abode I that was like my all-creating God I being endude with admirable feature I that had Lordly rule of euery creature Oh I to whom all graces did abound Of all God made am most ingratefull found Come wofull Eue as I shar'd sinne with thee Bring euery teare thou hast and mourne with mee I tooke the fruite with thee that brought these feares Do thou take woe with me oh ioyne in teares We that in grace and glory late haue bin Are falne from God by disobedient sin Weepe thou for hearkning what the Serpent sayd And I will weepe for being both betrayd Weepe thou for yeelding first to his perswasion And I will weepe for giuing me occasion Let both our soules with sorrow be repleate Because we both haue bene seduc'd to eate When in the coole of day Gods voice I heard O how my senses trembled then I feard And sought to hide me from his angry face Foole as I was he sees in eu'ry place Where art thou Adam said he that where art Was euen a hell of horror to my hart With fig-leaues wrapt I to the Lord replide For shame of nakednesse I do me hide Who told thee of thy nakednes said hee Hast thou not eate of the forbidden tree Concerning which I said thou shouldest not Then for my selfe this bad excuse I got The woman that thou gau'st with me to liue Why she did of that fruite vnto me giue Then said he Woman why hast thou done this She said The Serpent causd me do amisse But these excuses no way could vs free Gods curses were ponounc'd against all three Yea euen the earth was cursed for my sake And I enioyned paines therewith to take By toylsome labour and in weary sweate To make my hands the earners of my meate Then did my dreadfull sin-incensed Lord Appoint a Cherubin with fiery sword To keepe the passage to the tree of life Driuing me forth of Eden with my wife Death at my heeles and Misery beside me My enemy the Diuell to deride me Cloath'd with a leather coate of dead beasts skins Which garment made me mindfull of my sins And the reward due to me for the same My outside death my inside sinne and shame Now seruile labour for my selfe I found I got a spade and fell to dig the ground For from earths bountie nothing I could gaine Vnlesse I bought it with the price of paine If I in Paradise had neuer bin Farre lesse perplexitie I should be in My doubts and feares and all my sorrowes grow That I true happinesse did tast and know To say I had to thinke If I had knowne Are of themselues torments enough alone Yet hope encounters comfort by the way Iehouah to the Serpent thus did say Betwixt you shall an enmitie be bred The womans seed shall breake the Serpents head This confidence preuents hels friend Despaire A second Adam shall with grace repaire The ruines that the first hath sinfull made On this foundation let the faith be laid Of all my ofspring sinne from me ensude Sinne death and hell by him shall be subdude When man was ouercome by Sathans euill He lost the Paradice where he was placed When man by grace shall ouercome the diuell He shall gaine heauen whence that fiend was chased He conquering vs did cause Gods wrath increase We conquering him with God shall be at peace Caines horror of minde for the inhumane murder of his Brother BEhold the wretched heire of all the earth Most gracelesse man bloudy accursed Caine The first that in this world hath had his birth The worst that euer shall be borne againe In conscience so tormented and distrest I haue not one calme thought of quiet rest If wofull Adam when he fell from grace In such a feare of his transgression stood That he did hide him from Iehouahs face What shall I do being all imbrude in blood Whose blood My brothers what a wicked man Oh no most iust my conscience witnesse can I did present the Lord with my oblation My brother offered vp his sacrifice And that of his was held in estimation Mine nothing set by in th' Almighties eyes Whereat affection from him I estranged And vnto wrath my countenance I changed Why art thou angry said the Lord to me Why doth thy lookes seeme other then to fore If thou do well it will returne to thee If thou do ill sinne lieth at the dore Vnto dominion and to rule aspire And Abel shall incline to thy desire But what he spake my heart regarded not Wrath stopt mine eares and would not let me heare For when my brother in the field I got I lifted vp my hand against him there And that same stroke which did his life controule Kild him a body and my selfe a soule What heard I then oh this Caine Where 's thy brother When desp'rate wretch I did this answer make Am I his keeper do we gard each other What charge do we of one another take What hast thou done said God thy deed is found For Abels blood cries vengeance from the ground Euen from the earth thou art accursed now Whose mouth receiu'd the blood thy hand hath shed No profit though thou till shall it allow The strength of it shall from thy vse be