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Oure crossrow’s1 turnd, a signe off monstrous luck

when D.2 ledd the Englishe cross,3 over St. Gorges brooke,4

who better knewe to courte, and kiss his hande

then how to guide an hoste bye sea or lande

theire hath bene D D5 could conquer Townes,

5

and make all France to fflye

this D. can better conjure Crownes,

and runne away ffrom Ree

And leave oure noble English buddes,

a praye to’th pockye French,

10

when D. lyke Dorus6 darnige stoode;

O: that the Madrille wenche7

had changde her smocke, for Hercules shirte,8

when this Adulterouse D.

was cousoned, with a common cutte,9

15

and changde P. for a C.B.10

Our brave men had breathed still,

our Cuntrye loste no grace;

God graunte the next greatte Gennerall

better deserve, his place.

20

---

Source. CCRO MS CR 63/2/19, fol. 60r

Oii10

Quick links to other poems within this section

Select page here O0. Introduction Oi1. The Parliament sitts Oi2. Oh honoured England Oi3. Our digby digd’e Oi4. The base on which Oi5. There was a man Oi6. There was a great fleete Oi7. There was a Munkye Oi8. Yee Spanyards Oi9. There was some policye Oi10. The Kinge and his wyfe Oi11. Why did the fond Oi12. Fower Cheyffe Justices Oi13. Justice of late hath Oi14. Ould Ned Cooke Oi15. Rex and Grex Oi16. Come heare, Lady Muses Oi17. There is a man Oii1. when the uncivill civill Oii2. It makes mee to muse Oii3. Great Buckinghame Oii4. In reading these Oii5. And wilt thou goe Oii6. Charles would yee Prevaile Oii7. Rejoice, brave English Oii8. Why was the varlett Oii9. One askte me Oii10. Oure crossrow’s turnd Oii11. The noblest brave Oii12. And art return’d againe Oii13. All you that will goe Oii14. As sick men feare Oiii1. O Admirall! Oiii2. The wisest King Oiii3. The warrlike King Oiii4. Excuse me Eliott Oiii5. Avaunt you giddie Oiii6. Here Dr Lambe Oiii7. If heav’n rejoyce Oiii8. For Lambe go ringe Oiii9. Heare lyes the Impostar Oiii10. Our state’s a Game Oiii11. When onely one doth Oiii12. Of Brittish Beasts Oiii13. To hunt the Doe Oiii14. The Parliament of late Oiii15. A thinge gott by candle

¹   crossrow’s: cross-row; the alphabet. <back>

²   D.: Duke of Buckingham. <back>

³   the Englishe cross: the battle standard of the English was the red cross of St. George. <back>

⁴   St. Gorges brooke: the exact reference is unclear. St. George’s Channel is between Wales and Ireland; however, this may simply refer to the English Channel. <back>

⁵   D D: probably “Dukes” plural, or perhaps “fifty” (i.e. Roman numeral D) dukes. <back>

⁶   Dorus: the poet is probably comparing Buckingham to Dorus, the shepherd pseudonym of the prince Musidorus in Philip Sidney’s Arcadia. The allusion is possibly to the scenes in the Old Arcadia in which Musidorus, conquered by love, is, in Worden’s words, “plunged into idleness and self-absorption”, neglecting to take up the call of arms (Sound of Virtue 299). <back>

⁷   Madrille wenche: Madrid girl. This and the following lines seem to allude to Buckingham’s alleged womanizing in Madrid in the summer of 1623. <back>

⁸   Hercules shirte: the Greek hero Hercules’ jealous wife poisoned a garment he wore, burning his skin and precipitating his death. <back>

⁹   cutte: northern slang for whore. <back>

¹⁰   changde P. for a C.B.: meaning obscure; perhaps bawdy, developing in a coded manner the suggestions raised in the preceding lines. <back>