A Happy Husband OR, …

A Happy Husband OR, Directions for a Maide to choose her Mate.

As also, A WIVES BEHAVIOVR towards her Husband after Marriage.

By Patricke Hannay, Gent.

To which is adioyned the Good Wife; together with an Exquisite discourse of EPI­TAPHS, including the choysest thereof, Ancient or Moderne.

By R B. Gent.

Propert
Exemplo iunctae tibi sint in amore Columbae,
Masculus & totum foemina coniugium.

Printed at London for Richard Redmer, and are to be sold at his shop at the West end of Saint Pauls Church, 1619.

TO THE VERTVOVS and noble Lady, the Lady Margaret Home, eldest daugh­ter to the Right Honourable Alex­ander Earle Home, Baron of Dunglas, &c.

THinking with my selfe ( Noble Lady) what I might present some way to expresse my loue in remem­brance of those not to be requited fauours, which haue wholy obliged me to your House. It came into my mind that what is offered to gods, or great ones, ought rather to be apt, then equall: and that it was held absurd in [Page] old time to offer an Hecatomb to the Muses, or an I [...]y wreath to the god of warre. I thought no offe­ring could be more cōformable to your vertues thē this Husband, which of due doth challenge a mai­den Maecenas: and none so fit as your selfe, who euen in these yeeres by your budding vertues, doe well bewray what fruit your vpper yeeres will pro­duce. Accept it then Madam as an acknowledge­ment of what is due by mee to your deseruings, which haue bound me to abide euer yours

in all dutifull obseruance,

PATRICK HANNAY.

To VVomen in Generall.

IN things of weight and moment, care and circumspection are to be v­sed, with a truly grounded iudge­ment before resolution. Now in hu­mane actions none is of more consc­quence then marriage, where error can be but once and that neuer after remedied. Therefore in it is great caution required before conclusion, the sequell of staid deliberation, or vnaduised rash­nefse, being a happy, or a wretched life. And there­in is anothers counsell most necessary (though through the whole course of mans life it be safer then the selfe-conceiued:) for affection which in [Page] other affaires doth oft ouerrule reason, (euen in the wise) doth in this euer hide the faults of the affected vnder the blinding vale of loue. This hath caused me for the weale of your Sexe to produce this Husband to the light, not gaine, or glory; knowing well the vulgar and criticke censures in this age doe rather detract, then attribute: but I care not much for their opinion, who dislike, may freely abstaine if any giue better, I shall willingly absent take it as it is meant, for your good, to dis­please none, and to content all.

P. Hannay.

To Ouerburies Widow, wife of this Husband.

LEaue worthy Wife to weare your mourning weed,
Or bootlesse staine your che [...]ks for him thats dead;
But rather ioy, and thanke this Authors pen,
Hath so well match'd thee with this matchlesse man:
For Ouerburies Ghost is glad to see,
His widow such one's happy wife to be.

R. S.

To Master Hannay.

THy happy Husband shewes thy high ingine,
Whose Muse such method in her measures can,
The matter shewes thy manners are diuine;
Thy practiz'd vertues shewes thou art this Man:
I halfe enuie that highly blessed Maid,
Whose happy lot shall be to linke with thee,
And well-nie wish that Nature had me made
A woman; so I such one's wife might be:
Detraction is distraught thy lines to see,
And sweld with enuy, can no words bring forth,
Her basenesse cannot paralell thy worth.
Which still shall liue vnto eternity:
For after Ages reading of thy verse,
Shall decke with Lawrell thy adored herse.

P. T.

To his Friend M r Patrick Hannay.

FRiend I am glad that you haue brought to light,
A Husband fit for Ouerburies Wife;
Whose chastity might else suspected be,
Wanting too long a Husbands company:
But now being match'd so well by your endeauour,
Shee'll liue a chast Penelope for euer.
And you braue Ouerbury make to be,
Your brother in law by act of ingeny.

W. Iewell.

To the Author.

VVHen I behold the Author and his Booke,
With wonder and delight on both I looke;
Both are so like, and both deserue so well,
Were I not friend, I in their praise would dwell.
But since it would seeme partiall, I thinke fit
To leaue their praises▪ to a better wit:
But Husband like to this I wish God send
To those are cha [...]t, and to me such a friend.
Liue each in other, be each others praise,
Time shall not end your glory with your daies.

E. Leuenth.

The Argument.

MArriage ordaind; the Man made head,
That kind may be, like like doth breed:
God blest it; youth it best befits,
The Author will not try his wits,
To make one man of manies parts,
Painters doe so to shew their Arts:
His birth and breeding first he shewes,
Equall, and good; the wants of those
What ils they breed, yet selfe-gain'd glore:
He doth preferre both these before,
His shape must not deformed be,
Nature makes house and gue [...] agree.
His stature neither lowe, nor tall,
The meane in each is best of all:
Not curious to be counted faire,
Its womanish to take that care;
Free from affecting guifts of others▪
That selfe-we [...]kenesse still discouers.
Such one found, then next is showne
What vice hees▪d want, what vertue owne;
Wealth must be set aside to try,
(It is a beame in iudgements eye.)
What ill doth hant her weds for gold,
Is [...]old with the content of old;
When vertue and simplicity
Did chuse: then he doth let her see
The Worthies that the World brought fort [...],
Wooed nere for wealth, but still for worth.
With vertue this man should be nurst,
If't be deprau▪d, hees worst then first:
Drunkennesse, gaming, he must want,
He shewes what ils such vnthrifts [...]ant;
[Page]He must not haunt anothers sheets,
Grace, and whoredome neuer meets;
He must haue spent well his time past,
A wicked crimes bruit long doth last:
His humors must with hers agree,
Else true friendship cannot be;
He must feare God, for on that feare
Wisdome doth her building reare:
Its that makes [...]onest, Honesty
In shew, not deed, is policy.
He must propose a certaine end,
Whereto his actions all must bend;
He must haue vnfain'd piety,
And serue in truth the Diety:
The foure chiefe vertues in some measure,
Must hoord vp in him their treasure,
Whereon the lesser doe depend,
Age, and behauiour doe him end.
A good Wiues description.
To keepe him good, his wife must be
Obedient, mild, her huswifery
Within doores shee must tend; her charge
Is that at home; his that at large:
Shee must be carefull: idle wiues
Vice works on, and to some ill driues:
Not toying, fond, nor yet vnkind,
Not of a weake deiected mind,
Nor yet insensible of losse,
Which doth with care her Husband crosse:
Not iealous, but deseruing well,
Not gadding newes to know, or tell;
Her conuersation with the best,
In Husband, heart her thoughts must rest:
Thus if shee chuse, thus vse her mate,
He promiseth her happy state.

A Happy Husband OR, Directions for a Maide to choose her Mate.

IN Paradice God Marriage first ordaind,
That lawfully kind might be so maintaind;
By it the Man is made the Womans head,
And kind immortalized in their seed:
For like produces like, it so should be,
God blest it with encrease, and multiply.
Nature requires it, nothing is more iust,
Who were begot, beget of duty must.
It Youth becomes, Age is vnapt to breed,
Old stocks are barren, youthfull plants haue seed.
[Page]Then vertuous Virgin, since such blessings springs
Frō wedlock (which earths greatest cōfort brings)
Compeld by loue, which to thy worth is due,
How to choose well thy mate, I will thee shew;
Whose sympathizing vertues may combine
Your harts in loue, till death lifes thread vntwine.
It's not my mind the rarities to gleane,
Of best perfections I haue heard or seene;
And take the best, where bounty doth abound,
And make a H [...]sband, (no where to be found:)
The Painter so from boyes, and girles did take
Best of their beauties, Helen faire to make;
No, I will paint thy mate in such a hew,
As Care may find: Discretion must allow.
To choose aright, know from what stocke hee's grown
The birth suites best, is equall to thine owne;
Dislike makes higher Birth deeme lower base,
Lower will neuer by thy Birth take place:
In Man the fault is more to be excus'd,
Who of low birth (for beauty) hath one chus'd;
His lightnes therein euer loue is deem'd,
Yet as his place, his Wife shall be esteem'd.
But when a Woman of a noble race.
Doth match with Man of farre inferiour place,
Shee cannot him innoble, He is still
In place as shee first found him, good, or ill:
His breeding will his birth stil to thee tell,
" For as the caske, the liquor still doth smell.
[Page]A crab, thogh dig'd & dung'd, cannot bring forth
A luscious fruit: so hardly man of worth
Doth from base stocke proceed, still like it selfe
Nature produces; force of golden pelfe
To alter that's not able, yet we know
Oft Men of worth, haue come of Parents low:
For Parents place is not the Childrens merit,
Yet it addes grace, if they their worth inherit;
If not, it addes to shame: for from high race
Vertue's expected due to such a place:
For indegenerate heroicke minds,
They should possesse, are come of noble kinds;
What mans owne worth acquires with vertuous ends,
Is truly his, and not that which descends.
Cicero brags (and iustly) that his line
He did in glorious vertue farre outshine,
Which was his honour: They no honour hau [...],
Who idle adde not to what they receine;
It is his owne worth euery Man doth grace,
Lesse or more eminent as is his place:
For Vertue (though aye cleare) yet clearest shines
VVhen shee doth dart her lights from noble lines.
A glorious flame blazing in valley low,
Is soone bar [...]'d sight, nor doth it farre way show,
Obscur'd with neighbour obiects: but on hie,
A little Beacon; to both farre and nie:
Shewes like a bearded Comet in the Aire,
Admir'd of some, of most accounted rare.
[Page]Choose thou a Husband equall to thy race,
VVho's grac'd by vert [...], and doth vertue grace;
" Things different doe neuer well agree,
" Trv [...] liking lodges in equality:
Better then birth his Parents vertues know,
" From poyson'd springs no wholsome waters flow.
As for his shape I would it should be free
From ( Natures, not of spite) Deformity:
Deformed shape is of so bad a nature,
That its disliked euen in a noble creature;
VVhere comely shape with loue attracts the eyes,
By secret sympathy os all it sees.
Englands third Richard, and the wife of Shore,
The one deform'd, the other grac'd with store;
Of bountious Nature [...] gifts, doe shew the effects
Of Loue and Hate, to goo [...] and bad aspects;
Shee (when shee barefoote with a Taper light,
Did open pennance in the peoples sight)
VVent so demure, with such a lo [...]ely [...]ace,
That beau [...]y seem'd apparreld in disgrace:
But most when shame summon'd the blood too hie,
V [...]ith natiue staines her comely cheekes to die
In scarlet tincture: Shee did so exceed,
That euen di [...]grace in her delight did breed;
Firing beholders hearts▪ that came to scorne her,
So Beauty cloath'd in basenesse did adorne her:
That euen the good (who else the vice did blame)
Thought shee deserued pitty more then shame.
[Page]Condemning cunning Richards cruell mind,
VVho caus▪d her shame, the multitude to blind;
Lest it his greater mischiefe should behold,
VVhich his ambition plotters had in mold:
So in them was the force of feature seene,
Who if lesse famous, had more happy beene.
Thus Nature makes each Body with the mind,
Some way to keepe Decorum: for we find
Mark'd bodies, Manners crosse accompany,
VVhich in well shap'd we seld, or neuer see:
For shee doth Builder-like a Mansion frame,
Fit for the guest, should harbour in the same.
No Stature chuse too low, for so in t [...]me
Thy off-spring may proue dwarffes; yet doe not clime
To one too tall: for buildings mounted hi [...],
Their vpper roomes seldome well furnish'd be:
Herein obserue the meane, its best of all,
Let him not be obseru'd for low nor tall;
Fresh, liuely colours, which faire women grace,
Modest, effeminate, alluring face▪
Is not so much in Man to be respected,
As other graces are to be affected:
The bloome of Beauty is a fading flower,
VVhich Age and Care consumeth euery houre;
It blasted once, is euer after lost,
Like to a rose nipt with vntimely frost.
A manly face in Man is more commended,
Then a faire face from Sun and Wind defended.
[...] [...] [...] [...]
A Carpet Knight, who makes it his chiefe care
To tricke him neatly vp, and doth not spare,
(Though sparing) precious time for to deuoure,
(Consulting with his glasse) a tedious houre;
Soone flees (spent so) whiles each irrigular haire
His Barbor rectifies, and to seeme rare,
His heat-lost-lockes to thicken closely curles,
And curiously doth set his misplac'd purles;
Powders, perfumes, are then profusely spent,
To rectifie his natiue nasty sent:
This forenoones task perform'd, his way he takes,
And chamber-practis'd crauing, cursies makes
To each he meets; with cringes, & screw'd faces,
(which his too partial glasse approu'd for graces:)
Then dines, and after courts some courtly Dame,
Or idle busie-bout misspending game;
Then suppes, then sleepes, then rises for to spend
Next day as that before, as t'ware the end
For which he came: so womaniz'd turn'd Dame,
As place mōgst O [...]ids changlings he might claim;
VVhat? Doe not such discouer their wake mind,
(Vnapt for actiue vertue) is inclind
To superficiall things, and can imbrace,
But outward Habits for internall Grace.
The minds gifts doe the bodies grace adorne,
Where that's defectiue to affect is scorne:
For Actions hinder'd by too much obseruing
Of decency: but where a well deseruing
[Page]And setled reputation is; then there
Each thing becomes, and is accounted rare:
VVhere that's defectiue, striuing to affect
Anothers worth, their weaknesse doth detect.
Let thy Mate be what such doe striue to seeme,
Thou must the substance, not the shade esteeme:
VVhen thou hast found this well formed cabinet,
Try what rich Iewels are within it set,
Set wealth apart, thou shalt more clearely see
His Vertues (Riches dazell Iudgements Eye.)
Who weds for wealth: she onely wealth doth wed,
Not Man, which got, and in possession had,
Loue languishes: yet till ones death shees forced
To liue with him thogh wealth faile, yet diuorced
They cannnot be; so is shee all his life
His riches Widow (though shee be his Wife.)
That golden Age (when sullen Saturne raigned
For Vertues loue, (not Golds) the glory gained;
To be so stil'd, it was not then demanded
How rich in gold, or how that he was landed:
When they did wooe, simplicity had wont
be first, (which now is last, in least account)
With Vertue leading Loue, be Wedlocks aime,
And greatest wealth, a pure vnspotted name:
They liu'd and lou'd, then ioying each in other,
Not fearing that their Mate should loue another
Seduc'd by tempting Gold; their time they spent
Free from distrust, or open discontent:
[Page]But the next Age, when as our mother Earth,
(Fertile before in voluntary birth)
VVas sought into; and had her bowels torne
For hidden wealth: then whē the keel was worne,
Plowing the Ocean for his hidden store,
The sweet content did vanish was before.
The silly Maide (then ignorant of ill)
Hauing no wealth, might liue a Maiden still,
And die (except seduc'd) so; the poore swaine
(Though vertuous) was streight held in disdaine:
But yet the Wort [...]ies that the world brought forth
Since that blest Age, posponed wealth to worth;
Great Alexander did disdaine the offer,
Declining Darius with his Child did proffer,
Nor Maced's full of Gold, nor Eup [...]rates brim,
To bound his Empire, could innegle him:
But He for that, rather contemn'd his Foe,
For thinking He could haue beene conquer'd so;
True worth doth wealth as an addition take,
Defectiue vertues wants of weight to make,
Vertues best wealth, wherwith he [...]hould be nurst,
That smell stayes long, a vessell seasons first:
Yet build not there, for good natures depraued,
Are stil [...] the worst, so thou maist be deceiued.
See that he haue so spent his forepast time,
That he be free from censure of a crime,
Yout [...]s apt to slip: but a notorious deed
From Nature, not from Age, doth still proceed;
[Page]And though that Fortune herein oft hath part,
Yet th'actions still are iudged from the heart.
Adrastus thinking to reuenge the harmes
Of his dead Loue▪ his naked weapon warmes
In his brothers bosome (too deare bloud to spill)
Instead of his that did his Lady kill:
Fleeing to Craesus, he him entertain'd,
VVhere his beha [...]iour so much credit gain'd,
As Lydia's hope, young Atis, Craesus heire
He got in charge; whom hunting vnaware,
His haplesse hand vnfortunat [...]ly slew,
VVhiles at a Boare his dismall Dart he threw:
Yet was it thought intention, and not chance,
Till being freely pardoned the offence,
Lest more disast'rous chances should fall out,
His own self slaughter cleer'd them of that doubt:
Thus when opinion hath possest the mind,
It leaues a deepe impression long behind,
And they must doe much good, that haue done ill,
Ere they be trusted, wer't by fate or will.
See Drunkennesse, (from which all vices spring)
Doe no way staine him; for that still doth bring
Contempt, disgrace, and shame: Cyrce made swine
Of wise Vlisses fellowes, drunke with wine.
The Macedonian Monarch (lately nam'd)
Is not for worth so prais'd, as for that blam'd;
He in his drinke destroy'd his dearest friend,
That did fore him his Fathers deeds commend:
[Page]Nor could his after-teares wash off that staine,
Which doth to blot his actions still remaine:
For if one would his glorious actions shoe,
How strong? chast? valiant? mild to captiu'd foe?
With such braue deeds, though he the world hath fild,
Yet this still stayes. He drunke, deare Clytus kild.
No Gamester let him be: for such a Man
Shall still be looser, doe the best he can;
His mind and money it frets, and destroyes
And wasts the precious time he here enioyes,
Some in lesse time vnto some Art attaine,
Then others spend in Play; somes pleasing vaine
Will seeme so mild, in this deare double losse,
They outwardly not take it for a crosse:
But when all's gone (for they but then giue ouer)
Their smother'd anguish they at last discouer;
Whereof mans foe, the Fiend, aduantage takes,
Whiles on selfe-slaughter'd rockes, hee gathers wrakes.
Examples [...]ereof we may daily see,
How some by halter, some by poyson die;
And who goe not so farre, yet their last ends
Contemned need, and misery attends:
For this ill haunts them, who to play are bent,
They seldome leaue till their estate be spent.
With others sheetes let him not be acquainted,
(They are stil stain'd, whō once th [...]t sin hath tainted)
And neuer hope to haue him true to thee,
Who hath oft pray'd on chang'd variety:
[Page] Be sure who hath had choice, will nere digest
To feed on one dish, ( though of sweetest tast)
And who so strayes, loues not, but lusts; in one
Doth Loue delight, whē that leàues, Loue is gone;
For Grace and Lust nere harbour in one [...]nne,
And where Lust lodges, euer lodgeth Sinne:
Which Sinne when it is to a habit growne,
Not feare of God, (but Man) lest it be knowne,
Doth stay the execution: but be sure
Though the Act be hinderd▪ yet the harts impure,
VVhose Lusts will predomine in time and place,
Not ouerruld by God [...] [...] Grace.
Besides, he will be still suspecting thee,
Though thou beest pure as spotlesse Chastity:
For vice is euer conuersant in ill,
And guilty as it selfe thinkes others still.
Vpon this Earth there is no greater Hell,
Then with suspecting [...]ealousie to dwell.
See that his humors (as ncere as may be)
Doe with each humor of thy minde agree;
Or else contention, and dissention still,
VVill bar your sweet con [...]ent; while the ones will
The others doth resist, Loue cannot be
Twixt fire and water, they will nere agree:
True friendship must expresse twixt man & wife,
The comfort, stay, defence, and port of life,
Is perfect, when two soules are so [...]onfus'd,
And plungd together (which free wil hath chus'd)
[Page]As they can neuer seuer'd be againe,
But still one compound must of both remaine:
From which confused mixture, nere proceeds
Words of good turnes, requitals, helpes of needs;
For it is euer after but one soule,
Which both their wils & actions doth controule;
And cannot thanke it selfe for the owne deeds,
( What is done to it selfe, no selfe-lou [...] breeds▪)
But this holds not where humors disagree,
There's no concordance in disparity.
See he feare G [...]d, then will he feare to sinne,
VVhere vice doth leaue, there Vertue doth begin:
Sinne is nipt in the bud, when we doe mind
That Gods all light, and can in darkenesse find
VVhat we can hide from Man▪ the reines & heart
He searches through, & knowes each hidden part,
And each thought long before; we cannot hide
Our faults from him, nor from his censure slide.
The Wiseman saith, its Wisdomes first degree,
To haue a true feare of the Diety;
For that makes Honest: Honestie's commended,
VVhether sincere, or for a cloake pretended▪
The vulgar Honesty, seruant to Lawes,
Customes, Religions, Hope and feare it drawes;
Be more or lesse: According to the times
It still is wauering, difference of climes
Makes it vnequall, rather Policy
I may call such Respect, then Honesty;
[Page]VVhich still aspiring, quickly oft mounts hie,
And in short time vnto that marke comes nie;
At which it aimes: but builded on false grounds,
A sudden fall it vnawares confounds.
But Honesty doth alwaies goe vpright,
VVith setled pace; not wauering for the might
Of winds, times, nor occasions: it goes slow,
But still attains the end, towards which doth goe▪
Now such an Honest man I wish th [...]e find,
As still is Hon [...]st, out of Honest mind:
Thats Wisdome [...] first ground, next is to propose
A certaine forme of life; sor euer those
(VVho diuers in themselues) aime at no end,
But as occasion offers, each way tend;
Neuer attaine the marke. If Hawke assay
To trusse two Birds, shee doth on neither pray:
These grounds being laid, an vnfain'd Piety
Must build thereon, and though that diuers be
Religions, Lawes; yet ours amongst them all
Is truest, purest, most authenticall.
Religion true, loues God, and quiets vs,
And rests in a Soule, free and generous:
VVhe [...]e superstition is a franticke error,
A weake minds sicknes, & the owne Soules terror▪
Religious men doe still feare God for loue,
The supersticious, lest they torments proue.
Let thy Mate be a man, whose setled faith
In true Religion sure foundation hath:
[Page]For twixt those bodyes loue doth best reside,
Whose soules no selfe opinions doe deuide:
The foure chiefe [...]irtues next in order goe▪
From which the rest as from four fountains flow;
Prudence the first place hath, to see and chuse,
Which is so needfull, and of so great vse,
That with it weighty things doe seeme but light,
VVithout it nothing can be done of weight;
By it things euen gainst Nature are achieued,
A wise mind gaine [...] what many hands hath grieued:
Iust [...]e must be Himselfe first to command,
For sensuall things at Reasons Law must stand,
The Spirits power keepes the passions still in awe,
And strictly bounds them with an austere Law,
VVith Moderation it guides our desires,
(VVe must not all condemne) Natur [...] requires
To loue things neat and needful, base things hate,
Its wantonnesse to liue too delicate:
But its mere madnesse to condemne the things,
Which needfull vse, and common custome brings.
Next to his Nei [...]hbour, he that right must doe
Which he expects▪ (freely not forced thereto;)
Whom Law constraines, they falsifie all trust,
Its conscience, not constraint that makes men iust:
As iust, so valiant would I haue him be,
Not out of rashnesse or stupidity,
It is a constant patient resoluti [...]n
Of bashlesse Courage gainst the reuolution,
[Page]Of times and fortunes it regards not paines,
VVhere Honor is the Hire, Glory the gaines:
Its sensible carefull mans selfe to saue,
Not daring offer wrong, more then receiu [...];
As Prudent, Iust, and valiant, so He must
Be temperate, this vertue hath foule lust,
And pleasure for its obiect, it commands,
Laps, & re [...]ormes our sensuall thoughts; it stands
Twixt a desire, and dulnesse of our nature,
And is the spurrer on, or the abater
Of ill or good, shamefast in refusing
Thing, filthy, honest in things comely chusing;
Though with perfection these no one man fits,
Yet let him be free from their opposits:
He must be sober, not giuen to excesse,
It cures, and keepes in health, mind it doth dresse;
Making it pure, and capable of good,
It's Mother, and good counsell is the Brood:
Excesse doth dull the Spirits, and breeds disease,
So after punished by what fi [...]st did please.
Learn'd let him be, his learning generall,
Profound in none, yet haue some skill in all;
VVhose deeply learn'd, his Booke is most his Wife,
Conuersing still with it, so of his Life
His Wife not halfe enioyes: for most i [...] spent
In study, so what should yeeld most content,
Societies debard; I doe wish then
VVho are meere Schollars, may liue single men:
[Page] Learning besots the weake, and feeble mind;
But pollishes the strong, and well inclind:
The one [...]aine-glory puffes with selfe-conceit,
The others braine is setled iudgements seat.
Then so learn'd let him be, as may chuse
Flow [...]rs of best Bookes, whos [...] sweet sent he may (vs [...],
To rectifie his knowledge, and distill
From thence life-blessing precepts, which so will
Temper his vnderstanding, that the frowne
Of fickle Fortune, neuer shall cast downe:
Not bould in speech no man of many words
Chuse thou a Husband; leauy tree affords
The smallest store of fruit: Both words and deeds
Seldome, or neuer from one Man proceeds.
Who guides his words, he in a word is wise;
Yet let him not be sullenly precise,
But gentle, pleasing not crabbed, or tart,
The wise mans tongue is euer in his heart;
The fooles heart's in his tongue: it is great gaine
For to be silent, and ones selfe containe.
And see with whomsoeuer he conuerse,
(Left he be thought ill nurtur'd, or peruerse)
That he be kind, obsequious, affable,
To fit himselfe vnto their humors; able
To change condition with the time, and place,
Is wisdome, and such leuity doth gra [...]e:
So Aristippus each face, each behauiour,
Did still become, and was a gracing fauour.
[Page]Choose thou a Husband older by some yeares
Then thou thy selfe art, Man age better beares
Then Women: for bearing of children makes
Their Strength decay, soon beauty them forsakes;
Many crops makes a field soone to be bare,
Where that that b [...]ares not long continues faire.
Now Lady such a man I wish you find,
As here I haue describ'd; with whom'to bind,
Your selfe, is to be blest, leading a life
Full of content, free from contentious strife.
A Wiues behauiour.
BVt to find good, is not enough to show,
But hauing found him, how to keepe him so;
Then since I haue aduis'd you how to chuse him,
I will giue some aduice how you should vse him.
Obedience first thy will to his must fit,
(He is the Pylot that must gouerne it)
It man condemnes of inability,
VVhen Women rule, that is born to obey:
Nor is it Honor to Her, but a shame,
To be match'd with one onely man in na [...]e:
But if imperious, He should more desire,
Then due respect doth of a Wife require;
Think not harsh stubbornnes wil ere procure him,
To be more mild, (it rather will obdure him.)
The whip and lash the angry Horse inrages,
Mild voice and gentle str [...]ke his ir [...] asswag [...]s:
[Page]From steele-struck flint we see the lightning flies,
But struck gainst wooll, the flas [...]ing flame none spies;
Nor is the clangor hard: the ones soft nature
Is to the others hardnesse an abature.
VVin thou thy Mate with mildenes: for each cr [...]sse
Answer'd with anger, is to both a losse;
Like as the Sea which gainst a churlish rocke,
Breaks brauing billowes with a boistrous stroke,
Seeking by raging force to throw on sands
The stiffe resisting rocke, which vnmou'd stands,
Repelling his bold billowes with like scorne,
As th'others brauery had bownst them beforne;
Thus both still striue, and striuing are orecome,
The rocke is worne, the Billow's crush'd in fome:
Whereas the Sea calmely the Sand imbraces,
And with smooth forehead louingly it graces;
Being content that it should bound his shore,
Yeelding to mildnesse, where force fail'd before.
So let thy mildnesse winne thy Husband to it,
If that doe not, then nothing else will doe it:
Beware you (willing) to no anger moue him,
If he perceiue't, he cannot thinke you loue him;
If anger once begin twixt Man & Wife,
If soone not reconcil'd, it turnes to [...]trife:
Which still will stirre on euery light occasion,
What might haue ceas'd in silence; then perswasiō
Of friends will hardly end: for euery iarre
Is ominons presaging life-long warre.
[Page]And where two ioin'd doe iar, their state decaies,
They goe not forward, wh [...] draw diuers wayes,
Being yoakt together: your first care must be,
That with your Husband you in loue agree;
As farre from fondn [...]sse be, as from neglect,
Mixing affection with a staid respect:
If toying fondnesse were Mans onely aime,
Not reason, but his lust should chuse his Dame;
VVhere Whores lasciuious, that can wayes inuen [...]
Should equalize thee: nay, giue more content:
No, th [...]se are not the Ioyes he hopes to find,
The Body not so much he weds, as mind▪
Be neuer fond, nor without cause vnkind,
These are the fruits of an inconstant mind:
Thou must not if his fortunes doe decline,
Be discontented, or seeme to repine;
But beare a constant countenance, not dismaid,
As if you were of misery afraid:
His fortunes you must good or bad abide,
VVith chaines of mutuall loue, together tide.
The losse of that which blind-fold Chance doth giue,
Cannot a worthy generous mind agrieue:
For it will neuer take it for a crosse,
VVhich cannot make one wicked by its losse;
Nor by the gaining good, both foole and knaue,
Are often rich, if such afflictions haue,
They driue them to despaire: but draw the wise,
VVith eleuated thoughts, such things despise.
[Page] Seneca saith, the gods did take delight
To see graue Cato, with his Fate to fight:
O what should we, whose hopes doe higher rise?
If Heathens thus could worldly things despise.
Affliction oft doth mount the Wiser hie,
Ioseph and Iob rose by aduersity:
Its signe of a weake mind to be deiected
For worldly losse, (such neuer are respected.)
If thou wouldst not be irksome to thy mate,
Be cheerefull, not succumbling with his fate:
Yet if that anguish doth afflict his mind,
You must not seeme so from the world refind,
As to disdaine what humaine crosse brings forth,
Pride to be singular, that is, not worth:
Nay, thou must be a mirror, to reflect
Thy Husbands mind; for as is his aspect,
So should be thine. Pale Phaebe yeelds no light,
VVhē the interpos'd earth bars his Phaebus sight:
But when no obiect intercepts his streames,
Shee decks her selfe with light rebating beames;
Euen so as is thy Husbands ioy, or paine,
So must thy ioy and sorrow wax, or waine:
Be not too curious in his waies to prie,
Suspition still makes the suspected trie;
Iealousie's feare: for why should shee suspect,
That knowes her selfe guilty of no defect?
If he perceiue thee of thy selfe despaire,
He will thinke sweeter ioyes are otherwhere,
[Page]which thou dost want; so thou thy selfe shalt giue
The first occasion to what may thee grieue▪
Thy owne desert must Him vnto thee bind,
Desert doth make a sauage to be kind:
It is an Adamantine chaine to knit,
Two soules so fast, nought can them disunit;
Where that most sweet communion of the minds,
Saue each in other, no contentment finds;
And whatsoeuer the one touches neare,
Iealousie, the other nere conceales for feare.
Brutus his honor dearer pris'd then life,
Concredited to Portia his Wife;
What feare from dearest friends caus'd him con­ceale,
Worth and desert made him to her reueale
Great Caesars death, and who his consorts were,
VVith their designes, he did impart to her;
Nor is their birth, or beautie of such might,
To alienate their hearts, or giue delight:
VVho had more beauty then that captiu'd Queen
The faire Statira▪ when in griefe was seene
The pearly haile blasting her beautie fields,
VVhich seemelinesse euer cloath in sorrow yeelds;
Being grac'd with modesty, and vnstain'd faith,
More force still fairenesse with such fellowes hath:
Yet could not her faire beauty moue the thought
Of Alexander, (though lesse faire haue brought
Oft Captaines to be captiues) nor her state
(Shee being married) did affection bate:
[Page]For then her Virgin Daughter yet vnstaind,
(VVhose beauty all comparison disdaind,
Going her louely Mother so before,
As shee did all the rest of Asia's store)
Should quickly haue intangled his desire,
VVhose heart all one, Roxane's loue did fire:
For if proportion, colour, wealth, or birth,
Could haue captiu'd the Monarch of the Earth;
These should haue won: but he did her preferre,
VVhose onely merits pleaded loue for her.
Deserue then not in shew, but from the heart,
Loue is perpetuated by desert:
As it befits not Man for to imbrace
Domesticke charge, so its not Womans place
For to be busied with affaires abroad:
For that weake sexe, it is too great a load,
And its vnseemely, and doth both disgrace,
When either doth vsurpe the others place:
Leaue his to him, and of thine owne take charge,
Care thou at home, and let him care at large,
Thou hast enough thy selfe for to imploy
VVithin door [...]s, 'bout thy house and huswifery:
Remember that its said of Lucresse chast,
when some Dames wantoniz'd, others tooke rest,
Shee with her Maidens first her taske would end,
Ere shee would sleepe: shee did not idle spend
Swift running Time, nor ga [...]e alluring pleasure
The least aduantage, to make any seisure
[Page]On her rare vertues. A soule vacant stili,
Is soone seduced to doe good or ill:
For like perpetuall motion is the mind,
In action still, while to this flesh confind;
(From which foule prison it takes often staines,
For absolutely good no man remaines.)
Imploid if not bout good, about some ill,
Producing fruits which doe discouer still
How it is labour'd like a fertile field,
VVhich fruit, or weeds aboundantly doth yeeld,
As it is mannur'd; be not idle then,
Nor giue vice time to worke vpon thy braine
Imagined ill: for what it there conceiues,
It oft brings out, and in dishonor leaues:
The purest things are ea [...]iest to be staind,
And it's soone iost which carefully was gaind.
Penelope did wheele and distaffe handle,
And her dayes worke vndid at night by candle;
Nor labour-forcing need compeld that taske,
which toyling dayes, and tedious nights did aske:
(For shee was Queene of Ithack) twas her name,
which vertuous care kept spotles free from blame;
One of so many suiters of each sort,
As for her loue did to her Court resort,
Not speeding; would haue spoke that might her staine,
The greatest hate, when loue turnes to disdaine:)
If colour could haue made their knauery stronger,
But enuie could not find a way to wrong her.
[Page]Be thou as these, carefull of hous-wifery,
With Prouidence whats needful still supply:
Looke thy Maids be not idle, nor yet spend
Things wastingly: for they so oft offend,
VVhen carelesse is the Mistris; yet with need
Nere pinch them, nor yet let them ere exceed:
The one doth force them seeke thee to betray,
The other makes them wanton, and too gay;
It is no shame to looke to euery thing,
The Mistris eye doth euer profit bring.
Salomon saith, the good Wife seekes for flaxe
And wooll, wherewith her hands glad trauell takes:
Shee's like a ship that bringeth bread from farre,
Shee rises ere appeare the morning Starre;
Vittels her H [...]ushold, giues her Maidens food,
Surueyes, and buyes a field, plants vines, with good
Gain'd by her hands: What Merchandize is best
S [...]e can discerne, nor doth shee goe to rest
When Phoebus hides his head, and barres his sight,
But by her Lampe, her hands doe take delight
To touch the wheele and spindle; shee doth stretch
Her hand to helpe the poore, and needy wretch:
Her words are wisdome, shee [...]re'sees her traine,
That idle none doe eate their bread in vaine;
Her children rise and blesse her, sweet delight
Her Husband takes still in her happy sight:
Be thou this carefull Goodwife, for to lend
Thy helping hand, thy Husbands meanes to mend.
[Page]Last let thy conuersation be with such,
As foule mouth'd malice can with no crime tutch;
I cannot but condemne such as delight
Still to be sad and sullen in the sight
Of their owne Husbands, as they were in feare,
( Sure guilty of some crime such Women are)
But when they gossip it with other wiues
Of their owne cut, then they haue merrie liues,
Spending, and plotting how they may deceiue
Their Husbands, rule themselues, & mastry haue;
O let such Women (for they make bates be
Twixt Man and Wife) neuer consort with thee:
But shunne them, as thou dost see one that's faire
Flee the small poxe; both like infectious are.
The graue, staid, blamelesse, and religious Dames,
whose carriage hath procur'd them honest names;
Are fit companions, let such be thy Mates,
VVhen wearied with affaires, thou recreates
Thy selfe with harmelesse mirth: yet do not walke
Often abroade, that will occasion talke;
Though thou hast store of friends, yet let none be
Sauing thy Husband, Counseller to thee;
Hee's nearest to thee, and it will indeare him,
He is thy selfe, thou needest not to feare him:
Be free with him, and tell him all thy thought,
Its He must helpe, when thou hast need of ought;
And constantly beleeue hee'll loue thee best,
VVhen he sees thou preferr'st him fore the rest.
[Page]Thus L [...]dy, haue I shew'd you how to chuse
A worthy Mate, and how you should him vse;
So chuse, so vse, so shall you all your life
Be in a Husband blest, he in a Wife:
And when Death here shall end your happy daies,
Your Soules shall raigne in Heauen, on Earth your prais [...].
FINIS.
THE DESCRIPTION of a …

THE DESCRIPTION of a good VVife: Or, A rare one amongst Women.

AT LONDON

Printed for Richard Redmer, and are to be sold at his shop at the West end of Saint Pauls Church, 1619.

The Argument.

IN pursuit of Loues enquest▪
Heauy-eyde Musophilus,
Restlesse takes himselfe to rest,
And desplaies his fortunes thus.
In his sleepe (deaths shade) appeares
Age, the honour of mans life,
Old in houres as well as yeeres,
Who instructs him in a Wife,
And in briefe assayes to [...]how,
Who is good, who is not so.
Next his choice, hee shewes his Sonne,
(Lest he should his choice neglect)
What by him ought to be done
To his Wife in each respect,
Who though shee should euer feare
To giue cause of iust offence,
Yet he ought not domineere
'Cause he has preheminence;
For that conquest's worthy no man,
Where the triumph o're a woman.
[Page]Age retires, yet in retire,
Wakes close-eyde Musophilus,
Where he sees whom his desire
Bids him wooe, and wooing chuse:
Woo'd and won, he doth inuite
Such as aime at vertuous ends,
To be present at the Rite
Of two selfe-vnited friends:
Who if they will, come they may,
If they will not, they may stay.

A good VVife,

DOwne by a vale a pleasant shade there was,
By which a siluer streamling past,
Where I retir'd and sate me on the grasse,
Whilest my deiected eye with sleepe lockt fast,
Presented thousand obiects where I was;
'Mongst which a grauer Module the [...] the rest
Appear'd to me, and made it thus exprest.
A graue olde man of reuerend aspect,
Whose yeeres imported somthing that was good,
In sable habit, shewing his neglect
"Of earthly Fortunes, as an obiect stood,
To caution me (me thought) of that respect
Which I should haue, and euer ought to haue
Of my times Mansion, Frailty, and my Gra [...]e.
A Sithe, an houre-glasse, and a wate [...]pot,
A fatall Deaths-head, Shrowding-sheete, and Bear [...],
An vrne of mouldred ashes, which▪ were got
From some darke charnell house as t'did appeare,
Where on was writ, This is our frailties lot,
This's all we shall possesse of all our store,
This beggers haue, and Princes haue no more.
[Page]The se were the r [...]liks which this old mā brought
Which oft he mou'd and brandish'd ouer me,
And still by teares he seem'd as if he sought
To caution me of my mortality,
But 'las his teares still drown'd his speech me­thought,
Till he at last by force did silence breake,
And to me sleeping thus began to speake;
Good rest my Sonne, yet (Sonne) retire from rest,
And heare thy Father, pray thee then awake,
For th [...]ugh I'me d [...]ad, yet is my loue exprest
E [...]en in my death; th [...]n for thy Fath [...]rs sake,
Lay vp these last instructions in thy brest,
Which with obseruance if thou keepe, th [...]y may
Che [...]re thee both here, and in the latter day.
Thou knowest my Sonne, though thou wert last in birth,
Thou wert not l [...]ast in my affection too,
Witnesse my care of thee, while I on earth,
Soiorned there in that same vale of wo [...];
Yea, I may say, euen in my comforts dearth,
When grieues and sorrowes did enuiron me,
Which frustrate hopes supplied their hope in thee
Nor could I thinke so many a widowes prayer,
Orphanes well wishes, and the poore mans vow,
Would turne my fruit of hope into despaire,
Since vowes, prayers, wishes, did distinctly show
Their loue to me for my deuoutest care,
Which from my heart I euer aimed at,
To right their wrongs, and settle their estate.
[Page]O let my hopes then now in my decease,
Confirme my Blessing which I gaue to th [...];
So shall thy Soule enioy that sou [...]raigne peace
Which was prepar'd 'fore all eter [...]itie,
For such as made a prosperous encrease
In euery vertuous action, which Ile show
Succinctly to thee in a word or two.
First then my Son [...]e, because I finde thee here
In th'Ile F [...]olonia, where so many come,
VVhose names & Natures with the Ile cohere,
I must by way aduertise thee of some
VVho (in disguise) not as themselues appeare
Earths polititians, who'l not stand to staine
Their soules pure lu stre for a little gaine.
These can dispēce with faith, & wilprofes
What they least thinke: to guild their guile they'l sweat:
Yet be their oathes shrowdes to licentiousnesse,
(Which thogh they seem a faire pretēce to bear [...] ▪)
Take but their vizard off, they're nothing lesse,
Then what they did protest: Beware of [...]hem,
For these be dangerous Hollow har [...]ed men.
Yet these be fooles, though they be politike,
In that they aime more at a priuate good,
A sensuall pleasure, honour▪ or such like,
Then at that supr [...]ame end, which vnderstood,
VVould their conceits to admiration strike;
For weak's their iudgement, and el [...]ion rash▪
That poize souls treasure lesse thē worlds trash.
[Page]Next vnto these, be such as doe aspire
Aboue their pitch, and with ambitious wings
So are far aboue their sphere: th [...]se do desire
Nought more then to be popular, which brings
A timelesse merited end, for they conspire
Their owne subuersion: for few eu [...]r [...]aue
A [...]bition sene graye-headed t [...] [...]er graue.
These reach at Scepters, but do [...]fttimes fall
Bel [...] their Center, and though they do make
Their owne opinions Axioms, and will call
Nought good, but what themselues do vndertake
Y [...]t by a publiqe verdit, when they shall
Conuict [...]d bee, then they'le confesse & say,
Non (thogh more seemin-gwise,) more fools thē they.
Next these be Prodigals, who spend their time
Like Circes chanted guests: these are but men
Onely in forme, for th'part which is diuine,
Remaines obscure and darker shines in them
Then a small star cl [...]ath'd in a cloud doth shine.
These men we well may formal shadowes call,
For saue meere shadowes, these are nought at all.
Alcynous mates, such as were borne to bee
But not to liue, pageants that goe and moue,
And weare good cloath's, yet view thē inwardly,
They are but Trunks at best, or Apes, that loue
Or make a shew of loue, whose ends we see,
When they haue run on shelfe their whole estate
Their Brothell gr [...]ting's changd into a grate.
[Page]And are not these vaine fooles, that make a losse
Of credit, bodie, state, to yeeld delight
For one poor moment? ô when they shall tosse
Those leaue of their account where appetite
Made them insensate and that weeping crosse,
Which their profuser follies brought them to,
They'le style themselues then Fooles in f [...]lio.
Next be th [...]se staines of honour, which defile
Those Temples which ought to be dedicate
To an Ethereall power: These though they'ue stile
Of women are nought lesse, for why they hate
What best beseemes that sex: & hence this Ile
Deriues her Name (and aptly doth it take,)
When th'stronger s [...]xe is ruled by the weake.
These are those lur [...]s of death which drawe men on
Vnto perdition; These are they that show
Like Flowers in May, but they are withered soon
(Euen with one breth, for painting (if you blow)
Makes the Complexion to be quite vndone:
Vnhappie she that when she sees one breath
Dissolues her varnish, will not think on death.
Of these my sonne no more will I relate
Then what I haue: now meane I to descend
To teach thee somthing for thy own estate
And how thou maist be to thy selfe a friend
With a good Conscience, which to violate
Were worst of euills: and to forme thy life
Better, I'le tell thee how t [...] chuse a wife.
[Page] Chuse thou thy wife ( my Sonne) nor faire nor foul [...],
Nor gay nor sluttish; silent, yet knowes when
And where it's fit to speak, one whose chaste soule
Shews modestie in blushes, and wil [...] len
No eare to light affections but ca [...] coole
Heate of desire (for such desires may bee
In purest loue) by her enioying thee.
Chuse a fixt eye, for wandring lookes display
A wauering disposition; let her cheeke
Be without art: Chuse me a bashfull nay
Before a qui [...]k assent; for such as seeke
Husbands, for feare they should too long time stay,
Resemble thos [...] who know their ware is worst,
And therefore mean to sell't to whō comes first.
Chuse one that's so discreet knows when to spare,
VVhen to expresse herselfe in bountie, so
As neither niggard-nature may haue share
In her, nor lauishnes, when shees'd bestow
What Rep [...]tation claimes, which speciall care
Imports a soueraigne complement or end
To such, know when & where to spare or spend.
Chuse thee no gadder (for a wife should bee
In this respect (I'me sure) like to a Snaile,)
VVho (hous-wifelike) still in he [...] house we see;
For if her care or prouidence do faile,
Her howse-affaires will go disorderlie,
And hardlie can that VVife endure to stay
In her owne house, whose minde's another way.
[Page] Chuse thee no liquorish Gossip, whose delight
Is how to please her taste, for seldome can
One that's exposed to her appetite
Conforme her to the state of any man,
VVhich to an honest minde would be a spite,
That when thou wish's thy wife a competent
Fitting her ranke, she will not be content.
Chuse thee no coy precisian, she is too smooth
To proue sincere, in simpringst looks we finde
Oft most deceit, for these (as th'water doth
Seeme calmest where thei're d [...]pest) let thy minde
Be so prepar'd, as thou wilt euer loath
Such formalists She-doct [...]ns, who haue sought
To teach far more then euer they were taught.
Chuse thee no wanton that will prostitute
Her soule for sensuall pleasure, there attends
Nought vpon such, but blasting of repute▪
Horrid diseases, miserable ends,
With which their vi [...]ious liues doe euer sute▪
And worst of worsts, that issue which is got
Of Such, may seeme thine owne, but it is not.
Chuse thee no VVife that is selfe-singular
She'le be her owne instructresse, and in that
Shee (through presumption) will be bold to err [...],
Hating reproofe, which will orethrow thy state,
Beware ( my Sonne) thou shalt be tide to her,
Which seruitude (though it be too to common)
Disualues man that's subiect to a woman.
[Page] Chuse one for vertue (though a Portion's good)
Yet deare's the Portion if thy wife be ill:
Ranke not in mariage with too high a blood
Lest with her birth she chance to twitt [...]hee still,
Equalitie hath euer firmest stoode,
Where if descent of different order be
It's seldome sene that th'parties do agree.
Chuse one that's wise, yet to herselfe not so,
Louing to all, familiar to few
Inwardly faire, though meane in outward show,
Seldom conuersing in a publique vew;
Nor yong nor old, but has of yeares enow
To know vvhat huswife meanes, & such an one
As may supplie thy place whē th'art from home.
Chuse one that like a Bosome-friend can keepe
Th'imparting of a secret, yet before
Thou dost commit to her matters more deepe
And consequent, thy iudgement should explore
And sound her disposition, so mai'st reape
What thou expectst: for if thou find a power
Apt to conceale, make her thy counsell [...]ur.
Chuse one whose Spirit's ready to receaue
Impression of remorce for others grieues,
For such, best tempered natures euer haue
(And kind is she that others vvoes relieues)
Let her be open-hand'd to such as craue
If they be needie, for thou ne [...]er heard
Alme [...] (in charitie) lose her reward.
[Page] Chuse one whose Education is more good
Then curious, whose life's more approu'd
Then noted, chuse one vvhose Parentall blood
Makes claime to vertue and is more belou'd
For her more choicer parts, then to be wo'ed
To an vnchaster motion, being inclin'd
To prize her bodies Beautie by her mind.
Chuse one vvhose knowing Parents can augment
Their daughters portion by a firme aduise,
One who will measure her's by thy content,
Whose spotlesse thoghts be vvritten in her eyes,
Whose Brest is thine clos'd in one Co [...]tinent,
Who know's y [...]t seemes as if she did not know,
Inwardly good vvithout an outward show.
Chuse one who can play Mother, ere she haue
The name of Mother, one that hates nought more
Then not to learne, one that imprints her gra [...]e
Still in her memory, addes to thy store
With an aduised providence, nor doth craue
More of internall knowledg then to try
Her selfe on earth, and study how to die.
Chuse one who makes it greatest of her feare
T'incurre suspicion, that esteemes her name
Before a world of Treasure, that can beare
Affliction with indifference, and thinks sh [...]me
A Matrons comliest habit, one that's deare
In her Creators sight, and feares to do
Oug [...]t that thy selfe will not assent vnto▪
[Page] Chuse one who doth desire to make each▪ day
Her lises Eph [...]meris, summing in th'euening tide
VVith what respect she past her howres away;
Chuse [...] that doa [...]es not on the name of Brid [...]
VVith [...] new [...]angle itching, but will stay
To reason what it meanes, and is afraid
(In mod [...]st shame) to loose the stile of Maid.
Chuse on [...] who's qualifide better in minde
Then Bo [...]ie: yet if she affect the straine
Of harmelesse chamber▪musiqu [...], let her fi [...]de
Thy minde in consort with her, (for thogh vaine)
Yet 'ti [...] an easie vanitie, and vnkinde
Mightst thou be deemd to bar her that delight,
Which may be shown euen in an Angels sight.
Chuse one whose count'nance promiseth respect
Vnto her honour: one that spends the morne
In praying, not in painting, whose neglect
Is in [...]ut-landish fashions and doth scorne
To fancie that which lightnesse doth affect:
One whose liues pattern rests as vncontrold,
And makes her Youth by imitation old.
Chuse one whose house hath no affinitie
With follie, lust, ambition, sel [...]e-conceit,
Propha [...]enesse, discord, prodigalitie,
Schisme, Superstition, violence, deceit,
Op [...]re ssion, surfets, damned vsurie,
For where these raigne ( my Son) we seldome see
Descent of state vnto the third degree.
[Page] Chuse one whō thou canst loue, not for constraint
Of fortune or of [...]riends, for what are these
That thou by them shouldst measure thy content?
No, No, in mariage thou thy selfe must please,
Or euery day will be an argument
Of thy succeeding sorrow, then be wise,
Carue for thy selfe, yet heare thy friends aduise.
Chuse one whose free election can admit
None saue thy selfe that she can dearely loue,
Yet so discreet as she can silence it
Till th'time her Parents shall her choice approue,
(For that implies her modestie and wit)
Where rash assents whens 'euer they doe come,
Are euer seene to bring Repentance home.
Chus [...] one whose Conscience and religion meet
In one set concord with the [...], for it's [...]his
That cements minds together, and makes sweet
Th'vnse [...]nedst passions, giuing way to blisse
And future glory, where the peacefull seat
Of two distinct mindes now reduc'd to one,
Shews equall temper both in mirth and mo [...]e.
Chuse amongst these thou canst not Chuse amiss [...],
For here's a full variety of such
Will fit thy mind as thou thy self wouldst w [...]sh,
Yet ( Sonne) attempt not with vnhalowed tutch
To taint their honour with a wanton kisse,
For that is but inducement vnto sin,
Sith Kisses be the keieslet Treason in.
[Page]Therefore chuse one, and that but only o [...]e,
One that may make two Bodies one-vnite,
One that is essence-lesse if left alone
VVithout her second; One whose sole delight
Is vanisht when her second soule is gone:
One that renewes her comfort in her make,
And ioyes in her affliction for his sake.
Yet know ( my son) when thou this wife dost chuse,
And (after sute) art master of thy choise,
It's fit thou should this louely mirror vse
VVith that respect as she may hence reioice
To haue a mate so rightly generouse.
As with a Wiues-choise therefore I begun,
Il'e shew what by a Husband should be don.
He may command, yet should not tyrannize,
Shew himselfe head, yet not to make his wife
His f [...]ot, esteeme her as his o [...]ly prize,
(All other Blanks) hate all intestine stris [...]
(Saue strife in loue,) he should not exercise
The patience of his wife, for one may wrong
Silence too much, and force her haue a tongue.
He may expresse his loue with modestie,
Yet neuer coll and kisse in open place,
For I should deeme such loue hypocrisie
Or some such thing, if I were in her case;
And better is loue showne in priuacie
Then 'fore the eies of men, for they will skan
Fondnesse or indiscretion in the man.
[Page] He may be free in loue, for sh [...]e's his owne,
Yet such a loue as is exempt from s [...]aine
Of an insatiate lust: he should not frowne
T'expresse his aw too much, his best of gaine
Should be to make her vertues riper growne;
He should dispence with lighter faults, not vex
Himselfe for trifles, shee' [...] the weaker sex:
H [...] may restraine her, but t'is not so good,
Restraint giues women greater appetite;
He may doe much, but who would wrong his blood,
His flesh, himself? he may curb her delight,
But who knows not whē women's most with▪ stood
Their wil's most forward & their wits most neere thē,
And wil be frolike thogh their husbāds heare thē?
He may haue care, but carking it is worse,
He may be getting, yet he should not scrape;
He should not slaue himselfe vnto his purse,
But freely vse it for his credit sake:
He shold not wean his wife from ought by force,
But by perswasion: for deprau'd's her will,
That's only forc'd by violence from ill.
He may part stakes, or all, but it were better
To ioine in purse as they doe ioine in care,
Where each to other may remaine a debter,
For where the man doth limit th'Wife a share,
Oft turnes the Wife to be her husbands cheater,
Which to preuent (if hee'le be sure of her)
In stake, state, store, make her his Treasurer.
[Page]He may be Iealous, but't implies suspect
That he misdoubts what he himself hath bene,
Or that he's troubled with som weake defect
His VVife perceaues, thogh to the world vnseene
And that from hence proceedethher neglect
Of honour to his Bed: which (sure) would show
Basenes in him, and [...]orce her to doe soe.
He may picke cause and matter of offence
(But that would much degenerate from man)
He may heare such, as would sowe difference
Twixt their vnited loues; but if he scan
And rightly weigh mans natiue excellence,
He will conclude with this, that there is no [...]
So base, to vrge off [...]nce against a woman.
He may be busie where h'as nought to doe,
And intermedle in his wiues affayres,
But fit it is not that he should doe soe
For in employments ech haue distinct shares,
Nor she to his, nor he to hers should goe:
For so the Breeches she might seeme to weare,
And he a Coate-queanes name as rightlie beare.
He may thinke well on's wife, yet not commend
(For he doth praise himself, doth praise his wife):
He should in life prepare him for his end
And mould his end by forming of his life:
He should repose no trust in anie friend
In or without him, saue in the firme defence
Of a resolu'd and spotlesse Consci [...]nce▪
[Page]Lastly he may (for it is in his power)
Now in his Exit, when he turnes to earth
To make his wife his sole Executour
And by that meanes to begger all his birth,
But I should rather limit her a dower
Which might her ranke and order well befit,
For then so soone she will not him forget.
These are the Cautions ( Sonne) I'd haue thee keep,
Which well obseru'd wil crowne thy happy stat [...],
Folding thy dull eyes in a cherefull sleepe,
Blessing thy fortune w [...]th a vertuous Mate;
Storing thy states content with such a heape
Of peacefull Treasure, as thou [...]here shalt finde
Enough of wealth in thy contented minde.
Awake thee then, dull sleepe preuents thy [...],
Here comes she whom thy fancy may approue,
Awake I say, and in thy Fate reioice
That thou hast met with such a modest Loue:
Come come, if thou in Reasons Scale wilt poize
Thy selfe with her, thou wilt not curious be
But take good Fortune while it's offerd thee
Awake, I vade: I wak'd, he vanished,
Where casting my amased eyes aside
Sent from the Recluse of a troubled head,
A modest bashfull virgin me espide,
Whom I approachd, being emboldened
By th'Apparition which assur'd no lesse
Vnto my hopes then honour and successe.
[Page]This Virgins name Simpliciana hight,
Daughter vnto Zelocto the precise,
Who had me once before discarded quite,
Because my weaker fortunes did not rise
To the hight of her expectance, yet that night
(So feruent is affection) did that Maide
Trace me along to make her Loue displaide.
Shame curb'd her tongue, yet fancy bad her speak,
While I suppli'd her silence with my speach,
And thus her passion for her selfe did break,
Whilst shee stood by and seconded the breach
With a teare-trickling eye and blushing cheeke,
Where thus I woo'd my selfe, yet in her name,
Shewing her loue, yet shadowing her shame.
Sir I doe loue you (thus I did begin)
I pray you make your selfe your Orator,
And so I did, yet taxe me not of sin
Or lightnesse, vnfain'd loue omits no houre
Though be distemper'd, but will let him in
Whom shee affecteth, for when all's asleepe,
Loues eies are said continuall watch to keepe.
I haue a Mother Sir (and then she smil'd)
For well shee knew what I intend'd to speake,
Whom to obey i'me bound because her child,
Yet Reason tels me when we husbands seeke,
The stile of Parents is in part exil'd,
For we (by virgine-losse) lose our first name,
And as our husband's stil'd, wee're stil'd the same.
[Page]What then though Riches please anothers eye,
My reason tels me there is something more
To consummate true ioy, then can relye
On outward fortunes, therefore once I swore,
And I will keepe my vow religiously,
If e' [...]e I wed (as halfe resolu'd I am)
It shall not be the substance but the Man.
Yea, though I were oppos'd on either side,
(My Father heere, my chiding Mother there)
Yet neither of their humors should deuide
My deerest Soule from her orbiculer,
For I doe know, though that my Mother chide,
My Father fret, and both stand chafing o're me,
I did but that themselues haue done before me.
With that s [...]e broke her speech, with, S r. quoth she
You wooe well for your selfe, but I approue
What you haue spoke shall be confirm'd by me,
Nor shall my silent passion shrowd my loue,
For as thy shadow I will follow thee;
Where I assenting to what both had said,
Kist and clapt hands, & so the match was made.
Now if you like our Match, giue vs our due
And bid your selues vnto our Nuptiall day,
Our best of welcome shall attend on you,
Yea, th' Bride herselfe (all nicenesse lay'd away)
Will meet you with a frollique game-some crue,
Where to your choice contents, & Loues among,
Wee'le be as merry as the day is long.
But if (through some dogg'd humour) you'le not come,
The Bride-groome saies, A Gods-name stay at h [...]me.

