to minde gentle Reader the tyrannicall persecutions and cruell martyrdomes perpetrated in the bloudie and pitilesse raigne of Queene Marie imagine withall thou seest as then to the griefe of many thousandes was seene the tormenting furnace of Nabuchadnezer glowing hote scorching and consuming the fleshe and bones of Christes deere saintes and blessed martirs For professing y e trueth ofhis Gospell Imagine thou hearest and seest though to thy small edification or profite the administration of his blessed word and sacramentes in a toong to thee vnknown Imagine thou seest deuine honour and spirituall adoration performed to stocks and stones and other sencelesse shadowes and thou on paine of death compelled to performe the like Imagine yet further thou seest thy Christ robbed and dispoiled ofhis honour to be geuen vnto saintes and other his creatures thou not onely to be in danger of life but to be excommunicated and held accursed if thou doo not participate of this blasphemous impietie and when thou hast called to thy remembrance these and thousandes such like extremities then compare that time of tyrannie with this sweete time of mercy and thou wilt bee constrained to say Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people hath raised vs vp a Queene by and vnder whose godly and gratious gouernment we may serue him without feare in true holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life And therefore let all true Israelites praie for hir from whome as from the instrumentall cause these manifolde benefites and irrecompensible blessinges are deuolued to vs. Let vs not not with Isops frogs growe wearye of hir gentlenesse least Ioue in requitall of our great ingratitude send the stork to deuoure vs. No man hath managed the charge of any one priuate household more duly orderly then since the beginning of hir reigne she hath doone this populous kingdome Therefore O England let thy yoong men and maides old men and babes thy beasts and cattell thy fish foule thy mountaines and hils thy riuers welles thy plants and trees thy corne and grasse thy fieldes and meades thy citties and townes thy woodes and groues thy downes and dales each in their kinds laude and praise the Lord for giuing vs such a Queene in and by whom we are so happy for thrugh whome we are blessed and in whom as in a streame of Maiestie and princely magnanimity all the gifts and graces which God bestoweth vpon the children of men doo swim and to his praise and hir perpetuall renown with out fault or imperfection doo superabound O but some will saie if so they durst Sir you are too too extreame in hir commendation you infringe the bounds of trueth whereby it seemeth you aime at hir fauour by the leuell of flatterie Shee is not so endowed with giftes and graces as you vainlie and most vntruely affirme Neither is she so faultlesse and praiseworthie as you make hir Indeed did not hir deserts merite my praises my flatterie were too too palpable but beeing no more then hir proper right the repetition thereof I know is vtterly repugnant to hir pleasure and therefore they are deceiued whiche imagine that I poore snake and contemptible worm aime at so high a marke with so grosse a shaft But for that which first I did attribute vnto hir besides hir zealous forwardnesse in the execution of Gods will and the matter of hir and our soules welfare hir exact knowledge of the toongs hir deepe sight in the sciences hir quicke capacitie hir swift vnderstanding hir mercie to offenders hir care of hir subiectes and hir peaceable regiment doo plainely manifest All whiche and manie other such like as inuincible arguments doo proue mine assertion To the second be it graunted that she is not vtterly faultlesse and therefore not vtterly blamelesse I replie she is though a most gratious Queene as I said a mortall creature framed of the same substance that we be and therefore subiect to those passions and infirmities that we are But so was Dauid of whome GOD saide I haue chosen a man according to mine own heart euen Dauid my seruaunt yet whether he were faultlesse or no his owne wordes doo manifest when hee saide The woundes in my soule doo fester and stincke euen thorough my owne faultes and offences and againe Turne thy face O Lord awaie from my sinnes and blot out all my misdeedes and againe My sinnes are more in number than the haires of mine head And again I acknowledge my faultes and my sinnes are euer before me and they thrust me down euen as an intollerable burden but if thou wouldest know wherein he offended the holy Ghost will resolue thee in the second booke of Samuel and the 11. chapter And letting passe all the holy kings and prophets mentioned in the old Testament y t acknowledged their infirmities and yet God tendered as the apple of his eye come we to sainct Paul who although he were no king yet was he a blessed Apostle and had the spirit of God in great measure yet said he ofhimselfe as his owne Epistle to the Romains testifieth The good that I would doo that doo I not But the euil that I hate that doo I. If then it appeareth by these and such like vndoubted testimo nies that mankind vnder heauen are sold vnder sin who can then be so malitious to entwite hir maiestywith that which is proper to all in generall Neither can she be touched with any blot of infamie other then that which is incident to the most vprightest liuers If this be true as what man liueth findeth not the same so tobe O then ye priuie whisperers and secret backebiters whose toongs are as the stinges of Scorpions full of deadly poyson cease to sting hir whom youshal neuer hurt or haue power to defame though like vnnaturall paracides you seeke it with all greedinesse and as by hir gratious gouernment you breath haue your being so acknowledge it and be not such vngratefull monsters as to render hir euill for good but requite hir louing kindnes with thankfulnes hir princely beneficence withall dutifull obedience Think reuerently ofhir for Gods sake and in respect of the great perils she still sustaineth for our sakes for the paines she taketh for our onelie profite and for the waightie charge imposed vppon hir and if as one wise man saith the cares that attendeth a crown were duely considered it is not worth the taking vp if wee found it in the streetes then what a worthlesse iewell hath she ofhir crown in respect ofhir cares no one can expresse them saue shee that hath them and for our sakes doo indure them Therefore maligne hir not by worde nor thought But wish hir well and saie Good lucke haue you O gratious Queene with your honor according to the great renowme wherewith the king ofkings hath ennobled you Peace and prosperitie be vnto them that loue you but confusion of face
compassed about with presumptions and shewes of probabilities to inchant the iudge with such magicall trumperies And although hereby your profit shall be somewhat lessened yet your praise amongēst good men shall bee greatly augmented So shall ye please God who will preuent these calamyties and euery man posses his own in safety to inioy this moste ioyefull and gladsome tranquility YOu Marchants trades-men and Citizens of London for to you especially I direct my speech ô carrie a conscience to speake the truth much more to sweare the truth though your oth ought to be but yea yea and naie naie Make not fraud your broker to vtter your wares but when true meaning cheapeneth them let plaine dealing price them at a reasonable rate for a computent gaine Imploie not your heapes of coine to vserie no although it bee as your fleshely reason iudgeth for meane profit and such as our statutes tollerateth yet know the statutes of God doo vtterlie disanull the ninth parte of a farthing to bee so taken and pronounceth them accurssed that setteth out their money for such considerations But lende thy money to thy needie brother freely releeue his wants with thy necessaries and God will repay it thee againe in his high Exchequer of heauen Nor vtter your wares and commodities to yong gentlemen vpon statute Marchant assurance for double and treble vallue whose forwardnes many times to run into your debt and danger to maintaine their prodigalitie and inordinate expences is the cause of the ruine and vtter extirpation of them and their houses yet you think it iustifiable before god man to make y e most of your wares in what sort soeuer O deceiue not your selues by practizing to deceiue him that neither canne deceiue nor bee deceiued your thoughts are knowne vnto him much more your deedes In a word GOD here with is greeuouslie offended poor gentlemen and others greatly impouerished and these calamities violent lie hastened Therefore if not for shame and conscience sake yet for feare of Gods vengeance forsake this manquelling mischeef think not that well gained that is euill gotten and thogh you could be content to offend your Prince and oppresse hir people for your priuate profit yet greeue not God for any earthly benefit Be sorie for what is past and make amends by restitution So shall they not need to feare executions but inioyethis tranquility without molestation YE Angel-like youths ofEngland in whose beautifull formes the wōderful workmanship togither with the vnspeakeable glorie of the creator shineth oh seeing he hath so richelie adorned you with the ornamentes of nature doe nothing vndeacent or ill beseeming your comlines But alas it is to true the more it is to be lamēted that what God hath formed you haue by your brutish behauiors and reckles insolence deformed for what vngratiousnes is resident on earth vnto which you are not inclined yea and vnto what lewdnes maye the sons of Adam be inclined but you in the fullest mea sure and highest degree are therto addicted bearing your selues on hande with a vaine perswasion that all your faults are taken and imputed perfections al your bad properties are estemed as good qualities if so they be as I nothing doubte but so they are it is with those whose faults are as great as your follies whose affections are full fraught with all imperfections and whose lusts are as lewd as your liues And though thorough the corruption of this age things that are not are cal led and reputed as if they were for ech proud man termed a proper man ech murderous manqueller a couragious cauilere and each blasphemous swearer a man of good demeanure yet shal these trim titles falslie giuen nothinge auaile in the day of visitation the naked truth of things not the painted shew of thinges shall then be in high est regard My hearte as being plunged in the deapth of dole is ouer whelmed with waues of woe yea and my soule is sore vexed and vnquiet within mee when I consider amongest the multitude of euill customes wherewith this vngra tious age is polluted the impious odious and moste damnable custome of swearing the wrong whereof the Sauiour of the world sustaines in requital of his vnutterable good wil towards vnkind mankind and art thou ô sacred sauiour thus iniuriously delt withall in recompence of all the iniuries suffered in thy pretious passion Naie haue I wretche that I am that presumeth nowe to reprehend others with suche monstrous impietie so aquitted thy great kindnesse than which none can bee greater for greater loue can no man shew than to suffer death yea a moste odious bitter and reprochfull death to testifie his loue then ô my soule my ouersinfull soule by whome during the good pleasure of him thou so offendest my bodie hath his motion and being crucifie thy selfe with anguishe and sorrowe and seeing thy power hath such dominiō in my wretched truncke expresse thy sorrow by sending to mine eies a fountaine of teares wherewith I may wash awaie in some measure thy lothsome filthinesse if thou doo it not the verie steele adamant yea and stones of hardest temper shall rise against thee in iudgement For had they reason they neyther would or could refraine frō teares yea and that in great aboundance to behold thy wilfull and outragious insolence O Gentlemen and louing countrimen what furie so inchanteth me and you that we make no conscience of so great a sinne that so greatly greeueth the holieghost for though before I haue in the vexation of my soule reprehended in sorte the enormities of our time yet no one before touched in extremitie of euill is to this iniquitie comparable For here with the king of glorie is eftsoones tormented and crucified in heauen as before he was by the cruell Iewes on earth that heart whiche before Longious speare wounded is hereby again violently rented The pretious bloud wherewith miserable man was from the misery whervnto he was fallen redeemed is thorough our wilfulnesse in this respect rigorously effused the woundes pearsed againe the face buffeted again the body scourged againe the head pricked againe and in disdaining the rebuke of the godly whiche in the zeale of his soule for this sinne of sinnes hee giueth we spit on him againe and contemteously mock deride him again How commeth it to passe the deuill so preuaileth that for euerie trifling occasion we vomite vp such execrable othes against the harmlesse and innocent lambe of God in whose precious bloud and holie woundes the sinnes of the whole world are coueted from the wrath of his father alasse how happeneth it that that blessed bodie whiche in the heauinesse and dolour of his spirite swet the most vnkinde sweate of bloud and water for our health is so vnkindly dealt withal by vs we are to our shame I speake it wee are more cruell then the Iewes against the Lord of glorie For they crucified him but once but wee euerie daie yea euerie
the root of all vnrighteousnes and the verie keye that openeth the gate which leadeth to eternall destruction the least iot of whose venom if it once but touch the hart except the pre tious oile of Gods grace bee thereon speedilie powred it will neuer cease swelling till both bodie and soule bee brought to consusion Howbeit the noblest harts are herewith bewitched and with the poison thereof euen as it were suffocated pride is the confounder ofmeekenes and vertue it subdueth the soules and bodies of manye that otherwise are noblie minded and causeth them many times to doo that whereof ensueth their downefall and destruction For true is the prouerbe proue it who shall that at first or at last Pride will haue a fall The first offendor in a sinne of this kind as the scriptures testifieth was Lucifer which not being contented with the glorie of the highest heauens and the societie of Archangels Cherubins and Seraphins woulde yet presume to make himselfe equall with God his creator for which his pride and ambition as being well worthie hee was throwne headlonge from the height of heauen to the depth of the bottomlesse pit of hell where now he is damned perpetuallie there to abide and endure the violent paines whiche God hath ordained for him and his damnable associates and he that before shined in heauen as bright as the sunne in his highest beautie is nowe through pride transformed to a feend yea and that a most vglie and fearefull feend whose horrible shape no mortall man can abide to looke vpon Let a man haue wisdome beauty strength vertue knowledge honor and riches and he shall vtterly obscure eclipse the glorie of them all by vaine glorious pride and statelinesse of mind But this sinne generally hath more domination in women then men whiche plainlie appeareth by their high looks sumptuous ornaments and fantastical attire that it may truely be said pride hath so infected them that they be euen sicke of the fashions whence it commeth that men are allured to lust that else might liue chast the blazing beauty of women brightned by arte so dazell the eies of their mindes and bodies that they are therevnto subdued and vnto wanton desires captiuated As Holofernes y e proud Assirian with the comelie shape and beautie of faire yet chaste Iudith by whose feeble hands God so preordaining his hatefull head was deuided from his shoulders so greatly was he ouercome with hir beautie Cruell Iezabell that Diuell incarnate which through pride painted hir face thereby to allure and betray Iehu with hir fairnesse although it nothing auailed hir for God procured Iehu to abhorre hir was for hir pride and tyranny by Gods iust iudgment thrown downe from an high window dogs did deuoure hir as he before had promised Had not Bersabe in bathinge hir selfe negligentlie discouered hir beautie Dauid had not cōmitted the foule offenses of murther and adulterie and consequentlie Israell had not bin plagued with such calamitie Therefore gaze not ouer greedilie vpon the fraile beautie of a woman least thine hart be intangled therwith and so thou become a slaue vnto sin thy soule a subiecte vnto Satan their shewes are but shadowes of a vaine substance the rewarde of whose pride is eternall paine Pride is a sinne of sinnes fro whence as branches from the tree al and euery sinne proceedeth it troubled the angels ofheauen yea and Christs deer saints and holy disciples on earth It offendeth the maiestie of God and plungeth man in maine seas of sinne and waues of wickednesse Happie is the man or woman whom this vnthrif ty vice of pride and vaineglorie hath not bewitched happie is he whom titles of preheminence hath not ledde captiue to so odious a sinne earthly pompe that procureth pride is vnstable and subiect to sudden alteratiō for when it is at the highest it wil suddenly discend as it fared with y e proud Babylonians at what time they purposed to raise their tower to the toppe ofheauen that so they might preuent the purpose of the highest who seeing their pride and ambition brought vp on them such confusiō that the whole world to this daie participateth thereof O pride thou damnable and infernall furie bred in the deepest bottome of the lowest hell fie on thy frailetie that hast destroied so many kings and mighty potentates with thy poison for wheresoeuer thou goest shame insueth By thee is Lucifer damned in hell and perpetuallye excluded from the presence of God By thee al mankind endureth miserie for that thou prouokedst Adam to desire the know ledge of good and euill and so consequentlie to disobay the commandement ofhis creator for which hee and all we his vnhappy ofspring are accurs sed and without faith in Christ for euer damned By thee Nabuchadnezer was trans formed from his former fashion vnto the shape of a brute beast By thee Agar aduansing hir selfe for that she had conceiued cōtemning hir lady and mistresse was sharpelie punished as she well deserued By thee Moab Holofernes Hamon Nicanor Pharao Balthazar Antiochus Herod many thousands more mentioned in the old and new Testaments were brought to shame vtter confusion Thou bereauest men of their wisedomes and women of their wittes as nowe to the great griefe of the godly is daily experienced for this part of the world where Christ is and ought to be professed seemeth rather to be the locall place ofhel then a state of christianitie so great is the superfluitie vsed in apparrell and so monstrous are the fashions wherewith both men and women are now commonly attyred and where before our fathers coueted garmentes onely to couer their nakednesse now we rather desire such wherin our nakednesse may be most discouered But no more of this least this treatise bee therefore despised for hardlie can it come to the hands of any whose hearts surfet not with this sinne whose eies are not blinded with this vanitie and whose mindes are not addicted to this enormitie But in a word to shut vp all if the tauerne be known by the luy bush an Inne by the signe then verily a minde vnchaste enclined to wantōnesse is by no one thing better known then by the outward habit for they whose garmentes are newfangled and sumptuous most commonly their mindes are vnstaied and lasciuious Frame thou thy communication saith a wise philosopher according to thy garmentes but if men and women in these daies should followe his aduise beeing apparrelled as they are they shoulde speake as if they were as indeede too too manie are depriued of their wittes if their speache should be as fanaticall as their garmentes are fantasticall hardly should they be vnderstood without an interpretor for as there is no meane nor measure in the one so should there bee no rime nor reason in the other but God end it or amend it or els it will neuer be amended till all be ended And to returne where by occasion of this vanitie I left Call