A1r

A Godly Medytacyon
of the christen sowle,

concerninge
a love towardes God and
hys Christe,

compyled in frenche by lady
Margarete quene of Naverre,

and aptely
translated into Englysh by the
ryght vertuouse lady Elyzabeth
doughter to our late soverayne
Kynge Henri the viij.

Woodcut figure depicts Elizabeth kneeling and receiving instruction from Christ.

Inclita filia, serenissimi olim Anglorum
Regis Henrici octavi Elizabeta, tam Gracie
quam latine foeliciter in Christo
erudita.

A1v A2r Fo 2.

To the ryght vertuouse
and christenly lerned yonge
lady Elizabeth, the noble doughter of
our late soverayne kynge Henry the
viii.
Johan Bale wysheth helth
with dayly increace of Godly
knowledge.

Diverse and many (most
gracyouse lady) have the
opynyons bene amonge
the prophane philosophers
and christen dyvynes,
concernynge ryght
Nobylyte, and no fewar stryves and contencyons
for the same. Nobylyte Some autours have
vaynely boasted it to take orygyn all of
the olde Goddes of the Gentyles, as every
lāande hath had hys peculyar Saturne,
Jupiter, & Hercules, yea our Englāande
here and all. Some hath satt it from
the foure generall monarchyes of the Assyrianes,
Perseanes, Grekes, and Romanes.
Some have attrybuted it, to the bolde
battayles, and bloudshedynges, in Xitnus
of Babylon the first invēentour of polycyes
in warre. in our great Albion Albion the
Chamesene
, whych first in thys regyon supre- A2v
suppressed the posterite of Japhet, usurpynge
therin the first monarchy in Brute. Brute
that more than six hondred yeares after
defaced of hym the tyrannouse yssue. in
Ebrāanck and Dunwallo. in Brenne and
Belyne, in great Constantyne, Artoure,
Cadwalader, Engist, Egbert, Alphrede
wyllyam cōonquerour & soch other, for lyke
cōonquestes of the Romanes, Grekes, Galles,
pyctes, Brytaynes, Saxons, Danes,
Iryshens and Englyshens.

Romani. The hawty Romanes set not yet a
lyttle by themselves, that they have rysēen
of Aeneas & Romulus, of whom the one
most shamefully betrayed hys owne natyve
kyndred and contraye, and the other
most unnaturally slewe hys owne brother
for worldly domynyōon. Gwalli. Lyke as our walshemen
here in Englande, advaūuncynge their
successyon or progeny above the Englysh
wyll nedes come of Dardanus & Brute, a
foūundacyōon not all unlyke to the other. These
gloryouse champyons for thys farre fatched
groūunde of their Nobylyte, accoūunte all
other nacyons and peoples, ignoble, profane,
and barbarouse, as is to be seane in
the monumēentes of their writers. But in
the meaneseason, they are not aware that they A3r Fo 3.
they wndyscretely prefarre cursed Cham
to blessed Japhet. Japhet, by whose posteryte the
Iles of the Gentyles were first sorted out
in to speches, kyndredes, and nacyons, Gene
10.
Gen.
10
and not by Chams ofsprynge, of
whome the Troianes and Romanes had
their noble begynnynge. That the Chamesenes
had in those Iles, was by cruell usurpacyon
& tyrāanny, as testyfyeth Berosus
the Caldeane
and therfor that groūunde
of Nobylyte is not all the best. Over and
besydes all thys, kyndes of Nobylyte some have applyed it to
renomed byrth or successyon of bloude, some
to the habūundaūunce of pleasures worldly
some to the mayntenaūunce of great famylyes,
some to the sūumptuousnesse of notable
buyldynges, some to the hygh stomake &
stature of persone, some to valeaūuntnesse
in marcyall feates, some to semely maners
of courtesye, some to lyberalyte of rewardes
and gyftes, some to the auncyentnesse
of longe coutynuaunce, some to wysdome
lernynge & stody for a cōommēenwelth with
soch lyke. And these are not all to be dysalowed,
for we fynde them in Abraham, &
David with other just fathers.

But now foloweth, a monstruouse, or
whether ye wyll, a prestygyouse nobylyte Aiij The A3v
Clergy. The Romysh clergye ymagenynge to exalte
themselves above the lewde layte
(as they shame not yet to call the worldly
powers) have geven it in a farre other
kynde, to mytars, masses Cardynall hattes,
crosers, cappes, shaven crownes, oyled
thombes, syde gownes, furred amyses, mōonkes
cowles, and fryres lowsy coates, becōommynge
therby pōontyfycall lordes, spirytuall
sirs, and ghostly fathers. Thys kynde
of Nobylyte dygged out of the dongehyll,
have I seane gorgyously garnyshed
with Grāanbery the retoryckes of Porphyry, Aristotle,
Dune, and Raymundus decretals, in
the bokes of Johan Granbery byshopp of
herforde, De superioritate ecclesiastica,
De discrimine jurisdictionum, and De
potestate pōontificia.
In the bokes also of
Hunte Walter hūunte an ordynary reader sūumtyme
in Oxforde, De precellēentia Petri, & De
autoritate ecclesie
. Yea, and amōonge thēemselves
they have moch contended both by
disputacyon & writynges, whych of their
sectes myght other excell in the nobylnesse
of christen perfection. The monkes
in publyque scoles, by a dystynccyon of the
actyve and contemplatyve lyfe, have
advaunced their ydell mōonkery above the offyce A4r Fo 4
offyce of a byshopp, and the fryres their 4 fryres.
scalde cravynge beggery, above the degrees
of thēem Both. As is largely seane in
the brawlynge workes of Rycharde Maydeston,
Thomas walden, Wyllyam Byntre
& other whych have written Contra
wicleuistas
, & Pro mēendicatione fratrūum.

Mylverton In the dayes of kynge Edwarde the
fourt
, Johan Mylverton provyncyall of
the Carmelytes, was full thre yeares, a
prysoner in the castell of Angell at Rome
at the sute of the byshoppes of Englande
for the same, and lost so the byshopryck of
saynt Davids, wherunto he was a lyttle
afore elected. Thys matter have I hearde,
undre the tyttle of Evangelyck perfeccyon,
most depely reasoned in their ordynary
dysputacions at their concourses
cōonvocacyons, annd chapters (as they than
called them) yea by those whome I knewe
most corrupt lyvers, Berūunto, for fournyshynge 4 orders.
out the same, the graye fryres
added. S.Saint frances paynted woūundes, the
blacke fryres S.Saint Domynyckes bolde dysputynge
with heretykes, the whyte fryres
our ladyes fraternyte, and the Augustyne
fryres the great doctryne of their
patrone. In the unyversytees after moch Aiiij to and A4v
Prestes to and fro, hath it bene concluded, that
the order of a prest have farre excelled in
dygnyte the order of a byshopp. And thys
have they left behynde them for a most
grave and depe reason therupon. Marke
their more than lucyferyne presumpcyon
therin. Soch power hath a prest (saye
they) as hath neyther Angell nor yet
Man, be he of never so great autoryte
O Devile
īincarnate
scyēence, or vertu, for a prest by worde maye
make hym agayne, that by worde made
heaven & earth. A prest maye every daye
both byget hym and beare hym, where as
hys mother Marye bygate hym (beare
hym they wolde saye) but ones. These are
their very wordes in a boke entytled De
origine Nobilitatis
obscured with moch more
cyrcumstaunce of matter. O blasphemouse
bellybeastes, & most ydell wytted
sorcerers. How ydolatrously exalte they
themselves above the eternall lyvynge
God & hys Christ?

Johan Crisostome Nobylyte a man taught and
brought up in the christen philosophy, defyneth
the true Nobylyte after a farre
other sort, than ded the prophane writers.
He calleth it not with Aristotle, a
worthynesse of progeny, neyther yet with Varro A5r Fo. 5.
Varro āan opulēency of ryches, but a famouse
renome obtayned by lōonge exercysed vertu
He is pusaunt, hygh āand valeaunt (sayth
he) and hath Nobylyte in right course,
that dysdayneth to geve place to vyces
and abhorreth to be overcomen of them
Doctryne greatly adourneth a māan hyghly
borne, but a godly endevoure of christyanyte
bewtyfyeth hym most of all. By nōon
other wayes have Apostles. the Apostles and Martyrs
obtayned a nobler report, than by the
valeaunt force of pure doctryne and fayth
A gēentyll hart (sayth Seneca) or a stomake
that ys noble, moveth, provoketh, and
sturreth, only to thynges honest. No man
whych hath a noble wytte, delyteth in
thynges of small value, moch lesse in matters
of fylthnyesse or supperstycyon. Chefely
apperteyneth it to men and women
of syncere Nobylyte, to regarde faythe. the pure
doctryne and faythe, unto soch hath God
promysed in the scriptures, habundaunce
of tēemporall thynges, longe lyfe, fortunate
chyldren, a kyngedome durable, with soch
other, Deut.28.Deut.28.

A most worthy conquerour is Gedeon. Gedeon
noted in the scriptures, for destroyenge
false relygyōon & renuynge the kyngedome Av of fayth A5v
of fayth. Iudi. vj.Judith.6. Asa rex So is kynge Asa, for
removynge the male stues from the prelates
abhorrynge marryage, & for puttynge
downe ydolles whych hys forefathers
maynteyned. 3. Reg. 153 Kings.15. Josaphat So is kynge Josaphat,
for beynge couragyouse in the wayes
of God, and for puttynge downe the
hyll aulters & their sacrifices. 2.parali
17.
Jehu So is kynge Jehu, for sleynge the ydolatrouse
Prestes, and for breakynge and
burnynge their great God Baal, and for
makynge, a Jakes of their holy churche
4.Reg.10Kings.10. Ezechias. So is kynge Ezechias for clēensynge
the house of the lorde from all fylthynesse,
afore hys tyme therin occupyed
2 Parali. 29. and for breakynge downe
the brasen serpent and ydolatrouse ymages
with their aulters and sanctuaryes. 4 reg 18.Kings 4:18 Josias So is kynge Josias, for suppressynge
relygyouse persones and aulter prestes,
for cōonsumynge their jewels & ornamēentes,
& for overthrowynge their buggery
chambers in the howse of the lorde
4 Reg.23.Kings 4:23 Thys noble kīinge also destroyed
all theyr carved ymages, he strewed the
dust of thēem upon their graves that had
prestes offered to them, and brent the prestes bones
upōon their aulters, restorynge agayne the lawes A6r Fo. 6.
the lawes of the lorde. 2. parali. 34. Jesus
Syrach
reporteth of hym fynally, that he
whollye dyrected hys hart to the lorde, &
toke awaye, all abhomynacyons of the ungodly.
Ecclesia.
49.
Eccle.
49
Eccle. 49,Eccles. 49 Besydes that is spoken
of kynge David and kynge Salomon.

Not I only, but many thousandes more
whych wyll not from hens fourth bowe
any more to Baal, are in full & perfyght
hope, that all these most hyghly notable
and pryncely actes, wyll renyue and lyvely
florysh Edwarde
vi. rex.
in your most noble and worthy
brother kynge Edwarde the sixt. Most
excellent & godly are hys begynnynges
reported of the very foren nacyōons callynge
hym for hys vertuouse, lerned, and godly
prudent youthes sake, the seconde Josias
Those hys wonderfull pryncyples in the
eyes of the worlde, and no lesse gloryouse
afore God thus beynge to hys honoure,
that eternall lyvynge God contynue and
prospere to the ende, that he maye have
of them as had these vworthy kinges afore
rehearced, a ryght noble and famouse report.Nobylyte
Ignoble sought by wycked enterpryses
and obtayned by the same (as in
many afore our dayes, and in some now
of late) is not els but a publyque and notable A6v
notable infamye, and in the ende eternall
dāampnacyon. Nobylyte wonne by the ernest
felynge of Gods hygh honour, to soch a
precyouse crowne of glory as wyll never
perysh here nor yet in the worlde to come

Tyraūuntes Cain after a worldly maner, or amōonge
the ungracyouse sort, is holden noble for
slaynge hys brother Judas of the prelates
(for he receyved of thēem, a noble rewarde)
for betrayenge Christ. Herode of the Jewes
for murtherynge the innocēentes, And
what is there more worthy reproche, dyshonour,
and shame, than are these excrable
factes. Nobylyte The nature of true Nobylyte
(as I have sayd afore) is not to ryse
of vyce but of vertu, though many men
there seke it. Of the most excellēent kinde of
Nobylyte is he sure (most vertuouse and
lerned lady) whych truly beleveth and seketh
to do the wyll of the eternall father,
for therby is he brought forewarde, and
promoted into that heavenly kyndred
Ioāan.1John 1 O noble
kyndred.
By that meanes becometh he the
deare brother, syster, & mother of Christ
Math.12.Matt. 12 a cytizen of heaven with the
Apostles and Prophetes. Ephe.2.Eph. 2 yea the
chylde of adopcyon and heyre togyther
with Christ in the heavēenly inherytaunce Roma A7r Fo. 7
Roma.8Rom. 8 No soch chyldren left Socrates
behynde hym, neyther yet Demosthenes
Plato, nor Cicero, with all their plesaunt
wysdome and eloquēence. Alexāander. No soch heretage
coulde great Alexander the Macedoneane
byqueth to hys posteryte neyther yet noble
Charles, Artoure, nor David.

