Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 2, Part 1

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

Among which fooles, marke, _Baldwine_, I am one,
        That would not stay my selfe in mine estate:
        I thought to rule but to obay to none,
        And therefore fell I with my king at bate:
        And to the end I might him better mate,
          _Iohn Mortimer_ I caused my selfe bee called,
          Whose kingly bloud the _Henryes_ nigh had thralled.[794]

    8.

        This shift I vsed, the people to perswade
        To leaue their prince, on my side more to sticke,
        Whereas in deede my father’s name was _Cade_,
        Whose noble stocke was neuer worth a sticke:
        But touching wit I was both ripe and quicke,
          Had strength of limmes, large stature, comely face,
          Which made men weene my lynage were not base.

    9.

        And seeing stoutnes stucke by men in _Kent_,
        Whose valiaunt hearts refuse none enterprise,
        With false perswasions strayte to them I went,
        And sayd they suffered too great iniuries:
        By meane whereof I caused them to rise:[795]
          And battayle wise to come to _Blacke Heath_ playne,
          And thence their griefes vnto the king complaine.

    10.

        Who being deafe (as men say) on that eare,
        For wee desired release of subsedies,
        Refused roughly our requestes to heare,
        And came against vs as his enemies:[796]
        But wee to tary[797] him sought out subtilties,
          Remoued our campe, and backe to _Senocke_ went,
          After whome the _Staffords_ with their power was sent.

    11.

        See here how fortune setting vs a flote,
        Brought to our nets a portion of our pray:
        For why, the _Staffords_ with their army hote,
        Assayled vs at _Senocke_, where wee lay:
        From whence aliue they parted not away:
          Which whan the kinge’s retinue vnderstood,
          They all affirmed my quarell to bee good.

    12.

        Which caused the king, and queene, whom all did hate,
        To rayse their campe, and sodainly depart:
        And that they might the people’s grudge abate,
        To imprison[798] some full sore against their hart:
        Lord _Saye_ was one, whome I made after smart,
          For after the[799] _Staffords_ and their hoast was slaine,
          To _Blackeheath_ fielde I marched backe againe.

    13.

        And where the king would nothing heare before,
        Now was hee glad to send to knowe my minde:
        And I thereby enflamed much the more,
        Refused his grauntes, so folly made mee blinde,
        For this hee flewe and left lord _Scales_ behinde,
          To helpe the towne and strengthen _London_ tower,
          Towardes which I marched forward with my power.

    14.

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

Among which fooles, marke, _Baldwine_, I am one,
        That would not stay my selfe in mine estate:
        I thought to rule but to obay to none,
        And therefore fell I with my king at bate:
        And to the end I might him better mate,
          _Iohn Mortimer_ I caused my selfe bee called,
          Whose kingly bloud the _Henryes_ nigh had thralled.[794]

    8.

        This shift I vsed, the people to perswade
        To leaue their prince, on my side more to sticke,
        Whereas in deede my father’s name was _Cade_,
        Whose noble stocke was neuer worth a sticke:
        But touching wit I was both ripe and quicke,
          Had strength of limmes, large stature, comely face,
          Which made men weene my lynage were not base.

    9.

        And seeing stoutnes stucke by men in _Kent_,
        Whose valiaunt hearts refuse none enterprise,
        With false perswasions strayte to them I went,
        And sayd they suffered too great iniuries:
        By meane whereof I caused them to rise:[795]
          And battayle wise to come to _Blacke Heath_ playne,
          And thence their griefes vnto the king complaine.

    10.

        Who being deafe (as men say) on that eare,
        For wee desired release of subsedies,
        Refused roughly our requestes to heare,
        And came against vs as his enemies:[796]
        But wee to tary[797] him sought out subtilties,
          Remoued our campe, and backe to _Senocke_ went,
          After whome the _Staffords_ with their power was sent.

    11.

        See here how fortune setting vs a flote,
        Brought to our nets a portion of our pray:
        For why, the _Staffords_ with their army hote,
        Assayled vs at _Senocke_, where wee lay:
        From whence aliue they parted not away:
          Which whan the kinge’s retinue vnderstood,
          They all affirmed my quarell to bee good.

    12.

        Which caused the king, and queene, whom all did hate,
        To rayse their campe, and sodainly depart:
        And that they might the people’s grudge abate,
        To imprison[798] some full sore against their hart:
        Lord _Saye_ was one, whome I made after smart,
          For after the[799] _Staffords_ and their hoast was slaine,
          To _Blackeheath_ fielde I marched backe againe.

    13.

        And where the king would nothing heare before,
        Now was hee glad to send to knowe my minde:
        And I thereby enflamed much the more,
        Refused his grauntes, so folly made mee blinde,
        For this hee flewe and left lord _Scales_ behinde,
          To helpe the towne and strengthen _London_ tower,
          Towardes which I marched forward with my power.

    14.

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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