How Fvlgentivs a Scythian, or Picte, was slayne at the seege of Yorke, about the yeare of Christ, 206, or 213.

I am that valiaunt Scythian Prince the Picte,

That vanquisht oft the Britaynes in this Ile:

Against the noble Romaynes powre I kikte,

And kept them play in Britayne both long while,

I forst them make a wall aboue an hundreth mile,[1084]

From sea to sea, with towres to [watch and] keepe me out,

Which of vs Pictes [in prowesse proud] did daily stand in doubt.

Our auncient race (although th’ambitious Romaynes nill)[1085]

Had right by due discent to clayme this [noble] land:

Of which repeate some proofe therefore I will,

That so thou maist our title vnderstand.

When all mankinde felt Iehoue’s[1086] almighty hand,

That drensht all nations quite, for their rebellious sinne,[1087]

Then strayght [eftsoones] in Scythia did the world [by Noah] beginne.

Th’ Ægyptians hold forsooth that they restord

The world agayne, but, how vnlikely, see:

For Scythiae’s site is high as all accord,

From vs the fountaynes great’ste deriued bee.

The auncient writers all likewise agree,

That on Armenia mount the Arke [of Noah] did rest,

Till [heauenly] Ioue againe the earth with drowth addrest.

But they alleage agayne their Zone is milde,

And fertile, temperate, meete to foster men:

Our Scythian hilles (they say) are frosty, wilde,

Which cannot breede but ruder people then.

To which I may well aunswere make agen,

[That as Iehoua made the Zones both hot, and milde, and cold,

Euen so to them hee fitly made like men the same to hold.][1088]

They say wee are nigh neighbours to the Pole,

Or frozen poynt: more nere the fire are they:

What poysons breede with them, and Libians sole

In parcheing sands the writers wise display.

Can nature frame mankinde more deepe decay?

[Perdy] where parching heat, where serpents vgly breede,

A Clyme most fit from whence mankinde should[1089] first proceede.

But now ile tell why Scythians should possesse

This noble Isle: first, Lord Neptunus gaue

The Islandes to his sonnes, both more and lesse,

Eke Albion first of all this Isle should haue:

Hee not with this content, the firme did craue.

Wherefore in Fraunce him Hercules dispacht,

When as hee would a kingdome there haue catcht.

Now as from Noah [first] (of Scythia) by descent,

Downe vnto Albion’s time they held the land:

From Scythe to Scythian as of right it went,

And after him no Scythian Prince it fand,

When as vsurpers tooke the raygne in hand,

Was it not [right and] reason wee should vndertake,

This noble Realme our owne agayne to [Scythia subiect] make?

The Romaynes this deny, but euen themselues likewise

(If they from vertue stray as reckelesse vse,[1090]

And doe Iehouae’s lawes and hestes despise,

And right, and trueth, and iustice so refuse)

Shall finde how much their Scepture they misuse.

The Scythian shall [likewise] their lofty seat assaile,

The [barbarous] Prince of Pictes against them shall preuaile.

But softe lay here a strawe, Seuerus[1091] now I tell,

When hee the wall had made and pingde mee out,[1092]

To Scythia hence I saylde, and stoarde mee well

With men, munition good, a warlike route,

Of youthfull Pictes full strong in armour stoute

A Nauy good I brought, and entred on the land,[1093]

[A mighty worke,] of stately Yorke I tooke the seege in hand.

10.

The Emprour great Seuerus, Parthique proude,

With Romaynes, Galles, and Britayne souldiers came:

To make me rayse the siege of Yorke he vowde,

And I likewise to winne and raze the same.

To winne the prize we both our armies frame:

But he was [olde and] slie, his souldiers skilfull traynde,

My men to flie by ambush, [scoute, and skirmish] he constraynde.

11.

Agayne to fight wee fell afresh, the battayle grewe,

Aboute I brought my winges, and now they sounde

Tantara teares alarme, the fluits fight, fight anewe,

And there awhile the Romaynes fell to grounde:

The trompet blasts, cryes, stroakes and shoutes to skyes resounde,[1094]

They fall, fall, fly, the fluits; downe, downe, the drommes doe cry:

Where on the Romaynes sounde retrayte, and fayne [themselues] to fly.

12.

My souldiers all to rashe had broake araye,

The Romayne reare warde cast aboute with speede,

And both theyr winges enclosed vs eache waye,

Theyr mayne likewise to keepe aray gaue heede.

Which when I sawe, it made my hearte to bleede,

And to Seuerus selfe I wounded made at length a wey,[1095]

Where or retourne wee Scythian Pictes the Romayne Parthique sley.[1096]

13.

So when the Emprour fell, a showte arose,

The Romaynes blancke, amazed, woefull were;

Fulgentius fast recoylde, death wounded goes,

And of my crewe a troupe to ayde mee there:

I bought my Britishe conqueste all to deare,

No conqueste yet: [for as my sworde the kingdome sought,

My vitall bloude Seuerus death at Yorke to dearly bought.][1097]

14.

You noble men, yee see what truste there is

In Fortune’s feages,[1098] how mischiefe makes the martes,

And howe our hoped haps in warres doe misse,

When backe the braue and blinded lady starts.

High reaching heades swimme ofte in seas of smartes.

The [setled] man [reposde,] content, is bleste and best at ease,

Which [hath decreede] in meane [e]state both God and man to[1099] please.