THe originall of Nobility, may well bee compared to a small spring of water, whose good desert makes a gratefull King to inlarge to a great Riuer, for the which hee is bound to pay duty to the said King his Ocean, not vnfitly a­plyed to the late deceased noble perso­nage, Robert Earle of Salisbury, for that all his Springs and currants were so well ordered, that they paid their full due to the royall Ocean of his two Soueraignes, Quéene Elizabeth of famous memory, and our now liedge Lord and monarch King Iames of great Brittain: For euen both of them by a singular Judgment, inspired from God aboue, cast not onely an eye-sight but an in-sight into the behauiour and carriage of this man, vpon whom God had bestowed in all his actions a deseruing wisdom, in regard whereof they both gratiously bestowed vpon him many roomes of honor, but especially our now suruiuing & oue­raigne, who being a most prudent prince, retayned an in­ward examination of the strength and habillitie of his Judgment, concerning publick causes, wherewith he was plentifully inriched, and indued with the treasure of state-vnderstanding, as for example, he is a right Noble man, that ascends to the titles of Nobilitie, by vertuous actions [Page] merited, which is the calling that dignifieth greatnesse: It is not the rich reuenues, faire possessions▪ pleasant houses, many Lordships, and infinite riches, that can make a noble man, (all are externall actions, and subiect to the sodaine change of fortune▪) but to be wise, temperate, and discréete in all the actions of his life and conuersation: One vertu­ous exploit is not sufficient to make a m [...]n to be accompted euer after noble, but a cont [...]nuance in the same nor is eue­ry one that liueth vertuously, forth-with a Noble man, or a Gentleman: but he onely whose vertue is profitable to his King and countrey, and th [...]se and such like men, his Maiesty, by a secret in-sight of knowledge, estéemeth wor­thy to beare coates of armes, and in his meere affections vouchsafeth to giue them the inioy [...]ng of diuerse hono­rable priuiledges, for seruices done to his highnesse and the kingdome: coates of armes▪ thus gamed, rema [...]ne vnto their off-spring, to incite them, neuer to be weary of well deseruing, and doth not only teach to follow ancestors but also to guide successors; for William Lord Burleigh, Lord Treasurer to Quéene Elizabeth, and Father to this Honorable Earle deceased, was the first spring of this house graced, on whose life, spent in the benefit of his coun­try, may bee a subiect for all writers to excercise their pregnant wits on, and imploy their learned hands. The second assay of this houses honor, was partly by imitation, for vnder the wise, and state-experienced tutelage of the famous Councellor William Lord Burleigh before named, the late deceased Earle (his sonne) had his education, and vnder his wing sucked the Milke of deepe vnderstand­ing: by which helpe he so temp [...]red himselfe, that all his actions seemed to tend to nought but honor, vertuou [...]ly snatching at it, euen in his infancie: and as the vertuous children of Nobility, are the hopefull plants of a common­weale, so his youth (by his Fathers carefull instructions) tempered with wisdome, promised succesfull honor, for hauing attained scarce to the yeares of man, and newly [Page] entred into the world but his quality drew him into the knowledge of the world, his noble towardnesse begot him estimation and that estimation extended into the assured hope of succéeding greatnesse: for by a secret instinct of na­ture, helpt by continuall practise, taken from the councell of his Father, became so ready and apt in state imploiments, that he séemed to be like fish in the sea, in propper place: by which meanes, his wise-regarding Princesse Quéene Eli­zabeth, in her time, and in his Fathers dayes gaue him the first step to aduancement, made him her principall Se­cretarie, and a Counceller of estate, a burthen of high charge, but eased with the swéet imbracements of dignity: Béeing setled in this his first honorable place, his opinion began to haue some scope and liberty, and by the generall consent of the wisest States-men, obserued conuenient for this calling and office, in the managing of publick bu­sinesses, which was not dispatched without much care and contemplatiue study: but héere marke the protection of heauen ouer this man, whose forward spring had béene mixt with times biting malice, had not an equality in carri­age guided him, for in his first grace he was not onely de­priued of his fathers helpe by death, which was the con­ducter of his nature and fortunes, but also lost his deare and gratious Mistresse Quéene Elizabeth, in whose life consisted all his honors and earths happinesse. Those two great losses had béene sufficient euen to haue curbd the for­wardnesse of all these his noble preferments, by the deuou­ring téeth of enuy, which vpon sundry supposit [...]ons, was (euen then) whetted to make hauock of all his fortunes, here was his wisdom tride vpon the tutch, the world & time grew vnconstant, began to pick quarrels, misdeemd honest actions, and inuented false informations, yet was his cares so watchfull, that he saued himselfe from the subti­lest snare of secret enuy.

