¶ A briefe discourse of the lyfe and death of the late right high and honorable Sir VVilliam Pawlet Knight, Lord Seint Iohn, Erle of Wilshire, Marques of Winchester, Knight of the honorable order of the Garter, one of the Queenes Maiesties priuie Counsel, and Lorde highe Treasourer of Englande.
VVhich deceased the tenth day of Marche. ANNO. 1571. And vvas buried at Basing the. 28. day of Aprill. ANNO. M.D.LXXII. Printed at London, by Richarde Iohnes.
Anno. 1572.
To the Reader.
IT is not vnknowen (Gentle Reader) what diuers and sū drie commodities the diligēt perusing, serching, and reading of Histories, (I meane, the life and death of those that before vs, good or ill, haue ben written off) bring to effecte, in those that eyther in the good reioyce (as of God) or seing the euill abhor it, as of Sathan. As some reading of the vnsatiable greedie aspiring myndes of immodest persons, moste loose & dessolute in lyfe, vsing in authoritie tyrannie, highest in Princes opinions, moste obstinate in Rebellion, yea in their highest pomp and pryde, seeing them by the leaste winke of the ryghteous Iudge, come to ruinous, lamentable [Page] and extreame myserie, abhorring the same, forecast wyth themselues the lyke extreamities: So agayne, others carefully noting the honest, good, and godly lyfe, of learned, wise, and graue men, in mynde meeke, in heart merciful, in office clement, the more Noble the more gentle, the more in authoritie the more obedient, seeing howe they by the vnspeakable goodnesse of God are preserued and vpholden against their ennimies, persuade them selues also to imitate the lyke. Yet some to the contrarie will happily saye, Histories are Fables, many of smal authoritie, therefore doutfull, and some verie strange, and so far hence done, that scarse credible. Therefore (good Reader) I haue pende for thee a little piece of the blessings [Page] of God to a Noble man, no strā ger, but a neyghboure, a moste faythful, trustie and true subiect, that thou reading the same maist imitate the lyke obedience too thy Prince, the like regarde to thy Countrie, and the lyke reuenge to thy ennimie, that God maye blesse thee in thy vocation. This in parte discharging my duetie towardes my Lorde, and remembring hym whome a numbre shal misse, I wish thee health and happinesse to Gods pleasure.
Thy friende, Rovvlande Broughton Gentleman.
Swythen Thorpe in prayse of the Author.
THe force of death eache simple creature knovves,
Sage Cato gone, graue Tullie buried lies,
In vayne alas, O England, are thy vvoes,
For Paulets death, cease of thy carefull cryes
Though death by fate his aged corps haue slayne,
In spite of death he liuing still shal rayne.
His vvorthies such, O happy he the vvhile
But by vvhat meanes heare Broughton he dothe tell:
My Muse too base, too slēder is my stile,
In tearmes more apte he shevves it passing vvell.
Thanke him therfore, for thāks he ought to haue,
VVho makes men lyue vvhen they lye dead in graue.
[...]am & obitum Clarissimi Viri. D.W.
LIteris tinctus, teneris ab annis
Dedidit sese studio Britanni
Iuris, & tandem fuit ad beatos
Vectus honores.
Stemma si spectes, genus atque stirpem,
Siue maiores, atauosue claros,
Ex domo exiuit celebri, locoue
Ortus equestri.
Iste compleuit grauidatus annis
Lustra viginti: repetes & Vnum
Atque sex annes ferè, si notaris
Tempora recte.
Qui piè viuit, sequitur senectus
I onga, nec tristis: neque talis aetas,
Integris vsquâm videatur acris
Sine molesta.
Plurimos annos liceat videre
Qui pie viuit, liceatue prolem
Plurimam. stirpem numerare longo
Ordine natam.
Ad bonum summum vehit alma virtus,
Gloriam▪ famam decus, honorem
Lenitas semper parit atque prudens
Actio rerum.
Funus effertur lachcrymis coortis,
Corpus in terrae gremio quiescit,
Suauiter dormit, Deus ipse donec
Suscitet ossa.
