A Funerall Monument: or the manner of the Herse of the
most Renowned Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex and Ewe, Viscount Hereford, L. Ferrers of Chartley,
Bourchier and Lovaine, Englands late Lord Generall, who deceased Septemb.14.1646. With a
briefe Recitement of his valour and fidelity in the Kingdomes just Cause, against the Enemies of
Religion, Parliament and Kingdome, whose Funerall is to be solemnized on
Tuesday the 13. of October, 1646.
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ENgland's great Essex Death hath snatcht away,
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That faithfull friend, in her distressed day:
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London, thou know'st with what a willing mind,
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This Peere adventur'd, when thy men did find
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Such rare encouragements from their Generall,
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With resolutions, being inflamed all,
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To live and die with Him, they all were bent,
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In maint'nance of just Lawes, and Parliament.
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What hardships He indured for thy good;
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Nothing too deare, he thought, for England stood:
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Opposing those unnaturall home-bred Foes,
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That unto ruine did themselves expose.
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Let Worcesters faithfull sons now him bewaile,
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That did relieve them when their help did faile.
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Let adverse Enemies, sound Fidelity,
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At Edge-Hill Battell, where undauntedly
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This Generall did appeare, in dangers great,
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Adventuring to give the foes defeat;
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Reading, Cirencester, thy Acts let sound,
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And Glocesters tydings, when reliefe was found,
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By means of this thy Friend, whom now lament,
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In thy most sad distresse, thus did attempt.
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And you that know the gain at Newbery,
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Seeing this Generall, how undauntedly
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He then encourag'd you, for Englands right,
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When Royall Forces fled, he stood the Fight;
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Croyland and Barnstaple shall sound his praise,
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That gain'd them liberty, in inthralled dayes.
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Mount Stamford, Plympton, Saltash, Launceston,
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And Greenvile-house, proclaime his praise, each one;
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With many other, whose laborious paine,
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Most noble Essex valiantly did regaine:
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Whom though by times untimely stroake deceast,
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His fame still lives, that enemies decreast.
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And now to you, unthankfull hearts, a while
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I shall addresse me; you that durst revile,
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And mutter out, whilest basely you neglect
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Your duties you do owe with great respect.
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At first, how many prayers did ascend
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From thousands, that did afterwards offend
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In murmuring at all Gods dispensation,
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Forgetfull of this Isles abomination:
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This, this, O England, hath prolong'd thy warre,
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With great unthankfulnesse, of which beware.
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And now Malignants, by your base expression
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Full often utter'd 'gainst this worthy Champion,
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Fearlesse of death, that durst look death i'th face,
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When your stout friends have fled, to their disgrace:
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Goe search the Records of the Warres progresse,
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And then constrain'd, you all can say no lesse.
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By might or Majesty who prosper shall,
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When as injustice is the cause of all?
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That opposition which thus long hath dur'd,
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And at the last perpetuall shame procur'd,
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This sin cries loud, and vengeance is not farre
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From you, that thus procured Englands Warre,
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Which hath been mannag'd by your contribution,
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This you'l lament, before your dissolution.
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Take timely warning, therefore, and repent,
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For this reviling of the Excellent:
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Though he be gone to his appointed place,
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Your sinnes remaine that have sought his disgrace:
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And therefore now, to mourn for Englands losse,
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Add somthing towards it, by that sins remorse.
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But now to that, which is my chiefe intent,
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To you, I meane, that really lament
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This trusty friend to England, in distresse,
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Do you bewaile, for I can do no lesse.
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What great advantage did he stand upon,
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When freely for this bleeding Nation
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He offered up himselfe, to lead on those
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That did the proudest enemie oppose.
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Should you forget those great Returnes of prayer,
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Which by this Instrument accomplisht were,
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The stones would utter out your base neglect,
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And this great sin would sadly back reflect.
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With what rejoycing, in your saddest dayes,
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Did you erect loud songs of thankfull praise
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To God, that in so many great attempts
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Preserved and regarded Innocents;
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Expos'd in battell shrill, wherein there fell
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Full often many; that did first rebell:
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Yet God the Lord of Hoasts did still appeare,
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To guard his servants, that did truly feare.
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Your trust committed to this Generall,
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Whose losse we now lament, and let tears fall,
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Let them dissolve themselves into a flood,
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For losse of him, that hazzarded his blood
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Full oft in Field, against the trecherous,
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Wilfully bent to ruine him and us.
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Since tall Oakes, deeply rooted, do begin
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To fall, be warned, let not murmuring
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Remove more Oakes, that yet unmoved stood
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In great combustious stormes, for all our good.
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This noble Champion, like an unmov'd rock,
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In battell that adventur'd many a shock,
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Amidst the Forces, fearlesse, where grim death
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Gave way to him, yet now, hath catcht his breath;
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Since teares are small expressions for this losse,
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That calls for flouds, fit to expresse remorse;
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The master-peece of friendship now discover,
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Rais'd up with sense of losse, bedew'd all over,
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With dolefull Ditties, now let freely fall
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Those fit expressions for this Funerall;
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Whose fame now stands, Acts Chronologicall
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Perpetuall, his fame to after-ages shall
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Sound out in praise, his trust that faithfully
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Discharg'd, whom now thus most solemnly
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We celebrate, most worthy great desert,
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And justly as becomes, with sadded heart;
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Love to his Countrey, and Religions Cause,
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Now He's dissolv'd, speaks lowd against all those
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That were not mov'd with such consideration,
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But in distresse were helplesse to this Nation:
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Essex was constant, free from that great sin,
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And thus unmoved, liv'd and di'd therein;
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With King & Countrey both, and Commonweale,
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Our noble Essex faithfully did deale.
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Noble Devereux sadly's bid Adieu,
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And much lamented for, as 'tis our due.
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The Parliament hath now receiv'd a losse,
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This noble Peere is gone, their number's lesse;
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London hath also lost a precious friend,
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Whom none but death could put unto an end.
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He's worth lamenting for, that at her need
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Unto poore England was a friend indeed.
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Then shall a Kingdome, and a Parliament,
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Shall great and good men for this losse lament;
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Shall rich and poore bemoane this Sable Herse,
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And shall not thou and I bedeaw the Verse,
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That speaks out cause sufficient to bemoane
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This losse of him (before us) that is gone:
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Death being arm'd hath cut down such an Oake,
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Prepare to meet, and so prevent his stroake.
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From earth, great Essex, Englands Generall,
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Hath led the way, that we must follow all.
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