MEONIE:

OR CERTAIN EXCELLENT POEMS

AND SPIRITUAL HYMNS.

COMPOSED BY

R. S.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY J. HAVILAND.

1634.

THE VIRGIN MARY'S CONCEPTION.

UR second Eve puts on her mortal

shroud,

Earth breeds a heaven for God's new dwelling-place;

Now riseth up Elias' little cloud,

That growing shall distil the showers of grace; Her being now begins, who, ere she ends, Shall bring our good that shall our evil mend.

Both
grace
and nature did their force unite
To make this babe the sum of all their best;
Our most her least, our million but her mite,

She was at easiest rate worth all the rest:
What grace to men or angels God did part,
Was all united in this infant's heart.

Four only wights bred without fault are named,
And all the rest conceived were in sin;
Without both man and wife was Adam framed,
Of man, but not of wife, did Eve begin;
Wife without touch of man Christ's mother was,
Of man and wife this babe was bred in grace."

HER NATIVITY.

OY in the rising of our orient star That shall bring forth the sun that lent her light;

our war,

Joy in the peace that shall conclude

And soon rebate the edge of Satan's spite; Loadstar of all engulf'd in worldly waves,

The card and compass that from shipwreck saves.

The patriarchs and prophets were the flowers
Which time by course of ages did distil,

And call'd into this little cloud the showers

Whose gracious drops the world with joy shall fill; Whose moisture suppli'th every soul with grace, And bringeth life to Adam's dying race.

For God in earth she is the royal throne,
The chosen cloth to make His mortal weed;
The quarry to cut out our corner-stone,

Soil full of, yet free from, all mortal seed;
For heavenly flower she is the Jesse rod,
The child of man, the parent of a God.

HER ESPOUSALS.

IFE did she live, yet virgin did she die,
Untouch'd of man, yet mother of a

son;

To save herself and child from fatal lie, To end the web whereof the thread was spun, In marriage knots to Joseph she was tied, Unwonted works with wonted veils to hide.

God lent His paradise to Joseph's care,
Wherein he was to plant the tree of life;
This Son of Joseph's child the title bare,

Just cause to make the mother Joseph's wife.
Oh! blessed man, betroth'd to such a spouse,
More bless'd to live with such a child in house!

No carnal love this sacred league procured,

All vain delights were far from their assent; Though both in wedlock bands themselves assured,

Yet chaste by vow they seal'd their chaste intent: Thus had she virgins', wives', and widows' crown, And by chaste childbirth doubled her renown.