IHÌ„S R V SOLE FRA LE STELLE Tenet Angelus Deam A new yeeres guift whose good well seene May please the wisdome of a Queene True vse whereof well weide in deede May stand the gracious in good steed HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE THE RIGHT WAY TO HEAVEN And the true testimonie of a faithfull and loyall subiect Compiled by Richard Vennard of Lincolnes Inne MATH 6. First seeke the kingdome of Heauen and all things shal be giuen AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Este 1601. R. V. SALVATOR MVNDI I IN this thy Name my soule great comfort findes H Heald from hir leprous sinne by thy deere bloud E Eschewing that molests disturbed mindes S Seeking for that may doe my conscience good V Vouchsafe thy Nature as thou giuest thy Name S Sweet Iesus that a blessed Sauiour came C Come comforter behold my soule is sad H Helpe with thy Mercie that thy Hand hath made R Regard mee so with hope I may be glad I In thy deere grace let all my deedes be staid S Sonne of thy Father such true lightning send T That in thy fauour Christ our liues may end AMEN TO THE HIGH AND mightie Princis Elizabeth by the grace of God Queene of England France and Ireland defendor of the Faith c. Richard Vennard of Lincolnes Inne Gent Wisheth all happinesse in this life And in the world to come Celestiall Eternitie MOST Renowned Soueraigne pleaseth it your Sacred Maiestie at the humble hands of your loiall subiect to accept this little handfull of my harts labour wherein my feeling of Gods mercies my knowledge of your gracious goodnesse and my care of my countries well doeing haue made me take such paines as if it may be pleasing in your sight shall breed no little ioy to my Soule Who kneeling at your Royall feete doe besech the God of all Glory to indew your Highnesse with his infinite blessings and long to preserue your sacred Maiestie in all ioyfull health and prosperous life Your Maiesties most faithfull and loyall subiect Richard Vennard Laudetur Dominus in aeternum OH Heauenly Spirit of especiall power That in thy hand thy praise of praises holdest And from the top of Truthes triumphant tower The hidden sence of fairest thoughts vnfoldest Inspire this hart and humble soule of mine With some sweet sparkle of thy power deuine Teach me to thinck but on that onely thought Wherein doth liue the grace of vertues glory And learne no more then what thy truth hath taught To those best wits that write thy worthie storie Wherein is seene in heauen and earths preseruing The highest point of praises praise deseruing Let not compare come neere vnto none such Heauen bee my thought and let the world go by And say withall that say I nere so much All are but trifles to thy treasurie For all no more then what thy mercie giueth Who can behold wherein thy glory liueth No I can see the shining of the Sunne But cannot sound the Essence of the light Then of thy face in whom that faire begunne How can my soule presume to haue a sight No my deere God thy glory hath a beeing Where Eie nor Heart nor Soule may haue a seeing And therefore Lord since such thy glory is As cannot bee but of thy selfe conceiued And heauen nor earth conteines that sparke of blisse But from thy hand of Mercy is receiued What spirit can hir sweetest passion raise Neere to the due of thy deserued praise Yet since all glory doth belong to thee Thy name in all things must bee magnified And by thy Mercie thou hast made mee see How in my soule thou maist be glorified In that sweet Mercy make my Soule to know How best I may thy blessed glory show Oh glorious God what creature can there bee That moues or Breathes or growes but shewes thy glory What art or science but doth speake of thee And writes the wonder of thy wisedome story What sound or sence can reasons Soule refine But speakes in glory of thy grace deuine The Sunne in brightnesse glorifies the light That in the beames but of thy beauty liueth The Moone and Starres amid the darkest night Shew what a light thy louing Mercy giueth So Sunne and Moone and all those shining creatures Doe shew thy glory in their lightsome natures Is not the daye a figure of perfection Wherin thy creatures were created first And Night of sinne that with a fowle infection Shewes how the Soule is for hir sinnes accurst But night once past the Glorious daie appeering Shewes sinnes forgiuen the ioy of mercies cheering So Sunne and Moone and Starres and daie and night Speakes of thy glorie in their cause of beeing And how they serue but in obedience right Vnto the grace but of thy will agreeing While wisdome shewes in state of reasons storie They giue vs light that wee may giue thee glory The Azure Skie more cleere then Chrystalline Wherin the Sunne doth cast his beames abroad How doth it figure that faire hand of thine Wherein thy Mercie makes hir most aboade While to the humble soules beleeuing eye Thy glory shines farre brighter then the Skie The Clowds that shed those dropps of blessed dewes That water the