Book VI, Chapter 30

HEnry (the fourth so named) hild the King deposed strate
In Pomfret Castell, howebeit in honourable State:
And got an Act, that who so wrought the Prisner to restore,
That Richards selfe, to voyd their hope, should dye the first therefore:
Whose birth brought Nature, gentle Lord, returning whence it straid,
Now altred him, erst altring it: and Richard mildly said.
I must not say I am, and would I might not say I was,
Of great the greatest: lesse they grieue from whom doth little passe:
Nor more it grieues to contrarie the same I haue been, then
To haue deserued not to be vnmaliced of men.
Thus humbled and full penitent liues he, lesse mal-content
Than was the Duke of Exeter his brother, whose intent
Was as at a lusts to haue destroyd King Henrie, but descryed;
Himselfe, fower such, and many Knights the death of Traytors dyed:
And by these primer Yorkests thus King Richards date grew out:
But whether brayned, famisht, or exiled rests a doubt:
For often Vprores did ensue for him, as vndeceast,
How beit solemnely inter'd, himselfe, or Signe at least.
Twise by confedrate Chiualrie the P[…]ercies and their frends
Did fight and fall, for either warre to Henries honor ends.
He neuer had but warre, and was victorious euermore,
Aswell at home, as also of his Foes on forraine Shore:
Till lastly Armor ouercame all Enuie, and he liues
Of all beloued, and his death a common sorrow giues.

HOt spur his Sonne, Henry the fifth, hung at his Fathers eyes,
To watch his Ghoste, and catch his Crowne, and that or ere he dyes.
And where the Father doubted if he got it well or noe,
The Sonne did sweare, how so it came, he would it not forgoe.
His bad did blisse the Bad, the Good dispaire all good: But neither
Did aime aright, for sodainly his chaunge deceiued either:
Of good becomming best, that was of ill the baddest, and
The true perfection of a King was not but in this Land.
He lead good fortune in a line, and did but warre and winne:
Fraunce was his Conquest: Scots but brag and he did beate them in:
A friend vnto weldoings, and an Enemie to sinne.
Yeat of the Yorkests neuer lackt he Princes that rebell:
Nor other than confusion to their still coniuring fell.
In fewe, if any Homer should of this Achilles sing,
As of that Greeke & Myrmidon the Macedonian King
Once noted would I note both Prince and Poet happiest men,
That for deseruing prayse, and This for well imployed pen:
For well this Subiect might increase the Worthies vnto ten.

He, aged thirtie sixe, deceast and left his infant Sonne,
His Kingdome, Conquests, and his Queene, whose Fathers Realme he wonne,
To graue protection, Regents, and so royall for the port,
As that his Orphants Cradle seem'd an Alexanders Court.
Queene Katherin, Daughter of the French, King Henryes wife of late,
The fayrest Ladye in the West, hild with her sonne Estate.
She oft behild, and hild her peace, a braue Esquier of Wailes,
That tyde her fancie to his forme, till fancied forme preuailes.
All liking was reuersed Loue, saue Owen Tuder, all
Saue him (that durst not dreame such good) to her was lesse than small.
She formally, by quaint degrees, attracting him to fauor,
Did nourish burnings in her selfe, by noting his behauor.
She pitched Tewe, he masshed: She vncompaned, To flie
He bids her solitary moodes: She askes the remedie:
Disclosed pangues sometimes, quoth he, in Phisicke Phisick is:
Which sometimes to obserue, quoth she, doth Patients patience mis:
Cureles to Aesculapius and Apellos selfe am I:
The latter felt my languor, and, immortall, wisht to die:
And yeat, saue one, no one disease lay hidden to his Art:
For you were bootlesse then to gesse how to vngreeue my smart.
Had Daphne to Apollo beene Apollo, Tuder said,
His might haue beene, and so may be your Graces humor staid.
He, other Gods and Goddesses, found more contented Loue
Beloe, in diffring bosomes, than in equall beddes aboue.
I aime at Loue (for thereto your Aenigma doth incline)
And aime to him a Deity for whome I so deuine.
But gladly doubt I of the Man, for if I doubted not,
I should but massacer my lacke in enuy of his lot:
Yeat are vnworthie of the Moone Endymions lippes, I wot.
But (for I will disperse the mistes of further Mysteries,
And toogh the Pinuesse of my thoughts to kenning of your Eyes)
If Gentry, Madame, might conuay so great a good to me,
From auncient King Cadwallader I haue my pettigree.
If wealth be sayd my want, I say your Grace doth want no wealth,
And my suppliment shall be loue, imployed to your health.
It hath beene when as heartie Loue did treate and tie the knot,
Though now, if gold but lacke in graines, the wedding fadgeth not.

The goodly Queene in bashfull signes blusht out a dumbe Replie:
Which he did constur as she meant, and kist her reuerently.
Tuder, quoth she, I greater am than would I were for thee,
But can as little maister Loue as Lessers in degree.
My Father was a King, a King my Husband was, my Brother
He is a King, a King my Sonne, and I thy Soueraignes mother:
Yeat Fathers, Husbands, Brothers, Sonnes, & all their Stiles together,
Are lesser valewed than to liue beloued of my Tuder:
Should England, France, and thou thy selfe gainesay thy selfe for mine,
Thy selfe, France, England, nor what els' should barre me to be thine.
Yea, let them take me wilfull, or mistake me wanton, so
My selfe in loue do please my selfe let all the world say no:
Let Pesants matte their marriages, and thriue at peraduenture:
I loue for loue: no gentle heart should fancy by Indenture.
But tell me, Owen, am I not more forward then behooues?
I am, sweet-Heart, but blame me not, the same that speaketh loues.

And long may liue, quoth he, to loue, nor longer liue may I,
Than while I loue your Grace, and when I leaue disgraced die.
But Ladie, if I doe deserue, I then desire dispatch:
For manie are the iealous Eies that on your beautie watch.
Good hap is like to hit me well, to hit so well is rare,
And rarenesse doth commence my sute, let sute conclude my care.
Should Caesar kisse (he kissed her) it were but such a kisse:
And he, and I, here, or elsewhere, in other sport or this,
Doe act alike: no bettring but as your belouing is.
You may experience, when you please, what difference in the men:
And if King Henry pleased more, blame Owen Tuder then.
But am I not (yes, Sweete, I am) more sawsie than behooues?
Yeat for my heart forgiue my tongue, This speaketh, and That loues.

How he imprison'd did escape, and else what else-wheare reede:
The Queene and this braue Gentleman did marry, and their Seede
Began that royall Race that did, doth, and may still succeede
In happie Empire of our Throne, a famous line in deede.

Once, when this Match was at a point, they merrily disposed,
Did descant what from vulgar tongues thereof would be supposed.
They will beleeue me amorous, or thee so wiued as
Vulcan the Smith of Lemnos that to Venus married was,
The Queene did say. And Tuder said: I hope of hansell better,
In Venus and in Vulcans names more lieth than the letter:
For he was as I would not be, She as you should be neuer,
Either so apt to giue and take as pittie them to seuer.
I pray thee, Owen, quoth the queene, how met they, canst thou tell?
I can he said, and more then so, then marke the processe well.
When Vulcan was a Batcheler, and Venus was vnwed,
Thus wowde he her, thus wonne he her, thus wowde & won he sped.