take Nor Priests nor People meanes he now to blame But answers Folly for true Wisdomes sake Beeing charged deeply by his powrefull name To tell if Christ the Sonne of God he be Who for our sinnes must die to set vs free To thee O Caiphas doth he answere giue That thou hast said what thou desir'st to know And yet thy malice will not let him liue So much thou art vnto thy selfe a foe He speaketh truth but thou wilt not beleeue Nor canst thou apprehend it to be so Though he expresse his Glory vnto thee Thy Owly eies are blind and cannot see Thou rend'st thy cloathes in stead of thy false heart And on the guiltlesse lai'st thy guilty crime For thou blasphem'st and he must feele the smart To sentence death thou think'st it now high time No witnesse now thou need'st for this fowle part Thou to the height of wickednesse canst clime And giue occasion to the ruder sort To make afflictions sorrows follies sport Now when the dawne of day gins to appeare And all your wicked counsels haue an end To end his Life that holds you all so deere For to that purpose did your studies bend Proud Pontius Pilate must the matter heare To your vntroths his eares he now must lend Sweet Iesus bound to him you led away Of his most pretious blood to make yout pray Which when that wicked Caytife did perceiue By whose lewd meanes he came to this distresse He brought the price of blood he did receiue Thinking thereby to make his fault seeme lesse And with these Priests and Elders did it leaue Confest his fault wherein he did transgresse But when he saw Repentance vnrespected He hang'd himselfe of God and Man reiected By this Example what can be expected From wicked Man which on the Earth doth liue But faithlesse dealing feare of God neglected Who for their priuate gaine cares not to sell The Innocent Blood of Gods most deere elected As did that caytife wretch now damn'd in Hell If in Christs Schoole he tooke so great a fall What will they doe that come not there at all Now Pontius Pilate is to judge the Cause Of faultlesse Iesus who before him stands Who neither hath offended Prince nor Lawes Although he now be brought in woefull bands O noble Gouernour make thou yet a pause Doe not in innocent blood imbrue thy hands But heare the words of thy most worthy wife Who sends to thee to beg her Sauiours life Let barb'rous crueltie farre depart from thee And in true Iustice take afflictions part Open thine eies that thou the truth mai'st see Doe not the thing that goes against thy heart Condemne not him that must thy Sauiour be But view his holy Life his good desert Let not vs Women glory in Mens fall Who had power giuen to ouer-rule vs all Eues Apologie ¶ Till now your indiscretion sets vs free And makes our former fault much lesse appeare Our Mother Eue who tasted of the Tree Giuing to Adam what shee held most deare Was simply good and had no powre to see The after-comming harine did not appeare The subtile Serpent that our Sex betraide Before our fall so sure a plot had laide That vndiscerning Ignorance perceau'd No guile or craft that was by him intended For had she knowne of what we were bereau'd To his request she had not condiscended But she poore soule by cunning was deceau'd No hurt therein her harmelesse Heart intended For she alleadg'd Gods word which he denies That they should die but euen as Gods be wise But surely Adam can not be excusde Her fault though great yet hee was most too blame What Weaknesse offerd Strength might haue refusde Being Lord of all the greater was his shame Although the Serpents craft had her abusde Gods holy word ought all his actions frame For he was Lord and King of all the earth Before poore Eue had either life or breath Who being fram'd by Gods eternall hand The perfect'st man that ever breath'd on earth And from Gods mouth receiu'd that strait command The breach whereof he knew was present death Yea hauing powre to rule both Sea and Land Yet with one Apple wonne to loose that breath Which God had breathed in his beauteous face Bringing vs all in danger and disgrace And then to lay the fault on Patience backe That we poore women must endure it all We know right well he did discretion lacke Beeing not perswaded thereunto at all If Eue did erre it was for knowledge sake The fruit beeing faire perswaded him to fall No subtill Serpents falshood did betray him If he would eate it who had powre to stay him Not Eue whose fault was onely too much loue Which made her giue this present to her Deare That what shee tasted he likewise might proue Whereby his knowledge might become more cleare He neuer sought her weakenesse to reproue With those sharpe words which he of God did heare Yet Men will boast of Knowledge which he tooke From Eues faire hand as from a learned Booke If any Euill did in her remaine Beeing made of him he was the ground of all If one of many Worlds could lay a staine Vpon our Sexe and worke so great a fall To wretched Man by Satans subtill traine What will so fowle a fault amongst you all Her weakenesse did the Serpents words obay But you in malice Gods deare Sonne betray Whom if vniustly you condemne to die Her sinne was small to what you doe commit All mortall finnes that doe for vengeance crie Are not to be compared vnto it If many worlds would altogether trie By all their sinnes the wrath of God to get This sinne of yours surmounts them all as farre As doth the Sunne another little starre Then let vs haue our Libertie againe And challendge to your selues no Sou'raigntie You came not in the world without our paine Make that a barre against your crueltie Your fault beeing greater why should you disdaine Our beeing your equals free from tyranny If one weake woman simply did offend This sinne of yours hath no excuse nor end To which poore soules we neuer gaue consent Witnesse thy wife O Pilate speakes for all Who did but dreame and yet a message sent That thou should'st haue nothing to doe at all With that just man which if thy heart relent Why wilt thou be a reprobate with Saul To seeke the death of him that is so good For thy soules health to shed his dearest blood Yea so thou mai'st these sinful people please Thou art content against all truth and right To seale this act that may procure thine ease With blood and wrong with tyrannie and might The multitude thou seekest to appease By base deiection of this heauenly Light Demanding which of these that thou should'st loose Whether the Thiefe or Christ King of the Iewes Base Barrabas the Thiefe they all desire And thou more base than he perform'st their will Yet when thy thoughts backe to themseluesretire Thou art vnwilling