Of thys Nobylyte, have I not doubt
(lady most faythfully studyouse) but that
yow are, with many other noble women &
maydēens more in thys blessed age. If questyon
were axt me, how I knowe it? my
answere wolde be thys. frutes. By your godly
frute, as the fertyle tre is non other wyse
than therby knowne. luce vj.Luke 6 I receyved
your noble boke, ryght frutefully of yow
translated out of the frenche tunge into
Englysh. I receyved also your golden sentences
out of the sacred scriptures, with
4. tūunges. no lesse grace than lernynge in foure noble
lāanguages, Latyne, Greke, Frenche, &
Italyane, most ornately, fynely, & purely
writtēen with your owne hande. Wonderfully
joyouse were the lerned men of our
cytie Men lerned.
Murseus, Buscoducius, Bomelius
Mithodius & Imāannus, as I shewed unto
them the seyd sentences, in beholdynge
(as they than reported) so moch vertu, faythe A7v
faythe, scyence, & experyēence, of lāanguage
& letters, specyally in noble youth & femynyte.
Through whych occasyon ther
be of thēem (I knowe) that can not witholde
their lerned handes frōom the publyshynge
therof, to the hygh prayse of God the
gever, neyther yet from wrytynge to your
worthy grace for studyouse contynuaunce
in the same. Sēentēences. Your seyd sēentēences, (they saye)
farre passeth the Apohthegmes of Plutarchus,
the Aphorismes of Theognis, the
Stratagemes of Isocrates, the grave golden
coūunsels of Cato & the manyfolde morals
of Johan Goldeston the great allegoryser,
with soche other lyke.

The first
clause
Your first written clauses in iiii speches
latyne, Frenche & Italyane, out of the
xiii Psalme of noble David,obscured
that the unfaythfull reckeneth folyshly in
their hartes, there is no God. Wherupon
so corrupt they are in their vayne conjectures,
and so abhomynable in their dayly
doynges, that not one of their generacyon
is godly. By thys do your grace unto us
Hypocrytes.
sygnyfye, that the baren doctryne & good
workes without fayth of the hypocrytes
whych in their uncōommaunded latyn ceremonyes
serve their bellyes & not Christ in gredyly A8r Fo. 8
in gredyly devourynge the patrymony of
poor wydowes & orphanes, are both execrable
in themselves, and abhomynable
afore God for though those paynted sepulchres
have the name of the lorde in
their mouthes, & greatly boast the good
workes of the lawe, yet knowe they not
what belongeth to hys true honoure, but Hate.
hate in their wycked hartes both hys
gloryouse name and worde. The true doctryne
of faythe, and the feare of God,
wyll that wycked sort (whome thys psalme
wryngeth) not heare, but styll tormēent
the conscyences of myserable wretched
ydyotes for advauntage of Masses and
momblynges. Happys. Happy are they of thys lattre
age, that in the Gospell have receyved
the savynge helth out of Syon (as your
grace hath done) beynge clere from the
stynge of those vyperouse wormes. Tuters. Blessed
be those faythfull tuters & teachers
whych by their most godly instruccyons
have thus fashyoned your tender youth
into the ryght ymage of Christ and not
Antichrist. Rulers Yea most blessed be those godly
governours and magistrates, whych
have traveled and yet laboryously travayle
with worthy Moses, to brynge Gods A8v
Gods people clerely out of their most
wretched captyvyte.

The latter
clause
Your latter clause in the Greke, incyteth
us to the ryght worshyppynges of
God in sprete and veryte Ioāan. 4.John 4 to honouringe
of our parēentes in the semely offyces
of naturall chyldren. Ephe. vi.Eph. 6 and to the
reverent usynge of our christen equalles
in the due mynystracyons of love. 1. pet.
Monachi 2.
Pet. 1:2
Neyther Benedyct nor Bruno, Domynyck
nor Frances (whych have of longe
yeares bene boasted for the pryncypall
patrones of relygyon) ever gave to their
superstycyouse bretherne, so pure preceptes
of syncere christyanyte. lōombardus Neyther yet
Peter lombarde in hys. iiii. bokes of sentences,
with whose smokye dyvynyte, the lowsy
locustes monkes, chanons, prestes, and
fryres, have these. iiii. hondred yeares
darkened the clere sunne, whych is the veryte
of God. Apoca.9.Apoc. 9 If godly wyse men
wolde do nomore but conferre thys lernynge
of yours and of other noble women
in these dayes, with Robert.
Kylwarby.
the doctryne of Robert
Kylwarby
archebyshopp of Canterbury
and Cardynall, whych the unyversytees of
Oxforde & Parys were sworne to, for mayntenaunce
of that christyanyte in the yeare of B1r Fo. 9.
yeare of our lorde. 12761276, by the consent of
all masters regentes & non regentes, I
doubt it not but they shulde fynde A change just
cause to holde up both their handes and
prayse their lorde God for changynge
that helle into thys heaven. An unsavery
gust therof shall they fynde, adjoyned of
the Paryseanes as necessary dyvynyte, to The boke
the foreseyd sentēences of Peter lombarde.

In your forenamed boke, cōomposed first
of all by the ryght vertuouse lady Margarete,
syster sūumtyme to the frenche kynge
Frances and quene of Naverre, And by
your noble grace most dylygently and exactly
translated into Englysh, fynde I
most precyouse treasure concernynge the
sowle. Wherfor I have added therunto Elizabet
the tytle of a Godly medytacyon of the
sowle, concernynge a love towardes God
and hys Christ
. Most lyvely in these and
soch other excellent factes, expresse ye the
naturall emphasy of your noble name
Elischabeth in the hebrue, is as moch to
saye in the latyne, as Dei mei requies, in
Englysh, the rest of my God. Who can
thynke God not to rest in that harte
whych sendeth fourth soch godly frutes?
I thynke nōon that hath ryght dyscressyon B your B1v
your pēenne hath here plenteouslye uttered
An hart. the habundaūunce of a Godly occupyed harte,
lyke as ded the vyrgynall lyppes of
Christes most blessed mother, whan she
sayd with heavenly rejoyce. My sowle magnyfyeth
the lorde and my sprete rejoyceth
in God my saver, luce.1Luke 1 Noble womēen
lerned
Many noble
women of fresnch literature have bene
afore tyme in thys regyon, whose nomēenclature
or rehearsall of names I intende
to shewe in the ende of thys boke, but non
of thēem were ever yet lyke to those whych
are in our age. No, neyther Cambra, Martia,
Constantia, Agasia, Vodicia, Bunduica,
Claudia, Helena. ursula. hilda, nor
soch other lyke. Thys one coppye of yours
have I brought into a nombre to thintēent
that many hungry sowles by the inestymable
treasure contayned therin, maye
be swetely refreshed. Cōonclusio The sprete of the
eternall sonne of God Jesus Christ, be
alwayes to your excellent grace assystent
that ye maye sende fourth more soch wholsome
frutes of sowle, and become a noryshynge
mother to hys dere congregacyon
to their confort and hys hygh glorye
Amen.

Your bounde oratour

Johan Bale

B2r Fo. 10.

A Godly Medytacyon
of the christen sowle, concerninge
a love towardes God and
hys Christe, compyled in frenche by lady
Margarete quene of Naverre, and aptely
translated into Englysh by the
ryght vertuouse lady Elyzabeth
doughter to our late soverayne
Kynge Henry the viii.

The preface.

If thu do throughly reade
thys worke (dere frynde in the
lorde) marke rather the matter
than the homely speache
therof, consyderynge it is the
stodye of a woman, whych hath in her neyther
cōonnynge nor scyence, but a fervent
desyre Math.5Matt. 5 that yche one maye se, what the
gifte of God the creatour doth whan it
pleaseth hym to justyfye a hart. For what
is the hart of a Man, concernynge hys
owne strēength, before he hath receyved the
gift of faythe? Hebre.12Heb. 12 Therby only hath he knowledge
of the goodnesse, wysedome, and power
of God. And as sone as he through
that fayth, knoweth pythely the truthe
hys hart is anon full of charyte and love Bij So that B2v
1.Ioāan.4.John 1:4 So that by the ferventnesse therof, he excludeth
all fleshly feare, & fyrmely trusteth
in God unfaynedly. for certaynely
the gifte, whych God the creatour geveth
frely at the begynnynge, doth never cease
tyll it hath made hym godly, whych putteth
hys full trust in God.

O happy and fortunate gifte, whych
causeth a Man to possesse a grace so desyred
Ioan.6.John 6 Alas noman coulde thys understande,
onles by soch gyfte God had geven it
hym. And great cause he hath to doubte
of it, ōonles God hath made hym to feale it
in hys harte. Therfor gēentyll reader, with
a godly mynde I besyche the pacyently
thys worke to peruse, whych is but small
in quantyte, and taste nothynge but the
frute therof Prayenge to God full of all
goodnesse, that in thy harte he wyll plāante
the lyvely faythe.

Amen.

finit praefatio.
liber incipit

Iob.7.Job.7 Where is the helle, full of travayle,
payne, myschefe, and
torment? Where is the pytte
of cursednesse, out of whych
doth sprynge all desperacyon? Is there any helle B3r Fo. 11.
any helle so profounde, that is suffycyent
to ponnysh the tenth part of my synnes.
whych are so many in nombre, that the infynyte
swarme of them so shaddoweth my
darkened sences that I can not accompte
them neyther yet wele se them? I am farre
entered in amongest them, and ( Romāan.7Rom. 7 that
moch wors is) I have not the power to
obtayne the true knowledge of the depe
daūungers of them. I perfyghtly fele, that
their roote is in me. And outwardly I se
non other effecte but all is eyther braūunche
leafe, or els frute that it bryngeth, fourth
all aboute me. Psal.94.Ps.94 If I thynke to loke for better,
a braūunche cōommeth and closeth myne
eyes, and in my mouthe doth fall whan I
wolde speake, the frute so bytter to swalowe
downe. If my sprete be sturred for
to harken, than a great multytude of leaves
doth entre in myne eares, and my nose
is all stopped with flowers.

2.Cor.3.2 Cor. 3 Now beholde how in paynes cryenge &
wepynge, my poore sowle, a slave and prysoner,
doth lye without lyghte, havynge
her fete bounde through her concupyscēence
& also both her armes through evyll use
Yet the power to remedy it doth not lye
in me, neyther have I power to crye for Biij helpe B3v
helpe. Agayne, so far fourth, as I can perceyve,
I have no hope of socour, but through
the grace of God that I can not deserve,
whych maye rayse every one from
deathe. By hys bryghtnesse he geveth
lyght to darkenesse. Ioāan.12John 12 And hys power examynynge
my faulte, doth breake all the
vayle of ignoraunce, and geveth me clere
understāandynge, not only that thys cometh
of me, but also what thynge abydeth in
me. Where I am and wherfor I do laboure.
Who he is whom I have offended, to
whom I ded obeye so seldome. Therfor it
is cōonvenyent that my pryde be suppressyd

And humbly with wepynge harte, I do
confesse that I am moch lesse thāan nothynge,
before my byrth myer, after a dungehyll,
a body prompte to all evyll not wyllynge
other stodye, also subject to care, sorowe,
and payne. Iob.14Job 14 A short lyfe, and thende
uncertayne. The whych undre synne by
Adam is solde, and by the lawe judged to
be damnyd. For I had never the power
to observe one only cōommaundemente of
God, I do fele the strength of synne in
me, therfor is my synne no whyt the lesse
to be hydden. And the more he is dyssembled
outwardly, so moche the more he encreasythcreasyth B4r Fo. 12.
within the harte. Sapi.2.Wis. of Sol. 2 That whych
God wyll, I can not wyll, and whart he
wolde not, I ofte tymes desyre to perfourme.
Whych thynge doth constrayne me
by importable sorowe, to Wyshe thende
of thys myserable bodye through desyred
death, bycause of my werye & ragynge life

Roma.7.Rom. 7 Who shall be he than, that shall delyver
and recover suche good for me? Alas
it can not be a mortall man, for hys power
and strength is not suche, but it shall be
the only good grace of the almyghty God
whych is never slacke to prevent us with
hys mercye. O what a master is that, without
deservynge any goodnesse of hym? I
served hym slouthfully, and without ceasynge
offended hym every daye, yet is he
not slacke in helpynge me. He doth se the
evyll that I have, what and how moche
Gene.6.Gen. 6 it is, and that of my selfe I can do nothynge
that good is, but with hart and body
so enclyned am I to the contrarye, that
I feale no strength in me onles it be for
to do evyll. He doth not tarry tyll I humbly
praye hym, or that (seynge my helle &
dāampnacyon) I do crye upōon hym. For with
hys sprete he maketh a waylynge in my
harte greatter than I can declare, whych Biiij asketh B4v
asketh the gyfte wherof the vertu is unknowen
to my lytele power.

Psal.37Ps. 37 And thys the same unknowne syghte
doth brynge me a newe desyre, shewynge
the good that I have lost by my synne, &
gyvēen me agayne through hys grace & boūuntye,
that whych hath overcomēen all synne
O my lorde what grace and goodnesse is
thyn, whych doth put out so manye synnes
Now maye we se that thu art full of all
godly love to make me of a synner, thy servaūunt
& chyelde. Luce.19Luke 19 Alas my God, I ded not
seke the but I fled & rāanne awaye frōom the,
And here beneth thu camyst to me whych
am nothynge but a worme of the earthe,
all naked. What do I saye, worme? I do
hym wrōonge, that am so naughtye & swarme
so full of pryde, deceyte, malyce & treason.
The promyse whych my fryndes made
whāan I was baptysed is such, Collo.3.Col. 3 that I alwayes
through faythe in thy passyōon shuld
fele the mortyfycacyōon of my fleshe & dwelle
alwayes with the īin the crosse where thu
wert fast nayled (as I beleve) and yelded
death dead as I also shuld yelde all synne.

Thys have I often tymes taken downe
agayne, untyed, and set at large. I have
broken, denyed, and falsyfyed my promyse and B5r Fo. 13.
& through pryde, I have lyft up my wyll
in suche a maner, that through slouth my
dewtye towardes the was forgoten. Marck.16Mark 16 And
that moche more is, as wele the profyte or
value of thy promyse, whych I had of the
in the daye of my baptysme, as also thy
savynge love and promyses folowynge, I
have all alyke neglected. What shall I
saye more? Albeit that often tymes thu
perceyvynge me wretched and unhappye
hast gevēen me so many warnynges in fayth
and in sacramēentes, admonyshynge me by
preachynges, and confortynge me by the
recayvynge of thy worthye bodye and sacred
bloude, Ioan.6John 6 promysynge also to put me in
the nombre of them that are now adourned
with perfyght innocencye. Yet have
I all these hygh benefyghtes, throwne
into forgetfullnesse,

Often tymes have I with the broken
covenaunte. And partly for that my poore
sowle was to moche fed with evyll breade
or dāampnable doctryne of hypocrytes, I despysed
such socoure and ghostly physyck
in Gods worde, as wolde have holpe me.
Hiere.7.Jer. 7 And if I had bene wyllynge to loke for it
yet knewe I at that tyme no teachers cōonvenyent.
For there is neyther man, saynte, Bv nor B5v
nor Angell, for whome the harte of a synner
without thy sprete wyll change. Also
good Jesus, thu beholdynge my blyndenesse,
and that at my neade I coulde have
no socour of men, dedyst open the waye
of my salvacyon. Psal 118Ps. 118 O how great is the goodnesse,
and how inestymable the swetnesse
whych thu hast shewed therin. Is there
any father so naturall to the daughter
or brother to the syster, whych wolde ever
have done as he hath done? For he came
into the helle to socour my sowle, where
agaynst hys wyll she was, intendynge to
have peryshed, because she ded not love.

