A Pleasant New Nosegay, Title page – Dedication
¶A pleasaunt newe Nosegaye, full of many godly and swete floures, lately gathered by Theodore Basille.
Eccle. 24.
¶ As the Uyne hauehave I broughte forthe fruyte of a swete sauoure, and my floures are as the fruytes of honour & rytches.
¶The Nosegaye speaketh.
What meanest thou my frende to gather
Floures, which sone perysh and decaye,
Theyr sauours wyll not laste eue…
As by experience se thou maye.
For a lytle tyme they seme pleasaunt
But streyght do they vanysh awaye,
Lyke thynges, which to vanite graunt
As by experience se thou maye
Leaue therfore thynges transitory
And enhalse godly thynges alwaye,
Which shall auaunce the vntounto glory
As by experience se thou maye.
Receaue me into thy bosome
If thou doste desyre a nosegaye,
My floures are full of delectacion
As by experience se thou maye.
To knowe thy selfe thou mayst learne here
God and thy kynge truely to obeye▪
And to thy neyghbour to be dere
As by experience se thou maye.
Take me nowd vntounto the therfore
Beare me in thy bosome alwaye,
Much pleasure hauehave I for the in store
As by experience se thou maye▪
¶ To the right worshypful mayster George Whetenhall Esquyer, Thodore Basille wissheth continuall health and prosperous felicite.
ALthough we hauehave mooste vrgent & weyghty causes, yea & those īnumerable to extoll, magnify, commend & prayse the exceadynge goodnes & bounteous liberalite of our moost mercifull father, yf we perpend, pē sitate, weyghe, ponder & cōsider his inestimable benefites, which he frely & without our deseruynge dayely giueth vntounto vsus miserable creatures, yet if we weyghe all thinges in a iust balaunce, we shall easely and withoute ony difficulte perceaue, y• we are moost bounde to celebrate & prayse his moost blyssed name for ye restorynge of his holy word at this tyme, brought to passe by his true annoynted Hēry our moost redoubted Kynge, as by another Iosias, whose graces moste excellent maieste that LORDE of powers mought prosper in all his diuine affayres & godly enterprises. For before God restored to the world the Gospell & ioyfull tydynges of his derely beloued sonne our LORDE & Sauioure Iesus Christe, incredulite as chefe rulare reygned in oure hertes, Hypocrisye as a vayne gloryous Empresse, bare dominion, Supersticiō, Idolatry, false sectes, mennes tradicions, confidence reposed in humayne inuencions, Pylgrimages, Offringes, Bulles, Pardonnes, dispensacions, Masses of Scala celi, marchaundyse for merytes & workes, byenge & sellynge of the diuine misteries, with an whole sea of euelles mo, had creapte in, vntounto ye great perturbacion & disquietnes of ye holy catholyke chyrch, as I may passe ouer the blynde ignorancy & ygnorant blyndenes, into the whiche by this meanes we were cast and tombled. Howe can it otherwyse be? If the lyght of Gods word be obscured extincte or quenched,Psal. cxviii which only is the lanterne to our feete, & a lyghte to our pathwayes, what meruayle is it, though the fearce & outerageous floudes of Idolatry & all kinde of supersticiō breake in and inuade the boundes of christianite, yea and ouerflowe thē. For as Fayth, Hope Charite, Peace, Mercy, Pacience, longe sufferynge, humilite, sobriete iustice, spirituall liberte, obedience towarde the hyghe powers, and all goodnes reygneth, where the LORDES word bereth rule, so in lyke mā ner, where yt is expulsed, banysshed & exiled, Incredulite, hatred, enuy couetousnes, vēgeāce, contencion, Glotony, dronckēnes, rapacite, immoderate lustes, vncleane affectes, carnal liberte, disobediēce