The funeralles of King Edward the sixt VVherin are declared the causers and causes of his death.

¶ The Funeralles of the most noble and godly Prince Kyng Edward the syxt . WHen bytter Wynter forced had the Sun Fro the horned Goat to Pisces ward to run , And lively sap , that greneth gardins soote , To flye the stocke to save her nurse , the roote , And sleety Cech that blowth by North fro East , Decayd the health and welth of man and beast , The almighty minde that rayneth thre in one , Disposing all thinges from his stable throne , Beheld the earth , and man among the rest : Movde by the crye of such as wer opprest . And when he had the maynland throughly vewed , With Mahometrie and Idol blud embrewed , Wherthrow his Law and Gospel wer defylde , His love , his awe , his worship quite exilde , He turnd his iyes from that so fowle a sight , And toward the Iles he cast his looke a right : In hope that where true knowledge did abound , He should sum lovelyer sight have quickely found . But when he sawe all vice most vile and naught Most rifely swarme , where truth had most be taught , In England chefe , which he of speciall grace Had made his wurd and chosens resting place , And had for that cause powrd on it such store Of welthy giftes as none could wishe for more , Ioynt with a King , of such a godly minde , As seldome erst he elswhere had assinde , All wo and wroth he flang away his face , And to him selfe he thus bewayld the case , To see this people should theyr sinnes forsake , I haue lookt so long , vntill mine eyes do ake . To hide their mischiefes waring more and more , I haue winkt so long till loe my bryes be sore . My throte is horce , my lippes haue lost theyr skinne Through feruent crye to fray them from theyr sinne . Might gentlenes haue movde them to relent , What have they wisht , that hath not strait be sent ? Sith then they passe for neyther threats , nor love , Nor easy plages wherby I do them prove , What els remayns but to destroy them all , The yong , the old , the myghty with the small . Chryst hearing this , and moved with the teares Of vertuous folke , ( for whose sake God forbeares The wicked sort although their sinnes be great ) For his elect on this sort gan intreat . If Iustice due ( dere father ) should haue place , I knowe it booteth not to sewe for grace : But though their sins all measure far excede , Yet stay thy wrath , haue mercy on our nede . And sith through fayth a mayny of them be mine , Graunt leave this once to water this thy vine : That doen , if so their fruytes do not amend , As barrayne brambles bryng them to an end . When Chryst our sauiours merciful request Was sonke into his fathers tender brest , He neyther graunted it , nor yet denayd But fatherlike thus to his sonne he sayd : To sewe for mercy I maruayle what ye meane , For such a sort as haue reiect vs cleane . Behold the heades , what els do they deuise , Saue in our name to cloke their couetise ? Thine herytage they have thee whole bereft , Except thy shurt , let see , what haue they left ? Thy golde , thy plate , thy lodgyng , yea thy landes That are the poores , are in the richest handes : They waste , they spoyle , they spill vpon their pride That which was geven the nedy corse to hide : And thou lyest naked starving at their gates While they consume thy substaunce with theyr mates . As for theyr lawe wherby men should haue right Is ruled hole by money and by might . And where the riche the nedy should relive They do their best to beggry all to drive . What titles forge they falsely to their landes , Untill they wrongly wring them from their handes ? How ioyne they house to house , how farme to farme ? How lease to lease , the selly sort to harme ? How rayse they rents , what incoms , yea what fines Exact they still though all the world repines ? How suffer they theyr grayne to rot and hore To make a dearth when I geue plenty store ? And where they brag they do thy word auaunce , Have they not spoyld or fliste all mayntenaunce , That therto servde ? what kinde of Clergy lande Or fee , is free now from the Lay mans hande ? What gentleman , what marchant , yea what swayne , But hath or may have a personage or twayne ? I loth to name the vilenes of the rest , So sore my hart theyr robbry doth detest . Is this the way our Gospell to defend ? No no , we see to well what they entend . But passe we this , and marke their godly lives , How do they kepe theyr promys with theyr wides ? For what respect do they theyr mariage make Save riches , honour , or promocion sake ? Alas how are our Orphans bought and solde , Our widowes forst to mary where they nould , What vowe , what