Gray Hairs Crowned with Grace, Elegy 4 – Elegy 11
ON THE Death of the moſt Reverend, Learned, Holy Mr THOMAS GATAKER.
NExt to my dear, and dearer Uncle thanM. Richard Dugard B. D. Rector of Fulleeby in Lincolnſhire, a long time Fellow of Sidney College in Cambridge, as alſo M. Gataker was.
I could expreſſe though I were more then Man;
Whoſe Life by all ſo preciouſly eſteem'd
I with mine own would gladly have redeem'd:
And were not Death well undergone to ſave
So great a Treaſure from the hungry Grave?
Next unto Him, my Soul doth mourning wear
For his dear Friend the Famous Gataker.
Till now the Adage I did ſcarce beleeve,
Which ſaies, To fronts we muſt no credence give.
To my great grief too true I finde it now,
So much deceived by his ſmoother brow;
Which with the Roſe and Lilly that did deck
His, and would have becom'd a Ladies cheek,
Did promiſe fair, and made me hope that He
Might raiſe eight Decads to a Century.
Doubtleſſe moſt perfect was the Harmony
Of's Elements, as was his Symmetry:
Thus Body and Soul in him were bravely met
And matcht, but that the one though very neat,
No large dimenſions had, the other was
More like an Angel clos'd in ſuch a caſe.
A neat ſmall manſion this doth entertain
Sometimes a ſtately Lady with her Train.
He was (ah killing word, He was! alas,
That now I cannot ſay, He is, but was.)
A Living Star, and that as eminent
As any ſhin'd i'th Britiſh Firmament.
But that's too modeſt and anguſt; 'Tis thought
That even Europe, though ſo fully fraught
With rarely Learned Children, yet hath none
That could in all things parallel This Son.
Beleeve I do, more truly none then He
Could ere be cal'd a Living Library.
His induſtry long ſince had treaſured
All Learning in his comprehenſive Head;
The crucified three Languages ſpake aloud
His matchleſſe skill, and ſeemed of Him proud.
The Arts a better Maſter have not known;
The Fathers, Councils, Schoolmen, were his own.
All Neoterick Worthies he did know
As perfectly as they themſelves could do.
Now though he were (none ever more then He)
A perfect Body of Divinity,
And ſuch a Phoenix, yet his Lowlineſſe
Was ſuch as if he had been nothing leſſe.
Great Parts and Acquiſitions commonly
Attended are with a proud Tympany,
So were not his, but ſuch that God he knew,
And knew himſelf, and his mean Brother too.
Nor did his worth lie buried in his Breaſt,
As Miſers Gold's confined to their Cheſt:
His light did ſhine as freely as the Suns,
Or as the water from the fountain runs;
Witneſſe his Pulpit-pains, which ne're did ceaſe
Till Sickneſſe ſerv'd him with a Writ of Eaſe,
And pains in's houſe, which a Gymnaſium
Or Schola Illustris was, whither did come
Many from far, whoſe joy it was to ſit,
And reap rare notions at Gamaliels feet,
And Pains at's Pen; his moſt tranſcendent Pen,
Which doth demonſtrate Him a Man of Men.
As God did once the Cherubims employ,
Arm'd with a flaming Sword to guard the way
O'th Tree of Life, So did he this man raiſe
With his choiſe Pen to vindicate his waies,
And ſacred Truth; which none could ever do
More faithfully, for he refus'd to know
His deareſt friends, (as Levi once,) though none
Were more exact in that Relation.
He knew that Truth moſt Lovely is, and that
What ere we weigh, It muſt preponderate.
And as his Pen was often militant
(Nor leſs triumphant,) ſo edificant
It alſo was; like thoſe bleſt Builders, who
Stood on their Guard, and ſtoutly builded too.
What Pious, Pretious Peeces have there come
(All trimmd with richeſt Fringe) out of his Loome!
But above all his Notes on the firſt paire
Of Major Prophets juſtly valued are,
As the moſt golden Key that ere was made
To open Gods deep Treaſure therein layd.
How doth the Church in Them rejoice! how grieve
That he did not a greater meaſure give
Of ſuch like Quinteſſentiall Annotations!