Alas swete lorde thuu hast loved her
1.Ioāan.3John 3 yea, to the very outsdedynge of thy most
precyouse bloude. O charyte fervent and
incōomparable. Not slacke art thu in love
that so lovest every synner, yea, and also
thyne enemyes, not only in forgevynge
their offences, but also in gevynge thy selfe
for their salvacyon, lybertie, and delyveraunce,
to the death, crosse, travayle
payne and sufferaunce. Ioāan.5.John 5 Whan I cast in
mynde, what shulde be the occasyōon of thy
love towardes me. I can se nothynge els
but a love wonderfull, whych moveth the
to geve me that I can not deserve. Than my God B6r Fo 14
my God as farre fourth as I can se, I
ought to geve no thāankes for my salvacyon
but only unto the, to whome I owe the
prayse ther of, as to hym whych is my savyour
& creatoure. Ephe.3Eph. 3 What a thynge is it
that thu hast done so moche for me? Thu
art not only contented to have forgyven
me my synnes, but also hast gyvēen unto me
the ryght fortunate gifte of grace.

For it shulde suuffyse me, I cōommynge
out of suche a daunger, to be lyke a straunger
used. But thu dost handle my sowle,
(if I durst so saye it) as a mother, daugh.ter,
syster, and wyfe. I lorde, I am the
trespaser whych am not worthy to come
nere the dore of thy ryght hygh place to
aske breade, where thy dwellynge is. Roma.8.Rom. 8 O
what grace is thys, that so sodenly thu
vouchesavyst to drawe my sowle in to
suche hyghnesse, that she felyth herselfe
ruler of my bodye. She poore, ignoraunte
and lame, doth fynde her selfe wyth the,
ryche, wyse, and stronge, because thu hast
written in her harte the roote of thy sprete,
& holy worde, gevynge her true fayth
for to receyve it. Whych thynge made her
to conceyve thy sonne, in belevynge hym
to be man, God, savyour, and also the true remytter B6v
remytter of synnes. Math.12.Matt. 12 Therfor dost thu assure
her, that she is mother to thy sonne
of whom thu art the only faither.

And farthermore, O my father here is
a great love, for thu art not wery of wele
doynge syth that thy sonne full of dyvynyte
hath taken the bodye of a man, & ded
myngle hymselfe with our ashes, whych
thynge a man can not understāande unlesse
he hath a true faythe. Phil.2.Phil. 2 It hath pleased the
to put hym so neare us, that he ded joyne
hymselfe unto our fleshe. Than we seynge
hym to be called man, we are bolde to call
hym syster and brother. Now the sowle
whych maye saye of her selfe that she is.
the syster of God, ought to have her harte
assured. After thys dost thu declare with
greate love, how her creacyon is only of
the good wyll, whych it pleaseth the alwayes
to have towardes her, gevynge assuraunce
that before her first daye, or tyme
of beyng provyded for her. thu bestowedest
thy love on her. & Gene.1.Gen. 1 how through love
thu hast made her (as alone of power thu
cannyst wele do it) and also how thu
dedyst put her within thys body, not for to
sleape with slouth, but that both of them
shulde have non other exercyse, but only to thynke B7r Fo. 15
to thynke how to do some servyce unto the

Than the truthe maketh her to feale
that there is in the true paternyte. Tren.2. O
what honoure. what swetnesse, and what
glory hath the sowle, whych doth alwayes
remēember that she is thy daughter, &
in callynge the fayther she doth thy commaundement.
What is there more? Is
that all? No. It doth please the to gyve
her an other name, to call her thy wyfe, &
that she agayne do call the husbande,
declarynge how thu hast frely manyfested
the marryage Colos.2.Col. 2 of her. By the baptysme
thu hast made a promes, to gyve her thy
goodes and ryches, and thu agayne to take
her synnes, for she hath nothynge els
by herytage of her first father Adam. All
her treasures, that she hath of nature, are
nothyng els but synnes, whych thu hast
tyed upon the, and payed all her whole
debte with thy goodes and landes

Thu hast made her so ryche, and with
so great a joynter endued her, that she knowynge
her selfe to be thy Roma.5.Rom. 5 woyd? wyfe, doth
beleve to be quytt of all that she oweth,
estemynge very lytel that she hath here
beneth. She forsaketh her olde father, &
all the goodes that he gyveth, for her husbandes B7v
husbandes sake. 1.Ioāan.5John 1:5 Surely (o my God) my
sowle is sore hurte to be fedde with suche
good, and agayne releved in leavynge the
pleasure of thys worlde for that whych
is eternall, where peace is without warre.
I marvayle that she, thys remembrynge,
doth not lese her witt, coūuntenaunce,
and speache. Father, father, alas what
ought I to thynke. Shall my sprete be so
bolde as to take upon hym to call the father?
yea, and also ouur Father, for so hast
thu taught in the Pater noster. But to
call the daughter, hast thu so sayd? I besyche
the, tell me. Prouer.
13.
Prov.
13
Alas yea, whan with
great swetnesse, thu saydest daughter,
lend me thy harte.

O my God, in stede of lendynge, he is
ready to geve hym selfe wholly unto the
Receyve hym than, & do not permyt that
any creature put hym from the, so that
for ever with faythfull stedefastnesse he
maye love the with a daughterly love.
Now my lorde if thu be my father, maye
I thynke that I can be thy mother? Apoca 13Apoc. 13 Indede
I cannot wele preceyve, how I
shulde conceyve the that createdyst me.
But thu dedyst in thys matter satisfye
my doubte, whan in preachynge and in streatchynge B8r Fo 16
streatchynge fourth thy hāandes dedyst saye
Those that shall do the wyll of my father
they are my bretherne, also my syster and
mother. I beleve than, that hearynge &
readynge the wordes whych thu hast
taught & uttered by thy holy prophetes.
the same also whych through thy true preachers,
Luce.11.Luke. 11 thu dost dayly declare unto mēen in
belevynge it and stedefastly desyerynge
to fulfyll, I cōonceyve the & beare the by love

Therfor without āanye feare, wyll I take
upōon me the name of a mother. What mother
of God? O swete vyrgyne Marye, I
besyche the, be not angry that I take up
suche a tytle. I do neyther stele, nor usurpe
any thynge upon thy pryvylege, Math.1.Matt. 1 For thu
only hast above all womēen receyved of hym
so great honoure, that no māan can in hym
selfe comprehende how he hath bene wyllynge
to take in the our fleshe. For thu arte
mother and perfyght vyrgyne before
and after, and in hys holy byrth. In thy
blessyd wombe thu dedyst beare hym and
norysh hym. Thu dedyst folowe hym in
hys trybulacyons, and also in hys teachynges.
Now brevely to conclude, Thu hast
with God founde suche grace, as the
enemye, through malyce and deceyte, had caused B8v
had caused 1.Cor.15.1 Cor. 15 Adam & hys posteryte to lose
By Eve and hym we had lost it, & by thy
sonne hath it bene yelded unto us agayne

Therfor hast thu bene ryghteously called
full of grace. Luce.1.Luke 1 For thu lackedyst neyther
grace nor vertu, sith that he whych is
the best amonge them that be good, also
the sprynge of all goodnesse and power
whych hath created in the so pure innocēencye
that thu arte the example of all vertues)
hath buylded in the hys dwellynge &
temple. He through love ded conforme
hymselfe with the, and thu arte transfourmed
in hym. Therfor if any man shulde
thynke to geve the greatter prayse than
God hymselfe hath done, it were a fule
blasphemye. Luce.1.Luke 1 For there is no suche prayse,
as to the same whych commeth from God
Thu also hast had faythe so fyrme and cōonstaunt,
that (by grace) she had the power
to make the godly. Wherfor I wyll not take
upon me, to geve the greatter prayse
than the honnoure whych thy soverayne
lorde hath geven unto the. Acto.12Acts. 12 For thu arte
hys corporall mother, and also thruoough
fayth hys spyrytuall mother.

And I folowynge thy fayth with humblenesse,
am hys spirytuall mother also. Alas C1r Fo 17
Alas my God the brotherlynesse that thu
hast towardes me through thy humblenesse,
in callynge me syster, is great. Dedyst
thu ever saye īin it any thynge afore?
Alas yea. For thu hast broken the kyndred
of my olde father, Roma.12.Rom. 12 callynge me doughter
by adopcyon. Well than, seynge that we
have both but one father, I wyll not feare
to call the my brother. For so hast thu reported
it by Salomon in hys bellet. Canti.4.Song of Sol. 4 saynge,
My syster and spouse thu hast wounded
my harte with the swete loke of one
of thyne eyes, and with one cheyne of thy
necke. Alas my brother, I wyshe for no
thynge els, but that in woūundynge the, I
myght fynde my selfe wounded with thy
love. To that wolde I geve over my selfe
And lyke wyse thu dost call me wyfe in
that place, shewynge largely that thu lovyst
me, saynge by these wordes amorouse Cannti 2.Song of Sol. 2

Aryse my dere dove, and come hytherwarde
my dylectable spouse. Therfor shal
I saye with lovynge fayth, thu arte myne
and I am thyne. Thu dost call me thy love
& fayre spouse. If it be so, suche hast thu
made me. Alas, doth it please the, to gyve
me suche names? They are truly able to
breake a mannys harte, and cause it to C burne C1v
burne through love unspeakeable, whan
he thynketh upon the honoure that thu
dost unto hym, whych is moche greatter
than he hath deserved. A mother, a mother?Alas
Luce.8.Luke 8 but of what chyldei is it? Truly
of suche a sonne, that my harte doth breake
for love. My God, my sonne? O Jesus
what speache thys is, mother, daughter.
O happy kyndrede. O what swetnesse doth
proceade out of that paternyte. But what
doughterly and reverent feare ought I
to have towardes hym, my father, yea &
my creatour, my protectour and saver. To
be thy syster, alas here is a great love.

Canti.8.Song of Sol. 8 Now dost thu break, my harte īin the myddest
to make rowme for the same so swete
a brother. So that no other name be writēen
in the same, but only my brother Jesus
the sonne of God. Acto.4.Acts 4 Non other man wyll I
geve place to, for all the scourgynge and
beatynge, that they cāan do unto me. Keape
my harte then my brother and frynde, &
lete not thy enemy entre in to it. O my father,
chylde, brother, and spouse, with hāandes
joyned, humbly upon my knees I yelde
the thankes and prayses, that it pleaseth
the to turne thy face towardes me
convertynge my harte, and coveryng me with C2r Fo 18.
with suche grace, that thu dost se nomore
my evyls & synnes. Ezech.33Ezek. 33 So wele hast thu hydden
them, that it semeth, thu hast put thēem
in forgetfulnesse, Yea, & also they seme
to be forgoten of me, whych have cōommytted
them, for fayth and love causeth me to
forget them, puttynge wholly my trust
in the alone.

Than my father, in whom lyveth unfayned
love, wherof can I have feare in my
harte? Psal.31.Ps. 31 I confesse that I have done all
the evyll that one creature can do, and
that of my selfe I am nought. Luce.15Luke 15 Also that
I have offended the as the prodygall chylde
ded, folowynge the folysh trade of the
fleshe, wherewith I have spente all my
substaūunce, and the habundaūunce of goodes
whych I had receyved of the. For poverte
had wetheryd me awaye even as heys
and yelded my sprete dead for hunger, seakynge
to eate the release of swyne. But
I founde very lytle savoure in suche meates.
Than I seynge my lyfe to be so myserable,
I ded returne unto the my father agayne,
sayenge. Ezech.18.Ezek. 18 Alas I have synned in heaven
and before the. I am not worthy (I
tell it before every bodye) to be called thy
chylde. But O bountyfull father, do no Cij worse to C2v
worse to me, than to one of thy howsholde
servauntes.

Alas what love and zele is thys? Luce.15.Luke 15 for
thu woldest not tarry my commynge and
prayer but stretchynge out thy hāande receyvedyst
me, whan I ded thynke that thu
woldest not loke upon me. And in stede to
have ponnyshed, thu dedyst assure me of
my salvacyon. Where is he thēen that shall
ponnysh me whan my, father shall denye
hym my synne? There is no juudge that
can condēempne anye creature, unlesse God
hymselfe wolde dampne hym. I feare not
the want of goodnesse, syth I have my
God for my father. Esa.27.Esd. 2:27 My enemye shall do
me no harme, for my father shall take all
hys strength awaye. If I owe anye thynge,
he shall paye it all for me. If I have
deserved death, he (as a kynge) shall pardōon
me, & delyver me frōom pryson & hāangynge.

But here is the worst. What maner of
mother have I bene? For after that I by
fayth, had receyved the name of a true
mother, I became very rude unto the, bycause
that Roma.7.Rom. 7 after I had conceyved and
brought the fourth, I left reason, And
beynge subject to my wyll, not takynge
heade unto the, I fell a slepe and gave place to C3r Fo.19.
place to my great enemye, The whych īin the
nyght of ignoraunce, I beynge a sleape
ded steale the from me craftely, and in thy
place, she ded put her chylde whych was
dead. So ded I lese the, whych is an harde
sorowe and remorce for me. Now have
I lost the by myne owe faulte (my sonne)
bycause I toke no hede to kepe the. 3.Reg.3.Kings 3 Sensualyte
my neyghbour ( I beynge in my
beastly sleape) ded steale the from me, &
gave me, an other chylde whych had no
lyfe in hym, named synne, whom I wyll
not have, for I do utterly forsake hym.

She affirmed that he was myne owne
but I knewe hym to be hers. For as sone
as I came to the lyght of grace, whych
thu haddest gyvēen me, thāan I knewe my glory
to be changed, whan I sawe the dead
chylde not to be myne. For the same whych
was alyve (whom she had taken awaye)
was myne owne. 2.Cor.obscured2 Cor. Betwene Jesus & synne
is the chaunge so apparant. But here is a
straunge thynge. Thys olde woman causith
me to kepe hym whych is dead, whom
she reporteth to be myne, and so she wyll
maynteyne. O Salomōon, a full true judge,
thu hast hearde thys lamentable processe
flawed-reproduction ordayned to cōontent the partyes, that Ciij the C3v
obscuredReg.3.Kings 3 the chylde shulde be devyded in two partes.
The false woman agreyth, it shulde
be so. But I remembrynge hym to be myne
owne sonne was rather contente to
lese hym, than to se hys bodye parted in
two peces. For true and perfyght love is
never contente with one halfe of that it
doth love.

I had rather to wepe for my whole
losse, than to recover but one halfe. My
mynde coulde not be satysfyed. if I had
recovered one halfe without lyfe. Alas
obscuredCor.4.Cor. 4 gyve her rather the chylde whych is alyve.
Better it is for me to dye, than to se Jesus
Christ
dyvyded. But O my lorde, thu dedyst
loke better to it than I. For thu seynge
the anguysh that I ded suffer, & how
I ded rather forsake my ryght, than flawed-reproduction
beholde suuche cruelnesse Thu saydest, thys
is the true mother and so caused them to
gyve me my chylde agayne, for whom my
harte was so sorowfull. Sapi.3.Wis. of Sol. 3 O swete Jesus flawed-reproduction
founde the after, to have proved me flawed-reproduction
ded love the. Yea, I whych had lost the
yet dedyst thu returne unto me, Alas, flawed-reproduction
thu vouchesave to come agayne to her
whych beynge lett with synne coulde not
kepe the, my swete chylde, my sonne, my helper C4r Fo 20
helper, my norysher, of whome I am a
ryght humble creature. Gene.obscuredGen. Do not permytt
that ever I do leave the agayne, for I do
repent my selfe of the tyme passed.

Now come my sensualyte with synnes
of all qualytees, for thu hast no power to
make me receyve the chylde whych is dead.
The same that I have is stronge ynough
for to defende me, & he shall not
permyt that thu take hym awaye from
me, He is alredy more stronge than anye
man is. Therfor I maye sleape and take
rest neare hym. Esa.32.Esd. 2:32 For all thynges wele consydered,
he shall kepe me moche better
than I coulde hym. Then as I thynke I
maye take rest. O swete rest of the mother
& the sonne togyther, my swete chylde.
O my God, honoure & prayse be unto
the only, so that every creature maye se
how it hath pleased the to call me a mother,
lesse than nothynge. Psal 11obscuredPs. The more that
the thynge is straunge and harde to be
done, the more ought thy goodnesse to have
prayse for it. And also I fynde my s elfe
more bounde unto the than ever I ded for
thys, that it pleaseth the to have retayned
me for thy syster.

I am syster unto the but so naughty a Ciiij syster C4v
syster, that better it were for me. that I
were without the name, for I forgate
the honoure of adopcyon in so noble a kyndred,
& also thy so good & brotherly behaver
towardes me. Nunme.12.Num. 12 I with pryde ded
ryse agaynst the and (not remembrynge
my faultes, but goynge a straye from the,
ded agree with my brother Aaron, beynge
in wyll to geve judgment agaynst thy
workes, Prively I grudged agaynst the
also, whych thynge causeth me to have a
great remorce in my conseyence. Alas
ryght bountyfull God, brother and true
Moses, whych doist all with goodnesse
and Justyce. I have estemed thy workes
to be even synne, beynge so bolde to speake
evyn rashely, saynge. Nume.12Num. 12 Wherfor hast thu
marryed a straunge woman? Deute.5.Deut. 5 Thu gyvest
us a lawe, and ponnyshemente if we do
not fulfyll it. And thu woldest not be
bounde to it, forbyddynge us the thynge
whych thu thy selfe doist.

For thu doist forbyd us to kylle anye
man, and Exo.32.Exod. 32 thu doist kylle and sparist non
of thre thousande whych thu causydest
to be slayne. Also God gave us in commaundemente
by the, Exo.34.Exod. 34 that we shulde not
marry the doughter of a straunger. Yet thu C5r Fo.21.
thu tokest thy wyfe amonge them. Alas
my dere brother, with a great meany of
soche wordes (whom I knowe to be
folyshe) with Aaron (whych is my owne
wytte) I imbrayded the, Wherof I do repente.
For the lyvely voyce of God, rebukyngly
toke me up, before I wente out of
the place. What woldest thu than of my
synne? Alas my brother thu woldest not
have me ponnyshed. but rather Ezech.18Ezek. 18 woldest
my salvacyon and helthe, in askynge for
me, thys great benefyght, that it shulde
please God to mytygate hys judgemente
The whych thynge thu couldest not obtayne.
Nume12Num.12 For I became a lazar, so that whan
any body shulde loke upōon me, they myght
wele se that I had not bene wyse. And so
was I put ouut from the tentes and tabernacles
of the people, bycause that a sycke
bodye maye infecte thēem whych be in helthe

Ezech33.Ezek.33 Oh, a sowle can not have a greatter
Pōonnyshement, than to be bannyshed out
of the cumpanye of them whych are holye
and good. But what dedyst thu seynge
my repentaunce? 1.Ioāan.2obscuredJohn 1:2 Thu provydedyst that
my penaunce was sone at an ende, and
with truue love dedyst make meanes for
me, wherupon I ded returne. O what C a brother C5v
a brother wolde, in stede to ponnyshe hys
folysh syster, so naturally cleave unto
her? for injurye, grudge & great offēence,
thu gevyst her grace & love in recōompēence
Psal.50.Ps. 50 Alas my brother, how excedynge is thys
thy love? Moch more is it, than brotherhede
is bounde to geve to so poore & wretched
a woman as I am. I have done the
evyll, and thu gevyst me good for it, I am
thyne, and thu sayest, thu arte myne. Evēen
so I am, and wyll be so for ever. I feare
nomore the great folyshenesse of Aaron,
for no māan maye separat me frōom the. Now
that we are brother & syster togyther, I
care very lytle for all other men. Thy landes
are myne owne inherytaunce.

Phil.obscured2.Phil. 2 Lete us than kepe (if it please the) but
one howsholde. Syth it have pleased the
to humble thy selfe so moche, as to joyne
thy hart with myne, in makynge thy selfe
a levely māan, I do ryght hartely thāanke the
And as to do it as I ought, it lyeth not
in my small power. Take my meanynge
than, and excuse my ignoraunce, seynge
I am of so great a kyndred as to be thy
syster. O my God, I have good cause, to
love, to prayse, & to serve the unfaynedly
and not to feare, not to desyre any thynge saue the C6r Fo.22.
save the only. Hester.14.Esther. 14 Kepe me wele than, for I
aske nōon other brother nor frynde. If anye
father have had anye pytie upon hys chylde.
If anye mother have take anye care
for her sonne. If anye brother hav hyd
the synne of hys syster, it is thu. I never
sawe (or els it was kepte wōonders secrete)
that ever husbande wolde througly forgyve
hys wyfe, after she had hym ones
offended, and ded returne unto hym.

There have bene ynough of thēem whych
for to avēenge their wronges, have caused
the judges to put them to deathe. ActoobscuredActs Other
beholdynge their synnes, ded not spare
their owne hāandes, sodenly to kylle them.
Other also seynge their faultes to apere,
ded sende thēem home agayne to their owne
fryndes. Some perceyvynge their evyll
dysposycyons, have shut them up faste in
a pryson. Now brevely to conclude upon
their dyverse complexyons, The ende of
their pretence is ponnyshment, and Deut.24.Deut. 24 the
least harme that ever I coulde perceyve
in pōonnyshynge thēem is thys, that they wolde
never se thēem agayne. Thu shuldest rather
make the skye to turne thāan, so to forsake
thy wyfe for her mysdoynge. Wherfor
my God, I can fynde no māan to be cōompared
unto the. For of love thu arte the perfect C6v
example. Now my God, more than ever
I ded, I confesse that I have broken my
othe and promyse.

Ioan.15.John 15 Alas thu haddyst chosen me for thy wyfe,
and dedyst set me up in great state &
honoure. For what greatter honoure maye
one have, than to be in the place of thy
wyfe, whych swetely taketh her rest so nere
the. Of all thy goodes quene, mastres,
and lady, and also in suretie both of body
and sowle. Of great favoure is it, that I
so vyle a creature, am so ennoblyshed by
the. Now to speake it brevely. I have more,
& better than any man mortall can
desyre. Luce.6Luke 6 Wherfor my harte hath cause to
sygh alwayes, and with habundaunce
of teares, myne eyes to come out of my
heade. My mouthe can not make to many
exclamacyons. For there is neyther news
nor auncyent writynges, that can shewe
so pytiefull a case, as the same is whych
I wyll tell now. Shall, or dare I tell it?
Maye I pronounce it without shame?
Alas yea. For my confusyon is it not to
shewe the great love of my husbāande. Psal.50.Ps. 50 Therfor
I care not, if for hys worshyp I do declare
my faulte.

O my saver, whych dyed & was crucyfyedfyed on C7r Fo.23.
on the crosse for my synnes. Thys dede
is not suche, as a father to leave hys
sonne, or as a chylde to offēende hys mother
or els as a syster to grudge & chyde. Alas
thys is worse. For the offence is greatter
where more love & knowledge is. Esa.5.Esd. 5 For
the more famylyaryte we have with God
& the more benefytes we receyve of hym
the greatter is our offēence whan we with
hym dyssemble. Specyally that I shuld
so do, whych am called hys spouse, and loved
of the as thyne owne sowle. Shall I
tell the truthe? Yea. I have lefte the, forgoten
the, & ranne awaye from the. I
ded leave the for to go at my vayne pleasure.
I forsoke the and chose other. Yea. I
refused the, the welsprynge of all goodnesse
and faythfull promyse. I ded leave
the. Iob.10.Job 10 But whyther went I? Into a place
where nothynge was but cursednesse.

I have lefte the my trusty frynde and
lover, worthy to be loved above all other.
I have put the asyde, o welsprynge of all
helthesomnesse, by myne owne wretched
wyll. Yea, I have forsaken the, full of
bewtie, goodnesse, wysdom, and power, &
sought to withdrawe me from thy love.
I have accepted thy great enemyes, that is the C7v
is the devyll, the worlde, and the fleshe,
agaynst whōome Hebre.12Heb. 12 thu faughtest so sore on the
crosse, to overcome for my sake, to set me
at lyberte, whych was by thēem of lōonge tyme
a prysoner slave. And so bounde, that no
man coulde cause me to humble my selfe
And as for the love & charyte that I shulde
have had towardes the, they ded quēenche
it so that the name of Jesus my husbāande,
whych before I had founde so swete,
was to me tedyouse & hatefull. So that
often tymes I ded jest at it. Luce.8.Luke 8 And if any
man (I hearynge a sermon) had sayd unto
me, the preacher sayth wele. I wolde
afferme it but the worde went awaye
from me, as a fether doth in the wynde.

I went never yet to the preachynge,
but for maner only. All my dedes were
playne hypocresye, for my mynde was in
other places. I was anoyed whan I hearde
speake of the, for I was more wyllynge
to go at my pleasure. Now brevely to conclude,
Hiere.2.Jer. 2 All that thu dedyst forbyd me, I
fulfylled & all that thu cōommaūundedyst me
to do, I ded eschewe. And thys was the
cause (my God) I ded not love the. But
yet lorde, for all thys that I ded hate the
and forsake the, ranne awaye from the, & betrayed C8r Fo.24.
betrayed the, shulde I geve thy place to
an other? Or hast thu suffered that I
shulde be mocked, eyther yet beatēen or kylled?
Hast thu put me in darke pryson, or
bannyshed me for ever, settynge nought
by me? Hast thu taken awaye thy gyftes
agayne from me, and precyouse jewels, to
ponnysh me for my unfaythfull frutes?
Math.25.Matt. 25 Have I lost my joynter whych thu promysedyst
me, through my offēence agaynst the?
Am I accused by the afore the eternall
father, for a naughty woman? Yea, hast
thu forbyd me thy presēence (as I deserved)
& that I shulde never apere in thy howse?

O most true husbāande, & pure perfyght
frynde, the most lovynge yet amonge all
good lovers. Alas thu hast done otherwyse:
Luce.13.Luke 13 For thu soughtest for me dylygenly,
whan I was goynge into the most depe
place of helle, where all the evyls are done.
Whan I was fardest from the both
in harte and mynde, & clerlye out of
the true waye. Than dedyst thu lovynglye
call me backe, saynge. Psal .4Ps. 4 My dere doughter
harken, and se, and bowe thy
hearynge towardes me. Forget that
straunge nacyon to whom thu dedyst
ronne awaye and also the house of thyne olde fathe C8v
olde father, where thu hast dwelled so
longe Than shall the kynge full of all
faythfulnesse, desyre thy bewtie. Math.1.Matt. 1 But
whan thu sawest that thy swete & gracyouse
callynge, ded not profyte me. than begannyst
thu to crye lowder. Come unto me
all yow whych are wearyly loaden with
laboure, for I am he that shall plenteously
refreshe yow and feade yow with my
breade of lyfe. Alas unto all these swete
wordes wolde I not harken.

For I doubted whether it were thu, or
els a fabyllouse writynge that so sayde,
Esa.3.Esd. 3 For I was so folyshe, that without love
I ded reade thy worde. I consydered not
wele the comparyson of the vyneyearde
whych brought fourth thornes & bryers
in stede of good frute, that it sygnyfyed
me whych had so done. I knowe it wele
ynough, that whan thu dedyst call the
baren wyfe, saynge. Canti.6.Song of Sol. 6 Returne Sulamyte,
All thys dedyst thu speake that I. shulde
forsake my synne. And of all these wordes
ded I, as though I had understande never
a whytt. But whan I ded peruse Hieremy
the prophete, I confesse that I had
in the readynge therof, feare in my harte
and bashefulnesse in my face. I wyll tell it D1r Fo.25.
tell it, yea with teares in myne eyes, and
all for thy honoure, and to supresse my
pryde. Thu hast sayde by that holy prophete,
Hiere.3Jer.3 if a woman hath offended her husbande,
and is so left of hym for goynge astraye
with other. Namely if he therupōon
refuseth her for ever, is she not to be estemed
poluted and of no value?

The lawe doth consente to put her in
the hāandes of justyce, or to dryve her awaye
& so never to se her or to take her agayne.
Ezech.1obscuredEzek. Thu hast made the sepracyon from my
bedde (sayth he unto me) & placed foren
lovers in my roume, commyttynge with
them fornycacyon. Yet for all thys thu
mayst returne unto me agayne. For I wyll
not alwayes be āangrye agaynst the. Lyfte
up thyne eyes, & loke aboute the on every
syde. Thāan shalte thu wele se, into what
place thy synne hath led the, & how thou
lyest downe in the earthe. O poore sowle,
loke where thy synne hath put the. Hiere.3obscuredJer. Even
upon the hygh wayes, where thu dedyst
wayte, and tarrye for to begyle thēem that
came by, even as a these doth whych is
hydden in the wyldernesse. Therfor thu
in fulfyllynge thy wicked pleasure, hast
with fornycacyon infected all the earthe D whych D1v
whych was aboute the. Thyne eye, thy foreheade,
and thy face have loste all their
honest good maner. For they were suche
as an harlot hath, and yet thu haddest no
shame of thy synne.

And the surplus that Hieremy sayth,
constrayneth me to knowe my wretched
lyfe, & Iob.10.Job 10 to wyshe with sorowfull syghes,
the houre, the daye, the moneth, the tyme
and the yeare, that I ded leave it, yeldynge
my selfe condempned, and worthy to
be for ever in the everlastynge fyre. The
same feare whych doth not of me but of
the procede, and exceadeth many of thy
other gyftes, put me rather in hope than
dyspayre, as often as I ded remembre my
synne. For as sone as thu knewest my wyll
bowynge undre thy obedyence, than puttynge
in me a lyvely fayth, thu dedyst use
great clemencye. Hebre.11.Heb. 11 So that after I knewe
the to be that lorde, master, and kynge
whom I ought to have feared. Than foūunde
I my feare not quenched, but mixed
with love, belevynge that thu wert so gracyouse,
gentyll, and swete, & so pytiefull
an husbande, that I whych shulde rather
have hydde me, than to have shewed my
selfe, was not than in feare to go fourth and to D2r Fo.26.
and to loke for the. And in so sekynge I
founde the.

But what dedyst thu than? Hast thu refused
me? Alas my God, no, but rather
hast excused me. Hast thu turned thy face
from me? No, Psal.obscuredPs. for thyne eye so swete ded
penetrate my harte, woūundynge it almost
to the deathe, and gevynge me remorse of
my synnes. Canti.14.Song of Sol. Thu hast not put me backe
with thy hāande, but with both thy armes
and with a swete, and māanly harte thu dedyst
mete with me by the waye, and not
ones reprovynge my faultes, enbrasydest
me. I coulde not se in beholdynge thy coūuntenaunce,
that ever thu dedyst ones perceyve
myne offence. For thu hast done as
moche for me, as though I had benne good
and honest. Roma.obscuredRom. For thu dedyst hyde my faulte
from every body, in gevynge me agayne
the parte of thy bedde, and also in shewynge
that the multitude of my synnes are so
hyddēen & overcome by thy great vyctorye
that thu wylte never remembre thēem. So
that now thu seyst nothynge in me, but
the graces, gyftes and vertues whych it
hath pleased thy fre goodnesse to gyve me

O charyte most precyouse. Esa.4Esd. 4 I do se
wele that thy goodnesse both consumd Dij my D2v
my lewdenesse & maketh me a newe godly
and bewtyfull creature. The evyll that
was myne, thu hast destroyed, and made
me so perfyght a creature, that all the
good whych a husbande can do unto hys
wyfe thu hast done it to me, in gevynge
me, a faythfull Hope in thy promyses.
Now have I through thy good grace recovered
the place of thy wyfe. Math.11Matt. 11 O happye
& desyred place, gracycuse bedde, trone
ryght honourable, seate of peace, rest from
all warre, hygh steppe of honoure, separate
from the earthe. Doist thu receyve
thys unworthy creature, gevynge her the
scepture and crowne of thy empyre and
gloryouse realme? who ded ever heare
speake of suche a storye? as to rayse up one
so hygh, whych of her selfe was nothynge
& maketh of great value, that of it selfe
was naught.

Alas what is thys? Ioan.3.John 3 for I castynge myne
eyes on hygh, ded se thy goodnesse, so unknowne,
grace & love so incomprehēensyble
that my syght is wonderfull. Than am I
constrayned to loke downe, & in so lokynge
downewarde, I do se what I am, and
what I was wyllynge to be. Alas I do
se in it the lewdenesse, darkenesse, and extreme D3r Fo.27.
extreme depenesse of my evyll, My deathe
whych by hūumblenesse closeth myne eye
The admyrable goodnnesse of the, & the
unspeakeable evyll whych is in me. Sapi.14.Wis. of Sol. 14 Thy
tyght hyghnes & pure majestie, my ryght
fragyle and mortall nature, Thy gyftes,
goodes, & beatytude, my malyce & great
unkyndnesse. O how good thu arte unto
me, and how unkynde am I to the? Thys
that thu wylte, and thys that I pursue.
Whych thynges consydered, causeth me
to marvele, how it pleasyth the to joyne
thy selfe to me, seynge there is no comparyson
betwene us both.

Thu arte my God, and I am thy
worke, thu my creator, and I thy creature
Now to speake brevely, Esa.64Esd. 64 though I can not
defyne what it is to be of the, yet knowe
I my selfe to be the least thynge that
maye be compared unto the. O love, thu
madyst thys agrement, whan thu dedyst
joyne lyfe, annd deathe togyther. But the
unyon hath made alyve deathe. Lyfe dyenge,
and lyfe without ende, have made one
deathe a lyfe. Deathe hath geven unto
lyfe a quyckenesse. Colos.2.Col. Through suche deathe
I beynge dead, receyved lyfe, and by deathe
I am ravyshed with hym whych is Diij alyue D3v
alyve. I lyve in the, and as for me, of myselfe
I am dead. And as cōoncernynge the
bodyly deathe, it is nothynge els unto me,
but a cōommynge out of pryson. Deathe is
lyfe unto me. For through deathe. I am
alyve. Thys mortall lyfe fylleth me full
of care and sorowe, and deathe yeldeth
me content.

Apoca 14.Apoc. 14 O what a goodly thynge it is to dye,
whych causeth my sowle to lyve. In delyverynge
her frōom thys mortall deathe, it exeēempteth
her frōom the deathe myserable, &
matcheth her with a most myghty lover.
& unlesse she thus dyeth, she lāanguyssheth
alwayes. Is not thāan the sowle blameles,
whych wolde fayne dye for to have suche
lyfe? Yes trulye, & she ought to call deathe
her welbeloved frynde, O swete deathe,
plesaunt sorowe, myghty keye delyverynge
from all wyckednesse. Roma.8.Rom. 8 Those
whych trusted in the (o lorde) and in thy
deathe, were mortyfyed, because they ded
trust in the, and in thy passyon. For with
a swete slepe thu dedyst put them oute of
that deathe whych causeth manye to lamente.
O how happye is the same slepe
unto hym, whych whan he awaketh, doth
fynde through thy deathe, the lyfe everlastynge.lastynge D4r Fo.28.
For the deathe is nōon other thynge
to a christen man, but a lyberte or delyveraunce
from hys mortall bande.

Roma. 7.Rom. 7 And the deathe whych is. fearfull to
the wycked, is plesaunt and acceptable
to them that are good. Than is deathe
through thy deathe destroyed. Therfor
my God, if I were ryghtly taught, I
shulde call the deathe lyfe, and thys lyfe
deathe, ende of laboure, and begynnynge
of everlastynge joye. For I knowe that
the lōonge lyfe doth lett me from thy syght. Psal.31.Ps. 31
O deathe, come, and breake the same obstacle
of lyfe. Or els love, do a myracle
now, syth that I can not yet se my spouse
Transfourme me with hym both bodye &
sowle, and than shall I the better tarry
for the cummynge of deathe. Lete me dye
that I maye lyve with hym. For there is
nōon that can helpe me, onles it be thu only.
Ioan.15.John 15 O my saver, through faythe I am planted,
and joyned with the. O what unyon
is thys, syth that through faythe I am
sure of the. And I maye call the, father
brother, sonne, and husbande. O what
giftes thu dost gyve, by the goodenesse of
those names.

O my father, what paternyte, O my Diiii brother D4v
brother what fraternyte, O my chylde,
what dylectyon, O my spouse, what conjunctyon
is thys? Apoca 12Apoc.12 Father full of humylyte
Brother havynge our symylytude. Sōonne
engendered through faythe & love. Husbande
lovynge, and relevynge in all extremyte.
But whom doist thu love? Alas is
it she whom thu hast withdrawen from
the snare, wherin, through malyce she
was bounde, and put her in place, name
and offyce of a doughter, syster, mother,
and wyfe. Luce.8.Luke 8 O my saver, the same is a great
favoure of swetnesse, ryght plesaūunt, and
dylectable, whan a man, after the hearynge
of thy worde, shall call the without
feare, hys father, brother, chylde, & spouse.
I in hearynge that worde, do perceyve
my selfe to be called there thy mother, syster,
doughter, & spouse. Alas the sowle
whych doth fynde suche swetnesse, maye
consume and burne for love.

Is there any love, onles it be thys, but
it hath some evyll condycyon? Is there
anye pleasure to be herto estemed? Is there
any honoure, but maye be accompted
shame, to thys compared? Ioan.14John 14 Yea, is there
any profyte equall to thys? More over to
conclude it brevely. Is there any thynge that I D5r Fo.29.
that I coulde more ernestly love? Alas
no. For he that unfaynedly loveth God,
reputeth all these thynges worldly, of
lesse value than the dūunge hylle. Pleasure
profyte, honoure of thys worlde, are all
but vayne tryfles unto hym whych hath
founde God. 2.Cor.32 Cor. 3 Suche love is so profytable
honourable, & abundaunt, that (I dare
saye) she only suffyseth the harte of a godly
man, and yeldeth hym so content, that
he never desyreth or wolde have other.
For who so ever hath God, as we ought
to have hym, accounteth all other thynges
superfluouse or vayne.

Now thanked by the lorde, through
faythe have I gotēen the same love, wherfor
I ought to be satysfyed and content.
Now have I the my father, for defence
of my longe youth from wanton folyshnesse.
Phil.2.Phil. 2 Now have I the my brother, for to socoure
my sorowes wherin I fynde non
ende. Now have I the my sonne, for my
feble age as an only staye. Now have I
the a true, & faythfull husbande, for the
satisfyenge of my whole harte. Now syth
that I have the, I do forsake all them
that are in the worlde. Syth I holde the,
thu shalte escape me nomore. Seynge Dv that D5v
that I se the, Esa.55.Esd. 55 I wyll loke upon non othre
thynge that myght kepe me backe from
the beholdynge of thy dyvynyte. Ioāan10.John 10 Seynge
that I do heare the, I wyll heare nothynge
that letteth me frōom the fruycyōon of thy
voyce. Syth that I maye frely talke with
the, I wyll cōommen with non other. Seynge
it pleaseth the to put me so nere the, I
wyll rather dye than to touche any other
Seynge that I serve the, I wyll serve
non other master.

Seynge that thu hast joyned thy harte
with myne, if he depart from thyne, lete
hym be ponnyshed for ever. 2.thes.2.2 Thess. 2 For the departynge
from thy love is harder, than is any
dampnacyon. I do not feare the payne of
ten thousande helles, so moche as I do
feare the ones losynge of the. Alas my
God, my father, and creator, do not suffer
that the enemy, inventor of all synne, have
suche power, that he make me to lese
thy presence. Exo.15.Exod. 15 For who so ever hath once
felte the losse of thy love, he shall saye that
he wolde rather be bounde forever in helle,
than to feale the payne that one shall
have by the losse of the same thy love one
momente of tyme. O my saver, do not permytt
that ever I departe from the. But if it D6r Fo. 30.
if it please the, put me in suche a place,
that my sowle through wantonnesse of
synne be never separated from thy love.

In thys worlde I can not have perfyghtly
thys my desyre. Roma.7.Rom. 7 Whych thynge
consydered maketh me fervently & with
all my harte, to desyre the departynge
from thys bodye of synne, not fearynge
the deathe nor yet any of her instrumentes.
For Hebre 9.Heb. 9 what feare ought I to have of my
God, whych through love offered hymselfe
and suffered deathe not of dett or dewtye,
but because he wolde for my only sake
undo the power that mortall deathe had.
Now is Jesus dead, in whom we are all
dead, and through hys deathe he causeth
every man to lyve agayne. I meane
those whych through fayth are partakers
of hys Passyon. Eccle.4obscuredEccles. For even as the deathe
before the great mystery of the crosse,
was harde to every bodye, and there was
no māan but was feared therwith, consyderynge
the copulacyon of the bodye & the
sowle, their order, love, and agrement,
so were their sorowes extreme in the departynge
of the one from the other.

