¶ Lenuoye.
ALye that shall thys tragedy se,
Of ruth & mercy haue compassion,
To see a princes from her imperiall see
So vnwarely by fortune throwen doun:
Of whose mischese this was thoccasion,
In thre thinges was set most her pleasaunce
In vicious life, in murder, & in vengeaunce.
Alas that euer the mortall cruelte
Of blody swerde, by execucion
Shoulde be appropried to feminite,
Agayne the nature of theyr condition,
Causyng the finall sclaunderous confusion
Of Olympiades, here put in remembraunce,
For vicious lyfe, murdre, & false vengeaunce.
Vnder freshe floures sote and fayre to se,
The serpent dareth with his couert poyson,
In christ all waters that calme and sote be
Are peryllous pittes full of deception,
Men se all day by clere inspection,
In faynyng faces angelyke suffisaunce,
Hyd vnderneth rancour & great vengeaunce.
Though she excelled of her natife beaute
All other pryncesses of that region.
Yet was neuer none feller sene than she,
To execute lyke her opinion
The perylous traynes contriued of trayson:
And specially in her pompous greuaunce,
Where she hated, for to do vengeaunce.
Noble prynces set hye in dignite,
Do aduertise of discretion,
In your most power and largest liberte
Be merciable, and do remission:
Suger with pite your indignation,
Let grace & mercy tempre your puyssaunce,
Of Olympiades eschewing the vengeaunce.
Exyle rygour farre out of your countre,
Gyue hym with you no iurisdiction,
To womanheed longeth not parde
Of cancred rancour new execucion:
Wher mercy reigneth of grace ther is foyson,
Haue this in mynde by longe continua••ce,
Of Olympiades forgettynge the vengeaūce.
Let pacience by vertuous plente
Within your heartes purchase a mancion,
Let your compassion attempre equite
That ryght excede nat the boundes of reason
So that your feminine humble entencion
Be alway bridled by prouident suffraunce,
Voyding al excesse of rygour and vengeaūce.
For it is sayde of olde aucthorite
To women longeth by disposition
Mekenesse in langage, in porte humilite,
In all vertue humble subiection,
Voyde of manaces stryfe and contencion:
So that no man in your attendaunce
Espye no token of rancour nor vengeaunce:
The speciall meane, the parcialite
Shulde of all mercy by discription
Rebounde to women, for of antiquite
The lambe nat vsed to play the Lyon:
Nor no meke doue enuyed the faucon,
Nor to your degre by naturall accordaunce,
Syt nouther rygour nor hasty vengeaunce.
This simple lenuoy receyue it at gre,
And haue therof no indignation,
Lowly dyrect to your benignite,
Onely of mekenesse, and no presumption,
Knowyng of kynde your inclination
Disposed is by naturall purueyaunce
To all mercye, and nothyng to vengeaunce.