University of Califbrnia Berkeley ttrtor iHates Ban VERTUES DUE. INTRODUCTION TO POWELL'S VERTUES DUE [HE prefent Trad is printed from an unique and hitherto unknown one. The author was probably the fame Thomas Powell who has verfes before Foorde's (or Ford's) " Fame's Memoriall, or the Earl of Devonmire deceafed ; with his honourable Life, peacefull End, and folemne Funerall." 4to. Lond. i 606 ; and who wrote alfo the following works : Love's Leprofie, 1598. The Paffionate Poet : with a Defcription of the Thracian Ifmarus, 1601. A Welch Bayte to fpare Provender, 1603. Direction for Search of Records, 1622. The Myfterie of Lending and Borrowing, 1623. The Attourneys Academy, 1623. The Attornies Almanacke, 1627. The Repertorie of Records, 1 63 1 . Tom of all Trades, or the Plaine Path- Way to Preferment, 1631. Mr. F. J. Furnivall, in reprinting the laft tract among the Publica- tions of the New Shakfpere Society, 1 876, thus fpeaks of the author. " Our third tract is by a reverencer of Bacon in his diftrefs, a rollicking attorney and Welmman, Thomas Powell, who feems to have begun writing very ii Introduction to Powell's Vertues Due. bad ferious poetry in 1598 and 1601, and then turnd to chaffing profe, ftill interfperft with fcraps of bad verfe, and divefrs profeflional hand- books, till he ended his career of authorfhip in 1631 with his Tom of all Trades^ here reprinted. There may have been two Thomas Powells. But as the one of 1603 1631 had both a ferious and humorous ftyle in his profe, and in his verfe in his profe-books, I fee no fufficient reafon for fuppofing that he is not the ferious-ftyle verfe-writer of 1598 1601." Our tract, Vertues Due, fully bears out the above character given of fome of his other works by Mr. Furnivall ; for, like his firft productions which appeared in 1598 and 1601, this is not only "very bad ferious poetry", but it has a greater fault, that of being in fome places unintelli- gible. Attempting to foar, obfcurity immediately envelopes him, and to make matters worfe, not content with ufing the hardeft words for the fimpleft fubjects, he preffes into his fervice other words and expreflions not elfewhere to be met with in any work, ancient or modern. His peculiar temperament feems to render him incapable of telling a plain ftory in a natural manner ; and, while ftriving to elevate the verieft common-places into poetical dignity, he makes doubtful what he mould explain, and by his awkward verbiage and circumlocution fucceeds, not in impreffing his readers with a refpect for his poetical powers, but, with the grave complacency of a Malvolio, in making himfelf a laughing-flock by his affectations and abfurdities. Yet fufficient reafons we think may be mown for the prefent reprint, independent of its rarity; inafmuch as it not only deals with a courtly perfonage, whofe memory has for nearly three centuries been furrounded by a fort, of fentimental halo, but as it is the hitherto unknown production of a man whofe other labours with the pen have earned for him a certain degree of notoriety while, more than all, its remarkable phrafeology entitles it to rank among the minor " Curiofities of Literature." The Lady herein commemorated was the daughter of Henry Gary, Lord Hunfdon, and firft wife of Charles fecond Baron Howard of Effingham, created Earl of Nottingham, 22 Oct. 1596. He was the Introduction to Powell's Vertues Due. iii celebrated Lord High Admiral, who aflifted in defeating the Spanifh Armada in 1588, and who died 14 Dec. 1624. His wife predeceafed him many years, dying at Arundel Houfe, in London, 25 Feb. 1602-3, only a month before Queen Elizabeth, whofe laft days me is faid (but on very doubtful authority) to have embittered by her treacherous conduct m not tranfmitting to her fovereign the Earl of Effex's ring, the delivery of which might have been the means of preferving the life of that ram but ftill-loved favourite. She furvived Eflex exactly two years to a day, he having been executed 25 Feb. 1600-1. She left five children, the third of whom the eldeft daughter married Sir Robert Southwell, of Woodrifing, Norfolk, who ferved under his father-in-law againft the Spaniards. The portraits of both thefe naval worthies, it may be mentioned, are given in Pine's engravings from the old tapeftry which was preferved in the Houfe of Lords till its deftruction by the great fire in 1835. -^ er own portrait and that of her hufband appear in the large painting by Mark Garrard (the property of G. Digby Wingfield Digby, Esq.) in which Queen Elizabeth is reprefented as carried in ftate to Hunfdon Houfe, 18 Sept. 1571. And another full- length portrait of the Earl of Nottingham, painted by Zucchero, is in the Naval Gallery of Greenwich Hofpital. Vertues due Or A true model! of the life of the right: Honourable Ka- tharine Ho ward,Iare Counttffe of Nottingham, dc* ceafed. 