Who trusts too much to[1572] honour’s highest throne, And warely[1573] watch not sly dame fortune’s snares: Or who in court will beare the swinge[1574] alone, And wisely weigh not how to wield the care, Behold hee mee, and by my death beware: Whome flattering fortune falsely so beguylde, That, loe, she slewe, where erst full smooth she smilde. 2. And, _Sackuille_, sith in purpose now thou hast The wofull fall of princes to descryue, Whom fortune both vplift, and eke[1575] downe cast, To shew thereby th’vnshurty[1576] in this life, Marke well my fall, which I shall shew belyue, And paynt it forth, that all estates may knowe: Haue they the warning, and be mine the woe. 3. For noble bloud made mee both prince and peere, Yea peereles too, had reason[1577] purchast place, And God with giftes endowde mee largely heere: But what auayles his giftes where fayles his grace? My mother’s sire sprong of a kingly race, And cald was _Edmund_ duke of _Somerset_, Bereft of life ere time by nature set. 4. Whose faythfull heart to _Henry_ sixt so wrought, That neuer hee him in[1578] weale, or woe, forsooke, Till lastly hee at _Tewkesbury_ fielde was cought, Where with an axe his violent death hee tooke: Hee neuer could king _Edward’s_ party brooke, Tyll by his death hee voucht that quarell good, In which his sire and graundsire spilt theyr bloud. 5. And such was erst my father’s cruell chaunce, Of _Stafforde_ earle, by name that _Humfrey_ hight, Who euer prest did _Henrye’s_ part auaunce, And neuer ceast, till at _S. Albane’s_ fight Hee lost his life, as then[1579] did many a knight: Where eke my graundsire, duke of _Buckingham_, Was wounded sore, and hardly scapt vntane. 6. But what may boote to stay the sisters three? When _Atropos_ perforce will cut the thred: The dolefull day was come, when you might see _Northampton_ fielde with armed men orespred, Where fate would algates haue my graundsire dead: So, rushing forth amids the fiercest fight, Hee liu’d[1580] and dyde there in his maister’s right. 7. In place of whom, as it befell my lot, Like on a stage, so stept I in straite way, Enioying there, but woefully, God wot, As hee that had a slender part to play: To teach thereby, in earth no state may stay, But as our partes abridge, or length our age, So passe wee all, while others fill the stage. 8.