and there is no blemish in thee She is the Empyreal Heauen which is the habitation of the Saints and a Heauen al of light of an infinit capacitie and immeÌ„se sublimitie The blessed Virgin then is resembled to this Heauen First for her vnspeakable Claritie because she is now wholy radiant and resplendent in Celestial glorie hauing beneath the Moone vnder her feet and on her head a crowne of Starres for the rest clothed with the Sunne Secondly for her great capaciousnes for as there can be thought no place of greater capacitie then the Empyreal Heauen so can no creature be found of greater Charitie then Marie For she had an ample Womb which was able to receaue GOD She had an ample Vnderstanding which had the knowledge of al Diuine things an ample Affect she had for her singular compassion on the miseries of al the afflicted Thirdly for her highnes and sublimitie for as Heauen is the highest of al bodies so is she higher farre then al Spiritual creatures as wel Angelical as Reasonable Thy magnificence is raysed that is the Virgin Marie to whom GOD hath shewed very great things yea aboue al the Heauens as wel Material as Rational because appointed Queene ouer al Saints and therefore sayes of her self Who hath wrought great matters for me who is potent and holie is his name Which things S. Epiphanius considering in his SermoÌ„ of the Prayses of our Ladie breakes forth into these words O impolluted Womb hauing the circle of the heauens within thee which bare the incomprehensible GOD most truly compreheÌ„ded in thee O WoÌ„b more ample then Heauen which streightned not GOD within thee O Womb which art euen verie HeaueÌ„ indeed consisting of seauen Circles and art more capacious farre then them all O Womb more high and wider then are the seauen Heauens O Womb which are euen the eight Heauen itself more large then the seauen of the Firmament So he And S. Chrysologus thus O truly blessed who was greater then Heauen stronger then the Earth wider then the World For GOD whom the world could not containe She held alone and bare him that beares the world yea bare him who begat her and nursed the nourisher of al liuing things But yet heare what S Bonauenture sayth heerof Thou therefore sayth he most immense Marie art more capacious then Heauen since whom the Heauens could not hold thou hast held in thy lap thou art more capacious then the World for whom the whole world could not hold hath been enclosed within thy bowels being made Man But especially indeed is the blessed Virgin sayd to be the Empyreal Heauen because as that same being the proper place of Beatitude where GOD cleerly manifests himself to the Blessed face to face so the WoÌ„b of the blessed Mother of GOD was the first of al wherin GOD in a permament manner communicated to the soule of Christ our Lord the cleare and blessed vision of himself since certain it is that from the beginning of his Conception he was truly a comprehensour and yet in his way and a true viatour Which no doubt is a singular prayse of the Virginal womb that where the wombs of other women are meerly the shops of Original sinne as Dauid lamented And my mother conceaued me in sinnes which makes one vnworthie of the visioÌ„ of GOD the Virgins WoÌ„b of al others should be a place for the blessed Vision and the only first shop of Beatitude So as wel might the Woman of the Ghospel cry out Blessed is the Womb that bare thee THE EMBLEME THE POESIE THE Blessed Virgin euen from her birth Was like a Heauen without a clowd on earth Where fixed Starres did shine each in his place As she encreas'd by merits more in grace Til ful of grace as is with starres the sky Gabriel salurtes Then more to glorify This Heauen from his the Sunne of Iustice came Light of the world with his eternal flame Lo how the Angels from th' Empyreal sphere Admire this Heauen on earth that shines so cleare Contesting with their glorious Orbe aboue And with the Seraphins in burning loue Empyreal Heauen For in her makes abode The first blest Soule that had the sight of GOD. THE THEORIES COntemplate first that as the Heauens in their motions commit no errour because they are alwayes obedient to the Intelligences or mouing Angels that moue and guide them so likewise the Blessea Virgin could slide into no errour of sinne because she punctually obserued the Holie-Ghost her Motour and proper Intelligence as it were in al things while being moued with such motioÌ„s she was carryed to GOD through feruent loue as being the wheel of GOD wherof Ezechiel speaks Which was carryed wheresoeuer the spirit went for the spirit of life was in the wheels now in praying for vs to her Sonne now directing the Angels themselues vnto our ministerie and then exhorting the blessed Spirits to pray for vs Behold of what agilitie and motion