A NEVV LACHRYMENTALL AND FVNERALL ELEGY:

OR, A DISTILLATION OF GREAT BRITTAINE'S TEARES, SHED for the vnexpected and sudden death of the tres-vertuous and most glorious Prince LODOVVICKE, Duke of Richmond and Lenox.

Who departed this transitory life, at his Chamber in White-Hall, on Munday morning, being the 16. day of February 1624. being the same day appointed and inten­ded by him to haue attended and gone with our Soueraigne Lord, King IAMES; Prince CHARLES his Highnesse, and other the Nobilitie, in Robes of Scarlet, to the Honourable House of Parliament, which by reason of his death, was then put off till the 19. day of February following.

Printed at London by B. Alsop, dwelling at the Signe of the Dolphin in Distaffe Lane. 1624

SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MVNDI.

TO THE MOST GRATIOVS FRANCIS DVCHESSE DOVVAGER OF RICHMOND and LENOX, &c.

NOble Princesse, when you consider the seuerall dignities of the world, in one man so eminent, and neere and deare a Friend vnto you, it cannot but worke a deepe impres­sion in your minde, of so great a losse befallen you, whom the world doth take notice of, and my Elegie doth ex­presse: but not to make you mourne further; satis sufficit. So on the other side, considering the frailtie of life in Princes, as well as others, I could indeuour to comfort you with the after-ioyes of his mortalitie, to stay your griefe, and teares, you being wise, and knowing that our chiefe dependancy must not be in mortall men, whose life and meanes of life is but transitory, as we our selues, and all things that we possesse be, and therefore must put our trust and confidence in the Jm­mortall God, and Christ his Sonne, who is the wiper away of all teares, and the true and euerlasting Husband of his Spouse, the Church, and so by con­sequence, of you, a Vertuous and Religious Duchesse: who by place, person, and parts, deserues the Antiquitie and preheminence of many, which may stirre vp some comfort in you. The sympathie of his noble death and your tender heart-grieuing, moues me to condole, and to be partaker with you both in heart and Pen, for so high and iust a Steward to God and King; who as here, so in Heauen, Did enter into his Masters Ioy; the want of which Ioy in vs, should make vs more mourne, then his present death, since death to all is a debt which of necessitie must be paid, and necessitie hath no law to relieue it selfe by too much griefe, but wisely to make of such necessitie a Vertue by a holy contentation of Gods will: Let this suffice, to content you with pati­ence [Page]as Iob, and with his Hearse, rehearse not your griefes, but as gracious Francis, infranchise your selfe with truest comforts, and let Honour be ho­nourably solemnized, as Rebecca did good Isaack, of which, J doubt not of your large and liberall loue therein, since you may conceiue another comfort infolded within your sorrowes, by the noble and worthy assembly of Parlia­ment, that attendeth their loues to his Funerall, as they intended his loue, if God had so appointed, to the Parliament. J haue writ this according to the promise made to your Grace by a worthy friend of mine, not as a profes­sed Poet, but as a confessed seruant to your loue, which picke not my Conceits from the fruit of other mens labours, in Funerall Elegies, and get the start of presentation to your Highnesse, and the worlds view: yet not a better re­presentation of sincere loue to the Noble Duke departed, and your liuing Graces, then I by these few lines hereafter shall expresse vnto you, If not in Art, yet in heart. Thus crauing your pardon and acceptance:

From him which is the true wel-wisher of all comfort and happinesse to your Grace: SAMVEL TAILBOYS.

TO THE ILLVSTRIOVS PRINCE ESME DVKE OF LENOX, &c. EARLE OF MARCH and DARNLEY, &c. LORD OF AVBIGNY, TERBOLTON and METHVEN, BARON OF SETTRINGTON, &c.
AND, TO THE MOST PIOVS PRINCESSE KATHERINE, HIS GRATIOVS DVCHESSE, &c.

WHereas noble Duke and Duchesse, I like a Fu­nerall souldier, march my thoughts and Muses towards you, as not against your intire & friend­ly bond of amitie & loue you euer bare to your deceased brother; and now liuing sister, the Prince and Princesse of Richmond and Lenox, but to ioyne my defence and loue with yours against the Com­mon Aduersarie of ours, which is too much lamentation and sorrow, since the true March of Pietie, teacheth all: That death is an aduantage to the godly, both to the liuing and the dead; to the dead, I know you doubt not of: to the liuing, Salomon the wise saith, Better it is to be in the house of Mourning, then in the house of Feasting, for the wise doe lay it to their hearts, and the God of wisedome hath directed his honors so vnto you, as your religious thoughts, may March to God with your name; and I am bold in this Month of March to present the Springing thoughts of com­fort to you and your Noble Posteritie, which to both your graces, and to the springing hopefull Plants of your loynes. I pray and wish all heauenly and earthly prosperitie, to remaine to you and yours for euer.

