slauery Which holds the highest pride but cleanly neatnesse And their strong Tyranny braue validity Nor in his nature 's found but little good What profit is their in this noble blood What house so famous that did not begin And from most meeke and worthy mindes proceede Which did at first their braue achiuements win From vertues time and honorable deeds If it be so why should not humble spirits Possesse vs still like glory to inherit But such are the vilde customes of these times That vertue is asham'd her selfe to knowe She shall be taxt she feares for some base ruines If their full power and grace she publicke shewes Vertue must weare the cloak of vice about her Or else your greatest gallants will but flout her 'T is now dishonor to be honorable And right must now indure a little wrong Truth like the times must change or be vnstable Or else she must but whisper with her tongue Loue pitty charity if they want I feare Must get their liuinh where they cannot heare Well could thy better guided spirits approue To kepe a meane gate in an humble path And not to climbe those lofty seates aboue Which many cares and discontentments hath Whereof Dame fortune queene of chāge doth raigne And who she list shall vp then downe againe But still pure heau'ns thy honor did preserue Clad in those humble garments Christ did weare From which thy vertuous minde did neuer swarue But still a gentle spirit did'st loue and beare And neuer hadst this lesson far to seeke Come learne of me that humble am and meeke But hadst both read and knowne from the beginning How grace attends the one and shame the other Greatnesse and honors are such spurres to sinning And there 's no vice so great but pride can couer Humility the first true lesson learnes vs How we should know our selues best discernes vs. In thy faire brest this vertue fixed lies Which like a pretious Iewell doth adorne thee And as a chaine those other graces ties Which through the earth with such renowne hath borne thee With mounting Icarus doest feare no fall Nor yet seekes meanes to raise thy state at all Great Lady whose rare vertues passing thought And weake imagination can't attaine A prize for mortall men too dearely bought And which the Gods themselues can best maintaine For who can tell the spirits power that 's giuen From that all powerfull power the king of heauen Thou which didst seeke to hide thy honour great Lapt vp from fame within our countries armes To keepe with vs thy residentall seate So faire and sure from high aspiring harmes Suppressing by a life retir'd that guest Which crown 's thee with more glory then the rest No that true honor which from vertue springs Like to a sparke will kindle without blowing Or like a tree which fruite in autumne brings That spite of winters rage is euer growing And fills the owners brest with glory store That Kings ne're knew nor yet possest before Whilst those that liue in greatest Monarches grace And sit vpon the pinacle of fame That fortune at their pleasure can imbrace And thinke to get a neuer dying name Haue not to halfe thy praise with all their paines Arriu'd vnto which thou vnsought for gaines Thy humble life like to thy Sauiour led In greatest greatnesse meeke in plentie poore Did make thy fame renowne and honor spred And did increase thy prayses more and more That in concealing as the worthiest vses Thy honors grace thee and more grace infuses Thou didst not beare a loftie scornefull eye Nor glory in the greatnesse of thy state Nor exercise thy minde in things too high But vnder-ualuest what most highly rate And mad'st thy minde a map for all to see The straine of vertue in gentility Thus did thy humble life in high degree Raise thy vnwilling minde to more renowne Induing thee with greater dignitie Then those that with mo worldly pomp were crown'd For thine were true and did from vertue growe Else heauen earth would ne'r haue grac't them so But for her temperance in attire and diet Which shew how much she worldly pompe dispised And free from that super-abounding riot Which is by some to prodigall bloods deuised So strict vnto her selfe to others free That gaue content in liberallity And which did liue confinde in her estate Not prodigally to wast in surfets store Nor after such a vild luxurious rate To pamper flesh with cloide delights the more But kept a better course and shun'd those sinnes Which curious and delightfull appetites brings Whilst some in beastly Epicurisme spend And waste their daies in vild licentiousnes Glutting insatiate tasts but to offend And make their God their bellies for excesse Which eate drinke spend their time like slaues To fatten sin wormes Sathan and the graues Whilst she did vse the meanes that might procure The least offence that could be giuen in this No such delitious bayts could her allure T' abuse heauens gift in vsing them amisse But did obserue and keepe so true a diet As kept her health full and her soule in quiet What Abstinence hath she vs'd to subdue Those causes those motions which might tempt her To make her proue vnto her selfe vntrue Or with the tast of follow could preuent her Oh no who striues that glorious marke to win Must fly the meanes as well as fly the sin What man that open lies vnto his foes From dangers and disgraces can be free What man that with his enemies walkes and goes That can stand firme and neuer conquered be What man that