AVE.

First, the Angell to manifest his Ioye, and the Ioyfull newes that hee brought, and to assure the VIRGIN, entreth saying: Aue: which is as much to say, as Haile: or God saue thee: peace bee with thee, bee cheerefull, & assured: for the newes that I bring is of peace, and Prosperitye.

O soueraigne VIRGIN, * with all the Affection of my Hearte, I salute thee, and say, Aue, Haile, God saue thee. For by thee began our Saluation, conceiuing him that was the Author thereof: * Thou hast changed the name of Eua, defeating her miseries, and reple∣nishing vs with mercyes: The other Eua was the beginning of Sinne, thou the beginning of Grace. By the other Deathe entred into the VVorlde: by thee Life. * The other subiected vs to the Serpent, thou hast broken his Heade. Bee cheerefull, o blessed VIRGIN, for the good lot that hath befallen thee: and renew my Hearte that I may daily sing this newe Canticle Page  71of Praise with newe feruour of Spirit, Amen. *

Secondly, [ 2] I am to ponder the cause why the Angell in this first salutation, named not the Virgin by her proper name, saying: Haile MA∣RYE: but Haile, full of Grace; our Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among VVomen. This hee did, that wee might vnderstand, that allmighty God gaue her newe, and most glorious names, as hee gaue to the Messias, * the which for Excellencye are to bee attributed vnto her in the Church: so that as wee call Salomon the VVise: and S. Paul the Apostle: so wee may call the blessed VIRGIN the Full of Grace, or the Blessed among VVomen. * And as the name of the Mossias is Emanuel, which is as much to say as God with vs: so the name of the VIRGIN may for excellency bee, * Our Lord with thee. O most sacred VIRGIN, let others call thee the Rod of Iesse, the Porte of Heauen, the House of VVisdome, and other like names: I will now call thee, as did the Angell, full of Grace, the Inhabitation of our Lorde, and the blessed among VVomen: and declare to thy glorye the Greatenesses signified by these names.

GRATIA PLENA.

First, [ 1] I will ponder what fullnesse this is, and how the blessed VIRGIN was full of Grace with all manner of fullnesse. Shee was full of the Grace that Iustifieth: full of Charitye, Faithe, and Hope, of Humillitye, Obedience, and Pa∣tience with the rest of the Vertues: full likewise of Wisdome, of knowledge, of Pietye, and the Feare of God, with all the other giftes of the Holy Spirit.

Her memory was full of holy Cogitations: Page  72her Vnderstanding of greate Illuminations of God: her Will of feruent Actes, and Affections of Loue, and zeale, with inward, and hearty desires of the Glory of God, of the comming of the Messias, and of the Redemption of the Worlde. And this fullnesse shee actually had, when the Angell entred to salute her: for shee was busied in the Contemplation of these my∣steries, which was in a manner her continuall Occupation. Besides this, shee was full of Grace in her Workes: for they were all workes full, entire, and massiue, with that fullnesse that they might haue of pure Intention, feruour, & Loue: So that God could not say vnto her, as hee saide to that other Bishop: * I finde not thy VVorkes full in my presence.

Then will I ponder the Greatenesse of this plenitude: [ 2] for many Vessells are full of pre∣cious liquor; but the greater containeth the greater quantitye: So many Sainctes were full of Grace: but the blessed VIRGIN, (as sayeth S. Thomas) aboue all: * for shee was a much greater Vessell, & her fullnesse was conformable to the Dignitye of the mother of God, which farre exceedeth the Dignityes, and offices of the other Sainctes: and shee euery day with the vse of Graces amplifyed the Vessell, and made it capable of other greater.

O most sacred VIRGIN who is able to recount the fullnesse of Grace that thou hast aboue all the Sainctes that were filled therewith! * They were like Riuers: but thou according to thy name, art full like the Sea. It gladdeth me that for excellencye S. Ga∣briel calleth thee, the full of Grace, it seeming vnto him that there was no other, that had the like fullnesse: and that he, and his Companions in compa∣rison Page  73of thee, might call themselues emptye. I thanke thee most blessed TRINITYE for the fullnesse of Grace, * that thou gauest to this Soueraigne VIR∣GIN: by whose merits I beseeche thee to giue mee some parte thereof, that the Vessell of my Soule though but a litle one, may bee filled according to the capacitye thereof. O Mother of mercye, and Immense Sea of Grace; seeing the Riuers issue out of the Sea whereinto they entred, let there issue from thee some Riuer of Graces, to fill the vacant places of my Soule, that my VVorkes may bee full, & perfect before God. Amen.

DOMINVS TECVM.

In this third Worde the Angell mounteth to the Heigth of the Salutation, [ 3] saying: Our Lord is with thee: that is, he is in thee by excellencye in all those manners that hee may bee in his pure Creatures. He is with thee, not only by Essence, Presence, and Power, as hee is with all men: not only by Grace, as hee is with all the Righteous: but with eminencye of Grace, assi∣sting in thee with speciall Grace, and Amitye, and with strict familiaritye. He is with thee in all thy Faculties, vniting them with himselfe: He is in thy memorye, surprizing it that thou mayest allwayes remember him: In thy Vnder∣standing, illuminating it that thou mayest per∣petually knowe him: and in thy Will, infla∣ming it, that thou mayest euerlastingly loue him. He is with thee likewise, assisting in all thy Affaires with speciall Prouidence, and Protection, gouerning thee with his Inspira∣tions, and directing thee in all that thou doest. He is in thee as in his Heauen, in his Temple, Page  74in his Chamber, in his House of Recreation: & shortly hee will bee in thy Wombe as thy Sonne: & therefore for excellencye, with a full mouthe I say, vnto thee, Dominus tecum.

I will also ponder, that the Angell sayeth not: Our Lord is, was, or shallbee with thee: but, our Lord with thee: to signifye that hee was, is, & shallbee perpetually with her: as if hee should say: from thy Creation God was with thee, and now is, & shallbee thoroughout all eternitye: * He shall not departe, nor be alienated from thee, neither shall there bee in thee any Chaunge that may impaire the Diuine Prouidence.

O blessed VIRGIN, * I rejoice at the greate good thou hast in hauing with thee God himselfe, fir∣mely, and constantly enioying his sweete Conuersation. Beseeche him that he will be with me thorough Grace, possessing me with such Loue, that hee neuer departe from mee, nor I from him, for euer, and euer. Amen.

BENEDICTA TV IN MVLIERIBVS.

With this fourth Worde the Angell conclu∣deth the Salutation, saying: [ 3] Blessed art thou among VVomen: [ 1] for thou shallt be freed from the Curse of Barrennesse, with out Losse of Virginitye: and thou shallt bee free from the Malediction of bringing forth with Dolour, because thou shallt not conceiue with Pleasure. [ 2] Thou shhalt be blessed among Women: because as a Woman was the beginning of all the Maledictions, * that fell vpon men: so thou shalt be the beginning of all the caelestiall benedictions that shall light vpon them, by the blessed fruite of thy Wombe, by whome thou shalt breake the Heade of the * Page  75Serpent, and deliuer them from those Maledi∣ctions which his cursed Suggestion heaped vpon them. [ 3] For the which thou shalt be blessed, and praised among all Women; and both the Angells in Heauen, and the men on Earthe shall giue thee a thousand benedictions, aswell the Righteous, as Sinners: for all haue a parte in thy copious benediction.

And I also thy vnworthy seruaunt doe praise, * blesse, and glorify thee, and doe reioice that all should praise, blesse, and glorifye thee: and I beseeche thee to make mee partaker of those blessings which thy most sweete Sonne our Heade, by thee as by his necke communicated to the Church. Deliuer mee, o blessed LADYE, from the Maledictions of Sinne, and Pnnishment whereunto I liue subiect, that I may blesse thy Sonne, and serue him worlde without ende. Amen.