The Churchs Lamentation for the Loss of the Godly, Poem 2 – Poem 5
An elegy vponupon the vntimely deceaſe of the … honorable and vertuous Lord HARINGTON.
LIght ſorrowes talk, great grief… are tongueleſſe quite,
Amaz'd, aft…niſht, Apoplecticall;
Why do I then, (vaine man) ſeek to recite
That ſad euent which lately did befall
That worthy houſe of late by iuſt demerit
Aduanc'd to honor great, and greater credit?
That noble houſe which I do thus deſigne
VVell knowne to all and better much beloued
In vertue, fau…ur, glory, ſo did ſhine,
That few in England were ſo vvell a…proued
In Court, in City, country, thou mighiſt heare,
No ill, all good of Harington echwhere.
To him our King his ſecond Iewell deare,
The Princeſſe his ſole daughter did commit,
VVho's linckt in mariage to that German Peere
VVhoſe vvorth the world admires; A match ſo fit.
So happy, that who thinks vponupon that day,
Lifts vp his hand and thanks to heauen doth pay.
Ten yeeres the father of this matchleſſe ſonne
Had in that honorable ſeruice ſpent,
VVhen the laſt act of louelove was to be done,
To bring Her home, and giuegive Her full cont…nt;
Content to Her, to Him that did attend
Fatall it prou'd, with ſeruice life doth end.
At his returne for England, nature ſoile,
A ſickneſſe fierce, death… Lictor doth arreſt,
This worthy Lord, and cruelly diſpoile
Of ſtrength of ſleepe; At laſt from noble breſt
It draue Prometheus ſparke, and cauld it flie
From whence it came vntounto the ſtarry skie.
VVhat Homers pen can wo…thily expreſſe,
Of that great Lady (thus in forrein parts
Bereft of her deare Lord, all comfortleſſe;)
The deepe diſtreſſe? The ſad and mournful hearts
Of her attendants none can well relate,
B the that was in that or the like ſtate.
… the firſt act of this ſad Tragedy,
Which well may make a flinty heart to bleed,
Enlarging much our humane miſery;
Yet if we marke what after did ſucceed,
This might be borne; The next might well confound
The ſtouteſt heart that euer walkt on gr…nd.
This noble Father left a peerleſſe Sonne,
As to his honor, ſo his vertues heire,
VVho from all Britiſh youths the garland wonne,
In vertue, learning, piety ſo rare,
That he that of his praiſe ſh…uld volumes write,
Need neuer feare the ſtile of Paraſite.
In humāne learning he did ſo excell,
That bred in Court, he ſhamed quite the ſchooles;
No Arts, few tongues, but he did know them well.
Long-ſtudied-Clarks, themſelues accounted fools;
Hearing his graue diſcourſe of matters ſage,
Admir'd his ripenes in ſo tender age.
Religion found from cradle he imbrac't,
Profeſſing it with zeale and purity,
Few of his ranke in eminency plac't,
VVere ſo renownd for ſincere piety:
Nor did it ſwimme and float vponupon the braine,
Nor role on Tongue, but fixt in heart remaine.
This bloſſome faire, this hopefull tender plant,
VVhichWhich ſo much fruit did promiſe Church and State,
Alas, alas, my heart doth throb and pant,
My tongue's benumd, and cannot well relate;
VVithin one yeere after his fathers death,
Did likewiſe loſe his deareſt vitall breath.
VVhat heart can now conceiue the wofull plight,
Of that ſad Lady, that at once deſpoild
Of Husband, S nne, of all that to her might
Contentment yeeld; Her face with teares beſoyld,
Her breſt with ſwellings, throbs and ſighs quite rent,
If heau'n had not both ſtrength and comfort ſent.
Such Lord, ſuch ſonne, few Ladies euer gaind,
And therefore none hauehave taſted ſuch a loſſe,
The happineſſe w…ich ſhe before attaind,
Double…h the griefe, and greater makes the croſſe:
The loſſe was great, the croſſe much greater ſute;
Thanks to the Lord who ſtrength gaue to endure.
Yet may we well that mother happy deeme,
That brought to light ſo great an ornament
VntoUnto this land; that we may iuſt eſteeme
VVhole months, wh…re yeeres in teares and ſorrow ſpent
For his vntimely death, his ſudden fall,
VVhichWhich hath amaz'd and terrifi'd vsus all.
Who doth not ſee the dreadfull glorious God,
Threaten this Realme with iudgements manifold,
(VVhen thus he ſhakes at vsus his iron rod,)
Is too Mole-blind; this ſay I dare be bold,
Pillars demoliſht of a pallace great,
The ruine of the frame do truly threat.
Since that tall Cedar, chiefe of all the reſt,
Prince HENRY fell by ſad diſaſtrous fate,
No one that grew in our Engliſh forreſt.
Gaue ſuch a blow vntounto the Church and ſtate:
He was too good for vsus, vnworthy we
Of ſuch a treaſure, ſuch felicity.
