The memory of Egypts store I saw Of vanities which carnall senses feed Made me to wish to fill againe my maw With dishes such as to destruction lead Wherfore inwrath with quailes thou cloidst me so That plagu'd with sin my error now I know SON LXV SInce thou hast raysd my poore abiected spright From threshing floore where captiue I did stand And callest me thy battels for to fight Gainst sin the Madianite which wasts thy land Giue me a token by thy mightie hand O Lord whereby my faith may be assurde And be to me a pledge of former band That victorie by me shall be procurde Let heauenly deaw by prayer be allurde To moysten this my freewill fleece of wooll Then dry the dâ—regs thereof to sin inurde Whose heauy waight makes grace and vertue dull And offring mine of prayers to thy name Accept and with a holy zeale inflame SON LXVI WHilst that in wealth and ease I did possesse The Empire of thy many blessings sent I tooke in hand pure vertue to suppresse And pride with lust my powres they wholly bent To conquere reason which thy grace had lent And quite forgetting worlds late floud for sin To build a tower of trust wherein I spent The strength of flesh bloud high heauen to win As though in natures strength the force had bin To shield themselues from floud or heauenly fire But now confusion iust my soule is in Makes labouring flesh from folly such retire And craues alone within thy Church to dwell Whose wals of faith truth may death expell SON LXVII THe Temple Lord of this my bodie base Where thou vouchsafdst to place my soule to dwell And promisedst to make thy chosen place Whence sacrifice of praises thou wouldst smell Behold against thy lawes doth now rebell By worldly vanities thereto allurde Where couetise and pride their packe doth sell At such a price as flesh and sin affoord But since ô Lord thy promise hath assurde My soule that thou art alwaies prest to heare The plaints of penitents which hath procurde Thy Sonne himselfe in temple this t' appeare Whip forth fling down this worldly wicked pack Fro out my soule repell thou Satan back SON LXVIII WIthin thy house this bodie base of mine It pleased thee ô Lord my soule to plant A steward of the gifts the which were thine And nature fild with measure nothing scant Of bodie or of mind no blessings want And fortunes fauours sharde with me no lesse In such proportion Lord I needs must grant As thou doest giue when thou doest vse to blesse But wantonly I wested I confesse Thy treasure put into my hands of trust And now alas though late I seeke redresse Wise steward-like to liue when dye I must I cast my count by Christ my debt to pay And frutes of faith from hell my soule shall stay SON LXIX NOw that it pleaseth thee Lord of thy grace To plucke me forth of sinfull Sodoms lake Where I haue dwelt alas this life long space Since I of holie Abram leaue did take Vouchsafe I pray thee for thy mercies sake To graunt thy Church be refuge for my life The Zoar where I may my dwelling make Safe from reuenging Angels bloudie knife And though the frailtie of Lots lingring wife Looke back with loue on sinfull worlds delight Which common weaknesse to all flesh is rife Yet keepe me constant by thy heauenly might And let me not grow drunke with blessings thine To procreate sin on lustfull daughters mine SON LXX WHilst in this worldly wildernesse about For want of faith I backe am forst to go Affraid of sinnes which Giant-like are stout And foule affections which like cruell foe Of Esawes race their might and powre bestow To stop my passage to the promist land I gin to faint and to repine also Against the powre of thy most mightie hand For which the Serpent Satan now doth stand In readinesse my silly soule to sting And close me vp in deaths eternall band Vnlesse to me thy mercie succour bring That brasen Serpent Christ nayld on the tree Whose sight by faith alone is cure to mee SON LXXI WHat am I else Lord but a sinfull wretch In sin and in iniquitie begot In conscience guiltie of the common breach Of euerie law that may my honor spot Thy blessings giu'n me I regarded not Thy threatned iudgments I did not esteeme My vowes to thee I almost had forgot My sinnes no sinnes to hardned heart do seeme Like to my selfe I did thy power deeme Because thou didst forbeare thy rod a while I sought by Idols ayd to heauen to clime Whilst worlds delight my sences did beguile But helplesse now alas I turne to thee To stay my race let grace Lord succour mee SON LXXII THou formedst me at first out of the clay Vnto the image of thy glorious frame O Lord of might thou shewdst to me the way To magnifie thy pure and holie name Like Potters vessell first my modell came Out of a rude vnformed lumpe of earth To holy vse it pleasd thee me reclaime Before my life tooke vse of carnall breath Thou fedst me in the common humane dearth Of knowledge of thy will with such a tast Of pleasing frute as fild my soule with mirth And readie makes me now no more to wast Thy offred mercies which so blesse in me Of glorie that I may a vessell be SON LXXIII A Seruant Lord euen from my day of byrth I vowed was by parents vnto thee A Nazarit I liued on the earth And kept thy vowes as grace did strengthen mee Till Satan made me worlds deceipt to see And trapt my senses with forbiden lust As Eue did tast of the restrained tree So fond affections did me forward thrust A sinfull Philistine of faith vniust To like to loue to craue to wed to wife Thy grace my strength to her reueale I must Till she to Satan sell my slumbring life A prisoner I thus scornd and voyd of sight Sinnes house to ouerthrow craue heaueÌ„ly might SON LXXIIII WHilst in the plentie of thy blessings sent I sought to solace Lord my selfe secure And gazing on worlds beautie long I went In pridefull tower which did prospect procure I saw the baytes of sin which did allure My idle thoughts to follow wicked lust My kindled passions could not long endure But vnto furious flames breake forth they must I did pollute my soule by fraude vniust And reft thy grace from his true wedded wife And that I might away all mendment thrust I did bereaue my knowledge of this life Whose bastard frutes slaie Lord but let her liue That penitent we may thee prayses giue SON LXXV A Seruant sold to sin ô Lord I am Whom Satan Syrian proud doth sore assaile Nine hundted Chariors of desire there came Armed with lust which sought for to preuaile And to subdue by strength they cannot faile Vnlesse thou raise my fainting strength by grace Let constant faith the flying furie naile To ground where
