The Argument.
An English visard with great arte foreshowes
The Douglas of spring great to these our daies
And how that happie famelie aroise
To fortunes height where at the world may gaize
The secound time he doeth him self apoise
Against his foe and their with endles praise
Oure throwes the captain of his cheifest streinth
Then back to ead his Prince returnes at leinth.
Now with this English captaine did abyde
His Uncle old graue learned wise and trew
Whoes iudgement deep was rairlie deified
Highe misteries and secreitts hidd he kneu
One day by chance the Douglas he espyde
Who thus vnto the Captane quicklie drew
From this infused spiriet and flowing minde
This Historie by hea'une long since deuinde.
The righteous heire of that most famous line
That shall the Scots ferce natione still adorne
To whome and not without tight doeth incline
These Lordshipes great which Clifford holdes in scorne
Who once hath wunn this strength without ingine
Whoes virtue be no time can be outworne
Shall winne the land againe and it posses
In vaine wold mightie England him oppres.
O're him to triumphe ne're shall England bost
But victor he shall ouermore remaine
He shall not feare to meet their mightie host
With his small troupe the garland still to gaine
Whill fortune his attempts hath neuer crost
He cloi'd with conquest heir shall croce the maine
His Princes vnperformed vow to beare
Where infidells his worth shall knou and feare
Nought without cause the west shall feare him still
Their cheefest nationes force his sword shall tame
And all the Eist his worthie praise shall fill
To Ganges soundes the terror of his name
But there a dreadful tempest shall him kill
Yet of his death none dare the conquest clame
His courage fearce shall arme his foes deceat
And thus him self subdewes him self to fate.
Heer silence staies his tounge his speech is crost
Both Joie and greef at once his heart opprest
Greef for so rare a knight that should be lost
Ioy that his death should cure riche Englands pest
But now enamord of his worth almost
The Caiptaine him intreatts to sheu the rest
And needs wold know if heauens should nature will
From such a roote to bring such branches still.
Ah quod his vncle thence doeth greef proceid
For as great Joue ordaind ane hatred still
Betuixt the serpent and the womans seid
So shall his line beare vs and oures il will.
Whill their ambitious mindes on fame doeth feid
Yet heaune shall raise for to with stand this ill
A famous race their dreadful wraith to beare
Whoes worth shall proue right fortunat in warre.
Now first of him discendes that valiaunt Lord
Whoes heighe atchiuements shall his foes with stand
His victoreis most rare shall be decor'd
With valour flowing frome his conquering hand
Yet crueltie in him shall be deplord
Which hermitage doeth fatallie demand
But for his valour worthelie renound
Whoes deades almost are all by fortune cround.
Then cums his vnkle whoes all matchles brood
Seems thundring flammes with fire consumeing breath
A new deludge ane ouerwhelming floode
A storme that nipes our springes fair floures to daith
For he like thundring Mars embreud with blood
To dreadfull armes shall all his daies bequeath
But reuling for his Prince with roialtie
Too forwad in his countreies cause shall die.
His brother bold ane Englishe dame shall beare
Whoes famous line in wondrous giftes exceids
This man a mightie familie shall rare
That shall the world astonishe with their deids
Which at this time to sheu I will for beare
Till thou haue knowne who from the first proceeds
Who valiantlie in battell spends his lyif
To bring to end his countreies endles stryif.
Then shall appeir that first great sheining light
That dimes thoise blazing stars his heauins bright sune
In midst of armes and thonndring warrs dread sight
At him is honoures title first begune
Conquestes first fruits deoth much ogment his might
Penwick his wraith they wealth shall ouer rune
And Berweick strong his angers birning fire
Shall turne to ashe yet shall not quench his yre.
His brothers worth shall to all tymes be told
Whoise sone shall sore on princelie Egels wings
By wertueis rare and valour so extold
That he's preferd to princes lordes and kings
In armes his fortune strength and courage bold
Shall stryue whoes mereits most the muses sings
From this faire imp shall spring a faerer tree
Whoes fruit shall much adorne this familie.
But o thou Bellicous what man may know
Thy verteus mind thy worth and warrlyk deades
The brightest lightning of thy workes doeth show
Daizling the beames that from thy peers proceides
Heauins lampes remoues their painted silring so
To bright Apollos fyrie flamming steids
Yea thy rare lyne thy rarest vertues cleames
In whom still shynes thy former glories beames.
The deades of all, thy deades doeth ouerturne
All fortunes rare thy fortune foylleth still
E're victor thow ne'r conquest shall returne
And Yonkes proud walls beares witnes of thy skill
Lastlie that euer famous otterburne
Seals all thy conquests gainst thy countreyes will
Whill thow thrice wounded victor sheeds a flood
To dy thy latest triumphes with thy blood,
Thy valiant brother shall to the succeid
Whose aufull looks presageth wrath t'insewe
With him shall fortune lyk vayes furth proceid
And Lintone battell shall his prais renewe
But o his sone shall all that aige exceid
In witt and courage strength and valour trewe
To princelie steat in Europs gairden faire
He shall be reasd and honours great shall beare.
