A Commemoration of the life and death of the Right Worshipfull and vertuous Ladie Dame Helen Branch (late Wife to the Right worshipfull Sir Iohn Branch Knight, sometime Lord Maior of the famous Citie of London): by whose godly and virtuous life, Virgines are insinuated to virtue, wiues to faithfulnes, and widdowes to Christian contemplation, and charitable deuotion, &c. Which godly Ladie left this mortall life (to liue with Christ Ihesus) the 10. of April last: and lieth interred in the Parish Church of Saint Marie Alchurch, nigh vnto Canwicke streete, the 29. day of the same month, 1594 [by John Phillip(s)] |
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 | A Commemoration of the life and death of the Right Worshipfull and vertuous Ladie |  |
Fidenti sperata cedunt.
I. P.
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A Commemoration of the life and death of the Right worshipfull and vertuous Lady Dame Helen Branch, late wife to the Right Worshipfull Knight Sir John Branch, sometime Lord Maior of the famous Cittie of London, &c.
If vertuous deeds doe merite praise, and penetrate the skie,Why should not we record their liues, that Godly liue and die:
To th'end that such as now doe liue and on the earth remaine,
Might learne to pace sweet vertues paths, & viscious waies disdaine,
And that by them posterities, to come might learned bee,
To serue the Lord when as the liues, of his deere Saints they see.
Here Uirgins yong are taught the way, to famous wisdomes bower,
Here may they feede to their contents, vpon the finest flower.
Here married wiues a loadstarre haue, to leade them from abuse,
Here Widdowes are instructed still, vertue to put in vse.
Here iustice sits to giue her doome, here truth her cause doth pleade,
Who doth reuiue our Helens name, though she to world be dead.
I speake not I of Helena that fickle Gretian Dame,
That causd the Greeks for Paris rape, to set all Troy on flame:
But I a vertuous Helen minde, whose life when you behold,
Deserues for to bee regestred in letters writ with gold.
The stocke from whence shee sprang, God garnished with grace,
Hir Parents were right godly bent, to vertue they gaue place,
And as shee grew in yeares the Lord hir wisdome did increase,
Whose name to praise and magnifie, his seruant did not cease.
To Uirgins Helen Nicolson did giue a golden light,
Shee by hir deeds did stir them vp in goodnes to delight,
First vnto God hir honour due, most reuerently shee gaue,
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Shee was not stout nor stubborne found, but gentle, meeke and milde,
All vaine and wanton idle words, were from hir lips exilde,
That Monster pride within her brest, could neuer harbour finde,
Humilitie bare soueraigne sway, within hir hart and minde,
Shee bragd not of her beautie braue, although it did excell,
Shee knew as God had giuen it hir, to grace hir bodie well,
So beautie should in future time, through crooked age decay,
And that the wormes should hir consume, when flesh should shroud in clay
The beautie of hir sillie soule, therefore by faith shee sought,
Hir hope was set on Iesus Christ, that with his blood hir bought,
And he of loue did beautifie, hir conscience with his Grace,
Because shee fixte his sacred feare, all times before hir face.
Thus thus shee led hir virgins life, to hir increase of fame,
Would Uirgins all in these our daies, would exercise the same,
Then wantonnes and lust should die, & pride should fall downe quite,
And maidens by virginitie, would neuer set so light.
But God the Lord of life and time for Helen did prouide,
And she vpon his prouidence, did constantly abide.
Her parents wills she (willingly) at no time would gainsay,
Nor rashly seeke (as some doo now) to cast themselues away.
Their will they hold a law no doubt, their parents may not mell:
For wed they will without consent, betide them ill or well,
Our Helen was not of this crue, reason did rule her minde,
Unto her parents wills, her will, was euermore inclinde.
In wedlocke they their daughter gaue, vnto a worthie wight,
A Citizen of London faire, Iohn Minors he was hight.
And of the Drapers Companie, a man discreete and wise,
And such a one as firmly fixt Gods feare before his eyes.
Our Helen was his onely ioy, and he her harts delight,
He loued her, and she with loue, her Minors did requight.
And though this yong new wedded wife, were but of tender age,
She shewd her selfe to husband hers, a curteous Sara sage.
Obedient vnto his hests, she was at euery becke,
With modestie her selfe she clad, she feard to haue a checke.
A godly life she alwayes led, vprightly she did deale,
Her cheefest care was bent to wish, and worke her Minors weale:
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Indeuoring to praise his name, and shun each sinfull crime.
From heauen the sweete deawes of his grace did on them both distill,
He blessed them with health and wealth, that did obay his will.
And in his mercies milde and sweete, their ioyes for to increase,
One sonne and daughters three to them, he gaue as pledge of peace.
Which in Gods feare to foster vp they were right willing found,
As thereunto by Gods commaund, and Nature they were bound.
A golden meane our Helen kept, her drinke was smallest beere,
Sweete Temprance was the misteres and foundres of her cheere.
With wine she was at deadly warre, excesse she did disdaine,
Content was taster of her cates, his guest she did remaine.
Yet plentie sweet within hir house did beare the soueraigne sway,
At no time emptie from hir gates, the hungry went away.
Hir seruants had their meate and drinke, in time and season dewe,
Here wedded wiues a Phenix rare, for vertues vse may vewe.
Penellope, Vlisses wife, more constant could not bee,
Then Helen was to Minors kinde, the world did plainely see.
But that great God that giueth life, hath set downe his decree,
That vnto death both yong and old, in time should subiect bee.
Clotho the distaffe loathes to hold, Lachesis will not spin,
And Parchas for to cut liues thred in sunder doth begin.
