The summer this yeare prooued excéeding hot and drie, so that springs and riuers failed to yéeld their accustomed course of waters, by reason whereof great numbers of cattell and beasts, both wild and tame died, through lacke of conuenient liquor to asswage their vehement thirst. In the beginning of the next spring, king Edward sent into France vnto his wife and sonne, commanding them, now that they had made an end of their businesse, to returne home with all conuenient spéed. The quéene receiuing the message from hir husband, whether it was so that she was staied by hir brother, vnto whome belike she had complained after what manner she was vsed at hir husbands hands, being had in no regard with him: or for that she had no mind to returne home, bicause she was loth to sée all things ordered out of frame by the counsell of the Spensers, whereof to heare she was wearie: or whether (as the manner of women is) she was long about to prepare hir selfe forward, she slacked all the summer, and sent letters euer to excuse hir tarriance. But yet bicause she would not run in any suspicion with hir husband, she sent diuerse of hir folkes before hir into England by soft iournies. A lamentable case, that such diuision should be betwéene a king and his quéene, being lawfullie married, and hauing issue of their bodies, which ought to haue made that their copulation more comfortable: but (alas) what will not a woman be drawne and allured vnto, if by euill counsell she be once assaulted? And what will she leaue vndoone, though neuer so inconuenient to those that should be most déere vnto hir, so hir owne fansie and will be satisfied? And how hardlie is she reuoked from procéeding in an euill action, if she haue once taken a taste of the same? As verie truly is reported by the comedie-writer, saieng, [Sidenote: _Plaut. in Truc._] Malè quod mulier incoepit nisi efficere id perpetrat, Id illi morbo, id illi senio est; ea illi miseræ miseria est: Si bene facere incoepit, eius eam citò odium percipit, Nimísq; paucæ sunt defessæ, malè quæ facere occoeperint; Nimísq; paucæ efficiunt, si quid occoeperint benefacere; Mulieri nimiò malefacere melius est onus, quàm bene. [Sidenote: A proclamation.] [Sidenote: _Fabian._] [Sidenote: _Polydor._]