wherefore most fit to speak her Funeral Oration; For I being her Father, am her longest acquaintance, and constantest Friend, and nearest in Relation, wherefore the, fitest to declare unto the world my natural and Fatherly Love, Death will be a sufficient witnesse; For though I am old, yet I was health∣ful when she lived, but now I cannot live many hours, neither would I, for Heaven knows, my affections struggle with Death, to hold Life so long as to pay the last Rites due to her dead Corps, struck by Death's cruel Dart: But most Noble and Charitable Friends, I come not here with eye fil'd with sal•• tears; for sorows thirsty Jaws hath drunk them up, sucked out my blood, & left my Veins quite dry, & luxuriously hath eat my Marow out; my sighs are spe••t in blowing out Life's Fire, only some little heat there doth remain, which my affections strive to keep alive to pay the last Rites due to my dead Child, which is, to set her praises forth, for living Virtuously; But had I Nestors years, 'twould prove too few, to tell the living Stories of her Youth, for Nature in her had packed up many Piles of Experience, of Aged times, be∣sides, Nature had made her Youth sweet, fresh and temperate, as the Spring; and in her brain, Flowers of Fancies grew, Wits Garden set by Natures hand, wherein the Muses took delight, and entertained themselves therein, Singing like Nightingales, late at Night; or like the Larks ere the day begin; Her thoughts were as the Coelestial Orbes, still moving circular without back ends, surrounding the Center of her Noble mind, which as the Sun gave light to all about it; her Virtues twinkled like the fixed Starrs, whose mo∣tion stirs them not from their fix'd place; and all her Passions were as other starres, which seemed as only made to beautifie her Form; But Death hath turned a Chaos of her Form, which life with Art and Care had made, and Gods had given to me: O cursed death, to rob and make me poor! Her life to me was like a delightful Mask, presenting several interchanging Scenes, de∣scribing Nature in her several Dresses, and every Dresse put in a several wa•••• Also her life was like a Monarchy, where Reason as sole King, did govern al her actions; which actions, like as Loyal Subjects did obey those Laws which Reason decreed; Also her life was like Ioves Mansions high, as being placed above this worldly Globe; from whence her Soul looked down on duller earth, mixt not, but viewed poor mortals here below; thus was her life a∣bove the world, because her life prized not the Trifles here; Perchance this Noble Company will think I have said too much, and vainly, thus to speak.
That Fathers should not praise their Children so,
Because that from their Root and Stock did grow;
Why may not Roots boast if their Fruites be good?
As hindering worth in their own Flesh and blood,
Shall they dissemble, to say they are naught,
Because they are their own? sure that's a fault
Unpardonable, as being a lye that's told,
Detracting lyes, the baser lyes I hold.
Neither can strangers tell their life and worth,
Nor such affections have to set them forth,
As Parents have, or those thats neer of Kin,
Virtuous Partiality, sure that's no sin,
And virtue, though she be lovliest when undrest