mourne Some of thy power into my brest infuse That my dim candle may the better burne And giue the clearer light vnto her honour Admird so much of all that e're heard on her A subiect far vnfit for such a quill But that I thinke some fatall hand doth guide it And carries mee away against my will Not suffering me within my breast to hide it Such fire as this doth seldome burne within me That hath such power thus from my selfe to win me Nor doe I thinke sufficient my weake skill So great a subiect for to entertaine Far be such thoughts from my vnworthy quill VVhich humbly writes and not for glory vaine No I doe know my selfe praise cannot tempt me Since Learning wit and all things else preuent me But for some stricter bond which neerer ties me And zeale vnto that honord house I owe VVhich far aboue my power doth seeke to trie me My duty in these humble lines to shew This mite of wit this little tallent lent me Which my boūd seruice al too meane hath sent thee For which I doe confesse Minerua might Haue cause to sing in memorable lines The Muses if they did her honor right Might haue sufficient worke for after times And all the learned wits that were of yore Might spēd some paines to grace her vertues more But this vilde age which for the most part graces The vitious nature and the hartlesse mindes And honors asses spring from golden races VVherein true merit seldome any findes For where there 's one such fit for honors place Ther 's ten for him which fils them with disgrace For gilded greatnesse sticke too much with prayses Whose swelling pride bears al things down before thē This age to greater fame and fortune rayses That like to Demigods the world adores them What pearles of prayses daily of them rings Blowne with the winde of adulations wings What armes what trophies haue they not erected What glory brought their vpstart houses to And in this world what persons more respected VVhat is' t so hard but that their power can doe Mamon their God can purchase all for them Lands fame renowne nay more the soules of men These like the Dragon carry with their tayle The third part of the starres and rule the earth Their pride and power with controule preuaile And eate vp poore men like a timelesse dearth These which their greatnesse keepe the world in awe Their will their reason and must stand for lawe For which great cause Dame vertue euer mourns That her owne heires are destitute of fauours And others worthlesse placed in their romes To feed vpon their true deseruing labors VVhilst they doe swell with honours she doth pine And must be forc'd to beg or serue the time Oh yee desired times reuerse your course Vnto those antient customes which were then And let not these preferments lighs of worse VVhich were ordain'd for wise and learned men For honor vertue wisedome worth and merit Are the true heires those places to inherit Oh pardon me if I mistake my pen And from my purpose doe a little swarue It is the great abuses of these men Which doe the time themselues and fortune serue That are vnto that height of greatnesse growne Masking in merits shape and not their owne Was this the first cause of gentilitie Or from what stocke or roote did it descend Was this the ground of true humanitie Their greatnes by their greatnes to offend Was this the race from whom all Gentles sprung Wherein that worthy name was first begun Was lands or large possessions the foundation That men vnto that reuerend title came Or this worlds largest rule or domination Whereon so many did their glories frame If these must be the cause what will you call Adam to be which first possessed all If what this earths great compasse forth could bring Whereof the least part makes a Gentile now Might neither be a Gentlle Lord nor King Nor to him honors nor renowne allowe Why should his broode with pride so much abound Possessing but a little peece of ground Wast wealth or all the riches of the earth Without the which the best are held in scorne That could compose a Gentleman by birth Being meerely from the loynes of Adam borne Oh no if I should craue that faire discent From that foule roote I feare I should be shent Wast might or some oppressing Nymrods hand Whose powerfull pride did awe the weaker creatures And sought by force and violence to command More then his owne and raise that name to nature No heau'ns forbid vsurping tyranny Should ere be sprung from true gentility What was it then from humaine birth deriu'd And had it her first being from that kinde The marke for which antiquitie long hath striu'd And which doth challeng the most fairest signe Oh how can nature I would aske this first Be gentle cald whom heauens before had curst No Adam if that these can title claime As none without them now liues in request And challeng to themselues this gentle name Which at the first was onely giuen the best Then was thy birth thy wealth and worldly store The most and great'st what man had euer more No these are but th' admired broode of time Blowne like a bladder vp with froth and winde Made worldly great by prouidence diuine When small gentility resteth in their minde Their fortunes rises but their vertues fall Poor'st in greatst plenty weake when great'st of all But why doe I to little purpose striue And make my selfe more curious far then wise This name from her beginning to deriue When euery vulgar worldling too precise Doe hold too little for his swelling pride Whom no boūds hold nor compasse true can guide Yet since my laboring pen so much doth craue To search the ground of this so worthy name I must attempt with that bare skill I haue For to define least that I purchase blame For all these foure rehearst can neuer doe it Although they lay hard claime and title to it 'T was vertue merit and an humble minde 'T was curteous qualities and most faire conditions 'T was true desart loue and affections kinde Grac't with the mil'dst and purest dispositions 'T was learned arts and honor which proceeds Not from rough might but weake boūteous deeds 'T was an assisting not oppressing hand That did extend to charitable vses Defending right and truth which could not stand Free in those daies from wrongs and some abuses Whose zeale did burne with vertue and made all Their end true honor not an others fall 'T was iustice piety and a sacred spirit Which first inforc'd that faire name to be giuen Ador'd with famous deeeds and noble merits Whose birth and being is deriu'd from heauen No carnall birth no wealth nor worldly honor Can well be said to haue affinite from her And yet the most this age so much bewitches Digresse from these or else my muse mustly Translated now to honor state and riches In
VERTVES ANATOMIE OR A COMPENDIOVS DESCRIPTION OF THAT late Right Honorable Memorable and Renowned Bedfordshire Lady the Lady CHEANY of Tuddington By CHARLES PIERSE LONDON Printed by William Iones dwelling in Red-crosse Streete 1618. TO THE MOST VERTVOVS AND TRVELY RELIGIous Lady the Lady CROFTS wife to that worthy Knight Sir IOHN CROFTS all health and prosperity in this world and eternall ioy and felicitie in the world to come RIGHT worshipfull or rather Right worthy Lady the title of the former being made more illustrious by the fruition of the latter For honours and dignities are not the precedent cause of vertue but vertue of them I haue I feare assumed too much vpon me and broken the bounds of that old prouerbe â—e sutor vltra crepitum yet worthy Lady on whose fauourable acceptance not on my owne deserts I altogether rely doe humbly craue your Ladiships most gratious protection to shelter me from those malignaÌ„t which might oppose themselues against me I know it wants that beautie hue and amiable aspect which should externally adorne it and make it pleasing in your eyes Yet if your Ladiship please to take a view of the inward truth and sincere deuotion of the heart it may proue as true begotten though not so fairely featured as the rest For as it is in nature so it is in arte much vice may lie hid in faire complexions and much hypocrisie in arte I speake not this good Lady to derogate ought from learned Arts or worthy wits inriched with eloquence whereby my impouerished and naked lines should bee clothed with their garments but that I feare the hard ceÌ„sures of these ill spokeÌ„ times as much as I hope to receiue some fauorable coÌ„struction froÌ„ your worthy selfe If any put out a Quaere and aske me why I wrote this booke I could alledge many reasons but I cease to erect too large a portall to so small a structure I had rather my booke should be abstracted then detracted Giue me leaue therfore rather in few words to expresse what I would then in many what I could speake Since so many whose loues depend vpon your Ladiships desarts doe offer vp gifts a testimony of the loue they owe which haue of long time knowne your most free and gentle dispotions and seene the vertuous inclinations of your minde I could not chuse nor in common Christianitie do any lesse if no other bound affection nor duetie had moued me but shew some thankfulnes with the rest though satisfaction I cannot giue with the best I haue therefore presumed to present vnto your Ladiship not such as your honor doth deserue or as I desire or as my duety and the subiect of my booke doe require but such as my small ability or rather inabilitie could prepare to offer vnto you for hauing no need of externall gifts I giue the internall gifts of the minde as a free thought a lame sacrifice not worthy to be recorded with those great ones which could cast aboue a widowes mite into the treasurie or offer vp vnto their master more then a cup of cold water Reade it most pious Ladie if ought be in it worthy the least respect or fauour it is not mine but her honors and your Ladiships from whose most pure eminent vertues this dimme and darke candle of mine tooke her first light Some may hold it a disparagement to her honor because est ab indigno others may iudge I write truely but not sufficiently both are right for silent duety though in it selfe it is commendable yet in respect of others it winnes more loue being actiue laus virtutis actio and for the other what my weake skill doth deny yet my vrging will supply vltra posse non est esse What should I speake of your Ladiships free and bounteous disposition What should I speake of those ornaments and graces you are both inwardly outwardly indued with which with as many tongues as Argus had eyes spread abroad your deserued worth that I cannot tel whether our soyle more iustly admires you or inwardly desires you Where vertuous life faire children happie state Doe all concurre to make you fortunate And whereas many will hereafter minde you Blest in the issue that you left behinde you In which most fruitfull buds as may out-liue you Your worth and yours a double life may giue you Where though your soule had reacht eternitie Your name on earth may liue and neuer die So thriue faire Lady and flourish euer in those faire pathes of vertue that as it was a blessing to Dauid that one of his seed did inherite his earthly Throne so it may be a greater blessing to your Ladiship that many of your seed should inherite the Throne eternall It was not so great a glory for Salomon to inherite his Fathers Kingdome as his Fathers holinesse and vertues Then how much Madam may you reioyce in eyther that yours enioy not onely much temporall honors and blessings but also are indued with many gifts and graces of the Spirit great louers of vertue and imbracers of true religion and piety Long may they so continue to your Ladiships full ioy Long may they all liue and grow old in honors and vertues and with that Poet euer wish Fortunati omnes si quid mea carmina possunt Nulla dies vnquam memori vos eximet aeuo Thus humbly intreating your good Ladiship to accept this my first and meane labour vnder whose wings it most hopefully trusts I rest Yours all too meane and farre vnworthy seruant but not least deuoted Charles Pierse TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE LORD THE LORD WENTWORTH WHen meannes speakes and honors balance weighes him Had need speake well for feare his tongue betrayes him Lest vndiscerning there discouered lies Some marke of folly to iudicious eies Euen so great Lord my timerous quill proceeds Much like a scholler that his lesson reades Before his awfull master trembling still Whether vnkind he said it well or ill So like that pupill I the lists doe enter More bold then wise to giue the perilous venter And cannot tell what dangers may ensue Did not I hope much honor lay in you Not like that Fortunes brood whose ayrie spirits Doe mount them Icarus-like aboue their merits Where when their flight's at highest rise of all The Sunne doth melt their wings and then they fall Or like Narcissus who did fondly looke On his owne shadow in a crystall brooke And doting on 't stept neerer to haue kist it Where he fell in and drown'd himselfe yet mist it Euen so this world which these faire streames behold Build their attempts vpon such hopes too bold Making the drossie substance of this earth The greatest cause of honor and of birth Some louing honors so buy them to make them Better contented they that can forsake them Yet our best natures faile in this and vse them Hee 's a rare man that proffer'd can refuse them But you great Lord descended of a race Which vertue
merit and desart doth grace Made great by birth and honor not by chance As Fortune's wont her followers to aduance Can better tell these things then I can name them And learne such vaine affections how to tame them Whereby your Predecessors got more grace And more renowne then time can ere deface Combining to your noble house that fame Which liues in you vnblemisht farre from blame And though that I great Lord doe write of that Which Fame the world and time haue wondered at And by aduenturing wrong my shallow wit In ayming at the marke I cannot hit Yet let some gratious censure from your honor Fall on my pen which tooke too much vpon her Since from that streame and fountaine you doe spring As this most noble lady did I sing Her worth impeach't yours must eclypsed bee Which in all things with hers doth co-agree Though my plaine dutie all too meane prefers Yet reade great Lord not for my sake but hers Which was a light to those that farre succeeds For vertuous 〈◊〉 and honorable deeds Who drawes 〈◊〉 such how much more then Need they of vertue store to equall them When springing honor in such tender yeares Vnto the world so fresh and greene appeares What shall we thinke of after comming time But that your glory more and more will shine Where that bright starre within your brest begunne May quickly rise to be a glorious Sunne And in the highest Spheare of golden fame Rides heauens large circuite with your noble name So thriue still honor flourish euer faire Let no clouds rise such glory to impaire Nor your proceedings any whit dismay T'eclypse the beautie of so faire a day But that your glasse at eu'nings watch match may run As faire and cleare as when it first begun Then noble Lord my humble duety spare What wants in me your Honor may repaire And mend those ruinous breaches which my quill Hath fall'n into for want of better skill And I as bound to this shall tune my song Pray heauens true honor may continue long Thus not presuming what may be amisse I pardon craue and make an end with this TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE the Ladie WENTWORTH RIght Honorable ere I doe begin I pardon craue presumption is a sinne Lest I too much vpon my selfe relying May Icarus-like perhaps repēt my flying The plague of many Poets which do think Their owne to be the pure immortall drinke But I that farre inferiour am to them Ascribe no such vain-glory to my pen Nor yet will ouerprize what I do know Is past my skill to iudge or power to show If ought within this little volume lies A worke too weake for your iudicious eyes Which might ' gainst me the smallest fire incense I should be loath to giue so much offence Yet doe not fixe your wrath before you trie And heare great Lady my Apologie Perchance my meannesse barres me of that fauour Which others gaine in as vnworthy labour If that it doth or bare originall birth In sight of heauen is nought or little worth Hee 's no accepter of the noblest blood Aboue the meaner persons which are good All 's one to him his power created all Hee 's great'st with him that on his name doth call The abiects and the out-casts of all things In this prerogatiue may compare with Kings Heauens are not partiall all 's alike respected None for their greatest honor are elected If this be not the cause another yet May hazard what this former could not hit And bid me call in question straight my pen That hath not writ so learn'd as other men Hauing a subiect so repleate with honor And could not shew no better skill vpon her This plunges deeper and hard claime doth lay Vnto my thoughts I know not what to say But since thou can'st not paint nor steale no wit With borrowed shapes or Artes to furnish it In plainest colours thou hast truely pen'd them Vertue and honor need no arte to mend them Besides it was her pleasure minde and will To haue her vertues vnderualued still For it is not so true as common knowne The purest vertues neuer seeke their owne And heauens agree and with their names dispence To grace the truth and leaue out eloquence For he respects the heart more then the tongue Or else we all should doe his Godhead wrong Then if that heauens in this from blame doth free mee Why should not mortals through his glory see mee And set mee free from any scorne and hate Since heauen in all things all should imitate It may be yet another may arise And show it selfe vnpleasing to your eies And that is this the want of wealth and state Which holds too many in disgrace and hate Yet in the sight of heau'ns the poor'st are grac'd And are not for their want of meanes displac'd If the small'st mite or sparke of grace he findes Doth worke at all within their hearts and mindes Nor doth he cast away the poorest slaue From entring in if grace be found to saue But like vnto decayed plants doth cherish Their dying roots and will not let them perish Then noble Lady if that these may claime The least respect and shelter me from blame I shall be glad when first I vndertooke To write to such great minds this little booke Where my too worthlesse duetie more affords Conceal'd within not to be tould in words Accept it Honor then since 't is the first Your greatnesse soone may grac't or make it worse But whether 't is my fortune or my fate I now must take 't repentance comes too late Yet many fauours farre aboue my merit I haue receiu'd from your most noble spirit Which makes me hope that now I shall not misse But likewise be receiu'd and grac'd in this For which I le studie by my best endeauer In faithfull seruice bound fast yours for euer Then noble Ladie deigne to take a view Of those faire vertuous parts and honors true Which faire example left so rich behinde To fill the vertuous storehouse of your minde Whose worthie branches from that tree descended Make honors goe with vertues rich attended Where some of them if all you doe not finde Ingrauen in your honorable minde TO SIR HENRY CROFTS IF that my lines may be at all respected And not for their vnworthinesse reiected Which though too meane faine would remember yet The loue I owe which many doe forget The seruice and the dutie which desires Though your desarts farre greater worth requires To yeeld some thankes by meane endeauors prest You in your better iudgement know the rest From Shepheards cells expect no more to finde Then what may please the best contented minde Our tables are not furnisht with such cost For sumptuous cheere or lofty faire to boast Such as we haue we giue on trust we goe not To entertaine you Sir with that we owe not Nor yet by stealth doe seeke to winne your loue To beare the name of that we cannot proue
and holy men deceased Whereby their great Idolatry's increased If Peter Iames nor Iohn nor reuerent Paul Would neuer suffer but denied those men To offer any sacrifice at all Nor with the smallest worship honor them Why should wee thinke they craue such wonderous ods To be ador'd or pray'd to now like gods If that the Angell would not suffer Iohn Whose brightnesse made him fall downe flatte before him Ascribe no honor but to God alone Nor with diuine prostration to adore him Why should those Saints which were but sinful men Desire such grace and glory done to them Nor sure they doe not did not superstition Broch now for doctrine what true faith enuies And by their Romish trash make such Diuision Which God Saints Angels heauen and all denies Where Christ with them and they with Christ agree To make their prayers t'only none but thee For him hath God the Father sealed true He pay'd the price he bought vs with his blood Then vnto him the debt is onely due Which can in humane iustice be withstood All worship prayer praise and glorie too Belongs to him and more then we can doe For there 's no precept which that dutie bindes No law that doctrine found to ratifie Vnlesse some false zeale and affections blinde Should broach for truth this error first for why Should not the Prophets Patriarkes and the rest Be pray'd vnto which were as highly blest Yes sure their grace their merits and their faith Were euen as great as were the great'st of them And had as much praise giuen as Scripture saith Which heard saw knew and talk'd with God like men More loue more grace more fauor who hath knowne To be to any of th'Apostles showne And yet Romes Towre proud Babell will withstand And broach their owne inuentions for pure truth With sweete compounded doctrines held in hand They cunningly beguile vnstable youth And doe deceiue their soules with name of him Which did descend from heauen to die for sin Which in the habite come of harmelesse sheepe Yet are most strange deuouring wolues within And many holy obseruations keepe To varnish out hypocrisie and sin They seeme pure Saints but looke a little further And you shal find their poisonings rapes murther And yet the heau'ns their lingering vengance spares Good Lord grant grace vnto thy little flocke For to discerne their frauds deceits and snares And build our trust on thee the liuing Rocke That sure and certaine ground which neuer falls When theirs shall waste consume and perish all But thou which build'st vpon that corner stone Thy faith whose fruits so euidently appeares And mad'st thy soules desire to him alone VVhich on his head a crowne of thornes did weare VVhose vnpolluted conscience better tells That truest faith with grace and vertue dwells And where thou seest with those translucent eyes Thy Soueraigne Lord and Sauiour crown'd in glorie VVhich all the waies of his elected tries Through pains griefes teares and sad afflictions storie The patient sufferings of his poore elected VVhich in this world are vil'st of all respected Thus worthy Lady if thy faith was weigh'd VVith many Ladies now it would contend For crowne and praise and all their pride vpbraid VVhich makes externall honor all their end And glory in the greatnesse of their birth Or else their wealth which is as little worth But thou which honor praise and glory sings Vnto the Father of eternitie And to his Sonne which such saluation brings Crowning our faithes with immortalitie VVere now translated to that place of rest I le leaue thy faith triumphing with the best And to that vertue which few ladies knowes Or at the least will not acknowledge knowne Because it loues not pride nor Court-like showes But still retires it selfe to liue alone Sequestred from those great resorts of sinne VVhich many spend their youthfull glories in Is that rich vertue Great humilitie Yet not too great in great men now adayes The onely badge of true Gentilitie If gentle bloods would ponder all her wayes And scand thy worth or truely finde thee out Then Adams brood would neuer be so stout Nor would the mightie Monarchs tyrannize Nor seeke by violence to vsurpe a crowne Nor noble blouds their honors preiudice In treading poore dispised Orphanes downe The quondam Farmer turn'd a gentle now Would not vpon the backes of poore men plow Oppression would not beare so great a hand Nor these Rent-raysers racke their tenants ground Authoritie would not on such strict tearmes stand Nor with his grisly lookes the weake confound No pride nor periuries fraud nor glory vaine Shall haunt thee when this vertue thou hast gain'd The key t' vnlocke the knowledge of the minde That all her imperfections may appeare The salue to cure her eyes that were so blinde The wholesome balme to heale the deafest eare The soueraigne cordiall which the heauens affords To mortall men not to be spoke with words Oh thou which makes the heart of man as poore As is the sparrow on the houses top And commend'st him with feare and shame the more VVhen conscience pleads the sinnes which he forgot A heauie reckoning did not heauen forgiue vs And with their grace and mercie great relieue vs. Thou which pul'dst downe the proud aspiring spirit And makes it leuell with the low estate Confoundest naturall pride wit strength and merit An leauest humane worth cleane desolate Rob'st vs of power and workes to build our trust Not in our selues but Iesus Christ the Iust Thou Queene of vertues and the onely guide VVhich lead'st this ladie to that heauenly rode And that meane path so opposite to pride VVhich in these sinfull times but few haue trode The reines which bridles Natures power tels thē How vile a sinne ambition is and swels them Thou whose low spirit meeke heart and humble minde Did crowne the Conqueresse o're the crowne of pride Thou which did'st lose these toyes those ioyes to finde And hast thy selfe within thy selfe denide Hast found by meekenesse honor rest for crosses Ioyes for thy sorrowe profit for thy losses So gentle curteous affable and kinde That most would think it would disgrace their honor If they should beare but such a lowly minde And much renowne and dignitie take from her As not to vse that state to her belongs Impaire her worth and noble honor wrongs Why should not persons of the noblest straine Their honors vse their state and name vphold Why should they not their glory great maintaine As well as their forefathers did of old It is their owne and they were borne vnto it Why is it counted pride in them to doe it 'T is true great Ladie I do know no cause If honor in it selfe doth liue confinde Nor breakes not iustice loue nor natures lawes Which sauadge beasts in some affections binde That hath well learn'd to know and rule himselfe Imbracing vertue and contemning pelfe But they that glory in their state and greatnesse And gentle curtesie count base