University of Virginia Library

Vpon the death of the aforenamed Dame Elizabeth Arhundle of Cornewall.

What Tongue can tell the wo?
what Pen expresse the plaint?
Unlesse the Muses helpe at neede
I feele my wits to faint.
Yee that frequent the hilles
and highest Holtes of all,
Assist mee with your skilfull Quilles
and listen when I call.
And Phœbus, thou that sitst
amidst the learned route,
Doo way thy Bowe, and reach thy Lute
and say to sounde it oute.
Helpe (learned Pallas) helpe
to write the fatall fall
Of hir, whose lyfe deserues to be
a Mirrour to vs all.
Whose Parents were of fame
as Leyster well can showe:
Where they in worship long had liude,
with yeares did worship growe.
Of worship was the house
from whence shee tooke hir line:
And she a Dannat by discent
to worship did incline.
What neede I pen the prayse
of hir that liude so well.
That of it selfe doth yeelde a sounde,
we neede not ring the Bell.
Whilst Dannat did ensue
Diana in the race,
A truer Nymph than Dannat was
was neuer earst in place.
With Beautie so adrest
with Uertue so adornde:
Was none that more imbraste the good.
nor at the wicked scornde.
When fleeing Fame with Trumpe
and blasted brute had brought
This Dannats thewes to courtlike eares
(which Dannat neuer sought)
To Court she was procurde
on Princesse to attende
A seruice fit for such a one
hir flowring yeares to spende,
Where when she had remainde
and serude the Princesse well,
Not rashly but with good aduice
to Iunos yoke she fell.
A Woulfe by hap espide
this sielie Lambe in place,
And thought hir fittest for his pray:
not gastly was his face,
Not Woulflike were his eies,
ne harrish was his voice:
Nor such as Lambes might feare to heare
but rather might reioice.
A hart not bent to hate
or yeelding pray to spill:
Unto Licaon farre vnlike
whose pleasure was to kill.
Arhundle was his name,
his stock of great discent:
Whose predecessors all their liues
in Uertues path had spent.
Hee not vnlike the rest
behaude himselfe so well,
As he in fine became a Knight,
so to his share it fell.
Thus was this Ladie fast
conioynde in sacred knot:
Whose prime and tender yeares were spent
deuoyde of slaunders blot.
The match no sooner made,
when mariage rites were donne;
But Dannat ranne hir race as right
as shee hir course begonne.
And sooth it is, shee liude
in wiuely bond so well,
As she from Collatinus wife
of Chastice bore the bell.
Vlysses wyfe did blush
to heare of Dannats prayse:
Admetus Make (the good Alcest)
did yeelde vp all hir Kayes.
The Greekes might take in griefe
of such a one to heere,
Who for hir well deserued fame
could haue no Greekish Peere.
Thus many yeares were spent
with good and soothfast life,
Twixt Arhundle that worthie Knight
and his approoued wife.
Of whome such Impes did spring,
such fruite began to growe.
Such issue did proceede as we
them by their braunches knowe.
The Oke will yeelde no Grapes,
the Uine will beare no Hawes:
Ech thing must follow kindly course
by Natures fixed lawes.
Euen so that worthie Tree
such fruite is seene to beare,
As yet commends the withred stocks
and them to Welkin reare.
Thus did they liue in ioy,
till chaunce and spitefull death
These louing Turtles did deuide
and reft the Cock his breath.
Then first the bale began,
then black attyre came on:
And Dannats dreerie doole was seene
with neuer stinting mone.
Nought might hir sorrow swage,
but still she did bewaile
The Cinders of hir seuerd Make
with teares of none auaile.
Seauen yeares she spent in wo
refusing other Make:
For such is Turtles kinde you know
they will none other take.
I doubt where Dido felt
the like tormenting rage,
When that the guilefull Guest was gone
that laid his fayth to gage,
This Dannats vertues were
so rife and eke so rare,
As few with hir for honest life.
and wisdome might compare.
Minerua did soiourne
within that wiuely brest:
Hir deedes declarde that in hir head
Dame Pallas was a guest.
But what we couet most
or chiefest holde in price,
With greedie gripe of darting death
is reaued with a trice.
The cruell Sisters three
were all in one agreede,
To let the spindle run no more
but shrid the fatall threede.
And fortune, (to expresse
what swing and sway she bare)
Allowde them leaue to vse their force
vpon this Iewell rare.
Thus hath the Welkin woon,
and we a losse sustainde:
Thus hath hir Corse a Uaute founde out,
hir Sprite the Heauens gainde.
Since sobbing will not serue,
ne shedding teares auaile
To bring the soule to Corps againe
his olde and woonted Gaile:
Leaue off to bath hir stone
with Niobs teares to long,
For thou shalt aide hir naught at all
but put thy selfe to wrong.
Wish that hir soule may reach
the place from whence it came:
And she be guerdond for hir life
with neuer dying fame.
For sure she well deserude
to haue immortall prayse,
And lawde more light than clearest Sunne
or Phœbus golden rayes.
If ought my slender skill
or writing were of powre,
No processe of ingratefull time.
hir vertues should deuoure.