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
Queene Elizabeths Teares OR Her resolute bearing the Christian Crosse inflicted on her by the persecuting hands of Steuen Gardner Bishop of Winchester in the bloodie time of Queene Marie Written By Christopher Leuer Nocet indulgentia nobis Printed at London by V. S. for Mathew Lownes dwelling in Paules Churchyard at the signe of 〈…〉 To the right honorable Lord Robert Erle of Salisburie Vicount Cranborne Baron of Essingdon principall Secretarie to the Kings most excellent Maiestie Maister of the Courtes of Wardes and Liueries Chancellor of the most famous Vniuersitie of Cambridge Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter and one of his Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsell RIght Honourable Lorde The gratious and well deseruing when they die leaue behind them a reputation that can neuer die I instance this in Queene Elizabeth of blessed memory A Lady beyond example beautifyed with the ornaments of Grace and Nature the twoo handes of God whose name like the aire is spread ouer all the earth whereby this our little world the English nation is made famous to all posteritie And because I my selfe haue seene many the admirations of her time haue with many others shared in participation of those blessings which God did giue her most gratious and fortunate gouernement I haue therefore willingly forced my endeuours to this demonstration of thankes hauing euer vowed my selfe a seruant to her Honourable remembrance The reasons my good L. of dedication are these First your Lordships honorable deseruing in being a principall Supporter of the leaning State of learning the Moecenas and Patron of the learned in what deseruing qualitie soeuer wherein though I be but meanely profest yet your Lordeships zealous regard to the profession I beare shal euer binde me in the most assured bonds of dutie and thankefull seruice Againe that honorable testimony of your Lordships regarde euen to the very name of your late Soueraigne approued by the generall applause and acclamation of all good people by which act your Lordship hath proceeded to the highest degree of good opinion and by giuing Honour to her that best deserued it deseruedly made your selfe much honoured And therefore my good Lord haue I ventured on your Lordships gratious acceptance humbly requesting your Honor that my particular howsoeuer vnworthy to trauaile in so honorable an Argument may notwithstanding haue gratious acceptation being presented in the name of Queene Elizabeth to whose honorable remembraunce your Lordeship is so much deuoted and to whose name I haue principally dedicated this seruice beseeching Almightie God to deriue vppon your Name and House a perpetuall Succession of Honour and good Fortune Your Honours in all duetie and humble seruice Christopher Leuer ⧠To the Reader THe name of Queene Elizabeth is sufficient Argument to perswade a friendly acceptation and from the better disposed whome I couet principally to please I shall doubtlesse receiue that reasonable and honest construction As for those who haue their tongues dipt in the poyson of Enuie I write not to please them who wil neuer be pleasd with that which is most deseruing It being the nature of Enuie to depraue that which dooth deserue the highest fauour of loue and good opinion I may example this in the wrong offered to the name of Queene Elizabeth who though shee were the most admired of her time hauing extraordinary induments and a gouernment much more in the degrees of honour and prosperitie than any her Predecessours yet want there not malitious and base deprauers who like dogges that barke against the Sunne couet to bite her honourable name whome God hath made more glorious than the Sunne giuing her a place of glorie in fellowship with his holy Angelles and Saints For this double respect haue I therefore taken these paines First to please the well affected in honouring her whome all that haue honesty will honour Next in giuing Enuie and her sonnes a morsell to bite vpon wishing that all the deprauers of her princely name may either reduce themselues some degree of honestie or else perish with their enuious and euill breath Accept then I pray thee these my voluntarie trauells and honour her remembraunce whome all the best in the world do honour with admiration which thou also wilt doe if thou beest either honest or truely English ¶ Ad foelicem huius Elizabethae progressum LIber in lautam liber ibis vrbem Liber in latum liber ibis orbem Liber in laetas liber ibis vlnas vrbis orbis Paruus est hinc non liber est libellus Bellus est hinc non liber est libellus Duplici prodis titulo Libellus belle libelle Parue spem magni retinens honoris Belle rem magni retinens decoris Vade par natae cerebro Mineruae nate cerebro I. C. Musa crucem cecinit dudum quae carmine Christi AELIZAE varias iam canit illa cruces Aelizae qúe cruces crucifixi nomine passas O quam te memorem Virgo virago dea O nullus laceret liuor LEVERE labores Pergat at in studijs casta Minerua pijs The generous Reader whose free honest soule Did loue the honor'd subiect of thy Booke Will for her sake whose loue liues in the roule Of datelesse Memorie lend a friendly looke As others Gardens haue bestowed floures To decke her Garlands and to strew her herse So thy graue Muse doth tell her grieued houres And sings her sorrowes in a sollemne verse That though deuouring Time did to bereaue her Of Palme and Pittie with her foes conspire Yet thy loue Leuer lets not Honor leaue her But by the heate of kinde Poetike fire Reuiu'd giu'st virtue her deserued hire R. K. ⧠My loue to the Argument and the Author THe times are now maleuolent to Verse To verse that trauells in graue Argument Yet thy graue Muse adornes the sable Herse Of her whose glories were most eminent In this thy Art hath well deseru'd of Fame That thou Elizaes glories dost commend And that in Verse she hath