glory euery one a marke wherein thy hand of Mercy is beheld That doth such comfort to each creature yeeld Is not the Fire a figure of thy wrath That soone consumes the proude assault of sinne The aire the pacience that thy mercie hath When true contrition doth remission winne The water teares that thou for sinne hast shed The Earth thy death for to redeeme the dead Since then aboue and in the Elements Sunne Moone Stars Skie Fire water Earth and Aier And what may be beneath the Firmament Beasts Birds Fish worme scale fether hide nor haier Nor Tree nor Flower nor Herbe nor Grasse doth grow But someway doth thy glorious mercie show Shall wreched Man whom God did onely make To his owne Image in his Mercies loue So far himselfe and all his good forsake As to forget so sweet a Turtle Doue As his deere God that so of nothing wrought him And his deere Sonne that hath so deerely bought him Shall Man I say that onely speciall Creature VVhom God hath made to serue his Maiestie In lacke of Grace reueale so vile a Nature As not to seeke his Name to glorifie No heauens forbid though sinne be neuer such In Man should liue ingratitude so much No hee whom God hath made to monarch so Aboue all Creatures that doe grow or breath And by his wisedome makes his will to know The good aboue and euill from beneath And how hee helps the spirit in distresse His glorious goodnesse cannot but confesse And when hee sees with those inseeing eies That in the soule doe giue the spirit light In what the height of heauenly glory lies To whom all glory doth beelong of right His hart will write in his worths worthy storie To him alone bee giuen all onely Glory Oh hee that sits aboue the starry Skie In holy seate of heauenly residence And at the twinckling of his glorious eie Commaunds the world to his obedience Leaue that fowle soule in sorrow euer friendlesse That doth not sound thy name in glory endlesse All grace all goodnesse wisedome power and peace All truth true life all bountie mercy loue These all together sing and neuer cease Vnto the glory of this God aboue And can it bee that Man who sees all this Will not giue glory to this God of his No heauens forbid that hell should haue the power To spit hir poison vpon Man so much To make him liue to that vnhappie hower wherein to shew his wicked Nature such As to forget Gods gratious goodnesse so As not some way his glorious Mercie shew Then set my hart among that world of soules That seele his blessings euery day and hower While truth records in hir eternall rowles The gracious goodnesse of his glorious power Sing in my Soule and neuer cease to sing An Halleluiah to my heauenly King Laus Gloria Deo The high way to Heauen Cap. I. He that in Heauen will tast the fruits of Diuinitie must first learne to know himselfe in the schole of Humilitie HVmilitie is a vertue springing from the feare of GOD the mother of meekenesse and sister of Deuotion without which no man can attaine to the knowledge and feeling of his owne miserie in Adam felicitie in Christ A Bird except hir wings be moued downwards cannot flye vp to the top of an hill nor man except the affectiōs of his heart be humbled downwards mount vp to the Tower of diuine vnderstanding And therefore that godly father Saint Augustine compareth Heauen to a faire stately Pal lace with a little dore wherat no man can enter except he stoupe very low As who should saye God reiecteth the proud but giueth grace to the humble and lowly The true wisdome of a Christian consisteth especially In his booke against the Pelag. in the knowledge of his owne imperfectiōs Then are we said to be righteous saith saint Ierome when we acknowledge our selues to be wicked transgressors He hath much profited in this life saith Saint Augustine that hath learned August how far he is from perfection of righteousnesse For the lesse opinion a man hath of himselfe the more trust he hath in God the more he meditateth on the horrour of Hell the neerer is he to the ioyes of Heauen None more neere then the Psal 51. 