AN EPITAPH VPON the death of the Right worthy and VVorsh: Gent. S: Edward Stanhope Knight deceased: and whilst that he liued, Doctor of the Ciuill Law, & one of the Maisters of his Maiesties high Court of Chauncery: Vicar generall of England: Chauncellor of London: & one of the Maisters of the sine office, &c. Who continued Chauncellor of London, in the time of fiue Bishops, and three of Canterbury, for the space of thirty yeares or thereabouts: Who deceased the 16. day of March. An. Dom. 1607.
THe time and destinie weare set at strife,
Honor and Vertue vvas their mutuall claime,
Fate at the death, the season at the life,
Of worthy Stanhope, equally did aime,
Death did the ambage of the cause decide,
Whose censure both are willing to abide.
Strong was the plea of [...] desteny,
Quoth she, I pleade the cause [...] Fate,
Where does he liue that is [...] to die,
From the Throan de [...] beggars state.
And to corrupt this vmpire [...] did say,
Thou shalt haue share to giue his life away.
The time abusde hart sicke for Reformation,
Pleaded her wronges, oh plea too truly iust:
Crauing to haue the Cato of our Nation,
Not rest the manage of his worthy trust.
Death bribde by fate, gaue sentence he [...]
And so expirde the life of equitie.
VVhome Time with teares, thus direfully bemones,
Oh sonne of Iustice dropt from heauen bye:
The shape of honor shrowded with thy bones,
Concealed from the world in Earth must lye.
And the poore wronged wretch that craues redresse,
Must careles languish in his deepe distresse.
Reuerend and graue [...]ich mine of perfect merit,
As in discent so in his vertues great,
Religious in his life, his Clemencie,
A patterne absolute of high Estate,
Stanhope in death will teach to all that liue,
VVhat tight to wrong, what paine to sinne to giue
VVhere now shall learning boast of her perfection,
VVhere Iustice vouch her selfe sincerely right
How shall the poore man get a safe protection?
Gainst powerfull wrong or fell oppressions spight,
Stanhope is dead, wherein our hope did stand,
Why should our hopes be built vpon the sand.
VVho shall the perfect linguisht be esteemed?
Or who the states man, who the Lawier called?
Who the Apollo of our [...] deemed?
Since he is dead, in whome here was enstalled.
A Linguists tongue, states policy, and wit,
That might the Apollo of a world befit▪
Such was his life, and such his industry,
As not his titles him, but them he graced:
Encouraging the good to piety,
VVhen they beheld the ill by him defaced.
Ouer his toumbe, Ile carue this Paragraphe,
His Vertues shall out-liue his Epitaphe,
‘Est labor in minimis sit voluisse satis: Pie fato Coelebs funxit: 16 die Martii. a verbi Incarnati. Anno 1607.’
At London printed by VVilliam Barley.