How Qveene Elstride the Concubine and second wife of king Locrinus was miserably drowned by Queene Guendoline, The yeare before Christ, 1064.

And must I needes my selfe recite my fall,

Poore Pryncesse[261] I: must I declare my fate?

Must I the first of Queenes amongst vs all,[262]

Shew how I thrise fell from my princely state:

And from the lofty seate on which I sate:

If needes I must, then well content, I will:

Lest here my place in vayne I seeme to fill.

I am that Elstride whom Locrinus lou’d,

A Prince his daughter, came from Germanes land.

My fame of beauty many Princes mou’d[263]

To sue for grace, and fauoure at my hand.

Which bruite once blowne abroad in euery land,

One Humber, king of Hunnes with all his trayne,

To come to mee a suiter was full fayne.

What neede I tell the giftes to me he gaue,

Or shew his suite, or promise he me plight,

Sith well you knowe a Prince neede nothing craue,

May nigh commaund ech thing as twere his right.

For as the foule before the Eagles sight,

Euen so we fall, submit, and yeelde vs still

At Prince his call, obeysaunt to his will.

And for that time the Hunnes full mighty were,

And did increase, by martiall feates of warre:

Therefore our Germayne Kinges agast did beare

Them greater fauoure then was neede by farre.

My father durst not Humber’s hest debarre,

Nor I my selfe, I rather was content

In hope of crowne with Humber to consent.

Two Princely dames with me came then away,

He brag’d to winne these countrey partes all three.

We Ladyes rather were[264] this Prince his pray,

Because he promist that we Queenes should bee.

We came to cost, these countrey coasts to see,

Sith hee on whom our hope did wholly stand,

Was drounde, nam’d Humber waters, lost the land.

For as you heard before when he suppos’d

He had wonne all, because he wonne a part,

Strayght way he was agayne thereof depos’d,

Constrayn’d to flye and swim for life, poore heart.

Lo here the cause of all my dolefull smart:

This noble King with whom I came to raygne,

Was drencht, and drounde vnto my greeuous payne.

Then were his souldiers taken, slayne, or spoylde,

And well were they, that could make suite for life.

Was neuer such an army sooner foylde:

O woefull warre, that flowd’st in flouds of strife,

And card’st not whom thou cut’st with cruell knife!

So,[265] had not Venus fraught my face with hue,

I had no longer liu’d my forme to rue.

But[266] as I came a captiue with the rest,

My countenaunce did shine as braue as Sunne:

Ech one that sawe my natiue hue, were prest

To yeeld them selues, by beames of beauty wonne.

My fame strayght blowne, to gaze on me they runne,

And sayd I past ech worldly wight, as farre

As Phœbus bright excelles the morning starre.

Like as you see in darkes,[267] if light appeare,

Strayght way to that ech man directs his eye:

Euen so among my captiue mates that were,

When[268] I did speake, or make my playnts with cry,

Then all on me they stared by and by,

Bemoning of my fates and fortune, so,

As they had bin partakers of my woe.

10.

My forme did prayse my plea, my sighes they sued,

My teares enti’st theyr hearts, some ruth to take:

My sobbes in sight a seemely hue reneu’d,

My wringing handes wan suiters shift to make,

My sober southes did cause them for my sake

Me to commend unto their noble King,

Who wil’d they should me into presence bring.

11.

Which when I came, in cordes as captiue bound,

“O King (quoth I) whose power wee feele to strong,

O worthy wight, whose fame to skyes doth sound,

Doe pittie me, that neuer wisht thee wrong!

Release me, one, thy captiues all among,

Which from my friends by fraude am brought away,

A Prince his daughter, drownde in deepe decay.

12.

“Now as thou art a Prince thy selfe, of might,

And mayst doe more then I doe dare desire,

Let me (O King) finde fauoure in thy sight,

Asswage somewhat thy deadly wrath and ire.

No part of knighthoode[269] tis for to require

A Ladyes death thee neuer did offend,

Sith that thy foe hath brought her to this end.

13.

“But let me rather safely be conuay’d,

O gratious King, once home before I die.

Or let me liue thy simple wayting mayde,[270]

If it may please thy royall maiesty.

Or let me raunsome pay for liberty.

But if he[271] minde reuenge of vnwraught ill,

Why spare you Britannes this my corps to kill?”

14.

With that the King: “Good Lady faire, what ist

Thou canst desire or aske but must obtayne?

Eke would to god with all my heart I wist

Best way to ease thee of thy woefull payne.

But if thou wilt, doe here with me remayne.

