for her comfort I did thus begin Sweete Lady be not sorrowfull I am he Will pay the debt and end all misery Be not amaz'd the great Kings sonne am I A Prince that will not let his mercy die I 'le dye to giue thee life and thou shall rest Henceforth for euer in a Princes brest And this I 'le do to make an end of strife With my owne death I 'le purchase thee a life FINIS THE EPISTLE OF THE LORD TO his Bride vpon her Redemption A Spirituall legacy for the Benifite of the Honorable Lady the Lady Gerreard Written By Augustine Taylor Preacher at Hawarden LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes. 1623. ⧠TO THE NOBLE Lady Ellenor Lady Gerrard wife to the late Honorable Gilbert Lord Gerrard c. Honorable Lady VVHen sorrowes nights are ouer-past There followes ioyfull day Haplesse extreames can neuer last But styes and posts away To bring glad tidings in sad times I hold it wondrous fit And so doth all our best diuines And you may thinke of it I do present you with a gift Fit for a Princes hand Pray take it 't is the meanes to lift Soules to the holy land The full redemption of mankind I offer to your view A subiect to translate the mind From th' old man to the new I know you seeke Gods holy place And clothes you for his feast With pious loue purenesse and grace True zeale and all the rest Of those rich garments faire and meete For such a Princes Court And doubtlesse you shall one day see 't Though now my by report Imperfectly you are but told Yet quickly you shall see In Syons City wall'd with gold The Lambe in 's Maiestie Aduance your thoughts to heauenly things And you in the end shall soare Vnto that Court where's none but Kings Reioycing euer-more Your Honors deuoted in any Christian office Augustine Taylor THE ARGVMENT The promised Messias birth Conquers hell death and sinne And t' Eden backe with mickle mirth Brings Adam and his kinne IMmortall soule and my elected Queene Though hitherto thou hast most carelesse beene T' obserue my will yet now incline thy neart Or thou and I for euermore shall part See this epistle truely vnderstood Read it with teares for it is writ with blood A pretious price is found to pay thy det A sacrifice not ordinary to get For thou had but one God God but one sonne That sonne one life that life to death was done To bring old Adam backe to Edens blis And now learne what it cost to finish this I being promis'd came man did disdame me The world was proud and loft to entertaine me My earthly mother had so poore a kinne She was deni'd a lodging in the Inne When night and paine and teares and trauell tooke-her poore Mary was alone and all forsooke-her Sighing and seeking to find place for rest And at the last a stable was the best That could be spar'd this I had power to mend But I came rather like a lowly friend Then like a maister and so caus'd it try'd I came to shew my loue and not my pryde My pathes were plaine my cradle was a cratch I had no friends none shew'd such loue to watch For my arriuall the worlds loue was small Mary was mother mid-wife nurse and all No costly robes nor silkes nor cloth of gold Prouided was to keepe me from the cold Nothing but poore attyre and homely things Thus Princeps Regum terrae King of Kings Begun his Lambe-like raigne yea my pretence Was onely peace my armor innocence I did not many nights in safety nappe Vpon my louing mothers lowly lappe But warning came I must to Aegypt flee Herod was mou'd and making search for mee And I must runne or die for his intent's To wash his hands in blood of innocence The time wherein he did the infants slay Shall still be noted for a dismall day He aym'd at my fall but he fell we see And murther'd many to haue metwith mee But he mistooke himselfe and miss'd his ayme And I to Bothlem safe return'd againe In spite of Herod prophecies did ring That Dauids sonne was borne to be a King I did sustaine temptation for thy sake Much toyle and trauaile I did vndertake To make thy burthen light I dare presume To sweare betweene my cradle and my tombe I knew no perfect rest I had no bed Foxes had holes and birds were furnished With nests and lodgings but my head had none Mine was like Iacobs state when he left home And his old parents to procure his rest From angry Esau with his kin in th' east He was benighted in a strange land where He neither found friends nor companions there His pillow was a stone his bed was earth A naturall musitian made him mirth Surmis'd the Nightingall he could not get Wherein to wrape himselfe from nights could sweat His vncoth roome was all with greene be spred And rouing cloudes were curtaines to his bed His canopy was heauen where he might view Millions of Starres fixt in the blackest blew He went to bed as mildly as a lambe And slept as moderatly as a man And rose as earely as a Larke and fed With more content then e're he went to bed Then towards his vncles he doth post amaine To proue