body full of wounds Death last of paines his sorrows all confounds His joynts dis-joynted and his legges hang downe His alablaster breast his bloody side His members torne and on his head a Crowne Of sharpest Thorns to satisfie for pride Anguish and Paine doe all his Sences drowne While they his holy garments do diuide His bowells drie his heart full fraught with griefe Crying to him that yeelds him no reliefe To my Laâ—â— of Cumberland ¶ This with the eie of Faith thou maist behold Deere Spouse of Christ and more than I can write And here both Griefe and Ioy thou maist vnfold To view thy Loue in this most heauy plight Bowing his head his bloodlesse body cold Those eies waxe dimme that gaue vs all our light His count'nance pale yet still continues sweet His blessed blood watring his pierced feet O glorious miracle without compare Last but not least which was by him effected Vniting death life misery joy and care By his sharpe passion in his deere elected Who doth the Badges of like Liueries weare Shall find how deere they are of him respected No joy griefe paine life death was like to his Whose infinite dolours wrought eternall blisse â—…e terror of â—… creatures â—…hat inâ—…t when â—…rist died ¶ What creature on the earth did then remaine On whom the horror of this shamefull deed Did not inflict some violent touch or straine To see the Lord of all the world to bleed His dying breath did rend huge rockes in twaine The heauens betooke them to their mourning weed The Sunne grew darke and scorn'd to giue them light Who durst ecclipse a glory farre more bright The Moone and Starres did hide themselues for shame The earth did rremble in her loyall feare The Temple vaile did rent to spread his fame The Monuments did open euery where Dead Saints did rise forth of their graues and came To diuers people that remained there Within that holy City whose offence Did put their Maker to this large expence Things reasonable and reasonlesse possest The terrible impression of this fact For his oppression made them all opprest When with his blood he seal'd so faire an act In restlesse miserie to procure our rest His glorious deedes that dreadfull prison sackt When Death Hell Diuells vsing all their powre Were ouercome in that most blessed houre Being dead he killed Death and did suruiue That prowd insulting Tyrant in whose place He sends bright Immortalitie to reuiue Those whom his yron armes did long embrace Who from their loathsome graues brings them aliue In glory to behold their Sauiours face Who tooke the keys of all Deaths powre away Opening to those that would his name obay O wonder more than man can comprehend Our Ioy and Griefe both at one instant fram'd Compounded Contrarieties contend Each to exceed yet neither to be blam'd Our Griefe to see our Sauiours wretched end Our Ioy to know both Death and Hell he tam'd That we may say O Death where is thy sting Hell yeeld thy victory to thy conq'ring King Can stony hearts refraine from shedding teares To view the life and death of this sweet Saint His austere course in yong and tender yeares When great indurements could not make him faint His wants his paines his torments and his feares All which he vndertooke without constraint To shew that infinite Goodnesse must restore What infinite Iustice looked for and more Yet had he beene but of a meane degree His suffrings had beene small to what they were Meane minds will shew of what meane mouldes they bee Small griefes seeme great yet Vse doth make them beare But ah t is hard to stirre a sturdy tree Great dangers hardly puts great minds in feare They will conceale their griefes which mightie grow In their stout hearts vntill they ouerflow If then an earthly Prince may ill endure The least of those afflictions which he bare How could this all-commaunding King procure Such grieuous torments with his mind to square Legions of Angells being at his Lure He might haue liu'd in pleasure without care None can conceiue the bitter paines he felt When God and man must suffer without guilt Take all the Suffrings Thoughts can thinke vpon In eu'ry man that this huge world hath bred Let all those Paines and Suffrings meet in one Yet are they not a Mite to that he did Endure for vs Oh let vs thinke thereon That God should haue his pretious blood so shed His Greatnesse clothed in our fraile attire And pay so deare a ransome for the hire Loe here was glorie miserie life and death An vnion of contraries did accord Gladnesse and sadnesse here had one berth This wonder wrought the Passion of our Lord He suffring for all the sinnes of all th' earth No satisfaction could the world afford But this rich Iewell which from God was sent To call all those that would in time repent Which I present deare Lady to your view Vpon the Crosse depriu'd of life or breath To judge if euer Louer were so true To yeeld himselfe vnto such shamefull death Now blessed Ioseph doth both beg and sue To haue his body who possest his faith And thinkes if he this small request obtaines He wins more wealth than in the world remaines Thus honourable Ioseph is possest Of what his heart and soule so much desired And now he goes to giue that