A Lamentation of the Death of Henry the Eighth

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¶A lamentation of the death of the moost victorious Prynce Henry the eyght late Kynge of thys noble royalme of Englande.

IF the riuer Phison and Euphrates,

With Tigris and Gehon wer in my hed,

Wt weping Pliades, yet shuld I lack teres

Worthely to bewaile our king that is ded.

Not his mysfortune, for he (wythout dred)

Is there, whence he would not come to be here

Though al our lamenting might turne him to chere.

But we, whom he loued, as the hed his members,

As parentes theyr chyldren defending vs aye:

Cannot haue such abondaunce of teares,

As may suffice, the truth for to saye,

The lest part of our losse iustly to bewraye,

Such is the losse that a publycke weale hath,

When theyr kyng is taken from them by death.

The chylde, without father or mother may be,

And yet not defaute though it be but young.

But a publyke weale dyd we neuer se:

That without a kyng myght continewe long.

For alwayse the multitude wilbe headstrong,

And hath no lesse nede of a gouernoure,

Then the greate shyp hath of a nauclere. nauclere: otherwise unattested

Consider therfore what great losse England

Hath, by the death of Henry hyr kyng.

In whose myghtie hande no enemyes myghte stand,

So long as he was in this worlde liuyng.

Yea, the Lorde prospered hym in al-thyng.

Though diuers dyd hym, diuersly assayle:

Yet could ther none be able to preuayle

His marcial prowes and ciuile policie,

His sage wysedome and most politicke wit:

Brought suche thynges to passe so easelye,

That men would scarsly haue beleued, it

Had bene possible such knottes to vnknyt,

Without great disturbance daunger and perell.

Yet could his wysedome vndo them full well.

What blindnes? what errour? what supersticion?

What sturdy Idolles? and what blasphemye?

What fond disgysynges and false religion?

What diuilysh doctrine, and Romyshe papry?

Hath he extincted in this his country?

And in howe short tyme did he these thynges finysh:

And all theyr contraries fyrmely stablysh?

What liuinges for studentes hath he appointed:

In Cambridge and Oxford, aye to indure?

Besides the great number of Coleges buylded:

Abrode in the country to mayntayne litterature.

And that each coast of preachers myght be sure.

Such care he toke the truth for to auaunce

And quit to abolyshe all ygnoraunce.

He dyd not forget the impotent creatures,

But for them also prouision he made,

Estemyng them no lesse then gostly treasures,

Of whose relyfe studentes should be glad.

And therfore among them he caused to be had.

In euery of theyr colleges a place seuerall,

Wyth all thynges nedefull to releue theym withall.

But to what purpose is it to reherse,

The manifold benifites receiued:

Syth halfe of them worthely to expresse,

If I thought my-selfe able I were disceiued.

But seyng great plentie of them are perceyued,

Let vs praye dayly (as our dutye is)

That he at the last day may ryse to blys.

And as we haue liued to him in subiection,

For the tyme of his reigne, so let vs do nowe:

To noble Kyng Edward in succession,

Desiryng our Lorde God his youth so to bowe,

That he may accomplyshe his fathers vowe,

In settyng abrode the truth more and more

Commaundyng all men therby to set store.

And you that erst haue ben stubbourne and stiffe,

Resistyng goddes truth, relent, be not blynd

Styll, but imbrace ye your goostly relyffe:

For thereunto reason doth you bynd,

Sith you that should go before are so far behynd,

Go forward lustely, and be not slacke.

Setting your hand to the plough loke no more back.

Set contencion a_part, as a thyng vayne,

That you may imbrace concord and vnitie.

Let charite your affeccions restrayne,

And as we by nation and religion be

But one body, so let vs nowe studye

To be of one mynde, and not to dissent,

Then doutles we shall haue no cause to repent.

Let vs shewe charite eache one to other,

For that is the badge of Christes elect:

Who wylleth vs to be as brother and brother,

And all our study hyther to dyrect.

That we may lyue worthy the chrystian sect,

Declaryng with workes what fayth we professe,

And that we detest all wyckednes.

So doyng no doubt this realme shal prosper,

No lesse in the dayes of our noble young kyng:

Then it hath done in the dayes of hys father,

Who studied alwayse to set furth that thyng

That myght be to our edefiyng

In christian fayth and true religion,

Abolyshyng all vayne supersticion.

That we maye this doo nowe let vs praye,

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To hym that is able to graunt our request:

And all contencion asyde let vs laye,

For concord and vnitie is euer best,

And therby are kyngdomes alwayes increst,

Weake thinges made strong, and strong thinges maintained.

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Enuye expelled, and frendship retained.

For noble Kyng Edward praye we also.

And for the nobles each in hys degree,

That they may aye condissent herevnto,

And for the prelates of the Clargye,

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That they may also study [i]n vnitie. in] an 1547

Than all that is a_mysse God wyll amende,

To whom be all honour world without ende.

Finis.

¶Imprinted at London in Pater_noster_rowe by Ihon_Turcke.

Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.