A riche storehouse, or treasurie, for the sicke, full of Christian counsels holesome doctrines, comfortable persuasions, and godly meditations, meete for all Christians, both in sicknesse and in health. Wherevnto is annexed a comfort for poore prisoners, and also an exhortation to repentance. Written in Dutch, by Gaspar Huberine, and Englished by Thomas Godfrie, esquire, late ... fruits and ... at the request of his dangter Marie, wife ... Iohn French, gentleman of the Inner Temple

TO THE RIGHT noble and most vertuous Ladie, the Ladie Catharine Howard, all temporall prosperitie in this life, and in the life to come euerlasting happinesse.

RIght worthie and honourable, it is a maruel beyond all maruels, that man, amongest all the creatures of this worlde, in his creation so singular: namely, and onely endued with a reasonable soul, for his safetie atten∣ded with Angels, and aboue al made vnto the image of God: so insensi∣bly reiecting and forsaking him self, doth suffer to be snared & inchaun∣ted with the vaine, transitorie, and counterfet felicitie of this worlde, griping so greedily thereat, as if this carcase, beeing subiect vnto so infi∣nite and manifest calamities, and in

the ende to death and destruction, had obteined euerlasting continu∣ance: wheras the scripture, to represse oure presumption, and securitie of life, and to manifest our corruption of nature, cōtinually putteth vs in re∣membrance, that all fleshe is nothing but grasse, wormes meate, dust, and putrifaction: yea, and that the grea∣test and the goodliest of this whole world, with all their shewe of com∣moditie, brauerie, and beautie, which men so muche adore and imbrace, is but vanitie: and that, if they were weighed in balance with nothing, nothing would bee found heauier then they: then, what manifest want of iudgement and sound knowledge may be thought to be in man, that so highly esteemeth things of so small value? whereas, if they would with their inwarde and immortall man, iudge and examine the ende of all

things, thereby discouering the no∣blenesse of their owne creation, then would they perceiue, that the grea∣test bladder puffed vp with the wind of worldly vanitie, is easily dissolued with the smalest needle of Gods iu∣stice: And so retire from sinne full wayes that lead to destruction, and indeuour to tread the tracke of eter∣nall felicitie. Meaning, in no wise hereby, to persuade the contempt of the good gifts and blessings of God, namely, health, wealth, beautie, and infinitely such others: but warely to vse them, as Abraham, Iob, Dauid, Iudith, Susan, with innumerable o∣thers, as gifts not of their own, but of God, giuen for the aduauncement of his glorie, and profite of their bre∣thren, to which euery man, what so euer, especially is borne: without which ende, muche better had hee neuer beene created: and wisely

to examine the life & end of Diues, who in the eyes of mē, was the hap∣piest in this world, but woful wretch that so abused the good gifts of God, wold haue giuen all, and much more if he might, to haue made exchaunge with Lazarus estate, whiche in this worlde was most abiect and misera∣ble. This matter being of more im∣portaunce, then the toung may ex∣presse, or mans heart may imagine, the rather to moue the dulnesse of our disposition, hath bene set downe by the wisest that euer was amongst men, in speache and termes no lesse straunge then maruellous, after this maner: Put away displeasure out of thy heart, and remoue euill from thy body: for childhood & youth is but vanitie. Remember thy maker the soner in thy youth, or euer the days of aduersitie come, and or the yeares drawe nighe, when thou shalt say, I

haue no pleasure in them, before the Sunne, the light, the Moone & stars be darkned, and or the cloudes turne againe after the rayne, when the kee∣pers of the house shall tremble, when the strong menne shall bow them selues, and when the millers stande still bicause they be so few, and when the light of the windowes shall waxe dim, when the doores in the streates shall be shut, when the voyce of the miller shall be laide downe, when men shall rise vp at the voyce of the birde, & when the daughters of Mu∣sicke shalbe brought low, when men shall feare in high places, & be afraid in the streates: when the Almond tree shall flourish, and be laden with the Grashopper, and when all lust shall passe, by cause man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go a∣bout the streates: or euer the siluer lace be taken away, and or the gol∣den

well bee broken, or the pot bee broken at the well, and the wheele vpon the cisterne: then shall the dust bee turned againe vnto earth, from whence it came, &c. For as much as these certeine and terrible dayes shall come vpon vs, when no time may be reuoked, no remorce accepted, no remedie vsed, or any succour obtei∣ned, but by the onely meanes con∣teined in this small treatise, left into my handes without any patrone, I thought it no lesse conuenient vnto my bounden duetie, then meete for the viewe of your reposed minde, to make a present thereof vnto your honour, not onely hoping, but also most humbly beseching, that it may please you of your great noblenesse, to accept the patronage thereof. Thus crauing pardon for my pre∣sumption, I committe your good Ladishippe to him, who is plenti∣full

in all good graces and blessed giftes, beseeching him, in this life, to be your chiefest riches, and in the life to come, your perfect honour, &c.

Your humble seruaunt, Ralph Newberrie.