pure most actiue operation the heart vnmoueable as the earth is most fruitfull and the countenance so amiable is as the heavē beautiful Goodnesse then appearing is like Adam in his innocencie it maketh the possessor to be noted and called the childe of God this character is bonae spei nūcia bonae indolis index virga disciplinae gloria cōscientiae custos famae laus naturae insignae gratiae virtutum primitiae as S. Bernard reverently collecteth the attributes Alas how is that sparke of vnderstanding the small portion of the vulgar dimmed with the mist of preiudice obscured with the Tempest of Passion that the naturall youngling wil not perceiue the things that are of God contenting himselfe with Salomons young man to reioice in his youth and let his heart cheere him to walke in the waies of his heart and in the sight of his owne eies Eccl. 11.9 but not considering that for all these things God will bring him to iudgement growing hereby to that Epidemicall case that S. Chrysostome describeth in such a one Chrys Hom. 1. ad Pop. Difficilis fallibilis vehementioribus aegens fraenis Adolescens vnfruitful thornes then choaking the good seedes of Religion and grace customable evil actions being his cōtrollers of iudgement seducers of will betrayers of vertue flatterers of vice vnderminers of courage slaues to weakenesse infection of youth madnesse of age curse of life and reproach of death Is it not a witcheraft that any should be so chained with inchantment of a momētary estate as scarce to thinke vpon the Condition which never shall haue end to satisfie the flesh a nest of wormes and to neglect the soule a Companion of Angels to desire rather to fill vp met am naturae Beaux Natures aimes of long life then mensuram gratiae Graces full measure of a good life or Coronam gloriae to attaine Glories Crowne of eternall life crooked waies base wealth false pleasures vaine hopes lying promises sweete poyson and senselesse sensuall satisfaction inticing their soules to ioy in those things whereof they will be ashamed seeing the end of those things is death Adams apple Esaus broth Iudas sop Babylons cup are more powerfull with these sonnes of disobedience then Henoks whirlewinde Eliahs Chariot Pauls assumptiō or Iohns Revelation and hereby many sweetly tempered dispositions And worthy spirits are swallowed vp led a way Captiue like the Gallant in the Proverbs who went to the house of the Harlot the way to hel going down to the chambers of death Prov 7.7 in the prime and spring comming to the fall of their leafe continuing their life in a wintry stormy Tempestuous course the surges of lust beating the ship till the sailes of pride be torne with the windes of violent passions punishing thēselues with that horrid curse Peccatū poena peccati the guilt of one sinne becommeth the punishment of another 5 I cal to witnesse against such this Princely Saint who having obtained a gracious report and received the promise is now a triumphant Chiefetaine in the army of Saints whose Scutchion bare this * In the Lottery Armory and Funerall Motto Et nos fas extera quaerere regna as if he had come into the world but to learne to die and as Israel came through the wildernesse of Sin to passe through it towardes the land of Caanan he began to seeke as the text speaketh of Iosias 2. Chr. 34.3 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the original importing not only to seek to inquire with al diligēce as Avenarius rendreth it Aven But to consult to deliberate to search with all care for any thing that pertained to the worship of God Not so to seeke as Pyrrhus ambition trained his thoughts from Macedon to Greece frō Greece to Italy Plut in vita Pyrrhi from Italy to Sicily from thence to Africke and so to Carthage it was no earthly no worldly adventure his chiefe ayme was at though so farre as the Royall rights of his Puissant Ancestors and the service to his Soveraigne Father in a iust war might haue giuen cause our vndaunted Alexander needed no encouragement for hee was so nobly furnished with all abiliments of a strong body and valiant disposition as if victorious Ioshua had revived to edge these ill dull and resty times drowsed and almost drowned in the sweet havē of Peace Peace being alienated from its own grace and become the truce of lust and rust of valour the death of the army and decay of the navie And even then when this high borne Champion the grace of the Court and hope of the Campe might haue recouered if not improved the limits of this kingdome when all good spirits not only affected but addicted themselues to honourable Martialisme expecting generally a day wherein they might heare young Caesars Venite his brandishing sword the ioy of the souldier drawne by right edged by valour might haue been attended with victorious acclamation of Conquest even then so did he season sanctifie his Martiall exercises Princely studies of arts and fortifications that hee remembred the weapons of a Christian warfare were not carnall but spirituall and howsoever in the flesh he warred not after the flesh 2. Cor. 10.3 as the blessed Apostle doth