slauery Which holds the highest pride but cleanly neatnesse And their strong Tyranny braue validity Nor in his nature 's found but little good What profit is their in this noble blood What house so famous that did not begin And from most meeke and worthy mindes proceede Which did at first their braue achiuements win From vertues time and honorable deeds If it be so why should not humble spirits Possesse vs still like glory to inherit But such are the vilde customes of these times That vertue is asham'd her selfe to knowe She shall be taxt she feares for some base ruines If their full power and grace she publicke shewes Vertue must weare the cloak of vice about her Or else your greatest gallants will but flout her 'T is now dishonor to be honorable And right must now indure a little wrong Truth like the times must change or be vnstable Or else she must but whisper with her tongue Loue pitty charity if they want I feare Must get their liuinh where they cannot heare Well could thy better guided spirits approue To kepe a meane gate in an humble path And not to climbe those lofty seates aboue Which many cares and discontentments hath Whereof Dame fortune queene of chāge doth raigne And who she list shall vp then downe againe But still pure heau'ns thy honor did preserue Clad in those humble garments Christ did weare From which thy vertuous minde did neuer swarue But still a gentle spirit did'st loue and beare And neuer hadst this lesson far to seeke Come learne of me that humble am and meeke But hadst both read and knowne from the beginning How grace attends the one and shame the other Greatnesse and honors are such spurres to sinning And there 's no vice so great but pride can couer Humility the first true lesson learnes vs How we should know our selues best discernes vs. In thy faire brest this vertue fixed lies Which like a pretious Iewell doth adorne thee And as a chaine those other graces ties Which through the earth with such renowne hath borne thee With mounting Icarus doest feare no fall Nor yet seekes meanes to raise thy state at all Great Lady whose rare vertues passing thought And weake imagination can't attaine A prize for mortall men too dearely bought And which the Gods themselues can best maintaine For who can tell the spirits power that 's giuen From that all powerfull power the king of heauen Thou which didst seeke to hide thy honour great Lapt vp from fame within our countries armes To keepe with vs thy residentall seate So faire and sure from high aspiring harmes Suppressing by a life retir'd that guest Which crown 's thee with more glory then the rest No that true honor which from vertue springs Like to a sparke will kindle without blowing Or like a tree which fruite in autumne brings That spite of winters rage is euer growing And fills the owners brest with glory store That Kings ne're knew nor yet possest before Whilst those that liue in greatest Monarches grace And sit vpon the pinacle of fame That fortune at their pleasure can imbrace And thinke to get a neuer dying name Haue not to halfe thy praise with all their paines Arriu'd vnto which thou vnsought for gaines Thy humble life like to thy Sauiour led In greatest greatnesse meeke in plentie poore Did make thy fame renowne and honor spred And did increase thy prayses more and more That in concealing as the worthiest vses Thy honors grace thee and more grace infuses Thou didst not beare a loftie scornefull eye Nor glory in the greatnesse of thy state Nor exercise thy minde in things too high But vnder-ualuest what most highly rate And mad'st thy minde a map for all to see The straine of vertue in gentility Thus did thy humble life in high degree Raise thy vnwilling minde to more renowne Induing thee with greater dignitie Then those that with mo worldly pomp were crown'd For thine were true and did from vertue growe Else heauen earth would ne'r haue grac't them so But for her temperance in attire and diet Which shew how much she worldly pompe dispised And free from that super-abounding riot Which is by some to prodigall bloods deuised So strict vnto her selfe to others free That gaue content in liberallity And which did liue confinde in her estate Not prodigally to wast in surfets store Nor after such a vild luxurious rate To pamper flesh with cloide delights the more But kept a better course and shun'd those sinnes Which curious and delightfull appetites brings Whilst some in beastly Epicurisme spend And waste their daies in vild licentiousnes Glutting insatiate tasts but to offend And make their God their bellies for excesse Which eate drinke spend their time like slaues To fatten sin wormes Sathan and the graues Whilst she did vse the meanes that might procure The least offence that could be giuen in this No such delitious bayts could her allure T' abuse heauens gift in vsing them amisse But did obserue and keepe so true a diet As kept her health full and her soule in quiet What Abstinence hath she vs'd to subdue Those causes those motions which might tempt her To make her proue vnto her selfe vntrue Or with the tast of follow could preuent her Oh no who striues that glorious marke to win Must fly the meanes as well as fly the sin What man that open lies vnto his foes From dangers and disgraces can be free What man that with his enemies walkes and goes That can stand firme and neuer conquered be What man that graspes sin in his wanton armes Can free escape and ne're be toucht with harmes Oh no it is too hard for flesh and blood If heau'ns should vs with our owne frailties trust We should come short for to performe that good Alas what power and strength doth lie in dust When euery winde blast tempest storme weather Blowes vs away far lighter then a feather Good Lady how far was thou blest aboue vs That could so moderate thy affections here Where thy example is enough to moue vs If any loue zeale grace and heauenly feare Were wrought in this obdurate heart of ours To make vs better serue th' eternall powers That ciuill block not larded with much cost Nor wrought with broadered worke most curiously Whereby some haue both wealth and credit lost A iust reward for thoughts that mount too high Could not surprize nor in subiection bring Her minde at all to like so vaine a thing For well she knew that flesh and blood is apt Of it owne nature to be proud enough And needs not such inticements to intrap As cloth of Tissue gold or richer stuffe Which often makes the wearer wondrous proud Though 't is for Kings and princes courts allowd Yet for those men that can direct their minds Whose gentle spirits in vertue haue bin bred And by desarts haue vnto honor climb'd Such costly garments haue bene giuen
and curious times Of many mightie troubles made the ground VVhom ouer-searching doubts and errors blindes So many truths that which of them to take To many wandering wits doe question make This is the truth they 'le neuer start away From this vnto another straight they are gone Then to that sect they know not what to say Thus are they busie in all but firme in none Then this they like then that then straight they le turne To any thing I thinke before they le burne Such trees which like the fig-tree seemes most faire VVhen nought but leaues and blossomes it affords And in the eyes of th' world are iudg'd most rare That onely paints Religion out in words That learnes to tip their tongues with Artes diuine VVhen damn'd Hypocrisie resteth in their minde VVhose gesture workes lookes words and actions all VVith similar showes are varnish'd to deceiue men VVith heau p vp hands and eyes to heauen they call As if deuotion would of sense bereaue them And knock their brests when as their hearts within Lie buried vp in flesh and bloud and sinne Such strange comixtures of Religion holds them That they like mad-men care not where they bite And Iudas-like a little price hath sold them That euen the worst of errors they doe like Thus are they through their owne rash-daring skill Led captiue of the Diuell to doe his will How many strange Religions are there found That will dispute of truth and seeme to know it How many sects and rules yet all vnsound As this vaine light-beleeuing age can show it If such a number into errors fall How many more which hold no truth at all Good God which art the onely truth and guide Keep 's from those errors wherein some are caught That we from thee may neuer fall nor slide But willingly embrace the Gospell taught That no inuentions heresies crafts or guiles May worke in vs our safetie to beguile But worthy Lady who did'st keepe the truth From superstition and Idolatrie free Both in old age in middle yeares and youth That in such greatnesse few haue done like thee Where many liue to whom that name belongs Which onely Christianize it in their tongues But thy firme resolution fixed was And vnremoued stood against all those Which seemes to set a colour and a glosse Vpon Religion falshood to inclose Vnder which faire pretext often doth lie Most dangerous deepe deceits our soules to trie The truth thy soule delighted not to striue On idle questions which no profit brings Whil'st some new sought inuentions can contriue To draw hard questions from the meanest things Wresting those words that sence to what they 'd haue it And not as right and true constructions craue it But thou the praise of these vnconstant times Mad'st not this world the patterne to doe ill But like a candle did'st in darknesse shine And fram'dst thy life vnto thy Makers will Not tossed to and fro with euery winde Which wraps in many errors wandring mindes But did'st continue to thy vtmost breath A zealous Protestant and religious friend Not stain'd with heresie in thy life nor death But seald'st thy last gaspe with a glorious end Which made the Angels sing and heauens reioyce That thou with Mary madest so good a choyse Thy faith as great and rare did apprehend The second person in the Trinitie On whom thy whole saluation did depend Wrought by his passions so effectually Not mingling of his merits with humane powers Ascribing that to vs which is not ours But to thy selfe by priuate application Did'st ceize on all those promises sweet and faire Writ in the Scriptures for our consolation To keepe vs vp from horror and despaire That when deepe flouds waters seeme to drowne vs Our faith may shine in darknesse then crowne vs. And bring our soules into that glorious rest Wrought by his passions sufferings death and merit Which he hath purchas'd for the chosen best After this mortall labour to inherit Redeeming vs when we were cast away With such a price as none but he could pay That holy one that pure vnspotted Lambe That did descend from his eternall throwne For vs vile sinners being God and man To satisfie the wrath of heauen alone And vnderwent such torments griefes and paines To make his greatest losse our greatest gaines Oh happie Lady whose erected minde This glorious obiect of thy faith so loues Thy soules delight which ioyes and comforts finde Where all the triall of thy faith he proues And viewes the pure deuotions of thy heart Which for his seruice thou had'st set apart There in that euerlasting booke of fate Are written downe the triall of thy loue Thy faith zeale piety and that happy state Which far beyond our thoughts thy soule doth proue Such great felicitie ioyes which ioyes excell That tongues of men and Angels cannot tell Could the heau'ns see thy labours and endeuor And to thy louing cares giue no regard Thy constancie whereby thou did'st perseuer Vnto the end and yeeld thee no reward Oh no 't is hard to thinke but worse to say That heau'ns great giuer should himselfe denay He that rewards vniust and wicked men With ample benefits shall he not be kinde Vnto his owne deare chosen children then Or suffer them to slip out of his minde If he so liberall be to the vniust What shall he be to those that in him trust Oh no Great Lady he will doe no wrong Nor once deny himselfe let none so thinke Hee 's iust and true although he beareth long Nor is he blinde although he seeme to winke But doth behold thy faith which neuer faints Where he doth crowne thee with his dearest Saints That bitter combate held with flesh and blood And mightie conflict which assaults the best Which by his powerfull hand thou hast withstood And quench'd those fiery darts which neuer rest But still new battailes warre and strife begin Against our soules faire Sions for t to win Yet all these cannot shake thy glorious hold See firme and constant faith doth still endure Which makes thy trust and confidence so bold Ayde him that most vndoubted ayde assure He takes thy part he will not see thee foil'd Nor to thy foes become a prey nor spoild Heere did the triall of thy faith appeare In his continuall fight with flesh and blood Which shew'd thy loue vnto thy Sauiour deare Which could not be by worldly hopes withstood But still persisted striuing for to winne That powerfull monster Hydra-headed sinne Thou neuer vnto Saints and Angels prayde Nor mad'st petitions to them in thy need Which whil'st they liu'd did want our Sauiours ayde Whose sinnes as well as ours did make him bleed And was the cause that stopp'd his glorious breath To ransome them as well as vs from death Yet will not these proud Pharisees be perswaded But vrge traditions from their fathers taught And haue the Gospell through their power inuaded And many holy needlesse reliques sought Of ancient Saint
support her houses fame A widdow wife and maide confinde in one In all and seuerall states so free from blame That enuy nor the iniurious hand of time Could euer staine or touch with any crime Her thoughts so continent and her chast desires Which neuer rioted in exppense of time Sprung from those true eternall liuing fires Which doth all vertue to it selfe combine Not lightly led nor starting now and then To place new fancies in affecting men But truely kept her selfe vnto her loue Her worthy loue in youth in age in death So constant faithfull true as turtle doue Where her affections gaue no second breath But liu'd in one pure loue and neuer changed In thoughts so firmly knit they neuer ranged Which for the space of almost thirty yeares Did rule alone her house admir d of many Such holy graces in her life appeares Such perfect vertues seldome seene in any A virgin wife a widow maide to be So old in honor yet from folly free Could not her long deceased spouse before Grac'd with so many worthy after loues Nor time nor nature which could argue more Nor any thing from that strict course remoue But still her resolution doth perseuer Inuiolate vnto the first for euer Why then poore pen doest thou attempt so far And canst not touch the riches of her honor Nor nothing neere describe this glorious starre But rather much vnhidden worth take from her The little world of thy poore wit on fire Will rather burne then satisfie desire Yet giue me leaue great Readers to admire Faire imitators of her honors worth Although I cannot satisfie desire Nor set her high desarts and honor forth Accept my will which must remaine your debtor Till time or heau'ns shall grace me to sing better She in whose breast grace such impression tooke That made her time not like a mortall creature Which honors state and dignities forsooke A thing most hard and wondrous strange to nature That vertue should be found for to contemne Such meanes and fortunes as aduanceth them Could grace and vertue natures force expell And breake those lawes wherein she binds too many Could heauenly gifts in such a concord dwell So welbelou'd within the heart of any That in so many daies they should not fall Nor yet be toucht with any crime at all Pure-thoughted Lady which preserues thy soule So cleane from fleshly crimes and carnall pleasures Nor didst consent vnto such actions foule Wherein too many wallow out of measure That inbred sin which neuer leaues the most Till nature's ready to yeeld vp the ghoast One loue thy soule delighted which decease Did liue a fresh in the still vndiuided Two persons ioynd in one makes no release Till both be dead in loue so firmly guided Death parts the body but the soule doth honor In shadie groues to meete so true a louer