,transcriber's ,note3 ,biblical references in the sidenotes are not always possible to make out1 due to the quality of the print4 ,where this is the case it has been noted with unclear or unreadable1 as appropriate4 ,a ,godly ,medytacyon of the christen sowle1 concerninge a loue towardes ,god and hys ,christe1 compyled in frenche by lady ,margarete quene of ,nauerre1 and aptely translated into ,englysh by the ryght vertuouse lady ,elyzabeth doughter to our late souerayne ,kynge ,henri the 4viij4 ,illustration ,inclita filia1 serenissimi olim ,anglorum ,regis ,henrici octaui ,elizabeta1 tam ,grc quam latine fliciter in ,christo erudita4 ,to the ryght vertuouse and christenly lerned yonge lady ,elizabeth1 the noble doughter of our late souerayne ,kynge ,henry the 4viij4 ,iohan ,bale wysheth helth with dayly increace of ,godly knowledge4 ,sidenote3 ,nobylyse4 ,sidenote3 ,albion4 ,diuerse and many 7most gracyouse lady7 haue the opynyons bene amonge the prophane philosophers and christen dyuynes1 concernynge ryght ,nobylyte1 and no fewar stryues and contencyons for the same4 ,some autours haue vaynely boasted it to take orygynall of the olde ,goddes of the ,gentyles1 as euery lde hath had hys peculyar ,saturne1 ,iupiter1 ,hercules1 yea our ,englde here and all4 ,some hath fatt it from the foure generall monarchyes of the ,assyrianes1 ,perseanes1 ,grekes1 and ,romanes4 ,some haue attrybuted it1 to the bolde battayles and bloudshedynges1 in ,ninus of ,babylon the first inutour of polycyes in warre1 in our great ,albion the ,chamesene1 whych first in thys regyon suppressed the posterite of ,iaphet1 vsurpynge therin the first monarchy1 in ,brute that more than six hondred yeares after defaced of hym the tyrannouse yssue1 in ,ebrck and ,dunwallo1 in ,brenne and ,belyne1 in great ,constantyne1 ,artoure1 ,cadwalader1 ,engist1 ,egbert1 ,alphrede wyllyam cquerour soch other1 for lyke cquestes of the ,romanes1 ,grekes1 ,galles1 pyctes1 ,brytaynes1 ,saxons1 ,danes1 ,iryshens and ,englyshens4 ,sidenote3 ,brute4 ,sidenote3 ,romani4 ,sidenote3 ,gwalli4 ,sidenote3 ,iaphet4 ,sidenote3 ,kyndes of ,nobylyte4 ,the hawty ,romanes set not yet a lyttle by themselues1 that they haue rys of ,aeneas ,romulus1 of whom the one most shamefully betrayed hys owne natyue kyndred and contraye1 and the other most vnnaturally slewe hys owne brother for worldly domyny4 ,lyke as our walshemen here in ,englande1 aduacynge their successyon or progeny aboue the ,englysh wyll nedes come of ,sardanus ,bute1 a fodacy not all vnlyke to the other4 ,these gloryouse champyons for thys farre fatched grode of their ,nobylyte1 accote all other nacyons and peoples1 ignoble1 profane1 and barbarouse1 as is to be seane in the monumtes of their writers4 ,but in the meaneseason1 they are not aware that they wndyscretely prefarre cursed ,cham to blessed ,iaphet1 by whose posteryte the ,iles of the ,gentyles were first sorted out in to speches1 kyndredes1 and nacyons1 ,gene4 #aj4 and not by ,chams ofsprynge1 of whome the ,troianes and ,romanes had their noble begynnynge4 ,that the ,chamesenes had in those ,iles1 was by cruell vsurpacyon tyrny1 as testyfyeth ,berosus the ,caldeane and therfor that grode of ,nobylyte is not all the best4 ,ouer and besydes all thys1 some haue applyed it to renomed byrth or successyon of bloude1 some to the habdace of pleasures worldly some to the mayntenace of great famylyes1 some to the sptuousnesse of notable buyldynges1 some to the hygh stomake stature of persone1 some to valeatnesse in marcyall feates1 some to semely maners of courtesye1 some to lyberalyte of rewardes and gyftes1 some to the auncyentnesse of longe cotynuaunce1 some to wysdome lernynge stody for a cmwelth with soch lyke4 ,and these are not all to be dysalowed1 for we fynde them in ,abraham1 ,dauid with other iust fathers4 ,sidenote3 ,clergy4 ,sidenote3 ,stbery4 ,sidenote3 ,hunte4 ,sidenote3 ,fryres4 ,but now foloweth1 a monstruouse1 or whether ye wyll1 a prestygyouse nobylyte4 ,the ,romysh clergye ymagenynge to exalte themselues aboue the lewde layte 7as they shame not yet to call the worldly powers7 haue geuen it in a farre other kynde1 to mytars1 masses1 ,cardynall hattes1 crosers1 cappes1 shauen crownes1 oyled thombes1 syde gownes1 furred amyses1 mkes cowles1 and fryres lowsy coates1 becmynge therby ptyfycall lordes1 spirytuall sirs1 and ghostly fathers4 ,thys kynde of ,nobylyte dygged out of the dongehyll1 haue ,i seane gorgyously garnyshed with the retoryckes of ,porphyry1 ,aristotle1 ,duns1 and ,raymundus decretals1 in the bokes of ,iohan ,stanbery byshopp of herforde1 ,de superioritate ecclesiastica1 ,de discrimine iurisdictionum1 and ,de potestate ptificia4 ,in the bokes also of ,walter hte an ordynary reader styme in ,oxforde1 ,de precelltia ,petri1 ,de autoritate ecclesie4 ,yea1 and amge thselues they haue moch contended both by disputacyon writynges1 whych of their seeres myght other excell in the nobylnesse of christen perfection4 ,the monkes in publyque scoles1 by a dystynccyon of the actyue and contemplatyue lyfe1 haue aduaunced their ydell mkery aboue the offyce of a byshopp1 and the fryres their scalde crauynge beggery1 aboue the degrees of th ,both4 ,as is largely seane in the brawlynge workes of ,rycharde ,maydeston1 ,thomas walden1 ,wyllyam ,byntre other whych haue written ,contra wicleuistas1 ,pro mdicatione fratr4 ,sidenote3 ,myluerton4 ,sidenote3 #d4 orders4 ,sidenote3 ,prestes4 ,sidenote3 ,o ,deuils carnate4 ,in the dayes of kynge ,edwarde the fourt1 ,iohan ,myluerton prouyncyall of the ,carmelytes1 was full thre yeares1 a prysoner in the castell of ,angell at ,rome at the sute of the byshoppes of ,englande for the same1 and lost so the byshopryck of saynt ,dauids1 wherunto he was a lyttle afore elected4 ,thys matter haue ,i hearde1 vndre the tyttle of ,euangelyck perfeccyon1 most depely reasoned in their ordynary dysputacions at their concourses cuocacyons1 and chapters 7as they than called them7 yea by those whome ,i knewe most corrupt lyuers1 ,berto for fournyshynge out the same1 the graye fryres added4 ,s4 frances paynted wodes1 the blacke fryres4 ,s4 ,domynyckes bolde dysputynge with heretykes1 the whyte fryres our ladyes fraternyte1 and the ,augustyne fryres the great doctryne of their patrone4 ,in the vnyuersytees afte moch to and fro1 hath it bene concluded1 that the order of a prest haue farre excelled in dygnyte the order of a byshopp4 ,and thys haue they left behynde them for a most graue and depe reason therupon4 ,marke their more than lucyferyne presumpcyon therin4 ,soch power hath a prest 7saye they7 as hath neyther ,angell nor yet ,man1 be he of neuer so great autoryte1 scyce1 or vertu4 ,for a prest by worde maye make hym agayne1 that by worde made heauen earth4 ,a prest maye euery daye both byget hym and beare hym1 where as hys mother ,marye bygate hym 7beare hym they wolde saye7 but ones4 ,these are their very wordes in a boke entytled1 ,de origine ,nobilitatis4 ca4 #e4 with moch more cyrcumstaunce of matter4 ,o blasphemouse bellybeastes1 most ydell wytted sorcerers4 ,how ydolatrously exalte they themselues aboue the eternall lyuynge ,god hys ,christ8 ,sidenote3 ,nobylyte4 ,sidenote3 ,apostles4 ,sidenote3 ,faythe4 ,iohan ,chrisostome a man taught and brought up in the christen philosophy1 defyneth the true ,nobylyte after a farre other sort1 than ded the prophane writers4 ,he calleth it not with ,aristotle1 a worthynesse of progeny1 neyther yet with ,varro opulcy of ryches1 but a fameuse renome obtayned by lge exercysed vertu4 ,he is pusaunt1 hygh1 d valeaunt 7sayth he7 and hath ,nobylyte in right course1 that dysdayneth to geue place to vyces and abhorreth to be ouercomen of them4 ,doctryne greatly adourneth a m hyghly borne1 but a godly endeuoure of christyanyte bewtyfyeth hym most of all4 ,by n other wayes haue the ,apostles and ,martyrs obtayned a noble report1 than by the valeaunt force of pure doctryne and fayth4 ,a gtyll hart 7sayth ,seneca7 or a stomake that ys noble1 moueth1 prouoketh1 and sturreth1 only to thynges honest4 ,no man whych hath a noble wytte1 delyteth in thynges of small value1 moch lesse in matters of fylthynesse or supperstycyon4 ,chefely apperteyneth it to men and women of syncere ,nobylyte1 to regarde the pure doctryne and faythe1 vnto soch hath ,god promysed in the scriptures1 habundaunce of tporall thynges1 longe lyfe1 fortunate chyldren1 a kyngedome durable1 with soch other1 ,deut4 #bh4 ,sidenote3 ,gedeon4 ,sidenote3 ,asa rex4 ,sidenote3 ,iosaphat4 ,sidenote3 ,iehu4 ,sidenote3 ,ezechias4 ,sidenote3 ,iosias4 ,sidenote3 ,prestes4 ,sidenote3 ,ecclesia4 #di4 ,a most worthy conquerour is ,gedeon noted in the scriptures1 for destroyenge false relygy renuynge the kyngedome of faythe4 ,iudi4 vj4 ,so is kynge ,asa1 for remouynge the male stues from the prelates abhorrynge marryage1 for puttynge downe ydolles whych hys forefathers maynteyned4 #c4 ,reg4 #ae4 ,so is kynge ,iosaphat1 for beynge couragyouse in the wayes of ,god1 and for puttynge downe the hyll aulters their sacrifices4 #b4 parali #ag4 ,so is kynge ,iehu1 for sleynge the ydolatrouse ,prestes1 and for breakynge and burnynge their great ,god ,baal1 and for makynge1 a ,iakes of their holy churche #d4 ,reg4 #aj4 ,so is kynge ,ezechias for clsynge the house of the lorde from all fylthynesse1 afore hys tyme therin occupyed4 #b4 ,parali4 #bi4 and for breakynge downe the brasen serpent and ydolatrouse ymages with their aulters and sanctuaryes4 #d4 ,reg4 #ah4 ,so is kynge ,iosias1 for suppressynge relygyouse persones and aulter prestes1 for csumynge their iewels ornamtes1 for ouerthrowynge their buggery chambers in the howse of the lorde #d4 ,reg4 #bc4 ,thys noble kge also destroyed all theyr carued ymages1 he strewed the dust of th vpon their graues that had offered to them1 and brent the prestes bones vp their aulters1 restorynge agayne the lawes of the lorde4 #b4 parali4 #cd4 ,iesus ,syrach reporteth of hym fynally1 that he whollye dyrected hys hart to the lorde1 toke awaye all abhomynacyons of the vngodly4 ,eccle4 #di4 ,besydes that is spoken of kynge ,dauid and kynge ,salomon4 ,sidenote3 ,edwarde vj4 rex4 ,sidenote3 ,ignoble4 ,not ,i only1 but many thousandes more whych wyll not from hens fourth bowe any more to ,baal1 are in full perfyght hope1 that all these most hyghly notable and pryncely actes1 wyll reuyue lyuely florysh in your most noble and worthy brother kynge ,edwarde the sixt4 ,most excellent godly are hys begynnynges reported of the very foren nacys callynge hym for hys vertuouse1 lerned1 and godly prudent youthes sake1 the seconde ,iosias4 ,those hys wonderfull pryncyples in the eyes of the worlde1 and no lesse gloryouse afore ,god thus beynge to hys honoure1 that eternall lyuynge ,god contynue and prospere to the ende1 that he maye haue of them as had these vorthy kinges afore rehearced1 a ryght noble and famouse report4 ,nobylyte sought by wycked enterpryses and obtayned by the same 7as in many afore our dayes1 and in some now of late7 is not els but a publyque and notable infamye1 and in the ende eternall dpnacyon4 ,nobylyte wonne by the ernest sekynge of ,gods hygh honour1 is soch a precyouse crowne of glory as wyll neuer perysh here nor yet in the worlde to come4 ,sidenote3 ,tyrates4 ,sidenote3 ,nobylyte4 ,sidenote3 ,o ,noble ,kyndred4 ,sidenote3 ,alexder4 ,cain after a worldly maner1 or amge the vngracyouse sort1 is holden noble for slaynge hys brother ,iudas of the prelates 7for he receyued of th1 a noble rewarde7 for betrayenge ,christ1 ,herode of the ,iewes for murtherynge the innoctes4 ,and what is there more worthy reproche1 dyshonour1 and shame1 than are these execrable factes8 ,the nature of true ,nobylyte 7as ,i haue sayd afore7 is not to ryse of vyce but of vertu1 though many men there seke it4 ,of the most excellt kinde of ,nobylyte is he sure 7most vertuouse and lerned lady7 whych truly beleueth and seketh to do the wyll of the eternall father1 for therby is he brought forewarde1 and promoted into that heauenly kyndred ,io4 #a4 ,by that meanes becometh he the deare brother1 syster1 mother of ,christ ,math4 #ab4 a cytizen of heauen with the ,apostles and ,prophetes1 ,ephe4 #b4 yea the chylde of adopcyon and heyre togyther with ,christ in the heauly inherytaunce ,roma4 #h4 ,no soch chyldren left ,socrates behynde hym1 neyther yet ,demosthenes1 ,plato1 nor ,cicero1 with all their plesat wysdome and eloquce4 ,no soch heretage coulde great ,alexander the ,macedoneane1 byqueth to hys posteryte neyther yet noble ,charles1 ,artoure1 nor ,dauid4 ,sidenote3 ,frutes4 ,sidenote3 4#d4 tges4 ,sidenote3 ,men lerned4 ,sidenote3 ,stces4 ,of thys ,nobylyte1 haue ,i no doubt 7lady most faythfully studyouse7 but that yow are1 with many other noble women mayds more in thys blessed age4 ,if questyon were axt me1 how ,i knowe it8 my answere wolde be thys4 ,by your godly frute1 as the fertyle tre is non other wyse than therby knowne1 ,luce4 vj4 ,i receyued your noble boke1 ryght frutefully of yow translated out of the frenche tunge into ,englysh4 ,i receyued also your golden sentences out of the sacred scriptures1 with no lesse grace than lernynge in foure noble lguages1 ,latyne1 ,greke1 ,frenche1 ,italyane1 most ornately1 fynely1 purely writt with your owne hande4 ,wonderfully ioyouse were the lerned men of our cytie1 ,murseus1 ,buscoducius1 ,bomelius1 ,lithodius ,imnus1 as ,i shewed vnto them the seyd sentences1 in beholdynge 7as they than reported7 so moch vertu1 faythe1 scyence1 experyce of lguages letters1 specyally in noble youth femynyte4 ,through whych occasyon there be of th 7,i knowe7 that can not witholde their lerned handes fr the publyshynge therof1 to the hygh prayse of ,god the geuer1 neyther yet from wrytynge to your worthy grace for studyouse contynuaunce in the same4 ,your seyd stces1 they saye farre passeth the ,apohthegmes of ,plutarchus1 the ,aphorismes of ,theognis1 the ,stratagemes of ,isocrates1 the graue golden cosels of ,cato the manyfolde morals of ,iohan ,goldeston the great allegoryser1 with soche other lyke4 ,sidenote3 ,the first clause4 ,sidenote3 ,hypocrytes4 ,sidenote3 ,hate4 ,sidenote3 ,happye4 ,sidenote3 ,tuters4 ,sidenote3 ,rulers4 ,your first written clauses in 4iiij4 speches latyne1 frenche ,italyane1 out of the xiij4 ,psalme of noble ,dauid1 mcyoneth that the vnfaythfull reckeneth folyshly in their hartes1 there is no ,god4 ,wherup so corrupt they are in their vayne coniectures1 and so abhomynable in their dayly doynges1 that not one of their generacy is godly4 ,by thys do your grace vnto vs sygnyfye1 that the baren doctryne good workes without fayth of the hypocrytes1 whych in their vncmaunded latyne ceremonyes serue their bellyes not ,christ1 in gredyly deuourynge the patrymony of poor wydowes orphanes1 are both execrable in themselues1 and abhomynable afore ,god for though those paynted sepulchres haue the name of the lorde in their mouthes1 greatly boast the good workes of the lawe1 yet knowe they not what belongeth to hys true honoure1 but hate in their wycked hartes both hys gloryouse name and worde4 ,the true doctryne of faythe1 and the feare of ,god1 wyll that wycked sort 7whome thys psalme wryngeth7 not heare1 but styll tormt the conscyences of myserable wretched ydyotes for aduauntage of ,masses and momblynges4 ,happy are they of thys latter age1 that in the ,gospell haue receyued the sauynge helth out of ,syon 7as your grace hath done7 beynge clere from the stynge of those vyperouse wormes4 ,blessed be those faythfull tuters teachers whych by their most godly instruccyons haue thus fashyoned your tender youth into the ryght ymage of ,christ and not ,antichrist4 ,yea most blessed be those godly gouernours and magistrates1 whych haue traueled and yet laboryously trauayle with worthy ,moses1 to brynge ,gods people clerely out of their most wretched captyuyte4 ,sidenote3 ,the latter clause4 ,your latter clause in the ,greke1 incyteth vs to the ryght worshyppynges of ,god in sprete and veryte ,io4 #d4 to honouringe of our partes in the semely offyces of naturall chyldren4 ,ephe4 vj4 and to the reuerent vsynge of our christen equalles in the due mynystracyons of loue4 #a4 ,pet4 ,sidenote3 ,monachi4 ,sidenote3 ,lbardus4 ,sidenote3 ,robert ,kylwarby4 ,sidenote3 ,a change4 ,sidenote3 ,the boke4 #b4 ,neyther ,benedyct nor ,bruno1 ,domynyck nor ,frances 7whych haue of longe yeares bene boasted for the pryncypall patrones of relygyon7 euer gaue to their superstycyouse bretherne1 so pure preceptes of syncere christyanyte4 ,neyther yet ,peter lombarde in hys 4iiij4 bokes of sentces1 with whose smokye dyuynyte1 the lowsy locustes monkes1 chanons1 prestes1 and fryres haue these 4iiij4 hondred yeares darkened the clere sunne1 whych is the veryte of ,god1 ,apoca4 #i4 ,if godly wyse men wolde do nomore but conferre thys lernynge of yours and of other noble women these dayes1 with the doctryne of ,robert ,kylwarby archebyshopp of ,canterbury and ,cardynall1 whych the vnyuersytees of ,oxforde ,parys were sworne to1 for mayntenaunce of that christyanyte in the yeare of our lorde4 #abgf1 by the consent of all masters regentes non regentes1 ,i doubt it not but they shulde fynde iust cause to holde vp both their handes and prayse their lorde ,god for changynge that helle into thys heauen4 ,an vnsauery gust therof shall they fynde1 adioyned of the ,paryseanes as necessary dyuynyte1 to the foreseyd sentces of ,peter lombarde4 ,sidenote3 ,elizabeth4 ,sidenote3 ,an hart4 ,sidenote3 ,noble wom lerned4 ,sidenote3 ,cclusio4 ,in your forenamed boke1 cposed first of all by the ryght vertuouse lady ,margarete1 syster styme to the frenche kynge ,frances1 and quene of ,nauerre1 ,and by your noble grace most dylygently and exactly translated into ,englysh1 fynde ,i most precyouse treasure concernynge the sowle1 ,wherfor ,i haue added therunto the tytle of a ,godly medytacyon of the sowle1 concernynge a loue towardes ,god and hys ,christ4 ,most lyuely in these and soch other excellent factes1 expresse ye the naturall emphasy of your noble name ,elischabeth in the hebrue1 is as moch to saye in the latyne1 as ,dei mei requies1 in ,englysh1 the rest of my ,god4 ,who can thynke ,god not to rest in that harte whych sendeth fourth soch godly frutes8 ,i thynke n that hath ryght dyscressyon4 ,your pne hath here plenteouslye vttered the habundace of a ,godly occupyed harte1 lyke as ded the vyrgynall lyppes of ,christes most blessed mother1 whan she sayd with heauenly reioyce1 ,my sowle magnyfyeth the lorde and my sprete reioyceth in ,god my sauer1 ,luce4 #a4 ,many noble women of fresh literature haue bene afore tyme in thys regyon1 whose nomclature or rehearsall of names ,i intende to shewe in the ende of thys boke1 but non of th were euer yet lyke to those whych are in our age4 ,no1 neyther ,cambra1 ,martia1 ,constantia1 ,agasia1 ,vodicia1 ,bunduica1 ,claudia1 ,helena1 vrsula1 hilda1 nor soch other lyke4 ,thys one coppye of yours haue ,i brought into a nombre1 to thintt that many hungry sowles by the inestymable treasure contayned therin1 maye be swetely refreshed4 ,the sprete of the eternall sonne of ,god ,iesus ,christ1 be alwayes to your excellent grace assystent that ye maye sende fourth more soch wholsome frutes of sowle1 and become a noryshynge mother to hys dere congregacyon to their confort and hys hygh glorye ,amen4 ,your bounde oratour ,iohan ,bale ,a ,godly ,medytacyon of the christen sowle1 concerninge a loue towardes ,god and hys ,christe1 compyled in frenche by lady ,margarete quene of ,nauerre1 and aptely translated into ,englysh by the ryght vertuouse lady ,elyzabeth doughter to our late souerayne ,kynge ,henry the 4viij4 ,the preface4 ,sidenote3 ,math4 #e4 ,sidenote3 ,hebre4 #aa4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,io4 #d4 ,if thu do throughly reade thys worke 7dere frynde in the lorde7 marke rather the matter than the homely speache therof1 consyderynge it is the stodye of a woman1 whych hath in her neyther cnynge nor scyence1 but a feruent desyre that yche one maye se1 what the gifte of ,god the creatour doth whan it pleaseth hym to iustyfye a hart4 ,for what is the hart of a ,man1 concernynge hys owne strgth1 before he hath receyued the gift of faythe8 ,therby only hath he knowledge of the goodnesse1 wysedome1 and power of ,god4 ,and as sone as he through that faythe1 knoweth pythely the truthe hys hart is anon full of charyte and loue4 ,so that by the feruentnesse therof1 he excludeth all fleshly feare1 fyrmely trusteth in ,god vnfaynedly1 for certaynely the gifte1 whych ,god the creatour geueth frely at the begynnynge1 doth neuer cease tyll it hath made hym godly1 whych putteth hys full trust in ,god4 ,sidenote3 ,ioan4 #f4 ,o happy and fortunate gifte1 whych causeth a ,man to possesse a grace so desyred4 ,alas no man coulde thys vnderstande1 onles by soch gyfte ,god had geuen it hym4 ,and great cause he hath to doubte of it1 les ,god had made hym to feale it in hys harte4 ,therfor gtyll reader1 with a godly mynde ,i besyche the pacyently thys worke to peruse1 whych is but small in quantyte1 and taste nothynge but the frute therof4 ,prayenge to ,god full of all goodnesse1 that in thy harte he wyll plte the lyuely faythe4 ,amen4 finit prfatio4 liber incipit ,sidenote3 ,iob4 #g4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #g4 ,sidenote3 ,psal4 #id4 ,where is the helle full of trauayle1 payne1 myschefe1 and torment8 ,where is the pytte of cursednesse1 out of whych doth sprynge all desperacyon8 ,is there any helle so profounde1 that is suffycyent to ponnysh the tenth part of my synnes1 whych are so many in nombre1 that the infynyte swarme of them so shaddoweth my darkened sences that ,i can not accompte them neyther yet wele se them8 ,i am farre entered in amongest them1 and 7that moch wors is7 ,i haue not the power to obtayne the true knowledge of the depe dagers of them4 ,i perfyghtly fele1 that their roote is in me4 ,and outwardly ,i se non other effecte but all is eyther brache leafe1 or els frute that it bryngeth fourth all aboute me4 ,if ,i thynke to loke for better1 a brache cometh and closeth myne eyes1 and in my mouthe doth fall whan ,i wolde speake1 the frute so bytter to swalowe downe4 ,if my sprete be sturred for to harken1 than a great multytude of leaues doth entre in myne eares1 and my nose is all stopped with flowers4 ,sidenote3 #b4 ,cor4 unreadable4 ,sidenote3 ,iob4 #ab4 ,now beholde how in paynes cryenge wepynge1 my poore sowle1 a slaue and prysoner1 doth lye without lyghte1 hauynge her fete bounde through her concupyscce also both her armes through euyll vse4 ,yet the power to remedy it1 doth not lye in me1 neyther haue ,i power to crye for helpe4 ,agayne1 so far fourth as ,i can perceyue1 ,i haue no hope of socour1 but through the grace of ,god that ,i can not deserue1 whych maye rayse euery one from deathe4 ,by hys bryghtnesse he geueth lyght to darkenesse4 ,and hys power examynynge my faulte1 doth breake all the vayle of ignoraunce1 and geueth me clere vnderstdynge1 not only that thys cometh of me1 but also what thynge abydeth in me4 ,where ,i am and wherfor ,i do laboure4 ,who he is whom ,i haue offended1 to whom ,i ded obeye so seldome4 ,therfor it is cuenyent that my pryde be suppressyd4 ,sidenote3 ,iob4 #ad4 ,sidenote3 ,sapi4 unreadable4 ,and humbly with wepynge harte1 ,i do confesse that ,i am moch lesse th nothynge1 before my byrth myer1 after a dungehyll1 a body prompte to all euyll not wyllynge other stodye1 also subiect to care1 sorowe1 and payne4 ,a short lyfe1 and thende vncertayne4 ,the whych vndre synne by ,adam is solde1 and by the lawe iudged to be damnyd4 ,for ,i had neuer the power to obserue one only cmaundemente of ,god1 ,i do fele the strength of synne in me1 therfor is my synne no whyt the lesse to be hydden4 ,and the more he is dyssembled outwardly1 so moche the more he encreasyth within the harte4 ,that whych ,god wyll1 ,i can not wyll1 and what he wolde not1 ,i ofte tymes desyre to perfourme4 ,whych thynge doth constrayne me by importable sorowe1 to wyshe thende of thys myserable bodye through desyred death1 bycause of my werye ragynge life4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 unreadable4 ,sidenote3 ,gene4 unreadable4 ,sidenote3 ,psal4 #cg4 ,who shall be he than1 that shall delyuer and recouer suche good for me8 ,alas it can not be a mortall man1 for hys power and strength is not suche1 but it shall be the only good grace of the almyghty ,god whych is neuer slacke to preuent vs with hys mercye4 ,o what a master is that1 without deseruynge any goodnesse of hym8 ,i serued hym slouthfully1 and without ceasynge offended hym euery daye1 yet is he not slacke in helpynge me4 ,he doth se the euyll that ,i haue1 what and how moche it is1 and that of my selfe ,i can do nothynge that good is1 but with hart and body so enclyned am ,i to the contrarye1 that ,i feale no strength in me onles it be for to do euyll4 ,he doth not tarry tyll ,i humbly praye hym1 or that 7seynge my helle dpnacyon7 ,i do crye vp hym4 ,for with hys sprete he maketh a waylynge in my harte greatter than ,i can declare1 whych asketh the gyfte wherof the vertu is vnknowen to my lytele power4 ,sidenote3 ,luce4 #ai4 ,sidenote3 ,collo4 #c4 ,and thys the same vnknowne syghte doth brynge me a newe desyre1 shewynge the good that ,i haue lost by my synne1 gyu me agayne through hys grace botye1 that whych hath ouercome all synne4 ,o my lorde what grace and goodnesse is thys1 whych doth put out so manye synnes4 ,now maye we se that thu art full of all godly loue to make me of a synner1 thy seruat chyelde4 ,alas my ,god1 ,i ded not seke the but ,i fled rne awaye fr the4 ,and here beneth thu camyst to me whych am nothynge but a worme of the earthe1 all naked4 ,what do ,i saye1 worme8 ,i do hym wrge1 that am so naughtye1 swarme so full of pryde1 deceyte1 malyce treason4 ,the promyse whych my fryndes made wh ,i was baptysed is such1 that ,i alwayes through faythe in thy passy shuld fele the mortyfycacy of my fleshe dwelle alwayes with the the crosse where thu wert fast nayled 7as ,i beleue7 and yelded death dead as ,i also shuld yelde all synne4 ,sidenote3 ,mar4 #af4 ,sidenote3 ,ioan4 #f4 ,thys haue ,i often tymes taken downe agayne1 vntyed1 and set at large1 ,i haue broken1 denyed1 and falsyfyed my promyse through pryde1 ,i haue lyft vp my wyll in suche a maner1 that through slouth1 my dewtye towardes the was forgoten4 ,and that moche more is1 as wele the profyte or value of thy promyse1 whych ,i had of the in the daye of my baptysme1 as also thy sauynge loue and promyses folowynge1 ,i haue all alyke neglected4 ,what shall ,i saye more8 ,albeit that often tymes thu perceyuynge me wretched and vnhappye hast geu me so many warnynges in fayth and in sacramtes1 admonyshynge me by preachynges1 and confortynge me by the recayuynge of thy worthye bodye and sacred bloude1 promysynge also to put me in the nombre of them that are now adourned with perfyght innocencye4 ,yet haue ,i all these hygh benefyghtes1 throwne into forgetfullnesse4 ,sidenote3 ,hiere4 #g4 ,sidenote3 ,psal4 #aah4 ,often tymes haue ,i with the broken couenaunte4 ,and partly for that my poore sowle was to moche fed with euyll breade or dpnable doctryne of hypocrytes1 ,i despysed such socoure and ghostly physyck in ,gods worde as wolde haue holpe me4 ,and if ,i had bene wyllynge to loke for it yet knewe ,i at that tyme no teachers cuenyent4 ,for there is neyther man1 saynte1 nor ,angell1 for whome the harte of a synner without thy sprete wyll change4 ,alas good ,iesus1 thu beholdynge my blyndenesse1 and that at my neade ,i coulde haue no socour of men1 dedyst open the waye of my saluacyon4 ,o how great is the goodnesse1 and how inestymable the swetnesse whych thu hast shewed therin8 ,is there any father so naturall to the daughter or brother to the syster1 whych wolde euer haue done as he hath done8 ,for he came into the helle to socour my sowle1 where agaynst hys wyll she was1 intendynge to haue peryshed1 because she ded not loue4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,io4 #c4 ,sidenote3 ,io4 #e4 ,sidenote3 ,ephe4 #c4 ,alas swete lorde thu hast loued her yea1 to the very outshedynge of thy most precyouse bloude4 ,o charyte feruent and incparable4 ,not slacke art thu in loue that so louest euery synner1 yea1 and also thyne enemyes1 not only in forgeuynge their offences1 but also in geuynge thy selfe for their saluacyon1 lybertie1 and delyueraunce1 to the death1 crosse1 trauayle1 payne and sufferaunce4 ,whan ,i cast in mynde1 what shulde be the occasy of thy loue towardes me4 ,i can se nothynge els but a loue wonderfull1 whych moueth the to geue me that ,i can not deserue4 ,than my ,god as farre fourth as ,i can se1 ,i ought to geue no thkes for my saluacyon but only vnto the1 to whome ,i owe the prayse ther of1 as to hym whych is my sauyour creatoure4 ,what a thynge is it that thu hast done so moche for me8 ,thu art not only contented to haue forgyuen me my synnes1 but also hast gyu vnto me the ryght fortunate gifte of grace4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 unreadable4 ,sidenote3 ,math4 #ab4 ,for it shulde suffyse me1 ,i cmynge out of suche a daunger1 to be lyke a straunger vsed4 ,but thu dost handle my sowle1 7if ,i durst so saye it7 as a mother1 daughter1 syster and wyfe4 ,i lorde1 ,i am the trespaser whych am not worthy to come nere the dore of thy ryght hygh place to aske breade1 where thy dwellynge is4 ,o what grace is thys1 that so sodenly thu vouchesauyst to drawe my sowle in to suche hyghnesse1 that she felyth her selfe ruler of my bodye4 ,she poore1 ignoraunte and lame1 doth fynde her selfe wyth the1 ryche1 wyse1 and stronge1 because thu hast written in her harte the roote of thy sprete1 holy worde1 geuynge her true fayth for to receyue it4 ,whych thynge made her to conceyue thy sonne1 in beleuynge hym to be man1 ,god1 sauyour1 and also the true remytter of synnes4 ,therfor dost thu assure her1 that she is mother to thy sonne of whom thu art the only faither4 ,sidenote3 ,phil4 #b4 ,sidenote3 ,gene4 #a4 ,and farthermore1 ,o my father here is a great loue1 for thu art not wery of wele doynge syth that thy sonne full of dyuynyte hath taken the bodye of a man1 ded myngle hymselfe with our ashes1 whych thynge a man can not vnderstde vnlesse he hath a true faythe4 ,it hath pleased the to put hym so neare vs1 that he ded ioyne hymselfe vnto our fleshe4 ,than we seynge hym to be called man1 we are bolde to call hym syster and brother4 ,now the sowle whych maye saye of her selfe1 that she is the syster of ,god1 ought to haue her harte assured4 ,after thys dost thu declare with greate loue1 how her creacyon is only of the good wyll1 whych it pleaseth the alwayes to haue towardes her1 geuynge assuraunce that before her first daye1 or tyme of beynge prouyded for her1 thu bestowedest thy loue on her1 how through loue thu hast made her 7as alone of power thu cannyst wele do it7 and also how thu dedyst put her within thys body1 not for to sleape with slouth1 but that both of them shulde haue non other exercyse1 but only to thynke how to do some seruyce vnto the4 ,sidenote3 ,tren4 #b4 ,sidenote3 ,colos4 #b4 ,than the truthe maketh her to feale that there is in the1 true paternyte4 ,o what honoure1 what swetnesse1 and what glory hath the sowle1 whych doth alwayes rember that she is thy daughter1 in callynge the fayther1 she doth thy commaundement8 ,what is there more8 ,is that all8 ,no1 ,it doth please the to gyue her an other name1 to call her thy wyfe1 that she agayne do call the husbande1 declarynge how thu hast frely manyfested the marryage of her4 ,by the baptysme thu hast made a promes1 to gyue her thy goodes and ryches1 and thu agayne to take her synnes1 for she hath nothynge els by herytage of her first father ,adam4 ,all her treasures1 that she hath of nature1 are nothynge els but synnes1 whych thu hast tyed vpon the1 and payed all her whole debte with thy goodes and landes4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #aunclear4 ,sidenote3 ,io4 #e4 ,sidenote3 ,prouer4 #ac4 ,thu hast made her so ryche1 and with so great a ioynter endued her1 that she knowynge her selfe to be thy woyd wyfe1 doth beleue to be quytt of all that she oweth1 estemynge very lytel that she hath here beneth4 ,she forsaketh her olde father1 all the goodes that he gyueth1 for her husbandes sake4 ,surely 7o my ,god7 my sowle is sore hurte to be fedde with suche good1 and agayne releued in leauynge the pleasure of thys worlde for that whych is eternall1 where peace is without warre4 ,i maruayle that she1 thys remembrynge1 doth not lese her witt1 cotenaunce1 and speache4 ,father1 father1 alas what ought ,i to thynke4 ,shall my sprete be so bolde as to take vpon hym to call the father8 ,yea1 and also our ,father1 for so hast thu taught in the ,pater noster4 ,but to call the daughter1 hast thu so sayd8 ,i besyche the1 tell me4 ,alas yea1 whan with great swetnesse1 thu saydest daughter1 lend me thy harte4 ,sidenote3 ,apoca4 #ac4 ,sidenote3 ,luce4 #aa4 ,o my ,god1 in stede of lendynge1 he is ready to geue hym selfe wholly vnto the4 ,receyue hym than1 do not permyt that any creature put hym from the1 so that for euer with faythfull stedefastnesse he maye loue the with a daughterly loue4 ,now my lorde if thu be my father1 maye ,i thynke that ,i can be thy mother8 ,indede ,i can not wele preceyue1 how ,i shulde conceyue the that createdyst me4 ,but thu dedyst in thys matter satisfye my doubte1 whan in preachynge and in streatchynge fourth thy hdes dedyst saye ,those that shall do the wyll of my father they are my bretherne1 also my syster and mother4 ,i beleue than1 that hearynge readynge the wordes whych thu hast taught vttered by thy holy prophetes1 the same also whych through thy true preachers1 thu dost dayly declare vnto m in beleuynge it and stedefastly desyerynge to fulfyll1 ,i cceyue the beare the by loue4 ,sidenote3 ,math4 #a4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,cor4 #ae4 ,therfor without ye feare1 wyll ,i take vp me the name of a mother4 ,what mother of ,god8 ,o swete vyrgyne ,marye1 ,i besyche the1 be not angry that ,i take vp suche a tytle4 ,i do neyther stele1 nor vsurpe any thynge vpon thy pryuylege4 ,for thu only hast aboue all wom receyued of hym so great honoure1 that nom can in hymselfe comprehende how he hath bene wyllynge to take in the our fleshe4 ,for thu arte mother and perfyght vyrgyne before and after1 and in hys holy byrth4 ,in thy blessyd wombe thu dedyst beare hym and norysh hym4 ,thu dedyst folowe hym in hys trybulacyons1 and also in hys teachynges4 ,now breuely to conclude4 ,thu hast with ,god founde suche grace1 as the enemye through malyce and deceyte1 had caused ,adam hys posteryte to lose4 ,by ,eue and hym we had lost it1 by thy sonne hath it bene yelded vnto vs agayne4 ,sidenote3 ,luce4 #a4 ,sidenote3 ,acto4 #ab4 ,therfor hast thu bene ryghteously called full of grace4 ,for thu lackedyst neyther grace nor vertu1 sith that he whych is the best amonge them that be good1 also the sprynge of all goodnesse and power whych hath created in the so pure innoccye that thu arte the example of all uertues1 hath buylded in the hys dwellynge temple4 ,he through loue ded conforme hymselfe with the1 and thu arte transfourmed in hym4 ,therfor if any man shulde thynke to geue the greatter prayse than ,god hymselfe hath done1 it were a fule blasphemye4 ,for there is no suche prayse1 as is the same whych commeth from ,god4 ,thu also hast had faythe so fyrme and cstaunt1 that 7by grace7 she had the power to make the godly4 ,wherfor ,i wyll not take vpon me1 to geue the greatter prayse than the honoure whych thy souerayne lorde hath geuen vnto the4 ,for thu arte hys corporall mother1 and also through fayth hys spyrytuall mother4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #hunclear4 ,sidenote3 ,canti4 #d4 ,and ,i folowynge thy fayth with humblenesse1 am hys spirytuall mother also4 ,alas my ,god the brotherlynesse that thu hast towardes me through thy humblenesse1 in callynge me syster1 is great4 ,dedyst thu euer saye it any thynge afore8 ,alas yea4 ,for thu hast broken the kyndred of my olde father1 callynge me doughter by adopcyon4 ,well than1 seynge that we haue both but one father1 ,i wyll not feare to call the my brother4 ,for so hast thu reported it by ,salomon in hys bellet1 saynge1 ,my syster and spouse thu hast wounded my harte with the swete loke of one of thyne eyes1 and with one cheyne of thy necke4 ,alas my brother1 ,i wyshe for nothynge els1 but that in wodynge the1 ,i myght fynde my selfe wounded with thy loue4 ,to that wolde ,i geue ouer my selfe4 ,and lyke wyse thu dost call me wyfe in that place1 shewynge largely that thu louyst me1 saynge by these wordes amorouse4 ,sidenote3 ,canti4 #b4 ,sidenote3 ,luce4 #h4 ,aryse my dere doue1 and come hytherwarde my dylectable spouse4 ,therfor shal ,i saye with louynge fayth1 thu arte myne and ,i am thyne4 ,thu dost call me thy loue fayre spouse4 ,if it be so1 suche hast thu made me4 ,alas1 doth it please the1 to gyue me suche names8 ,they are truly able to breake a mannys harte1 and cause it to burne through loue vnspeakeable1 whan he thynketh vpon the honoure that thu dost vnto hym1 whych is moche greatter than he hath deserued4 ,a mother1 a mother8 ,alas but of what chylde is it8 ,truly of suche a sonne1 that my harte doth breake for loue4 ,my ,god1 my sonne8 ,o ,iesus what speache thys is1 mother1 daughter4 ,o happy kynrede4 ,o what swetnesse doth proceade out of that paternyte4 ,but what doughterly and reuerent feare ought ,i to haue towardes hym1 my father1 yea my creatour1 my protectour and sauer8 ,to be thy syster1 alas here is a great loue4 ,sidenote3 ,canti4 #h4 ,sidenote3 ,acto4 #d4 ,sidenote3 ,ezech4 #cc4 ,now dost thu breake my harte the myddest to make rowme for the same so swete a brother4 ,so that no other name be writ in the same1 but only my brother ,iesus the sonne of ,god4 ,non other man wyll ,i geue place to1 for all the scourgynge and beatynge1 that they c do vnto me4 ,reape my harte then1 my brother and frynde1 lete not thy enemy entre into it4 ,o my father1 chylde1 brother1 and spouse1 with handes ioyned1 humbly vpon my knees ,i yelde the thankes and prayses1 that it pleaseth the to turne thy face towardes me conuertynge my harte1 and coueryng me with suche grace1 that thu dost se nomore my euyls synnes4 ,so wele hast thu hydden them1 that it semeth1 thu hast put th in forgetfulnesse4 ,yea1 also they seme to be forgoten of me1 whych haue cmytted them1 for fayth and loue causeth me to forget them1 puttynge wholly my trust in the alone4 ,sidenote3 ,psal4 #ca4 ,sidenote3 ,luce4 #ae4 ,sidenote3 ,ezech4 #ah4 ,than my father1 in whom lyeth vnfayned loue1 wherof can ,i haue feare in my harte8 ,i confesse that ,i haue done all the euyll that one creature can do1 and that of my selfe ,i am nought4 ,also that ,i haue offended the as the prodygall chylde ded1 folowynge the folysh trade of the fleshe1 wherewith ,i haue spente all my substace1 and the habundace of goodes whych ,i had receyued of the4 ,for pouerte had wetheryd me awaye euen as heye and yelded my sprete dead for hunger1 seakynge to eate the releafe of swyne4 ,but ,i founde very lytle sauoure in suche meates4 ,than ,i seynge my lyfe to be so myserable1 ,i ded returne vnto the my father agayne1 sayenge4 ,alas ,i haue synned in heauen and before the4 ,i am not worthy 7,i tell it before euerybodye7 to be called thy chylde4 ,but ,o bountyfull father1 do no worse to me1 than to one of thy howsholde seruauntes4 ,sidenote3 ,luce4 #ae4 ,sidenote3 ,esaunclear4 #bg4 ,alas what loue and zele is thys8 for thu woldest not tarry my commynge and prayer but stretchynge out thy hde receyuedyst me1 whan ,i ded thynke that thu woldest not loke vpon me4 ,and in stede to haue ponnyshed1 thu dedyst assure me of my saluacyon4 ,where is he th that shall ponnysh me1 whan my father shall denye hym my synne8 ,there is no iudge that can condpne anye creature1 vnlesse ,god hymselfe wolde dampne hym4 ,i feare not the want of goodnesse1 syth ,i haue my ,god for my father4 ,my enemye shall do me no harme1 for my father shall take all hys strength awaye4 ,if ,i owe anye thynge1 he shall paye it all for me1 ,if ,i haue deserued death1 he 7as a kynge7 shall pard me1 delyuer me fr pryson hgynge4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #g4 ,sidenote3 #c4 ,reg4 #c4 ,but here is the worst4 ,what maner of mother haue ,i been8 ,for after that ,i by fayth1 had receyued the name of a true mother1 ,i became very rude vnto the1 by cause that after ,i had conceyued and brought the fourth1 ,i left reason4 ,and beynge subiect to my wyll1 not takynge heade vnto the1 ,i fell a slepe and gaue place to my great enemye4 ,the whych the nyght of ignoraunce1 ,i beynge a sleape ded steale the from me craftely1 and in thy place1 she ded put her chylde whych was dead4 ,so ded ,i lese the1 whych is an harde sorowe and remorce for me4 ,now haue ,i lost the by myne owe faulte 7my sonne7 bycause ,i toke no hede to kepe the4 ,sensualyte my neyghbour 7,i beynge in my beastly sleape7 ded steale the from me1 gaue me1 an other chylde whych had no lyfe in hym1 named synne1 whom ,i wyll not haue1 for ,i do vtterly forsake hym4 ,sidenote3 #b4 ,cor4 #funclear4 ,sidenote3 #c4 ,reg4 #c4 ,she affirmed that he was myne owne but ,i knewe hym to be hers4 ,for as sone as ,i came to the lyght of grace1 whych thu haddest gyu me1 th ,i knewe my glory to be changed1 whan ,i sawe the dead chylde not to be myne4 ,for the same whych was alyue 7whom she had taken awaye7 was myne owne4 ,betwene ,iesus synne is the chaunge so apparant4 ,but here is a straunge thynge4 ,thys olde woman causeth me to kepe hym whych is dead1 whom she reporteth to be myne1 and so she wyll maynteyne4 ,o ,salom1 a full true iudge1 thu hast hearde thys lamentable processe and ordayned to ctent the partyes1 that the chylde shulde be deuyded in two partes4 ,the false woman agreyth1 it shulde be so4 ,but ,i remembrynge hym to be myne owne sonne1 was rather contente to lese hym1 than to se hys bodye parted in two peces4 ,for true and perfyght loue is neuer contente with one halfe of that it doth loue4 ,sidenote3 #bunclear4 ,cor4 #d4 ,sidenote3 ,sapi4 #c4 ,sidenote3 ,gene4 #f4 ,i had rather to wepe for my whole losse1 than to recouer but one halfe4 ,my mynde coulde not be satysfyed1 if ,i had recouered one halfe without lyfe4 ,alas gyue her rather the chylde whych is alyue4 ,better it is for me to dye1 than to se ,iesus ,christ dyuyded4 ,but ,o my lorde1 thu dedyst loke better to it than ,i4 ,for thu seynge the anguysh that ,i ded suffer1 how ,i ded rather forsake my ryght1 than to beholde suche cruelnesse ,thu saydest1 thys is the true mother and so caused them to gyue me my chylde agayne1 for whom my harte was so sorowfull4 ,o swete ,iesus1 ,i founde the after1 to haue proued me if ,i ded loue the4 ,yea1 ,i whych had lost the yet dedyst thu returne vnto me4 ,alas dost thu vouchesaue to come agayne to her1 whych beynge lett with synne coulde not kepe the1 my swete chylde1 my sonne1 my helper1 my norysher1 of whome ,i am a ryght humble creature4 ,do not permytt that euer ,i do leaue the agayne1 for ,i do repent my selfe of the tyme passed4 ,sidenote3 ,esa4 #cb4 ,sidenote3 ,psal4 #aah4 ,now come my sensualyte with synnes of all qualytees1 for thu hast no power to make me receyue the chylde whych is dead4 ,the same that ,i haue is stronge ynough for to defende me1 he shall not permyt that thu take hym awaye from me4 ,he is alredy more stronge than anye man is4 ,therfor ,i maye sleape and take rest neare hym4 ,for all thynges wele consydered1 he shall kepe me moche better than ,i coulde hym4 ,then as ,i thynke ,i maye take rest4 ,o swete rest of the mother the sonne togyther1 my swete chylde4 ,o my ,god1 honoure prayse be vnto the only1 so that euery creature maye se how it hath pleased the to call me a mother1 lesse than nothynge4 ,the more that the thynge is straunge and harde to be done1 the more ought thy goodnesse to haue prayse for it4 ,and also ,i fynde my selfe more bounde vnto the than euer ,i ded for thys1 that it pleaseth the to haue retayned me for thy syster4 ,sidenote3 ,nume4 #ab4 ,sidenote3 ,deute4 #e4 ,i am syster vnto the but so naughty a syster1 that better it were for me1 that ,i were without the name1 for ,i forgate the honoure of adopcyon in so noble a kyndred1 also thy so good brotherly behauer towardes me4 ,i with pryde ded ryse agaynst the and1 not remembrynge my faultes1 but goynge astraye from the1 ded agree with my brother ,aaron1 beynge in wyll to geue iudgment agaynst thy workes4 ,priuely ,i grudged agaynst the also1 whych thynge causeth me to haue a great remorce in my conscyence4 ,alas ryght bountyfull ,god1 brother and true ,moses1 whych doist all with goodnesse and ,iustyce4 ,i haue estemed thy workes to be euen synne1 beynge so bolde to speake euyn rashely1 saynge1 ,wherfor hast thu marryed a straunge woman8 ,thu gyuest vs a lawe1 and ponnyshemente if we do not fulfyll it4 ,and thu woldest not be bounde to it1 forbyddynge vs the thynge whych thu thy selfe doist4 ,sidenote3 ,exo4 #cb4 ,sidenote3 ,exo4 #cd4 ,sidenote3 ,ezech4 #ah4 ,sidenote3 ,nume4 #abunclear4 ,for thu doist forbyd vs to kylle anye man1 and thu doist kylle and sparist non of thre thousande whych thu causydest to be slayne4 ,also ,god gaue vs in commaundemente by the1 that we shulde not marry the doughter of a straunger4 ,yet thu tokest thy wyfe amonge them4 ,alas my dere brother1 with a great meany of soche wordes 7whom ,i knowe to be folyshe7 with ,aaron 7whych is my owne wytte7 ,i imbrayded the1 ,wherof ,i do repente4 ,for the lyuely voyce of ,god1 rebukyngly toke me vp1 before ,i wente out of the place4 ,what woldest thu than of my synne8 ,alas my brother thu woldest not haue me ponnyshed1 but rather woldest my saluacyon and helthe1 in askynge for me1 thys great benefyght1 that it shulde please ,god to mytygate hys iudgemente4 ,the whych thynge thu couldest not obtayne4 ,for ,i became a lazar1 so that whan any body shulde loke vp me1 they myght wele se that ,i had not bene wyse4 ,and so was ,i put out from the tentes and tabernacles of the people1 bycause that a sycke bodye maye infecte th whych be in helthe4 ,sidenote3 ,ezech4 #cc4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,io4 #b4 ,sidenote3 ,psal4 #ej4 ,oh1 a sowle can not haue a greatter ,pnyshement1 than to be bannyshed out of the cumpanye of them whych are holye and good4 ,but what dedyst thu seynge my repentaunce8 ,thu prouydedyst that my penaunce was sone at an ende1 and with true loue dedyst make meanes for me1 wherupon ,i ded returne4 ,o what a brother wolde1 instede to ponnyshe hys folysh syster1 so naturally cleaue vnto her8 ,for iniurye1 grudge1 great offce1 thu geuyst her grace loue in recpce4 ,alas my brother how excedynge is thys thy loue8 ,moch more is it1 than brotherhede is bounde to geue to so poore wretched a woman as ,i am4 ,i haue done the euyll1 and thu geuyst me good for it1 ,i am thyne1 and thu sayest1 thu arte myne4 ,eu so ,i am1 and wyll be so for euer4 ,i feare nomore the great folyshenesse of ,aaron1 for nom maye separat me fr the4 ,now that we are brother syster togyther1 ,i care very lytle for all other men4 ,thy landes are myne owne inherytaunce4 ,sidenote3 ,phil4 #b4 ,sidenote3 ,hester4 #ad4 ,lete vs than kepe 7if it please the7 but one howsholde4 ,syth it haue pleased the to humble thy selfe so moche1 as to ioyne thy hart with myne1 in makynge thy selfe a leuely m1 ,i do ryght hartely thke the4 ,and as to do it as ,i ought1 it lyeth not in my small power4 ,take my meanynge than1 and excuse my ignoraunce1 seynge ,i am of so great a kyndred as to be thy syster4 ,o my ,god1 ,i haue good cause1 to loue1 to prayse1 to serue the vnfaynedly and not to feare1 nor to desyre any thynge saue the only4 ,kepe me wele than1 for ,i aske n other brother nor frynde4 ,if anye father haue had anye pytie vpon hys chylde4 ,if anye mother haue take anye care for her sonne4 ,if anye brother haue hyd the synne of hys syster1 it is thu4 ,i neuer sawe 7or els it was kepte wders secrete7 that euer husbande wolde througly forgyue hys wyfe1 after she had hym ones offended1 and ded returne vnto hym4 ,sidenote3 ,hiere4 unreadable4 ,sidenote3 ,deut4 #bd4 ,there haue bene ynough of th whych for to auge their wronges1 haue caused the iudges to put them to deathe4 ,other beholdynge their synnes1 ded not spare their owne hdes1 sodenly to kylle them4 ,other also seynge their faultes to apere1 ded sende th home agayne to their owne fryndes4 ,some perceyuynge their euyll dysposycyons1 haue shut them vp faste in a pryson4 ,now breuely to conclude vpon their dyuerse complexyons4 ,the ende of their pretence is ponnyshment1 and the least harme that euer ,i coulde perceyue in pnyshynge th1 is thys1 that they wolde neuer se th agayne4 ,thu shuldest rather make the skye to turne th1 so to forsake thy wyfe for her mysdoynge4 ,wherfor my ,god1 ,i can fynde nom to be cpared vnto the4 ,for of loue thu arte the perfect example4 ,now my ,god1 more than euer ,i ded1 ,i confesse that ,i haue broken my othe and promyse4 ,sidenote3 ,ioan4 #ae4 ,sidenote3 ,luce4 #f4 ,sidenote3 ,psal4 #ej4 ,alas thu haddyst chosen me for thy wyfe1 and dedyst set me vp in great state honoure4 ,for what greatter honoure maye one haue1 than to be in the place of thy wyfe1 whych swetely taketh her rest so nere the4 ,of all thy goodes quene1 mastres1 and lady1 and also in suretie both of body and sowle4 ,of great fauoure is it1 that ,i so vyle a creature1 am so ennoblyshed by the4 ,now to speake it breuely1 ,i haue more1 better than any man mortall can desyre4 ,wherfor my harte hath cause to sygh alwayes1 and with habundaunce of teares1 myne eyes to come out of my heade4 ,my mouthe can not make to many exclamacyons4 ,for there is neyther newe nor auncyent writynges1 that can shewe so pytiefull a case1 as the same is whych ,i wyll tell now4 ,shall1 or dare ,i tell it8 ,maye ,i pronounce it without shame8 ,alas yea4 ,for my confusyon is it not to shewe the great loue of my husbde4 ,therfor ,i care not1 if for hys worshyp ,i do declare my faulte4 ,sidenote3 ,esa4 #e4 ,sidenote3 ,iob4 #aj4 ,o my sauer1 whych dyed was crucyfyed on the crosse for my synnes4 ,thys dede is not suche1 as a father to leaue hys sonne1 or as a chylde to offde hys mother or els as a syster to grudge chyde4 ,alas thys is worse4 ,for the offence is greatter where more loue knowledge is4 ,for the more famylyaryte we haue with ,god the more benefytes we receyue of hym the greatter is our offce whan we with hym dyssemble4 ,specyally that ,i shuld so do1 whych am called hys spouse1 and loued of the as thyne owne sowle4 ,shall ,i tell the truthe8 ,yea4 ,i haue lefte the1 forgoten the1 ranne awaye from the4 ,i ded leaue the for to go at my vayne pleasure4 ,i forsoke the and chose other4 ,yea1 ,i refused the1 the welsprynge of all goodnesse and faythfull promyse4 ,i ded leaue the4 ,but whyther went ,i8 ,into a place where nothynge was but cursednesse4 ,sidenote3 ,hebre4 #ab4 ,sidenote3 ,luce4 #h4 ,i haue lefte the my trusty frynde and louer1 worthy to be loued aboue all other4 ,i haue put the asyde1 o welsprynge of all helthesomnesse1 by myne owne wretched wyll4 ,yea1 ,i haue forsaken the1 full of bewtie1 goodnesse1 wysdom1 and power1 sought to withdrawe me from thy loue4 ,i haue accepted thy great enemyes1 that is the deuyll1 the worlde1 and the fleshe1 agaynst whe thu faughtest so sore on the crosse1 to ouercome for my sake1 to set me at lyberte1 whych was by th of lge tyme a prysoner slaue4 ,and so bounde1 that no man coulde cause me to humble my selfe4 ,and as for the loue charyte that ,i shulde haue had towardes the1 they ded quche it so that the name of ,iesus my husbde1 whych before ,i had founde so swete1 was to me tedyouse hatefull4 ,so that often tymes ,i ded iest at it4 ,and if any man 7,i hearynge a sermon7 had sayd vnto me1 the preacher sayth wele4 ,i wolde afferme it but the worde went awaye from me1 as a fether doth in the wynde4 ,sidenote3 ,hiere4 #b4 ,sidenote3 ,math4 #beunclear4 ,i went neuer yet to the preachynge1 but for maner only4 ,all my dedes were playne hypocresye1 for my mynde was in other places4 ,i was anoyed whan ,i hearde speake of the1 for ,i was more wyllynge to go at my pleasure4 ,now breuely to conclude1 ,all that thu dedyst forbyd me1 ,i fulfylled all that thu cmadedyst me to do1 ,i ded eschewe4 ,and thys was the cause 7my ,god7 ,i ded not loue the4 ,but yet lorde1 for all thys that ,i ded hate the and forsake the1 ranne awaye from the1 betrayed the1 shulde ,i geue thy place to an other8 ,or hast thu suffered that ,i shulde be mocked1 eyther yet beat or kylled8 ,hast thu put me in darke pryson1 or bannyshed me for euer1 settynge nought by me8 ,hast thu taken awaye thy gyftes agayne from me1 and precyouse iewels1 to ponnysh me for my vnfaythfull frutes8 ,haue ,i lost my ioynter whych thu promysedyst me1 through my offce agaynst the8 ,am ,i accused by the afore the eternall father1 for a naughty woman8 ,yea1 hast thu forbyd me thy presce 7as ,i deserued7 that ,i shulde neuer apere in thy howse8 ,sidenote3 ,luce4 #ae4 ,sidenote3 ,psal4 #d4 ,sidenote3 ,math4 #aa4 ,o most true husbde1 pure perfyght frynde1 the most louynge yet amonge all good louers4 ,alas thu hast done otherwyse4 ,for thu soughtest for me dylygenly1 whan ,i was goynge into the most depe place of helle1 where all the euyls are done4 ,whan ,i was fardest from the both in harte and mynde1 clerlye out of the true waye4 ,than dedyst thu louynglye call me backe1 saynge1 ,my dere doughter harken1 and se1 and bowe thy hearynge towardes me4 ,forget that straunge nacyon to whom thu dedyst ronne awaye and also the house of thyne olde father1 where thu hast dwelled so longe4 ,than shall the kynge full of all faythfulnesse1 desyre thy bewtie4 ,but whan thu sawest that thy swete gracyouse callynge1 ded not profyte me1 than begannyst thu to crye lowder4 ,come vnto me all yow whych are wearyly loaden with laboure1 for ,i am he that shall plenteously refreshe yow and feade yow with my breade of lyfe4 ,alas vnto all these swete wordes wolde ,i not harken4 ,sidenote3 ,esa4 #e4 ,sidenote3 ,canti4 #f4 ,sidenote3 ,hiere4 #c4 ,for ,i doubted whether it were thu1 or els a fabyllouse writynge that so sayde4 ,for ,i was so folyshe1 that without loue ,i ded reade thy worde4 ,i consydered not wele the comparyson of the vyneyearde whych brought fourth thornes bryers in stede of good frute1 that it sygnyfyed me whych had so done4 ,i knowe it wele ynough1 that whan thu dedyst call the baren wyfe1 saynge1 ,returne ,sulamyte4 ,all thys dedyst thu speake that ,i1 shulde forsake my synne4 ,and of all these wordes ded ,i1 as though ,i had vnderstande neuer a whytt4 ,but whan ,i ded peruse ,hieremy the prophete1 ,i confesse that ,i had in the readynge therof1 feare in my harte and bashefulnesse in my face4 ,i wyll tell it1 yea with teares in myne eyes1 and all for thy honoure1 and to suppresse my pryde4 ,thu hast sayde by that holy prophete1 if a woman hath offended her husbande1 and is so left of hym for goynge astraye with other4 ,namely if he therup refuseth her for euer1 is she not to be estemed poluted and of no value8 ,sidenote3 ,ezech4 #ah4 ,sidenote3 ,hiere4 #c4 ,the lawe doth consente to put her in the hdes of iustyce1 or to dryue her awaye so neuer to se her or to take her agayne4 ,thu hast made the sepracyon from my bedde 7sayth he vnto me7 placed foren louers in my roume1 commyttynge with them fornycacyon4 ,yet for all thys thu mayst returne vnto me agayne4 ,for ,i wyll not alwayes be grye agaynst the4 ,lyfte vp thyne eyes1 loke aboute the on euery syde4 ,th shalte thu wele se1 into what place thy synne hath led the1 how thou lyest downe in the earthe4 ,o poore sowle1 loke where thy synne hath put the4 ,euen vpon the hygh wayes1 where thu dedyst wayte1 and tarrye for to begyle th that came by1 euen as a thefe doth whych is hydden in the wyldernesse4 ,therfor thu in fulfyllynge thy wicked pleasure1 hast with fornycacyon infected all the earthe whych was aboute the4 ,thyne eye1 thy foreheade1 and thy face haue loste all their honest good maner4 ,for they were suche as an harlot hath1 and yet thu haddest no shame of thy synne4 ,sidenote3 ,iob4 #aj4 ,sidenote3 ,hebre4 #aa4 ,and the surplus that ,hieremy sayth1 constrayneth me to knowe my wretched lyfe1 to wyshe with sorowfull syghes1 the houre1 the daye1 the moneth1 the tyme and the yeare1 that ,i ded leaue it1 yeldynge my selfe condempned1 and worthy to be for euer in the euerlastynge fyre4 ,the same feare whych doth not of me but of the procede1 and exceadeth many of thy other gyftes1 put me rather in hope than dyspayre1 as often as ,i ded remembre my synne4 ,for as sone as thu knewest my wyll bowynge vndre thy obedyence1 than puttynge in me a lyuely fayth1 thu dedyst vse great clemencye4 ,so that after ,i knewe the to be that lorde1 master1 and kynge whom ,i ought to haue feared4 ,than fode ,i my feare not quenched1 but mixed with loue1 beleuynge that thu wert so gracyouse1 gentyll1 and swete1 so pytiefull an husbande1 that ,i whych shulde rather haue hydde me1 than to haue shewed my selfe1 was not than in feare to go fourth and to loke for the4 ,and in so sekynge ,i founde the4 ,sidenote3 ,psal4 unreadable4 ,sidenote3 ,canti4 #d4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #h4 ,but what dedyst thu than8 ,hast thu refused me8 ,alas my ,god1 no1 but rather hast excused me4 ,hast thu turned thy face from me8 ,no1 for thyne eye so swete ded penetrate my harte1 wodynge it almost to the deathe1 and geuynge me remorse of my synnes4 ,thu hast not put me backe with thy hande1 but with both thy armes and with a swete1 and mly harte thu dedyst mete with me by the waye1 and not ones reprouynge my faultes1 enbrasydest me4 ,i coulde not se in beholdynge thy cotenaunce1 that euer thu dedyst ones perceyue myne offence4 ,for thu hast done as moche for me1 as though ,i had bene good and honest4 ,for thu dedyst hyde my faulte from euery body1 in geuynge me agayne the parte of thy bedde1 and also in shewynge that the multitude of my synnes are so hydd ouercome by thy great vyctorye that thu wylte neuer remembre th4 ,so that now thu seyst nothynge in me1 but the graces1 gyftes and vertues whych it hath pleased thy fre goodnesse to gyue me4 ,sidenote3 ,esa4 #dcunclear4 ,sidenote3 ,math4 #aa4 ,o charyte most precyouse4 ,i do se wele that thy goodnesse doth consume my lewdenesse1 maketh me a newe godly and bewtyfull creature4 ,the euyll that was myne1 thu hast destroyed1 and made me so perfyght a creature1 that all the good whych a husbande can do vnto hys wyfe thu hast done it to me1 in geuynge me1 a faythfull ,hope in thy promyses4 ,now haue ,i through thy good grace recouered the place of thy wyfe4 ,o happye desyered place1 gracyuse bedde1 trone ryght honourable1 seate of peace1 rest from all warre1 hygh steppe of honoure1 separate from the earthe4 ,dost thu receyue thys vnworthy creature1 geuynge her the scepture and crowne of thy empyre and gloryouse realme8 who ded euer heare speake of suche a storye8 as to rayse vp one so hygh1 whych of her selfe was nothynge maketh of great value1 that of it selfe was naught4 ,sidenote3 ,ioan4 #c4 ,sidenote3 ,sapi4 #ad4 ,alas what is thys8 for ,i castynge myne eyes on hygh1 ded se thy goodnesse1 so vnknowne grace1 loue so incomprehsyble that my syght is wonderfull4 ,than am ,i constrayned to loke downe1 in so lokynge downewarde1 ,i do se what ,i am1 and what ,i was wyllynge to be4 ,alas ,i do se in it1 the lewdenesse1 darkenesse1 and extreme depenesse of my euyll4 ,my deathe whych by hblenesse closeth myne eye4 ,the admyrable goodnesse of the1 the vnspeakeable euyll whych is in me1 ,thy ryght hyghnes pure maiestie1 my ryght fragyle and mortall nature1 ,thy gyftes1 goodes1 beatytude1 my malyce great vnkyndnesse4 ,o how good thu arte vnto me1 and how vnkynde am ,i to the8 ,thys that thu wylte1 and thys that ,i pursue4 ,whych thynges consydered1 causeth me to maruele1 how it pleasyth the to ioyne thy selfe to me1 seynge there is no comparyson betwene vs both4 ,sidenote3 ,esa4 #fd4 ,sidenote3 ,colos4 #b4 ,thu arte my ,god1 and ,i am thy worke1 thu my creator1 and ,i thy creature4 ,now to speake breuely1 though ,i can not defyne what it is to be of the1 yet knowe ,i my selfe to be the least thynge that maye be compared vnto the1 ,o loue1 thu madyst thys agrement whan thu dedyst ioyne lyfe1 and deathe togyther4 ,but the vnyon hath made alyue deathe4 ,lyfe dyenge1 and lyfe without ende1 haue made our deathe a lyfe4 ,deathe hath geuen vnto lyfe a quyckenesse4 ,through suche deathe ,i beynge dead1 receyued lyfe1 and by deathe ,i am rauyshed with hym whych is alyue4 ,i lyue in the1 and as for me1 of my selfe ,i am dead4 ,and as ccernynge the bodyly deathe1 it is nothynge els vnto me1 but a cmynge out of pryson4 ,deathe is lyfe vnto me4 ,for through deathe1 ,i am alyue4 ,thys mortall lyfe fylleth me full of care1 and sorowe1 and deathe yeldeth me content4 ,sidenote3 ,apoca4 #ad4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #h4 ,o what a goodly thynge it is to dye1 whych causeth my sowle to lyue4 ,in delyuerynge her fr thys mortall deathe1 it expteth her fr the deathe myserable1 matcheth her with a most myghty louer1 vnlesse she thus dyeth1 she lguyssheth alwayes4 ,is not th the sowle blameles1 whych wolde fayne dye for to haue suche lyfe8 ,yes trulye1 she ought to call deathe her welbeloued1 frynde ,o swete deathe1 plesaunt sorowe1 myghty keye delyuerynge from all wyckednesse4 ,those whych trusted in the 7o lorde7 and in thy deathe1 were mortyfyed1 because they ded trust in the1 and in thy passyon4 ,for with a swete slepe thu dedyst put them oute of that deathe whych causeth manye to lamente4 ,o how happye is the same slepe vnto hym1 whych whan he awaketh1 doth fynde through thy deathe1 the lyfe euerlastynge4 ,for the deathe is n other thynge to a christen man1 but a lyberte or delyueraunce from hys mortall bande4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #g4 ,sidenote3 ,psal4 #ce4 ,sidenote3 ,ioan4 #ae4 ,and the deathe whych is fearfull to the wycked1 is plesaunt and acceptable to them that are good4 ,than is deathe through thy deathe destroyed4 ,therfor my ,god1 if ,i were ryghtly taught1 ,i shulde call the deathe lyfe1 and thys lyfe deathe1 ende of laboure1 and begynnynge of euerlastynge ioye4 ,for ,i knowe that the lge lyfe doth lett me from thy syght4 ,o deathe1 come1 and breake the same obstacle of lyfe4 ,or els loue1 do a myracle now1 syth that ,i can not yet se my spouse4 ,transfourme me with hym both bodye sowle1 and than shall ,i the better tarry for the cummynge of deathe4 ,lete me dye that ,i maye lyue with hym4 ,for there is n that can helpe me1 onles it be thu only4 ,o my sauer through4 ,faythe ,i am planted1 and ioyned with the4 ,o what vnyon is thys1 syth that through faythe ,i am sure of the4 ,and ,i maye call the1 father1 brother1 sonne1 and husbande4 ,o what giftes thu dost gyue1 by the goodenesse of those names4 ,sidenote3 ,apoca4 #ab4 ,sidenote3 ,luce4 #h4 ,o my father1 what paternyte1 ,o my brother what fraternyte1 ,o my chylde1 what dylectyon1 ,o my spouse1 what coniunctyon is thys8 ,father full of humylyte1 ,brother hauynge our symylytude1 ,sne engendered through faythe1 loue1 ,husbande louynge1 and releuynge in all extremyte4 ,but whom doist thu loue8 ,alas it is she whom thu hast withdrawen from the snare1 wherin1 through malyce she was bounde1 and put her in place1 name and offyce of a doughter1 syster1 mother1 and wyfe4 ,o my sauer1 the same is a great sauoure of swetnesse1 ryght plesat1 and dylectable1 whan a man1 after the hearynge of thy worde1 shall call the without feare1 hys father1 brother1 chylde1 spouse4 ,i in hearynge that worde1 do perceyue my selfe to be called there thy mother1 syster1 doughter1 spouse4 ,alas the sowle whych doth fynde suche swetnesse1 maye consume1 and burne for loue4 ,sidenote3 ,ioan4 #ad4 ,sidenote3 #b4 ,cor4 #c4 ,is there any loue1 onles it be thys1 but it hath some euyll condycyon8 ,is there anye pleasure to be herto estemed8 ,is there any honoure1 but maye be accompted shame1 to thys compared8 ,yea1 is there any profyte equall to thys8 ,more ouer to conclude it breuely4 ,is there any thynge that ,i coulde more ernestly loue8 ,alas no4 ,for he that vnfaynedly loueth ,god1 reputeth all these thynges worldly1 of lesse value than the dge hylle4 ,pleasure profyte1 honoure of thys worlde1 are all but vayne tryfles vnto hym whych hath founde ,god4 ,suche loue is so profytable1 honourable1 abundaunt1 that 7,i dare saye7 she only suffyseth the harte of a godly man1 and yeldeth hym so content1 that he neuer desyreth or wolde haue other4 ,for who so euer hath ,god1 as we ought to haue hym1 accounteth all other thynges superfluouse or vayne4 ,sidenote3 ,phil4 #b4 ,sidenote3 ,esa4 #ee4 ,sidenote3 ,io4 #aj4 ,now thanked by the lorde1 through faythe haue ,i got the same loue1 wherfor ,i ought to be satysfyed and content4 ,now haue ,i the my father1 for defence of my longe youth from wanton folyshnesse4 ,now haue ,i the my brother1 for to socoure my sorowes wherin ,i fynde non ende4 ,now haue ,i the my sonne1 for my feble age as an only staye4 ,now haue ,i the a true1 faythfull husbande1 for the satisfyenge of my whole harte4 ,now syth that ,i haue the1 ,i do forsake all them that are in the worlde4 ,syth ,i holde the1 thu shalte escape me nomore4 ,seynge that ,i se the1 ,i wyll loke1 vpon non other thynge that myght kepe me backe from the beholdynge of thy dyuynyte4 ,seynge that ,i do heare the1 ,i wyll heare nothynge that letteth me fr the fruycy of thy voyce4 ,syth that ,i maye frely talke with the1 ,i wyll cmen with non other4 ,seynge it pleaseth the to put me so nere the1 ,i wyll rather dye than to touche any other4 ,seynge that ,i serue the1 ,i wyll serue non other master4 ,sidenote3 #bunclear4 ,thes4 #b4 ,sidenote3 ,exo4 #ae4 ,seynge that thu hast ioyned thy harte with myne1 if he depart from thyne1 lete hym be ponnyshed for euer4 ,for the departynge from thy loue is harder than is any dampnacyon4 ,i do not feare the payne of ten thousande helles1 so moche as ,i do feare the ones losynge of the4 ,alas my ,god1 my father1 and creator1 do not suffer that the enemy1 inuentor of all synne1 haue suche power1 that he make me to lese thy presence4 ,for who so euer hath once felte the losse of thy loue1 he shall saye that he wolde rather be bounde for euer in helle1 than to feale the payne that one shall haue by the losse of the same thy loue one momente of tyme4 ,o my sauer1 do not permytt that euer ,i departe from the4 ,but if it please the1 put me in suche a place1 that my sowle through wantonnesse of synne be1 neuer separated from thy loue4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #g4 ,sidenote3 ,hebre4 #i4 ,sidenote3 ,eccle4 #dunclear4 ,in thys worlde ,i can not haue perfyghtly thys my dsyre4 ,whych thynge consydered maketh me feruently with all my harte1 to desyre the departynge from thys bodye of synne1 not fearynge the deathe nor yet any of her instrumentes4 ,for what feare ought ,i to haue of my ,god1 whych through loue offered hymselfe and suffered deathe1 not of dett or dewtye1 but because he wolde for my only sake vndo the power that mortall deathe had4 ,now is ,iesus dead1 in whom we are all dead1 and through hys deathe he causeth euery man to lyue agayne4 ,i meane those whych through faythe are partakers of hys ,passyon4 ,for euen as the deathe before the great mystery of the crosse1 was harde to euery bodye1 and there was no m but was feared therwith1 consyderynge the copulacyon of the bodye the sowle1 their order1 loue1 and agrement1 so were their sorowes extreme in the departynge of the one from the other4 ,sidenote3 ,sapi4 #c4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,io4 #d4 ,but sens it hath pleased the swete lambe to offer hymselfe vpon the crosse1 hys great loue hath kyndeled a fyre within the harte so vehement1 that euery true beleuer estemeth the passage of deathe but a playe or pastyme1 and so preuoketh other constauntly in hys truthe to dye4 ,and eu as the feare of deathe ded retarde vs1 so ought loue to gyue vs a desyre to dye4 ,for if true loue be vnfaynedly within the harte of a man1 he can fele non other thynge1 because that loue is so stronge of itselfe1 that she kepith all the roume1 and putteth out all other desyres1 not sufferynge any thynge there but ,god only4 ,for whersoeuer true and perfyght loue is1 we do neyther rembre feare nor yet sorowe4 ,sidenote3 ,deute4 #af4 ,sidenote3 ,eccle4 #a4 ,if our owne pryde for to attayne honoure1 maketh vs to seke deathe so manye straunge wayes4 ,as if for to haue a folysh pleasure1 a man putteth hym selfe in ieopardye of lyfe4 ,if a merchate to obtayne ryches1 doth daunger hymselfe1 somtyme for the value of a shyllynge4 ,if the first cceyuynge of robery or murther1 crueltie or deceyte1 doth so blynde a man1 that he doubteth nothynge the daunger of deathe1 neyther yet mysfortune whan he seketh to auge hymselfe or doth any other euyll4 ,if the fury of syckenesse or the rankenesse of ,melancholy causeth a creature fearcely to wyshe for deathe1 oft tymes to drowne1 hge1 or kylle thselues4 ,for suche euyls are somtymes so great that they cause their payned pacyentes to chose deathe for lyberte4 ,if it so be than that these paynes full of euyll1 and imperfectyons1 causeth them not to feare the hasarde of deathe1 but rather to thynke that deathe tarryeth to longe4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #hunclear4 ,sidenote3 #b4 ,cor4 #c4 ,alas what ought true and laudable loue to do8 ,what ought the loue of the eternall creatour to wyshe8 ,shulde she sturre a harte suche wyse1 that he beynge transported with suche affectyon1 shulde fele non other thynge in hym8 ,alas yea4 ,for deathe is a plesaunt thynge to the sowle1 whych is in loue with ,god1 and estemeth the passage easye1 through the whych she commyth out of pryson4 ,for the harde waye1 wherthrough she commeth1 can not wearye her for to enbrace her husbande4 ,o my sauer1 how good is the same deathe1 through whom we shall haue the ende of all sorowes8 ,by whom ,i shall enioye thy syght without impedyment1 and be transfourmed into the lykenesse of thy maieste8 ,sidenote3 ,canti4 #e4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,cor4 #ae4 ,o deathe1 through thy dede ,i trust to haue suche honour1 as vpon my knees with cryenge and wepynge ,i do dayly desyre4 ,therfor come quyckely1 and make an ende of my sorowes4 ,o happy doughters1 ryght holy sowles ioyned to the cytie hierusalem1 open your eyes and with pytie loke vpon my desolacyon4 ,i beseche yow that in my name ye do shewe vnto me bestbeloue1 my ,god1 frynde kynge1 how at euerye houre of the daye1 ,i do languysh for hys loue4 ,o swete deathe1 through suche loue come vnto me1 and with loue brynge me vnto my lorde ,god4 ,o deathe where is thy stynge and darte8 ,alas they are bannyshed from myne eyes1 for rygour is changed into swetnesse seynge that my frynde ded suffre deathe vpon the crosse for my sake4 ,hys deathe doth so incourage my harte1 that thu wert wonders gentyll to me1 if ,i myght folowe hym4 ,sidenote3 ,iounclear4 #i4 ,sidenote3 ,apoca4 #bj4 ,sidenote3 ,psal4 #aa4 ,o deathe1 ,i beseche the come to put the frynde with hys loue4 ,now syth that deathe is so plesaunt a lyfe1 that she pleasith me more than feareth me1 than ought ,i to feare nothynge but the ryght iudgement of ,god4 ,all my synnes with hys iust balace shall be wayed shewed oply4 ,thys that ,i haue done1 also my thought and worde shall be better knowne1 than if they were written in a rolle4 ,and we maye not thynke that charyte wolde offde iustyce truthe4 ,for whoso euer doth lyue vnfaythfully1 shall be ponnyshed in euerlastynge payne4 ,god is iust and hys iudgemt is ryghteouse4 ,all that he doth is perfyght in all thynges4 ,alas what am ,i consyderynge my ryghtousnesse1 ,i wretched and poore creature8 ,sidenote3 ,esa4 #fd4 ,sidenote3 ,hebre4 #ahunclear4 ,sidenote3 ,luce4 #ahunclear4 ,sidenote3 ,ioan4 #funclear4 ,i knowe that all the workes of iust m are so full of imperfectyon1 that afore ,god they are more fylthye than myer or any other vylenesse4 ,what wyll it be than ccernynge the synnes whych ,i do cmyt1 wherof ,i feale the burden importable8 ,i can saye nothynge els but that ,i haue wonne by them dampnacyon4 ,is thys the ende8 ,shall dyspayre than be the conforte of my greate ignorace8 ,alas my ,god no4 ,for the inuysyble faythe causeth me to beleue1 that all thynges whych are impossyble to men1 are possyble vnto the4 ,so that thu do conuerte my worke1 whych is nothynge1 into some good worke of thyne in me1 whych is specyally faythe4 ,than my lorde1 who shall condempne me1 what iudge wyll dpne me1 syth that he whych is geuen me for a iudge1 is my spouse1 my father1 and refuge8 ,alas what father8 ,suche as doth neuer condempne hys chyelde1 but alwayes doth excuse and defende hym4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,io4 #b4 ,sidenote3 ,math4 #ah4 ,sidenote3 ,colo4 #b4 ,than ,i perceyue to haue non other accuser but ,iesus ,christ1 whych is my redemer1 whose deathe hath restored vs our lost inherytaunce4 ,for he made hym selfe our man of lawe1 shewynge hys so worthye merytes afore ,god1 wherwith my great debte is so habundauntly recpenced1 that in iudgement it is accompted for nothynge4 ,o redemer1 here is a great loue8 ,we fynde but fewe suche m of lawe4 ,swete ,iesus ,christ1 it is vnto the that ,i am a detter1 yet dost thu both praye1 and speake for me4 ,and moreouer whan thu dost se that ,i am poore1 with the abdace of thy goodes thu dost paye my debte4 ,o incomprehensyble see of all goodnesse4 ,o my father1 dost thu vouchesaue to be my iudge1 not wyllynge the deathe of a synner8 ,o ,iesus ,christ1 true fysher1 and sauer of the sowle1 frynde aboue all fryndes4 ,for thu beynge my man of lawe dedyst excuse and speake for me1 where thu couldest iustly haue accused me4 ,sidenote3 ,esa4 #ec4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,pet4 #b4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,io4 #d4 ,i feare nomore to be vndone by any man for the lawe is satisfyed by the for all4 ,my swete spouse hath made the payment so habundaunt1 that the lawe can aske nothynge of me but is payed of hym4 ,for as ,i beleue1 he hath taken all my synnes vp hym1 and hath geu me in place of them1 hys owne goodes in habundaunce4 ,o my sauer1 presentynge thy vertues1 thu dost content the lawe4 ,whan she wyll reproche me of my synnes1 thu dost shewe her how willyngly in thyne owne fleshe1 thu hast taken the dyscharge of th1 through the coniunctyon of our marryage4 ,also vpon the crosse through thy passyon1 thu hast made satisfactyon for it4 ,moreouer thy only charyte hath geu me thys1 that thu hast for me deserued4 ,therfor seynge thy meryte to be myne1 the lawe can aske nothynge of me4 ,than wyll ,i feare nomore the iudgement1 but with desyre rather than parforce1 ,i do tarry for the tyme that ,i shall se my iudge1 and heare a iust iudgemente of hym4 ,sidenote3 ,psal4 #aaiunclear4 ,sidenote3 ,math4 #be4 ,sidenote3 ,luce4 #ac4 ,yet ,i knowe that thy iudgemte is so iust1 that there is no faulte therin1 that my infydelyte is worthye to suffer the cruelnesse of helle4 ,for if ,i do only consydre my deseruynge1 ,i can se nothynge in it that can keape me from the fyre of helle4 ,true it is1 that the torment of helle was neuer prepared but for the deuyll1 and not for reasonable men4 ,neuerthelesse if any man haue set in hys mynde to be lyke to the deuyll1 than ought he as the deuyll to be payed with a lyke rewarde4 ,but if a man through ctemplacyon of the sowle1 do holde of the1 hys ,angell of cosell1 vertue1 goodnesse perfecty1 he is sure to obtayne heauen1 whych is a place of thy deseruynge for hym4 ,than shall the vycyouse be ponnyshed with the same1 to whom they ioyned themselues4 ,for sith that they folowed ,sathan1 they must holde suche place as is for hym and hys angels prepared4 ,sidenote3 ,hebre4 #a4 ,sidenote3 ,luce4 #aa4 ,now ,i consyderynge the dyuersyte of both the sortes1 am lytle conforted in spreet by thys4 ,for ,i can not denye but ,i am more lyke the deuyll than the ,angell of lyght1 wherfor ,i feare and tremble4 ,for the lyfe of the ,angell is so pure myne so vnpure1 that ,i am nothynge lyke vnto hym1 thys do ,i confesse4 ,but to the other ,i am so lyke in my doynges1 and so accustomed in hys wayes1 that of hys payne tormente ,i ought to be partaker4 ,for the cruell synne whych hath bounde me in helle1 is so great and hys force so stronge1 that it leteth nothynge to come from it1 neyther feareth it the ctrary assaulte of any man4 ,but he whych is in thys kynde stronge1 knoweth not how hys strength goth awaye1 whan a stronger than he cmyth4 ,synne is stronge whych bryngeth vs to helle4 ,sidenote3 ,phil4 #b4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,cor4 #aeunclear4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #eunclear4 ,and ,i coulde neuer yet se1 that anye man by meryte or payne takynge1 coulde euer yet vanquyshe that helle1 saue only he whych ded the great assaulte through hys vnspeakable charyte1 whan he humbled hym selfe to the crosse4 ,wherby he hath ouercomen hys enemye1 broken helle and hys power so that it hath no farther strength to keape anye sowle prysoner1 that hath put her trust in ,god4 ,than beleuynge in the great strength that he hath1 ,i do not set by helle and synne1 ,no not so moche as a strawe4 ,so that synne can neuer haue holde of me1 vnlesse it be for to shewe how my ,god is mercyfull1 stronge1 myghtie1 a pusat vanquysher of all the euyls whych were within my harte4 ,if my synne forgyu1 is the glorye of my most louynge sauer1 ,i ought also to beleue1 that my glorye is encreased therwith1 seynge that ,i am planted or engrafted in hym4 ,sidenote3 ,apoca4 #e4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,cor4 #ae4 ,sidenote3 ,apoca4 #ba4 ,hys honoure only doth honoure all hys1 and hys ryches doth replenysh euery one of hys with hys goodes4 ,than deathe1 helle and synne are ouercome by hym4 ,o glottonouse helle1 where is thy defence8 ,thu cruell vyllayne synne1 where is thy tyrannouse power8 ,o deathe where is thy stynge vyctorye1 whych are so moche spoken of8 ,in steade of deathe1 thu deathe geuyst vs lyfe1 and so dost thu contrary to thy wyll4 ,also thu synne which couetyst to drawe yche creature to dpnacyon thu geuest vs a ladder to reache therby that goodly cytie ,hierusalem4 ,yet woldest thu of thy cursed nature that our eternall maker shulde lose hys creature4 ,but through hys loue and grace1 the sorye rembraunce of thy vncomelynesse1 doth cause her by repentaunce to come agayne1 and submyt her selfe vnto ,god more than euer she dyd4 ,hys inestymable goodnesse causeth the to lose the whole labour whych thu takest all the weke4 ,sidenote3 ,osee4 #ac4 ,sidenote3 ,ioan4 #f4 ,sidenote3 ,math4 #aj4 ,therfor helle hath not had all the nomber that he did pretende to haue1 bicause that the solacyouse shaddowe power of hys passyon1 is suche a myghtye protectyon to the sowle1 that she therby nedeth neyther to doubte deathe1 synne1 nor helle4 ,is there anye thynge can pull me backe if ,god be wyllynge through hys gyfte of faythe to drawe me to hym8 ,i meane suche faythe as we must nedes haue to obtayne the hygh graces from aboue1 also suche faythe as through charyte doth ioyne the humble seruaunt to hys maker4 ,i beynge ioyned vnto hym1 ought to haue no feare of trauayle1 payne1 nor sorowe4 ,for who so euer doth wyllyngly suffer anye maner of deathe or sorowe for the truthe1 as ded ,christ1 he doth feale in suche torment great consolacyon for hys sowle1 knowynge that as for my selfe1 ,i am weake1 and with ,god ,i am ryght stronge4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #h4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,io4 #d4 ,through hys confort ,i maye do all thynges4 ,for hys loue is so cstat permant that it varyeth not for anye worldly thynge4 ,who can th withdrawe me from hys grace8 ,surely the great heyth of heauen1 nor the deapenesse of helle1 nor the breadeth of the whole earthe1 neyther deathe nor synne1 whych doth warre euery daye agaynst me1 can separate me one mynute from the great loue charyte1 that my heauenly father through ,iesus ,christ hath vnto me4 ,hys goodnesse is suche1 that he loueth me whych haue not at all tymes loued hym4 ,and if ,i now loue hym1 than shall ,i feale hys loue to increase in me4 ,but bycause that my loue is not worthy to loue hym1 ,i desyre hys loue to be myne the whych ,i feale suche as though it were myne owne4 ,hys desyre is to loue1 and through hys loue he causith my harte to be inflamyd with loue4 ,sidenote3 ,ioan4 #ac4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #aa4 ,sidenote3 ,ephe4 #bunclear4 ,and through suche loue he fyndeth hym selfe so welbeloued1 that hys owne dede yeldeth hym wele content1 not my loue or strengthe4 ,contentynge hys selfe1 hys loue doth increase more in me1 than ,i can of hym desyre1 ,o true louer1 fountayne1 or welsprynge of all charyte1 and only purse of the heauly treasure4 ,ought ,i to thynke1 or dare ,i saye what thu art8 ,maye ,i write it1 or can anye mortall man comprehende thys goodnesse loue8 ,and if thu prte in anye mnys harte1 c he expresse it8 ,no surely4 ,for the capacyte of no man can comprehende the vnmesurable goodnesses whych are in the1 for naturall reas doth shewe vs how there is no cparyson betwyne an eternall a mortall thynge4 ,but whan through loue the mortall is ioyned with the eternall1 the mortall thynge is so fulfylled with the eternall1 that it can not fynde the ende therof4 ,for it hath in it more good therby1 than it can contayne or holde4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #h4 ,sidenote3 ,eccs4 #aj4 ,sidenote3 ,psal4 #aah4 ,therfor doth a man thynke1 whych hath the loue of ,god1 that he hath all the goodes in the worlde therwith4 ,euen as we se the sne with one only sparcle of hys lyght doth blynde the eye1 and yet doth she witholde her great lyghte4 ,but aske the eye what he hath seane1 and he wyll saye that he hath beholden the whole bryghtnesse of the sunne4 ,but that is a great lye4 ,for he beynge dymmed with a lytle sparcle1 coulde not se the whole cleartye therof4 ,and neuertheles he is so contente1 that it semith vnto hym as though he had so moche lyght as the sunne contayneth4 ,yet if he had more than the seyde sparcle1 he were not able to suffer it4 ,euen so the sowle whych through faythe doth fele one sparcle of the loue of ,god1 doth fynde therwith the heate so great and maruelouse1 so swete and delycyouse1 that it is impossyble to her to declare what thynge the same loue is4 ,sidenote3 ,phil4 #a4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,io4 #d4 ,for a lytle threof that she hath felte doth yelde her mynde satisfyed desyerynge of more wherof she hath ynough4 ,so doth she lyue languyshynge syghynge4 ,the harte doth fele wele1 that he hath receyued to moche1 but he hath cceyued suche desyre in thys to moche1 that he alwayes desyerith to receyue the thynge whych he can not haue1 neyther is he worthye to receyue it4 ,he knowith the good that he hath alredy to be vnspeakeable1 and yet wolde he haue more of that wherof he can not stylle4 ,truly he can not fele or thynke the good whych is in hym4 ,then lyeth it not in my power1 to tell what thynge the loue of ,god is1 sith that ,i haue no knowlege of the feruentnesse therof4 ,he that thynketh to haue all thys loue withyn hys harte1 can not truly declare what thynge it is4 ,happye is he wych hath suche abundace of thys loue1 that he maye saye1 ,my ,god1 ,i haue ynough of it4 ,sidenote3 ,iaco4 #c4 ,sidenote3 ,apoca4 #c4 ,sidenote3 ,math4 #be4 ,he whych hath thys loue within hym1 dare not moche boaste therof1 least in moche speakynge he lose it1 vnles it be to edyfye hys neybour vnto saluacyon4 ,the impossybylyte than of the declaracyon of thys loue shall make me to holde my peace4 ,for there is no ,saynte so perfyght1 if he wyll speake of the loue of the hygh ,god1 of hys goodnesse1 swetnesse1 graces1 and of all thynges els whych pertayneth to hym1 but lokynge a lowe shall fynde hymselfe vnworthye1 and so stoppe hys mouthe4 ,i than a worme of the earthe1 lesse than nothynge1 ought to cease and not to speake of the incomparable hyghnesse of thys loue4 ,yet were it to moch vnkyndenesse to be noted in me1 if ,i had writen nothynge1 hauynge that done vnto me whych wolde satisfye a moche better wytte than myne is4 ,for he that wolde hyde the goodnesse of ,god1 so good a mastre1 shulde commytt a synne worthye to be ponnyshed with the euerlastynge payne4 ,sidenote3 #b4 ,cor4 #ab4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #aa4 ,sidenote3 ,sapi4 #ag4 ,therfor come1 ,o happye ,paule1 whych hast tasted so moche of the same swete honye1 beynge blynded for the space of thre dayes1 rapte vp vnto the thirde hau4 ,now ,i besech the1 satisfye my ignorace faulte1 tel me what in suche vysyon thu hast seane4 ,hark th what he sayth4 ,o the vnspeakeable hyghnesse of the abdaunt ryches or treasure both of the wysdome knowledge of ,god4 ,how incomprehsyble are hys iudgemtes how vnsearchable hys wayes vnto our weake wittes8 ,o holye ,paule1 thy wordes causeth vs moche to maruayle1 that thu hauynge knowledge of so heauly secretes1 woldest speake no further in them4 ,at the least yet tell vs1 what thynge we maye hope to haue one daye through suche godly loue4 ,geue eare and ponder the wordes that he sayth4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,cor4 #b4 ,sidenote3 ,esa4 #fd4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #h4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,io4 #dunclear4 ,neyther hath the eye seane1 nor yet the eare hearde1 neyther yet hath it euer entred into the harte of anye man1 what ,god hath prepared for them that loue hym4 ,and wolde he speake it no farther8 ,no truly4 ,yet all thys that he sayeth here1 is for non other purpose1 but to prouoke vs ernestly to loue4 ,he wylleth vs also therin to esteme1 that he neyther can declare nor yet name it1 so to geue forth our hartes to pacyce hope of that thynge whych neuer m yet coulde se1 neyther yet dyscerne1 what though many through loue for it hath dyed4 ,o excellent gyfte of faythe wherof so moche good cmyth1 that it can sith man to possede the thynge whych he can not cprehende4 ,faythe ioyned with the truthe1 bryngeth fourth hope1 wherby perfyght charyte is engdered4 ,and charyte is ,god1 as thu knowist4 ,if we haue charyte1 th we haue also ,god therwith4 ,sidenote3 ,io4 #aunclear4 ,sidenote3 ,roma4 #abunclear4 ,sidenote3 #a4 ,timo4 unreadable4 ,than is ,god in vs1 and we are in hym4 ,and all thys cometh through the benefyte of faythe4 ,for he dwellith in all men whych haue true faythe4 ,thus haue we a greatter treasure th we c tell of1 or yet anye man expresse vnto vs4 ,now to cclude4 ,syth that so great an ,apostle as saynt ,paule is1 wyll speake no further of ,god hys inestymable loue1 accordynge to hys ryghtouse exple and doctryne1 ,i wyll holde my peace be stylle1 folowynge neuerthelesse hys teachynges4 ,notwithstdynge yet though herin ,i acknowledge my selfe but earthe and duste1 yet maye ,i not fayle to yelde thankes vnto my eternall lyuynge ,god1 for suche great graces1 and benefytes1 as it hath pleased hym to gyue me4 ,vnto that euerlastynge kynge of heauen immortall1 inuysyble1 incprehensyble1 myghty1 and wyse only1 be all honoure1 prayse1 glorye1 magnyfycence1 and loue for euer euer4 ,amen4 ,textes of the scripture4 ,these 4iiii4 clauses of the sacred scripture added my lady ,helisabeth vnto the begynnynge and ende of her boke1 and therfor ,i haue here regestred th in the ende4 ,eccle4 #be4 ,there is not a more wycked heade1 than the heade of the serpente4 ,and there is no wrathe aboue the wrathe of a wom4 ,eccle4 #be4 ,but he that hath goten a vertuouse woman1 hath goten a goodly possessyon4 ,she is vnto hym an helpe and pyller1 whervpon he restith4 ,eccle4 #be4 ,it were better to dwelle with a lyon and dragon1 than to kepe howse with a wycked wyfe4 ,eccle4 #g4 ,yet depart not from a dyscrete and good woman1 that is fallen vnto the for thy porcyon in the feare of the lorde1 for the gifte of her honestie1 is aboue golde4 ,the ,conclusyon4 ,sidenote3 ,appetytes4 ,sidenote3 ,synner4 ,sidenote3 ,the lorde4 ,certayne1 sure am ,i 7most gentyll reader7 that all they whych shall peruse thys godlye boke1 shall not therwith be pleased4 ,for amonge feaders are alwayes sondry appetytes1 and in great assemblyes of people1 dyuerse1 and varyaunt iudgementes1 ,as the saynge1 is1 so many heades1 so many wyttes4 ,neyther fyne paynted speche1 wysdome of thys worlde1 nor yet relygyouse hypocresye 7whych for pryuate commodyte many men seketh7 are herin to be loked for1 ,and a reason why1 ,for he that is here famylyarly commoned with1 regardeth no curyosyte1 but playnesse and truthe4 ,he refuseth no synner1 but is wele contented at all tymes to heare hys hombly tale4 ,hyde not thy selfe from me 7sayth he7 whan thu hast done amys1 but come boldely face to face1 and commen the matter with me4 ,if thy synnes be so redde as scarlet1 ,i shall make th whyter than snowe4 ,and though thy factes be as the purple1 yet shall they apere so whyte as the wolle4 ,esa4 #a4 ,for as truly as ,i lyue 7sayth he7 no pleasure haue ,i in the deathe of a synner1 but wyll moch rather that he turne and be saued4 ,eze4 #cc4 ,sidenote3 ,dauid4 ,sidenote3 ,s4 ,ioh4 ,if the hombly speche here do to moche offde1 csydre it to be the worke of a woman1 as she in the bygynnynge therof1 haue most mekely desyered4 ,and yet of n other woman1 than was most godly mynded4 ,marke ,dauid in the psalter1 whych was a man both wyse and lerned1 and ye shall fynde hys maner in speakynge not all vnlyke to thys4 ,faythe 7saynt ,paule sayth7 standeth not in floryshynge eloquence1 neyther yet in mannys polytyque wysdome1 but in the grace and power of ,god4 #a4 ,cor4 #b4 ,if the ofte repetynge of some one sentence1 engendereth a tedyouse werynesse to the reader1 lete hym wele peruse the holy workes of ,s4 ,iohan the ,eugelyst1 ,i doubt it not but he shall fynde there the same maner of writynge4 ,and hys occasyon is 7as all the chefe writers afferme7 the necessary markynge of the preceptes of helthe1 or of matter chefely concernynge the sowles saluacyon4 ,for a thynge twyse or thryse spoken1 entereth moche more depely into the rembraunce than that is vttered but ones4 ,sidenote3 ,lady helisabeth4 ,sidenote3 ,her first frute4 ,sidenote3 ,lybrares4 ,and as touchynge the porcyon that my ladye ,helisabeth1 the kynges most noble syster hath therin1 whych is her trslacyon4 ,chefely haue she done it for her owne exercyse in the frenche tunge1 besydes the spirytuall exercyse of her innar sowle with ,god4 ,as a dylygent profytable bee1 haue she gathered of thys floure swetnesse both wayes1 and of thys boke consolacyon in sprete4 ,and thynkynge that other myght do the same1 of a most fre christen harte1 she maketh it here cmen vnto them1 not beynge a nigarde ouer the treasure of ,god4 ,math4 #be4 ,the first frute is it of her yonge1 tender1 and innocent labours4 ,for ,i thynke she was not full oute xiiii4 ,yeares of age1 at the fynyshynge therof4 ,she haue not done herin1 as ded the relygyouse and anoynted hypocrytes in monasteryes1 coutes and colleges1 in spearynge their lybraryes from men studyouse1 and in reseruynge the treasure contayned in their bokes1 to most vyle dust and wormes4 ,but lyke as ,god hath gracyously geuen it1 so do she agayne most frely dystrybute it4 ,sidenote3 ,the aged4 ,sidenote3 ,youth4 ,sidenote3 ,tuters4 ,soch noble begynnynges are neyther to be reckened chyldysh nor babysh1 though she were a babe in yeares1 that hath here geu them4 ,seldome fynde we them that in the closynge vp of their wythered age1 do mynystre lyke frutes of vertu4 ,an infynyte swarme beholde we of olde dottynge bawdes and beastes1 that with cscyences loaden with synne 7as ,s4 ,paule reporteth them7 taketh euery paynted stocke stone for their ,god1 besydes the small breades that their lecherouse chaplaynes hath blowen vpon4 ,they shall not be vnwyse1 that shall marke herin1 what commodyte it is1 or what profyght myght growe to a christen cmen welthe if youth were thus brought vp in vertu good letters4 ,if soch frutes come forewarde in chyldehode1 what wyll folowe and apere whan dyscressyon and yeares shall be more rype and auncyent8 ,a most manyfest sygne of ,godlynesse is it in the fryndes1 where youth is thus instytute1 and a token of wonderfully faythfull dylygence1 in the studyouse teachers1 tuters1 and dayly lokers on4 ,sidenote3 ,lerned4 ,sidenote3 ,clauses added4 ,nobylyte whych she hath got of bloude in the hyghest degre1 hauynge a most vyctoryouse kynge to her father1 a most vertuouse1 lerned kynge agayne to her brother1 is not in the earely sprynge dystayned with wanton ignorace1 neyther yet blemyshed with the commen vyces of dyssolute youth1 ,but most ,plenteously adourned with all kyndes of languages1 lernynges1 and vertues1 to holde it styll in ryght course4 ,the translacyon of thys worke1 were euydence stronge ynough1 if ,i had not els to laye for the matter4 ,but marke yet an other moch more effectuall and clere1 at the whych not a fewe lerned men in ,germany haue wondered4 ,in 4iiij4 noble languages1 ,latyne1 ,greke1 ,frenche1 and ,italyane1 wrote she vnto me these clauses folowynge4 ,whych ,i haue added to thys boke1 not only in commendacyon of her lerned youth1 but also as an example to be folowed of other noble men and women1 ccernynge their chyldren4 ,the written clauses are these1 whych she wrote first with her owne hande1 moch more fynely than ,i coulde with anye prentynge letter set th fourth4 ,sidenote3 ,latyne4 ,stultus dixit in corde suo1 non est ,deus4 ,illi corrupti sunt1 abhominabiles in sua impietate1 nullus est qui aliquid boni facit4 ,sidenote3 ,frenche4 ,le foldisoit en s cur1 il n'a nul ,dieu4 ,ilz sont corumpus sont abhominables en leur impiete1 il n'a nul qui faict bien4 ,sidenote3 ,italiane4 ,is stulto disse uel suo core1 non v' e alcuno ,dio4 ,corrutti sono abhominabile nella loro impiet1 nissuno buono4 ,sidenote3 ,greke4 ,ton theon phobo1 tous de goneis tima1 tous de ,philous aeschynou4 ,the first clause in thre lguages1 latyne1 ,frenche1 and ,italyane1 comprehdeth thys only sentence1 as ,i shewed afore in the ,epystle dedycatory4 ,sidenote3 ,antichrist ,hys clergy4 ,the fole sayth in hys harte1 there is no ,god4 ,corrupt they are1 and abhominable in their wyckednesse 7or blasphemyes agaynst ,god7 not one of them doth good4 ,the ,greke clause is thus to be ,englyshed4 ,sidenote3 ,christiane4 ,feare ,god1 honoure thy parentes1 and reuerence thy fryndes4 ,sidenote3 ,the pope4 ,sidenote3 ,writers4 ,sidenote3 ,women4 ,sidenote3 ,all sortes4 ,thus haue she geuen vs cosell1 both to go and to come1 to leaue and to take4 ,to declyne from the euyll1 and to do that is good ,psal4 #cf4 ,to flee from the ,antichrist hys great body of synne or blasphemouse cruell clergy1 to returne to ,god by a perfyght feare1 honoure1 and loue4 ,so lyuely ,apothegmes1 or breue and quyck stences1 respectynge christyanyte1 haue seldom come from women4 ,i haue serched ,plutarchus1 ,boccatius1 ,bergomas1 ,textor1 ,lander of ,bonony1 whych all wrote of the vertues and worthy actes of wom4 ,but amonge them all haue ,i founde no counsels so necessary to the cmen welthe of our christyanyte4 ,i denye it not1 but excellent thynges they vttered1 and matters of wysdome wonderfull1 concernynge morall vertues4 ,but these most