DUNSTAN

Your Graces care herein I much cummend, And England hath joust cause to praise the Lord, That sent so good a King to govern them, Your life may be a Lantern to the state, By perfect sign of humility. How blessed had Sodom be in sighed of God, If they had had so kind a Governor, They had then undoubtedly e captain that doom, That God in justice did inflict on them: Then England kneel upon thy hearty knee, And praise that God, that so provides for thee. And virtuous Prince, thou Salomon of our age, Whose years I hope shall double Nestor's reign, And bring a thousand profits to the land: My self (dread Prince) in token of my love, And dutiful obedience to your Grace, Will study daily, as my duty wills, To root sins from the flourishing common wealth. That Fame in every angle of the world, May found endue praise of England's Virtuous King. I will attend upon your Majesty, Here your Grace hath showed your see fe to be Edgar so famed for love and virtuous government. And I pray God your Grace may live to be Long England's king to reign with verity. It it please your Worship, this is the man, That wrongfully would have my farm from me, Facing me down that he hath paid me that, Which he never offered, nor I never received: And this day he hath promised to make proof, That he hath paid me full four hundred pound. Why, I am sure he will not say it, I never saw the man in all my life. Yet ere thou speak, vouchsafe to hear me speak, Full three score Winter's Gentle sir I have passed, And age hath brought grey hairs upon my head. Look but upon my face, and thou shalt see, The perfect pattern of humility. Thou man of worth, or citizen, what ere thou be, Weigh but my charge, and then thou wilt not swear I have five sons, all pretty tender ba es, That live upon the farm that he would have, Twelve hundred sheep do feed upon the plains, That year lie bring a great increase to me, Beside a hundred Oxen fatly fed: That every Winter feed within my stalls, And twenty poor men living near my house, I daily feed, and all upon my Farm: Go but among my neighbours, where I dwell, And hear what good report they give of me. The poor man never yet went from my door, But to my power I did relieve his want: I was no Farmer that enriched my self: By raising markets and oppressing poor, But I have sold my corn full many times A better rate, than I could well afford, And all to help my needy brothers: Then ere thou swearest, call all these things to mind, And thou wilt weep, and leave to swear untruths, Confusion to thy body and thy soul. In my opinion (my Lord) he merits death. Tell me what means the King? But I'll prevent him, follow me invisible. If it please your Grace to think it good, Dunston will say as once Hefestion did, When Alexander won rich Macedone, That what so ere the King himself thought meet, He would in dutiful obedience yield unto: And so says Dunston to your Majesty. For many times such simple men bring that to pass That wiser heads cannot attain unto, For doubtless he hath some device in hand, Whereby to find such subtle knavery. I do not think, my gracious Lord, My Nephew Ethenwald bears that bade mind, For hither odd he hath be termed joust, And kept your Grace his gracious favourer. My gracious Lord, if I might counsel you, I would counsel you to judge as be deserves, He that disdains his Father in his want, And wilfully will disobey his Sire, Deserves (my Lord) by Gods and Nature's laws, To be rewarded with extremest illes: Then as your Grace hath established laws for government, So let Offenders feel the penalties, My Liege, such loathsome weeds must needs infect the corn, Such Cankers perish both the root and branch, Unless they be soon spied and weeded out: If is please your Grace pardon me, and give me leave I would gladly bring my Nephew on the way. Have patience good my Lord, and call to mind How you have lived praised for virtuous government, You have subdued lust unto this day, be reputed wise in government, And will you lemish all your honours God, being term a foul Adulterer. I charge thee by the eternal living God, That keeps the Prince of darkness bound in chains, And by that Sun, that thou wouldst gladly see, By heaven and earth, and every living thing, Tell me that which I did demand of thee. But where is the king? MOst gracious Prince, vouchsafe to hear me speak, In that the law of kindred pricks me on, And though I speak contrary to your mind, Yet do I built on hope you will pardon me. Were I as eloquent as Demosthenes, Or like Isocrates were given to Oratory: Your Grace no doubt will think the time well spent, And I should gain me commendations: But for my note is tuned contrary, I must entreat your Grace to pardon me, if I do jar in my deli very. 'Tis not enough, where lust does move the offence. May pardon me, for I will speak my mind, Your Grace may call to mind proud Marius fallen, That through his wilful mind, lost life and empire, And Nimrod, that built huge Babylon, And thought to make a tour to check the clouds, Was soon dismayed by unknown languages: For no one knew what any other spoke, Which made him to confess, though it too late, He had made offence in temp king of the Lord. Remember David, Salomon and the rest, Nor had proud Holofernes lost his head, Had he not be a foul Adulterer. I, my good Lord, Dunston could well allow of it, If so your Grace would marry Alfrida. of favors as of a Marigold flower, shines openeth her leaves, And with the least cloud closeth again: Or like the Violets in America, that in summer yield and odiffe rous smell, And in winter a most infectious savour: For at every full sea they flourish, or at every dead open they vade: The fish Palerna being perfect white in the calm, Yet turns black with every storm: Or like the trees in the deserts of Africa, That flourish but while the southwest wind blows: Even so (my Lord) is the favours of kings to them they favour, For as their favours give life, so their frowns yield death. Nay, if it be so, then Ethenwald shall not die, since reaties can not serve the turn: I ll make make proof for once what Art will do, A Counseller may speak if he see his prince offend. Did you but see the man, I am assure, You would not choose but pardon Ethenwald. I tell thee perin, were the Earl in place, Thou wouldst eat these words uttered in his disgrace, Veni Asmoroth, & in good time see where he comes. It is my gracious rd, & this is Ethe ̄ walled That lays his breast wide open to your Grace, If so it please your Grace to pardon him. Asmoroth away, My gracious Lord, Dunston will not for get This unknown favour shown Earl Ethenwald, For which account my Nephew and my self, Do yield both life's and goods at your dispose. And if your Grace call Abrams tale to mind, When that Egyptian Pharo craved his wife, You will no doubt forgive my Nephews gilded, Who by the merry jest he showed your Grace, Did save your Honour and her chastity.