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 praier.

O Almightie GOD, most gratious Lord, and heauenlie Father, behold, I thine hand∣maid prostrate here be∣fore the throne of thy diuine Maiestie, meek∣lie confesse thee to bee my mercifull God, my highest King, and euer∣lasting Sauiour; and humblie I acknow∣ledge thee the Soue∣reigne Lord aboue all lords; the highest King of all kings, and the onelie omnipotent Creator, wise pre∣seruer, and woonderfull ruler of all thy creatures in heauen and earth, high and lowe, visible and inuisible: and my selfe also to be the worke of thine hands; the sheepe of thy pasture; a subiect and seruant to thy most high and sacred Maiestie, and a child depending alone and wholie vpon thy diuine and fatherlie prouidence for all things. And bicause I knowe vnthankfulnesse doth greatlie displease thee, (For it is the root of all spi∣rituall euill, and the onelie thing that dammeth vp the fountaine of thy godlie mercie for euer,). I will giue thanks vnto thee, O Lord, least I be vnthankfull to thee, my God, my deliuerer and Sauiour. And I yeeld thee now most humble and hartie thanks, for that it hath pleased thee, of thy singular mercie, to giue mee this especiall honour: first, to suffer for thy glorious truth much extreme miserie, feare, care, imprisōment, perill of bodie, trouble of mind, hazard of life, and dan∣ger of death, by sicknesse, fire, conspiracie, and sword:

and afterward blessedlie protecting and preseruing me from so manifold dangers, and miraculouslie deliue∣ring me out of the hands of all mine enimies; to call me to this excellent state & roiall dignitie of a Prince: and as this daie to cloath me with the garments of honour; to set the Crowne of gladnesse, and diademe of dignitie vpon mine head; to put the scepter of righ∣teousnesse, the globe of glorie, and the sword of thy po∣wer into mine hands, and to annoint and consecrate me thine handmaid QVEENE of this Realme, that I might bee the principall member and chiefe instru∣ment in the same to aduance thy glorie, and further thy Gospell, for the which I suffered. Yea, to be thy peoples Ioseph, their Moses, their Iosua, their Da∣uid, their Iosias, their Samuel, and their Salomon: finallie, to be their Deborah, their Iael, their Hester, their Iudith, and their Elizabeth; that is, their rest, staie, and staffe of Maiestie, their shepheard and ring-leader in the waie of vertue, holinesse, zeale, and sin∣cere religion. Which maruellous worke of thine, oh gratious GOD, for thy name sake, giue me grace, not onlie this daie; but all the daies and time of my life to remember and solemnize with woorthie thanks-gi∣uing: that with the Queene of Saba I may continu∣allie blesse thee, and saie; Blessed be thou O Lord my GOD, which thus hast loued me, and thy people, to set me in thy throne as QVEENE, and to establish them for euer, by making me their Gouernour ouer them in thy steed, to execute thy iudgement and iustice.

Neither can I now forget, but thankfullie also call to my remembrance all thy other great mercies, O mercifull God, shewed towards me since my comming vnto the Crowne: namelie, how often in thy mightie and maruellous mercie thou hast deliuered vnto mee & my Counsell, the wicked attempts, malignant de∣uises, and mischeeuous practises wrought and concei∣ued

of all my common, craftie, and cruell enimies, Sathan, and his ministers; who to exalt themselues, and to rob mee both of thy people, kingdome, peace, and religion, euen of verie malice and deadlie hatred, haue by all diuellish meanes raged, blasphemed, and conspired against thee, O GOD, and thy truth, like hypocrites: against mee and my Crowne, like trai∣tours; and against their Common-wealth and coun∣trie, like spoilers: and that for no offence of mine to themward, LORD, thou knowest; but onelie of cru∣ell spite they beare mee, bicause in truth I professe thy Christian religion, and seeke by establishing the same through good and godlie lawes, to serue thee zealous∣lie, sincerelie, and purelie; according to the rule and veritie of thine eternall word. Which thy great be∣nefits, when I well consider, togither with mine vn∣woorthinesse thereof, I am euen forced with my fa∣ther DAVID, to giue humble thanks, and to blesse thee before all the congregation, and saie: Blessed be thou, O LORD GOD of Israel, our Father for euer and euer. Thine, O LORD, is greatnesse, and power, and glorie, and victorie, and praise. For all that is in heauen and in earth is thine. Thine is the kingdome, O LORD, and thou excellest, (as head ouer all.) Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest ouer all; and in thine hand is po∣wer and strength: in thine hand, I saie, O mightie GOD, it is to make great, and to giue strength vnto all: now therefore I thanke thee, and praise thy glo∣rious name for euer. But who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my people, that thou hast brought mee to this honour, and thus redeemed and deliuered both mee and thy people out of thrall vnto thy selfe, and art beecome our GOD? Dooth this apperteine to man, O LORD? Or commeth not this rather of thy free mercie, more than of anie our woorthinesse? And

