Witnes himselfe these euills that procur'd Witnes the Saints that perisht in that fire Which Steuen like bellowes kindl'd with desire When she good Ladie is in holie praire Or in the heauen of holy meditation This Macheuillian doth his plottes prepare How to incence the Queene with indignation And to that end he makes a large relation Which though the truth be not in Stories read This for a truth may be imagined My Soueraigne thus his enuy can begin I that haue place in your affaires of State And detestation of heretique sin Am therefore bolde for to expostulate And giue aduise vnto your high estate In matter of most weighty consequence Faithfull aduise is our best diligence Elizabeth O may I not offend Your Sister gratious Soueraigne is not true Vnto your State nor to your life a friend She is the head of that rebellious crue That mooues sedition in the residue When Faction gets a head that 's neere the Crowne Wisedome would beat the head of Faction downe Our Sister saith the much offended Queene Bishop be well aduised what you saie We to our Sister haue right gratious beene How is 't that she in loue should fall away We cannot thinke our Sister will betray The Priest replide If so your Grace will heare I le giue you instance both of when and where When Wyat with the mutinous in Kent Moou'd a commotion in your quiet State So dangerous that Wyat did present His rebell troopes before your princely Gate Whome though the heauens were pleasde to ruinate Yet let it be within your princely care To know the cause from whence these rebells were Wyat alas a priuate Gentleman Whose reputation neuer reacht so hie As to be mark'd in State could Wyat than With his weake credite raise a Companie So warrelike as to match your Maiestie Madame be sure a greater was the head Although the body Wyat gouerned In great attempts it 's weighty pollicie That whome the practise doth most neere respect With false appearance they dissembled be That if their bad designes haue bad effect They may auoyde the danger of suspect But if the practise haue desired end The Plotters then the practise will commend Your Sister learned in this subtle Arte Be pleasd to pardon plainenesse in my speach Would not the secret of the Plot impart Saue vnto Wyat whom her Art could teach To silence how Ambition made her reach And though the Traitor to his death denie it The truth of circumstance will verifie it What other cause saue Luthers discipline Begat this ciuill discord in your State Nor can your kingdomes holy Church resigne Whilst that your princely selfe is Magistrate Then sure these rebells she did animate Your sacred life by treason to depriue That she and Luther might the better thriue Who is 't but you that weares the princely Crowne With which Ambition would adorne hir head She cannot rise before your Grace be downe Nor can she rule before your state be dead This tricke of State would be considered The Queene replide And saist thou so good Priest Who then desireth all she shall haue least The times that followed were good testament How much the Prelate did the Queene incence For presently Commissioners were sent To Ashbridge house to fet the Lady thence With strict command to haste their diligence So forcible was his perswasiue tongue To make one Sister doe another wrong These Ministers in silence be their name Posted their iourney with a greedie haste For Euill is like double-winged Fame That looseth breath by flying ouer fast They runne the best to euill that runne last And these that now to please Queene Marie flie Will runne for Elzabeth if Marie die A maiden that attended on her Grace By them demaunded how the Princesse did A reuerend feare brought palenesse to her face And in her heart she was astonished And with a fearefull voice deliuered This answere Lords my Ladie is not well Please it your Lo your occasions tell They answer No and with a sterne aspect Threaten the fearefull spirit of the Maide Whose spirits from her outward parts were crept To cheere her heart with terrour much afraide And still when she could get a word she saide My Mistris Lord. Hir words then stopt with fears The rest that wanted were supplide with teares Goe tell thy Mistris thus they make reply That we are sent to bring her to the Court Our haste is great stay not to aske vs why Our estimation it doth much import That dead or liuing she with vs resort The maide whose heart their very words did breake Would haue replide but that she could not speake But in she runnes with such amazed haste As those that are transported with their griefe Close by the Princesse bed herselfe she plac'd Shiuering she stoode as doth the Aspine leafe And oft she would begin and oft her griefe Drawes backe hir words that in hir troubled breast Heaue vp her bodie with their much vnrest The Princesse when she sees her so dismaide Raiseth her sickly bodie in her bed And fearelesse she demaunds her fearefull Maide How she with griefe became so altered Its ease she saith to haue it vttered If for my sake I pre thee shed no teare We that are princely minded cannot feare As griefe would giue her leaue the maiden saide Madame your Grace is sent for to the Queene The Ladie then Why art thou so afraid Would God this let of sickenes had not beene I haue not of long time my Sister seene And though for much affliction I be sent My God hath taught me to be patient Returne againe vnto the Lords and say My sickenes is at this time violent Please it them rest their trauells heere to day To morrow they their message may present We to our Prince must be obedient Pray them to giue deferment to my sorrow What they giue not to night thei 'l giue to morrow The Maide whose duetie was obedience Hastes to acquaint them with her Ladies pleasure But rudely they with much vnreuerence Whose pride would not attend the Princesse leasure Rush vndesir'd where lay this heauenly treasure Which their presumption so offends her Grace As she confronts them with an angrie face Sirs you are not aduised what you do Thus their abuse stirres her princely fire That your audacious footings enter so Into our priuate where we doe retire Is it Ambition makes you thus aspire You ill remember what your dueties beene Nor that my selfe is Sister to your Queene Yet this aboue all other griefe is highest That so my soueraigne Sister is offended Neerest in blood and to my loue the nighest To whose protection I am left commended How is 't this loue of Sisters should be ended Sure I suspect you doe my Sister wrong She cannot be so cruell as your tongue How ere it be my comfort is in heauen That makes me powrefull to support my griefe God that is iust to my iust cause hath giuen Patience by which the wronged
reacht my meditation hie And versd the holy suffrings of my Lord Still doe I mooue in that emperiall Skie Where Saints and holy Angels do afford Subiect that may diuinest wit accord I glory then that to my Verse is giuen This care to fet their holy cause from heauen Among the number of those holy Saints A happy Lady where all happies are Whose name Report in euery place acquaints Who like the beauty of the fairest Starre In beauteous name exceedes all other farre And but we doe except the Virgin-mother We reach her praise as high as any other Thus I conceiue her Image in my thought Clad in the Virgin ornament of white Within that white her innocence was wrought Vnspotted with the touch of vaine delight Her habite is all day and nothing night And in that white as my remembrance saith Was writ this motte Defendor of the Faith Her presence could expresse what she had beene Humble yet full of princely maiestie A constant Martire yet a royall Queene Before her state went much aduersitie In all proportions Iudgement might descry What holy motions mooued in her hart For holy signes of prayer did mooue each part Vpon her head a Coronet of golde To intimate her eminence of place But in her royall presence I beholde The Image both of Maiestie and Grace The heart of State was grauen in her face Let him in iudgement be reputed blinde That in the face sees nothing of the minde Within one hand she held an armed blade Whereon was writ her many victories The other with much reuerence she laide Vpon the Booke of heauenly mysteries As if that God in wisedome did deuise To giue this Ladie that victorious Sword To garde the passage of his holy word Before her feete a Globe of earth was cast Scepters and Crownes and markes of high estate Yea Kings themselues and Potentates were plac't In humble ranke before this Magistrate Their fortunes on her victories did waite For when that she would fauour or cast downe The bad had warre the better had the Crowne These Trophies doe erect eternall name That euer liues in honour of this Queene That giue occasion vnto busie Fame To make report what her deserts haue beene My selfe that haue these admirations seene In humble verse her suffrings doe relate That dare not meddle with her time of State This cogitation of this Princely one Is often entertained in my minde Waking or not I oft reuise thereon And often in my thoughts this Queene I finde And oft her glad remembrance hath inclinde To heart my verse that writ the holie Passion Of her religious Teares to make relation O thou that dost inspire with holie flame The moouing spirits of deepe Poesie Giue me to adde some honour to her name That wants her due of holy memorie For Time will rot our best mortallitie And sith that she all vertuous ones did cherish It pittie were her vertuous name should perish O let my verse mooue indignation And stirre the blood of better abled wit Enuie or shame of this relation May hap beget the meanes to better it How ere my shame it doth my liking fit By anie meanes to adde vnto her praise Our loue is in our heart not in our phrase ¶ When holy Edwards Spirit did expire Borne on the wings of Angells into blisse The earth grew cold and wanted holy fire When this diuine defendor parted is Blacke Night did then succeed this Day of his For then the glory of the day is done When interposed earth bedims the Sunne O the exceeding wisedome in the heauen Whose prouidence protecteth euery care To seely men the licence is not giuen To see forbidden secrets what they are In vaine vpon the face of heauen men stare To know the hidden cause of that effect Which in Gods secret will is hidden kept Tell me thou wisest in iuditious Arte Or if thou canst not tell I silence thee Why God remou'd this holy King apart And left his Church to open tyrannie You reade not in the Starres this secrecie He that all futures can discerne afarre Within his breast these secrets hidden are Now Time had set this glorious Sonne of grace To darkenesse he his Empire did resigne Darkenesse that long had ouerspread the face Of holy truth and vertuous discipline No light apparant where no light may shine And but the fires of Martires that gaue light All had beene blacke and in eternall night You that haue nothing holy but your name That did incence this Marie vnto blood Be it to you your euerlasting shame So to corrupt her nature that was good O had she had the spirite to withstoode You that did hearten her to her disgrace She had deseru'd preheminence of place To saue a world of sinners you pretend But you intend another by pretence Religious duties often you commend Yet interdict you our obedience You bid speake truth but in a double sence How can your teaching many spirits saue When words and works such contradictions haue These Instigators fill her hands with blood In all respects saue this a vertuous Queene What they made vitious would haue prooued good Had not their powrefull prouocations beene Vpon her name this blood had not bin seene And men of holy place be sure of this Where you touch blood the marke apparant is This Ladie in the number of the rest Indur'd the storme of persecution Highest in griefe and in her name the best And with the best maintain'd her resolution She like the Lamb prepar'd for execution Doth still exspect by loosing of her breath To giue her holy cause a holy death And reason had she of this iust suspect So strange was alteration in the State Within her Sisters face she found neglect And friends doe euer faile th' vnfortunate The present state men onelie estimate For as the wind transports the flying Aire So as times alter men stil fliers are Her house in Edwards time a little Court Full of the fawning seruice of the knee But Marie now cuttes off this full resort And men fall backe in their Apostasie The Cuckooes sing not where colde winters be And Time this Lady of her port bereaues As winter frosts nip off the falling leaues These were the first beginnings of her care Which like the heads of little rising springs Runne to a larger bignesse than they were So Time that fauours not this Ladie brings Still fresh supplie vnto her sufferings Like flouds that with their swelling tides are fed Till falling Seas doe make their waters ebbe Here might she spend her holie meditation As sure she did much holier than I write She alters not with Fortunes alteration Resolue had made her sufferings her delight Her holie cause did giue her holie might To beare the indignation of their spleene That made her Sister her offended Queene ¶ O thou eternall Spirite thus she faies Without whose pleasure nothing hath euent Before we be thou numbrest all our daies And preordainest euerie accident To
greatest vse great industrie Watching each little fauour to imbrace And prowd themselues to be in Beauties grace Yet when the best of Beauty men haue got If not olde Age the Graue will make it rot Where are those Beauties which the world admirde That with attraction slau'd the hearts of men Within their graues these Ladies are retirde And all their beautie is decay'd with them What is 't in Beautie we should value then For those that were of most admired face Are now confined to a rotten place Beautie is like a Comet in the Aire Which being lighted by the burning Sunne Seemes to the strange beholder wondrous faire But when the matter of the light is done The fire goes out In like comparison Let Beautie like the fairest starre be bright Beauty will set and be as blacke as night It well befits the spirit of great blood To loue that least which is of common vse Then why should Beauty be esteemed good Which many commons commonly abuse For where in wisedome Nature doth refuse To giue to many beautie of the face A little Arte will couer that disgrace Looke as the Earth bedeckt with beauteous flowres The pretty children of the earth and spring Warm'd with the Sun and fed with heauenly showres Haue but a little time of tarrying So when the winter of our age shall bring Our fading time our Beauty like the floure Cannot this winter of our age indure This nothing of desert cannot perswade That I should feare this Image of my death The beauty of the minde will neuer fade Which I must value deerer than my breath Who would aduenture heauen for little earth The beauteous name of Truth for which I die Exceedes the beautie of the fairest eie If these respects haue not the powre to moue That haue beene powrefull in great Potentates For many great ones haue desired Loue And for their Loue haue wasted great Estates And for their Loue haue oft prou'd desperates But for the base desire of hauing much Neuer way any of the Princely such He that of wealth desireth any more Than may suffice an honest compotence Fills to a vessell that is full before Which ouerrunnes with prodigall expence What Care put in with greedy diligence Exceeding wealthy the contented are That with their little haue but little care Among great euills Auarice is chiefe Attended on by many miseries Whose like is well resembled in the Thiefe Who thriueth most by many robberies So he that would by greedie Mammon rise Must like a Thiefe by some deuise or other Make himselfe rich by taking from another And hence it is that men in euery trade Haue secret Art to raise a wealthy state Whereby their base beginnings oft are made To large possessions wondrous fortunate Yet righteous God that doth iniustice hate Oft giues to wealth thus gotten such an Heire Or freely spends what Auarice did spare Desire of much doth oft beget desire To rob the Orphane and the widdow mother Makes that in bloud we many times conspire Against the very bosomes of our brother The couetous doe feede one of another For when mens hearts on this Desire are set They care not what the meanes be so they get And therefore is't that Law hath many Cases And euery Case wrapt vp in double sense And euery sense of traueld in Law places As the Professour for his diligence Must weare the Case that is in difference Desire of wealth is then an euill cause That thus corrupts the Tenor of good lawes What should I number vp these euills more Whose repetition grieues my better mind Croesus is gone with all his heaped store Leauing no more than euill name behinde Who can one penny of his treasure finde Then Honour Beauty and Desire of gaine Are pleasures that but little time remaine God is my honour God's the beauteous face Which I with greedie appetite beholde He is my treasure that I would embrace He is my honour beautie and my gold To purchase him all others I haue solde Sith I am Gods and God is mine then I Make it my all for this my God to die Thus did this Ladie with herselfe dispute And to her selfe she framde such argument As in her purpose made her resolute To beare what ere those euill times present Griefe is not felt by one so patient For what though men lay all their euills on vs A little Patience beares their euills from vs. Good Ladie she had onelie this one care So holy Mary had but onelie one How she for happie death might best prepare For this she spends her cogitation Her houres in prayer her time in meditation When Death comes thus to our prepared daies We honour God and get eternall praise Such was the Saint the Sinner was not so Such was the Lambe the Butcher different Such was the Larke the Bussard that 's below Mounts to a pitch to sease the innocent The good the bad the base the eminent So opposite as she in euills least Suffers the prowd controlement of a Priest Steuen it was thy contriuement and thy care To persecute the cause for which Steuen bled Betwixt two Steuens what differences are Yet both of you with bloud were sprinckled Thou martiredst many he was martired How ill it fittes thee to be called Steuen Thy nature is from hell thy name from heauen Thou hadst the name and place of Gardner To dresse the Vintage thou commaundest o're But by thy hand the hedges broken were Which holy Church had fenced in before And thou thy selfe prowd Gardner like a Bore Rootst vp the floure and fruitfull bearing tree That in Gods holy Gardens fairest be The reuerend name of Bishop that was giuen Ill sorted with thy strong desire of blood Those hie deseruings were not found in Steuen That correspond the name of Fatherhood Where all is euill there is nothing good And so thy names and nature disagree As opposites in their extreamitie Bishops if they would correspond their name Must be composde of mercifull respect For God is such whence their creation came Who hath from many numbers them select To patterne holy life to Gods elect And sith to Princes God hath giuen the Sword Let them be princely onely in Gods word What is 't they be inuested in their white And weare the holy Orders of their place If vnto foule offence they haue delight That will their whited vestiments disgrace Pride and Ambition in a Prelats face Are vglie formes nor is their Priesthoode good That wash their hands in holy Martires blood If any thinke I speake with enuious breath And wrong the iust deseruings of this man He is deceiu'd it is Elizabeth Whose tribulation she indured than Stirres vp more angrie bloud than Enuie can And if the trueth in Stories be recorded He was the worst of men those times affoorded Witnes this Ladie of deserued praise Witnes the much affliction she indur'd Witnes the number of her grieued daies Witnes the prisons where she was immur'd