PEACE WITH HER FOVRE GARDERS VIZ. Fiue Morall Meditations OF Concord Chastitie Constancie Courtesie Grauitie Eschew euill and doe good seeke Peace and ensue it LONDON Printed for Iohn Teage and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Ball. 1622. SOme loathing Peace wish Warre because vnknowne To them Peace is like Manna common growne I such doe wish to trauell out and see Their Countries Blisse by others misery Peace types vs out the Blisse of our Creation Warres shew our fall from Glory to damnation All Warriours since which seeke immortall fame Must fight for PEACE or merit Hell and shame Sweet PEACE to Subiects doth all blessings bring Immortall honour to a mortall King The Uertues foure which doe on Peace attend Her Body guard as still doth them defend For nothing sets a Kingdomes Peace so fast As Courtiers constant courteous graue chaste TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD IOHN LORD BISHOP of Lincoln Lord Keeper of the Great Seale and one of his MAIESTIES most Honorable Priuy Councell THou great Peace-Keeper whom the greatest King That our great God of Peace did euer bring To rule these Westerne Iles in happy Peace For Honours Arts and Piety's increase Thou whom this mighty Monarch doth intrust With his Great Seale as Prudent Faithfull Iust God to thy outward blisse adde inward Peace That Goodnes with thy Greatnesse may increase May but thine actiue Spirit now descend Frō high affaires and high-straind thoughts vnbend To walke in Muses gardens delicate Wisest Apollo thou shalt imitate And Martiall Pallas whom the Poets faine To leaue Olympus Mount for Tempe-plaine Thus Dauid leaues his Throne to sit with Graces The Preacher after Trauels Hymen paces These Precedents imboldned haue my Muse For Patron of the Graces thee to chuse Whom great Augustus with his Seale doth grace Oh be a true Mecenas in thy place Seale vp for euer Ianus Temple doore And let Bellona's voice be heard no more I of some Graces onely meditate But they are all in thee habituate Then my defects excuse when we oppose Darknesse to Light the day more glorious showes Your Lordships humble seruant Robert Aylet To the curious READER PRophaner Michols will be censuring Eu'n Dauid if hee doe but dance and sing Before the Arke Then how should holy Rimes Escape the Iawes of these Censorious times MEDITATION I. Of Peace and Concord WHen first Worlds great Creatour fashioned This little Mansion for our Soules of Clay Man in his image he so ordered He had both Will and Power to obay Thus this sweet concord might haue lasted ay If to his Power had been ioynd his Will Which failing in Obedience to stay He brake the Peace whereby he all did fill With Fury Warres and Strifes which doe continue still Thus by mans wilfull fault Hostility Betweene him and his Maker first began Such breach hath Sinne made with the Deity As reconcile not all the creatures can Besides they all are Foes become to man For that he 'gainst their Maker did rebell Poore Adam guilty naked wo and wan The Noise of God to couert doth compell A guilty Conscience is more terrible than hell Adam eu'n then did feele a double paine One paine of Losse another paine of Sense And now against him Battailes all maintaine Heau'n Hell World Creatures Wife and Conscience Are out with him for Disobedience Till God who first elected Man in Loue For mercies sake now by Obedience From him doth paine of Losse and Sense remoue And brings to endlesse Peace and rest in heau'n aboue Of wondrous value is this Pearle of Peace Which to redeeme the Lord of Life was sold Most sweet peace-offring when for our release Christs precious bloud was as a ransome told Not that we heere should Peace and quarter hold With Hell World Lust true Peace's mortall foes Such Peace doth vs in dang'rous warres infold Except we these most valiantly oppose For seeming Peace on earth we doe the heau'nly lose Therefore the great Peace-maker did not come To send vs Peace on earth but Swords and Strife Debate betwixt the Father and the Sonne Mother and Daughter Husband and the Wife Perpetuall warfare is a Christians life With Armes and Weapons he must fortifie Against his foes which will assaile him rife Right end of Warres and all hostility Is gaine of happy Peace and sweet tranquillity Thou that before through warres and dread affray Hast for vs enter'd on true Peace and rest By thine owne bloudy wounds vs op'ning way And paines wherewith thy foes did thee infest Inspire sweet heau'nly peace into my brest That thence as from a Lymbick may distill Sweet drops of peace on hearts that are opprest And with true loue of heau'nly peace so fill As feeling her sweet Good they neuer faint for ill Peace may be call'd the minds serenity The concord of th' affections and the will The Band of Loue the hearts simplicity The Soules chiefe good the conscience free from ill Thus is she simply but if so you will Discerne her nature plainer we diuide Her by the friends to whom she beares good-will Thus we in Peace with God doe first abide Next with our selues and last with all the world beside And yet this peace with God our selues and men Is but one and the same true heau'nly peace That happy peace we haue with God is when We freed by Faith are iustifide of Grace True inward peace then in our hearts hath place When as our Consciences excuse within Then peace with men we rightly doe embrace When to haue peace with all men we begin Thus haue we peace with Iewes and Turkes but hate their sinne Eternall inward and externall peace Eternall Peace is that with God alone From which our inward Life hath and increase The third 's the peace we haue with eu'ry one No farther yet than it concernes our owne For when we wrong'd or iniuride behold Those that with vs in godly League are growne We breake our League if peace with them we hold For by such worldly peace our loue to God growes cold God is the Author Christ the King of Peace The Seeds of peace are by the Spirit sowne Which water'd by his Seruants heere increase Till they into abundant fruits are growne How beautifull the feet of them doe showne That Peace's ioyfull tidings to vs bring This Pearle of Peace where euer it is knowne Doth passe all vnderstanding Christ our King Did honour Peace on earth with his sweet publishing Health Quiet Happinesse Prosperitie All Concord Liberty and good successe Peace to vs brings with minds-tranquillity And frees our Soules from dismall heauinesse It is the doore to inward happinesse True inward Peace our hearts doth mollifie And make like Wax that Ioy on them may presse The priuy Seale whereby assuredly We sealed are to liue with God eternally The Gentiles that farre off and strangers were Peace by Christs precious bloud now maketh nic For he 's our peace whereby
vs fight So strong is Satans force so subtill is his slight No beauty forme or golden Vestiment Do so adorne the Body as the Mind Is graced by this Vertues Ornament Without sweet Light the Sun as soone we find As Shamefastnesse from Chastity disioyn'd Immodest lookes are Darts against her throwne When man and womans light aspects are ioyn'd The battel 's fought both sides are ouerthrowne Ah cruell fight where neither side defends her owne As eyes from wanton lookes eu'n so our eare 'Gainst all immodest Charmes we must inclose For Shamefastnesses vaile these off doe teare And our affections prone to Lust vnlose The Flame and Fier do not sooner close Than Impudence and foule vnchastity Then Beauty like Gold-ring in swinish Nose Doth roote in Durt of Impudicity No Body's chast where Mind 's ioyne in Adultery Who is not cloth'd in robe pure snowy white Of Chastitie the Lambe will neuer know Then Dames that in faire ornaments delight Desire to be as you desire to show All richest Pearles Gold Iewels heere below Are nothing to this Gem of Chastitie No fairer Flower doth in Loues garden grow Than Blush of Shamefastnesse and Modesty No Iewell like the Belt of Truth and Sanctitie Nor doe I onely heere of you require A Continence for feare of Law or Fame But such a Chastitie I doe desire That neither may your Mind nor Conscience blame Oh let it be vnto your Soules a shame A Bird should you in Chastity transcend The Turtle neuer changeth mate or name For this the Story Iudith doth commend But this is no Command but counsell for a friend Take heere for patterne Rachels chastest sonne Who eu'n a princesse lustfull soft embrace For vertues Loue not feare of shame did shun I heere might grant Lucretia a place But that selfe-murther doth her foule disgrace Penelope's a Mappe of Chaste desire Who farre away all Idlenesse doth chase Nor takes least heate from Suiters lustfull fire But twice ten yeeres expects her dearest Lords retire Susan 's so chaste her rumour dares not blame To this high pitch of honour they doe rise That shunne all idlenesse and wanton game And more than gold their names honour prize Sobriety them ay accompany's Both in their speaking eating and attire Their modest gate sweet carriage shamefast eyes Doe proue their Beds be nests of chaste desire To quench more than enflame the brands of lustfull fire Eu'n fruitfull Venus true to husbands side May win from heau'ns high Queene the golden Ball And virgin Pallas may be well denide The honour which chast Matrons doth befall Glory of either Sexe Oh how then shall This hand vnchast of that pure chastnesse write By which Christs-Bride surmounts the daughters all And doth the Queenes and Concubines delight Binding eu'n mighty Kings with her most glorious sight Her turtle-voyce Doues eyes as Lilly-white Excels the thornes so She all Womankind Yet loues but one whom she in bed by night Doth seeke for long at last alone doth find He her alone in armes embraceth kind And she alone delights in his imbrace Chast Bridegrome chastest Bride together ioyn'd Of Saints beget a holy heau'nly race With this high Mystery Christ doth chast Wedlocke grace And brandeth with spirituall Fornication Those who on earth their chastest Head forsake And stoope to Idols and abomination Here choyce of Louers to themselues to rake The Saints and Angels they for Bridegrome take When they before their Images do fall Thus she the Scarlet-whore herselfe doth make And they her bastards which she beareth all Such bastards with true-heiers ne'r inherit shall As chast so we a ielous Bridegrome haue And as his Loue like Death is sure and strong So 's Ielousie as cruell is as graue Who such a louing Husband dares to wrong His ielous Fury may expect ere long But now I stray from sweetest Meditation I ought to end as I began my song One word more of a Worthy of our nation A patterne worth thy learning loue and imitation Thomas Archbishop of Yorks famous See When Doctors counsell and his friends him praid For Cure to vse a female-remedy And for that turne him brought a comely mayd Most piously to them replide and said That to preserue his flesh which was to die His Soules immortall Chastitie betraid Should neuer be Such heau'nly chastity Shewes plaine his Soule doth liue in heau'n eternally But as the Lute which yeelds a pleasant sound Doth others but it selfe no whit delight So if examples onely I propound To others and not practise what I write I neuer may approach the chastest Light To which our chastest Head before is gone For no vnchast one commeth in his sight Except with Magdalen they sigh and grone And cleanse with floods of teares their filthinesse each one Thus clensd our Soule is like Brides liuing-Well Whose waters are most pleasant pure and sweet Our bodies eyes like fountaines two which quell And quench all Lusts temptatiōs which they meet But now adayes we hold this Grace vnmeet In noble valiant brest to intertaine Men onely thinke her fit for Dames to greet And to their basest Lusts let loose the Raine But sure no Vertue dwels where she doth not remaine The Flesh against the Spirit coueteth But if the Spirit manfully hold out It all Lusts base temptations vanquisheth Who haue a purpose resolute and stout To temper their affections may no doubt Defend their honour ' gainst Concupiscence And though they oft opposd are by a rout Of their owne lusts hels and worlds violence Their chast resolued mind maintaines their innocence Then Fooles are they that when they haue began In spirit in the flesh will make an end He that once tastes of Lust more hardly can Abstaine than he that neuer did intend Me from her first Beginnings Lord defend She 's like the Serpent that did Eue assaile She pleasant fruits and pleasures doth pretend Her mouth drops hony-sweet but with her taile She stings eu'n all to hell with whom she doth preuaile But though I make a cou'nant with mine eyes Like Iob no lustfull obiect to behold Yet oft this Monster will mine heart surprize And vnawares in sinfull Thought infold This Serpents cunning sleights can not be told The best way to auoyd them can be found Is her aloofe to keepe if thou be bold To chat with her she vnawares will wound I almost feare her filthinesse now to propound Vncircumcised rayling Philistine Who all Gods hoste defies in single fight I dare not suffer thee to come within Such is thy force such is thy cunning slight Thou art a Gyant of exceeding might If you will hearken vnto my perswasion Keepe him aloofe and in the forehead smite Best way to shun Lusts furious inuasion Is warily here to auoid the least occasion Dauid escapes the Beares and Lyons pawes And ouerthrowes the Philistine in field And yet this subtill Serpent him so drawes His heart vnto her Syrens-songs doth yeeld Then she him conquers without
But those whom he did in his Conscript call So none may come into the Graces Hall But they must be conscrib'd by Grauity And those she will not haue come there at all She passeth by them for their Leuity Such confidence haue all in her integritie But she most like is to the glorious Sunne Whose chearefull countenance is still the same And like him constantly one course doth runne Of which she neuer weary is or lame From him 's all elementall heate and flame With her all liuely spirituall doth dwell He lightens all with his enlightning beame Sinnes Clouds and Ignorance she doth expell Sol prince of Lights she of all Graces beares the bell She 's like that Breath which God is said to breathe Into mans face for immortality His owne sweet Image which he did bequeath To Adam Righteousnesse and Sanctitie For where is inward holy Grauity All Graces spirituall are likewise