THE POORES LAMENTATION FOR THE DEATH OF OVR LATE dread Soueraigne the High and Mightie Princesse Elizabeth, late Queene of England, France and Ireland.
With their prayers to God for the High and Mightie Prince IAMES by the grace of God King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the Faith.
Imprinted at London for Thomas Pauier, and are to be solde [...] shop in Cornehill, neere the Exchange, at the signe of the Cat and the Parrets. 1603.
THE POORES LAMENTATION.
YOu wailing wights that take delight to mourne
vouchsafe to lend your aide vnto my Pen:
Assist my muse, my verse for to adorne,
sithes, sobs, & teares, shall sure be pleasing then
For sorrow sadly sits vpon my brest,
And doth bereaue my hart of quiet rest.
Come woe and wander with me all alone,
and guide me to some solitary place:
Where I with flouds of teares may sith and grone,
and wailing wander by my selfe a space.
But soft a while me thinkes I here some crie,
Stay, stay, and take with thee more company.
We all will beare a part in this lament,
for this thy cares doth all of vs concerne:
Wherefore lets all prepare incontinent,
now we are priuate none can vs discerne,
Nay lets not feare, if all the world did see,
For most within it doe with vs agree.
Then let vs all fall downe vpon our knee,
and then direct our eyes to heauen so hie:
Then with consent let all of vs agree,
to wring our hands and sadly sobring crie,
Lord it is thou, tis thou oh Lord I say,
Which for our sinne hath taken quite away
Our good and Godly gracious royall Queene,
which was our comfort while she did remaine:
Whose like on earth before was neuer seene,
nor did, nor doth, the world her like containe,
Elizabeth, Elizabeth I say,
From little England now is taine away.
In the beginning of Queene
Maries raigne,
her grace at
Ashridge at her house did lie:
Sore sicke God wot, and very full of paine,
not like to liue, but very like to die.
To her in all the hast Queene
Mary sent,
To haue her brought to her incontinent.
Three of the Counsell to that end did ride,
with twelue score horse-men in their company:
And euery one his weapon by his side,
To
Ashridge posting they in hast doe hie.
Yet it was ten a clocke within the night,
When they were at the gate for to alight.
Straight to her chamber they in hast did goe,
and with her grace demaunded for to speake:
Answere was made them that the cause was so,
that she in bed that time was very weake,
And did request them stay till the next day,
Who answered that the Queene they must obay.
And she had charg'd them all vpon their life,
aliue or dead to bring her thence away:
Wherefore quoth they we soone will end this strife,
going into the chamber where she laye.
Her grace did see them and with griefe did say,
Could you not while to morrow morning stay.
No, straight they answered all with one consent,
aliue or dead away from hence you must:
Thus with commission to you we are sent,
'tis very straight quoth she, yet I doe trust,
My gracious Queene will mercie to me show,
Of this my sickenesse if she did but know
[...]
The Queene hath sent her letter for your grace,
gainst nine a clocke therefore I pray prepare:
Alasse quoth she th
[...]s is a greeuous case,
is this hard hap allotted for my share.
Great God that knowes the secrets of my hart,
Vouchsafe, vouchsafe, to take thy hand-maids part.
Then on the morrow very sicke and weake,
she from her house was carried straight away:
Her seruants harts ready with griefe
[...]o breake,
did for their gratious Lady weeping pray.
That God would still defend her with his might,
For this strange dealing did them much affright.
From thence vnto the Court she was conuayde,
where foureteene daies her grace was closely kept:
And might not see the Queene while there she staid,
this dealing when her grace did see, she wept.
Some charg'd her with
Wyats conspirasie,
The which her grace did vtterly deny.
Yet for all that, the Queene commaundement sent,
that she next tide should to the
Tower goe:
And when the time was come she greeued went,
the Queene commaunded, and it must be so.
Then to the
Tower she was carried straight,
Where for her comming many did awaite.
She landing, passed straight into the
Tower,
when she was there, the gates they boulted fast:
Quoth she, I neuer thought to see this houre,
well now I see my ioyfull dayes are past.
Which I haue here vpon the earth to spend,
Y
[...]t
[...]aue me not O Lord, but comfort send.
Oh Lord thou knowst the secrets of my hart,
thou knowst how I am wronged in this place;
I pray vouchsafe great God to take my part,
and let my wrong be turn'd to their disgrace.
That are the cause of my imprisonment,
Lord let them see their sinne incontinent.
Within the Tower long time she did remaine,
being too much abused by many a one:
And though her grace did often times complaine,
yet there was none that did regard her mone
At last one tould her, she from thence should goe,
To
Woodstock for the Queene would haue it so.
Then from the
Tower to
Woodstocke she was sent,
there to be kept a prisoner as before:
And threescore souldiers for to gard her went,
where at her Princely grace was greeued sore.
Thus traytor like quoth she, why do you vse me,
In truth, in truth, you all do much abuse me.
During the time that she in
Woodstocke lay,
with life she often escaped very neere:
For many wayes
Stephen Gardiner did assay,
as in the story it doth plaine appeare.
To bring that Godly Lady to her end,
But God aboue, her grace did still defend.
From thence to Hampton Court she was conuey'd,
there to remaine as she had done before:
Wherein close prison she a fortnight layd;
and out of dores not suffered for to stirre,
From thence at last at ten a clocke at night,
She was conuayed to Queene
Maries
[...]
Who did demaund, and if she would not yeeld,
vnto her grace that mercie she might haue:
If I offended haue, let me be held
a traytor, for no mercy I will craue.
For God that liueth in Eternitie,
Doth know I neuer wrongd your Maiestie.
From prison then the Queene did her release,
and to her house at
Lamheye did her send:
From all her troubles there to liue in peace,
with two or three vpon her to attend.
Thus was our gratious and our louing Queene,
Toste too and fro, as one of no esteeme.
Not like a Princesse of such great renowne,
the like of her fayre England neuer had:
And rightfull heire next vnto the crowne,
which ioy'd all faith full hearts and made them glad.
For shortly after God did take away
Marie from vs which was a ioyfull day.
Then was
Elizabeth proclaimed Queene,
whose loue vnto vs alway did abound,
More ioye in England there was neuer seene,
not without cause, as since we all haue found.
Specially those which rightly feare the Lord,
And lou'd the trueth, and Papistry abhord.
Thus did the Lord from troubles many a one,
preserue and keepe her gratious Maiestie.
And with his hand did set her on her throne,
to be admired of all posteritie.
That after ages might report and say,
Thus deales the Lord with them that him obay.
Nay of her right when as she was possest,
and had vpon her head that glorious crowne:
There he in mercie did not let her rest,
but all her foes with speed that did but frowne.
The Lord in Iustice ended soone their dayes,
Therefore alone to him we yeeld the praise.
All those that please Chronicles to read,
shall see how God did keepe her with his power:
And by the hand (as 'twere) her grace did lead,
euen from her birth day, to her latest hower:
And many traiterous actes against her grace,
Did bring to light, and vtterly deface.
He did not blesse our gratious Queene alone,
but all her Counsell, and her realme likewise:
For none of them had cause to make their moane,
for she the meanest sort did not despise.
But did direct such orders for theirstay,
As bindes the poore vpon their knees to pray.
That God would graunt her
Nestors yeares to liue,
and
Cressus wealth thrice doubled to enioy:
Salomons wisedome, Lord we pray thee giue,
vnto her Grace, and keepe her from annoy.
These were the prayers that the poore did make,
For vertuous Queene
Elizabeth her sake.
Whom from her birth the Lord did keepe no doubt,
as he did
Moyses from proud
Pharaohs hand:
To end her dayes though many went about,
yet like
Mount Sina still her grace did stand.
In spight of
Pope and
Spanish policie,
The Lord did blesse and keepe her Maiestie
For
Israell did
Moyses often pray,
our Queene for
England euer did the same,
And
Samuell alwayes did the Lord obay,
so did our good and gratious Queene of fame.
As
England found, whose welfare did relye,
vpon the person of her Maiestie.
Abraham is gone, which for vs oft did pray,
our staye is gone whereon we all did rest:
For
Lotte from vs is taken quite away,
Ioseph is gone, for whom this land was blest,
Our
Abraham, Lot, with
Ioseph now is dead,
And with our Queene their vertues wrapt in lead.
Gone is our Queene, whose like cannot be found,
gone is our Queene which alwayes lou'd vs deare,
Gone is our Queene whose vertues did abound,
as by her care it often did appeare.
