HENRY HOWARD Earl of Surrey.
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This Honourable Earl was Son to Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk, and Frances his Wife, the Daughter of John Vere Earl of Oxford. He was (saith Cambden) the first of our English Nobility that did illustrate his high Birth with the Beauty of Learning, and his Learning with the knowledge of divers Languages, which he attained unto by his Travels into foreign Nations; so that he deservedly had the particular Fame of Learning, Wit and Poetical Fancy.
Our famous Poet Drayton, in his England's Heroical Epistles, writing of this Noble Earl, thus says of him;
The Earl of Surrey, that renowned Lord, Th'old English Glory bravely that restor'd, That Prince and Poet (a Name more divine) Falling in Love with Beauteous Geraldine, Of the Geraldi, which derive their Name From Florence; whether to advance her Fame, He travels, and in publick Justs maintain'd Her Beauty peerless, which by Arms he gain'd.
In his way to Florence, he touch'd at the Emperor's Court; where he fell in acquaintance with the great Learned Cornelius Agrippa, so famous for Magick, who shewed him the Image of his Geraldine in a Glass, sick, weeping on her Bed, and resolved all into devout Religion for the absence of her Lord; upon sight of which, he made this Sonnet.
All Soul, no earthly Flesh, why dost thou fade? All Gold, no earthly Dross, why look'st thou pale? Sickness, how dar'st thou one so fair invade? Too base Infirmity to work her Bale. Heaven be distempered since she grieved pines, Never be dry these my sad plantive Lines. Pearch thou my Spirit on her Silver Breasts, And with their pains redoubled Musick beatings, Let them toss thee to world where all toil rests, Where Bliss is subject to no Fear's defeatings; Her Praise I tune whose Tongue doth tune the Sphears, And gets new Muses in her Hearers Ears. Stars fall to fetch fresh light from her rich eyes, Her bright Brow drives the Sun to Clouds beneath. Her Hairs reflex with red strakes paints the Skies, Sweet Morn and Evening dew flows from her breath: Phoebe rules Tides, she my Tears tides forth draws, In her sick-Bed Love sits, and maketh Laws. Her dainty Limbs tinsel her Silk soft Sheets, Her Rose-crown'd Cheeks eclipse my dazled sight. O Glass! with too much joy my thoughts thou greets, And yet thou shew'st me day but by twilight. Ile kiss thee for the kindness I have felt, Her Lips one Kiss would unto Nectar melt.
From the Emperor's Court he went to the City of Florence, the Pride and Glory of Italy, in which City his Geraldine was born, never ceasing till he came to the House of her Nativity; and being shewn the Chamber her clear Sun-beams first thrust themselves in this cloud of Flesh, he was transported with an Extasie of Joy, his Mouth overflow'd with Magnificats, his Tongue thrust the Stars out of Heaven, and eclipsed the Sun and Moon with Comparisons of his Geraldine, and in praise of the Chamber that was so illuminatively honoured with her Radiant Conception, he penned this Sonnet:
Fair Room, the presence of sweet Beauties pride, This place the Sun upon the Earth did hold, When Phaeton his Chariot did misguide, The Tower where Jove rain'd down himself in Gold, Prostrate as holy ground Ile worship thee. Our Ladies Chappel henceforth be thou nam'd; Here first Loves Queen put on Mortality, And with her Beauty all the world inflam'd. Heaven's Chambers harbouring fiery Cherubins, Are not with thee in Glory to compare. Lightning, it is not Light which in thee mines, None enter thee but streight entranced are. O! if Elizium be above the ground, Then here it is, where nought but Joy is found.
That the City of Florence was the ancient Seat of her Family, he himself intimates in one of his Sonnets: thus;
From Tuscan came my Ladies worthy Race; Fair Florence was sometimes her ancient Seat, The Weltern Isle, whose pleasant Shoar doth face, Whilst Camber's Cliffs did give her lively heat.
In the Duke of Florence's Court he published a proud Challenge against all Comers, whether Christians, Turks, Canibals, Jews, or Saracens, in defence of his Geraldines Beauty. This Challenge was the more mildly accepted, in regard she whom he defended, was a Town-born Child of that City; or else the Pride of the Italian would have prevented him ere he should have come to perform it. The Duke of Florence nevertheless sent for him, and demanded him of his Estate, and the reason that drew him thereto; which when he was advertiz'd of to the full, he granteth all Countries whatsoever, as well Enemies and Outlaws, as Friends and Confederates, free access and regress into his Dominions immolested, until the Trial were ended.
This Challenge, as he manfully undertook, so he as valiantly performed; as Mr. Drayton describes it in his Letter to the Lady Geraldine.
The shiver'd Staves here for thy Beauty broke, With fierce encounters past at every shock, When stormy Courses answer'd Cuff for Cuff, Denting proud Beavers with the Counter-buff; Which when each manly valiant Arm essays, After so many brave triumphant days, The glorious Prize upon my Lance I bare, By Herald's Voyce proclaim'd to be thy share.
The Duke of Florence for his approved Valour, offered him large Proffers to stay with him; which he refused: intending, as he had done in Florence, to proceed through all the chief Cities in Italy; but this his Purpose was frustrated, by Letters sent to him from his Master King Henry the 8th. which commanded him to return as speedily as possibly he could into England.
Our famous English Antiquary John Leland, speaking much in the praise of Sir Thomas Wiat the Elder, as well for his Learning, as other excellent Qualities, meet for a man of his Calling; calls this Earl the conscript enrolled Heir of the said Sir Thomas Wiat: writing to him in these words;
Accipe Regnorum Comes illustrissime Carmen, Quo mea Musa tuum laudavit moesta Viallum.
And again, in another place,
Perge, Houerde, tuum virtute referre Viallum, Dicerisque tuæ clarissima Gloria stirpis.
A certain Treatise called The Art of English Poetry, alledges, That Sir Thomas Wiat the Elder, and Henry Earl of Surrey were the two Chieftains, who having travelled into Italy, and there tasted the sweet and stately Measures and Style of the Italian Poesie, greatly polished our rude and homely manner of vulgar Poesie from what it had been before; and may therefore justly be shewed to be the Reformers of our English Meeter and Style.
I shall only add an Epitaph made by this Noble Earl on Sir Anthony Denny, Knight (a Gentleman whom King Henry the 8th. greatly affected) and then come to speak of his Death.
Death and the King did as it were contend, Which of them two bare Denny greatest Love; The King to shew his Love, gan far extend, Did him advance his Betters far above: Near Place, much Wealth, great Honour eke him gave, To make it known what Power great Princes have. But when Death came with his triumphant Gift, From worldly Cark he quit his wearied Ghost, Free from the Corps, and streight to Heaven it lift, Now deem that can who did for Denny most; The King gave Wealth, but fading and unsure, Death brought him Bliss that ever shall endure.
But to return, this Earl had together with his Learning, Wisdom, Fortitude, Munificence, and Affability; yet all these good and excellent parts were no protection against the King's Displeasure; for upon the 12th of December, the last of King Henry the 8th. he, with his Father Thomas Duke of Norfolk, upon certain surmises of Treason, were committed to the Tower of London, the one by Water, the other by Land; so that the one knew not of the others Apprehension: The 15th. day of January next following, he was arraigned at Guildhall, London, where the greatest matter alledged against him, was, for bearing certain Arms that were said belonged to the King and Prince; the bearing whereof he justified. To be short, (for so they were with him) he was found guilty by twelve common Juriars, had Judgment of Death; and upon the 19th day of the said Month (nine days before the Death of the said King Henry, was beheaded at Tower-Hill) He was at first interred in the Chappel of the Tower, and afterwards, in the Reign of King James, his Remainders of Ashes and Bones were removed to Framingham in Suffolk, by his second Son Henry Earl of Northampton, where in the Church they were interred, with this Epitaph;
Henrico Howardo, Thomæ Secundi Ducis Norfolciæ filio primogenito, Thomæ tertij Patri, Comiti Surriæ, & Georgiani Ordinis Equiti Aurato, immature Anno Salutis 1546, abrepto. Et Francisæ Uxori ejus, filiæ Johannis Comitis Oxoniæ. Henricus Howardus Comes Northhamptoniæ, filius secundo genitus, hoc supremum Pietatis in Parentes Monumentum posuit, A.D. 1614.