The good vvife: or, A rare one amongst women VVhereto is annexed an exquisite discourse of epitaphs: including the choisest thereof, ancient or moderne. Musophilus.

¶ Vpon a Reuerend and honourable Iudge of this land, was this Epitaph inscribed.

Who so would Honours frailetie pictur'd haue, Let him behold that picture in this graue: Where frailetie ne're was with more honours clad, Nor more deseru'd those honours which he had: Had? lasse that we should say, wee had thee; haue Would be a Tence, the state would rather craue. Small difference twixt the accents, Haue and Had, Yet th' one did cheare vs, th' other makes vs sad. But whence these teares? whence be they? to expresse His worth, our want, his peace, our pensiuenesse: For to discribe him in each liniment, He gaue his tongue vnto the Parlament: His hands to sacred writ, his eare to heare Iudgement pronounc'd, his eye to see more cleare In the surueigh of Iustice, and his feete To walke in paths, for Christian soules most meete. Thus his impartiall tongue, hand, eare, foote, eye, Show'd him a mirror in mortalitie. Yet in his age a Reuerence appeares, Many are yong in houres, are olde in yeares; But he was old in both; full seuentie sixe, Surpassing Dauids first Arithmeticke: Fift•• one yeares he with his Lady liu'd, That in himselfe his race, might be reuiu'd: For what was by the vertuous Father done, Seemes (by resemblance) shadowed in the Sonne.

Sergeant vnto the Queene, Iudge o'th kings Bench For twelue yeares space, wherein his eminence Did not transport his passions: For his thought Fixt on his end, esteem'd all honour nought. Thus liu'd he, thus he di'de; liu'd long, di'de wel, Heere Iudge on Earth, now Iudge in Israel.

Terras Astraea reliquit.