body rest That all his life with griefes and paines was tired He finds a Tombe a Tombe most rarely blest In which was neuer creature yet interred There this most pretious body he incloses Imbalmd and deckt with Lillies and with Roses Loe here the Beautie of Heau'n and Earth is laid The purest coulers vnderneath the Sunne But in this place he cannot long be staid Glory must end what horror hath begun For he the furie of the Heauens obay'd And now he must possesse what he hath wonne The Maries doe with pretious balmes attend But beeing come they find it to no end Christs resurrection ¶ For he is rize from Death t'Eternall Life And now those pretious oyntments he desires Are brought vnto him by his faithfull Wife The holy Church who in those rich attires Of Patience Loue Long suffring Voide of strife Humbly presents those oyntments he requires The oyles of Mercie Charitie and Faith Shee onely giues that which no other hath A briefe description of his beautie vpon the Canticles ¶ These pretious balmes doe heale his grieuous wounds And water of Compunction washeth cleane The soares of sinnes which in our Soules abounds So faire it heales no skarre is euer seene Yet all the glory vnto Christ redounds His pretious blood is that which must redeeme Those well may make vs louely in his sight But cannot saue without his powrefull might This is that Bridegroome that appeares so faire So sweet so louely in his Spouses sight That vnto Snowe we may his face compare His cheekes like skarlet and his eyes so bright As purest Doues that in the riuers
that crowne which is your due That of Heau'ns beauty Earth may take a view Though famous women elder times haue knowne Whose glorious actions did appeare so bright That powrefull men by them were ouerthrowne And all their armies ouercome in fight The Scythian women by their powre alone Put king Darius vnto shamefull flight All Asia yeelded to their conq'ring hand Great Alexander could not their powre withstand Whose worth though writ in lines of blood and fire Is not to be compared vnto thine Their powre was small to ouercome Desire Or to direct their wayes by Virtues line Were they aliue they would thy Life admire And vnto thee their honours would resigne For thou a greater conquest do'st obtaine Than they who haue so many thousands slaine Wise Deborah that judged Israel Nor valiant Iudeth cannot equall thee Vnto the first God did his will reueale And gaue her powre to set his people free Yea Iudeth had the powre likewise to queale Proud Holifernes that the just might see What small defence vaine pride and greatnesse hath Against the weapons of Gods word and faith But thou farre greater warre do'st still maintaine Against that many headed monster Sinne Whose mortall sting hath many thousand slaine And euery day fresh combates doe begin Yet cannot all his venome lay one staine Vpon thy Soule thou do'st the conquest winne Though all the world he daily doth deuoure Yet ouer thee he neuer could get powre For that one worthy deed by Deb'rah done Thou hast performed many in thy time For that one Conquest that faire Iudeth wonne By which shee did the steps of honour clime Thou hast the Conquest of all Conquests wonne When to thy Conscience Hell can lay no crime For that one head that Iudeth bare away Thou tak'st from Sinne a hundred heads a day Though virtuous Hester fasted three dayes space And spent her time in prayers all that while That by Gods powre shee might obtaine such grace That shee and hers might not become a spoyle To wicked Hamon in whose crabbed face Was seene the map of malice enuie guile Her glorious garments though shee put apart So to present a pure and single heart To God in sack-cloth ashes and with teares Yet must faire Hester needs giue place to thee Who hath continu'd dayes weekes months and yeares In Gods true seruice yet thy heart beeing free From doubt of death or any other feares Fasting from sinne thou pray'st thine eyes may see Him that hath full possession of thine heart From whose sweet loue thy Soule can neuer part His Loue not Feare makes thee to fast and pray No kinsmans counsell needs thee to aduise The sack-cloth thou do'st weare both night and day Is worldly troubles which thy rest denies The ashes are the Vanities that play Ouer thy head and steale before thine eyes Which thou shak'st off when mourning time is past That royall roabes thou may'st put on at last Ioachims wife that faire and constant Dame Who rather chose a cruel death to die Than yeeld to those two Elders voide of shame When both at once her chastitie did trie Whose Innocencie bare away the blame Vntill th' Almighty Lord had heard her crie And rais'd the spirit of a Child to speake Making the powrefull judged of the weake Although her virtue doe deserue to be Writ by that hand that neuer purchas'd blame In holy Writ where all the world may see Her perfit life and euer honoured name Yet was she not to be compar'd to thee Whose many virtues doe increase thy fame For shee oppos'd against old doting Lust Who with lifes danger she did feare to trust But your chafte breast guarded with strength of mind Hates the imbracements of vnchaste desires You louing God liue in your selfe confind From vnpure Loue your purest thoughts retires Your perfit sight could neuer be so blind To entertaine the old or yong desires Of idle Louers which the world presents Whose base abuses worthy minds preuents Euen as the constant Lawrell alwayes greene No parching heate of Summer can deface Nor pinching Winter euer yet was seene Whose nipping frosts could wither or disgrace So you deere Ladie still remaine as Queene Subduing all affections that are base Vnalterable by the change of times Not following but lamenting others crimes No feare of Death or dread of open shame Hinders your perfect heart to giue consent Nor loathsome age whom Time could neuer tame From ill designes whereto