her wit skill chiefely in Histories and recording the actes monumēts of worthie persons Melpomine in Tragedies and lamentable Elegies Thalia in Comedies comely gestures and sweete speeches Euterpe in the pipe such like instruments Terpsichore in the Citterne or Lute Erato in Geometrie or Chosmographie Calliope in heroicke verses Vrania in Astrologie and contemplation of the starres and Polihimnia in Rhetorick and Eloquence Deuine sonnets dedicated to the said Lady not long before her decease by the said Author Of Gods holy name Iehouah or Tetragrammaton THat name which Moses on his forehead bare I in my heart doe worship and adore That name which Iewes to name did seldome dare May I presume for mercie to implore That name which Salomon vppon his breast In his diuine Pentaculum did weare With great Iehouah Characters imprest That name I loue I reuerence and feare That name which Aron wore vpon his head Grau'd in his holy Miter made of Golde That name which Angels laude and furies dreade Whose praise no tongue can worthily vnfolde That name which flesh is to impure to name My sinfull soule with sacred zeale inflame Of the Starre which the Magi did worship at Christes Natiuitie and of his death I blaze that starre which was no blazing starre But the true figure of eternall life The prince of peace was borne then ceased warre His birthes beginning ended mortall strife This glorious starre did lead the aged wise To worship th' Infants Godhead in the East Which came with gladsome heart ioyfull eyes To see that Babe that made all Israell blest O light of Heauen thou wast extinct on earth Yet to our soules Celestiall life doth giue Thy death our life thy rising our new birth Thou three daies dead didst make vs euer liue Yet at thy death obscur'd was th' earth and skie Because he that was God as man did die FOuntaine of grace from whom doth only runne Water of life to saue our soules from death O sauiour of the world pure virgins sonne That in red earth infus'd first vitall breath Oh thou whose name was calde Emmanuel Ioyning thy Godhead with humanitie Thou that for our sakes didst descend to hell And ouer death did'st get the victorie Oh womans seede that didst from God proceede By Prophets said to breake the Serpents head Thou that in grace and vertue doest exceede Content to die that thou mightest quicken deade Thou that didst rayse the dead men frō the tombe Earths kingdoms passe oh let thy kingdome come ANtient of daies and yet still young in yeares Oh God on earthe Oh man yet most deuine Poore in this world yet chiefe of heauenly Peeres Whose glorie in th' infernall pit did shine Borne since old Abrahams daies yet long before For Abraham reioyc'd to see thy daies He saw by faith whom now all powers adore The Cerubins doe daily sing thy praise O God of tymes and yet in time a man Before all times thy time of being was And yet in time thy humaine birth beganne Least we should fade vntimely like the grasse Oh thou that doest all times beginne and ende Graunt all our workes may to thy glory tende Of the instabilitie of Fortune and worldlie prosperitie VVHere liues the man that neuer felt a crosse Whō Fortunes wheel did neuer tumble down Where liues the man that neuer suffred losse On whome the starres of heauen did neuer frowne Where liues the man that is in all pointes blest Wise valiant mightie wealthy fayre and strong If such a one vpon the earth doth rest His date of life Heauen doth abridge ere long Such was King Edward in his youthfull prime Who might by Phoebus Oracle be deemd One of the wisest Princes of his time For wit and learning excellent esteemde But cruell death maligning his great praise That in fewe yeares so highly did aspyre With yron dart infring'd his golden daies Whom nations farre away did then admyre Weedslong time growe the fayrest flowres do fade The ripest wits grow rotten at the last All these faire things which God and Nature made In this huge Chaos shall at length lye waste Where is king Salomon the wisest wight Of mortall men that liu'd vpon the grounde Doth he not wander in the shades of night Whose wisdome through the world was so renound What difference betwixt the rich and poore Irus with Cresus boldly may compare Both equall are when death standes at the doore That maketh proudest kings like beggars bare Then let the wealthy