Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 1

Great Britain -- History -- Poetry; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Sources

Hee brought of _Cornishmen_ a royall army good,
        With other subiects late by me before opprest:
        And made mee pay the price of pillage with my bloud,
        As traitour slayn in field, example for the rest.
        Euen so who euer shall from Prince the scepter wrest,
          Vsurpe from him the crowne, or scale the throne of state,
          Shall shortely feele the rod of God’s immortall hate.


                               LENUOYE.

    1.

        Thus though vnorderly his tale hee tell,
        As was his raygne, yet orderly it standes:
        Euen such decorum deckes the person well,
        Who in his life decorum due abandes.
        No fyner fyled phrase could scape my handes,
          When I began for him to pen the same:
          Let _Pinnar_ then receiue thereof the blame.

    2.

        And now you must suppose did next appeare
        Another Prince, in warlike armour clad,
        With bleeding woundes, as if newe slaine hee were:
        Reciting first the hauty haps hee had,
        And then his fall in fight, his Fortune bad.
        If hee vnstatelike stammer out the same,
          With staylesse staggering footed verse, by ame,
          Let hardly him receiue thereof the blame:
          Or geue the faute to th’ countrey whence hee came.




         How King Stater of Scotland was slayne by Mulmucius
                   Donwallo, about the yeare before
                           Christ, 441.[556]


    1.

        Stint not in stories truely for to tell[557]
        The fall of vsurpers, the presidents[558] of pryde.
        Recite of our treasons, and how that wee fell,
        Intruders vntrusty the Realme for to guide:
        Of wit and of reason recklesse and wide,
          That tooke so vppon vs to rule all the land,
          No Princes presumde yet with scepter in hand.

    2.

        How stately I _Stater_, of _Scotland_ the King,
        Did beare mee full stoutely when I had the crowne:
        And what a great army of _Scots_ I did bring,
        Against Lord _Donwallo_, of noble renowne.
        A deemed dame Fortune would neuer so frowne,
          Who made me a Prince, that Kingdome my pray,
          Of late but a subiect and simple of sway.

    3.

        But here now behold how steady the state
        Of climbers aloft is aboue their degree,
        And how they doe fall from fortune to fate,
        Example are such as my fellow and me.
        The fruite giues a taste of the sappe of the tree,
          The seede of the herbe, the grape of the vine:
          The worke wrayes the man, seeme he neuer so fine.

    4.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

History

Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 1

Great Britain -- History -- Poetry; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Sources

Hee brought of _Cornishmen_ a royall army good,
        With other subiects late by me before opprest:
        And made mee pay the price of pillage with my bloud,
        As traitour slayn in field, example for the rest.
        Euen so who euer shall from Prince the scepter wrest,
          Vsurpe from him the crowne, or scale the throne of state,
          Shall shortely feele the rod of God’s immortall hate.


                               LENUOYE.

    1.

        Thus though vnorderly his tale hee tell,
        As was his raygne, yet orderly it standes:
        Euen such decorum deckes the person well,
        Who in his life decorum due abandes.
        No fyner fyled phrase could scape my handes,
          When I began for him to pen the same:
          Let _Pinnar_ then receiue thereof the blame.

    2.

        And now you must suppose did next appeare
        Another Prince, in warlike armour clad,
        With bleeding woundes, as if newe slaine hee were:
        Reciting first the hauty haps hee had,
        And then his fall in fight, his Fortune bad.
        If hee vnstatelike stammer out the same,
          With staylesse staggering footed verse, by ame,
          Let hardly him receiue thereof the blame:
          Or geue the faute to th’ countrey whence hee came.




         How King Stater of Scotland was slayne by Mulmucius
                   Donwallo, about the yeare before
                           Christ, 441.[556]


    1.

        Stint not in stories truely for to tell[557]
        The fall of vsurpers, the presidents[558] of pryde.
        Recite of our treasons, and how that wee fell,
        Intruders vntrusty the Realme for to guide:
        Of wit and of reason recklesse and wide,
          That tooke so vppon vs to rule all the land,
          No Princes presumde yet with scepter in hand.

    2.

        How stately I _Stater_, of _Scotland_ the King,
        Did beare mee full stoutely when I had the crowne:
        And what a great army of _Scots_ I did bring,
        Against Lord _Donwallo_, of noble renowne.
        A deemed dame Fortune would neuer so frowne,
          Who made me a Prince, that Kingdome my pray,
          Of late but a subiect and simple of sway.

    3.

        But here now behold how steady the state
        Of climbers aloft is aboue their degree,
        And how they doe fall from fortune to fate,
        Example are such as my fellow and me.
        The fruite giues a taste of the sappe of the tree,
          The seede of the herbe, the grape of the vine:
          The worke wrayes the man, seeme he neuer so fine.

    4.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 1

Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 1

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