Sacred virginity, vnconquered Queene! Whose kingdome never hath invaded beene; Of whose sweete rosy crowne noe hand hath power Once but to touch, much lesse to plucke a flower: Gainst whome proud Love--which on the world doth raigne,-- With armies of his passions fights in vaine; In whome gray Winter neuer doth appeare, To whome greene Springtide lasteth all the yeare. O fresh immortall baye, vntroubled well, Or violett, which vntoucht doest sweetest smell; Faire vine, which without prop[248] doest safely stand, Pure gold, new coynd, which neuer past a hand. O temperance, in the supreame degree And hiyest pitch that vertue's winges can flee: O more then humane spirit, of Angells' kind: O white, unspotted garment of the mind, Which first cloathed man, before hee was forlorne; And wherein God Himselfe chose to bee borne. Within my soule, O heavenly vertue rest, Untill my soule with heaven it selfe bee blest.[249] [Footnote 248: Miswritten 'drop' in MS. G.] [Footnote 249: At bottom of this page in the MS. 'Thomas Bakewell' is scribbled twice. G.] PART OF AN ELEGIE IN PRAISE OF MARRIAGE. When the first man from Paradise was driven, Hee did from thence his onely comfort beare: Hee still enioyes his wife, which God had giuen, Though hee from other joyes deuorcèd were. This cordiall comfort of societye, This trueloue knott, that tyes the heart and will, When man was in th' extremest miserye To keepe his heart from breaking, existed still.[250] There is a tale then[251] [when] the world beganne, Both sexes in one body did remaine: Till Joue, offended with that double man, Caused Vulcan to diuide him into twayne. In this diuision, hee the hart did seuer, But cunningly hee did indent the heart, That if they should be reunited euer, Each part might know which was the counterpart: Since when, all men and women thinke it longe, Each of them their other part haue mett: Sometimes the[y] meete y^{e} right, sometimes y^{e} wrong, This discontent, and that doth ioy begett. It ioye begetts in there indented harts, When like indentures they[252] are matcht aright: Each part to other mutuall joy imparts, And thus the man which Vulcan did deuide, Is nowe againe by Hymen made entire, And all the ruine is ræedified; Two beeinge made one by their diuine desire. Sweete marriage is the honny neuer cloyinge; The tune, which being still plaid, doth euer please, The pleasure which is vertue's in inioyinge. It is the band of peace and yoake of ease, It is a yoake, but sweete [and] light it is; The fellowship doth take away the trouble, For euery griefe is made halfe lesse by this, And euery ioy is by reflection double. It is a band, but one of Love's sweete bands,