At which the father, touch'd with forrowing joy, Turn'd him about, (fhaking his head) and fays, "O my dear fon, worthy a better day, "To enter thy firft youth in hard affays!" And now had wrath, impatient of delay, Begun the fight, and farther speeches stays. Fury thrufts on; ftriving whofe fword fhould be First warmed in the wounds of th' enemy.

(q) The Lord Life was advised by his father to retire him out of the battle.

For lofing war abroad, at home loft peace; Bing with our unfupporting felves close pent; And no defigns for pride, (that did increase). Bat our own throats, and our own punishment: The working fpirit ceas'd not, though work did ceafe,

Having at time to practise discontent,

(r The death o John Lord Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, who ad fervet in the wars of France moit valiantly, for In space o 30 years.

The death of the Lord Life, fon to this worthy Earl of Shrewsbury

1453, anno regni 32 Thus was the duchy of Aquitain lott, which had remained in the poffeffion of the crown • England by the space almoft of 300 years. The right whereol came by the marriage of Kin: Henry II. with ElcaBut, daughter to Walam Duke of aquitain." In this duchy are 4 archbithe - 4 biliops, 50 calidoms, 202 baronies, and above 1000 captainthips and bailiwicks.

And ftir up fuch as could not long lie ftill; "Who not employ'd to good, must needs do ill.”

C11.

And now this grief of our received shame, Gave fit occafion for ambitious care, To draw the chief reproach of all the fame Of fuch as obvious unto hatred are, Th' efpecial men of state: Who all the blame Of whatsoever fortune doth must bear. For still in vulgar ears delight it breeds, To have the hated authors of misdeeds. Cill.

And therefore easily great («) Somerset (Whom envy long had fingled out before) With all the volley of difgraces met, As th' only mark that fortune plac'd therefore: On whofe ill-wrought opinion fpite did whet The edge of wrath, to make it pierce the more: And grief was glad t' have gotten now on whom To lay the fault of what must light on fome.

(w) York procures the hatred of the people against the Duke of Someriet; and fo wrought, in a time of the king's fickness that he cauled him to be arrested in the queen's great chainber, and sent to the Tower of London; accuống him to have been the occasion of the lofs of France: Buc the king being recovered, he was again fet at liberty, anno regni 22 The Duke of York perceiving his accufations not to prevail against the Duke of Somerlet, refolves to obtain his purpote by open war: And to bring in Wales, accom pared with his fpecial friends, affembled an army, and inaiched towards London.

That coming to the fea, the feems from far, Not to have tribute brought, but rather war :

CVIII.

Ev'n fo is York now grown; and now is bent 'T' encounter with the beft, and for the best: Whose near approach the (x) king haftes to prevent With hope (far off) to have his pow'r suppress'd; Fearing the city, left fome infolent

And mutinous, fhould hearten on the reft
To take his part. But he fo forward fet,
That at St. Albans both the armies met.

CIX.

Whereto their hafte far fewer hands did bring, Than elfe their better leisure would have done; And yet too many for fo foul a thing; Sith who did beft, hath but difhonour won. For whilft fome offer peace, fent from the king, Warwick's too forward hand hath war begun; A war, that doth the face of war deform; Which still is foul, but foulest wanting form.

CX.

And never valiant leaders (fo well known
For brave performed actions done before)
Did blemish their difcretion and renown
In any weak-effected service more;

(x) King Henry fets forward from London with 20,000 men of war, to encounter with the Duke of York: attended with Humphrey Duke of Buckingham, and Humphrey

his fon, Earl of Stafford, Edmund Duke of Somerset, Henry Piercy Earl of Northumberland, James Butler, Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond, Jafper, Earl of Pembroke, the fon of Owen Tudor, half brother to the king, Thomas Courtney, Earl of Devonthire, John Lord Clifford, the Lords Sudley,

Barnes, Rofs, and others.

The Duke of York, with the lords, pitched their battel without the town, in a place called Keyfield: And the king's power (to their great difadvantage) took up the town; where being affailed, and wanting room to use their power, were miferably overthrown and flaughtered. On the king's fide were flain, Edmund Duke of Somerset; who left behind him three fons, Edmund, Henry, and John. Here was alfo flain, the Earl of Northumberland, the Earl of Stafford, the Lord Clifford, Sir Robert Vere, with divers

others, to the number of 5000; and on the lords part, but

600. And this was the firft battel at St. Albans, May 23. anno regni 33. The Duke of York, with other lords, came

to the king where he was, and craved grace and forgivenefs on their knees, of that that they had done in his prefence; intending nothing but for the good of him and his kingdom: With whom they removed to London; concluding there to hold a parliament the 9th of July following.

Bringing fuch pow'rs into so straight a town,
As to fome city-tumult or uproar :
Which flaughter (and no battle) might be thoug
Sith that fide us'd their fwords, and this th
throat.

CXI.

But this on th' error of the king is laid, And upon Somerfet's defire t' obtain The day with peace; for which they longer stay Than wifdom would, advent'ring for the main Whofe force in narrow streets once overlaid, Never recover'd head; but ev'n there flain The duke and all the greatest leaders are, The king himself b'ing taken prifoner.

CXII.

Yet not a pris'ner to the outward eye, For that he must seem grac'd with his loft day All things b'ing done for his commodity, Against fuch men as did the state betray. For with such apt-deceiving clemency, And seeming order, York did so allay That touch of wrong, as made him make gr ftealth

In weaker minds, with fhew of commonwealth

CXIII.

Long-look'd-for pow'r thus got into his han The former face of court doth new appear; And all th' (y) efpecial charges of command To his partakers diftributed were. Himself is made protector of the land; A title found, which covertly did bear All-working pow'r under another style; And yet the fov'reign part doth act the while.

CXIV.

The king held only but an empty name, Left with his life; whereof the proof was fuch As fharpeft pride could not tranfpierce the fame Nor all-defiring greedinefs durft touch: Impiety had not enlarg'd their fhame And yet fo wide, as to attempt so much. Mischief was not full ripe for fuch foul deeds; Left for th' unbounded malice that fucceeds.

(y) Richard Earl of Salisbury made Lord Chancellor, a the Earl of Warwick Governor of Calais.

5