On ground is surest place for men to goe, But yet take heede and let your ground bee good: The surest footing is perdy beloe, Who styes the aire I count his dealing wood: The slender buildings hauty, feoble stoode, On high the tempests haue much powre to wrecke: Then best to bide beneath, and surest for the necke. 3. King _Bladud_ yet might here commended bee, For that hee loued learning all his daies: Eke for hee built an Vniuersity At _Staneford_ first, hee well deserued praise, But now his nice _Cordila_ here assaies, From bleeding breast, to tell her woefull wrecke, With knife in hand her desperate death to decke. How Qveene Cordila in dispaire slew her selfe, The yeare before Christ, 800. 1. If any woefull wight haue cause to wayle her woe, Or griefs are past do pricke vs Princes tell our fall: My selfe likewise must needes constrayned eke doe so, And shew my like misfortunes and mishaps withall. Should I keepe close my heauy haps and thrall, Then did I wrong: I wrong’d my selfe and thee, Which of my facts a witnes true maist bee. 2. A woman yet must blush when bashfull is the case, Though trueth bid tell the tale and story as it fell: But sith that I mislike not audience, time, nor place, Therefore I cannot keepe my woes in counsaile[443] well. No greater ease of heart then griefes to tell, It vaunteth all the dolours of our minde, Our carefull hearts thereby great comfort finde. 3. For why to tell that may recounted bee agayne, And tell it as our cares may compasse ease: That is the salue and medicine of our payne, Which cureth corsies all and sores of our disease: It doth our pinching panges and paynes apease: It pleads the part of an assured friend, And tells the trade, like vices to amend. 4. Therefore if I more willing bee to tell my fall, With my mishaps[444] to ease my burdened breast and minde: Some[445] others haply may auoide and shunne the thrall, And thereby for distresse more aide and comfort finde. They keeping[446] measure, whereas I declin’d, May bee as prompt to flie[447] like brute and blame As I to tell, or thou to write the same. 5. Wherefore if thou wilt afterwards record[448] What Queene _Cordila_ tells[449] to ease her inward smarte, I will recite my story tragicall ech word, To thee that geu’st an eare, and ready art.[450] But lest I set the horse behinde the cart, I minde to tell ech thing in order, so, As thou maist see and shew whence sprang my woe. 6.