17 humble penitent whose heart is most deepely wounded with the grieuousnesse of sinnes nor none so farre from true Religion as he who thinketh himselfe most perfect and very religius The ioyes of Heauen are prepared not for Luke 18. proude presumptuous Pharases which seeme in their owne eyes to bee most iust pure and perfect but for poore humble Publicans that iustly condemne themselues as most vyle miserable wretched The sonne of man came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance to seeke none but those that acknowledge themselues to bee lost to comfort and raise vp none with his Gospell but those that are discomforted and cast downe by the law nor to annoint or heale any with his oile of gladnesse but such broken contrite hearts as for griefe of sinnes are sick and mourne in Syon Cap. II. Of our lothsome deformetie through Adams fall A Naturall man consisteth of three parts the Spirit or immortall Soule indued with reason will and deuine vnderstanding 1. Thes 5. 23. 1. Co. 2. 11 the naturall affections or powres of the Soule as indifferent spurs to Ro. 8. 5. 17 7. 13. 1. Pc. 2. 11 prouoke stirre vp and pricke forward vnto vertue or vice and the terrestriall Body wherein Sathan by tempting of Adam hath Gal. 5. 1 5 written the law of Sinne. All which parts of Man at the first were in such perfect order and concord framed together as neither the immortall Spirit did conceaue any thing the natural powers of the soule desire any thing nor the terrestiall body execute any thing contrary to the will of God All creatures vnder Heauen beeing obedient to the body of man as the subiect to the Prince the naturall body obedient to the reasonable soule as the seruant to the Maister the reasonable soule with his affections obedient to God the creator as the childe to the father till that cutsed Serpent our mortall enemy found meanes to set them at variance discord Since which time the nature of Man became so frayle and weake the occasions vnto euill so many and the illusion of Sathan so prompt ready that except Gods especiall grace preuent him he is apt prone vpon euery light occasion to yeeld vnto sin and wickednesse being more easely brought to conceaue an errour by one little word then the truth by a long tale sooner seduced to consent vnto vice by one small example then conuerted vnto vertue by many vehement perswasions Cap. III. Of the miserie of Adams posteritie and vanitie of the world FOr-asmuch as of all other vices that old rooted infection of Pride Vaineglory and Presumption is most vniuersally grafted in man there
IHÌ„S R V SOLE FRA LE STELLE Tenet Angelus Deam A new yeeres guift whose good well seene May please the wisdome of a Queene True vse whereof well weide in deede May stand the gracious in good steed HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE THE RIGHT WAY TO HEAVEN And the true testimonie of a faithfull and loyall subiect Compiled by Richard Vennard of Lincolnes Inne MATH 6. First seeke the kingdome of Heauen and all things shal be giuen AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Este 1601. R. V. SALVATOR MVNDI I IN this thy Name my soule great comfort findes H Heald from hir leprous sinne by thy deere bloud E Eschewing that molests disturbed mindes S Seeking for that may doe my conscience good V Vouchsafe thy Nature as thou giuest thy Name S Sweet Iesus that a blessed Sauiour came C Come comforter behold my soule is sad H Helpe with thy Mercie that thy Hand hath made R Regard mee so with hope I may be glad I In thy deere grace let all my deedes be staid S Sonne of thy Father such true lightning send T That in thy fauour Christ our liues may end AMEN TO THE HIGH AND mightie Princis Elizabeth by the grace of God Queene of England France and Ireland defendor of the Faith c. Richard Vennard of Lincolnes Inne Gent Wisheth all happinesse in this life And in the world to come Celestiall Eternitie MOST Renowned Soueraigne pleaseth it your Sacred Maiestie at the humble hands of your loiall subiect to accept this little handfull of my harts labour wherein my feeling of Gods mercies my knowledge of your gracious goodnesse and my care of my countries well doeing haue made me take such paines as if it may be pleasing in your sight shall breed no little ioy to my Soule Who kneeling at your Royall feete doe besech the God of all Glory to indew your Highnesse with his infinite blessings and long to preserue your sacred Maiestie in all ioyfull health and prosperous life Your Maiesties most faithfull and loyall subiect Richard Vennard Laudetur Dominus in aeternum OH Heauenly Spirit of especiall power That in thy hand thy praise of praises holdest And from the top of Truthes triumphant tower The hidden