How King Mempricius geuen to all lust was deuoured by wolues, the yeare before Christ, 989.

Tis often sayd, a man should doe likewise

To other, as hee would to him they did.

Do as thou would’st bee done to, sayth the wise,

And doe as conscience and as iustice bid.

Ther’s no man ought for rule[384] an other rid,[385]

Nor yet[386] his hands[387] with cruell bloud distayne:

For bloud doth alwayes cry for bloud againe.

Eke lustfull life, that sleepes in sinkes of sinne,

Procures a plague: fie, fie, on Venus vile:

Wee little wot the mischiefes are[388] therein,

When wee with poysons sweete our selues beguyle.

The pleasures passe, the ioyes indure but while,

And nought thereby at all wee get or gayne,

But dreadfull death, and euerlasting payne.

Mee thinkes thou harkenest for to heare[389] my name,

And musest what I am that thus doe come.

I would or this haue told it, but for shame:

And yet to giue example here to some,[390]

I will no longer fayne my selfe so dome,

But euen as others I will tell my fall:[391]

Take here my name, my life, my death and all.

I am Mempricius, Madan’s yonger[392] sonne,

Once King of Britayne, that my brother slewe:

Whereby the crowne, and Kingdome all I won,

And after norisht vices moe that grewe,

Not nature’s lawes, nor God’s, nor man’s I knewe,

But liu’d in lust, not recking any thing,

I deemed all thinges lawfull[393] for a King.

Fyrst[394] when I had my brother brought on beire,

I thought in rest to keepe the Kingdome long:

And I was voyde of doubte,[395] I had no feare,

Was none durst checke mee did I right or wrong.

I liu’d at large, and thought my powre so strong,

There could no man preuaile against my will,

In steede of lawe that vsed rigour still.[396]

Then wickedly I fell[397] to slouthfull ease,

A vice that breades a number moe beside.

I was so testy none durst mee displease,

And eke so puft with glory, vaine, and pride.

My sencelesse sence, as ship without a guide,

Was tost with euery fancy of my braine,

Like Phœbus chariote vnder Phaëton’s raigne.

I deem’d them foes that mee good counsaile gaue,

And those my chiefest frends could glose and lie:

I hated them that were so sage and graue,

And those I lou’d were lusty, lewde, and slie.

I did the wisest wittes as fooles defie,

Such sots, knaues, ruffians, roysters I embraste,

As were vnwise, vnhonest, rude, vnchaste.

I lusted eke, as lazy[398] lechers vse,

My subiects wiues and daughters at my will

I did so often as mee pleas’d abuse,

Perforce I kept them at my pleasure still.

Thus gate I queanes and concubines at fill,

And for their sakes I put away my wife:

Such was my lewdnes, lust, and lawlesse life.

But shame forbids mee for to tell the rest,

It mee abhorres to shew what did insue:

And yet because it moueth in my breast

Compunction still, and was God wot to true,

Ile farder tell whence[399] my destruction grue.

To Sodome sinne I fowly fell,[400] and than

I was despised both of God and man.

10.

Could I long prosper thus, doe you suppose?

Might ought of euill exceede[401] these vices told?

Thinke you ther’s any wight on ground that goes

Might scape reuenge of vice so manifolde?

No sure: who is in sienfullnes so bolde,

His vices fare like weedes they sproute so fast

They kill the corps, as weedes the corne at last.

11.

My greate outrage, my heedelesse head, the life

I beastly led could not continue so:

My brothers bloud, my leauing of my wife,

And working of my friends and subiects woe

Cry’d still to God, for my foule ouerthroe,

Which heares the wrong’d, hee vewes[402] their carefull case,

And at the length doth all their foes deface.

12.

Yet I mistrusting no mishaps at hand,

(Though I were worthy twenty times to die)

I lewdly liu’d, and did my wealth withstand.

I neuer thought my end was halfe so nie.

For my disport I rode on hunting, I,

In woodes the fearefull heart I chased fast,

Till quite I lost my company at last.

13.

