whome did you finde in your watch Did yee finde him because ye did watch or did yee watch him because yee founde him O howe much to you eternall gaine did yee finde him when yee kept your first watch ouer your selues at what time manie of your fellowe Citizens drunke with selfe delight were to their intollerable paine banished their bright and glorious Citie and could neuer againe attaine vnto their former felicitie and because that yee so happâ—ly watched 〈…〉 doe those duties which others sleeping ouershipped yee were admitted to watch 〈◊〉 in his prayse 〈…〉 Holie holie holie Lorde God of 〈◊〉 the earth is full of thy glorie although 〈…〉 hee so gracious in your sight that yee would not stay him or was he of so great might that ye could not He was the purest fountain of grade and the surest fortresse against all griefes But if yee had so iust a cause both of loue and feare why gaue yee him no aunswere vnto his demaund 〈…〉 Loue thought the time too long which was spent in asking the question and desire to finde whom he loued would not let him stay to take an answere But assoone as he had passed from the watch hee found whom he loued for a little inferiour to the angels had he created mankind which through her owne fault was lost and therefore rightly he is saide to find her for vnto Gods Image and likenesse was man made and placed in earth for a time in a Paradise he was plentifullie enriched with all heauenly giftes and created a Prince ouer all earthlie creatures yea the Angels themselues were so made to the seruice of him that from the houre of his birth hath euerie one an Angell attending on him But man not vnderstanding the greatnesse of his owne hoâ—our followed too much his aduersaries him our who beguiling him with faire wordes made him so fond and prodigall that in one instant hee wasted all his patrimonie Man made in the likenesse of God did the diuell ransacke by a cowardly wylinesse and therefore God made in the likenesse of man will restore him againe by a wotthie victorie And now that thou hast found her whom thou louedst thou hast taken such sure holde of her as she cannot goe but wither thou guidest her she cannot rest but where thou remaynest thou hast not onelie brought her into thy mothers house for father and mother was all one with thee in the beginning to expresse that infinite tendernes and loue which thy father had ouer thee thou termest him thy mother but into the chamber also where thou wert begotten keeping nothing secret from her which thou mayst shew she conceiue and adiuring all the daughters of Hierusalem by the goates and harts of the field that they doe not rayse thy loue or cause her to awake before her selfe will A strong loue a strange care doth the diseasing of thy loue deserue so sharpe a punishment as he who doth it shuld be accounted either as a goat whose filthinesse signifieth all wante of grace or as a hart whose fearefulnesse supposeth him voyde of charitie for grace will not dwell with filth and charitie doth expell all feare but what dost thou thinke that euer shee will haue that will to arise or to awake out of thine embracings being so fast ioyned to thee in matrimonie that although yee bee God and man yet ye are not two but one Christ. Great dishonour would it be vnto thee that after so much seeking after her thou shouldest euer suffer her to be diuorced from thee for al which know of how great power thou art will imagine a want of loue in thee to let her goe from thee True it is that by thy proclamation thy warrant of peace in earth auayleth onely such as are of good will but rather supplie theyr peruersnesse with thine effectuall mercy then suffer them to part from thee to their eternall miserie How narrowly didst thou search who wouldest not leaue the most secret corner in the world vnsought howe feruently didst thou loue who to gaine a little something madest thy selfe almost nothing how securely didst thou ioy when thou foundest her to whom thy soule was so surely ioyned thy tears do witnesse it with the which thou doest bewaile her more then thy selfe and bewray thy glad sodaine finding her for her owne safetie But still thy weeping vntill thou art past thy mothers weaning begin now at the last to comfort her with a cheerefull countenance whom thou hast chosen to giue thee this charitable attendance Apply thy selfe to a virgins teate whose breastes contained milke as strangely as her womb conceiued a childe change thy cribbe although sacred with thy first cryes for thy mothers armes in whom are setled thy firmest ioyes shoote vp apace heauenly Impe to mans stature who wert shaped in thy mothers wombe with a mans staydnes and art of more wisedome in thy shortest cloutes then are the grauest sages in their sidest cloakes Runne out