men respect their end Not counting themselues happy vntyll death Sith heauen to them this wealth doth only lende Which they must pay with losse of vitall breath This made that king of Lidia to crye When he was by king Cyrus ouercome O Solon now thy saying true I trie No man is happie till his day of dome That Monarch now is dead that did possesse The golden sands of bright Pactolus waues And Tamberlaine whom Fortune so did blesse That he a Shepheard made great kings his slaues Dead is that mightie king of Macedon That wept whē of more worlds he hard some talke Sith his victorious sword as then had wonne Scarce this one world where we like pilgrims walk Who being wounded fell vpon one knee Fighting against an hoast of barbarous foes Said I am mortall by these wounds I see For no such bloode from powers Celestiall flowes In beautie Absalon did farre excell Most part of men that sprung of humaine seede But when against his Sire he did rebell Then heauen did power downe vengeance on his head The sacred scripture truely doth expresse That Sampson did surpasse all men in strength But he that did thowsands in fight distresse Was by a womans wiles subdu'd at length Beautie is like a faire but fading flower Riches are like a bubble in a streame Great strength is like a fortefied Towre Houour is like a vaine but pleasing dreame Wee see the fayrest flowers soone fade away Bubbles doe quickly vanish like the winde Strong Towers are rent and doe in tyme decay And dreames are but iliusions of the minde Let none puft vp with insolence deride My Fortunes Autumne in my prime of yeares Sith many dismall chances do betide To royall princes and State-ruling peeres I am content with my disaster chance To follow fate sith princes lead the daunce Ludit in Humanis diuina potentia rebus Et certam praesens vix habet hora fidem FVNERALL LAMENTACIONS VPON THE DEATH OF his most worthy and reuerend vnckle Maister MATHEW EWENS Esquire one of her Maiesties Barons of her Highnes Court of Eschequer * ⎠* PERIIT ET INVENTA EST LONDON Printed by RICHARD BRADOCKE for I B. 1598. Ouid. lib. 2. Fasti. Est honor tumulis animas placare paternas Paruaque in extructas munera ferre pyras Funerall lamentations vpon the death M. MATHEVV EVVENS Esquire c. LET Numas death be still deplorde in Rome Licurgus end let famous Sparta waile Let Athens weepe on Aristides toombe
CELESTIALL ELEGIES of the Goddesses and the Muses dedeploring the death of the right honourable and vertuous Ladie the Ladie FRAVNCES Countesse of Hertford late wife vnto the râ—ght honorable EDVVARD SEYMOR Vicount Beauchamp and Earle of Hertford WHEREVNTO ARE ANNEXED some funerall verses touching the death of MATHEVV EVVENS Esquire late one of the Barons of her Maiesties Court of Eschequer vnto whome the author hereof was allyed Propertius Eleg. 5. Lib. 3. Haud vllas portabis opes Acherontis ad vndas Nudus ad infernas stulte vehere rates Hor. Lib. 1. Ep. ad Quint Mors vltima linea rerum est By Thomas Rogers Esquiâ—e Imprinted at London by Richard Bradocke for I. B. and are to be sold at her shop in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Bible 1598. ⧠To the Right Honourable his singuler good Lord the Lord Edward Seymor vicount Beauchampe Earle of Hertford BEhold Right Honourable in this Theater of mortalitie a Tragedie with a solemne funerall at which the Goddesses are chiefe mourners and the Muses attendants wherein death plaies the Tyrannicall King or the kinglie Tyrant your de are Ladie and wife the subiect of his furie which in a dumbe showe is heere presented by me whereof I desire your Lordshippe to be a spectator and a Iudge If I haue wittilie plaide the fooles part in contriuing the matter I thinke I haue plaid the wisest part And then I hope I shall haue your Lordships applause And that is all I expect Your Lordships euer at commaund T. R. Celestiall Eligies for the late death of the right Honourable the Ladie Fraunces Countesse of Hertforde QVATORZAIN 1 Berecynthia DRawne in my Royall chariot crownd with To wes Through all the kingdoms of the centred earth With a great Traine of the celestiall Powres That from my wombe tooke their immortall birth Descend I as chiefe mourner from the skye To solemnize this Countesse funerall And crowne her fame with immortalitie Although her bodie now to death be thrall My daughter Cynthia whilome lou'd her deare Noble she was by vertue birth and match Match'd with a Peare yet matchles without Peare For Peareles she did others ouer match Wherefore the Fates growne enuious of her praise For vertues sà ke ab idg'd her earthlie daies QVATORZAIN 2. Iuno I that am both Ioues sister and his wife The Queene of heauen whom Gods men adore Hearing the fame of this braue Ladies life In mournfull habit now her death deplore She hath putt of all earthly ornaments And cloth'd her soule in glories spotlesse robe She hath exchang'd these mixed Elements For that pure Quintessence the heauenlie globe Loe how her spright infranchised from thrall Of sinfull flesh ascends the Christall skye Scorning to dwell long in this earthly vale Where all men rise to fall and liue to die Therefore she soard aboue a humane pitch And with her vertues doth my Realme inrich QVATORZAIN 3. Pallas THe pompe of this vaine world she did despise Weighing the slipperie state of earthly things Therefore aboue the Spheares of heauen she flies To sing and ioy before the King of Kings Her vertues that did militate on earth Against the flesh the deuill sinne and hell Now triumphe in the heauens and conquer death And in Ioues holy monarchie doe dwell I rue the losse of true Nobilitie Whilome inuested in her noble breast Wisedome with honour link't in amitie VVere both in her and she in death supprest How can I chuse but waile for her decease Sith by her death my kingdom doth decrease QVATORZAIN 4 Diana AY me my vestall flame is now extinct My flowre of Chastitie doth fade away In Lethes flouds true noblenes doth sinke My Empyre runnes to ruinous decay Pittie Almes-deeds and charitie is fled Fidelitie beyond the seas is gone True friendship now and faithfull loue is dead And Priapus vsurpeth Cupids throne She that did seeke my kingdome to maintaine By sanctitie religion faith and zeale Through enuie of the Destenies is slaine Death robs th'Eschequer of my common weale For all those rites which I was wont to haue Are fled to heauen or buried in her graue QVATORZAIN 5. Venus IF that I am a starre I le loose my light And fall from Heauen vpon the earth to morne Because her lifes faire day is turnde to night My ioye to griefe my loue to hare shall turne If that I am a Goddesse as men say Whom louers tearme Celestiall and dâ—â—â—ine With humaine teares I le wash my ioyes away And on the earth no more by day-time shine If I be beauties Soueraigne and loues Queene I le put a maske of clouds before my face Hating to loue louing to liue vnseene I will obscure myselfe in some darke place And if I be a Planet while I raigne I le frown on th' earth where my delight is slaine QVATORZAIN 6. Thetis FRom th' vnknowne kingdome of th' Antipodes And from the farth est bonds of th' Ocean maine Attended with troopes of Nereides And charming Syrens that supporte my traine Mou'd with the gentle murmure of the streames That seeme◠〈◊〉 humane miseries to weepe I that doe kisse the Sunnes transplendent beames When he in Neptunes bosome falls a sleepe Come to this famous land in waues of woe Like to a Queene in mourning weedes araide Crowned with cares because mans mortall foe The Tyrant death his tragick part hath plaide Sea more lamentes than all the worlde beside His true loues losse that late in England dyde QVATORZAIN 7 Ceres MY wealth decaies for want of Somers heat Somers heat fades because the Sunne is fled The Sunne is fled because his griefe is great His griefe is great because his ioye is dead His ioye is dead since his deare ladie dyde And since his lady dide he euer mournde He euer mournde for losse of Natures pride For Natures pride is now to ashes turnde To ashes turnde that was a Phoenix rare A Phoenix rare of whom no other bred No other bred that breedes the more my care The more my care sith all in her is dead O HeaueÌ„s why do you bring this land such dearth As for to take a Phoenix from the earth QVATORZAIN 8. Fortuna I that do turne the rowling wheele of chaunce The blinde light Goddesse of vnconstancie That sometime did the Romaine Peers aduance To sway the worlds imperiall Monarchie I that doe kings enthrone annoynt and crowne And ofte depose them from the Royall seate I that on mightie Baiazeth did frowne And made the baseborne Tambâ—â—laine so great Lament that death hath got the victorie While I am faine to flie away for feare For where death raines there ends my soueraintie He casts downe Trophees which I did vpreare This Ladie whome I raisde to high degree Dyde not by chaunce but fatall destenie QVATORZAIN 9. Nemesis REdhote with rage whose heart with griefe doth bleede I come from Ioue fell Atropos to chide That cut too soone this Countesse vitall threede Where with her soule and bodie were fast tide
