❧ A loyfull continuance of the Commemoration of the most prosperous and peaceable Reigne of our gratious and deare Soueraigne Lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God of England, Fraunce and Irelande, Queene. &c. Nowe newly enlarged with an Exhortation applyed to this present tyme. Set foorth this xvii. day of Nouember beyng the fyrst day of the .xxi. yeere of her Maiesties said reigne.
By Edw. Hake. Gent.
Herevnto is added a Thankesgiuing of the godly, for her Maiesties prosperitie hitherto: with an earnest desire of the longe continusance of the same to Gods glory and our comfort.
¶ Imprinted at London by Richard Ihones, and are to be sould at his shop without Newgate.
¶ An Exhortation to all the Queenes Maiesties faythful and obedient Subiects, consideratly to be perused of the same.
MAny are the circumstances, and those moste notable (gentle Reader) which in y e review of this my smal Pamphlet, haue oft soonès agayne offered them selues to my consideration, in the dutiful remembrance of the Quéenes Maiesties most prosperous reigne. And I would to God I were able to expresso some part of that which of so many conuenient wryters hath (hitherto in a maner altogether) bene omitted, and yet in my simple iudgement, a matter very requisité to be taken in hand by some godly learned, for the prouoking and procuring of ours, and her Maiesties due thankfulnesse vnto that merciful and marueylous God, of and from whose bountifull graces, the same hath onely and wholly procéeded. It was in my mynde to haue continued a yéerely remembraunce of the premisses, at suche tyme as I fyrst set foorth this sayd Pamphlet, being [Page] then the xviif. yéere of her Maiesties reigne: or at the least, to haue continued the same vntil some good wryter had bin knowen to haue dipped his penne in this kynde of Argument: But (much to my trouble, and litle to my comfort) I haue bene helde backe by other businesses occasioned necessarily, though not profitablic, in y e vocation wherein I liue. And the tyme being now instant, wherein these thyngs ought rather to be put foorth, then enterprised and begonne. I am constrayned with griefe of mynde, to leaue vndone that which I haue bene hytherto as desirous to accomplishe, as I am and haue bene willing to enjoy the benefites of so excellent a gouernement in common with my brethren..
It is not a slight and vulgare thing (my deare brethren and countreymen) that a royall personage shoulde be first afflicted, & then aduaunced: fyrst humbled, and then cralted: fyrst brought downe to the gates of death, and then agayne set vp in the wayes of lyfe, and in the throne of principalitie and rule. This is the order of the Lordes schoole, this is the course of the almightie, and these are the onely wayes of the highest. By whome soeuer hee pleaseth to worke his worke, in [Page] those he expresseth the good tokens of his election. And hath he not dealt so with our Elizabeth? Hath not his hand humbled her as a Ioseph? Hath she not as an Hester bene proscribed, and as a Dauid daungerously afflicted, before she coulde sit her downe in the seate of her Soueraintie? Hath not tanquam Ouis touched her hart, before the Scepter of Dauid coulde come to her handes? Or hath the Lord of Hostes led her vp to the glory of Iacob, before she was throwen downe amongst y e Habitations of Edom? This (brethren) this is not mans worke: nay, this to the wisdome of flesh and blood is vtterly vnknowen, & therefore vtterly vnregarded. A Domino factum est istud, et est mirabile in oculis Psal. 118. nostris. This (I say) is the Lordes worke, and it is marueylous in our eyes. But what? did the Lord for all this, forget to be faythful to the true séede of Abraham? or left he the soule of poore Ioseph in the prison? Gaue he not to good Hester a Mardocheus? and to his deare Dauid, a Ionathas? And (to speake it playnly) did the Lord leaue our Elizabeth in y e pawes of the Lyon? or gaue be her ouer a praye vnto Psal. 116. her enemies? Hath he not rather deliuered her soule from death, her eyes from teares, and her feete from falling? Hath he not broken [Page] asunder the iawes of the Lyon, reskued her Maiestie from the rage of her aduersaries, & exalted her farre aboue her enemies? Obserua (ergo) innocentem, et attende iustum, Psal. 37. 37 quoniam ad extremum erit huic viro pax. And nowe, that all the worlde may knowe this déede to haue bene the Lords deede, loe now, her Maiestie after all these manifolde afflictions, sitting, and hauing many yeres peaceablie sitten in the seate of her Kyngdome: hath she now bene vnmyndful of the Lords worke? or hath she all this while forgotten beautifullie to begyn, and gloriously to enlarge the frame and furniture of the Lords house? God graunt that the mercies of the highest may herein be vouchsafed vnto her aboundantly, that consulting with the sincere & best buylders throughout al Israel and Iuda, she may procéede to the full finishyng thereof according to the true platforme and rule prescribed in the worde.
Truely my brethren and Countreymen, if God haue at any time requyred that his mercies should vniuersally be knowen & celebrated of his people, (as no doubt with such sacrifices he is wel pleased): He hath in the Regiment of this our Soueraigne, called for, and exacted a thankefull memoriall of his so memorable and yet vnspeakeable benefites, not of Prince onely, but of all and euery her highnes Subiects. Looke vpon your peaces Hath there ben like peace with any the nations about you, so firme, so sound, and of such continuance? Haue [Page] either domesticall attempts, or foreyne practises as yet preuailed to the ouerthrow of the same? Hath either ambitious desire of Conquest drawen you forth to warres abroad? or vnsatiable desyre of greedy myndes broken asunder or vntwyned your safetie at home? what should I say? Who getteth and enioyeth not? Who encreaseth and possesseth not? In whose hands (my brethren) hath the aboundance of ryches as yet bene sayd to be the danger of his lyfe, or the ouerthrowe of his welfare?
Nowe then, if these benefites, be benefites which you delite in: if the continuance of them be comfortable: and the onely instrument hereof, be our deare Soueraigne, Queene Elizabeth: what els doeth wisedome then require, but that we should wisely foresee to doe the things towards God and her Maiestie that may establishe an happie continuance thereof? And what els doeth thankfulnes looke for at our handes, but that there be in vs a readines to accomplish the wyll of the highest, to hym warde in the obediente of his worde: and to her Maiestie warde, in the obedience of her Lawes?
I knowe there are of the faythfull watchmen and good shepheards of this lande, that exceedingly feare the continuaunce of these so glorious benefites: They feare I say, that the vnrecouerable wickednes of the people of this tyme and Nation is so opposed agaynst the great mercifulnesse of our God, that these heaped tranquilities are nothing els but iudgementes forerunnyng the approchyng dayes of desolation. I would God therefore, the wayes of English people were once called to accompt, O I woulde to God we coulde once set before vs, on the one side, a single view of these mightie & marueylous things, which the Lord, the Iehouah, hath wrought and brought to passe for our Prince and vs: and on the other side, what we haue done, or rather what (like wretches) we haue left vndone of that which mere duetie in common thankefulnes hath requyred at our handes. Touching the one, besides the miraculous preseruation of our Prince, euen in those dayes wherein [Page] Antichrists tyrannie swylled vp the blood of Saintes, sparyng neither sexe, age, condition nor degree: It is also set farre beyonde the reache and reason of man, that her Maiestie beyng euer since placed, as it were in a Goshen, enuironed about with Egyptians, malitious, aspyring & blooddy: her royal person, her Religion and Peace should neuertheles styl be preserued from the impeachments of those aduersaries, & that in such degree, as y e enemies them selues haue bene rather tyred in their practises, then the one or other of these benefites weakned by theyr attemptes. The Rebellion of Absolon and his complices hath bene suppressed at home. The trayterous counsailes of Achitophel haue bene confounded both abroad and at home. Dauid hath had an Husay: yea, the annoynted our Elizabeth hath had and alwayes shall haue a Sobi, a Machir and a Berselai, which wyl laye both goods and lyues at her feete. As for the thundring rage and terrours of Antichrist and his Champions, what better or greater issue hath there ben of them, then of the crackling of thornes flaming vnder a potte? And touchyng the Enchauntments of Egypt, (some cursed practisers whereof haue bene lately surprised) the true myracles of Moses and Aaron haue from tyme to tyme stil deuoured them. Briefly, the enemies haue wearyed them selues in the wayes of trecherie & treason, and haue not yet preuayled: They haue grasped at vnhappie conquests, and haue bene alwayes yet confounded: their glory hath bene no better yet then the glory of grasse vpon the house toppe, whereof the wycked reapers neuer hytherto fylled their handes, muche lesse haue layd vp fruits thereof in their impious barnes. O that men would therefore prayse the Lord Psal. 107. for his goodnes, & declare the wonders that he hath done for the children of men: That they would exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and loue him in the Seate of the Elders.
[Page]Now, touching the other part, what hath procéeded from vs towards our God: as the Argument thereof more fitly apperteyneth to be handled by men of greater gyftes: so, the time beyng nowe short and the matter large (the Printer also enfourming me that euery Page hath his proportion) I must for this tyme giue ouer all further discourse thereof: These thinges are onely added to my former small tranayles that I might thereby the better procure a due and true Commemoration of the matter which we nowe celebrate. The God of glory & peace, who hath created, redéemed and continually kept vs vnder the shadowe of his mercifull protection, bring to passe that those his mercies may worke the spéedy amendement of our lyues, to the establishing of our peace, and to the euerlastyng honour of his name.
Amen.
❧ The Printer to the Reader.
BY following of the old copy (gentle Reader) of Anno. 18. of her M. raigne, there is a fault escaped in the accompt of this present 21. yeere: which with thy pen, I pray thee amende .v3. in the fift L cafe for 17. reade 20. and for 18. (in the margent of that leafe) reade 21.
¶ To the worshipfull, his verie louing Cowsen M. Edwarde Eliotte Esquier, the Queenes Maiesties Surueyour of all her Honours Manours, Landes and possessions vvithin her highnes County of Essex.
BEinge entred (worshipfull and my beeloued Cowsen) into the meditacion of y e rare gouernment of our renowmed Queene Elizabeth, so high and so aboundaunte matter of admyration offered it selfe to the view of mine vnderstanding, that I felt my thoughts in such sorte surprised with the consideration thereof, that (for the solace of my minde) I yeelded my selfe a ioyfull man to set downe in wrytynge some sup [...]rfitiall discourse vpon the same: such, as (at the least within mine owne soule) might styre vp and procure the prayses of God, and draw forwards a dewe thankfulnes vnto his maiesty for the wonderfull benefites that largely (thereby) haue accrewed to the whole body and to euery particuler member of this our Englishe Nacion. And loe, no sooner had I accomplished this mocion of my mind (in such sorte as you may see it heere set downe in printe) but another Cogitacion began with importunitie [Page] to assayle me a freshe: for beholdinge (with the feruencye of my harte) the truthe of that matter which I had already compyled, and seeing yet (farther) so gloryous and so plentifull a treasourie remayning to be discouered, and that, In perpetuam rei memoriam: I could not choose but so farre mistike with the sclendernes of that which I had alreadye done, as I wished (and not slightly) that it woulde please almighty God (to the eternall praises of his holy name) to stirre vp the zeale of some learned and well approued member to geue abroade for an vniuersall view, to all Countreies and Nacions of Christendome, in y e hereyicall garnishment of learning and truth, an exact historye and declaration of the same. And in this cogitaciō, repairing vnto your house for the comforte of your friendlye conference, it was the good will of God that I shuld disclose mine affections (that way) vnto you, as also y t I shoulde offer vnto you the hearing of this matter, as it was at that time, thus vnlearnedly penned: where findyng by the like good fauour of god, your learned & friendly neighbour, it was recokned for Gods diuine prouidence, that I should require him also to be a hearer of y e same. Which learned man (as you know) vpon the hearinge thereof, so largely dispensed with al those wantes that by learning might (peraduenture) haue binne supplyed in this booke, as that by fauoryng & chiefly regarding the vndoubted truth of the matter, he perswaded that it wold grow no blemysh at all vnto my credit, neither in respect of the breuitie of the woorke, nor yet for the playnesse and rudenes of the stile, yf I should agree to the publishing of the same in prynt: [Page] whervnto on the one parte, the admyrable works of God so exceedingly, aboue humane reason, shininge forth vnto the world in the royal person & regiment of our most louing & gracious Queene, and on the other parte, y e silence of y e learned sort (silence I may terme it in respect of that vehemency which y e woorthines of y e cause requireth) & the more then stoical & colde consideraciō of al our english people, who are for y e greatest part so far from thanking, y t they haue no thinking of the same: these motions I say, together w t y e fauorable cēsure & encouragemēts of your said learned neighbor at one instant concurringe, I was zealously bold to cast abroad into the view of y e world, this my smalle treatise, as it were to prouoke the pen of some renowmed Homer, & to prepare the harts of al her highnes subiects to a further & deper consideratiō of Gods exceeding & superaboundaunt mercies, y t in the thankfulnes and sinceritie of their hartes, they might (not for one day supersticiously, but for euer) kepe holy vnto y e Lord, y e cōmemoratiō of y e most prosperous & peaceable raigne of y e same our gracious & dere soueraigne lady queen Elizabeth. And now (my worshipful cowsen) bicause y e forces of these my priuate motions haue in this sort effected, y t nedes they must breake forth (I trust to y e honor of the highest) and the same not meanely by occasion of the encouragemēts which I receiued in your house: I cānot resist, but (coactedly as it were by loue) I must confer y t dedication thereof (digested into this litle boke as you see) vpon you, before & aboue y e rest of my beloued friends: assuring you y t (in y e great ioy of my hart) I haue founde you so equall vnto mine affections in the fauouring of this cause, and in the [Page] comfort that you take by beholdyng the blisful daies of our sanctified DEBORA, as also so Ialous for the Regestryng of her highnesse prayses (or rather y e prayses of our God) vnto posteritie, y t if I knew by what other meane, more acceptably, then thus by the first view of these my trauayles (employed to y e glory of god) I might manifest vnto you the sincerity of mine affection, vndoubtedly you shuld finde me so for ward to accomplishe the same, that y e deede it self, to y e vtmost limit of my poore degree, shuld be enough to make knowne what vnfayned loue I do beare you. And wheras the dedication of all other bookes (for the most part) doe seeme to craue countinaunce and defence at y e hands of y e patron, this my small booke (assure your self) for the dignitie of the personage of whom it treateth, as also for the truth of y e matter y t it conteineth, shalbe able enough (besides the defence of it selfe) to geue both countinaunce and commendation to your person, being indeede, the verye man (amongst men of your place and calling) whose loyall harte and religious minde (besides the consideracion of priuate duties of loue) may challenge frō me such affection as best of al becōmeth a christian louer to his friend so wel approued. And though the booke be but litle, yet y e personage of whō it treateth is great: and so great, as that y e Booke may sooner be countenaunced with the royaltie of her highnesse name, than be able (by y e thowsande parte) to show foorth y e number of her princely vertues, much lesse, of the large benefites that infinitely arise vnto our common wealth of England and to euery member of the same, by the goodnesse of her rarest gouernment: Some particuler partes whereof are (as before is [Page] declared) in these Quaires, though brieflye, yet truely discoursed.
But nowe, that you may some way answere the name of a Patron of this my Booke: although the matter of the same hath defence sufficient in it selfe, & in the truth thereof, is able enough to stand against the faces of al y e enimies of truth: Yet because there is a sorte of people, which I feare me, more of enuy, then of any true zeale or care of my well doynge (as hauyng an awstere regard vnto my vocation, which in deede, resteth in the Study, or rather in a meane place of practise of y e cōmon lawes of this Realme) will recken it a matter more then ordinary that I should after this sorte so transcende the limits of my sayd vocation, as spendyng my time, or at the least, some parte of the same, in thyngs by semblaunce, so far discrepaunte from my profession: let my defense be so made, I beseeche you, that it may in equall sort be considered, or at the least wise by you enforced, not only how muche and how largely loue and zeale are hable to woorke and brynge to passe in men otherwhyles conuersaunt in the consideration of thynges high and precious, but also how seemely a thyng it is and how well agreeable with euery vocation to aduaunce and set foorth the high prayses of vertue and vertuous personages, as also to batter & beate downe the enforcementes of vyce and vicious monsters.
And for my selfe, I haue boldly to affirme vnto all suche discontented myndes (especially vnto those that haue the common lawes for theyr profession) y t the matter of this my littel booke is not so voyde of excuse, but that by view of the substaunce & ful scope [Page] therof, it may yeelde foorth a stronge and ryghtfull defense agaynst these nice and ouer curious reprouers: for, as it concerneth the speciall prayse of God in the Commemoration of the Queenes Maiesties most prosperous and peaceable gouernment: So, it is not vnknowne that touchinge the Regiment of Princes, the nature of Lawes, the office of Counsaylers, and the authorytie of Iudges, the volumes of our Lawes are not so barrein, but that they may and do minister matter aboundantlye to the professors and students of the same, whereby to discerne and to deeme indifferently of them all: for whether we would consider the good and godly gouernment of a Prince by often pardoning of offences in mercye, or by sharplie punishing of offenders in iustice, by planting of good & wholesome lawes, or by repealyng of euill and vnnecessary Statutes: Not onely Bracton, but also the worthy and worshipfull Knight master Forescue in sundrye places of his litle Commentary, verie copiously geue foorth matter for the furtherynge of studious wittes in the consideracion thereof. And no lesse may be gathered touthyng a difference and sownd censure of honourable Counsayllers: but especially of Iudges & of lawes. Wherupon I trust I may inferre, y t to praise and extolle the admirable gouernment of our renowmed Soueraigne, or to commende the sowndnes of her lawes, or to aduaunce and set forth the wonderfull vertues of her highnes counsayllers, or to acknowledge the rare learning & holynesse of her reuerende Iudges: so farforth as they be matters (though but superfitially) to be discerned and descyphred by the Bookes of our Lawes, so farre, they are not to be [Page] thought discrepaunt or impertinent for a student of the lawes to treat or to write of.
But wherfore should I thus carefully seeke to defend that which I suppose, nedeth no reprehension? why shuld I not rather challenge that liberty that is graunted to euery vocation of learninge, yea to the lawyer himself? namely, to intermingle with painful trauayles of the minde, y e pleasures of some exercise more plausible and milde, especially, where the same may be practised to the glory of god & to the profit of our brethren, as I trust, this is, or at the least wyse was intended. Well, if all this notwithstanding, these curious carpers wil neuer be satisfied, let them at their pleasures blow abroade what they list, and holde on in their myslikings, vntyll in the vanytie of their purposes, and the rage of their enuie, they shal at the length be glutted with the fulnesse of rancoure and vnciuill reproches. You (finally) I doubt not, wyl take this gyfte as I meane it, and deeme of it as a thing not vnnecessarily sent abroad at this instant. God graunt vnto it such effect in the harts of all those vnto whom it specially appertayneth, that they, or rather euery English soule may say in y e feruency of a sownde faith: Domine, quid ego re [...]ibuam tibi pro omnibus quae tribuisti mihi? What reward Psal. 116. shall I geue vnto thee (O Lord) for all the benefittes that thou hast done vnto me? In which prayer I think it conueniēt here to make an ende. At Barnards Inne this ioyful Eue of our 17. day of Nouember. 1575. with his hande whose hart loueth this instaunt day and you.
The Authours minde vpon the matter of this his litle Booke.
A Commemoration of the most prosperous and peaceable Reigne of our gratious and deere Soueraygne Lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God, of England, Fraunce and Ireland Queene &c.
Amen.
¶The Authour most humblie to all the Queenes highnes most honourable Counsaylers.
¶Gentle Reader, hauing this prayer folowing imparted vnto mee by a learned and worshipfull gentleman, very behooufull to be vsed in this the end of our reioysinge, I haue according to the dutie of godlynes, heere published the same as the fittest & seemeliest conclusion to be had in this my lytle Booke.
A Meditation wherin the godly English geueth thankes to God for the Queenes Maiesties prosperous gouernment hitherto, and praieth for the continuance therof to Gods glory.
AMongst other thy benefites great and innumerable (heauenly father our most mercifull Lorde and God) by thee of thy excéeding goodnesse bestowed vpon the children of men, the seruaunts of thy household, dispersed vpon the face of the earth, it hath pleased thée y e wée thy people of England liuing in these daies should in aboundance beyonde the measure of the graces of our brethren, and the prosperous course of our fathers, beholde and perceiue thine inestimable goodwill in the amiablenesse of thy countinaunce shininge vpon vs, to whom thou hast geuen thy chosen Handmayden Elizabeth for soueraigne Lady and gouernour. For what so euer is the glory of thy house (O Lorde) for vs, w t the issue of the slime of the earth, to stande and looke vp to Heauen, made into vessels after thine image that were not: to bee redéemed [Page] & borne a new after the seconde Adam that perisheth not, in the sprinkling of the bloud of Christ and sanctificacion of the spirit, that were vtterly lost, to stande fast in thy handes, sealed accordinge to thine eternall loue, and written in the Booke of lyfe, that dayly runne headlong to our own destructiō: As the sence therof reioiseth the hartes of all those whom thou hast knit into this felowship of the saintes, and called into the blessed hope of the eternall kingdome, so againe how vngrateful should we be to whom thou hast dealt these benefites from thy diuine maiestie by the person reised vp for thine instrument therof toward vs, if we should not in speciall sort shew vs thankfull vnto thee therfore? And if not to liue tearing & eating one, the other, like the Giantes in the old world, and euery man to doo what séemeth him best in his owne eies, as when there was no Iudge in Israel, if, that Princes raigne & gouernors geue iudgment, it is thy gift: & then in the worst disposition of their thoughts for the sinnes of the people, they are redowbted, thou O Lord hast appointed them, they are sacred, thou O Lorde hast annoynted them, they [Page] are feared, thou chaungest their hartes like the streames of waters, they are honoured, thine owne image and lickenes in guiding Angels and all creatures is pregnaunt and cannot deuayle in them, bearinge rule in earth ouer the children of men: what praise is due vnto thée, from those, vnto whome thou leauest not an Anarchy and headlesse dissolution, as to the Cánibals, a monstrous and misshapen gouernment and flaminge with fyre, and streaminge with bloud, and smoking with mist and darknesse of error and ignoraunce, as to y e Antichrists greased in the browe with the marke of the Image of y e great Beast, & whoor of Babilon: not a waste and barbarous perpetuall heathen cōtricion as vnto the Tartarian hoords of cursed Cham, vnto the Rusty and wasted with misery th'inhabitants of Meschech, or to y e Turbulent and rauenous swarmes and hosts of Tubal-Gog, or such lyke as those: but contrarywise whome thou leadest like a flocke of shéep by y e hands of Moyses and Aaron, and hast chosen Dauid thy seruaunt whom thou hast loued, to feede as the people of thine owne Inheritaunce, geuing vnto thē for war, peace: for inciuilytie, [Page] socyetie: for ignoraunce, knowledge: for supersticion, religion: for errour, truth: for hunger, plenty: for vnproudiency, polycie, for dissonancye, harmony: for myserie, felicyty: & making them to dwell in safetie as vnder the wings of thy defence, and shadow of thy protection. Now, such hath ben thy mercy towards vs, y t no tongue is able to expresse in geuinge vs in thy gracious plesure & thine vnrecountable largesse and liberalitie, thy select Seruant Elizabeth Quéene and supreme gouernesse to vs of the liege Nations and peoples of her obeysaunce and regiment: that as by a star the light and influence ouer thinges beneth frō thée, the first cause and fowntaine of brightnesse not to be attayned vnto, and as by a cléere riuer and plentifull brooke the course of the waters from thée, y e euerlasting head spring: euen so the shininge beames, and flowing streames of all those thy mercies, and good gifts hath ben and are sithence the daies of her happye and gracious