The Funeralles
of King Edward the Sixt

Wherein are declared the
causers and causes of his death.

by William Baldwin

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The Funeralles of the Most Noble and Godly Prince Kyng Edward the sixt.

An Exhortacion to the Repentaunce of Sinnes,and Amendment of Life . . .

An Epitaph.

Notes.

 

Wisedome .iiii.

He pleased God, and was beloved of him, and therfore hath God removed him from sinners among whom he lived. Yea so daynty was he taken awaye, to the ende that wickednes should not alter his understanding. Though he dyed yong, yet fulfilled he much time, for his soule pleased God, therfore hasted he to take him awaye from among the wycked.


William Baldwin to the Reader


Great hath been the doubt among many, ever since the death of our late vertuous soverayne Lorde King Edward the Syxt, by what meane he dyed, and what were the causes of his death. This doubt is fully resolved in this booke, penned before his corse was buryed, & endevoured since by many meanes to have had been printed: but such was the time, that it could not be brought to passe. Wherfore now at length (good Reader) it is set furth, both to take away all doubt in this matter, and to exhort thee to leave thy sinnes, and noughty living: Least, that as they wer in part the undoubted cause of that moost godly prynces death, so they becum the destruction of our vertuous Queen his sister, and the utter ruyne of this whole realme. For as thou shalt perceyve by this true Treatie, our innumerable sinnes were the cheife, yea the only cause why God so soone tooke good Kyng Edward from us: which surely if we do not spedely repent and amend, I dare not declare with how grevous and heavy plages God him selfe will purge and punish them. Wherfore I earnestly beseche thee, as thou lovest the Queen, the Realme, yea thine owne body and soule, amend thy life. God graunt this may perswade thee.

Amen.
Love and Live

 

 

The Funeralles of the Most Noble and Godly Prince
Kyng Edward the sixt.
 

 

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:
10

Movde by the crye of such as wer opprest.

  And when he had the maynland throughly vewed,
  With Mahometrie and Idol blud embrrwed,
  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
20 Most rifely swarme, where truth had most be taught,
  In England chefe, which he of special 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,
  Joynt 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,
30 I have lookt so long, untill mine eyes do ake.
  To hide their mischiefes waxing more and more,
  I have winkt so long till loe my bryes be sore.
  My throte is horce, my lippes have lost theyr skinne
  Through fervent crye to fray them from theyr sinne.
  Might gentlenes have movde them to relent,
  What have they wisht, that hath not strait be sent?
  Sith then they passe for neyther threats, for love,
  Nor easy plages wherby I do them prove,
  What els remayns but to destroy them all,
40 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 this elect on this sort gan intreat.
  If justice due (dere father) would have place,
  I knowe it booteth not to sewe for grace:
  But though their sins all measure far excede,
  Yet stay thy wrath, have mercy on our nede.
  And sith through fayth a mayny of them be mine,
50 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 saviours 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 marvayle what ye meane,
  For such a sort as have reject us cleane.
  Behold the heades, what els do they devise,
60 Save in our name to cloke their covetise?
  Thine herytage they have thee whole bereft,
  Except thy shurt, let see, what have 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 upon 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 whereby men should have right
70 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 joyne they house to house, how farme to farme?
  How leafe to leafe, the felly 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
80 To make a dearth when I give plenty store?
  And where they brag they do thy word avaunce,
  Have they not spoyld or fliste all mayntenaunce,
  That therto servde? what kinde of Clergy lande
  Or see, is free now from the Laymans 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?
90 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 wives?
  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,
  Both hold, where gayne may growe by breaking it?
  And when our preachers tell them ought hereof,
100 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 toyle,
  To hate thy word, and count our prophetes evill,
  Wysking 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,
110 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 marchadises,
  And glut their paunche with daynty wine and spices,
  Eke Idol lyke with pounsed silke and gold,
  Arayd theyr wives and children yong and old:
  As for them selves who marketh their attyer,
120 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 they 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,
130 I will powre downe plages till every one do feele.
  This sayd, he called to his sevaunt Crasy cold,
  Whom the Isy king kept prisoner in his hold
  Beneath the Poales, where under he doth dwell
  In grysly darke like to the diepe of hell,
  In rockes and caves of snow and cluttered yse
  That never thaw, and sayd him in this wise.
  About five Climates henceward to the South
  Betwene the maynland and the Occean mouth,
  Two ylandes lye, skarce distant forty mile:
140 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 poretions three,
  And in the same thre sundry peoples be.
  Of which the best and cyvil 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 understand)
  A River runneth Eastward to the mayne
150 Sea arme, that parteth it and Fraunce in twayne.
  About this river 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 porte
  As great as he, and greater other while:
160 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 unsound:
  But see thou hurt him not unto 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 by al the rest.
  But in this feat I charge the see thou looke
170 Thou harme him not while he is at his booke,
  Or other kinde of vertuous exercise:
  Neyther yet at game so it be 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,
180 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 yce,
  Overheard 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.
190 And stretcht his joyntes as stiffe as any stile:
  Because he would his charge no longer slacke.
  He got him up on blustring Boreas backe,
  And forth he went: but his horse so heavy strode,
  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 sharps and shryl,
  That studs for feare hard cluddered stoode full stil.
  The seas did quake and tremble in such sort,
200 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 had: 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,
210 Be eat so much, the poore could get no wood,
  Except they would pay after double price,
  For Billet treble under 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 mornig, 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 up,
  Into his stomacke downward he him got,
220 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 markt the chile that went unto 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,
230 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 feat 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 fore ackrasde, within a day or twayne
  The King gan sicke, and of his brest complayne.
  The juyce tangelde that in his Lounges lay rawe,
240 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 sor and vehement cough,
  Wyth reaching oft, as if the hart should breake,
  Wherby the vitall blud becam to weake.
  For help wherof phisicions did repayre,
  And for his ayde did kepe him from the ayre:
  But when the King awhile was mist abrode,
250 His lovers 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,
260 Or put to the use 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,
270 In whose just 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,
280 His prophetes eke a common testing 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 utterly exylde
  All meanes by which he might recover force.
290 Than did his griefe so sore assault the corse
  That every 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,
300 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 est shall have his like?
  He is to good for that ungracious Realme:
310 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 then 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 everlasting blisse.
  With cumly shape, and smiling chere, I say,
  Go lewse his soule, have done, and go thy way.
  Whan doulful Death had heard this hard devise,
320 He trymd him selfe in his most cumly guyse,
  Like Mercury in every kinde of grace,
  Save that he hath 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 stave, to prove who should be chiefe.
  But when weke nature had consumde her best,
  She yelded her, and so the stuggle ceast.
  Wherby the King cam to him selfe agayne,
330 And seing death, he turned away amayne:
  For why his yongth, and yet unfloured breth,
  Could not consent to so unripe 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 chere 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,
340 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 uncertayne and unsure,
  Unto a Raygne that 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,
350

