The Fall of King Brennus, Who Slew Himself at the Siege of Delphos

Amongste the noble martiall worthy men,
Renowned farre, victorious great of fame,
Though Autors sound my praise eftsoones agen
Emongst the Britayne Princes write the same:
I am that Britayne once that Brennus had to name,
My facts, exployts in warre, my conquests life and end,
Doe write as I recite, when time doth leasure lend.

The mighty Monarche of this noble Ile
Mulmucius (conquerde tyranne Princes three
They by intrusion rayning here long while)
Was father both to Belinus and mee.
His noble acts and lawes commended bee.
This Belinus (mine elder brother) was his heire,
And Queene Cornwenna was our mother wise and fayre.

When after him my brother had the crowne,
Hee was content to make mee eke a king:
Hee gaue mee Albany, where with renowne
I rulde a while by Iustice euery thing:
But at the last ambition made me bring
An army thence, agaynst my brother for to fight,
Which rather ought t’aue honorde him with homage right.

When Belinus perceiued mee approach
Vnto his Realme, an army hee addrest:
He warned me I should not seek t’incroatch
That was not mine, for hee was ready prest
Mee to repell: hee wilde mee bee at rest,
I marched one, the armies met, wee fearcely fought,
My souldiers slayne, to saue my selfe by flight I sought.

To Norwaye then I fledde for succour hence,
Where good Elsingus reignde the gentle King:
I tolde him what I was, and eke of whence,
Desirde his ayde, me home agayne to bring,
And he not only graunted me this thing,
But eke his daughter Samye fayre to be my wife,
With me to passe in Albany for aye a Princely life.

But while we were prouiding ships and men,
The fame abroad of my returne was spread,
And Guthlake that was King of Denmarke then,
Prouided with a nauie mee forlead:
The loue of Samye so enragde his riuall head,
That for her sake he must perforce my ships [and me] forlay,
To win by fight or take by might the Lady faire away.

And when our nauies mette, he wilde me yeelde
This Lady straight, or else defend the cause:
A thing (quoth I) requested erst but seelde,
Against of Gods and men the sacred lawes:
It hath not erst bene harde amongst the wise men’s sawes,
That any King should clayme the like with sword of stormie strife,
Or make assaulte in warlike sorte to winne a Prince’s wife.

From wordes to fight we fell on eyther side,
But in the ende I was discomfit there,
And yeelded her that listed scarce abide,
For she to him before did fauour beare:
By tempest then our nauies seuered were,
And he perforce by storme on shores of Britayne cast,
Was fayne for tribute hostage giue to Beline or he past.

At Seas turmoylde fiue dayes with raging winde,
Sore wearied with the fight, the foyle and losse,
And casting with my selfe in woefull minde,
The cause why so God Neptune did me tosse,
Why boyling Seas with surges so me sosse,
I made a vowe to kill the man that causde me flye,
Or with my bloud the kingdome all from him to buy.

The Seas alayde, at last my ships I found
And rigde againe, at seas met of our foes
Some wandring Danes, where we beset them round
In warlike sorte, we did them all inclose:
Euen so the wheele of Lady Fortune goes,
Abiects, castes downe, turnes topsie toruie quight,
The men of late extold with all her mayne and might.

These ships my wants in some respect supplyde
With tacle, armour, vitayles and the rest
And so to Britayne land apace I hyde,
For kingdome lost to make againe request,
Or else by might and force away to wrest
The scepter from my brother Beline, and the crowne,
Which lay that time by North at Euerwyke the towne.

To lande I came, and did menace my brother sore,
But he an armie did with speede addresse,
Which mette me straight at th’entry on the shore,
Our battayles ioynd and fought with valiantnesse:
But I was put in th’end to such distresse,
To ships I flewe and tooke a fewe with me beside,
And hoysing sayles for hap to Gallia strands I hyd.

Ariued there, I trauayld long to see
The nature of the Countrey and the men:
And for my purpose I disposed mee,
To please the Princes and the people then,
In hope to see my countrey once agen,
To winne my noble kingdome or to wreacke the wrong
That I sustaynd, exilde from natiue soyle so long.

