man'd your Cities and instead of stones Helpt you to build your Bulwarks with our bones Nor had your Castles now vnbattered stood Had not your slime ben tempered with our blood All this we did and more are still content With men munition mony to preuent Your future ruine Hence with warie speede Our state sent ouer to your latest neede Ten Noble heads and twice ten thousand hands All prest to execute their wise commands Mongst them our good Southampton and his ioy Deare Iames in hart a man in age a boy But oh your fatall fields vnhappie soile Accurst Acheldama foule den of spoile Deaths Hospitall like Hell the place of woe Admit all commers but nere let them goe Churl 's to your aide we sent strong liuing forces And you in lieu returne vs liuelesse corses Ah Noble Lords went you so farre to haue Your Death and yet come home to seeke a graue VII To the young Lord. BRight starre of Honour what celestiall fires 〈…〉 thy youthfull bloud that thy desires Mount vp so fast to Glories highest Spheres So farre beyond thine equalls and thy yeares Whil'st others Noblie borne ignoblie staine Their bloud and youth with manners base and vaine Thou to thy Fathers holie lessons lending Thine eare and to his liue's faire patterne bending Thy steps did'st daily learne for sport or need Nimblie to mount and man thy barbed steed Fairelie thy serious thoughts to write or speake Stoutlie vpon thy foe thy lance to breake It did not with thine actiue spirit suite To wast thy time in fingring of a Lute Or sing mong'st Cupids spirits a puling Dittie To moue some femall Saint to loue or pittie T' was Musick to thine eare in ranged batle To heare sad Drums to grone harsh Trumpets ritle Or see when clouds of bloud do rent in sunder The pouders lightning and the Canons thunder And when thou might'st at home haue liued free From cares and feares in soft securitie Thou scorning such dishonorable ease To all the hazards both of land and sea 's Against Religions and thy Countries foes Franklie thy selfe and safetie did'd expose O Sacred virtue thy mild modest glances Rais'd in his tender heart these amorous trances For thy deare loue so dearely did he weane His youth from pleasures and from lusts vncleane And so in thy straight narrow paths still treading He found the way to endlesse glorie leading VIII But soft sad Muse t is now no fitting taske The prayses of his well spent Youth t' vnmaske To sing his pious cares his studious night's His thriftie daies his innocent delights Or tell what store of vsefull obseruations He gain'd at home and mong'st the neighbring Nations Leaue we this virgin theame vntouch't vntainted Till some more happie hand so liuely paint it That all Posteritie may see and read His liuing virtues when hee 's cold and dead IX SWeet Youth what made thee hide thine amorous face And cheekes scarce downie in a steelie case And like yong Cupid vnder Mars his sheild Mongst men of armes to braue it in the field Thought'st thou o fondling cruell death would pitty The faire the yong the noble wise and witty More then the foule and foolish base and old Oh no the tirant bloudy blind and bold All the wide world in single combate dareth And no condition sex or age he spareth X. YEt some supposed since in open fight Thou had'st so often scap't his murdering might That sure he fear'd to throw his fatall dart Against thine innocent faith-armed heart Yet sooth to say t was thy sweet louely youth That so often mou'd flint-harted Death to ruth Though now intangled in thy locks of amber The inamour'd monster dogs thee to thy chamber And there alas to end the mortall strife He rauish thee of beautie and of life XI To Nature NAture although we learne in Graces schoole That children must not call their mother foole Yet when we see thee lauishly to burne Two or three lights when one would serue the turne When we perceiue thee through affection blind Cocker the wicked to the good vnkind Ready the stinking rankest Weeds to cherish When Lillies Violets and sweet Roses perish Wee cannot chuse but tell thee 't is our thought That age or weaknesse Nature makes thee dote XII Natures reply to the Censure VAine men how dare yee in your thoughts vnholy Mee nay your Maker to accuse of folly And all impatient with your plaints importune Heav'n Earth and Hell Death Destiny and Fortune When 't is not these poore Instruments that cause Your Crosses but the neuer changing Lawes Of your Almightie mercifull Creator Who sitting supreme Iudge and Moderator Of mens affaires doth gouerne and dispence All by his All-disposing Prouidence And equally his glorious ends aduances By good or bad happy or haplesse chances XIII To the Right Honourable Elizabeth Countesse of Southampton GReat and good Lady though wee know full well What tides of griefe in your sad brest doe swell Nor can in this our simple mourning Verse The thousand'th part of your deepe cares reherse Yet as the lesser rivulets and fountaines Run hastning from