cannot pay thee halfe thy due But tossed am vpon misfortune shelfe And cannot sing thy honors full nor true Yet from these ashes may a Phaenix spring VVhen they haue heard thy worth and better sing Then take this vertue now into thy hand My feeble spirits begin for to retire Such power thy vertues haue they can withstand A better pen and bid my thoughts admire And glory in the subiect not my Muse VVhich can more faults then I haue done excuse Yet giue me leaue a little to proceed And some more graces of her minde discouer My fond affection in this vaine to feed One vertue still you see calls in another VVhere though I doe begin and speake of many Yet can I finde no end of praysing any Thy hospitalitie did as much renowne thee As cannot be by mortall tongues exprest And with as great desarts and prayses crowne thee Filling thee with more glory then the rest And brings thee forth vpon this stage to show thee VVhat thy desarts and their affections owe thee Thy speaking praise from Cottage to the Throne Attend thee Ladie with no common glorie Thy bounteous deeds so spred abroad and knowne VVrites in mens hearts thy neuer dying storie VVhere it shall liue past all succeeding ages As willing pen and vertue true presages Thy bounteous table kept who may declare Or greatnesse of thy hospitalitie VVhose liberall minde no cost at all doth spare To grace thy honor with more dignitie VVhere ouerwhelmed with affections store Shee to her friends thinkes greatest bountie poore VVhat long enduring house hath honor kept And with thy bounteous cheere and wondrous store Fed many mouthes whil'st some haue basely slept In Mammons armes still coueting more and more Snorting in mines of gold feeding their soules VVith that the best and worthiest mindes controlls VVhich loues to heare the fall of honor true And enuie those rare gifts they doe possesse Detracting those which bounteous deeds ensue And yet these slaues will creepe and be their guests To all those famous houses which they heare Doe keepe vp bountie and maintaine good cheere VVhil'st they doe scrape and gleane what they can get From Bounties hands and liberall dispositions VVhich ne're a good house kept themselues as yet Nor ne're will doe so base are their conditions If they can creepe but into honors fauours Thei le feede and burst vpon anothers labours Thus from great persons free and bounteous tables They heape vp wealth by wretched miserie And make their heires so strong in meanes and able That in the compasse of gentilitie They must be drawne and honored of some men Although their fathers basely begg'd for them I doe not vrge this most renowned Lady Though many men haue bettered beene by thee To ayme or point at any thing that may be Thought preiudiciall to thy dignitie But as thou art most liberall free and kinde So to expresse the bountie of thy minde Now can the Citie Countrie and the Court VVhose eares haue heard of thy dispersed fame Vnto thy Princely Palace make resort And fill their thoughts with thy admired name VVhere hearts eyes eares and all desires to proue The great magnificence of thy grace and loue VVith curteous kinde and honor'd dispositions Such as is wont in noble brests to dwell Thou entertaines great birthes and faire conditions VVith such rare grace and gestures as excell No wise conceits nor curious Artist found But for thy courteous grace thy praises found No worthy Lady of the noblest straine VVhich for her parts and wisdome was diuine But thou with bounteous hand did'st entertaine And show thy selfe as free as Caesars minde VVhose salutations were as fairely drest And powdred with the wisdome of the best Heere greatnesse doth another greatnesse grace Loue meetes with loue heere honor honor kisses Heere noble mindes each other doe embrace Nought to make vp such sweete contentment misses So faire a troupe of worthy persons meeting But few haue seene in such great honor greeting Here liberall Ceres plaies no niggards part Here Heau'n earth Seas their greatest plenty brings Here Bacchus cheeres the melancholly heart Whil'st a learn'd consort of sweete Musicke sings A feast that did more sumptuous cost afford Then Cleopatra did that noble Lord. Who hath beene fam'd for hospitalitie That hath not ranckt her name among the rest Who haue for bountie and for dignitie Admired beene and left her vnexprest Who hath a worthier house kept all her daies Then she hath done and liu'd in greater praise No Lady though our Shire did thee containe Yet are thy honors and thy bountie spred And can as great a share and glorie claime As theirs can doe and grace thee being dead With true deseruing fame for euer blest To equall Pellam Ramsey and the rest No niggards hand nor greedy gaine did hold her The noblest mindes are not in loue with riches Nor haue her vertues for such trifles sold her Though many great ones powerfull gold bewitches But what meanes heere the heauens her freely lent Shee wasteth nor though liberally shee spent But to a better end and purpose vsde them The hungrie members of our Lord to feed And not in such disordred sort abus'd them But help'd the weake afflicted in their need With Ioseph to refresh the brethren poore Which stands and waits for charitie at the doore Her yerning pitie did so farre extend That deepe compassion shee did on them take And in their great necessities did befriend Their soules and bodies for meere charities sake With gifts and good rewards shee did supplie Their extreame wants and sau'd them like to die How many hath shee eas'd of Lazars crue The poorest members of our dying Lord Whose great distresse the kindest natures rue Tost to and fro and in this world abhorr'd Despis'd and made a scorne of euery eye Which doth behold their woe and misery Thus doe they show from whence they are descended From that old serpent their adopted father Which neuer will nor euer haue extended The least reliefe as Diues crummes to gather His dogs were kinder for to licke his sores Then mē are now which beats them frō their dores But thou great Lady wherein vertue rested Did'st daily feed them at thy bounteous gate And the poore members of Christs flocke hast feasted Comiserating heere their wofull state Which nothing haue in this world to relieue them But what such liberall minds as yours doth giue thē Poore naked wormes which feele the sharpest aire Which wants food cloth and home which many haue What is heere left to keepe yee from despaire When all your hopes and comforts are the graue And if it were not for some worthie mindes Your soules would faint and die before your times But thou most true deuoted Ladie giues Both cloth food harbour to such orphanes poore And helpest those which in extremities liue And ne're expuls'd the needie from thy doore But at the point of death their soules did cherish And sau'd those liues which ready
VERTVES ANATOMIE OR A COMPENDIOVS DESCRIPTION OF THAT late Right Honorable Memorable and Renowned Bedfordshire Lady the Lady CHEANY of Tuddington By CHARLES PIERSE LONDON Printed by William Iones dwelling in Red-crosse Streete 1618. TO THE MOST VERTVOVS AND TRVELY RELIGIous Lady the Lady CROFTS wife to that worthy Knight Sir IOHN CROFTS all health and prosperity in this world and eternall ioy and felicitie in the world to come RIGHT worshipfull or rather Right worthy Lady the title of the former being made more illustrious by the fruition of the latter For honours and dignities are not the precedent cause of vertue but vertue of them I haue I feare assumed too much vpon me and broken the bounds of that old prouerbe â—e sutor vltra crepitum yet worthy Lady on whose fauourable acceptance not on my owne deserts I altogether rely doe humbly craue your Ladiships most gratious protection to shelter me from those malignaÌ„t which might oppose themselues against me I know it wants that beautie hue and amiable aspect which should externally adorne it and make it pleasing in your eyes Yet if your Ladiship please to take a view of the inward truth and sincere deuotion of the heart it may proue as true begotten though not so fairely featured as the rest For as it is in nature so it is in arte much vice may lie hid in faire complexions and much hypocrisie in arte I speake not this good Lady to derogate ought from learned Arts or worthy wits inriched with eloquence whereby my impouerished and naked lines should bee clothed with their garments but that I feare the hard ceÌ„sures of these ill spokeÌ„ times as much as I hope to receiue some fauorable coÌ„struction froÌ„ your worthy selfe If any put out a Quaere and aske me why I wrote this booke I could alledge many reasons but I cease to erect too large a portall to so small a structure I had rather my booke should be abstracted then detracted Giue me leaue therfore rather in few words to expresse what I would then in many what I could speake Since so many whose loues depend vpon your Ladiships desarts doe offer vp gifts a testimony of the loue they owe which haue of long time knowne your most free and gentle dispotions and seene the vertuous inclinations of your minde I could not chuse nor in common Christianitie do any lesse if no other bound affection nor duetie had moued me but shew some thankfulnes with the rest though satisfaction I cannot giue with the best I haue therefore presumed to present vnto your Ladiship not such as your honor doth deserue or as I desire or as my duety and the subiect of my booke doe require but such as my small ability or rather inabilitie could prepare to offer vnto you for hauing no need of externall gifts I giue the internall gifts of the minde as a free thought a lame sacrifice not worthy to be recorded with those great ones which could cast aboue a widowes mite into the treasurie or offer vp vnto their master more then a cup of cold water Reade it most pious Ladie if ought be in it worthy the least respect or fauour it is not mine but her honors and your Ladiships from whose most pure eminent vertues this dimme and darke candle of mine tooke her first light Some may hold it a disparagement to her honor because est ab indigno others may iudge I write truely but not sufficiently both are right for silent duety though in it selfe it is commendable yet in respect of others it winnes more loue being actiue laus virtutis actio and for the other what my weake skill doth deny yet my vrging will supply vltra posse non est esse What should I speake of your Ladiships free and bounteous disposition What should I speake of those ornaments and graces you are both inwardly outwardly indued with which with as many tongues as Argus had eyes spread abroad your deserued worth that I cannot tel whether our soyle more iustly admires you or inwardly desires you Where vertuous life faire children happie state Doe all concurre to make you fortunate And whereas many will hereafter minde you Blest in the issue that you left behinde you In which most fruitfull buds as may out-liue you Your worth and yours a double life may giue you Where though your soule had reacht eternitie Your name on earth may liue and neuer die So thriue faire Lady and flourish euer in those faire pathes of vertue that as it was a blessing to Dauid that one of his seed did inherite his earthly Throne so it may be a greater blessing to your Ladiship that many of your seed should inherite the Throne eternall It was not so great a glory for Salomon to inherite his Fathers Kingdome as his Fathers holinesse and vertues Then how much Madam may you reioyce in eyther that yours enioy not onely much temporall honors and blessings but also are indued with many gifts and graces of the Spirit great louers of vertue and imbracers of true religion and piety Long may they so continue to your Ladiships full ioy Long may they all liue and grow old in honors and vertues and with that Poet euer wish Fortunati omnes si quid mea carmina possunt Nulla dies vnquam memori vos eximet aeuo Thus humbly intreating your good Ladiship to accept this my first and meane labour vnder whose wings it most hopefully trusts I rest Yours all too meane and farre vnworthy seruant but not least deuoted Charles Pierse TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE LORD THE LORD WENTWORTH WHen meannes speakes and honors balance weighes him Had need speake well for feare his tongue betrayes him Lest vndiscerning there discouered lies Some marke of folly to iudicious eies Euen so great Lord my timerous quill proceeds Much like a scholler that his lesson reades Before his awfull master trembling still Whether vnkind he said it well or ill So like that pupill I the lists doe enter More bold then wise to giue the perilous venter And cannot tell what dangers may ensue Did not I hope much honor lay in you Not like that Fortunes brood whose ayrie spirits Doe mount them Icarus-like aboue their merits Where when their flight's at highest rise of all The Sunne doth melt their wings and then they fall Or like Narcissus who did fondly looke On his owne shadow in a crystall brooke And doting on 't stept neerer to haue kist it Where he fell in and drown'd himselfe yet mist it Euen so this world which these faire streames behold Build their attempts vpon such hopes too bold Making the drossie substance of this earth The greatest cause of honor and of birth Some louing honors so buy them to make them Better contented they that can forsake them Yet our best natures faile in this and vse them Hee 's a rare man that proffer'd can refuse them But you great Lord descended of a race Which vertue
support her houses fame A widdow wife and maide confinde in one In all and seuerall states so free from blame That enuy nor the iniurious hand of time Could euer staine or touch with any crime Her thoughts so continent and her chast desires Which neuer rioted in exppense of time Sprung from those true eternall liuing fires Which doth all vertue to it selfe combine Not lightly led nor starting now and then To place new fancies in affecting men But truely kept her selfe vnto her loue Her worthy loue in youth in age in death So constant faithfull true as turtle doue Where her affections gaue no second breath But liu'd in one pure loue and neuer changed In thoughts so firmly knit they neuer ranged Which for the space of almost thirty yeares Did rule alone her house admir d of many Such holy graces in her life appeares Such perfect vertues seldome seene in any A virgin wife a widow maide to be So old in honor yet from folly free Could not her long deceased spouse before Grac'd with so many worthy after loues Nor time nor nature which could argue more Nor any thing from that strict course remoue But still her resolution doth perseuer Inuiolate vnto the first for euer Why then poore pen doest thou attempt so far And canst not touch the riches of her honor Nor nothing neere describe this glorious starre But rather much vnhidden worth take from her The little world of thy poore wit on fire Will rather burne then satisfie desire Yet giue me leaue great Readers to admire Faire imitators of her honors worth Although I cannot satisfie desire Nor set her high desarts and honor forth Accept my will which must remaine your debtor Till time or heau'ns shall grace me to sing better She in whose breast grace such impression tooke That made her time not like a mortall creature Which honors state and dignities forsooke A thing most hard and wondrous strange to nature That vertue should be found for to contemne Such meanes and fortunes as aduanceth them Could grace and vertue natures force expell And breake those lawes wherein she binds too many Could heauenly gifts in such a concord dwell So welbelou'd within the heart of any That in so many daies they should not fall Nor yet be toucht with any crime at all Pure-thoughted Lady which preserues thy soule So cleane from fleshly crimes and carnall pleasures Nor didst consent vnto such actions foule Wherein too many wallow out of measure That inbred sin which neuer leaues the most Till nature's ready to yeeld vp the ghoast One loue thy soule delighted which decease Did liue a fresh in the still vndiuided Two persons ioynd in one makes no release Till both be dead in loue so firmly guided Death parts the body but the soule doth honor In shadie groues to meete so true a louer So constant Lady thou which after death In strengh of yeares to no such bayts did yeeld Gaines fame a second life and longer breath Whose stedfast loue on better ground did build Where palmes of victorie in thy hands are found And lawrell wreaths to girt thy temples round Where thou Diana-like didst lead a life In sacred loue mixt with most chast desire Or like those holy vestalls void of strife Which keepes their honors spotlesse and intire And neuer lookes so true a course they liue To those inchantments which the world doth giue Where purest loue like to the morning dew Sent downe from him which all good gifts infuses Inioyes those rare contents giuen but to few To very few which worldly traffique vses So great and meeke so chast and yet a wife For not a mortals but an Angels life Which onely keeps not from societie Thy person free but quencht those inward fires And from loose thoughts and vaine delights didst flie Hating th'imbracements of vnchast desires And gaue no place to such inticements vaine Which proues the owners losse the actors paine How canst thou then great Lady all forsake So many thousand bayted hopes to see And many great ones little rest to take Whilst thou securely sleeps from dangers free No thy chast bosome neuer lusted so To loose a freind for to imbrace a foe Thou worthy patterne of this wanton age Whose pure affections dispossesseth sin And acts thy part vpon this earthly stage As chast as she whose loue Troy towne did win Oh who would wish more honor in this life Then die a vertuous widow virgin wife Thou mighst haue knit thy selfe in sacred bands With honorable persons in degree In Hymens rites vniting hearts and hands And not haue wrong this first loue being free Oh but thy soule sayes to thy selfe alone That fayth most firme that keeps it selfe to one No friend nor louer since thy bosome smothers But Christ thy Sauiour spouse and husband deare For whose deare sake thou hast forsooke all others How great or rich so e're they liued here And sworne vnto thy selfe and made a vow To serue loue feare and keepe him onely now Oh happy choyse yet man and wife do varry From these pure paths which vnto vertue tends They care not who nor yet how oft they marry For loue of lucre lust or worldy freinds Exchanging oft the better for the worse Who weds a second neuer lou'd the first Such soule respects are so ingrauen in vs First beauty that faire obiect doth allure vs. Then mighty friends in state or meanes doth win vs That from insuing dangers may secure vs But last and greatest is wealth reuenewes riches The which the soules of men so much bewiches Long maist thou liue in thy more happier choise That euerlasting loue which fadeth neuer Long mayst thou with that Bridegroome faire reioice In those triumphing ioyes which lasteth euer Long maist thou honor praise and glory sing Vnto the soueraigne Lord the King of Kings Where thy pure thoughts chast bosome vertuous life Weds thy vnspotted soule to endlesse ioyes Whose loue to that great spouse makes a chast wife And whose rare gifts weake flesh and bloud destroyes Whose outward honors many equals finde But few to match the honor of the minde Why should my striuing pen desire to tell What it by force cannot attaine to know Why should my will against my skill rebell My passions thus ' gainst reasons lawes to show What ardent furies workes within my minde To seeke for that no wit nor toile can finde Oh giue me leaue to breake off thou my Muse I cannot diue so deepe I may be drown'd Then spare my weakenesse and defects excuse Which must retire when it can feele no ground That glorious streame of honor 't is too deepe For my weake braine aboue the waues to keepe But yet her bountie doth inuite my pen That vertue which doth challenge praise with best And vrges my dull hand to write agen Which crownes her with more glory then the rest And makes her name and honor mount the higher With such great grace as makes the
could euer win And open sets the doore t'eternall life Freed vs from all our enemies by thy death Although we suffer toyle cares greefe and strife VVithin our selues during this mortall breath Yet when thou thinkest good thou wilt inlarge vs And of our weary heauie load discharge vs. Whereof being freed and set at liberty Thou endlesse ioyes for ending greefe imbracest And di'st no more but liu'st eternally With him from whom thou hast bene euer grac'd Where now enioying what thou wantedst here Thou sing'st Halluiah with that heauenly quire Where now vnto that glory I will leaue thee That true felicity and eternall rest Which like to earthly ioyes will not deceiue thee But still indure effectuall and ere blest Triumphing with those Saints which euer sings All praise and glory to the King of Kings Here noble Lord some vertues of your owne May in this darke and little glasse appeare Or of that seede which you your selfe are sowne Which cannot like your honors shine so cleare Yet may you see some shaddow of your fauour If that you truely doe but read my labour For in this little booke I haue not err'd Although her honors worth I could not weild Nor vice before true vertue haue prefer'd Nor yet on such false slipperie grounds doe build As grace a sin by a dissembling tongue To doe the best and noblest natures wrong No let me neuer rise but rather fall If lower then I am I can descend When euer I take vices part at all Or ayme at any such vaine hopes or end But rather study vertuously to please Then haue my duty sicke of that disease No worthy Lord I le neuer sell my selfe Though I should be farre poorer then I am By vniust meanes to purchase worldly pelfe As sooth vp folly in the greatest man That gaine is losse that glory turnes to shame Which branded is with Gnato's flattering name Then let not honor iudge my liues amisse Although your iudgement farre extends my verse My duty 's true and so shall proue by this Which I vnworthy farre haue heere rehearst If I in ought through weaknesse haue offended Let greatnesse by their faire acceptance mend it For I doe know two noble natures springing From one pure fountaine cannot be diuided What wrong to her to you some blot is bringing Which cannot be but by your worth decided For you that doe succeed her roome and place Are heire vnto her vertues and her grace Whose faire example happie you may proue And like a greater light the lesser guide Adorn'd with honor glorie grace and loue And blest with all these earthly things beside That wanting nought to fill vp eithers store Your honor still may flourish more and more Who takes a patterne of his glorious maker And seekes to treade the tract of honor true Cannot at first be made a full partaker Of all those rich demeanes to honor due Such faire examples must haue time and space To ouertake them 't is no common race Which shee true vertues patterne left behinde Much like a marble pillar vnremou'd Such tokens of her honorable minde As make her heere generally belou'd Whereof when you shall take a fuller view Shall finde those honors fall to th' house and you Where I doe pray that heau'ns would grace it still With as great honor as it had before Or greater if it be his blessed will Vntill the surges ouerflow the shore That Wentworths noble race with Cheauies name May be inrol'd in euerlasting fame And you faire Lady grac'd with Natures gifts And with a spirit that hath true vertue in it Which my deiected Muse from sorrowes lifts And hath more power then others haue to win it bound with a dutie which must not be broken Giuen at my first conception for a token You the true Image of that Lady great For vertue and an honorable minde Of whom for your faire worth I would intreate More then affection doth in others binde To whom I owe more then you deigne to craue Loue seruice dutie life and all I haue A present all too meane if 't were farre better In one whom meanenesse meanenesse doth excell To whom I must and will remaine a debter A debter great how great I cannot tell Whos 's many fauours show'd to friends and me Lies hid within that cannot vttered be VVhat shall I giue that nothing haue to paie The widowes mite will not passe currant now That metall 's growne nought with vs now adaies Nor is it for true currant pay allow'd Yet where there 's nothing to be had you finde Accept good Lady of a gratefull minde This worke to your pure minde I doe present This honors prize vnto thy Iudgement sound VVhere if for any fault I should be shent Let some defence in thee be had and found Lest if some tempest should arise too fast I should be shiprack'd or in danger cast For well I know you lou'd her honor liuing Intirely so as pen cannot declare And after death in true affections giuing Did'st loue and zeale still to her honor beare Then for her sake let these some fauour finde That was her selfe so courteous free and kinde Good Lady which her life hast seene and knowne And all her vertues and her honors proued To whom her thoughts and counsels all were showne So much was you and shee of you beloued Can better tell what store of vertues lie Hid in her brest which no man can descrie I doe but adde a droppe vnto the sea For who can comprehend in any bounds Her honor 't is but labour cast away To finde out that which is not to be found But as a sparke is to a mightie fire So must I yeeld and valew my desire And though her modest blushes will not let her Her vertues prize nor take what is her owne Nor with that true deseruing praise beset her VVhich to the world is blaz'd so much and knowne Yet shall her vertues in their force abide Which through her modest vaile shee sought to hide For what can heart desire shee hath not found If wealth or riches shee hath not least store If fame or praise her name with that doth sound If honor who for her estate had more If with long life or length of daies and time VVho longer liu'd whose honor more did shine If with the gifts or graces of the minde VVho with her almost now may well compare Or hath had more or better beene inclinde VVhich kept her vertues with the fairest faire And like that praise which Scriptures Dauid gaue Brought good old age and honor to her graue Thus in this little volume may you reade Some vertues of her honorable minde Some of her merits worthie parts and deeds For all it is vnpossible to finde Vnlesse that I should out of nature dwell And learne such notes which humane notes excell Thus hoping of your gratious censures all I leaue yee to that euerlasting blisse 'T was fate not wit which to this taske did call My meaner spirits and rays'd my minde to this If ought miscaries blame not my intent For what is rudely sung is better meant To which pure sacred blessed Trinitie Which rules vnseene all things for th' best aboue vs Those Persons three inclos'd i th vnitie A wonder strange yet not so strange to loue vs Being such sinners ' gainst his Lawes rebelling Past all the tongues of men and Angels telling To him in all and vnto all in one Be all praise powre and glorie giuen alone FINIS
merit and desart doth grace Made great by birth and honor not by chance As Fortune's wont her followers to aduance Can better tell these things then I can name them And learne such vaine affections how to tame them Whereby your Predecessors got more grace And more renowne then time can ere deface Combining to your noble house that fame Which liues in you vnblemisht farre from blame And though that I great Lord doe write of that Which Fame the world and time haue wondered at And by aduenturing wrong my shallow wit In ayming at the marke I cannot hit Yet let some gratious censure from your honor Fall on my pen which tooke too much vpon her Since from that streame and fountaine you doe spring As this most noble lady did I sing Her worth impeach't yours must eclypsed bee Which in all things with hers doth co-agree Though my plaine dutie all too meane prefers Yet reade great Lord not for my sake but hers Which was a light to those that farre succeeds For vertuous 〈◊〉 and honorable deeds Who drawes 〈◊〉 such how much more then Need they of vertue store to equall them When springing honor in such tender yeares Vnto the world so fresh and greene appeares What shall we thinke of after comming time But that your glory more and more will shine Where that bright starre within your brest begunne May quickly rise to be a glorious Sunne And in the highest Spheare of golden fame Rides heauens large circuite with your noble name So thriue still honor flourish euer faire Let no clouds rise such glory to impaire Nor your proceedings any whit dismay T'eclypse the beautie of so faire a day But that your glasse at eu'nings watch match may run As faire and cleare as when it first begun Then noble Lord my humble duety spare What wants in me your Honor may repaire And mend those ruinous breaches which my quill Hath fall'n into for want of better skill And I as bound to this shall tune my song Pray heauens true honor may continue long Thus not presuming what may be amisse I pardon craue and make an end with this TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE the Ladie WENTWORTH RIght Honorable ere I doe begin I pardon craue presumption is a sinne Lest I too much vpon my selfe relying May Icarus-like perhaps repēt my flying The plague of many Poets which do think Their owne to be the pure immortall drinke But I that farre inferiour am to them Ascribe no such vain-glory to my pen Nor yet will ouerprize what I do know Is past my skill to iudge or power to show If ought within this little volume lies A worke too weake for your iudicious eyes Which might ' gainst me the smallest fire incense I should be loath to giue so much offence Yet doe not fixe your wrath before you trie And heare great Lady my Apologie Perchance my meannesse barres me of that fauour Which others gaine in as vnworthy labour If that it doth or bare originall birth In sight of heauen is nought or little worth Hee 's no accepter of the noblest blood Aboue the meaner persons which are good All 's one to him his power created all Hee 's great'st with him that on his name doth call The abiects and the out-casts of all things In this prerogatiue may compare with Kings Heauens are not partiall all 's alike respected None for their greatest honor are elected If this be not the cause another yet May hazard what this former could not hit And bid me call in question straight my pen That hath not writ so learn'd as other men Hauing a subiect so repleate with honor And could not shew no better skill vpon her This plunges deeper and hard claime doth lay Vnto my thoughts I know not what to say But since thou can'st not paint nor steale no wit With borrowed shapes or Artes to furnish it In plainest colours thou hast truely pen'd them Vertue and honor need no arte to mend them Besides it was her pleasure minde and will To haue her vertues vnderualued still For it is not so true as common knowne The purest vertues neuer seeke their owne And heauens agree and with their names dispence To grace the truth and leaue out eloquence For he respects the heart more then the tongue Or else we all should doe his Godhead wrong Then if that heauens in this from blame doth free mee Why should not mortals through his glory see mee And set mee free from any scorne and hate Since heauen in all things all should imitate It may be yet another may arise And show it selfe vnpleasing to your eies And that is this the want of wealth and state Which holds too many in disgrace and hate Yet in the sight of heau'ns the poor'st are grac'd And are not for their want of meanes displac'd If the small'st mite or sparke of grace he findes Doth worke at all within their hearts and mindes Nor doth he cast away the poorest slaue From entring in if grace be found to saue But like vnto decayed plants doth cherish Their dying roots and will not let them perish Then noble Lady if that these may claime The least respect and shelter me from blame I shall be glad when first I vndertooke To write to such great minds this little booke Where my too worthlesse duetie more affords Conceal'd within not to be tould in words Accept it Honor then since 't is the first Your greatnesse soone may grac't or make it worse But whether 't is my fortune or my fate I now must take 't repentance comes too late Yet many fauours farre aboue my merit I haue receiu'd from your most noble spirit Which makes me hope that now I shall not misse But likewise be receiu'd and grac'd in this For which I le studie by my best endeauer In faithfull seruice bound fast yours for euer Then noble Ladie deigne to take a view Of those faire vertuous parts and honors true Which faire example left so rich behinde To fill the vertuous storehouse of your minde Whose worthie branches from that tree descended Make honors goe with vertues rich attended Where some of them if all you doe not finde Ingrauen in your honorable minde TO SIR HENRY CROFTS IF that my lines may be at all respected And not for their vnworthinesse reiected Which though too meane faine would remember yet The loue I owe which many doe forget The seruice and the dutie which desires Though your desarts farre greater worth requires To yeeld some thankes by meane endeauors prest You in your better iudgement know the rest From Shepheards cells expect no more to finde Then what may please the best contented minde Our tables are not furnisht with such cost For sumptuous cheere or lofty faire to boast Such as we haue we giue on trust we goe not To entertaine you Sir with that we owe not Nor yet by stealth doe seeke to winne your loue To beare the name of that we cannot proue