The pensive Prisoners Lamentation, Being a
breefe relation taken out of the Cronacle of Edward
the second, shewing what misery he endured
The tune is Gerhard.
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YOu Gods,
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And Goddesses that rules in Hellicon
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Looke mee upon,
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Helpe to release a prisoner out of thrall,
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Let not
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The savige bears, nor furies sent from Hell
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Torment me still,
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Who have in store no mercy now at all,
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Aleidus
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Stay thou to defend mee
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And wave thy Club about,
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Or else they will, my person kill
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Before they let me out.
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Cerberus
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That is my Porter
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Doth beare mee such a spite,
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And seeks by death, to stop my breath,
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Hee can both barke and bite.
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I Am
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That potent, pencive, patient prisoner left,
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Of joy bereft,
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My greefs, & troubles cannot numbered be,
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A hopelesse
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Helplesse, harmeless man lies here forlorne
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And held in scorne,
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By them that once were servall unto mee,
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Who through
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The mercy that I us'd,
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While I was in full power,
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They mercilesse, doe me oppresse,
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And vex me every hower.
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That have
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released many bond-slaves,
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And set the Prisoners free,
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Here haplesse I, in prison lye
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Alas what remedy.
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Twould make
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A heart of Flint relent to see my woes
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Don by my foes,
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Who once had all things at my own command
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Can have
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No clothes to ware, nor food wheron to eat
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No drinke nor meat
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But what is given me from my Enemies hands
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My friends
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Are all from me departed
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Though sore against their will
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No one is here, that comes me neere
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But those as wish mee ill:
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More then
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Ten thousand wayes they practise
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To worke my lives decay
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Hap well hap woe, it must be soe.
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The bond man must obey.
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To vex
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My prudent patience to my charge they lay
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Day after day
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Such horrid crims of which I never knew
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Their tongues
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Like poysoning asps or double edged swords
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Speake biting words
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Which is as false as ever God is true.
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And so
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With their forged accusations,
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They raise a deadly strife
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To seperate, and breed debate.
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Between mee and my Wife.
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My Children
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Also are abused,
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As to the World is known,
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And others they, doe now enjoy,
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That which was once my own.
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The second part to the same Tune
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BEsides
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My keepers cruelty is over much,
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Never was such
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A Captive prisoner kept in slavery,
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There is
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No friend dare come my person for to vew
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all this is true
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Without admittance from my Enemy,
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Each day
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And hower I stand in danger
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Of these my desperate foes,
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Who makes no spare, it's known they dare
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To give me bloody blowes:
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If they
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But say I doe offend them,
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Though I know not the cause,
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They'le spurne and smite, and with me fight
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These are their new made lawes.
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Thus am
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I every way most barberously abused,
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And basely used
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By some of them for whome I have don good
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And some
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Of them in whome I put most trust
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have proved unjust
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As likest men they are to spill my blood
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And as
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That cursed cative Judas,
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his Master did betray
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So my false friends for their own ends,
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Have sould my life away:
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No faithfull
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Freind that dare come neere mee
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At all to take my part,
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But every man, does what he can
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To breake my wounded heart.
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How happy
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Is that man that labours all the day
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For little pay
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That he at night may safely goe to rest,
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And he
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That travels up and down and takes most pains
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receives the gains,
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And takes his lodging wher it likes him best
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Those men
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Have liberty to labour
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O sweet and precious thing,
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And in their faire more happy are
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Then is a troubled King:
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The Country
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[S]wains and silly Shepherds,
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And Tradsmen eake also
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Have liberty, while here I lye,
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In Sorrow and in woe.
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Is't not
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A Fathers chefest comfort for to see
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These things be
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His own deare children dayly in his sight,
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Is't not
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The marrow of a Husbands life
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To see his Wife
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And have her in his presence day and night
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All those
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Sweet pleasures are kept from mee,
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While I one earth remaine,
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Except the wind, will prove so kind
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To turne the Tide againe:
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Untill
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Which time I wait with patience
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Wishing health wealth and peace
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To them that be at liberty
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And looke for my release.
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