At this time the good Phisition, and saluer of all sores, our most gracious and prudent King possessing his royall rights, the whole state of England, and the gouernment [Page] thereof, came to this his owne Kingdome with such mag­nificence, as all Christendome admired if, here being setled with peace to the great ioy of vs all, with his cléere and pure shining iudgement, he qualified all occasions of dis­content, seuering drosse from pure gold, sollid pearles from liquid hailestones, manacles from bracelets, businesses of trouble, from imployments of honor, and like a perfect Phisition applied precious salues to euery sore of the com­mon wealth, adding honor vppon honour according to de­sert and calling: Amongst many others in the ranke of no­bility, graced by time and fortune, this late deceased Earle of Salisbury, by his wise carriage and honorable accom­plishments, (which here we omit) begot such an entier re­spect and inducing opinion of worth in the Kings regard­full mind, that his honors of estate, by degrées came to the height, first (not disparaging his former graces giuen by Quéene Elizabeth (but adding more luster to his bright spreading fortunes) it pleased the Kings Maiesty, whose wise and gentle disposition is to aduance the desertfull, first to giue him the honorable title of a Uiscount, then of an Earle, with many other promotions and offices of great­nesse and charge, of the which he returned contentfull sa­tisfaction to his King and his contry, and likewise being a councellor of estate to his highnesse, attending neere his royall person, offered vp his hearts trust in professed and true loyalty, as the secrets of many court businesses can verifie: processe of time, and his highnesse fauour, lifted him higher in his contries graces, for at last he was created Knight of the honorable order of the Garter, and to con­clude greatnesse was made Lord high Treasurer of En­gland, an Office of Estate answerable to his ingenious iudgment.

It was the Lord which gouernd all those his actions, & stil instructed his mind in the right way of preferment, it was the Lord that plast him in authority, in these honored offi­ces, to do right vnto all men without respect of persons, [Page] which waighty burthens thus laid vppon him, he careful­ly discharged, and with great wisedome dispatched all state businesses put vnto him, to the great ease of his roy­all soueraigne, and comfort of his contry: he still remem­bred what he was, wher he was, & what he should come to be, & hauing a continuall care of his high establisht honors, with the eyes of wisdome he gouerned his family, and re­tainers about him, where if hee saw sheltred vnder his wing any deceitfull Parasite, any male-contented mute­ner, any murmuring whisperer, any infringer of honesty, ambitious oppressor, or vnmercifull briber: if hee found any such about him, he swept them away like Cob-webs, because they were consuming cankers to his honours, bloud-suckers of his estate, and betrayers of his prospe­ritie.

Thus purging his house of these pestiferous [...]uilr, hee intertained men of truth, and placed about him such in of­fice, as feared God and loued the King: Oh thou mirror to succéeding times, thou hast left thy well gouerned qual­lities an example to posterity, and a neuer decaying orna­ment to all thy off-spring: But againe to our purpose: ver­tue was his lifes guide, and in his brest both Artes and law reposed, all his chiefest and principall indeuors were exercised in such actions, as aduanced the glory of Gods truth, the peace, the quiet, and the prosperity of the com­mon-wealth, and surely, that Nobleman, thus affected to his coun [...]ries good, is in a right way to the attaining of a good estimation, grace and fauour with all men, as well Prince and Péeres, as the common sort of people.

In like sort, this ground-worke of our subiect, I meane, this deceased Councellor of estate, fixed his whole resolution in the like purchase, vsing no indirect meanes, but confined himselfe within the bounds of reason and wisdom, from the which hee did not start nor stray, either for the loue of his owne priuate profit or pleasure, nor for the feare of purchasing any other subiects displeasure, hee [Page] neuer vsed sinister meanes, to wring and wrest away o­ther mens estates, nor deuised too gréedy taxations to im­pouerish the country, he enuyed no mans prosperity, nor maligned the honorable purchasers of his Princes fauours neither pr [...]ed into any mens fautes such as hurt not, or dis­turbd not the quiet of the state, but was sorry when any traytorus plot was wrought against his Princes safety, or the peace of the common-wealth, and had an honorable regard to men of high place and calling: Not-with-stan­ding all this there be some ignoble spirits, I meane the common monster with many heads, which seekes by scan­dalous speeches, to moue all his former fame, and to mipe the remembrance of his credit from the br [...]w of the king­dome, but surely in my mind it can be no other but the poy­sonous plots and deuises of rebellious Papists to take a­way the deserued honors of his name: The deuouring téeth of such wicked Uipers, the Papists I meane, which seeks to eate out the bowelle of this their natiue country, long hath his [...]illigence labored to beat forth, and many of them hath his wisdome and god-speeding pollicy discouered, abating the swelling pride, enuy, and sedition of these hat­chers of vnnaturall treasons, and brought them all to a swift distruction, giuing them titles of the worlds scan­dals, wh [...]n their liues were smothered vp in a helples re­pentance: These in my opinion be the asured libellors, but l [...]t enuy spit her gall, malice her poyson, and hell it selfe o­pen her gates to let out furies for this accursed sla [...]der, ver­tue and time will outweare it, and con [...]ecrate his noble life to lasting memory, for the opinion of the world is set­led in his deserued commendation, England his natiue country, the seate of his aduancements, can witnesse the contrary: w [...]o can but aplause his wisdome? Neighboring France affords him high deserued praise, whereas in Am­basage in the raigne of Quéene Elisabeth hee performed the honorable actions of a wise and well gouerned states man: for the good of Holland, Zeland Brabant, and those low [Page] country prouinces, Englands associats, hath his perswasi­ons with his prince preuailed, & they obta [...]ned men & mony. Ierland ouer-burdened with vntam [...]d rebells, hath beene like-wise succored through his councells, and cherisht in the lowest ebb, which country now blest with peace, liues in quiet subiection vnder our heauen▪ blest soueraine▪ whom God preserue. What shall I speake of Spaine and Italy, the one feard him, the other admired him and to locke vp al descriptions of worth, his name retayned a generall opini­on of the worlds loue. I neede not speake much of the excelent buildings and workes of great magnificence he adorned England with, as well in the country as h [...]are a­bout this wonder-famed citty of London, now fresh in me­mory, and visible in this age, all subiects of honored boun­ty, worth, and beauty, remayning to the inheritance of his noble posterity.

Yet let me a little speake of his Godly deuotion, charity, & compassion on the poore: who tasting of his annuall boun­ty are witnesses of his Christian conuersation, amongst all others, the guifts and yearely pensions, bestowed at Theo­halls, vpon aged, and ouer-worne Captaines, gentle-men by birth and calling, stands gratious in the worlds eye, for their lost blood, spent in the seruice of their Prince and country, hath he most honorably recompenced with suffici­ent mayntenance, with soft beds to rest their mained limbs vpon.

Many other memorable guifts haue proceeded from his liberality, to his eternall fame, and liues grace▪ which I leaue to the worlds consideration, to be a patterne to sur­uiuing greatnesse.

But now I am to forsake the remembrance of these his aduanced honors and wade into an Ocean of deepe sor­rows, lamentable sorrows for this generall losse, this deare losse of his worlds-beloued life: yet are we not to contem­plate thereon, it was diuine prouidence to haue it: Time hath a sweet course, and begets sodaine changes, he liu [...]d [Page] not to the period of nature, but was taken away, euen in his midle age, euen in the fulnesse of promotions, which se­uerity of death, when I thinke vpon, brings to my heart, ouer-ruling passions, and constraines me sighingly to say.

And now I am to satisfie the world of his Magnanimity sh [...]wed at his liues last hower, as it was credibly reported in open audience, by a man of spiritual calling, and neere to him both in life and death: this man of worth liuing in al li­berty of pleasures, inuironed with all earthly contentment at that dreadfull hower feared not death: the memory of death had no bitternesse; no disquietnesse troubled his mind, he gréeued not to leaue his beautifull buildings, his rich and curious Architectures, his faire alurements and his many pleasures, his courtlike traines, gallant attendants and bare-headed petitioners. It was no sorrow to his heart to depart, and leaue them all behind, neither feared he the voyce of the world, mixed with scandall, which still makes misconstrued suppositions of great mens liues, the which commonly they are taxed with, but his pure white innocency dreaded not this putrifiing canker that créepes about the tombes of Nobility: reason and nature told him he must néeds goe, and appeare before that great King of all Kings, and receaue the reward of his liues pas­sages vpon Earth: Thus ran out his glasse, and faded his liues-sunne, being ouer-shaddowed with the Sable clouds of Death. When vpon this mouldy stage of the Earth, he acted the last part of his life before the eyes of the world; his departing-iesture moued sad compassion, his words seasoned with deadly sighes, bathed the hearers chéekes with distilling teares, making confession of his secret sins, calling for helpe of prayer, and like a hungar-starued Pil­grim, cryed to that honorable, heauenly houshoulder, say­ing, [Page] Oh good God, open the gates of thy mercies, to the greatnesse of my miseries, vnfould the ports of thy vnspeak­able pitty to my wearied spirit: receaue my soule into thy hands, and anoynt hir festred wounds with the blood of thy imaculate Lambe Christ Iesus▪ so yeelding vp the ghoast, hee left this world for a better.