66

Thy Lord fhall never die, the whiles this v
Shall live, and furely it shall live for ever;
For ever it fhall live, and fhall rehearse
His worthie praife, and vertues dying never
Though death his foule doo from his bodie fe
And thou thy felfe herein shalt also live ;
Such grace the heavens doo to my verfes gi

"Ne fhall his Sifter, ne thy Father die,
Thy Father, that good Earle of rare renow
And noble Patrone of weake povertie;
Whofe great good deeds in countrey, and

towne,

Have purchaft him in heaven an happie crow
Where he now liveth in eternall blis,
And left his fonne t' enfue those steps of hi

"He, noble Bud, his Grandfires livelie hay
Under the fhadow of thy countenaunce
Now ginnes to shoote up faft, and flourish fa
In learned artes, and goodlie gouvernaunce,
That him to highest honour fhall advaunce,
Brave Impe of Bedford, grow apace in boun
And count of wifedome more than of thy count

Ver. 260.

Ver. 261.

his Sifter,] Lady Mary Sidney. OLI that good Earle &c.] This Ea

Bedford died in 1585. TODD.

Ver. 267. He, noble Bud, &c.]

Edward Lord Ru

grandfon of Francis Earl of Bedford, fucceeded in the Earld his father Francis having been flain by the Scots. OLDY

"Ne may I let thy husbands Sifter die, That goodly Ladie, fith she eke did spring 275 Out of his flocke and famous familie, Whose praises I to future age doo fing;

And foorth out of her happie womb did bring The facred brood of learning and all honour; In whom the heavens powrde all their gifts upon her.

280

"Moft gentle spirite breathed from above,
Out of the bosome of the Makers blis,
In whom all bountie and all vertuous love
Appeared in their native propertis,
And did enrich that noble breast of his
With treasure paffing all this worldës worth,
Worthie of heaven it felfe, which brought it forth.

"His bleffed fpirite, full of power divine And influence of all celeftiall grace,

285

Loathing this finfull earth and earthlie flime, 290 Fled backe too foone unto his native place; Too foone for all that did his love embrace, Too foone for all this wretched world, whom he Robd of all right and true nobilitie.

Ver. 275. That goodly Ladie, &c.] Lady Mary Sidney, mother of Sir Philip Sidney and the Countess of Pembroke.

Ver. 285.

Philip Sidney. OLDYS.

OLDYS.

that noble breaft of his] Sir

"Yet, ere his happie foule to heaven went 295
Out of this fleshlie gaole, he did devise
Unto his heavenlie Maker to prefent
His bodie, as a spotles facrifife;

And chofe, that guiltie hands of enemies
Should powre forth th' offring of his guiltles

blood:

So life exchanging for his countries good.

300

"O noble spirite, live there ever bleffed, The worlds late wonder, and the heavens new

ioy;

Live ever there, and leave me here diftreffed
With mortall cares and cumbrous worlds anoy
But, where thou doft that happines enioy,
Bid me, O bid me quicklie come to thee,
That happie there I maie thee alwaies fee!

66

306

310

Yet, whileft the Fates affoord me vitall breath, I will it fpend in fpeaking of thy praise, And fing to thee, untill that timelie death By heavens doome doo ende my earthlie daies Thereto doo thou my humble fpirite raise, And into me that facred breath infpire, Which thou there breatheft perfect and entire.

Ver. 297. Unto his heavenlie Maker to present

His bodie as a Spotles facrifife;] Taken from St. Paul's Epiffle to the Romans, xii. 1. TODD.

:

"Then will I fing; but who can better fing 316
Than thine owne Sifter, peerles Lady bright,
Which to thee fings with deep harts forrowing,
Sorrowing tempered with deare delight,
That her to heare I feele my feeble spright 320
Robbed of fenfe, and ravished with ioy,
O fad ioy made of mourning and anoy!

"Yet will I fing; but who can better fing Than thou thy felfe, thine owne felfes valiance, That, whilft thou livedft, madeft the forrests ring,

but who can better fing,

Ver. 316. Than thine owne Sifter, &c.] Mary, Countefs of Pembroke. She tranflated, from the French, Philip Mornay's Difcourfe of Life and Death; and alfo The Tragedie of Antonie. But her greateft work, fays Granger, (Biog. Hift. James I. Clafs IX.) was a Tranflation of the Pfalms, which is faid to be preserved in manufcript in the library at Wilton, and in which the is fuppofed to have been affifted by Dr. Babington, afterwards bishop of Worcester, who was chaplain in her family. A. Wood's account of this Tranflation is different; for he afcribes it to Sir P. Sidney. However, fhe was addressed on this fubject by a profeffed poet, fuch as he was, of her own time: the following work being dedicated to her: "The Counteffe of Pembrokes Emanuel. Conteining the Natiuity, Paffion, Buriall, and Refurrection of Chrift: togeather with certaine Pfalmes of Dauid. All in English Hexameters. By Abraham Fravnce. Impr. at London, &c. 1591." The fame verfifier has dedicated other compofitions to this Countefs. TODD.

Ver. 323. but who can better fing Than thou thy felfe, &c.] Sidney is undoubtedly often elegant, lively, and impreffive as a poet. His romance, entitled The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia, which is alluded to in the latter part of this ftanza, had been lately published, (the first edition having been printed in 1590,) and had been received with uncommon fatisfaction. I have feen the fourteenth edition of this voluminous romance; into which indeed

"Yet, ere his happie foule to heaven went
Out of this fleshlie gaole, he did devise
Unto his heavenlie Maker to present
His bodie, as a spotles facrifife;

And chofe, that guiltie hands of enemies

Should powre forth th' offring of his guilt blood:

So life exchanging for his countries good.

"O noble spirite, live there ever bleffed, The worlds late wonder, and the heavens n

ioy;

Live ever there, and leave me here diftreffec
With mortall cares and cumbrous worlds ano
But, where thou doft that happines enioy,
Bid me, O bid me quicklie come to thee,
That happie there I maie thee alwaies fee!

"Yet, whileft the Fates affoord me vitall breat
I will it spend in fpeaking of thy praise,
And fing to thee, untill that timelie death
By heavens doome doo ende my earthlie daie
Thereto doo thou my humble fpirite raise,
And into me that facred breath inspire,
Which thou there breatheft perfect and entire

Ver. 297. Unto his heavenlie Maker to present

His bodie as a Spotles facrifife ;] Taken from Paul's Epiffle to the Romans, xii. 1. TODD.