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A04571
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A remembrance of the honors due to the life and death of Robert Earle of Salisbury, Lord Treasurer of England, &c.
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Johnson, Richard, 1573-1659?
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1612
(1612)
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STC 14691; ESTC S119333
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11,809
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32
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A Remembrance of the Honors due to the Life and Death of ROBERT Earle of Salisbury Lord Treasurer of England c. Imprinted at London for Iohn Wright and are to be sold at his shop neere Christ Church doore 1612. ⧠To the honoured belouers of the well deseruing worth of the late deceased Robert Earle of Salisbury Vicount Cranborne Baron of Essindon principall Secretary to his Maiestie Maister of the Court of wardes and Liueries Chancelor of the Vniuersity of Cambridge Knight of the noble order of the Garter and one of his Highnesse most honorable priuy Councell IN the height of admiration which my thoughts conceiued of the deserued worth of this late deceased nobleman I imagined many deseruedly boūd to offer to his name signes of loue and duty in a high measure which I now find contrary Schollers I see in these euill dayes giue no luster to Nobillity but neclegently suffer their renownes to consume with their bodies the pens of long lasting poesie writes not in times fore-head vertues records to posterity but carelesly giues way to enuy that canker-worme to greatnesse to eate out all remembrance of mortallitie some I know will controulingly censure and giue sentence of this my ouer-bold presumption a taske more befitting a most excellent Artist but the reason of this my bold aduenture is because I see the Muses lippes lockt vp and all loath to enter into the discription of his honorable liues pilgrimage be as it bee will I stand patiently armed against the biting scoffes of selfe-conceited wits with this reasonable excuse I confesse ignorance and with all giue them thus to vnderstand I neuer tasted one drop of Parnassus fountaine but yet care added to industrious trauells is able to performe matters of importance your high worth may Iudge of my meaning my loue to the deceased begot this boldnesse therefore for his sake whom you honored in life time daine to affoord one cheerefull countenance to my humble affection for I stand like poore blind Irus before the worlds lottery casting in my lots either of good or euill fortune where if I chance to light but vpon any reasonable prize of good liking I haue my desire but if all happen blankes I depart ouer-loaden with burthens of discontent to my rustick cell and their pining lye consum'd away in penance for this my presumption so in duty I kisse my hand and humbly take my leaue Richard Jhonson To the world IF in the depth of my intyre affection long borne to the honored house of the Cecils I take vpon me plainely to set downe according to my simple vnderstanding the honorable augmented dignities of the late deceased Earle of Salisbury and therin offend some peremtory censurers I lay the fault vpon my presuming loue and make it my priuiledge of excuse The temporizing world I know full of enuy ingratitude vnkindnesse hath nursed vp fame-killing falshood the greatest enemy to naked truth not valewing true worth clamerously to wrong this desertfull statist by detracting from his honor times applauding graces a cankering deisease after death subiect to greatnesse but let blacke mouthed enuy be of a more fauorable carriage for inocent truth before the worlds broad eye stands combatant and will asuredly defend his honorable deseruings from his greatest disparrages Fame I see stands ready prest to giue the world notice of his worlds late aduancements first he had a time a happy time I may say when desert in his prime of youth won him a multitude of honorable friends to continew to his age for beeing euen but in the bloome of a vertuous inclination he so tyed his Princes affection to his succeeding preferments that hee obtayned by instruction of his father the Lord William Burleigh the perfect rules of a well gouerned Statist Now heare to make a short florish how by degrees hee climbed to the top of all these his high dignified titles and places of honour he thus fortunatly proceeded first vnto the age of sixteene yeares he was onely tutord vnder his father and in his fathers house without any other education at which time of his age by his virtuous mothers will and free guift of thirty pounds yearely giuen to a colledge in Cambridge he was sent in person to carry it and be the presentor of the same him-selfe where at that young age he commenced according to the order of schooles and was made maister of Art after this in short time by the fauour of Queene Elizabeth hee was in the presence of the state royall created Knight at Theobalds and immediatly to his greater aduancements in the yeare of our Lord. 1588. hee was sent ouer into France to accompany our then English Ambassador Henry the great Earle of Darby a grace fitting so noble a spirit as he was like to be Englands buisinesse there ended hee returned and in short time after merited by his wel deseruing indeuours many court honours as vnder Secretary to Queene Elizabeth then principal Secretary of Estate then one of the Queenes Maiesties most honorable priuy Councell these dignified places in the eye of his honored father were put vnto his charge which hee so wisely caried that hee obtained euen the common grace of the multitude in which authorities he bore himselfe in the worlds equall balance till the death of his father and then it pleased his gratious Mistresse Queene Elizabeth to bestow vpon him the office of the Maister of Wards and liueries which hee inioyed with the rest till the death of his said Soueraigne but our now royall King comming to this his Imperiall kingdome and looking into the worth of this man weakned not any of these his aduancements but added more strength to the same by creating him first a Barron next a Vicecount then an Earle then Knight of the honorable order of the Garter one of the Councell of Estate and lastly Lord High treasurer of England the greatnesse of which places planted His renowne in the feelds of succeeding times I must not ouerpasse his Chancellorship of the Vniuersity of Cambridge that nurse of witdecking schollors whose learned pens might let the world know all his fame worthy actions but time I see proues vngratefull and would haue his memory buryed in forgetfulnesse Awake sluggish muses awake In his life might thousands of noble obiects befound wherein your noble spirits might towre high It is a task onely fitting rare pens and not for me the worst of many thousands to giue him that immortallity which the basenesse of this worthlesse time will hardly afford honour him kind schollers with some sonnets that liuing honored you and cause him to liue in dispight of repining fate This is the richest Epithite my loue can bestow vpon him he was borne honorable experience made him wise educatiō learned and these were his honors yet his cares were great to maintaine them He alwaies tooke nerest into his fauours such as were best aquainted with wisdoms secrets I am loath to be long in my
induction least you grow weary therefore I heare make my period Wishing you to be contented with my willingnesse to please Richard Ihonson The Commemoration and Rights due to the life and death of the Right Honourable Robert Earle of Salisbury late deceased Lord high Treasurer of England and one of his Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell THe originall of Nobility may well bee compared to a small spring of water whose good desert makes a gratefull King to inlarge to a great Riuer for the which hee is bound to pay duty to the said King his Ocean not vnfitly aplyed to the late deceased noble personage Robert Earle of Salisbury for that all his Springs and currants were so well ordered that they paid their full due to the royall Ocean of his two Soueraignes Quéene Elizabeth of famous memory and our now liedge Lord and monarch King Iames of great Brittain For euen both of them by a singular Judgment inspired from God aboue cast not onely an eye-sight but an in-sight into the behauiour and carriage of this man vpon whom God had bestowed in all his actions a deseruing wisdom in regard whereof they both gratiously bestowed vpon him many roomes of honor but especially our now suruiuing oueraigne who being a most prudent prince retayned an inward examination of the strength and habillitie of his Judgment concerning publick causes wherewith he was plentifully inriched and indued with the treasure of state-vnderstanding as for example he is a right Noble man that ascends to the titles of Nobilitie by vertuous actions merited which is the calling that dignifieth greatnesse It is not the rich reuenues faire possessions pleasant houses many Lordships and infinite riches that can make a noble man all are externall actions and subiect to the sodaine change of fortune but to be wise temperate and discréete in all the actions of his life and conuersation One vertuous exploit is not sufficient to make a mâ—n to be accompted euer after noble but a contâ—nuance in the same nor is euery one that liueth vertuously forth-with a Noble man or a Gentleman but he onely whose vertue is profitable to his King and countrey and thâ—se and such like men his Maiesty by a secret in-sight of knowledge estéemeth worthy to beare coates of armes and in his meere affections vouchsafeth to giue them the inioyâ—ng of diuerse honorable priuiledges for seruices done to his highnesse and the kingdome coates of armes thus gamed remaâ—ne vnto their off-spring to incite them neuer to be weary of well deseruing and doth not only teach to follow ancestors but also to guide successors for William Lord Burleigh Lord Treasurer to Quéene Elizabeth and Father to this Honorable Earle deceased was the first spring of this house graced on whose life spent in the benefit of his country may bee a subiect for all writers to excercise their pregnant wits on and imploy their learned hands The second assay of this houses honor was partly by imitation for vnder the wise and state-experienced tutelage of the famous Councellor William Lord Burleigh before named the late deceased Earle his sonne had his education and vnder his wing sucked the Milke of deepe vnderstanding by which helpe he so tempâ—red himselfe that all his actions seemed to tend to nought but honor vertuouâ—ly snatching at it euen in his infancie and as the vertuous children of Nobility are the hopefull plants of a common-weale so his youth by his Fathers carefull instructions tempered with wisdome promised succesfull honor for hauing attained scarce to the yeares of man and newly entred into the world but his quality drew him into the knowledge of the world his noble towardnesse begot him estimation and that estimation extended into the assured hope of succéeding greatnesse for by a secret instinct of nature helpt by continuall practise taken from the councell of his Father became so ready and apt in state imploiments that he séemed to be like fish in the sea in propper place by which meanes his wise-regarding Princesse Quéene Elizabeth in her time and in his Fathers dayes gaue him the first step to aduancement made him her principall Secretarie and a Counceller of estate a burthen of high charge but eased with the swéet imbracements of dignity Béeing setled in this his first honorable place his opinion began to haue some scope and liberty and by the generall consent of the wisest States-men obserued conuenient for this calling and office in the managing of publick businesses which was not dispatched without much care and contemplatiue study but héere marke the protection of heauen ouer this man whose forward spring had béene mixt with times biting malice had not an equality in carriage guided him for in his first grace he was not onely depriued of his fathers helpe by death which was the conducter of his nature and fortunes but also lost his deare and gratious Mistresse Quéene Elizabeth in whose life consisted all his honors and earths happinesse Those two great losses had béene sufficient euen to haue curbd the forwardnesse of all these his noble preferments by the deuouring téeth of enuy which vpon sundry suppositâ—ons was euen then whetted to make hauock of all his fortunes here was his wisdom tride vpon the tutch the world time grew vnconstant began to pick quarrels misdeemd honest actions and inuented false informations yet was his cares so watchfull that he saued himselfe from the subtilest snare of secret enuy At this time the good Phisition and saluer of all sores our most gracious and prudent King possessing his royall rights the whole state of England and the gouernment thereof came to this his owne Kingdome with such magnificence as all Christendome admired if here being setled with peace to the great ioy of vs all with his cléere and pure shining iudgement he qualified all occasions of discontent seuering drosse from pure gold sollid pearles from liquid hailestones manacles from bracelets businesses of trouble from imployments of honor and like a perfect Phisition applied precious salues to euery sore of the common wealth adding honor vppon honour according to desert and calling Amongst many others in the ranke of nobility graced by time and fortune this late deceased Earle of Salisbury by his wise carriage and honorable accomplishments which here we omit begot such an entier respect and inducing opinion of worth in the Kings regardfull mind that his honors of estate by degrées came to the height first not disparaging his former graces giuen by Quéene Elizabeth but adding more luster to his bright spreading fortunes it pleased the Kings Maiesty whose wise and gentle disposition is to aduance the desertfull first to giue him the honorable title of a Uiscount then of an Earle with many other promotions and offices of greatnesse and charge of the which he returned contentfull satisfaction to his King and his contry and likewise being a councellor of estate to his highnesse attending neere his royall person offered vp his hearts trust in