That of King Richard's Counsel we came to be full nigh, To creep into whose favour we were full fine and sly; Alway to his profit, where any word might sound, That way, all were it wrong, the sense we did expound.

r

13.

So working law like wax, the subject was not sure
Of life, land, nor goods, but at the Prince's will,
Which caused his kingdom the shorter time to dure;
For claiming power absolute both to save and spill,
The Prince thereby presumed his people for to pill;
And set his lust for law, and will had reason's place;
No more but hang and draw; there was no better

grace.

14.

The King thus transcending v the limits of his law;
Not reigning but raging by youthful insolence,
Wise and worthy persons did fro the Court withdraw;*
There was no grace ne place for ancient prudence.
Presumption and pride, with excess of expence, *
a Possessed the palace, and pillage the country;
Thus all went to wreck unlike of remedy. *

* From Court did daylye drawe.

y Sage counsell set at naught, proud vaunters were in price.

z And roysters bare the rule, which wasted al in vyce.

Of ryot and excesse grew scarcitie and lacke;

Of lacking came taxing, and so went wealth to wracke.

15. The

15.

The Barony of England not bearing this abuse,

Conspiring with the Commons assembled by assent, And seeing neither reason, nor treaty could induce The King in any thing his rigour to relent,

Maugre his might they call'd a Parliament,

Frank and free for all men, without check to debate,
As well for weal public, as for the Prince's state.

16.

In which Parliament much things was proponed
Concerning the regally and rights of the crown,
By reason King Richard, which was to be moned,
Full little regarding his h honour and renown,
By sinister i advice had turned all upsodown,i
For surety of whose estate them thought it did behove
His corrupt counsellors from him1 to remove,

17.

Among whom, Robert Vere, called Duke of Ireland,

With Michael Delapole, of Suffolk new-made Earl, Of York also the Archbishop, dispatch'd were out of hand, m

With Brembre, of London Mayor," a full uncourteous

churl;

Some learned in the law, in exile they did hurl:

But I, poor Tresilian, because I was the chief,

Was damned to the gallows most vilely P as a thief,

The Barons of the land. c • Princely mynde.

f That.

d High assemblye.

Touching the Prince's state, his regally and crowne.
h Without regard at all of.

8 Add

much."

18.

hands

Lo the fire of falsehood, the stipend of corruption,
Fie on stinking lucre, of all unright the lure!
Ye Judges and ye Justicers, let my most just punition
Teach you to shake off bribes and keep your
Riches and promotion be vain things and unsure;
The favour of a Prince is an untrusty stay;
But Justice hath a fee that shall remain alway.

19.

What glory can be greater before" God or Man,

V

pure:

Than by the paths of equity in judgment to proceed?

W

So duly and so truly the laws always to scan,

That right may take his place without reward or meed,
Set apart all flattery and vain worldly dread:

Take God before your eyes the just y judge supreme;
Remember well your reckoning at the day extreme!

20.

Abandon all affray, be soothfast in your saws;

Be constant and careless of mortal man's displeasure; With eyes shut and hands close you should pronounce

the laws;

a

Esteem not worldly hire; think there is a treasure,

More worth than gold or stone, a thousand times in

valure,

Reposed for all such as righteousness ensue,
Whereof you cannot fail; the promise made is true.

9 The fickle fee of fraud, the fruites it doth procure.

r Ye Judges now living.

u More greater in sight of.

w Omit "so."

z Clos'd.

s Our just. t Add "All."

By paths of justice.

* Justice may take place. y Righteous.

a Weigh not this worldly mucke.

21.

If some in latter b days had called unto mind

The fatal fall of us for wresting of the right, d The statutes of this land they should not have defin'd So wilfully and wittingly against the sentence quite: d * But though they scaped pain, the fault was nothing light, Let them that come hereafter both that and this compare, And weighing well the end, they will, I trust, beware.*

When Master Ferrers had finished this tragedy,' which seemed not unfit for the persons touched in the same, another which in the mean time had stayed upon Sir Roger Mortimer, whose miserable end, as it should appear, was somewhat before the others, said as followeth: Although it be not greatly to our purpose, yet in my judgment I think it would do well to observe the times of men, and as they be more ancient so to place them. For I find that before these, of whom Master Ferrers here hath spoken,

i

b Judges in our. c Law, and.

d Such statutes as touch life should not be thus defin'd

By senses constrained against true meaning quite.
* As well they might assume the black for to be white,
Wherefore we wish they would our act and end compare,
And weighing well the case, they wyl, we trust, beware.

f When finished was this Tragedy.

Finis G. F.

8 Add "Earl of March, and heir apparent of England.” Purposed matter.

i These great infortunes.

* Their several plaintes.

j Add "in time."

* Niccols's edition follows principally the edition of 1578 in this Legend, but occasionally it copies the edition of 1569, and in a few trifling words differs from both,

1

there were two Mortimers, the one hanged m in Ede ward the third's time out of our date, another slain in Ireland in Richard the Second's time, a year before the fall of these Justices: whose history sith it is notable and the example fruitful, it were pity to overpass it. And therefore by your licence and agreement, I will take upon me the personage of the last, who full of wounds, miserably mangled, with a pale countenance and grisly look, may make his moan to Baldwin, as followeth.

P

[Here follows the Legend of the Mortimers.]

My readers who are unacquainted with The Mirror for Magistrates, will now be able to form an idea of its origin and progress; and will possess a tolerable specimen of its execution. The Legend here inserted however must be admitted to possess but little of the character of real poetry. The whole is very prosaic, and I have yet seen nothing of FERRERS, which entitles him to the praise of genius. But it is Warton's opinion, that many stanzas both by him and Baldwin, have considerable merit, and often shew a command of language and versification. But their performances have not the pathos, which the subject so naturally suggests. They give us, yet often with no common degree of elegance and perspicuity, the Chronicles of Hall and Fabian in verse."

"