Yet all in vaine since fortune proud heath sworne
The worlde shall build no trophe to his neame
Nature doeth him with such reare gifts adorne
That shee invying cuts the wings of feame
He tryes hir fauour oft but she doeth scorne
His sute, and doeth hir fauour quyt recleame
Thus he whom nature freames for gloreis throne
Fortune throues doune for fate to treed vpone,
Then cumes that lordlie Erle whoes pourfull might
Is both suspect and feard and vist more small
Whoes race once run his sones with out all right
Most frie the vay to rule by their great fall
Which turnes the Scotts calme day to stormmie night
Whoes tempest threats the kingdome croun and all
Yet he that must succed shall flie mischeif
And vislie to his End conceall his greif
This starr gone doune ane other doeth appeir
Whose bolde minde feeds the flame of martiall fire,
Yet shoots furth beams illustred white and cleire,
Which shows to warre or peace a like desire,
At Honours croune he aims, though ner'e so deare,
His conquering looks presageth martial Ire,
To honours great he shall his breether raise,
But he offends his prince, who ends his daies,
His brother then inrag'd vpbraids there King,
Whose minds bursts forth a storme of desolation,
What he heapd vp in silence forth they bring,
A flood of warre, a fearful invndation,
That wel might choake their foes or'e flowing spring,
But vented wrong flowes to their Princes statioun,
Yet this hudge flood eu'ne in the height shall turne
And of a boundles Ocean seeme a burne.
For with the wecht of their owne heauie swey
The currents swiftest motione they recal
Their too too loftie mindes doeth mount so hie
That skoarchd with Phæbus beames to earth they fall
From topes of touring cloudes in warres bright skie
Their smook euanishd throne dissolues and all
For why the heauens ordaines no force of men
To rouse the lordlie Lion from his den.
Yet their deserued fall shall not be such
As shall extinguishe that most famous line
Nor darkine shall their wounted glorie much
Nor yet their former greatnes shall decline
Tho pryde o'rethrowes whom ere he hapes to touche
But they be vertue shall their thoughtes confyne
Within the limites of their former worthe
Wherin they stretche their friutfull braches forth,
Yet ends this reace their roume the secound lyne
Obteanes and brings their wertues from the graue
The first in worth and wounderous deads shall shyne
If he from Shrosburre him self can saiue
Nor shall his sone to anie vice inclyne
But of dew praiss suift tyme shall him dissaue
Whoes secound sone shall to the world bring furth
A famelie of much redoutit wourth,
But to beare vp that hous lo one appeares
Cled with the light of bright Auroras rayes
Whoes great experience and whoes aiged yeares
His Prince reiectes and still at Flouden stayes
With whom he leaues thrie sones him self reteires
Fearing his lordes vntymelie blasted bayes
And as he doeth presaige so shall it fall
Their dyes his royell Prince his sones and all.
Yet shall their ritch and froutfull seid spred furth
Four brainches faire whoes frout is rypt by fame
Whearof the secound planted in the north
Shall graice that soyll with blossomes of his name
Nor shall the thrid know anie vant of worth
The fourth shall cleinge his blot in vertues stame
But lo the firsts rare sone shall greace the lyne
And shall our English royell blood proypne.
With that rare dame whoes heauinlie greace is such
As hir sones sone shall be that blaising light
Whom all divyns and Prophetes praise so much
Of whom faire Albione longes to heaue a sight
The Eame which all the prophicies would twick
The ioiner of this Iills disioyned might
For Albeone it's now in name allone
But then in substance we shall Albeone.
But leaue we him till god appoint his tyme
And turne ws to that Lord that antient knight
Whoes chairge is free vnchairg'd with anye cryme
Famous for witt and fortunat in fight
Not one beneath this cold distemperd clyme
May clame more princelie vertues for his right
Yea Anckermure his fortune fare shall sie
Whear he obteans a glorious victorie.
Two brother shal he heaue both valiant knights
From whom two famous famileis shall spring
The first's reare sone weill skild in martiall fights
Obteans his vnkles pleace in euerie thing
Thus is that hous prepaerd of glorious lights
By heauins eternall vniuersall king
For reolls the line, they sore in verteous deids
And if the breanch?it self that breanch exceids.
