A Godly meditation of the Christian soul concerning a love towards God and his Christ, compiled in French by Lady Margarete Queen of Nauerre, and aptly translated into English by the right virtuous lady Elyzabeth daughter to our late sovereign King Henri the viii  
Inclita filia, serenissimi olim Anglorum Regis Henrici octavi Elizabeta, tam Graece quam latine foeliciter in Christo erudita.   

To the right virtuous and christianly learned young lady Elizabeth, the noble daughter of our late sovereign King Henry the eight Johan Bale wisheth health with daily increase of Godly knowledge.  
diverse and many (most gracious lady) have the opinions been among the profane philosophers and Christian divines, concerning right nobility, 
nobility  and no fewar strives and contentions for the same. Some authors have vainly boasted it to take original of the old gods of the gentiles as every land hath had his peculiar Saturn, Jupiter, & Hercules. yea our England here and all. Some hath fat it from the four general monarchies of the Assyrianes, Perseanes, Greeks, and Romans. Some have attributed it, to the bold battles and bloudshedynges, in Ninus of Babylon the first inventor of policies in war. in our great Albion the Chamesene, 
Albion.  which first in this region suppressed the posterity of Japhet, usurping 
Brute.  therein the first monarchy. in Brute that more than six hundred years after defaced of him the tyrannous issue. in Ebranck and Dunwallo. in Brenne and Belyne. in great Constantyne, Artoure, Cadwallader, Engist, Egbert, alphred wyllyam conqueror & such other, for like conquests of the Romans, Greeks. Galls, pyctes, britains. Saxons, Danes Irishens and Englyshens.  
The haughty Romans set not yet a little by themselves, that they have risen of Aeneas & Romulus, 
Romani.  of whom the one most shamefully betrayed his own native kindred and country, and the other most unnaturally slew his own brother for worldly dominion. 
Gwalli.  like as our welshmen here in England. Advauncing their succession or progeny above the English will needs come of Dardanus & Bute, a foundation not all unlike to the other. These glorious champions for this far fatched ground of their nobility, account all other nations and peoples, ignoble, profane, and barbarous, as is to be scene in the monuments of their writers. But in the mean season, they are not aware that they wndyscretely prefer cursed Cham to blessed Japhet, 
japhet.  by whose posterity the isles of the gentiles were first sorted out in to speeches, kindreds, and nations, Gene 10. and not by Cham's offspring, of whom the Trojans and Romans had their noble beginning. That the Chame senes had in those isles, was by cruel usurpation & tyranny, as testifieth Berosus the Caldeane and therefore that ground of nobility is not all the best. Over and besides all this, some have applied it to renowned birth or succession of blood, some to the abundance of pleasures worldly some to the maintenance of great families, 
kinds of nobility  some to the sumptuousness of notable buildings, some to the high stomach & stature of person, some to valeauntnesse in martial feats, some to seemly manners of courtesy, some to liberality of rewards and gifts, some to the auncyeninesse of long coutynuaunce, some to wisdom learning & study for a comen wealth with such like. And these are not all to be disallowed, for we find them in Abraham, & David with other just fathers.  
But now followeth, a monstrous, or whether ye will, a prestygyouse nobility The Romish clergy imagining to exalt themselves above the lewd layte 
Clergy.  (as they shame not yet to call the worldly powers) have given it in a far other kind, to mytars, masses, cardinal hats, crosers, caps, shaven crowns, oiled thumbs, side gowns, furred amyses, monks cowls, and friars lousy coats, becoming thereby pontifical Lords, spiritual sirs, and ghostly fathers. This kind of nobility digged out of the dongehyll, have I scene gorgeously garnished with the retoryckes of Porphyry, 
Stambery  Aristotle, Duns, and Raymundus decretals, in the books of Johan Stanbery bishop of herforde, De superioritate ecclesiastica, De discrimine iurisdictionum, and De potestate pontificia. In the books also of Walter hunt an ordinary reader sometime in Oxford, 
hunt.  De precellentia Petri, & De autoritate ecclesie. Yea, and among themselves they have much contended both by disputation & writings, which of their sects might other excel in the nobylnesse of Christian perfection. The monks in public scoles, by a distinction of the active and contemplative life, have advanced their idle monkery above the office of a bishop, 
friars.  and the friars their scald craving beggary, above the degrees of them Both. As is largely scene in the brawling works of richard Maydeston, Thomas walden, William Byntre & other which have written Contra wiclevistas, & Pro mendicatione fratrum,  
In the days of King Edward the fourth, 
Myluerston.  Johan Myluerton provincial of the carmelites, was full three years, a prisoner in the castle of angel at Rome at the suit of the bishops of England for the same, and lost so the byshopryck of saint David's, whereunto he was a little afore elected. This matter have I heard, under the tittle of Euangelyck perfection, most deeply reasoned in their ordinary disputations at their concourses convocations, and chapters (as they than called them) yea by those whom I knew most corrupt livers, 
4. orders.  hereunto for furnishing out the same, the grey friars added. S. frances painted wounds, the, black friars. S. Domynyckes bold disputing with heretics, the white friars our Ladies fraternyte, and the Augustyne friars the great doctrine of their patron. In the universities after much to and fro, 
priests  hath it been concluded, that the order of a priest have far excelled in dignity the order of a bishop. And this have they left behind them for a most grave and deep reason thereupon. Mark their more than lucyferyne presumption therein. Soch power hath a priest (say they) as hath neither angel nor yet Man, be he of never so great authority science, 
O devils incarnate  or virtue. For a priest by word may make him again, that by word made heaven & earth. A priest may every day both byget him and bear him, where as his mother mary begot him (bear him they would say) but ones. These are their very words in a book entitled. De origine Nobilitatis. Ca 5. with much more circumstance of matter. Oblasphemouse bellybeastes, & most idle witted sorcerers. How ydolatrously exalt they themselves above the eternal living God & his Christ?  
johan Chrisostome a man taught and brought up in the Christian philosophy, 
nobility  defineth the true nobility after a far other sort, than did the profane writers. He calleth it not with Aristotle, a worthiness of progeny, neither yet with Varro Turrian opulency of riches, but a famous renome obtained by long exercised virtue He is pusaunt, high, and valiant (saith he) and hath nobility in right course, that disdaineth to give place to vices and abhorreth to be overcomen of them doctrine greatly adorneth a man highly borne, but a godly endeavour of christianity bewtyfyeth him most of all. By non other ways have the Apostles and Martyrs obtained a noble report, 
Apostles.  than by the valiant force of pure doctrine and faith A gentle heart (saith Seneca) or a stomach that is noble, moveth, provoketh, and stirreth, only to things honest. No man which hath a noble wit, delighteth in things of small value, much less in matters of filthiness or superstition. Chiefly appertaineth it to men and women of sincere nobility, to regard the pure doctrine and faith. 
Faith.  unto such hath God promised in the scriptures, abundance of temporal things, long life, fortunate children, a kingdom durable, with such other, Deut. 28.  
A most worthy conqueror is Gedeon noted in the scriptures, 
Gedeon.  for destroying false religion & running the kingdom of faith. 
Asa rex.  judi. vj. So is King Asa, for removing the male stews from the prelate's abhorring marriage, & for putting down idols which his forefathers maintained. 3. Reg. 15 So is King Josaphat, 
josaphat  for being couragyouse in the ways of God, and for putting down the hill altars & their sacrifices .2. parali 17. So is King Jehu, 
jehu.  for slaying the ydolatrouse priests, and for breaking and burning their great God Baal, and for making, 
Ezechias  a jakes of their holy church 4. Reg. 10 So is King Ezechias for cleansing the house of the Lord from all filthiness, afore his time therein occupied 2. Parali. 29. and for breaking down the brazen serpent and ydolatrouse images with their altars and sanctuaries. 4. Reg. 18 So is King Josias, for suppressing religious persons and aulterprestes, 
josias.  for consuming their jewels & ornaments, & for overthrowing their buggery chambers in the house of the Lord 4. Reg. 23. This noble King also destroyed all their carved images, he strewed the dust of them upon their graves that had offered to them, 
priests.  and brent the priests bones upon their altars, restoring again the laws of the Lord .2. parali. 34. Jesus Syrach reporteth of him finally, that he wholly directed his heart to the Lord, & took away all abominations of the ungodly. Eccle. 49, besides that is spoken of King David and King Salemon. 
Ecclesie 49.   
Not I only, but many thousands more which will not from hens fourth bow any more to Baal, are in full & perfect hope, that all these most highly notable and princely acts, will revive & lively flourish in your most noble and worthy brother King Edward the sixth. 
Edward vj. rex.  Most excellent & godly are his beginnings reported of the very foreign nations calling him for his virtuous, learned, and godly prudent youths sake, the second Josias Those his wonderful principles in the eyes of the world, and no less glorious afore God thus being to his honour, that eternal living God continue and prosper to the end, that he may have of them as had these vorthy Kings afore rehearsed, a right noble and famous report. 
Ignoble  nobility sought by wicked enterprises and obtained by the same (as in many afore our days, and in some now of late) is not else but a public and notable infamy, and in the end eternal damnation. nobility won by the earnest seeking of God's high honour, is such a precious crown of glory as will never perish here nor yet in the world to come  

