[1] About the same time,

Anno Reg. 3. Owen Glen|douer.

The danger of the king to haue béene de|stroied.

Owen Glendouer and his Welshmen did much hurt to the kings subiects. One night as the king was going to bed, he was in dan|ger to haue beene destroied; for some naughtie traito|rous persons had conueied into his bed a certeine iron made with smiths craft, like a caltrop, with three long prickes, sharpe and small, standing vpright, in such sort, that when he had laid him downe, & that the weight of his bodie should come vpon the bed, he should haue beene thrust in with those pricks, and per|aduenture slaine: but as God would, the king not thinking of any such thing, chanced yet to féele and perceiue the instrument before he laid him downe, and so escaped the danger. ¶Howbeit he was not so soone deliuered from feare; for he might well haue his life in suspicion, & prouide for the preseruation of the same; sith perils of death crept into his secret cham|ber, and laie lurking in the bed of downe where his bodie was to be reposed and to take rest. Oh what a suspected state therefore is that of a king holding his regiment with the hatred of his people, the hartgrud|gings of his courtiers, and the peremptorie practises of both togither? Could he confidentlie compose or setle himselfe to sleepe for feare of strangling? Durst he boldly eat and drinke without dread of poisoning? Might he aduenture to shew himselfe in great mée|tings or solemne assemblies without mistrust of mis|cheefe against his person intended? What pleasure or what felicitie could he take in his princelie pompe, which he knew by manifest and fearefull experience, to be enuied and maligned to the verie death? The state of such a king is noted by the poet in Diony|sius, as in a mirror, concerning whome it is said,

Districtus ensis cui super impia

Ceruice pendet,Hor. lib. ca. 3. Ode. 1. non Siculae dapes

Dulcem elaborabunt saporem,

Non auium cytharae cantus,