sence of fairest thoughts vnfoldest Inspire this hart and humble soule of mine With some sweet sparkle of thy power deuine Teach me to thinck but on that onely thought Wherein doth liue the grace of vertues glory And learne no more then what thy truth hath taught To those best wits that write thy worthie storie Wherein is seene in heauen and earths preseruing The highest point of praises praise deseruing Let not compare come neere vnto none such Heauen bee my thought and let the world go by And say withall that say I nere so much All are but trifles to thy treasurie For all no more then what thy mercie giueth Who can behold wherein thy glory liueth No I can see the shining of the Sunne But cannot sound the Essence of the light Then of thy face in whom that faire begunne How can my soule presume to haue a sight No my deere God thy glory hath a beeing Where Eie nor Heart nor Soule may haue a seeing And therefore Lord since such thy glory is As cannot bee but of thy selfe conceiued And heauen nor earth conteines that sparke of blisse But from thy hand of Mercy is receiued What spirit can hir sweetest passion raise Neere to the due of thy deserued praise Yet since all glory doth belong to thee Thy name in all things must bee magnified And by thy Mercie thou hast made mee see How in my soule thou maist be glorified In that sweet Mercy make my Soule to know How best I may thy blessed glory show Oh glorious God what creature can there bee That moues or Breathes or growes but shewes thy glory What art or science but doth speake of thee And writes the wonder of thy wisedome story What sound or sence can reasons Soule refine But speakes in glory of thy grace deuine The Sunne in brightnesse glorifies the light That in the beames but of thy beauty liueth The Moone and Starres amid the darkest night Shew what a light thy louing Mercy giueth So Sunne and Moone and all those shining creatures Doe shew thy glory in their lightsome natures Is not the daye a figure of perfection Wherin thy creatures were created first And Night of sinne that with a fowle infection Shewes how the Soule is for hir sinnes accurst But night once past the Glorious daie appeering Shewes sinnes forgiuen the ioy of mercies cheering So Sunne and Moone and Starres and daie and night Speakes of thy glorie in their cause of beeing And how they serue but in obedience right Vnto the grace but of thy will agreeing While wisdome shewes in state of reasons storie They giue vs light that wee may giue thee glory The Azure Skie more cleere then Chrystalline Wherin the Sunne doth cast his beames abroad How doth it figure that faire hand of thine Wherein thy Mercie makes hir most aboade While to the humble soules beleeuing eye Thy glory shines farre brighter then the Skie The Clowds that shed those dropps of blessed dewes That water the drie places of the Earth What droppe so small but it thy glory shewes To bring a plenty where was earst a dearth How doe they figure faithfull sorrowes teares Whence sin-burnt soules the fruit of mercie beares The Aier that giues each liuing creature breath Speakes of thy glorie in that breathing power And when it leaues the creature vnto death It shewes thy glory in that parting hower To leaue the flesh so in corruption wounded Till grace renue that was in sinne confounded The earth that yeelds such choice of fruits and flowers How doth it shew that glorious power of thine When all vnseene doe hidden lie those powers That Arte or Nature neuer can define How sweetes and formes and colours so should grow But that thy glorious will would haue it so And as the spring brings forth the budding greene With beauties dies for to adorne the field So in the winter few or none are seene That can the eye contentiue pleasure yeeld So that the earth that neuer silence breaketh In hir dumb speech yet of thy glory speaketh The Sea wherein those worlds of fishes liue That floate and tomble in the tossing waues What Notice doe they of thy glory giue That from the Whale the little Herring saues And makes the Dolphin wound the Whale so sore As driues him from the Sea to die on shore What beast so great or creeping worme so small what bird so high or of so low a flight But that thy name is glorified in-all who hauing made them by thy heauenly might Preseruest them so that all the world may see They haue their beeing onely but in thee The beast his heare the feather of the bird The fishes scale and euery tree his barke These for defence doth Nature all aforde As of thy
youth Whose minde of truer Magnanimitie In daungers to disdaine the thought of feare whose hart more necre vnto Diuinitie with Patience Care all discontents to beare whose Soule more full infused with Gods Spirit Through all the world that doth such wonder merit With all these blessings from the highest Blisse Hir Care to keepe hir kingdome still in peace Shewes that hir minde is hardly led amisse That doth such glory to hir Crowne encrease That Fame doth sound in hir best pleasing breath But onely Englands QVEENE ELIZABETH Since then that God doth with that Grace inspire hir That shewes hir blessed in the heauens aboue And all the Princes of the world admire hir For all the wonders worthy honors loue Why should this Earth liue euer to forget hir But in the Soule of loues Remembraunce set hir They that haue liu'd could say while they did liue Subiects are blest in such a Souereigne They that now liue may well like witnesse giue A gratious QVEENE doth make a glorious Reigne They that heereafter liue hir Grace to see May say on Earth not such a Queene as shee How hath shee kept hir Court in comlinesse Hir State in state of gracious Maiestie Hir Peeres in loue hir Church in Godlinesse Hir lawes in strength hir Lords in vnitie Hir Peoples awe in Loues perswasion Hir Land in Peace without Inuasion Doth shee giue hearing vnto graue aduise Great is hir wisedome so to guide hir will Sounds shee the depth of good or ill deuise Blest bee the Care of such a Princely skill Leaues shee the worst and onely takes the best Blest bee hir choice so bee shee euer Blest How hath shee sought to beate offences downe With kinde Corrections not with Crueltie How hath shee kept the honour of hir Crowne With Loue and Mercy not with Tiranny How hath shee liude that all the world may know Was neuer Queene whose loue did gouerue so VVhat Neighbour people hath hir land relieued Who driuen from home make heere their safe aboad And with hir will what people haue ben grieued Except they be the Enemies of God Within hir Lande how soone all tumults cease VVhile loue and Mercy breede continuall peace To speake of such particularities As in exceedings doe set downe hir name Which all and some are singularities That make true Nusique for the Trompe of fame Is meete for some heaues Muses to endite While Angels pens are fittest for to wtite But as an Eie that all farre of beholdeth An Excellence it can not comprehend Yet what Conceit in secret sence vnfoldeth It hath a Will in wonder to Commend Yet when it speakes it wincketh at the light As though to weake to speake of such a sight So my poore Spirit whose harts humble Eie Sees by the light that it hath power to see A world of worth in wonder all so high As shewes what worth aboue worlds vvonders bee In hir due praises can set downe so little As to hir Title all is but a tittle Yet though mine Eie can touch nor Sunne nor Moone Shall I not praise the cleerenesse of the Skie And though my Morning bee an after Noone Shall I still sleepe as though I had no Eie No giue mee leaue to say the Sunne is bright Although mine Eies but dimly see the light And though my knowledge be but Ignorance Compard to that hir praise should Comprehend And such a Muse as would hir pen aduance To write hir worth should but hir will attend Yet let mee say to them that can say more England had neuer such a QVEENE before Who would but note this foure and forty yeeres how Mercies Iustice hath hir Scepter swayed Of which no Prince nor Emperour that heares But is with wonder of hir worth dismaide Woul say in Soule on earth was neuer seene Kingdome so gouernd by a VIRGIN QVEENE Now for hir Counsaile all admire those wits That with such wisedome doe aduise hir will And in hir will thinck what true wisedome sits That is the ground worke of their gratious skill And say that God that Land a blessing giues Where such a Queene and such a Counsaile liues Some Male-contented Malecondition'd mindes Where priuate grudge regards no publique good Mistaking Reason in malitious kindes Like Serpents hatcht of an vnkindely brood In hate may blot that better loue commends But such ill Spirits God send speedy ends I pray for few I hope for none at all Indifference speakes so truely in hir praise That while cold feares vnchristian harts apall Faith findes in hir the Phaenix of our daies While humble loue in loyall harts doth pray That shee may liue vntill the latter day Now for hir Treasure how shee doth bestow hir blessed Talent in hir Crownes behoue May witnesse well that God himselfe doth show Shee is the faire deere daughter of his loue Whom his high hand hath ouer men so placed And so aboue both men and women graced What Noble spirit hath true honour proued But hir sweet Eie hath graciously regarded What vertuous spirit but hir hart hath loued And to the due of best desart Rewarded For Princely kindnesse to hir humble friends Fame sounds hir point in praise that neuer ends What should I need to walke my wits about A world of wonder where there is no truth When Truth it selfe doth bring these wonders out Both in hir Princely Peereles Age and Youth Where olde and young may all and onely see How blest a Kingdome in a Queene may be I make no Care of fictions nor of fables Minerua faire and Pallas were but fained But Truth may write in hir memoriall table That such a Queene in England neuer raigned As makes all Poets idlie spend their breath That name a Queene but in ELIZABETH I cannot chuse but wonder at those wits That haue imployed their pennes in Poetrie In whose deepe braines that best inuention sits That lookes at honour with a heauenly eie That some or all in all their songs and laies Haue not Contended for Elizas praise But it may bee they found their wits to weake To equall will in writing of their wonder Yet such as could of Earths chiefe praises speake Might say hir praise puts all Earths praises vnder And say no more then all the world may see If Angell woman on the Earth t is shee Some out of French Italian Dutch or Spanish Doe draw discourses of most worthie Creatures But let those Fictions all like fables vanish To shew the notes of all those gratious natures I goe no further then our Soueraigne Queene Where all in one and one in all is seene For Vertues Grace beeholde hir Virgin traine Where faire demeanours put foule humours downe For Maiestie what Monarch doth retaine So graue a Counsaile to a Gratious Crowne And for attendaunce let loues Muses sing A Virgin Queene deserues a seruant King For truely sound each point of such perfection As makes a Kingdome blessed in a Queene And let but Truth confesse without exception The sacred worth in hir true wisedome seene And Englands hart may haue iust cause to say Blest bee hir Birth and Coronation day A louely Day faire may it euer last A Sunne-shine Day whose beames are heauenly bright Cleere may they shine and neuer ouercast With any Clowde that may obscure the light That in hir height of Brigtnesse not declining England may ioy to see hir euer shining Oh could I flie with such an Eagles vvings As could be soaring in the Sunnie light Or could I heere but what that Angell sings That neuer Poet had the power to vvrite Then should my spirit and my penne not cease To vvrite hir praise that now must hold my peace And onely praie that hee that sits on high And holds the hand of mercies maiestie Our gracious God that shee maie neuer die But in the life of loues eternitie Liue from the blot of fowle obliuions penne All faithfull harts in England saie Amen FINIS A faithfull Subiects prayer O Glorious God and onely King of Kings Whose holie eie both heauen earth beholdeth And from whose Mercie all and onely springs The fayrest life that faithfull loue vnfoldeth Mine humble spirit I beseech thee raise To giue thy glory all eternall praise O gratious God among the many graces Wherein thy Mercie hath this Iland blest In whom the height of all our happie cases Vnder thine onely holy hand doth rest For our sweet gratious vertuous Soueraigne Queene Let our harts humble thanckfulnesse be seene Blesse hir O Lord with Nestors happie daies Health wealth and peace and euerlasting pleasure Let Vertues loue resound hir worthie praise And thy true wisedome be hir spirits treasure Hir greatest hopes vpon thy graces grounded Hir state preserued and hir foes confounded Preserue oh Lord hir faithfull Counsellors Hir Loyall subiects and hir true attendants Hir vertuous Lawiers valiant Souldiers And let thine Angels be hir loues defendants Hir state of blisse bee Englands blessed storie And giue hir Soule a Crowne of endlesse glorie Amen R. V.