THE MIRROR OF MODESTY, wherein appeareth as in a perfect Glass how the Lord delivereth the innocent from all imminent perils, and plagueth the bloodthirsty hypocrites with deserved punishments.  
Showing that the grey heads of dooting adulterers shall not go with peace into the grave, neither shall the righteous be forsaken in the day of trouble.  
By R. G. Master of Artes.  
¶ Imprinted at London by Roger Warde, dwelling at the sign of the Talbot near unto Holborn Conduit. 1584.   

To the Gentle Rea dear health.  
BEing requested Gentlemen of a certain Gentlewoman whose suit I durst not deny to pen out this story of Susanna, more largely than it is written among the Apopcriphas. I stood in a doubt whether I should deny her request or put myself to your iudgement●…, ●…o 〈◊〉 vpo●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a tri●… with my fr●…d sèemed unto her 〈◊〉, to trouble your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such trash I thought was to strain to much v●…on your courtesy, fearing thus to displease the one or offend the other I de●…mined rather to abide her brunt the●… to seem over rash, until at last she persuaded me that to trouble your patience was but a small crack, but to ●…ny a Gentlewoman and my friend so reasonable a request a great discredit. To prove this her censure was a sentence, & in this her will stood as a law, so that to feed her fancy I have showed myself to be to fond. But hoping when you weigh what a spur I had you will wink if you spy a spot, I rest upon this point and so bid you farewell.  
Yours to use R. G.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE AND Virtuous Lady, the Lady MARGARET, Countess of Derby, Robert green wisheth happy health, with increase of Ho●…or and virtue.  
THe Poet Homer (Right Honourable and virtuous Lady) took pains to pen the travels of Vli●…s because he was wise, and I have applied my small skill to level out the life of Susanna, because she was c●…st. He sought to pleasure others by the show of Vl●…s wisdom, and I (if I might) to profit all by Su●…nas chastity. divers 〈◊〉 Vli●… sleps, (although they suspected it for a feigned tale) than I hope most will tread Susanna●… tr●…, in that they know it an unfeigned truth. But your honour may think I play like Ezops' 〈◊〉, which 〈◊〉 her se●…fe with others feathers or like the proud Poet Batyllus, which subscribed his name to Virgil's verses, and yet presented them to Augustus: In the behalf therefore of this my offence, I excuse myself with the 〈◊〉 that Vard●… made, when he 〈◊〉 E●…ius 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 Em●…rour: I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be another 〈◊〉 picture, but 〈◊〉 flou●… with mine 〈◊〉 c●…lours. Well Diana's present was ever a bow. because 〈◊〉 lou●…d hunting: Pallas 〈◊〉 was a 〈◊〉 in that 〈◊〉 was valiant: and I think no fit present for your ladyships parsonage, than this Mirror of Chast●…, 〈◊〉 you are vertnous. The renown of whose virtuous qualities is such, and so great that your v●…rie foes (if you have any) shall be forced maug●… their face to speak well whatsoever their spiteful minds do think. The fame therefore (right honourable) of this your virtuous life, and the report of your ladyships s●…rpasing courtesy, encouraged me to present this pamphlet to your honours protection, hoping that as the goddess Themis thankfully accepted the frankincense, which Dew calion willingly offered at 〈◊〉 altar: So your Ladyship will vouchsafe of my will whatsoever the work be, and take this Pamphlet in good part, though for want of skill it be unperfect. Resting thus upon your I adiships' courtesy I commit your honour to the Almighty.  
Your honours most humbly to command Robert Greene.   

A PRINCELY MIRROR OF Peerless modesty.  
