Bounty scorne That largely bare frō him great sheaues of corne Such tricks as these Time-seruers vse What Vertue will they not abuse He faythfull was and constant to his friend In Loue and Iustice alwayes permanent His Honours Word who did thereon depend Found that true Action with his Promise went No purse nor pocket could that Lord contayne Who giues most Fy he scorn'd such hateful gain No partiall eye made bad things good T'wixt both that Prince vprightly stood He was not hollow like the Vaults of hell His soundnesse fled from base hypocrisy He fetcht no rules from hel-borne Machiauel His learning was diuine Philosophy His word and deed without a false intending In Honors Lyst went on the Truth commending His vertues steps to Truth enclinde Close subtile falshood vnderminde In deeds of Warre he was a Souldier tryde True Fortitude dwelt in his valiant brest The hope of England on his Sword relyde Amongst our Worthies let him stand for best When he was armde in warres Habilliments His Glorie seemde a matchlesse Excellence His person as his vertues rare Might Peerelesse with the world compare His Wisdome Learning and his Eloquence His well-grac't speech and flowing vtterance His quicke conceit and Wisdomes comprehence All these rare Gifts his honour did aduance And made him liue the Mirrour of our time Beyōd whose worth no worthier step could clime God and Nature did consent To make his Substance excellent He was not proud but humble courteous meeke Ambitious then who rightly terme him can From Articke Pole to the Antartike seeke But neuer finde a brauer Gentleman Crosse all the Zoans and in no Clymate dwells A Vertue that his Vertues worth excells But he is dead yet shall he liue Fame to his praise shall honor giue Where 's now the heart of Flint or Marble stone That mournes not for the losse of him so deare The Flower of a Kingdomes pride is gone No Time no land brought foorth a worthyer Peere No King nor Queen a better seruant had No Subiect more did make his countrey glad And for his fault to mourne with mee Millions of weeping eyes I see Who so beheld the choise of natures arte with noble presence and Maiestick steps When from his chamber honor did depart to place preparde a fatall death to fetch Might there haue seene shine in a princely eye The beames of honour and nobilitie Valiant prowesse resolution rare Vndanted thoughts to death did beare He like himselfe in roabes of honor clad with countnance cleare and lookes heroicall Went on as if in heart he had beene glad to meete his friends at some great feastiuall His noble minde the path of death did tread As if it did vnto some triumph lead And thus by this thinke in thy thought Thou see'st him to the scaffold brought Nay weepe not yet reade on an Earle behold as constant as is heauens celestiall frame See how he mounts with valiant courage bold in bloud to write the letters of his fame Vpon the scaffold see him walking now To deaths spectators doth he humbly bow Oh her 's a sight yet comes a worse To make the world that time to curse The oracle of godly wisdome then with siluer sound these speeches forth did send My Lords and all you worthy Gentlemen that comes to see the period of my end I not denie but this confesse I must My triall hath beene honourably iust And so the lawe my cause did trie As iustice doom'd me thus to die Yet in the presence of that all Creators sight before whose throne I presently shall stand Against the state I neuer bent my might nor gainst my soueraigne reard a traitors hand Some priuate foes my sword would haue displast By whom I thought my honour was disgrast From that intent grew my amis For which offence death welcome is With things below I haue not now to deale my peace twixt God and conscience must I make And that my Christ his woūds my woūds may heale pray all with me that God for Christ his sake Would in his death intombe my sinnes most vilde That dying I may dye his faithfull childe So kneeling downe zeale sorrow faith To God a heauenly praier saith Not any tongue more heauenly graces spake not any hart more godly sorrow felt Not any Prince a wiser prayer could make not any soule with God and conscience delt More plainely nor made better testament That from this world his soule to glorie went With gracious spirit he begins And gratiously his prayer ends Then rising vp with vnstainde glorie still he doth himselfe for stroake of death prepare Off goes his gowne and with an humble will his band throwne hence his neck holeaueth bare His doublet next his honoured selfe layes by with smiling lookes and cheerefull maiestie To read and weep is order kept With him that sigh'd and writ and wept The hand that then should send him to his graue he calles to see feare playes the hangmans part But Noblenesse a noble welcome gaue my friend said he why faints thou in thy hart Resolue to doe thy office cheerefully The deaths man kneeling doth for pardon crye Honor bids rise why shouldst thou feare Thou art but Iustice minister Thus nobly did the life of honors breath