21.

I deckte my corps with plumes (I say) and winges,
And had them set, thou seest, in scilfull wise,
With many feats, fine poyseing equall thinges,
To ayde my selfe in flight to fall or rise,

An arte men seldome vse mine enterprise:"

[Somwhat] gaynst store of winde, by practise rise I could, And try'd which way to turne, and mount, and lyght 1 should.*

22.

But er the perfect scill I learned had,

(And yet mee thought I could doe passing well)
My subiects' hearts with pleasaunt toyes to glad,
From Temple's top, where did Apollo dwell,
1 'sayd to flye, but on the Church I fell,

And broysed all to peeces lost my life withall.
This was my race, mine exercise and fatall fall.'

23.

What vayner thing could any Prince deuise,
Than so himselfe a foolish fowle to showe:

Learne you by mee, that count your selues so wise,
The worst to doubt of thinges, what ere you know,

Fly not so high for feare you fall so lowe :

The massy wight is far to great for fethery downe to beare; Below ye happy man knowes when tis well, & can contēt bym there.'

24.

These curious artes alurementes haue alone,
They profer much in recompence of payne:
But yet among'st a thousand scarce is one
In practise, ought by them can saue or gayne.
You see perdy they are but false and vayne

7 Few men did euer vse like enterprise. N.

And turne and winde at last which way I would. N.
And in the fall I lost. N.

2 In their effects they are. N.

This was my race, this was my fatall fall, N.

Be wise in artes exceed not wisdome's bound,
The depth of arte by wit may not be found. N.

Sophisticall, deceiptfull, [endlesse] and vntrue,

That nothing haue them selues, and promise all to you.4

25.

I speake not of the rest that are in vse
Amongst the wiser sort, Philosophy,
Nor of the partes thereof, but of th'abuse
That comes by magicke arts of imagery,

By vile inchauntments, charmes, and pampestry,

All which I deeme (and they shall finde in proofe) as euill That practise them, as is (by whom they deale) the diuell.

26.

To make an end: you noble Kinges content
Your selues with studies seruing for the state:
You Lordes also with all your wits inuent

What way t'eschewe the Prynce and people's hate.
Yee subiects loue your Prynce, eschewe debate.

I wish you all beware to clime, or flee, or soare to hie,
For feare you tomble downe, or slip, or fall, as erst did I.

• That nothing haue yet promise all to you. N.

6

All which by nature are abhor'd as euill,
Practisde by fooles, inuented by the diuell. N.
Beware of climing high,

Lest that you helpelesse fall, as erst did I. N.
THE AUTHOUR.

When Bladud thus had ended quite his tale,
And tolde his life as you haue heard before:
He toke his flight, and then a Lady pale
Appeard in sight, beraide with bloudy gore:
In hande a knife of sanguine dye she bore:

And in her breste a wounde was pearced wyde,
So freshly bledde, as if but than she dyde.
She staide a while, her coulour came and went,
And doubtful was that would haue tolde hir paine:
In wofull sort she seemed to lament,

And could not wel her tongue from talke refraine.
For why her griefes vnfolde she would right faine,
Yet bashfull was: at length an ende to make,
Hir Morpheus wild, and then thus wyse she spake.

LENUOY.

1.

Who so that takes in hand the aire to scale,
As Bladud here did take on him to flie:
Or Dedal's sonne (as Poets tell the tale)
Yong Icarus, that flew (they say) so hie:
Or else as Simon Magus flew perdy:

Though nere so well his plumes and winges hee decke,
By sea h'is droun'd, by land hee breakes his necke.

2.

On ground is surest place for men to goe,

But yet take heede and let your ground bee good:
The surest footing is perdy beloe,

Who styes the aire 1 count his dealing wood :
The slender buildings hauty, feoble stoode,

On high the tempests haue much powre to wrecke:
Then best to bide beneath, and surest for the necke.

3.

King Bladud yet might here commended bee,

For that hee loued learning all his daies:
Eke for hee built an Vniuersity.

At Staneford first, hee well deserued praise,
But now his nice Cordila here assaies,

From bleeding breast, to tell her woefull wrecke,

With knife in hand her desperate death to decke.

HOW QVEENE QVEENE CORdila in dispaire slew her selfe, The yeare before Christ,

800.

1.

F any woefull wight haue cause to wayle her woe,
Or griefs are past do pricke vs Princes tell our fall :
My selfe likewise must needes constrayned eke doe so,
And shew my like misfortunes and mishaps withall.
Should I keepe close my heauy haps and thrall,

Then did I wrong: 1 wrong'd my selfe and thee,
Which of my facts a witnes true maist bee.

2.

A woman yet must blush when bashfull is the case,
Though trueth bid tell the tale and story as it fell :
But sith that I mislike not audience, time, nor place,
Therefore I cannot keepe my woes in counsaile' well.
No greater ease of heart then griefes to tell,

It vaunteth all the dolours of our minde,
Our carefull hearts thereby great comfort finde.

3.

For why to tell that may recounted bee agayne,
And tell it as our cares may compasse ease:
That is the salue and medicine of our payne,
Which curethi corsies all and sores of our disease:
It doth our pinching panges and paynes apease:
It pleads the part of an assured friend,

And tells the trade, like vices to amend.

4.

Therefore if I more willing bee to tell my fall,

With my mishaps to ease my burdened breast and minde:

'Cannot still keepe in my counsaile. ed. 1575.

" And shew mishaps. ib.

Some others haply may auoide and shunne the thrall,
And thereby for distresse more aide and comfort finde.
They keeping measure, whereas I declin'd,

May bee as prompt to flies like brute and blame
As I to tell, or thou to write the same.

5.

Wherefore if thou wilt afterwards record

What Queene Cordila tells' to ease her inward smarte,
I will recite my story tragicall ech word,

To thee that geu'st an eare, and ready art.8
But lest I set the horse behinde the cart,

I minde to tell ech thing in order, so,

As thou maist see and shew whence sprang my woe.

6.

My grandsire Bladud hight, that found the bathes by skill,
A fethered King that practis'd highe to soare

Whereby hee felt the fall, God wot against his will,
And neuer went, road, raygnd, nor spake, nor flew no more,
After whose death my father' Leire therefore

Was chosen King, by right apparent heyre,
Which after built the towne of Leircestere.

7.

Hee had three daughters, first and eld'st hight Gonerell,
Next after her his yonger Ragan3 was begot:

The third and last was I the yongest, nam'd Cordell.
Vs all our father Leire did loue to well, God wot.+
Buts minding her that lou'd him best to note,

3 That. ed. 1575.

5 And willing be to flye. ib.

4 May keep. ib.

For sith I see thee prest to heare that wilt recorde. ib. 7 What I Cordila tell. ib.

To thee that giu'st an eare to heare and ready art. ib.

9 Practisde for to flye and soare. ib.

1 Who dead his sonne my father. ib.

2 He had three daughters faire the first hight Gonerell. N.

3 My sister Ragan. ed. 1575.

♦ And of vs all our father deire in age did dote, ib.

5 So. ib.