University of Virginia Library

The excellent and moste Deuyne Tryumphe of Dyuynitie.

Sythyns that vnder the heauen nothing I se
Stable and fyrme but all mere vanitie
I remembred my selfe and to my selfe dyd say
In whome doest yu trust tell me I the pray
Softly I am answered vnto that lord I trust
That of his promise is so faythfull and iust
That who so in hym hath a true perfect fayth
Shall neuer be dysceyued so his wordes sayth
For well I se the false worlde dyd me but scorne
And I knowe what I am & what I was beforne
And I se the tyme not for to go but to flye
And I know not in dread of whome to be sorye
But of my selfe that haue deserued blame
That haue not or nowe remembred the same
The faulte is in me that longe I say or this
Shuld haue considered my great foly I wys
And so opened myne eyes & not fallen to slothe
To haue perceyued and knowen the troughe
In differing my lyfe vnto the last combrous age
Which by course of tyme continually do asswage
But slowe was neuer the deuyne grace
To call me to goodnes and vertue apase
In hym I put my trust that yet in me shall be
High operacion from all euell to flye
Thus with my selfe disputing to and froo
I thought euen very thus yf that it be soo
These thinges that in this wise turne about ye ski
And guides & gouernes it in ordre so meruelousli
After so much turnyng and reuoluing to and froo
What ende shall I haue I would fayne knowe soo
And as that I was solitaire in this meditacione
It semed to me I sawe a wonderfull facion
A newe fayre worlde stable and eterne
And this olde world that semeth so ferme
The sonne and the stares and the heauen rounde
And the great se also with the earth and ground
To vanyshe clene awaye & in theyr rome & place
A newe merier world made by godes grace
What great trowe ye then admiracion had I
When I sawe the sonne firmament and the skye
Stand fyrme on one fote sure stable and faste
That with his swyft course runnyng at the laste
Changed all thinges mortall and then restrained
His thre partes brought to one part vnfayned
And then no distinction no difference of them at al
But the herbe and grasse and flowers with all
All bareyne and bare before and behynde
Which variacion doth naturally bekynde
Much bitter sorowe to our nature frayle
All at ones together then and there to fayle
Then the thought passeth as the sonne the glasse
And much more for nothing the powre hase
It for to holde or elles for to restrayne
O what grace shall that be for man to attayne
To se in that place the euerlasting god
And none euell at all which of the tyme woode
Onely commeth and goeth here and there
To be out of doubte of all dread and feare
The sonne that shall haue no more his place
Neyther in the hornyd bull nor in lyke case
In the fyshe in which two variable sygnes
Uarieth the yerbes the season and the tymes
Nowe we do sowe and after we do reape
Nowe creasynge nowe discresing so is our heape
But happye and blessed be those spirites certenly
That be found in that holy state eternally
Sure and very certayne in honor to encrease
Without terme or tyme neuer to sease
O howe happye is he that fyndeth that way
To passe this Rabidus and dul passage I say
That is called in this vnstable world a lyfe
And is so troublouse and so ful of stryfe
Blynd and wretched I say are the mortal
That hoopeth in thynges that sone doth fall
Which tyme taketh away with a thought
And turneth al our fancis and foly to nought
Surely they are both vnwise deffe and frayle
Poore of iudgment and of Counsayle
Yea & worse then sike, in dead & wretched therto
That doth not as our deutie is regard hym so
That with his becke may trouble and appease
The elementes al as it doth hym please
Whome to honour we are not bound onlye
But the Aungels that sit in the heauen hye
Are contented of the thousand partes as one
With ye sight of his godhed in his gloriouse trone
And so stand stedfast with a feruent Intention
Are not our myndes then worthy of reprehenciō
To loke on that which in the very ende
Commeth to no profite therevnto to pretende
For that which we so fast gather together
With much paine in mani years hether & thether
With great and troubles cumbrance of mynd
To day and to morowe at the last we fynde
As the shadowe doth passe away and glyde
Euen at the poynt so shall all our pryde
Then remember ye well I truly counsell this
That after goddes great dreadfull iudgement is
Was and shalbe shall haue no more time and place
But one eternitie together in one selfe space
Nor further there shalbe none obiecte at all
To hurte by our sight our weake memoriall