tyrants  Cam after a worldly manner. or among the ungracious sort, is holden noble for slaying his brother Judas of the prelate's (for he received of them, a noble reward) for betraying Christ, Herode of the Jews for murdering the innocentes. And what is there more worthy reproach, dishonour, and shame, than are these execrable facts? The nature of true nobility (as I have said afore) is not to rise of vice but of virtue, 
nobility  though many men there seek it. Of the most excellent kind of nobility is he sure (most virtuous and learned lady) which truly believeth and seeketh to do the will of the eternal father. for thereby is he brought forward, and promoted into that heavenly kindred joan. 1. By that means becometh he the dear brother, 
O Noble kindred.  sister, & mother of Christ Math. 12. a citizen of heaven with the Apostles and prophets, Ephe. 2. yea the child of adoption and heir together with Christ in the heavenvly inheritance Roma. 8. No such children left Socrates behind him, neither yet Demosthenes Plato, nor Cicero, with all their pleasant wisdom and eloquence. No such heritage could great Alexander the Macedoneane, 
Bristoll  bequeatheth to his posterity neither yet noble Charles, Artoure, nor David.  
Of this nobility, have I no doubt (lady most faithfully studious) but that you are, with many other noble women & maidens more in this blessed age. If question were axtme, how I know it? my answer would be this. 
fruits.  By your godly fruit, as the fertile tree is non other wise than thereby known, luce. vi. I received your noble book, right fruitfully of you translated out of the French tongue into English. I received also your golden sentences out of the sacred scriptures, with no less grace than learning in four noble languages, 
4. tongues.  Latin, Greek, French, & Italyane, most ornately, finely, & purely written with your own hand. Wonderfully joyous were the learned men of our city, 
Men learned.  Murseus, Buscoducius, Bomelius Lithodius & Imamnus, as I showed unto them the said sentences in beholding (as they than reported) so much vertu. faith, science, & experience of languages & letters, specially in noble youth & femynyte. Through which occasion there be of them (I know) that cannot withhold their learned hands from the publishing thereof, to the high praise of God the giver, neither yet from writing to your worthy grace for studious continuance in the same. 
Sentences.  Your said sentences, (they say far passeth the Apohthegmes of Plutarch, the aphorisms of Theognis, the stratagems of Isocrates, the grave golden counsels of Cato & the manifold morals of Johan Goldeston the great allegoryser, with such other like.  
Your first written clauses in four speeches Latin, French & Italyane, out of the xiii. 
The first clause.  psalm of noble David, mentioneth that the unfaithful reckoneth foolishly in their hearts, there is no God. whereupon so corrupt they are in their vain conjectures, and so abominable in their daily doings, that not one of their generation is godly. By this do your grace unto us signify, 
hypocrites.  that the barren doctrine & good works without faith of the hypocrites, which in their uncommanded Latin ceremonies serve their bellies & not Christ, in greedily devouring the patrimony of poor widows & orphans, are both execrable in themselves, and abominable afore God for though those painted sepulchres have the name of the Lord in their mouths, & greatly boast the good works of the law, yet know they not what belongeth to his true honour, 
Hate.  but hate in their wicked hearts both his glorious name and word. The true doctrine of faith, and the fear of God, will that wicked sort (whom this psalm wringeth) not hear, but still torment the consciences of miserable wretched ydyotes for advantage of Masses and momblynges. 
Happy.  Happy are they of this latter age, that in the gospel have received the saving health out of Zion (as your grace hath done) being clear from the sting of those viperous worms. 
tutors.  Blessed be those faithful tuters & teachers which by their most godly instructions have thus fashioned your tender youth into the right image of Christ and not Antichrist. 
Ruler's.  Yea most blessed be those godly governors and magistrates, which have traveled and yet laboryously travail with worthy Moses, to bring God's people clearly out of their most wretched captivity.  
Your latter clause in the Greek, inciteth us to the right worshippings of God in spirit and verity joan. 4. 
The latter clause  to honouring of our parents in the seemly offices of natural children. Ephe. vj. and to the reverent using of our Christian equals in the due ministrations of love .1. pet 2. 
Monachi  neither Benedyct nor Bruno, Domynyck nor Frances (which have of long years been boasted for the principal patrons of religion) ever gave to their supersticious brethren, so pure precepts of sincere christianity. Neither yet Peter lombarde in his four 
lōbardus.  books of sentences, with whose smoky divinity, the lousy locusts monks, canons, priests, and friars, have these four hundred years darkened the clear sun, which is the verity of God, Apoca. 9 If godly wise men would do no more but confer this learning of yours and of other noble women in these days, 
Robert. Kylwarby.  with the doctrine of Robert Kylwarby archbishop of Canterbury and cardinal, which the universities of Oxford & Paris were sworn to, for maintenance of that christianity in the year of our Lord .1276, by the consent of all masters regentes & non regentes, I doubt it not but they should find just cause to hold up both their hands and 
A change  praise their Lord God for changing that hell into this heaven. An unsavoury gust thereof shall they find, adjoined of the Paryseanes as necessary divinity, 
The book  to the foresaid sentences of Peter lombarde.  
In your forenamed book, composed first of all by the right virtuous lady Margarete, sister sometime to the French King Frances, and Queen of Naverre, And by your noble grace most diligently and exactly translated into English, find I most precious treasure concerning the soul, wherefore I have added thereunto the title of a Godly meditation of the soul, 
Elizabet  concerning a love towards God and his Christ. Most lively in these and such other excellent facts, express ye the natural emphasy of your noble name Elischabeth in the Hebrew, is as much to say in the Latin. as Dei mei requies, in English, the rest of my God. Who can think God not to rest in that heart which sendeth fourth such godly fruits? I think none that hath right discretion Your pen hath here plenteously uttered the abundance of a Godly occupied heart, 
An heart.  like as did the virginal lips of Christ's most blessed mother, when she said with heavenly rejoice, My soul magnifieth the Lord and my spirit rejoiceth in God my saver, luce. 1. Many noble women of fresh literature have been afore time in this region, whose nomenclature or rehearsal of names I intend to show in the end of this book, 
Noble women learned  but none of them were ever yet like to those which are in our age. No, neither Cambra, Martia, Constantia, Agasia, Vodicia, Bunduica, Claudia, Helena, Tremaruola, hilda, nor such other like. This one copy of yours have I brought into a number. to th'intent that many hungry souls by the inestimable treasure contained therein, may be sweetly refreshed. 
Conclusio.  The spirit of the eternal son of God Jesus Christ, be always to your excellent grace assistant that ye may send fourth more such wholesome fruits of soul, and become a nourishing mother to his dear congregation to their comfort and his high glory Amen.  
Your bound orator Johan Bale   

A Godly meditation of the Christian soul, concerning a love towards God and his Christ, compiled in French by lady Margarete Queen of Naverre, and aptly translated into English by the right virtuous lady Elyzabeth daughter to our late sovereign King Henry the eight  

The preface.  
IF thou do thoroughly read this work (dear friend in the Lord) mark rather the matter than the homely speech thereof, considering it is the study of a woman, which hath in her neither cunning nor science, but a fervent desire that each one may see, 
Math. 8  what the gift of God the creator doth when it pleaseth him to justify a heart. For what is the heart of a Man, concerning his own strength, before he hath received the gift of faith? Thereby only hath he knowledge of the goodness, 
Hebre. 11  wisdom, and power of God. And as soon as he through that faith, knoweth pithily the truth his heart is anon full of charity and love So that by the ferventness thereof, he excludeth all fleshly fear, 
1. Joan. 4.  & firmly trusteth in God unfeignedly. for certainly the gift, which God the creator giveth freely at the beginning, doth never cease till it hath made him godly, which putteh his full trust in God.  
O happy and fortunate gift. Which causeth a Man to possess a grace so desired Alas no man could this understand, unless by such gift God had given it him. 
joan. 6.  And great cause he hath to doubt of it, unless God hath made him to feal it in his heart. Therefore gentle reader, with a godly mind I beseech the patiently this work to peruse, which is but small in quantity, and taste nothing but the fruit thereof praying to God full of all goodness, that in thy heart he will plant the lively faith. Amen.  
finite praefatio. liber incipit   

WHere is the hell. full of traevayle, pain, mischief, and torment? Where is the pit of cursedness, 
job. 7.  out of which doth spring all desperation? Is there any hell so profound, that is sufficient to punish the tenth part of my sins. Which are so many in number, that the infinite swarm of them so shadoweth my darkened senses that I can not account them neither yet we'll see them? I am far entered in amongst them, and (that much worses is) I have not the power to 
Roma. 7.  obtain the true knowledge of the deep dangers of them. I perfectly feel, that their root is in me. And outwardly I see non other effect but all is either branch leaf, or else fruit that it bringeth fourth all about me. If I think to look for better, a branch cometh and closeth mine eyes, and in my mouth doth fall when I would speak, 
Psal. 94.  the fruit so bitter to swallow down. If my spirit be stirred for to hearken, than a great multitude of leaves doth entre in mine ears, and my nose is all stopped with flowers.  
Now behold how in pains crying & weeping, my poor soul, a slave and prisoner, doth lie without light, having her feet bound through her concupisbence & also both her arms through evil use Yet the power to remedy it, 
2. Cor. ●●  doth not lie in me, neither have I power to cry for help. Again, so far fourth as I can perceive, I have no hope of succour, but through the grace of God that I can not deserve, which may raise every one from death. By his brightness he giveth light to darkness. And his power examining my fault, doth break all the veil of ignorance, 
Io●. 12.  and giveth me clear understanding, not only that this cometh of me, but also what thing abideth in me. Where I am and wherefore I do labour. Who he is whom I have offended, to whom I did obey so seldom. Therefore it is convenient that my pride be suppressed  
And humbly with weeping heart, I do confess that I am much less than nothing, before my birth mire, after a dungehyll, a body prompt to all evil not willing other study, also subject to care, sorrow, and pain. 
job. 14.  A short life, and th'end uncertain. The which under sin by Adam is sold, and by the law judged to be damned. For I had never the power to observe one only commandment of God, I do feel the strength of sin in me, therefore is my sin no whit the less to be hidden. And the more he is dissembled outwardly, so much the more he encreasyth within the heart. That which God will, 
Sapi. 9  I can not will, and what he would not, I oft times desire to perform. Which thing doth constrain me by importable sorrow, to wish th'end of this miserable body through desired death, because of my weary & raging life  
Who shall be he than, that shall deliver and recover such good for me? Alas it can not be a mortal man, for his power and strength is not such, 
Roma. 7.  but it shall be the only good grace of the almighty God which is never slack to prevent us with his mercy O what a master is that, with our deserving any goodness of him? I served him slothfully, and without ceasing offended him every day, yet is he not slack in helping me. He doth see the evil that I have, what and how much it is, 
Gene. ●.  and that of myself I can do nothing that good is, but with heart and body so inclined am I to the contrary, that I feal no strength in me unless it be for to do evil. He doth not tarry till I humbly pray him, or that (saying my hell & damnation) I do cry upon him. For with his spirit he maketh a wailing in my heart greater than I can declare, which asketh the gift whereof the virtue is unknown to my lytele power. 
Psal. 37.   
And this the same unknown sight doth bring me a new desire, showing the good that I have lost by my sin, & given me again through his grace & bounty, that which hath overcomen all sin O my Lord what grace and goodness is this, which doth put out so many sins Now may we see that thou art full of all godly love to make me of a sinner, thy servant & chyelde. Alas my God, I did not seek the but I fled & ran away from the. 
Luce. 19  And here beneath thou camest to me which am nothing but a worm of the earth, all naked What do I say, worm? I do him wrong, that am so naughty, & swarm so full of pride, deceit, malice & treason. The promise which my friends made when I was baptized is such, 
Collo. 3.  that I always through faith in thy passion should feel the mortification of my flesh & dwell always with the in the cross where thou wert fast nailed (as I believe) and yielded death dead as I also should yield all sin  
This have I often times taken down again, untied, and set at large, I have broken, denied, and falsified my promise & through pride, I have life up my will in such a manner, that through sloth. my duty towards the was forgotten. And that much more is, as weal the profit or value of thy promise, 
Mar. 16.  which I had of the in the day of my baptism, as also thy saving love and promises following, I have all alike neglected. What shall I say more? Albeit that often times thou perceiving me wretched and unhappy haste given me so many warnings in faith and in sacraments, admonishing me by preachings, and comforting me by the recayving of thy worthy body and sacred blood, 
joan. 6.  promising also to put me in the number of them that are now adorned with perfect innocency. Yet have I all these high benefyghtes, thrown into forgetfulness,  
Often times have I with the broken covenant. And partly for that my poor soul was to much fed with evil bread or damnable doctrine of hypocrites, I despised such succour and ghostly physyck in God's word, 
Heir. 7.  as would have holp me And if I had been willing to look for it yet knew I at that time no teachers convenient. For there is neither man, saint, nor angel, for whom the heart of a sinner without thy spirit will change. Alas good Jesus, thou beholding my blindness, and that at my need I could have no succour of men, diddest open the way of my salvation. O how great is the goodness, 
Psal 118.  and how inestimable the sweetness which thou hast showed therein? Is there any father so natural to the daughter or brother to the sister, which would ever have done as he hath done? For he came into the hell to succour my soul, where against his will she was, intending to have perished, because she deed not love  
Alas sweet Lord thou hast loved her yea, to the very outsheding of thy most precious blood. 
1. Joan. 3.  O charity fervent and incomparable. Not slack art thou in love that so lovest every sinner, yea, and also thine enemies. not only in forgiving their offences, but also in giving thy self for their salvation, liberty, and deliverance, to the death, cross, travail pain and sufferance. When I cast in mind, what shnlde be the occasion of thy love towards me. I can see nothing else but a love wonderful, 
joan. 5.  which moveth th● to give me that I can not deserve. Than my God as far fourth as I can see, I ought to give no thanks for my salvation but only unto thee, to whom I own the praise there of, as to him which is my saviour & creature. What a thing is it that thou hast done so moche for me? Thu art not only contented to have forgiven me my sins, 
Ephe. 3.  but also hast given unto me the right fortunate gift of grace.  
For it should snffyse me, I coming out of such a danger, to be like a stranger used. But thou dost handle my soul, (if I durst so say it) as a mother. daughter, sister and wife. I Lord, I am the trespasser which am not worthy to come near the door of thy right high place to ask bread, where thy dwelling is. O what grace is this, that so suddenly thou vouchsafest to draw my soul in to such highness, 
Roma. 8.  that she feeleth herself ruler of my body. She poor, ignorant and lame, doth find herself with thee, rich, wise, and strong, because thou haste written in her heart the root of thy spirit, & holy word. giving her true faith for to receive it. Which thing made her to conceive thy son, in believing him to be man, God, saviour, and also the true remitter of sins. Therefore dost thou assure her, 
Math. 12  that she is mother to thy son of whom thou art the only faither.  
And furthermore, O my father here is a great love. for thou art not weary of weal doing sith that thy son full of divinity hath taken the body of a man, & did mingle himself with our ashes, which thing a man can not understand unless he hath a true faith. It hath pleased the to put him so near us, 
Phil. 2.  that he did join himself unto our flesh. Than we saying him to be called man, we are bold to call him sister and brother. Now the soul which may say of herself. that she is the sister of God, aught to have her heart assured. After this dost thou declare with great love, how her creation is only of the good will, which it pleaseth the always to have towards her, giving assurance that before her first day, or time of being provided for her. thou bestowedest thy love on her, 
Gene. 1.  & how through love thou hast made her (as alone of power thou cannyst weal do it) and also how thou didst put her within this body. not for to sleep with sloth, but that both of them should have none other exercise, but only to think how to do some service unto the  
Than the truth maketh her to feal that there is in thee, true paternyte. O what honour. 
Tren. 2.  what sweetness, and what glory hath the soul, which doth always remember that she is thy daughter, & in calling the fayther, she doth thy commandment? What is there more? Is that all? No, It doth please the to give her an other name, to call her thy wife, & that she again do call the husband, declaring how thou hast freely manifested the marriage of her. By the baptism thou hast made a promise, to give her thy goods and riches, 
Colos. 2  and thou again to take her sins, for she hath nothing else by heritage of her first father Adam. All her treasures, that she hath of nature, be nothing else but sins, which thou hast tied upon thee, and paid all her whole debt with thy goods and lands.  
Thu hast made her so rich, and with so great a jointer endued her, that she knowing herself to be thy woyd wife, doth believe to be quytt of all that she oweth, 
Roma. 5.  esteeming very little that she hath here beneath. She forsaketh her old father. & all the goods that he giveth, for her husbands sake. Surely (o my God) my soul is sore hurt to be fed with such good, and again relieved in leaving the pleasure of this world for that which is eternal, 
●. Joan. 5.  where peace is without war. I marvel that she, this remembering, doth not lose her wit, countenance, and speech. Father, father, alas what ought I to think. Shall my spirit be so bold as to take upon him to call the father? Yea, and also our Father, for so hast thou taught in the Pater noster. But to call the daughter, haste thou so said? I beseech thee, 
Prover, ●.  tell me. Alas yea, when with great sweetness, thou saidest daughter, lend me thy heart.  
O my God, in stead of lending, he is ready to give himself wholly unto the 〈◊〉 him than, & do not permit that 〈◊〉 creature put him from thee, so that for ever with faithful stedefastnesse he may love the with a daughterly love, Now my Lord if thou be my father, may I think that I can be thy mother? In deed I cannot weal perceive, 
Apoca 13  how I should conceive the that createdyst me. But thou diddest in this matter satisfy my doubt, when in preaching and in sreatching fourth thy hands diddest say Those that shall do the will of my father they are my brethren, also my sister and mother. I believe than, that hearing & reading the words which thou hast taught & uttered by thy holy prophets. the same also which through thy true preachers, 
Luce. 11.  thou dost daily declare unto men in believing it and stedefastly desiring to fulfil, I conceive the & bear the by love  
Therefore without any fear, will I take upon me the name of a mother. What mother of God? O sweet virgin mary, I beseech the. be not angry that I take up such a title. I do neither steel, nor usurp any thing upon thy privilege. For thou only haste above all women received of him so great honour, that noman can in himself comprehend how he hath been willing to take in the our flesh. 
Math. 1.  For thou art mother and pefyght virgin before and after, and in his holy birth. In thy blessed womb thou diddest bear him and nourish him. Thu diddest follow him in his tribulations, and also in his teachings. Now briefly to conclude. Thu haste with God found such grace, as the enemy through malice and deceit, had caused Adam & his posterity to lose By Eve and him we had lost it, 
1. Cor. 15.  & by thy son hath it been yielded unto us again  
Therefore haste thou been righteously called full of grace. 
Luce. 1,  For thou lackedyst neither grace nor virtue, sith that he which is the best among them that be good, also the spring of all goodness and power which hath created in the so pure innocency that thou art the example of all virtues) hath builded in the his dwelling & temple. Be through love dead conform himself with thee, and thou art transformed in him. Therefore if any man should think to given the greater praise than God himself hath done, it were a fool blasphemy. 
Luce. 1.  For there is no such praise, as is the same which cometh from God Thu also hast had faith so firm and constant. that (by grace) she had the power to make the godly. Wherefore I will not take upon me, to give the greater praise than the honour which thy sovereign Lord hath given unto the. 
Acto. 1●  For thou art his corporal mother, and also through faith his spiritual mother.  
And I following thy faith with humbleness, am his spiritual mother also Alas my God the brotherlynesse that thou hast towards me throng thy humbleness, in calling me sister, is great. diddest thou ever say in it any thing asore? Alas yea. For thou hast broken the kindred of my old father, 
Roma. 8.  calling me daughter by adoption. Well than, saying that we have both but one father, I will not fear to call the my brother. For so hast thou reported it by Solomon in his bellet. 
Canti. 4.  saying, My sister and spouse thou haste wounded my heart with the sweet look of one of thine eyes, and with one chain of thy neck. Alas my brother, I wish for no thing else, but that in wounding thee, I might find myself wounded with thy love, To that would I give over myself And like wise thou dost call me wife in that place, showing largely that thou lovest me, saying by these words amorous  
Arise my dear dove, 
Cauti. 2.  and come hitherward my delectable spouse. Therefore shall I say with loving faith, thou art mine and I am thine. Thu dost call me thy love & fair spouse. If it be so, such haste thou made me. Alas, doth it please thee, to give me such names? They are truly able to break a man's heart, and cause it to burn through love unspeakable. When he thinketh upon the honour that thou dost unto him, which is much greater than he hath deserved. A mother, a mother? Alas but of what child is it? 
Luce. 8.  Truly of such a son, that my heart doth break for love. My God, my son? O Jesus what speech this is. mother, daughter. O happy kindred. O what sweetness doth proceed out of that paternyte. But what doughterly and reverent fear ought I to have towards him, my father, yea & my creator. my protctour and saver? To be thy sister, alas here is a great love.  

