The monument of matrones conteining seuen seuerall lamps of virginitie, or distinct treatises; whereof the first fiue concerne praier and meditation: the other two last, precepts and examples, as the woorthie works partlie of men, partlie of women; compiled for the necessarie vse of both sexes out of the sacred Scriptures, and other approoued authors, by Thomas Bentley of Graies Inne student.

The second lamentation of Zion.

ALas, how hath the Lord darkned the daughter of Zion in his wrath, [and brought hir from prosperitie to aduersitie?] How hath he cast the beautie and honour of Israel downe from heauen vnto the earth, and [gi∣uen hir a most sore fall,] not remembring his owne foote∣stoole, [the Temple of Ierusalem,] in the daie of his wrath, when he was angrie?

The Lord hath cast out and destroied all the habita∣tions of Iacob, without anie fauour: all the strong places or holdes of the daughter of Iuda hath he bro∣ken in his wrath, and throwne them downe to the ground, and not spared hir kingdome, and the princes thereof hath he prophaned and polluted.

In the wrath of his fierce indignation he hath bro∣ken all the horne [or power and strength] of Israel, he hath drawne backe his right hand [of succour] from before the enimie: yea a flame of fire was kindled in Iacob, which hath consumed & deuoured vp all round about.

He hath bent his bowe like an enimie, his right hand was stretched vp and fastned as an aduersarie, and euerie thing that was pleasant to the eie to see, he hath slaine, he hath powred out his wrath like a fire into the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion.

The Lord is become as it were an enimie, he hath deuoured Israel, and consumed all his palaces: yea all his strong holds hath he destroied, and filled and greatlie increased the daughter of Iuda with much sorrowe and heauinesse, lamentation and mourning.

For he hath destroied his tabernacle as a garden, his solemne meetings or congregation hath he put downe, yea the Lord hath brought it so to passe, that the high solemne feasts and sabboths are cleane for∣gotten in Zion, and hath despised in the heauie dis∣pleasure and indignation of his wrath [both] the king

and the priest.

The Lord hath forsaken his owne altar, and hath abhorred his owne Sanctuarie: he hath giuen the walles of hir palaces and towers into the hand of the enimies, who haue made a noise [with blasphemous shou∣tings and criengs] in the house of the Lord, as in the daie of solemnitie and feasting [when the people were accustomed to praie.]

The Lord hath determined to breake downe the walles of the daughter of Zion, he spread out his line, and hath not withdrawne his hand from destroieng: therefore he maketh the [insensible things, euen the] ram∣part turrets, and walles [as it were to take part of the so∣rowe, and to] mourne & lament, because they fell downe and were destroied together.

Hir gates are sunke downe to the ground, hir bars are broken and smitten in sunder, hir king and princes are caried awaie to the Gentiles, they haue not the lawe, neither haue hir Prophets anie vision from the Lord.

The Senatours and Elders of the daughter of Zion sit vpon the ground, and keepe silence, they haue cast vp dust and ashes vpon their heads, and girded themselues with sackcloth: the virgins or maides of Ierusalem hang downe their heads to the ground.

Mine eies do faile through weeping, and abundance of teares: my bowels swell, my liuer is powred vpon the earth, for the great hurt and destruction of the daughter of my people, bicause the children, babes, and sucklings faint and sowne in the streetes of the Citie.

They haue said to their mothers, Where is bread and drinke? when they sowned and fell downe as the wounded in the streetes of the citie, and when they gaue vp the ghost, and died in their mothers bosome.

What thing shall I take to witnesse against thee? Or what thing shal I liken to thee, O daughter Ieru∣salem.

[Thy calamitie is so euident, that it néede no further proofe.] To whome then shall I compare thee, O thou virgin daughter Zion, to comfort thee withall? For the breach [in thy hart] is like [the breach in] a maine sea. Who may heale thee?

Thy [false] Prophets haue looked out vaine and foo∣lish things for thee, and they haue not discouered thine iniquitie, or shewed thee of thy wickednesse, to turne a∣waie thine affliction, and to keepe thee from captiuitie: but they [to flatter thée in thy sinnes] haue seene or looked out for the false prophesies, and causes of banishment, [and destruction.]

All that passe by the waie, clap their hands at thee, hissing and wagging their heads vpon the daughter Ierusalem, and saie: Is this the Citie that men call so faire, the perfection of beautie, and the ioie of the whole earth?

Al thine enimies gape vpon thee with open mouths, they hisse at thee, and grinde their teeth, saieng: Let vs deuoure it, for certainlie this is the daie, the time that we looked for is come, we haue found, and seene it.

The Lord hath fulfilled the thing that he was pur∣posed to doo, and performed his word that he had deui∣sed and determined of old time long ago: he hath throwne downe, destroied, and not spared: he hath cau∣sed thine aduersarie to reioice and triumph ouer thee, and hath set vp the horne [or power] of thine enimie.

Their hart cried vnto the Lord: O thou wall or ci∣tie of the daughter Zion, let thy teares run downe like a riuer: daie and night take thee no rest, neither let the apple of thine eie cease or leaue off [wéeping.]

Arise, stand vp, and crie in the night, in the beginning of the watches: powre out thy hart like water before the face of the Lord, lift vp thine hands towards him, for the liues of the yong children that faint and die for hunger in the corners of all the streets.

Behold, O Lord, and consider to whome thou hast done thus. Shall y^e women then eate their own fruit, euen their children of a span long? Shal the Priest and the Prophet be slaine in the Sanctuarie of the Lord?

The yong & the old lie on the ground in the streetes: my virgins and my yong men are slaine, and fallen with the sword: thou hast slaine them and put them to death in the daie of thy wrathfull indignation: yea e∣uen thou hast killed them, and not spared.

My terrours [euen mine enimies whom I feared] that are round about me, hast thou called as it were to a feast-daie, so that in the daie of the Lords wrath none esca∣ped, neither was anie left behinde: those that I haue nourished and brought vp, hath mine enimie destroied and consumed.