sollicited me ten times more To bring those meditations to effect And so my wary counsell to direct As might content the pillar of my state That next in counsell to his soueraignesate A man made old to teach the worth of age Patriarke-like and graue in all designes One that had finish't a long pilgrimage Sparing in diet abstinent from wines His sinews small as threeds or slender lines Lord of the citty where with solemne rites The old Prince Arthur feasted with his Knights He saw my gifts were such as might deserue He knew his life was drawing to an end He thought no meanes so likely to preserue His fame with time and enuy to contend As to aduance some faithful seruing friend That liuing might in time to come record Th'immortall praise of his deceased Lord. He brought me first in presence of the King Who then allotted me his Chaplains place My eloquence did such contentment bring Vnto his eares that neuer Prince did grace Poore Chaplaine more nor lowly priest embrace Dread soueraigne so For Nature teacheth euer Who loues preferment needes must loue the giuer Next who but I was sent Embassadour With Europes greatest Monarch to intreate Caesar of Almaine Germans Emperour In Belgia keeping his imperiall seat To handle matters of importance great My hap was such the King could hardly ghesse Which pleasde him more my speede or good successe The Argonauticke vessell neuer past With swifter course along the Colchan maine Then my small barke with faire and speedy blast Conuayd me forth and reconuayd againe Thrice had Arcturus driu'n his restlesse waine And heau'ns bright lampe the day had thrice reuiu'd From last departure till I first arriu'd The King not deeming I had yet beene gone Was angry for my long surmiz'd delay I tolde his Maiestie that all was done And more than all and did his pardon pray That I beyond commission went astray And could haue wisht for euer to be chid With answer to content as then I did T'is not huge heapes of figuratiue deuises Nor luxurie of metaphors or phrases Nor finenesse of connexion that intices Court-learned eares and all the world amazes But depth with pleasure crauing all the graces Of art and nature curiously precize Serenely modest excellently wise It is not learning for the Courtiers know it Nor folly but for Councellors most fit Nor graue demeanour for we must bestow it On Ladies toyes nor quintessence of wit For that is most vnstaide nor doth it fit With Courtiers maiestie to be reputed Too learn'd too graue too fine or too conceited A skill transcendent ouer euery art Yet subiect or essentiall vnto none Vnperfect too yet hauing euery part And thus though strange vnperfect and but one Yet all admire and reuerence it alone Vnknowne and vndefin'de saue in discerning By practise to be got but not by learning Men pointed out by Fortune for good happe Haue from their infancy this gift inspir'd Promotions fall as plenteous in their lappe As words out of their mouths thus I acquir'd The deanerie of Lincolne vndesir'd And then the Almnership and euery hower Some droppes distilling of a golden shower As in a burning glasse or little sphere Dispearsed sun-beames oft vnited are And in one point beames infinite appeare Innumerable rayes disiected farre From th'oblique circle of that glorious starre So like that instrument I now begun Tunite the fauours of our earthly sun New friends vnknowne great presents vndeseru'd Olde sutors came held backe with long delay And al like poppets when their time was seru'd Gaue place to other and so likewise they Ending their parts let other actors play No way in all the court so duly tread As was the path which to my lodging led Transplanted thus into a fertile spring And watred from aboue with heau'nly dew Enlightned with the presence of my King My branches waxed large and faire of hew And all about fresh buddes of honor grew Garlands of Lordships blossomes of degree White roddes of office keyes of knightly fee. Looke how the God of Wisedome marbled stands Bestowing Laurel wreathes of dignitie In Delphos Ile at whose vnpartiall hands Hang antique scrolles of gentle Herauldrie And at his feete ensignes and trophies lie Such was my state whom euery man did follow As liuing statue of the great Apollo But see euen when my ioyes did most abound My crowned pillar most vntimely fell And I about his shaft like Iuie wound That did in pride as he in height excell Was left behind to heare his heauy knell And sing a Requiem to his soule deceast For I poore I lost more then all the rest O hidden doome of that eternall spirit That sentence giues the righteous man shall die Iniurious death that lets rude soules inherit Long leases of their liues and dost enuy That Princes liue on whom all states rely And cruell fate that such confusion brings To common wealths by Ostracisme of Kings He died and in memoriall of his name Built that faire chappell where he now takes rest A rich foundation of a curious frame The fairest monument left vnsupprest Passing all temples of the gorgeous East O strew his hearse with roses red and white For he both stemmes did in one bed vnite True branch of both thy father is not dead For in thy looke I reade his vertuous raigne His crowne is set on thy victorious head Dead to himselfe he liues in thee againe His