this Heauen is CoÌ„sider then that euen as froÌ„ heauen and its â—ights we receaue al the chiefest benefits of Nature especially the growth and prosperitie of plants without which nothing would succeed or come to anie thing so from this glorious Virgin-Mother we likely receaue the most notable fauours guifts we haue froÌ„ GOD. For as the Heauen visits the earth affording its light by day night by meanes of the two great torches Sun and Moon and millions of lesser lights which with their influeÌ„ces besides doe fructify the same and with their sweet showers in a maÌ„ner inebriate it and coole it againe when need requires with dryer clowds yea enrich it also with gold siluer and precious stones so our incomparable Ladie visits and illustrats the whole vniuersal Church with her admirable examples and with the guifts of the Holie-Ghost inebriats the same stores it abundantly with good works and enriches it with an infinit treasure of al vertues and therefore is it sayd Thou hast visited the earth Ponder lastly how among al things which haue anie stuff matter or dimesion in them of length breadth or thicknes there is no incorruptible thing to be thought on but only the heauens for al mixt things whatsoeuer they be corrupt at last and the Elements we see continually corrupt saue only the Celestial bodie which is wholy incorruptible of its owne nature So in like maÌ„ner whenas al the ChildreÌ„ of Adam begot according to Nature are lyable and obnoxious to the corruption of Original sinne and al women loose in coÌ„ceauing the integritie of the bodie yet this Heauen of Marie through especial grace prerogatiue of her Sonne was made incorruptible according to either part of soule and bodie Of the soule truly because the coÌ„tagion and corruption of Original sinne touched not her so much as a momeÌ„t only of bodie also because though indeed she were a true natural Mother and coÌ„ceaued her Sonne most truly indeed
sweet and delightful through contentments which the soule receaues the while So was the whole life of the Mother of GOD nothing els but a life of paynes and doulours especially at the passion of her deerest Sonne which through compassion she made her owne but yet sweet for the end to wit of a life of rest and repose afterwards in the kingdome of Heauen and of the ineffable ioyes of her glorious Assumption by the way as riding in Triumph Which Saint besides makes yet another note which is this that the Palme heerin is differing from other trees in that the other are grosse beneath and grow slenderer vpwards while the Palme of the contrarie is slender beneath and bigger and grosser the higher it goes So were the thoughts of the blessed Virgin the true Palme indeed as poore and slender downe to the earth-wards but substantial and solid vp to the Heauens whose conuersation doubtles as S. Paul sayth was wholy in Heauen Strange things are reported of the Palmes to liue mutually and dye togeather A singular type surely of the Sympathie between our two Palmes our Christ and his blessed Mother affording one life and as it were one self-same death between them both For Christ dying she languished as dead and he arising from his Sepulcher after his death she reuiued againe as it were from death And so that same Epitaph more fitly might be applyed to these Diuine Louers our amourous Palmes which a certain Poet of ours had framed for a payre of profane Louers dying both with one and the self-same sword His being was in her alone And he not being she was none They ioy'd one ioy one grief they grieu'd One loue they lou'd one life they liu'd The hand was one one was the Sword That did his death her death afford THE EMBLEME THE POESIE PHaenix in Greek a Palme doth aptly sute With that rare bird the Phaenix here the fruit Which when bright Phoebus scorching heames displayes A neast of Spices to renew his dayes By a second birth vpon this tree he makes Where burnt to ashes so himself forsakes Made yong that he retaines what he had byn Thus th' only Sonne of God t' abolish sinne Midst burning flames reuest with mortal plume Reuiues man's nature which he doth assume The Virgin Phaenix is the fruitful tree Where God in flames of Loue new-borne would be THE THEORIES COntemplate first in the Palme what a gratful shade it affords to wearie trauellers on the way preseruing them from the scorching rayes of the Sun and yealding them Dates to expel hunger and not so only but is a notable delicacie besides The Monks and Fathers of Aegypt Thebarda and Arabia would make a goodlie liuing with a Palme-tree only by a chrystal riuer side subministring them al things needful for meat drink and cloath to satisfy nature O rare and admirable tree But then consider the Palme of Paradise I say the admirable Virgin Palme vnder