Claudia, that to manifest hir virginitie set the Shippe on float with hir finger, that multitudes could not remove by force? Where is Tuscia, one of the same order, that brought to passe no lesse mervailes by carrying water in a sive, not shedding one drop from Tiber to the Temple of Vesta? If Virginitie have such force, then what hath this chast Virgin Elizabeth don[e], who by the space of twenty and odde yeares with continuall peace against all policies, with sundry myracles contrary to all hope, hath governed that noble Island? Against whom neyther forre[i]n force, nor civill fraude, neyther discorde at home, nor conspiracies abroad, could prevaile. What greater mervaile hath happened since the beginning of the world, then for a young and tender Maiden to govern strong and valiaunt menne, then for a Virgin to make the whole worlde, if not to stand in awe of hir, yet to honour hir, yea and to live in spight of all those that spight hir, with hir sword in the she[a]th, with hir armour in the Tower, with hir souldiers in their gownes, insomuch as hir peace may be called more blessed then the quiet raigne of Numa Pompilius, in whose government the Bees have made their hives in the soldiers helmettes? Now is the Temple of Janus removed from Rome to England, whose dore hath not bene opened this twentie yeares, more to be mervayled at then the regiment 23 of Debora, who ruled twentie yeares with religion, or Semeriamis [Semyramis], that governed long with power, or Zenobia, that reigned six yeares in prosperitie.

This is the onelye myracle that virginitie ever wrought, for a little Island environed round about with warres to stande in peace, for the walles of Fraunce to burne, and the houses of England to freese, for all other nations eyther with civile [cruell] sworde to bee devided, or with forren foes to be invaded, and that countrey neyther to be molested with broyles in their owne bosomes, nor threatned with blasts of other borderers: But alwayes though not laughing, yet looking through an Emeraud at others jarres.

23 rule.

Their fields have beene sowne with corne, straungers theirs pytched with Camps; they have their men reaping their harvest, when others are mustring in their harneis; they use their peeces to fowle for pleasure, others their Calivers for feare of perrill. O blessed peace, oh happy Prince, O fortunate people: The lyving God is onely the English God, wher[e] he hath placed peace, which bryngeth all plentie, annoynted a Virgin Queene, which with a wand ruleth hir owne subjects, and with hir worthinesse winneth the good willes of straungers, so that she is no lesse gratious among hir own, then glorious to others, no lesse loved of hir people, then merva[i]led at of other nations.

This is the blessing that Christ alwayes gave to his people, peace: This is the curse that hee giveth to the wicked, there shall bee no peace to the ungodlye: This was the onely salutation hee used to his Disciples, peace be unto you: And therefore is hee called the GOD of love, and peace in hollye [holy] writte.

In peace was the Temple of the Lorde buylt by Salomon, Christ would not be borne untill there were peace through-out the whole worlde, this was the only thing that Esechias prayed for, let there. be trueth and peace, O Lorde, in my dayes. All which examples doe manifestly prove, that ther[e] can be nothing given of God to man more notable than peace.

This peace hath the Lorde continued with great and unspeakeable goodnesse amonge his chosen people of England. How much is that nation bounde to such a Prince, by whome they enjoye all benefits of peace, having their barnes full, when others famish, their coffers stuffed with gold, when others have no silver, their wives without daunger, when others are defamed, their daughters chast, when others are defloured, theyr houses furnished, when others are fired, where they have all thinges for superfluitie, others nothing to sustaine their neede. This peace hath God given for hir vertues, pittie, moderation, virginitie, which peace, the same God of peace continue for his names sake.

24 muskets.

Touching the beautie of this Prince, hir countenaunce, hir personage, hir majestie, I can-not thinke that it may be sufficiently commended, when it can-not be too much mervailed at: So that I am constrained to saye as Praxitiles did, when hee beganne to paynt Venus and hir Sonne, who doubted whether the worlde could affoorde coulours good enough for two such fayre faces, and I whether our tongue canne yeelde wordes to blase that beautie, the perfection where-of none canne imagine, which seeing it is so, I must doe like those that want a cleere sight, who being not able to discerne the Sunne in the Skie are inforced to beholde it in the water. Zeuxis having before him fiftie faire virgins of Sparta where by to draw one amiable Venus, said that fiftie more fayrer than those coulde not minister sufficient beautie to shewe the Godesse of beautie; therefore being in dispaire either by art to shadow hir, or by imagination to comprehend hir, he drew in a table a faire temple, the gates open, and Venus going in, so as nothing coulde be perceived but hir backe, wherein he used such cunning that Appelles himselfe seeing this worke, wished yat Venus woulde turne hir face, saying yat if it were in all partes agreeable to the backe, he woulde become apprentice to Zeuxis, and slave to Venus. In the like manner fareth it with me, for having all the Ladyes in Italy more than fiftie hundered, whereby to coulour Elizabeth, I must say with Zeuxis, that as many more will not suffise, and therefore in as great an agonie paint hir court with hir back towards you, for yat I cannot by art portraie hir beautie, wherein though I want the skill to doe it as Zeuxis did, yet v[i]ewing it narrowly, and comparing it wisely, you all will say yat if hir face be aunswerable to hir backe, you wil[1] like my handi-crafte, and become hir handmaides. In the meane season I leave you gazing until she turne hir face, imagining hir to be such a one as nature framed to yat end, that no art should imitate, wherein shee hath proved hir selfe to bee exquisite, and painters to be Apes.

This Beautifull moulde when I behelde to be endued with chastitie, temperance, mildnesse, and all other good giftes of nature (as hereafter shall appeare) when I saw hir to surpasse all in

beautie, and yet a virgin, to excell all in pietie, and yet a prince, to be inferiour to none in all the liniaments of the bodie, and yet superiour to every one in all giftes of the minde, I beegan thus to pray, that as she hath lived fortie yeares a virgin in great majestie, so she may lyve fourescore yeares a mother with great joye, that as with hir we have long time hadde peace and plentie, so by hir we may ever have quietnesse and aboundaunce, wishing this even from the bottome of a heart that wisheth well to England, though feareth ill, that either the world may ende before she dye, or she lyve to see hir childrens children in the world: otherwise, how tickle 25 their state is yat now triumph, upon what a twist they hang that now are in honour, they yat lyve shal see which I to thinke on sigh. But God for his mercies sake, Christ for his merits sake, ye holy Ghost for his names sake, graunt to that realme comfort without anye ill chaunce, and the Prince they have without any other chaunge, that ye longer she liveth the sweeter she may smell, lyke the bird Ibis, that she maye be triumphant in victories lyke the Palme tree, fruitfull in hir age lyke the Vyne, in all ages prosperous, to all men gratious, in all places glorious: so that there be no ende of hir praise, untill the ende of all flesh.

Thus did I often talke with my selfe, and wishe with mine whole soule [heart].

What should I talke of hir sharpe wit, excellent wisdome, exquisite learning, and all other qualities of the minde, where-in she seemeth as farre to excell those that have bene accompted singular, as the learned have surpassed those that have bene thought simple?

In questioning not inferiour to Nicaulia the Queene of Saba, that did put so many hard doubts to Salomon, equall to Nicostrata in the Greeke tongue, who was thought to give precepts for the better perfection: more learned in the Latine then Amalasunta: passing Aspasia in Philosophie, who taught Pericles: exceeding in judgement Themistoclea, who instructed Pithagoras,

25 unsteady.

adde to these qualyties those that none of these had, the French tongue, the Spanish, the Italian, not meane in every one, but excellent in all, readyer to correct escapes 26 in those languages, then to be controlled, fitter to teach others, then learne of anye, more able to adde new rules, then to err in ye olde : Insomuch as there is no Embassadour that commeth into hir court, but she is willing and able both to understand his message, and utter hir minde, not lyke unto ye Kings of Assiria, who aunswere[d] Embassades by messengers, while they themselves either dally in sinne, or snort in sleepe. Hir godly zeale to learning, with hir great skil, hath bene so manifestly approved, yat I cannot tell whether she deserve more honour for hir knowledge, or admiration for hir curtesie, who in great pompe hath twice directed hir Progresse unto the Universities, with no lesse joye to the Students then glory to hir State. Where, after long and solempne disputations in Law, Phisicke, and Divinitie, not as one we[a]ried with Schollers arguments, but wedded to their orations, when every one feared to offend in length, she in hir own person, with no lesse praise to hir Majestie, then delight to hir subjects, with a wise and learned conclusion, both gave them thankes, and put selfe" to paines. O noble patterne of a princelye minde, not like to ye kings of Persia, who in their progresses did nothing els but cut stickes to drive away the time, nor like ye delicate lives of the Sybarites, who would not admit any Art to be exercised within their citie, yat might make ye least noyse. Hir wit so sharp, that if I should repeat the apt aunsweres, ye subtil questions, ye fine speaches, ye pithie sentences, which on ye sodain she hath uttered, they wold rather breed admiration then credit. But such are ye gifts yat ye living God hath indued hir with-all, that looke in what Arte or Language, wit or learning, vertue or beautie, any one hath particularly excelled most, she onely hath generally exceeded every one in al, insomuch that there is nothing to bee added, that either man would wish in a woman, or God doth give to a creature.

26 mistakes.

27 herself: perhaps hir omitted in Arber's text.