Ancient funerall monuments within the vnited monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the islands adiacent with the dissolued monasteries therein contained: their founders, and what eminent persons haue beene in the same interred. As also the death and buriall of certaine of the bloud royall; the nobilitie and gentrie of these kingdomes entombed in forraine nations. A worke reuiuing the dead memory of the royall progenie, the nobilitie, gentrie, and communaltie, of these his Maiesties dominions. Intermixed and illustrated with variety of historicall obseruations, annotations, and briefe notes, extracted out of approued authors ... Whereunto is prefixed a discourse of funerall monuments ... Composed by the studie and trauels of Iohn Weeuer.

Pensherst.

Here in this Church vnder a marble Monument, whereon is yet to be seene the pourtraiture of a knight compleatly armed, lyeth interred (as it is deliuered vnto me by tradition) the body of Sir Stephen Pensherst, or Stephen de Penchester, (for so also I finde him called) that famous Lord Warden of the Fiue Ports, who flourished in the raigne of King Edward the first, as appeares by this Record following.

Rex scripsit Stephano de Penecestre Constabulario Castri de Douor. et cu∣stodi Quinque Portuum prouidere Naues et galeas sufficientes contra Regis aduentum in Angliam. Et meliores et fideliores Regis amicos portuum pre∣dict. secretius premuniat. Vt ipsi caute et sine strepitu preparent se ad veni∣end. in obuiam Regis in aduentu suo supradicto, &c. Dat. apud West. &c. 4. Iulij. Claus. Anno 1. Ed. primi, Cedul. pendent.

Here lye also interred diuers of that ancient and highly renowned Fa∣milie of the Sidneys, whose Monuments of any great antiquitie, together with their Inscriptions, are worne away with time. Who deriue their race

from William de Sidney, Chamberlaine to king Henry the second. Out of which came (saith Camden) Sir Henry Sidney, that renowned Lord Deputy of Ireland, who of the daughter of Iohn Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, and Earle of Warwicke, begat Philip and Robert, whom our late Soue∣raigne Lord King Iames created Baron Sidney of Penshert, Viscount Lisle, and Earle of Leicester. And to giue more lustre to these foresaid honours, he was elected knight and companion of the honourable Order of the Garter, at an extraordinarie Chapter holden at Greenwich, the day of May, Ann. 1616. and enstalled at Windsor the seuenth of Iuly next follow∣ing. This Earle dyed the day of .... Ann.

But here I cannot passe ouer in silence Sir Philip Sidney the elder brother, being (to vse Camdens words) the glorious starre of this family, a liuely pat∣terne of vertue, and the louely ioy of all the learned sort, fighting valiantly with the enemy before Zutphen in Gelderland, dyed manfully. This is that Sidney, whom, as Gods will was, he should be therefore borne into the world, euen to shew vnto our age a sample of ancient vertues: so his good pleasure was, before any man looked for it, to call for him againe, and take him out of the world, as being more worthy of heauen then earth. Thus we may see, perfect vertue suddenly vanisheth out of sight, and the best men continue not long.

Seigneur Des Accords in his booke entituled, Les Bigarrures (a miscella∣nie or hotch-potch of sundry collections) amongst many choice Epitaphs, hath one, selected out of the works of Isaac du Bellay, the French Poet, ex∣cellently composed, to the memory of Sieur de Boniuet, a great Comman∣der in the warres; which by some English wit was happily imitated, and ingeniously applyed to the honour of this our worthy chiefetaine Sir Phi∣lip; written vpon a Tablet, and fastened to a pillar in S. Pauls Church Lon∣don, the place of his buriall, as the sequele will more plainly shew.

La France, et le Piemont, les cieux, et les Arts, Les Soldats, et le Mondeont fait comme six parts, De ce grand Bonniuet: cor vne si grand chose, Dedant vn seul tombeau ne pouuoit estre enclose.

