A NEW POEM ON THE DREADFUL DEATH OF THE EARL of ESSEX, WHO Cut his own Throat in the TOWER.

COme, with a nimble thrust of Rapier'd wit,
(My Muse) now Stab all Traitors, point at, hit
The Throat of a Self-murtherer, whose fall
Doth manifest his Crimson Guilt to all.
Led by the Halter to the Stygian Lake.
Many there be, he to prevent the Stake,
Or Hemp or Hatchet, took a shorter Cut,
(As if to d [...]e were but to crack a nut,)
To let his Soul fly from its Prison, Body,
To stept to—ask his Chronies, How d'ye?
O pity 'tis that such a Branch as he,
Should thus deserve so sad an Elegy.
Whose Loyal Father pawn'd his life to those,
Who were the grand Promoters of the Cause.
So excellent his Father, that t' express
His Excellencies, seemes to make them less.
"Should I presume to tell his worth, I fear
"(My Muse) I should subscribe a Murtherer.
"To do't by halves were fair, but 'twould be sed,
"'Twere only then but Drawn and Quartered.
My Lord (like Tully's Son) Degenerates.
A Worm, within his breast most sadly prates,
Consc'ence (The Kings Atturney) stings his heart
So mortally, that now he dares depart.
"A wounded soul close coupled with the sence
"of Sin, payes home its proper Recompence.
"Could not your active hands had fairly staid
"The leasure of a Psalm? Judas has pray'd,
"But later Crimes cannot admit the Pause,
"They run upon effects more than the Cause.
Hangman will curse your Feates, 'tis most severe
To be ones proper Executioner.
Some do affirm, that 'twixt such Acts and Death,
One may repent, even at his last breath.
I fear, there is, (after so foul a Sin,)
Too narow a gap to let Repentance in.
His Death to th' Saints this Doctrine will afford,
Impatient of being with the Lord
He was good man: Dearly-Beloved, praise
His Policy, in shortening his Days.
"But if the Saints thus give's the slip, 'tis need
"We look about us, to preserve the Breed.
"Hence sweep the Almanack: Lilly make room,
"And Blanks enough, for the New Saints to come
"All in Red Letters: As their Faults have been
"Scarlet; so limb, their Anniverse of sin.
Jack Presbyter, I tell the Whorson, Lyar,
Encomiums that do amount much higher.
'Tis height of Valour, Fortitude, to kill
(Not our strong foes, but) a mans self at will.
Brave active Roman Spirit! Purgatory
Shall be to thee, for a new Inventory.
Scylla, Cbaribdis, Python, Acheron,
Medea's Bull, the Tails of the Dragon,
Sea-monsters, Serpents, Gorgons, Centaurs all
Medusa's, Bugbear-Harpies these I call
Mormos and Bugs, (as our stout Earl did see,)
To fright poor Idiots to Morality.
Cowards do dread the grim pale face of Death,
Who foil'd b' it, are but squeezed out of Breath.
Give me an Hector greedy of's own blood
Makes Death to tremble, bids Damnation, slud,
Fears not the Gods, 'tis sin, if they be good,
If bad, why'ere in aw of them men stood?
Death, Hell, Damnation and if thou not fearest,
Jack Presbyter, dy thou thus if thou darest.
Or else learn hence not to aspire too nigh
The high Perogatives of Majesty.
Vive le Roy, let Rebells meet the end,
If their Repentance may not it prevent.
FINIS.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.