wisedome seated in thy princely braine O were not Times old wings so farre outworne But he new crownde and thou as newly borne But both are gone and we too soone bereft To better kingdomes both translated are This testimony to the world is left He was the Prince of peace thou God of warre He was a fixed thou a wandring starre Seu'n is a number fatall from the heau'ns But eight King Henrie passing all the seu'ns He came of noble thou of Kingly race He brought to win thou borne to weare a crowne He got great wealth thou honor didst embrace He kept his owne thou conquer'st many a towne He houses built thou batterdst citties downe O worthies both and vnsufficient me To mourne for him or speake enough of thee Then for my selfe whom wisedome neuer taught To seeke for gold in coffins of the dead My deepe contriuing pollicie so wrought That in his youthly raigne my dearest dread Me to his sacred counsell did aread Where all estates in open court did find The liuely vigor resting in my mind When I did muse my spirit did wholy beare His full perfection to enrich my thought What time I spake my life was wholy there And to my speech all grace and beautie brought What praise soeuer any member sought That God whom we call soule sprung from our heart Was all in all and all in euery part What matters past in priuate conference Or publique counsell for the common good I still enform'd his sacred excellence Framing my sentence to his princely moode His word my deede his will my
warrant stoode Nor neede his grace one iot of pleasure spare His royall graunt in person to declare Enough said I your highnesse doth in this To make vs lawes that in subiection dwell Let Magistrates correct what is amisse Such nobles as in wisedome most excell Aduance to place where they may gouerne well And as you do your kingdomes glory prize Of all your land select the learned wise For if the temperature of common weale Be guided by the course of heau'nly pow'res Such as in deepe affaires will iustly deale Must haue an eie to those aeternall bow'res And by their view direct this state of ours Else how can he a perfect states-man prooue That knowes not how coelestiall bodies mooue How can he marke religions stedfast pole How many long degrees we distant are How lawes of iustice compasse in the whole Like orbe of fixed lights or note from farre A fained meteor from a fixed starre How darke eclipsed truth is neuer seene When worlds corrupting treasure comes betweene When wise Magitians wandred farre and wide To find the place of our Messias birth A starre by east became their faithfull guide Angells proclaming notes of ioyfull mirth Glorie to God on high and peace on earth While here I pawsde the King with smiling cheare Bade me proceede for he was bent to heare Dread soueraigne I intend not to detract From noble families their ancient rights Ill fares the shippe whose loftie toppes be wrackt Whole Empires fall where such confusion lights Long life and honor to S. Georges Knights Yet this I reade that realme shall fairest rise Where wise men rule or Rulers can be wise Put such in trust your grace may rest secure And sway the scepter with immortall praise Whether you please your royall selfe immure In cittie walls triumphing sundry waies Or els in progresse spend the sommer daies What hath the ayre the sea the land and all That is not yours or subiect at your call Scholler said he thou know'st my kingdomes state And canst with pleasure painfull trauells brooke Ile prize thy seruice at the highest rate Performing that which thou hast vndertooke For Lordly rents Ile change thy Easter booke Good priest whose sonne so ere thou art by kind Wolsey of Ipswich ne're begat thy mind Soone after this the King with mighty hoast In person meant to enter warlike France To challenge what his auncetors had lost On Turney gates his standard to aduance And in their courts to make our courtiers daunce Which vnacquainted labor to supply He thought no subiect was so fit as I. He might as well appoint some artlesse swaine In Pytheas place to build Mausolus toombe To reare th' Aegyptian Pyramid's againe Restore the ruines of declining Rome Or put some shepheardesse to Arachnes loome As me a student and a yong diuine To furnish out a campe no charge of mine But now the sweetnesse of promotions taste Delightsome prospect to the tower of fame Such skill in my vnmartiall wittes had plac'de As would not onely iust proportion frame Of men and fit munition for the same But bring from rockes where flintie sinewes stoode Whole stony legions of Deucalions broode Imagine Turney vanquisht by the King With Turwins walls and all the confin'de land Ill windes they are that good to no man bring Worse warres that suffer not the churches stand My wind blew faire the church fell in my hand That was elect and consecrated soone Bishop of Turney when the warres were done A sweete preferment for it was my first A straunge aduancement in another Realme A pleasant draft to quench ambitions thirst A ioyfull note to wake me from my dreame A fruitfull spring to send so faire a streame What man but me could fortune thus aduance In peace in warre in England and in France My solemne consecration beeing ended And holy miter placed on my head With falling mists the darksome night