Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Edward Farr, ed. Select Poetry of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. 1845.

A Newe-Yere’s Gift to the Rebellious Persons in the North Partes of England

CXXXIII. Edmond Eluiden

DO tyrauntes teache their people’s heartes

To folowe pitie’s trade?

Or is it seene that wyttie lawes

Of foolyshe men be made?

Or can a drunkarde grauely yeelde

An aunswere to the wyse?

Or may a foole in wayghtie thynges

Declare a good deuyse?

As they, euen so lyke power haue you

Good order for to plant

In commonwealth; when as your wyttes

And workes all order want.

You also earnestly pretende,

As with religious face,

To roote out scismes, and error voyde,

And set the trueth in place.

Yet, venimous deceauers, least

You mynde the same intent,

But make religion for a cloke

To couer that is ment;

And under subtyll clause contayne

A venimous deuyse;

As eche may see, who marketh howe

Your cauels do aryse.

For though you stoode in mayntenaunce

Of trueth, as you not so,

But in such false opinion erre

As is to trueth a foe;

Yet ought you not agaynst your prince

A weapon for to beare;

Synce that the perfect loue of God

Consysteth in the feare

Of Hym, an in the duetie done

Unto the ruling throne

Of earthly magistrates, whereto

The scriptures bynde eche one.

But you rebellious, voyde of grace,

As not in your defence,

Through any cause compellyng you,

Deuise a vayne pretence:

But make a quarrell, and aryse

Agaynst your prince’s myght,

Whose state you seeme for to disdayne,

And dealynges to dispyght.

Oh blynded you! and do you deme

That of a godly sonne,

Who sees his father do amyss,

It were a thyng well done,

That he his father shoulde correct

Or punyshe? no, you knowe:

Much lesse likewise shoulde you presume

Lyke rygour for to showe

Agaynst your princesse, who would guyde

Your footsteppes to the lyght;

But, wylfull subiectes, you despyse

The day, and loue the nyght.

And further, though the wicked syer

Shoulde seeme for to prouoke

His well-disposed sonne to yll,

Through force of strype or stroke;

Thynke you the chylde in his defence

May offer strype agayne?

No, no; his bounden duetie is

For to forbeare the payne.

And in lyke case the subiectes ought

Their soueraigne to obey,

As to forbeare, and not reuenge,

Though in their power they may.

For as the chylde by nature is

Unto the father bounde;

And as it is the father’s ryght

Of sonne to be renownde;

So lykewyse are the subiectes thrall

Unto their princes’ wyll,

By perfect duetie to obay,

Forbeare, and honor styll.