credit they would referre such points of folly to be practised by euill disposed men who forgetting they were borne of women nourished of women and that if it were not by the means of women they would be quite extinguished out of the world and a finall ende of them all doe like Vipers deface the wombes wherein they were bred onely to giue way and vtterance to their want of discretion and goodnesse Such as these were they that dishonoured Christ his Apostles and Prophets putting them to shamefull deaths Therefore we are not to regard any imputations that they vndeseruedly lay vpon vs no otherwise than to make vse of them to our owne benefits as spurres to vertue making vs flie all occasions that may colour their vniust speeches to passe currant Especially considering that they haue tempted euen the patience of God himselfe who gaue power to wise and virtuous women to bring downe their pride and arrogancie As was cruell Cesarus by the discreet counsell of noble Deborah Iudge and Prophetesse of Israel and resolution of Iael wife of Heber the Kenite wicked Haman by the dinine prayers and prudent proceedings of beautifull Hester blasphemous Holofernes by the inuincible courage rare wisdome and confident carriage of Iudeth the vniust Indges by the innocency of chast Susanna with infinite others which for breuitie sake I will omit As also in respect it pleased our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ without the assistance of man beeing free from originall and all other sinnes from the time of his conception till the houre of his death to be begotten of a woman borne of a woman nourished of a woman obedient to a woman and that he healed woman pardoned women comforted women yea euen when he was in his greatest agonie and bloodie sweat going to be crucified and also in the last houre of his death tooke care to dispose of a woman after his resurrection appeared first to a woman sent a woman to declare his most glorious resurrection to the rest of his Disciples Many other examples I could alleadge of diuers faithfull and virtuous women who haue in all ages not onely beene Confessors but also indured most cruel martyrdome for their faith in Iesus Christ All which is sufficient to inforce all good Christians and honourable minded men to speake reuerently of our sexe and especially of all virtuous and good women To the modest sensures of both which I refer these my imperfect indeauours knowing that according to their owne excellent dispositions they will rather cherish nourish and increase the least sparke of virtue where they find it by their fauourable and best interpretations than quench it by wrong constructions To whom I wish all increase of virtue and desire their best opinions Salue Deus Rex Iudaeorum SIth Cynthia is ascended to that rest Of endlesse joy and true Eternitie That glorious place that cannot be exprest By any wight clad in mortalitie In her almightie love so highly blest And crown'd with everlasting Sov'raigntie Where Saints and Angells do attend her Throne And she gives glorie vnto God alone The Ladie Margaret Countesse Dowager of Cumberland ¶ To thee great Countesse now I will applie My Pen to write thy never dying fame That when to Heav'n thy blessed Soule shall flie These lines on earth record thy reverend name And to this taske I meane my Muse to tie Though wanting skill I shall but purchase blame Pardon deere Ladie want of womans wit To pen thy praise when few can equall it And pardon Madame though I do not write Those praisefull lines of that delightfull place As you commaunded me in that faire night When shining Phoebe gave so great a grace Presenting Paradice to your sweet sight Vnfolding all the beauty of her face With pleasant groves hills walks and stately trees Which pleasures with retired minds agrees Whose Eagles eyes behold the glorious Sunne Of th'all-creating Providence reflecting His blessed beames on all by him begunne Increasing strengthning guiding and directing All worldly creatures their due course to runne Vnto His powrefull pleasure all subjecting And thou deere Ladie by his speciall grace In these his creatures dost behold his face Whose all-reviving beautie yeelds such joyes To thy sad Soule plunged in waves of woe That worldly pleasures seemes to thee as toyes Onely thou seek'st Eternitie to know Respecting not the infinite annoyes That Satan to thy well-staid mind can show Ne can he quench in thee the Spirit of Grace Nor draw thee from beholding Heavens bright face Thy Mind so perfect by thy Maker