JOHN HEYWOOD
Poesías

THE MOST NOBLE LADY

ADVIEWED BY JOHN HEYWOOD, PRESENTLY; WHO ADVERTISING HER YEARS, AS FACE, SAITH OF HER THUS, IN MUCH ELOQUENT PHRASE

Give place, ye ladies! all be gone;
Show not yourselves at all.
For why? behold! there cometh one
Whose face yours all blank shall.

The virtue of her looks
Excels the precious stone;
Ye need none other books
To read, or look upon.

In each of her two eyes
There smiles a naked boy;1
It would you all suffice
To see those lamps of joy.

If all the world were sought full far,
Who could find such a wight?2
Her beauty twinkleth like a star
Within the frosty night.

Her colour3 comes and goes
With such a goodly grace,
More ruddy4 than the rose
Within her lively face.

Amongst her youthful years
She triumphs over age;
And yet she still appears
Both witty, grave, and sage.

I think nature hath lost her mould
Where she her form did take;
Or else I doubt that nature could
So fair a creature make.

She may be well compared
Unto the phoenix kind;
Whose like hath not been heard
That any now can find.

In life a Dian5 chaste;
In truth Penelope;6
In word and deed steadfast—
What need I more to say?

At Bacchus'7 feast none may her meet;
Or yet at any wanton play;
Nor gazing in the open street,
Or wandering, as astray.

The mirth that she doth use
Is mixed with shamefastness;8
All vices she eschews,
And hateth idleness.

It is a world to see
How virtue can repair,
And deck such honesty
In her that is so fair.

Great suit to vice may some allure
That thinks to make no fault;
We see a fort had need be sure
Which many doth assault.

They seek an endless way
That think to win her love;
As well they may assay
The stony rock to move.

For she is none of those
That sets not by evil fame;
She will not lightly lose
Her truth and honest name.

How might we do to have a graff9
Of this unspotted tree?
For all the rest they are but chaff
In praise of her to be.

She doth as far exceed
These women, nowadays,
As doth the flower the weed;
And more, a thousand ways.

This praise I shall her give
When Death doth what he can;
Her honest name shall live
Within the mouth of man.

This worthy lady to bewray10—
A king's daughter was she—
Of whom John Heywood list to say,
In such worthy degree.

And Mary was her name, sweet ye,
With these graces indued;
At eighteen years so flourished she:
So doth his mean11 conclude.

1. Cupid, inspiring men to love.
2. Creature.
3. Blush.
4. Reddish; rosy.
5. Diana, Roman goddess of chastity.
6. Wife of Odysseus, paragon of faithfulness.
7. Roman god of wine and hedonism.
8. Modesty.
9. Graft.
10. Divulge.
11. Either "device" or "inferior poem".

THE MARRIAGE OF KING PHILIP AND QUEEN MARY

SPECIFYING PARTLY THE MANNER, PARTLY THE MATTER, IN THE MOST EXCELLENT MEETING AND LIKE MARRIAGE BETWEEN OUR SOVEREIGN LORD AND OUR SOVEREIGN LADY THE KING'S AND QUEEN'S HIGHNESS*

The eagle's bird1 hath spread his wings,
And from far off hath taken flight,
In which mean way by no leverings2
On bough or branch this bird would light;
Till on the rose, both red and white,3
He 'lighteth now most lovingly,
And thereto most behovingly.

The month ensuing next to June,4
This bird this flower for perch doth take,
Rejoicingly himself to prune,5
He rouseth ripely to awake
Upon this perch to those his make:6
Concluding straight, for ripe right rest,
In the lion's bower7 to build his nest.

A bird, a beast, to make,8 to choose,
Namely, the beast most furious,
It may seem strange, and so it does,
And to this bird injurious;
It seemeth a case right curious
To make construction in such sense,
As may stand for this bird's defence.

But mark, this lion so by name,
Is properly a lamb t'assign,
No lion wild, a lion tame,
No rampant lion masculine,
The lamb-like lion feminine,
Whose mild meek property allureth
This bird to light, and him assureth.

