Behold this feeble bodie pin’d away With hunger’s waste, which once so stoutly bore Our Sauiour’s badge in many a bold assay: Behold the place where eyes haue stood before, Now filled vp with blacke congealed gore: Behold blind _Beauchampe_ duke of Normandie, New crept from graue to tell his tragedie. 5. A prince I was borne of the Norman blood, To that victorious king the eldest sonne, Who with his Normans, like a furious flood From southerne seas did England ouerrun, And to his heires the golden garland wonne, Though heau’ns and fortune neuer would agree, That of the same I should possessor bee. 6. When fortune’s gentle hand had set the crowne Vpon his happie head, when all assaies Of his bold foes in field were beaten downe, To me his eldest borne my state to raise, The Norman dukedome with such long delaies Assigned was, that I being set on fire For such protract, turn’d rebell ’gainst my sire. 7. Like lustie Phaeton, that gaue th’assay, To guide the head-strong horses of the sunne, Puft vp with pride to seeke his owne decay, Gainst conquering _William_ his rebellious sonne, T’aspire the dukedome violently begun, And fier’d with heat of gaysome youth did venter, With warlike troopes the Norman coast to enter. 8. The false French _Philip_ dreading euery houre, The towring state of my vnconquer’d sire, Gaue life to my attempt, and sent a powre Of tall strong men, as fuell for the fire Of my ambition, lest I should retire, And faint in pursuit of the warre begun, Betwixt my sire and me his gracelesse sonne. 9. As th’hungrie flame growen powerfull by degrees, And flying on wings of winde throughout a wood, With thirstie tongue lickes vp the leauie trees, Or as the rising of some stormie flood: So blinded with neglect of humane good, My natiue Normandie I did inuade, Making her soile the spoile of Mars his blade. 10. To whose distresse the wrathfull conqueror came Through sea’s rough waues, wilde furie was his guide, Cursing my birth, ’gainst me he did exclame, And in reuenge affection set aside, He vow’d to scourge my most vnnaturall pride, Setting his second birth yong _Rufus_ hight, Before me in his loue, and in my right. 11.