drie places of the Earth What droppe so small but it thy glory shewes To bring a plenty where was earst a dearth How doe they figure faithfull sorrowes teares Whence sin-burnt soules the fruit of mercie beares The Aier that giues each liuing creature breath Speakes of thy glorie in that breathing power And when it leaues the creature vnto death It shewes thy glory in that parting hower To leaue the flesh so in corruption wounded Till grace renue that was in sinne confounded The earth that yeelds such choice of fruits and flowers How doth it shew that glorious power of thine When all vnseene doe hidden lie those powers That Arte or Nature neuer can define How sweetes and formes and colours so should grow But that thy glorious will would haue it so And as the spring brings forth the budding greene With beauties dies for to adorne the field So in the winter few or none are seene That can the eye contentiue pleasure yeeld So that the earth that neuer silence breaketh In hir dumb speech yet of thy glory speaketh The Sea wherein those worlds of fishes liue That floate and tomble in the tossing waues What Notice doe they of thy glory giue That from the Whale the little Herring saues And makes the Dolphin wound the Whale so sore As driues him from the Sea to die on shore What beast so great or creeping worme so small what bird so high or of so low a flight But that thy name is glorified in-all who hauing made them by thy heauenly might Preseruest them so that all the world may see They haue their beeing onely but in thee The beast his heare the feather of the bird The fishes scale and euery tree his barke These for defence doth Nature all aforde As of thy
gather more then is commanded in mistrust of Gods benefits infect the whole land with the vice of Auarice You ought rather to be like Pellicans in the wildernesse who in tender loue peck the blood from their breast to feed their yong ones You see with your visible eies how wonderfull almightie God hath alwaies preserued the Queenes Maiestie from the snares of hir manifold enemies And in you prâ—ncipally lies the sacrifice of thancks giuing it is you that ought to daunce before the tabernacle to goe with the people to the Arke Num. 17. 8 of couenant that your righteousnesse may bud like Arons rod. It is you that ought to flie foorth from this tossed Arke like the Doue bring the Oliue braunch of peace in your mouthes tell Gen. 8. 11. the people that if they returne God wil be their God and send a truce to their distressed soules by you his ambassadors Flie not to Tharsis when you are sent to Niniue least deuouring distruction attend you nor with the Man of God goe not out of the way least a Lion teare you in peeces But still be conuersant with the Lord that your saces may shine with Exo. 34. 30 Moses when he came from the Mount and bring the image of Gods glory to the people in your foreheads you must beare with Aron the brest-plate of iudgement vpon your harts There must Exo. 38. 30 be grauen vpon your forefronts Holinesse to the Exo. 35 36 Lord and your soundes must be heard when you goe into the holy places before him So shall yee stand like mount Synay neuer to be remoued and your golden candlesticke shine in the Temple of the Lord. Remember the charge your maister Christ gaue to his seruant Peter binding him three times aboue all things by his feruent loue and the deere affection he bare to his Maister to feede his sheep to bee with Paul the faithfull Ambassadors of Iesus Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs steed that ye be reconciled to God With Paul like 2. Cor. 5. 2. wife to be an example of life doctrine as in these words And follow hard toward the mark for the Phil. 3. 14. price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Let vs therefore as many as be perfect be thus mindded if ye be otherwise God shall reueale euen the same vnto you Yee are most Reuerent the salt of the earth Mat 15. 13 which wanting sauour is to be troden vnder foot ye are the light of the world a citie that is set on a hill cannot bee hid let your light therefore shine that they that see your good workes may glorifie your father which is in Heauen Thus vnworthie to counsaile so graue aduisements as if the body should instruct the Soule I onely like a trauailer in his pilgrimage seeing a King goe out of his way tell him there is a better a more perfect and a straighter So referring you to your Masters reward who hates a hidden talent I beseech that God who guideth Israell by day Exo. 13 21 in a piller of clowde by night in a piller of fire to direct your earthly bodies spirituall soules to his seruice Amen To the true Nobilitie of this Realme TO ye Right Honorable that are the props supporters of a kingdome that like Atlas should beare the waight of Heauen on your shoulders giue me leaue to stretch forth the Artires of my hart as in a tempestious time in peace vnite you together like one body obedient to one principall head In that worthie member the Hart the monarch seate of our Microcosmos should be your residence with in whose center as in a Princes Court are diuers receptacles for you to inhabit in Then as branches extending from the lofty Ceder being fed by one roote doe notwithstanding cherish one another with their naturall sap So like the true stocke of Nobilitie discended from your worthie ancestors be you combined in a coniunction of vnseperable aide that the body of the tree may be comforted in so happy an issue in the proudest blast of conspiracy keepe you stil vnremouable Be ye like faithfull Mardocheus spotles in your waies when Esser traitors like proud Haman shall perish in their own complets For if yee please to peruse our Histories both ecclesiasticall and prophane yee shall finde that neuer traitor to his natiue Prince but had his reward threefold return'd into his wicked bosom And though it hath pleased God sometime to suffer them the cause best knowne to his sacred pleasure to bring to passe their hatefull purposes yet as a woe pronounced to them by whom such euils come their mischiefe hath not past without greater mischiefe reguerdond There is none of your Honorable societie but knowes that treason is the deuider and seperater of all good things a fatall disioyner of perfection bringing with it ruine and the mercilesse substitutes of war where on the contrary obedience is the sinowes of the state glewes the harts of Nobilitie together like one indiuisible substance And as the seauen leane Kine in Pharaohs dreame deuoured the seauen fat Gene. 41. 4 yet themselues not the fatter so stands it with treason like a cormerant it deuoures all yet is it felfe the better by nothing What greater paterne of miserie can ther be then a kingdome deuided in it selfe it is like the dangerous Eclipse of the Sun nay like the vnnaturall seperation of Heauen that brings all danger and distruction No plague of Egipt comparable to that miserie for ciuile discention is the gate to let in ruine and forraine inuasioÌ„ it is like a wedge of iron that entring into an Oke disseuers both sides in seuerall peeces makes them both fit for the fire The florishing state of Rome was deuoured by that Monster and all tranquilitie swallowed at a bit by that hedius Leuiathan It is like the blinde Mole that louing still to bee mischieuously labouring tosseth vp hir owne destruction Let then Right Honorable that acceptable sacrifice of your harts be offred to our gratious Soueraigne which far exceeds the externall offices of fained affection who with an eye of vigilance will no doubt regard your vertues and like the cheerefull comfort of the Sunne with hir blessed countenance make your yong blossomes come to pleasant fruit and bring the fruit by comfortable warmth to full maturetie By this meanes shall your Phenix liue still you be made most happie in hir fresh renuing God so direct your harts to worke in you vnfained loyaltie to hir sacred Maiestie and deadly hatred to selfe deuouring treason Amen To the Ciuile Maiestrates the Lord Maior and the Shrifes of London and other inferiour offâ—cers THe naturall care that your loyalties haue euer borne to your Soueraigne since your first florishing time both in peace and war hath in ages past as deedes worth registring beene
euen hand and cutting downe with the sharp sword of preuencion the children of rebellion at home the enuious intencion of the Enemie abroad For causes in common triall I call heauen to witnes I speake but what I know as he was Iudicial wary circūspect so was he vpright discreet and pittifull not leaning to any side either for fauour or gift but with an impartiall eye iudging all things according to the equitie of the cause Would many brāches like to that tree from whence it sprang might from that stocke spread their vertue in this hir Maiesties garden of happie gouernment In which ranke of true Nobilitie diligent watch-men and graue Councellers I may not omit that Right Honorable and milde condicioned Lord the Earle of Nottingham whose true loyaltie to hir Maiestie neuer spotted with the least mistrust may keepe euen wing with the rest of that Honorable societie whose true shew of a vertuous and noble minde is daily made apparant by his exceeding bountie towards the poore and needie The fruit whereof is Eternall saluacion And that Reuerent and carefull Gentleman Sir Iohn Popham Knight Lord chiefe Iustice of England being another of the body of the Counsell whose Honorable forwardnesse with great discreation hath ben often proued in your Maiesties serious affaires as in calming the Realme with quiet that hath ben hertofore tempestuously troubled with blody murtherers felonious robbers but now God be thanked by his diligent wise gouernment well reformed whose exceeding loue to his Prince country hath ben often made apparant by his laborious indeuours To conclude I beeseech God in his infinite mercy stirre vp in you deere affecting loue to hir Maiestie who for the comfort of his chosen and maintenance of his truth hath defended hir highnes this 44 yeers our most merciful gouernes Mercie hath alwaies sitten at hir Maiesties right hand houered about hir like a continual handmaid Mercie is the wedding ring that like an vnspotted Virgin hath married hir to our Sauiour Christ setled hir Highnes the faithful president of his true Church wherin long may hir Maiestie continue many happie peacefull daies to the great glory of God to the exceeding comfort of all vs hir faithfull louing subiects Amen What a faithfull subiect is A Good Subiect next to the Diademe that adornes a Princes head is the chiefest ornamēt that decores his dignity He is as the preciòus Balme that anoints his browes and is neerer to his hart then his Scepter to his right hand as sweet in his nosthrills as the groues of Gylead and more precious in his sight then Solomons Iuorie throne couered with purest gold His hart is clothed with peace like Mount Oliuet and his eyes as harmelesse as the sight of a Doue His tongue sounds like the Harp of Dauid and his lips deliuer the happinesse of loyaltie his eares are the portalls that receiue vnderstanding all perfection from thence is conducted to the hart His hands are readie to fight the battailes of the Lord his feete shunning the steps of blod are bent alwaies to walke in the pathes of innocencie Thus excellent in the sight of his Prince shines a faithfull subiect more gorgeous then the Ephod of Aron and more sumptuous then Solomon in all his Royaltie Who so is this to his Prince countrie the Lord will prosper him and hee shal be blessed in an euerlasting generacion And for one of these benefits hee receiues on earth he shall haue a million in Heauen For one of those perfections he pertakes off in this world nombers aboue nomber shall attend him in the world to come And his Prince shall thus pray for him and blesse him as Solomon did his subiects And the King turned his face and blessed all the Congregacion of Israell and said Blessed bee the Lord God of Israell who spake with his mouth to Dauid my Father and hath with his hand fulfilled it And though my selfe may say with Isaie I am a worme and no man yet I speake it in despite of vaineglorie I would with all my hart as an Isaac in the hands of Abraham serue as a sacrifice to doe my Prince country good For surely hee cannot bee a true seruitour of God that is not a faithfull subiect to his Prince Neither would I iudge any felicitie in this world answerable to that if once my soule might bee imployed to please my Prince and benefit my countrie For all the offices of humanity depend onely vpon those principall performances for I know by that meanes ther comes a blessing from a far a reward full of ioy which none els are worthy to obtaine which reward I hartely pray the great rewarder of all to send to the true loyall and faithfull subiect and so with one voice proceeding from one vnitie of hart let vs all say faithfully God saue the Queene Amen E E EXceedings made the Miracle of Nature L Loue ioin'd with life to frame a blessed creature I Ioie in each part where wisdome hath expressed Z Zeale in the hart to make the spirit blessed A A work of worth well worthie admiration B Beyond the Mount of Mans imagination E Esteem'd more worth then any worldly wonder T That by desert puts all earths praises vnder H Heau'ns blesse the work wherin such wonder dwelleth A As all worlds wonder in such worth excelleth R R RAre is the substance of this worthie sence E Expressing all in onely Excellence G Giu'ne by the heauens vnto the world a blessing I In Fames reporting and in Truthes confessing N Neere are such notes vnto an Angells Nature A As makes a Queene a Goddesse of a creature The Miracle of Nature AMong the wonders of this Age of ours That Eare hath heard or Eie hath euerseene Vpon the toppe of Honours highest towers The glorious notes of our most gracious Queene Through all the world all worthely confessed Shew neuer Kingdome in a Queene so blessed First for hir Birth the daughter of a King And such a King as peerelesse in his praise A blessed sprig from such a stocke to spring As doth increase the honour of his daies And in hir selfe in more then worlds perfection The Art of Nature by the heauens direction For Beautie but behold hir blessed Eie Where faire DIANA puts foule VENVS downe For Wisedome in true sacred Maiestie The worthie head of an Imperiall Crowne For Mercy who so perfectlie diuine For Grace who doth not to hir Grace resigne For bountie note hir Liberalitie To maintaine Right and to relieue the wrong For Vertue what true vertuous Qualitie But may bee sung in hir true praises song For Learning where more in a Princesse seene For Language there was neuer such a QVEENE For Constancy who so immutable Whose loue to God no Diuell can remoue For gracious speach what Prince so affable To winne the hart of euery worthy loue For Zeale the tryall of religious truth For Patience read the troubles of hir