Graces haue their Glory seene Oh that I could describe her in her height As God and her good Grace might giue me leaue How all the Saints and all the Angels waite But on her will and from the same receiue The highest substance of their heau'nly Blisse In whom alone all heau'nly Blessing is Then should the world be all asham'd to see How basely they her glorious Grace regarded And grieue in soules to thinke that euer she Should for her seruice be so ill rewarded That few or none wise fond nor rich nor poore But ready are to thrust her out of doore Then should the Courts of Princes flock vnto her And Lords and Ladies sue to her for Grace And happy soules that best can seruice doe her And seeke their life but in her louely face And then her Grace such should a Glory beare That there should be no world but where she were But since her worth is to the world vnknowne And only Heauen doth her deere Loue embrace Her worth is more then can in words be showne While Grace it selfe can only shew her Grace Let me but leaue her in all Admiration To Virgins Saints and Angels Adoration And let me say but what in soule I finde She is the Essence of all Excellence The Eie the Heart the Body and the Minde Where holy Rules haue all their Residence Of all good Motions the first only Mouer The proofe of loue and of Loues proofe the Louer The strength of Truth th' assurance of all Trust The Concordance of all contentiue cares The Iudgement of the Wisedome of the Iust The sacred shop of the Celestiall warre The lemme for which no price can be too great Th' Eternall Manna for the spirits Meate The Eie of light where Loue hath all his life The tong of Truth where Wisedom hath her words The heart of peace where patience knowes no strife The hand of Bounty that all Grace affords The face of Beauty where all Brightnes shineth The soule of wonder that all worth defineth The soile wherein all sweetnes euer groweth The Fountaine whence all Wisedome euer springeth The winde that neuer but all blessing bloweth The Aire that all comfort euer bringeth The fire that euer life with loue enflameth The figure that all true perfection frameth The study of the soules Intelligence The Art of Wisedomes high Inuention The Rule of Reasons best Experience The worke of Mercies Glorious Mention The ground of Honour and discretions Grace Place's perfection and perfections place All this and more then I can speake or write In Vertue liues and to her loue belongs And though the world doe barre her of her right Yet heauen will one day right her of her wrong And make the world to know her gratious Nature And how she only makes the Glorious Creature And since that day will one day come vnwares When she will call a Court of all her Teanures And see the fruite of all her seruants wares And take an order for all Misdemeanures Let all the world be fearefull to offend her And thinke them happy that can best attend her Let euery Creature seeke and sue to serue her And euery King and Lord and Lady loue her And euery heart endeuour to deserue her And euery Minde for some good Motion moue her And euery tongue in true perfection praise her And euery soule to endlesse Glory raise her And let me aske a pardon of heau'ns Grace For my poore spirits mounting vp so high Who for my sinnes doth bid me hide my face And not to heau'n to dare to lift mine eie And say no more but end as I begun She is a Queene of Queenes and I haue done And since that Vertue neuer can be seene But by the Eie of Wisedomes sacred sence Where she beholds her as the Blessed Queene That weares the Crowne of Reasons excellence Let me beseech the Heauens my soule to Raise To speake of Wisedome in her worthy praise And though I know and cannot but confesse My thoughts vnable to aspire so high And euery way but all vnworthinesse In me to write of such a Misterie Yet let my heart a little tell my Minde What wonder worth in Wisedomes works I finde Gloria in excelsis Deo Vpon the praise of Wisedome The second daies worke FRom the vaine humours of vnseason'd Wit Whose heedlesse wil breeds nothing els but woe Among the seates where sacred spirits sit The holy pleasures of the heauens to know My humble Muse learne what perfection saies In Glorious Wisedomes neuer ending praise She is the spirit of the highest power The Essence of all purenes Excellence The compasse of the euerlasting hower The Vertue of all purenes Quintessence The knowledge that all knowledge only giueth And only life in which life only liueth She sits in counsaile with the Trinitie And is th' Almighties secret Secretarie She keepes the Graces in an Vnitie And doth the charge of all their seruice carie Before Creation she did make Election And for the Action she did giue direction She calls the Angels each one by their names And sets the Saints and