SERVANT

My gracious Queen, as no man might surmount The constant faith I bear my souraine lord, So do I think, for love and trusty zeal, No son you have, does owe you more than I: For hereunto I am by duty bound, With service meet no less to honour you, Than that renowned prince your dear father. And as my duties be most infinite, So infinite, must also be my love: Then if my life or spending of my blood May be employed to do your highness good, Command (Oh Queen) command this carcase here. In spite of death to satissie thy will, So, though I die, yet shall my willing ghost Contentedly forsake this withered corpse, For joy to think I never showed my self Ingrateful once to such a worthy Queen. Oh luckless babe, begotten in woeful hour. "Experience proves, and daily is it seen, "In vain, too vain man strives against the heavens. Oh fierce aspect of cruel planets all, That can decree such seas of heinous faults. No marvel, though the golden Sun withdrew His glittering beams from such a sinful fact. How could it be, that knowing he had done So foul a blot, he would remain alive? Of others all, most cause have we to moan Thy woeful smart (Oh miserable Queen) Such and so many are thy grievous harms. The mighty Gods prevent so fowl a deed. O thunbridled minds of ambitious men. Small space God wot, to stint so great a strife. (Oh noble Queen) sith unto such affairs My speedy diligence is requisite, I will apply effectually to do What so your highness hath commanded me. "The simple man, whose marvel is so great "At stately courts, and princes regal seats, "With gazing eye but only does regard "The golden gloss that outwardly appears, "The crowns bedecked with pearl and precious stones, "The rich attire embossed with beaten gold, "The glittering mace, the pomp of swarming train, "The mighty halls heaped full of flattering friends, "The huge chambers, the goodly gorgeous beds, "The guilted roofs, embowde with curious work, "The sweet faces of fine disdaining dams, "The vain suppose of wanton reign at Lust: "But never views with eye of inward thought, "The painful toil, the great and grievous cares, "The troubles still, the new increasing fears, "That princes nourish in their jealous breasts: "He wayeth not the charge that Jove hath laid "On princes, how for themselves they reign not: "He weens, the law must stoop to princely will, "But princes frame there noble wills to law: "He knoweth not, that as the boisterous wind "Does shake the tops of highest reared towers, "So does the force of forward fortune strike "The wight that highest sits in haughty state. Lo Oedipus, that sometime reigned king Of The ane soil, that wonted to suppress The mightiest Prince, and keep him under check, That fearful was unto his foreign foes, Now Like a poor afflicted prisoner, In dungeon dark, shut up from cheerful light, In every partly so plagued with annoy, As he abhors to lead a longer life, By means whereof, the one against the other His wrathful sons have planted all their force, And Thebes here, this ancient worthy town, With threatening siege girded in on every idem, In danger lies to be subverted quite, If help of heavenly Jove uphold it not, But as dark night succeeds the shining day, So lowering grief comes after pleasant joy. Well now the charge his highness did command I must fulfil, though happily all in vain.