īsurreccion, arrogācy, pryde, ambiciō, crudelite, māslaughter, thefte, false witnes, hypocrisy, ignorāce, blyndnes, sectes, Heresye, and all that is contrary to the commaundeme nt and wyll of God, beareth dominiō, and hath preeminence, as Salomō sayeth,Prouer. xix Where knowledge is not, there is no goodnes for y• soule. Agayne, whan the preachyng of Gods word …ayleth,Prou. xxix the people peryshe & runne cleane oute of order. Therfore it is wryten by the Prophet,Esaie. viii. make hast to the lawe & witnes. If they speke not accordynge to this word, they shall not hauehave the mornynge lyght, that is to saye, the true knowledge of God.Marke. xii. Rebuked not Christ ye Saduces, bycause they were ignorant in the holy Scriptures, affyrming that they were deceaued for lacke of the knoweledge of them? Ye are deceaued, sayth he, bicause ye know not ye scriptures. Therfore in ye gospel of Iohn,Ioan. v. he exhorteth al men to serch ye scriptures, sayēg, serch ye ye scriptures, for they are they ye beare witnes of me. And ye Psalmograph calleth thē blissed,Psal. cxviii and .i. which search ye testimonies of the LORDE & meditate in his lawe both both daye & nyght The worde of God muste nedes be an excellent & precious treasure, seinge it is the power of GOD vntounto saluacion for so many as beleue,Roma. i. i. Tim. iiii. seinge also it is profitable to teache, to īproue, to amend, & to instructe, in ryghteousnesse, that the man of God may be perfecte & prepared to all good workes. Who is able to expresse, what a precious relique and high treasure the worde of God is? Uerely it is that treasure, wherof Christ speaketh in the Gospell,Math. xii… that lygheth hydden in the felde, which, whan a man once fyndethe, for ioye therof he goeth & selleth all that he hathe, & byethe that felde. And it is no lesse treasure to the soule, than the corporall eyes are to the bodye, as ye Psalmographe testifieth: Thy worde,Psal. cxviii O LORDE, is a lanterne to my fete, & a lyght to my pathewayes. For as that man, that is depryued of his corporal syght, knoweth not how nor wher to walke, so lyke wyse, hē that wanteth the lyght of Goddes worde seeth nothynge, and therfore walketh he not aright but wādreth abrode lyke a shepe dispersed & destitute of a shepparde.Mathew. ix But as he that hath the true & perfecte syght of the eyes stōblethe not, but walketh at all times without daū ger, so in lyke māner he ye is endued by Christes spirite wt the light of y• holy Scriptures wādreth not frō that true way, which sayth of him selfe,Ioan. xiiii. I am the waye, the truethe & the lyfe, but alwaye is preserued, that he walketh continually in the kynges hygh waye, declynyng neither on the right hand or on ye lyfte hand. He is not caryed about with straūg doctryne.Deut. xii. Hebre. xiii. Math. xvi. Math. vii. Luke. vi. His fayth is bylte on a sure rocke, therfore abideth he fyrme, immutable, stedfaste, sure & constant, what so euer kynde of tē peste assaylethe hym. The gates of hell can not preuayle agaynst him. Satan with all his army are not able once to abduce & remoue hym from the true waye.ii. Petre. i. For the lyghte of Goddes worde is continually before his eies, wher vntounto he gyueth diligent attendance, which also he followeth earnestly in all his iourneyes, and therfore muste he nedes walke the true waye, & neuer erre. Yf he be blyssed, fortunate & happy that hath the naturall lyght of his body, howe much more blyssed & heuēly at ease is he, that is illumined with ye lyght of the LORDES word? wherof ye holy king Dauid hauīge experience prayeth on this māner, open myne eyes,Psal. cxviii & I shall consyder ye meruelous thynges of thy lawe. To walke in this lyght, Christe exhorteth vsus, sayeng, walke whyle ye hauehave lyght,Ioan. xii. vnles ye darkenes come on you. He that walkethe in darkenes, wotteth not whither he gothe. Whyle ye hauehave lyght, beleue on the lyghte, that ye maye be the chyldrē of lyghte. So many as be of God, louelove this lyght of y• LORDES word, and desyre with all theyr herte to walke ī it. But they that be of Satan, hate it, & refuse to walke in it. Why so?Actum. vii. Uerely for they are beast lyke mynded, styffe necked, & in all thynges resist the holy Ghost. The lyght they hate, be it neuer so pleasaunt & wholesome, but the darkenes they enhalse, louelove, kysse & kull, be it neuer so tedious and horrible. Therfore shall they receaue y• greater dānacion, as Christ wytnesseth sayeng…, thys is the condemnacion that lyght came into the worlde, & men loued darkenes rather then lyght. For theyr workes were euel.Ioan. iii. EueryEvery one that doth euell, hate the the lyght, neyther commeth he to ye lyght, vnles his workes shoulde be reproued. O howe blessed are they, to whome it is gyuen to walke in thys lyght. Agayne, howe miserable, wretched & vnhappy are they, y• speare theyr eyes at the commynge of this confortable light, & wyl not only not walke in it thē selues, but also laboure to the vttermooste of theyr power to obscure & quenche it, that it maye appeare & shyne to none at all. These are those people,Esaie. xxx. whiche, as the Prophet saythe, prouoke God to anger. Theise are the lyenge and vnfaythefull chyldren. Theyse are the chyldren that wyll not heare the lawe of the LORDE. These are they, which say to them that se, se not, & to them that looke, looke not for vsus those thinges that are right. Speke vntounto vsus pleasaūt thīges, preach vntounto vsus tales of Robyn hood, take awaye from vsus the right way, go out of the pathe, and away with that holy one of Israel frō our face. Theise are they, which hate hym,Amos. v. that reproueth thē openly, and abhore hym that telleth the truethe playnely. Theise are they, which call euell good,Esaie. v. & good euell, darkenes lyght, & lyght darkenes. bytter swete, & swete bitter. These are they whiche are wyse in theyr owne eyes, and stonde wel in theyr owne cōceate. But agaynst all such as contemne the holy scriptures & cast awaye the law of theyr LORDE God, wyllynge neither to enter thē selues, nor yet suffryng other, christ intonateth and thōderethe on this māner,Luke. xii. wo be to you lawers, for ye hauehave taken awaye the key of knowledge, ye hauehave not onlye not entred in, but ye hauehave also forbidden them that entend to enter. But without doubte they shal no lēger preuayle.Iob. xv. Esaie. xi. Daniel. viii ii. Thess. ii. For ye daye of the LORDE is at hand whan he shall breake Satans head & destroye bothe him & all his ministers with the breath of his mouth For he wyll no lenger sufferre thys great wickednes & hygh abhominacion. He wyll be knowne for ye God & Sauiour alone. He is that LORD which alone wyll be exalted,Esaie. ii. and all Idolles shall be vtterlye broken on peces. He is that God, whiche wyll no lenger suffer his glorye to be attributed & gyuen to other.Esaie. xiii. Iacob. ii. He is ye lawer, which wyl expulse the darkenesses of mennes tradicions, that fyghte with his infallible verite, & brynge in the glorious lyght of his moost holye worde. To be shorte, he wyll detecte and ouerthrowe all the Idols, that obscure his glory, and set vp his blyssed name to be praysed and magnyefyed for euer and euer. So be it.
