thereof left it Shée came in with the fall of the leafe and went away in the Spring her life which was dedicated to Virginitie both beginning closing vp a miraculous Mayden circle for she was borne vpon a Lady Eue and died vpon a Lady Eue her Natiuitie death being memorable by this wonder the first and last yeares of her Raigne by this that a Lee was Lorde Maior when she came to the Crowne and a Lee Lorde Maior when she departed from it Thrée places are made famous by her for thrée things Greenwich for her birth Richmount for her death White-Hall for her Funerall vpon her remouing from whence to lend our tiring prose a breathing time stay and looke vpon these Epigrams being composed 1. Vpon the Queenes last Remoue being dead THe Queene 's remou'de in solemne sort Yet this was strange and seldome seene The Queene vsde to remoue the Court But now the Court remou'de the Queene 2. Vpon her bringing by water to White Hall THe Queene was brought by water to White Hall At euery stroake the owers teares let fall More clung about the Barge Fish vnder water Wept out their eyes of pearle and swom blind after I thinke the Barge-men might with easier thyes Haue rowde her thither in her peoples eyes For howsoe're thus much my thoughts haue skand S'had come by water had she come by land 3. Vpon her lying dead at White Hall THe Queene lies now at White Hall dead And now at White Hall liuing To make this rough obiection euen Dead at White Hall in Westminster But liuing at White-Hall in Heauen Thus you sée that both in her life and her death she was appointed to be the mirror of her time And surely if since the first stone that was layd for the foundation of this great house of the world there was euer a yeare ordeined to be wondred at it is only this 1603. A more wonderfull yeere than 88. the Sibils Octogesimus Octauus Annus that same terrible 88. which came sayling hither in the Spanish Armada and made mens hearts colder then the frozen Zone when they heard but an inckling of it that 88. by whose horrible predictions Almanack-makers stoode in bodily feare their trade would be vtterly ouerthrowne and poore Erra Pater was threatned because he was a Iew to be put to baser offices than the stopping of mustard-pots that same 88. which had more prophecies waiting at his héeles than euer Merlin the Magitian had in his head was a yeare of Iubile to this Platoes Mirabilis Annus whither it be past alreadie or to come within these foure yeares may throwe Platoes cap at Mirabilis for that title of wonderfull is bestowed vpon 1603. If that sacred Aromatically-perfumed fire of wit out of whose flames Phoenix poesie doth arise were burning in any brest I would féede it with no other stuffe for a tweluemoneth and a day than with kindling papers full of lines that should tell only of the chances changes and strange shapes that this Protean Climactericall yeare hath metamorphosed himselfe into It is able to finde ten Chroniclers a competent liuing and to set twentie Printers at worke You shall perceiue I lye not if with Peter Bales you will take the paines to drawe the whole volume of it into the compasse of a pennie As first to begin with the Quéenes death then the Kingdomes falling into an Ague vpon that Next followes the curing of that feauer by the wholesome receipt of a proclaymed King That wonder begat more for in an houre two mightie Nations were made one wilde Ireland became tame on the sudden and some English great ones that before séemed tame on the sudden turned wilde The same Parke which great Iulius Caesar inclosd to hold in that Déere whom they before hunted being now circled by a second Caesar with stronger pales to kéepe them from leaping ouer And last of all if that wonder be the last and shut vp the yeare a most dreadfull plague This is the Abstract and yet like Stowes Chronicle in Decimo sexto to huge Hollinshead these small pricks in this Sea-card of ours represent mightie Countreys whilst I haue the quill in my hand let me blow them bigger The Quéene being honored with a Diademe of Starres France Spaine and Belgia lift vp their heads preparing to do asmuch for England by giuing ayme whilst she shot arrowes at her owne brest as they imagined as she had done many a yeare together for them and her owne Nation betted on their sides looking with distracted countenance for no better guests than Ciuill Sedition Vprores Rapes Murders and Massacres But the whéele of Fate turned a better Lottery was drawne Pro Troia stabat Apollo God stuck valiantlie to vs For behold vp rises a comfortable Sun out of the North whose glorious beames like a fan dispersed all thick and contagious clowdes The losse of a Quéene was paid with the double interest of a King and Quéene The Cedar of her gouerment which stoode alone and bare no fruit is changed now to an Oliue vpon whose spreading branches grow both Kings and Quéenes Oh it were able to fill a hundred paire of writing tables with notes but to sée the parts plaid in the compasse of one houre on the stage of this new-found world Vpon Thurseday it was treason to cry God saue king Iames king of England King Iames proclaymed and vpon Friday hye treason not to cry so In the morning no voice heard but murmures and lamentation at noone nothing but shoutes of gladnes triumph S. George and S. Andrew that many