whose shadow and protection we are saued from the outrageous heats of concupiscence fed with the delicious examples of her life and cloathed with the habits of her vertues and especially refreshed with the sweet consideration of the limpid streames of her purest chastitie no lesse then Nectar in the tast Consider then how as the Palme is rough without narrow beneath and broad on the top wheron the Phenix takes delight to build his neast So was our blessed Ladie in exteriour shew but coorse in the eyes of her Nazarean neighbours being held for no more then a Carpenter's wife while she was truly indeed the Palme of Cades Beneath she was narrow that is in the loue of terrene things wheron she touched as it were but in a point only of the human nature not acquainted with the impurities and miseries therof but broad on the top that is in Diuine contemplation and loue of celestial things where she alwayes dwelt in the highest and where the glorious Phenix the eternal Word had taken vp his neast for so many moneths to issue thence a human Phenix her true and natural Sonne indeed Ponder lastly that as the Palme euer flourisheth and neuer withers so our Incomparable Mother of GOD had alwayes fresh and flourishing thoughts being holie and chast green and intentions because most pure and neat and green and flourishing affections because very liuelie and actiue in the seruice of the Highest whose lowlie handmayd notwithstanding her maternitie she would be nor decayd or withered euer because euer entire and neuer once subiect to corruption not in bodie because embalmed with the Deitie As Cinamon and balme aromatizing I haue sent forth an odour not in soule because being vnited with the Soule of her Sonne they were made in a manner both as one as by this is insinuated A sword shal pierce through thy verie soule that is thy soule which is his or his which is thyne nor in Spirit because through loue she was truly conuerted into GOD and S. Hierom sayth The grace of the Holie-Ghost had fully replenished her and Diuine Loue had made her wholy white THE APOSTROPHE O Statelie and victorious Palme of Paradice most triumphant Queen of heauen Cittie of refuge Temple of Safeguard House of the Liuing GOD faire Couch of the mystical Salomon and his Throne of Iuorie Oh Sanctuarie of GOD the Arck of peace Seat of Wisedome the Rest and repose of the most high GOD the glorious Cabinet of a thousand and a thousand guifts of the most blessed Holie-Ghost the precious Reliquatie of al infused graces O sacred Pauilion where GOD sets himself in the shadow of the rayes of his great glorie most delicious Ladie most pure and gracious in the midst of those Celestial pleasures and Diuine delectations of thine Grant I beseech thee that I alwayes rest vnder the shade of thy branches within the folds of thy protection and sweet mercie in this life and when I shal finish the course of my pilgrimage in this vale of miseries it would please his Omnipotencie to vnite my hart and spirit with his more then holie Spirit by the sacred linck of his most faire and transforming loue This doe I beg as the feet of thee most soueraigne Palme of the heauenlie Paradise THE XV. SYMBOL THE HOVSE THE DEVISE THE CHARACTER THE House is an artificious Plasme framed by the hand of man for his vse and habitation It is a creature made in spite of Nature to vye with her That forasmuch as Man only is borne naked and without a house to put his head in afforded him by Nature Art taking compassion on him abundantly supplyes the defect There is nothing comes so suddenly to so great a growth as it for wheras an Elephant being one of the greatest among beasts and yet by manie degrees not so big as manie Houses are he is twentie yeares ere he comes to his ful growth a goodlie house wil be reared and brought to perfection in lesse then a yeare Plants wil not
Oliue they are high and tal of stature wel branched and with as manie armes and hands to feed vs with as had Briarius to sling and hurt with Their flowers and blossomes cluster togeather like to grapes the fruit made Oual-wise being long and round about the bignes of our damsons whose bones within were they as smal as the flesh is good the marchaÌ„ts needed not to venture so far as to the Indies for gold or spices while Spayne and Italie would hold them trade enough As for the Oyle the Poets who are punctual Religious in their Epithets are wont to adorne and mark out al other lickours with their proper attributs as to tearme the milk candid the honie liquid gold the Rose crimson the wine brisk but the Oyle of al others they cal humid a qualitie common to al lickours chiefly for that it hath no ariditie of anie mixture with it as other lickours haue euen the water itself there being nothing more smooth slick and