While wicked men long liue in Ioy and pleasure She liu'd long time in sicknesse and in paine Who still accounted vertue her chiefe treasure And losse of worldly wealth heauens richest gaine Wherefore she fled to heauen from whence I came And with reuenge to scourge mens insolence And those same ruthlesse destenies to tame That by this Ladies death Ioues wrath incence Who let the wicked long time liue in pride While she that best deserued soonest dide QVATORZAIN 10. Bellona THough I am fearefull Goddesse of dread warre That hate to liue Idly at home in peace With humane cries allured I come from farre In streames of bloude to rue this dames decease This Lady was a Howard and did springe Out of the antient Duke of Norfolkes race Whose ofspring did subdue the Scots stout king And from the field rebellious foes did chase Her brother still restes loyal to the Crowne And Scepter which faire Cynthia now doth wield By Seas he hath obtain'd his high renowne The other by his conquest in the field Wherefore I vow by land and Sea to raise Eternall triumphes to the Howards praise QVATORZAIN 11 Flora. CRowned with wreathes of Odoriferous flowrs Whose sent perfumes the Empire of the Ayre Among the rest of the immortall powers Vnto the land of Albion I repaire Where I with garlands will her Toombe adorne And make death proud with ceremonious rites That for this Ladies sake I doe not scorne To decke her Graue with th' earths faire flowers delights For sith the world was sweetned by her breath That breath'd rare vertues forth as then aliue I le beautifie her Sepulcher since death Of her sweete sowle her body did depriue For this braue dame was a sweet springing flower Bedewde with heauenly grace till her last howre QVATORZAIN 12. Proserpina FRom the black kingdome of infernall Dis All circumscrib'd with Characters of woe And from the dungen of the darke abysse Wherein the Ocean Seas of troubles flowe Idoe ascend vpon this worldly stage In this sad Tragedie to act a part Sith she that was a light to that last age Is now confounded by deaths fatall darte The cruell destinies were much to blame To cut her three de of life ere throughly spunne Her life burnd out like to a Tapers flame And thus the howrglasse of my ioyes is runne Wherefore the Farall sisters shall repent Her bodies death and faire soules banishment QVATORZAIN 13. Aurora I now shall blush to kisse the Sunns faire face Or bid bon Iour vnto this hemyspheare I rather will lament in dolefull case The losse of her whom I did loue so deare I am the Muses euer constant friend And sith she was their Matrone while she liu'd I will bewaile for her vntimely ende By whom the sacred Sisters were releu'd I muse what Muse there is that will not weepe When I shall tell this lamentable story That she is dead and now in dust doth sleepe Although her soule is crown'd with lasting glory I thinke the world wil be dissolu'd to teares When this said tale shall penetrate mens eares QVATORZAIN 14. Nox Attyrde in black spangled with flames of fier Imbroidered with starres in silent night While Phoebus doth the lower world inspire with his bright beames cōfort breathing spright I come in clowds of griefe with pensiue soule Sending forth vapours of blacke discontent To fill the concaue Circle of the Pole And with my teares bedeawe each continent Because that she that made my night seeme daye By her pure vertues euer shining lamps Now makes my night more blacke by her decay Wandring with Ghosts in the Elisian Camps Wherefore I still will were a mourning vaile For she is dead and humane flesh is fraile QVATORZAIN 15. Gratiae ADewe faire Venus Ladie of delight Welcome pale horror griefe and discontent Come let vs wander to the vaile of night And for this Ladies death fighe and lament Our hopes late deade ingender liuing feares Our griefes awake doe bringe our joyes asleepe Now we from Thetis streames will