do creepe Into possession of my powre and will These thoughts and works which motions are to ill And trench themselues in fleshly fortresse deepe Whose base societie will with vices fill The holy brood which grace would spotlesse saue In such a boubt my yong affections waue That they consent I should them foster still But that would spill More vertuous heritage Therefore exilde these be though hell do rage SON LXXII SOmetimes my nature seemeth to repine To see the pleasure and the plenteous store The wicked do enioy for euermore Abounding in their corne their oyle and wine But when I see my weakenesse so encline To the abuse of portion I possesse My heart with ioy full often doth confesse Thy loue doth much in earthly scarstie shine These things are good and bad as thou doest blesse Which I dare not directly craue therefore Such danger followes them euen at the dore That plentie lightly doth the â—oule oppresse And as I guesse Contentednesse doth grow In gratefull mind though state be neare so low SON LXXIII IF he vnworthie be the sweet to tast That shuns the sowre as we in prouerbe say To honor pleasure profit in the way Great perill paine and cost so often plast If as vnworthie health he be disgrast That will refuse a bitter purge to take When he doth know it will his feauer slake So do temptations proue the mind more chast If we with courage do the combat make And to the end immoueable do stay The more that Satan doth his spight display The more the pride and powre of him we shake And he will quake And sin shall haue a fall And faith in Christ shall triumph ouer all SON LXXIIII TO shun the rocks of dangers which appeare Amidst the troubled waues of worldly life Which in each company are alwaies rife Which with soules perill most men buy full deare I feare almost to keep my course so neare The conuersation of such tickle tides And thinke him blest that banished abides In desert where of sin he may not heare But when I note where so a man him hides That still affections breed an inward strife That nature beares about the bloudie knife And to the death the proper soule it guides That fancie slides Away and I prepare In combats of the world to fight my share SON LXXV WEre it not straunge that members of the same One liuiâ—g bodie and one parents childe Should by the other daily be defilde And of vnseemly thing should haue no shame And yet we which of Christ do beare the name And children of his father vs do call At discord with this parent daily fall And Christ our eldest brother do defame It seemeth well we be but bastards all Though stock be true we be but Oliues wilde Who thinks vs better he is but beguilde Our frutes are bitter and increase but small And who so shall Examine well his works Shall see that gall in purest thoughts there lurks SON LXXVI IT is no light or curious conceipt O Lord thou knowst that maketh me to straine My feeble powres which blindfold did remaine Vpon thy seruice now at length to waight But onely shame to see mans nature fraight So full of pregnant speech to litle vse Or rather oftentimes to thy abuse Whilst to deceiue they laie a golden baight And do not rather thinke it fit to chuse By praises thine true praise themselues to gaine And leaue those fond inuentions which do staine Their name and cause them better works refuse Which doth abuse The gifts thou doest bestow And oftentimes thy high contempt do show SON LXXVII FOr common matter common speech may serue But for this theame both wit and words do want For he that heauen and earth and all did plant The frutes of all he iustly doth deserue No maruell then though oft my pen do swarue In middle of the matter I intend Since oft so high my thoughts seeke to ascend As want of wisedome makes my will to starue But thou ô Lord who clouen tongs didst send Vnto thy seruants when their skils were â—cant And such a zeale vnto thy praise that brant As made them fearelesse speake and neuer bend Vnto the end One iot from thy behest Shall guide my stile as fits thy glory best SON LXXVIII HOw happily my riches haue I found Which I no sooner sought but it is wonne Which to attaine my will had scarce begunne But I did finde it readie to abound The silly faith I had was setled sound In Christ although for feare it oft did pant Which I did wish more constantly to plant That it might all temptations so confound With feruency this little sparkle brant Till it inflamde my zeale and so did runne Vnto the fountaine of true light the sunne Whose gracious soyle to feed it was not scant Men finde more want The more they couet still But more man couets this it more doth fill SON LXXXIX WHen desolate I was of worldly ayde Vnable to releeue my selfe at need Thou hadst a care my fainting soule to feed Because my faith vpon thy fauour stayde My dying hope thou hast with mercy payde And as thou didst releeue thy seruant deare Elias whom the Rauens in desert cheare So am I comforted whom sin affrayde The cries of little Rauens thine eare doth heare And slakst their hunger kindly Lord indeed When parents do forsake deformed breed That so thy prouidence might more appeare Which shineth cleare In blessings euery day To me much more then I can duly way SON LXXX AMidst this pilgrimage where wandring I Do trace the steps which flesh and bloud doth tred My comfort is that aye mine eyes are led By gracious obiect which in faith I spy Whose brightnesse guides my steps which else awry Were like to slide through Satans subtil slight Gainst whom his holy Angels alwaies fight And suffer not my strength too farre to try By day his word and works are in my sight Like to a cloud to comfort me in dread By fire through deserts and the sea so red His hand doth gouerne me in dangerous night His fauour bright Conducting this my way An host of stops shall not my iourney stay SON LXXXI I See a storme me thinks approach a farre In darkned skie which threatens woe at hand Vnto my tackle I had need to stand Lest sudden puffs my purposd course debarre These tempting thoughts full oft forerunners are Of fierce affections which do moue the minde VVhich if resistance not in time they finde The strongest tackling they do stretch or marre I closely therefore will my conscience binde And arme my vessell with couragious band Of skilfull saylers which do know the land VVhose harbors for my safetie are most kinde And in my minde Shall faith the Pylot bee VVhose skill shall make me wished port to see SON LXXXII HOw is it that my course so soone would stay Before I haue begun the thing I thought If ease or pleasure I herein had sought I