oth , what bond most strongly knit , Doth hold , where gayne may growe by breaking it ? And when our preachers tell them ought hereof , What do they then save eyther threat or skof ? Which causeth such as would thy manhode spoyle , And rob from thee the merite of thy royle , To hate thy word , and count our prophetes evill , Wyshing them both together at the devill . Are these thy vine ? thy flocke canst thou them call That steale thy landes , thy goodes , thy glory and all ? Whan for these sins I sent them late the sweat , How low they croucht , so hard they dyd intreat , What earnest vowes they made they would amend , But as you see nought lesse they dyd entend : For I no sooner had withdrawen my curse , But they as soone were fallen from yll to wurse . For where they vowed to flye and set aside Theyr covetise , theyr othes , theyr fare , theyr pride , They raysd theyr rents , theyr fines , theyr marchandises , And glut their paunche with daynty wine and spices , The Idollyke with pounsed silke and gold , Arayd theyr wives and children yong and old : As for them selves who marketh their attyer , Would thinke them Gods more like then brittle myer , And shall we suffer so perverse a nacion To skorne and mocke their God on such a fashion ? No no my sonne , that were agaynst all ryght , Yet for thy sake , I wil not stroye them quight , But for to trye them once at thy request I will but touch their king , and warne the rest To amend their lives , which if they do delay I will take their king , their comfort life and stay : And if they set his death to at their heele , I will powre downe plages till every one do feele . This sayd , he called to his seruaunt Crasy cold , Whom the Isy king kept prisoner in his hold Beneath the Poales , where vnder he doth dwell In grysly darke like to the diepe of hell , In rockes and caves of snow ●nd ●●●ttred yse That never thaw , and sayd hi● in this wise . About five Climates henceward to the South Betwene the maynland and the Occean mouth , Two ylandes lye , skarce distant forty mile : Wherof the larger and more Eastward yle Cald Britaine once , til time that peoples sin Drave out them selves & brought straunge nacions in , Is now devided into portions three , And in the same thre sundry peoples be . Of which the best and cyuil like in sight , But wurst in deede , the english nacion hight And they indwel the Southpart of the land . Fro the midst wherof ( marke wel , and vnderstand ) A River runneth Eastward to the mayne Sea arme , that parteth it and Fraunce in twayne . About this riuer many mighty Bowres Are cumly buylt with Castels , Halles , and Towres , In which the King and Rulers commonly In Wynter time with al theyr housholdes lye . To one of these I wil thou hye in poste , To that I meane where as the prince is moste : I thought to byd thee marke the great resort , But do not so , for other beare a ports As great as he , and greater otherwhile : But take this note , which will the not begile , The mournful chere of many a suters face Will shew the sure which is his biding place . And when thou hast his place and person found , I will thou shalt his helthy body vnsound : But see thou hurt him not vnto the death , Thou shalt but stop his Loungpipes , that his breth Constraynd , may cause the cough brede in his brest : Els what shall cure or quel vp al the rest . But in this feat I charge the see thou looke Thou harme him not while he is at his booke , Or other kinde of vertuous exercise : Neyther yet at game so it ve voyd of vice . But if this Winter time thou mayst him marke To ride all day all armde about the parke , Or els at dice , or tenis out of time To overwatch or toyle him selfe , for such a crime Strike hardily , but not to hard , I say : This is thy charge , about it , go thy way . Scarce was this errand throwly to him tolde , But forth he came this shivering crasy cold , With Ysikles bebristled like a Bore , About his head behind and eke before . His skin was hard , al made of glassy yse , Ouerheard with hore frost , like gray Irishe Frise , His armes and legges , to kepe him warme I trow , Wer skaled through with flakes of frosen snowe , And from his mouth there reekt a breth so hot , As touched nothing that congeled not . And when he had arowsd him selfe a while . And stretcht his ioyntes as stiffe as any stile : Because he would his charge no longer slacke . He got him vp on blustring Boreas backe , And forth he went : but his horse so heauy trode , That al the world might knowe which way he rode . For in his way there grew no maner grene , That could in thre dayes after wel be sene . His breth and braying was so