Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 2, Part 1

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

And hath he erst restraind his prouidence?
        Or is he nigard of his fre dispence?
        Or is he vncertayne foreset driftes to dryue?
        That not dame chaunce but he al goodes may giue
        A heathen god they hold whom fortune kepe,
        To deale them haps while God they wene asleepe:
          Mocke-gods they are and many gods induce,
          Who fortune fayne to father their abuse.

    68.

        How so it be, it mought[1448] haue warned me,
        But, what I could not, that in me see ye,
        Who runne in race, the honour like to win,
        Whose fairest forme nought may deforme but sin:
        Alas, when most I did defye all dread,
        By single heare death’s word hong ouer my head,
          For herke the end and listen now my fall:
          This is the last, and this the fruit of all.

    69.

        To counsayle chamber come, a while we stayd
        For him, without whom nought was done or sayde:
        At last he came, and courteously excused,
        That he[1449] so long our patience had abused:
        And pleasauntly began to paint his cheere,
        And said: “My lord of _Elye_, would we had here
          Some of the strawberies, wherof you haue store:
          The last delighted me so as nothing more.”

    70.

        “Would, what so you[1450] wish, I mought as wel commaund,
        My lord,” quoth he, “as those:” and out of hand
        His seruaunt sendth to _Ely_ place for them:
        Out goeth from vs the restlesse deuil againe:
        Belike (I thinke) scarse yet perswaded ful,
        To worke the mischiefe that did mad his[1451] scul:
          At last determind of his bloudy thought
          And force ordaynde to worke the wyle he sought.

    71.

        Frowning he enters, with so chaunged cheare,
        As[1452] for mylde _May_ had chopped foule _Januere_:
        And lowring on me with the goggle eye,
        The whetted tuske, and furrowed[1453] forehead hye,
        His crooked shoulder bristellike set vp.
        With frothy iawes, whose foame he chawde and supd,
          With angry lookes that flamed as the fyer:
          Thus gan at last to grunt the grymest syre.

    72.

        “What meryte they, whom me[1454], the kingdome’s stay,
        Contryued haue counsayle traiterously to slay?”
        Abashed all sate: I thought I mought[1455] be bold,
        For conscience, clearnesse, and acquaintance old:
        “Their hire is playne,” quoth I, “be death the least
        To whoso seketh your grace so to molest:”
          Withouten stay: “The queene and the whore _Shore’s_ wyfe,
          By witchcraft,” quoth he, “seke to wast my life.

    73.

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

Opening the text

History

Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 2, Part 1

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

And hath he erst restraind his prouidence?
        Or is he nigard of his fre dispence?
        Or is he vncertayne foreset driftes to dryue?
        That not dame chaunce but he al goodes may giue
        A heathen god they hold whom fortune kepe,
        To deale them haps while God they wene asleepe:
          Mocke-gods they are and many gods induce,
          Who fortune fayne to father their abuse.

    68.

        How so it be, it mought[1448] haue warned me,
        But, what I could not, that in me see ye,
        Who runne in race, the honour like to win,
        Whose fairest forme nought may deforme but sin:
        Alas, when most I did defye all dread,
        By single heare death’s word hong ouer my head,
          For herke the end and listen now my fall:
          This is the last, and this the fruit of all.

    69.

        To counsayle chamber come, a while we stayd
        For him, without whom nought was done or sayde:
        At last he came, and courteously excused,
        That he[1449] so long our patience had abused:
        And pleasauntly began to paint his cheere,
        And said: “My lord of _Elye_, would we had here
          Some of the strawberies, wherof you haue store:
          The last delighted me so as nothing more.”

    70.

        “Would, what so you[1450] wish, I mought as wel commaund,
        My lord,” quoth he, “as those:” and out of hand
        His seruaunt sendth to _Ely_ place for them:
        Out goeth from vs the restlesse deuil againe:
        Belike (I thinke) scarse yet perswaded ful,
        To worke the mischiefe that did mad his[1451] scul:
          At last determind of his bloudy thought
          And force ordaynde to worke the wyle he sought.

    71.

        Frowning he enters, with so chaunged cheare,
        As[1452] for mylde _May_ had chopped foule _Januere_:
        And lowring on me with the goggle eye,
        The whetted tuske, and furrowed[1453] forehead hye,
        His crooked shoulder bristellike set vp.
        With frothy iawes, whose foame he chawde and supd,
          With angry lookes that flamed as the fyer:
          Thus gan at last to grunt the grymest syre.

    72.

        “What meryte they, whom me[1454], the kingdome’s stay,
        Contryued haue counsayle traiterously to slay?”
        Abashed all sate: I thought I mought[1455] be bold,
        For conscience, clearnesse, and acquaintance old:
        “Their hire is playne,” quoth I, “be death the least
        To whoso seketh your grace so to molest:”
          Withouten stay: “The queene and the whore _Shore’s_ wyfe,
          By witchcraft,” quoth he, “seke to wast my life.

    73.

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

Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 2, Part 1

Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 2, Part 1

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