hope did much distrust their case Their lustfull heartes did murthring thoughtes embrace For bashfull nature once to boldnesse bent Growes shamelesse bold and boldly impudent And as a hoat and eagre dogge in hand VVhen he beholdes his game before his eies Doth fawne and leape licke to loose his band But when he sees him keeper surer ties Then feirce against him hee begines to rise So they when fawning could not win their wil Rayse like curst curres and have a minde to kill For to the sad demaundantes there they say Heere fownd we Susan in adulterye Whose yongue companion fled from hence away Bee fore we could what wight he was descrie Beleeve vs gentle frendes we tell no lie For these our eies are witnesses we saw them And here's the place to which thee did with draw theÌ„ VVhich cursed sight did so our eies offend And much the more for noble Ioachims sake Our honorable kinsman and good frend That we did do our best the groome to take That speedie death for wrong a mendes might make But he for vs to nimble at strong hand Fled by that dore which yet doth open stand The dutious servitors with bashfull brow Blush now with sylent shame at this her fact Who never till that day was thought to bow Vnto so base a sin or vile an act Wherefore they did suspect some plot compact And in her cause would shape some sharp replie VVell armed in her right to giue the lie But when they saw those elders of the land VVere vouchers of the fact and filthie deed They darst not contradict them or withstand And yet their inward partes were touch'd with meed To thinke how ill poore pris'ner shee should speed When as the iudges mouth the witnesse breath Should verdict giue that giues the doome of death And so sad men greife laden home they go To prie what comfort in their ladies looke And leaue these iudges plotting of her woe VVho straight the way vnto their howses tooke Where they their goodly being badly brooke While eagre enuie restlesse doth invent The overthrowe of this chast innocent O Envie wayward witch fowle hagge of hel Whie dost thou make men pine at mens prosperitie O you fond fooles that in her den do dwel And theare torment your selues with her seueritie VVhose slaue is slannder and her page Temeritie Whie wast you restlesse seruice on a dame That restlesse wisheth vertues seruantes shame Pale fretting furie furious sorceresse Bel-dame to madnesse and yoake mate to woe Thy mother pride a mortal murtheresse Thy father Plutus mans immortall foe Thy brattes blood shedding hate that hath no hoe Contention strisse debate revendge and slaunder VVhich vex the life and after death do wander Thy guttes are gald cholers boyling fome Like Aeinaes wombe that belkes sulphurious flames Thy cabbin carrin thoughtes a hell thy home Thy habite like those fierce Tartarian dames VVhose flesh consum'd there resteth but the rames For while thou know'st not how to hold a meane To eate thy neighbors fatlings makes thee leane Their hartes haue anguish soules haue bitternesse VVhome thou dost learne to laugh at vertues woe Thy path is blind and pau'd with slippernesse They walke to hell that in thy wayes do goe Yet are these elders thine devoted so That liuing now they liue but to depriue The life of her they loath to see aliue The filthie roades infect the fowntaines cleere Where others sucke the venome that they leaue And serpentes spue their poyson everie wheare VVhich yet them selues do not of life bereaue But these false seniors do themselues deceaue That spet foorth enuies venome on this dame Yet kill them selues by sucking in the same For on the following day of this disgrace The 〈◊〉 with the people make repaire To keepe thier vsuall courts in wonted place In Ioachims house a spacious roome and faire VVhere feeble hope vpholdeth faint dispaire VVhile their blud-thrishe thoughtes do wholie long To do her fame and body deadly wronge And mounted on the pow'rfull seat of life They wil their summ'nors to ascite and call Susan Helchias daughter loachims wife To make appearance there before them all And answere in an action criminall Thus they pretend with right roote out evilles But whie should right be prophand in such divelles And shee good lady loyall to the lawes Armd with assurance of her innocence And guarded with the goodnesse of her cause In conscience brazen fortresse of defence Feignes none excuse or shifting â—lie pretence But doth obey the summons and proceed And leaves to Godth ' event of her good speede And so attended with a mourning traine Shee makes appearance in the fatall place