University of Virginia Library

The speeches at the Tombe.
Time.
Leofstane, I charge thee stay.

Leofstane.
What art thou, that dar'st bar me of my way?

Time.
He that suruaies what euer deedes are done,
Abridges, or giues scope, as likes me best;
Recalling to the present sight of Sunne
Actions, that (as forgot) haue lien at rest,
And now, out of thy long-since buried Chest
At Bermondsey, raisd thee to see this day:
Leofstane; tis he, that dares compell thy stay.

Leofstane.
See in how short a while a quiet Soule,
Hid from this world fiue hundred years and more
May be forgetfull of great Times controule,
By such gay sights as nere I saw before.
My selfe yer while could tell this worthy Lord,
Time had reuiu'd me, to attend this day:
Pardon me then, that I durst breath a word
In contestation, where all ought obey.
needs must these gaudier daies yeild greater crime;
When long grau'd Ghosts dare thus contend with Time.

Time.
Enough, no more; Now honourable Lord,
For whose instalment in this Dignity,
Thy louing Bretheren liberallie affoord;
Out of their loues their glad harts simpathie.
And what may else thy triumph dignifie.
As thus I turne my Glasse to Times of old,
So tune thine eares to what must now be told.
In this triumphall Chariot thus attending,
Sit the supposed shapes of two great Kings,
That to this Citty gaue no small befriending,
Aduancing it from meane to mightier things,
From whence thy very instant honor springs:
For where before, stearne, Martial-Regiment
Bare sole command, grew this graue gouernment.
Richard the first, Sur-named Lyon-heart,
For his vndaunted courage and great minde,
When in Gods cause he plaid a Champions part,
In faire Iudea, where the Pagane blinde
In Gods house would his maw merry haue shrinde,
And full defac'd Star-bright Hierusalem:
This royall Richard foild his forces then.
But ere he vndertooke that holy war,
This Citty (his cheefe Chamber) did he grace
With Dignity, beyond the former far,
For Portgraues, Prouosts, Bayliffs held best place,
Such, and no other (then) was London case.
Till he bethought him of a Lord-Maiors name:
And so the Title of Lord Maior first came.
And shall I tell ye what that first Lord was?
Ex Ioh. Slow.
A Gold-Smith, of thine owne profession,
Henrie Fitz-Alwine, Fitz-Leofstane, of honourable race,
Iudicious, learned, and of such discretion,
That euen by Richards owne direction,
All his whole time, he held the State still on;
And so, vntill the fifteenth of King Iohn.
Which did exceed full foure and twenty yeares,
That this graue Gold-Smith held authority
Of the Lord Maior, as by Records appeares.
Nineteene whole yeares this stile of dignity
Came from the King: But then most graciously,
Iohn gaue the Cittizens free leaue t'elect
Yearely their Maior, whom best they should respect.
Fiue yeares (each after other) till they chose
That graue Fitz-Alwine, to his dying day,
When he was called hence to blest repose.
Then iustly may we be thus bold to say
Foure hundred yeares & three, the L. Maiors sway
Hath held in London, vnder their commaund:
Who still assignde that office to their hand.
How many Gold-Smiths haue enioyed the place,
Were needlesse to recount. Yet here sleepes one,
Whom in this vrging, and important case,
(He being Gold-Smith too, and long since gone
Out of this world, old Nicholas Faringdon,
Foure times Lord Maior) I may not well omit,
Because I thinke him for this Triumph fit.
These gates he built, this ward of him took name,
And three and fifty yeares he did suruiue
After his first being Maior. What plenty came
To greete his daies, with former times did striue,
And nere the like, as when hee was aliue:
Arise, arise I say, good Faringdon,
For in this triumph thou must needs make one.

Time striketh on the Tombe with his Siluer wand, and then Faringdon ariseth.
Faringdon.
Astonishment and frightfull wonder,
Shakes and splits my Soule in sunder.
Cannot Graues containe their dead,
Where long they haue lien buried;
But to Triumphs, sports, and showes
They must be raisde? Alacke, God knowes,
They count their quiet slumber blest,
Free from disturbance, and vnrest.

Time.
I know it well good man. Yet looke about,
And recollect thy spirits, free from feare,
Note what thou seest.

Faringdon.
How? Whence, or where
May I suppose my selfe? Well I wot,
(If Faringdon mistake it not)
That ancient famous Cathedrall,
Hight the Church of blessed Paule.
And that this Warde witnesse can,
Once thereof I was Alderman,
And gaue it mine owne proper name.
I built these Gates, the very same.
But when I note this goodly traine,
(Yclad in Scarlet) it should sayen
(And soothlie too) that these are they:
Who watch for London night and day,
Graue Magistrates; Of which faire band,
(When second Edward swayed this Land;)
Foure seuerall times the chiefe was I,
And Lord of Londons Maioraltie.
As by the bearing of that Sword,
It seemes that you are Londons Lord:
To whom becomes me loute full low,
Old duty yet (me thinkes) I know.
Turne now thy Glasse to instant day,
And let old Faringdon thee pray:
Good Time, resolue him, what is he,
Grac'd with this day of Dignitie?