Attamen coeli spatiosa tecta
Occupat mens, pars melior, magisue
Pura, congaudet, simul atque gestit,
Visere Diuos.
¶ A BRIEFE DISCOVRSE OF THE lyfe and death of the late Lorde Marques of Winchester, Lorde hie Treasourer of England. &c.
AS season serue, so men applie
to frame their factes aright:
As day doth serue for exercise,
so rest belonges to night.
The Sommers sweate in tyme bestowed,
the Winter frost defendes:
And Winter doth for Sommers toyle,
with restyng make amendes.
That fertyll Sommers sweat by care,
right fruitfull doth extende:
That same the barrayne Winter doth
geue tyme to waste and spende.
Then Lent, as all tymes els I wish,
to fast and pray men hie:
To purge their leperus consciences,
and Sathan to defie.
To graunt and with the Prophet sing,
that all flesh is but grasse:
And euery trée is rightly knowen,
by the fruite from him doth passe.
As I the twelfe of Marche, last past,
these places did vnfould:
Loe, in my Closet where I sate,
came in a mightie could.
That troubled all my sprites weake
and did their vse bereaue:
My sight, my voyce, my memorie,
all in a maze tooke leaue.
ALECTO or MEGERA fell,
or els MEDVSA shée:
Or other suche from furious place,
mée thought appéerd to mée.
But that of mylder speche farre muche,
this whyle I mazed staid:
Mée thought he opened wide his mouth,
and this to mee he said.
Canst thou (quoth he) wt clownish cluche
bée numbde, forget thy pen?
Wilt thou vntyll so idle state,
transforme thy fingers ten?
What hath bée witched late thy powers,
whiche thou wast wont to vse?
Or where is now becom the fruite,
of thy acquainted Muze?
Helpe now in dririe dole, now helpe
to wayle a wofull case:
His want I meane, whome all ye heauens,
allotted to the place.
If so that thou IGNARVS be,
of that whiche is befall?
As rudely as I can expresse,
beholde thou shalt know all.
And whilst he drest hym selfe to speake,
no sound he could arise:
But all maugre his hart, he made
two Cundits of his eyes.
And in a ruefull sorte, he sayes,
my Lorde, my Maister deare:
Is sommoned before the Throane
of mightie IOVE t'appeare.
And as he lyuyng styll increast,
By mightie IOVE his bownt:
So now to IOVE agayne he is
to render his account.
Whom? or who? or whence he is?
and of his pryme dissent:
Because all dumbe amazde thou sitste,
to tell I am content.
Aboute the time, from Christes birth,
one thousand .iiij. hūdreth sixtie & fyue:
The fifte of EDVVARD eke the fourth,
that tyme in England Kyng alyue.
At Fisherton, hight DALAMER,
this Subiect true was borne:
Of worthy Parentes, as the stocke,
had long tyme ben beforne.
And at his byrth, the golden Giftes,
that mightie IOVE could yeld:
Discended from the Heauens aboue,
his person for to shield.
And downe vpon their flected knées,
the vertues all do bende:
Wtih eleuated eyes and hart,
their praiers they extende.
To hym that hath the power of all,
from whence commes that we haue:
That he their humble hestes wold graunte
and thus they gan to craue.
Thou mighty God that guidest the Globe,
with Scepter in thy hande:
That makest a footestole of the earth
by whom all thoughtes are scande.
Euen thou that doest the Chariot guyde,
that ronnes the worlde alonge:
Thou, thou, that doest vphold the right,
and doest defende the wrong.
Graunt that we may in eche respect,
our powers so applie:
Within this soule, that long he lyue,
and styll may worshyp thée.
Graunt that he may, a member make,
anixed with so me might:
To beare a subiect trustie place,
in furtheryng styll the right.
To whom the mightie Monarche he,
that all the worlde did frame:
Said, this was done before his birth,
and PAVVLET was his name.
And you that are my blessyngs too,
I geue you charge to sée:
Vnto the soule, that by the fruite,
the world may iudge the trée.
Then straight in spight of all that could
fowle Sathan well deuise:
Gods blessyngs styll erected hym,
to honour highe to rise.
When Ignorance with wilful minde,
his vertue would disgrace:
Nay, nay, quoth Prudence, pack thou hence
that lodgyng is my place.
When lothsom lurkyng treason sought,
a harbor in his hart:
Nay, nay quoth due obedience then,
that parcell is my parte.
And when VVLCANVS he that frames,
the Thunder Bowlts of fyre:
Came to infecte his modest mynde,
with rashe reuenging yre.
Forgetfullnes supplyed the roome,
as this my selfe can show:
Besids a number of the léeke,
that many mo doo know.
Mysused much in such a case,
as few haue heard the lyke:
When proofe was made to others shame,
reuendgment this dyd séeke.
A néedfull cause the accuser forst,
his frindship to require:
He graunted straight to his request,
and more then his desire.
My Lorde quoth one, I muze to sée,
you entreate your enemies so:
It mée sufficeth my frende quoth he
he hath the ouerthrow.
O worthy mynde, that neuer lodgde
reuendgement in his brest:
Nor in a wrathfull radge dyd let,
the same to go to rest.
PAVVLET quoth ha, within one man,
IOVE could no more contryue:
For his vprighteous dealyng, I
thought (Pawl yet) styll alyue.
But what of these, as many lyke,
that would hym wring and wrest?
Iudge of the fruite, what was the trée,
whiche God no doubt hath blest.
And now to thée that haste no power
to speake, as séemes to mée:
Euen EX EPHEBIS sure thou shalt
his education see.
From Scoole to Thaues Inne he came,
where so he plied his tyme:
That shortly to the Temple thence,
his forwarde youth dyd clyme.
Where he applied himselfe so well,
inclind to learned skyll:
Tyll vtter Barrester he was,
he there continued styll.
And in Kyng Henrie his tyme, the seuenth
in worship did increace:
Beloued of his Prince he was,
made Iustice of the peace.
And then highe Shirife of the Shire,
within the Countie of South:
And in Commissions for the Kyng,
commaunded by his mouth.
And when that sapient Sire was dead,
whose wisdome rulde the Realme:
And left behinde that valiant Kynge,
and most victorious Gemme.
Henrie the eight, whose thunderyng voyce,
all Christendome dyd dreade:
Who feared not the forrayne power,
Gods Churche in trueth to lead.
Who tumbled downe Idolatryes,
and Pope ne Cardinall dyd
Estéeme, that varied from the trueth,
but their Decrées forbyd.
By hym dyd PAVVLET worshyp gayne
as thou shalt briefely héere:
Euen as it pleased God to blesse,
so shall I tutch it néere.
First was he Mayster of the woods,
and next was Maister than:
Of Wardes, and of the Lyueries,
styll thought a worthy man.
And then his worship to increase,
the Kyng dyd make him Knight,
And then Controller of his House,
whiche séene so fit a wight.
He made was Treasourer of the House,
where so he likte the kynge:
That straight his highnes thought it good,
to Honour hym to bryng.
And of his priuy Counsell dyd,
Sir William Pawlet make:
Then Baron S. Iohn PAVLO POST,
he dyd hym eake create.
And after that Embassadour
he sent was into Fraunce:
Where he behaued hym selfe so well,
and had suche happie chaunce.
That so the kyng his wisdome wayde,
and lykte his noble mynde:
He made him of the Garter Knight,
as in recorde we fynde.
Whose great regarde for countryes cause,
and fafety of the Prince:
Whose plyant hart so redy bent,
yll order to conuince.
That King of famous memorie,
to hym had such regarde:
As to the lyke so deutifull,
he highly gaue rewarde.
He made hym then Lorde Chamberlayne,
where so he serued the place:
That Lorde great master was he made,
within a lyttle space.
Then of the noble and poleteique,
the wise and graue consent:
Of all the worthy counsell he,
was made Lorde President.
The king of liberalitie,
bit lyked well his grace:
To geue to hym a Royalty,
of Forest, Parck and Chase.
