THE Countesse of Pembrokes Emanuel Conteining the Natiuity Passion Buriall and Resurrection of Christ togeather with certaine Psalmes of Dauid All in English Hexameters By ABRAHAM FRAVNCE Imprinted at London for William Ponsonby dwelling in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Bishops head 1591. To the right excellent and most Honorable Lady the Lady Mary Countesse of Pembroke MAry the best Mother sends her best Babe to a Mary Lord to a Ladies sight and Christe to a Christian hearing Your Honors most affectionate Abraham Fraunce The Countesse of Pembrokes Emanuel The Natiuity of Christ in ryming Hexameters CHriste euer-lyuing once dying only triumpher Ouer death by death Christe Iesus mighty redeemer Of forelorne mankynde which led captyuyty captiue And made thraldome thrall whose grace and mercy defensiue Mercyles and graceles men sau'd Christe liuely reuiuer Of sowles oppressed with sin Christe louely reporter Of good-spell Gospell Mayds son celestial ofspring Emanuel Man-god Messyas euer abounding With pity perpetuall with pure loue charity liuely This Christe shal be my song and my meditation only O euerlasting aeternall euer-abyding Euer-lyuing Lord O life and stil-pity-taking Stil-quicknyng Spyrite which causedst God to be manly That true-God true-man might soe cause man to be godly Graunt mee a sounding voyce to recount these funeral horrors Which made vs t'enioy those sweete celestial harbors And thou Babe stil-borne borne always from the begynning Whose sweete byrth in skyes causd Angels for to be singing Looke sweete Babe from aboue lend gracius eares to my prayers Soe shall these my lipps this mouth this tong be thy praysers When noe Sunne gaue light noe Moone distinctly apeared And noe twinckling starrs this lightsom Olympus adorned When noe world was made then that most mighty Iehoua That king omnipotent that Lord and only Monarcha Himself did meditate enioyd his glorius essence Glorius aeternall vnspeakable infynit essence Liu'd and lou'd himself himself felicity matchles All through all chief good chief blisse perfection endles But the most good God this simple Trinity blessed This most louing Lord this three-fould Vnity sacred Would haue this goodnes manifest this bounty declared This loue expressed this wondrous mercy reuealed In tyme conuenient therefore this world he created And it a large Theater to behould his glory apoynted Which when he had with store of treasures richly replenisht And with abundant grace causd euery part to be furnisht Man was made at length Adam was lastly created Last woork not least woork Adam was dayntily framed Most perfect creature and like to the mighty Creator Good wise immortall of mankynde onely beginner But prowd ambition but Serpent craftily cloaking With curst bitter-sweete his cankred poyson abounding Adam dispossest of pleasant beautiful harbors Adams hart possest with most vnspeakable horrors Man was mard at length Adam was fowly defaced Last woork and lost woork Adam was filthily fowled Most cursed creature vnlyke to the mighty creator Bad foolish mortall of mankinde only the murdrer Yet that greatest God pitying this fall of a sinner His manyfold mercies did againe most freely remember Gaue new grace to the world and caused his only begotten Only beloued son to be sent vs downe fro the heauen Here to receaue our flesh and here with thorns to be crowned Here to be mockt to be whipt and here at last to be murdred Murdred for mankynde t'appease Gods infinit anger Guyltles for guylefull man synles for man a synner And now that good tyme that ioyfull day was aproaching Which by the liuing Lord was apoynted from the begynning There was a man which came from Dauyds progeny noble Called iust Ioseph but dwelt in a place very simple Nazzareth it was nam'de himself had lately betroathed That most spotles spowse that Mayden Mary renowned Whoe to be Christs mother was a chosen vessel apoynted And by an Angels voyce from God thus friendly saluted Hayle o sacred Nymph of woemens company greatest Blest with abundant grace to the blessed Trynity dearest At these wondrous woords this may de was somwhat abashed And did meruayle much by an Angel strangely saluted Which when Gabriel once perceaued he myldly replyed Feare not blessed Mary beleeue and stand not amased Blessed Mary beleeue thou shalt be a mayd be a mother Iesus thy son shall be a King be a Lord be a ruler Ruler Lord and King almighty without any ending His faythfull subiects with grace and mercy protecting Mary began thus againe