In my last post I told the story of the dashing Sir Henry Lee, Champion at the Tilt and Master of the Leash to Elizabeth I.
In passing, I mentioned that Henry’s father Anthony Lee, whose brother-in-law was the poet Thomas Wyatt, also tried his hand at verse, but that his one surviving poem is almost unspeakably bad.
I have to confess, I was secretly hoping someone out there might want to hear more, and my wish has been granted: thank you, Farida Shourbaji! So here – while I’m working on this week’s post proper – I offer for your delectation Anthony Lee’s masterwork, followed by the accounts of Henry Lee’s life, in both poetry and prose, that were inscribed on his lost monument in the family chapel at Quarrendon in Buckinghamshire.
Enjoy!
Poem by Sir Anthony Lee (c.1510–1549)
May not thys hate from thee estarte,
But fermely for to sytte?
That vndeservyd cruell harte,
When shall yt change? Not yet! not yet!
Yowre changyng mynd & feynyd chere,
With yowre love whyche was so knytte,
How hyt hathe turnyd, yt doth apere.
When shall yt change? Not yet! Not yet!
Hathe changyng suche power for to remove
& clene owte for to shytte
So fervent heate & hasty love?
When shall yt change? Not yet! not yet!
Syns I am lefte, what remedy?
I marvell neuer a whytte.
I am not the fyrst, per dy!
Nor shall not be the last; not yet.
Now syns your wyll, so waveryng,
To hate hathe turnyd your wytte,
Example as good as wrytyng,
Hyt wyll not be; not yett.Unsurprisingly, the inscription on the tomb Henry built for his father at Quarrendon didn’t mention his poetry. (It did mention, twice, the achievement of being Henry’s dad.)
Henry’s own monument was magnificent: a sarcophagus of white and red veined marble with an effigy of painted and gilded alabaster. This sculpted version of Henry, a ‘recumbent mailed knight’, lay leaning on his left arm with his head resting on a plumed helmet and a sword in his hand, wearing a collar and mantle of the Order of the Garter. Above was a marble canopy, ‘supported by trophies of coats of mail and helmets’, while the recess behind the figure was decorated with ‘battle axes, banners, javelins, and the like’.
On the front of the tomb were set two tablets, and on them these two verses:
If Fortunes Stoore or Natures wealth commende They both unto his Vertue praise did lende The Warres abroad with honour he did passe In Courtly Justs his Sovereignes Knight he was Six Princes he did serve and in the Frighte And Change of State kept still himselfe upright. With Faith untoucht, Spottless & cleere his Fame So pure that Envy could not wrong the same All but his Virtue now (so vaine is breath) Tourn'd Dust lye here in the cold Armes of Death. Thus Fortunes Gifts and Yearthly favours flye When Vertue conquers Death and Destinye.
But that wasn’t all.
On the wall beside the monument, along with the Lee coat of arms and Henry’s motto Fide et Constantia (‘with faith and steadfastness’), was set a black marble tablet with an inscription composed by a cousin named William Scott. It read as follows:
Sir Henry Lee, Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, sonne of Sir Anthony Lee & Dame Margaret his wife, daughter to Sir Henry Wiat, that faithfull and Constant Servaunt & Counselour to the two Kings of famous Memory, Henries the 7th & eight. Hee owed his birth and Childhood to Kent and his highly Honourable Uncle Sir Thomas Wiat at Alington Castle, his Youthe to the Courte and Kinge Henry the eight, to whose service he was sworne at 14 Yeares olde, His prime of Manhood (after the calme of that blest Prince Edward the sixth) to the Warrs of Scotland in Queen Maries Daies, till called home by her whose soddeine Death gave beginninge to the Glorious Reigne of Queene Elizabeth he gave himself to Voiage and Travaile into the florishinge States of France Itally & Germany, wher soone puttinge on all those Abbillities that become the backe of Honour, Especially Skill and Proofe in Armes, He lived in Grace and Gracinge the Courtes of the most Renowmed princes of that Warlike Age, Returned home charged with the Reputation of a well formed Travailour & adorned with those flowers of Knighthood, Courtesie Bounty Valour, which quicklye gave forth their Fruicte, as well in the ffeilde to the Advantage (at once) of ye two divided parts of this happely united State and to both their Princes his Soveraignes Successively in that Expedition into Scotland the Yeare 1573, when in goodly Equipage he Repayred to the Siege at Edinburgh, their quarteringe before the castle and commanding one of the Batteries he shared largely in the Honour of Ravishinge that Maiden Forte, as also in Court wher he shone in all those fayre partes became his profession & Vowes, honouringe his highlye gracious Mistris with Reysinge those later Olimpiads of her Coronation Justs and Tournaments (Therby Tryinge & Treininge the Courtier in those Exercises of Armes that keepe the Person bright & steeled to Hardinesse, That by Softe Ease Rusts & Weares) wherin still himselfe lead and Triumphed, caryinge away the Spoyles of Grace from his Soveraigne & Renowne from the Worlde for the fairest Man at Armes & most complete Courtier of his Times, till singled out by the choyce hand of his Sovereigne Mistres for med of his Worth (after the Lieutenancy of the Royal Manour of Woodstocke & the Office of the Royal Armory) He was called up an Assessour on the Bench of Honour Emonge Princes & Peeres Receivinge at her Majesties hands the Noblest Order of the Garter, whilest the Worme of time knawinge the Root of this plant, yeildinge to ye Burden Age and the Industrie of an Active Youth imposed on him, full of the Glorye of the Courte, He abated of his Sence to pay his better parte, resigned his Dignity & honour of her Majestes Knight to the Adventurous Compt George Earle of Cumberland, Changinge pleasure for ease, for Tranquility honour, makinge Rest his Sollace & contemplation his Employment, so as absent from the Worlde present with himselfe he chose to loose the fruit of publique Use & Action for that of Devotion & piety, in which time (besides the buildinge of 4 goodly Mannors) he renued the Ruines of this Chappell, added these Monuments to honour his blood and Frends, Reised the foundation of the adjoininge Hospitall, & Lastly as full of Yeares as of Honour, Havinge served five succeedinge princes and kept himself Reight & Steady in many dangerous Shockes & 3 utter Turnes of State, with a body bent to Earth & a mind erected to Heaven, Aged 80 Knighted 60 yeers, he mett his longe attended ende & now rests with his Redeemer leavinge much Patrimony with his Name, honour with the Worlde, & plentifull Teares with his Freinds. Of which Sacrifice he offers his part that beinge a Sharer in his blood as well as in many his honourable Favours and an honourer of his vertues thus narrowly Registreth his spread worth to ensuinge Times.
William Scott
After all that, I need to thank Mathew Lyons for the reminder that Henry did have the good fortune, before his death, to find himself a subject for better writers than Scott:
Philip Sidney wrote about tilting against Sir Henry Lee, thinly disguised as Lelius, in the Arcadia:
“Lelius (who was known to be second to none in the perfection of that art) ran ever over his head, but so finely to the skilful eyes, that one might well see, he shewed more knowledge in missing, then others did in hitting. For with so gallant a grace his staff came swimming close over the crest of the helmet, as if he would represent the kiss, and not the stroke of Mars.”
And then one last mystery, which I’ve been discussing with Louise Whitaker. Henry’s tomb says he served ‘Six Princes’; Scott’s inscription says five. Do we think the sixth is Jane Grey, or Queen Mary’s husband Philip (after whom Philip Sidney was named)?
I’m convinced if Anthony lived in the year of our Lord, 2026, he would have kept that one on his notes app…and not published it. Not yet, not yet!
That is a phenomenally long epitaph! What size is the plaque?
Kudos to the patient historian who transcribed it!