Canti. 8.  Now dost thou break my heart in the midst to make room for the same so sweet a brother. So that no other name be written in the same, but only my brother Jesus the son of God. Non other man will I give place to, 
Acto. 4.  for all the scourging and bea●ynge, that they can do unto me. Reap my heart then, my brother and friend, & let not thy enemy entre in to it. O my father, child, brother, and spouse, with hands joined, humbly upon my knees I yield the thanks and praises, that it pleaseth the to turn thy face towards me converting my heart, and covering me with such grace, that thou dost see no more my evils & sins. So we'll hast thou hidden them, 
Ezech 33  that it seemeth, thou hast put them in forgetfulness, Yea, & also they seem to be forgotten of me. Which have committed them, For faith and love causeth me to forget them, putting wholly my trust in the alone,  
Than my father, in whom lieth unfeigned love, whereof can I have fear in my heart? I confess that I have done all the evil that one creature can do, 
Psal. 31.  and that of myself I am nought. Also that I have offended the as the prodigal child did, 
Luce. 15.  following the foolish trade of the flesh, wherewith I have spent all my substance, and the abundance of goods which I had received of the. For poverty had weathered me away even as hay and yielded my spirit dead for hunger, sea King to eat the releafe of swine. But I found very little savour in such meats. Than I saying my life to be so miserable, I did return unto the my father again, saying. 
Ezech 18.  Alas I have sinned in heaven and before the. I am not worthy (I tell it before everybodye) to be called thy child. But O bountiful father, do no worse to me, than to one of thy household servants.  
Alas what love and Zele is this? for thou wouldest not tarry my coming and prayer but stretching out thy hand receyvedyst me, 
Luce. 15.  when I did think that thou wouldest not look upon me. And in stead to have punished, thou diddest assure me of my salvation. Where is he then that shall punish me, when my father shall deny him my sin? There is no judge that can condemn any creature, unless God himself would damn him. I fear not the want of goodness, sith I have my God for my father. My enemy shall do me no harm, 
Esa. 27.  for my father shall take all his strength away. If I own any thing, he shall pay it all for me, If I have deserved death, he (as a King) shall pardon me, & deliver me from prison & hanging.  
But here is the worst. What manner of mother have I been? For after that I by faith, had received the name of a true mother, I became very rude unto thee, by cause that after I had conceived and brought the fourth, 
Roma. 7.  I left reason, And being subject to my will, not taking heed unto thee, I fell a sleep and gave place to my great enemy, The which in the night of ignorance, I being a sleep did steal the from me craftily, and in thy place, she did put her child which was dead. So did I less thee, which is an hard sorrow and remorse for me. Now have I lost the by mine own fault (my son) because I took no heed to keep the. sensuality my neighbour (I being in my beastly sleep) deed steal the from me, 
3. Reg. 3.  & gave me, an other child which had no life in him, named sin, whom I will not have, for I do utterly forsake him.  
She affirmed that he was mine own but I knew him to be hers. For as soon as I came to the light of grace, which thou hadst given me, than I knew my glory to be changed, when I saw the dead child not to be mine. For the same which was alive (whom she had taken away) was mine own. 
2. Cor. 6  between Jesus & sin is the change so apparent. But here is a strange thing. This old woman causeth me to keep him which is dead, whom she reporteth to be mine, and so she will maintain. O Solomon, a full true judge, thou hast heard this lamentable process and ordained to content the parties, that the child should be divided in two parts. The false woman agreeth, it should be so. 
which. Reg. 3  But I remembering him to be mine own son, was rather content to lose him, than to see his body parted in two pieces. For true and pefyght love is never content with one half of that it doth love.  
I had rather to weep for my whole loss, than to recover but one half. My mind could not be satisfied. if I had recovered one half without life. Alas give her rather the child which is alive Better it is for me to die, 
●. Cor. 4,  than to see Jesus Christ divided. But O my Lord, thou diddest look better to it than I. For thou saying the anguish that I did suffer, & how I did rather forsake my right, than to behold snche cruelness Thu saidest, this is the true mother and so caused them to give me my child again, for whom my heart was so sorrowful. O sweet Jesus, I found the after, 
Sapi. 3.  to have proved me if I did love the. Yea, I which had lost the yet dedyst thou return unto me, Alas dost thou vouch save to come again to her, which being let with sin could not keep thee, my sweet child, my son, my helper, my norysher, of whom I am a right humble creature. Do not permytt that ever I do leave the again, for I do repent myself of the time passed. 
Gene. 6.   
Now come my sensuality with sins of all qualities, for thou hast no power to make me receive the child which is dead. The same that I have is strong enough for to defend me, & he shall not permit that thou take him away from me, He is already more strong than any man is. Therefore I may sleep and take rest near him. 
Esa. 32.  For all things weal considered, he shall keep me much better than I could him. Then as I think I may take rest. O sweet rest of the mother & the son together, my sweet child. O my God, hononre & praise be unto the only, so that every creature may see how it hath pleased the to call me a mother, less than nothing. The more that the thing is strange and hard to be done, the more ought thy goodness to have praise for it. 
Psal 118  And also I find myself more bound unto the than ever I did for this, that it pleaseth the to have retained me for thy sister.  
I am sister unto the but so naughty a sister, that better it were for me. that I were without the name, for I forgot the honour of adoption in so noble a kindred, & also thy so good & brotherly behaviour towards me. I with pride did rise against the and (not remembering my faults, but going astray from thee, ded agree with my brother Aaron, 
Nume. 12.  being in will to give judgement against thy works. privily I grudged against the also, which thing causeth me to have a great remorse in my conscience. Alas right bountiful God, brother and true Moses. Which dost all with goodness and justice. I have esteemed thy works to be even sin, being so bold to speak even rashly, saying. Wherefore haste thou married a strange woman? 
Nun. 12  Thu givest us a law, and ponnyshement if we do not fulfil it. And thou wouldest not be bound to it, forbidding us the thing which thou thyself dost. 
Deute. 5.   
For thou dost forbid us to kill any man, and thou dost kill and sparist non of three thousand which thou causydest to be slain. 
Exo. 32,  Also God gave us in commandment by thee, that we should not marry the daughter of a stranger. 
Exo. 34.  Yet thou to kest thy wife among them. Alas my dear brother, with a great meany of such words (whom I know to be foolish) with Aaron (which is my own wit) I embraided thee, whereof I door penned. For the lively voice of God, rebukyngly took me up, before I went out of the place. What wouldest thou than of my sin? Alas my brother thou wouldest not have me punished. but rather wouldest my salvation and health, 
Ezech. 18  in asking for me, this great benefyght, that it should please God to mitigate his judgement The which thing thou couldst not obtain. For I became a lazar, 
Nun 12  so that when any body should look upon me, they might weal see that I had not been wise. And so was I put on't from the tents and tabernacles of the people, because that a sick body may infect them which be in health  
Oh, a soul can not have a greater Ponnyshement, than to be banished our of the company of them which are holy and good. But what diddest thou saying my repentance? 
Ezech 33  Thu provydedyst that my penance was soon at an end, 
1. Joan. 2.  and with trne love diddest make means for me, whereupon I did return. O what a brother would. instead to ponnyshe his foolish sister, so naturally cleave unto her? For injury, grudge, & great offence, thou givest her grace & love in recompense Alas my brother, how exceeding is this thy love? Much more is it, than brotherhood is bound to give to so poor & wretched a woman as I am. 
Psal. 50.  I have done the evil, and thou givest me good for it, I am thine, and thou sayest, thou art mine. Even so I am, and will be so for ever. I fear no more the great foolishness of Aaron, for noman may separat me from the. Now that we are brother & sister together, I care very little for all other men. Thy lands are mine own inheritance.  
let us then keep (if it please thee) but one household. Sith it have pleased the to humble thyself so moche, 
Phil 2.  as to join thy heart with mine, in making thyself a levely man, I do right heartily thank the And as to do it as I ought, it lieth not in my small power. Take my meaning than, and excuse my ignorance, saying I am of so great a kindred as to be thy sister. O my God, I have good cause, to love, to praise, & to serve the unfeignedly and not to fear, nor to desire any thing save the only. 
Hester. 14  keep me weal than, for I ask non other brother nor friend. If any father have had any pity upon his child. If any mother have take any care for her son. If any brother have hid the sin of his sister, it is thou. I never saw (or else it was kept wonders secret) that ever husband would thoroughly for give his wife. after she had him once offended, and dead return unto him.  
There have been enough of them which for to avenge their wrongs. Have caused the judges to put them to death. 
Nero.  Other beholding their sins, did not spare their own hands, suddenly to kill them. Other also saying their faults to apere, ded send them home again to their own friends. Some perceiving their evil dispositions, have shut them up fast in a prison. Now briefly to conclude upon their diverse complexions, The end of their pretence is punishment, and the least harm that ever I could perceive in ponnyshing them is this, 
Deut. 24.  that they would never see them again. Thu shouldest rather make the sky to turn than, so to forsake thy wife for her misdoing. Wherefore my God, I can find noman to be compared unto the. For of love thou art the perfect example. Now my God, more than ever I did, I confess that I have broken my oath and promise.  
Alas thou hadst chosen me for thy wife, and diddest set me up in great state & honour. 
joan. 15.  For what greater honour may one have, than to be in the place of thy wife, which sweetly taketh her rest so near the. Of all thy goods Queen, masters. and lady, and also in surety both of body and soul. Of great favour is it, that I so vile a creature, am so ennoblyshed by the. Now to speak it briefly. I have more, & better than any man mortal can desire. Wherefore my heart hath cause to sigh always, 
Luce. 6.  and with abundance of tears, mine eyes to come out of my head. My mouth can not make to many exclamations. For there is neither new nor ancient writings, that can show so pitiful a case, as the same is which I will tell now. Shall, or dare I tell it? May I pronounce it without shame? Alas yea. For my confusion is it not to show the great love of my husband. Therefore I care not, if for his worship I do declare my fault. 
Psal. 50.   
O my saver, which died & was crucified on the cross for my sins. This deed is not such, as a father to leave his son, or as a child to offend his mother or else as a sister to grudge & chide. Alas this is worse. For the offence is greater where more love & knowledge is. For the more familiarity we have with God & the more benefits we receive of him the greater is our offence when we with him dissemble. 
Esa. 5.  specially that I should so do, which am called his spouse, and loved of the as thine own soul. Shall I tell the truth? Yea. I have left thee, forgotten thee, & ran away from the. I did leave the forto go at my vain pleasure. I forsook the and chose other. Yea, I refused thee, the wellspring of all goodness and faithful promise. I did leave the. But whither went I? Into a place where nothing was but cursedness. 
job. 10.   
I have left the my trusty friend and lover, worthy to be loved above all other I have put the aside. o wellspring of all healthsomeness, by mine own wretched will. Yea, I have forsaken thee, full of beauty, goodness, wisdom, and power, & sought to withdraw me from thy love. I have accepted thy great enemies, that is the devil, the world, and the flesh, against whom thou faughtest so sore on the cross, 
Hebre. 12  to overcome for my sake, to set me at liberty, which was by them of long time a prisoner slave. And so bound, that no man could cause me to humble my self And as for the love & charity that I should have had towards thee, they did quench it so that the name of Jesus my husband, which before I had found so sweet, was to me tedious & hateful. So that often times I did jest at it. And if any man (I hearing a sermon) had said unto me, 
Luce. 8.  the preacher saith weal. I would affirm it but the word went away from me, as a feather doth in the wind.  
I went never yet to the preaching, but for manner only. All my deeds were plain hypocrisy, for my mind was in other places. I was annoyed when I heard speak of thee, for I was more willing to go at my pleasure. Now briefly to conclude, All that thou diddest forbid me, I fulfilled & all that thou commandest me to do, I did eschew. And this was the cause (my God) I did not love the. 
●●ere. 2.  But yet Lord, for all this that I did hate the and forsake thee, ran away from thee, & betrayed thee, should I give thy place to an other? Or hast thou suffered that I should be mocked, either yet beaten or killed? Hast thou put me in dark prison, or banished me for ever, setting nought by me? Hast thou taken away thy gifts again from me, and precious jewels, to punish me for my unfaithful fruits? Have I lost my jointer which thou promisedest me, 
Math. 2●  through my offence against thee? Am I accused by the afore the eternal father, for a naughty woman? Yea, haste thou forbid me thy presence (as I deserved) & that I should never apere in thy house?  
O most true husband, & pure perfect friend, the most loving yet among all good lovers. Alas thou hast done otherwise. For thou soughtest for me dylygenly, 
Luce. 15.  when I was going into the most deep place of hell, where all the evils are done. When I was farthest from the both in heart and mind, & clerlye out of the true way. Than dedyst thou lovingly call me back, saying. My dear daughter hearken, and see, and bow thy hearing towards me. 
Psal. 4  Forget that strange nation to whom thou diddest run away and also the house of thine old father, where thou hast dwelled so long Than shall the King full of all faithfulness, desire thy beauty. But when thou sawest that thy sweet & gracious calling. did not profyteme. than be gannyst thou to cry louder. 
Math. 11  Come unto me all you which are wearyly loaden with labour. for I am he that shall plenteously refresh you and feed you with my bread of life. Alas unto all these sweet words would I not hearken.  
For I doubted whether it were thou, or else a fabyllouse writing that so said. For I was so foolish, that without love I did read thy word. 
Esa. 5.  I considered not weal the comparison of the vineyard which brought fourth thorns & briars in stead of good fruit, that it signified me which had so done. I know it weal enough, that when thou didst call the barren wife, saying. Return Sulamyte. All this dedyst thou speak that I. 
Canti, 6.  should forsake my sin. And of all these words did I, as though I had understand never a whit. But when I did peruse Hieremy the prophet, I confess that I had in there ading thereof, fear in my heart and bashfulness in my face. I will tell it, yea with tears in mine eyes, and all for thy honour, and to suppress my pride. Thu hast said by that holy prophet, if a woman hath offended her husband. 
Hiere. 3.  and is so left of him for going astray with other. Namely if he thereupon refuseth her for ever. is she not to be esteemed polluted and of no value?  
The law doth consent to put her in the hands of justice, or to drive her away & so never to see her or to take her again. Thu hast made the separation from my bed (saith he unto me) & placed foreign lovers in my room, committing with them fornication. 
Ezech. 18  Yet for all this thou maystreturne unto me again. For I will not always be angry against the. lift up thine eyes, & look about the on every side. Than shalt thou we'll see, acp-p what place thy sin hath led thee, & how thou liest down in the earth. O poor soul, look where thy sin hath put the. even upon the high ways, where thou diddest wait, and tarry for to beguile them that came by, even as a these doth which is hidden in the wilderness. 
Heir. 3  therefore thou in fulfilling thy wicked pleasure, hast with fornication infected all the earth which was about the. thine eye, thy fore head, and thy face have lost all their honest good manner. For they were such as an harlot hath, and yet thou hadst no shame of thy sin.  
And the surplus that Hieremy saith, constraineth me to know my wretched life, & to wish with sorrowful sighs, the hour, the day, the month, the time and the year, 
job. 10.  that I did leave it, yielding myself condemned, and worthy to be for ever in the everlasting fire. The same fear which doth not of me but of the proceed, and exceedeth many of thy other gifts, put me rather in hope than despair, as often as I did remember my sin. For as soon as thou knewest my will bowing under thy obedience, than putting in me a lively faith, thou diddest use great clemency. So that after I knew the to be that Lord, master, and King whom I ought to have feared. 
Hebre. 11  Than found I my fear not quenched, but mixed with love, believing that thou wert so gracious, gentle, and sweet, & so pitiful an husband, that I which should rather have hid me, than to have showed myself, was not than in fear to go fourth and to look for the. And in so seeking I found the.  
But what diddest thou than? Hast thou refused me? Alas my God, no, but rather hast excused me. Hast thou turned thy face from me? 
Psal. ●  No, for thine eye so sweet deed penetrate my heart, wounding it almost to the death, and giving me remorse of my sins. 
Canti. 4.  Thu hast not put me back with thy hand, but with both thy arms and with a sweet, and manly heart thou diddest meet with me by the way, and not one's reproving my faults, enbrasydest me. I could not see in beholding thy countenance, that ever thou didst ones perceive mine offence. For thou hast done as much for me, as though I had been good and honest. For thou diddest hide my fault from every body, 
Roma. 8.  in giving me again the part of thy bed, and also in showing that the multitude of my sins are so hidden & overcome by thy great victory that thou wilt never remember them. So that now thou sayst nothing in me, but the graces, gifts and virtues which it hath pleased thy free goodness to give me  
O charity most precious. 
Esa. 43  I do see weal that thy goodness doth consume my lewdness, & maketh me a new godly and beautiful creature. The evil that was mine, thou hast destroyed, and made me so perfect a creature, that all the good which a husband can do unto his wife thou haste done it to me, in giving me, a faithful Hope in thy promises. Now have I through thy good grace recovered the place of thy wife. O happy & desired place, gracious bed, throne right honourable, 
Math. 11  s●ate of peace, rest from all war, high step of honour, separate from the earth. dost thou receive this unworthy creature, giving her the sceptre and crown of thy empire and glorious realm? who did ever hear speak of such a story? as to raise up one so high, which of herself was nothing & maketh of great value, that of itself was nought.  
Alas what is this? for I casting mine eyes on high, 
joan. 3.  did see thy goodness, so unknown grace, & love so incomprehensible that my sight is wonderful. Than am I constrained to look down, & in so looking downward, I do see what I am, and what I was willing to be. Alas I do se in it, the lewdness, darkness, and extreme deepness of my evil, My death which by hamblenesse closeth mine eye The admirable goodness of thee, & the unspeakcable evil which is in me, Thy right highness & pure majesty, 
Sapi. 14.  my right fragyle and mortal nature, Thy gifts, goods, & beatitude, my malice & great unkindness. O how good thou art unto me, and how unkind am I to thee? This that thou wilt, and this that I pursue. Which things considered, causeth me to marvel, how it pleaseth the to join thyself to me, saying there is no comparison between us both.  
Thu art my God, and I am thy work, thou my creator, and I thy creature Now to speak briefly, 
Esa. 64.  though I can not define what it is to be of thee, yet know I myself to be the least thing that may be compared unto the. O love, thou madest this agreement. when thou diddest join life, and death together. But the union hath made alive death. Life dying, and life without end, have made one death a life. Death hath given unto life a guyckenesse, Through such death I being dead, 
Colos. 2.  received life, and by death I am ranyshed with him which is alive. I live in thee, and as for me, of myself I am dead. And as concerning the bodily death, it is nothing else unto me, but a coming out of prison. Death is life unto me. For through death. I am alive. This mortal life filleth me full of care, and sorrow, and death yieldeth me content.  
O what a goodly thing it is to die, which causeth my soul to live. 