the Fields the Meads Mountaines Their siluer streames into the Sea to poure So flow our tributary teares to your That from the boundlesse Ocean of your sorrow Our eyes new springs our harts new griefs may borrow XIIII Eidem COuld we as easily comfort as complaine Then haply this our charitable paine Might merit from your grieued heart some thanks But oh our griefs so swell aboue the banks Of shallow custome and the feeble fences That are oppos'd by Reason Art or Senses That if Religion rul'd not our affections And pacifi'd our passions insurrections We should in mourning misse both meane and scope And sorrow Pagan-like sans Faith or Hope XV. Eidem MAdam though we but aggrauate your Crosses Thus sadly to repeat your former losses Whil'st you sit comfortlesse as all vndone Mourning to lack an Husband and a Sonne Yet may it giue your grieued heart some ease To saile with company in sorrow's Sea 's To thinke in them you are not tost alone But haue the Kingdome partner in your mone To thinke that those for whom you weep are blest Lodg'd in the heauenly harbour where they rest Secure nere more to grieue to want to feare To sin to Die or to let fall a teare So though heauens high Decree haue late bereft you Of two at once yet hath his bountie left you Many faire daughters and a sonne t' inherit Your Loue our Honour and his Fathers Spirit W. P. The least part of the shadow of Southamptons worth GReat Lord thy losse though I surcease to mourne Sith Heauen hath found Thee yet I 'le take my turne to wait vpon thy Obsequies a while And traile my Pen with others of my File And tell thy worth th' effects where of wee felt That in the lists of thy command haue dwelt Religions Champion Guardian of that Isle Which is the Goshen of Great
persecute you also saith Christ Ioh. 5. 20. And yet againe Luke 9. 23. Whosoeuer will come after mee must take vp his crosse dayly Now no man can bee said to take vp his crosse but he that is patient in tribulation The crosse of it selfe is not the way to the Crowne but the patient bearing of the Crosse. Saint Paul sayes fitly If a man striue for masteries he is not crowned except he striue lawfully 2 Tim. 2. 5. Wherefore if we desire the ioyes of the Kingdome of Heauen let vs be content to walke patiently without murmuring and fretting through the stony lane of tribulation The Israelites liked the Land of Canaan very well but when they felt hardship in the Wildernesse they murmured and the Prophet sayes They prouoked the Lord and he slew them by thousands If we commit the like sinne how shall wee escape the like iudgement when Dauid sent Embassadours to the King of Ammon to comfort him after his Fathers death he euill intreated them and Dauid was exceeding angry Behold afflictions are the Lords Embassadours which hee sends vnto vs for many good ends wherefore if wee grudge and repine if we mourne without measure and fret and chafe at them surely wee shall greatly prouoke the Lords indignation against vs. Let vs therefore hearing these things be perswaded to be patient in all manner of tribulation the rather because God hath promised to bee with vs in all trouble and to help vs to beare it and in very good time to deliuer vs out of all our tribulation This is the fourth Meditation The first clause whereof viz. That God will bee with vs and helpe vs in trouble may be proued First By the promises out of Gods Word Secondly By examples instances and experience The Scripture is full of promises of Gods comfortable presence I will cite onely that of Esa. 43. 1. Thus saith the Lord feare not for I haue redeemed thee and when thou passest through the waters I will bee with thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt For I am the Lord thy God the Holy One of Israel thy Sauiour Feare not for I am with thee Here by fire and water we may vnderstand all manner of tribulation into which Gods children fall In all which the Lord promises to be with them and how can they miscarry with whom the Almightie is But perhaps some wil say This is indeed a large gracious promise but it was made only to the people of Israel Answ. Paul speaking to the Romans which were Gentiles as well as wee saith Rom. 15. 4. Whatsoeuer things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scripture might haue hope More plainely Heb. 13. 5. the Spirit teacheth euery one to apply vnto himselfe that promise which was made onely to Ioshua I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee wherby it is sure that what promise soeuer thou findest in all the Scripture made to a beleeuer thou if thou beleeuest hast as good interest in it as he to whom it was made Wherefore when thou fallest into any tribulation comfort thy selfe with the promise of Gods presence because he saith I will not leaue thee Neither hath God onely promised his presence but also afforded it vnto his children Esay 63. 