University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
Elizaes memoriall

King Iames his arriuall. And Romes downefall [i.e. Anthony Nixon]

expand section



The memoriall of the iust shalbe blessed; but the name of the wicked shall rotte.



To the suruiuing late wife of his deceased Mæcenas.

The extraordinarie good that I
From you and your deceased loue receiu'd,
Haue made me oft to ponder with my selfe,
How in some sort I might requite the same.
But finding that so farre beyond my power,
I purposed to take some thing in hand,
VVherewith I might present you as the signe
Of my great thankfulnesse to you againe.
Then take this simple gift in gracious part,
Till better workes shall answere your desart.
Yours most bounde A. N.


ELIZAES Memoriall.

Early before Aurora shewe her face,
Or day-bright Hesperus begin t'appeare;
Before that Titan gins to run his race,
Awake my pen and vp thy selfe do reare,
To shewe to all posteritie to come,
what perfect ioyes possest Elizaes crowne.
Had Maro liued in her golden daies,
(Resembling ioyes that euer shall remaine)
He would haue tun'd his oaten pipe to praise
The happie state of dread Elizaes raigne,
And pretermitted as a thing but vaine,
The troubles which Æneas did sustaine.
Her fame throughout the totall Orbe did sound,
Her wisedome eu'ry Monarch did admire,
Her Maiden-head with noble vertue crownd,
Hath now attaind the hau'n of her desire.
The glorious kingdome of eternitie,
Where she enioyeth immortalitie.


Shee kept her selfe a Virgin for the Lord,
With whom she longed daily for to be,
That onely he alwaies she did accord,
Should haue the prime of her virginitie;
Who hath aduanc'd her to his heau'nly throne,
Where she enioyes the perfect vnion.
Her Scepter was the rule of righteousnes.
Her Subiects more for loue then feare obei'd.
Her Gouernment seem'd perfect blessednes.
Her Mercie with her Iustice euer swai'd.
Her Bountie, Grace, and Magnanimitie,
Her princely minde did plainely signifie.
She was the goldē Pipe through which great Ioue
Deriu'd to vs his blessings manifolde.
She was the token of his tender loue,
Chearing the hearts of all both yoong and olde.
She hath extinguisht all the mistie daies,
And brought a light more bright thē Phœbus raies


But now to come more nearer to the point,

Three principall blessings accompanying Elizaes raigne.


The which I purpose to insist vpon,
Three things I meane to handle ioynt by ioynt,
And orderly speake of them one by one.
Which are the Captaine blessings of his traine,
Which did attend vpon her Highnes raigne.
Where first I do account that chiefest good,

The word of God the first.


Among so many blessings that are rife,
Gods sacred word surpassing Angels food,
That feeds the soule vnto eternall life.
Not mingle mangle mixt with Popish custome,
But sincere milk deriu'd frō Gods owne bosome.
Frō Gods own bosome first the same proceeded,

Effects of Gods word.


Begetting, strengthning, & our faith encreasing.
Till we with him in glory may be seated,
With all his Saints and Angels there triumphing.
VVith this, God doth all other blessings send:
For on this blessing all the rest depend.


Hence come the ioyes which heau'nly pleasure brings,
While here we leade our liues deuoid of strife:
Hence flowe the christall euer-running springs,
Of wholesome waters of eternall life.
Hence comes the peace no earthly thing can giue,
The peace of conscience while on earth we liue.
A Treasure great, of price inestimable,
A Nectar sweete, distilling from aboue,
The foode diuine of truth incomparable,
Knitting our hearts in amitie and loue,
The way to rest, and all eternitie,
The Pearle which Christ commanded vs to buy.
That glorious light which did illuminate
Our harts, which long in darknes had remain'd,
To make vs of true light participate,
Whereby our steps from darknes are refrain'd.
How greatly are we bound to praise the Lord,
For this great blessing of his sacred word?


If all the costly Mynes of th'Indians,
Which secretly lie hid within the ground:
If all the precious stones which in the sands
Of Libia land most plentiously abound:
If all the ioyes of humane hearts content,
Which seated are vnder the Firmament,
Should be transported to our English coast,
And here enioyed as our proper owne;
Of them we might not halfe so truly boast,
As of this sacred truth amongst vs sowne.
This therefore in the front is placed best,
Because it is the chieftaine of the rest.
The second head whereto I do reduce,

The second head is our long peace


The seuerall blessings of her Highnesse raigne,
Is long and quiet peace, whose pleasant iuice
Distilleth like the first and latter raine.
For such a peace before was neuer seene,
As we enioy'd vnder a Virgin-Queene.


What Age, what Nation, or what Country can
Example bring of such a time of peace,
At any time since first the world began,
As God hath graunted in her Highnesse daies?
For he hath filled all his foes with shame,
And by her weaknesse magnifide his name.
He tooke her from the greedie-gaping iawes
Of them that sought to take her life away:
He did preserue her from the greedie clawes
Of Tigers fell, that sought her to betray.
He still protected her, and made her name
Extold in all the earth by Trump of fame.
He did defend her from the trecheries
Of Antichrist and all his hirelings;
Frō Spaniards proud, her vowed enemies,
Vnder the shadow of his mightie wings:
And then did set her on a princely throne,
Which maintaind truth and true Religion.


He did her heart replenish eke with graces
Fit for her dignitie and royall calling,
To censure and to iudge all doubtfull cases
VVith wisedome, equitie, and vnderstanding.
In learning eke her vertues were so rare,
That for her Sex none might with her compare.
Her Highnesse did restore the Halcion daies
VVherein each man vnder his vine might sit,
And drinke the labours of his handie waies,
And giue him thankes that first created it.
Each man might reap what he before had sowne
And peaceably enioy it as his owne.
Bellona fierce long since had tooke her flight,
Sterne Mars his weapons then were laid away,
Peace crown'd this lād with Plenties garlād bright
Farre more resplendent then the Lawrell Bay.
Maugre the Pope, Turke, Italy and Spaine,
This famous Ile in honor did remaine.


Effects of our peace.

The Husbandman then gladly tild the ground,

And sowed the same with graine in time of seed,
Expecting interest thence to abound,
As God had preappointed and decreed.
And at the Haruest reapt it vp in peace,
Lauding Iehouah for his great encrease.
The Labourer that toiled all the day,
And tooke his penny for his hired paine,
At night might homeward safely wend away,
Praising the Lord, the Author of his gaine:
Sweetly with peace himselfe in peace refreshing,
Voyd of all feare of forren foes oppressing.
We were not vexed with those rumours great
Of warres, which other Nations did sustaine:
We were not parched with the fierie heat
Of Antichrist nor of his filthy traine.
The Sonne of right'ousnes had giuen vs light,
Defacing cleane their Vaile of vgly night.


Whereby our Land a Harbour was become,
To such as sought to serue the Lord aright;
Who willing were to leaue their natiue home
And all they had, to see this heau'nly light:
Wherein who walkes the path shall neuer misse,
That leades directly to eternall blisse.
This peace God graunt to flourish in our Land,
Vntill his second glorious comming be:
And eke his sacred Gospell, to withstand
The hellish pitte of vgly heresie:
That we may praise his name in all our waies,
Till fatall death shall consumate our daies.
From long-bred peace great plentie did proceed,

The third principall blessing, is plentie of all things.


Euen as the chiefest off-spring of the same:
Of peace our plentie naturallie did breed,
Euen as the yong engender of the dame.
Destroy the Dam, the yong ones are not bred,
Take peace away, plenti's not gendered.


But Ioue hath giuen vs so long time of peace,
As hath brought forth the fruits of plenties store,
Which Riches are, much wealth, & ioies encrease,
Surpassing all in England heretofore,
Or any Countrey vnder Heauens shade,
Since Elohim confused Chaos made.
So that our Land an other Canaan
Did plentiously with milke and honey flow:
Eliza was our Iesus to withstand
Our enemies that sought to worke our woe;
And to destroy the Popish Cananites,
That would allure vs to their Idolrites.
The Heau'ns did seem to smile vpon the earth,
The clouds powr'd down ye moistned siluer drops
The Sun did glad all things with ioy and mirth,
To make of corne & fruites the goodly crops.
The Earth likewise did yeeld vs ten for one
Of that wherewith the same at first was sowne.


Plentie both Riches, wealth, and Honor brings,
Plentie is chiefe of earths felicitie:
Plentie with mirth replenisheth all things,
Plentie abandons all necessitie.
Truth, Peace, and Plentie (vs'd well) makes vs see
A glimring of the ioyes in heauen that bee.
For Truth or true Religion represents
The redolent melodious harmonie
Which heau'nly Harpers with their Instruments,
Do offer to Iehouahs Maiestie:
Sweetly resounding on celestiall strings
Their Makers praise, whereto the holders sings.
Peace doth resemble that most sweet content
Wherein the blessed soules most safely rest:
Amidst the third and highest Firmament,
Vnder the Aultar of the Saints request.
In great repose, much wealth and ioyes encrease,
VVhich lasting aye, shall neuer fade nor cease.


Plentie of all things doth possesse the heau'ns,
Our plentie's but a shadow of that store
Of ioyes, which to the blessed soules are giu'n,
For perfect ioyes are there for euermore.
No eye hath seene, eare heard, or heart conceiu'd,
The ioyes that God for his elect prepar'd.
Among which ioyes Elizaes soule doth rest,
Sweetly refresht in the Elizian fields,
Where she enioyes the kingdome of the blest,
That neuer vnto alteration yeelds:
But euer shall endure both firme and stable,
Repleat with during ioyes innumerable.

Mors lucrū Eliz.bethæ [illeg.]uplum.

Eliza for one death hath gain'd two liues,

First in Elisium farre aboue the Skie:
The second here on earth; her name reuiues,
Which neuer dying liues eternally.
And from this auntient saying I deriue it,
As true as old, Virtus post funera viuit.


Oh! gaine surmounting mortall mans conceit,
To loose an earthly crowne to get the crowne of glory:
To gaine a lasting life with ioy repleat,
For this which is but vaine and transitory.
To gaine immortall life for mortall breath,
Which seemeth life, but is a vitall death.
All future ages shall admire her raigne,
When they shall heare her princely gouernment:
Vntill the liquid teares distill amaine,
Their owne vntimely birth they shall lament,
That they might not behold her golden daies,
So sweetly graced with immortall praise.
This Virgin-Queene did rule faire Albion
Twise two & twentie yeares, with great encrease
Of peace, ioy, wealth, much honour & renowne,
And then resigned vp her soule in peace,
To him that gaue it an immortall crowne,
In spite of thousands ten conspiracies
Which Antichrist against her did deuise.


Thus haue I briefly (as my slender skill
Permitted) now describ'd the happines
Which we enioy'd vnder Eliza still,
While she did here her vitall life posses,
To be a Glasse for ages that shall bee,
Her prosperous and happie raigne to see.
VVhat though the Muses did not guide my quill
To runnes as doth puncted Grecian verse;
My Lynes shall drop as from Parnassus hill
Eternall Nectar on Elizaes Herse:
And in a sute which sable they do call,
Accompany her to her Funerall.
FINIS.


KING IAMES his Arriuall.

Passe on my pen to Englands present state,
And shewe of sudden feare what hopefull ioy

Contention betweene feare and hopefull ioy at Elizaes death, & K. Iames his proclamatiō


Did spring alike, from out each others hate,
While Ioue rul'd both that nothing could annoy;
For feare did striue to make our harts to swound,
Ioy striu'd with mirth to make our hearts abound.
The first prefigur'd in Elizaes death,
When Feare triumphed in our fearefull brests:
The second in that health resounding breath,

Feare for Elizaes death Ioy for K. Iames happy proclamatiō


God saue King Iames, of England King the first.
Here sudden ioy ore-come the former feare,
A thing, the like whereof is seene but rare.


O ioyfull sound of words spoke in due season,
When as our former hopes lay all on bleeding:
When sad distrust could see no ample reason,
Of this right wise, most iust, & good proceeding.
Words spoken in due time and fitly placed,
Like golden apples with siluer pictures graced.
For when for true we heard this dolefull newes,
Eliza dead, our hearts began to faint;
Our sinnes were great, we could them not excuse,
God therefore iust, we onely caus'd the plaint.
We thought our life with hers did then decay,
We thought her death gaue vs no longer stay.
But marke and see the goodnesse of the Lord,
When we nought but confusion might expect,
Did guide our Nobles hearts with one accord,
The worthiest Prince in Europe to elect;
King Iames the first, next heire to the Crowne,
To rule this Land in honour and renowne.


Sprung from the line of that most roiall race

The royall discent of K Iames.


Henry the seuenth, who raigning married
Elizabeth fourth Edwards daughters grace,

Henry the seuenth of the house of Lancaster, married Elizabeth Edward the fourth his daughter of the house of Yorke.


Vniting so the white Rose and the red,
The houses two of Yorke and Lancastar,
VVhich long before dissention did seuer.
VVhence he had issue princely Margaret,
Who to King Iames the fourth of Scotland King
Espowsed was: then she King Iames the fift
To her said Husband happily did bring.

Archiball Douglas Earle of Anguish, Lady Margarets secō Husband.


But whē King Iames the fourth her husband died,
To Earle of Anguish then she was affied.
To whom she brought a princely maiden bright,
Which to the Earle of Lennox married was,
And broght this Earle in time that worthy wight
Henry the Duke of Albany his grace,

Lord Dark


Who married Mary then the Queene of Scots,
By whom our Soueraigne Iames the sixt he got.


See here his worthy princely Ancestors,
His lineall discent and rightfull claime:
Of English blood were his progenitors,
Whose noble Actes deserue immortall fame;
VVhose fame reuiues though they in dust do lie,
For Monuments to all posteritie.
A King endued with such royall parts,
Both of his body, and his princely mind,
Of manhood, prowesse, learning, wit, and arts,
As though Queene Vertue had a place assign'd
VVithin the Center of his learned brest,
For her and all her sacred gifts to rest.
A Prince most prudent and maiesticall,
As his profound and learned bookes declare,
Deriued from a minde heroicall,
Such workes of Kings are neuer seene, or rare
But of our princely Lord and King alone,
An other Dauid in his princely throne.


King Dauid taught wise Salomon his sonne
To rule the kingdome after his decease:
So doth King Iames prescribe his Salomon,
A ruled way to perfect ioyes encrease,
To guide his helme in honor & renowne,
Though aduerse & cōtrarious winds do frowne.
King Dauid burned with an ardent loue
Of sincere truth and perfect godlines:
So doth our roiall Cæsar well approue
His praise and glory to consist in this,
To meditate vpon the lawe diuine,
And thereby all his publike lawes refine.
If Iulius Cæsar merited such fame,
VVho did indite his owne most worthy facts;
How much more thē shal fame aduāce thy name
(O worthy King) which sings Iehouahs acts?
Which seekest not thy owne praise & renowne,
But his, that gaue thee thine Imperiall crowne.


Most mightie Cæsar, neuer canst thou flie
The praise of fame, because she followes thee:
Thy name she carries through the cloudie skie,
With wings farre lighter then the nimble Bee,
And shall in time to come thy praises sound
In all the endes of this great circled round.
Thrice welcome then vnto our English shore,
Thrice worthy Monarch of faire Albion:
Ioue fill thy daies with honour, peace, and store;
Long maist thou sit vpon thy princely throne.
Long maist thou rule, and long may we obay,
In Iustice seate long may thy Scepter sway.
Long may thy sonnes thy regall Scepter sway:
Long may they immitate their fathers waies:
Long may thy vertues shine in them, that they
May rule in peace and honour all their daies.
Long maist thou all thy childrens children see,
And after death attaine felicitie.


Make haste (deare Prince) and take possession
Of this thy long and quiet Regiment,
Presaged by a springfull horrison,
As by a thing most cleare and eminent.
The Sommer giues thee welcome with his heat,
The Birds thy VVelcome singing do repeat.
Thy Nobles long to see thy princely face,
Thy Cleargie pray for thy prosperitie:
Thy Communaltie would thrust to see thy grace
The perfect Mirror of true Maiestie.
In briefe, thy subiects all for ioy do sing,
That Iames the sixt, is now become their King.
FINIS.


ROMES DOWNEFALL.

Vanish away ye birds of vgly night,
Which with the Owle cānot endure the light;
The light hath all your knauerie bewrai'd,
And to the view of all the world it laid.
Your neasts are found, your filthinesse descride,
Then pack away, no longer here abide.
All know your rites are but mens phantasies,
To liue in ease, and blind the simples eies.
Your Masse is knowne a breaden-God to bee,
Of all that haue but halfe an eye to see.
Y'are worse then Iudas, so your deedes bewray;
He did for thirtie pence the Lord betray:


You sell him daily for a single penny,
You make of Christ euen as you list, as many
Your curses and excommunications,
With bell, booke, candle, are but Euen songs,
Which you for Lucifer your maisters sake
With Heathinish and Iudaicall rites do make.
Your thūdring Buls may serue to scar the crowes,
Your Trentalls, Dirges, are but idle showes.
Your Iesuits and Priests are Locusts breed,
Which from the Lake that's bottomles proceed.
But what do I your filthinesse recite,
Whereof the whole world hath a perfect sight.
You long haue looked for (as you did say)
To see the time when you should haue a day:
Whereby you ment (as all men well do know)
Elizaes death should worke our ouerthrow.
O! But is not your hope frustrate and vaine?
Succeedeth not King Iames our Soueraigne?


A Phœnix from Elizaes ashes bred,
Though she possesse a place among the dead?
What, is she dead? how failed your intent?
Because God had ordaind your punishment.
The Beast must fall you sit so safely on,
That strumpet vile the whore of Babilon.
Now is the time that God will vengeance take
Vpon that whore which all the world did make
Drunke, with her whoredome and Idolatrie,
Which reached vp vnto the cloudie skie.
For now her former sinnes are come to light,
Before the face of Ioues eternall might:
And as shee hath with sinne rewarded him,
So he will fill her cup euen to the brim,
And make her of his fiercest wrath to drinke,
Till she to nothing vtterly do sinke.
As she delighted bloud of Saints to spill,
So he will giue her bloud to drinke her fill.


[illeg.]tolinus. [illeg.]inus. [illeg.]tinus. [illeg.] Elinus. [illeg.]s. [illeg.]inalis. [illeg.]nalis.

Now by this whore, is meant we all do know

The Antichristian Church of Rome, for so
The Angell vnto Iohn the same expounded,
A Citie that vpon seuen hilles was founded.
No Citie on seuen hilles is built but Rome,
Then Rome it is, must haue this deadly doome.
The Riuer Euphrates now dries away,
To make her to the Kings of th'earth a pray:
The kingdome of the beast becomes obscure,
By preaching of Christs glorious Gospell pure:
And more and more shal hence-forth day by day,
Vntill it come to ruine and decay.
Which God accomplish, when he sees the same
Most opportune to glorifie his name:
That all may see't, and seeing, say with Iohn,
It's falne, it's falne, falne is great Babilon.
FINIS