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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Maister VValter Archer his Epitaphe, an auncient Borgis of Kilkenie

In beaten Brasse, or grauen Gold, a good mans Fame should shine:
Or written faire, with lukewarme blood, I wishe were eurie line.
Of mans renowne, for sure to base, is ynke and paper here:
Or all our arte, and skill of penne, to paint their praises clere.
That well deseru'd whose worthie liues, did showe there was small odds:
Betwene the doyngs of the iuste, and maner of the godds.
Greate is the grace, of them that gaze, on high with staied looke:
And cars not so their honest names, be written in the booke.
Of life good Lorde, yea threfolde blest, are those that liues vpright:
And holds their heads to heauen gates, with deepe and secret sight.
Then preace in place, good Archer now, thy blotlesse life is sutche:

No verse hath grace, nor stile maie reche, to giue thee laude to mutche
Thy coūtrie rings of thy great praise, thy waies were found so wise:
That from the graue, vnto the clouds, thy ripe renowne doeth rise.
Moste cleane and vpright thoughts did dwell, amid thy manly minde
Of tried trothe, thy soile throughout, did all thy doyngs finde.
Bothe Solon and Lycurgus lawes, thy Ciuill maner shoes:
Eche worde of thine a sentence was, like flood that freashly floes.
A welle of witte, sprong from thy hedde, a tong of temprance right:
A grace to winne, and purchace freends, at vewe and present sight.
A Toby to his children all, yea Iob for happie state:
A father graue, that well bestowd, the worldly goods he gate.
A Iewell to Kilkenie sure, when toune besieged was:
A worthie Burges stoute of harte, that could through perills passe.
Of stature meane, of maner milde, and sure as I haue hard:
A verie shadowe of a sainct, so shapte in some regard.
His ende did showe, what life he ledd, his neighbours doe recorde:
He was a plant of speciall grace, and member of the Lorde.
Wherefore dere freends, yt reads these lines, be sure his soule is well:
And he through Christ doeth triumph still, on dreadfull death and hel.
And sitts as safe in Abrams breast, as babe in mothers lappe:
Moste glad are Adams ofspring all, that meets sutche blessed happe.

FINIS.

University of Virginia Library

Maister VValter Archer his Epitaphe, an auncient Borgis of Kilkenie