keeper in the vinyards: my vinyard I haue not kept. 7† Shew me ô thou, whom my soule loueth, where thou feedest, where thou lyest in the midday, lest I beginne to wander after the flockes of thy companyons. 8† c c Christ encorageth his spouse the Church. If thou know not thyselfe, ô most fayrest among wemen, goeforth, and folow after the steppes of the flockes, and feede thy kiddes byside the tabernacles of the pastours. 9† To my companie of horsemen, in the chariotes of Pharao, haue I likened thee, ô my loue. 10† Thy cheekes are beautiful as the turteldoues, thy necke as iewels. 11† We wil make thee cheynes of gold, enamoled with siluer. 12† d d She meditateth of his Paſſion, and Resurrection Whiles the king was at his repose, my spikenard gaue the odour thereof. 13† A bundle of myrrhe my beloued is to me, he shal abide betwen my brests. 14† A clustre of cypre my loue is to me, in the vineyardes of Engaddi. 15† e e Christ praiseth his spouse Behold thou art fayre, ô my loue, behold thou art fayre, thyne eyes are as of doues. 16† f f She againe praiseth him, Behold thou art fayre my beloued, & comlie: g g VVith thankes for her repose, and resent consolation. our litle bed is florishing. 17† The beames of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypreſſe trees.
Chap. II.
Among the innocent and holie, the virgin Marie surpaſſeth al. As the lilie among the thornes, so is my loue among the daughters. 3† c c The Church praising Christ resteth secure vnder his protectio As the apletree among trees of the woddes, so is my beloued among the sonnes. Vnder his shadow, whom I desired, I sate: and his fruite was sweete vnto my throte. 4† He brought me into the wineceller, he hath ordered in me charitie. 5† Stay me vp with flowers, compaſſe me about with apples: because I languish with loue. 6† His lefthand vnder my head, and his righthand shal embrace me. 7† I adiure you ô daughters of Ierusalem, by the roes, and the hartes of the fildes, d d He for the weakes sake permitteth her not to be molested, til she be prepared to suffer vvith patience that you rayse not, nor make the beloued to awake, vntil herselfe wil. 8† e e She feeling Christs aſſistance, confeſſeth, & preacheth boldely his Gospel, & truth against al Paganes, and Heretikes. The voice of my beloued, behold he cometh leaping in the mountaines, leaping ouer the little hilles: 9† my beloued is like vnto a roe, and to a fawne of harres. Behold he standeth behind our walle, f f VVho though he shew not himself visibly looking through the windowes, looking forth by the grates. 10† Behold my beloued speaketh to me: g g Yet encorageth her to approch vnto him Arise, make hast my loue, my doue, beautiful one, and come. 11† For winter is not past, the rayne is gone, and departed. 12† The flowers haue appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come: the voice of the turteldoue is heard in our land: 13† the figgetree hath brought
forth