The eagle's bird, the eagle's heir,
All other birds far surmounting,
The crowned lion matcheth fair,
Crown unto crown this bird doth bring;
A queenly queen, a kingly king.
Thus, like to like here matchèd is—
What match may match more meet9 than this?

So meet a match in parentage,
So meet a match in dignity,
So meet a match in patronage,
So meet match in benignity,
So matched from all malignity,
As, (thanks to God given for the same),
Seldom hath been seen; thus sayeth the fame.

This meet-met match, at first meeting,
In their approach together near,
Lowly,10 lovely, lively greeting,
In each to other did so appear,
That lookers-on, all must grant clear,
Their usage of such humane reach,
As all might learn, but none could teach.

Thou,11 in conjoining of these twain,
Such sacred solemn solemnity,
Such fare in feast to entertain,
Such notable nobility,
Such honour with such honesty,
Such joy, all these to plat in plot,12
Plat them who can, for I cannot.

But here one dainty president,
Number so great in place so small,
Nations so many, so different,
So suddenly met; so agree all,
Without offensive word let fall;
Save sight of twain, for whom all met,
No one sight there, like this to get.

This lamb-like lion and lamb-like bird,
To show effect as cause affords,
For that they lamb-like be concurred,
The lamb of lambs, the lord of lords;
Let us like lambs, as most accords,13
Most meekly thank in humble wise,14
As humble heart may most devise.

Which thanks full given most thankfully,
To prayer fall we on our knees,
That it may like that Lord on high
In health and wealth to prosper these,
As faith for their most high degree:
And that all we, their subjects, may
Them and their laws love and obey.

And that between these twain and one.
The three and one,15 one once to send.16
In one to knit us everyone,
And to that one such mo17 at end,
As his will only shall extend.
Grant this, good God! adding thy grace,
To make us meet to obtain this case.

* Queen Mary married Philip II of Spain on 25 July, 1554.
1. Philip, symbolized by the Spanish imperial eagle.
2. Use of force.
3. Mary I, symbolized by the Tudor rose.
4. July.
5. Groom.
6. Mate.
7. The lion symbolizing the English sovereign, Mary.
8. For a mate.
9. Befitting; equal.
10. Humbly; meekly.
11. i.e., God.
12. Plait in a pattern.
13. Befits.
14. Style.
15. i.e., God who is at once a trinity and one entity.
16. i.e., send one heir.
17. More.

A BRIEF BALLET

TOUCHING THE TRAITOROUS TAKING OF SCARBOROUGH CASTLE*

Imprinted at London, in Fleete-strete, by Tho. Powell.
Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum.

Oh, valiant invaders! gallantly gay;
     Who, with your compeers, conquering the route,
Castles or tow'rs, all standing in your way;
     Ye take, controlling all estates most stout,
     Yet had it now been good to look about,
Scarborough castle to have let alone;
And take Scarborough warning everyone.

By Scarborough castle, not Scarborough
     I only mean—but further, understand,
Each haven, each hold, or other harborough
     That our good King and Queen do hold in hand:
     As due obedience bindeth us in band
Their Scarborough castles to let alone;
And take Scarborough warnings everyone.

The scalers of which castles evermore,
     In books of old, and in our eyes of new,
Have always lost themselves, and theirs therefore;
     All this ye did forget in time to view,
     Which might have wrought both you and yours t'eschew,
Letting Scarborough castle now alone;
Taking Scarborough warning everyone.

This Scarborough castle simply standing,
     Yet could that castle slyly you beguile;
Ye thought ye took the castle at your landing,
     The castle taking you in the self while:
     Each stone within the castle wall did smile
That Scarborough castle ye let not alone;
And took Scarborough warning everyone.

Your putting now in ure your devilish dream,
     Hath made you see (and like enough to feel)
A few false traitors cannot win a ream;
     Good subjects be, and will be, true as steel
     To stand with you, the end they like no deal.
Scarborough castles they can let alone;
And take Scarborough warnings everyone.

