Himselfe with foure young ones presenting his foure Sonnes two whereof were ever billing and pecking at his eyes the other two scratching his face These were unkind Chickens unnaturall Eaglets yet many such Branchers may we find ayring neare most of our Nests But heavy judgements are reserv'd for such Unnaturalists The Ravens shall pick out their eyes and the terrors of unprepared ends shall surprize them These who are sick of a Father shall find sickly comforts in the death of a Father The Inheritance which their Nimrod-desires hunted after with such greedinesse shall but serve for fuell to increase their unhappinesse As their wishes murdred him living so shall his ill-requited memory present to their profuse houres and mis-spent Estates Myriads of miseries at their dying But admit which were rare to finde that these longing Heires should be followers of their Fathers steps in a thriving providence yet must they expect from their children in offices of Obedience a just Acquittance Such Parents seldome God blesseth with obedient Children who neglected the duty they ought to their Parents when they were Children Illud expectandum est à nobis quod praestitimus nostris Paterculus So as whether these undutifull ones be Frugall or Prodigall Misery through a loathed satiety or Poverty through their profuse society have ever accompanyed their Evening Yea I have known some of these who either touch'd with remorse of Conscience or driven to want through their own licentiousness could have wisht to have digg'd up their contemned Fathers with their nayles so they might have injoy'd them For all the dis-esteem which their neglectfull youth while they were living exprest unto them or poysonous disgraces their unmanag'd course aspersed on them Yet was it no Filiall Zeale but an Experimentall want that wrought upon them this course O the deceiving hopes of a disconsolate Father What restlesse cares anxious hopes and solicitous feares hourely awake him sleeping and daily incounter him waking He neglects no time to increase his store no wayes unsought to improve his estate He eates the bread of carefulnesse and apportions himselfe the very least of all his Family to raise an higher foundation to his posterity O sandie ground-work What an imprudent house-holder is He who shares in his owne with the least and lowest of his Meniey to beget affliction to himselfe dis-affection in others Where Large Inventories commonly make forgetfull Executors loose Successors Poore indisposed providence Be these the fruites of broken sleepes and needy repasts Is it wisdom to lay up his treasure in the hopes of those who mourne for nothing more then to be their owne Treasurers by disseising a too industrious Father of his care and coyne together O what a joyfull sound does the Passing Bell afford to a thirsty Prodigall who long before the crawling worme has either untwisted his Shrowd or those funerall flowers which stuck his Corpse lost their colour has buried the memory of his indulgent Father in those healthlesse Healths of lasting Oblivion In what account are we to hold those houres that are incountred with such confluence of griefs Peruse Annals of Time and in what did Old Priam exceed young Troâ—lus but in years teares calamitous Children and numerous cares Let the foolish Father whose penurious life has bene wholly bestow'd on Sparing to give more length of line to his Successours Spending cast up his Accounts and examine what profit or parentall comfort his nightly cares and watchfull indeavours have returned him Methinks I see him turne over leafe after leafe and accompt day after day yet he findes nothing worthy his care nor what may answer his toyle Yet take this notice as an Addition to his folly Though He found nothing all his time that might promise him least assurance in them of performing his Bequest yet such is his groundlesse confidence as He recommends to their care what he forgot to doe in his life Sundry pious workes which eyther his affection so closely cemented to the World would not suffer him to performe Or the foolish hope He had in his Heire made him transferre that Worke to his trust But the carelesse Unthrift makes his late Fathers Charge the least of his Care He findes in himselfe such liberty of conscience as He can dispence with the Execution of such Bequests He findes all that his Father left him little enough for his owne Share as He hopes within short time the World will shew it Memorialls of dead Fathers are to be buried with them Thus discharge such as these their trust to purpose Legacies and Pious Offices must become their owne Trustees Their Testator is committed to Earth whose memory accompanies his Obsequies Both subject to one Fate And deposited in one Urne And those who survive Him hold him rightly serv'd What mad Man is He that will intrust Him at his Death who never answered his trust in his life Expectance begets obedience Injoyment shutts up affection in an Act of Oblivion If hopes make not a Child Obedient Possession of what He hoped for will hardly doe it O see to what shadows this Worldlings substance is reduced Before He returne well to Earth all his early and late providence is resolved to Ayre He has bid the World a long farewell which makes his jolly Spend-thrift farewell and deliciously in it Those Consorts which his Father hated must be his onely Copesmates In