Book V, Chapter 24

ASsisted by the former Bowne persist, my Muse, and tell
How by the Normane Conquest here an other world befell.
New lawes (not Labyrinths as now through wrested Quirkes) came in:
New Lords also, at whom, for most, our auncient Crests begin.
The English sinke, the Normanes swimme, all topsie turute was,
Vntill the Conquerour had brought his whole command to pas.

Then was one Edgar, sonne vnto the out-law Edward, he
To holy Edward had been heire, had not King Harold be:
And William pleading too by sword admits no milder law:
So Edgar in his soonest flight his safest issue saw:
Who with his mother (daughter to the King of Hungarie)
And Sisters, did attempt into his Grandsiers Realme to flie.
Thus Englands hope with Englands heir in one same Barke did sayl:
When desprate from their villanage was English blood of baile.
[…] God, that to the hopeles is not helples, if he please,
Did driue the storm-beate English ship into the Scottish seas:
Wheare, cast a shore, King Malcolme soone had notice of the wracke,
And did become a gracious Lord vnto their present lacke.
And (Agatha a Votarisse) tooke Margaret to Queene:
Protects her brother euen by Armes, against King Williams teene:
Vntill by warre and wise conuay he so to passe did bring
That Edgar reconciled was vnto the English King:
In credit, though withheld his Crowne, and thus at least did good:
His flight Scotch-queen'd his Sister, she regraded Englands blood.
For let we Edgar gainst the haer preserued, as exprest,
And either William, luckie Knight at armes, interred rest,
And set first Williams yongest sonne, first Henry, on the Throne,
Through him the royall English and the Normane bloods grew one.
On Mawd, Scotch Malcomes daughter by the foresaid Margaret he
Had Mawd, that solie did suruiue her drowned brothers three,
Her, Empresse to the Emperour then newly being ded,
Did Geffrey Plantaganet the Earle of Anioy wed,
And she vnto Plantaganet did second Henry beire,
Of England, Angeo, Gascoyne, and of Normandie the heire.
Yeat Stephen, first Williams daughters son whō th'Earle of Bloys did marrie,
Did with the Empresse and her son now King now Captiue varrie:
But lastly, tyred, and inter'd, all England by his death
Was quietly second Henries, who was lawfulst heire by birth.

With Hengests blood our droupen Muse it also now reuiues:
For harshly sounds our Poeame, saue in matter where it thriues.
Let be your bitten Vine, we here a blisfull vintage gayne,
That did, and doth, and euermore vnblasted may remaine:
For this coriuall seede begot England English againe.
From whence we note what Scepters, what discents, & turnes befel:
Lesse pleasing vnto some, perhaps, than toyes which many tell
That but of phansies, women, loues, and wantonnes can sing:
From which their tunes but pip their toungs & thē they hang the wing

THis second Henry, mightie both in Empire and in Armes,
Was onely by his Cleargie crost with vnbeseeming harmes.
Perplexed therefore at th'apeales that waiward Becket made,
To some, demaunding his disease at Normandie he sayd:
Our Popes that seeme (they do but seeme) S. Peter to succeede
Who did denie, although deserue, high Styles to him decree'd,
Are quite vnlike to Peter and Popes thirty three fore-past
Who liu'd in miserie and died by Martyrdome at last.
Now neede not Tyrants: Popes to Popes be Tyrants: and they all
Doe wrest euen Principalities submissiue to their Pall.
Peter did sinne, and sinning to repentant teares did flye:
Popes sinne not, but to others sinnes giue pardon (els they lye.)
Christ washed feete, Kings kisse their feet, Christ gaue to Caesar his,
They take, and say that either Sword in their subiection is.
The Pope did so our mothers Pheare the Emperour intreate,
As that his proud attempts I shame and sorrow to repeate.
What cite I forraine matters, when our natiue Stories yeeld
Of Myters medling with our Sword an ouerplenteous feeld?
We offer Tapers, pay our Tythes and Vowes, we Pilgrimes goe
To euery Sainct at euery shrine we Offrings doe bestoe,
We kisse the Pix, we creepe the Crosse, our Beades we ouer-runne,
The Couent hath a Legacie, who so is left vndone:
We fast the Eaue, we feast the day of euery Saint they make,
Their houslings, Shrifts, and Sacraments most reuerently we take,
By-tale we say Orysons, and to words vnknowne Amen:
The Quier doth chaunt, we knock our brests, we bow & crosse vs thē:
Their skaer-spright water, boxed Boans, their hoasts, & what not brings
The Priest, the Frier, or Pardoner we count not holy things?
We seat them in our fattest Soyles for Pasture, wood, and spring,
We lodge them safe in stately walles, we sorrowing when they sing.
Their Belles call them from easie beds to sing in gownes as warme,
But Larums vs from restles Campes, by wounds to heale their harme.
And meete is so: but meete also that they protected thus,
Be […]ot vnquiet, but for their quiet pray for and further vs.
When our great Grādsier thought this Isle by Cōquest cleerly wōne,
And entred Kent, what earst he did did seeme in Kent vndone.
A moouing wood stole marching on, and hem'd his Armie round,
When al at once, their boughes cast downe, was heard a warlike soūd,
That to the Normanes did disclose an Armie ordered well,
Resolu'd to die, rather then leaue the lawes where they did dwell:
(For so, in way of Parlie, did their mytred Stygand tell.)
Their Bishop, their Contriuer, and their chiefe conduct was he,
By whose deuise the conqueror, intrapped, did agree
To ratifie the lawes of Kent such as they were, and be.
But bearing in a common good with Crosiers crossing Crownes,
Proud Anselme in our Vncles raigne did farre exceede the bownes
Of Prelacie or pietie (for Church-men should be meeke:
Yeat some in practise leaue what they of vs in preaching seeke:
For they that bid me doe, and doe themselues the good they bid,
Doe leade me to the substantiue, and leaue me not in quid)
Yea, either of our Vncles thriu'd in Forraine Conquests more,
Than gainst their Church-men, setting al their Kingdome in vprore.
One Prelate wrought the pope to curse & crosse his Prince withfoes:
Twixt others long ambitions Pleas for Primacie aroes:
And now, through Becket, to our selfe no lesser damage groes.
I haue had hardy Knights for warres, and helpfull friends in peace,
Yeat helples friends, and hartles Knights this Cleargie-pride to ceace.

These words heard diuers present Knights, who vexed at the wrong,
Did, cleane vnwitting to the King, ariue in Kent ere long,
And at S. Bennits Altar, in the Minster of his Sea,
At sacring for a sacrifice the sawcie Clerke did slea.
Which heard, the Pope canonized the slir-strif Priest a Saint,
Insencing Kings against our King, till warres made Henry faynt.
Then humbled vnto haughty Priest as Legats sent from Rome
He basely bowes: and they to him for begged Pennance dome
Purs-payne and heathen battels, and (which worser was decreed)
Barefoote he went, whom Monkes did whip till feete & bodie bleede.
Barefoote to Iurie fare the Knights, fo dying for their deede:
Nor might they mend it, for as bad euen Emperors did speede.