borow teares And teach the rockes by Netleys shores to weepe Our faire complexion is with sorrow chang'd We haue bin fellowe Mates with beauties Queene But from our selues we now are so estrang'd We are but shadowes of what we haue beene And thus in vaine we daily doe deplore For losse of life which we cannot restore QVATORZAIN 17. Horaae WE that are calde Tymes goldē winged Howres And are the Porters of Heauens Christall gate Come from the Pallace of Celestiall powers This Countesse death with pompe to celebrate By shutting vp Heauens gate we send downe rayne Darking the triple region of the Aire And when we list opening the doore againe Dry the moyst clowdes make the weather faire Weepe now O clowdes vppon the grassie earth With often drops fret through the hardest stones While we in sorrowe for this Ladies death Flie back againe to the Celestiall thrones And locking fast the great Porte of the Skie Send downe more showres for her mortalitie QVATORZAIN 18. Pandora I bring a box wherein all woes are closde Mingled with teares distild from sacred eyes And not so much as hope for me reposde Is left behinde but quite away it flies The graces where with all the Gods indue me Are gone from me and to Ioues throne resort The blessings which vntill this day pursude me Forsake me now and I stand all amort Like Niobe that euer till death still mourn'de For her deare childrens losse whom Phoebus slue And to a sencelesse stone at last was turnde That in her life did most extreamely rue And thus transformde I will become a Toombe T' enclose her vertues in my dying woombe QVATORZAIN 18. Pales Dea pastorum IF kingdomes waile shall not the Cottage weepe If the Court greeue shall not the Country grone If they doe morne that doe strong Lions keepe Shall not I that keepe tender sheepe bemone If faire Elisa monarch of this I le This Ladies losse doth gratiously lament It ill becomes a country swayne to smyle Or me that am the Shepheards presidente O thou rare Queene that makest the femal gender By much more worthie then the Masculine To thee all praise and glorie I surrender Whom I esteeme as sacred and deuine Had not thy life giuen shepheards sweet releefe I should haue well nigh perished with greefe QVATORZAIN 19. Feronia EVen in this sad and melancholy moode With Siluan Nimphes which on me daily tende Mated with sorrowe come I from the woode And to faire Cynthias kingdome now I wende Where the immortall Goddesses arriu'd At Troynouant by which Thames waues do glide Where late a Ladie of great honour liu'd But greater vertue that vntimely dyde Thither goe I among the rest to mourne And offer vp my teares vpon her shrine My loftie trees I will cut downe and burne In witnesse of her death for which I pyne And as my trees consume away with flame So doth my heart with griefe and ioy with shame QVATORZAIN
For there religion lawes and Iustice faile But let faire Cinthias Troyueuant lament This Barons death whose flesh returnes to dust Whose soule is fled aboue the firmament Who liu'd on earth religious true and iust Now ioye O heauen t' enioy th' earths ornament Whose heauenly part to the third heauen is fled His earthly part to earth doth now relent Both heauen and earth loue him aliue and dead His flesh to Elements resolu'd doth dye His soule aboue the Element doth flye QVATORZAIN 2. I Know not whether I should ioy or weepe His louing soule doth triumph in the skie But his dead corpsin dust a while doth sleepe Till heauen shall rayse it from mortalitie He lost his olde life and hath gaind a newe Loosing his care he gainde a glorious crowne The world lost him therefore the world doth rue He lost the world yet wins for aye renowne I lost a friende and therefore I lament My friend lost me and I haue lost my selfe Sith I for his losse liue in discontent He loues heauens ioyes and leaues all worldly pelfe O England now bewaile this fatall crosse He lost this world we gainde a world of losse QVATORZAIN 3 HE that did seeke the poore mens wrongs to right He that maintain'd his natiue countries lawes He that in trueth and iustice did delight Is now consum'd by deaths deuouring iawes Was it by heauens high court of Parliament Decreed that his lifes date so soone should ende Oh then let vs vpon the earth lament That we haue lost in him a publique friend The ioy of many in his graue