Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
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A09644
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Vertues anatomie. Or A compendious description of that late right honorable, memorable, and renowned Bedfordshire lady, the Lady Cheany, of Tuddington. By Charles Pierse
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Pierse, Charles.
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1618
(1618)
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STC 19909; ESTC S102573
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34,544
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80
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and curious times Of many mightie troubles made the ground VVhom ouer-searching doubts and errors blindes So many truths that which of them to take To many wandering wits doe question make This is the truth they 'le neuer start away From this vnto another straight they are gone Then to that sect they know not what to say Thus are they busie in all but firme in none Then this they like then that then straight they le turne To any thing I thinke before they le burne Such trees which like the fig-tree seemes most faire VVhen nought but leaues and blossomes it affords And in the eyes of th' world are iudg'd most rare That onely paints Religion out in words That learnes to tip their tongues with Artes diuine VVhen damn'd Hypocrisie resteth in their minde VVhose gesture workes lookes words and actions all VVith similar showes are varnish'd to deceiue men VVith heau p vp hands and eyes to heauen they call As if deuotion would of sense bereaue them And knock their brests when as their hearts within Lie buried vp in flesh and bloud and sinne Such strange comixtures of Religion holds them That they like mad-men care not where they bite And Iudas-like a little price hath sold them That euen the worst of errors they doe like Thus are they through their owne rash-daring skill Led captiue of the Diuell to doe his will How many strange Religions are there found That will dispute of truth and seeme to know it How many sects and rules yet all vnsound As this vaine light-beleeuing age can show it If such a number into errors fall How many more which hold no truth at all Good God which art the onely truth and guide Keep 's from those errors wherein some are caught That we from thee may neuer fall nor slide But willingly embrace the Gospell taught That no inuentions heresies crafts or guiles May worke in vs our safetie to beguile But worthy Lady who did'st keepe the truth From superstition and Idolatrie free Both in old age in middle yeares and youth That in such greatnesse few haue done like thee Where many liue to whom that name belongs Which onely Christianize it in their tongues But thy firme resolution fixed was And vnremoued stood against all those Which seemes to set a colour and a glosse Vpon Religion falshood to inclose Vnder which faire pretext often doth lie Most dangerous deepe deceits our soules to trie The truth thy soule delighted not to striue On idle questions which no profit brings Whil'st some new sought inuentions can contriue To draw hard questions from the meanest things Wresting those words that sence to what they 'd haue it And not as right and true constructions craue it But thou the praise of these vnconstant times Mad'st not this world the patterne to doe ill But like a candle did'st in darknesse shine And fram'dst thy life vnto thy Makers will Not tossed to and fro with euery winde Which wraps in many errors wandring mindes But did'st continue to thy vtmost breath A zealous Protestant and religious friend Not stain'd with heresie in thy life nor death But seald'st thy last gaspe with a glorious end Which made the Angels sing and heauens reioyce That thou with Mary madest so good a choyse Thy faith as great and rare did apprehend The second person in the Trinitie On whom thy whole saluation did depend Wrought by his passions so effectually Not mingling of his merits with humane powers Ascribing that to vs which is not ours But to thy selfe by priuate application Did'st ceize on all those promises sweet and faire Writ in the Scriptures for our consolation To keepe vs vp from horror and despaire That when deepe flouds waters seeme to drowne vs Our faith may shine in darknesse then crowne vs. And bring our soules into that glorious rest Wrought by his passions sufferings death and merit Which he hath purchas'd for the chosen best After this mortall labour to inherit Redeeming vs when we were cast away With such a price as none but he could pay That holy one that pure vnspotted Lambe That did descend from his eternall throwne For vs vile sinners being God and man To satisfie the wrath of heauen alone And vnderwent such torments griefes and paines To make his greatest losse our greatest gaines Oh happie Lady whose erected minde This glorious obiect of thy faith so loues Thy soules delight which ioyes and comforts finde Where all the triall of thy faith he proues And viewes the pure deuotions of thy heart Which for his seruice thou had'st set apart There in that euerlasting booke of fate Are written downe the triall of thy loue Thy faith zeale piety and that happy state Which far beyond our thoughts thy soule doth proue Such great felicitie ioyes which ioyes excell That tongues of men and Angels cannot tell Could the heau'ns see thy labours and endeuor And to thy louing cares giue no regard Thy constancie whereby thou did'st perseuer Vnto the end and yeeld thee no reward Oh no 't is hard to thinke but worse to say That heau'ns great giuer should himselfe denay He that rewards vniust and wicked men With ample benefits shall he not be kinde Vnto his owne deare chosen children then Or suffer them to slip out of his minde If he so liberall be to the vniust What shall he be to those that in him trust Oh no Great Lady he will doe no wrong Nor once deny himselfe let none so thinke Hee 's iust and true although he beareth long Nor is he blinde although he seeme to winke But doth behold thy faith which neuer faints Where he doth crowne thee with his dearest Saints That bitter combate held with flesh and blood And mightie conflict which assaults the best Which by his powerfull hand thou hast withstood And quench'd those fiery darts which neuer rest But still new battailes warre and strife begin Against our soules faire Sions for t to win Yet all these cannot shake thy glorious hold See firme and constant faith doth still endure Which makes thy trust and confidence so bold Ayde him that most vndoubted ayde assure He takes thy part he will not see thee foil'd Nor to thy foes become a prey nor spoild Heere did the triall of thy faith appeare In his continuall fight with flesh and blood Which shew'd thy loue vnto thy Sauiour deare Which could not be by worldly hopes withstood But still persisted striuing for to winne That powerfull monster Hydra-headed sinne Thou neuer vnto Saints and Angels prayde Nor mad'st petitions to them in thy need Which whil'st they liu'd did want our Sauiours ayde Whose sinnes as well as ours did make him bleed And was the cause that stopp'd his glorious breath To ransome them as well as vs from death Yet will not these proud Pharisees be perswaded But vrge traditions from their fathers taught And haue the Gospell through their power inuaded And many holy needlesse reliques sought Of ancient Saint
merit and desart doth grace Made great by birth and honor not by chance As Fortune's wont her followers to aduance Can better tell these things then I can name them And learne such vaine affections how to tame them Whereby your Predecessors got more grace And more renowne then time can ere deface Combining to your noble house that fame Which liues in you vnblemisht farre from blame And though that I great Lord doe write of that Which Fame the world and time haue wondered at And by aduenturing wrong my shallow wit In ayming at the marke I cannot hit Yet let some gratious censure from your honor Fall on my pen which tooke too much vpon her Since from that streame and fountaine you doe spring As this most noble lady did I sing Her worth impeach't yours must eclypsed bee Which in all things with hers doth co-agree Though my plaine dutie all too meane prefers Yet reade great Lord not for my sake but hers Which was a light to those that farre succeeds For vertuous 〈◊〉 and honorable deeds Who drawes 〈◊〉 such how much more then Need they of vertue store to equall them When springing honor in such tender yeares Vnto the world so fresh and greene appeares What shall we thinke of after comming time But that your glory more and more will shine Where that bright starre within your brest begunne May quickly rise to be a glorious Sunne And in the highest Spheare of golden fame Rides heauens large circuite with your noble name So thriue still honor flourish euer faire Let no clouds rise such glory to impaire Nor your proceedings any whit dismay T'eclypse the beautie of so faire a day But that your glasse at eu'nings watch match may run As faire and cleare as when it first begun Then noble Lord my humble duety spare What wants in me your Honor may repaire And mend those ruinous breaches which my quill Hath fall'n into for want of better skill And I as bound to this shall tune my song Pray heauens true honor may continue long Thus not presuming what may be amisse I pardon craue and make an end with this TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE the Ladie WENTWORTH RIght Honorable ere I doe begin I pardon craue presumption is a sinne Lest I too much vpon my selfe relying May Icarus-like perhaps repēt my flying The plague of many Poets which do think Their owne to be the pure immortall drinke But I that farre inferiour am to them Ascribe no such vain-glory to my pen Nor yet will ouerprize what I do know Is past my skill to iudge or power to show If ought within this little volume lies A worke too weake for your iudicious eyes Which might ' gainst me the smallest fire incense I should be loath to giue so much offence Yet doe not fixe your wrath before you trie And heare great Lady my Apologie Perchance my meannesse barres me of that fauour Which others gaine in as vnworthy labour If that it doth or bare originall birth In sight of heauen is nought or little worth Hee 's no accepter of the noblest blood Aboue the meaner persons which are good All 's one to him his power created all Hee 's great'st with him that on his name doth call The abiects and the out-casts of all things In this prerogatiue may compare with Kings Heauens are not partiall all 's alike respected None for their greatest honor are elected If this be not the cause another yet May hazard what this former could not hit And bid me call in question straight my pen That hath not writ so learn'd as other men Hauing a subiect so repleate with honor And could not shew no better skill vpon her This plunges deeper and hard claime doth lay Vnto my thoughts I know not what to say But since thou can'st not paint nor steale no wit With borrowed shapes or Artes to furnish it In plainest colours thou hast truely pen'd them Vertue and honor need no arte to mend them Besides it was her pleasure minde and will To haue her vertues vnderualued still For it is not so true as common knowne The purest vertues neuer seeke their owne And heauens agree and with their names dispence To grace the truth and leaue out eloquence For he respects the heart more then the tongue Or else we all should doe his Godhead wrong Then if that heauens in this from blame doth free mee Why should not mortals through his glory see mee And set mee free from any scorne and hate Since heauen in all things all should imitate It may be yet another may arise And show it selfe vnpleasing to your eies And that is this the want of wealth and state Which holds too many in disgrace and hate Yet in the sight of heau'ns the poor'st are grac'd And are not for their want of meanes displac'd If the small'st mite or sparke of grace he findes Doth worke at all within their hearts and mindes Nor doth he cast away the poorest slaue From entring in if grace be found to saue But like vnto decayed plants doth cherish Their dying roots and will not let them perish Then noble Lady if that these may claime The least respect and shelter me from blame I shall be glad when first I vndertooke To write to such great minds this little booke Where my too worthlesse duetie more affords Conceal'd within not to be tould in words Accept it Honor then since 't is the first Your greatnesse soone may grac't or make it worse But whether 't is my fortune or my fate I now must take 't repentance comes too late Yet many fauours farre aboue my merit I haue receiu'd from your most noble spirit Which makes me hope that now I shall not misse But likewise be receiu'd and grac'd in this For which I le studie by my best endeauer In faithfull seruice bound fast yours for euer Then noble Ladie deigne to take a view Of those faire vertuous parts and honors true Which faire example left so rich behinde To fill the vertuous storehouse of your minde Whose worthie branches from that tree descended Make honors goe with vertues rich attended Where some of them if all you doe not finde Ingrauen in your honorable minde TO SIR HENRY CROFTS IF that my lines may be at all respected And not for their vnworthinesse reiected Which though too meane faine would remember yet The loue I owe which many doe forget The seruice and the dutie which desires Though your desarts farre greater worth requires To yeeld some thankes by meane endeauors prest You in your better iudgement know the rest From Shepheards cells expect no more to finde Then what may please the best contented minde Our tables are not furnisht with such cost For sumptuous cheere or lofty faire to boast Such as we haue we giue on trust we goe not To entertaine you Sir with that we owe not Nor yet by stealth doe seeke to winne your loue To beare the name of that we cannot proue