To thend he might himselfe 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 up, aud 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:
360

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 wurd, 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 quoth 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,
370 For when it sawe the prison gate was broke,
  Fast furth it flewe, and up to heaven went
  To rest with God in joyes 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 wart his face and handes all pale and wan,
380

And when the bludles partes to coole began,
 

To heavenward his handes and iyes he cast,
  Downe fell his jawes, 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 undefilde,
  The sixtenth yere of his unperfect age.
  Wo wurth us men, whose sins let run at rage
  Have murdred him: wo wurth us wretches all,
  On whom the wreke of righteous bloud must fall.
390 Wo wurth our sins, for they, alas, have slayne,
  The noblest prince that dyd, or est shall rayne.

 


Sapien. iiii.

Thus the righteous which is dead, condemneth the ungodly which are living, and the youth that is soone brought to an ende, the long life of the unrighteous.

 

An Exhortacion to the Repentaunce of Sinnes,
and Amendment of Life,
Which were the Cause of the Kings Death
- & will be the Destruction of the Realme
if God be not the More Merciful unto us.
  All Englishe people what so ever ye bee,
  Rulers, and subjectes of every degree,
  Whose horrible vices have moved the wrath
  Of God so to skourge us, as lately it hath,
  By bringing our Soverayne to soone to his ende,
  Repent you 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 desyr
  You rob under colour of Christen profession,
10 Of honour and riches, wherby set on fyer,
  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 just:
  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 devocion,
  Your to much care for your children and wives,
20 Your whorish abusing, your wise 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 subjectes, 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,
30 Your troubling your neyghbours for every light cause
  For this was the cause to the Kings death in dede,
 

And will be the Quenes without better hede.

 
  Repent you officers all the deceytes
  You use in you paymentes and in you receytes,
  Your bribe bought audites, your subtile surveyinges,
  Your thevish accompts made by crafty conveyings,
  Your robbing the rulers that put you in trust:
  Repent, recompence to, hence forward be just.
  For that was the cause of the Kings death in deede,
40

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 undoing the poore,
  Your making the law and justice an whore,
  Which no man enbrace may until she befolde
  For great mans favours, 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
50

Of personages, prevenus, avowsoms of benifices,

  Of landes, of leases, of office, of fees,
  Your monging of vitayles, corne, butter, and cheese:
  Your cariyng our good warrs, and bringing such in
  As sarve to no purpose, save bredyng up sin.
  For this was the cause of the kinges death in dede
 

And wil be his sisters without better hede.

 
 

Repent you caytises your raysing of rent
  Your sines, your incomes, yet never at a stent.
  Your turning of tillage so much into pasture,
60

That townes to towneships are ruyned past cure:
  Your wasting of woods, your ingrossing chepe wares,
  To make dearth of plenty, to encrease others cares.
  For this was the cause of the Kings death in dede,
 

And will be the kingdomes without better hede.