thine entended race prouoke al aduerse powers rowse thy selfe as like Lion against thy foes as thou restest like a Lambe amonge thy friendes and shewe as much proofe of thy might against the one as thou hast of thy mildenesse among the other So shall the world in parte bee satisfied that whatsoeuer thou presently sufferest is rather because thou wouldest conceale some secret mysterie then that thou couldest bee compelled by any to fall into this seeret miserie and that thou who couldest commaunde the stately heauens by thy power wouldest not but for some great cause commend so small a hole with thy presence A little hole it was but a most holy place sacred with a more princely presence then are the statelyest pallaces and of no lesse and happie pleasure then is the heaueÌ„liest paradise a place worthy 〈◊〉 prayse where princes dwell without shame where virgins are enamored without sinne where a virgin gaue sucke to the sonne of GOD for so soone as the virgin was deliuered of this prince her breasts beganne to fill and he who of her purest bloud hadde framed the bodye of her princely babe transformed also parte of the reside we into milke for his foode that whence hee had receiued nature hee should also haue his â—â—burishment Nowe may the mount Sinai leaue bragging in the desart of Pharan of the deitie which there gaue a lawe to men by which they might knowe the heauens pleasure Nowe may the Tarpeiaâ— rocke leaue boasting in Roome of her dignitie which receiuing an extraordynarye light from the heauens discouered theyr displeasant Now may the mountaine Morea abate her maiestie in Hierusalem whereuppon stoode the Temple where in an obscure cloude appeared the holyest of all holyes because nowe in a rocke vnder the walles of Bethleem is no Lawe giuen but life a light for to directe not to correct and the holyest of all holyes enclosed in such a cloude as he may both bee seene and handled by his creatures and afterward this rocke was consecrated
by any art be described his glorious throne no eye is able to behold his profound wisedome no vnderstanding is able to comprehend his authoritie no power is able to resist hee liueth in light inaccessible hee ruleth with maiestie incomparable and because his verie name is ineffable too much presumption it were to attempt to set â—oorth the worthinesse of his nature In his workes hee hath shewed himselfe so prouident as all may iustly admire him so good as all may aboue all loue him so sweet as all may ioy sufficiently in him but for any inferiour vnto him selfe perfectly to know him wâ—ere to limit his perfections which are beyond all bounds because they are infinite With this Emperour liued the aboue mentioned Princes without any tediousnesse desire of change or any kinde of sorrow being incapable of any thing but happinesse vntill a maruailous rare and rigorous seeming accident befell them for their Emperour hauing one onely sonne equall vnâ—o his father in power might and authoritie and in no one poynt of perfection degenerating from him from both whome for the infinite likenesse betwixt them proceeded an infinite loue hee deputed him to a publike shamefull and a painefull death which did so amaze the Princes attendant whose loue was no lesse vnto him then vnto his father that might they haue beene suffered they would all haue sustained that punishment to haue saued their Prince but their offer was refused for the sentence was irreuocable The motiue of this vnnaturallâ—seeming iudgement was an exceeding great loue which hee bare vnto a Lady his adopted daughter who was so enchaunted by her owne folly as of a most comely and beautifull creature shee became so mishapen and so vgly that shee was loathsome euen vnto her selfe This enchauntment was by eating an apple of which her father before had giuen her warning shee should not taste vpon perill of that which should ensue thereof but her pride was so great that ingratefull to so good a Lord and disobedient to so carefull a father shee followed the motion which was made vnto her by a false though a fayre spoken enemie and eate thereof contrarie to her father his commaundement The Enchantment was so deuised that hauing taken effect it should not bee dissolued but by the death of the onely sonne of an Emperour who should exceede all the princes in the world in giftes both of bodie and minde he should bee peerelesse for his birth riches beautie wisedom and might whose father should neuer know any woman nor his mother any man and should in the very selfe same instant both haue and want both father and mother The liking by any such prince of such an vnlouely Lady being vnlike and the birth of anie such prince or other seeming impossible made the Enchanter secure that this his work should endure for euer The Enchanter himselfe was one of more malice then might but yet of more might then an vnrulie assailed could well resist Hee was sometime a prince of the Emperour his court among princes a prince being endewed with farre more excellent gifts then any his fellow princes and exalted vnto that honor as hee was reputed the chiefest vnder his Lord and Maister but bearing himselfe so proudly against his maker hee found by too late an experience that hee who bestowed those graces vpon him could also againe bereaue him of them and because hee had once abused them with intollerable pride hee should euer after be abridged of them to his eternal pain To reuenge which disgrace hee assayed the Ladye the Emperour his daughter and wonne her loue so farre foorth as shee gaue more credite vnto him then vnto her father and would do more at his request then at her fathers commaundement for although she seemed at the first to haue a small liking vnto his motion yet with faire promises and too farre aboue his power to performe in the ende hee made her giue a consent vnto her vtter ouerthrow had not the Emperour his sonne being deputed by his Father thereunto vndertaken to release her by the losse of his owne life The ransome being appointed to be disbursed infinitely exceeding that which was to bee redeemed too gracious for so vngracious a creature and too bountifull for her who wilfully made herselfe bondslaue by selling outright a royall and reall good for a proud imaginatiue Godhead a great difficultie arose in what manner it should be paid for the prince being of so excellent a nature that he was not capable of the smallest annoyance and in so strong a hold that hee could not sustaine the least harme much lesse the losse of his life it was needfull he should both take vppon him a nature and abide in such place as in which and where he might effect his desire Here loue which maketh euery one it possesseth to conforme themselues vnto their loue quicklie determined what was in doubt and make this conclusion that hee should take vppon him the same nature of which his sister was and her peruersenes onely excepted hee should in all thinges bee like vnto her which conceit loue made so conformable vnto his former counsell as the more hee thought vppon it the fitter the meanes seemed to bring his purpose to a good passe For first he thoght that hereby hee might in a most louelie manner enioy her companie whome hee so entirely loued without giuing any cause of ielousie to her ouerdiligent keeper Secondly hee thought that the keper taking him for his captiue might the more easily be ouertaken by his carelesnes Thirdly he thought this nature fittest for his purpose that shee whome hee loued being of the same nature might the better gesse at the torture hee should suffer for her sake because by the shedding of his blood hee was to worke her safety and fancy him the sooner who would aduenture so far to win her loue who was not worthy of a good looke Wisedome therefore guiding the sterne as carefully as loue seemed continually to fill the sayles the prince proceedeth with no lesse policy then speede and searching who of vnworthies was least vnworthy for no one was worthy to mother such a sonne hee founde a maiden so farre exceeding all the rest that he thought it both needles to seeke any further shee was so fitte for his purpose and impossible to finde her peere she was so pure a creature shee was descended of a princely race but liued very obscurely and although she were espoused to a mate yet meant she to remaine a maiden A princely ofspring was fittest to conceiue such a maiesty and a poore maiden meetest to cloake so high a mystery of her he determined to bee borne without a Father who before all beginnings was begotten without a mother This maide dwelt in Palestina the chiefest Prouince of Syria enuironed with Syria and Arabia on the east side on the south with the desart of Pharam and Egypt on the west with the Mediterranean sea and on the North with
king Dauids messenger when hee sent to demaund her consent vnto him in marriage shee sayde vnto this Prince Embassadour Behold the handmaid of my Lord bee it done to me according to thy word Her consent obtained the Embassadour gaue her a farewell mixed with such ioy and reuerence as if hee had beene loth to detract time to be gone with so great good newes and yet could not but stay a while to doe his dutie but being of that agility that hee could passe so much space in a moment as is betwixt heauen and earth dispatched himselfe wirh that speede that in a trice hee both encreased a ioy in the place where hee was began another in the place from whence hee came Whereupon Loue who is impatient of delaye caused him from whom as well as from his father proceed infinit loue with all his might to pursue this matter the wole Trinitie working miraculously in the wombe of the Virgin gathering of her most pure bloud together framed therof in one instant a perfect body no sooner could that body enioy the soule which was created for it then the emperor his son vnited the whole vnto him a work as worthy praise as wonder so wonderful as reason hauing tyeâ—d it selfe in discourse of this worke leaueth off beginneth to do nothing but wonder for which cause one among the rest being wearied with ouer much musing began to refresh himselfe a little with his Muses In this maner Whom earth the sea the heauens doe worship praise adore King of this threefolde frame the wombe of Marie bore To whom Moone sunne and all do seruice in their turnes Chast bowels be are with fall of grace which from heauen comes Blessed such a mother within whose wombe is closde Her heauenly maker holding from being losde With ease the world and blest for that she had receiude By angels mouth addrest a message she belieude That she conceiuing by the helpe of holy Ghost He should within her lie Whom Gentils wished most But although others lost themselues in the consideration of this diuine mysterie the Virgin no doubt was so perfectly instructed in it that shee sound as much knowledge as she had felt comfort and her comfort was the more because her knowledge was so great and remembring that the higher shee was in calling the more lowly best beseemed her to bee in her carriage shee did alwayes with most humble thoughts attend vpon high conceits neither thinking at any time too well of herselfe for that shee should mother so worthy a prince nor yet so vnwary as to giue any cause why from thence forth hee should disdaine her to bee his mother Among other her comforts she remembred what the Embassador had said vnto her of her cosen Elizabeth whome before shee loued but now she longed to see and if the wayes presented themselues in her imagination very long her desire looked to bee preferred which was in heart also very great and the time of the yeare being both fit and pleasant to trauel in enuited her ernestly to the iorney to a citie called Hebron in the mountaines of Iuda liing southward from Ierusalem 22. miles one of the most famous cities in Palestina for antiquitie and of greatest renown because it was sometime the kings seat The inhabitants of this place were sometime such men or rather monsters as neither eye coulde without horrour beholde nor eare without feare heare speake here was Dauid who slew Goliah the Giant in a single combat with his sling annointed king and ruled all Israell by the space of seauen yeares a place also for this cause had in reuerence by all the worlde for that Adam the first parent of all mankind here is said to haue forsooke the world here also was Iacob the great Patriarke buried his father Isaack who was miraculously in this place coÌ„ceiued by Sara when shee was by natures course past childbearing from hence Abraham issued with 318. of his men and ioyned with him the 3. brethreÌ„ maÌ„bre who gaue name to the valley ioyning vnto it Aner and Escoll pursuing 4. kings conquerors ouerthrew them neare vnto mount Libanus and broght back all the spoile which they had taken out of the richest part of the country and was here also afterward buried A place notoriously 〈◊〉 froÌ„ the beginning of the world with an oak which continued there 400. years after the incarnation of the young prince we spake of it was one of the 46. cities which were allotted vnto the priests to dwel in Hether hastened the virgin if not so well accompayned as noble welthie parents could send their only daughter aswel for her gard as theit own credite yet neither was it likely she wold caresly of her selfe haue strayed so far alone nor her parents suffer her to go without some company being so far froÌ„ the basest blood in Palestina as they were of the best none of the poorest who coulde spare vnto the temple one third part of what they had an other to relieue the poore but her chiefest gard was inuisible and therefore it was inuincible for if euer any princes with child trauelling was choisely attended on least any hurt should befal vnto her or vnto that shee wente with much more was shee and euery thing so well ordered as she neither felt any inconuenience in long vneasie wayes being a yong maiden nor found any 〈◊〉 in her iorney by her burden being lately become a mother for it is not to be thoght that he which came to bring ease for his enemies would breede any paine in his best friendes But no sooner had shee set fooâ—e into her cosens house and saluted her but the child within her cosens wombe be wrayed who shee was and Elizabeth by diuine instinct cried out with a loud voice beginning where the Prince Embassador had ended his salutation and saide vnto her Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe whence is this to mee that the mother of my Lord doth come vnto mee for beholde as the voice of thy salutation sounded in myne eares the infant in my wombe did leape for ioy blessed art thou which didst belieue because those things shall be accomplished which were spoken vnto thee by our Lord. The sunne although it appeare vnto vs to bee in a cloude because there is a cloude betwixt it and vs is not altogether depriued of his power but giueth some light and by his light life where it lighteth and the sonne of iustice hauing builte his glorious throne in the wombe of a virgin where hee did as it were ascend vppon a thinne cloude shall he lease his vertue and not rather worke not of any necessitie as a natural cause of such like qualited effects but voluntarilie as a liberal and free agent of supernaturall graces How may wee thinke woulde hee draw vnto him if hee were once exalted who drewe so mightilie being imprisoned for
found Mary Ioseph in a rock without the town wals fast by them an infante lying in a maunger betwixt an oxe and an asse after that they had in their rustical maner maruailed inough thereat in some rude sorte they did their small deuotion vnto their Lord and then declared vnto the maiden mother howe they were sent vnto that sacred place by whom and for what cause likewise what musicke they hearde after the message was done vnto them but care of their flock excusing their short tariance they tooke their leaue in the best manner they could feeding the virgins thoughts with these words filled the world with wonder O happie shepheards honoured aboue the highest soueraignes in being chosen to bee beholders of this heauenly babe blessed bee the eyes which see what yee did see for many kinges and princes would haue seene what yee did see and haue heard what ye did heare and could not but tell vs good shepheardes tell vs what yee did see The king of glory the glory of heauen the heauen of Angels the Angels â—oy the heauens ornament glories truest image who was when no other thing was although that others were begotten before all worldes although borne after that himselfe had builte the world as old as the most auncient although an infant of an houre a prince of peace but a conquerour of mighty powers a mirrour of loue but a reuenger of wronges the God of might but become a man O heauenly sight but where good shepheardes did you see what you say and in what sort In Bethleem of Iuda or to say more true without Bethleem because in Bethleem was no room for him he lay a young tender and a most delicate infant in a rude rocke without the towne walles in the very sharpest time of winter without any succour but what hee receyued by the breath of an oxe and an asse which stood tyed to the maunger wherein he was laide for although his mother could not bee far from him yet had she not wherewithall to comfort him but rather wanted cherishing herself not being without some griefe to see her owne bowels lie shiuering for cold who coulde with a worde haue made the heauens to shake whom Angels could not without terror behold in heauen to lie trembling in a maunger O heauie sight that the corner stone vpon which the safety of the whole world was to bee founded hewed out of a rocke without mans hands shoulde now be so laide in a rocke as it seemeth to be left almost by all but by a rocke O hearts more hard theÌ„ the most stony rocke O heades more dull then the most senceles beast O Bethleem hadst thou been so poore as thou couldest not thou mightiest haue beene excused but thou wert so peeuish as thou wouldest not and therefore art thou iustly refused had humility aunswered for thine vnworthinesse to receiue so noble guestes happie hadst thou beene and thou hadst beene made worthy but a contrarie humor made thee swell so bigge as thou wouldest not haue any spare roome for thy Lorde and maker at what time both the oxe knewe his owner and the asse the maunger of his maister and sticked not by the instinct of nature to giue him entertainement and the institutor of nature vouchsafed it Succour heauenly Peeres your prince since that hee whome yee tooke delight to beholde in heauen is destitute of helpe in earth and disdained of such as yet knew not their owne dignity forget that he choose ratherâ— be a man then an angel â—or now doth hee feele that he hath taken vpon him a nature which cannot helpe it self and left an other which could haue helped others Be present worthie princes at this spectacle and giue diligent attendance vpon him and his mother who pittied him as much as yee did although shee coulde not profite him well might his wailing make her weepe being her owne