Apoca 14  In delivering her from this mortal death, it exempteth her from the death miserable, & matcheth her with a most mighty lover. & unless she thus dieth, she languyssheth always. Is not than the soul blameless, which would fain die for to have such life? Yes truly, & she ought to call death her well beloved friend. O sweet death, pleasant sorrow, mighty key delivering from all wickedness. Those which trusted in thee (o Lord) and in thy death, 
Roma. 8  were mortified, because they did trust in thee, and in thy passion. For with a sweet sleep thou didst put them out of that death which causeth many to lament. O how happy is the same sleep unto him, which when he awaketh, doth find through thy death, the life everlasting. For the death is no other thing to a Christian man, but a liberty or deliverance from his mortal band.  
And the death which is, 
Roma. 7●  fearful to the wicked, is pleasant and acceptable to them that are good. Than is death through thy death destroyed. Therefore my God, if I were rightly taught, I should call the death life, and this life death, end of labour, and beginning of everlasting joy. For I know that the long life doth let me from thy sight. O death, come, and break the same obstacle of life. 
Psal. 3●●  Or else love, do a miracle now, sith that I can not yet see my spouse transform me with him both body & soul, and than shall I the better tarry for the coming of death. let me die that I may live with him. For there is none that can help me, unless it be thou only. O my saver, 
john. 15●  through faith I am planted, and joined with the. O what union is this, sith that through faith I am sure of the. And I may call thee, father brother, son, and husband. O what gifts thou dost give, by the goodness of those names.  
O my father, what paternyte, O my brother what fraternity, O my child what dilection, O my spouse, what conjunction is this? Father full of humility Brother having our similitude, 
Apoca 12  son engendered through faith. & love, husband loving, and relieving in all extremyte. But whom dost thou love? Alas is is she whom thou hast with drawn from the snare, wherein, through malice she was bound, and put her in place, name and office of a daughter, sister, mother, and wife. O my saver, the same is a great savour of sweetness, right pleasant, and delectable, 
Luce. 8.  when a man, after the hearing of thy word, shall call the without fear, his father, brother, child, & spouse. I in hearing that word, do perceive myself to be called there thy mother, sister, daughter, & spouse. Alas the soul which doth find such sweetness, may consume, and burn for love.  
Is there any love, unless it be this, but it hath some evil condition? Is there any pleasure to be hereto esteemed? Is there any honour, but may be accounted shame, to this compared? Yea, is there any profit equal to this? 
joan. 14  More over to conclude it briefly. Is there any thing that I could more earnestly love? Alas no. For he that unfeignedly loveth God, reputeth all these things worldly, of less value than the d●̄ge hill. Pleasure profit, honour of this world, are all but vain trifles unto him which hath found God. such love is so profitable honourable, & abundant, that (I dare say) she only sufficeth the heart of a godly man, 
2. Cor. 3●  and yieldeth him so content, that he never desireth or would have other. For who so ever hath God, as we ought to have him, accounteth all other things superfluous or vain.  
Now thanked by the Lord, through faith have I gotten the same love, wherefore. I ought to be satisfied and content. Now have I the my father, for defence of my long youth from wanton foolishness. Now have I the my brother, 
Phil. 2.  for to succour my sorrows wherein I find non end. Now have I the my son. for my feeble age as an only stay. Now have I the a true, & faithful husband, for the satisfying of my whole heart. Now sith that I have thee, I do forsake all them that are in the world. Sith I hold thee, thou shalt escape me no more. saying that I see thee, I wyllloke upon non other thing that might keep me back from the beholding of thy divinity. 
Esa. 55.  saying that I do hear thee, 
joan. 10.  I will hear nothing that letteth me from the fruition of thy voice. Sith that I may freely talk with thee, I will comen with non other. saying it pleaseth the to put me so near thee, I will rather die than to touch any other saying that I serve thee, I will serve none other master.  
saying that thou hast joined thy harte with mine, if he depart from thine, let him be punished for ever. For the departing from thy love is harder, 
2. thes. 2.  than is any damnation. I do not fear the pain of ten thousand hells, so moche as I do fear the one's losing of the. Alas my God, my father, and creator, do not suffer that the enemy, inventor of all sin, have such power, that he make me to lose thy presence. For who so ever hath once felt the loss of thy love, he shall say that he would rather be bound for ever in hell, 
Exo. 15.  than to feal the pain that one shall have by the loss of the same thy love one moment of time. O my saver, do not permytt that ever I depart from the. But if it please thee, put me in such a place, that my soul through wantonness of sin be never separated from thy love.  
In this world I can not have perfectly this my desire. Which thing considered maketh me fervently & with all my heart, to desire the departing from this body of sin, 
Roma. 7.  not fearing the death nor yet any of her instruments. For what fear ought I to have of my God, 
Hebre 9  which through love offered himself and suffered death not of debt or duty, burr because he would for my only sake undo the power that mortal death had. Nowis Jesus dead, in whom we are all dead, and through his death he causeth every man to live again. I mean those which through faith are partakers of his passion. For even as the death before the great mystery of the cross, was hard to every body, and there was no man but was feared therewith. considering the copulation of the body & the soul, 
Eccle. 4.  their order, love, and agreement, so were their sorrows extreme in the departing of the one from the other.  
But since it hath pleased the sweet lamb to offer himself upon the cross, his great love hath kindled a fire within the heart so vehement, that every true believer esteemeth the passage of death but a play or pastime, and so provoketh other constantly in his truth to die. 
Sapi. 3.  And even as the fear of death dead retard us, so ought love to give us a desire to die. For if true love be unfeignedly within the heart of a man, he can feel none other thing, because that love is so strong of itself, that she keepeth all the room, and putteth out all other desires, not suffering any thing there but God only. 
1. Joan. 4.  For wheresoever true and perfect love is, we do neither remember fear nor yet sorrow  
If our own pride for to attain honour, maketh us to seek death so many strange ways. As if for to have a foolish pleasure, a man putteth him self in jeopardy of life. If a merchant to obtain riches, doth danger himself, sometime for the value of a shilling. If the first conceiving of robbery or murder, cruelty or deceit, 
duty. 16  doth so blind a man, that he doubteth nothing the danger of death, neither yet misfortune when he seeketh to avenge himself or doth any other evil. If the fury of sickness or the rankness of melancholy causeth a creature fiercely to wish for death, & oft times to drown, hang, or kill themselves. For such evils are sometimes so great that they cause their pained patients to choose death for liberty. If it so be than that these pains full of evil, 
Ecels. 1.  and imperfectyons, causeth them not to fear the hazard of death, but rather to think that death tarrieth to long.  
Alas what ought true and laudable love to do? What ought the love of the eternal creator to wish? Should she stir a heart such wise, that he being transported with such affection, should feel none other thing in him? Alas yea. For death is a pleasant thing to the soul. 
Roma. 8.  which is in love with God, and esteemeth the passage easy, through the which she cometh out of prison. For the hard way, wherethrough she cometh, can not weary her for to embrace her husband. O my saver, how good is the same death, through whom we shall have the end of all sorrows? By whom I shall enjoy thy sight without impediment, 
2. Cor. 3.  and be transformed into the likeness of thy majesty?  
O death, through thy deed I trust to have such honour, as upon my knees with crying and weeping I do daily desire. Therefore come quickly, and make an end of my sorrows. O happy daughters, right holy souls joined to the city hierusalem, 
Canti. 5.  open your eyes and with pity look upon my desolation. I beseech you that in my name ye do show unto my best belove, my God, friend & King, how at every hour of the day, I do languish for his love. O sweet death, through such love come unto me, and with love bring me unto my Lord God. O death where is thy sting and dart Alas they are banished from mine eyes, 
1. Cor. 15.  for rigour is changed into sweetness saying that my friend ded suffer death upon the cross for my sake. His death doth so encourage my heart, that thou wert wonders gentle to me, if I might follow him.  
O death, I beseech the come to put the friend with his love, Now sith that death is so pleasant a life, that she pleaseth me more than feareth me, 
Io●. 1.  than ought I to fear nothing but the right judgement of God, All my sins with his just balance shall be weighed & showed openly. 
Apoca 2●  this that I have done. also my thought and word shall be better known, than if they were written in a roll. And we may not think that charity would offend justice & truth. For whoso ever doth live unfaithfully, shall be punished in everlasting pain. God is just and his judgement is righteous. 
Psal. 118  All that he doth is perfect in all things. Alas what am I considering my righteousness, I wretched and poor creature?  
I know that all the works of just men are so full of imperfection, that afore God they are more filthy than mire or any other vileness. 
Efa. 64  What will it be than concerning the sins which I do commit, whereof I feal the burden importable? I can say nothing else but that I have won by them damnation. Is this the end? Shall despair than be the comfort of my great ignorance? Alas my God no. 
Hebre. 18  For the invisible faith causeth me to believe, that all things which are impossible to men, 
Luce. 18.  are possible unto the. So that thou do convert my work, which is nothing, into some good work of thine in me, which is specially faith. 
joan. ●●  Than my Lord, who shall condemn me, & what judge will damn me, sith that he which is given me for a judge, is my spouse, my father, and refuge? Alas what father? Such as doth never condemn his child, but always doth excuse and defend him.  
Than I perceive to have none other accuser but Jesus Christ, which is my redeemer, whose death hath restored us our lost inheritance. 
1. Joa. 2  For he made himself our man of law, showing his so worthy merits afore God, wherewith my great debt is so abundantly recompensed, that in judgement it is accounted for nothing. O redeemer, here is a great love? We find but few such men of law. Sweet Jesus Christ, it is unto the that I am a debtor, yet dost thou both pray, and speak for me. 
Math. 18  And moreover when thou dost see that I am poor, with the abundance of thy goods thou dost pay my debt O incomprehensible see of all goodness. O my father, dost thou vouchsafe to be my judge, not willing the death of a sinner? O Jesus Christ, true fisher, and saver of the soul, friend above all friends. Foyes thou being my man of law diddest excuse and speak for me. where thou couldst justly have accused me. 
Colo.. 2.   
I fear no more to be undone by any man for the law is satisfied by the for all. My sweet spouse hath made the payment so abundant, that the law can ask nothing of me but is paid of him. For as I believe, 
Esa. 53.  he hath taken all my sins upon him, and hath given me in place of them, his own goods in abundance. O my saver, presenting thy virtues, thou dost content the law. When she will reproach me of my sins, thou dost show her how willingly in thine own flesh, thou hast taken the discharge of them, through the conjunction of our marriage. Also upon the cross through thy passion, thou hast made satisfaction for it. 
1. Pet. 2.  moreover thy only charity hath given me this, 
1. Joan. 4.  that thou hast for me deserved. Therefore saying thy merit to be mine, the law can ask nothing of me. Than will I fear no more the judgement, but with desire rather than perforce. I do tarry for the time that I shall see my judge, and hear a just judgement of him.  
Yet I know that thy judgement is so just, 
Psal. 11●  that there is no fault therein, & that my infidelity is worthy to suffer the cruelness of hell. For if I do only consider my deserving. I can see nothing in it that can keep me from the fire of hell. True it is, that the torment of hell was never prepared but for the devil, and not for reasonable men. Nevertheless if any man have set in his mind to be like to the devil, 
Math. 25  than ought he as the devil to be paid with a like reward. But if a man through contemplation of the soul, do hold of thee, his angel of counsel, virtue, goodness & perfection, he is sure to obtain heaven, which is a place of thy deserving for him. Than shall the vicious be punished with the same, 
Luce. 13  to whom they joined themselves. For sith that they followed Satan, they must hold such place as is for him and his angels prepared.  
Now I considering the diversity of both the sorts, am little comforted in spre●t by this. For I can not deny but I am more like the devil than the angel of light, wherefore I fear and tremble. For the life of the angel is so pure & mine so unpure, 
Hebre. 1.  that I am nothing like unto him, this do I confess. But to the other I am so like in my doings, and so accustomed in his ways, that of his pain & torment I ought to be partaker. For the cruel sin which hath bound me in hell, is so great and his force so strong, that it letteth nothing to come from it, neither feareth it the contrary assault of any man. 
Luce. 22.31.32  But he which is in this kind strong, knoweth not how his strength goth away, when a stronger than he cometh. Sin is strong which bringeth us to hell.  
And I could never yet see, that any man by merit or pain taking, could ever yet vanquyshe that hell, save only he which deed the great assault throng his unspeakable charity, 
Phil. 2.  when he humbled himself to the cross. 
1. Cor. 13  whereby he hath overcomen his enemy, broken hell and his power so that it hath no farther strength to keep any soul prisoner, that hath put her trust in God. Than be leaving in the great strength that he hath, I do not set by hell and sin, No not so much as a straw. So that sin can never have hold of me, unless it be for to show how my God is merciful, strong, 
Roma. ●  mighty, & a pusaunt vanquisher of all the evils which were within my heart. If my sin forgiven, is the glory of my most loving saver, I ought also to believe, that my glory is increased therewith, saying that I am planted or engrafted in him.  
His honour only doth honour all his, and his riches doth replenish every one of his with his goods. Than death hell and sin are overcome by him, 
Apoca. 5.  O glottonouse hell, where is thy defence? Thu cruel villain sin, 
1. Cor. 15.  where is thy tyrannous power? O death where is thy sting & victory, which are so much spoken of? In stead of death, thou death gevyst us life, and so dost thou contrary to thy will. Also thou sin which coveryst to draw each creature to damnation thou givest us a ladder to reach thereby that goodly city Jerusalem. 
Apoca. 21  Yet wouldest thou of thy cursed nature that our eternal maker should lose his creature. But through his love and grace, the sorry remembrance of thy uncomeliness, doth cause her by repentance to come again, and submit herself unto God more than ever she did. His inestimable goodness causeth the to lose the whole labour which thou takest all the week.  
Therefore hell hath not had all the number that he did pretend to have. 
Osee. 13.  because that the solacyouse shadow & power of his passion, is such a mighty protection to the soul, that she thereby needeth neither to doubt death, sin, nor hell Is there any thing can pull me back if God be willing through his gift of faith to draw me to him? 
joan. 6.44  I mean such faith as we must needs have to obtain the high graces from above, & also such faith as through charity doth join the humble servant to his maker. I being joined unto him, aught to have no fear of travail, pain, nor sorrow, For who so ever doth willingly suffer any manner of death or sorrow for the truth, as did Christ, he doth feal in such torment great consolation for his soul, knowing that as for myself, 
Math. 10  I am weak, and with God I am right strong.  
Through his comfort I may do all things. For his love is so constant & permanent that it varieth not for any worldly thing. Who can than withdraw me from his grace? Surely the great height of heaven, 
Roma. 8.  nor the deapenesse of hell, nor the breadeth of the whole earth, neither death nor sin, which doth wary every day against me, can separate me one minute from the great love & charity, that my heavenly father through Jesus Christ hath unto me. His goodness is such, that he loveth me which have not at all times loved him. And if I now love him, than shall I feal his love to increase in me. But because that my love is not worthy to love him, 
joan. 4  I desire his love to be mine the which I feal such as though it were mine own, his desire is to love. and through his love he causeth my heart to be inflamed with love.  
And through such love he findeth himself so well-beloved, that his own deed yieldeth him weal content, & not my love or strength. 
joan. 13.  contenting his self, his love doth increase more in me, than I can of him desire, O true lover, fountain, or wellspring of all charity, and only purse of the heavenvly treasure. Ought I to think, or dare I say what thou art? May I write it, or can any mortal man comprehend this goodness & love? And if thou prente in any man's heart, can he express it? 
Roma. 11  No surely. For the capacity of no man can comprehend the unmeasurable goodnesses which are in thee, for natural reason doth show us how there is no comparison between an eternal & a mortal thing But when through love the mortal is joined with the eternal, the mortal thing is so fulfilled with the eternal, that it can not find the end thereof. 
Ephe. 1.  For it hath in it more good thereby, than it can contain or hold.  
Therefore doth a man think, which hath the love of God, that he hath all the goods in the world therewith. 
Roma. 8.  even as we see the sun with one only sparkle of his light doth blind the eye, and yet doth she withhold her great light. But ask the eye what he hath scene, and he will say that he hath beholden the whole brightness of the sun. But that is a great lie. For he being dimmed with a little sparkle, could not see the whole cleartye thereof. 
Ecce. 10.  And nevertheless he is so content, that it seemeth unto him as though he had so moche light as the sun containeth. Yet if he had more than the saide sparkle, he were not able to suffer it. Even so the soul which through faith doth feel one sparkle of the love of God, doth find therewith the heat so great and marvelous, so sweet and delicious, that it is impossible to her to declare what thing the same love is. 
Psal. 118   
For a little thereof that she hath felt doth yield her mind satisfied & desiring of more whereof she hath enough. So doth she live languishing & sighing. The heart doth felewele, that he hath received to moche, but he hath conceived such desire in this to moche, that he always desireth to receive the thing which he can not have, 
Phil. 1.  neither is he worthy to receive it. He knoweth the good that he hath already to be unspeakable, and yet would he have more of that whereof he can not skill. Truly he can not feel or think the good which is in him. 
1 joan. 4.  Then lieth it not in my power, to tell what thing the love of God is, sith that I have no knowledge of the ferventness thereof. He that thinketh to have all this love within his heart, can not truly declare what thing it is. Happy is he who hath such abundance of this love, that he may say, My God, I have enough of it.  
He which hath this love within him, 
jaco. 3  dare no● moche boast thereof, least in moche speaking he lose it unless it be to edify his neighbour unto salvation. The impossibility than of the declaration of this love shall make me to hold my peace's, For there is no saint so perfectly, if he will speak of the love of the high God, of his goodness, sweetness, graces, and of all things else which pertaineth to him, 
Apoca 3  but looking a low shall find himself unworthy, and so stop his mouth. I than a worm of the earth, less than nothing, aught to cease and not to speak of the incomparable highness of this love. Yet were it to much unkindness to be noted in me, if I had written nothing, having that done unto me which would satisfy a moche better wit than mine is. 
Math. 25  For he that would hide the goodness of God, so good a master, should commit a sin worthy to be punished with the everlasting pain.  
Therefore come. O happy Paul, which hast tasted so moche of the same sweet honey, being blinded for the space of three days, 
2. Cor. 12.  & rapt up unto the third haven. Now I beseech thee, satisfy my ignorance & fault, & tell me what in such vision thou haste scene. 
Roma. 11 33.  hearken than what he saith O the unspeakable highness of the abundant riches or treasure both of the wisdom & knowledge of God. 
Sapi. 17  How incomprehensible are his judgements & how unsearchable his ways unto our weak wits? O holy Paul, thy words causeth us much to marvel, that thou having knowledge of so heavenvly secrets, wouldest speak no further in them At the least yet tell us, what thing we may hope to have one day through such godly love. give ear and ponder the words that he saith.  