hyghly respecteth the kyngedome of fayth and regymt of the sowle1 whych ,iesus ,christ the eternall sonne of ,god1 from heauen by hys doctryne and death so busyly sought to clere4 ,many graue sentences had they concernynge pryuate causes4 ,but vnyuersally these are for all sortes of people1 hygh1 lowe1 hayle1 sycke1 ryche1 poore1 lerned1 vnlerned1 that myndeth to haue fredome by ,christes deadly sufferynges1 or to be delyuered fr helle1 synne1 deathe1 the deuyll1 by the pryce of hys precyouse bloude4 ,sidenote3 ,guendolena4 ,sidenote3 ,cordilla4 ,sidenote3 ,cambra4 ,sidenote3 ,lawes4 ,no realme vndre the skye hath had more noble women1 nor of more excellent graces1 than haue thys realme of ,englande1 both in the dayes of the ,brytaynes1 and sens the ,englysh ,saxons obtayned it by valeaunt conquest4 ,guendolena the wyfe of ,locrinus the seconde kynge of ,brytayne1 beynge vnlaufully dyuorced from hym for the pleasure of an whore1 whom he longe afore had kepte1 tryed it with hym by dynte of the swerde1 had the vyctory1 and reigned after hym as kynge the space of 4xv4 yeares1 tyll her sonne ,maddan come to laufull age4 ,cordilla the doughter of kynge ,leyer1 and least of all her systers1 as her father was deposed1 exyled out of hys lande1 she receyued1 conforted1 and restored hym agayne to hys princely honoure1 and reigned alone after hys deathe1 for the space of 4v4 yeares4 ,cambra the doughter of kynge ,belyne1 and wyfe to ,antenor than ,kynge of ,france1 ded not only excede in bewtie1 but also in wysdome4 ,in so moch that she first instructed the noble men how to buylde cyties1 castels1 and other stronge holdes1 the cm people more comely maners1 and the wom a most semely deckynge of their heades4 ,she made their cyuyle lawes1 whych vpon her name were called4 ,leges ,sycambrorum4 ,she taught them to sowe flaxe and hempe1 to watter it1 drye it1 dresse it1 spynne it1 weaue it1 whyten it1 and fashyon it1 to all maner of vse for the bodye4 ,sidenote3 ,martia4 ,sidenote3 ,constantia4 ,sidenote3 ,agasia4 ,sidenote3 ,bdwyca4 ,martia the wyfe of kynge ,guythelyne1 a lady excedyngly fayre1 wyse1 lerned in all the lyberall scyences1 inuented thynges wonderfull by the hygh practyse of her wytt4 ,after the death of her husbde she reigned 4vij4 yeares as kynge1 tyll ,sicilius her sonne came to age4 ,she redressed the commen welthe1 refourmed the grosse maners of the people1 and made most honest lawes1 called of her name1 ,leges ,martiane4 ,so delyghted the ,frenche kynge ,nicanor in the wysdome1 lernynge1 and comely maners of hys wyfe ,constantia1 the doughter of kynge ,eliodorus1 that he not only holpe her brother ,geruntius in see battayle agaynst the kynge of ,orchades1 but also sent hys most dere sonne ,priamus into ,brytayne to haue the same selfe bryngynge vp4 ,the ,scottysh kynge ,finnanus1 thought hys pryncely honour most gloryously increased1 as he had obtayned ,agasia the doughter of kynge ,blegabridus1 to be coupled in maryage with ,dorstus hys sonne1 for the manyfolde graces that he behelde in her4 ,what though the seyd vngracyouse ,dorstus1 in spyght of the ,brytaynes1 ded afterwarde vse her most wyckedly4 ,bundwyca a wom both hygh of stature1 and stomacke1 also of myst noble lynage amonge the ,brytaynes1 perceyuynge the hauoke whych the ,romanes dayly made in the lande1 with great pusaunce of worthy warryours she inuaded them1 slewe them1 hynge vp their captaynes1 and folowed the remnaunt of them to the very ,alpes of ,italy4 ,where at the lattre by reason of dayly labours1 she syckened and so dyed1 euen the uery glory of women1 sayth ,ponticus ,virunnius4 ,sidenote3 ,voada4 ,sidenote3 ,voadicia4 ,sidenote3 ,athildis4 ,sidenote3 ,claudia ,rufina4 ,voada the first wyfe of kynge ,aruiragus1 a woman of wonderfull force hart strongly armed her selfe1 her 4ij4 doughters1 and 4v4 thousande women more of the ,britannysh bloude in battayle agaynst the furyouse fearce ,romanes1 to suppresse their tyranny and execrable fylthynesse in abusynge maydes1 wyues1 and wydowes4 ,but as she behelde the vyctory vpon their sydes bycause she wolde not come vndre their captyuyte1 she poysened her selfe1 so dyed4 ,voadicia her yonger doughter1 afterwarde escapynge the handes of the seyd ,romanes1 with a myghty power of the ,brytanes entered into the yle of ,mne1 and in a nyght battayle1 there slewe th in a wonderfull nombre1 destroyenge their fortalyces1 and holdes4 ,notwithstandynge at the lattre beynge taken1 she was byheaded1 her eldar syster beynge maryed to kynge ,marius4 ,athildis the doughter of the seyd kynge ,marius1 was also a most noble woman1 whom the ,frenche kynge ,marcomerus marryed for the only naturall gyftes and scyences whych she had aboue other women1 and had 4vij4 sonnes by her4 ,claudia ,rufina1 a noble ,brytayne1 wyttye and lerned both in ,greke and ,latyne1 hauynge to husbande one ,aulus ,rufus a lerned knyght1 a poete of ,bonony a phylosopher of the ,stoycall sort1 is moch cmded of ,martialis the poete1 for the ,epygrammes and poemes whych she than compyled in both those tunges4 ,sidenote3 ,emerita4 ,sidenote3 ,helena ,flauia4 ,sidenote3 ,csttia4 ,sidenote3 ,vrsula4 ,emerita the syster of kynge ,lucius1 whych is called the first christened kynge1 a lady most vertuouse and faythfull for cstauntly affermynge the veryte of ,christ1 suffered most tyrannouse death and was brent in the fyre4 ,helena ,flauia1 the doughter of kynge ,coelus1 and mother to great ,constantyne the ,emprour1 was a woman of incomparable bewtie and lernynge4 ,non coulde be founde lyke her in the artes lyberall1 neyther yet in the fyne handelynge of all instrumentes of musyke4 ,she excelled all other in the dyuerse speches of nacyons1 specyally in the ,latyne1 ,greke1 and ,hebrue4 ,she made a boke of the prouydence of ,god1 an other of the immortalyte of the sowle1 with serten ,greke poemes1 epystles1 and dyuerse other treatyses4 ,constantia her doughter1 was also a woman of most excellent giftes1 had she not in the ende declyned to the detestable secte of the ,arryanes1 by serten hypocrytysh prestes4 ,vrsula ,cynosura1 the floryshynge douter of ,dionothus the duke of ,cornewale1 was so nobylly brougt vp in all lyberall dyscyplyne1 that ,conanus the kynge of lytle ,brytayne desyred her to wyfe1 and as she went thydrewarde with 4xi4 thousande ,brytaynes wyues more1 by chace of wether and vyolence of see rouers both she and they peryshed by the waye4 ,sidenote3 ,annae duae4 ,sidenote3 ,morganis4 ,sidenote3 ,hermelinda4 ,sidenote3 ,hylda4 ,sidenote3 ,tres filiae4 ,sidenote3 ,alenora4 ,anna the syster of ,aurelius ,ambrosius whych was afterwarde marryed to ,lotho the kynge of ,pyctes1 ,anna the twynne syster of kynge ,arthure1 are of writers magnyfyed1 for their dyuerse and excellent graces4 ,morganis a woman of incomparable loue towardes her parentes1 and contraye1 so secretly and wysely conuayed the body of kynge ,arthure1 the most worthy gouernour of the ,brytaynes1 that the ,englysh ,saxons coulde neuer come to it1 to do their vyolce theron4 ,hermelinda1 rysynge of the ,englysh ,saxons bloude1 for her excellent bewtie and noble behauer became the wyfe of ,cunibertus the kynge of ,lombardy4 ,hylda1 a noble woman1 both godly1 wyse1 and lerned1 not only dysputed in the open ,synode at ,streneshalce in the ,north contraye agaynst the prelates1 concernynge their newly founde out celebracyon of ,eastre1 and their crowne shauynge1 with other ceremonyes1 but also wrote a treatyse agaynst byshopp ,agilbert a ,frenche man1 the busyest amonge them4 ,the thre doughters of kynge ,alphrede1 ,elfleda1 ,elfritha1 and ,ethelgora1 were wonderfully experte in the lyberall scyences4 ,alenor the wyfe of kynge ,henry the seconde1 was lerned also1 wrote dyuerse epystles to pope ,celestyne the thirde1 also to kynge ,iohan her yongest sonne4 ,sidenote3 ,ioanna4 ,sidenote3 ,margareta4 ,sidenote3 ,elisabeth4 ,sidenote3 ,names4 ,iona the yongest doughter of the seyd kynge ,henry1 so moch delyghted in good letters1 that before she shulde be marryed to kynge wyllyam of ,cycyll1 she caused her father to sende ouer 4ij4 lerned men of ,englande1 walther and ,rycharde with a ,french doctour called ,petrus ,blesensis to instruct hym in them1 specyally in the arte of versyfyenge4 ,and at her cmynge thydre1 the one of those ,englysh men was made archebyshop of ,panorme1 the other byshop of ,siracusa1 in recompce of their labours4 ,margarete the noble mother of kynge ,henry the 4vij4 so plenteously mynded the preferment of scyences goynge forewarde of lernynges1 that she buylded in ,cambryge for the same porpose1 the colleges of ,christ of ,s4 ,iohan the ,eugelyst1 and gaue landes for their mayntenaunce1 as quene ,helisabeth ded afore1 to the quenes college there4 ,longe were it to rehearce the excedynge nombre of noble women1 whych in thys lande of ,brytayne or realme of ,englande1 haue excelled in bewtie1 wytte1 wysdome1 scyence lguages1 lyberalyte1 polycyes1 heroycall force1 and soch other notable vertues1 and by reason of them done feates wonderfull4 ,eyther yet to sort out their ,names and regestre them one by one1 whych haue bene marryed out of the same1 to ,emprours1 kynges1 dukes1 earles1 worthy captaynes1 ,phylosophers1 phesycyanes1 astronomers1 poetes1 other of renomed fame and letters1 only for their most rare graces and gyftes4 ,sidenote3 ,writers4 ,sidenote3 ,alenora ,cobham4 ,sidenote3 ,double honoure4 ,though non in thys lande haue yet done as ded amonge the ,grekes ,plutarchus1 amonge the ,latynes ,boccatius with other authours afore named1 that is to saye1 left beynde them ,cataloges or ,nomenclatures of famouse and honorable women1 yet haue it not at any tyme bene barrayne of them4 ,no1 not in the dayes of most popysh darkenesse4 ,as apereth by ,alenor ,cobham1 the wyfe of good duke ,vmfrey of ,glocestre1 brother to kynge ,hry the fift4 ,whom ,antichristes grande captaynes1 the byshoppes than of ,englde1 in hate of her name and beleue1 accused of sorcerouse inchauntmentes and experymentes of ,necromancy agaynst their holy horned whorysh churche4 ,and at the last slewe her noble husbande in a false parlement at ,bury1 by their owne hyred slaughter man ,pole1 as they neuer are without soch4 ,if they were worthy prayse1 whych had these aforenamed vertues syngle1 or after a bodyly sort only1 we must of congruence graunt them worthy double honoure1 whych haue them most plteously doubled4 ,as now sens ,christes ,gospell hath rysen1 we haue beholden them1 yet se them styll to thys daye in many noble women1 not rysynge of flesh and bloude as in the other1 but of that myghty lyuynge sprete of hys1 whych vanquyshed deathe1 helle1 and the deuyll4 ,sidenote3 ,anne ,askewe4 ,sidenote3 ,noble4 ,sidenote3 ,women4 ,sidenote3 ,prayer4 ,consydre yet how strongly that sprete in ,anne ,askewe1 set them all at nought with all their artyllery and mynysters of myschefe both vpon the racke and also in the fyre4 ,whose memory is now in benedyccyon 7as ,iesus ,syrach reporteth of ,moses7 and shall neuer be forgotten of the ryghteouse4 ,she as ,christes myghty membre1 hath strongly troden downe the head of the serpent1 and gone hence with most noble vyctory ouer the pestyferouse seede of that vyperouse worme of ,rome1 the gates of helle not preuaylynge agaynst her4 ,what other noble women haue1 it doth now1 and wyll yet herafter apere more largely by their godly doctryne and dedes of fayth4 ,marke thys present boke for one1 whose translacyon was the worke of her1 whych was but a babe at the doynge therof4 ,marke also the graue sentences1 whych she geueth fourth to the worlde1 laude that lyuynge father of our lorde ,iesus ,christ1 whych hath thus taken hys heauenly wysdome from the great graue senyours1 that only are wyse in their owne consaytes1 and geuen it so largely to chyldr1 ,math4 #aa4 ,that heauenly lorde grat her and other noble women longe contynuace in the same to hys hygh pleasure4 ,that lyke as they are become gloryouse to the worlde by the stody of good letters1 so maye they also apere gloryouse hys syght by dayle exercyse in hys dyuyne scriptures1 ,whose nature is in processe of tyme to kyndle their myndes and inflame their hartes in the loue of ,christ their eternall spouse1 as thys present boke requyreth1 ,so be it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,thus endeth thys godly ,medytacyon of the christen sowle concernynge a loue towardes ,god and hys ,christ1 aptely translated into ,englysh by the ryght vertuouse lady ,elyzabeth doughter to our late souerayne ,kynge ,henry the 4viij4 ,the 4xiij4 ,psalme of ,dauid1 called1 ,dixit insipiens1 touched afore of my lady ,elizabeth4 ,fooles that true fayth1 yet neuer hod1 ,sayth in their hartes1 there is no ,god4 ,fylthy they are1 in their practyse1 ,of them not one1 is godly wyse4 ,from heauen the lorde1 on man ded loke1 ,the knowe what wayes1 he vndertoke1 ,all they were vayne1 and went a straye1 ,not one he founde1 in the ryght waye1 ,in harte and tunge1 haue they deceyte1 ,their lyppes throwe fourth1 a poysened beyte4 ,their myndes are mad1 their mouthes are wode4 ,and swyft they be1 in shedynge blode4 ,so blynde they are1 no truth they knowe1 ,no feare of ,god1 in them wyll growe4 ,how can that cruell sort be good8 ,of ,gods dere folcke1 whych sucke the blood8 ,on hym ryghtly1 shall they not call1 ,dyspayre wyll so1 their hartes appall4 ,at all tymes ,god1 is with the iust1 ,bycause they put1 in hym their trust4 ,who shall therfor1 from ,syon geue1 ,that helthe whych hgeth1 in our beleue4 ,whan ,god shall take1 fr hys the smart1 ,than wyll ,iacob1 reioyce in hart4 ,prayse to ,god4 ,illustration ,imprented in the yeare of our lorde #aedh1 in ,apryll4