The Fall of Humber, King of the Huns, Drowned in the Humber

Though yet no foraine Princes in this place
Haue come to tell their haplesse great mishap,
Yet give mee leaue a while to pleade my case,
And shewe how I slipt out of Fortunes lap.
Perchaunce some other will eschewe the trap
Wherein I fell, and both themselues beware,
And also seeke the lesse their countreyes care.

I am that Humber king of Hunnes, that came
To win this Ilande from the Britaynes fell:
Was drownde in Humber, where I left my name:
A iust reward for him that liu’d so well
At home, and yet thought others to expell
Both from theyr realme or right: well seru’d was I,
That by ambition thought to clime so hye.

But I must blame report, the chiefest cause
Of my decaye: beware of rashe report:
Tis wisdome first to take a whyle a pause,
Before to dint of daungers you resort:
Least when you come in haste to scale the fort,
By rashe assault some engine shaft or fire
Dispatche you quite, or make you soone retire.

For vnto mee the rumours dayely flewe,
That here a noble Ilande might be wonne:
The king was dead: no warres the people knewe,
And eke themselues to stryue at home begon.
It were (quoth I) a noble acte well don
To win it then: and therewithall did make
Prouision good, this famous Ile to take.

A warlike regall campe prouided was,
And shippes, and vittayle, for my Hunnes and mee,
By sea to Britayne conquest for to passe,
If Gods thereto or heauenly starres agree.
At length wee came to shores of Albany,
And there to fight with Britaynes pitch’d our fielde,
In hope to make them flinche, flye, fall, or yeelde.

They met vs, long wee fearcely fought it out,
And doubtfull was the victours part of twaine:
Till with my Hunnes I rusht among the route,
And fought till that King Albanact was slayne.
Then they to yeelde or pardon craue were fayne,
And I with triumphes great receau’d the pray,
And marched forward, flesht with such a fraye.

I past an arme of sea, that would to God
I neuer had bin halfe so bold at fyrst,
I made, to beate myselfe withall, a rod,
When so without theyr realme I venture durst,
But marke my tale, thou heard’st not yet the worst:
As sure I thought the rest to circumuent
By spyes before, they knewe my whole intent.

And or I wyst, when I was come to lande,
Not farre from shore two Princes were preparde,
Theyr scouts conueyed away my ships they fande,
And of my shipmens fleshe they nothing sparde.
To rescue which, as backe agyane I far’de,
The armyes twayne were at my heeles behinde,
So clos’d mee in, I wist no way to winde.

On th’ East Locrinus with an armie great,
By West was Cambre with an other band:
By North an arme of sea the shoares did beat,
Which compast mee and mine within their lande.
No way to scape was there but Water fande,
Which I must taste, or else the sworde of those
Which were to mee and mine full deadly foes.

So when I sawe the best of all mine hoste
Beate downe with bats, shot, slayne, or forst to swimme,
Myselfe was fayne likewise to flye the coast,
And with the rest the waters entred in,
A simple shift for Princes to begin.
Yet farre I deem’d it better so to dye
Then at mine enmies foot an abiect lye.

But when I thus had swam with hope to scape,
If I might wend the water waues to passe:
The Britannes that before my ships had gate
Gan watche mee, where amidst the surge I was.
Than with my boates they rowde to mee (alas)
And all they cryde keepe Humber, keepe theyr King,
That to our Prince wee may the traytour bring.

So with my boats beset, poore Humber I
Wist no refuge, my weery armes did ake,
My breath was short, I had no powre to crye,
Or place to stande, whyle I my playnte might make.
The water colde made all my ioynts to shake,
My heart did beate with sorowe, griefe, and payne,
And downe my cheeks salt teares they gusht amayne.

O must thou yeelde, and shall thy boats betraye
Thy selfe (quoth I) no mercy Britaynes haue:
O would to God I might escape away,
I wot not yet if pardon I may craue,
Although my deeds deserue no life to haue.
I will, I nill, death, bondage, beast am I,
In waters thus, in forayne soyle to dye.

With that I clapt my quauering hands abroade,
And helde them vp to heauen, and thus I sayde:
O Gods that knowe the paynes that I haue bode,
And iust reuengement of my rashnes payde,
And of the death of Albanact betrayde
By mee and mine, I yeelde my life therefore,
Content to dye, and never greeue yee more.

Then straight not opening of my handes, I bowde
My selfe, and set my head my armes betweene:
And downe I sprang with all the force I coulde,
So duckte, that neither head nor foote were seene,
And neuer sawe my foes agayne I weene:
There was I drownde: the Britaynes, to my fame,
Yet call that arme of sea by Humber’s name.

Take heede by mee, let my presumption serue,
And let my folly, fall, and rashnes, bee
A glasse wherein to see if thou do swerue,
Thou mayst thy selfe perceiue somwhat by mee,
Let neither trust, nor treason, trayne forth yee,
But bee content with thine estate, so shall
No wrath of God procure thy haplesse fall.

If thou bee foraine, bide with in thy soyle
That God hath giuen to thee and thine to holde,
If thou oppression meane, beware the foyle,
Beare not thy selfe of thee or thine to bolde,
Or of the feates thy elders did of olde.
For God is iust, iniustice will not thriue:
Hee plagues the proude, preserues the good aliue.

Lenvoy.

Was not this drenched king well servde thinke you,
That could not byde at home content with his?
Now by his fall and his ambition vewe,
What good they get which gaze on Fortune’s blisse,
How soone their haps and hoped Ioyes they misse,
Wherefore the setled minde surmountes the rest,
The meane contented state of all is best.

The conquest wonne, and kingdome got, you see
The Albaynes all subdude to Humber’s crowne:
Yet straight againe the straunger drownde to bee,
To leese his conquest, kingdomes, and renowme.
Sith Fortune so sets vp and thirleth downe,
The setled minde content I counte is blest,
Reporting true the golden meane is best.

Loe how vaine glory causde him venter life,
By seas to sayle, by land in fielde to fighte,
In peace at home abroade to fish for strife,
And here confesse how Sors had sowst him right.
But king Locrinus next apearde in sight.
A shaft hee bare in wounded bleeding brest,
And thus (mee thought) his fatall fall exprest.