Classic Poem

When Humber in his wrathe-ffull rage
K ing Albanack in ffeild had slaine,
those bloody broyles ffor to asswage,
K ing Locrin then applyed his paine,
& w i th an host of Brittaines stout
att Lenght hee ffound K ing Humber out

Att vantage great he mett him then,
& w i th his hoast besett him soe
tha t hee destroyed his warlike men,
& H UMBERS power did ouerthrowe;
& H UMBER , w hi ch ffor ffeare did fflye,
leapt into a riuer desp er attlye.

And be[i]ng drowned in the deepe,
& left a Ladye there a-liue,
& sadlye did lament and weepe
for ffeare they shold her liffe depriue;
but by her fface tha t was soe ffaire
the K ing was caught in cupidds snare.

Hee tooke the Ladye to his loue,
& secrettlye did keepe her still;
soe tha t they Queene did quicklye proue
the K ing did beare her small good will;
although in wedlocke late begun,
hee had by her a gallant sonne.

Queene Guendoline was greeued in m[i]nde
to see the K ing was altered soe;
att lenght the cause shee chanct to ffind,
w hi ch brought her to much bitter woe.
ffor E SIRILDE was his ioy, god wott,
by whom a daughter hee begott.

The duke of cornewall being dead,
the ffather of tha t gallant queene;
the K ing by lust being ouer-ledd,
his lawffull wiffe hee cast of cleane,
who w i th her deare and tender sonne
for succour did to cornewall turne

Then Locrine crowned Estrild bright,
& made of her his lawfull wiffe;
w i th her w hi ch was his harts delight,
he thought to lead a pleasant liffe.
thus G UENDOLINE , as once fforlorne,
was of her husband held in scorne.

But when the cornish men did know
the great abuse shee did endure,
w i th her a number great did goe,
w hi ch shee by prayers did p ro cure
in battell then they marcht alonge
for to redresse this greeuous wronge,

And neere a riuer called store
the K ing w i th all his host shee mett,
where both the armyes fought full sore,
[but then the qu]eene the feild did gett;
yett ere they did the conquest ga[i]ne,
the K ing was w i th an arrow slaine.

Then G UENDOLINE did take in hand —
vntill her sonne was come to age —
the gouer[n]ment of all the Land;
& tha t great ffury to aswage,
shee did command he[r] souldiers wild
to drowne both Estrill & her child.

Incontinent then did they bringe
ffaire Estrild to the riuers syde,
& Sabrine, daughter to a Kinge,
whom Guendoline cold not abyde;
who, being bound together ffast,
into the riuer they were cast.

And euer since tha t runing streame
wherin these Ladyes drowned were,
is called S EUERNE throughe the realme,
because tha t Sabrine dyed there
thus they tha t did to lewdnesse bend,
were brought vnto a wofull end