The Triumph of Fame, Chapter I

AFter that deathe had triumphed in that face
Which often of me had tryumphed in lyke case
And that the sonne of our world was dead and past
This ougly and di spytefull beaste at the last
Pale and horrible and proude for to se
With hyr blacke baner awaye goeth she
When that she had extincte our quyte
Of perfyt beutye the very clere lyght
Then as I dyd loke about on euery part
Commyng towardes me there I dyd aduert
Hyr that mans lyfe for euer doth saue
And pulleth hym out alyue from his graue
This gloryous fayre Lady muche lyke was she
Unto that bryght starre that goeth trust me
In the orient or the cleare day appeare
Euen in lyke maner was this Ladyes chere
So that there is no mayster in no Scole
Can take vpon them to descrybt that Sole
That I go aboute with symple wordes to tell
So muche great in glory ths Lady dyd excell
That all the element about her dyd shyne
Not as a mortall but lyke a thyng deuyne
Grauen in theyr foreheades were the names
Of the honorable people whose hyghe fames
By valure and vertue can neuer dye
Folowynge this noble fame there sawe I
Many of those of whyche I tofore haue rehersed
That by loue (as sayd is) were sore oppressed
On her ryght hand there fyrst in my syght
Was Cesar and Scipion that honorable knyghte
But which of them twayne next to fame was
I do not remember but there they both dyd pas
The tone in vertue the tother in loue
Was taken though he semed somewhat aboue
And then forthwith was shewed vnto me
After these twayne captaynes that so excellent be
Men of hyghe valure armed full bryght
As vnto the capitall they went full ryghte
By that selfe waye that sacra called was
Or by via lata wherevnto they dyd passe
They came in suche an honest ordre as I saye
And had wrytten and graued this is no nay
Theyr excellent names in theyr foreheads on hie
And euen as I behelde them thus attentyfely
Their maner, their port, their chere & eueri thing
To these twayne most hyest in ordre folowyng
Ensued the tone his neuew to hymdere
The tother his sonne that neuer yet had pere
And those that thou seest with the swerd in ye had
The twayn fathers & the sonnes that by him stad
Agaynst these enemies that Italy dyd inuade
Armed in bryght stele they no dreade hadde
Two there folowed fyrst, and twayne after past
But he that in ordre was semyng to be laste
In dede of the thre was worthyest of fame
And after these of excellent and renoumed name
Euen as the Ruby most oriently doth shyne
Went he with his hand and with his councel fyne
It was Claudius that with his wyse foresyght
As a'swyft byrde that taketh his flyght
So dyd he go to the fielde at Metaurus
And pulled vp the wede, this knyght gloryouse
He had eyes and tymes conuenient for to spy
And wynges as a byrde to execute it by and by
There folowed then after in that worthy race
The great old captayne that let not to byd bace
Unto the fierce captayne Hannibal and ther vnto
Adioyned vnto hym was a nother Fabio
Twayne named Catones with these also went
And two noble Paulus wyse to all intent
Two Brutus and also twayue Marcellus
And one renowmed worthy captayne Regulus
That more truly layde Rome then I saye that he
Loued his owne selfe excedyng in degree
There was there also Curio and Fabricius
That with theyr wyse pouertie maruelouse
Were more prayse worthy then myde was
Or Crassus with all the great golde that he has
For golde made them vertue to expell
And pouertye these twayne in glory to excell
There folowed these twayne euen syde by syde
Cincinato to whom the Romaynes cryed
For helpe in theyr extreme daunger and nede
He was equall to the tother twayne in dede
Camillus ensued the noble valyaunt knyght
That had liuer dye for the maintenaunce of right
Then otherwise to do but as a bertuouse man
The fauour of heauen brought hym to Rome tha
Where enuy had banyshed hym from the towne
Home to his countrye this knight of high renoun
There was also the vallyaunt & fresh Torquatus
That slewe his owne welbeloued son Cheualerus
Rather then he would knyghtly ordre breake
He would be childles thus the olde stories speake
Both the twayne Decius were also in the place
That theyr cruell enemies cleane for to deface
Uowed them selfes alas, and that willingly
O cruell vowe them selfes forth with to dye
No lesse dyd he the vallyaunt hardy Curio
That entred vnto the great large hole so
That horrybly was opened in Rome ye riall towe
Wyllyngly hymselfe therein he entred downe
Munnio Lenio went also in ordre there
And the good noble Attibio with a manly chere
Titus Flamius that the grekes dyd subdue
Most with gentle pytie there dyd he ensue
There was also there in the presse he that made
A great large circle in Syria with hys rode
And with his hardy and ferse loke & coutenaunce
To his wyll & intent so was this romaines chauce
He the great and pussaunt kyng so constrayned
That all his hole request thereby he obteyned
And by hym in good ordre ther was also he
That kept as he was armed most valliauntly
The hyll from his cruell enymies all
And after in that same place hym selfe had a fall
And with this company was ye most valiaunt man
That kept the brydge from all Toscan
And next in ordre vnto this hardy knyght
Stode that ferse warrear that in great dispyte
Burnte hys ryght hand because he fayled
To fley the king his enemie which he the assayled
Euen in the mides of all his noble men
Thys was a merueylouse hardy dede there & the
And I sawe also there in the hugh prese
He that fyrst vanquished on the great Seese
The Cathagines and scatred all abroade
By Cycell and Sardinia by euyll chanse al yt rode
I sawe among the others him with ye graue sight
Called Appius that with his forse and myght
Kept the men bulgar people in great bread & awe
So strayt and hard he bound pore men to a lawe
And after as all about I dyd cast myne eye
I dyd that person among other rest espye
That with his swete facyons vsyd hym soo
That next the fyrst in fame he myght goo
But that the ende turnyd vnto blame
Wherefore I may ryght well affirme the same
That often it is sene a long prolonged lyfe
Turneth good renowne into payne and stryfe
And certenly he was no lesse in fame and myght
But as Bacus and great Alcides by ryght
Or as to Thebus the good Impaminundawas
Among the other nobly he dyd there pas
And after this great and worthy myghty man
I sawe folowing among the other than
Hym that in his yonge flowryng age
Had great lawde and prayse for his vassalage
And euen asmuch as thys ferse champion
Was terrible and cruell in his naturall regyon
He that folowed hym was as merciable
I know noo Duke to be more commendable
There went in ordre after by and by
He that wyth hys wysedome sapiently
The noble volumines he was there in the prese
Hys lawde is praysed and shall neuer sease
Cosso was there Philon and Rutilio
And the hardy captayne Lucio Dentato
With Marco, Sergio and Sceua the bolde
In armys as lyghtnyng one myght them behold
Their harnes broke their shelde in twenty places
Persyde thorowe with swordes dartes & mases
The last of them that there was in dede
With no lytle fame the rest dyd succede
And after these noble men afore rehearsed
Dyd folowe ferse Marius which reuersyd
Ingurta of Numedy the myghty kyng
And the Cymbers that with them dyd brynge
The Almaynes in fury and in rage
Thys Marius dyd their great myght asswage
There went by the Marius by and by
Fuluius Faccus that with witty polecy
Destroyed those that at Rome dyd rebell
But he that folowed dyd farre passyng exell
It was Fuluio so was his very name
Well worthy among other to folowe fame
There was also one Romayne named Graccus
yt had among ye people much matter contrariouse
To his ruyne at the last in Rome towne
There was he thys knyght of high renowne
And he also that much fortunate semyde
Though by me he cannot so be demyde
Was there and after hym there came
The two worthy Marcelles in ordre than
That kept all close in theyr hartes I say
Theyr secretes they went aboute alway
These two had great prayse in Numyddia
In Macedon also and in the Y le of Creta
And inlyke maner in the Realme of Spayne
Three vallyaunt famouse Knyghtes for certayne
And I sawe also euen at that tyde
The good Uaspacian and by his famouse syde
His eldest sonne but not his cruell brother
He was not worthy to be amonge the other
And so folowed after in good ordre than
Narua the auncient and gentle Traian
Helio and Adrian and the mercifull Antonius
With fayre succession vnto Macronius
That were no more couetouse of croune imperial
Then desirous for to lyue in vertuous naturall
And whiles that I thus loked all aboute
I sawe fyue Kynges amonges that rowte
The syxte an euyll happe dyd hym take
As one that foloweth vice & vertue doth forsake