VVhere standers by cannot from teeres refraine To see the gallant pris'ners wofull case Her pheere her frendes her parentes children race Repleate the ayre with woes and grownd with teeres VVhile heartes eclipse in clowded eie appeeres And standing in a robe of finest blacke Deepe sorrowes signe by causlesse infamie There overspreades her shoulders head and backe Availe of lawne to note integritie Which hid her whiter beautie from the eie This shadow they commaund to be removed That they at least might looke on what they loued Which when th' officious officers had done Sweete beauties blush did yeeld her such a grace As when a clowd is taken from the sonne VVhen sorrow suckes the reds forth of her face The machlesse white aloane doth hold the place But when the crymson humor steines the white Corall seemes shadowed in the Galactite Such is the beautie that enchauntes their eies And charmes their heartes through it so sore attaynted That they both God and goodnesse do despise And vvith nought else but sin are novv acquainted O That shee should with such faire shape be painted To make commaunders mindes to lust obey And shâ—e her selfe exposed for their pray For when they had full gordgd their ravenous eies On beauties dainties with a short repast They two amid'st the people do aryse To giue their witnesse gainst this constante chast And as the law doth will their handes they plast Vppon the head of this pure innocent Two woulves foule pawes a seely lamb to rent VVheare swearing by Gods name a solemne oath To set aside all partiall loue and hate And speake the truth and nothing but the troth Periured iudges foes to truthes estate Vnto the people thus they intymate This noble dame that shewd a sant in sight Is fownd vnconstant fickle lewd and light For yesterday in Ioachims orchard walkinge To recreate our spirites with holesome ayre This dame with her two damselles thither stalkinge Thear did to her an vnknowne youth repayre VVhose shape was comly and his feature fayre But er he came in sight that none detect it Her madens shee disnust least they suspect it VVhoe being gone and dores ybarred fast VVee shrowded from their sight with wakefull heed Perceu'd the wicked to their sin make hast And creaping cloasly with conuenient speed Wee did surprize them in
said the mayd would proue a prophetesse The booke-wise vvench will yeeld a deepe divine Or of a saint will hardly make a shrine But godly graue that best doth iudge and say Did deeme her right a worke of rare perfection A peerelesse peece to be a princesse pray One Angel-like a vessell of election Whose shining fame was free from deathes infection Though her time-fading beavty dead doth lie Which did surmount each feature seene with eie Why didst thon beauty fade vvhy didst thou vvither O budding Rose why didst thou ever blast Why didst thou proue vnconstant as a feather In her whose constancie did stand so fast Sure twas to teach vs nothing heere doth last For else thou wouldst haue liv'd with Susans name And as a handmaide waited on her fame Whose shape splendiserous vvas in each mans sight Whose looke gaue argument of sober grace Whose eies two twinckling starres nev'r proved light Whose silent tongue knew well fit words to place Whose faith so firme that nothing could deface Though two great seniors sought to blot her brow And to their lure to make her chast soule bow O that such peerelesse splendor should haue wrong And be entised vnto lawlesse lust Not Iuda but false Iudasses doe long Pure chastitie to cast into the dust But leaving heere those matters vndiscust You heard her life first wained from the lappe Now doth ensue the processe of her happe When trust-lesse time by his swift-footed pages Cleap'd minute hower day weeke the month yeare Had brought her past her two first sevens of ages And set her in th' ascendant of her sphere And nature now gaue summons to draw neere In nuptiall court to yeeld expected homage Since that in bar shee could not pleade her nonage Then scruple-finding stickler vnto strife Propones her bashfull thoughtes this bold discourse Twixt barren mayden-head and bearing wife VVhich of these two did stand in greatest force For with the best shee ment to shape her course Whilst in pure conscience court where her soule sate Her pleading thoughtes it argue and debate Like Hebrew disputantes that had bin trained In Moses schoole at some Gamaliels feete And were not yet to christian lore reclaimed Sometimes they argue mariage is most meete Sometimes è contra spider-sucke the sweete VVhile sotted sences are so Iew-beguiled To deeme the mariage bed a thing defiled At her heartes bar these silent virgin pleaders VVith soaring high conceites as highly rated Far fet their petegree from stately leaders Pure Angell spirites virgins ere man created VVhose actiue life no Angell ever mated While victory of virgins doth excell Which vanquish their owne slesh wherein they dwell Each other iarre not long suspended hanges An hower a day a yeare doth stint the strife Blud-died martyrs soone do passe their panges But this fell battle dureth during life Heere daily striving victory not rife So matchlesse is by antique rare discent The mayden life and glorious vanquishment Yea auncient Adam Iohvaes protoplast Was moulded of his mother mayden birth And old dame Evah to commend the chast Of virgin rib was fram'd a mayden birth Iust Habell liv'd vn marryed heere on earth Melchâ—sedech also our Rabbins tell Did virgin preist and kinge in Salem dwell The wonder-workinge prophettes most of fame The Thesbite and the Abel-Mecholite The one transumpt to heav'n in fiery flame Do shew how god doth virgin life delight Fore-seeinge Esay where hee doth endite Messias birth a maydens son doth make him And sure I am his ayme doth not mistake him The thinge wee prayse is mynion to this kinge The iustice which the iustest iudge approveth Vowd to the Lord a secret holy thinge Sacred to God as such a state beehoveth And for bycause her contrary shee loveth Shee alwayes maryed lives a spowsed wife Yet evermore a mayd in single life Whose life is termd the Angels imitation And therefore is hir figure Angel faced Shee mowntes to heaven by winges of contemplation And therefore is shee paynted stately pased And for bycause like Goddesse shee is graced Her traine is trod with troopes of vertues nighnesse Like maydes of honor neere a princesse highnesse VVhose robes the spotlesse flesh integritie Do emulate the white spot Ermelin A trophie of vice-quellinge victorye The brannchinge palme hir fingers claspeth in The wimple that shee weareth on hir chin An ant-signe is of bashfull modestie Her humble minde declares her stoopinge eie The Gentiles hence in their high observations Compare chast Pallas Goddesse in their heaven To yeeld true maiden life due commendations Vnto the full and misticke number seven Compacted of two numbers od and eaven Th' entire and incorrupted vnitie VVith six the secrete of virginitie For what content but in the maiden life VVhose fleet wingd thoughts ar free to serve the Lord VVhose mal-content if not the maried wise Careful to please grim sir at bed and bord VVith best obedience in hir deede and word And so mans service is then Goddes more geason Thus on the virgin part her thoughtes do reason And to amase her weake and pusill minde In creepe through crannies of imagination Deformd Idean formes and phansies blinde Sent foorth by hir sicke sences instigation Like staringe greisly fendes threatninge invasion Presenting to her heart the homely iarres And houshold cares accurringe nuptiall warres Base mariage say these bugges is rife to all Braue virgin life a perle possest of few The seild found Sagda stoane though it bee small Exceedes huge rockes that make more often shew VVhat recknings made of recklesse drops of dew Rare things are in request and do surmount VVhere common base and vile have none accouur Perhaps some worldling will thee woo for wealth And talke of love when heart by lust is galled Pleades his playn-dealing steps not in by stealth Vowing thy vertue hath his heart enthralled When as thy beautie sitteth their enstalled VVhile mucke not modestie hath him bewitched VVith honor kin or friends to bee enriched And so when causes of his suite decay Lust fully gordgd with lothsomnesse infected Fine beautie fled false riches runne away The causes gon for which thou were elected Th'effectes fal downe and thou art then reiected VVhat better hope or hap may bee maintained Of better rightes why mariage was ordeined If that thou wed to tame flesh kindled sin The fault is doubled if thou fall away If to increase and multiplie thy kin Thou shalt for loathed pleasure deerly pay VVe but report what maryed folkes do say Childe-getting vadinge ioy is in their creedes A raging toy that rash repentance breedes VVhen once the fruitfull wombe hath seede conceived The altred woman seemes not what shee vvas But growes vnweildy groning and agrieved As one surchardged with some weighty masse Like Balams bearing Angel-frighted Asse No sence no signe no pulse no part no passion But that it feeles some perfect alteration Some giddy vapour doth infest her braines And with his foggy missing dims her sight Inslates the secret Artires
Heere now and helpe thy handmaide helpe For helpe of man doth faile Doe not expose me for their pray Because they doe not right But hunt in heart to bring about That's hatefull in thy sight And of a meere malicious minde False witnesse heere haue brought And causlesse laid vnto my chardge The things I never thought Thou seest my God vvhat they haue done Thou seest their envious heart Thou knowst they sought to lawlesse lust Thine hand-maide to convert Thou knowst I dread not dâ—ring death No force his might a pin No no I doe desire to die A better life to win I tender not faire beauties trash I tender my good name Least leesing life I be by death Entombed in defame For this cause rise O Lord make hast Repell my soules despight And shew the nations farre and neere How much thou tendrest right I know my sinnes are passing great VVhich acted are each hower Yet let my teeres thy mercy treate And shield me with thy power If no defamed wretch I die For keeping of thy law And causlesse thou shalt seeme my God Thy comfort to withdraw Hast then O Lord make hast I say Least guiltlesse blood be spilt Yet not my will be done in this But be it as thou vvilt VVhen shee her godly oraysons had ended And that no meanes was left to make delay The fawning officers in court attended VVith prophane handes to hale her thence away And though shee were as readie to obey Yet still this soare doth smart in guiltlesse minde That shee should leaue an ill report behinde VVhen once the streetes did act this tragaedie Vaultes and resounding Ecchoes from the stones Reporte the mothers teeres her childrens crie Her parentes plaintes her husbandes hideous moanes Her kinfolkes sighes her friendes heart-breaking grones The peoples pleading tongues to God to free her VVhile thicke tumultuous troopes doe run to see her VVho passing foorth with passing seemely port Her looke abated with her languishment Shee doth the gazing lookers on exhort Good people pray for me poore innocent Thats gultlesse faultlesse free from al intent Of this misdeede for which weake wretch I die VVhome still with deepest hate I did defie VVhile thus with plaintes they doe Gods aide implore The Lord did heere and helpe her wofull case For as when tyrant Pharaoh scepter bore A Pharaoh fierce that knew not Iosâ—phes face And did the Israelites oppresse long space They being tyred with his tirannie In deepest griefe vnto Gods favor flie VVho when their moanes did mount vnto his sight Dâ—d single foorth their speedy preservation From Pharaos traine a courtly trained wight Moses an Hebrew borne by education His daughters sonne which bred his estimation So now God seeing Susans great distresse Ev'n in the nicke did speede her due redresse For in the Chaldean court did then attend A noble Iew a youngling for his yeares The monarches mynion and his chiefest friend One of his sage and sharpest â—ighted Seeres In which high feate he past his graue compeeres While Isrels God did reare his fortunes hie To beare a stroake in Asias maiestie He Daniel cleaped by his natiue name The Chaldees cald him noble Balthazar VVhom neither courtly glee nor phrase of fame Could in faire Sions zeale ought make or marre But would to keepe the captiue Iewes from iar In private sort at times repaire and prie Into his brethernes state with wakefull eie And standing now in this tumultuous thronge Hee saw blinde zeale imployd in good pretence VVhat time Gods truth enform'd him of the wrong And raisd his sp'rite to speake in her defence Bad him be bold to plead her innocence Step foorth in place doe not thy thoughtes conceale Cry out amaine from divellish doome appeale Then Daniell as the Lord commaunded him Cride in the streetes I from this blood am cleane VVhile gazing heerers looked sowre and grim To muse what these vnlook'd for wordes should meane Fowle toades sâ—ith he infect the christall streame Because you would the streame farre purer finde You kill the fish but leaue the toades behinde Are you such sots O seede of Israell Are you so blind you see not what you do Are you so deafe you heare not what they tel Know you not right and what bee longes thearto Survey you not your steppes before you goe Whie haue yov heere condemnd this dame to dies And would not heere her iust appeale and crie O turne with speed turne to the iudgment seate And then behould what God will thear relate Your seviors sinnes