Graces haue their Glory seene Oh that I could describe her in her height As God and her good Grace might giue me leaue How all the Saints and all the Angels waite But on her will and from the same receiue The highest substance of their heau'nly Blisse In whom alone all heau'nly Blessing is Then should the world be all asham'd to see How basely they her glorious Grace regarded And grieue in soules to thinke that euer she Should for her seruice be so ill rewarded That few or none wise fond nor rich nor poore But ready are to thrust her out of doore Then should the Courts of Princes flock vnto her And Lords and Ladies sue to her for Grace And happy soules that best can seruice doe her And seeke their life but in her louely face And then her Grace such should a Glory beare That there should be no world but where she were But since her worth is to the world vnknowne And only Heauen doth her deere Loue embrace Her worth is more then can in words be showne While Grace it selfe can only shew her Grace Let me but leaue her in all Admiration To Virgins Saints and Angels Adoration And let me say but what in soule I finde She is the Essence of all Excellence The Eie the Heart the Body and the Minde Where holy Rules haue all their Residence Of all good Motions the first only Mouer The proofe of loue and of Loues proofe the Louer The strength of Truth th' assurance of all Trust The Concordance of all contentiue cares The Iudgement of the Wisedome of the Iust The sacred shop of the Celestiall warre The lemme for which no price can be too great Th' Eternall Manna for the spirits Meate The Eie of light where Loue hath all his life The tong of Truth where Wisedom hath her words The heart of peace where patience knowes no strife The hand of Bounty that all Grace affords The face of Beauty where all Brightnes shineth The soule of wonder that all worth defineth The soile wherein all sweetnes euer groweth The Fountaine whence all Wisedome euer springeth The winde that neuer but all blessing bloweth The Aire that all comfort euer bringeth The fire that euer life with loue enflameth The figure that all true perfection frameth The study of the soules Intelligence The Art of Wisedomes high Inuention The Rule of Reasons best Experience The worke of Mercies Glorious Mention The ground of Honour and discretions Grace Place's perfection and perfections place All this and more then I can speake or write In Vertue liues and to her loue belongs And though the world doe barre her of her right Yet heauen will one day right her of her wrong And make the world to know her gratious Nature And how she only makes the Glorious Creature And since that day will one day come vnwares When she will call a Court of all her Teanures And see the fruite of all her seruants wares And take an order for all Misdemeanures Let all the world be fearefull to offend her And thinke them happy that can best attend her Let euery Creature seeke and sue to serue her And euery King and Lord and Lady loue her And euery heart endeuour to deserue her And euery Minde for some good Motion moue her And euery tongue in true perfection praise her And euery soule to endlesse Glory raise her And let me aske a pardon of heau'ns Grace For my poore spirits mounting vp so high Who for my sinnes doth bid me hide my face And not to heau'n to dare to lift mine eie And say no more but end as I begun She is a Queene of Queenes and I haue done And since that Vertue neuer can be seene But by the Eie of Wisedomes sacred sence Where she beholds her as the Blessed Queene That weares the Crowne of Reasons excellence Let me beseech the Heauens my soule to Raise To speake of Wisedome in her worthy praise And though I know and cannot but confesse My thoughts vnable to aspire so high And euery way but all vnworthinesse In me to write of such a Misterie Yet let my heart a little tell my Minde What wonder worth in Wisedomes works I finde Gloria in excelsis Deo Vpon the praise of Wisedome The second daies worke FRom the vaine humours of vnseason'd Wit Whose heedlesse wil breeds nothing els but woe Among the seates where sacred spirits sit The holy pleasures of the heauens to know My humble Muse learne what perfection saies In Glorious Wisedomes neuer ending praise She is the spirit of the highest power The Essence of all purenes Excellence The compasse of the euerlasting hower The Vertue of all purenes Quintessence The knowledge that all knowledge only giueth And only life in which life only liueth She