The Authors choice.

FAire may shee be, but not opinion'd so,
For that opinion euer lackies pride;
Louing to all, yet so as Man may know
She can reserue the proper name of Bride,
For weake is that Fort and easie is't to win
That makes a Breach for all to enter in.
I'de haue her face and blush to be her owne,
Forth' Blush which Art makes is adulter ate,
Splene may she haue, yet wise to kepe it downe,
Passion, yet Reason too to moderate:
Comely not gaudy: she & none but shee
Wears the best cloathes that wears to her de­gree.

To his 5 equally-affectionate Sisters all vertuous content.

TO you that are the chiefest of my care,
Tyes of my loue and figures of my life,
Send I this Character, where ech may share
Her equall portion in my rare-good Wife,
And be the Same, which I'me resolu'd you are:
So shall your Husbands say (I doubt it not,)
The Sisters liues prou'd what their Brother wrot.
Yours iointly as his owne, MVSOPHILVS.

Upon the Married Life.

HAppy state, yet 'las how few
Thinke them happy in their choice,
When they shun whom they did sue,
And in loath'd delights reioice;
Loath'd though lou'd, since they are growne
To loue others, loath their owne?
But who marries to impart
Selfe and substance to his wife,
Ioining with his hand his hart,
On [...]ly gaines this blisse of life,
Yea to him i [...] solely giuen
To thinke Earth a kinde of Heauen.
Happy then or haplesse most,
For of all this hath no meane,
Losing least or euer lost,
Being still in her extreame;
Good if vs'd; abused, ill,
Onely well where there's one will.

Vpon the single Life.

THis by times-distempers fed,
Feeles vertigo in his head,
Euer wooing, neuer sped;
Lou'd he liues, if loathed, dead,
So as nought but doubts and feares,
Buz like hornets in his eares.
C [...]re he needs not, yet's his care
More in that he needeth lesse,
Ayming to haue one may share
With him in his bale and blesse;
Gad he would yet knowes not where,
Wandring Starre-like heere and there.
Care who loues then, let him liue
Single; whereas such neede lesse,
As themselues to marriage giue,
For these want what they possesse:
Care whereof breedes now and then
Broken sleep [...]s in many men.
Thu [...] choice breeds care, He only may reioice,
Who ha's shak't hands with care and ta'ne his choice.
REMAINS after Death: …

REMAINS after Death:

Including by way of introdu­ction diuers memorable obseruances occasioned vpon discourse of EPITAPHS and Epycedes; their distinction and definition seconded by appro­ued Authors.

ANNEXED THERE BE diuers select Epitaphs and Hearce-attending Epods worthie our obseruation: The one describing what they were which now are not: The other comparing such as now are with those that were.

D [...]gnum laude virum musa vetat mori.

By RICHARD BRATHVVAYTE Gent.

Imprinted at London by IOHN BEALE

1618.

TO THE READER.

IT may be obiected (Reader) that small is the concurrence, lesse the coherence in the titles of these two Subiects, plea­santly concluding that it were pittie; Death should so soone seaze on a good-wife by the course of nature, as shee is had heere in pursuit by Deaths remaind [...]r. But this obiection may be answered by a twofold solution: First, the Printers importunacie, whose desire was in regard of the breuitie of the former part, to haue it by the an­nexion of some other proper Subiect enlarged; t [...] whose reasonable demand I equally condescen­ded. Secondly, the Subiects propriety, which, how­sceuer by the iudgement of the Critik censurer traduced (the pitch of whose knowledge aimes rather at taxing then teaching) concurres as well with the precedent Title, as Man with mortalitie, Time with mutabilitie, Life with death. And as the m [...]re vertuous the neerer ofttimes their disso­lution, which no doubt proceedes from Gods mercy [Page] that they might haue of him a fuller contempla­tion; so we commonly see the best Wiues limited to the shortest times, approued by that Maxime:

For this each daies experience seemes to show
Ill wiues liue longer farre then good ones doe.

Let this suffice: if not, let the Subiect it selfe write his censure, whose singu­laritie makes of each thing an error.

MVSOPHILVS.

OBSERVATIONS VPON Epitaphs: their Antiquitie and vse; with Authoritie from approued Authors of their deriuations; with diuers other memorable oc­currences.

AS the memory of the dead consists vpon the life of the liuing: so their vertues or vices giue testimony of the dead, whether worthy the me­mory of the liuing, or to be buried in eternall obliuion? For this cause are Epitaphs (and euer haue beene) engrauen vpon the Monu­ments, Tombes and Sepulchers of the dead, either to expresse their fame, or by modest silencing what they were, to intimate how their actions li­uing, deserued no great memory dying. Some I distinguish (Epitaphs I meane) of this nature, in­to Morall, others into Diuine, and other is pro­phane. Morall (to giue instances in each kinde) be such as include a morall or excellent vse to be [Page] made by the liuing of the Actions of the dead, by recourse had to their Monuments, where mortalitie is not onely liuely expressed, but their conditions sully and amply charactred. Such were the Epitaphs of Cyrus, Semiramis, Laomedon.

It is recorded Vide Quin­tum Curtium in Sup. & vit. cyr. when Alexander that great Monarch of the World came into Persia, and there chanced to see the famous Tombe of Cyrus whereon was engrauen this Epitaph or inscripti­on: Whosoeuer thou be, or whencesoeuer thou shait come and beholdest this Tombe, know that I am Cy­rus who translated the Empire from the Medes to the Persians: pray thee do not enuie me, for this little clod of earth that doth couer me. Alexander (I say) see­ing this inscription, could not containe himsel [...]e from teares: making (without all question) this morall vse of it: That Princes (though neuer so potent or eminent, so victorious or puis [...]ant) but becomes subiect to the commo [...] doome and cen­sure of Fate, and must of necessitie leaue all their conquests and victories (by a forced surrender) to the ineuitab [...]e command of death. So as Alex­ander when he beheld the Tombe of Achilles, cri­ed out, Felix es, qui't al [...]m laudum tuarum praeconem habuisti (nenipe Homerum:) so heere he wept bit­terly, saying. Infelix es Cyre qui tantis victorijs inclytus extitisti, tamen à m [...]rte te vinci patieris. We reade (that I may goe forward in prosecution of instances of this nature:) That Cyrus (also) [Page] when he beheld the Tombe of that memorable Queene Sem [...]ramis, and saw this to be writ vpon it: Whosoe [...]er shall digge vp this stone which now doth [...] me, shall finde an infinite masse of treasure vn­der it, [...] the same to be taken vp; which being done (instead of Treasure) he found this morall vnder it; None but misers (or godlesse persons) would d [...]gge vp the Graues of the dead. An excellent caution for the couetous wretch, who is euer catchi [...]g by hoo [...]e or crooke, Quo iure, qua (que) iniuri [...], per fas nefasve; not regarding the meanes, so he may attaine the end; nor respecting pietie nor common humanitie publique causes or Countries benefit, so he may please his vnsatis­fied desires. But this violation of the dead, thi [...] in­iury done against those who sleepe in peace, hath been euen by the Pagans themselues esteemed ex­ecrable: so as the In the d [...]s­course of Asia and Affr. vid. Egypt Solem. Funer. Aegyptians are interred with their best gems, or­naments, and Iewels: which (so strickt be their Lawes in that re­spect) are neuer embezeled, but remaine with them; hoping (saith the [...]istorian) that their substance will deliuer them if any punishment or vnworthy censure should be inflicted on them. The tombe and mo­nument of that perfidious Prince ( c Laomedon) had this Epitaph:

[Page]Qui cum Hoste fidem fefellit
Cum morte fidem seruauit.

The morall thus expressed: When Hercules (in the deliuery of Troy from that deuouring mon­ster, a Whale; and in the rescuing of Laomedons faire daughter Hesyone, should by couenant haue receiued two milk-white steeds: the king retiring to his (miserable Troy) commanded the gates of the Citie to be shut against him; infringing his faith and promise; which so incensed the ire and indignation of Hercules against him, as within few yeares his Citie was sacked and demolished, his Subiects captiued, his daughter to Telamon es­poused; and himselfe (to extinguish the remain­der of ingratitude, fully to appease the enraged furie of Hercules, was slaughtered. Whose mo­nument was reserued (as a perpetuall remem­brance of perfidious dealing to his posterity, with the inscription aboue mentioned.

Tombes The antiqui­tie of Tombes. haue beene aunciently vsed; as wee may reade in sacred writ: where one Sepulcher was kept solemnly for a whole familie, euery one re­turning in Sepulchra maiorum: but neuer so sump­tuous before the erection of that memorable Tombe (or Shrine rather) of Prince Mausolus king of Caria: whose Queene Artemisia erected such a gorgeous Tombe in his memory, as all Se­ [...]ulchers since (especially of Romane Empe­rours, [Page] and Carian Princes) are called to this day Mausolea: the inscription this,

Site non teneat, tumulum struet offa tenere,
Quem tibi defuncto coniugis optat amor.

Two monuments we reade of to be famous, in that their erection was the foundation of many potent and puissant people: some also were taken for preseruers of that Region wherein they were planted and seated: as the Two aunci­ent Monuments which were cal­led Asyla pa­trizen. Tombe or Sepulcher of Aiax in the Rhe­tzan shore: and the Tombe of A­ [...]hilles in Sygaeum: Which two, euen to this day continue memorable: so as in the greatest depopulations and sackings of Cities, the ruinating of their Forts and Castles of defence, they were euer kept vntouched (as shrines and monuments inuiolate, obelisks con­secrate, or statues deified: supposing (in their owne blindnesse deceiued) that their preserua [...]i­on was deriued from them.

But to proceed in Epitaphs (on which our dis­course doth principally consist:) they are deriued from the Greeke [...] & signifie as much as an inscriptiō, or any thing which is pla­ced or-fixed vpon the Tombe ( Quae in scitis & scu­tis quorundam Regum vidimus, saith Lipsius:) as E­pycedion (deriued from [...] or lugubria ca­nere) are writ before or after the corps interred, but not vpon the Tombe: being more dilated [Page] measures, either expressing the memorable acti­ons of his life (or if nothing worthy in his life) at least modestly to shut vp his deser [...]lesse life, with a commemoration of humane frailty: silen­cing [...]he person, lest his description should mini­ster either matter of offence or assentation: of of­fence, if truely expressed; of ass [...]ntation, if aboue merit praised. Hee that neither benefited him­selfe nor his Countrie; (but vt Canis in presepi) was rightly demonstrated with this Impressa, Hic Vir diu fuit: This man was long, but liued not long: for life and being haue an essentiall diffe­rence. We are said to liue when we exp [...]esse our life by externall effects, knowing [...]or what wee were ordained; for what borne; not to retire our selues from publique affaires, for priuate ease: but to further our Countrie, and propagate her glory by serious and vigi [...]ant managements, both at home and abroad. This man is said to liue, that hath left some monument or testimonie behinde him that he liued.

We are only sa [...]d to be, when we only breathe, respectles o [...] either publique or priuate: imitating those Flies Ephemerae, which fli [...]ker a little with their wings (limiting their life within one day) & presently die. These as the Philosopher saith, spirant tantùm non viuunt. But too much of them, both die: Yet this is the difference: the one dy­ing, leaueth a testimony behinde him that hee once l [...]ued; The other being dead, hath no [Page] hope that his memory shall euer bee reuiued.

Many pretie Epit [...]phs the Romanes vsed; briefe, yet ample enough to describe the nature of the person whom they would haue memori­zed.

Virgil writing on one Balista In vit. Nar. & frag. (a great sword and buckler-man) as I may terme him, frequenting places of aduantage to rob, and surprise passengers vn­awares cheeres the poore way-faring-man with [...]his comfortable inscription on Balistas graue:

Who ere he be that passeth by this way,
Mon [...] sub hoc lapidum [...]eg. &c.
May safely trauell both by night and day,
And that he may confirme it with his eies,
Vnder this heape of stones Balista lies,
Or thus,
Since the time Balista heere interred was,
Or day or night the Traueller may passe.
And that vpon his Flie or Gnat:
Heere I expresse what thou once did to mee,
Solemnizing thy death to honour thee.
And that of Sylenus the drun­ken Swaine:
Vnder this tuft of wood lies there a Swaine,
Came drunke to Earth, went drunke to Earth againe:
And that of Minos king of Crete
Heere Minos lies who plai'd the Iudge so well
On Earth, [...]hat now hee's made a Iudge in Hell.

This Minos for his excellent iudgement and iustice in Crete, being seuere, and therefore his at­tribute was rightly giuen him: he was s [...]id to be [...], rough and seuere, exact and austere in all his censures: for which cause he was trans­lated from the principalitie of Crete, to the tribu­nall of Hell: (as Poets faine.)

In the discourse of arguments of this nature: as we haue many write Ep [...]taphs (some panegyrick) in way of commendation and praise: others in­uectiue to expresse the merite or defect of any person: we should be warie heerein, lest either by vaine Sicut lingua loquen­tis proficit in [...] [...]u­dientis, ita cala [...]s scribentis in ocul [...] le gentis, & ad interiora cordis peru [...]nit se [...]sus dirigentis, sicut verba instruentis: Albin. in pr [...]fatio: comment in Iohan. & adulatorie praise, we giue error a warrant, or by too detractiue inuection, wee seeme ( grauius in sepulchra mortuorum calcare, that I may vse the Philosophers saying. But to omit the vse of Epi­taphs, which of themsel [...]es haue euer ministred occasion of imitation or detestation: I will proceede to the antiquitie of Epitaphs, and afterward descend to the seuerall branches which I haue before in my methode to my selfe pro­pounded.

[Page] Epitaphs haue bene euer vsed vpon the Tombes of the deceased, to express their Vertues or vices. Of all the seuen Vide La­ert. de vit. philoso. Sages of Greece, not one there is, but charactred to the ful by their especiall appropriates: and though diuers (in contempt of vaine glory or ostentation) haue precisely commanded vpō their death-beds, that no statue, shrine, nor inscription should be erected or engrauen in the [...]r memories: yet so gratefull was posteritie to so noble pre­decessors, as they would in no wise suffer so Va­liant exploits either publique or priuate, to bee buried in silence and obliuion. Yea euer in those times, where fines imperij tueri magis, quàm pro­ferre, mos erat: as in those Golden times, and empires of Verores King of Aegypt, and Tanais King of Scythia which Historians take to be the first Monarchs and sole Gouernours in the world; euen thē (I say) were Epitaphs of this nature verie frequent, and common: and in Ninus time, who succeeded, or rather dissolued their gouernment, we reade Epitaphs euen written vpon his Tombe; describing his nature and disposition at large, the manner of his discipline in warre, the continu­ance of his Empire or Gouernment, and the occa­sion of his death.

To speake of the effeminate Gouernment and principality of the Amazons (women of incom­parable and incredible fortune, valour and re­solution) wee haue yet those Tombes and Se­pulchers [Page] of the T [...]muli Amazo­uum. Amazons celebrated to this day amongst those Pagans, for the infinite numbers slaine by Hercules, in his i [...]uasion of Amazon: where the worthie exploits of those (more then women) for their disci line and ex [...]erience in wartes, are in gold [...]n Characters registred and recor­ded.

We reade euen in those (who for their magna­nimitie and resolution) were termed [...] or Heroes, men of heroicke dispositiō to haue had in former times insc iptions vpon their Graues and Mo­numents, to expresse what they were liuing, that deserued so exceeding commendation dying. Such were Alci [...]es, Theseus, Hector, Perith [...]us, and the renowne of Greece (the auncient Pa­troclus,) vpon whose graue whilst Achilles lea­ned, he imagined true valour to be charactred on his Graue, and a suffi [...]ient occasion of exciting and instigating the vnworthiest and vnresoluedst spirits to take in hand managements of greatest difficulty.

We reade of Tarina Queene of Saca, that she was no lesse memorable for her sepulcher, (sur­passing both in bountie & specious edifice, then the Pyramides of Aeg [...]pt: Labyrinth in Crete, cō triued and inuented by Dedalus, or that sumptu­ous Monument erected by Artemisia in honour of her husband Mausolus.

If we should descend to the Persian Princes [Page] elected after the (premature death of Gladio sua sponte euaginato grauiter [...] occubuit Iust 1. lib: Cambyses) wee shall there more eminently surueigh the processe of their go­vernment, and their ends (some with glor [...]e and renowne) others with no lesse infamie and reproch attaind.

Yet to vse decencie in the celebration of fune­rall rites and solemnities: for I know (that I may vse the morallists opinion) there is a vaine [...]glorie euen in death; and as the pompe of death doth more terrifie then death it selfe, so doth the pompe of death more excite men to die willingly then their expectance after death. For this all the Romaine Emperours would haue their Tombcs erected in their life time, with all externall osten­ [...]ation, and popularitie: to intimate a kind of Empire euen in death: which may appeare by that (which Suctonius speakes in the life of Augustus) that before his death, the statue which was erected and set vp in his memorie be­ing strucken with Thunder [...] lost the first letter of his Name (to wit C.) which signified as the Au­gurs diuined, that within a hundred daies imme­diatelie following, he should depart the world.

Cato in dede (who tooke it nobile lethum to die for his countrie and the preseruation of her li­bertie) would haue no shrinc, statue, nor inscriptiō set vp in his memory; supposing his vertues to be sufficient annals and records to eternise his name.

Of this minde was Phocion the Athenian (both [Page] Stoicks for their discipline) seeming vnwilling to imitate the popular in exterior rites: being (as they deemed) able to expresse their owne liues by their deaths, their deaths by their li [...]es. Which may be the cause that moued Flaccus to con­temne all monuments, with this resolued securi­ty: Vnde mihi lapidem &c. What auailes it to haue Monuments, Stones, Shrines or Statues to memo­rise Vs? what skils it to haue labels hung vpon our Sepulchers (as those siluer swords of Greece ouer the Sepulcher of Philip; those golden Ar­chers of Persia ouer the memorab [...]e tombe of Ar­taxerxes? as the same Poet saith,— N [...]n datur em [...]s­so reditus [...]ibi—It is true: yet so respectiue should man be of the demerited & praise-worthy acts of his Ancestors ( [...]o ceremoniously careful that their monuments be not in obliuion smothered) as no time should be omitted (wherein we may as the Orator saith, defunctorum memori [...] seruire) but with all instance to perfect & accōplish the same.

We Vid. des [...]r. Af fric. Qui sepul [...]ra maiorum ut pro­pria domicil [...]a [...] ­resque existima­runt. reade that the Pagans haue been so respectiue hereof, that the monumēts of their parents & kins­folkes haue been no lesse deare to them, then their own houses, their owne habitations and dwellings: Esteeming their reputation (to be purchased) by the purchase of their Auncestors glory, and aug­mented by the preseruation of their memory.

Agathocles Prince of Syracuse (willing to e­rect [Page] a Monument or Statue in his owne memory, to expresse humane frailtie) commanded that the head and vpper parts should be made of solid gold, but the feete of earth; with this Impresse: Sic omnia firma. An excellent obseruation and caution to put Man in minde of his substance and subsistence, constitution and dissolution: that standing on no firmer feete then earth, no stronger arches (then staies of mortality) he should euer feare lest so proud a building shou [...]d fall, being supported by so vnstable and vnable props.

But for Antiquitie (as shee is said to be the warrant of things done, the confirmer of things present, and president of things to come; so oft­times vi [...]es haue beene bolstered by her, impieties authorized by her, and a direction to greater laid open by her. I will descend therefore briefely to particularize such Epitaphs (vsed by the Anci­ents) which remained for caueats or obseruations in succeeding times. As others (likewise) that mo­ued and excited men to vndertake valiant and couragious exploits in hand.

We reade that Augustus (when he died at No­la, being a Towne s [...]ated in the middle part of Campani [...]) his souldiers to expresse and manifest their loue to him dying, as they had done their al­legeance to him liuing, burst out in seuerall passi­ons of sorrow, griefe, and pensiue distractions, with these speeches: O God, that he had either ne­uer beene borne, or that he had neu [...]r died: For th [...] [Page] one Alterum e­nim pessimi in­cepti, exitus praeclari alterū &c. is an occasion of our misery, the other a president of his glory. For so great was his loue towards the Citi­zens, that by his owne care and di­ligence, he commanded great abun­dance of graine to be brought out of Aegypt to sustaine his people welnie consumed with famine.

Few of the twelue Romane Emperors reade we so excellent and exquisite commendations of: saue Titus, who receiued this Impresse euen vpon his hearse, to be Amor & deliciae generis humani: Mans darling, the Worlds mirror, and the flower of all Romane Emperors either before or since; being directed and enlightned no further then with the beameling of nature. For to recapitulate the natures of all those Princes, twixt Augustus the first of the twelue (saue one) to Titus, the last of the twelue, saue one, we shall see their dispo­sitions variable, inconstant, dissolute, and gene­rally vicious.

Tiberius taxed for his subtiltie, Caligula for his insolencie, Claudus for his effeminacie, N [...]ro for his cruelty, Galba for his intemperancie, Otho Vita omnis tur­pis, maxime ado­lescentia &c. vid. S [...]xt. Aur [...]l. de Oth. for his inhumanitie, Vitellius for his prodigalitie, Uespasian for his mi­sery: These haue wee charactred (which the Romane Annals haue expressed to l [...]e) such as either merited eternall infamie by their vicious gouernment, or due commendation for [Page] their many morall vertues wherewith they were endued and inuested. Vita mortuorum est in memo­ria viuentium (saith one very well:) for it renues and reuiues the memory of the dead, and makes him liue in name, honour and reputation, when the sithe of Fate hath pruned him.

For this all the Romane Emperors haue labou­red, desiring to become memorable after death: Curtius throwing himselfe into the lake; Vtican purchasing his liberty by voluntary death; Hora­tius C [...]cles throwing himselfe violently into Tyber to preserue his Countries libertie; In capite eius v [...]luti cornua e­me [...]se runt &c. Valer. Max. lib. Genitius Cippus subiecting him­selfe to death to propagate his Countries glory; P. Decius who rushed into the fore-front of the enemies (encountring a whole Armie) to make his owne memory more famous and illustrious: The like of Scipio Affricane, who to extinguish that menacing fire of H [...]nnibal deuoted himselfe to death for the safegard of his Country. These and many more, who illustrated their Names by atchieuements done liuing, expected (without question) no little celebration of their name and memory dying: and though their opinion rea­ched not to the soules immortality; yet they could extend their imaginations thus farre, as a famous and memorable death surpassed an infa­mous and ignominious life: wishing rather to die in fame, then liue in eternall obscu [...]ity. Which [Page] caused some (of disposition vnequall to the for­mer) to perpetrate some hainous and en [...]rmious crime, whereby they might purchase fame euen by infamie: Such was Herostratus who burned the Temple of Diana at Ephesus, to purchase him­selfe a name. Such was Turulius who hewed downe the groue that was consecrate to the Tem­ple of Aesculapius, to erect him a ship, that once Religion (as he himselfe auowed) might ride on the water: And such was Q. Fuluius who to en­rich himselfe (by sinister meanes) tooke from the Temple dedicated to Iuno Lucinia, tegulas quas­d [...]m marmoreas, for which he sustained condigne punishment; amongst which we may insert that sacrilegious Prince or Tyrant rather (for his Em­pire of Syracuse as it came vnto him by an vsur­ped succession, so it was gouerned by as cruell and tyrannicall a disposition) bearding the Gods, and afterwards robbing the Altars and Temples (of their sacred ornaments.) For coming one day to the Temple of Iupiter Olympius, and seeing his I­mage gloriously beautified with a Quo cum Ty­rannus Hiero &c. [...] Cartha­ [...]. orna [...]erat &c. vestment of gold (of an ex­ceeding weight and inestimable price) commanded it to be taken from him, and a woollen garment to be giuen him in the stead of it: saying, A coa [...]e of gold was too heauy for him in Summer, too cold [...]; but a woollen garment was fitter for both [...]. Many o [...] these haue we [Page] recorded by Historians, whose liues were no lesse prophane, then their ends miserable.

Vpon all which (if we might insist vpon this argument) Epitaphs very answerable to their in­famous and despicable liues might be produced. But we must proceed, because this summarie dis­course, (which I haue heere placed and prefixed (as a preamble or fore-runner) to our Epitaphs following) is but intended onely to demonstrate the vse and effect of Epitaphs, with their first in­stitution, & their distinct kinds arising from their primarie vses.

It is true that there is no necessitie in Sepul­chers, or specious monuments; for coelo tegitur, qui non habet vrnam: which moued Diogenes the Cynick to bid his friends cast his body vnto the dogges when he was dead: and being answered by them, that the dogges would teare and rent it: Set a staffe by me (quoth he) and I will beate them from it. Yet in this seeming contempt of buriall, we shall reade in most of the liues of the Pagans, that they were respectiue where they should be interred, erecting (as in part hath beene mentio­ned) very goodly and glorious Sepulchers in their life times to eternise their memory after death: with whom (it fared many times) as it fared once with Shebna sibi tumu­la condit, quem fata negarunt. Shebna, who made him­selfe a Sepulcher in one Coun­trie, but was buried in ano­ther.

[Page] The first that bu­ried such as fell in warre. Hercules (we reade) to be the first that euer buried such as fell in warre. Many ancient Epitaphs we haue by transcript [...]on, engra­uen vpon the monuments of the deceased: as in the Northerne parts especially, where in the very ruines of time, we may see some monumentall in­scription inserted, to reuiue the memory of the dead. As in the warres of the Saxons, Picts, and Danes: no coast being mo [...]e frequent then the North, to expresse the memorable acts done in former time, as also to set out the very places and circumstances of things atchieued, with the manuscripts traduced from former occurrents e­uen to these present times: many curious and se­rious Antiquaries hauing viewed and particularly set downe the especiallest records heereof with diuers memorable inscriptions happily occurring to their surueigh, I will ouerpasse the same, lest I should seeme to trifle out my time with an im­p [...]ent discourse.

It is true that a Souldiers resolution eue [...] fixed on braue attempts, and the inlarging of his Coun­tries glo [...]y, should rather aime at fame after death, then to erect for himselfe a curious monument in his death: which moued Caesar in the plaine of Pharsalie to s [...]y,

—
[...] ▪ Luc [...]n.
Capit omnia tellus
Quae genuit: coelo tegitur, qui non habet vrnam.

[Page]And againe that martiall straine of valour:

Nil agis hac ira, tabesne cadauera soluat, An rogus, haud spectat: placido [...] receptat cuncta sinu.

And so concludes the Declamour in Seneca: Na­ture g [...]es euery man a graue: seccnded by old Anthises resolution:

Nec tumulum curo, sepelit natura relictos.

Yet humanitie requires these finall obsequies, not onely in remembrance of our dead friends, but euen to manifest the sinceritie of our loues, in erecting monuments ouer them dead, which might preserue their memory, and confirme our affections in their deaths.

The friends of Cleombrotus (surnamed Ambro­ciat) seeing his much lamented end, desired much to expresse their loue vnto their dead friend; yet withall to conceale the infamie and reproach of his death: yet Callim [...]chus plaied the Epigram­matist vpon his graue, whilest his deare friends deplored his vntimely end. The Epigram (inscri­bed after the forme of an Epitaph) being fixed on his Tombe, whence all Epitaphs haue their deno­mination, was this,

-Vita vale, muro praeceps delapsus ab alto
Dixisti moriens, Ambrociata pu [...]r,
-Nullū in morte malū credēs▪ sed scripta Platonis
Non ita erant a [...]imo percipienda tuo.
In English thus,
The yong Ambrociat, whilst himselfe he threw
From off the wall, bad to his life adew,
Deeming (as Plato wrote) in death's no woe,
But he mistooke it: Plato meant not soe.

This booke which mooued Ambrociat to this precipitate attempt, is imagined to be Platoes Ph [...]do of the immortalitie of the soule: which al­so (by a misconstruction) Cato V [...]ican apprehen­ding, laid violent hand vpon himselfe, to free him­selfe from the tyrannie and illimited soueraignty of the vsurping C [...]sar. But to our argument pro­pounded.

We haue shadowed briefely the first branch (or kinde which we proposed in the beginning) to wit, morall Epitaphs, being such as conduce to instruction either publike or priuate, wherein (by the very inscriptions or titles engrauen vpon the Tombes of the deceased) some haue beene mo­ued to imitate their memorable liues in actions and attempts of like nature; as Caesar in the sur­ueigh of Mithridates, Augustus in the surueigh of C [...]sar, Alexander by the monument of A­chilles, Achilles by the fame-engrauen monument of Patroclus, Aenaeas by the renowned Tombe of the matchlesse Andromach in Hom. called He­ctor Troiae [...]. Hector, and Hector by the eternized memorie of Antenor: These were morall, in­ducing or exciting Impresses, draw­ing the mindes of the beholders [Page] to the management of the like approued and re­doubted acts.

We will now proceede to Epitaphs (comming neerer a [...] composition) excellent for their graue and diuinely mouing sentences; pithy for their effect, and profitable for their vse.

That is an excellent one of Scaligers: Scalige­ri quod reliquum est: and that no lesse diuine of Ca [...]us: Fui Cai [...]s.

Epitaphs of this kinde seeme little affectiue, yet include so exquisite a straine, as they may rightly be termed diuine: surpassing moralitie in description of our mortality; they delineate the state of man, extenuate his pompe, and shew to what end man was created, not to be onely, but to liue: there being an essentiall difference (twixt being and liuing) as I haue before specifi­ed. We haue some of these which set out vanity in her naturall colours: and imply diuinely, what they propound morally.

Diuers we reade of, that fearefull (it seemes) to commend the writing of their Epitaphs to po­steritie, would euer be prouided of one in their owne time: which (to expresse their worth bet­ter) did not shew or character their worth, but in a modest silence describe their owne frailtie, shutting vp their fame and memory, with a fare­well to Earth and Vanitie. These be soueraigne cordials to cheere the drouping and deiected spi­rit: such as liue iniuried by time, oppressed by [Page] greatnesse of enmity, and slaued to penurie: Such I say, as liue obscurely in the eye of the World, neither noted nor reputed.

When the rich-man seeth nothing vpon Croesus graue, but a Fui Croesus: nor the poore-man vpon Irus then, Fui Irus: what difference at the [...]r dissolution? though in the eye of vaine and po­pular accompts, there be a maine difference.

These diuine Epitaphs moue the intellectual part to an apprehension of humane condition; to con­sider that we are al made ex Homo ex humo. Ter [...]a à terendo. Cadauer à cadendo. Vermis quia inermis. ea­dem argilla: & as no difference in [...]rame & module, so no differēce in the end and period; only that which was writ vpon the Bauarians graue shal ei­ther confirme our hopes, or make vs eternally mi­serable:— Sit comes intermer [...]ta fides: or that which was engrauen on the Tombe of a Venetian Lord:

Qui
Quod Seneca in Vatiae tumulum scripsit. H [...]c situs est Vatia: dormire e­nim magis quam viuere videbatur.
vixit, viuet, qui fuit, ille perit.

One no lesse diuine then the o­ther, distinguishing betwixt be­ing and liuing: where our actions must be poised, our intentions dis­cussed, and the vniuersalitie of nature discoue­red. We are drawne by these Epitaphs to disua­lue the pompe and port of this World; lesse to pamper the inordinate and distempered affecti­ons of the Flesh: holding as the Platonists held, onely the Soule to be Man, and the body to be a [Page] case or couer to put it in: And as Sene [...]a termes it, a rinde or barke: so to fixe onely the light and splendor of the internall part vpon that soueraign end, by which we may ende in glory, as we were borne in misery.

And miserable did the Philosopher account that man, whose best of memories consisted in faire & eminent obsequies; vertue being the best shrine, the exquisitest monument which can be erected to honour man. How should we best de­scribe our selues, and the excellencie of our owne natures, but by the contempt of death, expresse our owne affections euen vpon our graues, shew­ing our selues to be Christians?

The memorable inscriptions of the ancient Princes (who died in their Countries right) may excite vs to managements of no lesse cōsequence. The Inscription vpon Qui pannosus sar­menla collo gerens, ca­stra hostium ingreditur. Iust. s [...]cundo lib. Co­drus Tombe, who was Prince of Athens, was— Nec mors mihi nomen ademit.

The like we reade of Attilius Regulus, who rather then he would infringe his faith, willingly returned vnto his enemies the Carthaginians: where, after he had endured intollerable tor­ments, and vnworthie of so great and equally dis­posed minde, he commanded this Epitaph to be engrauen vpon his obscure Tombe, Nec sine sp [...] perij. Many such may we reade in the memorable Annals of the Romanes, specially in the warre [Page] twixt Carthage and Rome: in which warres, no man of esteeme or ennobled ranke died, that was not graced with some inscription vpon his monu­ment.

Yet Pompey the Great, whose prudence in go­uerning, sinceritie in disposing, promptnesse in attempting, and firme resolution in seconding, got him an eternal fame, both at home & abroad: abroad in following Scylla, at home in bearing vp the main building of the State with his graue and discreete supportance: euen this P [...]mpey had but a short Epitaph writ vpon him, Hic situs est magnus. Heere lies the pompe of a puissant and potent Pompey: heere lies Romes Atlas, the Easterne terror, and his friends aduancer: one whom nei­ther imminence of perill, nor mutation of state, nor occurrence in fate could alter or dismay: E­uen that powerfull Columne is now ruin [...]d, his glory dazled, and the mansion which was made glorious by him in Rome, becomes reduced to a poore and homely S [...]pulcher in Aegypt.

One chancing to come where king Dennis was buried: being depriued of crowne and dignity by reason of his tyrannicke gouernment, and be­fore his death had retired himselfe to a simple Schoole, where he taught scholers; saying, Et re­gam inui [...]is fatis: vnderstanding the course and processe of his gouernment, writ this short Epi­taph vpon his Tombe:

[Page] Dennis era [...], & Dennis eris, nec rege minorem
Te [...] fata vocant: Rexque Magister eris:
Rex popul [...] crudelis eras, puerisque Magister
Saeuior, his celerem fata dedere finem.
Nec regis inuitis fatis, è culmine regni,
Vt cadis, [...]dmissum est deseru [...]sse schola [...].
In English thus,
Dennis thou was, and Dennis thou shalt be,
For thy owne Fates bestow this stile on thee,
King both to men and children, yet in them
Thou was more fierce to children then to men:
Which when the fates perceiu'd, they thought t'ex­tend
Thy course continued il with swifter end.
Spurne not against the fates, imperious foole,
For as thou lost thy crown, thouse leaue thy scoole

In Epitaphs of this nature, a more then morall instruction or institution is to be required: ex­pressing onely the intellectuall part without any prophane or heathenish inuention, being tran­scendent to the vulgar reach or apprehension of humane vnderstanding: many diuine and holy es­cripts of the ancient Fathers may be comprehen­ded heerein: being such as treated aswell of the life and discipline of the dead, as especiall mo­tiues of imitation; or cautions of detestation to the liuing. Here Ambition pourtraied in her co­lours, occasions her owne end by her owne vn­bounded desires. There Couetousnesse (with the [Page] misers Mo [...]to) is exemplified, and how many e­uils are continually attending her, according to the definitiue censure of Flac [...]us, Semper a [...]arus [...]get. Heere Sacriledge instanced in our ancient Albane Br [...]nnus; on whom we reade, that after his many conquests and victorious attempts in Gaul [...], and the sacking of Rome, with many rich booties and spoiles obtained in those warres; at last attempted the beautifull and rich Temple of Delphos consecrate to Apollo, being excited and instigated by Euridanus and Th [...]ssalonus to aduen­ture so difficult a Prouince, on [...]ly in hope of ob­taining inestimable treasures, reserued (say they) for such as would boldly attempt, and with [...]ut feare of the gods, or prophana [...]ion of Religion, durst attempt the rans [...]cking and rifling of such sacred treasures. But behold, the purpos [...]s of the wicked were confounded (and euer may Sacri­ledge haue the like succ [...]sse) [...]or suddenly Brennus with all his populous Armie, were discomfited, their execrable deuices frustrated▪ and themselu [...]s (all or most) subiected to miserable ends: the [...]ar­ticulars whereof are more sully and amply dila­ted on by the Romane Historian Tro [...]. P [...]peius. Their Epitaph we finde t [...]us, (being extracted out of ancient Anna's) concording wel [...] [...] the na­ture of their crime, and mise [...]ie of their end:

H [...]c vi [...] Sacrilegis, haec r [...]a porta [...],
A Delphi laribus lim [...]n [...] Ditis.

[Page]In English thus,

This way Church-robbers go, who seek to fall
From great Apolloes shrine to Plutoes Hall▪

These kind of Epitaphs may include or com­prehend all such, as for any excellent part or ma­nagement domestike or publique, haue beene ac­counted worthy memory: or such, as for emi­nence of place haue beene no lesse markeable, then singular in discharge of their authoritie: for acts of puissance & renowme that Epitaph engra­uen on the Tombe of Willina [...] Marshall Earle of Pembroke, in the time of Henry the third:

Sum quem Saturnum sibi sensit Hybernia; Sole [...]
Anglia, M [...]rcurum Normannia, Gallia Martem.

And that Epitaph writ vpon Theobald Blois Earle of Champaine (too diuine for any mortall crea­ture: Non hominem possum, non audeo dicere num [...]n. And that of one Clare expressing (in one man) an Epitome of all vertues:

Hic pudor Hippoliti, Paridis gena, sensus Vlyssis,
Aeneae pietas, Hectoris ira iacet.

That memorable one also vpon the Sepulcher of Maud mother to H [...]nrie the second: descri­bing the excellencie of her descent by her Father, the greatnesse of her s [...]lfe by her match, and her renowmed i [...]sue which (of all other) made her [Page] most admired, and after death the especiallest motiue of her eternall memorie.

Or [...]u magna, Viro maior, sed maxima partu,
Hîc iacet Henrici filia, sponsa, parens.

Ancient times haue esteemed these Epitaphs suf­ficient in themselues to perpetuate their names, being records euer true: for as the Orator saith, Quis tam inf [...]lici genio, leuique ingenio qui mortuis assentari cupit? and as the Poet saith, Lucan. Quis Busta timebit? Herostratus was charactred aswell for his infamie, as [...] for his renowme and chiualrie. Euen Metel­lus modestie, Lentulus leuitie, Publicolas▪ pietie, Cethegus crueltie, Appius affabilitie, and Ciceroes constancie had their true lineatures: euery one mouldned and moulded after their deserts: for these, as examples, be of more power and efficacie to the practise and prosecution of vertue, then a­ny instructiō or document whatsoeuer; draw men more attentiuely to their imitation, whose ver­tues they see merit admira [...]ion, as I haue in part before touched. It is the Historians obseruation, that such as had worthy and vertuous Parents, were wont to repaire vnto their Tombs ( Quasi ad propria vitae documenta) and by their memory to be excited to the like meanes of atchieuing glo­ry and renowme, that their ends might [...]nswere such exemplarie par [...]nts. Though it was Lycas conclusion in the Tragedie, to attribute all merit [Page] to ones proper action, and not to the honour of their Auncestor. True it is indeed, that our pre­decessors glory cannot properly be entitled ours, their actions being onely as monuments of their fame, presidents for vs to follow, and indeed pro­claimers of our bastardy, if we chance to dege­nerate from such rare and exquisite mirrors. Yet was Sextus Pompeius honoured for his Fathers worth: and such as descended from vertuous pa­rents, were onely thought fit to match with Pa­tricians. Those foure Aureli [...], Mu­tiae, Laeliae, Cor­neliae. ancient fa­milies in Rome, whose vertuous and modest demeanures got them the name of chast matrons, were well portraied by proper Epitaphs, and in their memory were these sentences engrauen: He [...]re Romes honour lies buried: H [...]ere lies the foundation of Auncient families:

Heere mod [...]st Laelius from [...]is I aelia,
Pompey the yonger from Cornelia,
From Mutia, came a Mutius Sceuola,
And good Aur [...]lius from Aur [...]lia.

By these memorable Impresses, were their suc­cessors ennobled, and to their imitation more ar­dently excited then by any precept or instruction whatsoeuer: the cause may be drawne from that affectation of honour naturally ingraffed in vs from our birth, whereby we vse to be spurred and instigated to the imitating of such as by any pro­per [Page] demerit either inherent in themselues, or tra­duced from others to themselues, haue purchased [...]enowme: whence it is, that the Poet saith: Im­ [...]ensum calcar gloria habet: neither hath it beene accounted a little glory, or slender honour for the successors of so noble and famous Auncestors: whose monuments were as Annals of their worth and proclaimers of their glory; which that they might preserue the better, they vsed to solemnize their Funerals with exceeding honours, and to e­rect their Sepulchers with all state and magnifi­ficence, deputing Surueiours (which should look to the erection and preseruation thereof▪) calling euer their graues Accommodatissima vitae specimi [...]a, Without which the memory of their vertues might seeme obscured, their glory darkened, and a great many of those excellent parts wherewith they were endued, buried in silence and obliuion. True it is, that gorgeous Sepulchers little auaile the dead: which moued the Philosopher to say, that they were not so much made for the dead, as for the liuing. The Orator termed them mirrors of humane frailtie, characters of our glory, and vndoubted Arguments of our mortalitie. Ano­ther examplifying this more fully saith, They are Glasses wherein we may contemplate our selues and others, motiues of imitation wherein we may follow others, and images of affinitie being of the like nature and substance with others. No better or more per­fect Resemblance can be made twixt man and his [Page] creation, the image of his li [...]e, and necessitie of his dissolution; the state of his birth, and occa [...]ion of his death; the forme of his beginning, and fashi­on of his end, then twixt a dead-mans Sepulcher, and the Worlds Theatre. Heere many Actors (some whereof like your Pantomimes in Rome, are generally approued in all parts) play on this terrestriall stage of humane frailtie. Some abso­lute Machiauels (irreligious politicians) shrou­ding vicious purposes vnder vertuous pretences: other simple-honest soules, who (like your ob­scure Actor) stands either not at all obserued, or else so generally derided, as he wisheth rather to be a doore-keeper in the mansions of Heauen, then a disgraced Actor on this stage of Earth. There your light Curtizan (who like another Salust▪ Semp [...]ronia, tanta est libidine accens [...] vt v [...]ros saepius petet, quâm petetur, pro­stitutes her body to ruinate her soule, exposing herselfe to all, that she might become hatefull to all: to be briefe, in the surueigh of all sta [...]es and conditions ( [...]or euery particular vice incurres a peculiar shame) we may bring the Miser to his graue, who while he liued, was subiect to his vice: The Curtizan from her brothell of vanitie, to her fellow-pupils hearse, there to contemplate her owne frailty. The Ambitious skie-soaring thoughts, to Ambicions fall, reducing his aspy­ring spirit▪ to a more retired centure, the period of a great mans hopes; which moued Praxatiles [Page] Sceptrum pe­ [...]it, in centrum vergit. to limne an ambitious man rea­ching at a Scepter, and rowling be­low his Centre. Not a vice either occurrent to state publique or pri­uate, obnoxious to themselues or others, but was expressed in that flourishing time, when Rome la­bored of her owne greatnesse; so as Catilines Tombe became a caution for aspirers; Seianus a president for Flatterers; Vitellius an example for Rioters; Iulian for apostates and prophaners; Marke Antonie for adulterate meetings; Cali­gula for tyrannike designements. Quod meruere tenent post funera: their liues being set out in liue­ly colours, either in expression of their worth, or the description of their illimited gouernment. Many we reade (and those worthy memorie) who throgh want of these inscriptions had their liuing names shut vp in eternall silence, as the Plutarch. in vit. mothers of Demosthenes, of Ni­cias, of Lamachus, of Phorm [...]on, of Thrasibulus, and of Theramenes which excelled in modestie, and well deserued to be mothers of such rare Captaines, eloquent Orators, and dis­creete States-men as they were▪ We reade in Plu­tarch, how Alcibiades assisted by Nicias, was to take his expedition into Sicilie, the very same day of the celebration of the feast Adonia, on which the custome was, that women should set vp in di­uers parts of the Citie, in the midst of the streetes, Images like to dead coarses, which they caried to [Page] buriall in remembrance of the lamentations and disconsolate passions which Venus expressed for the death of her Adonis: where in this solemnitie, their imaginarie hearses were set ful of Impresses, that their Funerall might be with more state and magnificence celebrated. But hauing discoursed before of the antiquitie of Epitaphs, with their e­speciall vses appropriate, as well to ancient as fol­lowing times, I will descend to the third Definition of the third Branch. branch, which in my first diui­sion I propounded my selfe; to wit, Epitaphs Prophane, being such as haue beene vsed to anatomise vice satyrically, (with an Inuection against the manners of the dead: which seemes different to the Philosophers instruction, aduising vs rather to treade lightly on the graues of the dead, and to passe ouer their obliquities with a modest pace, a conniuing eye, and a chari­table iudgement; that our pace might not presse them, our eye pierce them, nor our iudgement poyze them, but in the skale of amitie, with the eye of pittie, and the feete of lenitie. But now to our discourse, and that briefely, whereby the shortnesse of our Volume may concord with our intention.

Epitaphs of this sort we haue too frequent, be­ing forged out of the braine of vnseasoned Saty­rists, that without distinction bend their wits to asperse imputation vpon the deserued memorie of the dead: men of basest nature, d [...]faming such [Page] whose silence giues them freer scope and priui­ledge of detraction: impious violaters of burials, commentors of imaginarie vices, wrongers of the dead, enuious libellers, who write either incen­sed through spleene, or hired for price: drawne on by others, or voluntarily moued by their own depraued and distempered inclinations; of which kinde we may reade euery Nation (euen in their flourishingst and successiuest times) to haue had their part: Athens her Eupolis, Sparta her Alcae­ [...], In Cyrus time. Persia her Aristeas, Rome her Che­rilus. These trode not with easie pace on the graues of the dead, but mixing their inke with more gall then discretion, instiga­ted more by splene then charitable affection, ran­sacked the Sepulchers of their dead enemies, de­blazoned their vices dying, which (through a slauish pusillanimitie, they durst not vnrip nor discouer liuing; these remorselesse censurers of Vices, these corrupters and stainers of well meri­ted liues, these foes to vertue, and foments of vice, were well set out by the Tragike Poet: who brought in the Ghost of the wronged person, pursuing the detractour and menacing him with eternall reproach for his labour. Yet this digres­sion may seeme not so much impertinent as di­rectly repugnant to my first definition of Epitaphs and Epicedes, the natures of both which I haue in part described: where I defined Epitaphs to be nothing else then Testimonials of the Vertues or [Page] Vices of the dead: how they were affected, or what especiall occurrents happened them in their life; it is true, but these Descriptions are to bee shadowed and suited with modest allusions, e­qually disposed Allegories as their vices, though in part discouered, yet that discouery so intan­gled as may minister matter of obseruation to the iudicious, and leaue the ignorant in a continuall suspence. And because we produced no authority before (touching the difference twixt an Epi­taph and Epiced [...]) wee will vse Seruius opinion heerein: the difference is betweene an Epic [...]de and Epitaph, as Seruius teacheth, that the Epi­cede is before the corps be interred, and Epitaph or inscription vpon the Tombe: the etymologie of the word, [...]— curare inferias, or funeris offi­cia peragere. Scaliger in his authoritie of Poets, confirmes the deriuation as proper and genuine to the nature of funerall celebrities. This distin­ction may (serue as a threed to guide the illiterate Poetaster (who perhaps otherwise would con­found these two words) out of the labyrinth of error, in which more writers now adaies wander, then euer in any time before. So that it may seem the paradox of Erasmu [...] in t [...]e praise of folly, and that booke whi [...]h Agrippa writ De vanitate sci­entiarum, are sub [...]ects onely in request; where e­uery M [...]uius will write (and ofttimes be appro­ned) aswell as Maro. Aiax in Euripides said: [...], [...], To know nothing is the [Page] sweetest life Which sweetnes this age hath attai­ned, where it may be truely auerred, that Neuer Age had more writers, and fewer Authors: those onely being admitted of as Doctorum dict [...] indoctos do [...]iores reddunt. Au­thors, whose workes merit ap­probation and authoritie in them­selues: experience being redu­ced to ignorance, and a desire of knowledge to a fruitlesse desire of writing: Littora bobus arant, & arenae semina mandant. But I omit them: these prophane Epitaphs sinisterly aiming at the detra­ction of such who rest in peace, as they are vtter­ly to be condemned, so their Authors as presi­dents of such obliquities should be seuerely cen­sured, whereby an example of punishment in one might minister cause of reformation in all: yet because sin should in some sort be vnmasked, lest vice sue out a priuiledge, and purchase her selfe a monopoly amongst our world-statists (whose best of traffique is to be the Diuels factors, whose emi­nentst degree is to be Hels purueiors, and whose onely office in request is to be Mammons colle­ctors) I haue instanced diuers Epitaphs, some in­uented others translated & traduced from others, which with a tollerable sharpnesse, and a well tempered bitternesse alluding to the persons on whose Tombes they were engrauen, modestly discouer vi [...]e in her natiuest colors. As, first in de­scription of Auarice, a vice most incident to Age, and therefore most inherent to man. Hermo [...] drea­ming [Page] he had disbursed money, died for woe, o [...] which dreaming Miser we reade this written:

Vnder heere old Hermon lies,
Who sleeping liu'd, and dreaming dies.

