A neweyeres gift to the rebellious persons in the north partes of England Primo Ianuar. 1570. Seene and alowed, accordyng to the order appoynted.

A newyeres gyft to the Rebellious persons in the North . Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum . THe happy wyght , who happy styll Would lyue in happy state , Ought take aduise , & teach his wyl By fall of others fate . For he by ryght may happy hyght , Who happy can eschewe By others payne the care that would Through want of care ensue . And none so dead I deme , but demes That caytyffe cursed thryse , Whom no experience can perswade Nor reason to be wyse . Synce only cause of quiet case Dependeth on the care , Which doth forecast the much mishappes , The diuers fonde misfare And yll successe that doth pursue Thunwyse conceate of those Who rashly bent , distemper peace , And quyet state depose . Unhappy men , for so by ryght You do deserue your name , What hath prouokte your wilfull heartes To worke your proper shame ? What hath compeld you to disdayne The long preserued peace Your natyue countrey hath inioyde ? What makes your seruice ceasse Unto your Prince , and to resigne The same to Princes for ? What moues your stomackes to procure Your Natiue soyle such woe ? You wote your selues the yll successe That rebelles styll obtayne , The successe of Rebels . You know the proofe was alwayes founde To worke their proper payne . Whereby experience doth infourme The perylles of your case , And warnes you , not to trackt the st●ppes Of former traytors trace . And why accursed , be not you By their deserued spoyle Aduysde to leaue your rashe deuise And shunne your shamefull foyle ? You further knowe that no attempt Can prosprously proceede Except that reason beare the sway And do conduct the deede . And you deuoyde of reason haue Assaulted such a fact , As reason scornes to be comprysde In such a senselesse act . Whereby you playnely prooue your selues Uphappy cursed wyghtes , And thralled slaues to shamelesse wyll And clokt before your syghtes : Because you neither wyl be warnde By others perylles past , The conclusion prouyng their folly . Nor yet by present reason taught Nor nature made a gast . I muse no lesse what matter shoulde Compell you to conspire , Then I do maruell what conceate Dyd flatter your desire . A gratious Lady is your Queene , A Princes louyng ryght , In mynde as meke as pitifull , And neuer wrought you spyght . You knowe your selues in wordes discrete , Obiections . And in her deedes so iust , That voyde of eche suspitious thought She mynded least mistrust . In quiet state you also lyude And wrong hath nere supprest , Your wyshed wealth , in carelesse ease You myght haue toke your rest . And what hath moude your grateles hearts Such recompence to make , As for her mercies , her dispoyle And wracke to vndertake ? Oh feendes vnnaturaller farre Then Polyphemos was , Whose teeth deuourde the tender fleshe Of men , you Tygers passe . It had ben good you cursed impes A iust exclamation That death had ben your hyre In mothers wombes , or that your byrthes Had ben in broylyng fyre : Then should your pryde not haue presumde Upon so lofty pray The cause therof . Nor you haue purchast to your selues Your further worse decay . Oh senselesse , thynke what hye abuse Hath blynded your conceate , And ponder well the whose discourse Of your pretended feate . A perswasion to respect And you shall then perceaue and see No doubt yf you surmise What euyll quarrell hath prouokt Your doynges to despyse . The disobediens to the Prince , is a disdaine of the common wealth . The common wealth of natyue lande In disobedience showne Unto your soueraigne Princes grace Your duties not yknowne . And thynke that yf it ambition is That hath deceaude your wyttes , How you are moylde in Plutoes lake Amongst a thousande fyttes . A disswasion fro● ambitio● in discrybyng th● passions therof . Nowe thorowe vayne rebellious hope To eleuated pryde Araysde , and strayght through pondred feare Your cause of hope denyde : And then with spurre of conscience pryckt And with disquiete mynde Agayne distempered and ytost In sundry passions kynde : Supposyng nowe of hautie wealth , And thynkyng then of shame , Nowe lusty lyfe , nowe purchast death , Then fedde in hope of fame : And somtyme moude through blynd conceat In corrage to preuayle , When as agayne the same perceaude You feare , you faynt , and fayle . And then your thoughtes consyderyng of Your trauell and your payne , Comparyng both in your attempt Your domage , and your gayne : You lothe to thynke what yrksome toyle , What turmoyle , carke , and care Doth burden you , and what disease You dayly must forbare . And then you see , or at the least May see what vayne accountes You make , ambitiously to gape For gayne , when there amountes Unto your paye the losse of goodes And hazarde of your lyfe , The frutes of rebellion . And great effusion of your blooddes , The only fruites of stryfe . Oh blynded then , and may you knowe Your quarrels to be yll ? A disswasion by exclamation against their wilfulnes And may you see the deuyllyshe proofe Of your ambitious wyll ? And may you vnderstande the shame Of your rebellious deedes ? And may you viewe the great offence That from the same proceedes ? And may you lyue in quiet state , In fauour of your God , And grace of Queene and countreymen , And yet wyll coyne a rod , Wherwith to scurge and whip your selues ? Oh foolyshe , much to blame , Who may in wealth deserue renow●●e , And yet incurre defame . You knowe full well , that many by Ambition haue decayde , Who myght in hautie plyght haue lyud● And rich estate haue stayde . As eke you can not but confesse Your selues at wyshed ease To spende your dayes yf you hast lyst : Perswasion by presidentes . And coulde not this appease Your lofty stomackes to haue thought Upon the shamefull fall And ruynous dispoyle of such Ambitious wicked all ( As haue through their presumptuous pryde Possessed worse degree ) But that you lykewise wyll presume Lyke wicked impes to be ? Oh ponder of the vayne abuse , Consyder of the case , And see howe such your rashe pretence Nought tendes but to deface Your selues , and waying you shall deme No lesse then I suppose , That to your selues , your selues remayne N● lesse then deadly foes . And whylst your pryde prouides to mount A loft vnto the skyes , Perswasion by presumptio● . Your persons shal be forst to couche Whereas the lowest lyes . Can not you wysely beare in mynde That ryche is the content ? And why shoulde not suffisaunce serue Your hungers to preuent ? 〈◇〉 ●onfu●●tion to ambition The golden meane is free from thrall , Because that no excesse Nor needy want may once extende His measure to oppresse . And who that hyest sekes to clyme , Attaynes the greatest fall : The greedy lykewyse who doth snatche , Full e●tsoones leeseth all . Let therfore measure rule your myndes , And yf ambition moue Your hungry heartes to greedy thoughtes , Restrayne your wylles to proue : And feede not fansie with the bayte Of fables , rather feare Lest that the burden be more bygge Then you can byde to beare . Thus thynke on this , and yf the same Hath causde you to rebell , You shall perceaue howe blynde conceate Your reason doth expell . Ambition the lykeliest to b● the caus● of their rebellion Of which presumption cheefly doth You traytorously detect Esteemyng such your greedy pryde Of your abuse theffect : Because that no occasion hath Geuen cause whereby you shoulde Against your soueraigne prince presume The reason therof . To beare your selues so bolde : Or seke reuenge on natyue soyle As though as such offence Your countrey had committed late As you by your pretence Woulde nowe correct , Oh traytors you Amende your selues in tyme , And rather seke for to auoyde The horror of your cryme , Then for to cauell with the clause That doth condemne by ryght Your selues for traytors to your Queene And countrey , An accu●ation of ●heir ex●u●e . as you hyght : You say for order good you seke To haue at setled stay The common wealth , that wyse aduise May only beare the sway . And yet your owne indeuours all , Do interrupt the peace , The very meanes and redy wayes Misorder to increase . And chiefly you disordred do Disquiete orders square , Which is mayntayned by the peace That voydes vnquiet care . Do tyrauntes teache their peoples heartes To folowe pities trade ? Or is it seene that wyttie lawes Of foolyshe men be made ? Or can a drunkarde grauely yeelde An aunswere to the wyse ? Or may a foole in wayghtie thynges Declare a good deuyse ? As they , euen so lyke power haue you Good order for to plant In common wealth : when as your wyttes And workes all order want . You also earnestly pretende As with religious face To roote out scismes , and error voyde , And set the trueth in place . Yet venimous deceauers , least You mynde the same intent : But make religion for a cloke To couer that is ment . And vnder subtyll clause contayne A venimous deuyse , As eche may see who marketh howe Your cauels do aryse . For though you stoode in mayntenaunce Of trueth , as you not so , But in such false opinion erre , As is to trueth a foe : Yet ought you not agaynst your prince A weapon for to beare , Synce that the perfect loue of God Consysteth in the feare Of hym , and in the duetie done Unto the rulyng throne Of earthly magistrates , whereto The scriptures bynde eche one . But you