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American Puritan & Colonial

Funeral Tribute to John Winthrope

Benjamin Tompson (1642-1714) · 720 words · 3 min

The source for this document is http://name.umdl.umich.edu/N00165.0001.001

Project Note

This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.

The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.

This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.

Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.

However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.

This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.

Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org

A FUNERAL TRIBUTE To the Honorable Dust of that most Charitable Christian, Vnbiassed Politician, And unimitable Pyrotechnist John Winthrope esq: A Member of the Royal Society, & Governor of Conecticut Colony in NEW-ENGLAND.

Who expired in his Countries Service, April. 6th. 1676.

ANother Black Parenthesis of woe
The Printer wills that all the World should know
Sage Winthrop pressed with public sorrow Dies
As the Sum total of our Miseries:
A Man of worth who 〈◊〉 may ranked be
Not with the thirty but the peerless three
Of 〈◊〉 Worthies, Heir to all the Stock
Of praise his S • re received from his Flock:
GREAT WINTHROPS Name shall never be forgotten
Till all NEW-ENGLANDS Race be dead and rotten;
That Common Stock of all his Countries weal
Whom Grave and Tomb-stone never can conceal.
Three Colonies his PATIENTS bleeding lie
Deserted by their great PHYSICIANS eye;
Whose common sl • ce is po • zed for their tears,
And Ga • es fly open to a Sea of fears.
His Christian Modesty would never let
His Name be near unto his SAVIOVRS set:
Yet Miracles set by, he'd act his part
Better to LIFE then Doctors of his Art.
Projections various by fire he made
Where Nature had her common Treasure laid.
Some thought the tincture Philosophic lay
Hatcht by the Mineral Sun in WINTHROPS way▪
And clear it shines to me he had a Stone
Grav'd with his Name which he could read alone.
To say how like a SCEVOLA in Court
Or ancient CONSVLS Histories report
I here for bear, hoping some learned Tongue
Will quaintly write, and not his Honor wrong.
His common Acts with brightest luster shone,
But in Apollo's Art he was alone.
Sometimes Earths veins creeping from endless holes
Would stop his plodding eyes: anon the Coals
Must search his Treasure, conversant in use
Not of the Mettals only but the juice.
Sometimes his wary steps, but wandering too
Would carry him the Crystal Mountains to
Where Nature locks her Gems, each softly spark
Mocking the Stars, spher'd in their 〈◊〉 dark.
Sometimes the Hough, anon the Gardners Spade
He deign'd to use, and tools of th' Chymick trade.
His fruit of Toyl Hermetically done
Stream to the poor as light doth from the Sun.
The lavish Garb of silks, Rich Plush and Rings
Physicians Livery, at his feet he flings.
One hand the Bellows held, by toother Coals
Disposes he to hatch the health of Souls;
Which Mysteries this Chiron was more wise
Then unto idiots to Anatomize.
But in a second person hopes I have
His Art will live though he possess the Grave.
To treat the MORALS of this Healer Luke
Were to essay to write a PENTATVKE,
Since all the Law as to the MORAL part
Had its impression in his spotless heart:
The virtues shining brightest in his Crown
Were self depression, scorning all renown;
Meekness and Justice were together laid
When any Subject from good order straid.
Neither did ever Artificial fire
Boyle up the Choler of his temper higher
Then modest bounds. In Church and Common-wealth
Who was the Balsam of his Countries Health.
Europe sure knew his worth who fixed his Name
Among its glorious Stars of present fame.
Here Royal CHARLES leads up, stands WINTHROPE there
Amongst the Virtuosi in the Rear:
But for his Art with hundreds of the rest
He might be be placed in Front and come a Breast.
What Soul in fouldings 'tother side the Serene
With Souls turned Angels guess we to have been
When first his Chariot wheels the threshold felt
Where WINTHROPS, DVDLYS, COTTONS Spirits dwelt?
What melting joys are there? Sorrows below,
Should adequately from New-England flow:
If Saints be intercess • rs, heres our hope
We need not be beholding to the Pope.
We have as good ourselves, an honest Brother
Outvies their Saintship, there or any other.
Now Helmo • ts lines so learned and abstruse
Are laid aside and quite cast out of use:
And Authors which such vast expenses spent
Lye like his Corps; his • ar is only lent
To Heavenly Harmonies, all things his Eye
Views in the platform whence all forms did fly;
His labors cease forever, but the fruit
He reaps at Fountain head without dispute.

B. Thompson.