A COMMENTARY VPON THE CANTICLE OF CANTICLES WRITten first in Italian by Antonio Brucioli and now translated into English by Th. Iames fellow of New colledge in Oxford Greater is he that prophecieth then he that speaketh diuers tongues except he expound it that the Church may receiue edification 1. Cor. 14. v. 4. Come and eate of my meate and drinke of the wine that I haue drawen Prov. 9. v. 5. LONDON Printed by R. F. for Tho. Man 1598. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOmas Egerton Knight Lord Keeper of the great seale of England Thomas Iames wisheth increase of health wealth and prosperitie in this life and endlesse ioy happinesse immortality in the life to come SAint Hierome complained of the multitude and abuse of writers in his time Salomon to shew the vanity of meÌ„ in writing of bookes beginneth one of his bookes with Vanitie Vanitie of vanities saith Salomon the Preacher vanitie of vanities and all is but vanitie and as he beginneth his booke so he endeth it as if from the beginning vnto the ending â—here were nothing but vanity in all other bookes the holy Scripture onely excepted no part or parcell whereof may be guilty of the least thought of vanitie in the world the holy Ghost being in the holy scripture as the soule is in the bodie all in all and all in euery part And therefore in the later ende of his booke to leade vs vnto the beginning of true wisedome he pricketh men forward and exhorteth them to the diligent reading of Gods words the words of truth by comparing them vnto prickes and nailes fastned by the masters of the assemblies To auoyd Saint Hieromes complaint follow Salomons godly exhortation the Author of this present treatise vpon the Canticles did exercise him self from his infancie in the studie of Gods word the which he read so earnestly and eagerly as if as Saint Austin saith he could neuer haue read it sufficiently though hâ— should haue begun neuer so soone and liued neuer so long But finding the scriptures by his owne experience so written in diuerse places though all Scripture be written for our instruction as if iâ— were not written as it was sayd of certaine bookes of Aristotle in so much that when the Eunuch readeth Philip had need to stand by interpret He thought it good for the good of the Church and glorie of God to bestow the greatest part of his time partly in translating the Bible into his mother tongue which he did most exactly partly in writing such a commentarie vpon the Bible as might in doubtfull and hard places fully satisfie and content the minde of the religious reader Now there are many which haue written vpon the Bible learned and godly commentaries in all tongues languages many more now thanks be to God in these later dayes theÌ„ in former times but of all late writers there is none for any that I haue seene or heard which may be compared with this Brucioli for absolute and exquisite knowledge in the tongues great reading in the Fathers shortnesse and plainnesse in deliuering of the meaning of the holy Ghost and last of all such soundnesse in Religion integritie of doctrine as may seeme admirable in any man but in Brucioli and Italian wonderfull beyond the degree ofâ— admiratioÌ„ For surely as it seemed straÌ„geâ— vnto the Iewes that out of Galile should come any good so it is no lesse stranges vnto some that Italie should affoord vs any good Italy being the cage of vncleannesse and seate of Antichrist But God the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Iewes the God of Italians as of Englishmen no accepter of persons or respecter of place hath euen in Italie many peraduenture thousands which haue not bowed their knees vnto Baal electing some out of each nation countrey to make vp the summe of his elect Now as God in his mercie hath stirred vp some to defende his glorie in other countreys so hath he raised vp this Brucioli to be a principall setter forth of his glorie in Italie which that man of sinne the Romane Antichrist perceiuing hath therefore laboured to suppresse and abolish his painfull labours but man purposeth and God disposeth For as they haue bene forbidden twise so twise haue they bene printed and that in no other place then Venice dedicated to men of the contrary religion which it should seem he professed and submitted to the censure of our holy mother the Church prouided that out of the Scriptures and Fathers they should be able to refute his doctrine which out of theÌ„ both he had most learnedly coÌ„piled The time wherin he liued I find not certainly set downe of any but this is most certaine that he liued about the time of Conradus Pellicanus some 70 or 80 yeares ago and that Pellican did verie much profite himselfe by Brucioli or Brucioli by Pellicans writings which is the more probable by how much the more Brucioli hath in his CoÌ„mentary besides that which is out of Pellican translated into his books word for word in diuerse places The order method which he obserued in his Commentarie is such as deserueth to be imitated of all men that labour in this businesse in easie and facill places of the Bible either to be altogether silent or very short and briefe in harder places to be more plentifull and copious in no place spending paper and inke in idle and vnprofitable questions such as tend