_ 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of King Astyages, there dwelled in Babylon a certain man called Ioa●…him, loved particularly of each one for his virtue, & honoured generally of all men for his parentage and progeny, more adorned with v●…rtuous perfections, then endued with wealthy possessions, and yet counted one of the ●…reatest wealth in all Babylon, so that he was feared of most for his riches, and 〈◊〉 above all for his Justice. This joachim. willing to take a wife and to link himself in the holy league of Matrimony, coveted carefully to find out such a match that he might neither have ca●…se to rue his chance, nor repent him of his choice, knowing that after that knot was once knit (had I witted) would come to late. He therefore sought out one Susanna, the daughter of Helchias, a man who carefully sought to keep the law, and took surpassing pains in the diligent instructing of his daughter, knowing that her virtuous qualities would be a comfort to him, and a credit to herself. This Susanna was endued with such exquisite beauty and exceeding virtue, as it was heard to judge whether the pure complexion of of her body, or the persect constitution of her mind, held the supremacy Ioachim ●…rst noting the godly disposition of her parents, began to think, that such tree such fruit, that if the stock were good the graft would be the better, that seldom out of a right Olive grew a wild branch that the best vine beareth the best grapes, and the honestest parents the most virtuous children: then hearing the singular report that all Babylon made 〈◊〉 virtuous qualities (for he counted it the point of a wise man rather to love by ●…are than like by the eye) he thought himself fortunate that it was his chance to make so good a choice, knowing that a peaceable woman, and of a good hart, is a gift of the Lord, and there is nothing so much worth as a woman well instructed, that a shamefast and faithful woman is adouble grace, & there is no treasure to be compared to her continent mind, that as the glittering beams of the Sun when it ariseth, decketh the Heaven, so the glistering beauty of a good wise adorneth the house, and that as golden pillars do shine upon the sockets of silver, so doth a fair face with a virtuous mind. joachim I say considering this, and finding in Susanna beauty to feed his fancy, and virtue to content his heart, by the consent of her parents, took her to his wife, who whiles they lived and loved together in fortunate prosperity, it happened that there were clected two of the most ancient of the people to be judges, such as the LORD speaketh of, that the iniquity came from Babylon, and from the ancient judges that seemed to rule the people. These two beauty, and were inflamed towards her with inordinate affection, fond fancy had alre●…die given them the foil, and their aged hair yielded unto vanity, so that they turned away their minds from God, and durst not lift up their eyes to heaven, lest it should be a witness of their wickedness, or a cor●…ue to their guilty conscience, for the remembrance of God is a terror to 〈◊〉 unrighteous, and the sight of his creatures is a sting to the mind of the reprobate. These therefore feeling their devilish hearts to be perplexed with such hellish passi●…ns cast of carelessly the fear of GOD, from before their ei●…, neither remembering that they were Elders to give good example, nor judges of the people to minister right, their hoary hairs could not hale them from sin, nor their calling convert them from filthiness, but they greedily 〈◊〉 up the dregs of unrighteousness, and carefully busied their brains to oppress the simple. Yet although they ha●… wholly sold themselves over to sin, and yielded their necks to the yeake of 〈◊〉, they durst not so much as in countenannce show what their wicked wills did pretend. For albeit they were linked together in the league of ●…itie, and were such professed friends as the consent of the one was a constraint to the other, and though they were both fettered in the snare of her beauty, and 〈◊〉 with the like flame, yet they durst not be wray their gr●…, how fondly ●…ancie had bewitched them, neither unfold how fleshly desire had drawn them to disordinate lust, for the wicked is ashamed more of man than of God, and feareth to be detected of that which he careth not to commit in the sight of the almighty. While thus they st●…de in dread to bewray their ●…oating 〈◊〉, they daily watched very diligently to feed their ●…ies with the fight of her beauty, and to gaze on the perfection of her body, neither fleeing that which bred their own 〈◊〉, nor remembering the counsel of the wise, who wisheth a man not to gaze upon the glittering beauty of a woman, lest he fall through that which is precious in her, nor to yield to the alarumes of inordinate lust, that he both d●…stroie not himself, and his heritage. This wholesome doctrine nothing cooling their desires, they still 〈◊〉 with the Sow in their wickedness, yea their former custom ●…n sinning had so taken away the feeling of their offence, that although their own conscience drove them from attempting openly such a fault, yet they greedily sought in secret to commit so heinous a fact, each of them carefully conjecturing by what means he might b●…st bring to pass his pretended purpose, so that t●…e one said to the other seeing that our business is done, and our office diligently executed, let us not delay any longer, but hie us home to dinner, either of them seeking by this subtle shift to shake off the others company, that he might find fit opportunity to give the onset, they being therefore departed and having taken their leave, went home with a flea in their ears, having the prick of lascivious lust as a continual spur in their side, neither of them taking any rest till they returned and met in the same place from whence before they parted, which sudden and unlooked for meeting, drove them both into such a dump as they stood amazed at this strange chance, until at last the eldest of them burst forth into these speeches. Brother quoth he, I cannot but both muse and marvel what ●…inde hath driven you so suddenly into this coast, have you such serious business with master joachim, or are you pestered with such importunate sutours that your return is so speedy, but 'tis heard brother to delay when the devil drives, or to ●…ull back the foot when love or necessity sounds the march, I am not such a dunce but, I can divine by a little motion what the mind meaneth, nor so had a physician but I can conjecture by the water what the patientes pain is, I s●… brother by imagination what you feel in ●…ct, and 'tis heard to haut before a créeple●… I therefore adjure you by the sacred b●…nd of friendship, which hath and shall remain unviolable betwixt, us, that you (without feigning) unfold unto me the cause of your sudden coming, swearing unto yo●… by the God of our fathers, that be it never so weighty, I will be as secret as a brother, & be it never so dangerous I will help thee as a friend. The other judge hearing his strange salutation, made him this answer. Brother quoth he, I smell your fetch, but 'tis heard to catch the fish when the hook is bare, and ill taking of the fox when the traps is descried, 〈◊〉 that will juggle without art, must play his feats under the board, lest want of cunning crack his credit, you cannot by musing at my speedy arrival, and by enquiring the cause make me cease from maruatling at your so sudden coming, and to examine the case, for your spéed●… is as suspicious as my haste. But in a needful matter to leave this peerless niceness, which bewitcheth friends, is friu●…lus trusting upon your troth, and reposing my confidence on your protestro friendship, I will freely without 〈◊〉 unfold unto you my unfortunate state. I call it unfortunate because I am half past hope to obtain my purpose, and if I get that I ga●…e for yet my greatest gain shall be loss. So it is brother that the beauty of Susanna hath so bleared mine eyes, and her comely perfection so bewitched my senses, her singular feature hath so fired my fancy, and her sweet face so fettered my freedom that I am perplexed with a thousand contrary passions, the fear of God persuades from such wicked fondness, but the de●…re of her beauty drives me to such wretched folly, my conscience continually exhorteth me not to attempt such a fact, but concupiscence persuadeth to persist in my purpose, but he that is so serupulous for the observing of the law, shall both pass his days without pleasure, and yet at last be found a sinner. I mean therefore whatsoéuer the law wisheth at this time to have mine own will. In troth quoth the other, 'tis folly to cover smoke, and more fondness to conceal love, but he is most fool of all that feareth to bewray a serious matter to a secret friend, know therefore brother that we are both feathered of on wing, & thy love exceedeth not my lust, y● burnest not more than I do, Susanna is the saint whom I do serve and her exquisite perfection hath enchanted me, thy sore is my sorrow, and the same pain doth pinch us both alike, as therefore we have one malady, we will both have oné medicine, and as we have both happened on one pretence, so we will friendly hazard to extaine one purpose. These two cursed caitiffs, of the seed of Chanaan southing one another in this devilish imagination, concluded when they might find her alone, to suck the blood of this innocent lamb, and with most detestable villainy to assail the simple mind of this silly Susanna. Perststing therefore in this hellish purpose, many days were not passed ere they spied ●…t opportunity (as they thought to obtain their desire, for the season being very hot and the tender body of Susanna being sore parched with heat, she 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 of her household, much less any stranger had been in the garden, went in as her use was with two maidens, only thinking their secretly to wash herself, and seeing the coast clear, and hirselse solitarily said thus unto them, bring me quoth she oil and soap where with to wash, and see that you shut the doors surely. The maidens carefully obeying their mistress command, shut the garden gates, and went out themselves at a bac●…e door, to fet what their mistress had willed them, not seeing the elders because they were hi●…, who no sooner saw the maidens gone, and Susanna a fit pray for their filthy 〈◊〉, but they rose up and ran unto her, the one of them beginning to persuade her on this manner. Be not amazed mistress Susanna quoth he to see us thus suddenly and secretly arrived, neither let our presence appall your senses, for we come not cruelly as as foes, but 〈◊〉 as fr●…nds, if our coming be strange, the cause is as strait, and where necessity for●…eth there it is hard to strive against the stream, be that seeketh no way against his own will oft times kicketh against the prick, and he that striveth to withstand 〈◊〉 hoppeth against the hill. These things considered if we offence in being to 〈◊〉, your beauty shall bear the blame, as the only cause of this enterprise, for to omit all frivolous circumstances and to come to the matter, so it is that your divine hearts 〈◊〉 have so been perplexed with the passions of love, and have been so deeply drowned in the desire of your person, that there is no torment so terrible, no pain so pinching, no woe so gréeuo●…s, as the the grief which hath gripped us, since we have burned in love towards you. Sith therefore our liking is such, let it be repaid again with love, let our firm fanste be requited with mutuali affection, and in am of our good will, cönsent unto us, and lie with us. That sin which is secretly committed is always half pardoned, she liveth 〈◊〉 enough that liveth charyly, the garden gates are surely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can see us, whereby to detect us of the crime. The credit which we carry in Babylon shall be sufficient to shrow●… you from shame, our office shall be able to defend you from ●…istrust, and our grey hairs a shield to defend you from suspicion, and by this small offence, you shall both pleasure us and purchase to yourself two such trusty friends as you may in all dutiful service command. Susanna hearing this subtle serpent to breath out such brutish reasons, wondered to see two of their calling so blinded with the vale of la●…ciuious lusts, as to 〈◊〉 so 〈◊〉 against there own conscience, insomuch that for a good space the stood astonished, until at last gathering hit wits together, she burst forth int●… these speeches. 