Of this thynge hauehave we experience euen at this tyme, in ye whiche that LORDE of puissāce hath moost puissantly by his derely beloued seruant Henry our moost vertuous & godlye Kynge, subuerted, topledde downe, and ouerthrowne a great parte of Antechristes kyngedome, so that by his diuine polecy & godlye enterpryse,Apoca. xvii. that great whore of Babylon, the mother of all whore dome & abhominacions of the erth, hath loste her chefe glory & renome, & is nowe become so vile, that she is euen made the habitacion of diuelles, & the holde of all fowle spirites & a cage of all vncleane & hatefull byrdes.Apoca. xviii So that no man nowe wyl once by ony of her m…rchaundyse. And wythoute doubte the tyme is at hande,Esaie. xii. Iere. xv. Apoca. xiiii. Psal. cx…iiii▪ Psal. cxvi. that Babylon shall hauehave such a faull, that it shall not be able after this at onye tyme to be repared. For the mouthe of the LORDE hath spoken it, whiche is faythfull in all his wordes, & whose trueth abydeth for euer & euer. Neyther cā this prophecy of Christ be made frustrate by ony humayne polecy:Math. xv. EueryEvery plante, that my heauenly father hath not planted, shall be plucked vp by ye rootes. Who reioysethe not to heare these thinges? yea who triumpheth not to se thē? Blyssed are we to whome it hath chaunsed not only to heare these thinges ioyefully, but also to se them pleasauntly, & which hereafter shall vndoubtedly se such thynges mo, as shall may be able to prouoke onye faythefull herte seriouslye to reioyse. Uerelye althoughe we be occasioned dyuers wayes to gyue God immortal thā kes for dyuers gyftes, yet me thīke we are most highly boūd to be thākefull for ye re…uciō of his moste holy worde in these our dayes. And wo worth them, that be vnthanckefull in this behalfe, excepte they repent and amende.
iii. Reg. iii. ii. Para. ix.The Scriptures shewe howe yt in ye tyme of kyng Salomon, there was so great plēte of syluer at Ierusalem, as there was of stones in the stretes. What carnall manne would not hauehave delyghted to inhabite hymselfe there? Yet verely in my iudgement we do farre excell ye glorious abundans of Salomon & all hys in mundane treasures, to whome it is gyuen not only to florysh with worldely goodes, but also wyth the incomparable treasures of the spirite. So that our condicion at this present doth not a lytle excede & passe the state of those Israelites, which lyued so gloriously vnderunder the empyre and dominion of Salomon. Certes as concernynge my selfe, let God be but a lytle mercifull vntounto me, yf I had not rather chose to lyue vnderunder this our moost Christen kynge withe that lytle nothinge that I hauehave, & to enioye the benefyte of Goddes worde, than to li…e vnderunder Salomō, if he were now alyue, & there to abunde with all affluence & plente of all worldly rytches. I am sufficiētly rytch, so lōge as I hauehave ye rytches of Gods word wt me. And I doubte not, but that of this opinion are so many as tender the glory of God & the helthe of theyr owne soules. Nowe seynge ye this incōparable treasure & inestimable benefite of Gods word, is so bounteously gyuen vntounto vsus, let vsus all togyther consent wt one mynde to cōserue & mayntayne this moste precious Iewel, that we lose it not hereafter thorowe our owne necligence. Let vsus not hynder thē that go about to repare & byld agen th… Tēple of our LORD god, but rather praye for thē, that they maye hau… prosperous successe, & brynge theyr labours to a fortunate end. Yea let vsus eueryevery one helpe to ye edificacion & byldyng of gods house. If we can not make the waulles, yet lette vsus fetche morter & stones to the Masōnes for to make it wt. Let vsus further the buyldynge so muche as we maye, and not hynder it by ony meanes, vnlesse we be cursed of God. Let vsus cast our mony togyther euerye man for hys porcion to the makinge of this glorious temple, that the name of God may be praysed in it of the faythfull for euermore.Luke. xii. Yf we be not able with the rytche man to cast great abūdans of goodes in to the treasure house, yet let vsus wt the poore widowe of the Gospell at the leest gyue two minutes, & God wyll surely approue & accepte oure good wyll. Only let vsus not hynder the workemāshyp of it, but further it to the vttermoost of oure power, so shall the blessyng of God be amōg vsus,Esaie. xii. & we shall dwell safely in his holy mountayne, & the earthe shall be replenisshed with the knowledge of the LORDE, euē as the water of the sea that ouerfloweth the londe.
And although there maye be inuented diuers wayes to reedifye & bylde agayne this house of ye LORD, yet me thynke to speake generally, the nexte & moost redy waye to further it, & to brynge it vntounto a good ende, is to lyue vertuously, & eueryevery man studiously to do that vntounto the which God hath called hym.i. Cor. vii. For wt out doubte this oure dissolute & remisse manner of lyuynge hathe hytherto very much hyndred the byl…ynge of Gods temple, I wyll not saye, that it hath driuen awaye many, which woulde hauehave ben strennuous and valeante labourers in the worke of the LORDE, if our sluggishnes had not perswaded the contrary. In cōsideraciō wherof, althoghe I am no fytte person to be a worke man in this behalfe, yet verely I desyre with all my herte that this byldynge of the LORDES Temple may go forward, & I wyshe to the labourers therof all prosperous & fortunate thynges, that they may bring theyr worke vntounto a glorious & ioyefull ende. And although I can not greatly further theyr godly laboures, yet wyll I not hynder thē, but helpe them to the vttermoste of my possebilite in al thynges. Let other brynge Ceder trees, syluer, Golde, Pearle & precious stones vntounto the byldynge & garnysshynge of this tē ple, I wyll agayne for my parte gather stones, fetche the tymber, and make the morter or do suche smal… thynges, as my lytle strēgthes shal be able to beare and suffer.
And that all men maye hauehave an experimēt of my good wyll toward the byldynge of this temple,Eccle. xiiii. Esaie. xi. i Pet. i. Iob. v. Iacob. i. behold at this tyme I brynge forth a nosegaye for to adourne & garnyshe the Temple wt all, hauyng in it. v. floures, yea & those not such as wyl wy ther awaye at ye heate of the Sōne but rather such as the beauty wherof wyll neuer decaye, nor be obscured with the fearce asperite of onye tempest. The fyrst floure is called, vnfayned Humilite. The seconde,☜ pure innocency, The thyrd, faythful obedience. The fourth, Redy assistence. The fyfte, Chri sten Charite. These be such floures, as who so euer smelleth well vntounto them, and replenyssheth his senses wt ye odoriferous sauoures of them, surely he shal ryght sone perceaue, that there can no fl…ures be gathered, yt shall make more vntounto the adournemente of Gods Temple, than these aforesayd. For of the fyrst he shall smell y• ryght knowlege of hymselfe, which after the censure of all learned mē is the begynnynge of all wisdome, & learne to be humble, meke, & lowely, without the which how can ony man fortunately aspire & come vntounto ony progresse or furtherance in vertues. Of the seconde, he shall sauour howe he ought to behaue him selfe vntounto God, that he maye walke innocently, as it becommeth hym. Of the thyrde he shal learne true obedience towarde his Prynce. Of the fourth, he shall smell, what hys duety is towarde his christen brother. Of ye fyft, how al these thīges ought to be done. Cā ony thīge be foūd more precious for the garnysshyng of gods Tēple, thā thys nosegay which brīgeth to al ye faythful such delectable, swete, mel…fluous, & cōfortable sauours? Who so smelleth well on this Nosegay, shall neyther offende hym selfe, nor God, nor the Kynges grace, nor yet his neygheboure, but shall worke all thynges according to the wyll and pleasure both of God & mā. Uerely I would wysh it not only to be borne in the handes or bosoms of all christen mē but also to be prynted and fast rooted in theyr hertes, so myghte they be sure to lyue in this worlde a quiet godly lyfe, & after the departure to enioye that glorye, whiche is immortall. God graunt it maye come to passe.
