HElpe nowe ye Muses nyne, powre out your Noates of woe:
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Aide me with pitious pearcing plaints, the losse of her to shoe.
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Whose Vertues (maugre Death,) shal lyve and last for aye:
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As fliyng Fame in Golden Trump, doth cherefully display.
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Ye Ladyes leave your sportes: your Pastymes set asyde
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To weepe this Ladies Fatall fine: Cunduictes of streames provide.
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Cast off your costly Silkes: your Juelles nowe forsake:
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To decke yourselves in mournynge Weedes, now poastynge haste do make:
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Helpe now ye faythfull Wyves, to wayle this faythfull Wyfe:
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Whose flowynge Vertues were not hyd, whyle she enjoyed lyfe,
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As well to Frende as Foe, her Curtesie was knowne:
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But now the Goddes have thought it good, to clayme agayne their owne.
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LUCINA hath forgot her Chardge, the fatall Fates have don:
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CLOTHO hath left the Rocke of lyfe: and LACHAS longe hath spon.
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These werie of their wonted toyle, at mightie JOVES Decree:
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To whom the Heavens, the Earth and Sea: and all thynges Subject bee.
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The Sister dire, fearce ATROPOS, with schortchyng cuttynge Knyfe,
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Hath shred the Threede that longe dyd holde, this Godly Ladies lyfe.
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Whose losse deare Dames bewayle: and weepe with many a teare:
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For you shall misse a Matrone grave, in daunger you to cheare.
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Whose Counsell in their neede, her Neighbours could not want:
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Her Helpe unto the Comfortlesse, could never yet bee scant.
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Unto the poore opprest, with Sickenesse, griefe and payne:
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To minister and give reliefe: her Hart was ever fayne.
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The Poore have lost a Nurse, to helpe their nedie state:
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The Ritche shall want a perfecte Frende: as they can well relate.
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Thus Ritche and Poore shall want, her Aide at everie neede,
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For both Estates in daunger deepe: she laboured to feede.
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The Ritche with Counselles swete, to chearish styll she thought:
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The Poore by Almes and lyberall Giftes: to tender longe she sought.
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But who shall have the greatest losse: I knowe is not unknowen,
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Her best beloved: the Wight whom shee, accompted for her owne.
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The Lorde MAIOR whiche nowe doth rule: in LONDON noble Citie:
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Shall want her sight, (the greater griefe, to misse a Mate so wittie
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A Phenyx rare, a Turtell true, so constant in her love:
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That Nature nedes must showe her Force, her Husbandes Teares to move
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Who for the losse of suche a Wyfe: can sobbyng Sighes refrayne?
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In whom so many Vertues dyd, continue and remayne.
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You Damselles deare Domesticall, whiche in her House abyde:
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Have cause to wayle, for you have lost a good and godly Guide.
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Whose Lenytie and gentell Hart, you all have knowen and felt:
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For unto you in Courteous sorte, her Giftes she ever dealt.
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You Officers that dayly serve, her Lorde at every neede:
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Can testifie that you have lost, a Ladie kynde indeede.
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So gentell, grave, demure and wise: as ye yourselves expresse:
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That needes ye must gush foorth your Teares: and weepe with bytternesse
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In fyne, both Ritche and Poore, have just cause given to wayle:
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The Ritch in Counsell lacke a Frende, the Poore their Comfort fayle.
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The Troupe of maryed Dames, whiche shall her Vertues knowe:
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Have offered cause, in bytter Teares, some tyme for to bestowe.
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But sith it is the Goddes Decree, to whom all Flesh must bende:
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To take this Ladie from the earth, and bringe her dayes to ende.
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Who can withholde that they wyll have? who dare their wyll withstande?
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To vayne it were for mortall men, the cause to take in hande
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Her Vertues were so great, that they have thought it meete:
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To take from hence unto the Heavens, her Christall Soule so sweete.
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Which now inclosed is, with Aungelles rownde aboute:
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Suche hoape we have, no other cause, is given us for to doubt.
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Her Corps shall shrowde in Claye, the Earth her right doth crave:
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This Ladie yeldes her Parent too: her Tombe, her Cell and Grave.
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From whence, no Kynge nor Keysar can, nor Ruler bearynge swaye:
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For all their Force and Puissaunce, once starte or go awaye.
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All Flesshe shall have an ende: as Goddes do graunt and wyll:
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And reape rewarde as they deserve, hap good, or hap it yll.
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But thoughe that Death have done his worste, this Dame to take awaye:
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In spite of Death, her Vertues shall endure and last for aye.
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