A New Ballet Of The Straunge Poem by Thomas Deloney

A New Ballet Of The Straunge



Al you that list to looke and see
what profite comes from Spayne,
And what the Pope and Spanyards both,
prepared for our gayne.
Then turne your eyes and bend your eares,
and you shall heare and see,
What courteous minds, what gentle harts
they beare to thee and mee.
They say they seeke for Englands good,
and wish the people well
They say they are such holie men,
all other they excell.
They bragge that they are Catholikes,
and Christes only Spouse
And what so ere they take in hand,
the holie Pope allowes.
These holie men, these sacred Saints,
and these that thinke no ill
See how they sought against all right,
to murder, spoyle and kill.
Our noble Queene and Countrie first,
they did prepare to spoyle
To ruinate our liues and lands,
with trouble and turmoyle.
And not content by fire and sword
to take our right away
But to torment most cruelly
our bodies night and day.
Although they ment with murdring hands
our guiltlesse bloud to spill
Before our deathes they did deuise
to whip vs first their fill.
And for that purpose had preparde
of whips such wondrouse store,
So straungely made, that sure the like
was neuer seene before.
For neuer was there Horse nor Mule,
nor dogge of currish kinde,
That euer had such whips deuisde
by any sauadge minde.
One sorte of whips they had for men,
so smarting fierce and fell
As like could neuer be deuisde
by any deuill in hell.
The strings whereof with wyerie knots,
like rowels they did frame,
That euery stroke might teare the flesh
they layd on with the same.
And pluckt the spreading sinewes from
the hardned bloudie bone,
To pricke and pearce each tender veine,
within the bodie knowne.
And not to leaue one crooked ribbe,
on any side vnseene
Nor yet to leaue a lumpe of flesh
the head and foote betweene.
And for our seelie women eke,
their hearts with griefe to clogge,
They made such whips wherewith no man
would seeme to strike a dogge
So strengthned eke with brasen tagges,
and filde so rough, and thin
That they would force at euery lash
the bloud abroad to spinne.
Although their bodies sweet and fayre,
their spoyle they ment to make
And on them first their filthie lust
and pleasure for to take.
Yet afterward such sower sauce
they should be sure to finde,
That they shoulde curse each springing braunch
that cometh of their kinde.
O Ladies fayre what spite were this,
your gentle hearts to kill
To see these deuilish tyrants thus
your childrens bloud to spill.
What griefe vnto the husband deere,
his louing wife to see
Tormented so before his face
with extreame villanie.
And thinke you not that they which had
such dogged mindes to make
Such instruments of tyrannie,
had not like hearts to take
The greatest vengeance that they might
vpon vs euery one
Yes, yes, be sure, for godlie feare
and mercie they haue none.
Euen as in India once they did
against those people there,
With cruell Curres in shamefull sorte
the men both rent and teare
And set the Ladies great with childe
vpright against a tree,
And shoot the through with pearcing darts,
such would their practise bee.
Did not the Romans in this land,
sometime like practise vse,
Against the Brittaines bolde in heart,
and wonderously abuse
The valiant King whom they had caught
before his Queene and wife,
And with most extreame tyraunie
dispatcht him of his life?
The good Queene Voadicia,
and eke her daughters three
Did they not first abuse them all
by lust and lecherie
And after stript them naked all,
and whipt them in such sorte
That it would grieue each Christian heart
to heare that iust reporte.
And if these ruffling mates of Rome
did Princes thus torment
Thinke you the Romish Spanyards now
would not shewe their desent.
How did they late in Rome reioyce,
in Italie and Spayne
What ringing and what Bonfires,
what Masses sung amaine.
What printed Bookes were sent about,
as filled their desire
How England was by Spanyards wonne,
and London set on fire.
Be these the men that are so milde,
whom some so holie call
The Lord defend our noble Queene,
and Countrie from them all.

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Thomas Deloney

Thomas Deloney

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