hundred yeares had defied one another were now sworne brothers England and Scotland being parted only with a narrow Riuer and the people of both Empires speaking a language lesse differing than english within it selfe as tho prouidence had enacted that one day those two Nations should marry one another are now made sure together and king Iames his Coronation is the solemne wedding day Happiest of all thy Ancestors thou mirror of all Princes that euer were or are that at seauen of the clock wert a king but ouer a péece of a little Iland and before eleuen the greatest Monarch in Christendome Now Siluer Crowds Of blisfull Angels and tryed Martirs tread On the Star-seeling ouer Englands head Now heauen broke into a wonder and brought forth Our omne bonum from the holesome North Our fruitfull souereigne Iames at whose dread name Rebellion swounded and ere since became Groueling and nerue-lesse wanting bloud to nourish For Ruine gnawes her selfe when kingdomes flourish Now are our hopes planted in regall springs Neuer to wither for our aire breedes kings And in all ages from this soueraigne time England shall still be cald the royall clime Most blisfull Monarch of all earthen powers Seru'd with a messe of kingdomes foure such bowers For prosprous hiues and rare industrious swarmes The world conteines not in her solid armes O thou that art the Meeter of our dayes
true pictures Eccho forth your grones through the hollow truncke of my pen and raine downe your gummy teares into mine Incke that euen marble bosomes may be shaken with terrour and hearts of Adamant melt into compassion What an vnmatchable torment were it for a man to be bard vp euery night in a vast silent Charnell-house hung to make it more hideous with lamps dimly slowly burning in hollow and glimmering corners where all the pauement should in stead of gréene rushes be strewde with blasted Rosemary withered Hyacinthes fatall Cipresse and Ewe thickly mingled with heapes of dead mens bones the bare ribbes of a father that begat him lying there here the Chaples hollow scull of a mother that bore him round about him a thousand Coarses some standing bolt vpright in their knotted winding shéetes others halfe mouldred in rotten Goffins that should suddenly yawne wide open filling his nosthrils with noysome stench and his eyes with the sight of nothing but crawling wormes And to kéepe such a poore wretch waking he should hear no noise but of Toads croaking Scréech-Owles howling Mandrakes shriking were not this an infernall prison would not the strongest-harted man beset with such a ghastly horror looke wilde and runne madde and die And euen such a formidable shape did the diseased Citie appeare in For he that durst in the dead houre of gloomy midnight haue bene so valiant as to haue walkte through the stil and melancholy stréets what thinke you should haue bene his musicke Surely the loude grones of rauing sicke men the strugling panges of soules departing In euery house griefe striking vp an Allarum Seruants crying out for maisters wiues for husbands parents for children children for their mothers here he should haue met some frantickly running to knock vp Sextons there others fearfully sweating with Coffins to steale forth dead bodies least the fatall hand-writing of death should seale vp their doores And to make this dismall consort more full round about him Bells heauily tolling in one place and ringing out in another The dreadfulnesse of such an houre is in-vtterable let vs goe further If some poore man suddeinly starting out of a sweet and golden slumber should behold his house flaming about his eares all his family destroied in their sléepes by the mercilesse fire himselfe in the verie midst of it wofully and like a madde man calling for helpe would not the misery of such a distressed soule appeare the greater if the rich Vsurer dwelling next doore to him should not stirre though he felt part of the danger but suffer him to perish when the thrusting out of an arme might haue saued him O how many thousandes of wretched people haue acted this poore mans part how often hath the amazed husband waking found the comfort of his bedde lying breathlesse by his side his children at the same instant gasping for life and his seruaunts mortally wounded at the hart by sicknes the distracted creature beats at deaths doores exclaimes at windows his cries are sharp inough to pierce heauen but on earth no eare is opend to receiue them And in this maner do the tedious minutes of the night stretch out the sorrowes of ten thousand It is now day let vs looke forth and try what Consolation rizes with the Sun not any not any for before the Iewell of the morning be fully set in siluer a hundred hungry graues stand gaping and euery one of them as at a breakfast hath swallowed downe ten or eleuen liueles carcases before dinner in the same gulfe are twice so many more deuoured and before the sun takes his rest those numbers are doubled Thréescore that not many houres before had euery one seuerall lodgings very delicately furnisht are now thrust altogether into one close roome a litle litle noisom roome not fully ten foote square Doth not this strike coldly to the hart of a worldly mizer To some the very sound of deaths name is in stead of a passing bell what shall become of such a coward being