'tis a saying quot●… she, not so common as true, that wh●… so sinneth against his conscience sinneeth against his own soul, and he that knoweth the Law and wilfully di●…obeieth it, deserveth many stripes, whic●… sacred sentence I wish you to consider, and no doubt it will be a sufficient modesty and account me for ever as a common harlot, for the Lord suffereth not the wicked to go unrewarded. She saith the wise man that is not continent but common in her love, and yieldeth that which is proper to her husband into the possession of a stranger, disobeyeth the law, maketh breach of her plighted faith, and lastly playeth the wh●…re in most hellish adultery, her children shall not take root, nor her branches shall bring forth no fruit, her name shall be spotted with infamy, and her discredit shall not quite be forgotten. And shall I then knowing this wilfully work mine own woe, shall I repay the troth my husband reposeth in me, with such treachery, shall I requite his love with such disloyalty, shall such guileful discourtesy be a guerdon for his unfeigned good will, no the fear of God is a fortress unto me against such folly, the love I bear to my husband is a shield to fence me from such shameless fancy, and the care of mine own honour is a conserve against such filthy concupiscence. Whereas you say that the fin which secretly is committed is half pardoned, and that she liveth Cast: which liveth Caute, that the gates are shut, that no man can espy our folly, and that the place is so secret that the offence cannot be prejudicial to my good name. I answer, that I more esteem the wrath of God than the words of men, and I dread more to commit such a devilish fact before the sight of the almighty, than before the eyes of all the world, man judgeth but the body, but God the soul, the one being but a small pinch, the other a perpetual pain. 〈◊〉 (saith the wise man that breaketh wodlocke and thinketh thus in his heart, who seethe me, the misty clouds have covered me, and I am compassed about with a cloudy darkness, my offence shall not be an object unto any man's eyes, neither can any man discern my ●…ooinges, I am secretly closed with in the walls, whom m●…de I to fear, and as for the LORD ●…e is merciful, and will not remember any man's sins, he is slow unto wrath, and promiseth spáedilie to pardon the faults of the wicked. Such a one that feareth more the eye of a mortal man, than the sight of an immortal God, and knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord is ten thousand times brighter than the glittering beams of the sun, beholding the very thoughts of men, and searching the hart and the rains, the same man shall be punished with earthly plagues and hellish torments, he shall suddenly be taken in his own trap, and he shall fall before the face of every man, because he preferred his own pleasure before the fear of the Lord. But alas it is unfite for the young fawn to lead the old buck, for a blind man to be a guide to him which hath his sight, nor meet for a silly simple woman to instruct the Elders and judges of the people, is it my part to exhort you unto virtue, or rather is it not your duty to persuade me from vice, but I hope this proffer is but to make a trial of mine honesti●…, and to sift out my secret intent, if otherwise, your wills and your words be a like, ●…ease your sut●…, for you may well gape, but never gain you look for.  
The judges hearing silly Susanna thus cunningly to confute their devilish connclusions, seeing she had infringed their reasons, by the power of the law thought to wrest her upon a higher pin, and to lay such a blot in her way as she should hardly wipe out. For although they knew she did rightly refel their frantic folly, and perfectly perceive her godly counsel was a cooling card to their inordinate ●…sires, ye●… they were so blinded with the v●…le of ●…ciuious vanity, and so dimmed with the cloud of concupiscence, that the 〈◊〉 of God was of no force to hale them from this hellish folly, but that the other Elder gave Susanna this sharp and wicked answer.  
Susanna quoth he, Helias counsel did little prevail to persuade Ahab from eni●…ieng the vinyeard of Naboth, but that he both obtained his desire, and rewarded such an obstinate subject with cruel death. Barsabe could not withhold David both from sacking her honour and honesty and also from murdering cruelly her loving husband Urias, neither sh●…ll these painted speeches prevail against our pretended purpose, for he is a coward that yieldeth at the ●…rst shot, and he not worthy to wear the bud of beauty that is daunted with the first denial, we have the tree in our hand, and mean to enjoy the fruit we have veaten the bush, and will n●…t now let the birds escape, and seeing we have you here alone, your stea●…ne 〈◊〉 shall stand for no sterling, b●…t if y●… consent be assnred of two trusty fren●… if not hope for no other hap 〈◊〉 de●…h for your denial. 'tis a saying n●… so common as true, that a woman's 〈◊〉 treasure is her good name, and that the which hath cracked her credit is half hanged, for death cutteth off all miseseries, but infamy is the beginning of all sorrows. Sith then loathsome ●…iscredit is worse than loss of life, assur●… thyself if thou deny us, we will beat th●… with the rod, for we both will witness against thee, that we took thee committing adultery with a young man and that the more covertly to cloak thy whoredom thou didst secretly send away thy maids, that so thou mightest enjoy thy pleasure, and they not espy thy practice. Our office and authority, our age and honour shall suffice to witness our words to be true, so that thou shalt purchase to thy friends and thy fame perpetual discredit, and to thy body without pardon, a most pinching and shameful death, seeing therefore by consent thou shalt still keep the report of thy chastity, and by discredit thou shalt reap death and discredit, show thyself a wise woman, and of two evils chose the best.  
