3. To whom shall I my many wrongs complaine? Since false traditions of those enuious times, Inuented by my foes, do yet remaine, Liuing to euery eye in forged rimes, As matter for the sceane obiecting crimes Vnto my charge, which firme in censure stands, Though nere enacted by my guiltlesse hands. 4. The long concealed griefe of discontent, Which for such vniust scandall I sustaine, Vp from the graue my grieued ghost hath sent, On such sterne people iustly to complaine, That vilifie my praise with lips prophane, Speaking what then the superstitious wits Vnto this age recorded haue in writs. 5. Could not the enuie of that age be quell’d With my last houre’s vntimely tragedie? Could not these burning veines with poison swell’d, Their deadly hate against me satisfie? O no, in death their malice will not die: For which now summon’d by the trumpe of fame, I gladly come to put away such shame. 6. My royall birth _Plantagenet_ can show, Stout _Cœur de Lion’s_ life declares the same, Who was the second sonne as thou dost know, Vnto king _Henrie_ second of that name, Who grew so great in wealth, in strength and fame, His yongest sonne I was, by name hight _Iohn_, Next after _Richard_ seated on the throne. 7. Thy lines with spot of that disloyaltie Against my sire, Ile not defile againe, Nor will I tell that false conspiracie Against my brother _Richard_, to obtaine From him his life, his kingdome, and his raigne: For he at large doth in his tragedie, Declare the manner of my treacherie. 8. Ambitious ayme at greatnesse in the state, Most incident to men of mightie mind, At first did bring me in my brother’s hate: Yet in the end such fauour I did find, That he to me, though I so most vnkind Did oft times seeke the fall of his renowne, Forgaue my fact, and gaue to me his crowne. 9. With free consent of all this kingdome’s peeres, Aduanc’d I was to all the royalties Of my late brother dead, and thrice three yeeres Inthron’d I was, before my haplesse eies Were made beholders of those miseries, Which in deep wanes of woe did England drowne, And brought confusion to my state and crowne. 10. In my first rise vnto the kingdome’s state, False France did frowne, and stirred vp the fire Conceal’d in ashes of our ancient hate, The yong duke _Arthur_, as he did require, Gainst vs rebell’d, and did with him conspire: Both stretching forth their enuious hands, to crop My new growen greene vpon our cedar’s top. 11.