their Careere they sing a merry Requiem for his Soule whose Rest is the least of their Care His interment gives intertainment to those who will never leave his debaucht Heire till his Estate has left him He has made choise of them and for a World he would not change them whose onely Office it is to contrive the way how he may gallantly spend as it is His to finde a purse how to defray the charge of their Projects Thus must an aged providence be thawed and to nothing dissolved by a Youthfull expence Were the length of his dayes proportion'd to his expence his exhausted State before he saw halfe of his dayes would be contracted to a Scrip or his Prospect through his numerous ingagements confined to a Grate But Death is many times so kinde as to impose a period to his miseries and to end him before they wholly make an end of him But be his dayes long or short his memory cannot chuse but rot being a branch shred and cut off from the root It is a promise and He is faithfull in his performance that makes it Length of dayes shall be unto him who Honours his Parents which implyes an Abridgment to his who dishonours them The wicked and deceitfull man shall not live to see halfe his Dayes And shew me a more deceitfull Liver then He who deceives the trust of a Father If Obedience be better then Sacrifice no doubt but Disobedience is the Sacrifice of Fooles It seemes he desires to have his dayes short who by his Rebellious course labours to shorten his Fathers dayes The
but to Him that does this Doe this and thou shalt live In the expence of your houres be carefull how you bestow your selves in them Account these so pretious as the whole world cannot reduce nor recall one Minute of them Have not your eye on the Glasse how it runnes noâ— on the Clock what it strikes Contemplation should be more fixt then to be so easily distracted He who in his Study gives more eare to the houre then those lines he reades must give me leave to hold him such a proficient as He is rather to be accounted a Truant then a Student Make every Evening an Accomptant of the forespent day Your age is not to be reckoned by yeares but houres Many are young in houres who are old in yeares Bestow your time in Learning to your profit but intertaine such humility in your improvement as with modesty to acknowledge it The Zone where you live admits no Solstice your Academick Studies hold correspondence with no Station You must either be Proficients or Deficients In one word make God the Beginning and Ending of all your Labours and then with a cheerfull Evening will He crown all your Endeavours Now to you my Daughters whose choisest Consorts should be Modesty Humility and pious Industry though your Mother were taken from you before She could well informe you or your selves capable of what She might recommend unto you yet are you supplyed in her want by One who though a Step-Mother a Name imploying an harsh Nature yet be her Steps so imitable that if you walke in them they may sufficiently enable you by Her example Doe not then Steppe over Her with an awlesse reverence But observe her Directions as usefull Lessons for the knowledge of your Selves and performance of those Officers wherein you stand obliged to God and the World I shall be sparing in speaking much to you being so confident of Her care with whom you are and to whose Education and Tuition next under God I commend you as She will never desert you unlesse you desert your selves Now the blessing of God and a poore languishing but truly-loving Father be among you and direct you in all your waies and works to His honour who made you PROV 4. 1. Heare ye Children the instructions of a Father and attend to know understanding DEATHS DREAME LAst night me thought I saw a Great-man dye And none was in the Roome but He and I. His vitall parts had made their Long retreat Eyes Dim Voice Hoarse his Pulse no strength to beat Yet like two antient-friends long time acquainted His Soule me thought would hardly be contented To leave the Body or the Flesh her Guest Her living Soule without a sharpe contest But fruitlesse was this Conflict They must yeeld To Him who still came Conquerour from the field And being ready to surprize his Fort It mov'd me to advise Him in this sort Let no weake hopes of longer life deceave you You see how your Physitians meane to leave you Whose choice Receipts Apothecarry Bills At such excessive Charge their Patients kills Are left to your Executor to pay And for their wage not for your health they stay For that 's past Cure Prepare then for remove From this poore Vale of Teares to joyes above Here is a fading there a reall blisse Fixe then your heart Sir where your treasure is Wherewith he sigh'd and shed a trickling teare As if the Treasure of his Heart lodg'd here Till my perswasions did at last so win him I found me thought a lively faith within him For pearled teares did his Repentance show And Eyes the Place where He was mounting to Which I observing Sir while you have sense Thus I Discours'd discharge your Conscience And set your House in Order FRIEND that care So He reply'd is left unto my Heire Portions Doles Legacies I shall not need To write His love can my intentions reade These Cares are recommeded to His trust And Hee 'l discharge them for I hold him just My Soule has sude divorce 'twixt th' World and me From which my thoughts shall henceforth strangers be One Onely man there is whom I could wish Might never share in any State of His For His hydroptick drought like thirsty ground Gapes still for more the more it does abound But that I may in charity depart I wish his true Conversion with my heart Having my Spirituall Physick thus applide With much Composednesse me thought He dide Now HE whom He deputed for his Heire Appear'd so well dispos'd so debonaire As none if Dreams may represent a truth Retein'd more seeds of vertue in his youth But as choice Plants oft perish in their prime While Grafts of flower growth live longer time So He when those pure beamelings should appeare And spread their beauty in their proper Spheare Heart-slaine with filial-love as Chymists gather Within few dayes Death sent him to his Father Leaving a lovely Lady here behind Who liv'd to weare His Picture in her mind Good God what strong impressions Dreames receive Scarce were these two me thought cold in their Grave Or those Seere Funerall Flowers their Colour lost Till He stept in whom th' Father feared most Claiming a title in this vast Estate With other Three concern'd in this debate Which to compose They were advis'd to show Their just pretences which all yeelded to The place that they propos'd for this Assay Was neare the Porch where those two Coarses lay Those two indeared Ones for never were Syre to his Son nor Son to Syre more deare Thrice did they meet but nothing could be done One would have all and others might have none Earth-glude affections will admit no stay Untill their Owner be reduc'd to clay This made me muse how men indu'd with reason Could in a Place of Death and such a season Converse with Earth so freely as to plead For their Estates that were so lately dead In this amaze Those Corpse me thought appear'd To their halfe Bodies from a Statue rear'd Where th' Elder pale with anger seem'd to show An ashy hue presents Death A furrow'd brow an apprehensive passion Both Death and Passion in his furrowed brow While th' Younger more compos'd seem'd with a teare To whisper these words in his Fathers eare Sir doe you heare how these Corrivalls fight T' invest themselves in our peculiar Right What projects they contrive their ends to win While we 're forgot as if we had not bin Th' incensed Father having sadly eyde Those violent Contests at last replyde With a deep-scalding sigh and gastly groane Breath'd frow a steming Urne Was ever moane Cloath'd with lesse solemne rites or funerall Beares Rank'd with lesse mourning roabs and fewer teares Forgot as soone as Earth'd unhappy State To make those men our Heirs whom we did hate After which hideous voice their Grave stones shak't Whereat the Umpires fled and I awak't 'T was nothing but a Dreame and Dreams men say Expound themselves the cleane contrary way
STRAFFORIADOS THE LIEUTENANT'S LEGEND As it was first compared and now published according to the Originall Copie Writ by his owne hand in the Tower SIDON Extincta est rabies parientis sanguine CLAUD Fundatae in sanguine Gentes Non sine teste ruunt Printed in the Yeare 1652. TO THE READER SOme Rithms for they merit not the style of Verse much lesse the authority of so able and active a Pen have been lately published and unjustly fathered upon Earle STRAFFORD And whence came these but from those brothell Broakers of false ware who for base gaine will frontlesly ingage their penurious pen in any ementitious worke Believe it from the mouth of him that dare avouch it and who in Subjects of this kind was to the knowledge of his Honour while he lived best interessed that none of this sort have at any time under his Name been heretofore divulged which are not to be accounted fabulous and worthily rejected being so farre different from his expressive Character as they beare not the least Semblance of so exquisite a Limner As for his Ultimum Vale it has been no lesse simply then sordidly acknowledged as well by him who ementitiously writ it as by him who did surreptitiously print it that his Honour had no hand in it for advantage of the time with hope of profit was the onely bait that lur'd them to it Lastly for those late-dispersed Copies of his Letters you may gather what probability they beare of being his by their distinct Characters This here presented as it was penned by him and transcribed by one neare and deare unto him was his last Piece recommended to Posterity and for a Legacy left by HIM then whom none ever was more ably endowed more generally hated in dis-esteem of the State more unhappily suffered nor in the period of his suffering by discreet eyes more compassionately bemoned The LIEUTENANT's Legend Dat poenas laudata fides gravis exitus altis Imminet Heröis tuta myrica manes EYe me ye mounting Cedars once was I As you are Great rich in the Estimate Of Prince and People no malignant eye Reflected on me so secure my state It felt no Rivals then I fear'd no Grate Nor a Plebeian Storme then my renowne Took breath from Such as now would cry it down Honours came thick upon me as if these Meant with their weight to crush me Ev'ry day Rais'd me one Story higher Land and Seas Were then propitious fresh as fragrant May Sprung my enlivened Strength where a decay In Health Wealth Freedome Popular esteeme Prove my late Sceane of State a golden Dreame I had unhappy is the accent had A competence of State before I came To this Surprizing grandeur being clad