Susanna hearing the mischievous pretence of these subtle serpents and seeing that they had so laid the train that she could no way escape the traps but either she must incur the ●…aunger of the body, or the destruction of the soul, was perplexed with such doubtful passions, and cumbered with such careful thoughts th●… she 〈◊〉 forth into trickling tears, sorrowful sighs, and woeful wailings, which poor soul she blubbered forth in this wise.  
Alas quoth she most wild and unjust wretches, is the fear of God so far from your minds, as you seek not only to sack mine honour, but to suck my blood, is it not injury enough in that you covet to spoil mine honesty, but that you long to spill my life, hath this sweet love you pretend such bitter taste, is this the fruit of your feigned fancy, no doubt the cause must be pernicious when the effect is so pestilent, flatter not yourselves in this your folly, nor soothe not yourselves in your sins, for there is a God that seeth and will revenge, and hath promised that who so bindech two sins together, shall not be unpunished in the one. But alas what availeth it to talk of wisdom to the fool, or of the wrath of God to a wilful reprobate. The charmer charm he never so wisely charms in vain if the Adder be deaf, and the wise casteth stones against the wind, that seeketh to draw the wicked from his folly. Let me therefore poor soul more narrowly consider mine own case, I am alas perplexed with divers doubtful passions and grievous troubles assaileth me on every side, if I commit this crime, though never so secretly, yet the eyes of the Lord seeth the very inward thoughts, and mine own conscience shall continually be a witness against me of this wickedness, the reward of sin is death, than what other hap can I hope for, but perpetual damnation if I do this wicked deed, sith the Lord himself hath promised to be a swift witness against all wilful adulterers. And if I consent not unto these unrighteous judges I am like to be unjustly accused of the like crime, so that both I shall suffer death without cause, & yet (which is most grief, not die without shame. By this means what dishonour shall I bring to my parents, what discredit to my husband, and what infamy to myself and my silly children. The hoary hairs of my father Helchias shall be brought with sorrow unto the grave, Icachim shall be ashamed to show his face in the streets of the city and my poor babes shall be counted as the seed of an harlot, and yet alas I myself altogether sacklesses, why my secret offence shall prevent all this open shame, the Lord is slow to wrath, and his mercy eccéedeth all his works, he wisheth not the death of a sinner, and hearty repentance pacifieth his displeasure. But O vile wretch that I am, why do I thus blaspheme against the Lord & his law, why do I breathe out these hellish speeches, can I say I will repent at my pleasure, or shall I therefore sin in hope because the Lord is merciful. No, no, it is better for me to fall into your hands, and not commit the offence then to sin in the sight of the Lord, shall I not rather fear God than man, & drea●… him more that killeth both body & soul, than him that hath power but to kill the body only, yet his scare shallbe my defence. And with that she cried with a loud voice and the two Elders cried out against her and the one of them ran and opened the gate, the more to verify their vild intent. Now when the servants hard the cry in the garden, they hastily rushed in at the back door, to see what violence was offered to their mistress. But when the Elders had declared the matter unto them the servants were greatly ashamed for such an infamous report had never been bruited of Susanna: the fame of this heinous fact being spread throughout all Babilo●… every man began diversly to conjecture as fancy led them, her friends sorrowing suspected the cankered minds of the cruel judges, her foes laughing said that dissembled holiness was double sin, & that the holiest countenance hath not always the honest est conscience both friend & foe, notwithstanding wondering, at the strange chance. Well as the nature of man is desirous of novelty, so on the morrow after the people flocked to joachim's house, to hear this case throughly canvased & thither came the two Elders also, having their minds fraught with fury and their hearts full of hate, mischiuou●…ie imagining against Susanna to put her to death. They therefore commanded presently before all the people to send for Susanna the daughter of Helchias joachim's wife & immediately they sent for her who came accompanied with her father and mother, her children and all her kindred. The judges seeing Susanna to be come, and that she had her face covered with a vale, commanded presently to uncover her face, that so they might satisfy their filthy lust with the sight of her beauty, and feed their doting fancy with the glistering hew of her divine feature. The people now more narrowly noting her erquisite perfection, and singular beauty taking pity of her mishap sorrowed and wept. But the two Elders stood up in the midst of the assembly, and laying their hand upon Susanna's head, which powered forth tears, and heaved up her eyes towards heaven, for her heart trusted in the Lord, begun their tale of this manner.  