If not content, conductours shalt thou haue,

To bring thee home, and what thou else wilt craue.”[272]

15.

“O King (quoth I) the gods preserue thy grace,

The heauens requite thy mercy shew’d to me,

And all the starres direct thy regall race,

With[273] happy course, long length of yeares to see.

The earth with fertile fruites enrich so thee,

That thou maist still like Justice here dispose,

And euermore treade downe thy deadly foes.”

16.

The noble King commaunded to vnbinde

Mine armes, and let me lewce, and free at will.[274]

And afterward such fauoure did I finde,[275]

That as his Queene I was at elbowe still:

And I enjoy’d al pleasures at my fill.

So that they quite had quenched out my thrall,

And I forgat my former Fortunes all.

17.

Thus loe by fauoure I obtayn’d my suite,

So had my beauty set his heart on fire,

That I could make Locrinus euen as muite,

Or pleasaunt as my causes did require.

And when I knew he could no way retire,

I prayd he would his fauoure so extend,

As I might not be blamed in the end.

18.

“For if (quoth I) you take me as your owne,

And eke my loue to you hath[276] constant beene,

Then let your loue likewise agayne bee showne,

And wed mee as you may[277] your spoused Queene.

If since in mee mislikyng you haue seene

Then best depart betime, before defame

Begin to take from Elstride her good name.”

19.

“No wauering heart (sayd he) Locrinus beares,

No fayned flattery shall thy fayth deface:

Thy beauty, birth, fame, vertue, age and yeares,

Constrayne mee both thee and thyne hestes imbrace:[278]

I must of force geue thy requests a place,

For as they doe with reason good consent,

Euen so I graunt thee all thy whole intent.”

20.

Then was the time appoynted and the daye,

In which I should bee wedded to this King.

But in this case his counsayle caus’d a staye,

And sought out meanes at discord vs to bring.

Eke Corinœus claym’d a former thing,

A precontract was made and full accord

Betweene his daughter and my soueraigne Lord.

21.

And yet the King did geue mee comfort still,

Hee sayd hee could not to[279] forsake my loue:

Hee euermore would beare mee all good will,

As both my beauty and deserts did moue.

But still the end doth who is faulty proue:[280]

His counsayle at the last did him constrayne

To marry her, vnto my greeuous payne.

22.

At which I could not but with hate repine:

It vexed mee, his mate that should haue beene,

To liue in hate a Prince his concubine,

That euer had such hope to bee his Queene.

The steppes of state are full of woe and teene,[281]

For when wee thinke wee haue obtayn’d[282] the throne,

Then strayght our pompe and pryde is quite orethrowne.

23.

Lo twise I fell from hope of Princely crowne:

First, when vnhappy Humber lost his life:

And next I layd my peacockes pride adowne,

When I could not be King Locrinus’ wife.[283]

But oft they say the third doth end the strife,

Which I haue prou’d, therefore the sequel vewe,

The third payes home, this prouerbe is to true.

24.

The King could not refraine his former minde,

But vs’d me still, and I my doubtfull yeares

Did linger on, I knew no shift to finde,

But past the time full oft with mourning teares.

A concubine is neuer voyde of feares,

For if the wife her at aduantage take,

In rage[284] reuenge with death she seekes to make.

25.

Likewise I wist if once I sought to flye,

Or to entreat the King depart I might,

Then would he strayght be discontent with me.

Yea if I were pursued vppon the flight,

Or came deflourd into my father’s[285] sight,

I should be taken, kept perforce, or slayne,

Or in my countrey liue in great disdayne.

26.

In such a plight what might a Lady[286] doe,

Was euer Princesse poore,[287] in such a case?

O wretched wight bewrapt in webbs of woe,

That still in dread wast tost from place to place,

And neuer foundest meane to end thy race,

But still in doubt of death in carking care

Didst liue a life deuoide of all welfare.

27.

The King perceiuing well my chaunged cheare,

To ease my heart with all deuis’d deceates,

By secrete wayes I came deuoyde of feare,

In Vaultes, by cunning Masons’ crafty feates.

Whereas we safely from the Queene her threats,

Perdy the King and I so vs’d our arte,

As after turn’d vs both to payne and smart.

28.

By him I had my Sabrine small, my childe,

And after that his wife her father lost:

I meane he died and shee was strayght exilde,

And I made Queene vnto my care and cost.

For shee went downe to Cornwall strayght in post,

And caused all her fathers men to rise

With all the force and strength they might deuise.

29.

