A Renaissance Woman’s
Autobiographical Poem
Nouember the 10th 1632
The Memorandum of Martha Moulsworth
Widdowe
The tenth day of the winter month Nouember
A day which I must duely still remember
did open first theis eis, and shewed this light
Now on thatt day vppon thatt daie I write
Nouember 10th 1632
This season fitly willinglie combines
the birth day of my selfe, & of theis lynes
The tyme the clocke, the yearly stroke is one
thatt clocke by ffiftie fiue retourns hath gonn
How ffew, how many warnings itt will giue
he only knowes in whome we are, & liue
my muse is a tell
clocke, & echoeth[?]
euerie stroke wth
a coupled ryme
so many tymes
viz 55
Acts 17 28 &[?]
In carnall state of sin originall
I did nott stay one whole day naturall
The seale of grace in Sacramentall water
so soone had I, so soone become the daughter
of earthly parents, & of heauenlie ffather
some christen late for state, the wiser rather.
My Name was Martha, Martha tooke much payne
our Sauiour christ hir guesse [sic] to entertayne
God gyue me grace my Inward house to dight
that he with me may supp, & stay all night
Reuel: 3.20:
My ffather was a Man of spottles ffame
Luke 24.29
of gentle Birth, & Dorsett was his name
He had, & left lands of his owne possession
he was of Leuies tribe by his proffession
his Mother oxford knowenge well his worth
arayd in scarlett Robe did send him fforth.
By him I was brought vpp in godlie pietie
In modest chearefullnes, & sad sobrietie
Nor onlie so, Beyond my sex & kind
he did wth learninge Lattin decke mind [sic]
And whie nott so? the muses ffemalls are
and therfore of Vs ffemales take some care
Two Vniuersities we haue of men
o thatt we had but one of women then
O then thatt would in witt, and tongs surpasse
All art of men thatt is, or euer was
Butt I of Lattin haue no cause to boast
ffor want of vse, I longe agoe itt lost
Lattin is nott the most
marketable mariadge
mettall
Had I no other portion to my dowre
I might haue stood a virgin to this houre
Butt though the virgin Muses I loue well
I haue longe since Bid virgin life ffarewell
Thrice this Right hand did holly wedlocke plight
And thrice this Left with pledged ringe was dight
three husbands me, & I haue them enioyde
Nor I by them, nor they by me annoyde
all louely, lovinge all, some more, some lesse
though gonn their loue, & memorie I blesse.
Vntill my one & twentieth yeare of Age
1 Husband, Mr Nicolas
Prynne, Aprill 18
1598
I did nott bind my selfe in Mariadge
My springe was late, some thinke thatt sooner loue
butt backward springs doe oft the kindest proue
My first knott held fiue yeares, & eight months more
then was a yeare sett on my mouninge score
My second bond tenn years nine months did last
2d Mr Tho: Througood
ffebruary 3 1604
three years eight Months I kept a widowes ffast
The third I tooke a louely man, & kind
such comlines in age we seldome ffind
3d Mr Beuill
Moulsworth
June 15,1619
ffrom Mortimers he drewe his pedigre
their Arms he bought bore, nott bought wth Heraulds fee
third wife I was to him, as he to me
third husband was, in nomber we agree
eleuen years, & eight months his autume lasted
a second spring to soone awaie it hasted
was neuer man so Buxome to his wife
wth him I led an easie darlings life.
I had my will in house, in purse in Store
whatt would a women old or yong haue more?
Two years Almost outwearinge since he died
And yett, & yett my tears ffor him nott dried
I by the ffirst, & last some Issue had
butt roote, & ffruite is dead, wch makes me sad
My husbands all on holly dayes did die
Such day, such waie, they to the Sts did hye
This life is worke-day euen att the Best
butt christian death, an holly day of Rest
the ffirst, the ffirst of Martirs did befall
St Stevens ffeast to him was ffunerall
the morrowe after christ our fflesh did take
this husband did his mortall fflesh fforsake
the second on a double sainted day
to Jude, & Symon tooke his happy way
This Symon as an auncient Story Sayth
did ffirst in England plant the Christian ffayth
Niceph: Histo:
Most sure itt is thatt Jude in holy writt
Jude ver: 3
doth warne vs to Mayntayne, & ffight ffor itt
In Wch all those thatt liue, & die, may well
hope wth the Sts eternally to dwell
The last on St Mathias day did wend
vnto his home, & pilgrimages ende
this feast comes in that season wch doth bringe
vppon dead Winters cold, a lyvelie Springe
His Bodie winteringe in the lodge of death
Shall ffeele A springe, wth budd of life, & Breath
And Rise in incorruption, glorie, power
corrin: 15.42
Like to the Bodie of our Sauiour
phillip: 3.21
In vayne itt were, prophane itt were ffor me
Wth Sadnes to aske wch of theis three
Matt: 22.18
I shall call husband in ye Resurrection
ffor then shall all in glorious perfection
Like to th’immortall heauenlie Angells liue
who wedlocks bonds doe neither take nor giue
Butt in the Meane tyme this must be my care
of knittinge here a fourth knott to beware
A threefold cord though hardlie yett is broken
Another Auncient storie doth betoken
Ecclesiast 4.12
thatt seldome comes A Better; whie should I
then putt my Widowehood in Jeopardy?
the Virgins life is gold, as Clarks vs tell
the Widowes siluar, I loue siluar well.
(Martha Moulsworth)
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Based on Topics: Man Poems, God Poems, Life Poems, Death & Dying Poems, Christianity Poems, Name Poems, Home Poems, Gold Poems, Jesus Christ Poems, Spring Poems, Woman PoemsBased on Keywords: sayth, shewed, angells, auncient, roote, drewe, tymes, storie, jude, jeopardy, bringe