“Emma, but only England’s queene in name, _Edward_ and _Alfred_, her two sonnes doth greet From England’s chiefest peeres, who do reclaime You both from exile, and do thinke it meet, That you in Normandie should rigge some fleet, And crosse the seas your father’s right to claime, They all will be assistant in the same. 22. Strike the hard steele, while yet the fire is in, Slip not occasion put into your hand, The tyrant _Harrold_ daily seekes to win The peeres vnto his aid, who yet will stand In your defence, and hazard life and land: Then come with speed, for warre we will prepare, The way is plaine, the time doth proffer faire.” 23. This in effect their letters testifie, Which did my forward thoughts so much excite, That though my brother then in Hungarie Were absent farre, yet to obtaine our right, I tooke the seas with many a Norman knight: But cursed be that voyage euermoe Whose end did end my life with bitter woe. 24. Woe worth the ground, where grew the towring mast, Whose sailes did beare vs through the water’s rore, Woe worth the winde, that blew the banefull blast, Woe worth the waue, whose surge so swiftlie bore My tragick barke to England’s fatall shore, Woe worth the mast, the sailes, winde, waues and all, That causelesse did conspire poore _Alfrede’s_ fall. 25. Why were not they by cruell fates assign’d To giue that due to death? which death did craue, On ragged rockes, O why did I not finde A milder death? why was the darksome waue Vpon my way not made my bodie’s graue? Ah why, why did they let my forward feete Once touch the shore, such cruell death to meete? 26. After our ships had brought vs to the shore And giuen vs vp as captiues to the land, At Guilford downe, a place so call’d of yore, A fatall place to me, did _Godwin_ stand To entertaine me and my Norman band, Who with the shew of true fidelitie Did maske the face of his false treacherie. 27. He did imbrace me round with treason’s armes, And fawnd vpon me with a villaine’s smile, His lookes were blith to hide his purposde harmes, His words, which graced were with sugred stile, Made musike in mine eares, and to beguile Suspition’s self a solemne vow he made Against all aduerse power my part to aide. 28.