[5] The HISTORY of the CIVIL WAR. The ARGUMENT. What Times fore-go Richard the Second's Reign; His Uncle's Pride, His greedy Minions Gain: Si Civil Wars, tumultuous Broils, [Land; And bloody Factions of a mighty Whofe People haughty, proud with [foreign Spoils, Upon themselves turn back their Conqu❜ring [Hand Whilft Kin their Kin, Brother the Brother foils; B 3 II. What II. What Fury, O what Madness held thee fo, Dear England, (too too prodigal of Blood) To wafte fo much, and war without a Foe; Whilft France, to fee thy Spoils, at Pleasure ftood How much might'ft thou have purchas'd with lefs [Woe, T'have done thee Honour, and thy People good? Thine might have been whatever lies between The Alps and us, the Pyrenees and Rhene. III. Yet now what Reason have we to complain, Might bring forth Thee: That in thy Peace might [grow That Glory, which few Times could ever fhow. IV. Come, Sacred Virtue; I no Muse, but thee, V. And Thou, Charles Montjoy, who did'ft once afford Reft for my Fortunes on thy quiet Shore, And cheer'd'ft me on these Measures to record In graver Tones than I had us'd before; Behold, my Gratitude makes good my Word Engag'd to Thee, altho' Thou be no more; That That I, who heretofore have liv'd by Thee, VI. And MEMORY, Preferv'refs of Things done, Cone thou, unfold the Wounds, the Wrack, the [Waste; Reveal to me how all the Strife begun VII. And to the end we may with better Eafe VIII. Ten Kings had from the *Norman Conqu'ror reign'd, With intermix'd and variable Fate, When England to her greateft Height attain'd Which was in the Space of 260 Tears. B.4. IX. For ་ IX. * For first, the Norman conqu❜ring all by Might, By Might was forc'd to keep what he had got; Mixing our Cuftoms and the Form of Right With foreign Conftitutions he had brought; Maft'ring the Mighty, humbling the poorer Wight, By all fevereft Means that could be wrought; And, making the Succeffion doubtful, rent> This new-gor State, and left it turbulent. L X. +William his Son tracing his Father's Ways, (The Great Men fpent in Peace, or flain in Fight,) Upon depreffed Weaknefs only preys, And makes his Force maintain his Doubeful Right: 1067. William I. frnamed the Conqueror, the Bafe Son to Robert the VIth Duke of Normandy, reigned 20 Years and 8 Months; and left the Crown of England to William, his Third Son, contrary to the Custom of Succeffion. 1087. William II. had Wars with his Elder Brother, Robert Duke of Normandy; with whom his Un cle Otho, and many of the Nobility of England took Part. He was flain Hunting in the New Foreft, by Sir Walter Tyrrell shooting at a Deer, when he had reigned 13 Years. JUX His Brother Henry next commands the State Who, Robert's Title better to reject, Seeks to repacify the People's Hate; Ard with fair Shews, rather than in Effect, XII. Whom Stephen, his Nephew, (falfifying his iA * 1190. Henry I. the Youngest Son of William the 4 whole. Conqueror, reigned 35 Years and drowned in the and being Seas, he leaves the Crown to Maud, first married to the Emperor Henry the IVth, and after to Geoffrey Plantagenet, Earl of Anjou. 1135. Stephen, Son to the Earl of Blois and A-t dela, Daughter to William the Conqueror, invades the Kingdom, contends with Maud the Empress for the Succeffion, and reigned tumultuarily Eighteen Years, and ten Months. |