And that of Phedon who wept not for that he should die, but that the charge of [...]is buriall should come to foure shillings.

Heere Phedon lies, who weeps and cries,
not that his life he lost,
But that the charge of his Buriall
should full foure shillings cost.

at And that of Hermocrates, who would not be se [...] charge for a purgation: and dying made him­fe sole Executour:

Hermocrates that catiffe wretch,
who liuing had no power
To vse his owne, did make himself [...]
his sole executour.

And that of None, whose Name and nature had relation one to another, being only to himselfe without respect of publike good, or compassion to others want:

Heere lieth i None by name, by nature one,
Yet was he one by Name, by nature None.
Something of Nothing oft the poore did craue,
Yet could the poore of Nothing, nothing haue.

[Page]And that of one Hic situs est si­tiens atque Ebrius Elaertonus; quid dico hic situs est, hic potius sitis est? Elderton, (an inscription too bitter) yet to dis­authorize that sin, (which like that powerfull ointment whereof Apu­leius relates, amongst the Thessa­lonians, transforming and meta­morphosing men into bruite beasts) to wit drun­kennesse, whereof he was taxed, nothing can be too vehement or violent:

Heere drunken Elderton in earth lies thrust,
Camb. in Remain [...]
Lies thrust (say I) or rather heere lies thirst.

I will end this last part of my diuision (fearing much I haue insisted too long vpon the preamble, and incurring the Mindian censure of making my gate so spacious, and the maine building so con­tracted:) I will end (I say) with that vniuersall doome and home (with which mortalitie must of necessitie end) to wit, Dust: of which name we reade one to haue beene, and ceasing to be, had this inscription:

Heere Dust lies dead, who that he might be iust
In Name and Nature, while he liu'd lou'd dust.
And being dust by Nature and by Name,
Thought to returne to dust from whence he came.
FINIS.

¶ A Description of Death.

DEath is a raw bon'd shrimp, nor low nor hie,
Yet haz he power to make the highest low,
The Summon-maister of mortalitie,
The Poore mans wished friend, the Rich-mans foe,
The last Remaines of Times Anatomie,
A Thiefe in pace, in pace more sure then slow;
A Sleepe, a Dreame, whence we are said to haue
In sleepe a Death, and in our Bed a graue.
One who, how ere we seeme to haue the power
To leaue our states, wherein we oft-times erre,
To such an one as sole executour;
Spite of our nose playes Executioner;
And as the Leane Kine did the Fat deuoure,
So does this meagre Slaue the mightier,
Nor can we if we should be choaked for't,
Remoue Deaths Action to another Court.
Arts though He know, yet he professeth none,
For little haz He, and as little needes,
Yet haz he Trickes to catch the oldest one,
That on this earthie Globe or centre treades,
Nor will He leaue him till his Breath be gone,
Cheering the wormes that on his Body feedes:
Thus fearelesse He, as he haz euer beene,
Makes his stroke to be felt, not to be seene.
[Page]His Signe's in Sagittary, and the But
He shootes at is mans heart, He euer fits
The shafts he shootes to th'Quiuer they are put;
Won is He not to be by threats, intreats,
Price, power or prayer: at whats'ere He shoote
Or aimes to hit, He neuer failes but hits;
Darte [...], He runnes as swift as euer ran,
Shot [...] herring made, iust like an Irish-man.
Nor differ they in habite; though He weares
No Mantle, flanning trowses, being knowne
By his Moath-eaten rayment, He appeares
Right Irish, Doublet, Breeches, hose of one;
He haz no shift, yet He no vermin feares,
(For vermin, Death, nor th'Irish harbour none)
Yea in their kinde of fight compar'd They are,
For They inuade vs both at vnaware.
Death is wormes-Caterer, who when He comes
Will haue prouision though the Market starue,
He will be seru'd before the mighty ones,
And knows before where He intends to carue;
Its He awakes the Sin-belulled Drones,
And cuts Them short as rightly They deserue,
Its He that all things to subiection brings,
And plaies at foot-ball with the crowns of kings.
Two empty Lodges haz He in his head,
Which had two Lights, but now his Eies be gone,
Cheekes had He once, but they be hollowed;
Beauty He had, but now appeares there none:
[Page]For all those mouing parts be vanished,
Presenting Horrour if but lookt vpon;
His colour sable, and his visage grim,
With gastly lookes that still attend on Him.
Fleshie He was, but it is pickt away,
Belike, for that He haz so much to doe,
If cloath'd with Flesh, he should be forc'd to stay,
And shew (perchance) too much of mercie to
To some Yong wench, who on the holyday
Might force Him loue, if she could tell him how;
Which to preuent, and better to restraine him,
He goes so vgly none should entertaine him.
Yet entertain'd He will; for though He be
Contemn'd by th'perfum'd Curtezan, whose form
Seemes coy to giue Him hospitalitie;
Yet when He comes Hee'l not one houre adiorne,
To giue her Summons of mortalitie;
Conuerting that same Beautie, did adorne
Her Composition to corrupted earth,
Whence she deriu'd both Period and Birth.
Snaile-like He comes on vs with creeping pace,
And takes vs napping whē we least think on him,
In's hand an Houre-glasse, which inferres our race
Is neare an end; and though we striue to shun him,
He moues when we moue; and that very place
Whereto we fl [...]e, and think we haue out-run him,
There he appeares, and tells vs it's not good
To striue 'gainst that which cannot be withstood.
[Page]If we shed teares, they're bootlesse, for his eyes
In stead of sight are moulded vp with clay,
If we assay to pierce his eares with cri [...]s,
Vaine is our Labour, fruitlesse our assay;
For his Remorcel [...]sse eares all motions flies,
Nor will He giue the Prince a longer day:
His payment must be present, and his Doome,
" Returne to earth thy Cradle and thy Tombe.
Nor is his Summons onely when we're old,
For Age and Youth He equally attends,
Nor can we say that we haue firmer hold
In Y [...]uth then Ag [...], or further from our ends,
Saue that we [...]re by Natures verdict told,
With length of yeares our hope of life extends:
Thus y [...]ng or old, if Death approach and say,
Earth vnto Earth, He must perforce obay.
A Breath-bereauing Breath, a vading shade,
Euer in motion, so as it appeares
He comes to tell vs whereto we were made,
And like a friend to rid vs of our feares,
So as if his approach were rightly weighed,
He shold be welcom'd more with ioyes thē tears,
Ioy to dissolue to earth from whence we came,
That after Death, Ioy might receiue the same.
Naked his scalpe, thrill-open is his Nose,
His Mouth from eare to eare, his earthie Breath
C [...]rrupt and noysome. Which makes me suppose
S [...]me mouldie cell's the Mannor-house [...]f Death:
[Page]His shapelesse legges bend backeward when he goes,
His rake-leane body shrinking vnderneath,
Feeble he seemes, reft both of heart and power,
Yet dare he beard the mightiest Emperour.
None He consorts with saue wormes and men
Prepar'd for worms-meat, though he make resort
To Country, City, Village now and then,
Yea where hee's seldome welcome, to the Court,
There will He enter, and will summon them;
And goe they must, though they be sorie for't:
Thus, Country, Citie, Village, Court and all,
Must their appearāce make when Death doth call.
Chop-falne, Crest-sunke, drie-bon'd Anatomie,
Earth-turn'd, mole-ei'd, flesh-hook that puls vs hēce
Night-crow, Fates [...]doome, that tells vs we must die,
Pilgrim-remouer that depriues vs sence;
Lifes-date, Soules-gate that leades from miserie,
Mans sharp'st assault admitting no defence,
Times Exit, or our Intrat to that Clime,
Where there's no Time, nor Period of Time.
Nor stands he much vpon our dangerous yeare,
All are alike to Him, yea oft we see,
When we are most secure, then Hee's most neare,
Where th' yeare clymactericke is his I [...]bile:
For as He can transpose Him euery where,
East, West, North, South, with all facilitie,
So can H [...] come, so cunning is his stealth,
And take vs hence when we are best in health.
[Page]Since Death is thus describ'd, (for this he is,)
Be still prepar'd, lest vnprepar'd He come,
And hale you hence, for spending Time amisse
(For Death is Sins Reward, Transgressions Doome)
So when thou dies thou shalt be sure of this,
T [...] haue accesse vnto the Marriage roome,
And for thy Tombe, in steade of Iuorie,
Marble, or Brasse, shall Uertue couer th [...].

Epitaphs vpon sudden and pre­mature deaths: occasioned vpon some occur­rents lately and vnhappily arising.

WHo walkes this way? what Charitie, ist thou?
I need not feare thy doome: for thou'lt al [...]ow
This Axiome for vndoubted: Once we must
Returne vnto our mother earth: and dust
Our first creation▪ challengeth the same:
"Being the Mould from whence our bodies came.
If Enuie passe this way and iudge am [...]sse,
"I rest secure what ere her censure is.
Faith is my Anchor, Comfort is my Shield,
"How should I doubt then but to win the field!
For this is true (as I haue oft times heard)
No death is sudden to a minde prepar'd.
My Hope being thus erected; Enuie, cease
"To wrong his soule that haz assured peace.

Another Epitaph vpon the same subiect.

Thou look'st vpon my Tombe, and wagg'st thy head,
And with remorcefull te [...]res weep'st ore me dead,
As if past hope: thou seem'st to be my frend,
In that thou grieu'st at my vntimely end:
Vntimely dost thou call it? True: report
Brutes my Repentance was but very short,
Because cut off: I graunt it: for the space
It was but short, yet was the c [...]urse of grace
Abundant, which confirmes my Pilgrims wish,
"Where man's prepar'd, there no death sudden is.

An Epitaph of the same.

Hopelesse thou weep'st, and com'st vnto my Tombe,
Descanting on my death, with, oh too soone
Dide this poore wretch: I pray thee ceasse to weepe,
"I am not dead, but onely falne asleepe:
Ablessed sleepe, secure from Enuies sting,
"Flying from earth to heauen with ayrie wing:
Should'st thou then doubt my end? O do not doubt,
"My virgin-lampe is in, 'tshall nere goe out.
Thou saist I dide too soone: thou saist amisse,
"Can any die too soone to liue in Blisse?
Wipe then thy Teares, I know thou wish me well,
Heauen is my mansion, Earth I tooke for hell:
And that was cause I went so soone from thence,
To plant in Heauen my eternall residence:
For men (how short their end) are neuer tride,
"But how they learn'd to die before they dide.

¶ Vpon a vertuous young Ladie lying in child-birth.

B [...]rne at the first to bring another forth,
"She leaues the world, to leaue the world her birth:
Thus Phoenix-like as she was borne to breed,
"Dying herselfe renews it in her seed.

¶ Vpon a Souldier, for resolutiō worthily affecte [...] and aduanced by his Country, yet interred an [...] by (vnworthy Fate) obscurely.

Dead? Yes: Alas, is this the Souldiers tombe,
A silly monument to them shall come
To see it. True; what tho the body lie
Interred low in her obscuritie?
Thy vertue (honour'd Souldier) shall remaine
Aboue the Boundiers of triumphing Spaine,
France, or the Belgicke rampires: what Death m [...]
Sh'haz done already, turnd thy corpse to clay:
But death (of Fames possession) may despaire,
For she erects her Tombe within the Ayre,
That whosoeuer this way chance to moue,
"Shall see his corpse heere, but his fame aboue.
Triumphant Souldiers, glorious by thy birth,
Reign'st now in heauen, because thou wer'st in earth:
Then such Professants ouer blessed are,
That raise their Peace by managements of warre.
Vpon a Drunkard buried in a ruinous fort in Dunkerke, was this Inscription engrauen, which by the ancientnesse of Time was well neare defaced.
In Dunkerke heere a Drunkard lies with mickle careysought,
"Drinke was the boone the lorden crau'd for rest he cared nought.
Long may he wun in this large Tombe, and neuer henceforth sinke
"To earth again: that while he liu'd claimd earth for wāt of drink:
[...]eauen rest his soule, and others all, whosere the Lord will saue,
"And grant Dunkerk (if't be thy wil) may nere such drūkards haue.

¶ An Epigram vpon Alphonso Prince of Naples, and vpon his Crest, whereon was engrauen a Pellican with this Impressa;

Alios seruans meipsum perdo.
The Crest I weare expresseth what I am,
"A soft and tender-hearted Pellican,
Who to recall life to her dying brood [...],
Suckes from her owne heart life-renewing blood:
Being the same, if I appeale to time,
"Shee's not more deare to hers, then I to mine.

¶ An Epitaph vpon one who died confined.

Report tells me that thou didst die confinde;
Confinde! its true: in body, not in minde.
Confinde the body was, where it had birth,
But minde without confinement leaueth earth,
To dwell in those [...]efined Groues abou [...],
A Gro [...]e refin'd which yeelds eternall loue
To the possessor; let thy minde appeare
Free, though thy body was confined heere.
This shall remaine engrauen vpon thy Tombe,
To memorise thy fame in time to come.

¶ Vpon a Iustice worthily deseruing of his Countrey.

The misse of thee, since th [...] decease, is knowne,
"For whoso comes to Iustice, or her throne,
Shall see her silent (and as o [...]e thats domb:)
"Good reason why, with thee she lost her tongue.

¶ Vpon a Iustice of lesse demerite.

Who comes this way? Let him looke downe and reade,
"Here li [...] one, spake lesse liuing, then being dead:
For heere in Ri [...]e Fame speakes of him in time,
"Who whilst he liu'd spak [...] Reason nor good Rime:
This yet h [...] comfort is, when time is spent,
God will haue mercie on the innocent.

¶ Vpon a bragging Souldier.

Heere lies a bragging Souldi [...]r that could lie
With [...] and s [...]te, in face of maiestie;
Yet he that lied' gainst heauen, in earth now lies,
An open mirrour to all mortall eies:
"For though he lied, yet could he not denie
With all his lies, but man is prest to die.

Vpon Peter see me.

Peter see me, thou canst not, for thy eies
"Lie [...]here interred, where thy body lies:
How canst thou see me then? as Peters doe;
"Not by my worth, but by my outward shew [...]
For Gallant-like by perfumes I transpose
My knowledge from thy eies vnto thy nose.
That though th'art dead, yet thou may well perceiu [...],
"A Perfum'd gallant walk's vponthy graue.

¶ Vpon a Captaine which in the Low Coun­tries was hanged, and afterwards taken vp againe.

A Captaine hangd, and taken from his Graue▪
For what? a pardon came, and did him saue.
Saue. what did it saue? his body: Yes.
"From putrefaction? no, but from that peace
All buried corps enioy: It was not done
"With Iustice: Yes, she is a Saint diuine,
And raisd him vp, because dead'fore his time.

[...] his throwing.

Poore Thrower, art thou dead? Now do I feele
"Euen by thy End, that Fortune haz a wheele,
That spinnes and weaues, turnes and returnes againe;
And in mens death esteemes the chiefest gaine:
For this by thee may very well be knowne,
That made their owne wheele ruinate thy owne.
Thou wast a Thrower, Fate a Thrower too;
After this cast thou'lt neere make such a throw:
Rest then in peace, it's Fate tript vp thy heele,
And bids thee yeeld vnto her Turning wheele.

¶ Vpon one Span.

Rightly compared is the life of man,
"For shortnesse of continuance, to a span,
It is mans met-wand; euery one must haue
"This span to end his life, and mete his graue.
Then who dare say that he does liue secure,
"Possessing that which cannot long endure.
This is expressed by this man lies heere,
"Whose name and nature in one span appeare.
So lest the name should do the nature wrong,
"Being short by nature, name would not be long.

¶ Vpon one Flower a hopefull yong Student.

Mans life's a flower: how should it then but fade,
"Since at the first for dying it was made?
Yet if this Flower had beene exempted, then
We might haue thought this Flower not for men
To crop: no more it was: and ther [...]fore giuen
"As one aboue desert of earth to Heauen.
Once thou was planted in the Cambrian Groue,
Where thou was watred with the Students loue.
But now from thence I see thy glory rise,
"From Cambrian Beakes, to Brookes in paradise.

¶ Vpon a Reuerend and honourable Iudge of this land, was this Epitaph inscribed.

Who so would Honours frailetie pictur'd haue,
Let him behold that picture in this graue:
Where frailetie ne're was with more honours clad,
Nor more deseru'd those honours which he had:
Had? lasse that we should say, wee had thee; haue
Would be a Tence, the state would rather craue.
Small difference twixt the accents, Haue and Had,
Yet th' one did cheare vs, th' other makes vs sad.
But whence these tea [...]es? whence be they? to expresse
His worth▪ our want, his peace, our pensiuenesse:
For to discribe him in each liniment,
He gaue his to [...]gue vnto the Parlament:
His hands to sacred writ, his eare to heare
Iudgement pronounc'd, his eye to see more cleare
In the [...] of Iustice, and his feete
To walke in paths, for Christian soules most meete.
Thus his impartiall tongue, hand, eare, foote, eye,
Show'd him a mirror in mortalitie.
Yet in his age a Reuerence appeares,
Many are yong in houres, are olde in yeares;
But he was old in both; full seuentie sixe,
Surpassing Dauids fi [...]st Arithmeticke:
Fifty one yeares he with his Lady liu'd,
That in himselfe his race, might be reuiu'd:
For what was by the vertuous Father done,
Seemes (by resemblance) shadow [...]d in the Sonne.
[Page]Sergeant vnto the Queene, Iudge o'th kings B [...]nch
For twelue yeares space, wherein his eminence
Did not transport his passions: For his thought
Fixt on his end, esteem'd all honour nought.
Thus liu'd he, thus he di'de; liu'd long, di'de wel,
Heere Iudge on Earth, now Iudge in Israel.
Terras Astraea reliquit.

¶ Distichon funebre in obit: princip. ob exi­miam & corporis & mentis temperi­em. qua licet, nos reliquit, altiora petit.

Qui formam mirantur, ament Uestigia mentis,
Illi forma perit, nescit at illa mori.

¶ An Epitaph vpon the Sonne buried in his Fathers graue.

Stand, goe no further: looke but downe and reade,
Youth fed that body, on which wormes doe feede.
Looke lower downe, and thou portrai'd shalt haue
Father and Sonne, both buried in one graue.
And what does couer them? poore mother Earth,
Which gaue to Sonne and Father both their birth:
Thus one to three reduc'd, and three to one,
Sonne, Mother, Father; Father, Mother, Sonne.
Make then this vse on't wheresoe're thou come.
Earth was thy cradle, Earth must be thy tombe.

¶ Vpon In hunc fer­me modum pro­p [...]nitur à Mart. [...]pigramma. one who louing ho­nour, died ere hee possest it.

Thus fadeth honour and returnes to nought,
Which is not got by merit, but is bought:
For it affoords th' aspiring minde small good,
When wreaths of honour are not drawne from blood,
Nor from desert: for honour cannot bide,
"Being supported by the stayes of pride.

¶ Vpon Master Laurence Death, an Epicede ac­commodate to his Name.

Why should one feare to grapple with his Name,
"Death thou wast liuing, and art now the same;
No, I may say farre more: renewing breath
"Tels me th' art liuing; for thou hast kil'd Death.
Liue then victorious Saint: still may thou be
Though dead by Name, [...]et fresh in memory.
That who so passeth, or shall chance to come
This way, may say: Here lies Deaths liuing Tomb.

¶ Vpon one Merie.

Merie why liest thou like Heraclitus,
That vs'd to laugh like blith Democritus?
Thou seemes in dis [...]ontent: pray thee tell why
"Thou liest so sad? Thou art learning how to die.
Learning to die? why th' art already dead:
Ist possible that Peter Meries head
[Page]That was so full of wit, so stuft with sage,
"As he appear'd the mirror of this age?
Peter that knew much, and could speake much more
Then ere be knew, should now fall to deaths store.
Alas poore Merie, wormes begin to feast,
Upon that skonce, fed Gallants with fresh ieasts,
Those saucer eyes plast in that witty skonse,
Which vs'd to looke some twenty waies at once,
For if they had matches beene, some might enquire,
Whether they set thy sparkeling-nose a fire:
Those hollow eyes (I say) or lamps of thine,
"Are now like Hogs-heads emptied of their wine:
For hollow Hogs-heads giue an empty sound▪
"And so does Merie being laide in ground.

¶ Vpon one Hogge.

Hog by name and by condition,
"Heere lies Hog that blunt Physition:
Christian nor good moralist,
But liu'd and dide an Atheist.
Yet (after death) giue Hog his dew,
He was a foe vnto the Iew.
And that he might expresse the same,
"He gloried euer in his name,
He bad me write vpon him dead,
" Heere lies Iohn Hog, or Iohn Hogs-head.

¶ Vpon a vaine-glorious Student that would needes be called Aristarchus.

Fate last night hath beene i'th warke house
Of our renowmed Aristarchus:
Where fate no sooner entred in
Then shee a starke-Asse made of him.
For Aristarchus (Authors say)
Inuited death, from day to day;
But our last Aristarchus prai'd,
(Seeing Death come) as one dismaied,
That he his summons would delay,
And come for him another day.
Vpon two Twins that died together
Heere lie two faithfull Brothers in one tombe,
As they did lie together in one wombe;
Heere they came hand in hand, and they do craue,
That hand in hand they may goe to their Graue.

¶ Vpon an ancient Tombe was this In Monast [...]is septentri [...]: com pertum crat. inscription found.

Church-men that should be best of al, are (pardie) growne the worst,
The F [...]x I ken (the Prouerb saies) fares best when he is curst:
This Abbot heere that lies in ground proues this to be too true,
Due would he giue to Prie [...] nor Cleark, yet would he haue his due;
But marke his end (who [...]re thou be) for 'twas a fearefull end,
No friend he had (as he did thinke) to whom he might commend
His Gold: therefore one day he went to finde out some darke caue,
Where be might hoord his treasure vp, where he this voice receau'd:
T [...] iudgement churlish Nabal had, fall presently on thee,
W [...]ich voice being past, the Abbot droupt and died presently.

¶ Vpon my Lady Woodb [...]e.

What would my Lady be? lasse shee has sought
To rise to something, and shee's falne to nought.
Poore Lady, that so faire and sweete a face
Should haue no other home or dwelling place,
Then a poore Sepulcher; lasse its not meete
So faire a Lady should shroud in one sheete:
Who whilst shee liu'd, which was but very now,
Did vse to lie perfum'd and chaf'd in two.

¶ Vpon the same Subiect extracted.

Looke throgh & throgh, see Ladies with false formes,
You deceiue men, but cannot deceiue wormes.

¶ Vpon an Adulterer extracted.

Nay heauen is iust, scornes are the hire of scornes,
I nere knew yet Adulterer without hornes.

¶ Vpon a Sexton an Epitaph.

Rest thee well Sexton, since thou lost thy breath,
I see no Man can be exempt from death:
For what will Death doe to the simple Slaue,
That durst assault him made for Death a Graue?
In peace sleepe on: of thee we haue no neede,
For we haue chosen a S [...]xton in thy steede:
Thy sacring Bell has tinckled all it can,
And now the Sexton showes he was a man.

¶ Vpon Kempe and his morice, with his Epitaph.

Welcome from Norwich Kempe: all ioy to see
Thy safe returne moriscoed lustily.
But out alasse how soone's thy morice done,
When Pipe and Taber all thy friends be gone?
And leane thee now to dance the second part
With feeble nature, not with nimble Art:
Then all thy triumphs fraught with strains of mirth,
"Shall be cag'd vp within a chest of earth:
Shall be? they are, th'ast danc'd thee out of breath,
"And now must make thy parting dance with death.

¶ Vpon one Skelton.

Here lies one Skelton, whom death seasing on,
"Changeth this Skelton vnt [...]
Sce­ [...], or [...]n A­ [...] [...]
Sceleton
Thogh little chang'd in name, in substāce more,
"For now hee's rich that was but poore before.

¶ Vpon one Babylon.

Of all the stones that rear'd vp Babylon,
"There now remaines (of all that pile) but one,
Which serues to couer both the corps and fame,
Which he had purchas'd onely by his Name.

¶ Vpon a spare Patron.

[...]u patronu [...] egentem.
This Man lies here, to say what name he had,
Or to expresse't would make a Poet mad:
For once a Poet offred him a labour,
Which he would hardly reade, or vouchsafe fauour,
To giue the Author one bare smile, or sooth
The Poets good meaning: to be briefe, his tooth
Was poysoned: for th'occasion of his death,
It first proceeded from his stinking breath;
Which did corrupt his lungs: this has beene tride
To be the cause where of this Patron dide.
May he [...]est yet in peace the Poet prayes,
Who though contemn'd, yet crown [...]s his Tombe with (bayes▪

¶ Vpon a cashered Souldier.

