Tudor & Elizabethan

Thomas Churchyard

c. 1520–1604

Thomas Churchyard was an English soldier, courtier and prolific verse-writer who served in the wars in Scotland, France and the Low Countries, and in Ireland. He was in the household of the Earl of Surrey as a young man, and he published verse and prose for more than half a century, down to the reign of James I.

This selection is drawn from A Pleasaunte Laborinth called Churchyardes Chance (London: Ihon Kyngston, 1580): epitaphs for noble and gentle friends, verses presented to Queen Elizabeth, and miscellaneous poems on court, friendship, love and the world. Spelling is that of the printed book.

Poems (72)

My Ladie of Lennoyes graces Epitaphe.
An Epitaphe of sir Nicholas Bacon Knight, late Lorde Keeper.
Sir Hugh Pauletts Epitaphe.
Sir Willyam Courtneis Epitaphe.
Sir Willyam Pickryngrs Epitaphe.
Maister Hampdens Epitaphe.
My Ladie Baggnalles Epitaphe who died at the Nuerie.
An Epitaphe of one maistres Blunt, The Ladie Pauletts sister.
Maister Walter Archer his Epitaphe, an auncient Borgis of Kilkenie
The Lorde Braies Epitaphe.
Sir Ihon Constables Epitaphe.
The phantasticall Monarkes Epitaphe.
Of the fickle faithe of men.
Of a Flatterer and a Backbiter.
A good description of a freende.
A warnyng from Courte.
Of a Courtiers life, and how the worst sorte findes beste Furtune.
Of woordes spoken by a greate personage.
A description of Desire.
Of a vicious woman.
Of vnsounde freendes.
A matter of fonde Cupid, and vain Venus.
This showes the vanitie of some hopes.
The meetyng of twoo noble knightes of the Garter (si Henry Sidney, and the Erle of Essex) in Irelande, twoo miles beyond Dradath the xxj, of September, and 17. yere in the raigne of our souerain ladie Quene Elizabeth.
Of my Lorde cheef Baron that was.
Of a noble personage.
A letter in Maie, sent to Maister Henry Knowles house at Gobbyns.
Of the want of will.
Of twoo vertuous sisters.
Translated out of Latine.
A discription of the goodnesse that growes in Cicilia.
A matter of repulce, goyng to the Sea.
Of one that for vertues sake honored a freend.
Written from the Countrey twentie yere agoe, to one that poorely remaines at the Courte yet.
Of an iniurie by saunyng freendes.
Of the quietnesse that plaine Countrey bryngeth.
Of a fearfull Dreame.
Of a harde worlde.
Made against Idell and vain Rimes.
Of the vanitie of youth.
Written of a gentleman, whose name is in the verses.
Non est fides super terram.
Of a disdainfull persone.
A letter to maister Cressie.
A speciall trifle on a fickle woman.
Verses written on the Muster that was made by the Pensioners before the Queene.
Written of the Queene, when her highnesse was in trouble.
Verses giuen the Quenes highnesse at windsor.
A Newe yeres gift to the Erle of Ormond, giuen at Kilkennie, when the Erle of Essex was in Irelande.
A touche stone to trie an error from a trothe.
For the losse of a mightie and noble mannes fauour.
Verses that were giuen to the Quenes maiestie.
A rebuke to vaine louers.
Of fained frendshippe.
Verses that weare giuen to a moste mightie personage.
The louers of the worlde.
Of a noble mynde.
Of doubtfull hope.
Of the flantyng worlde.
Of a fantasticall dreame taken out of Petrarke.
A fancie as an answere to that dreame.
A fantasie on fifteene woordes, endyng all in one letter.
Of the strong and the weake.
Of Youth and Age.
Of the short estate of man.
The praise of mistres Mabell Browne, wherein vertue is honoured.
Of wandryng and gaddyng abroad.
Of faire thynges and soule, where in a vertuous Ladie is sette out.
Of an enemie.
Written in the beginnyng of Kyng Edwardes raigne, whiche verses are called Dauie Dicars Dreame.
The Fall of Shore’s Wife, King Edward the Fourth’s Concubine
The Fall of Thomas Wolsey, Who Rose to Great Authority and Fell into Disgrace

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