1. Cor. 2.9.  neither hath the eye scene, nor yet the ear heard, neither yet hath it ever entered into the heart of any man, what God hath prepared for them that love him. 
Esa. 64..  and would he sp●ake it no farther? No truly. Yet all this that he sayeth here, is for non other purpose, but to provoke us earnestly to love. He willeth us also therein to Esteem, that he neither can declare nor yet name it, & so to give forth our hearts to patience & hope of that thing which never man yet could see, 
Rome. 8.  neither yet discern, what though many through love for it hath died. O excellent gift of faith whereof so moche good cometh, that it can sith man to possede the thing which he can not comprehend. Faith joined with the truth bringeth fourth hope, whereby perfect charity is engendered, And charity is God, as thou knowest. 
1, joan. 4.  If we have charity, than we have also God therewith.  
Than is God in us, and we are in him And all this cometh through the benefit of faith. For he dwelleth in all men which have true faith, 
joan. 1st  Thus have we a greater treasure than we can tell of, or yet any man express unto us. Now to conclude. Sith that so great an Apostle as saint Paul is, will speak no further of God & his inestimable love, according to his righteous example and doctrine, 
Roma. 12  I will hold my peace & bestylle, following nevertheless his teachings. Not withstanding yet though herein I acknowledge myself but earth and dust, yet may I not fail to yield thanks unto my eternal living God, for such great graces, and benefits, as it hath pleased him to give me. Unto that everlasting King of heaven immortal, 
1. Timon 1  invisible incomprehensible, mighty, and wise only, be all honour, praise, glory, magnificence, and love for ever & ever. Amen   