sharpe and thryl , That fluds for feare hard cluddered stoode full stil. The seas did quake and tremble in such sort , That never a ship durst venter out of port . The holtes , the heathes , the hilles became al hore , The trees did shrinke , al thinges were troubled sore . When this fel horseman with his griesly stede Had passed Iseland , and made forth such spede , That many Skots bad : Fule yle ta the Churle , That slue their lambes and cattall with his whurle ; He passed Yorke , and came to London strayt , And there alight to geve his horse a bayt . Where ere he had three dayes in stable stood , Be eat so much , the poore could get no wood , Except they would pay after double price , For Billet treble vnder common cise . But Crasy cold lurkt al this while at court , To watche his time when he the king might hourt : And when he saw him on a morning , sweat , And call for drinke to coole his tennis heat , He slyly crept , and hid him in the cup : And when the King , alas , had drunke him vp , Into his stomacke downward he him got , And there parceyving all the inwards hot , And that eche part ful gredily did plucke To save it selfe , all succour it might sucke , He marke the chile that went vnto the Lounges , And throwly myxt his vertue ther amonges : And cooling it , so stopt the pipes therwith , As to dissolve pure nature wanted pith ? This doen , to London strait this fyend he came , And there infected divers with the same : Wherof most part not over charely tended , Recovered well , and throwly are amended , And sum whose nature phisicke overprest , Are goen to God , and slepe in quyet rest . Whan Crasy cold this cruel fear had wrought , He tooke his steede that had him thither brought . And furth he rode to him that sent him hither , And so forth home , or els I wot not whither . Right sore ackrasde , within a day or twayne The King gan sicke , and of his brest complayne . The iuyce congelde that in his Lounges lay rawe , Did stop the pipes , wherthrough the breth should draw ▪ By meane wherof his stomacke waxed faynt , Till nature holpe through medicinall constraynt , Did make a way by purging part therof , Wherof ensewed a sore and vehement cough , Wyth reaching oft , as if the hart should breake , Wherby the vitall blud becam to weake . For helpe wherof phisici●ns did repayre , And for his ayde did kepe him from the ayre : But when the King awhile was mist abrode , His louers mournde , the preachers layd on lode , Who seing the prince plagde for the peoples sin , Exhorted all amendment to begin . Fore warning , if we would not turne in time , His grace should dye , and we should beare the crime : And after his death such cruell plages ensue . As all should feele , and then to late , should rue . The Magistrate was playnly tolde his fault . The man of lawe was warned not to halte : Request was made the church goodes to restore , Or put to the vse that they wer taken for . Leasmungring Landlords , such as raysed rent , Wer moved to bate their Lands to auncient stent , The waste , the fare , the vaynnes of attyre , Extorcion , malice , covetous desyre , All Papistry , with fruteles gospel boast , Was cryed agaynst , and damnde as wicked most . And to be briefe , fro the lowest to the hyest , All wer desired to live the lawe of Christ . With earnest threats , from God the living Lord , In whose iust iye all sinne is sore abhord , That if we did not these our faultes repent , The King should dye , and we to late lament . But out alas , how wer these preachers heard ? The heades withdrew their presens , all afearde Least sum good mocion might amend their minde . By whose example , the people ( nought by kinde ) Tooke hart of grasse the preachers to despise : And slaundred them with shameles forged lyes . Gods bytter threats they made a very mocke , His prophetes eke a common iesting stocke , As for amendment , none at al was sene , But into wurs all yls were turned clene . Whan God had suffred all these thinges a space , And saw at last how all refused his grace , And that no threates might cause them to retyer , To stay the stroke of his consuming ire , He fully agreed to take this blessed childe : For spede wherof , he vtterly exylde All meanes by which he might recover force . Than did his griefe so sore assault the corse That euery vayne and muscle gan to swell , Which bred a payne much like the panges of hell : In which the piteous Prince a pining laye , In hope all hopeles , many a wofull daye . But God which sawe the terror of the payne Wherin so long this innocent had layne , Because he would for it provide an ayde , He called Death , and thus to him he sayd : Dispatch at ones , to Greenwich se thou hye , Where my elect , King Edward , sicke , doth lye In paynfull panges , wherin he hath be long , Not for his owne , but for his peoples wrong : Enforce thyne arme , and with thy cruell dart Cleave me in twayne his vertuous godly hart . What , wepest thou Death ? Ceas foole , & hold thy toung ▪ What though he be both beawtifull and young , So learnd a prince , so manly , and so meeke As seldome had , nor eft shall have his like ? He is to good for that vngracious Realme : Wherfore dispatch , go strike thy stroke extreme . Take no compassion on his tender youth , His wit , his vertue , or earnest zeale of truth . But wotst thou what , let not thy fourme be such An ougly shape , as to the worldly ruch It oft appeares : But lovely , as it is To such as long for euerlasting blisse . With cumly shape , and smiling chere , I say , Go lewse his soule , have done , and go thy way . Whan doutful Death had heard this hard devise , He trymd him selfe in his most cumly guyse , Like Mercury in euery kinde of grace , Save that he had a much more lovely face : And forth he flewe , and got him to the bed , Wherin the King lay neyther quicke nor dead , But in a traunce : for why his deadly griefe , And nature strave , to prove who should be chiefe . But when weke nature had consumde her best , She yelded her , and so the struggle ceast . Wherby the King cam to him selfe agayne , And seing death , he turnd away amayne : For why his yongth , and yet vnfloured breth , Could not consent to so vnripe a death . Drye Death him selfe with pity moved thoe , Had much to do to hide his inward woe : And seing the lovely prince so sore afrayd , With smiling there to cumfort him , he sayd . Most noble King , abashe not , but assent , Nor God the almightye hath me hither sent : Who much lamenting this your wofull case , Would have you cum to solas with his grace , In life , in blisse , in everlasting glory , From worldly thinges all vile and transitory , From this your state vncertayne and vnsure , Unto a Raygne that shall for ay indure . No sooner had our Soverayne heard of this , But loe , his goast ( which long had longd for blisse ) Would nedes away : Howbeit his carefull minde For this his realme , which he should leave behind , Did move his grace to pray death stay awhile , To th end he might him selfe both reconcile To God his king , and also recommende His realme to him for ever to defend . And while that Death for this cause gladly stayed , He set him vp , and thus to God he prayed . HAve mercy on me father dere , O Lord , and God of truth , O let thy mercy hide the sins , and fraylty of my youth . I have transgrest thy lawe to oft , full woe is me therfore , But for thy sonne my saviours sake , my selly soule restore . My flesh doth crave to kepe the life , ful loth to loose the lyght : But Lorde , do thou as shal seme best , to thine almighty sight . And whan thou hast receyved my soule , which troubles overwhelm Be mercifull ( most mercifull ) to this my wretched Realme . Preserve thy truth , mayntayne thy word , powre plenty of thy grace , On all such hartes as thou shalt set , to governe in my place . Thus Lorde , I render to thy handes , my selfe , my flocke , my seat , Do with them all thy blessed will , for Christes sake I entreat . Amen ꝙ death , and with his percing dart , He strake in twayne the kinges yet praying hart . But Lord how glad the goast was of the stroke , For when it sawe the prison gate was broke , Fast furth it flewe , and vp to heaven went To rest with God in ioyes that never stent : The soulles body about the bed did sprall , While they about it on the King did call , Adawing him as if he wer in swound : But all for nought , he had his deadly wound . And when the blud , that went to helpe the hart , Had sweltred it , and left eche other part , Than waxt his face and handes all pale and wan , And when the bludles partes to coole began , To heavenward his handes and iyes he cast , Downe fell his iawes , his hart stringes all to brast , And still he lay , for lively heat was past . Thus dyed this King , this giltles blessed childe , In body and soule , a virgin vndefilde , The sixtenth yere of his vnperfect age . Wo wurth vs men , whose sins let run at rage Have murdred him : wo wurth vs wretches all , On whom the wreke of righteous bloud must fall . Wo wurth our sins , for they , alas , have slayne , The noblest prince that dyd , or eft shall rayne . Sapien .iiii. ☞ Thus the righteous which is dead , condemneth the vngodly which are liuing , and the youth that is soone brought to an ende , the long life of the vnrighteous .

¶ An exhortacion to the repentaunce of sinnes , and amendment of life , which were the cause of the kinges death , & wil be the destruction of the Realme if God be not the more mercifull vnto vs . ALl Englishe people what so ever ye bee , Rulers , and subiectes of every degree , Whose horrible vices have moved the wrath Of God so to skourge vs , as lately it hath , By bringing our Souerayne to soone to his ende , Repent your misliving , and quickly amende : For that was the cause of the Kings death in deede , And will be his heires to , without better heede . Repent O ye Princes , your gredy desyer Of honour and riches , wherby set on fyer , You rob vnder colour of Christen professson , From Christ and his poore , their right and possession . You oppresse the people through sale of your lust , Repent , recompence to , and learne to be iust : For this was the cause of the Kings death in dede , And will be the kingdomes without better hede . Repent you prelates your seking promocion , Your gredy gathering , your lacke of deuocion , Your to much care for your children and wives , Your whorish abusing , your wife lothing lives , Your popishe errours , your fowle dirogacion Of Christ his manhode , his merites and passion : For this was the cause of the Kings death in dede And wil be his heires to , without better hede . Repent O you subiectes , your disobedience To God and good Rulers , your great irreverence To true religion , your elders and teachers , Your mocking and skorning of gods holy preachers , Your common swearing , transgression of lawes , Your troubling your neyghbours for every light cause For this was the cause of the Kings death in dede , And will be the Quenes without better hede . Repent you officers all the deceytes You vse in your paymentes and in your receytes , Your bribe bought audites , your subtile surueyinges , Your thevish accompts made by crafty conueyings , Your robbing the rulers that put you in trust : Repent , recompence to , hence forward be iust . For that was the cause of the Kings death in deede , And will be his sisters , without better heede . Repent you false lawiers your racking and strayning To make all lawes serve to your gredy gayning , Your robbing the riche , your vndoing the poore , Your making the law and iustice an whore , Which no man enbrace may vntil she be solde For great mens fauours , or hye heapes of golde . For this was the cause of the kinges death in dede , And wil be the kingdomes without better hede . Repent you marchantes your straunge marchandises Of personages , prebends , auowsons of benefices , Of landes , of leases , of office , of fees , Your monging of vitayles , corne , butter , and cheese : Your cariyng out good wares , and bringing such in As sarve to no purpose , save bredyng vp sin . For this was the cause of the kinges death in dede And wil be his sisters without better hede . Repent you caytifes your raysing of rent Your fines , your incoms , yet never at a stent . Your turning of tillage so much into pasture , That townes and towneships are ruyned past cure : Your wasting of woods , your ingrossing chepe wares , To make dearth of plenty , to encreace others cares . For this was the cause of the Kings death in dede , And wil be the kingdomes without better hede . Repent you Iudges your parciall iudgementes , Your quitting the giltye , your quelling innocentes For mede , for drede , for spite or for pleasure . Repent you Rufflers th abuse of your treasure , Your othes , your fury , your els many a cryme Beside the expence of your bodyes and time . For these wer a cause of the Kings death in dede And wil be the kingdomes without better hede . Repent you Leachers your dissolute lives , Your causeles divorsing your true wedded wives , Your crafty alluring the silly to sinne , Your bying of Orphans to wed to your kin , Your forcing of widdowes vnwilling to mary To cause breth of wedlocke , sith nedes they must vary : For this was the cause of the kinges death in dede , And wil be the kingdomes without better hede . To conclude , let eche man of every degree Bewayle his offences what so ever they be , And aske God forgevenes , and make recompens To those he hath harmed through any offence : For sure if we do not , such plagues wil ensewe , As never cam yet vpon heathen nor Iewe. For our sins were the cause of the Kings death in dede , And wil be the kingdomes without better hede . Sith we all already are gilty of murder , Ceas we all for Gods sake , to sin any furder , O sleys not our Soverayne , our most noble Queen , Whose match in vertue hath seldome be seen , But pray the almighty her life to defend . Repent , recompence , pray , pay , and amend . For if our sins send her to her brother , Swift vengeance wil folow , let none looke for other . ❀ Syrach the .x. Because of vnrighteous dealing , of wrong , of blasphemies , & sundry deceytes , a Realme Shal be translated from one people to an other .