IF the sighes of the heart were conuerted into eloquēce of the tongue (as in the instruments of breath, the spirit is exchanged into soun'd) I would desire (right worthy Auditory) that all those sighes which are assembled together in your brests, might be centered in my heart: to the ende that my defect of eloquence to expresse this fatall ac­cident, might be supplyed by my increased sorrowes, so happily conuerted into discourse. But since this my conceited desires may not be reduced to act, my wish were that this floud of teares, that makes his channell through our eyes, might like a ri­uer of fit discourse, flow from out my lippes; to the ende that the forecible weight of the same being inritched by these supplyes, might plant amazement in your eares, to heare the flowing elo­quence of my tongue; and the boundles number of her praises. But why spend I my breath in wishes? or to what end fashion I my desires to be greater then my power? since your reuerent si­lence that attendeth my discourse is sufficient to giue worth to the weaknes of my performance, and her vertues worke wonder in the meanest Orator. But because a good life maketh only the [Page] graue happie, and the glory that is deriued to after ages, depen­deth on the actions of fore-passed yeeres: Let vs discourse a while on that Elizabethes life, whose death wee lament with such hartie complaints.

She was borne of a father of famous memory, Henry the eight, deriued from a mother of great vertue, Anne Bullem; and descen­ded so royallie, and from so mightie Princes, that Europe knew not her equall, eyther in birth, bewtie, or perfection: Greater then Alexander she was, for the world which he subdu­ed by force, she conquered by loue; her beautie was so great, that it rather was enuied then equalled; beloued then pray­sed, admired then described. Her power so great that whole kingdomes were affrighted at her name, and many rich coun­tries made happy by her protection; her learning so admirable that as from east and west many nations resorted to Rome: not for any wonder they expected in the Cittie, but onely to be­holde Liuy: So many from all parts repayred to her kingdome, where eyther they were inchaunted with beauty, amased at her greatnes, enriched by her bountie, confirmed by her wisdome, or confounded in their Iudgments. Her chastitie so great, that the question is whether the conquest of her enemies wrought her more fame, or the continence and gouernement shee had in her selfe, more merrit: In a word, she enioyed so much grace, as all the graces possessed not together; and hee that had the grace to see her grace accompted it his happinesse to be so graced.

The desires her beauty kindled, her modesty quenched; the attempts which ambition intēded, her constancie ouercame: The peace which al kingdomes affected, her pollicy effected: and her state which her greatest foes enuied, her wisdom maintained: her countrie was the fostresse of banisht men: the sanctuary of the distressed: the harbour of the wronged, the enricher of her allies the bane of her enemies: in aword, the world had nothing more praise-worthie in it, then that it knew her. I will not rip vp the rare perfections of her youth, neither her [Page] fatall daunger before her comming to the Crowne, nor her sun­drie good fortunes in the gouernment of her kingdome, nor the continuance of her peace, nor the prosperitie of her warres, least the memorie of these things added to her losse, should make our sorrowes stronger then our sufferance could admit of. But for my owne part I may say this of her, that if this Soueraigne Prin­cesse had dyed among those ancient Thracians, who wept at the birth of their children, and sung and feasted at their deaths: they would haue changed their custome, and beway­led her infinitely. For by her death, alas what miserie are wee not acquainted with? wee lost that head whereof wee bee the members; the gouernesse of our fortunes and felicitie, the life of all our peace, the death of all our ioy.

Since her departure, Justice scale is distempered, prudence mirrour is dimmed, strength's pillers are shaken, Temperance vessell is emptied the Oliue (that peace bare) is leaueles, the oyle of mercy is wasted, liberalities hands are closed; the head of magnificence droopeth, pittie hath hir smiles changed, the lawes are silent, and pardon tongueles. Alas what should I say? if Petrarch knew not in what Sphere of Planets to lodge his Law­ra, how shold I guesse in what order of Angels I should plāt our Elizabeth? dead she is, but so dead as she is pittied by death him­selfe; who being senceles and passionles towards all other crea­tures, yet hath afforded her this priuiledge, to liue in our sorowes. And to giue her place in heauen, what mortall apprehēsion dare presume▪ since in earth our best hopes are wrapped in feare and trembling, and no man can beget that being for another which hee cannot assuredly hope for himselfe? what shee was whilst shee liued, wee iudge, but by the out-side, the sence must informe the intellect before he can determine: what she is, for the earth we know, for the soule we leaue it with the Plato­nists, to infinitie; wherein, God that knoweth best of truth can in­forme truth. When Pelopidas the Theban, after he had manfully combated against Alexander Pheraeus, was vnfortunately and [Page] mortally wounded; the report is that the Thessalians that were present at that battell, neuer laid aside their armour nor drewe the reyne from their horses, neither tyed vp their woundes, vntill they had lamented him, armed and heat in the conflict, they ranne to comfort him; halfe breathles they clipped their horses manes, they shaued themselues: if colde made them chill, the fier of their zeale would not suffer them to kindle fire in their tents: their sorowes shut vp their stomacks from receauing meate: silence and mourning possessed the whole armie. And they that had gotten a victorie ouer fame by their conquest, by the losse of their generall, became slaues to their affections; when the Citties heard of his losse, the magistrate and meane men, the Prince and Plebeian came out to meete him: they fixed Crownes on his Hearse, cast flowers on his coarse, & stroue how to honour him being dead, that had so faithfully fought for them in life: yea his enemies contended with the conque­rer for Funerall, thinking it a blessing to enioy his bones, whose valour had restrayned their ambition. If for Pelopidas the war­riour, the Greekes were so passionate, what should wee bee in the losse of Elizabeth our peace-maker and Princesse, whose per­fections are entombed in her enemies teares: whose losse hath made the mightie weake, the prudent diffident, the rich su­spitions, the poore amazed, and all sorts hardes? Pelopidas ver­tues were onely the obiects of Greece, Elizabeths the wonders of the world: he onely a subduer of a Cittie or prouince, she the ter­rour of many kingdomes: hee onely wonderfull in an Angle, She famous in the worlds fayre Anglia.

But alas, why talke I of death in so diuine a subiect? she liues as yet in the hartes of her gratefull subiects, because they might not dye with her; liuing, they keepe her aliue in their louing hartes, the memorie of her death in their teares, her name in their tongues, her wordes in their eares, her liuely Image in their lasting imaginations: her mightines in her is an admirable mi­racle, where nobilitie in the vitious is a grieuous infamie.

[Page]Heere like a true Ioseph hath she lost this cloake of mortalitie, to obtaine an immortall Crowne of glorye, and to escape the em­bracements of the lewde worlde. How happily hath she cast off the prison of her mortalitie? how happy is she by death, that is deliuered frō the troubles of life? The enamoured Thisbe to flye from the iawes of a hungrie Lyonesse, cast off her vayle that sha­dowed her shoulders; so this beloued of Christ, to escape that Lyon of perdition, that raging wandreth to seeke whom he may deuour, hath disburdened her selfe of her earthly ornamēts, hath choakte the rauenous enemie of mankinde, by casting her earth in his teeth: Happy happy Elizabeth, that hath forsaken the Ba­bilon of this world, to obtaine her Countrie the heauēly Paradice.

The Moone (as the Philosophers write) is ecclipsed by the shadow of the earth, and nothing more obscureth the soule then this prison of the bodye. Since therfore our Elizabeth hath cast off her earthly vayle to get a heauenly Priuiledge; let vs mode­rate our passions by imagining her felicitie, since what she lost was not in her possession to keep; and what she hath, is a greater purchase then coniecture can apprehend.

The generous young man Crates, forsooke his possessions to buye an heritage in Philosophye. Diogines left his Countrie and house. Democritus lost his eyes, to apprehend knowledge. How farre better a match hath our Soueraigne made, that for her pos­sessions in earth, hath got the Paradice in heauen? that for her earthlye prison, hath attayned a heauenly mantion? that for her eyes that beheld the vanities on earth, hath gotten the meanes to beholde the paradice of heauen? Plato in his lawe, interdicted the vse of lamentation in Funerals, neither thought he it requisit to lament publiquelie, or conuey the Coarse to his Tombe with teares and sorowfull exclamations, because (as the Philosophers say) teares yeild no remedye in tribulation. But had Plato liued to beholde these times, and considered the blessings we posses­sed whilste she liued; how carefully she guided the helme of common-weale, and faithfully defenced her Countrye from no­uations; [Page] how prouidently she fore-stalled the audacious de­signes of her enemies; how constannly she with-stood her grea­test dangers; he would doutles haue remitted a great part of his austeritie, and saluted her Hearse with some lamentable Elegie.

There is a Lake (as Aristotle reporteth) neere vnto the riuer of Eridanus, wherin (if any Poets fiction may beare credit of faith) proud Phaeton being strooken with lightning, was final­ly drowned. The water of this Lake is in qualitie hot, in odour greeuous, fearfull in beholding. Heerof no creature drinketh, but he dyeth: heer-ouer no bird flyeth, but he is drowned. Of the nature of this riuer, is her losse we lament for: The proudest enemie that beholdeth it is drowned in confusion: The teares that are wept on it, blinde the eyes with their scalding.

The odours that perfume her Hearse, are of the nature of va­pours drawne vp by the Sun, which ascend in fume but desend in shewers. He that beholdeth this Hearse, how can he choose but feare, since ouer it he may meditate on the vncertainties of life? what brutish or sauadge nature, beholding this sight and feeding his eyes on her Monument, but will dye with sorow? or what soule houering in the ayre ouer this disconsolate Hearse, dissolueth not into teares? (if exempted soules may be subiect to passions.)

I am amazed and can no more, and your iudgements shall require no further discourse at my hands: the reason is, because others glories may be expressed in words and writings, wher­as hers cannot be aptly described but in wonder and silence. I will therfore supply with my teares, what I fayle in my wordes: & if any aske why I end so abruptlye: let the Poet answer who can truly iudge of passion, Curae leues loquntur ingentes stupent.

Viuat Iacobus: Angliae, Scotiae, Franciae et Hiberniae Rex.