And or I wist, to cost I found my foes,

By chaunce I came whereas the Wolues they bred:

Which in a moment did mee round inclose,

And mounted at my horse his throte and head.

Some on the hinder partes their panches fed.

Yet fought I still to scape, if it might bee,

Till they my panting[403] horse puld downe with mee.

14.

Then was I hopelesse to escape their iawes,

They fastned all their holders fast on mee:

And on my royall robes they set their clawes:

My Princely presence, nor my high degree

Moou’d them no more obeysaunt for to bee,

Nor of my corps to take no more remorce,

Then did the greeuous groning of my horse.

15.

But rauenously they rent my breast and throte,

Forsooke my steede, came all at once and tare

My kingly[404] corps, from which they fleyde my coate,

And of my flesh they made at all no spare,

They neuer left mee till my bones were bare.

Lo thus I slewe my brother, left my wife,

Liu’d vilely, and as vilely ended life.

16.

Beware of bloudy broyles, beware of wrong,

Embrace the counsayle of the wise and sage:

Trust not to power though it bee nere so strong,

Beware of rashnes rude and roysters rage.

Eschew vile Venus’ toyes, shee cutts of age,

And learne this lesson of and tell thy friend,

By pockes, death sodayne, begging,[405] harlots end.[406]

LENUOY.

Marke but the end of brother quellers all,

And you shall see what woefull ends they had:

For so Iehouah suffers them to fall,

As were their risinges murderous and bad,

The life of wicked Cayne was sorrowfull and sad.

Of Ioram the King what neede I to discriue,

So infamous and violent both dead and eke aliue.

What auayl’d it Memprice this Kingdome to obtayne,[407]

That shamefully his Princely brother so did slay:

Sith that Almighty Ioue so punisht him agayne,

For scepter’s sake that tooke his noble Prince away.

His wretched cruell corps became for Wolues a pray.

What neede I more the caytiues beastly facts descriue,

So infamous and violent, both dead and eke aliue.

Now when as hee was gone, there presently, mee thought,

A King full Angel like in feathers did appeare:

With flying winges and plumes by cunning finely wrought,

As hee aloft like fame to flie prepared were,

To harken well his tale I gaue an heedy eare,

Which hee in order thus mee thought did then contriue,

Desiring mee to write it so, to warne the rest aliue.

How King Bladvd,[408] taking on him to fly, fell vpon the Temple of Apollo, and brake his necke, The yeare before Christ, 844.

I pray thee Higgins take in hand thy pen

And write my life and fall, among’st the rest

A warning set mee downe for curious men,

Whose wittes the worke of nature seeke to wrest:

I was Prince Bladud, pregnant as the best

Of wisedome, and of wealth, and learning I had store,

Of regall race I came what neede I craued more?

But this in all the sortes of men wee see,

An vncontented minde when much they haue;

The learned yet would more profounder bee,

The richest most t’encrease their wealth do craue;

The finest Dames doe slike[409] their faces braue;

The noblest yet would higher clime, and all to skies

Immortall they to make their names on earth deuise.[410]

In Britayne though I learned had full well

The artes, and could among’st the wise conferre,

Yet when of Athens I the fame heard tell,

(Though it in Greece so far hence distant were)

I trauayl’d thither, writers witnesse are

I studied there, and thence of learned men I brought

That learning might from Britayne land no more so far bee sought.[411]

But after hee was dead that was my stay,

My father graue, I meane the worthy King

Then all the Britaynes shortly by a day

To royall seat elected mee did bring.

Where I to place in order euery thing,

Did both receiue the crowne[412] and scepter in my hand,

With glory and renowned fame to gouerne all the land.[413]

Then, for because the sway of all the Ile

Depended on my gouernement to rest

I did consult with all the peeres a while,

And of my father’s counsaylers the best,

I order tooke for matters vnredrest,

Appoynting vnto each such place of iustice fit,

As serued to their birth, their persons, wealth and wit.[414]

The learned Greekes, whom I from Athens brought,

Conferring with the British learned men:

A place, as I commaunded them, had sought

Amid’st the Realme, and brought mee word agen.

