The Complaynt Of Egelrede. Poem by Thomas Blenerhasset

How Egelrede for his wickednesse was diuerslye distressed by the Danes, and lastly dyed for sorrow, seeing him selfe not able to deale with Canutus.

The minde and not the Man dooth make or marre,
For as the Stearne dooth guide the Argocy:
So by their mindes all men they guyded are.
From out the minde proceedeth fantasie,
All outwarde actes, vertue or vanitie,
Not from the man, but from the minde proceede:
The minde dooth make the man to do eache deede.

For Phalaris with beastly bloudy minde,
And Nero dyd in murther much delight,
To mercy Antoninus was inclinde,
Midas for Golde extended all his might.
For worldly pompe how dyd Pompeius fight?
The mountyng minde of Alexander, made
Hym winne the worlde, his fame can neuer fade.

How dyd the minde moue Calicratides,
Xerses, Cirus, and Argantonius?
Philip of Macedon, Theramines,
Aiax, Iason, and Aurilianus,
Achilles, and the olde King Priamus,
Hector, and Hercules, with false Sino,
Their mindes dyd make them weaue the web of woe.

The Twig dooth bende as Boreas blastes dooth blow,
So man dooth walke euen as his minde dooth moue.
Then happy hee who hath a minde to know
Such thinges as be the best for his behoue,
No doubt the minde which vertuous actes dooth loue,
Dooth make a man euen Caesar to surpasse,
For Noble deedes who Prince of prowesse was.

But he who hath his minde to mischiefe bent,
All his delight from vertue dooth decline,
Lyke mee to late hee shall his faultes repent,
His sinfull soule shall feele the fall in fine
That I haue felte: which makes me to repine,
Against my minde for Nature dyd her parte,
My euil inclyned minde dyd spoyle my hart.

What though I were of comely personage?
Ioyntly my ioyntes were ioynde with perfect shape,
Adorned eke with so sweete a visage,
That neuer yet from Natures handes dyd scape
A worke ymade of such a perfect shape?
But what of that? these giftes for want of grace,
Deformed quite the feature of my face.

For why my minde to ruthful ruine bent,
I did delyght in lothsome lecherie:
I neuer did my odious deedes repent,
In drunkennesse, in extreme crueltie,
I did delight in euerye villannye.
As for delyght in princely exercise,
The feates of armes I did them most despise.

By meanes whereof my subiectes did me hate,
And forrayne foes, to burne my Realme were bolde:
With warre the Danes did alter strayght the state.
Fyrst Fortune did my common weale vnfolde,
Then pestilence did make my courage colde,
And last of al, the dreadful diuelish Danes
Dyd make me pay them tribute for theyr paynes.

Euen nowe the Realme of Englande dyd decaye:
For when the Danes theyr tribute had consumde,
Forthwith they made vs greater summes to paye.
From ten to fifteene thousand they presumde
Of poundes to make vs pay: so I redeemde
With money bagges my careful common wealth,
The onely meanes reserued for my health.

When thus the wante of courage on my parte
Had geuen my foes so sure footing here,
And when disease with her destroying Darte,
Had wypte away my subiects euerywhere:
Euen then to late my wisemen did appeare,
Whome heretofore I alwayes did detest,
There counsayle graue at last they thus exprest:

O Egelrede the fruite of fearfulnesse,
Of riote thou the right reward dost reape,
But if thou wilt auoyde this wretchednesse,
Be wise and looke about before you leape,
Of hatefull happes you see a hidiouse heape
Before your face, therefore in time geue eare,
And wisely way the wordes which thou shalt heare.

That nobel Duke Richarde of Normandy,
A sister hath, whom then we wishe to wed,
By meanes whereof from this captiuity
We may be brought, and that without bloodshed.
For why these Danes these Normans so do dread,
That yf from thence an ayde we can procure,
Thy foes no doubte can neuer long endure.

The mayd she may a princes fancye please,
Her brother is a man of greate renowne,
This way O king may make thy subiectes ease,
It may restore the freedome of thy Crowne,
This onely way will force thy foes to frowne.
If thou thy Crowne and common weale dost loue,
Do thou the thing so much for thy behoue.

So by their meanes I maried the mayde,
She Emma hight, the floure of Normandie,
Of whom I was so glad and wel apayde,
That al the world with my prosperitie
Could not compare: and in that Iolitye
I did deuise by traynes of secrete treason,
To bring the Danes to death, in a good season.

I did a feast through al my Realme proclame,
At which both Danes and Englishmen did meete,
Then secretely my friendes and I did frame,
That Englishmen the Danes shoulde friendly greete,
And at the feast that they shoulde doo their feate.
And that they might the better woorke their wyl,
They thus were plast according vnto skil.

Two before one, and three before fyue,
Here two, and there two, and foure then beliue:
Here one, and there one, and three at a cast,
Then one, and twice two, and one at the last.

They mingled thus, the watchworde wysely geuen,
And Englishmen with weapons wel bestead,
The Danes amidst their Cuppes were shauen & shriuen,
Fiue hundred thousand in one day were dead.
Nowe note the ende of blood so beastly shed,
For Swane the king of Denmarke did ariue,
He for reuenge did me to Richard driue.

Marke here howe lawlesse policies preuaile,
Their good successe doo promise present payne.
What? May mans vayne deuises ought auaile?
Dishonest deedes no honour can obtayne,
Al murthering Massacers be vile and vayne,
Such suttle slayghtes haue neuer good successe:
The proofe whereof with payne I here expresse.

For Swane with swoorde and fyre did destroye,
Both man and beast, and euery earthly thing,
He did that noble London much annoy,
He wonne the Realme and was the Englishe king.
When tract of time him to his Beere did bring,
Canutus then his sonne did him succeede,
Whom to displace I did despatch with speede.

My brother Richarde Duke of Normandy,
Of Normans gaue to me a goodly bande,
By helpe of whom Canutus forst to flee,
I got agayne the kingdome of Englande.
But out (alas) what thing may fyrmely stande,
Whose vnder propt is of so litle might?
That want of strength dooth let thinges drop downright.

Canutus did from Denmarke nowe returne,
The wrathful wight appoynted passyng strong,
My subiectes slue, my Cities he did burne,
Which when I hearde I liude not very long,
My faynting hart was thronged with a throng
Of cares, which broke it in my feareful brest,
And so at last death brought my bones to rest.

Twice tenne and eight I ranne my ruthful race,
And then in Paules my cursed corps was layde,
Canutus did my common weale deface,
The Danes were kinges, my kingdome was decayde,
This worlde is frayle, and euery thing must fade,
But alwayes that which wanteth gouernment,
That fyrst dooth feele the force of dangers dent.