In Nether land.
A Souldier not for his desert
Cashered was of late,
But for the Captaine by his pay,
Ment to encrease his state;
For which (in want the Souldier beg'd)
But could not be relieu'd:
As Charity (God knowes) is cold,
Where at the Souldier grieu'd;
And swore since warre would doe no good,
He now would change his sang,
Either to raise his meanes (by stands)
Or Souldier-like to hang.
[Page]Fate seldome fauours war like men,
The case so altered was,
As being tane for bidding stand
To one that chanc'd to passe,
The poore renowme this Souldier got,
Downe to obli [...]ion fell;
And he for Gantlet (wrapt with Giues)
Was brought to second Hell
Captiuitie: what should he doe? appeale
from Iustice Throne,
That bootelesse were, for now his hopes
Are fully razed downe.
The time approach'd (sad time God wot)
When brought vnto the Barre
He gaue the Iudge blunt eloquence,
Like to a Man of warre:
But to be short accus'd he is,
What he cannot denie,
And therefore by a publike doom [...]
He censur'd was to die.
But if the Iudge had rightly done,
The Captaine (by the way)
As he had tane his standing-wage,
Should reape his hanging-pay.

¶ Vpon the death of one Vid. Martial: in nom. Thet. & Nympham, & p [...]storem hoc nomine inducit in Elegijs & E [...] ­pigrammat. Thete who died, and was cast in a great tempest vpon the Sea, into a straite of that part of the Sea which diuides Mysia from Hell [...]spont.

Here lies Thete pale and wan,
Buried in the Ocean.
More it seemes to augment her fame,
Since from Sea shee tooke her Name.
Thetis was Achilles mother,
Yet of that name there's another
To this day record'd by Tyme,
That she was a Saint Diuine.
Here her Image sleepes in peace,
Promising this ile encrease
Nere this Fount
Of Hellespont.
Where Hero and Leander amorous soules,
In midst of her greene bos [...]me daily [...]oules;
Which to Abydos (ancient towne)
And to Cestos brought renowne,
And that shrine
So diuine.
[Page]Where Paphos was erected to expresse,
There Hero was to I'enus Uotaresse:
Rest in honor, Thete rest
By the Sea-Nymphs euer blest,
for they loue
to approue
The rare condition of that diuine Creature,
Where Art is far surpast by spotlesse Nature.

¶ Vpon Synon that villaine which sacked Troy.

Ist possible that wormes dare once conspire
"To tutch his shrowde that sackt all Troy with fire?
O saies poore Hecuba, that thou hadst dide
Before shee had such fatall obiects spide
Of her dislaughter'd Sonnes, weeping to see
M [...]ther and issue slau'd to miserie.
O saies (old Priam) and he teares his haire,
Wishing thy Tombe had razed his despaire,
When in the ruines of def [...]ced Tr [...]y,
And in the Gore of his beloued Boy
His yongling Troylus, he wash'd his head
In an eternall Concaue buri [...]d.
Thus does Troy curse, yet may thou defend
Thy Proiects, and the cause of Troyans end
Proceeding from themselues, thou for the sake
Of thy deare Country, and fair [...] Hellens rape,
[Page]Became a villaine, and to keepe thy Name,
Th [...]u liu'd a villaine, and thou died the same.
Then villanie is dead! in Synon true,
But he haz left his trade vnto the Iew
And English cormorant, who in one houre
Desire both Name and Substance to de [...]oure,
Then there's no diffrence: both bring like annoy,
Saue th'one for England is, th'other for Troy.
Sleepe then in silent slumber, for thy Race,
In right of their succ [...]ssion take thy place.

¶ Vpon Argus.

Argus with his hundred eies,
Eie-lesse in this Coffin lies;
While Wormes keepe their Sessions there,
Where once Lamps of eye-sight were.
Another.
Earth feedes on me, that once fed me,
Court begot me, Country bred me;
Thus my doat [...] preuents my yo [...]th,
Bastard [...]lippes haue slowest growth.

¶ Vpon Gold a dissolute Hac [...]ster.

Gold, th'art a knaue; and drainst thy golden showr [...],
Not from the lap of Danaë, but thy whoore;
Leaue thy base Panders trade, make speede, reuolt
From so deform'd a standard; who would be boult
[Page]To his wifes lewdnesse, or expresse his shame,
By vshering the ruine of his name
For money? ceasse, ceasse to be impudent,
Transplant thy selfe to some pure element
More wholesome and lesse shamefull; liue enrold,
And haue thy Name in characters of Gold,
That whoso passeth may this Impresse reade:
Thy age did end in Gold, begunne in lead.

¶ Vpon a Quackesaluer Doctors graue in Venice, by Transcription we reade this In­scription as followeth.

Heere lies a pound of Rheu-barbe (as't doth seeme)
To purge the worms of Choler, Rheume and Fleame:
A Dapper Doctor (ill may Fate befall)
To take from vs Sir Ierome Vrinall;
Yet this our comfort is; though he be dead,
Haz left another sauce-fleam'd knaue in's stead▪
"That can call backe from dea [...]h a breathlesse corse,
"And cure his griefe as he doth cure a horse
Farewell Sir Ierome thou with horse began,
And Don begins with Horse, and ends with Man.

¶ Vpon Croesus and Irus.

Tw [...]xt Croesus and Irus difference I know none,
Saue Irus haz no [...]ombe, Croe [...]us h [...]z one.
Nor s [...]ills it much what shrowdi [...]g sheet they wore,
"For I nere heard that worms the shrowd forbore:
[Page]Because the pompe or state wherein they laide,
Might by their terror make poore wormes afraide.
But as on earth great ones did feed on small,
"So worms do feed on great ones most of all.
Do well then while we liue; for being dead,
"Or Fame or Shame our Actions merit meade.

¶ Vpon Delia.

Thou Delos-sacred-chaste inhabitant,
For of thy followers Albion haz but scant;
Plant (pray thee heere) some house religiously,
Where we may reuerence spotlesse Chastiti [...]:
For since thy ship did from this Iland lance,
"Best gifts we had were fire
In adagium habentur pyrobalae Galliae.
balls sent from France.
Coole vs this Climate that seemes to aspire,
Not by her owne, but by a for raine fire,
That now at last the Albionact may know,
Th' Delian our friend, thogh th'Fren [...]h no [...] be our foe▪
In Mydam.
Miser nemini est bonus, sibi pessimus.
My das would feed on gold (vnhappy wretch)
That starues himselfe, to make himselfe more rich.
'Tis like a painted couer that conueies
Each sparkeling obiect to our piersing eies,
Which while the eies delight in, they grow dim,
Euen so it fares (poore miser) still with him.
"He feeds on gold, for there's his hearts delight:
"But that same obiect takes away his sight,
[Page]And makes him du [...]kie [...]ide, clouded and blinde,
Though not in body, yet in th' eyes of minde:
Then this shall stand fixt on the misers [...]oure,
His Epi­taph.
"He liued rich (to th' eye) but truly poore.
N [...]c copia nec inopia minuitur.
Salust.
In Veprem Iuridicum.
Heere lies Brier a Lawyer true,
Yet no true Lawyer, giue him's due:
His cause of sickenesse (as I heare)
Was: There's but foure Terms in the yeare.
But others thinke (and so they may)
Because he could not long de [...]ay
His Clients suite, yong Had-lands cause,
Which hauing got into his clawes,
He by renewing of their strife,
Thought to keep't for terme of life.
But AEacus that god of warre,
Pitcht me thi [...] Lawyer ouer-barre.
So in despaire (unhappy elfe)
The Lawyer went and hang'd himselfe.

¶ Vpon a Broaker.

Heere lies a Broaker of Long-lane,
Who by Pick-hatch & Hounsditch got infinit gaine:
The Pyrats of Wapping were lik [...]wise his friends,
Bequeathi [...]g to him their clothes at their ends.
"O hard-hearted death, more cruell then any,
That would not be mou'd at the sutes of so many!

¶ Vpon Tacitus.

Heere lies an old Concealer vnderneath,
Who hardly could conceale himselfe from death.
"Thus though man [...]e disguis'd in varied formes,
Conceal'd on earth, yet not conceal'd from worms,
Thou th [...]n that passest by this seely wretch,
"This morall may experience thee teach;
There's nought so hid, which in Earths bosome lyes,
" [...]ut fate (with pierciue eyes) looks through & spies.

¶ Vpon one Holofe [...]nus an vnconscio­nable Vsurer.

Within this Grate lies one Holofernus,
His bodie's in earth: but his soule in Auernus,
"Vnder his head lies a bagge of red gold,
Which both heart and conscience together enfold.
See worm-holes are sprouting, which seems to express,
They loa [...]h to feede on an Usurers flesh.

¶ Vpon one Gnat.

Sleepe on poore Gnat, Gnat was thy proper name,
"And thou as properly exprest the same;
No difference 'twixt thee buried and before,
"Saue that in death thou sleepes, in life didst snore.

¶ Vpon an Actor now of late deceased: and vpon his Action Tu quo (que): and first vpon his Trauell.

Hee whom this mouldered clod of earth doth hide,
New come from Sea, made but one face and dide.
Vpon his Creditors.
His debt [...]rs now, no fault with him can finde,
Sith he has paid to nature, all's behinde.
Vnto his fellow Actors.
What can you craue of your poore fellow more?
"He does but what Tu quoque did before:
Then giue him dying, Actions second wreath,
"That second'd him in Action and in death.

¶ Vpon Loues champion.

Once did I liue and loue, not loue, but lust,
And in loues turnament perform'd my a iust;
But now return'd I am, whereto all must,
Rendring my life, loue, lust and all to dust.

¶ Amor This inscripti­on writ vpon the tombe of a memo­rable Patrician of [...]ome and may be transcribed, vnto one of ours no lesse memorable for eminence of place, and since­ritie of gouern­ment. viuat & crescat honor, inuitis fatis resurgat virtus, au­geatur pietas, & foueatur sancti­tas: altera harum miserijs sub­uenimus, altera Reip. saluti prouide­mus.

Corpus vt perijt, creuit virtus.
Vertue that vs'd to sit enthron'd in state,
"In purple clo [...]thed, not in purple sin,
Lies heere interr'd, for shee's enshrin'd in him,
Not prun'd as vicious men, by common fate,
For vertue is of higher estimate
Then to subscribe to times abridged date;
Nor can the clowde of Enuie, honour dim,
For when shee seemes to die, shee does begin
"To raise her glory higher then b [...]fore,
Immortaliz'd in Heauen, for euermore.
An happy passage, happy pilgrimage,
"Where our Earths conflict wins eternitie,
Securest harbour of tranquilitie,
To passe from Earth [...]o Heauen, where mutually
[Page]The Saints of God reioice, free from the rage
Of sinnes assaults, or of this fleshly cage,
Wherein we are enthrald: distressed age
* That makes vs old in nought saue miserie:
"But pilgrims, if for Christ perplexed be,
Shall liue with him in ioy perpetually.
Thrice blessed pilgrime, that hast spent thy daies
In the promoting of thy Countries weale,
Faithfull in all, wherein thou wast to deale,
Shoaring vpon thy shoulders those decaies,
Which seem'd to ruinate the state alwaies;
These blessed actions do deserue due praise,
Triumphant patro [...] of th [...] common-weale:
Who (though she should) vnthankefully conceale
"Those many vertues which thy minde possest,
Thou needs not feare: in Heauen they are exprest.
True Register, where all thy acts remaine
In perfect colours liuely shadowed,
The map of honour, well decyphered,
Where innocence receiues immortall gaine
For her pure life, polluted with no staine
Of earths all [...]rements: Earth cannot containe
A vertu [...]us minde, for it will still aspire
To Syons hill, ascending eue [...] higher,
Till shee discerne the fruits of her pure loue,
By leauing earth to liue in Courts aboue.
[Page]Thou that art here immur'd with barres of earth,
"Returning to the place from whence thou came,
Shall by thy death perpetuate thy Name:
"Si [...]h forraine Coasts haue much admir'd the same;
And though thy foes, yet they extoll'd thy worth,
"Being twice noble in thy selfe, thy birth,
Which no succeeding times shall ere raze forth.
"Honour will euer flourish, as it was
Though not engrauen in faire leaues of brasse.
For what is Brasse, Marble, or Iuorie?
What will auaile t [...]e Monuments of time,
When those they represent seeme to d [...]cline
In the Worlds eye? in whom our memorie
Liues, or lies dead: O then liue vertuouslie,
That winnes a Crowne here, and eternallie.
Worlds respects a blast, a bud, a flower,
Now sprouting fai [...]e & blasted in an houre;
But who shall flourish in the Sacred Groue,
"Shall ere stand firme, his Scyons cannot moue.
Liue in this Hearse: Death to the good's no death,
"But a transportance from a Sea of woes
To future ioye [...], from shipwracke to repose:
For such as these, God for himselfe doth choose,
Clipping their Temples with a golden wrea [...],
Infusing in their soules eternall breath:
Thrice blessed vine that in heau'ns Vineyard growes,
Whose spreading branches farre more beauty showes
* Then Sun or Moone, or th'purest Element;
Or any Starre within the Firmame [...]t.
[Page]Such trees we see bring forth the ripest fruit,
As planted are vpon the waters side,
Whose liquid streames their neighbour bankes diuide:
Euen so where Springs of diuine grace doe glide,
The seeds of Vertue take the deepest roote,
Where euery sprig both bloome and fruit sends out
A Glorious Haruest: w [...]ich what ere betide,
Is not by stormes dismaide, but fructifide.
Such goodly trees are plants of Paradise,
Which bring forth fruit in such varieties.
And such a [...]ree art thou, whose noble stem
Did nourish Learning, & Mineruas friends:
Thy flowrie blossome in their growth extends,
And after death some fruitfull gleanings sends
From Heauen aboue to Earths-suruiuing men,
That seeing them, might seeke to foll [...]w them;
But most to such as 'bout the Court attends,
That vert [...]ous liu [...]s may weaue their glorious ends.
"For Uertue was as Ariadnes thread
"That led the liuing, and empales the dead.
What [...]issing Serpent with her venemous s [...]ing
Can hurt thy vertues which be registred
In Heauen aboue? where th'art canonized
And with the fruits of vertue garnished;
Shining for euer with the supr [...]ame King
Of glorious Sion: where the Angels sing
Hymns of delight: whose Quires are polished
With Saphires, Emeralds: repl [...]nished
With springs still flowing full of sweet delight,
[Page]Not cross'd by shadowes of a gloomie night.
"If we be Pilgrims here (as sure we be)
"Why should we loue to liue, and liue to die?
"If Earthen Vessels, why should we relie
"With such assurance on our frailtie?
"Since greatest States doe perish soon'st we see,
"And rich and poore haue one communiti [...]
"In th' eyes of Fate: nor could I ere espie
"In humaine state, ought saue inconstancie.
"Times follow Times, motion admits n [...] rest,
"But in this motion, * worst succeede the best.
If loue be said to liue, honour encrease,
Or Uertue flourish in despite of Fate,
I neede not feare this noble Heroes state,
Though much pursu'd (as't seemes) by publike hate,
His Ship is harbour'd in the Port of peace:
Where times▪ succeeding ioyes shall neuer cease;
Great are they sure which none can explicate,
And great in worth, which none can estimate.
Thus great on Earth, and great in Heauen together,
Uertue with greatnes, makes him heire of either.
Let this same Epit [...]ph I consecrate
Unto thy Noble Hearse, expresse my loue
And duty both: (for both doe me behoue;)
"If of my poore endeuours thou approue.
These lines be th' obsequies I dedicate,
Which though they come like Seede that's sowen to [...] late;
[Page]Yet some in due compassion they may moue,
To plant more cheerefull tendrells in thy Groue.
" Honour attend thy presence (famous Herse)
"Too much obscur'd by my impolisht verse.
Epitaph.
Mortis vbi stimulus? pro me tulit omnia Christus:
"Consul eram primo tempore, Consul er [...].

¶ A funerall Ode.

O thou heauen-aspiring Spirit,
Resting on thy Sauiours meri [...]!
liue in peace,
for encrease
Blest [...] this Iland in thy being:
Mindes vnited still agreeing.
Peace possest thee,
Peace hath blest thee.
Halcyon dayes be where thou dwellest,
"As in Glorie thou excellest.
Death by dying,
Life enioying.
Richer fraight was nere obtained,
Then thy Pilgrim-steps haue gained.
Blessed pleasure,
happy Treasure.
Thus many distinct ioyes in one exprest,
Say to thy Soule, Come Soule and take thy rest.

¶ Vpon the death of the ver­tuously affected S r Thomas Boin­ton, a Knight so wel-meriting, as his vertues farre aboue all Titles, enstiled him worthy the loue of his Coun­trey.

Sad [...] shadie * Groue, how faire so ere thou show,
"Reft art thou of thy Teare-bath'd maister now:
Yet grow thou shalt; and mai'st in time to come,
With thy shed-leaues shadow thy Maisters tombe,
Which is adorn'd with this Inscription:
"Weepe Marble, weepe, for losse of Bointon:
Yet he's not lost; for as the Scripture saith,
"That is not lost (for certaine) which God hath.
Ceasse Ladie then with teares your eies to dim,
"He must not come to You, but you to Him.

¶ Vpon that memorable Act atchieued by an Auncestour of the Cogniers in the discom­fiture of a Winged-worme or Snake,

Whose approach was no lesse obuious then mortally dangerous to the distressed Passenger;

His Monument remaineth in the body of the church at Antiquae & no­bilis fam [...]siae de Cogniers domici­lium. Camd. in Britann. Sockburn, where hee lieth crosse-legged, (which inferreth his being be­fore the Conquest) hauing his Fauchion by his side, his Dogge at his feete,

Grasping with the Snake, the Snake with the Dogge: the renowmed me­morie of which Act addeth no lesse glory to the houses Antiquitie, then the worthy Meaning Sir Iohn Cogniers, now deceased, [...] Knight no lesse generous then gracious in the eye of his Prince and Countrey. Knight who now possesseth it, gaineth harts by his affability.

C [...]lle sub exiguo iacuit canis, vnde peremit
Aligerum vermem, quo sibi fama venit.
Quo sibi Famavenit, veniet, semper (que) manebit,
Sidera dum coeli, gramina tellus habent.

Paraphrastically translated.

Vpon a hill his Gray- [...]ound lay, till that his Maister blew
His writhed horne at whose approach the winged Worme he slew:
Whece Fame gaue wings to Cogniers name which euer shalbe giuē
So long as grasse growes on the earth, or stars appeare in heauen.
Vpon his Tombe.
Who slew the Worme is now worms meat, yet hope assures me hence,
Who th'worme ore-threwhe after slew, the worme of Conscience.

¶ Epitaphs vpon diuerse of the Sages of Greece, translated, omitting Thales and Solon, and beginning with the rest, original­ly traduced from La­ertius.

Vpon Chylo.
Thankes to the blushing morne that first begunne
To decke the Laureat brow of Chyloes sonne,
Which He (old-man) as ouer-ioy'd to see,
Fell dead through Ioy; I wish like death to me.
This Inscription also was engrauen on his Tombe.
Heere Chylo lies, in Lacedemon bred,
Who 'mongst the Seuen was rightly numbred.

¶ Vpon Pittacus, whose Tombe was erected by the Citie Lesbos wherein he liued; beauti­fied with this inscription to per­petuate his memory.

Within this Tombe doth Lesbos thee enshrine,
Drencht with their teares and consecrate as thi [...]e.

¶ Vpon Bias whom Priene with all solemnitie and magnificence, at their owne proper cost in­terred: Engrauing these verses vpon his Tombe, for the continuance of his Name.

This well-wrought stone doth Bias corp [...] contain [...],
Who was an honour to th' Ionian:
Pleading his friends cause (as a faithfull friend)
Pausing to take his breath, He breath'd his end.

¶ Vpon Cleobulus, who was buried in Lyndus, which boundeth on the Sea-cliffe; the situ­ation whereof is shadowed in this inscription vpon his Tombe.

That wise Cleobulus should extinguish'd b [...],
Lyndus laments en [...]iron'd with the Sea;
So as two S [...]as ne [...]re Lyndus [...],
"A Leuant Sea, a Sea in Lyndus eies.

¶ Vpon Periander of Corinth was this Epitaph ensuing found to be engrauen, which through the iniurie of time, and want of Art in the impressure▪ was so defaced, as by the testimonie of Laertius it could scarce be reduced to Sence: yet now ac­cording to the Originall faithfully translated, in­cluding a Christian resolution in a Pagans dissolu­tion▪ reposing a more true happines in his end then in his Birth, his exit or passage, then his intrat to this Theatre or transitorie Pilgrimage: making his diem fatalem, his diem natalem, the day of his death the day of his birth; where Man by an imputa­tiue goodnesse, deduced from God not inherent in himselfe, may in his death be rather said to be translated then departed.

Corinth both wise and rich in treasures store,
Keepes Perianders Bodie in her shore.

Continued by Laertius by way of an Epigram,

Greeue not that Thou shouldst not obtaine thy wish,
But ioy in that the Gods haue giuen thee this,
For Thou by death hast past those sorrowes now,
Which many one would doe, but cannot doe.

¶ Vpon the much lamented death of the truly ho­nourable (eminent patterne of vnblemished Iu­stice) Sir Augustine Nicholls one of our Iudges of the Northerne Circuit, who died at Kendall the third day of August. Anno 1616.

Sic Nicholaus obit, potius Nicodemus, & astra nunc Astraea petit, quae mori [...]ndo tenet.
Nicholls is dead, or Nicodemus rather,
The Widd [...]ws cheerer and the Orphans father;
Dead! why it cannot [...]e Iustice should die,
For she ha's will and power enough to flie
Aboue the reach of Death. It▪s true, yet Death
Ha [...]h reft this Iustice-patron of his breath:
Of Breath? No matter, Breath is but a winde
That vades, but cannot preindice the Minde
Where Iustice sits as Regent: wherefore then
Since Iustice liues, should she be mon'd by men
As if deceast? Ile tell you, Heere is one,
Or was one rather, for he now is gone,
Who seeing th'end of Iustice-circuit nie,
Embracing Death did i [...] his Circuit die;
No mar [...]ell then if men do Iustice mone,
When They do find her mansion vnder stone:
And hard it is to finde Her whom They seeke,
As [...]' heare the stone that couers her to speake.
"This then shall be her Dirge, her dying Song,
"Shepleads in hea [...]en▪ on earth she ha's lost her tong.
Terras Astraea reliquit.

Another Dialogue▪ wise: Eubaeus and Tymaeus.

Eubaeus.

Silence, awake not Iustice.

Tymaeus.

Who can keepe the eies of Iustice closed?

Eubaeus.

Death and Sleepe.

Tymaeus.

Death cannot do it.

Eubaeus.

Cannot! pray thee see What Death hath done then.

Tymaeus.

"Lasse! how mortally lies Iustice wounded?

Eubaeus.

Wounded! no, shee's dead.

Tymaeus.

Dead!

Eubaeus.

Yes; see tong, pulse, arme, eie, heart, hand head all motionless [...]; come nearer:

Tymaeus.

I'me too near.

Eubaeus

Doest weepe?

Tymaeus.

I offer to her Shrine a teare.

Eubaeus.

Thou art too childish.

Tymaeus.

No, if I could more, I would expresse it.

Eubaeus.

Why, didst nere know b [...]fore Iustice lie speechl [...]sse?

Tymaeus.

Yes, but nere did know despaire of her recouery till now.

Eubaeus.

No, th [...] hast h [...]ard that saying [...] growne common.

Tymaeus.

What might it b [...]?

[Page]Eubae.

That Iustice's like a Woman;

Tymae.

In what respect?

Eubae.

In this it may be [...]'ed

When she lies speechles, shee is neerly dead.

Tymae.

Most true in both

Eubae.

It is, but doe not weepe;

Let's vanish hence, & suffer Iustice sleepe.

¶ An Epitaph reduced to the forme * Epitaphi­um in Dia­logi form [...] composi­tum. of a Dialogue; consisting of two Per­sons and two Parts, representing in the Persons, Affection and Instruction; in the Parts Passion and Consolation: prepared at first for the memory of his neuer-sufficient­ly remembred Father by the Authour, emphatically shadowed vnder the name of Phi­lopater.

The Persons names are Philopater and Philogenes.
Philop.

Sleepes my deare Father?

Philoge.

Yes, my Sonne I sleepe:

Philop.

Wh [...], then I wrong'd your quiet rest to weepe; Sith Christians should not any difference make Twixt Death and Sleepe;

Philoge.
It's true, for [...]th awake,
Both lie them downe▪ both rise, bot [...] bedding haue,
The liuing haue their couch, the dead their graue;
[Page]For as our Death by Sleepe is shadowed,
So by our Bed our Graue is measured.
Philop.

O pardon then my teares.

Philoge.
My Sonne I doe,
These teares thou sheds do thy aff [...]ctiō show,
And beare record in He [...]uen;
Philop.

Where you are blest:

Philoge.

Indeede I am.

Philop.

Heauens grant my Soule like rest.

¶ A Diuine composition, stiled The Pilgrimes Petition.

Keepe me (O Lord) ô daigne my Soule to keep,
Thou art her Shepheard, shee the wandring Sheep:
Thou art the liuing life, the Labourers way;
The Pilgrims staffe, Faiths Anchor, Iosuahs day:
Yea Iosuahs Day-starre, who (so if thou please)
Canst make the Sun goe backe without degrees▪

¶ The Sinners Cymball.

I cried vnto the Lord, he healed me,
I sicke to death, he sh [...]w'd me remed [...]e;
I hunger-staru'd, he gaue me Angels food,
I all athirst, he quench'd it with his blood.

¶ In obitum De Am­bleside. Thomae Brathwaite op­timae spei, indolis generosissimae, vitae probatissimae, fidei integerrimae, omni ex parte parati peri▪ ti (que) R. B.

Memoriae eius studiosissimus lugubria ista Poe­mata grati animi pignora diu meditata & iam serò sed seriò in publicam lu­cem prolata (Dialogi mo­re) ccmposuit.

Philaretus and Euthymius.
Philaret.

Quò redis?

Euthym.

In gremium matris:

Philaret.

Quos quaeris?

Euthym.

Amicos.

Philaret.

His moriendo [...]ares:

Euthym.

His moriendo fruor.

Philar.

Tunc tibi mors lucrum:

Euthym.

M [...]hi lux, via, vita, leuamen.

Philar.

Tunc non amissus;

Euthy.

M [...]ssus at ante meos.

¶ In Anagramma quod sibi ipsi compo­suit & Annulo inscripsit.

  • Brathwaite
  • Vita vt herba.
Vita vt Herba tuum est Anagramma, tua (que) sub vrna
Hoc videam, br [...]uis est vita, sed herba leuis,
Annulus hoc tenuit, nam (que) Annulus arctus vt annus,
Quo (velut afflatu) fata futura refers.