distinguish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making that holy vse of that vsefull knowledge of fortifications as that he vsed them in a spirituall sense as S. Paule counselleth to the pulling downe of strong holds to the casting downe of imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God bringing into captivity every of his thoughts to the obedience of Christ 2. Cor. 10.4 2. Cor. 10.4 5 So did hee enter combat and receaue conquest of both his enimies and himselfe and bare before him a shield which was never missed yet never pierced It was strange in S. Ieroms opinion Hieron in Ep. ad Theod. quod corpus assuetum tunicae potuit sustinere onus Loricae that the emblem of Arts the Gowne and the ornament of Armes Armour should fit one the same that so tender Courtly Princely breeding could afford so well set a soule a body as willing as able to haue endured the Laborious watching toyling fighting bleeding life of a Campe. But that which is more wonder appeared in him that the Cankers or vipers of a Courtly life Lust Pride Ambition Irreligiō never durst approch him no nor the wormes or moaths of greatnesse sloath or flatterie or vanitie ever receaue acquaintance much lesse entertainement with him All which creeping or crying sinnes bee as visible as indivisible from such Courtly places which may bee some cause that the worde aula which the Greeks translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athen. is by Athenaeus interpreted to be perflatilē ventis domum like the house in the Gospell beaten with the winds furious passion tearing or climing Ambition overturning or envious contention breaking or lustfull daliance blasting
of other things to the hand of Providence Iudgement did master opinion and by earely accustoming his taste to the truth of spirituall pleasure hee contemned the false and abhorred the filthy pleasures of the worlde lust or pride could not fasten vpon him a desire to spend nor avarice a thirst to spare feare or favour could not cause him to preferre shaddowes or neglect draw him from rewarding the meanest deservers Ambition drew him not to hasty adventures nor daunger ever put him to distrust the sunne beames of his morning were most radian yet his thoughts calme and a heavenly peace in all his passions his blessed minde was never racked with desire or feare nor ever troubled with the sad burthens and consuming CANKERS of this life never afflicted with the surbate of cares or surfet of riots froathy praise he avoided as infectious goodnesse was his aime which being the cause led him on in the course of all those most honourable actions he entended in all which he was free from the taint much more from the staine or sting of ill Sophocles his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sophoc Xenoph. or Xenophon in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nay with al reverence to holy records Salomō or Iosias so soone did not so much the later and the better of these began but in the 16th yeare of his age in the 8 yeare of his raigne 2. Chron. 1.3 but blessed PRINCE HENRY as if he had beene consecrated from the wombe in the morning watch of his life was a morning starre in his lustre and considered that the Feare of God which the preacher made to bee the ende of all things in the end of his Ecclesiastes the same is the beginning of wisdome in the beginning of his Proverbs Eccles 12.13 Prov. 1.7 Neither differring nor dissembling had place in him or power over him no excuses no refulals staid him he Remembred his Creator in the daies of his youth he thought it good for him to beare the Lordes yoake in his youth Lam 3.27 he studied wherewith a young man might cleanse his waies louely Isaac loving Ioseph Princely Iosiah true harted David beloved Daniel holy Samuel faithful Timothy were his patternes Psal 119.9 to consecrat his first best endeavours to God Not only his Martiall Scholastical exercises did honour him with that title which Livy gaue to M. Cato Si arma sumpsisset in armis natū crederes T. Livius Dec. 4. lib. 1. si se ad studia convertisset inter liter as educatum but his dayly holy conversing with God in the path of goodnesse his spirituall progresse in grace and favour testified that from his youth vp his conversation was in heaven this was the grace of his childe hood and garland of his youth this blessed his life cōforted him at death and shall commende him to all posterity 4 Learne hence yee young Gallants that put farre from you the day of the Lord yee that neither in the morning nor meridian of your liues Prepare your selues to meete the Lord or care that when he commeth he may finde you watching and working To die well is a long art of a short life and a speedy beginning is the shortest method to this longest art Salomon telleth of a time Eccl. 3.2 2. Cor. 6.2 Eccless 3.2 Tempus mortis But as if that were too generall Paul confineth that time to a day 2. Cor. 6.2 dies salutis and Christ limiteth the time of that day to an howre Mat 25.13 Mat. 25.13 Hora acceptationis In the Revelation Babylon is lamented that in one howre her iudgement is come Rev. 18.10 that