CAMBER

My Lord. The grief of Niobe fair Athens queen, For her seven sons magnanimous in fi ld, For her seven daughters fairer then the fairest, Is not to be compared with my laments. And in the fields of martial Cambria, Close by the boisterous Iscans silver streams, Where lightfoot fairs skip from bank to bank, Full twenty thousand brave courageous knights Well exercised in feats of chivalry, In manly manner most invincible, Young Camber hath with gold and victual, All these and more, if needs shall more require, I offer up to venge my brother's death. The armestrong offspring of the doubted knight, Stout Hercules Alcmena's mighty son, That tamde the monsters of the threefold world, And rid the oppressed from the tyrants yokes, Did never show such valiantness in fight, As I will now for noble Albanact. So may we judge by her lamenting words. Oh Locrine hath she not a cause for to be sad? If she have cause to weep for Humbers death, And shed salt tears for her overthrow, Locrine may well bewail his proper grief, Locrine may move his own peculiar woe, He being conquered died a speedy death, And felt not long his lamentable smart, I being conqueror, live a lingering life, And feel the force of Cupid's sudden stroke. I gave him cause to die a speedy death, He left me cause to wish a speedy death. O that sweet face painted with nature's die, Those ros all checks mizt with a snowy white, That decent neck surpassing ivory, Those comely breasts which Venus well might spite, Are Like to snares which wily fowlers wrought Wherein my yielding heart is prisoner catch. The golden tresses of her dainty hair Which shine Like rubies glittering with the sun, Have so entrapped poor Locrines lovesick heart, That from the same no way it can be won. How true is that which oft I herd declared, One dram of joy, must have a pound of care. I uncle death is our common enemy, And none but death can match our matchless power Witness the fallen of Albioneus crew, Witness the fallen of Humber and his Huns, And this foul death hath now increased our woe, By taking Corineus from this life, And in his room leaving us world's of care. Pardon my brother noble Corineus, Pardon this once and it shall be amended.