This my Nosegaye gathered of me ī the space of thre dayes at such houres, as I coulde conuenientlye suffurate & steale awaye from ye institucion & teachynge of my Schollers, I nowe offer and dedicate to youre ryghte worshypfull maystershyp, as a testimony & memorial of my right harty good wyll towarde you, moost instantly desyrynge you to accepte it with such good mynd, as you are alwayes accustumed of your naturall humanite and gētlenes to receaue the gyftes & presentes of them which desyre frendly & wyssh well vntounto you. The gyfte is lytle I confesse, & vnworthy youre boūteous liberalite shewed toward me at all tymes. No meruayle. For what shoulde an herbe bryng forth but floures, pleasaūt for the tyme, but sone perysshyng? Yet your Basille at this time hath broght forth to you such floures, as heuē & earth shal soner perysh, thā ye leest leafe of thē shal so much as ōce wither awai or loose the beaty therof. Wherof I do not doubte, but that this my ly tyll gyfte shall be acceptable vntounto you, if not for the price of it, yet for the longe continuaunce of ye same, and so muche the more bycause at this tyme, you are partely occupied in the adournynge and garnysshynge of that your new garden wt moost swete herbes & pleasant floures. So that ye herbes of that your garden, & the floures of youre Basille put togyther, wyll vndoubtedly make goodly and swete sauours, the one for the body, the other both for body & soule, which thinge that LORDE myght graunt,Iacob. i. from whom descendeth eueryevery good and perfecte gyfte.
God preserue youre good mastershyp longe in helth, with the right worshypfull & vertuous Gētyl woman your wy…e, and al your familye. So be it.
The Nosegaye, Philemon, Eusebius, Theophyle, & Christopher talke togyther.
Philemon.
THere wanteth not at this presente tyme, which not only thē selues are but litle studious, vigilant and laborous for the prosperous propagacion & settinge forth of diuine litterature & godly knowlege, wherby the faythfull are inserted, planted & engraffed in our LORDE & Sauioure Christ Iesus, but they also vituperate & discōmend ye serious & payneful endeuours of other, which wt al mayne labour to dilate & enlarge ye kingedome of God, & the glory ther of, yea and that not without great daunger of theyr helthe, as I maye adde nothynge hereto. With what spirite such personnes be inflated & puffed vp, I wyll not here define. But certes they very much aberre dissent & are estraunged from my sē tence, iudgement & perswasiō. For I desyre & wysh wyth all my herte, that all menne lyuinge were in the bowelles of Christ,Colos. iii. & that the word of Christ myght opulently, rytchly & abundantly dwell in them withe all wisdome, & knoweledge, be they Turkes, Iewes, Saracēnes,Roma. …. Ioan. iiii. or onye other, seynge that there is one LORDE of all, sufficiently rytche for so many as call on him in spiryte & verite: We rede that Moses desired …o greatly the health & saluaciō euē of the grosse Idolaters the Iewes, that he estemed his owne wealth & fauoure of no price withoute theyr health & prosperite,Exo. xxxii. yea he wysshed to be blotted out of the boke of lyfe, if the people of Israel were not also saued with hym. O feruent charite & burnynge louelove. Howe many wayes sought our moost gētle sauiour… Christe also to brynge his enemies to repētaunce? Would not he hauehave gathered them togither,Mat. xxiii. Luke. xiii. as a henne doth her chyckēs, & yet they would not? Dyd not he deplore & lamente euē with profuse & moost large teares theyr obstinate blynd…nes and blynd obstinacy,Luke. xix. whā he tofore saw the perelles imminent & that were redy to faule vponupon them? Dyd not he praye for them,Mat. xxvii. Luke. xxiii. euen whan they had hanged hym on the crosse? Dyd not he suffer his moost blyssed body to be brokē, and his moost precious bloud to be shed for theyr redēpciō, If they would conuerte & amende, yea & at the last gyue his owne lyfe for theyr saluacion?Rom. ix. O louelove incōparable. O charite without measure. What nede I rehearse S. Paule, which so intierly thyrsted the helth of his kynnesmen the Israelites, that for theyr saluacion he wysshed not only to be secluded & banysshed but also vtterly accursed frō christ. He rather desyred hīselfe to be depriued of eternal saluaciō, thā that so many should be cōiect & cast into euerlasting dānaciō. O true Apostle O spectacle moost worthy to be looked on of all Prelates, Bisshoppes & Curates. Here se we, howe feruēt our desyre shoulde be towarde ye sauyng helth of our christē brothers. Uerely we oughte not to seake all meanes possible for to brynge them vntounto consummate, absolute & perfecte knoweledge of Christes moost wholesome doctryne, but also euen to gyue oure lyues to brynge them vntounto Christ, as S. Iohn sayth.i. Ioan. iii. By this we hauehave knowne louelove, bycause he hath gyuen his lyfe for vsus, & we are bounde agen to gyue our lyues for the brothers. Therfore neyghbours accordynge to the commaundement of that moost noble māne, which sayd,Luke. xix. laboure vntyll I come, for the right herty zele that I bare towarde your soules, I thyncke it my bounden dutye, so longe as we dwell togither to talke with you of the worde of lyfe,ii. Pet. i. whiche is able to saue your soules.