if Rachels loue he may obtaine And at the last his prentiships and paine Winnes his faire bride and he comes home againe With 's Lady in his hand his slockes before His seede about him and his Princely store Comes after with his seruants and thus hee With beauty riches health and dignitie Comes home attended I with Iacob may Compare my trauailes so that by the way I make some difference by the difference gather I left a fayrer home a better father To tread strange pathes where I was neuer knowne I sought for strangers loue and left my owne Iacob was neuer in such miscrie I was both worser cloth'd and lodg'd then he I went to fetch my bride from amongst those That dwelt farre further off and were my foes He payd but loue and seruice for his bride I payd my seruice loue and life beside He brought his home with riches and renowne With ioy and gladnesse vnto Sichem towne And for her mouing tents he hath her giuen Faire fixed temples stately types of Heauen His bed was on the earth mine was within He slept for sorrow but I slept for sinne I rose more earely to prepare thy way For I saw sun-rise before he saw day I 'll bring thee home adorn'd with better things The power and honor of all earthly kings And let their powers together lincked bee All cannot make one worthy t'waite on thee I spent my dayes in sorrow for thy good I sayl'd to th'Cradle in teares to th' graue in blood And more then this I was content to doo My middle time had mickle sorrowes too I liu'd releeuing poore healing and feeding I wipt those eyes that wept wounds that were bleeding I cur'd
Lord thou knowes I haue no more to giue But I 'm for more farre more indebt yet trust Since thou wilt iustifie me so vniust Thou wilt regard my nothing nothing breedes He that possesseth all things nothing needes That thou accepts my faith for righteonsnesse I can no more do and I will no lesse In words and actions then shew thankfulnesse Since it hath pleas'd thy greatnesse to admit My poore defectiue impotence vnfit To be a bride for thee I 'll hence forth striue T' extinguish all my illnesse and depriue Those vices of their lodgings that haue beene My welcome guests before I was thy Queene What I haue beene I 'll cease to be and frame My selfe to beare the beauty of thy name True modesty and loyalty shall rest To waite vpon thy spirit in my brest Assist me with thy grace and thou shall see All th' ornaments proper for Maiestie Prepared for thy seruice I confesse Thou might'st haue had thy spouse ' mongst princesses Of greater honor and of nobler race I know poore Ruth my grandame had no place Whereinto rest but by permission yet Because she 's faire and lowly Boaz will let Her gleane amongst his reapers and withall Strictly commands his seruants that they shall Not offer once to blame her tels her rather It is his pleasure that she stay and gather In his then goe t'an other field and thus Changes small fauours into Maximus And at the last this fruite his loue doth yeild Takes her and makes her mistris of the field Sure she was faire being honor'd with such store That lookt so louely when she was so poore Euen such was I a Ruth on whom no Ruth The word bestow'd vntill the word of truth Came to suruey his vineyard and gaue mee Commission to worke there and liberty To claime a sacred peny and in th' end Supposing that the office of a friend Was not grace great enough he chooseth rather To manifest th' affection of a father And builds againe of a poore wretch vndone A blessed bride for his eternall sonne My Lord I do not vtter this to thee For thou art sensible of my miserie I tell the neighbouring nations least they ghesse I 'm prone to ill but too proud to confesse I know my faults and betweene griefes and feares My body 's like a barke that sayles in teares Made to transport thy choyce the soule from th' earth Towards the faire land of euer-lasting mirth And on these seas of sorrowes Lord vouchsafe To be my Pylate and conduct me safe Vnto the shoares of peace and thou shall see My loue so beautifi'd with constancie That thou 'll be pleas'd to say I do approue The price of life is payd with coyne of loue Great Prince I 'm very poore infirme and weake Disable without thee to thinke or speake The smallest good therefore I 'll still intreate That as my dignity thou didst create Thou would'st maintaine it though the cause be mine Thou knowes it honors thee to honor thine As the Kings honor 's made of subiects duties So are thy glories made of thy Queenes beauties I take it such are thine no I mistake Thine are thy owne since thou didst please to make Me free t' inioy them when I thee adore I but repay what I receiu'd before Since by thy bounties I in plenties liue Giue thou me more and more that I may giue To others that to all it may be seene Of beauty and bounty th' ast compos'd thy Queene With hands that neuer err'd blest with the senses Of plenty the meet'st mettle to make Princes Lord lend me all thy graces till I rise From earrh to glory in thy Paradise In the meane time accept my sacrifice Which Baptist-like I send before aboue My soule flyes after with the wings of loue FINIS THE EPISTLE OF THE BRIDE TO her Lord declaring her Confidence A Heauenly legacy for the vse of of the Right Honorable IOHN Earle of Bridg-water and his most Noble Countesse the Lady Francis Written By Augustine Taylor Preacher at Hawarden LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes. 1623. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE IOHN EARLE OF Bridg-water c. And to his most noble Lady Francis Countesse of Bridgewater The issue of the Ancient and Illustrious House of Derby * ⎠* Right Honorable IF you admire wherefore I bring This offring to your hands My reason 's this I saw day spring The first vpon those lands That was your birth-plot and for that My heart and hand this giues And know your Honor die shall not So long as English liues Another reason's I confesse I liue vnder the wing Of your good mother Patronesse Of Syon where I sing And Preach by Gods commission I Am sent to call in ghests To see the Lambe in 's Maiesty Where peace and plenty rests And dearely humbly I intreate Your Honors to that place Where you shall sit in glories seate And see God face to face Your Noble dispositions bee So generally approu'd That for your true Nobilitie Y' are both both prais'd and lou'd And so God grant you may be still 'T is that I wish to see And if you please t' approue my will Feare God and fauour mee Your Honors to be Commanded Augustine Taylor THE ARGVMENT The faith of Isr'el's here express'd Her disobedience done Humility's by her profess'd And all her good begone GReat King of Israell may I be so bold To speake a few words more some part 's vntold Of that I meant to vtter vouchsafe t' heare My speech preferred with a reuerent feare Thy ancient seruants prudently fore-seeing Him men deny or doubt to haue a beeing They can doe no true seruice doe expresse The first good that man doth is to confesse The being of one God and Scripture saith The Honor thou admits is built on faith Lord I beleeue and thou mayst shew thy might To helpe my vnbeliefe that in thy sight I may be perfect and I will approue My haruest's from the seeding of thy loue My Lord this is my faith I sted-fastly Beleeue all things deliuered of thee 'Twixt th'Alpha and th'Omega of thy booke And I 'm perswaded all the paines thou tooke Tends to my rest thy promises of grace Are th'euidence I keepe for glory's place The poorenesse of thy comming birth and kinne As I conceiue was onely for to winne The loue not prayse of men thou didst agree T'ore come temptations that we might be free Thou washt their feete that did attend on thee I take it to teach me humillitie And as a friend that is to take in hand A long and dangerous voyage doth command His kinted and acquaintance to be fit To share of 's friendly farewell and being met They sole mnize it sadly and then parts With discontent and heauinesse of hearts And this last token ties their loues t' attend Euen so my Lord my husband and my friend Did institute a supper that I might Keepe him though absent euermore in sight And then he tooke his
wise and whereas they But onely sought the land to fetch a pray And hauing found it would be blowne away If but a side wind came this doth not soe But with the hand of bounty doth bestow Vpon the land what it affords to him He doth not teach her plenties how to swim From her and leaue her poore a true report Sayth hee hath made a cottage in a Court That well may lodge a Prince and seated so Sit on the Towers and turne thee too and sro And all the Kings dominions thou mayst see England Cambria Ireland Albanie And in his Lordly house hee dayly spends Great pious plenty among'st all his friends Man was a woman before he came there And pluckt the fruit forbidden but now feare Of that sinnes punishment by him made knowne Hath set the man vp and cast the woe downe Long may Gods blessiâ—gs and my Lord together Transport from hâ—nce to man and from man hither And Lord be pleas'd that I both long and well M'attend the steps of my gamalie My Lord take this in token of my loue And when your better part is soar'd aboue And left the rest for earth these lines shall last When earth and men and times and Toombs shall wast Truely affected to see duely effected my office vnto your Lordship in Gods seruice AVGVSTINE TAYLOR TO HIS VVORSHIPFVLL AND WORTHY Faithfull Friends and Louers in the Episcopall Iurisdiction Parish of Hawarden in Flint-shire * ⎠* Truely beloued MY faithfull seruice and my purest loue Shall waite on you till loue and seruice failes I speake in earnest next those ioyes aboue I loue your Syon loue â—od sayth preuailes To couer many faults I doe desire My loue that 's kindl'd now with holy fire May purchace your affections and my