the verdure into canker and the beames of the Sun beat vpon his head his courage at an instant conuerted into faintnesse It is better for me saith he to die then to liue Thus this great Prophet grew in passion against thee for shewing thy power vpon his poore shelter vpon that little shade he sat in what then shall poore I say to one so potent I that am sodden in sorrow and yet my boyling brought to no end exposed to the sonnes fierie rigor neuer to bee remooued neuer to bee refreshed Oh my LORD I feele a rebellious battell within me keepe downe my tongue let it loose to no language but those sounds of the Psalmist I am dumbe and do not open my mouth because thou hast done it But thou Lord laye thine hand vpon my mouth that my redoubling dolour burst not out into outragious murmure and I beeing a foole my selfe charge GOD with foolishnesse My sonne when as yet his child-hood swayed his estate in nature bent his full endeuour to the attaining perfection in the principall tongues and all honest and honourable disciplines hee neuer wanted instigation but rather inhibition his forwardnesse was so toward and his towardnesse so forward and still as his growth enabled him so hee enured himselfe to all illustrious exercises sharing his time betweene the splendor and light of learning and the thunder and lightning of warre that Mars did seeme to grudge that Minerua had so great a part in his perfections His youth saw him a traueler in most countries Christian extracting what euer made for vertue where euer he found it and expelling vicious affect farre from him where euer he met it The industry and ornament of each peculiar was in his obseruation as in a store-house carefully reposed for practise the defects and exorbitance of each obserued also but without the slightest acquaintance and with the carefullest auoydance of their least touch or tainte But now growing to one degree rearer the ful man beholding France her pacification with a minde not minding peace resoluing to set forth his vertue vpon the quest of Honor away he departeth to Holland the worlds Theater or the sepulcher whether to giue his valour action vnder Prince Maurice the Fortrazer of this our age and there duely performeth all the dueties of a future captaine and a present-hearted souldior For hauing had command in diuers seruices vnder the vnconquered King of France by his especiall appointment hee was firmely resolued to write in wounds vpon his enemies bodies that he was worthy of that enstalment from so worthy an aduocate Many held his resolution too hot and heady but that he would haue left had he liued the temperaâ—e affects that attend vpon the years of maturity would haue allaied his youthful feruor had he surniued to haue seene maturty Meane while all these illustrious instruments of industrious verture stored he togither for the glory of his God the seruice of his King the benefit of his country the defence of honesty in euery son of hirs they were also prepared by piety so seasoned by equity and so preserued by charity it was admirable to see Zeale haue so faire an harbour in such a youthfull and fiery spirit and Piety to stand supported with diuine studies higher by the head and shoulders theÌ„ al the other though high honorable vertues Here againe began I to set vp my rest and trust vpon him as on a stay to my feete and a staffe to mine age O my Lord said I Thou of thy louing kindnesse hast made my mountaine to stand strong thou Lord art the shadow on my right hand But ah behold the thing I feared is fallen vponmee the thing I was afraid of is befallen mee Here is a sad breach of natures order for the father to prepare the funerall of the Sonne for the father to bee the sons suruiuer All the thoughts of my heart are now turned into confusion All my affaires in my house in my heart all quite confouÌ„ded vtterly out of frame Goe then and guird thy selfe with sackcloth wretched man wallovv thy selfe in ashes make lamentation and bitter mourning Why let mee goe meete with death also what delight is there in delay I I that haue out-liued so many sorrowes so many perills nay now the losse of mine owne bowells and nerues and yet liue to record the cutting of mine owne heart-stringes nay my heart it selfe Thou hadest a King LORD and Israell had a light who when hee heard of the death of his Sonne albeit hee was a rebell and would haue beene a parricide yet burst out in a full presence and cried O Absalon my sonne vvould God I had died for thee O Absalon my son Thus turned hee the safety of his people into teares and mourning and shamed the faces of all his seruants beeing so loath to leaue the dust hee layd in that Ioab was faine to threaten him with the sedition and departure of the people from him What then shal I do ah what shall I not doe hauing lost an only sonne a companion a kinsman a brother theÌ„ whom choose which of these you can neuer man had a better what life is worth loue nay what death is not worth life to mee in this helplesse extremity Oh but my soule my soule returne a little vnto thy rest mans waies nor his life thou knowest are in his hand In the Lords hand is the breath of euery liuing thing and the soule of all mankinde And GOD cutteth of the daies of man for in his hand is in the number of his monethes which none either preuenteth or surpasseth and yet doth not GOD decree any thing with follie Therefore say rather to thy selfe and bee not sorie for saying so I am dumbe and doe not open my mouth because thou hast done it But thou LORD keepe a bridle within my mouth be sure Lord that thou see that my lips be not let loose to impute vniustice vnto thee oh no but let theÌ„ euer oppose iniquity attribute righteousnesse vnto my maker Ah! but my gracious Lord I am full of dolorous matter my spirit swells within me and compells mee Behold my belly is as the wine that hath no vent wanting vent resembles the embotteled aire that breakes through all that bindeth it in Therefore I wil speake I thinke it bee best that I may take some breath against this abundant excesse of sorrowe Thou knowest LORD of all mine and all others life what I aymed at in my Sonne my scope in him was not excluded from thy supereminent vnderstanding Had I any thought any intent but to imploy his lustre wholy to the illustration of thy glory the Churches good increase and his Kings countries grace no no I consecrated his yeeres in their fullest maturity his vnderstanding in the greatest perfection wholy and soly to those sacred employments At that all my vowes leuelled vnto that all
my prayers tended with that all mine instructions concluded in yâ— all mine endeuours were bounded that ah nothing but that was the center from which all my cogitations were drawne and the circle to which they tended But it was thy pleasure Lord in the meane space to make mee the point the marke where-at thou wouldest shoote so that I am now become mine owne burden Nay thou hast shot me thorow that through the sides of mine onely sonne striking Father and childe starke dead both at one stroke Alas thou Lord of mine are thine eares become deafe is thine heart growne obdurate also is that that eternall neuer-dried fountaine of thy free mercy frozen with colde or dryed with heate when I come to drinke and vnto none but mee It is true Lord that If I should dispute with thee I should not answere thee to one thing in a thousand Thou art wise in heart and mightie in strength When thou takest a prey who can enforce thee to restore it who shall say vnto thee why didst thou thus I but I do not sticke in the courts of thy power Lord I presse in vnto thy very sanctuarie and looke all about mee vpon thine exceeding power commixt and contemperate with thine vnmeasured goodnesse and thine inscrutable wisdome Thou Lord art righteâ—us in all thy wayes mercifully holy in all thy workes Nay thy mercy is aboue all thy workes Therefore are thy iudgements deep thy mercies a boundles a soundlesse depth thou giuest these as Cauterismes in Phisick not as hurtes in hostilitie Wee thoght thou hadst not heard our vowes and see thou hast heard them truer then wee were aware of our wordes it may bee thou refusedst but our intents thou hast admitted and signed both our desires with a better condition to vs both to our sonne thou hast done better in taking backe as thy iust due him that thou hadst but lent vnto vs during thine Almighty pleasure and seating him in Heauen whome thou hadst but shewen and scarcely that vnto the Earth to vs thou hast done better in taking him out of the dangers of the worlds deuouring whirle-pittes wherein perhaps wee might vnto our more excesse of sorrow haue seene him swallowed and haue swum after that Funerall in a Sea of more bitter teares Once againe here Lord seale vp my lippes once more here binde mine organs of speech for the flesh rebels and compels me nor see I meanes to bridle it it is growne so head-strong and so impatient of suppression It bids mee say why tookest thou him away ere his time thou inexorable creditor that wouldest not stay thy day but catche him vp ere his fate was ready to call him True thou fraile flesh and bloud why was it not his time to take him that was Times Creator and what is fate but the will of GOD the Father And what better limite hath life in any of vs all then the rest from all our labour And what matter is it whether the ship of our mortality bee brought to the hauen by a sterne tempest or a gentle gale by winde or by tide had not hee that from all eternitye predestinated the moment of his birthe the same power to decree the houre of his death by If thou haue any reason to complaine that thou lost him so soone the same cause hast thou to expostulate why thou hadst him no sooner or no later but eâ—en then when hee was giuen thee and doost thou thinke hee hath not liued long enough whose life his countrie extolleth whose funerall song the purest Christ of God singeth This as vertues desired rewarde haue many worthye men bestowed much toyle to attaine hardly deseruing it in their declining age and their frostiest part of nature which hee gotte signed him ere hee gotte out of his youth ere his age was at the Summer Solstice namely his wish and want in the hearts of al such as honor goodnesse Therefore thou talkest like a foolish Woman goe and learne better language of the wise It is not length of time but wisdome a life well lead a course well runne in the Lord come wee neuer so soone to the stake that is the true grauitie The sanctified man dye hee neuer so soone hath had a long time Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of such as hee holdeth deare and that for euer But thou hast no measure thou fraile corruption thou art in my bosome againe with an other friuolous obiection Hee was all all the sonnes I had and now I haue neithâ—r sonne nor daughter amongst my people nor any posteritie in my dwellings No GOD knowes not I and in the meane while the imaginers of mischiefe such as like Moles digge groueling in sinne vntill they haue cast vp a mount of hatefull enormitie against Heauen Their seede is established before them and their generation stands strong in their sight It doth O but stand stand a little and cast an eye about Now tell mee how many great Princes and Potentates thou seest to sit debarred from the fruite of progenie and the fruition of children in so much yâ— the whole world seemes to stagger for want of stayes from their loynes and to endeuour to make them fruitfull by bathing their barrennesse in fulnesse of teares And what hast thou foregone that thou shouldest so grieue at a modell of vertue whom all men respected more then hee in whom it was resident a patterne of honorable honesty forcing praise from others and following nature in himselfe Ah fixe thy fickle heart and giue the Deity his due praise How often are the branches of the wicked shiuered in sunder with the winde Nay let vs grant them that which God seldome granteth their full growth the fruite they bring is vnprofitable not relishing any taste nor befitting any vse But call thy thoughts home to thine owne issue why in him his sweetnesse of fruite thrust his sweete blossome from the stalke his vnparalleld vertue pressed out the delicious iuice of his sweete fruite and left it to bee casked vp by all succeeding posteritie And now the tents of the godly are perfumed with his rare and redolent fragrancie his heate nay and that in the height his ardor armes and animates them all to emulation of vertue Time ranked many with him in respect of age and gaue his fore-lock into diuerse hands assoone as his yet were there not any of his time that knit that lock into so many knots of vertue as he did what canst thou grumble further at yet mee thinkes thou art not satisfied oh thou wouldst faine haue had him as thou thoughtst thou hadst begotten him to beene the heire of thine intents to haue beene enfcoffed in thy determinations and haue suruiued to haue inherited thine honest and goldy endeuoures I pray thee now looke after him once for mee that hast longed so for him in thy selfe Now blind man hath he not discerned his heritage
goodly haruest of glory had fallen to him had hee fallen sooner himselfe What a lasting disgrace be-rusted his lustre by his liues lasting so long The world seeth it and sighes to see it Well hast thou done also vnto mee his Father for it is not vnknowne to thee what an anxiety and restlesse disquietnesse of thought possessed mee concerning his passage out of those bogs that the world had layd all about him And of his descent from so tottering a stand in the wheele of the destenies reuolution A feare a chill feare like a feuer still hung at mine heart-strings in doubt of his deliuerance from these dangers which now I see effected now is hee after all my cares after his education in the true fayth his discharge of the duety of a Christian souldier and his little progresse in the pathes of more maturity and discretion taken out of this worldes winter and placed in the caelestiall Summer climate and in the soule quickning Sunshine of the Trinity Well hast thou done to mee LORD in this also as long as the world had my Son my Son had my heart consequently the world kept it fixed on an vnfit and fickle foundation But now in calling him away thou hast euen almost there wants but one other pull torne me vp from my rooting in earth to be transplanted in thy celestiall paradise the world holds mee now but by two or three slender fiuers let but the mariners giue one other sweigh and mine anchor will come vp for altogetherâ— and I wil cast off al and say onely this It is good for mee to adhere vnto my GOD. Come Lord Iesus come quickly I was a sleeâ—e in sin Father but thou gauest me a sound pinche and set mee quickly on my feeâ—e to cast ouer my cause by thy decrees to prooâ—e my selfe guilty before thy bench to yeeld to the iustice of thine euer iust sentence and yet to avow thy mercies in euery pardoning the penitent And therefore I will euen make no more a doe but say with thy seruant Iob condemne mee not but shew me the cause why thou contendest with mee I haue sinned my mercifull Lord I confesse and I sinne dayly in sin was I bred in sinne was I borne sinne seazed my youth and hath lackeied my life vnto this age O my gracious Lord come thou and free mee from my secret sinnes lay thy finger Lord vpon my soule and tell mee that here and here is such a canker bred So shall I see the vlcerous carcasse of my spirit and seale my selfe to the sentence that condemnes mee comming truely about those dangerous sandes and doubling the cape of good hope vnder thy conduct my sacred Pilot and bearing in with full sailes to the hauen of thy gratious mercy I may turne all my plaints into praiers and all my sorrowes into speciall songs Because of this that though my bosome doe burne with anguish and though thou LORD doe not spare mee yet haue I this eomfort that I haue not suppressed my speech of the most holy nor beene a denier of the doctrine hee taught me Glory bee to the glorious GOD that in all mine vnrest I haue this grace of his to rest vpon In thy presence therefore my deere Lord I stand all naked O behold mee with a tender heart My eyes dissolue into moysture sorrowe had congealed them all into Ice with one extreame and now it thawes them all into teares with an other My soule melteth for heauinesse O rayse mee vppe according to thy worde Art not thou LORD he alone that possesseth my reignes and couered mee in my Mothers wombe Thou art hee Into thy handes was I cast from my mothers wombe O mine eternall all-sufficient LORD Thou knowest my setting downe and my rising vp thou vnderstandesâ— my thought a farre off And marke now whether our Gods counsell fayle vs in any part of our extreames Doth hee bid vs Cast thy burthen vpon Iehouah and he will sustaine thee hee wil be a rest for thy shoulders and a stay for thy feete Why then let my mine enemies tongues runne counter as long as they list let them say GOD hath forsaken him pursue him take him there is none to deliuer him from danger not any to reuenge his quarrell You erre you erre you maleuolent Sathanistes GOD hath not forsaken mee for I haue not forsaken him No my gracious GOD I will neuer bee ashamed at tribulation as long as I trnst in thee neuer shall the enemeie confounde mee hauing thee for the foundation of my hopes and whole affections For I haue no neede to start at any perill I know so fully that thou LORD wilt looke vpon mine afflictions and pardon mee all my sinnes Thou makest the wounde and thou bindest it vp It is the Lord God of hoastes that cureth those that are broken in heart and annointeth all their sores with his precious Balsam Hee onely searcheth the depth of all the soules putrid vlcers and salueth them with saluation Let shame then bee their continuall attendant that reioyce at this hurt of mine Confusion bee their companion that insult vpon the soule that is drenched in the depth of misery For I see I haue a gracious God on my side maugre all their inueterate malice And hee hath deliuered mee from sixe troubles and in the seauenth the euill shall not touch mee I may therefore fall but I shall neuer bee caste out nor troden downe I haue hold vpon the highest the LORD hath mee fast by the hand This LORD hath beene my good Lord and maister euer hee hath taught mee from my child-hood vnto this