Great Britain -- History -- Poetry; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Sources
And thou braue _Sackuile_, _Buckhurst_ third-borne birth,
Who in these warres didst change thy life for fame,
Although thy bones lie tomb’d in stranger earth,
Yet in thy countrie liues thy noble name
And honor’d friends, that still record the same:
For though blacke death triumph ore humane breath,
Yet vertue’s deeds do liue in spight of death.
370.
Many more valiant men of no meane birth,
Whose names obscur’d, are yet not come to light,
Being slaine, did falling kisse their mother earth,
And with their foreheads trode the ground in fight,
Against vntruth t’aduance great _Burbon’s_ right,
Who by their valour, fighting for renowne,
Did at the length in peace enioy his crowne.
371.
Thus Albion’s mistresse as an angell sent,
The sonnes of men from hel’s blacke prince to saue,
The world’s vsurped rule from Rome did rent,
And from her yoke sweet freedome’s comfort gaue
To those her neighbours, that her helpe did craue,
Restoring princes to their royaltie,
Debas’d by Rome’s insulting tyrannie.
372.
The which when that seuen-headed beast beheld,
Who proudly treads vpon the necks of kings
With indignation his high stomack sweld,
And of the adulterate sect forthwith he wings
Many bald priests t’enact pernicious things,
Those close confessors, that most vse their skill
To worke the weaker sex vnto their will.
373.
[Sidenote: _An. eodem. 34._]
With these the bifront Iesuits, that cloake
Themselues in diuers shapes, did seeke againe,
Against their prince the people to prouoke,
And with pretence of zeale did thinke to traine
Their loyall hearts against their soueraigne:
But these their base attempts tooke no euent,
Seeing prudent Ioue their plots did still preuent.
374.
For at this time, the Irish _Oroick_,
That bloodie traytour to this kingdome’s state,
That with his vtmost diligence did worke
With Rome and Spaine to execute their hate,
Being most secure of his vntimely fate,
Preuented was, in what he did pretend
In his foule treason by a traytor’s end.
375.
For after all his plots at length he came
To proffer seruice to that roiall king,
Now monarch of this ile, and in his name,
All Ireland in subiection he would bring,
If he would shroud him with his soueraigne wing;
But he braue prince, t’whom traitors hatefull beene,
Did send that traitor to our noble queene.
376.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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