a conqueror like all worldes respects subdue So did he triumph in the gates of death as if he then no such like danger knew Oh let his fame vnto the world be spred Whose fortitude was neuer conquered Let thy conceit his action see And reade and sigh and weepe with me Now takes heleaue of all the standers by his comely grace was vertues ornament Griefe then drownd vp each sad beholders eye whilst his blest soule was wrapt in sweet content Then kneeling downe all prostrate flat he lies With neck on block his bloud to sacrifice And to his deaths man say he did Strike when thou seest my armes are spred There might you see how Honour downe was throwne and yet his eyes from earth to heauen ascends His youth was like a lofty Ceder growne but now his death his soule to heauen cōmends My Christ saith he I come thy armes vnfolde My soule do thou in thy imbracements holde And thus he bids the world adue And then his armes abroad he threw Stay pawse thinke sigh weepe first then read on now comes a sight to rend woes hart in sunder No mournefull eye did euer looke vpon a wofull worke perform'd with greater wonder Resolued honour now perceiue you may All fearles for the stroake of death doth stay His eyes his lookes to heauen commends The place to which his soule intends Base wretch whose hand true honors bloud should spill deaths axe did first into his shoulder strike Vpreard againe he strikes a blow as ill nor one nor other were directed right Honor ne're moou'd a third blow did deuide The body from the worlds admired pride Was that the way to lose a head To haue an Earle so butchered From gaping wounds
Whil'st breath gaue strength vnto his warlike arme he did vphould the pompe of Englands state He stroue to shield his natiue soyle from harme and did the pride of proudest foes abate A kingdomes eyes once sawe his faithfull trust And did accompt his actions wise and iust Greate Maiestie and wisedomes Queene Would say his like was neuer seene Euen from his youth till yeares of riper strength in vertues schoole a studious life he spent His Honors thoughts desir'd gain'd at length Mineruaes food the sweet of his content Apollo deckt his Muse in siluer 's shine And wrapt in gold his goulden thoughts diuine Honours wonder wisedoms mirror In his braue breast liued together When creeping time had brought to manhoods yeers this honored bud al glorious in his spring Then as the sunne from forth a cloude appears and doth his light with greater brightnes bring So did this prince his thoughts maiesticall Made him to be great Lesters Generall Braue troupes of horse he brauely led And thus at first his fame was spred But when to Frāce his warlike mind had brought him selfe well arm'd vpon baye Traces back The king and Lords his loue and fauor sought nor gold nor coyn that valiāt prince could lack I sawe his sword all bath'd in Foemans bloud A broken lance in Traces breast there stood French king and Peers did dignifie This Peerlesse warriers Cheualry But when he went to fruitfull Portingale for to inthroane a mournefull bannisht king How did his deeds his prayse to heauen exhale his honors worth you sacred Muses sing Spaines Chronicle and Lisborne gates can tell His warlike arme deserued wondrous well His foes themselues keepe in record That none durst combat with that Lord. When Sun-burnt Spaine in heate of angers toyle Did with his Lords in sollome counsell set Vowing to worke faire Albions vtter spoile Against whose state his brest with spleene did fret This newes no sooner vnto Albian came But this braue prince was thought the worthiest man And as Spaine ment to worke our woe He thither went and vsed them so Let Cales tell forth the honor of his deeds His valiant prowes and his iustice such As who so but their owne description reed Will say of truth that he deseru'd as much As euer any noble Conquerer did His Conquering sword was with such mercie led As datelesse time shall speake his fame And blaze the honor of his name In field in Court in peace in war he stood Inuironed with honor and desart From him did flow the streames of vertues flood He doubtles had a sound and faithfull hart To Prince and States and for the publike weale The things amisse he alwaies sought to heale Thus did he stand belou'd of all And yet the Fates decreed his fall Vnhappie time that sent him from this land Vnhappie warres that his imployment sought Vnhappie broiles rais'd by rebellious hand Vnhappie cause that fowle suspition wrought Vnhappie all for all vnhappie be Vnhappie those that wisht his miserie Vnhappie meanes that did direct The cause to worke vntrue suspect His noble selfe had he bene fortunate Irelands peace had well effected bin Without mistrust of danger to the state But when to march his armie did begin Some misse there was directions all not kept Enuie rous'd vp that winkt but neuer slept Aduantage tooke when harmeles thought To good effect would all haue brought In course of warre a Prince both wise and iust Must not by booke his march and battells make To each occasion