our selues they stand in steed And vs vnto repentant feare do call They are not alwayes worst who do sustaine The greatest plagues ne yet the others free Of guilt how be it vnpunisht they remaine But rather for the more part worse they bee Christs holy iudgement teacheth this to mee By fall of Sylo towre the which indeed Slue not the worst and euen the best had need Their due deserts in others doome to see Let one mans wo be warning then to all And life reformd amend sinnes great and small SON XXXV I Often times endeuour to prepare My mind to beare with patience natures due Death which though fearefull must perforce insue And which no humane flesh did euer spare I therefore when I see the many woes That others do sustaine by liuing long The sicknesse want dishonor spight of foes Which most men must sustaine by right or wrong The hazards which on earth to vs belong The doubtfull hopes and feares which aye renue Ten thousand fained pleasures for one true And care to compasse them we haue among I grow to graunt that life is but a snare Death way to life a life deuoyd of care SON XXXVI VVHo sees the seed that in the ground is cast Cleane frō all weeds without both chaffe straw Yet afterward when haruest neare doth draw Shall see the weeds increase therein so fast Who sees the trauell to receiue againe The corne from chaffe and stubble cleansed made May see corruption in the soule remaine Which so with drosse the slender crop doth lade And in the soule may see like daily trade By natures weakenesse which vs keepes in awe So much that though we heare and feare the law And Gospell and in them a while do wade We bring few fruits and them most bad at last Which Sathan world flesh with sin haue blast SON XXXVII THough lawfull many things indeed I find To such as do them with a conscience pure Yet like I not my selfe for to inure To things not pleasing to the weaker mind And many lawfull things there are beside Which be not yet expedient to be done A Christians actions must the tutch abide Of such as by example will be wonne For why the ignorant do blindfold runne The trade that others tread as way most sure And memory of ill doth more indure Then good wherefore we warily should shunne The action which may chance insnare the blind Although the wise from hazard safely wind SON XXXVIII VAine are the brags and faith but fruitlesse is Of such who bost of vertue and holinesse When as profaned speech doth yet expresse A hollow heart by tongue that talkes amisse The tongue declares th' abundance of the hart And by our speech we vse t' expresse our mind A truly touched soule with wound doth smart When vaine or fruitlesse speech to rise they find But nature forst will foone returne to kind And who his seemelesse speech will not suppresse Vaine and deceitfull must his brags confesse And that delight in sinne is yet behind Who therefore hath no care at all of this His knowledge zeale and life receiues no blis SON XXXIX I Often others heare lament and say They cannot see the fruit they do expect By prayer and my selfe feele like effect Because indeed I vnprepared pray Not that my knees with reuerence do not bow Or that my tongue it doth not craue reliefe Or that my heart my words doth not allow But charitie doth want and firme beliefe Which to true praiers are assistants chiefe Both which for most part man doth vse neglect For want of either of which we are reiect And to our weaknesse addeth double griefe Who doth till reconcilement offring stay His faithfull lawfull prayers find no nay SON XL. THe season of the yeare the natiue kind Of euery creature to produce some thing Into my conscience doth this motion bring To God and nature not to be vnkind Two soyles I haue and both vnfruitfull be Through weedes of sin which both them ouer grow The body barren and the soule I see Of vertuous fruits which God and world I owe. Vouchsafe yet Lord Phauonean breath to blow With heauenly grace inspiring so my mind That soule regenerate in body find Reformed life true life in me to show For fleshly fruits too rife to hell do fling Soules blessed seed ascends on Angels wing SON XLI ALl men by nature greedy are to know And knowing much the more they do contend To draw vnto true knowledge perfect end By practise to the world some fruits to show What knowledge is there then in heauen or earth For one of wisedome great so high and fit To trauell in euen from the day of birth As that is gathered out of holy writ Therein is matter for each kind of wit Strange ancient pleasing subtle for to spend The finest wits and make them stoope and bend Whilst weakest braines find skill and ioy in it Though high it reach it beareth fruit below Which tasted once makes stomack strōger grow SON XLII STrange are in truth the fruits that man doth win And plentifull by vse of studie indeed Which appetite and matter still doth breed If but to gather them we do begin But heauenly studie much more copious is Contayning all that humane art doth teach And not alone it feeds our minds with this But soules true solace it doth farther reach It doctrine supernaturall doth preach And doth diuinely sow the sacred seed Which shall our soules with lasting comfort feed And worldly skill of ignorance appeach That is the studie we should neuer lin To spell reade conster and to practise in SON XLIII DOwne let vs fling these battlements begonne Of sinne which in our soules so fast are built At first or not at all it must be spilt Or else his fort once made the field is wonne If we neglect our watch and not preuent His practises but euen a little while Our trauell afterward is vainely spent And he our best attempts will soone beguile If we at lusts assaults but seeme to smile Though lowly first he creepe yet straight on stilt He will vpstart and make vs yeeld to gilt And we our selues soules slaughter be the while Because we stay not sinne till it be donne But rather after it do fondly runne SON XLIIII THere is great ods we see and must confesse Betwixt the speakers and the doers faith Words well but deeds much better man bewraith And both conioynd do dutie best expresse One promiseth to come as was requir'd To feast the other it denyeth but went The first he did neglect what was desir'd The latters deedes do shew he did relent He had the prayse and feast who did repent His words his blame who breaking promise stayth Whose life doth not comfirme what tongue it sayth For all his brags in end shall sure be shent But who doth tongue and hart to God addresse His deeds be sure with grace he still will blesse SON XLV HAue we not
names doth his fraile scholers gaine To follow follies which affections preach Lust wrath couetise pride cald we see Loue value thrift and clenlinesse to bee SON LVI VVE may reioyce but yet in Christ alone Alone in him is cause of true ioy found All other ioy is but indeed vnsound Perfection or continuance elsewhere none If man with Salomon the hap might haue To tast each earthly pleasure he desir'd He would but giue that prayse the other gaue That once possest their pleasure straight retir'd From earth to heauenly knowledge he aspir'd And humaine wisedome he did throughly sound In which he saw calamities abound And did neglect as vaine things most admir'd In this alone contented ioy is showne To loue feare serue this Christ our corner stone SON LVII VVIse Moses and graue Talions law seuere Do well agree to reason naturall And God in like sort le ts his iudgements fall So that our sinnes their proper vengeance beare As eye for eye and tooth for tooth was due So nature doth our faults for most part pay With pennance by it selfe which doth insue As we shall find if we our actions way And God himselfe doth on th'adultrer lay On wrathfull couetous and proud men all Shame bloud want scorne vnlesse in time they call For grace which onely can their ruine stay Whereby we see whom men keepe not in feare God makes by nature badge of trespasse weare SON LVIII IT seemeth strange since death so common is That daily we experience thereof haue By rich and poore wise fooles that go to graue That we so little heed do take of this Since nought so much contrarie to our will Doth flesh befall or art doth seeke to shun That yet we headlong hast to ruine still Of soule and bodie which to hell would run Scarce we so soone to liue haue but begun But drenched in affections fearefull waue We seeke to slay the soule we wish to saue And no outrage in bodie leaue vndone So that if God did not of mercie his Perforce our wils restraine we heauen should mis. SON LIX VVHo would not craue to haue his wounds be heald Who can be heald that will not shew his griefe Who senslesse of his paine would know reliefe Who can giue cure whilst truth is not reueald Who can be iudge of ill that knowes no good Who can know good that shuns to learne the same Who can it learne that selfe-loue hath withstood Who can condemne himself that knowes no blame Knowledge must first our minds more lowly frame Through lowlinesse will feare and sorrow grow Feare will seeke forth a pledge for debt we owe And pledge and portion find in Christ his name Thus knowledge of our state and pride repeald Is way to sauing health by Scripture seald SON LX. THe weapon which I did vnwieldy find Of natiue strength and powre of flesh and bloud With like whereof Goliah me withstood And I for changed sling left once behind By Gods good grace who courage gaue and strength Is now become a sword more fit for mee Who practisd in his battels now at length The vse thereof find not vnfit to bee For since to him it dedicate I see And I refreshed am with holy food My courage makes me hope I weare it shood And cause my soules great foe therewith to flee For humane arts and knowledge of the mind Do serue the Saints though worldlings they do SON LXI IT is not rest from trauell and from paine Alone that in the Sabboth is requir'd Not abstinence from meat that was desir'd So much when Ionas did his fast ordaine As rest from sinne and inward meditation Of Gods great workes and mercies which abound As feeding of our soules with recreation Of heauenly doctrine in the scriptures found As by prostrating humbly on the ground Our stubborne hearts puft vp and almost fir'd With wicked lusts with vanitie attir'd Festerd with all affections most vnsound A Sabboth or a fast so spent is gaine Whē flesh beat down the sprite doth raisd remaine SON LXII VVHat is the cause that men so much eschue The reading of the sacred written word For nought else sure but that like two edg'd sword It separates and shewes the faults from true No sentence in it read or truly wayd Or by the preacher vtterd turnes in vaine But woundes the soule with sorrow which affrayd If Gods it be to grace it cals againe But such as Sathans be to heare refraine The heauy iudgements that they haue incurd And faithlesse thinke God can ne will afford To them the blisse that children his attaine It is a signe therefore grace neuer grew In such as shun to heare and learne anew SON LXIII WHen I do heare sweet musicks pleasant sound By which the Angels records are exprest Who sing to God due prayses without rest Me thinkes to pray with them my selfe am bound When I the concord sounds of true consent Do note which by their different voice is bred It makes my hart to melt to see man bent By discord to dissolue the blisse that led To heauenly comfort which the Angels fed And is of Christian loue perfection best Whose vnitie in Christ hath made them blest To liue in him when law had left vs dead The Saints therfore on earth should aye be found With thankfull ioyfull hearts of loue t' abound SON LXIIII. AS doth the fire with imbers ouer-spred And powder in the Cannon rammed hard By which his furies but awhile debard When they breake forth procure more feare dred As aire in cloud or earth restrained long Doth by his nature in the end preuaile And in reuenge of his so suffered wrong Doth earth-quake breed or thūdring firebolts haile So when increasing sins afresh assaile Our God of mercie then is he prepard Our insolencies fiercely to reward With double ruine which he will not faile To terrifie those that in sinne are dead Whilst his to liue reseru'd thereby are lead SON LXV VVHen I do see a man of loftie mind Delighting in the pompe he doth possesse A ruine or a shame at hand I gesse For which effect God doth his iudgement blind For as most daintily we vse to feed The beasts to slaughter that we haue ordaind So surfet of delights a feare should breed Least sowrer pennance afterward remaind The proofe hereof hath still the godly waynd From pride or too much trust in happinesse Which do not still Gods fauour firme expresse But vsd as trials are of conscience faynd We therefore cause of care in plenty find To moue vs pray and watch the end behind SON LXVI AS doth the morning comfort to vs bring By giuing light to guide vs in our wayes As sun-shine beames his beautie then displayes To solace feed refresh each earthly thing So should me thinkes a thankfull heart thereby Be mou'd to waigh the fruits by them we haue And by that light a greater light espy Who these for bodies good vnto vs gaue Like light