sits in counsaile with the Trinitie And is th' Almighties secret Secretarie She keepes the Graces in an Vnitie And doth the charge of all their seruice carie Before Creation she did make Election And for the Action she did giue direction She calls the Angels each one by their names And sets the Saints and Martirs in their places Their Himnes and Songs vnto their Lord she frames And to their Musique giues especiall Graces The Seraphins she makes to clap their wings While all the Heauens their Haleluiah sings Amid the skie she set the Sunne and Moone And made diuision twixt the day and night She made the morning and the after noone And set each planet in his place aright She prickt the Starres vpon the Firmament And gaue a life to euery Element She made the times the seasons of the yeare The change of Natures and the notes of choise She made perfection euery way appeare And in her labours made her Loue reioyce So by desert the highest did her call High Officer and worke Mistris of all She made the Earth in compasse like a Ball Betwixt the water and the skie depending Yet hangs so fast that it can neuer fall Vntill all earthly things must haue an ending And hauing fram'd it as she thought it meete Made it a footstoole for her Masters feete She made the Seas the Brooks the Fountaine springs The Trees the Fruites the Herbs and euery Flower The Fish the Beast and euery Bird that sings The Yeere the Month the Week the day the hower The outward shape and euery inward sence And euery Starre a sundry influence She framed Man the last of euery Creature But yet the best and to her loue the neerest She gaue his heart a kinde of heau'nly nature And held his life vnto her loue the deerest She made him all things by their names to call And vnder God Lord Gouernour of all She taught him only how to know the good But neuer taught him how to know the euill She fed his spirit with a wholesome food Till Pride did bring him poyson from the Deuill She made him then his folly to confesse And then his faith in Mercy finde redresse She gaue his
THE Soules immortall crowne consisting of seauen glorious graces 1. Vertue 2. Wisedome 3. Loue. 4. Constancie 5. Patience 6. Humilitie 7. Infinitenes DEVIDED INTO SEAVEN dayes Workes AND Dedicated to the Kings most excellent Maiestie AT LONDON Printed by H. Lownes and are to be sold by I. C. and F. B. 1605. TO THE HIGH and mightie Prince IAMES by the grace of God King of great Brittaine France and Ireland defendour of the faith c. TO whom shall I dedicate the praise of Vertue but to him whō Vertue praiseth which in your Maiestie being made good to the eies of those vnderstanding spirits that can iudge of the heauenly notes of heroicall natures I hope hauing Truth for my warrant to escape the scandall of fawning Eloquence vouchsafe therefore my gratious Soueraigne in this plaine Poem to peruse the labour of my hearts loue which with the seruice of true loyaltie I humbly lay at the feet of your Royall Maiestie beseeching the vertue of all grace grace of all vertue so to blesse you with his infinite blessings that as vertue vnder heauē putteth her praise vnder your Patronage so the Patrone of all vertue will so Royallize your praise in the Heauens that to your gratious Crowne on earth you may receiue a Crowne of Eternall glory Your Maiesties most humble and loyall in all seruice BER N. Gent. To the Reader YOu that haue a heart to lift your eies aboue your head and haue not buried your soule in the sinke of sinne take a little time to reade ouer this little Tract where if vertue may inuite you wisedome may woe you loue may draw you constancie may content you patience may perswade you or humility may entreate you you shall not passe without your paiment and make a profit of your expence the villaine cannot taste it the foole vnderstand it the hatefull not loue it nor the inconstant commend it the impatient endure it nor the proud regard it but I hope the best will alow it and to thē I only leaue it who can best iudge of it will iudiciously peruse it and accordingly esteeme it there is no state taxed in it no person abused by it none that reade it but may haue good of it and for the good of all men I haue done it The youthfull may learne and the aged consider what is most necessarie for the soules comfort the rich may finde treasure aboue their wealth and the poore reliefe in their miserie in sume to auoid tediousnes I hope you shall see Vertue truly honoured Wisedome truly praised Loue truly described Constancie truly commended Patience truly proued and God in all truly glorified to the tuition of whose grace in hearty praier for your happines that you may seeke it only in his goodnes I leaue you for this time and for euer till I better know you Your friend as I finde cause BER N. Gent. The Argument VErtue is Wisedomes light Wisedome her loue And Constancie her only lifes delight Which Patience in Humility doth proue Humility the eye of Vertues sight I hat sees the Graces branches of the Tree Which figures God in whom their Glories be A POEM VPON the praise of vertue The first dayes worke OH my deere Muse that neuer could'st endure The wicked courses of a wretched minde Nor euer learn'st by cunning to procure The hatefull comforts of a hellish kinde But euer hast the loue of vertue neere thee Speak in her praise that all the world may heare thee Goe tell the greatest Monarch where thou goest She is a Queene to fit his Maiestie And tell the wisest Counsellour thou knowest By her his wit hath greatest dignitie And tell the fairest in her fairest grace Foule is her faire except she blush her face Tell the Diuine she giues a glorious light Vnto the truth of the eternall word Tell Valour she makes but a bloody fight Except she guide the hand that holds the sword Tell all the Artes their studies are but idle Except she hold the sences in a bridle Tell Honour that her Title 's but a tittle Except she build the steps of her estate Tell Riches all her Greatnes is but little Except she hold her Reckonings at a rate Tell Loue alas his treasure 's but a toy Except she be the substance of the Ioy. Goe tell the world more then the world can tell All is as nought where she 's not all in all Tell Excellence she neuer doth excell But when her Grace doth to her Glory fall Tell Truth her selfe that in her trumpe of Fame Her highest Note is only in her name Oh were she seene within the sacred sence Of her high fauour alwaies with the highest Where Angels Grace and Graces excellence Keepe her deere Loue vnto themselues the nighest Then would the world all humbly fall before her And next to God in harts and soules adore her Oh could a King but note her Queene-like Nature What Maiestie is in an humble minde How on the earth she makes a heauenly Creature In being louing patient true and kinde And in her sweetnes sweetly so perceiue her No King on earth would for his Kingdome leaue her And could a Queene behold her Glorious Grace How her true Loue doth truly louely make her And what a Sunne she sets vpon her face That makes the Godly for a Godnesse take her She would so truly and so deerely loue her That no conceite should from her Court remoue her And did the grauest wisest Counsellour But sound the depth of her diuine conceite Where perfect Truth is Reasons Paramour When Wisedomes care doth cut off all deceite While sacred Iudgement in true Iustice sits Her will should be the Rule of all their Wits And could the neatest Courtier once behold How comly she is with a little cost How farre she is from euery pleating fold Where fond expences are in folly lost They all would leaue their Antike Loues desire And take their patternes from her plaine attire And did the fairest Nimph or Noblest Maide Behold her Beauty in her glorious Brightnes Pure in it selfe vnspotted not beraide Nor idely caried with a looke of Lightnes They would so farre her excellence preferre As all would leaue themselues to follow her And did the most experienc't Officer But note her cariage in her seruice care Where Conscience is the true examiner Of all the thoughts where Honours courses are While gracious spirits dwell in earthly Natures The Court would be a place of heauenly Creatures Did the Diuine see her Diuinitie And what a spouse vnto the soule she is Who with the world hath no affinitie But in the heauens hath her eternall blisse He would his life vnto her loue referre And leaue the world for only Loue of her And did the Lawyer looke into her lawes Where Truth and Loue doe trie the case of life And wicked Craft can neuer make a clause To feed Ambition with the fruite of strife But euery plea in pitties conscience proue All Law should
soule a Minde aboue his Hart His Hart a feeling of his spirits Nature His Nature Reason and his Reason Art His Art a knowledge of each earthly Creature His Knowledge Honour and his Honour Grace His Grace a fauour in a Glorious place She read him all the Rules of Learnings Loue The Naturall the Morall and Diuine She shew'd the Blessing of the soules behoue That doth not wholy to the earth decline She shewes the way vnto eternall Blisse And for the world how base a thing it is Yet when she made the world for her best Grace She sets a Course and Rule for euery thing For Nature Reason Action Time and Place How best proportion might perfection bring And how in all might all things so agree That in their Concords might no discord be In scale and feather haire and skinne and hue In substance sence in colour shape and feature How they were first begot and how they grew And how each one should differ in their Nature Yet differing so they might together liue That none might other hurt or hinderance giue But vnto Man she only gaue a minde To looke into the life of euery Nature And giue them names and vse them in their kinde And take commandement of each kind of Creature And by her will to walke among them so That euery one should him their seruice owe. She made each haire each Artir and each vaine The flesh the bones the finnowes and the skinne The heart the lytes the liuer and the braine The outward Beauty and the strength within And to his soule did giue that heau'nly Nature That made in all the admirable Creature She gaue him wings to mount aboue the winde And inward Eies to see aboue the Sunne And by her Rules did make his Reason finde How Sun and Moone Starres their courses runne How Sea-Men by the pole their courses guide And by the Moone the turne of euery Tide She makes him finde the Heauens operations Vpon the Bodies of the earth below She makes him by his spirits contemplations Vpon the earth things aboue Earth to know And to his knowledge doth that Vertue giue As learnes him only to his God to liue She makes a difference in the Mindes of Men She crownes the Princes and entituleth Honor She writes their Stories with a perfect Pen And doth aduaunce them that doe tend vpon her She makes them Blest that doe in patience proue her And liue for euer that doe truly loue her She doth instruct the King in all his care Where Mercies Iustice beares a blessed sword She shewes the Peeres when they in counsaile are What fauour heau'ns the faithfull hearts afoord She shewes the people the due loyaltie That Subiects owe vnto their Soueraigntie She makes the Courtier not misspend his time She bids the Souldiour spare the Innocent And the Diuine beware the Conscience crime And makes the Lawyer a good Studient She makes the Merchant honest with his wealth And labour keepe the labouring Man in health She teacheth euery Science and each Art And shewes the Truth of euery Argument And makes distinctions vpon euery part And is of all the only Ornament She shewes the Studient in Diuinitie Heauen with the world hath no Affinitie She feedes no fancie with an idle fashion Yet fashions all things in a comly frame She neuer knew Repentance wofull passion Nor euer fear'd the blot of wicked blame But euen and true what euer she intended Wrought all so well that none could be amended She neuer whirles about an idle Wit Nor taketh pleasure in a wanton Eie Nor in the seate of pride did euer sit Nor from the poore did turne her hand awrie Nor maintain'd wealth with wretched Miserie Nor sought for honour by Indignitie No no that Man that would his Mistris make her That Woman that doth choose her for her Louer That Man or Woman that doth only take her For their best Loue and in their hearts doe loue her In rauisht sweetnes of her Beauties Blisses Will dwell vpon her lips in louely Kisses She neuer yet did harme to any liuing Nor is there any good but that she doeth To euery soule she is her Comfort giuing And with her sweetnes so Affection woeth That they who could in Loues perfection proue her Would hate themselues and if they did not loue her She laies the lines of life in Vertues loue Imploies the Minde in holy Meditations The hart in study of the soules behoue The spirit in Loues Contemplations The tongue in speaking truth on euery part The soule in prayer for a faithfull hart She neuer was acquainted with Corruption Not came within the Aire of all Infection Her purpose neuer had an Interruption Nor euer was she crost in her direction But sound and sure she caries so her skill That in all good there can be found no ill She is the fairest of all Beauties Fame She is the sweetest of all Reasons sence She is the Noblest of all Honours name She is the strongest of all Loues defence She is the richest of all earthly Treasure And purest substance of the Spirits pleasure Oh what can there be more that she should be Or how should she be more then that she is That all may see and more then all may see The blessed Being of all Being Blisse All Infinite in all perfections waies And Infinite in all perfections praise And being then in goodnes all so Good As being best a better cannot be Which in her selfe is only vnderstood And in her selfe her selfe can only see What life of Grace but would in loue admire her Or Gratious loue could liue and not desire her But since that loue is the true life indeede Of which she is by which she only liueth From which she hath her only happy spide To which she oweth all the good she giueth Let me the purest of my passion proue To see her Glory in the Grace of loue THE PRAISE OF Loue. The third daies worke O Loue that liuest in that only light Which giues all seeing to all gratious Eies But keepest thy sence frō that vngodly sight That in the darknes of Illusion dies Lighten my soule that it may cleerely see How thou in Wisedome Wisedome liues in thee The Angels can in their Attonements tell How kindly thou do'st make them liue together And where the Saints and holy Martirs dwell The holy Muses bring their Musique thither And while the Hoast of all the Heauens reioyce Thou tun'st the heart-strings of the highest voice Loue is the Essence of Eternitie That workes the course of Wisedomes cariage Where the high counsaile of the Deitie Twixt Heauen and Earth doe make a Mariage While in the life of Holines alone The Lord of Heauen and his true Church are one It layes the plot and drawes the lines of pleasure Within the ground of Graces Paradise It works the Truth that is the spirits Treasure And builds the height of Honours Dignities It bends the Eies of Graces Royaltie And
worthily commended In morne and euening was her third day ended Then in the heau'ns the shining lights she framed That should diuide betwixt the day and night The greater lights the Sunne and Moone she named Which should giue Rules to times and seasons right The lesser starres to whom she gaue a light To twinkle like the Candels of the Night And in this worke she kept her course so well And still the state of Grace so vnderstood As he in whom all Graces only dwell In sight of goodnes saw that all was good So where no praise her worth diminished The Euen and Morne her fourth day finished Then to the waters she her worke applies And made each mouing and each creeping thing And in the Heauen each feathered fowle that flies And euery Creature that doth carie wing When all seem'd good in her great Maisters eie Who bad them all encrease and multiplie Thus hauing wrought with infinite conceite The sundry forme and shape of euery Creature With such inuention as exceedes the height Of Wit and Reasons praises highest Nature While high perfection each proportion framed The Euen and Morning was her fift day named Thus when that her weekes worke was almost done She hath her choisest worke to take in hand For which before the Modell be begun She must vpon her Maisters counsaile stand How she may shape his loue his liuely picture To haue his patience pleased in his Creature When hauing fauour in his high perfection With humble care a lump of clay she takes Of which by Rules of his Diuine direction Vnto his Image perfect man she makes Who so in loue did to his liking fall That vnder Heau'n he made him Lord of all Thus hauing made vp all her workmanship Within the limits of her fairest loue Where constant Truth could neuer take a trip While carefull Patience did perfection proue When all was good in goodnes all enstalled The Euen and Morning she the sixt day called And seeking now her sacred thoughts to rest Vpon the Grace of the Eternall good She findes the Sabaoth by her Maister blest Who giues her spirits that especiall food That after all the labour of her daies Doth make her sing his euerlasting praise Which as I finde in her faire Musique sounding Although it be a Note aboue my reach Yet on the Grace of Vertue only grounding As her sweet spirits doth my spirit teach My humble soule shall straine my heart to sing The Gratious praises of my Glorious King O holy Essence of all holines Grace of all Glory Glory of all Grace Perfections Vertue Vertues perfectnes Place of all Beauty Beauty of all place Truths only Triall Times Eternitie Incomprehensible in thy Deitie Wisedomes deuiser Father of her loue Constancies proofe and life of patience Humilities Essence Faiths true Turtle Doue Mercies Almighty Glorious Residence Sweet Iesus Christ mine humble soule enflame To sing the Glory of thy holy Name Before what was but that which euer is The Godhead all Incomprehensible Sweet Iesus Christ the Essence of all Blisse But in his Manhood only sensible My Sauiours was and in himselfe alone Containing all things but contain'd in none The Nature of all Vertues in his Nature Had all their Essence of their only Being When in Creation of each kinde of Creature Wisedome in him had only all her seeing Whose loue in him that constant patience found That of her Grace and Glory was the ground His spotlesse Vertue all his life did proue In doing good to all and ill to none His Wisedome did the Doctors wonder moue His loue the Touchstone of all Truth alone His Constancie euen to his dying hower Did shew his patience had a heau'nly power And for the Note of his Humility His crosse bare witnes in his life and death Who bare all basenes Inciuility Yet neuer breath'd the smallest angry breath O glorious King that came from Heauen on high Vpon this earth for Beggers so to die His vertue in his will his word doth show His Wisedome in Election and Creation His loue his Louers by his death doe know His Constancie his patience confirmation His patience his humility did proue And all in some his Glory from aboue Whose Vertue such as his that could not sinne Whose Wisedome such as worketh Vertues will Whose loue is such as Wisedome liueth in Whose Constancie doth shew such kindnes still Whose patience such as did his passion show Or who so high and euer brought so low What Vertue doth his Wisedome doth expresse What Wisedome doth his loue doth manifest What loue doth doth his constancie confesse What Constancie doth in his patience blest What Patience doth Humility doth tell In him alone they all and only dwell Then let the vertuous for all vertue loue him And let the wise in Wisedomes loue admire him And let the constant in all kindnes proue him And let the patient patiently desire him And let the humble humbly fall before him And all together all in all adore him Oh that the world could see his vertues Beauty Or wit of man his Wisedomes Maiestie Or Loue could looke into his Constancie Or patience into his humility Then vice nor folly frailty rage nor pride Should in the mindes of men so much abide His Vertue made the first perfections Nature His Wisedome made the forme of all perfection His loue did giue the life to euery Creature His Constancie the care of Loues direction His patience Medicine for all Miseries His humblenes the way to Paradice Would'st thou be perfect in his vertue know it Would'st thou be vertuous in his wisedome learne it Would'st thou be wise in his loue only shew it Would'st thou be louing in his life discerne it Would'st thou he constant in his care conceiue it Would'st thou be patient in his death perceiue it Would'st thou be humble in his lowlines Learne to submit thy selfe to higher powers Would'st thou be blessed in his Blessednes Learne to bestow the labour of thine howers Would'st thou be holy and liue happy euer Liue in his loue and thou shalt liue for euer The infinite good thoughts his vertue giueth The infinite good works his will perfecteth The infinite good life in his loue liueth The infinite loue his constancie effecteth Th'infinite constancie his patience proueth Doe humbly shew what infinitenes loueth Since Vertues then good thoughts are infinite And infinite is Vertue in good thought And infinite is Wisedome in good wit And infinite is loue by Wisedome wrought And infinite is constancie in loue Which infinitely patience doth proue In infinite Humility of hart Vnto the height of all Infinitie In infinite perfection of each part That makes the infinite Diuinitie The Father Sonne and holy Ghost all three In one one God all infinite Glory bee And since no heart is able to attaine Vnto his holy and eternall praise To whom alone doth duly appertaine The date of Glories neuer ending dayes When Angels in their Haleluiah dwell Let me but sing A men and I am well Gloria in excelsis Deo TO ALL LEARned and vertuous Schollers and gratious Studients honour and happines GEntlemen I feare this my mistermed piece of Poetry in your true iudgements will be subiect to the reproofe of errour what is amisse I humbly leaue to your correction and what is otherwise to your fauourable acceptation and so loath to be tedious in ceremonies I rest affectionately to all good learning A friend auowed BER N. Gent.