But yet he must his favorites embrace

supposeinge still to alter soe the case:

noe question he doth meane, that all were well,

did not the issue, the Contrarie tell.

As I suppose still, to resolve this doubt

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that Fortunes wheele, is quicklie turnde aboute.

Young Villiers1 nowe stepps forth, awhile obscur’de,

but at the last, is of the kinge assur’de:

whoe thus farre did him love, that for his porte

the people as peticioners resorte,

260

thronginge aboute his dore in everie place

yea, noble men are glad to have the grace

of faire admittance; but a thousand moe

returne unspoken with, & homewarde goe.

within three yeares, wee Marquess him salute2

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and noe man dare the matter so dispute.

But hee, two greatest offices doth keepe,3

and many times in the kings chamber sleepe.4

Hee still, the glorious starr of England shines

resemblinge splendant gould, wich fire refines

270

And Commett like appeares with wondrous streames,

yea as a Commett spreadeth forth his beames.

For with himselfe, he bringes his mother in

his brothers, sisters, cousins;5 who begins

to shewe themselves advanc’de soe well, soe soone

275

as this their sun affordes light to the moone

yea, for his sake, and for the Princes pleasure

the alteracion doth exceed all measure:

Yet all the doe, is to resolve this doubt

that Fortunes wheele, is quicklie turn’de aboute.

280

Oulde Egerton, surrender must the Seale,6

and the7 noe other reason will reveale

but the kinges pleasure; yet they promise faire

to leave an Earledome, to his onelie heire.8

Oulde Admirall must goe noe more to Sea;9

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nor Cooke (as Justice) heare the lawiers plea.10

Suffolke must not sitt as Lorde Treasurer11

but all the right, unto the kinge transferr:

Worcester, though that he boast of princlie bloode

noe longer maister of the Stable stoode,

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but must resigne, the king doth thinke it meete,

and soe Lorde privie seale, they doe him greete.12

Lorde Wallingford must maister be noe more

of that high Courte of wardes;13 nor stand before

the Prince in office of soe greate accounte

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wich soone is knowne his reckoninge to surmount.

The Secretaries they are changed too,14

and all thinges turn’de aboute with much adoe

For Bacon (but Attorney) steppeth in15

& doth his greatnes with such grace begin

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K1vi

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   Young Villiers: George Villiers, royal favourite from c.1616, and Duke of Buckingham from 1623. <back>

²   Marquess him salute: Villiers was created Earl of Buckingham in 1617 and Marquis of Buckingham in 1619. <back>

³   two greatest...keepe: presumably the offices of Lord High Admiral (held from 1619) and Master of the Horse (held from 1616). <back>

⁴   many times...sleepe: reference to Buckingham’s position (from 1615) as a Gentleman of the Bedchamber, and possibly also alluding to rumours of a sexual relationship between the King and his favourite. <back>

⁵   he bringes...cousins: cf. libels on Buckingham’s family (see Section L). <back>

⁶   Oulde Egerton...Seale: Sir Thomas Egerton, Lord Ellesmere, the long-serving Lord Keeper, retired from that office in March 1617, shortly before his death. <back>

⁷   the: read “they”. <back>

⁸   leave an Earledome...heire: Egerton was promised an earldom while on his deathbed; his only son, John, was created Earl of Bridgewater shortly afterwards. <back>

⁹   Oulde Admirall...Sea: Charles Howard, Earl of Nottingham, retired as Lord High Admiral in 1619, aged 83, to make way for Buckingham. <back>

¹⁰   nor Cooke...plea: as noted above, Coke lost his position as Chief Justice in 1616 and did not regain it after his September 1617 restoration to the Council. <back>

¹¹   Suffolke...Treasurer: Thomas Howard was suspended from his office in 1618. (This repeats material from earlier in the poem.) <back>

¹²   Worcester...greete: Edward Somerset, Earl of Worcester, served as Master of the Horse from 1601, and became Lord Privy Seal in 1616. <back>

¹³   Lorde Wallingford...wardes: William Knollys, Viscount Wallingford (and, from 1626, Earl of Banbury), suffered due to his connections with the Howards, and was forced to resign the mastership of the Court of Wards in 1618. <back>

¹⁴   The Secretaries...too: there were two secretaries of state. In 1618, Sir Robert Naunton succeeded Sir Ralph Winwood, who died in office; in 1619, Sir George Calvert replaced Sir Thomas Lake, after the latter’s fall from power. <back>

¹⁵   Bacon...steppeth in: Francis Bacon, appointed Attorney-General in 1613, rose rapidly under Buckingham’s patronage. <back>