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
pure streames of bloud gusht forth from azurd vaines the foode of life distild Wisedome loue faith renowne and honor both were all at once thus hackt thus chopt thus kild There was a sight to send forth sorrowes floud A Swanny whitenes wrapt in robes of bloud But thinke you saw him and for his sake Then let your teares woes period make Thus masacard in strength of lusty youth was Englands Earle whose worth the world admir'd His life till now had prou'd his honors truth vntimely was his fatall death conspir'd If any read whose hand was stain'd therein Let some vild death make known his damned sin The rest that mourne let sorrowes tide Make honors fame in triumph ride Go to the Courts of Denmarke France Spaine and sadly tell his dolefull tragicke seane And marke what sighs your words will entertaine and see what teares from honored eies will streame In any place within earths compasse round This tale but told may sighs and teares be sound Faire Ladies they with drownd vp eies To honors fame will sacrifice And when report hath tolde his sorrowes story his life and death and actions done by him Then reard vp hands will wonder at his glory each hearer seemes in sorrowes flouds to swim And then they say would not his Queene forgiue His fault that such a peerelesse prince might liue Yes had she knowne asmuch as they He had not then beene cast away Her Royall brest was falsly oft accusde of cruell deeds but She was mercies childe For honors death She well may be excus'd by priuate tales rough worke was smoathly filde Could he but once Her glories sight haue gaind And vnto Her his wrongs and woes complaind Then had he liu'd and that they knew Whose hate her hart from him withdrew But could her eyes these weeping lines peruse her princely teares would show hir sorrows griefe Her selfe would say they did hir grace abuse that in that action were the actors chiefe And truth to say I thinke her Maiesty Was chiefest mourner in that tragedy Though now a fluent nimble wit Can bouldly play the polliticke I doe not striue Inuectiuely to speake nor haue I will a wilfull harme to doe A peace confirm'd I would by no meanes breake yet can I not like fawning flatterers woe Let truth be truth and free the dead from wrong And blame him not that sings this sorrowes song For him who did a souldier loue Whose death a souldiers griefe doeth moue Vnto his Country his honours bloud he gaue which for his Country more better had bin spent Vnkinde his Country that worthy bloud to craue which was for her and for her seruice bent His mother England hauing slaine her sonne The world will say it was vnkindly done Though iustice may with this dispence It wanted mercies influence This Yron world hath Angell mercy left worlds worldlings they that vertue hence haue driuen This rotten age is of that grace bereft that mercy now is onely plac'd in heauen And thither is the ghost of honor fled Through ayerie orbes by heauenly angels led Vnto that place where ioye excels And there the soule of honour dwels Where God and Christ and holy ghost combinde inuironde are with glory more then if Ten hundred thousand sunnes at once all shinde and clearly should their radient splendence guise Amidst that glory the soule of Essex stands In endlesse ioy vpheld by Angels hands Then mourne no more heauen hath his spirit Whose life on earth such praise did merit But now heauens God King Queene Prince and state inuiron roūd within thy loues protection Let Britons Monarch like the worlds triumphe rate rule still in peace rulde by thy lawes direction His Nobles blesse and let no priuate hate Procure the meanes our peace to ruinate And thus my Muse his farewell giues And tels the world Fames honour liues Upon the Author and his subiect THou that true Honor from the graue doest raise And on Fames golden wings doest make it flie Who with thy Pen the neuer dying praise From ground doest lift vp to the Starrie skie Of that braue Earle whose life the greatest glory Whose death to Britaine yeeldes the saddest storie Oh giue me leaue thy faithfull hart t' admire Which suffrest not thy loue with him to dye But with thy Muse doest make affections fire To shine most bright now he intomb'd doth lye And as thy sword while he inioy'd his breath So now thy Pen doth serue him after death Thy worke I cannot say doth match his worth For heauen and earth doth equall that no more T is praise for Prickets Pen if it pricke forth Some gowned Muse his fortunes to deplore Schollers and Souldiers both were to him bound Why should they not be both like thankefull found All those braue Romaines whom the world admir'd So much for their high magnanimitie With morrall vertues were not more inspir'd Besides his cleere light of Diuinitie All his lifes morne he like a Romaine led At noone like a Diuine went to deaths bed Epita There sleepes great Essex dearling of mankinde Faire Honors lampe foule Enuies pray Artes fame Natures pride Vertues bulwarke lure of minde Wisdomes flower Valoures tower Fortunes shame Englands sunne Belgias light Frances star Spaines thūder Lysbones lightning Irelands clowde the whole worlds wonder Ch. Best Arm.