Vpon the life and death of the most worthy, and thrise renowmed knight, Sir Phillip Sidney a commemoration of his worthines, contayning a briefe recapitulation, of his valiant vsage and death taken, in her Maiesties seruices of the warres in the Low-countries of Flaunders.

Vpon the life and death of Sir PHILLIP SIDNEY Knight . What meanes this calme : why hang your bended browes ? what sad conceipt : whence sues this sodaine maze Where are the drops ? the sweet distilling dewes , Of Ida fresh , whereon the Nimphes do gaze : Where woons . Thalia with her pleasant layes ? fine Erato in gladsome Ditties drest , And faire Caliop' , statelier then the rest . Where be the sisters of the destinyes ? where Fate her selfe ? where fierce vncerteine Chaunce ? Where are the bedlem broode of Casualties , that erst ( in losse ) their standard did aduaunce ? What is become of crooked dire Mischaunce ? All maz'd alike confuzed do ye rome ? Griefs griping t 'one , and shame for t'others dome . What thinge alas that causeth all this grife ? whereon did dare , that Furie to presume : Was it on goods ? or losse of priuate life : Or fined course that Nature did resume : Wherein proude Fate durst vaunt her highest plume , No no alas , the hazard were but small : To pinche at such as are at common call . What was it then : what was ? ye heauens do know , It was the choice of all the powers deuine : The influence self , where Virtues erst did flowe , The very worke of all the Muses nine : The care of earth and skies , in one selfe twine , The rarest Tipe of courtly gentlenes : Adorned erst with stem of noblenes . Muse you that heare this wailefull dittie song ; Muse you to see , distressed how men plaine : Muse you to thinke what hie despite and wrong , Bellona deemes is tendered to her traine : In reauing thus her glories chiefest gaine : Her worthy Impe , her stately noble knight , Whereto it seem'd , that Fate had yet no right . Then turne your eyes , and view his couered hearse , In mournefull weedes , see how the Nimphes are clad ; Disheueled how the rockes , with cries they pearse , how Virtues selfe , is for her Iuell sad . Now Fortune bannes , and Impes for grief are mad , And iudge you then , how rightly men may say : Their somme of Ioyes , the Fates haue reft away . * * A book by him penned , called the Countesses of Pembrooks Archadia . Archadia now , where is thy soueraigne guide , who stately Penbrooke erst did to thee knit , Where be the notes , his skill did earst deuide , In sondry meeters , wounde from finest wit , Which he so well in couert shapes could fit . where be the pipes , the deintiest shepheards sound : That euer erst , within thy woods were found . Sugred Sidney , Sidney sweete it was , That to thy soile , did giue the greatest fame . Whose honny dewes , that from his quil did passe , with honny sweetes , aduaunst thy glorious name Who ere thee knewe , that knewe thy soyle , to blame : far was it from the skill if any one , To wade in thee , so far as he hath gone . And wilt thou Phebus therefore be so sad , ( For he is wrackt whom erst thou held'st so choice ) And from Pernasus shall no Nimphe be had , That list in laude of him to straine her voice ? And you so queld as nere you may reioice : Then Sacred Fame , do somewhat for thy knight : To win thy loue that shed his bloud in fight . O see you not the Destinies selfe , with blame , Of lofty skies , for such a rash pretence : ( To shred his life ) already blush with shame , And hide their heads for doing such offence . As from the world to reaue such excellence , And were it not ( as erst ordeind before : The heauens him hent ) their heads should rue therefore . But mighty Powers , that swaye on earthly chaunge , Haue knowlegde him vnfit for earthly moulde : Whence thus bereft vntimely hence to raunge , By ouer hasty hand of Parcas bould , They haue ( for this ) permitted vncontrould . They shroude their faces , in shewe of all the traine , Of worthy wights that yet on earth remaine : Can Chaunce , or Hap , or Fate , or what you list , Be then of him ( thus sayd ) to worke their spight ? Can triumphes ought ( to her that riu●d his twist ) Ensue hereof , to quenche your sweet delight ? Or may be deem'd to preiudice his right : who matcht with vertues many mo then one : Cannot lie dead though life be fled and gone . Iniurious death , yet needes I must appeale , Cruell to vs , to him a cause of blis : Wrong to our loue , wrong to the hidden zeale , That in each minde by vertue planted is . Most hainous wrong performed death in this : To reaue the world the loue , the choice of men Of such a rare and far surpassing gem . Be pleased yet yee sacred sisters here , On Sidneis Tombe your learned tunes to sing : Of Lawrell fresh a wreath , set on his beere , And let his praise within your ditties ring . Let Fame resound , and whence your woes did spring , Cease not eu●n there , whilest vital aire may stand , To fill with laude of him the farthest land . And for my selfe ( the least of others all , That fauoured most , that lou'd , that honored eke : And did with zeale admire what did befall , To him by guift , of very natures beke . In whom the Virtues all were not to seeke ) Haue vndertooke some matters to recount : Wherein this knight , did once in life surmount . Be ayding to my skillesse fainting pen , That hardly dare presume of such a one : To speake on write , whose vaine from other men , So farre did stretche , and who to you alone , ( For rare perfection in his skill that shone ) Was charye held , was knowne by knowledge farre , With sweetest sound each others tunes to barre . And ( so you list vouchsafe your good aspectes , ) I purpoz'd haue , by fauour of your traine : Some what in brief , both of the large effects , That life him gaue , and death in greatest paine : Him made a Iem midst others to remaine , To vtter forth , That all the world may know : The precious soile , where deinties such did growe . With what one Vertue shall I then begin . Where so great haunt of mightiest forces wrought . What shall I praise that was not like in him : whom Natures selfe first for a patterne sought : And him indued with all that might be thought . That by perfection of so sweete a ground , The some of all the rest might more abound . What was it wit , or golden wisedomes lore , Might deck his yeeres , and make him glorious shine ? He did surpasse . His like in few before was euer knowne , so quicke , so neate , and fine , So full of weight , with humours so diuine : were all his wordes , his workes , and actions fraught , As seem'd from skies a secret power had raught . If honoured seat it were that might him decke , His birth was great , but virtues more ex celo . His hie discent remaind at Fortunes checke , But honoured minde a greater force could weld , whereon he sought with statelie reach to build . That as he was by parents noblie borne , His vertues might his outward shape adorne . But if that valour may his deedes commend , Thou mightie Manors knowest he was a Knight And Knightlie could himselfe in armes defend : Midst prease of Foes yclad in Armour bright , Whereof to thinke my sprites are daunted quite . This one occasion t' was that bred the scathe , Which ( Pallas mou'd ) with teares her Knight to bathe . O would his prowesse at that instant howre , Had not him preast so forward in the throng : And Hector like ( of Chiualrie the flowre ) He had not done his dearest soyle such wrong . As to bereaue it of a force so strong , who for his Princes cause and common good , In dreadfull fight consum'd his dearest blood . Which with what hart and zeale he offered then , with what vndaunted recklesse force of ill : His stoutest foes approu'd , and eke his men whose ventured liues with him their blood did spill , Haue witnest erst , and yet can witnesse still . So manlie were his acts at all assaies , And in his death so mightie was his praise . At Zutphen ( thus the place deliuered was , ) In Gelderland encountring with his foe : And of September ere the Month did passe , Full rbii . daies , so long it was agoe : With Horse and Launce , the number I not knoe . A valiant charge he set vpon the traine , By force whereof his Foes were prest amaine . And whilst in prease of mightiest Troupes he stood , This worthie Knight Sir Phillip Sidney bold , His Horse betrampled all in goarie blood : At length was slaine , and vnder him lost hold , Whereby on foote reculing vncontrould . Hee Horst againe renued a second charge , And with fresh fight the skarmouch did inlarge . There long he fought whilst manie a man was slaine , And making way , mongst thickest prease he goes : And reckles here and there he kils a maine : whilst deepe intrenched lay his secret Foes , From out whereof a Dulket shot arose . And leuelling iust against the worthie knight , Up to the thigh the Bullet turned quight . Yet fought he still , and ceast not all for this , Till he with honour could himselfe retyre : This skarmouch done , his wound perceiued is , By search whereof it mortall did appeare : what vaileth drops to 〈◊〉 the flaming fire . The fretting poyson 〈…〉 ward fore , So pearst his heart , as die he must therefore . This Noble Knight not carelesse of his state , Ne yet vnwitting of the brittle stay : wherein we liue , and how by certaine fate , Ech thing bath fine , and once must needes decay . And as we rise , so must we fall away , Not vnexpected gladlie fram'd his breath , To climbe the skies and pay his due to death . And first ( as nere before in all the course , And common passage of this bloodie warre : Hee did forget to feede on sweete remorse , which humble soules expect from God a farr ) He sought to free his conscience cleane from iarr , And as his vsage was in health before : with seruent zeale his sinnes he did deplore . And firing faith , firme hope , and speciall trust In him , on whom our aide dependes alone : He gladly mindes his corpes to be but dust , Contemnes the world , and sighing 〈◊〉 the throne , Of him whose mercie saues eche faithfull one . In latest pang he could receiue of death , He cald on God and so gaue vp his breath . Not vnremembred here I may let passe , Now in his death in deepest panges he had : He not forgot that in his life he was A faithfull friend of good , and to the bad An earnest foe , by deepe discretion lad , By skilfull sawes his brother there he told : A perfect path his honor to vphold . What sage aduise , what C 〈…〉 lesome speache . w●at councels such , as a 〈…〉 scarce welde : W●●● deepe instincts of high and lofty reache , He then bequeth'd to him , and in the fielde . How he him taught to stay on honors sheeld , To minde his cause , his country , charge of men , And thinke on God that would him prosper then . Howe to his Souldiers he in life was found , A carefull Chiefteine and a christian guide : How oft his bountie did to them abound , To salue such wants as they might not prouide . From whose relief he neuer yet could slide , But what distresse or wracke so euer came : His purse and aide was prest to helpe the same . Can they but mourn , that then such one do mis , Can we but waile , so few like him that finde . Can Sidneis name whose soule doth liue in blisse , Obscured lie . Whose bountie so did binde , The heartes of all , to whome he was so kinde . Nay Fame gainsaies ( who rightly guerdons all ) That ere his deedes from minde of man should fall . FINIS .