A PENSIVE soules delight The Contents whereof is shewen in these Verses following 1. The Pensiue soule recounteth in this place Elizaes troubles and Elizaes grace 2. Here are expressed the stratagems of foes Elizaes conquests and their falls that rose 3. Here is set forth Elizaes lenitie And Locust-Catholickes superbitie By Iohn Norden LONDON Printed by T.C. for William Lugger and are to be sold at the signe of the blinde Knight ouer against S. Andrewes Church in Holborne 1603. TO THE RIGHT Honourable and vertuous Ladie the Countesse of Warwicke IF I were demanded Right Honourable I could yeeld a reason why I giue your Lady-ship this little plaine Poeme vnder the tytle of a Pensiue Soules delight but that your Ladiship is not altogether vnacquainted with some causes that may right well worke me pensiue The cause is noted and obserued of many but felt of my selfe and mine only The cause of my delight is publique common and knowne to all but felt with effect of the faithfull and loyall onely Can any faithfull soule but sigh my good Ladie to see and consider the sundry daungers that haue bene and are daily plotted and practised against her highnesse most innocent person and Royall state And againe can any but reioyce and delight to see her still blessed defended and the practizers still found out censured and condemned And who seeth without pensiuenesse and sorrow her Maiesties natiue subiects our owne country-men brethren and kindred to become Traytors to their and our most gratious Queene treacherous to vs their country-men allyes And againe reioyceth not to see obserue how all their deuises come to nought her Maiestie preserued our selues deliuered And again who greeueth not to consider from whom these practises and the grounds of these treasons proceed From a man pretending to be the high and sole Vicar of Christ in earth who cannot erre in his purposes and proceedings because they are all couered euen murthers of innocent men yea Princes raising warre within and between kingdomes with the pretence of religion and glorifying God the highest point of blasphemy But who reioyceth not to see him discouered Antichrist the man of sinne and his vndermining and treasonable messengers Locustes And who reioyceth not to see them in some measure abandoned sith they will not be reclaimed But more who reioyceth not to see and consider her Maiesties immoueable constancie in louing in imbracing and in maintaining the infallable trueth and our selues vnder her and by her to enioy the same A subiect worthie of a more serious labour But because many worthie workes are extāt of their discouery some too great of price for poore men and some too learned for the simple And such serious Treatises oftē neglected because they delight not all humours I thought it not vnfit to put the inferiour multitude in minde in this kinde of writing what causes they haue to sighe and to sing to grieue and reioyce And that with mee they may haue all will as they haue cause to pray for the continuance of the true causes of our reioycing the maintenance of Religion and preseruation of her highnesse The length of dayes vouchsafe her length of dayes the Lyon of Iudah rent her enemies in peeces And high Iehouah graunt that vnder her we may all liue in true loue towards her that loueth him who in his loue gaue her to vs. That we in her might rather sorrow to see the falles of traytors in charitie then traytors to tryumph in the successe of their attempts in insolencie Your Ladiships in all seruice Iohn Norden A Pensiue Soules delight 1. The Pensiue Soule recounteth in this place Elizaes troubles and Elizaes grace MY Pensiue Soule recounting heauenly loue which did bestow that sacred hidden treasure Truthes light to shine to vs here from aboue Cannot but ioy to see Ioues mercies measure Passing in greatnes all this earthly frame It fills our hearts with science of his name Which is we loue we liue as he requires He sends his word to worke in vs inspires of his true light Looke vp from whence it came Came it from man came it from wisedomes skill Came it by art came it from multitude No no it came from his all sacred will That will'd our wealth and true beatitude Long long shut vp in darke obliuions den And fetter'd long through ignorance of men Darke Ignorance syre of Deuotion Blinde zeale blinde loue both malediction As is discouer'd by Truthes sacred pen. How so the pennes of men not lightned write Bewitcht with false inspires inspirde in those That follow fancie all depriu'd of light Despightfull hearts that kill and seeme no foes Like friends in fawnes foes vnder faithlesse smiles Whose gracelesse guise seemes gracefull yet but wiles That win affection to perdition And seeme yet sacred and of fowle condition Without all-haile within mortall reuiles I wayle these wightes that wander in the darke Led by the beast that traynes great troupes to hell And seekes to sinke sacred Religions Barke By his inchantes charmed in his hidious cell But he fowle feend and faithlesse to great Ioue Hath long breathd bannings gainst Messiahs loue Eliza Queene the prop of verity That still stands vp a Queene of victory Whome all his wiles and curses cannot moue They cannot moue the mountaynes of our Peace Elizaes truth whose sacred hearts desire Desirde and wrought that heau'nly Truthes release That lay forlorne long languishing in briers She brought to light the load starre of our light And loosde the bands of Enuy by her might Her might made mightie by Ioues mighty hand That heau'd her vp triumphant in this land Fearefull to foes reioycing to the right Reioyce ye righteous and resound her prayse Prayse great Iehouah for her Maiestie He he receiu'd her in her pensiue dayes Not farre from death held in captiuity A captiue Lady of a free-full minde Free and in fauour nought can true loue binde Her Loue was Truth her truth and loue were right Ioue rightly saw her and her loues delight Truth and Loues light were sacredly combinde All sacred Vertues did combine in one One Grace diuine was guide vnto them all In her all working when she was alone Alone in company Angelicall Heauens Angels spred their still protecting tent And guard her sacred person innocent Graces diuine administred true ioy In her deemd ioylesse state nought could annoy Her blessed patience in imprisonment But oh true Lady how could griefes retire When she recounted why she was restraind And eke by whome by her sole sisters ire What heart could hold so innocent disdaynd Disdaynd to liue her life obscurde in hate Was hatefull to vnhappy hearts where Enuy sate But sacred Loue gaue life and light to her And brought her life to light and did transferre Deaths dreadfull sting vnto the obstinate And on their Queene whome our Eliza lou'd Her life as loue her loue assurance set On high Iehouah's loue he her approu'd And gaue her light to
misse fowle enuies net That was displaid to catch Eliza in Suggests were as if she pretended sinne Against annoynted Mary and her crowne From which Eliza would bring Mary downe And set her selfe by force vsurp'd therein Fie on this glosse that paynts this false suggest A forg'd surmise that fell before her eyes That still attended high Iehouah's hest She saw it fall none saw it yet arise It might arise but could not erst preuayle Though Enuies hearts and hands gaue oft assaile In hope to see her sacred life dissolu'd She not dismaid assured stood resolu'd High Ioue would free her and would be her bayle He bayld her in the action of their hate Where they suggest her hate vnto the Queene And that she couertly enuide the state Her foes made show as if this had beene seene And daz'd the eyes of silly peoples mindes With false reportes like errour often blindes The vulgar multitude who thinke all true That States-men speake as if it were in view High pollicie of purpose blowes such windes Such windes as blowe content or bring dismay Sometimes are raisde and do dispearse a thing Throughout a kingdome So they made their way To cause Elizaes ill 's suggested ring Yet she true Lady sate and smilde to see Despight displaide and axe laide to the tree To cut her downe for prouidence diuine Who swayes the axe reuerted spites repine From her to them and set her Lady free Her foes repinde at her not for her crime But sawe her light that would bewray their sinne The sire of sinne then egg'd them on in time To cut her off if they the game would winne But sire and sonnes sonnes of perdition Wrought not Elizaes but their owne perdition And shee not seeking found the way and rose Vnto the Crowne a gall vnto her foes She bound Ioue gaue her manumission And seal'd it with the death and quicke confusion Of greatest foes within Realme and without Poole Cardinall sent from Romish Babylon Arch-Atheist Gardener and an vgly rout Of bloudy Tyrants that had sword in hand And cut truths throat with their foule Enuies band Where soone cut off with their owne bloudy knife Which they had whet to reue Elizaes life As they did all religious in the land Oh deepest wisedome of the powres diuine Oh highest powre of high Iehouah seene In so preseruing powrefull Henries line Well neere vntwisted in the Mary Queene By whom some sought as much as in them lay Elizaes ruine had not God said nay And yea to her preseruing when authoritie Consented to dispatch her Maiestie Of Truth and true Religion counter-stay Her famous Father to the worldes admire First foyled Romish Pharoh in the feelde When Pharohs troupes were neere him and in Ire A miracle to make proud Pharoh yeelde Yet loe perforce he lost his golden fame Within this Realme thrice happy if his name Had dide likewise drownde in obliuion And not haue liude here father of sedition The nurse of Enuy and the gulph of shame Then hopefull Edward did succeed to raigne Truthes proppe and seekes to keepe Romes Septer downe High Ioue him sawe but loe he did not daigne To leaue him long but tooke him from the crowne And from vs thanklesse for the Truth he sent By Henries hand wherein we negligent Were reft of him and of the liuely light And then came darknesse and a dismal night Wherein we sawe not where Religion went But by the blood of Martyrs that was shed Throughout the lande to put out Truthes true light That then did shine as Sunne eclipsed red Yet cast cleare beames vpon each faithfull wight Whose truth was tride their trialls did expresse Their liuely Loue though many made recesse And fell againe into that ougly den Of darke deceit deuouring soules of men In filthy puddle of fraile humane gesse Poore soules bewitched with inchaunted zeale Fell backe and banisht their true sauing guide That guides by grace and not by fond reueale Of giddie heads that liue and lead And Mary Queene alas my soule bewailes That her high vertues had so strong assailes That she was wonne to kill the silly sheepe That were committed to her charge to keepe Her Cleargy rent them with their woluish nailes These vgly beasts attired yet like lambes Lay fawning like the Foxe that plaies and praies They plaide praide on yong ones their dambes If fawnes could not they adde fierce fiery raies To race through Rage and Rigor of the sword Mens true desires of Loues light and Truthes word This Loue this Light this Truth Iehouah sent By Henries hand and Edwards while he lent Him life and while he was faire Englands Lord. But happy Henry and truthes Edward gone The gracefull guides and pillers that vp-staid Religions frame a third arose anon That brake the building that these gracefull layd She pul'd it downe and did erect the stage Whereon was plaid the tragedy of rage It stoode not long the Actors partes were done And they went out Elizaes part begun And all applaud her and her equipage Began it now a part she playd before Not of an Agent but a patient She silent sate and heard the Lions rore Like captiu'd Daniel in a dreadfull tent Her part was not like daughter of a King To whome All hayle the truest subiects bring Curtaines were drawne to sit in all mens view Prince like attended She with bloudy crew Guarded as guilty couer'd with loues wing She foundes her faith not on the sonnes of men Not on frayle flesh not on the multitude Not on the sword not on great wisedomes pen But on Iehouah Prince of Fortitude Fore him she falles to him in faith she cries On him she hopes he on her cast his eyes He spread the beames of his releeuing loue On her distressed but elected Doue On her he made his sauing Sunne to rise His heauenly doue diuinely soar'd from hie With his swift sacred wings and did inspire True trust in her vnseene of humane eye His sacred Doue once come did not retire But did possesse her made his bowre her brest With sacred vertues there he built his nest And there begat all graces heauenly That branch and beare true fruites of sanctity Presaging first now show Eliza blest The more her vertues seem'd to fit the crowne The more did Enuy seeke to blemish it There want no hearts but hands to pull her downe Yet aymd their malice but it could not hit Her guard was sure her Armour enuy-proofe Her friends yet feare and feareful stand aloofe Sad gaue but ayme at th'arrowes of despight Which flew abroad not any on her light Her light did shine and shrowded her reproofe And powers diuine diuinely made the way Cut downe the tree that hindred her to passe The tree cut downe the branches broken lay Disperst forlorne and all fowle Enuies Masse Became a Chaos and a limblesse lumpe Nought stood to stop her but fowle Enuies stump That sprowted still and bare the leaues of spight Truthes Sunne then
shone and withred their delight And they discouered lay as in a dumpe When Mary Queene depriu'd of life was gone Then busie heads breath'd scruples into men For Princes dead then wakes Ambition And vgly strife starts out of hidious den And sowes sedition mongst the multitude Suggesting in successe sad seruitude Though our Eliza heire apparent stoode There wanted not of that inchaunted broode That argue in her sexe small fortitude Among all other doubts the difference Then in Religion seem'd greatest let And had it not bene heauens prouidence That swayes mens mindes and concord set It might haue raisde in Realme sad mutinie But great Elizaes magnanimitie Conioynd with loue made all applaude her raigne And Mary dead they all do shewe them faine To see Eliza in her dignitie Selfe day of Maries death she was proclaim'd With greatest ioy faire Englands Queene Although to let it still foule Enuy aim'd Without preuaile the gall of hearts were seene The Trumpet sounded men for ioy did smile And gaue true signes of ioy for Romes exile That held Truth captiue by Eliza freede Who brought in sowers of that sacred seede That soone grew great and branched in a while And she true Lady lifted to the crowne Ioyes not so much in her high honors throne As in the bringing of fowle Enuy downe That then aloft imposed cause of moane On men then mou'd and did retaine the light That shone as starres in that darke vgly night Which had eclipsed all the Realme throughout That none could see Truthes sun dark round about Yet some in darknesse did continue bright Though when their beames were brightly seene to shine The wolues that wandred for their pray them found And them deuour'd or clapt in dismall shrine Fast tide vntill Eliza them vnbound And brought them forth vnto the light of Sunne And op'd truthes booke A world to see men run To heare and learne the truth long kept from view Forlorne forsaken of that dreadfull crew Now all imbrace Elizaes worke begun And then begun her fruites of faith be seene And publikely she made her loues protest Ere she assum'd the Scepter of a Queene She would through Ioue giue church distressed rest And rest her selfe on his all sacred powre Which well she witnest comming from the Towre Before she did set forward lifts her eyes Giues praise to him in whom all safetie lies Her strong pauilion and her sauing bowre To him with heart and humble voyce she gaue All laud for loue wherein he had preseru'd Her selfe from death her person from the graue To see that ioyfull day yet not deseru'd She did confesse his mercies onely rays'd Her from her dangers And as Dauid prays'd She prays'd his name This argument of grace Gaue gracefull tokens to adorne the place The regall throne Her foes saw it and gays'd They gays'd and grieu'd to see the splending rayes Of great Elizaes fame spread farre and neere Their eyes of spight gaue ayme vnto her wayes She wauered not her vertues shined cleere The Sunny beame of high Iehouahes loue Led her aright All her delight aboue Not in earthes glory which might leade awrye She had Truthes touch and Image in her eye Which no delight or fancy could remoue In this Truthes constant state Eliza stood A liuely mirrour set before our eyes And still she stands Nurse and giues the foode To Iacobs line in whome lifes promise lies Oh great Eliza whome the powers diuine Diuinely helde from falling by loues line She holds the line whereon dependeth peace Truthes peace and plenty and sad warres decease Or else preserues when foes in force combine As hath appeared in her Royall dayes When troupes of troubles haue presented feare By force in field by secret spights essayes By Magicke Art and poysons who did beare Preseruing stroke but high Iehouah's hand He will preserue were troubles as the sand As will the sequele of this worke declare Wherein some practises described are As were prepar'd her though they could not stand A Pensiue soules delight Here are expressed the startagems of foes Elizaes conquests and their falls that rose TAke off the vaile and ope your dimmed eies All ye seduced by the man of sin Conceiue aright consider whence do rise And where the dangers of this Realme begin Looke into Rome the piller of your pride And flatter not the things should be enuide As treasons murders and conspiracies Dreadfull Inuasions and sad miseries These are her fruite they cannot be denide Can thirst for blood stand with Religion Can hatefull murder craue a recompence Then holy writ is but a fiction Tweene sinne and sanctitie no difference To murther Princes meritorious A worke that makes the worker glorious Is 't faith by workes or workes by faith they showe In sheading blood and seeking ouerthrow Of Prince and people a thing most odious How did Pope Paule the fourth fawne on the French And fed their second Francis with desire By force to mount faire Englands Regall bench Who was with ease inuited to aspire In Maries name his Queene Queene of Scots He did pretend with sword to solue the knots That rightly knit Eliza to the Crowne But right by force is sildome seene puld downe Nor for her right Eliza would cast lots As Paule pretends in sentencing our Queene No Queene French Francis in conceit was King And stylde him King as if he King had bene And Francis soaring by ambicious wing Eggd by the Guise did send his force with speede To Scotland English Papists first were feede To aide the French and thence the Realme t' inuade A match but halfe not by both parties made Though strong cōceit might thinke it won indeed But when Eliza saw French Francis rise And fetch his runne to leape into her Land She knew the practise of seditious Guise On whose aspiring wyles the King did stand The Pope the King and Papists stoode Combinde in one in hot aspiring moode And our Eliza lately raisde behelde This play begun Ensignes displayde in fielde She not dismayd nor fearing Enuies broode But soone consulted with Nobilitie Resolu'd and sent her warlike forces hence They paste the Tweede in magnanimity As eger of their Queenes and Realmes defence The French were to the Scots vnwelcome guests Therefore the Scots made English high protests To ioyne their forces to the English bandes A Realme with Realme in loue combined stands Farre more secure then it disiuncted rests But when the French had view of English force And saw Elizaes loue had wonne the Scots The French dismay and sue for quicke diuorce Wishing Pope Paul were present at the lots Where he with his vnwonted warlike trayne Had seene sad sorrow sequell of disdayne That erst disdaynd Elizaes Diademe To take it off and rob her of her Realme And expedition plotted by his brayne The French saw ruine right before their eyes If they should buckle by the dint of sword A dreadfull myst of feare on them did rise And they sought peace