HERMON

If you with stubborn and untamed pride Had stood against him in rebellious wise, Or if with grudging mind you had envied So slow a sliding of his aged years, Or sought before your time to haste the course Of fatal death upon his Royal head, Or stained your Stock with murder of your kin: Some face of reason might perhaps have seemed To yield some likely cause to spoil you thus. Was this not wrong? yea ill advised wrong To give so mad a man so sharp a sword, To so great peril of so great mishap, Wide open thus to set so large a way. If nature and the Gods had pinched so Their flowing bounty and their noble gifts Of Princely qualities from you my Lord And powrde them all at ones in wasteful wise Upon your father's younger son alone: Perhaps there be that in your prejudice Would say that birth should yield to worthiness: But sith in eke good gift and Princely Act You are his match, and in the chief of all In mildness and in sober governance You far surmount: And sith there is in you Sufficing skill and hopeful towardness To wielded the whole, and match you Elders praise I see no cause Why you should lose the half, Ne would I wish you yield to such a lose: Lest your mild sufferance of so great a wrong Be deemed cowardish and simple dread: Which shall give courage to the fiery head Of your young Brother to invade the whole, While yet therefore sticks in the peoples mind The loathed wrong of your disheritance, And ere your Brother have by settled power, By guile full cloak of and alluring show, God him some force and favour in this Realm And while the noble Queen your mother lives, To work and practice all for your avail Attempt redress by Arms, and wreak your self Upon his life, that gains by your lose, Who now to shame of you, and grief of us In your own kingdom triumphs over you: Show now your courage meet for kingly estate That they which have avowed to spe ̄ worser their goods Their lands, their lives & honours in your cause, May be the bolder to maintain your part Johan they do see that coward fear in you, Shall not betray ne sail their faithful hearts. If ones the death of Porrex end the strife, And pay the price of his usurped Reign, Your Mother shall persuade the angry King, The Lords your friends eke shall appease his rage For they be wise, and well they can foresee, That ere long time your aged father's death will bring a time when you shall well requite Their friendly favour, or their hateful spite. Yea, or their slackness to advance your cause Wise men do not so hang on passing state Of present Princes, chiefly in their age. But they will further cast their reaching eye To view and weigh the times & reigns to come Ne is it likely though the king be wroth That he yet will, or that the Realm will bear Extreme revenge upon his only son: Or if he would, what one is he that dare Be ministre to such and enterprise. And here you be now placed in your own Amid your friends, your vassals & your strength We shall defend and keep your person safe Till either counsel turn his tender mind Or age, or sorrow end his weary days But if the fear of Gods and secret grudge Of Nature's Law, repining at the fact, Withhold your courage from so great attempt: Know you that lust of kingdoms hath no Law The Gods do bear and well allow in kings The things they abhor in rascal routs. When kings on slender quarrels ron to wars And than in cruel and unkindly wise, Counterfeit ̄ mand thefts, rapes, murder of Innocentes To spoil of towns, & reigns of mighty realms Think you such Princes do suppress them selves Subject to Laws of kind and fear of Gods, Yet none offence, but decked with glorious name Of noble Conquests in the hands of kings, Murders and violent thefts in private men Are heinous crimes and full of foul reproach: But if you Like not yet so hight devise, Ne list to take such vantage of the time. But though with great peril of your state You will not be the first that shall invade, Assemble yet your force for your defence, And for your safety stand upon your guard.