Classic and Contemporary Poetry
A WARNING-PIECE TO ENGLAND AGAINST PRIDE AND WICKEDNESS, by GEORGE PEELE Poet's Biography First Line: When edward was in england king Last Line: That pride must have a fall. Subject(s): Edward I, King Of England (1239-1307); Pride; Self-esteem; Self-respect | ||||||||
Being the fall of Queen Eleanor, wife to Edward the First, King of England; who, for her pride, by God's judgments, sunk into the ground at Charing-Cross, and rose at Queenhithe. WHEN Edward was in England king, The first of all that name, Proud Ellinor he made his queen, A stately Spanish dame; Whose wicked life, and sinful pride, Thro' England did excel: To dainty dames and gallant maids This queen was known full well. She was the first that did invent In coaches brave to ride; She was the first that brought this land To deadly sin of pride. No English taylor here could serve To make her rich attire; But sent for taylors into Spain, To feed her vain desire: They brought in fashions strange and new, With golden garments bright; The farthingale, and mighty ruff, With gowns of rich delight: The London dames in Spanish pride Did flourish every where; Our English men, like women then, Did wear long locks of hair. Both man and child, both maid and wife, Were drown'd in pride of Spain, And thought the Spanish taylors then Our English men did stain: Whereat the queen did much despight, To see our English men In vestures clad as brave to see As any Spaniard then. She crav'd the king, that every man That wore long locks of hair, Might then be cut and pollèd all, Or shavèd very near. Whereat the king did seem content, And soon thereto agreed; And first commanded, that his own Should then be cut with speed; And after that, to please his queen, Proclaimèd thro' the land, That ev'ry man that wore long hair, Should poll him out of hand. But yet this Spaniard, not content, To women bore a spite, And then requested of the king, Against all law and right, That ev'ry womankind should have Their right breast cut away, And then with burning irons sear'd, The blood to stanch and stay. King Edward then, perceiving well Her spite to womankind, Devisèd soon by policy To turn her bloody mind: He sent for burning irons straight, All sparkling hot to see; And said, "O queen, come on thy way; "I will begin with thee." Which words did much displease the queen, That penance to begin; But ask'd him pardon on her knees; Who gave her grace therein. But afterwards she chanc'd to pass Along brave London streets, Whereas the mayor of London's wife In stately sort she meets; With music, mirth, and melody, Unto the church they went, To give God thanks, that to th' lord mayor A noble son had sent. It grievèd much this spiteful queen To see that any one Should so exceed in mirth and joy, Except herself alone: For which she after did devise Within her bloody mind, And practis'd still more secretly To kill this lady kind. Unto the mayor of London then She sent her letters straight, To send his lady to the court, Upon her grace to wait. But when the London lady came Before proud El'nor's face, She stript her of her rich array, And kept her vile and base. She sent her into Wales with speed, And kept her secret there; And us'd her still more cruelly Than ever man did hear: She made her wash, she made her starch, She made her drudge alway; She made her nurse up children small, And labour night and day. But this contented not the queen, But shew'd her most despite; She bound this lady to a post, At twelve a clock at night; And as, poor lady, she stood bound, The queen (in angry mood) Did set two snakes unto her breast, That suck'd away her blood. Thus died the mayor of London's wife, Most grievous for to hear; Which made the Spaniard grow more proud, As after shall appear. The wheat that daily made her bread Was bolted twenty times; The food that fed this stately dame Was boil'd in costly wines. The water that did spring from ground She would not touch at all; But wash'd her hands with the dew of heav'n, That on sweet roses fall. She bath'd her body many a time In fountains fill'd with milk; And ev'ry day did change attire, In costly Median silk. But coming then to London back, Within her coach of gold, A tempest strange within the skies This queen did there behold: Out of which storm she could not go, But there remain'd a space; For horses could not stir the coach A foot out of the place: A judgment lately sent from heav'n, For shedding guiltless blood, Upon this sinful queen that slew The London lady good. King Edward then, as wisdom will'd, Accus'd her of that deed; But she denied, and wish'd that God Would send his wrath with speed; If that upon so vile a thing Her heart did ever think, She wish'd the ground might open wide, And therein she might sink! With that at Charing-cross she sunk Into the ground alive; And after rose with life again, In London, at Queenhithe. When, after that, she languish'd sore Full twenty days in pain, At last confess'd the lady's blood Her guilty hand had slain; And likewise how that by a friar She had a base-born child, Whose sinful lusts and wickedness Her marriage-bed defil'd. Thus have you heard the fall of pride, A just reward of sin; For those who will forswear themselves God's vengeance daily win. Beware of pride, ye courtly dames, Both wives and maidens all; Bear this imprinted on your mind, That pride must have a fall. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ROCK AND HAWK by ROBINSON JEFFERS GODOLPHIN HORNE, WHO WAS CURSED WITH THE SIN OF PRIDE, AND BECAME A BOOT-BLACK by HILAIRE BELLOC PRIDE by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON THE THIN EDGE OF YOUR PRIDE: 1 by KENNETH REXROTH PRIMER LESSON by CARL SANDBURG HAEC FABULA DOCET by ROBERT FROST VICTIM OF HIMSELF by MARVIN BELL FAREWELL TO ARMS by GEORGE PEELE A FAREWELL TO SIR JOHN NORRIS AND SIR FRANCIS DRAKE by GEORGE PEELE |
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