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The Natiuity of Christ,

in ryming Hexameters.

Christe euer-lyuing, once dying, only triumpher
Ouer death by death; Christe Iesus mighty redeemer
Of forelorne mankynde, which led captyuyty captiue,
And made thraldome thrall; whose grace and mercy defensiue
Mercyles and graceles men sau'd; Christe liuely reuiuer
Of sowles oppressed with sin; Christe louely reporter
Of good-spell Gospell, Mayds son, celestial ofspring,
Emanuel, Man-god, Messyas, euer abounding
With pity perpetuall, with pure loue, charity liuely,
This Christe shalbe my song, and my meditation only,
O euerlasting, æternall, euer-abyding,
Euer-lyuing Lord: O life, and stil-pity-taking,
Stil-quicknyng Spyrite, which causedst God to be manly,
That true-God true-man might soe cause man to be godly;
Graunt mee a sounding voyce to recount these funeral horrors,
Which made vs t'enioy those sweete celestial harbors.
And thou Babe stil-borne, borne always from the begynning,
Whose sweete byrth in skyes causd Angels for to be singing;
Looke, sweete Babe, from aboue, lend gracius eares to my prayers,
Soe shall these my lipps, this mouth, this tong, be thy praysers.
When noe Sunne gaue light, noe Moone distinctly apeared,
And noe twinckling starrs this lightsom Olympus adorned,
When noe world was made; then that most mighty Iehoua,
That king omnipotent, that Lord and only Monarcha
Himself did meditate, enioyd his glorius essence,
Glorius, æternall, vnspeakable, infynit essence:

Liu'd and lou'd himself, himself, felicity matchles,
All through all, chief good, chief blisse, perfection endles.
But this most good God, this simple Trinity blessed,
This most louing Lord, this three-fould Vnity sacred,
Would haue this goodnes manifest, this bounty declared,
This loue expressed, this wondrous mercy reuealed.
In tyme conuenient therefore, this world he created,
And it, a large Theater to behould his glory, apoynted.
Which when he had with store of treasures richly replenisht,
And with abundant grace causd euery part to be furnisht;
Man was made at length; Adam was lastly created,
Last woork, not least woork; Adam was dayntily framed,
Most perfect creature, and like to the mighty Creator,
Good, wise, immortall, of mankynde onely beginner.
But prowd ambition, but Serpent craftily cloaking
With curst bitter-sweete his cankred poyson abounding,
Adam dispossest of pleasant beautiful harbors,
Adams hart possest with most vnspeakable horrors:
Man was mard at length, Adam was fowly defaced,
Last woork, and lost woork, Adam was filthily fowled,
Most cursed creature, vnlyke to the mighty creator,
Bad, foolish, mortall, of mankinde only the murdrer.
Yet that greatest God, pitying this fall of a sinner,
His manyfold mercies did againe most freely remember:
Gaue new grace to the world, and caused his only begotten,
Only beloued son to be sent vs downe fro the heauen:
Here to receaue our flesh, and here with thorns to be crowned,
Here to be mockt, to be whipt, and here at last to be murdred:
Murdred for mankynde, t'appease Gods infinit anger,
Guyltles for guylefull, man synles, for man a synner.
And now that good tyme, that ioyfull day was aproaching,
Which by the liuing Lord was apoynted from the begynning:
There was a man which came from Dauyds progeny noble,
Called iust Ioseph, but dwelt in a place very simple,
Nazzareth it was nam'de: himself had lately betroathed
That most spotles spowse, that Mayden Mary renowmed:
Whoe to be Christs mother was a chosen vessel apoynted,
And by an Angels voyce from God thus friendly saluted;
Hayle, ô sacred Nymph, of woemens company greatest,
Blest with abundant grace, to the blessed Trynity dearest.

At these wondrous woords this mayde was somwhat abashed,
And did meruayle much, by an Angel strangely saluted.
Which when Gabriel once perceaued, he myldly replyed,
Feare not blessed Mary, beleeue and stand not amased:
Blessed Mary, beleeue, thou shalt be a mayd, be a mother,
Iesus thy son shall be a King, be a Lord, be a ruler:
Ruler, Lord, and King, almighty, without any ending,
His faythfull subiects with grace and mercy protecting.
Mary began thus againe: Good God, this seemeth a woonder,
How can a mayde conceaue? can a mayd vntutcht be a mother?
Gabryel added againe, this thy conception holy
Is not a woork of man, but Gods operation only.
Gods dyume power shall woork this woonder vpon thee,
And therfore this chylde soe borne is son to the mighty,
Mighty triumphant Lord: this Lords dyuynyty dreadfull
Thy cosyn Elisabeth made alsoe for to be fruytfull,
Which was barren afore: therfore geue eare to the Lords heast,
For there is noething impossible vnto the highest.
Mary resolu'd in mynde this message firmely beleeued,
And submytts herself, by the Angells woords to be guyded.
Then soone after that, to the hylls of Iury shee hastned,
And there, Elisabeth greate with Chylde, sweetly saluted.
At which chearefull woords from blessed Mary proceeding
Elisabeths yong babe this sound very strangely receauing,
Sprang in wombe for ioy, causd Maryes voyce to be sounding,
Elisabeth to reioyce, dumbe Zachary for to be speaking.
Mary, with her kinsfolk, three moonth's in Iury remayned,
And then blessed Nymph to her husband home shee returned,
Husband iust Ioseph, good-man, whoe thought it a wonder,
That new wife, vnknown, vntutcht, should now be a mother.
Vnwilling therfore in publyke place to reproue her,
Good-natur'd Ioseph meant pryuyly for to renounce her.
This man thus meanyng, in sleepe Gods Angel apeared,
And with chearefull woords this message fryendly delyured.
Feare not, iust Ioseph, thy wife is a mayde, is a mother,
Pure, chaste, vnspotted, feare not therefore to receaue her.
This babe is Gods Chylde, this son cœlestial of-spring,
Lambe of God, Gods heyre, ordeyned from the begynning
For to redeeme lost Sheepe, to be mankynds sole mediator,
For to releeue poore sowles, to be mankynds mighty protector.

Ioseph awak's from sleepe, Gods Angel he gladly obeyeth,
And his matchles mate, mayd, Mother, Mary receaueth.
In those dayes all warrs and vproares fully repressed,
Augustus Cæsar causd euery man to be taxed,
Taxed in each mans towne: then Ioseph quyckly remoued
Vnto the blest Beathleme, and brought home Mary beloued;
Mary beloued he brought; whoe there, when tyme was apoynted,
Was mayde, was Mother, was most dyuynely delyured,
Bare her first borne Chylde, and layd hym downe in a manger,
Wrapt in swadling cloaths, poore bed, for want of a better.
Seelly Shepheards by the night theyr flocks were waryly watching,
And fro the skyes they sawe strange brightnes mightyly shynyng:
Downe to the ground they fall: but an Angel cheareful apeared,
And with ioyfull news theyr trembling harts he reuyued.
Feare not fryendly shepheards, for I bring good news from Olympus,
This day borne is a babe, his name is called Iesus,
Only Reconcyler, Mediator, mighty Redeemer,
Only the salue to the sick, and pardon free to the synner.
And take this for a signe: this babe is a sleepe in a manger,
Wrapt in swadlyng cloaths, sweete sowle, and cast in a corner.
Eu'n as he spake these woords, many thousands sweetly resounding
Immortall spyrites, cœlestial harmony making,
Sang and praysed God, lyfting theyr voyce to the heauen,
For this ioyfull byrth, this blessed babe of a mayden,
Glory to God most high, good will to man and to his of-spring,
Peace to the earth itself, and all that on earth is abyding.
Seelly Shepherds ran downe to behould theyr only redeemer,
And found all to be true, and sawe Christe layd in a manger.
Then they praysed God, most chereful company keeping,
And gaue lawd to the Lord, that gracius harmony making,
Glory to God most high, good will to man, and to his of-spring,
Peace to the earth itself, and all that on earth is abyding.
Soe that on euery syde, this glorius eccho resounded,
Glory to God most high, which man-kynde freely redeemed,
Freely redeem'd man-kynde, yet man-kynde dearely redeemed,
In that his owne deare sonne for man was freely delyu'red.
O blessed byrth day, ô starrs most luckyly shynyng,
O first day of ioy, and last of anoy to the of-spring
Of sinfull man-kynde, ô greate compassion endles,
O loue still fayntles, pyty peareles, Charyty matchles.

God that ruleth aboue in royall throane of Olympus,
Sent his blessed Babe, and only begotten among vs:
And fro the bowre of blisse did abase him downe to the manger,
For to reconcile vs lost sheepe, that wandred in error.
Noemans tong can tell, nor noemans hart can imagin,
That th'æternall God, should thus take flesh of a Virgin.
Christe that in heauen sate with God most mighty coæquall,
From the beginning crownd with grace and glory supernall,
This God's made to be man, this King is come fro the scepter,
This Christe is swadled, this Lord is laid in a manger:
Christe whoe fils each place, (ô Christe how are wee beholding?)
Christe whome noe-place holds, in soe small place is abiding;
Christe noe-way-conteind, Christ first, last, Christ the Creator,
Infinit euery way, is now conteynd of a creture;
Christe noe-where-enclosd, Christe ender, Christe the beginner,
Euery-where, noe-where, is now enclosd in a corner.
And all this for man: soe that, where sin was abounding,
Grace did abound much more; as man was cause of a falling,
Man was a raiser againe; as man made deadly beginning,
Soe true God, true man did make most gracius ending.
Adam sinned first, and brought in death to reward it:
Christe by death kild death, and gaue his life to remoue it.
Adam lost Paradise, where pleasures earthly abyded;
Christe purchast heauen, where treasures greater abounded.
Serpent wyly beguyld Adam, by the meanes of a woeman;
Serpents head was bruisd by Christe, by the meanes of a woeman.
Aspyring Adam was quite cast downe to the darcknes,
Humble-minded Christe hath lifted vs vp to the brightnes
Of stil lasting light, to the ioyful face, to the presence
Of God, there to behold his sacred ineffable essence.
Sing then, friendly Shepherds, and lift your voyce to the heauen,
Glory to God most high, for blessed Babe of a Mayden.
Whom neither Sathan could daunt, nor company hellish,
Nor raging Pharisees, nor deaths vnspeakable anguish:
Who by the crosse, by the nayles, by the spear, by the thorns, by the whipping,
Passed aloft to the skies, and there in ioy is abyding:
Whoe by the whipps, by the thorns, by the speare, by the nayles, by the crossing;
Lifted vs vp to the skies, with his Angels stil to be dwelling.
Whoe to be blest, was curst; whoe gaue himself for a ransome,
Whoe by the Crosse crost death, by death obteynd vs a Kingdome.

Whose incessant pangs, whose grief and agony restles,
Whose bloody sweate did cause our sinfull soules to be spotles.
Sing then, friendly Shepherds, and Angels all be a singing:
Come fro the East, you Kings, and make acceptable offring:
Come fro the East by the light of a blessed starre that apeareth,
And to the King of Iews your footesteps rightly directeth.
Loe, here lyes your Lord, bow downe, make peaceable offring,
Gold to the golden Babe, of golden time the beginning;
Franckencense and Myrrhe, to be sweete perfumes to the sweetest
Chylde, that sweete sacrifice, acceptable vnto the highest,
Sweete-smelling sacrifice, once offered only foreuer
For t'appease Gods wrath and his most infynit anger.
Home to the East, you Kings, and bring this news to the godly,
God suffreth for man, guyltles condemnd for a guylty:
Home to the East, you Kings, and tell this abroade for a wonder,
Wee haue seene that Babe of a Virgin, layd in a manger:
Home to the East you Kings, and shew that mighty resounding
Of those sweete Angels cœlestial harmony making:
Tell this abroade for a truth, and think, that from the beginning,
Noe such sight to an eye, noe such sound came to a hearing.
Backe to the East, you Kings, but back by a contrary passage,
Least ye be partakers of a most vnmerciful outrage.
And get away Ioseph, get away, and haste thee to Ægypt,
Herode seekes thy sonne to be murdred, not to be worshipt:
Merciles Herodes to be sole and only triumphant,
Seeking one infant, wil murder a number of infants.
Beathlem's red with blood, sweete sucklings blood that abounded,
Beathlem's white with bones, babes bones all woefuly scattred.
Childles mothers mourne, and howle with watery countnance,
All crye out for grief, and all crye out for a vengeance:
Vengeance light on a woolf, vengeance and plagues on a tyger,
Vengeance on this beast, vengeance on this bloody butcher.
And, when he thought his throane with firme fœlicity grounded,
And his senseles soule with most security flattred,
Vengeance lights on a woolf, vengeance and plagues on a tyger,
Vengeance on that beast, vengeance on that bloody butcher.
Lyce did suck his blood, which first was cause of a bloodshed,
Vermyne tore his flesh, which babes flesh made to be mangled.
Soe let such men fare, that take a delight to be murdring,
Christs curse light on his head, that Christs flock loues to be spoyling.

Now come back Ioseph: but come not nere bloody Iury,
Fly fro the butchers, broode, let Nazzareth only receaue thee,
There shall thy deare Chylde in yeares and wit be a growing,
And with guifts of grace, with supreame glory abounding.
Thence shall thy deare Chylde to the Church of God be repairing.
And doating Doctors and Priests diuinely reprouing:
Thinck not much therefore, if three dayes there hee abyded,
Father on earth must yeelde; whylst Father in heu'n is obeyed.
And now Iohn that sprang in mothers wombe, was a preaching,
Teaching, baptizing, and Christs wayes duely preparing.
When this Iohn Christs head with water duly besprinckled,
And Christe from Jordan was now but newly remoued,
Sacred Ghost fro the skies flew downe all louely to Christs head,
And in forme of a Doue itself there sweetly reposed:
Then fro the heu'ns these woords with chereful glory resounded.
Thou art my deare chylde, in whome I doe meane to be pleased,
And forerunning Iohn, Iohn Baptist dayly reported:
Christe to be Lamb of God, that sins with mercy remoueth.
At these wondrous news th'old Serpent deadly repyned,
And the renowmed fame of Christe extreamely maligned,
Fearing this to be that great sou'raigne lordly Monarcha,
Sin-par'dning Jesus, foretold long since by Sybilla:
And he remembred well, what plagues were duly denounced,
When greate grand-dame Eue with a bitter sweete he beguyled.
Therefore now he begins and takes occasion offred,
When fouretimes ten dayes from meate and drinck he refrained,
And in desert kept: he begins him thus to be tempting,
With colored friendship concealed treachery cloaking.
Shall the coæternall and consubstantial ofspring
Of God, soe many dayes, and soe many nights be a fasting?
Shall those purpled cheekes, which earst so cheareful apeared,
Looke thus pale and wan, with too much penury pinched?
Make these stones to be bread; for I know, if Sonne to the Thundrer
Speake but a woord, its doone: let cretures serue the Creator.
But when he heard of Christe, that grace from mighty Jehoua
Strengthned more than bread, and fed man more than a Manna,
Then with a new stratageme to the Templs towre he repayred,
And Christe (soe Christe would) on a pynacle high he reposed,
Saying; Leape to the ground, if thou be the Sonne to the Mighty,
Thy Fathers Angels are prest at an inch to receaue thee.

Yet when he heard Christe say, that God was not to be tempted,
And that hee alwayes had foole hardy presumption hated,
Sith both thse proou'd naught, last cast hee began to be prouing,
And with spitefull rage, his latest part to be playing:
For when hee had brought Christe, by Christs permission only,
Vnto a huge mountaine, which gaue full view to the glory
Of world and worlds wealth: World and worlds wealth wil I giue thee,
Sayd this damned fiend, if thou wilt learne to obey mee.
Here Christe with iust zeale and indignation vrged,
That malapert rashnes with these woords boldly rebuked;
Get thee away Sathan to the burning lake of Auernus,
Woorship alone is due to the sou'raigne Lord of Olympus.
Then with dead despaire Christe too well knowne hee relinquisht,
Sith that hee saw himself and all his villany vanquisht.
Lying Serpent thus confounded; an Angel apeared,
And long-fasting Christe with chearefull foode he refreshed.
Thenceforth Christe his life was noething els but a teaching,
Preaching, and woorking of woonders woorthy the woondring.
Sicke are whole, lame goe, dumbe speake, blynde see the Redeemer,
Hearing's giu'n to the deafe, and clensed skynne to the leaper.
Netts eu'n burst with fish, and full-boates gin to be sincking,
Water made to be wyne makes brydegroome greatly reioycing,
Wyndes are whist with a woord, and blustring storms be repressed,
And foaming seaes waues to a firme walk mightily changed.
Diu'ls roare out for feare, and haste their heauy departure
Which tormented men with too too woeful a torture.
Fiue loaues, twooe fishes, fiue thousand fully refreshed,
Yet twelue baskets full with broaken meate be reserued.
Seu'n loaues, feaw fishes, foure thousand fully refreshed,
Yet seu'n baskets fyld with broaken meate be reserued.
Elias came downe to behold life-giuer Iësus,
And Moses rose vp, to behold soule-sauer Iësus,
His face shyn'de as sunne: himself transform'd in a moment;
Surpassing brightnes did stand in steede of a garment,
Mount Tabor glistred: sweete voyce came downe from Olympus,
Heare my beloued sonne, my dearely beloued Iesus.
Yea, dead men lyued: yet Iewes causd him to be dying,
Whoe raisd Lazarus vp, whoe dead Gyrle made to be lyuing.
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