Poems Author:Michael Drayton Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The Epiftle of Rofamend to King Henry the fecond. (V) The Argument. Henry the fecond of that name, King of England, thefon of Geffrey Plantaginet, Earl... more »e of Aniow, and Mawd the Empreffe, haning by longfute and Primely gifts, won (to his vnlawfull deftre) faire Rofamond, the daughter of the Lord Walter Clyfford, and to auoyde the danger of Ellinor his iealous Queene, had caufed a Labyrinth to be made within his Pallace at Woodjlocke, in the centre w her of he had lodged his beauteous paramour. Whilejl the king is abfent in his warres in Normandie, this poore diflrejfed Lady, indofed in this folitary place, toucht with remorce of confcience, writes to the king of her dijlreffe and miferable ejlate, vrging him by all meanes and per- fwafions, to cleere himfelfe of this infamie, and her of the griefe of minde, by taking away her wretched life. IF yet thine eies (great Henry) may endure Thefe tainted lines, drawne with a hand impure, Which fain would blufh.but feare keeps blufhes back, And therefore futed in difpairing black, This in loues name, O that thefe lips might craue, But that fweete name (vile I) prophaned haue, M PunifhPunifh my fault, or pittie mine eftate, Reade it for loue, if not for loue, for hate. If with my fhame thine eies thou faine wouldft feed, Heere let them furfeit, on my fhame to reede; This fcribled paper which I fend to thee, If noted rightly, doth refemble mee; As this pure ground, whereon thefe letters ftand, So pure was I, ere ftained by thy hand ; Ere I was blotted with this foule offence, So cleere and fpotleffe was mine innocence, Now like thefe marks which taint this hateful] fcroule, Such the blacke finnes which fpot my leprous foule. O Henry, why by loffe thus fhouldft thou win ? To get by conquef...« less