Fiends do sell That men to monsters Angels turne to Deuils Wrong of all rights selfe ruine roote of euils A thing most done yet more then God can do Daily new done yet neuer done amisse Friended of all yet vnto all a foe Seeming an heauen yet banishing from blisse Serued with toyle yet paying nought but paine Mans deepest losse though false esteemed gaine Shot without noise wound without present smart First seeming light prouing in fine a lode Entring with ease not easily wonne to part Farre in effects from that the showes abode Endorc't with hope subscribed with dispaire Vgly in death though life did faine it faire O forfeiture of heauen eternall debt A moments ioy ending in endlesse fires Our natures scum the worlds entangling Net Night of our thoughts death of all good desires Worse then all this worse then all tongues can say Which man could owe but onely God defray This fawning Viper dum till he had wounded With many mouthes doth now vpbraid my harmes My sight was veild till I my selfe confounded Then did I see the disinchanted charmes Then could I cut th' Anatomy of sinne And search with Linxes eyes what lay within Bewitching euill that hides death in deceits Still borrowing lying shapes to maske thy face Now know I the deciphring of thy sleights A cunning dearely bought with losse of grace Thy sugred poyson now hath wrought so well That thou hast made me to my selfe an hell My eye reades mournfull lessons to my heart My heart doth to my thought the griefe expound My thought the same doth to my tongue impart My tongue the message in the eares doth sound My eares backe to my heart their sorrowes send Thus circling griefes runne round without an end My guilty eye still seemes to see my sinne All things Characters are to spell my fall What eye doth reade without heart rues within What heart doth rue to pensiue thought is gall Which when the thought would by the tongue digest The eare conueyes it backe into the breast Thus gripes in all my parts do neuer faile Whose onely league is now in bartring paines What I ingrosse they traffique by retaile Making each others miseries their gaines All bound for euer prentices to care Whilst I in shop of shame trade sorrowes ware Pleasd with displeasing lot I seeke no change I wealthiest am when richest in remorse To fetch my ware no Seas nor Lands I range For customers to buy I nothing force My home bred goods at home are bought and sold And still in me my interest I hold My comfort now is comfortlesse to liue In Orphan state deuoted to mishap Rent from the roote that sweetest fruit did giue I scorn'd to graffe in stock of meaner sap No iuyce can ioy me but of Iesses flower Whose heauenly roote hath true reuiuing power At sorrowes doore I knockt they crau'd my name I answered One vnworthy to be knowne What one say they One worthiest of blame But who A wretch not Gods nor yet his owne A man O no a beast much worse What creature A rocke How cald the rocke of scandale Peter From whence From Caiphas house Ah dwell you there Sinnes farme I rented there but now would leaue it What rent My soule What gaine Vnrest and feare Deare purchase Ah too deare will you receiue it What shall we giue Fit teares and times to plaine me Come in say they thus griefes did entertaine me With them I rest true prisoner in their Iayle Chayn'd in the yron linkes of basest thrall Till grace vouchsafing captiue soule to bayle In wonted See degraded loues install Dayes passe in plaints the night without repose I wake to sleepe I sleepe in waking woes Sleepe deaths ally obliuion of teares Silence of passiions balme of angry sore Suspence of loues security of feares Wraths lenitiue hearts ease stormes calmest shore Senses and soules repriuall from all cumbers Benumming sense of ill with quiet slumbers Not such my sleepe but whisperer of dreames Creating strange Chymeras fayning frights Of day discourses giuing fansie theames To make dum shewes with worlds of anticke sights Casting true griefes in fansies forged mold Brokenly telling tales rightly fore-told This sleepe most fitly suiteth sorrowes bed Sorrow the smart of euill Sinnes eldest child Best when vnkind in killing whom it bred A racke for guilty thoughts a bit for wild The scourge that whips the salue that cures offence Sorrow my bed and home while life hath sence Here solitarie Muses nurse my griefes In silent lonenesse burying worldly noise Attentiue to rebukes deafe to reliefes Pensiue to foster cares carelesse of ioyes Ruing lifes losse vnder deaths dreary roofes Solemnizing my funerall behoofes A selfe content the shrowd my soule the corse The Beere an humble hope the herse-clorh feare The mourners thoughts in blacks of deepe remorse The herse grace pitie loue and mercy beare My â—eares my dole the Priest a zealous will Penance the tombe and dolefull sighes the knill Christ health of feuer'd soule heauen of the mind Force of the feeble nurse of infant loues Guide to the wandring foote light to the blind Whom weeping windes repentant sorrow moues Father in care mother in tender heart Reuiue and saue me slaine with sinfull dart If King Manasses sunke in depth of sinne With plaints and teares recouered grace and Crowne A worthlesse worme some mild regard may winne And lowly creepe where flying threw it downe A poore desire I haue to mend my ill I should I would I dare not say I will I dare not say I will but wish I may My pride is checkt high words the speaker spilt My good ô Lord thy gift thy strength my stay Giue what thou bidst and then bid what thou wilt Worke with me what of me thou doest request Then will I dare the most and vow the best Prone looke crost armes bent knee and contrite heart Deepe sighs thicke sobs dew'd eyes and postrate prayers Most humbly beg release of earned smart And sauing shrowd in mercies sweet repaires If iustice should my wrongs with rigor wage Feares would dispaires ruth breed a hopelesse rage Lazar at pitties gate I vlcered lye Crauing the reffuse crums of childrens plate My sores I lay in view to mercies eye My rags beare witnesse of my poore estate The wormes of conscience that within me swarme Proue that my plaints are lesse then is my harme With mildnesse Iesu measure mine offence Let true remorse thy due reuenge abate Let teares appease when trespasse doth incense Let pitty temper thy deserued hate Let grace forgiue let loue forget my fall With feare I craue with hope I humbly call Redeeme my lapse with ransome of thy loue Trauerse th' inditement rigors doome suspend Let frailty fauour sorrowes succour moue Be thou thy selfe though changeling I offend Tender my suite cleanse this defiled denne Cancell my debts sweet Iesu say Amen The end of S. Peters Complaint MARIE MAGdalens blush THe signes of shame that staine my blushing face Rise from
the feeling of my rauing fits Whose ioy annoy whose guerdon is disgrace Whose solace flies whose sorrow neuer flits Bad seed I sow'd worse fruit is now my gaine Soone dying mirth begat long liuing paine Now pleasure ebbes reuenge begins to flow One day doth wreake the wrath that many wrought Remorse doth teach my guilty thoughts to know How cheape I sold what Christ so dearely bought Faults long vnfelt doth conscience now bewray All ghostly dynts that Grace at me did dart Like stubborne rocke I forced to recoyle To other flights an ayme I made mine heart Whose wounds then welcome now haue wrought my foyle Wo worth the bow wo worth the Archers might That draue such Arrowes to the marke so right To pull them out to leaue them in is death One to this world one to the world to come Wounds may I weare and draw a doubtfull breath But then my wounds will worke a dreadfull doome And for a world whose pleasures passe away I lose a world whose ioyes are past decay O sense ô soule ô had ô hoped blisse You woo you weane you draw you driue me backe Your crosse encountring like their combat is That neuer end but with some deadly wracke When sense doth winne the soule doth lose the field And present haps make future hopes to yeeld O heauen lament sense robbeth thee of Saints Lament O soules sense spoyleth you of Grace Yet sense doth scarce deserue these hard complaints Loue is the thiefe sense but the entring place Yet graunt I must sense is not free from sinne For thiefe he is that thiefe admitteth in MARY MAGDALENS complaint at Christs death SIth my life from life is parted Death come take thy portion Who suruiues when life is murdred Liues by meere extortion All that liue and not in God Couch their life in deaths abod Silly starres must needs leaue shining When the Sunne is shaddowed Borowed streams refraine their running When head-springs are hindered One that liues by others breath Dyeth also by his death O true Life since thou hast left me Mortall life is tedious Death it is to liue without thee Death of all most odious Turne againe or take me to thee Let me dye or liue thou in me Where the truth once was and is not Shadowes are but vanity Shewing want that helpe they cannot Signes not salue of misery Painted meat no hunger feeds Dying life each death exceeds With my loue my life was nestled In the summe of happinesse From my loue my life is wrested To a world of heauinesse O let loue my life remoue Sith I liue not where I loue O my soule what did vnloose thee From the sweet captiuity God not I did still possesse thee His not mine thy liberty O too happy thrall thou wart When thy prison was his heart Spitefull speare that break'st this prison Seat of all felicity Working this with double treason Loues and liues deliuery Though my life thou drau'st away Maugre thee my loue shall stay Times go by turnes THE lopped tree in time may grow againe Most naked plants renew both fruit and flowre The sorriest wight may finde release of paine The driest soyle sucke in some moystning showre Times go by turnes and chances change by course From foule to faire from better hap to worse The sea of Fortune doth not euer flow She drawes her fauours to the lowest ebbe Her tides haue equall times to come and go Her Loome doth weaue the fine and coursest webbe No ioy so great but runneth to an end No hap so hard but may in fine amend Not alwaies Fall of leafe nor euer Spring No endlesse night nor yet eternall day The saddest Birds a season finde to sing The roughest storme a calme may soone allay Thus with succeeding turnes God tempereth all That man may hope to rise yet feare to fall A chance may winne that by mischance was lost That net that holds no great takes little fish In some things all in all things none are crost Few all they need but none haue all they wish Vnmingled ioyes heere to no man befall Who least hath some who most hath neuer all LOOKE HOME REtyred thoughts enioy their owne delights As beauty doth in selfe-beholding eye Mans mind a mirrour is of heauenly sights Abriefe wherein all maruels summed lye Of fairest formes and sweetest shapes the store Most gracefull all yet thought may grace them more The minde a creature is yet can create To Natures patterns adding higher skill Of finest works wit better could the state If force of wit had equall power of will Deuice of man in working hath no end What thought can thinke another thought can mend Mans soule of endlesse beauties image is Drawne by the worke of endlesse skill and might This skilfull might gaue many sparks of blisse And to discerne this blisse a natiue light To frame Gods image as his worths requir'd His might his skill his word and will conspir'd All that he had his Image should present All that it should present he could afford To that he could afford his will was bent His will was followed with performing word Let this suffice by this conceiue the rest He should he could he would he did the best Fortunes falshood IN worldly merriments lurketh much misery Sly Fortunes subtilties in bayts of happinesse Shrowd hookes that swallowed without recouery Murder the innocent with mortall heauinesse She sootheth appetites with pleasing vanities Till they be conquered with cloaked tyranny Then changing countenance with open enmities Shee triumphs ouer them scorning their slauery With fawning flattery Deaths doore she openeth Alluring passingers to bloudy destiny In offers bountifull in proofe she beggereth Mens ruines registring her false felicity Her hopes are fastned in blisse that vanisheth Her smart inherited with sure possession Constant in cruelty she neuer altereth But from one violence to more oppression To those that follow her fauours are measured As easie premisses to hard conclusions With bitter corrosiues her ioyes are seasoned Her highest benifits are but illusions Her way 's a labyrinth of wandring passages Fooles common pilgrimage to cursed deities Whose fond deuotion and iole menages Are wag'd with wearinesse in fruitlesse drudgeries Blinde in her fauorites foolish election Châ—nâ—â— is â—er Aâ—â—â—rer a giuing dignity Heâ— choyse of visions shâ—wâ—s most discretion Sith â—â—â—â—th the vertuous might wrest from piety To humble suppliants tyrant most obstinate She suters answereth with contrarieties Proud with petition vntaught to mitigate Rigor with clemencie in hardest cruelties Like Tygre fugitiue from the Ambitious Like weeping Crocodile to scornefull enemies Suing for amitie where she is odious But to her followers forswearing curtesies No winde so changeable no sea so wauering As giddie Fortune in reeling varieties Now mad now mercifull now fierce now fauouring In all things mutable but mutabilities Scorne not the least VVHere wards are weake and foes incountring strong Where mightier do assault then do defend The feebler part puts vp enforced wrong And silent
Where Nature craues that grace must needs denie Where sense doth like that reason cannot loue Where best in shew in finall proofe is worst Where pleasures vp-shot is to dye accurst Lifes death Loues life VVHo liues in loue loues least to liue And long delayes doth rue If him he loue by whom he liues To whom all loue is due Who for our loue did choose to liue And was content to dye Who lou'd our loue more then his life And loue with life did buy Let vs in life yea with our life Requite his liuing loue For best we liue when least we liue If loue our life remoue Where loue is hote life hatefull is Their grounds do not agree Loue where it loues life where it liues Desireth most to be And sith loue is not where it liues Nor liueth where it loues Loue hateth life that holds it backe And death it best approues For seldome is he wonne in life Whom loue doth most desire If wonne by loue yet not enioyd Till mortall life expire Life out of earth hath not aboade In earth loue hath no place Loue setled hath her ioyes in Heau'n In earth life all her grace Mourne therefore no true louers death Life onely him annoyes And when he taketh leaue of life Then loue begins his ioyes At home in Heauen FAire soule how long shall veiles thy graces shrowd How long shall this exile with-hold thy right When will thy Sunne disperse this mortall cloud And giue thy glories scope to blaze their light O that a starre more fit for Angels eyes Should pine in earth not shine aboue the skies This ghostly beautie offered force to God It chain'd him in the linkes of tender loue It wonne his will with man to make abode It staid his sword and did his wrath remoue It made the rigor of his Iustice yeeld And crowned mercie Empresse of the field This lull'd our heauenly Sampson fast asleepe And laid him in our feeble Natures lap This made him vnder mortall load to creepe And in our flesh his God-head to inwrap This made him soiourne with vs in exile And not disdaine our titles in his stile This brough him from the ranks of heau'nly Quires Into the vale of teares and cursed soyle From flowers of grace into a world of bryers From life to death from blisse to balefull toyle This made him wander in our Pilgrim weed And taste our torments to releeue our need O soule do not thy noble thoughts abase To lose thy loue in any mortall wight Content thine eye at home with natiue grace Sith God himselfe is rauisht with thy sight If on thy beautie God enamoured be Base is thy loue of any lesse then he Giue not assent to muddie minded skill That deemes the feature of a pleasing face To be the sweetest baite to lure the will Not valuing right the worth of ghostly grace Let God and Angels censure winne beliefe That of all beauties iudge our selues the chiefe Queene Hester was of rare and peerlesse hiew And Iudith once for beautie bare the vaunt But he that could our soules endowments view Would soone to soules the Crowne of beauty graunt O soule out of thy selfe seeke God alone Grace more then thine but Gods the world hath none Lewd Loue is losse MIsdeeming eye that stoopeth to the lure Of mortall worths not worth so worthie Loue All beautie 's base all graces are impure That do thy erring thought from God remoue Sparkes to the fire the beames yeeld to the Sunne All grace to God from whom all graces runne If picture moue more should the patterne please No shadow can with shadowed things compare And fairest shapes whereon our loues do seaze But silly signes of Gods high beauties are Go staruing sense feed thou on earthly mast True loue in Heau'n seeke thou thy sweet repast Gleane not in barren soyle these off all eares Sith reape thou maist whole haruests of delight Base ioyes with griefes bad hopes do end in feares Lewd loue with losse euill peace with deadly fight Gods loue alone doth end with endlesse ease Whose ioyes in hope whose hope concludes in peace Let not the luring traine of fancies trap Or gracious features proofes of Natures skill Lull reasons force asleepe in errours lap Or draw thy wit to bent of wanton will The fairest flowers haue not the sweetest smell A seeming Heauen proues oft a damning Hell Selfe-pleasing soules that play with beauties bait In shining shrowd may swallow fatall hooke Where eager sight on semblant faire doth wait A locke it proues that first was but a looke The fish with ease into the Net doth glide But to get out the way is not so wide So long the Fly doth dally with the flame Vntill his singed wings do force his fall So long the eye doth follow Fancies game Till loue hath left the heart in heauie thrall Soone may the minde be cast in Cupids Iayle But hard it is imprisoned thoughts to bayle O lothe that loue whose finall ayme is lust Moth of the mind eclipse of reasons light The graue of grace the mole of Natures rust The wrack of wit the wrong of euerie right In summe an euill whose harmes no tongue can tell In which to liue is death to dye is Hell Loues Garden griefe VAine loues auaunt infamous is your pleasure Your ioy deceit Your iewels iests and worthlesse trash your treasure Fooles common bait Your pallace is a prison that allureth To sweet mishap and rest that paine procureth Your Garden griefe hedg'd in with thornes of Enuie And stakes of strife Your Allies errour grauelled with iealousie And cares of life Your bankes are seates enwrapt with shades of sadnesse Your Arbours breed rough fits of raging madnesse Your beds are sowne with seeds of all iniquitie And poys'ning weeds Whose stalkes ill thoughts whose leaues words full of vanitie Whose fruit misdeeds Whose sap is sinne whose force and operation To banish grace and worke the soules damnation Your trees are dismall plants of pyning corrosiues Whose root is ruth Whose barke is bale whose timber stubburne fantasies Whose pith vntruth On which in lieu of birds whose voyce delighteth Of guiltie conscience screeching note affrighteth Your coolest Sommer gales are scadling sighings Your showres are teares Your sweetest smell the stench of sinfull liuing Your fauours feares Your Gardener Satan all you reape is miserie Your gaine remorse and losse of all felicitie From Fortunes reach LEt fickle Fortune runne her blindest race I setled haue an vnremoued mind I scorne to be the game of Fancies chase Or vane to shew the change of euery wind Light giddie humours stinted to no rest Still change their choyce yet neuer chuse the best My choice was guided by foresightfull heed It was auerred with approuing will It shall be followed with performing deed And seal'd with vow till death the chuser kill Yea death though finall date of vaine desires Ends not my choice which with no time expires To beauties fading blisse I
her loue that she would haue thought any quantitie too little except hers had bene added the best in qualitie too meane except hers were with it and no diligence in applying it enough except her seruice were in it Not that she was sharpe in censuring that which others had done but because loue made her so desirous to do all her selfe that though all had bene done that she could deuise and as well as she could wish yet vnlesse she were an actor it would not suffice sith loue is as eager to be vttered in effects as it is zealous in true affection She came therefore now meaning to enbalme his corps as she had before annointed his feet and to preserue the reliques of his body as the onely remnant of all her blisse And as in the spring of her felicitie she had washed his feet with her teares bewayling vnto him the death of her owne soule so now she came in the depth of her miserie to shed them afresh for the death of his body But when she saw the graue open and the bodie taken out the labour of enbalming was preuented but the cause of her weeping increased and he that was wanting to her obsequies was not wanting to her teares and though she found not whom to annoynt yet found she whom to lament And not without cause did Marie complaine finding her first anguish doubled with a second griefe and being surcharged with two most violent sorrowes in one afflicted heart For hauing setled her whole affection vpon Christ and summed all her desires and wishes into the loue of his goodnesse as nothing could equall his worthes so was there not in the whole world either a greater benefit for her to enioy than himselfe or any greater dammage possible than his losse The murdering in his owne death the life of all liues left a generall death in all liuing creatures and his decease not onely disrobed our nature of her most royall ornaments but impouerished the world of all highest perfections What maruell therefore though her vehement loue to so louely a Lord being after the wrecke of his life now also depriued of his dead body feele as bitter pangs for his losse as before it tasted ioyes in his presence and open as large an issue to teares of sorrow as euer heretofore to teares of contentment And though teares were rather oyle than water to her flame apter to nourish than diminish her griefe yet now being plonged in the depth of paine she yeelded her selfe captiue to all discomfort carrying an ouerthrowne mind in a more enfeebled body and still busie in deuising but euer doubtfull in defining what she might best do For what could a silly woman do but weepe that floating in a sea of cares found neither eare to heare her nor tongue to direct her nor hand to helpe her nor heart to pittie her in her desolate case True it is that Peter and Iohn came with her to the Tombe and to make triall of her report were both within it but as they were speedy in comming and diligent in searching so were they as quicke to depart and fearefull of farther seeking And alas what gained she by their comming but two witnesses of her losse two dismayers of her hope and two patternes of a new despaire Loue moued them to come but their loue was soone conquered with such feare that it suffered them not to stay But Mary hoping in despaire and perseuering in hope stood without feare because she now thought nothing left that ought to be feared For she hath lost her maister to whom she was so entirely deuoted that he was the totall of her loues the height of her hopes and the vttermost of her feares and therefore besides him she could neither loue other creature hope for other comfort nor feare other losse The worst she could feare was the death of her body and that shee rather desired than feared sith shee had alreadie lost the life of her soule without which anie other life would be a death and with which any other death would haue bene a delight But now she thought it better to dye than to liue because she might happily dying find whom not dying she looked not to enioy and not enioying she had little will to liue For now she loued nothing in her life but her loue to Christ and if any thing did make her willing to liue it was onely the vnwillingnesse that his Image should dye with her whose likenesse loue had limited in her heart and treasured vp in her sweetest memories And had she not feared to breake the table and to breake open the closet to which she had entrusted this last relique of her lost happinesse the violence of griefe would haue melted her heart into inward bleeding teares and blotted her remembrance with a fatall obliuion And yet neuerthelesse she is now in so imperfect a sort aliue that it is proued true in her that Loue is as strong as death For what could death haue done more in Mary than loue did Her wits were astonied and all her senses so amazed that in the end finding she did not know seeing she could not discerne hearing she perceiued not and more than all this she was not there where she was for she was wholly where her maister was more where she loued than where she liued and lesse in her selfe than in his body which notwithstanding where it was she could not imagine For she sought as yet she found not and therefore stood at the Tombe weeping for it being now altogether giuen to mourning and driuen to misery But ô Mary by whose counsaile vpon what hope or with what heart couldest thou stand alone when the Disciples were departed Thou wert there once before they came thou turnedst againe at their comming and yet thou stayest when they are gone Alas that thy Lord is not in the Tombe thine owne eyes haue often seene the Disciples hands haue felt the empty Syndon doth auouch and cannot all this winne thee to beleeue it No no thou wouldest rather condemne thine owne eyes of errour and both their eyes and hands of deceit yea rather suspect all testimonies for vntrue than not looke whom thou hast lost euen there where by no diligence he could be found When thou thinkest of other places and canst not imagine any so likely as this thou seekest againe in this and though neuer so often sought it must be an haunt for hope For when things dearely affected are lost loues natures is neuer to be weary of searching euen the oftenest searched corners being more willing to thinke that all the senses are mistaken than to yeeld that hope should quaile Yet now sith it is so euident that he is taken away what should moue thee to remaine here where the perill is apparent and no profit likely Can the wit of one and she a woman wholly possessed with passion haue more light to discerne danger than two wits of two men and both
sory wight the obiect of disgrace The Monument of feare the Map of shame The mirror of mishap the staine of place The scorne of time the infamy of fame An excrement of earth to heauen hatefull Iniurious to man to God ingratefull Ambitious heads dreame you of Fortunes pride Fill Volumes with your forged goddesse praise You Fansies drudges plung'd in follies tide Deuote your fabling wits to louers layes Be you O sharpest griefes that euer wrong Text to my thoughts Theame to my playning tong Sad subiect of my sinne hath stoard my minde With euerlasting matter of complaint My threnes an endlesse Alphabet do finde Beyond the pangs which Ieremy doth paint That eyes with errors may iust measure keepe Most teares I wish that haue most cause to weepe All weeping eyes resigne your teares to me A sea will scantly rince my ordur'd soule Huge horrors in high tides must drowned be Of euery teare my crime exacteth tole These staines are deepe few drops take out no such Euen salue with sore and most is not too much I fear'd with life to die by death to liue I left my guide now left and leauing God To breathe in blisse I fear'd my breath to giue I fear'd for heauenly raigne an earthly rod. These feares I fear'd feares feeling no mishaps O fond O faint O false O faulty lapse How can I liue that thus my life deni'd What can I hope that lost my hope in feare What trust to one that truth it selfe defi'd What good in him that did his God forsweare O sinne of sinnes of euils the very worst O matchlesse wretch O caytiffe most accurst Vaine in my vaunts I vowd if friends had fail'd Alone Christs hardest fortunes to abide Giant in talke like dwarfe in triall quaild Excelling none but in vntruth and pride Such distance is betweene high words and deeds In proofe the greatest vanter seldome speeds Ah rashnesse hasty rise to murdering leape Lauish in vowing blind in seeing what Soone sowing shames that long remorse must reape Nursing with teares that ouer-sight begat Scout of repentance harbinger of blame Treason to wisedome mother of ill name The borne-blind begger for receiued sight Fast in his faith and loue to Christ remain'd He stooped to no feare he fear'd no might No change his choice no threats his truth distain'd One wonder wrought him in his duty sure I after thousands did my Lord abiure Could seruile feare of rendring Natures due Which growth in yeares was shortly like to claime So thrall my loue that I should thus eschue A vowed death and misse so faire an ayme Die die disloyall wretch thy life detest For sauing thine thou hast forsworne the best Ah life sweet drop drownd in a sea of sowres A flying good posting to doubtfull end Still losing months and yeares to gaine new howres Faine time to haue and spare yet forc't to spend Thy growth decrease a moment all thou hast That gone ere knowne the rest to come or past Ah life the maze of countlesse straying wayes Open to erring steps and strew'd with baits To winde weake senses into endlesse strayes Aloofe from vertues rough vnbeaten straits A flower a play a blast a shade a dreame A liuing death a neuer turning streame And could I rate so high a life so base Did feare with loue cast so vneuen account That for this goale I should runne Iudas race And Caiphas rage in cruelty surmount Yet they esteemed thirty pence his price I worse then both for nought deny'd him thrice The mother Sea from ouerflowing deepe Sends forth her issue by deuided veines Yet backe her off-spring to their mother creeps To pay their purest streames with added gaines But I that drunke the drops of heauenly flud Bemyr'd the giuer with returning mud Is this the haruest of his sowing toile Did Christ manure thy heart to breed him briers Or doth it neede this vnaccustom'd soyle With hellish dung to fertile heauens desires No no the Marle that periuries doth yeeld May spoile a good not fat a barren field Was this for best deserts the duest meede Are highest worths well wag'd with spitefull hire Are stoutest vowes repeal'd in greatest neede Should frendship at the first affront retire Blush crauen sot lurke in eternall night Crouch in the darkest Caues from loathed light Ah wretch why was I nam'd sonne of a Doue Whose speeches voided spite and breathed gall No kinne I am vnto the bird of loue My stony name much better sutes my fall My othes were stones my cruell tongue the sling My God the marke at which my spite did fling Were all the Iewish tyrannies too few To glut thy hungry lookes with his disgrace That thou more hatefull tyrannies must shew And spot thy poyson in thy Makers face Didst thou to spare his foes put vp thy sword To brandish now thy tongue against thy Lord Ah tongue that didst his praise and God-head sound How wert thou stain'd with such detesting words That euery word was to his heart a wound And launc't him deeper then a thousand swords What rage of man yea what infernall Sprite Could haue disgorg'd more loathsome dregs of spite Why did the yeelding Sea like Marble way Support a wretch more wauering then the waues Whom doubt did plonge why did the waters stay Vnkind in kindnesse murthering while it saues O that this tongue had then beene fishes food And I deuour'd before this cursing mood There surges depths and Seas vnfirme by kinde Rough gusts and distance both from ship and shoare Were titles to excuse my staggering mind Stout feet might falter on that liquid floare But heere no Seas no Blasts no Billowes were A puffe of womans wind bred all my feare O Coward troupes farre better arm'd then harted Whom angrie words whom blowes could not prouoke Whom though I taught how sore my weapon smarted Yet none repaide me with a wounding stroke O no that stroke could but one moity kill I was reseru'd both halfes at once to spill Ah whither was forgotten loue exil'd Where did rhe truth of pledged promise sleepe What in my thoughts begat this vgly child That could through rented soule thus fiercely creepe O Viper feare their death by whom thou liuest All good thy ruines wrecke all euils thou giuest Threats threw me not torments I none assayd My fray with shades conceites did make me yeeld Wounding my thoughts with feares selfely dismayd I neither fought nor lost I gaue the field Infamous foyle a Maidens easie breath Did blow me downe and blast my soule to death Titles I make vntruths am I a rocke That with so soft a gale was ouerthrowne Am I fit Pastor for the faithfull Flocke To guide their soules that murdred thus mine owne A rocke of ruine not a rest to stay A Pastor not to feed but to betray Fidelity was flowne when feare was hatched Incompatible brood in vertues nest Courage can lesse with Cowardise be matched Prowesse nor loue lodg'd in diuided brest O Adams Child cast by a
those vnspotted eyes encountred mine As spotlesse Sunne doth on the dunghill shine Sweet volumes stor'd with learning fit for Saints Where blisfull quires imparadize their mindes Wherein eternall study neuer faints Still finding all yet seeking all it findes How endlesse is your labyrinth of blisse Where to be lost the sweetest finding is Ah wretch how oft haue I sweet lessons read In those deare eyes the registers of truth How oft haue I my hungry wishes fed And in their happy ioyes redrest my ruth Ah that they now are Heralds of disdaine That erst were euer pitiers of my paine You flames diuine that sparkle out your heates And kindle pleasing fires in mortall hearts You Nectar'd Aumbries of soule feeding meates You gracefull quiuers of loues dearest darts You did vouchsafe to warme to wound to feast My cold my stony my now famisht breast The matchlesse eyes matcht onely each by other Were pleas'd on my ill matched eyes to glance The eye of liquid pearle the purest mother Broch't teares in mine to weepe for my mischance The cabinets of grace vnlockt their treasure And did to my misdeed their mercies measure These blazing Comets lightning flames of loue Made me their warming influence to know My frozen heart their sacred force did proue Which at their lookes did yeeld like melting snow They did not ioyes in former plentie carue Yet sweet are crums where pined thoughts do starue O liuing mirrours seeing whom you shew Which equall shadowes worths with shadowed things Yea make things nobler then in natiue hew By being shap't in those life-giuing springs Much more my image in those eyes were grac't Then in my selfe whom sinne and shame defac't All-seeing eyes more worth then all you see Of which one is the others onely price I worthlesse am direct your beames on me With quickning vertue cure my killing vice By seeing things you make things worth the sight You seeing salue and being seene delight O Pooles of Hesebon the baths of grace Where happy spirits dine in sweet desires Where Saints delight to glasse their glorious face VVhose bankes make Eccho to the Angels quires An Eccho sweeter in the sole rebound Then Angels musicke in the fullest sound O eyes whose glances are a silent speech In cipherd words high mysteries disclosing Which with a looâ—e all Sciences can teach Whose texts to faithfull hearts need little glosing Witnesse vnworthy I who in a looke Learn'd more by rote then all the Scribes by booke Though malice still possest their hardned minds I though too hard learn'd softnesse in thine eye Which yron knots of stubburne will vnbinds Offring them loue that loue with loue will buy This did I learne yet they could not discerne it But wo that I had now such need to learne it O Sunnes all but your selues in light excelling Whose presence day whose absence causeth night Whose neighbour course brings Sommer cold expelling Whose distant periods freeze away delight Ah that I lost your bright and fostering beames To plonge my soule in these congealed streames O gracious Spheres where loue the Center is A natiue place for our selfe-loaden soules The compasse loue a cope that none can misse The motion loue that round about vs roules O Spheres of loue whose Center cope and motion Is loue of vs loue that inuites deuotion O little worlds the summes of all the best Where glory heauen God sunne all vertues starres Where fire a loue that next to heauen doth rest Ayre light of life that no distemper marres The water grace whose seas whose springs whose showers Cloth natures earth with euerlasting flowers What mixtures these sweet Elements do yel'd Let happy worldlings of those worlds expound But simples are by compounds farre exceld Both sute a place where all best things abound And if a banisht wretch ghesse not amisse All but one compound frame of perfect blisse I out-cast from these worlds exiled rome Poore Saint from heauen from fire cold Salamander Lost fish from those sweet waters kindly home From land of life stray'd Pilgrime still I wander I know the cause these worlds had neuer hell In which my faults haue best deseru'd to dwell O Bethlem cesterns Dauids most desire From which my sinnes like fierce Philistims keepe To fetch your drops what Champion should I hire That I therein my withered heart may steepe I would not shead them like that holy King His were but types these are the figured thing O Turtle twinnes all bath'd in Virgins milke Vpon the margine of full flowing banks Whose gracefull plume surmounts the finest silke Whose sight enamoureth heauens most happy ranks Could I forsweare this heauenly payre of Doues That cag'd in care for me were groning loues Twise Moses wand did strike the stubburne Rocke Ere stony veines would yeeld their chrystall bloud Thy eies one looke seru'd as an onely knocke To make mine heart gush out a weeping floud Wherein my sinnes as fishes spawne their frie To shew their inward shames and then to die But ô how long demurre I on his eyes Whose looke did pierce my heart with healing wound Launcing impostum'd sore of periur'd lyes Which these two issues of mine â—yes haue found Where runne it must till death the issues stop And penall life hath purg'd the finall drop Like solest Swan that swims in silent deepe And neuer sings but obsequies of death Sigh out thy plaints and sole in secret weepe In suing pardon spend thy periur'd breath Attire thy soule in sorrowes mourning weed And at thine eyes let guilty conscience bleed Still in the Limbecke of thy dolefull brest These bitter fruits that from thy sinnes do grow For fuell selfe accusing thoughts be best Vse feare as fire the coales let penance blow And seeke none other quintessence but teares That eyes may shead what entred at thine eares Come sorrowing teares the off-spring of my griefe Scant not your Parent of a needfull ayde In you I rest the hope of wisht reliefe By you my sinfull debts must be defrayd Your power preuailes your sacrifice is gratefull By loue obtaining life to men most hatefull Come good effects of ill-deseruing cause Ill gotten impes yet vertuously brought forth Selfe-blaming probates of infringed Lawes Yet blamed faults redeeming with your worth The signes of shame in you each eye may reade Yet while you guilty proue you pitty pleade O beames of mercy beate on sorrowes Clowd Proue suppling showers vpon my parched ground Bring forth the fruit to your due seruice vow'd Let good desires with like deserts be crown'd Water yong blooming vertues tender flowre Sinne did all grace of riper growth deuoure Weepe Balme and Myrrhe you sweet Arabian trees With purest gummes perfume and pearle your ryne Shead on your hony drops you busie Bees I barraine plant must weepe vnpleasant bryne Hornets I hyue salt drops their labour plyes Suckt out of sinne and shed by showring eyes If Dauid night by night did bathe his bed Esteeming longest dayes too short to moue Inconsolable teares if
egges ere they be hatched Kill bad Chickins in the tread Fligge they hardly can be catched In the rising stifle ill Lest it grow against thy will Drops do pierce the stubburne Flint Not by force but often falling Custome kils with feeble dint More by vse then strength preuailing Single sands haue little waight Many make a drowning fraight Tender twigs are bent with ease Aged trees do breake with bending Yong desires make little prease Growth doth make them past amending Happie man that soone doth knocke Babels Babes against the rocke Loue seruile Lot LOue Mistresse is of many minds Yet few know whom they serue They reckon least how little Loue Their seruice doth deserue The will she robbeth from the wit The sense from reasons lore Shee is delightfull in the ryne Corrupted in the core She shrowdeth vice in Vertues veile Pretending good in ill She offereth ioy affoordeth griefe A kisse where she doth kill A hony showre raines from her lips Sweet lights shine in her face She hath the blush of Virgine mind The minde of Vipers race She makes thee seeke yet feare to find To find but none enioy In many frownes some gliding smiles She yeelds to more annoy She wooes thee to come neare her fire Yet doth she draw it from thee Farre off she makes thy heart to fry And yet to freeze within thee She letteth fall some luring baits For fooles to gather vp Too sweet too sowre to euerie tast She tempereth her cup. Soft soules she binds in tender twist Small Flyes in spinners webbe She sets aflote some luring streames But makes them soone to ebbe Her watrie eyes haue burning force Her flouds and flames conspire Teares kindle sparkes sobs fuell are And sighs do blow her fire May neuer was the Month of loue For May is full of flowers But rather Aprill wet by kind For loue is full of showers Like Tyrant cruell wounds she giues Like Surgeon salue she lends But salue and sore haue equall force For death is both their ends With soothing words enthralled soules She chaines in seruile bands Her eye in silence hath a speech Which eye best vnderstands Her little sweet hath many sowres Short hap immortall harmes Her louing lookes are murdrings darts Her songs bewitching charmes Like Winter Rose and Sommer Ice Her ioyes are still vntimely Before her hope behind remorse Faire first in fine vnseemely Moodes passions fancies iealous fits Attend vpon her traine She yeeldeth rest without repose A Heauen in hellish paine Her house is sloth her doore deceit And slipperie hope her staires Vnbashfull boldnesse bids her guests And euerie vice repaires Her dyet is of such delights As please till they be past But then the poyson kils the heart That did entice the taste Her sleepe in sinne doth end in wrath Remorse rings her awake Death cals her vp shame driues her out Despaires her vpshot make Plow not the Seas sow not the sands Leaue off your idle paine Seeke other mistresse for your mindes Loues seruice is in vaine Life is but Losse BY force I liue in will I wish to dye In plaint I passe the length of lingring dayes Free would my soule from mortall bodie fly And tread the tracke of Deaths desired wayes Life is but losse where death is deemed gaine And lothed pleasures breed displeasing paine Who would not dye to kill all murdering greeues Or who would liue in neuer-dying feares Who would not wish his treasure safe from Theeues And quit his heart from pangs his eyes from teares Death parteth but two euer fighting foes Whose ciuill strife doth worke our endlesse woes Life is a wandring course to doubtfull rest As oft a cursed rise to damning leape As happie race to winne a heauenly crest None being sure what finall fruits to reape And who can like in such a life to dwell Whose wayes are strait to Heauen but wide to Hell Come cruell death why lingrest thou so long What doth withhold thy dint from fatall stroke Now prest I am alas thou doest me wrong To let me liue more anger to prouoke Thy right is bad when thou hast stopt my breath Why should'd thou stay to worke my bouble death If Sauls attempt in falling on his blade As lawfull were as ethe to put in vre If Sampsons leaue a common Law were made Of Abels lot if all that would were sure Then cruell death thou should'st the Tyrant play With none but such as wished for delay Where life is lou'd thou readie art to kill And to abridge with sodaine pangs their ioy Where life is loath'd thou wilt not worke their will But dost adiourne their death to their annoy To some thou art a fierce vnbidden guest But those that craue thy helpe thou helpest least Auant oh viper I thy spite defie There is a God that ouer-rules thy force Who can thy weapons to his will apply And shorten or prolong our brittle course I on his mercie not thy might relye To him I liue for him I hope to dye I dye aliue O Life what lets thee from a quicke decease O death what drawes thee from a present prey My feast is done my soule would be at ease My grace is said O Death come take away I liue but such a life as euer dyes I dye but such a death as neuer ends My death to end my dying life denies And life my liuing death no whit amends Thus still I dye yet still I do reuiue My liuing death by dying life is fed Grace more then Nature keepes my heart aliue Whose idle hopes and vaine desires are dead Not where I breathe but where I loue I liue Not where I loue but where I am I dye The life I wish must future glorie giue The deaths I feele in present dangers lye What ioy to liue I Wage no warre yet peace I none enioy I hope I feare I frye in freezing cold I mourne in mirth still prostrate in annoy I all the World imbrace yet nothing hold All wealth is want where chiefest wishes faile Yea life is loath'd where loue may not preuaile For that I loue I long but that I lacke That others loue I loath and that I haue All worldly fraights to me are deadly wracke Men present hap I future hopes do craue They louing where they liue long life require To liue where best I loue death I desire Here loue is lent for loue of filthie gaine Most friends befriend themselues with friendships shew Here plentie perill want doth breed disdaine Cares common are ioyes faultie short and few Here Honour enuide meannesse is despis'd Sinne deemed solace Vertue little pris'd Here beauty is a baite that swallowed choakes A treasure sought still to the owners harmes A light that eyes to murdring sights prouokes A grace that soules inchants with mortall charmes A luring ayme to Cupids fierie flights A balefull blisse that damnes where it delights O who would liue so many deaths to trie Where will doth wish that wisedome doth reproue
embrace Yet all this waight of sweat drew not a drop Ne made thee bow much lesse fall on thy face But now thou hast a load so heauie found That makes thee bow yea fall flat to the ground O sinne how huge and heauie is thy waight That waighest more then all the world beside Of which when Christ hath taken in his fraight The poyse thereof his flesh could not abide Alas if God himselfe sinke vnder sinne What will become of man that dyes therein First flat thou fell'st when earth did thee receiue In closet pure of Maries virgine breast And now thou fall'st of earth to take thy leaue Thou kissest it as cause of thy vnrest O louing Lord that so doest loue thy fo As thus to kisse the ground where he doth go Thou minded in thy heauen our earth to weare Do'st prostrate now thy heauen our earth to blisse As God to earth thou often wert seuere As man thou call'st a peace with bleeding kisse For as of soules thou common Father art So is she Mother of mans other part She shortly was to drinke thy dearest bloud And yeeld the soule a way to Satans caue She shortly was thy corse in tombe to shrowd And with them all thy Deitie to haue Now then in me thou ioyntly yeeldest all That seuerally to earth should shortly fall O prostrate Christ erect my crooked mind Lord let thy fall my flight from Earth obtaine Or if I needs must still in Earth be shrin'd Then Lord on Earth come fall yet once againe And either yeeld in Earth with me to lye Or else with thee to take me to the skie Iosephs Amazement WHen Christ by growth disclosed his descent Into the pure receipt of Maries breast Poore Ioseph stranger yet to Gods intent With doubts of iealous thoughts was sore opprest And wrought with diuers fits of feare and loue He neither can her free nor faulty proue Now since the wakefull spy of iealous minde By strong coniectures deemeth her defil'd But loue in doome of things best loued blinde Thinkes rather sense deceiu'd then her with child Yet proofes so pregnant were that no pretence Could cloake a thing so cleare and plaine to sense Then Ioseph daunted with a deadly wound Let loose the reines of vndeserued griefe His heart did throb his eyes in teares were drownd His life a losse death seem'd his best reliefe The pleasing rellish of his former loue In gaulish thoughts to bitter tast doth proue One foot he often setteth out of dore But t'other loath vncertaine wayes to tread He takes his fardell for his needfull store He casts his Inne where first he meanes to bed But still ere he can frame his feet to go Loue winneth time till all conclude in no. Sometimes griefe adding force he doth depart He will against his will keepe on his pase But straight remorse so rackes his raging heart That hasting thoughts yeeld to a pawsing pase Then mightie reasons presse him to remaine She whom he flyes doth winne him home againe But when his thought by sight of his aboad Presents the signe of misesteemed shame Repenting euery step that backe he troad Teares done the guide the tong the feet do blame Thus warring with himselfe a field he fights Where euery wound vpon the giuer lights And was quoth he my loue so lightly pris'd Or was our sacred league so soone forgot Could vowes be void could vertues be despis'd Could such a spouse be stain'd with such a spot O wretched Ioseph that hath liu'd so long Of faithfull loue to reape so grieuous wrong Could such a worme breed in so sweet a Wood Could in so chast demeanure lurke vntruth Could vice lye hid where Vertues image stood Where hoarie sagenesse graced tender youth Where can affiance rest to rest secure In vertues fairest seat faith is not sure All proofes did promise hope a pledge of grace Whose good might haue repay'd the deepest ill Sweet signes of purest thoughts in Saintly face Assur'd the eye of her vnstained will Yet in this seeming lustre seeme to lye Such crimes for which the Law condemnes to dye But Iosephs word shall neuer worke her wo I wish her leaue to liue not doome to dye Though Fortune mine yet am I not her fo She to her selfe lesse louing is then I. The most I will the least I can is this Sith none may salue to shun that is amisse Exile my home the wildes shall be my walke Complaint my ioy my Musicke mourning layes With pensiue griefes in silence will I talke Sad thoughts shall be my guides in sorrowes wayes This course best sutes the care of carelesse minde That seekes to lose what most it ioy'd to finde Like stocked tree whose branches all do fade Whose leaues do fall and perisht fruit decay Like hearbe that growes in cold and barren shade Where darknesse driues all quickning heat away So dye must I cut from my root of ioy And throwne in darkest shades of deepe annoy But who can flye from that his heart doth feele What change of place can change implanted paine Remouing moues no hardnesse from the steele Sicke hearts that shift no fits shift roomes in vaine Where thought can see what helpes the closed eye Where heart pursues what gaines the foot to fly Yet did I tread a maze of doubtfull end I go I come she drawes she driues away She wounds she heales she doth both marre and mend She makes me seeke and shun depart and stay She is a friend to loue a fo to lothe And in suspence I hang betweene them both New Prince new Pompe BEhold a silly tender Babe In freezing Winter night In homely Manger trembling lies Alas a piteous sight The Innes are full no man will yeeld This little Pilgrime bed But forc't he is with silly beasts In Crib to shrowd his head Despise him not for lying there First what he is enquire An orient pearle is often found In depth of dirtie mire Waigh not his Crib his woodden dish Nor beasts that by him feed Waigh not his Mothers poore attire Nor Iosephs simple weed This Stable is a Princes Court The Crib his chaire of State The Beasts are parcell of his Pompe The wooden dish his plate The persons in that poore attire His royall liueries weare The Prince himselfe is come from heauen This pompe is prized there With ioy approach O Christian wight Do homage to thy King And highly praise his humble Pompe Which he from Heauen doth bring The burning Babe AS I in hoarie Winters night stood shiuering in the snow Surpris'd I was with sudden heat which made my heart to glow And lifting vp a fearefull eye to view what fire was neare A prettie Babe all burning bright did in the ayre appeare Who scorched with excessiue heate such flouds of teares did shed As though his flouds should quench his flames which with his teares were bred Alas quoth he but newly borne in fierie heates I frie Yet none approach to warme their
shame to vtter nor sinne to feele But whether my wishes in this behalfe take effect or not I reape at the least this reward of my paines that I haue shewed my desire to answer your curtesie and set forth the due praises of this glorious Saint Your louing friend R.S. To the Reader MAny suiting their labours to the popular vaine and guided by the gale of vulgar breath haue diuulged diuerse patheticall discourses in which if they had shewed as much care to profit as they haue done desire to please their workes would much more haue honored their names and auailed the Reader But it is a iust complaint among the better sort of persons that the finest wits lose themselues in the vainest follies spilling much Art in some idle fancie and leauing their workes as witnesses how long they haue beene in trauaile to be in fine deliuered of a fable And sure it is a thing greatly to be lamented that men of so high conceit should so much abase their habilities that when they haue racked them to the vttermost endeuour all the praise that they reape of their employment consisteth in this that they haue wisely told a foolish tale and carried a long lye very smoothly to the end Yet this inconuenience might find some excuse if the drift of their discourse leuelled at any vertuous marke For infables are often figured morall truths and that couertly vttered to a common good which without a maske would not find so free a passage But when the substance of the worke hath neither truth nor probability nor the purport thereof tendeth to any honest end the writer is rather to be pitied than praised and his bookes fitter for the fire than for the presse This common ouersight more haue obserued than endeuored to salue euery one being able to reprooue none willing to redresse such faults authorised especially by generall custome And though if necessitie the lawlesse patron of enforced actions had not more preuailed than choise this worke of so different a subiect from the vsuall vaine should haue bene no eye-sore to those that are pleased with worse matters Yet sith the copies thereof flew fo fast and so false abroad that it was in danger to come corrupted to the print it seemed a lesse euill to let it fly to common view in the natiue plume and with the owne wings than disguised in a coat of a bastard feather or cast off from the fast of such a corrector as might hapily haue perished the sound and imped in some sicke and sory feathers of his owne fansies It may be that curteous skill will reckon this though course in respect of others exquisite labours not vnfit to entertaine wel-tempered humours both with pleasure and profite the ground thereef being in Scripture and the forme of enlarging it an imitation of the ancient Doctors in the same and other points of like tenour This commodity at the least it will carry with it that the Reader may learne to loue without improofe of puritie and teach his thoughts either to temper passion in the meane or to giue the bridle onely where the excesse cannot be faulty Let the worke defend it selfe and euery one passe his censure as he seeth cause Many Carps are expected when curious eyes come a fishing But the care is already taken and patience wayteth at the cable ready to take away when that dish is serued in and to make roome for others to set on the desired fruit R.S. MARIE MAGDALENS FVNERAL TEARES AMongst other mourneful accidents of the passion of Christ that loue presenteth it selfe vnto my memory with which the blessed Marie Magdalene louing our Lord more than her selfe followed him in his iourney to his death attending vpon him when his disciples fled and being more willing to dye with him than they to liue without him But not finding the fauour to accompany him in death and loathing after him to remaine in life the fire of her true affection enflamed her heart and her enflamed heart resolued into vncessant teares so that burning and bathing betweene loue and griefe she led a life euer dying and felt a death neuer ending And when he by whom she liued was dead and she for whom he dyed enforcedly left aliue she praised the dead more than the liuing and hauing lost that light of her life she desired to dwell in darkenesse in the shadow of death choosing Christs Tombe for her best home and his coarse for her chiefe comfort For Mary as the Euangelist saith Stood without at the Tombe weeping But alas how vnfortunate is this woman to whom neither life will affoord a desired farewell nor death allow any wished welcome She hath abandoned the liuing and chosen the company of the dead and now it seemeth that euen the dead haue forsaken her sith the coarse she seeketh is taken away from her And this was the cause that loue induced her to stand and sorrow enforced her to weepe Her eye was watchfull to seeke whom her heart most longed to enioy and her foot in a readinesse to runne if her eye should chance to espy him And therefore she standeth to be still stirring prest to watch euery way and prepared to go whither any hope should call her But she wept because she had such occasion of standing and that which moued her to watch was the motiue of her teares For as she watched to finde whom she had lost so she wept for hauing lost whom she loued her poore eyes being troubled at once with two contrarie offices both to be cleare in sight the better to seeke him and yet cloudy with teares for missing the sight of him Yet was not this the entrance but the increase of her griefe not the beginning but the renewing of her moane For first she mourned for the departing of his soule out of his body and now she lamented the taking of his body out of the graue being punished with two wreckes of her onely welfare both full of miserie but the last without all comfort The first originall of her sorrow grew because she could not enioy him aliue yet this sorrow had some solace for that she hoped to haue enioyed him dead But when she considered that his life was already lost and now not so much as his body could be found she was wholly daunted with dismay sith this vnhappinesse admitted no helpe She doubted lest the loue of her maister the onely portion that her fortune had left her would soone languish in her cold breast if it neither had his words to kindle it nor his presence to cherish it nor so much as his dead ashes to rake it vp She had prepared her spices and prouided her oyntments to pay him the last tribute of externall duties And though Ioseph and Nicodemus had already bestowed an hundreth pounds of Mirrhe and Aloes which was in quantity sufficient in quality of the best and as well applyed as art and deuotion could deuise yet such was
lesson it fell out to be the bitterest part of thy miserie that thou diddest so well know how infinite the losse was that made thee miserable This is the cause that those very Angels in whom all things make remonstrance of triumph and solace are vnto thee occasions of new griefe For their gracious and louely countenances remember thee that thou hast lost the beauty of the world and the highest marke of true loues ambition Their sweet lookes and amiable features tell thee that the heauen of thy eyes which was the reuerend Maiesty of thy Masters face once shined with farre more pleasing graces but is now disfigured with the dreadfull formes of death In summe they were to thee like the glistering sparkes of a broken Diamond and like pictures of dead and decayed beauties signes not salues of thy calamity memorials not medicines of thy misfortune Thy eyes were too well acquainted with the truth to accept a supply of shadowes and as comelinesse comfort and glory were neuer in any other so truely at home and so perfectly in their prime as in the person and speeches of thy Lord so cannot thy thoughts but be like strangers in any forraine delight For in them all thou seest no more but some scattered crums and hungrie morsels of thy late plentifull banquets and findest a dim reflexion of thy former light which like a flash of lightning in a close and stormie night serueth thee but to see thy present infelicitie and the better to know the horrour of the ensuing darknesse Thou thinkest therefore thy selfe blamelesse both in weeping for thy losse and in refusing other comfort Yet in common courtesie affoord these Angels an answer sith their charitie visiting thee deserueth much more and thou if not too vngratefull canst allow them no lesse Alas saith she what needeth my answer where the miserie it selfe speaketh and the losse is manifest My eyes haue answered them with teares my breast with sighes and my heart with throbs what need I also punish my tongue or wound my soule with a new rehearsall of so do lefull a mischance They haue taken away O vnfortunate word they haue taken away my Lord. O afflicted woman why thinkest thou this word so vnfortunate It may be the Angels haue taken him more solemnely to entombe him and sith earth hath done her last homage haply the Quires of heauen are also descended to defray vnto him their funerall duties It may be that the Centurion and the rest that did acknowledge him on the crosse to be the Sonne of God haue bene touched with remorse and goared with pricke of conscience and being desirous to satisfie for their haynous offence haue now taken him more honorably to interre him and by their seruice to his body sought forgiuenesse and sued the pardon of their guiltie soules Peraduenture some secret disciples haue wrought this exploit and maugre the watch taken him from hence with due honour to preserue him in some better place and therefore being yet vncertaine who hath him there is no such cause to lament sith the greater probabilities march on the better side Why doest thou call sorrow before it commeth which without calling commeth on thee too fast yea why doest thou create sorrow where it is not sith thou hast true sorrow enough though imagined sorrowes helpe not It is folly to suppose the worst where the best may be hoped for and euerie mishap bringeth griefe enough with it though we with our feares do not go first to meet it Quiet then thy selfe till time try out the truth and it may be thy feare will proue greater than thy misfortune But I know thy loue is little helped with this lesson for the more it loueth the more it feareth and the more desirous to enioy the more doubtfull it is to lose It neither hath measure in hopes nor meane in feares hoping the best vpon the least surmises and fearing the worst vpon the weakest grounds And yet both fearing and hoping at one time neither feare with-holdeth hope from the highest attempts nor hope can strengthen feare against the smallest suspitions but maugre all feares loues hopes will mount to the highest pitch and maugre all hopes loues feares will stoupe to the lowest downe-come To bid thee therefore hope is not to forbid thee to feare and though it may be for the best that thy Lord is taken from thee yet sith it may also be for the worst that will neuer content thee Thou thinkest hope doth enough to keepe thy heart from breaking feare little enough to force thee to no more than weeping sith it is as likely that he hath bene taken away vpon hatred by his enemies as vpon loue by his friends For hitherto sayest thou his friends haue all failed him and his foes preuailed against him and as they would not defend him aliue are lesse likely to regard him dead so they that thought one life too little to take from him are not vnlikely after death to wrecke new rage vpon him And though this doubt were not yet whosoeuer hath taken him hath wronged me in not acquainting me with it for to take away mine without my cōsent can neither be offered with out iniurie nor suffered without sorrow And as for Iesus he was my Iesus my Lord and my Maister He was mine because he was giuen vnto me borne for me he was the author of my being and so my father he was the worker of my well doing and therefore my Sauiour he was the price of my ransome and thereby my Redeemer he was my Lord to command me my maister to instruct me my pastor to feede me He was mine because his loue was mine and when he gaue me his loue he gaue me himselfe sith loue is no gift except the giuer be giuen with it yea it is no loue vnlesse it be as liberall of that it is as of that it hath Finally if the meate be mine that I eate the life mine wherewith I liue or he mine all whose life labours and death were mine then dare I boldly say that Iesus is mine sith on his body I feed by his loue I liue and to my good without any neede of his owne hath he liued laboured and dyed And therefore though his Disciples though the Centurion yea though the Angels haue taken him they haue done me wrong in defeating me of my right sith I neuer meane to resigne my interest But what if he hath taken away himselfe wilt thou also lay iniustice to his charge Though he be thine yet thine to command not to obey thy Lord to dispose of thee and not to be by thee disposed and therefore as it is no reason that the seruant should be maister of his maisters secrets so might he and peraduenture so hath he remoued without acquainting thee whither reuiuing himselfe with the same power with which he raised thy dead brother and fulfilling the words that he often vttered of his resurrection It may be thou wilt
my sute is more than halfe a graunt If many drops soften the hardest stones why should not many teares supple the most stony hearts What anger so fiery that may not be quenched with eye-water sith a weeping suppliant â—ebateth the edge of more than a Lyons furie My sute it selfe would sue for me and so dolefull a coarse would quicken pitty in the most yron hearts But suppose that by touching a ranckled sore my touch should anger it and my petition at the first incense him that heard it he would percase reuile me in words and theâ— his owne iniurie would recoyle with remorse and be vnto me a patron to proceede in my request And if he should accompanie his words with blowes and his blowes with wounds it may be my stripes would smart in his guiltie minde and his conscience bleed in my bleeding wounds and my innocent bloud so entender his Adamant heart that his owne inward feelings would pleade my cause and peraduenture obtaine my sute But if through extremity of spite he should happen to kil me his offence might easily redound to my felicitie For he would be as carefull to hide whom he had vniustly murthered as him whom hee had felloniously stolen and so it is like that he would hide me in the same place where he had layd my Lord. And as he hated vs both for one cause him for challenging and me for acknowledging that he was the Messias so would he vse vs both after one manner And thus what comfort my body wanted my soule should enioy in seeing a part of my selfe partner of my Maisters misery with whom to be miserable I reckon an higher fortune than without him to be most happy And if no other meane would serue to recouer him but force I see no reason why it might not very well become me None will barre me from defending my life which the least worme in the right nature hath leaue to preserue And sith he is to me so deare a life that without him all life is death nature authoriseth my feeble forces to employ their vttermost in so necessary an attempt Necessitie addeth abilitie and loue doubleth necessitie and it often happeneth that nature armed with loue and pressed with neede exceedeth it selfe in might and surmounteth all hope in successe And as the equitie of the cause doth breath courage into the defenders making them the mote willing to fight and the lesse vnwilling to dye so guiltie consciences are euer timorous still starting with sodaine frightts and afraid of their own suspitions ready to yeeld before the assault vpon distresse of their cause and despaire of their defence Sith therefore to rescue an innocent to recouer a right to redresse so deepe a wrong is so iust a quarrell nature will enable me loue encourage me grace confirme me and the iudge of all iustice fight in my behalfe And if it seeme vnfitting to my sexe in talke much more in practise to deale with materiall affaires yet when such a cause happeneth as neuer had patterne such effects must follow as are without example There was neuer any body of a God but one neither such a body stolne but now neuer such a stealth vnreuenged but this Sith therefore the Angels neglect it and men forgeâ— O Iudith lend me thy prowesse for I am bound to regard it But suppose that my force were vnable to winne him by an open enterprise what scruple should keepe me from seeking him by secret meanes yea and by plaine stealth it will be thought a sinne and condemned for a theft O sweet sinne why was not I the first that did commit thee Why did I suffer any other sinner to preuent me For stealing from God his honour I was called a sinner and vnder that title was spread my infamie But for stealing God from a false owner I was not worthy to be called a sinner because it had bene too high a glory If this be so great a sinneâ— and so haynous a theft let others make choise of what titles they will but for my part I would refuse to be an Angell I would not wish to be a Saint I would neuer be esteemed either iust or true and I should be best contented if I might but liue and die such a sinner and be condemned for such a theft When I heard my Lord make so comfortable a promise to the theefe vpon the Crosse that he should that day be with him in Paradise I had halfe an enuie at that theeues good fortune wished my selfe in the theefes place so I might haue enioyed the fruit of his promise But if I could be so happy a theefe as to commit this theft if that wish had taken effect I would now vnwish it againe and scorne to be any other theefe than my selfe sith my booty could make me happier than any other theefes felicitie And what though my fellonie should be called in question in what respect should I need to feare They would say that I loued him too well but that were soone disproued sith where the worthinesse is infinite no loue can be enough They would obiect that I stole anothers goods and as for that many sure titles of my interest would auerre him to be mine and his dead coarse would rather speak than witnesses should faile to depose so certaine a truth And if I had not a speciall right vnto him what should moue me to venture my life for him No no if I were so happy a fellon I should feare no temporall arraignment I should rather feare that the Angels would cite me to my answere for preuenting them in the theft sith not the highest Seraphin in heauen but would deem it a higher stile than his owne to be the theefe that had committed so glorious a robberie But alas thus stand I now deuising what I would do if I knew any thing of him and in the meane time I neither know who hath him nor where they haue bestowed him and still I am forced to dwell in this answer that they haue taken away my Lord and I know not where they haue put him While Mary thus lost her selfe in a Labyrinth of doubts watering her words with teares and warming them with sighes seeing the Angels with a kinde of reuerence rise as though they had done honour to one behind her She turned backe and she saw Iesus standing but that it was Iesus she knew not O Mary is it possible that thou hast forgotten Iesus Faith hath written him in thy vnderstanding loue in thy will both feare and hope in thy memory and how can all these Registers be so cancelled that so plainely seeing thou shouldest not know the contents For him onely thou tirest thy feet thou bendest thy knees thou wringest thy handes For him thy heart throbbeth thy breast sigheth thy tongue complaineth For him thine eye weepeth thy thought sorroweth thy whole body fainteth and thy soule languisheth In summe there is no part in thee but is
Disciples But thy loue had no leisure to cast so many doubts Thy teares were Interpreters of thy words and thy innocent meaning was written in thy dolefull countenance Thine eyes were rather pleaders for pitty than Heraulds of wrath and thy whole person presented such a patterne of thy extreame anguish that no man from thy presence could take in any other impression And therefore what thy words wanted thy action supplied and what his eare might mistake his eye did vnderstand It might be also that what he wrought in thy heart was concealed from thy sight and haply his voice and demeanour did import such compassion of thy case that he seemed as willing to affoord as thou desirest to haue his helpe And so presuming by his behauiour that thy suite should not suffer repulse the tenour of thy request doth but argue thy hope of a graunt But what is the reason that in all thy speeches which since the misse of thy maister thou hast vttered where they haue put him is alwayes a part So thou saydest to the Apostles the same to the Angels and now thou doest repeate it to this supposed Garderner very sweete must this word be in thy heart that is so often in thy mouth it would neuet be so ready in thy tongue if it were not very fresh in thy memory But what maruaile though it tast so sweete that was first seasoned in thy maisters mouth which as it was the treasury of truth the fountaine of life and the onely quire of the most perfect Harmonie so whatsoeuer it deliuered thine eare deuoured and thy heart locked vp And now that thou wantest himselfe thou hast no other comfort but his words which thou deemest so much the more effectuall to perswade in that they tooke their force from so heauenly a speaker His sweetenesse therefore it is that maketh this word so sweete and for loue of him thou repeatest it so often because he in the like case said of thy brother Where haue you put him O how much doest thou affect his person that findest so sweete a feeling in his phrase How much desirest thou to see his countenance that with so great desire pronouncest his wordes And how willingly wouldest thou licke his sacred feete that so willingly vtterest his shortest speeches But what meanest thou to make so absolute a promise and so boldly to say I will take him away Ioseph was afraid and durst not take downe his body from the Crosse but by night yea and then also not without Pilats warrant but thou neither stayest vntill night nor regardest Pilate but stoutly promisest that thou thy selfe wilt take him away What if he be in the pallace of the high Priest and some such maid as made Saint Peter denie his maister do begin to question with thee wilt thou then stand to these words I will take him away Is thy courage so high aboue kinde thy strength so farre beyond thy sexe thy loue so much without measure that thou neither doest remember that all women are weake not that thy selfe art but a woman Thou exemptest no place thou preferrest no person thou speakest without feare thou promisest without condition thou makest no exception as though nothing were impossible that thy loue suggesteth But as the darknesse could not fright thee from setting forth before day nor the watch feare thee from comming to the Tombe as thou diddest resolue to breake open the seales though with danger of thy life and to remoue the stone from the graues mouth though thy force could not serue thee so what maruaile though thy loue being now more incensed with the fresh wound of thy losse it resolue vpon any though neuer so hard aduentures Loue is not ruled with reason but with loue It neither regardeth what can be nor what shall be done but onely what it selfe desireth to do No difficulty can stay it no impossibility appall it Loue is title iust enough and Armour strong enough for all assaults and it selfe a reward of all labours It asketh no recompence it respecteth no commoditie Loues fruites are loues effects and the gaines the paines It considereth behoofe more than benefit and what in dutie it should not what indeed it can But how can nature be so maistered with affection that thou canst take such delight and carry such loue to a dead coarse The mother how tenderly soeuer she loued her child aliue yet she cannot chuse but loath him dead The most louing Spouse cannot endure the presence of her deceassed husband and whose embracements were delightsome in life are euer most hatefull after death Yea this is the nature of all but principally of women that the very conceit much more the sight of the departed striketh into them so fearefull and vgly impressions and stirreth in them so great horrour that notwithstanding the most vehement loue they thinke long vntill the house is ridde of their very dearest friends when they are once attyred in deaths vnlouely liueries How then canst thou endure to take vp his coarse in thy hands and to carry it thou knowest not thy selfe how farre being especially torne and mangled and consequently the more likely in so long time to be tainted Thy sister was vnwilling that the graue of her owne brother should be opened and yet he was shrowded in sheets embalmed with spices and died an ordinarie death without any wound bruse or other harme that might hasten his corruption But this coarse hath neither shrowd nor spice sith these are to be seene in the tombe and there is not a part in his body but had some helpe to further it to decay and art thou not afraid to see him yea to touch him yea to embrace and carry him naked in thine armes If thou haddest remembred Gods promise that His holy one should not see corruption If thou haddest beleeued that his God-head remaining with his bodie could haue preserued it from perishing thy faith had bene more worthy of praise but thy loue lesse worthy of admiration sith the more corruptible thou diddest conceiue him the more combers thou diddest determine to ouercome and the greater was thy loue in being able to conquer them But thou wouldest haue thought thy oyntments rather harmes than helpes if thou hadst bene setled in that beleefe and for so heauenly a coarse embalmed with God all earthly spices would haue seemed a disgrace If likewise thou haddest firmely trusted vpon his resurrection I should maruaile at thy constant designement sith all hazards in taking him should haue bene with vsurie repaide if lying in thy lappe thou mightest haue seene him reuiued and his disfigured and dead body beautified in thine armes with a diuine maiestie If thou haddest hoped so good fortune to thy waterie eyes that they might haue bene first cleared with the beames of his desired light or that his eyes might haue blessed thee with the first fruites of his glorious lookes If thou haddest imagined any likelihood to haue made happie thy
made his heart a prey to his agonies whereas that that buried him in his owne melancholies raised Ioseph to his highest happinesse If Mary Magdalen said and supposed she could haue suncke no deeper in griefe than she had already plunged her selfe and yet that which she imagined the vttermost of euils proued in conclusion the very blisse of her wishes the like may be your errour if you cumber your minde with thinking vpon her death which could neuer be discharged from cares till death set his hand to her acquittance nor receiue the charter of an eternall being till her soule were presented at the sealing I loath to rubbe the scarre of a deeper wound for feare of renewing a dead discomfort yet if you will fauour your owne remedies the maisterie ouer that griefe that springs from the roote may learne you to qualifie this that buddeth from the branch Let not her losses moue you that are acquainted with greater of your owne and taught by experience to know how vncertaine then change is for whō vnconstant fortune throweth the dice. If she want the wonted titles her part is now ended and they were due but vpon the stage her losse therein is but a wracke of wounds in which she is but euen with the height of Princes surpassing both her selfe in them and the new honours of heauenly stile If she haue left her children it was her wish they should repay her absence with vsury yet had she sent her first fruits before her as pledges of her owne comming And now may we say that the Sparrow hath found an home and the Turtle doue a neast where she may lay her yonglings enioying some and expecting the rest If she be taken from her friends she is also deliuered from her enemies in hope hereafter to enioy the first out of feare of euer being troubled with the latter If she be cut off in her youth no age is vnripe for a good death and hauing ended her taske though neuer so short yet she hath liued out her full time Old age is venerable not long to be measured by increase of vertues not by number of yeares for grauity cōsisteth in wisedom Sap. 4. and an vnspotted life is the ripenesse of the perfectest age If she were in possibilitie of preferment she could hardly haue mounted higher than from whence she was throwne hauing bene brused with the first she had little will to clime for a second fall We might hitherto truly haue said this is that Naomi Ruth 1. she being to her end enriched with many outward and more inward graces But whether hereafter shee would haue bid vs not to call her Naomi that is faire but Mara that signifieth bitter it is vncertaine sith she might haue fallen into the widdows felicitie that so changed her name to the likenesse of her lot Insomuch that she is freed from more miseries then she suffered losses and more fortunate by not desiring then she would be by enioying fortunes fauour which if it be not counted a follie to loue yet it is a true happinesse not to need we may rather thinke that Death was prouided against her imminent harmes then enuious of any future prosperities the times being great with so many broyles that when they once fall in labour we shall thinke their condition securest whom absence hath exempted both from feeling the bitter throwes and beholding the monstrous issue that they are likely to bring forth The more you tender her the more temperate should be your griefe sith seeing you vpon going she did but step before you into the next world to which she thought you to belong more than to this which hath already giuen you the most vngratefull congee They that are vpon remouing send their furniture before them and you still standing vpon your departure what ornament could you rather wish in your future abode then this that did euer please you God thither sendeth your Adamants whither he would draw your heart and casteth your anchors where your thoughts should lie at roade that seeing your loue taken out of the world and your hopes disanchored from the stormie shoare you might settle your desires where God seemeth to require them If you would haue wished her life for an example to your house assure your selfe she hath left her friends so inherited with her vertues and so perfect patternes of her best part that who knoweth the suruiuours may see the deceassed and shall finde little difference but in the number which before was greater but not better vnlesse it were in one repetition of the same goodnesse wherefore set your selfe at rest in the ordinance of God whose works are perfect and whose wisedome is infinite The termes of our life are like the seasons of the yeare some for sowing some for growing and some for reaping in this onely different that as the heauens keepe their prescribed periods so the succession of times haue their appointed changes But in the seasons of our life which are not the law of necessarie causes some are reaped in the seed some in the blade some in the vnripe eares all in the end this haruest depending vpon the Reapers will Death is too ordinary a thing to seeme any nouelty being a familiar guest in euery house and sith his comming is expected and his errand vnknowne neither his presence should be feared nor his effects lamented What wonder is it to see fuell burned spice-pouned or snow melted And as little feare it is to see those dead that were borne vpon condition once to dye She was such a compound as was once to be resolued vnto her simples which is now performed her soule being giuen to God and her body resorted into her first elements It could not dislike you to see your friend remoued out of a ruinous house the house it self destroyed and pulled down if you knew it were to build it in a statelier forme and to turne the inhabitant with more ioy into a fairer lodging Let then your sisters soule depart without griefe let her body also be altred into dust withdraw your eyes from the ruine of this cottage and cast them vpon the maiestie of the second building which Saint Paul saith shall be incorruptible glorious strange spirituall and immortall Night and sleepe are perpetuall mirrours figuring in their darknesse silence shutting vp of senses the finall end of our mortall bodies and for this some haue entituled sleepe the eldest brother of Death but with no lesse conuenience it might be called one of Deaths tenants neare vnto him in affinity of condition yet farre inferiour in right being but tennant for a time of that Death is the inheritance for by vertue of the conueyance made vnto him in Paradice that dust we were and to dust we must returne he hath hitherto shewed his seigniory ouer all exacting of vs not onely the yearely but hourely reuerence of time which euer by minuts we defray vnto him so that our very life is
only all he had but himselfe also to buy them thought now high time to bring her vnto his bargaine finding her growne to a Margarites full perfection She stood vpon too low a ground to take view of her Sauiours most desired countenance and forsaking the earth with Zacheus Luk. 9. she climed vp into the tree of life there to giue her soule a full repast of her beauties She departed with Iepthaes daughter from her fathers house but to passe some moneths in wandring about the mountaines of this troublesome world which being now expired she was after her pilgrimage by couenant to returne to be offered vnto God in a gratefull sacrifice and to ascend out of this desart like a stemme of perfume out of burned spices Let not therefore the crowne of her vertue be the foile of her constancie nor the end of her combers a renewing of yours But sith God was well pleased to call her she not displeased to go and you the third twist to make a triple cord saying Our Lord gaue and our Lord tooke away as it hath pleased our Lord so hath it fallen out the name of our Lord be blessed Clara ducum soboles superis noua sedibus hospes Clausit in offenso tramite pura diem Dotibus ornauit superauit moribus ortum Omnibus vna prior par fuit vna sibi Lux genus ingenio generi lux inclita virtus Virtutisque fuit mens generosa decus Mors muta at properata dies orbémque relinquit Prolem matre verum coniuge flore genus Occidit à se alium tulit hic occasus in ortum Viuat ad occiduas non reditura vices OF Howards stemme a glorious branch is dead Sweete lights eclipsed were at her decease In Buckhurst line she gracious issue spread She heau'n with two with foure did earth increase Fame honour grace gaue ayre vnto her breath Rest glory ioyes were sequels of her death Death aymde too high he hit too choise a wight Renown'd for birth for life for liuely parts He kild her cares he brought her worths to light He robd our eyes but hath enricht our hearts Lot let out of her Arke a Noyes Doue But many hearts were Arkes vnto her loue Grace Nature Fortune did in her conspire To shew a proofe of their vnited skill Sly Fortune euer false did soone retire But double Grace supplied false Fortunes ill And though she raught not to Fortunes pitch In Grace and Vertue few were found so rich Heauen of this heauenly Pearle is now possest In whose lustre was the blaze of honours light Whose substance pure of euery good the best Whose price the crowne of highest right Whose praise to be her selfe whose greatest blisse To liue to loue to be where now she is FINIS SHORT RVLES OF Good life by R. S. AN CHO RA. SPEI LONDON Printed for W. Barret TO MY DEARE AFFECTED FRIEND M. D. S. Gentleman AS there is a method and order to be obserued in all artes for the practitioners more facile attayning the effects of his endeuours so is there no lesse vniformity to be propounded in ayming at the true course of vertue the rules whereof albeit they are directorie to the sum of all happinesse yet do worldly courser studies entertaine far more followers whose erring iudgements entangled with dull ignorance cannot rightly preferre vertue nor effectually censure vice For what cleare sighted iudgement will rely eternall affaires vpon the gliding slippernesse and running streame of this vncertaine life or who but one of distempered wits would offer to dissemble with the Amightie decipherer of all thoughts in pretending vertue and pursuing vanitie It is a most seruile disposition that will yeeld the prerogatiue of the soule vnto the body and giue flesh and bloud libertie to determine the course of this life which are in manner but the barke and rinde of a man being that the soule is the soueraigne part ordained to an high end of so peerelesse dignitie and such estimate that not all the gold and treasure of the world nor anything in heauen of lesse worth then the bloud and life of Almighty God was able to buy it Let vs not then iniuriously depriue our soules of the due interest of grace and vertue but account this vaine world with the wares thereof sutable to the shop of idle Marchandise vnto which we haue already beene too long customers the trafficke being toile the wealth trash the gaine miserie and the whole contents thereof detriments in grace pietie and vertue Yours in firme affection R. S. To the Christian Reader IF vertue by thy guide True comfort is thy path And thou secure from erring steps That leade to vengeance wrath Not widest open dore Nor spacious wayes she goes To straight and narrow gate and way She cals she leades she shewes She cals the fewest come She leades the humble sprited She shewes them rest at rases end Soules rest to heauen inuited T is she that offers most T is she that most refuse T is she preuēts the broad way plagues Which most do wilfull chuse Do chuse the wide the broad The left hand way and gate These vice applauds these vertue loaths And teacheth hers to hate Her wayes are pleasant wayes Vpon the right hand side And heauenly happie is that soule Takes vertue for her guide R. S. A Preparatiue to prayer WHen thou doest talke with God by prayer I meane Lift vp pure hands lay downe all lusts desires Fixe thoughts on heauen present a conscience cleane Such holy balme to mercies throne aspires Confesse faults guilt craue pardon for thy sinne Tread holy pathes call grace to guide therein It is the spirit with reuerence must obey Our makers will to practise what he taught Make not the flesh thy counsell when thou pray T is enemie to euery vertuous thought It is the foe we daily feed and cloath It is the prison that the soule doth loath Euen as Elias mounting to the skie Did cast his mantle to the earth behind So when the heart presents the prayer on high Exclude the world from traffique with the mind Lips neare to God and ranging heart within Is but vaine babling and conuerts to sinne Like Abraham ascending vp the hill To sacrifice his seruants left below That he might act the great commanders will Without impeach to his obedient blow Euen so the soule remote from earthly things Should mount saluations shelter mercies wings The effects of prayer THe Sunne by prayer did ceasse his course and staid The hungrie Lions fawnd vpon their pray A walled passage through the sea it made From furious fire it banisht heate away It shut the heauens three yeares from giuing raine It opened heauens and clouds powrd downe againe Ensamples of our Sauiour OVr Sauiour patterne of true holinesse Continuall praide vs by ensample teaching When he was baptized in the wildernesse In working miracles and in his preaching Vpon the mount in garden grones of death At his last Supper
me and redeemed me in whom all things are possible vnto me and without whom I am able to do nothing thou seest who I am that here prostrate my prayers and poure out my heart vnto thee What I would haue and what is fit for me thou knowest My soule is buried in flesh and bloud and would faine be dissolued and come vnto thee I am vrged against my will and violently drawne to thinke that which from my heart I detest and to haue in mind the poyson and bane of my soule O Lord thou knowest my mould and making for thy hands haue framed me and with flesh and skin thou hast cloathed me And lo this flesh which thou hast giuen me draweth me to my ruine and fighteth against the spirit If thou helpe not ô gracious aide I am ouercome and vanquished If thou forsakest me I must needs faint with all discouragement Why doest thou set me contrary vnto thee and makest me grieuous and a burthen to my selfe Didst thou create me to cast me away Didst thou redeeme me to damne me for euer It had bene good for me neuer to haue bene borne if I were borne to perish Oh most mercifull father where are thy old and wonted mercies where is thy gracious sweetnesse and loue How long shall mine enemies reioyce ouer me and humble my life vpon earth and place me in darknesse like the dead of the world What am I ô Lord that thou settest me to fight alone against so mightie subtill and cruell enemies that neuer ceasse to bid me a perpetuall battaile O Lord why doest thou shew thy might against a leafe that is tossed with euery winde and persecutest a drie stubble Wilt thou therefore damne the work of thy hands Wilt thou throw me from thy face and take thy holy spirit from me Alas ô Lord whither shall I go from thy face or whither shall I fly from thy spirit whither shall I flie from thee incensed but to thee appeased whither from thee as iust but vnto thee as mercifull Do with me Lord that which is good in thine eyes for thou wilt do all things in righteous iudgement onely remember that I am flesh and bloud fraile of my selfe and impotent to resist Shew thy selfe a Sauiour vnto me and either take away mine enemies or graunt me such a supplie of thy grace to enable my defects that without wound or fault by thee and with thee I may ouercome them sweet Iesus Amen A godly deuout prayer O Gracious Lord and sweete Sauiour giue me a pure intention a cleane heart and a regard to thy glory in all my actions Possesse my mind with thy presence and rauish it with thy loue that my delight may be to be imbraced in the armes of thy protection Be thou light vnto mine eyes musicke to mine ears sweetnesse to my tast and contentment to my heart O Iesu I giue thee my body my soule my substance my fame my friends my libertie and life dispose of me and all that is mine as shall be most to thy glory I am not mine but thine therefore claime me as thy right keepe me as thy charge loue me as thy child fight for me when I am assaulted heale me when I am wounded reuiue me when I am spiritually killed receiue me when I flie and let me neuer be quite confounded giue me patience in trouble humility in comfort constancie in temptations and victorie against my ghostly enemies graunt me good Father modestie in countenance grauitie in my behauiour deliberation in my speeches puritie in my thoughts and righteousnesse in mine actions Be my sunshine in the day my foode at the table my repose in the night my clothing in nakednesse and my succour in all needes Let thy bloud runne in my minde as a water of life to cleanse the filth of my sinnes and to bring forth the fruite of life euerlasting Stay mine inclinations from beating downe my soule bridle mine appetites with thy grace and quench in me the fire of all vnlawfull desires Make my will pliable to thy pleasure and resigned wholly to thy prouidence and graunt me perfect contentment in that which thou allottest Strengthen me against occasions of sinne and make me stedfast in not yeelding to euill yea rather to die then to offend thee Lord make me ready to pleasure all loth to offend any louing to my friends and charitable to mine enemies Forsake me not lest I perish leaue me not to mine owne weakenesse lest I fall without recouerie Graunt me an earnest desire to amend my faults to renew my good purposes and to performe my good intentions Make me humble to my superiours friendly to my equals charitable to my inferiors and carefull to yeeld due respect to all sortes Lastly graunt me sorrow for my sinnes thankfulnesse for thy benefits feare of thy iudgements loue of thy mercies and mindfulnesse of thy presence Amen Considerations to settle the mind in the course of Vertue THe first consideration How waightie a thing the businesse of mans soule is Whosoeuer being desirous to take due care of his soule commencing a spirituall course must consider that he hath taken such a businesse in hand that for importance necessity and profit summoneth all other traffickes and affaires of the world yea and to which onely all other businesse ought to be addressed for herein our menage is about the saluation of our soule our chiefe iewell and treasure of which if in the short passage of our brittle and vncertaine life we take not the due care that we ought for a whole eternity after we shall euermore repent and be sorrie for it and yet neuer haue the like oportunitie againe to helpe it Secondly the better to conceiue the moment and waight of this businesse let vs consider what men vse to do for their bodily health for we see they make so principall a reckoning of it they spare no cost nor toyle nor leaue any thing vnattempted that may auaile them to attaine it They suffer themselues to be launced wounded pined burnt with red hot irons besides diuerse other extreame torments onely for this end How much greater miseries ought we to endure how much greater paines and diligence ought we to employ for this health of our soule which is to suruiue when the body is dead rotten and deuoured with wormes And to suruiue in such sort that it must be perpetually tormented in hell with intollerable torments or enioy endlesse felicitie in heauen And therefore of how much greater worth and waight we thinke the soule and the eternall saluation or damnation thereof then the momentarie health or sicknesse of our bodies so much greater account and esteeme ought we to make of the businesse of our soule then of any other worldly or bodily affaire whatsoeuer For what auaileth it a man saith Christ to gaine the whole world and make wracke of his soule If therefore we keepe diuers men for diuers offices about our bodie and many thousands do liue
Father grant me pardon of all my sinnes through the death of thy beloued Sonne Iesus Christ make me to please thee alone grant me to be thy gratefull sonne heire increase in me that iustice whatsoeuer which is giuen me and granted from heauen that I may continue and end my life in the same increase in me that faith which thou hast giuen me kindle my loue of thee and make it more apparent that by thy helpe and the presence of thy grace and the accomplishment of thy holy wil I may obtaine euerlasting life which thou hast promised vs to the end I may praise thee and giue thee thankes in thy kingdome for euer and euer Amen A Prayer to God the Sonne O Thou maker and redeemer of mankind Iesus Christ who saidest I am the way the truth and the life the way in doctrine precept and examples the truth in promises the life in reward I pray thee by thy vnspeakable charitie wherewith thou daignest to imploy thy selfe wholly for our saluation suffer me neuer to wander from thee who art the way neither euer to distrust in thy promises who art the truth and performest whatsoeuer thou doest promise neither to repose or relie on any other thing because thou art eternall life than which there is nothing more to be desired neither in heauen nor in earth By thee haue we learned the true and ready way to eternall saluation lest we should wander any longer in the Labyrinthes of this life Thou didst teach vs exactly how to beleeue what to do what to hope and in whom we ought to rest by thee we haue learned how vnhappie we were borne through our first father Adam by thee we haue learned that there is no hope of saluation except by faith in thee Thou hast taught vs that thou art the onely light that shinest to all men in the desart of this wolrd coÌ„ducting them through the night of their minds from the Egyptian darknesse to that blessed Land which thou promisest vnto the meeke and such as follow thy humility For in vs was nothing but vtter darknesse who neither could see our calamity neither know from whence to seeke the remedie of our misery thou daignedst to enter into the world vouchsafedst to take vpon thee our nature that thy doctrine might disperse the cloud of our ignorance that by thy precepts thou mightst direct our feete in the way of peace by the examples of thy life thou didst limit out a path for vs to immortality and beating it with thy steps thou madest it of a tedious and rough an easie and beaten way So becamest thou vnto vs a way that knoweth no errour in which lest we should be wearied thy bounty with great assured promises vouchsafed to assure vs for who could be wearied that thinketh how in following thy footsteps there is an heritage of eternall life prepared for him Therefore whilst we are in this iourney thou wouldest in stead of a staffe be an assured hope vnto vs whereby we might be sustained Neither was thy goodnesse coÌ„tented herewith but acknowledging the frailty of our natures in the meane space with the comfort of the holy Spirit thou repairest our courages to the end that we may more willingly run vnto thee And as thou being made a way vnto vs driuest away all errour so becoming our truth thou takest away al distrust Finally being made life vnto vs thou giuest heate vnto those that are dead in sinne a life through thy holy Spirit which quickeneth all things vntill all mortality laid aside in the resurrection we may alwaies liue with thee and in thee by reason that thou art vnto vs all in all things For it is eternall life to know the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost to be one true God Wherefore I beseech thee O most mercifull Father to increase faith in me who am thy vnworthie seruant lest at any time I wauer in thy celestiall doctrine increase obedience in me lest I swerue from thy precepts increase constancy that walking in thy waies I neither be allured by the inticements of Satan nor deiected by his terrors but that I may perseuere in thee who art rhe true way to my liues end Increase my faith that possessed of thy promises I may neuer waxe slow in the study of godlinesse but forgetting those things I haue left behind me I may alwaies striue and endeuour for more perfection Increase thy grace in me that daily more and more being mortified my selfe I may liue and be incouraged by thy holy Spirit fearing nothing but thee than whom there is nothing more amiable glorying in none but in thee who art the true glorie of all the Saints wishing nothing but thee than whom there is nothing better desiring nothing but thee who art full and perfect felicitie with the Father and the holy Ghost world without end Amen A prayer to God the holy Ghost HOly Spirit our Aduocate who on Whitsunday didst descend vpon thy Apostles filling their bosomes with charitie grace and wisedome I pray thee by that thy vnspeakable mercie and liberalitie that thou wilt vouchsafe to fill the secrets of my soule with thy grace and water my inward heart with the vnspeakable sweetnesse of thy loue Come holy Ghost from heauen send a beame of thy light Come thou Father of the poore come thou giuer of gifts come thou light of hearts come thou gracious comforter thou sweete guest of my soule my pleasant refresher Come thou Physition of those that faint come thou purger of eies come thou streÌ„gth of the fraile come thou remedie of sinnes come thou doctor of the humble come thou destroyer of the proud come thou excellent ornament of all vertues come thou onely saluation of the dying Come my God adorne a bed for thee in which I may worthily entertaine thee with all thy riches and mercies fill me with the gifts of thy wisdome illuminate me with the benefit of vnderstanding gouerne me with the gift of counsell confirme me with the gift of fortitude instruct me with the gift of science wound me with the gift of pietie and pierce my heart with the gift of thy holy feare O sweet louer of cleane hearts burne inflame all my bowels with the sweete fire of thy loue that being inflamed they may be carried rauished into thee who art the center and finall end of all my good ô sweete louer of â—oly soules since thou art not ignorant that I can do nothing of my selfe nor by my selfe stretch out thy fauorable hand ouer me grant that I may forsake my selfe flie vnto thee mortifie extinguish and dissolue in me whatsoeuer is displeasant vnto thee that in all things thou mayest conforme me vnto thy will that my life hereafter may be a perfect sacrifice in thy sight or rather an offering which may wholly be consumed in the fire of thy loue O who shall giue me the grace that I may at least attaine this chiefe good Looke vpon me ô Lord looke vpon me and see here this thy poore creature my soule sighing after thee day and night how she thirsteth after God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of thy grace When shall I enter into that admirable place of thy Tabernacle that I may attaine thâ— house of my God When wiâ—â— thou fill me with the light of thâ— countenance When shall I bâ— satiate with the presence of thy glory When shall I by thâ—â— meanes be deliuered from aâ—â— temptations and when shall ouercome this frailty of my moâ—talitie O eternall fountaine oâ— light bring me backe againe 〈◊〉 the Abysse of eternall goodnesse by whom I am created that â—ere I may know thee euen as I am knowne of thee and may so loue thee as I am loued by thee that I may see and enioy thee in the societie of all the elect euen as thou also hast seene me from euerlasting Amen FINIS
silly Eue Heire to thy Fathers foyles and borne to grieue In Thabors ioyes I eager was to dwell An earnest friend while pleasures light did shine But when eclipsed glory prostrate fell These zealous heates to sleepe I did resigne And now my mouth hath thrice his name defil'd That cry'd so loude three dwellings there to build When Christ attending the distressefull hower With his surcharged breast did blesse the ground Prostrate in pangs rayning a bleeding shower Me like my selfe a drowsie friend he found Thrice in his care sleepe clos'd by carelesse eye Presage how him my tongue should thrice deny Parting from Christ my fainting force declin'd With lingring foot I followed him aloofe Base feare out of my heart his loue vnshrin'd Huge in high words but impotent in proofe My vaunts did seeme hatcht vnder Sampsons locks Yet womans words did giue me murdering knocks So farre luke warme desires in crazie loue Farre off in neede with feeble foot they traine In tides they swim low ebbes they scorne to proue They seeke their friends delights but shun their paine Hire of an hireling minde is earned shame Take now thy due beare thy begotten blame Ah coole remisnesse vertues quartaine feuer Pyning of loue consumption of grace Old in the cradle languor dying euer Soules wilfull famine sinnes soft stealing pace The vndermining euill of zealous thought Seeming to bring no harmes till all be brought O portresse of the doore of my disgrace Whose tongue vnlockt the truth of vowed minde Whose words from Cowards heart did courage chase And let in death-full feares my soule to blind O hadst thou beene the portresse to my toombe When thou wert portresse to that cursed roome Yet loue was loth to part feare loth to die Stay danger life did counterpleade their causes I fauouring stay and life bad danger flie But danger did except against these clauses Yet stay and liue I would and danger shunne And lost my selfe while I my verdict wonne I stayd yet did my staying farthest part I liu'd but so that sauing life I lost it Danger I shunn'd but to my sorer smart I gained nought but deeper dammage crost it What danger distance death is worse then this That runnes from God and spoyles his soule of blisse O Iohn my guide into this earthly hell Too well acquainted in so ill a Court Where rayling mouthes with blasphemies did swell With tainted breath infecting all resort Why didst thou leade me to this hell of euils To shew my selfe a Fiend among the Deuils Euill president the tide that wafts to vice Dumme-Orator that wooes with silent deeds Writing in workes lessons of ill aduice The doing tale that eye in practice reeds Taster of ioyes to vnacquainted hunger With leauen of the old seasoning the yonger It seemes no fault to do that all haue done The number of offenders hide the sinne Coach drawne with many horse doth easely runne Soone followeth one where multitudes begin O had I in that Court much stronger bin Or not so strong as first to enter in Sharpe was the weather in that stormy place Best suting hearts benum'd with hellish frost Whos 's crusted malice could admit no grace Where coales are kindled to the warmers cost Where feare my thoughts canded with ycie cold Heate did my tongue to periuries vnfold O hatefull fire ah that I neuer saw it Too hard my heart was frozen for thy force Farre hotter flames it did require to thaw it Thy hell-resembling heate did freeze it worse O that I rather had congeal'd to yce Then bought thy warmth at such a damning price O wakefull bird proclaimer of the day Whose piercing note doth daunt the Lions rage Thy crowing did my selfe to me bewray My frights and brutish heates it did asswage But ô in this alone vnhappy Cocke That thou to count my foyles wert made the clocke O bird the iust rebuker of my crime The faithfull waker of my sleeping feares Be now the daily clocke to strike the time When stinted eyes shall pay their taske of teares Vpbraid mine eares with thine accusing crow To make me rue that first it made me know O milde reuenger of aspiring Pride Thou canst dismount high thoughts to low effects Thou mad'st a Cocke me for my fault to chide My lofty boasts this lowly bird corrects Well might a Cocke correct me with a crowe Whom hennish cackling first did ouerthrowe Weake weapons did Goliahs fumes abate Whose storming rage did thunder threats in vaine His body huge harnest with massie plate Yet Dauids stone brought death into his braine With staffe and sling as to a dog he came And with contempt did boasting furie tame Yet Dauid had with Beare and Lion fought His skilfull might excus'd Goliahs foile The death is eas'd that worthy hand hath wrought Some honour liues in honorable spoile But I on whom all infamies must light Was hist to death with words of womans spight Small gnats enforst th' Egyptian King to stoupe Yet they in swarmes and arm'd with piercing stings Smart noyse annoyance made his courage droupe No small incombrance such small vermine brings I quaild at words that neither bit nor stong And those deliuerd from a womans tong Ah feare abortiue impe of drouping minde Selfe ouerthrowe false friend roote of remorse Sighted in seeing euils in shunning blinde Foyld without field by fancie not by force Ague of valour phrensie of the wise True honours staine loues frost the mint of lies Can vertue wisedome strength by women spild In Dauids Salomons and Sampsons falls With semblance of excuse my errour guild Or lend a marble glosse to muddy walls O no their fault had shew of some pretence No veyle can hide the shame of my offence The blaze of beauties beames allur'd their lookes Their lookes by seeing oft conceiued loue Loue by effecting swallowed pleasures hookes Thus beauty loue and pleasure them did moue These Syrens sugred tunes rockt them asleepe Inough to damne yet not to damne so deepe But gracious features dazled not mine eyes Two homely Droyles were authors of my death Not loue but feare my senses did surprize Not feare of force but feare of womans breath And those vnarm'd ill grac'd despis'd vnknowne So base a blast my truth hath ouerthrowne O women woe to men traps for their falls Still actors in all Tragicall mischances Earths necessary euils captiuing thralls Now murdering with your tongues now with your glances Parents of life and loue spoylers of both The theeues of hearts false do you loue or loth In time O Lord thine eyes with mine did meete In them I read the ruines of my fall Their cheering rayes that made misfortune sweet Into my guilty thoughts powrd flouds of gall Their heauenly lookes that blest where they beheld Darts of disdaine and angrie checks did yeeld O sacred eyes the springs of liuing light The earthly heauens where Angels ioy to dwell How could you deigne to view my deathfull plight Or let your heauenly beames looke on my hell But
Anna shed Who in her sonne her solace had forgone Then I to dayes and weekes to moneths and yeeres Do owe the hourely rent of stintlesse teares If loue if losse if fault if spotted fame If danger death if wrath or wreck of weale Entitle eyes true heyres to earned blame That due remorse in such euents conceale That want of teares might well enrole my name As chiefest Saint in Calendar of shame Loue where I lou'd was due and best deseru'd No loue could ayme at more loue-worthy mark No loue more lou'd then mine of him I seru'd Large vse he gaue a flame for euery sparke This loue I lost this losse a life must rue Yea life is short to pay the ruth is due I lost all that I had and had the most The most that will can wish or wit deuise I least perform'd that did most vainely boast I staynd my fame in most infamous wise What danger then death wrath or wreck can moue More pregnant cause of teares then this I proue If Adam sought a veyle to scarfe his sinne Taught by his fall to feare a scourging hand If men shall wish that hils should wrap them in When crimes in finall doome come to be scand What Mount what Caue what Center can conceale My monstrous fact which euen the birds reueale Come shame the liuery of offending minde The vgly shroud that ouer-shadoweth blame The mulct at which foule faults are iustly fin'd The dampe of sinne the common sluce of fame By which impostum'd tongues their humours purge Light shame on me I best deseru'd the scourge Cains murdring hand imbrude in brothers bloud More mercy then my impious tongue may craue He kild a riuall with pretence of good In hope Gods doubled loue alone to haue But feare so spoyld my vanquisht thoughts of loue That periur'd oathes my spitefull hate did proue Poore Agar from her pheere inforc't to flie Wandring in Barsabian wildes alone Doubting her child through helplesse drought would dye Laid it aloofe and set her downe to moue The heauens with prayers her lap with teares she fild A mothers loue in losse is hardly stild But Agar now bequeath thy teares to me Feares not effects did set a-floate thine eyes But wretch I feele more then was feard of thee Ah not my Sonne my soule it is that dies It dies for drought yet hath a spring in sight Worthy to die that would not liue and might Faire Absoloms foule faults compar'd with mine Are brightest sands to mud of Sodome Lakes High aymes yong spirits birth of royall line Made him play false where Kingdoms were the stakes He gaz'd on golden hopes whose lustre winnes Sometime the grauest wits to grieuous sinnes But I whose crime cuts off the least excuse A Kingdome lost but hop't no mite of gaine My highest marke was but the worthlesse vse Of some few lingring howers of longer paine Vngratefull child his Parent he pursude I Gyants warre with God himselfe renude Ioy infant Saints whom in the tender flower A happy storme did free from feare of sinne Long is their life that die in blisfull hower Ioyfull such ends as endlesse ioyes begin Too long they liue that liue till they be nought Life sau'd by sinne base purchase dearely bought This lot was mine your fate was not so fearce Whom spotlesse death in Cradle rockt asleepe Sweet Roses mixt with Lillies strew'd your hearce Death Virgine white in Martyrs red did steepe Your downy heads both Pearles and Rubies crown'd My hoary locks did female feares confound You bleating Ewes that wayle this woluish spoyle Of sucking Lambs new bought with bitter throwes T'inbalme your babes your eyes distill their oyle Each heart to tombe her child wide rupture showes Rue not their death whom death did but reuiue Yeeld ruth to me that liu'd to die aliue With easie losse sharpe wrecks did he eschew That Sindonlesse aside did naked slip Once naked grace no outward garment knew Rich are his robes whom sinne did neuer strip I rich in vaunts displaid prides fairest flags Disrob'd of grace am wrapt in Adams rags When traytor to the sonne in Mothers eyes I shall present my humble sute for grace What blush can paint the shame that will arise Or write my inward feeling in my face Might she the sorrow with the sinner see Though I despisde my griefe might pitied be But ah how can her eares my speech endure Or sent my breath still reeking hellish steeme Can mother like what did the Sonne abiure Or heart deflowr'd a Virgins loue redeeme The Mother nothing loues that Sonne doth loath Ah loathsome wretch detested of them both O sister Nymphes the sweet renowned paire That blesse Bethania bounds with your abode Shall I infect that sanctified ayre Or staine those steps where Iesus breath'd and trode No let your prayers perfume that sweetned place Turne me with Tygers to the wildest chase Could I reuiued Lazarus behold The third of that sweet Trinity of Saints Would not abstonisht dread my senses hold Ah yes my heart euen with his naming faints I seeme to see a messenger from hell That my prepared torments comes to tell O Iohn O Iames we made a triple cord Of three most louing and best louing friends My rotten twist was broken with a word Fit now to fuell fire among the Fiends It is not euer true though often spoken That triple twisted cord is hardly broken The dispossed Diuels that out I threw In IESVS name now impiously forsworne Triumph to see me caged in their mew Trampling my ruines with contempt and scorne My periuries were musicke to their dance And now they heape disdaines on my mischance Our Rocke say they is riuen O welcome howre Our Eagles wings are clipt that wrought so hie Our thundring Cloud made noise but cast no showre He prostrate lies that would haue seal'd the skie In womans tongue our runner found a rub Our Cedar now is shrunke into a shrub These scornefull words vpraid my inward thought Proofes of their damned prompters neighbours voice Such vgly guests still wait vpon the nought Fiends swarme to soules that swarue from vertues choice For breach of plighted truth this true I try Ah that my deed thus gaue my word the lie Once and but once too deare a once to twice it A heauen in earth Saints neere my selfe I saw Sweet was the sight but sweeter loues did spice it But sights and loues did my misdeed withdraw From heauen and Saints to hell and Deuils estrang'd Those sights to frights those loues to hates are chang'd Christ as my God was templed in my thought As man he lent mine eyes their dearest light But sinne his temple hath to ruine brought And now he lightneth terrour from his sight Now of my late vnconsecrate desires Profaned wretch I taste the earned hires Ah sinne the nothing that doth all things file Out-cast from heauen earths curse the cause of hell Parent of death author of our exile The wrecke of soules the wares that
giues issue to an heauenly spring Teares from his eyes bloud runnes from wounding place Which showers to heauen of ioy an haruest bring This sacred deaw let Angels gather vp Such dainty drops best fit their nectar'd cup With weeping eyes his mother rewd his smart If bloud from him teares came from her as fast The knife that cut his flesh did pierce her heart The paine that Iesus felt did Marie taste His life and hers hung by one fatall twist No blow that hit the Sonne the mother mist The Epiphanie TO blaze the rising of this glorious Sunne A glittering starre appeareth in the East Whose sight to pilgrims toile three sages wun To feeke the light they long had in request And by this starre to nobler starre they pace Whose armes did their desired sinne embrace Stall was the skie wherein those planets shinde And want the cloud that did eclipse their rayes Yet through this cloud their light did passage finde And pierc'd these sages hearts by secret wayes Which made them know the ruler of the skies By infant tongue and lookes of babish eyes Heauen at her light earth blusheth at her pride And of their pompe these peeres ashamed be Their crownes their robes their traines they set aside When Gods poore cottage clouts and crew they see All glorious things their glorie now despise Sith God Contempt duth more then Glorie prise Three gifts they bring three gifts they beare away For incense mirrhe and gold faith hope and loue And with their gifts the giuers heart do stay Their mind from Christ no parting can remoue His humble state his stall his poore retinew They fancy more then all their rich reuenew The Presentation TO be redeem'd the worlds redeemer brought Two silly turtle doues for ransome paies O wares with empires worthie to be bought This easie rate doth sound not drowne thy praise For sith no price can to thy worth amount A doue yea loue due price thou doest account Old Simeon cheape pennie worth and sweet Obtaind when thee in armes he did imbrace His weeping eyes thy smiling lookes did meet Thy loue his heart thy kisses blest his face O eyes O heart meane sights and loues auoide Base not your selues your best you haue enioyde O virgine pure thou dost those doues present As due to law not as an equall price To buy such ware thou wouldst thy selfe haue spent The world to reach his worth could not suffice If God were to be bought not worldly pelfe But thou wert fittest price next God himselfe The flight into Egypt ALas our day is forst to flie by night Light without light and Sunne by silent shade O nature blush that suffrest such a wight That in thy Sunne thy darke eclipse hast made Day to his eyes light to his steps denie That hates the light which graceth euerie eye Sunne being fled the starres do lose their light And shining beames in bloudy streames they drench A cruell storme of Herods mortall spight Their liues and lights with bloudy showers do quench The tyrant to be sure of murdring one For feare of sparing him doth pardon none O blessed babes first flowers of Christian spring though vntimely cropt raire garlands frame With open throats and silent mouthes you sing His praise whom age permits you not to name Your tunes are teares your instruments are swords Your dittie death and bloud in lieu of words Christs returne out of Egypt WHen death and hell their right in Herod claime Christ from exile returnes to natiue soile There with his life more deepely death to maime Then death did life by all the infants spoile He shewed the parents that the babes did mone That all their liues were lesse then his alone But hearing Herods sonne to haue the crowne The impious of-spring of a bloudy sire To Nazareth of heauen beloued towne Flowre to a flowre he fitly doth retire For he is a flower and in a flower he bred And from a thorne now to a flowre he fled And well deseru'd this flowre his fruite to view Where he inuested was in mortall weed Where first into a tender bud he grew In virgine branch vnstaind with mortall seed Young flowre with flowers in flower well may he be Ripe fruit he must with thornes hang on a tree Christs bloudy sweat FAt soile full spring sweet oliue grape of blisse That yeelds that streames that powers that dost distill Vntild vndrawne vnstampt vntoucht of presse Deare fruite cleare brookes faire oyle sweet wine at will Thus Christ vnforst preuents in shedding bloud The whips the thornes the naile the speare and roode He Pellicans he Phenix fate doth proue Whom flames consume when streames enforce to dye How burneth bloud how bleedeth burning loue Can one in flame and streame both bathe and frie How would he ioyne a Phenix fiery paines In foinring Pellicans still bleeding vaines Christs sleeping friends VVHen Christ with care and pangs of death opprest From frighted flesh a bloody sweat did raine And full of feare without repose or rest Did watch and pray in agonie and paine Three sundrie times he his disciples findes With heauie eyes with dull and heauy minds With milde rebuke he warned them to wake Yet sleepe did still their drowsie senses hold As when the Sunne the brightest shew doth make In darkest shrowds the night birds them infold His foes did watch to worke their cruell spight His drowsie friends slept in his hardest night As Ionas sayled once from Ioppaes shoare A boystrous tempest in the aire did broile The waues did rage the thundring heau'ns did roare The stormes the rocks the lightnings threatned spoile The ship was billowes game and chances pray Yet carelesse Ionas mute and slumbring lay So now though Iudas like a blustring gust Do stirre the furious sea of Iewish ire Though storming troopes in quarrels most vniust Against the barke of all our blisse conspire Yet these disciples sleeping lie secure As though their wonted calme did still endure So Ionas once his heauy limmes to rest Did shrowd himselfe in iuy pleasant shade But lo while him an heauy sleepe opprest His shadowy bowre to withered stalke did fade A cankered worme did gnaw the root away And brought the glorious branches to decay O gracious plant O tree of heauenly spring The paragon for leafe for fruite and flower How sweete a shadow did thy branches bring To shrowd those soules that chose thee for their bower But now while they with Ionas fall asleepe To spoile their plant an enuious worme doth creepe Awake you slumbring wights lift vp your eyes Marke Iudas how to teare your root he striues Alas the glory of your arbour dies Arise and guard the comfort of your liues No Ionas iuy no Zacheus tree Were to the world so great a losse as hee The virgine Mary to Christ on the Crosse WHat mist hath dimd that glorious face what seas of griefe my Sun doth tosse The golden raies of heauenly grace lie now eclipsed on the crosse Iesus
in Paradise For if he came to repaire Adams ruines and to be the common parent of our redemption as Adam was of our originall infection reason seemeth to require that hauing endured all his life the penaltie of Adams exile he should after death re-enter possession of that inheritance which Adam lost that the same place that was the neast where sinne was first hatched may be now the child-bed of grace and mercy And if sorrow at the crosse did not make thee as deafe as at the Tombe it maketh thee forgetfull thou diddest in confirmation hereof heare himselfe say to one of the theeues that the same day he should be with him in Paradise And if it be reason that no shadow should be more priuiledged than the body no figure in more account than the figured truth why shouldest thou beleeue that Elias and Enoch haue bene in Paradise these many ages that he whō they but as tipes resembled should be excluded from thence He excelled them in life surpassed them in miracles he was farre beyond them in dignitie why then should not his place be farre aboue or at the least equall with theirs sith their prerogatiues were so farre inferiour vnto his And yet if the basenesse and misery of his passion haue layd him so low in thy conceit that thou thinkest Paradise too high a place to be likely to haue him the very lowest roome that any reason can assigne him cannot be meaner than the bosome of Abraham And sith God in his life did so often acknowledge him for his Sonne it seemeth the slenderest preheminence that he can giue him aboue other men that being his holy one he should not in his body see corruption but be free among the dead reposing both in body and soule where other Saints are in soule onely Let not therefore the place where he is trouble thee sith it cannot be worse than his graue and infinite coniectures make probability that it cannot but be better But suppose that he were yet remaining on earth and taken by others out of his Tombe what would it auaile thee to know where he were If he be with such as loue and honour him they will be as warie to keepe him as they are loth he should be lost and therefore will either often change or neuer confesse the place knowing secresie to be the surest locke to defend so great a treasure If those haue taken him that malice and maligne him thou maist well iudge him past thy recouerie when he is once in possession of so cruell owners Thou wouldest haply make sale of thy liuing and seeke him by ransome But it is not likely they would sell him to be honoured that bought him to be murthered If price would not serue thou wouldest fall to prayer But how can prayer soften such flinty hearts And if they scorned so many teares offered for his life as little will they regard thy intreatie for his coarse If neither price nor prayer would preuaile thou wouldest attempt it by force But alas silly souldier thy armes are too weake to manage weapons and the issue of thy affault would be the losse of thy selfe If no other way would helpe thou wouldest purloine him by stealth and thinke thy selfe happie in contriuing such a theft O Mary thou art deceiued for malice will haue many locks and to steale him from a thiefe that could steale him from the watch requireth more cunning in the Art than thy want of practise can affoord thee Yet if these be the causes that thou enquired of the place thou shewest the force of thy rare affection and deseruest the Lawrell of a perfect louer But to feele more of their sweetnesse I will poune these spices and dwell a while in the peruse of thy resolute seruour And first can thy loue enrich thee when thy goods are gone or a dead coarse repay the value of thy ransome Because he had neither bed to be borne in nor graue to be buried in wilt thou therefore rather be poore with him than rich without him Againe if thou hadst to sue to some cruell Scribe or Pharisie that is to an heart boyling in rancor with an heart burning in loue for a thing of him aboue all things detested of thee aboue all things desired as his enemie to whom thou suest and his friend for whom thou intrearest canst thou thinke it possible for this sute to speede Could thy loue repaire thee from his rage or such a tyrant stoupe to a womans teares Thirdly if thy Lord might be recouered by violence art thou so armed in compleat loue that thou thinkest it sufficient harnesse or doth thy loue indue thee with such a Iudiths spirit or lend thee such Sampsons locks that thou canst breake open huge gates or foyle whole armies Is thy loue so sure a shield that no blow can breake it or so sharpe a dint that no force can withstand it Can it thus alter sexe change nature and exceede all Art But of all other courses wouldest thou aduenture a theft to obtaine thy desire A good deed must be well done and a worke of mercy without breach of iustice It were a sinne to steale prophane treasure but to steale an annointed Prophet can be no lesse than sacriledge And what greater staine to thy Lord to his doctrine and to thy selfe than to see thee his Disciple publikely executed for an open theft O Mary vnlesse thy loue haue better warrant than common sense I can hardly see how such designements can be approued Approued saith she I would to God the execution were as easie as the proofe and I should not long bewaile my vnfortunate losse To others it seemeth ill to preferre loue before riches but to loue it seemeth worse to preferre any thing before it selfe Cloath him with plates of siluer that shiuereth for cold or fill his purse with treasure that pineth with hunger see whether the plates will warme him or the treasure feede him No no he will giue vs all his plates for a woollen garment and all his money for a meales meate Euery supply fitteth not with euery neede and the loue of so sweete a Lord hath no correspondence in worldly wealth Without him I were poore though Empresse of the world With him I were rich though I had nothing else They that haue most are accounted richest and they thought to haue most that haue all they desire and therefore as in him alone is the vttermost of my desires so he alone is the summe of all my substance It were too happy an exchange to haue God for goods and too rich a pouertie to enioy the onely treasure of the world If I were so fortunate a begger I would disdaine Salomons wealth and my loue being so highly enriched my life should neuer complaine of want And if all I am worth would not reach to his ransome what should hinder to seeke him by intreaty Though I were to sue to the gaeatest Tyrant yet the equitie of
and buried in his Tombe that as our harmes began so they might end and such places and meanes as were the premises to our miserie might be also the conclusions of our misfortune For this did Christ in the Canticles inuite vs to an heauenly banquet after he was come into this Garden and had reaped his myrrhe and his spice to forewarne vs of the ioy that after this haruest should presently ensue namely when hauing sowed in this Garden a body the mortalitie whereof was signified by those spices he now reaped the same neither capable of death nor subiect to corruption For this also was Mary permitted to mistake that we might be informed of the mysterie and see how aptly the course of our redemption did answer the processe of our condemnation But though he be the Gardener that hath planted the tree of grace and restored vs to the vse and eating of the fruites of life Though it be he that soweth his giftes in our soules quickening in vs the seeds of vertue and rooting out of vs the weedes of sinne yet is he neuerthelesse the same Iesus he was and the borrowed presence of a meane laborer neither altereth his person nor diminisheth his right to his diuine titles Why then canst thou not as well see what in truth he is as what in shew he seemeth but because thou seest more than thou diddest beleeue and findest more thrn thy faith serueth thee to seek and for this though thy loue was worthy to see him yet thy faith was vnworthy to know him Thou diddest seeke for him as dead and therefore doest not know him seeing him aliue and because thou beleeuest not of him as he is thou doest onely see him as he seemeth to be I cannot say thou art faultlesse sith thou art so lame in thy beleefe but thy fault deserueth fauour because thy charitie is so great and therefore ô mercifull Iesu giue me leaue to excuse whom thou art minded to forgiue She thought to haue found thee as she left thee and she sought thee as she did last see thee being so ouercome with sorow for thy death that she had neither roome nor respite in her minde for any hope of thy life and being so deepely interred in the griefe of thy buriall that she could not raise her thoughts to any conceit of thy resurrection For in the graue where Ioseph buried thy body Mary together with it entombed her soule and so straightly combined it with thy coarse that she could with more ease sunder her soule from her owne body that liueth by it than from thy dead body with which her loue did burie it for it is more thine and in thee than her owne or in her selfe and therefore in seeking thy body she seeketh her owne soule as with the losse of the one she also lost the other What maruell then though sense faile when the soule is lost sith the lanterne must needes be darke when the light is out Restore vnto her therfore her soule that lieth imprisoned in thy body and she will soone both recouer her sense and discouer her errour For alas it is no errour that proceedeth of any will to erre and it riseth as much of vehemencie or affection as of default in faith Regard not the errour of a woman but the loue of a Disciple which supplyeth in it selfe what in faith it wanteth O Lord saith she If thou hast carried him hence tell me where thou hast laide him and I will take him away O how learned is her ignorance and how skilfull her errour She charged not the Angels with thy remouing nor seemed to mistrust them for carrying thee away as though that her loue had taught her that their helpe was needlesse where the thing remoued was remouer of it selfe She did not request them to enforme her where thou wert layd as if she had reserued that question for thy selfe to answer But now he iudgeth thee so likely to be the authour of her losse that halfe supposing thee guilty she sueth a recouerie and desireth thee to tell her where the body is as almost fully perswaded that thou art as priuie to the place as well acquainted with the action So that if she be not altogether right she is not very much wrong and she erreth with such ayme that she very little misseth the truth Tell her therefore ô Lord what thou hast done with thy selfe sith it is fittest for thy owne speech to vtter that which was onely possible for thy owne power to performe But ô Mary sithens thou art so desirous to know where thy Iesus is why doest thou not name him when thou askest for him Thou saidest to the Angels that they had taken away thy Lord and now the second time thou askest for him Are thy thoughts so visible as at thy onely presence to be seene or so generall that they possesse all when they are once in thee When thou speakest of him what him doest thou meane or how can a stranger vnderstand thee when thou talkest of thy Lord Hath the world no other Lords but thine or is the demanding by no other name but him a sufficient notice for whom thou demandest But such is the nature of thy loue thou iudgest that no other should be entitled a Lord sith the whole world is too little for thy Lords possession and that those few creatures that are cannot chuse but know him sith all the creatures of the world are too few to serue him And as his worthinesse can appay all loues and his onely loue content all hearts so thou deemest him to be so well worthy to be owner of all thoughts that no thought in thy conceit can be well bestowed vpon any other Yet thy speeches seeme more sudden than sound and more peremptory than well pondered Why doest thou say so resolutely without any further circumstance that if this Gardener haue taken him thou wilt take him from him If he had him by right in taking him away thou shouldst do him wrong If thou supposest he wrongfully tooke him thou layest theft to his charge and howsoeuer it be thou either condemnest thy selfe for an vsurper or him for a thiefe And is this an effect of thy zealous loue first to abase him from a God to a Gardener and now to degrade him from a Gardener to a thiefe Thou shouldest also haue considered whether he tooke him vpon loue or malice If it were for loue thou maiest assure thy selfe that he will be as wary to keepe as he was venturous to get him and therefore thy pollicie was weake in saying thou wouldest take him away before thou knewest where he was sith none is so simple to bewray their treasure to a knowne thiefe If he tooke him of malice thy offer to recouer him is an open defiance sith malice is as obstinate in defending as violent in offering wrong and he that would be cruell against thy maisters dead body is likely to be more furious against his liuing
dying heart with taking in the first gaspes of his liuing breath or to haue heard the first words of his pleasing voice Finally if thou haddest thought to haue seene his iniuries turned to honours the markes of his miserie to ornaments of glorie and the depth of thy heauinesse to such an height of felicity whatsoeuer thou haddest done to obtaine him had bene but a mite for a million and too slender a price for so soueraigne a peniworth But hauing no such hopes to vphold thee and so many motiues to plonge thee in despaire how could thy loue be so mighty as neither to feele a womans feare of so deformed a coarse nor to thinke the weight of the burthen too heauy for thy feeble armes nor to be amated with a world of dangers that this attempt did carry with it But affection cannot feare whom it affecteth loue feeleth no load of him it loueth neither can true frendship be frighted from rescuing so affied a friend What meanest thou then ô comfort of her life to leaue so constant a wel-willer so long vncomforted and to punish her so much that so well deserueth pardon Dally no longer with so knowne a loue which so many trials auouch most true And sith she is nothing but what it pleaseth thee let her tast the benefit of being onely thine She did not follow the tide of thy better fortune to shift saile when the streame did alter course She began not to loue thee in thy life to leaue thee after death Neither was she such a guest at thy table that meant to be a stranger in thy necessitie She left thee not in thy lowest ebbe she reuolted not from thy last extremitie In thy life she serued thee with her goods in thy death she departed not from the Crosse after death she came to dwell with thee at thy graue Why then doest thou not say with Naomi Blessed be she of our Lord because what courtesie she afforded to the quicke she hath also continued towards the dead A thing so much the more to be esteemed in that it is most rare Do not sweete Lord any longer delay her Behold she hath attended thee these three dayes and she hath not what to eate nor wherewith to foster her famished soule vnlesse thou by discouering thy selfe doest minister vnto her the bread of thy body and feede her with the food that hath in it all taste of sweetnesse If therefore thou wilt not haue her to faint in the way refresh her with that which her hunger requireth For surely she cannot long enioy the life of her soule But feare not Mary for thy teares will obtaine They are to o mighty oratours to let any suit fall and though they pleaded at the most rigorous barre yet haue they so perswading a silence so conquering a complaint that by yeelding they ouercome and by intreating they command They tie the tongues of all accusers and soften the rigour of the seuerest Iudge Yea they winne the inuincible and binde the omnipotent When they seeme most pitifull they haue great power and being most forsaken they are more victorious Repentant eyes are the Cellers of Angels and penitent teares their sweetest wines which the sauour of life perfumeth the taste of grace sweeteneth and the purest colours of returning innocencie highly beautifieth This deaw of deuotion neuer faileth but the Sunne of iustice draweth it vp and vpon what face soeuer it droppeth it maketh it amiable in Gods eye For this water hath thy heart bene long a limbecke sometimes distilling it out of the weedes of thy owne offences with the fire of true contrition Sometimes out of the flowers of spirituall comforts with the flames of contemplation and now out of the bitter hearbes of thy maisters miseries with the heat of a tender compassion This water hath better graced thy lookes than thy former alluring glances It hath setled worthier beauties in thy face than all thy artificiall paintings Yea this onely water hath quenched Gods anger qualified his iustice recouered his mercy merited his loue purchased his pardon and brought forth the spring of all thy fauours Thy teares were the procters for thy brothers life the inuiters of those Angels for thy comfort and the suters that shall be rewarded with the first sight of thy reuiued Sauiour Rewarded they shall be but not refrained altered in their cause but their course continued Heauen would weepe at the losse of so precious a water and earth lament the absence of so fruitfull showers No no the Angels must still bath themselues in the pure streames of thine eyes and thy face shall still be set with this liquid pearle that as out of thy teares were stroken the first sparkes of thy Lords loue so thy teares may be the oyle to nourish and feede his fame Till death dam vp the springs they shall neuer ceasse running and then shall thy soule be ferried in them to the harbour of life that as by them it was first passed from sinne to grace so in them it may be wasted from grace to glorie In the meane time reare vp thy fallen hopes and gather confidence both of thy speedy comfort and thy Lords well being Iesus saith vnto her Marie She turning saith vnto him Rabboni O louing maister thou diddest onely deferre her consolation to increase it that the delight of thy presence might be so much the more welcome in that through thy long absence it was with so little hope so much desired Thou wert content she should lay out for thee so many sighes teares and plaints and diddest purposely adiourne the date of her payment to requite the length of these delayes with a larger loane of ioy It may be she knew not her former happinesse till she was weaned from it nor had a right estimate in valuing the treasures with which thy presence did inrich her vntill her extreame pouertie taught her their vnestimable rate But now thou shewest by a sweete experience that though she payde thee with the dearest water of her eyes with her best breath and tenderest loue yet small was the price that she bestowed in respect of the worth she receiued She sought thee dead and imprisoned in a stonie gayle and now she findeth thee both aliue and at full libertie She sought thee shrined in a shrowd more like a leaper than thy selfe left as the modell of the vttermost miserie and the onely patterne of the bitterest vnhappinesse and now she findeth thee inuested in the robes of glorie the president of the highest and both the owner and giuer of all felicitie And as all this while she hath sought without finding wept without comfort and called without answers so now thou diddest satisfie her seeking with thy comming her teares with thy triumph and all her cryes with this one word Mary For when she heard thee call her in thy wonted manner and with thy vsuall voice her onely name issuing frō thy mouth wrought so strange an alteration in her
the first is counted vaine So is' t praise-worthy to conceit the latter The grauest wits that most graue works expect The qualitie not quantitie respect The smallest sparke will cast a burning heate Base cottages may harbour things of worth Then though this volume be nor gay nor great Which vnder your Protection I set forth Do not with coy disdainefull ouersight Deny to reade this well meant orphans mite And since his father in his infancie Prouided patrons to protect his heire But now by Deaths none-sparing crueltie Is turn'd an orphan to the open ayre I his vnworthy foster-sire haue darde To make you Patronizer of this warde You glorying issues of that glorious dame Whose life is made the subiect of deaths will To you succeeding hopes of mothers fame I dedicate this fruite of South wels quill He for your vnkles comfort first it writ I for your consolation priat and send you it Then daine in kindnesse to accept the worke Which be in kâ—ndnesse writ I send to you The which till now clouded obscure did lurke But now opposed to ech Readers view May yeeld commodious fruite to euerie wight That feeles his conscience prickt by Parcaes spight But if in ought I haue presumptuous bene My pardon-crauing pen implores your fauour If any fault in print be past vnseene To let it passe the Printer is the crauer So shall he thanke you and I by duty bound Pray that in you may all good gifts abound S. W. The Authour to the Reader IF the Athenians erected an altar to an vnknowne god supposing he would be pleased with their deuotion though they were ignorant of his name better may I presume that my labour may be gratefull being deuoted to such men whose names I know and whose fame I haue heard though vnacquainted with their persons I intended this comfort to him whom a lamenting sort hath left most comfortlesse by him to his friends who haue equall portions in this sorrow But I think the Philosophers rule will be heere verified that it shall be last in execution which was first designed and he shall last enioy the effect which was first owner of the cause Thus let Chance be our rule since Choice may not and into which of your hands it shall fortune much honour and happinesse may it carry with it and leaue in their hearts as much ioy as it found sorrow Where I borrow the person of an Historie as well touching the dead as the yet suruiuing I build vpon report of of such Authours whose hoarie heades challenge credit and whose eyes and eares were witnesses of their words To craue pardon for my paine were to slander a friendly office and to wrong their curtesies whom Nobilitie neuer taught to answer affection with anger or to wage dutie with dislike and therefore I humbly present vnto them with as many good wishes as good will can measure from the best meaning mind that hath a willingnesse rather to offoord then to offer due seruice were not the meane as worthlesse as the mind is willing R. S. The Triumphs ouer Death OR A Consolatorie Epistle for troubled minds in the affects of dying friends IF it be a blessing of the vertuous to mourn it is the reward of this to be comforted and he that pronounced the one promised the other I doubt not but that Spirit whose nature is Loue and whose name Comforter as he knowes the cause of our griefe so hath he salued it with supplies of grace powring into your wound no lesse oyle of mercy then wine of iustice yet sith courtesie oweth compassion as a dutie to the afflicted and nature hath ingrafted a desire to finde it I thought good to shew you by proofe that you carry not your cares alone though the loade that lieth on others can little lighten your burthen her deceasse can not but sit nearer your heart whom you had taken so deepe into a most tender affection That which dieth to our loue being alwayes aliue to our sorrow you would haue bene kind to a lesse louing sister yet finding in her so many worths to be loued your loue wrought more earnestly vpon so sweete a subiect which now being taken from you I presume your griefe is no lesse then your loue was the one of these being euer the measure of the other the Scripture moueth vs to bring forth our teares on the dead a thing not offending grace and a right to reason For to be without remorse in the death of friends is neither incident nor conuenient to the nature of man hauing too much affinitie to a sauage temper and ouerthrowing the ground of all piety which is a mutuall sympathie in each of others miseries but as not to feele sorrow in sorrowfull chances is to want sense so not to beare it with moderation is to want vnderstanding the one brutish the other effeminate and he hath cast his account best that hath brought his summe to the meane It is no lesse fault to exceede in sorrow then to passe the limits of competent mirth sith excesse in either is a disorder in passion though that sorrow of curtesie be lesse blamed of men because if it be a fault it is also a punishment at once causing and tasting torments It is no good signe in the sicke to be senslesse in his paines as bad it is to be vnusually sensitiue being both either herbingers or attendants of death Let sadnes sith it is a due to the dead testifie a feeling of pitty not any pang of passion and bewray rather a tender then a deiected minde Mourne as that your friends may finde you a liuing brother all men a discreet mourner making sorrow a signell not a superiour of reason some are so obstinate in their owne will that euen time the naturall remedy of the most violent agonies cannot by any delayes asswage their griefe they entertaine their sorrow with solitary muses and feede their sighes and teares they pine their bodies and draw all pensiue consideration to their minds nursing their heauinesse with a melancholy humour as though they had vowed themselues to sadnesse vnwilling it should end till it had ended them wherein their folly sometimes findeth a ready effect that being true which Salomon obserued Pro 1.25 that as a moath the garment and a worme the wood so doth sadnesse perswade the heart But this impotent softnes fitteth not sober mindes We must not make a liues profession of a seuen nights duety nor vnder colour of kindnesse to other be vnnaturall to our selues if some in their passion ioyned their thoughts into such labyrinths that neither wit knoweth nor will careth how long or how farre they wander in them it discouereth their weakenesse but discerneth our meditation It is for the most the fault not of all but of the silliest women who next to the funerall of their friends deeme it a second widowhood to force their teares and make it their happinesse to seeme most vnhappy as though they
at his parting breath O fortresse of the faithfull sure defence In which doth Christians cognizance consist Their victorie their triumph comes from thence So forcible hell gates cannot resist A thing whereby both Angels clouds and starres At mans request fight Gods reuengefull wars Nothing more gratefull in the Highest eyes Nothing more firme in danger to protect vs Nothing more forcible to pierce the skies And not depart till mercy do respect vs And as the soule life to the body giues So prayer reuiues the soule by prayer it liues R. S. Of the Foundations of vertuous and godly life The first Foundation THe first Foundation of a vertuous life is often and seriously to consider for what end and purpose I was created and what Gods designement was when he made me of nothing and that not to haue a being onely as a stone nor with a bare kinde of life or growing as a plante or tree nor a power of sence or feeling onely as a brute beast but a creature to his owne likenesse endued with reason and vnderstanding also why he now preserueth me in this health state and calling Finally why he redeemed me with his owne bloud bestowed so infinite benefits vpon me and still continueth his mercy towards me The end of mans creation THe end of my being thus made redeemed preserued and so much benefited by God is this and no other that I should in this life serue him with my whole body soule and substance and with what else soeuer is mine and in the next life enioy him for euer in heauen Rules that follow of this Foundation I Was made of nothing by God and receiued bodie and soule from him and therefore am I onely his not mine owne neither can I so binde or giue my selfe to any creature but that I ought more to serue loue and obey God then any creature in this world Secondly I commit a kind of theft and do God great wrong so often as I employ any part of my body or soule to any other end then to his seruice for which onely I was created Thirdly for this I do liue and for no other end but for this do all creatures serue me and when I turne the least thing whereof God hath giuen me the vse or possessing to any other end then the seruice of God I do God wrong and abuse his creatures The second Foundation SEeing I was made to serue God in this life and to enioy him in the next the seruice of God and the saluation of mine owne soule is the most weightie and important businesse and the most necessarie matter wherein I must imploy my body mind time and labour and all other affaires are so farre forth to be esteemed of me waightie or light as they more or lesse tend to the furtherance of this principall and most earnest businesse for what auaileth it a man to gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule Rules that follow of this Foundation FIrst what diligence labour or cost I would employ in any other temporall matter of credite liuing or life all that I am bound to employ in the seruice of God and the saluation of my soule and so much more as the waight of my soule passeth all other things Secondly I ought to thinke the seruice of God and saluation of my soule my principall businesse in this world and to make it my ordinary study and chiefe occupation and day and night to keepe my mind so fixed vpon it that in euery action I still haue it before mine eyes as the onely marke I shoot at The third Foundation I Cannot serue God in this world nor go about to enioy him in the next but that Gods enemies and mine owne will repine and seeke to hinder me which enemies are three the world the flesh and the Diuell Wherefore I must resolue my selfe and set it downe as a thing vndoubted that my whole life must be as a continuall combat with these aduersaries whom I must assure my selfe to lie hourely in waite for me to seeke their aduantage and that their malice is so vnplacable and their hatred against me so rooted in them that I must neuer looke to haue one houre secure from their assaults but that they will from time to time so long as there is breath in my body still labour to make me forsake and offend God allure me to their seruice and draw me to my damnation Rules following of this Foundation I Must prepare my body and minde to all patience and thinke it no newes to be tempted but a point annexed necessarily to my profession and therefore neuer must I be wearied with the continuance nor dismaied with the difficultie considering the malice and wickednesse of mine aduersaries and my professed enmity with them Secondly I must alwayes stand vpon my guard and be very watchfull in euery action seeing that whatsoeuer I do they will seeke to peruert it and make it offensiue to God euen my very best endeuours Thirdly I must neuer looke to be free from some trouble or other but knowing my selfe to be a perpetuall warfare I must rather comfort my sel e with hope of a glorious crowne for my victories then of any long or assured peace with my enemies The fourth Foundation THe thing which these enemies endeuour to draw me to is sinne and offence to God which is so odious hatefull and abhominable that God doth more detest and dislike it then he did the cruell vsage the wounds the torments and the death it selfe that for vs he suffered of the Iewes and it maketh our soules more vglie then the plague leprosie or any other filthie disease doth the body Rules following this Foundation SO carefull as I would be not to wound torment or murther Christ so carefull must I be not to commit any mortall sinne against him yea and so much more seeing that he hateth sinne more then death hauing voluntarily fuffered the one and yet neuer committed the other Secondly when I am tempted with any sinne let me examine my selfe whether I would buy the fulfilling of mine owne appetite with being a Leaper or full of the plague or with death presently to ensue after it If not then much lesse ought I to buy it with the leprosie losse and death of my soule which is of farre more worth then my body The fift Foundation BEing Gods creature made to serue him in this life my body soule and goods and all things any way pertaining vnto me are but lent or onely let me for this end and I am onely a Bailife Tenant or officer to demaund or gouerne these things to his best seruice and therefore when the time of my stewardship is expired I shall be summoned by death to appeare before my Landlord who with most rigorous iustice will demand account of euery thing and creature of his that hath bene to my vse yea of all that I haue receiued promised omitted committed lost and robbed and as
health As in health I ought to be obedient to my superiours and by diligent obseruation shew my duty towards God so in sicknesse I must be contented to be ruled by the Phisitions and such as haue care of me in things belonging to my bodily health and I must perswade my selfe that in that time I haue one chiefe rule to obserue in being patient and tractable which in such a case doth counteruaile the valour of all my vsuall exercises I must also assure my selfe that I do God good seruice when I do any necessary thing and take any conuenient recreation that may further my health I must take heede of being 〈◊〉 or froward which sicknesse for the most part doth cause thinking that how much paine soeuer I suffer Christ suffered farre more for my sake and farre more had I suffered â—â—ng since in hell if God had dealt with me according to my deserts It is good also to haue my will and testament in a readinesse before I fall into any extremitie of sicknesse that a certaine order be set downe for all temporall matters that I be not combred with them when it standeth me most vpon to looke to my soule Of the care of seruants I Must see that they lie not out in the nights but that I may know what becommeth of them I must not keepe such in my house as are swearers liers gamesters or such as are giuen to any notorious vice vnlesse there be great likelihood and certaine hope of their amendment I must procure by what meanes conueniently I may that they haue necessary instruction in matters appertaining to the saluation of their soules I must take speciall heed of any secret meetings messages or more then ordinary liking betweene the men and women of my familie I must see that the men haue no haunt of women to their chambers lest lewdnesse be cloaked vnder some other pretence I must haue great regard that my chiefest officers and men of most account be trustie persons of good life and example because the rest will follow as they shall leade them I must seeke as much as may be that my seruants be not idle nor suffered to vse any great gaming for by the one they shall fall into lewde life and by the other into swearing vnthriftinesse robbing and such vices I must see that they haue their wages at due times lest for want they fall into bad courses When they do not their duties I must rebuke them agreeable to the qualitie of their fault and not winke at great matters lest they waxe carelesse and bold to do the like offences againe yet must my rebukes be tempered with grauitie and mildnesse Of the care of Children I Must thinke that my Children so long as they are vnder age and in my power or custodie ought to be kept as my selfe I hauing in this time to answer for them I must take heed that they come not amongst such seruants as are like to teach them to sweare or any other vice and I must giue speciall warning that none do it I must set honest and sound persons to gouerne them that may also teach them vertue and goodnesse yet not trusting too much to my seruants care but that I my selfe haue a speciall eye ouer them and take an account what they do I must vse them to deuotion by little and little not cloying them with too much at once but rather seeking to make them take a delight in it I must instruct them in the points of faith and true religion and teach them the Lords prayer the Creede and the ten Commandements I must keepe them alwayes occupied in some profitable things allotting them according to their age more or lesse time of recreation I must oftentimes remember vnto them the passions and sufferings of Christ for sinne with the benefit of his death and glorious resurrection I must breake them from their wills and punish them as they deserue yet remembring also that they are yong and not keeping them in too much subiection which may breed in them base and seruile minds and make their loue lesse towards me and I neuer ought to beate any child in mine anger I must procure that they be taught such exercises and qualities as are fit for those of their degree and yet haue chiefe care that good and honest persons be about them I must not vse them to vaine dresses and costly apparell but rather often shew them the vanitie thereof yet must they not be too straite kept in that or any other thing which they are afterward to haue lest the being too much barred from it make them more eager to haue it when they come to enioy it at their owne will I must vse them to giue almes to make much of the poore and to vse reuerence to aged persons and spirituall men I must vse them to reade good bookes such as are fittest for their capacitie and see them kept from vaine bookes of loue and such like idle discourses that do peruert the minds of youth oftentimes for all their ensuing time after I must hearten them as they grow in yeares to suffer aduersity and to digest griefe especially in Gods cause and a good quarrell telling them the examples of others and how good a thing patience and costancie is When they are fit to go to schoole I must procure that they haue discret and calme teachers such as are not cholerike hastie or curst lest they take dislike and tediousnesse in learning for they must be rather wonne vnto it by praise and emulation of others then by bayting and stripes I must see that they be taught such ciuilitie curtesie and complements as their degree and the time requireth and frame them as much as may be to be gentle humble and affable euen to the meanest rebuking them for angry and sharpe words or disdainefull behauiour euen to their inferiors I must not suffer the boyes and girles to be much together especially out of sight after eight or nine yeares of age lest they fall to vnhappinesse Likewise my daughters must not be amongst the men nor my sonnes amongst the women When they come to such age that they must of force be in many companies I must procure some sound and honest persons to be for the most part with them to enforme me of their courses I must make them in any wise to beware of lewd conuersation which is the ouerthrow of youth and therefore cause this point to be beaten into them by good and zealous men I must neuer assure or marrie them vntill they be of sufficient age to make their owne choise and frame their liking neither force them to any match lest they curse me all their liues after as it often happeneth An order how to spend euery day IN time of health houres of going to bed and rising may be either nine and fiue or ten and sixe or according to the strength or weaknesse of euery mans body so they