"Ah, goddelyke Henrie! Godde forefende,

"And guarde thee and thye sonne, "Yff 'tis hys wylle; but yff 'tis nott, "Why thenne bys wylle bee donne.

"My honest friende, my faulte has beene
"To serve Godde and mye prynce ;
"And thatt I no tyme-server am,

My dethe wylle soone convynce.
"Ynne Londonne citye was I borne,
"Of parents of grete note;
"My fadre dydd a nobile armes
"Emblazon onne hys cote:

"I make ne doubte butt hee ys gone
"Where soone I hope to goe;
"Where wee for ever shall bee blest,
"From oute the reech of woe:

"Hee taughte mee justice and the laws
"Wyth pitie to unite;

"And eke hee taughte mee howe to knowe "The wronge cause frommn the ryghte:

"Hee taughte mee wythe a prudent hande "To feede the hungrie poore,

"Ne lette my servants dryve awaie "The hungrie fromme my doore:

"And none can saye, butt alle mye lyfe "I have hys wordyes kept;

"And summ'd the actyonns of the daie "Eche nyghte before I slept.

"I have a spouse, goe aske of her, "Yff I defyl'd her bedde?

"I have a kynge, and none can laie "Blacke treason onne my hedde.

"Ynne Lent, and onne the holie eve, "Fromme fleshe I dydd refrayne; "Whie should I thenne appeare dismay'd "To leave thys worlde of payne?

"Ne! hapless Henrie! I rejoyce, "I shalle ne see thye dethe;

"Moste willynglie ynne thye just cause
"Doe I resign my brethe.

"Oh fickle people! rewyn'd londe !
"Thou wylt kenne peace ne moe;
"Whyle Richard's sonnes exalt themselves,
"Thye brookes wythe bloude wylle flowe.
"Saie, were ye tyr'd of godlie peace,
"And godlie Henrie's reigne,

"Thatt you dydd choppe youre easie daies
"For those of bloude and peyne?

"Whatte tho' I onne a sledde be drawne,
"And mangled by a hynde,
"I doe defye the traytor's pow'r,
"Hee can ne harm my mynde;

"Whatte tho', uphoisted onne a pole,
"Mye lymbes shall rotte ynne ayre,
"And ne ryche monument of brasse
"Charles Bawdin's name shall bear;

"Yett ynne the holie booke above,
"Whyche tyme can't eate awaie,
"There wythe the servants of the Lorde
"Mie name shall lyve for aie.

"Thenne welcome dethe! for lyfe eterne
"I leave thys mortall lyfe :

"Farewell, vayne worlde, and alle that's deare,

"Mie sonnes and lovynge wyfe;

"Nowe dethe as welcome to mee comes,

"As e'er the moneth of Maie;

"Nor woulde I even wyshe to lyve,

"Wyth my dere wyfe to staie."

Quod Canynge, ""Tys a goodlie thynge

"To bee prepar'd to die;

"And from thys world of peyne and grefe

"To Godde ynne Heav'n to flie."

And nowe the bell beganne to tolle,
And claryonnes to sounde;
Syr Charles hee herde the horses feete
A prauncyng onne the grounde.

And just before the officers,

His lovynge wyfe came ynne, Weepynge unfeigned teeres of woe, Wythe loude and dysmalle dynne.

"Sweet Florence! nowe I praie forbere, "Ynne quiet lett mee die;

"Praie Godde, thatt ev'ry Christian soule
"Maye looke onne dethe as I.

"Sweet Florence! why these brinie teeres?
"Theye washe my soule awaie,
"And almost make mee wyshe for lyfe,
"Wythe thee, sweete dame, to staie.

""Tys butt a journie I shalle goe
"Untoe the lande of blysse ;
"Nowe, as a proofe of husbande's love,
"Receive thys holie kisse."

Thenne Florence, fault'ring ynne her saie,
Tremblynge these wordyes spoke,
"Ah, cruele Edwarde! bloudie kynge!
"Mie herte ys welle nyghe broke:

"Ah, sweete Syr Charles! why wilt thou goe, "Wythoute thye lovynge wyfe?

"The cruelle axe thatt cuttes thy necke,
"Ytte eke shall ende my lyfe."

And nowe the officers came ynne
To brynge Syr Charles awaie,
Whoe turnedd toe hys lovynge wyfe,
And thus toe her dydd saie:

"I goe to lyfe, and nott to dethe;

"Truste thou ynne Godde above,

"And teache thye sonnes to feare the Lorde, "And ynne theyre hertes hym love:

"Teache them to runne the nobile race "Thatt I theyre fader runne:

"Florence! shou'd dethe thee take-adieu!

"Yee officers, lead onne."

Thenne Florence rav'd as anie madde,

And dydd her tresses tere;

"Oh! staie, mye husbande! lorde! and lyfe !"Syr Charles thenne dropt a teare.

'Tyll tyredd oute wythe ravynge loud,
Shee fellen onne the flore;

Syr Charles exerted alle hys myghte,
And march'd from oute the dore.

Uponne a sledde hee mounted thenne,
Wythe lookes fulle brave and swete;
Lookes, thatt enshone ne more concern
Thanne anie ynne the strete.

Before hym went the council-menne,
Ynne scarlett robes and golde,
And tassils spanglynge ynne the sunne,
Muche glorious to beholde :

The Freers of Seincte Augustyne next
Appeared to the syghte,

Alle cladd ynne homelie russett weedes,
Of godlie monkysh plyghte:

Ynne diffraunt partes a godlie psaume
Moste sweetlie theye dydd chaunt;
Belynde theyre backes syx mynstrelles came,
Who tun'd the strunge bataunt.

Thenne fyve-and-twentye archers came;

Echone the bowe dydd bende,

From rescue of kynge Henrie's friends
Syr Charles forr to defend.

Bolde as a lyon came Syr Charles,

Drawne onne a clothe-layde sledde,

Bye two blacke stedes ynne trappynges white, Wyth plumes uponne theyre hedde:

Behynde hym fyve-and twentye moe

Of archers stronge and stoute,

Wyth bended bowe echone ynne hande,
Marched ynne goodlie route:

Seincte Jameses Freers marched next,
Echone hys parte dydd chaunt;
Behynde theyre backes syx mynstrells came,
Who tun'd the strunge bataunt:

Thenne came the maior and eldermenne,
Ynne clothe of scarlett deck't;
And theyre attendyng menne echone,
Lyke Easterne princes trickt:

And after them, a multitude
Of citizenns dydd thronge:

The wyndowes were aile fulle of heddes,
As hee dydd passe alonge.

And whenne hee came to the hyghe crosse,
Syr Charles dydd turne and saie,
"O Thou, thatt savest manne fromme synne,
"Washe mie soule clean thys daie!"

At the grete mynsterr wyndowe sat
The kynge ynne mycle state,

To see Charles Bawdin goe alonge
To hys most welcom fate.

Soone as the sledde drewe nyghe enowe,

Thatt Edwarde hee myghte heare,

The brave Syr Charles hee dydd stande uppe, And thus hys wordes declare:

"Thou seest me, Edwarde! traytour vile!

Expos'd to infamie;

"Butt be assur'd, disloyall manne!

"I'm greaterr nowe thanne thee.

"Bye foule proceedynges, murdre, bloude,

"Thou wearest nowe a crowne; "And hast appoynted mee to dye, "By power nott thyne owne.