the twelue tribes, and al vulgar men desirous and beginning to serue God. ^note In both bookes, for more auctoritie sake, making mention of his godlie renowmed father the Royal Prophet Dauid, with his owne title also of king. But in this third booke he only expresseth his proper name Salomon, whom God singularly loued, whereof he was called Idida. ^note Because this alone, without mention of father or king, was most conuenient for the Perfect, who not as seruants, or yong scholars are moued by feare of auctoritie, but as children are swetly drawne by loue. ^note And this he writte in verse, intitling it not simply a Canticle, but The Canticle of Canticles, as preeminent aboue other Canticles. The bridal songue for the Mariage, to be solemnized betwen God himself and his glorious spouse. For though al holie Scriptures are the spiritual bread, and food of the faithful, yet al are not meate for al, at al seasons. ^note Some parts are not for sinners, nor for beginners, nor for such as are yet in the way towards perfection, but only for the perfect. According to the Apostles doctrine: Milke is for children, that are yet vnskilful of the word of iustice. But strong meate is for the perfect, them that by custom, haue their senses exercised to the discerning of good and euil. with what moderation therfore, and humilitie, this Canticle of Gods perfect spouse may be read, the discrete wil consider, and not presume aboue their reach, but be wise with sobrietie. For here be very high and hidden Mysteries, as Origen teacheth in his lerned Commentaries (which S. Ierom translated into Latin, and singularly commendeth) and so much harder to be rightly vnderstood, for that the feruent spiritual loue, of the inward man, reformed in soule, and perfected in spirite, is here vttered in the same vsual wordes and termes, wherwith, natural, worldlie, yea and carnal loue of the outward man, old Adam, corrupted by sinne, is commonly expressed: and are so much more dangerous to be mistaken, as we are more addicted to proper wil, & priuate iudgement, or subiect to carnal, or passionate motions. ^note wherfore it semeth most mete to kepe the same order in reading these three bookes, which the author wise Salomon obserued in writing them. And which Philosophers also folow in their forme of discipline. For they first lerne and teach Moral Philosophie, then Natural, & lastly Metaphisikes which is their Diuinitie. As Salomon had geuen them example: first teaching precepts of good life, and maners, in his Prouerbes: after, discoursing of natural thinges in Ecclesiastes, deduced thence a conclusion, which prophane Philosophers wel vnderstood not, to contemne this world: and finally cometh to high mystical Diuinitie, in this supereminent Canticle: written in an other stile, in verse, and in forme of a sacred Dialogue betwen Christ and his spouse: or as Origen calleth it, in forme of an ^note Enterlude, in respect of diuers speakers & actors, & of diuers persons, to whom the speaches are directed, and of whom they are vttered. ^note For by

the Spous or Bridgrome, is not only vnderstood Christ as Man, but also as God, and the whole Blessed Trinitie; to whom manie prayers, praises, and thankes are offered vp; and by whom manie benefites are geuen, praises returned, & promises made to his spouse, Likewise by the Spouse or Bride, the ancient fathers vnderstand three sortes of spouses: al espoused to Christ, and to God. towitt, his General Spouse, the whole Church of the old and new Testaments; of al that are, and shal be perfect, making one mystical bodie, free from sinne, without spotte, or wrinkle, sanctified in Christ. ^{note note note note} Also his special spouse, which is euerie particular holie soule. And his singular spouse, his most blessed & most immaculate Virgin Mother. This being the general summe of this excellent Canticle, remitting the reader, for explication therof to the lerned deuout Commenters, both of ancient and late writers, we shal also endeuour to gether the same contents more particularly, not before the chapters, because we can not there so conueniently distinguish the same by verses, but in the margent. ^note where we shal especially note the speakers, as semeth more probable of euerie parcel, according to the first sense (not hauing rowme for more) perteyning to the General spouse, the Catholique Church: which is the great, and euerlasting holie Citie of God the eternal King. SALAMONS CANTICLE OF CANTICLES, WHICH IN HEBREW IS CALLED SIR HASIRIM. Chap. I.

2   Let ^note him kisse me with the kisse of his mouth: because thy brestes are better then wine,

3   smelling fragrantly of the best ointments. Oile powred out is thy name: therfore haue yongmaydes loued thee.

4   Draw me: we wil runne after thee in the odour of thine ointments. The king hath brought me into his cellars: we wil reioyce & be glad in thee, mindful of thy brests aboue wine: the righteous loue thee.

5    ^noteI am blacke but beutiful, ô ye daughters of Ierusalem, as the tabernacles of Cedar, as the skinnes of Salomon.