¶ Vpon the late decease of his much lamented friend and kinsman, Alle [...] Nicholson, a zea­lous & industrious member both in Church and Com­mon-weale.

Hauxide laments thy Death, Grasmyre not so,
Wishing I hou hadst b [...]ene dead [...] agoe;
For then her market had not so be [...]ke done,
But had suru [...]u'd [...]hy Age in time [...]o come:
And well may Hauxide grieue at thy Departure,
"Since Shee receiu'd from thee her ancient charter,
Which Grasmyre su [...]s (since Thou art turn'd to
To bring about & now ha [...]h broght to p [...]sse. (grasse)
Thus much for th [...]e: nor would I haue thee know it,
For thy pure zeale could nere e [...]dure a Poet;
Yet for the Loue I bore thee, and that Blood
Which twixt vs both by Nati [...]e course hath flow'd▪
"This will I say, and may; for sure I am
"The North nere bred sincerer P [...]rer man.

¶ In obitum generosissimi viri L. P. genio quàm ingenio minus faelici, Franciscus Ridgeway eius memoriae studiosissimus hosce th [...]eneticos modos com­posuit.

Flebo, cur? amisi memorandi pignus amici,
Falleris, amitti morte pe [...]ente nequit;
Praemitti fate [...]r, Quis enim non fata capesset,
Discimur exemplo, sic oriendo mori.
[Page]At dol [...]t exemplis tua fata venisse sub illis,
Q [...]is si tu perias, fama perennis erit.
Quid dixi an peries? peries sanè corpore, quid si
Hac species periat, mens speciosa manet?
Altera pars terram repetat, pars altera coelum,
Nec mutas mores caela petendo tuos.
At vale, [...]am faciem nequeo discernere gratam
Qua mihi semper erit gratia sed arcta nimis,
Arcta nimis sed amaena satis, dum fider a vultum
Splendida praestantem continuere tuum.
Sie perijt quod terra parit, quod vertic [...] coeli
Profluit, in coelum tendat & alta petat.
Aliud,
Hic fitus est Satyru [...] qui stupra latere potentum
Impatiens, patiens limina mortis adit.
Englished,
Heere lies a Satyre now reduc'd to dust,
Who scourg'd d [...]sertlesse honour, great mens lust,
These taxt He roundly, and had vow'd to doe it
More boldly yet, if He had liu'd vnto it.

¶ A Funerall Poeme vpon the death of the hope­full yong Gentleman Mast. Will. Horsey, who deceased the 24. of Aprill, Ann. Dom. 1615.

"Plants that transplanted are, haue [...] grouth,
Yet fares it othe [...]ise with this blest youth,
[Page]For he transplanted to another Sphere,
Perfects that tender grouth which he had here,
Tender indeed; yet me thinks there appeares
Age in his houres, though youth was in his yeares,
For by experience, of this sur [...] I am,
" Neuer came childe more neere vnto a Man.
Well may we then excuse his mothers mone,
To lose her Sonne and that her onely One,
Whose hope gaue life vnto her house and her,
"(If mothers erre in this they lightly erre)
For natiue loue must [...]eeds enforce a teare
To see them laid on Beare whom they did beare:
To see their Birth turn'd Earth, their very womb [...]
Which brought them forth conuerted to a Tombe;
Yet this should make his mother change her song,
To see her hope translat'd 'boue hope so yong,
To see her onely and now happy Sonne,
To haue his Pilgrime-taske so quickly done;
But shee ha's lost him; no, he is not lost,
"For where He seemes to lose He gaineth most:
And though He haue not Her, He ha's another,
" For now the Church triumphant is his Mother
Feeding his infant-glory with her pap,
Dandling him sweetely in her heauenly lap,
For this is confirm'd by the sacred word,
" He cannot die that dieth in the Lord.
Cease then thou tender Mother, cease to w [...]epe,
Thy Sonne's not dead, but onely falne asleepe;
Which sleepe dissolu'd, his corps shall be vnited
Vnto his soule amongst the Saints delig [...]ted.
[Page]"Peace happy Soule crowne thy eternall dai [...]s
"With wreath of glory to thy Makers praise,
" That as thou liu'd a Mirror to thy Age,
" So thou may shine in Sions heritage.
His Epitaph.
Heere interred in this Tomb [...],
* Orimur & Morimur.
Yong, yet vertues hop [...]full Bloome,
Fathers Boy,
Mothers ioy
Shrined is; yet from this shrine,
There's a substance, that's diuine,
Which no graue
Can receaue:
Making claime to Heauens pure clime.

¶ The Author vpon his selected and euer to be remembred E. C. Parragon for beautie and vertue: who died the 5. of De­cemb. Ann. Dom. 1615.

Take mother Earth thy virgin-daughter heer [...],
Born [...] on her Bere ere sh [...] was borne to b [...]are;
Take her, for of her wonders may be said▪
"Heer [...] one and [...] lies who di'd [...] a Maid.

¶ Vpon the much lamented Death of the vertu­ous virgine A. T. in Scarborough, lately de­ceased, and of her sorrowfull Parents incessantly moned.

Dead; say no more shee's dead, keepe in that word,
It will goe neere to drowne her teare-swolne Foord:
Why, He must know it; true▪ yet such as these
(If grieues) should be imparted by degrees;
How must they be imparted? By her Tombe;
It cannot speake; Such grieues are seldome dumbe.
Vpon her Tombe.
Weepe, weepe Rosemarie sprig and shew remor [...]e,
Thou shold haue deckt her bride * now decks her corse

¶ Vpon the Tombe of. . . . . lately erected.

. . . . . Perhaps thou may haue Shebnaes doome,
To haue thy corps deuided from thy Tombe,
And haue name of that crest thou gaue thy Neighbor,
To close thy corps in Earth, and saue this labor.
How fond then thou, to build so costly Shrine,
Neither (perchance) for * thee nor none of thine?
Yet if thou want thy Tombe, thou shalt not misse
To haue thy Epitaph, and this it is:
. . . . . . . Is Dead: The cause if you would know,
His winde-pipe burst, and he no more could blow. 9

¶ Vpon a late deceased Pinch-gut.

Macer dide rich they say, but it's not so,
For he dide poore, and was indebted too:
How sh [...]ld that be? Obserue me, and Ile tell ye
He dide indeb [...]ed b [...]th to backe and belly:
For all he scrap't from his Atturnies Fees,
Seru'd but to starue his Maw with bread & cheese;
So as'mongst those we rightly may him call,
Whose life spent lesse then did his Funerall:
For all his life, his House scarse eate one Beast,
Yet Dead, his Sonne makes vp the Churles Feast.

¶ This the Authour wrote vpon an excel­lent Bowler and his Friend, aptly re­sembling Mans life to a game at Bowles.

The World is the Alley wh [...]re we play,
The Bowles we play with, Creatures that we vse;
The Rubs the Passio [...]s of our minds the way
Needs no Ground-giuer, there's but one to chuse
The way of all Flesh: Seauen's our Game we say,
( For Seauen yeere is liues-lease that limits vs)
The Blocke our end, which when it draw [...]th on,
We po [...]ke our Bowles, and so our Game is done.

¶ Vpon a singular Irishman.

By him lies heere, I finde from whence we came,
Where we must goe, how lif [...]'s an Irish game,
This day in health and wealth, next poore & sicke,
"For Irish games haue still an Iri [...]h tricke.

¶ Vpon the death of one Cookes wife, an Inscrip­tion allusiue to her name.

Death's the cooke pro [...]ideth meate,
For the crawling wormes to eate;
Why shouldst thou then Cool e repine
Death should dresse that wife of thine?
All must die, yea time will be▪
Thou wilt thinke he pleasur'd thee;
For no question, being told,
She was s [...]plesse, [...], old,
He thought fit she'sd liue no longer,
That thou might chuse out a yonger.
This then on her Age thy youth
May be writ as grounded truth,
"Heere she lies, long may she li [...],
"Ere she d. de, was wish'd to die.

This the Author presently composed vpon this occasion; being with sundry Gentlemen at Walt­ham exceeding merrily disposed, one Cooke a neighbour of the Hoasts where he lay, came sud­denly in, pitteously lamenting the death of his [Page] wife, being newly departed: euery one laboured to allay his sorrow; but by how much more in­stant were their comforts, by so much more vio­lent were his Passions: at last the Author percei­ [...]ing by his Hoast that he expressed a dissembling sorrow, being impatient of her life, and therefore (by all probabilitie) inwardly content with her death, being an old decrepite woman, and He in the Prime of his age, in stead of all vnnecessarie comforts, applied this soueraigne Discourse as a salue to his griefe, without further premeditation.

—coenae fercula nostrae
Mallem conu [...], quàm placuisse cocis.
Englished:
As in my choise of meate, so in my Booke,
I'd rather please my guests, then please my Cooke.

¶ In Actorem Mimicum cui vix parem c [...]rni­mus superstitem;
Quaecun (que) orta sunt occidunt. Salust.

Ver vireat quod te peperit (viridissima proles)
Quae (que) tegit cineres, ipsa virescat humus.
Transis ab exiguis n [...]quam periture theatris
Vt repetas sacri pulchra Theatra Iouis.

¶ In vultum incredibili lepore respersum.

O facies mutata nimis; spectacula praebes
Vermibus, ingenuis saepe probata viris.
Quo muta [...]a tuae magis est Pr [...]stantia form [...],
Integra nunc r [...]manet quae peritura fuit.
Vita vt mimus.
Exit vt ex [...]git soboles lepidissima partem,
Praemia fert hominum, sed meliora Deûm.

¶ Vpon a Traueller, who taking Inne in a vil­lage at the signe of the Boore was la­mentably murdered by his Hoast.

The brutish-brisled Bore that was my Signe,
Where th'Hoast (Bore-like) shed this poore bloud of mine.
Ibidem.
An crudelis Aper magis, an crudelior Hospes,
Nescio; saeuus Aper, saeuus & Hospes erat.
At sae [...]s magis Hospes erat, nam conuenit vrsis
Inter se saeuis, non Hospes ab Hospite tutus.
Englished.
Whether the Bore or Hoast more cruell be,
Cruell the Bor [...], [...]he Hoast as fierce as He,
I know not: but the Hoast's the cruellest:
"Beares do agree, while the Hoast betraies his Guest:

¶Vpon certaine Bones found of late buried in the ground, supposed to be some murder commit­ted by the Hoast, in whose yard these Bones were found; but as yet only suspition is groun­ded, no apparancie of Fact discouered.

Brew'd be thy hands in bloud, although Thou be
Free to the world, thy Conscience is not free;
For these drie Bones lie mouldred now in Dust,
Will manifest thy guilt, for God is iust.
Vpon murder.
Murder may seeme to sleepe, but cannot sleepe,
For Feare and Horrour do her eie-lids keepe.
Another.
Murder sometime to slumber will betake her,
Till furie, wrath, and vengeance do awake her.

¶ Vpon a Gentlewoman who died in Child-birth.

One, and my onely one lies buried heere,
Who in the Birth she bore, was borne on Beere;
To him ask [...]s more, this for excuse appeares▪
"Ioy can find words, b [...]t words are drown'd in teares.

Vpon an Infant (his fathers first borne) was this written:

By this auouch I may, right sure I am,
That meagre Death's an vniust Tithingman,
This was my First, not Tenth, and we do say,
"With Tenth, not First we vse our Tithe to pay.

¶ Vpon one Gray.

Gray was my name, gray were my haires of hue,
And Gray to graue return'd, payes Natures due.

¶ Vpon one Grau [...].

Graue I was, where now you see,
Graue is all is granted [...]e:
Yet with me my name I haue,
Since in graue d [...]th lodge a Graue.
Another.
Iesu Christ my soule he saue,
Ere my Met-wand tuch my graue.

¶ Vpon one Winds towards the North-bor­ders is this written;

Winde [...]'se can'd an now I find,
A [...] mans life is but a wind;
Whilke an I had winde at will,
I had yet bene liuing still:
But I's, wele, though wind be ga [...],
Siker I's wind feele I na [...]e.

¶ Another.

Miseremini mei my Friends all,
For now the World hath enformed me to fall;
I must no lon [...]er endure, Pray for my Soule,
For the World is transi [...]ory and terrestriall.

Hoc Epitaphium [...]re insculptum vidimus cathedrali templo Ebo­ [...]acensi, pulcherrimo more (in aerea quadam lamina) consitum, sed [...]rbarie temporis magis excusanda, aut ineptia Auto [...]is non satis [...], parum condite dispositum in Orientali fa [...] prope me­ [...]iam partem Are [...] erigitur.

¶ Vpon old Mammon.

Here lies experienc'd Prouidence, whose care
Hath well enrich'd himself, made others bare;
And yet when Nature did denie Him breath,
Wormes had their Legacie by meanes of Death:
Pray for his Soule, who prai'd on many a Soule,
▪And houle amaine when as the Bell doth toule:
The reason is, if you doe aske me why,
" Howling should supply mourning when Dogs die.
Animae m [...]ae propitietur Deus.

¶ On a Cobler at Cambridge.

M [...] not much though death in doubt did stand,
H [...] fou [...]d [...]im alwayes on the mending hand;
Ye [...] [...] a [...]d by change of weather,
D [...]th ript his Soule quite from the vpper le [...]ther.

¶ Vpon an Eminent STATESMAN in this Land, absolute for his generall suruey in all know­ledge, his approued iudgement in all Learning.

Reade STATESMAN here thy owne mortalitie,
O meditate of Death before thy death;
Be not tra [...]sport'd with Honour: for if we
Ere can shew vertue, it is while we breath,
Raising our hopes' boue Earths felicity,
To crown our Temples with Fames glorious wreath:
Behold I was, and being was admir'd,
Elected STATESMAN, and esteemed fit
At all assaies of STATE, to manage it;
So all that Frame which was so much desir'd,
Ends in this Chest, where STATE retires expir'd.

¶ In the memory of that famous Professour of Physicke▪ M r Butler, generally renowmed for his approued practice.

Death might dissolue thy forme, but not thy fa [...]e,
For shee hath reared on thee such a frame
As shall preserue thy mem'rie, sure I am,
So long as Age shall neede Physician;
Cease Criticke then for to traduce his worth
Whose Oyle though it be spent, his Light's not forth.
"To sundry States our sundry Fates vs call,
Some for the Soule, some bodie few for all:
Yet we in way of Charity should know
" He had receits for Soule and Bodie too. 10

¶ On one Mor [...].

Here lies More, and no more but h [...],
More, and no more, how can that be?

¶ On one Pricke.

Cupid and Death they both their arrowes nicke,
Cupid shot short, but Death he hit the Pricke.

¶ Vpon Sir Ignorance.

Here lies the body of Sir Ignorance,
Who liued in a mist, died in atrance;
And may he so long sleepe where he is laine,
Till he forget to come to vs againe.

¶ Vpon Gregorie Cade.

Sib my wife did promise me
Shee wo [...]ld die when I did die,
But no trust's in Her I see,
And you see' [...] as well as I:
For my shr [...]wde was scantly rotte [...],
Till my Sib had me forgotten.
FINIS.

¶ The Prodigals Glasse.

FLie me delights, Content on Earth fare well,
My mind is aiming at an higher Sphere,
Though I on Earth seeme to remaine and dwell,
My perfect rest cannot b [...] seated here,
Sith no delight there is▪ not match'd with fear [...].
But when my mansion is where I would [...]e,
No feare on Earth can after trouble me.
This life what is it but a liuing death?
And in that death no rest vnto the mind
Can worldlings haue. Flie hence my soule and breath
In that eternall Kingdome that's assign'd
For faithfull Pilgrims: whose content's be [...]ind,
After Earths losse, to reape a treble gain [...]
'Mongst those blest Saints that euermore remaine.
O that my Glasse were run, that I might go [...]
From this low Centre, and transported be
From Earths allur [...]ments (instances of woe)
To dwell with my Redeemer cheerefullie,
"O then should I forget my miserie,
By present ioyes enioy'd, so much the more
In that I liu'd, that seem'd to die before.
[Page]W [...]o would desire to liue, when he may die
And liue for euer? Death aduantage is
Unto the good: O wherefore then should I
Depr [...]e my hopes of that succeeding blisse
Which for the good in Heauen reserued is,
For a small pleasure which in time is spent,
And bri [...]gs no other fruits saue this, Repent?
Bitter's that fruit that yeelds no other gaine,
Cursed that gaine which has no better end,
Vnh [...]ppy [...]d, that is shut vp in paine,
Deserued paine, that [...]o it selfe's a friend,
Vnworthy name of friend, that does attend
Thy fauourite with horror and despaire;
"For where tho [...] art, despaire is euer there.
Reade, and amidst thy reading shed a teare,
And with thy teares mix odes of discontent,
As one unwilling to liue longer here
In Bethauen of sinne, in Kedars Tent
Where precious time is so securely spent,
"As being old, this axiome still appeares
We're young in houres, though we be old in yeeres.
* Tempora horis, non Annis metimur, &c. Vid. Sen. in Epist.
Both [...]oung and old: young in the vse of time,
Yet old in time: Gray hairs haue greener thoughts▪
And where Professors should be most diuine,
"Their goodlie showes (in fine) descend to nought,
Where sancti [...]ie is often solde and bought.
"O these doe ill: these gaine themselues a curse,
By their owne meanes, but by
N [...] [...]is pec [...] qui [...]xemplo peccat.
example worse.
[Page]Sa [...]urne's ascended, and since his ascent
The Golden age trans [...]ormed is to lead,
And all the World's of one Element;
"For where man was created with his head
Erected, now he bends it, as one dead
Toward [...] the c ground▪ the reason may appeare,
For where our heart is, [...]yes be lodged there.
Those vaine and brain-sick humors of [...]ur age,
Should be both whipt and stript: but who dare call
A Gallants humor idle? publique stage
May chance to breakea iest, and that is all;
For if in Presse some tarter pamphlet fall
Of Whipt and Stript abuses, ere't begin
To shew it selfe, it must be d called in.
What Theatre was ere erect'd in Rome,
With more ambitious state or emi [...]ence,
Then the whole Theaters we haue of some,
Where there's nought planted saue sins residence,
The Flagge of pride blazing th' excellence
Of [...] [...]anitie? pit [...]ie to hear [...]
Where th' light is most, most darknesse should be there▪
But to thy selfe retire: there thou [...]halt finde
Causes of new affliction: for what part
Within the glorious mansion of thy minde,
Not subiect to the vanities of Art,
Less [...]ning the substance, to preferre the rinde
[Page]B [...]fore the better p [...]rt, making the first
In order and degr [...]e, in honour worst? 13
The Bodie as the rinde. soule a [...] the pith,
"Yet is the body pris'd aboue the minde:
The soule, the instrument by which we breath,
The choicest part, and portion most [...]:
The Body from beginning was assign'de,
To serue the Soule; yet shee's esteem'd of least,
And th'Body made to serue, accounted best. 14
Come then poore soule, heere is no place for thee,
No spring to bath th [...] wearied sences in.
Heere is no straine of mirth or melodie,
While tho [...] art planted in this vale of sin;
But when to g ra [...]gne, thou shalt but once begin,
With thy Redeemer, ioies shall ha [...]e encrease,
And crowne thy temples with [...]ternall peace.
A happy peace, surpassing misers farre,
That tumble in their bed, and take no rest,
For such men in affliction euer are,
And when they seem t'haue most, then haue they least,
With mindes perplexed horror still opprest;
For this to h Rich-men for a curs [...] is sent,
Much they enioy, but little with content.
[Page]Riuers that flow with their diurnall course,
And keepe their wonted passage, sooner shal
Surcease their bending channell, and enforce
Their streamli [...]gs vpward, then the miser call
For one good meale into his benchlesse hall,
O no, it's true that's spoken of this elfe,
He's ill to others, * worst vnto himselfe.
Ascend aboue the Miser, and express [...]
His Nature, thou wast once a Prodigall,
Drinking the water of fo [...]getfulnesse,
"And rising high to giue thy selfe a fall
With f [...]r more danger: thou shalt see him cal
For his old-rioters, but there's not one
Wil keep him * company: his state being gone.
Those pompous feasts which he frequ [...]nt'd are done,
And those Cumrades which promis'd him [...]heir stat [...]
And meanes: like Summer-Swallowes now be gon [...],
"Leauing him pensiu [...] a [...]d disconsola [...]e,
W [...]shing his crimes with teares, but they're too late:
"He ends his state in sorrow, shame and sin,
And bids vs take * example now of him. 19
Ambitious mind [...] which flie with Icarus,
"And rule the Sun wi [...]h hare-braind Phâeton,
May mirrors be and pr [...]sidents to vs
To choose the obiect which we looke vpon,
And to be wary, lest being we [...] bego [...],
[Page]Experience come too late, hauing once prou'd
"Our fall deriu'd f [...]om that which we most lou'd. 20
Goe to the Tombes of those aspiri [...]g men,
Th' Ambitious Caesar, Ninus, Affricane,
And there in due regard, contemplate them,
Whether they now (by their renowme and fame,
Redeeme their liues from death, or by the Name
"Of n greatnesse make them liue in spite of fate:
"Lasse! [...]hey are dead, not least admired at.
Fame-Blaz [...]d Sylla who in Tyrannie
Planted a kingdome, and to make his power
More glorious and redoubted, seem'd to be
A Prince of Princes, for with him the flower
Of Rome, as Pompey th' great, and many more
Were his attendants: yet see o Syllas raigne,
Ambition came from Earth and goes againe.
Not like that golden branch or sprig of life
Which Maro does e [...]presse, that b [...]ing shr [...]d,
Sent forth another faire [...]nd fruitfull griffe,
As a [...]ong Scyon in the fathers stede,
For Sylla being cropt, nere did succede
Any from him which might reui [...]e his Name
"By lineall p [...] from his fame.
[Page]Ambitio [...]s and Elated mindes that flie
Aboue the firme land of a s [...]tled roome,
And plant themselues in th' Eaglects aerie
Ofttimes get for themselues a meaner Tombe
Then those which (with more wary eies) looke downe
Unto their footing, for they're sure to finde
A state (though meane) well pleasing to their minde. 24
Tombes though not spacious, nor so specious trimm'd,
"As the faire Sepulcher of Mausolus,
Nor Batias Tombe (whose Statue was so limm'd,
That (saue the Picture of old Priamus)
Neere was proportion made so curious:
Yet what a [...]ile these? Mon [...]ments adorns,
Yet cannot keep [...] their r corps interr'd from worms.
What then of potent Princes may remain [...]
Saue this? they onc [...] liu'd and were conquerours;
But now by Fates impartiall scepter sl [...]ine:
What difference twixt them, and th' obscurest powers
Of their inferiour subiects? difference is in howers s,
How spent? how passed? if ill, I dare say,
Their [...]ubiects farre mor [...] blessed are then they.
[Page]O the [...] you raised u Cedars that transcend
The highest Spires of mount Olympus toppe,
So plant, that you your Branches may extend,
Which neither haile, nor [...]empest [...]re shall crop,
L [...]t n [...]t the roote be burden▪d by the top;
But euer nourish such in Armes [...]f peace,
That spring but low, yet promise much encrease.
Alasse! how well that auncient Sage of Greece,
( [...] to Athens) now may turn [...] to vs,
And tell poore Albyon, Vertue does decrease;
" [...]or what was well, 's peruerted to abuse;
And though a natiue li [...] er [...]ie of choice
Be planted in vs: Such is Adams x Curse,
We see b [...]th good and bad, yet chuse the worse.
O Athens (s [...]id that y Sag [...]) once wast thou free,
And wast sincerely wise▪ but tho [...] hast left
Thy perfect Wisedome for Philosophie,
(The lo [...]e of Wisedome) and since that▪ bereft
Of Wisedomes loue, and fal [...]e to Rhetoricke;
N [...]r dost thou lea [...]e there, but that thou mightst erre
O [...] degree further, play'st meere Sophister.
[Page]Albyon that hast th [...] name of puritie,
Albyon that's blest by peac [...]full gouernment,
Albyon that's freed from forraine enmitie,
Albyon that's plac'd ith' y fruitfull'st continent,
Albyon that's temperate in each Element:
Weigh thy selfe Albion in an equall poize,
And thanke thy God for that which thou enioies.
But now thou wandrest silly Prodigall,
Farther from wit, then thou before from grace:
Wha [...] am I? or whence came I? what's this all?
This little▪ World? this Body? but a case
To shroud thy soule in? what's thy pilgrimes rac [...]
But short and brittle? where there's many z run:
Neuer till then, their race is fully done.
Run Pilgrim run, for thou art farre behinde,
Thy race but short, and many staies there be
Which will oppose themselues to tempt thy minde▪
Inducing it with pleasures vanitie,
"Vaine pleasure reanes thee of felicitie.
Let not faire golden Apple force thy stay,
"For Apples were the a cause of mans decay.
[Page]What though the world mo [...]e thee to forsake
Those preciou [...] vertues that will leade thee straight
Unto that glorious consort, which partake
Th'eternall beautie and th' immortall light,
Of S [...]ons kingdome? Put this foe to flight,
"For none must crowned in [...]hat kingdome be b,
But such as got on Earth the victorie.
Great Constantine (for Great he was i [...] name
And glory) had no other monument,
Or hopefull signe to propagate his fame
Then th' Crosse of Christ, which from the ayre c was sent,
"Encircled with a [...] Element:
Wher [...]on engrauen wa [...] (thou warlike Sonne)
Take this, for in this thou shalt ouercome.
What signe but this apt to discomfit sin?
What signall better for sins ouerthrow?
What greater warrant then the signe of him
That was my d Sauiour? and his loue did show,
In that for mee his life he did bestow.
Thrice-happy souldier then, that spends thy time
"Vnder so good a guide, so blest a signe.
Heere shall the Prodigall himselfe repose,
And by this signe confo [...]nd his mortall foes.
FINIS.

A compendious Discourse an­nexed by the Author, touching Mode­rate Weeping, behouefull for euerie tenderly-af­fected Reader, who many times offends in the ex­tremitie of this Passion; vsing such Immoderation, as if D [...]ath were no Passage but a Parting; this life no Pilgrimage, but a dwelling, and our bodies of no fraile substance, but euerlasting.

Quid perdis t [...]mpora luctu? Lucan.

WHen the Roman Princes, in their Conquests and publique Triumphs were with acclama­tions re [...]eiued, and by the generall applause of the people extolled, there stood alwayes one behinde them in their Esseds or triumphant Chariots, to pu [...]l them by the sleeue, with Memento te esse ho­minem. The like we reade of Philip, Caesar, & that (and in that onely memorable) of Agathocles, commanding his Statue to be made with the head and body of Brasse, but the feete of Earth, imply­ing on what infirme ground this specious Little­world (the beautcous Epitome of the grea [...]er world) subsisted. True it is, that we are to glory in nothing, hauing of our selues nothing but Sin, which should rather occasion our Shame then our Glorie. And this it was which moued that deuout [Page] Father to call our life, A perpetuall and continuall Repentance, habitually if not actually, hauing such euident Arguments of our Shame, such spiri­tuall eye-sores of sin annoying vs hourely. There­fore did Cicero terme it, a Punishment, Seneca a Bondage, Maro a Dreame, Pindarus the shadow of a Dreame, Plato a Game at Chesse, Canius a med­ley of Cares, Mimus an Enterlude of Feares, and Zen [...] a Deceiuing hope of Yeares. Thus were the Ethnickes conceited of this life, discoursing more diuinely then our imagination can extend, con­sidering the palpable darkenesse of that Time wherein they liued. Yea if we should but suruey the generall Opinions of all the Pagan Philoso­phers, Poets, and Orators, we might finde many Christian-like perswasions for our Liues indif­ferencie, singular obseruations to caution vs of our Mortalitie, with impregnable Arguments of this lifes infelicitie. Yea, that I may vse the words of Cicero, giuing his opinion of the Tragedies of Euripides, As many Verses, so many Testimonies be there, mouing a Morall by way of Christian In­struction. Where for indifferencie (because no­thing can be taught without examples being ocu­lar and personall, and therefore more perswasiue then Precepts) we shall see a Theodorus, Leena, Hiero, Phocion, Vtican, Merula, Scapula, Pe­treius and Catulus, like generous and true-bred Romans expresse their contempt of life by their free and forward acceptance of Death. Nor were [Page] women of a lesse resolute temper, though more soft and delicate by nature; for we shall find them likewise wel read in Platoes Ph [...]do, of the Immor­tality of the Soule; where Alcesta chearefully em­braceth death for the loue of her Admet [...]s, [...] ­damia for her Protesila [...]s, Paulina for her Seneca, Arria for her Cecinna, Halcyone for her Ceix, Iu­lia for her Caesar, Euadna for her Clorio, Portia for her Cato, Panthia for her Susyus, Artemysia for her Mausolus: esteeming it a noble death, where the act of death purchaseth memorie after death. Se­condly, for Mortalitie, we shall reade how the e­minentest Princes had the Portraitures of their Progenitors and Auncestors liuely expressed (as moouing Resemblances of their owne frailtie) which they caused to be curiously engrauen in small portable Tables, to represent the intimacie of their loue, and breuitie of their life; As for ex­ample, that of Mithridates reserued by Pharna­ces his sonne, as a Mirrour of humane mutability, bearing this tenour: Mithridates that victorious Prince, who had discomfited in diuers set battells, Lu. Cassius, Oppius Quintus, and Manius Aci­lius, at last ouer come by Sylla, Lucullus, and vtterly by Pompey, for all his infinite treasure in Talauris; those many confederate Princes admired his valour, and the ample Boundiers of his Kingdome so largely extended; for all this, his body (the poore remainder of so great glorie) was buried at the charge of the Ro­mans, being sent by Pharnaces in gallies to Pompey. [Page] The like of Cyrus, who translated the Empire of the Medes to the Persians, whose Epitaph so pas­sionately was it composed) drew teares from A­lexanders eyes, reading how A clod of earth did co­ [...]er the Translator of an Empire: and that empha­ticall one of the Souldan Saladine sealing vp his graue with a Tandem victus; commanding a little before his death, that the Generall of his Armie should come vnto him; One that had beene his Leader in al the successiue and victorious encoun­ters (wherein he euer departed Conquerour) du­ring his time, to whom he vsed these words; Goe (sai [...]h he) to the great Citie Damascus, and in stead of a Banner take this sheete, this shrowde, which thou shalt wa [...]e in the ayre, and crie: This is all that the victorious Saladine hath left him of all his Conquests. Thirdly, [...]for the infelicitie of this life, diuers Eth­nickes haue spoken worthily, as Thales, who af­firmed no difference to be at all, betwixt Life and Death; and Crates reply, who being asked what was the greatest happinesse could befall man; an­swered, Either not to be borne, or to die soo [...]e where the entrance to life is Shriking, the middle Sorrow­ing, and the end Sighing: and better is it to haue no Being, then to be miserable by Being; confir­med by that sentence of Cneus Dentatus, I had ra­ther be dead then liue as o [...]e dead (vacancie from af­faires being the graue of a liuing Soule.) With e­speciall reason may I seeme to approoue (which a spirituall man approues in himselfe) of that diuine [Page] Oracle; The houre of our death is better then the houre of our birth: since at the best we are but here in the state of Grace, and that is only a glorie in­choate; but after in the state of Glorie, and that is a grace consummate. It might seeme that the Cusani had some superficiall taste of this, in be­moning their childrens birth, and reioycing at their death: but the experience of worldly griefs made them so desi [...]edly approach their ends; for certaine it is, Mori velle non tantùm fortis aut mi­ser aut prudens, sed etiam fastidiosus potest: where our liues▪ louing falles to a loathing, and the saci­etie of delights (being externall, and therefore farre from reall) breedes a d [...]staste.

The consideration of these and many more an­xieties whi [...]h attend man in his Soiorne of Flesh, hath (no question) moued sundry of those diuine Fathers to contemne this life, reioycing much in the remembrance of their Dissolution: but more especially, that ardent and vnfained Loue which they bore to their Redeemer, whose glorie that it might be promoted and furthered▪ death seemed to them a singular fauour, confirming their loue by the testimony of their faith: and such (to illu­strate our Discourse by instance) appeared the af­fec [...]ion of blessed Hierome, when he publiquely protested; That if his mother should hang about him, his father lie in his way to stoppe him, his wife and children weepe about him, he would throw off his mother, neglect his father, contemne the lamenta­tion [Page] of his wife and children, to meete his Sauiour Christ Iesus.

The like appeared the loue of all those glori­ous and victorious Martyrs, during the Ten Per­secutions, shewing euident proofe of sanctitie in their liues, of constancie in their deaths; where neyther promise of preferment could allure, nor extremest punishment deterre; remaining (to vse the words of Cyprian) as an impregnable rocke amiddest all violent assaults; assailed indeede but not surprized, threatned but not dismayed, be­sieged but not discomfited, appearing like starres in the darke night, like greene Baies in the midst of hoarie winter, and like liuely fresh fountaines in the sandie Desert. I could amplifie this Dis­course by instancing the exercise of that Monasti­call and Eremeticall life in former time professed, and by an austeritie (too rigorous for flesh and bloud) continued, abiding sequestred not onely from all mundane pleasures, but euen enemies to humane societie; so as rightly might Damascene terme it, a kinde of Martyrdome, being dead as well to men, as to the world: but I intend to be short, speaking rather by way of admonition then discourse: to caution such whose Desires seeme planted on this globe of frailtie, accounting death the greatest infelicit incident to man, as men in­credulous of future good: These haue their trea­sures on earth, where they haue indiuidually fixed their hearts, for where their treasure is there is their [Page] heart also: Like [ I si [...] Asse] idolatrizing their owne gainesse, ignorant (poore makes) how soone they shall b [...] stript of their imaginarie glorie; but these are those filij deperditi, sencelesse of Sinne in the Desert of Sinne, little knowing how mans secu­ritie is the diuells opportunitie; but crying with the Horse-leech, More, More, are not to be satis­sted till their mouth be filled with grauell; whose speedy Conu [...]rsion I wish before their Dissoluti­on, lest Desolation second their Dissolution. Yea may this effect worke in them before the day of forgetfulnesse receiue them; Moriatur Paulus per­secutor, Viuat Apo [...]tolus & Praedicator; Moriatur Magdalena pe [...]cans, viuat poenitentiam agen [...]; Mo­riatur Matthaeus Publicanus, viuat fidelis Dei ser­uus: So shall Death be a passage to a life subiect to no death; so entire consolation shall receiue them, where their sincere conuersion reclaimed them, euer applying this as a chearefull receit to an afflicted Consciēce, [...] est hominis errare, nullius nisi insipientis perseuerare in errore.

True it is that neither Homers vnde [...]standing (though he could reduce what memorable thing soeuer he had read into a golden verse,) Platoes [...]it Aeschynes art of Oratory, nor Ciceroes tongue shall preuaile, when wee become [...], a breathlesse Corps: then the hearts sincerity, not the excellency of any outward faculty shall bring vs to the inheritance of glory, which Saint Augu­stine compare [...] to the Sun: Pascuntur omnes, & non [Page] minuitur. Whence it is that Plato in [...]is Timaeus saith; If a man lose his eyes, or feete, or hands, or wealth, wee may say of such an one, hee loseth something; but He who loseth his Heart and Rea­son, loseth all: for in the wombe of our Mother the first thing that is engendred or participates forme, is the Heart, and the last which dieth, is the [...]ame Heart; and the gift which God craueth of Man is his heart. But we haue too farre digressed, let vs now returne to those zealous Professors of true Mortification, those who laboured in the Spi­rituall Uineyard and fainted not, were persecuted, yet failed not; were put to Death, yet desist [...]d not from glorifying their Master in their Death. All which may appeare by those pregnant places of Scripture; I desire to be d ssolued▪ saith Paul, and to be with Christ, ( Phil. 1. 23. 24.) Neu [...]rthelesse for me to abide in the flesh were better for yo; Neither doth He desire to bee dissolued as weary of suffe­ring vnder the Cr [...]sse of Christ, but [...]or the feruent desire he hath to see God in his glorie. Againe, the faithfull crie euer for the approach of Gods Kin [...] ­dome, the reward of immortality, which with as­surance in Gods mercies and his Sonnes passion they vndoubtedly hope to obtain, with vehemen­cy of spirit inuoking and inuiting their Media­tour, Come Lord Iesus, come quickely, ( Reuel. 22. 20.) Nor doe they ground on a weake Fo [...]ndation, Knowing how they that die in the Lord shall rest from their Labour. ( Iohn 5. 24. Re [...]el. 14. 15.)

O that Man would consider (s [...]ith a religious [Page] Father) what a sinner loseth (to wit) Heauen, what he getteth (to wit) Hell; whom he offendeth, Gods Iustice; what he incurreth his vengeance; for vengeance is his, and he [...] will repay it. Briefly, Magna est [...]bis indicta necess [...]as (saith Boaetius) to correct and rectifie our liues, least our owne pra­u [...]tie depriue vs li [...]e: so by auoiding Sin ma [...] w [...]e auoide the pun [...]shment of Death due vnto Sinne, possessing the reward of eternall life, summarily comprized in these two; To liue in his feare, and die in his fa [...]our.

Now (wormeling) let mee speake to thee that so much lamentest the losse of thy friend, as if he were gone from his home to a strange Countrey; Doest Thou weepe that thou hast lost him, or that he hath left thee here behind him? Too incredu­lous thou if thou weepe for the first; lost he cannot be, for thy losse is his aduantage: if for the last, pre­pare thy selfe so in thy life, that thou may [...]nioy thy Friend aft [...]r Death; meane time beare with patience thy friends d [...]parture, beleeuing that he hath purchased rest from his labour. Neither doth this life which moueth and acteth with all her sen­sitiue operations, proue that wee are aliue, but dead, if the Spirit o [...] Grace did not quicken vs: which Christ seemes to con [...]irme▪ saying; Let the dead bury the dead, implying such as bee dead in Sin: for if the vitall motions were dead and ex­tinguished in vs, it were impossible we should bu­rie, or doe any such offices to the deceased. Hence [Page] may Thou be comforted whosoeuer thou art, that conceiuest immoderate sorrow in the Death of a Friend seeing him liue worthy thy friendship here, and translated hence to bee ioyned in the Vnion and Communion of the Saints elsewhere. To be short, if hee were of approued conuersation, his happie passage may occasion in thee ioy rather then griefe, being exempted from this vale of teares, this Surplusage of sorrow, and translated to the Port of rest, the Harbour of tranquility, bringing his sheaues with him. If he were euill, why doest thou call him Friend? for no true friendship (saith the Ethnicke) can be amongst naughty men. But suppose him a friend, yet being of a vicious life, ciuill societie is well rid of him, being so apt of himselfe to depraue them: for true is that axi­ [...] as well in Minds Physicke as the Bodies: Ini­tium morbiest aegris Sana miscere: Mans nature be­ing euer prone ( Medaea-like) to haue free [...]lecti­on of the best, but to follow the worst. Let this then serue as a Position to limit thy affection: If wor [...]hy the stile of Friend, bee sorry not so much for that Death hath taken him, as that thou art left here behind him: If vnworthy, grieue not that thou hast left him, but that so much precious time should be lost by him. But in these extrem [...]ies there is no receite more soueraigne then recourse to Him, who dis­poseth of vs liuing and dying, euer meditating how [...], Honor Dei bonum maximum; and to r [...]commend withall the whole course of [Page] our Actions to his gracious Dispensation that can bring light out of darkenesse, and turne our bed of sorrow to the soule solacing repose of eternall rest. Receiue therefore this Resolution which I for some yeeres haue to my selfe propo­sed, The Authors resolution. and by the Almighties helpe may continue it. I haue no friend too deare for my dear [...]st friend, nor will I grieue at my friends departure, be­ing ( as my hope assures mee) gone to his Sauiour; at least if natural affection force me weepe, af [...]er a while shall my faith renew my ioy: for sorrow may la [...]t for a night, butioy commeth in the mor [...]ing.

A restraint wee reade of amongst the Romans in their Funerall Solemuities, for immoderate Mourning: so many dayes being limited, after the end whereof, the Blacke habits were left; ex­pressing all other friendly offices in the erection of their Statues curiously engrauen in Marble, I­uory, artificially carued with many Thracian, Ly­dian, Ionian, and Paphian workes, diuersly beauti­fied with Inscriptions and Impresses to preserue their memory: which seemed a [...]ruitlesse vanity to many of the grauer Consuls, who reposed more trust in the vertues of the mind (hoping thereby to become more memorable) then in the exteri­our beauty of Tombes, which were oft times the natiue Emblemes of them they couered, being (those Rotten S [...]pulchers I meane) Ex [...]rius nitida, interius faetida, Handsome without▪ but noysome within; whereas those eminent vertues made their [Page] Possessors truly memorable, hauing Acts and vali­ant Exploits insteade of Statues to recommend them in succeeding times; whence it was that the Poet in the person of Cato said;

[...]armor virtus erit, [...] vi [...]itur ebore Cato.

For true Honour as it is essentiall to man that merits it, so must it haue an internall monument to preserue it: for these corruptible things are sub­iect to decay, which Honour (if deseruedly pur­chased) [...]annot admit (though many haue meri­ted it who liuing could neuer enioy it;) which if time would suffer, might be instanced in the re­nowned Asdrubal, an [...] many other▪ who to pre­ [...]ent the malice and fury of the people, fled to his Fa [...]hers Sepulcher, and [...]illed himselfe with Poy­son: whence (so violent is passion i [...] once [...]xcited) they dragged out his carkasse▪ and cutting off his head, put it vpon a speares point and bare it about the City. Plenty of like examples will Histories affoord, as Bysi [...] the Graecian, Osyg [...]s the Lac [...]de­monian, Bracaras the Theban, Scipio th [...] Roman, with many others: but I hast to an end, purposing to weaue vp the body of this Discourse with a prescrib [...]d forme of sorrow, yet not so (as if Stoi­cally-affected) through the obd [...]acy of my na­ture I could not weepe with those th [...]t weepe, or so experienst in Mortalitie as to seeme incapable of [...]umane [...]assions▪ nor such a disciplinarie Heracly­tus as to teach men how to make a sorrowful face; but by a Christian instruction, (the singular mo­tiue [Page] to the zealously affected) to perswade such im­moderate Mourners as exceede in passion to more Temperance; telling them withall how farre they decline from that godly sorrow which appeared in the faithfull Saints and Seruants of God, who were not grieued at the Handie worke of the Lord, but referred themselues to his disposing: who vsed now and then to trie them by aduerfi­ties, losse of friends and other afflictions, that by these exteriour trialls (which Seneca termeth Ex­ercises) they might like pure gold be purged and refined, to shine afterwards like polished corners in Gods Temple, like Oliue-braunches round a­bout his Table.

We may reade (kinde Christian brother) that Christ approued of [...]eeping, for he A prescript [...]orme in w [...]e­ping. wept ouer [...]erusalem, and Peter his beloued wept bitterly; and Samuel the Prophet wept for King Saul; yea there is a Blessing pronounced to Matth. 5. 4. those that weep, and we are expresly Luke 6. 21. inioyned to weepe. Briefly, we may Rom. 12. 15. reade of many holy men that wept, but this their weeping was for their sins; it was a religious sorrow: for Peter wept for denying his Maister, regaining that place by w [...]ping that he had lost by denying: Christ wept in the considera­tion of Ierusalems Fall▪ and her miserable blindnes not to see her fall: Likewise ouer his dead friend Laz [...]rus, shewing friendly compassion before his [Page] miraculous restauration, raising him from death to life; and Samuel wept for Saules wickednes▪ but we are now to argue of weeping, touching those that be asleepe, of moderate weeping, and of the inconueniences which proceed from immoderate Sorrow and Dolour.

Moderate weeping is most highly commended, for it expresseth a naturall Affection we had to the Departed, with a Christian-li [...]e Moderation of our Griefe, whereby our Faith to God-ward is de­monstrated: the reason is manifest; Since the De­parted rest from their labours, and their workes fol­low them; corum imò opera praecesserunt eos, They haue gone before them. Why should wee then weepe since they are receiued into the Throne of Blisse, and are made partakers of Aeternitie? and therefore Saint Cyprian saith, Praemissi sunt, non a­missi, Those that depart in the Faith of Christ, They are sent before vs, not lost from vs: They shall receiue Immortali [...]ie and be heires of Christs King­dome. Againe, they who attain to the glory of Gods Kingdome, are to be thought happie, and in ioy, not in sorrow, vex [...]tion, or woe; and therefore not to be grieued for, in that they are Departed from vs; for of necessitie it is, we must either Depart from them, or They from vs. O happie were we, if we were receiued into that ioy, that glorie, that aeternit [...]e whereof the Saints in Christs Kingdome be Partakers: Dispar est gloria singulorum, com­munis tamen laticia omnium, A Glorie distingu [...] ­shed, [Page] but a ioy communicate; O admirable myste­rie! O ineffable mercy! a mystery onely to Those [...]euealed whom He in his mercy hath reserued to be Inheritors in the Couenant of Peace establi­shed by his Promise, confirmed by his Power, and conferred on his Elect Israelites, glorified by Ie­sus Christ our Lord in the highest Heauen, euen where the Cherubims and Seraphims make melody and solace to the Lord of Heauen and Earth.

Touching the inconuenience of immoderate [...]orrow, the blessed Apostle▪ Paul, 1 Thess. 4: 13. gi­ [...]eth vs a taste, where he saith; I would not Brethren [...]aue you ignorant, concerning them which are asleepe, [...]hat yee sorrow not euen as other which haue no hope: whence it appeareth, that excessiue and immode­ [...]ate sorrow, implieth a diffidence or distrust wee [...]aue of our Soules immortality, resurrection, glo­ [...]ification, whereby wee seeme to derogate from [...]hat written verity, who said; Verily, verily, I say vn­ [...] you, the houre shal come, and how is, when the dead shall [...]are the voice of the Son of God, and they that heare it [...]all liue: Ioh. 5. 25. But many carnall men there be, [...]hose spirituall eyes dazled, or rather blemished [...]ith terrestriall Obiects, can extend their intelle­ [...]tuall sight (the eye of their Soule) no further then [...]e exteriour Obiect of Sence leades them: and [...]ese (like Nicodemus) will not let to aske, How [...]n a man be borne againe which is old? Can he enter to his mothers wombe againe, and be borne? Little [...]e these con [...]ider how, Melius est non [...] [...]n renasci: Nor know they how ther [...] be children [Page] by Procreation, and children by Regeneration: of which sort might Rachel seeme to be, who wept for her children, and would not be comforted, because they were not: So strangely doth the violence of Pas­sion transport These, as they become stupid and sencelesse in the depriuall of a friend, pithily expres­sed by the Poet:

Leuiora spirant mala grauiora stupent.
Some silence grieues, and griefes doe silence some;
"For lesse griefes speake when greater griefes be dumbe.

This was pleasa [...]tly shadowed in the Morall of Niobe, Alcyone, and sundry others with singular de­light, illustrated and very accommodate to ou [...] present purpose; but our intended breuity preuēt [...] vs: and rather would I moue by way of Precep [...] then Discourse; for the latter tastes of Affectation where the other ministers argument of vse with­out Ostentation.

To conclude, I wish euery immoderate and dis­passionate Mourner to reflect to these two consi­derations: The first is, to conceiue the matter or com­position where of hee was made, for whom hee mourneth The second is (which by a necessary consequenc [...] depends vpon the first;) The necessity of his dissol [...] tion, being enioyned by that vniuersall doom which cannot be protracted, much lesse repeale [...] to returne to that Moulde from whence He ha [...] his Beginning. In the first (to wit) his Composition thou shalt finde the matter where of He was mad [...] vile, sordide, and contempti [...]le, where that Beau [...] wherein consisted the eminent part of his luster, [Page] but Earth, which wee make our inferiour Center; yea, though He were ennobled in the highest rank of Descent, yet, Non luti melioris, the matter where­of he was composed is but equall with the obscu­rest vassall. In the latter, (to wit) his Dissolution, as the time or instant is doubtfull, and to the know­ledge of man illimited; so is the necessity of the Doome not to be auoided: it was the Pagan Poets Maxime, Earth must to Earth; and it is Pittacus say­ing; That the immortal gods themselues could not [...]trug­gle against Necessitie: Seeing then the frailty of his Composition, the necessity of his Dissolution, haue re­course to him in the depth of thy Affliction, who will infuse into thy teare-distilling wounds th [...] Balme of his Consolation: acknowledge thou thy infirmities with the Publican, and He will play the faithfull Samaritan; restraine thy too-tender affe­ction, as one that is beleeuing; so shall not the death of thy happy-departed friend grieue thee, but by the wings of Faith transpose thee from co­gitation of Earth to Heauen; tran [...]late thee (a skilfull and cheerefull Builder of Gods Temple;) as a faithfull Bezalie from Idolatrous Babel to saintly zealous Bethel, from Edom to Eden; from the Tents of Ke­dar, and the Habitations of Moloc to those prince­ly Cedars of Lebanon, from the Son of Syrac, from Marah the water of bitternesse, to Bethesda the Poole of Solace: finally, from this exile of teares and mi­serie, to the Syloe of ioy and eternall Glory.

Mallem me mori quam viuere mortuum.
FINIS.

AN EPITAPH Vpon one Iohn Combe of Strat­ford vpon Auen, a notable Vsurer, fastened vpon a Tombe that he had caused to be built in his life time.

TEn in the hundred must lie in his graue,
But a hundred to ten whether God will him haue?
Who then must be interr'd in this Tombe?
Oh (quoth the Diuell) my Iohn a Combe.

¶ Vpon the life of Man.

What is our life? a play of Passion;
Our mirth? the musicke of diuision;
Our Mothers wombes the tyring houses be,
To decke vs vp for Times short Tragedie;
The World's the stage, Heauen the spectator is
To sit and iudge, who here doth act amisse;
The cloudes that shadow vs from the scorching Sunne,
Are but drawne curtaines till the Play be done.

¶ On Sir W. R.

The life of Man is like the moouing hand
Of euery Clocke, which still doth goe or stand
According to the weight it has; if light,
It makes vs thinke it long before t be night;
If weighty, Oh how fast the wheele doth runne,
That we thinke mid-night ere the day be done:
Thy life was such, thy night did come too soone,
And yet we wisht it long agoe at noone.
[Page]But we (like Ideots) that behold a play,
Doe censure as the most, and as they say;
And we (like Ideots) fancie most the Clowne,
Not noting how some rise, and some goe downe;
Nor doe we note matters well borne in state,
Nor doe we note ineuitable fate:
But we alasse in all things are so rude,
That we runne head-long with the multitude.
To be, and be Commander of great men,
Was to possesse the hearts of all men then;
Wherein hadst thou beene either good or bad,
Thou equallie shouldst all our loues haue had:
For tis our fashion that we giue the grace,
Not to the worth of man, but to his place;
This is the cause adoring thee before,
That in thy fall we scorn'd thee ten times more.
Rising againe (as we thought) all put off,
No man more worthilie was spoken of;
Yet what mischance did bring thee to thy end,
We willingly (with ignorance) commend:
And (but the State doth know a reason why)
We all say now t'was pittie thou didst di [...];
Thou hadst such worth and faults as few men hau [...],
May thy worth liue, thy faults die in thy graue.

¶ By Sir W. R. which he writ the night before his execution.

Euen such is time, which takes in trust
Our youth, our ioyes, and all we haue,
And payes vs but with age and dust,
Within the darke and silent graue;
[Page]When we haue wauered all our wayes,
Shuts vp the storie of our daies,
And from which Earth, and graue, and dust,
The Lord will raise me vp I trust.

¶ Vpon one Owen a Butler of Oxford.

Why cruell death should honest Owen catch,
Into my braine it could not quickly sinke;
Perhaps fell Death came to the buttrie hatch,
And honest Owen would not make him drinke:
If it were so, faith Owen t'was thy fault
And death (for want of drinke) made thee his draught;
Nor so, nor so, for Owen gaue him liquor,
And death (being drunke) tooke him away the quicker:
Yet honest lads, let this content your mind,
The Butlers dead; the keyes are left behind.

¶ Vpon one Iohn Parker.

Here lies Iohn Parker and his wife,
With his dagger and his knife;
And his daughter and his sonne:
Heigh for our Towne.

¶ On Mistresse Elizabeth Whorwood, Ad viatorem Prosopopeia.

Si quàm chara vir [...] C [...]niux, pia nata Parenti,
M [...]ter amans fuerim prolis, amata meis,
Si quam Pauperibiu [...] facili [...], quam Casta, [...]
Quam studiosae, malincsti [...], [...] Cupis,
C [...]nsule, quos dixi. Quod ab isto cernere Saxo
Non po [...]es, ex horum rite dolore p [...]tes.
R. I.
FINIS

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