How Qveene Cordila in dispaire slew her selfe, The yeare before Christ, 800.

If any woefull wight haue cause to wayle her woe,

Or griefs are past do pricke vs Princes tell our fall:

My selfe likewise must needes constrayned eke doe so,

And shew my like misfortunes and mishaps withall.

Should I keepe close my heauy haps and thrall,

Then did I wrong: I wrong’d my selfe and thee,

Which of my facts a witnes true maist bee.

A woman yet must blush when bashfull is the case,

Though trueth bid tell the tale and story as it fell:

But sith that I mislike not audience, time, nor place,

Therefore I cannot keepe my woes in counsaile[443] well.

No greater ease of heart then griefes to tell,

It vaunteth all the dolours of our minde,

Our carefull hearts thereby great comfort finde.

For why to tell that may recounted bee agayne,

And tell it as our cares may compasse ease:

That is the salue and medicine of our payne,

Which cureth corsies all and sores of our disease:

It doth our pinching panges and paynes apease:

It pleads the part of an assured friend,

And tells the trade, like vices to amend.

Therefore if I more willing bee to tell my fall,

With my mishaps[444] to ease my burdened breast and minde:

Some[445] others haply may auoide and shunne the thrall,

And thereby for distresse more aide and comfort finde.

They keeping[446] measure, whereas I declin’d,

May bee as prompt to flie[447] like brute and blame

As I to tell, or thou to write the same.

Wherefore if thou wilt afterwards record[448]

What Queene Cordila tells[449] to ease her inward smarte,

I will recite my story tragicall ech word,

To thee that geu’st an eare, and ready art.[450]

But lest I set the horse behinde the cart,

I minde to tell ech thing in order, so,

As thou maist see and shew whence sprang my woe.

My grandsire Bladud hight, that found the bathes by skill,

A fethered King that practis’d highe to soare[451]

Whereby hee felt the fall, God wot against his will,

And neuer went, road, raygnd, nor spake, nor flew no more.

After whose death my father[452] Leire therefore

Was chosen King, by right apparent heyre,

Which after built the towne of Leircestere.

Hee had three daughters, first and eld’st hight Gonerell,[453]

Next after her his yonger Ragan[454] was begot:

The third and last was I the yongest, nam’d Cordell.

Vs all our father Leire did loue to well, God wot.[455]

But[456] minding her that lou’d him best to note,

Because hee had no sonne t’enioy his land,

Hee thought to guerdon most where[457] fauour most hee fand.

What though I yongest were, yet men mee iudg’d more wise

Then either Gonerell, or Ragan more of age:[458]

And fairer farre: wherefore my sisters did despise

My grace and giefts, and sought my wrecke to wage.[459]

But yet though vice on[460] vertue dye with rage,

It can not keepe her vnderneath to drowne:

For still[461] shee flittes aboue, and reaps renowne.[462]

My father thought to wed vs vnto Princely peeres,[463]

And vnto them and theirs deuide and part the land.

For both my sisters first hee cal’d[464] (as first their yeares

Requir’d) their mindes, and loue, and fauoure t’vnderstand.

(Quoth hee) all doubts of duty to aband,

I must assay your frendly faithes to proue:

My daughters, tell mee how you doe mee loue.[465]

10.

Which when they aunswerd him they lou’d their father more[466]

Then they themselues did loue, or any worldly wight:

He praised them, and sayd hee would therefore[467]

The louing kindnes they deseru’d in fine requite.

So found my sisters fauour in his sight,

By flattery faire they won their father’s heart,

Which after turned hym and mee to smart.

11.[468]

But not content with this, hee asked mee likewise

If I did not him loue and honour well.

No cause (quoth I) there is I should your grace despise:

For nature so doth binde and duty mee compell,

To loue you, as I ought my father, well.

Yet shortely I may chaunce, if Fortune will,

To finde in heart to beare another more good will.

12.

Thus much I sayd of nuptiall loues’ that ment,

Not minding once of hatred vile or ire:

And partly taxing them, for which intent

They set my fathers heart on wrathfull fire.

“Shee neuer shall to any part aspire

Of this my realme (quoth hee) among’st you twayne:

But shall without all dowry aie remaine.”

13.

Then to Maglaurus Prince, with Albany hee gaue

My sister Gonerell, the eldest of vs all:

And eke my sister Ragan to Hinniue to haue,

And for her dowry Camber and Cornwall.

These after him should haue his Kingdome all.

Betweene them both hee gaue it franke and free,

But nought at all hee gaue of dowry mee.

14.

At last it chaunst a Prince of Fraunce to heare my fame.