In native properties till th' wing of Fame Imp'd with a Countrey Zeale enlarg'd my aime To high designs producing such Successe My Seeming blest estate eclyps'd my blesse That vocall Forrest or Plebeian vote Adjudge me worthy of the worthlest death Yet this Mechanick rabble know me not But by report though their empoisned breath Steames ranke upon me wishing but to sheath Their weapons in my bowells thus am I Become their Foe and yet they know not why Go I by Water or a private Coach I 'm hooted at blind fury findes no end The Style of Traitor welcoms my approach Whereto mine Eares a forc'd attention lend Yet ' mongst these Fiends I have one constant Friend An un-amated loyall heart within me Which in these gusts shall peace of Conscience win me The Princes Declaration it was such As it Secur'd me from the doome of Death But on th' incensed State it wrought not much Such were my Acts I 'm held unfit to breath Such was the Spleane pursude me underneath Trades-men and Women still for justice crye Wee cannot live if Strafford do not dye The Judges their authentick Sentence passe And in two Charges vote me of High treason Which vote as is conceived moulded was From their approching feares which blinded reason And caus'd those Elders to comply with season For th' Safest way to shun those ship-wrackt Shelves Was as they held t'ingratiate themselves Thus do I live a dying life immur'd With cares more numerous then my Warders be Endanger'd most when seeming most secur'd While Damocles keene Sword Hangs over me On publique Stage to act my tragedie Avant base Servile feare Let Law proceed Though headlesse yet I cannot lose my head I know that my Redeemer lives in him My life and love are Seal'd admit it then A minute Spill what many yeares did Spin I shall resume these lineaments againe Restor'd refin'd and purifide from Staine Crazy's my Cottage no content at all To Sojourne in a Lodging like to fall Now if those Prudent Houses hold't not fit That I unto my WENTVVORTH WOOD-HOUSE goe To exercise my dayes in Holy Writ Or like a Recluse in a Cell of woe To pray for those I owe Devotion to Let th' Sentence of sad Death come when it pleases The Axe's edge gives cure to all diseases Erect your Scaffolds like Pyramides Let my Corrivals my Appellants be Let Ship-wrackt Iudges that have Writs Become Spectators of my miscrie Teare-poudred Sables cloathe my Family All this is nothing a more glorious place Arms me to look Death-terrors in the face And yet excuse me that I thus conceave If these long Charges by me answered Bring my weake body to untimely grave To after-ages 't will be registred Nay by just priviledge authorized That STRAFFORD Such a day and yeare did dye For no High treason but to Satisfie The LIEUTENANT's Lachrymae OR His Last Good-night No Glasse may more to life present Man's face Then THIS the frailty of a Great man's place Whence I gather More usefull to the Body 's no Physitian Then for a man to ponder his condition DRaw neer give ear and hear a Peer whose misery was such As Envies state a great mans Fate relentlesly did touch Once was I near the Prince's eare and dear unto the State But now my blisse reduced is to this sad Tragick Fate There was a day when I bore sway in publick Parlament Then who but I which rais'd me high to be York's President Where Prince's love did so improve th' Instructions of that Court As it became a Chancery in confluence and resort But Country-aire was my least care I must transplanted be And take my place t' inlarge my grace of Ireland's Deputie Where as t is sed no Venom bred so 't was my glorious strife To censure such who throve too much with venom in their life None were so high but would comply with me and my commands For else were they forc'd to obey and perish in my hands None durst devoure the Widow Poore nor seize on other's right But I brought in to scourge his sin and crush him with my might But what 's all this I did amisse for so the Commons say All this did tend to mine owne end and profit ev'ry way My Port advanc'd
foundation of his hopes cannot stand But future judgements are strangers to his thoughts So he may injoy the pleasures of Sinne for a season Eternity is quite razed out of the Calendar of his memory He holds the Pellican a good naturall Mother in feeding her young-ones to her owne ruine but he holds that Child a meere Naturall that would requite that parentall favour to his owne danger Whence it is that He accounts no Bird more foolish then the Storke in carrying his aged Parents upon his Wings and providing for them whose unweldy condition cannot purvey for themselves I have often observ'd it nor could I well credit what my eyes had seene how Nature could possibly become such a Changeling as to wish no being to those from whom they had their being Many Children have found their Parents to be their best Stewards yet rather then be troubled with such Dispensers they could wish that care supplyed by Hyrelings There was an antient Decree that He who neglected his Parents in their age should reap no benefit by their Death Var de Antiq. Rom. Viget Macrob. Valer. Max. Rhodolph Agric. de Leg. Nat. Now how many Children should we finde disinherited were this Law to all intents and purposes executed That Law no doubt was well intended if it were but ordain'd onely to preserve in their Progeny pretenses of Duty It is hope of preferment