And never worthy prince a day did quit
With greater hazard, and with more renown,
Than thou did'st, mighty Henry, in this fight;
Which only made thee owner of thine own:
Thou never prov'dst the tenure of thy right
(How thou did'st hold thy easy gotten crown)
Till now and now thou show'st thy self chief
lord,

By that especial right of kings, the sword.

And dear it cost, and much good blood is shed,
To purchase thee a saving victory:
Great Stafford 16, thy high-constable, lies dead,
With Shorley, Clifton, Gawsell, Calverly,
And many more-whose brave deaths witnessed
Their noble valour and fidelity:

And many more had left their dearest blood
Behind that day, had Hotspur longer stood.

But he, as Douglas with his fury led,
Rushing into the thickest woods of spears,
And brakes of swords, still laying at the head,
(The life of th' army) whilst he nothing fears,
Or spares his own; comes all environed
With multitude of pow'r, that overbears
His manly worth: who yields not in his fall;
But fighting dies, and dying kills withal.

What ark, what trophy, what magnificence
Of glory, Hotspur, had'st thou purchas'd here;
Could but thy cause as fair as thy pretence,
Be made unto thy country to appear!
Had it been her protection and defence,
(Not thy ambition) made thee sell so dear
Thyself this day; she must have here made good
An everlasting statue for thy blood.

Which thus mis-spent, thy army presently

Worc'ster 17 (who had escap'd unhappily
His death in battle) on a scaffold dies,
The next day after, in the company
Of other chiefest of that enterprise.
And so the tempest of this mutiny
Became allay'd; and those great jeopardies
Blown over in this sort, the coasts well clear'd,
But for one threatning cloud that yet appear'd

Northumberland recover'd, still outstands;
The principal of this great family

And faction: having Berwick in his hands,
With other holds: strong by confed'racy
With Scotland: mighty by his own command.
And likely now his utmost pow'r to try,
T' avenge him on the ruin of his blood,
And join with Wales, which yet undaunted stood

Which mov'd the king, (who had too much endur
In this day's work, to hazard new again)
By all the aptest means could be procur'd,
To lay to draw him in by any train.
And write he did, and vow'd, and him assur'd
(Upon his princely word) to entertain
With former grace, if he would but submit,
And come to yield th' obedience that was fit.

The earl being now by this defeat dismay'd,
(And fearing his confederates would fail,
With fortune, and betray, rather than aid
Those who are down; being for their own avail)
Relying on his sov'reign's oath, obey'd;
Which with his tender griefs did much prevail:
And in he came, and had no detriment,
But (for a show) some short imprisonment.

The parli'ment that afterward ensu'd,
Restor'd him t' all his dignities and lands.
And now none but the Welsh seem'd to seclude
The king, from having wholly in his hands
All peace within: and them he had pursu'd,
Whilst this brave army, with these ready band,
Were yet on foot; could he but have got pay
To hold them, and his charge of war defray.

But that he could not gain, though all the way
That might be wrought, he labours to procure
Means to effect the same. But those delays,
And long protraction, which he must endure
By way of parli'ment, so much betrays
The opportunity, that might secure
His undertaking; as th' occasion lest,
Drave both the state and him to greater cost.

For now the rebel 18, thus forborn, grows strong,
Both in his reputation and success :
For having with his pow'r beld out so long,
Many adventure with more forwardness
To yield him aid, and to support his wrong.

(As if they could not stand when thou wer't down) And foreign princes (in his business

Dispers'd in rout, betook them all to fly :

And Douglas, faint with wounds, and overthrown,

Was taken; who yet won the enemy

Which took him, (by his noble valour shown,
In that day's mighty work) and was preserv'd

With all the grace and honour he deserv'd.

Whom he solicits) now will lend their hand
To hold him up, seeing himself can stand.

"Thomas Piercy, earl of Worcester, with st Richard Vernon, and the baron of Kinderton, WEN taken in the battle, and beheaded.

19 The French king sends aid to Owen Glendust

16 Edmond earl of Stafford, constable of Eng- with one hundred and forty ships, which landed si

land.

Milford Haven, au. reg. 6.

1

And thus he prospers: whilst the king here spent
Much time to levy treasure 19, to maintain
His charge abroad: which, with that discontent,
That murmur, those denials, he doth gain;
As that he finds it ev'n as turbulent

To war for it, as with it, all his reign;
Though he had those enforcements of expense,
Both for offence, retainments, and defence.

For here beside these troubles in the land,
His large dominions held abroad require
A plentiful, and a prepared hand,

To guard them; where so mighty men 20 aspire
T'assail, distract, and trouble his command,
With hopes and promises, with sword and fire.
And then as deep imports his coasts to clear,
Which by his neighbours much infested were:

The Flemings, Britains, with the French and all,
Attempt incursions, and work much despite.
Orleans for Guien: and here the count St. Paul 21
For Calais labours, and the isle of Wight:
Wherein though neither had success at all;
Yet Cler'mont overcame, and won by fight
Important holds in Gascony the while,
And did the English much distress and spoil.

All which require provisions to withstand;
And all are succour'd with great providence.
A navy, to secure the seas, is mann'd;
And forces sent to Calais 22, for defence.
And wherein other parts defective stand,
They are supply'd with careful diligence:
So that his subjects could not but well know,
That what they granted, he did sure bestow.

Nor did he spare himself, nor his; but (bent
All-wholly unto active worthiness)
The prince of Wales unto his province sent,
Where he was sure he should not take his ease:
His second son is with the earl of Kent,
Employ'd as governor to keep the seas.
A third", though very young, likewise sent forth
With Westmorland, attends unto the north.

19 An. reg. 6. With much ado, the laity granted two fifteenths, upon condition that the lord Furnival should receive all the money, and see it to be spent in the king's wars.

20 The duke of Orleans, with an army of six thousand men, entred into Guienne, and besieged Vergi the space of three months, and returned without obtaining it. Anno reg. 5. The count Clerimont, son to the duke of Bourbon, with monsieur de la Bret, won divers castles in Gascony. The same time the count St. Paul invadeth the isle of Wight with sixteen hundred men.

21 Anno regni 6. The count St. Paul besiegeth the castle of Mark, within three miles of Calais. The Britains, under the conduct of the lord of Casails, spoiled and burnt the town of Plimouth.

22 The king sends four thousand men to Calais, and three thousand to the seas, under the conduct of bis second son, Thomas of Lancaster, afterwards duke of Clarence.

23 John, after duke of Bedford, sent with Ralph Nevil, earl of Westmorland, into the north.

483

Thus were they bred, who after were to be
Men amongst men. Here, with these grave adjoints,
(These learned masters) they were taught to see
Themselves, to read the world, and keep their points.
Thus were they entred in the first degree
(And accidence) of action; which acquaints
Them with the rules of worth and nobleness;
Which in true concord they learn'd well t' express.

Did touch the secret'st wounds of Lancaster:
When straight another new conspiracy 25,
(As if it were a certain successor,
Ally'd to this) engender'd in the north,
Is by the archbishop Scroope with pow'r brought
forth.

And with fair zeal and piety approv'd,
To be for th' universal benefit

And succour of the people; who (soon mov'd
And for their zeal and charity belov'd)
By such persuaders as are held upright,
Use not t' examine if the cause be right,
But leap into the toil, and are undone
By following them that they rely'd upon.

24 The lady Spencer, sister to Edward duke of
at Bristol, an. reg. 1.) accused her brother to be
York, late wife to Thomas lord Spencer, (executed
the chief author of conveying away the earl of
March's sons out of the tower of Windsor.

conspires against the king; with Richard Scroope,
25 Henry Piercy, earl of Northumberland, again
archbishop of York; Thomas Mowbray, earl mar-
shal; Thomas lord Burdolph, and others. They
adjoining, to take their part, for the commodity fo
assembled the citizens of York, with the country
the realm.

THE HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR.

I had to thee, I now in grief conceive:
Thee-which with blood I held! with horrour leave!"
And herewithal, the soul (rapt with the thought
Of mischiefs past) did so attentive weigh
These present terrours, whilst (as if forgot)
The dull oppressed body senseless lay;
That he as breathless quite, quite dead is thought:
When lo! the son comes in, and takes away
This fatal crown from thence; and out he goes,
As if impatient longer time to lose.

[speed,

To whom (call'd back for this presumptuous deed)
The king, return'd from out his ecstasy,
Began-" O son, what need'st thou make such
To be before-hand with thy misery?
Thou shalt have time enough, if thou succeed,
To feel the storms that beat on dignity.
And if thou could'st but be (be any thing)
In liberty, then never be a king."

"Nay, father, since your fortune did attain
So high a stand; I mean not to descend,"
Replies the prince. "As if what you did gain,
I were of spirit unable to defend.

Time will appease them well, who now complain,
And ratify our int'rest in the end.

What wrong hath not continuance quite out-worn?
Years make that right, which never was so born."

"If so, God work his pleasure," said the king:
"Yet thou must needs contend with all thy might,
Such evidence of virtuous deeds to bring,
That well may prove our wrong to be our right.
And let the goodness of the managing
Rase out the blot of foul attaining quite;
That discontent may all advantage miss,
To wish it otherwise than now it is.

"And since my death my purpose doth prevent,
Touching this holy war I took in hand,
(An action wherewithal my soul had meant
T' appease my God, and reconcile my land)
To thee is left to finish my intent;
Who, to be safe, must never idly stand:
But some great actions entertain thou still,
To hold their minds, who else will practise ill.

"Thou hast not that advantage by my reign,
To riot it, as they whom long descent
Hath purchas'd love by custom: but with pain
Thou must contend to buy the world's content.
What their birth gave them thou hast yet to gain,
By thine own virtues and good government:
So that unless thy worth confirm the thing,
Thou never shalt be father to a king.

BOOK V.

485

His falt'ring tongue; and pain (t' enforce 't again)
But that this all-subduing pow'r here stay'd
Barr'd up the oppressed passages of breath,
To bring him quite under the state of death.

In whose possession I must leave him now;
Into the stormy main (where tempests grow
And now into the ocean of new toils,
Of greater ruins, and of greater spoils)
Set forth my course (to hasten on my vow)
O'er all the troublous deep of these turmoils.
Of my desired end, I wish no more.
And if I may but live t' attain the shore

CLOSE Smother'd lay the low depressed fire,
Whose after-issuing flames confounded all,
The whilst victorious Henry' did conspire
The wreck of France, that at his feet did fall:
Whilst joys of gotten spoils, and new desire
Of greater gain, to greater deeds did call
His conq'ring troops; that could no thoughts retain,
Save thoughts of glory, all that active reign.

Whom here, methinks, (as if he did appear
Out of the cloudy darkness of the night)
I do behold approach with martial cheer,
And with a dreadful (and yet lovely) sight:
Whose eye gives courage, and whose brow hath fear,
Both representing terrour and delight;
And in upbraiding words thus fiercely speaks.
And stays my course, and off my purpose breaks;

"Ungrateful times! that impiously neglect
That worth, that never times again shall show.
What! merits all our toil no more respect?

"Nor art thou born in those calm days, where rest Or else stands Idleness asham'd to know
Hath brought asleep sluggish security:
But in tumultuous times, where minds address'd
To factions, are inur'd to mutiny;
A mischief, not by force to be suppress'd,
Where rigour still begets more enmity.

Those wondrous actions, that do so object
Blame to the wanton, sin unto the slow?
Can England see the best that she can boast
Lie thus ungrac'd, undeck'd, and almost lost?

Hatred must be beguil'd with some new course,
Where states are stiff, and princes doubt their force."

This, and much more, affliction would have said,
Out of th' experience of a troublous reign,
(For which his high desires had dearly paid
The int'rest of an ever-toiling pain)

32 Anno dom. 1412, the king died in the 46th year of his age, when he had reigned 13 years 6 months, and left four sons: Henry, after him, king; the duke of Clarence, John duke of Bedford, and Humphrey duke of Glocester.

1

Henry V. began his reign, March 20, 1412.

So should our well-taught times have learn'd alike,
How fair shin'd virtue, and how foul vice stood;
When now myself am driven to mislike
Those deeds of worth I dare not vow for good:
I cannot moan who lose, nor praise who seek
By mighty actions here t' advance their blood.
I must say, who wrought most, least honour had:
However good the cause, the deeds were bad.

And only tell the worst of ev'ry reign;
And not the intermeddled good report.

I leave what glory virtue did attain
At th' ever-memorable Agincourt.

I leave to tell, what wit, what pow'r did gain
Th' assieged Roan, Caen, Dreux; or in what sort
How majesty with terrour did advance
Her conq'ring foot on all-subdued France.

All this I pass; and that magnan'mous king,
Mirror of virtue, miracle of worth;
Whose mighty actions, with wise managing,
Forc'd prouder boasting climes to serve the Norti:
The best of all the best the Earth can bring,
Scarce equals him in what his reign brought fort);
Being of a mind as forward to aspire,
As fit to govern what he did desire.

His comely body was a goodly seat,

Where Virtue dwelt most fair, as lodg'd most pure
A body strong; where use of strength did get
A stronger state to do, and to endure.
His life he makes th' example to beget
Like spirit in those he did to good inure;
And gave to Worth such life and livelihood,
As if he greatness sought but to do good.