TO THE HONOR OF HIM, to whom the Noble Fraternity of Drapers, his Worthy Brothers haue Consecrated their loues in Magnificent Tryumphs, the Right Honorable CUTHBERT HACKEY Lord Major of the City of LONDON.

THE Cities choyce, thy Companies free loue,
This Dayes vnlookt for Tryumph, all three proue,
The Happinesse of thy life to be most great;
Adde to these, Justice, and thou art Compleate.
At your Lordships Command, Thomas Middleton.
[...]
[...]

The Triumphes of Health and Prosperity.

IF you should search all Chro­nicles, Histories, Records, in what Language or Letter soe­uer; if the Inquisitiue Man should waste the deere Trea­sure of his Time and Ey-sight, He shall conclude his life onely with this cer­tainety, that there is no Subiect vpon earth re­ceiued into the place of his Gouernement with the like State and Magnificence, as is his Maie­sties great Substitute into his Honorable charge the Citty of London, bearing the Inscription of the Chamber Royall: which that it may now ap­peare to the world no lesse illustrated with bro­therly Affection then former Tryumphall times haue beene partakers of, this takes delight [Page] to present it selfe.

And first to enter the worthy loue of his ho­norable Society, for his Lordships returne from Westminster, hauing receiued some seruice by water, by the Triumphant Chariot of Honor, the first that attends his Lordships most wished Ar­riuall, beares the Title of the Beautifull Hill, or Fragrant Garden, with flowry bankes, neere to which, Lambes and Sheepe are a grazing, this platforme so cast into a Hill, is adorned and garnisht with all variety of Odoriferous flow­ers, on the top Archt with an Artificial and curi­ous Raine bow, which both shewes the Antiqui­ty of colours, the diuersity and Noblenesse, and how much the more glorious and highly to be esteem'd, they being presented in that blessed Couenant of Mercy, the Bow in the Clouds, the worke it selfe incompast with all various fruites, and beares the name of the most plea­sant garden of England (the Noble City of Lon­don) the flowers intimating the sweete odors of their Vertue and Goodnesses, and the fruites of their workes of Iustice and Charity, which haue bene both Honorable Brothers, and bounteous benefactors of this antient Fraternity, who are presented in [...] deuice following, vnder the types and figures of their Vertues in their life [Page] time, which made them famous then, and me­morable for euer, and since we are yet amongst the woolly Creatures that graze on the Beautie of this beautifull platforme, come we to the moderne vse of this Noble mystery of Antient Drapery, and we shall find the whole Liuery of this renowned and famous City furnished by it, it clothes the honorable Senators in their high­est and chiefest wearing, all Courts of Iustice, Magistrates and Iudges of the Land. But for the better expression of the purpose in hand, a Spea­ker giues life to these following words.

The Speech in the Hill where the Raine-bow appeares.
A Cloude of griefe hath showrde vpon the face
Of this sad City, and vsurpt the place
Of Ioy and Cheerfulnesse, wearing the forme,
Of a long blacke Ecclipse in a rough storme,
With flowers of Teares this garden was oreflowne,
Till mercy was like the blest Rain-bow showne.
Behold what figure now the City beares,
Like Iems vnvalued, her best joyes she weares;
Glad as a faithfull Hand-mayde to obay,
And waite vpon the Honour of this Day;
[Page]Fixt in the Kings great Substitute, Delight,
Triumph, and Pompe had almost lost their right:
The Garden springs agen, the Violet Beds,
The lofty Flowers beare vp their fragrant heads;
Fruit ouer-lade their Trees, Barnes cracke with store,
And yet how much the Heavens wept before:
Threatning a second mourning, who so dull,
But must acknowledge Mercie was at full.
In these two mighty blessings; what's requir'd?
That which in conscience ought to be desir'd;
Care and Vprightnesse in the Magistrates place,
And in all men Obedience, Truth and Grace.

After this awaites his Lordships approach, a Maister-peece of Triumph, called the Sanctuary of Prosperity, on the Top Arch of which hangs the Golden Fleece, which raises the worthy me­mory of that most famous and renowned Bro­ther of this Company, Sir Francis Drake, who in two yeares and ten moneths did incompasse the whole world, deseruing an eminent remem­brance in this Sanctuary, who neuer returned to his Countrey without the Golden Fleece of Honour and Victory. The foure faire Corinthian Columnes or Pillars, imply the foure principall Vertues, Wisedome, Iustice, Fortitude, Temperance, the especiall vpholders of Kingdomes, Cities [Page] and Honorable Societies.

The Speech in the Sanctuary vpon the Fleece.
IF Iason with the noble hopes of Greece,
Who did from Colchis fetch the Golden Fleece,
Deserue a Story of immortall fame,
That both the As [...]aes celebrate his name,
What Honor, Celebration and Renowne,
In Vertues right, ought justly to be showne,
To the faire memory of Sir Francis Drake;
Englands true Iason, who did boldly make
So many rare Adventures, which were held
For worth, vnmatcht, danger, vnparaleld,
Neuer returning to his Countries Eye,
Without the Golden Fleece of Victory.
The World's a Sea, and euery Magistrate
Takes a yeares Voyage, when he takes this state,
Nor on these Seas, are there lesse dangers found,
Then those, on which the bold Adventurer's bound:
For Rockes, gulfes, quicke sands, here is [...] spite,
Enuy, Detraction of all Noble Right▪
Vessels of Honor, those doe threaten more,
Th [...] any Ruine betweene Sea and Shore.
[Page]Sayle then by th'Compasse of a Vertuous name,
And spite of Spites, thou bringst the Fleece of fame.

Passing from this, and more to encourage the Noble endeauours of the Magistrate, his Lord­ship and the worthy Company, is gracefully Conducted toward the Chariot of Honor, on the most Eminent seate thereof is Gouernement Illustrated, it being the proper Vertue by which we rayse the noble memory of Sir Henry Fitz▪Alwin, who held the Seate of Magistracy in this City twenty foure yeares together, a most re­nowned Brother of this Company: In like manner, the Worthy Sir Iohn Norman first row­ed in Barge to Westminster with silver Oares, vnder the person of Munificence: Sir Simon Eyre that built Leaden Hall, a Granary for the poore, vnder the Type of Piety, Et sic de caeteris. This Chariot drawne by two Golden pellited Lyons, beeing the proper Supporters of the Companies Armes, those two that haue their Seates vpon the Lyons, presenting Power and Honor, the one in a little Streamer or Banneret, bearing the armes of the present Lord Major; the other the late, the truely Generous and Worthy, Sir Allen Cotton Knight, a bounte­ous [Page] and a Noble House-keeper, one that hath spent the yeare of his Magistracy, to the great Honour of the City, and by the swee [...]esse of his Disposition, and the vprightnesse of his Iustice and Government, hath rays'd vp a fayre lasting Memory to himselfe and his Posterity for euer; at whose happy Inauguration, though Tryumph was not then in season, (Deaths Pa­geants being onely advanc'st vppon the shoul­ders of men,) His Noble deservings were not thereby any way ecllipsed.

Est Uirtus sibi Marmor, et Integritate Triumphat.

The Speech of Gouernement.
VVith just propriety dos this City stand,
As fixt by fate, ith' middle of the Land,
It ha's as in the body the Heartes place,
Fit for her workes of Piety and Grace:
The Head her Soueraigne, vnto whom she sends
All duties that just seruice comprehends;
The Eyes may be compar'd (at wisedomes rate)
To the illustrious Councellors of State,
Set in that Orbe of Royalty, to giue light
To noble actions, Starres of truth and right:
The Lips, the Reuerend Cleargy, Iudges, all
That pronounce Lawes Diuine, or Temporall;
[...] [...]
The Armes to the defensiue part of men,
So I descend vnto the Heart agen:
The place where now you are, witnesse the loue,
True Brother-hoods cost and Tryumph, all which moue
In this most graue Solemnity, and in this
The Cities generall loue abstracted is:
And as the Heart in it's meridian seate,
Is stil▪d the Fountayne of the bodies heate:
The first thing receiues life, the last that dyes,
Those properties experience well applies
To this most loyall City, that hath beene
In former ages as in these times seene;
The Fountayne of Affection, Duty, Zeale,
And taught all Cities through the Common weale,
The first that receiues quickning life and spirit,
From the Kings grace, which stil she striues to inherit
And like the Heart will be the last that dyes,
In any duty toward good supplies:
What can expresse affections nobler fruite,
Both to the King, and You, his Substitute.

At the close of this Speech, this Chariot of Honor, and Sanctuary of Prosperity, with all her gracefull Concomitants, and the two other parts of Tryumph, take leaue of his Lordship for that time, and rest from service till the great Feast at [Page] Guild hall be ended, after which the whole Fa­bricke of the Triumph attends vpon his Ho­nour, both toward Saint Paules and homeward, his Lordship accompanied with the graue and Honourable Senators of the City, amongst whom the two worthy Shrieffes, his Lordships Graue Assistants for the yeare, the Worshipfull and genérous Maister Richard Fen, and Master Edward Brumfield ought not to passe of my re­spect vnremembred, whose bounty and No­blenesse for the yeare, will no doubt, giue the best expression to their owne Worthinesse. Be­tweene the Crosse and the entrance of Woodstreet, that part of Tryumph being planted, being the Fragrant Garden of England, with the Raine-Bow to which the concluding Speech hath chiefly reference, there takes its farwell of his ̄Lordship, accompanied with the Fountayne [...] Vertue, being the fourth part of the Tryumph.

The last Speech.
MErcies faire Object, the Caelestiall Bow,
As in the morning it began to show,
It closes vp this great Tryumphall day,
And by example showes the Yeare, the Way,
[Page]Which if Power worthily, and rightly spend,
It must with Mercy both begin and end;
It is a yeare that crownes the life of man,
Brings him to Peace with Honor and what can
Be more desir'd, 'tis vertues harvest time,
When Grauity and Iudgements in their prime,
To speake more happily, 'tis a time giuen
To treasure vp good Actions fit for Heauen,
To a Brother hood of Honor thou art fixt
That has stood long faire in just Vertues eye;
For within twelue yeares space, thou art the Sixt,
That has bin Lord Major of this Company:
This is no vsuall grace, being now the last,
Close the Worke Nobly vp, that what is past,
And knowne to be good in the former Fiue:
May in thy present Care be kept aliue;
Then is thy Brotherhood for their Loue and Cost,
Requited amply; but thy owne Soule most.
Health and a happy Peace fill all thy dayes,
VVhen thy Yeare ends, may then begin thy prayse.

[Page] FOR the Fabricke or Structure of the whole Tryumph, in so short a time, so gracefully performed, the Commendation of that, the Industry of Maister Garret Chrismas may justly Challenge, a man not onely excellent in his Arte, but faith­full in his Vndertakings.

FINIS.

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