lesse porie then it It hath besides very faire correspondencie with the eyes and little lesse then good wil between them affording itself to be easily gazed on as a glasse and though not so transparent as other lickours yet more reflectiue representatiue then others It is apt to burne as being so liquid as I sayd for were it ayrie it would vanish into smoke if earthlie turne to ashes but being humid it spends itself and nourishes the fire Finally this sweet lickour as the friend and dear companion of Nature restores the fraile forces comforts the languishing vigour repayres and nourisheth the bodie in decay clarifyes the voice dissipates resolues and quite consumes the coldnes of humours and asswages tumours and what not THE DISCOVRSE THE Sacred Scriptures shew that when the Trees decreed among themselues to elect a King the first they cast their voyces on to haue aduanced to that Regal dignitie and weild the Scepter was the Oliue of al other for that the first and principal thing they require in such a one to gouern subiects with must needs be Pietie and Mercie whose type indeed the Oliue beares No man denyes but the Incomparable Virgin is worthily heer compared to the Oliue-tree of whom is sayd As it were an Oliue specious in the fields Since then that Supreme Soueraigne and more then Royal dignitie of Mother of God was conferred so vpoÌ„ her in her Annunciation as on the mystical Oliue after the receauing of that Imperial title her Charitie Mercie appeared more then euer as became a QueeÌ„ And as in the Annuntiation of the immaculate Mother of God the Doue was a true type of her so is the Oliue-tree no lesse wheron she sate a liuelie represeÌ„tatiue figure between which two are so great correspoÌ„dencies which Philisophers cal a sympathie Cal then to mind that admirable Doue which Noe the great restorer of the world from that vast and huge Argoâ—rie of his or rather vnmeasurable Chest wherin he had enclosed and shut-vp the world as vnder lock and key sent forth to be his Spy and Intelligencer abroad to vnderstand how matters went with the other world so buryed vnder waters Who flying freely through the emptie world within the liquid ayre prying euerie where with the pearcing cast of her litle eyes the elder world beginning now at length to discouer some part of its lameÌ„table ruines when she mought wel haue lighted either on some statelie Cedar or victorious Palme vpon some mountainous Cypresse or robustuous Oak or els on a prudent Mulberrie the most sweet Fig-tree or most florishing Almond yet she belike as slighting them al and al other kinds of plants or fruits whatsoeuer made choice of the Oliue to set her litle foot vpon and with her litle bil as a wise and ingenious Spy to fasten on some proof or argument to bring away with her of the faire dispatch of her negociation which was to bring her maister certain infallible tidings of the discouerie and recouerie anew of that greater world Returning to the Arck againe as Scriptures testify she brought along with her a branch of that Oliue-tree the 70. reade a leaf a sprig of Oliue or as others a fescue as it were therof to wit with leaues or the top only and most slender twig of an vpper bough as Delâ—ius expounds it for so might the Doue very easily twitch it off Wherefore we aptly marke the Oliue in the whole Mysterie of the Annunciation as the Symbol of Mercie and Peace For in the same was made the first beginning of human Redemption as also of the Diuine benignitie and liberalitie which to the end that Patron and louer of men the Sonne of GOD might truly shew it was needful through the bowels of mercie to visit vs rising from aboue which in this Mysterie was truly done when Gabriel taking the person of an Embassadour deliuered his Embassage to Marie whom if you conceaue as the Doue of Noë bringing in his hand a sprig of green and flourishing Oliue with him as the ensigne of his Legation you shal not think amisse since the Oliue-branch is euen with the Gentils themselues the Symbol of mercie but in a singular and peculiar manner denotes to vs the Virgin in the Theater of the Annunciation But heer may we demand with S. Ambrose how came it to passe the Oliue should flourish so suddenly after the Deluge and put forth a twig so soone doubting whether that leaf for so he calles it sprung before the floud or during it concludes it did and that the iust Noë reioyced to see some fruit reserued of the old seed and gathered thence a notable signe of the Diuine Mercie for that as then he had remoued the deluge shewing the fruit which the inundatioÌ„ could not hurt as holding the litle branch of green Oliue to be a signe therof which euen flourished in the midst of the waters and vniuersal inundation of vindicatiue Iustice since this Oliue of