Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 2, Part 1

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

And as ill grayne is neuer well ykept,
        So fared it by vs within a while:
        That which so long with such vnrest wee reapt,
        In dread and daunger by all wit and wile,
        Loe, see the fine, when once it felt the whele
          Of slipper fortune, stay it mought no stowne,
          The wheele whurles vp, but strayt it whurleth downe.

    37.

        For hauing rule and riches in our hand,
        Who durst gaynesay the thing that wee averd?
        Will was wisedome, our lust for law did stand,
        In sort so straunge, that who was not afeard,
        When hee the sounde but of king _Richard_ heard?
          So hatefull waxt the hearing of his name,
          That you may deeme the residue of[1602] the same.

    38.

        But what auaylde the terrour and the feare,
        Wherwith he kept his lieges vnder awe?
        It rather wan him hatred euery where,
        And fayned faces forc’d by feare of lawe:
        That but, while fortune doth with fauour blawe,
          Flatter through feare: for in theyr heart lurkes aye
          A secret hate that hopeth for a daye.

    39.

        Recordeth _Dionisius_ the king
        That with his rigour so his realme opprest,
        As that hee thought by cruell feare to bring
        His subiects vnder, as him liked best:
        But, loe, the dread wherewith him selfe was strest,
          And you shall see the fine of forced feare,
          Most miroir like, in this prowd prince appeare.

    40.

        All were his head with crowne of gold ysprad,
        And in his hand the royall scepter set:
        And hee with princely purple richly clad,
        Yet was his heart with wretched cares orefret:
        And inwardly with deadly feare beset,
          Of those whom hee by rigour kept in awe,
          And sore opprest with might of tyraunt’s lawe.

    41.

        Agaynst whose feare no heapes of gold and glie,
        No strength of gard, nor all his hyred powre,
        Ne prowde high towres, that preaced to the skie,
        His cruell heart of safty could assure:
        But dreading them whom hee should deeme most sure,
          Him selfe his beard with burning brand would ceare,
          Of death deseru’d so vexed him the feare.

    42.

        This might suffice to represent the fine
        Of tyraunt’s force, theyr feares, and theyr vnrest:
        But heare this one, although my heart repine
        To let the sounde once sinke within my brest:
        Of fell _Phereus_, that, aboue the rest,
          Such lothsome cruelty on his people wrought,
          As, oh, alas, I tremble with the thought.

    43.

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 as ill grayne is neuer well ykept,
        So fared it by vs within a while:
        That which so long with such vnrest wee reapt,
        In dread and daunger by all wit and wile,
        Loe, see the fine, when once it felt the whele
          Of slipper fortune, stay it mought no stowne,
          The wheele whurles vp, but strayt it whurleth downe.

    37.

        For hauing rule and riches in our hand,
        Who durst gaynesay the thing that wee averd?
        Will was wisedome, our lust for law did stand,
        In sort so straunge, that who was not afeard,
        When hee the sounde but of king _Richard_ heard?
          So hatefull waxt the hearing of his name,
          That you may deeme the residue of[1602] the same.

    38.

        But what auaylde the terrour and the feare,
        Wherwith he kept his lieges vnder awe?
        It rather wan him hatred euery where,
        And fayned faces forc’d by feare of lawe:
        That but, while fortune doth with fauour blawe,
          Flatter through feare: for in theyr heart lurkes aye
          A secret hate that hopeth for a daye.

    39.

        Recordeth _Dionisius_ the king
        That with his rigour so his realme opprest,
        As that hee thought by cruell feare to bring
        His subiects vnder, as him liked best:
        But, loe, the dread wherewith him selfe was strest,
          And you shall see the fine of forced feare,
          Most miroir like, in this prowd prince appeare.

    40.

        All were his head with crowne of gold ysprad,
        And in his hand the royall scepter set:
        And hee with princely purple richly clad,
        Yet was his heart with wretched cares orefret:
        And inwardly with deadly feare beset,
          Of those whom hee by rigour kept in awe,
          And sore opprest with might of tyraunt’s lawe.

    41.

        Agaynst whose feare no heapes of gold and glie,
        No strength of gard, nor all his hyred powre,
        Ne prowde high towres, that preaced to the skie,
        His cruell heart of safty could assure:
        But dreading them whom hee should deeme most sure,
          Him selfe his beard with burning brand would ceare,
          Of death deseru’d so vexed him the feare.

    42.

        This might suffice to represent the fine
        Of tyraunt’s force, theyr feares, and theyr vnrest:
        But heare this one, although my heart repine
        To let the sounde once sinke within my brest:
        Of fell _Phereus_, that, aboue the rest,
          Such lothsome cruelty on his people wrought,
          As, oh, alas, I tremble with the thought.

    43.

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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