Too ſoon he left us in the Lamentations.
But now he leaves us worſe leaving us quite,
And bidding us for evermore Good Night.
It muſt be night when ſuch a Sunne doth ſet,
A Night of Woe and Lamentation Great.
Which is the more, becauſe we greatly fear
We nere ſhall ſee another GATAKER.
Whoſe Grave may proudly ſay, Lo, here doth lye
Great Gataker, that Univerſity.
THO. DUGARD, M. A. R. B.
NEque Funeri Tanti Viri, ne que Muneri
Meo Colentis arbitror factum ſatis,
Vernaculis niſi paucula adjiciam modis
Latialibus veſtita ſaltem vocibus.
At quum perinde, ut diſplicet ſilentium,
Non Verba ſuppetant, paria votis, mihi:
Viſum est ab ipſo mutuari Mortuo
Quae vivus olim fudit: Et ſic optimè
Illius expedire ſe Laudes valent,
Ʋt proprio Sol explicat ſe Lumine.
Squalida luctifico tundantur pactor a planctu:Habeutur hi verſus D. Gatakeri, inter alios tum ipſius tum aliorum in calce Prlectionum D. Whitakeri de Eccleſia.
Perfundat teneras lacryma ſalſa genas.
Omnibus in vicis adſit pullata caterva:
Pellantur ſubitò gaudia cuncta procul.
A terris ſuperas abiit Whitakerus ad auras,
Aetatis noſtrae gloria, fama, decus.
Quo magis ornatum vix fando accepimus unquam
Doctrinâ, ingenio, religione, fide.
Linguarum nemo plus cognitione valebat.
Arſoniam ſpectas? Tullius alter erat.
Cum Graiis quiſquis ſermones nectere Graios
Audiret, patrio crederet ore loqui.
Hebraeae nemo feliciùs abdita linguae
Exploret ſenſus elicitátve probos.
Ingenium quantum, facundia quanta, quot eſſet
Artibus excultus, ſcripta relicta docent.
Praecipuè ornabat divina ſcientia mentem,
At que huic juncta ſoror religionis amor.
Fidus praeco Dei, humani figmenta cerebri
Rejecit, pendens ſemper ab ore Dei.
Sincerè populo divina oracula tradens
Ad Chriſtum docuit quae via recta ferat.
Exemplum pietatis erat, virtutis imago,
Doctrinae culmen, religionis apex.
Mens humilis: puruſ que animus: patienſ que laborum
Corpus: & immuneris vita referta bonis:
Frons hilaris: faciles aures: pectuſ que fidele:
Sermo pacificus: lingua diſerta fuit:
Os verax: mites oculi: gravitate refulgens
Vultus: cor placidum: dextra benigna bonis.
Cum virtute at que arte alios ſuperaverit omnes,
Haec, dubium, laus an latior illa ſi…t.
Sed quid ego conor Whitakeri exponere laudes,
Quem laudare ſatis nemo poeta queat?
Quid laudo, cujus cunctas celebratur ad oras
Nomen, quae Chriſti numina ſancta colunt:
Cujus ſcripta diſerta, opus aere perennius omni,Anno Dom. 1594.
Jam paſſim volitant docta per ora virûm?
Scripſerat haec quondam Gatakerus de Whitakero,
Heros quum ſuperas ſcanderet ille domos.
Scriberet haec pariter Whitakerus de Gatakero,
Si nunc in vivis eſſet ut antè fuit.
Conveniſſe tibi conſtat Whitakere, viciſſim
Quám bene conveniunt & Gatakere tibi!
T. D.
ON THE Death of the Excellently Learned and Pious Mr GATAKER.
IF Man created Upright ſo had ſtood,
Should This, though leſs Ill, yet have had more Good?
For what, while militant on earth, he knew,
Angels themſelves deſire to look into.
And above Natures beſt his Grace ſo high,
Hath of her worſt obtaind the Victory.
Whereto while Death it ſelf Perfection gives,
By's Doctrine and Example ſtill he lives,
With us too: though departed, that is, gone,
(Having learn'd all here) where more is to be known.
W. W.
Carmen Elegiacum in obitum Mri THOMAE GATAKERI, Rdi Theologi, politioris literaturae Fautoris ſimul ac Reſtauratoris optimi.
OCcidit heu! ſummi fulgoris ſtella corruſcans,
Occidit, ut ſurgat ſtella decora poli.
Lumina non pereunt, è terrâ ſumpta, fruuntur
Majori coelis luce, micante Deo.
Vixit, & ignaros, potuit quoſcun que , docebat
Tàm vitae exemplo, quàm prece, voce, manu.
Juppiter in terris, linguâ ſua flumina vibrans,
Voce tonans, pravos terruit; inde pii.
Juſtitiae celebrem retulit pietate Noachum
Praeconem; Moſes moribus alter erat.
Quàm docuit, didicit Gatakerus! vivere multos
In Chriſto docuit, ſic didicit que mori.
Docto ſcribenti calamo de ſortibus olim
Supremum tandem ſors tulit atra diem.
Non ſic fata ſolent: quae te Gatakere merentem
Siverunt Juvenem, maeſta tulêre ſenem.
Ʋllo ſi doluit Pietas, vel maeſta querelas
Tempore perfudit, jam bene flere decet.
Si literae lacrymas unquam ſparſere politae,
Cum fulcrum recedit, jam doluiſſe licet.
Te dolet Ʋrbs celebris, dolet Anglia maeſta Prophetam
Ereptum templis te decus ipſa ſuis.
Cuncti te flemus, te ploraremus in aevum,
Si non conſtaret te coluiſſe Deum.
EPITAPHIUM.
HIc ſitus eſt, qui dum docuit, dum ſcripſit, ab omni
Omnigenae laudis puncta recepit. Abit:
Intravit coelum poſtquam Gatakerus amaenum,
Quod loquar? omnigenae puncta ſalutis habet.
Expirantis GATAKERI Apoſtrophe ad Fratres ſuperſtites, Paſtores Anglicanos.
THOMAS GATAKERUS, Anagr. Ʋrge, mak haſt to us.
FArewell; bright-ſhining-ſtars! yet ere I part,
Ile leave the ſenſe of my laſt gaſping heart,
With you dear ſouls: For ſtrayt my ſpirit muſt
Be thron'd in bliſs, my body turn'd to duſt.
Behold the wildbore-hereticks, whoſe powre
Deeply's engag'd Gods vineyard to devoure.
Ʋrge, and be valiant: *2 Pet. 2. 5.Noah's now had need
Prove mighty Nimrods to run down this breed.
Behold ye Fox-like-Schiſmaticks, who trade
*2 Cant 15.Gods vine to ruine; Ah our Church is made
A den of theeving Foxes: Theſe conſpire
Like Sampſons Foxes to ſet all on fire.
Ʋrge here, purſue them by all means you may,
Dumb-dogs prove uſeleſs to devour this prey.
Since Sheepe-skin-Wolves do ramble; Sheepheards look
Now to your Lambs, uſe well your Sheepheards crook.
The Tyger-Ranters rage: This Hectors face
Is much diſguis'd to th'Churches ſad diſgrace.
Pluck off his vizard, and unrip his ſtate,
That all Gods flock may ſee this Tygers fate.
Romes ravenous blood-hounds, from their helliſh den
Are rays'd by th'ſound of th'Devils horn: oh then
You Iſraels Watchmen! their hid traces find;
Wound them, and make them leave their prey behind.
The Pope hath got Arithmetick in's Crown,
Who multiplies his Popedoms up and down.
Each Church erects a chair: 'tis ſad to ſee
So many plead infallibilitye.
Divide and multiply, this Artiſt cryes,
From ſuch diviſion, do my ſummes ariſe.
United force is ſtrong, let your band be
A threefold cord of love and unity.
See and condole our ſhaken Churches ſtate,
Which walking-earth-quakes totter'd have of late:
Theſe ſure would counted be an heav'nly nation,
'Cauſe all their motion is meer trepidation.
*Iſa. 66.Who trembles at Gods word ſhall favour find
Whileſt word-leſs Quakers ſhall go down the wind.
Ʋrge here, fear not, i'th ſtrength of God be ſtrong,
A quaking hoſt can never ſtand out long.
The Church a Lilly is 'mongſt thorns: oh ſtrive
To lop theſe thorns and make the Lilly thrive.
Ye Pilots are i'th'Churches Ship; ſayl on
Though through a ſea of blood to mount Sion.
And now methinks grim death 'gins to appear,
Which once was diſmal, now my ſoul doth chear.
Its ſting is gone, and now 'twill me advance,
To juſt mens ſouls made perfect, in one glance.
My laſt ſand's run, my life i'le breathe out thus,
Ʋrge Souls in preaching and mak haſt to us.
Ʋrge God in praying and mak haſt to us.
Ʋrge Chriſt in all things and mak haſt to us.
J. STILLINGFLEETE D. Joh. Coll. Cant. Socius.
On the Death of that Reverend and eminently Learned Divine Mr THOMAS GATAKER.
WHo's this that lyes thus breathleſs? dolefull ſight!
The worthy Gataker; That beauteous light
Hath left our Hemiſphere. Ah! he is gone,
Who was the glory deem'd of Helicon.
The Muſes joy is fled; a magazine
Of Learning's here blown up. The Siſters nine,
Could they but rate their loſs, (ſuch hath it been)
With tears they'd make an other Hippocrene.
Poor houſe of clay! oh, how it empty lyes!
The furniture's remov'd to Paradiſe.
Angels have hence convigh'd the jewell-mind;
Nought but the cabinet is left behind.
Adieu young Neſtor; ſeldom have we ſeen
An head ſo gray, and parts ſo freſh and green.
His ſpeech to deck ſuch flowers he could bring,
In ages winter one would ſwear 'twere ſpring:
But now, for florid language, we may find,
Dumbe Rhetoricke; with ſilence cryes her: mind,
Oh! mind your latter ends; death's ſometimes late,
But who could ere his life perpetuate?
We thought his preaching done, but here we have
One Sermon more, and for his text, the grave.
Be faithfull, you, who Sions walls do keep,
Watchmen themſelves muſt once be laid to ſleep.
W. TWYNE Fell. of St Joh. Coll. in Camb.
In obitum Viri Clariff. Doctiſſimi que Mri THOMAE GATAKERI foreign.
PLectro pauliſper poſito feſtiva ſonante,
Jam melos, attonitae modulantur triſte Camaenae,
Ingeminat que Caput praeclarum linquere terras;
Tum ſic effatae, Quae vestram inſania mentem
Exagitat, Parcae, vel quae maleſana medullas
Intùs agit rabies, ut converratis in unum
Quiſquilias, gemmaſ que Roſam Carpatis, & algam?
Delicias mundi, ſécli miracula quaevis
Haud ſecus ac faeces vulgi, Sordeſ que profanas
Amoveatis? adhuc tantaene ſororibus irae?
Quò tandem effûgit, quaeve occupat iſte locorum
Abdita, qui quondam praeclarâ nominis omnes
Famâ praeſtinxit, nulli pietate ſecundus?
Mens polita, Deûm proles germana, Minervae
Mercurii que domus, Muſis & digna teneri
Pieria, ac charitum ſedes & hortus amaenus!
Tam docto Calamo referunt accepta Camaenae
Cedro digna, ſed & meruere inſculpier auro.
Hic, quoniam Culmen virtutis Contigit altum,
Quo nullum patitur ſublimius infera moles
Terreſtris, ſedes quaerit recipit que Deorum.
Hunc inter populos illuſtris fama perennat,
Longéque transfert multùm venerabile nomen.
J. T.
Ad Tumulum THO. GATAKERI, Londinatis, S. S. Theol. Bacc.
EXuviae cujus? GATAKERI. Plura referre
Haud opus: ad laudes vox ea ſola ſatis.
GUIL. DUGARD, Schola Merc. Sciſs. Moderator.
FINIS.
End of the text · Simeon Ashe, Gray Hairs Crowned with Grace (1655)