of her light Pearles may be foild and gold be turn'd to drosse The sun obscur'd the moone be turn'd to bloud The world may sorrow for Astraeas losse The heau'ns be darkned like a dusky wood Waste desarts lie where watry fountaines stood But faire Theologie for so she hight Shall neuer loose one sparkle of her light Such one she was as in his Hebrew song The wisest King for fairest creature prooues Embracing her the Cedar trees among Comparing her to roses and to doues Preferring her before all other loues Such one she was and euery whit as faire Beside these two was neuer such a paire Her handmaides in Amazon-like attire Went chaste and modest like Dianaes traine One by her gazing lookes seem'd to aspire Beyond the moone and in a high disdaine To deeme the world and wordly treasures vaine She hight Astrology on whose bright lawne Spheres Astrolabes and skilfull globes are drawne The next faire smiling with a pleasing cheere Had pow're to rauish and enchant mens eares High Rhetoricke whose shadowed vaile showne cleere With siluer tongues and ouer it she weares A wimpled scarfe bedew'd with hearers teares Whose captiue hearts she should detaine long while With pleasance of her vnaffected stile The third a quicke-eyd dame of piercing sight That reasons worth in equall ballance way'd The truth she lou'd aboue all earthly wight Yet could not tell her loue but what she saide Was certaine true and she a perfect maide Her garment short tuckt vp to worke prepar'd And she cald Logicke without welt or gard Next these whose outward lookes I knew aright And had some portion of their endlesse treasure Faire Algebra with figures richly dight Sweete Musicke foundresse of delightsome pleasure Earth-scanning Nimph directresse of all measure These humbly did her soueraigne highnesse greete And meekely laid their garlands at her feete From euery one she pluckt a speciall flower And laid each flower vpon a seuerall part Then from her owne a stemme of wondrous power Whose leaues were beames whose stalke a fi'ry dart And that she laid vpon my trembling hart Those were the buds of art this plant of blisse This gaue them life they yeelded grace to this Opening the closure of her speech diuine My sweetly-rauisht sence she thus bespake Now Prelate art thou plac'de in Gods deare vine To heau'nly thoughts thy studies whole betake And when thou shalt from drowsie sleepe awake Thanke these my handmaides that haue thought thee fit To whom the charge of soules I might commit To thee the charge of soules I here commit Of sheepe and shepheards both take ouersight If thou for gaine the greater charge omit Or loose one title of the churches right Or lesse esteeme Gods word then Kingly might Mingling religious booke with honors mace Leauing Gods fauor for the princes grace If thou by false pretence procure this wrong What may not learn'd iniquity procure Thy name shall die the vulgar sort among Proscript and abiect from those fathers pure Whose memory for euer shall endure Obliuion and disgrace vpon thy graue Shall write their triumph and thy name depraue This said her Martyrs drew her chariot on Through vnknowne passage of the blasting ayre And now to Abrahams bosome is she gone Commanding all her Nimphs and handmaids faire To these sweete waues and pleasant bankes repaire And I though full of care and vex't in mind Tooke shippe for England with a prosperous wind Welcome my Lord of Turney said the King Two Dukes with two as scornfull lookes past by A yong French Bishop seem'd so base a thing To such great noble things that looke so high As made me wonder at diuinitie That she the nearest to the King of Kings Should be debasde by any thing of things Say I were yong my liuely spirits were fit To grow in wisedomes euer-blowing spring Or say ambitious that's a marke of wit To beare our thoughts aloft on eagles wings And wit to youth especiall grace doth bring I hate such lingring wisedome as appeares In hoary cognisance of ancient yeares Say all the world th'aboundance of their mind And speake of Wolsey all the wrong they can I say the world is enuious and vnkind The multitude e're since the world began Was ready to reprooue the iustest man Who rightly climes the top of endlesse praise Regards not what the wise discourser saies Obiect they Turney I deuisde a way To compasse Lincolne or some other see Admire they this I found a blisfull day In primacy of Yorke enstall'd to be Such happy fortune still betided me That when they enuied at my meane estate I got some greater to confound their hate Each sence may common obiects comprehend Things excellent the sensitiue confound The eie with light and colours may contend The eare endure the note of common sound Both faile when glorious beames lowd strokes abound So enuy that at meanest things beare spite Stands mute at view of vnexpected height The peeres that hated me were now content With me their former friendship to renew Who sought by me to purchase gouernment And learne of me that thus in greatness grew O But the Italian Florentine said true The man furthereth other men to thriue Of priuate greatnesse doth himselfe depriue Failing to