so her vigor went Your birth your mariage natures gifts most rare With gift of grace herein may not compare To the Right Honorable the Countesse of Pembrooke OF all the Nymphes of fruitfull Braitaines race Of all the troopes in our Dianaes traine You seeme not least the Muses Trophes grace In whom true honour spotlesse doth remaine Your name your match your vertues honour gaine But not the least that pregnancie of spright Whereby you equall honour do attaine To that extinguisht Lampe of heauenly light Who now no doubt doth shine midst Angels bright VVhile you faire starre make cleare our darkned sky He heauens earthes comfort you are and delight Whose more then mortall gifts you do apply To serue their giuer and your guiders grace Whose share in this my worke hath greatest place To the Right Honorable the Countesse of Essex THese Oracles by holy spright distild Into the hart of wisest happie king To you most vertuous Ladie here are wild As heire to parent worthie in euerie thing His carefull trauell countries peace did bring His solide wisedome vertue did pursue His bountie to the poore the world doth sing Whose honour him suruiueth crownd in you So nobles if to God they yeeld his due So people ought to Nobles render fame So shall succeeding ages still renue By old records his euer reuerent name Wherein your double blessed spousall bed Shall wreath an Oliue garland on his head To the Right Honourable Ladie the Ladie Scroope THe bountie which your vertues do pretend The vertues which your wisdome hath imbrast The wisdome which both grace and nature lend The gracious nature which so well is plast Doth witnesse well the heauens your beauty grast With borrowed wisdome not of humane kind Which so hath fostred vertues mild and chast As benigne beautie might a dwelling find Fit to receiue such presents as in mind Are consecrated to that sacred shrine VVhereon as vestall Virgin you assignd Do worthie waight whose eye vouchsafe incline To take in worth reade iudge of and defend This worke weake record of my hearts intend To the Honourable Ladie the Ladie Rich. THe perfect beautie which doth most reclaime The purest thoughts from base and vaine desire Not seene nor leuied is by common aime Of eies whom coullers vse to set on fire The rare seene beautie men on earth admire Doth rather dazell then content the sight For grace and wisdome soonest do retire A wandring heart to feed on true delight Seldome all gifts do in one subiect light But all are crownd with double honour then And shine the more adornd with vertue bright But with Religion grast adord of men These gifts of nature since they meet with grace In you haue powre more then faire Venus face To the Right Honourable the Ladie of Hunsdon OF soule and bodie both since men consist Of diuers humors since our bodies be Since sundry affects do one selfe thought resist Since body soule thought will are all in me Thinke you not strange these passions new to see VVhich to my wonted humors different seeme They both are frute of one and selfe same tree The first for yonger hold this elder deeme If you of my indeuors well esteeme VVhom well the world doth know can iudge the best VVhose course of life a happie pitch doth cleeme In verteous proues wherein your fame is blest Then shall I haue a part of my desire VVho for my trauell craue but likings hire To the Honourable gentlewomen Mistresse Elizabeth and Anne Russels THe double giftes of nature and of grace Redoubled in you both with equall share VVhilst beautie shineth in the modest face And learning in your mindes with vertue rare Do well expresse of what discent ye are Of heauens immortall seed of blessed kind Of earths twise honord stock which ye declare In noble parts composd of eithers mind Them both in you rare gems we blessed find Ye both by them are honord happily Then both vouchfafe what I to both assignd To read and to conceiue of graciously So ye like to your kind the world shall know And to your selues frō hence some fruit shal grow To the Honourable Gentlewoman Mistresse Elizabeth Bridges SInce I haue growne so bold to take in hand A theame so farre indeed vnfit for me As by the reading you will vnderstand Whereto my style in no sort doth agree I cannot chuse but feare lest you should see Some signe of high presumption in my mind Which cause of iust reproch to me might be And for my sake the worke lesse fauour find Vnto you therfore haue I this assignd To craue for me remission at your hand VVhose vertues show you cannot be vnkind If kindnesse may with modest vertues stand And of and for true vertue do I pleade Which to desired blisse and honour leade To the Honorable Lady the Lady Southwell TO you the vowed seruice of my mind Faire Mistresse of the purest thoughts I bred As youths conceit could best inuention find I dedicated with affection fed My elder thoughts with your high honor led Haue often stroue to shew continued zeale But was discourag'd through mistrust and dred Of my defects which did my will conceale Yet now compeld my weaknesse to reueale Vnto a world of worthy witnesses I craue to be excusd if I appeale To you for grace to whom I guilt confesse And hope you will for auncient seruice sake Excuse my wants and this in worth will take To the Honorable Lady the Lady Cecill IN counter-poise of your right high desart My dutie made my gratefull mind consent To straine my braine to equall with my hart In finding forth for you some fit present Which to performe thus will and powre first bent Was checkt by iust regard of your esteeme Which me preuented of my hopes intent Since for your worth vain things not pleasing seeme Yet least a meere excuse you that might deeme To cloke a thanklesse heart with idle hand With more then natiue strength a pitch I cleeme To treat of blisse which I not vnderstand But Gods inspiring grace to king once tought I here as pawne of dutie haue you brought To the Honorable Ladie the Ladie Hobbye LEst that this change of style at first might breed A doubt in you whose worke it were and gift I thinke it fit your searching thoughts to feed With truth who writ it and therein his drift When scorne of hap did force my hope to shift The place wherein felicitie I sought As tyr'd on earth to heauen my thoughts I lift Which in me this strange Metamorphos wrought But so vnperfect fruit of what it ought Mixt with the dregs of old imprinted phrase Require a fauour in the Readers thought With kind construction frailties forth to raze To you my wants to me your vertues tryde Giues me good hope this sute is not denyde To the vertuous Lady the Lady Layton SInce stranger like to Court but newly come This home-bred child may hap for to be vsde Inquired