told that the selfe-same bodie of his which now is so pampered with superfluous fare so perfumed and bathed in odoriferous waters and so gaily apparelled in varietie of fashiōs must one day be throwne like stinking carion into a rank rotten graue where his goodly eies that did once shoote foorth such amorous glances must be eaten out of his head his lockes that hang wantonly dangling troden in durt vnder foote this doubtlesse like thunder must néeds strike him into the earth But wretched man when thou shalt sée and be assured by tokens sent thée from heauen that to morrow thou must be fumbled into a Mucke-pit and suffer thy body to be bruisde and prest with threescore dead men lying slouenly vpon thée and thou to be vndermost of all yea and perhaps halfe of that number were thine enemies and sée howe they may be reuenged for the wormes that bréed out of their putrifying carcasses shall crawle in huge swarmes from them and quite deuoure thée what agonies wil this straunge newes driue thée into If thou art in loue with thy selfe this cannot choose but possesse thée with frenzie But thou art gotten safe out of the ciuill citie Calamitie to thy Parkes and Pallaces in the Country lading thy Asses and thy Mules with thy gold thy god thy plate and thy Iewels and the fruites of thy wombe thriftily growing vp but in one onely sonne the young Landlord of all thy carefull labours him also hast thou rescued from the arrowes of infection Now is thy soule iocund and thy sences merry But open thine eyes thou Foole and behold that darling of thine eye thy sonne turnde suddeinly into a lumpe of clay the hand of pestilence hath smote him euen vnder thy wing Now doest thou rent thine haire blaspheme thy Creator cursest thy creation and basely descendest into bruitish vnmanly passions threatning in despite of death his Plague to maintaine the memory of thy childe in the euerlasting brest of Marble a tombe must now defend him from tempests And for that purpose the swetty hinde that digs the rent he paies thée out of the entrailes of the earth he is sent for to conuey foorth that burden of thy sorrow But note how thy pride is disdained that weather-beaten sun-burnt drudge that not a month since fawnde vpon thy worship like a Spaniell and like a bond-slaue would haue stoopt lower than thy féete does now stoppe his nose at thy presence and is readie to set his Mastiue as hye as thy throate to driue thée from his doore all thy golde and siluer cannot hire one of those whom before thou didst scorne to carry the dead body to his last home the Countrey round about thée shun thée as a Basiliske and therfore to London from whose armes thou cowardly fledst away poast vpon poast must be galloping to fetch from thence those that may performe that Funerall office But there are they so full of graue-matters of their owne that they haue no
Alack that the West Indies stand so farre from Vniuersities and that a minde richly apparelled should haue a thred-bare body made faithfull promise to him that he should be naild vp he would boord him and for that purpose went instantlie to one of the new-found trade of Coffin-cutters bespake one and like the Surueyor of deaths buildings gaue direction how this little Tenement should be framed paying all the rent for it before hand But note vpon what slippery ground life goes little did he thinke to dwell in that roome himselfe which he had taken for his friend yet it séemed the common lawe of mortalitie had so decréede for he was cald into the colde companie of his graue neighbors an houre before his infected friend and had a long lease euen till doomes day in the same lodging which in the strength of health he went to prepare for the other What credit therefore is to be giuen to breath which like a harlot will runne away with euery minute How nimble is Sicknes and what skill hath he in all the weapons he playes withall The greatest cutter that takes vp the Mediterranean I le in Powles for his Gallery to walke in cannot ward off his blowes Hée s the best Fencer in the world Vincentio Sauiolo is no body to him He has his Mandrittaes Imbrocataes Stramazones and Stoccataes at 's fingers ends hée le make you giue him ground tho you were neuer worth foote of land and beat you out of breath though Aeolus himselfe plaid vpō your wind-pipe To witnes which I will call forth a Dutchman yet now hée s past calling for h 'as lost his hearing for his eares by this time are eaten off with wormes who though hée dwelt in Bedlem was not mad yet the very lookes of the Plague which indéede are terrible put him almost out of his wits for when the snares of this cunning hunter the Pestilence were but newly layd and yet layd as my Dutchman smelt it out well enough to intrap poore mens liues that meant him no hurt away sneakes my clipper of the kings english and because Musket-shot should not reach him to the Low-countries that are built vpon butter-firkins and holland chéese sayles this plaguie fugitiue but death who hath more authoritie there than all the seauen Electors and to shew him that there were other Low-countries besides his owne takes a little Frokin one of my Dutch runnawayes children and sends her packing into those Netherlands she departed O how pitifullie lookt my Burgomaister when he vnderstood that the sicknes could swim It was an easie matter to scape the Dunkirks but Deaths Gallyes made out after him swifter than the great Turks Which he perceiuing made no more adoo but drunke to the States fiue or sixe healths because he would be sure to liue well and back againe comes he to try the strength of English Béere his old Randeuous of mad-men was the place of méeting where he was no sooner arriued but the Plague had him by the back and arrested him vpon an Exeat Regnum for running to the enemie so that for the mad tricks he plaid to cosen our english wormes of his Dutch carcas which had bin fatted héere sicknes and death clapt him vp in Bedlem the second time and there he lyes and there he shall lye till he rot before I le meble any more with him But being gotten out of Bedlem let vs make a iourney to Bristow taking an honest knowne Citizen along with vs who with other companie trauailing thither only for feare the aire of London should conspire to poison him and setting vp his rest not to heare the sound of Bow-bell till next Christmas was notwithstanding in the hye way singled out from his companie and set vpon by the Plague who bid him stand and deliuer his life The rest at that word shifted for themselues and went on he amazed to sée his friends flye and being not able to defend himselfe for who can defend himselfe méeting such an enemy yeelded and being but about fortie miles from London vsed all the slights he could to get loose out of the hands of death and so to hide himselfe in his owne house whereupon he cald for help at the same Inne where not long before he and his fellow-pilgrimes obteined for their money mary yet with more prayers then a begger makes in thrée Tearmes to stand and drinke some thirtie foote from the doore To this house of tipling Iniquitie he repaires againe coniuring the Lares or walking Sprites in it if they were Christians that if was well put in and in the name of God to succor and rescue him to their power out of the hands of infection which now assaulted his body the Diuell would haue bin afraid of this coniuration but they were not yet afraid they were it séemde for presentlie the doores had their wodden ribs crusht in pieces by being beaten together the casements were shut more close then an Vsurers greasie veluet pouch the drawing windowes were hangd drawne and quartered not a creuis but was stopt not a mouse-hole left open for all the holes in the house were most wickedlie dambd vp mine Host and Hostesse ran ouer one another into the back-side the maydes into the Orchard quiuering and quaking and readie to hang themselues on the innocent Plomtrées for hanging to them would not be so sore a death as the Plague to dye maydes too Oh horible As for the Tapster he fled into the Celler rapping out fiue or sixe plaine Countrey oathes that he would drowne himselfe in a most villanous Stand of Ale if the sick Londoner stoode at the dore any longer But stand there he must for to goe away well he cannot but continues knocking and calling in a faint voice which in their eares sounded as if some staring ghost in a Tragedy had exclaimd vpon Rhadamanth he might knock till his hands akt and call till his heart akt for they were in a worse pickle within than he was without he being in a good way to go to heauen they being so frighted that they scarce knew whereabout heauen stoode onely they all cryed out Lord haue mercy vpon vs yet Lord haue mercy vpon vs was the onely thing they feared The dolefull Catastrophe of all is a bed could not be had for all Babylon not a cup of drinke no nor cold water be gotten though it had bin for Alexander the great if a draught of Aqua vitae might haue sau'd his soule the towne denyed to do God that good seruice What miserie continues euer The poore man standing thus at deaths dore and looking euery minute when he should be let in behold another Londoner that had likewise bin in the Frigida Zona of the countrey and was returning like Aeneas out of hell to the heauen of his owne home makes a stand at this sight to play the Phisition and seeing by the complexion of his patient that he was sick at heart applies to
his soule the best medicines that his comforting spéech could make for there dwelt no Poticary néere enough to help his body Being therefore driuen out of all other shifts he leades him into a field a bundle of Straw which with much adoe he bought for money seruing in stead of a pillow But the destinies hearing the diseased partie complaine and take on because he lay vpon a field-bed when before he would haue bin glad of a mattris for very spite cut the thread of his life the crueltie of which déede made the other that playd Charities part at his wits end because he knewe not where to purchace tenne foote of ground for his graue the Church nor Church-yard would let none of their lands Maister Vicar was struck dumb and could not giue the dead a good word neither Clarke nor Sexton could be hirde to execute their office no they themselues would first be executed so that hée that neuer handled Shouell before got his implements about him ripd vp the belly of the earth and made it like a graue stript the cold carcas bound his shirt about his féete puld a linnen night-cap ouer his eyes and so layd him in the rotten bed of the earth couering him with clothes cut out of the same piece and