9. It is said of Gods people In all their affliction he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saued them In his loue and in his pittie hee redeemed them and hee bare them and carried them all the dayes of old More particularly how often doth Dauid say That God was with him in the needfull time of trouble and that he was his rock his fortresse his refuge his strong helpe that hee deliuered him out of all his troubles and Psa. 23. 4. he makes this comfortable profession Though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me Not to multiply examples how confidently doth Saint Paul say in the name of all beleeuers 2 Cor. 1. 3 4. Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth vs in all our tribulation Againe verse 5. As the sufferings of Christ abound in vs so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. Russinus lib. 1. cap. 36. brings an excellent example of God presence in affliction One Theodorus was for the profession of the Christian Faith wracked and tortured about two or three houres most cruelly yet neuerthelesse that godly man was all the while ioyful and cheerefully sang Psalmes vnto God After hee was let loose some of his friends asked him whether he felt no paine vpon the racke Hee said some small paine he felt but there was with him a faire young man as hee seemed who still wiped the sweat from his face and refreshing him as it were with coole water caused that hee felt lesse paine then when he was let downe All that are in tribulation now adayes doe not behold the presence of the Lord as Theodorus did but all that beleeue are partakers of the Lords spirituall presence whereby he inables them to doe or suffer any thing according to that Phil. 4. 13. I am able to doe all things thorough Christ Iesus that strengtheneth mee Vpon which word Bernard wel notes that man by Nature impotent by Grace is made omnipotent verily hee that beleeues is made able to doe or suffer any thing For all things are possible to him that beleeueth Mar. 9. 23. And no maruell for Faith drawes whom the Lord of Life and Glory and makes him present in euery place in euery affliction and how can there want comfort in his presence where is fulnesse of ioy for euer It was the perswasion or spirituall sight of this presence of the Lord that helped the Saints in all their tribulation This made Moses not feare the Kings wrath Heb. 11. 27. Hee indured as seeing him who is inuisible This supported Dauid when hee was in his enemies Countrey and his owne men spake of stoning him 1 Sam. 30. 6. What was it but the presence of the Lord that strengthened both the three children before the fiery furnace and Daniel in the Lions den This made Peter sleep sweetly in prison the night before hee should bee slaine Acts 12. This made Stephen speake boldly to his fierce enemies Asts 7. This made Paul and Silas sing Psalmes in prison at midnight Acts 16. This made many beleeuers which were tried by mockings scourgings and wrackings despise the paine and the shame Heb. 11. In like manner if wee could perswade our selues that the Lord according to his gracious promise is with vs in all our tribulation it would make vs quiet and strongly comfort vs. O the ioy of the Lords presence is able to bring mighty things to passe what cannot he doe and turne to our good which called light out of darknes made all
to prize Southampton right vntill Southampton dy'es Yet had he dy'd alone some ease't had beene His reall liuing Image to haue seene In his ripe Sonne grow'n to the pitch of Man And who in his short course so swiftly ran That he outwent his Elders and ere long Was old in Vertue though in yeeres but young Put on his Gowne betime and in his Downe Put on his Armes to beautifie his Gowne But ô sad Fate Prepost'rous Death would haue Him too because so ready for the graue The Father was his ayme yet being loth To leaue the Sonne now seene he would haue both And like a Marshall or a Herald rather Surpriz'd the Sonne to vsher vp the Father O that I could suppose my selfe to bee True Poet rap't into an extasie And speaking out of a redundant braine Not what is simplie true but what I faine That I might thinke the storie I impart But some sad fiction of that coyning art How pleasing would th'adult'rate error bee How sweete th'imposture of my Poesie What euer true esteeme my life hath gain'd I would haue false that this were also fain'd But Greife will not so leaue the hould it had But still assures me 't is as true as sad You bonds of Honour by th'allmïghties hand Seal'd and deliuer'd to this noble Land To saue her harmelesse from her debt to fate How is 't that you so soone are out of date You promis'd more at your departure hence Than to returne with your deere liues expence Defac't and cancell'd You most glorious starres Great ornaments both of our Peace and Warres Than which there moues not in Great Britains spheare Sauing the Mouers selfe and his Great heire A brighter couple When you left our shore In such great lustre you assur'd vs more Than to