their youth was bent But loue of God care to preserue your fame And spend that pretious time that God hath sent In all good exercises of the minde Whereto your noble nature is inclin'd That Ethyopian Queene did gaine great fame Who from the Southerne world did come to see Great Salomon the glory of whose name Had spread it selfe ore all the earth to be So great that all the Princes thither came To be spectators of his royaltie And this faire Queene of Sheba came from farre To reuerence this new appearing starre From th' vtmost part of all the Earth shee came To heare the Wisdom of this worthy King To trie if Wonder did agree with Fame And many faire rich presents did she bring Yea many strange hard questions did shee frame All which were answer'd by this famous King Nothing was hid that in her heart did rest And all to prooue this King so highly blest Here Maiestie with Maiestie did meete Wisdome to Wisdome yeelded true content One Beauty did another Beauty greet Bounty to Bountie neuer could repent Here all distaste is troden vnder feet No losse of time where time was so well spent In virtuous exercises of the minde In which this Queene did much contentment finde Spirits affect where they doe sympathize Wisdom desires Wisdome to embrace Virtue couets her like and doth deuize How she her friends may entertaine with grace Beauty sometime is pleas'd to feed her eyes With viewing Beautie in anothers face Both good and bad in this point doe agree That each desireth with his like to be And this Desire did worke a strange effect To drawe a Queene forth of her natiue Land Not yeelding to the nicenesse and respect Of woman-kind shee past both sea and land All feare of dangers shee did quite neglect Onely to see to heare and vnderstand That beauty wisedome maiestie and glorie That in her heart imprest his perfect storie Yet this faire map of maiestie and might Was but a figure of thy deerest Loue Borne t' expresse that true and heauenly light That doth all other joyes imperfect proue If this faire Earthly starre did shine so bright What doth that glorious Sonne that is aboue Who weares th' imperiall crowne of heauen and earth And made all Christians blessed in his berth If that small sparke could yeeld so great a fire As to inflame the hearts of many Kings To come to see to heare and to admire His wisdome tending but to worldly things Then much more reason haue we to desire That heau'nly
to sing That by her noble breasts sweet harmony Their musicke might in eares of Angels ring While saints like Swans about this siluer brook Should Hallalu-iah sing continually Writing her praises in th' eternall booke Of endlesse honour true fames memorie Thus I in sleep the heauenli'st musicke hard That euer earthly eares did entertaine And durst not wake for feare to be debard Of what my sences sought still to retaine Yet sleeping praid dull Slumber to vnfold Her noble name who was of all admired When presently in drowsie tearmes he told Not onely that but more than I desired This nymph quoth he great Penbrooke hight by name Sister to valiant Sidney whose cleere light Giues light to all that tread true paths of Fame Who in the globe of heau'n doth shine so bright That beeing dead his fame doth him suruiue Still liuing in the hearts of worthy men Pale Death is dead but he remaines aliue Whose dying wounds restor'd him life agen And this faire earthly goddesse which you see Bellona and her virgins doe attend In virtuous studies of Diuinitie Her pretious time continually doth spend So that a Sister well shee may be deemd To him that liu'd and di'd so nobly And farre before him is to be esteemd For virtue wisedome learning dignity Whose beauteous soule hath gain'd a double life Both here on earth and in the heau'ns aboue Till dissolution end all worldly strife Her blessed spirit remaines of holy loue Directing all by her immortall light In this huge sea of sorrowes griefes and feares With contemplation of Gods powrefull might Shee sils the eies the hearts the tongues the eares Of after-comming ages which shall reade Her loue her zeale her faith and pietie The faire impression of whose worthy deed Seales her pure soule vnto the Deitie That both in Hean'n and Earth it may remaine Crownd with her Makers glory and his loue And this did Father Slumber tell with paine Whose dulnesse scarce could suffer him to moue When I awaking left him and his bowre Much grieued that I could no longer stay Sencelesse was sleepe not to admit me powre As I had spent the night to spend the day Then had God Morphie shew'd the end of all And what my heart desir'd mine eies had seene For as I wak'd me thought I heard one call For that bright Charet lent by Ioues faire Queene But thou base cunning thiefe that robs our sprits Of halfe that span of life which yeares doth giue To Sleepe And yet no praise vnto thy selfe it merits To make a seeming death in those that liue Yea wickedly thou doest consent to death Within thy restfull bed to rob our soules In Slumbers bowre thou steal'st away our breath Yet none there is that thy base stealths controules If poore and sickly creatures would imbrace thee Or they to whom thou giu'st a taste of pleasure Thou fli'st as if Acteons hounds did chase thee Or that to stay with them thou hadst no leasure But though thou hast depriu'd me of delight By stealing from me ere I was aware I know I shall enioy the selfe same sight Thou hast no powre my waking sprites to barre For to this Lady now I will repaire Presenting her the fruits of idle houres Thogh many Books she writes that are more rare Yet there is hony in the meanest flowres Which is both wholesome and delights the taste Though sugar be more finer higher priz'd Yet is the painefull Bee no whit disgrac'd Nor her faire wax or hony more despiz'd And though that learned damsell and the rest Haue in a higher style her Trophie fram'd Yet these