AN ELEGIACALL EPITAPH UPON The deplored Death of that Religious and Valiant Gentleman, Colonell Iohn Hampden Esquire, A worthy Member of the Honourable House of Commons in PARLIAMENT; who received his Deaths wound in a Battell neere Chinnar in Oxfordshire, and deceased At Thame. JUNE, the 27. MDCXLIII.
SInce God himselfe did stoop so low, to lay
His Picture on a piece of that same Clay
Whereof we are composed, 'tis but just,
To wayle his losse, and to adorne his Dust:
In doing which, both head and hand may misse,
For who can pourtray Vertue as it is?
Or make a true description of that fire,
That so inflam'd him with a brave desire?
But if a
Jem, which God both made and bought,
Of manly shape, yet of more manly thought,
If Piety, and to the truth true Zeale,
If love and care of Church and common weale,
If Chastity (rare in a Souldiers brest)
And Temperance, (which Cavaliers detest,)
If wisdome, courage, and an humble minde,
[...]ust dealing unto which he was inclin'de;
If love of Peace, of Armes, and heavenly Arts,
And bounty unto men of good deserts,
May make a man unto his Country deare,
Brave
Hampden justly may exact a teare
From present and succeding
Ages; then
Come
Albion Muses all, come Maids and Men,
Come silver Swannes leave singing on the banks,
Of
Isis floods, and in you painted Rankes
Yee merry Birds goe solitary sitt,
Silence and sorrow, does us best befitt:
For though we live, yet are we deadly shot,
(Like stricken Deere at gaze) and feele it not.
Then let our Teares upon our selves descend,
For our Heav'n-daring Crimes, which do portend
More heavy Judgements comming on apace,
To Court and Country, retrograde to Grace.
In vaine (deare
Hampden) we sollicit Thee,
Whose passive part hath made thee now shot-free
From
Syrens violence, Sin, Feare and Death,
Wherewith we Mortalls struggle heere beneath.
Then let us strew thy Herse with bud and bloome,
As
Thetis did her lov'd
Achilles Tombe,
Or rather hang (with
Athens) Lawrell by,
In token of Thy happy
VICTORY,
Triumphing over all fore-named Foes,
And whatsoever did Thee heere oppose.
Farewell then honour'd
Hampden (heav'nly Jem)
Adoring now the new
IERVSALEM.
Farewell belov'd in
Parliament and
Field,
Farewell thy Soldiers faithfull broken Shield:
Farewell thy friends and native Counties stay,
To them it is an over-clouded Day;
And dismall unto all it may be spoke,
Save such as love to beare the
Romish Yoake.
IULY, 27. 1643.
Per JO: LEICESTER.
LONDON, Printed by BERNARD ALSOP. 1641.