My beauty braue, my wit was blaz’d abroad ech where.

My noble vertues prais’d mee to my father’s blame,

Who did for flattery mee lesse friendly fauour beare.[469]

Which when this worthy Prince (I say) did heare,

Hee sent ambassage lik’d mee more then life,

And soone obtayned mee to bee his wife.

15.

Prince Aganippus reau’d mee of my woe,

And that for vertues sake, of dowryes all the best:

So I contented was to Fraunce my father fro

For to depart, and hoapt t’enioy some greater rest.

Where liuing well belou’d, my ioyes encreast:

I gate more fauour in that Prince his sight,

Then euer Princesse of a Princely wight.

16.

But while that I these ioyes so well enioy’d in Fraunce,

My father Leire in Britayne waxt vnweldy old.

Whereon his daughters more themselues aloft t’aduaunce

Desir’d the Realme to rule it as they wolde.

Their former loue and friendship waxed cold,

Their husbands rebels voyde of reason quite

Rose vp, rebeld, bereft his crowne and right:

17.

Caus’d him agree they might in parts equall[470]

Deuide the Realme, and promist him a gard

Of sixty Knights on him attending still at call.[471]

But in six monthes such was his hap to hard,

That Gonerell of his retinue barde

The halfe of them, shee and her husband reft:

And scarce alow’d the other halfe they left.

18.

Eke as in Albany lay hee lamenting fates,[472]

When as my sister so sought all his vtter spoyle:

The meaner vpstart courtiers thought themselues his mates,

His daughter him disdayn’d and forced not his foyle.

Then was hee fayne for succoure his to toyle

With halfe his trayne to Cornwall, there to lie

In greatest neede, his Ragan’s loue to try.

19.

So when hee came to Cornwall, shee with ioy

Receiued him, and Prince Maglaurus did the like.

There hee abode a yeare, and liu’d without anoy:

But then they tooke all his retinue from him quite

Saue only ten, and shew’d him daily spite:

Which hee bewayl’d complayning durst not striue,

Though in disdayne they last alow’d but fiue.

20.

What more despite could deuelish beasts deuise,

Then ioy their fathers woefull days to see?

What vipers vile could so their King despise,

Or so vnkinde, so curst, so cruell bee?

From thence agayn hee went to Albany,

Where they bereau’d his seruaunts all, saue one,

Bad him content him selfe with that, or none.

21.

Eke at what time hee ask’d of them to haue his gard,

To gard his noble grace where so hee went:

They cal’d him doting foole, all his requests debard,

Demaunding if with life hee were not well content:

Then hee to late his rigour did repent

Gaynst mee, my sisters’ fawning loue that knew,

Found flattery false, that seem’d so faire in vew.

22.

To make it short, to Fraunce hee came at last to mee,

And told mee how my sisters euell[473] their father vsde.

Then humbly I besought my noble King so free,

That he would aide my father thus by his abusde:

Who nought at all my humble hest refusde,

But sent to euery coast of Fraunce for aide,

Whereby King Leire might home bee well conueyde.

23.

The souldiours gathered from ech quarter of the land

Come at the length to know the noble Prince’s will:

Who did commit them vnto captaynes euery band,

And I likewise of loue and reuerent meere good will

Desir’d my Lord, hee would not take it ill,

If I departed for a space withall,

To take a part, or ease my father’s thrall.

24.

Hee graunted my request: Thence wee ariued here,

And of our Britaynes came to aide likewise his right

Full many subiects, good and stout that were:

By martiall feats, and force, by subiects sword and might,

The British Kings were fayne to yeeld our right:

Which wonne, my father well this Realme did guide

Three yeares in peace, and after that hee dyde.

25.

Then I was crowned Queene this Realme to hold,[474]

Till fiue yeares past I did this Island guyde:

I had the Britaynes at what becke I would,[475]

Till that my louing King mine Aganippus dide:

But then my seat it faltered on ech side,

My sisters sonnes[476] began with mee to iarre:

And for my crowne wagde with mee mortall warre.[477]

26.

The one hight Morgan Prince[478] of Albany,

And Conidagus King of Cornwall and of Wales:

Both which at once prouided their artillery,

To worke mee woefull woe, and mine adherents bales

What neede I fill thine eares with longer tales?

They did preuaile by might and powre, so fast

That I was taken prisoner at last.

27.

In spitefull sorte they vsed then my captiue corse:

No favour shewde to mee, extinct was mine estate:

Of kinred, Prynces, bloud, or peere was no remorce,

But as an abiect vile, and worse, they did mee hate.