Mercie could not be drownd swallowed or withered wholy Wherein truly may we worthily contemplate our blessed Virgin Marie expresly deciphered as the especially and most singularly preserued plant of this mysterious Oliue which euen flourishing before the floud ceased not likewise to be green and prosper in the verie floud For if the iust man worthily reioyced to behold yet some fruit to remaine of the old seed could he choose but admire this mystical branch of our Oliue heer which euen so great an vniuersal floud of Sinne could no whit domage Heer now the Hebrewes would haue Mount-Oliuet not to haue been couered wholy with the waters of the floud and how that branch of Oliue was taken from that Mount-Oliuet Others report it to haue been fetcht out of Paradice Both which I hold fictitious if we speake of the Mount or Paradice in a literal or historical sense and otherwise most certain if we vnderstand it in the mystical For the Mother of Christ is mystically indeed the Mount of
grow without rayne or waters cast vpon them where this plantation hath no need of waters but rather al industries are vsed to keep them out The Tortoyes in this respect is better housed not charged with reparations as long as his Lease lasts for terme of his life but yet hauing none els to trust to looke vnto it he is faine to carrie it about him The Cockle hath his house tiled with slate which hauing no lock and key too he is forced to keep at home for feare of theeues And not so much as the poore snayle but hath a house of his owne which in his pace like a Pedler with his pack wil he carrie about him throughout the world and do that with time which the Sunne can no more then do with al his swiftnes Nay you eate not an Oyster but you vn-house him and put him out of his tenement The Sun is the house of light that needs no windowes being nothing els but light And for the 12. principal houses and Pallaces in the Heauens they are but weakely built without foundation more then the Astronomers working braines The Moone is the house of the Flux and Reflux of the Seas who thence go in and out by turnes at their pleasures The Almond is a house of the kernels within which neuer comes forth til the roof comes fluttering downe about her eares that costs her life The Hiue is a house and Colledge of Bees where they liue Collegially togeather the Combs are their Refectorie The Birds for proper houses haue their neasts whose children are the yong ones and she the good huswif that keeps at home THE MORALS SEDES SAPIENTIAE LOoke where the Prince is there is the Court and where the Court there his Seate Wisedome is the Prince of the whole Microcosme of man His Court then and seate must needs be in the Power of the Vnderstanding where he chiefly resides and not where soeuer his dominion stretcheth for so should he be in euerie place in person which stands not with the Maiestie of so great a Prince Wel may his Ministers like Purseuants and Heralds performe and execute the Royal commands as the hands to make prouisions to maintaine the State the feet to trauel for that purpose the eyes to keep Centenel in the turrets of his pallace and that neer to his person against forren iuuasions and the like but yet the Prince himself in his Royal person departs not a whit from his proper Chamber of presence the Intellect And GOD himself the Monarck of the whole Vniuers is seen to be euerie where within his Dominions through his essence power and presence but not in that particular manner as he is in heauen in his proper seat or as he was in earth in his humanitie or in the Sacrament itself most mysteriously and Diuinely For to speake in general his seat is euerie where The Heauens are the roof the Starres the Seelings the earth al diaperd and diuersifyed with infinit coulours his footstool and pauements and the maruels of Nature his shop of wonders but his proper and peculiar seat where he resides in as in his Court is either in the Empyreal Heauē as I sayd or in Christ's excellent Humanitie or in the most Venerable and dreadful Sacrament of the Aultar nor hath he made choice of anie other seats to dwel in as not worthie or able to comprehend him Where then had Wisedome properly set vp his seat but in that pallace he had built for himself founded in so great an humilitie and so wel sustained with the seauen-fold pillars of the Holie-Ghost I meane in the Virgin-Womb of the Incomparable Ladie who receauing and so long entertaining the Wisedome Increated in her virginal Lap as the true Salomon indeed reposing sweetly in his Iuorie Throne may wel be stiled SEDES SAPIENTIAE THE ESSAY A House being a meer artificial and no natural thing hath its first subsistence in the Idea of Man's brayne according to whose model good or il the house so built proues