gouernment, from thée conuaied and devolued vnto vs. And we that before were no people, not so much in regarde of y e state in which wée haled, when we were sauadge, as wood [Page] men, cruell as Mendeuourers, terrible as spirites, brutishe as beastes in the olde age at the first callinge home of our grand Auncestors to human ciuilitye, but in these daies in few yeeres degenerate from the true knowledge of thée and thy sonne Iesus Christ vnto the consuminge nakednesse of idolatrie and playinge inordinat, before y e golden Calfe of our owne making and our priestes: now the eightenth sunne most happely enuironeth in the firmamēt, sithence by the meanes of a poore vessell of the weaker sex, & a selly mayden, thou perfourming the gloryous delyuerance of thy people out of the thraldome and slauerye of Pharao & Egipt, dyddest annoynt the Kings daughter with an holy oyle setting a crown of pure golde vpon her head, and inuesting her with the purple and Scepter and regal Diademe of this Realme. Sithence which time, O Father, we owe, to thée and to her, our God and our Moyses, the sight of this light, the vse of this ayre, the ease of our hartes, the peace of our consciences, & the whole worke of our welfare. By her inspired by thée, spreding her beames at her appearing, the bloudy lawnces & claunching [Page] Murreans, and redoublinge shieldes, haue ben shattered asunder in shiuers, and bated and foyled into mattokes and spades, the flames of our furies quenched and put out, and the coole of grace flowed ouer y e realme, the Lion reconciled with the Lambe, the wilde Asse set to be pastured with the seely Kyd, the abhomynation of desolation remoued from the holy temple, and the sun of man exalted and lifte vp on high in his owne kingdom, for all that were stonge by the fiery serpēt to looke vpon and be saued. In admyrable lenytie, Babylon hath put on Syon, Egypt is become our owne, Rahab the harlot denizoned in Ierusalem: wee become of the wilde olyues the true garden plants: of Ismael, Israell: of miscreant, christian: of paynim, protesting and professing: of Antichristian Romanest heathen idolaters, faithfull euangelycall sincerely beleeuing worshipers of thée in spirit and verytie, according to thy holy worde. Neither hath cost ben spared, nor occasiō fores [...]owd, nor time ouer passed, nor trauel intermitted, to rayse that was fallen, to win that was witholden: to call that was strayed, to heale that was wurryed: to finde that was [Page] lost, to restore that was ruined, to repayre that was decaied, to make good and enhable that was abandoned. Preachers haue bene sent forth plenteously, Lawes haue ben executed mercyfully, Orders haue bene set downe polytickly, dangers haue ben declyned discretly, tumultes haue bene apeased victoryously: the whole spacious dominyons of both Iles and the adiacent Landes gouerned triumphantly. So as it is harde to finde the man that more orderly hath manedged the charge of any one houshold: then the Daughter of thy house with her virginall hands hath welded the weightye scepter of sundry and mighty populous nations. Inher time hath béen seen the golden yéeres of the reigne of her Father Dauid, and the peacefull kingdome of Salomon to haue ben aduanced. The earth not to haue denied her fruitfulnes, the sea her encrese, the clowdes their drops, the heauens their fayrenesse, the sun his warmth, the yeare her goodnesse. But the valleys stand thicke with corne, the wyldernesse crowned with gladnesse, the furrous watred, the mountaines laugh & sing, the folds full of sheepe, our sonnes and daughters grow vp like to [Page] y e polished corners of y e Temple, our yongmen sée visions, and our olde men prophecy: Hierusalē her light shining vnto her, and the glory of the Lorde rysen vnto her. The Quéene bringing her honor vnto the citie of Dauid, and the nations walkinge in the light thereof. Great is the honour y e thou hast heaped vpon vs, and honourable in foreine regions is the work y t thou hast wrought by thy chosen. Yea and so much the more hath the brightnes of this bewty ben powred abroad, y t whiles Egipt round about hath bene darkned (euen the whole world in a manner besides vs, whom thou hast gathered into pastures of this Gosen) and the thicke mistes of errour hath blinded the eyes of the earth: the cloudy piller hath not departed from vs, by the day, nor y e fiery flame by night. Whiles other lands round about haue warred to the destructiō of one another, our Moyses hath guided vs in peace: whiles other nations lyke Egipt rounde about hath béen plaged by the destroyer from the first borne, syttinge vpon the princes trone, vnto the slaue grindyng at the handmyll, our Moyses hath not deminished of her flocke: whiles the firme [Page] landes haue bene ouerwhelmed by y e rage of the seas and waters: our Iland hauing dwelt in peace, in peace hath sent her ships into Opher for golde, and prepared her nauye against the daunger of the enemie. Whiles Athalia hath murdered her owne blood, our Ioas hath learned the lawe of the Lord of Iehoiada. Whiles Achaz consecrateth his owne sonne in the fier, and Samaria eateth her owne children on the wals, our Eliza directeth the children of the prophets in their offices. Whiles Iezabel setteth vp Baal, and embreweth Achab with the blood of the Prophetes and of Naboth: our Elias gathereth the people of God to mounte Carmell, to beholde the wonder of the fire of God lighting from Heauen vpon the sacrifices, and replenishing the harts with ioy, and toungs, with giftes of languages. This is then so worthy an instrument of thy goodnesse and expresse Image of thy Maiestie, and the ample matter of this daies celebritie. And now what doth thy people desire at thine handes, but that first O Lorde thou geue vs thankfull hartes, & make vs al the dayes of our liues mindfull of this thy fatherly and gracious [Page] bountifulnes. Then, as presētly y e Quéens highnes hath gloriously atchieued the trauayll of full seuentéene yéeres, and now the annuell celebritie of our voluntary sacrifice of praise and thanksgeuing therefore, returneth: so it may by thy benefit full often returne, & not once or twise, but yéere by yeere, and yeere heaped vpon yéere, we and our ofspring may behold this felycity, vntill wée and she satisfied in aboundance, the time draw alonge which thou hast appoynted for the veling of her Crowne at the féete of thy sun Iesus: and the course of this earthly pilgrimage ouerrunne, we and she, at our determined seasons he takē to raigne in the euerlasting kyngdome of thy glory. Agayne, where much is the mischief of man, great and enormous the rage of Sathā, suttle the practises of Antichrist, euyll our desertes, lamentable the state of thinges, whiles open colouring hideth priuie conspiring, poysoned lippes geue sugered words: the breath of Cocatrices, the embrasings of Scorpions, the roringe of Buls, the raging of Rabsake, the sworde of Herod, the destructiō of Abbadon hath ben séene in our stréets, hath bene hard on our [Page] walles, hath multiplyed before the gates of our cities: that thou destroy vs not in the midest of thy workes of thy mercy, to leaue vs headlesse and make vs a scorne and prouerbe to the enemye: but rather to beholde the number of the faithful subiectes, in the dread of their souls, and iust ielosye of thyr common interest, bowinge the knées of their harts, for the long safetie of Quéene Elizabeths sacred Princely person: rather then in thy iust fury for auenging of our sins, to suffer y e deuill w t the wicked to preuaile in the vniust zelousnesse of their preposterous vowes gracelesly swearing the death of thy Saints and thine annoynted. Lastly that what remaineth of the happye building of thy Church by the hands of thy deare daughter: thou plentyfully powre of thy principall spirit vpon her, and rauishe her hart with the flame of the loue of thée and thy house, with Moyses to lead, & with Iosue to bring in to y e land of promise, with Debora to fight thy battaile, & w t Iahel to knock Sisera of Rome in the temples of his vsurped headship: to his vtter destruction, with Dauid, to bring home the Ark, & with Salomon to finish & consecrate to eternity [Page] thy Temple, amongest thy people: on the earth for the time to géeue largelye her fostermilke to Hierusalem, in Heauen at the time in the purenesse of her virginitie to be presented to the Lambe, and sing the song of her weddinge day with thy Angels and thy Saintes, to the praise of thy glorious Maiesty, the father, the sonne and the holy Ghost, in one eternall Deitie for euer and euer. Amen.
A.j.