that begets in most Children this Shady Semblance of Obedience Take away this Hope and you shall finde an icy Zeale Broad-spred Sycamours all for Shadow none for Fruit. Were it not then just for Parents to adopt Strangers their Heyres seeing those who should be their Lineall Heyres make themselves such Strangers to their cares But the heart of a Father is of a more waxen and indulgent temper so blind has affection made him as He generally values those most whose actions deserve least These he tenderly huggs who would follow his Hearse with dry eyes and who in the height of his extreames will rather Prey on him then Pray for him So apt is Nature to deprave judgement and to play the Impostor with her Multiplying Glasse presenting more comforts in the worst then can possibly appeare in the best When affection has forfeited her discretion and lost the eyes of her judgement by mistakes Vertues seeme Vices and Vices Vertues It were wisdome then for Nature to suspend her eyes and to fixe them with an impartiall reflexe both on merit and immerit This will beget that emulation in goodnesse which Children before knew not at least pursude not because they were by their Parents undistinguished or unrewarded But little need we to presse this Argument Experience tells you whom I should admonish that a Father is more ready to give then a Child to requite Be it your care to reteine in this my last Farewell these finall Directions which may prove as usefull to you as any Portion I can bequeath you Your youth inform'd me that your Dispositions were different which caus'd me to bestow you severall waies For Philosophy had told me and Experience taught me that Nature could not be forc'd Yet have I highly tax'd my Indulgence for giving such way to the freedome of youth Some of you pretended for Armes others for Arts. You who were for Armes had got such a Surfet of the Schoole as your Plea was incapacity to your Booke by reason of your want of memory or impregnancy or some other innate defect So as your desire was to inlist your selves after the garbe of these stirring times amongst Souldiers of Fortune to ingage your persons for the Campe but as I conceited it only to dis-ingage your selves of the Whip And I assented to it and some progression have you made in it without much losse or increment of Honour March along then with this advice In the first place be no lesse Cautious then Conscientious of the Grounds for which you fight Be He never so valiant if the Cause be nought for which he ingageth it is Rashnesse and no Valour For win He or lose He the issue redounds ever to his Dishonour Sub quocunque Regimine critis constituti non reluctantes sed integrè subditi Albanus Arnobius Evander Euthymius Allegeance is a just ground in what Orbe soever the State be Spheared though in these dayes unfortunately mannaged But Actions are not to derive their equity from event or successe Nor to receive their Censure from the losse of a Field Fortune is not alwaies Vertues Shadow If this last designe of theirs bearing such a face of Loyalty redeeme their fame it is an unexspected recovery England cannot be more in Gods eye then Iudaea and yet Infidels are become Lords of that Seat where our Heavenly Lord and his Apostles trode Let me advise you be no Scotch pretenders in making Religion your colour when Plunder is your aime Though their booties inrich them their Newtrall Factions seemingly secure them They must come off with losse before the maine Battaile determine the Quarrell ☞ Make not such use of your strength as injuriously to intrench upon an others State Doe no man wrong When the Sword is in your hand let Grace be in your heart Let that daring insolence so familiar with a Souldier be to you an uncivill Stranger Walke in the wayes of Innocency and end these dayes of your warfare in it Preferre a glorious Death before a vicious life Better is it to dye with an Abel then to live a Cain Be it your prime care every Morne to make your peace with God Suffer not your inward Enemy to have any advantage of you Whatsoever your Outward have Though the Bullet make no distinction betwixt a Prince and a Common Souldier Those Christian Memorialls recommended to you in your youth should better prepare you then to fall like Beasts without remembring your future condition The Marriner and Souldier ought of all others to be ever provided of this Spirituall Armour Three inches onely distanceth the One from Death and a Paper-sconce the Other Of all Others every houre may be your last Be it then your constant Taske in the Service of your Campe to make Heaven your Care March after this manner and the Lord of Hoasts will goe along with you and improve these actions of valour to your Fame His Honour Now for you who are for Arts. As it has beene my care to season you in all Sciences Humane and Divine be it your care not to invert them but rank them according to their Degrees Imploy your Humane as Handmaids your Divine as their Mistresses Now Religion must be the foundation which being strengthned and cherished by that sweetly-distilling influence of Devotion is not to consist onely in Speculative knowledge but Proficiency of Action For Religion being the Mystery of our Salvation is a practicall Syllogisme whose premisses goe for nothing if there be not the active conclusion of well-doing The promise is not made to Him that knowes this