The devout hart or Royal throne of the pacifical Salomon. Composed by F. St. Luzuic S.I. Translated out of Latin into English. Enlarged with incentiue by F. St. Binet of the same S. and now enriched with hymnes by a new hand
About this Item
Title
The devout hart or Royal throne of the pacifical Salomon. Composed by F. St. Luzuic S.I. Translated out of Latin into English. Enlarged with incentiue by F. St. Binet of the same S. and now enriched with hymnes by a new hand
Author
Luzvic, Stephanus, 1567-1640.
Publication
[Rouen] :: Printed by Iohn Cousturier,
1634.
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Subject terms
Meditations -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A06534.0001.001
Cite this Item
"The devout hart or Royal throne of the pacifical Salomon. Composed by F. St. Luzuic S.I. Translated out of Latin into English. Enlarged with incentiue by F. St. Binet of the same S. and now enriched with hymnes by a new hand." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A06534.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 18, 2024.
Pages
THE PREAMBLE
to the Meditation.
MY hart (my IESVS) is an
emptie table, since thou hast
wipped away thence the images
and fading shadowes of worldly
things, and throwne downe the
idols which I my self had wicked∣ly
erected in thy Sanctuary; take
then, I pray, thy p̄ecils in thy hands,
and dip them in the liuelyest colours
thou hast; that no series or tract of
yeares, nor inclemency of the ayre,
nor dust raised from the earth, may
blemish or deface what thy al-wor∣king
hand from the most absolute
idaeas of the eternal wisdome, hath
diuinely painted. For thou, o great
Artisan, hast set downe in writing
with thy hand, those noble soules,
Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, and the rest
of the family of the predestinate.
Thou truly, art that admirable
Authour, who didst put the last
hand to the azure orbes of Heauen,
appliedst the purest gold to the
Starres; the greenes of the emerald,
to the herbs, the snowy candour to
the lillyes, the crimson to the rose,
the purple to the violet, pale with
yellow mixed. Thou sprincklest cri∣stal
on the adamant, the etherean
brightnes, on the saphir, the Vulcan
flame; on the carbuncle: Lastly,
thou hast endowed al things, as wel
sensible as insensible, with such va∣riety
of colours, and sweet delecta∣tion
as the eye cannot be satisfied
with beholding them.a 1.1
And in this huge vastnes of the
world, my God, thou hast shewne
thy omnipotence, which the eye of
the mind may wel admire, though
not conceiue or comprehend but in
the diuersity of created things,
which a strange knot, concording
discord, and discording concord
most streihtly tyes together: thou
hast impressed the liuely image of
thy infinit wisdome in the order of
this vniuersal Al; but there is not
among al thy creatures any one, no
not the least of them, wherein con∣spicuous
draughts of thy goodnes,
shine not euery-where. Since there∣fore
my hart is a void table, already
sit to be wrought, draw I beseech
thee diuine Painter, and here deli∣neate
only these foure images, which
deuouring tyme with no age may
cancel or were out. And first frame
in this table, that last grimme, and
dreadful line or period of my life,
and let these here be the draughts of
this sad image: Let me lye as dying,
with eyes sunke into my head, with
pale and deadly face, leaden lips, let
death stand by threatning with a
terrible iauelin in hand, here the
deuil menacing with weapons of
temptation, there the Guard an
Angel breaking his thrusts, in my
defence. Aboue be the Iudge seen
attending the passage & issue of the
soule, let the children houle at the
doleful bed; the seruants, each pro∣uiding
for himself: adde, if thou list,
the cossin lying not farre off, whe∣rein
the senselles corps is to be laid,
vntil that day, whē the last trumpet's
found shal sumon the buried to arise.
Oh holsome and profitable Picturel
whole only aspect wil shew me that
is, my nothing, to my self; and
laying the swelling winds, wil hold
me in my earth, that I grow, not
proud yea wil giue me a generous
and stout hart, that triumphantly I
may trample on the trash and trum∣pery
of the world, and creeping on
the ground with frequent sighes
preocupying death, before my death
mount vp to heauen.
Now pious IESV, I pray draw,
and finish also the other part of the
table, of the other side; with due lineaments.
Be that maiesty set forth,
wherewith as Iudge thou shalt appeare
one day, and be seen of al
to handle and discusse the causes of
the liuing and dead: let me here be∣hold
thee sitting in the clouds, with
the mouth armed, with a two ed∣ged
sword, and with an eternal se∣peration
seuering the sheep from
goats. On which image as often as
I shal cast mine eyes, I may feele
the bit and feare of thy dreadful
iustice cast vpon me, whensoeuer
I shal lash out like a fury, into the
precipices of vnbridled appetites.
Goe on heauenly Artificer, now
must thou, paint a Hel, that lake so
dreadful for its sulphur and flames,
where the vnhappy soules cheyned
together, with howling and dispa∣ring
cryes fil al things, and with
that tragedy publish their wretched∣nes,
and miserable condition. So
exhibit the whole, as I may seeme
to behold the vncleane spirits, touch
the darknes self as with the finger,
feele the gnashing of teeth, heare
the horrible blasphemies, their cries,
their pathes, their flegme which in
vaine they cast forth against God,
their bans and cursings, wherewith
they cruelly teare one another, that
being astonished with the sight of
this picture, I may eternally sing
thy mercies,b 1.2 which hath held me
vnworthy a thousand and a thou∣sand
times, from this lamentable
abysse of infinit euils.
Lastly, my good Painter, looke
where the rest of the ample space
of my hart, seemes void, I say not
expresse, but shadow, I pray, the
image at least of eternal glory and
beatitude. Exhibit howsoeuer which
a rude draught that house & royal
seat, where thou layst open the most
diuine treasure which thou hast
reserued for thy children, with
the title of inheritance. Here let
that great and blessed City of cele∣stial
Hierusalem, built al of goldc 1.3
and precious stones, euen dazle the
eyes; there let the Citizens of hea∣uen
be seen clothed with the sunne
that graue Senate of Patriarchs and
Apostles, with heads crowned with
golden diadems, besides those va∣liant
Heroes, who with the price of
their bloud and life, haue purchased
themselues immortal laurels. Figure
also that mount, purer then christal,
wherein the candid mother of the
lamb, and the rest of the virginal
flock deliciat with the Lamb him∣self,
amid the chast delights and
Quires.d 1.4
Now then that these foure pictu∣res
may the better be conferued, let
them not be enclosed I pray in Mo∣saical
work with certain litle stones
linked and cimented togeather, least
perhaps disagreeing with themsel∣ues
they fly a sunder, but let one be
set in ebony, another in cypres wood,
the other be garnished round with
plates of siluer, al enameled and set
with topase stones; and finally the
last be deckt with the richest gem∣mes.
Take off thy hand now if thou
please, the worke is fully finished.
Yet one thing more remaines, my
diuine Painter, of no smal reguard,
forsooth, that to thine exquisit work
thou adde a curten, least vnluckily
the dust, or moister ayre, or more
vntoward mind, may euer taint or
least obscure so elegant and terse a
picture.