How King Richard the second was for his euill gouernaunce deposed from his seate, in the yeare 1399, and murdered in prison[384] the yeare following.

1. Happy is the prince, that hath in welth the grace To followe vertue, keeping vices vnder,[385] But woe to him whose will hath wisdome’s place: For who so renteth right and lawe asunder, On him at length all the worlde shall wonder: High byrth, choyce fortune, force, nor princely mace,[386] Can warrant king or keyser fro the case: [Shame sueth sinne, as rayne drops doe the thunder:[387] Let princes therefore vertuous life embrace,[388] That wilfull pleasures[389] cause them not to blunder.] 2. Behold my hap, see how the seely rout On mee doo gaze,[390] and ech to other say: See where hee lyeth, but late that was so stout,[391] Loe how the power, the pride, and rich aray Of mighty rulers[392] lightly fade away: The king, which erst kept all the realme in doute, The veriest rascall now dare checke and floute:[393] [What moulde bee kinges made of, but carion clay?[394] Behold his woundes how blew they bee about, Which while hee liued, thought[395] neuer to decay.] 3. Mee thinke I heare the people thus deuise: Wherefore, Baldwine, sith thou wilt declare[396] How princes fell, to make the liuing wise, My lawlesse life[397] in no poynt see thou spare, But paynt it out, that rulers may beware Good counsayle, lawe, or vertue to despise: For realmes haue rules, and rulers haue a sise, [Which if they breake, thus much to say I dare[398] That eyther’s griefes the other shall agrise Till one[399] bee lost, the other brought to care.] 4. I was a king, who ruled all by lust, Forcing but light of[400] justice, right,[401] or lawe, Putting alwayes flatterers false in trust,[402] Ensuing such[403] as could my vices clawe, By faythfull counsayle passing not an hawe,[404] As pleasure prickt, so needes obay I must: Hauing delight to feede and serue the gust,[405] [Three meales a day could scarse content my mawe:[406] Mee liked least to torney or to just, To Venus sport my fancy did mee[407] drawe:][408] 5. Which to mayntayne, my people were sore polde[409] With fines, fifteenes, and loanes by way of prest,[410] Blanke charters,[411] othes, and shiftes not knowne of olde, For which the commons[412] did mee sore detest:[413] I also solde the noble towne[414] of Brest, My fault wherein because mine vncle tolde, [(For prince’s actes may no wise bee[415] controlde)] I found the meanes his bowels to vnbrest,[416] [The worthy peeres, which his cause did vpholde[417] With long exile, or cruell death opprest.][418] 6. None ayde I lackt in[419] any wicked deede, For gaping gulles whome I promoted had, Would furder all in hope of higher meede: There can no king imagine[420] ought so bad, But shall finde some that will[421] performe it glad:[422] For sicknes seldome doth so swiftly breede, As humours ill doe growe[423] the griefe to feede: [Thus kinge’s estates of all bee worst[424] bestad, Abusde in welth, abandoned at neede, And nerest harme when they bee least adrad.] 7. My life and death the trueth of this hath tryde:[425] For while I fought in Ireland with my foes, Mine vncle Edmund[426] whome I left to guide My realme at home, rebelliously arose Percyes to helpe,[427] which plied my depose:[428] And calde fro Fraunce earle Bolenbroke, whom I Exiled had for ten yeares there to lye:[429] [Who cruelly did put to death all those[430] That in mine ayde durst looke but once awrye, Whose numbre was but slender I suppose.][431] 8. For comming backe this soden stur[432] to stay, The earle of Worcester whome[433] I trusted moste, (Whiles I in Wales at Flint my castle[434] lay, Both to refresh and multiply myne hoste) There[435] in my hall, in sight of least and most,[436] His staffe did breake, which was my householde stay,[437] Bad ech make shift, and rode himselfe away: [See princes, see the strength whereof wee bost, Whom most wee trust, at neede doe vs betray: Through whose false fayth my land and life I lost.][438] 9. My stuard false, thus being fled and gone, My seruants sly shranke of on euery side, Then caught I was and led vnto my foen, Who for theyr prince no pallace did prouide, But pryson strong, where Henry puft with pride Causde mee resigne my kingly state and throne:[439] And so forsaken and left as post[440] alone, [These hollow friendes, by Henry soone espyed, Became suspect, and fayth was giuen to none, Which caused them from fayth agayne to slyde.][441] 10. And strayt conspyrde[442] theyr newe king[443] to put downe, And to that end a solemp[444] oth they swore, To render mee my royall seate[445] and crowne: Whereof themselues depriued mee before: But late medcynes can help no sothbynde sore:[446] When swelling flouds haue ouer flowen the towne, To late it is to saue them that shall drowne: [Till sayles bee spred a ship may keepe the shore, No anker holde can keepe the vessel downe, With streme and stere perforce it will bee bore.][447] 11. For though the peeres set Henry in his state,[448] Yet could they not displace him thence agayne: And where they easely depriued[449] mee of late,[450] They could restore mee by no manner payne:[451] Thinges hardly mend, but may bee mard amayne, And when a man is fallen in[452] froward fate, Still mischiefs light one on[453] another’s pate: [And meanes well meant all mishaps[454] to restrayne Waxe wretched mones, whereby his ioyes abate, Due proofe whereof in this appeared playne.][455] 12. For whan the king did know[456] that for my cause, His lordes in maske[457] would kill him on a night,[458] To dash all doubtes hee tooke no farder pause, But Pierce of Exton, a cruell murdering[459] knight, To Pomfret castle sent him, armed bright,[460] Who causelesse kild mee there against all lawes,[461] Thus lawles life to lawles death ey drawes: [Wherefore bid kinges bee rulde and rule by right: Who worketh his will, and shunneth wisedome’s sawes, In snares of woe, ere hee bee ware, shall light.][462]