His vertues hauehave him call'd aboue the ſtars,
Earth was vnworthy ſuch a diamon,
He novv partakes not of our brawles and iars,
For mourning weeds white robes he hath put on.
Sinne, griefe, and teares hauehave tane them to their wings,
And with the Lambe he Hallelu-iah ſings.
Then let vsus ceaſe for to bewaile with teares,
That happy ſoule, poſſeſſing heauenly ioyes
That no tongue can expreſſe, no humane eares
Hath euer heard, no earthly wit can poyſe:
Let vsus lament our ſelues our ſinfull liues,
VVhichWhich of ſo precious iewels vsus depriues.
By F.H.D.M.
An Epitaph vponupon the ſaid rightly honored Lord in life and death, in Engliſh Iambicks.
HEre liet Lord Harington, the ſecond of that houſe,
Who ſcarcely left his ſecond in the Brittiſh Ile,
In honour true, in vertue, matchleſſe pietie.
The Phaenix of our age, in whoſe graue countenance
The graces ſat, the Muſes lodged in noble Breſt.
At twenty yeares whoſe wiſdome great did farre excell
The hoary head of long and good experience.
Too good for earth; fit to adorne the higheſt heauens:
Where now his ſoule liues, raignes in celeſtiall ioyes;
His body here reſeru'd till the laſt iudgement day,
His name like ointment ſweet through all Europa ſmells,
And ſhall ſo long as vertue and religion,
Shall find renowne in theſe cold Nothern Climats.
By F H.D.M.
Another Epitaph.
HEere lies interred young Lord Harington,
Heire to his Fathers worth and dignitie,
And now by too too ſoone ſucceſſion
Of fathers fates, heire to eternity:
His body in his grand dames boſome is:
His minds ſuru…ving vertues ſpeake his bliſſe.
His noble birth to learned Arts mode way,
His learned arts on vertue ſtill attended,
His vertue on true piety did ſtay,
His piety hath him to God comm…nded,
His birth, his Arts, vertues and pious grace,
Alot him earths large praiſe, and heauens place.
The Church tels what a patron now is gone,
The Common-weale did him a pillar deeme,
He was his houſes hope, truthes Champion.
The good mans friend, indeed, as he did ſeeme.
Their patro…, pillar, champion, hope and friend▪
They waile, and marke where miſery will end.
I.P. Cant. Coll. Syd. Suff.
To the liuing memory of the late and laſt Sr. Iohn Harington Knight, Lord Harington, Baron of Exton.
To the Booke.
GOe and ſpeake tru h; It is thy office now,
Not onelyonly to enforme our liues, but how
By … are examples miracles agree,
With praiſe…, and wi…h praecepts: This was hee.
His praiſe will not diſhonour ſimple truth,
To ſay but what he was; and but a youth.
To the World.
If thou wert all dull earth, I ſhould beleeue;
Thou hadſt no ſence to feele: nor ſoule to greeue,
But ô thou art compol'd of ſu…ler parts,
And ſee…t thy loſſe engrauen in our hearts;
The pureſt part, of all thou art (alas
How fraile, art thou then) was as fraile as graſſe.
To England.
Thou haſt beene beaten many thouſand yeares:
VVith ſeas; and yet art ſafe, But ô teares
VVill more endaunger thee: he was in thee
The Hand, thou the ſea; where ſuch men bee
Bea…en with rage of changes; yet they ſtand
Safe in themſelues and fix'd as any land.
To his Mother, and ſiſters▪
Rather then tell how good he was; I will
Perſwade you to forget: yet weepe your fill.
For ſuch a Sonne, O death, and ſuch a brother
Is rare as heauens great eye; that hath no other.
To his Friends.
To all that vertue louelove, I doe commend
This title; It was al one to be his friend
And good; who hath no claime and title now
He doth not him, but vertue diſauow;
And yet he had one nearer, then the reſt,Sr. Ed. Harwood.
He liu'd at houſhold with him: we at feaſt.
To the Arts.
Ioy he is gon; he would hauehave diu'd into
Your deepeſt ſecrets, and your knots vndo.
As vnknown …ricks, diſcouerd eaſy ſeeme,
He would to v… reduce you; not eſteeme.
To Religion.
What haſt thou loſt, ô ſacred miſterie.
Thy Nurſe, and yet thy Childe? He did not die
To thee, of all the reſt: he was aliue
They martyr, and now dead, he doth more thriue,
In thee: ô no: his ſtate takes no increaſe?
Full of the ioies of God: he liues in peace.
To Death.
Poore vncreated nothing; to contend
To make all things like thee; yet miſſe thy end.
Canſt thou hold him one houre, ô enuious death,
Or touch his laſt, yet euerlaſting breath;
O No: that fled where thou ſhalt neuer come,
Though here a while thou triumph on his Toombe.
Thomas Roe, Knight.
End of the text · Richard Stock, The Churchs Lamentation for the Loss of the Godly (1614)