Englands Parnassus: or the choysest flowers of our moderne poets, with their poeticall comparisons Descriptions of bewties, personages, castles, pallaces, mountaines, groues, seas, springs, riuers, &c. Whereunto are annexed other various discourses, both pleasaunt and profitable.

Poeticall Descriptions.

Of Theologie.

In chariot framed of celestiall mould, And simple purenesse of the purest skie, A more then heauenly nymph I did behold, Who glauncing on mee with her gracious eye, So gaue mee leaue her beautie to espie, For sure no sence such sight can comprehend, Except her beames theyr fayre reflection lend

Her beautie with eternitie beganne, And onely vnto God was euer seene, When Eden was possest with sinfull man, She came to him, and gladly would haue beene, The long succeedings worlds eternall Queene, But they refused her (O hainous deede) And from that garden banisht was that seede, Since when at sundrie times and sundry wayes, Atheisme, and blinded ignorance conspire, How to obscure those holy burning rayes, And quench that zeale of heart-inflaming fire, As makes our soules to heauenly things aspire: But all in vaine, for maugre all their might, She neuer lost one sparkle of her light. Pearles may bee foyld, and gold bee turn'd to drosse, The sunne obscur'd, the moone bee turn'd to bloud, The world may sorrow for Astreas losse, The heauens darkened like a duskie wood, Wast deserts lie where watrie fountaines stood; But fayre Theologie (for so shee hight) Shall neuer loose one sparkle of her light. Such one she was, as in his Hebrew song, The wisest king for fairest creature prooues, Embracing her the Cedar trees among, Comparing her to roses and to Doues, Preferring her before all other loues, Such one she was, and euerie whit as fayre, Besides these two was neuer such a payre. T. Storer.