Where liuing well belou'd, my ioyes encreast:
I gate more fauou in that Prince his sight,
Then euer Princesse of a Princely wight.
But while that I these ioyes so well enioy'd in Fraunce,
My father Leire in Britayne waxt vnweldy old.
Whereon his daughters more themselues aloft t'aduaunce
Desir'd the Realme to rule it as they wolde.
Their former loue and friendship waxed cold,
Their husbands rebels voyde of reason quite
Rose vp, rebeld, bereft his crowne and right:
Caus'd him agree they might in parts equall2
Deuide the Realme, and promist him a gard
2 Betwixt their husbands twaine they causde him to agree. N.
(Quoth he) your prince his pleasure to fulfill,
I graunt and giue my daughter as you craue:
But nought of me for dowry can she haue.
King Aganippus well a greed to take me so,
Hee deemde that vertue was of dowries all the best
And I contented was to Fraunce my father fro
For to depart, and hoapte t'enioye some greater rest.
I maried was, and then my ioyes encreaste,
A gate more fauoure in this Prince his sight,
Then euer Princesse of a princely wight.
But while that I these ioyes enioyd at home in Fraunce,
My father Leire in Britayne waxed aged olde,
My sisters yet them selues the more aloft t'aduaunce,
Thought well they might, be by his leaue, or sans so bolde:
To take the realme and rule it as they wolde.
They rose as rebels voyde of reason quite,
And they depriu'de him of his crowne and right.
Then they agreed, it should be into partes equall
Deuided and my father threscore knightes and squires
Of sixty Knights on him attending still at call.3
But in six monthes such was his hap to hard,
That Gonerell of his retinue barde
The halfe of them, shee and her husband reft:
And scarce alow'd the other halfe they left.
Eke as in Albany lay hee lamenting fates,*
When as my sister so sought all his vtter spoyle:
The meaner vpstart courtiers thought themselues his mates,
His daughter him disdayn'd and forced not his foyle.
Then was hee fayne for succoure his to toyle
With halfe his trayne to Cornwall, there to lie
In greatest neede, his Ragan's loue to try.
So when hee came to Cornwall, shee with ioy
Receiued him, and Prince Maglaurus did the like.
There hee abode a yeare, and liu'd without anoy :
But then they tooke all his retinue from him quite
3 Of sixtic Knights that on him should attendant bee. N.
+ As thus in his distresse he lay lamenting fates. N.
Should alwayes haue, attending on him still at call.
But in sixe monthes so much encreasid hateful Ires,
That Gonerell denyde all his desires,
So halfe his garde she and her husband refte :
And scarce alowde the other halfe they lefte.
Eke as in Scotlande thus he lay lamenting fates,
When as his daughter so sought all his vtter spoyle,
The meaner vpstart gentles, thought them selues his mates
And betters eke, see here an aged Prince his foyle,
Then was he fayne for succoure his, to toyle,
With all his knightes, to Cornewall there to lye:
In greatest nede his Ragan's loue to trie.
And when he came to Cornwall, Ragan then with ioye,
Receiu'd him and eke hir husband did the like:
There he abode a yeare and liu'de without anoy,
But then they tooke, all his retinue from him quite
Saue only ten, and shew'd him daily spite :
Which hee bewayl'd complayning durst not striue,
Though in disdayne they last alow'd but fiue.
What more despite could deuelish beasts deuise,
Then ioy their fathers woefull days to see?
What vipers vile could so their King despise,
Or so vnkinde, so curst, so cruell bee?
From thence agayn hee went to Albany,
Where they bereau'd his seruaunts all, saue one,
Bad him content him selfe with that, or none.
Eke at what time hee ask'd of them to haue his gard,
To gard his noble grace where so hee went:
They cal'd him doting foole, all his requests debard,
Demaunding if with life hee were not well content :
Then bee to late his rigour did repent
Gaynst mee, my sisters' fawning loue that knew,
Found flattery false, that seem'd so faire in vew.