superlatiue degree But so foolish and new-fangled are our desires that wishing we wot not what and seeking it we know not how nor where we come all farre short of the same and some runne headlong to the despised contrary looking for it on earth and therby groping for it to their graues they are there cut off of their hopes and die discontented with their haps Whereas if they acknowledged it to be the tree of life planted in the heauenly paradise they wold lesse labor their bodies for attaining these transitorie shadowes of pleasure and more exercise the faculties of the soule for atchiuing the same so much the more despising these instable imperfect happinesses of this life as they found their foolish affections of the flesh doting on thē to worke neglect of the nutriment of their soule slacknes in the constant trauell in religion and vertue which is requisit for the long iorney we haue to passe through life and death thereunto But this hauing bin the sicknes of all ages specially of the Iewes in Salomons time which induced him as it should appeare to take so great paines in remouing thē from that error I the lesse maruell that our age florishing in the pride of like long peace and plentie vnder her Maiesties most happie raigne be also sotted with the world as they were dreaming of that perfection and perpetuity here which God by nature hath denied vnto vs but by her Highnes raigne we could hope for And since it is the dutie of euery part and member of the body to ioyne in the assistance cure of the whole if any particular of it shold suffer I haue in a dutiful compassiō of this cōmon calamity endeuored to seeke forth some mithridate for this poyson by which so many perish and haue here brought thee a Doses of the wisest Physitions cōposition that euer had practise of that cure who did not for th' experimēt of his potions qualitie first kill many patients in triall thereof but applying it to his owne wound first dares confidently write probatum est and by the seale of the holy spirit and consent of the Church doth warrant thee to tast of the same It is a receipt so oldly composed perhaps that thou respectest it the lesse or of so small price that thou shamest to take it or perhaps knowing the bitternesse of the tast thou hadst as liue continue sicke as to trie it But deceiue not thy selfe it is of the nature of the perfectest drogs which with age increase in strength of the kind of Sibillaes works which refused grow higher prized and of the herbe called woodroofe which onely handled hath an euill smell but more forcibly rubbed yeeldeth a sweet sauour Receiue it therefore as confidently as he assureth it and as kindly as I intend it who in respect that the obscuritie of many places the contrarietie as at first would appeare of some points and strange dependancie of the whole together haue done my carefull studious iudeuor by consideration imitation of the best interpreters hereof to explane the true sense accord the different places to ioine by probable cōnexion the whole discourse together which aswel to distinguish the seuerall arguments as to varie the verse and pawse the reader I haue not altogether vnfitly distributed into three Sermons each one containing foure Chapters a peece The first especially shewing the vaine opinion of felicitie which is not in earth to be found The second pointing more directly by the lawfull vse of this life the true way vnto her The last teaching her residence to be in heauen and perswading the speedie pursute of her fauor And that you might truly consider of the cariage of the matter according to the scope of the Text I haue caused the same to be quoted in the margent reducing for memorie sake into two abstract lines of verse set in the top of euerie leafe the substance of euery pages content which afterward as thou seest is paraphrastically dilated page by page in the plainest forme I can deuise Who in respect of the grauitie of the argument did restraine my pen frō the helpes of much profane learning and in consideration of the antiquity of the worke and maiestie of the author could not without great indecencie haue vsed the authorities of men or of so late times as since the learnings florished whence we now receiue our common light Like naked truth therefore I pray thee receiue it for it owne if not for my sake if in any thing I seeme to swarne from thy conceit of many points I pray thee confer farther therin with D. Gregorius Neocerasiensis Epis. Olimpioderus D. Salonius Epis. Viennēsis Theod. Beza Ioh. Serranus Anth. Corranus Tremelius all interpreters and paraphrasers in prose vpon this worke and I. Lectius Ro. Lemmannus I. Viuianus reducers thereof into Latin poesie or any other thou likest better of so shal my errors be couered or excused whilst their different formes distributiōs of method interpretatiōs wil leaue thee I am perswaded in some points as litle satisfied as this my labor shall do who in some things was forced to digresse from them all when either too much in one place or too litle in an other they followed the forme of a Paraphrasis which they vndertooke into which error also it is not vnlike but I haue sometimes fallen my selfe and I doubt not but many things more might haue bin said perhaps to more purpose then I haue done but non omnia possumus omnes According to my sufficiencie I haue discharged my self faithfully vnto thee and therfore I trust in these dayes wherein some pernitious many vnciuil and a swarme of superfluous and vnprofitable books passe from the presse it shall not be needfull for me to vse great insinuation for thy fauour since it lyeth not in the bounds of a Preface to prepare a peruerse mind or in the nature of such a worke to go a begging for a grace I will therfore cut off that labor only signifie vnto thee the excellency of this worke compiled by the wisest man and mightiest king of Israell euen Salomon the king of peace Ydida the beloued of God Ecclesiastes the preacher who in his Prouerbs instructeth thee as a child to a ciuill and honest life in this worke instituteth thy manly thoughts to the inquisition of the highest good To the end that by his last song of heauenly loue thy ripened thoughts might be inflamed with that glorious bride Christ Iesus to whose holy direction I hartily cōmend thee H. L. Certaine poems to the Authour of the worke TErra ferax vatum est Brittannia non tamen omnes Aut vno aut sacro flamine Phoebus agit Hic canit obscuri certaminis arma virosve Alter lasciui ludicra amoris alit Hos genio vt superas sic carmine argumento AEquum Reginae est cedere Regis opus A. H. S. Ad Serenissimam Reginam