When I had tolde the great mishaps I had
Vnto the Peeres of Fraunce, some ayde to craue,
I could obtaine no succour me to glad,
Nor men, munition, ships, ne vitayles haue:
I gate me thence to Duke Seginus graue,
Of Prouence then the Prince renowmed noble farre,
For prudence prompt in peace and wisdom great in warre.

This worthie Duke receiued me with ioy,
(For of afflicted wights he had remorce)
He hearde me oft declare the great anoy
That I had felte, and of my brother’s force:
Howe Guthlacke did my wife and me diuorce,
The broyles at Sea, the toyles I taken had at land,
Which neuer coulde the face of Fortune’s foyle withstand.

Thou Britayne tall (quoth he) I rue thy fate,
Thou noble Prince (for so thou art in showe)
If I could now restore thee thine estate,
Thou shouldst perceyue what fauour I thee owe;
’Tis Fortune’s vse t’exalte and ouerthrow;
My counsayle then is this expect her grace a while,
Till where she frownes she turne her frendly face and smile.

So in his court he did me intertayne,
Where long I liu’d and bare my selfe full well:
Some times to play the captaine I was fayne,
To winne some praise as causes did compell,
For when his subiects eyther did rebell,
Or confines made inroads to spoyle or pray his land,
Then I was one that had the charge to take the warres in hand.

In armour fearce and stout, and strong was I,
God Mars me gaue a stearne and stormie looke,
With feates of armes by land or seas to trye,
Experience taught me what I vndertooke:
No payne, no toyle, nor daunger I forsooke,
That might content the noble Duke of Sauoy’s minde,
Whose bountie me to honour him and serue his grace did bind.

In peacefull milde I was of comely grace,
And wise in talke as time occasion gaue,
And (though I say’t) I had a Princely face,
I coulde both hunt and hawke, and court it braue:
Eke Fortunes past had made me sage and graue,
More heedy all attemptes to prosecute with skill,
Rash hastie men (by proofe I found) incurre the greatest ill.

When Duke Seginus sawe my humble harte,
A regall Britayne Prince, of royall bloude,
How I employde my selfe and all my arte,
Mine actiue feates with grace and prowes good,
To serue and quayle his foes that him withstoode,
He gaue his daughter rich to me, a peerles [princely] dame,
His only heyre, and Dukedome after him to guide the same.

By her (when hee was deade) I Sauoye had,
A countrey fertile famous for the soyle;
With liberall giftes the souldiers hartes I glad,
To winne the restes good will I tooke some toyle,
By banquets, iewels, giftes, or warlike broyle:
Stil vsing all the meanes t’obeysaunce them to moue,
Eke all the wayes that might allure them me to loue.

And settled so in honour greate at rest,
Without the feare of forayne foes, or nye:
I mused what for Britayne warres was best,
Which way I might agayne my quarell trye:
Such restles heades haue they that sitte on hye!
O poore estate, how blest were thou that sitste below,
How happy, safe and sure, if thou thy state couldst know.

A councill called for the same intent,
I told the Lordes my purpose for the warre,
How I to haue my kingdome here was bent,
They all agreed to levy nere and farre,
Such souldiers good and captaynes stoute that were,
They offered seruice eke themselues to fare with mee,
To winne the crowne by sworde or els reuenged bee.

Concluding thus, a powre prouided was,
Munition good, and vitayles, shipping strong,
On voyage so with hoysed sayles wee passe,
Wee cut the seas and came apace along
To Britayne shores in hope to wrecke the wrong
That oft before was done, or winne the land agayne
Whence whilome twice I was to fly with daunger fayne.

When wee were landed here, I herolds sent
To claime my Kingdome at his hands, my right,
I had them, if hee were not so content,
To sound defiaunce, fyre, and sword, and fight:
But of my message hee esteemed light,
Hee brought an army strong, apointed was the day
Of battayle, then to try who beares the Crowne away.

This when our mother sawe Corwenna wise,
That mortall warres wee wadge for Kingdome sake
Shee with her selfe did many wayes deuise,
A peace betweene her Martiall sonnes to make,
And with the Lords full oft did counsaile take,
Yet all in vaine: there could no parle of peace preuayle,
But on wee marcht agreed each other to assayle.