My King and hers, with me, gaynst her prepar’d

An army strong, but when they came to fight,

Dame Guendoline did wax at length to hard,

And of our King vs both deposed quight,

For from her campe an arrowe sharp did light

Upon his brest, and made him leaue his breath:

Lo thus the[288] King came by vntimely death.

30.

Then I to late began in vayne to flye,

And taken was presented to the Queene,

Who me beheld with cruell Tigers[289] eie.

“O queane (quoth shee) that cause of warres hast beene,

And deadly hate, the like was neuer seene,

Come on, for these my handes shall ridde thy life.

And take reuengement of our mortall strife.

31.

“I longed long to bring thee to this bay,[290]

And thou likewise hast sought to suck my bloud:

Now art thou taken in my spoyles a pray,

That caus’d my life full long in daunger stood.

I will both teach thy selfe and others good,

To breake the bandes of faithfull wedlocke plight,

And geue thee that which thou deseruest right.

32.

“O harlot whoare, why should I stay my handes?

O paynted picture, shall thy lookes thee saue?

Nay, binde her fast both hande and foote in bandes,

And let her some straunge kinde of torments haue.

What strompet stues, think’st, for thou seemest braue,[291]

Or for thy tears, or sighes, to scape my sight?

My selfe will rather vanquishe thee by fight.

33.

“Thou rather should’st my vitall breath depriue

Then euer scape, if none were here but wee,

But now I will not file my handes to striue,

Or else to touch so vile a drabe as shee.

Come on at once, and bring her after me,

With hand and feete (as I commaunded) bound,

And let me see her here, as Humber, drown’d.”

34.

A thousand thinges beside shee spake in rage,

While that a caitiffe did with cords me binde.

No teares, nor sobbes, nor sighes, might ought asswage

The gelous Queene or mollifie her minde.

Occasions still her franticke head did finde,

And when shee spake her eyes did leame[292] as fire,

Shee lookt as pale as chalke, with wrathfull ire.

35.

Ne stoode shee still, but fearcely me defide,

Raung’d vp and downe, and oft her palmes shee strooke.

“Locrinus now (quoth shee) had not thus dide,

If such an harlot whoare hee had not tooke.”

And therewithall shee gaue a Tiger’s looke,[293]

That made me quake: “What lettes (quoth shee) my knife

To ridde this whore, my husbande’s second wife.

H’is dead, I liue, and shall I saue her life?”

36.

“O Queene (quoth I) if pittie none remayne,

But I be slayne or drown’d as Humber was:

Then take thy pleasure by my pinching payne,

And let me hence as thou appoyntest passe.

But take some pittie on my childe, alas,

Thou know’st the infant made no fault, but hee[294]

That’s dead, and I, therefore reuenge on mee.”

37.

“No bastards here shall liue to dispossesse

My sonne, (shee sayd) but sith thou soughtest fame,

I will prouide for her a kingdome lesse,

Which shall hereafter euer haue her name.

Thou know’st whereof the name of Humber came:

Then so Sabrina shall this streame be cal’d,

Sith Sabrine me, as Humber Locrine, thral’d.”

38.

With that my childe was Sabrine brought in sight,

Who when shee sawe me there[295] in bandes to lie,

“Alas (shee cri’d) what meanes this piteous plight?”

And downe she fell before the Queene, with cry:

“O Queene (quoth shee) let me more rather die

Than shee that’s giltlesse should: for why, thy king

Did as his captiue her to lewdnes bring.”

39.

Which when I sawe the kindnes of the childe,

It burst my heart much more then dome of death:

Poore little lambe, with countenaunce how milde

Shee pleaded still: and I for want of breath,

(With woefull teares that lay her feete beneath)

Could not put foorth a word our liues to saue,

Or if therefore I might a kingdome haue.

40.

Her piteous plaintes did somewhat death withdraw,

For as shee long beheld the Queene with teares,

(Quoth shee) “Let me haue rigour voyd of lawe,

In whom the signe of all thy wrath appeares:

And let me die, my fathers face that beares.

Sith he is dead, and we are voide of stay,

Why should I thee for life, or mercy, pray?

41.

“My mother may to Germany returne,

Where shee was borne, and if it please thy grace:

And I may well lie in my father’s tombe,

If thou wilt graunt his childe so good a place.

But if thou thinke my bloud is farre to bace,

(Although I came, by both, of princely lyne)

Then let me haue what shroud thou wilt assigne.”

42.

With that the Queene replide with milder cheere,

And sayd the childe was wonderous feate,[296] and wittie:

But yet shee would not her reuenge forbeare,

“For why (quoth shee) the prouerbe sayes, that pittie

Hath lewdly lost full many a noble Cittie.

