A pleasaunte Laborinth called Churchyardes Chance ::

A pleasaunte Laborinth called Churchyardes Chance

framed on Fancies, uttered with verses, and writtee[n] to giue solace to eury well disposed mynde: wherein not withstanding are many heauie Epitaphes, sad and sorowfull discourses and sutche a multitude of other honest pastymes for the season (and passages of witte) that the reader therein maie thinke his tyme well bestowed. All whiche workes for the pleasure of the worlde, and recreation of the worthie, and dedicated to the right honourable sir Thomas Bromley, Knight, Lorde Chancelour of Englande [by Thomas Churchyard]

Churchyard, Thomas (1520?-1604)

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My Ladie of Lennoyes graces Epitaphe.

An Epitaphe of sir Nicholas Bacon Knight, late Lorde Keeper.

Sir Hugh Pauletts Epitaphe.

Sir VVillyam Courtneis Epitaphe.

Sir VVillyam Pickryngrs Epitaphe.

Maister Hampdens Epitaphe.

My Ladie Baggnalles Epitaphe who died at the Nuerie.

An Epitaphe of one maistres Blunt, The Ladie Pauletts sister.

Maister VValter Archer his Epitaphe, an auncient Borgis of Kilkenie

The Lorde Braies Epitaphe.

Sir Jhon Constables Epitaphe.

The phantasticall Monarkes Epitaphe.

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Of the fickle faithe of men.

Of a Flatterer and a Backbiter.

A good description of a freende.

A warnyng from Courte.

Of a Courtiers life, and how the worst sorte findes beste Fortune.

Of woordes spoken by a greate personage.

A description of Desire.

Of a vicious woman.

Of vnsounde freendes.

A matter of fonde Cupid, and vain Venus.

This showes the vanitie of some hopes.

The meetyng of twoo noble knightes of the Garter (sir Henry Sidney, and the Erle of Essex) in Irelande, twoo miles beyond Dradath the xxj, of September, and 17 yere in the raigne of our souerain ladie Quene Elizabeth.

Of my Lorde cheef Baron that was.

Of a noble personage.

A letter in Maie, sent to Maister Henry Knowles house at Gobbyns.

Of the want of will.

Of twoo vertuous sisters.

Translated out of Latine.

A discription of the goodnesse that growes in Cicilia.

A matter of repulce, goyng to the Sea.

Of one that for vertues sake honored a freend.

VVritten from the Countrey twentie yere agoe, to one that poorely remaines at the Courte yet.

Of an iniurie by faunyng freendes.

Of the quietnesse that plaine Countrey bryngeth.

Of a fearfull Dreame.

Of a harde worlde.

Made against Idell and vain Rimes.

Of the vanitie of youth.

VVritten of a gentleman, whose name is in the verses.

Non est fides super terram.

Of a disdainfull persone.

A letter to maister Cressie.

A speciall trifle on a fickle woman.

Uerses written on the Muster that was made by the Pensioners before the Queene.

VVritten of the Queene, when her highnesse was in trouble.

Verses giuen the Quenes highnesse at windsor.

A Newe yeres gift to the Erle of Ormond, giuen at Kilkennie, when the Erle of Essex was in Irelande.

A touche stone to trie an error from a trothe.

For the losse of a mightie and noble mannes fauour.

Verses that were giuen to the Quenes maiestie.

A rebuke to vaine louers.

Of fained frendshippe.

Uerses that weare giuen to a moste mightie personage.

The louers of the worlde.

Of a noble mynde.

Of doubtfull hope.

Of the flantyng worlde.

Of a fantasticall dreame taken out of Petrarke.

A fancie as an answere to that dreame.

A fantasie on fifteene woordes, endyng all in one letter.

Of the strong and the weake.

Of Youth and Age.

Of the short estate of man.

The praise of mistres Mabell Browne, wherein vertue is honoured.

Of wandryng and gaddyng abroad.

Of faire thynges and foule, where in a vertuous Ladie is sette out.

Of an enemie.

VVritten in the beginnyng of Kyng Edwardes raigne, whiche verses are called Dauie Dicars Dreame.

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Sir VVillyam Pickryngrs Epitaphe.

My sences slept in rest, the quiet couche I take:
When worlds reporte with hurlyng brute, badde sluggishe muse awake.
And whett the blunted witts, on mournyng matter newe:
(A heauie happe, a soddaine chance,) that thousandes ought to rewe.
What fortune is befalne, in worlde quoth I of late:
Is any braunche or member hurte, that erst hath serude the state.
Or is some sproute decaied, or tree blowne doune by blast:
That through mans skill & sweate of browes, might growe & stande ful fast.
There is quoth, Fame to me, a worthie wight gone hence:
Now dedde that late was quicke and ripe, of iudgement wit & sence.
And Pickryng was his name, whose mynde was sure so greate:
The noble browes bare witnesse plain, where hāmers still did beate.
A man that credite wonne, by seruice sondrie waies:
A Tully bothe with penne and tong, at proofe moste worthie praies.
And surely from the Gods, the rarest gifts posseste:
That euer in these drousie daies, did lodge in one mans breste.
Looke not I should rehearse, what all his vertues weare:
But looke amid these worldly happs, how he hym self did beare.
When Fortune turnde her face, he smothly let it slide:
The want of will at no tyme could, in looks nor life be spide.
If happe had faunde on hym, he changde no chere therefore:
In equall ballance stoode the weight, of chaunces lesse or more.
As wisedome clockte his cares, so stoutnesse staied his minde:
And custome taught hym how to taste, the toiles that here we finde.
In learned Platoes rules, good Pickryng pleasure tooke:
And shonde the worlde to sort hym self, with gladsome golden booke.
Emong a worlde of men, in deede fewe freends he chose:
Yet with a manly modest meane, he could reclaime his foes.
His port and presence sutche, he was for Court full fitte:
And for his graue and deepe foresight, he might in councell sitte.

The life that here he ledde, giues still sufficient light:
For skilfull heads and scannyng minds, to wrest his maners right.
Now hath he that he sought, and dwells aboue in blis:
Where good mens soulls as worlde thei leaue, at length shall meete with his.
When Fame had told her tale, I cald for paper streight:
And in suche verse as here you reade, I put these words of weight.

FINIS.

University of Virginia Library

Sir VVillyam Pickryngrs Epitaphe.