Good God this seemeth a woonder How can a mayde conceaue can a may'd vntutcht be a mother Gabryel added againe this thy conception holy Is not a woork of man but Gods operation only Gods dyuine power shall woork this woonder vpon thee And therfore this chylde soe borne is son to the mighty Mighty triumphant Lord this Lords dyuynyty dreadfull Thy cosyn Elisabeth made alsoe for to be fruytfull Which was barren afore therfore geue eare to the Lords heast For there is noething impossible vnto the highest Mary resolu'd in mynde this message firmely beleeued And submytts herself by the Angells woords to be guyded Then soone after that to the hylls of Iury shee hastned And there Elisabeth greate with Chylde sweetly saluted At which chearefull woords from blessed Mary proceeding Elisabeths yong babe this sound very strangely receauing Sprang in wombe for ioy causd Maryes voyce to be sounding Elisabeth to reioyce dumbe Zachary for to be speaking Mary with her kinsfolk three moonth's in Iury remayned And then blessed Nymph to her husband home shee returned Husband iust Ioseph good man whoe thought it a wonder That new wife vnknown vntutcht should now be a mother Vnwilling therfore in publyke place to reproue her Good-natur'd Ioseph meant pryuyly for to renounce her This man thus meanyng in sleepe Gods Angel apeared And with chearefull woords this message fryendly delyured Feare not iust Ioseph thy wife is a mayde is a mother Pure chaste vnspotted feare not therefore to receaue her This babe is Gods Chylde this son coelestial of-spring Lambe of God Gods heyre ordeyned from the begynning For to redeeme lost Sheepe to be mankynds sole mediator For to releeue poore sowles to be mankynds mighty protector Ioseph awak's from sleepe Gods Angel he gladly obeyeth And his matchles mate mayd Mother Mary receaueth In those dayes all warrs and vproares fully repressed Augustus Caesar causd euery man to be taxed Taxed in each mans towne then Ioseph quyckly remoued Vnto the blest Beathleme and brought home Mary beloued Mary beloued he brought whoe there when tyme was apoynted Was mayde was Mother was most dyuynely delyured Bare her first borne Chylde and layd hym downe in a manger Wrapt in swadling cloaths poore bed for want of a better Seelly Shepheards by the night theyr flocks were waryly watching And fro the skyes they sawe strange brightnes mightyly shynyng Downe to the ground they fall but an Angel cheareful apeared And with ioyfull news theyr trembling harts he reuyued Feare not fryendly shepheards for I bring good news from
meeke and humble obeyssants Their mouth's scarce op'ning sayd thus Wee seeke for Iesus Then quoth Christe He is heere which words diuinely proceeding From that sacred mouth causd Iudas sowle to be trembling Theyr captens quaking and euery man to be reeling And falling backward to the grownd extreamely amased Lyke to a towre throwne downe by the roaring crash of a thunder Or to a man that's scorcht by the feareful flash of a lightnyng Christ for a while conceales that greate dyuynity dreadful Stayes that breath which makes heu'n earth and hell to be quaking Geu's them leaue to arise and then more myldly demandeth Whom doe yee seeke Iesus say they of Nazareth only Haue not I sayd he was here quoth Christ What need's any further Search What neede yee to bring swerds staues and armor abowt you As though some famous thiefe or notorius owtlaw Were to be suppressed did I not walk dayly among you Did not I day by day teach preach and woork many woonders Then might your Ealders and Scribes haue sought to represse mee But the prefixed tyme the predestinat howre was apoynted And this is it Therefore my Fathers Will be obeyed Noeman shall withstand noeman shall make any stryuing Loe here take Iesus But these must not be arested Let them alone for a while till greater things be reuealed Christ then caught and bound his fryends with terror amased Euery man sled back as Sheepe that wanted a sheepesman Or vanquisht souldyers disperst for want of a Capten Whoe can alas that night that cursedst night of a thowsand Those woorks of darcknes that mockery villany treason Those byndings beatings spyttings and fylthy reuylings Counteruayly with woords or thoughts or streames of abounding And still trickling teares They brought hym bound to the high Priest Late high Priest Annas sage Father whoe for a pastyme Disdainefull pastime not for deuotion asked Christ many ydle toyes and fond not worthy the hearing Of fishmen folowers and poore contemptible abiects Of newfound doctrine on brainesick fantasy grownded All that I spake sayd Christe was spoken abroade to the whole world All that I taught was taught in temple among many thowsands In corners not a woord in secreat place not a woonder They can tell what I taught what I wrought let them be reporters Ask them What Iack sawce quoth a blewcoate knaue be yee thus taught With noe more reuerence and humble duty to awnswere This reuerend Father learne and take this for a lesson Soe from a woord to a blow with a sinfull fyste hee defyled That synles sweete mouth which these woords peaceably vttred Fryend if I haue sayd yll beare witnes let mee be punisht Yt but well why then doest thou vnworthyly stryke mee Here any man might thinck that Christ thus fowly abused Should haue beene pytyed should haue bene fryendly releeued Of this sage Father but alas tis an Asse not an Annas And sends Christ to the chiefe of theyre good company Caiphas Scarce was hee come to the howse but anone they fall to reuylings Here's that princely Prophete that towld vs soemany tydings Here is Gods owne Sonne that wrought vs soemany wonders Famous carpet knight and pardoner only renowmed Sorcerer inchaunter taleteller noble abuser Of fooles and matrones that casts out diu'ls by the diu'ls help Plucks downe Gods temple with a trice and buyldeth a better Only within three dayes as twooe rogues falsly suborned Hyr'de by the owld hyrelings had most vntruly deposed Then good Syr Caiphas with greate integryty asked What sayst thou feallow to the crymes obiected against thee Christ sayd iust noething his damned iniquyty loathing Caiphas gan to be hoate and tooke on lyke to a Prellate And coniuring Christe charg'd hym by the mystery sacred Of Gods dreedfull name to declare it playnly among them Wheather he were that Christe Gods Sonne borne from the begynnyng Thou hast sayd quoth Christe yet marck what further I tell you You shall see this Christ sitting on a mighty tribunali On Gods owne right hand in clowds with glory apearing Then that puft-vp Priest from a badman turnd to a madman Rent his roabes in a rage and Blasphemy blasphemy roared What doe wee seeke for proofes hereof what need any wytnes Our selus haue heard all hymself hath playnly reueald all What's to be herein doone or what doe ye thinck he deserueth Death sayd euery man Death death with an eccho rebounded Then those lewd rakehells with poysned rankor abounding His sweete face ô griefe with spyttle fylthy defyled His bloody cheeks ô hell with buffetts all to be bruysed Some stroake him blindfyeld and then thus scornefuly taunted Now good Christe arread and gesse whoe gaue thee the buffet Peeter saw all this Peeter that manly protester Peeter styr'd not a foote Peeter that mighty protector Peeter stowt Peeter by a gyrle by a paltery damsell Is dasht is vanquisht forsakes his Mayster Iësus Thrice forsakes and twice fore-sweares his Mayster Iësus And now Cock gan crow and giu's him a friendly Memento That mans flesh is frayle that man's but a smoke but a vapor His pride nought but dust and all his glory but ashes Peeter in his cursing heard this Cock chearefuly chaunting And saw Christe then all arp soule-searching sight to be turning Yet with a louely regard with a merciful eye to be looking Euery eye was a bowe and euery looke was an arrow Eye and eye-arrow pierst Peeters hart in a moment Peeters hart and sowle and there inflicted a deepe wound So deepe wound that it had been no way possibly cured Were not his owne soules-wound with his owne teares all to bewashed Now he remembreth alas his first foole-hardy presuming Now he detesteth alas his last vnfriendly reuolting Now that wan countnance which feare of death had apaled All on a fire is set for shame of duty neglected Sith that blood fro the face to the hart which lately retyred Back fro the hart to the face with speede is freshly repayred Now his maysters eyes in his eyes are euer apearing And therein doth he seeme his whole offence to be reading Now Cock crowes in his eares and calls foorth day to be wytnes Wytnes of euery woord that Peeter spake to the darcknes Cock with an open mouth and lowd voyce bowldly proclaymeth That bragging seruant his mayster cowldly renounceth Euery sight each sound iust accusation offreth And self-wounding sowle self-condemnation vrgeth Noe rest noe harts-ease now loathed lyfe he detested More yea much more now than death at first he abhorred Lyfe let Peeter dye lyfe leaue to be dayly prolonging These my dolefull dayes least lyfe soone draw'n to an ending Cause me to loose that lyfe which neuer leaues to be lasting This frayle life smale broyles and shortest iarres to be shunning Made me the greatest ioyes and endles peace to be leauing Made me deny my Lord of lasting lyfe the begynnyng Made me renounce sweete life for a follish feare to be dying Lyfe let Peeter dye many dayes heape on many mischifs Blessed were
anguish Vnto the self same trade which makes theyr glory the greater Tush say they can God fro the highest heu'ns to the lowest Earth vouchsaulf thinck you those Prince like eyes to be bowing Tis but a vaine conceipt of fooles to be fondly referring Euery iesting trick and trifling toy to the Thundrer For loe these be the men whose soules are sear'd with an yron And yet these be the men whoe rule and raigne with aboundance These and whoe but these Why then what meane I to lift vp Cleane hands and pure hart to the heu'ns What meane I to offer Praise and thanksgeuing to the Lord What meane I to suffer Such plagues with patience Yea and almost had I spoken Eu'n as they did speake which thought noe God to be guyding But soe should I alas haue iudgd thyfolk to be luckles Thy sons forsaken thy saincts vnworthily haples Then did I thick and muse and search what might be the matter But yet I could not alas conceaue soe hidden a woonder Vntil I left myself and all my thoughts did abandon And to thy sacred place to thy Sanct'uary lastly repayred Then did I see ô Lord these mens vnfortunat endings Endings meete and fit for their vngodly beginnings Then did I see how they did stand in slippery places Lifted aloft that their downefalling might be the greater Lyuing Lord how soone is this theyr glory triumphant Dasht confounded gone drownd in destruction endles Their fame's soone outworne theyr name's extinct in a moment Lyke to a dreame that lynes by a sleepe and dyes with a slumber Thus my soule did greeue my hart did languish in anguish Soe blynde were myne eyes my minde soe plunged in error That noe more than a beast did I know this mystery sacred Yet thou heldst my hande and keptst my soule fro the dungeon Thou didst guyde my feete and mee with glory receauedst For what in heu'n or in earth shal I loue or woorthyly wonder But my most good God my Lord and mighty Iehoua Though my flesh oft faint my hart's oft drowned in horror God neuer fayleth but wilbe my mighty protector Such as God forsake and take to a slippery comfort Trust to a broken staffe and taste of woorthy reuengement In my God therefore my trust is wholly reposed And his name wil I praise and sing his glory renowned ⸫ The hundred and fourth Psalme LYuing Lord my soule shall praise thy glory triumphant Sing thy matchles might and shew thine infinit honnor Euerlasting light thou putst on like as a garment And purple-mantled welkyn thou spreadst as a courtayne Thy parlor pillers on waters strangely be pitched Clowdes are thy charyots and blustring wyndes be thy coursers Immortal Spyrits be thy euer-dutiful Harrolds And consuming fires as seruants dayly be wayting All-maintaining earths foundation euer abydeth Layd by the Lords right-hand with seas and deeps as a garment Cou'red seaes and deepes with threatning waues to the huge hills Clyming but with a beck theyr billowes speedily backward All doe recoyle with a check their course is changd on a soddaine At thy thundring voyce they quake And soe doe the mountaines Mount vpward with a woord and soe alsoe doe the valleys Downe with a woord discend and keepe their places apoynted Theyr meares are fixed theyr bancks are mightily barred Theyr bounds knowne least that man-feeding earth by the rage of Earth-ouerwhelming waters might chaunce to be drowned Stil-springing fountaines distil fro the rocks to the ryuers And christall riuers flow ouer along by the mountaines There will wylde asses theyr scorched mouthes be refreshing And field-feeding beasts theyr thirst with water abating There by the wel-welling waters by the syluer-abounding Brookes fayre-flying fowles on flowring bancks be abyding There shall sweete-beckt byrds theyr bowres in bows be a building And to the waters fall theyr warbling voyce be a runing Yea those sun-burnt hills and mountains all to be scorched Cooling clowds doe refresh and watery dewe fro the heauens Earth sets forth thy woorks earth-dwellers all be thy wonders Earth earth-dwelling beasts with flowing grasse is a feeding Earth earth-dwelling men with pleasant hearbes is a seruing Earth brings harts-ioy wine earth-dwelling men to be hartning Earth breedes chearing oyles earth-dwelling man to be smoothing Earth beares lifes-foode bread earth-dwelling men to be strengthning Tall trees vp-mounting Cedars are chearefuly springing Cedars of Libanus where fowles theyr neasts be preparing And Storkes in Firr-trees make their accustomed harbors Wylde goates doaes and roaes dooe roue and range by the mountains And poore seelly conyes to the ragged rocks be repayring Night-enlightning Moone for certaine tymes is apoynted And all-seeing Sunne knows his due tyme to be sitting Sunne once soe sitting darck night wraps all in a mantle All in a black mantle then beasts creepe out fro the dungeons Roaring hungry Lions theyr pray with greedy deuouring Clawes and sawes attend but by Gods only apoyntment When Sunne riseth againe theyr dens they quickly recouer And there couch all day that man may safely the day time His dayes woorke apply til day giue way to the darknes O good God wise Lord good Lord and only the wise God Earth sets foorth thy woorks earth-dwellers all be thy wonders Soe be seaes alsoe greate seaes full fraught with aboundant Swarms of creeping things great small there shipps be a sayling And there lyes tumbling that monsterus huge Leuiathan All these begg theyr foode and all these on thee be wayting If that thou stretch out thyne hand they feede with aboundance If thou turne thy face they all are mightily troubled If that thou withdraw their breath they dye in a moment And turne quickly to dust whence they were lately deriued If thy spirite breathe their breath is newly created And the decayed face of th' earth is quickly reuiued O then glory to God to the Lord then glory for euer Whoe in his owne great woorks may worthily glory for euer This Lord lookes to the earth and steedfast earth is a trembling This God toutcheth mounts and mountains huge be a smoaking All my life wil I lawd this Lord whylst breath is abyding In my breast this breath his praise shall stil be a breathing Heare my woords my Lord accept this dutiful offring That my soule in thee may euermore be reioycing Roote the malignant race race out theyr damnable ofspring But my soule ô Lord shall praise thy glory triumphant Sing thy matchles might and shew thyne infinit honnor FINIS
fryend can abyde noe Kyng but a Caesar Therefore looke Pilate that this King soone be remoued Christe in his owne coate now to the Iews was lastly presented And by Pilates doome deaths doome giu'n vp to be crossed Whose Crosse in Latyne Greeke Hebriew had for a tytle These woords Here's Iesus Iewes King of Nazareth added Chiefe Iewes tooke Iesus prickt whip't fro the crowne to the anckles Faynt weake and feeble scarceable for to be creeping Yet they layd on a Crosse his shoulders heauyly loading Dryuing him foreward til he fell downe vnder a burden Burden with deaths pangs plagues griefs and horror abounding Christe and Crosse faln downe by chaunce one Symon aproached Whoe to be Crossecaryer by the prowd Priests then was apoynted Crossecaryer to a place that in Hebriew's Golgatha called Place of deadmens sculls where Christe they speedyly Crossed Feete and hauds with nayles with great nayls all to be mangled And for a greater spyte two theeues they causd to be hanged Hanged on eyther syde and Christe almighty betweene them Christe once nayld to the Crosse now euery knaue is a craking Prowd harted Pharisees sell Scribes hypocritical Ealders Captens and Souldyers greate smalle from the Priest to the Pyper Wagging theyre wise heads laughing and scornefuly tauntying Thou that sau'st others now saue thy self from a mischif Thou that buyldst temples with a tryce come downe fro the gallows Come Gods deare dearling come King of Iews fro the gybbett Leape from a Crosse to a Crowne from a cursed tree to a Kingdome Christe o louing Christe long suffring Christe thus abused Gaue not a check for a taunt but alas very hartyly prayed Father forgeue them forget this villany Father Hark and mark that thief that thief eu'n brought to the last gaspe How he reuyles his Lord Peace thiefe geue care to thy fellow Wee for a synfull lyfe with death are iustly rewarded But Christs synles lyfe hath noe death duly deserued Thou Christe thou Iesus thou Lord vouchsaufe to remember Mee mee sinfull wretch mee when thou comst to thy kingdome Christe heard and sayd thus Thy prayers shalbe regarded This day in Paradise with mee thou shalt bee receaued O blest thief curst thief Sheepe Goate Therefore let a synner Not despaire one thiefe is sau'd in an howre in a moment But let a sinner feare let a sinner not be presuming One thiefe only repents and scapes in an howre in a moment Christs coate was seameles for a signe of an absolut endles And perfit kingdome this coate soe fitly cohaerent And all-wrought ouer was nothing toucht by the souldyers Nor torne in peeces nor cut nor parted among them But lotts cast that some one man might wholly receaue it That what was foretold might haue effectual ending Christe now hangs on a tree suffring vnsuffrable horrors Torments for mans sins and Gods vnspeakable anger Whylst Christe is suffring whylst fearefull pangs be aproaching Sunne for Gods Sons griefe doth greeue and gyns to be lowring Hydes his darckned face lets golden rayes be eclipsed Seeing Light of light with pricking thorns to be crowned Hea'n and earth is darck fro the sixth howre vnto the nynth howre Heu'n and earth laments and euery thing is a mourning Heu'n and earth laments whylst Iesus Christe is a dying Heu'n and earths comfort heu'n and earths only reuyuing But now Christe gan faint with an infinit agony troubled And Ely Ely and Lamasabacthany cryed Father deare Father why should thy Son be refused Then bitter vineger they raught when he sayd that he thirsted Which Christe once tasting said Father now it is ended Thy will's fulfilled thy lawes and heast be obeyed Take my sowle to thy hands Then his head he began to be bowing With those woords his life and endles passion ending Scarce did he yeeld his breath but straight fro the top to the bottom Templs vayle was rent and torne and broken asunder Earth did quake stones brake graues op'ned dead-men apeared Then captens souldyers men matrones all the beholders Smote theyr breasts and said this man was son to the mighty Whose strange death eu'n makes lyue dead and dead to be lyuely Christe is dead indeede his bones neede not to be bruysed Yet for a further proofe his side was speedily pearced Pearc't with a speare and thence pure blood pure water abounded Then noble Ioseph with faithfull friend Nicodemus Did begg of Pilate that blessed corps of Iësus Tooke it downe fro the crosse fine lynnen duly prepared With Myrrh and Aloes themselues it carefuly wynded And in a late-made tombe wherein was no-body chested That sweete corps sweete corps of Christe almighty reposed Rolled a stone to the graue and so all heauy departed Yet these Priests left not til they had watchmen apoynted And graues stone sealed least Christe might chaunce to be stollen By his wel-willers as they then vainly pretended Sots fooles and mad-men stil against this prick to be kicking And stil against this streame this sacred streame to be striuing For when third day came there came with a terrible earthquake Gods Angel fro the skies and rold that stone fro the graues-dore And there sate for a while his face was like to a lightning His roabes white as snow which made those watchmen amazed And half dead for feare but th' Angel spake to the women Twoo Maries comming of purpose for to anoynt Christe With precious spices with sweete odoriferus oyntments You seeke here for Christe here Christe is not to be sought for Christe is quickned againe and risn ' as he truly reported And foretold his friends in Galyly there wil hee meete them Loe where lately hee lay feare not but boldly report it As they ran to report Christ Iesus plainly apeared And met them by the way and bade them not be amazed But bring news to the rest that he would in Galyly see them This doone and they gone poore watchmen ran to the Citty And told all to the Priests whoe then with an obstinat error And wilfull blyndenes these watchmen largely rewarded Willing them to report and tell this abroade to the people That Christs disciples stole him by night fro the watchmen Whylst they lay sleeping Which haeresy stoutly to this day Stifneckt Iews mainteine ô curst and damnable error O hard-harted Iewes that giue more care to a hyreling And brybed souldier by the prowd Priests falsly suborned Than to the truth it self with soe great glory reuealed Than to the eyes which saw to the eares which heard to the fingers And to the hands which felt that which was truly reported Hands which felt Chrysts hands and feete and sides to be wounded Fares which heard his woords and blessings sweetely delyu'red Eyes which saw and knew that Christe in Galyly walked And foure times ten dayes in diuers places apeared Eyes which saw Christe eate and then fro the earth to be lifted Vp to the highest heu'ns and there with glory receaued On Gods owne right hand with iurisdiction endles Vntil he come to be