A Mirror of mans lyfe made by a modest virgine Fransisca Chavesia a
Nonne of the cloyster of S. Elizabeth in Spaine burned for the profession of the gospell.
THe onely God of Israell,
Be praysed evermore:
For that to gloryfie his name,
his sayntes he kepes in store.
And to declare his wonderous workes,
which past the witte of man:
How his most pure and sacred worde.
unto this virgine came.
Who closed was a cloyster Nonne,
and drownd in fylthy sinke:
By taking of the Romish cuppe,
and tasting of her drinke.
Through which both soule & body tread,
the beaten pathes to hell:
Be rent and torne in fylthy lake,
with Deviles ferce and fell.
But God in Christ our Saviour,
this Mayden toke to grace:
Who banisht quite all romish ragges,
and gods word dyd imbrace.
As in this mirrour you may see,
made by this martir bright:
Which is a lanterne to our steppes,
of pure and perfite light.
And to confirme the truth therof,
dyd seale it with her death:
With stedfast fayth in fiery flame,
dyd end her vitall breath.
O virgine pure thou art right sure,
with Christ to rayne, & grace obtaine:
Wherfore to pray, let us not staye,
our sinnes t'unfold, to God be bold.
Einis. quod. T.W.
This godly crosserowe, to christians I send with hartie desire there lives to amend.
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A.
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ALl faythfull hartes that feareth God,
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drawe neare behold and see:
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What fiery torments I abode,
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for Christes most veritie,
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For true it is the wicked hate.
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the godly and their wayes:
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with cruell deathes they bragge and prate,
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whose spite right sone decayes.
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B.
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Beare not yourselves ye Papistes bold
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In frutelesse hope to trust:
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Thinking to mend whan ye ware olde,
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that sinne is nert the worst.
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Be rather wise and circumspecte,
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repent while ye have space:
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For those that be of God rejecte,
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remayne in dolefull place.
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C.
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Consider well and call to mind,
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what counsell Christ doth geve:
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Unto all such as sekes to fynde,
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how by his word to lyve.
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Commaunding us ech one, to love,
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and in him fire our fayth:
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Who spent his bloud for our behoulfe,
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as holy Scripture sayth.
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D.
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Disdayne not for to helpe the poore,
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ye rich that may do so:
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Who calles on you both day and night,
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be wrapt in payne and woe.
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For who so doth the poore despise,
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and from their ayd refrayne:
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From such the Lord wyll turne his eyes,
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In their most nede and payne.
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E.
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Employe yourselves to eche intent,
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that gods word doth amitte:
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Obey your Prince whom he hath sent,
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In Judgement seate to sitte.
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Envye not ye the lowest sorte,
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Nor strive not with the bande:
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So shall ye winne a good reporte,
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where that ye dwell on lande.
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F.
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Feare not those furious faythlesse sorte,
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that dayly lye in wayte:
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To shed your bloud they have a sporte,
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and make your flesh their bayte.
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For he, whose fayth you do profes,
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hath promised you in dede:
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For to destroye there cruelnes,
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and be your helpe at nede
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G.
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Gape not gredely goods to gette,
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the rich mans goods doth rest:
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Remember flesh to be wormes meate,
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from it departe we must.
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Then lyve we heare whyles we abyde,
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to profite our soules health:
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For death he tarieth not the tyde,
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but crepts on us by stealth.
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H.
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Hotnes of harte se that yee hate,
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all ye that do love truth:
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Which doth but move stryfe and debate,
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eche where in age and youth.
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Be poore in spirite, and meke withall,
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In harte loke not aloft:
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Who climmeth hyghe most lowe doth fall,
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such sightes are sene full oft.
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I.
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Incline your eares to heare their cause,
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that are with wronge opprest:
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Ye ministers of Christian lawes,
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to you I make request.
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Let not the poore man be debarde,
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to serve the riche mans turne:
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If ye so do your just reward,
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shall be in hell to burne.
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K.
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Kepe clene yourselves from fleshly deds
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uncleanes put awaye:
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For harlots breathes are stinking wedes
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appeare they never so gaye.
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Most poyson dartes they are iwysse,
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that falles with such a breath:
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Loke where they light they seldom misse
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but strikes unto the death.
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L.
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Let godly love in you remaine,
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and first and principall:
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Above all thinges love God certayne,
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your neighbour next of all.
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If you so lyve without all stryfe,
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then are you of that sorte:
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Of whom S. John hath written ryfe,
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and made a just reporte.
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M
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Measure by truth your graine & corne
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all ye that selles the same:
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Be not at any tyme forsworne,
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In earnest or in game.
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Nor covet for to sell more dere,
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but as you may aforth:
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Small tyme we have to tary here,
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this lyfe is lytle worth.
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N.
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Note well the substance of this bill,
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and what is herein pend:
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Then shall ye not delite in yll,
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nor yet therto attend.
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Condemne it not though it be rude,
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all doth not write lyke fyne:
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With counsell good it is indued,
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to it therfore incline.
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O.
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Offer to God the sacrifice,
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that his word doth allowe:
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Obey the powers in humble wise,
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unto them see you bowe.
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Who strives with them resisteth God,
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as Scripture doth expresse:
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They are the very skourge and rodde,
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for such as do transgresse,
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P.
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Pitie the poore that faine would lyve
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with labour of their handes:
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With wrong do not your tenants greve,
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you that be men of landes.
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As Christian brethern ought to bee,
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In fayth so to professe:
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Leave of therfore your crueltie,
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and practise gentlenes.
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Q.
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Quietly deale, quarell not yee,
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that loves to lyve in rest:
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This is most true to eche degree,
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a quiet lyfe is best.
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For quarells doth ingenger stryfe,
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by stryfe oft tymes doth growe:
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Such happe that some doth lose their life
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they reape as they doe sowe,
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R.
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Ryote refrayne let reason guide
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for ryote bringeth wracke:
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For reason doe thou sure provide
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before the time of lack.
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And if in wealth you happe to flowe,
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spend not away to fast,
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Lest you come home by ragmans rowe,
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with nifles at the last.
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S.
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Slaunder no weight therof beware,
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evill tonges they are so vile,
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That ofte they wrappe themselves in snare,
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wherat their foe doth smile,
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Commit your cause to god therfore,
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vengeance saith he is myne.
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His merry is also in store,
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to those that trust in time.
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T.
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Trust not the trifeling talkers tale,
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till truth the same have tried:
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Such bringeth men oft times in bale,
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this cannot be denied.
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Nedes must he lye that bableth much,
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note this for your discharge:
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Avoyd therfore from you all such,
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whose tongues doth runne at large.
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V.
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Vyle wanton wayes se you none use
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at no tyme day nor night:
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Thy fayth Christ may ne will refuse,
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to speake the hartes delight.
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The godly man from his good thought,
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of godlines doth talke:
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The wicked man in fancye nought,
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his tongue doth ever walke.
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X.
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Christe graunt us all that do professe,
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his faythfull flocke to be:
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That our good works may show no lesse
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but with our fayth agree.
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Dead is that fayth as James doth say,
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where good dedes wanteth place:
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That we may dwell in Christ alwaye,
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he graunt us of his grace.
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Y.
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Yeld laude and prayse to god above,
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whose most high majestie
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Sent downe his sonne for our behouf:
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our saviour for to be.
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Whose death hath done our sinnes away
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as scripture doth record.
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Let us therfore both night and daye,
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geve thankes unto the Lord.
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Z.
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Zeale to the truth hath moved me,
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this dittie to set forth:
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Most humbly praying ech degree,
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to take it in good worth.
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None other thing is ment therby,
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to witnes God I take:
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But that we should lyve Christianly,
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and Sathans wayes forsake.
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&.
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& for the same accomplishment,
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with meekenes let us pray:
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To God the Lord omnipotent,
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that he with us alway.
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Vouchsafe his holy spirite to dwel,
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to guide our hartes aright:
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That we may walke in his gospell,
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as Children of his light.
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