The Banckette.Ye know that at Christmasse last paste, I made you a Bancket, wher in I proponed & set before you four dysshes. The fyrste contayned, into what great misery we were cast by Adam. The seconde, howe we ware freely saued by the mercy of God ye Father thorowe Iesus Christe. In your thyrde dysh, I declared howe we mighte obtayne & come by this vnmeasurable boūtie & great goodnes of god. In the fourth I shewed you, what is your duety, after we hauehave receyued these inestimable benefites of God the father thorowe Christ Iesus,Co…os. iii. verely to put of oure conuersacion, to become new mē,Ephe. v. Rom. vi. to be plenteous in good workes, to dye vntounto synne, to lyue vntounto ryghteousnes, & dayly more and more to waxe grande & auncient in Christ, that at the laste we maye attayne & come vntounto the very perfeccion of christianite. These thinges ye hauehave not forgotten, I am sure neyghebours.
Euse.
God forbid brother Philemon, yt we shouldebe negligent in theyse thynges that pertayne vntounto the helthe of our soules. So might we worthely seme to be moost ennemies of oure owne saluacion.The potacion.
Phile.
I reioyse very muche at it. Moreouer syns that tyme, ye knowe that not many wekes paste I made you a Potacion for Lent, wherin I set before you manye godlye thynges moost worthy to be knowne concerning that tyme of lent. Of the holy Sacrament of Penance & the partes therof I talked much with you I taught you also howe ye shoulde …aste accordyng to the wyll of God. I also openned vntounto you the misteries & significicacions of certayne Ceremonies vsed in the Tēples for the tyme of Lent. Last of all I dedeclared vntounto you, howe ye shoulde prepare your selues worthely to receue at ye time of Easter ye most blyssed sacramēt of the Altare. Al these thynges hauehave I taught you, yea & that not in vayne, as your quotid… ane fruytes do manifestlye shewe. For ye seme vntounto me dayely more & more to expresse manners worthye your profession, so that I perceaue the word of God is not sent to you in vayne,Esay. lv. but that it brīgeth for the much fruyte in you vntounto the glory of God, the conforte of the faythful & the saluaciō of your owne soules If all men vntounto theyr vttermooste possibilite wold likewyse endeuour them selues to bryng forth fruytes accordynge to theyr knowledge, verely it should be an occasion that ye Gospell of Christ should excite and store vp meruaylous loues, so that it should hauehave in short space mo frē des & fewer enemies; yea and they yt studye to hauehave Christes doctryne both truely knowne & earnestly followed, shoulde also no more be blasphemed, detracted, rayled vpō and yll spoken of, but rather animated & encouraged to proceade in theyr mooste godly and vertuous enterprises.
