ODES. IN IMITATION OF THE SEAVEN PE­NITENTIAL PSALMES, VVith Sundry other Poemes and ditties ten­ding to deuotion and pietie.

HS


IMPRINTED, ANNO DOMINI. M.D.CI.

TO THE VERTVOVS LADIES AND GENTLE VVO­MEN READERS OF THESE DITTIES.

WHen for my owne priuate recreation I had penned some of these poemes yet not entēding to make them pub­lyke, for that I feared their soone re­ceauing the deserued censure of the slendernesse of their woorth. Yet hauing by chaunce communicated them with a freind, I was not a litle vrged, to affoord them the libertie of open view, but also perswaded to their further augmentation. And now hauing yeilded vnto the one, & aduentured the other, I knew no better way then to make dedication of them vnto your selues, whose sweete voyces or virginalles may voutsafe so to grace them, as that thereby they may be much bette­red, and the rather yf it shal please you to obtaine of some skilful Musitian, such requisite tunes, as may vnto them be best fitting. And therein crauing your helpful furtherance, and for my presumption your fauourable pardon, I humbly take my leaue, excusing my self with my owne good meaning:

Vttred as ensueth. Vid.

The vaine conceits of loues delight
I leaue to Ouids arte,
Of warres and bloody broyles to wryte
Is fit for Virgils parte.
Of tragedies in doleful tales
Let Sophocles entreat:
And how vnstable fortune failes
Al Poets do repeat.
But vnto our eternal king
My verse and voyce I frame
And of his saintes I meane to sing
In them to praise his name.
Yours in his best endeuours R. V.

ODES. IN IMITATION OF THE SEAVEN PENI­tential Psalmes:
To so-many seueral tunes of Musick.

In imitation of the first penitential Psalme. Beginning.
Domine ne in furore. Psalm. 6.

WHen my misdeedes o God
May thee to anger mooue,
Amiddes the rigour of thy rage
Voutsafe mee not reprooue.
Nor when for my offence
Thy chastisment must bee,
In thy displeasure o deere Lord
Let it not light on mee.
Thy mercies Lord I craue
Of strength I am bereft,
O salue the sorenesse that my sin
Vpon my bones hath left.
My much agrieued soule▪
In sorrowes doth abound,
[Page 2] How long o Lord shal they endure
Or comfort be vnfound.
O turne thy self to mee
And rid my soule of paine,
Eu'n for thy mercies which exceed
And euer do remaine.
O hasten thee o Lord
To saue and set me free,
Amongst the dead (to their auaile)
Ther's none can thinck on thee.
And in the depth of hel
VVhere there is no redresse,
VVho is it that wil giue the praise
Or vnto thee confesse?
My sighinges for my sinnes
Haue past in painful wise,
And I each night wil wash my bed
VVith teares of wailing eyes.
My sight is vext with feare
Of fury in thy rage,
Oh that my sinnes must be my foes
To weare mee out in age.
A way a way from mee
All yee that are vniust,
Let him my mournful sound receaue
In whome I put my trust.
That I with ioy may say
How to my sutes accord,
Voutsafed hath to condescend
My deere and louing Lord.
Let shame my foes befall
And vexed let them bee,
Their owne conuersion or their shame
Lord let them quickly see.
Glory o God to thee
And vnto Chryste thy sonne,
As also to the holy ghoste
Let endlesly be donne.

AMEN.

In imitation of the second penitential Psal. Beginning.
‘Beati quorum remisse sunt. Psalm. 31.’

O How much blest may they remaine
That pardon for their guylt obtaine,
And whose great il and each offence
Lies hid in contryte penitence.
VVhat happy state may hee be in
To whome our Lord imputes no sin,
VVhose conscience doth no guyle retaine
That can himself beguyle againe.
I did my sinnes in sylence hold,
In grief whereof my bones grew old,
M [...]ane whyle my dayes in plaintes of paine
VVithout redresse I spent in vaine.
But when o Lord thy heauy hand
No day or night I could withstand,
But that in anguish ouerworne
My conscience prickt as with a thorne.
Lo then o Lord I did begin
To vtter all my secret sin,
No longer list I ought conceale
But each iniustice to reueale.
Against my self I said wil I
My wronges confesse and faultes defy,
To thee o Lord, o Lord to thee
That haest from all absolued mee.
And since I thus thy mercies fynde
Let each of good and godly mynde,
Aproche to thee in happy tyme
To pray for pardon of his cryme.
For such as so do sinck in sin
That stil they plunged lie therein,
Vnable are of thee to gaine
VVhat contryte sinners can obtaine.
O Lord my refuge restes in thee
VVhen troubles do enuyron mee,
O free me then my freedomes ioy
From such as seeke mee to annoy.
Great comfortes Lord I do conceaue
Thow mee thy seruant wilt not leaue,
But wilt instruct and guyd me right
And kepe me euer in thy sight.
O yee that carelesse are of grace
Behold and see your brutish case,
[Page 5] And be not as the horse and mule
That liue deuoyd of reasons rule.
And thow o Lord in mercies ryf
Voutsafe restraine their straying lyf,
VVith bit and brydle make them stay
That vnto thee wil not obey.
Since that for those of sinful trade
Ful many scourges there be made,
VVel him, that doth in God repose
VVhose mercies may his soule enclose.
Be therefore ioyful in our Lord
All that to righteousnesse accord,
Let each with gladnesse beare his parte
That hath a pure and perfect harte.
All glory bee O Lord to thee
And to thy Sonne in lyke degree
As also to the holy Ghoste
Perpetual and enduring moste.

AMEN.

In imitation of the third penitential Psal. Beginning.
‘Domine ne in furore. Psalm. 37.’

AMiddes thy fury my deere lord
Rebuke not mee,
Nor let thy chasticement befall
VVhen wrathful thow shalt bee.
Thy arrowes in my self I feele
Alredy stand,
I see o Lord thow fixed haest
At me thy ayming hand.
VVithin my self (o wo is mee)
No health I fynde,
Through feare and terror of thy face
That semes to wrath enclynde.
My very bones disturbed bee,
Gon is their peace,
My owne beholding of my sinnes
Doth woork my woes encrease.
And as my sinnes surmounting are,
I must confesse,
So are they mounted on my head
And heauy me opresse.
My crymes forepast and pardoned
Lyke scarres remaine,
That putry fyde break out a new
Because I sin againe.
A woful wretche am I become
Crooked I grow,
Each day I waile and whyle I liue.
I will continew so.
My members by illusions led
Mee so restraine,
My healthlesse body is vnapt
True vertue to retaine.
By great affliction I am brought
Exceeding low,
[Page 7] Be moued Lord through my lowd groanes
Thy mercies to bestow.
My sutes o Lord tend all to thee
Thow knowest my case,
My plaintes and penance Lord accept
That so I may haue grace.
VVithin my self my silly hart
Is vexed stil,
My force is lost, my sight I lack,
To see and shun my il.
In my displeasing thee o Lord
Right wel I see,
My freindes are foes, my soule is sought
And force is wrought on mee.
They wish my il, and speake my scorns,
And when they smyle,
Their hate admittes no tyme of stay
To study fraud and guyle.
But I alas with patience prest
Must all for-beare,
Lyke to the dumb and seeming deaf
I neither speak nor heare,
And for because o gratious God
I trust in thee,
Thow wilt I know my louing Lord
Giue eare and ayd to mee.
Let not o Lord my foes preuaile
Least they reioyce,
Sith scars my feet I may remoue
But they aduance their voice.
Of my misdeedes I am prepard
To beare the smart,
Stil is my sin before my sight
And sorrow in my hart.
I wil reuolue my faultes fore-past
Amiddes my mynde,
And those I truly wil confesse
That I may mercy fynde.
Hate hath confirmd on me my foes
In wrongful wyse
And stil they liue and do encrease
VVhose enuy neuer dies.
They yeild me il that gaue them good
And me defy,
Because I goodnesse would ensue
From which they seeke to fly.
Forsake me not o Lord my God
In state destrest,
Be redy Lord to my relief
My lyf in thee doth rest.
To Father Sonne and holy Ghost
All glory bee,
From former endlesse date to dure
To all eternitie.

AMEN.

In imitation of the fourth penitential Psal. Beginning.
‘Miserere mei Deus. Psal. 50.’

HAue mercy o good God on mee
In greatnesse of thy grace,
O Let thy mercies manifold
My many faultes deface.
Foule filthy loath-some vgly sin
Hath so defyled me,
VVith streames of pittie wash me cleane
Els cleane I cannot bee.
To wel my foule vnclensed crymes
Remembrance do renew,
To plaine in anguish of my hart
They stand before my view.
To thee alone o Lord to thee
Thease euilles I haue donne,
And in thy presence, wo is mee,
That ere they were begun.
But since thow pardon promisest
VVhere hartes-true-ruthe is showne,
Shew now thy mercies vnto mee
To make thy iustnesse knowne.
That such as do infringe thy grace
Be made asham'd and shent,
[Page 10] As ryfe thy mercies to behold
As sinners to repent.
VVith fauour view my foule deffects
In crymes I did begin,
My nature bad, my mother fraile,
Conceau'd I was in sin.
But since thy self affectest truthe
And truthe it self is thee,
I truly hope to haue thy grace
From sin to set me free.
Since to thy faithful thow before
The secret scyence gaue,
VVhereby to know what thow would'st spend
The sinful world to saue.
VVhose heav'nly hysope sacred droppes
Shal me besprinckle so,
That it my sin-defyled soule
Shal wash more whyte then snow.
O when myne eares receaue the sound
Of such my soules release,
How do sin-laden lymmes reioyce
At hattes true ioyes encrease?
From my misdeedes retyre thy sight
View not so foule a staine,
First wype a way, my spots impure
Then turne thy face againe.
A cleane and vndefyled hart
O God creat in mee,
Let in me Lord, of righteousnesse
A spirit infused bee.
From that most glorious face of thyne
O cast me not away,
Thy holy Ghoste voutsafe o God
VVith mee that it may stay.
The ioy of thy saluation Lord
Restore to me againe
And with thy spryte of graces chief
Confirme it to remaine.
That when at thy most gracious hand
My sutes receaued bee,
The impious I may instruckt
How they may turne to thee.
For when o Lord I am releast
From vengeance and from blood,
How ioyful shal I speak of thee
So gratious and so good.
Thow Lord wilt giue me leaue to speak,
And I thy praise wil shew,
For so the graces do requyre,
Thow doest on me bestow.
If thow sin-offringes had'st desyr'd,
As wonted weere to bee,
How gladly those for all my illes,
I would haue yeilded thee.
But thow accepts in sacrifise,
A sorowing soule for sin,
Despysing not the hart contryte,
And humbled mynde within.
Deale gratiously o louing Lord,
In thy free bounties wil,
[Page 12] VVith Syon, thy dere spouse in earth,
And fortify it stil.
That so thow maiest thence receaue,
That soueraigne sacryfise,
From alter of all faithful hartes,
Deuoutly where it lies.
To thee o Father glory bee
And glory to the Sonne,
And glory to the holy Ghost
Eternally be donne.

AMEN.

In imitation of the fyft penitential Psal. Beginning.
‘Domine exaudi orationem meam. Psal. 101.’