graspes sin in his wanton armes Can free escape and ne're be toucht with harmes Oh no it is too hard for flesh and blood If heau'ns should vs with our owne frailties trust We should come short for to performe that good Alas what power and strength doth lie in dust When euery winde blast tempest storme weather Blowes vs away far lighter then a feather Good Lady how far was thou blest aboue vs That could so moderate thy affections here Where thy example is enough to moue vs If any loue zeale grace and heauenly feare Were wrought in this obdurate heart of ours To make vs better serue th' eternall powers That ciuill block not larded with much cost Nor wrought with broadered worke most curiously Whereby some haue both wealth and credit lost A iust reward for thoughts that mount too high Could not surprize nor in subiection bring Her minde at all to like so vaine a thing For well she knew that flesh and blood is apt Of it owne nature to be proud enough And needs not such inticements to intrap As cloth of Tissue gold or richer stuffe Which often makes the wearer wondrous proud Though 't is for Kings and princes courts allowd Yet for those men that can direct their minds Whose gentle spirits in vertue haue bin bred And by desarts haue vnto honor climb'd Such costly garments haue bene giuen
which most hold is tru'st gentility But let them haue it I will not contend Their honors may deceiue them all i' th end Great King of heauen and earth how shall I speake Which am but dust and ashes vnto thee When my soules faculties are all too weake Once to conceiue the meanest thought of thee And yet thou tearmst thy selfe but Sonne of man Which vild wormes scorne whose glorie 's but a span Ambitions age can Auarice blinde thee so To build such castles in vncertaine ayre What can your honors powers and riches doe For age and death thei 'le leaue you to despaire Where thou canst not redeeme an howers time Though al the goods in thousand worlds were thine Thinke yee to buy his fauour with a price Or fee him with so many golden mines Can any let sinne purchase paradise Or giue sufficient ransome for your crimes Oh no these dreames doe but your senses tickle For in that hower all that you hau's too little Reuerse your error let not these molest you Why should faire falshood blinde your mentall eies That it may once be said vertue possest you Wherein the truest fame and honor lies For smal's that greatnes poore weak's that glory Which hath his trust vppon things transitory Then seeke not to enrich posterity With an oppressing hand and cruell might Nor build your houses vp by tyranny Nor take possession of the poore mans right Lest Achab-like in buying so you sell Your house your soule and all you haue to hell VVhat profit shall your tired soules receiue Of all these riches you haue heap'd together VVhen in a moment you must take your leaue Of all your store and goe you know not whither Your childrē shew your wealth the world your shame And all doe hate the memory of your name Most odious euer hated of God and men Accursed riches which will waste in vsing Vnluckie and vnblessed issue then VVhen all you haue is purchas'd by abusing Your parents knew not that their goods ill gotten Their heires wold spēd whē they were dead rottē Oh what a ioyfull thing 't is to behold Heires to succeed their fires in vertuous lore And striue their houses honor to vphold VVith greater glory then it had before Studying by noble deeds t' inrich their name To their immortall praise and endlesse fame But ah I feare what I would not mistrust That heires to prodigall vices rather turne And leaue their honors trodden in the dust The losse whereof some ancient houses mourne Not liuing like themselues in birth but slaues Burying all vertue in their fathers graues The cause of which great waste and fall of heires I iudge the impious times of wretched fathers VVhose auaritious thoughts and greedie cares To fatten them and theirs vniustly gathers And waste their braines in studying day and night To purchase that which is anothers right Oh why should these be grac'd why should a pen Dip'd in the purest liquor of those springs Attend the earthly glory of these men VVhich shame vnto the truest honor brings As we doe see Fame none so much doth boast As those whose liues haue tyranniz'd it most If these vnto such fortunes haue attain'd Built on the slippery ground of fading Fame Then what great glorie shall thy honor gaine Or what sufficient pen can praise the same If Vice with Tombes and Epitaphes is renown'd VVherwith shal thy rare vertuous deeds be crown'd If out-side honor if vsurped greatnesse If painted pictures of Iniquitie Can haue their praises sung with wondrous sweetnesse Which nere deseru'd the meanest dignitie VVhat shall the true bred honor of the minde Adorn'd with vertues excellencies finde Did not thy ventures challenge from Fames wings One quill or pen t'immortalize thy name Is any enuious Serpent left that stings Or can with th'smallest tincture touch thy fame Are not thy vertues and thy honors blest VVith as great grace and glory as the rest Then why should not some worthy spirits vprise And with vndaunted quill her honor sing VVhy should they not her worth and vertues prise As high as theirs which from corruption springs Whose shame 's their glory their aime's their stain At nought but worldly things and glory vaine No worthy Lady doe not thinke a Tombe Can thy fresh memory from this world diuide Nor thinke that this earths all-deuouring wombe Within her bowels can thy vertues hide Nor wrong thy merits nor arrest thy worth Which spite of Time will spring and flourish forth That monumentall white faire marble Tombe Cannot containe thy noble deeds and merits When all the world is knowne too little roome To comprehend in bounds thy boundlesse spirit But still shall time with vs be euer telling Ages to come thy vertuous life excelling Nor doe not thinke though in corruptions bed Thy body lies interr'd at Tuddington That therefore thou art quite forgot and dead Or from our memories cleane exil'd and gone No no thy name and fame againe will raise thee And spite of death will make the world to praise thee No 't was decreed of euerlasting fate That vertue should endure and neuer die Made to out-liue Times rage and longest date Writ with a pen of sure eternitie Where if the Muses faile her worth to raise Then babes and sucklings will speak forth her praise Which hath induc'd my infant Muse to write My suckling wits which all too meane presumes Where if that learning cannot well indite How shall I doe with these impolish'd tunes But hope the best for euils come soonest then When least suspected and deseruing them Then launch into the Ocean of her honor So rare a Phaenix and our countries wonder Thy Muse I doubt much merit will take from her Or else her silly backe will split asunder Yet beare the sayles vp heauens may send a winde T' inspire me how to praise her vertuous minde Which they that true religion pure and blest Not mixed with Idolatrie nor defil'd Whose vertuous life and deeds did her professe An Israelite true in whom there was no guile Imbracing of the sacred truth in loue From which no worldly cares could her remoue That sought to know and learne those artes Diuine Which onely vnto true saluation tend And therein much did exercise her minde To profit by the truth which all defend Misplacing errors which doe seeke to blinde The way of truth in selfe-affected minde No verball but a mentall true profession Ingrauen in her honorable brest Wherein it tooke most sure and deepe impression That grace and honor heere did euer rest Making the one illustrious by the other As if they were both twins sprung from one mother And surely so they are as neere allyed Who wins their honors by their vertues first Can witnesse well their noble deeds haue tried Though Fortune now bestowes them on the worst 'T is but externall honor they doe winne Whose houses end before they doe beginne For thou Religion art a seely sound Accounted in these nice
cannot pay thee halfe thy due But tossed am vpon misfortune shelfe And cannot sing thy honors full nor true Yet from these ashes may a Phaenix spring VVhen they haue heard thy worth and better sing Then take this vertue now into thy hand My feeble spirits begin for to retire Such power thy vertues haue they can withstand A better pen and bid my thoughts admire And glory in the subiect not my Muse VVhich can more faults then I haue done excuse Yet giue me leaue a little to proceed And some more graces of her minde discouer My fond affection in this vaine to feed One vertue still you see calls in another VVhere though I doe begin and speake of many Yet can I finde no end of praysing any Thy hospitalitie did as much renowne thee As cannot be by mortall tongues exprest And with as great desarts and prayses crowne thee Filling thee with more glory then the rest And brings thee forth vpon this stage to show thee VVhat thy desarts and their affections owe thee Thy speaking praise from Cottage to the Throne Attend thee Ladie with no common glorie Thy bounteous deeds so spred abroad and knowne VVrites in mens hearts thy neuer dying storie VVhere it shall liue past all succeeding ages As willing pen and vertue true presages Thy bounteous table kept who may declare Or greatnesse of thy hospitalitie VVhose liberall minde no cost at all doth spare To grace thy honor with more dignitie VVhere ouerwhelmed with affections store Shee to her friends thinkes greatest bountie poore VVhat long enduring house hath honor kept And with thy bounteous cheere and wondrous store Fed many mouthes whil'st some haue basely slept In Mammons armes still coueting more and more Snorting in mines of gold feeding their soules VVith that the best and worthiest mindes controlls VVhich loues to heare the fall of honor true And enuie those rare gifts they doe possesse Detracting those which bounteous deeds ensue And yet these slaues will creepe and be their guests To all those famous houses which they heare Doe keepe vp bountie and maintaine good cheere VVhil'st they doe scrape and gleane what they can get From Bounties hands and liberall dispositions VVhich ne're a good house kept themselues as yet Nor ne're will doe so base are their conditions If they can creepe but into honors fauours Thei le feede and burst vpon anothers labours Thus from great persons free and bounteous tables They heape vp wealth by wretched miserie And make their heires so strong in meanes and able That in the compasse of gentilitie They must be drawne and honored of some men Although their fathers basely begg'd for them I doe not vrge this most renowned Lady Though many men haue bettered beene by thee To ayme or point at any thing that may be