 | [The Entertainment at Sir William Cockayne's upon Simon and Jude's Day] |  |
Upon Simon and Iudes day following, being the last great Feast of the Magistrates Yeare, and the expiration of his Pretorship,
At the House of Sir William Cokaine
One attir'd like a Mourner, enters after a made Dish like a Herse, stuck with sable Bannerets, Drums and Trumpets expressing a mournfull Seruice.
Imagine now, each apprehensiue Guest
The Yeare departed; this his Funerall Feast,
I, a chiefe Mourner, this a sad Pageant, here,
Set with the Orphans Sigh, the Widowes Teare,
All seeme to mourne, as lockt from their reliefes,
Till the New Sun of Iustice dry their griefes;
And as there is no Glorious thing that ends,
But leaues a Fame behind it, that commends
Or disapproues the Progresse of his Acts:
So in this Epitaph, sad Truth contracts
A spacious Story, which spread forth at large,
Might instruct All, built vp for Power & Charge.
The Yeare departed; this his Funerall Feast,
I, a chiefe Mourner, this a sad Pageant, here,
Set with the Orphans Sigh, the Widowes Teare,
All seeme to mourne, as lockt from their reliefes,
Till the New Sun of Iustice dry their griefes;
And as there is no Glorious thing that ends,
But leaues a Fame behind it, that commends
Or disapproues the Progresse of his Acts:
So in this Epitaph, sad Truth contracts
A spacious Story, which spread forth at large,
Might instruct All, built vp for Power & Charge.
Inprimis, I Annus 620. do bequeath to my Successor 21. all my good wishes, paines, labours and reformations, to bee nobly perfected by his endeuours and diligence.
Item, I make Iustice my Executor, and Wisedome my Ouerseer, wc h is, that Honorable Court which neuer failed yet to see Iustice performed.
Item, I giue and bequeath to all the Officers, for Legacies; Truth, Temperance, Example of Humility and Gentlenesse.
Lastly, I bequeath to the whole Body of the beloued Commonalty, three inestimable Iewels, Loue, Meeknesse and Loyaltie; which are alwaies the forerunners of a blessed prosperity; which heauen grant they may euerlasting enioy.
Here ends a Yeare that neuer mispent day,
Throgh Fames celestial Signes made his own way,
By discrete iudgement all his time still led,
Which is the onely Signe gouernes the Head,
Mercy to wants, and Bounty to Desert,
The speciall Signe that rules the noble Heart,
A Yeare of goodnesse, and a Yeare of right,
In which the honest cause sued with delight.
A Yeare wherein nothing that's good, was dull,
Began at Moones Encrease, and ends at Full;
Full cup, full welcome: adding the Suns gift,
Who nearer his declining, the more swift
In his illustrious course, more bright, more cleere,
Such is the glorious setting of this Yeare,
His beamy substance shines e'ne through his shroud
As the faire Sun shoots splendor through his cloud;
May euery Yeare succeeding this, still haue
No worse an Epitaph to decke his Graue,
And so my last farewell (this Teare for me)
Wishing that many may conclude like Thee.
Throgh Fames celestial Signes made his own way,
By discrete iudgement all his time still led,
Which is the onely Signe gouernes the Head,
Mercy to wants, and Bounty to Desert,
The speciall Signe that rules the noble Heart,
A Yeare of goodnesse, and a Yeare of right,
In which the honest cause sued with delight.
A Yeare wherein nothing that's good, was dull,
Began at Moones Encrease, and ends at Full;
Full cup, full welcome: adding the Suns gift,
Who nearer his declining, the more swift
In his illustrious course, more bright, more cleere,
Such is the glorious setting of this Yeare,
His beamy substance shines e'ne through his shroud
As the faire Sun shoots splendor through his cloud;
May euery Yeare succeeding this, still haue
No worse an Epitaph to decke his Graue,
And so my last farewell (this Teare for me)
Wishing that many may conclude like Thee.
| [The Entertainment at Sir William Cockayne's upon Simon and Jude's Day] | |