vnlearned lines beeing my best Of her great wisedom can no whit be blam'd And therefore first I here present my Dreame And next inuite her Honour to my feast For my cleare reason sees her by that streame Where her rare virtues daily are increast So crauing pardon for this bold attempt I here present my mirrour to her view Whose noble virtues cannot be exempt My Glasse beeing steele declares them to be true And Madame if you will vouchsafe that grace To grace those flowres that springs from virtues ground Though your faire mind on worthier workes is plac'd On workes that are more deepe and more profound Yet is it no disparagement to you To see your Sauiour in a Shepheards weed Vnworthily presented in your viewe Whose worthinesse will grace each line you reade Receiue him here by my vnworthy hand And reade his paths of faire humility Who though our sinnes in number passe the sand They all are purg'd by his Diuinity ¶ To the Ladie Lucie Countesse of Bedford ME thinkes I see faire Virtue readie stand T' vnlocke the closet of your louely breast Holding the key of Knowledge in her hand Key of that Cabbine where your selfe doth rest To let him in by whom her youth was blest The true-loue of your soule your hearts delight Fairer than all the world in your cleare sight He that descended from celestiall glory To taste of our infirmities and sorrowes Whose heauenly wisdom read the earthly storie Offraile Humanity which his godhead borrows Loe here he coms all stucke with pale deaths arrows In whose most pretious wounds your soule may reade Saluation while he dying Lord doth bleed You whose cleare Iudgement farre exceeds my skil Vonchsafe to entertaine this dying louer The Ocean of true grace whose streames doe fill All those with Ioy that can his loue recouer About this blessed Arke bright Angels houer Where your faire soule may sure and safely rest When he is sweetly seated in your brest There may your thoughts as seruants to your heart Giue true attendance on this louely guest While he doth to that blessed bowre impart Flowres of fresh comforts decke that bed of rest With such rich beauties as may make it blest And you in whom all raritie is found May be with his eternall glory crownd To the Ladie Margaret Countesse Dowager of Cumberland * ⎠* RIght Honoutable and Excellent Lady I may say with Saint Peter Siluer nor gold haue I none but such as I haue that giue I you for hauing neither rich pearles of India nor fine gold of Arabia nor diamonds of inestimable value neither those rich treasures Arramaticall Gums incense and sweet odours which were presented by those Kingly Philosophers to the babe Iesus I present vnto you euen our Lord Iesus himselfe whose infinit value is not to be comprehended within the weake imagination or wit of man and as Saint Peter gaue health to the body so I deliuer you the health of the soule which is this most pretious pearle of all perfection this rich diamond of deuotion this perfect gold growing in the veins of that excellent earth of the most blessed Paradice wherein our second Adam had his restlesse habitation The sweet incense balsums odours and gummes that flowes from that beautifull tree of Life sprung from the roote of Iessie which is so super-excellent that it giueth grace
claimes And registers the wrongs of humble spirits Hills melt like wax in presence of the Lord So do all sinners in his sight abhorr'd He in the waters laies his chamber beames And cloudes of darkenesse compasse him about Consuming fire shall goe before in streames And burne vp all his en'mies round about Yet on these Iudgementsw orldlings never dreames Nor of these daungers never stand in doubt While he shall rest within his holy Hill That lives and dies according to his Will But woe to them that double-hearted bee Who with their tongues the righteous Soules doe slay Bending their bowes to shoot at all they see With vpright hearts their Maker to obay And secretly doe let their arrowes flee To wound true hearted people any way The Lord wil roote them out that speake prowd things Deceitfull tongues are but false Slanders wings Froward are the vngodly from their berth No sooner borne but they doe goe astray The Lord will roote them out from off the earth And give them to their en'mies for a pray As venemous as Serpents is their breath With poysned lies to hurt in what they may The Innocent who as a Dove shall flie Vnto the Lord that he his cause may trie The righteous Lord doth righteousnesse allow His countenance will behold the thing that 's just Vnto the Meane he makes the Mightie bow And raiseth vp the Poore out of the dust Yet makes no count to vs nor when nor how But powres his grace on all that puts their trust In him that never will their hopes betray Nor lets them perish that for mercie pray He shall within his Tabernacle dwell Whose life is vncorrupt before the Lord Who no vntrueths of Innocents doth tell Nor wrongs his neighbour nor in deed nor word Nor in his pride with malice seems to swell Nor whets his tongue more sharper than a sword To wound the reputation of the Iust Nor seekes to lay their glorie in the Dust That great Iehova King of heav'n and earth Will raine downe fire and brimstone from above Vpon the wicked monsters in their berth That storme and rage at those whom he doth love Snares stormes and tempests he will raine and dearth Because he will himselfe almightie prove And this shall be their portion they shall drinke That thinkes the Lord is blind when he doth winke To the Couâ—tesse of Cumberland ¶ Pardon good Madame though I have digrest From what I doc intend to write of thee To set his glorie forth whom thou lov'st best Whose wondrous works no mortall eie can see His speciall care on those whom he hath blest From wicked worldlings how he sets them free And how such people he doth overthrow In all their waies that they his powre may know The meditation