Saue only ten, and shewde him dayly spite,
Which he bewailde complaining durst not striue,
Though in disdayne they last alowde but fiue.
On this he deemde him selfe was far that time vnwyse,
When from his daughter Gonerell to Ragan hee
Departed erste yet eache did him poore king despise:
Wherfore to Scotlande once againe with hir to bee,
And bide he went: but beastly cruell, shee
Bereau'de him of his seruauntes all saue one,
Bad him content him selfe with that or none.
Eke at what time he askte of eache to haue his garde,
To garde his grace where so he walkte or wente:
They calde him doting foole and all his hestes debarde,
Demaunded if with life he could not be contente.
Then he to late his rigour did repente
Gainst me, and sayde, Cordila nowe adieu :
I finde the wordes thou toldste mee to to true.
To make it short, to Fraunce hee came at last to mee,
And told mee how my sisters euell their father vsde.
Then humbly I besought my noble King so free,
That he would aide my father thus by his abusde:
Who nought at all my humble hest refusde,
But sent to euery coast of Fraunce for aide,
Whereby King Leire might home bee well conueyde.
The souldiours gathered from ech quarter of the land
Come at the length to know the noble Prince's will:
Who did commit them vnto captaynes euery band,
And I likewise of loue and reuerent meere good will
Desir'd my Lord, hee would not take it ill,
If I departed for a space withall,
To take a part, or ease my father's thrall.
Hee graunted my request: Thence wee ariued here,
And of our Britaynes came to aide likewise his right
And to be short, to Fraunce he came alone to mee,
And tolde me how my sisters him our father vsde:
Then I besought my king with teares vpon my knee,
That he would aide my father thus by them misusde,
Who nought at all my humble heste refusde:
But sent to euery coaste of Fraunce for ayde,
Wherwith my father home might be conueide.
The soldiours gathered from eche quarter of the land,
Came at the length to know the king his mind and wil:
Who did commit them to my father's aged hand,
And I likewise of loue and reuerent mere goodwill
Desirde my king, he would not take it ill,
If I departed for a space withall:
To take a parte, or ease my father's thrall.
This had: I partid with my father from my fere,
We came to Britayne with our royal campe to fight:
Full many subiects, good and stout that were:
By martiall feats, and force, by subiects sword and might, The British Kings were fayne to yeeld our right:
Which wonne, my father well this Realme did guide Three yeares in peace, and after that hee dyde.
Then I was crowned Queene this Realme to hold,"
Till fiue yeares past I did this Island guyde:
I had the Britaynes at what becke I would,"
Till that my louing King mine Aganippus dide :
But then my seat it faltered on ech side,
My sisters sonnes began with mee to iarre :
And for my crowne wagde with mee mortall warre."
The one hight Morgan Prince' of Albany,
And Conidagus King of Cornwall and of Wales:
6 And I was Queene the kingdome after stil to holde. ed. 1575. 7 Becke and bay I wolde. ib. 8 Two churlishe impes. ib.
9 This stanza follows in edir. 1575.
The one hight Morgan th' elder sonne of Gonnerell,
My sister, and that other Conidagus hight.
My sister Ragan's sonne, that lou'de me neuer well,
Both nephewes mine yet would against mee Cordell fight,
Because I lou'de always that semed right;
Therefore they hated mee and did
Their aunte and Queene as she had bene a jewe.
This Morgane was that time the Prince. ib.
And manly fought so long our enmies vanquisht were
By martial feates, and force by subiects sword and might.
The Brityshe kinges were faine to yelde our right:
And so my father well this realme did guide,
Three yeares in peace and after that he dide.
Then I at Leircester in Ianus temple, made
His tombe, and buried there his kingly regall corse,
As sondry tymes in life before he often bade:
For of our father's will we then did greatly force,
We had of conscience eke so much remorce,
That we supposde those childrens liues to ill:
Which brake their father's testament, and will.
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