frost-starued-winter dooth inhabite heere; A place wherein dispaire may fitly dwell, Sorrow best suting with a cloudy Cell: When Herford had his iudgement of exile, Saw I the peoples murmuring the while; Th'vncertaine Commons toucht with inward care, As though his sorrowes mutually they bare: Fond women, and scarse speaking children mourne, Bewaile his parting, wishing his returne, Then being forcde t'abridge his banisht yeeres, When they bedewd his footsteps with their teares: Yet by example could not learne to know To what his greatnes by this loue might grow, Whilst Henry boasts of our atchiuements done, Bearing the trophies our great fathers wonne; And all the storie of our famous warre Now grace the Annales of great Lancaster. Seauen goodly siens in their spring did flourish, Which one selfe root brought forth, one stock did no∣••ish: Edward the top-branch of that golden tree, Nature in him her vtmost power did see, Who from the bud still blossomed so faire, As all might iudge what fruite it meant to beare: But I his graft of eu'ry weede ore-growne, And from the kind, as refuse forth am throwne, From our braue Grandsire, both in one degree, Yet after Edward Iohn the yongst of three. Might Princely Wales beget an impe so base, (That to Gaunts issue should giue soueraigne place)

That leading Kings from France returned home, As those great Caesars brought their spoiles to Rome, Whose name obtained by his fatall hand, Was euer fearefull to that conquered land; His fame increasing, purchasde in those warres, Can scarcely now be bounded with the starres, With him is valour quite to heauen fled, (Or else in me is it extinguished,) Who for his vertue and his conquests sake Posteritie a demy god shall make, And iudge this vile abiect spirit of mine Could not proceede from temper so diuine. What earthly humor, or what vulgar eie Can looke so lowe as on our misery? When Bullingbrooke is mounted to our throne, And makes that his, which we but calld our owne: Into our counsells he himselfe intrudes, And who but Henry with the multitudes? His power disgrades, his dreadfull frowne disgraceth, He throwes them downe, whome our aduancement placeth: As my disable, and vnworthy hand, Neuer had power belonging to command. He treades our sacred tables in the dust, And proues our acts of Parlament vniust; As though he hated that it should be saide, That such a law by Richard once was made, Whilst I deprest before his greatnes, lie Vnder the weight of hate and infamie. My backe a footstoole Bullingbrooke to raise, My loosenes mockt, and hatefull by his praise: Out-liu'd mine honour, buried my estate,

And nothing left me but the peoples hate. (Sweet Queene) ile take all counsell thou canst giue, So that thou bidst me neither hope nor liue; Succour that comes, when ill hath done his worst, But sharpens griefe, to make vs more accurst. Comfort is now vnpleasing to mine eare, Past cure, past care, my Bed become my Beere. Since now misfortune humbleth vs so long, Till heauen be growne vnmindfull of our wrong, Yet they forbid my wrongs shall euer die, But still remembred to posteritie; And let the crowne be fatall that he weares, And euer wet with woefull mothers teares. Thy curse on Percie angry heauens preuent, Who haue not one curse left, on him vnspent, To scourge the world, now borrowing of my store, As rich of woe, as I a King am poore. Then cease (deere Queene) my sorrowes to bewaile, My wounds too great for pittie now to heale, Age stealeth on, whilst thou complainest thus, My griefes be mortall and infectious; Yet better fortunes thy faire youth may trie, That follow thee, which still from me doth flie.

¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie.

Thi•• tongue which first denounc'd my regall state.

RIchard the second, at the resignation of the crowne to the duke of Herford, in the Tower of London, deliuering the same with his owne hand, there confessed his disabilitie to gouerne, vtterly denouncing all kingly authoritie.

And left'st great Burbon for thy love to me.

Before the Princesse Isabell was maried to the king, Lewes duke of Burbon sued to have had her in marriage, which was thought he had obtained, if this motion had not fallen out in the meane time; This Duke of Burbon sued againe to have received her at her comming into France, after the imprisonment of king Richard but King Charles her Father then crost him as before, and gave her to Charles sonne to the Duke of Orleans.

When Herford had his judgement of exile.

When the combate should have beene at Couentrie, betwixt Henrie Duke of Herford, and Thomas Duke of Norfolke; where Herford, was adiudged to banishment for ten yeares, the com∣mons exceedingly lamented, so greatly was he ever favored of the people.

Then being forc'd t'abridge his banisht yeeres.

When the Duke came to take his leave of the King; beeing then at Eltham, the King to please the Commons, rather then for any love he bare to Herford, repleaded foure yeares of his ba∣nishment.

Whilest Henry boasts of our atchieuements done,

Henry the eldest Sonne to Iohn Duke of Lancaster, at the first Earle of Darby, then created Duke of Herford, after the death of the Duke Iohn his father, was Duke of Lancaster and Hereford, Earle of Darby, Leicester, and Lincolne; and after he had obtai∣ned the Crowne, was called by the name of Bullingbrooke, which is a towne in Lincolneshire, as vsually all the Kings of England bare the name of the places where they were borne.

Seauen goodly syens in their spring did flourish.

Edward the third had seuen sonnes, Edward Prince of Wales, after called the blacke Prince, William of Hatfield the second, Lio∣nell Duke of Clarence the third, Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lanca∣ster the fourth, Edmund of Langley Duke of York the fifth, Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Gloster the sixth, William of Winsore the seuenth.

Edward the top-branch of that golden tree.

Truly boasting himselfe to be the eldest Sonne of Edward the blacke Prince.

Yet after Edward, Iohn the yongst of three.

As disabling Henry Bullingbrooke, being but the son of the fourth brother: William and Lionell being both before Iohn of Gaunt.

That leading Kings from France, returned home,

Edward the blacke Prince, taking Iohn king of France prisoner, at the battel of Poicters, brought him into England, where at the Sauoy he died.

Whose name atchieued by his fatall hand,

Called the Blacke Prince, not so much of his complexion, as of the famous battell he fought, as is shewed before: in the glosse vpon the Epistle of Edward to the Countesse of Salisbury.

And prooues our Actes of Parlement vniust.

In the text parlement, after Richards resignation of the crown, Henry caused to be annihilated all the lawes made in the Parlia∣ment, called the wicked Parliament, held in the twenty yeere of king Richards raigne.

Finis.