Thus died I stoutlie and did not trulie repente,
My wicked life paste and moste haynouse treason;
If in a good cause my life had been spente,
To have avouchte the same there had bene some reason;
But wickedlie I lived and died at that season.
Havinge hanged a while, and my head cut off in haste,
On the right hande of Ballards it was placed.[87]
Then died Barnwell; Savage; and yonge Tuchborne;
With Tilnie; and Abington, in order as they came;
But O Tuchborne! Tuchborne! thou makest me follorn!
For I was the firste that allurde thee to the same,
Thie witts beinge yonge likewaye I did frame,
Thou beinge well inclined through mee didst consente
To conceale the thinge that made us all repente.
The nexte daye dyed Salsburye; Henrye Dunne; & Jones;
And John Travice of Preskott, which is in Lancashire;
So did John Charnocke, a traytor for the nonce;
Robert Gage of Croydon muste then on stage appeare;
And lastlie Bellamye our hoste that made us all the chere.
Theise seven weare apointed on Sainte Matthewes daye,
The twentithe of September their partes they did playe.
Oure quarters weare boyled like the flesh of swyne,
And on the cittie gates in open veiwe doe stande;
Our conceited hedds, that once wee thought so fyne,
On London bridge be spectakles to subjectes of the lande,
Warning them to shunne to take like things in hande.
Our selves in the censure of God's judgments doe reste;
This was the rewarde for the treasons wee profeste.
Thus have I tolde thee my traggedie at large,
In everye particular as the same was wroughte;
Reporte it to my contrie men, I thee straytlie charge,
To shunn those things, that my destruction brought,
For traytrose attempts at all tyme prove noughte,
Serche our Englishe Chronikells thou shalte fynde the same,
That, whoe beginns in trecherie, hee endeth still in shame.
At my request therefore admonyshe then all men,
To spende well the tallente, that God hathe them lente;
And hee that hathe but one lett hym not toyle for tenne,
For one is to muche unlesse it be well spente;
I meane by ambition leaste he to sone repente.
To conclude happie is the man and threefold bleste is he,
That can be contente to live with his degree.
Felix quam faciunt aliena pericula cantum.
FINIS.