extended Hir sable wings and gently ouerspread Heau'ns gloomy vaile whence Phoebus lamp was fled Dead time of rest to euery mortall wight No musicke to the silence of the night To cheerfull minds that bringeth wanton sleepe With many a Phantasme and deluding toy And pensiue heart it doth detaine and keepe From tedious company that would annoy Dull Saturnists that haue abiur'd all ioy To me whose day was all in pleasure spent This wondrous vision it did represent From that rich valley where the Angels laid him His vnknowne sepulchre in Moabs land Moses that Israel led and they obaid him In glorious view before my face did stand Bearing the folded tables in his hand Wherein the doome of life and deaths despaire By Gods owne finger was ingrauen faire He passing forth a ioyfull troope ensued Of worthy iudges and triumphant Kings Victorious Iosuah that in armes subdued Prophane vsurpers of their hallowed things And smote their leaders breaking al their wings With him as ioyning hearts with meeke consent Princes of Israel and of Iuda went Next whom with solemne note of trumpets sound The tabernacle of the Lord was brought About it holy Priests assembled round With sacred Ephods girdles richly wrought Such garments as the Lord had Aaron taught With warbling harpe and crownet on his head The ghost of Dauid loftie measures lead To these in order all the Prophets came Mysterious prophets cloth'd in poore array Pronouncing oft Iehouah's dreadfull name Crying to Syon Learne O learne the way Your desolation hastneth euery day These were refusde for none regarded them In all the daughters of Ierusalem The next in ranke were holy Martyres bleeding Whose euery wound in perfect glory shines Then they which wrote our Sauiours iust proceeding His life and death in euerlasting lines And last of all the best of all diuines To whome deepe mysteries of things conceal'd At Pathmos Ile in vision were reueal'd Now from th' Aethereall pallace of her rest In perfect semblance they appear'd to me But O my soule how are thy pow'res opprest That sleeping saw'st and waking canst not see O God! if so thy gracious pleasure be Such beauty be reueal'd to mortall men Direct O soone direct my wandring pen. In chariot framed of celestiall mould And simple purenesse of the purest skie A more then heau'nly Nymph I did beholde Who glauncing on me with her gracious eie So gaue me leaue her beautie to espie For sure no sence such sight can comprehend Except her beames their faire reflection lend Her beauty with Eternitie began And onely vnto God was euer seene When Eden was possest with sinfull man She came to him and gladly would haue beene The long succeeding worlds eternall Queene But they refused her O hainous deed And from that garden banish't was their seede Since when at sundry times and sundry waies Atheisme and blinded ignorance conspire How to obscure those holy burning raies And quench that zeale of heart-inflaming fire As makes our soules to heau'nly things aspire But al in vaine for mauger all their might Shee neuer lost one sparkle
these bones of mine Would God said he would God this body were Thy spirits worthy keeper and so strong As they are high then might you ouerbeare The strange attempts of such as haue too long Offred your Lordship as you thinke some wrong But noble Cardinall what shall we do Sicknesse is growne a Politician too Indeede perchance I said it may preuent Such courses as my calling ill befits I rather chuse that death should make extent Then I consume my fiâ—ry spirit of wits For he that stands may fall and he that sits May feele vnsetled ease then let me die So in my graue securely shall I lie Thus in I went into their holy Cell Where new obiections wandred in my mind Why could I not be once content to dwell In like meane sort and to like orders bind My life why was I not so well inclin'd A quiet roofe seem'd then too meane for me I sold my selfe to purchase high degree Monkes let your charitable tapers burne That I may see my selfe with outward light Fie outward lampes will neuer serue my turne And of my selfe within I haue no sight When it is day abroad in me t'is night Blacke smoake arises from my very name I want the oile that should maintaine the flame Then gentle Kingstone thinking to appease And mitigate the troubles of my mind Mistooke the nature of my great disease Doubt not said he the Prince is well inclin'd And his good will your Lordship soone shall find He wishes your long life Ah but said I The Prince of heau'n determines I shall die And had the dutie to my God bin such As it was faithful seruing to the King Then had my conscience free from feare or touch Mounted aloft on Cherubins swift wing In holy consort borne a Part to sing That now with heauy weight is ouerspread And with my body wishes to be dead But now my Soule how wandrest thou abroade Through Labyrinths inextricable wayes Oh finde some ready passage to thy God! And age forget the course of yonger dayes Forget the pomp and peoples flattering prayse And Death if thou regard a mans request Set free my spirite that faine would be at rest Why some are gone already looke about Did no man meete part of my soule before I had but three one and an halfe are out Nay had I more then one I had no more God saue the substance