Thought preiudiciall to thy dignitie But as thou art most liberall free and kinde So to expresse the bountie of thy minde Now can the Citie Countrie and the Court VVhose eares haue heard of thy dispersed fame Vnto thy Princely Palace make resort And fill their thoughts with thy admired name VVhere hearts eyes eares and all desires to proue The great magnificence of thy grace and loue VVith curteous kinde and honor'd dispositions Such as is wont in noble brests to dwell Thou entertaines great birthes and faire conditions VVith such rare grace and gestures as excell No wise conceits nor curious Artist found But for thy courteous grace thy praises found No worthy Lady of the noblest straine VVhich for her parts and wisdome was diuine But thou with bounteous hand did'st entertaine And show thy selfe as free as Caesars minde VVhose salutations were as fairely drest And powdred with the wisdome of the best Heere greatnesse doth another greatnesse grace Loue meetes with loue heere honor honor kisses Heere noble mindes each other doe embrace Nought to make vp such sweete contentment misses So faire a troupe of worthy persons meeting But few haue seene in such great honor greeting Here liberall Ceres plaies no niggards part Here Heau'n earth Seas their greatest plenty brings Here Bacchus cheeres the melancholly heart Whil'st a learn'd consort of sweete Musicke sings A feast that did more sumptuous cost afford Then Cleopatra did that noble Lord. Who hath beene fam'd for hospitalitie That hath not ranckt her name among the rest Who haue for bountie and for dignitie Admired beene and left her vnexprest Who hath a worthier house kept all her daies Then she hath done and liu'd in greater praise No Lady though our Shire did thee containe Yet are thy honors and thy bountie spred And can as great a share and glorie claime As theirs can doe and grace thee being dead With true deseruing fame for euer blest To equall Pellam Ramsey and the rest No niggards hand nor greedy gaine did hold her The noblest mindes are not in loue with riches Nor haue her vertues for such trifles sold her Though many great ones powerfull gold bewitches But what meanes heere the heauens her freely lent Shee wasteth nor though liberally shee spent But to a better end and purpose vsde them The hungrie members of our Lord to feed And not in such disordred sort abus'd them But help'd the weake afflicted in their need With Ioseph to refresh the brethren poore Which stands and waits for charitie at the doore Her yerning pitie did so farre extend That deepe compassion shee did on them take And in their great necessities did befriend Their soules and bodies for meere charities sake With gifts and good rewards shee did supplie Their extreame wants and sau'd them like to die How many hath shee eas'd of Lazars crue The poorest members of our dying Lord Whose great distresse the kindest natures rue Tost to and fro and in this world abhorr'd Despis'd and made a scorne of euery eye Which doth behold their woe and misery Thus doe they show from whence they are descended From that old serpent their adopted father Which neuer will nor euer haue extended The least reliefe as Diues crummes to gather His dogs were kinder for to licke his sores Then mē are now which beats them frō their dores But thou great Lady wherein vertue rested Did'st daily feed them at thy bounteous gate And the poore members of Christs flocke hast feasted Comiserating heere their wofull state Which nothing haue in this world to relieue them But what such liberall minds as yours doth giue thē Poore naked wormes which feele the sharpest aire Which wants food cloth and home which many haue What is heere left to keepe yee from despaire When all your hopes and comforts are the graue And if it were not for some worthie mindes Your soules would faint and die before your times But thou most true deuoted Ladie giues Both cloth food harbour to such orphanes poore And helpest those which in extremities liue And ne're expuls'd the needie from thy doore But at the point of death their soules did cherish And sau'd those liues which ready
mourne Some of thy power into my brest infuse That my dim candle may the better burne And giue the clearer light vnto her honour Admird so much of all that e're heard on her A subiect far vnfit for such a quill But that I thinke some fatall hand doth guide it And carries mee away against my will Not suffering me within my breast to hide it Such fire as this doth seldome burne within me That hath such power thus from my selfe to win me Nor doe I thinke sufficient my weake skill So great a subiect for to entertaine Far be such thoughts from my vnworthy quill VVhich humbly writes and not for glory vaine No I doe know my selfe praise cannot tempt me Since Learning wit and all things else preuent me But for some stricter bond which neerer ties me And zeale vnto that honord house I owe VVhich far aboue my power doth seeke to trie me My duty in these humble lines to shew This mite of wit this little tallent lent me Which my boūd seruice al too meane hath sent thee For which I doe confesse Minerua might Haue cause to sing in memorable lines The Muses if they did her honor right Might haue sufficient worke for after times And all the learned wits that were of yore Might spēd some paines to grace her vertues more But this vilde age which for the most part graces