For iustice of an Eyer he was,
whereby the graunt is ment:
On Chasses Parks and Forests all,
on the hether side of Trent.
Thus dyd this noble subiect liue,
in iust obedience due:
And whoso euer liu'd amisse,
yet he was proued true.
And from the fyrst vnto the last,
of all his worthy raygne
Whose noble Graces losse alack,
full long we dyd complayne.
Styll PAVVLET vnder law, in loue
in Princes fauour stayde:
Which proued well at last when tyme,
that ATHRAPOS denayde.
Aye longer tyme her hatefull hand,
from sharped sheres to saue:
In clypping of the lyne of lyfe,
that brought the Kyng to graue.
Of his last wyll and Testament,
for that he had found hym iust:
He made hym one Executor,
of that his latest trust.
Yf this suffiseth not thy mynde,
therto to bende thy style:
More of the hautie honor shall,
I tell thée in a while.
That well the worlde, may safely iudge
as tyme and trueth did hie:
Right by his vertuous noble fruict,
what sap was in the trée.
That péerelesse Pearle, right excellent,
that moste triumphant kynge:
His Funeralles solemnized,
and finisht euery thyng.
By right dissent, succéeded than,
that yonge and actiue Prince:
By whome the christian Churche of God,
increaste his highly sence.
EDVVARDE the sixte of chyualrie,
in his yeares, none the léeke:
And surely in Diuynitie,
he was not for to séeke.
Whose holsome, good and godly lawes
reuiued, floorysh yet:
With whom was Baron S. Iohn thought
a Counsellor most fit.
Then dyd that Sapient Christen kynge
Baron sainct Iohns honour haunce:
To the Earldom straight of Wiltshire did
his Highnesse hym aduaunce.
And Marques eake of Winchester,
the kynge dyd hym creat:
Lorde kéeper of the priuie Seale,
he made hym after that.
And of the great Seale was he made▪
Lorde kéeper eake lykewise:
And thus in hautie honor dyd,
this subiect true arise.
And of the counsell was he made,
Lorde President agayne:
Thus trustie Subiectes honour wyn,
that iustly deale and playne.
High Treasurer of Englande too
that Office he hym gaue:
Who serued the turne for Coūtreyes wele,
and kept it to his Graue.
For in Quéene Maries tyme he was,
accounted as before:
And had the Office lastly namde,
and some kynde honour more.
For Lord Liuetenant was he made,
of diuers sundrie Shires:
And speciallie of London here,
amongst the noble Péeres.
And styll vprightly dyd he deale,
no blot abyde might he:
Whose noble fruite dyd well approoue,
what sap was in the trée.
And lastlie in the noble reigne,
of our moste gracious Quéene:
Whom God preserue in blessed dayes,
tyll Nestors yeares be séene.
To lyue, and long to raygne in peace,
Gods glorie to aduaunce:
That by her light, the Gospell may,
take place in Spayne and Fraunce:
As doubtlesse, by the hande of God,
in spite of Christes Foes:
Her Grace hath well mayntaynde the right
withouten dealyng bloes.
Within her raigne (O learned Prince)
was PAVVLET by her déede:
Thought fit to be a Counsellor,
in case of doubt and néede.
And by her Graces bountie had,
the Office as before:
Wherin he died in honour great,
and many a thyng yet more.
What warres were there within his time,
where he or his were nat?
Few or none I assured am,
but he or his were at.
As he a Subiect dutifull,
fiue Kynges and Quéenes dyd serue,
And neuer from the first to last,
from trueth was found to swerue.
So hath he childernes childerne left,
who so to duetie bende:
That lyfe and lyuing glad would lose,
their Prince for to defende.
That he was blessed many wayes
apparant may be séene:
For by the fruite, what was the trée,
a man may easelie déeme.
The blessed, childernes childerne sée,
the Prophet doth relate:
And he, his childerns childernes childerne,
saw growen to mans estate.
One worthy thyng, there is to note,
in charge, the whiche he gaue:
When his and childernes childerne came,
his blessyng for to craue.
God blesse you all, this was his phrase,
to those that knéeled downe:
I charge ye on my blessyng, bée
obedient to the Crowne.
