Poems: by Michaell Draiton Esquire

¶ Gilford Dudley to Iane Gray.

AS the Swanne singing at his dying howre, So I reply from my imprisning towre: O could there be that powre but in my verse, To expresse the griefe my wounded heart doth pierce! The very walles that straitly thee inclose, Would surely weepe at reading of my woes; Let your eies lend, Ile pay you euery teare, And giue you intrest, if you doe forbeare, Drop for a drop, and if youle needes haue lone, I will repay you franckly, two for one. Perhaps youle thinke (your sorrowes to appease) That words of comfort fitter were than these: True, and in you when such perfection liueth, As in most griefe most comfort alwaies giueth: And thinke not (Iane) that cowardly I faint, To begge mans mercy by my sad complaint, That death so much my courage can controule, At the departing of my liuing roule. For if one life a thousand liues could bee, All those too few to consummate with thee, When thou this crosse so patiently doost beare, As if thou wert incapable of feare, And doost no more this desolution flie, Than if long age constrained thee to die:

Yet it is strange thou arte become my foe, And onely now add'st most vnto my woe, Not that I loathe, that most did me delight, But that so long depriued of thy sight; For when I speake, and would complaine my wrong. Straitwayes thy name possesseth all my tong, As thou before me ouermore didst lie The present obiect to my longing eie. No ominous starte did at thy birth tide shine, That might of thy sad destiny diuine; Tis onely I that did thy fall perswade, And thou by me a sacrifice arte made, As in those countries where the louing wiues With their kinde husbands end their happy liues, And crownd with garlands in their Brides attire, Burne with his body in the funerall fire; And she the worthiest reckned is of all, Whome loast the perill seemeth to appall. I boast not of Northumberland great name, Nor of Ket conquered, adding to our fame, When he to Norffolke with his armies sped, And thence in chaines the rebells captiue led; And brought safe peace returning to our dores, Yet soread his glory on the easterne shores, Not of my brothers, from whose naturall grace, Vertue may spring to beautifie our Race, Not of Grates match my children borne by thee, Of the great blood indoubtedly to bee, But of thy vertues onely doe I boast, That wherein I may iustly glory most: I crau'd no kingdomes though I thee did craue,

It might suffice thy onely selfe to haue, Yet let me say how-euer it befell, Me thinkes a Crowne should haue become thee well: For sure thy wisedome merited (or none) To haue beene heard with wonder from a throne. When from thy lippes the counsell to each deede, Doth as from some wise oracle proceede, And more esteemd thy vertues were to mee, Then all that else might euer come by thee; So chaste thy loue, so innocent thy life, As being a virgine when thou wert a wife, So great a gift the heauen on me bestow'd, As giuing that it nothing could haue ow'd, Such was the good I did possesse of late, Ere worldly cares disturbde our quiet state, Ere trouble did in euery place abound, And angry warre our former peace did wound. This is all that ambition vs affordes, One crowne is guarded with a thousand swords, To meane estates, meane sorrowes are out showne, But crowns h〈…〉〈…〉 cares whose workings be vnknowne, When Dudley led his armies to the east, Of our whole forces generally possest, What then was thought his enter prise could let, Whome a graue counsell freely did abet, That had the iudgement of the powrefull lawes, In euery poynt to iustifie the cause, The holy Church a helping hand that layde, Who would haue thought that these could not haue swayde: But what alas can parlements auaile, Where Maries right must Edwards Act〈…〉〈…〉

When Suffolkes powre doth Suffolkes hopes withstand, Northumberland doth leaue Northumberland; And they that should our greatnes vndergoe, Vs, and our actions onely ouerthrow, Ere greatnes gain'd we giue it all our hart, But being once come, could wish it would depart, And indescreetly follow that so fast, Which ouertaken punisheth our haste; If any one doe pitty our offence, Let him be sure that it be farre from hence: Heere is no place for any one that shall, So much as (once) commiserate our fall; And we of mercy vainely should but thinke, Our timelesse teares th'insatiate earth doth drinke. All lamentations vtterly forlorne, Dying before they fully can be borne. Mothers that should their woefull children rue, Fathers in death too kindely bid adue. Friends their deare farewell louingly to take, The faithfull seruant weeping for our sake. Brothers and sisters waiting on our beere, Mourners to tell what we were liuing heare: But we alas depriued are of all, So fatall is our miserable fall, And where at first for safety we were shut Now in darke prison wofully are put, And from height of our ambitious state, Lie to repent our arrogance too late, To thy perswasion thus I then reply, Holde on thy course resolued still to die, And when we shall so happily be gone,

Leaue it to heauen to giue the rightfull throne, And with that health regreet I thee againe, Which I of late did gladly entertaine.

Notes of the Chronicle Historie.

Not of Ket conquered adding to our fame;

IOhn Duke of Northumberland, when before he was Earle of Warwike in his expedition against Ket, ouerthrew the rebels of Norfolke and Suffolke, encamped at Mount-Surrey in Nor∣folke.

Nor of my brothers from whose naturall grace,

Gilford Dudley as remembring in this place the towardnesse of his brothers, which were all likely indeed to haue raised that house of the Dudleys, of which he was a fourth brother, if not sup∣pressed by their fathers ouerthrow.

Nor of Grayes match my children borne by thee,

Noting in this place the aliance of the Lady Iane Gray, by her mother, which was Francis the daughter of Charles Brandon, by Mary the French Queene, daughter to Henry the seuenth, and si∣ster to Henry the eight.

To haue beene heard with wonder from a throne.

Seldome hath it euer beene knowne of any woman endued with such wonderfull gifts, as was this Ladie, both for her wis∣dome and learning, of whose skill in the tongues one reporteth by this Epigram.

Miraris Ianam Graio, sermone valere, Quo ••••••mum nata est tempore Graia fuit. When Dudley led his armies to the East.

The Duke of Northumberland prepared his power at Lon∣don for his expedition against the Rebels in Norfolke, and ma∣king haste away, appoynted the rest of his forces to meete him at

Newmarket Heath: of whom this saying is reported, that pas∣sing through Shorditch, the Lord Gray in his companie, seeing the people in great numbers came to see him, he sayd, the people presse to see vs, but none bid God speed vs.

Whom a graue Councell freely did abet.

Iohn Dudley Duke of Northumberland, when he went out a∣gainst Queene Mary, had his commission sealed for the general∣ship of the Army, by the consent of the whole Councell of the land; insomuch that passing through the Councell chamber at his departure, the Earle of Arundell wished that hee might haue gone with him in that expedition, and to spend his blood in the quarrell.

When Suffolks power doth Suffolks hopes withstand, Northumberland doth leane Northumberland.

The Suffolke men were the first that euer resorted to Queene Mary in her distresse, repayring to her succours, whilst shee re∣mained both at Keningall, and at Fermingham Castell, still in∣creasing her aydes, vntill the Duke of Northumberland, was lest forsaken at Cambridge.

Finis.