Your Graces deuoted SAMVEL TAILBOYS.

To the Noble and Generous Reader.

I Shall not neede to incite you, or cite to you the Coun­cell of S. Paul, To mourne with them that mourne, and reioyce with them that reioyce, though I shall by my Elegie giue you cause for both in one Obiect, a worthy Prince, and Duke: for I know you are rea­dy to Minister it vnto your selfe in the loue of him who was so beloued, and especially now to mourne for his losse, whose worth and parts, had so many deserued titles of Honour, and was so gracious and good a member, for the good of all Brittaine, both to Church and Common-wealth. In which respect, I commend my loue to your good liking, and acceptance of this after Elegy.

S. T.

AN ELEGIE TO THE WELL-DESERVING HONOVR OF THAT PIOVS AND Glorious Prince deceased, LODOVVICKE STEVVARD, Late Duke of Richmond and Lenox, Earle of Newcastle and Darneley, &c. Lord of Torbolton and Methuen, &c. Baron of Settrington, &c. Knight of the Noble Oraer of the Garter, Lord high Admirall, and Great Chamberlaine of Scotland, Lord high Steward to the KINGS most excellent Maiesties most Honourable Houshold, Gentleman of his Maiesties Bed-Chamber, and one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuy Councell for England and Scotland.

HOvv sodaine was the losse of Noble Grace,
In LOD'VVICKE high, brought lowe in a short space:
Like French Flower,
One day flourishing like the FLOVVER DE LVCE,
Next vanishing, like Flower of no vse.
His Crest a Bull spitting fire.
One day seemes strong as Bull, his Crost of Armes;
Next day knockt downe by cruell Death his harmes?
O cruell Death! to murther such a worth,
Of highest price with God and Man, set forth,
The righteous men God takes from ill to come,
To possesse Ioy, though griefe may fall to some,
[...]lowicke in [...]nglish.
As is to me and all his friends a crosse,
When I and they doe see so great a losse.
Great LOD-O-VVICKE his weeks through al the yeare,
In care and loue to Brittaine did appeare,
Graue, wise, iust, true, a mirrour of mankinde
In Vertues goodnesse, which flowed in his minde,
For publike good, and for his priuate fate,
Did load each weeke with loue and lordly state.
[...]udouicus la­ [...]ne.
LVDOVICVS could say I play with strength,
His recreations comely at Bowe length,
And shot his arrowes long from arrow-head,
With strength, with skill, til dart of death strook dead:
He like a Ionathan that vsde his skill,
Compared [...]o Ionathan, Dauids true friend.
To prosper Dauid from the wickeds will
Of Sauls abroad that secretly doth dart
To wrong the life of truth, in our Kings heart,
Who euer yet with Harpe of Peace hath plaid,
To please such Sauls, their rigour to haue laid,
From cruell wrongs of Countrey and of blood,
Palatinate.
So neere him wrong'd by Sauls, that is not good,
This Ionathan, for such car'd not at all,
Though they were Kings as cruell as was Saul,
But freely, friendly, thus his life and daies,
Spent in loue of s King, wife, and friends alwaies.
Mourne Heau'ns for one so high and true to King:
Mourne Earth for him whose praise on earth did ring:
Mourne Brittaines all for Peere of noble fame,
Whose true respect to you and truth did frame:
Drop Eies and Pen, & mourne with them that moūrne
Royal bloud
For losse of Richmonds Duke so highly borne,
Yet borne to die, and dies to liue for euer,
So as his worth and praise to die will neuer.
Whose royall bloud to King, though borne in France,
And by Kings loue in Scotland had substance,
Of three lan­guages.
Of honours due as his deserts brought forth,
Till Brittaines glory brought him of more worth:
All three their Language from each place he had,
Hon'ring this Land, as we of him were glad,
So comely, Courtly bred of French we finde,
Indu'd by birth by Armes and Language kinde,
And now hath left his names Integritie
Vnto a brother of the same sinceritie,
The new Earle March Duke of Le­nox.
Earle March now Duke transporteth so his name,
As earth and heau'ns doe glory in their fame,
Being so like of Nature, Grace, and parts,
Deserues like loue and honour from all hearts,
GOD.
The Heaun'ly Steward which commandeth Kings,
Lodowicke Steward, Lord high Steward,
And calleth all his Stewards to reck'nings,
In life and death to him all must account,
For things here done what ere it doth amount.
Our Steward high whose life and loue was iust,
That high and low did faithfully him trust,
Is now, from Stewardship of Name and Place,
Called to God for a more higher grace,
Of honours due,
Princes Co­ [...]onet.
Crown'd so in Angels sight;
Though Natures grace, Death shew'd his mortall spight,
So suddenly to shorten his sweet daie,
In worldly Stage, where all our liues are Plaies,
Whose Sceane hath end, in better Ioyes to rest,