Time.
A Brother of the Gold-Smiths Company,
Whose vertues, worth, and speciall loue of all,
Hath raisd vnto this high authority.
Moreouer, note, how fit his lot doth fall,
That time should likewise at this instant call,
A Sheriffe of the same Society:
To beare a part in this Solemnity.
See how the Bretheren of that worthy band,
Abound in loue and liberality;
To grace this Iouiall day; On tip-toe stand
Their iocond Spirits: Ioying mutually,
In Maior and Sheriffe of their Company.
How can thy Ghost then, but reioyce to see:
This honour of thine owne Society?

Faringdon.
Ioy and gladsome iouissance,
Doth old Faringdon in-trance,
To heare the tale that Time hath told,
Since those reuerend daies of old,
Vnto this great Solemnity,
For Brethren of my Company.
Glad and golden be your daies,
Liue in Prince and peoples praise:
Honour London with your care,
Study still for her welfare:
And as Gold-Smiths both you are,
Such good and golden deeds prepare,
That may renowne our Mystery,
To times of vtmost memory.
My minute cals, and Ghosts must go.
Yet loath I am to leaue ye so.
For I could well spend out this day,
And doe what seruice else I may;
Were Time but pleasde that I might stay.

Leofstane.
Time, that in this daies honour raisde vs both,
Meanes not (I trust) so soone to sunder vs:
To see that separation, I am loath,
Be then to both so kind and gracious;
That we may waite vpon this worthy man:
And do him yet what seruice else we can.

Time.
You haue your owne desires. Goe Faringdon,
There in that Chariot is thy place preparde:
Heere, I (as Coach-man) meane to guide yee on,
So long as well our respit may be sparde.
On then, away, for we haue held ye long:
And done (I doubt) your worthy Guests great wrong.

Leofstans
speech at S. Lawrance Lane.

Heere, my Lord, my charge was limited, to describe
this rich and beautious Monument vnto
yee, with all relations thereto appertaining. But
Time hath told me, that Guests of great State and
Honour are come to feast with you, and the least
delay now, may be both offensiue and troublesom;
therefore it is referred to more apt conueniency,
when wee (with much better leysure) may attend
yee.

Leofstane describeth the Orferie or Pageant.
Leofstane.

This Orferie, so styled by the auncient Epithite
of your Companies profession, or Gold-Smithery,
doth speake it selfe vnto your honor in this
manner. Heere doe the Miners and Pioners delue
into the Earths entrailes, to gaine the Oare, both
of Gold and Siluer; and hauing attained thereunto
in plentifull measure, the ingenious Fyner purgeth
him from his first Nature, and shapes him into
Ingots of variable forme, according as his Art
best guids and enstructs him. From him, these precious
Mettals descend to diuers other dexterious
Artezans; as the Mint-Maister, his Coyners, and
diuers others, who make them to serue in publike
passage for generall benefit, both in Coyne, Plate,
and Iewels, as occasion best discouereth the iust
necessitie. Beeing brought into these variant substances,
to preserue those pure refined bodies from
base adulterating, the Essay-Maister or absolute
Tryer of eythers vertue, makes proofe of them in
his Furnaces, and of their true worth or value. So
are they commended to Soueraigne Iustice, attended
by her gracious Daughters, Golde and Siluer,
who bountifully hurle abroad their Mothers treasures,
after she hath (yet once againe) tried them,
by the Touch of vndeceiueable perfection. The
rest, that do sufficiently speake themselues in their
distinguished places, as the Ieweller, Lapidarie,
Pearle-Driller, Golde-Smith, and such like, your

eye of heedefull obseruation may spare their further
relating. Onely I may not omit these two vertuous
Ladies, Antiquity and Memory, who, present
(in apt place) Graue Iudgement or Experience in
the Golde-Smiths ancient facultie, by the supposed
shape of venerable Dunstane, a man, sometime
very practique, & so well skild in Gold-Smithery,
as (notwithstanding his more Diuine profession)
being Bishop of Worcester, London, and lastly Arch-Bishop
of Canterbury, delighted therein to his vtmost
date of life.

Time.
So much for that; There Leofstane make a pause,
Till Time haue certified this honoured Lord
Concerning these faire Emblemes, And the cause
Of their combining in this kind accord.
The Argument doth instantly affoord,
The ancient loue and cordiall amity
Between the Fishmongers & Gold-Smiths Company.
At Feasts and solemne meetings, on each side,
A Fish-Monger and Gold-Smith, hand in hand
Haue long time gone, and nothing could deuide
The rare continuance of that louing band:
Which (doubtlesse) to the end of time will stand.
And therefore, these Impreses are thus borne:
The ones Fish, with the others Vnicorne.
Yet let no censure stray so far at large,
To thinke the reason of that vnity
Makes Fish-Mongers support the Gold-Smithes charge,
And their expences shared equally:
No, ti's the Gold-Smiths sole Society.
That in this Triumph beares the Pursse for all:
As theirs the like, when like their lot doth fall.
Their loues (herein) may not be thought the lesse,
But rather virtuall, and much stronger knit,
That each to other may the same expresse,
When honour (in each Science) makes men fit
On such a Seat of Dignity to sit.
Then Peters Keies, with Dauids Cup of Golde
May freely march together, vncontroulde.

Faringdon.
Now, as custome wils it so,
On to Paules Church must ye goe,
To blesse God for this bounteous day.
Till you returne, heere will we stay,
And vsher then a gladsome guiding,
Home to the place of your abiding.
For such is your kind Bretherens will:
And Time hath tyed vs therevntill.

At night at my Lords Gate.
Leofstane.

Thus (honoured Lord) haue wee dutiously attended
ye, till Time appointeth our departing,
who hath tutourd Leofstanes tongue how to take
his leaue, with some remarkeable obseruations,
not altogether vnfitting your attention. First, the
day of your Election, falling out in such strange
manner as it did, exceeded the memory of Man
to speake the like. And yet, notwithstanding, so
great a Snow, Sleete, and rough winde; at the very
instant of your choyce, the Sunne did as readily

thrust foorth his Golden beames, to guilde the instant
of your Inauguration, as harts and hands did
cheerefully applaud it with free and full confirmation.
Next, three Names, all of equall sillables
and sound, to happen in the immediate choice; is
a matter deseruing regard, and (from the Maioralties
first beginning) neuer was the like. Pemberton,
Swynnerton, and Middleton, Names of three most
worthy Gentlemen, but of much greater worth
in sence aud significancie, as your own (my Lord,
for breuitie) may yeilde an instance. Pemberton
deriues it selfe from the auncient Brittish, Saxon,
and eldest English, each Sillable suted with his apt
meaning. Pem, implyeth the Head; cheefe or
most eminent part of any thing; Bert, beareth the
Charracter of bright shining and radiant splendour;
and Tun, hath continued the long knowne
Word for any Towne or Citty, as most Shires in
England (to this day) dooth deliuer the expression
of their Townes; As London, sometime tearmed
Ludstun, or Luds-Towne, may serue as an example.
A bright head of this famous Citty, interpreting
it selfe in the Name of Pemberton, and
he being enstaulled in the gouernment, to bee her
bright-shining Head vnder his Soueraigne, Leofstanes
desire is;

Time.
Well hast thou wisht, therein Time ioynes with thee,
And tels this Lord, that such a goodly name,
Requires bright actions, from pollution free,
In word and deede to be alike, the same,
For then life standeth on her fairest frame.
And when the Head in splendour seems deuine,
The people learne (by his cleare light) to shine.
Contrariwise, obscure and misty deedes,
Do giue a harsh and hatefull president:
And of faire flowers begetteth stinking Weedes.
For ill example, harmes the innocent;
And makes him (in bad life) as violent.
Be to this Citty then, so bright an Head,
That all may say, it nere more flourished.
Consider likewise, Iames thy gracious King,
Sets Iames (his Subiect) heere his Deputy.
When Maieste doth meaner persons bring
To represent himselfe in Soueraignty,
I'st not an high and great authority?
Let it be said, for this high fauour done:
King Iames hath found, a iust Iames Pemberton.
Let me not now thy Bretherens loue omit,
So worthily (this day) to thee declarde,
If with like loue thou kindly welcome it,
Their hope is to the highest pitch preferde,
For thus they wish, as Time himselfe hath heard:
That Pemberton, and Smithes, may both be,
An endlesse honour to their Company.

Faringdon.
So wish I too, with all my hart,
And seeing now we needs must part,
From Faringdon one farewell take,
Who giues it for the Gold-Smiths sake.
You are Lieutenant to your King,
And tis a very worthy thing,
To minde Gods blessing, and his grace,
That brought yee to so high a place.
Oh soyle it not with any blame,
That, may impeach it, or your name.
For they haue told ye well before,
That whereof I need speake no more:
You are a Gold-Smith, Golden be
Your daily deedes of Charitie.
Golden your hearing poore mens cases,
Free from partiall bribes embraces.
And let no rich or mighty man
Iniure the poore, if helpe you can.
The World well wots, your former care
Forbids ye now to pinch or spare,
But to be liberall, francke, and free,
And keepe good Hospitality,
Such as beseemes a Maioraltie,
Yet far from prodigality.
To be too lauish, is like crime
As being too frugall in this time.
I say no more, but God defend ye,
Many daies of comfort send ye,
To whom (with all these) I commend ye.