of that little store I hope one goes to heau'n why then t'is well Philosophie and both the rest to hell Ile vegetate no longer perish Sence Aspire sweete Reason and by faith ascend Flie to the perfect pure Intelligence Humble Repentance teach me how to bend My carefull passage to that ioyfull end What is't a clocke as soone as eight hath strooke My soule this earthly bodie hath forsooke My Lord said one the clocke shall neuer strike No but the howre will come and that's all one But Sir these prophecies proue seldome like Yes at the howre of death else few or none Where earthly clowdes are halfe remou'd and gone The soule at separation mends her view With purer insight she discernes what's true Is not that Wainflet that is come for me Great Founder of the sinfull womans towres With Wickams ghost fathers of like degree Come they of late from Gods celestiall bowres Ile go with them O if the precious showres Of that vnspotted Lambe with droppes of bloud Haue washt you cleane let me enioy like good When shall my toombe at Windsor be prepar'd That wants a tenant now expecting me It is a monument of good regard Befitting well a man of best degree O that I now lay buried vnder thee And by my side closde vp in dustie vales All voices Ecchoes talkes reports and tales I want my Balme to be perfum'd withall My coffin is too close a lodge for me Fie fie addresse me to my funerall My mother Earth mine onely wife shall be And yet no incest sithence onely she Beares al her sonnes and daughters in one wombe She Europes Amerikes Affrickes Asiaes toombe Those worldlings that wont Nature to accuse For giuing Rauens longer liues then men Let them the ioy of their opinion vse And rauing liue content in earthly denne Let age lend them the spectacles to kenne This body is a gaole our soule enlarg'd And when we die our debtes are al discharg'd So if I rest indebted to my Lord Then let him take my body soule and all Faine would I see him of mine owne accord Or heare that warrant that should quickly call Me to appeare at sizes generall Meane while within this Porters lodge to stay But till I shall desire to breake away Twixt this and then I wil deuise a word That ten times ten sound worse than Guilty may My Conscience shall witnesses afford As many as are minutes in a day I charge it not dissemble any way If for my traill they demaund my will My Country hath and doth condemne me still Whither to Lions denne Daniel came thence I am not worthy to succeede his place O'r to the Wolues there lies my best defence For I was rauenous in the time of Grace To spoyle the forrest and the plants deface The chosen sheepe will to the Shepheard say I was the sheepe that euer went astray Yet I that durst offend dare hope for grace Beyond all reason contrary to sense Saluation heauy sinners may embrace If God remit the guilt of deep offence Let all the world hang in their owne suspence The world is but a poynt whereon men dwell And I am at a poynt what they can tell If any billes of new inditement come At the Kings bench in heau'n I must appeere Long since arrested now expect my doome Sue where you list but I must answere there Die and accuse me in that hemisphere No'r flesh nor bloud my Declaration telles Mine owne accuser in my bosome dwelles In whose great Temple richly beautified Pau'd al with Starres disperst on Saphyre flowre The Clarke is a pure Angel sanctified The Iudge our true Messias full of powre Th' Apostles his Assistants euery houre The Iury Saints the Uerdict Innocent The sentence Come ye blessed to my tent The speare that pearc'd his side the writing Pen Christs bloud the Incke red incke for princes name The vailes great breach the miracle for men The sight is shew of them that long dead came From their old graues restor'd to liuing frame And that last signet passing all the rest Our soules discharg'd by Consummatum est Here endlesse ioy is their perpetuall cheare Their exercise sweete songs of many parts Angells the quire whose Symphonie to heare Is able to prouoke conceiuing harts To misconceiue of al inticing Arts The Dittie prayse the subiect is the Lord That tunes their gladsome spirit to this accord Stay then till some good Meteor appeare Or let the Sunne exhale me vapor-wise Stirre Charles-wayne and see the coast be cleare Let no congealed clowdes or mistes arise Along the moouing circle of the skies Or rather shut vp all in darksome night That none may see my silent secret flight FINIS REader the Decôrum is kept euen in these Errata there is no reason that a Booke should be without faultes when the person of whom the booke intreateth had so many in his life But the Author could haue wisht that Wolsey had corrected his errors while he liued on that condition that himselfe had committed none in the description of his life If the reader find any more then are here set downe let him remember that it is a matter ineuitable vnlesse Nature had either placed our eyes behind vs or the wallet of faults before vs. A 4 side 2 line 14 dele now C 2 line 6 for When reade Where Ibid line 7 for Where reade Nor. E 3 side 1 line 6 The man that Ibid. line 9 for rupulse reade repulse F the last page line 21 reade immortall dayes K 2 side 2 line 6 triall I. S. * Petrarcke He meaneth Symoniacke and vnlearned ministers