All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet Being Sixty and three in Number. Collected into one Volume by the Author [i.e. John Taylor]: With sundry new Additions, corrected, reuised, and newly Imprinted |
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[The Life and Death of the Virgin Mary.]
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 | All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet |  |
18
[The Life and Death of the Virgin Mary.]
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE MOST BLESSED AMONGST ALL VVOMEN, THE VIRGIN Mary, The Mother of our Lord Iesvs Christ.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND TRVELY VERIVOVS LADY,
and Noble Patronesse of good endeauours, Mary,
Countesse of Bvckingham.
The Argument and cause of this Poem.
Being lately in Antwerpe, it was my fortune to ouerlooke an old printed booke in prose, which I haue turned into verse, of the life, death, and buriall of our blessed Lady: wherein I read many things worthy of obseruation, and many things friuolous and impertinent; out of which I haue (like a Bee) suckt the sacred honey of the best authorities of Scriptures, and Fathers which I best credited, and I haue left the poyson of Antichristianisme to those where I found it, (whose stomackes can better digest it) I haue put it to the Presse, presuming it shall be accepted of Pious Protestants, and charitable Catholikes: as for luke-warme Nutralists, that are neither hot nor cold, they doe offend my appetite, and therefore vp with them. The Schismaticall Separatist, I haue many times discourst with him, and though hee be but a Botcher, or a Button-maker, and at the most a lumpe of opinionated ignorance, yet he will seeme to wring the Scriptures to his opinions, and presume to know more of the mysteries of Religion, then any of our reuerend learned Bishops and Doctors.
I know this worke will be vnrelished in the pestiferous pallats of the dogmaticall Amsterdammatists, but I doe, must, and will acknowledge a most reuerend honour and regard vnto the sacred memory of this blessed Virgin Lady, Mother of our Lord and Redeemer Iesvs; and in my thoughts she shall euer haue superlatiue respect aboue all Angels, Principalities, Patriarkes, Prophets, Apostles, Euangelists, or Saints whatsoeuer, vnder the blessed Trinity; yet (mistake me not, as there is a difference betwixt the immortall Creator, and a mortall creature, so (whilst I haue warrant sufficient from God himselfe, to inuocate his name onely) I will not giue Man, Saint, or Angell, any honour that may bee derogatory to his Eternall Maiestie.
As amongst women she was blest aboue all, being aboue all, full of Grace, so amongst Saints, I beleeue she is supreme in Glory: and it is an infallible truth, that as the Romanists doe dishonour her much, by their superstitious honourable seeming attributes; so on the other part, it is hellish and odious to God and good men, either to forget her, or (which is worse) ro remember her with impure thoughts, or vnbeseeming speech for the excellency of so Diuine a Creature. I confesse my selfe the meanest of men, and most vnworthy of all to write of her, that was the best of Women: but my hope is, that Charity will couer my faults, and accept of my good meaning, especially hauing endeuoured and striuen to doe my best: So wishing all hearts to giue this holy Virgin such houour as may be pleasing to God, which is, that all should patterne their liues, to her liues example, in lowlinesse and humility, and then they shall be exalted, where she is in Glory with eternity.
Iohn Taylor.
19
Before the fire, ayre, water, earth were fram'd,
Sunne, Moone, or any thing vnnam'd, or nam'd,
God was, who ne'r shal end, nor ne'r began,
To whom all ages and all time's a span:
By whose appointment each thing fades or growes,
And whose eternall knowledge all things knowes.
When Adams sinne pluck'd downe supernall Ire,
And Iustice iudg'd him to infernall fire:
The Mercy did the execution stay,
And the great price of mans great debt did pay.
And as a Woman tempted Man to vice,
For which they both were thrust from Paradise:
So from a woman was a Sauiours birth,
That purchas'd Man a Heauen for losse of earth:
Our blest Redeemers Mother, that blest Shee,
Before the World by God ordain'd to be
A chosen vessell fittest of all other,
To be the Sonne of Gods most gracious Mother:
She is the Theame that doth my Muse inuite,
Vnworthy of such worthinesse to write.
I will no prayers nor inuocations frame,
For intercession to this heau'nly Dame,
Nor to her name one fruitlesse word shall runne,
To be my Mediatresse to her Sonne,
But to th'eternall Trinity alone,
Ile sing, Ile sigh, Ile inuocate and mone.
I prize no creatures glory at that rate,
The great Creators praise t'extenuate.
But to th'Almighty, (ancient of all dayes,)
Be all dominion, honour, laud, and praise.
I write the blest conception, birth, and life,
Of this beloued Mother, Virgin, Wife:
The ioyes, the griefes, the death, and buriall place
Of her, most glorious, gracious, full of grace.
Sunne, Moone, or any thing vnnam'd, or nam'd,
God was, who ne'r shal end, nor ne'r began,
To whom all ages and all time's a span:
By whose appointment each thing fades or growes,
And whose eternall knowledge all things knowes.
When Adams sinne pluck'd downe supernall Ire,
And Iustice iudg'd him to infernall fire:
The Mercy did the execution stay,
And the great price of mans great debt did pay.
And as a Woman tempted Man to vice,
For which they both were thrust from Paradise:
So from a woman was a Sauiours birth,
That purchas'd Man a Heauen for losse of earth:
Our blest Redeemers Mother, that blest Shee,
Before the World by God ordain'd to be
A chosen vessell fittest of all other,
To be the Sonne of Gods most gracious Mother:
She is the Theame that doth my Muse inuite,
Vnworthy of such worthinesse to write.
I will no prayers nor inuocations frame,
For intercession to this heau'nly Dame,
Nor to her name one fruitlesse word shall runne,
To be my Mediatresse to her Sonne,
But to th'eternall Trinity alone,
Ile sing, Ile sigh, Ile inuocate and mone.
I prize no creatures glory at that rate,
The great Creators praise t'extenuate.
But to th'Almighty, (ancient of all dayes,)
Be all dominion, honour, laud, and praise.
I write the blest conception, birth, and life,
Of this beloued Mother, Virgin, Wife:
The ioyes, the griefes, the death, and buriall place
Of her, most glorious, gracious, full of grace.
Her Father Ioachim, a vertuous man,
Had long liu'd childlesse with his wife S. Anne,
And both of them did zealously intend,
If God did euer Sonne or Daughter send,
That they to him would dedicate it solely
To be his seruant, and to liue most holy:
God heard, and granted freely their request,
And gaue them Mary (of that sex the best.)
At three yeeres age, she to the Temple went,
And there eleu'n yeeres in deuotion spent:
At th'end of fourteene yeeres it came to passe,
This Virgin vnto Ioseph spoused was.
Then after foure months time was past and gone,
Th'Almighty sent from his tribunall throne
His great Ambassador, which did vnfold
The great'st ambassage euer yet was told.
Haile Mary full of heau'nly grace (quoth he)
The (high omnipotent) Lord is with thee:
Blest amongst women (by Gods gracious doome)
And blessed be the fruit of thy blest wombe.
The Angels presence and the words he said,
This sacred vndefiled Maid dismaid,
Amazed, musing what this message meant,
And wherefore God this messenger had sent:
Feare not (said Gabriel) Mary most renown'd,
Thou with thy gracious God hast fauour found;
For lo, thou shalt conceiue and beare a Sonne,
By whom redemption and saluation's wonne:
And thou his sauing Name shalt IESVS call,
Because hee'll come to saue his people all.
She humbly, mildly, heau'ns high Nuncius heares:
But yet to be resolu'd of doubts and feares,
How can these things (quoth she) accomplisht be,
When no man hath knowledge had with me?
The Holy Ghost (the Angell then replide)
Shall come vpon thee, and thy God and guide,
The power of the most High shall shadow thee,
That Holy thing that of thee borne shall be,
Shall truely called be the Sonne of God.
By whom Sinne, Death, and Hell, shall downe be trod.
Then Mary to these speeches did accord,
And said, Behold the hand-Maid of the Lord,
Beat to me according to thy will.
I am thine owne obedient seruant still.
This being said, she turn'd her Angell tongue,
Had long liu'd childlesse with his wife S. Anne,
And both of them did zealously intend,
If God did euer Sonne or Daughter send,
That they to him would dedicate it solely
To be his seruant, and to liue most holy:
God heard, and granted freely their request,
And gaue them Mary (of that sex the best.)
At three yeeres age, she to the Temple went,
And there eleu'n yeeres in deuotion spent:
At th'end of fourteene yeeres it came to passe,
This Virgin vnto Ioseph spoused was.
Then after foure months time was past and gone,
Th'Almighty sent from his tribunall throne
His great Ambassador, which did vnfold
The great'st ambassage euer yet was told.
Haile Mary full of heau'nly grace (quoth he)
The (high omnipotent) Lord is with thee:
Blest amongst women (by Gods gracious doome)
And blessed be the fruit of thy blest wombe.
The Angels presence and the words he said,
This sacred vndefiled Maid dismaid,
Amazed, musing what this message meant,
And wherefore God this messenger had sent:
Feare not (said Gabriel) Mary most renown'd,
Thou with thy gracious God hast fauour found;
For lo, thou shalt conceiue and beare a Sonne,
By whom redemption and saluation's wonne:
And thou his sauing Name shalt IESVS call,
Because hee'll come to saue his people all.
She humbly, mildly, heau'ns high Nuncius heares:
But yet to be resolu'd of doubts and feares,
How can these things (quoth she) accomplisht be,
When no man hath knowledge had with me?
The Holy Ghost (the Angell then replide)
Shall come vpon thee, and thy God and guide,
The power of the most High shall shadow thee,
That Holy thing that of thee borne shall be,
20
By whom Sinne, Death, and Hell, shall downe be trod.
Then Mary to these speeches did accord,
And said, Behold the hand-Maid of the Lord,
Beat to me according to thy will.
I am thine owne obedient seruant still.
This being said, she turn'd her Angell tongue,
My Soule doth magnifie the Lord, (she sung)
My spirit, and all my faculties, and voyce,
In God my Sauiour solely doth reioyce:
For though mans sinnes prouoke his grieuous wrath,
His humble hand-maid he remembred hath.
For now behold from this time henceforth shall
All generations me right blessed call:
He that is mighty me hath magnifide,
And holy is his name: his mercies bide
On them that feare him (to prouoke his rage)
Throughout the spacious world from age to age.
With his strong arme he hath shew'd strength, and batterd
The proud, and their imaginations scatterd.
He hath put downe the mighty from their seat,
The meeke and humble he exalted great:
To fill the hungry he is prouident,
When as the rich away are empty sent:
His mercies promis'd Abr'am and his seed,
He hath remembred, and holpe Israels need.
My spirit, and all my faculties, and voyce,
In God my Sauiour solely doth reioyce:
For though mans sinnes prouoke his grieuous wrath,
His humble hand-maid he remembred hath.
For now behold from this time henceforth shall
All generations me right blessed call:
He that is mighty me hath magnifide,
And holy is his name: his mercies bide
On them that feare him (to prouoke his rage)
Throughout the spacious world from age to age.
With his strong arme he hath shew'd strength, and batterd
The proud, and their imaginations scatterd.
He hath put downe the mighty from their seat,
The meeke and humble he exalted great:
To fill the hungry he is prouident,
When as the rich away are empty sent:
His mercies promis'd Abr'am and his seed,
He hath remembred, and holpe Israels need.
This Song she sung with heart and holy spright.
To laud her Makers mercy and his might:
And the like Song sung with so sweet a straine
Was neuer, nor shall e'r be sung againe.
To laud her Makers mercy and his might:
And the like Song sung with so sweet a straine
Was neuer, nor shall e'r be sung againe.
When Mary by the Angels speech perceiu'd,
How old Elizabeth a child conceiu'd,
To see her straight her pious minde was bent,
And to Ierusalem in three dayes she went.
And as the Virgin (come from Nazareth)
Talk't with her kinswoman Elizabeth,
Iohn Baptist, then vnnam'd, an vnborne boy,
Did in his Mothers belly leape with ioy:
Both Christ and Iohn vnborne, yet Iohn knew there
His great Redeemer and his God was neere.
How old Elizabeth a child conceiu'd,
To see her straight her pious minde was bent,
And to Ierusalem in three dayes she went.
And as the Virgin (come from Nazareth)
Talk't with her kinswoman Elizabeth,
Iohn Baptist, then vnnam'd, an vnborne boy,
Did in his Mothers belly leape with ioy:
Both Christ and Iohn vnborne, yet Iohn knew there
His great Redeemer and his God was neere.
When Ioseph his pure wife with child espide,
And knew he neuer her accompanide,
His heart was sad, he knew not what to say,
But in suspect would put her quite away.
Then from the high Almighty Lord supreme,
An Angell came to Ioseph in a Dreame,
And said, Feare not with Mary to abide,
For that which in her blest wombe doth recide,
Is by the Holy Ghost in wonder done,
For of thy wife there shall be borne a Sonne,
From him alone Redemption all begins,
And he shall saue his people from their sinnes.
This being said, the Angell past away,
And Ioseph with his Virgin-wife did stay:
Then he and she with speed prepared them
To goe to Dauids Citty Bethelem.
Through winters weather, frost, & wind, and snow,
Foure weary daies in trauell they bestow.
But when to Bethlem they approched were,
Small friendship, & lesse welcome they found there:
No chamber, nor no fire to warme them at,
For harbor onely they a Stable gat:
The Inne was full of more respected guests,
Of Drunkards, Swearers, and of godlesse beasts:
Those all had roomes, whilst Glory and all Grace,
(But among beasts) could haue no lodging place.
There (by protection of th'Almighties wings)
Was borne the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings.
Our God with vs, our great Emanuel,
Our Iesus, and our vanquisher of hell.
There in a cratch a Iewell was brought forth,
More then ten thousand thousand worlds is worth,
There did the humane nature and diuine,
The Godhead with the Manhood both combine:
There was this Maiden-mother brought to bed,
Where Oxen, Kine, and Horses lodg'd and fed:
There this bright Queene of Queenes with heau'nly ioy,
Did hug her Lord, her Life, her God, her Boy,
Her Sonne, her Sauiour, her immortall Blisse,
Her sole Redeemer, she might rocke and kisse.
Oh blessed Lady, of all Ladies blest:
Blessed for euer, for thy sacred brest
Fed him that all the famisht soules did feed,
Of the lost sheepe of Israels forlorne seed.
A Stable being Heau'n and earths great Court.
When forty dayes were ended in that sort,
This Virgin-Mother, and this Maiden-Bride,
(All pure) yet by the Law was purifide.
Old Simeon being in the Temple than,
He saw the Sonne of God, and Sonne of man.
He in his aged armes the Babe imbrac'd,
And ioying in his heart he so was grac'd,
He with these words wisht that his life might cease:
And knew he neuer her accompanide,
His heart was sad, he knew not what to say,
But in suspect would put her quite away.
Then from the high Almighty Lord supreme,
An Angell came to Ioseph in a Dreame,
And said, Feare not with Mary to abide,
For that which in her blest wombe doth recide,
Is by the Holy Ghost in wonder done,
For of thy wife there shall be borne a Sonne,
From him alone Redemption all begins,
And he shall saue his people from their sinnes.
This being said, the Angell past away,
And Ioseph with his Virgin-wife did stay:
Then he and she with speed prepared them
To goe to Dauids Citty Bethelem.
Through winters weather, frost, & wind, and snow,
Foure weary daies in trauell they bestow.
But when to Bethlem they approched were,
Small friendship, & lesse welcome they found there:
No chamber, nor no fire to warme them at,
For harbor onely they a Stable gat:
The Inne was full of more respected guests,
Of Drunkards, Swearers, and of godlesse beasts:
Those all had roomes, whilst Glory and all Grace,
(But among beasts) could haue no lodging place.
There (by protection of th'Almighties wings)
Was borne the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings.
Our God with vs, our great Emanuel,
Our Iesus, and our vanquisher of hell.
There in a cratch a Iewell was brought forth,
More then ten thousand thousand worlds is worth,
There did the humane nature and diuine,
The Godhead with the Manhood both combine:
There was this Maiden-mother brought to bed,
Where Oxen, Kine, and Horses lodg'd and fed:
There this bright Queene of Queenes with heau'nly ioy,
Did hug her Lord, her Life, her God, her Boy,
Her Sonne, her Sauiour, her immortall Blisse,
Her sole Redeemer, she might rocke and kisse.
Oh blessed Lady, of all Ladies blest:
Blessed for euer, for thy sacred brest
Fed him that all the famisht soules did feed,
Of the lost sheepe of Israels forlorne seed.
A Stable being Heau'n and earths great Court.
When forty dayes were ended in that sort,
This Virgin-Mother, and this Maiden-Bride,
(All pure) yet by the Law was purifide.
Old Simeon being in the Temple than,
He saw the Sonne of God, and Sonne of man.
He in his aged armes the Babe imbrac'd,
And ioying in his heart he so was grac'd,
He with these words wisht that his life might cease:
Lord, let thy Seruant now depart in peace,
Mine eyes haue seene thy great saluation,
My Loue, my Iesus, my Redemption:
Unto the Gentiles euerlasting light,
To Israel the glory and the might.
Hope, faith and zeale, truth, constancy and loue,
To sing this Song did good old Simeon moue.
Then turning to our Lady most diuine,
Thy Sonne (said he) shall once stand for a signe,
And he shall be the cause that many shall
By faith or vnbeliefe arise or fall.
He shall be raild vpon without desert,
And then sorrowes sword pierce through thy heart.
Mine eyes haue seene thy great saluation,
My Loue, my Iesus, my Redemption:
Unto the Gentiles euerlasting light,
To Israel the glory and the might.
Hope, faith and zeale, truth, constancy and loue,
To sing this Song did good old Simeon moue.
Then turning to our Lady most diuine,
Thy Sonne (said he) shall once stand for a signe,
And he shall be the cause that many shall
By faith or vnbeliefe arise or fall.
He shall be raild vpon without desert,
And then sorrowes sword pierce through thy heart.
As Iesus fame grew dayly more and more.
The tyrant Herod is amazed sore.
The Sages said, Borne was great Iudaes King,
Which did vsurping Herods conscience fling:
For Herod was an Idumean base,
Not of the Kings of Iudahs Royall Race:
And hearing one of Dauids true-borne Line
Was borne, he fear'd his State he should resigne:
And well he knew he kept the Iewes in awe,
With slauish feare, not loue, 'gainst right and law.
For tis most true: “A Prince that's fear'd of many,
“Must many feare, and scarce be lou'd of any.
Herod beleaguer'd with doubts, feares and woes,
That Iesus should him of his Crowne depose,
He chaf'd and vext, and almost grew starke mad,
To vsurpation he did murther adde;
An Edict sprung from his hell-hatched braine,
Commanding all male Infants should be slaine
Of two yeeres old and vnder through the Land,
Supposing Iesus could not scape his hand.
But God to Ioseph downe an Angell sent,
Commanding him by flight he should preuent
The murd'rers malice, and to Egypt flye,
To saue our Sauiour from his tyranny.
Our blessed Lady with a carefull flight,
Her blessed Babe away did beare by night;
Whilst Bethelem with bloody villaines swarmes,
That murth'red Infants in their mothers armes:
Some slaughter'd in their cradles, some in bed,
Some at the dugge, some newly borne strucke dead:
Some sweetly fast asleepe, some smiles ewake,
All butcher'd for their Lord and Sauiours sake.
Their wofull mothers madly here and there
Ran rending of their cheekes, their eyes, and haire:
The Tyrant they with execrations curst,
And in despaire, to desp'rate acts out-burst.
Some all in fury end their wofull liues
By banefull poison, halters, or by kniues:
And som with sorrow were so fast combin'd,
They wept, and wept, and, wept themselues starke blind:
And being blind (to lengthen out their mones)
They piec'd their sorrows out with sighs & grones,
Thus with vnceasing griefe in many a mother,
Teares, sighs, & grones did one succeede the other.
But till the Tyrant Herods dayes were done,
The Virgin staid in Egypt with her Sonne.
Then backe to Nazareth they return'd againe.
The tyrant Herod is amazed sore.
The Sages said, Borne was great Iudaes King,
Which did vsurping Herods conscience fling:
For Herod was an Idumean base,
Not of the Kings of Iudahs Royall Race:
21
Was borne, he fear'd his State he should resigne:
And well he knew he kept the Iewes in awe,
With slauish feare, not loue, 'gainst right and law.
For tis most true: “A Prince that's fear'd of many,
“Must many feare, and scarce be lou'd of any.
Herod beleaguer'd with doubts, feares and woes,
That Iesus should him of his Crowne depose,
He chaf'd and vext, and almost grew starke mad,
To vsurpation he did murther adde;
An Edict sprung from his hell-hatched braine,
Commanding all male Infants should be slaine
Of two yeeres old and vnder through the Land,
Supposing Iesus could not scape his hand.
But God to Ioseph downe an Angell sent,
Commanding him by flight he should preuent
The murd'rers malice, and to Egypt flye,
To saue our Sauiour from his tyranny.
Our blessed Lady with a carefull flight,
Her blessed Babe away did beare by night;
Whilst Bethelem with bloody villaines swarmes,
That murth'red Infants in their mothers armes:
Some slaughter'd in their cradles, some in bed,
Some at the dugge, some newly borne strucke dead:
Some sweetly fast asleepe, some smiles ewake,
All butcher'd for their Lord and Sauiours sake.
Their wofull mothers madly here and there
Ran rending of their cheekes, their eyes, and haire:
The Tyrant they with execrations curst,
And in despaire, to desp'rate acts out-burst.
Some all in fury end their wofull liues
By banefull poison, halters, or by kniues:
And som with sorrow were so fast combin'd,
They wept, and wept, and, wept themselues starke blind:
And being blind (to lengthen out their mones)
They piec'd their sorrows out with sighs & grones,
Thus with vnceasing griefe in many a mother,
Teares, sighs, & grones did one succeede the other.
But till the Tyrant Herods dayes were done,
The Virgin staid in Egypt with her Sonne.
Then backe to Nazareth they return'd againe.
When twelue yeeres age our Sauiour did attaine,
Her Sonne, her selfe, her Husband, all of them
Together trauell'd to Ierusalem;
The Virgin there much sorrow did endure,
The most pure Mother lost her Child most pure.
Three daies with heauy hearts, with care & thought
Their best belou'd they diligently sought:
But when she found her Lord she held most deare,
Ioy banisht griefe, and loue exiled feare.
There in the Temple Iesus did confute
The greatest Hebrew Doctors in dispute:
But Doctors all are dunces in this case,
To parley with th'Eternall Sonne of Grace:
Th'Immortall, mighty, Wisedome and the Word,
Can make all humane sapience meere absurd.
Sonne after this, (as ancient Writers say,)
God tooke the Virgins Virgin-spouse away.
Good Ioseph dide, and went to heauenly rest,
Blest by th'Almighties mercy 'mongst the blest.
Thus Mary was of her Good-man bereft,
A Widdow, Maiden, Mother being left:
In holy contemplation she did spend
Her life for such a life as n'er shall end.
Her Sonne, her selfe, her Husband, all of them
Together trauell'd to Ierusalem;
The Virgin there much sorrow did endure,
The most pure Mother lost her Child most pure.
Three daies with heauy hearts, with care & thought
Their best belou'd they diligently sought:
But when she found her Lord she held most deare,
Ioy banisht griefe, and loue exiled feare.
There in the Temple Iesus did confute
The greatest Hebrew Doctors in dispute:
But Doctors all are dunces in this case,
To parley with th'Eternall Sonne of Grace:
Th'Immortall, mighty, Wisedome and the Word,
Can make all humane sapience meere absurd.
Sonne after this, (as ancient Writers say,)
God tooke the Virgins Virgin-spouse away.
Good Ioseph dide, and went to heauenly rest,
Blest by th'Almighties mercy 'mongst the blest.
Thus Mary was of her Good-man bereft,
A Widdow, Maiden, Mother being left:
In holy contemplation she did spend
Her life for such a life as n'er shall end.
Search but the Scriptures, as our Sauiour bid,
There shall you find the wonders that he did:
As first, how he (by his high power diuine)
At Canaa turned Water into Wine:
How he did heale the blind, deafe, dumb & lame:
How with his word he winds and seas did tame:
How he from men possest fiends dispossest:
How he to all that came gaue ease and rest:
How with two fishes and fiue loaues of bread,
He fed fiue thousand: how he rais'd the dead:
How all things that he euer did or taught,
Past and surpast all that ere taught or wrought:
And by these miracles he sought each way
To draw soules to him, too long gone astray.
At last approacht the full prefixed time,
That Gods blest Sonne must dye for mans curst crime.
Then Iesus to Ierusalem did goe,
And left his Mother full of griefe and woe,
Oh woe of woes, and griefe surpassing griefe,
To see her Sauiour captiu'd as a thiefe:
Her Loue (beyond all loues) her Lord her all,
Into the hands of sinfull slaues to fall!
There shall you find the wonders that he did:
As first, how he (by his high power diuine)
At Canaa turned Water into Wine:
How he did heale the blind, deafe, dumb & lame:
How with his word he winds and seas did tame:
How he from men possest fiends dispossest:
How he to all that came gaue ease and rest:
How with two fishes and fiue loaues of bread,
He fed fiue thousand: how he rais'd the dead:
How all things that he euer did or taught,
Past and surpast all that ere taught or wrought:
And by these miracles he sought each way
To draw soules to him, too long gone astray.
At last approacht the full prefixed time,
That Gods blest Sonne must dye for mans curst crime.
Then Iesus to Ierusalem did goe,
And left his Mother full of griefe and woe,
Oh woe of woes, and griefe surpassing griefe,
To see her Sauiour captiu'd as a thiefe:
Her Loue (beyond all loues) her Lord her all,
Into the hands of sinfull slaues to fall!
If but a mother haue a wicked sonne,
That hath to all disordred orders runne,
As treasons, rapes, blasphemings, murther, theft,
And by the Law must be of life bereft;
Yet though he suffer iustly by desert,
His suff'ring surely wounds his mothers heart.
Suppose a woman haue a vertuous childe,
Religious, honest, and by nature milde,
And he must be to execution brought,
For some great fault he neuer did nor thought,
And she behold him when to death hee's put:
Then sure tormenting griefe her heart must cut.
These griefes are all as nothing vnto this,
Of this blest Mother of eternall blisse:
Her gracious Sonne that neuer did amisse,
His gracelesse seruant with a Iudas kisse
Betraid him vnto misbeleeuing slaues,
Where he was led away with bils and staues,
To Annas, Cæiphas, Pilate, and to those
That to th'Immortall God were mortall foes.
Ah Iudas, couldst thou make so base account
Of Him, whose worth doth heauen and earth surmount?
Didst thou esteeme of 30. paltry pence,
More then the life of the eternall Prince?
O monstrous blindnesse, that for so small gaine,
Sold endlesse blisse, to buy perpetuall paine!
Is't possible damn'd auarice could compell
Thee sell heau'ns Kingdome for the sinke of hell?
Our Father Adam vnto all our woes,
Did for an Apple blessed Eden lose:
And Esau borne a Lord, yet like a slaue,
His birth-right for a messe of pottage gaue:
And poore Gehezi telling of a lye,
His couetousnesse gain'd his leprosie.
And though the text their deeds doe disallow.
Yet they made better matches farre then thou.
I doe not heere impute this deed of shame
That hath to all disordred orders runne,
As treasons, rapes, blasphemings, murther, theft,
And by the Law must be of life bereft;
Yet though he suffer iustly by desert,
His suff'ring surely wounds his mothers heart.
Suppose a woman haue a vertuous childe,
Religious, honest, and by nature milde,
And he must be to execution brought,
For some great fault he neuer did nor thought,
And she behold him when to death hee's put:
Then sure tormenting griefe her heart must cut.
These griefes are all as nothing vnto this,
Of this blest Mother of eternall blisse:
Her gracious Sonne that neuer did amisse,
His gracelesse seruant with a Iudas kisse
Betraid him vnto misbeleeuing slaues,
Where he was led away with bils and staues,
To Annas, Cæiphas, Pilate, and to those
That to th'Immortall God were mortall foes.
Ah Iudas, couldst thou make so base account
Of Him, whose worth doth heauen and earth surmount?
Didst thou esteeme of 30. paltry pence,
More then the life of the eternall Prince?
O monstrous blindnesse, that for so small gaine,
Sold endlesse blisse, to buy perpetuall paine!
22
Thee sell heau'ns Kingdome for the sinke of hell?
Our Father Adam vnto all our woes,
Did for an Apple blessed Eden lose:
And Esau borne a Lord, yet like a slaue,
His birth-right for a messe of pottage gaue:
And poore Gehezi telling of a lye,
His couetousnesse gain'd his leprosie.
And though the text their deeds doe disallow.
Yet they made better matches farre then thou.
On Iudas, because Iudas was his name:
For of that name there haue beene men of might,
Who the great battels of the Lord did fight,
And others more. But sure this impure blot
Stickes to him, as hee's nam'd Iskarriott:
For in an Anagram Iskarriott is,
By letters transposition, traytor kis.
Iskarriott Anagramma. Traitor Kis.
Kisse, Traytor, kisse, with an intent to kill,
And cry all haile, when thou dost meane all ill,
And for thy fault no more shall Iudas be
A name of treason and foule infamie,
But all that fault I'le on Iskarriott throw,
Because the Anagram explaines it so.
Iskarriott for a bribe, and with a kisse,
Betraid his Master, the blest King of Blisse:
And after (but too late) with conscience wounded,
Amaz'd, and in his senses quite confounded,
With crying, Woe, woe, woe, oh woe on me,
I haue betraid my Master for a fee;
Oh I haue sinned, sinned past compare,
And want of grace, and faith pluckes on despaire.
Oh too-too late it is to call for grace!
What shall I doe? where is some secret place,
That I might shield me from the wrath of God?
I haue deseru'd his euerlasting rod.
Then farewell grace, and faith, and hope, and loue,
You are the gifts of the great God aboue,
You onely on th'Elect attendants be:
Despaire, hell, horror, terror is for me,
My hainous sinne is of such force and might,
'Twill empt th'Exchequer of Gods mercy quite:
And therefore for his mercy Ile not call,
But to my iust deseru'd perdition fall.
I still most gracelesse haue all grace withstood,
And now I haue betraid the guiltlesse blood.
My Lord and Master I haue sold for pelfe,
This hauing said, despayring, hang'd himselfe.
There we leaue him, and now must be exprest
Something of her from vvhom I haue digrest.
And cry all haile, when thou dost meane all ill,
And for thy fault no more shall Iudas be
A name of treason and foule infamie,
But all that fault I'le on Iskarriott throw,
Because the Anagram explaines it so.
Iskarriott for a bribe, and with a kisse,
Betraid his Master, the blest King of Blisse:
And after (but too late) with conscience wounded,
Amaz'd, and in his senses quite confounded,
With crying, Woe, woe, woe, oh woe on me,
I haue betraid my Master for a fee;
Oh I haue sinned, sinned past compare,
And want of grace, and faith pluckes on despaire.
Oh too-too late it is to call for grace!
What shall I doe? where is some secret place,
That I might shield me from the wrath of God?
I haue deseru'd his euerlasting rod.
Then farewell grace, and faith, and hope, and loue,
You are the gifts of the great God aboue,
You onely on th'Elect attendants be:
Despaire, hell, horror, terror is for me,
My hainous sinne is of such force and might,
'Twill empt th'Exchequer of Gods mercy quite:
And therefore for his mercy Ile not call,
But to my iust deseru'd perdition fall.
I still most gracelesse haue all grace withstood,
And now I haue betraid the guiltlesse blood.
My Lord and Master I haue sold for pelfe,
This hauing said, despayring, hang'd himselfe.
There we leaue him, and now must be exprest
Something of her from vvhom I haue digrest.
The Virgins heart vvith thousand griefs vvas nipt,
To see her Sauiour slouted, hated, vvhipt,
Despightfulnesse beyond despight vvas vs'd,
And vvith abuse past all abuse abus'd.
His apprehension grieu'd her heart full sore,
His cruell scourges grieu'd her ten times more,
And whē his blessed head with thorns was crown'd
Then floods of griefe on griefe her soule did woūd,
But then redoubled was her griefe and feare,
When to his death his Crosse she saw him beare.
And lastly (but alas not least nor last)
When he vpon the tree was nailed fast,
With bitter teares, & deep heart-wounding grones,
With sobs, and sighs, this Maiden-Mother moanes.
What tongue or pen can her great griefe vnfold,
When Christ said, Woman, now thy Sonne behold?
That voyce (like Ice in Iune) more cold and chill,
Did dangerously wound, and almost kill:
Then (as old Simeon prophesi'd before)
The sword of sorrow through her heart did gore.
And if 'twere possible all womens woes
One woman could within her brest inclose,
They were but puffes, sparkes, mole-hills, drops of raine;
To whirl-winds, meteors, Kingdomes, or the maine:
Vnto the woes, griefes, sorrowes, sighs, and teares,
Sobs, gronings, terrors, and a world of feares,
Which did beset this Virgin on each side,
When as her Sonne, her Lord, and Sauiour dide.
Thus he, to whom compar'd, all things are drosse,
Humbled himselfe to death, euen to the Crosse:
He that said, Let there be, and there was light,
He that made all things with his mighty might,
He by whom all things haue their life and breath,
He humbled himselfe vnto the death;
Vnto the death of the curst Crosse: this he,
This he, this He of hee's did stoope for me:
For me this Wel-spring of my soules releefe,
Did suffer death, on either hand a theefe:
The one of them had runne a theeuing race,
Rob'd God of Glory, and himselfe of Grace:
He wanted liuely faith to apprehend,
To end his life for life that ne'r shall end:
With faithlesse doubts his minde is armed stiffe,
And doth reuile our Sauiour with an If,
If that thou be the Sonne of God (quoth he)
Come from the Crosse, and saue thy selfe and me.
The other Theefe, arm'd with a sauing faith,
Vnto his fellow turn'd, and thus he saith;
Thou guilty wretch, this man is free and cleare
From any crime for which he suffers here:
We haue offended, we haue iniur'd many,
But this man yet did neuer wrong to any,
We iustly are condemn'd, he false accus'd,
He hath all wrong, all right to vs is vs'd,
Hee's innocent, so are not thou and I:
We by the Law are iustly iudg'd to dye.
Thus the good Theefe euen at his latest cast,
Contrary to a Theefe, spake truth at last.
And looking on our Sauiour faithfully,
(Whilst Christ beheld him with a gracious eye)
These blest words were his prayers totall summe,
O Lord when thou shalt to thy Kingdome come,
Remember me. Our Sauiour answer'd then
(A doctrine to confute despairing men,)
Thou (who by liuely faith laist hold on me)
This day in. Paradise with me shalt be.
Thus as this theefes life was by theft supplide,
So now he stole heau'ns Kingdome when he dyde.
And I doe wish all Christians to agree,
Not t'liue as ill, but dye as well as he.
Presumptuous sinnes are no way here excus'd,
For here but one was sau'd, and one refus'd.
Despaire for sinnes hath here no rule or ground,
For as here's one was lost, so one was found.
To teach vs not to sinne with wilfull pleasure,
And put repentance off, to our last leasure.
To shew vs though we liu'd like Iewes and Turkes,
Yet Gods great mercy is aboue his workes.
To warne vs not presume, or to despaire,
Here's good example in this theeuing paire.
To see her Sauiour slouted, hated, vvhipt,
Despightfulnesse beyond despight vvas vs'd,
And vvith abuse past all abuse abus'd.
His apprehension grieu'd her heart full sore,
His cruell scourges grieu'd her ten times more,
And whē his blessed head with thorns was crown'd
Then floods of griefe on griefe her soule did woūd,
But then redoubled was her griefe and feare,
When to his death his Crosse she saw him beare.
And lastly (but alas not least nor last)
When he vpon the tree was nailed fast,
With bitter teares, & deep heart-wounding grones,
With sobs, and sighs, this Maiden-Mother moanes.
What tongue or pen can her great griefe vnfold,
When Christ said, Woman, now thy Sonne behold?
That voyce (like Ice in Iune) more cold and chill,
Did dangerously wound, and almost kill:
Then (as old Simeon prophesi'd before)
The sword of sorrow through her heart did gore.
And if 'twere possible all womens woes
One woman could within her brest inclose,
They were but puffes, sparkes, mole-hills, drops of raine;
To whirl-winds, meteors, Kingdomes, or the maine:
Vnto the woes, griefes, sorrowes, sighs, and teares,
Sobs, gronings, terrors, and a world of feares,
Which did beset this Virgin on each side,
When as her Sonne, her Lord, and Sauiour dide.
Thus he, to whom compar'd, all things are drosse,
Humbled himselfe to death, euen to the Crosse:
He that said, Let there be, and there was light,
He that made all things with his mighty might,
He by whom all things haue their life and breath,
He humbled himselfe vnto the death;
Vnto the death of the curst Crosse: this he,
This he, this He of hee's did stoope for me:
For me this Wel-spring of my soules releefe,
Did suffer death, on either hand a theefe:
The one of them had runne a theeuing race,
Rob'd God of Glory, and himselfe of Grace:
He wanted liuely faith to apprehend,
To end his life for life that ne'r shall end:
With faithlesse doubts his minde is armed stiffe,
And doth reuile our Sauiour with an If,
If that thou be the Sonne of God (quoth he)
Come from the Crosse, and saue thy selfe and me.
The other Theefe, arm'd with a sauing faith,
Vnto his fellow turn'd, and thus he saith;
Thou guilty wretch, this man is free and cleare
From any crime for which he suffers here:
We haue offended, we haue iniur'd many,
But this man yet did neuer wrong to any,
We iustly are condemn'd, he false accus'd,
He hath all wrong, all right to vs is vs'd,
Hee's innocent, so are not thou and I:
We by the Law are iustly iudg'd to dye.
23
Contrary to a Theefe, spake truth at last.
And looking on our Sauiour faithfully,
(Whilst Christ beheld him with a gracious eye)
These blest words were his prayers totall summe,
O Lord when thou shalt to thy Kingdome come,
Remember me. Our Sauiour answer'd then
(A doctrine to confute despairing men,)
Thou (who by liuely faith laist hold on me)
This day in. Paradise with me shalt be.
Thus as this theefes life was by theft supplide,
So now he stole heau'ns Kingdome when he dyde.
And I doe wish all Christians to agree,
Not t'liue as ill, but dye as well as he.
Presumptuous sinnes are no way here excus'd,
For here but one was sau'd, and one refus'd.
Despaire for sinnes hath here no rule or ground,
For as here's one was lost, so one was found.
To teach vs not to sinne with wilfull pleasure,
And put repentance off, to our last leasure.
To shew vs though we liu'd like Iewes and Turkes,
Yet Gods great mercy is aboue his workes.
To warne vs not presume, or to despaire,
Here's good example in this theeuing paire.
These seas of care (with zealous fortitude)
This Virgin past among the multitude.
(Oh gracious patterne of a sex so bad)
Oh the supernall patience that she had,
Her zeale, her constancy, her truth, her loue,
The very best of women her doth proue.
Maids, wiues, and mothers, all conforme your liues
To hers, the best of women, maides, or wiues.
But as her Sonnes death made her woes abound,
His resurrection all griefe did confound:
She saw him vanquish't and inglorious,
And after saw him Victor most victorious:
She saw him in contempt to lose his breath,
And after that she saw him conquer death:
She saw him (blest) a cursed death to dye,
And after saw him rise triumphantly:
Thus she that sorrowed most, had comfort most,
Ioy doubly did returne, for gladnesse lost,
And as before her torments tyranniz'd,
Her ioy could after not be equalliz'd;
Her Sonnes (all-wondred) resurrection,
Her Sauiours glorious ascension,
And last, the Holy Ghost from heauen sent downe,
These mighty mercies all her ioyes did crowne.
Suppose a man that were exceeding poore,
Had got a thousand tunnes of golden ore,
How would his heart be lifted vp with mirth,
As this great masse of treasure (most part earth)
But to be rob'd of all in's height of glory,
Would not this lucklesse man be much more sory
Then euer he was glad? for in the minde
Griefe more then ioy doth most abiding finde.
But then suppose that after all this losse,
The gold is well refined from the drosse,
And as the poore man doth his losse complaine,
His wealth (more pure) should be restor'd againe.
Amidst his passions (in this great reliefe)
I doubt not but his ioy would conquer griefe.
Euen so our blessed Lady hauing lost
Her ioy, her Iewell she esteemed most,
Her all in all, the heau'n and earths whole treasure,
Her gracious heart was grieued out of measure.
But when she found him in triumphaut state,
No tongue or pen her ioy could then relate.
She lost him poore and bare, and dead and cold,
She found him rich, most glorious to behold.
She lost him when vpon his backe was hurld
The burthen of the sinnes of all the World:
She lost him mortall, and immortall found him,
For crown of thorns, a crown of glory crownd him.
Thus all her griefes, her losse, her cares, and paine,
Return'd with ioyes inestimable gaine.
This Virgin past among the multitude.
(Oh gracious patterne of a sex so bad)
Oh the supernall patience that she had,
Her zeale, her constancy, her truth, her loue,
The very best of women her doth proue.
Maids, wiues, and mothers, all conforme your liues
To hers, the best of women, maides, or wiues.
But as her Sonnes death made her woes abound,
His resurrection all griefe did confound:
She saw him vanquish't and inglorious,
And after saw him Victor most victorious:
She saw him in contempt to lose his breath,
And after that she saw him conquer death:
She saw him (blest) a cursed death to dye,
And after saw him rise triumphantly:
Thus she that sorrowed most, had comfort most,
Ioy doubly did returne, for gladnesse lost,
And as before her torments tyranniz'd,
Her ioy could after not be equalliz'd;
Her Sonnes (all-wondred) resurrection,
Her Sauiours glorious ascension,
And last, the Holy Ghost from heauen sent downe,
These mighty mercies all her ioyes did crowne.
Suppose a man that were exceeding poore,
Had got a thousand tunnes of golden ore,
How would his heart be lifted vp with mirth,
As this great masse of treasure (most part earth)
But to be rob'd of all in's height of glory,
Would not this lucklesse man be much more sory
Then euer he was glad? for in the minde
Griefe more then ioy doth most abiding finde.
But then suppose that after all this losse,
The gold is well refined from the drosse,
And as the poore man doth his losse complaine,
His wealth (more pure) should be restor'd againe.
Amidst his passions (in this great reliefe)
I doubt not but his ioy would conquer griefe.
Euen so our blessed Lady hauing lost
Her ioy, her Iewell she esteemed most,
Her all in all, the heau'n and earths whole treasure,
Her gracious heart was grieued out of measure.
But when she found him in triumphaut state,
No tongue or pen her ioy could then relate.
She lost him poore and bare, and dead and cold,
She found him rich, most glorious to behold.
She lost him when vpon his backe was hurld
The burthen of the sinnes of all the World:
She lost him mortall, and immortall found him,
For crown of thorns, a crown of glory crownd him.
Thus all her griefes, her losse, her cares, and paine,
Return'd with ioyes inestimable gaine.
But now a true relation I will make,
How this blest Virgin did the world forsake.
'Tis probable that as our Sauiour bid
Saint Iohn to take her home, that so he did:
And it may be suppos'd she did abide
With him, and in his house vntill she dide.
Iohn did out-liue th'Apostles euery one,
For when Domitian held th'Imperiall Throne,
To th'Ile of Pathmos he was banisht then,
And there the Reuelation he did pen:
But whilst Iohn at Ierusalem did stay,
God tooke the blessed Virgins life away.
For after Christs Ascension it appeares,
She on the earth suruiued fifteene yeeres,
Full sixty three in all she did endure,
A sad glad pilgrimage, a life most pure.
At sixty three yeeres age her life did fade,
Her soule (most gracious) was most glorious made,
Where with her Son, her Sauiour, her Lord God,
She euerlastingly hath her abode,
In such fruition of immortall glory,
Which cannot be describ'd in mortall story.
There mounted (meeke) she sits in Maiesty;
Exalted there is her humility,
There she that was adorned full of Grace,
Beheld her Maker and Redeemers face.
And there she is amongst all blessed spirits
(By imputation of our Sauiours merits,)
She there shall euer and for euer sing
Eternall praise vnto th'Eternall King.
When she had paid the debt that all must pay,
When from her corps her soule was past away:
To Gethsemany, with lamenting cheare,
Her sacred body on the Beere they beare.
There in the earth a Iewell was inter'd,
That was before all earthly wights prefer'd,
That Holy wife, that Mother, that pure Maid,
At Gethsemany in her graue was laid.
How this blest Virgin did the world forsake.
'Tis probable that as our Sauiour bid
Saint Iohn to take her home, that so he did:
And it may be suppos'd she did abide
With him, and in his house vntill she dide.
Iohn did out-liue th'Apostles euery one,
For when Domitian held th'Imperiall Throne,
To th'Ile of Pathmos he was banisht then,
And there the Reuelation he did pen:
But whilst Iohn at Ierusalem did stay,
God tooke the blessed Virgins life away.
For after Christs Ascension it appeares,
She on the earth suruiued fifteene yeeres,
Full sixty three in all she did endure,
A sad glad pilgrimage, a life most pure.
At sixty three yeeres age her life did fade,
Her soule (most gracious) was most glorious made,
Where with her Son, her Sauiour, her Lord God,
She euerlastingly hath her abode,
In such fruition of immortall glory,
Which cannot be describ'd in mortall story.
There mounted (meeke) she sits in Maiesty;
Exalted there is her humility,
There she that was adorned full of Grace,
Beheld her Maker and Redeemers face.
And there she is amongst all blessed spirits
(By imputation of our Sauiours merits,)
She there shall euer and for euer sing
Eternall praise vnto th'Eternall King.
When she had paid the debt that all must pay,
When from her corps her soule was past away:
To Gethsemany, with lamenting cheare,
Her sacred body on the Beere they beare.
There in the earth a Iewell was inter'd,
That was before all earthly wights prefer'd,
24
At Gethsemany in her graue was laid.
Lenvoy.
This worke deserues the worke of better wit,But I (like Pilate) say, What's writ is writ:
If it be lik'd: poore artlesse I am glad,
And Charity I hope will mend what's bad.
I know my selfe the meanest amongst men,
The most vnlearnedst that e'r handled pen:
But as it is, into the world I send it,
And therefore pray commend it, or come mend it.
FINIS.
| All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet | |