Compare 1577 edition: 1 So soone as the noble king had finished his last will and testament, as afore is said, he shortlie there|vpon yeelded vp his spirit to almightie God,The decease of King Henrie the eight. depar|ting this world the eight and twentith daie of Ianu|arie, in the eight and thirtith yeare of his reigne, and in the yeare of our Lord 1546, after the accompt of the church of England; but after the accompt which we follow in this booke 1547, beginning our yeare the first of Ianuarie. He reigned thirtie and seuen yeares, nine moneths and od daies. His bodie (accor|ding to his will in that behalfe) was conueied to Windsor with all funerall pompe, and in the college there interred. Of this tresnoble and trespuissant monarch, I find these few verses, which maie serue in good stead of an epitaph or funerall inscription:

Henricus octa| [...] post 38. [...].Henricus princeps propè lustra peregerat octo,

Et populum magna prudens cum laude regebat,

Ex quo magna solitractauit sceptra Britanni:

Cùm Deus omnipotens, morbo obrepente, moneret

Hinc emigrandum de vita. Proh doloringens!

Quo [...] pia pleb [...]lachrymis quàm tristibus ora rigauit?

Quàm grauiterregni proceres planxere cubantem?

Anglia tota iacet moerens, lugubris & amens,

Nil opis apportant medici, nil profuit herba [...]

Quae solet humanis membris adferre salutem,

Pharmaca nil prosunt, praebetur potio frustra [...]

Heu nulla tristis mors est medicabilis arte.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The descrip|tion of King Henrie the eight.This noble prince was right fortunate in all his dooings, so that commonlie whatsoeuer he attem|ted, had good successe, as well in matters of peace as of wars. Of personage he was tall and mightie, in his latter daies somwhat grosse, or as we tearment, bourlie: in wit and memorie verie perfect: of such maiestie tempered with humanitie, as best became so noble and high an estate: a great fauorer of lear|ning, as he that was not ignorant of good letters himselfe he was of great magnificence and libera|litie, insomuch that Iohn Leland that woorthie antiquarie, hauing tasted of his roiall bountifulnesse, hath left no lesse testified to the world in a proper epigram, which I will not omit, least I should wilfullie conceale a manifest protestation of his thankfulnesse left witnessed vnto the world in writing:

Ante suos Phoebus radios ostendere mundo

Ad Henricum octa [...]um, regem Angliae, maxi| [...] studiosorum [...]torem.

Desinet, & claras Cynthia pulchra faces:

Ante fluet rapidum tacitis sine piscibus aequor,

Spinifer & nullam sentis habebit auem:

Antè sacrae quercus cessabunt spargere ramos,

Florá sollicita pingere prata manu:

Quàm rex diue tuum labatur pectore nostro

Nomen, quod studijs portus & aura meis.

And the same Iohn Leland, who deseruedlie had, tasted the fruits of the kings largesse, was not vnac|quainted with the fame of his renowme, which had made it selfe knowne by restles flight to nations far and neare, some to their smart hauing felt the valor of his forces, and others submitting themselues for feare of vtter desolation. Wherevpon he became a terror to his enimies, and yet none more desirous of peace than he, if by anie other meanes (besides vio|lence) the same might haue béene obteined. Suffici|ent cannot be said in his high & merited commenda|tion, considering that as his victories were singular, so were they also manifold; and hard it is for the pen of a cunning rhetorician to paint him out according to his dignitie: howbeit the said Iohn Leland hath left in writing a proper epigram, deuised in praise of this most excellent king, by way of comparison, to his immortall commendation, as here followeth:

Comparatio in gloriam Henric [...] octaui regis po [...]entissimi.Quantum puniceis nouo rosetis

Cedunt vere suis rubeta spinis

Quantum lilio amoenioris horti

Gemmae omnes aliae nitore cedunt:

Quantum caetera punicis decoro

Malis poma quidem rubore cedunt:

Quantum coniferis breues myricae

Concedunt quo gloria cupressis:

Quantum stellig ero repressa tellus

Caelo mole sua & nigrore cedit:

Tantum omnes alij, celebritate,

Fama, nomine, gloriá vera

(Vt mittam ingenij valentioris

Lumen, flumina, fulmen at vires

Rari iudicij tui perennes)

Concedunt tibi principes sereni [...]

Henrice, ô patriae tuae columna

Talis, qualis erat celebris illa

Olim quam extulit Henricus triumphans.