learning by his last words his name and habitation this sad trauailer arriues at London deliuering to the amazed widow and children in stead of a father and a husband only the out-side of him his apparell But by the way note one thing the bringer of these heauie tidings as if he had liu'd long enough when so excellent a worke of pietie and pittie was by him finished the very next day after his comming home departed out of this world to receiue his reward in the Spirituall court of heauen It is plaine therefore by the euidence of these two witnesses that death like a thiefe sets vpon men in the hye way dogs them into their owne houses breakes into their bed-chambers by night assaults them by day and yet no law can take hold of him he deuoures man and wife offers violence to their faire daughters kils their youthfull sonnes and deceiues them of their seruants yea so full of treacherie is he growne since this Plague tooke his part that no Louers dare trust him nor by their good wils would come néere him for he works their downefall euen when their delights are at the highest Too ripe a proofe haue wée of this in a paire of Louers the mayd was in the pride of fresh bloud and bewty she was that which to be now is a wonder yong and yet chast the gifts of her mind were great yet those which fortune bestowed vpon her as being well descended were not much inferior On this louely creature did a yong man so stedfastly fixe his eye that her lookes kindled in his bosome a desire whose flames burnt the more brightlie because they were fed with swéet and modest thoughts Hymen was the God to whom he prayed day and night that he might mary her his prayers were receiud at length after many tēpests of her denial the frownes of kinsfolke the element grew cléere he saw the happy landing-place where he had long sought to ariue the prize of her youth was made his owne the solemne day appointed when it should be deliuered to him Glad of which blessednes for to a louer it is a blessednes he wrought by all the possible arte he could vse to shorten the expected houre and bring it néerer for whether he feared the interception of parents or that his owne soule with excesse of ioy was drownd in strange passions he would often with sighes mingled with kisses and kisses halfe sinking in teares propheticallie tell her that sure he should neuer liue to inioy her To discredit which opinion of his behold the Sunne has made hast and wakened the bridall morning Now does he call his heart traytor that did so falsely conspire against him liuely bloud leapes into his chéekes hée s got vp and gaily attirde to play the Bridegroome She likewise does as cunninglie turne her selfe into a Bride kindred and friends are met together Sops and Muscadine run sweating vp and downe till they drop againe to comfort their hearts and because so many Coffins pestred London-Churches that there was no roome left for weddings Coaches are prouided and away rides all the trayne into the Countrey On a Monday morning are these lustie louers on their iourney and before noone are they alighted entring in stead of an Inne for more State into a Church where they no sooner appeared but the Priest fell to his busines the holie knot was a tying but hée that should fasten it comming to this In sicknes and in health there he stopt for suddenly the bride tooke hold of in sicknes for in health all that stoode by were in feare she should neuer be kept The mayden-blush into which her chéekes were lately dyed now began to loose colour her voyce like a coward would haue shrunke away but that her Louer reaching her a hand which he brought thither to giue her for he was not yet made a full Husband did with that touch somewhat reuiue her on went they againe so farre till they met with For better for worse there was she worse then before and had not the holy Officer made haste the ground on which she stoode to be maryed might easily haue bin broken vp for her buriall All Ceremonies being finished she was lead betwéene two not like a Bride but like a Coarse to her bed That must now be the table on which the wedding dinner is to be serued vp being at this time nothing but teares and sighes and lamentation and Death is chiefe waiter yet at length her weake heart wrastling with the pangs gaue them a fall so that vp she stoode againe and in the fatall funerall Coach that caryed her forth was she brought back as vpon a Béere to the Citie but sée the malice of her enemy that had her in chace vpon the Wedsday following being ouertaken was her life ouercome Death rudely lay with her spoild her of a maydenhead in spite of her husband Oh the sorrow that did round beset him now was his diuination true she was a wife yet continued a mayd he was a husband and a widower yet neuer knew his wife she was his owne yet he had her not she had him yet neuer enioyed him héere is a strange alteration for the Rosemary that was washt in swéete water to set out the Bridall is now wet in teares to furnish her buriall the Musick that was heard to sound forth dances cannot now be heard for the ringing of bels all the comfort that happened to either side being this that he lost her before she had time to be an ill wife and she lett him ere he was able to be a bad husband Better fortune had this Bride to fall into the handes of the