silly Eue Heire to thy Fathers foyles and borne to grieue In Thabors ioyes I eager was to dwell An earnest friend while pleasures light did shine But when eclipsed glory prostrate fell These zealous heates to sleepe I did resigne And now my mouth hath thrice his name defil'd That cry'd so loude three dwellings there to build When Christ attending the distressefull hower With his surcharged breast did blesse the ground Prostrate in pangs rayning a bleeding shower Me like my selfe a drowsie friend he found Thrice in his care sleepe clos'd by carelesse eye Presage how him my tongue should thrice deny Parting from Christ my fainting force declin'd With lingring foot I followed him aloofe Base feare out of my heart his loue vnshrin'd Huge in high words but impotent in proofe My vaunts did seeme hatcht vnder Sampsons locks Yet womans words did giue me murdering knocks So farre luke warme desires in crazie loue Farre off in neede with feeble foot they traine In tides they swim low ebbes they scorne to proue They seeke their friends delights but shun their paine Hire of an hireling minde is earned shame Take now thy due beare thy begotten blame Ah coole remisnesse vertues quartaine feuer Pyning of loue consumption of grace Old in the cradle languor dying euer Soules wilfull famine sinnes soft stealing pace The vndermining euill of zealous thought Seeming to bring no harmes till all be brought O portresse of the doore of my disgrace Whose tongue vnlockt the truth of vowed minde Whose words from Cowards heart did courage chase And let in death-full feares my soule to blind O hadst thou beene the portresse to my toombe When thou wert portresse to that cursed roome Yet loue was loth to part feare loth to die Stay danger life did counterpleade their causes I fauouring stay and life bad danger flie But danger did except against these clauses Yet stay and liue I would and danger shunne And lost my selfe while I my verdict wonne I stayd yet did my staying farthest part I liu'd but so that sauing life I lost it Danger I shunn'd but to my sorer smart I gained nought but deeper dammage crost it What danger distance death is worse then this That runnes from God and spoyles his soule of blisse O Iohn my guide into this earthly hell Too well acquainted in so ill a Court Where rayling mouthes with blasphemies did swell With tainted breath infecting all resort Why didst thou leade me to this hell of euils To shew my selfe a Fiend among the Deuils Euill president the tide that wafts to vice Dumme-Orator that wooes with silent deeds Writing in workes lessons of ill aduice The doing tale that eye in practice reeds Taster of ioyes to vnacquainted hunger With leauen of the old seasoning the yonger It seemes no fault to do that all haue done The number of offenders hide the sinne Coach drawne with many horse doth easely runne Soone followeth one where multitudes begin O had I in that Court much stronger bin Or not so strong as first to enter in Sharpe was the weather in that stormy place Best suting hearts benum'd with hellish frost Whos 's crusted malice could admit no grace Where coales are kindled to the warmers cost Where feare my thoughts canded with ycie cold Heate did my tongue to periuries vnfold O hatefull fire ah that I neuer saw it Too hard my heart was frozen for thy force Farre hotter flames it did require to thaw it Thy hell-resembling heate did freeze it worse O that I rather had congeal'd to yce Then bought thy warmth at such a damning price O wakefull bird proclaimer of the day Whose piercing note doth daunt the Lions rage Thy crowing did my selfe to me bewray My frights and brutish heates it did asswage But ô in this alone vnhappy Cocke That thou to count my foyles wert made the clocke O bird the iust rebuker of my crime The faithfull waker of my sleeping feares Be now the daily clocke to strike the time When stinted eyes shall pay their taske of teares Vpbraid mine eares with thine accusing crow To make me rue that first it made me know O milde reuenger of aspiring Pride Thou canst dismount high thoughts to low effects Thou mad'st a Cocke me for my fault to chide My lofty boasts this lowly bird corrects Well might a Cocke correct me with a crowe Whom hennish cackling first did ouerthrowe Weake weapons did Goliahs fumes abate Whose storming rage did thunder threats in vaine His body huge harnest with massie plate Yet Dauids stone brought death into his braine With staffe and sling as to a dog he came And with contempt did boasting furie tame Yet Dauid had with Beare and Lion fought His skilfull might excus'd Goliahs foile The death is eas'd that worthy hand hath wrought Some honour liues in honorable spoile But I on whom all infamies must light Was hist to death with words of womans spight Small gnats enforst th' Egyptian King to stoupe Yet they in swarmes and arm'd with piercing stings Smart noyse annoyance made his courage droupe No small incombrance such small vermine brings I quaild at words that neither bit nor stong And those deliuerd from a womans tong Ah feare abortiue impe of drouping minde Selfe ouerthrowe false friend roote of remorse Sighted in seeing euils in shunning blinde Foyld without field by fancie not by force Ague of valour phrensie of the wise True honours staine loues frost the mint of lies Can vertue wisedome strength by women spild In Dauids Salomons and Sampsons falls With semblance of excuse my errour guild Or lend a marble glosse to muddy walls O no their fault had shew of some pretence No veyle can hide the shame of my offence The blaze of beauties beames allur'd their lookes Their lookes by seeing oft conceiued loue Loue by effecting swallowed pleasures hookes Thus beauty loue and pleasure them did moue These Syrens sugred tunes rockt them asleepe Inough to damne yet not to damne so deepe But gracious features dazled not mine eyes Two homely Droyles were authors of my death Not loue but feare my senses did surprize Not feare of force but feare of womans breath And those vnarm'd ill grac'd despis'd vnknowne So base a blast my truth hath ouerthrowne O women woe to men traps for their falls Still actors in all Tragicall mischances Earths necessary euils captiuing thralls Now murdering with your tongues now with your glances Parents of life and loue spoylers of both The theeues of hearts false do you loue or loth In time O Lord thine eyes with mine did meete In them I read the ruines of my fall Their cheering rayes that made misfortune sweet Into my guilty thoughts powrd flouds of gall Their heauenly lookes that blest where they beheld Darts of disdaine and angrie checks did yeeld O sacred eyes the springs of liuing light The earthly heauens where Angels ioy to dwell How could you deigne to view my deathfull plight Or let your heauenly beames looke on my hell But
Fiends do sell That men to monsters Angels turne to Deuils Wrong of all rights selfe ruine roote of euils A thing most done yet more then God can do Daily new done yet neuer done amisse Friended of all yet vnto all a foe Seeming an heauen yet banishing from blisse Serued with toyle yet paying nought but paine Mans deepest losse though false esteemed gaine Shot without noise wound without present smart First seeming light prouing in fine a lode Entring with ease not easily wonne to part Farre in effects from that the showes abode Endorc't with hope subscribed with dispaire Vgly in death though life did faine it faire O forfeiture of heauen eternall debt A moments ioy ending in endlesse fires Our natures scum the worlds entangling Net Night of our thoughts death of all good desires Worse then all this worse then all tongues can say Which man could owe but onely God defray This fawning Viper dum till he had wounded With many mouthes doth now vpbraid my harmes My sight was veild till I my selfe confounded Then did I see the disinchanted charmes Then could I cut th' Anatomy of sinne And search with Linxes eyes what lay within Bewitching euill that hides death in deceits Still borrowing lying shapes to maske thy face Now know I the deciphring of thy sleights A cunning dearely bought with losse of grace Thy sugred poyson now hath wrought so well That thou hast made me to my selfe an hell My eye reades mournfull lessons to my heart My heart doth to my thought the griefe expound My thought the same doth to my tongue impart My tongue the message in the eares doth sound My eares backe to my heart their sorrowes send Thus circling griefes runne round without an end My guilty eye still seemes to see my sinne All things Characters are to spell my fall What eye doth reade without heart rues within What heart doth rue to pensiue thought is gall Which when the thought would by the tongue digest The eare conueyes it backe into the breast Thus gripes in all my parts do neuer faile Whose onely league is now in bartring paines What I ingrosse they traffique by retaile Making each others miseries their gaines All bound for euer prentices to care Whilst I in shop of shame trade sorrowes ware Pleasd with displeasing lot I seeke no change I wealthiest am when richest in remorse To fetch my ware no Seas nor Lands I range For customers to buy I nothing force My home bred goods at home are bought and sold And still in me my interest I hold My comfort now is comfortlesse to liue In Orphan state deuoted to mishap Rent from the roote that sweetest fruit did giue I scorn'd to graffe in stock of meaner sap No iuyce can ioy me but of Iesses flower Whose heauenly roote hath true reuiuing power At sorrowes doore I knockt they crau'd my name I answered One vnworthy to be knowne What one say they One worthiest of blame But who A wretch not Gods nor yet his owne A man O no a beast much worse What creature A rocke How cald the rocke of scandale Peter From whence From Caiphas house Ah dwell you there Sinnes farme I rented there but now would leaue it What rent My soule What gaine Vnrest and feare Deare purchase Ah too deare will you receiue it What shall we giue Fit teares and times to plaine me Come in say they thus griefes did entertaine me With them I rest true prisoner in their Iayle Chayn'd in the yron linkes of basest thrall Till grace vouchsafing captiue soule to bayle In wonted See degraded loues install Dayes passe in plaints the night without repose I wake to sleepe I sleepe in waking woes Sleepe deaths ally obliuion of teares Silence of passiions balme of angry sore Suspence of loues security of feares Wraths lenitiue hearts ease stormes calmest shore Senses and soules repriuall from all cumbers Benumming sense of ill with quiet slumbers Not such my sleepe but whisperer of dreames Creating strange Chymeras fayning frights Of day discourses giuing fansie theames To make dum shewes with worlds of anticke sights Casting true griefes in fansies forged mold Brokenly telling tales rightly fore-told This sleepe most fitly suiteth sorrowes bed Sorrow the smart of euill Sinnes eldest child Best when vnkind in killing whom it bred A racke for guilty thoughts a bit for wild The scourge that whips the salue that cures offence Sorrow my bed and home while life hath sence Here solitarie Muses nurse my griefes In silent lonenesse burying worldly noise Attentiue to rebukes deafe to reliefes Pensiue to foster cares carelesse of ioyes Ruing lifes losse vnder deaths dreary roofes Solemnizing my funerall behoofes A selfe content the shrowd my soule the corse The Beere an humble hope the herse-clorh feare The mourners thoughts in blacks of deepe remorse The herse grace pitie loue and mercy beare My â—eares my dole the Priest a zealous will Penance the tombe and dolefull sighes the knill Christ health of feuer'd soule heauen of the mind Force of the feeble nurse of infant loues Guide to the wandring foote light to the blind Whom weeping windes repentant sorrow moues Father in care mother in tender heart Reuiue and saue me slaine with sinfull dart If King Manasses sunke in depth of sinne With plaints and teares recouered grace and Crowne A worthlesse worme some mild regard may winne And lowly creepe where flying threw it downe A poore desire I haue to mend my ill I should I would I dare not say I will I dare not say I will but wish I may My pride is checkt high words the speaker spilt My good ô Lord thy gift thy strength my stay Giue what thou bidst and then bid what thou wilt Worke with me what of me thou doest request Then will I dare the most and vow the best Prone looke crost armes bent knee and contrite heart Deepe sighs thicke sobs dew'd eyes and postrate prayers Most humbly beg release of earned smart And sauing shrowd in mercies sweet repaires If iustice should my wrongs with rigor wage Feares would dispaires ruth breed a hopelesse rage Lazar at pitties gate I vlcered lye Crauing the reffuse crums of childrens plate My sores I lay in view to mercies eye My rags beare witnesse of my poore estate The wormes of conscience that within me swarme Proue that my plaints are lesse then is my harme With mildnesse Iesu measure mine offence Let true remorse thy due reuenge abate Let teares appease when trespasse doth incense Let pitty temper thy deserued hate Let grace forgiue let loue forget my fall With feare I craue with hope I humbly call Redeeme my lapse with ransome of thy loue Trauerse th' inditement rigors doome suspend Let frailty fauour sorrowes succour moue Be thou thy selfe though changeling I offend Tender my suite cleanse this defiled denne Cancell my debts sweet Iesu say Amen The end of S. Peters Complaint MARIE MAGdalens blush THe signes of shame that staine my blushing face Rise from
sees that speech could not amend Yet higher powers must thinke though they repine When Sunne is set the little starres will shine While Pike doth range the silly Tench doth fly And crouch in priuy creekes with smaller fish Yet Pikes are caught when little fish go by These fleete aflote while those do fill the dish There is a time euen for the wormes to creepe And sucke the deaw while all their foes do sleepe The Marline cannot euer soare on high Nor greedy Grey-houn still pursue the chase The tender Larke will finde a time to fly And fearefull Hate to runne a quiet race He that high growth on Cedars did bestow Gaue also lowly Mushrumps leaue to grow In Hamans pompe poore Mardocheus wept Yet God did turne his fate vpon his foe The Lazar pinde while Diues feast was kept Yet he to heauen to hell did Diues go We trample grasse and prize the flowers of May Yet grasse is greene when flowers do fade away The Natiuitie of Christ BEhold the Father is his daughters sonne The bird that built the nest is hatcht therein The old of yeares an howre hath not out-runne Eternall life to liue doth now beginne The Word is duâ— the mirth of heauen doth weepe Might feeble is and force doth faintly creepe O dying soules behold your liuing spring O dazled eyes behold your Sunne of grace Dull eares attend what word this Word doth bring Vp heauy hearts with ioy your ioy embrace From death from darke from deafnesse from dispaires This life this light this Word this ioy repaires Gift better then himselfe God doth not know Gift better then his God no man can see This gift doth here the giuer giuen bestow Gift to this gift let each receiuer be God is my gift himselfe he freely gaue me Gods gift am I and none but God shall haue me Man altered was by sinne from man to beast Beasts food is hay hay is all mortall flesh Now God is flesh and lyes in Manger prest As hay the brutest sinner to refresh O happy field wherein this fodder grew Whose taste doth vs from beasts to men renew Christs Childhood TIll twelue yeares age how Christ his childhood spent All earthly pens vnworthy were to write Such acts to mortall eyes he did present Whose worth not men but Angels must recite No natures blots no childish faults defilde Where grace was guide and God did play the child In springing locks lay couched hoary wit In semblance yong a graue and ancient port In lowly lookes high maiesty did sit In tender tongue sound sence of sagest sort Nature imparted all that she could teach And God suppli'd where Nature could not reach His mirth of modest meane a mirrour was His sadnesse tempered with a milde aspect His eye to try each action was a glasse Whose lookes did good approue and bad correct His Natures gifts his grace his word and deed Well shewed that all did from a God proceed A Childe my Choice LEt folly praise that fancie loues I praise and loue that child Whose heart no thought whose tongue no word whose hand no deed defil'd I praise him most I loue him best all praise and loue is his While him I loue in him I liue and cannot liue amisse Loues sweetest marke laudes highest Theame mans most desired light To loue him life to leaue him death to liue in him delight He mine by gift I his by debt thus each to other's due First friend he was best friend he is all times will trie him true Though yong yet wise though small yet strong though man yet God he is As wise he knowes as strong he can as God he loues to blisse His knowledge rules his strength defends his loue doth cherish all His birth our ioy his life our light his death our end of thrall Alas he weepes he sighs he pants yet do his Angels sing Out of his teares his sighes and throbs doth bud a ioyfull Spring Almightie Babe whose tender armes can force all foes to fly Correct my faults protect my life direct me when I die Content and rich I Dwell in Graces Court Enrich with Vertues rights Faith guides my wit Loue leades my will Hope all my minde delights In lowly vales I mount To pleasures highest pitch My silly shroud true Honour brings My poore estate is rich My conscience is my Crowne Contented thoughts my rest My heart is happy in it selfe My blisse is in my breast Enough I reckon wealth A meane the surest lot That lyes too high for base contempt Too low for Enuies shot My wishes are but few All easie to fulfill I make the limits of my power The bounds vnto my will I haue no hopes but one Which is of heauenly raigne Effects attaind or not desir'd All lower hopes refrainâ— I feele no care of coyne Well-doing is my wealth My mind to me an Empire is While grace affoordeth health I clyp high-climing thoughts The wings of swelling pride Their fall is worst that from the height Of greater honour slide Sith sayles of largest size The storme doth soonest teare I beare so low and small a sayle As freeth me from feare I wrastle not with rage While furies flame doth burne It is in vaine to stop the streame Vntill the tide doth turne But when the flame is out And ebbing wrath doth end I turne a late enraged foe Into a quiet friend And taught with often proofe A tempered calme I finde To be most solace to it selfe Best cure for angrie minde Spare dyet is my fare My clothes more fit then fine I know I feede and clothe a foe That pamp'red would repine I enuie not their hap Whom fauour doth aduance I take no pleasure in their paine That haue lesse happie chance To rise by others fall I deeme a losing gaine All states with others ruines built To ruine runne amaine No change of Fortunes calmes Can cast my comforts downe When Fortune smiles I smile to thinke how quickly she will frowne And when in froward moode She proou'd an angrie so Small gaine I found to let her come Lesse losse to let her go Losse in delayes SHun delayes they breed remorse Take thy time while time doth serue thee Creeping Snayles haue weakest force Flie their fault lest thou repent thee Good is best when soonest wrought Lingring labours come to nought Hoyse vp sayle while gale doth last Tide and winde stay no mans pleasure Seeke not time when time is past Sober speed is Wisedomes leisure After-wits are dearely bought Let thy fore-wit guide thy thought Time weares all his locks before Take thou hold vpon his forehead When he flies he turnes no more And behind his scalpe is naked Workes adiourn'd haue many stayes Long demurres breed new delayes Seeke thy salue while sore is greene Festered wounds aske deeper launcing After-cures are seldome seene Often sought scarce euer chancing Time and place giues best aduice Out of season out of price Crush the Serpent in the head Breake ill
am no thrall I burie not my thoughts in mettall Mines I ayme not at such fame as feareth fall I seeke and finde a light that euer-shines Whose glorious beames display such heauenly sights As yeeld my soule a summe of all delights My light to loue my loue to life doth guide To life that liues by loue and loueth light By loue to one to whom all loues are tyed By duest debt and neuer equall right Eyes light hearts loue soules truest life he is Consorting in three ioyes one perfect blisse A FANCY TVRNED to a Sinners Complaint HE that his mirth hath lost Whose comfort is to rue Whose hope is fallen whose faith is cras'd Whose trust is found vntrue If he haue held them deare And cannot ceasse to mone Come let him take his place by me He shall not rue alone But if the smallest sweete Be mixt with all his sowre If in the day the moneth the yeare He feele one lightning howre Then rest he with himselfe He is no mate for me Whose time in teares whose race in ruth Whose life a death must be Yet not the wished death That feeles no paine or lacke That making free the better part Is onely Natures wracke O no that were too well My death is of the minde That alwaies yeeld extreamest pangs Yet threatens worse behinde As one that liues in shew And inwardly doth dye Whose knowledge is a bloudy field Where Vertue slaine doth lye Whose heart the Altar is And hoast a God to moue From whom my ill doth feare reuenge His good doth promise loue My Fansies are like thornes In which I go by night My frighted wits are like an hoast That force hath put to flight My sense is passions spye My thoughts like ruines old Which shew how faire the building was While grace did it vphold And still before mine eyes My mortall fall they lay Whom grace and vertue once aduanc't Now sinne hath cast away O thoughts no thoughts but wounds Sometime the Seate of ioy Sometime the store of quiet rest But now of all annoy I sow'd the soyle of peace My blisse was in the spring And day by day the fruit I eate That Vertues tree did bring To Nettles now my corne My field is turn'd to flint Where I a heauy haruest reape Of cares that neuer stint The peace the rest the life That I enioyd of yore Were happy lot but by their losse My smart doth sting the more So to vnhappy men The best frames to the worst O time ô place where thus I fell Deare then but now accurst In was stands my delight In is and shall my wo My horrour fastned in the yea My hope hangs in the no. Vnworthy of reliefe That craued is too late Too late I finde I finde too well Too well stood my estate Behold such is the end That pleasure doth procure Of nothing else but care and plaint Can she the minde assure Forsaken first by grace By pleasure now forgotten Her paine I feele but graces wage Haue others from me gotten Then grace where is the ioy That makes thy torments sweet Where is the cause that many thought Their deaths through thee but meet Where thy disdaine of sinne Thy secret sweet delight Thy sparkes of blisse thy heauenly ioyes That shined erst so bright O that they were not lost Or I could it excuse O that a dreame of fained losse My iudgement did abuse Or fraile inconstant flesh Soone trapt in euery ginne Soone wrought thus to betray thy soule And plonge thy selfe in sinne Yet hate I but the fault And not the faulty one Ne can I rid from me the mate That forceth me to moane To moane a sinners case Then which was neuer worse In Prince or poore in yong or old In blest or full of curse Yet Gods must I remaine By death by wrong by shame I cannot blot out of my heart That grace writ in his name I cannot set at nought Whom I haue held so deere I cannot make him seeme afarre That is in deed so neere Not that I looke hence-forth For loue that earst I found Sith that I brake my plighted truth To build on fickle ground Yet that shall neuer faile Which my faith bare in hand I gaue my vow my vow gaue me Both vow and gift shall stand But since that I haue sinn'd And scourge none is too ill I yeeld me captiue to my curse My hard fate to fulfill The solitary Wood My City shall become The darkest dennes shall be my Lodge In which I rest or come A sandy plot my boord The wormes my feast shall be Where-with my carkasse shall be fed Vntill they feed on me My teares shall be my wine My bed a craggy Rocke My harmony the Serpents hisse The screeching Owle my clocke My exercise remorse And dolefull sinners layes My booke remembrance of my crimes And faults of former dayes My walke the path of plaint My prospect into hell Where Iudas and his cursed crue In endlesse paines do dwell And though I seeme to vse The faining Poets stile To figure forth my carefull plight My fall and my exile Yet is my griefe not fain'd Wherein I starue and pine Who feeles the most shall thinke it least If his compare with mine Dauids Peccaui IN Eaues sole Sparrow sits not more alone Nor mourning Pellican in Desart wilde Then silly I that solitary mone From highest hopes to hardest hap exilde Sometime ô blissefull time was vertues meede Ayme to my thoughts guide to my word and deede But feares are now my Pheeres griefe my delight My teares my drinke my famisht thoughts my bread Day full of dumps Nurse of vnrest the night My garments gyues a bloudy field my bed My sleepe is rather death then deaths allye Yet kill'd with murd'ring pangs I cannot dye This is the chance of my ill changed choyse To pleasant tunes succeeds a playning voice The dolefull eccho of my wayling minde Which taught to know the worth of vertues ioyes Doth hate it selfe for louing fancies toyes If wiles of wit had ouer-raught my will Or subtile traines misled my steppes awry My foyle had found excuse in want of skill Ill deed I might though not ill doome deny But wit and will must now confesse with shame Both deede and doome to haue deserued blame I Fansie deem'd fit guide to leade my way And as I deem'd I did pursue the tracke Wit lost his ayme and will was Fansies prey The Rebels wan the Rulers went to wracke But now sith Fansie did with folly end Wit bought with losse Will taught by wit will mend Sinnes heauie load O Lord my sinnes do ouer-charge thy brest The poyse thereof doth force thy knees to bow Yea flat thou fallest with my faults opprest And bloudie sweat runs trickling from thy brow But had they not to Earth thus pressed thee Much more they would in Hell haue pestred me This Globe of Earth doth thy one finger prop The world thou do'st within thy hand
giues issue to an heauenly spring Teares from his eyes bloud runnes from wounding place Which showers to heauen of ioy an haruest bring This sacred deaw let Angels gather vp Such dainty drops best fit their nectar'd cup With weeping eyes his mother rewd his smart If bloud from him teares came from her as fast The knife that cut his flesh did pierce her heart The paine that Iesus felt did Marie taste His life and hers hung by one fatall twist No blow that hit the Sonne the mother mist The Epiphanie TO blaze the rising of this glorious Sunne A glittering starre appeareth in the East Whose sight to pilgrims toile three sages wun To feeke the light they long had in request And by this starre to nobler starre they pace Whose armes did their desired sinne embrace Stall was the skie wherein those planets shinde And want the cloud that did eclipse their rayes Yet through this cloud their light did passage finde And pierc'd these sages hearts by secret wayes Which made them know the ruler of the skies By infant tongue and lookes of babish eyes Heauen at her light earth blusheth at her pride And of their pompe these peeres ashamed be Their crownes their robes their traines they set aside When Gods poore cottage clouts and crew they see All glorious things their glorie now despise Sith God Contempt duth more then Glorie prise Three gifts they bring three gifts they beare away For incense mirrhe and gold faith hope and loue And with their gifts the giuers heart do stay Their mind from Christ no parting can remoue His humble state his stall his poore retinew They fancy more then all their rich reuenew The Presentation TO be redeem'd the worlds redeemer brought Two silly turtle doues for ransome paies O wares with empires worthie to be bought This easie rate doth sound not drowne thy praise For sith no price can to thy worth amount A doue yea loue due price thou doest account Old Simeon cheape pennie worth and sweet Obtaind when thee in armes he did imbrace His weeping eyes thy smiling lookes did meet Thy loue his heart thy kisses blest his face O eyes O heart meane sights and loues auoide Base not your selues your best you haue enioyde O virgine pure thou dost those doues present As due to law not as an equall price To buy such ware thou wouldst thy selfe haue spent The world to reach his worth could not suffice If God were to be bought not worldly pelfe But thou wert fittest price next God himselfe The flight into Egypt ALas our day is forst to flie by night Light without light and Sunne by silent shade O nature blush that suffrest such a wight That in thy Sunne thy darke eclipse hast made Day to his eyes light to his steps denie That hates the light which graceth euerie eye Sunne being fled the starres do lose their light And shining beames in bloudy streames they drench A cruell storme of Herods mortall spight Their liues and lights with bloudy showers do quench The tyrant to be sure of murdring one For feare of sparing him doth pardon none O blessed babes first flowers of Christian spring though vntimely cropt raire garlands frame With open throats and silent mouthes you sing His praise whom age permits you not to name Your tunes are teares your instruments are swords Your dittie death and bloud in lieu of words Christs returne out of Egypt WHen death and hell their right in Herod claime Christ from exile returnes to natiue soile There with his life more deepely death to maime Then death did life by all the infants spoile He shewed the parents that the babes did mone That all their liues were lesse then his alone But hearing Herods sonne to haue the crowne The impious of-spring of a bloudy sire To Nazareth of heauen beloued towne Flowre to a flowre he fitly doth retire For he is a flower and in a flower he bred And from a thorne now to a flowre he fled And well deseru'd this flowre his fruite to view Where he inuested was in mortall weed Where first into a tender bud he grew In virgine branch vnstaind with mortall seed Young flowre with flowers in flower well may he be Ripe fruit he must with thornes hang on a tree Christs bloudy sweat FAt soile full spring sweet oliue grape of blisse That yeelds that streames that powers that dost distill Vntild vndrawne vnstampt vntoucht of presse Deare fruite cleare brookes faire oyle sweet wine at will Thus Christ vnforst preuents in shedding bloud The whips the thornes the naile the speare and roode He Pellicans he Phenix fate doth proue Whom flames consume when streames enforce to dye How burneth bloud how bleedeth burning loue Can one in flame and streame both bathe and frie How would he ioyne a Phenix fiery paines In foinring Pellicans still bleeding vaines Christs sleeping friends VVHen Christ with care and pangs of death opprest From frighted flesh a bloody sweat did raine And full of feare without repose or rest Did watch and pray in agonie and paine Three sundrie times he his disciples findes With heauie eyes with dull and heauy minds With milde rebuke he warned them to wake Yet sleepe did still their drowsie senses hold As when the Sunne the brightest shew doth make In darkest shrowds the night birds them infold His foes did watch to worke their cruell spight His drowsie friends slept in his hardest night As Ionas sayled once from Ioppaes shoare A boystrous tempest in the aire did broile The waues did rage the thundring heau'ns did roare The stormes the rocks the lightnings threatned spoile The ship was billowes game and chances pray Yet carelesse Ionas mute and slumbring lay So now though Iudas like a blustring gust Do stirre the furious sea of Iewish ire Though storming troopes in quarrels most vniust Against the barke of all our blisse conspire Yet these disciples sleeping lie secure As though their wonted calme did still endure So Ionas once his heauy limmes to rest Did shrowd himselfe in iuy pleasant shade But lo while him an heauy sleepe opprest His shadowy bowre to withered stalke did fade A cankered worme did gnaw the root away And brought the glorious branches to decay O gracious plant O tree of heauenly spring The paragon for leafe for fruite and flower How sweete a shadow did thy branches bring To shrowd those soules that chose thee for their bower But now while they with Ionas fall asleepe To spoile their plant an enuious worme doth creepe Awake you slumbring wights lift vp your eyes Marke Iudas how to teare your root he striues Alas the glory of your arbour dies Arise and guard the comfort of your liues No Ionas iuy no Zacheus tree Were to the world so great a losse as hee The virgine Mary to Christ on the Crosse WHat mist hath dimd that glorious face what seas of griefe my Sun doth tosse The golden raies of heauenly grace lie now eclipsed on the crosse Iesus
I will not wrong him with so vniust a suspition sith his appearing improueth it his words ouerthrow it his countenance doth disswade it why then should I sucke so much sorrow out of so vaine a surmise Thus Maries trauelling fansies making long voyages in this short iourney and wauering betweene the ioy of her vision and the griefe of her deniall entertained her in the way and held her parley with such discourses as are incident vnto minds in which neither hope is full maister of the field nor feare hath receiued an vtter ouerthrow But as she was in this perplexed manner now falling now rising in her owne vncertainties she findeth on the way the other holy woman that first came with her to the graue whom the Angels had now assured of Christs resurection And as they passed all forwards towards the Disciples Behold Iesus met them saying All haile But they came neere and tooke hold of his feete and worshipped him Then Iesus said vnto them Feare not Go â—â—l my brethren that they go into Gallilee there they shall see me O Lord how profound are thy iudgements and vnsearchable thy counsels Doth her sorrow sit so neare thy heart or thy repulse rebound with such regret by seeing her wounded loue bleede so fast at her eyes that thy late refusall must so soone be requited with so free a graunt Is it thy pitty or her change which cannot allow that she should any longer fast from her earnest longing But ô most milde Phisition well knowest thou that thy sharp corrosiue with bitter smart angred her tender wound which being rather caused by vnwitting ignorance than wilfull errour was as soone cured as knowne And therefore thou quickely applyest a sweete lenitiue to asswage her paine that she might acknowledge her forbidding rather a fatherly checke to her vnsetled faith than an austere reiecting her for her fault and therefore thou admittest her to kisse thy feete the two conduits of grace and seales of our redemption renewing her a Charter of thy vnchanged loue and accepting of her the vowed sacrifice of her sanctified soule And thus gracious Lord hast thou finished her seares assured her hopes fulfilled her desires satisfied her loues stinted her teares perfected her ioyes and made the period of her expiring griefes the preamble to her now entring and neuer ending pleasures O how mercifull a Father thou art to left Orphanes how easie a Iudge to repentant sinners and how faithfull a friend to sincere louers It is vndoubtedly true that thou neuer leauest those that loue thee and thou louest such as rest their affiance in thee They shall finde thee liberall aboue desert and bountifull beyond hope a measure of thy gifts not by their merits but thine owne mercie O Christian soule take Mary for thy mirrour follow her affection that like effects may follow thine Learne ô sinfull man of this once a sinfull woman that sinners may finde Christ if their sinnes be amended Learne that whom sinne loseth loue recouereth whom faintnesse of faith chaseth away firmnesse of hope recalleth and that which no other mortall force fauour or pollicie can compasse the continued teares of a constant loue are able to attaine Learne of Mary for Christ to feare no encounters out of Christ to desire no comforts and with the loue of Christ to ouer-rule the loue of all things Râ—se early in the morning of thy good motions and let them not sleepe in sloth when diligence may performe them Runne with repentance to thy sinfull heart which should haue bene the Temple but through thy fault was no better than a Tombe for Christ sith hauing in thee no life to feele him he seemed vnto thee as if he had bene dead Role away the stone of thy former hardnesse remoue all thy heauy loads that oppresse thee in sinne and looke into thy soule whether thou canst there find the Lord. If he be not within thee stand weeping without and seeke him in other creatures sith being present in all he may be found in any Let faith be thine eye hope thy guide and loue thy light Seeke him and not his for himselfe and not for his gifts If thy faith haue found him in a cloud let thy hope seeke to him If hope haue led thee to see him let loue seek further into him To moue in thee a desire to finde his goods are precious and when he is found to keepe thee in a desire to seeke his treasures are infinit Absent he must be sought to be had being had he must be sought to be more enioyed Seeke him truly and no other for him Seeke him purely and no other thing with him Seeke him onely and nothing besides him And if at the first search he appeare not thinke it not much to perseuer in teares and to continue thy seeking Stand vpon the earth trending vnder thee all earthly vanities and touching them with no more than the soles of thy feete that is with the lowest and least part of thy affection To looke the better in the Tombe bow downe thy neeke to the yoke of humilitie and stoupe from loftie and proude conceits that with humbled and lowly lookes thou mayest finde whom swelling and haughtie thoughts haue driuen away A submitted soule soonest winneth his returne and the deeper it sinketh in a selfe contempt the higher it climeth in his highest fauours And if thou perceiuest in the Tombe of thy heart the presence of his two first Messengers that is at the feete sorrow for the bad that is past and at the head desire to a better that is to come entertaine them with sighes and welcome them with penitent teares yet reckoning them but as herbingers of thy Lord ceasse not thy seeking till thou findest himselfe And if he vouchsafe thee his glorious sight offering himselfe to thy inward eyes presume not of thy selfe to be able to know him but as his vnworthy suppliant prostrate thy petitions vnto him that thou maist truely discerne him and faithfully serue him Thus preparing thee with diligence comming with speed standing with high lifted hopes and stooping with inclined heart if with Mary thou crauest no other solace of Iesus but Iesus himselfe he will answere thy teares with his presence and assure thee of his presence with his owne words that hauing seene him thy selfe thou maiest make him knowne to others saying with Mary I haue seene our Lord and these things he said vnto me LAVS DEO FINIS THE TRIVMPHS OVER DEATH OR A Consolatorie Epistle for afflicted minds in the effects of dying friends First written for the consolation of one but now published for the generall good of all by R. S. AN CHO RA. SPEI LONDON Printed for W. Barret To the Worshipfull M. Richard Sackuile Edward Sackuile Cicilie Sackuile and Anne Sackuile the hopefull issues of the honorable Gentleman maister Robert Sackuile Esquire MOst lines do not the best conceit containe Few words well coucht may comprehend much matter Then as to vse