¶The wonders of England. 1559.
WHen date of (1553.) was expirde ful,
And Gods wrath rypt, ready to fall:
His sworde from sheath did ferce out pul,
And to the heauens beganne to call.
Saying: on England now I shall,
Plage Prince, Prophet, and People all,
For contemptes sake.
Go Death inclose their Kyng in clay,
And Sunne withdraw the light of day,
And darkenes make.
No sooner sayd, but straight was done
The English Kyng Edward God tooke.
Light of soule from England gone.
Darkenes made them blyndely looke.
Truth and Fayth of People forsooke.
Their Prophetes taken from the booke,
And prysoners made.
The Bats & Owles from holes out came
Wolues and Beares, and cruel Caim,
Did England inuade.
Whē darknes thus echwhere was sen
And nightly Uermin rulde the rost,
No Birds might syng in that late euen,
By land, by sea, or by the coast,
But straight were brought to firy post,
Or els to Lolers tower tost,
And kept in cage,
From meate and frend somtimes so bard
That lomy wales they fed on hard,
Hunger to swage.
Thys darkenes so extremely bode,
That none frō other scarce were known
On Noble, Sage, Learned and Good,
These wormes of darknes spared none,
And pourde their poison abrod so flowne
On Prophet, People, & Prince their own,
Whych is by name
Elizabeth, by God nowe Quene,
To Englands ioy ryght wel is sene,
They sought to shame.
The sun thus quētch, & day made dark
And Cockes in coopes from croing kept,
Thē straight these Owles begā to wark,
And to the Churches fearcely lept,
And wt new broumes thē clene out swept
From God, from King and Scripture set
Upon the wall,
And in their stede set ydols long,
And made people with prayse and song,
On them to call.
Thus Uermin darke the mastry had,
Of Realme, of Prince, of Noble and all:
And yet not here with fully glad,
Away they sought to saue theyr fall,
And counsayle gaue a Forayne to call,
To match our Quene and Crowne royal
All for their Pope.
To haue their kingdome raygne alway,
And they them selues to heare the sway,
And blindly grope.
All this not yet their mindes fyllyng,
Nor no regarde to Natiu [...] land,
Fearing again Gods light should spring
Brought Mershial law forthwt in hand,
Against al such as would withstand,
Their wicked raygne and cruell band,
And Gods part take.
Or els in priuye places founde,
Praying to God prostrate on ground,
His wrath to slake.
Thus rulyng all in darkenes blynde,
Came miseries with heape on heape,
No lore was taught to fyl the mynde,
Godly to lyue and good fruite reape,
But al for Church they cride and threape
Restore, restore euen as good cheape,
As ye dyd take.
And be ye sure ye shall attayne,
To heauens blysse wythout more payne
And so mendes make.
Losses of townes and Holdes came on,
Ruine of people beganne eche where:
Richmen made beggers, & Captains bond
Armour for warre our enmyes toke clere
Whē al thys was seue in this realme here
Yet (sayd these Owles) we nede not feare
For all was well.
No losse haue we by Heritikes gone:
Ne for Calis for whych ye moue
Whych here do dwell
Yet God as God styll alwaies one
Though angry yet began to stay:
Plaging the Realme and People echeone
At last with teares beganne to saye:
Oh Englād, Englād sore doest thou stray,
My Martirs bloud shed out thys day,
In wofull plyght.
The infantes yong that fatherles be.
Wyth wydowes poore crying to me,
wythdrawes my spyte.
With that ye skies their hue did change
And light out shone in darkenes steede,
Up (said this God with voice not strāge)
Elizabeth thys Realme nowe guyde,
My wyll in thee doo not thou hyde,
And Uermine darke let not abyde,
In thys thy Land.
Straight way the people out dyd cry,
Praysed be God and God saue thee
Quene of England.
Finis.
ꝙ I. A.
¶Imprinted at London by Iohn Avvdeley.