a liuing name And that her Teares in verse by thee are pen'd O the depraued pleasures of vilde men That haue no pleasure in this moouing Arte And O those spirits whose licentious Pen Haue made these trauells of so small desert When men were better then the times were so And Verse had then their high deseruing praise Now Time is old he doth in weakenesse goe All things in worth doe alter as their Daies Let not the faults of men and euill Time dis-Dis-heart thy spirite from Poetike fire Thy Verse is free from all dishonest Rhyme And from the tract of Cupids idle fire This is the glorie that thy Muse doth sing The holie secrets of the holie Crosse And of this Saint and of her suffering In which expence of time there is no lesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thus thy trauells doe indeuour I doe not see but Leuer may liue euer Robert 〈◊〉 Queene Elizabeths Teares Or Her resolute bearing the Christian Crosse. I That haue
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
makes them foolish that are iudged wise And Winchester we instance this in thee Whose houres in studious care were euer spent To bring this Ladie her extreamitie Yet for that God did see thy hearts intent He blunts thy edge O bloudie instrument And belows-like he make thy enuious breath To make hir liue thou woldst haue blowne to death Thus God can mocke the subtilties of men Letting them runne the passage they propose Seeming regardlesse yet regardfull then His eie their hidden secrets can disclose For Prouidence in euery passage goes That howsoere mens pollicies doe plot They haue had issue if God fauour not So God was pleasd with prouidence and care This vertuous holy Lady to defend To binde their force and breake their hidden snare That euill men for euill did intend And now the Queene doth for her Sister send Where when she was presented on her knee She thus protesteth her integrity Dread Soueraigne I your seruant here present My selfe as true vnto your life and state As is the spirite of an innocent And so let God my griefe extenuate As I doe wish you to be fortunate And let the heauens their benefits denie To all that enuy at your Maiestie The Queene with angry maiestie then saith You stand too much vpon your innocence Too confident in your suspected faith It would be better to cast off pretence And plainely to acknowledge your offence The Princesse saide The guiltie should confesse And so would I if I had guiltinesse But God that sees the very secret thought Knowes in my heart there is no guiltines That there was neuer any treason wrought Or any thought of such vnworthines If then I should against my selfe confesse I bring my selfe an euerlasting shame To brand the reputation of my name O let it please your Princely maiestie That I your seruant may receiue this grace That Law it selfe my innocence may trie That Law may be impartiall in this case And if that Law doe quit me of disgrace Then let your seruant haue a gratious eie If not let Lawe and Iustice make me die If you be then so righteous saith the Queene Belike you 'l say that we vnrighteous are And that your troubles haue vnrighteous beene And so the guilt on vs you doe transferre And make them righteous that vnrighteous are And so to make your owne purgation You lay on vs the imputation The Ladie then let not my Soueraigne Haue that construction of my duteous heart Long may your reputation God maintaine And much may he inlarge your high desart And if I may my secret heart impart I do protest it doth my spirit good To see such honour in my neerest blood And for the sorrowes that I doe indure I know the cause is not your owne desire But that some other did the hurt procure And stirr'd your anger with their enuious fire Against your Grace and me they doe conspire That would the neerenesse of our loue diuide Whome God and Nature haue so neerely tide Nature euen in the Queene was powrefull strong And makes her spirit haue a feeling sense And now she thinkes her Sister hath had wrong And in her heart she blames their diligence That causlesse thus did cause this great offence And to her selfe she saith I doe offend Are we not Sisters why should we contend Yet would she not expresse her inward heart Nor then giue demonstration of her loue Nor did she then to any one impart What she in her intention did approue But sure she had a purpose to remoue The fire of indignation from her breast Which Steuen had kindl'd with so much vnrest The sequele did approue the good intent For now the beames of mercie doe appeare The Queene doth free her long imprisonment Remoues her Gailer whome she most did feare And now she giues her licence to repaire Vnto her home where when she did arriue A peacefull quiet doth her griefe depriue Now I haue runne the passage I intended I do not know how fortunate I runne My verse is done now that her griefe is ended And she at rest my busie care is done The cloudes do vanish that be dimm'd this Sunne And God that in her sorrowes did protect her Now in her rise he labours to erect her Gardner the worst of all her enemies The heauens cut short his ill-attempting breath And made him perish with his subtilties But when that Time had giu'n Queene Mary death The heauens then smiled on Elizabeth And now those great ones that enui'd hir Grace Haue left to her the greatnesse of their place Where like the Sunne she was most glorious bright Casting her beames of mercie euery where And euery where she giues a glorious light All other lights to her but little were So matchlesse was she and so wondrous rare As for to verse her glories I refuse Leauing that Labour for a better Muse. I neuer toucht Parnassus with my sight Nor did the Muses euer teach me rhyme Only in humble verse I take delight Nor doe I loue the higher straines to clime This plainenesse makes me t'vnfit the time But if that Arte vnto my verse were giuen She then should liue in verse that liue's in heauen FINIS