La France en a le corps, que elle aurit esleue: Le Piemont a le ceur, qu'il auoit esprouue: Les cieux en ont l'esprit, et les Arts la memoire, Les Soldats le regret, et le monde la gloire.

In English as followeth.

France, and Piemont, the Heauens, and the Arts, The Souldiers and the world haue made sixe parts, Of Great Bonniuet: for who will suppose, That onely one Tombe can this man enclose?

France hath his body, which she bred and well loued, Piemont his heart, which his valour had proued. The Heauens haue his soule, the Arts haue his Fame, The Souldiers the griefe, the world his good name.

A briefe Epitaph vpon the death of that most valiant, and perfect hono∣rable Gentleman, Sir Philip Sidney, knight, late Gouernour of Flushing in Zealand, who receiued his deaths wound at a battell neare Zutphen in Gel∣derland, the 22. day of September, and dyed at Arnhem the 16. day of October, 86. Whose Funeralls were performed, and his body interred, within this Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul in London, the 16. day of February next following in the yeare of our Lord God, 1586.

England, Netherland, the Heauens, and the Arts, The Souldiers and the world haue made sixe parts, Of noble Sidney: For who will suppose, That a small heape of stones can Sidney enclose?

England hath his body, for she it fed, Netherland his bloud in her defence shed: The Heauens haue his soule, the Arts haue his Fame, The Souldiers the griefe, the world his good Name.

These Elegies also following, penned in the praise of the said Philip, by our late Soueraigne Lord King Iames, that sole Monarch of many Nations, giue a glorious lustre to his Heroicke actions.

In Philippi Sidnaei interitum, Illustrissimi Scotorum Regis Carmen.

Armipotens cui ius in fortia pectora Mauors, Tu Dea quae cerebrum perrumpere digna Tonantis, Tuque adeo biiugae proles Latonia r••pis Gloria, deciduae cingunt quam collibus artes, Duc tecum, et querula Sidnai funera voce Plangite, nam vester fuerat Sidnaeus alumnus. Quid genus, et proauos, et spem, floremque iuuentae, Immaturo obitu raptum sine fine retexo? Heu frustra queror: heu rapuit Mors omnia secum▪ Et nihil ex tanto nunc est Heroe superstes, Praeterquam decus, et nomen virtute paratum, Doctaque Sidneas testantia Carmina laudes.

The same translated by the said King.

Thou mighty Mars, the Lord of Souldiers braue, And thou Minerve, that dois in wit excell, And thou Apollo, who dois knowledge haue Of euery art that from Parnassus fell. With all your Sisters that thaire on do dwell, Lament for him, who duely seru'd you all: Whome in you wisely all your arts did mell, Bewaile (I say) his vnexpected fall. I neede not in remembrance for to call His race, his youth, the hope had of him ay, Since that in him doth cruell Death appall

Both manhood, wit, and learning euery way: But yet he doth in bed of Honor rest, And euermore of him shall liue the best.

Eiusdem Regis in Eundem Hexasticon.

Vidit et exanimem tristis Cytheraea Philippum, Fleuit, et hunc Martem credidit esse suum. Eripuit digitis gemmas, colloque monile, Mars iterum nunquam ceu placitura foret; Mortuus humana qui lusit imagine Diuam, Quid faceret iam, si viueret, ille, rogo.

In English.

When Venus sad saw Philip Sidney slaine, She wept, supposing Mars that he had bin: From fingers Rings, and from her necke the chaine She pluckt away, as if Mars nere againe She ment to please. In that forme he was in Dead, and yet could a Goddesse thus beguile, What had he done, if he had liu'd this while?

Notes

• Sir Stephen Pensherst knight.
• Ex Arch. Turr•••• London.
• Sidney▪
• ••amd in Ken••.
• 〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• Sir Philip Sid∣ney knight.
• The Epitaph for Mons. Bo∣niuet:
• 〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉.