Classic Poem

The seditious Captaines Schimion & Iehocanan search all the houses in the Citt for Victuals, they take from a noble Lady all her prouision, leauing her and her Sonne comfortlesse, shewing the great moane she made .

The curst seditious Captaines and their crue,
When they perceiu'd the famine grow so great,
In all mens houses would they search, and view,
In euery corner both for bread and meat:
If any did their bould request denie.

On murdering swords they were right sure to dye.
Among the rest where they a searching went,
Vnto a gallant Ladyes house they came,
And there before her victuals quite was spent,
With hardened hearts, and faces void of shame:
They tooke her store with many a bitter threat,
And left her not one bit of bread to eate.

The noble Lady on her tender knees,
With floods of teares distilling from her eyes,
Their crueltie when she so plainely sees.
In mournefull sort vnto them thus she cries:
Vpon a wofull Lady take some pittie,
And let not famine slay me in this Cittie.

Of all the store which you haue tooke away,
Leaue one browne loafe, for my poore child and me:
That we may eat but one bit in a day,
To saue our liues from extreame misery.
Thus holding vp her lillie hands she cried,
The more she crau'd the more she was denied.

If you (quoth she) cannot afford me bread,
One dried stock-fish doe one me bestow,
For my poore Infants life I greatly dread,
If thus distrest you leaue me when you goe:
Braue men of might, shew pittie for his sake,
And I thereof a thousand meales will make.

O call to minde my childe is nobly borne,
Of honorable blood and high degree,
Then leaue vs not braue Captaines thus forlorne,
Your countries friend one day this child may bee:
O let me not this gentle fauour misse,
I may one day requite far more then this.

Then answered they in harsh and churlish sort,
Tut tell not vs of honourable state,
And if thou wilt we'l cut thy Infants throat,
So shall he neede no meate, then cease to prate:
Men must haue meate, let children dye and starue,
Yf we want foode, in warres how can we serue.

With bended browes they stroue to get away
But she vpon her knees did follow fast,
And taking hould on their confus'd aray,
This sad complaint from her hearts pallace past:
Renouned Lords, our Citties sure defence,
O let me speake once more, ere you goe hence.

Yf you lack money, see I haue good store,
Wherein great Cesars Image is portrayde,
Therefore of gift, I will demaund no more,
To buy me foode, let me not be denayd.
For fiue red herrings, ten Crownes shall you haue,
Ile pay it downe, with vantage if you craue.

That damned coyne (quoth they) wee doe detest,
And therewithall thy selfe, which all this while,
Hast kept our foes foule picture in thy chest,
Which seekes this holy Citty to defile:
Thou getst no foode, and therefore hold thy toungue
Hang, starue, & dye, thou canst not dye more young.

O pardon yet (quoth she) my earnest speech,
Do not my words to poyson so conuert,
Take heere my chaine, I humbly doe beseech,
Of pearle and Diamonds for one silly sprat:
One sprat (sweete men) cast but vpon the ground,
For this faire chaine, which cost a thousand pound.

Talke not to vs (quoth they) of Iems and chaines,
Of Diamonds, Pearls or precious rings of Gould,
One sprat to vs is sweeter gotten gaines,
Then so much siluer, as this house can hold:
Gould is but drosse, where hunger is so great,
Hard hap hath hee, that hath but gould to eate.

With that the testie Souldiers get them out,
Proud of the purchast pray which they had got,
The woefull Ladye did they mocke and flout,
Her plaints and teares regarding not a iott:
Shee sighes, they smile, she mournes, and they reioyce,
And of their pray they make an equall choyce,

But Megar famine couetous of all,
Enuying those that should thereof haue part,
In sharing out there purchasse bread a brawle,
Wherein one stabd the other to the heart:
This fellow said the other did deceiue him,
He swore againe enough they did not leaue him.

Lo thus about the victuals they did fight,
Looke who was strongest bore away the prize,
And for a crust of bread, in dead of night,
They cut their Fathers throats in wofull wise:
The mother would her childrens victuals snatch,
And from his wife, the husband he did catch.