The Life and Death of the right Honourable, ROBERT,
Earle of ESSEX, the Noble Branch of his thrice Noble Father.
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WHo shall assist me, whilst I show
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That wch the world admires to know,
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The worth of Him, whose valiant Sire
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Mov'd great Eliza to desire,
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O thou Divinest, shew to me;
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Add to my skill in Poesie;
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And grant, like to Apollos son,
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My Verse may smoothly, sweetly run.
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*Linus, so
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termed by
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Virgil.
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Before our Essex Father gat
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Into that Cecills unknown hate,
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And ere his fatall hap it was
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With fierce Tyrone some words to passe,
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He was the wonder of his time,
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For vertue, Martiall Discipline.
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Eliza great full oft did view,
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How fast her Knights he overthrew,
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When he, like Mars, in armour bright,
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Did shine, none durst be opposite.
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"But what on earth so firme may stand,
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"That Change it cannot countermand?
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"Or who is he can long subsist
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"In joy, and never tast of *crist?
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"Even from the cottage to the Crowne
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"The change of state full oft is showne;
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"So that there's nothing permanent,
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"Mans state's with joy and sorrow's *blent.
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His gracious favour with the Queen
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Incens'd the irefull Lords to Spleen;
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So that they any vantage joy'd
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To finde 'gainst him, who now imploy'd
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In taming of that rebell crew,
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His unadvised rashnesse drew
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A harsh Fate on him, and his Foe
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Rejoyc'd to see his overthrow.
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He leaving earth, his valiant Son
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To tread his Fathers steps begun,
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And his rare vertues joyed more
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The Commons, then his Sires before;
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While all the earth his fame gan ring,
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His worthy praises ecchoing.
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What time alas our sinnes were high,
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When flourisht all impiety,
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And for our crimes, our angry God
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'Gan scourge us with an iron rod,
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When brother did 'gainst brother arme,
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And souldiers 'gan in Troops to swarme;
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"When Englands Prince his charge forsook,
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"Cast out his friends, and Fautors took,
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Then our great Essex chosen was
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As fittest Leader, forth to passe
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Before that Army, whose great zeale
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Them tamed had, to serve the Weale
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Publike, from being under brought
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To those its utter ruine sought.
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"As doth a Father, when his Sonne
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"Some hainous Fact, or crime hath done,
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"Doth scourge him, and if that not doe,
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"Layes him in prison to his woe,
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"Yet hates him nere the worse, but he
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"From Hell would his preserver be.
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So God, when he the Plague (his scourge)
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Had sent, repentance for to urge
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From us vile wretches, steept in sin,
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Yet could not our affections win;
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Death on his pale horse he gave charge
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Thousands of soules for to inlarge,
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That those that would not here repent
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Their sinnes, might them in hell lament.
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And now each man his neighbour slayes,
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The sonne to death his Sire betrayes.
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And now a *Battell's pitcht, and they
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Desire the Fortune of the day:
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Great Essex, at his Armies head,
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With Speeches brave incouraged
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H[i]s valiant souldiers, and in fight
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He was the Foes first Opposite,
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And by his valour, to his fame,
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His *valiant Foes he overcame.
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So Scipio, when to free from thrall
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The Romans, vext by Hanniball,
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Went forth, and that same scourge of Rome
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By valiant prowesse overcome.
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*Truth is the
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Kings souldi-
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ers that day
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shewed them-
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selves very
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valiant.
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But our brave Essex here gave ore
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His warlike charge, and as before,
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(His haughty helmet laying by)
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His Robes of State he presently
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Put on, and now by counsell grave
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"The States second time doth save.
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When he had liv'd so long, to see
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The grining of that liberty
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Himselfe had strove for, and his Peeres,
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When peace sang gently in his eares,
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O then, even then, Death rest away
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This Lord, to Englands great dismay.
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"O Death! thou wert too much obdure
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"Englands great losse so to procure,
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"Th'ast tane one Pillar cleane away,
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"A prop most strong for Englands stay.
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But why in vain do I deplore
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"His death, who by his losse hath store
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"Who now do sing unto the Three
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"Chanting celestiall Harmonie
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Amidst that glorious crew, who still
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Stand prest, to act their Makers will.
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"Sleep famous Essex in thine Urne,
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"While we with teares thy losse do mourne.
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And let this Epitaph be writ
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Upon thy Tombe, to garnish it.
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(THE EPITAPH.)
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LEt no rude foot presume to tread,
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But with great awe, upon this Dead,
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"Lest that his Genius rise from hence,
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"And terrifie his insolence.
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But Reader know, whoere thou be,
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Here Essex sleeps, whose Ancestrie
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Were famous Worthies, all their worth
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Were joyn'd in Him, and at his birth
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The Heavenly Motions did agree,
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Their best Infusements all should be
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Injected in him, that his Fame
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Might be his Heire, and keep his Name
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Alive on earth, and equallize
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*His, whose resoundeth to the skies.
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