6   Doe not consider me that I am browne, because the sunne hath altered my colour: the sonnes of my mother haue fought against me, they haue made me a

keeper in the vinyards: my vinyard I haue not kept.

7   Shew me ô thou, whom my soule loueth, where thou feedest, where thou lyest in the midday, left I beginne to wander after the flockes of thy companyons.

8    ^noteIf thou know not thyselfe, ô most fayrest among wemen, goeforth, and folow after the steppes of the flockes, and feede thy kiddes byside the tabernacles of the pastours.

9   To my companie of horsemen, in the chariotes of Pharao, haue I likened thee, ô my loue.

10   Thy cheekes are beautiful as the turtledoues, thy necke as iewels.

11   We wil make thee cheynes of gold, enamoled with siluer.

12    ^noteWhiles the king was at his repose, my spikenard gaue the odour thereof.

13   A bundle of myrrhe my beloued is to me, he shal abide betwen my brestes.

14   A clustre of cypre my loue is to me, in the vineyardes of Engaddi.

15    ^noteBehold thou art fayre, ô my loue, behold thou art fayre, thyne eyes are as of doues.

16    ^noteBehold thou art fayre my beloued, & comlie: ^note our litle bed is florishing.

17   The beames of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypresse trees. Chap. II.

1   I am ^note the flower of the filde, and the lilie of the valley.

2    ^noteAs the lilie among the thornes, so is my loue among the daughters.

3    ^noteAs the apletree among trees of the woddes, so is my beloued among the sonnes. Vnder his shadow, whom I desired, I sate: and his fruite was sweete vnto my throte.

4   He brought me into the wineceller, he hath ordered in me charitie.

5   Stay me vp with flowers, compasse me about with apples: because I languish with loue.

6   His lefthand vnder my head, and his righthand shal embrace me.

7   I adiure you ô daughters of Ierusalem, by the roes, and the hartes of the fildes, ^note that you rayse not, nor make the beloued to awake, vntil herselfe wil.

8    ^noteThe voice of my beloued, behold he cometh leaping in the mountaines, leaping ouer the little hilles:

9   my beloued is like vnto a roe, and to a fawne of hartes. Behold he standeth behind our walle, ^note looking through the windowes, looking forth by the grates.

10   Behold my beloued speaketh to me: ^note Arise, make hast my loue, my doue, beautiful one, and come.

11   For winter is now past, the rayne is gone, and departed.

12   The flowers haue appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come: the voice of the turtledoue is heard in our land:

13   the figgetree hath brought

forth her greene figges: the florishing vineyards haue geuen their sauour. Arise my loue, my beautiful one, & come.

14   My doue in the holes of the rocke, in the holow places of the wal, shew me thy face, let thy voice sound in mine eares: for thy voice is sweete, and thy face comely.

15    ^noteCatch vs the litle foxes, that destroy the vineyards: for our vineyard hath florished.

16    ^noteMy beloued to me, and I to him, who feedeth among the lilies,

17   til the day breake, and the shadowes decline. Returne: be like, my beloued, to a roe, and to the fawne of hartes vpon the mountaynes of Bether. Chap. III.

1   In ^note my litle bed in the nightes I haue sought him, whom my soule loueth, I haue sought him, and haue not found.

2   I wil rise, and wil goe about the citie: by the streates and high waies, I wil seeke him whom my soule loueth: I haue sought him, and haue not found.

3   The watchmen which kepe the citie found me; Haue you seene him, whom my soule loueth.

4   When I had a litle passed by them, I found him whom my soule loueth: I held him: neither wil I let him goe, til I bring him into ^note my mothers house, and into the chamber of her that bare me.

5    ^noteI adiure you ô daughters of Ierusalem by the roes, and the hartes of the fildes, that you rayse not vp, nor make the beloued to awake, til herselfe wil.

6    ^noteWhat is she, that ascendeth by the desert, as a litle rod of smoke of ^note the aromatical spices of myrtrhe, and frankincense, & of al powder of the apothecharie?

7    ^noteBehold threescore valiants of the most valiant of Israel, compasse the litle bed of Salomon:

8   al holding swordes, and most cunning to battels: euerie mans sword vpon his thigh for feares by night.

9   King Salomon hath made him a portable throne of the wood of Libanus:

10   the pillers therof he hath made of siluer, the seate of gold, the going vp ^note of purple: the middes he hath paued with ^note charitie for the daughters of Ierusalem.

11    ^noteGoe forth ye daughters of Sion, and see king Salomon in ^note the diademe, wherewith his mother hath crowned him in the day of his despousing, and in the day of the ioy of his heart.

Chap. IIII.

1   How ^note beautiful art thou my loue, how beautiful art thou! thine ^note eies as it were of doues, besides that, which lyeth hid within. Thy ^note heares as the flockes of goates, which haue come vp from mount Galaad.