haue growne exceeding â—greate Repelled lust ingendring with foule hate In them the bastard periurie begate Bold periurie did breed false witnesse bearing False witnesse wrested iudgmente by for-swearing At which his wordes the people yonge and olde Do make a stand and backwardes thence retire Whear daunting sins the seniours heartes make cold While daunger woundes the depth of their desire Yet past shams bowndes their shamlesse thoughts aspire And foorth they passe into the sessions hall And hide in crabbed brow their conscience gaule The elders of this circumsized race Which with repriued pris'nour turne a ge'n When ev'rie one had ta'ne his vsuall place They say vnto this stately stripling then Vse thou the roome of these malitious men Declare to vs Gods iudgmente and decree Sith God hath giv'n an elders spirite to thee Then Daniell tooke the powerfull place of life And thear to intimate God will to all Where are quoth he the wrongers of this wife Put them a parte out of each others call And bring forth one by one in to the hall So you shall see their tray trouse tonges reveale What wicked heartes do cover and conceale The formall officers performe his mind And brought forth one to be examined Who lookd like murthrous marked Cain vnkind When brothers blood he guiltlessely had shed His colour shew'd what harbord in his head His ioyntes as if vnioynted were at iarre False iudge now pris'ner pleading at the barre And standing thus before the balefull bench The beardlesse iudge to checke him vncontrold That conscience as a cooling carde-might quench The heate of his bravado overbold Saith thou sin seasned wretch that waxest olde In sin thy wicked life is come to light Whose falshood harmed manie a harmlesse wight Thou hast abus'd thy life God lent to thee To mend thy life and passed sins repent For nothing but oppressions he could see Therefore he will thie glorie from thee rent Which hast condemn'd to death an innocent And let the guiltie goe for giftes a way VVhile lust and bribes did blind thee day by day Sith sworne thou hast eie witnesse thou didst see This comely dame with her companion sin Report the trurh and name to vs the tree That hid the fact you did surprise them in Pause not but speake if wordes shall creadit win Be briefe let not oblivion beare the blot Things done so late are not so soone forgot Then pawsing twixt despaire and tyred hope As one that had
Yea while her silent heart doth thankes record Her restlesse notes do reach beyond the skie VVhose endlesse ioy was in her gratious Lord. To him in hymnes and tuned psalmodie VVhich did transmute her mones to melodie shee giues the glorie of her victories As David when he foyld his enemies The mighty Lord saith shee Is my defence and might My king my guide my God My champion for to fight The combate of my truth and conscience triall He is my Anchor-hold My refuge rest and port My horne of saving health and eke my strongest fort Gainst whose coÌ„mand there standeth no denial VVhen over-flowing floodes Of raging fierce despight And great commaund of Lordes And men of power and might With dreadful threats of death did make me quiver I did implore his aide In deepenesse of distresse VVho heard my â—ust complaint And wrought my due redresse He sent me aide and did my soule deliver On him therefore I will In danger crie and call VVho can both heere and helpe He heeres and helpeth all He none but he is worthie to be praised Deathes swallowing sorrowes hem'd Me round on ev'rie side VVith renting paines of hel In danger to haue dide But he my life from ravening graâ—e hath raised He from my strongest foes Hath set me captiue free Because he had a loue And favour vnto me WhoÌ„ cunningly they sought to haue prevented But while he held me vp I could not swaie nor swarue They sought in vaine to spill The thing he did preserue And so to late their labour lost repented By him I made escape From handes of Tyrantes stout His power did put them downe And helpe his hand-maide out That power also will strongly keep them vnder He trampleth with his feete Bold traitours that rebell He makes their hurtfull tongues Their owne destruction tell Thus for his saintes he acteth workes of wonder VVhose workes are all divine VVhose mercies manifold His waies past finding out his word as finest gold His iudgement iust his providence vnspotted O let thine arme O Lord My feeble hand susteine O let thy holy sp'rite VVithin my heart remaine O let thy loue be still to me allotted I looke with wakefull eles Vnto thine holy lawes Thy