Celestiall Elegies of the Goddesses and the Muses, deploring the death of the right honourable and vertuous Ladie the Ladie Fravnces Countesse of Hertford late wife vnto the right honorable Edvvard Seymor Vicount Beauchamp and Earle of Hertford. Wherevnto are annexed some funerall verses touching the death of Mathevv Evvens Esquire, late one of the Barons of her Maiesties Court of Eschequer, vnto whome the author hereof was allyed ... By Thomas Rogers |
 | Celestiall Eligies for the late death of the right Honourable the Ladie Fraunces.
Countesse of Hertforde. |
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 | Celestiall Elegies of the Goddesses and the Muses, deploring the death of the right honourable and vertuous Ladie the Ladie Fravnces Countesse of Hertford |  |
Celestiall Eligies for the late death of the right Honourable the Ladie Fraunces. Countesse of Hertforde.
QVATORZAIN. 1 Berecynthia.
Berecinthia alias Rhea Cybele Ops Vesta, Tellus, &c. as Hesiodus faith was the daughter of Cœlum and Terra the wife of Saturne commonly called the mother of the gods & goddesses of the earth; whome Poets faine to be drawne by foure Lions in a chariot with a crowne of Towres on her head and a royall scepter in her hand, she is also reputed the founder of Cities and Towres for defence.
Through all the kingdoms of the centred earth
With a great Traine of the celestiall Powres
That from my wombe tooke their immortall birth,
Descend I as chiefe mourner from the skye,
To solemnize this Countesse funerall,
And crowne her fame with immortalitie,
Although her bodie now to death be thrall:
My daughter Cynthia whilome lou'd her deare,
Noble she was by vertue, birth, and match,
Match'd with a Peare, yet matchles without Peare,
For Peareles she, did others ouer match,
Wherefore the Fates growne enuious of her praise
For vertues sake, abridg'd her earthlie daies.
QVATORZAIN. 2. Iuno.
Iuno called Pronuba and of some Lucina the daughter of Saturne and Ops, wife and sister of Iupiter, Queene of heauen, and goddesse of riches, impulled with the celestiall diademe, drawne in her chariot by Peacockes, she is accounted to predominate mariages, and the birth of children.
The Queene of heauen, whom Gods & men adore
Hearing the fame of this braue Ladies life,
In mournfull habit now her death deplore:
She hath putt of all earthly ornaments
And cloth'd her soule in glories spotlesse robe,
She hath exchang'd these mixed Elements,
For that pure Quintessence, the heauenlie globe;
Loe how her spright infranchised from thrall,
Of sinfull flesh, ascends the Christall skye,
Scorning to dwell long in this earthly vale,
Where all men rise to fall, and liue to die:
Therefore she soard aboue a humane pitch,
And with her vertues doth my Realme inrich.
QVATORZAIN. 3. Pallas.
Pallas otherwise called Minerua as Hesiodus affirmeth is the daughter of Neptune and Triton, poetically also fayned to be engendred of the braine of Iupiter: She is the Goddesse of wisedome, learning, and the liberall sciences, She is the sister of Mars and is said to be the Goddesse of warres and martiall stratagems, and for that is often called Bellona.
Weighing the slipperie state of earthly things,
Therefore aboue the Spheares of heauen she flies,
To sing and ioy before the King of Kings:
Her vertues that did militate on earth,
Against the flesh, the deuill, sinne and hell,
Now triumphe in the heauens, and conquer death?
And in Ioues holy monarchie doe dwell.
I rue the losse of true Nobilitie
Whilome inuested in her noble breast,
Wisedome with honour link't in amitie,
VVere both in her, and she in death supprest:
How can I chuse but waile for her decease,
Sith by her death my kingdom doth decrease.
QVATORZAIN. 4 Diana.
Cynthia called also Diana and Phœbe the daughter of Iupiter and Latona the sister of Phœbus she is the Goddesse of hunting and fishing, who addicting her selfe wholy to virginitie obtained of Iupiter therefore to liue in the woods. Virgil. Lib. 11. Alme tibi hāc nemorum cultrix Latonia virgo.
My flowre of Chastitie doth fade away
In Lethes flouds true noblenes doth sinke,
My Empyre runnes to ruinous decay;
Pittie, Almes-deeds and charitie is fled,
Fidelitie beyond the seas is gone,
True friendship now and faithfull loue is dead,
And Priapus vsurpeth Cupids throne:
She that did seeke my kingdome to maintaine,
By sanctitie, religion, faith, and zeale,
Through enuie of the Destenies is slaine,
Death robs th'Eschequer of my common weale,
For all those rites which I was wont to haue,
Are fled to heauen or buried in her graue.
QVATORZAIN. 5. Venus.
Venus termed also Cytherea poetically fained to be bred of the froth of the Sea, excelled all other Goddesses in beautie, she is the Goddesse of loue, pleasures and lasciuious delightes, she rideth in a chariot drawne by doues, she is the mother of Cupid and is accounted one of the seuen planets
And fall from Heauen, vpon the earth to morne,
Because her lifes faire day is turnde to night,
My ioye to griefe, my loue to hate shall turne.
If that I am a Goddesse, as men say,
Whom louers tearme Celestiall and deuine,
With humaine teares Ile wash my ioyes away,
And on the earth no more by day-time shine:
If I be beauties Soueraigne, and loues Queene,
Ile put a maske of clouds before my face,
Hating to loue, louing to liue vnseene,
I will obscure my selfe in some darke place:
And if I be a Planet, while I raigne,
Ile frown on th'earth where my delight is slaine.
QVATORZAIN. 6. Thetis.
Thetis called also Amphitrite the wife of Peleus King of Thessalie, daughter of Nereus and mother of Achilles was esteemed Goddesse of the Sea: of Nereus all the Nymphes were called Nereides.
And from the farthest bonds of th'Ocean maine,
Attended with troopes of Nereides,
And charming Syrens, that supporte my traine:
Mou'd with the gentle murmure of the streames,
That seeme for humane miseries to weepe,
I that doe kisse the Sunnes transplendent beames,
When he in Neptunes bosome falls asleepe;
Come to this famous land in waues of woe,
Like to a Queene in mourning weedes araide,
Crowned with cares, because mans mortall foe,
The Tyrant death, his tragick part hath plaide;
Sea more lamentes than all the worlde beside,
His true loues losse that late in England dyde.
QVATORZAIN. 7 Ceres.
Ceres the daughter of Saturne and Ops sister of Iupiter & Pluto, is the Goddesse of Corne drawen in her Chariot by dragons, crownde with sheaues of wheat she wandred about the world to finde her daughter Proserpina whom Pluto stole away, she first taught the vse of the plough and to till the land.
Somers heat fades, because the Sunne is fled,
The Sunne is fled, because his griefe is great,
His griefe is great, because his ioye is dead,
His ioye is dead, since his deare ladie dyde,
And since his lady dide he euer mournde,
He euer mournde, for losse of Natures pride,
For Natures pride, is now to ashes turnde,
To ashes turnde, that was a Phœnix rare,
A Phœnix rare, of whom no other bred,
No other bred, that breedes the more my care,
The more my care, sith all in her is dead:
O Heauēs, why do you bring this land such dearth,
As for to take a Phœnix from the earth.
QVATORZAIN. 8. Fortuna.
Fortuna as some suppose was the daughter of Oceanus, albeit Hesiodus writing of the originall birth of the Gods, makes no mention of her, yet she is vainely reckoned among the number of the Gods as Iuuenal witnesseth.
Nullum numen abest si sit prudentia, sed teNos facimus Fortuna deam Cæloque locamus.
She is the Goddesse of chance and inconstancie she is saide to be blinde and to be rouled about vpon a wheale as Tibullus in 1. Elegiarum. Versatur celeri Fors leuis orbe rota.
The blinde light Goddesse of vnconstancie,
That sometime did the Romaine Peers aduance,
To sway the worlds imperiall Monarchie:
I that doe kings enthrone, annoynt, and crowne,
And ofte depose them from the Royall seate,
I that on mightie Baiazeth did frowne,
And made the baseborne Tamberlaine so great:
Lament that death hath got the victorie,
While I am faine to flie away for feare,
For where death raines, there ends my soueraintie,
He casts downe Trophees which I did vpreare,
This Ladie whome I raisde to high degree,
Dyde not by chaunce but fatall destenie,
QVATORZAIN. 9. Nemesis.
Nemesis the daughter of Oceanus and Nox may be called the Goddesse of reuenge, who was sent from Iupiter to suppresse the pride and insolence of such as are to much puft vp with arrogancie for the fruitiō of worldly felicitie: and therfore Aristotle Li. de mundo, affirmeth Nemesis to be the deuine power and iustice of God to punish malefactors for their haynous crimes, and to distribute to euery one according to his demerits.
I come from Ioue fell Atropos to chide,
That cut too soone this Countesse vitall threede,
Where with her soule and bodie were fast tide:
While wicked men long liue in Ioy and pleasure,
She liu'd long time in sicknesse and in paine,
Who still accounted vertue her chiefe treasure,
And losse of worldly wealth heauens richest gaine:
Wherefore she fled to heauen, from whence I came,
And with reuenge to scourge mens insolence,
And those same ruthlesse destenies to tame,
That by this Ladies death Ioues wrath incence,
Who let the wicked long time liue in pride,
While she that best deserued, soonest dide.
QVATORZAIN. 10. Bellona.
Bellona the goddesse of warre called also Pallas, which to expresse both the valour and the wisedome of the honorable race of the Howardes I haue twise expressed in seuerall sonnets, whom Virgil nameth the president of warre.
That hate to liue Idly at home in peace,
With humane cries allured I come from farre,
In streames of bloude to rue this dames decease,
This Lady was a Howard and did springe,
Out of the antient Duke of Norfolkes race,
Whose ofspring did subdue the Scots stout king,
And from the field rebellious foes did chase,
Her brother still restes loyal to the Crowne,
And Scepter which faire Cynthia now doth wield,
By Seas he hath obtain'd his high renowne,
The other by his conquest in the field,
Wherefore I vow by land and Sea to raise,
Eternall triumphes to the Howards praise.
QVATORZAIN. 11 Flora.
Crowned with wreathes of Odoriferous flowrs,Whose sent perfumes the Empire of the Ayre,
Among the rest of the immortall powers,
Vnto the land of Albion I repaire.
Where I with garlands will her Toombe adorne,
And make death proud with ceremonious rites,
That for this Ladies sake I doe not scorne,
To decke her Graue, with th' earths faire flowers delights;
For sith the world was sweetned by her breath,
That breath'd rare vertues forth, as then aliue,
Ile beautifie her Sepulcher, since death
Of her sweete sowle her body did depriue,
For this braue dame was a sweet springing flower,
Bedewde with heauenly grace till her last howre.
QVATORZAIN. 12. Proserpina.
Proserpina called also Persephone and of some Hecate is the daughter of Iupiter and Ceres, the wife of Pluto Queene of Hell, she hath soueraigne power of dead bodies.
All circumscrib'd with Characters of woe,
And from the dungen of the darke abysse,
Wherein the Ocean Seas of troubles slowe,
I doe ascend vpon this worldly stage,
In this sad Tragedie to act a part,
Sith she that was a light to that last age,
Is now confounded by deaths fatall darte;
The cruell destinies were much to blame,
To cut her threede of life ere throughly spunne,
Her life burnd out like to a Tapers flame,
And thus the howrglasse of my ioyes is runne:
Wherefore the Fatall sisters shall repent
Her bodies death, and faire soules banishment.
QVATORZAIN. 13. Aurora.
Aurora the morning, the daughter of Hyperion and Thia in the iudgement of Hesiodus, or as others say of Titan and Terra whom for her faire vermilion colour Homer faineth to haue fingers of damaske hoses, and to be drawne by bright bay horses in a golden charriot, she is said by Orpheus not only to be a most comfortable Ladie to men, but also to beasts and plants and is a great friend to the Muses.
Or bid bon Iour vnto this hemyspheare,
I rather will lament in dolefull case,
The losse of her whom I did loue so deare,
I am the Muses euer constant friend,
And sith she was their Matrone while she liu'd;
I will bewaile for her vntimely ende,
By whom the sacred Sisters were releu'd:
I muse what Muse there is that will not weepe
When I shall tell this lamentable story,
That she is dead and now in dust doth sleepe,
Although her soule is crown'd with lasting glory:
I thinke the world wilbe dissolu'd to teares,
When this said tale shall penetrate mens eares.
QVATORZAIN. 14. Nox.
Nox the night, bred of Chaos as Poets faine whom they cal the most auntient mother of all creatures, because there was no light but darkenes before the Sunne and the heauens were made. And she possessed all places before the birth of the gods, she is cloathed in blacke rayment, with a sable vayle vpon her head, transported by blacke horses in her eben chariot, she came from Erebus and the infernals obscuring this Hemysphere when the Sunne is gone to the Antipodes.
Imbroidered with starres in silent night,
While Phœbus doth the lower world inspire,
with his bright beames & cōfort breathing spright,
I come in clowds of griefe with pensiue soule,
Sending forth vapours of blacke discontent,
To fill the concaue Circle of the Pole,
And with my teares bedeawe each continent:
Because that she that made my night seeme daye,
By her pure vertues euer shining lamps,
Now makes my night more blacke by her decay,
Wandring with Ghosts in the Elisian Camps:
Wherefore I still will were a mourning vaile.
For she is dead and humane flesh is fraile.
QVATORZAIN. 15 Gratiæ.
The Graces called Gratiæ or Charites the Graces daughters of Iupiter and Eurynome whose names are Aglaiæ, Euphrosyne and Thalia, they were beautifull and the companions of Venus.
Welcome pale horror griefe and discontent,
Come let vs wander to the vaile of night,
And for this Ladies death sighe and lament,
Our hopes late deade ingender liuing feares,
Our griefes awake doe bringe our ioyes asleepe,
Now we from Thetis streames will borow teares,
And teach the rockes by Netleys shores to weepe,
Our faire complexion is with sorrow chang'd,
We haue bin fellowe Mates with beauties Queene;
But from our selues we now are so estrang'd,
We are but shadowes of what we haue beene,
And thus in vaine we daily doe deplore,
For losse of life which we cannot restore.
QVATORZAIN. 17. Horaæ.
Horæ the howres, daughters of Iupiter and Themis, are by Homer and other Poets saide to keepe the gates of heauen, and by opening of them to make faire weather, and by shutting them to make foule weather, they fauour learning and associate Venus and the Graces: They are imagined to haue soft feet and to be most slow of all the Goddesses, and still to worke some new matter, they moderate and deuide the succession of times.
And are the Porters of Heauens Christall gate,
Come from the Pallace of Celestiall powers,
This Countesse death with pompe to celebrate;
By shutting vp Heauens gate we send downe rayne,
Darking the triple region of the Aire,
And when we list opening the doore againe,
Dry the moyst clowdes & make the weather faire,
Weepe now O clowdes vppon the grassie earth,
With often drops fret through the hardest stones,
While we in sorrowe for this Ladies death,
Flie back againe to the Celestiall thrones:
And locking fast the great Porte of the Skie,
Send downe more showres for her mortalitie.
QVATORZAIN. 18. Pandora.