So constant Lady thou which after death In strengh of yeares to no such bayts did yeeld Gaines fame a second life and longer breath Whose stedfast loue on better ground did build Where palmes of victorie in thy hands are found And lawrell wreaths to girt thy temples round Where thou Diana-like didst lead a life In sacred loue mixt with most chast desire Or like those holy vestalls void of strife Which keepes their honors spotlesse and intire And neuer lookes so true a course they liue To those inchantments which the world doth giue Where purest loue like to the morning dew Sent downe from him which all good gifts infuses Inioyes those rare contents giuen but to few To very few which worldly traffique vses So great and meeke so chast and yet a wife For not a mortals but an Angels life Which onely keeps not from societie Thy person free but quencht those inward fires And from loose thoughts and vaine delights didst flie Hating th'imbracements of vnchast desires And gaue no place to such inticements vaine Which proues the owners losse the actors paine How canst thou then great Lady all forsake So many thousand bayted hopes to see And many great ones little rest to take Whilst thou securely sleeps from dangers free No thy chast bosome neuer lusted so To loose a freind for to imbrace a foe Thou worthy patterne of this wanton age Whose pure affections dispossesseth sin And acts thy part vpon this earthly stage As chast as she whose loue Troy towne did win Oh who would wish more honor in this life Then die a vertuous widow virgin wife Thou mighst haue knit thy selfe in sacred bands With honorable persons in degree In Hymens rites vniting hearts and hands And not haue wrong this first loue being free Oh but thy soule sayes to thy selfe alone That fayth most firme that keeps it selfe to one No friend nor louer since thy bosome smothers But Christ thy Sauiour spouse and husband deare For whose deare sake thou hast forsooke all others How great or rich so e're they liued here And sworne vnto thy selfe and made a vow To serue loue feare and keepe him onely now Oh happy choyse yet man and wife do varry From these pure paths which vnto vertue tends They care not who nor yet how oft they marry For loue of lucre lust or worldy freinds Exchanging oft the better for the worse Who weds a second neuer lou'd the first Such soule respects are so ingrauen in vs First beauty that faire obiect doth allure vs. Then mighty friends in state or meanes doth win vs That from insuing dangers may secure vs But last and greatest is wealth reuenewes riches The which the soules of men so much bewiches Long maist thou liue in thy more happier choise That euerlasting loue which fadeth neuer Long mayst thou with that Bridegroome faire reioice In those triumphing ioyes which lasteth euer Long maist thou honor praise and glory sing Vnto the soueraigne Lord the King of Kings Where thy pure thoughts chast bosome vertuous life Weds thy vnspotted soule to endlesse ioyes Whose loue to that great spouse makes a chast wife And whose rare gifts weake flesh and bloud destroyes Whose outward honors many equals finde But few to match the honor of the minde Why should my striuing pen desire to tell What it by force cannot attaine to know Why should my will against my skill rebell My passions thus ' gainst reasons lawes to show What ardent furies workes within my minde To seeke for that no wit nor toile can finde Oh giue me leaue to breake off thou my Muse I cannot diue so deepe I may be drown'd Then spare my weakenesse and defects excuse Which must retire when it can feele no ground That glorious streame of honor 't is too deepe For my weake braine aboue the waues to keepe But yet her bountie doth inuite my pen That vertue which doth challenge praise with best And vrges my dull hand to write agen Which crownes her with more glory then the rest And makes her name and honor mount the higher With such great grace as makes the
cannot pay thee halfe thy due But tossed am vpon misfortune shelfe And cannot sing thy honors full nor true Yet from these ashes may a Phaenix spring VVhen they haue heard thy worth and better sing Then take this vertue now into thy hand My feeble spirits begin for to retire Such power thy vertues haue they can withstand A better pen and bid my thoughts admire And glory in the subiect not my Muse VVhich can more faults then I haue done excuse Yet giue me leaue a little to proceed And some more graces of her minde discouer My fond affection in this vaine to feed One vertue still you see calls in another VVhere though I doe begin and speake of many Yet can I finde no end of praysing any Thy hospitalitie did as much renowne thee As cannot be by mortall tongues exprest And with as great desarts and prayses crowne thee Filling thee with more glory then the rest And brings thee forth vpon this stage to show thee VVhat thy desarts and their affections owe thee Thy speaking praise from Cottage to the Throne Attend thee Ladie with no common glorie Thy bounteous deeds so spred abroad and knowne VVrites in mens hearts thy neuer dying storie VVhere it shall liue past all succeeding ages As willing pen and vertue true presages Thy bounteous table kept who may declare Or greatnesse of thy hospitalitie VVhose liberall minde no cost at all doth spare To grace thy honor with more dignitie VVhere ouerwhelmed with affections store Shee to