PORREX

ANd is it thus? And does he so prepare Against his Brother as his mortal foe? And now while yet his aged father lives: Neither regards be him? nor fears he me? War would he have? and he shall have it so. Rid me of fear? I fear him not at all: Ne will to him, ne to my father send If danger were for one to tarry there Think you it safely to return again. In mischiefs such as Ferrex now intends The wanted courteous Laws to Messengers Are not observed, which in joust war they use, Shall I so hazard any one of mine? Shall I betray my trusty friend to him? That hath disclosed his treason unto me? Let him entreat that fears, I fear him not: Or shall I to the king my father send? Yea and send now while such a mother lives That loves my Brother and that hates me? Shall I give leisure by my fond delays To Forrex to oppress me at unware? I will not, but I will invade his Realm And seek the Traitor Prince within his Court Mischief for mischief is a endue reward. His wretched head shall pay the worthy price Of this his Treason and his hate to me Shall I abide, entreat and send and pray? And hold my yelden throat to Traitors knife? While I with valiant mind & conquering force Might rid my self of foes: and win a Realm, Yet rather when I have the wretches head, Than to the king my father will I send, The booteles case may yet appease his wrath: If not I will defend me as I may. Neither Oh king, I can or will deny But that this hand from Ferrex life hath reft: Which fact how much my doleful heart does wail O would it might as full appear to sighed As inward grief does pour it forth to me, So yet perhaps if ever ruthefull heart Melting in tears within a manly breast Through deep repentance of his bloody fact If ever grief, if ever woeful man Might move regreite with sorrow of his fault, I think the torment of my mournful case Known to your grace, as I do feel the same, Would force even wrath her self to pity me. But as the water troubled with the mud Shows not the face which else the eye should see, Even so your Ireful mind with stirred thought, Can not so perfectly discern my cause. But this unhap, amongst so many heaps I must content me with, most wretched man, That to my self I must refer my woe In pining thoughts of mine accursed fact: Since I may not show here my smallest grief Such as it is, and as my breast endures, Which I esteem the greatest misery Of all mishaps that Fortune now can send. Not that I rest in hope with plaints and tears Should purchase life: for to the Gods I clepe For true record of this my faithful speech, Never this heart shall have the thoughtful dread To die the death that by your Graces dome By joust desert, shall be pronounced to me: Nor never shall this tongue ones spend this speech Pardon to crave, or seek by suit to live: I mean not this as though I were not touchde With care of dreadful death, or that I held Life in contempt: but that I know, the mind Stoups to no dread, although the flesh be frail, And for my gilded, I yield the same so great As in my self I find a fear to sue For grant of life. Yet this, Oh father, hear; And than I end: Your Majesty well knows, That when my Brother Ferrex and my self By your own hest were joined in governance Of this your Graces Realm of Britain Land I never sought nor travailed for the same, Nor by my self, or by no scende I wrought But from your highness will alone it sprung, Of your most gracious goodness bent to me, But how my Brother's heart even than re med With swollen disdain against mine egali rule Sing that Realm, which by dissent should grow Wholly to him, allotted half to me? Even in your highness Court he now remains, And with my Brother than in nearest place Who can record, what proof thereof was showed And how my brother's envious heart appeared Yet I that judged it my part to seek His favour and good will, and loath to make Your highness know, the thing which should have brought Grief to your grace, & your off ̄ ce to him Hoping by earnest suit should soon have won A loving heart within a Brother's breast Wrought in that sort that for a pledge of love And faithful heart, he gave to me his hand. This made me think, that he had banished quite All rancour from his thought and bore to me Such hearty love, as I did owe to him: But after once we left your Graces Court And from your highness presence lived apart This equal rule still, still did grudge him so That now those Envious sparks which erst lay raked In living cinders of dissembling breast, Kindled so far within his hates disdain That longer could he not refrain from proof Of secret practice to deprive me life By Poisons force, and had bereft me so. If mine own Servant hired to this fact And moved by truth w to hate to work the same, In time had not bewrayed it unto me: When thus I saw the knot of love unknit All honest League and faithful promise broke The Law of kind and troth thus rend in twain His heart on mischief set, and in his breast Black treason hid then, then did I despair That ever time could win him friend to me Than saw I how he smiled with slaying knife Wrapped under cloak, then saw I deep deceit Lurk in his face and death prepared for me: Even nature moved me than to hold my life More deer to me than his, and bade this hand Since by his life my death must needs ensue, And by his death my life to be preserved: To shed his blood, and seek my safety so. And wisdom willed me without protract In speedy wise to put the same in use. Thus have I told the cause that moved me To work my Brother's death and so I yield My life, my death to judgement of your grace.