The most sacred Bible, whiche is the Holy Scripture conteyning the Old and New Testament / translated into English, and newly recognised with great diligence after most faythful exemplars, by Rychard Taverner.

CAPI. VIII.

☞ The voyce of the Patriarches speakynge of Chryste.

[ A] O That I might fynde the without & kisse the, whom I loue as my brother whiche suckte my mothers brestes: and y^t thou woldest not be offended, if I toke the & brought the in to my mothers house: y^t thou myghtest teache me, and that I might giue the drinke of spyced wyne, & of the swete sape of my pome∣granettes. His left hand lieth vnder my heed, and his right hand embraceth me.

☞ The voyce of Chryste.

I charge you, o ye doughters of Ierusalem, that ye wake not vp my loue, ne touche her, til she be content her selfe.

☞ The Synagog speakyng of the churche.

What is she this that commeth vp frō the wildernesse, and leaneth vpon her loue.

☞ The voyce of the spouse, before the spo••sesse.

I am the same that waked the vp among y^e apple trees, where thy mother bare the, where [ B] thy mother brought the in to the worlde.

☞ The churche speakynge to Chryst.

O set me as a seale vpon thyne hert, and as a seale vpon thyne arme: for loue is myghtye as the deth, and gelousy as the hell. Her coles are of fyre, and a very flame of the Lorde: so y^e manye waters are not hable to quenche loue, neither may the stremes drowne it. Yea if a mā wolde gyue all the good of his house for loue, he sholde count it nothyng.

☞ Christ speaking of the churche to the Sinagog.

When oure loue is tolde, oure yonge syster [ C] whose brestes are not yet growen, what shall we do vnto her?

☞ The answere of Chryste for the churche.

Yf she be a wall, we shal buyld a syluer bul∣worke thervpon: yf she be a tower, we shal fa∣sten her with borders of Cedre tree.

☞ The churche answereth to the Synagoge.

Yf I be a wall, and my brestes lyke towres, then am I as one that haue founde fauour in his syght.

☞ The Synagog speakynge to the churche

Salomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon, this vineyarde deliuered he vnto the kepers: [ D] that euery one for the frute therof sholde giue him a thousand peces of siluer.

☞ The voyce of Chryste.

But my vineyard, o Salomon, gyueth the a thousande, and two hundred to the kepers of the frute. Thou that dwellest in the gardens, o let me heare thy voyce, that my companions may harken to the same.

☞ The voyce of the churche, speakynge to Christ.

O get the awaye, my loue, as a Roo or a yonge Hart vnto the swete smel∣lynge mountaynes.