of this Monarchs love Drawes thee from caring what this world can yield Of joyes and griefes both equall thou dost prove They have no force to force thee from the field Thy constant faith like to the Turtle Dove Continues combat and will never yield To base affliction or prowd pomps desire That sets the weakest mindes so much on fire Thou from the Court to the Countrie art retir'd Leaving the world before the world leaves thee That great Enchantresse of weake mindes admir'd Whose all-bewitching charmes so pleasing be To worldly wantons and too much desir'd Of those that care not for Eternitie But yeeld themselves as preys to Lust and Sinne Loosing their hopes of Heav'n Hell paines to winne But thou the wonder of our wanton age Leav'st all delights to serve a heav'nly King Who is more wise or who can be more sage Than she that doth Affection subject bring Not forcing for the world or Satans rage But shrowding vnder the Almighties wing Spending her yeares moneths daies minutes howres In doing service to the heav'nly powres Thou faire example live without compare With Honours triumphs seated in thy breast Pale Envy never can thy name empaire When in thy heart thou harbour'st such a guest Malice must live for ever in dispaire There 's no revenge where Virtue still doth rest All hearts must needs do homage vnto thee In whom all eies such rare perfection see That outward Beautie which the world commends An Invective against outward beuty vnaccompanied with virtue Is not the subject I will write vpon Whose date expir'd that tyrant Time soone ends Those gawdie colours soone are spent and gone But those faire Virtues which on thee attends Are alwaies fresh they never are but one They make thy Beautie fairer to behold Than was that Queenes for whom prowd Troy was sold As for those matchlesse colours Red and White Or perfit features in a fading face Or due proportion pleasing to the sight All these doe draw but dangers and disgrace A mind enrich'd with Virtue shines more bright Addes everlasting Beauty gives true grace Frames an immortall Goddesse on the earth Who though she dies yet Fame gives her new berth That pride of Nature which adornes the faire Like blasing Comets to allure all eies Is but the thred that weaves their web of Care Who glories most where most their danger lies For greatest perills do attend the faire When men do seeke attempt plot and devise How they may overthrow the chastest Dame Whose Beautie is the White whereat they aime T was Beautie bred in Troy the ten yeares strife And carried Hellen from her lawfull Lord T was Beautie made chaste Lucrece loose her life For which prowd Tarquins fact was so abhorr'd Beautie the cause Antonius wrong'd his wife Which could not be decided but by sword Great Cleopatraes Beautie and defects Did worke Octaviaes wrongs and his neglects What fruit did yeeld that faire forbidden tree But blood dishonour infamie and shame Poore blinded Queene could'st thou no better see But entertaine disgrace in stead of fame Doe these designes with Maiestie agree To staine thy blood and blot thy royall name That heart that gave consent vnto this ill Did give consent that thou thy selfe should'st kill Of Rosaâ—und ¶ Faire Rosamund the wonder of her time Had bin much fairer had shee not bin faire Beautie betraid her thoughts aloft to clime To build strong castles in vncertaine aire Where th' infection of a wanton crime Did worke her fall first poyson then despaire With double death did kill her periur'd soule When heauenly Iustice did her sinne controule â—f Matilda ¶ Holy Matilda in a haplesse houre Was borne to sorow and to discontent Beauty the cause that turn'd her Sweet to Sowre While Chastity sought Folly to preuent Lustfull King Iohn refus'd did vse his powre By Fire and Sword to compasse his content But Friends disgrace nor Fathers banishment Nor Death it selfe could purchase her consent Here Beauty in the height of all perfection Crown'd this faire Creatures euerlasting fame Whose noble minde did scorne the base subiection Of Feares or Fauours to impaire her Name By heauenly grace she had such true direction To die with Honour not
are Washed with milke to giue the more delight His head is likened to the finest gold His curled lockes so beauteous to behold Blacke as a Raven in her blackest hew His lips like skarlet threeds yet much more sweet Than is the sweetest hony dropping dew Or hony combes where all the Bees doe meet Yea he is constant and his words are true His cheekes are beds of spices flowers sweet His lips like Lillies dropping downe pure mirrhe Whose loue before all worlds we doe preferre To my Lady of Cumberland ¶ Ah! giue me leaue good Lady now to leaue This taske of Beauty which I tooke in hand I cannot wade so deepe I may deceaue My selfe before I can attaine the land Therefore good Madame in your heart I leaue His perfect picture where it still shall stand Deepely engraued in that holy shrine Enuironed with Loue and Thoughts diuine There may you see him as a God in glory And as a man in miserable case There may you reade his true and perfect storie His bleeding body there you may embrace And kisse his dying cheekes with teares of sorrow With ioyfull griefe you may intreat for grace And all your prayers and your almes-deeds May bring to stop his cruell wounds that bleeds Oft times hath he made triall of your loue And in your Faith hath tooke no small delight By Crosses and Afflictions he doth proue Yet still your heart remaineth firme and right Your loue so strong as nothing can remoue Your thoughts beeing placed on him both day and night Your constant soule doth lodge betweene her brests This Sweet of sweets in which all glory rests Sometime h' appeares to thee in Shepheards weed And so presents himselfe before thine eyes A good old man that goes his flocke to feed Thy colour changes and thy heart doth rise Thou call'st he comes thou find'st t is he indeed Thy Soule conceaues that he is truely wise Nay more desires that he may be the Booke Whereon thine eyes continually may looke Sometime imprison'd naked poore and bare Full of diseases impotent and lame Blind deafe and dumbe he comes vnto his faire To see if yet shee will remaine the same Nay sicke and wounded now thou do'st prepare To cherish him in thy deare Louers name Yea thou bestow'st all paines all cost all care That may relieue him and his health repaire These workes of mercy are so sweete so deare To him that is the Lord of Life and Loue That all thy prayers he vouchsafes to heare And sends his holy Spirit from aboue Thy eyes are op'ned and thou seest so cleare No worldly thing can thy faire mind remoue Thy faith thy prayers and his speciall grace Doth open Heau'n where thou behold'st his face These are those Keyes Saint Peter did possesse Which with a Spirituall powre are giu'n to thee To heale the soules of those that doe transgresse By thy faire virtues which if once they see Vnto the like they doe their minds addresse Such as thou art such they desire to be If they be blind thou giu'st to them their sight If deafe or lame they heare and goe vpright Yea if possest with any euill spirits Such powre thy faire examples haue obtain'd To cast them out applying Christs pure merits By which they are bound and of all hurt restrain'd If strangely taken wanting sence or wits Thy faith appli'd vnto their soules so pain'd Healeth all griefes and makes them grow so strong As no defects can hang vpon them long Thou beeing thus rich no riches do'st respect Nor do'st thou care for any outward showe The proud that doe faire Virtues rules neglect Desiring place thou fittest them belowe All wealth and honour thou do'st quite reiect If thou perceiu'st that once it prooues a foe To virtue learning and the powres diuine Thou mai'st conuert but neuer wilt incline To fowle disorder or licentiousnesse But in thy modest vaile do'st sweetly couer The staines of other sinnes to make themselues That by this meanes thou mai'st in time recouer Those weake lost sheepe that did so long transgresse Presenting them vnto thy deerest Louer That when he brings them backe vnto his fold In their conuersion then he may behold Thy beauty shining brighter than the Sunne Thine honour more than euer Monarke gaind Thy wealth exceeding his that Kingdomes wonne Thy Loue vnto his Spouse thy Faith vnfaind Thy Constancy in what thou hast begun Till thou his heauenly Kingdom haue obtaind Respecting worldly wealth to be but drosse Which if abuz'd doth prooue the owners losse Great Cleopatra's loue to Anthony Can no way be compared vnto thine Shee left her Loue in his extremitie When greatest need should cause her to combine Her force with his to get the Victory Her Loue was earthly and thy Loue Diuine Her Loue was onely to support her pride Humilitie thy Loue and Thee doth guide That glorious part of Death which last shee plai'd T' appease the ghost of her deceased Loue Had neuer needed if shee could haue stai'd When his extreames made triall and did proue Her leaden loue vnconstant and afraid Their wicked warres the wrath of God might moue To take reuenge for chast Octavia's wrongs Because shee enjoyes what vnto her belongs No Cleopatra though thou wert as faire As any Creature in Antonius eyes Yea though thou wert as rich as wise as rare As any Pen could write or Wit deuise Yet with this Lady canst thou not compare Whose inward virtues all thy worth denies Yet thou a blacke Egyptian do'st appeare Thou false shee true and to her Loue more deere Shee sacrificeth to her deerest Loue With flowres of Faith and garlands of Good deeds Shee flies not from him when afflictions proue Shee beares his crosse and stops his wounds that bleeds Shee loues and liues chaste as the Turtle doue Shee attends vpon him and his flocke shee feeds Yea for one touch of death which thou did'st trie A thousand deaths shee euery day doth die Her virtuous life exceeds thy worthy death Yea she hath richer ornaments of state Shining more glorious than in dying breath Thou didst when either pride or cruell fate Did worke thee to preuent a double death To stay the malice scorne and cruell hate Of Rome that joy'd to see thy pride pull'd downe Whose Beauty wrought the hazard of her Crowne Good Madame though your modestie be such Not to acknowledge what we know and find And that you thinke these prayses ouermuch Which doe expresse the beautie of your mind Yet pardon me although I giue a touch Vnto their eyes that else would be so blind As not to see thy store and their owne wants From whose faire seeds of Virtue spring these plants And knowe when first into this world I came This charge was giu'n me by th' Eternall powres Th'euerlasting Trophie of thy fame To build and decke it with the sweetest flowres That virtue yeelds Then Madame doe not blame Me when I shew the World but what is yours And decke you with
wisedome which saluation brings The Sonne of righteousnesse that giues true joyes When all they sought for were but Earthly toyes No trauels ought th' affected soule to shunne That this faire heauenly Light desires to see This King of kings to whom we all should runne To view his Glory and his Majestie He without whom we all had beene vndone He that from Sinne and Death hath set vs free And ouercome Satan the world and finne That by his merits we those joyes might winne Prepar'd by him whose euerlasting throne Is plac'd in heauen aboue the starrie skies Where he that sate was like the Iasper stone Who rightly knowes him shall be truely wise A Rainebow round about his glorious throne Nay more those winged beasts so full of eies That neuer cease to glorifie his Name Who was and will be and is now the same This is that great almightie Lord that made Both heauen and earth and liues for euermore By him the worlds foundation