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)

[dedication]

[section]

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.

[subsection]

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.

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

My Ladie of Lennoyes graces Epitaphe.

You noble dames of greatest birth, whose fame to clouds would flye.
On this cold cors with warme good will, bowe doune your iudgyng eye.
To see how fleshe and blood must fall, to dust when race is ronne:
And worldly brute, and honours blaste, shall ende where it begonne.
If stately name, or high renowne, might make her bodie liue:
Or Princes blood, to life and breath, might here a patente giue.
This Ladie had not tasted death, nor felte in sondrie thyngs:
Suche crossyng chance, and froward fate, as to her graue she brings,
Was neuer wight, with troubles toste, so sore and past them soe:
For in her breast from tender yeres, a gulffe of greef did floe.
Scan that whiche best, can skill of woe, her sorrowes were so greate:
That when I waie a dram thereof, my face and browes doe sweate.
But though she founde her fortune harde, a staied mynde she bore:
A worthie hedde where sober witte, by heapes laie hid in store.
Her gesture shewd from whence she came, her words moste graue & wyes
And honours beame, like burnyng Lampe, did blase amid her eyes.
A presence that could freends cōmaunde, and hold her foes full mute:
A noble harte where bounties budds, did blome and beare good frute.
What needs more words to proue a trothe, so rare her vertues were:
That who presumes, to hit them right, maie misse the marke I fere.
As you that mourne, are cladde with blacke, in white her soule doeth shine:
Transformd frō fleshe to angels kinde, or sacred shape deuine.
Where fortunes threate, cā doe no harme, nor worldly foile she fears
And eche good ghost in glorie greate, doeth make an ende of tears.
Her life my gaine, her death my losse, her fauour helpt my state:
Her laste farewell leaues freends behinde, to waile the losse too late.

FINIS.

University of Virginia Library

My Ladie of Lennoyes graces Epitaphe.