We are sorry quoth they that we have cause this day to accuse Susanna the daughter of Helchias, and wife of our friend joachim, neither would we willingly be witness against her, if our own conscience did not compel us to bear a true testimonic, we are judges & Elders of the people, appointed by God and chosen by the multitude and constrained by the law to have no respect of persons, but to do justice unto all men, neither to be partial to our friends, nor envious to our foe, but with the balance of equity to measure every man according to his merit, and with the sword of justice t●… uphold virtue, and to beat down vice. This considered we are driven of force to bewrate a heinous offence, which this Susanna hath committed as followeth. We both having occasion s●…cretlie to consult of weighty affairs, and often frequenting the house of our friend joachim coveting solitarily to confer of our secret business, thought it best (as our custom before had been) to walk in the garden: where we had not walked long but Susanna came in accompanied with two of her maids, whom presently she sent away from her, most surely shutting the garden gates, and they were no sooner gone, but a young man which had secretly hid himself in the garden came unto her, and lay with her, we stand●…ng in a corner, and seeing this wickedness were astonished to see such a strange fact, & remembering what report was spread abroad of Susanna's chastity stood in doubt whither we dreamt of such a deed or no, but at last we hastily ran unto them, and saw them as they were together, willing therefore such wickedness should not be unpunished, nor that such adulterous wretches should escape without the penalty of the law, assayed to take this yoongue man, that he might have tasted of the torments due for such an offence, but he was stronger than we, and in despite of us he opened the gate, and leapt out, well although he had escaped our hands yet we laid fast hold upon Susanna, and demanded of her what the yoongue man was, of what tribe and what was his name, but she held her peace and said nothing. Thus quoth they have you heard this heinous crime whereunto we are witnesses, sorrowing that such sin should be found in Israel, and especially in the child of so honest a father, & in the wife of so honest a husband. The judges having finished this their forged tale, the people gave credit to their word●… and believed them as they that were judges and Elders of the people thinking that such subtle shifts could never lie hid in such simple age, that such hoary hairs would never devise such devilish practices, & upon their credit they condemned her to death. Susanna hearing the fatal doom pronounced against her by these unjust judges, cried out unto the Lord with a loud voice and said.  
O God which seest the secrets of all hearts, and knowest all things before they come to pass, which descriest the very inward thoughts, and triest the heart and the rains, thou knowest that because I would not co●…sent unto the ●…ilthie lu●…te of these dooting leathers, nor agree by defile my husbands bed, to fulfil their fleshly desires, that they have slandered me with that crime whereof I was never guilty that they have unjustly accused of that fault, whereas not so much as in thought I committed such a fact, they have to satisfy their malicious mindss without cause invented this false crime, I confess myself, O Lord to be a most grievous offender, but not in this fault to deserve death but not for this deed. Hear then, O Lord my prayer, and let the innocency of my case plead before thy majesty, if it be thy will prevent their practices, confound their counsels, and let them which have diggcd the pit for others fall into the snares themselves. Thou hast never O Lord yet left the innocent without help, but hast delivered them which fear thee from all adversity, thou didst deliver joseph from the hands of his brethren which sought to spill his blood, and diddest prevent the practices of Saul, which pretended to slay his ser●…ant David, Elizeus being besieged within Dothan was not only freed from his foes, but also guarded about with a troop of holy Angels. Elias was preserved from the cruelty of jesable, and 〈◊〉 with Ravens, nay who hath trust●… in thy mercy, which hath come to mishap? or who hath put his hope in thee which hat●… suffered harm? ●…u O Lord if it be thy will thou ●…anst disclose the devices of these doting judges, and unfold the 〈◊〉- 〈◊〉 of the false ●…nesses, help then O Lord for in thee is my hope. The people hearing the solemn protestation of sorrowful Susanna; thought she had spoken these words to excuse her fault, but not that she was guiltless of the fact, giving more credit to the reverend age of the judges, then to the y●…ng years of a simple woman, supposing that her speech was more of custom to cloak her folly then of conscience to clear her of that crime, and therefore they led ●…it to the pla●…e of execution. But the Lord who never leaveth them in distress that put their trust in him heard her voice, and raised up the the holy spirit of a young child whose name was Daniel, who seeing Susanna carried by her ●…alse accusers to be put to death, cried with a loud voice from the 〈◊〉 of this woman. Then all the people a●…onished at this strange ●…rie, and amazed at the words of this y●…ng child turning toward him said, what 〈◊〉 these words that thou hast spoken, than Daniel emboldened by the spirit of God, made this answer.  