first was laid He fram'd the things that neuer were before The Sea within his bounds by him is staid He judgeth all alike both rich and poore All might all majestie all loue all lawe Remaines in him that keepes all worlds in awe From his eternall throne the lightning came Thundrings and Voyces did from thence proceede And all the creatures glorifi'd his name In heauen in earth and seas they all agreed When loe that spotlesse Lambe so voyd of blame That for vs di'd whose sinnes did make him bleed That true Physition that so many heales Opened the Booke and did vndoe the Seales He onely worthy to vndoe the Booke Of our charg'd soules full of iniquitie Where with the eyes of mercy he doth looke Vpon our weakenesse and infirmitie This is that corner stone that was forsooke Who leaues it trusts but to vncertaintie This is Gods Sonne in whom he is well pleased His deere beloued that his wrath appeased He that had powre to open all the Seales And summon vp our sinnes of blood and wrong He vnto whom the righteous soules appeales That haue bin martyrd and doe thinke it long To whom in mercie he his will reueales That they should rest a little in their wrong Vntill their fellow seruants should be killed Euen as they were and that they were fulfilled To the Laâ—â— dowager of Cumberland ¶ Pure thoughted Lady blessed be thy choyce Of this Almightie euerlasting King In thee his Saints and Angels doe reioyce And to their Heau'nly Lord doe daily sing Thy perfect praises in their lowdest voyce And all their harpes and golden vials bring Full of sweet odours euen thy-holy prayers Vnto that spotlesse Lambe that all repaires Of whom that Heathen Queene obtain'd such grace By honouring but the shadow of his Loue That great Iudiciall day to haue a place Condemning those that doe vnfaithfull proue Among the haplesse happie is her case That her deere Sauiour spake for her behoue And that her memorable Act should be Writ by the hand of true Eternitie Yet this rare Phoenix of that worne-out age This great maiesticke Queene comes short of thee Who to an earthly Prince did then ingage Her hearts desires her loue her libertie Acting her glorious part vpon a Stage Of weaknesse frailtie and infirmity Giuing all honour to a Creature due To her Creator whom shee neuer knew But loe a greater thou hast sought and found Than Salomon in all his royaltie And vnto him thy faith most firmely bound To serue and honour him continually That glorious God whose terror doth confound All sinfull workers of iniquitie Him hast thou truely serued all thy life And for his loue liu'd with the world at strife To this great Lord thou onely art affected Yet came he not in pompe or royaltie But in an humble habit base deiected A King a God clad in mortalitie He hath thy loue thou art by him directed His perfect path was faire humilitie Who being Monarke of heau'n earth and seas Indur'd all wrongs yet no man did displease Then how much more art thou to be commended That seek'st thy loue in lowly shepheards weed A seeming Trades-mans sonne of none attended Saue of a few in pouertie and need Poore Fishermen that on his loue attended His loue that makes so many thousands bleed Thus did he come to trie our faiths the more Possessing worlds yet seeming extreame poore The Pilgrimes trauels and the Shepheards cares He tooke vpon him to enlarge our soules What pride hath lost humilitie repaires For by his glorious death he vs inroules In deepe Characters writ with blood and teares Vpon those blessed Euerlasting scroules His hands his feete his body and his face Whence freely flow'd the riuers of his grace Sweet holy riuers pure celestiall springs Proceeding from the fountaine of our life Swift sugred currents that saluation brings Cleare christall streames purging all sinne and strife Faire floods where souls do bathe their snow-white wings Before they flie to true etern all life Sweet Nectar and Ambrosia food of Saints Which whoso tasteth neuer after faints This hony dropping dew of holy loue Sweet milke wherewith we weaklings are restored Who drinkes thereof a world can neuer moue All earthly pleasures are of them abhorred This loue made Martyrs many deaths to proue To taste his sweetnesse whom they so adored Sweetnesse that makes our flesh a burthen to vs Knowing it serues but onely to vndoe vs. His sweetnesse sweet'ned all the sowre of death To faithfull Stephen his appointed Saint Who by the riuer stones did loose his breath When paines nor terrors could not make him faint So was this blessed Martyr turn'd to earth To glorifie his soule by deaths attaint This holy Saint was humbled and cast downe To winne in heauen an euerlasting crowne Whose face repleat with Maiestie and Sweetnesse Did as an Angel vnto them appeare That sate in Counsell hearing his discreetnesse Seeing no change or any signe of a feare But with a constant browe did there confesse Christs high deserts which were to him so deare Yea when these Tyrants stormes did most oppresse Christ did appeare to make his griefe the lesse For beeing filled with the holy Ghost Vp vnto Heau'n he look'd with stedfast eies Where God appeared with his heauenly hoste In glory to this Saint before he dies Although he could no Earthly pleasures boast At Gods right hand sweet IESVS he espies Bids them behold Heauens open he doth see The Sonne of Man at Gods right hand to be Whose sweetnesse sweet'ned that short sowre of Life Making all bitternesse delight his taste Yeelding sweet quietnesse in bitter strife And most contentment when he di'd disgrac'd Heaping vp joyes where sorrows were most rife Such sweetnesse could not choose but be imbrac'd The food of Soules the Spirits onely treasure The Paradise of our celestiall pleasure This Lambe of God who di'd and was aliue Presenting vs the bread of life Eternall His bruised body powrefull to reuiue Our sinking soules out of the pit infernall