Alice Sutcliffe

Printed Writings 1500–1640: Series 1, Part One, Volume 7

Patrick Cullen

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781351959506
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Criticism for Comparative Literature
• Index: Literature

Alice Sutcliffe was married in 1624 (her birth and death dates are not known, nor her exact marriage date) to John Sutcliffe who was Esquire to the Body of James I. He later became Groom of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Chamber at the Court of Charles I and it is suggested by some of her writings that Alice also had a role at Court. Meditations of Man's Mortalitie consists of six prose meditations followed by a long poem of eighty-eight six-line stanzas on 'our losse by Adam, and our gayne by Christ'. It was dedicated to some of the most influential members of the Court, suggesting perhaps Alice's desire to promote both herself and her husband.

Meditations
OF
MAN’S
MORTALITIE.
OR,
AWAY TO TRUE
Blessednesse.

WRITTEN,
By Mrs. ALICE SUTCLIFFE
wise of John Sutcliffe, Esquire,
Groome of his Maiestics
most Honourable Privie
Chamber.
The Second EDITION, enlarged.

ROM. 6 The mages of since is Death, but the guift of GOD, is [illegible text], through IESYS CHRISY [illegible text]

LONDON
Printed B. A. and T. F. for
Henry Seyle at the Tygers head
in Pauls Church-yard. 1630.

TO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS AND GRACIOUS PRINCESSE, KATHERINE DUTCHESSE OF BUCKINGHAM: AND THE RIGHT HONOURABLE AND VERTUOUS LADY, SUSANNA, COUNTESSE OF DENBEIGH her Sister.

Gracious Princesse:

When I read how the Gods sooner accepted of a Handfull of Frankensence offered by pure Devotion, then whole Hecarombes of Arabian Spices in Ostentation: I am incouraged, having duely considered Your unlimited Goodnesse, to present this my Mite unto your Grace, and your Honourable sister, for as you are Twinnes in Virtues, so I have joined You in my Devotions: Where first, I most humbly crave of You to passe a favourable Censure of my proceedings, it being, I know not usuall for a Woman to doe such things: Yet ELIHA sayth, There is a Spirit in Man, and the inspiration of the Almightie giveth them Understanding. And it is sayd againe: Out of the mouthes of Babes and Sucklings, thou shalt perfect Praise. I am assured, I shall meet with mocking Ishmaels, that will carpe at Goodnesse; wherefore, I runne to Your selves for refuge; humbly craving to bee assisted by your Graciousnesse, which will appeare as the Spendant Sunne to disperse those Mists. I have chosen a subject not altogether Pleasing; but my ayme is, that it may prove Profitable, having observed in this short course of my Pilgrimage, how apt Man is, not to thinke of his Mortalitic, which stealeth upon him as a Thiefe in the night: Experience teacheth mee, that there is no Action wisely undertaken, whereof the End is not force-casted, in the first place, howsoever it bee laft put in execution; I have ever accompred Ingratitude, to be like a Beast, who having received benefites, thinkes nor of any acknowledgements. Owing therefore, a due Debt of Thankefulnesse for Your unexpressable underserved Favours, and being no wayes able to cause the desires of my Heart to appeare worthy-your Acceptances, I have made choyse of this, as being perswaded thereto, by that truely Noble vertuousnes which hath evidently appeared in You, to the strengthening of Geodnesse, that here it may find admittance, which otherwise might want Entertainement; and for that you have beene more then a Mother to mee, I having onely from her received life, but next under God from your Grace, & your honorable Sister the being both of mee and mine. By which as there is none greater then your Selfe to whom in duty I am bound, so there is not any to whom I wish greater Prosperity both for Temporall and Spirituall blessings, then to your Grace; beseeching God to preserve you and your Honorable Off-spring here upon Earth, with my no lesse virtuous Lady your Sister, to whom I am tyed by the same bonds of Thankfulnesse, that as God hath made your Renownes great upon earth, so I beseech him to adde to your Lives length of dayes, and after life, Eternall happinesse in the Heavens, Whither CHRIST is gone to prepare a place for Your, I alwayes remaining,

Your Graces, and your Honors truly devoted Servant,

Alice Sutcliffe.

AN ACCROSTIQUE, Upon the Renowned Name of the most vertuous Princesse, KATHERINA Dutchesse of Buckingham.

KNow you this Princesse, BUCKINGHAM’s Chast Dutchesse?

AS he aged Time with his worm-eaten Crutches,

TO find amonst the numbers of his Role

HEr Paralell, of such a Heavenly monle,

EXcelling so i’th’ beauties of the Soule:

RIch in all Treasures, that to Virtue tend:

IN Faith, Hope, Charity; the blessed’s end.

NOr is there ought, that lives in Woman kinde:

EXceeding the rare prowesse of her Minde.

BOrne of Hight blood, form RUTLANDS Family:

UNited to a Duke of Royall state.

CUrs’d bee the time, more curs’d his cruelty

KIll’d him; and reav’d this Tuttle of her mate,

IN peerlesse woe, we stillanent that fate:

NOr shall his memoric e’re out of date.

GOe on than Gracious Princene, grae’t by Fame,

HOnour shall still, attend your noble Name:

ANd as your Goodnsle hath abouaded, so

MAy Heaven the greatest geod on Youbestow.

AN ACCROSTIQVE, Upon the Name of the Right Honourable, and truely vertuous Lady, SUSANNA, Countesse of Danbeigh.

SEe heere a Lady, blessed in her birth,

VNto whose Greatnesse, Goodnes ioyn’d is still:

SUSANNA ne’refo famous was on Earth

AS is this Lady, lead by vertuous will,

NOthing so sweete to her, as heavenly mirth,

NO Musike sounds like Haleaniah still,

A Happy Soule, which those delights doth fill.

DAigne then to view these lines, where truely I

EXpresse but truth, not vsing Flattery:

NO Fallaces within my mouth once lurkes,

BUt hates all those, that use dissembling workes.

EVen as your Goodnesse merits, so speak I

I Am your Servant, bound untill I dye:

GIve leave, then gracious Lady, for I finde,

HEaven hath indu’d you, with a vertuous minde.

AN ACCROSTIOVE, Upon the name and Titles of the Right honour able and my ever honored Low, PHILIP Earle of Pember the and montgomary, Lord Concordance of his Mojejties Household, &.

PEMBROOKE’s great Peere, your Princely favour I

HEere humbly crave, to guerdon my weake pen,

IF this doth show by imbecilitie,

LIke a good Patron, shroud it from bad men;

I By your favours mov’d doe this present,

PRay then my Lord, accept my good intent.

POore are my weake endeavours, yet if you,

ENcourage my Minervaes infant Muse

MY cherisht thoughts, by that, may frame anew

BOoke of true thanks, unto your Lordships use:

RIght Noble then, view but the vertuous tract,

OF this final Volume, and if you shall finde,

OUght good expressed, by our Sexes act,

KNow honor’d Lord, my starres are very kinde.

MOUNTGOMERY, my Cœlique Muse doth mount

ON Cherubs wing, from this low Orbe to heaven,

VErtue is here exprest, vices account;

NOr is’t a Tale, or Fable that is given

TRuth n...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Original Copyright Page
• Preface by the General Editors
• Introductory Note
• Meditations of Man’s Mortalitie