present hetherto haue I beene an instance of thine inestimable good-nesse and shall I thinke thou wilt fayle mee now in my old age and adde vnto the fayling of nature nay I will neuer doe it When my powers are all vanished then wilt thou stand my good LORD in all inconueniences Let my soule bee filled with euills and let my life approache the graue vnder neuer so great a loade of calamities yet shall my soule bee vigorous in her dutie still and speake of all thy marueilous workes Nay let death seaze mee neuer so soone yet my LORD and GOD will I neuer cease to say with thy seruant Though thou slaye mee my trust shall rest vpon thee for euer LORD giue vs grace O LORD giue thy seruant and hand-maide grace to say continually Let our life be in thy sonne Iesus Christ in him let vs haue the end of al our labours For wee are sure that our Redeemer liueth and that hee shall stand the last vpon earth That is thy Christ O Lord euen our onely Sauiour and supporter And though that wormes turne all our one bodies into themselues yet shall wee resume the selfe same flesh and behold the blessed in his Maiesty with these selfe same eyes And there and then shall wee see our Sonne againe deere wife yes assuredly in these very bodies wee our selues and no other for vs shall see him in that selfe same house of flesh that hee held on earth and in no other O thou incomprehensible sacred vnbounded indiuiduall and vnconfounded Trinitie grant that our meeting bee to all our ioyes Amen IN these teares beloued wife and in this manner of sorrow it is no sinne to take our orders and proceed graduates Wee may weepe lawfully thus as long as the streames that raine from our eyes do not make the riuer of our griefes ouer flowe their bankes so then keeping this channell let them droppe from our cheekes eternallie Let vs make vs pearles of them which no bloud no vineger may euer dissolue Wee must say adieu the worldes comfort needes must wee then lay faster hold vpon that in Heauen Adieu then Philip our sonne for a while and welcome Iesus our Sauiour for euer FINIS Iob. 14. 3. 15. 33 Ionah 4. 8. Psal. 39. 10 Iob. 1. 22. Ps. 30. 7. Ps. â— 21. 5. Iob. â— 25. Iob. 7. 10 â—erem 6 27 2 Sam. 18 2 Sam. 18 Iob. 12. 10. Iob. 14. 16. Iob. 24. 12 Psa. 39. 1. Iob. 9. 3. 12. Psal. 73 Psal. 145. 17 Wis. 4. 10. Psal. 116. 15. Iob. 18. 19. Iob. 21. 8. Wis. 4. 10. 11. Psa. 73. 28. Apoc. 24 20. Iob. 10. 1 Iob. 6. 10 Ps. 119. 28 Ps. 139. 13. Ps. 22. 11 Ps. 134 2 Ps. 55. 22 Ps. 79. 11 Iob. 5. 18 Psa 147. 3 Psa. 35. 26 Iob. 5. 19. Psal. 37. 24 Psal. 88. 4. Psal. 9. 1.
PHILIP MORNAY Lord of Plessis his Teares For the death of his Sonne Vnto his Wife CHARLOTTE BALISTE Englished By IOHN HEALEY AT LONDON Printed by G. Eld dwelling in Fleetelane at the signe of the Printers Presse 1609. To my most honored and constant friend Maister IOHN COVENTRY MOrality worthye Sir giueth vs this instruction that Fortitude is more apparant in sustaining then in performing and Diuinity assureth vs that he that endureth Gods tryalls with a pacient humility and an humble patience shall thereby ascend a state most glorious How much it behooueth both your selfe and me to apply this Cataplasme to our owne present estates it is best knowne to vs both who haue thus long sayled in a deepe darke sea of misfortunes but as the diuine light shone vnto Sire du Plessis in his deepest night of sorrowes and shewed him the way to his wished rest so let vs light our Torches at his and out of these his teares for the death of his onely sonne extract a Quintessencâ— for the cure of all our owne calamities To this end haue I presented them to you perhaps in a forme vnfiled yet no such I am sure as will returne from you vnaccepted The discourse of it selfe is a generall Amulet and being truly worne resisteth all the infections of fortune Take it then and weare it God may lend you sonnes and take them away againe at his vnchangeable pleasure Keepe this EnchiridioÌ„ therefore at your elbowe vpon all such occasions wherein you shall finde desciphered both the passions of a louing parent and that restraint of them that befitteth a religious Christian Prenez en gre Yours intirely IO HEALEY ⧠Phillip Mornay Lord of Plessis his Teares to his wife CHARLOTTE BALLISTE DEare wife seeing that in this aboundant sorrow wee can haue no solace but from the sorrow it selfe nor any ease for this deepe wound but what must be fetched from the wouÌ„d let vs make much of it stoppe it too soone it spoiles vs stay it too long it kills vs. I doe not therefore exhort you to exclude lamentation farre bee that want of feeling from vs let vs euer want this want of true affect Should you become obdurate flinty free from sence of sorrow oh no Gods corrections neuer propound vs this condition the Lords punishments are to far other purpose No let vs be mooued let vs bee melted And my desire is that we acquaint our selues fully with this accidentall not eternall affliction let vs affoord this corrosiue vlcer somwhat to feede vpon easily least it feed vpon our owne bosomes too fiercely let vs tame this vntamed accident and take it into our essence let vs make it a part of that substance which it hath already wholy transformed it is now become one of our essentiall parts no more a passion no more an imperfection Heere then are our teares for thee to vse if it bee inflamed to coole it if it bee ranckled to supple it put it from vs nay shake it off vs we cannot wicked were we truely if wee could wee are depriued of a sonne deare wife an onely sonne and ah how good a sonne our God the true comforter be our comfort he that hath caused our sorrowes conclude them bee hee our cure that hath procured our hurt onely comforter onely Chirurgian But stay hee hath spared our sonne that sâ—ared not his owne onely begotten for vs he hath acquitted him from this world and admitted him into a better timely in respect of his owne age no more but timely in respect of the ages of most besides him freeing him from the conditions nay the corruptions of this age maugre all the vainely-banded vowes of all such as wisht his presence and wept for his departure PHILIP MORNAY PHILIPS Sonne making an enterprise vnder the Graue Maurice vpon the Citty of Geldre hauing broken open the first and second gate and bending all his power and endeuour against the laste with a Musket-shot was struck through the brest and fel leauing behind him the reward of his vertues included in the worlds generall lamentation for him as hee had possessed it with honorable hopes of him Hee was borne at Antwerp in his fathers Embassage 1579. the 20. day of Iulie and was made immortall 1605 the 23. of October Nature hath wept out the teares shee had Now let reason and piety weepe their partes for they haue their springs of sorrow as well as the other though not so fluent not so abundant yet more pure more excellent more eternall When Nature hath drain'd the source of her teares dry then come these two and supplie sorrowes current What shall I then speake out my woes or shall I entombe them in silence I had but one one onely sonne perhaps I shall neuer haue more This sonne our God bestowed bountifully vpon our vowes and this same sonne our God our vowes returned dutifully vnto thee and that instantly after Hee was but now borne thou hadst but now giuen him vs when wee gaue him back againe to thee he but now sawe the world when the world saw him thine in his education and our dedication Grace hir selfe was the gracewoman the Midwife that receiued him from his Mother gaue him Milke and attended his first houre of birthe so did Piety his infancie Learning his childhood Vertue his youth Honestie his fuller growth and firmer age And yet so kinde was this contention of the corporall and mentall vertues being all enranged enrooted in him that neither did his strength make him decline vnto pride his good shape to loosenesse his learning to vanitie his valour to cruelty or his loue of vprightnesse vnto any sowrenesse of manners his towardnesse so happily preuented his education his fruite stept in before his flower and true grauitie tooke place in his heart ere any little downe had spred it selfe on his face So graciously were these contraries gathered together each one to bestowe the proper grace without endamaging the residue And already now began hee to be stiled the Staye of his Parents the Starre of his countrie that I faine foole was a saying My roote is spred out by the waters and the dew shall lie vpon my branch My glory shall renew towardes me my bow shal be restored to my hand In him I am renewed in him I am reniued that was otherwise halfe dead and more then halfe dust But behold thou breathed'st but vpon him as yâ— downe of a flower he flew away in fleeces He shot forth as a flower and is cut downe thou hast taken him away as the vnripe grape thou hast cast him off as the Oliue doth her flower Here is the heart-strings of comfort all cut here LORD how can I speake inough though I were all tongue how can my stupid silence bee sufficient were I all flint Thy Ionas Lord for whoÌ„ thou preparedst a goord in the shadow wherof his faint sadnes might be refreshed as soone as the touch of the worme turned