the fruit to tast Though birdes and Bees their nests and combs begin Though sheepe beare fleece Oxe the land haue trast In hope of profite which their masters wast Yet wise men grieue to spend in vaine their time For others sake the bush to beate or clime 22. For what hath man of all his trauell griefe of his heart wherin he hath trauelled vnder the sunne If man vncertaine be as sure he is This night if he the morrow day shall see If he do doubt his dayes cannot endure If he foresee his bed his graue may bee And yet of world haue care vnhappie hee I meane such care as doth his powers possesse And suffers not his soule some ioy expresse For what he leaueth him behind is lost What he enioyd that only was his owne What hath he gain'd by wealth that comfort cost If he not tast his fruits of trauell growne Possession best by vse of things is knowne Who doth not so but lost his trauels are A heauie burden bootlesse fetched farre verse 23 His dayes are few and spent in cares his nights in harts vnrest verse 24 If God yet grant to vse his wealth with ioy then is he blest 23. For all his daies are sorrowes his trauel grief his heart also taketh not rest in the night which also is vanitie He doth thereby but massaker himselfe And seeme vnkind to natures true intent Whose bodie feeds not on the view of pelfe But on the food the hands to mouth do lend Which freely to ech part doth portion send He well may thinke his wofull dayes too long And trauell grieuous thus requite with wrong If he the wished night ordain'd for rest Consume in carefull thoughts of greedie mind If he for others hoord his comforts best And to himselfe gainst kind do proue vnkind No blessednesse on earth then shall he find But like a bubble vanish soone away And in his life his vanitie bewray 24. There is no profit to man but that he eat and drinke and delight his soule with the profit of his labour I saw also this that it was of the hand of God For no true profit earth to earth can giue But whilst on earth man yet doth make his stay The frutes of earth to vse by which we liue And ech dayes care deferre vnto that day These Creatures plenteously enioy we may To needfull sustenance of bodies strength And to delight the mind waxt dull at length Man onely must in plentie plentie note Of Gods abundant blessing shewd therein And not forget him whilst they passe the throte And them abuse as instruments of sin But for his gifts with prayse to him begin With almes proceed the needy poore to feed And not repine though oft they stand in need verse 25 Who knowes the vse of plentie more then I yet this I find verse 26 God makes the iust know ioy the bad leaue welth for good behind 25. For who could eat and who could hast to outward things more then I. Of all that I do say I haue made proofe And therefore may the better thee aduise Which as I now set downe for thy behoofe So thereof make thy profit be thou wise He is a foole that counsell doth despise And I who counsell thee sure best could try Earths pleasures and the fruits that come thereby As being King I all things might commaund As being rich I ech thing might procure As being lou'd to please me all men fawnd As being feard I might my will make sure As being wise I could make choyse most pure If any earthlie thing might breed content Then may I say that God me part hath sent 26. Surely to a mā that is good in his sight God giueth wisdom and knowledg and ioy but to the sinner he giueth paine togather and to heap to giue to him that is good before God this is also vanitie and vexation of the spirit And for a full report of my conceit I briefly say as truth requires of mee That wisedome as a blessing doth awaight Vpon the godly who true knowledge see And perfect ioy alone in them can bee For God the author of all goodnesse is And with his feare associats endlesse blis But to the wicked he alotteth griefe In getting needfull things great wo and care In their possession little sweet reliefe In laying vp of wealth a life still bare Which for the godly they doe but prepare Rent gathrers for the good the wicked bee Vaine vexers of their soules themselues may see Chap. 3. verse 1 All purposes haue proper times all things fit seasons find verse 2 A time of birth and death to plant and supplant is assignd 1. To all things there is an appointed time and a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen BVt for I see the wordly wise will say They haue iust cause to studie to attaine The hidden course which nature doth bewray In interchange of times which doth remaine Inrold in writ of many a learned braine I will with them awhile conferre and show To thee the depth of all the skill they know Most true it is I graunt that hidden are In knowledge of Philosophy indeede Such rules profound by learning fet so farre As in the mind doth admiration breed But yet that skill doth serue to little steed For God hath natures bounds prefixed so That from that course art cannot make them go 2. A time to be borne and a time to die a time to plant and a time to plucke vp that which is planted Begin we first where we begin and end With birth of man in mothers wombe conceiu'd Which fortie weekes expir'd needs forth must send And age compels to yeeld the breath receiu'd In both of which the wisest are deceiu'd The birth and death of diuerse diuersely Preuenting time of birth and time to dy And as of men so in increase of things The which the earth brings forth in growing kind Although we know the Moone fit seasons brings To planted things to prosper yet we find They oft miscarie and we chaunge our mind And be their fruits once ripe they gathered bee And stocke once rotten we stub vp the tree verse 3 A time to cure and kill there is to build and ouerthrow verse 4 To laugh and weepe a mournfull cheare and merry hart to show 3. A time to slay and a time to heale a time to break down and a time to build And though it be a thing vnnaturall And most repugnant to societie The life of man by hand of man to fall And to shed bloud wherein his life doth lie Yet iustice craues that male factors die Aswell as that the sicke should phisicke haue Or salues imployd the wounded corps to saue Yea though that cities first well founded were For safetie vnto men of ciuill sort Yet neuer Monarkes seat such fame did beare Or citie grow of much with great resort But time made cottages of small import Suruiue their greatnesse and