hit the marke whereat I aime They take the least rupulse in deepe disgrace And neuer ceast with fury to exclaime Against my name and odiously debase My birth my parents and vngentle race Vnnobly done which though I not respect Yet vnto them themselues I might obiect Where are the gifts whose ensignes ye pretend O dull inheritors of others praise The vertues that your lordly armes commend And crownd your ancients with immortall bayes Amisse faire Fortitude her coate displaies Where such as neuer durst maintaine the field May beare a lion armed in their shield Thou four-fold goddesse that hast stem'd thy crowne With wisedome valor temperance and right Place by thy sides those Heroes of renowne That temperate iustice with discretions might Let Herauldry prouide in honors sight That such as are with fathers goods possest Retaine their vertues or resigne their crest Fine schollers borne of Pallas heau'nly braine As she of Ioues haue purchasde this decree From meaner Princes in their seuerall raignes Dukes Vidams Barons such as brauest be To muse of things that nobles do not see When their reward though they be well regarded May be to be well thought of scarce rewarded Which made me when I once had found the spring Draw from the Fountaine where the proudest drew Leauing the counsell seeke vnto the King And when my purpose was indeede to sue To sue to him because I euer knew Suing to Courtiers with our best complaints Like superstitious praying vnto Saints Wolseius triumphans CLlio are all thy sisters scholler-like No court-like Muse for polliticke designes And onely for Apollo doe they strike Their instruments to what he most inclines Is this the reason that he euer shines No wōder if the world behold him bright Such
Virgins can giue oyle to any light Then shall no busie burdner of the Presse Without a Muse stand riming at my waies The more a Nouice seekes he findes the lesse And sure the lesse he findes the lesse he straies No pollicie to silence now a daies Let him that shall my famous life descry Write of my Triumphs let the meanes go by The glory of my Primacie affords Discourse enough O Time to spend thine howres Barren inuention shall abound with words As Autumne doth with fruits the spring with flowres Summer with sun-beames winter time with showres Poets in vaine their stratagems deuise Wittes want makes men desirous to seeme wise But as a Saphyre hanging downe the brest A farre more orient glittering doth make Than doth a Diamond of good request Set in a bracelet and more glorie take Not for the vertue but for the places sake So did a clowdy Saphyre dimme my light Not with his worth but with his places height Graue auncient Warham full of high desart The Easterne Metropolitane of Kent A perfect Leuite of a loyall heart Fit for the temple whereto he was sent In all religious orders excellent No fault but that he would not soone resigne To me and his large prouince change for mine Which fault my Romish frends had soone espide Their care was feruent Catholike for me Who in their Synode did such meanes prouide For my aduancement to more high degree As Canterburie should inferior be They chose me Cardinall but mine owne voice Had thought me worthy of an higher choice They chose me Cardinall and sent a hat What choise what hat where was the triple crowne A Monmouth man can do as much as that O had his holinesse bin in a sowne Or surfeited or tooke some potion downe S. Peters church S. Angells famous towre The seuen hills citty had bin in my powre A second Vatican a new Auignion Another Laterane I could inuent For reliques pomp and church diuision What had I car'd in glory to haue spent Mine owne the churches and the Kings owne rent Me thought if Friends and Fortune had bin true I could haue built all Italie anew Wise Chaplaines that had walkt a quiet pace Good honest painfull Graduates in their kind Told me it was a step to higher place And such a step as few could euer find A lofty step and stepping termes refind Step they that doubtfull feare to clime on hie What neede he step hath Wisdoms wings to flie Now missing Clemens crowne I thought to take King Henries Seale high Chancelor of the land Which secular authoritie did make Me able all their furies to withstand That in their wisedomes had seuerely scan'd A clergy man his calling much impaires To meddle with the polliticke affaires Then Moses that had all Aegyptians skill Whose deepest learning flourisht in his daies And many priests of Iuda sinned still That not by iustice onely purchast praise But practiz'd vse of martiall assaies Some pleas are hard and many things befall Which priuiledge or conscience must recall Diuine proceedings faile not being backt With lawfull maintenance of eiuill sword Endeuours polliticke take small effect That wants assistance from the heau'nly word Beside some help must wealth and state afford For iudgement vttred by the mouth of want Is either partiall or admitted scant Thus though my crosses pillars and my mace Honoured my person to the common view Of such as measure men by outward grace Yet to my seuerall charges being due I might not to succession be vntrue Our state is not the Moones that from her waine Growes crescent presently and new againe If once we fall we fall Colossus-like We fall at once like pillars of the sunne They that betweene our stride their sailes did strike Making vs sea-markes where their shippe did runne Euen they that had by vs their treasure wonne Rise as we may by moderate degrees If once we stoope thei'le bring vs on our knees I made my chappell pure deuotions seate Meete for the seruice of the heau'nly King The tongues of the most learned did intreate Of his decrees and skilful priests did sing And singing boyes vse their hearts trebling string Such ornaments are most beseeming vs In Gods behalfe let noble Peeres do thus My houshold was not like the tent of Loue Full of faire damsels like Venetian bowers Nor of such virgins whom the spirit doth moue No place for sister-hood within my towers Yet eu'ry day as many meales as howers Seruants and officers in eu'ry roome And royall fare for strangers when they come Where is that open cawsey wont to leade The hungry beggar to a sheafe of corne Who lets them gleane with Ruth or giues them bread Who rather feedes not fooles or men forsworne Or els for briefnesse sake leaues al forlorne See now the parlours of our highest states Are like to painted doores or posterne gates Proportion was surucior of my charge Adding to lofty buildings gardens faire Iust with my gaines my houses to enlarge Mine vsuall walkes to pleasantnesse of ayre Of euery thing making an equall payre Planting faire arbors in my forrests wide And feasting chambers by the riuers side This louing streame that doth salute the shore In true affection to a schollers eie Euen from these banckes encreaseth more and more Waue tossing ouer waue most enuiously Till flowing tide forbid her passing by And make them stay while passengers may see What was begun and what was done by me Faire Dambie is praisde for being wide Nilus commended for the seu'n fold head Euphrates for the swiftnesse of the tide And for the garden whence his course is led The banckes of Rhine with vines are ouerspred Take Loyre and Po yet all may not compare With English Thamesis for buildings rare My dreames were nothing but of Memphis still Of Pyramids of statues caru'd in gold Hercules pillars and Olympus hill My waking fancies too were euer sold Such toyes in gazing blindnesse to behold No strokes of Musickes sound could strike away High thoughts by night nor deepe conceits by day A prowd man may his owne musitian be His heads deuise makes pauines to his heart This heart with pleasure leapes and daunces free All but the measures framing euery part Like Organs worthy of so sweete an art His thoughts plaies Marches to his vaulting mind And Memories Recorder sounds behinde Pride makes her Rounds for she hath neuer end And Sonnets for shee neuer leaues her noise She makes her Dumpes if any thing offend And to her Idole-selfe with warbling voice Sings Hymnes and Anthems of especiall choice And yet Prides quier is put to silence cleane Wanting a base a tenor and a meane Farre from the church be these immusicall Vntoward songs that wants so many parts And since that pure religion doth install Learned professors prelates of desarts Let them aspire and reare instructed harts Against the base bestowers of church liuings That vse their graunts in sellings and not in giuings For such men are
like curtaines at their best To make vs sleepe or hinder vs from light Troublers of Nature children of the west Haters of sence adopted sonnes of night In whom the wise both sorrow and delight Yet were there not such vegetalls the while What had the wiser sort whereat to smile O you that beare the courage of diuines Hate such mens patronage ingage not Art For who beholds the spoiler of the vines And stands secure or takes the spoilers part Shall in his conscience feele such deadly smart That when he seekes by scripture to be easde The more he reades the more he is displeasde Renowned Picus of Mirandula Hated the substance of a cleargy man That was vnlettered and made a lawe An ignorant which neuer had began To seeke or after seeking neuer skan Some part of somewhat that might wisedome bring Should be accounted but a liuing thing The noble Tichobraghe for whose deare sake All Denmarke is in admirations loue In deepe regard such difference doth make Betweene those men whose spirit soare aboue And those base essenses which only moue That in his Isles horizon he admittes No clowdy meteors of such foggy wittes On forraine princes I will neuer stand Sweete Clio pardon if I do digresse The noble Earle the learn'd Northumberland Fauours you Muses and he doth addresse His peerelesse cares which you must needes expresse Write Clio write and that aeternally In spite of Muses he shall neuer die For in his life his praise and after death Thankfull remembrance still remaines aliue So long as Fame's aeternall trump hath breath And time drawes time and these daies other driue Or hasty minutes in their swiftnesse striue While man can speake with man and vertue praise So long continues his immortall praise Princes are meere diuines for they maintaine The liuing Gospel of the liuely truth Doubly in them Gods Image doth remaine In high commanding where hir mercy shew'th The future hopes of goodnesse that ensu'th And then in their creation Thus two waies Princes are bound the Prince of heau'n to praise Now to be princely and to be diuine I added Winchester to all the rest With sundry others which I held by fine And being once installed in the best Vouchsafte with Abbies to be so possest I held this certaine sure and neuer doubt Abbies and Bishoprickes will not fall out I made them friends and that they might continue I got church-liuings more then I will say Small liuings added to a great reuenue Riddes poore reports and common talkes away The Chorus of the people that can say The Parson careth not for our soules health Will hold their tongues at hearing of such wealth Thus full of riches and exceeding powre I added liuing vnto liuing still Scarce came a day within whose euery howre There were not yeelded offrings of free will To haue or leaue vntill I had my fill One starre is newly added shining faire Vnto the backe of Cassopeias chaire Betweene solemnitie and loftie state The sequele of my life I will diuide Whereby I purchaste honor ioyn'd with hate And enuie still did beare a mightie side Who rises by his wisedome is enui'de Let them enuie but when their lordships fell I must haue notice where their Wardes must dwell I car'd not for the gentrie for I had Tithe-gentlemen yong nobles of the land The greatest of the Realme were highly glad When with great charge and sute vnder my hand They left the first fruites of their neerest band Fortune is Lady of the nobly borne The learned noble haue her gifts in scorne It may be some were glad when I was sent Twice in Embassage to the Emperours court And others sad respecting that I went Furnisht so royally with such resort As farre exceedes beleefe of true report Speake they their pleasure Yet with equall worth And greater good I came then I went forth Imperious ghost of Charles come sit by mine He cannot come but lies in Princes ward And he disdaines to sue to Proserpine Deare fellow ghost but he will not regard Or if he do from comming is debard Truly Imperious for thy entertaine To me and all the followers of my traine The towne of Bruges Princes faire resort Flanders rich ornament noble Peeres Exchange The chosen cittie for the Emperours Court About whose streetes my following troupes did range Was in her curtâ—sie so highly strange That nothing there was suffred to be spent Either by me or any one that went Returning home in farre more glorious sort Then Mardocheus to the Median King The summe of my successe I did report Plâ—asing his eares with sound of euery thing Eloquence taught my common talke to sing Contenting matter and delighting wordes No sweeter straines all Musicks art affordes Honour's without emploiments of estate Are like to sun-beames without heate or light A noble man and not a magistrate Shines halfe eclipsed in his cleerest bright Ioyne heau'nly gifts to earthly light to light Let these great excellencies make a truce Fortune shall neede no wheele-write for her vse But from a Monarch of that soueraigne power Twise to be sent so honourably grac'd To Europs highest braunch and fairest flower In so short season with so happy blast Each doubtfull care with wisedome ouercast Returning to be more then going forth Was fatall to the Cardinal of the North. Now at such times as Lawyers walke the streets Without long rowles of papers in their hands When friendly neighbour with his neighbour meetes Without false chalenge to each others lands The counsellor without his client stands When that large Capitoll lies voide and waste Where Senators and Iudges late were plac't Then in a solemne progresse would I ride To see the houses where my liuings lay The Image of what was did not abide Nay scarce the memory remaines this day For any stranger that shall passe that way This course in old Records ignoraunce tooke Teare the red letters and burne all the booke How patient is Antiquitie the while And all the soules that leane on Abrahams breast Those sacred spirits that with inspired stile Wrote truly of the church and hauing ceast Their paines on earth do liue in peace and rest Our parents age worse then our grandsires be We worst beget our children worse then we Then in an humor I accursed strait Those vnbaptised sacrilegious hands That onely for Gods vestrie laide their waite Prophanely seazing on the churches lands And casting faire for all while none with stands But lest my sorrowes openly should breake Thus with my selfe me thought I gan to speake Ye churches founded by religious Kings Reioyce within your Eccho sounding vaultes Though enuious Time this desolation brings Battring your marble pillars with assaults And euen in men there rest no meane defaults Triumph in this there is a doome for time Reuenge for men that by your losses climbe And ye the seruants of the liuing King Let not your stately pallace walles decline No desolation may confusion bring To those faire
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