At Staneford there I built a colledge then,

And made prouision for the same perdy,

To maynetayne them a famous Vniuersity.[415]

By this, of skilfull men the land had store,

And all the arts were read in Britayne well:

No countrey was for learning praysed more.

Abroad, the world began of vs tell.[416]

From other nations hither came to dwell

The wisest wits, commending vs, extolling vs to skies:

They sayd wee were a people stout, and learned, graue, and wise.[417]

And for that time of Gods wee honour’d all,

Apollo high for wisedome, arte, and skill:

At Troynouant a Temple speciall

I built to him, for sacrifices still.

Whereon I fell, as after speake I will.

Such was our vse and superstition [wholy][418] then,

To deeme as Gods the statures tall of noble worthy men.[419]

Some saye I made the holesome Baths at Bathe,[420]

And made therefore two Tunnes of burning brasse:

And other twayne seauen kindes of salts that haue

In them inclos’d, but these bee made of glasse,

With sulphur fild, wilde fire emixt there was,

And in foure welles these Tunnes so placed heate for aye

The water springing vp, before it passe away.[421]

10.

Which waters heate and clensing perfect powre,

With vapours of the sulphur, salts, and fire,

Hath vertue great, to heale, and washe, and scowre

The bathed sores therein that health desire.

If of the vertues, moe thou dost require

[To knowe,] I will resite what old experience tells

In causes cold the noble vertues of these welles.

11.

The bathes to soften sinewes vertue haue,

And also for to clense and scowre the skin

From Morphewes white and blacke, to heale and saue

The bodyes freckled, faynt, are bathed therein:

Scabs, lepry, sores are[422] old and festered in,

The scurfe, botch, itche, goute, poxe, [sweld ioynts] and humores fell,

The milt and liuer hard it heales, and palsey well.[423]

12.

I must confesse by learned skill I found

Those natiue welles whence springs that helpe[424] for men:

But well thou know’st there runnes from vnder ground

Springes sweete, salt, cold, and hote euen now as then,

From rocke, salt petre, alume, grauell, fen,

From sulphur, iron, leade, gold, siluer, brasse and tinne:

Ech fountayne takes the force of vayne it coucheth in.[425]

13.

Then who so knowes by nature’s worke in these,

Of metalles or of mynes the force to heale,

May sooner giue his iudgement in disease,

For curing by the bath, and surer deale

With sickly people of the publique weale,

And also finde of fountaynes salt, or hote, or cold,

And for to heale by them the sicke with honour bee bold.[426]

14.

The Citie eke of Bathe I founded there,

Renouned far by reason of the welles:

And many monuments that auncient were

I placed there, thou know’st the story tells.

I sought renowne and fame and nothing elze.

But when our actes extoll our prayse aboue the skie,

W’are blinded so, wee looke not downe from whence wee flye.[427]

15.

There are but fewe, whom Fortune bathes in blesse,

But blinded are, and dazelingly they looke:

They see nought else but worldly happinesse,

At that they only fish with Fortune’s hooke.

Beneath on earth pompe, pelfe, and prayse they pooke,

On that depending frayle, that fayles, and flits, and flyes,

Forsaking vertue sole, that bides for aye aboue the skies.[428]

16.

Mens vayne delightes are wondrous to behold,

For that that reason nills, nor nature sowes

They take in hand, on science far to bold,

Deceiu’d by suttle snares of diuelish showes.

From which attemptes a floud of mischiefe flowes,

An heape of hurtes,

A flocke of feares,

17.

If that the water fish forsake the streame

Agaynst his kinde, feeles hee no hurt ensues?

Or if the broeke would learne to play the breame,

And leaue the lambes at land, were this no newes?

A fethered fowle in th’earth a den to chuse,

Or flounder say to flye [and soare aloft] the larke to catch,

Would not you maruell then, what monsters now doth nature hatch?[429]

18.

