VERTVES ANATOMIE OR A COMPENDIOVS DESCRIPTION OF THAT late Right Honorable Memorable and Renowned Bedfordshire Lady the Lady CHEANY of Tuddington By CHARLES PIERSE LONDON Printed by William Iones dwelling in Red-crosse Streete 1618. TO THE MOST VERTVOVS AND TRVELY RELIGIous Lady the Lady CROFTS wife to that worthy Knight Sir IOHN CROFTS all health and prosperity in this world and eternall ioy and felicitie in the world to come RIGHT worshipfull or rather Right worthy Lady the title of the former being made more illustrious by the fruition of the latter For honours and dignities are not the precedent cause of vertue but vertue of them I haue I feare assumed too much vpon me and broken the bounds of that old prouerbe â—e sutor vltra crepitum yet worthy Lady on whose fauourable acceptance not on my owne deserts I altogether rely doe humbly craue your Ladiships most gratious protection to shelter me from those malignaÌ„t which might oppose themselues against me I know it wants that beautie hue and amiable aspect which should externally adorne it and make it pleasing in your eyes Yet if your Ladiship please to take a view of the inward truth and sincere deuotion of the heart it may proue as true begotten though not so fairely featured as the rest For as it is in nature so it is in arte much vice may lie hid in faire complexions and much hypocrisie in arte I speake not this good Lady to derogate ought from learned Arts or worthy wits inriched with eloquence whereby my impouerished and naked lines should bee clothed with their garments but that I feare the hard ceÌ„sures of these ill spokeÌ„ times as much as I hope to receiue some fauorable coÌ„struction froÌ„ your worthy selfe If any put out a Quaere and aske me why I wrote this booke I could alledge many reasons but I cease to erect too large a portall to so small a structure I had rather my booke should be abstracted then detracted Giue me leaue therfore rather in few words to expresse what I would then in many what I could speake Since so many whose loues depend vpon your Ladiships desarts doe offer vp gifts a testimony of the loue they owe which haue of long time knowne your most free and gentle dispotions and seene the vertuous inclinations of your minde I could not chuse nor in common Christianitie do any lesse if no other bound affection nor duetie had moued me but shew some thankfulnes with the rest though satisfaction I cannot giue with the best I haue therefore presumed to present vnto your Ladiship not such as your honor doth deserue or as I desire or as my duety and the subiect of my booke doe require but such as my small ability or rather inabilitie could prepare to offer vnto you for hauing no need of externall gifts I giue the internall gifts of the minde as a free thought a lame sacrifice not worthy to be recorded with those great ones which could cast aboue a widowes mite into the treasurie or offer vp vnto their master more then a cup of cold water Reade it most pious Ladie if ought be in it worthy the least respect or fauour it is not mine but her honors and your Ladiships from whose most pure eminent vertues this dimme and darke candle of mine tooke her first light Some may hold it a disparagement to her honor because est ab indigno others may iudge I write truely but not sufficiently both are right for silent duety though in it selfe it is commendable yet in respect of others it winnes more loue being actiue laus virtutis actio and for the other what my weake skill doth deny yet my vrging will supply vltra posse non est esse What should I speake of your Ladiships free and bounteous disposition What should I speake of those ornaments and graces you are both inwardly outwardly indued with which with as many tongues as Argus had eyes spread abroad your deserued worth that I cannot tel whether our soyle more iustly admires you or inwardly desires you Where vertuous life faire children happie state Doe all concurre to make you fortunate And whereas many will hereafter minde you Blest in the issue that you left behinde you In which most fruitfull buds as may out-liue you Your worth and yours a double life may giue you Where though your soule had reacht eternitie Your name on earth may liue and neuer die So thriue faire Lady and flourish euer in those faire pathes of vertue that as it was a blessing to Dauid that one of his seed did inherite his earthly Throne so it may be a greater blessing to your Ladiship that many of your seed should inherite the Throne eternall It was not so great a glory for Salomon to inherite his Fathers Kingdome as his Fathers holinesse and vertues Then how much Madam may you reioyce in eyther that yours enioy not onely much temporall honors and blessings but also are indued with many gifts and graces of the Spirit great louers of vertue and imbracers of true religion and piety Long may they so continue to your Ladiships full ioy Long may they all liue and grow old in honors and vertues and with that Poet euer wish Fortunati omnes si quid mea carmina possunt Nulla dies vnquam memori vos eximet aeuo Thus humbly intreating your good Ladiship to accept this my first and meane labour vnder whose wings it most hopefully trusts I rest Yours all too meane and farre vnworthy seruant but not least deuoted Charles Pierse TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE LORD THE LORD WENTWORTH WHen meannes speakes and honors balance weighes him Had need speake well for feare his tongue betrayes him Lest vndiscerning there discouered lies Some marke of folly to iudicious eies Euen so great Lord my timerous quill proceeds Much like a scholler that his lesson reades Before his awfull master trembling still Whether vnkind he said it well or ill So like that pupill I the lists doe enter More bold then wise to giue the perilous venter And cannot tell what dangers may ensue Did not I hope much honor lay in you Not like that Fortunes brood whose ayrie spirits Doe mount them Icarus-like aboue their merits Where when their flight's at highest rise of all The Sunne doth melt their wings and then they fall Or like Narcissus who did fondly looke On his owne shadow in a crystall brooke And doting on 't stept neerer to haue kist it Where he fell in and drown'd himselfe yet mist it Euen so this world which these faire streames behold Build their attempts vpon such hopes too bold Making the drossie substance of this earth The greatest cause of honor and of birth Some louing honors so buy them to make them Better contented they that can forsake them Yet our best natures faile in this and vse them Hee 's a rare man that proffer'd can refuse them But you great Lord descended of a race Which vertue
world admire Her bountie Alexander-like did win A generall loue and liking of the best Her fame and honor doth but now begin As if no worthy gifts had fill'd her brest And shee had not been fraught with such great store Of vertuous parts in all her life before Heere Fame and Bountie are at strife together Which shall excell each other in their praise Such copious matter both affords that neither I cannot tell her worth will highest raise Both speakes so well that I will doubtfull leaue it Vnto the world that better can conceiue it Yet in the booke of true recording fame Such mightie volumes of her vertues stand Most fairely drawne by ancient time which came Attented with a faire incompass'd band Of minutes houres daies weeks months and years And spoke a speech that rauish'd humane eares I that fell downe at that most pleasant spring Make my petition vnto aged Time That he would ope the booke againe and sing Those too much blessed words and crowned lines Whereat he smilde at th' weaknesse of my braine And said 't was more then nature could containe For in deepe characters heere doth lie inrol'd The famous Arts and memorable deeds Of all those worthies which haue beene of old Which from faire Vertues line and stocke proceeds The monuments of Fame which through my hand For rustie age haue beene forgotten long Where shee amongst the rest of honors line Lies surely writ in those eternall scrowles Inrol'd in those great monuments diuine Which true and euerlasting fame in rolls In heau'ns great store-house lock'd till fatall doome Raises her body from this earthly tombe Where her most bounteous and munificent hand Which neuer turn'd vnto her selfe in vaine Did more affection in our soyle command Then thought can thinke or honor can obtaine Made friend of foes and feared loue combines In those that loue but miserable mindes For Bountie is a key that will vnlocke And mollifie the cruell'st dispositions Able for to dissolue the hardest rocke And make it flexible to th'mild'st condition For none I thinke so obdurate e're haue bin But bounteous deeds or liberall gifts could win For 't is a badge of Christianitie A cognizance to know rhe noble natures The truest touchstone whereby we may trie The generous race from base and worldly creatures Whose greedie cares doe eate the soule like rust And neuer leaues till leaue them needs it must This sinne of Auarice makes vs like to hogges Which roots i' th earth and digs i' th ground for gaine And with a thousand feares our conscience clogges Vexing our spirits with long leane pining paines Which like a mad consumption wasteth all Both soule and body for a rising fall That like a vulture feeds vpon the liuer And gnawes the intralls like a pining sicknesse Which where it once possesses leaueth neuer Take the yong man i' th Gospell for a witnesse For this rancke age is much farre worse then him Which kept the Law and was not stay'd with sin He something had to answere for himselfe And iustifie him for this life of ours Had not he beene in loue with worldly pelfe A clearer light shin'd not in humane powers For who can tell that he hath done so well As this rich yong man that is gone to hell Oh no deare heauens in mercie looke vpon vs One of a thousand cannot say so much Yet doe not take thy grace and fauour from vs Although so pure a life we cannot touch For we renounce our selues and trust in thee Out of this mortall toile to set vs free Then noble Bounty I must needs commend thee If that no other cause were giuen but this And with more praise then I can giue commend thee Which had he knowne of heauen he could not misse If for one sinne heauens cast this man away VVhat shall we doe that sinne thus euery day VVell may the greatnesse of this vertue moue vs And pricke vs forward Bountie to embrace VVhich generally doth make the world to loue vs But most those men of greatest birth and place If Auarice be so great and vile a sinne VVhat praise and glory then shall bountie winne Great honors mirror in whom I doe finde Such rare perfection that my soule admires it Thy vertues marching in their seuerall kinde That those that heares it more more desires it And glutted pen doth surfeit with the store Of those rich vertues Ignorance makes poore Her bounteous hand and great rewarding minde VVhat pen from you can well the same expresse As thy true merits and desarts doth binde And not eclypse the same and make them lesse If those that tread the tract of honor true Deserue a golden pen it falls to you VVhere though thy soule hath reacht eternitie And thou art there inrol'd in ioy and glorie Yet giue thy seruant leaue his wits to trie And write insuing times this sacred storie For heauens decreed such vertues ne're should die Nor such bright honors taste mortalitie Yet there be some whom my concealing pen For breuities and for manners sake omit That caries vertues or should carry them VVhich can themselues and vertue too forget And can since honors hand did them preferre Take ease and pleasure and not thinke of her VVhose power as weake as others were before Now fully fed can swell and keepe no bounds And most insatiate couet more and more That should not be in arte and learning found VVhich once for halfe that meanes would humbly bow VVhere hauing all are not contented now Yet bounteous Lady let not this thing grieue thee That Benefactors are so ill respected But let thy innocence in this cause relieue thee Christ had but twelue yet was by one neglected If one from him needs more must fall from thee VVhich being once dead their loyalties cannot see 'T is our corruptions that is bred within vs VVhich is the cause of this and hath beene euer And present profit hath such power to winne vs That dead and gone we straight forget the giuer And few remembers good turnes past and gone VVhere such great persons naturall glasse is runne Could I collect together in one summe A record of the honorable deeds Of all those gifts bestow'd and fauours done Which from her free and bounteous minds proceeds Then should I to small purpose spend my dayes In writing that which hath no end of prayse VVhat bounds or limits hath her honor knowne Or who can sound so deepe or well declare her VVhen those faire wings shee flyes with are her owne VVhich to that mightie height of fame did reare her I need not adde vnto the Ocean more VVhat is one drop vnto such wonderous store Alas great Ladie thou hast little need Of my harsh tongue to praise thy bountie so In euery place thy fame as well doth speed And better too then I haue power to show Thy worth by me no more disgrace endures Then Sun when clouds her glorious light obscures No Honorable Lady know thy selfe Although I
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