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The Period of Mourning

Disposed into sixe Visions. In Memorie of the late Prince. Together with Nuptiall Hymnes, in Honour of this Happy Marriage betweene the Great Princes, Frederick Count Palatine of the Rhene, and The Most Excellent, and Aboundant President of all Virtve and Goodnes Elizabeth onely Daughter to our Soueraigne, his Maiestie. Also the manner of the Solemnization of the Marriage at White-Hall, on the 14 of February; being Sunday, and St. Valentines day. By Henry Peacham
  

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THE PERIOD of Mourning.
  
  
  
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THE PERIOD of Mourning.

I. Vision.

I saw (me thought) from Cambers hilly shore,
A goodly Arke, as euer eye beheld;
Whose Sayles were Silke, and Tackle twined Oare,
That seem'd reflected, gloriously to guild
The waue around, while thousand colours faire,
Kept time aloft with euery little ayre.
She Archon hight, for that she had no Peere,
And could command the Ocean with her might:
In whom the Hopes of many thousands were,
But chiefly of the Muse, and Martiall sprite:
Braue Man of warre she was, from Britaine bound,
For new discoueries all that might be found.


And going out, shee did beguile the way,
With sound of Trumpet, Shawmes and Cornet shrill,
That fil'd the shore, and seem'd to charme the Sea;
(For windes were ceas'd, and waues were calme and stil.)
Such peales of Thunder, then anone were sent,
As if she would haue torne the Firmament.
But sodainely the Day was ouercast,
A tempest hurles the billow to the Skye,
That Cables brake, and hauing spent her Mast
Shee fell on Rocks; herewith I heard a cry
Of dying men; who perish'd on the shelues,
Saue some, that knew to swim, and saue themselues.
VVhich when I saw, a streame of Teares I shed,
And said (O God) who did commit the sinne,
That such a Treasure should be buried
In lowest Graue, as it had neuer bin?
A fraught wherein we shared euery one,
And by whose losse three Kingdomes are vndone.

II. Vision.

I saw a Palme, of body tall and straight,
Vpon whose braunches Crownets did depend;
But for the top, were kept a cumbrous waight
Of three more great: inough to force it bend,
(For little wot we managing of Realmes,
The howerly cares and charge of Diadems.)


And euery bough did bloome with fruitfull store,
Wherein all kindes of singing Birds did build,
Melodiously reioycing euermore
In his deere aide, by whom they were vpheld:
And hither oft, the shepheard would repaire,
If heate did scortch, or cloude accloie the Aire.
But at the roote, a fearefull Serpent lay,
(Whose many mischiefes Time forbids me tell,)
That vndermin'd the Body night and day,
That last, it downe with hideous fragor fell,
To griefe of all; mine eye did neuer see,
More hopefull Blossomes, or a fairer Tree.

III. Vision.

A wood there was, along the Stygian Lake,
Where Night, and euerlasting Horror dwell,
Herein a Caue, two hollow Rockes did make,
From whence a Brooke as blacke as Lethe fell:
A common roade led thither, with descent
So steepe, that none return'd that euer went.
It was an vncouth Dungeon, darke and wide,
Where liuing man nere was, or light had shone,
Saue that a little glimmering I espi'de
From rotten stickes, that all about were throwne:
The Boxe and banefull Eugh-tree grew without,
All which a stinking ditch did moate about.


Within, there hung vpon the ragged wals
Sculs, shirtes of maile, whose owners had beene slaine
Escotcheons, Epitaphes of Funerals;
In bottles teares of friends, and Louers vaine:
Spades, Mattockes, models, boltes and barres for strength,
With bones of Giants of a wondrous length.
Beneath, all formes of Monuments were seene,
Whose superscriptions were through age defac'd,
And owners long agoe consumed cleane
But now as coffers were in order plac'd,
Wherein inditements lay, charmes, Dead-mens wills
Popes pardons, pleas, and Pothecaries bills.
In mid'st there sat a meagre wretch alone,
That had in sorrow both his ei'n outwept,
And was with pine become a Sceleton:
I ask'd him why that loathsome Caue he kept,
And what he was: my name (quoth he) is Death
Perplexed here, for Henries losse of breath.
Henrie the good, the great, vnware I hit
VVith deadly dart before the timely day,
For at one neere him while I leuel'd it,
That sent more soules then I my selfe away,
Or feare, or fate the arrow did misguide
That he escap'd, and Noblest Henry di'd.


With that, he bad me to retire in hast,
For neuer any came so neere his dore,
And liu'd: here-with mine eye a side I cast,
Where stood a glue-pot, Canes and quiuers store,
And on a shelfe, lay many stinking weedes,
Wherewith, I ghesse, he poison'd arrow heads.
By doubtfull tracks away through Brake and Breere,
I left the VVood, and light at last did view,
When Death I heard accused euery where,
As Theife and Traytor, of the vulgar crew,
For this misdeed, hee sware against his will;
For who knew Henry could not meane him ill.

IIII. Vision.

I saw erewhile, conducted forth by Fame
A Carre Triumphall, all of massie Gold,
And

Three of England and that one of Scotland.

foure fierce Lyons yoaked in the same,

The which a Virgin, louely to behold,
With gentle raine did guide and show the way,
She

Vnitie.

Vna hight, none else they would obay.

A warlick Impe within was set on high,
Who Phœbus, in his glorious armes out-shone,
Ydrad of all for awfull Maiestie,
Yet louing, and more loued liued none;
Hight Philocles, whom Fame did thus addresse
To high designes, which few or none could ghesse.


But oh vncertaine state of all below,
And feeble stay whereon our hopes doe rest!
While that I gazed rauish'd with the show
And heart did leape for ioy within my breast,
From Heauen I saw discend a fiery wand
And all to blacke was turned out of hand.
Carricks white Lions in a field of Red,
His golden Garbes as Chesters Palatine,
The Cornish Beasaunts seldome quartered,
Rothsay with that braue Coate of Leoline,
VVhich one-day might in field of Mars haue flowne,
Before his Herse were mournfull streamers showne.
The gallant Steede that did disdaine the bit,
And shooke with angry hoofe the hollow ground,
His Riders losse lamented ouer it:
The Souldiour with his Drumme and Trumpets sound
That beate the March, and blew the furious charge,
VVere turn'd to Singers timing of his Dirge.
The fiery spirit whose aspiring flame
Brake out enkindled at his glorious light
Grew dimme and damp'd, as dying with the same;
The gentle Heart in mourning melted quite,
His Friends and louers (We) did weare his blacke
VVithin the Breast, while others on the Backe.


But in the while we haue related this,
The Corps was gone and euery thing was past,
That there remained nothing but his Misse,
VVhich when I saw mine eyes to Heauen I cast,
And said, Oh let me neuer liue I pray,
To feele the griefe of such another day.

V. Vision.

I lay to rest by those two Sister-streames,
That striue with each as seemeth by their hast,
VVho to her spouse should take the stately Thames,
(For both into his bosome fall at last;)
VVhere, one I heard as Thracian Orpheus sing,
VVith Beast and Bird about him listening.
Come VVoods (quoth he) and VVaters lend your sound,
And help vs to bemone our Dions death,
Come euery Plant that growes vpon the ground,
Your fruit or sauours to his Herse bequeath,
Come purple Roses, purest Lillies turne
Your Beauties blacke, and help a while to mourne.
Come Albion Muses, come sweet Philomel,
Report this newes among thy mournefull straines,
To greenie Groues the Death of Dion tell,
Ye Shepheards fill here-with the fruitfull plaines,
At Morne and Euen, and say, with Dion dead,
All Musicke and our Merry daies are fled.


Come Albion Muses, come ye siluer Swannes
Sing dying and die singing on the bankes
Of Isis flood, come wood Musitians
Surround him sleeping in your painted ranckes,
Leaue wanton Naiads treading of your rings
And teach your eyes to ouerflow the springs.
Come Albion Muses bid Menalcas sit
With broken reede beside his aged Oke,
And solitary there some dittie fit
That mought to teares infernall Dis prouoke:
Eternall silence dwell on Dale and hill,
And Heards vnkept goe wander where you will.
Come Albion Muses, come with Eccho mourne
In hollow Rockes and vales, for Dion gone,
Who (like his lips) shall neuer more returne,
A gratious answere call'd by you vpon:
Die flowers, and fall ye fruit vnripe from Trees
And cease your toile (the sweetest gone) ye Bees.
Come Albion Muses, neuer Dolphin wept
More kindly, cast by Neptune on the shore,
Or Memnons Bird with greater sorrow kept
Auroras sonne, whom still she weepeth ore,
Or groue with plaints of Philomela rung
VVhen Plough-man had bereft her of her young.


Calliope more woefull did not seeke,
Her Loued Homer all about the Sea,
Or Venus on her deere Adonis cheeke,
More kisses heaped as he dying lay,
As Albion now who (mother-like) in vaine,
VVould, spight of Nature, weepe him backe againe.
If in a graden but the Mallow die,
The Daisie, Dill, or Rose, it liues agen,
And shooteth yeerely from his bed on high,
But we endu'de with Reason who are men,
Much fairer, stronger, if we once doe fall,
No more on Earth our being haue at all.
Much more he would haue said but that with griefe,
His voyce did faile and hand began to slacke,
VVherewith approached first of Beasts the chiefe,
VVho in their kindes bewailed Dions lacke:
The Birds aboue, in Trees were set aloft,
Each chattering in his note as Nature taught.
None for precedence stroue, that they forgat,
As ill befitting pensiuenesse of heart,
But as they came in Louing league they sat,
And each to each his sorrow did impart:
For griefes doe grow by many bearers weake,
That else the backes of one or two would breake


Three Lyons white full bitterly did groane,
And waile his absence whom they loued deere,
Aloofe the

Noble personages of the land whose Crests these are.

Heliconian Horse did moane,

For as the rest he could not come so neere.
The Lynx, the Bufle, and the Talbot true,
Did (as they could) their vtmost sorrow shew.
The Greyhound, Griffon, Tiger, and the Goate,
Two gallant Dragons greene, and one of Red,
The Vnicorne in his faire Ermine-coate,
The Roebucke, Bore, and Bull, for combat bred:
The Leopard, Wiuerne, Munkey, and the Beare,
The Tiger, Cat, and Porcespine were there.
Of Birds, I saw the Eagle sharpe of sight,
Th' Arabian Phœnix, and the Peacocke gay,
The towring Falcon for the Kings delight,
The Chough, the Rauen, and dainty Popingaie,
The Swanne with Pheasaunt fetch'd from Phasis flood,
And Pellican soare wounded with her brood.
With others numberlesse both wilde and tame,
By flockes that hither in a Moment flew,
But as I neere to this assembly came,
Their order, kindes, and cullors for to view,
The Man, the Musicke, Bird, and Beast were gone,
I left to mourne disconsolate alone.


VI. Vision.

I was conducted by a louely childe,
Whose haire outshone the brightest burning gold,
Of sweet aspect as Maid, and modest milde,
Vnto that place where certainely is told,
The soules of such as here had liued well,
Disroab'd of Earth in happinesse doe dwell.
It was Elisium, a delightfull plaine,
Where Zephyre makes an euerlasting Spring,
And Fruits, and Flowers, doe all the yeere retaine
Their tast and beauties, sweetest Birds doe sing
In Laurell shades, where coolest siluer brookes
Diuorce their courses by a thousand crookes.
Within there was a Theater of gold,
Rais'd on a mount in semi-circle wise,
Which stately columnes strongly did vphold,
That by ascent did ouer other rise,
And railde betweene with Christall lights that shone
Against the Sunne like Rockes of Diamond.
Not Scaurus Scæne might with this same compare,
That eightie thousand could at one time hold,
Nor that of Pompey, nor that wounder rare
Vespasian reard, nor that with pouldred gold
Which Nero (as with sand I read bestrew)
And seel'd with silke all starry gilt in blew.


Three rowes it had where Princes onely sat,
To view their worldly miseries foregone,
Their Kingdomes changes and to contemplate
Their happinesse in full fruition:
These liued well, or for the Faith were slaine,
Or younglings were who neuer saw their raigne.
Each were in order rancked as they dy'd,
The formost, Heire apparants of our land,
VVhose deaths were by Impresas specifide,
So sweetly limn'd as by an Angels hand.

Hee was drowned at 17 yeeres of age, comming into England out of Normandie

William first Henries sonne did giue a sea

Enrag'd, aboue was written, Cast away.
The sonne of Stephen Prince

Eustace being angry with his Father Stephen for making peace with Henry Duke of Normandie departed from him

Eustace next did sit,

Who gaue a braunch of bitter Hellebore,
Dispayre's not holpe was scored ouer it.
Henry the sonne of second Henry bore
A Phaeton, with this, Too soone I clime,
A King and Rebell in my Fathers time.


Appeared then, in Armes, a goodly Prince
Of swarthy

Edward the blacke Prince, first sonne to Edward the 3.

hew, by whom there hung a Launce

Of wondrous length, preserued euer since
Hee ouerthrew at Poiteirs Iohn of Fraunce:
A Dial his deuice, the stile at One,
And this, No night and yet my day is done.
By him I saw in white a comely

Prince Edward who was slaine at Tewksbury.

youth,

Vpon whose breast appear'd a gaping wound
(That would haue mou'd a heart of Flint to ruth)
Wherewith the place was smeared all around.
A withered crimson Rose by him was fixt,
His word, The last, as sonne of Henry sixt.
A little lower sat two

King Edward the fift, and Richard his Brother

beauteous Impes

Of smyling cheere, as fresh as flower in May:
Not Tyndaris faire twinnes, Plerian Nimphes,
Or Myrrha's Boy so louely faire as they:
These were the Brother-Princes that in bed
The Tyrant slew and left vnburied.


One had a Pillow with his crowne thereon,
His Mot, The Price of my eternall rest:
The other gaue a Vulture ceasing on
The heart of Titius, with, The Tyrants breast.

Prince Arthur maried Catharine, Daughter of Ferdinando king of Spaine. By this deuice the Author seemes couertly to shew a distast of our Princes matching with Spaine.

Prince Arthur, this, aboue an Orange flower

Though seemes the fayrest yet the fruit is sower.
The last sat our late Henry on a Throne
By one degree rais'd higher then the rest;
About whose brow an heauenly glory shone,
And certaine beames appeared from his breast,
Which who so did with neerer eye admire
Were striken blinde, or had their hearts on fire.
Where when I saw that Brow, that Cheeke, that Eye,
Hee left imprinted in Eliza's face,
That louely cheere and gracefull Maiestie
In hopefull Charles that take their second place.
With Ioy surprized to my home before
I bad returne, wee cared for no more.
FINIS.