2   Thy ^note teeth as flockes of them that are shorne, which haue come vp from the lauatorie, al with ^note twinnes, and there is no barren among them.

3   Thy ^note lippes as a scarlet lace: and thy speach sweete. As a peece of a pomegranate, so are also thy ^note cheekes, besides that which lyeth hid within.

4   Thy ^note necke is as the ^note towre of Dauid, which is built with bulworkes: a thousand targattes hang on it, al the armour of the valiants.

5   Thy ^note two breastes as two fawnes the twinnes of a roe, which feede among the lilies,

9   til the day aspire, and the shadowes decline. ^noteI wil goe to the mount of myrrhe, and to the little hil of frankencense.

7   Thou art al fayre ô my loue, and there is ^note not a spotte in thee.

8   Come from Libanus my spouse, come from Libanus, come: thou shalt be crowned from the head of Amena, from the toppe of Sanir & Hermon, from the dennes of lions, from the mountaynes of leopardes.

9   Thou hast wounded my heart, my sister spouse, thou hast wounded my heart in one of thine eies, and in one heare of thy necke.

10   How beautiful are thy breastes my sister spouse! thy breastes are more beautiful then wine, and the odour of thine ointmentes aboue al aromatical spices.

11   Thy lippes my spouse are as an honie combe distilling, honie and mile kare vnder thy tongue: and the odour of thy garments as the odour of frankincense.

12   My sister spouse is a garden inclosed, a garden inclosed, a fountaine sealed vp.

13   Thy ofsprings a paradise of pomegranats with orchard fruites. Cypres with spiknard,

14   spiknard, and safren, sweete cane and cinnamon, with al rhe trees of Libanus, myrrhe and aloes with al the chiefe ointmentes.

15   The fountaine of gardens: the wel of liuing waters, which runne with violence from Libanus.

16    ^noteArise Northwinde, & come Southwinde, blow through my garden, and let the aromatical spices therof flowe.

Chap. V.

1   Let ^note my beloued come into his garden, and eate the fruite of his appletrees. ^noteI am come into my garden ô my sister spouse, I haue reaped my myrrhe, with myne aromatical spices: I haue eaten the honiecombe with mine honie, I haue drunke my wine with my milke: ^note eate ô frendes, and drinke, and be inebriated my dearest. ^noteI sleepe, and my hart watcheth: ^note the voice of my beloued knocking: Open to me my sister, my loue, my doue, mine immaculate: ^note because my head is ful of dew, and my lockes of the droppes of the nightes.

3   I haue spoyled myselfe of my robe, how shal I be clothed with it? I haue washed my feete, how shal I defile them?

4   My beloued put his hand through the hole, and my bellie trembled at his touch.

5    ^noteI arose, that I might open to my beloued: my handes haue distilled myrrhe, and my fingers are ful of most approued myrrhe.

6   I opened the bolt of my dore to my beloued: but he had turned aside, and was passed. My soule melted, as he spake: I sought, and found him not: I called, and he did not answer me.

7   The keepers that goe about the citie found me: they stroke me, and wounded me: the keepers of the walles tooke away my cloke.

8    ^noteI adiure you ô daughters of Hierusalem, if you shal finde my beloued, that you tel him, that I languishe with loue.

9    ^noteWhat maner of one is thy beloued of the beloued, ô most beautiful of wemen? What maner of one is thy beloued of the beloued, that thou hast so adiured vs?

10   My beloued is white and ruddie, chosen of thousands.

11   His head is as the best gold: his heares as the branches of palmetrees, blacke as à rauen.

12   His eies as doues vpon the litle riuers of waters, which are washed with milke, and sitte beside the most ful streames.

13   His cheekes are as litle beddes of aromatical spices set of the pigmentaries. His lippes are as lilies distilling principal myrrhe.

14   His handes wrought round of gold, ful of hyacinthes. His bellie of iuorie, distinguished with sapphires.

15   His thighes as pillers of marble, that are vpon feete of gold. His forme as of Libanus, elect as the cedars.

16   His throte most sweete, and he whole to be desired: such an one is my beloued, and he is my frend, ô daughters of Hierusalem.

17    ^noteWhither is thy beloued gone ô most beautiful of wemen? whither is thy beloued turned aside, and we wil seeke him with thee?

Chap. VI.

1   My ^note beloued is gone downe into his garden, to the bed of aromatical spices, to feede in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

2   I to my beloued, and my beloued to me, who feedeth among the lilies.

3    ^noteThou art fayre ô my loue, sweete, and comelie as Hierusalem: terrible as the armie of a campe set in aray.