in one howre so great riches came to naught vers 17. and that in one howre shee was made de solate vers 19. But times daies howres are scantled yet shorter 1. Cor. 15.52 by the Apostle Iudgement shall be in a moment in the twinckling of an eie in the last trumpe that as God gaue his law with the sound of a trumpet Exod. 19.16 So hee shall call for account of it with the sound of the Trumphet Ex 19.16 1. Cor. 15. Hieron 1. Cor. 15.52 How shrill should this trumpe be still in our eares as S. Hierome witnessed of his owne ever sounding and ecchoing this that the surest way to a good life is to beginne betimes considering that though Gods mercies oftentimes affords vs many yeares to repent yet his Iustice affordeth not an howre to sinne Greg. Peccanti Crastinum non promisit saith Gregory hee promiseth not to morrow to the offendour who is alwaies ready to receiue the penitent How should this consideration draw vs on Trahit enim non cogit Deus Austin lead vs along by the waters of comfort and admonish vs all if hitherto we haue neglected to fasten vpon the first opportunity of seasoning our souls with that blessed spirit of Janctification while they be fit for impression and that by a gracious meditation we consider the race we are to run and the many encombrances which alwaies crosse vs That delay augmenteth difficulties and more do perish by this Temptation then by al the toiles guiles of Sathan the longer we persist in sin the more God plucketh his grace and assistance from vs our good inclinations are the weaker the vnder standing more darkned the will more perverted the appetite more disordered the passions are more strengthned that at length the stupid and benummed soule may loose the spirituall light of grace naturall light of reason and retaine only the sensuall twylight of affections common with bruit beasts so the the youth being il spent Sathan wil plead possession in age therefore the dawning springing morning time of life must bee consecrated to God it was not only the piety of Iob to rise vp earely in the morning of everie day to facrifice and sanctifie his sonne Iob. 1.5 Iob. 1.5 But his owne practise in his owne young yeares in the morning of his life in the daies of his youth the secret of God was vpō his Tabernacle Iob. 29.29.4 For this is the time as S. Ambrose describeth it Iob. 29.4 Ambros wherein the elemēt of fier predominateth in the sonnes of men calore corporis feruente estu sanguinis vapor antis ignescente viribus invallida consilijs infirma vitio calens illecebrosa deliciis est Adolescentia This is the spring of life and how easily may a spring-tide drowne all the summer hopes of youth the time of strength and beauty both easily inflamed by heate of vanity the time of growth activity both soone nipped with the frost of mortality Aug. now visus acutior auditus promptior incessus rectior vultus iucundior now the sunne of the vnderstanding doth most appeare and the starres of the senses most gloriously shine then the 4. humors resembling the 4. Elements the liver as the sea the veines as the rivers are in their most
the Law the worke of the Prince and Iustice the end of the Law yet such a sweet match was in the temper of the absolute Prince that as hee never passed over the Line of Iustice in wresting any thing from the true owner so did hee not neglect the exercise of much clemency even vnto those that vniustly some of them vnmanerly had intruded into and continued long in the Rights of Princely demaines As all that had occasions to negotiate with his Highnes worthie officers of Revenewes in the setling of estates cannot but confesse out of a due consideration if any sparke of truth and integritie be in them as I acknowledge much in many of them contemning the viperous tongues of malignant and mad Detractors Right was the levell and square that ruled him kingdomes or Empires were not forcible enough much lesse the possession of some small Cantons or Countries able to withdrawe his eye and heart and hand from a iust proposal or his foot from the path of lawfull proceeding His soule abhorred the speech of Polynices in the Tragedie Imperia precio quovis constant benè kingdomes in his opinion were not to be bought at any rate Sen. Trag. He esteemed Power without Iustice our of course as a Lion broke from his cage furious vnsatiable vniust suits he held blots of the Courts and enimies of Conscience vniust warres abuse of force the vsurie of fraud vniust claymes Contentions fire and Opinions falshood vniust possessions as Ahabs vinyard though the acts of power yet the dwellings of horror Iniustice in any case was not only distasted but detested by him hee yeelded no countenance no encouragement to such acquisitions Rapine durst never fly for shelter vnder his shadow it feared nay it fled his countenance neither his practise nor protection yeelded favour to that horrid Pyoner Monster of the Palace Iniustice Fas est was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aristotle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Iames tearmeth it an vnwritten yet a Royall law to him The Portion of the Levite hee esteemed sacred sacriledge he accounted as neighbour to blasphemie the Church was as happy by him as he by it holy he wisht the Arke and Aaron their dignitie and dues not the meanest of that tribe but had from him vpoÌ„ any occasioÌ„ more respect then from the most of that time and for their maintenance by his Religious Arithmetique hee intended rather addition to it then substraction froÌ„ it whatsoever to the contrary was thought by some hot spirits Herostratus heires who thinke to get honour by setting fire on the Temple No place complained of any Iniustice in him much lesse Gods house or the maintenance thereof The Temple was his high way to heaven and righteousnesse his guid felicitie the Patrimonie he expected and yet violence the meanes by which he sought it Was violence the meanes Sacred Prince he was another Moses the meekest that ever his name stiled great Anger was a stranger and Passion an exile with him his pulses equall speeches temperat his countenance as the sunne in it selfe alwaies faire his entendments iust and actions iuditious Where then had violence either dwelling or lodging in him Nec irritabilis nec implacabilis hee was not easily angred yet easily pleased a storme could not smite him nor the violence which shipwrackt others shake him Coelum non patitur this celestiall creature was not subiect to the passiue motions of distempers the change of the moone had not power nor the violence of Planets predominancy in his Nativitie In all his sayling hee was in a calme hee had learnt the lesson which was taught to Traian Nec minus se hominem esse quà m hominibus praeesse Pliny His practise was as much in the Politikes to obey as in his Oeconomicks to rule and how then was violence the meanes of his acquisition I say again Violence was the meanes to obtaine his felicitie even that holy sanctified violence which our Saviour exhorteth vnto Mat. 11.22 Mat. 11.12 The kingdome of heaven must suffer violence and the violent take it by force The Saints of God shall drinke of the Flood of life Ps 36.9 The holy spirit descended in a fire Acts 2. And what more violent then a flood or fire In what is so much earnestnesse shewed as in a race or a Combat yet these be the tearmes of Scripture to incite to a more vrgent violent pace in our passage towardes heaven Which Course as this Peerelesse Creature knew so did he with his best affections bend towards it Spirituall pride and carnall securitie were rockes on either hand him which hee avoided a continuall remembrance of his Creator the Lord that directed him and as if his vessel had beene more speedy then ordinary hee happily passed through the waues of this troublesome world and ankor in the haven of heaven vnto which hee had the heigth of inheritance 10 Learne from this Holy patterne all yee that torture Iustice and extend the limits of right to your own ends vsing the Law as a Law of libertie blaÌ„ching of bad darkning of good courses changing the face speech of Iustice making her pronounce as the heathen Oracles often ambiguitie if not falsities Behold a Prince whose power might haue betrayed his will and his will corrupted the Law but hee walketh vpright before his maker violence or crueltie had no place in his habitations all his intentions were weighed with how lawfull not how gainefull they were the kingdome of heaven to which he had right by adoption is his ayme is his desire to seeke other things if this were any hindrance to this atchieument he forbore hereby teaching the vnrighteous Ahabs of this time who seeke for all things else but heaven by all means else but right how great their offence is who in the placing of their officers be like Nero Eras Apoth whose speech was to his servaÌ„ts scitis quibus mihi opus hoc agamus ne quis quid habeat as if his treasures should haue beene the Ocean into which the rivers of privat mens states should haue emptied themselues Vox praedone quaÌ„ principe dignior a speech fitter for a Pyrat Lang loc Com. then a Prince as one censureth him Where if such would bee content to prey onely on the great ones the fault were lesse as Tibullus telleth the great theeues of his time At vos exiguo peeori furesque lupÃque Tibull Farcite de magno praeda petenda grege It caused Davids anger to be greatly kindled against the rich man in Nathans parable who tooke away from the poore man 2. Sam. 12. the one and onely little ewe Lambe which he had bought and nourished vp and David sentenceth it thus As the Lord liueth the man that hath done this thing shall surely die and he shall restore the Lambe fourefold because he did this thing and because he had no pity 2. Sam. 12.6 And not to heape
