Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A05291
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Vertue triumphant, or A liuely description of the foure vertues cardinall dedicated to the Kings Maiestie.
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Leighton, William, Sir, fl. 1603-1614.
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1603
(1603)
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STC 15435; ESTC S108435
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25,756
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64
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VERTVE TRIVMPHANT OR A LIVELY DESCRIPTION OF THE FOVRE VERTVES CARDINALL Dedicated to the Kings Maiestie Prima canenda venit mater prudentia rerum Ordine tunc sequitur mens moderata suo Pòst animus magnus postremò munera dico Iustitiae per quam nectitur orbis amor AT LONDON Printed by Melchisedech Bradwood for Matthew Lownes 1603. TO THE RIGHT HIGH AND MIGHTIE Prince IAMES King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith THe deepe-grounded root most dread Soueraigne of my duteous loue to your famous and memorable Sister my gracious Queene and Mistresse being newly watered with the drops of your Princely fauour spreadeth it selfe into many branches of much loialtie and full desire to bring forth the fruit of my most humble zeale and faithfull seruice to your Maiestie And albeit my best labours being brought into a choise and Princely taste can neither desire nor deserue greater grace than to be held as perfunctorie and triuiall yet vouchsafe most mightie King to giue so fauourable a passage in your gracious consideration that were the stocke answerable to the bud of my deuoted minde or the fruit agreeable to my faith and loialtie it should at least haue carried the relish in your iudiciall allowance of good fruit Kirnels being set at first in time beare fruit but being vn-graft neuer come to perfection So may it please your Highnesse from this tender plant of mine there can appeare nothing woorthie either keeping or gathering but being grasted in the least fauour of your Maiesties protection it may hereafter bring forth matter of more approbation content and consequence I must confesse that this so woorthy a subiect might haue beene written with greater maturitie and deliberation but the golde of my inuention hath prooued too base therein to set the rare-orientall pearles of these roiall vertues onely my much respectiue dutie hath thus dared to vent her greatnesse which though it make no large current from the first head yet is it as pure and vndistained as where it floweth most The God of Heauen indue your Highnesse with all Princely blessings and dayly more and more propagate and spread abroad the glorious lustre of your Maiestie to the which as England Scotland France and Ireland so likewise the whole world may haue regard vnto as their true marke and perfect Cynosure since the vniuersall schoole of the world is the Person the House and Court of a vertuous Prince Your Maiesties humbly deuoted seruant of the honourable band of Pensioners William Leighton VERTVE TRIVMphant to the Kings Maiestie 1 NOw that Hyperion with his chearefull beames Hath cleer'd the troubled skie of cloudie state Since little springs do runne to largest streames And mutuall faith determins feare of hate Oh happie land who such a King do'st gaine By whom are dri'd the teares of sorowes raine 2 Our earth esteem'd halfe dead through Winters spight Grones vnderneath the burden of her spring The fields with natures Tapistrie are dight For ioy whereof the winged consort sing Ech vegetable Plant late nipt with frost Vowes treble hope for all the fruit we lost 3 Our memorable Phoenix now takes rest Her ashes doth a mightie Monarch raise Whom best men loue and God himselfe hath blest For all our good and his eternall praise Chosen by him on highest throne to sit For Wisdome Temperance Iustice Power Wit 4 Our cleerest skies with darke clouds ouer-cast In splendent brightnesse shew their wonted hue Our doubts of death are turn'd to life at last All wounds are cur'd and we reuiu'd anew Twixt present hope ioy past and former feare We scarse know what we are or late we were 5 Elizaes losse made wet the driest eies And spred sad sorow through our state and land But present blisse shone from the glorious skies For mightie Ioue stretcht forth his holy hand In one sad morne by death our hearts were slaine Which at midmorow were reuiu'd againe 6 As Pharoes heart most deeply hard'ned was And would not let Gods chosen people goe Nor suffer them from yoking bondage passe But sought their liues and hopes to ouerthrow Through raging Sea without thought of despaire God made their passage easie drie and faire 7 Yet he with might and maine did still pursue Our Gods elected Nation to confound Till in that Sea himselfe he ouerthrew And all his host were in an instant drou'nd The like God works to those whose hate would bring Death to his elect or his anointed King 8 Our state that liu'd so many months and yeeres Odde weeks and daies with fearfull thoughts of death See how Gods power and mightinesse appeares To giue vs life that gron'd and gaspt for breath And doth defend our countrey state and land As those he loues from cruell Pharoes hand 9 Yet some may seeke by enuie and debate To sow sedition in our fields of peace But they shall reape the sheaues of Pharoes hate That sunke in Seas when they sought to increase God grant all those that grudge our Regall power The Sea may drowne or earth may quicke deuower 10 Our ships of care on dangerous Seas were tost Our hopes of life the waues of death sanke downe Like Ionas in the fishes bellie lost Till God gaue grace where first he gan to frowne Now doe our storm-beat-ships their full sailes spread And we like Ionas liue ere-while thought dead 11 As Sidrach Misach and Abednego Did safely walke amids the burning heat And in the flames aliue themselues did show That force of fire could not them ill intreat So we beset about with flames of fire God quencht the rage and sent our hearts desire 12 What people liu'd more fit for mourning cheere What countrey left in greater griefe and scorne Our fall lookt for by Neighbours far and neere Drownd in despaire we held our selues forlorne Yet see the worke of Mightie Ioue his hand That sent such comfort to a wofull land 13 Our Kingdome cast in dreadfull desolation Our mindes seduc'st with spight and proud sedition Our factions fraught with secret expedition To take our liues and worke vs all perdition How great a debt owe we to him aboue That sends a King to worke vnited loue 14 Pardon dread Lord these harsh and ruder times Vnfitting obiects for a Princes eies The thunder-scorning bird of Ioue sometimes Makes a lowe pitch to earth from loftie skies Enough is me if but your Highnesse daine The smallest approbation of my paine 15 To Maiestie alone belongs my Theame The sure foundation of a Royall state Breaking the boistrous surge of fortunes streame Held vp by Prouidence the Curbe of fate In this as in a Crystall thou shalt see What best befitteth Rule and Emperie 16 Vertue that labours like heauens golden eie To light the world with her admired raies Comes to salute your sacred Maiestie Tendring her ofspring to your happie daies First Prudence next to her comes Temperance Then Fortitude whom
Iustice doth aduance 17 Sage Prudence busied in foresight of things And moderate Temperance with her golden squire True manly Fortitude the heart of Kings Ioin'd with impartiall Iustice all desire For their more safetie and securer rest A sacred mansion in your Princely brest 18 Now Vertue lookes more debonaire and sweet And darts strange flames of loue in euery place T' is so when she and Princely greatnesse meet Accept the good that Vertue giues your Grace A double ease then shall your Highnesse finde Making these Vertues Squires of your minde 19 What comfort comes by such a gracious King In whom the foure rare morall vertues raigne A Prince that wants of these in anything Can not serue God nor subiects well maintaine All which great gifts his Princely minde must beare That will Th'emperiall Crowne of honour weare 20 These foure a Chariot of foure wheeles haue fram'd Which whoso mounts shall great and mightie be And for this merit shall as much be fain'd As if the Conquerer of the world were he Few Kings this goodly Chariot haue driuen For vnto few these Cardinals are giuen 21 Which vertues are fast knit and ioin'd together Yet proper and distinct in qualitie Like Riuers flowing in a stormie weather Out of the fountaine of pure honestie Thus all are one and one esteemed all Who wanteth one possesseth none at all 22 There is one only wise and Soueraigne king Who sitteth on his high and holy throne And by his word created euery thing From whom true wisdome doth proceed alone Which teacheth vs his holy word to know And in abundance doth his mercy show 23 These Morall vertues Cardinall are nam'd A cardine as ancient writers say Which is a hindge on which the doore is fram'd By which it shuts and opens euery way All Monarchs kingdoms commonwealths Kings Guided by these possesse mostblessed things 24 By these they are made open vnto God And to all goodnesse in their land and state Preseru'd from Sathan and his wicked rod And from those vices which these vertues hate Who rules by these shall haue eternall blisse And raigne with God where vertues glory is 25 Further they call them Card'nall as I gesse By reason of their firme stabilitie Both in themselues and persons they possesse Where they inhere with perfect constancie When doores are mou'd the hindges fixt remaine And yet not chang'd returne the same againe 26 The third cause is for that our conuersation And course of life supported ought to be By these foure vertues without alteration As doores borne vp on hindges which we see Though to and fro the doore do dayly passe Yet borne on hindges is the same it was 27 Fourth reason why we do them Card'nall proue Is praeminence and power aboue the rest The Cardin's are the chiefest parts aboue Of Heauen of Earth and Sea which God hath blest Alluding vnto man compos'd by nature Of elements or els no perfect creature 28 These vertues do exceed all others farre By them are noble acts and deeds begunne The least of them shines bright as any starre And all in one as glorious as the Sunne The soule who striues the greatest works t' effect By these foure vertues doth herselfe direct 29 The fifth cause is their principalitie For vnto them all vertues are inclin'de They leade the motions power and qualitie Of heart of soule of bodie and of minde They teach they rule they gouerne and they guide The minde and soule that is to wisdome tide 30 Prudence the act of Reason still doth sway Which vertues is from vices to discerne Twixt good and bad which is the perfect way To take or leaue it teacheth vs to learne It makes vs see and know the good from ill And hauing choise to take the better still 31 Temperance the act doth rule leade and direct Of the concupiscible facultie Which is things good and pleasing to elect To comfort man and with Gods word agree It doth dispose all actions which delight Mans humane good and highest God of might 32 Fortitude rules the actions will and power Irascible in hearts and mindes of all That manage valourous actions at each stower And to indure what perils can befall Rather than faint in any fearefull guise They shew themselues both valiant stout and wise 33 These former vertues do themselues dispose With seuerall actions in their proper places But Iustice doth direct and leade all those To all good works indu'de with heauenly graces And by her vnderstanding power controule The outward acts and inward thoughts of soule 34 In number foure these choisest vertues are Which learned men in books define to be A bodie knit with substance firme and rare Sound without change from all corruption free Yet haue they obiects in a diff'rent kinde To euery wicked thought and worke inclin'd 35 Gainst Prudence warreth senselesse Ignorance Infirmitie with Fortitude doth fight Vnbridled Lust defieth Temperance And hatefull wrong gainst Iustice bends his might Thus euery vertue findes a vicious foe The one doth good the other doth not so 36 The Church which is of Christ the Spouse and mate By these foure vertues is adorn'd and wrought As of foure precious stones of highest rate Not to be match't if all the world were sought Which do protect and keepe on euery side Gods Word and Trueth so often purified 37 Prudence before doth teach her to foresee All future mischiefes like to come at last Iustice behinde will alwayes witnesse be To euery thing before is gone and past For what 's to come the first doth her defend For matters done the latter helpe doth send 38 But Temperance the right hand doth attend Lest it be puft vp with prosperitie And Fortitude the left hand doth defend For feare it fall into aduersitie These former vertues doe the Church vpholde In Gods true feare that cannot be controlde 39 Next wise men do these Cardinalls compare To the foure Riuers pure of Paradise Which water that faire garden Eden rare The place of all delights and high deuise For as they moisten earth in euery place So those bedew the soule of man with grace 40 By these men coole the heat of carnall lust And wicked passions which oppresse the minde By these our hearts are mou'd to do what 's iust From ill to good they make vs still inclin'd By these the Lord his blessings still imparts Vnto the sonnes of men to glad their harts 41 They are compar'd to those faire colours pure In whose cleere hue those Curtaines were discern'd Of Moyses Tabernacle built most sure From whom are all good acts and precepts learn'd Which seuerally the vertues do define And shew Christs Church on high to be diuine 42 The first the Iacinth is of heauenly hue Whose rarenesse doth to Prudence appertaine Whereby we imitate our