good or il We recurre then to the Architect for direction in al. This Architecture is a soueraigne Mistris of building which giues the addresses for disposing al the parts of a house with relations in themselues in comlines proportion ornaments situation distances eleuations and a thousand of the like of al which yealds it a pertinent and satisfactorie reason to the curious examiners why euerie thing is so done this and not that Some are Architects by hand only and no more who frame their buildings by roat taking forth copyes heer and there but can afford no reason at al for what they do nor inuent ought that is worth a rush and for a final reason say nothing but such is the custome so to do Others are Architects by booke only and by discourses which they haue read but they haue no hands to put in practise and know but the Theorie only such as they are good for nothing but to build a house for Plato of Ideas al suspending in the ayre The good Architect should linck his spirit with his hand and the compas with his reason setting his hand to work as wel as the brayne The first do frame but bodies without a soule the second soules without a bodie the third do build the whole and are men of note and reputation indeed The perfect Architect indeed should be ignorant in no Science otherwise if he do wel it is by chance or els by nature as beasts do which do manie goodlie things and know not why nor wherefore He had need be a Painter to make his plaines eleuations designes to copie-out a thousand rarities to please the phantasie withal a Geometrian to handle the compas for the vse of Circles rulers squares plummets and the like To haue the Perspectiue to let-in lights into his house to steale-in the day in certain corners to content the eye with diuers aspects and if not directly to introduce the Sunnie rayes at least obliquikly through reflexions The Arithmetick to cast vp and calculate the charges he is at to number the materials and degrees that belong thereto The Historie for al the enrichments of buildings Armes statues and other ornaments are nothing els but Historie true and fayned which if he knowes not he shal commit a thousand errours To haue Philosophie to know the nature of beasts the seas the elements flowers fruits and al whatsoeuer in nature Astrologie and Phisick in planting his house in a holsome and sound climat in choosing the best Sun a good wind the purest ayre holesome waters a faire and free prospect a good situation for pleasure and profit This is certain that al art is then in truest perfectiō when it may be reduced to some natural Principle or other For what are the most iudicious Artizans but the Mimiks of Nature This same in our House is seen comparing it with the fabrick of our natural bodies wherin the high Architect of the world hath
At certain times of the yeare to wit in the Spring and Autumne the cockles oysters or scollops or cal them what you wil approach to the Sea-shore and lye there gaping and opening themselues and receaue the celestial deaw into their bowels from the coagulation wherof as abouesayd are the Margarits engendred Now this Shelfish oyster or Mother-Pearl for the Mother or issue Pearl are al of a substance as mothers and embrions vse to be is the Virgin-Mother-Pearl it self which opened her Virginal soule at her mysterious Annunciation in the Spring of the yeare by the quiet shore of her tacit and silent contemplation to receiue the heauenlie Deaw the new Margarit that is to conceaue that precious Pearl Christ Iesus in her womb For she opened her consent to the great Angel her singular Paranimph to obey GOD in al things saying Behold the handmayd of our Lord c. and her soule likewise to the Holie-Ghost to ouershadow her and after the opening thus of her free consent and her Angelical soule the Celestial deaw of the Holie-Ghost descended into her and so this infant Pearl was diuinely begot in the virginal womb of the Virgin-mother Pearl Of which deawing of the Holie-Ghost and opening of the Blessed Virgin therevnto it is prophetically sayd Deaw you heauens thervpon and let the clouds rayne downe the Iust let the earth open and bring forth the Sauiour These Pearls besides if they be right Margarits indeed are faire white and cleer for such as are so are truly of the best and a great deale better then those which are dimmer and of a yellow and duskish coulour For those which are faire white and cleer are bred of the morning-deaw and the others of thar which falles in the euenings And our Incomparable Margarit was predestinate so from the morning of the eternal Decree in Heauen so created as it were ab initio ante secula while the other pearls of lesse regard were only produced in the euening after that sinne was brought into the world This Margarit