Then cums the last of this fair braench in fine
For vertue cald the good when from the north
Shall come a knight that shall succed by line
Who weied with him, doeth equalize his woorth
And yet with fame can not the world propine
So loth is time to bring occasioune forthe
Yet vertue for his sone shall grace prepair
And thus to fame shall measour forthe his shair,
Heauin cheanging time shall siuill discord reas
And wrap the Scotts in wealth consuming woes
When he by god set vp vnto thees daies
Shall leaue his soil to forren lands he goes
Widing throu rtubles streame and thear with praise
His pen vnto his predicessoures showes
The way to win from darck obliuiones night
Boolding their tropheis with his vertues might.
This lamp gone out o then his sone succeides
Reasing that hous declind to former height
Whoes mind is great with child of glorious deids
And as a Collon fair vpholds the weight
Of ane learge frame so from his witt proceids
The strenth that onder props that neames great might
Yet he by airt stops natures streame to flow
With Junos string still bending Pallas bow.
He ripes the tumbes of his Ancestors old
And brings them clad with robes of heauenlie light
For all enshewing aiges to behold
They shute furth beams of fame and glorie bright
Which long lay hidde in nightes dark pitchie mold
Ou'r vaelde by sadd obliuion from our sight
Their ghostes reioising that so rich a geme
Springs from thear loynes t'immortaliz their name,
Now cumes the nixt great famelie in sight
That iointlie with the first at first shall spring
Which eurie where sendes furth such lampes of light
As Earth and other firmament doeth bring
Wherin eche fixed starre doeth burne so bright
As yeelldes both lyf and light to eurie thing
So farre those glorie lighting flammes doeth shine
Moueing their orbe with influence deuine.
The first that shall illuminat the skie
Of this bright orber this hea'une reflexing sphere
Armed with his fathers magnaminitie
Shall be a great and mightie man of warre
Of whom shall two arise to rectifie
Two lines that shall their fame to heaune vprear:
Yet to the younger shall the elder fall
And both thus ioined shall one great house install.
O thou thrice famous lake and strand of Leuine
Famous, for that great reace shall come from the
Inrich'd with graces by the wandering Seuin
That still aloft in th'azure valleis flee
The first that shall adorne thy watrie hea'une
With sure and stay'd establisd reul I sie
By fatell deades shall manie fortunes shair
And Pallas sword shall all his pathes prepair.
The beaies thy temples shall at lintoune beare
Whear thow by valour from a valiant knight
The leopard and Flourdeluce shall teare
Thus shall thy arme put all thy foes to flight
But when the valiant Persie wageth warre
Against his Prince in that ontimlie fight
Thow valiantlie aduentring then shall fall
Yet after death thy fame shall sore oure all.
But thou braue youth altho a stripling young
Scornes in thy natiue soil for to remeaine
Thou heirs Belonas dreadfull bell was roung
Following the voice with honoures thristing paine
Wheer all the plaines inbroudert war along
With gorre, blood, rent armes and souldiers slaine
Theer haiueing win fair conquest by the hair
Thou leapes from of this wordlie theater.
And then succeides that all prais worthie youth
That with the ground stone laies a fairer streame
Mounting that house vp to the secound grouth
Whois worth in varre illusterates his name
Then cumes that blaizing comet of the south
Whoes voundrous deads with terror soundes his fame
His lookes sendes vertue furth so graic'd with art
As striks mild reuerence in each barbarous heart.
And yet his galent sone shall with him striue
Who to that aige shall greatest light restore
As painefull bees still workes to serue the hiue
And leaziedrons that deoth their wealth deuore
Their dares not enter nor with them may striue
So nature doeth prouid for to decore
That fruitfull Stem with such whoes pains exceides
Past all cumpare in heigh and vertues deades
No frutles drone shall from that reace arise
Ech giues testificats of honours height
What praises to the sext can I deuise
That serues his Prince in manie a blooddie fight
Nor conquest euer to croune his pains denies
Nixt him cumes one whoes worth and pourfull might
Doeth aid his Prince against vsurping foes
Whois-vant at last that mightie Prince ouerthoues.
But O what knight is this, Adrest for warre
That all the countray round about Obaies
Whome greatest Princes of the land doeth feare
In bloddie battell who at last assaies
Our English force from of his Prince to beare
With whom ane vther valiant campioune staies
And whill to seaue their Prince their liues they yeild
Great multitude from valour wins the feild
But who coms heir in the could north t'infius
Such heauenlie gift is, all Europe passing by
O, its Apollo suir, that dooth refius
The east, and coms the wast too beutifie
Whear he the siluer laik of Leuin doth chuis
The cleir Caballian streams he doth deny
Thus leauing Gretian plainis, and pleasant fontanis
He seats him self neir too the Ocheell montanis.
