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 one maistres Blunt, The Ladie Pauletts sister.

You worthie wiues that vertue seeks, and blotlesse liues doe lead:
With bitter tears be dewe your cheeks, when you these verses read.
And looke you mourne as matrons doe, whose modest maners maie:
By outward woe and heauie lookes, their hidden harms bewraie.
Blacke gounes & blasyng torches bigg, doeth bryng her to the graue
To whom the Gods when she had life, greate gifts of glorie gaue.
Her housbande houlls and wryngs his hands, as after corse he goes:
And neibours loue bursts out in sighes, & worlde suche sorowe shoes.

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As cropp and roote of woman kinde, were loste and laied full loe:
A gracious life is geste and known, when hence the ghost doeth goe.
Then Blount bedeckt with blessed brute, passe on to heauens hie:
And leaue thy freends and children all, behinde to waile and crie.
The losse of sutche a Iewell rare, more ritche then pearle or gold:
More meete to dwell in breast of man, then lodge in ashes cold.
Unfitt for worme O wifely dame. the worlde hath seldome bredd:
A wife of sutche a worthie fame, and suche a noble hedde.
As meeke as Lambe of looks or woords, of councell ripe and sounde:
Of harte moste milde where humble thoughts, & bountie did abound.
A Nourse of Nurture eurie waie, to child and houshold bothe:
A Mirrour to the simple sort, and fountaine full of trothe.
The housbandes ioye, the freends delite, the neighbours comfort too:
A willyng minde, and readie hande, when she good turne might doo.
That feels she now where angells syng, and good mens souls do rest
And where we cease from worldly toile, I meane in Abrams brest.
Where loe I leaue her till we meete, full faste our date drawes on:
And we the self same stepps must tread, that she before hath gon.

Finis.

University of Virginia Library

An Epitaphe of one maistres Blunt, The Ladie Pauletts sister.