O Let o Lord thyne eares enclyned bee
To heare the prayers that I make to thee:
And my hartes grief that breaketh forth in cryes
O let it haue the power to pearce the skyes.
Turne not from me thy fauourable face,
VVhat day or howre I am in heauy case:
But when I call to thee in my destresse
O heare me Lord and send me soone redresse.
My dayes and yeares alas with litle gaine
Lyke vnto smoke how are they past in vaine:
My forces Lord how are they partch'd and dry,
Deuotions lack yeilds moisture no supply.
The blasted grasse my image now can shew,
My withered hart confirmes that it is so:
And I forgotten haue vnto my grief,
To eat the bread of my soules best relief.
And my too much regard of earthly care
Before my self for grace I could prepare,
Made reason to abandon reason quyte,
And to affection fast it self vnyte.
Bur now o Lord, since that I do begin
To see my self, and know the shame of sin,
From earthly traine I wil retyre my mynde,
Thee wil I seeke, my sauing helth to fynde.
In desert lyke as liues the Pelicane,
Or as the crow that doth day light refraine
Or chirping sparow sitting all alone.
I shrowd, I watche, retyr'd, I make my mone.
But whyle O Lord I do endure this lyf
Expecting peace by fleeing wordly stryf
Old freindes I fynde become new noysome foes
O loue me Lord, for losse of loue of those.
My penance not restraind through scorne of theirs,
My food I take with ashes & with teares:
Thee more I feare, least thow on me should'st frowne,
That can'st mee raise, and raising cast me downe.
My dayes declyne as doth a shadow passe,
And I as hay that whylome was as grasse:
But thow from age to age shalt euer bee,
Then euermore o Lord forget not mee.
Voutsafe o Lord in puissance to aryse,
To raise thy Sion that depressed lies:
[Page 14] Now is the tyme, the tyme doth now expyre,
It mercy wantes, and mercy doth desyre.
This glorious woork was first begun by thee,
Thy seruants earst were glad the stones to see:
And they wil grieue with hartes-afflicted care,
If so the ruynes thow do'st not repare.
But when o Lord thy woorks shal shew thy fame
The faithlesse people then shal feare thy name:
And eartly kinges shal bend their glory downe,
At thy celestial glorie and renowne.
Because thy Churche thy Syon thow did'st buyld,
VVhere thow would'st euer haue thy honor hild:
And haest not vnregarded hard the plaint,
Of faithful folk, thrall'd in vntruths restraint.
And that no tyme remembrance may impare,
Of thy maintayned woork, and mercy rare,
Let people now, for people to ensew,
Thy prayse record, thy praises to renew,
For from high heauen to this low earthly place,
From blis to bale our Lord enclynes his face:
The groanes to hear, the greiued to releasse,
To free from thrall, to make affliction ceasse.
The more may Sion now sound foorth his fame,
Ierusalem his praises may proclame:
VVhere in his Churche his people do accord,
And whereas kings are subiects to their Lord.
VVho may o Lord thy datelesse dayes relate,
That of all ages ouerpasse the date:
It's thow to vs haest put apointed space,
O stop not me ere half I run my, race.
The world and welkin first by thee were made,
Thow heauens sphere, thow earths foundation laid,
Thow shalt endure, they shal consumed bee,
Thow madest tyme, tyme hath no force on thee.
Thease elements by alteration strange,
Shal changed bee, and so remaine in change:
But thow o Lord that woorkes all at thy wil,
VVa'st earst the same, the same remayning stil.
Vousafe o Lord there ofspring to preserue,
That thee in feare and faith and loue do serue:
And in thy wayes directed to remaine,
A lasting lyf in lasting blisse to gaine.
Vnto the Father, Sonne and holy Ghoste,
All praise and glory be ascrybed moste,
As herefore before the world begun
And as it now, and euer shalbe donne.

AMEN.

In imitation of the sixt penitential Psal. Beginning.
‘De profundis clamaui ad te Domine. Psal. 129.’

EV'n from the depth of woes
VVherein my soule remaines,
To thee in supreame blis
O Lord that highest raignes,
I do both call and cry:
[Page 16] T'is deep hart-sorrowes force
That moues me thus to waile,
T'is pittie Lord in thee
Must make it to auaile,
Thyne eares therfore aply.
If stricktly thow o Lord
Obserued haest my sinne,
Alas what shal I do?
VVhat case then am I in?
If rigour thow extend:
But wel o Lord I know
Sweet mercy dwelles with thee,
And with thy iustice then
It must expected bee,
And I therefore attend.
My soule doth wait on thee,
Thy grace confirmes my trust,
My warrant is thy woord:
Thow keepest promis iust,
Keep me o Lord secure:
Let thy afflicted flock
Comfort in thee retaine,
From dauning day to night,
From night to day againe,
Let stil their hope endure.
There is with our good God
Much mercie stil in store,
Redemption doth remaine
VVith him for euer more,
Aboundant is his grace:
[Page 17] His people he affects
He wil not leaue destrest,
The thralled he wil free,
VVith ease of their vnrest,
And all their faultes deface.
All glory be therefore
O Father vnto thee,
And so vnto the Sonne,
The lyke great glory bee,
And to the holy Ghoste:
Such as it wonted was,
Before the world began,
Such as now yet it is,
And euer shal remaine,
Aboue all glorie moste.

AMEN.

In imitatiō of the seauenth penitētial Psal. Beginning.
‘Domine exaudi orationem meam. Psalm. 142.’

VOutsafe admit thy gratious eares,
VVith myld regard for to attend,
The prayers that a playning hart,
VVith sorowing sighes to thee doth send:
And let thereto o louing Lord
Thy iustice and thy truthe accord.
In rigour of thy righteous doome
O do not skan thy seruants cause,
For there is none on earth alyue
Through faultlesse lyf free'd from thy lawes:
Then how may I in sinful plight
Seeme iust in thy all-seeing sight?
The freind of sin, the foe of soules,
Down to the earth my soule hath brought,
VVhich to the heauen should aspyre,
Since from the heauen it was wrought:
O raise it vp againe to blis
From earth and all that earthly is.
Amids the darck mis-led am I,
VVhere lack of light sinnes view denies,
I hue a lyf more lyke to death,
VVhyle dead from grace my body lies:
And whereas care through secret smart
Sends anguysh to afflict my hart.
But I o Lord recall to mynde
VVhat thow hast donne in tyme before,
And how thy iustice hath bene great,
But how thy mercy hath bene more:
Thus hope of help stil comfort giues,
VVhile mercy stil with iustice liues.
My stretched hands to thee display
The ensignes of my yeilding hart,
My soule as earth that water wants
Of vertues frute can beare no parte:
I faint, send soone relief of raine,
Least els vnfruteful I remaine.
Thy face of pittie not of wrath
Turne not o louing Lord from mee,
And let not Lord my owne misdeedes
Haue lasting force to anger thee:
For so might I compare my case
To theirs that furthest fal from grace.
But since my hope is firme in thee
Let me betymes thy mercy haue,
The way of helth make knowne to mee,
My feete from erring paths to saue:
Only to thee my soule retyres,
Only thy mercy it desyres.
O free mee from my sinful foes,
To thee I fly to be secure,
Teach me the lesson of thy wil,
And let me put it wel in vre,
Thow art my God and God of all
That for thy ayd and comfort call.
Thow wilt voutsafe to mee o Lord
Thy holy spryt to bee my goyd,
My faith and hope in thee is sutch,
And sutch it euer shal abyde:
Reuyue thow wilt mee for thy name,
Goodnes in thee requyres thesame.
So that at last by thee o God
My soule from bale to blis bee brought,
And that in mercy thow sub [...]ert
All those my soules destruction sought:
And force of foes destroy'd may bee,
And I made safe for seruing thee.
All glory bee to thee o God,
The Father of eternal might:
And to the Sonne, and holy Ghoste,
Three in an vndeuyded plight:
As now it is, and was of yore,
And shal endure for euermore.

AMEN.

EXTRACTS OF THE SIBYL­LAES PROPHESIES OF CHRISTE.

Sibylla Persica.

THow serpent fraught with craft and crueltie
Shalt by a mightier strength bee troden low,
And on base earth, the high God borne shalbee,
And from a maid the branch of blis shal grow:
And that true woord, vnseene before of all,
Shal now be seene, and shalbe felt withall.

Sibylla Libyca.

IN obscure darcknes light shal glistring shyne,
The Synagogs straight bands vnbound shalbee:
The king of lyf be seene of mortal eyen,
And in a maidens lap shal nowrisht bee,
And high aboue the gentils hee shal raigne,
And shal in mercie his estate maintaine.

Sibylla Delphica.

ATtend (o earth) thy soueraigne Lord to see,
And know thy God, which is Gods only sonne:
Chyld of the highest, and moste high is hee,
VVhose beeing by no earthly wight begun:
Hee shal the great expexted prophet bee,
Of woorthy greatnesse, and great dignitie.

Sibylla Cumea.

AMaid excelling all in sainctitie
And whose cleere beauty shal the starres exceed
Of Chyld (in future tyme) conceau'd shalbe,
And of the rarest sacred blood and seed:
And from the heauens the sweet dew downe shal fal
Into her brests to nowrish him withal.

Sibylla Erithrea.

IN later age, high God wil him abase,
And vnto low estate himself inclyne,
Mixing his nature with our humaine race,
His Godheid to our manheid to combyne:
And lo the litle lamb in strawy bed,
Shal of a maid be nowrished and fed.

Sibylla Samia.

O Fond Iudea, why do'st thow neglect,
The certaine knowlege of thy very God,
Thy happy dayes why do'st thow so reiect?
O why do'st thow prepare for him a rod?
VVith thorny crowne his head why do'st thow presse?
And for his taste a bitter potion dresse.

Sibylla Cumana.

WHat tyme the third dayes sleep hath taken end
The tyme prescry bed also end shal take,
Of death, whose rule to that space did extend,
And then as from his sleep shal wax awake,
Hee whose now bringing liues reuyned ioy,
Shal shew how men from death may lyf enioy.

Sibylla Helispontiaca.

EVen from the heau'ns moste high & stately throne
The eyes of God the earth shal oueruiew,
And of all creatures take regard of one,
Of modest meeknesse, and moste gratious hew:
And as a man God shal bee borne on earth,
And of an hebrew virgin haue his birth.

Sibylla Phrigia.

THe earth shal rent at feareful trumpet sound,
And kinges as vassals at Gods seat appeere,
In iustice all his iudgments shal abound,
Yeilding to men as men deserued heere:
vnto the good, stil during heauenly ioy,
And to the il, long-lasting helles annoy.

Sibylla Tiburtina.

THow Bethlem arte the birth-place of thy Lord,
That doth from Nazareth assume his name,
O blessed moother, blis doth thee affoord,
His loue, that leaues himself pledge of thesame▪
O blessed bee that sweet milk-yeilding brest,
To no wrish God, right happely adrest.
FINIS.

THE FIFTEEN MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARIE, OF OVR BLESSED LADY. • VVHEREOF • The first fyue. are ioyful. , • The second sorowful. , and • And the third glorious.  

The first ioyful mysterie.
Conteyning the Anuntiation of our blessed Lady.

WHen heau'ns rare loue resolued mannes release▪
From thrall to him that first produced sin,
It was decreed that this redeeming peace,
Must by a God and by a man begin,
Then on Ambassage was an Angel sent,
vnto the best of all the best on earth,
VVith grace-ful greeting to declare th'intent,
Of Gods designe in such a sacred berth.
And euen as shee assented to thesame,
Eft-soones in her conception did begin,
And blessednes gaue tytle to her name,
And ioy at her glad hart did enter in.

The second ioyful mysterie.
Conteyning our ladies visitation of S. Elizabeth.

HEr change exchang'd not humblenesse for pryde,
That bore Gods Sonne and yet would go to see,
Her in whose wombe Gods seruant did resyde,
vaine pointes could not with her pure vertue bee.
And as her coosins eares receau'd her voyce,
One chyld by Simpathy the other moued,
VVhich outwardly both moothers made reioyce,
VVhose ioy each chyld by inward ioy approoued,
From virgins mouth the dittie then begun,
How much her soule did magnify her lord,
VVhich since inur'd help-seekers from her sonne
Therein her praise, in his praise to record.

The third ioyful mysterie.
Conteyning the birth of Christe.

AT Ceasars hest to Bethlem shee repaires,
As duty wild, where duty had no claime,
No harbenger her loging there prepares,
Her poore estate fyndes harbor lyke thesame.
But when as God in chyldheid would appere,
Odors and Angels brightnes it adorne,
And with deere loue, her louing babe so deere,
Shee doth adore assoone as it is borne.
High priuilege exempted her from wo,
VVhich but Gods mother none could els obtaine,
And heauenly bounty did on her bestow,
That shee a mayden euer should remaine.

The fourth ioyful mysterie.
Conteyning the presentation of Christe in the temple.

AT tyme prefixt by ryte of auncient lore,
That now the moother must her babe present,
Though not impure, but purer then before,
And purenesse bringing with her where shee went.
As warned then, through hyre of hope and faith,
Good Simeon comes, to see his wished sight,
VVhere as the Swan he singes before his death,
And in one ioy doth end all worlds delight.
And all they yeares old Anne deuoutly spent,
That with her age encreast her godly zeale,
Did now bring ioy vnto her hartes content,
And ioy to all where ioy shee did reueale.

The fift ioyful mysterie.
Conteyning our Ladies fynding of Christe in the temple.

SEquestred loue doth foster grief and ioy,
Twixt feare of losse and hope of happy gaine,
Such was her case that lost her litle Boy,
VVhose ioy reuyn'd in fynding him againe.
In Temple once buylt by the wysest king,
VVhere not til now the wise king took his place,
VVho yet no kingly porte did thether bring,
But wisdome vttred with a chyldish face.
VVith lyke in yeares shee haply might him seek,
But did him fynde with doctors in dispute,
He left repose to fraudlesse myndes and meek,
And took in hand wise folly to confute.

The first sorowful mysterie.
Conteyning the apprehension of Christe.

WO woorth that sorow should succeed to ioy,
Or for the il the good sustaine the smart,
But since the sonne would suffer wronges annoy,
The mother beares her vndeserued parte.
For when as hee destrest in garden prayd,
And bloody sweat ran downe his face amayne,
And Iudas false him Iudasly betrayd,
Lost ioy her left, betrayed vnto payne.
And when with rage the Iewes led him away.
Then anguish her surprys'd and led in thrall,
And all that out wardly on him they lay.
Doth in wardly vnto her hart befall.

The second sorowful mysterie.
Conteyning the scourging of Christe.