But sith wee see that nature hath assign’d

The fowle to fly the ayre, as seemeth well,

The fish to swim the sea, as fits his kinde,

The earth for men and beastes to breede and dwell:

Of right a man, which doth the rest excell,

Should euen so far surpasse the rest in ech degree,[430]

As all the rest to him in wit and reason weaker bee.[431]

19.

All this I speake to warne the rest that heare,

And eke to shew the blindnesse of delites.

Herein my foly vayne may playne appeare,

What hap they heape which try out cunning slightes,

What hurt there hits, at such vayne shewes and sightes,

Where men for pleasure only take much [toyle and] payne,

To alter nature’s gifts for [pompe, and pride, and] pleasure vayne.

20.

Were not it straunge, thinke you, a King to fly,

To play the tombler, or some iugling cast?

To dresse him selfe in plumes, as erst did I,

And vnder armes to knit on winges full fast?

A sport you thinke that might the wise agaste.

But Magicke Mathematicall[432] had taught mee poynts of scill,

Whereby when first I practis’d then, I lern’d my selfe to kill.[433]

21.

I deckte my corps with plumes (I say) and winges,

And had them set, thou seest, in scilfull wise,

With many feats, fine poyseing equall thinges,

To ayde my selfe in flight to fall or rise,

An arte men seldome vse mine enterprise:[434]

[Somwhat] gaynst store of winde, by practise rise I could,

And try’d which way to turne, and mount, and lyght I should.[435]

22.

But er the perfect scill I learned had,

(And yet mee thought I could doe passing well)

My subiects’ hearts with pleasaunt toyes to glad,

From Temple’s top, where did Apollo dwell,

I 'sayd to flye, but on the Church I fell,

And broysed all to peeces lost[436] my life withall.

This was my race, mine exercise and fatall fall.[437]

23.

What vayner thing could any Prince deuise,

Than so himselfe a foolish fowle to showe:

Learne you by mee, that count your selues so wise,

The worst to doubt of thinges, what ere you know,

Fly not so high for feare you fall so lowe:

The massy wight is far to great for fethery downe to beare:

Below y^e happy man knowes when tis well, & can content him there.[438]

24.

These curious artes alurementes haue alone,

They profer much in recompence of payne:

But yet among’st a thousand scarce is one

In practise, ought by them can saue or gayne.

You see perdy they are[439] but false and vayne

Sophisticall, deceiptfull, [endlesse] and vntrue,

That nothing haue them selues, and promise all to you.[440]

25.

I speake not of the rest that are in vse

Amongst the wiser sort, Philosophy,

Nor of the partes thereof, but of th’abuse

That comes by magicke arts of imagery,

By vile inchauntments, charmes, and pampestry,

All which I deeme (and they shall finde in proofe) as euill

That practise them, as is (by whom they deale) the diuell.[441]

26.

To make an end: you noble Kinges content

Your selues with studies seruing for the state:

You Lordes also with all your wits inuent

What way t’eschewe the Prynce and people’s hate.

Yee subiects loue your Prynce, eschewe debate.

I wish you all beware to clime, or flee, or soare to hie,

For feare you tomble downe, or slip, or fall, as erst did I.[442]

LENUOY.

Who so that takes in hand the aire to scale,

As Bladud here did take on him to flie:

Or Dedal’s sonne (as Poets tell the tale)

Yong Icarus, that flew (they say) so hie:

Or else as Simon Magus flew perdy:

Though nere so well his plumes and winges hee decke,

By sea h’is droun’d, by land hee breakes his necke.

On ground is surest place for men to goe,

But yet take heede and let your ground bee good:

The surest footing is perdy beloe,

Who styes the aire I count his dealing wood:

The slender buildings hauty, feoble stoode,

On high the tempests haue much powre to wrecke:

Then best to bide beneath, and surest for the necke.

King Bladud yet might here commended bee,

For that hee loued learning all his daies:

Eke for hee built an Vniuersity

At Staneford first, hee well deserued praise,

But now his nice Cordila here assaies,

From bleeding breast, to tell her woefull wrecke,

With knife in hand her desperate death to decke.