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

The lodestarre that good Pilotts likt, crept vnder cloude of late:
A suddaine storme hath knapt in twoo, a staffe of publicke state.
Out of our goodlie golden Ryng, is falne a precious stone:
The lande that sutche a Iewell lacks, hath cause to morne and mone.
The babes that seeth their parents dye, of duetie sheds some teares,
But when a Pillar falleth doune, that countries burthen beares.
The common wealth doeth bide a shocke, and ioynts in sonder shake:
If not in steade of auncient propp, a newe defence we make.
A father to all forward witts, who fostred lawe and right:
A Sunne that shone through highest clouds, yet gaue belowe greate light.
Who will not waile that knowes the want: well Englande sutche a glas:
Shall seldome shine in thee againe, as worthie Bacon was.
A flood of sence and sugred sappe, came flowyng from his braine:
Ne Tulles toung, nor Petracks penne, nor stoute wise Catoes vaine.
Maie not surmount the philed phrase, and reche of Bacons hedd:
His voice was smothe as Organe pipe, and looke what Bacon sedd.
Was held for Lawe & iudgement greate, the sentence was so swete:
The words were of so deepe a fetche, and sprong from suche a sprete.
He spent no speeche nor words in waste, and where his promes past:
Performance hasted out of hande, and followd on as faste.
To God, to Prince, and Iustice rules, a greate regard he tooke:
Not on the man, but on the cause, and matter would he looke.
Disposde and bente to doe muche good, but namely vnto those:
To whom dame vertues learned lore, did gifts of grace disclose.
His countries care cutts of his daies, and brings thē dim dark night:
That wisely cannot waye the weight, and worth of sutche a wight.
He liues in laude and lanterne like, he lastes with blasyng fame:
We die, & world weares out our praise, where shines his noble name.
Moste noble are those burnyng lampes, moste clerest light thei shoe:
That leaues a torche which giues vs light, whē hēce frō vs thei goe.

FINIS.

University of Virginia Library

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