fram'd No vaine delights can harbour in thy heart With his sweet love thou art so much inflam'd As of the world thou seem'st to have no part So love him still thou need'st not be asham'd T is He that made thee what thou wert and art T is He that dries all teares from Orphans eies And heares from he av'n the wofull widdows cries T is He that doth behold thy inward cares And will regard the sorrowes of thy Soule T is He that guides thy feet from Sathans snares And in his Wisedome doth thy waies controule He through afflictions still thy Minde prepares And all thy glorious Trialls will enroule That when darke daies of terror shall appeare Thou as the Sunne shalt shine or much more cleare The Heav'ns shall perish as a garment olde Or as a vesture by the maker chang'd And shall depart as when a skrowle is rolde Yet thou from him shalt neuer be estrang'd When He shall come in glory that was solde For all our snnes we happily are chang'd Who for our faults put on his righteousnesse Although full oft his Lawes we doe transgresse Long mai'st thou joy in this almightie love Long may thy Soule be pleasing in his sight Long mai'st thou have true comforts from above Long mai'st thou set on him thy whole delight And patiently endure when he doth proue Knowing that He will surely do thee right Thy patience faith long suffring and thy love He will reward with comforts from above With Majestie and Honour is He clad And deck'd with light as with a garment faire He joyes the Meeke and makes the Mightie sad Pulls downe the Prowd and doth the Humble reare Who sees this Bridegroome never can be sad None lives that can his wondrous workes declare Yea looke how farre the Est is from the West So farre he sets our sinnes that have transgrest He rides vpon the wings of all the windes And spreads the heav'ns with his all powrefull hand Oh! who can loose when the Almightie bindes Or in his angry presence dares to stand He searcheth out the secrets of all mindes All those that feare him shall possesse the Land He is exceeding glorious to behold Antient of Times so faire and yet so old He of the watry Cloudes his Chariot frames And makes his blessed Angels powrefull Spirits His Ministers are fearefull fiery flames Rewarding all according to their merits The Righteous for an heritage he
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
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
to liue in Shame And drinke that poyson with a cheerefull heart That could all Heavenly grace to her impart To the Ladie of Cumberland the Introduction to the passion of Christ. ¶ This Grace great Lady doth possesse thy Soule And makes thee pleasing in thy Makers sight This Grace doth all imperfect Thoughts controule Directing thee to serue thy God aright Still reckoning him the Husband of thy Soule Which is most pretious in his glorious sight Because the Worlds delights shee doth denie For him who for her sake vouchsaf'd to die And dying made her Dowager of all Nay more Co-heire of that eternall blisse That Angels lost and We by Adams fall Meere Cast-awaies rais'd by a Iudas kisse Christs bloody sweat the Vineger and Gall The Speare Sponge Nailes his buffeting with Fists His bitter Passion Agony and Death Did gaine vs Heauen when He did loose his breath A preamble of the Author before the Passion ¶ These high deserts inuites my lowely Muse To write of Him and pardon craue of thee For Time so spent I need make no excuse Knowing it doth with thy faire Minde agree So well as thou no Labour wilt refuse That to thy holy Loue may pleasing be His Death and Passion I desire to write And thee to reade the blessed Soules delight But my deare Muse now whither wouldst thou flie Aboue the pitch of thy appointed straine With Icarus thou seekest now to trie Not waxen wings but thy poore barren Braine Which farre too weake these fiely lines descrie Yet cannot this thy forward Mind restraine But thy poore Infant Verse must soare aloft Not fearing threat'ning dangers happening oft Thinke when the eye of Wisdom shall discover Thy weakling Muse to flie that scarce could creepe And in the Ayre aboue the Clowdes to hover When better 't were mued vp and fast asleepe They 'l thinke with Phaeton thou canst ne'r recover But helplesse with that poore yong Lad to weepe The little World of thy weake Wit on fire Where thou wilt perish in thine owne desire But yet the Weaker thou doest seeme to be In Sexe or Sence the more his Glory shines That doth infuze such powrefull Grace in thee To shew thy Love in these few humble Lines