her life and pregnancy Of sweet-chaste-choice conceipts to cheere the eare And raise Invention to an higher Spheare Which puts me now in minde of various flowers And Posies too which at retired houâ—…es Her richer Fancy used to devise For Bracelets rings and other rarities In which ingenious modesty would show Emblemes of Love and teach an Artist too His just dimension Such would She compose Crowning invention with a vertuous close One day two rings with Posies I receav'd In which were these inscriptions ingrav'd By THIS th'devise a bleeding Heart I LIVE YET THIS see her affection I GIVE On th' inner brimme these words inscribed were THIS heart ingraven IS NEARE YET YOV AS DEARE The nexta Garter-ring and on the knot Was this in Capitals distinctly wrot THIS and may this be sacred WHEN I DYE FATE and too soone came it MAY THIS VNTYE Within the wreaths these words addrest unto me Sir IF YOV LOOSE ME aye me YOV VNDOE ME Such quaint conceipts allai'd more serious cares But suffer'd no neglect in her affaires For her stay'd thoughts surpast her yeares and told The World that 't is Discretion which makes old The bloomingst youth which stood confirm'd in ours Who though but young in yeares was old in houres And now me-thinkes in silent shade I heare The Answer of that Sage sound in mine eare Who much perplext and walking all-alone Was askt by one what He was thinking on I 'm thinking Sir quoth he of my dead wife Wherein she ere offend't me all hee life That thought thereof might bid me cease to mone And so allay my griefe but I find none This makes my Sorrowes infinitely prest And addes new store to re possesse my brest Besides this draines fresh rivers from mine eyes For that sufficiently I could not prize The height or weight of her unequall'd losse Before I felt mine unsupported crosse These thoughts of his deare Spouse his ioyes exil'd And caus'd this antient Sage to play the child Reflect on thy sad Scene peruse each clause And poize thy griefes if they have not like cause Did sne ere give occasion of offence Or if she did would not her penitence Resolve it into teares did she not share In thy discomforts and allay thy care With her discreete advice and yeeld increase Vnto thy Comforts by partaking these Would she not joy and in her joyes o'reflow When she saw smoothnesse smile upon thy brow Could ought affect thine humour shee 'd not make The Object of her pleasure for thy sake No heav'n thou know'st all these her life exprest Which are with teares recorded in my brest BVT pause a while canst thou be said to breath And breathlesse Shee sleepe in the armes of death Husband and Wife are two-united-one How can I live then when my selfe is gone Gone to her gaine my losse unvalued losse Yet should her Christian Crowne allay my Crosse Could I appease my passion which springs From brackish streames of humane sufferings While Reason with my Passion dictates thus How is 't that you incense both Fate and Us With your incessant mourning you will say Shee 's dead whom you so lov'd 't is true but pray What was she borne for or what made of Earth Her composition whence shee tooke her birth Her feet fraile â—…ases though of purest mold Where th' Groundworke's weak the Building cannot hold Did not that Consumptionâ—…unne â—…unne Whereof she dide to Mother daughter sonne Before it seaz'd on her Eldest was shee Yet last surpriz'd as one reserv'd for thee Wouldst but consider what to thee is sent Others have felt thou wouldst be more content Yea but againe you 'l say shee dyed young And might by course of Nature have liv'd long Goe to th' Embrodred Theatre of ours Deckt with variety of choicest flowers Where you shall find some meldew'd in their prime Some blasted others pruned 'fore their time Not one 'mongst tenne but culâ—…ed in their youth And those are left doe perish in their grouth These spring sprung untimely blasts do take them Those grow and growne then winter comes to shake them Nor is 't in these but in all else that breath Both Youth and Age are subject unto death Nor should it be unto our humane forme More strange to dye than for us to be borne Recount those Heroës that were styl'd divine Renoun'd for famous actions in their time What 's left of all their glory a straite urne After such spatious conquests serv'd their turne Where 's all those specious Dames whose very sight Darkned the lustre of the Chrysolite Whose richer beauties seemed to bestow Mintage on all inferiour beauties too And seem'd exempt froÌ„ frailty those ev'n shun them Dead and deform'd who living doated on them Their beauteous Bodies earth-reduced formes Their eyes darke Cranies to encloister wormes Hee then or shee the happiest appeares That dies the youngst because he sheds least teares Since Life is such a vaine-deceiving sleepe Wee dreame of joyes but when we wake wee weepe Yea but you 'l say Shee was with vertues blest And might improve the place which shee possest By her example Doe you therefore grieve That for her Countrey shee should Exile leave O doe not so maligne her happinesse This were t'adjorne fruition of her blisse For humane ends Her vertues are her Crowne And