Are you such fools O ye 〈◊〉, quoth he, that you will confirm the caus●… before you have discussed the case or ●… supposed truth with out sufficient trial, or condemn●… any person without du●… proof, will you accept the witnesses 〈◊〉 any man touching life before you have sifted him by secret examination, know you not how that party is s●…ne condemned whose death the judges do conspire, and where the Elders do bear evil will or seek revenge, th●…re the innotent is ever oppressed, for the weakest (a●… the old proverb saith) is always thrust to the wall. Will you admit him which is an accuser, to be a con●…ner, what i●…stice can there be then, in judgement sh●…ll he which cometh in a●… plai●… determine the defendant doubts, who then will look for eq●…itie. if the witness will and word may ●…ande for a law without contradiction; then right shall be wrested according t●… the wish of every wilful wretch. No le●… him which is an Elder of the people, and cometh in to be a witness, not be a judge also, lest the innocent perish, and true justice be perner●…od, which now O ye fond Isralites ye shall try by experience, for ye hau●… suffered these unjust judges to con●…mne a daughter o●… Isr●…ell without cause, and have let them been wicked witnesses to 〈◊〉 the innocent blou●…. 〈◊〉 sentence prono●…nced against Su●… is unjust, and the witness of the judges is 〈◊〉 perjury, therefore return to judgement, and the Lord●… will ●…isclose who rig●… deserveth the the dea●…h. The people hearing this ●…ourned 〈◊〉 in all ha●…e and ●…he Gl●…ts said thus unto him. Since it hath pleased GOD quoth they that ●…ere is wisdom found in thy lips, and understanding in thine heart, and that thou hast knowledge given thee from about to search out that which hath been hidden from us all, come sit down amongst us, and execute the office of an Elder that through thee the justice of God may be made manifest in rewarding the wicked, and defending the innocent. Then said Daniel unto them, put these two aside one from another, and I will examine them, so when they were separated, he called one of them to whom he uttered these words.  
'tis a sai●…ng quoth he not so common as true, that he which looketh continually on the Sun, shall at last be blind, that who so handleth pitch must needs be de●…led there with, the tree that abideth so many blasts, at last falleth by the carpenters are, the bird that striketh at every stolen cannot long escape the snare, so long goeth the pitcher to the brook, that at last it comes broken home, and he that securely swimmeth in 〈◊〉, shall surely be drowned in iniquity, who so bindeth two ●…nnes together shall never be unrevenged in the one, and he that delighteth to offend in youth, shall no doubt feel the ●…unishment in age, the pouer●…e is old, and yet very true, Quod defertur non aufertur, Though God for a time suffer a man safely to wallow in his own wi●…kednesse, and to say unto his so●…le, ●…ush the Lord regardeth not the way of sinners, nor suspecteth not the misdeeds of men, he is slow to wrath, and prone to pity, yet at last the Lord looketh down from heaven, and revengeth all his sins with a grievous plague, yea he rooteth him out from the face of th●… earth, and his place is no more seen. Consider this than thou miserable ●…aitife, who hast gathered thy treasure with iniquity, and builded up thine house with ●…nne, that wert in thy youth addicted unto vanity, and art now waxed old in vice, how those sins which in thy young years thou didst commit secretly are now in thy hoary age revealed openly, yea the Lord hath deferred his punishment, that his mercy may seem the mo●…e, and thy ●…nne the greater He that hath the dro●…e drinketh while he bursteth, and yet not satisfied, the Leech hath two ●…ughters that never crieth en●…h: he that is ●…ung with the ●…erpent Dipsas burn●…th, but can never be cooled, and who is so inflamed with sin which thirsteth continually after wickedness, until he hath supped the d●…egs of God's displeasure to his own destruction, which now is verified in thee, for thou hast pronounced false judgements and hast condemned the innocent, thou hast taken bribes to pervert justice, and thou hast weighed the law in a false balance, but the Lord shall send upon thee cursing, trouble, and shame in all that which thou settest thy hand to do, until thou be destroyed and perish quickly, because of the wickedness of thy works, wherein thou hast forsaken him, for thou art commanded not to over throw th●… poor in his suit, but to defend 〈◊〉 cause of the needy. ●…is the duty of a judge to ●…eept him far from a ●…alse matter, and t●… measure all things in the balance of equity, and not ●…to deal unjustly with with the innocent and righteous, but to hear the plaint of the poor, lest the Lord take their cause in hand, and consume ●…im in his heavy ●…pleasure. But thou who from thy youth ha●… sworn to do wickedly, hast let the guilty go free, and borne false witness against the sacklesses soul, and hast ever perverted the seat of judgement: Well if thou hast seen Susanna commit this heinous crime, and defile the bed of hit husband, if thou hast taken her in adultery, and seen her in the very act, tell me under what tree thou didst see them commit the offence. The judge answered under a ●… Lentiske tree. Then said Daniel verily thou hast lied against thine own life, thou vast in betraying the innocent blasphemed against GOD, offended in bearing 〈◊〉 witness, and s●…ulde thy soul to S●…han by committing wilful perjury, so that the Angel of GOD hath received the sentence to cut thee in two.  
Daniel had no s●…ner vttere●… these words, but the people presently put him aside, and brought forth the other to whom Daniel uttered these bitter speeches.  
O thou cursed seed of Canaan quoth he, and not of luda, who hast been nursed up in sin, and no●…ed up in wickedness, the glittering have of beauty hath blinded thee, & las●…ious lust hath be witched thy hart, found fancy hath given thee th●… foil, and fleshly desire hath charmed thy affection, thou ha●… spent thy youth in folly and now meanest to end thin●… age in wickedness. But as it is impossible for a fool to scape without reproach, so as hard it is for a wilful sinner to escape without revenge. Dost thou not know t●…t the law forbiddeth adultery, and yet wilt thou entice a daughter of luda to such folly, nay art thou not driven by duty to reward this sin with death, and yet wilt thou persuade the innocent to such a devilish de●…de. Is the fear of God so far from thine eyes, as thou wilt willingly work such wickedness, h●…st tho●… so small regard to the law as thou wilt suffer thy hart to be sub●…rted by lust. The 〈◊〉 so abhorreth this crime, as he kill●… the Liones for committing this fact, the Stork never m●…leth but with his mate, nay the stone jasent will not be worn on the finger of an adult●…rer, neither will the Olive tree grow if it he planted by him that leadeth his life in unlawful lusts, and wilt thou vild wretch she we thyself more careless in this crime than brute beasts, moreckles then unreasonable creatures, more savage than senseless stones, yea far less in virtue than a man, and far more in vice then a beast, the Lord shall look down from heaven upon this thy lewdness, & cross thee with such a gree●…ous curse, as y● shalt be rooted out from among the people. Is thy mind so misled with ingratitude, or art thou so devoid of humanity as thou wilt repay the good will that joachim showeth thee, with such guileful treachery, is thy conscience such as to requighe his courtesy with wilful cruelty, hath he fostered thee as a friend, and wilt thou abuse him as a foe, hath he wished thy bliss and wilt thou work his bane, hath he sought thy weal, and wilt thou seek his woe, wilt thou without cause accuse his wife of adultery, because she would not 〈◊〉 to thy lure, if this be the duty of a judge, or the devotion of an Elder, let all Babylon judge.  
But perhaps thou wilt say these words ar●… wind, and this long parley tends little to the purpose, that thou art greatly abused, for reprchending of sin to be so roughly reproved, well if it be so that thou hast weighed thy friends case in the balance of equity, & hast had such a 〈◊〉 to the executing of thine office, that no force of fraend●…hip could prevail to pervert true justice but that thou hast of a clear conscience accused Susanna of this filthy fact. Tell me under what tree didst thou see them cominit this crime.  
The Judge although that he had wrongfully sought to oppress the guiltless person, yet he never shrunk from his purpose, but boldly answered under a Myrtle tr●….  
Daniel hearing this doting lecher to make so loud a lie answered. Art thou so senseless quoth he, to suppose that although thou canst keep thy s●…ne secret from men, yet thou canst hide it from God, who not only knoweth the deed but seethe the very inward thought. No for although thou hast hitherto covered the substance of vice with the vale of virtue, and hast cloaked thine iniquity with the viso of equity, yet the LORD willing to unrip up this thy folly, hath now discovered thy doings, yea thou art fallen into the pit which thou hast prepared for others, thou art taken in thine own trap, and snared in the net which thou didst lay to entangle the innocent, yea thou hast lied against thine own head, and the Angel of GOD waiteth with the sword to cut thee in two.  
With that all the whole multitude hearing how the Elders were trapped in their own talk, and that the LORD had mightily wrought by the means of a child to discover the hellish practice cried out with a loud voice, and praised God that saveth them which put their trust in him, 〈◊〉 séein●… that Daniel had convict the Elders of false witness by their own mouth, according to the law of Moses, the people dealt with them as they ●…ought to dealt with S●…fanna, for the ●…ord hath promised that a false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish, so they were put to death, and the innocent blood was saved the same day.  
Helchias and his wife seeing that their ●…aughter was by the power of God preserved from the wicked pretence of these unjust Judges, and joachim her husband hearing his wife cleared of this crime, yea all her kindred seeing that there was no disho●… nestie found in her, but that she was with out spot, and their stock unstained: They all praised God, that the innocent lamb was delivered, and the faithful hypocrites so fitly detected. And from that day forth Daniel was in great reputation amongst all the people.  
FINIS.   

LONDON Printed by Roger Ward dwelling a●… the sign of the Talbot, near unto Holborn Conduit. 1584.