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
THE Soules immortall crowne consisting of seauen glorious graces 1. Vertue 2. Wisedome 3. Loue. 4. Constancie 5. Patience 6. Humilitie 7. Infinitenes DEVIDED INTO SEAVEN dayes Workes AND Dedicated to the Kings most excellent Maiestie AT LONDON Printed by H. Lownes and are to be sold by I. C. and F. B. 1605. TO THE HIGH and mightie Prince IAMES by the grace of God King of great Brittaine France and Ireland defendour of the faith c. TO whom shall I dedicate the praise of Vertue but to him whō Vertue praiseth which in your Maiestie being made good to the eies of those vnderstanding spirits that can iudge of the heauenly notes of heroicall natures I hope hauing Truth for my warrant to escape the scandall of fawning Eloquence vouchsafe therefore my gratious Soueraigne in this plaine Poem to peruse the labour of my hearts loue which with the seruice of true loyaltie I humbly lay at the feet of your Royall Maiestie beseeching the vertue of all grace grace of all vertue so to blesse you with his infinite blessings that as vertue vnder heauē putteth her praise vnder your Patronage so the Patrone of all vertue will so Royallize your praise in the Heauens that to your gratious Crowne on earth you may receiue a Crowne of Eternall glory Your Maiesties most humble and loyall in all seruice BER N. Gent. To the Reader YOu that haue a heart to lift your eies aboue your head and haue not buried your soule in the sinke of sinne take a little time to reade ouer this little Tract where if vertue may inuite you wisedome may woe you loue may draw you constancie may content you patience may perswade you or humility may entreate you you shall not passe without your paiment and make a profit of your expence the villaine cannot taste it the foole vnderstand it the hatefull not loue it nor the inconstant commend it the impatient endure it nor the proud regard it but I hope the best will alow it and to thē I only leaue it who can best iudge of it will iudiciously peruse it and accordingly esteeme it there is no state taxed in it no person abused by it none that reade it but may haue good of it and for the good of all men I haue done it The youthfull may learne and the aged consider what is most necessarie for the soules comfort the rich may finde treasure aboue their wealth and the poore reliefe in their miserie in sume to auoid tediousnes I hope you shall see Vertue truly honoured Wisedome truly praised Loue truly described Constancie truly commended Patience truly proued and God in all truly glorified to the tuition of whose grace in hearty praier for your happines that you may seeke it only in his goodnes I leaue you for this time and for euer till I better know you Your friend as I finde cause BER N. Gent. The Argument VErtue is Wisedomes light Wisedome her loue And Constancie her only lifes delight Which Patience in Humility doth proue Humility the eye of Vertues sight I hat sees the Graces branches of the Tree Which figures God in whom their Glories be A POEM VPON the praise of vertue The first dayes worke OH my deere Muse that neuer could'st endure The wicked courses of a wretched minde Nor euer learn'st by cunning to procure The hatefull comforts of a hellish kinde But euer hast the loue of vertue neere thee Speak in her praise that all the world may heare thee Goe tell the greatest Monarch where thou goest She is a Queene to fit his Maiestie And tell the wisest Counsellour thou knowest By her his wit hath greatest dignitie And tell the fairest in her fairest grace Foule is her faire except she blush her face Tell the Diuine she giues a glorious light Vnto the truth of the eternall word Tell Valour she makes but a bloody fight Except she guide the hand that holds the sword Tell all the Artes their studies are but idle Except she hold the sences in a bridle Tell Honour that her Title 's but a tittle Except she build the steps of her estate Tell Riches all her Greatnes is but little Except she hold her Reckonings at a rate Tell Loue alas his treasure 's but a toy Except she be the substance of the Ioy. Goe tell the world more then the world can tell All is as nought where she 's not all in all Tell Excellence she neuer doth excell But when her Grace doth to her Glory fall Tell Truth her selfe that in her trumpe of Fame Her highest Note is only in her name Oh were she seene within the sacred sence Of her high fauour alwaies with the highest Where Angels Grace and Graces excellence Keepe her deere Loue vnto themselues the nighest Then would the world all humbly fall before her And next to God in harts and soules adore her Oh could a King but note her Queene-like Nature What Maiestie is in an humble minde How on the earth she makes a heauenly Creature In being louing patient true and kinde And in her sweetnes sweetly so perceiue her No King on earth would for his Kingdome leaue her And could a Queene behold her Glorious Grace How her true Loue doth truly louely make her And what a Sunne she sets vpon her face That makes the Godly for a Godnesse take her She would so truly and so deerely loue her That no conceite should from her Court remoue her And did the grauest wisest Counsellour But sound the depth of her diuine conceite Where perfect Truth is Reasons Paramour When Wisedomes care doth cut off all deceite While sacred Iudgement in true Iustice sits Her will should be the Rule of all their Wits And could the neatest Courtier once behold How comly she is with a little cost How farre she is from euery pleating fold Where fond expences are in folly lost They all would leaue their Antike Loues desire And take their patternes from her plaine attire And did the fairest Nimph or Noblest Maide Behold her Beauty in her glorious Brightnes Pure in it selfe vnspotted not beraide Nor idely caried with a looke of Lightnes They would so farre her excellence preferre As all would leaue themselues to follow her And did the most experienc't Officer But note her cariage in her seruice care Where Conscience is the true examiner Of all the thoughts where Honours courses are While gracious spirits dwell in earthly Natures The Court would be a place of heauenly Creatures Did the Diuine see her Diuinitie And what a spouse vnto the soule she is Who with the world hath no affinitie But in the heauens hath her eternall blisse He would his life vnto her loue referre And leaue the world for only Loue of her And did the Lawyer looke into her lawes Where Truth and Loue doe trie the case of life And wicked Craft can neuer make a clause To feed Ambition with the fruite of strife But euery plea in pitties conscience proue All Law should
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
soule a Minde aboue his Hart His Hart a feeling of his spirits Nature His Nature Reason and his Reason Art His Art a knowledge of each earthly Creature His Knowledge Honour and his Honour Grace His Grace a fauour in a Glorious place She read him all the Rules of Learnings Loue The Naturall the Morall and Diuine She shew'd the Blessing of the soules behoue That doth not wholy to the earth decline She shewes the way vnto eternall Blisse And for the world how base a thing it is Yet when she made the world for her best Grace She sets a Course and Rule for euery thing For Nature Reason Action Time and Place How best proportion might perfection bring And how in all might all things so agree That in their Concords might no discord be In scale and feather haire and skinne and hue In substance sence in colour shape and feature How they were first begot and how they grew And how each one should differ in their Nature Yet differing so they might together liue That none might other hurt or hinderance giue But vnto Man she only gaue a minde To looke into the life of euery Nature And giue them names and vse them in their kinde And take commandement of each kind of Creature And by her will to walke among them so That euery one should him their seruice owe. She made each haire each Artir and each vaine The flesh the bones the finnowes and the skinne The heart the lytes the liuer and the braine The outward Beauty and the strength within And to his soule did giue that heau'nly Nature That made in all the admirable Creature She gaue him wings to mount aboue the winde And inward Eies to see aboue the Sunne And by her Rules did make his Reason finde How Sun and Moone Starres their courses runne How Sea-Men by the pole their courses guide And by the Moone the turne of euery Tide She makes him finde the Heauens operations Vpon the Bodies of the earth below She makes him by his spirits contemplations Vpon the earth things aboue Earth to know And to his knowledge doth that Vertue giue As learnes him only to his God to liue She makes a difference in the Mindes of Men She crownes the Princes and entituleth Honor She writes their Stories with a perfect Pen And doth aduaunce them that doe tend vpon her She makes them Blest that doe in patience proue her And liue for euer that doe truly loue her She doth instruct the King in all his care Where Mercies Iustice beares a blessed sword She shewes the Peeres when they in counsaile are What fauour heau'ns the faithfull hearts afoord She shewes the people the due loyaltie That Subiects owe vnto their Soueraigntie She makes the Courtier not misspend his time She bids the Souldiour spare the Innocent And the Diuine beware the Conscience crime And makes the Lawyer a good Studient She makes the Merchant honest with his wealth And labour keepe the labouring Man in health She teacheth euery Science and each Art And shewes the Truth of euery Argument And makes distinctions vpon euery part And is of all the only Ornament She shewes the Studient in Diuinitie Heauen with the world hath no Affinitie She feedes no fancie with an idle fashion Yet fashions all things in a comly frame She neuer knew Repentance wofull passion Nor euer fear'd the blot of wicked blame But euen and true what euer she intended Wrought all so well that none could be amended She neuer whirles about an idle Wit Nor taketh pleasure in a wanton Eie Nor in the seate of pride did euer sit Nor from the poore did turne her hand awrie Nor maintain'd wealth with wretched Miserie Nor sought for honour by Indignitie No no that Man that would his Mistris make her That Woman that doth choose her for her Louer That Man or Woman that doth only take her For their best Loue and in their hearts doe loue her In rauisht sweetnes of her Beauties Blisses Will dwell vpon her lips in louely Kisses She neuer yet did harme to any liuing Nor is there any good but that she doeth To euery soule she is her Comfort giuing And with her sweetnes so Affection woeth That they who could in Loues perfection proue her Would hate themselues and if they did not loue her She laies the lines of life in Vertues loue Imploies the Minde in holy Meditations The hart in study of the soules behoue The spirit in Loues Contemplations The tongue in speaking truth on euery part The soule in prayer for a faithfull hart She neuer was acquainted with Corruption Not came within the Aire of all Infection Her purpose neuer had an Interruption Nor euer was she crost in her direction But sound and sure she caries so her skill That in all good there can be found no ill She is the fairest of all Beauties Fame She is the sweetest of all Reasons sence She is the Noblest of all Honours name She is the strongest of all Loues defence She is the richest of all earthly Treasure And purest substance of the Spirits pleasure Oh what can there be more that she should be Or how should she be more then that she is That all may see and more then all may see The blessed Being of all Being Blisse All Infinite in all perfections waies And Infinite in all perfections praise And being then in goodnes all so Good As being best a better cannot be Which in her selfe is only vnderstood And in her selfe her selfe can only see What life of Grace but would in loue admire her Or Gratious loue could liue and not desire her But since that loue is the true life indeede Of which she is by which she only liueth From which she hath her only happy spide To which she oweth all the good she giueth Let me the purest of my passion proue To see her Glory in the Grace of loue THE PRAISE OF Loue. The third daies worke O Loue that liuest in that only light Which giues all seeing to all gratious Eies But keepest thy sence frō that vngodly sight That in the darknes of Illusion dies Lighten my soule that it may cleerely see How thou in Wisedome Wisedome liues in thee The Angels can in their Attonements tell How kindly thou do'st make them liue together And where the Saints and holy Martirs dwell The holy Muses bring their Musique thither And while the Hoast of all the Heauens reioyce Thou tun'st the heart-strings of the highest voice Loue is the Essence of Eternitie That workes the course of Wisedomes cariage Where the high counsaile of the Deitie Twixt Heauen and Earth doe make a Mariage While in the life of Holines alone The Lord of Heauen and his true Church are one It layes the plot and drawes the lines of pleasure Within the ground of Graces Paradise It works the Truth that is the spirits Treasure And builds the height of Honours Dignities It bends the Eies of Graces Royaltie And
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
foundation of all strength Which while it holds the frame can neuer fall It is the line that drawes the longest length And euer is that sees the end of all It keeps the Rules of the Heau'ns reuolution And doth confirme all Reasons resolution It is the locke vpon the heart of loue A Chest that keepes the treasure of the Minde Within the soule a Rocke that cannot moue A Band that doth the thoughts together binde A light where Wisedome Vertues honour seeth And life where only Grace with loue agreeth It keepes the Sunne in his continuall brightnes The ayre in coolenes and the earth in drynesse Water in moisture and the winde in lightnesse The fire in hotnes and the flame in highnesse The good in goodnes and the kinde in kindnes The minde from madnes and the eye from blindnes It was the mouer first of mariage And made the first continuance of content It set the course of Wisedomes cariage And neuer further then affection went It is the state of all perfections stay And Times all euer lasting holy day It is the Crowne of Patience kingly care The seate where Mercy sits in Maiestie The Law wherein all blessed precepts are The fame of Loue and league of Amitie The learning of the wisest wits instruction And sence of the most sweetest thoughts construction Aboue the Heauens it liueth with the highest And in the Heauens it dwelleth with the purest And to the Nature of the best the nighest And in the sence of all conceites the surest And in the Action of all Art the strongest And in the length of Time and Truth the longest It keepes the center of the earth from mouing The swelling Sea from passing of his Bounds The Rules of true perfection from Reprouing The health of Wisedome from all follies Wounds The circle of the world in such a frame That Admiration may commend the same Oh how it writes the worthinesse of those That stroue for honour to the stroke of death And how without comparison it showes The mouth of Wisedome blessed in her breath And how it makes the fame of them to flourish That with their Bounty vertuous spirits nourish It made the Mirror of all Martirdome And in the faithfull makes a Glorious fight And in the day of the Eternall doome It will be Gratious in all Glorious sight Where hopes continuance in all kindnes care Brings humble faith to endlesse happy fare And since it is so infinite a Grace As may deserue as infinite a praise And is the fulnesse of the fairest place In all the walke of Wit and Reasons waies Where patience proues the best experience Let me a little sing of Patience THE PRAISE OF Patience The fifth daies worke SWeete Patience thou soueraigne of perfection Of Gratious thoughts the only Gouernesse Who by the Rules of thy diuine direction Do'st bring the heart to highest Happinesse My humble soule with thy sweete loue enflame That I may sing in honour of thy name The purest thought that euer heart possessed The clearest Obiect of the carefull'st Eie The present Medicine for the Minde distressed The only ease in euery Miserie In all the proofe of Wits Experience In heart and minde and soule is patience It puts off feare of Fortunes frowardnes And only rests on Resolution It wrestles with the worlds vntowardnes And holds the state of Reasons Constitution It conquers Will and so doth carie Wit That both are happy only but in it It breedes no wroth nor moueth Enuies ill It breakes no concord nor discention sturres It learnes the spirit an especiall skill Where Reasons care Repentance not incurres And if Repentance folly doe enforce It is a meane vnto a sweet remorce It beareth want as if it were no woe And suffers wrong as if it had no sence It swallowes sorrow as it were not so And taketh Death for lifes Ingredience It neither feedes of fortune feare nor fate But alwaies is all one in euery state In time it keepes the compasse of the hower In action order measure point and place In thought the temper of the spirits power In Wit and Reason all the Rules of Grace In Grace the ground of that perfections story That goeth neere the height of Vertues Glory It makes the entrance into euery Action Continues the proceedings makes the end It kils the Nature of vnquiet Faction And of a foe sometime doth make a friend It doth conceale the hearts calamitie And makes a Vertue of Necessitie By Patience we doe our soules possesse And tread the path to our soules Paradice While the impatient in their soules distresse Headlong fall into their soules Miseries It is a salue that healeth the soules griefe Sorrowes rankt poison and the soules reliefe Patience doth try the Truth of euery thing Distills the spirits of the purest Natures Teacheth the Muse her Musique notes to sing And findes the difference of all kindes of Creatures Giues bodies health and makes the spirits diet And brings the soule vnto Eternall quiet It keepes the Husband chaste vntill he marrie The Wife obedient to her Band of loue It makes the Mother for her Childe to tarie And Seruants waite for their Rewards behoue It makes the Sea-man tarie for a winde And poore men waite till richer men haue dinde It makes the wounded Man endure his dressing The sicke Man see the loosing of his blood The poore Man beare the paine of his oppressing The good Man against euill to doe good The wise Man study for the state of Blisse The holy Man finde where all blessing is It keepes the King from thought of Crueltie The Noble Peere from Prides Ambition The Counsailour from all Impietie The Courtier from all ill condition The Church-man from the error of selfe-will The Lay-man from the exercise of ill By patience Dauid had a Princely fame And Iob his patience hath a worthy praise But Christ his patience hath the Glorious name That euer liues to neuer ending daies Since then in God and Man it is so glorious Let it be held a Vertue all victorious In God it doth a worke of Mercy show In Mercy Comfort and in Comfort Grace In Grace that loue from which that life doth flow That shewes where Patience hath a happy place Oh blessed Patience that in Man doth proue Gods Mercies comfort in his Gratious loue It brings the heart to Loues Humilitie Humility to Truthes simplicitie And simple Truth to Cares Tranquilitie And quiet Care to faith's felicitie And happy faith vnto that fairest Blisse In which the fairest of all Blessing is And since that in Humility I finde True Patience hath her purest Residence And brings the heart the spirit and the minde Vnto the height of Reasons Excellence Let me a little shew what Vertue saies In setting downe Humilities due praise THE PRAISE OF Humilitie The sixth daies worke OH the sweet sence of loues Humilitie Which feares displeasure in a dearest friend The only note of true Nobilitie Whose worthy Grace is graced