The true Character of a Noble GENNERALL: ●een and Allowed of by His Excellency, The Earl of ESSEX. Written in Prose and Verse.   blazon or coat of arms 
The Earl of Essex.   portrait of the Earl of Essex 
LONDON, Printed by john Hammond, 1644.   

The Epistle Dedicatory to His Excellence the Earl of ESSEX.  
MAy it please Your Excellence, to accept the affectionated tender of your humble servant, for why your Noble and judicious Honour hath still been held a Patron of the Muses, a Lover of Arts, and Art-like Sciences, and all good Arts ingenious man attains to; Let not me then despair, though the first dip of my weak forward Pen ascend unto so high a Dedication, I gently crave it might not meet refection, because it is my love, if so, it would quite kill my hopes prepared journey, and that sacred Mount I now am labouring up, fall from't, and perish, and made a scorn unto the Laurel tree, in my desire to touch it, but noble Nature mixed with gentle Spirits, ascends like Myrrh unto the saving Heavens, and gives the same desire to you on earth, from whose favours warmth, I hope my spring flourish, and these few mixed Poems here in Prose and Verse, he mildly sensured; and my obedient Service, with my love thought free from flattery, to whose Noble and juditeous censure I recommend them unto Your Excellency's view.  
And desire to be found, Your Excellencies most humble Servant, William Cook.   

The true description of a Noble General: In Prose and Verse.  
A Noble General, by the general assent of the high voice of great Authority, being handed to the Pyramid of Honour, over whose top the golden Truucheon, and the Verdant Wreath, his worthiness as worthily receives, should be just such a man as hath it: In which discretion shown her Masterpiece in calling such a Pillar of the State to their securer and more State supportance, for as the lightning clears the troubled Air, when hot contagion mixeth amongst the Clouds, and gives the Earth a healthier temperature: so choosing of a man whose noble mind in all his actions, was his Names expressor, The people's loves, in whose hearts he was wrapped in, chose themselves forth to be his followers, forsook their wives, their children and their sttates, And when his Drums beat up old England's March, and waving Ensigns cut the fleeting Air, Their Airey spirits backed their mettled steeds. whose hot disdainful pride champing their burnished bits, foam snowed the earth, as scorning it should bare them: So diligence still waits upon love, And as a General in all his state, the very Pageant of Collosius war, being heavens great man, should so be heavens good man, as questionless he is that wears this charge, for when Mars calls him to his maled throne, and with the Plumes of honour crownes his head, acquaints him with his whole artillery, shows him the rules and husbandry of War, brings him through all the cunning labyrinths, tells him his Statutes, Laws, Edicts and Counsels: with it the Christians Conscience, and the care, the golden Plummets of the hearts even ballence, where pure integrity from hearts corrupt, reigns Monarch of the whole Celestial frame, shaping his life so clean, so white so good, that he defies all stratagems against him, though hell should for him make a Machiavel, whose own hot brain contains the quintiscence of all that ever from that man●ion leapt: Yet the just Soldier spurns at him, and that; were all the dangers from the Corners brought, wrapped up in Whirlwinds, on an Earth quake mounted, and every danger ushered with new death, according to the nature of each terror? yet all this to the Noble Martialist, makes not fears breath so strong to shake the smallest hair upon his head, There is the confidence of honesty, whose Host reigns under his command, with love: And where his love leads on with good discretion, not justled by vain glory, through the applause of wide-mouthed rumour, popularity but knows true Martial distance to an Inch, how to bring on with courage and with care, And with the same care to bring oft again, to husband lives to cheri●●, and repair the ruins that red war makes breaches through: not he that in a tempest hurries men like violent thunder, bursting through the Clouds to set his Soldiers at a doubtful stake, and at one cast to win or lose the set to fill the fields with groans of dying men, and City Hospitals with halting Cripples, making their deaths and maims his recreation, and with hosterities overruling sway, command the●r Loves obedience, through fear to say He this and that did by his Valour, his fame like terror shouting through the ears of those that gives the names of Enemies, such Soldiers are, and men of great esteem and praise, though there be difference in equality: Yet where sweet mildness sways it is the best, and shows him most a Gentleman, to whose known deserts, brave worthy Sir, in all things (sans flattery) I give you but your due.   

The same in Verse.  
WHo mount will to the top of Golden honour,  
And there display bright fame, and fortune's banner,  
Must be discreet, and all his Actions such  
Envy may tremble his fair Name to touch:  
'Tis not to say I have been here and there,  
In Holland ' 'gainst the Spaniard or elsewhere;  
Where testimony of his valours so,  
He took a Town, yet no re struck a blow.  
How he was shot in scaling such a Fort.  
And how came off, making his pain his sport;  
How he was threatened by the States to be  
At least an Ensign for his Chivalry  
Such guilded motes, but dance in Soldiers beams,  
Whose praise is like a bubble full of Dreams,  
To this truth's history of man saith so,  
They wear the name of Soldier but, for show,  
But shadows banish, for I now descry  
The rising of the Sun, whose glories high  
There needs no more addition than thy Name  
To get our loves, yet thou hast gotten fame,  
With it a Title of High Excellence,  
Which doth so well become thee in my sense,  
That it is fare more honoured in thy wearing,  
Then is thy goodness by the Titles bearing:  
Great Son of War and Love, put on thy Bays,  
Expel Rome's Idols, bring home Haltian days,  
That thy bright Fame in this Exchange of War.  
May ESSEX Name convert into a Star,  
And may it to those 〈◊〉 thee not appear  
A Meteor to or'ewhelme their hearts with fear,  
By goodness I hate flattery, and yet my love is so,  
I must run thus whether I will or no;  
I should with Injury abuse thy Worth,  
Giving thy High deserts abortive birth,  
If I not write my thoughts,  
For if all that loves thee could or would thus do,  
What volumes could be dedicated to You:  
If it were otherwise Great Sir, be't known,  
People have hearts that would not thus be shown,  
For two Conditions guides thee, popular state,  
Either pure Love, or else deteste● hate.  
Big swells the sails where the strong gale blows full,  
But a still silence where affections dull;  
Honour wins Fame, either for state or wars,  
But he most merits venter's his for scars.  
Boeatus spread not forth her brazen wing.  
F●rther than fame, the name of Soldier sing,  
Which Name the Tented field bestows on Thee;  
The Gule dipped war: and brave Artillery:  
The Fife the Drum and shrill Bellona's note  
Of war (great Captain hath given thee the vote,  
The Name thy Father had survives in thee,  
His Love, His Virtue is thy Legasie.   

The Description of Envy.  
ENVY, a monster who leapt out of Hell, being a brother of the deadly seven, can no contentment find upon the earth, for still his agony increaseth here so that even the local pit from whence he up ascended, affords him not worse torment then the earth, the hissing consort of his Snakeweathed head, shows him a brother to fell Medusa, who as his charmed power, turns into astone and on the sudden freezeth flesh and blood into the hardness of a Statue, so would he blast and sting to death all living goodness, that he knows or hears of: for if a nature▪ sweet as the perfume, the heavenly spring breathes over the Bryery buds give ●●e sunk eyes of Envy such a visit, how he flings scorching lightning after it, That had his Power entranoe to his will, he would melt the very marrow thorough the bone, so thick his forked Artillery she's after it, Let virtue whiter than the Planners path, meek as the Dove and harmless as the sleep of tender Babes, though all the graces hung like stately lemmes to deek the outside of this edifice, and the three steps unto eternity, the outward sign Wart, for the parties knowing, yet what would this avail, o● ever sweeten bitter envy, gall, but strait he shoots reproaches after them, arms, hearts and hands against them like his own, spotting with infamy that silver robe, that wore a tincture like the morning light, before Aurora blushed at Titan's rising springs beauty, with the mixture of those flowers that ever strove for superiority, the spreading Lily, and the blooming Rose yet this foul Canker, both il●hew'd and scented, would suck the juice of Hemlock from the weeds, mixed with the rancour of her own foul lungs, from her more foul tongue to blast perfection, wearing her eyes so fiery bloodshed with her indignation, that where she not prevails, she turns that hatred on her hateful self, and feeds upon her own detested Name, Envy, who from the breaking of the world's first day, brought her Consumption even along with her, still bringing with it, till time make his stop, and all destroying death meet her destruction. Let honour, whose ever grafted flock sprung forth such branches, be possessed with Nature's whole increase assisted with the addition of rich Arts be his Helm, steered by the highest hand, and all his Actions leavyed by a line squared out of the hand of equity, stand he betwixt the Compasses two points, supported by the Gospel and the Law, were his deserts by highest powers compeelld to advance up to the Alps of State, plumed Honour, were he Commander of more lives than hair's, and had of every life a care, as great as the preserving of those blood-branched Veins, that issue from the crimson Conduit-head, the body's fountain, where the thoughts sit crowned, even his own heart, yet Envy would spit at him, and muster up ill thoughts to fight against him, contempts, reproaches, infamies and scorns, Though goodness dwelleth at the sign of greatness, and heavens white finger point him out a man of Saintlike disposition and of sufferance, a smiler on his injuries with forgiveness, whose inward concave is a school of pity, the Master good Discretion, and his hands both sword and Balance sways, Justice with equity, yet all this with his whole ●ife guard of heart-loving friends, such as would emptey all their veins dry ●rom him, and call new life to assist t●em (had they power) can make no bulwark to keep Envy out, but he will call his Council up against him. the swift-winged malice armed with lasting hate, with all the Synod of Anatomies whose skeletons of skin-o're-covering bones can wear no flesh, but bloods, ●heir nourishment. Authority and power his hate pursues, grins at the pomp and state of Potent Kings, derides all Sceptres, Rule or Covernment, and most sphene belcheth where there is least cause, yet seldom dares this Cannibal be seen, he's of so base a coward disposition, but lurks in corners▪ where he may obscured reign over his disturbed self alone Monarch of frets, of self-devouring hate, if factions seed he sows, brings forth no fruit, so that of all envies the poorest, and pays himself worst wages, is basest of all evils, and most despised by goodness.   

The same in Verse.  
SWell Envy till thou burst: a good man's fence  
Dare stand thy power and Hell with Innosence,  
I sit above thy Ire, let all thy spleen  
Po●son thy arrows, make thy point so keen,  
That fortitude nor Fates fell hand,  
Can ward or Check the power of thy command.  
What pity Lewdness shows thy hellborn mind,  
To be so very brainelesly inclined,  
To war against thyself: for wise men knows.  
Thou often strik'st, but oftener feelst the blows.  
Thou art ever poor ever unfortunate,  
Nay, be it then, when thou triumphest in state,  
Having thy ends: Here's that the world will say,  
'twas Envy did it, give the dog his day.  
Thou dar'st not look the bold man in the face,  
But Sculk in corners with thy actions base,  
And there in secret fight against his Name;  
Wounding his credit, and his worth defame  
Where still the Noble is, thy base aspect  
Foams out thy venom, and doth hate direct  
To poison the clear spring, for Envy still  
Forsakes the valleys, and climbs up the hill;  
Shru●bs he regards not, 'tis the Cedar tree,  
he'll either shake, or scorch with infamis:  
The low grounds lie secure, the mountain top,  
The stormy clouds doth up in tempest wrap,  
Hell is all envy, yet nor them nor thee,  
With all their fiery Legions can blast thee.  
Fix Pelion and Ossa, on whose high top,  
Once more let envy into hell down drop,  
Blow him about in winds, or let blue fire;  
Pay Envy for his envy, Hell's hot fire  
Take him from amongst us, for 'tis he  
With England's blood, writ England's tragedy;  
Sink him for ever to the depth of Bisse,  
For robbing us of our firm peaceful bliss;  
O once again may the fair Olive tree,  
The Parliament untte with Majesty:  
His Majesty with them, that broils may cease,  
And welcome England to her former Peace;  
That Rome's high Babel, with her triple Crown,  
May fall to raise the Protestants renown,  
That envy ever may forsake this Glime,  
And each man live under his fruitful Vine.  
●INIS.