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To the right excellent and most Honorable Lady, the Lady Mary, Countesse of Pembroke.

Mary the best Mother sends her best Babe to a Mary:
Lord to a Ladies sight, and Christe to a Christian hearing.
Your Honors most affectionate. Abraham Fraunce.

The Countesse of Pembrokes Emanuel.

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.

The Passion, Buryall, and Resurrection of Christe.

Christe, whose blessed byrth causd Angells for to be singing:
Christe, whose louing life forst diu'ls themselus to be wondryng,
Christe, whose bitter death made templs vayle to he rentyng,
Grau's to be op'nyng, earth to be quaking, heu'ns to be lowring,
Geue mee the grace, sweete Christe, since euery thing is a mournyng,
For to recount these pangs, this crosse, this death by my mournyng.
When that apoynted fight, that feareful combat aproached,
Fight with pangs of death, and hells vnsuffrable horrors,
Combat with mans syns, and Gods vnspeakable anger,
Then cursed capten Caiphas with his hellish adhærents
Contryued platforms, conspyred ioyntly togeather
For to beetray that man which was mans only redeemer.
Yf that he hould on thus such wonders stil to be working,
Then farewell Pharisees, with Scribes, and onely renowmed
High Priests; and therfore its more than tyme to preuent hym.
Yet forbeare for a while, till solempne feasts be determynd,
Least this strange murder may chaunce to be cause of any vproare.
O dyuine doctors, deuout Priests, woorthy protectors
Of Salomons temple, good graybeards; that for a feast day
Can vouchsaufe to delay this murder, this bloody outrage,
Not for loue of God, but for this feare of an vproare.
But Christe foreknowing theyr treachery, came to the leper
Leper Symons howse in Bethany: where when he supped,
Mary, (remembring how herself was lately released

From seu'n tormenters) kneeld downe to her only redeemer,
Washte his blessed feete with trickling teares that abounded,
Wypte hys blessed feete with her hayre that sweetly beseemed,
Kyst his blessed feete; and heade, and feete then anoynted
With precious sweete balme, with most odoriferus oyntment.
But that most cursed caytiue, that greedy deuouring
Murdrer, cutthroate, thiefe, with his hellish treason abounding
Judas Iscariot, stil bent to the bag, to the budgett,
Gan to repyne and grudge, that this soe costly anoyntment
Was thus wasted away, which might haue beene by the purser
Sould and geu'n to the poore: but alas this traiterus abiect
Meant t'enrich hymself, and not to be good to the needy,
As by his accursed stratagems it playnly apeared.
For, when hee lost this pray, his master he deadly maligned,
And balme box broaken brake Iudas hart ful of enuy,
Damnable, infernall, outragius, horrible enuy:
Soe that noe myschief, noe part of a theefe, or a murdrer
Was by the vile reprobate, by the damned villen omytted,
Vntil hee had this losse, as hee tooke it, fully recou'red,
Vntil hee had for gaine his master falsly betrayed.
Christe fro the mount Olyuet with an asse coms seellyly ryding,
Poorely, without any pompe, to the pompous cytty repayring,
Some with flowring boxes his wayes had freshly adorned,
Some with fragrant flowres his passage sweetly prepared,
Some causd theyr garments by the highe way side to be scattred,
Euery man cry'de out with chearefull voyce to the heauens,
Hosanna sweete ympe of Dauids gracius of-spring,
Hosanna to the King almighty of Israel holy,
Hosanna to the Lord of Lords, to the prince of Olympus,
Soe that on euery syde, Hosanna sweetly resounded,
And sweete Hosanna from rocks with an eccho rebounded.
Yt was a plague to the Priests, to the fatbely Priests to behould this,
Yt was a death to the Scribes, to the scraping Scribes to abyde this,
Yt was a hell to the prowd Pharisees for a truth to beleeue this;
Yet, t'was a ioy to the yong and ould, for a truth to report this.
And for a truth, both yong and ould went straight to the temple,
Straight to the temple went with Iesus seellyly ryding,
And yet on his poore asse with a princelyke glory triumphing.
Into the Church when hee came more lyke to a fayre or a market,
Then Salomons temple such chapmen hee quyckly remoued,

Ouerturnd theyr seates, and tables iustly de[illeg.]aced,
His fathers orders, and seruice rightly reuyued:
But to the prowd Pharisees, to the scraping Scribes, to the fatt Priests
It was more then a plague, then a death, then a hell to behould this.
Therefore once yet againe themselus they gyn to be styrring
For t'entrappe Iesus: but loe, whil'st this was a woorking,
In comes that cutthroate, that thiefe, yet freshly remembring
How th'Alablaster box of balme his greedy deuowring
Clawes escaped afore: and then to the company hellish,
And Sathans synagogue, his murdring mynde he reuealed.
Hayle sacred Cayphas, chiefe Priest, and mighty Protector
Of Iewish customes, and Hebriews laudable orders:
Hayle Scribes and Pharisees, that teach and preach the renowmed
Doctrine of Moses: geue eare and mark what I tell you.
This wandryng vpstart ypocrite, this Christus, Iesus,
Man, God, I know not what, doth abuse and dayly deceaue vs,
Vs fooles his folowers; and mee vnworthyly hating,
Chiefly of all others with slaundrous taunts he reuyleth.
And yet I could forget this abuse and iniury priuate,
But that by these meanes he begins t'aspyre to the scepter.
For, what a sedition, what a styrr doth hee make, what an vproare?
And what a sort be before, what a trayne coms dayly behynde hym?
His woonders woondring, his doctrine vaynly beleeuing,
His wayes with fresh flowres and branches dayntyly dressing,
His delicate fine feete with balmes most costly anoynting,
His royall person with tytles princely saluting,
His foamyng palfray with rich roabes gayly bedecking,
Hosanna singing, and each where freely triumphing?
Yf that I bring hym bound, and soe cause all to be ended,
And people quyeted, say on, what shalbe my guerdon
What shal I haue? for I serue but a snudg, and am but a begger,
Hereat Caiphas smylde, and Iews all greatly reioyced;
And of theyr syluer, they peeces thyrty apoynted
For this vile butcher, which causd that Lambe to be slaughtred.
These things dispatched, those fathers ghostly departed,
Counsell's dissolued: Iudas back slyly returned.
Christe with a curse by the way (most fearful signe to the saythles)
That fruyteles figg tree causd euermore to be fruytles.
Christe rose from table (most perfect signe of a meeke hart)
And washt his fryends feete, teaching them for to be lowely.

Christe foretould his death (most doubtles signe of a true God)
And did note to the rest, that shameles desperat outcast.
But woe woe to the wretch, but alas woe woe to the traytor,
Better he were not borne, then borne to a damnable horror.
Christe tooke bread and wyne (most sacred signes to the faythful)
And gaue thancks to the Lord, and brake and gaue it among them,
Most cherefull sacrament, most loul' and lyuly remembrance
Of Christ his body crost, and blood shed freely for all men.
And now that Renegate that damned Apostata Iudas
Coms to the Priest Caiphas, and there his brybe he receaueth,
Brybe for blood Lambs blood, Gods Lambe: and bringeth a great rowte
Of swearing cutters and souldiers duely prepared,
With lynckes and lanterns, with swerds and staues for an onsett,
Marching all in aray in due and martial order,
As though some fyeld were to be fought, or king to be conquer'd:
Whereas alas noeman was there with force to resist them,
But some feawe fishers, and theyr poore mayster Iësus.
O valyant Iudas, of a warlike company capten:
These be the synners plagues, these these be rewards to the wicked,
That not a mouse can creepe, not a leafe can shake, not a wynde blowe,
But theyr sowls with syn, theyr mynds with murder aboundyng,
Stil be a trembling, stil be a quiu'ring, stil be a quaking,
Quaking stil for dreede and feare of an hasty reuenging
Afterclapp to be giu'n by the thundring Prince of Olympus.
Christe after supper, gaue thancks, rose vp fro the table,
Came to the mount Olyuete; then these woords gracius vttred;
My faythfull folowers and fryends, my dearly beloued
And best companyons; this night you shalbe molested,
And sore offended, to behould some villanies offred:
For soe t'was written long since, and truly reuealed,
That your fryendly shepherd must needs at last be remoued,
And his Sheepe scattred, wandring for want of a sheepsman.
But faythfull folowers and fryends, but dearly beloued
And best companyons, your mayster shalbe reuyued,
And by death kill death, and ouer death be triumphing,
His faythfull folowers visyting, his dearely beloued
And best companyons and fryends in Galyly seeing.
Scarce had he sayd thus much but Peeter stowtly replyed;
Not soe, sweete Master, though euery man be amased,
Euery man fly back, yet Peeter's fully resolued.

For noe loue of life, noe feare of death to be startyng:
Great woords, small woonders: But Iesus gaue hym a watch-woord,
His weaknes knowing, his rashnes meekly rebuking,
And sayd: Poore Peeter, pray, and leaue off thy protesting,
This night quickly, for all thy stowt and manly presuming,
Ere that a Cock crow twise, thou shalt thrice flatly deny mee.
And now when that night, that dreadfull night was aproaching,
Christe did watch hymselfe, and wyld hys friends to be watching,
Christe prayd thrice himselfe, and wyld his friends to be praying,
Christe with fearefull pangs, and dropps of blood was abounding,
Christe fell flat to the ground, and wisht that cup to be passing,
(Yet not his owne conceipt, but Fathers will stil obeying)
Christe at length came back, and found his friends to be sleeping:
Come, let's goe (quoth hee) now, its more than tyme to be styrring,
Loe here com's Iudas, with a cursed kisse to betray mee.
Eu'n as hee spake these woords, that martial army apeared,
Lynkes gaue light to the night, and causd their swoords to be glistring,
And fore-man Iudas for a guyde went iollyly marching,
That vile vipers kisse, for a signe and token apoynting.
Then with a brazen face, past grace, Christe Iesus he kissed,
And sayd, Hayle Mayster; to the which Christe mildly replyed,
Friend, Wherefore comst thou? But Peeter rashly reuenging
Christs disgrace, as he thought, who first came, first he requited,
And Malchus right eare from his head with a swoord hee diuided.
Whoso strikes with a swoord, with a swoord must looke to be stricken,
And blood seekes for blood: Stay Peeter, learne to be lowly,
If that I meant to reuenge, sayd Christe, and make a resistance,
Could not I ten thousand Angells haue quickly procured,
Whose strength these forces might haue most easily daunted?
But then my Fathers edict should not be obeyed,
And scriptures verifyde: This spoken, he strangely refixed
Malchus his eare to his head: O meeknes, charity, mildnes,
Of true God, true man, long suffring, infinit, endles:
This was enough t'haue causd brute beasts themselues to be tamed,
Ragged rocks to relent, and harts of flynt to be yeelding.
This done: Whom doe yee seeke, quoth Christe? To the which the renowmed
Craking swashbuklers, like meeke and humble obeyssants
Their mouth's scarce op'ning, sayd thus: Wee seeke for Iësus.
Then, quoth Christe, He is heere: which words diuinely proceeding
From that sacred mouth, causd Iudas sowle to be trembling,

Theyr captens quaking, and euery man to be reeling,
And falling backward to the grownd, extreamely amased,
Lyke to a towre throwne downe by the roaring crash of a thunder,
Or to a man that's scorcht by the feareful flash of a lightnyng.
Christ for a while conceales that greate dyuynity dreadful,
Stayes that breath which makes heu'n, earth, and hell to be quaking,
Geu's them leaue to arise, and then more myldly demandeth,
Whom doe yee seeke? Iesus, say they, of Nazareth only.
Haue not I sayd, he was here, quoth Christ? What need's any further
Search? What neede yee to bring swerds, staues, and armor abowt you?
As though some famous thiefe, or notorius owtlaw
Were to be suppressed? did I not walk dayly among you?
Did not I day by day teach, preach, and woork many woonders?
Then might your Ealders and Scribes haue sought to represse mee.
But the prefixed tyme, the predestinat howre was apoynted,
And this is it: Therefore my Fathers Will be obeyed,
Noeman shall withstand, noeman shall make any stryuing:
Loe here take Iesus: But these, must not be arested,
Let them alone for a while, till greater things be reuealed.
Christ then caught and bound; his fryends with terror amased,
Euery man fled back, as Sheepe that wanted a sheepesman,
Or vanquisht souldyers disperst for want of a Capten.
Whoe can alas that night, that cursedst night of a thowsand,
Those woorks of darcknes, that mockery, villany, treason,
Those byndings, beatings, spyttings, and fylthy reuylings
Counteruayle with woords, or thoughts, or streames of abounding
And still trickling teares? They brought hym bound to the high Priest,
Late high Priest Annas, sage Father, whoe for a pastyme,
Disdainefull pastime, not for deuotion, asked
Christ many ydle toyes and fond, not worthy the hearing,
Of fishmen folowers, and poore contemptible abiects,
Of newfound doctrine on brainesick fantasy grownded.
All that I spake, sayd Christe, was spoken abroade to the whole world,
All that I taught was taught in temple, among many thowsands,
In corners not a woord, in secreat place not a woonder,
They can tell what I taught, what I wrought, let them be reporters,
Ask them. What Iack sawce, quoth a blewcoate knaue, be yee thus taught
With noe more reuerence and humble duty to awnswere
This reuerend Father? learne, and take this for a lesson:
Soe from a woord to a blow, with a sinfull syste hee defyled

That synles sweete mouth, which these woords peaceably vttred;
Fryend, if I haue sayd yll, beare witnes, let mee be punisht,
Yf but well, why then doest thou vnworthyly stryke mee?
Here any man might thinck, that Christ thus fowly abused,
Should haue beene pytyed, should haue bene fryendly releeued
Of this sage Father: but alas, tis an Asse, not an Annas,
And sends Christ to the chiefe of theyre good company Caiphas.
Scarce was hee come to the howse, but anone they fall to reuylings,
Here's that princely Prophete, that towld vs soemany tydings,
Here is Gods owne Sonne, that wrought vs soemany wonders,
Famous carpet knight, and pardoner only renowmed,
Sorcerer, inchaunter, taleteller, noble abuser
Of fooles and matrones, that casts out diu'ls by the diu'ls help,
Plucks downe Gods temple with a trice, and buyldeth a better
Only within three dayes: as twooe rogues falsly suborned,
Hyr'de by the owld hyrelings, had most vntruly deposed.
Then good Syr Caiphas, with greate integryty asked,
What sayst thou feallow, to the crymes obiected against thee?
Christ sayd iust noething, his damned iniquyty loathing.
Caiphas gan to be hoate, and tooke on lyke to a Prellate,
And coniuring Christe, charg'd hym by the mystery sacred
Of Gods dreedfull name, to declare it playnly among them,
Wheather he were that Christe, Gods Sonne, borne from the begynnyng;
Thou hast sayd, quoth Christe, yet marck what further I tell you:
You shall see this Christ sitting on a mighty tribunall,
On Gods owne right hand, in clowds with glory apearing.
Then that puft-vp Priest from a badman, turnd to a madman,
Rent his roabes in a rage, and, Blasphemy, blasphemy, roared,
What doe wee seeke for proofes hereof, what need any wytnes?
Our selus haue heard all, hymself hath playnly reueald all.
What's to be herein doone? or what, doe ye thinck, he deserueth?
Death, sayd euery man, Death, death with an eccho rebounded.
Then those lewd rakehells with poysned rankor abounding,
His sweete face, ô griefe, with spyttle fylthy defyled,
His bloody cheeks, ô hell, with buffetts all to be bruysed,
Some stroake him blindfyeld, and then thus scornefuly taunted,
Now, good Christe arread, and gesse whoe gaue thee the buffet?
Peeter saw all this, Peeter that manly protester,
Peeter styr'd not a foote; Peeter that mighty protector,
Peeter, stowt Peeter, by a gyrle, by a paltery damsell

Is dasht, is vanquisht, forsakes his Mayster Iësus,
Thrice forsakes, and twice fore-sweares his Mayster Iësus.
And now Cock gan crow, and giu's him a friendly Memento,
That mans flesh is frayle, that man's but a smoke, but a vapor,
His pride nought but dust, and all his glory, but ashes.
Peeter in his cursing heard this Cock chearefuly chaunting,
And saw Christe then a sharp soule-searching sight to be turning,
Yet with a louely regard, with a merciful eye to be looking.
Euery eye was a bowe, and euery looke was an arrow,
Eye and eye-arrow pierst Peeters hart in a moment,
Peeters hart and sowle: and there inflicted a deepe wound,
So deepe wound, that it had been no way possibly cured,
Were not his owne soules-wound with his owne teares all to be washed.
Now he remembreth alas, his first foole-hardy presuming,
Now he detesteth alas, his last vnfriendly reuolting:
Now that wan countnance, which feare of death had apaled,
All on a fire is set for shame of duty neglected,
Sith that blood, fro the face to the hart which lately retyred,
Back fro the hart to the face with speede is freshly repayred.
Now his maysters eyes in his eyes are euer apearing,
And therein doth he seeme his whole offence to be reading.
Now Cock crowes in his eares, and calls foorth day to be wytnes,
Wytnes of euery woord that Peeter spake to the darcknes.
Cock with an open mouth, and lowd voyce bowldly proclaymeth,
That bragging seruant his mayster cowldly renounceth.
Euery sight, each sound, iust accusation offreth,
And self-wounding sowle, self-condemnation vrgeth.
Noe rest, noe harts-ease: now loathed lyfe he detested
More, yea much more now, than death at first he abhorred.
Lyfe, let Peeter dye; lyfe, leaue to be dayly prolonging
These my dolefull dayes, least lyfe soone draw'n to an ending
Cause me to loose that lyfe, which neuer leaues to be lasting.
This frayle life, smale broyles and shortest iarres to be shunning,
Made me the greatest ioyes and endles peace to be leauing,
Made me deny my Lord, of lasting lyfe the begynnyng,
Made me renounce sweete life, for a foolish feare to be dying.
Lyfe let Peeter dye: many dayes heape on many mischifs.
Blessed were those babes that dy'de, when merciles Herode
Seeking one chyldes death, many Mothers made to be chyldeles:
Blessed, most blessed chyldren, whose tymely departure

Parted theyr sweete sowles from such, and soemany thowsand
Woes, who dyed afore they knew what t'was to be synnyng,
And fro the damnable earth to the highest heau'ns be remoued,
Lyke to a Lilly, before it chaunce by the frost to be pypped.
They, instead of mouths, theyre throates then sweetely did open,
And, for want of woords, powr'd foorth theyr blood to the heauen.
O straunge thing, these babes are now with glory triumphing,
Which yet neuer afore did taste any part of a fighting:
Theyr yong heads with crownes of Martyrdome be adorned,
Ere any tender lockes had theyre heads sweetly bedecked:
Yea, theyr feete, that on earth were neuer seene to be treading,
Walk in Olympus now, and there in ioy be abiding.
But Peeters gray heares, draw graceles face to the graues-dore,
Peeters long lyuing, makes Peeters sowle to be doating,
Peeter lyu's, yea lyu's to deny his mayster Iësus,
Lyu's, yea lyu's to renounce his lord and mayster Iësus,
Lyu's, and yet forsakes, forsweares lyfe-geauer Iësus.
Christe, who might commaund that glorius hoaste of Olympus,
Those spotles spirites, those euer-dutiful angels,
Sought, found, and tooke vs from soemany, soemany thowsands,
Vs ragged fishers, from soemany, soemany thowsands,
Vs poore, poorest sowles of soemany, soemany thowsands.
Yet we alas his loue haue most vnlouely rewarded,
And this most kinde Christe haue most vnkindly requited,
Wee, most cursed crewe, of soemany, soemany thowsands,
Wee, woorst vipers broode, of soemany, soemany thowsands,
Wee, the detestedst twelue, of soemany, soemany thowsands.
One with a cursed kisse his deare Lord falsly betrayed,
Ten fled back for feare, when death and danger aproached,
And I, the woorst of twelue, yea after soemany greate woords,
Least, forsooke, forsware, Lord, Sou'raigne, Mayster Iësus.
Whyl'st poore Peeter thus with mynde extreamely molested,
With deepe sobbs and sighs, with streames of teares that abounded,
Washed away those spotts, and most syncearely repented;
Mornyng came at last, and then those damnable owtcasts
That condemned Christe, did bring hym bound to be slaughtred,
Bound, bruysd, and beaten to the Romayne Deputy Pilate,
Pilate, who for a Iudg of lyfe and death was apoynted.
In meane tyme, Iudas possest with desperat horrors,
Clog'd with a synfull sowle, with a dogged deadly repentance,

Coms with his afterclapps, when he see's his mayster Iësus
Thus condemnd to the death, and runs in a rage to the high Priests,
Saying, Synned I haue, that guyltles blood to betray thus.
Yf thou haue synned, say they, looke thou to be plagued,
What care wee for that? w'haue kept tutch, giu'n thee thy wages.
That woefull wages drew my destruction onward,
That graceles guerdon my death vntymely procured,
That brybe bred my bane: Take there your Mammon among you,
Take back your bloody brybe: soe threw theyr syluer among them:
And flinging headlong, enrag'de with an hellish Erynnis,
Hangd hymself on a tree: fit death for treachery faythles:
His loathed carkas was an ougly detestable obiect,
Spectacle infamous, most fearefull sighte to the people,
With gutts gushing foorth, wyth bowells broken asunder.
Loe here, you Traytors, your treasons iustly rewarded,
Your Mayster Iudas himself hath rightly requyted:
Your Mayster Iudas dealt soe, that now to the worlds end
Of that name Iudas, each traytor's named a Iudas,
Euery faythles fryend from that tyme's called a Iudas.
Marck Peeters weakenes, marck Iudas villany, fly from
Both dead despayring, and too much hasty presumyng.
Peeter started asyde for feare of death, with a faynt harte,
Iudas slyded back for loue of a bribe, with a false harte:
Peeter by and by wept sore and truly repented,
Iudas neuer againe came home, but deadly repyned.
Iudas thus bursting, highe Priests and Scribes be amased,
And consulting long, at last they fully resolued,
With that cursed coyne some peace of ground to be buying,
For straungers buryall, with a fayned sanctyty cloaking
That cursed bloodshed, that most vnnatural owtrage.
Soe this pryce of blood was payd for a fyeld of a potter,
Called a fyeld of blood, for a signe of this bloody murder.
Christ is brought to the barr: sir Pilate sits as a bencher,
Priests be his accusers: many captall crymes, many treasons,
And many seditions were there obiected against him.
Soe much sayd, nought prou'd; Christ standing seellyly sylent,
By smoothing Pilates commaunde was sent to the Tetrarche,
Herodes Tetrarche of Galyly, there to be iudged,
Sith Christ seem'd to belong t'his Iurisdiction only.
Herode greatly reioyst, and looked for many woonders

When Christe came: But Christe with sylence wysely rebuked
This Tetrarchs tatling, and Priests vntuely reuylings.
Herode contemn'd Christe, when hee saw noe hope of a wonder,
Sent hym back for a foole, to the first iudg deputy Pilate,
All in a long whyte coate, for a scornefull mockery cloathed.
Thus poore Christ, meeke lambe was tost fro the poast to the piller,
Wandring here and there, hence thence fro the Woolf to the slaughter.
Pilate seeing Christ fro the Tetrarch saufly retorned,
Spake to the Priests and Scribes: This man seem's stil to be guyltles,
Herode sends him back: its best hee be whipt for a frantike,
And soe loost at large: for I know you looke for a prisner
At this feast, of course: say then, whoe shalbe released?
Barrabas, or Iesus? What needest thou to be asking
O pytyfull Pilate? thou know'st, theyr only desyring
Is t'haue Christ murdred; thou giust this lambe to the woolus iawes.
Kill, kill Christ, say they, and geue vs Barrabas only.
(Barrabas, in theeuing and murdring, barbarus owtlaw.)
Then people pleasing Pilate, causd Christ to be scourged,
And in a scornefull sort to the Iews to be newly produced,
But kill, kill, they cry, and crucify, crucify Iesus.
Pilate seeing Christe by the sowldyers all to be scourged,
Causd him then for a mock with a crowne of thorns to be crowned,
With royall garments and roabes of purple adorned,
And in a throane placed, with a reede in his hand for a scepter.
Some mockt, some spytted, some kneeld and fynely saluted,
Hayle ô King of Iews, for fame and glory renowmed.
Some with his owne scepter that sweete face all to be bruysed,
Euery one tooke paynes, that noe paynes might be omytted,
Noeman spar'd any cost, least Christ might chaunce to be spared:
Yet this was not enough, t'appease theyr villany monstrous,
But kill, kill, they cry, and crucify, crucify Iesus.
Pilates wife in a dreame with Christ then greatly molested,
Perswades her good man for feare, that he might be released:
Yet noe dreames would serue t'appease theyr villany monstrous,
But kill, kill, they cry, and crucify, crucify Iesus.
Then iust iudg Pilate in an open shew to the people,
His pure hands forsooth, with greate solempnyty washed,
Thincking soe fro the guylt of guyltles blood to be quytted:
Noe wynde, noe water, could stay theyr villany monstrous,
But, kill, kill, they cry, and crucify, crucify Jesus.

Crucify coosnyng Christe, his death and blood be requyted
On Iews that now lyue, and Iewish progeny after.
Cæsars faythfull fryend can abyde noe Kyng but a Cæsar,
Therefore looke Pilate, that this King soone be remoued.
Christe in his owne coate now to the Iews was lastly presented,
And by Pilates doome (deaths doome) giu'n vp to be crossed:
Whose Crosse, in Latyne, Greeke, Hebriew, had for a tytle
These woords, Here's Iesus, Iewes King, of Nazareth, added.
Chiefe Iewes tooke Iesus prickt, whip't fro the crowne to the anckles,
Faynt, weake, and feeble, scarce able for to be creeping:
Yet they layd on a Crosse, his shoulders heauyly loading,
Dryuing him foreward, til he fell downe vnder a burden,
Burden with deaths pangs, plagues, griefs, and horror abounding.
Christe and Crosse faln downe, by chaunce one Symon aproached,
Whoe to be Crossecaryer, by the prowd Priests then was apoynted,
Crossecaryer to a place, that in Hebriew's Golgatha called,
Place of deadmens sculls: where Christe they speedyly Crossed,
Feete and hands with nayles, with great nayls all to be mangled:
And, for a greater spyte, two theeues they causd to be hanged,
Hanged on eyther syde, and Christe almighty betweene them.
Christe once nayld to the Crosse, now euery knaue is a craking,
Prowd-harted Pharisees, fell Scribes, hypocritical Ealders,
Captens, and Souldyers, greate, smalle, fro the Priest to the Pyper,
Wagging theyre wise heads, laughing, and scornefuly tauntyng,
Thou that sau'st others, now saue thy self from a mischif,
Thou that buyldst temples with a tryce, come downe fro the gallows,
Come Gods deare dearling, come King of Iews fro the gybbett,
Leape from a Crosse to a Crowne, from a cursed tree to a Kingdome.
Christe, (ô louing Christe, long suffring Christe) thus abused,
Gaue not a check for a taunt, but alas very hartyly prayed,
Father forgeue them, forget this villany Father.
Hark and mark that thief, (that thief eu'n brought to the last gaspe)
How he reuyles his Lord: Peace thiefe, geue care to thy fellow,
Wee for a synfull lyfe with death are iustly rewarded,
But Christs synles lyfe hath noe death duly deserued:
Thou Christe, thou Iesus, thou Lord vouchsaufe to remember
Mee, mee, sinfull wretch, mee, when thou comst to thy kingdome.
Christe heard and sayd thus, Thy prayers shalbe regarded,
This day in Paradise with mee thou shalt bee receaued.
O blest thief, curst thief, Sheepe, Goate: Therefore let a synner