found Where graue and modest outward Courtesie There outward comely Graces all are found Without the one we neuer find the other sound No firmer or more ready muniment 'Gainst Enuie Malice and each enemy That here mankind assaile and circumuent Than high sublime graue Manners maiestie Who outward hath and inward Grauitie Concords with all without hath Peace within Of Vertues all consent and Vnity Gods image thus renew'd doth heere begin In humane flesh to vanquish Lust and mortall Sinne. Old Ages honour garland of gray-haires Most ample orders Grace and dignity The highest seates of Iustice richest chaires Of State from her haue all their maiestie She swayes the Scepter of high Sou'raignty The fairest Cope which Arons sonnes do weare Sweet reu'rend amiable Grauitie To thee I nothing find fit to compare All Simile's but shadowes to thy substance are For in the graue and reu'rend do shine All Goodnesse Constancie and Sapience The Manners which were in the golden time The Age when raigned Right and Innocence Before Debate Strife and Maleuolence Were hatcht since fledge now taught aloft to sore Inueterate in reprobated Sense Habituated so in Vices lore They scoffe at graue examples all that went before At first I say when in the golden Age Graue Saturne did Olympus Scepter sway Of high esteeme were then the ancient Sage And mortals all did their behests obay But since Ioue did by violence betray His father and aspired to his Crowne Seuerer Grauity is driu'n away The Iouiall men are onely of renowne Graue Saturne on their Lusts too rigidly doth frowne As long as Eue maintaines her Grauitie So long in her Integrity she stood But when neglecting Grace and Maiestie She of her vassall learnes the ill from good The Serpent with his base malicious brood Soone brings her to an euerlasting blame She euill did and euill vnderstood And seekes to hide her naked parts from shame Which perfect Natures Grauitie did neuer blame Oh wondrous Grace of heau'nly Grauitie If in her likenesse she should here appeare But Adam lost her with Integrity Since she could neuer be discerned cleare But when our Head with vs conuersed here Onely some Beames he pleaseth to bestow Vpon his members to himselfe most deare Whereby they shine like little lamps below And as he lends them light they great or lesser show If you examples of this Grace desire You must the Fathers liues and Stories reade She a continued habit doth require Nor is expressed in a single deed I easier to you could their slips areed As Noah graue yet ouertane with wine And Lot thus punish't with incestuous deed I read that once eu'n Abram did decline And fainting fell from this high Grauitie diuine Could I now Iob here picture in a Verse I might her comeliest feature to you show Reade his whole life I onely will rehearse What he would haue his vniust friends to know Did he vnto the Seat of Iudgement goe The youngmen saw him and themselues did hide The aged rise the Princes tongues that flow In Eloquence their talking lay aside Speakes he all mouths are shut all eares are open wide I do not reade that graue Iudge Samuel Did euer from this heau'nly Grace decline For all the time he iudged Israel But sure his Tutor did so much incline To gentlenesse he swerued from her line Oh Dauid where was then thy Grauity When thou didst make Vriah drunke with wine That so he might go with thy Lemman lie To couer thy base Sinne of foule Adultery That innocent pure golden Grauitie With which thou in a linnen Ephod dight Laidst by thy sou'raigne kingly Maiestie To dance before the Lord with all thy might Oh thus to be vncouerd in the sight Of maides and seruants well becomes a King Though prophane wicked Michols vs despight Yet when to God we our Deuotions bring To be most vile and meeke is no dishonouring Should I now passe by Iudges Prophets Kings And from th'Apostles times this Vertue trace To shew how silly fisher-men did things More graue and venerable in their place Than all the Prelates that haue highest grace My selfe and Reader I too much should spend Let 's labour in our hearts her to embrace For that indeed is Meditations end In vaine hee sees the right that doth the wrong way wend. By two or three examples I le commend This Grace as she did with the Heathen won Cato one from the Senate did suspend Because he kist his wife before his sonne A Poet crauing of a Iudge alone To do him fauour against Law replide As Poet is not good whose Vertues run Not by the rules of Art so Iudge is wide That layes for feare or fauour Lawes and right aside A Spartane lewd in serious consultation Giuing his good aduice was followed Of all the Senate in their Conuocation And the Decree in his name entered A graue old man them better counselled That they their honour would not so defame To haue Decrees in such names registred The Sentence might continue still the same Chang'd onely from a lewd vnto a graue mans name Themistocles is said once with his friend After the Persians fatall ouerthrow To see that mighty slaughter to descend Vnto the Sea which wont to ebbe and flow Which many Chains and Bracelets vp did throw These when he saw thus lying on the shore He them thus saying to his friend doth show Thou art no Captaine gather them therefore Shewing he Grauity than Gold esteemed more Oh! shall a Captaine of the heathen host For Grauity despise all gold and gaine And Christians thou whose Soule alone hath cost More than all wealth that doth on earth remaine Neglect this Grace a little pelfe to gaine Oh! what do such but Esaus Birth-right sell Or like the Prodigall eate swill and graine If they at home with Grauity would dwell Manna should be their food their drinke sweet liuing-Well Alas how many be that do professe Themselues great friends to gracious Grauitie And do in outward shewes expresse no lesse But they at home are full of Luxurie Base
Wantonnesse and all Immodesty Especially obscene in filthy Lust Thus Cupid binds Ioues awfull Maiestie Uenus haue her petitions granted must When Iuno's and Minerua's throwne are in the dust Ah! I could wish but neuer hope to see The golden-Age when eu'ry one was plaine And hearts and faces did in one agree Dissembling was not knowne all Saturnes raigne The Matrons modest Virgins sought to gaine By patternes graâ—â— in Vertue to begin Their youth the ancient vp in labour traine To moderate their Lust and keepe from sinne That as they seem'd without so they might be within Three things the Persians did teach their youth To ride a horse the Bow aright to draw The last thing was in all to tell the Truth This made them of ill doing stand in aw They being bound to Truth as to a law This last true inward Grauitie would frame Considering God secret sinnes will draw To light on earth to our disgrace and blame Or else hereafter to our greater paine and shame But I confesse we are so farre from feare Of wanton loosenesse in our priuacie That openly we without blushing beare The ensignes of our Impudicitie So farre from antique grauer Modestie In gestures goings lookes vailes and attire They now are baits of Lust and Luxurie And fewell to increase our shamelesse fire Which should be limited in Wedlocks chast desire And not shewes onely but our sweetest songs Are now the Baits of Lust and Wantonnesse In Ribaldry we exercise our toungs With vnchast tales we intertaine our guesse Without these now no mirth or cheerefulnesse Alas poore Grauity is quite vndone Her honours blended by Lasciuiousnesse The Signes will tell you where good-Ale doth won 'T is filthinesse to speake what 's filthy to be done Diuinest Spirits Muses Darlings deare That in sublimest Numbers take delight Oh! let your Fountaines streame as pure and cleare As runs the Helicon whereof you write Dim not your pure sublime most glorious light With lustfull thought or wanton cogitation But spend the honour of your Furies might In holy sweete transcendent Contemplation And as your matter 's graue so be your conuersation You by the Muses are inaugurate Censors of Manners inward Sanctitie As of the outward is the Magistrate Oh both be patternes of true Grauitie And you shall both shine like a Deitie Amongst the mortals which are here below Your priuate honour publike maiestie By Grauitie more glorious shall show So as your outward truly doth from inward flow Wiues Matrons Widowes Virgins faire be graue Dame Chastitie defend your Bodies may From lawlesse Lust This Vertue will you saue From lustfull proffer without saying nay The boldest dares not Grauitie assay She better than a thousand Argo's eyes All lustfull lookes and glances keepes away And silenceth inchanting Mercuries That Matron's truly chast whom no man euer tryes God of all Grace I humbly beg this Grace Of inward and of outward Grauitie Graue in my Muses graue in publique place Graue with my friends graue in my Family Graue in Aduersitie Prosperitie In all religious Duties truely graue Be I in Bondage or at Libertie In health or sicknesse Grauitie I craue In all from crying Sinnes this Grace my Soule shall saue And though to sing of Grauitie I cease Yet neuer will I cease her Contemplation As yeeres so must my Grauity increase The Author of all heau'nly Cogitation Me teach her practice in my Conuersation This Booke began with Peace I now will end With Grauity both Booke and Meditation God grant it Readers hearts may all amend As it hath done the Authors when the same he pen'd To the Author I Read thy Poems and I them admire The more I reade the more I do desire They breathe such holy Passions in the mind Who reades them most himselfe shall better find R. C. FINIS a Iuno a Regulus a Eli