A monumental columne, erected to the liuing memory of the euer-glorious Henry, late Prince of Wales. . . By Iohn Webster

A FVNERAL ELEGY . THe greatest of the Kingly Race is gone , Yet with so great a reputation , Layd in the earth , we cannot say hee 's dead , But as a perfect Diamond set in lead , ( Scorning our foyle ) his glories do breake forth , Worne by his Maker , who best knew his worth : Yet to our fleshly eyes , there does belong That which we thinke helps griefe , a passionat tongue . Me thinkes I see mens hearts pant in their lips , " We should not grieue at the bright Sunnes Ecclips " But that we loue his light . So trauellers stray Wanting both guide , and conduct of the day : Nor let vs striue to make this sorrow old , " For wounds smart most , when that the bloud growes cold . If Princes thinke that Ceremony meet To haue their corps imbalm'd to keepe them sweet : Much more they ought to haue their Fame exprest In Homer , though it want Darius Chest To adorne which , in her deserued Throne , I bring those colours , which Truth calles her owne . Nor gaine , nor praise , by my weake lines are sought , " Loue that 's borne free , cannot be hir'd nor bought . Some great inquisitors in nature say , Royall and Generous formes , sweetly display Much of the heauenly vertue , as proceeding From a pure essence , and elected breeding . How ere , truth for him thus much doth importune , His forme , and vertue , both deseru'd his fortune : For 't is a question , not decided yet , Whether his Mind , or Fortune were more great . Me thought I saw him in his right hand weild A Caduceus ; in th' other Pallas shield : His minde quite voyd of ostentation , His high erected thoughts look't downe vpon The smiling valley of his fruitfull heart . Honour and Curtesie in euery part Proclaim'd him , and grew louely in each lim , He well became those vertues which grac'd him . He spread his bounty with a prouident hand ; And not like those that sow th' ingratefull sand . His rewards followed reason , nere were plac't For ostentation , and to make them last , He was not like the mad and thriftlesse Vine , That spendeth all her blushes at one time : Simile . But , like the Orange tree , his fruits he bore ; Some gather'd , he had greene ▪ and blossomes store . Wee hopt much of him , till death made hope erre , Wee stood as in some spacious Theater Musing what would become of him ; his flight , Reacht fuch a noble pitch aboue our sight . Whilst he discretly wise , this rule had wonne , Not to let fame know his intents , till done . Men came to his Court as to bright Academies Of vertue and of valour , all the eies That feasted at his Princely exercise : Thought that by day Mars held his launce , by night Minerua bore a torch to giue him light . As once one Rhodes Pindar reports of old , Soldiers expected 't would haue raign'd down gold : Old husbandmen 1'th Country gan to plant Lawrell in steed of Elme , and made their vaunt Their sons and daughters shold such Trophies weare When as the Prince return'd a Conquerer From Forraine Nations : The Character of Edward the blacke Prince . For men thought his star Had markt him for a iust and glorious war . And sure his thoughts were ours , he could not reade Edward the blacke Princes life , but it must breed A vertuous emulation to haue his name So lag behind him both in Time and Fame . Hee that like lightning did his force aduance , And shook to th' Center the whole Realm of France ▪ That of warme bloud open'd so many sluces , To gather and bring thence sixe Flower de Luces . Who ne're saw feare but in his enemies flight , Who found weak numbers conquer arm'd with right , Who knew his humble shadow spread no more After a victory then it did before . Who had his breast instated with the choice Of vertues , though they made no ambitious noise : Whose resolution was so fiery still , It seem'd he knew better to die then kill : And yet drew Fortune , as the Adamant , Steele , Seeming t' haue fixt a stay vpon Her wheele . Who iestingly , would say it was his trade To fashion death-beds , and hath often made Horror looke louely , when i' th' fields there lay Armes and legges , so distracted , one would say That the dead bodies had no bodies left : He that of working pulce sicke France bereft , Who knew that battailes , not the gaudy show Of ceremonies , do on Kings bestow Best Theaters , t' whom naught so tedious as Court port That thought all faun's and ventoies of the Court Ridiculous and loathsome to the shade Which ( in a March ) his wauing Ensigne made . Him did He striue to imitate , and was sorry Hee did not liue before him , that his glory Might haue bene his example ; to these ends , Those men that followed him were not by-friends : Or letters prefer'd to him : he made choice In action , not in complementall voice . And as Marcellus did two Temples reare To Honour and to Vertue , plac't so neare They kist ; yet none to Honours got accesse , But they that past through Vertues : So to expresse His Worthinesse , none got his Countenance But those whom actuall merite did aduance . Yet , alas ! all his goodnesse lies full low . O Greatnesse ! what shall we compare thee to ? To Giants beasts , or Towers fram'd out of Snow , Or like wax-guilded Tapers , more for show Then durance ? Thy foundation doth betray Thy frailty , being builded on such clay . This shewes the al-controuling power of Fate , That all our Scepters and our Chaires of State ; Are but glasse-mettall that weare full of spots , And that like new writ Copies , t' auoid blots , Dust must bee throwne vpon vs : for in him Our comfort sunke and drown'd learning to swim . And though he died so late , hee 's no more neere To vs , then they that died three thousand yeare Before him ; onely memory doth keepe Their Fame as fresh as his from death or sleepe . Why should the Stag or Rauen liue so long ? And that their age rather should not belong , Vnto a righteous Prince ? whose lengthned yeares , Might assist mens necessities and feares . Let beasts liue long , and wilde , and still in feare , The Turtle Doue neuer out-liues nine yeare . " Both life and death haue equally exprest " Of all , the shortest madnesse is the best . Wee ought not thinke that his great triumphs need , Our withred taunts , Can our weake praise feed His memory , which worthily contemnes , Marble and Gold and Orientall Gemmes . His merits passe our dull inuention , And now me-thinkes I see him smile vpon Our fruitlesse tears , bid's vs dispeirce these showers , And say's his thoughts are farre refin'd from ours . As Rome of her beloued Titus said , That from the body the bright soule was fled . For his owne good and their affliction , On such a broken Columne we leane on . And for our selues , not him , let vs lament , Whose happinesse is growne our punishment . But surely God gaue this , as an allay , To the blest vnion of that nuptiall day Wee hopt , for feare of surfet , thought it meete To mittigate , since we swell with what is sweete . And for sad tales , suite griefe , 't is not amisse To keepe vs waking , I remember this . Iupiter one some businesse once sent downe Pleasure vnto the world , that shee might crowne Mortals with her bright beames , but ( her long stay Exceeding farre the limite of her day . Such feasts and gifts were numbred to present her , That shee forgot heauen and the God that sent her , ) Hee cals her thence in thunder , at whose lure , Shee spreds her wings and to returne more pure : Leaues her eye-seeded roabe wherein shee 's suited , Fearing that Mortall breath had it polluted . Sorrow that long had liu'd in banishment , Tug'd at the oare in Gallies , and had spent Both mony and her selfe in Court delaies : And sadly numbred many of her daies , By a prison Kalender , though ( once she brag'd She had bene in great mens bosomes : ) now all rag'd Crawl'd with a Tortoise pace or somewhat slower , Nor found shee any that desired to know her : Till by good chance , ( ill hap for vs ) shee found , Where Pleasure laid her garment from the ground : Shee takes it , done's it , and to adde a grace , To the deformity of her wrinkled face . An old Court Lady , out of meere compassion , Now paints it or'e or puts it into fashion , When straight from Country , Citty , and from Court , Both without wit or number there resort , Many to this imposter , all adore Her haggish false-hood , Vsurers from their store Supply her and are cosened , Citizens buy Her forged titles , riot and ruine flye , Spreading their poison vniuersally . Nor are the bosomes of great Statesmen free From her intelligence , who let 's them see Themselues and fortunes in false perspectiues , Some landed Heires consort her with there wiues , Who being a baud corrupts their all spent oathes They haue entertain'd the diuill in Pleasures cloaths . And since this cursed maske , which to our cost Lasts day and night , we haue entirely lost Pleasure , who from heauen wils vs be aduis'd , That our false Pleasure is but Care disguis'd . Thus is our hope made frustrate , ô sad ruth ! Death lay in ambush for His glorious Youth . And finding him prepar'd was sternely bent , To change his loue into fell rauishment . O cruell Tyrant , how canst thou repaire This ruine ? though hereafter thou shouldst spare All mankind ; break thy Dart & Ebon Spade , Thou canst not cure , this wound , which thou hast made . Now view his death-bed ; and from thence let 's meet In his example our owne winding sheete . There his humility , setting apart All titles did retire into his heart . O blessed solitarinesse that brings , The best content , to meane men and to Kings . Manna their fates , from heauen the Doue there flies With Oliue to the Arke ( a sacrifice Of Gods appeasement ) Rauens in their beaks Bring food from heauen , Gods preseruation speaks Comfort to Daniel in the Lyons den , Where contemplation leads vs , happy men To see God face to face : and such sweete peace Did he enioy , amongst the various presse , Of weeping visitants , it seem'd he lay As Kings at Reuels sit ; wisht the crowd away , The tedious sports done , and himselfe a sleepe , And in such ioy did all his sences steepe : As great Accountants ( troubled much in mind ) When they heare newes of their Quietus sign'd . Neuer found prayers , since they conuerst with death A sweeter aire to flye in then his breath . They left in 's eyes nothing but glory shining , And though that sickenesse with her ouerpining Looke gastly , yet in him it did not so , He knew the place to which he was to go . Had larger titles , more triumphant wreathes , To instate him with ; and forth his soule he breaths Without a sigh ; fixing his constant eie , Vpon his triumph , immortality . He was raign'd downe to vs out of heauen , & drew Life to the spring , yet like a little dew Quickly drawne thence ; so many times miscarries A Christall glasse whilst that the workeman varries , The shape i' th' furnace ( fixt too much vpon The curiousnesse of the proporrion ) Yet breakes it ere 't be finisht , and yet then Moulds it anew , and blowes it vp agen , Exceeds his workemanship and sends it thence , To kisse the hand and lip of some great Prince . Or like a dyall broke in wheele or screw , That 's tane in peeces to be made go true . So to eternity he now shall stand , New form'd and gloried by the All-working hand . Slander which hath a large and spacious tongue , Farre bigger then her mouth to publish wrong . And yet doth vtter't with so illagrace Whilst she 's a speaking no man sees her face . That like dogges licke foule vlcers not to draw Infection from them , but to keepe them raw . Thogh she oft scrape vp earth from good mens graus And wast it in the standishes of slaues , To throw vpon their inke , shall neuer dare To approach his Tombe , be shee confin'd as farre From his sweete reliques as is heauen from hell . Not witchcraft shall instruct her how to spell That barbarons language which shall sound him ill , Fames lips shall bleed , yet nere her trumpet fill With breath enough , but not in such sicke aire , As make waste Elegies to his Tombe repaire , With scraps of commendation more base Then are the ragges they are writ on , ô disgrace : To nobler Poesie . This brings to light , Not that they can , but that they cannot write , Better , they had , nere troubled his sweet trance , So , silence should haue hid their ignorance : For hee 's a reuerend subiect to be pend Onely by his sweet Homer and my frend . Most sauadge Nations should his death deplore ; Wishing he had set his foot vpon their shore , Onely to hane made them ciuill . This blacke night Hath falne vpon 's be Natures ouer-sight : Or while the fatall sister sought to twine His threed , and keepe it eeuen , she drew it so fine , It burst . O all compos'd of excellent parts , Yong , graue means of the noble Arts , Whose beames shall breake forth from thy hollow Tombe , Staine the time past , and light the time to come . O thou that in thy owne praise still wer 't mute , Resembling trees , the more they are tane with fruit , The more they striue to bow and kisse the ground . Thou that in quest of man , hast truly found , That while men rotten vapours , do persue , They could not be thy friends , and flatterers too : That despight all iniustice wouldst haue proued So iust a Steward for this Land , and loued Right for it owne sake : now ô woe the while , Flet'est dead in teares , like to a mouing Ile . Time was when Churches in the land were thought Rich Iewel-houses , and this Age hath bought That time againe , thinke not I faine , go view Henry the seuenths Chappell , and you 'le find it true , The dust of a rich Diamond 's there inshrind To buy which thence , would begger the West-Inde . What a darke night-peece of tempestious weather , Haue the inraged clouds summon'd together , As if our loftiest Pallaces should grow To ruine , since such Highnesse fell so low . And angry Neptune makes his Pallace groane , That the deafe Rockes may Ecco the Lands moane . Euen senceles things seeme to haue lost their pride , And looke like that dead month wherein he died , To cleare which ; soone arise that glorious day , Which in her sacred Vnion shall display Infinite blessings that we all may see , The like to that of Virgils golden Tree . A branch of which being slipt , there freshly grew Another that did boast like forme and hew . And for these worthlesse lines , let it be said , I hasted , till I had , this tribute paid Vnto his graue , so let the speede excuse , The zealous error of my passionate Muse. Yet though his praise heere beare so short a wing , Thames hath more Swannes , that will his praises sing In sweeter tunes , bee-pluming his sad Hearce , And his three fethers , while men liue , or verse . And by these signes of loue let great men know , That sweete and generous fauour they bestow Vpon the Muses , neuer can be lost : For they shall liue by them , when all the cost Of guilded Monuments shall fall to dust , " They graue in metle that sustaines no rust . " Their wood yeelds hony and industrious Bees , " Kills Spiders , and their webs like Irish Trees . " A Poets pen like a bright Scepter swaies , " And keepes in awe dead mens dispraise or praise . Thus tooke He acquittance of all worldly strife , " The euening showes the day , and death crownes life .

My Impresa to your Lordship , a Swan flying to a Lawrell for shelter ; the Mot.

Amor est mihi causa . FINIS .