Not despaire, one thiefe is sau'd in an howre in a moment:
But let a sinner Feare, let a sinner not be presuming,
One thiefe only repents, and scapes in an howre, in a moment.
Christs coate was seameles, for a signe of an absolut, endles,
And perfit kingdome: this coate soe fitly cohærent
And all-wrought ouer, was nothing toucht by the souldyers,
Nor torne in peeces, nor cut, nor parted among them,
But lotts cast, that some one man might wholly receaue it,
That, what was foretold, might haue effectual ending.
Christe now hangs on a tree, suffring vnsuffrable horrors,
Torments for mans sins, and Gods vnspeakable anger:
Whylst Christe is suffring, whylst fearefull pangs be aproaching,
Sunne for Gods Sons griefe doth greeue, and gyns to be lowring:
Hydes his darckned face, lets golden rayes be eclipsed,
Seeing Light of light with pricking thorns to be crowned:
Heu'n and earth is darck fro the sixth howre vnto the nynth howre,
Heu'n and earth laments, and euery thing is a mourning:
Heu'n and earth laments, whylst Iesus Christe is a dying,
Heu'n and earths comfort, heu'n and earths only reuyuing.
But now Christe gan faint, with an infinit agony troubled,
And Ely Ely, and Lamasabacthany cryed,
Father, deare Father, why should thy Son be refused?
Then bitter vineger they raught, when he sayd, that he thirsted,
Which Christe once tasting, said, Father, now it is ended,
Thy will's fulfilled, thy lawes and heast be obeyed,
Take my sowle to thy hands; Then his head he began to be bowing,
With those woords his life and endles passion ending.
Scarce did he yeeld his breath but straight fro the top to the bottom,
Templs vayle was rent, and torne, and broken asunder;
Earth did quake, stones brake, graues op'ned, dead-men apeared.
Then captens, souldyers, men, matrones, all the beholders
Smote theyr breasts, and said, this man was son to the mighty,
Whose strange death eu'n makes lyue dead, and dead to be lyuely.
Christe is dead indeede, his bones neede not to be bruysed:
Yet for a further proofe, his side was speedily pearced,
Pearc't with a speare, and thence pure blood, pure water abounded.
Then noble Ioseph, with faithfull friend Nicodemus
Did begg of Pilate, that blessed corps of Iësus,
Tooke it downe fro the crosse, fine lynnen duly prepared,
With Myrrh and Aloes themselues it carefuly wynded,

And in a late-made tombe, wherein was no-body chested,
That sweete corps (sweete corps of Christe almighty) reposed,
Rolled a stone to the graue, and so all heauy departed.
Yet these Priests left not, til they had watchmen apoynted,
And graues stone sealed, least Christe might chaunce to be stollen
By his wel-willers, as they then vainly pretended;
Sots, fooles, and mad-men, stil against this prick to be kicking,
And stil against this streame, this sacred streame to be striuing.
For when third day came, there came with a terrible earthquake
Gods Angel fro the skies, and rold that stone fro the graues-dore,
And there sate for a while: his face was like to a lightning,
His roabes white as snow, which made those watchmen amazed,
And half dead for feare: but th'Angel spake to the women,
(Twoo Maries, comming of purpose, for to anoynt Christe
With precious spices, with sweete odoriferus oyntments)
You seeke here for Christe, here Christe is not to be sought for,
Christe is quickned againe, and risn', as he truly reported,
And foretold his friends; in Galyly there wil hee meete them,
Loe, where lately hee lay: feare not, but boldly report it.
As they ran to report, Christ Iesus plainly apeared,
And met them by the way, and bade them not be amazed,
But bring news to the rest, that he would in Galyly see them.
This doone, and they gone; poore watchmen ran to the Citty;
And told all to the Priests; whoe then with an obstinat error,
And wilfull blyndenes, these watchmen largely rewarded,
Willing them to report, and tell this abroade to the people,
That Christs disciples stole him by night fro the watchmen,
Whylst they lay sleeping. Which hæresy stoutly, to this day
Stifneckt Iews mainteine: ô curst and damnable error,
O hard-harted Iewes, that giue more eare to a hyreling
And brybed souldier, by the prowd Priests falsly suborned,
Than to the truth it self with soe great glory reuealed,
Than to the eyes which saw, to the eares which heard, to the fingers
And to the hands which felt that which was truly reported,
Hands which felt Chrysts hands and feete and sides to be wounded,
Eares which heard his woords and blessings sweetely delyu'red,
Eyes which saw and knew, that Christe in Galyly walked,
And foure times ten dayes in diuers places apeared:
Eyes which saw Christe eate, and then fro the earth to be lifted
Vp to the highest heu'ns, and there with glory receaued

On Gods owne right hand with iurisdiction endles:
Vntil he come to be Iudg of quick and dead, by the thundring
Sound of a fearefull trumpe: and bring his sheepe to the sheepefold
Immortall sheepefold, and goates throw downe to the darcknes
Æternall darcknes, fro the sacred face, fro the presence
Of God, there to abyde with Lucifer and his adhærents,
Plagud with a dying life, with a lyuing death, with a roaring,
Weeping, and gnashing of teeth, and horrible howling:
Where's nought but woe, woe; but a worme stil greedily gryping,
Nought but a loathsome lake with fyre and Sulphur abounding.
FINIS.

The first Psalme.