They know God's law—to 'bey their King and Queen;
     Not take from them, but keep for them their own;
And give to them, when such traitors are seen,
     As ye are now, to bring all overthrow.
     They work your overthrow, by God's power grown.
God saith—let Scarborough castle alone;
Take Scarborough warning everyone.

Too late for you, and in time for the rest
     Of your most traitorous sect (if any be);
You are all spectacles at full witnessed,
     As other were to you—treason to flee,
     Which in you past, yet may the rest of ye
The said Scarborough castles let alone;
And take Scarborough warnings everyone.

This term, Scarborough warning grew, (some say),
     By hasty hanging, for rank robbery there.
Who that was met but suspect in that way,
     Straight was he trussed up, whatever he wear.
     Whereupon, thieves thinking good to forbear,
Scarborough robbing they let that alone;
And took Scarborough warning everyone.

If robbing in that way, bred hanging so,
     By theft to take way, town, castle, and so,
What Scarborough hanging craveth this, lo!
     Were yourselves herein judges capital,
     I think your judgments on these words must fall,
Scarborough robbing, who lett'th not alone,
Scarborough hanging deserve everyone.

We would to God that you, and all of you
     Had been considered, as well as ye knew
The end of all traitory, as you see it now,
     Long to have lived, loving subjects true.
     Alas ! your loss we not rejoice, but rue
That Scarborough castle ye let not alone;
And took Scarborough warning everyone.

To crafts that ever thrive, wise men ever cleave;
     To crafts that seeld when thrive, wise men seeld when flee;
The crafts that never thrive a fool can learn to leave.
     This thriftless crafty craft then clear leave we,
     One God, one king, one queen, serve frank and free,
Their Scarborough castle let it alone;
Take we Scarborough warning everyone.

One sovereign lord and sovereign lady both,
     Laud we our Lord, for their prosperity;
Beseeching Him for it, as it now go'th,
     Continued so, in perpetuity;
We letting their Scarborough castles alone;
Taking Scarborough warnings everyone.

THE GREEN WILLOW

All a green willow, willow*;
All a green willow is my garland.

Alas! by what mean may I make ye to know
The unkindness for kindness that to me doth grow?
That one who most kind love on me should bestow,
Most unkind unkindness to me doth show?
      For all the green willow is my garland.

To have love, and hold love, where love is so sped,
Oh, delicate food to the lover so fed!
From love won to love lost where lovers be led,
Oh desperate dolour! the lover is dead;
      For all the green willow is my garland.

She said she did love me, and would love me still;1
She sware above all men I had her good will;
She said and she sware she would my will fulfil—
The promise all good, the performance all ill;
      For all the green willow is my garland.

Now, woe worth the willow, and woe worth the wight2
That windeth willow, willow garland to dight;3
That dole4 dealt in alms is all amiss quite,
Where lovers are beggers for alms in sight;
      No lover doth beg for this willow garland.

Of this willow garland the burden seem'th small,
But my break-neck burden I may it well call;
Like the sow5 of lead on my head it doth fall,
Break head, and break neck, back, bones, brain, heart, and all;
      All parts pressed in pieces.

Too ill for her think I best things may be had;
Too good for me thinketh she things being most bad;
All I do present her that may make her glad;
All she doth present me that make me sad;
      This equity6 have I with this willow garland.

Could I forget thee as thou canst forget me,
That were my sound salve, which cannot nor shall be;
Though thou like the soaring hawk every way flee,
I will be the turtle7 most steadfast still to thee;
      And patiently wear this green willow garland.

All ye that have had love, and have my like wrong,
My like truth and patience plant still you among;
When feminine fancies for new love do long,
Old love cannot hold them, new love is so strong
      For all.

* The willow tree was symbolic of melancholy; the willow garland
was an emblem of the forsaken lover.
1. Forever.
2. Man; creature.
3. Bedeck; adorn.
4. Share; charity.
5. Ingot.
6. Balance; This thing in common.
7. Turtledove, symbol of faithfulness in love.