“For if hee wyll from tribute set you free, And ende the worke which I haue well begonne, That Christe’s gospell preached styll may bee, God may by hym send vnto me a sonne, To you a king: what wealth then haue you wonne? What great renowne? what honor wyll insue? Speake you your mindes, these thinges me think, be true.” 23. “O Queene,” quoth they, “the Lord preserue thy grace: Do thou the thinge that semes to thee the best, We do alowe the matche in euery case: If by that meanes we may haue quiet rest, With what great good shal this our realme be blest? Do thou therefore, O noble Queene, we pray, The thing which best may keepe vs from decay.” 24. The _Roman_ duke he nothing would denye, But graunted more then I could aske or craue, So that there was proclaymed by and by, A famous feast, a banquet passing braue: There to the duke the _Britayne_ crowne I gaue, With sacred spousall ryghtes, as man and wyfe We wedded, liude in loue, for terme of lyfe. 25. And whylste we ment to rule this little ile,[1185] A greater good vnlooked for befel, Death did destroy his syre with hateful hand: For which we both at _Rome_ must nowe go dwel, And so we did: thinges prospered passyng wel, My feere was made the emperour, lorde and king Of al: and I the queene of euery thing. 26. His myghtie mace did rule the monarchie, My wyt did rule (some wryters say) his mace, And to increase with ioy our mery glye, I brought him forth a babe of royal race, The boy he had an amiable face: O _Rome_ thou maiste reioyce, for this was he, Which did at _Rome_ erect diuinitie. 27. Whilste thus in blesse I did at _Rome_ remayne, On[1186] _Britaine_ still my mind her care did cast, For which I causde my husband to ordayne, That euermore those ancient lawes should last, Which heretofore amongst them there I past, And that to _Rome_ no _Brittayne_ borne, for aye, Should taxe, or toll, or tenth, or tribute pay. 28. Though there at _Rome_ an empresse life I led, And had at hand what I could wishe or craue, Yet stil me thought I was not wel bestead, Because I was so farre from _Brittayne_ braue: Which when my louing lorde did once perceiue, He set a stay in al the emperye, To _Brittayne_ then he did returne with me. 29.