But sens it hath pleased the swete lam
ded offer hymselfe upon the crosse, hys great D6v
great love hath kyndeled a fyre within
the harte so vehement, Sapi.3.Wisd. of Sol. 3 that every true
belever estemeth the pass age of deathe
but a playe or pastyme, and so provoketh
other constauntly in hys truthe to dye.
And evēen as the feare of deathe ded retarde
us, so ought love to gyve us a desyre to
dye. 1.Ioāan.4.John 4 For if true love be unfaynedly within
the harte of a man, he can fele non other
thynge, because that love is so stronge of
itselfe that she kepith all the roume, and
putteth out all other desyres, not sufferynge
any thynge there but God only. For
whersoever true and perfyght love is, we
do neyther remēembre feare nor yet sorowe

If our owne pryde for to attayne honoure
maketh us to seke deathe so manye straunge
wayes. As if for to have a folysh
pleasure, a man putteth hym selfe in jeopardye
of lyfe. If a merchaūunte to obtayne
ryches, doth daunger hymselfe, somtyme
for the value of a shyllynge. Deute.16.Deut. 16. If the first
cōonceyvynge of robery or murther, crueltie
or deceyte, doth so blynde a man, that he
doubteth nothynge the daunger of deathe,
neyther yet mysfortune whan he seketh
to avēenge hymselfe or doth any other
evyll. If the fury of syckenesse or the rankenessekenesse D7r Fo.31.
of Malancholy causeth a creature
fearcely to wyshe for deathe, & oft tymes
to drowne, hāange, or kylle thēemselves.
For suche evyls are somtymes so great
that they cause their payned pacyentes
to chose deathe for lyberte. Ecels.1.Eccles. 1 If it so be than
that these paynes full of evyll, and imperfectyons,
causeth them not to feare the
hasarde of deathe, but rather to thynke
that deathe tarryeth to longe.

Alas what ought true and laudable
love to do? What ought the love of the
eternall creatour to wyshe? Shulde she
sturre a harte suche wyse, that he beynge
transported with suche affectyon, shulde
fele non other thynge in hym? Alas yea. Roma.obscured.Rom.
For deathe is a plesaunt thynge to the
sowle, whych is in love with God, and
estemeth the passage easye, through the
whych she commyth out of pryson. For
the harde waye, wherthrough she commeth,
can not wearye her for to enbrace
her husbande. O my saver, how good is
the same deathe, through whom we shall
have the ende of all sorowes? 2.Cor.3.2.Cor. By whom
I shall enjoye thy syght without impedyment,
and be transfourmed into the lykenesse
of thy majeste?

O dyethe D7v

O deathe, through thy dede I trust to
have suche honour, as upon my knees
with cryenge and wepynge I do dayly
desyre. Therfor come quyckely, annd make
an ende of my sorowes. Canti.5.Song of Sol. 5 O happy doughters,
ryght holy sowles joyned to the cytie
hierusalem, open your eyes and with
pytye loke upon my desolacyon. I beseche
yow that in my name ye do shewe unto
my bestbelove, my God, frynde & kynge,
how at everye houre of the daye, I do languysh
for hys love. O swete deathe,
through suche love come unto me, and
with love brynge me unto my lorde God. 1.Cor.151.Corinthians.15.
O deathe where is thy stynge and darte
Alas they are bannyshed from myne
eyes, for rygour is changed into swetnesse
seynge that my frynde ded suffre deathe
upon the crosse for my sake. Hys deathe
doth so incourage my harte, that thu
wert wonders gentyll to me, if I myght
folowe hym.

O deathe, I beseche the come to put
the frynde with hys love. Ioāan.1. Now syth that
deathe is so plesaunt a lyfe, that she pleasith
me more than feareth me, than ought
I to feare nothynge but the ryght judgement
of God. Apoca. 20Apoc. 20 All my synnes with hys just balaūce D8r Fo.32.
balaūunce shall be wayed & shewed opēenly.
Thys that I have done. also my thought
and worde shall be better knowne, than
if they were written in a rolle. And we
maye not thynke that charyte wolde offēende
justyce & truthe. For whoso ever doth
lyve unfaythfully, shall be ponnyshed in
everlastynge payne. God is just and hys
judgemēent is ryghteouse. Psal.118.Ps. 118 All that he doth
is perfyght in all thynges. Alas what
am I consyderynge my ryghtousesse, I
wretched and poore creature?

Esa.64.Esd. 64 I knowe that all the workes of just mēen
are so full of imperfectyon, that afore God
they are more fylthye than myer or any
other vylenesse. What wyll it be than cōoncernynge
the synnes whych I do cōommyt,
wherof I feale the burden importable?
I can saye nothyng els but that I have
wonne by them dampnacyon. Is thys the
ende? Shall dyspayre than be the conforte
of my greate ignoraūunce? Alas my God
no. Hebre.11Heb. 11 For the invysyble faythe causeth me
to beleve, that all thynges whych are impossyble
to men, are possyble unto the. Luce.1obscuredLuke So
that thu do conuuverte my worke, whych is
nothynge, into some good worke of thyne
to me, whych is specyally faythe. Ioan.obscuredJohn Than my lord D8v
lord, who shall condempne me, & what
judge wyll dāampne me, syth that he whych
is geven me for a judge, is my spouse, my
father, and refuge? Alas what father?
Suche as doth never condempne hys
chyelde, but alwayes doth excuse and defende
hym.

Than I perceyve to have non other accuser
but Jesus Christ, 1.Ioāan.2.John 1:2 whych is my redemer,
whose deathe hath restored us oure
lost inherytaunnce. For he made hym selfe
our man of lawe, shewynge hys so worthye
merytes afore God, wherwith my
great debte is so habundauntly recōompenced,
that in judgement it is accompted for
nothynge. O redemer, here is a great love.
We fynde but fewe suche mēen of lawe.
Swete Jesus Christ, it is unto the that I
am a detter, Math.18Matt. 18 yet dost thu both praye, and
speake for me. And moreover whan thu
dost se that I am poore, with the abūundaūunce
of thy goodes thu dost paye my debte
O incomprehensyble see of all goodnesse.
O my father, dost thu vouchesave to be
my judge, not wyllynge the deathe of a
synner. O Jesus Christ, true fysher, and
saver of the sowle, frynde above all fryndes,
so thu beynge my man of lawe, dedystdyst excuse E1r Fo.33.
Colo.2.Col. 2 excuse and speake for me, where thu
couldest justly have accused me.

I feare nomore to be undone by any man
for the lawe is satisfyed by the for all. My
swete spouse hath made the payment so
habundaunt, that the lawe can aske nothynge
of me but is payed of hym. Esa.53.Esd. 53 For as
I beleve, he hath taken all my synnes upōon
hym, and hath gevēen me in place of them,
hys owne goodes in habundaunce. O my
saver, presentynge thy vertues, thu dost
content the lawe. Whan she wyll reproche
me of my synnes, thu dost shewe her
how willyngly in thyne ownne fleshe, thu
hast taken the dyscharge of thēem, through
the conjunctyon of our mariyage. Also
upon the crosse through thy passyon, thu
hast made satisfactyon for it. 1.Pet.2.1 Pet. 2 Moreover,
thy only charyte hath gevēen me thys, that
thu hast for me deserved. 1.Ioāan.4.John 1:4 Therfor seynge
thy meryte to be myne, the lawe can aske
nothynge of me. Than wyll I feare nomore
the judgement, but with desyre rather
than parforce, I do tarry for the tyme
that I shall se my judge, and heare a just
judgemente of hym.

Psal.22obscuredPs. Yet I knowe that thy judgemēente
is so just, that there is no faulte therin, & E that my E1v
that my infydelyte is worthye to suffer
the cruelnesse of helle. For if I do only
consydre my deservynge, I can se nothynge
in it that can keape me from the fyre
of helle. True it is, that the torment of
helle was never prepared but for the devyll,
and not for reasonable men. Math.25Matt. 25 Neverthelesse
if any man have set in hys mynde
to be lyke to the devyll, than ought he as
the devyll to be payed with a lyke rewarde.
But if a man through cōontemplacyon
of the sowle, do holde of the, hys Angell
of coūunsell, vertue, goodnesse & perfectyōon,
he is sure to obtayne heaven, whych is a
place of thy deservynnge for hym. Luce.13Luke 13 Than
shall the vycyouse be ponnyshed with the
same, to whom they joyned themselves.
For sith that they folowed Sathan, they
must holde suche place as is for hym and
hys angels prepared.

Now I consyderynge the dyversyte of
both the sortes, am lytle conforted in sprete
by thys. For I can not denye but I am
more lyke the devyll than the Angell
of lyght, wherfor I feare and tremble. Hebre.1Heb. 1 For
the lyfe of the Angell is so pure & myne
so unpure, that I am nothynge lyke unto
hym, thys do I confesse. But to the other I am E2r Fo.34.
I am so lyke in my doynges, and so accustomed
in hys wayes, that of hys payne
& tormente I ought to be partaker. For
the cruell synne whych hath bounde me
in helle, is so great and hys force so stronge,
that it leteth nothynge to come from
it, neyther feareth it the cōontrary assaulte
of any man. Luce.11Luke 11 But he whych is in thys kynde
stronge, knoweth not how hys strength
goth awaye, whan a stronger than he cōommyth.
Synne is stronge whych bryngeth
us to helle.

And I coulde never yet se, that anye
man by meryte or payne takynge, coulde
ever yet vanquyshe that helle, save only
he whych ded the great assaulte throuugh
hys unspeakable charyte, Phil.2.Phil. 2 whan he humbled
hym selfe to the crosse. 1.Cor.13.1 Cor. 13 Wherby he
hath overcomen hys enemye, broken helle
and hys power so that it hath no farther
strength to keape anye sowle prysoner,
that hath put her trust in God. Than belevynge
in the great strength that he
hath, I do not set by helle and synne. No
not so moche as a strawe. So that synne
can never have holde of me, unlesse it be
for to shewe how Roma.obscuredRom. my God is mercyfull,
stronge, myghtie, & a pusaūunt vanquysher Eii of all E2v
of all the evyls whych were within my
harte. If my synne forgyvēen, is the glorye
of my most lovynge saver, I ought also to
beleve, that my glorye is encreased therwith,
seynge that I am planted or engrafted
in hym.

Hys honoure only doth honoure all
hys, and hys ryches doth replenysh every
one of hys with hys goodes. Apoca.5Apoc. 5 Than deathe
helle and synne are overcome by hym. 1.Cor.15.1 Cor. 15 O
glottonouse helle, where is thy defence?
Thu cruell vyllayne synne, where is thy
tyrannouse power? O deathe where is
thy stynge & vyctorye, whych are so moche
spoken of? In steade of deathe, thu deathe
gevyst us lyfe, and so dost thu contrary
to thy wyll. Apoca.
21.
Apoc.
21
Also thu synne which covetyst
to drawe yche creature to dāampnacyon
thu gevest us a ladder to reache therby
that goodly cytie Hierusalem. Yet woldest
thu of thy cursed nature that our
eternall maker shulde lose hys creature.
But through hys love annd grace, the
sorye remēembraunce of thy uncomelynesse
doth cause her by repentaunce to come agayne,
and submyt herselfe unto God more
than ever she dyd. Hys inestymable
goodnesse causeth the to lose the whole labour E3r Fo.35.
labour whych thu takest all the weke.

Osee.13.Hos. 13 Therfor helle hath not had all the nomber
that he did pretende to have, bicause
that the solacyouse shaddowe & power
of hys passyon, is suche a myghtye protectyon
to the sowle, that she therby nedeth
neyther to doubte deathe, synne, nor helle.
Is there anye thynge can pull me backe
if God be wyllynge through hys gyfte
of faythe to drawe me to hym? Ioan.obscuredJohn I meane
suche faythe as we must nedes hauuve to
obtayne the hygh graces from above, &
also suche faythe as through charyte doth
joyne the humble servaunt to hys maker.
I beynge joyned unto hym, ought to have
no feare of travayle, payne, nor sorowe,
for who so ever doth wyllyngly suffer
anye maner of deathe or sorowe for the
truthe, as ded Christ, Math.1obscuredMatt. he doth feale in
suche torment great consolacyon for hys
sowle, knowynge that as for my selfe, I
am weake, and with God I am ryght
stronge.

Through hys confort I maye do all
thynges. For hys love is so cōonstaūunt & permanēent
that it varyeth not for anye worldly
thynge. Who can thāan withdrawe me
from hys grace. Roma.8.Rom. 8 Surely the great heyth Eiij of heauē E3v
of heaven, nor the deapenesse of helle, nor
the breadeth of the whole earthe, neyther
deathe nor synne, whych doth warre every
daye agaynst me, can separate me one mynute
from the great love & charyte, that
my heavenly father through Jesus Christ
hath unto me. Hys goodnesse is suche, that
he loveth me whych have not at all tymes
loved hym. And if I now love hym, than
shall I feale hys love to increase in me.
1Ioāan.4John 1:4 But bycause that my love is not worthy
to love hym, I desyre hys love to be myne
the whych I feale suche as though it were
myne owne. Hys desyre is to love, and
through hys love he causith my harte to
be inflamyd with love.

And through suche love he fyndeth hym
selfe so welbeloved, that hys owne dede
yeldeth hym wele content, & not my love
or strengthe. Ioan.13.John 13 Contentynge hys selfe, hys
love doth increase more in me, than I can
of hym desyre. O true lover, fountayne, or
welsprynge of all charyte, and only purse
of the heavēenly treasure. Ought I to thynke,
or dare I saye what thu art? Maye I
write it, or can anye mortall man comprehende
thys goodnesse & love? And if thflawed-reproduction
prēente in anye māannys harte, cāan he expresse it? No E4r Fo.36.
it? No surely, Roma.18.Rom. For the capacyte of no man
can comprehende the unmesurable goodnesses
whych are in the, for naturall reasōon
doth shewe us how there is no cōomparyson
betwyne an eternall & a mortall thynge.
But whan through love the mortall is
joyned with the eternall, the mortall thynge
is so fulfylled with the eternall, that
it can not fynde the ende therof. Ephe.2obscuredEph. For it
hath in it more good therby, than it can
contayne or holde.

Roma.obscuredRom. Therfor doth a man thynke, whych hath
the love of God, that he hath all the goodes
in the worlde therwith. Even as we
se the sūunne with one only sparcle of hys
lyght doth blynde the eye, and yet doth
she witholde her great lyghte. But aske
the eye what he hath seane, and he wyll
saye that he hath beholden the whole
bryghtnesse of the sunne. But that is a
great lye. For he beynge dymmed with a
lytle sparcle, coulde not se the whole cleartye
therof. Ecce.1obscuredEccles. And nevertheles he is so
contente, that it semith unto hym as
though he had so moche lyght as the sunne
contayneth. Yet if he had more than
the seyde sparcle, he were not able to suffer
it. Psal.118Ps. 118 Even so the sowle whych through Eiiij faythe E4v
fayth doth fele one sparcle of the love
of God, doth fynde therwith the heate
so great and marvelouse, so swete and
delycyouse, that it is impossyble to her to
declare what thynge the same love is.

For a lytle threerof that she hath felte
doth yelde her mynde satisfyed & desyerynge
of more wherof she hath ynough.
So doth she lyve languyshynge & syghynge.
The harte doth fele wele, that he
hath receyved to moche, but he hath cōonceyved
suche desyre in thys to moche that
Phil.1Phil. 1 he alwayes desyerith to receyve the thynge
whych he can not have, neyther is he
worthye to receyve it. He knowith the
good that he hath alredy to be unspeakeable,
and yet wolde he have more of that
wherof he can not skylle. 1.Ioāan.4.John 1:4 Truly he can
not fele or thynke the good whych is in
hym. Then lyeth it not in my power, to tell
what thynge the love of God is, sith that
I have no knowlege of the ferventnesse
therof. He that thynketh to have all thys
love withyn hys harte, can not truly declare
what thynge it is. Happye is he
whych hath suche abundaūunce of thys love,
that he maye saye, My God, I have
ynough of it.

He E5r Fo. 37.

Iaco.3. He whych hath thys love within hym,
dare not moche boaste therof, least in moche
speakynge he lose it, unles it be to edyfye
hys neybour unto salvacyon. The impossybylyte
than of the declaracyon of
thys love shall make me to holde my peace,
Apoca.3.Apoc. 3 for there is no Saynte so perfyght, if
he wyll speake of the love of the hygh
God, of hys goodnesse, swetnesse, graces,
and of all thynges els whych pertayneth
to hym, but lokynge a lowe shall fynde
hymselfe unworthye, and so stoppe hys
mouthe. I than a worme of the earthe,
lesse than nothynge, ought to cease and
not to speake of the incomparable hyghnesse
of thys love. Yet were it to moch unkyndenesse
to be noted in me, Math.2obscuredMatt. if I had writen
nothynge, havynge that done unto me
whych wolde satisfye a moche better wytte
than myne is. For he that wolde hyde
the goodnesse of God, so good a mastre,
shulde commytt a synne worthye to be
ponnyshed with the everlastynge payne.

2.Cor.1obscuredCor. Therfor come. O happy Paule, whych
hast tasted so moche of the same swete honye,
beynge blynded for the space of thre
dayes, & rapte up unto the thirde havēen.
Now I besech the, satisfye my ignoraūunce Ev and E5v
& faulte, & tel me what in suche vysyon
thu hast seane. Harkēen thāan what he sayth
Roma.11Rom. 11 O the unspeakeable hyghnesse of the abūundaunt
ryches or treasure both of the wysdome
& knowledge of God. Sapi.17Wisd. of Sol.17 How incomprehēensyble
are hys judgemēentes & how
unsearchable hys wayes unto our weake
wittes? O holye Paule, thy wordes causeth
us moche to marvayle, that thu havynge
knowledge of so heavēenly secretes,
woldest speake no further in them. At the
least yet tell us, what thynge we maye
hope to have one daye through suche godly
love. Geve care and ponder the wordes
that he sayth.

1.Cor.2.1 Cor.2 Neyther hath the eye seane, nor yet the
eare hearde, neyther yet hath it ever entred
into the harte of anye man, Esa.64.Esd. 64 what
God hath prepared for them that love
hym. And wolde he speake it no farther?
No truly. Yet all thys that he sayeth here,
is for non other purpose, but to provoke
us ernestly to love. He wylleth us also therin
to esteme, that he neyther can declare
nor yet name it, & so to geve forth our hartes
to pacyēence & hope of that thynge whych
Nours.8Num. 8 never māan yet coulde se, neyther yet dyscerne,
what though many through love for
it hath dyed. O excellent gyfte of faythe E6r Fo.38.
wherof so moche good cōommyth, that it causith
man to possedse the thynge whych he
can not cōomprehende. Fayth joyned with
the truthe, bryngeth fourth hope, wherby
perfyght charyte is engēendered, And charyte
is God, as thu knowist. 1.Ioāan.4John 1:4 If we have
charyte, thāan we have also God therwith.

Than is God in us, and we are in hym.
And all thys cometh through the benefyte
of faythe. For he dwellith in all men
whych have true faythe. Ioāan.14.John 14 Thus have we a
greatter treasure thāan we cāan tell of, or yet
anye man expresse unto us. Now to cōonclude.
Syth that so great an Apostle as saynt
Paule is, Roma.1obscuredRom. wyll speake no further of
God & hys inestymable love, accordynge
to hys ryghtouse exāample and doctryne, I
wyll holde my peace & be stylle, folowynge
neverthelesse hys teachynges. Not
withstāandynge yet though herin I acknowledge
my selfe but earthe and duste, yet
maye I not fayle to yelde thankes unto my
eternall lyvynge God, for suche great graces,
and benefytes, as it hath pleased
hym to gyve me. 1.Timo 141 Tim. 14 Unto that everlastynge
kynge of heaven immortall, invysyble
incōomprehensyble, myghty, and wyse only,
be all honoure, prayse, glorye, magnyfycence,
and love for ever & ever. Amen.

E6v

Textes of the scripture.

These. iiii. clauses of the sacred scripture
added my lady Helisabeth unto the begynnynge
and ende of her boke, and therfor
I have here regestred thēem in the ende.

Eccle.25.Eccles. 25 “There is not a more wycked heade, than
the heade of the serpente, And there is
no wrathe above the wrathe of a womāan.”
Eccle.25.Eccles. 25 “But he that hath goten a vertuouse woman,
hath goten a goodly possessyon. She
is unto hym an helpe and pyllar, wherupon
he restith.”
Eccle. 25.Eccles. 25 “It were better to dwelle with a lyon and
dragon, than to kepe howse with a wycked
wyfe.”
Eccle.7.Eccles. 7 “Yet depart not from a dyscrete and good
woman, that is fallen unto the for
thy porcyon in the feare of the
lorde, for the gifte of her honestie
is above golde.”
E7r Fo.39.

The Conclusyon

Certayne, & sure am I (most
gentyll reader) that all they
whych shall peruse thys godlye
boke, shall not therwith be
pleased. Appetytes.
For amonge feaders
are alwayes sondry appetytes, and in
great assemblyes of people, dyverse, and
varyaunt judgementes. As the saynge,
is, so many heades, so many wyttes. Neyther
fyne paynted speche, wysdome of thys
worlde, nor yet relygyouse hypocresye
(whych for pryvate commodyte many
men seketh) are herin to be loked for. And
a reason why. For he that is here famylyarly
commoned with, regardeth no curyosyte,
but playnesse and truthe. Synner. He refuseth
no synner, but is wele contented
at all tymes to heare hys hombly tale.
Hyde not thy selfe from me (sayth he)
whan thu hast done amys, but come boldely
face to face, and commen the matter
with me. If thy synnes be so redde as scarlet,
I shall make thēem whyter than snowe.
And though thy factes be as the purple,
yet shall they apere so whyte as the wolle.
Esa.1.Esd. 1 The lorde. For as truly as I lyve (sayth
he) no pleasure have I in the deathe of
a synner, but wyll moch rather that he turne E7v
turne and be saved. Eze. 33.Ezek. 33

If the hombly speche here do to moche
offēende, cōonsydre it to be the worke of a woman,
as she in the bygynnynge therof,
have most mekely desyered. And yet of nōon
other woman, than was most godly mynded.
David. Marke David in the psalter, whych
was a man both wyse and lerned, and ye
shall fynde hys maner in speakynge not
all unlyke to thys. Fayth ( saynt Paule
sayth) standeth not in floryshynge eloquence,
neyther yet in mannys polytyque
wysdome, but in the grace and power of
God. 1. Cor.2.1 Cor. 2 If the ofte repetynge of
some one sentence, engendereth a tedyouse
werynesse to the reader, S.SaintJohāan lete hym wele
peruse the holy workes of S.SaintJohan the
Evāangelyst
, & I doubt it not but he shall
fynde there the same maner of writynge.
And hys occasyon is (as all the chefe writers
afferme) the necessary markynge of
the preceptes of helthe, or of matter chefely
concernynge the sowles salvacyon. For
a thynge twyse or thryse spoken, entereth
moche more depely into the remēembraunce
than that is uttered but once.

And as touchynge the porcyon that
Lady Helisabeth.
my ladye Helisabeth the kynges most noble E8r Fo.40.
noble syster hath therin, whych is her trāanslacyon.
Chefely have she done it for her
owne exercyse in the frenche tunge, besydes
the spirytuall exercyse of her innar
sowle with God. As a dylygent & profytable
bee, have she gathered of thys flowre
swetnesse both wayes, and of thys boke
consolacyon in sprete. And thynkynge
that other myght do the same, of a most
fre christen harte. she maketh it here cōommen
unto them, not beynge a nigarde
over the treasure of God. Math. 25.Matt. 25 Her first
frute.
The
first frute is it of her yonge, tender, and
innocent labours. For I thynke she was
not full oute xiiii. yeares of age, at the
fynyshynge therof. She have not done
herin, as ded the relygyouse and anoynted
hypocrytes in monasteryes, convēentes Lybrares.
and colleges, in spearynge their lybraryes
from men studyouse, and in reservynge
the treasure contayned in their bokes, to
most vyle dust and wormes. But lyke as
God hath gracyously geven it, so do she
agayne most frely dystrybute it.

Soch noble begynnynges are neyther
to be reckened chyldysh nor babysh, though
she were a babe in yeares, that hath
here gevēen them. The aged. Seldome fynde we them that in E8v
The aged. that in the closynge up of their wythered
age, do mynystre lyke frutes of vertu. An
infynyte swarme beholde we of olde dottynge
bawdes and beastes, that with cōonscyences
loaden with synne (as S.Saint Paule
reporteth them) taketh every paynted
stocke & stone for their God, besydes the
small breades that their lecherouse chaplaynes
hath blowen upon. They shall
not be unwyse, that shall marke herin,
what commodyte it is, or what profyght
myght growe to a christen cōommen welthe
Youth. if youth were thus brought up in vertu
& good letters. If soch frutes come forewarde
in chyldehode, what wyll folowe
and apere whan dyscressyon and yeares
shall be more rype and auncyent? A most
manyfest sygne of Godlynesse is it in the
fryndes, where youth is thus instytute,
Tuters. and a token of wonderfully faythfull dylygence,
in the studyouse teachers, tuters,
and dayly lokers on.

Nobylyte whych she hath gotēen of bloude
in the hyghest degre, havynge a most
vyctoryouse kynge to her father, & a most
vertuouse, & lerned kynge agayne to her
brother, is not in the earely sprynge dystayned
with wanton ignoraūunce, neyther yet F1r Fo.41.
yet blemyshed with the commen vyces of
dyssolute youth. Lerned. But most plenteously adourned
with all kyndes of languages, lernynges,
and vertues, to holde it styll in ryght
course. The translacyon of thys worke,
were evydence stronge ynough, if I had
not els to laye for the matter. But marke
yet an other moch more effectuall and clere,
at the whych not a fewe lerned men in
Germany have wondered. In iiii. noble
languages, Latyne, Greke, Frenche, and
Italyane, wrote she unto me these clauses
folowynge. Clauses
added.
Whych I have added to thys
boke, not only in commendacyon of her lerned
youth, but also as an example to be folowed
of other noble men and women, cōoncernynge
their chyldren. The written clauses
are these, whych she wrote first with
her owne hande, moch more fynely than I
coulde with anye prentynge letter set thēem
fourth.

Latyne. Stultus dixit in corde suo, no est Deus.
Illi corrupti sunt, & abhominabiles in sua
impietate, nullus est qui aliquid boni facit.

Frenche. Le fol disoit en sōon coeur, il n’a nul Dieu.
Ils sont corumpus & sont abhominablesF nables F1v
en leur impiete, il n’a nul qui faicobscuredt,
bien.

Italiane Is stulto disse uel suo core, non
v’e alcuno Dio. Corrutti sono &
abhominabile nella loro impieti,
nissuno è buono.

Greke. Ton theon phoboūun, tous de gonesobscured tima, tous de
Philous aeschynon.

The first clause in thre lāanguages, latyne,
Frenche, and Italyane, comprehēendeth
thys only sentence, as I shewed afore in
the Epystle dedycatory.

Antichrist
hys clergy.
The fole sayth in hys harte, there is no
God. Corrupt they are, and abhominable
in their wyckednesse (or blasphemyes agaynst
God) not one of them doth good.

The Greke clause is thus to be Englyshed.

Christiane.
Feare God, honoure thy parentes, and
reverence thy fryndes.

Thus have she geven us coūunsell, both to
go and to come, to leave and to take. The pope To declyne F2r Fo.42.
declyne from the evyll, and to do that is
good. Psal. 36.Ps. 36 To flee from the Antichrist
& hys great body of synne or blasphemouse
cruell clergy, & to returne to God by a
perfyght feare, honoure, and love. So lyvely
Apothegmes, or breve and quycck sēentences,
respectynge christyanyte, have seldom
come from women. Writers. I have serched
Plutarchus, Boccatius, Bergomas, Textor,
& Lander of Bonony, whych all wrote
of the vertues and worthy actes of womēen.
But amonge them all have I founde no
counsels so necessary to the cōommen welthe
of our christyanyte. Women. I denye it not, but excellent
thynges they uttered, and matters
of wysdome wonderfull, concernynge morall
vertues. But these most hyghly respecteth
the kyngedome of fayth and regymēens
of the sowle, whych Jesus Christ the eternall
sonne of God, from heaven by hys doctryne
and death so busyly sought to clere.
Many grave sentences had they concernynge
pryvate causes. All sortes But unyversally
these are for all sortes of people, hygh, lowe,
hayle, sycke, ryche, poore, lerned, & unlerned,
that myndeth to have fredome by
Christes deadly sufferynges, or to be delyvered
frōom helle, synne, deathe, & the devyll, Fij by the F2v
by the pryce of hys precyouse bloude.