rebellious voyde of grace , As not in your defence Through any cause compellyng you Deuise a vayne pretence : But make a quarrell , and aryse Agaynst your Princes myght , Whose state you seeme for to disdayne , And dealynges to dispyght . Oh blynded you , and do you deme That of a godly sonne , Who sees ●is father do amys , It were a thyng well done That he his father shoulde correct Or punyshe ? no you knowe , Much lesse likewise shoulde you presume Lyke rygour for to showe Agaynst your Princesse , who would guyde Your footsteppes to the lyght : But wylfull subiectes you despyse The day , and loue the nyght . And further , though the wicked syer Shoulde seeme for to prouoke His well disposed sonne to yll Through force of strype or stroke : Thynke you the chylde in his defence May offer strype agayne ? No , no , his bounden duetie is For to forbeare the payne . And in lyke case the subiectes ought Their soueraigne to obay , As to forbeare , and not reuenge , Though in their power they may . For as the chylde by nature is Unto the father bounde , And as it is the fathers ryght Of sonne to be renownde : So lykewyse are the subiectes thrall Unto their Princes wyll , By perfect duetie to obay , Forbeare , and honor styll . And therfore howe much you to blame As traytors to rebell Agaynst your Princes ( who neuer sought Your conscience to compell : Except you troublously discryde the same ) you may perceaue , As also see what blynde abuse Your senses doth deceaue : When hauyng such a Matrone meke , who iustly doth conduct , And mercyfully teache the ryght , And wysely trueth instruct : You wyll not ( as your duetie doth compell you ) once attende : But traytorously with weapons seke Your fondnes to defende . Oh wytlesse blynde how dare you thus To deale ? can neither loue Of countrey cause you to relent , Nor duetie make remoue Your stubberne wylles , nor feare compell you , madnes to forsake , Nor yet remorse of conscience cause You leaue to vndertake Such yll attempt , nor lykelyhod Of your deserued fall , Prouoke you to be terrifide Therin no whyt at all : But that you wylfully withstande The force of Princes powre , And nought regarde the common wealth , But seke for to deuoure The gyltlesse blood , and to dispoyle The mayntenaunce of trueth ? Oh carelesse men , what heart so harde But this your lewdenes rueth ? Respect howe through your peruerse actes For want of quiete stay , What great misorder wyll aryse Unto the realmes decay . As lykewise viewe what madnes seemes Your trauels to possesse , For to pretende , who subiectes be , Your Princes to suppresse , Or to correct , as though yf that She error shoulde mayntayne , It were your duetie with the rod To worke your Princes payne . Perswasion by description of the discommodities of rebellion . As lykewise thynke howe you disturbe The cause of common wealth , When as you ought imploy your payne For to deuise the health Therof , as also howe you seme Your countrey for to hate , With such contention which disdaynes Your countreys quiet state . And further , way the great reproche You reape to Englyshe soyle , And what an entraunce you haue made For foes to worke our spoyle . As also ponder what defame Unto your selues you breede Through your abuse , and to your stockes What shame there wyll proceede . And lastly thynke vpon thaccompt The which you shall restore For your offence to myghtie God , And howe that styll the more You do offende , the greater is The reckenyng to be made : These yf you way , no doubt the thought Therof wyll soone disswade Your stubberne heartes from such abuse , As long through foggye mystes Haue blearde your eyes , and nowe the cause Remaynes of your resistes . Which nowe I wishe you to respect , Although somewhat to late It is : and to auoyde your harmes , And eanestly to hate Your former actes : and with your heartes Repentaunt , for to sue Of God for pardon , that as tyme Hath made the yere a newe : So lykewise may you be renewde In sprite , that you may thynke Your last yeres actes so vnsauery , as For stalenes they do stynke : And so become retayned impes To God , with pacience beare Such iustice as by your desertes Your soueraigne shall referre , For better t is to yeelde your lyues Unto your Princes wyll , Synce wickedly you haue deserude Your deathes , in doyng yll : Then for to dye in quarrell such As enemie to good , Woulde also purchase to your selues The aunswere of much blood . And sure I am that in our Queene Remaynes such mercies store , As vnto you , then you deserue Imparted shal be more . This wrote your frende , a wyshyng frende Unto his natyue soyle : Who craues your frendships to befrende Your selues , and feare your foyle . Edmond Eluiden .