The translation of certaine latine verses written vppon her Maiesties death, called A comforting complaint This onely way I could declare my thankefull mind.

❧ The Translation of certaine latine verses written vpon her Maiesties death ; called A comforting Complaint . HOw sore had mournfull death shaked th'english soyle , If God had not afforded present helpe ? Who though he tooke our Queene , a King he gaue To play the fathers part in mothers losse . He tooke away our Queene , whose match no age Hath euer seen before , or after shall . The Kings most royall vertues feed our hope That he will prooue so good the time he raignes , As when our dying Queene pronounc'd him heire She did sorewarne her State that he would be . Most noble King with happie course and long Stand to thy sterne , our hope is vnder saile . My Queene , though dead , now cals me : not to teares For countreys heauie losse by fatall stroake , But vnto joy , for that her happie life here spent She rests in heauen , in bosome of her God , Of whom when I haue said what I shall say , The world shall see how great a good we lost . No sooner was this royall infant borne , And left her mothers wombe to enter light , But Gods foreseeing care , by many signes , Accompaning her first cradle-time , bewraid What rate he held her at , how he loued her , And in her sex how rare she was to prooue . Then he first shew'd his word vnto this land : Then he commaunded Pope to part the realme , Who though as then he were not quite cut off , His superstitious rights remaining still , Yet he then shew'd the way how being Queene She might in time make him auoid the land : And that she might with greater fame and wit Thereafter rule the reines of Royall state , How tri'd he her with change and choise of chance Not onely in her first , but after yeares ? What greater signe of Gods great loue to her , What stronger proofe that once she should be great , Than to all other youth such speciall things , Whereby to prooue a wise and godly Prince ? Now when she gan to be of riper yeares , Her personage appear'd for beautie rare , Her cariage full of majestie and state , Whereby she wan the loue of euerie looke : But that which wrought in her the greatest grace , Was truth in store bestowed in her heart , The great indowments of her Royall mind , Which she did learne as fast as princely braine With judgement fraught , could possibly conceaue . All this she learned so as it appear'd That God had bred her vp to be a Queene , Which gifts of princely mind then beam'd abroad , When hauing got her fathers crowne on head , She did shew forth the treasures of her heart . When she first tooke the Scepter in her hand , Euen then professing here the heauenly truth , How quietly entred she , and with what peace ? All the Romish rout , which swarming here With open throats , did thirst to see her fall : Though all our neighbour lands , then priestly slaues , Though forrein Kings and princes threw out threats , Bicause they were bewitcht with Romish rags , Yet she with hope in God , and checke to feare , What truth did teach , that she did still defend : And England of it selfe now free from feare Of forrein princes yoake , was glad of her , Who being staid in throne and princely seat , How mightie things , how borne to liue did she ? Still constant , still the same , still in one course Directing all the time that she did raigne . What she enacted once , she held it fast , Aswell what toucht the Church , as ciuill state : No change of hands , from right vnto the left Was she acquainted with , but still forth right . Her gratious God so fauoured this her raigne , Which she religiously maintained thus , As if she did not quite surpasse all those Which heretofore had raigned in this land : At least she matcht the brauest of them all . In all her great attempts victorious still . If she with armed hand bar'd forrein foes : If with the like she daunted stirs at home : If with assisting aid she sought to free Her neighbours , crauing helpe from seruile yoke , The God of heauen did guide her still to gaine . Oft times assail'd by false and treacherous meane , Wherewith the Iesuites sought to sucke her blood , She felt her God to saue her with his sheeld , Which taking edge from sword , and charge from dagge , From poyson strength to doe her any harme , Bad her goe on , bad her abandon feare , That he would be both guide and guard to his . But were it not a mightie fault to hide The royall gifts wherewith she was endow'd ? Her knowledge and her skill , the only meane Which doth adorne a noble royall wit ? Her learning did surmount her sex and kind . She had obtain'd the chiefe and learned tongues , Whereby she knew what things were to be knowne . Vpon these grounds and learning of her owne , She fauour'd so all people that were learn'd , As both th'Vniuersities felt by Royall graunt The benefits wherewith she priuiledged them : As euerie shire so warranted from her , Found many a schoole well founded for their youth To bring them vp at first , whom afterward The Vniuersities were to feed with stronger meats . These qualities of hers so rare in woman kind She did not hide , but shew'd them to the sunne . In all her time so gouerning her estate , As all the world did wonder at her wit . Which kind of gouernment and blessed course Great potentates abroad in forrein parts Did so admire , as they forthwith did send Their Embassies to her with true desire , To craue and haue her friendship and her loue : Whose answere was return'd insort so wise , And in that tongue which they themselues did vse : ( A thing for wonder rare , beyond beleefe , To find in that weake sex so strong a gift , But that her selfe past wonder , past beleefe ) As they were all amaz'd , and comming home Reported to their Lords the thing they scant beleeu'd , So strange a prince had God giuen to this world Truth to maintaine and falshood for to mate . Besides all these , great troups of noble men Rapt with the fame and honour of her name , Desiring to see whereof they heard so much , With gladsome hearts repaired to this Realme : And as they came with gladnesse for to see , So they departed glad when they had seen . Her entertainment was in such a sort , For majestie of state and princely cheere , As in all points she did content them all . Nay , diuers noble Dames whom like desire , Enflamed for to see the object of their eares , Did vndertake the way though nere so long By sea , by land to see that they did seeke : What honour were these things to this our Isle ? What glorie to all those of that her sex ? That forraine lands should send both Ladies and Lords To heare our princes voice , to see her face , To kisse her faire and tender royall hand . This was her publicke course in case of state , Whereof the world each where eye witnesse was . Now as she was addicted still to heare , Or priuatly to read some learned booke , She neuer brook't , nor could with patience beare What she perceiu'd vnseeming for a Prince , But as her choice was euer of the best And chiefest that did write in any tongue , So what she found to be sincere and pure , That did she note and laid it vp in store , What was not such , as sorie she had red That she exil'd both from her eie and eare . If ought came by the way while she did read , Which smelt of blood or cruell tyrants hand , Her selfe rejected straight , and willed him That red with her , to read the same alone , And after tell it her in milder phrase . Nay farther , if the lawes by force of right Condemned any one for crime to die , None was more loath to yeeld to such a death , None more desired to respit time for life Her nature was so mild , her heart so kind , As paine or death deseru'd could hardly winne , Though law and justice both did bid her strike . Besides when any of her priuate traine Did painfully perfourme his charge in truth , How would she cherish him with courteous termes , Alluring euerie heart to yeeld her loue , Of which her gentle course well fitting her . This may be brought for proofe , that being sicke , No Ladie of her suit refused paines By night , by day , to saue their princes health , But euerie one with danger of their owne , Did seeke to saue her life whom they so lou'd : And as the women did , so did the men With earnest care in dutie to perfourme That sorrowfull seruice , with losse of prince to liue . By nature such she was , by vertue such As none deny'd her loue , where she did like . To knit the last with least , whatsoeuer thing , She vndertooke , to daunce , to play , to sing , Or what so else a modest Queene might doe , That she perfourm'd with majestie and grace , That it became the place , that it beseem'd a Queene . Now drawing neere to death , she stay'd on still , The faith she held in life she kept in death , That though they which were neere her when she dyed , Were for her death in paine and extreame griefe , And could haue wisht her longer time to liue : Yet they rejoic'd to see her so depart As in her death they saw a present life : For at her death she did remember well Both what concern'd her soule , her heauenly state , And how she must depart without delay , As when her soule her mortall bodie left With triumph she did mount straight into heauen . Nor when she died , she did forget hers here , As many mothers doe forget their babes , But left vs such a King whose vertues might Abridge the griefe which lacke of her might breed . This was her end , this was her liues last act With clap of hands for sorrow , but not for joy , For who can but bewaile the losse of such a prince ? What time can serue to stint the streame of wofull teares ? For who is 't we haue lost ? a prince whom man did not , But God alone did choose protector of his word , The trumpet of his truth , a mother to vs all , A pillar to all peace , a death to all debate . The honour of her sex , a Queene surmounting match , Of whom when all is said , all is not enough . I must confesse we haue just cause to grieue , But yet two greater grounds rebate our griefe The first because her age , her seauentie yeares Had made her ripe , and readie for to die . If she had been before a maried Queene , Or not haue vs'd a diet low and spare , Her life had not endur'd in strength so long . She died in happie raigne , not feeling crosse Belou'd at home , admir'd abroad , a matchlesse prince , So that it seems she changed onely place By such a blessed death cal'd vp to heauen , Where here on earth she raignd in fits of care . Now who so shall bewaile one dying so , So throughly bles'd , in state so perfect good , He shall not seeme to mourne for her he mones , But to lament for losse of priuate gaine . And yet an earnest loue cannot but mourne , When cause whence loue did rise hath his recourse Which bred and borne on ground that beares it vp , Cannot be tryed at all with shed of teares . The second cause which ought to stay our griefe , And that may seeme the proper cure to care Is , that the Queene , when death approched her , Did stint where all our griefe for her should stay , By pointing vs a King , and that a man Accustomed to rule : one of our English blood , Which all his time hath fostered vp Gods truth , A friend to peace , a prince of mightie skill , To whom our Queene , our good Elizabeth Did yeeld , as to a prince her peere each way , So that although we grieue for losse of her , Yet this one close should knit vp all our griefe , For that by her owne choise and right of blood , We haue a King to turne our greefe to joy . Now my liege Lord , successour to my Queene , The greatest King that Brittish soyle hath seene , Thou seest a mightie patterne in thine eie A maiden prince which ruled so this state , As to match her t is much , to passe her more . Wherefore thy charge is doubled in our eyes , Which are in hope that thou wilt follow her steps , And rule as she did raigne with equall praise , Which thing that thou maist doe both long , and safe , and sound , Thou must of force with Iesuites be at warre , Whose doctrine is to spare no princes blood , To rob them of their state , to rob them of their liues , With fire and sword to force them for to yeeld : If they , ( though God himselfe forbid the same ) Yeeld not their royall necks to popish foot , The blood of Kings is Iesuites inke to write , That liquour is it must make their Rubricks red . Will he spare Iames our King , which spared not our Queen ? Will he forbeare a man , which preyed vpon a maid ? She though she caught him oft , yet spar'd him oft , Which hope in him is dead through such a King , Who hath from Gods owne mouth commandement giuen , With double paine the bloody Babilon to pine : That is his will that gaue King Iames a triple Crowne : A triple Crowne ? what 's that ? a fatall terme , that is The triple Brittish Crowne , the Romish bane . As good Elizabeth raignes most happie now in heauen , So happie may King Iames raigne long with vs in earth : And as she did auoid the Iesuites treacherous traines , Whereby she gather graue in drie and quiet death , So good King Iames goe late to God and slip their snares , For if thou stick'st to God , they 'l not sticke to sticke thee . R. M.