Which is the occacion and the very cause
Many an vnprudent person in vanitie to pause
That the lyfe present semeth but a playe
Thinking they are to morowe as to day
But then all otherwyse shalbe no diuision at all
But litle and litle the hole vniuersall
Shalbe together and wynter and somer paste
And tyme quiete gone and no lenger laste
Nor these yeares ye we do nowe presently name
Shall haue no more the domynion of fame
But ones theyr famouse that shall neuer disseuer
But in eternitie to endure famouse foreuer
O happie are those soules that are in that way
Of which so much I nowe speake of and say
In ioy glory and rest styll to Endure
That are and shalbe perpetually, so sure
And amonge the other that so gracious be
Most blessed of all other playnly is she
That cruell death kylled or she came to age
There shalbe seene in that angelyke vysage
The honest wordes the thought cleane and chast
That nature had set in her in olde tymes past
And for because that euery thought and thynge
Is playne and manyfest to the eternall kynge
When the blessed elect soules turned be
Unto the moost happy state of theyr fyrst degre
With the poyntinge of the fynger euen then
Shalbe sayde how, where, and also when
Lo this is he whiche that loue deteyned
And longe and many a day lamēted & complained
And yet was most fortunate for to se the cheare
Aboue al other ioyes in the world of his lady dere
And she also of whome that wepyng I synge
Shall of her selfe haue greate maruelyng
To beholde and fele in euery wyse and degre
Her selfe aboue all other in Ioy and felicitie
When this shalbe God wote I cannot tell
But she that is nygh of the great goddes councel
This hygh preuy secrete in parte doth know
And for to declare and tel that I trowe
It is as I do ymagin very nygh at hande
And when that commeth men shal vnderstande
How euyl they theyr wanton tyme haue spent
In gettyng worldly goddes landes and rent
Wenyng for euer them to holde and possesse
And yet for the final conclusion it is doubtles
They shal se them selues in very dede
Mockt and scorned to trust vnto suche mede
No secrete nor hyd thing shalbe then and there
But all secretes vnshote open playne and cleare
All our conscience whether it be bright or darke
Before al the world shall appeare our werke
And then ye myghtie and gloriouse king celestiall
That in his fearefull Iudgment is not percial
As reason is and as it ought to be
His wise Iudgment therto shall agre
And when that sentence is both gone and past
Eche man his viage with great dread and hast
As the wylde beastes that hast them fast to flye
Afore the barkyng doges for feare they in be
Euen in lyke wyse scattered here and there
Shalbe these proude men with all there gay gere
And playnely perceaue that to there hurt it was
All such lucre when these thinges come to pas
But those that by grace haue brydled such delight
In refraining their vayne and couetouse appetite
And measured false fortune with an honest vse
Be mery together without fraude and abuse
Those be sure and certayne for to be
With the saintes in perpetuall ioy and felicitie
These fyue Tryumphes yt I haue here rehearsed
And vnder a straunge colour them expressed
Haue nowe by godes sufferaunce an ende
With this the sixt whereto I dyd pretend
Then ye that rede thys thynke this state eterne
and thinke that the tyme that doth discerne
This vnstable world turnyng to and froo
and fearefull gastly death it is playne so
all shall vanyshe doubtles foreuer away
Beleue me this is sure after the last day
And those that haue worthely by vertuouse fame
Spent well there tyme lyuing without blame
And by vertue made both death & tyme to fere
Whyles that they lyued in this frayle world here
In theyr most freshe and lustye young courage
They shall aryse tryumphantly about that age
With beautie immortall and high fame eterne
Neuer after that tyme for to feele no harme
But then afore all other that there shall be
In that endles glory we shal beholde and se
My fayre swete lady of whome so much I write
More beauteous then the sonne in his hyest light
There is a litle ryuer Gebenna men it call
Where first in loue I chaunched for to fall
There loue dyd make me so longe a cruel awarre
That yet I dread to thynke vpon that starre
Happy is that stone that couereth that swet face
Wherin there resteth so much beautie and grace
If that then I were happy in thys lyfe it to se
Here on this vyle earth so perfect in degree
After that this swete gratiouse Lady hath taken
That same fayre dispoyle yt semyth now forsaken
What shal it be I praye you to tel me this
Then to beholde hyr eternall blysse.