Behynde hym fyve-and-twenty moe Wyth bended bowe echone ynne hande, Seincte Jameses Freers marched next, Thenne came the maior and eldermenne, And after them a multitude Of citizens dydd thronge; The wyndowes were alle fulle of heddes And whenne hee came to the hyghe crosse, Att the grete mynster wyndowe sat Soone as the sledde drewe nyghe enowe The brave Syr Charles hee dydd stande uppe, "Thou seest me, Edwarde! traytour vile! Expos'd to infamie; Butt bee assur'd, disloyall manne! I'm greaterr nowe thanne thee. "Bye foule proceedyngs, murdre, bloude, "Thou thynkest I shall dye to-daie ; I have been dede 'till nowe, "Whylst thou, perhapps, for som few yeares, Shalt rule thys fickle lande, To lett them knowe howe wyde the rule 'Twixt kynge and tyrant hande: Thye pow'r unjust, thou traytour slave ! Shall falle onne thye owne hedde.”Fromm out of hearyng of the kynge Departed thenne the sledde. Kynge Edwarde's soule rush'd to hys face, Hee turn'd hys hedde awaie, And to hys broder Gloucester Hee thus dydd speke and saie: "To hym that soe much dreaded dethe, Ne ghastlie terrors brynge, Beholde the manne! hee spake the truthe, Hee's greater thanne a kynge!" "Soe lett hym die!" Duke Richard sayde; "And maye echone oure foes Bende downe theyre neckes to bloudie axe, And feede the carryon crowes." And nowe the horses gentlie drewe Syr Charles dydd uppe the scaffold goe, As uppe a gilded carre Of victorye, bye val'rous chiefs And to the people hee dyd saie, VOL. V. N "As longe as Edwarde rules thys lande, Ne quiet you wylle knowe: Your sonnes and husbandes shalle bee slayne, And brookes wythe bloude shall flowe. "You leave your goode and lawfulle kynge Lyke mee, untoe the true cause stycke, Thenne hee, wyth preestes, uponne hys knees, Thenne, kneelynge downe, hee layd hys hedde And oute the bloude beganne to flowe, And teares, enow to washe 't awaie, The bloudie axe hys bodie fayre And ev'rye parte, and eke hys hedde, Uponne a pole was putte. One parte dyd rotte onne Kynwulph-hylle, One onne the mynster-tower, And one from off the castle-gate The crowen dydd devoure: The other onne Seyncte Powle's goode gate, A dreery spectacle; Hys hedde was plac'd onne the hyghe crosse, Ynne hyghe-streete most nobile. Thus was the ende of Bawdin's fate : |