not to edification As to dispute the case in this Commentarie vpon the Canticles whether of the three bookes which Salomon wrote he wrote the Canticles in the first or second place as the Iewes imagine or last of all as all the Latine writers do consent Whether there be more persons then foure or whether this book be meant literally of Pharaohs daughter or mystically of the Church these questions being farre aboue the reach of the commoÌ„ sort of people he omitteth purposely And because all writers with one voyce consent that the Church is meant by the Spouse he so taketh it without any further adoe instructing vs in these points of religion necessary to be taught of him and vnderstood of vs. That the Church here militant consisteth of two parts a visible and an inuisible that in the Church Christ must beare rule and not Peter that Gods word must be heard and not mens traditions finally he teacheth vs the necessitie of faith and fruite of good workes these are the principall points which he handleth in this booke euery where ioyning with them matter of comfort and exhortation and thus much for Brucioli and his Commentary Now for my selfe and my translation I could haue wished that others which haue the gift of interpretation wold haue taken the worke in hand but seeing they haue bene slacke in this businesse I haue for that exceeding great loue which I beare vnto tâ—â— workes of this learned man a stranger but not from the faith translated this booke of
the Canticles with that minde which he wrote it to the glorie of God and benefite of his Church In translating of it I haue not yeelded word for word but sence for sence and sentence for sentence For the text I haue not followed mine Authour but taken the authorized translation in our English Bibles for that it is a matter of great difficultie and not for a young man to translate and is besides warranted by Fulke against the Papists and learned Maister Hooker against our aduersaries at home only I haue noted the differences which are not many either by the side of the booke or in the text of the Commentarie This small labour of mine I am bold to present vnto your Lordship right Honorable Others for other respectes out of the treasures of their wits and industries haue presented you with greater volumes my self being young in yeares and poore in wit do offer vp into your hands all that I haue as yet prouided which is at the most but a poore Orphans mite Which I do in this respect onely for that honorable regard which your Lordship hath of learning religiō which are the loadstones to draw the hearts of men vnto you For which cause my self being as yet vnknowne vnto your Lordship am moued to sue vnto the same for protection for protection for my selfe and defence for mine Author a meere stranger the title of your office and vertuous disposition to others doth promise vs great comfort For seeing God hath made you a Keeper and that as it is here in the Canticles of many vines and that you haue kept your vines so that of the frute thereof hath bene made wine right comfortable vnto many drooping hearts in this land what remaineth there in me but to be confident in your Honors kind acceptance of this booke and to beseech God the true keeper of Israel which neither slumbreth nor sleepeth long to preserue your Honour in health to the maintenance of learning and religion the preseruation of her Maiestie and vniuersall good of this land Your Honors in all dutie Thomas Iames. The Translatour to the courteous and Christian Reader A Christian I presume thou art that readest this booke curteous I call thee because I hope to find thee so it is as much as I desire and surely no lesse doth mine Author deserue His name is Brucioli by birth an Italian his countrey as I guesse Florence and therfore a stranger if a stranger intreat him as a stranger that is gently kindly and know that it is thy dutie if it be not thy curtesie so to do for there is a dutie which belongeth vnto strangers commanded in the Law and commended in the Gospell As a stranger by birth so good must be done vnto him in generall but as he is not a stranger frō the faith so we are bound to shew him special fauor for so the Apostle S. Paul◠willeth vs for to do Do good saith he vnto all men but especiallie or chieflie to those which are of the houshold of faith Of this houshold was Brucioli and not of that other houshold of good workes where none but merit-mongers and superarrogant or superogating Papists dwel Reade his Commentarie and thou wilt confesse as much there is often mention of faith of iustification by faith only of faith and iustification by imputation still faith comes in as if our actions were as insipid and vnpleasant without faith as the old sacrifices were vnsauory without salt The Law requireth salt in all sacrifices Brucioli requireth faith in euery action he maketh it the subiect of his discourse brings it in in euerie chapter in euerie page yea almost in euerie line as if it were the center wherunto all the lines of his commentarie must of force haue bene drawne Embrace his booke therfore in thine hands and entertain his doctrine into thine heart Scorne him not because hee is not attired after the fine Italian fashion for this were to accept of him for his good apparrell and not for his good partes which Saint Iames noted for a fault in the Iewes Brucioli is now in England not in Italie therfore must be contēt with such apparrel as our coūtry affords he hath the best that could be gottē for him for indeed it is all that could be gotten either he must haue this or none better this then none for I hope it is good strong though it be not very costly fine the finest thredes be not euer the best for thē spiders wold vndo weauers spinners be set a work more thē they be yet I cannot say but they work too fast many times but alas it is in sucking soure out of sweet drawing forth poyson from hony These creatures I do not like the Lyon naturally hateth the mouse the sheepe a wolf naturally I do abhor these men frō my very heart therfore if any spider come vpon my book it shall be lawful for any mā either to sweep or els to blow him away for he is but a light person of himselfe and easily blowne away that spendeth his time in this sort how heauy soeuer hee prooue to others They say there be no spiders in Ireland their houses are built of such a wood as breedeth none O that England were as Ireland in this respect and that all our houses were built of this kind of timber then would the house of God go better forward then it doth and we shold be fitter men to be temples of the holy Ghost thē we are but now the world is as ful of these wicked creatures as euer Egipt swarmed with frogs there was no house no place in Egypt but there were frogges to be found there is no place no house almost in Englād where there are not some of these venimous spiders to be found a man shal find thē euery wherein citie fields in beds and at boord in court country If a yong man write they say his head is too greene if an old man they say his best is past if a mā of middle age they say at that time his body is more fit for actiō then his mind is apt to contēplation so that neither old nor yong nor middle aged writers can please thē no maruel for I thinke they cannot please themselues But chiefly these spider-catching Zoilusses do shoot the venime of their tongues against painfull translators of bookes which seeke other mens profits not their owne reaping not the fruit of that which they haue sowne and like candles spending thēselues to giue others light But what saith M. Momus with his crue of carping knights these men mar all with their translations it was neuer well with vs that is that are learned since so many books were translated into english their labor were better spared thē imployed they corrupt bookes misinterpret writers are enemies vnto the cōmon wealth enemies to all good learning If this be all they haue
to say they say in word somewhat in effect nothing for either they take that for a salt which is not so indeed or els they knowe not how to distinguish the abuse frō the thing so speake against they know not what Translators haue their faults abuses as well as other men as when they translate foolish vnprofitable or wicked vngodly books or els mistranslate misinterpret books and then the abuse proceedeth either of malice or of ignorāce if of malice their reproofe is iust if of ignorance blame thē not vnles it be affected for the best that is may misse in a strāge language whē no man knoweth all in his owne tongue And thus far reacheth their complaint against the abuse of translations which may in no wise be excused As for the harme that cōmeth by making learning too cōmon mē of cōmon iudgement may by vulgar examples easily refute them The sunne moone fire and water are profitable yet common the Philosopher saith Bonum quò communius eò melius good the commoner it is the better it is if it bee true in philosophie it is true in diuinity therfore S. Paul wisheth that all men were learned as hee was and that all men could speak with diuers tongues as he did c. I would that these men which think they haue S. Paules learning had S Paules zeale so it were according to knowledge to seeke other mens good and not their own for now marchāts do not monopolize the goods of a citie more thē these do appropriate vnto thēselues the learning of whole vniuersities whē they haue it what do they with it but keep it vnto thēselues Because I wold not be of this odious sect of men most curteous Christian reader I haue at vacant times trāslated according to that measure of knowledge which God hath giuen me both this book and some others as the historie of the Iesuits Morall Philosophy of the Stoickes which with permissiō of my superiors I mean shortly to publish if God wil and health permit me so to do Take this booke in good part accept of my good wil fault pardon amend whether they be the Printers or the translators the preface is the Authors not mine it escaped both me the Printer before I was aware the rest read corrected in the latter end of the booke The Preface to the Booke THis booke of the Canticles is a holy and admirable booke very spirituall full of mysteries and most hidden senses whereby it is most euident that they haue bene not a litle deceiued which go about to diminish the credit and authoritie thereof for because herein are contained sundry enterchangeable discourses and dialogues of mutuall loue betweene the bride and the bridegrome therefore forsooth haue they thought it good to call this booke in questiō as if it were not an vsuall matter with the holy Ghost in the holy Scripture to set down the sincere and vnfained loue of God and the Church vnder the figure of chast and holy wedlocke as also to discouer the force of wickednesse and Idolatrie by the similitude of the adulterous woman as it is to be seene in the second and third of Ieremie and in the sixteenth Chapter of Ezechiel Besides all this there are certaine places in this booke whereby no otherwise then as it were by certaine beames and lights this point is made so cleare and manifest that we may very well say without any maner of doubt or wauering at all that this Treatise is not carnally and literally but spiritually and mystically to be vnderstood In such sort that I hold this for an vnfallible and certaine truth that there are comprehended and contained in this small booke the exceeding great affection and loue of our Lord Iesus Christ and the holy Church of the faithfull beleeuers the necessarie vse of the word of God the profite and pleasantnesse thereof the efficacie of faith and heat of charity Furthermore we learne to know what are the operations of the spirit and what are the works of the flesh briefly that which doth any maner of way cōcerne or respect the Church and all this vnder the figuratiue talk and communication betweene the Bridegroome and the Spouse Now Christ is the Bridegroome as it is in the 3. of Iohn verse 29. He that hath the bride is the bridegrome and the Church is his spouse Hosea Chapter 2. Thou shalt call me Ishi or my husband I wil marry thee vnto me for euer And this spouse is attended on with her young maidens that is to say with the particular soules of the faithfull which do follow after the odoriferous and sauery ointments of our Sauiour Iesus Christ And the bridegrome likewise hath his friends that do follow accōpany him to wit the true Bishops sincere Prechers of the word of God which he cals vnto him to eate drinke make merry with him These men heare the voyce of the Church that is to say the words of Christ Neuerthelesse this is not so to be vnderstood but that all the faithfull may rightly terme thēselues frēds of the bridegrome The title or inscriptiō is the Song of Songs as if therin were contained songs which did farre exceed all other songs in plenty of holy mysteries and they are called the songs of Salomon or Salomons songs because hee writ them being inspired by the holy Ghost of the true Salomon Iesus Christ VVe reade of many Canticles or songs in the scripture as the song of Moyses Deborah Iosua Anna Dauid Abacuck and others but this booke compriseth not one onely song which Salomon song but there are many songs herein contained all written in one book but concerning one matter and one argument wherin are expressed most truly the charitie faith loue ioy delights and diuerse kinds of benefits not without vehemēt earnest affections wherewith our most louing merciful redemer doth follow his elect with inexplicable graces by the grace fauor of the almighty God So that they being stirred vp by the holy Ghost do with certaine vnspeakeable affections of loue regard behold and approch neere vnto the diuine grace and bountie of God desiring most earnestly and deuoutly to be commended approoued and daily more and more esteemed and fauoured of him in such sort that if there be found any error or fault in their liues and conuersations as spots and blots or wennes in their forheads do sometimes happen yet that they may not be refused or reiected for this or the like things or have any cause to distrust his mercifull kindnesse or louing fauor but that the falling out of louers may be the renewing of loue For louers being iealous one of another are mutually and suddenly prouoked vnto wrath as suddēly reconciled and pacified and afterwards they become greater friends then they were before This then is the principall intent and purpose of this booke This is the song
of his meere good will fauour I will rise therefore now that is to say whiles that I doe goe about to seeke him out of me and go about in the citie by the streetes and by the open places to seeke my Sauiour and husbande the foundation of my happinesse and that in the religion of the Gentiles and doctrine of the Philosophers I found him not likewise And to seeke Christ is to bee willing to trust in him and sincerely to beleeue all his sayings and be directed and gouerned by them and lastly to hope most constantly for their saluations by the merits of Christs workes wherefore the spouse here in this place sheweth that she was not a litle deceiued when she sought him diligently but with humaine diligence and industrie and vpon the full confidence of her owne workes Go to then rise vp and goe about the citie that is to say all humaine counsels because they which seeke Christ without the word and spirit of God doe as i◠were fetch a compasse and goe the farthes◠way about Now the wicked do trace vp and downe in this way in vaine because tha◠wheras no care industry of man is auaileable vnto the finding of him they can neuer finde him out this way The watchmen that went about the citie found mee to whom I sayd haue you seene him whom my soule loueth The watchmen c. that is to say those which follow the constitutions