Nowe neyghbours seynge that hyther to ye hauehave ben no forgetful hearers, but obsequious followers and diligente doers of the thynges taught you, I thought it not vnfyttyng to caull you once agen vntounto me, and accordynge to the tyme of the yere to gyue you a Nosegay full of moost redolēt & odoriferous floures,A nosegay…. which maye both expell all pernicious & hurtefull sauours, & also conserue & kepe your incolum… te & valeaūce both of body & mynd.
Theo.
Nothynge can be gyuen to vsus more grate, acceptable & pleasaūt, than this your gyfte nowe promised, neyther can any thyng at this present beatify vsus on suche sorte.
Chri.
No verely, this is wtout dout.
Phil.
I shall be the gladder to īpart… it to you. But neyghbours knowe this one thyng, that euen as your Banket & Potaciō were not made of corruptible meate,Ioan. vi. but of suche as permayneth, continueth & abydeth vntounto eternall lyfe, so lykewyse thys youre Nosegaye shall not be made of suche Herbes, as the floures wherof, wyll wyther awaye & drye vp with the heate of the sonne but puissantly abyde for euer and euer so valeaunt, that no heate, no tempest, no troublous wether, shal maye be able at ony tyme to obfuscitate or blemysh the natiue beautye therof. For oute of the diuine scirptures shall your Nosegaye be selected, & it shall cōtayne in it fiue floures. But nowe wyll I declare vntounto you, what the names of ye floures, and of what vertue, efficacye, strength and power they be.
Euse.
I praye you lette vsus heare.The names of the floures contayned in the Nosegaye, & the vertue of them.
Phil.
Your fyrst floure is called, Vnfayned humilite. & it is good to expell all arrogancy, pryde, hawtynes and elacion of mynde. It is of all vertues easelye the Base & foundament, & without the which none consisteth in theyr germayne & naturall place. Youre seconde floure shalbe, Pure Innocency. beynge profitable to make you for to behaue youre selues deuoutly & vertuously toward God, workyng that thinge that shalbe acceptable & thanckefull in his syght,Luke. i. that ye maye walke innocently, before him all the dayes of youre lyfe. Youre thyrde floure is called, Faythfull Obedience. & shal aspire and breath vntounto you suche redolent & swete odoure that ye shal therby receaue strēgth & knowledge to do your duty vntounto our moost victorious & moost vertuous Prince withe all submission & lowlynes of herte. Youre fourthe flowre is named, Redy assistence, and it auaylethe very muche to teache you, how ye ought to behaue your selues towarde youre christen brothers,Phil. ii. that that affecte maye be in you, that was ī Christ Iesus. Your fyft floure, which is the laste, is called Christen Charite, & it is of so great strength & vertue, that without it al the other be not much approued nor allowed before God.Rom. xiii. i. Tim. i. For it is the perfecte fulfyllyng of the lawe, and the ende of the precepte, as the Apostle writeth. Of these fyue floures shall youre Nosegaye be made, whiche I desyre you, that ye wyll not disdayne ioyfully to accepte & frendely receaue at my hande, as y• gyfte of hym, which moost intierly wysshethe well vntounto you.
Theo.
We ware more than twyse ingrate, yf we woulde not thanckefully, yea & wt enbrasīg armes receaue yt, which is cōducible & profitable to so mani necessarye causes, and matters of graue importans.
Chri.
Who hathe euer had so precious a Nosegay, as this shall be, which shall teach vsus to be humble, lowly, gentle, meke, and replete with all submission, whiche also shal aspire and breath vntounto vsus suche sauours, as wherby we shall maye learne to do our duties both toward God, our kynge, & our christen brothers, which thynge is the very whole summe of all christianite. Who so euer shal hauehave this nosegaye continually in his hande, and smell well of it, he maye be sure to be preserued frō all pestiferous ayres, so y• he shall neyther offend god, nor his Prince, nor yet his neyghebour, but worke all thynges accordynge to Gods moost holy plesure.
Phil.
Well, I praye you be diligent. For nowe I entende to gather eueryevery floure of your Nosegay in order & to delyuer them vntounto you.
Euse.
I praye you let it so be.