most noble tender and sweete infant but all the helpe she could giue him was scantlie worth the hauing at that instant O hardie shepheards to hazard sheepe and selues rather then fore â—ow the sight of this little infante right worthie were yee to be lighted in the middest of the darkenesse with a more piercing light then eyther the sunne is by daye or your starre by night the fielde wherein you watched your flocke was lighted the senses wherewith yee watched your selues were lighted but your soules seemed to haue receiued the chiefest light which coulde so perfectlie knowe whome your senses see and for whose sake yee forsooke for the time your flocke except what ye saued to present vnto this infant but go shepheards go and shewe vnto the worlde whome yee haue seene in want O Ioseph thrise happie because it was thy happe to light whereas thou couldest not chuse but like Now doest thou see the Saint whome thou hast serued to be such as neither heauen nor earth can shew thee the like What sweet flowers haue budded in thy land what soueraigne fruite haue blossomed the time being now come that the husbandman would pruine euerie tree and trimme it for the last triall whether it would rather carrie fruite worthie his pheere or become fewell for a neuer wasting fire The mournefull voice of a sorrowfull Turtle is heard in thy land because in his owne it could not hauing lost his entirely beloued mate for the recouerie of whome he would refuse no martirdome Stand not therefore any longer wondring to heare him so grieuously lament but rather trie if by wayling with him thou mayest lessen his woes approach neere vnto this princely infant whome although thou wert not worthie to father yet must it bee thy worke to foster hardly didst thou conceiue of thy spouse when she conceiued this infant but happily didst thou receiue her when thou wert better enformed and now mayest thou see it waking of which thou wert warned sleeping that shee conceiued without sinne who was deliuered without pâ—ine O sweete office graunted thee with as sure a pattent to be a garde to grace a comfort to compassion a nurse to nature a supposed father to him to whom princes sue for fauour O trustie guardian of grace his truest gemme to haue the sole custodie of thy Prince his chiefest spouse to haue the sole conducting of thy prince his mother to haue the sole comforting of her when she was deliuered of thy prince both worthy of thy loue the one thy mate the other thy maker both worthy of thy seruice the one thy God the other his mother both wanting at this time thy helpe the one a tender infant the other a young maiden How vndoubtedly shal thy seruice be recompenced thy loue requited doubly for thy present good will shalt thou hereafter be presented with a crowne of glorie Continue then thine accustomed care toward thy spouse and her infant that thou mayest bee a sufficient witnesse to the worldes wonder as well of her motherly charitie as thou art of her
maidenly chastitie and that at one and the selfe same time she was both a pure virgine and a perfect mother And thou diuine Ladie most happie of all to be his mother who was thy maker O how well did those wordes of the Angell fit thee when hee said thou wert ful of grace being presently to be fraught with God Behold now thy sweet infant borne into the world who was nine monethes borne in thy wombe Looke where hee lyeth for whose sight thou hast so much longed embrace him at libertie in thine armes whom thou haddest imprisoned in thy bowels O how well did he prouide for thy comfort who picked out so solitarie a place where thou wert not likely to haue much companie that thou mightest haue thy fill in looking on him embracing him and kissing him whom although thou seest lie crying in the manger thou knewest hee was thy Lord and maker and no lesse admirable in the sight of Angels then amiable in thine Thou neither needest to rise by night nor yet to range by day to seeke whom thy soule doeth loue nor to aske of any watchman whether they did see him for they which came through the citie vnto thee at night would without any demanding demonstrate vnto thee where thy loue did lie He sought thee he found thee he tooke such hold of thee as hee meaneth still to haue thee thy lappe must bee his board thy bosome his bed and betwixt thy breasts doth he resolue to build his nest Pouertie much hated by others ought to bee honoured by thee for that this meane estate hath brought thee more profite then could a princely port O happie want which compelleth thee vnto thy harts wish for now that he hath not where els to lie thy lest arme must be a boster vnder his head and thy right arme a border round about his bodie Now that hee hath not where els to liue thy cottage must bee his court thy