Sir Phillip Sidney, his honorable life, his valiant death, and true vertues A perfect myrror for the followers both of Mars and Mercury, who (in the right hardie breaking vpon the enemie, by a few of the English, being for the most part gentlemen of honor and name) receiued his deathes wound, nere vnto Sutphen the 22. of September last past, dyed at Aruam the 16. of October following: and with much honor and all possible mone, was solemnely buried in Paules the 16. of February 1586. By G.W. gent. Whereunto is adioyned, one other briefe commemoration of the vniuersall lamentation, the neuer dying praise, and most sollemne funerall of the sayd right hardie and noble knight. By B.W. Esquire. Dedicated, to the right Honorable the Earle of Warwicke, by his Lordships faithfull seruant George Whetstones.
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SIR PHILLIP Sidney, his honorable life, his valiant death, and
true vertues.
A perfect Myrror for the followers both of
Mars and
Mercury▪ Who (in the right hardie breaking vpon the Enemie, by a few of the English, being for the most part Gentlemen of honor and name) receiued his deathes wound, nere vnto
Sutphen the 22. of September last past, dyed at
Arnam the 16. of October following: and with much honor and all possible mone, was solemnely buried in
Paules the 16. of February 1586. By
G. W. gent.
Whereunto is adioyned, one other briefe Commemoration of the vniuersall lamentation, the neuer dying praise, and most sollemne funerall of the sayd right hardie and noble Knight. By.
B. W. Esquire.
Dedicated, to the right Honorable the Earle of Warwicke, by his Lordships faithfull Seruant
George Whetstones.
¶To the Right Honorable my especiall good Lord and Maister, Ambrose Earle of VVarwick, Baron Lisle, Knight of the most noble order of the Garter, Generall of all the Queenes Maiesties Ordinance, through her Highnesse Dominions, and of her sacred excellencies most honorable and prudent priuie Counsell, be heaped the true rewards, of his godly and honorable vertues.
RIght Honorable, albeit that sundry of the (Manifold) louers, of your most worthy Nephewe, of deare memorie, Sir Phillip Sidney Knight, haue alreadie witnessed, their true affections, in publishing of passionate Poems, Epitaphs, and Commemorations of his neuerdying vertues: yet I hope, my later writing shall finde intertaynment of your Lordship, & fauour amongst those, that truely loued him. Considering that my slacknesse to the world, proceeded from a diligent search, to set downe his deuine and heroical gifts, according to truth: though vnpossible to giue them the life & grace, which shined in his actions. The learned Lypsius was not deceiued, when in beholding of this noble Gentleman, he aduisedly sayd.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORIE, Anglia est flos regionum, & tu flos Anglia, England is the flower of Kingdomes: And thou the flower of England.
Enuy his onely enemy, will not deny, but that the comfort of his wisdome, (combined with all morrall vertues) was the rising sonne of England, and that his mortall abilities, were generallie admired, and especiallie feared where the Englishe are not beloued: your Lordship needeth not this information, to knowe his inestimable valewe, when he was like to possesse your temporal honors after death, and was sure of your vertues in his life.
His losse will make his goodnes best knowne, and soone mist in England, notwithstanding the recordes of his life, are profitable for our posteritie, and holy workes, that reuiue him after death. My remembraunces of this worthy Knight, now with God, I hūbly present, vnder your honors patronage, to whom he was most deare, and neare, that your Lordshippe allowing of my god intent, I may deceaue the enuious findefault, of his Idle censure.
The Lord be with your Lordshippe in all your affaires, for whose health, and honorable prosperitie, I doe dayly pray, and to the ende will constantly remayne.
Your Lordships faithfull Seruant
George Whetstones.
To the right Honorable my especiall good Lord, Ambrose Earle of VVarwicke, Baron Lisle, Knight of the most noble order of the Garter, Generall of all the Queenes Maiesties Ordnaunce, through her Highnesse dominions, and one of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Counsell. T. C. wisheth increase of all Honor and Vertue.
ALthough (right Honorable) to bring fire to the Altars when the Sacrafice is ended; or Epitaphs for the dead whē their funeralles are halfe forgotten, is to wish for rayne when the haruest is past: yet considering with my self the neuer dying vertues of the worthie once hopefull Gentleman of England Sir
Phillip Sidney Knight, a mā so beloued of al, as obliuiō feareth to perswade time any waies to impaire his immortall fame: & seeing that all in heart & diuers in their labours did bewayle his losse, painting out in Poemes & Epitaphs his vertues & their owne sorowes: amongst whō a gentleman and seruaunt of your Honors
George Whetstones, had before his going into the Low Countries writtē learnedly an Epitaph of his life and death: although destinie and fate hath too vntimely ended his daies: yet sith his works before his departure were dommitted to my hands, I, thought it my dutie and held it as a religion, first not to depriue the gentleman of that due which his willingnesse and labours did worthely deserue: secondly for that his workes bewrayed the vertues of such a Paragon of our time: and lastly & not the least cause, for that your honors seruant had dedicated his Poems to your Lordship; whose Epistle as he wrote it to your honor I haue prefixed. These considerations (right Honorable) moued me to attempt the impression of this Epitaph, which I humbly present vnto your Lordship: desiring your Honor to vouchsafe of my good meaning, and not to misconster of my boldnes. In which hope testing, I commit you to the Almightie.
Your Lordships in all dutifull seruice to commaund,
Thomas Cadman.
