stone VVas caste into the sea But Angels ayded her to land VVhere shee more woes did taste And as an arrow strake her hart Her soule to heauen paste VVhen Fausta in her faithful mynde Resolued did remaine The Idol priest wild with a saw To cut her corps in twain But when he saw it hurt her not Hee in her faith affied And comfort from the heauens receau'd VVith her when as he dyed â—udelia many did conuert Vnto her lordes belief VVhich in the Persian pagans did Enkindle irefull grief Vnto the Sun shee would not pray Nor yet the fyre adore And had the skin flead from her face And lastly dy'd therefore Sout Iuliâ—na did endure The torments of the euil And did in combat ouercome Th' accursed cruel deuil And after all her conquests gaynd Then gayned shee renowne For by the swoord vnto her due Remaynd a martirs crowne Victoria wel might called bee That woorthy mynded mayd That in her self subdued sin VVith courage vndismayd And gayned virgins vnto Christ And actes of woonder wrought And did by martirdome attain The garland that shee sought Because the Idoles to adore Lucia did refuse Shee threatned was shee should bee thrust Into the comon stewes No no quoth shee the mynd beeing pure The body is vnstaynd Then with the swoord shee martrid was And glorie so shee gaynd To Fortunata for her faith Much euil did betyd VVho fyrie flames fierce beastes clawâ—â— VVas willing to abyde And tortures and lim-streâ—ching â—ack From whence her sauiour pleased To cal her blessed soule to blis VVhere with her woes were eased Febronia with resolued force For chastitie and faith Endur'd with patience to the end The woorst of tyrants wrath The rack the fyre and rods shee felt Teeths losse and either brest And with the swoord all losse of wo And gaine of lasting rest Macra a mayd of heauenly mynde No earthly thinges did moue For prison fyre nor losse of brests Might not her faith remoue All naked o're hot-sheards of pots Her body rolled was VVhyle shee in praying vnto God To paradise did pas Zâ—a a glorious martyrs * Nicostrâ—tus wyf Before the aulter prayd VVhere-vnder blest saint Pâ—â—ters bones The faithful had conuayd And for this fact surprised then VVas hanged on a tree Both by her heâ—â—â— and by her neck And so her crowne had shee Charitina with fyre annoyd And cast into the seas Came foorth and had no hurt at all Nor feeling of vnease Then were her handes and feet cut of But he whome shee did loue Eu'n as shee prayd receau'd her ghoste Into his ioyes aboue Eulalia ardent in her zeal Vnto her louing lord To suffre torments many wayes Most midly did accord And lastly in the burning fyre Lauding his holy name To him her soule shee sacryfys'd And died in the â—lame The lyke in loue the lyke in zeal In some succeeding space A second good Eulaliâ— was A lyke endu'd with grace The rack she felt and sundry grieues The last of lyf the losse VVhen foes of Christe for faith of Christe Did naile her on a crosse VVhyle Emerâ—â—â—iâ—na yet was taught in Christian lore Her foster-sister 〈◊〉 tombe Shee prayd and kneeld before And taken at this martres tombe A martres shee was made And vnto happy heauenâ— ioyes Her ghoste straight was conueyd Chaste Theodora to the stewes To be deflowred led Gat thence in habyt of a youth That stayd there in her sted But for this fact for his faith VVhen hee was led to death Shee came and yeilded vp her self And with him yeilded breath Crispina of renowmed race Did by her vertues mynde More honour in her self atchiue Then came to her by kynde Shee would vnto the Idol Gods No sacrifise affoord But yeided for her Lord and God Her neck vnto the swoord Susanna of a woorthy stock VVas of as woorthy fame As shee that false defamed was And first did beare her name Shee Christe his seruants did relieue And liued in his lore And for the same shee lost her head And gayned heauen therefore Imprisned Leocadia long Did for her faith remayne VVhose faithful mynde remained free In moste afflicting payne Til God at length for her release Her ghoste tooke thence away Her suffrance by a martirs crowne In glory to repay The virgin Bibiana was Establisht in belief VVhich faithlesse foes could not subuert By guerdon nor by grief So long her body lashed was VVith knotted whips with lead That her sweete soule to heauen past And left it lying dead Euphrasia with more maidens chaste In place vnchaste was placed But hee their puritie preseru'd That purely him embraced Then by their death-contryuing-crue Stones to their nectes were bound And so into the water cast The innocentes were drown'd Antonia had her tender limmes Beyond all measure payned And three dayes hanged by one arme Moste constant stil remayned And two yeares hauing prisned bene Receau'd at last her hyre VVhat tyme her soule her body left Consuming in the fyre Lucretia not that Lucres once VVhich did her self destroy Did for true faith and faithful loue Beare wrongful griefes annoy The one in earth her glory left The other in heauen and earth Because more woorthy was the cause VVhy shee endured death VVith tearing hookes and iron combes VVas Tatiana torne Cointha trayld along the streetes Her flesh from bones was worne Paula that gathred martyrs blood Her owne for Christ did shed Crescentia for her faith to Christ VVas thrust in boyling lead Corona torne betwene two trees Her crowne in blis did fynde As did Cirilla when shee left Her bleeding corps behynde Balbina daughter to a saint * S. 〈◊〉 Her fathers steps did trace And Aquilina by her death Did deathlesse lyf embrace Helconis that great grief endur'd Did lastly lose her hâ—d Calliopa her scortched corps Left with tormentors dead Felicula by tortur kild And Paula ston'd to death And with the swoord Constantia Constantlyâ—yeilded breath Regina many paynes endur'd Heau'ns diademe to gayne Mustiola did suffer wo For gayning ioyes againe Irene that good bookes did hyde Her lyf for Christe bestowed Dominica that Idoles brake By death her feruour shewed Dafrosa that to martirdoâ—e Her husband * Fabiâ—â—â— hath ensued And Marciona with whose blood The wyld beastes were imbrued Mannea that with her three sonnes And with her husband dy'd Valeria saint Vitals wyf Gainst death her courage tryd Pelagia in a brazen Ox Red hot aliue was thrust Anthusia throwne into a wel To please the tirants lust Maxima vnto cruel death VVith cudgels beaten was Agathoclia lost her toung Ere shee to blis did pas Blanda with her deer husband dyd VVhose heddes on stakes on hic Through pagan pollicy were set Christians to terrify VVith Leonis and Libia The faithful sisters twaine Eutropia twelue yeares old â—ndur'd Death and moste deadly payne The vertuous virgin Sophia Cornelia loyal euer Albina and Asteria Did vnto death perseuer Prisca and Lâ—ocâ—itia Martha and Antoâ—ina VVith
lyke-wise Should with lyke food lyke faithful soules suffyse Hence is descended that successyue power Of celebrating this soule-feeding feast Aud that remaining reuerence to this howre As elder tymes deuotion hath exprest And hence it comes that to our lasting ioy This heauenly meat our soules on earth enioy And as by kynde loues-grief encreaseth loue So loue that caus'd that God with men did liue Caus'd that for loue hee did great sorrow prooue VVhose sorrow to his loue more force did giue And so lesse wonder his great loue did moue To leaue himself the caution of his loue Thus comes it that the seeming bread wee see Is that same corps our sauiour Christ had heere Yet not in that self manner is it hee But as in couert veil so doth apeere His body true in Sacramental wise Beheld by faith more then by earthly eyes And as hee had his body at his wil VVhen dores and walles gainst it could not resist But did it vse and yet no place did fil And wrought therewith such woonders as him list So stil remaines his wil his woord and might In heau'n and earth in his all power-ful plight His body doth his soule import withall A body by effect of sacred sawes A soule by sequele which is natural Conioynd in one by his efficient cause Touch-stone of fath whereby God would vs teach His heau'nly woorkes exceed our earthly reatch And when our soules presume vnto this feast In cleane atyre they must themselues present Least els they fare as th◠vnwelcome gest That il atyred to the wedding went That so this bread of lyf such vertue giue That eating it with it wee euer liue And that esteeme and condigne reuerence That graue Antiquitie of duty gaue Vnto a thing of so great excellence Let in all ensuyng seasons haue And liue that faith whereof Christ gaue the groūd As long as faith may on the earth bee found A COMPLAINT OF S. MArie Magdalen At her not fynding Christ in his sepulchre A Las my Lord is gon How must I now deplore VVhere may hee bee that is each where And I him see no more Hope led mee here to seeke Recure of my destresse But sorrow here hath sought mee out And found mee comfortlesse Here lyf late seemed dead Head dead I seeme aliue It is my death him thus to misse That may my lyf reuyue Yee windowes on my face That serue mee not to see Serue now of water stild of wo The conducts for to bee In stede him to annoint VVhome here I cannot haue Make that the plenty of my teares May ouerflow his graue Perhaps it may him moue His presence to imparte To see how moistning these dry stones I therewith dry my harte Good Gardner that arte here To kepe this garden place Lo how I water al thy plants VVith raine falne from my face Be grateful for this good And tel mee I thee pray VVhere is hee laid yf so thy self Haste caried him away If it haue troobled thee Here to affoord him roome O let me know but where hee is My harte shal be his toombe And thow thereon maist wryte This epitaph in verse Heer lyf that lately lay for dead Liues and reuyues his hearse OF THE INVENTION OR fynding of the Crosse of Christ IN Britaine soile faire Helena was bred The woorthy Empresse of the world of yore The cause that Yorck Romes glory more did spred Then Rome it self could euer spred before There was shee borne and there shee brought him foorth That brought Roomes diade me to greatest woorth To greatest woorth for that hee it adorned Eu'n with the Crosse in midle top of all Raising to honor that which pagans scorned And honouring therein him self withall VVhose tytle now Great Constantyne became First Romaine Emperor of Christian name Good Siluister that sat in Peeters chaire Succeeding those that all had suffred death Now to saluation did the soule prepare Of Constantyne by teaching him the faith VVhereby himself an endlesse lyf might haue VVhos 's now conuersion many lyues did saue For when his mercy mercy him had gayned And hee in sacred font had bathed bin His soule and bodies weal hee both obtayned In beeing cur'd of leprosy and sin Then that the more hee might Christes glory reare He on his creast his cognisance did weare It was the signe that heau'n to him did shew For patron of the ensigne he should beare VVhen gainst Maxentius hee in armes did go And vnto his encouragement did heare An Angels voice that in the ayre did cry Thow in this signe shalt haue the victory All which did so this noble moother moue To due esteeme of such a sacred signe As this of him that so much merits loue To whome her hearts deere loue shee did resigne That ardent zeale did animate her mynde To seeke where shee his hiddē crosse might fynde Led by desyre that kindled was of loue She tooke her voyage to the holy land Faith was her guyde hope did her wil approue Speed did assist to what shee tooke in hand Desyre and loue and faith and hope speed Did all concur to her deseruing meede And as her feet did trauaile on the ground Her inward mynde did vp to heauen stie VVhere the right holy land was to be found Of him whose presence this did sanctify So what in earth her bodyes trauaile sought In heauen her mynde in more perfection wrought And there high God beholding her intent And knowing wel whereto deuotion tends And that it all vnto himself is ment That vnto ought approching him intends Did eu'n accept her ardent feruour futch As earst her faith that did his vesture tutch And so concurr'd to what shee went about That his hid crosse so hidden might not bee But shee at last it happely found out Though doubtful which the right one was of three Vntil a corps laid on it dyd renyue Shewing withal her faith to bee alyue It was the third day of the month of May. The worlde 's faire may-pole thus was found againe And now rear'd vp that long obscured lay As yf reseru'd for her owne honors gayne whome faith and loue hope zeale did raise To raise therein her glorious fame and praise L'ENVOY SOmtyme the Crosse as sundry recordes tel Deryuing vertue from our Sauiours death Hath had the force the diuel to expel And by the same confirmed Christian faith But now it seemes faith hath sustayned losse Because the diuel hath chaste away the crosse COMPLAINT OF CHVRCH CONTROVERSY THe golden world long since is worne away As now the golden yeare hath taken end The Iron world doth stil remaine and stay And in his rust doth to his ruyne tend And in the shew of vertue and of truthe Seeme-good seeme-gospel turneth all to ruthe At Babel tower where tounges confusion came It stayd the woork that fond aduice begun But fond aduice now seeketh to disframe A tabernacle seated in the Sun And tounges confusion Church-war hath procured
furnisht for defence for e'ury tyme and tyde For there a thowsand sheilds are hanging on a rew Not weapons of offence but for defence to bee Of all such innocents as from oppression flee Nauis Institoris IF certitude of gaine may stit the searching mynde To venter in the ship from whence misfortunes flee That gouerneth the â—yde and doth comaund the wynde And speedely returnes with goodes that pretious bee The barck of blis is shee and fortunate by kynde With grace shee fraighted is and is of custome free Taking but for her hyre and her inritching trade Loue of deuoted myndes that rich by her are made Puteus Aquarum CLeere wel that ouerflowes with water fresh and fyne More pure then vnicorne could water euer make Made by the hand of him that water turn'd to wyne Who giuing it the force dry sorrow to aslake Made that it neuer should to any drought enclyne But that at all assaies men might refreshing take And oure their healthes decay in deadly agonies Since from the flud of lyf the issue doth atise Quasi plantatio Rosae in Iericho EV'n as the fragrant Rose on prickling stalk doth grow In fairnesse and sweet smel and vertue to bee seene And woorthyest to be worne and wel beseeming so In place of diademe in garland of a Queene So thow which heau'n did once on bryry earth bestow In fairnes smel and force and burgeoâ—s euer greene Shew'st that this goodly flower may thy resemblance bee Saue in his vading kynde which cannot bee in thee Lilium Conualium THe litle lilly flower that groweth in the dale Leaues not in low degree sweet fairnes for to shew Which Salomon himself could neuer counteruaile With all his gorgeous cost he lyked to bestow So thow sweet smelling flower whome sorrowes did assaile And worldes esteeme debase to fortune that was low Did'st not therefore restraine the splendure of thy face Nor now from heauen to earth the greatnes of thy grace Flos Campi THe faire flower of the feild the dayes-eye doth apere When thence al flowers besyde retyre and vade away For to this only slower doth each month of the yeare For comely beauties cause become the month of may Bnt that dayes-eye in deed which doth all seasons cheere And keepes her beauty stil which no tyme can decay The dayes-eye is of day where night may neuer bee And thow celestial flower thy self art only shee Lilium inter Spinas AMiddes a gard of thorne this goodly lilly grew Defended from the foe that would it faine deface Who neere it to aproche the entrance neuer knew With poison to infect where filth had neuer place Yet such might bee the hate that heeron did ensue That hee reseru'd reuenge vnto succeeding space What tyme a crowne of thorne the sonnes head did sustaine To make the mothers hart be pricked with the payne Quasi Cedrus LYke as the Cedar doth her nurs Libantis hil Pay with begotten fame of her deere nowrishing In that so talle a tree as all trees doth excel Moste stately there doth stand in verdure flourishing And doth through sauor sweet serpents away expel So that high tree of blis that from the earth did spring Vnto the earth againe her sweetnesse doth extend Il thinges to driue a way that may the good offend Quasi Palma THrough burden of thy grief long did'st thow liue deprest Part-bearer of the wo thy deere sonne did sustaine But as it was a grief to see him so destrest Loue made it seeme some ioy to help to beare his payne Yet grief had neuer force so far thee to molest That thow did'st vertue want thy courage to maintaine No more then is the palme deprest by heauy waight Who doth thereby the more endeuour to bee straight Quasi Cypressus LYke to the Cypres tree on holy Sion hil That faire and vncorrupt in vigour doth endure And with sweet smelling breath her neere aprocher fil And doth for Temples yeild her timber euer pure So on that sacred mount thow arte remaining stil And in that Temple wrought whence grace men must procure And where aproching soules do thy sweet sent recâ—aue And where no suâ—er thow do'st vnrelieued leaue Quasi Oliua WHen earths foule face of sin might not the heauen see The waters all did hyde that vnto earth pertayn'd Except the Arck wherein few were reserued free There to expect the tyme that mercie might be gayn'd From whence the hopeful Noe a pigeon did let flee Who by an Oliue branch brought newes that hope remayn'd So thow the Oliue tree whereout our ioy did spring Becam'st the signe of ioy and ioy it self did'st bring Quasi Platanus LYke as the goodly plane doth beautify the feild And far her root extend more stedfast for to stay To make her farspred boughes refreshful shadow yeild For trauelers repose in hotest tyme of day So thow exalted art of heauen to be beheld Where in assured state thy boughes thow do'sâ— desplay To the refreshful shade of trauelers desyre That pas in dangers dread of soule afflicting fyre Hortus Conclusus MOste pleasant garden plot true Paradise of praise Erected in the roome of Paradise of iore But yet that garden far exceeding sundry wayes As perfect second woorkes exceed things wrought before All closely wall'd about inmolate it stayes No serpent can get in nor shal for euermore All goodly flowers and fruâ—â—s here in perfection grow Vertue on stockes of grace hath them engraffed so Fons signatus PVre â—ountaine surely seald from each infectious thing Whose water doth exceed the taste of Nectar sweet And in two milk-whyte streames did issue out and spring And for one only taste allowed to bee meet Who by diuineful power did to it vertue bring That turn'd it to a red whose colour could not fleet And taken from thy brest did yeild it from his syde To salue the sinnes of men when on the crosse hee dy'd Speculum sine Macula CLeere christal earst conseald in rock of heauens height Was fram'd into a glas to mirrour vertues face Whence lookers on receaue conseruatiue of sight And can no spot espy to make it beare disgrace But serueth as a booke and moueth much delight By purenesse therein seen impurenesse to deface And sacred was the skil that pullisht it so cleere That through it vnto men saluation did appeere L'enuoy LEt not offence mistake dispraising this my praise As to dispraise the same in deeming it too much Whose woorth demaundeth more of duty many wayes And doth deserue dispraise in that it is not sutch But since deuotion hath afforded these assayes Let not vncaus'd offence all causelesse seeme to grutch For heau'n did by behest most blessed her ordayne And shee ordayn'd her praise successyue to remaine FINIS OVR BLESSED LADIES LVLLABY Vpon my lap my soueraigne sitâ— And sucks vpon my brest Meane whyle his loue sustaines my lyf And giues my body rest Sing lullaby my litle boy Sing lullaby my liues ioy VVhen thow ha'st taken
Leonilla of that lore And setled Secundâ—â—a Sebastiana whome saint Paule Did bring to Christe his loue And Reparata dead whose ghoste Ascended lyke a doue Faire Flora and Maria both And Flaâ—ia Doâ—itilla Good Dula and Demetria Gaudentia and Lucilla VVith Alexandra six besyde For Christe their blood haue spent And Ciriaca and fyâ—e more VVith bodies rac'd and rent VVith other martyresses twelue Theodosia went to heauen Eu'n as at Sâ—â—irna for that cause Dy'd holy virgins seauen Six that were called Candâ—da Gaue beauty to that name More fairer far then â—t self â—ound Doth signify the same Some maried were and some were maydes Their suffrance sundry wayes There cause all one their only king Did all to glorie raise Seauen of the name of Iulia Did one of them ensue VVhereby eight martirs glorious crownes To this one name is due And of the name Iustina fyue As of Pelagia were Of Martiana there were three VVhose count Valerâ—â— beare Of this most glorious troop and ranck Of martrid woomen-kynde I shal not nede to recon morâ— Thoughe many more I fynd For euen as these rehearsed here There crosse with Christ sustayn'd So did the rest and all with Christ Al glory haue obtayn'd In sundry regions of the earth Ful many more besyde For faith for vow for zeal to Christâ— Ful gloriously haue dyde Chaste VVâ—â—nâ—frid did feele of death The bloody stroke and sting As Dympâ—a of her father did A pagan Irish King VVith soule and body vndefyld In endlesse lyf to raigne Good Vrsula and all her troop Endured to be slaine And Câ—rdula that hid her self Her lyf thereby to saue Came foorth and yeilded vnto death Her lyf thereby to haue To bring the number in accompâ— Vnable is my skil Of all such glorious martirs names And their endured il But in the Lambe his booke of lyf No one omitted is Nor no one wo that they sustaynd Vnrecompenst in bliâ— No more then their formenterâ— misse Their iust reward in hel For each inflicted grief and smart VVherewith they them did quel Exyl'd those wretches are from heaueâ— And odious dead in earth Yet in helles horror neuer dy Though euer feeling death Meane whyle the chosen saintes of God In heauen euer liue And euer glorie vnto him In all reioysing giue Al clad in whyte for puritie Each with a golden crowne And bearing palmes of victory As enseignes of renowne No eye hath seene no eare hath heard No hart of man conceaued No sight no sound no thought of ioy As now they haue receaued All griefes are now extinguished All sorrowes haue â—n end No teares can fall from weeping eyes Nor sighes from hart ascend O gâ—orioâ—â— troop whose praise the heau'ns VVith melodie refouâ—◠〈◊〉 Accept that wee as câ—coes here Yeild noise vnto the sound And when for your true followed faith VVee any wo sustaine Our constant suffrance of the same Voutsafe of God obtayne Deo gratiae A RESEMBLANCE OF MARTYRS BEfore the craggy flint Meetes with the hardned steel It seemes not to conteyne The vertue it conteynes But when it doth the stroke Of swift encountring feel Eu'n then the force appeers That hid in it remaines Right so resolued myndes Through wicked fortunes wheel Encountring with misâ—ap And feeling bitter paynes Make fyre of sacred Ioue From ardent zeal proceed VVhich mounting vp to heau'n Doth all the Starres exceed TE DEVM LAVDAMVS OR The song of S. Ambrose S. Augustyne TO thee O God wee praises giue VVee thee our Lord confesse Eternal father all the earth Adores thy woorthynesse The Angels heau'ns heau'nly powers Yeild praises all to thee The Cherubinnes and Scraphinnes Sound out incessantly O holy holy holy Lord. O God of Sabaoth Thy glorious maiesty repleates The earth and heauen both To thee the quyre so glorious Of thy Apostles all To thee the number woorthy-praise Of prophets cry and cal The army of thy martirs bright Thy praises do expresse Thy holy Church through-out the earth Doth thee o Lord confesse Father of endlesse Maiestie Thy only Sonne withal Together with the Holy Ghost Comforter of vs all Thow King of glorie arte O Christe And ere the earth begonne Thow of thy father did'st remaine His euer beeing Sonne Thy willingnesse man to releas Made thee in earth to come And for that cause not to abhor Thy maiden-mothers woombe And when the sting of cruel death By the was vanuisht quyght Thow opned'st then thee realme of blis To each belieuing wight In glorie of the father thow Do'st sit at Gods right hand VVee hold thee for the iudge by whome Our causes must bee skand VVee humbly therefore thee desyre Voutsafe thy seruants ayd Of whome with thy moste pretious blood The ransomes thow ha'st paid O make that wee rewarded bee VVith thy deer saintes in blis Eu'n with thy glory and thy grace VVhich euer during is Thy people and thyne heritage O Lord saue and defend And gouerne them and stil their praise In altitude extend And from offending thee by sin This day do thow vs saue And mercy haue on vs O Lord Lord on vs mercy haue And as our trust in thee hath bene Such let thy mercy bee Confounded let mee not become That hoped haue in thee HOVV GOD IN ALL AGES hath bin serued with Sacrifise Sacrificium sub lege Naturae WHen God created man and rule vnto him gaue Of creatures all on earth and eu'ry earthly thing And knowlege of his God did in his hart engraue Subiection so to know vnto his soueraigne King Then for to know and yeild what homage hee would haue Nature by her instinckt vnto his mynde did bring And Sacrifise it was and well accepted than Thus mannes adoring God with sacrifise began Sacrificium sub lege Moyses VVHen froÌ„ the how 's of thralle through ayd of heau'uly might Gods people were led foorth by Moysis then their guyd For this new freedome found it rested that of right God with augmented thankes must now bee gratifyde And him to honor more in more then wonted plight Old Sacrifise was now with new rytes beautifyde So for more good receau'd more gratitude did rise Which still to God was don in doing sacrifise Sacrificium sub lege Euangelica VVHen Gods dere Sonne from heau'n did vnto earth desced Lost loue of God againe for mannes release to win Himself in sacrifise blood-sacrifise did end When his high prised blood did satisfy for sin But since Gods seruice must on sacrifise depend He chang'd not took away what faith did first begin And did ordaine himself in Sacramental wise To bee to God for man a soueraigne sacrifise SAINT PEETERS COMFORT EV'n there where sin my silly soule defyld Shame bad mee hy and seeke to hyde my face Foule face of myne that that faire face behild And could my so wel knowing it out face And make himself eu'n whome I did deny True witnes vnto my fals periury I scarsly was gon foorth out of the halle VVhen sorrow straight
conceaued first the Angels voyce Her heart conceau'd the heauens high decree Her soule iust cause conceaued to reioyce And her pure wombe as pure as pure might bee Conceau'd withal and that strong infant bred VVho with his foot did break the serpents hed Against the tyme his birth-tyme to adorne Came downe on earth to consecrate the ground VVith Alâ—ion rest Peace that in heauen was borne Because there might no noyse of war be found VVhen to the world the Prince should shew his face That came to all the world to offer grace VVhose entrance when it pleased him to take Into that country whereof death is King His owne self vertue mydwyf hee did make And to annex more wonder to the thing From his pure mothers closure hee did pas Euen as the Sun makes entrance through the glas O sacred force enforcing such a berth The wonder of the wonders moste of woorth The breath of heauen clad in core of earth Through an vnopened passage passing foorth A humaine body spryte-lyke doth dispose His pow'rful self that may no puissance lose And that sweet Infant of eternitie Is borne the infant of a virgins woombe And God is man and so affinitie Doth twixt the earth and twixt the heauen come VVhereby th' Almighty maker thus wee see Kinsman to men to make himself to bee Making withal the virgins glorious fame In faithful hartes engrauen for to stand VVhere of Gods mother shee must beare the name In faire carracters of a sacred hand And such a mother mayd and wyf to bee As all her sexe excelles in all thee three Cleere chastitie descending from her throne To do her homage here vpon the ground A garland brought made by her self alone Of Flowers that only were in Eden found And with obeysance set it on her hed VVith tytle of eternal may denhed The Angels trumps did sound the heavens peace An easterne star stream'd out the fyre of ioy God on his foot-stool did his state decrease New amitie extinguisht old annoy Hate had no place on all the earth to dwel But did remoue vnto her how 's in hel O Infant ofspring of vnending lyne That in this world to spring would so begin And with old Adams race thy self combyne And bee the man to satisfy for sin True God true man except with sin defyld VVho for to bee a man became a chyld Thus God in chyld-heid did appeere on earth Admitting tyme his manly growth to shew VVhose dayes yet crossed were by crosse of death Ere tyme on him could mannes ful tyme bestow But since for man hee would lost lyf obtayne Hee death to kil would first of death bee slaine A SECONDARY exposition THe contemplation of the mistery Of the subiected state of heauens king And the reuyual of the memory That three tymes thryce a day the bel doth ring Leades downe my muse from height I earst began Vnto the lownesse of the lyf of man First how in darcknes of self-knowing state And as yf all foregoing tyme were night VVee enter in at this worldes cumbrous gate As doth the day new dawning with his light And that first treasure Tyme on vs bestowes In chyldish thinges vnwittingly wee lose Thence grow wee vp as do the howres of day Our dayes and yeares outrunning youthful rage From all repose Tyme carrying vs away Doth vnaware draw on our midle age And through his haste wil vs no leasure lend Once back to tutne youths errors to amend At noontyde of our dayes wee do arryue As doth the Sun at midday in his height VVhat tyme the bel a second sound doth giue To moue remembrance of the heauy waight Of sinnes huge burthen when high heauens grace In humaine flesh released humaine race The midday tyme hath but the name of tyme For tyme himself no moment hath of stay Nor wee repose before or after pryme But as the Sun declyneth with the day So we declyne euen at our highest rate Changing with tyme the change of our estate Eâ—t soones drawes on the euentyde of our yeares As doth the Sun draw down ward to the west VVhat tyme the bel reneweth to our eares The sound of ioy now twyce before exprest To shew how in the worldes declyning â—ase Attendant hope obtayn'd expected grace Now of our lyf is come the better parte And of our labors frute to reap the gaine Yf youthes endeuours wrought our wel desart Or yf in lyf so long wee do remaine For from the tree where wee behold the bud Much frute falles downe ere it bee rype and good Lastly as day our dayes theiâ— ending take And as before from darck night wee arose Our day our nightes returne againe doth make And wee yeild vp vnto our last repose Our claime to earth and all that nature gaue And lay vs downe where death shal dig our graue OF THE STATE OF SOLItary lyf dedicated to the seruice of God OVVel are you that haue subdude The force of worlds desyre And in the forte of solitude For safety do retyre Retyr'd from freedome so supos'd In straightnes freedome fynde Because true freedome is enclos'd In circuite of the mynde The world and fortune you depryue From doing you despight Dead vnto men to God alyue That giues liues true delight That soule saith God which I affect I wil with-draw aparte And tel vnto it in effect The secrets of my harte Think thâ—n you that retyred liue For Gods deere loue and dread His loue your soules desyre did giue Retyred liues to lead VVhere as with him you might confer VVhen sole your selues you deeme And so alone lesse neuer ar Then when alone you seeme Faith of yourfort is gouernor Loue is liftenant there Hope is ordained officer The ensigne for to bâ—are Contempt of welth is treasurer VVho woorkes no guyle for gaynes VVhithin whose coffers neuer there Corrupting drosse remaines Pure Chastitie the charge doth take The cloister cleane to keep And of her thoughtes the broome doth make VVherewith shee doth it sweep Obedience which doth sacrifise In valued woorth exceed Is redy for each exercyse As duty deemeth need Perseuerance is Centinel The watch-woord watch and pray VVhose due obseruance doing wel The heauens do repay THE SVBSTANCE OF humaine flesh AS once I did behold The potters actiue skil In ordring of his earthen pots According to his wil. And some for woorthy vse And some for seruile trade As hee them from one clod of clay In sundry fashons made And when they al were wrought And each was put a parte No cause they had If they had could To blame their makers arte To each it might suffise To serue his vse asygn'd Since each to serue some proper vse VVas vtile in his kynde Then as thereat I mus'd It came vnto my thought How God euen from one masse of clay All humaine kynd had wrought Aswel the silly wretch That liues in low degree As any mighty Emperor How puisant so hee bee And how at his estate None rightly may