Christian meditations upon eight Psalms of the prophet David. Made and newly set forthChristian meditations vpon eight Psalmes of the prophet Dauid. Made and newly set forth

¹7 And I poor soul, wandering through thickest of this desert, having no rest day nor night, I dwell all alone, hatching my griefs at a ⟨image 45⟩venture under covert of such small retreat as I may light upon. Alack, I hurt no body, yea I render good for evil:² yet in stead that my desolation should cleave the heart of the most hardened, and move the fellest of them, if not to relieve me, at least not to persecute me further. I see nothing but enemies round about me, and what manner enemies: First, that great devouring Lyon, which hath spoiled, torn, and swallowed so many of my poor children from the beginning of the world: Then those Enchanters which by their coloured words and reasons, in very deed unreasonable, set together by their bible able, have suborned very many of my children, yea, some of the best wits of my company. Those snares of conscience, wolves ⟨image 45⟩masking like pastors, paunches belching out sacrileges, devouring, O God, thy people as bread, swallowing up the poor widows and orphans under shadow of prayer. What shall I say, Lord, of them that are yet worse, to wit, these cursed ones, which gnaw me within my bowels, these heretics, murderers, rending in pieces the members from the body, whereof thou art head? Very soul quellers, conjured enemies against thy trueth, turners upside down of thy right ways, mouths for the father of lies, folk without shame or conscience, razers under the name of builders: to be short, the most pernicious enemies that I have. Alas, this is not all, there is no crime which they lay not to my charge,³ no rage which exerciseth ⟨image 46⟩not it self against me: I am the daughter of peace, and yet charge they me as mother and nurse of all hurliburlies that toss and tumble the world. Patience is my mark, and yet I am accused as a stirrer of all sedition: I keep a school of all trueth, yet am I condemned as a liar, and the fountain of leasings: I pray for my very enemies, yet will they needs make me vengeable and irreconcilable. O my blessed children, whose souls by the cruelty of my desperate enemies have been thrust into heaven through all sorts of torments, and of whom the world was not worthy, join your testimonies before the eternal God, unto the complaints of your poor widow mother languishing yet in earth. O earth drunken with the blood of mine innocent children: