dight With chearefull grace and amiable sight For of the soule the bodie forme doth take For soule is forme and doth the bodie make Therefore where euer that thou doest behold A comely corpse with beautie faire endewed Know this for certaine that the same doth hold A beauteous soule with faire conditions thewed Fit to receiue the seede of vertue strewed For all that faire is is by nature good That is a signe to know the gentle blood Yet oft it falles that many a gentle mynd Dwels in deformed tabernacle drownd Either by chaunce against the course of kynd Or through vnaptnesse in the substance fownd Which it assumed of some stubborne grownd That will not yield vnto her formes direction But is perform'd with some foule imperfection And oft it falles ay me the more to rew That goodly beautie albe heauenly borne Is foule abusd and that celestiall hew Which doth the world with her delight adorne Made but the bait of sinne and sinners scorne Whilest euery one doth seeke and sew to haue it But euery one doth seeke but to depraue it Yet nathemore is that faire beauties blame But theirs that do abuse it vnto ill Nothing so good but that through guilty shame May be corrupt and wrested vnto will Nathelesse the soule is faire and beauteous still How euer fleshes fault it filthy make For things immortall no corruption take But ye faire Dames the worlds deare ornaments And liuely images of heauens light Let not your beames with such disparagements Be dimd and your bright glorie darkned quight But mindfull still of your first countries sight Doe still preserue your first informed grace Whose shadow yet shynes in your beauteous face Loath that foule blot that hellish fierbrand Disloiall lust faire beauties foulest blame That base affectiōs which your eares would bland Commend to you by loues abused name But is indeede the bondslaue of defame Which will the garland of your glorie marre And quēch the light of your bright shyning starre But gentle Loue that loiall is and trew Will more illumine your resplendent ray And adde more brightnesse to your goodly hew From light of his pure fire which by like way Kindled of yours your likenesse doth display Like as two mirrours by opposd reflexion Doe both expresse the faces first impression Therefore to make your beautie more appeare It you behoues to loue and forth to lay That heauenly riches which in you ye beare That men the more admyre their fountaine may For else what booteth that celestiall ray If it in darknesse be enshrined euer That it of louing eyes be vewed neuer But in your choice of Loues this well aduize That likest to your selues ye them select The which your forms first sourse may sympathize And with like beauties parts be inly deckt For if you loosely loue without respect It is no loue but a discordant warre Whose vnlike parts amongst themselues do iarre For Loue is a celestiall harmonie Of likely harts composd of starres concent Which ioyne together in sweete sympathie To worke ech others ioy and true content Which they haue harbourd since their first descēt Out of their heauenly bowres where they did see And know ech other here belou'd to bee Then wrong it were that any other twaine Should in loues gentle band combyned bee But those whom heauen did at first ordaine And made out of one mould the more t' agree For all that like the beautie which they see Streight do not loue for loue is not so light As streight to burne at first beholders sight But they which loue indeede looke otherwise With pure regard and spotlesse true intent Drawing out of the obiect of their eyes A more refyned forme which they present Vnto their mind voide of all blemishment Which it reducing to her first perfection Beholdeth free from fleshes frayle infection And then conforming it vnto the light Which in it selfe it hath remaining still Of that first Sunne yet sparckling in his sight Thereof he fashions in his higher skill An heauenly beautie to his fancies will And it embracing in his mind entyre The mirrour of his owne thought doth admyre Which seeing now so inly faire to be As outward it appeareth to the eye And with his spirits proportion to agree He thereon fixeth all his fantasie And fully setteth his felicitie Counting it fairer then it is indeede And yet indeede her fairenesse doth exceede For louers eyes more sharply sighted bee Then other mens and in deare loues delight See more then any other eyes can see Through mutuall receipt of beames bright Which carrie priuie message to the spright And to their eyes that inmost faire display As plaine as light discouers dawning day Therein they see through amorous eye-glaunces Armies of loues still flying too and fro Which dart at them their litle fierie launces Whom hauing wounded backe againe they go Carrying compassion to their louely foe Who seeing her faire eyes so sharpe effect Cures all their sorrowes with one sweete aspect In which how many wonders doe they reede To their conceipt that others neuer see Now of her smiles with which their soules they feede Like Gods with Nectar in their bankets free Now of her lookes which like to Cordials bee But when her words embassade forth she sends Lord how sweete musicke that vnto them lends Sometimes vpon her forhead they behold A thousand Graces masking in delight Sometimes within her eye-lids they vnfold Ten thousand sweet belgards which to their sight Doe seeme like twinckling starres in frostie night But on her lips like rosy buds in May So many millions of chaste pleasures play All those ô Cytherea and thousands more Thy handmaides be which do on thee attend To decke thy beautie with their dainties store That may it more to mortall eyes commend And make it more admyr'd of foe and frend That in mens harts thou mayst thy throne enstall And spred thy louely kingdome ouer all Then Iotryumph ô great beauties Queene Aduance the banner of thy conquest hie That all this world the which thy vassals beene May draw to thee and with dew fealtie Adore the powre of thy great Maiestie Singing this Hymne in honour of thy name Compyld by me which thy poore liegeman am In lieu whereof graunt ô great Soueraine That she whose conquering beautie doth captiue My trembling hart in her eternall chaine One drop of grace at length will to me giue That I her bounden thrall by her may liue And this same life which first fro me she reaued May owe to her of whom I it receaued And you faire Venus dearling my deare dread Fresh flowre of grace great Goddesse of my life Whē your faire eyes these fearefull lines shal read Deigne to let fall one drop of dew reliefe That may recure my harts long pyning griefe And shew what wōdrous powre your beauty hath That can restore a damned wight from death FINIS AN HYMNE OF HEAVENLY LOVE LOue lift me vp vpon thy golden wings From
this base world vnto thy heauens hight Where I may see those admirable things Which there thou workest by thy soueraine might Farre aboue feeble reach of earthly sight That I thereof an heauenly Hymne may sing Vnto the god of Loue high heauens king Many lewd layes ah woe is me the more In praise of that mad fit which fooles call loue I haue in th' heat of youth made heretofore That in light wits did loose affection moue But all those follies now I do reproue And turned haue the tenor of my string The heauenly prayses of true loue to sing And ye that wont with greedy vaine desire To reade my fault and wondring at my flame To warme your selues at my wide sparckling fire Sith now that heat is quenched quench my blame And in her ashes shrowd my dying shame For who my passed follies now pursewes Beginnes his owne and my old fault renewes BEfore this worlds great frame in which al things Are now containd found any being place Ere flitting Time could wag his eyas wings About that mightie bound which doth embrace The rolling Spheres parts their houres by space That high eternall powre which now doth moue In all these things mou'd in it selfe by loue It lou'd it selfe because it selfe was faire For faire is lou'd and of it selfe begot Like to it selfe his eldest sonne and heire Eternall pure and voide of sinfull blot The firstling of his ioy in whom no iot Of loues dislike or pride was to be found Whom he therefore with equall honour crownd With him he raignd before all time prescribed In endlesse glorie and immortall might Together with that third from them deriued Most wise most holy most almightie Spright Whose kingdomes throne no thought of earthly wight Can cōprehēd much lesse my trēbling verse With equall words can hope it to reherse Yet ô most blessed Spirit pure lampe of light Eternall spring of grace and wisedome trew Vouchsafe to shed into my barren spright Some little drop of thy celestiall dew That may my rymes with sweet infuse embrew And giue me words equall vnto my thought To tell the marueiles by thy mercie wrought Yet being pregnant still with powrefull grace And full of fruitfull loue that loues to get Things like himselfe and to enlarge his race His second brood though not in powre so great Yet full of beautie next he did beget An infinite increase of Angels bright All glistring glorious in their Makers light To them the heauens illimitable hight Not this round heauē which we frō hence behold Adornd with thousand lamps of burning light And with ten thousand gemmes of shyning gold He gaue as their inheritance to hold That they might serue him in eternall blis And be partakers of those ioyes of his There they in their trinall triplicities About him wait and on his will depend Either with nimble wings to cut the skies When he them on his messages doth send Or on his owne dread presence to attend Where they behold the glorie of his light And caroll Hymnes of loue both day and night Both day and night is vnto them all one For he his beames doth still to them extend That darknesse there appeareth neuer none Ne hath their day ne hath their blisse an end But there their termelesse time in pleasure spend Ne euer should their happinesse decay Had not they dar'd their Lord to disobay But pride impatient of long resting peace Did puffe them vp with greedy bold ambition That they gan cast their state how to increase Aboue the fortune of their first condition And sit in Gods owne seat without commission The brightest Angell euen the Child of light Drew millions more against their God to fight Th' Almighty seeing their so bold assay Kindled the flame of his consuming yre And with his onely breath them blew away From heauens hight to which they did aspyre To deepest hell and lake of damned fyre Where they in darknesse and dread horror dwell Hating the happie light from which they fell So that next off-spring of the Makers loue Next to himselfe in glorious degree Degendering to hate fell from aboue Through pride for pride and loue may ill agree And now of sinne to all ensample bee How then can sinfull flesh it selfe assure Sith purest Angels fell to be impure But that eternall fount of loue and grace Still flowing forth his goodnesse vnto all Now seeing left a waste and emptie place In his wyde Pallace through those Angels fall Cast to supply the same and to enstall A new vnknowen Colony therein Whose root from earths base groundworke shold begin Therefore of clay base vile and next to nought Yet form'd by wondrous skill and by his might According to an heauenly patterne wrought Which he had fashiond in his wise foresight He man did make and breathd a liuing spright Into his face most beautifull and fayre Endewd with wifedomes riches heauenly rare Such he him made that he resemble might Himselfe as mortall thing immortall could Him to be Lord of euery liuing wight He made by loue out of his owne like mould In whom he might his mightie selfe behould For loue doth loue the thing belou'd to see That like it selfe in louely shape may bee But man forgetfull of his makers grace No lesse then Angels whom he did ensew Fell from the hope of promist heauenly place Into the mouth of death to sinners dew And all his off-spring into thraldome threw Where they for euer should in bonds remaine Of neuer dead yet euer dying paine Till that great Lord of Loue which him at first Made of meere loue and after liked well Seeing him lie like creature long accurst In that deepe horror of despeyred hell Him wretch in doole would let no lenger dwell But cast out of that bondage to redeeme And pay the price all were his debt extreeme Out of the bosome of eternall blisse In which he reigned with his glorious syre He downe descended like a most demisse And abiect thrall in fleshes fraile attyre That he for him might pay sinnes deadly hyre And him restore vnto that happie state In which he stood before his haplesse fate In flesh at first the guilt committed was Therefore in flesh it must be satisfyde Nor spirit nor Angell though they man surpas Could make amends to God for mans misguyde But onely man himselfe who selfe did slyde So taking flesh of sacred virgins wombe For mans deare sake he did a man become And that most blessed bodie which was borne Without all blemish or reprochfull blame He freely gaue to be both rent and torne Of cruell hands who with despightfull shame Reuyling him that them most vile became At length him nayled on a gallow tree And slew the iust by most vniust decree O huge and most vnspeakeable impression Of loues deepe wound that pierst the piteous hart Of that deare Lord with so entyre affection And sharply launching euery inner part Dolours of death into his soule did
kindled flame in all their inner parts Which suckes the blood and drinketh vp the lyfe Of carefull wretches with consuming griefe Thenceforth they playne make ful piteous mone Vnto the author of their balefull bane The daies they waste the nights they grieue and grone Their liues they loath and heauens light disdaine No light but that whose lampe doth yet remaine Fresh burning in the image of their eye They deigne to see and seeing it still dye The whylst thou tyrant Loue doest laugh scorne At their complaints making their paine thy play Whylest they lye languishing like thrals forlorne The whyles thou doest triumph in their decay And otherwhyles their dying to delay Thou doest emmarble the proud hart of her Whose loue before their life they doe prefer So hast thou often done ay me the more To me thy vassall whose yet bleeding hart With thousand wounds thou mangled hast so sore That whole remaines scarse any little part Yet to augment the anguish of my smart Thou hast enfrosen her disdainefull brest That no one drop of pitie there doth rest Why then do I this honor vnto thee Thus to ennoble thy victorious name Since thou doest shew no fauour vnto mee Ne once moue ruth in that rebellious Dame Somewhat to slacke the rigour of my flame Certes small glory doest thou winne hereby To let her liue thus free and me to dy But if thou be indeede as men thee call The worlds great Parent the most kind preseruer Of liuing wights the soueraine Lord of all How falles it then that with thy furious feruour Thou doest afflict as well the not deseruer As him that doeth thy louely heasts despize And on thy subiects most doest tyrannize Yet herein eke thy glory seemeth more By so hard handling those which best thee serue That ere thou doest them vnto grace restore Thou mayest well trie if they will euer swerue And mayest them make it better to deserue And bauing got it may it more esteeme For things hard gotten men more dearely deeme So hard those heauenly beauties be enfyred As things diuine least passions doe impresse The more of stedfast mynds to be admyred The more they stayed be on stedfastnesse But baseborne mynds such lamps regard the lesse Which at first blowing take not hastie fyre Such fancies feele no loue but loose desyre For loue is Lord of truth and loialtie Lifting himselfe out of the lowly dust On golden plumes vp to the purest skie Aboue the reach of loathly sinfull lust Whose base affect through cowardly distrust Of his weake wings dare not to heauen fly But like a moldwarpe in the earth dothly His dunghill thoughts which do themselues enure To dirtie drosse no higher dare aspyre Ne can his feeble earthly eyes endure The flaming light of that celestiall fyre Which kindleth loue in generous desyre And makes him mount aboue the natiue might Of heauie earth vp to the heauens hight Such is the powre of that sweet passion That it all sordid basenesse doth expell And the refyned mynd doth newly fashion Vnto a fairer forme which now doth dwell In his high thought that would it selfe excell Which he beholding still with constant sight Admires the mirrour of so heauenly light VVhose image printing in his deepest wit He thereon feeds his hungrie fantasy Still full yet neuer satisfyde with it Like Tantale that in store doth steruedly So doth he pine in most satiety For nought may quench his infinite desyre Once kindled through that first conceiued fyre Thereon his mynd affixed wholly is Ne thinks on ought but how it to attaine His care his ioy his hope is all on this That seemes in it all blisses to containe In sight whereof all other blisse seemes vaine Thrise happie man might he the same possesse He faines himselfe and doth his fortune blesse And though he do not win his wish to end Yet thus farre happie he him selfe doth weene That heauens such happie grace did to him lend As thing on earth so heauenly to haue seene His harts enshrined saint his heauens queene Fairer then fairest in his fayning eye Whose sole aspect he counts felicitye Then forth he casts in his vnquiet thought What he may do her fauour to obtaine What braue exploit what perill hardly wrought What puissant conquest what aduenturons paine May please her best and grace vnto him gaine He dreads no danger nor misfortune feares His faith his fortune in his breast he beares Thou art his god thou art his mightie guyde Thou being blind letst him not see his feares But cariest him to that which he hath eyde Through seas through flames through thousand swords and speares Ne ought so strong that may his force withstand With which thou armest his resistlesse hand Witnesse Leander in the Euxine waues And stout AEneas in the Troiane fyre Achilles preassing through the Phrygian glaiues And Orpheus daring to prouoke the yre Of damned fiends to get his loue retyre For both through heauen hell thou makest way To win them worship which to thee obay And if by all these perils and these paynes He may but purchase lyking in her eye What heauens of ioy then to himselfe he faynes Eftsoones he wypes quite out of memory What euer ill before he did aby Had it bene death yet would he die againe To liue thus happie as her grace to gaine Yet when he hath found fauour to his will He nathemore can so contented rest But forceth further on and striueth still T' approch more neare till in her inmost brest He may embosomd bee and loued best And yet not best but to be lou'd alone For loue can not endure a Paragone The feare whereof ô how doth it torment His troubled mynd with more then hellish paine And to his fayning fausie represent Sights neuer seene and thousand shadowes vaine To breake his sleepe and waste his ydle braine Thou that hast neuer lou'd canst not beleeue Least part of th'euils which poore louers greeue The gnawing enuie the hart-fretting feare The vaine surmizes the distrustfull showes The false reports that flying tales doe beare The doubts the daungers the delayes the woes The fayned friends the vnassured foes With thousands more then any tongue can tell Doe make a louers life a wretches hell Yet is there one more cursed then they all That cancker worme that monster Gelosie Which eates the hart and feedes vpon the gall Turning all loues delight to miserie Through feare of loosing his felicitie Ah Gods that euer ye that monster placed In gentle loue that all his ioyes defaced By these ô Loue thou doest thy entrance make Vnto thy heauen and doest the more endeere Thy pleasures vnto those which them partake As after stormes when clouds begin to cleare The Sunne more bright glorious doth appeare So thou thy folke through paines of Purgatorie Dost beare vnto thy blisse and heauens glorie There thou them placest in a Paradize Of all delight and ioyous happie rest Where they doe feede
on Nectar heauenly wize With Hercules and Hebe and the rest Of Venus dearlings through her bountie blest And lie like Gods in yuorie beds arayd With rose and lillies ouer them displayd There with thy daughter Pleasure they doe play Their hurtlesse sports without rebuke or blame And in her snowy bosome boldly lay Their quiet heads deuoyd of guilty shame After full ioyance of their gentle game Then her they crowne their Goddesse and their Queene And decke with floures thy altars well beseene Ay me deare Lord that euer I might hope For all the paines and woes that I endure To come at length vnto the wished scope Of my desire or might my selfe assure That happie port for euer to recure Then would I thinke these paines no paines at all And all my woes to be but penance small Then would I sing of thine immortall praise An heauenly Hymne such as the Angels sing And thy triumphant name then would I raise Boue all the gods thee onely honoring My guide my God my victor and my king Till then dread Lord vouchsafe to take of me This simple song thus fram'd in praise of thee FINIS AN HYMNE IN HONOVR OF BEAVTIE AH whither Loue wilt thou now carrie mee What wontlesse fury dost thou now inspire Into my feeble breast too full of thee Whylest seeking to aslake thy raging fyre Thou in me kindlest much more great desyre And vp aloft aboue my strength doest rayse The wondrous matter of my fyre to prayse That as I earst in praise of thine owne name So now in honour of thy Mother deare An honourable Hymne I eke should frame And with the brightnesse of her beautie cleare The rauisht harts of gazefull men might reare To admiration of that heauenly light From whence proceeds such foule enchaunting might Therto do thou great Goddesse queene of Beauty Mother of loue and of all worlds delight Without whose souerayne grace and kindly dewty Nothing on earth seemes fayre to fleshly sight Doe thou vouchsafe with thy loue-kindling light Tilluminate my dim and dulled eyne And beautifie this sacred hymne of thyne That both to thee to whom I meane it most And eke to her whose faire immortall beame Hath darted fyre into my feeble ghost That now it wasted is with woes extreame It may so please that she at length will streame Some deaw of grace into my withered hart After long sorrow and consuming smart WHat time this worlds great workmaister did cast To make al things such as we now behold It seemes that he before his eyes had plast A goodly Paterne to whose perfect mould He fashiond them as comely as he could That now so faire and seemely they appeare As nought may be amended any wheare That wondrous Paterne wheresoere it bee Whether in earth layd vp in secret store Or else in heauen that no man may it see With sinfull eyes for feare it to deflore Is perfect Beautie which all men adore Whose face and feature doth so much excell All mortall sence that none the same may tell Thereof as euery earthly thing partakes Or more or lesse by influence diuine So it more faire accordingly it makes And the grosse matter of this earthly myne Which clotheth it thereafter doth refyne Doing away the drosse which dims the light Of that faire beame which therein is empight For through infusion of celestiall powre The duller earth it quickneth with delight And life-full spirits priuily doth powre Through all the parts that to the lookers sight They seeme to please That is thy soueraine might O Cyprian Queene which flowing from the beame Of thy bright starre thou into them doest streame That is the thing which giueth pleasant grace To all things faire that kindleth liuely fyre Light of thy lampe which shyning in the face Thence to the soule darts amorous desyre And robs the harts of those which it admyre Therewith thou pointest thy Sons poysned arrow That wounds the life wastes the inmost marrow How vainely then doe ydle wits inuent That beautie is nought else but mixture made Of colours faire and goodly temp'rament Of pure complexions that shall quickly fade And passe away like to a sommers shade Or that it is but comely composition Of parts well measurd with meet disposition Hath white and red in it such wondrous powre That it can pierce through th' eyes vnto the hart And therein stirre such rage and restlesse stowre As nought but death can stint his dolours smart Or can proportion of the outward part Moue such affection in the inward mynd That it can rob both sense and reason blynd Why doe not then the blossomes of the field Which are arayd with much more orient hew And to the sense most daintie odours yield Worke like impression in the lookers vew Or why doe not faire pictures like powre shew In which oftimes we Nature see of Art Exceld in perfect limming euery part But ah beleeue me there is more then so That workes such wonders in the minds of men I that haue often prou'd too well it know And who so list the like assayes to ken Shall find by tryall and confesse it then That Beautie is not as fond men misdeeme An outward shew of things that onely seeme For that same goodly hew of white and red With which the cheekes are sprinckled shal decay And those sweete rosy leaues so fairely spred Vpon the lips shall fade and fall away To that they were euen to corrupted clay That golden wyre those sparckling stars so bright Shall turne to dust and loose their goodly light But that faire lampe from whose celestiall ray That light proceedes which kindleth louers fire Shall neuer be extinguisht nor decay But when the vitall spirits doe expyre Vnto her natiue planet shall retyre For it is heauenly borne and can not die Being a parcell of the purest skie For when the soule the which deriued was At first out of that great immortall Spright By whom all liue to loue whilome did pas Downe from the top of purest heauens hight To be embodied here it then tooke light And liuely spirits from that fayrest starre Which lights the world forth from his firie carre Which powre retayning still or more or lesse When she in fleshly seede is est enraced Through euery part she doth the same impresse According as the heauens haue her graced And frames her house in which she will be placed Fit for her selfe adorning it with spoyle Of th'heauenly riches which she robderewhyle Therof it comes that these faire soules which haue The most resemblance of that heauenly light Frame to themselues most beautifull and braue Their fleshly bowre most fit for their delight And the grosse matter by a soueraine might Tempers so trim that it may well be seene A pallace fit for such a virgin Queene So euery spirit as it is most pure And hath in it the more of heauenly light So it the fairer bodie doth procure To habit in and it more fairely
dart Doing him die that neuer it deserued To free his foes that from his heast had swerued What hart can feele least touch of so sore launch Or thought can think the depth of so deare wound Whose bleeding sourse their streames yet neuer staunch But stil do flow freshly still redound To heale the sores of sinfull soules vnsound And clense the guilt of that infected cryme Which was enrooted in all fleshly slyme O blessed well of loue ô floure of grace O glorious Morning starre ô lampe of light Most liuely image of thy fathers face Eternall King of glorie Lord of might Meeke lambe of God before all worlds behight How can we thee requite for all this good Or what can prize that thy most precious blood Yet nought thou ask'st in lieu of all this loue But loue of vs for guerdon of thy paine Ay me what can vs lesse then that behone Had he required life of vs againe Had it beene wrong to aske his owne with gaine He gaue vs life he it restored lost Then life were least that vs so litle cost But he our life hath left vnto vs free Free that was thrall and blessed that was band Ne ought demaunds but that we louing bee As he himselfe hath lou'd vs afore hand And bound therto with an eternall band Him first to loue that vs so dearely bought And next our brethren to his image wrought Him first to loue great right and reason is Who first to vs our life and being gaue And after when we fared had amisse Vs wretches from the second death did saue And last the food of life which now we haue Euen himselfe in his deare sacrament To feede our hungry soules vnto vs lent Then next to loue our brethren that were made Of that selfe mould and that selfe makers hand That we and to the same againe shall fade Where they shall haue like heritage of land How euer here on higher steps we stand Which also were with selfe same price redeemed That we how euer of vs light esteemed And were they not yet since that louing Lord Commaunded vs to loue them for his sake Euen for his sake and for his sacred word Which in his last bequest he to vs spake We should them loue with their needs partake Knowing that whatsoere to them we giue We giue to him by whom we all doe liue Such mercy he by his most holy reede Vnto vs taught and to approue it trew Ensampled it by his most righteous deede Shewing vs mercie miserable crew That we the like should to the wretches shew And loue our brethren thereby to approue How much himselfe that loued vs we loue Then rouze thy selfe ô earth out of thy soyle In which thou wallowest like to filthy swyne And doest thy mynd in durty pleasures moyle Vnmindfull of that dearest Lord of thyne Lift vp to him thy heauie clouded eyne That thou his soueraine bountie mayst behold And read through loue his mercies manifold Beginne from first where he encradled was In simple cratch wrapt in a wad of hay Betweene the toylefull Oxe and humble Asse And in what rags and in how base aray The glory of our heauenly riches lay When him the silly Shepheards came to see Whom greatest Princes sought on lowest knee From thence reade on the storie of his life His humble carriage his vnfaulty wayes His cancred foes his fights his toyle his strife His paines his pouertie his sharpe assayes Through which he past his miserable dayes Offending none and doing good to all Yet being malist both of great and small And looke at last how of most wretched wights He taken was betrayd and false accused How with most scornefull taunts fell despights brused He was reuyld disgrast and foule abused How scourgd how crownd how buffeted how syde And lastly how twixt robbers crucifyde With bitter wounds through hands through feet Then let thy flinty hart that feeles no paine Empierced be with pittifull remorse And let thy bowels bleede in euery vaine At sight of his most sacred heauenly corse So torne and mangled with malicious forse And let thy soule whose sins his sorrows wrought Melt into teares and grone in grieued thought With sence whereof whilest so thy softened spirit Is inly toucht and humbled with meeke zeale Through meditation of his endlesse merit Lift vp thy mind to th' author of thy weale And to his soueraine mercie doe appeale Learne him to loue that loued thee so deare And in thy brest his blessed image beare With all thy hart with all thy soule and mind Thou must him loue and his beheasts embrace All other loues with which the world doth blind Weake fancies and stirre vp affections base Thou must renounce and vtterly displace And giue thy selfe vnto him full and free That full and freely gaue himselfe to thee Then shalt thou feele thy spirit so possest And rauisht with deuouring great desire Of his deare selfe that shall thy feeble brest Inflame with loue and set thee all on fire With burning zeale through euery part entire That in no earthly thing thou shalt delight But in his sweet and amiable sight Thenceforth all worlds desire will in thee dye And all earthes glorie on which men do gaze Seeme durt and drosse in thy pure sighted eye Compar'd to that celestiall beauties blaze Whose glorious beames all fleshly sense doth daze With admiration of their passing light Blinding the eyes and lumining the spright Then shall thy rauisht soule inspired bee With heauēly thoughts farre aboue humane skil And thy bright radiant eyes shall plainely see Th'Idee of his pure glorie present still Before thy face that all thy spirits shall fill With sweete enragement of celestiall loue Kindled through sight of those faire things aboue FINIS AN HYMNE OF HEAVENLY BEAVTIE RApt with the rage of mine own rauisht thought Through cōtemplation of those goodly sights And glorious images in heauen wrought Whose wōdrous beauty breathing sweet delights Do kindle loue in high conceipted sprights I faine to tell the things that I behold But feele my wits to faile and tongue to fold Vouchsafe then ô thou most almightie Spright From whom all guifts of wit and knowledge flow To shed into my breast some sparkling light Of thine eternall Truth that I may show Some litle beames to mortall eyes below Of that immortall beautie there with thee Which in my weake distraughted mynd I see That with the glorie of so goodly sight The hearts of men which fondly here admyre Faire seeming shewes and feed on vaine delight Transported with celestiall desyre Of those faire formes may lift themselues vp hye◠And learne to loue with zealous humble dewty Th' eternall fountaine of that heauenly beauty Beginning then below with th' easie vew Of this base world subiectro fleshly eye From thence to mount aloft by order dew To contemplation of th' immortall sky Of the soare faulcon so I learne to fly That flags awhile her fluttering wings
mynd With griefe of mournefull great mishap opprest Fit matter for his cares increase would fynd Let reade the rufull plaint herein exprest Of one I weene the wofulst man aliue Euen sad Alcyon whose empierced brest Sharpe sorrowe did in thousand peeces riue But who so else in pleasure findeth sense Or in this wretched life dooth take delight Let him be banisht farre away from hence Ne let the sacred Sisters here be hight Though they of sorrowe heauilie can sing For euen their heauie song would breede delight But here no tunes saue sobs and grones shall ring In stead of them and their sweete harmonie Let those three fatall Sisters whose sad bands Doe weaue the direfull threeds of destinie And in their wrath breake off the vitall bands Approach hereto and let the dreadfull Queene Of darkenes deepe come from the Stygian strands And grisly Ghosts to heare this dolefull teene In gloomie euening when the wearie Sun After his dayes long labour drew to rest And sweatie steedes now hauing ouer run The compast skie gan water in the west I walkt abroad to breath the freshing ayre In open fields whose flowring pride opprest With early frosts had lost their beautie faire There came vnto my mind a troublous thought Which dayly doth my weaker wit possesse Ne lets it rest vntill it forth haue brought Her long borne Infant fruit of heauinesse Which she conceiued hath through meditation Of this worlds vainnesse and lifes wretchednesse That yet my soule it deepely doth empassion So as I muzed on the miserie In which men liue and I of many most Most miserable man I did espie Where towards me a sory wight did cost Clad all in black that mourning did bewray And Iaakob staffe in hand deuoutly crost Like to some Pilgrim come from farre away His carelesse lockes vncombed and vnshorne Hong long adowne and beard all ouer growne That well he seemd to be some wight forlorne Downe to the earth his heauie eyes were throwne As loathing light and euer as he went He sighed soft and inly deepe did grone As if his heart in peeces would haue rent Approaching nigh his face I vewed nere And by the semblant of his countenaunce Me seemd I had his person seene else where Most like Alcyon seeming at a glaunce Alcyon he the iollie Shepheard swaine That wont full merrilie to pipe and daunce And fill with pleasance euery wood and plaine Yet halfe in doubt because of his disguize I softlie sayd Alcyon There withall He lookt a side as in disdainefull wise Yet stayed not till I againe did call Then turning back he saide with hollow sound Who is it that dooth name me wofull thrall The wretchedst man that treads this day on groūd One whom like wofulnesse impressed deepe Hath made fit mate thy wretched case to heare And giuen like cause with thee to waile and wepe Griefe finds some ease by him that like does beare Then stay Alcyon gentle shepheard stay Quoth I till thou haue to my trustie care Committed what thee dooth so ill apay Cease foolish man saide he halfe wrothfully To seeke to heare that which cannot be told For the huge anguish which dooth multiplie My dying paines no tongue can well vnfold Ne doo I care that any should bemone My hard mishap or any weepe that would But seeke alone to weepe and dye alone Then be it so quoth I that thou art bent To die alone vnpitied vnplained Yet ere thou die it were conuenient To tell the cause which thee thereto constrained Least that the world thee dead accuse of guilt And say when thou of none shalt be maintained That thou for secret crime thy blood hast spilt Who life dooes loath and longs to be vnbound From the strong shackles of fraile flesh quoth he Nought cares at all what they that liue on ground Deeme the occasion of his death to bee Rather desires to be forgotten quight Than question made of his calamitie For harts deep sorrow hates both life and light Yet since so much thou seemst to rue my griefe And car'st for one that for himselfe cares nought Signe of thy loue though nought for my reliefe For my reliefe exceedeth liuing thought I will to thee this heauie case relate Then harken well till it to end be brought For neuer didst thou heare more haplesse fate Whilome Ivsde as thou right well doest know My little flocke on westerne downes to keepe Not far from whence Sabrinaes streame doth flow And flowrie bancks with siluer liquor steepe Nought carde I then for worldly change or chaūce For all my ioy was on my gentle sheepe And to my pype to caroll and to daunce It there befell as I the fields did range Fearelesse and free a faire young Lionesse White as the natiue Rose before the chaunge Which Venus blood did in her leaues impresse I spied playing on the grassie plaine Her youthfull sports and kindlie wantonnesse That did all other Beasts in beawtie staine Much was I moued at so goodly sight Whose like before mine eye had seldome seene And gan to cast how I her compasse might And bring to hand that yet had neuer beene So well I wrought with mildnes and with paine That I her caught disporting on the greene And brought away fast bound with siluer chaine And afterwards I handled her so sayre That though by kind shee stout and saluage were For being borne an auncient Lions hayre And of the race that all wild beastes do feare Yet I her fram'd and wanso to my bent That shee became so meeke and milde of cheare As the least lamb in all my flock that went For shee in field where euer I did wend Would wend with me and waite by me all day And all the night that I in watch did spend If cause requir'd or els in sleepe if nay Shee would all night by me or watch or sleepe And euermore when I did sleepe or play She of my flock would take full warie keepe Safe then and safest were my fillie she epe Ne fear'd the Wolfe ne fear'd the wildest beast All were I drown'd in carelessequiet deepe My loucly Lionosse without beheast So careful was for them and for my good Thta when I waked neither most nor least I found miscaried or in plaine or wood Oft did the Shepheatils which my hap did heare And oft their lasses which my lack enuyde Daylie resort to my from farre and neare To see my Lyonesse whose prailes wyde Where spred abroad and when her worthinesse Much greater than the rude report they try'de They her did praise and my good fortune blesse Long thus Lioyed in my happinesse And well did hope my ioy would haue no end But oh fond man that in worlds ficklenesse Reposedst hope or weenedst her thy frend That glories most in mortall miseries And daylie doth her changefull counfels bend To make new matter fit for Tragedies For whilest I was thus without dread or dout A cruell Satyre with his murdrous dart Greedie of mischiefe