Their children he from them doth take, their houre glasse was run,
They murmerd not, but were content, with that which God had done.
For well they know that God that giues, can also take away,
For King and Duke, yea rich and poore, are Subiects vnto clay.
But loe when that these louers true, had fortie yeares bin wed,
And vndefilde unsacred sort, had held their marriage bed.
The enimie of life prepares, the fatall stroke to strike,
He spares not one, for all estates, to Atrapos are like.
The husband from his wedded wife in time he did bereaue,
And for to waile his death with teares, his Helena doth leaue.
But though that death did life subdue, his faith in Christ Gods sonne,
Hath giuen him life with Iesus Christ, though death his worst hath done,
Yet in hir secret hart shee doth hir gentle Minors shrine.
And wets hir cheekes with brinish teares, from conduits of hir eyne.
But on the liuing Lord of hoasts, shee made hir only stay,
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And God the mightie Lord of hoasts, his hand maide did behold,
And vnto hir the gifts of Grace, did louingly vnfold.
For vnto Sir Iohn Branch sometimes Lord Maior of this Cittie,
Our happie Helen wedded was beeing full of loue and pittie,
As he by iustice ready was to worke faire Londons weale,
So to the poore this Lady had a feruent loue and zeale.
In fruitful loue this gentle Knight, with Lady his did liue,
And vnto God both they and theirs, did daylie glorie giue,
But fading time that runnes forth right and neuer stands at stay,
From this good Lady tooke hir Knight, and closed him in clay,
But death in Sir Iohn Branch good Knight, no doubt remaineth dead,
For Iesus Christ aboue the skies with glorie crownes his head.
A woefull Lady Helen liues, to heauen shee makes hir mone,
And prostrate falls for comfort sweete, before Gods glorious throne.
To watch to fast and pray shee settled hir delight,
And at hir booke did vse to sit from morning vntill night.
Shee to the Drapers companie in hir life time did giue
A stocke of fifty pounds no doubt, pore youngmen to relieue,
One man for to enioy the same, for tearme of foure yeares space,
And intrest none at all to pay, but praise God for his Grace:
And then the money rendred, two young men of that trade
Shall haue that fiftie pound in vse, on bands sufficient made.
And thus this money shall no doubt from man to man be lent,
According to this ladies minde, hir meaning and intent.
Shee generally vnto the poore, hir large almes deeds extended,
The pore distraught in Bethlem, shee hath often times befrended,
Saint Marie Abchurch well can tell the loue to them she bare
With money, coales, and cloath, she did releeue poore peoples care.
Where were the sicke that shee refusde to comfort in distresse,
This Lady helpt the widdowes want, and fed the fatherlesse.
Where were the blind, the sore, and lame, that had not of hir coyne,
Wher sought she not to stay their moode, that would frō pore purloine,
Where was hir hart, hir hand, and purse, at any time found slacke,
To comfort those that wanted aide, and cloath the naked backe?
Then Ladies all example take, by this most vertuous Dame,
And learne by hir whilst life you haue, to conquer death by fame.
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Against the world sin, death and hell, a battell shee hath fought,
Faith was hir shield, Christ was the rocke, on whome shee sought to build
And he by grace hath made hir cleane, that was with sin defilde,
Thus wisdome in hir bore the sway, vertue did rule the raine,
Who taught hir still that worldly pompe and worship was but vaine,
Thus beeing mindefull of hir end as one that needs must die,
Shee hir last will in perfect minde did make right orderly,
Wherein to Marie Abchurch shee a legacie did giue,
And of a long continuance to such as there doe liue.
The famous vniuersities this Ladie had in minde,
To students poore that vertuous bee, sweet comfort shee assignd,
To prisoners poore in London shee, and Southwarke here and there,
Hath money giuen to helpe their griefe, as plainely may appeare,
The hospitalles in generall, this Lady did remember,
And poore maides marriages to mend, hir care was not found slender,
Unto hir friends and seruants all this kinde and louing Lady,
Hath left a portion of hir store, as orderly as may bee.
Shee gownes to men and women poore, bequeathed by hir will,
And readie rests the executor hir meaning to fulfill.
This was a steward of the Lord, ordayned for the poore,
Whom shee in soule and spirit still, did reuerently adore,
Where might shee help, that once to hurt, shee euer gaue consent,
When shee receeued ill for good, to doe good shee was bent.
But God the mighty God of grace, that gaue hir life and breath,
Arrested hir with sicknes sharpe, and sicknes wrought hir death.
But as in health in sicknes shee, the Lord of hoasts did praise,
And in true faith and feare of him, shee sought to end hir dayes,
Hir Lamp was fullie fraught with Oile she builded on the rock,
And at the glorious gates of grace, for mercie she did knock.
And that eternall spotles Lamb, of graces his most good,
From all hir sinnes hath clensed hir, in his deare death and blood.
You Ladies all behold hir life, and marke hir vertuous end,
And whilst you liue vouchsafe in time, to make sweet Christ your frend
For when that death began forthwith, his pageant for to play,
She humbly gaue hir soule to Christ, and left hir corps to clay,
Hir friends doe waile, hir kinsfolke weepe, hir neighbours all lament,
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Then cease your plaints this Ladie liues, though death haue cut hir downe
Sweet Christ in heauen with glory great, hir happie head doth crowne.
Foure score ten yeares she liued here, in credit praise and fame,
And dying to the world she left, no doubt a spotles name.
And thus good Ladie from thy friend, receaue thy last farewell,
Thou leauste this world to liue with Christ, with whome thy soule doth dwell.
Uirtutis Laus Actio.
| A Commemoration of the life and death of the Right Worshipfull and vertuous Ladie | |