vnto his soule forthwith to craue Whereby it sleeping void of holy rayes Of grace in sinne doth spend away the dayes Which Christ our Sauiour died the same to saue Vnto thee Lord Creator powrefull king With birds by break of day they prayse shold sing SON LXVII I List not iudge nor censure other men As I do iudge so iudge me others will And God himselfe that part can best fulfill With others faults I will not meddle then Vnlesse so farre as dutie doth desire Which is with loue to warne them of the way Whose weaknesse doth our louing aide require To stay their steps wherein they are astray But I must iudge my selfe doth scripture say And that I will but not by natiue skill The law and Gospell they shall try me still And their true touch shall my estate bewray My conscience witnesse more then thousands ten My hart confesse my faults with tongue and pen. SON LXVIII I See sometimes a mischiefe me beset Which doth amaze me much and griefe procure I haue a hope or hap I wish t' endure But it doth vanish straight and I do fret I craue sometimes of God with feruencie A thing me thinkes which might worke to my ioy My prayers yet he seemeth to denie And by the contrary doth worke my'annoy I find at length the thing I scorn'd as coy Fall to my profit and doth me assure That God by this his goodnesse doth allure Me to depend on him and not to toy By natiue reason guided but to let His prouidence haue praise and honor get SON LXIX HOw should I vse my time henceforth the best The little that remaines ought well be spent Too much lost time cause haue I to repent Best mends must be well to imploy the rest To pray and prayse the Lord is fit for me To craue things needfull and his mercies tell My spirituall wants and carnall plenties be As many yet his blessings which excell But multitude of words please not so well He knowes the heart which righteously is bent All holy actions are as prayers ment And he is praysd when sinne we do repell Then if my life the world and flesh detest I pray and prayse and shall find actions blest SON LXX Good words are praisd but deeds are much more rare One shadow is the other substance right Of Christian faith which God and man delight Without which fruits our barren tree is bare Once well done is more comfort to the soule More profit to the world to God more prayse Then many learned words which sinne controule Or all lip-labour that vaine glorie sayes Who in a holy life doth spend his dayes And still maintaine gainst sinne a valiant fight He preacheth best his words are most of might He shall conuert men most from sinfull wayes Such shall haue honor most affirme I dare With God and man and lesse of worldly care SON LXXI SInce we by baptisme seruants are profest To Christ whose name we as an honor beare It is good reason we his liuery weare And not go ranging vainely with the rest Since we do feed by bountie of his hand On precious food which he doth giue and dresse Who at the well of life doth ready stand Vs to refresh if thirst do vs oppresse We are too slow our selues to him t' addresse To craue and vse these gifts in loue and feare His righteous liuery we do rather teare Then whom we serue by vse thereof expresse Little he got that was such bidden guest And how can thanklesse seruants then be blest SON LXXII SInce shame of men much more then godly feare Restraineth vs from sinne as proofe doth preach Since more we after name of vertue reach Then to the truth thereof we loue do beare It were a part of wisedome to deuise To vse our nature of it selfe so vaine From so base custome euen for shame to rise To actions good which might true honor gaine The best remede I therefore find remaine To purchase prayse and vertues habit teach Is to professe in speech the same whose breach In life we should refraine least we should staine Our name which would at length our liking reare To loue of God indeed and sinnes forbeare SON LXXIII THe difference is right great a man may see Twixt heauen and earth twixt soule and body ours Twixt God man heauens powre earthly towres As great the difference in their vse must bee By high ambitious and by wrathfull sword Are earthly transitory kingdomes gaynd Humilitie with patient deed and word To heauenly crowne and honour doth attaine Man will his conquest with vaine glory staine Heauens kingdom former pride forthwith deuowrs It equals all estates sects skils and powres And makes the bodie well vnite remaine Whereof the head is Christ the members we And held coheires of heauen with him we be SON LXXIIII FOr vs who do by nature still incline Vnto the worst and do the best forget Who do all passed benefits lightly set And so vnthankfully gainst God repine It were great wisedome dayly to obserue Such sundry haps as do to vs befall By which to learne how much God doth deserue Who those and passed benefits gaue vs all And since there is not any blisse so small But for the which we ought acknowledge debt On each occasion we should gladly get A meanes our minds to thankfulnesse to call For nought God craues newe can giue in fine But drinke with thankes his cup of sauing wine SON LXXV THe parable of seed well sowne on ground Which did according as the soyle did sarue Some neuer bud some bloome some straightway starue Some grow in his crop so much abound Doth well describe as Christ full well applyes The nature of the word the which is sent By written Gospell and by preachers cryes Into the heart which hearing it doth rent And as well tild sometimes begins relent And yeeldeth blessed fruit and prayse desarue As God the showres of grace doth freely carue And diligence in weeding it is spent For many times such sinfull tares are found As good had bin the seed in sea had drownd SON LXXVI I Cannot chuse but yet deuoyd of pride To note the happie and the glorious time Wherein we liue and flourish in the prime Of knowledge which those former dayes not tride For all preheminences which are read Forespoke of latter age by Prophets all As happily were perform'd as promised When Christ those mysteries did on earth vnfold And those accomplish which were long foretold The same yea more by farre we dust and slime Vnworthy wayers of thee high we clime Enioy through preached truth more worth thē gold But woe is me this grace is vs denyde We to our selues haue not the same applyde SON LXXVII IF thou do feele thy fleshly thoughts repine When thou doest beare the crosses God doth send And that thou vnder burden of them bend And out of due obedience wouldst vntwine Remember when as yet a child thou wast