T'Apease the rage of causelesse raging Iewes,
false Pylate wild true Christe should scourged bee,
Cryme knew he none, and yet he did refuse,
vnpunished to set the guiltlesse free.
Then was sweet Iesus to a piller tyde,
And helhoundes lasht at his faire tender skin,
Embrude with blood al round on euery syde,
Thinck then how stood th'aquyter of our sin.
And in what sorrow his poore moother stood,
For his great good, their so great il to view,
Her hart bled inward, and distild the blood,
Foorth at her eyes, though altred in the hew.

The third sorowful mysterie.
Conteyning the crowning of Christ with a crowne of thorne.

FOr change of torture not for ease of grief,
The Iewes do from the piller Christe vnlose,
VVhyle his sad mothers hopes of his relief,
Encrease her sorow in his lengthned woes.
For they his dolour to deryde and scorne,
The king of kinges in mockage king do call,
And on his head they fix a crowne of thorne,
And in his hand a reed to rule withall.
Yeilding pure loue impure dispight and hare,
Accursed rebels to a king of grace.
That purchase now the due disgraceful state,
Of their stil kinglesse and contemptuous race.

The fourth sorowful mysterie.
Conteyning Christe his bearing of his Crosse.

WHen Pylat pressed by the Iewish rage,
VVith wrested conscyence gaue the doome of death,
The Iewes made ha'st their fury to aswage,
In the extinguishing lyf-giuers breath.
And his deaths engyne, burthen of his wo,
They make him beare, that him to beare they made.
Him in the way to death to tortur so,
Til they his fainting force, giue forced ayd.
VVel may his mother mourne this to obserue,
That from his burthen lodes her mynd with woes,
And he wel aske what withered stocks deserue?
VVhen fruteful trees are serued so of those.

The fyft sorowful mysterie.
Conteyning the crucifying of Christe.

OH wo is mee at this great end of grief,
Christe is arryued at his dying place,
Lamblyke he standes, bereft of all relief,
Subiect of sorow, vassal of disgrace.
For on his crosse all naked they him nail,
And reare it vp, and wound him in the [...]yde,
VVhich all the blest of heauen do be wayl,
VVhyle of the earth th'accursedst it deryde.
The swoord of sorow peirseth now the hart,
Of his lamenting mother in her dolour moste,
VVhose deere Sonnes sorrow, and surmounting smart,
Now takes an end, in yeilding of his ghoste.

The first glorious mysterie.
Conteyning the resurrection of Christe.

SVbdued sorrow glory now ensues,
For from the crosse the soule of Christ descending▪
Bringes to expecting soules the cheereful newes,
Of heauens entrance, their de [...]ynments ending.
And to his corps his ghoste return'd againe,
Triumphant raiseth it from closed toombe,
Terror vnto the actors of his paine,
VVhose hate, and death, and hel, is ouercome.
And glory that his sorowes now had chased,
Extinguisht wo in his kynde mothers hart,
And glory there and in all others placed,
That of his anguish had sustayned parte.

The second glorious mysterie.
Conteyning the ascention of Christe into heauen.

WHen forty dayes the day had ouerpast,
Of that now lyf that Christe from death had ta­ken,
He did resolue his heauens returne at last,
To leaue the world that had him first forsaken.
And hauing to his mother now appeered,
And also vnto his apostles true.
Confirmd in faith, and in his glory cheered,
On Oliue mount he biddes them all adieu.
And there liftes vp himself to sacred blis,
Th'unworthy world no more him so retaynes,
And all the glory that in heauen is,
To him is yeilded and to him remaynes.

The third glorious mysterie.
Conteyning the coming downe of the holy Ghost.

PLac'd in his throne and glorious chaire of state,
Our louing Lord regardful of o [...] weal,
VVould let no more then ten dayes run their date,
Ere he his keeping promis would reueal.
VVhat tyme his mother and disciples bent,
In secret wyse to inuocate his name,
Down vnto them his holy Ghost he sent,
VVith glorious fyre their hartes for to enflame,
And to conioyne to his Churche now begonne,
That spirit of truthe that euer must it guyde,
In only truthe, whyle shyneth any Sun,
Maugre the woorst, of daunted hellish pryde.

The fourth glorious mysterie.
Conteyning the assumption of our blessed Lady.

WHen hence to parte the virgin did obtayne,
The Hierarchies their due attendance gaue,
To bring her sin-lesse soule to endlesse raigne,
VVhyle saintes on earth brought her pure corps to gra­ue.
VVhich therein laid, and found thence [...]o be tane,
Makes pietie to faith to recomend,
That soone her soule to earth return'd againe,
And tooke her corps and did therewith ascend.
A due prerogatiue, and due alone,
Vnto that body that had borne a chyld,
As neuer did, nor neuer shal do none,
That neuer was with thought of sin defyld.

The fyft glorious mysterie.
Conteyning the coronation of our blessed Lady.

ASsumpted so with soule and corps combyned,
As glorious as at last the blest shal-bee,
And placed in her princely seat asygned,
Lyke [...] woorthy self appeered shee.
And that eternal euer three in one,
There crowned her the highest heauens Queene,
VVhere angels yeilded honor to her throne,
As seemly might to her estate bee seene.
And shee that earst replenisht was with grace,
Now plac'd where grace flowes out in plenties store,
VVhere as shee sees her sonnes most gratious face,
And sues for such as sue to her therefore.

AVE MARIA.

HAil Marie, filled ful of grace,
Our Lord remaines with thee,
And thow among'st thy sexes race,
Remainest blest to bee.
And as thow blessed did'st become,
So did'st thow blessed bring,
The blessed frute that from thy wombe,
So blessedly did spring.
Both now and when wee yeild our ghoste,
To him prefer our case,
Because his mercy lasteth moste,
And thow art ful of grace.

EPITHETES OF OVR BLESSED LADY.

Templum Dei.

WHen God would from the heauēs to earth his progres take,
No pallace there he found, that might him entertaine,
Saue one rare edifice, which earth-quake could not shake,
The woorthiest woork of praise, that might on earth remaine.
Faire court of sanctitie, made holier for his sake,
That thee the Temple made, his presence to conteyne:
O Temple where as God, voutsafed for to bee,
Stil may wee him adore, adoring stil in thee.

Porta Caeli.

WHen grace came frō aboue, then wa'st thou made the gate,
By which it entred heer, & brought the hope of blis,
Which hope in hartes of men, remaineth stil in state,
And stil through faith and loue, aliue preserued is:
Then since thow wa'st the dore, for grace this to relate,
So art thow heauens gate, and wel accordeth this,
That as God vnto men, did thee his entrance make,
Men entrance vnto God, againe by thee may take.

Scale Caeli.

HOw may our heauy load, enclyning to descend,
Ascend vp in the ayre, beyond the egles flight,
Except by such a guyde, as wil assistance lend,
And can from step to step, direct the passage right:
Or rather her owne self, vs better to defend,
The ladder wil become, that scaleth heauens height,
By whose degrees of grace, to blis we may attaine,
And in our mounting vp, not to fall downe againe.

Electa vt Sol.

BRaue ornament of heau'n, and comforter of kynde,
Of whome the shyning Sun, doth but the shadow seeme,
Which as it is elect, and hath his place assygn'd,
Aboue the planets all in earthly eyes esteeme,
Aboue all sainctes to thee, is woorthely resygn'd,
The seat in supreame blis, that best doth thee beseeme,
Where thy faire beauteous face, no foggy cloudes can hyde,
But chosen there by grace, in beauty do'st abyde.

Pulchra vt Luna.

WHen Ph [...]bus fyrie steedes, in compassing the ground,
Leaue night behynde their backs, til they againe returne,
Then that there should some light, in darcknes yet be found,
Faire Phobe staies behynde, supplying Ph [...]bus turne:
Where shee through borrowed light, in beauty doth abound,
And cheers therewith the earth, that might in darcknes mourne,
So thy faire influence, faire Cynthia vs extend,
Which thy most bounteous sonne, doth thee most freely lend.

Stella Maris.

BRight shyning star by sea, in lands abandon'd fight▪
At once apparent seene, on either syde the spherre,
The goodly guyd of all, and guyding all aright,
That in this raging sea, ensue thy brightnes cleer:
And bending not there cours to such illuding light,
As may mislead to wrack, ear danger do apeer,
For thy direction leades, vnto the porte of rest,
Those guyded by thy self, whose guydance is the best.

Ciuitas Dei.

FAire Citie stately buylt, by singular deuyce,
Of that great Architeckt who is of greatest arte,
With all those goodly stones that are esteem'd of pryce,
Which to this fairest woork, their fairnesse do conuert:
And through far aquaducts, from springes of paradise,
The waters thether led, which do refresh the hart,
And to octroy this towne, with all-surpassing fame,
The buylder here himself, a Citizen became.

Turris Dauid.

HIgh Tower of stately porte, and far to be descry'd,
And far from thence againe, the world about to view,
It self the centinel, that therein doth abyde,
To giue aduyce of foes, or danger to ensue:
Wel furnisht for defence, for e'ury tyme and tyde,
For there a thowsand sheilds are hanging on a rew,
Not weapons of offence, but for defence to bee,
Of all such innocents, as from oppression flee.

Nauis Institoris.

IF certitude of gaine, may stit the searching mynde,
To venter in the ship, from whence misfortunes flee,
That gouerneth the [...]yde, and doth comaund the wynde,
And speedely returnes, with goodes that pretious bee,
The barck of blis is shee, and fortunate by kynde,
With grace shee fraighted is, and is of custome free,
Taking but for her hyre, and her inritching trade,
Loue of deuoted myndes, that rich by her are made.

Puteus Aquarum.

CLeere wel that ouerflowes, with water fresh and fyne,
More pure then vnicorne, could water euer make,
Made by the hand of him, that water turn'd to wyne,
Who giuing it the force, dry sorrow to aslake,
Made that it neuer should, to any drought enclyne,
But that at all assaies, men might refreshing take,
And oure their healthes decay, in deadly agonies,
Since from the flud of lyf, the issue doth atise.

Quasi plantatio Rosae in Iericho.

EV'n as the fragrant Rose, on prickling stalk doth grow,
In fairnesse and sweet smel, and vertue to bee seene,
And woorthyest to be worne, and wel beseeming so,
In place of diademe, in garland of a Queene,
So thow which heau'n did once, on bryry earth bestow,
In fairnes, smel, and force, and burgeo [...]s euer greene,
Shew'st that this goodly flower, may thy resemblance bee,
Saue in his vading kynde, which cannot bee in thee.

Lilium Conualium.

THe litle lilly flower, that groweth in the dale,
Leaues not in low degree, sweet fairnes for to shew,
Which Salomon himself, could neuer counteruaile,
With all his gorgeous cost, he lyked to bestow;
So thow sweet smelling flower, whome sorrowes did assaile
And worldes esteeme debase, to fortune that was low,
Did'st not therefore restraine, the splendure of thy face,
Nor now from heauen to earth, the greatnes of thy grace.

Flos Campi.

THe faire flower of the feild, the dayes-eye doth apere,
When thence al flowers besyde, retyre and vade away,
For to this only slower, doth each month of the yeare,
For comely beauties cause, become the month of may,
Bnt that dayes-eye in deed, which doth all seasons cheere,
And keepes her beauty stil, which no tyme can decay,
The dayes-eye is of day, where night may neuer bee,
And thow celestial flower thy self art only shee.

Lilium inter Spinas.

AMiddes a gard of thorne, this goodly lilly grew,
Defended from the foe, that would it faine deface,
Who neere it to aproche, the entrance neuer knew,
With poison to infect, where filth had neuer place,
Yet such might bee the hate, that heeron did ensue,
That hee reseru'd reuenge, vnto succeeding space,
What tyme a crowne of thorne, the sonnes head did sustaine,
To make the mothers hart, be pricked with the payne.

Quasi Cedrus.

LYke as the Cedar doth, her nurs Libantis hil,
Pay with begotten fame, of her deere nowrishing,
In that so talle a tree, as all trees doth excel,
Moste stately there doth stand, in verdure flourishing:
And doth through sauor sweet, serpents away expel,
So that high tree of blis, that from the earth did spring,
Vnto the earth againe, her sweetnesse doth extend,
Il thinges to driue a way, that may the good offend.

Quasi Palma.

THrough burden of thy grief, long did'st thow liue deprest,
Part-bearer of the wo, thy deere sonne did sustaine,
But as it was a grief, to see him so destrest,
Loue made it seeme some ioy to help to beare his payne:
Yet grief had neuer force, so far thee to molest,
That thow did'st vertue want, thy courage to maintaine,
No more then is the palme, deprest by heauy waight,
Who doth thereby the more, endeuour to bee straight.

Quasi Cypressus.

LYke to the Cypres tree, on holy Sion hil,
That faire and vncorrupt, in vigour doth endure,
And with sweet smelling breath, her neere aprocher fil,
And doth for Temples yeild, her timber euer pure,
So on that sacred mount, thow arte remaining stil,
And in that Temple wrought, whence grace men must procure,
And where aproching soules, do thy sweet sent rec [...]aue,
And where no su [...]er thow, do'st vnrelieued leaue.

Quasi Oliua.

