his vices concupiscences Amen ¶ THE FIVE LAST MISTERIES ARE CALLED GLORIOVS FOR THAT THE MOST HOLY VIRGIN MARYE RECEAVED THEM AFTER HER SONNE WAS WHOLLYE GLORIOVS TO WITT BOTH IN BODY AND SOVLE OF THE RESVRRECTION Post triduum sospes repetit data membra sepulchro Tartareaque refert rapta trophea dom◠¶ THE FIRST WHEROF is of his triumphant Resurrection about the which thou shalt meditate these pointes folowing FIRST howe our Redeemer being dead his most sacred soule descended downe to Limbo to comfort and deliuer thence those holy fathers which had so long time looked for him with whom he staied til Sundaye morning when very early he returned to the sepulchre and taking againe his most holy bodye he rose vp glorious and issued out of his closed sepulchre SECONDLY thou maiest meditate howe our Lord being thus risen vp he appered first to his most holy mother who receaued an incomparable gladnes seing him risen vpp so beautiful and so glorious THIRDLY meditate howe after he had remained some space with his most blessed mother comforting and reioysing her he went afterwardes to performe the same office to his Disciples and his other deuout seruauntes amongst the which he first appered to good Mary Magdalen who loued him most feruently and with greatest desire did seeke him IN THE firste point thou maiest entertaine thy selfe meditating how al those holy Fathers Patriarches and prophets with al the other righteous persons which had been dead from the beginning of the world were al detained in Limbo expecting the happye comming of our Sauiour who with the same charitie and humilitie wher with he had hūbled him-selfe in suffring death vpon the Crosse vouchsafed also to humble him-self in discending downe to Limbo and visiting that blessed congregatiō which with such feruent zeale had long time desired to see this happy daye I leaue thee now to thinke what surpassing ioy those sacred soules receaued when they sawe this most sacred soule of Christ vnited to the Diuinitie enter with such triumph and puissance into their prison and with his brightnes to illuminate those mistie dongeons and vnderstood besides what he had done and suffred in the world and then wherfore he was discended thither to be onely to deliuer them out of their imprisonment and to make them endlesse happie What tongue can woorthelye tel their consolations their ioyes their songes praises and benedictiōs which they sounded forth in praise of their glorious benefactour Neuerthelesse albeit the ioye of these redeemed soules were so exceeding great yet farre greter was that of their Redeemer beginning now to see the glorious fruit of his great paines and the great good which his grieuous passion had wrought O with how great reason might eche one then saye This is the day that our Lorde hath made let vs reioyce and be gladd therein Where note that albeit it may seem other-whiles that our Lorde hath forgotten his elect and that which he hath promised them yet doth he not so but expecteth the fittest time wherein he knoweth how to fulfil the same like as we see he hath here done towardes these good holy Fathers We must not therefore wauer in our beliefe but abide and waite with patience for his most holy comming Sithēs as the Prophet Abacuch admonisheth vs Our Lorde whom thou hast so greatly called on wil come at length and wil not lye if he tary expect him for he that commeth wil come and wil not tarye long Consider also in this point howe our Sauiour hauing staide al Saterday with those holy Fathers reioycing and cōforting thē as wel thou maiest imagine his most blessed soule did on Sunday morning returne to reuiue his most sacred body which laye in the sepulchre wherinto he entring made it become so beautiful and glittering as the Sunne and that bodye which earst through the tormentes of his passiō was al wounded al blacke and al difformed like a Lepre presently after it was vnited to the most sacred soule and by it reuiued became the most beautiful of al bodies the blacknes being now changed into brightnes the woundes and deformitie conuerted into an incomparable beautie he reserued only the fiue most sacred woundes of his handes feete and side in memorie of our redemption the which doo wonderfully shine forth and beautifie the same and the fight therof causeth a singuler contentation to the blessed Saintes and moueth his eternal Father to mercy in our behalfes when for this intent it pleaseth him to shewe them O happy are those euer that shal enioye such a sight O what a Mirrour is this so cleare and beautiful wherein we maye eftsons take viewe of our selues to know our defects and to reioyce our hartes like as his disciples did reioyce eche time that the same Mirrour did shewe it selfe vnto them and at this day are they neuer satiated with beholding it in heauen IN THE second point thou mayest enterteine thy selfe meditating and beholding with the eyes of thy soule howe our Lorde and Redemer did presently after he was risen vp visite his most holy mother whom thou maiest wel beleue to haue been the first albeit in the Gospel there is no mention made thereof for that being a cōmaundement of his which the wise man reporteth Honor thy Father and forget not thy mothers sorowe howe were it possible for the most obedient sonne to forget his mother who loued him so dearly and had so bitterly wailed wept and sorowed his passion and paineful death Whye should not she be visited and comforted before al others which was more afflicted then al others If as the Euangelist reporteth our Lorde did after he was risen vp appere to S. Peter that had earst denied him why shal not we beleeue that he appered first to his blessed mother that neuer did denye him yea continuallye confessed him and loued him aboue al and in whom alone the faith remained firme and incorrupted Admitt therefore it was so as reason requireth it should be force thy selfe to meditate a litle what ioy this blessed Lady felt when being solitary in her chamber weeping waiting and longing to see the sonne of righteousnes rise vp to lighten and clear her darke and doleful heart she sawe her self in a moment enuironed with the glittering beames of the beautiful light thereof Howe great her gladnes was when she sawe that bodye which she had lately left in the sepulchre dead al wounded and deformed nowe liuing whole glittering and glorious How great contentatiō she receaued when she sawe the soueraine beautie and brightnes restored to that face ful of al graces and those diuine eyes wher-with he looked vpon her so cleare and so louely What pleasure her sence receaued when with her eares she heard the most sweete voice where-with he saluted her Howe soueraine her exultation was when she saw those most sacred armes embrace her so louinglye and how
comfortlesse with his departure neither thought he it meete that in one day they should be made Orphans being depriued of such a Father and a mother the which this Lady vnderstanding quieted her-selfe and like an humble and obedient hand-maid resigned her wil to his diuine wil saying haply the same wordes in the Ascension which she vttered in the incarnation to wit Beholde the hand maid of our Lord. Hauing then in this wise talked with euery one and taken his leaue of them al behold how by litle and litle he beginneth to eleuate him-self from earth and to mount vpwardes into the aire with his hands lifted vp on high wher-with he blessed thē and with his eyes fixed on them did amiably behold them Here maiest thou meditate what the most sacred virgin with al that holye assembly felt seing him mount vp thus triumphantly how their heartes did rent in twaine through loue and howe they melted againe with teares seing him goe further and further from them and how they withal were incomparably reioyced by beholding the triumphe and Maiestie where-with he ascended and hearing that heauenlye melodie which the Angels and blessed Saintes did make who al of them sounded forth most melodiously the praises of this triumphant Conquerour so that the hearing and seing of these thinges could not choose but make them for ioye and tendernes of heart poure forth plentiful streames of teares O glorious day O Soueraine-sweet solemnitie O most renowned triumphe thus is he honored whom the King of heauen wil honour thus is he exalted who humbled him-selfe so profoundly thus meriteth he to triumph who hath obteined so glorious a victorie Behold O King of heauen thy exaltation and the name aboue al names that was geuen thee for being thus humbled and made obedient to the death of the Crosse Beholde howe thou beginnest nowe to reape the aboundant fruit that was promised thee for hauing lost thy life for our sinnes Beholde the noble triumphe thou hast attained for hauing with such prowes ouercome so daungerous and difficult a daye Gett thee therfore O Lord get thee now to thy rest seing thou hast taken so great paines and carye with thee the arke of thy sanctification that is to saye thy most sacred humanitie which is the most rich arke whereout was taken that pretious treasure of our redemption Be thou exalted aboue al the heauens O my God and thy glorie be ouer al the world Al Angels and al men yeeld thee due adoration and reuerence seing thou hast enriched and reioyced them al with this thy glorious and most miraculous Ascension IN THE THIRDE point thou maiest in like maner enterteyne thee meditating howe the most blessed Mother remained with that holye flocke in the mountaine where she sawe her most glorious Sonne ascende vp to heauen who al of them accompanied him with their corporal eyes whiles they might possiblye discerne him and did after he was once out of sight being receued into a white cloude associate him with their soules Contemplate a while here how she with the other lookers on being al of them deuoutly on their knees fixed their eyes on heauen without anye looking a-side or shifting of places being bereft as it were of al their senses and wholly rauished with this most glorious vision Meditate besides the solemn pompe and reioysing where-with this glorious triumpher king of heauen and of earth was receaued into heuen think as-wel as thou canst with what musike with what songes with what praises and with what reuerence euerie celestial order did receaue and adore him howe the Angels reioyced how the Archangels wondred how the Scraphins burned in loue howe the inferior orders enquired of the superiour that which the Prophet Esaias had so long time before foretolde Who is this that commeth from Edom to witt the world Who is this so beautiful and so attired in new garmentes that ascendeth with so great puissance and triumph with other like words and questions wherof thou maiest meditate according to thy deuotion Contemplate lastly how this most humble Lorde being arriued to the Emperial heauen who as touching his humanitie was lesse then this Father bowed him-selfe downe repeting it may be the same wordes which in his prayer of the last supper he had vsed in the world that is to say My Father I haue preached and announced thy name vpon earth and haue perfected the worke which thou commaundedst me that I should doo now therfore doo thou clarifie me O Father with the clearnes of the glorie which I had with thee before the world was made And then maiest thou meditate how his heauenly Father made him sitt in that high throne on his right hand where he nowe sitteth that is to say that he exalted him made him partaker of the greatest goodes and excellencies that either haue been or euer shal-be graunted to any other yea that no creature can possiblye comprehend which is to be vnderstood in as much as he was man for as he is God he is equal with his Father and hath the same glorye and Maiestie that his Father hath The Prince of glorie being then receaued in this maner who neuer forgetteth them that loue and put their trust in him sent two Angels down to earth to visite his most dear mother with al the other companie as also to informe them of his arriual into heauen and to deliuer such other speeches as he spoke to them by whose comming thou maiest wel weene how great consolation they al receaued what praises and what blessinges they yeelded vnto their Lord whom after they had with most profound humilitie adored they returned with great ioye to Ierusalem Sithens albeit they were sorowful and heauie as being left Orphanes in great solitarines through the absence of such a master and a Shepparde yet for because they loued him better thē them-selues Charitie which seeketh not her owne thinges made them to reioyce more at the prosperitie and glorye of their most louing Lorde then to sorowe the want of their owne consolations This is that which thou mayest meditate touching the historie of this most glorious Ascension and learne withal to desire seeke and sigh for celestial thinges and to lothe al transitorye trashe endeuouring that thy conuersation be in heauen where Christe remaineth sitting on the right hand of his eternal Father A PRAYER LIKE AS O most sacred mother thou louedst Iesus thy most sweet sonne better thē thy selfe euen so didst thou make more accompt of his ioyes and happines thē thou diddest of thine own And therfore albeit thou remainedst behind him here in earth yet diddest thou reioyce greatly when thou sawest him ascend vp to heauen accompanied with the Angels and Saintes he caried with him with such iubilation power and Maiestie as was conuenient for so glorious a triumpher I beseech thee O most holy Lady by this thy ioye that seing thou then remainedst
her God then anye deare the fountaine of water O most sacred Virgin who can possibly tel with what inflamed desires with what pitiful teares with what continual sighes thou crauedst desiredst to see an end of thy pilgrimage and to be deliuered from thy bodily prison How oft didst thou haply with weeping eyes say to the Angels that came to comfort and visite thee that which the Spouse saide in the Canticles I adiure you that if you meet my louer you tel him froÌ„ me that I languish in his loue Howe oft did this loue and languishing desire wholly rauish thee and transport thee out of thy selfe not being able to eate speake sleepe or attend to any other thing sith thy soule was rather there where it loued then where it liued This being so contemplate then the ineffable gladnes which our blessed Lady felt wheÌ„ by reuelation she knewe the daye to approche wherein she should haue that graunted her which she so gretlye desired If the holy Prophet Dauid reioyced so greatly when it was tolde him that he should go to our Lords house what was the ioy thinkest thou of this great Lady wheÌ„ she vnderstood how she was presently to goe to our Lordes house and that she should see our Lord and dwel perpetually with our Lorde and be more made of and fauoured of our Lorde then al other creatures what-soeuer O blessed day O happie tidinges so much more ioyful as more desired Wel might the most blessed mother say then with Simeon Nowe thou leauest thy seruant O Lorde contented and comforted with the assurance that mine eyes shal see thee who art my Sauiour IN THE second point thou mayest meditate how our Lady so much the neerer as she drewe to her happie departure so much more feruent were her desires so much more zealous her prayers and al her powers so much more quickned For like as her death proceeded not of anye natural infirmitie according as we beleeue by reason of the excellencie of her complexion like to that of her most sacred sonnes so could not the functions of her senses and powers be in any wise impeched Woting therfore that her deth drew nigh some doo contemplate how before her departure she desired to see the Apostles whom she so greatly loued and were dispersed abrode in diuers regions of the world that they might accompanye her in this her last houre geuing vs an exaÌ„ple hereby howe we ought to desire and procure to haue some deuout and spiritual persons to accompanye and comfort vs in this houre of so great peril Our Lord therfore moste bountiful condescending to her desire caused the Apostles miraculously to meete together such as yet were liuing in the world in the house where his most holye mother dwelt who were present at her departure as the great Denis Areopagita affirmeth Consider then howe great was the Apostles consolation finding theÌ„-selues thus asseÌ„bled together and seing their most holy mother and Lady whom they loued so dearly and desired once to see with what reuerence may we deeme did they salute her with what reuerence did they kisse her garments as most pretious reliques with what admiration did they consider her dignitie which they knewe farre better then any other with what coâ—â—tentation did they behold that reuerend visage supposing that in seing her they saw their most derely beloued Lorde and Master How sweet was the communication that was vsed there how feruent the diuine praises that were there celebrated how sweet the tears of tendernes and ioy that were shed there Thinke then with what confidence and contentment this blessed Lady assisted with so notable a company and assured of her conscience expected death which is to others so dreadful Thou must not thinke therefore that she was before her death in any agonie and paine as others are wont to be but howe in mild maner and with a cheerful couÌ„tenance that most holy soul departed out of her body more glittering and more faire then the clere moone O most pure Virgin how truely maye we say that in euery thing the best part hath bene geuen thee The best in thine immaculate conception and Natiuitie which was most pure and free from al sinne the best in thy life which was al holy and a Mirrour of al perfection the best in thy death which made thee no whitt afraide as it doth sinners yea was to thee a passage to true life The best part therfore hath bene geuen thee both in earth and in heauen whether thou wentest to reigne eternally IN THE third point thou mayest pause delighting thy selfe with the consideration howe that most sacred soule departed out of this life the most beautiful the most gratious the most holy of al pure and simple creatures how replenished with merits with giftes with vertues with excellencies and spiritual riches the greatest that may be possibly imagined proportionable to the incomparable dignitie which was bestowed vpon her Consider a while the maner how this most blessed soule accompanied with quires of Angels was conducted vp to the Celestial Court neither are we to doubt at al hereof for if we read of S. Martin and manye mo Saintes of both sex who leauing this life were accompanied with Angels and honored with their heauenly songes I see no reason why this fauor and honour should be denied the holy of holies and more holy and woorthy then al Yea we may not only affirme this to be most true but beleeue with godly deuotioÌ„ that not onely the Angels but that which is more the king of Angels in proper person vouchsafed to come and doo her this honour Herevpon is it that some doo contemplate how the most holy mother being vpoÌ„ the last hour of her blessed departure her most sweet sonne descended from heauen associated with the celestial powers and entred into that blessed house where she laye and beholding her with those his amiable eyes spoke that with a most sweet voice to her which the husband said to the spouse in the Canticles Thou art al faire my frende and there is no blemish at al in thee come from Liban my Spouse come from Liban and crowned shalt thou be That is to saye Come receue the recompence of thy desertes the treasure which thy most holy workes haue merited the crown that is due to thy so excellent vertues Get vp my Doue it is nowe high time to issue out of this exile no toiles no teares no sobbes or sorowes any more Come to enioye the pleasure of those woundes which when they were geuen did occasionate thy so great woes come nowe and rest thee for the paine which thou hast taken Come nowe be merye for that thou hast wailed and wept and for that thou humbledst thy selfe so lowlye come nowe to reigne perpetually These and suche like wordes maiest thou according to thy deuotion meditate to haue