The canticles or balades of Salomon, phraselyke declared in Englysh metres, by William Baldwin

O Howe fayer are thy brestes my syster my spouse? they are more pleasaunt then wine,* 1.1 and the smell of thyne oyntmentes passeth al the spices. Thy lippes o my loue are a dropping ho∣ny combe, milke and hony is vnder thy tongue. The smell of thy garmentes is lyke the smell of Libanus. A garden wel locked thou art my sister my spouse, a garden well locked, and a sealed wel. The fruites that growe in thee, are lyke a Paradise of Pomegranades, with fruite trees,

Camphor, Nardus, and Saffron, Fistula, and Synamom, with al trees of Libanus. Mirrhe, Aloes, and all the best spices. A well of gardey∣nes, a fountayne of liuyng waters, which flowe out from Libanus. Up thou Northe wynde, and cum thou Southwynde and blow vpon my gar∣deyn, that the smel therof may be caried on euery syde.

¶The Argument.

AFter Christe hath praysed his Spouse for thone of her iyes, and for one of her chaynes, dispraysyng the other (for she hath yet one carnal iye, and doeth sum of her wurkes through hipocrisie) he prayseth the rest of her partes throw∣ly, syngyng before the Younglynges.

Christe to his Spouse. xxxiii.

HOwe fayre thy Dugges, thy charitie is my Spouse, My syster swete, more fayre they are than wyne: Thy sauour eke of my gyftes glorious, Do passe all odours, be they neuer so fine.

Thy lyppes my Loue the hunney combe are lyke, From whiche my prayse doeth drop al men among: My scriptures eke that are not muche vnlyke Hunney and mylke, doe vnder lye thy toung.

Thy garmentes gay, my merites whiche thou hast, Do sauour swete, lyke the mount Libanus. My Spouse, thou art an orchard locked fast Of pleasaunt trees, my elect most bounteous.

Fast shut thou art, my syster, J thee kepe

From all assaultes: thou art a sealed spryng Of waters pure, in truthes moysture so depe, That all may drynke whome grace shal therto bryng.

The planted trees and frutes whiche grow in thee, Of Pomegranates are lyke a paradise, Beset about with fruites that pleasaunt bee, Of cumly heygth that spryng in goodly wyse.

Jn thee doeth grow spykenarde and Calamus With Saffron, Camphor, and the swete cypres, And all the trees that grow in Libanus: Swete Cynamome, strong Myrrhe and Aloes.

With all hote spices aromatical. These are the elect and faythfull that doe dwell Jn thee my church, in office seueral: Who all through fayth, excedyng swete do smel.

And thou my spouse of gardeyns art a wel, Thy dewie fayth doth moysten euery coost: Thou art also a poole the whiche doeth wel Vp lyuely springes, from out the holy goost.

With these thy streames whiche calmly take theyr course From Libanus, my wurde that mountayne clere, Thou waterest the gardens fine or course Of all good folke, that in thy waye appere.

Vp North wynde vp, vp tribulacion, Cum blast my gardeyn, that J may it trye: Cum Southwynde eke, cum consolacion And cherysh it, least sum part hap to dye.

That whyle ye two vpon my churche do blow, The fragrant smell of truth may from her flow.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The texte.