Alas, dear Mother, fairest Queen and best, With honour, wealth, and peace happy and blest, What ails thee hang thy head, and cross thine arms, And sit i' the dust to sigh these sad alarms?...
When England did enjoy her Halsion dayes, Her noble Sidney wore the Crown of Bayes; As well an honour to our British Land, As she that sway'd the Scepter with her hand; Mars and Minerva did in one agree,...
Here lyes, A worthy Matron of unspotted life, A loving Mother and obedient wife, A friendly Neighbor, pitiful to poor, Whom oft she fed, and clothed with her store;...
All things within this fading world hath end, Adversity doth still our joys attend; No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet, But with death's parting blow is sure to meet....
Among the happy wits this age hath shown Great, dear, sweet Bartas thou art matchless known; My ravished Eyes and heart with faltering tongue, In humble wise have vow'd their service long,...
Proem. Although great Queen, thou now in silence lie, Yet thy loud Herald Fame, doth to the sky Thy wondrous worth proclaim, in every clime, And so has vow'd, whilst there is world or time....
With troubled heart and trembling hand I write. The heavens have changed to sorrow my delight. How oft with dissappointment have I met When I on fading things my hopes have set....
Farewel dear babe, my hearts too much content, Farewel sweet babe, the pleasure of mine eye, Farewel fair flower that for a space was lent, Then ta'en away unto Eternity....
Lo now four other act upon the stage, Childhood and Youth the Manly & Old age; The first son unto flegm, Grand-child to water, Unstable, supple, cold and moist's his nature....
The former four now ending their discourse, Ceasing to vaunt their good, or threat their force, Lo other four step up, crave leave to show The native qualityes that from them flow:...
No sooner come, but gone, and fal'n asleep, Acquaintance short, yet parting caus'd us weep. Three flours, two scarcely blown, the last i'th' bud, Cropt by th' Almighties hand; yet is he good,...
Another four I've left yet to bring on, Of four times four the last Quarternion The Winter, Summer, Autumn & the Spring, In season all these Seasons I shall bring:...
Great Alexander was wise Philips son, He to Amyntas, Kings of Macedon; The cruel proud Olympias was his Mother, She to Epirus warlike King was daughter. This Prince (his father by Pausanias slain)...
As he said vanity, so vain say I, Oh! vanity, O vain all under Sky; Where is the man can say, lo, I have found On brittle Earth a Consolation sound? What is't in honour to be set on high?...
By duty bound, and not by custome led To celebrate the praises of the dead, My mournfull mind, sore prest, in trembling verse Presents my Lamentations at his Herse, Who was my Father, Guide, Instructor too,...
And live I still to see relations gone, And yet survive to sound this wailing tone; Ah, woe is me, to write thy Funeral Song, Who might in reason yet have lived long,...