those Examples which her life hath showne Surviving Annals which can never dye But still embalme her pretious memory So long as Time keepes minutes Cease to mone 'T is sinne to mourne for such a Saintly one Whose death 's her wreath her palme her periode Her Epithalamie her dying ode Cease then your fruitlesse wishes they 'r in vaine Nor Prayers nor Teares can call her backe againe But should Heav'ns grant this suit perferr'd by thee Her losse were greater than thy gaine could bee Her joyes are infinite thine finite are And 'twixt these two there can be no compare For what 's this world but a painted blisse Where few or want or have what they could wish Doe noâ—… give reines then to thy furious will Shee lov'd thee well why shouldst thou wish her ill These Dictates on my Senses wrought some force Though Sense told Reason Nature must have course Too well knows hee his moane with mirth to season Who in his griefes applies his Eare to Reason But to impressive were these prints of griefe To tender me such expedite reliefe Too deepe those Characters to be defac'd Or so by Reason or perswasion raz'd As no Remaines were left to gather head Noâ—… in my birth of Sorrowes to succeed For then ev'n then when Reasons selfe affords Some rayes of comfort her last dying words Renue my wounds and adde unto the store Of those old griefes I parlyed with before And blame me not that these effects were such Who so forgets them Hee affects not much For if these halfe-breath'd words of dying men To strangers pretious be who knew not them What will the voyce of one doe whom
wee love What strange impressions leave how strongly move When it cals to us from the Death-bed too And with eyes fixt on heav'n's addrest to goe From this vaine vale these â—…ew but evill daies O what a conflict doth-each accent raise Griefe and affection struggle to inclose them The Heart becomes a Casket to repose them No Syllable is lost nought uttered By that weake-faltring tongue unregistred Knowing that in short space that very tongue Whose weake-breath'd Organs tun'd their dying song And as yet speake and all attention move By friendly accents in their Eares that lovâ—… Shall in eternall silence be ty'de up And from the Eare of Mortals ever shut So as those dying words you heard before With their sweet sound shall ne're salute you more And such were mine O that the Judge of time Would have repriv'd her to be longer mine But let me not offend Heav'ns pardon me If Passion make me speake too forwardlie Now to her dying words let me descend Sweetly deliver'd while her sweetest end Was now approaching just the very same Though not so moving as from whence they câ—…me Sir with a dying-smile these words she spake While her weake-beating pulse my hand did take I 'm going from you and must recommend These little ones now to you at mine end To whom you must father and mother be And in their Image Sir remember me Be it your care next to your supreme care To tender these in whom none h'as a share But yoâ—…r deare selfe by all my hopes I vow Not one strai'd thought estrang'd their birth from you Noâ—… did you e're conceipt it For wee were By Nuptiall tye fix'd in one sacred spheere Where Twin-like Love such graces did bestow As neither lik'd what th' other lov'd not too Deare your respect to me to you was mine And so were you opinion'd all our time For since I hâ—…ld the title of a wife I n'ere ey'd pleasing Object all my life But in your prâ—…sence and heavens forgive If that delight made me desire to live So constantly was my affection fixt As it was ne're with forraigne fancy mixt But pure as is the Fire Which to requiâ—…e Let these be in your thought when least in sight These younglins tender in their mothers â—…ye Whom they must want and you are to supply Let them have breeding Sir by your dispose It is a portion that they cannot Iose. Correct them too yet let them understand That their Correction's from a Fathers hand Now with a Mothers Blessing Babes adjeu Your Mother takes her lasting leave of you For you Sir as God's pleased to bestow Much on you so make use of what you know O doe not hide your Talâ—…nt in the gâ—…ound But let your knowing life with fruits aboundâ—… Feare God for love more than for feare of Hell Heav'n be our meeting Dearest Love farewell So now my race is done mine Houre-glasse run Come my Lord Iesu my sweet Iesu come WHAT a choice-curious piece of Clay was this Which gave her forme Which forme shâ—…ll be in blisse Cloath'd with immortall beauty and divine Not subject to mortality or time When it shall rise againe and rise it must From this poore shell of Earth or Shrine of dust Where it lies now interâ—…'d to re-appeare Fuller of lustre than it shined heere Rankt with triumphant Quires where length of daieâ—… Is the sole-sov'raigne subject of their praise While her heav'n-mounting Soule with airy wings Sings glorious Paeans to the King of kings Cloze then thy funerall Ode sincâ—… thou maist heare This sound from ev'ry mouth to ev'ry Eare Her due deserts this sentence on her gives She dyes to life yet in her death she lives She liveâ—… in fame above the reach of death Anâ—… from