The Tragicall Death of Sophonisba :: :: University of Virginia Library

Receiue (deare friend) into thy tombe those teares;
Those tears which from my griefe-fraught eyes distil,
Whose drearie shew the true resemblance beares
Of those sad cares which inwardly me kill:

Take them deere friend, since sent from such a one,
Who lou'd thee liuing, wailes thee being gone:

No fained teare, nor forged sigh (God knowes)
I sacrifice vpon thy wofull hearse,
My mournings are according to my woes,
And correspondent to my griefe my verse,
My sighes are ceaselesse ecchoes, that replies,
For thy sad death my hearts relenting cries,

Aye me! how can I but regrait thy case,
Who in the full Meridian of thy yeares.
While strength of body held the chiefest place,
And while thy selfe, thy selfe euen most appeares:
Death so vntimely should thy life bereaue:
Impouerishing thy friends, t'inrich the graue.

Ah! had thou not beene sociall, gentle, kinde,
Most louing, courteous, liberall by measure,
Riche in all parts, but most of all in minde,
Which thou instord'st with vertues precious treasure:
Had thou not beene I say repleat with those,
Lesse had thy praises beene, and lesse my woes.

In nothing more thy vertue proou'd her power,
Then in thy friendships well aduised choise:
Who lou'd thee once, still loues thee to this houre,
The graue their sight, but not their loue doth close,
And which was more, the mightiest of the land,
Shee ioyn'd to thee into affections band,

And well the greatnesse of thy minde did merit,
Euen that the greatest spirits should thee cherish,

Who of it selfe, did from it selfe inherit,
That which in great men do's but greatnesse perish:
“True worth is not discern'd by outward show,
“Vertues Idæa by the minde we know.

Ah foolish they that bragge so much in vaine,
Onely by blood nobilitate to be,
While in their bosomes they do scarce retaine,
The smallest sparke of magnanimity!
I hold this for a generall Maxime good,
True honor comes from vertue as from blood.

And yet I cannot but confesse indeed,
That vertue in a generous stomack still,
Doth shine more cleere then when it doth proceed,
From out a base-borne brest, marke who so will,
For why thy worth had ne're so cleerly shin'd,
Had not thy birth beene equall to thy minde.

Without affection I must truely say,
Thou wast a well-borne Gentleman by birth,
Com'd of a race nere spotted to this day,
Thine ancestors were men of noble worth,
Famous in bloud, in vertue and in name,
And all, as thou, went to the graue with fame.

Whereof this comfort doth arise I see,
To those that lou'd thy life, condoles thy death,
Though thou be dead in part, all cannot dye,
Thy mindes braue conquest shall suruiue thy breath,
Death may well triumph on thy bodies fall,
But thy great vertue euer florish shall.

Then let thy ghost goe in eternall peace,
To the Elisian sweet desired rest,
There with the happy to enioy a place,
To taste the speechlesse pleasures of the blest:
Stil surfitting those euerlasting ioyes,
That neuer feele disturbance, or annoies.

There liue still happy, while I haplesse heere,
Must celebrate thy exequies in sorrow,
Paying this tribute to thy tombe each yeere,
Of sighes and teares, which from my greifes I borrow:
And ah! no wonder that I doe the same,
For both I beare thy surname, and thy name.