O thrice happy the man, that lends noe eare to the counsail
Of soule-sick sinners; nor frames his feete to the footestepps
Of backsliding guydes: nor sets him downe with a scorner
In the maligning chayre, that makes but a mock of Olympus.
But to the liuing Lords edicts himself he referreth,
And therein pleasures and treasures only reposeth:
Night and day by the same his footesteps duly directing,
Day and night by the same, hart, mynde, soule, purely preparing.
This man's like to a tree, to a tree most happily planted
Hard by a brooke, by a brooke whose streames of siluer abounding
Make this tree her fruite, her pleasant fruite to be yeelding,
Yeelding fruite in tyme to the planters dayly reioycing.
This tree's rooted deepe, her bowes are cherefuly springing,
Her fruite neuer fades, her leaues looke liuely for euer:
This man's setled sure, his thoughts, woords, dayly proceedings
Happy beginnings haue, and haue as fortunat endings.
Sinners are not soe; they and theyrs all in a moment,
All in a moment passe past hope, grace, mercy, recou'ry,
As weight-wanting chaffe that scattreth in euery corner,
Whyrled away fro the earth, hence, thence, by a blast, by a wyndepuffe.
Woe to the scorner then, whose soule wil quake to be iudged,
Quake, when it heares that doome by the Iudg almighty pronounced.
Woe to the sinner then, noe setled sinner aproacheth
Neare to the sinles Saincts, where ioy and glory aboundeth.
For, the triumphant God doth stil looke downe to the godly,
Their wayes well knowing, and them with mercy protecting:
But the reuenging Lord hath threatned a plague to the godles,
And theyr wayes shal away, and they themselues be a wayling.

The sixth Psalme.

Lord forbeare to rebuke, forbeare, and stay thy reuenging
Hand, in thy greate wrath and indignation endles.
Heale my wounds, my God, take some compassion on mee;
My bones are bruysed, my strength is wholly decayed,
My sowle is troubled, my mynde extreamely molested,
How long shall thy wrath, and these my plagues be prolonged?
Turne yet againe, good God, thy woonted mercy remember,
And this sowle, poore sowle, for thy greate mercy delyuer.
Saue my life from death, in death noe worthy remembrance
Of thy name is founde: and keepe my sowle fro the dungeon,
Infernall dungeon, where noe tonge yeelds any prayses.
My hart with groanyng, my sowle is weary with anguish,
Euery night doe I wash my carefull couch with abounding
Streames of trickling teares: my flesh is myghtyly troubled,
My color all faded, my former bewty decayed,
For feare, all for feare of such as seeke to deuoure mee.
But get away, get away all you that woork any myschief:
My sighes ascende vp, my prayers pierce to the heauens:
And such as my sowle with griefe vnworthyly vexed,
With shame and sorrow shall worthyly soone be requyted.

The eyghth Psalme.

O prince all-puysant, ô King al-mightyly ruling,
How wōdrous be thy works, & how strange are thy proceedings?
Thou hast thy greate name with most greate glory reposed
Ouer, aboue those Lamps, bright-burning Lamps of Olympus,
Eu'n very babes, yong babes, yong sucking babes thy triumphant
Might set foorth; to the shame of them which iniury offer,
Eu'n to the shame of them which damned blasphemy vtter.
When that I looke to the skies, and lyft myne eyes to the heauens,
Skies thyne owne hand-work, and heauens fram'd by thy fingers;
When that I see this Sunne, that makes my sight to be seeing,
And that Moone, her light, light half-darck, dayly renuing,
Sunne dayes-eye shynyng, Moone nights-light chereful apearing,
When that I see sweete Starres through Christal skies to be sprinckled,
Some to the first spheare fixt, some here and there to be wandryng,
And yet a constant course with due reuolution endyng.
Then doe I thinck, ô Lord, what a thing is man, what a wonder?
O what a thing is man, whom thou soe greatly regardest?
Or what a thing's mankynde, which thou soe charyly tendrest?
Thou hast man, this man, this blest man mightyly framed,
And with aboundant grace, with aboundant dignyty crowned,
Not much inferior to thy sweete cælestial Angells.
Thou hast giu'n hym right and iurisdiction ouer
All thy wondrous woorkes, thou hast made hym to be mayster,
Hym chiefe mayster on earth, right Lord, and absolut owner
Of beast, sowle, and fishe on th'earth, ayre, water abyding.
O prince all-puysant, ô King al-mightyly ruling,
How wondrous be thy woorks, and how strange are thy proceedings?

The nine and twentith Psalme.

You Kings and rulers, you Lords and mighty Monarchaes,
Whose hands with scepters, and heads with crownes be adorned,
Kneele to the King of Kings, and bring your dutiful offrings;
Lowt to the lyuing Lord; ascribe all might to the mighty
Alwayes mighty Monarch: and learne to be rul'd by the ruler,
Which heu'n, earth, and hell, rul's, ouerrules in a moment.
For this is only that one, whose thundring voyce fro the clustred
Clowds breaks foorth and roares, and horror brings to the whole world.
For this is only that one, whose feareful voyce fro the heauens
Cedars, tall Cedars, teares, rents, and ryues fro the rooting,
Cedars of Libanus constrayns lyke calues to be leaping:
And Cedar-bearing Libanus, with frightened Hermon
Lyke to a yong Vnicorne makes here and there to be skipping.
For this is only that one, whose threatnyng voyce, the deuouring
Lightnyngs flakes throwes downe, and terror brings to the deserts,
Teares downe trees and woods, makes hyndes for feare to be caluyng,
And that forelorne waste of Cadesh for to be tremblyng.
Euery voyce his voyce, his prayse, and glory pronounceth,
His sacred temple with his honnor dayly resoundeth.
Ouer gulfs and deepes his royall throane he reposeth,
Ouerwhelmyng gulfes, and drownyng deepes he represseth,
And stil a lyuing Lord, stil a King almighty remayneth,
And yet a father stil: for he leaues not, stil to be sendyng
Strength to his owne elect, and inward peace for a blessing.

The eyght and thirtith Psalme.

Scourge mee not, my God, whylst thy wrath's kyndled against mee,
Put mee not to rebuke, in thyne vnspeakable anger.
For, thy darts, ô God, dead darts, and dangerus arrowes
Stick fast, fast to my hart, ô Lord, stick fast to my hartroote,
And thy hands, sore hands presse and oppresse mee with anguish.
In my flesh noe health; in bones noe rest is abyding,
Thy wrath plagues my flesh, my syns to my bones be a poyson.
My syns, woefull wretch, my syns now growne to a fullnes
Ouergrow my head, curst head, and keepe mee stil vnder,
Lyke to a burden alas, my back too heauyly loading.
My carefull carkas with sores lyes all to be wounded
Festring sores with grosse corruption euer abounding,
Festring sores and wounds fro my synfull folly proceeding.
My pain's soe greeuous, my griefe soe greate, that it vrgeth
Mee wyth a pale dead face, and crooked lyms to be creeping.
Myne inflamed loynes are filld with filthy diseases,
And noe part vntutcht, noe peece vnwounded apeareth.
Faynt and feeble I am; sore bruysed, soe that I can not
But roare out for griese of sowle, and horrible anguish.
Lord, thou knowst my desyre, thou seest my dayly bewaylings;
Hart hartles doth pant, and strengthles strength is abated,
Sightles sight is gone, and fryends vnfryendly departed,
And vnkynde kynsinch my wounded carkas abhorring
Looke; but a greate way of; but come not neare to my comfort,
Thus forsaken I am, forlorne, contemptible abiect.
They that sought my life, layd secrete snares to betray mee,
And, to deuoure my blood, conspyred dayly togeather.
And I, for all this, alas, poore foole, stood seellyly sylent,
Lyke to a man that's deaf, and seem's not a woord to be hearing,
Lyke to a man that's dumbe, and fear's his mouth to be op'nyng:

For, my fayth and trust in thee, my Lord, I reposed,
Thou must pleade my cause, and by thee I must be defended.
Lord, I desyre that these my foes may not be triumphing
Ouer a contryte sowle: for when my foote was a slipping,
Then they laught and scornd, and seem'd to be greatly reioycing.
And in truth, my God, my plagues are dayly renued,
And my bleeding wounds lye always open afore mee,
Alwayes in my sight; for I must and will my detested,
Fylthy detested lyfe confesse, with an heauy remembryng
Harty repentyng sowle. But, alas, my deadly malignyng
Foes are much increaste, in might and number abounding.
These men alas, for that my sowle theyr fylthynes hated,
Life with death, ô Lord, and good with bad be requyting.
Helpe, ô Lord my God, make haste, draw neare to the needy,
Help, ô God my Lord, and my saluation only.

The fiftith Psalme.

God, the triumphant God, th'æternall greate God of all Gods
Hath sent foorth Summons with a thūdring voyce fro the heauēs,
World-warnyng Summons, commaunding all in a moment,
All from th'east to the weast, to be prest, and make an aparance,
And performe theyr suyte to the court, to the greate, to the high court,
Greate high Syons court, sweete Syon: where hee apeareth
With surpassing grace, exceeding bewty abounding.
God shal come, shal come with a voyce al-mightyly sounding;
Greedy deuouring fyre shall goe with glory before hym,
And blustring tempests shall roare with terror about hym.
Heu'n from aboue shal hee call, and quaking earth to be wytnes,
Of this iust edict and sentence rightly pronounced.
Bring my Saints, sayth God, goe bring my Saints to my presence,
Which haue vow'd theyre harts, and sworne theyr sowles to my seruyce;
And of this iudgment from iudg almighty proceeding,

Those bright-burnyng gloabes of Christal-mantled Olympus,
Shalbe reporters true, and alwayes shalbe recorders.
Heare mee, my deare flock, and thou, ô Israel, heare mee,
Heare me thy God, thy Lord; and know, that I am not agreeued,
Nor displeased a whytt, for want of customed offrings
Burnt offrings, sacrifice, and Honnors due to my altars.
What doe I care for a Goate? or what doe I care for a Bullock?
Sith Goates, and Bullocks, and beasts that range by the deserts,
Sith cattell feeding on a thousand hills be my owne goods?
Myne owne proper goods be the fowles that fly to the mountaynes,
Myne be the beasts that run by the fyelds, and watery fountayns.
If that I hunger, alas what neede I to tell thee, I hunger?
Sith that th'earth is myne, and all that on earth is abyding.
Thinck not, thinck not, alas, that I take any ioy to be eating
Bulls flesh: thinck not, alas, that I take a delyte to be dryncking
Goates blood, guyltles blood: but make acceptable offring
Of thanks-geuyng hart, and pay thy vowes to the highest.
Call me to help, when soe thou findst thyself to be helples,
Cry for grace, when soe thou thinckst thy sowle to be past grace:
And I wil heare, and help, giue grace, and strongly protect thee,
And thou lawde, and loue, sing, serue, and woorthyly prayse mee.
But with a frownyng looke, this God spake thus to the godles;
With what face dar'st thou my sacred name be prophanyng
With those lying lipps, and mouth with murder abounding?
With what face dar'st thou with a fyled tong be professing,
And by defyled lyfe, and sowled sowle be denying?
With what face dar'st thou for an ostentation only
Seeke to reforme others, thyself soe fowly deformed?
When thou meet'st with a thief, thou seek'st by theft to be thryuyng,
And walkst syde by syde as a copsemate fit for adulters.
Thy mouth's made to beguyle; and monstrous villany vttreth,
Thy lipps let foorth lyes: thy tongue vntruly defameth
Thyne owne mothers sonne: these, these be thy holy proceedings,
These be thy works; & sith that I seem'd for a while to be sylēt,
Thou thoughtst (wicked thought) my thoughts were lyke to thy owne thoughts,
And soe runnst headlong But I come; but plagues be aproaching,
And when I come, then I stryke; whē I stryke, thē I beate thee to powder.
Thy bloody thoughts, lewde words, vile deeds wil I open in order,
And shew all to thy face: which thou shalt see to thy sorrow,
Know, and acknowledg to thy owne confusion endles.

You that forget God, thinck on this; least hee remember
And forget not you; but roote you out in his anger,
Then shall noeman come, your damned sowles to delyuer.
Prayse and thancks-giuing is a most acceptable offring;
And, if a man by my lawes his conuersation order,
Vnto the same I myself wil my saluation offer.

The threescore and thirteenth Psalme.

God, th'æternall God, noe doubt, is good to the godly,
Giuing grace to the pure, and mercy to Israel holy;
And yet, alas, my feete, my faynt feete gan to be slyding,
And I was almost gone, and fall'n to a dangerus error.
For, my soule did grudg, my hart consumed in anger,
And myne eyes disdayng'd, when I saw, that such men abounded
With wealth, health, and ioy, whose myndes with myschif abounded.
Theyr body stowt and strong, theyr lyms stiblyuely apearing
Neyther feare any panges of death, nor feele any sicknes:
Some still mourne, they laughe; some lyue vnfortunat euer,
They for ioy doe triumphe, and taste aduersyty neuer,
Which makes them with pryde, with scorneful pryde to be chayned,
And with blood-thirsting disdaigne as a roabe to be cou'red.
Theyr fare is delicate, theyr flesh is dayntyly pampred,
Theyr eyes with fatnes start out, theyr greedy deuouring
Gutts, swell with swylling; and, what fonde fancy desyreth,
Or lewd lust lyketh, that fortune fryendly afordeth.
Themselus most synfull cause others for to be synners
With theyr poysn'd breath, and vile contagius humors;
They check, scorne, controlle, looke, ouer looke, with a lordlyke
Imperious countnance; theyr mouth fowle blasphemy vttreth,
And fro the forlorne earth, to the heu'ns disdaingfuly mounteth.
This surpassing pompe and pryde allureth a nomber
Eu'n of Gods owne flock, (flock weake and weary with anguish)

Vnto the self same trade, which makes theyr glory the greater.
Tush, say they, can God, fro the highest heu'ns to the lowest
Earth, vouchsaulf, thinck you, those Prince like eyes to be bowing?
Tis but a vaine conceipt of fooles, to be fondly referring
Euery iesting trick, and trifling toy to the Thundrer.
For loe, these be the men, whose soules are sear'd with an yron,
And yet these be the men, whoe rule and raigne with aboundance;
These, and whoe but these? Why then, what meane I to lift vp
Cleane hands, and pure hart to the heu'ns? What meane I to offer
Praise and thanksgeuing to the Lord? What meane I to suffer
Such plagues with patience? Yea, and almost had I spoken
Eu'n as they did speake, which thought noe God to be guyding.
But soe should I alas, haue iudgd thy folk to be luckles,
Thy sons forsaken, thy saincts vnworthily haples.
Then did I thinck, and muse, and search what might be the matter,
But yet I could not, alas, conceaue soe hidden a woonder:
Vntil I left myself, and all my thoughts did abandon,
And to thy sacred place, to thy Sanct'uary lastly repayred.
Then did I see, ô Lord, these mens vnfortunat endings
Endings meete and fit for their vngodly beginnings.
Then did I see how they did stand in slippery places,
Lifted aloft, that their downefalling might be the greater.
Lyuing Lord, how soone is this theyr glory triumphant
Dasht, confounded, gone, drownd in destruction endles?
Their fame's soone outworne, theyr name's extinct in a moment,
Lyke to a dreame, that lyues by a sleepe, and dyes with a slumber.
Thus my soule did greeue, my hart did languish in anguish,
Soe blynde were myne eyes, my minde soe plunged in error,
That noemore than a beast did I know this mystery sacred.
Yet thou heldst my hande, and keptst my soule fro the dungeon,
Thou didst guyde my feete, and mee with glory receauedst.
For what in heu'n or in earth shal I loue or woorthyly wonder
But my most good God, my Lord and mighty Iehoua?
Though my flesh oft faint, my hart's oft drowned in horror,
God neuer fayleth, but wilbe my mighty protector.
Such as God forsake, and take to a slippery comfort,
Trust to a broken staffe, and taste of woorthy reuengement.
In my God therefore my trust is wholly reposed,
And his name wil I praise, and sing his glory renowmed.

The hundred and fourth Psalme.

Lyuing Lord my soule shall praise thy glory triumphant,
Sing thy matchles might, and shew thine infinit honnor.
Euerlasting light thou putst on like as a garment,
And purple-mantled welkyn thou spreadst as a courtayne:
Thy parlor pillers on waters strangely be pitched,
Clowdes are thy charyots, and blustring wyndes be thy coursers,
Immortal Spyrits be thy euer-dutiful Harrolds,
And consuming fires, as seruants dayly be wayting.
All-maintaining earths foundation euer abydeth
Layd by the Lords right-hand, with seas and deeps as a garment
Cou'red; seaes and deepes with threatning waues to the huge hills
Clyming; but, with a beck theyr billowes speedily backward
All doe recoyle; with a check their course is changd on a soddaine;
At thy thundring voyce they quake: And soe doe the mountaines
Mount vpward with a woord; and soe alsoe doe the valleys.
Downe with a woord discend, and keepe their places apoynted:
Theyr meares are fixed, theyr bancks are mightily barred,
Theyr bounds knowne, least that, man-feeding earth by the rage of
Earth-ouerwhelming waters might chaunce to be drowned.
Stil-springing fountaines distil fro the rocks to the ryuers,
And christall riuers flow ouer along by the mountaines:
There will wylde asses theyr scorched mouthes be refreshing,
And field-feeding beasts theyr thirst with water abating.
There by the wel-welling waters, by the syluer-abounding
Brookes, fayre-flying fowles on flowring bancks be abyding,
There shall sweete-beckt byrds theyr bowres in bows be a building,
And to the waters fall theyr warbling voyce be a tuning.
Yea those sun-burnt hills, and mountains all to be scorched,
Cooling clowds doe refresh, and watery dewe fro the heauens.
Earth sets forth thy woorks, earth-dwellers all be thy wonders:
Earth earth-dwelling beasts with flowring grasse is a feeding;
Earth earth-dwelling men with pleasant hearbes is a seruing.
Earth brings harts-ioy wine, earth-dwelling men to be hartning,
Earth breedes chearing oyles, earth-dwelling man to be smoothing,
Earth beares lifes-foode bread, earth-dwelling men to be strengthning,
Tall trees, vp-mounting Cedars are chearefuly springing,

Cedars of Libanus, where fowles theyr neasts be preparing;
And Storkes in Firr-trees make their accustomed harbors.
Wylde goates, doaes, and roaes dooe roue and range by the mountains,
And poore seelly conyes to the ragged rocks be repayring.
Night-enlightning Moone for certaine tymes is apoynted,
And all-seeing Sunne knows his due tyme to be sitting
Sunne once soe sitting, darck night wraps all in a mantle
All in a black mantle: then beasts creepe out fro the dungeons,
Roaring hungry Lions theyr pray with greedy deuouring
Clawes and iawes attend, but by Gods only apoyntment:
When Sunne riseth againe, theyr dens they quickly recouer,
And there couch all day: that man may safely the day time
His dayes woorke apply, til day giue way to the darknes.
O good God, wise Lord, good Lord, and only the wise God,
Earth sets foorth thy woorks, earth-dwellers all be thy wonders.
Soe be seaes alsoe, greate seaes, full fraught with aboundant
Swarms of creeping things, great, small: there, shipps be a sayling,
And there lyes tumbling, that monsterus huge Leuiathan.
All these begg theyr foode, and all these on thee be wayting;
If that thou stretch out thyne hand, they feede with aboundance,
If thou turne thy face, they all are mightily troubled;
If that thou withdraw their breath, they dye in a moment,
And turne quickly to dust, whence they were lately deriued,
If thy spirite breathe, their breath is newly created,
And the decayed face of th'earth is quickly reuiued.
O then, glory to God, to the Lord then, glory for euer,
Whoe in his owne great woorks may worthily glory for euer.
This Lord lookes to the earth, and steedfast earth is a trembling,
This God toutcheth mounts, and mountains huge be a smoaking.
All my life wil I lawd this Lord; whylst breath is abyding
In my breast, this breath his praise shall stil be a breathing.
Heare my woords, my Lord, accept this dutiful offring,
That my soule in thee may euermore be reioycing;
Roote the malignant race, race out theyr damnable offpring;
But my soule, ô Lord shall praise thy glory triumphant,
Sing thy matchles might, and shew thyne infinit honnor.
FINIS.
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