what can ELIZABETH saie more vnto thee? For thou Lord God knowest thy seruant, & euen for thy words sake, & according to thine owne hart, hast thou made my fountaine become a floud, and my light to shine as the sunne: and done all these great things, to make them knowne vnto thy seruant.

Now therefore, for this thy gratious fauour after so long restraint; so great dangers ouerpassed; such blu∣sterous storms ouerblowne; so many iniuries digested, & wrongs susteined, by thy mightie protection, O mer∣cifull God, to my no small comfort, & thy peoples com∣moditie, in exalting, erecting, and bringing me out of thrall to libertie; out of darknesse into light; out of danger to peace and quietnesse; from dread to dignitie; from miserie to maiestie; from mourning to ruling: breeflie, of a prisoner to make me a Prince, and to place me in the roiall throne, there to sit as Queene now full 24. yeeres, in the admirable rest, blessed quietnesse, and long peace, which I now enioie. For this thy diuine wisdome, O heauenlie father, in vnfolding, reuealing, & frustrating the proud platformes, & peeuish practises of Achitophels, & all mine enimes. For this thy meere mercie, O deere Christ, in spacing me and my people so long frō the bloudie hands of spoilers, oppressors, trai∣tors & vsurpers. For this thy heauenlie prouidence, O holie Ghost, in preuenting their diuelish purposes, and so gratiously protecting, preseruing and defending me, as wel before I was Queene, as since, from so extreme miseries, and manifold dangers, as also frō the hands and violences of al mine enimies, visible & inuisible, do∣mesticall & foraine. Finallie, for these & for all other thy great graces, singular blessings, and mestimable bene∣fits, & principall vertues, spirituall & corporall, O glo∣rious Trinitie, which through the mercie & merits of my sweet Sauior Iesus Christ, thou hertofore frō my birth hast, presentlie dooest, or hereafter vnto my death

shalt bountifullie bestowe vpon me and my people: I most hartilie laud, entirelie magnifie, and incessantlie extoll thy most high, holie and renowmed name, and sacred Princelie Maiestie.

And as I meeklie euen of dutie from the bottome of my hart, render vnto thee my GOD and my King, all condigne honour, woorthie praise, and possible thanks, togither with the vnfeined resignation of all empire, kingdome, power, rule, dominion, maiestie and glorie, both in heauen and in earth, as to thee onlie, and most iustlie belongeth: so now I most humblie and hartilie beseech thy diuine Maiestie, O excellent Father, and most mercifull GOD, to haue mercie vpon me thine humble handmaid and sinfull seruant. And be not pro∣uoked, good Lord, with my sinnes, nor with the sinnes of my parents & people, to giue vs ouer to the lust of our enimies. Make vs not a reproch vnto the foolish, nor let our aduersaries in our ouerthrowe triumph against vs, saieng, Where is now their God? But of thy rich mercie and woonted compassion in Christ Iesu, forgiue me my sinnes both old and new, both se∣cret and open, both past, present, and to come: yea from both mine owne and others faults, O God, I beseech thee deliuer me, and cast all mine offences into the bot∣tomlesse depth, out of thy remembrance and sight for euer: making the crosse and passion, the death and re∣surrection of thy most deere and onlie sonne my sweete Sauiour, and onlie Redeemer Iesus Christ the righ∣teous and immaculate Lambe, most effectuall in mee to all vertue, godlinesse of life, and pietie, as best be∣commeth thy daughter, thy virgin, thine annointed, and elect vessell of honour. That to all other thy good graces, & bountifull benefits alredie shewed towards me: the which of thine accustomed goodnesse I beseech thee to confirme, finish, and worke out in mee, as thou hast gratiouslie begun, and continue towards mee to

the end according to thy good pleasure, with such fur∣ther increase thereof from time to time, as best shall serue to the setting foorth of thy glorie, the benefit of thy Church to all posteritie, & mine eternall peace in Christ Iesus the Prince of peace. Grant, I saie, O Lord, this also may be added: namelie, that as it hath pleased thee in thy secret wisdome to quicken me, that was Tanquam ouis, euen as a seelie sheepe or lambe led to be slaine, to raise me vp out of the dust and mire of persecution, to lift me vp out of the pit and dungeon, and to set me the chiefe of the Princes of this land, and to make mee meete to inherīt the seate of glorie, yea to build me the chiefe and head piller of this thy Church of England, France and Ireland, wherevpon the whole bodie of thy Saints therein doo staie them∣selues in thy blessed peace and vnitie. As I saie, it is thy good will, not my deserts, to exalt the horne of thine annointed: to appoint me a fraile woman thy Lieu∣tenant here on earth: and to giue power vnto thy QVEENE to iudge the ends of thy dominions, and exe∣cute thine office here amongst thy people for a space in the regall seate of iustice and mercie: so vouchsafe thou, O gratious God, and louing Father, in like mer∣cie to powre downe continuallie vpon me all those thy speciall good gifts, princelie vertues, and heauenlie graces, fit for this my so high calling, that being plen∣tiouslie indued therewith, the bright shining beames thereof, as from a glittering Star in the firmament, or the glorious Sunne in his orient arising, to the set∣ting foorth of thy most glorious, inuisible, and eternall Maiestie, in this my fraile, earthlie and visible maie∣stie, may cleerelie shine and appeare in me, to the bene∣fit of thy Church farre and neere. And that I remem∣bring whose minister I am, may first aboue all things, in a perfect zeale of thy house, and loue of thy people, euer seeke thy honour and glorie, and studie continual∣lie

to preserue thy people committed to my charge, in wealth, peace and godlinesse. Deere Father, so blesse mee, so loue mee, so in the spirit of counsell, prudence, knowledge and fortitude, sanctifie, strengthen, and di∣rect me, that in a perfect faith, feare and loue, as in thy sight, I may walke vprightlie, without offence giuing, in the obedience of thy holie word, and fulfilling of thy blessed commandements all the daies of my life: and may be a true follower of that King, which is the So∣uereigne ouer the holie hill of Zion, whose seate and kingdome endureth for euer. Giue mee grace both thankfullie to acknowledge thy manifold great bene∣fits bestowed vpon mee, and also faithfullie and dili∣gentlie to discharge my dutie towards thee, and thy people, in executing thy iudgements indifferentlie without parcialitie, to the aduancement of thy king∣dome, the establishment of my throne, and the vniuer∣sall comfort and commoditie of all thy people.

Make me, good Lord, of an entire affection, and per∣fect hart towards thee: and of an humble and gentle spirit towards all vnder my gouernement, after the example of Christ our eternall King, who to fulfill thy will, O GOD, did vouchsafe to take flesh of the virgin Marie, and became man for man, that man might be∣come a God vnto men: and who also did verie much abase and humble himselfe as a seruant, euen vnto the death of the Crosse, to redeeme both Prince and peo∣ple out of thrall and bondage of sinne, Sathan, death and hell. Let my naturall affection and disposition, I saie, O Lord, continue to my foes terrible; to my sub∣iects amiable; to mine offenders mercifull; to the ver∣tuous bountifull; to all men indifferent; and parciall to none: that being guided by thee to gouerne thy peo∣ple iustlie, in all godlie peace and quietnesse, I may be able with a good conscience to witnesse of mine inte∣gritie before thee and all the world, as thy faithfull ser∣uants

Moses, Samuel, and Nehemias somtimes did of theirs, and boldlie and trulie with them saie: Be∣hold, here I am; beare record of me before the Lord, & before his annointed. Whose oxe, or whose asse haue I forceablie taken awaie? Or whom haue I done anie wrong to? Or whom haue I iniured or hurt? Or of whose hand haue I receiued anie bribes, to blind mine eies therewith, and I will restore it you: that my peo∣ple seeing, and well perceiuing my motherlie affection, faithfull gouernement, carefull diligence, and diligent watchfulnesse ouer them, by all meanes to doo them all the good I possiblie may or can in thee, may woorthilie witnesse, rightlie answere, and iustlie confesse and saie of me, to thy glorie, and my perpetuall praise, as the Israelites heretofore said of Samuel: That I haue not grieued them, nor troubled my land by oppression or iniurie: that I haue not hurt them, nor taken ought of anie mans hand, nor by anie meanes, either by my selfe or others, willinglie abused my power, or dealt vniustlie with my people.

Oh kindle more and more in my hart, I beseech thee, most holie Father, a pure zele aboue all things to pro∣mote thy glorie, and a vigilant care, not onelie to serue thee my selfe sincerelie; but also to haue thee diligentlie serued of my familie & people. And to this end vouch∣safe I praie thee, both to adorne me with all thy hea∣uenlie gifts: and also to blesse my whole familie, court and houshold with thy graces and vertues; that all these, both high and lowe, one and other, which are placed therein vnder me, may for their vertuous life, true faith, and right religion towards thee their God: and for their loiall harts, and conscionable obe∣dience towards me their Prince and Mistres: and for their entire affection and charitie one towards ano∣ther as brethren: and lastlie, for their hartie loue and naturall good-will they beare to their Commonwelth

and countrie, be an example and patterne of true god∣linesse and puritie, both in religion and life, for all the whole Realme and countrie, yea the whole world be∣sides to followe, as their head, fountaine and light.

Moreouer, O blessed God, as hitherto by thy migh∣tie protection thou hast preserued me, and in thy great mercie, maugre the heads of all mine enimies, mira∣culouslie hast deliuered me, and established me in this my kingdome, thus long in admirable peace and bles∣sed quietnesse, all glorie and praise be rendered vnto thy glorious name therfore: so I beseech thy gratious goodnesse, O Lord, in like mercie to blesse, preserue, maintaine, keepe and defend me, and my Realme still, from all both forreine and domesticall conspiracies, treasons, deceits, and violences of enimies, and from all other dangers and perils imminent and to come, both bodilie and ghostlie, publike and priuate: that I may still gouerne blessedlie ouer a blessed people, and my Realme and people, by thy defence and protection, continue in the truth of thy Gospell, and happie enioi∣eng of perfect peace and quietnesse both outward and inward.

Thou, O Lord of hosts, hast ordeined me the Gouer∣nour ouer thy people, and made my people to be thy people: and thou Lord art become our God, yea and our great and mightie God, besides whom wee haue none other God. I knowe also, my God, that thou tri∣est the hart, and hast pleasure in righteousnesse: be∣hold therefore, I offer, vow, and dedicate my selfe wil∣linglie and entirelie in the vprightnesse of my hart, to serue and worship thee onelie for euer with ioie, and therfore am I thine handmaid bold to praie this prai∣er vnto thee, beseeching thee for euer to keepe me, and to helpe me in this my good purpose of holie seruing and worshipping of thee. For that which I haue hitherto done, is nothing at all to speake of. O direct thou con∣tinuallie

the thoughts of my mind, and prepare my hart euermore vnto thee. Giue vnto me thine hand∣maid a perfect hart to keepe thy commandements, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and cause me to vse my power lawfullie, to the reforming both of thy house, and estates, according to the prescript rule of thy writ∣ten word & reuealed will, that so it may please thee O Lord God to confirme, for euer thy mercifull promises made vnto me in my father DAVID, and to blesse the throne or house of thy seruant, with thy blessing, that it may continue and be established before thee for euer.

And that this may the better come to passe, to the glorie of thy name, the benefit of thy Church, and wealth of my Realme, as I hartilie wish and desire: remoue far from thy Church, far from me O excellent father, all those which fall from thee by infidelitie, and are through obstinate wilfulnesse traiterous rebels to thy sacred Lawe, and sincere Religion, which I pro∣fesse. Let backbiters together with such as are proud, and those that dare shameleslie presume anie thing, be vtterlie rooted out: but contrariwise, let there be space in especiallie for such as be verie zealous of the truth, that they onlie may be conuersant with me before thee, and cause me to feede them with a singular faith and innocencie, and minister all things diligentlie vnto them.

