---

“To Felton’s Freindes”

You braveing1 spiritts (not brave) inflamd from hell

You that like wylye Toades with poyson swell

And sure would burst, had you not found a vent

By which your vennome to the world is sent.

What shall I call you Romanes, that’s too good

5

For in their glorie theire Religion stood,

Theire gods with blooddye acts weere hyghlye pleas’d

And with the greatest mischiefe best appeas’d,

But you although unworthilye assume

The name of Christians, yet you doe presume

10

To teach even Christ himselfe a Doctrine newe

And hatefull, which he neither taught nor knewe,

Due patience & obedience are not bitts2

To curb your stubborne Jawes; your Noble witts

Will onelye yeeld the raynes to headdye will,

15

And this your new commandement, Thou shalt kill?

For this a glorious name hath Felton gott

In your vayne Heaven; &’s a Patriott.

Confirm’d on earth, & that he maye be crown’d

God must the author of this deed be found.

20

Go on kind Infidells cleare Feltons name,

Yourselves shall serve to be your Countryes shame.

By setting up a Statue to adore

A crying murder never knowne before.

In Civill England; ever it was thought

25

Connivence was too much with what was naught,

But god must patronize your cursed deedes,

And work revenge for you who ever bleedes,

Had Moyses led you & not gott the daye,

Or if constrayned had shortned you of paye,

30

Moyses should neere have brought you neare the Land

Of promisse; for some consecrated hand

Should have bestowed a period of his lyfe

And then have made an Idoll of the Knife

That gave the wound,3 No King I feare shall live,

35

That dare a favour do or office give,

Without your leave; Since you have Sainted heere

Him that would Fredome by although so deare,

As with dampnacion; yet if you saye noe

You are his Judges & it must be soe.

40

Lawe & Religion both give place to you,

But lett him looke that noe remorce he shew

Least you unsaint him; for your discontent

Will not permitt that any such repent4

For which I surelye doubt when most you want

45

That blessed guift repentance, Heaven will scant5

Such needfull grace; & justlye will permitt

That you shall headlong fall into the pitt,

Where unrepented, sinne due wages gaynes

And where your King of disobedience6 reignes.

50

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Source. LCRO MS DG 9/2796, pp. 1-4

Other known sources. “Two Unpublished Poems” 238

Piii4

Quick links to other poems within this section

Select page here P0. Introduction Pi1. lett Charles & george Pi2. Sith number with thy Pi3. Thy numerous name Pi4. Anagram of George Pi5. A yere of wonder Pi6. The Shepheards struck Pi7. Thus Buck-in-game Pi8. England was sick Pi9. Lord, what are wee Pi10. Beehold this Obsequie Pi11. This little Grave Pi12. The pale horse Pi13. Here lies Leachery Pi14. Here lyes great George Pi15. Great Buckingham’s Pi16. Pride lies heere Pi17. Fortunes darling Pi18. Heere lies a gratious Pi19. Had our great duke Pi20. Great potent Duke Pi21. And art thou dead! Pi22. Pale death, with Iron Pi23. Great Gorge, and art Pi24. Thou that on topp Pi25. What once was said Pi26. If good mens graces Pi27. Great Duke, which art Pi28. At Portsmouth Duke Pi29. Make haste I pray Pi30. No sooner had the Pi31. Great Duke, Although Pi32. Away, away, great George Pi33. My honour, favour, life Pi34. I that my countrey Pi35. Mother / My humble Pi36. The Argument is cold Pi37. Ye gastly Spiritts Pii1. Anagram on John Felton Pii2. Anagram on John Felton Pii3. Felton, awake Pii4. The heavens approve Pii5. Some say the Duke Pii6. The Duke is dead Pii7. Why: is our Age Pii8. Immortall Man of glorie Pii9. I mmortal man of glory Pii10. Enjoy thy Bondage Pii11. Sir, I your servant Pii12. You auntient Lawes Pii13. Feare not brave Pii14. Sorrow and Joy Pii15. Heere uninterr’d Pii16. Here uninterd suspends Pii17. Wants hee a grave Pii18. Is Felton dead? Pii19. Here Lyes the bonnes Pii20. Awake, sad Brittaine Piii1. M alignant characters Piii2. Heere lyes the best Piii3. Dearling off Kings Piii4. You braveing spiritts Piii5. I did not flatter thee Piii6. Yee snarling Satyrs Piii7. Heere lyes thy Urne Piii8. Sooner I may some Piii9. Yet weere Bidentalls Piii10. Reader stand still Piii11. Our countrie Merry Piii12. Honor, worth, greatnes Piii13. What! shall I say now Piii14. Who ever lov’d man Piii15. When Poets use to Piii16. Might Teares Revive Piii17. Death come thy selfe Piii18. Hee that can reade Piii19. Nourishd with sighs Piii20. When in the brazen Piii21. Reader when these Piii22. Noe Poets triviall rage

¹   braveing: boasting. <back>

²   bitts: the bit is the bridle mouthpiece used to control a horse. <back>

³   Had Moyses led...gave the wound: these lines argue, facetiously, that if Moses, the divinely inspired liberator of the Jews from Egyptian bondage, had, like Buckingham, commanded in battle and lost (as Buckingham did at the Ile de Ré in 1627) or had been unable, like Buckingham, to pay the troops what they were owed, then some assassin would have killed Moses and been celebrated for it. <back>

⁴   But lett him looke...such repent: Felton did in fact repent his deeds in his speech from the scaffold on the day of his execution. <back>

⁵   scant: withhold. <back>

⁶   King of disobedience: Satan. <back>