Texts of the scripture.  
These four clauses of the sacred scripture added my lady Helisabeth unto the beginning and end of her book, and therefore I have here registered them in the end.  Eccle. 25. 
There is not a more wicked head, than the head of the serpent, And there is no wrath above the wrath of a woman.  Eccle. 25. 
But he that hath gotten a virtuous woman, hath gotten a goodly possession. She is unto him an help and pillar, whereupon he resteth.  Eccle. 25. 
It were better to dwell with a lion and dragon. than to keep house wlth a wicked wife.  Eccle. 7. 
Yet depart not from a discrete and good woman, that is fallen unto the for thy portion in the fear of the Lord, For the gift of her honesty is above gold.   

The conclusion.  
Certain, & sure am I (most gentle reader) that all they which shall peruse this godly book, shall not therewith be pleased. For among feaders are always sundry appetites, 
appetites.  and in great assemblies of people, diverse, and variant judgements, As the saying, is, so many heads, so many wits, neither fine painted speech, wisdom of this world, nor yet religious hypocrisy (which for private commodity many men seeketh) are herein to be looked for, And a reason why, For he that is here familiarly commoned with, regardeth no curiosity, but plainness and truth. He refuseth no sinner, 
Sinner.  but is weal contented at all times to hear his hombly tale. Hide not thyself from me (saith he) when thou hast done amiss, but come boldly face to face, and comen the matter with me, If thy sins be so red as scarlet, I shall make them whiter than snow. And though thy facts be as the purple, yet shall they apere so white as the wool. Esa. 1, 
The lord  For as truly as I live (saith he) no pleasure have I in the death of a sinner, but will much rather that he turn and be saved. Eze. 33.11.  
If the hombly speech here do to moche effende consider it to be the work of a woman, as she in the beginning thereof, have most meekly desired. And yet of non other woman, than was most godly minded. Mark David in the psalter, 
David.  which was a man both wise and learned, and ye shall find his manner in speaking not all unlike to this. Faith (saint Paul saith) standeth not in flourishing eloquence, neither yet in man's politic wisdom, but in the grace and power of God. 1. Cor. 2.1 If the oft repeating of some one sentence, engendereth a tedious weariness to the reader, let him we'll peruse the holy works of S. Johan the evangelist, 
S. johan  & I doubt it not but he shall find there the same manner of writing And his occasion is (as all the chief writers affirm) the necessary marking of the precepts of health, or of matter chiefly concerning the souls salvation. For a thing twice or thrice spoken, entereth moche more deeply into the remembrance than that is uttered but ones.  
And as touching the portion that my Lady Helisabeth, the Kings most noble sister hath therein, 
Lady helisabeth.  which is her translation. Chiefly have she done it for her own exercise in the French tongue, besides the spiritual exercise of her innar soul with God. As a diligent & profitable be, have she gathered of this flower sweetness both ways, and of this book consolation in spirit. And thinking that other might do the same, of a most free Christian heart, she maketh it here comen unto them, not being a niggard over the treasure of God. 
Her first fruit.  Math, 25. The first fruit is it of her young, tender, and innocent labours. For I think she was not full out xiiii. Years of age, at the finishing thereof. She have not done herein, as did the religious and anointed hypocrites in monasteries, 
Lybrares  covents and colleges, in spearing their libraries from men studious, and in reserving the treasure contained in their books, to most vile dust and worms. But like as God hath graciously given it, so do she again most freely distribute it,  
Soothe noble beginnings are neither to be reckoned childish nor babish, though she were a babe in years, that hath here given them. 
The ages  seldom find we them that in the closing up of their withered age, 
The aged  do minister like fruits of virtue. An infinite swarm behold we of old doting bawds and beasts, that with consciences leaden with sin (as S. Pavia reporteth them) taketh every painted stock & stone for their God, besides the small breades that their lecherous chaplains hath blown upon. They shall not be unwise, that shall mark herein what commodity it is. or what profit might grow to a christian comen welt he if youth were thus brought up in virtue & good letters. 
Youth.  If such fruits come forward in childhood, what will follow and apere when discretion and years shall be more ripe and ancient? A most manifest sign of godliness is it in the friends, where youth is thus institute and a token of wonderfully faithful diligence, 
Tuters,  in the studious teachers, tuters and daily lookers on.  
nobility which she hath gotten of blood in the highest degree, having a most victorious King to her father, & a most virtuous, & learned King again to her brother, is not in the early spring distained with wanton ignorance, neither yet blemished with the comen vices of dissolute youth, 
learned.  But most Plenteously adorned with all kinds of languages, learnings, and virtues, to hold it still in right course, The translation of this work, were evidence strong enough, if I had not else to lay for the matter. But mark yet an other much more effectual and clear, at the which not a few learned men in Germany have wondered. In four noble languages, Latin, Greek French, and Italyane, wrote she unto me these clauses following. 
Clauses added.  which I have added to this book, not only in commendation of her learned youth, but also as an example to be followed of other noble men and women, concerning their children. The written clauses are these, which she wrote first with her own hand, much more finely than I could with any prenting letter set them fourth.  
Stultus dixit in cord suo, non est Deus. 
Latin.  Illi corrupti sunt, & abhominabiles in sua impietate, nullus est qui aliquid boni facit.  
Le foldisoit en son coeur, 
Carthage.  il n'anul Dieu. Ilae sont corumpus & sont abhominables en leur impiety, il n'a nul qui faict, bien.  

Italiane.  Is stulto disse vel suo core, non v'e alcuno Dio. Corrutti sono & abhominabile nella loro impietà, nissuno est buono.  

Greek.  Ton theon phoboū, tous de goneiss tima, tous de Philous' aeschynou.  
The first clause in three languages, latin, French, and Italyane, comprehendeth this only sentence, as I showed afore in the epistle dedycatory.  

Antichrist his clergy.  The fool saith in his heart, there is no God. Corrupt they are, and abominable in their wickedness (or blasphemies against God) not one of them doth good.  
The Greek clause is thus to be englished.  

Christian.  fear God, honour thy parents, and reverence thy friends.  
Thus have she given us counsel, both to go and to come, to leave and to take. To decline from the evil, 
The pope  and to do that is good Psal. 36. To flee from the Antichrist & his great body of sin or blasphemous cruel clergy, & to return to God by a perfect fear, honour. and love. So lively apothegms, or burn and quycek sentences, respecting christianity, have seldom come from women. 
Writers.  I have searched Pintarchus. Boccatius, Bergomas, Textor, & Lander of Bonony. Which all wrote of the virtues and worthy acres of women. But among them all have I found no counsels so necessary to the comen wealth of our christianity. I deny it not, but excellent things they uttered, 
Women.  and matters of wisdom wonderful, concerning moral virtues. But these most highly respecteth the kingdom of faith and regiment of the soul, which Jesus Christ the eternal son of God, from heaven by his doctrine and death so busily sought to clear. Many grave sentences had they concerning private causes. 
All sorts  But universally these are for all sorts of people, high, low, hail, sick, rich, poor, learned, & unlearned, that mindeth to have freedom by Christ's deadly sufferings, or to be delivered from hell, sin, death, & the devil, by the price of his precious blood.  
No realm under the sky hath had more noble women, nor of more excellent graces, than have this realm of England, both in the days of the britains, and since the English Saxons obtained it by valiant conquest, 
Guendolena.  Guendolena the wife of Locrinus the second King of britain, being unlawfully divorced from him for the pleasure of an whore whom he long afore had kept, tried it with him by dint of the sword, had the victory, and reigned after him asking the space of xu years. Till her son Maddan come to lawful age. 
Cordilla.  Cordilla the daughter of King Leyer, and least of all her sisters. as her father was deposed, & exiled out of his land, she received, comforted, and restored him again to his princely honour, and reigned alone after his death, for 
Cambra.  the space of .v. years Cambra the daughter of King Belyne, and wife to Antenes than King of France, ded not only exceed in beauty, but also in wisdom. In so much that she first instructed the noble men how to build cities, castles, and other strong holds, the comen people more comely manners, and the women a most seemly decking of their heads. She made their civil laws, 
Laws.  which upon her name were called. Leges S●cambrorum. She taught them to sow flax and hemp, to water it, dry it, dress it spin it, weave it, whiten it, and fashion it, to all manner of use for the body.  
Martia the wife of King Guythelyne, a lady exceedingly fair, 
Martia.  wise, & learned in all the liberal sciences, invented things wonderful by the high practise of her wit. After the death of her husband she reigned vij years as King, till Sicilius her son came to age. She reredressed the comen wealth, reformed the gross manners of the people, and made most honest laws/ called of her name, Leges Martiane. So delighted the French King Nicanor in the wisdom, 
Constantia.  learning, and comely manners of his wife Constantia, the daughter of King Eliodorus, that he not only holp her brother Geruntius in see battle against the King of Orchades, but also sent his most dear son Priamus into britain to have the same self bringing up. The scottish King Finnanus. thought his princely honour most gloriously increased, 
Agasia  as he had obtained Agasia the daughter of King Blegabridus, to be coupled in marriage with Sorstus his son, for the manifold graces that he beheld in her. What though the said ungracious Sorstus, in spite of the britains, did afterward use her most wickedly. Bundwyca a woman both high of stature, 
Bundwyca.  and stomach, also of mist noble lineage among the britains, perceiving the havoc which the Romans daily made in the land, with great pusaunce of worthy warriors she invaded them, slew them, hang up their captains, and followed the remnant of them to the very Alps of Italy. Where at the latter by reason of daily labours, she sickened and so died, even the very glory of women, saith Ponticus Virunnius.  

Voada.  Voada the first wife of King arviragus, a woman of wonderful force & heart strongly armed herself. her two daughters, and .v. thousand women more of the Britannysh blood/ in battle against the furious fierce Romans, to suppress their tyranny and execrable filthiness in abusing maids, wives, and widows. But as she beheld the victory upon their sides because she would not come under their captivity, she poisoned herself, & so died. Voadicia her younger daughter, 
Voadicia  afterward escaping the hands of the said Romans, with a mighty power of the Britons entered into the isle of Maene, and in a night battle, there slew them in a wonderful number, destroying their fortalyces, and holds notwithstanding at the latire being taken, she was byheaded, her eldar sister being married to King Marius. 
Athildis  Athildis the daughter of the said King Marius, was also a most noble woman, whom the French King Marcomerus married for the only natural gifts and seyences which she had above other women, and had vii sons by her. Claudia Rufina, 
Claudia Rufina.  a noble britain, witty and learned both in Greek and Latin, having to husband one Aulus Rufus a learned knight, a poet of Bonony & a philosopher of the stoical sort, is much commended of Martialis the poet, for the Epygrammes and poems which she than compiled in both those dunges.  
Emerita the sister of King Lucius, 
Emerita  which is called the first christened King, a lady most virtuous and faithful for constantly affirming the verity of Christ, suffered most tyrannous death and was brent in the fire. Helena Faluia, 
Helena Flavia.  the daughter of King Coelus, and mother to great Constantyne the Emperor, was a woman of incomparable beauty and learning. Non could be found like her in the arts liberal, neither yet in the fine handling of all instruments of music. She excelled all other in the diverse speeches of nations, specially in the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. She made a book of the providence of God, an other of the immortality of the soul, with certain Greek poems, epistles, and diverse other treatises, Constantia her daughter, 
Constantia.  was also a woman of most excellent gifts, had she not in the end declined to the detestable sect of the Arrians, by certain hypocrytysh priests. Ursula Cynosura, 
Ursula.  the flourishing dauter of Sionothus the duke of cornwall, was so nobylly brought up in all liberal discipline, that Conanus the King of little britain desired her to wife, and as she went thydrewarde with xi thousand britains wives more, by chance of wether and violence of see rovers both she and they perished by the way.  

Annae duae  Anna the sister of Aurelius Ambrose which was afterward married to Lotho the King of Pycres, & Anna the twin sister of King Arthure, are of writers magnified, for their diverse and excellent graces. 
Morganis.  Morganis a woman of incomparable love towards her parents, and contrary, so secretly and wisely conveyed the body of King Arthure, the most worthy governor of the britains, that the English Saxons could never come to it, to do their violence thereon. Hermelinda, 
Hermelinda.  rising of the English Saxons blood, for her excellent beauty and noble behaviour became the wife of Cunibertus the King of Lombardy. Hylda, a noble woman, both godly, 
Hylda.  wise, and learned, not only disputed in the open synod at Streneshalce in the North contrary against the prelate's, concerning their newly found out celebration of Eastre, and their crown shaving, with other ceremonies, but also wrote a treatise against bishop Agilbert a French man, the busiest among them. The three daughters of King alphred, 
Tres filiae  Elfleda, Elfritha, and Ethelgora, were wonderfully expert in the liberal sciences Alenor the wife of King Henry the second, 
Alenora.  was learned also, & wrote diverse epistles to pope celestine the third, & also to King Johan her youngest son.  
joanna the youngest daughter of the said King Henry, 
joanna.  so much delighted in good letters, that before she should be married to King wyllyam of Cycyll, she caused her father to send over ii learned men of England. walther and richard with a French doctor called Petrus Blesensis to instruct him in them, specially in the art of versyfyenge. And at her coming thither, the one of those English men was made archbishop of Panorme, & the other Bishop of Siracusa, in recompense of their labours. 
Margareta.  Margarete the noble mother of King Henry the vii so plenteously minded the preferment of sciences & going forward of learnings, that she builded in cambridge for the same purpose, the colleges of Christ & of S. Johan the evangelist, and gave lands for their maintenance, as Queen Helisabeth did afore, 
Elisabeth  to the queens college there. Long were it to rehearse the exceeding number of noble women, which in this land of britain or realm of England, have excelled in beauty, wit, wisdom, science, languages, liberality, policies, heroical force, and such other notable virtues, and by reason of them done feats wonderful. Either yet to sort out their Names and register them one by one, 
Names  which have been married out of the same, to emperors, Kings, dukes, Earls, worthy captains, philosophers, phesycyanes astronomers, poets, & other of renowned fame and letters, only for their most rare graces and gifts.  
Though none in this land have yet done as did among the Greeks Plutarchus, 
Writers  & among the latins Boccatius with other authors afore named, that is to say, left behind them Cataloges or Nomenclatures of famous and honourable women, yet have it not at any time been barren of them. No, not in the days of most popish darkness. As appeareth by Alenor Cobham, 
Ceruelliera Cobham.  the wife of good duke Vinfrey of Glocestre, brother to King Henry the fift. Whom Antichristes' grand captains, the bishops than of England, in hate of her name and believe, accused of sorcerous enchantments and experiments of Necromancy against their holy horned whorish church. And at the last slew her noble husband in a false parliament at Bury, by their own hired slaughter man Pole, as they never are without such. If they were worthy praise, which had these aforenamed virtues syngle, or after a bodily sort only, we must of congruence grant them worthy double honour, 
Double honour.  which have them most plenteously doubled. As now sens Christ's gospel hath risen, we have beholden them, & yet see them still to this day in many noble women, not rising of flesh and blood as in the other, but of that mighty living spirit of his, which vanquished death, hell, and the devil.  

Anne Askewe.  consider yet how strongly that spirit in Anne Askewe, set them all at nought with all their artillery and ministers of mischief both upon the rack and also in the fire. Whose memory is now in benediction (as Jesus Syrach reporteth of Moses) and shall never be forgotten of the righteous. She as Christ's mighty member, hath strongly trodden down the head of the serpent, and gone hence with most noble victory over the pestyferouse seed of that vyperouse worm of Rome, the gates of hell not prevailing against her. What other noble women have, 
Noble Women.  it doth now, and will yet hereafter apere more largely by their godly doctrine and deeds of faith. Mark this present book for one, whose translation was the work of her. Which was but a babe at the doing thereof. Mark also the grave sentences, which she giveth fourth to the world & laud that living father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which hath thus taken his heavenly wisdom from the great grave seniors, that only are wise in their own conceits, and given it so largely to children, Math. 11. 
Prayer.  That heavenly Lord grant her and other noble women long continuance in the same to his high pleasure. That like as they are become glorious to the world by the study of good letters, so may they also apere glorious in his sight by daily exercise in his divine scriptures, Whose nature is in process of time to kindle their minds and inflame their hearts in the love of Christ their eternal spouse, as this present book requireth, So be it.  
Thus endeth this godly meditation of the Christian soul concerning a love towards God and his Christ, aptly translated into English by the right virtuous lady Elyzabeth daughter to our late sovereign King Henry the eight    

¶ The xiii Psalm of David, called, Dixit insipiens. touched afore of my lady Elizabeth.  
Fools that true faith, yet never had,  
Saith in their hearts, there is no God.  
Filthy they are, in their practise,  
Of them not one, is godly wise.  
From heaven the Lord, on man dead look,  
The know what ways, he undertook,  
All they were vain. and went astray,  
Not one he found, in the right way,  
In heart and tongue, have they deceit,  
Their lips throw fourth, a poisoned bait.  
Their minds are mad, their mouths are wode.  
And swift they be, in shedding blood.  
So blind they are, no truth they know,  
No fear of God, in them will grow.  
How can that cruel sort be good?  
Of God's dear folk, which suck the blood?  
On him rightly, shall they not call,  
despair will so, their hearts appall.  
At all times God. is with the just/  
Because they put, in him their trust.  
Who shall therefore, from Zion give,  
That health which hangeth, in our believe?  
When God shall take, from his the smart,  
Than will Jacob, rejoice in heart.  
Praise to God.  
  

 

  

   

imprinted in the year of our lords 1548. in Apryll,