The vitious nature and the hartlesse mindes And honors asses spring from golden races VVherein true merit seldome any findes For where there 's one such fit for honors place Ther 's ten for him which fils them with disgrace For gilded greatnesse sticke too much with prayses Whose swelling pride bears al things down before thē This age to greater fame and fortune rayses That like to Demigods the world adores them What pearles of prayses daily of them rings Blowne with the winde of adulations wings What armes what trophies haue they not erected What glory brought their vpstart houses to And in this world what persons more respected VVhat is' t so hard but that their power can doe Mamon their God can purchase all for them Lands fame renowne nay more the soules of men These like the Dragon carry with their tayle The third part of the starres and rule the earth Their pride and power with controule preuaile And eate vp poore men like a timelesse dearth These which their greatnesse keepe the world in awe Their will their reason and must stand for lawe For which great cause Dame vertue euer mourns That her owne heires are destitute of fauours And others worthlesse placed in their romes To feed vpon their true deseruing labors VVhilst they doe swell with honours she doth pine And must be forc'd to beg or serue the time Oh yee desired times reuerse your course Vnto those antient customes which were then And let not these preferments lighs of worse VVhich were ordain'd for wise and learned men For honor vertue wisedome worth and merit Are the true heires those places to inherit Oh pardon me if I mistake my pen And from my purpose doe a little swarue It is the great abuses of these men Which doe the time themselues and fortune serue That are vnto that height of greatnesse growne Masking in merits shape and not their owne Was this the first cause of gentilitie Or from what stocke or roote did it descend Was this the ground of true humanitie Their greatnes by their greatnes to offend Was this the race from whom all Gentles sprung Wherein that worthy name was first begun Was lands or large possessions the foundation That men vnto that reuerend title came Or this worlds largest rule or domination Whereon so many did their glories frame If these must be the cause what will you call Adam to be which first possessed all If what this earths great compasse forth could bring Whereof the least part makes a Gentile now Might neither be a Gentlle Lord nor King Nor to him honors nor renowne allowe Why should his broode with pride so much abound Possessing but a little peece of ground Wast wealth or all the riches of the earth Without the which the best are held in scorne That could compose a Gentleman by birth Being meerely from the loynes of Adam borne Oh no if I should craue that faire discent From that foule roote I feare I should be shent Wast might or some oppressing Nymrods hand Whose powerfull pride did awe the weaker creatures And sought by force and violence to command More then his owne and raise that name to nature No heau'ns forbid vsurping tyranny Should ere be sprung from true gentility What was it then from humaine birth deriu'd And had it her first being from that kinde The marke for which antiquitie long hath striu'd And which doth challeng the most fairest signe Oh how can nature I would aske this first Be gentle cald whom heauens before had curst No Adam if that these can title claime As none without them now liues in request And challeng to themselues this gentle name Which at the first was onely giuen the best Then was thy birth thy wealth and worldly store The most and great'st what man had euer more No these are but th' admired broode of time Blowne like a bladder vp with froth and winde Made worldly great by prouidence diuine When small gentility resteth in their minde Their fortunes rises but their vertues fall Poor'st in greatst plenty weake when great'st of all But why doe I to little purpose striue And make my selfe more curious far then wise This name from her beginning to deriue When euery vulgar worldling too precise Doe hold too little for his swelling pride Whom no boūds hold nor compasse true can guide Yet since my laboring pen so much doth craue To search the ground of this so worthy name I must attempt with that bare skill I haue For to define least that I purchase blame For all these foure rehearst can neuer doe it Although they lay hard claime and title to it 'T was vertue merit and an humble minde 'T was curteous qualities and most faire conditions 'T was true desart loue and affections kinde Grac't with the mil'dst and purest dispositions 'T was learned arts and honor which proceeds Not from rough might but weake boūteous deeds 'T was an assisting not oppressing hand That did extend to charitable vses Defending right and truth which could not stand Free in those daies from wrongs and some abuses Whose zeale did burne with vertue and made all Their end true honor not an others fall 'T was iustice piety and a sacred spirit Which first inforc'd that faire name to be giuen Ador'd with famous deeeds and noble merits Whose birth and being is deriu'd from heauen No carnall birth no wealth nor worldly honor Can well be said to haue affinite from her And yet the most this age so much bewitches Digresse from these or else my muse mustly Translated now to honor state and riches In