returne extinct O vaine reliefe To fill that state wirh ioy your owne with griefe You were not with Dutch ioy receiued their As now with sorrow you are landed here O' if the period of your liues were come Why stay'd you not to yeeld them vp at home Where the good Lady Wife and Mother both For right-diuided loue and true-plight troth And all the graces that that sex hath won Worthy of such a Husband such a Sonne With deâ—re imbracings might haue clipt your death And from your lips haue suck't your yeelding breath And kneeling by your beds haue stretch't your thighes And with her tender fingers clos'd your eyes Where manie Oliue branches of ripe growth Might by their teares haue testifi'd how loath They were to part either from slip or stock And many Noble friends whose high minds mock The frowns of stars might with endeered spirits Haue render'd you the tribute of your merits Why rather went you to a strange dull clyme Rich only in such trophies of the time In such post hast there to resigne them where The foggie aire is clog'd with fumes of beere Amongst a people that profainely thinke They were borne but to liue and liue to drinke A stupid people whose indocil hearts Could neuer learne to value your great parts As much vnworthy of you as vnable To iudge of worth the very scum and rable Of baptiz'd reason O why went you hying To giue to them the honour of your dying Yet with this point of greife some comfort striu'es They onely knew your deaths but we your liues Or if you needes must to the state be sent Why did you not returne the same you went The whole went hence the better parts we lack And but the courser parts alone come back And scarcely parts since in a state farre worse We sent SOVTHAMPTON but receiue a corse Alas what haue Great HENRIES merited That they by death should thus be summoned HENRIE the great of France and HENRIE then Of WALES the greater Cynosure of men And now SOVTHAMPTONS HENRIE great in fame But greater farre in goodnes than in name Had he but left his like nor higher stil'd More blamelesse death had beene my selfe more mild But since their liues scarce one to make a doubt Traduce me Enuie I must needes flye out Imprudent state of ours that did not scan Rightly what'twas to hazard such a man To saue ten thousand Holands or of him For Europes selfe to venture but a lim The building is more subiect to decay When such a piller is remou'd away But ô I erre Deere Countrey I confesse Griefe and distraction make me thus transgresse All rules of Reason Your designes are good O pardon me And yet he might haue stood Pardon againe Alas I doe not know In this distraction how my verses flow But whilst I am my selfe if euer thought But tempt my heart or tongue but whisper ought 'Gainst your dread hests may my bold tongue with wondor Rot as it lyes and hart-strings crack asunder But thou accursed Netherland the stage And common theater of bloud and rage On thee I le vent my vncontrouled spleene And stabbe the to the heart with my sharpe teene Thou whose cold pastures cannot be made good But with continuall shour's of reeking blood Nor fields be brought to yeald increase agen But with the seeds of carcasses of men Whose state much worse than vs'rers onely thriues By th'large expence and forfeitures of liues Yet bankerupt-like who day lie for thy store Without regard of payment borrowst more Wherein in threescore years more men of worth Haue perish't than th' whole countrey hath brought forth Since the Creation and of lower sorte More haue beene forc't to trauile through the porte Of ghastlie death vnto the common wombe Than well that lirtle bottome can entombe How art thou worthy that to saue thy harmes Or worke them this new world should rise in armes And bandy factions That for thy deare sake Kingdomes should ioyne and Countries parties take Curst be thy Cheese and Butter All the good That â—'re the world receiv'd for so much blood May maggots breed in them vntill they flie Away in swaims May all thy Kine goe dry Or cast their Calues and when to Bull they gad May they grow wilde and all thy Bulls run mad Better that all thy Salt and senny marishes Had quite bin sunke as some whole-peopled parishes Already are whose towers peere o're the flood To tell the wandring Sea-man where they stood Than that these Worthies only should haue crost The straights of death by sayling to that coast Whose losse not all that State can recompence Nay should their worths be ballanc't not th' expence Of Spaines vast Throne losse of the Monarchs selfe And all his subiects and the glorious pelfe Of both the Indies whence his trifles come Nor of th'triformed Gerion of Rome With all his boystrous Red-caps and the store Of diuers-colour'd shauelings that adore That strange Chimera with the lauish rent That feed's them all were halfe sufficient You Leiden-Doctors how were you mistooke How did your iudgement step besides the booke Where was your Art that could not find the way To