company his comfort He is the center of thy thoughtes about which they rowle He is the loadstone of thine eies from which they cannot roue He is the rocke against which thy speeches breake driuen by a violent passion he is the rest which thy thoughts best brooke diuided by a new affection the which are as often supplyed by teares as thy wordes by them being neither able to speake that which thou couldest nor to thinke that which thou wouldest for thou wert both ouertaken in thy wordes with thine owne gladnesse and ouercharged in thy thoughtes with thy sonnes greatnesse yet speake what thou mayest thinke that which thou mayest not speake and in the ende let thy loue-teares witnesse that thou art as farre vnable to vtter thy thoughts as thou art from thinking the vttermost Proceed then blessed virgin to embrace thy princely babe presse him in thy bosome who hath pierst thy breast let him neuer passe from thy hand who hath possessed thy heart but seeing hee being thy Lord hath taken on him the person of a child and vouchsafed to be thy sonne thou being his maiden feare not to vse both the priuiledges of a nurse and the preheminence of a mother But O most sacred babe heauens blisse helles bane worthie of all praise because the worker of our peace shall wee congratulate thy comming into the worlde or grieue that thou art become so short a word the largest heauens were lately to little for thee and now a little hole can do more then lodge thee A short word but a sweet worth more of thine owne desire then of our desert for if thine owne loue driue thee it was thy goodnes if ours drew thee it was thy gift But tell vs sweet babe in whome affection hath fully supplyed the defect of thy tongue as yet an instrument onely of a lamentable sound as thine eyes were fountaines of sorrowfull teares tell vs why hast thou loosed from the right hande of Maiestie to arriue in a restlesse hauen of miserie Was it to recouer againe the right which once was passed by thee and inrolled in a most faythfull record The heauen of heauens to the Lorde but the earth hee hath giuen to the sonnes of men and therefore wouldest thou of an omnipotent God become an impotent man yea and contented to bee accounted and that in scome king of the Iewes who wert the true king both of the Iewes and of the Gentiles or rather was it to right the wrong done vnto the Ladie whō thy father adopted to his daughter thou tookest for thy sister and to redeeme her from her vnmercifull conquerour who had bereft her of her matchlesse beautie and whatsoeuer else nature and grace could bestow vpon her importunated other by her suit or rather inchaunted by thy selfe thy loue towarde her being without limit and her losse of thee being infinite Tell vs sweete babe who arte an eternall worde although nowe too young to speake tell vs what caused thee to descende from thine vnspeakeable dignitie in which thou wert the onely food of Angels vnto an irreparable infamie because thou art nowe become the meate of beastes for as an infallible truth hath reuealed vnto vs. All flesh is grasse and grasse is beasts feeding In my bedde by night I sought whom I loued I sought her but I could not find her Inough sweet babe since that loue hath no higher cause all this thou diddest because thou diddest loue 〈◊〉 thou diddest loue because thou diddest Well do I conceiue thee to haue beene in thy bed that is at thy quietest repose but what nightes were those where we supposed to haue bin one continuall day or what darkenes could grieue thee who art the brightnes of thy fathers glorie Care which contrarie to the nature thereof made thee looke many thousande yeeres yonger then thou art did perchaunce contrarie also to the nature of the place seeme to bring a night where the Sunne neuer vsed to goe downe or cause thee to bee hidden in a cloude who art the light of heauen that not without some cause thou mayest say in the night in thy bedde tho◠soughtest whom thou louedst but what when thou couldest not find her in thy bed I will rise and go round about the Citie through the streetes and open places will I seeke whome I loue I sought her but I could not find her But what among all those glorious companie couldest thou not finde thy loue If heauen bee not woorthie to holde thy loue howe shall the earth yeelde her vnto thee But it seemeth by thine intended course that hell it selfe shall not escape thy search But when thou couldest not finde her in the Citie The watch found me which kept the Citie sawe yee whom my soule doth loue And when I had a little passed them I founde whome I loued I helde her and will not let her goe vntill I haue brought her into my mothers house and into her chamber who bred me O worthie Citizens of the heauenly Hierusalem for whome did yee watch Or