wherof may bee the one of you by our most prudent Prince doubtlesse at the secret motion of GOD raysed vnto sutch highnesse in Honour as match with the best inferiour to none I neede seeke for no farther occasions of commendation or auntient titles of worship or honour the siluered heares giuing euident token of the golden wit and the honourable age â–ª of the verteous forepassed life and the many yeres of the blessing of the most highest god On th' other side bewtified with a louing Lady the ofspringe of an excellent race Nice to rightwoorship full Grandsiers daughter to a woorthy Knight Schollar to a learned scholemaister Sister to a right honourable Lady Moother of mutch hoped impes Aunt to a peerelesse couÌ„tesse Wife to a noble Counseller Ladie of a Godly Famely Subiect to a louinge Prince a trewe woorshipper of Almightie god Vnto whose good pleasure for the prolonging and continuance of both your liues in increse of godlie Honour and all other delightes apperteininge whereby the race of this transitorie life may bee made lesse irksome to the bodie or preiudiciall to the soule I am bownden dayly to pray the effect whereof hee graunte who tendreth our iust requestes and is the only giuer of all goodnesse At London this first day of Ianuarie 1574. Your honours euer at commaundment T. Twine FATIS VOLENTIBVS VIRTVTE DVCE No worldly pelfe see thee from God do call Incline thine hart to doo the thyng is iust Confirme thy Faith that thou doo neuer fall Holde fast on GOD in him repose thy trust Obserue thy wayes amende what is a misse Lay vp thy wealth where rust may do no harme Amende thy crimes while vacant time there is Submit thy cause vnto Gods mightie arme Auenge thee not when thou canst well repay Neuer let vices harbour in thine hart Needes vrgent law consider thou alway Eke to the poore doo of thy goodes impart Beware of Pride by Glorie set no price Avvay from giltlesse blood turne backe thy face Consider sutes weigh causes once or twice Open thy mouth on wydowes wofull case Nothing from Praier let thee once disseuer Ensue this lore and thou shalt liue for euer there consisteth life and welfare vnto my sowle and by breatch and violation nothing else but seuere sentence of finall dampnation Therfore I cannot tell most miserable wretch as I am how I shuld presume to approche thée for mercie I dare not shew my selfe beefore thée but if it were possible I would gladly hide my self from thy sight where thou mighst not finde mée out that by sutch meanes I might escape thy dreadfull iudgement Howbeit O Lorde thou art the mightie God to whom all things in heauen and earth are knowne whose eies béeholde what is done in the top of the highest and in the bottome of the deapest places in the world In thy sight Lord the most secret thoughtes of the harte are open and from thée there are no cogitations pretences practises deuises nor the smallest motions of the mind hidden Vnto thée therefore with tremblinge and teares I returne appealing from thy high dread and terryble throne of iust iudgement remoouing my cause to thy most swéete amiable pleasaunt and comfortable court of thy manifold mercies Euen there Lord thou hast layde vp sutch store and abundance of graces pardons forgiuenes of sinnes that they do surmounte the numbre and ouersâ—read the greatnes of al thy wonderfull woorkes Héere then it is O my God that I dare to appeare béefore thy diuine Maiestie a fylthye sinner béefore a mercifull God a very lumpe of wickednes beefore the eternall creator of all thinges of inestimable wisdome that takest mercie vppon our weakenes and infirmitie béecause thou wotest well the stuffe and substaunce wherof thou hast made vs. Béeholde Lord I call vnto mée thy dearelybéeloued sonne my most louing redéemer and sauiour Ihesus Christe to bée myne aduocate according vnto his own fréewil and voluntarie offering in whom and through whom by his most precious blouddeshed vnto thée vpon the acceptable altare of the Crosse in liew of the double death that wée should al haue died for our-most horrible offences Pardon I béeséech thée O god my gréeuous iniquities forgyue mée all my wickednes release my necligences remit mine ignorances abandon the lothsomenes of my sinnes which from my mothers wombe vnto this present day I haue coÌ„mitted or shall do hereafter vnto my liues ende That béeing so clensed and purified from all contagion of sinfull impuritie let mée obtayn a liuely and feruent fayth at thy handes stedfastly to call vpon thée in most hartie prayer Lord in all my necessities aduersities troubles and afflictions confirme my harte that I may put my whole trust and affiance in thy maiestie and séeke none other meanes nor take none other comfort but in reading thy worthy woorde or in recourse to thée in most faithful and effectuall supplications If at any tyme Lorde as is the frailtie of our corruptible nature and the incessant suggestions of Sathan our auncient enemie I féele in my selfe any faintnes or fayling of feruencie in calling continually vppon thée kindle thou then my hart with the heauenly heate of thy holy spirit Graunt mée grace to crie with thy hollie Apostle for encrease of faithe that béeing awaked and stirred vppe through thée I may enioy the effect of my godly desiers which thou hast promised to yelde vnto mée through thy sonne Iesus Christ my sauiour Performe my God that whiche thou hast indented with thy selly seruant who with anguishe of minde séeketh after the comfort of thy face continue in mée the custome to call vpon thée in praier and all the powers of my body shal not cease to sing thy sacred praise Amen J. ¶ If yee beeing euil know to giue your children good giftes how mutch more will your Father which is in heauen giue good thinges to them that aske them ¶ The second Flower IN most hartie hope of thy manyfold mercies and with lowly reuerence O euerlasting God loe thus I draw nighe vnto thée béeing sore laden with th'infinite number of my sinnes trusting in thy fatherly goodnes and entier loue which thou bearest vnto mankinde thou wilte discharge mée of mine vnrighteousnes and wash away al mine infirmities Thy louing kindenes hath ben inestimable which thou hast borne vnto mée since my simple conception in the tender intrailes of my mother within whose body thou didest laye forth the platforme of my body and gauest vnto mée the representatioÌ„ of a man thy bestbéeloued and cumliest creature After this in due maturitie of time according to the established and ordinarie season assigned by thy heauenly wisedome thou broughtest mée foorth into this worlde my first tune giuyng proofe of the vnhappie condicion that I should enioy therin Lorde thou knowest how that so soone as I was deliuered froÌ„ my mothers wombe euen then I béegan my life in féeblenes and sorow and the my thoughte kéepe myne eies from seing it myne eares
couered quight in a sacke of sinne my filthinesse maketh mée stande in feare of thee and horrour of my self I tremble to thinke what one thou seest of mee if possible thou mayest sée mée for the numbre of my sinnes that exceede the flowers of the springe or leaues thy fatherlie pitie and forgiuenesse Turne not away from mée poore wretch thy woonted benignitie forasmutch as I confesse my daily iniquitie and although my sinnes bée mo in number then is for mée méete and sittinge yet let thy mercie bée no lesse then it is decent for so gentle and pitieful a god O god the god of al fauourablenes How mutch the more abhominable my sinnes are in thy sight yéeldinge foorth a lothsome smell of displeasure in thy presence O god so mutch the more do they stand in néed of holsome cure which of necessitie procéedeth from thée and none other to requite the same with sutche integritie and newnesse of life as may bée acceptable vnto thee Heale therefore O most singular good Lorde my gréeuous infirmitie and so shalt thou ridde mée of that whiche offendeth thée my wofull deformitie acquite mee from my contagious sickenesse and thou shalt smel no more my most horrible lothsomnesse pardon within mée this bitter calamitie and nothyng shall lenger offende thy sinceritie Create in mée O Lorde God a moste godly zeale and feruent desier to perseuere alwayes within the cōpasse of thy heauenly will and neuer to commit any thynge that is repugnant vnto the same asistyng mée also with thy holly spirite that I fayle not in this most godly purpose but stedfastly pursue it vnto the last day of my life so shall I bée assuredly salf from sinne and my toongue shall alwayes bée tellynge thy perelesse prayses Amen A. ¶ A gratious woman getteth honour an huswifely woman is a crowne vnto her husband but shee that beehaueth her self vnhonestly is a corruption in his bones ¶ The ninthe Flower AS a childe that hath transgressed the cōmaundement of his master standeth in awe of the rodde euen so O lorde am I in greate dread of thy iudgement for that is the hier of sutch as obserue not thy heastes bicause I haue not walked after thy will nor harckned vnto the voyce of thy woorde but run foorthe on the reigne of myne owne sensualitie But thou haste made a couenant with mée that when so euer I conuert myselfe vnto thée thou wylte fauourably turne thy selfe vnto mée and if I repent thou wilt forgiue if I bée sorie thou wilt remēber myne offences no longer sée then Lorde for I bring with mée now the branch of sorow and héere I hold it vp vnto thée for a monument of thy remembraunce Saue mée good Lorde as hitherto thou hast done deliuer mée in the day of distresse for thou art the horne of my health and the sheild of my saluation and the gaine of my glorie I haue no power at all but it procéedeth from thée and thou bearest vp the féeblenes of myne infirmitie and thy mercie is my staffe to leane vpō From the daungers of death and from the snares of Sathan and from the cheines of Hell and when I was swallowed vp thou didst deliuer my soule from destruction I was wrapped in woe but I am set at libertie as a bird that was fallen into the fowlers lyme and at length is losed by some good bodie For these thy bountiful benefites O god take from mée the vice of vnthankfulnes that I may thinke and thanke thée therefore and graciously dispose the waies of thy seruant that I may continew in thy pleasure but if thou wouldest so direct mée that I might offende thée no more there shoulde no ioy bée comparable vnto myne They are hated of thée that do turn thy plentifull blessings into scarcitie and they are partakers of their wickednes that are in aucthoritie seinge it and do not redresse it open their eies swéet god that they may sée it endeuour their hartes to amend it that thy people perishe not throughe the iniquitie of a fewe that haue heaped vp a great sinne I haue praid vnto thée with an ernest hart for all my imperfections to bée deliuered of them and nowe I humbly sue good Lorde that thou wouldest vouchsalfe to preserue mée from the déede that may prouoke the bitternes of any mans soule against mée for I am assured that thou wilt repay it with vengeance There bée some that haue laid wait to intrap mée and they would bee excéeding glad of my fall but my trust is in thée that thou wilt not giue mée ouer as a praye to myne ennemies make their desiers void let them bée confounded in their owne drifts and faile of their purpose that they wickedly haue inuented Pardon mée O god in all my presumptions forgiue them that persecute mee make mée loue them that hate me and hartely to pray for them that wish my finall destruction how beeit I béeséech thée Lorde to saue me from their handes lest if thou shouldst forsake mee I fall into their power and there bée none to defende mée from their malice Truly Lord I am fully determined to make thy precepts a gardeyne of pleasure and thy lawes an alley of delight to take my recreation therin during the dayes of my flesh only I request thée of thy goodnes to graunt mee thy grace with the continuance of this good woorke which thou hast béegun in mee Since thou lothest Lorde an vngodly life giue mee power I praye thee to flie the woorkes of the fleshe which thou dost hate and to embrace the deedes of righteousenes whiche thou doest loue and in them to seeke thy glorie incline my mind alwaies to meditate on thy lawe and to caste all the cares of my hart vpon thee The death and buriall the resurrection ascention of thee my swéet sauiour Christe I humbly adore and giue hartie thankes for them for in them there riseth vnto mee a sauour of life through the quickenyng smell of all these raise vp my soule I pray thée good Lorde from the dreadfull death of sinne O dust and ashes why doest thou walke with a proude hart and stretched out neck and why art thou mooued with impacience agaynst euerie triflynge aduersitie Béeholde the méekenesse and humilitie of thy redéemer and learne to bee humble of harte and low of courage bée ashamed of pride and blush for want of patience Lorde if I coulde giue vnto thée Heauen and Earth and all the glory thereof for hier from the toppe of my rewarde I coulde not sufficiently recompence the deapth of thy desert yet giue mée that grace that so farre as mine abilitie extendeth I may requite thy bountie with thankes and shew how mutch I am bettered by thy heauenly liberalitie Giue mée thy peace whiche the worlde cannot giue graunt mée the ioy whiche thine elect doo possesse sustayne mée with the comfort that neuer shalbée voyde erect mée with hope that shall alwayes persist instruct mée with thy woorde that
teache mée I béeséeche thée how I may séeke thee aright and where I may finde thee readely if thou bée absent where I may haue thée present if I cannot se thée for darkenesse of my vnderstandyng brynge mée into the inaccessible light where I may alwayes beholde thee Lorde what shall thy seruant doo whiche languisheth for the loue of thée and pineth for payne that hée is so longe frō thy presence hée would gladly finde thée and hée woteth not the place of thy abode hée would willyngly seeke thee and hée knoweth not thy face yet art thou my Lorde and my God and I the worke of thy worthy handes O mightie God thou haste made mée and preserued mée and thou diddest create mée that I should béeholde thee and yet haue I not fulfilled that for whiche I was ordeyned O how miserable is the state and condition of mankinde if hée lose that through his owne wilfulnesse for whiche hée was made let mée neuer Lorde sée that day but shew mee the light of thy glorie Make mée recompt O Lorde through thee the miserie of mine owne transgressions and with woonderfull affection to desier redresse at thy deitie how all the children of Adam should haue fead on the bread of Angels at pleasure which now they doo want and now they breake the bread of sorow wheron they feede at full with all bitternesse Forget not thy poore creature O most merciful God that is buried vp in mountaynes of miserie and swallowed vp in the sea of sorow turne thy face vnto mée whiche was turned away from mée and heare mée whom thou wouldest not beeholde lighten my dimmed eies and shew mee thy cheerefull countenance Restore thy selfe vnto mée that it may goe well with mée in thée with whom it goeth so ill without thee repayer my decayed partes take pitie vpon my afflictions and traueiles helpe mine endeuours for I can doo nothyng without thee sweeten my bitter potion with thy celestiall suger suffer mée not to die in despayrynge but to haue life in hopyng In hart and contemplation Lord I draw néere vnto thee a carefull castaway pining with pouertie vnto thee the Lorde of light waltrynge in wealth a miserable wretche to a mercifull God an hungrie soule to the fountayne of foode Lorde I haue sought thée hungrynge let mée not leaue thee fastyng nor departe from thee fayntyng Teache mée the way sweet God wherein I may walke to seeke thee and shew thy selfe vnto mee I beeseeche thee that faine woulde finde thee for I cannot seeke thee vnlesse thou instruct mee nor I cannot finde thee vnlesse thou discrie thy self let mee seeke thee in desieryng and desier thee in seeking let mée finde thée in louyng and loue thee in findyng As I am thine Image so make mee remembre my selfe to thynke on thee with loue loue thee with desier desier thee with feare feare thee with faith seeke thee with wisdome finde thee with truth and singlenesse of hart and abide with thee in thyne eternall glorie whiche thou hast prepared for them that serue thee Amen B ¶ Blesse them whiche persecute you blesse and curse not reioyce with them that reioyce and weepe with them that weepe beeing of like affection one vnto another not high minded but matching your selues to the lower sorte ¶ The .xiij. Flower BLessed are they as thou hast taught vs O my sweete sauiour Iesus Christe which diligently doo heare thy most worthy woord and kéepe the same yea thrise blessed are they that spende their time in the searche of thy right sacred will expressing it in their life and conuersation for thy holly spirite shall neuer bée absent from them I woulde to God it might please thee so to addresse my waies that I might in no wise wander awrie and that thou wouldest take away all stumblinge blockes from my feete that I might not fall and preuent all daungers that I might not miscarie but that thy pathes were made so plaine that I might neuer commit offence against thee O Lorde so it irketh mee that euer I went astray it greeueth mee to the hart insomutch that I can receaue no comfort when I thinke on thy heauie wrath and due indignation wherwith thou doest prosecute the sinnes of the vngodlie eeuen vnto the third and fouerth generation of sutch as haue not fulfilled thi commaundementes But bée thou good Lord vnto mee a most speciall comforter that although I bée alreadie laid verie low yet I may not bée vtterly brought to ruine turne the bitter scourge of thy welwoorthie vengeance least I perish in the sharpe execution of thy deserued punishment and so that bée lost which thou didest make and buie full déere Thy propertie it is moste blessed God to saue and not to spil thou diddest create and not consume thy woorkes are wondrous and they séemed al good vnto thée when thou diddest make nothynge of spight nor spight at nothyng that thou diddest make whereby increaseth my comfort that I shall not bée left quight destitute and forsaken It is affliction enough for mée that I haue forsaken thy waies and not looked after the Lorde of my life let confession of the fault bee sufficient punishment for an offender that transgresseth not of set purpose but onely through the imperfection of frayle nature and want of thy most gracious goodnesse I haue broken thy statutes like a proude rebell I haue contemned thy preceptes like a naughtie seruant I haue violated thy will like a disobedient childe I haue wandred from thy folde like a lost shéepe I haue disobeyed the good pleasure of my most sweete and louyng God like a most wicked and wretched creature Deale not with mée O Lorde accordynge vnto my desertes but thy kindenesse not hauyng respect vnto seuere iustice but tendre mercies that I may liue lenger to amend my misdeedes and other by mine example may endeuour to doo the like and so thy most noble name may be magnified bothe in them and mée with right woorthy commendation Let not that bée layed vnto my charge I hartly béeséeche thée wherin vnwittyng vnwillyng or vnaduisedly I haue prouoked thy anger but forget the follies of my forepassed yéeres when I was yonge and rash by course of kinde when sinne is accoumpted but a play and but very smale reguarde is hadde vnto thy wayes Purifie mée from my secret sinnes wherof there is none priuie but thou alonely that sittest on high and searchest the priuities of eche mans hart béelow in the earthe to iudge euery one in his owne deuise and repaye them accordyng vnto their inuentions béewraying their filthinesse vnto the worlde that erst lay secret in couert O Lorde for thy names sake let no custome of sinnyng take holde vppon mee nor let mée neuer take pleasure in dooynge wickednesse for the one were harde to bée eschewed with out speciall helpe and the other is a manifest signe of want of grace but bée thou alwayes my succour O thou the God of my strength and fortitude Suffre vs not
not dispayer and a feruent loue vnto thee but yet that I may not presume giue mee vnderstandynge to amende myne owne vnrighteousnesse with discretion and admonish my neighbours of their faultes without dissimulation and that by my woordes and example they may take a paterne of doctrine and liuinge Establish mée in a right trade of wel pleasing thee that my life may bée conformable vnto thy woorthie will reueale vnto th' eies of my soule by inspiration of the holly spirite some sight or taste of thy heauenly ioyes that I may bée caried with delight to accomplish that whiche is pleasant vnto thée and profitable for myne owne selfe A droppe of thy grace shalbée the sea of my saluation a sparcle of thy loue shalbée the flame of my fayth a mote of thy mercie shalbée the heape of my health a sande of thy sight shalbée the banke of my bewtie a grayne of thy goodnesse shalbée the weight of my woorthinesse one fauour of thy celestiall face shalbée the fulnesse of mine eternall felicitie O Lorde God and holly Father cast downe thine eyes from thy sacred sainctuarie and from thy heauenly habitation and béeholde the most acceptable sacrafice whiche our high bishop Iesus Christe thy déere sunne our Lorde offreth vp vnto thy maiestie for our manifolde sinnes and bée mercifull vnto the multitude of our misdéedes Béeholde the precious blood of our most swéete Sauiour crieth yet vnto thée from the altar of the Crosse hee hangeth yet there and still is hée dying vnto thée who séest althynge in present that bée past béefore whose eyes the effectes of all times doone do euer abide as now in dooing consider him O mercifull God and for his sake take pitie vpon vs. I must néedes loue thée O my most déere redéemer Iesus Christe with all my hart with all my soule and with all my power that diddest vouchsaulf to die for my sinnes my soule cleaueth fast vnto thee for thou art hir strength and fortitude graunt vnto mee that I may ensue thy worthy steppes and bée partaker of thy heauenly kingdome accordyng as I haue shewen my sighinges vnto thée and put my whole trust in thée that art the porcion of mine inheritance Amen N ¶ Naked as wee came foorth of our moothers wombe euen so goe wee hence agayne and carie nothyng away with vs of all our labour Consider this woonderfull woorke of God and how that no man can make the thynge streight which hee maketh crooked ¶ The .xvij. Flower NO creature vnder heauen may bryng mée comfort but thou O Lorde of eternall glorie that art the healpe of mans health and surgeon of his soule thou strikest and healest thou bringest a man nigh vnto death and anon restoreth him to life again to th' intent hée may know his owne weakenesse and imbecillitie cleaue the more firmely vnto thy strength and vertue As for man hée is nothynge els but a shew of simple séede and a slip of slender strength and a bubble of boylyng brothe and a branche of fadynge flowers and an handfull of goodly grasse that to day flourisheth in the fielde and to morow is flunge into the fier a frame of moste frayle fleash in whom is no perpetuitie nor endurance Lorde let mée euermore beare this portrature in my minde of mine owne infirmitie considerynge still what I am remembryng alwayes what I would bée then shall I léese likyng of my selfe and longe after the loue of thee for I am the image of thy substance although the looking backe from thy lawes hath soyled mée sore with sinne As I am ful of imperfection of my selfe so supply thou my wantes in thee for when I haue indeuoured al I may my righteousnesse is thine and thou crownest mée with endlesse honour for that which procéedeth only from thee and is so litle agreeable vnto my corrupt nature that it is rather quight alas repugnant My sinnes O Lorde lie foorth in plentie béefore my face I can turne no way but they ouertake mée I woulde faine intreate thee to pardon them and I dare not draw néere thee for dread of them consider my necessitie most mightie God and deliuer mée and graunt most graciously vnto thy sinfull seruant the participation of thy most glorious maiestie What though my sinnes bée as the sandes of the sea and my wickednesse surmount the leaues of the woodde and my transgressions striue in numbre with the flowers of the sprynge yet take thou no reguarde O Lorde vnto the frowardnesse of my hart but like as thou hast many times shewed mercie so now bee pitifull and forgiue mée I haue hungred my souereigne Lorde and God to feede vpon thee that art the breade of life not with the iawes of my fleash but with the mouth of my faith vntil it mai please thée to féede mée at full with the entire contemplation of thy substance whiche I shall sée face to face and also bée séene in thy celestiall glorie when I am discharged of this farthel of frailtie this hope is the harbour of my delight and the assured lookynge for it is the cheifest flower of my Garlande Most gracious gouerner giue mée to drinke of that water wherof who so drinketh shall thirst the more as after the swéetenesse of heauenly thynges whose taste is vnspeakable pleasant and giue mée also to drinke of that water the drinkers whereof shall thirst nomore for euer for it floweth foorth from thée the fountain of immortalitie Truely Lorde there is no cause why I should longe to abide in this life if I were of sutch perfection as was thy Apostle Paule I should perceaue the wickednesse of this worlde and the glorie of thy kyngedome and wishe ernestly as hée did to bée dissolued from this body and to bée with Christe where as hée reigneth in eternitie O Lorde thou knowest my hartie desier is alwaies to serue thee graūt vnto mée of thy gracious goodnesse that I may liue in thy law and run in thy rule and walke in thy way and die in thy faith and that I may bée cléerely deliuered of the bondage of sinne and bee wholy out of dreade of death and dampnation Execute these thinges vpon mee O my moste louynge God and as it shall seeme best vnto thy pleasure most sittyng for my soule abridge the dayes of this Pilgrimage and commence the terme of my true life call mée from this Clay and clothe mée in the wéede of euerlastynge wealth where thou art resident with thy saynctes in eternall glorie Lorde if it so bée that the destruction day of all fleash bée at hande as it is hartely hoped then haue wee great cause to yéelde thée most humble thankes for shortning the time of our trouble and takyng away the occasions of offendyng that thine elect may possesse the longer frute of their ioyes and yéelde vp the summes of a shorter accoumpt O God what a ioyfull day shall that same bée when wée shall béeholde with our eyes those thynges whiche wée haue often