WHen earths foule face of sin, might not the heauen see,
The waters all did hyde, that vnto earth pertayn'd,
Except the Arck wherein, few were reserued free,
There to expect the tyme, that mercie might be gayn'd,
From whence the hopeful Noe, a pigeon did let flee,
Who by an Oliue branch, brought newes that hope remayn'd,
So thow the Oliue tree, whereout our ioy did spring,
Becam'st the signe of ioy, and ioy it self did'st bring.

Quasi Platanus.

LYke as the goodly plane, doth beautify the feild,
And far her root extend, more stedfast for to stay,
To make her farspred boughes refreshful shadow yeild,
For trauelers repose, in hotest tyme of day,
So thow exalted art, of heauen to be beheld,
Where in assured state, thy boughes thow do's [...] desplay,
To the refreshful shade, of trauelers desyre,
That pas in dangers dread, of soule afflicting fyre.

Hortus Conclusus.

MOste pleasant garden plot, true Paradise of praise,
Erected in the roome, of Paradise of iore,
But yet that garden far, exceeding sundry wayes,
As perfect second woorkes, exceed things wrought before:
All closely wall'd about, inmolate it stayes,
No serpent can get in, nor shal for euermore,
All goodly flowers and fru [...]s, here in perfection grow,
Vertue on stockes of grace, hath them engraffed so.

Fons signatus.

PVre [...]ountaine surely seald, from each infectious thing.
Whose water doth exceed, the taste of Nectar sweet,
And in two milk-whyte streames, did issue out and spring,
And for one only taste, allowed to bee meet,
Who by diuineful power, did to it vertue bring,
That turn'd it to a red, whose colour could not fleet,
And taken from thy brest, did yeild it from his syde,
To salue the sinnes of men, when on the crosse hee dy'd.

Speculum sine Macula.

CLeere christal earst conseald, in rock of heauens height,
Was fram'd into a glas, to mirrour vertues face,
Whence lookers on receaue, conseruatiue of sight,
And can no spot espy, to make it beare disgrace:
But serueth as a booke, and moueth much delight,
By purenesse therein seen, impurenesse to deface,
And sacred was the skil, that pullisht it so cleere,
That through it vnto men, saluation did appeere.

L'enuoy.

LEt not offence mistake dispraising this my praise,
As to dispraise the same, in deeming it too much,
Whose woorth demaundeth more, of duty many wayes▪
And doth deserue dispraise, in that it is not sutch,
But since deuotion hath, afforded these assayes,
Let not vncaus'd offence, all causelesse seeme to grutch,
For heau'n did by behest, most blessed her ordayne,
And shee ordayn'd her praise, successyue to remaine.
FINIS.

OVR BLESSED LADIES LVLLABY.

Vpon my lap my soueraigne sit [...],
And sucks vpon my brest,
Meane whyle his loue sustaines my lyf,
And giues my body rest.
Sing lullaby my litle boy,
Sing lullaby my liues ioy.
VVhen thow ha'st taken thy repast,
Repose (my Babe) on mee,
So may thy moother and thy nurs
Thy cradle also bee.
Sing lullaby my litle boy,
Sing lullaby my liues ioy.
I grieue that duty doth not woork
All what my wishing would,
Because I would not bee to thee
But in the best I should,
Sing lullaby my litle boy,
Sing lullaby my liues ioy.
Yet as I am and as I may
I m [...]st and [...]lbe thyne,
Though all to [...] [...]ot thy self,
Vout [...]af [...]g to be myne▪
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
My vits my woords, my deeds, my thoughts,
And els what is in mee,
I rather wil not wish to vse,
If not in seruing thee.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
My babe, my blis, my chyld, my choyce,
My frute my flower, and bud,
My Iesus, and my only ioy,
The somme of all my good.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
My sweetnesse and the sweetest moste,
That heauen could earth deliuer,
Soule of my loue, spirit of my lyf,
Abyde with mee for euer.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Liue stil with mee, and bee my loue,
And death wil mee refraine.
Vnlesse thow let mee dy with thee,
To liue with the againe.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Leaue now to waile thow lucklesse wight,
That wrough'st thy races woe,
Redresse is found, and foiled is,
Thy frute-aluring foe.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Thy frute of death from Paradise
Made thee exyled mourne,
My frute of lyf to Paradise
Makes ioyful thy returne.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Grow vp good frute, bee nowrisht by
These fountaines two of mee,
That only flow with maidens milk,
The only meat for thee.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
The earth is now a heau'n become,
And this base bower of myne
A princely pallas vnto mee,
My Sonne doth make to shyne,
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
His sight giues cleerenesse to my sight,
VVhen waking I him see,
And sleeping his myld countenance
Giues [...]auour vnto mee.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
VVhen I him in myne armes embrace
I feel my harte imbraced,
Eu'n by the inward grace of his,
VVhich hee in mee hath placed.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
And when I kis his louing lips
Then his sweet smelling breath
Doth yeild a sauor to my soule,
That feedes loue hope and faith.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
The shepheards left their keeping sheep,
For ioy to see my lambe,
How may I more reioyce to see,
My self to bee the dam.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Three Kinges their treasures hether brought,
Of incense myrh and gold,
The heauens treasure and the King
That here they might behold,
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
One sorte an Angel did direct,
A star did guyde the other,
And all the fairest sonne to see
That euer had a mother.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
This sight I see, this chyld I haue,
This infant I embrace,
O endlesse comfort of the earth,
And heau'ns eternal grace.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Thee sanctitie her self doth serue,
Thee goodnesse doth attend,
Thee blessednesse doth wait vpon,
And vertues all comend,
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Great Kinges and Prophets wished haue,
To see that I possesse,
Yet wish I neuer thee to see,
If not in thankfulnesse.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Let heauen, and earth, & saintes, & men,
Assistance giue to mee,
That all their moste occurring ayd
Augment my thankes to thee.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
And let th'ensuing blessed race
Thow wilt succeeding raise,
Ioyne all their praises vnto myne.
To multiply thy praise.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.
And take my seruice wel in woorth,
And Iosephs heere with mee,
VVho of my husband beares the name,
Thy seruant for to bee.
Sing lullaby, &c.
Sing lullaby, &c.

A REPREHENSION OF THE REPREHENDING of our ladies praise.

FY foule contempt of self-defyling breath.
That dar'st disgorge, gainst so great puritie.
The poisson issued from defect of faith,
To serue to witnes thy impietie.
VVhence can it come but from infernal hat [...]
That earth-bred wretches are become to brag,
As Gods owne mothers glorie to abate,
To call and compt her but a saffron bag.
Or that a [...]il the subiect vnto sin
Dare equalize her self as good as shee,
In whome no thought impure hath euer bin,
Or least of purenesse-want might euer bee.
No Saint or Angel euer taught them this,
For heauen did her entytle ful of grace,
And her conception of the king of blis
Her high regard comends to eu'ry race.
Her self of her owne praise was prophetesse,
And of the races that should it conserue,
Needes must they then her euer-praise professe
That loue and law enuyteth to obserue.
The honor to a mother such as shee
To such a sonne must argue greater loue,
VVhich may not vnto him offensiue bee,
In whome kynde loue can it no lesse approoue.
But hatred of her laud may neuer grow
Of zeale that loue vnto her sonne may raise,
Nor can the chyld his loue on such bestow,
As kindle hatred at the mothers praise.
He which is mighty her hath magnifyde,
Let faithful then her euer magnify,
VVhyle the vnfaithful in conceit abyde,
Of doing wel her praises to deny.
And let performance of her woorthy praise,
Of her praise-yeilding race remaine the signe,
That so the blame that for it others raise,
Become the marck of their dissenting lyne.
And let contempt of her with such abyde,
As pay in hel the tribute of their pryde.

THE TRIVMPHE OF feminyne Saintes.

THe trump of fame soundes foorth the factes,
Of wel-deseruing wights:
And kinges with honor do reward,
The seruice of their knights.
Of such therefore I ceas to sing,
My song of such to frame:
VVhose meed restes in no princes power,
Nor praise in earthly fame.
And of the sexe of woman kynde,
Though not of those of yore:
VVith seared brests against their foes,
That warlyke armour wore.
But such as armed were with faith,
Against soul-killing euil:
And did in combat ouercome,
The flesh, the world, and deuil.
And for thy loue o Iesu Christe,
And glorie of thy name:
That found no woes to bee endur'd,
But did endure thesame.
Their faith did bring them to endure,
Endurance blis did bring:
In blis they now do sing to thee,
Now here of them I sing.
Vnheard it was in earth before,
Vnsounded foorth by [...]ame:
Vnknowne that ere in silly sexe
Such resolution came.
Til wil and vertue did conioyne,
In choise of chiefest good:
And grace gaue ayd, & faith gain'd force,
And nothing it withstood.
As Teela first example giues,
VVhome fyre could not annoy:
And beares and lions left vnhurt,
Each other to destroy.
Fierce rigour woorking rigours ruth,
No hurt the hurtlesse fynde:
Yet shee a martres is estem'd,
That martred was in mynde.
Euphemia throwne to sauage beastes,
By men of beastly mood:
Found beastes deuoyd of sauagenesse,
And men more thirsting blood.
And all the torments that shee had,
To her not seemed payne:
But when a swoord transpearst her corps,
True glory was her gayne.
The noble Anastatia,
Poore christians did relieue:
VVhose heath nish husband her therefore,
Vnkyndely did agrieue.
But when the swoord and cruel death,
Did her from thralle release:
The heau'ns her freedome did restore,
VVith endlesse ioy and peace.
Besydes this Anastatia,
A martres and a wyf:
Two virgins of lyke name and faith,
Lost each lyke wise their lyf.
The elder that most paynes endur'd,
Most is her glory spred:
That losing first, paps, handes and feet,
Did lastly lose her head.
Mylde Dorothey endured much,
And dy'd by dint of swoord:
VVhose suffrance did her loue approue,
To her deere louing Lord.
Shee dead, to him
Th [...]-phil [...].
sweet roses sent,
That dying did her scorne:
VVhich moued him her to ensue,
That els had bene forlorne.
Erasma in her faiths defence,
Did wade through many a wo:
Vntil the hedsman ended all,
In his death-bringing blow.
And with this virgin, virgins three,
Did gladly yeild to die:
So selling lyf at rate of death,
Vndying lyf to buy.
Seraphia her setled loue,
To Christe was so entyre:
That strokes with cudgels shee sustaind,
And burning flames of fyre.
And last of all, her lyf and all,
For his deere loue shee left:
And gaynd an euer-lyuing lyf,
In steed of that was reft.
Sabi [...]a nobly did ensue,
Seraphia noble dame:
Yet nobler either in their actes,
Then only in there name.
Refusing of vngodly gods,
The seruice to fulfil:
Shee rather yeilded to the swoord,
Then to the pagans wil.
As Authia the woes beheld,
VVhich were by tyrants donne:
Vnto the constant Bishop
Eleuth [...] ­rius.
,
Her so wel-beloued sonne.
Shee ioy'd to haue so good a chyld,
For Christe to suffer smart:
But when with him shee strangled was,
Then ioyed moste her hart.
Affra in turning vnto Christe,
Turn'd from a lyf impure:
And for his loue the fyres fierce flame,
VVas willing to endure.
And to a stake when shee was ty'd,
Eu'n as the fyre was made:
I giue the thankes o God for this,
This glorious martres said.
Sincere was Simphorosas faith,
As did by deedes appeere:
In gayning vnto her belief,
Her spouse and children deere.
And with her husband to accord,
And sonnes in number seauen:
To liue in Christe to dy for Christe,
To loue and liue in heauen.
Fides and Spes and Charitas,
Borne of S [...]p [...] sage.
Rype in their faith and forti [...]d [...],
Though greene in yeares of age.
VVere whipped, thrust in boyling pitche,
And hedded afterward:
VVhose woorth the world of right admyres,
And heauen doth reward.
VVhen blest Blandina had the rack,
And sundry tortures past:
Vnto a bul wrapt in a net,
Shee was with fury caste.
And when of this so feirce a beast,
No harme shee could receaue:
Then with the swoord, men woors then beastes.
Did her of lyf bereaue.
Potamina a noble Dame,
VVas with her mother
Marcel­la.
brent:
VVhen fearing-threates nor [...]uries [...]orce,
Might moue her to relent.
Shee beeing dead to him
Basili­des.
app [...]rd,
That her did ayd in death:
VVhereby he turning vnto Christe,
VVas martred for h [...]s faith.
Thryce happy was Felicitas,
Tha [...] happely did see:
Her sonnes her sayinges to ensue,
And of her faith to bee.
And for the same by diuers deathes,
A deathles lyf renew:
VVhich by the swoord shee lastly gaynd,
And so did them [...].
The mayd Martina beeing led
Appollo [...] adore:
The Idol of it self fel downe,
As shee it came before.
A Lion vnto her they put,
Her body they did wound:
And by the swoord her lyf shee lost,
And lyf thereby shee found.
To offer to the Idol Gods,
Cecilia did refuse:
And contumelies, paynes, and death,
Contented was to chuse.
And in a skalding caldron cast,
And thryce strook with the swoord:
Attayning so vnto the ioyes,
The heauens do affoord.
Faire Agatha in beautie rare,
And welth did both abound:
But vertue which is more of woorth,
Might more in her be found.
Vnhurt on Irons hot shee stood,
Cut of were both her paps:
Her lyf shee left, and gayned blis,
So ending al mishaps.
The loyal Appollonia.
VVithstood the pagan lawes:
For which with violence her teeth,
VVere torne from out her iawes.
And when for her a burning fyre,
The helhoundes did prouyde,
Into the same shee went her self,
And constantly shee dy'd.
Russi [...] and Sec [...]n [...] both,
Sisters and virgins were:
Both liuing in the loue of God,
And dying in his feare.
From sundry sorrowes which they [...],
The swoord did them release:
And lyf and ioy foorth with began,
As wo and death did cease.
Basilia hauing fixt her loue,
VVhere loue is best beloued:
Tooke no regard of carnal loue,
By fond affection moued.
To Christe shee vowed chastitie,
And beeing forc'd to chuse
A heathens loue, or losse of lyf,
To liue shee did refuse.
Eugenia woorthy wel her name,
Not of Dianaes traine:
To offer therefore did refuse,
Vnto her Idol vaine.
Shee drowned not ty'd to a stone,
And in the Tiber cast:
But on a Christmas day to Christ,
By dint of swoord shee past.
Concordia with the heauens in peace,
And with the earth at stryf:
VVith blowes was beaten vnto death,
And ended so her lyf.
Vnited fast in faith and hope,
And Charities accord:
Shee died here in perfect p [...]ace,
And so liues with her lord.
Pure Margares a prised pearle,
For Christe himself to buy:
In tender yeares imbrac'd his loue,
A [...] for his law did die.
The diuelish dragon burst in twain [...],
That ment her to destroy:
Her death and sorrowes here but short,
Brought lyf and lasting ioy.
Columbae sixteene yeares of age,
Resolu'd a chaste intent:
VVhose vow to Christe a loose yongman,
To violate was sent.
But him a sauage beare had slaine,
Had shee not stayd the force:
A virgin martres so shee dyde,
And hee obtayn'd remorce.
Theodosia martirs did salute,
As at the bar they stood:
And prayd them pray for her to him,
For whome they shed there blood.
For which the ireful iudge ordaynd,
To teare her brests a way:
And to rent open both her sydes,
And cast her in the sea.
Sweet Catharin belou'd of Christe,
To Christe was constant seene:
In leauing for his only loue,
To bee a crowned Queene.
Yet crownd shee was with martyrdome,
VVhen torments from her fled:
And Angels bore her ghoste to blis.
VVhen shee had lost her hed.
The true belieuing Barbara,
Fals Gods would not adore:
And lost her fathers woorthlesse loue,
For Christ his loue and lore:
Strange torments hee on her impos'd,
And in straight prison hild:
And lastly her his only chyld,
VVith his owne handes he kild.
Yong Agnes aged thirteen yeares
In Christe repos'd her trust:
A [...]d not for fauour nor for force,
VVould yeild to ought vniust.
No harme shee had, when in the fyre,
Shee throwne was by her foes:
And with a swoord thrust through her neck,
VVere ended all her woes.
Christina faire and noble mayd,
Did vnto Christe obey:
For which shee [...]y'd vnto a stone,
VVas caste into the sea.
But Angels ayded her to land,
VVhere shee more woes did taste:
And as an arrow strake her hart,
Her soule to heauen paste.
VVhen Fausta in her faithful mynde,
Resolued did remaine:
The Idol priest wild with a saw,
To cut her corps in twain.
But when he saw it hurt her not,
Hee in her faith affied:
And comfort from the heauens receau'd,
VVith her when as he dyed.
[...]udelia many did conuert,
Vnto her lordes belief:
VVhich in the Persian pagans did
Enkindle irefull grief.
Vnto the Sun shee would not pray,
Nor yet the fyre adore:
And had the skin flead from her face,
And lastly dy'd therefore.
Sout Iuli [...]na did endure.
The torments of the euil:
And did in combat ouercome,
Th'accursed cruel deuil.
And after all her conquests gaynd,
Then gayned shee renowne:
For by the swoord vnto her due,
Remaynd a martirs crowne.
Victoria wel might called bee,
That woorthy mynded mayd:
That in her self subdued sin,
VVith courage vndismayd.
And gayned virgins vnto Christ,
And actes of woonder wrought:
And did by martirdome attain,
The garland that shee sought.
Because the Idoles to adore,
Lucia did refuse:
Shee threatned was shee should bee thrust,
Into the comon stewes.
No no quoth shee; the mynd beeing pure,
The body is vnstaynd:
Then with the swoord shee martrid was,
And glorie so shee gaynd.
To Fortunata for her faith,
Much euil did betyd:
VVho fyrie flames & fierce beastes claw [...],
VVas willing to abyde.
And tortures and lim-stre [...]ching [...]ack,
From whence her sauiour pleased:
To cal her blessed soule to blis,
VVhere with her woes were eased.
Febronia with resolued force,
For chastitie and faith:
Endur'd with patience to the end,
The woorst of tyrants wrath.
The rack, the fyre, and rods, shee felt,
Teeths losse, and either brest,
And with the swoord all losse of wo,
And gaine of lasting rest.
Macra a mayd of heauenly mynde,
No earthly thinges did moue:
For prison, fyre, nor losse of brests,
Might not her faith remoue.
All naked o're hot-sheards of pots,
Her body rolled was:
VVhyle shee in praying vnto God,
To paradise did pas.
Z [...]a a glorious martyrs
Nicostr [...]tus.
wyf
Before the aulter prayd:
VVhere-vnder blest saint P [...]ters bones,
The faithful had conuayd.
And for this fact surprised then,
VVas hanged on a tree:
Both by her he [...], and by her neck,
And so her crowne had shee.
Charitina with fyre annoyd,
And cast into the seas:
Came foorth and had no hurt at all▪
Nor feeling▪ of vnease.
Then were her handes and feet cut of,
But he whome shee did loue:
Eu'n as shee prayd, receau'd her ghoste,
Into his ioyes aboue.
Eulalia ardent in her zeal,
Vnto her louing lord:
To suffre torments many wayes,
Most midly did accord.
And lastly in the burning fyre,
Lauding his holy name:
To him her soule shee sacryfys'd,
And died in the [...]lame.
The lyke in loue the lyke in zeal,
In some succeeding space:
A second good Eulali [...] was,
A lyke endu'd with grace.
The rack she felt, and sundry grieues,
The last; of lyf the losse:
VVhen foes of Christe, for faith of Christe,
Did naile her on a crosse.
VVhyle Emer [...]i [...]na. yet
was taught in Christian lore,
Her foster-sister [...] tombe,
Shee prayd, and kneeld, before.
And taken at this martres tombe,
A martres shee was made:
And vnto happy heauen [...] ioyes,
Her ghoste straight was conueyd.
Chaste Theodora to the stewes,
To be deflowred led:
Gat thence in habyt of a youth,
That stayd there in her sted.
But for this fact, & for his faith,
VVhen hee was led to death:
Shee came and yeilded vp her self,
And with him yeilded breath.
Crispina of renowmed race,
Did by her vertues mynde,
More honour in her self atchiue,
Then came to her by kynde.
Shee would vnto the Idol Gods,
No sacrifise affoord:
But yeided for her Lord and God,
Her neck vnto the swoord.
Susanna of a woorthy stock,
VVas of as woorthy fame,
As shee that false defamed was,
And first did beare her name.
Shee Christe his seruants did relieue,
And liued in his lore:
And for the same shee lost her head,
And gayned heauen therefore.
Imprisned Leocadia long.
Did for her faith remayne:
VVhose faithful mynde remained free,
In moste afflicting payne.
Til God at length for her release,
Her ghoste tooke thence away:
Her suffrance by a martirs crowne,
In glory to repay.
The virgin Bibiana was,
Establisht in belief:
VVhich faithlesse foes could not subuert,
By guerdon nor by grief.
So long her body lashed was.
VVith knotted whips with lead:
That her sweete soule to heauen past,
And left it lying dead.
Euphrasia with more maidens chaste,
In place vnchaste was placed:
But hee their puritie preseru'd,
That purely him embraced.
Then by their death-contryuing-crue,
Stones to their nectes were bound,
And so into the water cast,
The innocentes were drown'd.
Antonia had her tender limmes
Beyond all measure payned,
And three dayes hanged by one arme,
Moste constant stil remayned.
And two yeares hauing prisned bene,
Receau'd at last her hyre,
VVhat tyme her soule her body left
Consuming in the fyre.
Lucretia, not that Lucres once
VVhich did her self destroy,
Did for true faith and faithful loue,
Beare wrongful griefes annoy.
The one in earth her glory left,
The other in heauen and earth:
Because more woorthy was the cause,
VVhy shee endured death.
VVith tearing hookes and iron combes,
VVas Tatiana torne:
Cointha trayld along the streetes,
Her flesh from bones was worne.
Paula that gathred martyrs blood,
Her owne for Christ did shed:
Crescentia for her faith to Christ,
VVas thrust in boyling lead.
Corona torne betwene two trees,
Her crowne in blis did fynde:
As did Cirilla when shee left,
Her bleeding corps behynde.
Balbina daughter to a saint
S. [...]
,
Her fathers steps did trace:
And Aquilina by her death,
Did deathlesse lyf embrace.
Helconis that great grief endur'd,
Did lastly lose her h [...]d:
Calliopa her scortched corps,
Left with tormentors dead.
Felicula by tortur kild,
And Paula ston'd to death:
And with the swoord Constantia,
Constantly [...]yeilded breath.
Regina many paynes endur'd,
Heau'ns diademe to gayne:
Mustiola did suffer wo,
For gayning ioyes againe.
Irene that good bookes did hyde,
Her lyf for Christe bestowed:
Dominica that Idoles brake,
By death her feruour shewed.
Dafrosa that to martirdo [...]e,
Her husband
Fabi [...].
hath ensued:
And Marciona with whose blood,
The wyld beastes were imbrued.
Mannea that with her three sonnes,
And with her husband dy'd:
Valeria saint Vitals wyf,
Gainst death her courage tryd.
Pelagia in a brazen Ox
Red hot, aliue was thrust:
Anthusia throwne into a wel,
To please the tirants lust.
Maxima vnto cruel death,
VVith cudgels beaten was:
Agathoclia lost her toung,
Ere shee to blis did pas.
Blanda with her deer husband dyd▪
VVhose heddes on stakes on hic:
Through pagan pollicy were set,
Christians to terrify.
VVith Leonis and Libia,
The faithful sisters twaine,
Eutropia twelue yeares old [...]ndur'd,
Death and moste deadly payne.
The vertuous virgin Sophia.
Cornelia loyal euer:
Albina and Asteria,
Did vnto death perseuer.
Prisca and L [...]oc [...]itia,
Martha and Anto [...]ina:
VVith Leonilla▪ of that lore,
And setled Secund [...]a.
Sebastiana whome saint Paule,
Did bring to Christe his loue:
And Reparata (dead) whose ghoste,
Ascended lyke a doue.
Faire Flora and Maria both,
And Fla [...]ia Do [...]itilla:
Good Dula and Demetria,
Gaudentia and Lucilla.
VVith Alexandra six besyde,
For Christe their blood haue spent:
And Ciriaca and fy [...]e more,
VVith bodies rac'd and rent.
VVith other martyresses twelue,
Theodosia went to heauen:
Eu'n as at S [...]irna for that cause,
Dy'd holy virgins seauen.
Six that were called Cand [...]da,
Gaue beauty to that name.
More fairer far then [...]t self [...]ound,
Doth signify the same.
Some maried were and some were maydes,
Their suffrance sundry wayes:
There cause all one, their only king,
Did all to glorie raise.
Seauen of the name of Iulia,
Did one of them ensue:
VVhereby eight martirs glorious crownes,
To this one name is due.
And of the name Iustina fyue,
As of Pelagia were?
Of Martiana there were three,
VVhose count Valer [...] beare.
Of this most glorious troop and ranck,
Of martrid woomen-kynde:
I shal not nede to recon mor [...],
Thoughe many more I fynd,
For euen as these, rehearsed here,
There crosse with Christ sustayn'd:
So did the rest, and all with Christ,
Al glory haue obtayn'd.
In sundry regions of the earth,
Ful many more besyde,
For faith, for vow, for zeal to Christ [...],
Ful gloriously haue dyde.
Chaste VV [...]n [...]frid did feele of death,
The bloody stroke and sting.
As Dymp [...]a of her father did,
A pagan Irish King.
VVith soule and body vndefyld,
In endlesse lyf to raigne:
Good Vrsula, and all her troop,
Endured to be slaine,
And C [...]rdula that hid her self,
Her lyf thereby to saue▪
Came foorth and yeilded vnto death,
Her lyf thereby to haue.
To bring the number in accomp [...],
Vnable is my skil:
Of all such glorious martirs names,
And their endured il.
But in the Lambe his booke of lyf,
No one omitted is:
Nor no one wo that they sustaynd▪
Vnrecompenst in bli [...].
No more then their formenter [...] misse,
Their iust reward in hel:
For each inflicted grief and smart,
VVherewith they them did quel.
Exyl'd those wretches are from heaue [...],
And odious dead in earth:
Yet in helles horror neuer dy,
Though euer feeling death.
Meane whyle, the chosen saintes of God,
In heauen euer liue:
And euer glorie vnto him,
In all reioysing giue.
Al clad in whyte for puritie,
Each with a golden crowne:
And bearing palmes of victory,
As enseignes of renowne.
No eye hath seene, no eare hath heard,
No hart of man conceaued:
No sight, no sound, no thought of ioy,
As now they haue receaued.
All griefes are now extinguished,
All sorrowes haue [...]n end:
No teares can fall from weeping eyes,
Nor sighes from hart ascend.
O g [...]orio [...] troop, whose praise the heau'ns,
VVith melodie refou [...] [...]
Accept that wee as c [...]coes here,
Yeild noise vnto the sound.
And when for your true followed faith,
VVee any wo sustaine:
Our constant suffrance of the same,
Voutsafe of God obtayne.

Deo gratiae.

A RESEMBLANCE OF MARTYRS.

BEfore the craggy flint
Meetes with the hardned steel,
It seemes not to conteyne,
The vertue it conteynes,
But when it doth the stroke
Of swift encountring feel,
Eu'n then the force appeers,
That hid in it remaines,
Right so resolued myndes,
Through wicked fortunes wheel,
Encountring with mis [...]ap,
And feeling bitter paynes.
Make fyre of sacred Ioue,
From ardent zeal proceed:
VVhich mounting vp to heau'n,
Doth all the Starres exceed.

TE DEVM LAVDAMVS, OR The song of S. Ambrose, & S. Augustyne.

TO thee O God wee praises giue,
VVee thee our Lord confesse
Eternal father, all the earth,
Adores thy woorthynesse.
The Angels, heau'ns, & heau'nly powers,
Yeild praises all to thee:
The Cherubinnes, and Scraphinnes,
Sound out incessantly.
O holy, holy, holy, Lord.
O God of Sabaoth,
Thy glorious maiesty repleates,
The earth and heauen both.
To thee the quyre so glorious,
Of thy Apostles all,
To thee the number woorthy-praise,
Of prophets cry and cal.
The army of thy martirs bright,
Thy praises do expresse:
Thy holy Church through-out the earth,
Doth thee o Lord confesse.
Father of endlesse Maiestie,
Thy only Sonne withal,
Together with the Holy Ghost,
Comforter of vs all.
Thow King of glorie arte O Christe,
And ere the earth begonne,
Thow of thy father did'st remaine,
His euer beeing Sonne.
Thy willingnesse man to releas,
Made thee in earth to come:
And for that cause not to abhor,
Thy maiden-mothers woombe.
And when the sting of cruel death,
By the was vanuisht quyght,
Thow opned'st then thee realme of blis,
To each belieuing wight.
In glorie of the father thow,
Do'st sit at Gods right hand:
VVee hold thee for the iudge by whome,
Our causes must bee skand.
VVee humbly therefore thee desyre,
Voutsafe thy seruants ayd:
Of whome with thy moste pretious blood,
The ransomes thow ha'st paid.
O make that wee rewarded bee,
VVith thy deer saintes in blis:
Eu'n with thy glory and thy grace,
VVhich euer during is.
Thy people and thyne heritage,
O Lord saue and defend:
And gouerne them, and stil their praise,
In altitude extend.
And from offending thee by sin,
This day do thow vs saue:
And mercy haue on vs O Lord,
Lord on vs mercy haue.
And as our trust in thee hath bene,
Such let thy mercy bee:
Confounded let mee not become,
That hoped haue in thee.

HOVV GOD IN ALL AGES hath bin serued with Sacrifise.

Sacrificium sub lege Naturae.

WHen God created man, and rule vnto him gaue,
Of creatures all on earth, and eu'ry earthly thing,
And knowlege of his God, did in his hart engraue,
Subiection so to know, vnto his soueraigne King:
Then for to know and yeild, what homage hee would haue,
Nature by her instinckt, vnto his mynde did bring,
And Sacrifise it was, and well accepted than,
Thus mannes adoring God, with sacrifise began.

Sacrificium sub lege Moyses.

VVHen frō the hows of thralle, through ayd of heau'uly might
Gods people were led foorth, by Moysis then their guyd,
For this new freedome found, it rested that of right,
God with augmented thankes, must now bee gratifyde:
And him to honor more, in more then wonted plight,
Old Sacrifise was now, with new rytes beautifyde,
So for more good receau'd, more gratitude did rise,
Which still to God was don, in doing sacrifise.

Sacrificium sub lege Euangelica.

VVHen Gods dere Sonne from heau'n, did vnto earth desced,
Lost loue of God againe, for mannes release to win,
Himself in sacrifise, blood-sacrifise did end,
When his high prised blood, did satisfy for sin:
But since Gods seruice must on sacrifise depend,
He chang'd, not took away, what faith did first begin,
And did ordaine himself, in Sacramental wise
To bee to God for man, a soueraigne sacrifise,

SAINT PEETERS COMFORT.

EV'n there where sin, my silly soule defyld,
Shame bad mee hy, and seeke to hyde my face,
Foule face of myne, that that faire face behild,
And could my so wel knowing it out face,
And make himself eu'n whome I did deny,
True witnes, vnto my fals periury.
I scarsly was gon foorth out of the halle,
VVhen sorrow straight my soule did apprehend,
Poore soule of myne, deseruer of thy thralle,
VVhose fault no manner skuses can defend,
Only vnfayned teares, told my destresse
And with my grief declar'd my guiltinesse.
In sorrowes iayle, thus captiue did I ly,
And there lament, and there my case complaine,
And there did pittie ouer-heare my cry,
And did in my behalf accesse obtaine,
To sue to him whome I deny'd to know,
To let him know my grief for doing so.
VVho daigning then vpon my hart to look,
vpon my hart, the spectacle of wo,
Hee there-vpon so great compassion took,
That hee on it sweet mercy did bestow,
Sweet mercy, that it self so far extends,
As to accept contrition for amends.
And that the world heer of might witnes bee,
His mercy renouated al his loue,
Th'effects whereof all men in mee might see,
But none more then my self did euer prooue,
The good I had before, that stil I hild,
Only my guylt hee only hath annild.
For where my soule for mercy only sought,
It mercy found, eu'n in the moste degree,
And mercy loue with it vnited brought,
Deer loue, my dying soules restauratie,
Lyf of my lyf, which did me now restore,
To lyuely strength, which I did lack before.
The wound is heal'd, yet must the skar remaine,
The skar my stil remembrance of the sore,
For which, kynde grief stil wil I entertaine,
That neuer may sufficiently deplore,
Kynd-grief it is, close in my hart it lies,
To vrge the euer-dutie of myne eyes.
For though my hart all comfort haue receaued,
That heauens comfort did on it bestow,
Yet can it not of that grief be bereaued,
That doth eu'n out of that self comfort grow,
For in admyring so great grace extended,
I grieue that I so sweet a Christe offended.
My deerest Lord, oh might I dy for thee,
That brag'd to dy with thee, and the deny'd,
By thy strong ayd I must assisted bee,
For neuer thought shal in my brest abyde,
To say I wil, and not assistance craue,
Because my wil, must thy wil also haue.
That shepe was I which did his way mistake,
And he the shepheard that recalled mee,
Of mee his mercies-miracle to make,
By abling mee his deputy to bee,
For hee my self a shepheard did ordain,
That not deseru'd to bee a shepheards swain.
Thus not my cry me and punishment therefore,
His pardon only stretched to deface,
But he me rais'd to what I was before,
And did renew and ampliphy his grace,
And I that fel the lowest of eleauen,
Stil hold my charge to keepe the keyes of hea­uen.
The Rock of stone hee hath confirmed mee,
VVhereon the buylding standes that cannot fail,
Gainst which helles puissance and superbitie,
May offer force, but neuer shal preuail,
Thus I that late through feeble fainthes fel,
Support the force, that breakes the force of hel.
Do'st thow mee loue, thryce did he ask of mee,
In three demaundes of fayned doubtfulnes,
For what my loue to him was bound to bee,
And what it was, I needed not expresse,
VVel hee it wist, and would but let mee see,
By such demaundes, how wel he loued mee.
And more then these; do'st thow mee loue quoth hee,
God wot more cause had I my Lord to loue,
Yet such hee did allow my loue to bee,
As that it did a more reward behooue:
Giuing to mee the office for my meed,
At parting hence; his lambes and sheep to feed.
Loue is my debt, for loue and mercy due,
And gratitude the intrest thereon rising.
The obligation standes in heauens view.
And was set downe by equities deuising.
The date it beares is endlesse to auail,
My soule the pawne to forfait yf I fail.
Performance of thy promis Lord I see,
Strengthned am I, my brethren strength to giue,
My faith shal neuer fail thow warrant'st mee,
Then in my mouth truthe must for euer liue,
And though I dy; succession wil supply,
Vndying truthe, vnto posteritie.
And all the graces thow ha'st giu'n to mee,
To bynd and lose the free and bond of sin,
Must not in my liues-ending ended bee,
Though by thy gift they do in mee begin,
But in successiue power remaine for euer.
To yeild the lasting graces of the giuer.
O endlesse comfort ending thus my care,
Vn-ending thankes must therefore bee my parte,
VVhich for thy due, I duly wil prepare,
To offer on the Alter of my hart,
VVhereas the syre of loue for euer lies,
To serue for my eternal sacrifise.

SACRVM CON­VIVIVM.

WHen tyme approched that the lamb of lyf
Must yeild himself among the wolues to dy,
VVho did repay his peace with mortal stryf,
And his meek patience with most crueltie,
Then in the space that yet to him remaynd,
For his few freindes his fare-wel hee ordaynd.
It was the night before the dismol day,
He caus'd prepare his last and fare-wel feast,
Desyr'd before, deferred by delay,
Delayed wel, to tyme befitting best,
For woordes and deedes, at parting donne or said
In memories conseruance best are laid.
And as his wil, and custome had decreed,
That at this feast a lamb must bee the meat,
So hee that was th'unspotted lamb indeed,
Gaue them therein, his Image for to eat:
Retayning yet for their more greater good,
Far better meat then his self-seeming food.
For that no sooner was the Paschal donn [...]
And custome and their bodies satisfy'd
But that eft soones another feast begonne
And of a lamb, and that before he dy'd
Himself was hee, and hee himself did giue
Eaten to bee, the whyle himself did liue.
VVhich to ordayne, he bread and wyne did take,
And with his sacred breath did blesse thesame,
And did thereof his blood and body make.
Through that self might that all of nought did frame,
And could not now bee destitute of arte,
One thing into an other to conuert.
And as the lamb their bodies had suffys'd,
The true Lambes body turned into bread,
VVas now the supper for their soules deuys'd,
True bread of lyf alyue and seeming dead,
Flesh of his flesh, bread his true body made,
VVhen as eternal truth the woord had said.
Take eat this is my body, were the woordes,
VVhich vnrepugnant hartes did so receaue,
For humble faith gainsaying not affoordes,
And wel they wist hee would them not deceaue,
And in his wisdome he right wel foreknew.
VVhat faith their would, & should heeron ensue.
For from that instant, in succeeding space,
In en'ury region that is far or ny
VVhere Christian lore did paganisme displace,
As all fore-going tymes do testify,
Thus was the faith, this is the faith of old,
Held by the whole, now by the parte controld.
Christ said not, eat this in my memorie,
But that his body take and eat they should,
Nor said hee that it did him signify,
But was himself that for them giue hee would,
His truth and iustice could not beare the staine,
One thing to say, and it vnsay againe.
And for he would that those whose soules hee fed,
By his example so should others feed,
Least but themselues none might bee nowrished,
His plenteous goodnesse hereupon decreed,
That they in memorie of him lyke-wise,
Should with lyke food, lyke faithful soules suffyse
Hence is descended that successyue power,
Of celebrating this soule-feeding feast,
Aud that remaining reuerence to this howre,
As elder tymes deuotion hath exprest,
And hence it comes, that to our lasting ioy,
This heauenly meat our soules on earth enioy.
And as by kynde, loues-grief encreaseth loue,
So loue that caus'd, that God with men did liue,
Caus'd that for loue hee did great sorrow prooue,
VVhose sorrow to his loue more force did giue.
And so lesse wonder his great loue did moue,
To leaue himself the caution of his loue.
Thus comes it that the seeming bread wee see,
Is that same corps our sauiour Christ had heere,
Yet not in that self manner is it hee,
But as in couert veil so doth apeere;
His body true, in Sacramental wise,
Beheld by faith more then by earthly eyes.
And as hee had his body at his wil,
VVhen dores and walles gainst it could not resist,
But did it vse, and yet no place did fil.
And wrought therewith such woonders as him list,
So stil remaines, his wil, his woord, and might,
In heau'n and earth, in his all power-ful plight.
His body doth his soule import withall,
A body by effect of sacred sawes,
A soule by sequele which is natural,
Conioynd in one, by his efficient cause,
Touch-stone of fath whereby God would vs teach
His heau'nly woorkes exceed our earthly reatch.
And when our soules presume vnto this feast,
In cleane atyre they must themselues present,
(Least els they fare as th [...] vnwelcome gest,
That il atyred to the wedding went)
That so this bread of lyf such vertue giue,
That eating it, with it wee euer liue.
And that esteeme and condigne reuerence,
That graue Antiquitie of duty gaue,
Vnto a thing of so great excellence,
Let in all ensuyng seasons haue,
And liue that faith, whereof Christ gaue the groūd,
As long as faith may on the earth bee found.

A COMPLAINT OF S. MA­rie Magdalen. At her not fynding Christ in his sepulchre.

A Las my Lord is gon,
How must I now deplore,
VVhere may hee bee that is each where,
And I him see no more.
Hope led mee here to seeke
Recure of my destresse,
But sorrow here hath sought mee out,
And found mee comfortlesse.
Here lyf late seemed dead,
Head dead I seeme aliue,
It is my death him thus to misse,
That may my lyf reuyue.
Yee windowes on my face,
That serue mee not to see,
Serue now of water stild of wo,
The conducts for to bee.
In stede him to annoint,
VVhome here I cannot haue,
Make that the plenty of my teares,
May ouerflow his graue.
Perhaps it may him moue,
His presence to imparte,
To see how moistning these dry stones,
I therewith dry my harte.
Good Gardner that arte here,
To kepe this garden place,
Lo how I water al thy plants,
VVith raine falne from my face.
Be grateful for this good,
And tel mee I thee pray,
VVhere is hee laid yf so thy self,
Haste caried him away.
If it haue troobled thee.
Here to affoord him roome,
O let me know but where hee is,
My harte shalbe his toombe.
And thow thereon maist wryte,
This epitaph in verse,
Heer lyf that lately lay for dead.
Liues and reuyues his hearse.

OF THE INVENTION, OR fynding of the Crosse of Christ.

IN Britaine soile faire Helena was bred,
The woorthy Empresse of the world of yore,
The cause that Yorck. Romes glory more did spred,
Then Rome it self could euer spred before,
There was shee borne, and there shee brought him foorth,
That brought Roomes diade me to greatest woorth.
To greatest woorth for that hee it adorned,
Eu'n with the Crosse in midle top of all,
Raising to honor that which pagans scorned,
And honouring therein him self withall,
VVhose tytle now, Great Constantyne became,
First Romaine Emperor of Christian name.
Good Siluister that sat in Peeters chaire,
Succeeding those that all had suffred death,
Now to saluation did the soule prepare,
Of Constantyne by teaching him the faith,
VVhereby himself an endlesse lyf might haue,
VVhose now conuersion many lyues did saue.
For when his mercy, mercy him had gayned,
And hee in sacred font had bathed bin,
His soule and bodies weal hee both obtayned,
In beeing cur'd of leprosy and sin,
Then that the more hee might Christes glory reare
He on his creast his cognisance did weare,
It was the signe that heau'n to him did shew,
For patron of the ensigne he should beare,
VVhen gainst Maxentius hee in armes did go,
And vnto his encouragement did heare,
An Angels voice, that in the ayre did cry,
Thow in this signe shalt haue the victory.
All which did so this noble moother moue
To due esteeme of such a sacred signe,
As this of him, that so much merits loue.
To whome her hearts deere loue shee did resigne,
That ardent zeale, did animate her mynde,
To seeke where shee his hiddē crosse might fynde.
Led by desyre that kindled was of loue,
She tooke her voyage to the holy land,
Faith was her guyde, hope did her wil approue,
Speed did assist, to what shee tooke in hand.
Desyre, and loue, and faith, and hope, & speed,
Did all concur, to her deseruing meede.
And as her feet did trauaile on the ground,
Her inward mynde did vp to heauen stie,
VVhere the right holy land was to be found,
Of him whose presence this did sanctify.
So what in earth her bodyes trauaile sought,
In heauen her mynde in more perfection wrought.
And there high God beholding her intent,
And knowing wel whereto deuotion tends,
And that it all vnto himself is ment,
That vnto ought approching him intends,
Did eu'n accept her ardent feruour futch,
As earst her faith that did his vesture tutch.
And so concurr'd to what shee went about,
That his hid crosse so hidden might not bee,
But shee at last it happely found out,
Though doubtful which the right one was of three,
Vntil a corps laid on it; dyd renyue,
Shewing withal; her faith to bee alyue.
It was the third day of the month of May.
The worldes faire may-pole thus was found againe,
And now rear'd vp that long obscured lay,
As yf reseru'd for her owne honors gayne,
whome faith, and loue, & hope, & zeale, did raise,
To raise therein her glorious fame and praise.

L'ENVOY.

SOmtyme the Crosse as sundry recordes tel,
Deryuing vertue from our Sauiours death,
Hath had the force, the diuel to expel,
And by the same confirmed Christian faith,
But now it seemes, faith hath sustayned losse,
Because the diuel hath chaste away the crosse.

COMPLAINT OF CHVRCH CONTROVERSY.

THe golden world long since is worne away,
As now the golden yeare hath taken end,
The Iron world doth stil remaine and stay,
And in his rust doth to his ruyne tend,
And in the shew of vertue and of truthe,
Seeme-good seeme-gospel turneth all to ruthe.
At Babel tower where tounges confusion came,
It stayd the woork that fond aduice begun,
But fond aduice now seeketh to disframe,
A tabernacle seated in the Sun,
And tounges confusion Church-war hath procured
Lately begun and yet to long endured.
True yet it is that stryfe hath euer been,
Twixt good and il in deadly feud depending,
But neuer such confusion hath bin seen,
Nor diffrent numbers in so great contending,
As in our dayes when each one truth doth claime,
And of vntruth each doth each other blame.
VVhyle Truth herself the heau'ns begotten chyld
And glorious imp of high Antiquitie,
Lies ouertrod and vnder foot defyld,
By each and all that woork her inury,
All disagreeing in their owne truth claming,
Yet all agreeing in truthes false defaming.
God [...] good corne did cast into the ground,
But soon the diuel threw in cockle there,
God first his Church on earth did firmly found,
VVhere straight the diuel did his chappel reare,
God vnto Truth the formoste place assygnd,
And fall hood with the diuel came behynd.
VVhen God in Adam had his Temple buylt,
The serpents synagog began in Eue.
Good Abels blood his wicked brother spilt,
At his Gods-woorship diuel-taught to grieue,
So soon began illes enuy vnto good,
Two only borne; one sheddes the others blood.
Through Moyses God did giue his Churche a law,
And Chores crew against it did rebel,
Hating to liue in order and in aw,
VVith their misleader went aliue to hel,
They claymed truth, reiecting right of his,
And seru'd the diu'l in seruing God amisse.
Saint Peeter did ensue his masters lore,
VVhich Simon Magus, stoutly did withstand,
And that great pastor greatly hate therefore,
But first-borne truth obtayn'd the vpper hand,
And that fals Prophet mounting vp in pryde,
Fel downe out of the ayre to earth and dyde.
In auncient pathes trod by our elders feet,
The way is found which is to rest assygnd,
But self-sought by wayes for self-choosers meet,
They euer seek that seeking neuer fynd,
Blynde guydes they bee, guyders of blynde they seeme,
And with them fal ere they of danger deeme.
To mend amisse was euer woork wel donne,
In faultes and manners of Church-mennes abusion,
But by no prophet euer was begonne,
Reforming of abuses by confusion,
Nor for some faultes growne through Church-mē ­nes defect.
No good man euer did new Church erect.
Il thrift may to that builder wel befall,
That wil a faire-built edifice deface,
And with the rubbish of the broken wall,
Erect some cottage in an obscure place,
And to adorne it with vsurped fame,
Giues it the tytle of the others name.
Must now an vpstart Martin or a Iohn,
In question call the firme fidelitie,
Of her whose pallas on a rock of stone,
Presents the picture of her chastitie?
VVho was of heau'n, and earth long heild in grace,
Ere ought was heard of this new-risen race.
VVhy hath not els each man lyke priuelege,
To chop to change, to found what faith hee list,
And wrested scripture for his proofs aleage,
And gainst a world in self conceit persist,
And say all say amisse, except as hee,
And all his woordes Gods woord & Ghospel bee.
If free it bee for one its free for all,
For all can claime the lyke instinct of spirit,
But shrewd suspition doth apeere withall,
That of fals prophets all the name do merit,
Their frute is il, themselues were neuer sent,
They come to late, to soone to such intent.
Susanna lyke, they Christ his Spouse accuse,
And wil both iudges and accusers bee.
But lyke as Daniel falshood did confuse,
By vntruth found in contrarietie,
So contradictions in these fals accusers,
Shewes them to bee, the world and her abusers.
And as the spryte of God did Daniel moue,
The innocent accused to defend,
The spirit of God his deere spowse so doth loue,
That to her fals accusers in thee end,
In steed of casten stones their blood to spil,
They gainst the rock themselues shal cast and kil.

AN EPIGRAM.

A Puritaine did plaine himself of late,
Of late growne controuersies into great debate,
And prayed him to whome hee did complaine
That hee his censure would affoord him plaine,
VVel then quoth hee yf neither I shal flatter
But speake my conscience freely of the matter,
You are in fault, to make somuch contending,
How can so new a faith, so soone lack mending.

AN EXPOSITION OF the Aue bel.

THe Chaser of my sence-detayning slumber,
vndid the windowes of my closed eyes,
And freed my thoughtes from sleepes confused cumber,
That humours turned vnto fantasies,
And faire Aurora redy at the tyde,
VVithdrew the ayes darck curtin all asyde.
In waking sylence as a whyle I lay,
Ere my fresh muse new exercise had found,
I heard the bel that soundeth thryce a day,
And tooke the sence leauing myne eare the sound,
For soundes and sights are messengers assygn'd,
To bring lost memory vnto the mynde.
And that same message which the Angel brought,
To her chaste eares that could no noyse receaue,
That might suggest conceit of any thought,
Her mynde of any puritie to reaue,
VVas by this noyse vnto my mynde renewed,
VVhereby light idle fancies were eschued.
Est soones thereon to my remembrance came,
Breach of the Law, the first law-maker made,
First acte of sin, first cause of knowing shame,
First op'ned gap, for death man to inuade,
Losse of heau'ns loue, purchase of earths il wil,
Fynding of sorrow, hid in seeking skil.
Alas O wretched man that made th'offence,
Iustice of thee demaunded the amendes,
And for thy want of yeilding recompence,
Thy vnacquyted gilt stil downe descendes,
As doth some inward rooted malady,
By heritage vnto a family.
Thus stood from age to age and race to race,
The score of sin vnpayd vnraced out,
The world had not the woorth to purchase grace,
Hope sighing sat betwene dispaire and doubt,
And thraldome was the woful misery,
Of helplesse mannes successyue malady.
So long til heau'ns great care conceaued grief,
At mannes vnablenesse himself to free,
And loue no longer could with-hold relief,
And sweet relief that may thryce happy bee,
Came eu'n at last when els lost had beene all,
And all did saue, and all vp-hold from fall.
Loue first bred grief and grief did pittie moue,
And pittie sought the way to woork redresse,
And kynde redresse the true effect of loue,
Did salue the s [...]re that seem'd remedilesse,
Iustice for right, mercie for grace did craue,
Iustice had right, mercie her fauour gaue.
VVhich to accomplish that eternal woord,
VVhich was with God and was himself a God,
His heauenly presence would the earth affoord,
And in a virgins closure make abode,
VVhereof an Angels voyce the message brought,
As metalls noyse renew'd it to my thought.
To her it came whome heauens wyde view did see,
For purenesse all the worlds most woorthy creature,
A chosen mansion for the dietie,
Adornd with vertues fitting to her feature,
VVhome nature made, to shew the heauēs her skil
And heauē through her the earth with grace did fil.
And where a serpent with his poysned sting,
In paradise infected Adams wyf
A pure whyte doue from paradise doth bring,
To Iosephes spouse restauratiue of lyf,
And in a virgins bed the seed doth sow,
VVhereof the tree and frute of lyf doth grow.
Her eares conceaued first the Angels voyce,
Her heart conceau'd the heauens high decree,
Her soule iust cause conceaued to reioyce,
And her pure wombe as pure as pure might bee,
Conceau'd withal; and that strong infant bred,
VVho with his foot did break the serpents hed.
Against the tyme, his birth-tyme to adorne,
Came downe on earth to consecrate the ground,
(VVith Al [...]ion rest) Peace that in heauen was borne,
Because there might no noyse of war be found,
VVhen to the world the Prince should shew his face.
That came to all the world to offer grace.
VVhose entrance when it pleased him to take,
Into that country whereof death is King,
His owne self vertue mydwyf hee did make,
And to annex more wonder to the thing,
From his pure mothers closure hee did pas,
Euen as the Sun makes entrance through the glas.
O sacred force enforcing such a berth,
The wonder of the wonders moste of woorth,
The breath of heauen clad in core of earth,
Through an vnopened passage passing foorth,
A humaine body spryte-lyke doth dispose,
His pow'rful self that may no puissance lose.
And that sweet Infant of eternitie,
Is borne the infant of a virgins woombe,
And God is man and so affinitie,
Doth twixt the earth and twixt the heauen come,
VVhereby th'Almighty maker thus wee see,
Kinsman to men, to make himself to bee.
Making withal the virgins glorious fame,
In faithful hartes engrauen for to stand,
(VVhere of Gods mother shee must beare the name)
In faire carracters of a sacred hand,
And such a mother, mayd and wyf to bee,
As all her sexe excelles in all thee three.
Cleere chastitie descending from her throne,
To do her homage here vpon the ground,
A garland brought, made by her self alone,
Of Flowers that only were in Eden found,
And with obeysance set it on her hed,
VVith tytle of eternal may denhed.
The Angels trumps did sound the heavens peace,
An easterne star stream'd out the fyre of ioy,
God on his foot-stool did his state decrease,
New amitie extinguisht old annoy,
Hate had no place on all the earth to dwel,
But did remoue vnto her hows in hel.
O Infant ofspring of vnending lyne,
That in this world to spring would so begin,
And with old Adams race thy self combyne,
And bee the man to satisfy for sin,
True God, true man, except with sin defyld,
VVho for to bee a man became a chyld.
Thus God in chyld-heid did appeere on earth,
Admitting tyme his manly growth to shew,
VVhose dayes yet crossed were by crosse of death,
Ere tyme on him could mannes ful tyme bestow,
But since for man hee would lost lyf obtayne,
Hee death to kil would first of death bee slaine.

A SECONDARY exposition.

THe contemplation of the mistery,
Of the subiected state of heauens king,
And the reuyual of the memory,
That three tymes thryce a day the bel doth ring,
Leades downe my muse from height I earst began,
Vnto the lownesse of the lyf of man.
First how in darcknes of self-knowing state,
And as yf all foregoing tyme were night,
VVee enter in at this worldes cumbrous gate,
As doth the day new dawning with his light,
And that first treasure Tyme on vs bestowes,
In chyldish thinges vnwittingly wee lose.
Thence grow wee vp as do the howres of day,
Our dayes and yeares outrunning youthful rage,
From all repose Tyme carrying vs away,
Doth vnaware draw on our midle age,
And through his haste wil vs no leasure lend,
Once back to tutne, youths errors to amend.
At noontyde of our dayes wee do arryue,
As doth the Sun at midday in his height,
VVhat tyme the bel a second sound doth giue,
To moue remembrance of the heauy waight,
Of sinnes huge burthen when high heauens grace,
In humaine flesh released humaine race.
The midday tyme, hath but the name of tyme,
For tyme himself no moment hath of stay,
Nor wee repose before or after pryme,
But as the Sun declyneth with the day,
So we declyne euen at our highest rate,
Changing with tyme the change of our estate▪
E [...]t soones drawes on the euentyde of our yeares,
As doth the Sun draw down ward to the west,
VVhat tyme the bel reneweth to our eares,
The sound of ioy now twyce before exprest,
To shew how in the worldes declyning [...]ase,
Attendant hope obtayn'd expected grace.
Now of our lyf is come the better parte,
And of our labors frute to reap the gaine,
Yf youthes endeuours wrought our wel desart,
Or yf in lyf so long wee do remaine,
For from the tree where wee behold the bud,
Much frute falles downe ere it bee rype and good.
Lastly as day, our dayes thei [...] ending take,
And as before from darck night wee arose,
Our day our nightes returne againe doth make,
And wee yeild vp vnto our last repose,
Our claime to earth, and all that nature gaue,
And lay vs downe where death shal dig our graue.

OF THE STATE OF SOLI­tary lyf dedicated to the seruice of God.

OVVel are you that haue subdude,
The force of worlds desyre,
And in the forte of solitude,
For safety do retyre.
Retyr'd from freedome so supos'd,
In straightnes freedome fynde,
Because true freedome is enclos'd
In circuite of the mynde.
The world and fortune you depryue,
From doing you despight,
Dead vnto men, to God alyue,
That giues liues true delight.
That soule saith God which I affect,
I wil with-draw aparte
And tel vnto it in effect,
The secrets of my harte.
Think th [...]n you that retyred liue,
For Gods deere loue and dread,
His loue your soules desyre did giue,
Retyred liues to lead.
VVhere as with him you might confer
VVhen sole your selues you deeme,
And so alone lesse neuer ar,
Then when alone you seeme.
Faith of yourfort is gouernor,
Loue is liftenant there,
Hope is ordained officer,
The ensigne for to b [...]are,
Contempt of welth is treasurer,
VVho woorkes no guyle for gaynes,
VVhithin whose coffers neuer there,
Corrupting drosse remaines.
Pure Chastitie the charge doth take,
The cloister cleane to keep,
And of her thoughtes the broome doth make,
VVherewith shee doth it sweep.
Obedience which doth sacrifise,
In valued woorth exceed,
Is redy for each exercyse,
As duty deemeth need.
Perseuerance is Centinel,
The watch-woord watch and pray.
VVhose due obseruance doing wel,
The heauens do repay.

THE SVBSTANCE OF humaine flesh.

AS once I did behold,
The potters actiue skil,
In ordring of his earthen pots,
According to his wil.
And some for woorthy vse.
And some for seruile trade,
As hee them from one clod of clay,
In sundry fashons made.
And when they al were wrought,
And each was put a parte,
No cause they had (If they had could)
To blame their makers arte.
To each it might suffise,
To serue his vse asygn'd,
Since each to serue some proper vse,
VVas vtile in his kynde.
Then as thereat I mus'd,
It came vnto my thought,
How God euen from one masse of clay,
All humaine kynd had wrought,
Aswel the silly wretch,
That liues in low degree,
As any mighty Emperor,
How puisant so hee bee.
And how at his estate,
None rightly may repyne,
Since that the woork man of his woork,
Hath freedome to [...]esigne.
And each in each degree,
Sufficient hath in charge,
And hee the more whose mighty rule,
Extendeth moste at large.
For how more great the charge.
Cares burden greater weyes,
And greatnesse beares the greatest brunt,
And breedes the lesser ease.
And vertue can aswel
In cottages remaine,
As honor may in high estate,
In courtes of Princes raigne.
Let each him then dispose,
VVel in his charge to serue,
To haue the hyre that at the last,
VVel-doing doth deserue.
For when a whyle on earth,
Each hath seru'd in his turne,
Earths fragile woork earst made of earth,
Must vnto earth returne.

VISIONS OF THE vvorlds instabillitie.

I.
WHen musing on this worlds v [...]sted fastnes,
Ere sleep attain'd my sences to surprise,
Agreeued at the woful wretchednes,
That sad examples set before myne eyes:
It chanced mee in this perturbed plight,
By Morpheus arrested for to bee,
In whose close prison lying in the night,
Srange visions then there did apeer to mee:
A spatious Th [...]re first mee thought I saw,
All hang'd with black to act some tragedie.
VVhich did mee vnto much attention draw,
To see the sequel of the misterie:
About the which; my braine oft haue I broken,
To skan what such phantasmataes betoken.
II.
I saw a Holly sprig brought from a hyrst,
And in, a princely garden set in was,
VVhere of all trees it stroue to bee the first,
In stately height whereto it grew a pace:
Talle Cedar trees it ouertopped far▪
And all with coral berries ouerspred.
[Page 110] It seem'd the roses beauty for to ma [...],
And to deface it with a skarlet red:
VVhere at the Gardner when hee it suspected,
Or might perhaps misweene this trees intent,
For all first fauour now grew il affected,
And all the Toughes a way did race and rent:
Thus stood disgrac'd the stock so braue before,
VVhich now of grief grew dead and sprong no more.
III.
Two stately pillers then to mee appered,
Of Ruby thone of Saphir thother wa [...],
That on their bases strongly stood vp reared,
VVhose vnder-ground [...]woork was a rocky place:
And through transparent lusture shyning bright,
They not alone their beauty did extend,
But they did serue as lanternes in the night,
The trauailors from straying to defend:
Yet it befel; hee that the soyle did owe,
Gan to d [...]uyse these pillars downe to take,
On his new buyding them for to bestow,
And woorkmen brought, & theretro ginnes did make:
But out alas, in langor I complaine,
In forceing them; they fel, and burst in twayne.
IIII.
I saw a bird, of Egles race I deeme,
For that shee hatched was in Egles nest.
VVhich of a Lord was held in high esteeme,
And to his lure shee only her adrest:
But it so fel that hee a Hauke espyde,
And tooke such pleasure in her speckled plume,
That hee for her his faire foule thrust a syde,
In vndeserued sorrow to consume:
[Page 111] But lo this Ha [...]ke he now bore on his fist,
Oblyg'd and taught to come when as hee lured,
VVould not by him bee lured as hee list,
But was by stelth to others lures enured:
VVhich when hee saw, in wrath and in despyte,
He wrang her neck of from her body quyte.
V.
A pleasant crop of trees then did I see,
On which sweet nightingales did sit and sing,
Til one that sem'd to hate their melody,
Sought how hee might them to destruction bring:
He sat vp snares and grinnes and lymy twigs,
And all deuyses that might them betray,
And brake their nestes that were among the sprigs,
And many kild and many chaste away:
And that they should no more come there againe,
The very trees vnto the ground hee threw,
That scarsly any one he let remaine,
But see how iust reuenge did soone ensue;
His foot s [...]ipt in a pitfal hee had cast,
And downe hee fel and so his neck he brast.
VI.
A Giant then mee thought there came in place,
VVho dreaded was for greatnesse of his stature,
And many trembled to beh [...]ld his face,
And mused at the strangenesse of his nature:
for hee a swoord did hold in either fist,
And freindes and foes he cared not to kil,
For few could in his fauour long persist,
Because to keep his loue was such a skil:
At last a monster all compact of bones,
Came traytor-lyke and with a darte him [...]ent,
[Page 112] That downe hee fel and so was dead at once,
And as it seem'd, few did his losse lament:
And where alyue he monuments defaced,
Now dead, no monument on him was placed.
VII.
VVhen all these thinges were vanisht from my view,
At such vnwonted sights I greatly mused,
And though I not the certaine meaning knew,
Yet did it seeme, although it seem'd confused:
That thinges which are the cause of others wrong,
Themselues do often also suffer wrack,
VVhereby is seene that sway endures not long,
And that reuenge not alwayes cometh slack:
And that theirs none on earth hath leaue to tarry,
And that when bearing-rule hath taken end,
Fame doth suruyue, and takes an inuentarie,
Of rulers actions and whereto they tend:
And vnto after ages shee it shewes,
To learne them what of good or il ensues.

VERSES OF THE worldes vanitie, supposed to bee made by S. Bernard.
And translated into English to bee sung to the tune they beare in Latin.

WHy doth this world contend,
For glorious vanitie,
VVhose welth so subiect is,
To mutabilitie.
As earthen vessels faile,
Through their fragillitie,
So standeth wordly force,
Vnsure and slipperie.
Caracters ra'st in yce,
Think rather permanent,
Then earthly vanities,
Vading incontinent.
Shadowed with vertue pure,
But fals in recompence,
At no tyme yeilding vs,
True trust or confidence.
To men more credit gi [...],
That want fidelitie,
Then trust in worldly welth,
VVhich is but [...].
Falshood in fond-delight,
Pleasures in [...]ranticknes,
Desyred vanities,
Of fleeting ficklenes.
VVhere now is Salomon,
Somtyme in royaltie,
Or Sampson with his great,
Inuincibillitie.
Or gentle Ionathas,
Praised for freindlynesse,
Or fairest Absalon.
So rare in comlynesse.
VVheare now is Ceaser go [...],
High in authoritie,
Or Diues with his fare,
And sumptuofitie.
Tel now where Tullie is,
Cleerest in eloquence,
Or Aristotle fled,
VVith his intelligence.
O sil [...]y vermens food,
O masse of dustynesse,
O dew, o vanitie,
VVhence is thy loftinesse.
To morrow for to liue,
Thow haste no certainty,
Do good to all therefore,
VVhyle thow haste liberty.
This wordly glorie great,
How short a feast it i [...] ▪
And lyke a shadow here,
Lo how it vani [...] hes.
VVhich takes rewardes away,
Of long continuance,
And leades vs in the wayes,
Of erring ignorance.
This earthly glory moste,
VVhich here is magnifyde,
In Scripture termed is,
As grasse thats withered.
And as the lightest leaf,
The wynde a way doth blow,
So light is lyf of man,
For death to ouerthrow.
Think that which thow maist lose,
Is not thyne certainly,
This world wil take againe,
These gifts of vanitie.
Think then on thinges aboue,
On them thy harte adresse,
Contemne all worldly welth,
For endlesse blessednes.
FINIS.

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