bee thy anger for it was fierce and thy wrath it was cruell Didst thou mistake Iehoshaphat for Ahab 1 King 22.32 this holy Prince for some Idolatrous Pagan or was thy aime onely at this beautie of the world Why hadst thou not gorged thy hollow hellish appetite with some blasphemous Rabshaked or cursed Sanballat with some aspiring Haman or Church-robbing Nebuchadnezzar Ioseph lib. 1. Antiq. cap. 5. Hosp de Grig fist pag 48. Novemb 12 November was the dismall time death fitted for this Tragedy a time noted by the Orator dysastrous It would rather fill a Library then a volume to descend to particulars It was the Month of the Flood as Iosephus among the ancient Hospinian among the moderne doe affirme and if ever a second Cataclysme fell vpon the earth the Teares shed in the sorrow of this losse may deserue a Chronicle many expectations were sunke and some Gallants went to heave thy water sorrow killed them What hopes were shipwrackt in this storme and what a generall deluge over streamed all honest hearts will never be forgotten while that blacke day the 6th of November shall appeare in our Kalender Quintus intendit Sextus intulit The 5. day was by the Sonnes of Beliall a day dedicated to our destructiō a day by Hesiod and Virgil and all the heathens as Hospinian collecteth most ominous but the Lord was more carefull in the prevention then wee thankfull for preservation herein therefore what was but threatned on the fift day was showred downe the 6th day at which time the storme fell vpon vs. It was a strange prodigie that on the fift day at night about the houre of 8. a Rainebow appeared seeming as it were by the sight and Iudgement of some to cōpasse the house of S. Iames. I referre the Learned to those that haue written of prodigies for my own part I haue learned that lesson In pluribus Domini operibus non esse curiosum Eccl. 3.22 not to be over curious and inquisitiue in many workes of the Almightie Lactantius much inveigheth against those De fals sap lib. 2. c. 20. whose chiefe delight was Inconcessa crutari to search for vnlawfull things and I knowe that Iacob striving with an Angell got the shrinking of a sinew yet that the covenāt of the flood sould so dysastrously appeare in the month of the flood in the night beyōd the rules of Nature and course of custome did certainely portend somewhat Indeed after the flood God hung vp his bowe in the Clowd in token of reconciliation vnto men and the bend and arch of the bowe is turned from vs Lib. de operibus creat cap. 3. as Zanchius observeth But he hung vp his bow saith Ambrose Arcus habet vulneris indicium non vulneris effectum the bowe maketh a shewe of hurting but it doth not hurt it is the arrow that woundeth But now God seemeth for our sinnes to haue taken downe his bow againe it was an arrow he shot with the fervency of his furie the Court was wounded the Commōwealth the Church the whole Protestant world receaved a wound in the death of Gods deareling the Renowned Prince now in heaven 13 Let all the world stand in awe of their pow erfull commander that shooteth his arrowes of desolation among the Children of men All the trees of the Forest must know that the Lord hath brought down the high tree hath exalted the lowe tree hath dried vp the greene tree and hath made the dry tree to flourish as he threatneth Ezek. 17.24 and that all the sonnes of men are vnder one common conditiō Our liues are short in all things except miseries and troubles our continuance is only certaine in vncertaintie God hath reserved our times vnknowne because wee should bee alwaies ready Quò propior quisque est servitque fideliùsaegro In partem laethi citiùs venit By how much the neerer men come about dying persons by so much the sooner should they consider their owne deaths Wherefore Noble and worthy Gentlemen who were sad spectators of the blessed passage of his Princely soul sequester all humane wisdome and policy all Court vanitie or glory looke vpon the Glasse of mortalitie the more yee are intangled either in the delights or affaires of this life the more grievous death will bee to you It will be vnseasonable when the paines and perplexities of the soules departing from two friends of so long familiarity the body and the world shal draw your powers from true repentance Seeke therefore the Lord while he may bee found blowe the dying fire of your devotion Looke backe and esteeme the whole race which yee haue runne as a short steppe looke foreward and behold the infinit space of eternitie wherein by grace yee may continue here yee haue no abiding city your service is no inheritance Lift therefore your mindes to heaven and discover the most bright and beautifull glory your life is your candle wast it not in idle play it was allowed you only to light you to ed. Finally whosoever of you beholdeth the present Princely family and saw it in her first glory doubt not but God will make good his word to this house which he promised in Haggci The glory of this later house shall be greater then the former Hag. 2.9 saith the Lord of hosts Lord make this promise good Blesse our most hopefull Charlemaine with all thy choise graces Let the enimie haue none advantage of him nor the wieked approach to hurt him but for ever let thy mercies compasse him giue vnto him the doubled spirit of his now blessed and immortall brother indue him with the hand of Gedeon the heart of David and the head of Solomon Grant him in health and wealth long to liue that at the length hee may attaine everlasting ioy and felicitie through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS