that crowne which is your due That of Heau'ns beauty Earth may take a view Though famous women elder times haue knowne Whose glorious actions did appeare so bright That powrefull men by them were ouerthrowne And all their armies ouercome in fight The Scythian women by their powre alone Put king Darius vnto shamefull flight All Asia yeelded to their conq'ring hand Great Alexander could not their powre withstand Whose worth though writ in lines of blood and fire Is not to be compared vnto thine Their powre was small to ouercome Desire Or to direct their wayes by Virtues line Were they aliue they would thy Life admire And vnto thee their honours would resigne For thou a greater conquest do'st obtaine Than they who haue so many thousands slaine Wise Deborah that judged Israel Nor valiant Iudeth cannot equall thee Vnto the first God did his will reueale And gaue her powre to set his people free Yea Iudeth had the powre likewise to queale Proud Holifernes that the just might see What small defence vaine pride and greatnesse hath Against the weapons of Gods word and faith But thou farre greater warre do'st still maintaine Against that many headed monster Sinne Whose mortall sting hath many thousand slaine And euery day fresh combates doe begin Yet cannot all his venome lay one staine Vpon thy Soule thou do'st the conquest winne Though all the world he daily doth deuoure Yet ouer thee he neuer could get powre For that one worthy deed by Deb'rah done Thou hast performed many in thy time For that one Conquest that faire Iudeth wonne By which shee did the steps of honour clime Thou hast the Conquest of all Conquests wonne When to thy Conscience Hell can lay no crime For that one head that Iudeth bare away Thou tak'st from Sinne a hundred heads a day Though virtuous Hester fasted three dayes space And spent her time in prayers all that while That by Gods powre shee might obtaine such grace That shee and hers might not become a spoyle To wicked Hamon in whose crabbed face Was seene the map of malice enuie guile Her glorious garments though shee put apart So to present a pure and single heart To God in sack-cloth ashes and with teares Yet must faire Hester needs giue place to thee Who hath continu'd dayes weekes months and yeares In Gods true seruice yet thy heart beeing free From doubt of death or any other feares Fasting from sinne thou pray'st thine eyes may see Him that hath full possession of thine heart From whose sweet loue thy Soule can neuer part His Loue not Feare makes thee to fast and pray No kinsmans counsell needs thee to aduise The sack-cloth thou do'st weare both night and day Is worldly troubles which thy rest denies The ashes are the Vanities that play Ouer thy head and steale before thine eyes Which thou shak'st off when mourning time is past That royall roabes thou may'st put on at last Ioachims wife that faire and constant Dame Who rather chose a cruel death to die Than yeeld to those two Elders voide of shame When both at once her chastitie did trie Whose Innocencie bare away the blame Vntill th' Almighty Lord had heard her crie And rais'd the spirit of a Child to speake Making the powrefull judged of the weake Although her virtue doe deserue to be Writ by that hand that neuer purchas'd blame In holy Writ where all the world may see Her perfit life and euer honoured name Yet was she not to be compar'd to thee Whose many virtues doe increase thy fame For shee oppos'd against old doting Lust Who with lifes danger she did feare to trust But your chafte breast guarded with strength of mind Hates the imbracements of vnchaste desires You louing God liue in your selfe confind From vnpure Loue your purest thoughts retires Your perfit sight could neuer be so blind To entertaine the old or yong desires Of idle Louers which the world presents Whose base abuses worthy minds preuents Euen as the constant Lawrell alwayes greene No parching heate of Summer can deface Nor pinching Winter euer yet was seene Whose nipping frosts could wither or disgrace So you deere Ladie still remaine as Queene Subduing all affections that are base Vnalterable by the change of times Not following but lamenting others crimes No feare of Death or dread of open shame Hinders your perfect heart to giue consent Nor loathsome age whom Time could neuer tame From ill designes whereto their youth was bent But loue of God care to preserue your fame And spend that pretious time that God hath sent In all good exercises of the minde Whereto your noble nature is inclin'd That Ethyopian Queene did gaine great fame Who from the Southerne world did come to see Great Salomon the glory of whose name Had spread it selfe ore all the earth to be So great that all the Princes thither came To be spectators of his royaltie And this faire Queene of Sheba came from farre To reuerence this new appearing starre From th' vtmost part of all the Earth shee came To heare the Wisdom of this worthy King To trie if Wonder did agree with Fame And many faire rich presents did she bring Yea many strange hard questions did shee frame All which were answer'd by this famous King Nothing was hid that in her heart did rest And all to prooue this King so highly blest Here Maiestie with Maiestie did meete Wisdome to Wisdome yeelded true content One Beauty did another Beauty greet Bounty to Bountie neuer could repent Here all distaste is troden vnder feet No losse of time where time was so well spent In virtuous exercises of the minde In which this Queene did much contentment finde Spirits affect where they doe sympathize Wisdom desires Wisdome to embrace Virtue couets her like and doth deuize How she her friends may entertaine with grace Beauty sometime is pleas'd to feed her eyes With viewing Beautie in anothers face Both good and bad in this point doe agree That each desireth with his like to be And this Desire did worke a strange effect To drawe a Queene forth of her natiue Land Not yeelding to the nicenesse and respect Of woman-kind shee past both sea and land All feare of dangers shee did quite neglect Onely to see to heare and vnderstand That beauty wisedome maiestie and glorie That in her heart imprest his perfect storie Yet this faire map of maiestie and might Was but a figure of thy deerest Loue Borne t' expresse that true and heauenly light That doth all other joyes imperfect proue If this faire Earthly starre did shine so bright What doth that glorious Sonne that is aboue Who weares th' imperiall crowne of heauen and earth And made all Christians blessed in his berth If that small sparke could yeeld so great a fire As to inflame the hearts of many Kings To come to see to heare and to admire His wisdome tending but to worldly things Then much more reason haue we to desire That heau'nly
such as none could them comport Such great Indurements who did euer know When to th' Almighty thou didst make resort And falling on thy face didst humbly pray If 't were his Will that Cup might passe away Saying Not my will but thy will Lord be done When as thou prayedst an Angel did appeare From Heauen to comfort thee Gods onely Sonne That thou thy Suffrings might'st the better beare Beeing in an agony thy glasse neere run Thou prayedst more earnestly in so great feare That pretious sweat came trickling to the ground Like drops of blood thy sences to confound Loe here his Will not thy Will Lord was done And thou content to vndergoe all paines Sweet Lambe of God his deare beloved Sonne By this great purchase what to thee remaines Of Heaven and Earth thou hast a Kingdom wonne Thy Glory beeing equall with thy Gaines In ratifying Gods promise on th' earth Made many hundred yeares before thy berth But now returning to thy sleeping Friends That could not watch one houre for love of thee Even those three Friends which on thy Grace depends Yet shut those Eies that should their Maker see What colour what excuse or what amends From thy Displeasure now can set them free Yet thy pure Pietie bids them Watch and Pray Lest in Temptation they be led away Although the Spirit was willing to obay Yet what great weakenesse in the Flesh was found They slept in Ease whilst thou in Paine didst pray Loe they in Sleepe and thou in Sorow drown'd Yet Gods right Hand was vnto thee a stay When horror griefe and sorow did abound His Angel did appeare from Heaven to thee To yeeld thee comfort in Extremitie But what could comfort then thy troubled Minde When Heaven and Earth were both against thee bent And thou no hope no ease no rest could'st finde But must restore that Life which was but lent Was ever Creature in the World so kinde But he that from Eternitie was sent To satisfie for many Worlds of Sinne Whose matchiesse Torments did but then begin If one Mans sinne doth challenge Death and Hell With all the Torments that belong thereto If for one sinne such Plagues on David fell As grieved him and did his Seed vndoe If Salomon for that he did not well Falling from Grace did loose his Kingdome too Ten Tribes beeing taken from his wilfull Sonne And Sinne the Cause that they were all vndone What could thy Innocency now expect When all the Sinnes that ever were committed Were laid to thee whom no man could detect Yet farre thou wert of Man from beeing pittied The Iudge so iust could yeeld thee no respect Nor would one jot of penance be remitted But greater horror to thy Soule must rise Than Heart can thinke or any Wit devise Now drawes the houre of thy affliction neere And vgly Death presents himselfe before thee Thou now must leaue those Friends thou held'st so deere Yea those Disciples who did most adore thee Yet in thy countenance doth no Wrath appeare Although betrayd to those that did abhorre thee Thou did'st vouchsafe to visit them againe Who had no apprehension of thy paine Their eyes were heavie and their hearts asleepe Nor knew they well what answere then to make thee Yet thou as Watchman had'st a care to keepe Those few from sinne that shortly would forsake thee But now thou bidst them henceforth Rest and Sleepe Thy houre is come and they at hand to take thee The Sonne of God to Sinners made a pray Oh hatefull houre oh blest oh cursed day Loe here thy great Humility was found Beeing King of Heauen and Monarch of the Earth Yet well content to haue thy Glory drownd By beeing counted of so meane a berth Grace Loue and Mercy did so much abound Thou entertaindst the Crosse euen to the death And nam'dst thy selfe the sonne of Man to be To purge our pride by thy Humilitie But now thy friends whom thou didst call to goe Heauy Spectators of thy haplesse case See thy Betrayer whom too well they knowe One of the twelue now object of disgrace A trothlesse traytor and a mortall foe With fained kindnesse seekes thee to imbrace And giues a kisse whereby he may deceiue thee That in the hands of Sinners he might leaue thee Now muster forth with Swords with Staues with Bils High Priests and Scribes and Elders of the Land Seeking by force to haue their wicked Wils Which thou didst neuer purpose to withstand Now thou mak'st haste vnto the worst of Ils And who they seeke thou gently doest demand This didst thou Lord t' amaze these Fooles the more T' inquire of that thou knew'st so well before When loe these Monsters did not shame to tell His name they sought and found yet could not know Iesus of Nazareth at whose feet they fell When Heauenly Wisdome did descend so lowe To speak to them they knew they did not well Their great amazement made them backeward goe Nay though he said vnto them I am he They could not know him whom their eyes did see How blinde were they could not discerne the Light How dull if not to vnderstand the truth How weake if meekenesse overcame their might How stony hearted if not mov'd to ruth How void of Pitie and how full of Spight Gainst him that was the Lord of Light and Truth Here insolent Boldnesse checkt by Love and Grace Retires and falls before our Makers face For when he spake to this accursed crew And mildely made them know that it was he Presents himselfe that they might take a view And what they doubted they might cleerely see Nay more to re-assure that it was true He said I say vnto you I am hee If him they sought he 's willing to obay Onely desires the rest might goe their way Thus with a heart prepared to endure The greatest wrongs Impietie could devise He was content to stoope vnto their Lure Although his Greatnesse might doe otherwise Here Grace was seised on with hands impure And Virtue now must be supprest by Vice Pure Innocencie made a prey to Sinne Thus did his Torments and our Ioyes beginne Here faire Obedience shined in his breast And did suppresse all feare of future paine Love was his Leader vnto this vnrest Whil'st Righteousnesse doth carry vp his Traine Mercy made way to make vs highly blest When Patience beat downe Sorrow Feare and Paine Iustice sate looking with an angry brow On blessed misery appeering now More glorious than all the Conquerors That euer liu'd within this Earthly round More powrefull than all Kings or Gouernours That euer yet within this World were found More valiant than the greatest Souldiers That euer fought to haue their glory crown'd For which of them that euer yet tooke breath Sought t' indure the doome of Heauen and Earth But our sweet Sauiour whom these Iewes did name Yet could their learned Ignorance apprehend No light of grace to free themselues from blame Zeale Lawes Religion now they doe pretend Against
take Nor Priests nor People meanes he now to blame But answers Folly for true Wisdomes sake Beeing charged deeply by his powrefull name To tell if Christ the Sonne of God he be Who for our sinnes must die to set vs free To thee O Caiphas doth he answere giue That thou hast said what thou desir'st to know And yet thy malice will not let him liue So much thou art vnto thy selfe a foe He speaketh truth but thou wilt not beleeue Nor canst thou apprehend it to be so Though he expresse his Glory vnto thee Thy Owly eies are blind and cannot see Thou rend'st thy cloathes in stead of thy false heart And on the guiltlesse lai'st thy guilty crime For thou blasphem'st and he must feele the smart To sentence death thou think'st it now high time No witnesse now thou need'st for this fowle part Thou to the height of wickednesse canst clime And giue occasion to the ruder sort To make afflictions sorrows follies sport Now when the dawne of day gins to appeare And all your wicked counsels haue an end To end his Life that holds you all so deere For to that purpose did your studies bend Proud Pontius Pilate must the matter heare To your vntroths his eares he now must lend Sweet Iesus bound to him you led away Of his most pretious blood to make yout pray Which when that wicked Caytife did perceiue By whose lewd meanes he came to this distresse He brought the price of blood he did receiue Thinking thereby to make his fault seeme lesse And with these Priests and Elders did it leaue Confest his fault wherein he did transgresse But when he saw Repentance vnrespected He hang'd himselfe of God and Man reiected By this Example what can be expected From wicked Man which on the Earth doth liue But faithlesse dealing feare of God neglected Who for their priuate gaine cares not to sell The Innocent Blood of Gods most deere elected As did that caytife wretch now damn'd in Hell If in Christs Schoole he tooke so great a fall What will they doe that come not there at all Now Pontius Pilate is to judge the Cause Of faultlesse Iesus who before him stands Who neither hath offended Prince nor Lawes Although he now be brought in woefull bands O noble Gouernour make thou yet a pause Doe not in innocent blood imbrue thy hands But heare the words of thy most worthy wife Who sends to thee to beg her Sauiours life Let barb'rous crueltie farre depart from thee And in true Iustice take afflictions part Open thine eies that thou the truth mai'st see Doe not the thing that goes against thy heart Condemne not him that must thy Sauiour be But view his holy Life his good desert Let not vs Women glory in Mens fall Who had power giuen to ouer-rule vs all Eues Apologie ¶ Till now your indiscretion sets vs free And makes our former fault much lesse appeare Our Mother Eue who tasted of the Tree Giuing to Adam what shee held most deare Was simply good and had no powre to see The after-comming harine did not appeare The subtile Serpent that our Sex betraide Before our fall so sure a plot had laide That vndiscerning Ignorance perceau'd No guile or craft that was by him intended For had she knowne of what we were bereau'd To his request she had not condiscended But she poore soule by cunning was deceau'd No hurt therein her harmelesse Heart intended For she alleadg'd Gods word which he denies That they should die but euen as Gods be wise But surely Adam can not be excusde Her fault though great yet hee was most too blame What Weaknesse offerd Strength might haue refusde Being Lord of all the greater was his shame Although the Serpents craft had her abusde Gods holy word ought all his actions frame For he was Lord and King of all the earth Before poore Eue had either life or breath Who being fram'd by Gods eternall hand The perfect'st man that ever breath'd on earth And from Gods mouth receiu'd that strait command The breach whereof he knew was present death Yea hauing powre to rule both Sea and Land Yet with one Apple wonne to loose that breath Which God had breathed in his beauteous face Bringing vs all in danger and disgrace And then to lay the fault on Patience backe That we poore women must endure it all We know right well he did discretion lacke Beeing not perswaded thereunto at all If Eue did erre it was for knowledge sake The fruit beeing faire perswaded him to fall No subtill Serpents falshood did betray him If he would eate it who had powre to stay him Not Eue whose fault was onely too much loue Which made her giue this present to her Deare That what shee tasted he likewise might proue Whereby his knowledge might become more cleare He neuer sought her weakenesse to reproue With those sharpe words which he of God did heare Yet Men will boast of Knowledge which he tooke From Eues faire hand as from a learned Booke If any Euill did in her remaine Beeing made of him he was the ground of all If one of many Worlds could lay a staine Vpon our Sexe and worke so great a fall To wretched Man by Satans subtill traine What will so fowle a fault amongst you all Her weakenesse did the Serpents words obay But you in malice Gods deare Sonne betray Whom if vniustly you condemne to die Her sinne was small to what you doe commit All mortall finnes that doe for vengeance crie Are not to be compared vnto it If many worlds would altogether trie By all their sinnes the wrath of God to get This sinne of yours surmounts them all as farre As doth the Sunne another little starre Then let vs haue our Libertie againe And challendge to your selues no Sou'raigntie You came not in the world without our paine Make that a barre against your crueltie Your fault beeing greater why should you disdaine Our beeing your equals free from tyranny If one weake woman simply did offend This sinne of yours hath no excuse nor end To which poore soules we neuer gaue consent Witnesse thy wife O Pilate speakes for all Who did but dreame and yet a message sent That thou should'st haue nothing to doe at all With that just man which if thy heart relent Why wilt thou be a reprobate with Saul To seeke the death of him that is so good For thy soules health to shed his dearest blood Yea so thou mai'st these sinful people please Thou art content against all truth and right To seale this act that may procure thine ease With blood and wrong with tyrannie and might The multitude thou seekest to appease By base deiection of this heauenly Light Demanding which of these that thou should'st loose Whether the Thiefe or Christ King of the Iewes Base Barrabas the Thiefe they all desire And thou more base than he perform'st their will Yet when thy thoughts backe to themseluesretire Thou art vnwilling
For by this blessed food he did contriue A worke of grace by this his gift externall With heau'nly Manna food of his elected To feed their soules of whom he is respected This wheate of Heauen the blessed Angells bread Wherewith he feedes his deere adopted Heires Sweet foode of life that doth reuiue the dead And from the liuing takes away all cares To taste this sweet Saint Laurence did not dread The broyling gridyorne cool'd with holy teares Yeelding his naked body to the fire To taste this sweetnesse such was his desire Nay what great sweetnesse did th'Apostles taste Condemn'd by Counsell when they did returne Rejoycing that for him they di'd disgrac'd Whose sweetnes made their hearts and soules so burne With holy zeale and loue most pure and chaste For him they sought from whome they might not turne Whose loue made Andrew goe most joyfully Vnto the Crosse on which he meant to die The Princes of th'Apostles were so filled With the delicious sweetnes of his grace That willingly they yeelded to be killed Receiuing deaths that were most vile and base For his name sake that all might be fulfilled They with great joy all torments did imbrace The vgli'st face that Death could euer yeeld Could neuer feare these Champions from the field They still continued in their glorious fight Against the enemies of flesh and blood And in Gods law did set their whole delight Suppressing euill and erecting good Not sparing Kings in what they did not right Their noble Actes they seal'd with deerest blood One chose the Gallowes that vnseemely death The other by the Sword did loose his breath His Head did pay the dearest rate of sin Yeelding it joyfully vnto the Sword To be cut off as he had neuer bin For speaking truth according to Gods word Telling king Herod of incestuous sin That hatefull crime of God and man abhorr'd His brothers wife that prowd licentious Dame Cut off his Head to take away his shame Loe Madame heere you take a view of those Whose worthy steps you doe desire to tread Deckt in those colours which our Sauiour chose Colours of Confessors Martirs The purest colours both of White and Red Their freshest beauties would I faine disclose By which our Sauiour most was honoured But my weake Muse desireth now to rest Folding vp all their Beauties in your breast Whose excellence hath rais'd my sprites to write Of what my thoughts could hardly apprehend Your rarest Virtues did my soule delight Great Ladie of my heart I must commend You that appeare so faire in all mens fight On your Deserts my Muses doe attend You are the Articke Starre that guides my hand All what I am I rest at your command FINIS The Description of Cooke-ham FArewell sweet Cooke-ham where I first obtain'd Grace from that Grace where perfit Grace remain'd And where the Muses gaue their full consent I should haue powre the virtuous to content Where princely Palace will'd me to indite The sacred Storie of the Soules delight Farewell sweet Place where Virtue then did rest And all delights did harbour in her breast Neuer shall my sad eies againe behold Those pleasures which my thoughts did then vnfold Yet you great Lady Mistris of that Place From whose desires did spring this worke of Grace Vouchsafe to thinke vpon those pleasures past As fleeting worldly Ioyes that could not last Or as dimme shadowes of celestiall pleasures Which are desir'd aboue all earthly treasures Oh how me thought against you thither came Each part did seeme some new delight to frame The House receiu'd all ornaments to grace it And would indure no foulenesse to deface it The Walkes put on their summer Liueries And all things else did hold like similies The Trees with leaues with fruits with flowers clad Embrac'd each other seeming to be glad Turning themselues to beauteous Canopies To shade the bright Sunne from your brighter eies The cristall Streames with siluer spangles graced While by the glorious Sunne they were embraced The little Birds in chirping notes did sing To entertaine both You and that sweet Spring And Philomela with her sundry layes Both You and that delightfull Place did praise Oh how me thought each plant each floure each tree Set forth their beauties then to welcome thee The very Hills right humbly did descend When you to tread vpon them did intend And as you set your feete they still did rise Glad that they could receiue so rich a prise The gentle Windes did take delight to bee Among those woods that were so grac'd by thee And in sad murmure vtterd pleasing sound That Pleasure in that place might more abound The swelling Bankes deliuer'd all their pride When such a Phoenix once they had espide Each Arbor Banke each Seate each stately Tree Thought themselues honor'd in supporting thee The pretty Birds would oft come to attend thee Yet flie away for feare they should offend thee The little creatures in the Burrough by Would come abroad to sport them in your eye Yet fearefull of the Bowe in your faire Hand Would runne away when you did make a stand Now let me come vnto that stately Tree Wherein such goodly Prospects you did see That Oake that did in height his fellowes passe As much as lofty trees low growing grasse Much like a comely Cedar streight and tall Whose beauteous stature farre exceeded all How often did you visite this faire tree Which seeming joyfull in receiuing thee Would like a Palme tree spread his armes abroad Desirous that you there should make abode Whose faire greene leaues much like a comely vaile Defended Phebus when he would assaile Whose pleasing boughes did yeeld a coole fresh ayre Ioying his happinesse when you were there Where beeing seated you might plainely see Hills vales and woods as if on bended knee They had appeard your honour to salute Or to preferre some strange vnlook'd for sute All interlac'd with brookes and christall springs A Prospect fit to please the eyes of Kings And thirteene shires appear'd all in your sight Europe could not affoard much more delight What was there then but gaue you all content While you the time in meditation spent Of their Creators powre which there you saw In all his Creatures held a perfit Law And in their beauties did you plaine descrie His beauty wisdome grace loue maiestie In these sweet woods how often did you walke With Christ and his Apostles there to talke Placing his holy Writ in some faire tree To meditate what you therein did see With Moyses you did mount his holy Hill To know his pleasure and performe his Will With louely Dauid you did often sing His holy Hymnes to Heauens Eternall King And in sweet musicke did your soule delight To sound his prayses morning noone and night With blessed Ioseph you did often feed Your pined brethren when they stood in need And that sweet Lady sprung from Cliffords race Of noble Bedfords blood faire steame of Grace To honourable Dorset now