My joy's for him, that he is euer blest.
Then Noble Duchesse,
Francis Du­chesse.
grieue not for your crosse,
Beare't patiently, though it be heauy losse;
That by the tryall of your patience,
You being Gods, his loue yeelds recompence
To Faith, to Grace, by King, by Prince and Friends,
All ioynes in one, and Grace and Honour lends:
Some Natures griefe cannot well patience beare,
But Womens ornament puls off and teare,
Which should not be, but for to wipe Christs feete,
When teares doe wash them by Repentance meete:
Yee liquid eies mourne not for him in dust,
His Soule's in Heauen, to joy therefore yee must.
So wisely now Steward your owne griefes care,
As they with griefe breed not your mindes despaire.
Duke, Rich-mon­ [...].
Though Richmonds riches of this world is gone,
With him, heau'nly riches remaines alone,
With Highnesse, Greatnesse, and true beautie there,
Although next Christ, he left his beautie here.
A Princesse high, noble, good, and vertuous,
A Duchesse wise, of comely grace, and beautious:
Yet now his beautie doth with Angels sing,
As rich in loue still to his Doue and King,
And shines aboue the Sunne in brightest glory,
As member fit for Gods eternall Story,
Old Duke of Le-nox.
LENOX departed consters Night of life,
A sodaine darkenesse made to King and Wife,
That shall ne're see his day of life againe,
Till they to him shall goe for such like gaine:
Earle of New-castle,
For he (as Earle) hath early got the hold
Of a New-Castle strong, where he is bold
'Gainst sinne, and Satan, sicknesse, griefe, and smart,
By Diuine power resists them all apart:
Together bent, they cannot him withstand,
New-Castles force so high on Mount doth stand,
Lord of Scotland.
And he as Lord hath one which is aboue him,
As he was Lord, so many were below him.
All his Baronies and his Lordships place,
His titles great haue now farre greater grace;
Those shew'd desert, commending Lenox loue
To Soueraigne Grace, whose merits well did proue,
And found in Scotland and in England to,
Where he such loue and honour obtain'd so,
In number sixe in one,
Had titles 12.
and sixe in other,
If any Lord deserues it, 'tis his Brother.
Knight of Garter.
With whom for Wisedomes loue I doe here Quarter,
To gaine the George, and Englands Noble Garter
To weare; with HONI SOIT QVI MAL'Y PENSE,
Since name and fame doth carry the like Sense,
Of Steward, and Duke, Earle, Lord, and Baron,
Though he some places had on the Maron,
Of Scotlands Admirall and Chamberly'n,
Lord. Admirall & Chamber­ [...]ain of Scot­land.
Which our King IAMES did place him both therein.
And now (as Admirall) floates aboue the Sea
Of stormy waues, and of the biting flea,
I meane of Death, whose Chambers are of earth,
And bites vs here to drinke our blood and breath:
All this and more to speake I might be teller
Of his true praise as Priuy Counseller,
Who was so lou'd in Country, Citie, Court,
That where he came he had a good report,
Of high and low,
Kings priuy Counceller [...]f England [...]r Scotland.
all wish'd (his life might last)
To see him sit in Parliament, and grac't,
For good of King, his Countrey high and small,
Roab'd with Skarlet, as Nobles, so had all.
[...]he Parlia­ [...]ent did re­ [...]yce him.
In Parliament-House appointed was his place,
His time and day was come for publike grace.
The Commons they came, and thought to greet him,
The Peeres and Nobles there thought to meet him;
The Bishops ready to offer Incense sweet,
For him and all to offer Prayers meet;
But he himselfe was turn'd the Sacrifice,
And turn'd them all to sorrowes weeping eies,
Both King, and Prince, our Commons and our State,
Did stay, as though they came his Hearse to waite,
Or were so summon'd here to meet his death,
That ouer-ioy'd this day and gaue vp breath,
Like Simeon,
Like Symeon that hoped for Englands good there­by.
Lord let thy seruant part,
Now I haue seene this day which joy'd my heart,
Christs loue to me and land, which rob'd his on back,
For Parliament in Heauen where is no lacke
Of Honour, Beautie, Riches, and true Fame,
Since he is Christs, and Christ is his by name,
Where Grace, and Names, and Honours all in one,
Agrees with Saints though we like Saints do moane,
And mourne in all degrees following Hearse,
With Trumpets sound and Heralds to rehearse.
All which is said, may be so from his Name,
Construed true from's Latine Anagram:
LVDOVICVS STVARTTE. est, VIRTVTE DVCTO SALVS.
Such Ioyes the godly doe in death attaine,
That death's no losse, but a Coelestiall gaine;
For dying in the Lord, they dying liue,
And for their life he doth a better giue.
Here's for your comfort then, he liu'd in feare
Of God and Heau'n, and now he liueth there.
FJNJS.

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