 
  Repent you Judges your parciall judgements,
  Your quitting the giltye, your quelling the innocentes
  For mede, for drede, for spite or for pleasure.
  Repent you Russlers rhavuse of your treasure,
  Your othes, your fury, your els many a crime
70

Beside the expence of your bodyes and time.
  For these war a cause of the Kings death in dede
 

And wil be the kingdomes without better hede.

 
  Repent you Leachers your dissolute lives,
  Your causeles devorsing your true wedded wives,
  Your crafty alluring the silly to sinne,
  Your bying of Orphans to wed to your kin,
  Your forcing of widdowes unwilling to mary
  To cause brech of wedlocke, sith nedes they must vary:
  For this was the cause of the kinges death in dede,
80

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 upon heathen nor Jewe.
  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,
90 Ceas we all for Gods sake, to sin any furder,
  Ofteye 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 unrighteous dealing, of wrong, of blasphemies, & sundry deceytes, a Realme shal be translated from one people to an other.

 


 

An Epitaph.

The Death Playnt or Life Prayse of the Most Noble and Vertuous Prince,
King Edward the Syxt.
 

 

The noble hart which feare might never moove,
  Wherin a minde with vertue fraught did rest,
  A face whose chere allured unto loove
  All hartes, through syes which pity whole possest,
  The brayne, which wit and wisedome made their chest,
  Fulfyld with all good giftes that man may have,
 

Rest with a princely Carkas here in grave.

 
  Whose vertuous giftes immired with the minde
  As godly feare, with constant zeale to truth,
10 Such skill of tounges, and artes of every kinde,
  Such manhode, prudens, justice joynd ruth
  As age seeld hath, though here they greed with youth,
  Are from their wemles undefiled hoast,
 

Goen hence to heaven with their godly goast.

 
  Of which two partes belinkt in lace of life,
  It pleased the Lord to lend us late a king:
  But out alas our sins they wer so rife,
  And we so unworthy of so good a thing,
  That Atropos did knap in two the string
20 Before her sisters sixtene whurles had spun,
 

Or we the gayne of seven yeres rayne through wun.
 

 

Wo wurth our sinnes, our sinnes I say,
  The wreke wherof hath rest us such a loan
  As never realme the like recover may,
  In princely giftes, the Phenix byrd alone.
  Oh happy he, but we full wo begoen.
  Whose haynous sins have slayne the giltles gide,
 

Whose soule the heave, whose corse this herse doth hide

 
 

Finis.

King Edward sickened the first day of February, at Whitehall, and on the syxte day of Julye next folowing, died he at Greenwich, And was buryed in Westminister church. Anno. 1553.

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Notes

Wisedome .iiii.: Wisd. of Sol. 4.10-11, 14.
daynty: daintily; delicately; tenderly (OED).
corse: corpse
furth: forth
Least: Lest?
our vertuous Queen his sister: Queen Elizabeth I
Goat: Capricorn, December 22-January 19. Pisces: February 19-March 20
soote: sweet, sweetly (OED).
Cech: Caecias (latin), the North-east wind.
Mahometrie: Islam. Here used to connote false religion, idolatry (OED).
rifely: abundantly, largely; frequently; prevalently, currently (OED).
erst: sooner, earlier; before a specified time or event (OED).
wroth: wrath (OED);flang: flung; turned violently.
bryes: eyelids (OED).
booteth not: does no good; does not avail or help.
avaunce: advance
swayne: a young man attending a knight, man of low degree (OED).
nould: ne would; would not.
glut: indulge to the utmost (OED).
pounsed: decorated with a design transferred by dusting a perforated pattern with pounce(OED).
nacion: nation
Isy: Icy
ylandes: islands
sundry: apart, separate, distinct.
hight: were called, bore the name(OED).
hore frost: hoar frost; frost that feathers items white (OED);Irishe Frise: coarse, wooly cloth (OED).
trow: believe (OED).
holtes: copses of trees (OED);heathes: uncultivated tracks of waste land (OED).
Billet: firewood size regulated by law (OED);cise: a fixed standard of quality or quantity for food, drink, or other commodities (OED).
charely: carefully (OED).
holpe: helped (OED).
stent: The value assessed for taxation purposes (OED).
my elect: a reference to the belief that the sovereign is ordained by God to rule.
ruch: ruck; the undistinguished crowd or general run (of persons or things)(OED).
amayne: vehemently (OED).
abashe: to gape with surprise, stand confounded (OED).
for ay: forever, eternally.
goast: ghost: life spirit (OED).
aud: and (an evident misprint).
stent: stop; limitation; fixed quantity; value (OED).
swound: swoon, faint (OED).
Sapien. iii.: Wisd. of Sol. 4.16.
recompence: make restitution, atone for misdeed or offence (OED).
prelates: bishops.
Syrach the .x.: Sir. 10.8
wemles: without stain of sin (OED).

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