Whear whilist he veiues the valeyis round about
By chance shall sie fair narours quein cum thear
That Daphne doth surpas and al the rout
Of virgins queenes or shephards knowne of ear
Whom folowing long at last shall find his out
And wedd the dame who onto him shall bear
Fiue Uirgine dames nay greaces fiue for lo,
The wordle shall not their match in beautie sho,
Yea this rare beautie past compare shall bee
Nor longs to one but in them all it duelleth
Eune all in colour neitnes decensie
Preportion and the minds rare gistis excelleth
Nor shall it spend nor weist, nor fead, nor die
But too all times a quintisence distelleth
For lo their seid shall in this land be borne
As stonis to ringis or starrs that heaune adorne.
And from their sire both sanctified and seag
Cold wise and bold with heastie wroth not brunt
Adornt with wertue both in youth and aige
Whom heaune decres with honoures height to munt
Shall likuayis spring that youth whom forteouns reage
One swelling theetis shining back doth hunt
Till angrie Neptuns furie bursteth forth
And swallous vp that treasur hous of worth.
O but his sone is Mars and Phebus knight
For valour corrage wit and beutie store
The foggie mistes of ignorantes dark night
He cleres, to knowleg day he ops the doore
Eu'ne as a lanterne from a toures proud height
Shoues the seas port for shipes to win the shore
So his cleir lamp of judgment showes the vay
For dark grose wites to land in vertues beay.
The actiue boldnes by his spreit refind
Produce resistles actiouns stronglie Knut
The quick vivasitie that meltes his mind
In streames of eloquence ou're flous his with
And yet so much to courtassie inclind
That humble mildnes on his broue doeth sit
Which tempers passioune still with facultie
And makes a simphatheising hermonie,
For lo his soules reare faculteis devine
Is so cut furth on his humaine perfectioune
Yat in his lowkes heigh maiestie doeth shine
By modestie held in so sweit subiectioune
As alvay holdes a meane nor doeth dicline
To simple mildnes or to proud infectioune
Thus descentie stells furth with euerie glance
And freames a persing amorouss countinance.
Which breeds respectiue reuerance with dilyt
In euerie heart whois eyis doeth him behold
With admiratioune and amezment gryt
That streans a sweit obedience on controld
But now I feare if I the rest indyt
To cloy your ears with my discours to bold
Yet quod the captain I would glaidlie kno
If still that name produice such fruits or no.
O still quod he and shall be still increst
For both thoes mightie famaleis proceides
To honoures great whearof they ar posest
Mounting aloft with heigh and glorious deades
And this lordes sone; whill he would say the rest
A sudden tumult their amezment breides
Ou'r all the land great clamoures they might heir
Which did forshow sum deanger to droue neir,
Wherwith they leap to earmes the captain cryes
For all the Garisone in armes to be
When lo hard by the castell he aspyes
Weer driu'n great heardes of cattell hestilie
This was the conquering knight that doeth deuyis
How he that countray might of thraldome frie
And neids would treane the captain from his hold
Whoes strenth he would assay with currag bold.
But this his purpoiss greatlie doeth with stand
They hardlie could be broght vnto the feild
Wheirfor he takes this Stratagem in hand
To treane theame out to feght to flie or yeild
A wooddie pleane neir Sandie Landes he fand
Whoes vmbrage seemd from Phebus heat to sheild
On eche syd grew the Treeis so bushie thick
It seem'd that Nature freamd it for a trick.
Thither the Erlle by night his troups forth gwids
Wheir eche lyis closlie quiet whist and still
His wantcuriours in haist he thus prowyds
To bring their heards of cattell from the hill
And those that neirrest to the tour abids
Those driue they hence whill as the heard men fill
The air with schricks, the land with loud allarms
Wheir with proud Thirswall cled in glorious arms.
With all his Garesone addrest for warre
Isht foorth in haist for to returne the pray
And followed haiuing nether dout nor feare
Till they were past the Ambush fare away
Then these that fled returnd, their swords they reare
Aloft their sheilds, before their strong arms stay
Their blous they beare they pushe strik stab and kill
Th'amased foe, who yet resisted still.
Till at their baks a suddant storme a rose
Whoes horrid noyss doth mak them all to quaik
And with their force their furie and their blois
Their brokin rancks begins to faint and shaik
The first rank bakward on the second gois
The second on the third the third doth brak
Crusht by the fourt and fift and at eche end
They leap furth scattring heir and their they bend
So doe the cluds disperst from East to West
In ranks and roues that hing cleir white and fair
When as the Northerne and the Southerne blast
Foorth from their caues breaks throu the trubled aer
Rank gainst a rank cloud gainst a cloud they cast
Till in a heap confoosd at last they tear
And burst a sunder crush'd with furious bloes
Scattred in drops fleis from betwene their foes.
Thriswall their deid beneath the Douglas sword
Of all his men but nintie went away
Who in the Castell got from thence they pourd
Dairts quarreis Stones like haill without delay
The Erlle reuerd his band when they were tourd
And from his Prince no longer wold he stay
Gainst whom he hard an armie was prepaird
Of which in tyme to show him he repaird.