How the Dukes daughter of Cornwall being married vnto King Locrine, was by him put away, and a strange Lady whom he better loued, hee married, and made her his Queene, and how his wife was auenged
To the tune of, in Creete.
When Humber in his wrathfull rage,
King Albanacke in field had slaine,
Those bloody broiles for to asswage,
King Locrine then applyed his paine,
And with a hoast of Brittaines stout,
At length he found King Humber out.
At vantage great he met him then,
And with his hoast beset him so.
That he destroy’d his warlike men,
And Humbers power did ouerthrow:
And Humber, which for feare did flie,
Leapt into a Riuer desperately.
And being drowned in the deepe,
He left a Lady there aliue,
Which sadly did lament and weepe,
For feare they should her life depriue.
But for her face that was so faire,
The King was caught in Cupids snare.
He tooke this Lady to his loue,
Who secretly did keepe her still:
So that the Queene did quickly proue,
The King did beare her small good will:
Which though in wedlocke late begun,
He had by her a gallant sonne.
Queene Guendoline was grieu’d in minde,
To see the King was altered so:
At length the cause she chanc’d to finde,
Which brought her to most bitter woe:
For Estrild was his ioy (God wot)
By whom a Daughter he begot.
The Duke of Cornwall being dead,
The Father of that Gallant Queene:
The King with lust being ouerled,
His lawfull wife he cast off cleane:
Who with her deare and tender sonne,
For succour did to Cornewall runne.
Then Locrine crowned Estrild bright,
And made of her his lawfull wife,
With her, which was his hearts delight,
He thought to lead a pleasant life:
Thus Guendoline, as one forlorne,
Was of her husband held in scorne.
But when the Cornish men did know
The great abuse she did endure:
With her a number great did goe,
Which she by prayers did procure:
In battell then they marcht along,
For to redresse this grieuous wrong.
And neere a riuer called Store, I
The King with all his hoast she met:
Where both the armies fought full sore,
But the Queene the field did get:
Yet ere they did the conquest gaine,
The King was with an arrow slaine.
Then Guendoline did take in hand,
Vntill her sonne was come to age,
The gouernment of all the Land:
But first her fury to asswage,
She did command her souldiers wild,
To drowne both Estrild and her child.
Incontinent then did they bring
Faire Estrild to the Riuers side,
And Sabrine daughter to a King,
Whom Guendoline could not abide:
Who being bound together fast,
Into the riuer there were cast.
And euer since, that running stream,
Wherein the Ladies drowned were,
Is called Seuerne through the Realme,
Because that Sabrine dyed there.
Thus they that did to lewdnesse bend,
Were brought vnto a wofull end.
FINIS.
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