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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My Ladie Baggnalles Epitaphe who died at the Nuerie.

Loe here a ladie lies, whose life greate glory won
A mornyng Starre, a Lampe of daie: that shone as bright as Sonne.
A goodly glasse of Steele, that scornde to take a staine:
A Mirrour that did liuely showe, a perfecte picture plaine.
An aide to straungers still, that staide within her gates:
As noble a Nourse to neighbours all, as freendly to estates.
A spryng of larges streams, a well of wifely waies:
A vertuous dame, that vice subdued, a pearle of peerlesse praies.
A fountaine full of faithe, her plaiefeere founde the same:
In eurie pointe that did adorne, a comely sober dame.
From natiue soile she brought, faire lands and freends greate store:
And matcht wt Niclas Baggnall knight, to whō faire babes she bore.

O Nuerie thou wast once, of this sweete sainct the shrine:
And now the soile of sighes and sobbs, and wofull weepyng eyne.
For thou hast lately loste, by lothsome Deaths disgrace:
The Lanterne gaie, and louyng Lampe, that beautified that place.
Harke worlde how Fame reports, (and Ecco doeth resounde:)
The hidden heaps of heauenly gifts, that did in her abounde.
A happie houswife knowne, the ioye of housbands breast:
A wise and worthie warrant bothe, to chere eche honest geast.
And as she did present, dame Beautie throughly still:
So nothyng might compare to reache, beyond her franke good will.
To poore a present helpe, to ritche her house was free:
A foe to none, her nature sutche, she honoured eche degree.
Belou'd of greate and small, as one were blest from birthe:
No hurder vp of heauie baggs, (the drousie drosse of yearth.)
But made her treasure house, in clouds and heauens hye:
Where soulls doe hugg, and sprits of men, in Abrams brest doeth lye
Yea all on yearth she did, was doen to that intent:
And sure no soner lefte she life, but thether straight she went.
So now I leaue her there, escapt from worldly blaste:
Whiles of her fame, all Irelande ryngs, and shall whiles world doth laste.

Finis.

University of Virginia Library

My Ladie Baggnalles Epitaphe who died at the Nuerie.