fled Be thou a vagabond and fugitiue That neuer shalt in any action thriue Then in the horror of my soule I spake As desp'rate most vnworthy wretch to liue No sute of mercy purposing to make My sinne is greater then thou canst forgiue Nothing but vengeance I expect to find For there 's no roome for sorrow in my mind Behold this day I am an outcast made And from the vpper face of th' earth I go Thy countenance thou likewise hast denaid One looke of fauour neuer to bestow And whosoeuer findes me out he will Euen murder me as I did Abel kill Feare and Despaire and I all three in one My wofull heart do into shares deuide But greedy Feare would haue it all alone Till I and blacke Despaire grew stronger side And then we two together did incline That all my heart should be Despaires and mine And now I do all that Despaire would haue me Being resolute resolu'd on euill thus For my iniquitie God cannot saue me There is no grace that can do good for vs Leade on Despaire with sinne I will go hide me Gods iustice comes his grace can nere abide me The dreadfull burning of sinfull Sodome IT was about meridian of the day When Phoebus in his height of burning sway Did like vnto a giant runne his race About the spheare of his celestiall place That Abraham the blessed man of God At his tent doore for his repose abode Where lifting vp his eyes behold stood three Of Angels nature seeming men to bee With reuerence he bowed to the ground And said my Lord if I haue fauour found Passe not away but here refresh with mee Vnder the shadow of this pleasant tree Then presently with greatest speed he went
please shall be mine onely care I le bow I le smile I le kindly giue embrace And shew a cheerfull looke a louing face With Dauids gouernment dislike I le find Faining much griefe and passion of the mind For euery wronged and oppressed wight And wish that I had powre their cause to right From Gilo for Ahitophel I le send And worke that Counsellor to be my friend With euery sort making my faction strong Which done I le do no right nor take no wrong My father growes already in disgrace And Semei hath cursde him to his face Threw stones at him and did him thus vpbraid Come forth thou man of Belial he said The Lord hath brought reuenge vpon thy head For all the blood that of Sauls house is shed This doth discourage him animate me And tels my soule that I a King must be March on braue Isralites resolued powers Victoriously preuaile the day is ours Wee l pitch our battell in this Ephraim wood Here let dead bodies glut the earth with blood Here Dauids crowne is either won or lost Here in this place it must his kingdome cost Here of our liues we will be prodigall And that great monarch into question call Draw forth your swords let courage be their guide The controuersie of a crowne decide Either a King and all my foes conuince Or let me not remaine one hower Prince Oh cruell battell fatall bloody day Vnto my death some mortall wound make way We are subdude euen twentie thousand slaine Our scattred bodies on the earth remaine What shall I do or whither shall I flie It is no matter any where to die For shelter into this huge wood I le ride Come on Despaire be thou misfortunes guide Day turne to darknesse and entinguish light And wrap my treason vp in vapory night Let not a little bird presume to sing Wither you trees and leaues and each greene thing Post on poore Mule and spare no speed to run Thy riders race of life is almost done My royall birth is now of no esteeme My rarest beautie will deformed seeme Vengeance is come Gods iudgement lights on mee I am caught hold off by a senslesse tree For my ambition thus I mount on hie For pride my lockes are ropes to hang me by Yonder comes Ioab now my end is neare He brings my death vpon his bloody speare Come pierce me captaine rid this life from hence Fearefull my end and grieuous my offence Dauids deare issue Absolom the faire Hangs without mercie bleeding in the aire Ahitophels wisedome conuerted to follie HOw is disgrace imposde vpon my head That for my counsell haue bene honored All Israel haue said Ahitophel Speakes euen as doth the heau'nly oracle T was my aduise none plotted it but I The Prince with 's fathers concubines should lie And he embrac'd it and it sorted well For as our expectation was it fell And shall I chiefest states-man in the land That still in high affaires haue had a hand Be crost by Husai the Arachite No first vpon my selfe shall vengeance light I said t was best chose out twelue thousand men And set on Dauid weary tired then That instant night being ouerworne and weake The hearts of all his people this would breake Vpon my life it was the onely way Yet Husai hath crost it with his nay He sayes that Dauid and his men be strong Th' are valiant and haue had experience long And like a Beare rob'd of her whelpes they be All this the Prince approues reiecting me Thus of my wonted honor I haue mist But from this day giue counsell he that list I le home and take an order for my pelfe And then giue counsell how to hang my selfe My house shall be in order ere I die Then for my life another course haue I Though out of order to the world it seeme Despaire and I thereof do well esteeme Not on my weapons point I meane to fall As did the desperate King resolued Saul But to some fatall tree I will repaire And hang my breathlesse bodie in the ayre Life I detest thee thou art almost done Time hold thy hand with me the glasse is run Honor farewell and in dishonor now I will go hang thee vp vpon some bough It was vaine honor did my heart intice And now I le sell it for a halters price All I haue learn'd in earthly honors schoole Is worldly wise man proues a heauenly foole Salomons censure in the two Harlots controuersie TWo harlots striuing with each other Would both vnto one child be mother And did to Wisdomes King complaine That he true iustice would maintaine My Lord said one iustice I craue Sayes tother iustice let me haue We both within a house do lie She had a child and so haue I Betweene their births but three dayes space Pray heare me I beseech your grace Her child my Soueraigne in the night Of life she hath depriued quite She smoothred it as I suppose And about midnight then she rose I being fast asleepe God wot My liuing child away she got And thrust her dead one vnto me This is as true as true may be When in the morning I did wake Intending mine owne child to take And giue it sucke I found it dead Which when I did behold with dread Viewing it well with weeping eyne I plainely saw t was none of mine The tother harlot did reply An 't please your Grace this is a lie I neuer changed child for child Neither will I be thus beguild To take hers dead for mine aliue Would God that I might neuer thriue If that the liuing be not mine Thou liest said tother t is not thine Thou shalt not dame delude me so My louing babe I well do know The very cheekes the eyes the nose The mothers fauour plainly showes Thy selfe I will be sworne did say T was wondrous like me tother day And now forsooth it is your owne How shamelesse Lord this world is growne My gracious Prince sayes tother heare Vpon my soule great King I sweare If with this child she haue to do Then she is mother of them two The dead child is her owne in troth Now this she claimes so shee le haue both I do deny the dead said she The liuing child belongs to me Oh God art thou so voide of shame Another womans fruite to claime Wilt thou stand stout in that 's vntrue And say my infant is thy due When in thy conscience thou art sure The paines for it I did endure The mothers griefe when it was borne Fie wicked woman I would scorne To beare so bad and leud a mind I grieue thou art of woman kind Then said the King this strife I le end You both for one liue child contend That child I le with a sword deuide And giue to each of you a side A iust diuision I will make And halfe a child shall either take Then spake the mother whose it was Dread Lord let no such sentence passe
But rather with my heart I craue The liue child wholy let her haue Nay but sayes tother to the King As thou hast spoke performe the thing Nor mine nor thine let it remaine But share it equall twixt vs twaine Then said the King the babe shall liue And to the mother I it giue Which I am sure thou canst not bee Because no kindnesse rests in thee Cruell Queene Iezabel turned vnto dogges meate WHat terror is my spirit vexed in How doth Reuenge sound dolefull to mine eares My soule 's pursude with that same crying sin Of murther Naboth fils my thoughts with feares There is no horror like a troubled mind As I accursed Iezabel do find Reuenge for bloud I heare continuall sound Till vengeance comes thus will it euer crie My soule is lost to get a little ground I caus'd the guiltlesse man causlesse to die I wrote a letter in my husbands name And onely I the wicked plot did frame By my aduice a fast there was pretended And Naboth plac'd amongst the chiefest then Being suddenly accus'd to haue offended By two suborned leud and diuellish men Who to the Elders did auouch this thing The Iezralite blasphem'd God and the king Vpon this slandrous false accusing breath He sentenc'd was to die with common voice And presently they stoned him to death Which I no sooner heard but did reioyce And went to Ahab saying Ioyfull be The vineyard now is thine I le giue it thee Going to take possession of the same He meeteth with Elias by the way Sent from the Lord who tels him in his name Hearke bloudie purchaser what God doth say Hast thou both kil'd and got possession too For this thy sin marke what the Lord will doo Euen in the place where dogs did licke the bloud Of Naboth to whose vineyard thou mak'st claime Euen in that place