For that the Kyng elected is,
and of the Lorde appointed:
And cursed is the man (no doubt)
that frownes at his annointed.
O ghostlie chardge, O godly man,
that youth doth educate:
In due obedience to their Prince,
to lyue in their estate.
Well, from this vale of myserie,
the lorde hath tane him quight:
In better place (I hope) to rest
within his mercies sight.
AN. a thousande. iiij. hundereth, sixtie fiue,
he was borne on Whitson night:
And lyued a .C. sixe, thrée quarter and od,
by Computacion right.
AN. a thousand, fiue hūdereth, seuētie one
the tenth of Marche last past:
He vaded as a Candell doth,
when weeke and all is past.
In perfect state of memorie,
he cauld to God on hie:
For mercie by his onely sonne,
and in this fayth dyd die.
Whose lyfe, whose death encoradge may
his issue to perseuer:
To treade the steppes that he hath done,
in Fame to lyue for euer.
Heare haue I now discourste to thée,
some of my Maisters lyfe:
But not the thyrde of that I could,
for tyme doth byd, be briefe.
If this sufficeth not thy mynde,
I thinke thou haste no wyll:
Or els fowle CERCES hath bewitcht
thée of thy former skyll.
Els (doubtlesse) much vnworthy art,
that clothyng for to weare:
And as a Seruaunt to the Stocke,
the countenance to beare.
Yll prooues it surely by thy flouthe,
thy dutie thou deest frame:
For lyuyng not for loue beléeke,
thou bearst a Seruantes name.
Wherwith the tutch of that in déede,
the whiche in mée was not:
I buckled to my answere straight,
and all my Mutes forgot.
I said: there is no cause, for why,
you ought to blame mée so.
For no man can reporte the trueth,
of that he doth not know.
Vnknowne it was his death to mée,
but of his honours state:
He liueth not with pen I thinke
that it can all relate.
And then for me amongst the rest,
a Nouis to the thing:
By my vnskilfull dealyng may,
discredit much the thynge.
To siner heads whose fyled verse,
in hauty style abounde:
Belongeth this so famous facte,
his honour for to sounde.
Where floweth the swéet distilling drops,
of fresh MINERVAS power:
To those that on Mounte HELICON,
haue bathde in siluer shower.
For TMOLOS wyll geue iudgement sure
though MIDAS yet may bée:
By iudgment base my wylling friend,
yet TMOLOS will not gree.
My Hermonye much lyke to PAN,
the cuntrye tourne may ease:
But fine APOLLOS musicke must,
the learned people please.
Yet fith by wyll I doo desire,
the world his lyfe myght know,
That Subiects to their Princes might,
the more obedience owe.
And that agayne by duetie bounde.
I am no lesse to indyte:
To leaue his glory to the world,
some EPITATHES to write:
And knowing it right requisite,
the common people might:
In that they reade as touching hym,
in knowledge haue some sight.
I am content to bend my pen,
in rurall ryme to paynte:
The tale that thou haste tould to mée,
and of thy heuy playnt.
And wyll denie in Hermonie,
contention for to make:
I but the playne songe, no whitels,
to pricke do vndertake.
To set in partes, the learned must,
that Arte can rightly vse:
And let them descant who so list,
that my good wyll refuse.
Thou toldest me of his vertuous lyfe,
a tale both long and wise:
And how that God preserued hym,
in many a enterprise.
How styll by friendship he dyd séeke,
his foes his friends to make:
And their redoubled shames came on,
as they dyd brew to bake.
O wise and worthy learned man,
when England stood at stay:
For Ciuell wales or brutishe styll,
went with the thynge away.
What worthy who, lyke meretyng
a right memoriall:
Without offence, within the world?
fewe to the Funerall.
So sounde, so perfect, and so true,
vnto his countrey Crowne:
So iust in euery office founde,
deseruyng suche renowne.
More redier suters to dispatche,
more voyde of bribyng gayne:
Despysing Amboderters name,
and speakyng that was playne.
