21141141The Percies deemed it meeter for the king

142142To have redeemed their cousin Mortimer,

143143Who in his quarrel all his power did bring

144144To fight with me, that took him prisoner,

145145Than of their prey to rob his soldier,

146146And therefore willed him see some mean were found,

147147To quit forth him whom I kept vilely bound.

22148148Because the king misliked their request,

149149They came them selves and did accord with me,

150150Complaining how the kingdom was oppressed,

151151By Henryʼs rule, wherefore we did agree

152152To put him down, and part the realm in three:

153153The North part theirs, Wales wholly to be mine

154154The rest to rest to the Earl of Marchʼs line.

23155155And for to set us hereon more agog

156156A prophet came (a vengeance take them all)

157157Affirming Henry to be Gogmagog

158158Whom Merlin doth a mouldwarp ever call,

159159Accursed of god, that must be brought in thrall

160160By a wolf, a dragon, and a lion strong,

161161Which should divide his kingdom them among.

24162162This crafty dreamer made us three such beasts

163163To think we were these foresaid beasts indeed,

164164And for that cause our badges and our crests

165165We searched out, which scarcely well agreed,

166166Howbeit the heralds ready at such a need,

167167Drew down such issues from old ancestors,

168168As proved these ensigns to be surely ours.

25169169Ye crafty Welshmen, wherefore do you mock

170170The noble men thus with your feigned rhymes?

171171Ye noble men why fly you not the flock

172172Of such as have seduced so many times?

173173False prophecies are plagues for diverse crimes

174174Which god doth let the devilish sort devise

175175To trouble such as are not godly wise.