The feeldes once pight and time of battaile comme,
In place where should bee tryde this quarell sad,
In armour eke the souldiers all and somme,
With all the force that might so soone bee had,
We captaynes vsing speach our men to glad,
T’incourage them with promise proud of lasting fame:
Tweene th’armies both Corwenna stood that noble dame.
And thus shee spake:

“O out, ahlas! my sonnes, what meanes this broyle?
Will you in feelde my tender bowels harme?
What furies force you thus t’unkindly toile?
What meane your men for slaughter here to swarme?
Did not this wombe once both inclose you warme?
And cannot now all Britayne hold you brethren twaine,
But needes by one of you his brother must bee slaine?

“Cannot the feare of Ioue’s immortall hate,
Your mother’s teares, nor woefull wailings moue?
Nor naked brests you suckte your malice slacke?
Nor cause t’imbrace the sacred lore of loue?
O euerlasting Ioue that liu’st aboue!
Then I protest ere you doe fight the feelde this day,
You shall in field (vngratefull sonnes) your woefull mother slay.

“Betweene you both you shall bereaue my life,
What woes (my sonnes) aliue shall I sustaine,
When I shall after this ambitious strife,
So many see of both your subiects slaine,
And you with brothers bloud your swords distayne,
I shall (I say) in th’end of fight take woefull vewe,
Of that my sonne, which this my sonne his [noble] brother slewe.

“O rather now, my sonnes, leaue of to iar,
Lay weapons both aside take truce a while,
If you doe loue to spend your time in war,
Destroy not here at home your natiue Ile,
The present cause and quarell is to vile
Joyne friendly both your armies fayth, and firme the same
To take some conquest great in hand of [euer]lasting fame.

“Therein you may with greater honour deale,
By this defame you shall your selfes for aye:
Thereby you may enlarge your publique weale,
By this your selues and it shall quite decay:
Thereby you shall mine age with honour stay,
Thereby you shal [in warres] most like your noble father bee,
Which ere he wan the crowne did conquere [Kings and] kingdoms three.

“Once for my sake then ioyne yet handes agayne,
Let mee enioy once both before I die,
I would to see you frends my sonnes bee faine,
And hope I haue you will not this denie,
I aske a thing shall neuer hurte perdy,
For if you now surcease [embrace,] and loue as brethren well,
Then all the world of this your [peace and] concord aye shall tell.”

And turneing then to mee, thus wise shee sayd:
“Thou knowst, my sonne, how twice thou hast bene foylde,
Thou twice to scape with life wast well apayde,
And since full farre to countryes straunge hast toyld:
If now thou shouldst of life and all bee spoilde,
(When liue thou maiste in Princely sort with peerelesse ioy)
What tong can tell thy mother’s griefe and great anoy.

“I heare thou hast in Fraunce a Dukedoome good,
Of subiects good thou hast an armie here,
Thou hast a wife that came of noble blood,
Thou need’st at home no foes at all to feare:
What mean’st thou then such mortall hate to beare
Against my sonne, thy brother here, which gaue to thee
His kingdome halfe, the noble land of Albany?

“Sith thine ambition first procur’d the strife,
Which didst in armour rise against thy King,
Against thy brother lou’d thee more then life
Thou didst thy subiects his against him bring,
Think’st thou it was a wise or worthie thing?
If not, thou hast good cause thy treason all confesse,
And though he draue thee out therefore, to loue him ne’re the lesse.

“Thou shalt therefore submitte thy selfe to mee,
And take a truce a peace I will conclude,
Thy brother eke shall so contented bee,
No quarels olde shall be againe renewde,
These broiles haue oft my cheeks with teares bedewde,
My heart is rent, my hope bereau’d, my ioyes are gone,
My life is lost if you conioyne not [frendships] both in one.”

Then turning vnto Belinus she spake:
“My noble sonne (quoth shee) thou twice hast quaylde
Thy brother’s power, and mad’st him twice forsake
His natiue land, which I haue oft bewaylde:
What though thou haue so oft before preuaylde,
Think’st thou againe the thirde time eke to winne the feelde?
Or art thou sure to slay my sonne, or force thy foes to yeelde.

“What glory canst thou get thereby in th’end?
Will not the worlde of your foule slaughters tell?
Will not they all that liue, still discommend
The man that did his owne deare brother quell?
Mempricius shamefull actes are knowne too well,
And Porrex, Britayns both their noble brethren slew,
Confounded [shortly] after both examples good for you.