Here Elstride now ile wreke my greefes on thee,[297]

To die, take leaue, but talke no more to me.”

43.

On this my leaue I tooke, and thus I sayd,

“Farewell my countrey, Germany, farewell

Adew the place from whence I was conueyd:

Farewell my father, and my friends[298] there dwell.

My Humber droun’d, as I shall be, farewell!

Adew Locrinus dead, for thee I die:

Would God my corps might by thy coffine lie.

44.

“Adew my pleasures past, farewell, adew.

Adew the cares and sorowes I haue had.

Farewell my friends that earst for me did sue,

Adew that were to saue my life full glad.

Farewell my[299] fanning friends I lately had,

And thou my beauty, cause of death, farewell,

As oft as heart can thinke, or tong can tell.

45.

“Adew you heauens, my mortall eyes shall see

No more your lightes and planets all farewell,

And chiefly Venus faire that paintedst me,

When Mercury his tale to me did tell,

Eke afterwardes when Mars with vs did dwell:

And now at last thou cruell Mars adew,

Whose dart my life and loue Locrinus slewe.

46.

“And must I needes depart from thee, my childe?

If needes I must, ten thousand times farewell.

Poore little lambe, thy friends are quite exilde,

And much I feare thou shalt not long doe well.

But if they so with boyling rancour swell

As thee to flea which neuer wroughtest ill,

How can they stay my stayned corps to kill?”

47.

With that, my Sabrine’s slender armes imbrast

Me round, and would not let me so depart.

“Let me (quoth shee) for her the waters tast,

Or let vs both togeather end our smart.

Yea rather rippe you foorth my tender heart:

What should I liue?” But they the childe withdrew,

And me into the raging streame they threw.

48.

So in the waters as I striu’d to swimme,

And kept my head aboue the waues for breath,

Mee thought I sawe my childe would venter in,

Which cry’d amayne, “O let me take like death.”

The waters streyght had drawne me vnderneath,

Where diueing,[300] vp at length agayn rose I,

And sawe my childe, and cry’d “Farewell, I die!”

49.

Then as my strength was wasted, downe I went,

Eke so I plunged twise or thrise yet more:

My breath departed, needes I must relent.

The waters pearst my mouth and eares so sore,

And to the botome with such force mee bore,

That life, and breath, and minde, and sence was gone,

And I as dead and cold as marble stone.

50.

Lo thus you heare the race of all my life,

And how I past the pickes of painfull woe:

How twise I thought to bee a Prince his wife,[301]

And twise was quite depriu’d my[302] honour fro,

The third time Queene and felt foule ouerthro.

Let Princely Ladyes vewe mine historie,

Mine haps, and woes, and hatefull desteny.[303]

51.

Bid them beware, lest beuty them abuse,

Beware of pryde, for haue a fall it must:

And will them Fortune’s flattery to refuse,[304]

Her turned[305] wheele is voyde of steedy trust.

Who reckes no meane, but leaueth all to lust,

Shall finde my wordes as true as I them tell:

Bid them beware[306] in time, I wish them well.[307]

LENUOYE.

Who here considers Elstride’s beauty braue was seene:

Her noble birth, the sundry haps shee had:

How many erst the like infortunate haue beene,

Whose forme haue made right noble hearts full sad:

Hee neede not now in loue bee halfe so mad,

Sith beauty is the baite enbaneth many a bower,

A meate too sweete in taste, that sauced is too sower.

It caused Hercules to slay th’ Œchalian King,

And Deianire her worthy fere to bane:

It caus’d the Greekes their armies forth to bring,

And Troia faire to fall, by Græcians tane.

It setled here in Britayne first the Dane,

For it of Kingdomes great the warres did oft deuoure:

The prouerbe sayth, sweete meate will haue of sauces sower.

Wherefore let noble men beware of beauties grace,

Lest so inflam’d they chaunce to fall thereby.

If they allur’d the Sirens sweete embrace,

And ships forsake, the waues are wilde perdy.

The monsters diue, the seas do swell to skye,

The toyling tempests tosse to reaue the vitall power,

While rockes, shelues, sands, and seas, the woefull wights deuoure.

They may hereby beholde the woefull childrens fall,

Of those which led their liues in lawelesse lust:

And learne to loue their Ladyes best of all,

Which are to them so faithfull, true, and iust.

Wherefore recyte the death of Sabrine here I must,

The Lady young, mee thought, from waters droun’d that came:

Which might thus wise her tale haue seem’d to frame.[308]