7". ?. Gentleman, Printed at London by Simon Stafford, dwelling in Hofier hne,neere Smith-fold. the right Honorable^ Chdrlcs Howard, Earlc of Nottin%~ ham , Baroa of Effihgham,Lord high jidmirAfl 6/Enghnd^ offer Mtucjltes molt Honorable prime Cbonfayle, and tfthe Koble Order of the C 'arter y &c. Igbt Noble L0rd> my refifac tods tetuifeAjo make immot&tit vpon the nice ft circumftanccs ofyourprc* fent hAUiourjn plentiful and kono^ orrorv^whofe antmutt motion might bee to the violence hereof : Thts gAut It due to the greater obferuance which wee o we to the deceA^ed^thdt is}in protection andcontefta- lion : Be/ides that warrant of the antentique & CenfortAli rites \ rvhofe example I hauehere quo- ted for moft Honor Able Heraldrie, in dijpoftng her funtr All' torch by due reference^ into your ii neither infeebling the cottrtept Uj 0cnu'd afecond labors where fhc left, AlexDfidblefsihg, and a Cbtrfa betid*; for Beoouss lofty bed did open widd f A third A thicd, Inuention, giue mebacke^myfelfc Peuided* All my numbers keeps co&fcnt, And with my Coulc my ftiles ambition melt. Ecfec finrw of our duty be attentj ForgetckefaaeraHihce&^d maidly, And pro&icucion wholly furasnon roc. OH her by any epithicc cxprcft In vertaes Inuentory j nay difcourfc Her mothers life : ice with what UuciinefTc She does infert it, freely, and vnforc'd. Be flic the noble Coumcflc of Kildare, Or CobhAtiu Baroneffe^ihcc's wondrous faire* J^crtucs A next. The Lady Soutfofl* Hers I Confound my method ewidb a plcfltiotis vayri Of great deuotioivmd of wydaowhood : But my more freeprcpafemenis are To fiiew the Ioft,thcir lift fina&cue, To which the Lady L*fin much accrete Here^happincfle did floate at all the Sync: This day accounted for the greaeeft debt, T hat grace and goodeft Scars could her afsigac: Andtfilthisdayhcr circle neucr metj Now was her happinellc fo facisSde, (fidf ft She knew noc what her wifh might addc be- C ? Content- f^crtucs due. Contentment crownd her ftreight beyond the And roughed oppositions in her birth; (mayne, The Weeping Crocodtlefhi Syrens itrayne, A&d all the Definitions that inuert Our>Fye,whatift that we can call our owne? She paft the fcas,& fhipvvrackt here at home Within the hausn. Now,it^ras difpofd Withhcauenly wifdoinc,tothcbcftof vfes So, we arc wife, to purchafc from oar foes, T'cnrichthe fca with that which land abufes. We doe iccurc vs in their fccbled ftore. Securcncffc hurts Ieaft,whcn itis moltpoore* The The goodncfTc of the Higheft left her not r For to/fw, conquering w*r/ vnarriu*d, Mult disimbark thcgoldenfleeceine brought* In her owne hauen to be ftcllifyde., And feemaboue her weeping Marble fpfeere,. 7o rmmme as free in heauen, as he did heere* 'Twasoncly in herwiflies HOW to dye, When as her fulacfle fear'd to be' o're-ioydj Like thofe that futfet of faciety 9 ' And y ec their furquedry is euer voyd * Tliefe hatie their fulneffc fo intemperate, Nothing refreihesjtill icfuffocate. c + She l/^crtues due. She would not haue her S timer beames to light ,Vp0n the rancke, and thrifty fly me beneath, Where honours hcatbegets the parafite, And other monflrous (hapes, that vvil bequeath Vnto their Ccjar^Ioufs ownchcricance, 1 And fvtrcll his greatncfie mto arrogance. She fear'd that fuch flnild know her to be great. Shekncw her greatnefle was fuperlaciue. Natyrcjand grace, andlfors their rcll had fcr, A nd cu cry oppofition left to ftriue, She wanted nothing of felicity, But free commifsion to defift and dyc She SM?.i 4 C Vtrtms due. She pray d k,and preuentf d conftant fate, That would not her delight fliuld fee her fvmt Out of conucrfc familiar, and innate, I oy ,longer then tis frefh,is not complcat 2 But like co Times owntunes^thatrauifhuoc,, Becaufe they iygdit, when we were begot* This burthen would be When fhchad re ckon*dco maturity , -Appealing from the Moonc that fcllowct?, The cyghc, which mortals call an enemy Vnto conception. Fate and fhc complydei And in a feuen-fbld happmeltc the dyde* The 0/ering. Hou that ow'ftthis brcathles beau- Miftris or" the dayes deuotion, (cy, And her blackeft rices of duty, Guyd'ft hertimclcijjunclcs motion O ! I would not leaue thec y ct, Till I fee thy Scaremencs fit. Thou, that art complocron carclcffe, Let affe^ions anncs vnfold, After laft imbracings dureIc(Tc, Andvpon the hallo wedft mold, Left for tnonumentall vfc, By thy iuft extcnfurc ehufc. Jf If the earth deny thee red, Like the fqulc that lycsfo foft In her groning,grieucd brcft, Shale chou there be buried oft. Earth affords no freer Toornbe; None fo wide as (brrowcs wombe* There in ftcad of balmde confeion, Righteous tcarcs^and fcafon'd fighing Sprinkle o're thy ceaft complexion, Till they fcalc thy fearements plighting* Gratefull odqurs be about thee : Truce wuhin,aadtcarCJ without thee. Next, f^crtucs due. Nexc 8 for Scuchion* o'rc thy hcrfe. I that truly would difplay dice, Offer vp this facred rcrfc, With the grcaccft zcalc that may be t Though thy Herald,lcngththey Iteke, Yetour Scuchionftauesareblacke* Lcafcbylcafc,bc open wide; Spcake to all that paflc this way, That tliey part not from thy fide. Till they read, and readrog pray. May this (lory neuer fade, Tiii chyibulc be quicks conuayd. The offering. Angels with their mufikecharracs All vnknownc malignity; Drowne the midnights hye aikrrae, When the facring fumniom be j Let not her rnhallowedbrteh. Enter in thy houfc of 4cath Spirits fan&i&Ie fccurc theer All corruption quite be fpcnt. Let thy natures workcs aflurc thec Confunmttion imminent. Though thou lefVft them all behind chce> iCf there refine thec The offering. Workes andfayththy foule conuay, On a hcaucn-dcuiding wing. Let dcuotion rcadc and pray* Saints and miniftnng Angclsfing. All, with natures latcft debt, Wy pea way thy Marble* fwcat. . v- ^