Martirs in their places Their Himnes and Songs vnto their Lord she frames And to their Musique giues especiall Graces The Seraphins she makes to clap their wings While all the Heauens their Haleluiah sings Amid the skie she set the Sunne and Moone And made diuision twixt the day and night She made the morning and the after noone And set each planet in his place aright She prickt the Starres vpon the Firmament And gaue a life to euery Element She made the times the seasons of the yeare The change of Natures and the notes of choise She made perfection euery way appeare And in her labours made her Loue reioyce So by desert the highest did her call High Officer and worke Mistris of all She made the Earth in compasse like a Ball Betwixt the water and the skie depending Yet hangs so fast that it can neuer fall Vntill all earthly things must haue an ending And hauing fram'd it as she thought it meete Made it a footstoole for her Masters feete She made the Seas the Brooks the Fountaine springs The Trees the Fruites the Herbs and euery Flower The Fish the Beast and euery Bird that sings The Yeere the Month the Week the day the hower The outward shape and euery inward sence And euery Starre a sundry influence She framed Man the last of euery Creature But yet the best and to her loue the neerest She gaue his heart a kinde of heau'nly nature And held his life vnto her loue the deerest She made him all things by their names to call And vnder God Lord Gouernour of all She taught him only how to know the good But neuer taught him how to know the euill She fed his spirit with a wholesome food Till Pride did bring him poyson from the Deuill She made him then his folly to confesse And then his faith in Mercy finde redresse She gaue his
onely liue but in her loue And did the Souldiour in the points of Warre See how she sets the honour of the fight How from offences she doth keepe a farre Yet in the quarrell doth maintaine the right And saues the lyues hat doe to Mercy yeeld She should be high Commaunder of the field She is not lock't vp in the Misers Chest Nor lapt vp in the lines of lewd conceite Her life is more in liberty faire blest Then on the wills of wicked wit to waite No no it is too much against her nature To haue to doe with any wicked creature When she alone doth in her Closet sit Heauens open her the windowes of their light And Wisedomes spirit doth inspire her wit While holy Grace doth guide her spirit right Saints teares her Inke her pennes of Angels wings While to the Glory of her God she sings Her Paper is a pure vnspotted hart Where thoughts are words writ in the lines of loue Where Patience points at sorrowes inward smart While ruthfull passions doe Repentance proue And Truth records that Graces eyes may reade How soules are heal'd while sinfull harts doe bleede There all the Angels in their turnes attend To doe their seruice in their purest sence While Wit and Reason doe their Natures bend Vnto the life of Loues obedience And gathering so all gracious thoughts together She weares the Garland that can neuer wither There doth she put the Poets to their pensions Whose Wits are worne with too much worldly study And cannot reach the height of heauens Inuentions But plod in pooles where plashes are too muddy And takes a Muse for Gracious Pleasures play To set her Musique in a heauenly Key There doth she sing how sweet a thing it is To see the heauens all blessed thoughts embrace How Beauty sees the highest of her Blisse But in the feature of an Angels face While Time and Truth doe in their triall proue There is no life but in the eternall Loue. The fading pleasures of Affections play The partiall working of imperfect will The feeble state of fickle fancies stay The carelesse compasse of vnkindly skill The cursed humour of Inconstancie These hatefull humours she doth all defie No where she loues it tends but with her life And whē she speakes her Iudgements shewes her wit And when she writes her Concords know no strife What choise conceite shall chiefe in honour sit But speake and write and looke and like and loue All haue their blessings in the heauens aboue She giues the King a high Supremacie And to his Queene a Gracious Maiestie And to his Court she giues a Decencie And to his State she giues an Vnitie And to the Rich a superfluity And to the poore a bounteous charity She giues the Scholler Vnderstanding sence And to the Souldiour Resolution And to the Iudge an vpright Conscience And the Repentant Absolution The Trades-man care to keepe his family The Labourer patience and Humility She leades a King into his Cabinet And shewes him there the burthen of his Crowne Before his eyes she doth his Kingdome set And to his God his duty doth set downe She shewes him there the fall of idle pride And how his person doth in safety bide She shewes him there the honour of her loue The ground of Grace in the eternall good She shewes the blessing of the soules behoue Vpon the breeding of a Royall brood And that Religion is the Rule of Grace That keepes the kingdome in a happy case She shewes him there the benefit of peace The hurt of Warre the hate of Tyrannie The Ioy of Loue the happinesse encrease Where Wisedomes cares are Honours companie And sound aduise in sacred veritie Maintaines a Monarch in his Maiestie She shewes him there how flattery folly feedes While Reason sees the ruine of selfe-will She shewes the difference twixt the herbs weedes Wicked illusion and discretions skill She shewes him all that she thinks fit to show him To strength his State that nothing ouerthrow him She shewes him there the sweet contentiue life Is not still caried in varieties Nor faithfull Care doth feare the fatall knife That is not subiect to Impieties But he alone is all and onely Blest Who all in Mercy hath his spirits Rest. She makes him see that he could neuer see But through her sight the brightnes of all Seeing She makes him be that he could neuer be But in the blessing of her blessed Being Thus all in summe she makes him see and be That without her he could nor be nor see She gaines him all his Greatnes in her Grace His Countries loue the honour of his Court She keepes him safely in his kingly place And to the world she doth his fame report And when frō earth Death must his Crowne disseuer She makes him raigne a King in heauen for euer She takes a Queene vnto her selfe a-side And shewes her all the Glory of her Grace How she alone doth make the blessed Bride And how she keepes her in her highest place She makes the King in glorious Robes attire her And all the Court loue honour and admire her Then doth she bring her humbly on her knees And sets before her the faire booke of Blisse Bids her there finde that she can neuer leese The care of life where euery comfort is When lifting vp her heart with humble eie She sees a Beautie brighter then the skie There she beholds in Mercies Maiestie Her Sauiour sitting in a Glorious Throne Where in the Essence of Eternitie He rules all powers in himselfe alone When seeing her thus humbly fall before him He blesseth her that doth so much adore him Then doth she see the Angels exercise Who with the Saints and Virgins fit and sing While humble spirits make their Sacrifice Vnto the Glory of their Gracious King While all the Hoast of all the heauen reioyces To heare the Musique of the heauenly voyces Then doth she set the Consort of the Quier Where euery Note doth keepe his Time and Tune The ditty only speaking of Desire Where loue doth only vnto Mercy clime Where euery Close doth in such comfort meete That all the Heauens are rauisht with the sweete She takes the Virgine to her Morning taske And sets her downe a forme of faithfull praier But couers not her Beauty with a Maske When she hath made her truly heauenly faire But brings her forth with such a Blessed Grace As makes him happy that may see her face She shewes her in a Glasse of Beauties Truth How Art doth Nature too much iniurie That feebled Aye in forced tricks of Youth In true Conceite is Reasons Mockerie The idle thoughts that spoile the inward eies Where Loue should liue but in dishonour dies She shewes her there the Maiden-blush complection Betwixt the cherrie Red and snowie White And reades her then the precepts of perfection Within the circle of Dianas fight She shewes her all the Titles of desart And that true honour liues but in the
worthily commended In morne and euening was her third day ended Then in the heau'ns the shining lights she framed That should diuide betwixt the day and night The greater lights the Sunne and Moone she named Which should giue Rules to times and seasons right The lesser starres to whom she gaue a light To twinkle like the Candels of the Night And in this worke she kept her course so well And still the state of Grace so vnderstood As he in whom all Graces only dwell In sight of goodnes saw that all was good So where no praise her worth diminished The Euen and Morne her fourth day finished Then to the waters she her worke applies And made each mouing and each creeping thing And in the Heauen each feathered fowle that flies And euery Creature that doth carie wing When all seem'd good in her great Maisters eie Who bad them all encrease and multiplie Thus hauing wrought with infinite conceite The sundry forme and shape of euery Creature With such inuention as exceedes the height Of Wit and Reasons praises highest Nature While high perfection each proportion framed The Euen and Morning was her fift day named Thus when that her weekes worke was almost done She hath her choisest worke to take in hand For which before the Modell be begun She must vpon her Maisters counsaile stand How she may shape his loue his liuely picture To haue his patience pleased in his Creature When hauing fauour in his high perfection With humble care a lump of clay she takes Of which by Rules of his Diuine direction Vnto his Image perfect man she makes Who so in loue did to his liking fall That vnder Heau'n he made him Lord of all Thus hauing made vp all her workmanship Within the limits of her fairest loue Where constant Truth could neuer take a trip While carefull Patience did perfection proue When all was good in goodnes all enstalled The Euen and Morning she the sixt day called And seeking now her sacred thoughts to rest Vpon the Grace of the Eternall good She findes the Sabaoth by her Maister blest Who giues her spirits that especiall food That after all the labour of her daies Doth make her sing his euerlasting praise Which as I finde in her faire Musique sounding Although it be a Note aboue my reach Yet on the Grace of Vertue only grounding As her sweet spirits doth my spirit teach My humble soule shall straine my heart to sing The Gratious praises of my Glorious King O holy Essence of all holines Grace of all Glory Glory of all Grace Perfections Vertue Vertues perfectnes Place of all Beauty Beauty of all place Truths only Triall Times Eternitie Incomprehensible in thy Deitie Wisedomes deuiser Father of her loue Constancies proofe and life of patience Humilities Essence Faiths true Turtle Doue Mercies Almighty Glorious Residence Sweet Iesus Christ mine humble soule enflame To sing the Glory of thy holy Name Before what was but that which euer is The Godhead all Incomprehensible Sweet Iesus Christ the Essence of all Blisse But in his Manhood only sensible My Sauiours was and in himselfe alone Containing all things but contain'd in none The Nature of all Vertues in his Nature Had all their Essence of their only Being When in Creation of each kinde of Creature Wisedome in him had only all her seeing Whose loue in him that constant patience found That of her Grace and Glory was the ground His spotlesse Vertue all his life did proue In doing good to all and ill to none His Wisedome did the Doctors wonder moue His loue the Touchstone of all Truth alone His Constancie euen to his dying hower Did shew his patience had a heau'nly power And for the Note of his Humility His crosse bare witnes in his life and death Who bare all basenes Inciuility Yet neuer breath'd the smallest angry breath O glorious King that came from Heauen on high Vpon this earth for Beggers so to die His vertue in his will his word doth show His Wisedome in Election and Creation His loue his Louers by his death doe know His Constancie his patience confirmation His patience his humility did proue And all in some his Glory from aboue Whose Vertue such as his that could not sinne Whose Wisedome such as worketh Vertues will Whose loue is such as Wisedome liueth in Whose Constancie doth shew such kindnes still Whose patience such as did his passion show Or who so high and euer brought so low What Vertue doth his Wisedome doth expresse What Wisedome doth his loue doth manifest What loue doth doth his constancie confesse What Constancie doth in his patience blest What Patience doth Humility doth tell In him alone they all and only dwell Then let the vertuous for all vertue loue him And let the wise in Wisedomes loue admire him And let the constant in all kindnes proue him And let the patient patiently desire him And let the humble humbly fall before him And all together all in all adore him Oh that the world could see his vertues Beauty Or wit of man his Wisedomes Maiestie Or Loue could looke into his Constancie Or patience into his humility Then vice nor folly frailty rage nor pride Should in the mindes of men so much abide His Vertue made the first perfections Nature His Wisedome made the forme of all perfection His loue did giue the life to euery Creature His Constancie the care of Loues direction His patience Medicine for all Miseries His humblenes the way to Paradice Would'st thou be perfect in his vertue know it Would'st thou be vertuous in his wisedome learne it Would'st thou be wise in his loue only shew it Would'st thou be louing in his life discerne it Would'st thou he constant in his care conceiue it Would'st thou be patient in his death perceiue it Would'st thou be humble in his lowlines Learne to submit thy selfe to higher powers Would'st thou be blessed in his Blessednes Learne to bestow the labour of thine howers Would'st thou be holy and liue happy euer Liue in his loue and thou shalt liue for euer The infinite good thoughts his vertue giueth The infinite good works his will perfecteth The infinite good life in his loue liueth The infinite loue his constancie effecteth Th'infinite constancie his patience proueth Doe humbly shew what infinitenes loueth Since Vertues then good thoughts are infinite And infinite is Vertue in good thought And infinite is Wisedome in good wit And infinite is loue by Wisedome wrought And infinite is constancie in loue Which infinitely patience doth proue In infinite Humility of hart Vnto the height of all Infinitie In infinite perfection of each part That makes the infinite Diuinitie The Father Sonne and holy Ghost all three In one one God all infinite Glory bee And since no heart is able to attaine Vnto his holy and eternall praise To whom alone doth duly appertaine The date of Glories neuer ending dayes When Angels in their Haleluiah dwell Let me but sing A men and I am well Gloria in excelsis Deo TO ALL LEARned and vertuous Schollers and gratious Studients honour and happines GEntlemen I feare this my mistermed piece of Poetry in your true iudgements will be subiect to the reproofe of errour what is amisse I humbly leaue to your correction and what is otherwise to your fauourable acceptation and so loath to be tedious in ceremonies I rest affectionately to all good learning A friend auowed BER N. Gent.
hart She neuer taught the Eye to leere nor lowre Tongue idle talke nor minde vngratious thought She neuer set a countenance sharpe and sowre Nor fetch 't a sigh vpon a thing of nought But shewes her Indgement of so iust a Measure As proues her Wisedome worth a world of Treasure She shewes her then how Fancie like a Flea Can skip about a skittish humour'd hart And how that sorrow like the Ocean Sea Can drowne the spirit in a deadly smart While Melancholy doth oppresse the Minde Where better humours haue no place to finde Then doth she take the Counsailour alone And shewes him all the secrets of his hart Bids him behold the Mournfull Widowes moane The Orphanes teares the grieued Sutors smart Loue feare and serue first God and then his King And doe no worke that may his Conscience wring She tells him then the heau'nly Consistorie Doth only sit vpon the spirits good Where in the fight of sacred Wisedomes eie Cannot a clawse amisse be vnderstood While Truth it selfe that pleads the poore mans case From Mercies Iustice hath impartiall Grace Then doth she take aside the Courtier And shewes him all the fruites of idlenes That fancie is but follies Treasurer While Wit is thrall vnto vnthriftines While Pride presuming on deceiuing Hope Griefe doth the Gate but to Repentance ope She tells him there she neuer taught the eye To feede the spirit with an idle Gaze She neuer taught the tongue to walke awrie Nor brought the minde into a wilfull Maze She neuer taught the fashion nor the cost Where Wisedome sees time and expence but lost She neuer teacheth to play fast and loose Nor iuggle with a false conceiued Ioy Nor let the Foxe be taken by a Goose Nor euer sold a treasure for a toy She neuer taught him to misspend his time Nor higher state then his desert to clime She neuer taught him how to crouch nor creepe Nor scorne nor scoffe nor hang the head a-side Nor sigh nor sob nor wipe the eye and weepe Nor hatefull thoughts in louing lookes to hide No no she is or a more heauenly Nature Then with such by-wit to abuse a Creature Then doth she call for euery Officer And bids him strictly looke into his Oath That Conscience may be true deliuerer Of an vnspotted simple faith and troth That seruice loue by duties care discharged In Honours eye make due Reward enlarged Then doth she take account of his accounts How all the summes doe with the parcels gree And how much cunning Conscience surmounts And what in fine the finall summe will be And tells him that a counting day will come When he shall make account for all and some Thus when she hath the Courtiers all reade ouer She calls the Lawyer to a conscience case And tells him Truth is Learnings only Louer Who neuer puts the poore Man out of place But holds the hand of Iustice weight so euen As if the Ballance had the Beame in Heauen She neuer takes a Bribe to make a Motion Nor soothes a Client in a false Conceite She neuer seekes an vndeseru'd promotion Nor sells her Beauty vnto the poore by weight No she is true and iust and wise and kinde And as she thinks will euer speake her minde Then doth she take the Souldiour in his Tent And shewes him there the hideous fight of blood That Mercy euer with true valour went To spoile the wicked but to spare the good That Conquest neuer is in true perfection But when a Man can Maister his Affection She teacheth not a wicked Stratagem Nor how for Coine to buy and sell a Towne Nor to vsurpe a princely Diadem Nor raise the vile nor put the vertuous downe No when she once begins to leuie Armes The good haue Grace the only wicked harmes She neuer prai'd vpon the poore Mans purse Nor tyraniz'd vpon the Prisoner She neuer reap't the Mournfull Widowes Curse Nor of an Infant was a Murtherer She neuer was by Sea nor Land a Thiefe But had Compassion on the poore Mans griefe Thus hauing shew'd the Souldiour what she knowes Becomes the cariage of a Noble Minde She calls the Merchant and to him she showes That Conscience care is of a heauenly kinde While no corruption can the soule infect That to the spirit hath a due respect She shewes him there there is no ware nor weight But the all-Seeing-Eye in secret sees And that no cunning can excuse deceite Which gaining drosse doth better siluer leese She tells him plaine it is all gotten gaine For fading pleasure gets eternall paine She tells him that the aduenture on the Sea Is not all blest to enrich the couetous Nor to maintaine the Epicure his Ease The proud the bad nor the vitious But to prouide for neede and to relieue The needy hart whom griping want doth grieue In some she shewes him that the spirits wealth Is free from all vnconscionable ill And howsoeuer Wit doth worke by stealth There is no Wisedome but the Gratious will Where carefull Loue where Comfort neuer wasteth Laies vp the Treasure that for euer lasteth Then doth she call on euery Trade and Art And still cries out haue care of Conscience Bids euery eye looke well into the hart And not be caried with a wicked sence For in the day of the eternall Doome Plainenes in heauen will haue a princely Roome What though sometime her habite be but poore Her lodging hard her diet spare and thinne She stand disgraced at the rich mans doore And fast without while other feast within Yet is she better with her Crosse contented Then sport with sinnes to haue her soule tormented And though sometime she sit and hold her peace While idle heads doe vse their tongues at large And grieue to see true Learnings worth decrease When that a Dunce doth take a Doctors charge Yet may the world in all her courses know 'T is not her will God knowes it shall be so And though sometime she be in fetters tied While wicked spirits walke at liberty And be enforc'd her fairest thoughts to hide While hatefull thoughts are had in Dignitie Yet hath she patience to endure her crosses While heau'nly gaine doth counteruaile her losses Oh could the world discerne her worthines In all true honour in all honours truth How she doth only giue a happines Vnto the grauest Age and greenest Youth Euen from the King vnto the poorest Creature She would be honour'd in a heau'nly Nature But let the world esteeme her as it will She shall be worth more then the world is worth And when the world shall blush to see her ill Then shall she bring her heauenly Beauty forth And make them all confesse vnto their faces Her Glory puts them all vnto disgraces She neuer speakes but Truth nor doth but well Her thoughts all pure and grounded on perfection She doth among the holy Muses dwell And guides the Graces all by her direction She is the Bodies Grace the spirits Queene In whom all
knits the hearts of Vertues Loyaltie It is no Obiect for an earthly Eie Nor any Muse for any worldly minde Although the world in true effects may trie It is a spirit of a powerfull kinde And such a power as all powers doe submit To the Inuincible power of it It maketh Will doe only what it list While Wisedome guides the Axill Tree of wit And neuer feares the hurt of had I wist That sees a Crosse and is content with it While patience findes the only faire perfection Of Fancies faith in fauours true Affection It is a substance that admits no figure For in it selfe it breedes but of exceedings While in the Notes of pleasures truest Nature The fruites of Faith are Fancies only feedings While in conceite those high Contentments meete That happy soules are rauisht with the sweete To comprehend it passeth Comprehension And to define 't is vndefinable And to describe it doth exceede Inuention And to conceiue 't is vnconceiuable Yet by the Vertue that our sence it giues Our Reason findes that in our soules it liues It is a fire that kindleth in the Eie It is an Aire that cooleth Furies heate It is a water that is neuer drie A Paradise where growes the spirits meate Thus it partakes of euery Element Yet liues aboue the highest Firmament It is a thought begotten by a sight And 't is a sight that liueth in the thought It is a life that breedeth in delight And a delight that life hath only wrought It is a word that by true spirits spoken Doth knit a knot that neuer can be broken Oh how it doth a blessed Nature nourish And how it doth an humble spirit cherish And how it makes a faithfull heart to flourish And suffers not a Gratious soule to perish Witnes those hearts whose perfect spirits proue How loue in Wisedome Wisedome liues in loue Fortune can neuer haue a force to foile it Nor feare to fright nor enuie to anoy it Nor passion to hurt impatience to spoile it Nor Death to kill nor Deuill to destroy it But where all pleasures spring and perish neuer Heere or in Heau'n it hath a life for euer From the faire Brightnes of a Beautious Eie It caries honour to an humble hart And from the heart of Truthes Humilitie It gaines the comfort of a kinde desart And in true kindnes that content alone That of two Bodies makes the Minde but one It brought downe Heau'n to Earth brings Earth to Heau'n It walks about the circle of the Sunne It makes the Planets keepe their orders eu'n And Nature kindly all her courses runne It sits vpon the holy seate of Grace And with the highest hath the highest place It keepes all Order Measure Rule and Right In Nature Reason Wisedome Wit and Sence In word and deede and thought by day and night In time and place in Case and Moode and Tense Where all proportions are in such perfection As shewes the depth of the diuine direction It makes the husband kinde vnto his wife The spouse obedient to her faithfull pheere And in that kindnes that contentiue life That only doth but in that life appeare The Children gratious and the Parents kinde And each in other what they wish to finde Brethren and sisters liue in Vnitie And Neighbours liue in friendly Neighbourhood And friends continue in true Amitie And strangers vnto strangers to doe good Princes in Peace and Subiects liue in Grace And so the earth to proue a heau'nly place Oh how it fights against infamous thought And kills the Nature of an ill coniecture How true it hath the life of Vertue taught And builds the height of Honours Architecture How little it regards all earthly toyes And surely leades the soule to endlesse ioyes How sweetly on the Nurses lips it lies While she is bussing of her little Baby And how it twinckles in the Infants eies In learning of his Christes Crosse and his A. B How cherry-red it dies a snowie white Where Maiden-blushes make a blessed sight Loue makes the Triumphes of the truest ioyes And sounds the Trumpet of the sweetest sound Loue speakes in hearts and makes no idle noise But is in some of euery Grace the ground It is a Riddle aboue Reasons sence And of exceedings all the excellence It makes the thought the word and deede all one It bindes the eye the hand and heart together It is in truth the only Tree alone Which keeps his greene where not a leafe can wither It is the Bird that only sings in May And makes the holy spirits holy day It takes away the tediousnes from time The paine from patience in desire delaies The feare from care the hearts content to clime The sloath from labour in his hardest waies The frailty from the Nature of Affection And folly from the passion of perfection It is a Vertue of that sacred sence In working wonders in the spirits power As in the height of Reasons Excellence Vpon the top of Truths eternall Tower Doth stand with such a Grace of heau'nly Glory As may be call'd the state of Wisedomes story And since it is so infinite in worth As doth exceede his penne of Reasons praise Who from the soule of Wisedome issues forth As from the Sunne his brightest shining Raies Let me heere cease and all in Admiration Leaue it to Wisedomes only declaration And since it doth in nothing more appeare Then in the Nature of true Constancie Which is a Vertue to the soule to deere As keepes the soule from Errors Extasie Let me a little speake of that sweet Nature Of Constancie that makes the Blessed Creature THE PRAISE OF Constancie The fourth daies worke O Constancie thou only kingly thought That keepes the spirit in her purest kinde And hast against all idle frailty fought And like a Mountaine set lest fast the Minde Let me conceiue some part of thy content Where pleasures spirit is most sweetly spent And though I cannot reach that Royall height Wherein thy sacred Maiestie doth sit Yet as a Seruant let me humbly waite To see thine honour and to speake of it And so to speake that all the world may see Wisedomes Loues Honor only liues in thee The constant Eie hath neuer wandring fight The constant Eare hath no vnkindly hearing The constant Tongue doth euer speake aright The constant Heart hath euer happy chearing The constant Minde the fairest thoughts vnfold thee The constant Soule on earth heauen behold thee It neuer hath a thought of iealousie Nor stands vpon Opinions Parador Nor runnes a fury into frenzie Nor feares the Wolfe nor ioyneth with the Fox But like the Phoenix in a sunnie fire Findes lifes delight in ashes of desire It loues no change and breedes the ioy of choise It feares no fortune nor it serues no folly It keepes the Rule where Reason doth reioice And is the substance of contentment wholy It is a stay that strengtheneth the Minde And knit the sences in a sacred Kinde It is the true