her friends thinkes greatest bountie poore VVhat long enduring house hath honor kept And with thy bounteous cheere and wondrous store Fed many mouthes whil'st some haue basely slept In Mammons armes still coueting more and more Snorting in mines of gold feeding their soules VVith that the best and worthiest mindes controlls VVhich loues to heare the fall of honor true And enuie those rare gifts they doe possesse Detracting those which bounteous deeds ensue And yet these slaues will creepe and be their guests To all those famous houses which they heare Doe keepe vp bountie and maintaine good cheere VVhil'st they doe scrape and gleane what they can get From Bounties hands and liberall dispositions VVhich ne're a good house kept themselues as yet Nor ne're will doe so base are their conditions If they can creepe but into honors fauours Thei le feede and burst vpon anothers labours Thus from great persons free and bounteous tables They heape vp wealth by wretched miserie And make their heires so strong in meanes and able That in the compasse of gentilitie They must be drawne and honored of some men Although their fathers basely begg'd for them I doe not vrge this most renowned Lady Though many men haue bettered beene by thee To ayme or point at any thing that may be Thought preiudiciall to thy dignitie But as thou art most liberall free and kinde So to expresse the bountie of thy minde Now can the Citie Countrie and the Court VVhose eares haue heard of thy dispersed fame Vnto thy Princely Palace make resort And fill their thoughts with thy admired name VVhere hearts eyes eares and all desires to proue The great magnificence of thy grace and loue VVith curteous kinde and honor'd dispositions Such as is wont in noble brests to dwell Thou entertaines great birthes and faire conditions VVith such rare grace and gestures as excell No wise conceits nor curious Artist found But for thy courteous grace thy praises found No worthy Lady of the noblest straine VVhich for her parts and wisdome was diuine But thou with bounteous hand did'st entertaine And show thy selfe as free as Caesars minde VVhose salutations were as fairely drest And powdred with the wisdome of the best Heere greatnesse doth another greatnesse grace Loue meetes with loue heere honor honor kisses Heere noble mindes each other doe embrace Nought to make vp such sweete contentment misses So faire a troupe of worthy persons meeting But few haue seene in such great honor greeting Here liberall Ceres plaies no niggards part Here Heau'n earth Seas their greatest plenty brings Here Bacchus cheeres the melancholly heart Whil'st a learn'd consort of sweete Musicke sings A feast that did more sumptuous cost afford Then Cleopatra did that noble Lord. Who hath beene fam'd for hospitalitie That hath not ranckt her name among the rest Who haue for bountie and for dignitie Admired beene and left her vnexprest Who hath a worthier house kept all her daies Then she hath done and liu'd in greater praise No Lady though our Shire did thee containe Yet are thy honors and thy bountie spred And can as great a share and glorie claime As theirs can doe and grace thee being dead With true deseruing fame for euer blest To equall Pellam Ramsey and the rest No niggards hand nor greedy gaine did hold her The noblest mindes are not in loue with riches Nor haue her vertues for such trifles sold her Though many great ones powerfull gold bewitches But what meanes heere the heauens her freely lent Shee wasteth nor though liberally shee spent But to a better end and purpose vsde them The hungrie members of our Lord to feed And not in such disordred sort abus'd them But help'd the weake afflicted in their need With Ioseph to refresh the brethren poore Which stands and waits for charitie at the doore Her yerning pitie did so farre extend That deepe compassion shee did on them take And in their great necessities did befriend Their soules and bodies for meere charities sake With gifts and good rewards shee did supplie Their extreame wants and sau'd them like to die How many hath shee eas'd of Lazars crue The poorest members of our dying Lord Whose great distresse the kindest natures rue Tost to and fro and in this world abhorr'd Despis'd and made a scorne of euery eye Which doth behold their woe and misery Thus doe they show from whence they are descended From that old serpent their adopted father Which neuer will nor euer haue extended The least reliefe as Diues crummes to gather His dogs were kinder for to licke his sores Then mē are now which beats them frō their dores But thou great Lady wherein vertue rested Did'st daily feed them at thy bounteous gate And the poore members of Christs flocke hast feasted Comiserating heere their wofull state Which nothing haue in this world to relieue them But what such liberall minds as yours doth giue thē Poore naked wormes which feele the sharpest aire Which wants food cloth and home which many haue What is heere left to keepe yee from despaire When all your hopes and comforts are the graue And if it were not for some worthie mindes Your soules would faint and die before your times But thou most true deuoted Ladie giues Both cloth food harbour to such orphanes poore And helpest those which in extremities liue And ne're expuls'd the needie from thy doore But at the point of death their soules did cherish And sau'd those liues which ready