Pandora, a Ladie imbellished with all fayre ornaments of bodie and minde on whome euery one of the Gods bestowed a seuerall gift of grace, was sent by Ioue to Prometheus with all euils inclosed, fast in a box or little cofer, which gift being refused by Prometheus was by her brought to Epimetheus, who opening the couer of the box, perceiuing all those euils to flie out suddenly shut the same, reseruing only hope in the bottome thereof reposed which he kept fast: which hope you must imagine now that Pandora hath lost in the cariage by reason of this most noble Countesse death.
Mingled with teares distild from sacred eyes,
And not so much as hope for me reposde
Is left behinde but quite away it flies.
The graces where with all the Gods indue me,
Are gone from me and to Ioues throne resort,
The blessings which vntill this day pursude me,
Forsake me now and I stand all a mort.
Like Niobe
Niobe the daughter of Tantalus waxing insolent beyond measure for the beautie and goodly proportion of her children, insomuch that she compared or rather preferred her selfe in opinion of glory before Latona and her sacred ofspring was therefore by the decree of the Gods metamorphosed into a stone, and so became her owne bodies sepulcher; and her children were slaine by Phœbus and Diana with arrowes as Poets fayne.
For her deare childrens losse whom Phoebus slue,
And to a sencelesse stone at last was turnde,
That in her life did most extreamely rue:
And thus transformde I will become a Toombe.
T'enclose her vertues in my dying woombe.
QVATORZAIN. 18. Pales Dea pastorum.
Pales is the Goddesse of Shepheards in honour of whose diety Shepheards did celebrate certain games called Palilia.
If the Court greeue shall not the Country grone?
If they doe morne that doe strong Lions keepe?
Shall not I, that keepe tender sheepe, bemone?
If faire Elisa monarch of this Ile,
This Ladies losse doth gratiously lament,
It ill becomes a country swayne to smyle,
Or me that am the Shepheards presidente:
O thou rare Queene that makest the femal gender,
By much, more worthie then the Masculine,
To thee all praise and glorie I surrender,
Whom I esteeme as sacred and deuine;
Had not thy life giuen shepheards sweet releefe,
I should haue well nigh perished with greefe.
QVATORZAIN. 19. Feronia.
Feronia the Goddesse of woods or groues whose temple (as Strabo writeth) was famous in the Citie Soractes, and she with great deuotion was there worshipped, of whome there is no mention made touching her birth or education, notwithstanding she is reckoned soueraigne of the woods as Virgil writeth.
Et viridi gaudens Feronia luco.With Siluan Nimphes which on me daily tende
Mated with sorrowe come I from the woode,
And to faire Cynthias kingdome now I wende,
Where the immortall Goddesses arriu'd,
At Troynouant, by which Thames waues do glide,
Where late a Ladie of great honour liu'd,
But greater vertue, that vntimely dyde:
Thither goe I among the rest to mourne,
And offer vp my teares vpon her shrine,
My loftie trees I will cut downe and burne,
In witnesse of her death for which I pyne:
And as my trees consume away with flame
So doth my heart with griefe, and ioy with shame.
QVATORZAIN. 15. Libitina.
In dreary accents of a dolefull verse,Ile speake her praise though I haue long bin dūbe,
In sable weedes ile decke her dismall hearse,
And sacrifice my tears vppon her toombe;
With golden Statues shall her toombe be gilte,
Like King Mausolus stately monument,
Which his deare wife the Queene of Caria built
To be the worldes eternall wonderment,
Or else I will her sencelesse corps interre,
In some faire graue like the Pyramides,
And will enbalme her bodie with sweete Mirrh
With Cassia, Ambergreece and Aloes
That th' Ayre perfum'd therewith shall sweetly smell,
While heauenly powers shal ring her wofull knel.
| Celestiall Elegies of the Goddesses and the Muses, deploring the death of the right honourable and vertuous Ladie the Ladie Fravnces Countesse of Hertford | |