---

Why how now Robine?1 discontented quite

hath greatness with the playd the skytishe Jayde2

hath fortune kyste thee, & now doth she byte

and of her alter thee her footstoole make

hath she taught the to shew a tumblinge cast

5

and raysed thee highe to breake thy neck at last.

O noe I wronge her twas not shee that threwe

thee on thy necke or was thy ruins cause

but lustfull leacher twas thy self that drewe

thy selfe into confutions Jawes

10

when thou didst first touch that vyle castol3 vyce

thy wronge stylde Countess,4 Englands Cokeatryce.5

what new strange maddness did possese thy mynde

what Franticke humor haunted thee, what fitte?

that thou to launch noe other place could fynd

15

but there where thou wert shewer thy barke6 to splytt

had the whole Ocean but one dangerouse shelfe

and wouldst thou neades runn there and ground thy selfe.

did Englands fruitfull bosome yeald such store

of vertuouse plants, and trulye noble stemes

20

and yett must thou neades coople with a whore

to gaine base dross, despicinge pretiouce Jemes

loosinge thy share in heaven and earth and all

to tast a bitt which tasted was with galle

And yett did honor give the so deare a frend7

25

whose love streames towards thee soe much did flowe

that he foreseinge thy sadd fall, did spend

his braynes deepest dryft to stopp thy overthrowe

O, yett couldst thou conspire to cutt his throate

who was thy greatness, trewest Antydote.8

30

And thorroughe his harte did digge the out awaye

with poysons pickaxe to injoye thy lust

who was a maine cheefe pillar which didde staye

thee on that throwne from which thou now art thrust

And who spent all his wisdome to the dreggs

35

to keepe thy state upright uppon itt leggs

and yett couldst thou betraye him, O vyle fact

whose horred stayne can never be out worne

how worthie for it arte thou to be ract

and pecemayle in some fearefull Engine torne

40

that men maye saye behould shuch was his ende

that for his whores sake murthered his derest frend

ye therefore Impe & dyinge lett thy goste

carrie thy Countess with itt quicke to hell

that when shee arivethe at the Sulphrie coste

45

Shee to the fynds the tragedie maye tell

divills, not men are fitte to heare this murther

it is foule, O then, cease pen and wryte no further.

---

Source. CCRO MS CR 63/2/19, fol. 12r

H12

Quick links to other poems within this section

Select page here H0. Introduction H1. There was an ould H2. In England there lives H3. From Roberts coach H4. Robbin of Essex H5. A page, a knight H6. Heere lyes hee H7. When Carr in Court H8. The Sommers sun H9. I.C.U.R H10. Poore Pilote thou hast H11. The wealth he gott H12. Why how now Robine H13. From Car a Carter H14. Dazal’d thus with hight H15. If ever woe possest H16. A bird ill hatchd H17. She with whom troops H18. from Cathernes docke H19. Me thinks I see H20. Looke, and lament H21. Libellous Anagram H22. Anagram on H23. Sir you are one H24. Once dead and twice H25. Hadst thou lik other H26. Hesperides, within whose H27. The house of the Howards H28. Here under lyes

¹   Robine: diminutive for Robert. <back>

²   Jayde: jade; a horse. <back>

³   castol: unclear. <back>

⁴   Countess: Frances Howard. <back>

⁵   Cokeatryce: cockatrice; a serpent and/or a whore. <back>

⁶   barke: boat. <back>

⁷   so deare a frend: Sir Thomas Overbury, who was believed to have opposed Carr’s liaison with Frances Howard. <back>

⁸   Antydote: antidote. Here the meaning is that Overbury’s counsel counteracted the dangers inherent in Carr’s ascent to power. <back>