thee all things that be themselues present And I that for thy holie Name must die Imbrace the cause and thanke thy Maiestie What ere I suffer is in thy decree Which limits all the purposes of men My selfe my cause I consecrate to thee Let them cut off vncertaine life yet then I le breathe it in thy sacred hands and when My Sister Marie offers vp my blood I le offer vp my heart to make it good My Sauiour Iesus suffered more than I And for my sake that Lord he suffered The righteous One did for the sinnefull die And gaue his life for ours that perished Thy seruant is by thy example led To die for Truth sith Truth did die for me For thus to die is lifes eternitie What is my life the world should enuie so Alas a little puffe of breathing aire Death hath ten thousand meanes to let it goe And flie this wearie bodie of my care Vncertaine I to loose it when or where Ther 's somewhat else than breath they care for than For breath is common vnto euery man It is for Conscience and Religions cause That I indure this burthen of their hate How ere guiltlesse yet the wrested Lawes Must correspond in iudgement with the State For that is lawe our Gouernours relate And though by Law my innocence be proou'd The Case wil alter if the Prince be moou'd Be it that Gods preuenting eie should sleepe And that their purpose haue desired end That Soule they take from me they cannot keepe Which to a mighty Lord recommend His right he can against all clames defend How fruitles is the haruest which they make That cannot keepe the treasure which they take Men are in iurious that report of Death To be the highest of extremities Whenas we die what loose we else but breath And many numbers of our miseries When this life setts a better doth arise And when to Death a holy cause is giuen Death is the Gate by which we enter heauen Within our life these sorrowes we containe Vncertaine daies yet full of certaine griefe In number few but infinite in paine O're chargde with wants but naked of reliefe In ruling it our euill partes are chiefe And though our time be not cut short by Death Oldeage will creepe to stop vncertaine breath Yet to the much affliction of the minde This of the body is a scant compare Wherein so many and so much I find As would astonne my spirits to declare Triall can onely tell vs what they are For we whom Custom hath with griefe acquainted By vs her sad proportion best is painted The Griefe of mind is that intestine warre That stirres sedition in the state of man Where when our Passions once commaunders are Our peacefull dayes are desperate for than The stirre 's more hote than when it first began For heady Passion 's like an vntam'd beast That riots most when we desire it least This violence exceedes his vertuous meane Like swelling tides that ouerrunne their shore Leauing the lawfull current of their streame And breake their bankes that bounded them before Yet griefe in his great violence is more For if that Reason bound not Griefe with Lawes In our destruction Griefe will be the cause Griefe should be borne with much indifference Not much regarded yet regardlesse neuer Not much affected yet we must haue sense To feele our griefe and apprehend it euer Yet let the grieued euer thus indeuer To make his burthen easefull as hee may And so his griefe with ease is borne away So much of Griefe we onely doe sustaine As in our choice our selues do apprehend Griefe may present it selfe but not constraine That we imbrace what it doth recommend Beare it but lightly then for to that end Is Patience giuen by whose resolued might The heauiest loade of Griefe is made but light This is the most of happinesse we haue That with our Patience we support our cares Not we our selues but God this vertue gaue Which our vnworthie life right well declares To loose my life is for to loose my cares Then what is Death that I should feare to die Death is the death of all my miserie What then is that which doth beget desire In humane flesh to linger out long daies Is it because to Honormen aspire Or for their name in Beautie hath a praise Or is 't their greedy Auarice them staies Honour Beautie nor desire of Golde Cannot the certaine of their death withhold Honour is nothing but a very name Often conferd to men of little merite In euery place as common as is Fame Commonly giuen to euery common spirite So little worth as anie one may weare it Then why should that be thought of estimation That giues to base deseruings high creation The name and place of honour may be giuen As please the Prince in fauour to dispose But true deriued Honor is from heauen And often liues in meane estate with those That to the courts of Princes neuer goes How vainly prowd are such as would get Fame Yet get no more of Honor but the name Be it thy Honour as the glorious Sunne Exceede the rate of common exspectation Thy Prince displeased once thy honor 's done In rising to this pitch men vse gradation But at one fall they loose all estimation For he whose powre is euer absolute His angry breath can puffe thy glorie out Where is the honour of great Macedon That measur'd out large Empires with his Sword Great Iulius is with many Caesars gone Leauing no more of Honour than the word And but the pennes of Schollers that recotd Old Time would bring their Honor to that shame As Caesar and the rest would haue no name Who is 't that now of Caesar bends the knee Or frames the sweete of wordes to please his eare Who is 't that now regardeth his Decree Or his offended countenaunce doth feare Caesar in 's Graue his Honour is no where If Honour thus doe perish in the best What may be then exspected in the rest He that from enuious eie and full resort Liues priuate with a little state content Little desires the honour of the Court Where emulation stirres a discontent Men shoote at him that is most eminent And whom the prince with hiest grace doth crown Enuy brings many hands to pull him downe See here the glorie of mortallitie Which we with infinite of care pursue Painefull to get but lost at libertie Fatall to many fortunate to few Whereto so many miseries insue As filles our time with cares then why should I For this respect of honour feare to die Is Beauty then of that high consequence Wherein I may disswasiue reason finde Is that faire shadow of that excellence That for the face I should exchange the minde Beauty that blindeth many cannot blinde My Reason so for Beautie 's but a floure Which being pluckt it fadeth in an houre What though the world with admirations eie Gaze at the wondrous pleasure in the face Wherein the
reacht my meditation hie And versd the holy suffrings of my Lord Still doe I mooue in that emperiall Skie Where Saints and holy Angels do afford Subiect that may diuinest wit accord I glory then that to my Verse is giuen This care to fet their holy cause from heauen Among the number of those holy Saints A happy Lady where all happies are Whose name Report in euery place acquaints Who like the beauty of the fairest Starre In beauteous name exceedes all other farre And but we doe except the Virgin-mother We reach her praise as high as any other Thus I conceiue her Image in my thought Clad in the Virgin ornament of white Within that white her innocence was wrought Vnspotted with the touch of vaine delight Her habite is all day and nothing night And in that white as my remembrance saith Was writ this motte Defendor of the Faith Her presence could expresse what she had beene Humble yet full of princely maiestie A constant Martire yet a royall Queene Before her state went much aduersitie In all proportions Iudgement might descry What holy motions mooued in her hart For holy signes of prayer did mooue each part Vpon her head a Coronet of golde To intimate her eminence of place But in her royall presence I beholde The Image both of Maiestie and Grace The heart of State was grauen in her face Let him in iudgement be reputed blinde That in the face sees nothing of the minde Within one hand she held an armed blade Whereon was writ her many victories The other with much reuerence she laide Vpon the Booke of heauenly mysteries As if that God in wisedome did deuise To giue this Ladie that victorious Sword To garde the passage of his holy word Before her feete a Globe of earth was cast Scepters and Crownes and markes of high estate Yea Kings themselues and Potentates were plac't In humble ranke before this Magistrate Their fortunes on her victories did waite For when that she would fauour or cast downe The bad had warre the better had the Crowne These Trophies doe erect eternall name That euer liues in honour of this Queene That giue occasion vnto busie Fame To make report what her deserts haue beene My selfe that haue these admirations seene In humble verse her suffrings doe relate That dare not meddle with her time of State This cogitation of this Princely one Is often entertained in my minde Waking or not I oft reuise thereon And often in my thoughts this Queene I finde And oft her glad remembrance hath inclinde To heart my verse that writ the holie Passion Of her religious Teares to make relation O thou that dost inspire with holie flame The moouing spirits of deepe Poesie Giue me to adde some honour to her name That wants her due of holy memorie For Time will rot our best mortallitie And sith that she all vertuous ones did cherish It pittie were her vertuous name should perish O let my verse mooue indignation And stirre the blood of better abled wit Enuie or shame of this relation May hap beget the meanes to better it How ere my shame it doth my liking fit By anie meanes to adde vnto her praise Our loue is in our heart not in our phrase ¶ When holy Edwards Spirit did expire Borne on the wings of Angells into blisse The earth grew cold and wanted holy fire When this diuine defendor parted is Blacke Night did then succeed this Day of his For then the glory of the day is done When interposed earth bedims the Sunne O the exceeding wisedome in the heauen Whose prouidence protecteth euery care To seely men the licence is not giuen To see forbidden secrets what they are In vaine vpon the face of heauen men stare To know the hidden cause of that effect Which in Gods secret will is hidden kept Tell me thou wisest in iuditious Arte Or if thou canst not tell I silence thee Why God remou'd this holy King apart And left his Church to open tyrannie You reade not in the Starres this secrecie He that all futures can discerne afarre Within his breast these secrets hidden are Now Time had set this glorious Sonne of grace To darkenesse he his Empire did resigne Darkenesse that long had ouerspread the face Of holy truth and vertuous discipline No light apparant where no light may shine And but the fires of Martires that gaue light All had beene blacke and in eternall night You that haue nothing holy but your name That did incence this Marie vnto blood Be it to you your euerlasting shame So to corrupt her nature that was good O had she had the spirite to withstoode You that did hearten her to her disgrace She had deseru'd preheminence of place To saue a world of sinners you pretend But you intend another by pretence Religious duties often you commend Yet interdict you our obedience You bid speake truth but in a double sence How can your teaching many spirits saue When words and works such contradictions haue These Instigators fill her hands with blood In all respects saue this a vertuous Queene What they made vitious would haue prooued good Had not their powrefull prouocations beene Vpon her name this blood had not bin seene And men of holy place be sure of this Where you touch blood the marke apparant is This Ladie in the number of the rest Indur'd the storme of persecution Highest in griefe and in her name the best And with the best maintain'd her resolution She like the Lamb prepar'd for execution Doth still exspect by loosing of her breath To giue her holy cause a holy death And reason had she of this iust suspect So strange was alteration in the State Within her Sisters face she found neglect And friends doe euer faile th' vnfortunate The present state men onelie estimate For as the wind transports the flying Aire So as times alter men stil fliers are Her house in Edwards time a little Court Full of the fawning seruice of the knee But Marie now cuttes off this full resort And men fall backe in their Apostasie The Cuckooes sing not where colde winters be And Time this Lady of her port bereaues As winter frosts nip off the falling leaues These were the first beginnings of her care Which like the heads of little rising springs Runne to a larger bignesse than they were So Time that fauours not this Ladie brings Still fresh supplie vnto her sufferings Like flouds that with their swelling tides are fed Till falling Seas doe make their waters ebbe Here might she spend her holie meditation As sure she did much holier than I write She alters not with Fortunes alteration Resolue had made her sufferings her delight Her holie cause did giue her holie might To beare the indignation of their spleene That made her Sister her offended Queene ¶ O thou eternall Spirite thus she faies Without whose pleasure nothing hath euent Before we be thou numbrest all our daies And preordainest euerie accident To
eternall eie That sees the very secrets of my hart I doe report me to thy Maiestie That I am not so foule in my desert Thou art my comfort and my Iudge thou art Sith heere on earth no iustice will be giuen I for my iustice will resort to heauen The worke did well expresse the workemans Arte For that which should haue life did seeme to haue it He could no more then seeming life imparte And that was done so well as Arte could haue it So exquisite the lustre that he gaue it The Artist had so much of Arte in giuing As she did feare the Lions had beene liuing In midst of them sate Daniel at his praire His eies his heart and hands he lifts to heauen His armed garde the kingly Lyons were And vnto him were many Angells giuen Some do restraine the Lions that are keene Others vpon his breath attending are To carry vp the message of his praire Nor in this holy storie was forgot How Abacue was carried from his men Nor how the Angell set him on the top Nor how he call'd to Daniel in the Den But sure some wit was in the workeman when He makes the Angell beare him by the haire Yet makes his head be bald and almost bare The Princesse on this obiect spends her sight And freely spends it with intentiue eie The grieued doe in grieued things delight And this well sorts with her extremitie Heere is she saith a friendly company We are not then alone why grieue we thus For Daniel and the Lyons be with vs. As I so Daniel was of noble blood Both I and Daniel haue like holy cause As I my selfe so Daniel hath withstood To yeelde obedience vnto wicked Lawes Daniel and I are enuied both because We giue that honour to the King of heauen Which others vnto Images haue giuen God sends his Angells to this holy man And bindes the force of Lions for his sake If God restraine what enuie is there than That can from any any little take The eie of prouidence doth euer wake Then sith that we so like to Daniel are God will as well for vs as Daniel care I am alas into this prison cast And God he knowes without deseruing cause And I among such Lions now am plac'd As watch to seaze my body in their pawes Lorde binde the powre of their deuouring iawes And though among these Lions be a Priest Yet being bloudie he is a bloodie beast This apprehension of anothers griefe Doth somewhat ease the furie of her owne And she from Daniel can receiue reliefe Because to him such fauour God had showne She knowes that God hath all her sorrowes knowne And He that could the furious Lions tame Will fauour her that suffers for his name Thus and much better than I can report Was this good Ladie in her griefe affected But much vnequall was the care at Court Where Steuen aud others other cares respected With them there was no tricke of wit neglected They vex themselues with ouer studious care To malice her so much they enuious were With their prepared subtilties they came Vnto the Towre to sift her innocence And then the Bishop did the Princesse blame And imputates hir other mens offence Saying she caused disobedience And those that were rebellious in the State Were onely such as she did animate Then he a number of their names recited Their seuerall plottes and euery circumstance And how her Grace was thought with them vnited And that from hir the warre had maintenance He left not aught vnsaide that might aduance His euill drift which for they were so many And euill ones I will not write of any The Princesse to his many words replide Alas what is 't you would afflict vs more Are not our griefes enough yet multiplide That still you wrong whom you haue wrong'd before I haue enough of griefe what neede I more And for my answer to your euill tongue I doe protest my Lord you doe me wrong I neuer had that high aspiring minde To pull my Sister from her royall throne In my religion I could neuer finde Licence or Warrant for rebellion Rome neuer gaue me dispensation Nor euer learn'd I in my tuterings To merite heauen by murthering of Kings This sharpe reply the Bishop so offended As he reanswers in a bitter phrase Madam against the Church you haue contended And still contend the angry Prelate saies This disobedience is your great dispraise If you betray the Church which is your mother How can you then be true to any other How is 't your Grace should thus contend with heauen With God with Angells and with holy Saints How is 't that thus to Luther you haue giuen Your soule which he with blackenesse all depaints Who is 't this heresie with you acquaints Alas good Ladie Luther doth not well To drawe your Grace and many moe to hell O giue me leaue alittle to aduise I doe not know how fortunate I may To leaue the danger of your heresies Let Luther beare them with himselfe away Sith you are lost I will direct your way And will you follow but as I direct You shall arriue the place of Gods elect What should I speake of Perrie who was sent To short her life with his base treacherous hand Or yet of him who with the like intent Came to surprise her with an armed band Or how with fire she did in danger stand There are both these and many moe behinde Whose repetition would but grieue my minde Yet can it not in my remembrance die How Spanish Philip did this Ladie friend That he could pittie her extreamitie That he his louing fauour did extend That he would praise that he her gifts commend By this we see their malice was but vaine Mercie will come although it come from Spaine So well the Kings perswasion could preuaile As that the Queene did for her Sister send The message did with feare her heart assaile And sure she thinkes some euill they intend How ere it be she saith I recommend Into thy hands O sacred Lord of heauen My selfe and all that to my selfe is giuen And thus prepar'd she iournies to the Court Where in her chamber prison-like retirde She liues shut vp from any ones resort The Bishop that this Ladies bloud desirde To quench his heart with burning enuy firde Comes to her furnisht with his studious care Hoping with craft the Princesse to insnare Gardner it is in vaine thou her assaile Whome God protects with his almightie hand Canst thou against the liuing God preuaile Or canst thou his all-able powre withstand Or canst thou God and holy heauen command Bishop be sure they are deceiued farre That thinke with God to make preuailing warre Therefore thy euill had but bad euent How ere made strong with thy contriuing wit Because thy euill to the good was meant And God would not be pleasd to fauour it Though earth and hell in busie counsell sit God countermaunds what ere they deuise And