Sometimes the matter naked wanteth wordes Sometimes good matters mar'd When ill contriv'd they say Sometimes the sence a caffling cause affordes Sometimes a sentence or affectate wordes A tedious stirre for in Philautus brawle There scapeâ— not one hee hath about withall Saith one of these the note is iust Mongst men of better note Our sharpest wittes that climbe the sceane of fame In vainest follies leese Themselues and vainely dote Doe spend much art for to deserue much blame While they some idle-dreamed phancie frame And leaue their workes a witnesse firme and stable VVhat time they lost in hatching of a â—able Great pittie sure that learned men Of great and rare conceate Should so these braue habilities debase That while they stretch them out To proofe to shew them great The praise of their imploimentes in this case Is voide of praise and hath this onelie grace That they haue wiâ—ely tolde a foolish tale And smoothly set a long made lie to sale And yet this inconvenience great Might finde some faire excuse If drift of their discourse at vertue aymed For oft in fables foldes Trimme morall truth doth vse But when the worke is matter meerely feigned And ende thereof deserues to be disdeigned The writer merites pitie more then praise And worke vnworthy presse fit flames to raise Thus surelie speakes this Censurer And doth his thoughtes reveale As if some sterne Dictator thundred lawes From whom on paine of death Vnlawfull to appeale Yet did not well bethinke him in his pawse For though a story true doth grace his cause He paintes it out with colours of invention And giues it wordes to fit his owne intention Which if the Censor vse himselfe Thy selfe maist vse the same Whose levill aymeth at as vertuous end And to reduce the worke And story into frame By reasons rule the whole discourse is pend And hath no cause the godly to offend Or grieue the good vnlesse some harsh divine Against his sacred Poems will repine An other sort of snarling mates Do pester ev'ry age Who will be critickes though they guide the cart And censure workes of weight Quoat faultes in every page Depraue the wittes of men of best desart And iudge of all by envie not by arte Who more doth mallice art then artlesse braine Who byteth worse then Beviâ—s in his vaine High spirited Homer matchlesse man A baggage deem'd a blocke And did with bitter tauntes his workes deface Of Virgilleâ— dainetie vaine Could Mevius frame a mocke Inferring that he filch'd his chiefest grace By treading in the tract of Homers trace Or from the fruites of Hesiods happie braine And Theocâ—ite the Syracusian swaine Thus to obscure the merâ—iest crie Where deepe-mouth'd hounds doe go Each time hath bawling curres that barke and howle Which sith tis so hath bin And ever will be so Of learned rest secure well train'd in schoole Thou must not feare the â—lout of every foole Who in a prating vaine though thou repine Will blame whole bookes but cannot mend a line C. A. R. WHat time the iudge severe sin-scourdging God CoÌ„peld to change the course that mercy ment Withdrew his favour and drew forth his rod To punish those that knew not to repent That time ingrate-full Iuda iudgement had To die or suffer bondage even as bad For when they scornd the heav'nly herauldes sent To summon them back-sliders to the Lord Crying with yernefull voice Amend repent Else hoattest wrath will follow this his word Eâ—se will too late repentance plead for grace When mercie flies and iustice holdes the place When hardned heartes could not become so wise By others harmes to learne their owne beware While fresh record presented to their eies Ten brethren tribes subdude to slavish care Whom the Assirian monarch did subdue And made of freemen borne a captiue crue When eke they were vnmindefull how their king Younge Ieconias but nine yeares before And thousandes moe the sanctus blacke did sing What time they did their dismall day deplore While captiues thence in bondage led to dwell They crying weeping schreeching say farewell When princes rulers priestes and people base Exceeded farre all heathen in their sin When Sadom and Samaria might giue place And not come neere the waies they walked in When harmelesse men were held of none account But he the man that did in sinne surmount Then as a raging flowd long bent with baies Beares headlong downe what standes before the breach Or as rebellious soares by long delaies Recure-lesse scorne the cunning of the leach Ev'n so remedilesse like raging thunder The Lord powrd downe his wrath long time kept vnder When whistling for the Bees of Babel-land Came Nabuchadnetzar sirnamd the great And brought with him a most puissant band Of souldiers skild in every war-like feate For as the clustring bees in swarmes doe clinge So flockt the Chaldeis round about their kinge Then Salem saw a sad heart-breaking sight Resolved foes entrench'd about her walles In glittring armouâ— many a warlike wight Most fully bent what ever hap befalles By dint of sword to winne eternall fame Or pawne their liues in purchase of the same But most of all this griefe the conscience gaules And ever mates their mindes so overtaken By deepe despaire to thinke amidst these brawles That God for sin their citie had forsaken A matchlesse woe if God the cause withstand A fearefull conscience makes a seeble hand Adde more to this the seige so long doth lie That famine in the citie is so soare The people pine consume doe droope and die While horses in the field haue forrage store Death in the house destruction in the streete Sword in the â—ield distresse and daunger meete Amidst these woes the rumbling Ecchoes sound How dreadfull drums strike vp the fierce allarme And ratling trumpe with bloudy noates rebound The valiant heartes to fell assault doth charme When herauld first had summond them to yeeld Or to expect a mercy-wanting field Then for supplie of thundring cannon shot Goâ—am and engine to the walles a pace The Pioner he bestirres him in his plot To make huge towers to giue the souldier place On either part their powers they fully bend To giue assault and from the walles defend Ensignes advaunce and glory scales the fort The ladders then are hoysed to the walles And honors hope th'assaylantes doth exhort To climb from whence an other headlong falles While Archers shoote from tough wel-timbred bow Their thirled singing shaftes as thicke as snow When once the eager souldier hath made way Within the walles and might commaund the towne Then as a hungry Lyon for his pray He rangeth rageth killeth knocketh downe Then might be seene like streames to make a flood The streetes and channels flow with crimson blood The bedlem handes do deale foorth murthring blowes The victor rageth restlesse Lyon-like While mercie craving vanquish'd pleades his woes To him that hath no eares but handes to strike The maid the wife is subiect to this rage The suckling babe and
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