now lieth And he in heauen enioyes immortall blisse His care is vanisht and in him now dieth And liues in others that his life doe misse Thus death strooke many with this fatall stroke And keeping natures lawes our lawes he broke QVATORZAIN 4. LEt not the world thinke I doe partialize In that I doe extoll my vncles fame And striue his glorie to immortalize By these sad accents which my muse doth frame But let men know that he deserues more praise Then my poore muse is able to bestow Though she doth crown his death with glorious baies And through the world the breath of fame doth blow Which breath by multiplying the sweete ayre May mount the sacred Throne of heauenly powers And cause the winged Cherubins repayre To mourne his death from their celestiall bowres His vertues merit Homers golden pen To print his praise with teares of Gods and men QVATORZAIN 5 LEt all men iudge how iust a Iudge he was That late was iudged by heauen sacred doome To suffer death that when this life should passe He might obtaine in heauen a glorious roome For he among the blessed saints must dwell Where Patriarches and the Apostles sit Which shall iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel According as to their deserts is fit As here on earth this Iudge was magnifide Aboue the vulgar sort in high degree In heauen he shal be much more glorifide And shall enioy the full felicitie And all such Iudges as here iudge aright Shall haue their place in heauē with Angels bright QVATORZAIN 6 THe sacred word doth say thou shalt not kill Yet Death thou here doest kill a magistrate Dost thou not then infringe Gods holy will Nor yet the lawes of Moses violate And wheras mightie kings establish lawes Thou by thine owne lawe mighty Kings doest slay And taking thus away th' efficient cause Th' effect which is the Lawe must needs decay Thus now thou takest away a publique guide That did maintaine all equitie and right Wherefore heauen shall correct thee for thy pride And shall subdue thy all-flesh-killing might And thou that dost all creatures ouercome Shalt be atlast destroyed by heauens iust doome QVATORZAIN 7 IF that the soule as some supposed might goe Out of one bodie to an others brest Would that meeke spirit which from him did flow In euery Lawyers heart were now imprest His lifes integritie and zeale was such He more esteemd of honestie then gold Which many now a daies doe loue too much For loue is oft with money bought and sold This rightly may be termde a golden age With gold is fame and reputation bought Yet Salomon that was most wise and sage For wisedome praide esteeming gold as nought Gold vnto drosse and flesh to dust must turne For this mans losse let the Eschequer mourne Aurea mun◠verè sunt secula plurimus amor Venit horos auro conciliatur amor ¶ In obitum Patrui sui colendissimi Mathei Eueni illustrissimi Baronis Scaccarij T. R. nepotis Naeuia siue carmen funebre TRistia Melpomine lachrymarum fiumina funde Sit cum perpetuo iunctus amore dolor Ille pater patriae pollens pietate Patronus Pauperis Plebis per mala fata perit Spiritus ascendit splendentis culmen Olympi Diuitias coeli quas cupie bat habet Non rapuit fiscus quod non vult Christus habere Non plus quam licuit conciliauit opes Ille mihi Patruus charus patriaeque patrique Ergo suus deflet funera mesta nepos Dectus erat facilis natura mente be nignus Moribus humanus denique morte pius Lege Solon grauitate Cato sed Tullius ore Nestor consilijs pietate Plato Membra tegit tumulus viuit post funera foelix Fama viget mundo spiritus astracolit Purpureos spargam flores opobalsama fundam Et plenis manibus lilia pulchra dabo His saltem exequijs munere fungar inani His animam donis accumulare velim Non grates expecto tamen nec proemia cure Non hominum laudes hoc pietatis opus Cogit amor patriae patriae lugere parentem Defunctum tantò debitus vrget honos O decus O patriae nuper lux atque columna Natalisque soli gloria magna vale O longum venerande vale vale inquit Euene Qui tuus est semper fidus amansque Nepos Sic viuam moriar semper tibi certus amicus Musaque cum fatis est moritura tuis Iurisconsultus naturae iure peremptus Nunc stabit aeterni Iudicis ante Thronum Qui viuos homines diuino iudicet ore Iudex istius Iudicis almus erit Sic pia vita fuit nunc terque quaterque beatae In rutilo viuit nobilis vmbra Polo FINIS