her ashes doe such odourâ—… breath Of her surviving vertues as they prove No death so sweet as thâ—…irs who goodnesse love For though they seeme unto our Senses dead The Branches of their living actions spread From whence no bloomes nor blossomes onely shoot But to succeeding ages store of fruiâ—… And such was mine once mine now from mine eyes Ta'ne to obtaine a more transcendent prize Than earth could give her and heav'ns will be done My night is comming but her day 's begun In silent passion then or as griefes be When they doe labour of an Extasie Retire and when thousee'st Earth-minded men Bemoane inferiour losses Smile at them And if they aske thee why thou can'st not grieve Tell them Discretion will not give thee leave Vaine griefes can worke no such effect in thee Thy teares are treasur'd for PANARETE If they aske What Shee was bid them heere read If they aske Where Shee is in teares write DEAD FINIS 1 Epitaph FOr rites of holy Church which Christians have Quires of blest Angels sing her to her grave For hallow'd candles vertues give her light And forme a day of a sad funerall night For â—…els good workes which ring so sweet a chime As they doe sound heâ—… mortally-divine For Anâ—…hems and Memorials of the dead With Saintly Orisons solemnized For Shrines of Raze or monumentall Brasse A living fame her Epitaph I WAS. Cease then your friendly Sorrow 't were a Sin To weepe for Her reserve your teares for Him 2 Epitaph MArch dust more worth thaÌ„ a kings ransome is Which proverbe may be verifide by â—…his â—…his pretious gage lest here to Earth in trust Who on the sev'nth of March resolv'd to 〈◊〉 Upon her onely Sister 3 Epitaph IN this Vine interred lyes One who clos'd from mortall eyes â—…yes that Day which knowes no night Spheared in her Makers sight Who to crowne her Day with blisse Hath vouchsaf'd to style her his Life so ended is begun Farre from Death when Death h 'as done Upon heâ—… dearest Fannie 4 Epitaph ILost a Mother for a Grave And by it I two Mothers have Earth and mine owne deare Mother too In whose bare brest I slumber now My corps sleep Mother Earth in thee While Angels sing my Lullabee PANARETIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TEISIS me genuit Sponsatam Wâ—…STRIA cepit Corpus CANDALIVM pectus OLYMPVS habeâ—… Her Family * In his REMAINES AFTER DEATH Her Fame Her Habit. A modest Descriâ—…tion of her Person taxing the use of forâ—…'d Hyperboles Her Providence 〈◊〉 of mâ—…tallor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tâ—… Princes iâ—… sâ—…me 〈◊〉 upon their Election which they wil make châ—…ice of â—…o be their Tombe Usâ—… of that 〈◊〉 â—…o her appliâ—…d in hâ—…r convoâ—… tâ—… her beaâ—…ficall estate DORCAS Needle-works to her applied Heâ—… love â—…xpressed and made 〈◊〉 with that of Caia wifâ—… to Caius Tranquillus Her Posies The perplexed Sages answere Hee was be thinking himselfe wherein his Spouse ever offended him to allay that 〈◊〉 sorow which had so possest him but could finde none And how Hee never suffici ently prized the height or weight of her lesse â—…ill he felâ—… iâ—… Reasons dictate with Passion Her dying-words at his late and lâ—…st 〈◊〉 from her 〈◊〉 her childrâ—…n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fathâ—…rs care Never did one strai'd â—…ought estrange her from him Her vowed affection sâ—… constantly fixed on him as it never eyed Object with delight but in his presence Choicest vertues our â—…hiefest honours our sweetest odours Hee clozeth her funeral Ode with an Extasie or passionate silence Obiit Marâ—…ii vijo Anno Dom. 1633.
treasur'd in their brest While with joynt voice made hoarse through griefe they cride None ever liv'd more lov'd or moaned dide Nor was shee vaine in habit or attire A modest-matron Weed was her desire That habit solely tender'd her delight Which made her comely in her Makers sight No painting puâ—…sting poudring of the haire No Câ—…russe cheeke no azur'd brest laid bare To take deluded eyes fantasticke toyes Wherein corrupted fancy onely joyes Ne're lur'd her love Her Maxime us'd to bee Shee weares best clothes that weares to her degree Yet was she neate attiâ—…d in such a manner As she woâ—…e nought but properly became her Nor carelesse neither curious would she seeme But in her habit to retaine esteeme Whose gracefull presâ—…nce did so well besit Iâ—… gave a grace to her and she to it For to describe her Person which shall be As was her selfe compos'd of modestie Her Beauty was her owne a native red Got by a modest blush her tincture fed By Feare and Fancy No complexion bought From Shop e're toucht her Shape nor euer wrought On her affection rather high than low Appear'd her stature that the Age might know Nature did owe her nothing taking care To make her proper as her forme was faire Nor can I vye in my trueteares with these Who faigne an Idoll of Hyperboles As to compare the tresses of her haire To purest Lydian threds which subtile ayre Dishevels or her smooth-ascending Front Vnto a Beacon or some rising Mount For prospect glorious nor those Lampes of light To burnish'd Diamonds which beday the night With their diffused lustre nor her teeth To Orient pearles nor her roseat breath To Nectar or Ambrosian rivolets Nor Lips to Rubies dipt in Violets Nor with description upon ev'ry part To make my griefe a curious Scene of Arâ—… To give a relish to a liq'rish tast And so forget what dishes should be plac'd At this sad funerall feast No Dearest no My grounded griefes cannot be razed so Colours well laid and such are dyde in graine Are of that substance they 'll admit no staine The more you wash the more you lose your time And so it fares with these extreames of mine I cannot artfully show what she was But sure she did all mortals farre surpasse In my conceipt nor needs he any art To pensill Her whose feature 's in his Hart Which a more living deepe impression beares Than all our Art-expressive Characters This were my breast unript would make more â—…how Than all our Limners with their art can doâ—… So as I cannot chuse but highly taxe These Mimick Mourners who like Shrines in waxe Can mould their faces to what forme you please And varnish o're their Deare Loves Obsequies With high poeticke raptures whereas sense Of grounded griefe admits no Eloquence He that is truely wounded and heart-sicke Will ne're converse with flowers of Rhetoricke Let it suffice nought could in woman be If good were not in her espous'd to me Chast was my choice so choice as ne're was brâ—…d A 〈◊〉 Conâ—…ort both for boord and bed Besides where e're I walke I gather thence Apparent tokens of her Providence Although I seeke her whom I cannot find I finde Inventions of her pregnant mind Exprest in ev'ry Arbour quicke conceite Sâ—…cer'd by 〈◊〉 to support a state Without too much restraint or libertie Not domineâ—…ring in a familie Nor too remisse nor lavish nor too spare Carefull yet wise to moderate her care Rich in a frugall bounty while content Smil'd on her brow whether she spar'd or spent So as in all domesticall affaires So sweetly mixt were her well-temper'd cares As if she had beene from her childhood bred And th' Oeconomicks solely studied Nor did her cautious providence extend Wholly to thoughts of frailty which take end From time and mutability O no! She thought of th'place whereto all Mortals go And that she might with Preparation store her She had her Shrouding-Sheet still laid before her As a Memoriall which during breath Might represent to her the face of Death With which that she might make her selfe more fit Thus shee 'd familiarly converse with it SHROVD thou art all that 's left me to my grave To cloathe this poore Remainder which I have Pray thee be my Remembrancer and now Put me in minde o th' place where I must goe Vile vaile of frailty pray thee still be nie And be my Lecture to prepare to die And that she might leave pledges of her love On earth below as she had done above Rings on her Husbands Sisters she bestowes For a Remembrance which expressely showes The goodnesse of her Nature being knowne To tender them as dearely as her owne Shee sets her house in order and applies Her will to Gods and dies before she dies Some Countries I have red of who did â—…se When by Election they their Princes chuse Pieces of Stone or mettall to present Which they would chuse to be their monument Tombe or Triumphant Vrne for they renoune A royall death before a regall Crowne This use or custome may be well applide To my now glorious Heav'n-infranchis'd Bride Who lodg'd Deaths modell ever in her eyes And in her thoughts that sole-sufficient prize Which of a Mortall an immortall makes And loosâ—…h nought by those that share in stakes Glorious resolves When while we mortals are For heav'n on earth wee'dresse our highest care And so enspheere our thoughts in Him we love That though our Foot 's below our Faith 's above Such doe not prize Rase jeat nor Porphyry To give a Cover to Mortality The Thracian Marble naturally wrought To be their Shrine is least of all their thought A Mansion more transcendent is their aime While they reflect on th'placefroÌ„ whence they came Both which reflexive aimes did her attend To crowne her gracious life with glorious end DORCAS full of good workes and almes too The lively Embleme of my lovely Doe Widdowes stood weeping and with griefe dismaâ—…d Shewing the coates and garments DORCAS made All which commends may be applide and more To Her whose hand made garments for the poore Besides rich Needle-workâ—…s which antient use Approves to store and beautifiâ—… an housâ—… Which patternes when I see needes must appeare Still in mine eie a Monumentall tâ—…are Shall I expresse her Love it might be made Equall to what the Roman Matron said Where thou art Caius I am Caia too Nor will I act what Caius would not doe What sâ—…cred-secret union was this Where nought was donâ—… by Her implide not His And such was mine and happy was the time When I might truly living style her mine No mount no vale no shady Laune nor gâ—…ove But in her presence were receipts of love Locall Idaeas where all comforts were Cloz'd in one abstract while her selfe lodg'd there For where Wit neatnesse goodnesse joyntly meet That subject needs must be perfections seat And such was mine neat to delight the eye Good to improve