4    ^noteTurne away thine eies from me, because they haue made me flee away. Thy heares as a flocke of goates, which haue appeared from Galaad.

5   Thy teeth as à flocke of sheepe, which haue come vp from the lauatorie, al with twinnes, and there is no barren among them.

6   As the barke of a pomegranate, so are thy cheekes beside thy hidden.

7   There are ^note threescore queenes, & ^note fourescore concubines, and of ^note yongmaydes there is no number.

8   My doue is ^note one, my perfect one, she is the only to her mother, elect to her that bare her. The daughters haue seene her, and declared her to be most blessed: the queenes and concubines, and haue praysed her.

9    ^noteWhat is she, that cometh forth as the morning rysing, fayre as the moone, elect as the sunne, terrible as the armie of a campe set in aray?

10   I came downe into the garden of nuttes, to see the fruites of the valles, and to looke if the vineyarde had florished, and the pomegranats budded.

11   I knew not: my soule trubled me for the chariotes of Aminadab.

12    ^noteReturne, returne ô Sulamitesse: returne, returne that we may behold thee. Chap. VII.

1   VVhat ^note shalt thou see in the Sulamitesse but the companies of campes? How beautiful are thy pases in shoes, ô princes daughter! ^note the ioyntes of thy thighes are as iewels, that are made by the hand of the artificer.

2   Thy nauel as à round bowle, neuer wanting cuppes. Thy bellie as an heape of wheare, compassed about with lilies.

3   Thy two breasts, as two fawnes the twinnes of a roe.

4   Thy necke as a towre of yuorie. Thine eies as the fishpooles in Hesebon, which are in the gate of the daughter of the

multitude. Thy nose as the towre of Libanus; that looketh against Damascus.

5   Thy head as Carmelus: and the heares of thy head as a kings purple tyed to cundite pipes.

6   How beautiful art thou, and how comely my dearest, in delightes!

7   Thy stature is like to a palmetree, & thy breastes to clusters of grapes.

8   I sayd: I wil goe vp into the palmetree, and wil take hold of the fruites therof: and thy breasts shal be as the clusters of a vineyard: and the odour of thy mouth as it were of apples.

9   Thy throate as the best wine, ^note worthie for my beloued to drinke, & for his lippes and his teeth to ruminate.

10   I to my beloued, and his turning is toward me.

11    ^noteCome my beloued, let vs goe forth into the filde, let vs abide in the villages.

12   Let vs rise earely to the vineyards, let vs see if the vineyard florishe, if the-flowers be readie to bring forth fruites, if the pomegranates florish: there wil I giue thee my breasts.

13   The Mandragoraes haue geuen a smel. In our gates al fruites: ^note the new and the old, my beloued, I haue kept for thee. Chap. VIII.

1   VVho ^note shal giue to me thee my brother, sucking the breasts of my mother, that I may finde thee without, and kisse thee, and now no man despise me?

2   I wil take hold of thee, and wil bring thee into my mothers house there thou shalt teach me, and I wil giue thee a cuppe of spiced wine, and new wine of my pomegranats.

3   His left hand vnder my head, and his right hand shal embrace me.

4    ^noteI adiure you ô daughters of Ierusalem, that you rayse not vp, nor make the beloued to awake til herselfe wil.

5    ^noteWho is this, that cometh vp from the desert, flowing with delightes, leaning vpon her beloued? Vnder the appletree I raysed thee vp: ^note there thy mother was corrupted, there she vas defloured that bare thee.

6   Put me as a seale vpon thy hart, as a seale vpon thyne arme: because loue is strong as death: ielousie is hard as hel, the lampes thereof lampes of fyre and flames.

7   Manie waters can not quench charitie, neither shal floudes ouerwhelme it: if a man shal giue al the substance of his house for loue, as nothing he shal despise it.

8    ^noteOur sister is litle, and hath no breasts. What shal we doe to our sister in the day when she is to be spoken vnto?

9   If she be a wal, let vs build vpon

it bulwarkes of siluer: if she be a doore, let vs ioyne it together with bordes of ceder.

10    ^noteI am a wal: and my breasts are as a towre, since I was made before him as one finding peace.

11   The peacemaker had a vinyard, in that which hath peoples: he deliuered the same ^note to keepers, a man bringeth for the fruite thereof a thousand peeces of siluer.

12    ^noteMy vineyard is before me. A thousand are thy peacemakers, and two hundreth for them, that keepe the fruites thereof.

13   Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the frends doe harken: make me heare thy voice.

14    ^noteFlee, ô my beloued, and be like to the roe, and to the fawne of harts vpon the mountaines of aromatical spices.

Previous section

Next section