soule a Minde aboue his Hart His Hart a feeling of his spirits Nature His Nature Reason and his Reason Art His Art a knowledge of each earthly Creature His Knowledge Honour and his Honour Grace His Grace a fauour in a Glorious place She read him all the Rules of Learnings Loue The Naturall the Morall and Diuine She shew'd the Blessing of the soules behoue That doth not wholy to the earth decline She shewes the way vnto eternall Blisse And for the world how base a thing it is Yet when she made the world for her best Grace She sets a Course and Rule for euery thing For Nature Reason Action Time and Place How best proportion might perfection bring And how in all might all things so agree That in their Concords might no discord be In scale and feather haire and skinne and hue In substance sence in colour shape and feature How they were first begot and how they grew And how each one should differ in their Nature Yet differing so they might together liue That none might other hurt or hinderance giue But vnto Man she only gaue a minde To looke into the life of euery Nature And giue them names and vse them in their kinde And take commandement of each kind of Creature And by her will to walke among them so That euery one should him their seruice owe. She made each haire each Artir and each vaine The flesh the bones the finnowes and the skinne The heart the lytes the liuer and the braine The outward Beauty and the strength within And to his soule did giue that heau'nly Nature That made in all the admirable Creature She gaue him wings to mount aboue the winde And inward Eies to see aboue the Sunne And by her Rules did make his Reason finde How Sun and Moone Starres their courses runne How Sea-Men by the pole their courses guide And by the Moone the turne of euery Tide She makes him finde the Heauens operations Vpon the Bodies of the earth below She makes him by his spirits contemplations Vpon the earth things aboue Earth to know And to his knowledge doth that Vertue giue As learnes him only to his God to liue She makes a difference in the Mindes of Men She crownes the Princes and entituleth Honor She writes their Stories with a perfect Pen And doth aduaunce them that doe tend vpon her She makes them Blest that doe in patience proue her And liue for euer that doe truly loue her She doth instruct the King in all his care Where Mercies Iustice beares a blessed sword She shewes the Peeres when they in counsaile are What fauour heau'ns the faithfull hearts afoord She shewes the people the due loyaltie That Subiects owe vnto their Soueraigntie She makes the Courtier not misspend his time She bids the Souldiour spare the Innocent And the Diuine beware the Conscience crime And makes the Lawyer a good Studient She makes the Merchant honest with his wealth And labour keepe the labouring Man in health She teacheth euery Science and each Art And shewes the Truth of euery Argument And makes distinctions vpon euery part And is of all the only Ornament She shewes the Studient in Diuinitie Heauen with the world hath no Affinitie She feedes no fancie with an idle fashion Yet fashions all things in a comly frame She neuer knew Repentance wofull passion Nor euer fear'd the blot of wicked blame But euen and true what euer she intended Wrought all so well that none could be amended She neuer whirles about an idle Wit Nor taketh pleasure in a wanton Eie Nor in the seate of pride did euer sit Nor from the poore did turne her hand awrie Nor maintain'd wealth with wretched Miserie Nor sought for honour by Indignitie No no that Man that would his Mistris make her That Woman that doth choose her for her Louer That Man or Woman that doth only take her For their best Loue and in their hearts doe loue her In rauisht sweetnes of her Beauties Blisses Will dwell vpon her lips in louely Kisses She neuer yet did harme to any liuing Nor is there any good but that she doeth To euery soule she is her Comfort giuing And with her sweetnes so Affection woeth That they who could in Loues perfection proue her Would hate themselues and if they did not loue her She laies the lines of life in Vertues loue Imploies the Minde in holy Meditations The hart in study of the soules behoue The spirit in Loues Contemplations The tongue in speaking truth on euery part The soule in prayer for a faithfull hart She neuer was acquainted with Corruption Not came within the Aire of all Infection Her purpose neuer had an Interruption Nor euer was she crost in her direction But sound and sure she caries so her skill That in all good there can be found no ill She is the fairest of all Beauties Fame She is the sweetest of all Reasons sence She is the Noblest of all Honours name She is the strongest of all Loues defence She is the richest of all earthly Treasure And purest substance of the Spirits pleasure Oh what can there be more that she should be Or how should she be more then that she is That all may see and more then all may see The blessed Being of all Being Blisse All Infinite in all perfections waies And Infinite in all perfections praise And being then in goodnes all so Good As being best a better cannot be Which in her selfe is only vnderstood And in her selfe her selfe can only see What life of Grace but would in loue admire her Or Gratious loue could liue and not desire her But since that loue is the true life indeede Of which she is by which she only liueth From which she hath her only happy spide To which she oweth all the good she giueth Let me the purest of my passion proue To see her Glory in the Grace of loue THE PRAISE OF Loue. The third daies worke O Loue that liuest in that only light Which giues all seeing to all gratious Eies But keepest thy sence frō that vngodly sight That in the darknes of Illusion dies Lighten my soule that it may cleerely see How thou in Wisedome Wisedome liues in thee The Angels can in their Attonements tell How kindly thou do'st make them liue together And where the Saints and holy Martirs dwell The holy Muses bring their Musique thither And while the Hoast of all the Heauens reioyce Thou tun'st the heart-strings of the highest voice Loue is the Essence of Eternitie That workes the course of Wisedomes cariage Where the high counsaile of the Deitie Twixt Heauen and Earth doe make a Mariage While in the life of Holines alone The Lord of Heauen and his true Church are one It layes the plot and drawes the lines of pleasure Within the ground of Graces Paradise It works the Truth that is the spirits Treasure And builds the height of Honours Dignities It bends the Eies of Graces Royaltie And
knits the hearts of Vertues Loyaltie It is no Obiect for an earthly Eie Nor any Muse for any worldly minde Although the world in true effects may trie It is a spirit of a powerfull kinde And such a power as all powers doe submit To the Inuincible power of it It maketh Will doe only what it list While Wisedome guides the Axill Tree of wit And neuer feares the hurt of had I wist That sees a Crosse and is content with it While patience findes the only faire perfection Of Fancies faith in fauours true Affection It is a substance that admits no figure For in it selfe it breedes but of exceedings While in the Notes of pleasures truest Nature The fruites of Faith are Fancies only feedings While in conceite those high Contentments meete That happy soules are rauisht with the sweete To comprehend it passeth Comprehension And to define 't is vndefinable And to describe it doth exceede Inuention And to conceiue 't is vnconceiuable Yet by the Vertue that our sence it giues Our Reason findes that in our soules it liues It is a fire that kindleth in the Eie It is an Aire that cooleth Furies heate It is a water that is neuer drie A Paradise where growes the spirits meate Thus it partakes of euery Element Yet liues aboue the highest Firmament It is a thought begotten by a sight And 't is a sight that liueth in the thought It is a life that breedeth in delight And a delight that life hath only wrought It is a word that by true spirits spoken Doth knit a knot that neuer can be broken Oh how it doth a blessed Nature nourish And how it doth an humble spirit cherish And how it makes a faithfull heart to flourish And suffers not a Gratious soule to perish Witnes those hearts whose perfect spirits proue How loue in Wisedome Wisedome liues in loue Fortune can neuer haue a force to foile it Nor feare to fright nor enuie to anoy it Nor passion to hurt impatience to spoile it Nor Death to kill nor Deuill to destroy it But where all pleasures spring and perish neuer Heere or in Heau'n it hath a life for euer From the faire Brightnes of a Beautious Eie It caries honour to an humble hart And from the heart of Truthes Humilitie It gaines the comfort of a kinde desart And in true kindnes that content alone That of two Bodies makes the Minde but one It brought downe Heau'n to Earth brings Earth to Heau'n It walks about the circle of the Sunne It makes the Planets keepe their orders eu'n And Nature kindly all her courses runne It sits vpon the holy seate of Grace And with the highest hath the highest place It keepes all Order Measure Rule and Right In Nature Reason Wisedome Wit and Sence In word and deede and thought by day and night In time and place in Case and Moode and Tense Where all proportions are in such perfection As shewes the depth of the diuine direction It makes the husband kinde vnto his wife The spouse obedient to her faithfull pheere And in that kindnes that contentiue life That only doth but in that life appeare The Children gratious and the Parents kinde And each in other what they wish to finde Brethren and sisters liue in Vnitie And Neighbours liue in friendly Neighbourhood And friends continue in true Amitie And strangers vnto strangers to doe good Princes in Peace and Subiects liue in Grace And so the earth to proue a heau'nly place Oh how it fights against infamous thought And kills the Nature of an ill coniecture How true it hath the life of Vertue taught And builds the height of Honours Architecture How little it regards all earthly toyes And surely leades the soule to endlesse ioyes How sweetly on the Nurses lips it lies While she is bussing of her little Baby And how it twinckles in the Infants eies In learning of his Christes Crosse and his A. B How cherry-red it dies a snowie white Where Maiden-blushes make a blessed sight Loue makes the Triumphes of the truest ioyes And sounds the Trumpet of the sweetest sound Loue speakes in hearts and makes no idle noise But is in some of euery Grace the ground It is a Riddle aboue Reasons sence And of exceedings all the excellence It makes the thought the word and deede all one It bindes the eye the hand and heart together It is in truth the only Tree alone Which keeps his greene where not a leafe can wither It is the Bird that only sings in May And makes the holy spirits holy day It takes away the tediousnes from time The paine from patience in desire delaies The feare from care the hearts content to clime The sloath from labour in his hardest waies The frailty from the Nature of Affection And folly from the passion of perfection It is a Vertue of that sacred sence In working wonders in the spirits power As in the height of Reasons Excellence Vpon the top of Truths eternall Tower Doth stand with such a Grace of heau'nly Glory As may be call'd the state of Wisedomes story And since it is so infinite in worth As doth exceede his penne of Reasons praise Who from the soule of Wisedome issues forth As from the Sunne his brightest shining Raies Let me heere cease and all in Admiration Leaue it to Wisedomes only declaration And since it doth in nothing more appeare Then in the Nature of true Constancie Which is a Vertue to the soule to deere As keepes the soule from Errors Extasie Let me a little speake of that sweet Nature Of Constancie that makes the Blessed Creature THE PRAISE OF Constancie The fourth daies worke O Constancie thou only kingly thought That keepes the spirit in her purest kinde And hast against all idle frailty fought And like a Mountaine set lest fast the Minde Let me conceiue some part of thy content Where pleasures spirit is most sweetly spent And though I cannot reach that Royall height Wherein thy sacred Maiestie doth sit Yet as a Seruant let me humbly waite To see thine honour and to speake of it And so to speake that all the world may see Wisedomes Loues Honor only liues in thee The constant Eie hath neuer wandring fight The constant Eare hath no vnkindly hearing The constant Tongue doth euer speake aright The constant Heart hath euer happy chearing The constant Minde the fairest thoughts vnfold thee The constant Soule on earth heauen behold thee It neuer hath a thought of iealousie Nor stands vpon Opinions Parador Nor runnes a fury into frenzie Nor feares the Wolfe nor ioyneth with the Fox But like the Phoenix in a sunnie fire Findes lifes delight in ashes of desire It loues no change and breedes the ioy of choise It feares no fortune nor it serues no folly It keepes the Rule where Reason doth reioice And is the substance of contentment wholy It is a stay that strengtheneth the Minde And knit the sences in a sacred Kinde It is the true
onely liue but in her loue And did the Souldiour in the points of Warre See how she sets the honour of the fight How from offences she doth keepe a farre Yet in the quarrell doth maintaine the right And saues the lyues hat doe to Mercy yeeld She should be high Commaunder of the field She is not lock't vp in the Misers Chest Nor lapt vp in the lines of lewd conceite Her life is more in liberty faire blest Then on the wills of wicked wit to waite No no it is too much against her nature To haue to doe with any wicked creature When she alone doth in her Closet sit Heauens open her the windowes of their light And Wisedomes spirit doth inspire her wit While holy Grace doth guide her spirit right Saints teares her Inke her pennes of Angels wings While to the Glory of her God she sings Her Paper is a pure vnspotted hart Where thoughts are words writ in the lines of loue Where Patience points at sorrowes inward smart While ruthfull passions doe Repentance proue And Truth records that Graces eyes may reade How soules are heal'd while sinfull harts doe bleede There all the Angels in their turnes attend To doe their seruice in their purest sence While Wit and Reason doe their Natures bend Vnto the life of Loues obedience And gathering so all gracious thoughts together She weares the Garland that can neuer wither There doth she put the Poets to their pensions Whose Wits are worne with too much worldly study And cannot reach the height of heauens Inuentions But plod in pooles where plashes are too muddy And takes a Muse for Gracious Pleasures play To set her Musique in a heauenly Key There doth she sing how sweet a thing it is To see the heauens all blessed thoughts embrace How Beauty sees the highest of her Blisse But in the feature of an Angels face While Time and Truth doe in their triall proue There is no life but in the eternall Loue. The fading pleasures of Affections play The partiall working of imperfect will The feeble state of fickle fancies stay The carelesse compasse of vnkindly skill The cursed humour of Inconstancie These hatefull humours she doth all defie No where she loues it tends but with her life And whē she speakes her Iudgements shewes her wit And when she writes her Concords know no strife What choise conceite shall chiefe in honour sit But speake and write and looke and like and loue All haue their blessings in the heauens aboue She giues the King a high Supremacie And to his Queene a Gracious Maiestie And to his Court she giues a Decencie And to his State she giues an Vnitie And to the Rich a superfluity And to the poore a bounteous charity She giues the Scholler Vnderstanding sence And to the Souldiour Resolution And to the Iudge an vpright Conscience And the Repentant Absolution The Trades-man care to keepe his family The Labourer patience and Humility She leades a King into his Cabinet And shewes him there the burthen of his Crowne Before his eyes she doth his Kingdome set And to his God his duty doth set downe She shewes him there the fall of idle pride And how his person doth in safety bide She shewes him there the honour of her loue The ground of Grace in the eternall good She shewes the blessing of the soules behoue Vpon the breeding of a Royall brood And that Religion is the Rule of Grace That keepes the kingdome in a happy case She shewes him there the benefit of peace The hurt of Warre the hate of Tyrannie The Ioy of Loue the happinesse encrease Where Wisedomes cares are Honours companie And sound aduise in sacred veritie Maintaines a Monarch in his Maiestie She shewes him there how flattery folly feedes While Reason sees the ruine of selfe-will She shewes the difference twixt the herbs weedes Wicked illusion and discretions skill She shewes him all that she thinks fit to show him To strength his State that nothing ouerthrow him She shewes him there the sweet contentiue life Is not still caried in varieties Nor faithfull Care doth feare the fatall knife That is not subiect to Impieties But he alone is all and onely Blest Who all in Mercy hath his spirits Rest. She makes him see that he could neuer see But through her sight the brightnes of all Seeing She makes him be that he could neuer be But in the blessing of her blessed Being Thus all in summe she makes him see and be That without her he could nor be nor see She gaines him all his Greatnes in her Grace His Countries loue the honour of his Court She keepes him safely in his kingly place And to the world she doth his fame report And when frō earth Death must his Crowne disseuer She makes him raigne a King in heauen for euer She takes a Queene vnto her selfe a-side And shewes her all the Glory of her Grace How she alone doth make the blessed Bride And how she keepes her in her highest place She makes the King in glorious Robes attire her And all the Court loue honour and admire her Then doth she bring her humbly on her knees And sets before her the faire booke of Blisse Bids her there finde that she can neuer leese The care of life where euery comfort is When lifting vp her heart with humble eie She sees a Beautie brighter then the skie There she beholds in Mercies Maiestie Her Sauiour sitting in a Glorious Throne Where in the Essence of Eternitie He rules all powers in himselfe alone When seeing her thus humbly fall before him He blesseth her that doth so much adore him Then doth she see the Angels exercise Who with the Saints and Virgins fit and sing While humble spirits make their Sacrifice Vnto the Glory of their Gracious King While all the Hoast of all the heauen reioyces To heare the Musique of the heauenly voyces Then doth she set the Consort of the Quier Where euery Note doth keepe his Time and Tune The ditty only speaking of Desire Where loue doth only vnto Mercy clime Where euery Close doth in such comfort meete That all the Heauens are rauisht with the sweete She takes the Virgine to her Morning taske And sets her downe a forme of faithfull praier But couers not her Beauty with a Maske When she hath made her truly heauenly faire But brings her forth with such a Blessed Grace As makes him happy that may see her face She shewes her in a Glasse of Beauties Truth How Art doth Nature too much iniurie That feebled Aye in forced tricks of Youth In true Conceite is Reasons Mockerie The idle thoughts that spoile the inward eies Where Loue should liue but in dishonour dies She shewes her there the Maiden-blush complection Betwixt the cherrie Red and snowie White And reades her then the precepts of perfection Within the circle of Dianas fight She shewes her all the Titles of desart And that true honour liues but in the