I dout not at all, but his most noble discretion perceyueth much more in that wycked generacyon of the Popes norryshynge up, which alwayes hath maynteyned, and yet do, soche manyfest errours, than he euer in his lyfe yet uttered. The eternall Father rewarde his Grace for that clere lyght of helthe, which we poore creaturs have receyued at his onlye hande undre God, though yt be not all without the grevouse punyshment of our bodyes. By the processe whiche we have afore here uttered of Sir Iohan Oldcastell, ye maye evydentlye see, that great is the treasure which the Lorde hath layed up for the behove of them that hath trusted in him, wherewith now he maketh dumme the lyeing lyppes of them that dysdaynouslye reported the ryghtuouse, to the honour and prayse of his most gloryouse name. Amen.

Thus endeth the brefe chronycle concernynge the examynacyon and death of the blessed martir of Chryst, Sir Iohan Oldcastell, the Lord Cobham, not canonysed of the Pope, but in the precyouse bloude of his Lorde Iesus Chryst. Collected by Iohan Bale, and imprinted, Anno Dom. 1544. and vi. Die Augusti.

THE

LAMENTATION, OR COMPLAINT

OF

A SINNER*,

MADE BY THE MOST VERTUOUS AND RIGHT GRATIOUS LADIE,

QUEEN CATHERINE,

Bewailing the Ignorance of her blind Life, led in Superstition;

Verie profitable to the Amendment of our Liues.

Quarto, containing Forty-seven Pages.

William Cicill hauing taken much profit, by the reading of this treatise following, wisheth vnto euerie Christian, by the reading thereof, like profit, with increase from God.

MOST gentle and Christian reader, if matters should be rather confirmed by their reporters, than the reports warranted by the matters, I might iustlie bewaile our time, wherein euill deeds be well worded, and good deeds euill cleaped. But sincere truth is, that things be not good for their praises, but be praised for their goodnesse. I doo not mooue

• Psa. xxx. Eccl. 1. Wisd. v. in the Harleian Library.

+ This is the 140th number in the catalogue of pamphicts

thee to like this christian treatise, bicause I haue mind to praise it; but I exhort thee to mind it, and, for the goodnesse, thou shalt allow it, for whose liking I labour not to obteine, onelie, mooued by mine example, their judgement I regard, chieflie confirmed by the matter. Truelie, our time is so disposed to grant good names, to euill fruits, and excellent terme sto meane works, that neither can good deeds enioie their due names, being defrauded by the euill; neither excellent works can possesse their woorthie termes, being forestalled by the meane; insomuch that men seeke, rather, how much they can, than how much they ought to saie; inclining more to their pleasure, than to their iudgement, and to shew themselves rather eloquent, than the matter good; so that neither the goodnesse of the cause can mooue them to saie more, neither the euilnesse lesse. For, if the excellencie of this Christian contemplation, either for the goodnesse herein to maruell appearing, either for the profit, hereupon, to the reader ensuing, should be, with due commendation, followed: I, of necessitie, should either trauell, to find out new words, the old being anticipated by euill matters, or wish, that the common speech of praising were spared, vntill conuenient matters were found to spend it; such is the plentie of praising, and scarseness of deseruing.

Wherefore, lacking the maner in words, and not the matter in deed of high commendation, I am compelled to keepe in my iudgement with silence, trusting whom my report could not haue mooued to like this present treatise, the worthinesse of the matter shall compell to giuc it honour.

Anie earthlie man would soon be stirred, to see some misterie of magike, or practise of alchumie, or, perchance, some inchantment of elements; but thou, which art christened, hast here a wonderfull mysterie of the mercie of God, a heauenlic practise of regeneration, a spiritual inchantment of the grace of God. If ioie and triumph be shewed, when a kings child is born into the world, what ioie is sufficient, when God's child is regenerated from heaven? The one is flesh, which is borne of flesh; the other is spirit, which is borne of spirit. The one, also, shall wither like the grasse of the earth, in short time; the other shall liue in heauen, beyond all time. If the finding of one lost sheepe be more ioifull, than the hauing of ninetic and nine; What ioie is it, to consider the returne of a straie child of Almightie God, whose returne teacheth the ninetie and nine to come to their fold? Euen such cause of ioie is this, that the angels, in heauen, take comfort herein. Be thou, therefore, ioifull, when a noble child is newlie borne; shew thy selfe glad, when the lost sheepe hath wonne the whole flock; be thou not sad, where angells reioise.