best And all my all at your dispose shall rest Yet I beseech you not mistake me much If from the first to th'last any one doth Affect me truely my free nature 's such Those shall command my loue and seruice both I 'll doe my best for all yea euen for those If there be such that striue to be my foes I loue but doth not feare these earthly powers There is a will aboue this will of owers That can doe what he will It is with him That you and I must reckon for our sinne And not amongst our selues true Christians must Indeauour still to make each other iust And seeke the shame of none which blessed act Will men together vnto God contract Take this it comes from him that still will proue Yours both in duty and vnfeigned loue Augustine Taylor A VVATCH COMPOSED FOR AND DEDICATED to the seruice of the Right Honorable WILLIAM Earle of DERBY Barron Stanley Lord Strange of Knockin and of Man Knight of the most Noble order of the Garter Leiutenant and Chamber-laine of the Counties Palatines of Chester and Lancaster c. By His Honors most obseruant seruant Augustine Taylor Preacher and Minister at Hawarden in Flint-shire LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes. 1623. THE ARGVMENT The times are spid'e to go on crutches and Goes very fast and therefore very ill Heauen is prou'd the best hauen where to land Respect of faithfull friendship 's wished still Honor 's examin'd and those parts made plaine Which best befits her brest to entertaine Blacke Enuy 's challeng'd and her force defide Nobillity rides by Derbyes Loraly side STay Derbyes Earle and pause a little for 'T is fit each Phillip haue his monitor As duely as his day onely to know Himselfe as well in substance as in show The time meanes mischiefe and her plots to smother Promiseth one thing and pretends another Gaine sayes the will of the great legislator And giues to Esau wine to lacob water Contemnes the best and doth the base adore Feeds the foole fat and keepes the wiseman poore Honors the bad and doth the good disgrace Lookes vpon merrit but with halfe a face Keepes true worth fasting yet deales out of measure But thus pence for desets and pounds for pleasure T' auoyde the worst that time and men can do Mans and times God appoynts vs here vnto To alter our affections and remoue them From earth to dwell where 's nought but God aboue them Watch noble Lord for I feare we shall see The times so sicke with mutabillitie They will intreate a purge and you shall trie The good shall be restor'd the wicked die My Lord we haue a warrant lets vs know There 's many things are done in earth below And all aut amissi aut permissi from A power that ruleth all but 's rul'd by none We are at his dispose when his decree Will breake the necke of Casars royaltie Rome cannot peece it therefore him to feare That is impartiall and that scornes to beare Corrupt affection 't is our best to honor Grace should haue measure still to waite vpon her And constancy experience makes it knowne Fauours doe neuer spring that are not sowne Vpon the soyle of merrit I did dreame Minnions too mighty makes Monarcks too meane As sparing graces neuer pravse could winne So fauours out of measure are meere sinne The great King giues his graces t' all so true That none hath lesse that none hath more then due And his affection 's lasting Euen so I know you learne at him since you bestow Your graces vpon goodnesse doe so still And blest shall be your actions and your will Long may you liue to fill your noble seate A few such great men would make good men great Therefore I wish your life and that you may With much content tell many a happy day Of grace and one of glory t'euer last That your true honor ne'er be ouer-cast And that you euer may stand fast and faire A piller vpon earth a starre in th ayre Consider what these following lines afford The seruant may sometimes direct his Lord. There 's one thing necessary it is sayd And ipse dixit who hath all things made And that 's a summum bonum where at man Should onely ayme because he neuer can Be satissi'd vntill haue vnderstood The glorious fulnesse of this soueraigne good I know your ayme's at that so let it be The first foundation of nobillitie Was faith in God the building feare and loue Kings wills are powerfull but that will aboue Proceeding from Iehouah all of them That would change vana spe for certam spem Must reuerently obey those cutsed bee That onely trust in earthly maiestie And you shall see them perish he that would Reape houor to fetch home pure Ophir gold Scornes to returne with baser mettle so He that to Magnus Rex may freely go And 's promis'd entertainement doth disdaine To spend 's best time and treasure in the traine Of an Inferiour Prince man should delight In things that yeelds both God and Caefar right Therefore I say it 's good and I 'll say still It's best serue him that can doe what he will This dayly duely done the next you