❧An Epitaph, or funerall inscription, vpon the godlie life and death of the Right worshipfull Maister William Lambe Esquire, Founder of the new Conduit in Holborne, &c. Deceased the one and twentith of April, and intumbed in S. Faiths Church vnder Povvles, the sixt of Maie next and immediatly follovving. Anno. 1580. Deuised by Abraham Fleming.
ALl flesh is grasse, the
[...]
Scripture saith, and vadeth like a flowre,And nothing to be permanent, can vaunt it hath the powre.
The fairest and the foulest thing, that any man can name,
Hath but a time to liue and die, in honour or in shame.
No artificiall workemanship, no notable deuise,
No valiant act, no noble déede, no puissant enterprise,
But as in time triumphantly, it challengeth renowne,
Euen so in time from honours hight, at last it tumbleth downe.
The doubtfull state of mortall man, an argument may bée,
That nothing is perpetuall, which glansing eie doeth sée,
But transitorie, fraile, and vaine, as time demandes his fée.
The Sunne & Moone
[...]
shall haue their chaunge, though gloriously they shine,The glistering Starres in firmament, from brightnes shall decline,
The scattered cloudes, like winding worme, or scortched parchment scroll,
Shall shrinke together, as in skies they are constraind to roll.
Then, sith eclestiall creatures state, so alterable is,
That vaine we count each earthlie thing, I iudge it not amis.
We see the seasons of the yeare, successiuely insue,
First nipping Winters blustring blasts, with frosts as stiffe as glue,
Then pleasant Spring with colours clad, of yellow, greene, and blue:
Next which comes ripening Summer in, and then doth follow fast,
Quicke Haruest for the husbandman, t'acquite his charges past,
No time hath this prerogatiue, for euermore to last.
Lo thus in circle runs the yeare, with compasse round about,
And his appointed age the world, by portions weareth out.
Count what we can most excellent, néedes must it haue an ende,
Against decay there is no force, nor fortresse to defende.
How
[...]
many Cities stately built, of timber, lime and stone,Are come to naught, and in their place a desert left alone?
Pompe maketh not perpetuall, although it beare a port,
A Maigame I may name it well, a pastime and a sport,
Whose glorie glides and slips away, whose pleasure is but short.
Like Plaiers in an Enterlude, vpon a common stage,
One representing lustie youth, another crooked age,
One royall Principalitie, another Courtlie state,
One like a Iudge doth sit on bench, another begges at gate,
Thus counterfet they all degrées, vntill the play be donne:
Euen so is man vpon the earth, since first his stocke begonne.
For
Adam, though he liued long, yet dead he was at last,
The Patriarchs and Prophets olde, their pilgrimage haue past:
Kings haue resigned vp their crownes, and titles of their thrones,
And many a politike Gouernour in graue hath laid his bones,
This proue the
[...]
sundrie writings set, on their Sepulchre stones.The wisdome of the wise is vaine, the strong mans strength a toy,
If they by them as instruments, séeke length of life t'enioy:
And as for wealth, it is but winde, for riches haue no holde,
The monied man must thinke to die, if once he waxeth olde.
Lo, lo, a present patterne here, all you that list to learne,
By viewing of this corps corrupt, what you shall be discearne.
Sometime he was, as others be, a quicke and liuing man,
But wounded with the dart of death, reuiue him nothing can.
His youthfull yeares, as others haue, this good Esquire hath had,
And crooked age by créeping on, with weakenesse sicke and sad,
In winding shéete at head and foote, fast knit his corps hath clad.
Rich in his life,
For I haue heard it credibly reported, that he left little or nothing vndistributed.
poore at his death, a steward of the Lordes,His talent Christianly laide out, with Gods good will accordes.
And as in th' Actes,
Cornelius déedes, beare witnesse of his faith,
(For outwarde workes before the world, beléefe within bewraith:)
So this religious Gentleman, a Patrone to the poore,
In allies and in lanes abrode, at home in th'entrie doore,
In open stréete, in holie Church, in many a corners crooke,
(Where, for the poore and impotent, whom kith and kin forsooke,
With charitable zeale inflamde, this lowelie Lambe did looke,)
His almes he hath distributed, and giuen as he sawe néede,
Cloth for the backe, meate for the mouth, the hungrie soule to féede.
As louing as a Lambe he liud, and verifide his name,
He was an eie vnto the blind, a legge vnto the lame,
A comfort to the comfortles, a succour to the sicke,
A father to the fatherles, whome nipping néede did pricke,
A husband to the desolate, and widowe left alone,
A fauourer and a fréend to all, an enimie to none.
Now
Poore people shall sone feele the losse of this Lambe by the lacke of their relief.
such as had his wooll to weare, lament of him the lacke,His flesh did fill their bellies full, his fléese kept warme their backe,
His pence and pounds preserued them, from many a wringing wracke.
No misse of mercie was in him, for iointly hart and hand,
Were pliant to supplie the wantes, of many in this land.
For this he knew, by giuing them, he lent vnto the Lord:
His humblenes no homelines, of sicklie soule abhord.
So that I may conclude of him, as néedes conclude I must,
If workes may simply of themselues, make righteous men and iust,
(Which I denie, for vnto faith this office is assinde:)
Then is he sanctifide from sinne, and cleansd in hart and minde.
The fruites of faith which flourished, in him whiles he did liue,
His diuerse distributions, and giftes which he did giue,
The monuments which he hath left, behind him being ded,
Are signes that
For Christ will repay y
• a thousand fold, which is giuen to y
e succourles.
Christ our Shepherd hath, vnto his shéepfold led,This louing Lambe, who like a Lambe dide méekely in his bed:
His bodie buried in the ground, there to consume to dust,
His soule in
Abrahams bosome restes, in quietnesse I trust:
A place allotted vnto Lamb
[...], there to possesse in peace,
Such blessings as this Lambe enioyes, whose like the Lord increase,
For Jesus sake the spotlesse Lambe. And here my penne shall cease.
SACRIFIZIO AGNELLO SALVAZIONE MVNDO
As Euening shadowe slides,
And Seas do varie tides,
So all the pranking prides,
Of worldlie glorie glides:
Gods worde, the guide of guides,
For euermore abides.