Deniyng to deferre a sute,
and causes to prolonge:
More redier to assist the ryght
and to suppresse a wronge.
O blest of God, whose sacred soule,
the heauens (no doubt) hath pearste:
Vnto thy yeares, in thy estate,
full fewe haue liued earst.
But suche is God to those that haue,
his feare before their eyes:
He geues long lyfe and happie dayes,
and that none can deuise.
Who méekely died in Christes faith,
whom death could not torment:
But as a shadow vadeth, so
the soule of Pawler went.
Tyll then in perfect memorie,
the pouerbe hitteth true:
Who lynes well, dyes well, saith the sage▪
for eche shall haue his due.
Whose soule, I hope with Abrahame is
quite frée from all annoye:
With the father, the sonne, the holy Ghost,
in perfect state in Ioye.
To which good place, god sende vs all,
in honour of the hiest:
To sing a Song of glorie, with
the frée elect of Christe.
An Epitaph.
A Baron borne to blisse, a Lorde of wealth and wit,
A Countie eke of great account, for publike weale most fit▪
A Marquies of muche might, of gentle manly race,
A riche and happie saged syre, a man that stode in grace
With kings, and to the crowne a subiect loyall true,
Hath changde at last his happy lyfe, and found a better [...],
FINIS.
¶ Epitaphium D. Guilhelmi Paulets militis,
Baronis diui Johannis Comitis Ʋolcestriae:
Marchionis Wintoniae, ac vnius ab arcanis regi [...]
magistatis, ac domini supremi the saurarij
Angliae, [...]litis illustrissimi ordinis Garteri,
qui obi [...]t decimo die Martij. Anno Reginae,
Elziabethae decimo quarto. Anno (que) Dom. 1571.
ECquis erat, summo, felicior, vsus honore,
Quam fuit hic pridem ventanꝰ marchio, lecto [...]
Viderit aut aeque florentem longa vetustas?
[...]n longos veneranda dies prouecta senectus,
Judicio vitae fuerit presigniter actae.
Non her, non poterat tempus, non mille periclo
Deturb [...]re gradu, frustra intentata, recepto,
Quin nage continuo celebris succreuerit auctu [...]
Donec summa dies, cum summo iuncta nitore,
Viderat, expulso flatu, miserata iacentem.
Nam sopor vt lasso instillatur corpore repens.
Ac prius inbibitur, (quam) sit venientis imago:
Effect [...] sic mors irrepens corpore sensim.
Per placidano vitae dissoluit vincla quietem.
Hic bene cum fuerit vita haec mundana peractae▪
Perveniet superi ad faelicia secula coeli.
Nam licet hac corpus recubet tellure repostum,
Possidit alta tamen subuectus spiritus astra.
[Page]HIc, hic, marmoreae consul sub mole quiescit
stemate conspicuus, clarior efficio.
Hôc fuit a teneris regali sanguine natus,
crimine de poenas sumere quem (que) vetare.
Si quis finitimus cansas quo iure tuetur,
huius consilio compositurus abit.
Editus in lucem fuerat, quo flamine numē
discipulis tribuit munera magna sacra▪
Eduardus quartus cum lustrum rexerit [...]
visceribus matris sole nitente venit.
Sex [...]entenos vixit foeliciler annos,
cum fera mors armis tarbida membra petit.
Nec rugit, vt moriens leo, dum sua fata voc [...]ur
agniculus veluti pr [...]buit essa neci.
Ex lumbis comites generosa stirpe reliquit
ternos, qui patriae gloria laus (que) decus
Marchio Ʋintonus, sacrato ex ordine miles
Guilhelmus (que) Paulet, hoc domitore mane [...] ▪
¶ In eodem.
MArchio termagnꝰ quater et memorabius he
Jn patriam pietate bonus factis (que) decorus
Successu prosper rebus dexter (que) gerendis
Annorum locuples: mentis locupletior altae,
Gratus reginis et gratus regibus Eque,
Consilio tutus, vita (que) beatus in omni:
Hoc tegitur tumulo, iam morte breatior ipsa.
R. BR.
FINIS.