wich made suspicion many doubts to caste

as if their greatnes they woulde holde so fast,

That nether Queene, nor any of her freindes

should once prevent them in their private endes.1

But Suffolke moveinge in a proper sphere

155

is not contente soe fairlie to appeare:

But will have Somersett Lor Chamberlaine2

and he himselfe in office of more gaine,

Great Englandes Treasuror3 and thus they live

to have both Court and Citie honor give.

160

By this tyme, Cooke (from the Attorney) growes

to be chiefe Justice:4 thus he proudlie showes

himselfe at last a Councellor of state

till Fortune made them all unfortunate:

I think of purpose to resolve this doubt

165

that Fortunes wheele is quicklie turn’d aboute.

For Sommersett must love Essex faire wife5

by wich his deerest servant lost his life.6

losse upon losse, all things grow cleane contrary

and thus our sinfull times themselves doe vary.

170

Northampton still suspected, stranglie dies7

and in his passion, to our Ladie cryes,8

Because he had contriv’d the wanton meane

wich made brave Somersett act such a sceane

But he is youthfull, pardon him in this

175

for woemens love, goe many thinges amisse.

Amisse said I? yea luste doth soe exceede,

that it doth death to Overbury breede.

For wich (by way of true digression)

nothinge succeedes but strange confusion.

180

The Lorde and Ladie are by equall Peers

founde guiltie and condemn’de:9 (lawe nothinge cleers)

And soe comitted to the towers charge

as interdicted not to goe at large.

Thire ministers and panders hanged dye;10

185

and knighted Ellwis, the like doome doth trye.11

The Munsons likewise are to Tower sent,12

but at their fall men made a merrymente.

When all is done, Suffolke & Suffolks wife

disgraced live for this their daughters life:

190

And from disgrace, doe to more mischiefe fall

for suddenlie, the kinges accompts him call

unto a reckoninge, which he cannot finde

and so arrerages caste him behinde.13

untill a prisoner he is likewise caste

195

and in the tower with the other faste.14

The use of all is to resolve this doubt

that Fortunes wheele is quicklie turnde aboute.

For after thies affrightinge tymes of bloode

even such as in the Courte more firmelie stoode

200

K1iv

Quick links to other poems within this section

Select page here K0. Introduction K1i. Some would complaine K1ii. K1iii. K1iv. K1v. K1vi. K1vii. K1viii. K1ix. K1x. K2. Bridewell I come

¹   That nether Queene...endes: Queen Anne consistently opposed the Howard faction, but with limited effect. <back>

²   Somersett Lor Chamberlaine: Carr was appointed Lord Chamberlain in 1614. <back>

³   Great Englandes Treasuror: Thomas Howard was appointed Lord High Treasurer of England in 1614. <back>

⁴   Cooke...Justice: Sir Edward Coke was reappointed Attorney-General in 1603, promoted to Chief Justice of Common Pleas in 1606, and transferred (unwillingly) from Common Pleas to become Chief Justice of King’s Bench in 1613. <back>

⁵   For Sommersett...wife: introducing a narrative of the scandal surrounding the Essex nullity (see Section F). <back>

⁶   deerest...life: reference to Sir Thomas Overbury, friend and counsellor of Carr, who opposed Carr’s proposed marriage to Frances Howard, and was murdered in the Tower at Howard’s behest (see Section H). <back>

⁷   Northampton...dies: Henry Howard died in June 1614 after a botched operation on a tumour in his thigh, still suspected (as he had been throughout his life) of Catholicism. <back>

⁸   in his passion...cryes: Henry Howard acknowledged his Catholic faith in his will. <back>

⁹   The Lorde...condemn’de: Carr and Frances Howard were tried and convicted in May 1616 by the Peers of England convened as a special court of the Lord High Steward. Both were sentenced to die, but both were spared. <back>

¹⁰   Thire ministers...dye: reference to three people executed for their roles in the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury: James Franklin, a cunning-man and apothecary who helped procure the fatal poisons; Anne Turner, a friend and confidante of Frances Howard; and Richard Weston, Overbury’s keeper in the Tower. Like much contemporary comment, the poem suggests that the agents are paying for the sins of their patrons. <back>

¹¹   Ellwis...trye: Sir Gervase Elwes, also executed for the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury. <back>

¹²   The Munsons...sent: both Thomas and William Monson were imprisoned on suspicion of involvement in the murder of Overbury; however, both were eventually released without a completed trial. <back>

¹³   for suddenlie...behinde: in 1618 Thomas Howard was suspended from his office as Lord High Treasurer and accused of embezzling state funds. <back>

¹⁴   untill a prisoner...faste: Howard and his wife, Catherine, were briefly imprisoned in the Tower. <back>