“Nowe further this againe to both I say,
Doe not you rue these noble souldiers good?
Doe not you see how many you shall slay?
Haue you no care to shed their guiltlesse blood?
The state of tyraunts neuer stable stoode,
By bloudshed they doe founde, bace, builde, and prop their state,
Raigne, liue and dye despisde, and heape themselues eternall hate.

“You noble men, in briefe I speake to you,
And vnto all the Captains of your bands,
And eke to all you souldiers good and true,
Which haue the sway of bloudshed in your hands:
Consider well the state of both our lands:
You shall decrease your force, by ciuile discord, warres and strife,
Distaine your blods, defame your selues, and reaue Cornwenna’s life.

“Then if that eyther Ioue’s immortall ire,
(Which euer hated slaughters such as these)
Or feare of Plutoe’s euerlasting fire,
Or daungers threatned both by land and seas,
Or mother’s minde (which both you ought to please)
Or countries loue, or sacred peace (which al are bound t’imbrace)
May ought perswade, let my requests among you all haue place.

“If not, loe here my naked breast, (quoth shee)
Which once you both did sucke in tender age,
Let both your swords in these first bathed bee,
Perhaps this slaughter shall your thirsts aswage:
It shall be counted euen as small outrage
To slay your mother pleading for your peace,
As wadge the wars which gods and men and nature wils to cease.”

Much more she sayde which were too long to tell:
And proffered foorth to swordes her naked brest,
But when wee both considered had full well
Her woefull teares, her wise and graue request,
They so to peace our hautie hearts addrest,
We layde our weapons downe: we met, imbrac’st and kist,
More ioy in both the armies was then erst in wars I wist.

We ioyned hands, our captaynes did the like,
And eke the souldiers linked all in loue,
There was not one that did our truce mislike,
Our peace did all to ioy and maruaile moue,
With many triumphes feates of armes we proue,
Our subiects all reioyce, in songs we sound Cornewenna’s prayse,
Her fame to skies aloft with many showtes and cryes they rayse.

The Galles and Senons then supposing me
In Britayne from my Dukedome hard at fight,
Thought great occasion offred them to be,
And set themselues in armes and order right:
My subiects eke of Sauoy day and night
They did entice, perswade, solicite and constrayne,
To chuse another Duke at home with them to raigne.

Whereof when I heard tell in Britayne Isle,
Eke when my brother Beline thereof knewe,
We layde aside our sports and playes a while,
And of our souldiers tooke a muster newe:
Of both our hoasts we chose a noble crewe:
We past the seas, as brethren ought, in concord knit,
And both our force in one to conquere Fraunce we fit.

Without resistance much we spoil’d the land
At th’entry in, and after many fights
We conquer’d all the Realme, my foes we fand,
Which were in armes stout, valiant, noble wights.
By sword they fell or flewe before our sights.
The Germains force likewise that did them succour send,
We made to fall therefore and to our scepters bend.

Three hundred thousand we in armour had,
An armie great renownde Europa through:
The Kings and Princes of our peace were glad,
We were in fight so puissant fearce and rough,
Munition, vitayles, money eke enough,
We had of tributes store, of dueties in that came,
Through all the world of Brenne and Beline flew the fame.

To vs came souldiers out of many parts,
And captaynes worthy for the fame of warre,
Of fearce Bellona braue wee had the arts,
Whereof wee wanne the praise both neare and farre:
But not with this wee so contented arr,
As Hercules to scale the Alpes did first contend,
So wee agayne (a worke of toyle) the cloudy Alpes ascend.

Great mountaynes, craggy, high, that touch the skies,
Full steepe to climbe vnto, and penshot all,
The Seas allow doe rore, and foggy vapours rise,
And from the hills great streames of waters fall,
The pathes so strickte to passe the speede is small:
The ise, snowe, cold, clouds, rombling stormes, and sights aboue,
Are able constant harts with doubtfull feare to moue.

For as you goe sometimes y’ar fayne to reatch,
And hang by handes, to wend aloft the way,
And then on buttockes downe an other breatch,
With elbowes and with heeles your selfe to stay,
Downe vnder well behold the streames you may,
And waters wilde which from the mountaynes faling flow:
Ore head the rockes hang down whence riuers rore of melting snow.