No realme undre the skye hath had more
noble women, nor of more excellent graces,
than have thys realme of Englande,
both in the dayes of the Brytaynes, and
sens the Englysh Saxons obtayned it by
valeaunt conquest. Guendolena.
Guendolena the wyfe
of Locrinus the seconde kynge of Brytayne,
beynge unlaufully dyvorced from hym
for the pleasure of an whore, whom he longe
afore had kepte, tryed it with hym by
dynte of the swerde, had the vyctory, and
reigned after hym as kynge the space of.
xv. yeares, tyll her sonne Maddan come
to laufull age. Cordilla. Cordilla the doughter of
kynge Leyer, and least of all her systers, as
her father was deposed, & exyled out of
hys lande, she receyved, conforted, and restored
hym agayne to hys princely honoure,
and reigned alone after hys deathe, for
the space of v. yeares Cambra Cambra the doughter
of kynge Belyne, and wyfe to Antenor
than kynge of France, ded not only excede
in bewtie, but also in wysdome. In so
moch that she first instructed the noble
men how to buylde cyties, castels, and other
stronge holdes, the cōommēen people more
comely maners, and the womēen a most semelymely F3r Fo.43.
deckynge of their heades. Lawes. She made
their cyvyle lawes, whych upon her name
were called. Leges Sycambrorum. She
taught them to sowe flaxe and hempe, to
watter it, drye it, dresse it, spynne it, weave
it, whyten it, and fashyon it, to all maner
of use for the bodye.

Martia. Martia the wyfe of kynge Guythelyne,
a lady excedyngly fayre, wyse, & lerned
in all the lyberall scyences, invented
thynges wonderfull by the hygh practyse
of her wytt. After the death of her husbāande
she reigned vii. yeares as kynge, tyll
Sicilius her sonne came to age. She redressed
re the commen welthe, refourmed
the grosse maners of the people, and made
most honest lawes called of her name, Leges
Martiane.
. Constantia.
So delyghted the Frenche
kynge Nicanor in the wysdome, lernynge,
and comely maners of hys wyfe Constantia,
the doughter of kynge Eliodorus, that
he not only holpe her brother Geruntius
in see battayle agaynst the kynge of Orchades,
but also sent hys most dere sonne Priamus
into Brytayne to have the same selfe
bryngynge up. Agasia The Scottysh kynge Finnanus
thought hys pryncely honour most
gloryously increased, as he had obtayned Fiij Agasia F3v
Agasia the doughter of kynge Blegabridus,
to be coupled in maryage with Dorstus
hys sonne, for the manyfolde graces
that he behelde in her. What though the
seyd ungracyouse Dorstus, in spyght of the
Brytaynes, ded afterwarde use her most
wyckedly. Būundwy-ca. Bundwyca a womāan both hygh
of stature, and stomacke, also of myst noble
lynage amonge the Brytaynes, perceyvynge
the havoke whych the Romanes
dayly made in the lande, with great pusaunce
of worthy warryours she invaded
them, slewe them, hynge up their captaynes,
and folowed the remnaunt of them to
the very Alpes of Italy. Where at the lattre
by reason of dayly labours, she syckened
and so dyed, even the very glory of women,
sayth Ponticus Virunnius

Doada. Doada the first wyfe of kynge Arviragus,
a woman of wonderfull force & hart
strongly armed her selfe, her .ii. doughters,
and v. thousande women more of the Britannysh
bloude in battayle agaynst the
furyouse fearce Romanes, to suppresse their
tyranny and execrable fylthynesse in
abusynge maydes, wyves, and wydowes.
But as she behelde the vyctory upon their
sydes bycause she wolde not come undre their F4r Fo.44.
their captyvyte, she poysened her selfe, &
so dyed. Voadicia. Voadicia her yonger doughter,
afterwarde escapynge the handes of the
seyd Romanes, with a myghty power of
the Brytanes entered into the yle of Māanne,
and in a nyght battayle, there slewe thēem
in a wonderfull nombre, destroyenge their
fortalyces, and holdes. Notwithstandynge
at the lattre beynge taken, she was byheaded,
her eldar syster beynge maryed to kynge
Marius. Athildis. Athildis the doughter of
the seyd kynge Marius, was also a most
noble woman, whom the Frenche kynge
Marcomerus marryed for the only naturall
gyftes and scyences whych she had
above other women, and had vii. sonnes
by her. Claudia
Rufina.
Claudia Rufina, a noble Brytayne,
wyttye and lerned both in Greke and
Latyne, havynge to husbande one Aulus
Rufus
a lerned knyght, a poete of Bonony
& a phylosopher of the Stoycall sort, is
moch cōommēended of Martialis the poete, for
the Epygrammes and poemes whych she
than compyled in both those tunges.

Emerita. Emerita the syster of kynge Lucius,
whych is called the first christened kynge,
a lady most vertuouse and faythfull, for cōonstauntly
affermynge the veryte of Christ, Fiiij suffered F4v
suffered most tyrannouse death and was
brent in the fyre. Helena
Flavia.
Helena Falvia, the doughter of kynge Coelus, and mother to
great Constantyne the Emprour, was a
woman of incomparable bewtie and lernynge.
Non coulde be founde lyke her in
the artes lyberall, neyther yet in the fyne
handelynge of all instrumentes of musyke.
She excelled all other in the dyverse speches
of nacyons, specyally in the Latyne,
Greke, and Hebrue. She made a boke of
the provydence of God, an other of the immortalyte
of the sowle, with serten Greke
poemes, epystles, and dyverse other treatyses.
Cōonstāantia. Constantia her doughter, was also
a woman of most excellent giftes, had
she not in the ende declyned to the detestable
secte of the Arryanes, by serten hypocrytysh
prestes. Ursula. Ursula Cynosura, the
floryshynge douter of Dionothus the duke
of Cornewale
, was so nobylly brougt up in
all lyberall dyscyplyne, that Conanus the
kynge of lytle Brytayne desyred her to wyfe,
and as she went thydrewarde with.
xi. thousande Brytaynes wyves more, by
chaūunce of wether and vyolence of see rovers
both she and they peryshed by the waye.

Anne due Anna the syster of Aurelius Ambrosius whych F5r Fo.45.
whych was afterwarde marryed to Lotho
the kynge of Pyctes, & Anna the twynne
syster of kynge Arthure, are of writers
magnyfyed, for their dyverse and excellent
graces. Morganis.
Morganis a woman of incomparable
love towardes her parentes, and
contraye, so secretly and wysely convayed
the body of kynge Arthure, the most worthy
governour of the Brytaynes, that the
Englysh Saxons coulde never come to it,
to do their vyolēence theron. Hermelinda.
Hermelinda,
rysynge of the Englysh Saxons bloude,
for her excellent bewtie and noble behaver
became the wyfe of Cunibertus the kynge
of Lombardy. Hylda. Hylda, a noble woman,
both godly, wyse, and lerned, not only dysputed
in the open Synode at Streneshalce
in the North contraye agaynst the prelates,
concernynge their newly founde out
celebracyon of Eastre, and their crowne
shavynge, with other ceremonyes, but also
wrote a treatyse agaynst byshopp Agilbert
a Frenche man, the busyest amonge them.
Tres filis. The thre doughters of kynge Alphrede,
Elfleda, Elfritha, and Ethelgora, were
wonderfully experte in the lyberall scyences
Alenora. Alenor the wyfe of kynge Henry the
seconde
, was lerned also, & wrote dyverse Fv epystles F5v
epystles to pope Celestyne the thirde, & also
to kynge Johan her Joanna. yongest sonne.

Joāanna the yongest doughter of the seyd
kynge Henry, so moch delyghted in good
letters, that before she shulde be marryed
to kynge wyllyam of Cycyll, she caused
her father to sende over ii. lerned men of
Englande. Walther and Rycharde with
a Frenche doctour called Petrus Blesensis
to instruct hym in them, specyally in the
arte of versyfyenge. And at her cōommynge
thydre, the one of those Englysh men was
made archebyshop of Panoune, & the other
byshop of Siracusa, in recompēence of their
labours. Margareta.
Margarete, the noble mother
of kynge Henry the vii. so plenteously mynded
the preferment of scyences & goynge
forewarde of lernynges, that she buylded
in Cambryge for thesame porpose, the colleges
of Christ & of S. Johan the Evāangelyst,
and gave landes for their mayntenaunce,
as Elisabeth quene Helisabeth ded afore, to
the quenes college there. Longe were it
to rehearce the excedynge nombre of noble
women, whych in thys lande of Brytayne
or realme of Englande, have excelled
in bewtie, wytte, wysdome, scyence, lāanguages,
lyberalyte, polycyes, heroycall force,
ce, and F6r Fo.46.
and soch other notable vertues, and by
reason of them done feates wonderfull.
Names. Eyther yet to sort out their Names and
regestre them one by one, whych have bene
marryed out of the same, to Emprours,
kynges, dukes, earles, worthy captaynes,
Phylosophers, phesycyanes, astronomers,
poetes, & other of renomed fame and letters,
only for their most rare graces and
gyftes

Writers. Though non in thys lande have yet done
as ded amonge the Grekes Plutarch9us
& amonge the Latynes Boccatius with
other authours afore named, that is to
saye, left behynde them Cataloges, or Nomenclatures
of famouse and honorable
women, yet have it not at any tyme bene
barrayne of them. No, not in the dayes of
most popysh darkenesse. As apereth by
Alenora
Cobham.
Alenor Cobham, the wyfe of good duke
Umfrey of Glocestre
, brother to kynge Hēen
ry the fift
. Whom Antichristes grande
captaynes, the byshoppes than of Englāande,
in hate of her name and beleve, accused
of sorcerouse inchauntmentes and experymentes
of Necromancy agaynst their holy
horned whorysh churche. And at the last
slewe her noble husbande in a false parlementlemēt F6v
at Bury, by their owne hyred slaughter
man Pole, as they never are without
soch. Double
honoure.
If they were worthy prayse,
whych had these aforenamed vertues syngle,
or after a bodyly sort only, we must of
congruence graunt them worthy double
honoure, whych have them most plēenteously
doubled. As now sens Christes Gospell
hath rysen, we have beholden them, & yet
se them styll to thys daye in many noble women,
not rysynge of flesh and bloude as in
the other, but of that myghty lyvynge sprete
of hys, whych vanquyshed deathe, helle,
and the devyll.

Anne
Askewe.
Consydre yet how strongly that sprete
in Anne Askewe, set them all at nought
with all their artyllery and mynysters of
myschefe both upon the racke and also in
the fyre. Whose memory is now in benedyccyon
(as Jesus Syrach reporteth of
Moses) and shall never be forgotten of
the ryghteouse. She as Christes myghty
membre, hath strongly troden downe the
head of the serpent, and gone hence with
most noble vyctory over the pestyferouse
seede of that vyperouse worme of Rome,
the gates of helle not prevaylynge agaynst
her. Noble. What other noble women have, it F7r Fo 47
it doth now, and wyll yet herafter apere
more largely by their godly doctryne and
dedes of fayth. Women. Marke thys present boke
for one, whose translacyon was the worke
of her, whych was but a babe at the doynge
therof. Marke also the grave sentences,
whych she geveth fourth to the worlde &
laude that lyvynge father of our lorde Jesus
Christ
, whych hath thus taken hys heavenly
wysdome from the great grave senyours,
that only are wyse in their owne
consaytes, and geven it so largely to chyldrēen.
Math. 11.Matt. 11 Prayer. That heavenly lorde graūunt
her and other noble women longe contynuaūunce
in the same to hys hygh pleasure.
That lyke as they are become gloryouse to
the worlde by the stody of good letters, so
maye they also apere gloryouse īin hys syght
by dayle exercyse in hys dyvyne scriptures,
Whose nature is in processe of tyme to kyndle
their myndes and inflame their hartes
in the love of Christ their eternall spouse,
as thys present boke requyreth. So be it.

Thus endeth thys godly Medytacyon of the
christen sowle concernynge a love towardes
God and hys Christ, aptely translated into
Englysh by the ryght vertuouse lady Elyzabeth
doughter to our late soveraynne
Kynge Henry the viii.

F7v

¶The xiii. Psalme of David, called,
Dixit insipiens, touched afore of
my lady Elizabeth.

Fooles that true fayth, yet never
hod,

Sayth in their hartes, there is no God.

Fylthy they are, in their practyse

Of them not one, is godly wyse.

From heaven the lorde, on man ded loke,

To knowe what wayes, he undertoke,

All they were vayne, and went a straye,

Not one he founde, in the ryght waye.

In harte and tunge, have they deceyte,

Their lyppes throwe fourth a poysened
beyte.

Their myndes are mad, their mouthes are
wode.

And swyft they be, in shedynge blode.

So blynde they are, no truth they knowe,

No feare of God, in them wyll growe.

How can that cruell sort be good?

Of Gods dere folcke, whych sucke the
blood?

On hym ryghtly, shall they not call,

dyspayre wyll so, their hartes appall.

At F8r

At all tymes God is with the just

Bycause they put, in hym their trust.

Who shall therfor, from Syon geve,

That helthe whych hāangeth, in our beleve?

Whan God shall take, frōom hys the smart,

Than wyll Jacob, rejoyce in hart.

Prayse to God.
Identical figure to that on title page, i.e. woodcut depicting Elizabeth kneeling and receiving instruction from Christ.

Imprented in the yeare of our lorde
1548-041548. in Apryll.

F8v