Poems: by Michaell Draiton Esquire

Edward the fourth to Shores wife

The Argument.

This Mistris Shore, King Edward the fourths beaute∣ous Paramore, was so called of her husband a Gold smith, dwelling in Lombard streete. Edward the fourth, sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke, after he had obtained the crowne by deposing Henry the sixth, (which Henry was after mur∣thered in the Tower by Richard Crookebacke) and after the battell sought at Barnet, where the famous Earle of Warwicke was slaine, and that King Edward quietly pos∣sessed the Crowne, hearing (by report of many) the rare and wonderfull beautie of the aforesaid Shores wife, commeth himselfe disguised to London to see her; where after he had once beheld her, he was so surprised with her admirable beautie, as not long after he robbed her husband of his dee∣rest iewell; but first by this Epistle he writeth vnto her.

VNto the fair'st that euer breath'd this ayre, From English Edward to that fairest faire, Ah would to God thy title were no more, That no remembrance might remaine of Shore, To countermand a Monarchs high desire, And bar mine eyes of what they most admire. O why should Fortune make the Citty prowd, To giue that more then is the Court allow'd?

Where they like (wretches) hoard it vp to spare, And do engrosse it, as they do their ware. When fame first blaz'd thy beautie heere in Court, Mine cares repulsde it as a light report, But when mine eyes sawe that mine eare had heard, They thought report too nigardly had sparde; And strooken dumbe with wonder, did but mutter, Conceiuing more then she had words to vtter. Then thinke of what thy husband is possest, When I enuie that Shore should be so blest; When much aboundance makes the needie mad, And hauing all, yet knowes not what is had. Into fooles bosomes this good fortune creepes, And wealth comes in the whilst the miser sleepes. If now thy beautie be of such esteeme, Which all of so rare excellencie deeme, What would it be, and prized at what rate, Where it adorned with a kingly state? Which being now but in so meane a bed, Is like an vncut Diamond in lead, E're it be set in some high-prized ring, Or garnished with rich enamiling; We see the beauty of the stone is spilt, Wanting the gratious ornament of guilt. When first attracted by thy heauenly eyes, I came to see thee, in a strange disguise, Passing thy shop, thy husband calls me backe, Demanding what rare jewell I did lacke: I want (thought I) one that I dare not craue, And (one I feare) thou wilt not let me haue; He calls for Caskets forth, and shewes me store,

But yet I knew he had one jewell more; And deadly curst him that he did denie it, That I might not for loue or mony buy it. O might I come a Diamond to buy, That had but such a lustre as thine eye. Would not my treasure serue, my Crowne should go, If any jewell could be prized so; An Agat, branched with thy blushing straines, A Saphire, but so az••rde as thy veines; My kingly Scepter onely should redeeme it, At such a price if iudgement could esteeme it. How fond and sencelesse be those strangers then, VVho bring in toyes to please the Englishmen? I smile to thinke how fond th'Italians are, To iudge their artificiall gardens rare, VVhen London in thy cheeks can shew them heere, Roses and Lillies growing all the yeere: The Portugall, that onely hopes to win, By bringing stones from farthest India in, VVhen happy Shore can bring them forth a girle, Whose lips be Rubies, and her teeth be Pearle. How silly is the Polander and Dane, To bring vs Cristall from the frozen maine? When thy cleere skins transparence doth surpasse Their Christall, as the Diamond doth glasse. The foolish French which brings in trash and toyes, To turne our women, men, or girles to boyes, When with what tire thou doost thy selfe adorne, That for a fashion onely shall be worne; Which though it were a garment but of haire, More rich then robe that euer Empresse ware.

Me thinks thy husband takes his marke aw••y, To set his plate to sale when thou art by; When they which do thy Angel locks behold, Like basest drosse do but respect his gold, And wish one haire before that massie heape, And but one locke before the wealth of Cheap••; And for no cause else, hold we gold so deare, But that it is so like vnto thy haire, And sure I thinke Shore cannot choose but flowt, Such as would finde the great Elixar out, And laugh to see the Alchimists, that choke Themselues with fumes, & waste their wealth in smoke. When if thy hand but touch the grossest mold, It is con••erted to refined gold, When theirs is chafferd at an easie rate, VVell knowne to all to be adulterate; And is no more when it by thine is set, Then paltry Beugle, or light-prized jeat. Let others weare perfumes, for thee vnmeete, If there were none, thou could'st make all things sweet. Thou comfort'st sence, and yet all sence dost waste, To heare, to see, to smell, to feele, to taste; Thou a rich ship, whose very refuse ware, Aromatickes, and pretious odors are. If thou but please to walke into the Pawne, To buy thee Cambrieke, Callico, or Lawne, If thou the whitenes of the same wouldst proue, From thy more whiter hand plucke off thy gloue; And those which buy, as the beholders stand, Will take thy hand for Lawne, Lawne for thy hand; A thousand eyes, closde vp by enuious night,

Do vvish for day, but to enioy thy sight; And vvhen they once haue blest their eies vvith thee, Scorne euery obiect else, vvhat ere they see, So like a goddesse beauty still controules, And hath such povverfull vvorking in our soules. The Merchant vvhich in traffike spends his life, Yet loues at home to haue a dainty vvife, The blunt spoke Cynicke poring on his booke, Sometimes (aside) at beauty loues to looke. The church-man, by whose teaching wee are led, Allovves what keepes loue in the marriage bed; The bloudy Souldier spent in armes and broiles, With beautie yet content to share his spoiles; The busie Lavvyer wrangling in his pleas; Findeth that Beauty giues his labour ease; The toyling trades-man, and the sweating clowne, Wold haue his wench faire, thogh his bread be brown; So much is Beauty pleasing vnto all, To Prince and p••••sant like in generall; Nor neuer yet did any man despise it, Except too deere, and ••hat he could not prize it, Vnlearn'd is learning, artlesse be all Artes, If not imployde to praise thy seuerall partes; Poore plodding Schoolemen they are farre too lowe, Which by probations, rules, and axiomes goe; He must be still familiar with the skies, Which notes the reuolutions of thine eies: And by that skill which measures sea and land, See beauties all, thy waste, thy foote, thy hand, vvhere he may find, the more that hee doth view, Such rare delights as are both strange and new;

And other worlds of beauty more and more, Which neuer were discouered before; And to thy rare proportion to apply, The lines and circles in Geometry, Vsing alone Arithmetickes strong ground, Numbring the vertues that in thee are found. And when these all haue done what they can doo, For thy perfections all too little too. When from the East the dawne hath broken out, And gone to seeke thee all the world about, Within thy Chamber hath she fixt her light, Where but that place the world hath all beene night; Then is it fit that euery vulgar eie, Should see Loue banquet in her maiestie•• We deeme those things our sight doth most frequent, To be but meane, although most excellent; For strangers still the streetes are swept and strowd, Few looke on such as daily come abroade; Things much restraind, doth make v•• much desire thē, And beauties seldome seene makes vs admire them. Nor is it fit a cittie shop should 〈…〉〈…〉de, The worlds delight and natures onely pride, But in a Princes sumptuous gallery. Hung all with tissue, floorde with tapestrie•• Where thou shalt sit, and from thy state shalt see, The tiltes and triumphs that are done for thee. Then know the diffrence (if thou list to proue) Betwixt a vulgar, and a kingly loue; And when thou findst, as now thou doubtst the troth, Be thou thy selfe vnpartiall Iudge of both. Where hearts be knit, what helps if not enioy?

Delayes breedes doubts, no cunning to be coy. Whilst lazie Time his turne by tariance serues, Loue still growes sickly, and hope dayly sterues, Meane while receiue that warrant by these lines, which princely rule and soueraintie resignes: Till when, these papers by their Lords commaund•• By me shall kisse thy sweete and daintie hand.

¶ Notes of the Chronicle Historie.

THis Epistle of Edward to Shores wife, and of hers to him, being of vnlawfull affection, ministreth small occasion of historicall notes, for had he mentioned the many battels betwixt the Lan∣castrian faction and him, or other warlike daungers, it had beene more like to Plautus boasting Souldier then a kingly Courtier. Notwithstanding, it shall not be amisse to annexe a line or two.

From English Edward to the fairest faire,

Edward the fourth was by nature very chiualrous, and very a∣morous, applying his sweet & amiable aspect to attaine his wan∣ton appetite the rather, which was so well knowne to Lewes the French king, who at their interuiew inuited him to Paris, that as Comineus reports, being taken at his word, hee notwithstanding brake off the matter, fearing the Parisian Dames with their witty conuersation, would detaine him longer then should bee for his benefit, by which means Edwad was disapointed of his iorny: and albeit Princes whilst they liue, haue nothing in them but what is admirable; yet we need not mistrust the flatterie of the Court in those times: fot certain it is, that his shape was excellent, his haire drew neare to a black, making his faces fauor to seeme more de∣lectable. Though the smalnes of his eies full of a shining moisture, as it tooke away some comelinesse; so it argued much sharpnes of vnderstanding, and cruelty mingled togither. And indeed George Buccanan (that imperious Scot) chargeth him and other Princes

of those times, with affectation of tyranny, as Richard the third manifestly did.

When first attracted by thy heauenly eyes,

Edwards intemperate desires, with which he was wholy ouer-come, how tragically they in his of-spring were punished, is vni∣uersally knowne. A mirrour representing their ouersight; that ra∣ther leaue their children what to possesse, then what to imitate.

How seely is the Polander and Dane; To bring vs Cristall from the frozen maine.

Alluding to their opinions, who imagin Cristall to be a kind of Ice, and therefore it is likely, they who come from the frozen parts, should bring great store of that transparent stone, which is thought to be congealed with extreame colde. Whether Cristall be Ice, or some other liquor, I omit to dispute, yet by the exam∣ples of Amber and Corall, there may be such an induration; for Solinus out of Plinie mentioneth, that in the Northerly Region, a yellow jelly is taken vp out of the sea at two tides, which he cals Succinum, we Amber; so likewise, out of the Ligusticke deepe, a part of the Meridian Sea, a greenish stalk is gathered, which hard∣ned in the ayre, becomes to be Corrall, either white, or red. Am∣ber notwithstanding is thought to drop out of trees, as appeares by Martials Epigram.

Et latet, & lucet Phaethonide condita gutta, Vt vidcatur apis nectare clausa suo, Dignum tantorum pretium tulit ille laborum, Credibile est ipsam sic voluisse mors.

To behold a Bee inclosed in Electrum, is not so rare as that a boyes throat should be cut with the fal of an Ice-sicle, the which Epigram is excellent, the 18. li. 4 He cals it Phaethontis G••tta, be∣cause of that fable which Ouid rehearseth, concerning the Heliades or Phaetons sisters, metamorphosed into those trees, whose Gum is Amber, where flies alighting, are often times tralucently im∣prisoned.