the Lord hath thought it good That dogs shall with thy bloud performe the same Euill on thee and on thy seed shall fall From thee to him makes water gainst the wall And for thy wife thus saith the God of power Since she hath wrought such euill in his eyes Dogges shall the flesh of Iezabel deuoure When by the citie wals her carcase lies In Iezrael it shall be shortly seene That dogs shall eate thy proud and painted Queene Which punishment reuenging Iehu wrought In rooting out the house of Ahab quite Ioram he slue and caused to be brought Vnto the plot of ground was Naboths right Then to the citie did in triumph ride Where me most wretched murdresse hee spide My face was painted euen as pride would haue it My head attyr'd to vanities content Thus at a window I did stand to braue it Said Iehu who is there to my side bent With that were chamberlaines at hand lookt out The instruments to bring my death about He bad them throw me downe and so they did They sent me with a vengeance to the ground My blood dasht out my life was sodaine rid Deuouring dogs my flesh had quickly found And with a Queene they fild their paunches full Leauing but palmes of hands my feete and scull The measuring of mans life by Dauids span THreescore and ten the age and life of man In holy Dauids eyes seem'd but a span For halfe that time is lost and spent in sleepe So onely thirty fiue for vse we keepe Then dayes of youth must be abated all Wise Salomon childhood and youth doth call But vanitie meere vanitie he sayes All that doth passe vs in our infant dayes Our time of age we take no pleasure in Our dayes of griefe we wish had neuer bin Then sleepe deducted youth and age and sorrow Onely a span is all thy life doth borrow Mans Salue being wounded by temtatiō Is to remember Christ his passion THe wounds that Iesus suffred for my sin Are mouthes that cry Oh loue him with thy heart The thornes that pierced through his sacred skin Are tongues pronouncing Loue is his desert The tort'ring whips that did to anguish moue him Are echoes sounding Wretched sinner loue him There is no losse that griefe can get againe But losse of grace sorrow may grace attaine Salomons good houswife in the 31. of his Prouerbs HE that a gracious wife doth find Whose life puts vertue chiefe in vre One of the right good houswife kind That man may well himselfe assure And boasting say that he hath found The richest treasure on the ground Who so enioyeth such a loue Let him resolue with hearts consent She euer constantly will proue A carefull nurse want to preuent With diligence and painfull heed Preuenting tast of beggars need And while she liues will still procure By true and faithfull industrie T' increase his wealth and to insure His state in all securitie To seeke his quiet worke his ease And for a world no way displease Her houshold folke from sloth to keepe She will endeuour with good heed At worke more wakefull then asleepe With flaxe and stuffe which houswiues need To be employd her hands also The way to worke will others show Her wit a common wealth containes Of needments for her houshold store And like a ship her selfe explaines That riches brings from forraine shore Ariuing with a bounteous hand Dispearsing treasure to the land Before the day she will arise To order things and to prouide What may her family suffice That they at labour may abide If she haue land no paine shall want To purchase vines set sow and plant No honest labour shee le omit In ought she can attaine vnto But will endeuour strength and wit Adding the vtmost she can do And if that profit comes about By night her candle goes not out A willing hand to the distrest She lends and is a chearefull giuer Come winters cold and frostie guest When idle huswiues quake and quiuer She and her houshold's cloathed well The weathers hardnesse to expell Her skill doth worke faire tapistrie With linnen furnish'd of the best Her needle workes do beautifie And she in scarlet costly drest When Senators assembled be Her husbands honor there shall see Her spinning shall her store increase The finest cloth shall yeeld her gaine And daily profit shall not cease Which her vnidle hands maintaine Her clothing shall her worth expresse And Honors yeares her end possesse Her mouth shall neuer opened be But wisedome will proceede from it And such mild gracious words yeelds shee Sweetnesse vpon her tongue doth sit In age she will her care addresse To eate no bread of idlenesse Her children shall their dutie show Most reuerent to her all their life Her husband blesse that he did know The time to meete with such a wife And vttring foorth his happinesse Her vertues in this wise expresse I know t' is true that more then one Good huswife there is to be found But I may say that thou alone Aboue all women dost abound Yea I protest in all my dayes Thou art the first and thee I le praise