QVEENE EL'ZABETHS LOSSE, AND King Iames his vvelcome.
VERITAS VIRESSIT VVLNERE
LONDON Printed by T. C. for Iohn Smythicke, and are to be sold at his shoppe in Saint Dunstons Church. yard in Fleetstreete. 1603.
Queene El'zabeths losse, and King Iames his welcome.
YOu sacred sp'rits that haunt
Pernassus spring,
Whose soaring thoughts mounted on
Pegas' wing
Do pierce the
[...]ies
[...]ising from lowly dust
Euen whom you l
[...]t, & whom you list downe thrust.
You whom the Muses all do ioyntly greete,
Eate, and drinke
Nectar, and
Ambrosta sweete.
My weakeling Muse did many wishes make,
That some of you her taske would vndertake;
I thought in silence still my cares to keepe,
These are true teares, which we vnwitnest weepe.
But since my plaints I do so publicque make,
Seemeth I put on blacke for fashions sake.
This caus'd my Muse her wishes to powre forth,
Some abler wit would shewe his Muses worth.
But since in vaine: she takes in hand the same,
And sings sad Anthems to
Elizaes name.
What, is
Elizaes name so soone forgot?
It cannot be: how then? she heares them not.
[Page]Scarce one is found to sing her dying praise,
Whom all admir'd and honor'd in her daies.
But whilest she liu'd: O God! yet still she liues
In heauen!
I, and on earth. Her vertue giues
Her this: she liues in her late subiects hearts,
Shee liues in her successors vertuous parts,
Shee liues in him (euen in despight of Fate)
To whom she left her vertues, crowne, & state.
Her vertues fame haue built her such a tombe,
As shee shall liue euen till the day of doome:
And then enioy the happie company
Of all the blessed, euerlastingly.
Her soule (no doubt) can now alreadie tell
What guerdon Princes haue that gouerne well.
My Muse dares vndertake for to disclose
Nothing, but what the meanest reader knowes.
What subiect liued in her happie daies
That felt no warmth from her resplendant raies?
And feeling them, who would not seeke to know
The spring from whence these happie blessings flow?
Her birth and vertuous life are so well knowne,
Each one can tell as much as may be showne,
[Page]Yet cannot this my zealous dutie stay,
Though
I shew nothing but what each can say.
Greenwich, VVestminster, Richmond, famous bee,
For shee was borne, crown'd, died in these three.
Henry the eigth (sprung from th'vnited Rose,
VVhich match for Englands good God did compose)
Had by his second choise this budde diuine,
VVhose lustre through the world so cleare did shine;
Elizabeth whom God Almightie gaue
Fulnesse of peace, and honor to the graue.
Fulnesse of God, so doth her name import:
How well th'euent and name together sort?
Sure theres a mysterie in Princes names,
For we do hope our royall L. King
Iames
VVill proue a true
Maintainer of the faith,
(As both his name and his iust title saith)
Fidei defensor.
The Pope he wll
supplant, Christs Church
maintaine.
Kings haue their names seldome imposde in vaine.
But we put on too fast, let's backe returne,
And thinking on our losse againe let's mourne.
I will not speake of her exterior parts,
But of of her minde, adorn'd with liberall Arts:
[Page]Yet he that would describe them with his quill,
Had need of
Homer's or a greater skill.
Not England only, but the world doth know
Her learned wisedome: then what need I show
What's so well knowne? how each Embassador
Shee answere could without Interpretor?
Greeke, Latin, French, Spanish, Italian,
Shee vnderstood: and spake them euery one,
Or of her knowledge in diuinitie?
Her practise show'd it most apparantly.
VVhy tell
I this? but to lament her death,
Vnder whose happie raigne I first drew breath.
This rose is cropt, alasse, a heauie case:
But that t'is planted in a better place.
But of her life since that she liu'd so well,
Be bolde my Muse a litle for to tell:
So well she liu'd, the learnedst man of all
It to describe would finde his wit too small,
My simpler wit, doing the best it can,
Scarce shewes a droppe of that huge Ocean
Of her praise-worthy vertues, my good will
May (as I hope) excuse my slender skill.
[Page]First, for her infancie and childish yeares
I ouerslip; though euen in them appeares
Matter well worthy of a brazen pen,
And leaues of hardest Marble: but yet when
Her riper yeares with iudgement we do deeme,
The former then we not so much esteeme.
These vertues then come to perfection,
The which before seem'd in election.
My slender reede doth purpose to set downe
Only such vertues as adorn'd her crowne.
And first as chiefe of all shall be exprest,
How Gods religion which her selfe profest
Shee did establish: banisht Poperie,
With superstition and Idolatrie.
Her heartie zeale sought both by deed & word,
To build the ruind Temple of the Lord:
Proud Antichrist, and hautie
Spaine did striue
To cut her off, whom God preseru'd aliue,
Safely preseru'd with his outstretched arme
From murder, poyson, and all other harme
Which Popish bulles, or Spanish gold procur'd,
Blinde zeale prouok'd, or wicked Mammōlur'd.
[Page]Nay that indeed at which
Spaine most repines,
She stor'd her treasury with Indian Mines:
The which her bounty mōgst her subiects parts,
And laid vp surer treasure in their harts.
Neuer was Prince of subiects better loued,
Neuer in Prince like care for subiects proued.
From poore mans sute she neuer turn'd her face,
Her meanest subiects right she still would grace.
Blest be that God who lent vs such a Queene,
Whose like before no mortall eye had seene.
The fiue and fortith yeare of her blest raigne,
Whē she had liu'd neare three score yeares & ten,
She paide the God of nature her last debt,
And di'de in peace, without impeach or let
Of home-bred traitors, or else forraigne foes,
God gaue this comfort to appease our woes.
Who though she liu'd and di'de a perfect maide,
Left such an Heire of whom it may be saide,
We lost the Iewell which we loued best,
Had it restor'd againe with interest.
We may well say; Had not our losse bene such,
[...]jssemus perijss
[...].
(T'is well we may so say) we had lost much.
Richmond it was abolished the same.
Henry of
Richmond brought to vs that peace
Which al true English harts pray ne'er may cease.
Now pray with me al that loue Englands good,
God would for euer stablish in his blood
This kingdomes rule, and these to it belong,
God still defend them from all manner wrong.
My hopefull spirit saies it so shall bee,
Since Peeres and people do so well agree.
For now the Councell and the Peeres are bent,
A new King to proclaime with full consent:
Both Peeres and people make the streets to ring,
God saue King
Iames the first, our royall King.
Each faithful subiect now himselfe doth straine
The best he may, his King to entertaine.
How many a ioyfull
Aue's sent before:
My (
Hayle) comes limping latest of a score.
My teares (alas) do so be-blind my sight,
I wipe mine eyes whilest they outstrip me quite;
Yet doubt I not but that his royall minde
Holdes me excus'd, although I come behinde.
[Page]How can that heart loyall to him appeare,
That for
Eliza cannot shed a teare?
He knowes her losse what subiect doth not mone,
Would do the like by him, if he were gone.
And those that wash her tombe with their salt teares,
Do wish him many, many happie yeares.
Now my blacke plume's to red and yealow turnd,
And now I ioy as fast as erst I mournd.
My sorrowes all lye buried in her tombe,
Heart leape for ioy, for now King
Iames doth come.
Come Englands hope, come hither merrily,
Bring with thee many yeares of Iubily.
The Locusts that did wish
Eliza dead,
At thy names sound suddenly vanished.
O if thy name had power to daunt them so,
(Most royal King) what would thy presence do?
Thy lineall right banisht dissention,
Thy princely vertues wrought this vnion.
Our heartie praiers sent before to meete thee,
Wish thy good speed: our eies do long to greete thee.
Those whom
Elizaes losse wounded to death,
Thy glorious name hath giuen a second breath.
[Page]The Merchant traffiques still without disturbe,
Th'artificers or trades-men, feare no curbe
Of malecontent, Papist, or Libertine,
Next vnto God (great King) the praise be thine.
The earth is till'd in peace, the ground is drest,
Each vnder his owne vine in peace may rest.
Thy princely wisedome, or thy rightful claime,
My infant Muse dares scarce presume to name:
This, hath a riper penne alreadie donne,
And made apparant as the midday Sunne:
For that, the spacious world full wel doth know
Thy selfe (heroick Monarch) best can show.
The Princely Poet, and the Poets Prince,
That name thou art acquainted with long since.
Thy many vertues also are
proclaimed,
Thy iustice and thy fortitude are named,
As peerelesse mongst the rest, happie our land
When fortitude and iustice take in hand
To guide the helme, nay thou maist challenge all:
Foure kingdomes, and foure vertues cardinall.
Thy kingly vertues, thou a King canst tell,
No other can declare them halfe so well.
Feare God (my childe) and liue as I haue donne.
O happie is that land when Kings so teach,
Where vertue by example they do preach.
My Muse weepes teares of ioy, in hope to proue
Dauid doth raigne the man whō God doth loue.
King
Iames doth raigne whom God doth loue so much,
God loues them still whose loue to him is such.
Now
Saturnes golden times wil come againe,
And now no vice our cōmon-weale shall staine.
For as the King to good or bad doth frame
His life, the people imitate the same.
Thy England now doth like a longing wife
Expect thy comming; then she hopes no strife
Should dare disturbe her quiet: all with one accord
Wish to behold their King, their dread liege lord.
And I amongst the rest of meanest place,
Throw vp my hat, and say God saue your Grace.
FINIS.
Ad Detractores Inuidus alterius rebus macrescit opimis.
SNarle on and spare not, Curres will snarle by kinde,
Momus to carpe at, needs must something finde.
To striue with such, is labour spent in vaine:
Though an Asse kicke, I will not kicke againe.
VVould any know who t'was did write this booke?
He that ne're thought so many should ore-looke
His eight houres follie: yet now, hopes to finde
Kinde censure of each well-deseruing minde.
Trusting his Maiestie will pardon grant;
Accept good will, beare with his Muses want.
H. S.