When wee these Alpes had past with daungers greate,
To Clusium towne in Tuscane land wee came:
They, as wee did prouide our forage vitayles meate,
Did issue out [in armes] to intercept the same:
Ambassage to the Romaines eke they frame,
Desiring aide against the Galles (so vs they counted theere)
Because I was of Fraunce and Frenchmen in our armies were.

The Romaines then, because that our successe
Reported was to them in warres before,
Euen for their owne safegard could doe no lesse,
But aide their neighbours now at neede the more:
To parle they sent for peace ambassadours therefore,
Wee aunswerde wee desirde but space wherein to [bide and] dwell,
Because our peopled Countrye could not now contayne vs well.

But they forgetting quite of armes the lawe
Did arme them selues, ambassadours full stoute,
With Clusians came to bring vs all in awe,
Without respect of any further doute:
Whereon the seige from Clusium walles aboute
Wee raysed strayght, in speede alarme at Rome wee cry,
There to reuenge th’ambassadours outrage and iniury.

Yet first wee thought it best ambassage send,
To haue truce breakers such deliuered vs,
By lawe of armes as ought no weapons wend,
And yet against the lawes came armed thus:
They sayd wee were a people barbarous,
They neither punishe would nor yeeld those Romaines good,
But honour them, they came of Fabius noble bloud.

Full swiftely on wee marched then in haste,
And towardes Rome with all our powre wee hyde;
At Alia floud gan forty thousand taste
Of Romaines that vs met what might betyde:
Wee slewe them fast, the rest durst not abide,
Wee had the spoyle, to Rome wee came, the Citye wee possesse:
A thousand waight of gold [wee make] the Romaines pay for peace.

Pannonia eke with broiles of warres wee tame,
And many yeares wee kept them vnder yoke,
The Princes all about that herde our noble fame
Desired peace with vs, before wee came to stroke:
Wee Britaynes made Europa all to smoke:
To part our armies then in twayne wee tooke [at all] no doubte,
And seuerall conquests tooke in hand as [valiaunt] captaines stoute.

To Macedony Beline tooke the way,
Where raigned Ptolome the tyraunt fell,
Which did his sisters sonnes vniustly slay
Before their mother’s face, and her expell,
Arsinoe, that vsde him earst so well,
Yea, though before the Gods hee sware to take her to his wife,
And loue her sonnes, [hee her expeld,] and them bereft of life.

Euen so that wicked king at first refusde
To purchase peace with price, or hostage sende,
That had before the fayth of Gods abusde,
Was destinate to haue a naughty ende:
Let Princes well beware what they pretende,
For who for kingdomes sake breakes fayth, and murders foule commits,
Let him bee sure to [haue a] fall on slipery throne hee sits.

Our custome was that time to send each where
Our Herouldes offering peace for tribute golde,
But Ptolome to Beline bad him message beare,
Conditions take of peace ne tribute pay hee woulde,
Ne frendship would admit (as hee the herouldes tolde)
Except the enmies layde downe weapons, them submit,
No truce with them, no peace there were, nor no agreement fit.

King Beline smilde to heare the heedelesse King,
Rash witted so selfe wild, and after this
The Dardanes offered twenty thousand bring
Of souldiers armde for ayde, to ioyne with his:
Quoth Ptolome, now lost all Macedony is,
Yf we once conquerde [all the East] by Alexander’s hande,
Neede we the Dardanes ayde these straungers to withstande?

Wee haue (quoth hee) some souldiers, sonnes of those
Which serude in pay with them that vanquisht all,
And for our selues wee nothing feare our foes,
Although our army seeme to Dardane smalle:
This when th’ambassadours related all
To good king Dardane: Then this noble realme (quoth hee)
By this yong princox pryde will all be lost and conquerde bee.

With that alarme they crye, and armies ioyne,
Where Britaynes sley the Macedonian crewe,
And haue for spoyle theyr vitayles, armour, coyne,
Tooke Ptolomey theyr king and him they slewe.
His heade aboue the campe they beare for vewe
On speare, to make the rest of Greekes in doubt to stand,
Before they enterprice to take such [woefull] wars in hand.

