Mirror for Magistrates, Volume 2, Part 1

What heart so hard, but doth abhorre to heare The rufull raigne of me the third Richard? King vnkindly calde, though I the crown did weare, Who entred by rigour, but right did not regard, By tyranny proceding in killing king Edward, Fift of that name, right heyr vnto the crowne, With Richard his brother, princes of renowne.

2.

Of trust they were committed vnto my gouernaunce, But trust turned to treason, too truly it was tryed, Both agaynst nature, duty, and alleigaunce, For through my procurement most shamefully they dyed: Desire of a kingdom forgetteth all kinred, As after by discourse it shalbe shewed here, How cruely these innocents in prison murdered[1757] were.

3.

The lords and commons all with one assent, Protectour made me both of land and king, But I therewith, alas, was not content: For minding mischife I ment another thing, Which to confusion in short time did mee bring: For I, desirous to rule and raigne alone, Sought crowne and kingdom, yet title had I none.

4.

To all peeres and princes a president I may bee, The like to beware how they do enterprise, And learne theyr wretched falles by my fact to foresee, Which rufull stand bewayling my chaunce before theyr eyes, As one cleane bereft of all felicityes: For right through might I cruelly defaced, But might helped right and mee agayne displaced.

5.

Alas, that euer prince should thus his honour stayne With the bloud of innocents, most shamefull to be tolde: For these two noble impes I caused to be slaine, Of yeares not full ripe as yet to rule and raigne: For which I was abhorred both of yong and olde, But as the deede was odious in sight of God and man, So shame and destruction in the end I wan.

6.

Both God, nature, duty, alleigaunce all forgot, This vile and haynous act vnnaturally conspyred:[1758] Which horrible deede done, alas, alas, God wot, Such terrours mee tormented, and my sprites[1759] fired As vnto such a murder and shamefull deede required, Such broyle dayly felt I breeding in my brest, Whereby, more and more, increased mine vnrest.

7.

My brother’s children were right heyres vnto the crowne, Whom nature rather bound to defend then destroy, But I not regarding theyr right nor my renowne, My whole care and study to this end did employe, The crowne to obtayne, and them both to put downe: Wherein I God offended, prouoking iust his ire, For this my attempt and most wicked desire.

8.

To cursed[1760] Cayn compare my carefull case, Which did vniustly slay his brother iust Abel: And did not I in rage make run that rufull race My brother duke of Clarence? whose deth I shame to tel, For that it was so straunge as it was horrible: For sure he drenched was, and yet no water neare, Which straunge is to bee tolde, to all that shall it heare.

9.

The but hee was not whereat I did shoote, But yet he stoode betweene the marke and mee, For had he liu’d,[1761] for mee it was no boote To tempt[1762] the thing that by no meanes could bee, For I third was then of my brethren three: But yet I thought the elder being gone, Then needes must I beare the stroke alone.

10.

Desire of rule made mee, alas, to rewe, My fatall fall I could it not foresee, Puft vp in pride, so hawty then I grewe, That none my peere I thought now could bee, Disdayning such as were of high degree: Thus dayly rising, and pulling other downe, At last I shot how to win the crowne.

11.

And dayly deuising which was the best way And meane, how I might my nephues both deuour: I secretly then sent, without furder delay, To Brackinbury, then lieutenaunt of the tower, Requesting him by letters to helpe vnto his power, For to accomplish this my desire and will, And that hee would secretly my brother’s children kill.

12.

He aunswered playnly with a flat nay, Saying that to dye hee would not doe that deede: But finding then a profer to my[1763] pray, “Well worth a friend (quoth[1764] I) yet in time of neede:” Iames Tyrrill hight his name, whom with all speede, I sent agayne to Brackinbury, as you heard before, Commaunding him deliuer the keyes of euery dore.

13.

The keyes hee rendred,[1765] but partaker would not be Of that flagitious fact. O, happy man, I say: As you haue heard before, he rather chose to dye, Then on those sely lambes his violent hands to lay: His conscience him pricked his prince to betraye, O constant minde, that wouldst not condiscend, Thee may I prayse, and my selfe discommend.

14.

What though hee refused, yet bee sure you may, That other were as ready to take in hand that[1766] thing, Which watched and wayted as duely for their pray, As euer did the cat for the mouse taking, And how they might their purpose best to passe bring: Where Tyrrill hee thought good to haue no bloud shed, Becast them to kill by smothering in their bed.

15.

The wolues at hand were redy to deuoure The seely lambes in bed, wheras they laye, Abiding death, and looking for the howre, For well they wist, they could not scape away: Ah, woe is mee, that did them thus betray, In assigning this vile deede to bee done, By Miles Forrest and wicked Ihon Dighton.

16.

Who priuely into their chamber stale, In secret wise somwhat before midnight, And gan the bed together tug and hale, Bewrapping them, alas, in wofull[1767] plight, Keping them downe, by force, by power, and might, With haling, tugging, turmoyling, turnde[1768] and tost, Tyll they of force were forced yeeld the ghost.

17.

Which when I heard, my hart I felt was eased Of grudge, of griefe, and inward deadly payne, But with this deede the nobles were displeased, And sayde: “O God, shall such a tyrant raygne, That hath so cruelly his brother’s children slayne?” Which bruit once blowen in the people’s ears, Their doloure was such, that they brast out in tears.

18.

But what thing may suffise vnto the gredy[1769] man, The more hee baths in bloud, the bloudier hee is alway: By proofe I do this speake, which best declare it can, Which onely was the cause of this prince’s decay: The wolfe was neuer gredier then I was of my pray: But who so vseth murder, full well affirme I dare, With murder shall bee quit, ere hee thereof beware.

19.

And marke the sequel of this begone mischiefe: Which shortly after was cause of my decay, For high and low conceiued such a griefe And hate agaynst mee, which sought, day by day, All wayes and meanes that possible they may, On mee to bee reuenged for this sinne, For cruelly murdering vnnaturally my kyn.

20.

Not only kyn, but king, the truth to say, Whom vnkindely of kingdome I bereft, His lyfe from him, I also raught[1770] away, With his brother’s, which to my charge was[1771] left: Of ambition beholde the worke and weft, Prouoking mee to do this haynous treason, And murder them, agaynst all right and reason.

21.