Here maist thou see one, if the kind may mooue thec, a woman; if degree may prouoke thee, a woman of high estate; by birth made noble, by marriage most noble, by wisedome godlic, by a mightie king, an excellent queene; by a famous Henric, a renowned Catherine, a wife to him that was a king to realmes; refusing the world, wherein she was lost, to obtaine heauen, wherein she may be saued; abhorring sinne, which made hir bound to receiue grace, wherby she may be free; despising flesh, the cause of corruption, to put on the spirit, the cause of

sanctification: forsaking ignorance, wherein she was blind, to come to knowledge, whereby she may see; remoouing superstition, wherewith she was smothered, to imbrace true religion, wherewith she may reuiue.

The fruit of this treatise, good reader, is thine amendment; this onlie had, the writer is satisfied. This good ladie thought no shame to detest hir sinne, to obtcine remission; no vilenes, to become nothing, to be a member of him, which is all things in all; no follie to forget the wisedome of the world, to learne the simplicitie of the gospell at the last; no displeasantnesse, to submit hir selfe to the schoole of the cross, the learning of the crucifix, the booke of our redemption, the verie absolute librarie of God's mercie and wisedome. This waie, thought she, hir honour increased, and hir state pirmanent, to make hir earthlie honour heauenlie, and neglect the transitorie for the eucrlasting.

Of this I would thee warned, that the profit may ensue. These great mysteries and graces be not well perceiued, except they be surelie studied; neither be they perfectlie studied, except they be diligentlic practised; neither profitablie practised, without amendment. See and learne, hereby, what she hath doone, then maist thou practise, and amend that thou canst do; so shalt thou practise with case, hauing a guide, and amend with profit, hauing a zeale. It is easier to see these, than to learne: begin at the easiest, to come to the harder; see thou hir confession, that thou maiest learne hir repentance; practise hir perseucrance, that thou maiest haue like amendment; despise thy selfe, in es chewing vice, that thou maiest please God, in asking grace; let not shame hinder the confession, which hindered not the offense. Be thou sure, if we knowledge our sins, God is faithfull to forgiue vs, and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes. Obeie the prophets saieng: Declare thy waies to the Lord."

Thus far thou maist learne to knowe thy selfe: next this, be thou as diligent to releeue thy selfe in God's mercie, as thou hast beene to reueale thy selfe in thine owne repentance. For God hath concluded all thinges vnder sinne, bicause he would haue mercie upon all; who hath also borne our sinnes in his bodie vpon the tree, that we should be deliuered from sinne, and should liue vnto righteousnes, by whose stripes we be healed. Here is our anchor; here is our shepheard; here we be made whole; here is our life, our redemption, our saluation, and our blisse; let vs, therefore, now feed, by this gratious queenes example, and be not ashamed to become in confession publicanes, since this noble ladie will be no pharisie.

And, to all ladies of estate, I wish as earnest mind, to followe our queene in vertue, as in honour, that they might once appeare to prefer God before the world, and be honourable in religion, which now be honourable in vanities; so shall they, as in some vertuous ladies, of right high estate, it is, with great comfort seen, taste of this freedome of remission of the euerlasting blisse, which exceedeth all thoughts and vnderstandings, and is prepared for the holie in spirit. For the which, let vs, with our intercession in holines and purenes of life, offer our selues, to the heauenlie father, an vndefiled host: To whom be eternall praise and glorie, throughout the earth, without end. Amen.

THE FIRST CHAPTER.

Of an humble Confession of Sinnes, to the Glorie of God.

First, to set

WHEN I consider, in the bethinking of mine evil and wretched former life, mine obstinate, stonie, and vntractable heart, to haue so much exceeded in euilnesse, that it hath not onelie neglected, yea contemned, and despised Gods holie precepts and commandements; but, also, imbraced, receiued, and esteemed, vaine, foolish, and feined trifles, I am partlie, by the hate I owe to sinne, who hath reigned in me, and partlie, by the loue I owe to all Christians, whom I am content to edifie; euen, with the example of mine owne shame, forced, and constrained, with my hart and words, to confesse and declare to the world, how ingrate, negligent, vnkind, and stubborne, I have been to God my Creator, and how beneficiall, mercifull, and gentle, he hath been alwaies to me his creature, being such a miserable and wretched sinner. Trulie, I haue taken no little small thing vpon me. foorth my whole stubbornesse, and contempt in words; the which is incomprehensible in thought, as it is in the twelfth Psalm, Who vnderstandeth his faults? Next this, to declare the excellent beneficence, mercie, and goodnesse of God, which is infinite, and vnmeasurable. Neither can all the words of angels and men make relation thereof, as apperteineth to his most high goodnesse. Who is he, that is not forced to confesse the same, if he consider what he hath receiued of God, and doth dailie recciue? Yea, if men would not acknowledge and confesse the same, the stones would crie it out. Trulie, I am constrained and forced to speake, and write thereof, to mine own confusion and shame, but to the glory and praise of God. For he, as a louing father, of most abundant and high goodnesse, hath heaped vpon me innumerable benefits; and I, contrarie, haue heaped manifold sinnes, despising that which was good, holic, pleasant, and acceptable in his sight, and choosing that which was delicious, pleasant, and acceptable, in my sight.

And no maruell it was, that I so did, for I would not learne to knowe the Lord, and his waies, but loued darknesse better than light, yea, darknesse seemed to me light. I embraced ignorance, as perfect knowledge, and knowledge seemed to me superfluous and vaine. I regarded little Gods word, but gaue my selfe to vanities, and shadowes of the world. I forsooke him, in whom is all truth, and followed the vaine, foolish imaginations of my hart. I would haue couered my sinnes with the pretence of holinesse; I called superstition godlie meaning,, and true holinesse errour. The Lord did speake manie pleasant and sweet words vnto me, and I would not heare; he called me diuerslie, but through frowardnesse, I would not answere.

Mine cuils and miseries be so manic, and so great, that they can accuse me cuen to my face. Oh, how miserable and wretchedlie am I confounded, when, for the multitude and greatnesse of my sinnes, I am compelled to accuse my selfe! Was it not a maruellous unkindnesse, when God did speake to me, and also call to me, that I would not answere him? What man, so called, would not haue heard? Or what man,

hearing, would not haue answered? If an earthlie Prince had spoken, either called, I suppose there be none, but would willinglie haue done both. Now, therefore, what a wretch and caitife am I, that, when the prince of princes, the king of kings, did speake manie pleasant and gentle words vnto me, and also called me so manie and sundrie times, that they can not be numbred; and yet, notwithstanding these great signes and tokens of loue, I would not come vnto him, but hid my selfe out of his sight, secking manie crooked and biwaies, wherein I walked so long, that I had clean lost his sight: And no maruell, or wonder, for I had a blind guide, called Ignorance, who dimmed so mine cics, that I could neuer perfectlie get anie sight of the faire, goodlie, streight, and right waies of his doctrine; but continuallie trauelled, vncomfortablie, in foule, wicked, crooked, and perverse waies; yea, and bicause they were so much haunted of manie, I could not thinke, but that I walked in the perfect and right waie, hauing more regard to the number of the walkers, than to the order of the walking; beleeuing also, most assuredly, with companie, to haue walked to heauen, whereas, I am most sure, they would haue brought me down to hell.

I forsooke the spirituall honouring of the true liuing God, and worshipped visible idols, and images made of mens hands, belecuing, by them, to haue gotten heauen; yea, to saie the truth, I made a great idole of my selfe, for I loued my selfe better than God. And, certainlie,

looke how manie things are loued, or preferred, in our harts, before God, so manie are taken and esteemed for idols, and false Gods. Alas! how haue I violated this holie, pure, and most high precept and commandment of the loue of God? Which precept bindeth me to loue him with my whole hart, mind, force, strength, and vnderstanding: And I, like vnto an euill, wicked, and disobedient child, haue giuen my will, power, aud senses, to the contrarie, making, almost, of euerie earthlie and carnall thing, a God.

Furthermore, the bloud of Christ was not reputed, by me, sufficient for to wash me from the filth of my sinnes; neither such waies, as he had appointed by his word; but I sought for such riffraffe, as the Bishop of Rome hath planted, in his tyrannie and kingdome, trusting, with great confidence, by the vertue and holinesse of them, to recciue full remission of my sinnes. And so I did, as much as was in me, obfuscate and darken the great benefit of Christes passion, than the which, no thought can conceiue anic thing of more value. There can not be done so great an iniuric and displeasure to Almightie God, our father, as to tread vnder foot Christ, his onlie begotten and weibeloued sonne. All other sinnes in the world, gathered together in one, be not so heinous, and detestable, in the sight of God. And no wonder, for, in Christ crucified, God doth shewe himselfe most noble and glorious, euen an Almightie God, and most louing father, in his onlie deare and chosen blessed

sonne.

And, therefore, I count my selfe one of the most wicked and miserable sinners in the world, bicause I haue beene so much contrarie to Christ my sauiour. Saint Paule desired to knowe nothing, but Christ crucified; after he had beene rapt into the third heauen, where he heard such secrets, as were not conuenient and meete to vtter to men,