{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_70848/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_70848","id":"gutenberg_70848","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/70848","summary":null,"tags":["Category: British Literature","Category: French Literature","Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Devotional literature","Meditations -- Early works to 1800"],"text":"Transcriber\u2019s Note: Biblical references in the sidenotes are not always\npossible to make out, due to the quality of the print. Where this is the\ncase it has been noted with [unclear] or [unreadable], as appropriate.\n\n\n\n\nA Godly Medytacyon of the christen sowle, concerninge a loue towardes God\nand hys Christe, compyled in frenche by lady Margarete quene of Nauerre,\nand aptely translated into Englysh by the ryght vertuouse lady Elyzabeth\ndoughter to our late souerayne Kynge Henri the .viij.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nInclita filia, serenissimi olim Anglorum Regis Henrici octaui Elizabeta,\ntam Gr\u00e6c\u00e6 quam latine f\u0153liciter in Christo erudita.\n\n\n\n\nTo the ryght vertuouse and christenly lerned yonge lady Elizabeth, the\nnoble doughter of our late souerayne Kynge Henry the .viij. Iohan Bale\nwysheth helth with dayly increace of Godly knowledge.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Nobylyse.]\n\n[Sidenote: Albion.]\n\nDiuerse and many (most gracyouse lady) haue the opynyons bene amonge the\nprophane philosophers and christen dyuynes, concernynge ryght Nobylyte,\nand no fewar stryues and contencyons for the same. Some autours haue\nvaynely boasted it to take orygynall of the olde Goddes of the Gentyles,\nas euery l\u0101de hath had hys peculyar Saturne, Iupiter, & Hercules, yea\nour Engl\u0101de here and all. Some hath fatt it from the foure generall\nmonarchyes of the Assyrianes, Perseanes, Grekes, and Romanes. Some haue\nattrybuted it, to the bolde battayles and bloudshedynges, in Ninus of\nBabylon the first inu\u0113tour of polycyes in warre, in our great Albion\nthe Chamesene, whych first in thys regyon suppressed the posterite of\nIaphet, vsurpynge therin the first monarchy, in Brute that more than\nsix hondred yeares after defaced of hym the tyrannouse yssue, in Ebr\u0101ck\nand Dunwallo, in Brenne and Belyne, in great Constantyne, Artoure,\nCadwalader, Engist, Egbert, Alphrede wyllyam c\u014dquerour & soch other, for\nlyke c\u014dquestes of the Romanes, Grekes, Galles, pyctes, Brytaynes, Saxons,\nDanes, Iryshens and Englyshens.\n\n[Sidenote: Brute.]\n\n[Sidenote: Romani.]\n\n[Sidenote: Gwalli.]\n\n[Sidenote: Iaphet.]\n\n[Sidenote: Kyndes of Nobylyte.]\n\nThe hawty Romanes set not yet a lyttle by themselues, that they haue rys\u0113\nof Aeneas & Romulus, of whom the one most shamefully betrayed hys owne\nnatyue kyndred and contraye, and the other most vnnaturally slewe hys\nowne brother for worldly domyny\u014d. Lyke as our walshemen here in Englande,\nadua\u016bcynge their successyon or progeny aboue the Englysh wyll nedes\ncome of Sardanus & Bute, a fo\u016bdacy\u014d not all vnlyke to the other. These\ngloryouse champyons for thys farre fatched gro\u016bde of their Nobylyte,\nacco\u016bte all other nacyons and peoples, ignoble, profane, and barbarouse,\nas is to be seane in the monum\u0113tes of their writers. But in the\nmeaneseason, they are not aware that they wndyscretely prefarre cursed\nCham to blessed Iaphet, by whose posteryte the Iles of the Gentyles\nwere first sorted out in to speches, kyndredes, and nacyons, Gene. 10.\nand not by Chams ofsprynge, of whome the Troianes and Romanes had their\nnoble begynnynge. That the Chamesenes had in those Iles, was by cruell\nvsurpacyon & tyr\u0101ny, as testyfyeth Berosus the Caldeane and therfor that\ngro\u016bde of Nobylyte is not all the best. Ouer and besydes all thys, some\nhaue applyed it to renomed byrth or successyon of bloude, some to the\nhab\u016bda\u016bce of pleasures worldly some to the mayntena\u016bce of great famylyes,\nsome to the s\u016bptuousnesse of notable buyldynges, some to the hygh stomake\n& stature of persone, some to valea\u016btnesse in marcyall feates, some to\nsemely maners of courtesye, some to lyberalyte of rewardes and gyftes,\nsome to the auncyentnesse of longe co\u016btynuaunce, some to wysdome lernynge\n& stody for a c\u014dm\u0113welth with soch lyke. And these are not all to be\ndysalowed, for we fynde them in Abraham, & Dauid with other iust fathers.\n\n[Sidenote: Clergy.]\n\n[Sidenote: St\u0101bery.]\n\n[Sidenote: Hunte.]\n\n[Sidenote: Fryres.]\n\nBut now foloweth, a monstruouse, or whether ye wyll, a prestygyouse\nnobylyte. The Romysh clergye ymagenynge to exalte themselues aboue the\nlewde layte (as they shame not yet to call the worldly powers) haue geuen\nit in a farre other kynde, to mytars, masses, Cardynall hattes, crosers,\ncappes, shauen crownes, oyled thombes, syde gownes, furred amyses, m\u014dkes\ncowles, and fryres lowsy coates, bec\u014dmynge therby p\u014dtyfycall lordes,\nspirytuall sirs, and ghostly fathers. Thys kynde of Nobylyte dygged out\nof the dongehyll, haue I seane gorgyously garnyshed with the retoryckes\nof Porphyry, Aristotle, Duns, and Raymundus decretals, in the bokes of\nIohan Stanbery byshopp of herforde, De superioritate ecclesiastica, De\ndiscrimine iurisdictionum, and De potestate p\u014dtificia. In the bokes also\nof Walter h\u016bte an ordynary reader s\u016btyme in Oxforde, De precell\u0113tia\nPetri, & De autoritate ecclesie. Yea, and am\u014dge th\u0113selues they haue moch\ncontended both by disputacyon & writynges, whych of their seeres myght\nother excell in the nobylnesse of christen perfection. The monkes in\npublyque scoles, by a dystynccyon of the actyue and contemplatyue lyfe,\nhaue aduaunced their ydell m\u014dkery aboue the offyce of a byshopp, and the\nfryres their scalde crauynge beggery, aboue the degrees of th\u0113 Both. As\nis largely seane in the brawlynge workes of Rycharde Maydeston, Thomas\nwalden, Wyllyam Byntre & other whych haue written Contra wicleuistas, &\nPro m\u0113dicatione fratr\u016b.\n\n[Sidenote: Myluerton.]\n\n[Sidenote: 4. orders.]\n\n[Sidenote: Prestes.]\n\n[Sidenote: O Deuils \u012bcarnate.]\n\nIn the dayes of kynge Edwarde the fourt, Iohan Myluerton prouyncyall\nof the Carmelytes, was full thre yeares, a prysoner in the castell of\nAngell at Rome at the sute of the byshoppes of Englande for the same,\nand lost so the byshopryck of saynt Dauids, wherunto he was a lyttle\nafore elected. Thys matter haue I hearde, vndre the tyttle of Euangelyck\nperfeccyon, most depely reasoned in their ordynary dysputacions at their\nconcourses c\u014duocacyons, and chapters (as they than called them) yea by\nthose whome I knewe most corrupt lyuers, Ber\u016bto for fournyshynge out\nthe same, the graye fryres added. S. frances paynted wo\u016bdes, the blacke\nfryres. S. Domynyckes bolde dysputynge with heretykes, the whyte fryres\nour ladyes fraternyte, and the Augustyne fryres the great doctryne of\ntheir patrone. In the vnyuersytees afte moch to and fro, hath it bene\nconcluded, that the order of a prest haue farre excelled in dygnyte the\norder of a byshopp. And thys haue they left behynde them for a most graue\nand depe reason therupon. Marke their more than lucyferyne presumpcyon\ntherin. Soch power hath a prest (saye they) as hath neyther Angell nor\nyet Man, be he of neuer so great autoryte, scy\u0113ce, or vertu. For a prest\nby worde maye make hym agayne, that by worde made heauen & earth. A prest\nmaye euery daye both byget hym and beare hym, where as hys mother Marye\nbygate hym (beare hym they wolde saye) but ones. These are their very\nwordes in a boke entytled, De origine Nobilitatis. ca. 5. with moch more\ncyrcumstaunce of matter. O blasphemouse bellybeastes, & most ydell wytted\nsorcerers. How ydolatrously exalte they themselues aboue the eternall\nlyuynge God & hys Christ?\n\n[Sidenote: Nobylyte.]\n\n[Sidenote: Apostles.]\n\n[Sidenote: Faythe.]\n\nIohan Chrisostome a man taught and brought up in the christen philosophy,\ndefyneth the true Nobylyte after a farre other sort, than ded the\nprophane writers. He calleth it not with Aristotle, a worthynesse of\nprogeny, neyther yet with Varro \u0101 opul\u0113cy of ryches, but a fameuse\nrenome obtayned by l\u014dge exercysed vertu. He is pusaunt, hygh, \u0101d valeaunt\n(sayth he) and hath Nobylyte in right course, that dysdayneth to geue\nplace to vyces and abhorreth to be ouercomen of them. Doctryne greatly\nadourneth a m\u0101 hyghly borne, but a godly endeuoure of christyanyte\nbewtyfyeth hym most of all. By n\u014d other wayes haue the Apostles and\nMartyrs obtayned a noble report, than by the valeaunt force of pure\ndoctryne and fayth. A g\u0113tyll hart (sayth Seneca) or a stomake that ys\nnoble, moueth, prouoketh, and sturreth, only to thynges honest. No man\nwhych hath a noble wytte, delyteth in thynges of small value, moch lesse\nin matters of fylthynesse or supperstycyon. Chefely apperteyneth it to\nmen and women of syncere Nobylyte, to regarde the pure doctryne and\nfaythe, vnto soch hath God promysed in the scriptures, habundaunce of\nt\u0113porall thynges, longe lyfe, fortunate chyldren, a kyngedome durable,\nwith soch other, Deut. 28.\n\n[Sidenote: Gedeon.]\n\n[Sidenote: Asa rex.]\n\n[Sidenote: Iosaphat.]\n\n[Sidenote: Iehu.]\n\n[Sidenote: Ezechias.]\n\n[Sidenote: Iosias.]\n\n[Sidenote: Prestes.]\n\n[Sidenote: Ecclesia. 49.]\n\nA most worthy conquerour is Gedeon noted in the scriptures, for\ndestroyenge false relygy\u014d & renuynge the kyngedome of faythe. Iudi.\nvj. So is kynge Asa, for remouynge the male stues from the prelates\nabhorrynge marryage, & for puttynge downe ydolles whych hys forefathers\nmaynteyned. 3. Reg. 15. So is kynge Iosaphat, for beynge couragyouse\nin the wayes of God, and for puttynge downe the hyll aulters & their\nsacrifices. 2. parali 17. So is kynge Iehu, for sleynge the ydolatrouse\nPrestes, and for breakynge and burnynge their great God Baal, and for\nmakynge, a Iakes of their holy churche 4. Reg. 10. So is kynge Ezechias\nfor cl\u0113synge the house of the lorde from all fylthynesse, afore hys\ntyme therin occupyed. 2. Parali. 29. and for breakynge downe the brasen\nserpent and ydolatrouse ymages with their aulters and sanctuaryes.\n4. Reg. 18. So is kynge Iosias, for suppressynge relygyouse persones\nand aulter prestes, for c\u014dsumynge their iewels & ornam\u0113tes, & for\nouerthrowynge their buggery chambers in the howse of the lorde 4. Reg.\n23. Thys noble k\u012bge also destroyed all theyr carued ymages, he strewed\nthe dust of th\u0113 vpon their graues that had offered to them, and brent\nthe prestes bones vp\u014d their aulters, restorynge agayne the lawes of the\nlorde. 2. parali. 34. Iesus Syrach reporteth of hym fynally, that he\nwhollye dyrected hys hart to the lorde, & toke awaye all abhomynacyons of\nthe vngodly. Eccle. 49. Besydes that is spoken of kynge Dauid and kynge\nSalomon.\n\n[Sidenote: Edwarde vj. rex.]\n\n[Sidenote: Ignoble.]\n\nNot I only, but many thousandes more whych wyll not from hens fourth\nbowe any more to Baal, are in full & perfyght hope, that all these most\nhyghly notable and pryncely actes, wyll reuyue & lyuely florysh in your\nmost noble and worthy brother kynge Edwarde the sixt. Most excellent &\ngodly are hys begynnynges reported of the very foren nacy\u014ds callynge hym\nfor hys vertuouse, lerned, and godly prudent youthes sake, the seconde\nIosias. Those hys wonderfull pryncyples in the eyes of the worlde, and\nno lesse gloryouse afore God thus beynge to hys honoure, that eternall\nlyuynge God contynue and prospere to the ende, that he maye haue of them\nas had these vorthy kinges afore rehearced, a ryght noble and famouse\nreport. Nobylyte sought by wycked enterpryses and obtayned by the same\n(as in many afore our dayes, and in some now of late) is not els but\na publyque and notable infamye, and in the ende eternall d\u0101pnacyon.\nNobylyte wonne by the ernest sekynge of Gods hygh honour, is soch a\nprecyouse crowne of glory as wyll neuer perysh here nor yet in the worlde\nto come.\n\n[Sidenote: Tyra\u016btes.]\n\n[Sidenote: Nobylyte.]\n\n[Sidenote: O Noble Kyndred.]\n\n[Sidenote: Alex\u0101der.]\n\nCain after a worldly maner, or am\u014dge the vngracyouse sort, is holden\nnoble for slaynge hys brother Iudas of the prelates (for he receyued\nof th\u0113, a noble rewarde) for betrayenge Christ, Herode of the Iewes\nfor murtherynge the innoc\u0113tes. And what is there more worthy reproche,\ndyshonour, and shame, than are these execrable factes? The nature of true\nNobylyte (as I haue sayd afore) is not to ryse of vyce but of vertu,\nthough many men there seke it. Of the most excell\u0113t kinde of Nobylyte\nis he sure (most vertuouse and lerned lady) whych truly beleueth and\nseketh to do the wyll of the eternall father, for therby is he brought\nforewarde, and promoted into that heauenly kyndred Io\u0101. 1. By that\nmeanes becometh he the deare brother, syster, & mother of Christ Math.\n12. a cytizen of heauen with the Apostles and Prophetes, Ephe. 2. yea\nthe chylde of adopcyon and heyre togyther with Christ in the heau\u0113ly\ninherytaunce Roma. 8. No soch chyldren left Socrates behynde hym,\nneyther yet Demosthenes, Plato, nor Cicero, with all their plesa\u016bt\nwysdome and eloqu\u0113ce. No soch heretage coulde great Alexander the\nMacedoneane, byqueth to hys posteryte neyther yet noble Charles, Artoure,\nnor Dauid.\n\n[Sidenote: Frutes.]\n\n[Sidenote: .4. t\u016bges.]\n\n[Sidenote: Men lerned.]\n\n[Sidenote: S\u0113t\u0113ces.]\n\nOf thys Nobylyte, haue I no doubt (lady most faythfully studyouse) but\nthat yow are, with many other noble women & mayd\u0113s more in thys blessed\nage. If questyon were axt me, how I knowe it? my answere wolde be thys.\nBy your godly frute, as the fertyle tre is non other wyse than therby\nknowne, Luce. vj. I receyued your noble boke, ryght frutefully of yow\ntranslated out of the frenche tunge into Englysh. I receyued also your\ngolden sentences out of the sacred scriptures, with no lesse grace than\nlernynge in foure noble l\u0101guages, Latyne, Greke, Frenche, & Italyane,\nmost ornately, fynely, & purely writt\u0113 with your owne hande. Wonderfully\nioyouse were the lerned men of our cytie, Murseus, Buscoducius, Bomelius,\nLithodius & Im\u0101nus, as I shewed vnto them the seyd sentences, in\nbeholdynge (as they than reported) so moch vertu, faythe, scyence, &\nexpery\u0113ce of l\u0101guages & letters, specyally in noble youth & femynyte.