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Presentlie vpon this action, Voadicia calling them togither againe, procéeded forward with hir praier, which she made before them all, holding vp hir hands after this manner: "I giue thée thanks O Adraste, and call vpon thee thou woman of women, which reignest not ouer the burthen-bearing Aegyptians, as Nitocris; neither ouer their merchants, as dooth Semiramis, for these trifles we haue learned latelie of the Romans: neither ouer the people of Rome, as a little héeretofore Messalina, then Agrippina, and now Nero, who is called by the name of a man, but is in déed a verie woman, as dooth appéere by his voice, his harpe, and his womans attire: but I call vpon thee as a goddesse which gouernest the Britains, that haue learned not to till the field, nor to be handicrafts men, but to lead their liues in the warres after the best manner: who also as they haue all other things, so haue they likewise their wiues and children common, whereby the women haue the like audacitie with the men, and no lesse boldnesse in the warres than they.
[Sidenote: The prince taketh awaie the crowne before his father was dead.] The prince his sonne being hereof aduertised, entered into the chamber, tooke the crowne, and departed. The father being suddenlie reuiued out of that trance, quicklie perceiued the lacke of his crowne; and hauing knowledge that the prince his sonne had taken it awaie, [Sidenote: He is blamed of the king.] caused him to come before his presence, requiring of him what he meant so to misuse himselfe. [Sidenote: His answer.] The prince with a good audacitie answered; [Sidenote: A guiltie conscience in extremitie of sicknesse pincheth sore.] “Sir, to mine and all mens iudgements you seemed dead in this world, wherefore I as your next heire apparant tooke that as mine owne, and not as yours.” Well faire sonne (said the king with a great sigh) what right I had to it, God knoweth. Well (said the prince) if you die king, I will haue the garland, and trust to kéepe it with the sword against all mine enimies as you haue doone. [Sidenote: The death of Henrie the fourth.] Then said the king, “I commit all to God, and remember you to doo well.” With that he turned himselfe in his bed, and shortlie after departed to God in a chamber of the abbats of Westminster called Ierusalem, the twentith daie of March, in the yeare 1413, and in the yeare of his age 46, when he had reigned thirteene yeares, fiue moneths and od daies, in great perplexitie and little pleasure [or fourtéene yeares, as some haue noted, who name not the disease whereof he died, but refer it to sicknesse absolutelie, whereby his time of departure did approach and fetch him out of the world: as Ch. Okl. saith, whose words may serue as a funerall epigramme in memoriall of the said king Henrie: Henricus quartus his septem rexerat annos Ànglorum gentem summa cum laude & amore, I
All, too, were anxious to see the young king, whose courage and generosity were the theme of minstrels, and of whom one sayeth "And ye Christian princes, whosoever ye be, If ye be destitute of a noble captayne, Take James of Scotland for his audacitie And proved manhood, if ye will laud attayne."
Which was the more likelie to come to passe, by their informations that priuilie charged him with riot and other vnciuill demeanor vnséemelie for a prince. Indeed he was youthfullie giuen, growne to audacitie, and had chosen him companions agréeable to his age; with whome he spent the time in such recreations, exercises, and delights as he fansied.
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