Gone is our ioy, our stay, our life, our loue,
Gone is our Load-starre vnto heauen aboue.
Downe is that Sunne which oft did shine so bright,
downe is that Starre which many did excell:
Downe is that Moone which oft did giue vs light,
downe is that light which darkenesse did excell.
Our Lampe is out, the which did burne so cleere,
And gaue vs light this fiue and fortie yeere.
But shall we greeue that she is gone to rest,
who all her life to do vs good did spend:
No, lets reioyce, sithe God doth count it best,
from troubles for her Maiestie to send,
To giue her that for which she laboured long,
[...]
[...]ine her, you should do her wrong.
To heauén, to heauen, our gratious Queene is gone,
to liue with Christ in ioy for euermore:
Then leaue to sithe, to sob, to weepe and mone;
for she in glory doth Gods name adore.
With many thousand Saints and angels she,
Sings Holy, holy, holy, Trinity.
Thus let vs leaue her with that glorious traine,
to praise the Lord in heauen for euermore:
There crown'd with glory euer to remaine,
with heauenly voyces and with Martyrs store.
Who in their conforts all agree in one,
Still giuing honour vnto God alone.
Yet weeping, weepe for her which had your harts,
who lou'd you dearely while she did remaine:
But let your cries be seuered into partes,
your state and welfare still for to maintaine.
And praise the Lord, the which in mercie haue,
Sent thee a King that is both wise and graue.
The Pope long time hath wished for this day,
thinking to bring vs vnderneath his yoake:
But now poore Fooles they know not what to say,
hipocrisie they finde their fittest cloake.
For though our Queene
Elizabeth be dead,
We haue a King that ruleth in her stead.
Who will the trueth mainetaine while he doth liue,
in spite of Pope of Spaine or all that route:
Thy holy spirit Lord vnto him giue,
to be his guide in all he gots about.
And all that seeke by means to wrong his grace,
Lord we beseech thee vtterly deface.
That little England still may praise thy name,
and liue in peace as we before haue done:
Preserue O God our royall King of fame,
he may proceed as he hath well begun:
Gods glory, and his Gospell to maintaine,
while here vpon the earth we do remaine.
God giue vs grace which be his subiects true,
with loyall hearts to serue him all our life:
And to preuent those dangers may insue,
If we among our selues should liue at strife.
Come let vs ioyne our hearts with hands and say,
The Lord be praisde that ere we saw this day.
For we in England now inioye a King,
which feares the Lord, and holds his subiects deare:
Whose fame for euer through the world shall ring,
for through his Realmes the Gospell shineth cleare.
And we enioy the peace we long possest:
That without feare we all may take our rest.
Then let vs all confesse with one consent,
that God hath brought this mighty worke to passe:
And of our sinne lets earnestly repent,
for through the land more neede there neuer was.
For pride and enuie now doth beare such sway,
That faithfull dealing growes into decay.
Well to conclude, let euery one amend,
of his bad life that long he liued in:
Then many blessings God will on vs send,
then speedily let euery one begin.
To pray, obey, and serue the God of might,
For that is wholy pleasing in his sight.
The God of heauen preserue our noble King,
and grant him three times
Nestors yeares to liue:
That we with peace and plenty still may sing,
and alwayes to the Lord true praises giue.
Lord blesse both him and his, for euermore,
And grant we alway may thy name adore.
Lord let those vertues which our Queene possest.
be trebeled vpon his royall head:
Lord guide him in those things which please thee best:
and let her vertues liue though she be dead.
Lord blesse his grace, and all his royall traine.
That peace and plenty he may still mainetaine.
That all thy subiectes may reioyce in thee,
which liue within the compasse of thy Realmes:
And ioyning harts with hands may all agree,
saying God saue, our noble Prince King
Iames,
Whose Godly life, and vertuous deedes doe show,
Our state in England shall not ebbe but flow.
God grant it may for euer flourish so,
and still be famous all the world throughout,
And let vs not the word of God forgoe,
though popish Priestes to wrong it goe about.
Yet let this Iland still the same inioy,
For that is it hath kept vs from annoy.
Then feare the Lord and honour still thy King,
ioyne all as one, the trueth for to defend:
Then peace vnto our land will plenty bring,
and all our feeble states shall then amend.
Then let vs all with ecchoing voyces crie,
The Lord preserue his Royall Maiesty.
FINIS.