therefore so faire so white and cleer signifyes our heauenlie Margarit and glorious Virgin who was beautiful and faire in mind through a more then Angelical puritie of hers consisting in the mind most snowie and white in bodie through an immaculate chastitie and virginitie and cleer and sincere in works through a simple sanctitie and Saintlie simplicitie in al her actions in the whole course of her blessed and incomparable life which she led on earth I sayd aboue that Pearls being stampt and beat to powder are holesom soueraigne and medicinal for manie maladies wherof I find the Naturalists chiefly to reckon three First they are purgatiue because they purge and euacuate the bodie of al noxious and superfluuous humours secondly restrictiue staying the flux of bloud or venter and thirdly they comfort and corroborate the hart being readie to faynt or swoune through debilitie of the spirits or the vital parts To these infirmities the applications of these pownded Pearls so beat to powder are of singular auayle In this manner the Blessed Virgin being seriously pressed with importunitie of prayers and often vrged and called vpon with incessant vowes relenting and mollifyed at last as fallen into powder applyes herself first through a purgatiue power to purge vs of our sinnes by procuring vs the grace of Contrition and the holesome Sacrament of Pennance to bewayle and purge our sinnes past secondly with her restrictiue vertue to restraine the soule from flowing and falling againe into future sinnes and thirdly with her restoratiue comfortatiue and corroboratiue power to strengthen and fortify the hart in present occasions of sinnes THE EMBLEME THE POESIE A Rare and precious Pearl is hardly found That 's Great Heauie Smooth pure-white and Round The Sonne of God came from his heauenlie Throne Factour for Pearles aet last found such an one Great to containe himself Heauie ful of grace And therefore sunck vnto a Handmayds place Smooth without knob of Sinne. Virgin pure-white Round in perfection more then mortal wight This pleas'd his eye a long time hauing sought Gaue al that ere he had this he bought Vnion's a Pearle no twinnes it-self but one Such was the Virgin-Mother Paragon THE THEORIES COntemplate first how this Pearl or Margarit is vsually called as we sayd by the name of Vnion whether it be for the great vnion and sympathie there is between the Mother and the Pearl I know not for you can not mention the Mothers name but needs must you bring-in the Pearl withal or for the vnion of the Celestial deaw with the Conchal nature to make vp a Pearl in the lap of the fish I wil not say this I am sure of that our blessed Pearl heer is called Deipara as much to say as the Mother of GOD nor can she be so called a Mother as she is but GOD must needs be vnited to her to make vp her name Consider then that as the Mother-pearl being otherwise only a meer shel-fish of its owne nature and of no greater a ranck then a playne oyster of the Sea yet through the appetite she had to suck and draw in the heauenlie deaw into her bowels obtained the especial priuiledge and prerogatiue to become indeed the Mother of the true oriental Pearl So the virgin-mother though she were as she sayd herself the sillie handmayd of our Lord and of our human nature subiect to the natural fray leties therof yet through a singular immunitie with the puritie of her intention integritie of bodie and Angelical candour of mind disposing herself most affectuously and ardently indeed to receaue the Celestial deawes frō heauen that is the grace of perfect Vnion with GOD in her pure soule she deserued to become the Mother of the Pearl of Pearles sweet IESVS Ponder lastly that if a meer Pearl being so basely bred in an oyster-shel whose extract at the best is but meer Deawes let fal from the nether Region of the Ayre and those but drops of fresh water as it were impearled in the fish through benefit of the Sun should come to be so highly prized as we haue sayd being no more then a meer seed of Pearl somwhat fairer then the rest of that kind how are we to prize and magnify trow you our heauenlie Pearl heer whether you meane the Pearl or Mother herself the Pearl himself for being such a Pearl so truly descending from heauen and her for being the Mother of such a Pearl THE APOSTROPHE MOST sweet most debonnaire Virgin-Mother the Immaculate through emphasis the Mother of faeyre dilection Mother of Iesus regard me poore wretched soule and obtaine that my hart and affection be pure and clean at least like the seed pearl according to the proportion of my litlenes and my bodie wholy free from the duskish blemishes of the least sinnes and that by day and night my thoughts being repurged from al immundicities and vncleane obiects the flourishing bed