A Ioyfull medytacyon to all Englonde of the coronacyon of our moost naturall souerayne lorde kynge Henry the eyght (A Joyful Meditation of the Coronation of King Henry the Eighth)   By: Stephen Hawes (-1523)

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¶ A Ioyfull medytacyon to all Englonde of the coronacyon of our moost naturall souerayne lorde kynge Henry the eyght.

[Illustration]

The prologue

The prudent problems / & the noble werkes Of the gentyll poetes in olde antyquyte Vnto this day hath made famous clerkes For the poetes Wrote nothynge in vanyte But grounded them on good moralyte Encensynge out the fayre dulcet fume Our langage rude to exyle and consume

The ryght eloquent poete and monke of bery Made many fayre bookes / as it is probable From ydle derkenes / to lyght our emyspery Whose vertuous pastyme / was moche cõmendable Presentynge his bookes / gretely prouffytable To your worthy predecessour the .v. kynge Henry whiche regystred is in the courte of memory

Amyddes the medowe of flora the quene Of the goddes elycon / is the sprynge or well And by it groweth / a fayre laurell grene Of whiche the poetes do ofte wryte and tell Besyde this olyue / I dyde neuer dwell To tast the water whiche is aromatyke For to cause me wryte with lusty rethoryke

Wherefore good souerayne / I beseche your hyghnes To pardon me whiche do rudely endyte As in this arte hauynge small intres But for to lerne is all myn appetyte In folowynge the monke whiche dyde nobly wryte Besechynge your hyghnes and grace debonayre For to accepte this rude and lytell quayre

¶ Explicit prologus.

O God alone in heuen werynge crowne In whose inspecte is euery regall se Both to enhaũce & for to cast adowne Suche is [the] power of thỹ hygh magiste Neyther hardynes treasour nor dygnyte May withstande thy strength whiche is ĩ euery place So grete and myghty is thy dyuyne grace

Two tytles in one thou dydest well vnyfye Whan the rede rose toke the whyte in maryage Reygnynge togyder ryght hygh and noblye From whose vnyd tytyls and worthy lygnage Descended is by ryght excellent courage Kynge Henry the .viii. for to reygne doutles Vnyuersall his fame honour and larges

Whiche hathe spousyd a fayre floure of vertue Descended of kynges dame katheryn of Spayne By grace and prudens the peace to attayne Wherfore Englonde thou nedes not complayne Syth thou hast crowned openly in syght This kynge and quene by good true loue and ryght

What sholde I shewe by perambulacyon All this grete tryumphe of whiche reporte Is made aboute nowe in euery nacyon Vnto all this realme to be Ioy and comforte Wherfore you lordes I humby you exhorte Spyrytuall and temporall with the comyns vnyfyde To gyue god the prayse which dothe grace prouyde

Englonde be gladde / the dewe of grace is spred The dewe of Ioy / the dewe holsome and soote Dystylled is nowe from the rose so red And of the whyte so spryngynge from the roote After our trouble to be refute and boote This ryall tree was planted as I knowe By god aboue the rancour to downe throwe