turne his hand he must And as offence is giuen so wisely take Aduantage of the cause the time and place Precribed rules will else procure disgrace These paper plots wantes iudgement right To teach an army how to fight But this I thinke and heauens me witnesse beare Though ill successe vpon his Troopes did wait His honours minde still kept a princely care Warres worke to doe without corrupt deceit And willingly he neuer did intend His force against his countries good to bend But seeming ill was ill approu'd By them who not his honour lou'd Harmelesse in thought when he a peace had made He back returnes to his beloued Queene Thinking to rest secure vnder her shade To whome she had a gratious mistris beene But wanting warrant for his back returne Displeased anger softly gan to burne And some that did a flame desire Threw flax and oyle into the fire This action thus when it at first begun And he restraind from Court a prisoner sent In Ireland shinde faire Englands golden Sun Whose valiant minde to vertuous actions bent With wisdomes care and honoured labor sought The meanes whereby rebellions land was brought Vnto that peace which first was framde By him whome some vniustly blamde The Queene of iustice hearing what was done That perfite honour with an humble minde With low submission to her Throne did runne And crau'd he might her mercies fauour finde Her Princely heart contentments ioy imbrac'd And in her loue loues Lord againe was plac'd Then was there hope rhat shortly he To place in Court restorde should be But Enuie why didst thou againe conspire Abusde occasion why didst thou displease Suspition why didst thou inflame new fire Were all agreed bright honours crest to seaze What secret action did inact the thing That discontent to Mercies Queene did bring She was appeasde what new sowne seede Brought forth such fruite her wrath to breede Was all things well and all things ill so soone Was no mistrust and now mistrust abounding Wa' st then a time to light a torch at noone Was honour thē self-honors course confounding Why this was strange from Court to keepe him still T' was not amisse to doubt some farther ill Such worshippers of policie Commits most fowle idolatrie But by this meanes true honour was restrainde From her the mistris of his life and death He found himselfe of base-bred groomes disdainde In passion then he sight forth sorrowes breath The presēce of his Queene whose sight most ioyd him Had giuen him life the want thereof destroid him Oh that a Loyall heart should be Shut from his Soueraignes clemencie Let but the man of honour and renowne That is adorned with his Soueraignes loue Whose heart is sound vnto the State and Crowne Whose thoughts do alwaies faithfull motions moue If exilde from his King he should remaine And as a Traitor beare dishonours staine What would he thinke or what course take Let noble mindes the answere make From hence at last greefes boundlesse Ocian flowes Turning woes streames into a flood of sorrow And to such height sad discontentment growes As that it seekes some meanes of helpe to borrow Hope tells a course that 's crost an other sought This vrg'd occasion his confusion wrought Still to his Queene he striues to goe Kept back afresh begins his woe Thus monthes and yeares in restles harbour tost A patient hope indures a raging storme Bright honors ship did find it selfe neare lost His Cable burst and all
his tacklings torne Through rockes through cliffes through walls of brasse His noble minde did then resolue to passe For if to Thetis get he could Saue life and men and ship he should Thence did proceed the rigor of that day VVhen haples life to liue did helpeles striue Dispaire inrag'd did beare too great a sway Hope could not at his wish for hauen arriue Reuenge mistrust and hate preuention wrought VVith bloody mouthes they his destruction sought From euill to worse poore Earle he fled So was he to the slaughter led Guarded with friends vntimely forth he goes To raise a force so strong his part to take As that he might remoue his setled foes And to his Queene a quiet passage make But faithles hate did presently deuise Proclayme him traytor out aloude he cries The name of traytor kild him dead So he aliue was murthered Doubtles I thinke he had no Traytors hart 'Gainst Queene and State he did no treason plot No more did they that then did take his part He onely stroue 'gainst them that lou'd him not But yet the Lawe their act did treason make Such hostile armes no subiects vp must take Thus when he thought an euill to shun A greater euill by him was done The Law hath past Iustice his stroke hath strooke And he is dead yet shal he still suruiue Vpon his honoured Vertues will I looke And make them liue as were himselfe aliue He dyde for treason yet no Traytor Why The Treason done he did it ignorantly Intent and purpose in the act Is that which makes a Traytors fact But God forbid such Action should be good As rashly into rude Combustion throwes A Kingdomes State and wraps her brest in blood Where peace in pomp with glorious plenty growes And for this cause I thinke that Iustice ment To make his death a mournfull President His tryall could example giue Why did not Mercy let him liue Because that Mercy not arightly knew His heart whom she disloyall did account Report did feed her taste with Gall and Rue For by his fall some other vp must mount And so they haue the Gallowes top vnto For euer so may such like Mounters doe But God is iust so shall they finde That lay their plots with bloudy minde With humble lynes to Englands honored State A Souldiers passion doeth desire to flye Who neuer sought that Lord to ruinate Nor chase him with bloud-thirsty cruelty True honour No some baser stuffe it was That sought to bring that stratageme to passe For in that time Peeres were no men They walkt about like shaddowes then Yet in the ranke of Honour Honours grace Reuerend renowm'd religious vertuous learn'd Graue sober chaste vpheld a Primates place Whose godly wisdome Englands eyes discearnd His soule diuine was to that Earle a friend Whom froward fate bequeath'd to fatall end But now their soules in purest loue Liue with their Christ in heauens aboue Then Honours Seat and Wisdomes fountayne pure Iudgemēt approu'd the rule of Conscience sound His grieued thoughts did woes extreme endure As did his loue so did his griefes abound A Iustice Chiefe an equall loue preferres No kingdome hath two worthyer Iusticers Both these did mourne when Honour fell For both were knowne to wish him well And in my mind of Lords Earles I view A mourning troup whose looks all downward thrown Told to the world that they were mourners true They reapt the fruit that sorrowes seed had sown Ladies wise fayre and chaste they weeping went Sad time sad cause procur'd their discontent Though Law strict course of Iustice kept The most and best of all sorts wept Then Noble minds wil help my Muse to mourne The losse of him whom Honour did aduance In their sad thoughts haue Sable robes bin worne They sigh to thinke of that sinister chance Whose bloudy hād with fatal death snatcht hence That honored Earle true Honours Excellence Doe him this right and Honour gayne Pluck from his Hearse false rumors stayne Oh how I grieue Report doeth wound my soule So many treasons 'gainst that Earle obiected Who whilst he liu'd could those reports cōtroule And but in one that last and least detected Kill him no more too well we know hee 's dead Whose life would now a ioyes content haue bred No paper-powder rays'd vp smoke Can Fames true honored vertues choke It 's false to say hee would a King haue bin From faith honor he made no such digression His heart was cleare from such so foule a sin He alwayes stood for this approu'd Succession Which happily doeth now the Throne possesse Heauens mighty God protect his Mightinesse Dead Earle amidst bright Angels wings Amen thy heauenly Spirit sings Damme vp your mouthes foule Enuies insolence Fil not the world with monstrous mouthed lies Of hate and malice you are the Instruments Though smoothly you can closely temporize Wrong not the dead nor liuing honor wound Let not one fault all vertues worth confound To make the best of things misdone Hath alwayes greatest honour wonne No cause there was that in his lucklesse fall So proudly some should triumph as they did Against an Earle to spit impoysoned gall But bloudy thoughts were made in bloud so red As heat and rage too much himselfe forgot And boldly spake he car'd not how nor what No vp-start groome sprung from the Cart Should braue the honour of a lands desart So vse base minds in greatnesse to forget The place whence first they their beginning had Their proud disdayne the noblest brest would hit The fall of honour makes them wondrous glad So was 't or else he rather would haue wept Then proudly such a ruffling coyle haue kept In this I ioy his Prophecy The time hath turn'd to foolery He was not last though last that so shall end We haue a Bud sprung frō that honored Branch God in thy loue doe thou that Earle defend And so his state by vertues steps aduance As he may grow an honour to his King Whose mercy did his youth to honor bring And he that drest his fathers dish Lord let his end be worse then his England beare witnesse deceased Honour dyde Rich in thy Loue his Loue was pure to thee Not for his gayne but for thy good he tryde To doe what might become his Dignity He hated Bribes Extortion he defide Gayne by thy losse his noble heart denyde To doe thee good he spent his wealth His Ioy consisted in thy health The Church of God Diuine religious Grace Was grac'd by him his heauenly sanctity Vnto the written Truth of God gaue place His heart did loue the reuerend Ministery All Popish trash and Romes inuentions vilde Were from his Soule as hatefull things exilde Good men from foes hee did protect The poore he neuer did reiect He was no Churle nor wretch-like couetous His noble Brest as drosse base gold esteemd Valiant Liberall Wise and Vertuous His honor more then all worlds wealth he deemd Some could in print his honored