One this the fame of Britaynes far was spred,
All Macedony held theyr countrey spoylde
To Alexander (erst theyr armies led)
And vnto Philip, Princes neuer foylde,
As vnto Gods they cry in warres tormoylde:
O helpe (quoth they) our countrey falls, and we are [all] vndonne,
Without your aydes whose noble actes erst all the world haue won.

But Sosthenes, a worthy Macedonian stoute,
When as the Britaynes bathed in theyr blisse,
Gate vnto him a warlike worthy route
And set agayne on Beline there; and his
Put him to foyle, for all his worthynes
Wheron when as the souldiers would haue made him all theyr roye:
By captaynes name hee tooke theyr oth theyr enmies to distroye.

When this in Greece I herde, and theyr successe,
First of the feelde they wonne, and folly then
Enrichte with spoyles, giuen all to idlenes
Which were before approued valiaunt men:
I sounde retracte and backwardes gate agen,
With seuen score and ten thousand footemen for the fight,
And fifteene thousand horsemen good of manhoode and of might.

With these apoynted well my frends to ayde
The Britaynes good, and Beline in that case,
To Macedone I marcht, with souldiers well apayde,
Both for my brother’s sake and riches of the place:
Whereto when as wee came, in litle space
We wan the feelde, we tooke the spoyles of all the land at will,
In pleasures plungde we had of wealth, [renowne,] and fame, our fill.

So I that had all Macedoyne in awe,
With spoyle of mortall men was not content,
I past not of these conquests all a strawe,
The temples of the gods to spoile I ment,
And towards Delphos with mine army went:
Whereas on hyghe the temple stoode most glorious to beholde,
And god Apollo’s shrine enrichte with mighty masse of gold.

The riche and welthy gods (quoth I) may lende
To mortall men some of theyr treasures great,
They haue no neede thereof for to dispende
For clothing, vitayles, armour, drinke or meate:
But yet wee must therefore theyr priests intreate,
There is enough for them, [and vs,] and many moe beside,
Of offerings greate from Princes brought of all the world so wide.

This Delphos is on mount Parnasus fayre,
In Greece, wel fenst with rising rockes about,
By nature plaest aloft in pleasaunt ayre,
So high to scale they neede no enmies doubt,
No watch, no warde they keepe the walles about:
So strong steepe pendent are the rockes whereon it [stately] stands,
As not the like could euer yet be made With mortall hands.

When in this city shoutes aloude they make,
Or when the trompets sounde therein is herde,
The Ecchoes shrill so cause the skies to shake,
That straungers staring stand and muse afferde:
The wordes and tunes resounde agayne so harde,
So often times aboute from euery rocke so playne,
As if to one that cryde a thousand cryde to him agayne.

This made the men that came from farre to maze,
To maruayle much, to feare and wonder still,
And at the syte thereof to stare and gaze,
Deuising ofte the stately high and mighty hill,
A building founded first by heauenly skill,
In citye [fayrely] builte and costly grande with worke of hande,
Apolloe’s temple highe [to heauen] aboue the rest doth stande.

’Tis rownde theater wise so braue within,
And large aloft without, pendant vpright,
So high it seemes impossible to winne,
With comely forme the gazers to delight,
The maiesty whereof [(I weene)] did them inuite
That chose that seate, to dedicate a temple in the same,
Whereof for Oracles was spred through all the world the fame.

Amidste the height of this Parnasus mount,
A turning wey there is, and in the playne
A denne through rockes for deepenesse doth surmount,
And turning vaults far in, whence aunsweres vayne
The priests receiue from sprits to tell agayne
When any come for counsayle there of things to [come to] knowe:
Th’insensate priests the aunsweres of deluding sprits doe showe.

Wherefore the Kings and peoples offerings brought,
From all the world and coasts of nations far
Which many gifts of gold and siluer wrought,
The statures of the Gods and iewells rich there wer.
To Delphos all they runne in any doubte which ar,
This was the madnesse tho that mortall men bewicht
Whereby Apolloe’s temple was and Delphos so inricht.

Low nowe [in fewe,] I tell at Delphos what I did,
For towardes it as with my mates I went,
Them bee of courage good and nothing feare I bid,
I told them, with the spoile, them to reward I ment:
But now I askte how they would giue consent
The captaynes Euridane and Thessalone companions in the pray,
Where it were good [straight now] to scale, or else a while to stay.

The Captaynes counsaile was alarme [at once] to call,
Before the Græcians were prouided for defence,
And straight to scale with skill the mighty wall,
Before the city knewe of our pretence:
The souldiers stout abroad encamped thence,
And sayd they must refreshe their weried limmes a space,
Vnable else to scale, or meete their enmyes in the face.

The Græcians them commaunde that dwelt by hip
In villages, to make no spare of wine:
The Britayne souldiers fell thereon to sip,
Forgate their feats of warre and playd the swine,
Against their captaynes eke they gan repine:
So that full long it was or wee could them perswade
To flye from Bacchus bouthes, and fall agayne to blade.

Of souldiers thousands sixty fiue I had,
But of our enmies fourteene thousand were
The stately towne they see their harts to glad,
I bad them not at all to stand in [doubt or] feare:
Behold (quoth I) what doth in sight [aloft] appeare,
Those charets glittering braue and statures stout in founded gold
Of sollid masse, more [weighty] riche then glorious to behold.

For on the Temple stoode a sort of golden shapes,
And in the walles thereof their pictures shone,
Not one of these (quoth I) the Britaynes scapes,
Wee souldiers shall possesse them euery one,
Let vs therefore not linger here vpon,
But geue th’assaulte for here in hand wee haue for spoiles a peece,
In price of gold, [of perle] and gemmes surmounts the wealth of Greece.

Wee haue or this the wealth of men possest
(Yet worthy Princes all) of mortall men,
But here the treasures of the Gods are prest
To looke for vs, shall wee refuse them then?
Wee shall not so bee profered ofte agen
Within the walles hereof are greater [offerings] farre by odds,
Th’attyre, crownes, scepters, statures, plate and garnish of the Gods.

Wee sound Alarme th’assaute the rockes assayes,
Our souldiers brainesicke heedelesse vp ascend,
The Delphos men had fenste the easiest wayes,
So that against the rockes our force wee bend:
With stones the scaleing Britaynes downe they hend,
An earthquake eke by vowes [and cries] the sacrificers reare,
Which on my souldiers downe [to fall] a mighty rocke did teare.

The ground did shake, and rent, and tempests rise,
The haylestones mighty fall, the thunders rore
The lightnings flasheing dazled all our eyes,
The Britaynes from th’assaute were ouer bore,
My souldiers slayne discomfit mee before,
And I sore wounded, foule amazde, orecome with [toile and] smart,
T’escape the Greekishe sword [and shame] did perce my selfe to th’harte.

You noble captaynes now that know my facts,
Learne valiauntly in warres the sword to wend,
Let fame extoll your wise and warlike acts,
And let report your fortitude commend:
But let your warfares haue a wiser end,
And let what Bochas writes and Higgins here doth pen,
As myrours shew what good wee gate, to warre with Delphos men.

Lenvoy.

Great ruth that such a noble conqueroure,
Should haue so hard and infamous an end,
Which of the worlde might haue bene Emperour,
If all be true that storyes him commend:
But where is Fortune permanent a frend?
Shee blyndely baytes and bathes her Impes in blisse,
Who trustes her still I count ill fortune his.

Galerius and Florianus stoute,
And Iulian of Rome the Emperours,
And Diocesiane of Constantine in doubte,
Though in their times full worthy warriours,
So counted often noble conquerours,
They slewe themselues, abated from their blisse:
Which who so doth I count ill fortune his.

Cordila slewe her selfe in prison pent,
And Dido for Æneas flight away,
That Iudas which betrayde the innocent,
And Pontius Pilate wrought their owne decay:
What neede I here on desperate captiues staye?
Sith who so bathes in flickering Fortune’s blisse,
Without God’s grace I count ill fortune his.

The warres haue prosperde well with Princes oft,
Yet best with such who vertue sought alone,
The rest, which onely werde to wende aloft,
Were euer foylde confounded by their fone:
But here I cease, the next full woe begone,
With rented corps appeard deuoyde of blisse;
Recounting thus that haplesse ende of his.