\nThrough whych occasyon there be of th\u0113 (I knowe) that can not witholde\ntheir lerned handes fr\u014d the publyshynge therof, to the hygh prayse of God\nthe geuer, neyther yet from wrytynge to your worthy grace for studyouse\ncontynuaunce in the same. Your seyd s\u0113t\u0113ces, they saye farre passeth the\nApohthegmes of Plutarchus, the Aphorismes of Theognis, the Stratagemes\nof Isocrates, the graue golden co\u016bsels of Cato & the manyfolde morals of\nIohan Goldeston the great allegoryser, with soche other lyke.\n\n[Sidenote: The first clause.]\n\n[Sidenote: Hypocrytes.]\n\n[Sidenote: Hate.]\n\n[Sidenote: Happye.]\n\n[Sidenote: Tuters.]\n\n[Sidenote: Rulers.]\n\nYour first written clauses in .iiij. speches latyne, frenche & Italyane,\nout of the xiij. Psalme of noble Dauid, m\u0113cyoneth that the vnfaythfull\nreckeneth folyshly in their hartes, there is no God. Wherup\u014d so corrupt\nthey are in their vayne coniectures, and so abhomynable in their dayly\ndoynges, that not one of their generacy\u014d is godly. By thys do your grace\nvnto vs sygnyfye, that the baren doctryne & good workes without fayth\nof the hypocrytes, whych in their vnc\u014dmaunded latyne ceremonyes serue\ntheir bellyes & not Christ, in gredyly deuourynge the patrymony of poor\nwydowes & orphanes, are both execrable in themselues, and abhomynable\nafore God for though those paynted sepulchres haue the name of the lorde\nin their mouthes, & greatly boast the good workes of the lawe, yet knowe\nthey not what belongeth to hys true honoure, but hate in their wycked\nhartes both hys gloryouse name and worde. The true doctryne of faythe,\nand the feare of God, wyll that wycked sort (whome thys psalme wryngeth)\nnot heare, but styll torm\u0113t the conscyences of myserable wretched ydyotes\nfor aduauntage of Masses and momblynges. Happy are they of thys latter\nage, that in the Gospell haue receyued the sauynge helth out of Syon (as\nyour grace hath done) beynge clere from the stynge of those vyperouse\nwormes. Blessed be those faythfull tuters & teachers whych by their most\ngodly instruccyons haue thus fashyoned your tender youth into the ryght\nymage of Christ and not Antichrist. Yea most blessed be those godly\ngouernours and magistrates, whych haue traueled and yet laboryously\ntrauayle with worthy Moses, to brynge Gods people clerely out of their\nmost wretched captyuyte.\n\n[Sidenote: The latter clause.]\n\nYour latter clause in the Greke, incyteth vs to the ryght worshyppynges\nof God in sprete and veryte Io\u0101. 4. to honouringe of our par\u0113tes in the\nsemely offyces of naturall chyldren. Ephe. vj. and to the reuerent vsynge\nof our christen equalles in the due mynystracyons of loue. 1. Pet.\n\n[Sidenote: Monachi.]\n\n[Sidenote: L\u014dbardus.]\n\n[Sidenote: Robert Kylwarby.]\n\n[Sidenote: A change.]\n\n[Sidenote: The boke.]\n\n2. Neyther Benedyct nor Bruno, Domynyck nor Frances (whych haue of\nlonge yeares bene boasted for the pryncypall patrones of relygyon) euer\ngaue to their superstycyouse bretherne, so pure preceptes of syncere\nchristyanyte. Neyther yet Peter lombarde in hys .iiij. bokes of sent\u0113ces,\nwith whose smokye dyuynyte, the lowsy locustes monkes, chanons, prestes,\nand fryres haue these .iiij. hondred yeares darkened the clere sunne,\nwhych is the veryte of God, Apoca. 9. If godly wyse men wolde do nomore\nbut conferre thys lernynge of yours and of other noble women \u012b these\ndayes, with the doctryne of Robert Kylwarby archebyshopp of Canterbury\nand Cardynall, whych the vnyuersytees of Oxforde & Parys were sworne to,\nfor mayntenaunce of that christyanyte in the yeare of our lorde. 1276,\nby the consent of all masters regentes & non regentes, I doubt it not but\nthey shulde fynde iust cause to holde vp both their handes and prayse\ntheir lorde God for changynge that helle into thys heauen. An vnsauery\ngust therof shall they fynde, adioyned of the Paryseanes as necessary\ndyuynyte, to the foreseyd sent\u0113ces of Peter lombarde.\n\n[Sidenote: Elizabeth.]\n\n[Sidenote: An hart.]\n\n[Sidenote: Noble wom\u0113 lerned.]\n\n[Sidenote: C\u014dclusio.]\n\nIn your forenamed boke, c\u014dposed first of all by the ryght vertuouse lady\nMargarete, syster s\u016btyme to the frenche kynge Frances, and quene of\nNauerre, And by your noble grace most dylygently and exactly translated\ninto Englysh, fynde I most precyouse treasure concernynge the sowle,\nWherfor I haue added therunto the tytle of a Godly medytacyon of the\nsowle, concernynge a loue towardes God and hys Christ. Most lyuely in\nthese and soch other excellent factes, expresse ye the naturall emphasy\nof your noble name Elischabeth in the hebrue, is as moch to saye in the\nlatyne, as Dei mei requies, in Englysh, the rest of my God. Who can\nthynke God not to rest in that harte whych sendeth fourth soch godly\nfrutes? I thynke n\u014d that hath ryght dyscressyon. Your p\u0113ne hath here\nplenteouslye vttered the habunda\u016bce of a Godly occupyed harte, lyke\nas ded the vyrgynall lyppes of Christes most blessed mother, whan she\nsayd with heauenly reioyce, My sowle magnyfyeth the lorde and my sprete\nreioyceth in God my sauer, Luce. 1. Many noble women of fresh literature\nhaue bene afore tyme in thys regyon, whose nom\u0113clature or rehearsall of\nnames I intende to shewe in the ende of thys boke, but non of th\u0113 were\neuer yet lyke to those whych are in our age. No, neyther Cambra, Martia,\nConstantia, Agasia, Vodicia, Bunduica, Claudia, Helena, vrsula, hilda,\nnor soch other lyke. Thys one coppye of yours haue I brought into a\nnombre, to thint\u0113t that many hungry sowles by the inestymable treasure\ncontayned therin, maye be swetely refreshed. The sprete of the eternall\nsonne of God Iesus Christ, be alwayes to your excellent grace assystent\nthat ye maye sende fourth more soch wholsome frutes of sowle, and become\na noryshynge mother to hys dere congregacyon to their confort and hys\nhygh glorye Amen.\n\n                           Your bounde oratour\n\n                                                                Iohan Bale\n\n\n\n\nA Godly Medytacyon of the christen sowle, concerninge a loue towardes God\nand hys Christe, compyled in frenche by lady Margarete quene of Nauerre,\nand aptely translated into Englysh by the ryght vertuouse lady Elyzabeth\ndoughter to our late souerayne Kynge Henry the .viij.\n\n\nThe preface.\n\n[Sidenote: Math. 5.]\n\n[Sidenote: Hebre. 11.]\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Io\u0101. 4.]\n\nIf thu do throughly reade thys worke (dere frynde in the lorde) marke\nrather the matter than the homely speache therof, consyderynge it is the\nstodye of a woman, whych hath in her neyther c\u014dnynge nor scyence, but a\nferuent desyre that yche one maye se, what the gifte of God the creatour\ndoth whan it pleaseth hym to iustyfye a hart. For what is the hart of a\nMan, concernynge hys owne str\u0113gth, before he hath receyued the gift of\nfaythe? Therby only hath he knowledge of the goodnesse, wysedome, and\npower of God. And as sone as he through that faythe, knoweth pythely\nthe truthe hys hart is anon full of charyte and loue. So that by the\nferuentnesse therof, he excludeth all fleshly feare, & fyrmely trusteth\nin God vnfaynedly, for certaynely the gifte, whych God the creatour\ngeueth frely at the begynnynge, doth neuer cease tyll it hath made hym\ngodly, whych putteth hys full trust in God.\n\n[Sidenote: Ioan. 6.]\n\nO happy and fortunate gifte, whych causeth a Man to possesse a grace so\ndesyred. Alas no man coulde thys vnderstande, onles by soch gyfte God\nhad geuen it hym. And great cause he hath to doubte of it, \u014dles God had\nmade hym to feale it in hys harte. Therfor g\u0113tyll reader, with a godly\nmynde I besyche the pacyently thys worke to peruse, whych is but small in\nquantyte, and taste nothynge but the frute therof. Prayenge to God full\nof all goodnesse, that in thy harte he wyll pl\u0101te the lyuely faythe. Amen.\n\n                             finit pr\u00e6fatio.\n\n                              liber incipit\n\n\n[Sidenote: Iob. 7.]\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 7.]\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. 94.]\n\nWhere is the helle full of trauayle, payne, myschefe, and torment? Where\nis the pytte of cursednesse, out of whych doth sprynge all desperacyon?\nIs there any helle so profounde, that is suffycyent to ponnysh the tenth\npart of my synnes, whych are so many in nombre, that the infynyte swarme\nof them so shaddoweth my darkened sences that I can not accompte them\nneyther yet wele se them? I am farre entered in amongest them, and (that\nmoch wors is) I haue not the power to obtayne the true knowledge of the\ndepe da\u016bgers of them. I perfyghtly fele, that their roote is in me. And\noutwardly I se non other effecte but all is eyther bra\u016bche leafe, or els\nfrute that it bryngeth fourth all aboute me. If I thynke to loke for\nbetter, a bra\u016bche cometh and closeth myne eyes, and in my mouthe doth\nfall whan I wolde speake, the frute so bytter to swalowe downe. If my\nsprete be sturred for to harken, than a great multytude of leaues doth\nentre in myne eares, and my nose is all stopped with flowers.\n\n[Sidenote: 2. Cor. [unreadable].]\n\n[Sidenote: Iob. 12.]\n\nNow beholde how in paynes cryenge & wepynge, my poore sowle, a slaue and\nprysoner, doth lye without lyghte, hauynge her fete bounde through her\nconcupysc\u0113ce & also both her armes through euyll vse. Yet the power to\nremedy it, doth not lye in me, neyther haue I power to crye for helpe.\nAgayne, so far fourth as I can perceyue, I haue no hope of socour, but\nthrough the grace of God that I can not deserue, whych maye rayse euery\none from deathe. By hys bryghtnesse he geueth lyght to darkenesse. And\nhys power examynynge my faulte, doth breake all the vayle of ignoraunce,\nand geueth me clere vnderst\u0101dynge, not only that thys cometh of me, but\nalso what thynge abydeth in me. Where I am and wherfor I do laboure. Who\nhe is whom I haue offended, to whom I ded obeye so seldome. Therfor it is\nc\u014duenyent that my pryde be suppressyd.\n\n[Sidenote: Iob. 14.]\n\n[Sidenote: Sapi. [unreadable].]\n\nAnd humbly with wepynge harte, I do confesse that I am moch lesse th\u0101\nnothynge, before my byrth myer, after a dungehyll, a body prompte to all\neuyll not wyllynge other stodye, also subiect to care, sorowe, and payne.\nA short lyfe, and thende vncertayne. The whych vndre synne by Adam is\nsolde, and by the lawe iudged to be damnyd. For I had neuer the power to\nobserue one only c\u014dmaundemente of God, I do fele the strength of synne\nin me, therfor is my synne no whyt the lesse to be hydden. And the more\nhe is dyssembled outwardly, so moche the more he encreasyth within the\nharte. That whych God wyll, I can not wyll, and what he wolde not, I ofte\ntymes desyre to perfourme. Whych thynge doth constrayne me by importable\nsorowe, to wyshe thende of thys myserable bodye through desyred death,\nbycause of my werye & ragynge life.\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. [unreadable].]\n\n[Sidenote: Gene. [unreadable].]\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. 37.]\n\nWho shall be he than, that shall delyuer and recouer suche good for me?\nAlas it can not be a mortall man, for hys power and strength is not\nsuche, but it shall be the only good grace of the almyghty God whych is\nneuer slacke to preuent vs with hys mercye. O what a master is that,\nwithout deseruynge any goodnesse of hym? I serued hym slouthfully,\nand without ceasynge offended hym euery daye, yet is he not slacke in\nhelpynge me. He doth se the euyll that I haue, what and how moche it is,\nand that of my selfe I can do nothynge that good is, but with hart and\nbody so enclyned am I to the contrarye, that I feale no strength in me\nonles it be for to do euyll. He doth not tarry tyll I humbly praye hym,\nor that (seynge my helle & d\u0101pnacyon) I do crye vp\u014d hym. For with hys\nsprete he maketh a waylynge in my harte greatter than I can declare,\nwhych asketh the gyfte wherof the vertu is vnknowen to my lytele power.\n\n[Sidenote: Luce. 19.]\n\n[Sidenote: Collo. 3.]\n\nAnd thys the same vnknowne syghte doth brynge me a newe desyre, shewynge\nthe good that I haue lost by my synne, & gyu\u0113 me agayne through hys grace\n& bo\u016btye, that whych hath ouercome all synne. O my lorde what grace and\ngoodnesse is thys, whych doth put out so manye synnes. Now maye we se\nthat thu art full of all godly loue to make me of a synner, thy serua\u016bt\n& chyelde. Alas my God, I ded not seke the but I fled & r\u0101ne awaye fr\u014d\nthe. And here beneth thu camyst to me whych am nothynge but a worme of\nthe earthe, all naked. What do I saye, worme? I do hym wr\u014dge, that am\nso naughtye, & swarme so full of pryde, deceyte, malyce & treason. The\npromyse whych my fryndes made wh\u0101 I was baptysed is such, that I alwayes\nthrough faythe in thy passy\u014d shuld fele the mortyfycacy\u014d of my fleshe &\ndwelle alwayes with the \u012b the crosse where thu wert fast nayled (as I\nbeleue) and yelded death dead as I also shuld yelde all synne.\n\n[Sidenote: Mar. 16.]\n\n[Sidenote: Ioan. 6.]\n\nThys haue I often tymes taken downe agayne, vntyed, and set at large, I\nhaue broken, denyed, and falsyfyed my promyse & through pryde, I haue\nlyft vp my wyll in suche a maner, that through slouth, my dewtye towardes\nthe was forgoten. And that moche more is, as wele the profyte or value\nof thy promyse, whych I had of the in the daye of my baptysme, as also\nthy sauynge loue and promyses folowynge, I haue all alyke neglected. What\nshall I saye more? Albeit that often tymes thu perceyuynge me wretched\nand vnhappye hast geu\u0113 me so many warnynges in fayth and in sacram\u0113tes,\nadmonyshynge me by preachynges, and confortynge me by the recayuynge of\nthy worthye bodye and sacred bloude, promysynge also to put me in the\nnombre of them that are now adourned with perfyght innocencye. Yet haue I\nall these hygh benefyghtes, throwne into forgetfullnesse.\n\n[Sidenote: Hiere. 7.]\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. 118.]\n\nOften tymes haue I with the broken couenaunte. And partly for that my\npoore sowle was to moche fed with euyll breade or d\u0101pnable doctryne of\nhypocrytes, I despysed such socoure and ghostly physyck in Gods worde\nas wolde haue holpe me. And if I had bene wyllynge to loke for it yet\nknewe I at that tyme no teachers c\u014duenyent. For there is neyther man,\nsaynte, nor Angell, for whome the harte of a synner without thy sprete\nwyll change. Alas good Iesus, thu beholdynge my blyndenesse, and that\nat my neade I coulde haue no socour of men, dedyst open the waye of\nmy saluacyon. O how great is the goodnesse, and how inestymable the\nswetnesse whych thu hast shewed therin? Is there any father so naturall\nto the daughter or brother to the syster, whych wolde euer haue done\nas he hath done? For he came into the helle to socour my sowle, where\nagaynst hys wyll she was, intendynge to haue peryshed, because she ded\nnot loue.\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Io\u0101. 3.]\n\n[Sidenote: Io\u0101. 5.]\n\n[Sidenote: Ephe. 3.]\n\nAlas swete lorde thu hast loued her yea, to the very outshedynge of thy\nmost precyouse bloude. O charyte feruent and inc\u014dparable. Not slacke art\nthu in loue that so louest euery synner, yea, and also thyne enemyes,\nnot only in forgeuynge their offences, but also in geuynge thy selfe\nfor their saluacyon, lybertie, and delyueraunce, to the death, crosse,\ntrauayle, payne and sufferaunce. Whan I cast in mynde, what shulde be\nthe occasy\u014d of thy loue towardes me. I can se nothynge els but a loue\nwonderfull, whych moueth the to geue me that I can not deserue. Than\nmy God as farre fourth as I can se, I ought to geue no th\u0101kes for my\nsaluacyon but only vnto the, to whome I owe the prayse ther of, as to\nhym whych is my sauyour & creatoure. What a thynge is it that thu hast\ndone so moche for me? Thu art not only contented to haue forgyuen me my\nsynnes, but also hast gyu\u0113 vnto me the ryght fortunate gifte of grace.\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. [unreadable].]\n\n[Sidenote: Math. 12.]\n\nFor it shulde suffyse me, I c\u014dmynge out of suche a daunger, to be lyke a\nstraunger vsed. But thu dost handle my sowle, (if I durst so saye it) as\na mother, daughter, syster and wyfe. I lorde, I am the trespaser whych\nam not worthy to come nere the dore of thy ryght hygh place to aske\nbreade, where thy dwellynge is. O what grace is thys, that so sodenly thu\nvouchesauyst to drawe my sowle in to suche hyghnesse, that she felyth her\nselfe ruler of my bodye. She poore, ignoraunte and lame, doth fynde her\nselfe wyth the, ryche, wyse, and stronge, because thu hast written in her\nharte the roote of thy sprete, & holy worde, geuynge her true fayth for\nto receyue it. Whych thynge made her to conceyue thy sonne, in beleuynge\nhym to be man, God, sauyour, and also the true remytter of synnes.\nTherfor dost thu assure her, that she is mother to thy sonne of whom thu\nart the only faither.\n\n[Sidenote: Phil. 2.]\n\n[Sidenote: Gene. 1.]\n\nAnd farthermore, O my father here is a great loue, for thu art not wery\nof wele doynge syth that thy sonne full of dyuynyte hath taken the bodye\nof a man, & ded myngle hymselfe with our ashes, whych thynge a man can\nnot vnderst\u0101de vnlesse he hath a true faythe. It hath pleased the to put\nhym so neare vs, that he ded ioyne hymselfe vnto our fleshe. Than we\nseynge hym to be called man, we are bolde to call hym syster and brother.\nNow the sowle whych maye saye of her selfe, that she is the syster of\nGod, ought to haue her harte assured. After thys dost thu declare with\ngreate loue, how her creacyon is only of the good wyll, whych it pleaseth\nthe alwayes to haue towardes her, geuynge assuraunce that before her\nfirst daye, or tyme of beynge prouyded for her, thu bestowedest thy loue\non her, & how through loue thu hast made her (as alone of power thu\ncannyst wele do it) and also how thu dedyst put her within thys body, not\nfor to sleape with slouth, but that both of them shulde haue non other\nexercyse, but only to thynke how to do some seruyce vnto the.\n\n[Sidenote: Tren. 2.]\n\n[Sidenote: Colos. 2.]\n\nThan the truthe maketh her to feale that there is in the, true paternyte.\nO what honoure, what swetnesse, and what glory hath the sowle, whych doth\nalwayes rem\u0113ber that she is thy daughter, & in callynge the fayther, she\ndoth thy commaundement? What is there more? Is that all? No, It doth\nplease the to gyue her an other name, to call her thy wyfe, & that she\nagayne do call the husbande, declarynge how thu hast frely manyfested\nthe marryage of her. By the baptysme thu hast made a promes, to gyue her\nthy goodes and ryches, and thu agayne to take her synnes, for she hath\nnothynge els by herytage of her first father Adam. All her treasures,\nthat she hath of nature, are nothynge els but synnes, whych thu hast tyed\nvpon the, and payed all her whole debte with thy goodes and landes.\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 1[unclear].]\n\n[Sidenote: Io\u0101. 5.]\n\n[Sidenote: Prouer. 13.]\n\nThu hast made her so ryche, and with so great a ioynter endued her, that\nshe knowynge her selfe to be thy woyd wyfe, doth beleue to be quytt of\nall that she oweth, estemynge very lytel that she hath here beneth. She\nforsaketh her olde father, & all the goodes that he gyueth, for her\nhusbandes sake. Surely (o my God) my sowle is sore hurte to be fedde with\nsuche good, and agayne releued in leauynge the pleasure of thys worlde\nfor that whych is eternall, where peace is without warre. I maruayle that\nshe, thys remembrynge, doth not lese her witt, co\u016btenaunce, and speache.\nFather, father, alas what ought I to thynke. Shall my sprete be so bolde\nas to take vpon hym to call the father? Yea, and also our Father, for so\nhast thu taught in the Pater noster. But to call the daughter, hast thu\nso sayd? I besyche the, tell me. Alas yea, whan with great swetnesse, thu\nsaydest daughter, lend me thy harte.\n\n[Sidenote: Apoca. 13.]\n\n[Sidenote: Luce. 11.]\n\nO my God, in stede of lendynge, he is ready to geue hym selfe wholly vnto\nthe. Receyue hym than, & do not permyt that any creature put hym from\nthe, so that for euer with faythfull stedefastnesse he maye loue the with\na daughterly loue. Now my lorde if thu be my father, maye I thynke that I\ncan be thy mother? Indede I can not wele preceyue, how I shulde conceyue\nthe that createdyst me. But thu dedyst in thys matter satisfye my doubte,\nwhan in preachynge and in streatchynge fourth thy h\u0101des dedyst saye\nThose that shall do the wyll of my father they are my bretherne, also my\nsyster and mother. I beleue than, that hearynge & readynge the wordes\nwhych thu hast taught & vttered by thy holy prophetes, the same also\nwhych through thy true preachers, thu dost dayly declare vnto m\u0113 in\nbeleuynge it and stedefastly desyerynge to fulfyll, I c\u014dceyue the & beare\nthe by loue.\n\n[Sidenote: Math. 1.]\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Cor. 15.]\n\nTherfor without \u0101ye feare, wyll I take vp\u014d me the name of a mother. What\nmother of God? O swete vyrgyne Marye, I besyche the, be not angry that\nI take vp suche a tytle. I do neyther stele, nor vsurpe any thynge vpon\nthy pryuylege. For thu only hast aboue all wom\u0113 receyued of hym so great\nhonoure, that nom\u0101 can in hymselfe comprehende how he hath bene wyllynge\nto take in the our fleshe. For thu arte mother and perfyght vyrgyne\nbefore and after, and in hys holy byrth. In thy blessyd wombe thu dedyst\nbeare hym and norysh hym. Thu dedyst folowe hym in hys trybulacyons, and\nalso in hys teachynges. Now breuely to conclude. Thu hast with God founde\nsuche grace, as the enemye through malyce and deceyte, had caused Adam &\nhys posteryte to lose. By Eue and hym we had lost it, & by thy sonne hath\nit bene yelded vnto vs agayne.\n\n[Sidenote: Luce. 1.]\n\n[Sidenote: Acto. 12.]\n\nTherfor hast thu bene ryghteously called full of grace. For thu lackedyst\nneyther grace nor vertu, sith that he whych is the best amonge them that\nbe good, also the sprynge of all goodnesse and power whych hath created\nin the so pure innoc\u0113cye that thu arte the example of all uertues, hath\nbuylded in the hys dwellynge & temple. He through loue ded conforme\nhymselfe with the, and thu arte transfourmed in hym. Therfor if any man\nshulde thynke to geue the greatter prayse than God hymselfe hath done,\nit were a fule blasphemye. For there is no suche prayse, as is the same\nwhych commeth from God. Thu also hast had faythe so fyrme and c\u014dstaunt,\nthat (by grace) she had the power to make the godly. Wherfor I wyll not\ntake vpon me, to geue the greatter prayse than the honoure whych thy\nsouerayne lorde hath geuen vnto the. For thu arte hys corporall mother,\nand also through fayth hys spyrytuall mother.\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 8[unclear].]\n\n[Sidenote: Canti. 4.]\n\nAnd I folowynge thy fayth with humblenesse, am hys spirytuall mother\nalso. Alas my God the brotherlynesse that thu hast towardes me through\nthy humblenesse, in callynge me syster, is great. Dedyst thu euer saye \u012b\nit any thynge afore? Alas yea. For thu hast broken the kyndred of my olde\nfather, callynge me doughter by adopcyon. Well than, seynge that we haue\nboth but one father, I wyll not feare to call the my brother. For so hast\nthu reported it by Salomon in hys bellet, saynge, My syster and spouse\nthu hast wounded my harte with the swete loke of one of thyne eyes, and\nwith one cheyne of thy necke. Alas my brother, I wyshe for nothynge els,\nbut that in wo\u016bdynge the, I myght fynde my selfe wounded with thy loue.\nTo that wolde I geue ouer my selfe. And lyke wyse thu dost call me wyfe\nin that place, shewynge largely that thu louyst me, saynge by these\nwordes amorouse.\n\n[Sidenote: Canti. 2.]\n\n[Sidenote: Luce. 8.]\n\nAryse my dere doue, and come hytherwarde my dylectable spouse. Therfor\nshal I saye with louynge fayth, thu arte myne and I am thyne. Thu dost\ncall me thy loue & fayre spouse. If it be so, suche hast thu made me.\nAlas, doth it please the, to gyue me suche names? They are truly able to\nbreake a mannys harte, and cause it to burne through loue vnspeakeable,\nwhan he thynketh vpon the honoure that thu dost vnto hym, whych is moche\ngreatter than he hath deserued. A mother, a mother? Alas but of what\nchylde is it? Truly of suche a sonne, that my harte doth breake for loue.\nMy God, my sonne? O Iesus what speache thys is, mother, daughter. O happy\nkynrede. O what swetnesse doth proceade out of that paternyte. But what\ndoughterly and reuerent feare ought I to haue towardes hym, my father,\nyea & my creatour, my protectour and sauer? To be thy syster, alas here\nis a great loue.\n\n[Sidenote: Canti. 8.]\n\n[Sidenote: Acto. 4.]\n\n[Sidenote: Ezech. 33.]\n\nNow dost thu breake my harte \u012b the myddest to make rowme for the same so\nswete a brother. So that no other name be writ\u0113 in the same, but only my\nbrother Iesus the sonne of God. Non other man wyll I geue place to, for\nall the scourgynge and beatynge, that they c\u0101 do vnto me. Reape my harte\nthen, my brother and frynde, & lete not thy enemy entre into it. O my\nfather, chylde, brother, and spouse, with handes ioyned, humbly vpon my\nknees I yelde the thankes and prayses, that it pleaseth the to turne thy\nface towardes me conuertynge my harte, and coueryng me with suche grace,\nthat thu dost se nomore my euyls & synnes. So wele hast thu hydden them,\nthat it semeth, thu hast put th\u0113 in forgetfulnesse. Yea, & also they\nseme to be forgoten of me, whych haue c\u014dmytted them, for fayth and loue\ncauseth me to forget them, puttynge wholly my trust in the alone.\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. 31.]\n\n[Sidenote: Luce. 15.]\n\n[Sidenote: Ezech. 18.]\n\nThan my father, in whom lyeth vnfayned loue, wherof can I haue feare in\nmy harte? I confesse that I haue done all the euyll that one creature\ncan do, and that of my selfe I am nought. Also that I haue offended the\nas the prodygall chylde ded, folowynge the folysh trade of the fleshe,\nwherewith I haue spente all my substa\u016bce, and the habunda\u016bce of goodes\nwhych I had receyued of the. For pouerte had wetheryd me awaye euen as\nheye and yelded my sprete dead for hunger, seakynge to eate the releafe\nof swyne. But I founde very lytle sauoure in suche meates. Than I seynge\nmy lyfe to be so myserable, I ded returne vnto the my father agayne,\nsayenge. Alas I haue synned in heauen and before the. I am not worthy\n(I tell it before euerybodye) to be called thy chylde. But O bountyfull\nfather, do no worse to me, than to one of thy howsholde seruauntes.\n\n[Sidenote: Luce. 15.]\n\n[Sidenote: Esa[unclear]. 27.]\n\nAlas what loue and zele is thys? for thu woldest not tarry my commynge\nand prayer but stretchynge out thy h\u0101de receyuedyst me, whan I ded thynke\nthat thu woldest not loke vpon me. And in stede to haue ponnyshed, thu\ndedyst assure me of my saluacyon. Where is he th\u0113 that shall ponnysh\nme, whan my father shall denye hym my synne? There is no iudge that can\ncond\u0113pne anye creature, vnlesse God hymselfe wolde dampne hym. I feare\nnot the want of goodnesse, syth I haue my God for my father. My enemye\nshall do me no harme, for my father shall take all hys strength awaye. If\nI owe anye thynge, he shall paye it all for me, If I haue deserued death,\nhe (as a kynge) shall pard\u014d me, & delyuer me fr\u014d pryson & h\u0101gynge.\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 7.]\n\n[Sidenote: 3. Reg. 3.]\n\nBut here is the worst. What maner of mother haue I been? For after that\nI by fayth, had receyued the name of a true mother, I became very rude\nvnto the, by cause that after I had conceyued and brought the fourth, I\nleft reason. And beynge subiect to my wyll, not takynge heade vnto the,\nI fell a slepe and gaue place to my great enemye. The whych \u012b the nyght\nof ignoraunce, I beynge a sleape ded steale the from me craftely, and\nin thy place, she ded put her chylde whych was dead. So ded I lese the,\nwhych is an harde sorowe and remorce for me. Now haue I lost the by myne\nowe faulte (my sonne) bycause I toke no hede to kepe the. Sensualyte my\nneyghbour (I beynge in my beastly sleape) ded steale the from me, & gaue\nme, an other chylde whych had no lyfe in hym, named synne, whom I wyll\nnot haue, for I do vtterly forsake hym.\n\n[Sidenote: 2. Cor. 6[unclear].]\n\n[Sidenote: 3. Reg. 3.]\n\nShe affirmed that he was myne owne but I knewe hym to be hers. For as\nsone as I came to the lyght of grace, whych thu haddest gyu\u0113 me, th\u0101 I\nknewe my glory to be changed, whan I sawe the dead chylde not to be myne.\nFor the same whych was alyue (whom she had taken awaye) was myne owne.\nBetwene Iesus & synne is the chaunge so apparant. But here is a straunge\nthynge. Thys olde woman causeth me to kepe hym whych is dead, whom she\nreporteth to be myne, and so she wyll maynteyne. O Salom\u014d, a full true\niudge, thu hast hearde thys lamentable processe and ordayned to c\u014dtent\nthe partyes, that the chylde shulde be deuyded in two partes. The false\nwoman agreyth, it shulde be so. But I remembrynge hym to be myne owne\nsonne, was rather contente to lese hym, than to se hys bodye parted in\ntwo peces. For true and perfyght loue is neuer contente with one halfe of\nthat it doth loue.\n\n[Sidenote: 2[unclear]. Cor. 4.]\n\n[Sidenote: Sapi. 3.]\n\n[Sidenote: Gene. 6.]\n\nI had rather to wepe for my whole losse, than to recouer but one halfe.\nMy mynde coulde not be satysfyed, if I had recouered one halfe without\nlyfe. Alas gyue her rather the chylde whych is alyue. Better it is for\nme to dye, than to se Iesus Christ dyuyded. But O my lorde, thu dedyst\nloke better to it than I. For thu seynge the anguysh that I ded suffer, &\nhow I ded rather forsake my ryght, than to beholde suche cruelnesse Thu\nsaydest, thys is the true mother and so caused them to gyue me my chylde\nagayne, for whom my harte was so sorowfull. O swete Iesus, I founde the\nafter, to haue proued me if I ded loue the. Yea, I whych had lost the yet\ndedyst thu returne vnto me. Alas dost thu vouchesaue to come agayne to\nher, whych beynge lett with synne coulde not kepe the, my swete chylde,\nmy sonne, my helper, my norysher, of whome I am a ryght humble creature.\nDo not permytt that euer I do leaue the agayne, for I do repent my selfe\nof the tyme passed.\n\n[Sidenote: Esa. 32.]\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. 118.]\n\nNow come my sensualyte with synnes of all qualytees, for thu hast no\npower to make me receyue the chylde whych is dead. The same that I haue\nis stronge ynough for to defende me, & he shall not permyt that thu take\nhym awaye from me. He is alredy more stronge than anye man is. Therfor\nI maye sleape and take rest neare hym. For all thynges wele consydered,\nhe shall kepe me moche better than I coulde hym. Then as I thynke I\nmaye take rest. O swete rest of the mother & the sonne togyther, my\nswete chylde. O my God, honoure & prayse be vnto the only, so that euery\ncreature maye se how it hath pleased the to call me a mother, lesse than\nnothynge. The more that the thynge is straunge and harde to be done, the\nmore ought thy goodnesse to haue prayse for it. And also I fynde my selfe\nmore bounde vnto the than euer I ded for thys, that it pleaseth the to\nhaue retayned me for thy syster.\n\n[Sidenote: Nume. 12.]\n\n[Sidenote: Deute. 5.]\n\nI am syster vnto the but so naughty a syster, that better it were for\nme, that I were without the name, for I forgate the honoure of adopcyon\nin so noble a kyndred, & also thy so good & brotherly behauer towardes\nme. I with pryde ded ryse agaynst the and, not remembrynge my faultes,\nbut goynge astraye from the, ded agree with my brother Aaron, beynge in\nwyll to geue iudgment agaynst thy workes. Priuely I grudged agaynst the\nalso, whych thynge causeth me to haue a great remorce in my conscyence.\nAlas ryght bountyfull God, brother and true Moses, whych doist all with\ngoodnesse and Iustyce. I haue estemed thy workes to be euen synne,\nbeynge so bolde to speake euyn rashely, saynge, Wherfor hast thu marryed\na straunge woman? Thu gyuest vs a lawe, and ponnyshemente if we do not\nfulfyll it. And thu woldest not be bounde to it, forbyddynge vs the\nthynge whych thu thy selfe doist.\n\n[Sidenote: Exo. 32.]\n\n[Sidenote: Exo. 34.]\n\n[Sidenote: Ezech. 18.]\n\n[Sidenote: Nume. 12[unclear].]\n\nFor thu doist forbyd vs to kylle anye man, and thu doist kylle and\nsparist non of thre thousande whych thu causydest to be slayne. Also God\ngaue vs in commaundemente by the, that we shulde not marry the doughter\nof a straunger. Yet thu tokest thy wyfe amonge them. Alas my dere\nbrother, with a great meany of soche wordes (whom I knowe to be folyshe)\nwith Aaron (whych is my owne wytte) I imbrayded the, Wherof I do repente.\nFor the lyuely voyce of God, rebukyngly toke me vp, before I wente out of\nthe place. What woldest thu than of my synne? Alas my brother thu woldest\nnot haue me ponnyshed, but rather woldest my saluacyon and helthe, in\naskynge for me, thys great benefyght, that it shulde please God to\nmytygate hys iudgemente. The whych thynge thu couldest not obtayne. For I\nbecame a lazar, so that whan any body shulde loke vp\u014d me, they myght wele\nse that I had not bene wyse. And so was I put out from the tentes and\ntabernacles of the people, bycause that a sycke bodye maye infecte th\u0113\nwhych be in helthe.\n\n[Sidenote: Ezech. 33.]\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Io\u0101. 2.]\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. 50.]\n\nOh, a sowle can not haue a greatter P\u014dnyshement, than to be bannyshed\nout of the cumpanye of them whych are holye and good. But what dedyst\nthu seynge my repentaunce? Thu prouydedyst that my penaunce was sone at\nan ende, and with true loue dedyst make meanes for me, wherupon I ded\nreturne. O what a brother wolde, instede to ponnyshe hys folysh syster,\nso naturally cleaue vnto her? For iniurye, grudge, & great off\u0113ce, thu\ngeuyst her grace & loue in rec\u014dp\u0113ce. Alas my brother how excedynge is\nthys thy loue? Moch more is it, than brotherhede is bounde to geue to so\npoore & wretched a woman as I am. I haue done the euyll, and thu geuyst\nme good for it, I am thyne, and thu sayest, thu arte myne. Eu\u0113 so I\nam, and wyll be so for euer. I feare nomore the great folyshenesse of\nAaron, for nom\u0101 maye separat me fr\u014d the. Now that we are brother & syster\ntogyther, I care very lytle for all other men. Thy landes are myne owne\ninherytaunce.\n\n[Sidenote: Phil. 2.]\n\n[Sidenote: Hester. 14.]\n\nLete vs than kepe (if it please the) but one howsholde. Syth it haue\npleased the to humble thy selfe so moche, as to ioyne thy hart with myne,\nin makynge thy selfe a leuely m\u0101, I do ryght hartely th\u0101ke the. And as to\ndo it as I ought, it lyeth not in my small power. Take my meanynge than,\nand excuse my ignoraunce, seynge I am of so great a kyndred as to be thy\nsyster. O my God, I haue good cause, to loue, to prayse, & to serue the\nvnfaynedly and not to feare, nor to desyre any thynge saue the only.\nKepe me wele than, for I aske n\u014d other brother nor frynde. If anye father\nhaue had anye pytie vpon hys chylde. If anye mother haue take anye care\nfor her sonne. If anye brother haue hyd the synne of hys syster, it is\nthu. I neuer sawe (or els it was kepte w\u014dders secrete) that euer husbande\nwolde througly forgyue hys wyfe, after she had hym ones offended, and ded\nreturne vnto hym.\n\n[Sidenote: Hiere. [unreadable].]\n\n[Sidenote: Deut. 24.]\n\nThere haue bene ynough of th\u0113 whych for to au\u0113ge their wronges, haue\ncaused the iudges to put them to deathe. Other beholdynge their synnes,\nded not spare their owne h\u0101des, sodenly to kylle them. Other also seynge\ntheir faultes to apere, ded sende th\u0113 home agayne to their owne fryndes.\nSome perceyuynge their euyll dysposycyons, haue shut them vp faste in a\npryson. Now breuely to conclude vpon their dyuerse complexyons. The ende\nof their pretence is ponnyshment, and the least harme that euer I coulde\nperceyue in p\u014dnyshynge th\u0113, is thys, that they wolde neuer se th\u0113 agayne.\nThu shuldest rather make the skye to turne th\u0101, so to forsake thy wyfe\nfor her mysdoynge. Wherfor my God, I can fynde nom\u0101 to be c\u014dpared vnto\nthe. For of loue thu arte the perfect example. Now my God, more than\neuer I ded, I confesse that I haue broken my othe and promyse.\n\n[Sidenote: Ioan. 15.]\n\n[Sidenote: Luce. 6.]\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. 50.]\n\nAlas thu haddyst chosen me for thy wyfe, and dedyst set me vp in great\nstate & honoure. For what greatter honoure maye one haue, than to be in\nthe place of thy wyfe, whych swetely taketh her rest so nere the. Of\nall thy goodes quene, mastres, and lady, and also in suretie both of\nbody and sowle. Of great fauoure is it, that I so vyle a creature, am so\nennoblyshed by the. Now to speake it breuely, I haue more, & better than\nany man mortall can desyre. Wherfor my harte hath cause to sygh alwayes,\nand with habundaunce of teares, myne eyes to come out of my heade. My\nmouthe can not make to many exclamacyons. For there is neyther newe nor\nauncyent writynges, that can shewe so pytiefull a case, as the same is\nwhych I wyll tell now. Shall, or dare I tell it? Maye I pronounce it\nwithout shame? Alas yea. For my confusyon is it not to shewe the great\nloue of my husb\u0101de. Therfor I care not, if for hys worshyp I do declare\nmy faulte.\n\n[Sidenote: Esa. 5.]\n\n[Sidenote: Iob. 10.]\n\nO my sauer, whych dyed & was crucyfyed on the crosse for my synnes.\nThys dede is not suche, as a father to leaue hys sonne, or as a chylde\nto off\u0113de hys mother or els as a syster to grudge & chyde. Alas thys is\nworse. For the offence is greatter where more loue & knowledge is. For\nthe more famylyaryte we haue with God & the more benefytes we receyue of\nhym the greatter is our off\u0113ce whan we with hym dyssemble. Specyally that\nI shuld so do, whych am called hys spouse, and loued of the as thyne owne\nsowle. Shall I tell the truthe? Yea. I haue lefte the, forgoten the, &\nranne awaye from the. I ded leaue the for to go at my vayne pleasure. I\nforsoke the and chose other. Yea, I refused the, the welsprynge of all\ngoodnesse and faythfull promyse. I ded leaue the. But whyther went I?\nInto a place where nothynge was but cursednesse.\n\n[Sidenote: Hebre. 12.]\n\n[Sidenote: Luce. 8.]\n\nI haue lefte the my trusty frynde and louer, worthy to be loued aboue\nall other. I haue put the asyde, o welsprynge of all helthesomnesse,\nby myne owne wretched wyll. Yea, I haue forsaken the, full of bewtie,\ngoodnesse, wysdom, and power, & sought to withdrawe me from thy loue. I\nhaue accepted thy great enemyes, that is the deuyll, the worlde, and the\nfleshe, agaynst wh\u014de thu faughtest so sore on the crosse, to ouercome for\nmy sake, to set me at lyberte, whych was by th\u0113 of l\u014dge tyme a prysoner\nslaue. And so bounde, that no man coulde cause me to humble my selfe.\nAnd as for the loue & charyte that I shulde haue had towardes the, they\nded qu\u0113che it so that the name of Iesus my husb\u0101de, whych before I had\nfounde so swete, was to me tedyouse & hatefull. So that often tymes I ded\niest at it. And if any man (I hearynge a sermon) had sayd vnto me, the\npreacher sayth wele. I wolde afferme it but the worde went awaye from me,\nas a fether doth in the wynde.\n\n[Sidenote: Hiere. 2.]\n\n[Sidenote: Math. 25[unclear].]\n\nI went neuer yet to the preachynge, but for maner only. All my dedes were\nplayne hypocresye, for my mynde was in other places. I was anoyed whan I\nhearde speake of the, for I was more wyllynge to go at my pleasure. Now\nbreuely to conclude, All that thu dedyst forbyd me, I fulfylled & all\nthat thu c\u014dma\u016bdedyst me to do, I ded eschewe. And thys was the cause (my\nGod) I ded not loue the. But yet lorde, for all thys that I ded hate the\nand forsake the, ranne awaye from the, & betrayed the, shulde I geue thy\nplace to an other? Or hast thu suffered that I shulde be mocked, eyther\nyet beat\u0113 or kylled? Hast thu put me in darke pryson, or bannyshed me for\neuer, settynge nought by me? Hast thu taken awaye thy gyftes agayne from\nme, and precyouse iewels, to ponnysh me for my vnfaythfull frutes? Haue\nI lost my ioynter whych thu promysedyst me, through my off\u0113ce agaynst\nthe? Am I accused by the afore the eternall father, for a naughty woman?\nYea, hast thu forbyd me thy pres\u0113ce (as I deserued) & that I shulde neuer\napere in thy howse?\n\n[Sidenote: Luce. 15.]\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. 4.]\n\n[Sidenote: Math. 11.]\n\nO most true husb\u0101de, & pure perfyght frynde, the most louynge yet amonge\nall good louers. Alas thu hast done otherwyse. For thu soughtest for me\ndylygenly, whan I was goynge into the most depe place of helle, where all\nthe euyls are done. Whan I was fardest from the both in harte and mynde,\n& clerlye out of the true waye. Than dedyst thu louynglye call me backe,\nsaynge, My dere doughter harken, and se, and bowe thy hearynge towardes\nme. Forget that straunge nacyon to whom thu dedyst ronne awaye and also\nthe house of thyne olde father, where thu hast dwelled so longe. Than\nshall the kynge full of all faythfulnesse, desyre thy bewtie. But whan\nthu sawest that thy swete & gracyouse callynge, ded not profyte me, than\nbegannyst thu to crye lowder. Come vnto me all yow whych are wearyly\nloaden with laboure, for I am he that shall plenteously refreshe yow and\nfeade yow with my breade of lyfe. Alas vnto all these swete wordes wolde\nI not harken.\n\n[Sidenote: Esa. 5.]\n\n[Sidenote: Canti. 6.]\n\n[Sidenote: Hiere. 3.]\n\nFor I doubted whether it were thu, or els a fabyllouse writynge that so\nsayde. For I was so folyshe, that without loue I ded reade thy worde.\nI consydered not wele the comparyson of the vyneyearde whych brought\nfourth thornes & bryers in stede of good frute, that it sygnyfyed me\nwhych had so done. I knowe it wele ynough, that whan thu dedyst call the\nbaren wyfe, saynge, Returne Sulamyte. All thys dedyst thu speake that I,\nshulde forsake my synne. And of all these wordes ded I, as though I had\nvnderstande neuer a whytt. But whan I ded peruse Hieremy the prophete,\nI confesse that I had in the readynge therof, feare in my harte and\nbashefulnesse in my face. I wyll tell it, yea with teares in myne eyes,\nand all for thy honoure, and to suppresse my pryde. Thu hast sayde by\nthat holy prophete, if a woman hath offended her husbande, and is so left\nof hym for goynge astraye with other. Namely if he therup\u014d refuseth her\nfor euer, is she not to be estemed poluted and of no value?\n\n[Sidenote: Ezech. 18.]\n\n[Sidenote: Hiere. 3.]\n\nThe lawe doth consente to put her in the h\u0101des of iustyce, or to dryue\nher awaye & so neuer to se her or to take her agayne. Thu hast made the\nsepracyon from my bedde (sayth he vnto me) & placed foren louers in my\nroume, commyttynge with them fornycacyon. Yet for all thys thu mayst\nreturne vnto me agayne. For I wyll not alwayes be \u0101grye agaynst the.\nLyfte vp thyne eyes, & loke aboute the on euery syde. Th\u0101 shalte thu wele\nse, into what place thy synne hath led the, & how thou lyest downe in the\nearthe. O poore sowle, loke where thy synne hath put the. Euen vpon the\nhygh wayes, where thu dedyst wayte, and tarrye for to begyle th\u0113 that\ncame by, euen as a thefe doth whych is hydden in the wyldernesse. Therfor\nthu in fulfyllynge thy wicked pleasure, hast with fornycacyon infected\nall the earthe whych was aboute the. Thyne eye, thy foreheade, and thy\nface haue loste all their honest good maner. For they were suche as an\nharlot hath, and yet thu haddest no shame of thy synne.\n\n[Sidenote: Iob. 10.]\n\n[Sidenote: Hebre. 11.]\n\nAnd the surplus that Hieremy sayth, constrayneth me to knowe my\nwretched lyfe, & to wyshe with sorowfull syghes, the houre, the daye,\nthe moneth, the tyme and the yeare, that I ded leaue it, yeldynge my\nselfe condempned, and worthy to be for euer in the euerlastynge fyre.\nThe same feare whych doth not of me but of the procede, and exceadeth\nmany of thy other gyftes, put me rather in hope than dyspayre, as often\nas I ded remembre my synne. For as sone as thu knewest my wyll bowynge\nvndre thy obedyence, than puttynge in me a lyuely fayth, thu dedyst vse\ngreat clemencye. So that after I knewe the to be that lorde, master, and\nkynge whom I ought to haue feared. Than fo\u016bde I my feare not quenched,\nbut mixed with loue, beleuynge that thu wert so gracyouse, gentyll, and\nswete, & so pytiefull an husbande, that I whych shulde rather haue hydde\nme, than to haue shewed my selfe, was not than in feare to go fourth and\nto loke for the. And in so sekynge I founde the.\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. [unreadable].]\n\n[Sidenote: Canti. 4.]\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 8.]\n\nBut what dedyst thu than? Hast thu refused me? Alas my God, no, but\nrather hast excused me. Hast thu turned thy face from me? No, for thyne\neye so swete ded penetrate my harte, wo\u016bdynge it almost to the deathe,\nand geuynge me remorse of my synnes. Thu hast not put me backe with thy\nhande, but with both thy armes and with a swete, and m\u0101ly harte thu\ndedyst mete with me by the waye, and not ones reprouynge my faultes,\nenbrasydest me. I coulde not se in beholdynge thy co\u016btenaunce, that euer\nthu dedyst ones perceyue myne offence. For thu hast done as moche for\nme, as though I had bene good and honest. For thu dedyst hyde my faulte\nfrom euery body, in geuynge me agayne the parte of thy bedde, and also in\nshewynge that the multitude of my synnes are so hydd\u0113 & ouercome by thy\ngreat vyctorye that thu wylte neuer remembre th\u0113. So that now thu seyst\nnothynge in me, but the graces, gyftes and vertues whych it hath pleased\nthy fre goodnesse to gyue me.\n\n[Sidenote: Esa. 43[unclear].]\n\n[Sidenote: Math. 11.]\n\nO charyte most precyouse. I do se wele that thy goodnesse doth consume\nmy lewdenesse, & maketh me a newe godly and bewtyfull creature. The euyll\nthat was myne, thu hast destroyed, and made me so perfyght a creature,\nthat all the good whych a husbande can do vnto hys wyfe thu hast done\nit to me, in geuynge me, a faythfull Hope in thy promyses. Now haue\nI through thy good grace recouered the place of thy wyfe. O happye &\ndesyered place, gracyuse bedde, trone ryght honourable, seate of peace,\nrest from all warre, hygh steppe of honoure, separate from the earthe.\nDost thu receyue thys vnworthy creature, geuynge her the scepture and\ncrowne of thy empyre and gloryouse realme? who ded euer heare speake\nof suche a storye? as to rayse vp one so hygh, whych of her selfe was\nnothynge & maketh of great value, that of it selfe was naught.\n\n[Sidenote: Ioan. 3.]\n\n[Sidenote: Sapi. 14.]\n\nAlas what is thys? for I castynge myne eyes on hygh, ded se thy\ngoodnesse, so vnknowne grace, & loue so incompreh\u0113syble that my syght\nis wonderfull. Than am I constrayned to loke downe, & in so lokynge\ndownewarde, I do se what I am, and what I was wyllynge to be. Alas I do\nse in it, the lewdenesse, darkenesse, and extreme depenesse of my euyll.\nMy deathe whych by h\u016bblenesse closeth myne eye. The admyrable goodnesse\nof the, & the vnspeakeable euyll whych is in me, Thy ryght hyghnes &\npure maiestie, my ryght fragyle and mortall nature, Thy gyftes, goodes,\n& beatytude, my malyce & great vnkyndnesse. O how good thu arte vnto me,\nand how vnkynde am I to the? Thys that thu wylte, and thys that I pursue.\nWhych thynges consydered, causeth me to maruele, how it pleasyth the to\nioyne thy selfe to me, seynge there is no comparyson betwene vs both.\n\n[Sidenote: Esa. 64.]\n\n[Sidenote: Colos. 2.]\n\nThu arte my God, and I am thy worke, thu my creator, and I thy creature.\nNow to speake breuely, though I can not defyne what it is to be of the,\nyet knowe I my selfe to be the least thynge that maye be compared vnto\nthe, O loue, thu madyst thys agrement whan thu dedyst ioyne lyfe, and\ndeathe togyther. But the vnyon hath made alyue deathe. Lyfe dyenge, and\nlyfe without ende, haue made our deathe a lyfe. Deathe hath geuen vnto\nlyfe a quyckenesse. Through suche deathe I beynge dead, receyued lyfe,\nand by deathe I am rauyshed with hym whych is alyue. I lyue in the, and\nas for me, of my selfe I am dead. And as c\u014dcernynge the bodyly deathe, it\nis nothynge els vnto me, but a c\u014dmynge out of pryson. Deathe is lyfe vnto\nme. For through deathe, I am alyue. Thys mortall lyfe fylleth me full of\ncare, and sorowe, and deathe yeldeth me content.\n\n[Sidenote: Apoca. 14.]\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 8.]\n\nO what a goodly thynge it is to dye, whych causeth my sowle to lyue. In\ndelyuerynge her fr\u014d thys mortall deathe, it ex\u0113pteth her fr\u014d the deathe\nmyserable, & matcheth her with a most myghty louer, & vnlesse she thus\ndyeth, she l\u0101guyssheth alwayes. Is not th\u0101 the sowle blameles, whych\nwolde fayne dye for to haue suche lyfe? Yes trulye, & she ought to call\ndeathe her welbeloued, frynde O swete deathe, plesaunt sorowe, myghty\nkeye delyuerynge from all wyckednesse. Those whych trusted in the (o\nlorde) and in thy deathe, were mortyfyed, because they ded trust in the,\nand in thy passyon. For with a swete slepe thu dedyst put them oute of\nthat deathe whych causeth manye to lamente. O how happye is the same\nslepe vnto hym, whych whan he awaketh, doth fynde through thy deathe, the\nlyfe euerlastynge. For the deathe is n\u014d other thynge to a christen man,\nbut a lyberte or delyueraunce from hys mortall bande.\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 7.]\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. 35.]\n\n[Sidenote: Ioan. 15.]\n\nAnd the deathe whych is fearfull to the wycked, is plesaunt and\nacceptable to them that are good. Than is deathe through thy deathe\ndestroyed. Therfor my God, if I were ryghtly taught, I shulde call the\ndeathe lyfe, and thys lyfe deathe, ende of laboure, and begynnynge of\neuerlastynge ioye. For I knowe that the l\u014dge lyfe doth lett me from thy\nsyght. O deathe, come, and breake the same obstacle of lyfe. Or els loue,\ndo a myracle now, syth that I can not yet se my spouse. Transfourme me\nwith hym both bodye & sowle, and than shall I the better tarry for the\ncummynge of deathe. Lete me dye that I maye lyue with hym. For there is\nn\u014d that can helpe me, onles it be thu only. O my sauer through. Faythe I\nam planted, and ioyned with the. O what vnyon is thys, syth that through\nfaythe I am sure of the. And I maye call the, father, brother, sonne, and\nhusbande. O what giftes thu dost gyue, by the goodenesse of those names.\n\n[Sidenote: Apoca. 12.]\n\n[Sidenote: Luce. 8.]\n\nO my father, what paternyte, O my brother what fraternyte, O my chylde,\nwhat dylectyon, O my spouse, what coniunctyon is thys? Father full of\nhumylyte, Brother hauynge our symylytude, S\u014dne engendered through faythe,\n& loue, Husbande louynge, and releuynge in all extremyte. But whom doist\nthu loue? Alas it is she whom thu hast withdrawen from the snare, wherin,\nthrough malyce she was bounde, and put her in place, name and offyce of\na doughter, syster, mother, and wyfe. O my sauer, the same is a great\nsauoure of swetnesse, ryght plesa\u016bt, and dylectable, whan a man, after\nthe hearynge of thy worde, shall call the without feare, hys father,\nbrother, chylde, & spouse. I in hearynge that worde, do perceyue my selfe\nto be called there thy mother, syster, doughter, & spouse. Alas the sowle\nwhych doth fynde suche swetnesse, maye consume, and burne for loue.\n\n[Sidenote: Ioan. 14.]\n\n[Sidenote: 2. Cor. 3.]\n\nIs there any loue, onles it be thys, but it hath some euyll condycyon? Is\nthere anye pleasure to be herto estemed? Is there any honoure, but maye\nbe accompted shame, to thys compared? Yea, is there any profyte equall\nto thys? More ouer to conclude it breuely. Is there any thynge that I\ncoulde more ernestly loue? Alas no. For he that vnfaynedly loueth God,\nreputeth all these thynges worldly, of lesse value than the d\u016bge hylle.\nPleasure profyte, honoure of thys worlde, are all but vayne tryfles vnto\nhym whych hath founde God. Suche loue is so profytable, honourable, &\nabundaunt, that (I dare saye) she only suffyseth the harte of a godly\nman, and yeldeth hym so content, that he neuer desyreth or wolde haue\nother. For who so euer hath God, as we ought to haue hym, accounteth all\nother thynges superfluouse or vayne.\n\n[Sidenote: Phil. 2.]\n\n[Sidenote: Esa. 55.]\n\n[Sidenote: Io\u0101. 10.]\n\nNow thanked by the lorde, through faythe haue I got\u0113 the same loue,\nwherfor I ought to be satysfyed and content. Now haue I the my father,\nfor defence of my longe youth from wanton folyshnesse. Now haue I the my\nbrother, for to socoure my sorowes wherin I fynde non ende. Now haue I\nthe my sonne, for my feble age as an only staye. Now haue I the a true, &\nfaythfull husbande, for the satisfyenge of my whole harte. Now syth that\nI haue the, I do forsake all them that are in the worlde. Syth I holde\nthe, thu shalte escape me nomore. Seynge that I se the, I wyll loke,\nvpon non other thynge that myght kepe me backe from the beholdynge of thy\ndyuynyte. Seynge that I do heare the, I wyll heare nothynge that letteth\nme fr\u014d the fruycy\u014d of thy voyce. Syth that I maye frely talke with the, I\nwyll c\u014dmen with non other. Seynge it pleaseth the to put me so nere the,\nI wyll rather dye than to touche any other. Seynge that I serue the, I\nwyll serue non other master.\n\n[Sidenote: 2[unclear]. Thes. 2.]\n\n[Sidenote: Exo. 15.]\n\nSeynge that thu hast ioyned thy harte with myne, if he depart from thyne,\nlete hym be ponnyshed for euer. For the departynge from thy loue is\nharder than is any dampnacyon. I do not feare the payne of ten thousande\nhelles, so moche as I do feare the ones losynge of the. Alas my God, my\nfather, and creator, do not suffer that the enemy, inuentor of all synne,\nhaue suche power, that he make me to lese thy presence. For who so euer\nhath once felte the losse of thy loue, he shall saye that he wolde rather\nbe bounde for euer in helle, than to feale the payne that one shall haue\nby the losse of the same thy loue one momente of tyme. O my sauer, do\nnot permytt that euer I departe from the. But if it please the, put me\nin suche a place, that my sowle through wantonnesse of synne be, neuer\nseparated from thy loue.\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 7.]\n\n[Sidenote: Hebre. 9.]\n\n[Sidenote: Eccle. 4[unclear].]\n\nIn thys worlde I can not haue perfyghtly thys my dsyre. Whych thynge\nconsydered maketh me feruently & with all my harte, to desyre the\ndepartynge from thys bodye of synne, not fearynge the deathe nor yet any\nof her instrumentes. For what feare ought I to haue of my God, whych\nthrough loue offered hymselfe and suffered deathe, not of dett or dewtye,\nbut because he wolde for my only sake vndo the power that mortall deathe\nhad. Now is Iesus dead, in whom we are all dead, and through hys deathe\nhe causeth euery man to lyue agayne. I meane those whych through faythe\nare partakers of hys Passyon. For euen as the deathe before the great\nmystery of the crosse, was harde to euery bodye, and there was no m\u0101\nbut was feared therwith, consyderynge the copulacyon of the bodye & the\nsowle, their order, loue, and agrement, so were their sorowes extreme in\nthe departynge of the one from the other.\n\n[Sidenote: Sapi. 3.]\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Io\u0101. 4.]\n\nBut sens it hath pleased the swete lambe to offer hymselfe vpon the\ncrosse, hys great loue hath kyndeled a fyre within the harte so\nvehement, that euery true beleuer estemeth the passage of deathe but a\nplaye or pastyme, and so preuoketh other constauntly in hys truthe to\ndye. And eu\u0113 as the feare of deathe ded retarde vs, so ought loue to\ngyue vs a desyre to dye. For if true loue be vnfaynedly within the harte\nof a man, he can fele non other thynge, because that loue is so stronge\nof itselfe, that she kepith all the roume, and putteth out all other\ndesyres, not sufferynge any thynge there but God only. For whersoeuer\ntrue and perfyght loue is, we do neyther rem\u0113bre feare nor yet sorowe.\n\n[Sidenote: Deute. 16.]\n\n[Sidenote: Eccle. 1.]\n\nIf our owne pryde for to attayne honoure, maketh vs to seke deathe so\nmanye straunge wayes. As if for to haue a folysh pleasure, a man putteth\nhym selfe in ieopardye of lyfe. If a mercha\u016bte to obtayne ryches, doth\ndaunger hymselfe, somtyme for the value of a shyllynge. If the first\nc\u014dceyuynge of robery or murther, crueltie or deceyte, doth so blynde\na man, that he doubteth nothynge the daunger of deathe, neyther yet\nmysfortune whan he seketh to au\u0113ge hymselfe or doth any other euyll.\nIf the fury of syckenesse or the rankenesse of Melancholy causeth a\ncreature fearcely to wyshe for deathe, & oft tymes to drowne, h\u0101ge, or\nkylle th\u0113selues. For suche euyls are somtymes so great that they cause\ntheir payned pacyentes to chose deathe for lyberte. If it so be than that\nthese paynes full of euyll, and imperfectyons, causeth them not to feare\nthe hasarde of deathe, but rather to thynke that deathe tarryeth to longe.\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 8[unclear].]\n\n[Sidenote: 2. Cor. 3.]\n\nAlas what ought true and laudable loue to do? What ought the loue of the\neternall creatour to wyshe? Shulde she sturre a harte suche wyse, that\nhe beynge transported with suche affectyon, shulde fele non other thynge\nin hym? Alas yea. For deathe is a plesaunt thynge to the sowle, whych is\nin loue with God, and estemeth the passage easye, through the whych she\ncommyth out of pryson. For the harde waye, wherthrough she commeth, can\nnot wearye her for to enbrace her husbande. O my sauer, how good is the\nsame deathe, through whom we shall haue the ende of all sorowes? By whom\nI shall enioye thy syght without impedyment, and be transfourmed into the\nlykenesse of thy maieste?\n\n[Sidenote: Canti. 5.]\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Cor. 15.]\n\nO deathe, through thy dede I trust to haue suche honour, as vpon my knees\nwith cryenge and wepynge I do dayly desyre. Therfor come quyckely, and\nmake an ende of my sorowes. O happy doughters, ryght holy sowles ioyned\nto the cytie hierusalem, open your eyes and with pytie loke vpon my\ndesolacyon. I beseche yow that in my name ye do shewe vnto me bestbeloue,\nmy God, frynde & kynge, how at euerye houre of the daye, I do languysh\nfor hys loue. O swete deathe, through suche loue come vnto me, and with\nloue brynge me vnto my lorde God. O deathe where is thy stynge and darte?\nAlas they are bannyshed from myne eyes, for rygour is changed into\nswetnesse seynge that my frynde ded suffre deathe vpon the crosse for\nmy sake. Hys deathe doth so incourage my harte, that thu wert wonders\ngentyll to me, if I myght folowe hym.\n\n[Sidenote: Io\u0101[unclear]. 9.]\n\n[Sidenote: Apoca. 20.]\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. 11.]\n\nO deathe, I beseche the come to put the frynde with hys loue. Now syth\nthat deathe is so plesaunt a lyfe, that she pleasith me more than feareth\nme, than ought I to feare nothynge but the ryght iudgement of God. All my\nsynnes with hys iust bala\u016bce shall be wayed & shewed op\u0113ly. Thys that\nI haue done, also my thought and worde shall be better knowne, than if\nthey were written in a rolle. And we maye not thynke that charyte wolde\noff\u0113de iustyce & truthe. For whoso euer doth lyue vnfaythfully, shall\nbe ponnyshed in euerlastynge payne. God is iust and hys iudgem\u0113t is\nryghteouse. All that he doth is perfyght in all thynges. Alas what am I\nconsyderynge my ryghtousnesse, I wretched and poore creature?\n\n[Sidenote: Esa. 64.]\n\n[Sidenote: Hebre. 18[unclear].]\n\n[Sidenote: Luce. 18[unclear].]\n\n[Sidenote: Ioan. 6[unclear].]\n\nI knowe that all the workes of iust m\u0113 are so full of imperfectyon, that\nafore God they are more fylthye than myer or any other vylenesse. What\nwyll it be than c\u014dcernynge the synnes whych I do c\u014dmyt, wherof I feale\nthe burden importable? I can saye nothynge els but that I haue wonne by\nthem dampnacyon. Is thys the ende? Shall dyspayre than be the conforte\nof my greate ignora\u016bce? Alas my God no. For the inuysyble faythe causeth\nme to beleue, that all thynges whych are impossyble to men, are possyble\nvnto the. So that thu do conuerte my worke, whych is nothynge, into some\ngood worke of thyne in me, whych is specyally faythe. Than my lorde,\nwho shall condempne me, & what iudge wyll d\u0101pne me, syth that he whych\nis geuen me for a iudge, is my spouse, my father, and refuge? Alas what\nfather? Suche as doth neuer condempne hys chyelde, but alwayes doth\nexcuse and defende hym.\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Io\u0101. 2.]\n\n[Sidenote: Math. 18.]\n\n[Sidenote: Colo. 2.]\n\nThan I perceyue to haue non other accuser but Iesus Christ, whych is my\nredemer, whose deathe hath restored vs our lost inherytaunce. For he made\nhym selfe our man of lawe, shewynge hys so worthye merytes afore God,\nwherwith my great debte is so habundauntly rec\u014dpenced, that in iudgement\nit is accompted for nothynge. O redemer, here is a great loue? We fynde\nbut fewe suche m\u0113 of lawe. Swete Iesus Christ, it is vnto the that I am a\ndetter, yet dost thu both praye, and speake for me. And moreouer whan thu\ndost se that I am poore, with the ab\u016bda\u016bce of thy goodes thu dost paye\nmy debte. O incomprehensyble see of all goodnesse. O my father, dost thu\nvouchesaue to be my iudge, not wyllynge the deathe of a synner? O Iesus\nChrist, true fysher, and sauer of the sowle, frynde aboue all fryndes.\nFor thu beynge my man of lawe dedyst excuse and speake for me, where thu\ncouldest iustly haue accused me.\n\n[Sidenote: Esa. 53.]\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Pet. 2.]\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Io\u0101. 4.]\n\nI feare nomore to be vndone by any man for the lawe is satisfyed by the\nfor all. My swete spouse hath made the payment so habundaunt, that the\nlawe can aske nothynge of me but is payed of hym. For as I beleue, he\nhath taken all my synnes vp\u014d hym, and hath geu\u0113 me in place of them, hys\nowne goodes in habundaunce. O my sauer, presentynge thy vertues, thu dost\ncontent the lawe. Whan she wyll reproche me of my synnes, thu dost shewe\nher how willyngly in thyne owne fleshe, thu hast taken the dyscharge\nof th\u0113, through the coniunctyon of our marryage. Also vpon the crosse\nthrough thy passyon, thu hast made satisfactyon for it. Moreouer thy only\ncharyte hath geu\u0113 me thys, that thu hast for me deserued. Therfor seynge\nthy meryte to be myne, the lawe can aske nothynge of me. Than wyll I\nfeare nomore the iudgement, but with desyre rather than parforce, I do\ntarry for the tyme that I shall se my iudge, and heare a iust iudgemente\nof hym.\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. 119[unclear].]\n\n[Sidenote: Math. 25.]\n\n[Sidenote: Luce. 13.]\n\nYet I knowe that thy iudgem\u0113te is so iust, that there is no faulte\ntherin, & that my infydelyte is worthye to suffer the cruelnesse of\nhelle. For if I do only consydre my deseruynge, I can se nothynge in it\nthat can keape me from the fyre of helle. True it is, that the torment\nof helle was neuer prepared but for the deuyll, and not for reasonable\nmen. Neuerthelesse if any man haue set in hys mynde to be lyke to the\ndeuyll, than ought he as the deuyll to be payed with a lyke rewarde. But\nif a man through c\u014dtemplacyon of the sowle, do holde of the, hys Angell\nof co\u016bsell, vertue, goodnesse & perfecty\u014d, he is sure to obtayne heauen,\nwhych is a place of thy deseruynge for hym. Than shall the vycyouse be\nponnyshed with the same, to whom they ioyned themselues. For sith that\nthey folowed Sathan, they must holde suche place as is for hym and hys\nangels prepared.\n\n[Sidenote: Hebre. 1.]\n\n[Sidenote: Luce. 11.]\n\nNow I consyderynge the dyuersyte of both the sortes, am lytle conforted\nin spreet by thys. For I can not denye but I am more lyke the deuyll\nthan the Angell of lyght, wherfor I feare and tremble. For the lyfe of\nthe Angell is so pure & myne so vnpure, that I am nothynge lyke vnto\nhym, thys do I confesse. But to the other I am so lyke in my doynges,\nand so accustomed in hys wayes, that of hys payne & tormente I ought to\nbe partaker. For the cruell synne whych hath bounde me in helle, is so\ngreat and hys force so stronge, that it leteth nothynge to come from\nit, neyther feareth it the c\u014dtrary assaulte of any man. But he whych is\nin thys kynde stronge, knoweth not how hys strength goth awaye, whan a\nstronger than he c\u014dmyth. Synne is stronge whych bryngeth vs to helle.\n\n[Sidenote: Phil. 2.]\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Cor. 15[unclear].]\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 5[unclear].]\n\nAnd I coulde neuer yet se, that anye man by meryte or payne takynge,\ncoulde euer yet vanquyshe that helle, saue only he whych ded the great\nassaulte through hys vnspeakable charyte, whan he humbled hym selfe to\nthe crosse. Wherby he hath ouercomen hys enemye, broken helle and hys\npower so that it hath no farther strength to keape anye sowle prysoner,\nthat hath put her trust in God. Than beleuynge in the great strength that\nhe hath, I do not set by helle and synne, No not so moche as a strawe.\nSo that synne can neuer haue holde of me, vnlesse it be for to shewe how\nmy God is mercyfull, stronge, myghtie, & a pusa\u016bt vanquysher of all the\neuyls whych were within my harte. If my synne forgyu\u0113, is the glorye\nof my most louynge sauer, I ought also to beleue, that my glorye is\nencreased therwith, seynge that I am planted or engrafted in hym.\n\n[Sidenote: Apoca. 5.]\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Cor. 15.]\n\n[Sidenote: Apoca. 21.]\n\nHys honoure only doth honoure all hys, and hys ryches doth replenysh\neuery one of hys with hys goodes. Than deathe, helle and synne are\nouercome by hym. O glottonouse helle, where is thy defence? Thu cruell\nvyllayne synne, where is thy tyrannouse power? O deathe where is thy\nstynge & vyctorye, whych are so moche spoken of? In steade of deathe, thu\ndeathe geuyst vs lyfe, and so dost thu contrary to thy wyll. Also thu\nsynne which couetyst to drawe yche creature to d\u0101pnacyon thu geuest vs a\nladder to reache therby that goodly cytie Hierusalem. Yet woldest thu of\nthy cursed nature that our eternall maker shulde lose hys creature. But\nthrough hys loue and grace, the sorye rem\u0113braunce of thy vncomelynesse,\ndoth cause her by repentaunce to come agayne, and submyt her selfe vnto\nGod more than euer she dyd. Hys inestymable goodnesse causeth the to lose\nthe whole labour whych thu takest all the weke.\n\n[Sidenote: Osee. 13.]\n\n[Sidenote: Ioan. 6.]\n\n[Sidenote: Math. 10.]\n\nTherfor helle hath not had all the nomber that he did pretende to haue,\nbicause that the solacyouse shaddowe & power of hys passyon, is suche a\nmyghtye protectyon to the sowle, that she therby nedeth neyther to doubte\ndeathe, synne, nor helle. Is there anye thynge can pull me backe if God\nbe wyllynge through hys gyfte of faythe to drawe me to hym? I meane suche\nfaythe as we must nedes haue to obtayne the hygh graces from aboue, &\nalso suche faythe as through charyte doth ioyne the humble seruaunt to\nhys maker. I beynge ioyned vnto hym, ought to haue no feare of trauayle,\npayne, nor sorowe. For who so euer doth wyllyngly suffer anye maner of\ndeathe or sorowe for the truthe, as ded Christ, he doth feale in suche\ntorment great consolacyon for hys sowle, knowynge that as for my selfe, I\nam weake, and with God I am ryght stronge.\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 8.]\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Io\u0101. 4.]\n\nThrough hys confort I maye do all thynges. For hys loue is so c\u014dsta\u016bt\n& perman\u0113t that it varyeth not for anye worldly thynge. Who can th\u0101\nwithdrawe me from hys grace? Surely the great heyth of heauen, nor the\ndeapenesse of helle, nor the breadeth of the whole earthe, neyther deathe\nnor synne, whych doth warre euery daye agaynst me, can separate me one\nmynute from the great loue & charyte, that my heauenly father through\nIesus Christ hath vnto me. Hys goodnesse is suche, that he loueth me\nwhych haue not at all tymes loued hym. And if I now loue hym, than shall\nI feale hys loue to increase in me. But bycause that my loue is not\nworthy to loue hym, I desyre hys loue to be myne the whych I feale suche\nas though it were myne owne. Hys desyre is to loue, and through hys loue\nhe causith my harte to be inflamyd with loue.\n\n[Sidenote: Ioan. 13.]\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 11.]\n\n[Sidenote: Ephe. 2[unclear].]\n\nAnd through suche loue he fyndeth hym selfe so welbeloued, that hys owne\ndede yeldeth hym wele content, & not my loue or strengthe. Contentynge\nhys selfe, hys loue doth increase more in me, than I can of hym desyre,\nO true louer, fountayne, or welsprynge of all charyte, and only purse of\nthe heau\u0113ly treasure. Ought I to thynke, or dare I saye what thu art?\nMaye I write it, or can anye mortall man comprehende thys goodnesse\n& loue? And if thu pr\u0113te in anye m\u0101nys harte, c\u0101 he expresse it? No\nsurely. For the capacyte of no man can comprehende the vnmesurable\ngoodnesses whych are in the, for naturall reas\u014d doth shewe vs how there\nis no c\u014dparyson betwyne an eternall & a mortall thynge. But whan through\nloue the mortall is ioyned with the eternall, the mortall thynge is so\nfulfylled with the eternall, that it can not fynde the ende therof. For\nit hath in it more good therby, than it can contayne or holde.\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 8.]\n\n[Sidenote: Eccs. 10.]\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. 118.]\n\nTherfor doth a man thynke, whych hath the loue of God, that he hath all\nthe goodes in the worlde therwith. Euen as we se the s\u016bne with one only\nsparcle of hys lyght doth blynde the eye, and yet doth she witholde her\ngreat lyghte. But aske the eye what he hath seane, and he wyll saye that\nhe hath beholden the whole bryghtnesse of the sunne. But that is a great\nlye. For he beynge dymmed with a lytle sparcle, coulde not se the whole\ncleartye therof. And neuertheles he is so contente, that it semith vnto\nhym as though he had so moche lyght as the sunne contayneth. Yet if he\nhad more than the seyde sparcle, he were not able to suffer it. Euen so\nthe sowle whych through faythe doth fele one sparcle of the loue of\nGod, doth fynde therwith the heate so great and maruelouse, so swete and\ndelycyouse, that it is impossyble to her to declare what thynge the same\nloue is.\n\n[Sidenote: Phil. 1.]\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Io\u0101. 4.]\n\nFor a lytle threof that she hath felte doth yelde her mynde satisfyed &\ndesyerynge of more wherof she hath ynough. So doth she lyue languyshynge\n& syghynge. The harte doth fele wele, that he hath receyued to moche, but\nhe hath c\u014dceyued suche desyre in thys to moche, that he alwayes desyerith\nto receyue the thynge whych he can not haue, neyther is he worthye to\nreceyue it. He knowith the good that he hath alredy to be vnspeakeable,\nand yet wolde he haue more of that wherof he can not stylle. Truly he\ncan not fele or thynke the good whych is in hym. Then lyeth it not in\nmy power, to tell what thynge the loue of God is, sith that I haue no\nknowlege of the feruentnesse therof. He that thynketh to haue all thys\nloue withyn hys harte, can not truly declare what thynge it is. Happye is\nhe wych hath suche abunda\u016bce of thys loue, that he maye saye, My God, I\nhaue ynough of it.\n\n[Sidenote: Iaco. 3.]\n\n[Sidenote: Apoca. 3.]\n\n[Sidenote: Math. 25.]\n\nHe whych hath thys loue within hym, dare not moche boaste therof, least\nin moche speakynge he lose it, vnles it be to edyfye hys neybour vnto\nsaluacyon. The impossybylyte than of the declaracyon of thys loue shall\nmake me to holde my peace. For there is no Saynte so perfyght, if he wyll\nspeake of the loue of the hygh God, of hys goodnesse, swetnesse, graces,\nand of all thynges els whych pertayneth to hym, but lokynge a lowe shall\nfynde hymselfe vnworthye, and so stoppe hys mouthe. I than a worme of\nthe earthe, lesse than nothynge, ought to cease and not to speake of the\nincomparable hyghnesse of thys loue. Yet were it to moch vnkyndenesse to\nbe noted in me, if I had writen nothynge, hauynge that done vnto me whych\nwolde satisfye a moche better wytte than myne is. For he that wolde hyde\nthe goodnesse of God, so good a mastre, shulde commytt a synne worthye to\nbe ponnyshed with the euerlastynge payne.\n\n[Sidenote: 2. Cor. 12.]\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 11.]\n\n[Sidenote: Sapi. 17.]\n\nTherfor come, O happye Paule, whych hast tasted so moche of the same\nswete honye, beynge blynded for the space of thre dayes, & rapte vp vnto\nthe thirde hau\u0113. Now I besech the, satisfye my ignora\u016bce & faulte, & tel\nme what in suche vysyon thu hast seane. Hark\u0113 th\u0101 what he sayth. O the\nvnspeakeable hyghnesse of the ab\u016bdaunt ryches or treasure both of the\nwysdome & knowledge of God. How incompreh\u0113syble are hys iudgem\u0113tes & how\nvnsearchable hys wayes vnto our weake wittes? O holye Paule, thy wordes\ncauseth vs moche to maruayle, that thu hauynge knowledge of so heau\u0113ly\nsecretes, woldest speake no further in them. At the least yet tell vs,\nwhat thynge we maye hope to haue one daye through suche godly loue. Geue\neare and ponder the wordes that he sayth.\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Cor. 2.]\n\n[Sidenote: Esa. 64.]\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 8.]\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Io\u0101. 4[unclear].]\n\nNeyther hath the eye seane, nor yet the eare hearde, neyther yet hath it\neuer entred into the harte of anye man, what God hath prepared for them\nthat loue hym. And wolde he speake it no farther? No truly. Yet all thys\nthat he sayeth here, is for non other purpose, but to prouoke vs ernestly\nto loue. He wylleth vs also therin to esteme, that he neyther can declare\nnor yet name it, & so to geue forth our hartes to pacy\u0113ce & hope of that\nthynge whych neuer m\u0101 yet coulde se, neyther yet dyscerne, what though\nmany through loue for it hath dyed. O excellent gyfte of faythe wherof\nso moche good c\u014dmyth, that it can sith man to possede the thynge whych he\ncan not c\u014dprehende. Faythe ioyned with the truthe, bryngeth fourth hope,\nwherby perfyght charyte is eng\u0113dered. And charyte is God, as thu knowist.\nIf we haue charyte, th\u0101 we haue also God therwith.\n\n[Sidenote: Io\u0101. 1[unclear].]\n\n[Sidenote: Roma. 12[unclear].]\n\n[Sidenote: 1. Timo. [unreadable].]\n\nThan is God in vs, and we are in hym. And all thys cometh through the\nbenefyte of faythe. For he dwellith in all men whych haue true faythe.\nThus haue we a greatter treasure th\u0101 we c\u0101 tell of, or yet anye man\nexpresse vnto vs. Now to c\u014dclude. Syth that so great an Apostle as\nsaynt Paule is, wyll speake no further of God & hys inestymable loue,\naccordynge to hys ryghtouse ex\u0101ple and doctryne, I wyll holde my peace\n& be stylle, folowynge neuerthelesse hys teachynges. Notwithst\u0101dynge\nyet though herin I acknowledge my selfe but earthe and duste, yet maye\nI not fayle to yelde thankes vnto my eternall lyuynge God, for suche\ngreat graces, and benefytes, as it hath pleased hym to gyue me. Vnto\nthat euerlastynge kynge of heauen immortall, inuysyble, inc\u014dprehensyble,\nmyghty, and wyse only, be all honoure, prayse, glorye, magnyfycence, and\nloue for euer & euer. Amen.\n\n\n\n\nTextes of the scripture.\n\n\nThese .iiii. clauses of the sacred scripture added my lady Helisabeth\nvnto the begynnynge and ende of her boke, and therfor I haue here\nregestred th\u0113 in the ende.\n\n\nEccle. 25.\n\nThere is not a more wycked heade, than the heade of the serpente. And\nthere is no wrathe aboue the wrathe of a wom\u0101.\n\n\nEccle. 25.\n\nBut he that hath goten a vertuouse woman, hath goten a goodly possessyon.\nShe is vnto hym an helpe and pyller, whervpon he restith.\n\n\nEccle. 25.\n\nIt were better to dwelle with a lyon and dragon, than to kepe howse with\na wycked wyfe.\n\n\nEccle. 7.\n\nYet depart not from a dyscrete and good woman, that is fallen vnto the\nfor thy porcyon in the feare of the lorde, for the gifte of her honestie,\nis aboue golde.\n\n\n\n\nThe Conclusyon.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Appetytes.]\n\n[Sidenote: Synner.]\n\n[Sidenote: The lorde.]\n\nCertayne, & sure am I (most gentyll reader) that all they whych shall\nperuse thys godlye boke, shall not therwith be pleased. For amonge\nfeaders are alwayes sondry appetytes, and in great assemblyes of people,\ndyuerse, and varyaunt iudgementes, As the saynge, is, so many heades, so\nmany wyttes. Neyther fyne paynted speche, wysdome of thys worlde, nor yet\nrelygyouse hypocresye (whych for pryuate commodyte many men seketh) are\nherin to be loked for, And a reason why, For he that is here famylyarly\ncommoned with, regardeth no curyosyte, but playnesse and truthe. He\nrefuseth no synner, but is wele contented at all tymes to heare hys\nhombly tale. Hyde not thy selfe from me (sayth he) whan thu hast done\namys, but come boldely face to face, and commen the matter with me. If\nthy synnes be so redde as scarlet, I shall make th\u0113 whyter than snowe.\nAnd though thy factes be as the purple, yet shall they apere so whyte as\nthe wolle. Esa. 1. For as truly as I lyue (sayth he) no pleasure haue I\nin the deathe of a synner, but wyll moch rather that he turne and be\nsaued. Eze. 33.\n\n[Sidenote: Dauid.]\n\n[Sidenote: S. Ioh\u0101.]\n\nIf the hombly speche here do to moche off\u0113de, c\u014dsydre it to be the worke\nof a woman, as she in the bygynnynge therof, haue most mekely desyered.\nAnd yet of n\u014d other woman, than was most godly mynded. Marke Dauid in the\npsalter, whych was a man both wyse and lerned, and ye shall fynde hys\nmaner in speakynge not all vnlyke to thys. Faythe (saynt Paule sayth)\nstandeth not in floryshynge eloquence, neyther yet in mannys polytyque\nwysdome, but in the grace and power of God. 1. Cor. 2. If the ofte\nrepetynge of some one sentence, engendereth a tedyouse werynesse to the\nreader, lete hym wele peruse the holy workes of S. Iohan the Eu\u0101gelyst, &\nI doubt it not but he shall fynde there the same maner of writynge. And\nhys occasyon is (as all the chefe writers afferme) the necessary markynge\nof the preceptes of helthe, or of matter chefely concernynge the sowles\nsaluacyon. For a thynge twyse or thryse spoken, entereth moche more\ndepely into the rem\u0113braunce than that is vttered but ones.\n\n[Sidenote: Lady helisabeth.]\n\n[Sidenote: Her first frute.]\n\n[Sidenote: Lybrares.]\n\nAnd as touchynge the porcyon that my ladye Helisabeth, the kynges most\nnoble syster hath therin, whych is her tr\u0101slacyon. Chefely haue she done\nit for her owne exercyse in the frenche tunge, besydes the spirytuall\nexercyse of her innar sowle with God. As a dylygent & profytable bee,\nhaue she gathered of thys floure swetnesse both wayes, and of thys boke\nconsolacyon in sprete. And thynkynge that other myght do the same, of a\nmost fre christen harte, she maketh it here c\u014dmen vnto them, not beynge a\nnigarde ouer the treasure of God. Math. 25. The first frute is it of her\nyonge, tender, and innocent labours. For I thynke she was not full oute\nxiiii. Yeares of age, at the fynyshynge therof. She haue not done herin,\nas ded the relygyouse and anoynted hypocrytes in monasteryes, cou\u0113tes\nand colleges, in spearynge their lybraryes from men studyouse, and in\nreseruynge the treasure contayned in their bokes, to most vyle dust and\nwormes. But lyke as God hath gracyously geuen it, so do she agayne most\nfrely dystrybute it.\n\n[Sidenote: The aged.]\n\n[Sidenote: Youth.]\n\n[Sidenote: Tuters.]\n\nSoch noble begynnynges are neyther to be reckened chyldysh nor babysh,\nthough she were a babe in yeares, that hath here geu\u0113 them. Seldome fynde\nwe them that in the closynge vp of their wythered age, do mynystre\nlyke frutes of vertu. An infynyte swarme beholde we of olde dottynge\nbawdes and beastes, that with c\u014dscyences loaden with synne (as S. Paule\nreporteth them) taketh euery paynted stocke & stone for their God,\nbesydes the small breades that their lecherouse chaplaynes hath blowen\nvpon. They shall not be vnwyse, that shall marke herin, what commodyte it\nis, or what profyght myght growe to a christen c\u014dmen welthe if youth were\nthus brought vp in vertu & good letters. If soch frutes come forewarde in\nchyldehode, what wyll folowe and apere whan dyscressyon and yeares shall\nbe more rype and auncyent? A most manyfest sygne of Godlynesse is it in\nthe fryndes, where youth is thus instytute, and a token of wonderfully\nfaythfull dylygence, in the studyouse teachers, tuters, and dayly lokers\non.\n\n[Sidenote: Lerned.]\n\n[Sidenote: Clauses added.]\n\nNobylyte whych she hath got\u0113 of bloude in the hyghest degre, hauynge\na most vyctoryouse kynge to her father, & a most vertuouse, & lerned\nkynge agayne to her brother, is not in the earely sprynge dystayned\nwith wanton ignora\u016bce, neyther yet blemyshed with the commen vyces\nof dyssolute youth, But most Plenteously adourned with all kyndes of\nlanguages, lernynges, and vertues, to holde it styll in ryght course. The\ntranslacyon of thys worke, were euydence stronge ynough, if I had not\nels to laye for the matter. But marke yet an other moch more effectuall\nand clere, at the whych not a fewe lerned men in Germany haue wondered.\nIn .iiij. noble languages, Latyne, Greke, Frenche, and Italyane, wrote\nshe vnto me these clauses folowynge. Whych I haue added to thys boke,\nnot only in commendacyon of her lerned youth, but also as an example to\nbe folowed of other noble men and women, c\u014dcernynge their chyldren. The\nwritten clauses are these, whych she wrote first with her owne hande,\nmoch more fynely than I coulde with anye prentynge letter set th\u0113 fourth.\n\n[Sidenote: Latyne.]\n\n_Stultus dixit in corde suo, non est Deus. Illi corrupti sunt, &\nabhominabiles in sua impietate, nullus est qui aliquid boni facit._\n\n[Sidenote: Frenche.]\n\nLe foldisoit en s\u014d c\u0153ur, il n\u2019a nul Dieu. Ilz sont corumpus & sont\nabhominables en leur impiete, il n\u2019a nul qui faict bien.\n\n[Sidenote: Italiane.]\n\nIs stulto disse uel suo core, non v\u2019 e alcuno Dio. Corrutti sono &\nabhominabile nella loro impiet\u00e0, nissuno \u00e8 buono.\n\n[Sidenote: Greke.]\n\nTon theon phobo\u016d, tous de goneis tima, tous de Philous aeschynou.\n\nThe first clause in thre l\u0101guages, latyne, Frenche, and Italyane,\ncompreh\u0113deth thys only sentence, as I shewed afore in the Epystle\ndedycatory.\n\n[Sidenote: Antichrist Hys clergy.]\n\nThe fole sayth in hys harte, there is no God. Corrupt they are, and\nabhominable in their wyckednesse (or blasphemyes agaynst God) not one of\nthem doth good.\n\nThe Greke clause is thus to be Englyshed.\n\n[Sidenote: Christiane.]\n\nFeare God, honoure thy parentes, and reuerence thy fryndes.\n\n[Sidenote: The pope.]\n\n[Sidenote: Writers.]\n\n[Sidenote: Women.]\n\n[Sidenote: All sortes.]\n\nThus haue she geuen vs co\u016bsell, both to go and to come, to leaue and\nto take. To declyne from the euyll, and to do that is good Psal. 36.\nTo flee from the Antichrist & hys great body of synne or blasphemouse\ncruell clergy, & to returne to God by a perfyght feare, honoure, and\nloue. So lyuely Apothegmes, or breue and quyck s\u0113tences, respectynge\nchristyanyte, haue seldom come from women. I haue serched Plutarchus,\nBoccatius, Bergomas, Textor, & Lander of Bonony, whych all wrote of the\nvertues and worthy actes of wom\u0113. But amonge them all haue I founde no\ncounsels so necessary to the c\u014dmen welthe of our christyanyte. I denye\nit not, but excellent thynges they vttered, and matters of wysdome\nwonderfull, concernynge morall vertues. But these most hyghly respecteth\nthe kyngedome of fayth and regym\u0113t of the sowle, whych Iesus Christ the\neternall sonne of God, from heauen by hys doctryne and death so busyly\nsought to clere. Many graue sentences had they concernynge pryuate\ncauses. But vnyuersally these are for all sortes of people, hygh, lowe,\nhayle, sycke, ryche, poore, lerned, & vnlerned, that myndeth to haue\nfredome by Christes deadly sufferynges, or to be delyuered fr\u014d helle,\nsynne, deathe, & the deuyll, by the pryce of hys precyouse bloude.\n\n[Sidenote: Guendolena.]\n\n[Sidenote: Cordilla.]\n\n[Sidenote: Cambra.]\n\n[Sidenote: Lawes.]\n\nNo realme vndre the skye hath had more noble women, nor of more excellent\ngraces, than haue thys realme of Englande, both in the dayes of the\nBrytaynes, and sens the Englysh Saxons obtayned it by valeaunt conquest.\nGuendolena the wyfe of Locrinus the seconde kynge of Brytayne, beynge\nvnlaufully dyuorced from hym for the pleasure of an whore, whom he longe\nafore had kepte, tryed it with hym by dynte of the swerde, had the\nvyctory, and reigned after hym as kynge the space of .xv. yeares, tyll\nher sonne Maddan come to laufull age. Cordilla the doughter of kynge\nLeyer, and least of all her systers, as her father was deposed, & exyled\nout of hys lande, she receyued, conforted, and restored hym agayne to\nhys princely honoure, and reigned alone after hys deathe, for the space\nof .v. yeares. Cambra the doughter of kynge Belyne, and wyfe to Antenor\nthan Kynge of France, ded not only excede in bewtie, but also in wysdome.\nIn so moch that she first instructed the noble men how to buylde cyties,\ncastels, and other stronge holdes, the c\u014dm\u0113 people more comely maners,\nand the wom\u0113 a most semely deckynge of their heades. She made their\ncyuyle lawes, whych vpon her name were called. Leges Sycambrorum. She\ntaught them to sowe flaxe and hempe, to watter it, drye it, dresse it,\nspynne it, weaue it, whyten it, and fashyon it, to all maner of vse for\nthe bodye.\n\n[Sidenote: Martia.]\n\n[Sidenote: Constantia.]\n\n[Sidenote: Agasia.]\n\n[Sidenote: B\u016bdwyca.]\n\nMartia the wyfe of kynge Guythelyne, a lady excedyngly fayre, wyse, &\nlerned in all the lyberall scyences, inuented thynges wonderfull by the\nhygh practyse of her wytt. After the death of her husb\u0101de she reigned\n.vij. yeares as kynge, tyll Sicilius her sonne came to age. She redressed\nthe commen welthe, refourmed the grosse maners of the people, and made\nmost honest lawes, called of her name, Leges Martiane. So delyghted the\nFrenche kynge Nicanor in the wysdome, lernynge, and comely maners of hys\nwyfe Constantia, the doughter of kynge Eliodorus, that he not only holpe\nher brother Geruntius in see battayle agaynst the kynge of Orchades, but\nalso sent hys most dere sonne Priamus into Brytayne to haue the same\nselfe bryngynge vp. The Scottysh kynge Finnanus, thought hys pryncely\nhonour most gloryously increased, as he had obtayned Agasia the doughter\nof kynge Blegabridus, to be coupled in maryage with Dorstus hys sonne,\nfor the manyfolde graces that he behelde in her. What though the seyd\nvngracyouse Dorstus, in spyght of the Brytaynes, ded afterwarde vse\nher most wyckedly. Bundwyca a wom\u0101 both hygh of stature, and stomacke,\nalso of myst noble lynage amonge the Brytaynes, perceyuynge the hauoke\nwhych the Romanes dayly made in the lande, with great pusaunce of worthy\nwarryours she inuaded them, slewe them, hynge vp their captaynes, and\nfolowed the remnaunt of them to the very Alpes of Italy. Where at the\nlattre by reason of dayly labours, she syckened and so dyed, euen the\nuery glory of women, sayth Ponticus Virunnius.\n\n[Sidenote: Voada.]\n\n[Sidenote: Voadicia.]\n\n[Sidenote: Athildis.]\n\n[Sidenote: Claudia Rufina.]\n\nVoada the first wyfe of kynge Aruiragus, a woman of wonderfull force &\nhart strongly armed her selfe, her .ij. doughters, and .v. thousande\nwomen more of the Britannysh bloude in battayle agaynst the furyouse\nfearce Romanes, to suppresse their tyranny and execrable fylthynesse\nin abusynge maydes, wyues, and wydowes. But as she behelde the vyctory\nvpon their sydes bycause she wolde not come vndre their captyuyte, she\npoysened her selfe, & so dyed. Voadicia her yonger doughter, afterwarde\nescapynge the handes of the seyd Romanes, with a myghty power of the\nBrytanes entered into the yle of M\u0101ne, and in a nyght battayle, there\nslewe th\u0113 in a wonderfull nombre, destroyenge their fortalyces, and\nholdes. Notwithstandynge at the lattre beynge taken, she was byheaded,\nher eldar syster beynge maryed to kynge Marius. Athildis the doughter\nof the seyd kynge Marius, was also a most noble woman, whom the Frenche\nkynge Marcomerus marryed for the only naturall gyftes and scyences whych\nshe had aboue other women, and had .vij. sonnes by her. Claudia Rufina,\na noble Brytayne, wyttye and lerned both in Greke and Latyne, hauynge\nto husbande one Aulus Rufus a lerned knyght, a poete of Bonony & a\nphylosopher of the Stoycall sort, is moch c\u014dm\u0113ded of Martialis the poete,\nfor the Epygrammes and poemes whych she than compyled in both those\ntunges.\n\n[Sidenote: Emerita.]\n\n[Sidenote: Helena Flauia.]\n\n[Sidenote: C\u014dst\u0101tia.]\n\n[Sidenote: Vrsula.]\n\nEmerita the syster of kynge Lucius, whych is called the first christened\nkynge, a lady most vertuouse and faythfull for c\u014dstauntly affermynge\nthe veryte of Christ, suffered most tyrannouse death and was brent in\nthe fyre. Helena Flauia, the doughter of kynge Coelus, and mother to\ngreat Constantyne the Emprour, was a woman of incomparable bewtie and\nlernynge. Non coulde be founde lyke her in the artes lyberall, neyther\nyet in the fyne handelynge of all instrumentes of musyke. She excelled\nall other in the dyuerse speches of nacyons, specyally in the Latyne,\nGreke, and Hebrue. She made a boke of the prouydence of God, an other of\nthe immortalyte of the sowle, with serten Greke poemes, epystles, and\ndyuerse other treatyses. Constantia her doughter, was also a woman of\nmost excellent giftes, had she not in the ende declyned to the detestable\nsecte of the Arryanes, by serten hypocrytysh prestes. Vrsula Cynosura,\nthe floryshynge douter of Dionothus the duke of Cornewale, was so nobylly\nbrougt vp in all lyberall dyscyplyne, that Conanus the kynge of lytle\nBrytayne desyred her to wyfe, and as she went thydrewarde with .xi.\nthousande Brytaynes wyues more, by cha\u016bce of wether and vyolence of see\nrouers both she and they peryshed by the waye.\n\n[Sidenote: Annae duae.]\n\n[Sidenote: Morganis.]\n\n[Sidenote: Hermelinda.]\n\n[Sidenote: Hylda.]\n\n[Sidenote: Tres filiae.]\n\n[Sidenote: Alenora.]\n\nAnna the syster of Aurelius Ambrosius whych was afterwarde marryed to\nLotho the kynge of Pyctes, & Anna the twynne syster of kynge Arthure, are\nof writers magnyfyed, for their dyuerse and excellent graces. Morganis\na woman of incomparable loue towardes her parentes, and contraye, so\nsecretly and wysely conuayed the body of kynge Arthure, the most worthy\ngouernour of the Brytaynes, that the Englysh Saxons coulde neuer come to\nit, to do their vyol\u0113ce theron. Hermelinda, rysynge of the Englysh Saxons\nbloude, for her excellent bewtie and noble behauer became the wyfe of\nCunibertus the kynge of Lombardy. Hylda, a noble woman, both godly, wyse,\nand lerned, not only dysputed in the open Synode at Streneshalce in the\nNorth contraye agaynst the prelates, concernynge their newly founde out\ncelebracyon of Eastre, and their crowne shauynge, with other ceremonyes,\nbut also wrote a treatyse agaynst byshopp Agilbert a Frenche man, the\nbusyest amonge them. The thre doughters of kynge Alphrede, Elfleda,\nElfritha, and Ethelgora, were wonderfully experte in the lyberall\nscyences. Alenor the wyfe of kynge Henry the seconde, was lerned also,\n& wrote dyuerse epystles to pope Celestyne the thirde, & also to kynge\nIohan her yongest sonne.\n\n[Sidenote: Ioanna.]\n\n[Sidenote: Margareta.]\n\n[Sidenote: Elisabeth.]\n\n[Sidenote: Names.]\n\nIo\u0101na the yongest doughter of the seyd kynge Henry, so moch delyghted\nin good letters, that before she shulde be marryed to kynge wyllyam of\nCycyll, she caused her father to sende ouer .ij. lerned men of Englande,\nwalther and Rycharde with a French doctour called Petrus Blesensis to\ninstruct hym in them, specyally in the arte of versyfyenge. And at her\nc\u014dmynge thydre, the one of those Englysh men was made archebyshop of\nPanorme, & the other byshop of Siracusa, in recomp\u0113ce of their labours.\nMargarete the noble mother of kynge Henry the .vij. so plenteously\nmynded the preferment of scyences & goynge forewarde of lernynges, that\nshe buylded in Cambryge for the same porpose, the colleges of Christ &\nof S. Iohan the Eu\u0101gelyst, and gaue landes for their mayntenaunce, as\nquene Helisabeth ded afore, to the quenes college there. Longe were it\nto rehearce the excedynge nombre of noble women, whych in thys lande of\nBrytayne or realme of Englande, haue excelled in bewtie, wytte, wysdome,\nscyence l\u0101guages, lyberalyte, polycyes, heroycall force, and soch other\nnotable vertues, and by reason of them done feates wonderfull. Eyther\nyet to sort out their Names and regestre them one by one, whych haue\nbene marryed out of the same, to Emprours, kynges, dukes, earles, worthy\ncaptaynes, Phylosophers, phesycyanes, astronomers, poetes, & other of\nrenomed fame and letters, only for their most rare graces and gyftes.\n\n[Sidenote: Writers.]\n\n[Sidenote: Alenora Cobham.]\n\n[Sidenote: Double honoure.]\n\nThough non in thys lande haue yet done as ded amonge the Grekes\nPlutarchus, & amonge the Latynes Boccatius with other authours afore\nnamed, that is to saye, left beynde them Cataloges or Nomenclatures of\nfamouse and honorable women, yet haue it not at any tyme bene barrayne\nof them. No, not in the dayes of most popysh darkenesse. As apereth by\nAlenor Cobham, the wyfe of good duke Vmfrey of Glocestre, brother to\nkynge H\u0113ry the fift. Whom Antichristes grande captaynes, the byshoppes\nthan of Engl\u0101de, in hate of her name and beleue, accused of sorcerouse\ninchauntmentes and experymentes of Necromancy agaynst their holy horned\nwhorysh churche. And at the last slewe her noble husbande in a false\nparlement at Bury, by their owne hyred slaughter man Pole, as they neuer\nare without soch. If they were worthy prayse, whych had these aforenamed\nvertues syngle, or after a bodyly sort only, we must of congruence graunt\nthem worthy double honoure, whych haue them most pl\u0113teously doubled. As\nnow sens Christes Gospell hath rysen, we haue beholden them, & yet se\nthem styll to thys daye in many noble women, not rysynge of flesh and\nbloude as in the other, but of that myghty lyuynge sprete of hys, whych\nvanquyshed deathe, helle, and the deuyll.\n\n[Sidenote: Anne Askewe.]\n\n[Sidenote: Noble.]\n\n[Sidenote: Women.]\n\n[Sidenote: Prayer.]\n\nConsydre yet how strongly that sprete in Anne Askewe, set them all at\nnought with all their artyllery and mynysters of myschefe both vpon\nthe racke and also in the fyre. Whose memory is now in benedyccyon (as\nIesus Syrach reporteth of Moses) and shall neuer be forgotten of the\nryghteouse. She as Christes myghty membre, hath strongly troden downe\nthe head of the serpent, and gone hence with most noble vyctory ouer\nthe pestyferouse seede of that vyperouse worme of Rome, the gates of\nhelle not preuaylynge agaynst her. What other noble women haue, it doth\nnow, and wyll yet herafter apere more largely by their godly doctryne\nand dedes of fayth. Marke thys present boke for one, whose translacyon\nwas the worke of her, whych was but a babe at the doynge therof. Marke\nalso the graue sentences, whych she geueth fourth to the worlde, & laude\nthat lyuynge father of our lorde Iesus Christ, whych hath thus taken hys\nheauenly wysdome from the great graue senyours, that only are wyse in\ntheir owne consaytes, and geuen it so largely to chyldr\u0113, Math. 11. That\nheauenly lorde gra\u016bt her and other noble women longe contynua\u016bce in the\nsame to hys hygh pleasure. That lyke as they are become gloryouse to the\nworlde by the stody of good letters, so maye they also apere gloryouse \u012b\nhys syght by dayle exercyse in hys dyuyne scriptures, Whose nature is in\nprocesse of tyme to kyndle their myndes and inflame their hartes in the\nloue of Christ their eternall spouse, as thys present boke requyreth, So\nbe it.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nThus endeth thys godly Medytacyon of the christen sowle concernynge a\nloue towardes God and hys Christ, aptely translated into Englysh by the\nryght vertuouse lady Elyzabeth doughter to our late souerayne Kynge Henry\nthe .viij.\n\n\n\u00b6 The .xiij. Psalme of Dauid, called, _Dixit insipiens_, touched afore of\nmy lady Elizabeth.\n\n    Fooles that true fayth, yet neuer hod,\n    Sayth in their hartes, there is no God.\n    Fylthy they are, in their practyse,\n    Of them not one, is godly wyse.\n    From heauen the lorde, on man ded loke,\n    The knowe what wayes, he vndertoke,\n    All they were vayne, and went a straye,\n    Not one he founde, in the ryght waye,\n    In harte and tunge, haue they deceyte,\n    Their lyppes throwe fourth, a poysened beyte.\n    Their myndes are mad, their mouthes are wode.\n    And swyft they be, in shedynge blode.\n    So blynde they are, no truth they knowe,\n    No feare of God, in them wyll growe.\n    How can that cruell sort be good?\n    Of Gods dere folcke, whych sucke the blood?\n    On hym ryghtly, shall they not call,\n    Dyspayre wyll so, their hartes appall.\n    At all tymes God, is with the iust,\n    Bycause they put, in hym their trust.\n    Who shall therfor, from Syon geue,\n    That helthe whych h\u0101geth, in our beleue.\n    Whan God shall take, fr\u014d hys the smart,\n    Than wyll Iacob, reioyce in hart.\n              Prayse to God.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\nImprented in the yeare of our lorde 1548, in Apryll.","title":"A godly medytacyon of the christen sowle, concerninge a loue towardes God and hys Christe","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":19199}