"He came of noble, thou of kingly race;

He brought to win, thou borne to weare a crowne; He got great wealth, thou honor didst embrace;

He kept his owne, thou conquer'st many a towne ;

He houses built, thou batterdst citties downe:

O worthies both! and unsufficient me

To mourne for him, or speake enough of thee.

"Then for my selfe, whom wisedome never taught

To seeke for gold in coffins of the dead;

My deepe contriving pollicie so wrought,

That in his youthly raigne, my dearest dread,

Me to his sacred counsell did aread;

Where all estates in open court did find

The lively vigor resting in my mind.

"When I did muse, my spirit did wholly beare His full perfection to enrich my thought;

What time I spake, my life was wholy there,

And to my speech all grace and beautie brought

What praise soever any member sought,

That God (whom we call soule) sprung from our heart, Was all in all, and all in every part.

"What matters past in private conference,

Or publique counsell, for the common good, I still enform'd his sacred excellence;

Framing my sentence to his princely moode:

His word, my deede; his will, my warrant stoode; Nor neede his grace one jot of pleasure spare, His royall graunt in person to declare.

Enough (said I) your Highnesse doth in this,

'To make us lawes that in subjection dwell;

'Let magistrates correct what is amisse

Such nobles as in wisedome most excell

'Advance to place where they may governe well:

'And as you do your kingdomes glory prize,

"Of all your land select the learned wise.

'For if the temperature of common-weale

'Be guided by the course of heav'nly pow'res, 'Such as in deepe affaires will justly deale,

'Must have an eie to those æternal bow'res,

'And by their view direct this state of ours:

'Else how can he a perfect states-man proove,

That knowes not how coelestiall bodies moove?

'How can he marke Religion's stedfast pole,
'How many long degrees we distant are;
'How lawes of Justice compasse in the whole,
'Like orbe of fixed lights; or note from farre

'A fained meteor from a fixed starre?

'How darke eclipsed Truth is never seene,

'When worlds corrupting treasure comes betweene?

'When wise magitians wandred farre and wide 'To find the place of our Messias birth, 'A starre by east became their faithfull guide, Angells proclaming notes of joyfull mirth— 'Glorie to God on high, and peace on earth!' While here I pawsde, the King with smiling cheare Bade me proceede, for he was bent to heare.

'Dread Soveraigne! I intend not to detract

'From noble families their ancient rights:

Ill fares the shippe whose loftie toppes be wrackt; 'Whole empires fall, where such confusion lights'Long life and honor to St. George's Knights!

'Yet this I reade-that realme shall fairest rise

'Where wise men rule, or rulers can be wise.

'Put such in trust, your Grace may rest secure,

'And sway the scepter with immortall praise:

'Whether you please your royall selfe immure

In cittie walls, triumphing sundry waies,

'Or els in progresse spend the sommer daies; 'What hath the ayre, the sea, the land, and all, That is not yours, or subject at your call.'

Scholler, (said he) thou know'st my kingdomes state, And canst with pleasure painfull travells brooke; 'I'le prize thy service at the highest rate,

'Performing that which thou hast undertooke;

For lordly rents I'le change thy easter-booke:

2

'Good priest, whose sonne so ere thou art by kind, ́ ́ Wolsey of Ipswich ne're begat thy mind.'

"Soone after this, the King with mighty hoast
In person meant to enter warlike France,
To challenge what his auncestors had lost,

On Turney-gate his standard to advance,

And in their courts to make our courtiers daunce;

Which unacquainted labor to supply,

He thought no subject was so fit as I.

"He might as well appoint some artlesse swaine In Pytheas place to build Mausolus' toombe, To rear th' Ægyptian pyramids againe,

Restore the ruins of declining Rome,

Or put some shepheardess to Arachne's loome, As me, a student and a yong divine,

To furnish out a campe-no charge of mine.

"But now the sweetnesse of promotion's taste (Delightsome prospect to the tower of fame) Such skill in my unmartiall wittes had plac'de, As would not onely just proportion frame Of men, and fit munition for the same,

But bring from rockes, where flintie sinewes stoode, Whole stony legions of Deucalion's broode.

66

Imagine Turney vanquisht by the King,

With Turwin's walls, and all the confin'de land; Ill winds they are that good to no man bring,

Worse warres that suffer not the churches stand: My wind blew faire, the church fell in my hand, That was elect and consecrated soone

Bishop of Turney, when the warres were done.