The Widowes Myte with this may well agree Her little All more worth than golden mynes Beeing more deerer to our loving Lord Than all the wealth that Kingdoms could afford Therefore I humbly for his Grace will pray That he will give me Power and Strength to Write That what I haue begun so end I may As his great Glory may appeare more bright Yea in these Lines I may no further stray Than his most holy Spirit shall giue me Light That blindest Weakenesse be not over-bold The manner of his Passion to vnfold In other Phrases than may well agree With his pure Doctrine and most holy Writ That Heavens cleare eye and all the World may see I seeke his Glory rather than to get The Vulgars breath the seed of Vanitie Nor Fames lowd Trumpet care I to admit But rather strive in plainest Words to showe The Matter which I seeke to vndergoe A Matter farre beyond my barren skill To shew with any Life this map of Death This Storie that whole Worlds with Bookes would fill In these few Lines will put me out of breath To run so swiftly vp this mightie Hill I may behold it with the eye of Faith But to present this pure vnspotted Lambe I must confesse I farre vnworthy am Yet if he please t' illuminate my Spirit And giue me Wisdom from his holy Hill That I may Write part of his glorious Merit If he vouchsafe to guide my Hand and Quill To shew his Death by which we doe inherit Those endlesse Ioyes that all our hearts doe fill Then will I tell of that sad blacke fac'd Night Whose mourning Mantle covered Heavenly Light Here beginâ—… the Passion 〈◊〉 Christ. ¶ That very Night our Saviour was betrayd Oh night exceeding all the nights of sorrow When our most blessed Lord although dismayd Yet would not he one Minutes respite borrow But to Mount Oliues went though sore afraid To welcome Night and entertaine the Morrow And as he oft vnto that place did goe So did he now to meete his long nurst woe He told his deere Disciples that they all Should be offended by him that selfe night His Griefe was great and theirs could not be small To part from him who was their sole Delight Saint Peter thought his Faith could neuer fall No mote could happen in so cleare a sight Which made him say Though all men were offended Yet would he never though his life were ended But his deare Lord made answere That before The Cocke did crowe he should deny him thrice This could not choose but grieue him very sore That his hot Loue should prooue more cold than Ice Denying him he did so much adore No imperfection in himselfe hespies But saith againe with him hee 'l surely die Rather than his deare Master once denie And all the rest did likewise say the same Of his Disciples at that instant time But yet poore Peter he was most too blame That thought aboue them all by Faith to clime His forward speech inflicted sinne and shame When Wisdoms eyes did looke and checke his crime Who did foresee and told it him before Yet would he needs auerre it more and more Now went our Lord vnto that holy place Sweet Gethsemaine hallowed by his presence That blessed Garden which did now embrace His holy corps yet could make no defence Against those Vipers obiects of disgrace Which sought that pure eternall Loue to quench Here his Disciples willed he to stay Whilst he went further where he meant to pray None were admitted with their Lord to goe But Peter and the sonnes of Zebed'us To them good Iesus opened all his woe He gaue them leaue his sorows to discusse His deepest griefes he did not scorne to showe These three deere friends so much he did intrust Beeing sorowfull and ouercharg'd with griefe He told it them yet look'd for no reliefe Sweet Lord how couldst thou thus to flesh and blood Communicate thy griefe tell of thy woes Thou knew'st they had no powre to doe thee good But were the cause thou must endure these blowes Beeing the Scorpions bred in Adams mud Whose poys'ned sinnes did worke among thy foes To re-ore-charge thy ouer-burd'ned soule Although the sorowes now they doe condole Yet didst thou tell them of thy troubled state Of thy Soules heauinesse vnto the death So full of Loue so free wert thou from hate To bid them stay whose sinnes did stop thy breath When thou wert entring at so straite a gate Yea entring euen into the doore of Death Thou bidst them tarry there and watch with thee Who from thy pretious blood-shed were not free Bidding them tarry thou didst further goe To meet affliction in such gracefull sort As might mooue pitie both in friend and foe Thy sorowes
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