of auncient fathers reuelations and studies of men which seeme to ward and keepe the Church I asked them also whether they could certainely tell mee of any place where to find out my louing and gracious spouse whe◠I might securely embrace him and secretly comfort my selfe To conclude I asked them whether they could bring me any certaine tydings of my saluation but hauing past a litle from their humaine studies and speeches to see whether I could find anie more certaine steppes and footings as it were of my saluation and peace of conscience which I had sought a long time but neuer as yet found at the length leauing all humaine helpes and Doctors I busied my selfe to make inquirie after him in the bookes of the holy scripture being written by the instinct of the holy Ghost whom I doe loue most entirely as being the sense of pietie and solide truth for it is onely Gods spirit which satisfieth and filleth the mind of man desirous of knowledge and leadeth his disciples into all manner of truth by teaching them the wordes of God And here I finde that not onely my vnderstanding is informed but also that my affections are inflamed within me and that I am presently able to discerne errors and falsehood from the veritie of true doctrine and to receiue and intertaine in my heart the true peace of conscience quieting and contenting my selfe in my husband and all this happeneth for no other cause but because I haue found out Christ my Sauiour and redeemer that is to say him who hath obtained the spirit of grace which is neuer separated and abstracted from the truth that which is his is mine for otherwise I knowe that I should suddenly perish and come to nought and forthwith Christ doth seeke the saluation of those which liue in wickednesse and error Wherfore the Church being once conuerted from the wicked promiseth to bring in Christ whom shee findeth in the house of his mother that is to say in the Synagogues and congregations of the wicked from whence he came and verily the true beleeuers do study and endeuour by praiers by the ministerie of the word and by all maner of meanes possible to reduce the poore wandring soules of the Church to the truth of Gods word that they may receiue Christ into their houses and into the secret chambers of their hearts because it is not enough for the seruants of God to seeke their owne saluations vnlesse they may compasse it for others also and direct them as well as they may vnto the like speeches of God which they ought to seeke so carefully and diligently that they should not leaue off seeking of it vntill they know that they haue receuied mercie as well as they which is declared vnto vs in the next words following I left him not till I had brought him into my mothers house into the chamber of her that conceiued me That is I left him not till euen the wicked such a one as I my selfe had heretofore for a certaine space beene being turned and conuerted vnto him receiued him The wordes of the Bridegrome vnto the Virgins I charge you ô daughters of Ierusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that ye stirre not vp nor waken my loue vntill shee please I charge you The faithfull spouse of Christ doth most willingly obey his will and commaundement by seeking the saluation of her mother which conceiued and bare her which yet wandreth vp and downe in darkenesse and in the daunger of death so that the word of truth doth not a litle thing profite by her by making her fit to receiue him that was comming Christ Iesus and to change her by the power of his spirit to the end that they that were wise should become fooles and they that were fooles should become wise Hence is it that she is become one of the Churches daughters or rather to speake more properly a true member of the Church and spouse of Christ afterwardes the Bridegroome dispatcheth vnto her heart the pleasures of his spirite and peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding Therefore both the mother and the daughter being both of them together made a faithfull spouse of the Lords do reioyce and are merrie whereupon she sleepeth and taketh her quiet rest in the holy Ghost whom the holy Ghost doth so preserue and keepe from feare of any danger that the quiet rest and peace of their minds and consciences cannot be disturbed or hindered at all He saith vnto the yong virgins * I charge you which words were expounded before He chargeth them not to stirre or waken his loue vntill shee please but then he would haue the young maydes to waken her when they are moued thereunto by the word of God and this verse is repeated in the Canticles to shew that God hath no lesse care ouer the Church which is made of the Gentiles and wicked being once conuerted then hee hath of the Iewes and others which in the beginning were made righteous by him but that hee hath an equall care and loue of them both being made one in him and thorough him The friends of the Bridegrome vnto the young maydes 6 VVho is she that commeth vp out of the wildernesse like pillars of smoke perfumed with myrrhe and incense and with all the spices of the merchant 7 Behold his bed which is Salomons threescore strong men are round about it of the valiant men of Israell 8 They all handle the sword are expert in warre euery one hath his sword