To lie in darkesome dungeon was my fate,

As t’were a thiefe, mine aunsweres to abide,

Gaynst right and justice, vnder Jailour’s guide.

28.

For liberty at length I su’d to subiects were:

But they kept mee in prison close, deuoide of trust:

If I might once escape, they were in dread and feare

Their fawning friends with mee would proue vntrue and iust.

They told mee take it patiently I must,

And bee contented that I had my life:

Sith with their mother’s I began the strife.

29.

Whereby I sawe might nothing mee preuaile to pray,

To pleade, or proue, defend, excuse, or pardon craue:

They heard mee not, despis’d my plaints, sought my decay,

I might no lawe, nor loue, nor right, nor justice haue.

No friends, no faith, nor pittie could mee saue:

But I was from all hope of freedome[479] bard,

Condem’d, my cause like neuer to bee heard.

30.

Was euer noble Queene so drencht in wrecks of woe,[480]

Depos’d[481] from Princely powre, bereft of liberty,

Depriu’d of all these worldly pompes her pleasures fro,

And brought from wealth to neede, distresse, and misery,

From Pallace proude in prison poore to lie,

From Kingdomes twayne, to dungeon one, no more,

From Ladies wayting, vnto vermine store?

31.

From light to darke, from holesome aire to lothsom smell,

From odoure sweete to smart, from ease to greeuous paine,

From sight of Princely Wights, to place where theues doe dwell,

From dainty beds of downe, to bed of strawe full fayne:

From bowres of heauenly hewe, to dennes of daine:

From greatest haps that worldly wights atchiue,

To more distresse then any wretch aliue?

32.

When first I left my friends in Fraunce did me exalte,[482]

And eke my noble King, mine Aganippus true:

And came to England, for their heynous facts and faulte,

Which from his right and kingdome quite our father threwe,

To take his[483] Realme: to raigne and treason knewe,

I thinke of all misfortunes was the worst:

Or else I deeme the causers al accurst.

33.

For marke my haplesse fall that fortune did me send,[484]

As thus in prison[485] vile on liue[486] I lingring lay,

When I had mourned long, but found no faythfull fren

That could me helpe, or ayde, or comfort any way,

Was seru’d at meate as those that[487] Kinges betray

With fare God wote was simple, bare, and thin,

Could not sustayne the corps it entred in.

34.

And when the sighes, and teares, and playntes nigh burst my hart,

And place, and stenche, and fare nigh poysond euery pore:

For lacke of frends to tell my seas of giltlesse smart,

And that mine eyes had sworne to take sweete sleepe no more,

I was content, sith cares oppresse me sore,

To leaue my foode, take mourning, playnts, and crye,

And lay mee downe, let griefe and nature trye.

35.

Thus as I pining lay, my carcas coucht on strawe,[488]

And felt the payne erst neuer creature earthly knewe,

Mee thought by night a grizely ghost in darkes I sawe,

Eke nearer still to mee with stealing steps shee drewe:

Shee was of colour pale and deadly[489] hewe,

Her clothes resembled thousand kinds of thrall,

And pictures plaine of hastened deathes withall.

36.

I musing lay in paines, and wondred what shee was,

Mine eyes stood still, mine haire rose vp for feare an end,

My flesh it shoke and trembled: yet I cryde (alas)

What wight art thou, a foe or else what fawning frend?

If death thou art, I pray thee make an end.

But th’art not death. Art thou some fury sent,

My woefull corps, with paynes, to more torment?

37.

With that shee spake: “I am (quoth shee) thy frend Despayre,

Which in distresse each worldly wight with speede do ayde:

I rid them from their foes, if I to them repayre.

To long from thee by other caytiues was I stayde.

Now, if thou art to dye no whit afrayde,

Here shalt thou choose of Instruments (beholde)

Shall rid thy restlesse life, of this be bolde.”

38.

And therewithall shee threwe her garments lap aside,

Vnder the which a thousand thinges I sawe with eyes:

Both kniues, sharpe swordes, poynadoes[490] all bedyde

With bloud, and poysons prest which shee could well deuise.

“There is no hope (quoth shee) for thee to rise,

And get thy Crowne or Kyngdome refte agyne:[491]

But for to liue long lasting pyning payne.

39.

“Lo here (quoth shee) the blade that Did’ of Carthage hight,

Whereby shee was from thousand panges of payne let passe:

With this shee slewe her selfe, after Æneas’ flight,

When hee to Sea from Tyrian shoares departed was.

Doe choose of these thou seest from woes to passe,

Or bide the end, prolong thy paynfull dayes,

And I am pleasde from thee to packe[492] my wayes.”

40.

With that was I (poore wretche) content to take the knife,

But doubtfull yet to dye, and fearefull fayne would byde.

So still I lay in study with my selfe at bate and strife,

What thing were best of both these deepe extreames vntryde,

Good Hope[493] all reasons of Despayre denyde:

And shee agayne replyde, to proue it best

To dye, for still in life my woes increast.

41.

Shee cal’d to minde the ioyes in Fraunce I whilome had:

Shee told me what a troupe of Ladyes was my trayne:

And how the Lordes of Fraunce and Britaynes, both were glad

Of late to wayte on mee, and subiects all were fayne:

She tolde I had bin Queene of Kingdomes twayne,

And how my kinesmen[494] had my seate and Crowne.

I could not rise, for euer fallen downe.

42.

A thousand thinges beside recited then Despayre:

Shee tolde the woes in warres, that I had heapt of late,

Rehearst the prison vile in steede of Pallace fayre,

My lodging lowe and mouldy meates my mouth did hate;

Shee shewde mee all the dongeon where I sate,

The dankish walles, the darkes, and bade mee smell,

And byde the sauour if I likt it well.

43.

Whereby I wretch deuoyd of comfort quite and hope,

And pleasures past comparde with present paynes I had,

For fatall knife slipt forth, my fearefull hand did grope:

Despayre in this to ayde my senceles limmes was glad,

And gaue the blade: to end my woes she bad.

“I will (quoth I) but first with all my hart

Ile pray to Gods, reuenge my woefull smart.

44.

“If any wrong deserue the wrecke, I pray yon skyes,

And starres of light, (if you my plight[495] doe rue)

O Phœbus cleere, I thee beseech and pray likewise,

Beare witnes of my playnts well knowne to Gods are true.

You see from whence these iniuryes they grue.

Then let like vengeaunce hap and light on those,

Which vndeserued were my mortall[496] foes.

45.

“God graunt immortall[497] strife betweene them both may fall,

That th’ one[498] the other may, without remorce, distroye:

That Conidagus may his cosin Morgan thrall,

Because hee first decreast my wealth, bereft my ioye.

I pray you Gods he neuer be a Roy:

But caytife may be payde with such a frend,

As shortly may him bring to sodayne end.

46.

“Farewell my Realme of Fraunce, farewell, Adieu,

Adieu mes nobles tous, and England now farewell:

Farewell Madames my Ladyes, car ie suis perdu,

Il me fault aler desespoir m’adonne conseil

De me tuer, no more your Queene farewell.

My cousens[499] mee oppresse with mayne and might,

A captiue poore, gaynst Justice all and right.”

47.

And therewithall the sight did fayle my dazeling eyne,

I nothing sawe saue sole Dispaire bad mee dispatch:

Whome I behelde: shee caught the knife from mee I weene,

And by hir elbowe carian death for me did watch.

“Com on (quod I) thou hast a goodly catch.”

And therewithall Dispaire the stroke did strike,

Whereby I dyde, a damned creature like:

48.

Which I to late bewayle, let those a liue beware;[500]

Let not the losse of goods or honours them constrayne

To playe the fooles, and take such carefull carke and care;

Or to dispayre for any prison, pine, and payne;

If they be giltlesse let them so remayne;

Farre greater follye is it for to kill,

Themselues dispayring, then is any ill.

49.

Sith first thereby theyr enmyes haue that they desire,

By which they proue to deadly foes vnwares a frende:

And next they cannot liue, to former blisse t’spyre,

If God do bring theyr foes in time to sodayne ende.

They lastly, as the damned wretches, sende

Theyr soules thereby to darkesome Stygian lake,

Which kill the corps that mighty Ioue did make.[501]

LENUOY.

When as this desperate Queene had ended thus

Her tale, and tolde the haplesse grace she had:

As of her playnte som poyntes I did discusse,

Her sisters dealings were (mee thought) to bad.

Her cosens cruell both, for Kingdomes mad.

Her owne estate most pityfull to see,

A Queene by kinred captiue kepte to bee.

So wise a Queene, so fayre a Princesse wrongde,

So dutifull in parents plight of yore:

By rebells vile hir cousens to bee throngde,

Such hatred hir ambiciously that bore.

Who euer saw such cruelty before?

Cordilaes state most pitifull to see,

By kinred cloce in prison kepte to bee.[502]

But next from Wales in warlike armoure came

With wounded corps Morganus th’ Albane king,

In woefull wise his doubtfull tale to frame.

And of his auntes distresse reports each thing.

Hee from Glamorgan this for truth doth bring,

That who by slaughter seekes a prince to bee,

As traytoure falles beneath his first degree.