A SMALE handfull of fragrant Flowers, selected and gathered out of the louely garden of sacred scrip­tures, fit for any Honorable or woorshipfull Gentlewo­man to smell vnto. Dedicated for a Newe-yeeres gyft, to the honorable and vertuous Lady, the Lady Sheffeeld.

By N. B.

¶ Imprinted at London, by Richard Iones. And are to be solde at his shop, at the South­west doore of Paules. 1575.

¶ To the right Honorable and vertuous Lady, the Lady Sheffeeld, N. B. wisheth conti­nuall health, with encrease of Honour.

AS I must of necessitie ( right hono­rable and vertuous Lady) geue leaue, licence and libertie vnto such as altogeather search out the straunge operations of thinges wel­nigh incredible to the rude and ignorant sort: So reposing a confidence in your noble degree, redy prest to accept the simple gift of a yong and vnskilful hus­bandman, I am the more bolde to present your Ladyship with this litle handful of Flowers, the sent wherof I trust, being gathered in so fruitful a time, wil so reuiue your senses, that your godly industrie wil vouchsafe to plant the roote therof in the Gardē of nobilitie, which I am assured, being watered with the due vnderstāding of the founten of knowledge, cannot chuse but encrese to a defens [...] modest de­meanor. As therfore on th'other side, your vertuous life is such as rather alloweth the godly worke of a simple scholler, willing by dayly practise to grow vnto more & exacter ripenes of vnderstā ­ding. And on the other part is redy to prefer the base & coūtrey mās pen, to the end that I m [...]ght hereafter take the more hart of grace, to attempt a more substantial peece of worke. And then if it shal please the almighty to be my guide, in future time I wil not be forgetfull of your Honors clemencie, which the almighty G [...]d garde and furnish plentifully with increase & mayntenance of renowne for euer.

Your most humble to com­maunde N. B.

¶ Iohn Parcels pamphlet in the prayse of this handful of flowres.

THE little Bée, fayre Ladies al,
Bringes more encrease then doth the Kight:
Wherfore although this booke be small,
The flowres thereof may wel delyght,
A seconde peareles Saba quéene,
Because they are continuall gréene.
¶ Peruse them well therefore and say,
We haue the choyse of good and yll,
Yet if my counsel by the way,
Might vrge your minde or moue your wyll,
To imitat this péece of woorke,
For many a pearle therin dothe lurke.
¶ For though the fountayne be not héere,
Of heauenly health that doth excell,
Yet to your sight may playneappéere,
The golden Bucket of the Well,
Wherfore deare dames keepe that in store,
And tyme wyl yéelde to you the more.
¶ It is no Poetes fable olde,
It is no gaude nor trifle vayne,
It is a gifte excelling golde:
In which the Gentle state may trayne,
[Page]Them selues to godly exercise,
And learne thereby for to be wyse.
¶ Searche therfore suche a Honycombe,
And trye the same with diligence,
It is no fruitles vanishing fome,
It is a cerce of excellence:
The ioyce whereof beyng pleasant swéete,
Is for a curteous Matrone méete.
¶ Thus virgins, wyues, and widowes too,
If that you tender your estate,
Learne as he teacheth you to doo,
That framde this Posie for your sake:
And than you can not loose the crowne,
Diana holdeth with renowne.
I. P.

¶ The booke to the Reader.

SInce I poore booke am put into thy hand,
although the tome or volume litle bee,
Yet Reader deare that I be throughly scand
with zelous minde I begge and craue of thée
Ne séeme to iudge or sentence thyne to frame,
Before throughout thou do peruse the same.
Reade not as though thou wouldst forget agayne,
such fruitles fayth bringes profite none at all:
But if thou wylt reape merite for thy payne,
let not regarde from wonted custome fall,
Which as I reade by wise men is defind,
While time doth serue, to beare the fruits in mind.
If then I cast a iewell vnto thée,
play not the Cocke that Esope speaketh on,
Who rather craued a barlye corne to sée:
then for to finde the costly precious stone,
But if I might giue counsel with the rest,
First reade, thē chuse such fruits as lyke thée best.
Holde me excused, and take my maisters Muse,
in as good part as payne he doth bestowe,
Let his good wyll his simple worke excuse,
for were it much more better: to bestowe
For thy delyght he woulde vouchsafe his toyle,
And yeelde to thée the croppe of suche a soyle.
FINIS.

The Author to his Lady in verse.

IN auncient tyme the golden guise
of Matrons great renowen,
Was for to striue in vertues schoole,
who should enioye the crowne:
So that eche braunche of noblenes,
surpassed in those dayes.
Because they sought by their attempt
to winne immortall praise:
As for example, Lucrece chaste,
and famous sacred lyfe
May record be, who as I reade,
was Collatinus wyfe.
And next to her, that pearle of price,
which Triata had to name.
By constant loue to Mansolus
doth manifest the same.
Thirdly, quéene Artimesia reapt
the Scepter by desert,
That could as well as all the rest,
most finely play her part.
But synce that Sabbas wisdome great,
in honour yours doth raigne.
I must deare Ladie wish to you
[Page]aswel, as to the trayne.
For why? the garland that you weare
is euer fresh and gréene,
And serues most fit in Court therwith,
to tende vpon a Queene.
The modestie of Matrons mylde,
bedect with vertue rounde.
There is no wight but well may sée
in you for to abounde.
So that a patern to the nimphes
of Court and courtly crewe,
Your Ladiship resembleth well,
as plainely they may vewe.
For on the one side garded with
Dame vertue you doe enter:
And on the other, continence
encourageth you to venter.
Wherefore, since then defensed with
such ayoe to your degrée.
Your noble race procureth these
your daies with ioyes to see,
That Flora, Susan, and the rest
attaind vnto the ende.
Your Honour might conceiue my cause,
a slowe and thankles freend,
If that this time he should negle
[Page]to beautifie your name:
Whose merites are blowne all abrode,
in golden trumpe of fame.
Wherefore as pledge of my good will,
with humble dutie due,
Accept I craue this litle booke
that I present to you.
And though it be of value small,
or simple to your sight,
Your wysedome may conceiue the Larke,
more daintier then the Kyght.
G. T.

¶ The names of all the flowres conteyned in this posie, with the proper vse therof.

DEare Dames, your senses to reuiue,
accept these Flowers in order heare,
Then for the time you are aliue
renowne your golden dayes shall beare:
Marke therefore what they haue to name,
and learne to imitate the same.
The first resembleth Constancie,
a worthie budde of passing fame,
Which euery Gentle certeinlie
delightes to chuse of for the name:
The cause is (that) the trueth to tell,
it sents and sauours passing well.
This Flower in her garden gréene
Susanna planted daye and howre,
Which by her lyfe was dayly seene,
when her good fame for to deuoure
The wicked Elders did pretend,
to bring her dayes vnto an end.
But God that sawe her constantnes,
and howe she was vniustlie wrongde,
[Page]Gaue little Daniel warrantice,
to be her Iudge, wherwith he throngde
Amidest the prease with helpe diuine,
and rescued Susan at that tyme.
Then when her stedfastnes was knowen,
and howe she sented of that Flower,
Whiche in Dianas bower was sowen,
the carnall Iudges fleshly power
Was cut full short, and she like case
was honored in the iudgement place.
O worthy sprig of constancie,
O iewell farre surpassing gold,
Preserued by the eternitie,
as a looking glasse for to behold,
To suche as couet with renowne,
to weare that chaste and peareles crowne.
This pleasaunt braunche in Saraes brest,
was dayly vsed for a showe,
So that her fayth among the rest,
thereby did bountifully growe.
And she extolled was therefore,
as noble Matrone euermore.
Well myght I call to memorie,
Rebecca mild and Iudith chaste,
[Page]By whose great fayth and constancie,
Holofernes power was sore agaste,
So that as playne the scriptures say,
his hostes were fayne to flye away.
Since then ye Ladies of degrée,
and honors nimphes within the place,
Whereas that pearles dame may bee,
which al the Goddes inspire with grace,
This flowre I say doth sent so well,
accept the sweete and sauery smell.
There is no odious stintch at all,
of any worldly infamie,
That can procure your ruynous fall,
yf you reteyne this constancie,
And therfore Ladyes plucke this flowre,
for why it withereth neuer an houre.
The second budde is modestie,
which Triata did muche delyght.
And furnished the companie,
of many a Romane matrone bright,
So that no blemishe there did growe,
as long as they the same coulde showe.
The thirde is vertuous exercise,
the fourth is called humilitie,
[Page]The fifth, to set beforeyour eyes,
the feare of God most reuerently.
The sixth obedience to the crowne,
and Princes lawes with great renowne.
The seuenth is Pacience, for to beare
the crosse of Christe continually:
The eyght is liberall talke to heare,
and vse the same indifferently:
The ninth is called Chastitie:
the tenth, to put vp iniurie.
The eleuenth is to sustayne the poore:
the twelfth to aide the comfortles,
And to endeuour more and more,
to trayne your steppes to godlynes.
The thirtenth, that is cheefest skill,
which we doo call, doo good for ill.
The fourtenth is to loue the trouth,
and flatterie wholy for to shunne:
The fiftenth, barre the chaire of slouth,
whereby full many are vndonne:
For idelnes doth shame but wynne,
and is the entraunce vnto synne.
The sixtenth Flower is willing zeale
vnto the sacred veritie:
[Page]Which is a lantarne to your féete,
to leade you to sinceritie:
The seuententh blossome fresh of hue,
in wordes and déedes for to be true.
The eyghtenth is for to restore
that by oppression hath ben gotte:
The niententh for to cure that sore,
which carelesse conscience makes to rotte:
The twenteth is sweete Charitie,
the fruites wherof begin to dye.
There are besides these, godly loue,
whose leaues though they be not so greene,
Yet who to plucke therof wyl proue,
shall with Lucrecia soone be seene,
To shine in wordes and deedes as bright,
as when the moone doth yeelde her lyght.
Loe Gentles, this smal bunche of flowres,
It is that may encrease your fame,
For they be watered with the showres,
that sacred Scriptures haue to name:
You may discerne them by the seedes,
full much vnlyke to wordly weedes.
Take heede therefore howe you reiect,
the simplest flowre among them all,
[Page]For if disdayne do you infect,
to plucke one leafe the rest wyl fall:
Do not therefore the thréede vntwinde,
Which doth this prettie posie bynde.
The name thereof is diligence,
in seeking vertuous company:
A string of great preheminence,
giuen vnto vs in generally.
Therewith eche godly wyght doth make,
A snare therewith eche vice to take.
[...] Matrones therefore I require,
as one that wisheth al were well:
[...] beare a zeale and full desire,
[...]o bye these Flowres that so dyd smell.
[...] shall the bountie of the Lorde,
with all your workes right well accorde.
[...] whom be honor, power, and fame,
prayse, laude, and sempiternitie:
[...]oth God and man sweete Christe the same,
who planted for a certayntie.
[...]hese Flowres in heauenly paradise,
for such to gather as will be wise.
[...]is blessing say, and let vs craue,
to lyght vpon our soueraigne Queene:
[Page]Whom we may see in hande to haue
this litle branche of Flowres greene.
Which sents and sauours passing well,
the redyest way to heauen to smell.
Her counsell and nobilitie.
the Pastors of the Churche lyke case:
The mightie God continually,
byd we with golden droppes of grace.
That they may serue her maiestie:
With reuerence and humilitie.

❧ A prayer for gentlewomen and others to vse, whereby through the helpe of the deuine grace, they may atteyne the right sente of this posie of Godly Flowers.

VOuchsafe, O Lorde, to be our guyde,
thy spirite of grace into vs powre:
Defende our cause on euery side,
that we may passe into the bowre:
Whereas those heauenly Flowres do growe:
By Christ that Garden first dyd sowe.
Illuminate our inwarde minde,
to seeke to thee continually:
[Page]From worldly Errours that be blind,
preserue vs for thy Maiestie.
Teache vs as we in wordes professe,
In déedes eache one to do no lesse.
Assist vs dayly to begin,
spiritually to enterfight
Agaynst the worlde, the flesh, and sinne,
that we may shunne the duskie nyght.
In whiche our enimie the deuill,
Doth watche to worke eache Christian euyll.
Arme vs with fayth to beare the shielde,
and sworde of heauenly puritie:
Crowne vs with Helmet in the fielde,
of thy surpassing veritie.
Graunt this O bounteous Iesu sweete,
That we with thee at last may meete.
FINIS.

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