COurteous reader, diuers of my frendes (that haue obserued, my former readines, in exposing the liues and vertues, of many worthy personages deceased, that their good examples might liue, in the imitation of their posteritie) have charged me to be to remisse, in setting forth the life, death, and vertues, of the most learned, right valiant, & best beloued gentleman, Sir Phillip Sidney Knight. But I satisfied my frendes, with this reason that I certifie vnto the generall reader,
vid. that the error that I sawe some hasty writers to commit, for lacke of true instructiō, and the iniurie that they did, vnto so worthy a gentleman, in publishing his History, not hauing knowledge of the one halfe of his vertues, (to shunne the blame of two such capitall wronges,) moued me, to be headfull, that I published nothing but truth of so true a Knight. Frō this feare, through zeale proceeded my slownes in writing, which cannot come to late, when good Sir Phillip Sidney liueth euer. And for the comfort of those that loued him, or would be like vnto him, I further say, that the imitation of his vertues, will eternize their praises, whether they liue long, or die soone: for vertue is immortal. Thus wishing, the wish of al good desiers to the frendly reader I ende, commending vnto the same my ready seruice.
Phil. de Pless. de Veritate relig. Chr. vndertakē & a great pa
[...]t translated by S. Phi. Sidney, and at his request ended by M. Arthur Gowlding.
of true Religion,
Confuting those, which no Religion holde:
In vuglar speech, by him was well begonne,
A Learned worke, more pretious farre then Gold.
Worthy his paynes: and worthie double folde,
If his penne might, the hole with
English fitte:
Whose wordes are waid by
Iudgement, Arte, and
witte.
The faulte that makes, the wisest seeme vnwise,
A selfe conceite,
His temperance showen by his embleame Spero.
in wisdome to exceede:
Was farre from him: the worde in whose deuise,
Spero, his hope, did from desire proceede.
Honour to gaine, by many a worthie deede,
On Hope, truth, zeale Learning, and the Launce:
He built his fame and had no foe but
Chaunce.
In peace he liu'd,
He was generally beloued of all men.
admired of the best,
In peace he liu'd, beloued of the worste:
In peace he liu'd, and neuer man oppreste,
In peace he liu'd, and euer, with the first.
Layde helpe on those, whom fortune had accurste,
And to be short, the rising sonne he was:
That comforted and shinde in eu'ry place.
But sith
Sonne,
The mutability of the world and worldlie thinges.
Mone, and Starres of Heauen must vade,
And all thinges else, the Worlde conteynes belowe:
Man can accompte, his glory but a shade,
His earthly Life, the slaughter of a blowe.
As well appeares, by this our
Common woe,
The worthy Knight of whom this good I sing:
Enterance vnto his unfortunate death.
Bids sounde the Drome, his follow knell to ring,
But ere it towles, the sorrowe of his death,
(The griefe of Prince, Peare, and euery state)
Let me first showe, the cause, that did unsheath,
His trenching Sword (In peace which shund debate)
[Page] Euen chiefely this to coole the Spannish hate,
The first cawses that sent the English forces into the Lowe Countryes.
Who arm'oe with wroth against this happy Isle:
Our Neighbours burn'de, to make a way for spoyle.
For when we heard the out-cries of the Dutch,
And how their foes, did make their will a lawe:
Theire harmes, that neare, did now our safety tuche,
The Lyon make (that keepes the Wolfe in awe,
That neuer yet did feare the Eagles clawe,)
And mildly first, did Licke the wounded sheepe:
Then sent the Beare, the scattered heard to keepe.
To speake more plaine,
Tch Earle of Lecesteer accō panyed with a smale number but yet men of such valewe as at sundry times, dismaid and dared the Prince of Parmaes whole power.
though this instruck'ts the wife,
Our Soueraigne
Queene, that both the
Lyon beare:
With pittie mou'de, to heare her neighbours cries,
Whom
Tyranny, in peeces still did teate.
Shee
Lecester sent, to awe that common feare,
And with him went, in this iust cause to fight:
A stoute small bande, that many put to flight.
Among the best, and with the first in fielde,
This worthy Knight, inflam'd with countries zeale:
His couradge arm'd,
He went vnto his Gouermēt before the going ouer of the Earle of Lecester.
to dye eare he would yeilde,
His Horse and Lawnce, to serue the common weale.
He now preferd, and that a mighty deale.
Before his Landes, his after hope, or UUife:
Yea (
Curtius like) more then his proper life.
Of
Flushing he,
He was made Lord Gouerner of Flushing.
Lord Gouernour was made,
A charge of truste, which he with truth did keepe:
The bording foe, did finde he was no shade,
He wakte them oft,
By his prudency he discouered the practis of La. Mote who went ab
[...]ut to intrap him.
when they had lust to sleepe.
And wacht his charge, as shepheards doe their sheepe,
Count Hann. Gon. was mortally wounded but yet aliue. Capt. George taken prisoner. These serued on foote, the Lord Aud. Sir. H. Vmp. Sir W. Hatton Sir W. Standly Cap. Cosby. Cap. Tho. cap. Marten Walt. Browne &c.
On foote that day Lord
Audely serued well,
Vmpton Hatton, as forward as the best:
Standly (now staind) is hard Skirmidge fell,
Cosby deserues, his Honour with the rest.
Thomas was slaine, and
Mertayne at that Feaste,
Browne ventured far, and so did many moe:
Unknowne to me, whose fames their names will showe.