statutes are my staffe And stay in ev'ry cause To doe thy will my will I finde affected That which I see is ill And hatefull in thy sight That doe I seeke to shun And flie with maine and might Least that my soule by sin should be infected Thou art a living God O blest be thou my king VVhich hast thy servant freed From tempting Sathans sting And reard my fame on high by wicked wroÌ„ged And hast confounded them That sought my greatest ill By working of my heart Vnto a wicked will To act such lewd designes as lust had longed They fought to end my life And gaue me doome to die Because my holy faith I would not falsifie Pretending right they worke what wrong them listed They vsed power to put Integritie to shame And ment an innocent To burie in defame Hadst thou not Lord their iudgement false resisted Thus hast thou bin my God Most mercifull to me Not wonne by my desert But of thy mercie free My workes I know deserue to be reiected But thy kinde promise made To helpe the godlie heartes Doth binde thee more then all Our deedes or good desertes To keepe protect and saue thy saintes elected Therefore I will sowne foorth Thy praise to ev'rie eare And shew thine endlesse power To nations farre and neere To Sathans and his kingdomes great confusion I haue bin am and will Remaine thine handmaide still Mine heart my thoughtes mine eies Shall waite vpon thy will This is my vow and setled resolution Thus did shee spend her following time of life In heavens contemplation and delight And lived long a ioious happie wife Of passing cariage and a worthie wight A foe to frawd and fastest friend to right VVho living in the world no worldling was But prest to bring a world of good to passe And as a bird escaped from the ginne Thinkes ev'ry bended twigge to be a trappe So shee that dangerously had snared bin VVith true remembrance of her former hap Surveâ—es her steppes to shunne each afterclap And feares to giue a fawning eie good grace In old or young in noble or in base At length when age had plotted lifes decay And sicknesse wrought in weakenesse more and more And that shee thought death had no long delay Shee cald her children taught in godlie lore And did bestow these precepts kept in store VVho come in place with dutious loving hearts Shee thus to them her carefull minde impartes Deare children cease with sad lamenting griefe And malancholicke moanes to waile my state Your sobbing hearts doe yeeld me no reliefe But vexing torments in my heart innate Leaue then for plaintes and teares are not in date No no if they could life in body hold VVeaye would weepe we would buy teares for gold But vaine it is to kicke against a pricke And sinne to take Gods scourge impatiently My debt to death to pay I must not sticke For why you know that all are borne to die Then must I yeeld for ther's no remedie And pay my due that I to nature owe For time requires and God will haue it so The strongest Lyon stoopes to conqu'ring death The aged oake at length doth change his hue In time the long liv'd Phoenix leeseth breath Thrice aged Enoch yeeldes to natures due Sith then tis so and what I saie is true And time doth trie that all things must decaie Then sure I know I haue not long to staie Therefore marke well the counsaile that I giue Revolue it in your mindes my children deere For it shall most prevaile if that you liue VVhen friends and worldly goods you haue not heere First worship God and to his lawes giue eare Set him your load-starre and your lampe of light His lawes the line to lead your liues aright Vse diligence in doing of your dueties To those superiours rulers over you Doe good to all bend thereto all your studies Sing not the Syrens song that proues vntrue Though trothlesse Absalon be faire in view VVith Ionathan doe faithfull still remaine Shun Ismaels bloudie teares and subtill braine Plaie not the cowards in your countries good Spend in her canse your deerest breath and wealth And though prosperitie hath you withstood And frowning world denies gal-sugred pelfe Be not dismaide esteeme your heav'nlie health For that shall yeeld you comfort in distresse VVhen world and friends haue left you comfortlesse Flie still aspiring mindes yet seeke renowne VVin it by vertue and by manly might Franke not rebellious flesh but keepe it downe Like not those painted dames that doe delight Lyllies are fowle in smell though faire in sight And though they tice with baites with teeres with moanes Yet minde that painted tombes haue rotten bones My sonnes if you must liue in wedlocke bandes Loue for vertue