Finallie, let not the enimies of thy Gospell I be∣seech thee O gratious and mightie God, thus despise thy grace offered them vnto repentance: but those that are to be conuerted, conuert and turne them O God speedilie, if it be thy will. Make thou Saule at the length to become a Paule: and let not the persecutor persist in his errours, but let them rather accompt thy long suffering, and my peaceable and vnbloudie go∣uernement, an occasion of saluation to their soules, and of vnfeigned loue to thy Church. Otherwise, if

they will needes remaine still disobedient to thy truth, disloiall vnto me, dangerous to the state, and enimies to their Countrie and Common-wealth, then O God of my saluation, arise, and helpe to wound the head of thine enimies, and the hearie scalpe of such as go on still in their wickednesse. Let thy right hand find out them that euerie daie prouoke thee, and reuenge thy selfe on those blasphemous hypocrites, that thus proudlie contemne thee to thy face. And as thou hast discouered them, and their peeuish practises, against thee and thine annointed, so discouer them still. As thou hast preuented their diuelish purposes, and execrable intents, so preuent them still. Yea let their firie eies waxe wearie with looking, their bloudie harts and hands faint with waiting for their golden daie, and that which commeth not yet; neither let come O Lord I beseech thee, but in thy good time, and according to thy will, a blessed and healthfull reigne vnto my selfe, much ioie and comfort to my subiects, and long peace to Zion for euermore.

Lastlie, O most mightie God, looke what remaineth yet of the happie building, enlarging and finishing of thy Church, and to the establishing and planting of thy Religion perfectlie therein, according to the pre∣script rule of thy blessed word, and full discharge of my dutie, when I shall be called to render an accompt before the iudgement seate of Christ: because that without thee I can do nothing, neither is it possible to please thee, do thou O father of light, from whome all good gifts doo come and proceede, vouchsafe to powre downe plentifullie of thy principall spirit vpon me, and so rauish my hart with the flame of the loue of thee and thy people, & with an earnest zeale of thy house, that with Ioseph I may carefullie and faithfullie prouide for thy people: with Moses painefullie leade them out of the deserts of errour and oppression: and with Io∣shua,

bring thy people into the land of promise: with Debora fight thy battels: with Iahel knocke Sisera of Roome in the temples of his vsurped headship: with Iudith cut off the head of proud Holophernes: with Hezekias and Iosias roote out and destroie all super∣stition and relikes of idolatrie: with Dauid and Sa∣lomon finish and consecrate to eternitie thy glorious Temple among thy people: and with them all most earnestlie and continuallie to praie vnto thee for their saluation. That heere on earth for the time, after their vertuous example, dooing that which is good in thy sight, reigning blessedlie, ruling prudentlie, and like a louing mother, and tender nursse, giuing my foster∣milke, the foode of thy word and Gospell aboundantlie to all, in all places of my dominion, and endeuouring my selfe faithfullie to discharge the great trust com∣mitted vnto me: when thy sonne, to whome not onlie the sea and windes, but all creatures are subiect, shall come as King of kings to require an accompt of the charge committed vnto me, I may be found faithfull, and not faile finallie in heauen, but in the purenesse of my virginitie, and holinesse of mine innocencie, be pre∣sented to the Lambe my souereigne Lord and onlie God, my heauenlie Bridegroome and spirituall spouse, my euerlasting King deere Christ, and onlie sweet Sa∣uiour Iesus, there to see the Saincts, and to be a Sainct, and with all the holie Patriarches, Iudges, Kings, and Queenes, yea with all the Archangels, Angels, Saints, Martyrs, Confessors, Uirgins, and the whole companie of thy celestiall and blessed spirits, to reigne with him ouer spirituall powers and princi∣palities for euer, and sing the sugred songs of my wedding-daie to my perpetuall ioie, and thine eternall praise, O most glorious Trinitie, the Father, the Son, and the holie Ghost, one inuisible God almightie, blessed for euer and euer:

Amen, Amen.